The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1905-08-24
CHAPTER rnlRrurHREe.
oskaloosa FIFTY Years AGO and oska.
loosa To-day.

Nht4 W JWiAs ANNof hhu uhu w iiht
time population Of about one
thousand persons. Three years pre-.
yious is assessed valuation was
s75i,17O.
There was perhaps score Of saw.
mills in different parts OF the county
turning out lumber for permanent
improvements both in the city and
country.
AZ the close OF the fiscal year end.
ing June 30, 1852, there had been re.
ceiyed at the post once 1898 let.
ters. During the same time there
had been mailed 1922 letters.
The population Of both city and
county grew very rapidly. The orig
inal plat of the city covered quar-.
ter section OF land lying on the d.
vide, known as The Narrows. The
public square Is located exactly on
the water shed between the Skunk
river on the north and the Des
Moines river on the south. Since
the square has been elevated and the
band stand erected II may be said
with truth that the water falling from
the roof on the north side goes TO
the river on the north and that
which fails from the south side OF
the roof reaches the Father OF Wat
ers through the channel Of the Des
Moines river.
AB Is we'll known, there was not a
tree on this ridge when the town was
located. The old Herald files show
that John X. Neednam, its editor,
kept continually before his readers
the value OF planting trees. 1t Is 10
him In large measure that we are
indebted for the oyernangfng bougns
In many Of the avenues OF the city,
which has earned for this place the
name OF "The City OF Trees" A
goodly number OF the men who have
laid out additions 10 the city have
been persistent tree planters. IL was
about 1883 when the first trees we're
planted in the square. They were
nourished and cared for by different
enterprising individuals. Almost ali
OF the original planting are gone.
.DwiI Downing calls attention to
tho large elm in front OF the Down.
ing Hotel, which no says was plant.
ed by A. r. seiberger, who built the
first story Of the brick house known
as the d. w. Loring home, on East
High avenue.
About this time brick began to
take the place OF native timber in
the better class Of buildings. John
II. Shumate built the old !. Frankei
home on South Market street, also
the Jonathan Adkins home. Wesley
Moorland built the Or. Rhinehart
home. Both these places are south
Of the Congregational church. Sam.
uel McWilliams built the brick edi.
Ace known as the Isaac Kalbach
place across the street north OF the
Salvation Army barracks, and Samu'
81 Ingles built the Greenough prop
erty, which sim stands, west OF the
D. y. e. r. stables.
II would be interesting 10 make
a trip around the square In the ear.
ly ffties, about the time that the VII.
iage thought itself old enough 10 put
on city airs. With the help Of VIM.
T. Smith, the mt mayor, and Isaac
Kalbach, the first city marshal, we
undertake the task. These venerable
gentlemen are the two surviving
members Of the nrst city govern
ment.
Beginning on the Huber &C. Kal.
bach corner, there stood two-stoTy
frame building occupied by Ebenezer
Perkins, who was one Of the commits.
sloners who located this city. He,
had a general store and lived in me
rear part OF the building. Next 20
him on the west in a wooden build
ing was the poBt once, gept by Sam
uel Ingies. An ELL" 70 this build
ing also gave the family home.
Then came the largest brick block
which had yet been built called the
Union block. II was completed in
1854, but han been in process Of
erection for several yearB. The 20
foot store rooms 20 the alley were
built by their owners in the follow.
ing order: Tobias Leighton, George
Roland, John N. Kinsman and Sam
uel Ingles Across the alley west,
ward were frame buildings owned by
John waggoner and Thomas Tbomp-
son. Next was John Abraham's gro
Gerry and queensware store and j. %.
Fletcher. harness and saddlery store. |
The next two stores were brick, the
FIRST occupied by a. r. seiberger
with hardware, and the one on the
corner by ID. w. LorIng's dry goods
store, which he built and which his
estate stlIl owns Across the street
on the northwest corner Of the
square stood the Ola court house.
on the Baldauf corner tho first
twenty feet was occupied by a frame
building containing a general store,
kept By w. 8. Dart. On tho adjoin-
ing lot south was mis- small brick
residence standing back from the
sidewalk some twenty feet After a
vacant lot came Dr. Hinton's drug