Roland according to a story in the Roland Record of October 1935, was built some 75 years earlier. The beams in the structure were hewn from logs taken from the timber west of town. It was originally built for a barn by Jacob Erickson, and was used as such for many years. He also built a house from logs, which was located where the telephone building now stands, and a barn due south from there, near the small creek. After being used as a barn for many years, the structure was purchased by A. A. Enge, who moved it to Main street on the second lot from the corner. Paul Knudtson bought the shop, a short time later and moved it to the corner lot, using it as a blacksmith shop for nearly 35 years.
The first telephones in Roland were put into operation in June 1897 by the Iowa Telephone Company. The first telephone exchange was organized by a group of local men in 1901 with an office in rooms over what is now the Norseman Restaurant. In 1908 the company sold its holdings to the Story County Independent Telephone Company, and two years later the office was moved into rooms over the present Roland State Bank. The present office building was built in October 1921. In July 1927 the stock was sold to the Iowa Continental Telephone Company which in turn became a part of the General Telephone Company of the Midwest in 1956. The operation was changed to a dial system in 1956.
Electricity came to Roland on December 12, 1911, with current being provided by Story City. This arrangement continued until 1927 when the voters rejected renewing the contract with Story City. Several elections followed during the year, and two lawsuits were filed. The issue was finally resolved on July 3, 1929, at which time the voters consented to purchase electricity at wholesale rates from Iowa Railway 8 Light Corporation. This arrangement has been largely responsible for the success of the municipal government and is reflected in the many fine improvements which have been the pride of the community over the years. Much of the town's funds are derived by this method, thus helping to keep property taxes low while giving the town the wherewithal to maintain public improvements.
Roland's most disastrous fire, with the loss of over $30,000, occurred July 7, 1904. The fire started at about midnight in the D. L. Hoefle general store, which was the original double store building built by Abel Olson & Sons. In addition to this building, the stores of Johnson & Michaelson and L. Schlanbusch were completely destroyed. Johnson & Michaelson's loss of building and stock of dry goods and groceries amounted to $16,000; Schlanbusch, general store and building, $8,500; Hoefle, general store and building, $7,000; and a number of smaller losses. Mr. and Mrs. Ed Osmundson, living above the Schlanbusch store, were lucky to escape with their lives. Though it was never proven to be a fact, it was strongly hinted that Mr. Hoefle had removed much of his merchandise and had himself set the fire. Feeling in the community ran strongly against Hoefle, and Record editor M. A. Cromwell, publishing his first issue of the paper that week, commented, ". , . . . Those who know anything of the origin are painfully mum on the subject... "
Other major fires which struck the community included I. M. Cole's City Restaurant in January 1907 with a loss of $2, 500; the Farmers' Creamery partially destroyed in June of 1912; the Hegland Produce fire in November 1922 (the old school building) with a loss of $21, 500; the S. T. Rasmusen
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