USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 59
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Around the corner south, and in the same building as the Sibley State Bank, is the Iowa Investment Company, managed by T. S. Redmond and A. C. Winterfield. In the next building south is the Fitzsimmons pool hall, lunch counter and cigar stands. Across the alley farther south is the Arend block, in the north room of which is the saloon of W. H. Peterson, and in the south room a quick-meal restaurant and lunch counter. On the next block south is the big feed barn, where seventy to eighty teams can drive in and be cared for at any time of the day or night. Crossing to the east side of the street is found the three-story Windsor hotel, owned and conducted by C. A. Windsor. Next north is the Joe Gill livery barn, converted into a livery and auto garage, conducted by Mr. Wachtel. South from the Grohman block is George Marshall's blacksmith and auto repair shop.
On the next block south is Frank Cram, the county bridge builder and house mover, and across the street west is John Werkheirer's blacksmith and
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wagon repair shop, and near by is the Sibley creamery, and farmers' elevator, which handles grain. coal and feed. Farther north, on the Omaha side track, are the stock yards, followed by the L. B. Spracher grain elevator and coal sheds. Still farther north is the Brown elevator, now owned by Spracher & Wheeler. East of this is the Shell Lumber Company. Mr. Shell, the senior member of this firm, was one of the first lumber merchants of Sibley, having been here continuously for over forty years. North of the Shell Lumber Company is the Lampert Lumber Company. To the east, on North street and the alley, is W. L. Mitchell, with farm implements, buggies and farm wagons. On the same block is Mrs. Gardner's millinery store.
In many of the two-story buildings are offices occupied by men of various professions. The lawyers are mentioned in the chapter on the legal fraternity and the doctors in the medical chapter. Dr. M. M. Trainer has an office in Central block and Dr. J. H. Harvey holds forth in the Bar- clay block. The late W. J. Miller, justice of the peace and general broker, also had his office in the Barclay block. W. W. Turnbull, land agent, has his office in the Gazette building. Mr. Hunt has a blacksmith shop across the street from the Central block.
The Sibley Cement Works, owned principally by the Shell Lumber Com- pany and managed by Charles Anderson, is located in East Sibley, and is doing an extensive business, employing a number of men the year round. The carpenters and builders are W. H. Suter, Edward Brand, Andrew Cul- ver, Frank Gross and Mr. Henthorn. The painters and decorators are Elmer Stamm, S. A. Brand and William Pittman. Sanders & Lutterman own and operate the Rome Steam Laundry. Ira Fox owns and operates the Sibley dray line. C. B. Morrison has recently started another dray line. W. B. Winney is constable and conducts a livery stable and occupies a section of the big feed barn. William Schroeder has a team of horses and an automo- ble for livery. Robert Dove runs an automobile as a livery.
The city has a sewerage system, gas for lighting, water works, and has recently voted, by a large majority, to install an electric lighting system. The city has a town hall, in which is a lockup for the disorderlies, as well as the fire fighting apparatus. The city sustains a free public library, well equipped with books. The building is commodious and was donated by the Grand Army of the Republic post. The Sibley Hospital is located at the northeast part of town and is under the management and control of Dr. F. S. Hough, and receives considerable patronage. Mrs. Julia McColm is the head nurse in the hospital.
VIEWS IN AND ABOUT ASHTON.
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The present city officers are as follows: George F. Dietrick, mayor : C. W. Brown, C. E. Parker, Henry Pulscher, E. M. Taylor and W. T. Stiener, councilmen; Oscar Meyers, clerk: Albert Romey, assessor. John Worden, a veteran of the Civil War, is marshal, and Albert Dittoo is night watchman. W. H. Chase is street commissioner.
ASHTON.
The land department of the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad Company laid out the town of Ashton in 1872. It was first called St. Gilman, but in 1882 the name was changed to Ashton. The town has a fine location on the west side of Otter creek. The ground gradually rises until it reaches quite an elevation, on top of which stands the large Roman Catholic church and school. Ashton is a thrifty town surrounded by territory that for productive soil is unexcelled in the state. There are no more thrifty class of farmers anywhere than those tributary to the town of Ashton.
