PICTURESQUE ALGONA

 Book Published

Picturesque Algona

In 1900, the Algona Commercial Exchange (which I believe is similar to today's Chamber of Commerce) published a 64-page booklet entitled "Picturesque Algona."  The book was compiled as a fundraising tool with copies selling for 25 cents each.  Milton Starr, Harvey Ingham and J. W. Hinchon made up the Executive Committee.  The Finance Committee consisted of Geo. C. Call, T. F. Cooke, C. C. Samson, Wm. K. Ferguson, S. E. McMahon and R. B. Warren.  The book was filled with photographs of homes, businesses, churches and sites located in and near Algona.  

The photographs of the residences and other buildings were taken by A. L. Peterson and J. F. Nicoulin, local professional photographers and studio owners.  Several views of the river were contributed by Harvey Ingham and other river and wooded scenes came from Col. Thomas F. Cooke, A. L. Peterson and Will Brunson.

The publication contains a quote from Prof. Walter A. Wyckoff’s book, “The Workers” which reads as follows:  

"But there were native born Americans in plenty, and chiefly of New England antecedents, as I found by my chance acquaintance with farmers by the way, and from observations of such a charming town as Algona, in Northern Iowa, where I spent several days."

In 1891, Wyckoff had set off on foot with just a dollar in his pocket to work his way across the United States to experience the life of an unskilled worker.  He had stopped in Algona as part of that adventure and was impressed enough to mention it in his book.  Obviously his quote sufficiently moved the committee to have them include it.

By this time, Algona had been in existence for 46 years.  Numerous improvements had come to the city, including many fine homes and businesses.  The City certainly had a right to feel proud of the progress that had occurred in such a short period of time. 

A close study of the photos reveals a city in transition.  Some businesses are pictured with wooden walkways and yet others have concrete sidewalks.  The streets are unpaved and are filled with horses and buggies.  City Hall is shown with

Fire company in front of City Hall 1900

the fire company assembled in front along with the carts which carried the hose and gas engines.  These carts were manually pulled by the firefighters to each fire call.   A state of the art city power and light house is shown and utility poles are seen in front of business buildings.

By the late 1890s, the city badly needed a system of street lighting.  In 1898, O. B. Durdall approached the city council offering to light Algona’s streets with electricity.  Mr. Durdall had investigated the costs of such an endeavor while on a trip to Chicago.  He offered to put in forty arc lights of 1,200 candle power each to be located on streets as directed by the council.  He proposed the city pay $4.50 a month per light for a total of $2,160 a year.  He wanted a franchise for twenty years but offered the city the right to purchase the plant at any time during the first five years at its actual cost or thereafter at its fair market value.

Not everyone was in favor of a privately owned utility.  Shortly after Durdall’s proposal was presented, a group of local businessmen subscribed stock to furnish money to the city to put in an electric light company in connection with the city water works.  The city council weighed all of the options and finally decided on municipal ownership.  They elected to purchase two 100-horse power boilers, a Sioux City Corliss engine of 150 horse power and a 1500 light Westinghouse alternating dynamo for the plant.

Electricity Arrives

By the fall of 1898, the construction project was well underway.  The foundation walls were of Mason City stone and were 85½ x 38 feet.  The outside walls were of pressed brick.  The building contained several doors large enough to accommodate the new boilers when they arrived.  Workmen were already hard at work in town trimming trees and setting anchor posts in anticipation of the installation of the lights.  Samples of electric light fixtures including chandeliers were available at city hall for prospective patrons.  Many residents were wiring their homes to be ready when electricity became available.

The building was complete and ready for installation of boilers and engines by December.  Unfortunately, a series of mishaps and setbacks tried the community’s patience as they labored to institute electrical service.  It took three more months for

the engine to arrive.  It was soon installed and the electric current was to be turned on for the first time on April 26, 1899.  On the first try, only the street lights would be illuminated.  Incandescent lamps could not yet be used as the switch board which was to operate that current had been destroyed in a fire in the factory where it was made.  When the steam was turned on the new engine the first time, the throttle valve blew off immediately and a new one had to be ordered.  It took a few more weeks to fine tune all of the details, but by late May of 1899, the plant was finally up and running.  

