Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1911-09-14
THE VILLAGE OF
O1TUM WA IN 1855
WILLIAM POTTER, A PIONEER,
TELLS OF THE APPEARANCE
OF CITY AT THAT TIME.
NOTES THE CHANGES
Speaks of Old Stores In Business
District" That Occupied the
Sites of Prominent Build
ings Today.

ner the Potter & Son meat market
| 1919 West Main street, landed in OF
tumwa September 10, 1866, forty-f1ve
years ago Sunday with Yankee Robin
sons one ringed circus, miscellane
Gus conglomeration Of tumble-dowI
frame buildings and shacks, such as
are seen pictured in the humorous
portrayals of mountain life in Arkan
sas, met his gaze and would have
called to his mind the Arkansas pic.
lures had such been in existence at
that time Mr.. Potter states tina. OF.
tumwa was then a backwoods village,
with business district, if it may be
termed as such, that could be placed
inside Of two Or three of the large de-
partment stores on Main street today.
There were one or two brick buildings
and these were looked upon with as
much wonder as skyscraper today,
but the great majority of the business
buildings were in reality like the coun-
try grocery stores. At that time there
were 1900 people who called them
selves residents of Ottumwa.
Worked in Butchershop.
Mr. Potter gives an interesting de-
scripton of the Ottumwa of 1866, one
that is attractive to all because of the
buildings, such as they were at that
time, that have given place to some
of the largest business houses Of the
city. ...
Mr.. Potter came into Ottumwa with
one ring circus, being employed as
a driver. In those days circuses
travelled over the country by wagon
i CHI I'm
ing a fancy to the infant village he
secured employment in the butcher
shop OF J. w. Brown, one story frame
building, small and chubby, located
where Martins, the good clothes store,
is now situated. There were few
on this street at that time
and to the best of Mr.. Potter's know
ledge, on the corner where Sargent's
drug store is located, one of the few
Two story brick structures was located.
This was known as the KerloW block |
md was used as boarding house. |
lust across the street In the place of |
he Ottumwa National bank, Louis
Schwalm, conducted a grocery and /
aide store. This was also a little one |
story frame building. Just across the
,rteet on the site of the First National
bank was another grocery, D. w.
Towers place, not unlike Louie's food |
Another Brick Building.
Where the Doty Clothing Co., Is now
coated, Mr.. Potter states. was a Sec
ind story and half brick building,
me side of which was occupied by w.
3. Bonnifield's bank. and the other
lalf, by Judge Bigham and his law Of
ice. ]. G.. Meek, the veteran dry
Foods merchant, had his store, Mr..
potter says, at the same old stand
which he left not many months ago,
where Cramblit & Polling are now do
ng business Beginning with S. G.
Cullen & Co.. down Main street to the
present Union depot there was marsh
land, choked with willows and marsh
growth.
Inzie Lewis. a well known Ottum-
wan of those days, ran drug store IN
a one story frame building. on the
northeast corner of Main and Green
streets. Between the Lewis store and
the Bonnifeld bank, Mr. Clark ran his
thirst parlor. Two doors east of the
meat shop where Mr.. Potter was first
employed, about where the Globe Tea
Co.. is now, Ben Boulton had his bake
,hop and it was like the rest Of the
business buildings" Just between
hese two buildings was Fuller and
schafer's dry goods store, handling all
he calicos of the day. Tisdale and
Iuddlin, had a similar establishment
arther east, where the Long1elloW
,oolrctore ia now located
Second Street outlay.
On Second street, which was then
he edge of civilization, j. w. Grimes
lad his wagon shop where the Pastime !
heater now stands. The Citizens
bank has taken the place of
zaiser's saloon while Silberman Bros,
hide store stands where Dan Abrams
stable existed. The Courier building
occupies the sight Of Cullen's pool hall
md Tiechman's grocery marks the site
If Zaffle's butcher shop. DR.. S. B.
rhrall had an office, about like a box
ear that has been converted into
lwelling. where the waiting room Of
he Ottumwa Railway & Light Co., is
low standing. Claude Myers ice
cream parlor was then a saloon OF the
,ar order while the Hoffman block has
aiken the place of bowling alley and
saloon.
The old C. B. & @. depot was west
# Vine street and was just story and
half. frame building. The only build
ng on the other side Of the river was
he ferry which went out with the high
water many years ago.
The Wapello club site in those
ears marked the residence of the
q two story brick structure