The first building placed on the town site was moved there by T. J. Shaw and still stands and is used as a pool room and lunch counter. Mr. Shaw first erected this store building on section 32, in Gilman township, be- fore the town of Ashton was laid out. Mr. Shaw left Osceola county in 1888 and moved to Oregon, where he is reported to have died a few years ago. The next building to be erected was a warehouse in 1873 by Brown & Roundsville. Then followed a blacksmith shop, run by Charles Miller, who sold to John Lee, and in 1878 Lee sold to I. B. Lucas, who continued the business about as long as he was able to work. Mr. Lucas was always a prominent man and took great interest in all public affairs until the time of his death. Soon another store followed, then a milliner store and an ever- present saloon. Then followed the grasshopper scourge, when all business at Ashton gradually dwindled away. The storekeepers sold what they could and silently drifted away. The hotel man had no customers, the saloonkeeper no patrons. millinery goods were not in demand and no grain came to mar- ket ; stagnation was complete.
J. D. Billings was the first justice of the peace and one of the first school officers. He later moved to Sheldon. His daughter, Mary, was the first child born in the town.
In 1883 Nick Boor moved to town and opened up a grain, coal and lumber business. About the same time A. and G. W. Patterson ( father and son) came and brought some money, which they commenced to loan. This loan business developed into the Bank of Ashton, which was always a help
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to the town. A. Patterson is now dead and G. W. Patterson is in Worth- ington, Minnesota. From this time the town has continued to grow and prosper, until now it is thrifty and prosperous.
The Ashton State Bank, with W. L. Benjamin as president and prin- cipal stockholder. and R. M. Yappen as cashier, has thirty-five thousand dollars paid-up capital and is doing a safe and profitable business. It is one of the sound financial institutions of the county. Among the commercial and mercantile establishments are Nick Klees, harness shop; Angie Melcher, milliner shop; Frank Holmes, meat market : Avkens & DeBoer, general mer- chandise; Dries & Krogman, implements; Simeon Miller, cream, poultry and junk, and S. J. Gallagher, garage and auto livery. F. J. Gallagher is the dentist and J. M. Cadwallader is the only physician and surgeon. The Hotel Ashton is managed by Mr. Adams. This hotel has had a hard experience, there being scarcely patronage enough to maintain as good a house as is demanded. Mr. Adams is striving to keep a house that will meet the re- quirements and it is hoped by the inhabitants of the town that it may prove a financial success. J. H. Carmichael, druggist and pharmacist, is one of the substantial men of the town. Jake Keul runs a pool hall and billiard parlor. George Bathen is a merchant. E. A. Balzell operates a barber shop. The moving picture industry has a room on the main street. A new brick block is occupied by Ed. Gaster, postmaster and a meat market. The grains and coal business is conducted by A. Streit. Val. Dries is the stock buyer. North of the depot is the Farmers Elevator, managed by R. C. Yappen. John Jackley has a garage and auto livery. John Johannes has a hardware store. Win- chell & Hoffman run a pool hall and lunch counter. Frank Jackley, a general store. Charles Seivert has a furniture store, and Anton Hintgen a clothing store. William M. Busch is the rural mail carrier. John DeGroot and Elmer De Vries are draymen. Gustavus Ehlers conducts the cream station. There is also the usual number of masons, painters and paper hangers.
The public schools and churches will be mentioned in the proper chap- ters.
The city officials at present are as follows: Mayor, J. E. Townsend : clerk, J. W. Clark: councilmen, W. L. Benjamin, R. M. Yappen, Joe Reis, A. Streit and Charles King ; treasurer, R. C. Yappen.
HARRIS.
Soon after the Burlington. Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad was constructed through this county, A. W. Harris and Philip Proper bought
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several acres of land and platted it into lots in 1889 and called it Harris. The railroad promptly established a station there.
D. A. W. Perkins, in his History of Osceola County, published 1892, says: "This is a station on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Rail- road, on the eastern side of the county. At present it does not claim to be metropolitan, but expects some time in the future to acquire prominence as one of the towns in the county. It is well located and when the country around it becomes more settled the town will grow correspondingly. It has one general store, managed by Rufus Townsend, who is also postmaster, and the store has a good trade. M. B. Smith has a lumber yard and a har- ness shop. J. Ryckman runs a coal yard and John Watling is the black- smith. The station agent is Homer Richards, and Frank P. Burley is a decorative painter. This about comprises the business interests of Harris, and no doubt the historian ten years from now will be able to make an ex- tensive record which will come from its future growth."
This town of Harris organized a city government during the spring of 1898, with George W. Thomas as mayor and A. Reimers as clerk. Among the first councilmen were A. C. Winterfield, A. T. Winterfield and Fred Dietz, with A. W. Burley as assessor and I. Harris as city marshal. The little city now has a population of five or six hundred people, and with its large white school house, two neat churches, many comfortable homes and business houses, together with its many thrifty shade trees, makes a very attractive sight and breaks the monotony of the once treeless prairie.