At first the plant would shut down each night at 10 p.m.  A signal would be sent to customers just before closing.  When the lights dimmed three times, it was time to light their lamps.  By September, the city council voted to begin all night electric service which

The site in 2015

was touted as a great convenience to the hotels as well as private homes.  Algona had entered a new age just in time for the turn of a new century.

It is the striving for improvements such as this that made Algona a very progressive community.  It is that progress that “Picturesque Algona” documents. 

Disappointingly, other than the name of the owner or business, there are no descriptions of any kind about the buildings described in the booklet.  No addresses were given to aid later generations in locating these beauties.  It is fortunate that the 1954 centennial committee took it upon themselves to reissue this book as part of their souvenir materials. In the updated version they included addresses and the names of the then current owners.  We owe them a sincere thank you for their foresight and hard work.

Algona power plant on North Hall Street in 2015

In the future I plan to tell the stories of some of the homes and businesses featured in "Picturesque Algona."  If you enjoy visiting the past, please continue to stop by my blog -- or better yet, subscribe so you are sure you don't miss a single post.  You never know what topic might be next!

Until next time,

KC History Buff 

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Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2015 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the FB “share” feature instead of cutting/pasting.Gentle reminder: History posts are copyright © 2013-2015 by Tara Ross. I appreciate it when you use the FB “share” feature instead of cutting/pasting.If you enjoyed this post, please don’t forget to “like” and SHARE.

Reminder:  The posts on Kossuth County History Buff are copyrighted © 2015 by Jean Kramer.  Please use the FB “share” feature instead of cutting/pasting.

DAVID HOLCOMB - Civil War Casualty

This year -- 2015 -- marks the 150th anniversary of the end of the Civil War in America.   The county's finest young men answered the call.  Here is the story of one of them. 

The Civil War Comes to Kossuth County

In 1861, Algona and the Kossuth County area were sparsely populated.  With no rail connection, it took some time for news to reach the area.  When Frank Rist arrived on his stagecoach one day in April, he brought news of the firing on Fort Sumter.  This fanned the flames of patriotism in the county and on August 9^th of that year, seven of the promising young men of the area enlisted.  These included James C. Taylor, John Riebhoff, John Calvin Heckart, Charles F. Kellogg, Elias D. Kellogg, John Ehingher, and Levi Cary.  During the afternoon and evening of August 23, 1861, the communities of Algona and Irvington gathered at the Irvington town hall to send the group off in style, hosting a farewell supper prepared by the local ladies of the area and served outside.  Socializing and dancing closed the evening.

It was shortly after that gathering that another early settler of Algona, David Holcomb, filled with patriotic spirit, enlisted on

Pioneer Press, October 26, 1861

September 25, 1861, in Company D, Sixteenth Iowa Infantry.  He was 29 years old when he entered the service.

The designated rendezvous for the Sixteenth Regiment was Camp McClellan in Davenport, Iowa.  The organization of this regiment began on September 17, 1861 and continued through March 24, 1862.  The regiment traveled from Davenport to St. Louis by steamer on March 20, 1862.  After disembarking from the ship, they marched to Benton Barracks where they were quartered.  It was there that they were furnished with arms, ammunition and other equipment.  Without having the opportunity for drill and instruction except to the most limited extent, they were hurried to the front.  Their commander, Colonel Chambers, was a graduate of West Point and a thoroughly trained soldier.  Col. Chambers and his regiment were ordered to proceed to Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee, to report to General Grant. 

Holcomb enters the battle of Shiloh

According to Holcomb, they arrived at Pittsburg on Friday, April 4^th.  Just two days later, the 16^th loaded their guns for the first time and were ordered to the front.  Private Holcomb soon found himself in the thick of the battle of Shiloh.  He later shared his experience in a letter to a young lady who he left behind in Algona and it was published in the Pioneer Press on May 3, 1862. 

