Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1916-08-08
BATTLE ROW IS
THING OF PAST
ONCE NOTORIOUS SECTION Or
BUSINESS DISTRICT NOW suTS ii
A MEMORY.
UNDERGOES CHANGE
Has Made South Mar
ket One Of Busy CONNIE rciaj
Streets; Has No Idle Busl.
ness Property. n
The passing Of Battle Row

3 a
The passing of Battle Row. sSI
VINO Is 1t that has lived in OttumwaX
nVe years or more that does not n. HI
MEMBER THIS once famous, or better
perhaps-notorous short stretch nfsA
street In the business district? y 'Sa
New York has it's Bowery Ottum w sl]
had It's Battle Row. but not any mores #
This short two blocks OF Ottumwasx
that for Its length at least, has besfia
and still Is the most Travelled street iIs
the entire city, has undergone 4 transsS5
formation and is still in the proce - All
change. 1t is the main artery OF tralss
nc IN the city, along which nearly
everyone going to and coming from
the north or south side has for many3
years had to, and continues to, pan6i
The Vine street bridge while servin6&
need for traffic mostly OF the vehicl1zs
type, has never materially reduced tts
pedestrian TRAFFIC over the MarfokSs
street bridge and of course that iIis}
cfudes South Market street or the once
notorious Battle Row, which conneck1I
Main street with the bridge.
Was Tough Locality.
The. time Is not long passed wAoGf
this thoroughfare was rough place
and IN the vernacular of the street, one
could get almost any kind OF i gam(
within the distance spanned by Mox&
street and the railroad tracks near thu
bridge. From one to half 3 don0i
saloons florrished there In the day1I
when 1t earned the soubriquet, Battl~
Row. There was gambling too. III
lunch wagon and the faker had stand
there and at all times, but particuiaSlS
OF Saturday night, were the gr0utl
OF Smart Alecks" and rowdies who's
chief pastime was to make vulgar M
insulting remarks to women and g1Ta
passing by. The fights, both Ia bof3
rooms and in the street were comm0lR
and Saturday night was almost certain
to supply the police with at least or
call to that section of the town We
men Stunned the street when possibt1
and If they had to walk there tool
the east side Of the street, for on thSa
side at least, there was only one s6f
Don and the factories and wholesale
houses made the passage there freef
from the crowds of coaser elemen1*
which gathered more nunierouil&
where the joints were more plentifu(
Undergoes Great Change. VI
To the person who lived in OttumWG
when Battle Row was In Its hey AS7
and has since been away from the city
a return to this section will reveal
most wonderful Transformation.
South Market street, for no longS
would one dare to call 1t by its odioul
former title, Is now real busineS
street and compares favorably wit
the best localities in the business III
trict. No woman hesitates to walk &
length, night or day, and from 4 inoS
loathesome place. 1t has developed int
a most orderly thoroughfare and cor
mands the attention and respect 0f IN
public. South Market street has cUlI1
from the rear to the front and 10 fttl
coming. The character OF busin01
houses that now line this street Ii -
best and their variety and number
increasing with their character. C0
Germs that would not dare venture n
opening Of their doors there ten yeai
ago, are now seeking locations they
and the future holds even greatG
connecting link between the north a.
south sides Of the river. "
Now Busy District. a[
| Factories still exist there but the
never did anything to reflect discred0
on this locality and they continue
aid In raising it's standard. They re-
| have profited by the change percep(
ible in the street for while the locAlif
| improved, the factories grew and hax
lent their efforts to make the sectio
look more attractive by dressing d
their buildings to conform with newG(
South Market streets business hOusG
Business concerns Of various kind
now occupy this street Store front
of an old style have been removed
be replaced by more modern type a.
show windows and entrances. Pain
has been used literally and what W.
once dingy locality 10 now 70 gre]
extent street of white and oth6
bright colored business blocks. Marin
featuring of different kinds, wholesslI
and retail business with three OF tlf
largest banks at one end OF the bloch
are included In the commercial life h
this once avoided thoroughfare. IT.
last vacant business room In the tn
short blocks between Main street an
+, the tracks. has just been occupied an
where a short time ago there wei
rooms going begging for tenants, mo-
the tide has turned and the tenAn3
are begging for rooms
Battle Row Is no more, but In Ia
place Ottumwa has busy street TIN
compares with any other OF Its lengd
in the city for commercial activity.