The Harris Savings Bank has a substantial two-story brick building, the second story of which is used for lodge rooms. Next to the bank build- ing stands a cement block building occupied by the telephone exchange and city barber shop. Commencing near the depot appears J. B. Wilson's livery barn and feed stable, followed by the Harris Hardware Company, owned and managed by George Wilson and Fred Geronsin. Next to that is a res- taurant, operated by Fred Schladt, the real estate office of H. C. Harris, the general store of C. W. Beeler and the barber shop of Fred Lowrey. Mr. Lowrey opened a barber shop here soon after the town was started, coming from Sibley, and by thrift and industry has acquired a comfortable home and the shop in which he operates. He has the finest and best equipped barber shop in the county, thus demonstrating what steady industry will accomplish. Then follows the telephone exchange, managed by O. F. Unz, with about seventy-five town. and one hundred and twenty-five rural sub- scribers.
The Harris Savings Bank, with G. W. Moeller as cashier, is doing a
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safe banking business, writes insurance and negotiates farm loans. R. J. Robertson, a real estate dealer, has offices in the bank building. He is also an extensive land owner. He also negotiates farm loans and writes town and farm insurance. Dr. C. C. Cady is a general practitioner and has an extensive practice. A. W. Burley has a blacksmith shop and also conducts an automobile business and garage. George Bowers handles farm imple- ments. John Burrows has a blacksmith shop. F. W. Hill, druggist and pharmacist, keeps a general stock of drugs. He also has a soda fountain and dispenses soft drinks and ice cream in season.
J. I. Dobbin is postmaster and editor of the Harris Herald. The meat market is conducted by Wentler Brothers. The pool room is owned by Oscar Miller, who also buys and ships stock. Mrs. S. Crichton conducts a private hotel. The hotel is now occupied by private families, there not being resi- dences enough to furnish homes for all the people. Harris needs more houses at the present time. Henry Hentz sells automobiles and manages a garage. The Harris Mercantile Company occupies a large two-story build- ing on the corner, with an extensive stock of general merchandise. It is managed by Patrick Mahn. H. A. Wiemir is an implement dealer. Cream station by George Wernstrum. George Wernstrum conducts a cream station and restaurant. A pool room and lunch counter are operated by John Heppler. C. A. Barnes, one of the early-day merchants, conducts a hard- ware business. Next is a stock of furniture by C. W. Beeler.
The Superior Lumber Company has a commodious lumber and coal yard, conducted by L. J. Hagerty. The grain elevator of Anderson & Com- pany is under the local management of H. P. Umland. A. A. Thompson manages the Stockdale & Dietz elevator. Mr. Thompson also handles town and farm property. The Gregg & Zeeman elevator is under the manage- ment of A. C. Wettestead. The Standard Oil Company has a station here managed by George Geroesin. George Blend is a mason and F. Blais is a contractor and builder. John Forbes is a carpenter and Earl Wheeler is a painter and decorator. The Harris Creamery is doing a nice business with the surrounding farmers. That Harris is surrounded by a good farming country is evidenced by the fact that during the year of 1912 there were shipped from that station two hundred and twenty cars of grain, stock and hay.
The present city government is carefully looked after by competent officials. W. W. Smith, a retired merchant, is mayor. The present council is composed of George Geronesin, George Bauer, Fred Wentler, Henry
MILLIRY
- PAP
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WEST MAIN STREET, OCHEYEDAN
A RESIDENCE STREET IN OCHEYEDAN
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Hintz and A. W. Burley. L. J. Hagerty is clerk and Clint Gregory is city marshal. Thus Harris is putting on city airs with a street fair and carnival after harvest each year. Harris has two churches, Methodist Episcopal and German Lutheran, both of which are discussed in the chapter on churches.
OCHEYEDAN.
The town of Ocheyedan was started in the early fall of 1884, after the coming of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad. The first building of the town was a temporary affair for the use of James Wood while a more substantial structure was being erected. James Wood, Charles Woodworth, William Smith, Kout Brothers and L. B. Boyd were on the ground in the fall of 1884 with stores of general merchandise. During the same fall Dr. C. Teal put up a building and occupied it with a stock of drugs and at the same time practiced medicine.
Thus was the beginning of a clean and enterprising little city. It has a beautiful location on a high ridge, which affords good natural drainage. It has well graded streets, substantial brick blocks and an excellent high school. It owns its water system and has a volunteer fire department. It has fine shade trees along the streets and in the yards, beautiful lawns and as good residences as can be found in towns of larger population. It has two strong banks and several stores in brick buildings. It looks as one ap- proaches it like a ready-made city set on a hill.