          “Savannah, Tenn. Apr. 11, 1862. **** We arrived at Pittsburg (the place where the battle was fought) last Friday night.  We stopped on the boat till Saturday noon, then went ashore, but did not pitch our tents for we expected to go out four miles from the river to Camp.  On Sunday morning, without a moment’s warning, we were ordered out to the field of battle.  We marched about three and a half miles and came to a small clearing where we saw some of our regiments in deadly conflict with the enemy.  It looked rough but we had to go in.  We marched across the field in front of the enemy’s fire while the shells were bursting and the grape and bullets were rattling like hail all around us.  Just as we were leaving the clearing and going into the timber, I was struck in the elbow by a piece of shell, which disabled me, and I had to leave the ranks.

          “I am in hopes it is nothing serious, although it makes a pretty bad arm of it.  The shell went into the joint, but with good care I think I shall keep the use of my arm.

          “Sunday noon, I heard there were three killed and twelve or fourteen wounded out of our company, but here it is Friday and God only knows how many there are left by this time.  The wounded were taken right from the field to Savannah, (some eight miles) and I have heard nothing definite from the boys since.  But thank God, we are coming out victorious—the enemy are driven back about fifteen miles and our boys will soon wipe them out.

          “There are now in this town about 1500 wounded soldiers, and such suffering I never expected to witness.  There are so few doctors, it is impossible to do the wounded justice.  Whether they

will send us home until we get well, I can’t say, but I guess they will send us where we can get home on a furlough.  My arm pains me badly and I must close.”

Sadly, David’s hope of recovery was not to be.  He succumbed to his wound a little over a month later on May 17, 1862 at Cincinnati, Ohio.  He is buried in the Cemetery of Spring Grove in that city.  

From Find A Grave

Final Tribute

The Pioneer Press published on June 14, 1862 contained a fitting tribute to the young men from the area lost to the cause.

          “We understand that David Holcomb, who joined the 16^th Infantry from this place died a short time since at Cincinnati, from the effects of a wound received at Pittsburg Landing.

          “Last fall the Press announced the departure of five young men from our midst, James C. Taylor, Levi Carey, John Riebhoff, John Ehinger, and David Holcomb.  We ventured the assertion when we clasped their hands for the last time that they would never disgrace the noble cause in which they were enlisted, but how little did we suspect that none of them would ever be allowed to return to their friends, and when we heard that their little group had been filled with sorrow by the death of one of their number, as brave and noble a boy as ever filled a soldier’s grave, we hoped that the rest might be spared by the fell destroyer.  But no, one after another were taken away, until now, the last one is gone.  We know that the cold sods which were placed by strange and careless hands over them, has shut out from the world as brave and true hearts as were ever sacrificed on the altar of our country.”

Until next time,
Kossuth County History Buff 

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WHY A BLOG ABOUT KOSSUTH COUNTY HISTORY?

Introduction

Perhaps you are wondering why I have chosen to blog about Kossuth County, Iowa.  I must admit that until a few months ago, I had never given this idea a single thought. But as I look back, I think fate has been preparing me for this moment for a long time. 

My Story

For about 16 years now I have been researching the records of Kossuth County.  Well, truthfully, it has been longer than that because I worked for lawyers for most of my adult life and often found myself plowing through real estate records or titles and looking up old probates, often in the courthouse basement.  However, my personal research journey began on Memorial Day weekend in May of 1999.  I remember it so clearly. . .

Decorating the ancestors’ graves had been a long standing custom of my mother and after my father’s passing in 1995, it became my job to accompany her on the annual trek.  I truly enjoyed this tradition as my mother was an inveterate story teller and walking among the

My mother, Evelyn Prothman

gravestones of the people she had known and loved always got the memories flowing.  Although I was familiar with most of her stories, I never seemed to tire of hearing them.

