Last
summer I led a historic tour of Algona for a leadership class sponsored by the
Algona Chamber of Commerce. This was a
combination of several tours that had been done in the past by Mayor Lynn Kueck
and Jane Nettleton. Several of the stops
along the tour were unfamiliar to me and I decided when I had the time, I was
going to dig a little deeper into their history to learn more. One of those stops concerns a house in the
south part of town.
THE HOUSE
At
418 South Harlan Street in Algona, you will find a lovely Victorian house that
was constructed by Fred W. Hawes and his wife.
Fred was born on August 9, 1845 in Corinna, Maine and came to Algona
around 1870. His wife, Lovica B. Wilson
Hawes, (commonly known as Harriet), had been born in 1852 in Genoa,
Illinois. Together they would have one
child, Frederick Wilson Hawes, who was born February 13, 1873.
Fred
was soon a part of the bustling downtown business district. An article in the May 5, 1872 edition of the
Upper Des Moines stated that he was putting up a large harness shop on State
Street. In addition to selling and repairing harnesses, bridles, saddles and
other horse accessories, the store handled trunks, traveling bags, buffalo
robes and other items for its two-legged customers. Fred was also in the market for hides, furs
and wool.
 |
| From Algona Republican, July 23, 1879 |
Later
articles hail Fred as a hard-working, industrious businessman who was
successful at his profession. His success must have been great enough that in
1877 the Hawes decided to build a new home and purchased a tract which lies at
the corner of Kennedy and Harlan streets.
Abram Wolfe was chosen as the builder.
He would later go on to build the Congregational Church. Construction of the house began in 1878. That would also be a year of unforeseen
struggle for the Hawes family.
1878
In
March of 1878, Harriet Hawes contracted diphtheria. A bacterial infection that spreads very
easily, diphtheria causes sore throat, fever, swollen glands and weakness. At its worst, it can lead to difficulty
breathing, heart failure, paralysis and even death. Today it is easily treatable with
antibiotics, but in 1878 it posed a real danger to those who contracted the
disease. Newspaper reports state that Mrs. Hawes was quite ill. This must have been a tough time for the
family—dealing with her illness, building a new house, running a busy business enterprise
and chasing an active five year old. Despite
Harriet’s illness, construction of the house proceeded. The June 6th edition of the Upper
Des Moines reports that rapid progress was being made on the house and that it
would be one of the finest residences in Algona when completed.
After
several months of recovery, July found Mrs. Hawes reunited with her family. An article in the July 25, 1878 edition of
the Upper Des Moines states that “Fred Hawes is again happy in the presence of
his wife. They are occupying temporarily
the rooms over his store, awaiting the completion of their house.”
I
could not determine exactly when the Hawes family moved into their new home,
but I can only imagine what it must have been like seeing the finished design details. Brick manufactured here in Algona was used
for the exterior. Inside, a curved
plaster wall in the kitchen accommodates the curved staircase on the opposite
side. The staircase features a black
walnut banister that wraps around the open upstairs. The rooms have 10 foot ceilings, arched
doorways and hardwood floors.
By
that fall, things seemed to finally have settled down. Harriett had recovered from her bout with
diphtheria, they had settled into their new home, and business was good. In early November, Fred joined Ambrose Call, A.D.
Clarke, and J. H. Hawkins on a deer hunt in northern Kossuth County. Their trip was successful as they all managed
to bring home some venison to enjoy during the upcoming winter.
Just
a few days later, however, another misfortune occurred. Around 7 p.m. on November 23, 1878, a fire
was spotted in the barn behind the Hawes’ harness shop. At the time of discovery, flames had already
broken through the roof. The barn
contained a cow belonging to John Goeders, hay, several pieces of equipment and
other miscellaneous articles. A gusty west wind was blowing which threatened the
entire city. With no organized fire
department, it was up to the citizens to save their town. Able bodied townspeople rushed to the scene
to fight the fire, buckets in hand. Pail
after pail of water was thrown on the conflagration until it was contained,
miraculously without spreading to a single neighboring building.
This
blaze ignited a discussion in the community about the need for fire protection
in Algona. Depending on unorganized
locals to turn out with their buckets to put out a raging inferno did not seem
to be the best of plans. The most
practicable suggestion made was the formation of two companies—a bucket company
and a hook and ladder company. It was
felt that the young men of the town would enthusiastically band together to
create a hook and ladder company while the older men were numerous and strong
enough to operate a bucket brigade. Further it was suggested that the necessary
buckets and other equipment could be stored in the basement of the courthouse
with the ladders stored in an adjoining shed. Despite the outcry, a number of
years would pass before an organized fire department would be formed.
When
1878 came to a close, the Hawes family must have been glad to step off the
roller coaster ride that it had been.
They began to enjoy their home. In 1879 they hosted a combination social/church
festival on June 17th for the Episcopal Church of which they were
active members. One can picture the
members of their congregation gathered on the front lawn enjoying conversation
and homemade ice cream and strawberries.
FEATURED IN “PICTURESQUE ALGONA”
Fred’s
business continued to grow and in 1880 he added on to his shop to make a place
to display his stock of clothing and accessories for gents. A very sad incident occurred in the fall of
1882 when the infant daughter of the couple died when she was just a few days
old.
In
April of 1883, they sold their lovely home to Mary J. Clarke. She in turn sold it to E. J. Gilmore in 1890
and it was featured in “Picturesque Algona” as Gilmore’s home when that booklet
was published in 1900.
THE HAWES FAMILY LEAVES ALGONA
As
the decade of the 1880s came to a close, Fred must have begun to feel a
wanderlust. The Hawes sold their home in
the area and moved to Indian Territory (now Oklahoma) where they became pioneer
settlers. Another leather goods business
was opened in Henryetta, Oklahoma, which eventually was taken over by their
son, Fred, who was a veteran of the Spanish American War.
Fred,
Sr., passed away on April 16, 1911, and was buried in West Lawn Cemetery in
Henryetta. His son became a prominent
businessman and active community member.
He took care of his mother until her passing in May of 1916. She was laid to rest beside Fred, Sr.
INVITATION
Next
time you drive through the intersection of Harlan and Kennedy streets, I invite you to take a
moment to study the beautiful brick home located in the northwest corner. At the age of 140 years, the stately home
remains one of the most charming residences in Algona. It stands in tribute to the quality
workmanship of its builder, Abram Wolfe, as well as in honor of Fred and
Harriet Hawes, its first occupants.
Until
next time,
Kossuth
County History Buff
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