Instead of the few business houses, as in 1884, it now has the follow- ing: The Bank of Ocheyedan, under the efficient management of James Porter, president ; William M. Roth, cashier, and Charles Morton, assistant cashier. It does a general banking business and negotiates farm loans. The postoffice is held by Mrs. Underwood. Mr. Underwood, who edited the Ocheyedan Press for many years, was postmaster until the time of his death, a few years ago, when Mrs. Underwood was appointed to take her hus- band's place. It is understood that J. B. Callender is to succeed Mrs. Un- derwood at the expiration of her term. The Ocheyedan Press is now man- aged and edited by E. E. Roland. M. S. Gole has a stock of general mer- chandise and millinery goods. C. A. Cook is the popular druggist and phar- macist. Albert Fritz runs a general butcher shop. Alesen Brothers are clothiers. The town has two cream stations which are well patronized by the farmers. Fred Meyers is a blacksmith. Furniture and undertaking wants are supplied by William Marshall. Mrs. L. M. Hamilton runs a raquet store. Philip Cleveland has a hotel and restaurant. Metz is the barber.
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Peter Graves operates a hotel and restaurant. George DeFries runs the saloon. The Harris Auto Company is managed by Stahly & Son. The Por- ter Company is managed by J. N. Kuntz. Slade & Shuttleworth also run a lumber yard. Mr. Slade is the local man, while Mr. Shuttleworth resides in Sibley. The Farmers Elevator Company is managed by Fred Bremmer. The F. A. Brown & Company elevator and the Gregg & Zeemer elevator are well managed concerns. The stock buyers are John Ward, Perry Harmel and A. C. Bowersock. Charles Spencer is a blacksmith. Fred Berands handles wagons, buggies and all kinds of farm implements. The livery barn, formerly managed by Mike Welsh, is now an automobile garage and under the control of the Ocheyedan Auto Company, with Albert Stewart as local manager. Christ Gardner conducts a meat market. On this same side hill is found the office of Dean & Broderick, extensive land owners and dealers. In the same office is Ezra Cleveland, who has been for many years justice of the peace. Callender Brothers manage a pool hall. The Mc- Gowen Mercantile Company occupies the corner where the elder McGowen, who died a few years ago, succeeded Kout Brothers, one of the original firms. R. J. C. McGowen, the elder, was succeeded by his son, Bert Mc- Gowen, who now conducts the business in a fine two-story brick building. Chris Wassmann runs the livery and feed barn. The Ocheyedan Savings Bank, after a varied experience under different managers, has settled down to a thrifty and careful banking business under the efficient management of C. R. Richards. Doctor Kinney is the only dentist of the town. C. A. Cook manages the telephone exchange. The Ocheyedan Hardware Company is managed by Miller & Cobb. Hanford Produce Company has a cream sta- tion here, managed by William Noehren. Doctors R. S. Hamilton, Ely, Lass and White are the practicing physicians. S. Schmidt is the harness maker. Harly Cleveland cleans and presses clothes. J. L. Packard handles hardware. August Arends deals in boots and shoes. Mary Graves has gen- eral merchandise and farm implements. Frank Graves and daughter are the photographers. The Farmers Co-operative Creamery is managed by Frank Lintner, president of the company. Charles Timmons is a land dealer. The Ocheyedan opera house is managed by the Callender Brothers. A. M. Ran- dall handles apples direct from the Ozarks. John Armstrong and wife are carpet weavers.
Ocheyedan has two rural mail routes which cover fifty-two miles and serve two hundred patrons. The graded school and several churches will be
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mentioned in the school and church chapters. The present city officers are as follows: H. E. Dean, mayor: William Roth, August Arends, Chris Timmons, C. R. Richards and Bert McGowen, councilmen : Charles Moxon, clerk : C. H. Callender, assessor ; T. A. Cramer, marshal.
CLOVERDALE.
This village is on the Gowrie branch of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. There are a few retired farmers living here. The school is one mile north of the village. Cloverdale is located on the south line of East Holman and the north line of Goewey township, midway between Sibley and Melvin, and is in the midst of a rich farming territory. While it is not putting on metropolitan airs it is a very good trading point. The principal interests represented are grain, lumber and merchandise. Here we find the Lampert Lumber Company, managed by George B. Brunson, which handles all kinds of building material, coal, wire fence and gates. The Davenport Elevator Company handles grain, with William Schlicht as manager. Stockdale & Dietz Company, grain buyers, are represented by Fred Hankins as agent. Peter Sherbondy is a general merchant and serves as postmaster.
ALLENDORF.