For some reason, however, this day in 1999 was different.  Perhaps it was because my dad had been gone a few years and I realized my time with mom was limited or possibly it was because my own children were almost out of the nest, but I found myself asking questions I had never thought of before.  As we walked around Calvary Cemetery in Algona where I thought all of my local relatives were buried, mom inquired if I knew that I had a great-great grandfather buried in Riverview Cemetery (the oldest cemetery in the county).  I was taken aback!  Who was this relative that I had never heard of?  

I had grown up right across the railroad tracks on the north side of Riverview Cemetery and had spent many enjoyable hours walking and biking through it as well as doing pencil etchings of some of the more interesting tombstones.  Mom and I had often walked it together.  Why had I not heard this story before—or, more likely, had I just not been listening?

She assured me that she could take me right to the grave and so as soon as the flowers had been officially placed at Calvary, off we drove to Riverview and moments later I was standing at the burial site of the grandfather I had never known existed.  How many times had I unknowingly walked past this site?  I was later to discover that his wife, my great-great grandmother, was also buried there beneath an unreadable stone as well as his daughter who had

My Great-great grandparents' graves

died so young, leaving a husband and two small sons to mourn her passing.


I started firing questions at my poor mother who did her best to answer.  Returning to her house she instructed me where to find albums and boxes of photographs which I immediately hauled out and stacked around her living room.  We spent the next several hours poring over unmarked photos.  I insisted that we immediately begin identifying the people and places pictured in the photographs and by the time I left for home late that afternoon, I had a draft of a family tree. 

From that day forward my life has never been quite the same. The people in the photographs became so real to me as my mother shared the stories of their lives.  They were farmers and carpenters, soldiers and seamstresses, husbands and wives and children.  I researched their births and deaths and their lives in between.

I am sorry to say that I only had my dear mother for another 17 months, but I have always looked back on that Memorial Day weekend and thanked the dear Lord above that we had that time together.  By the time she passed away, we had made much progress in identifying the people in the many old photos she had collected over the years and had put together a family tree going back several generations.  Sadly, not a day goes by that I still don’t think of a question that I would like to ask her or my dad.

After Mom’s passing, I found myself setting the family history aside for a while.  It was so different not having her around to share my latest discovery or just to hear her voice.  It was hard to think of going forward without her to consult. 

One day while looking for something else on the Internet, I came across the Iowa GenWeb site.  This program of sharing genealogical information such as biographies, obituaries and cemetery information was fascinating to me.  I found the Kossuth County GenWeb page and took a look around.  The site already had a lot of good information.  To do my part, I decided that I would post the biographies that had been published in the two Kossuth County History books, one published in 1884 and the other in 1913.  Over the next several years, I did just that. 

I became a member of the newly formed Kossuth County Genealogical Society helping to expand the genealogical library at the Algona Public Library.  Later when the Kossuth County Historical Society was revitalized, I helped to reorganize the archival collection among many other projects. 

A Blog Is Born

As much as I enjoy my association with these two societies (I am still a member of each), I found that my true love was telling the stories of the people, places and events of Kossuth County and the surrounding area.  I have found that researching a particular era takes me back in time to imagine what life was like for those whose stories are yearning to be told.  I have often felt guided by unknown forces as time and again information thought to no longer be available pops up out of nowhere while sleuthing around.  It is as if the spirit world is watching and listening, waiting for the right moment in time.

I hope you will travel along with me as I tell the stories of the people, places and events of Kossuth County’s unique history.  If you have photos or

Kossuth County Courthouse 2015

information about any of the topics which will make up this blog, I hope that you will share them with me.  I will try to incorporate those materials into future blogs or share it with my readers if appropriate.  If you enjoy what you find here and feel so inclined, I hope you will share my blog posts with others who might find the stories interesting and entertaining.

Until next time,
Jean Kramer, a/k/a Kossuth County History Buff

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Reminder:  The posts on Kossuth County History Buff are ©2015 by Jean Kramer.  Please use the FB “share” feature instead of cutting/pasting.