Allendorf is a station on the main line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, midway between Sibley and Ocheyedan. It makes a very convenient place from which to ship stock and grain for that neighborhood. Farmers can get nearly anything they need at this town. There is one bank, owned principally by George W. Schee of Primghar. Clyde Wheaton is cashier and local manager. There is one general store, owned by McGowen Company, and managed by Ray Williams, who is also postmaster. There is one lumber yard, owned by Shell Lumber Company of Sibley, and man- aged by C. Shuttleworth. There are two grain elevators, one of which is owned and managed by I. Broderick, and the other by Calender Brothers. of Ocheyedan. D. D. Garberson handles agricultural implements. The blacksmith is C. H. Rickabaugh, who also runs a threshing machine in season. Rev. O. J. Conway is pastor of the United Evangelican church. Peter Sand is the station agent. George Protexter owns the telephone line and Charley Protexter is the local manager.
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MELVIN.
In the year 1900 the Gowrie branch of the Rock Island Railroad was finished to Sibley and the town of Melvin was platted and buildings began to go up on every hand. Now it is a busy little city, with grain elevators, stores, churches and a graded school. The streets are nicely graded and main street is heavily graveled. Melvin is situated in the midst of as fine an agricultural section as there is in the state and it gives that part of the county a good market.
The following are the principal business interests of the town: The railroad depot is on the eastern outskirts and H. I. Ramsey is the station agent. The Davenport Elevator Company is managed by Edward Jacobs. The Farmers Elevator Company, recently reorganized, is managed by W. H. Hubbard and a board of directors. F. W. Year & Company buys and handles live stock. The Royal Lumber Company has extensive lumber yard and sheds. Their lumber is nearly all under cover. One of the prominent buildings is the Woodmen's hall, which also serves as a public hall. The lodge rooms are in the second story. This building was one of the first buildings in the town, having been originally erected by Peter Shaw, of Sibley. He conducted a pool hall and lunch counter eight years in the first story, while he occupied the second story as a residence. The Melvin Tele- phone Company is owned and operated by H. M. Quiggle, who is a son of the old homesteader, Frank Quiggle. This line has about two hundred and sixty patrons. The Melvin hotel is managed by Mrs. Frederica Zack. The German Savings Bank is in charge of George A. Schee, as cashier. The principal backer of this bank is George W. Schee, of Primghar. A. C. Boeke's hardware store and Joseph B. Bohlen's general store are flourishing establishments. George Kraft has the postoffice in his general store room. From this postoffice one rural route is run, covering twenty-eight miles and accommodating over one hundred patrons. L. A. Shields has a restaurant and lunch counter. Imhoff & Riecks have a lunch counter and pool hall. The First National Bank has George A. Romey as cashier and Arthur Evans as assistant cashier. The president of the bank is J. Fred Mattert, and vice-president, W. T. Steiner. both of Sibley. This bank is a strong institu- tion and doing an extensive business. H. W. Jobes has the furniture and drug store and handles furniture, carpets, rugs, drugs, oils and paints. The meat market is conducted by C. D. Koontz. The "Poor Man's Theater" is conducted by Jobes & Graves. W. A. Fairbrother is a contractor and
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builder. Knapp & Banghert conduct a general store and carry a large stock for a town of this size. A. F. Buckholtz has a full line of farm implements and hardware. The Watchel Auto Company operates in Melvin and Sibley. and is managed by Joseph Wachtel. The barber shop is owned and operated by Frank Arrasmith. D. C. Steelsmith is the doctor and at present the rep- resentative of this county in the General Assembly. There is a garage, man- aged by Graves Brothers, who also handle agricultural implements. A. G. Myrell is the blacksmith. A saloon is run by Henry E. Massmann. The Melvin Argus, a local and Democratic newspaper, is owned and edited by Charles W. Scott. The Hanford Creamery Company has a cream station here managed by Lyle Daggett. The town owns a building used for a town hall, which also contains the lighting plant and fire apparatus. The city feed barn is a large cement block structure. It can accommodate two hundred teams and is managed by H. D. Year. The town has three churches, the German Lutheran, Rev. Alberts, pastor ; the Methodist Episcopal, with J. A. Smith as pastor, and a German Reform church. The Hollanders hold ser- vices but as yet have no building. The farmers own a successful creamery. A. L. Blackmore and Louis Frederking are painters and paper hangers. Jolın Gontges and Rudolph Hokuf run city drays. The city officers of Melvin are as follows: H. J. Ramsey, mayor; Arthur M. Evans, clerk ; George Kraft, George A. Romey, P. J. Knapp, C. D. Koontz, W. F. Arra- smith, councilmen : Henry Bangert, assessor ; Frank Knapp, marshal.
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