Odebolt Veterans of World War 1

 1968 photo - Odebolt Veterans at the 50th Anniversary of the end of World War 1

(Click the photo to enlarge it.) 

Odebolt's 75th Parade

 Thanks to Deb Reinhart for this photo of a parade back in the day. It is believed to be taken in very early 1950s and could be of Odebolt's 75th Birthday celebration in August of 1952. Although many of the cars appear to be older then the 1950s, not everyone had new cars!

The Odebolt Chronicle, Thursday, August 14, 1952, page 1
BIG PARADE HERE TUESDAY DRAWS 4,000
Seventy-One Major Entries Compete For Prizes In Local Fair's Largest Show

Approximately 4,000 people were on hand at 6:30 Tuesday night [August 12th] to watch the largest and most interesting parade in the history of the Community Fair. Crowds line the parade route from Fifth street through the center of town and part of the way back to the assembly area near the park.

This year's parade, considerably larger than in former years, consisted of 71 major entries in addition to dozens of children's entries and the local Saddle club which entered as a group. Many organizations and business houses entered large decorative floats along with numerous commercial displays.

The parade was led by a large group of residents of Odebolt who have lived here for 75 years or more, in observance of the town's 75th anniversary. The old-time residents rode at the front of the parade in open convertibles and received a nice hand from the thousands along the parade route. Those in the 75-year group were Mrs. Charles Smith, Mrs. W. Shaw, Mrs. Charles Kistler, Mrs. Frank Searight, L.L. Goreham, E.E. Goreham, A.S.Teaquist, John Gonnerman, Henry Buehler and Will Raasch.

Grand Prize for parade entries went to Iversen's square Dance kids who appeared in an old-time barn dance on the largest portable dance floor ever to enter a parade. The float, pulled by a large truck tractor, consisted of a dance floor complete with about 40 dancers, musicians, spectators and square dance caller.

(list of various categories of winners)

Old photos of Knudsen, Mickelsen, Teaquist and Huldeen

Not long ago I received a message from Howard Willey saying he had some old photos from Odebolt that he would like to share with any family descendants that might still live in the Odebolt area. I asked him to send scans or phone shots of them.

Howard says:
When my great grandmother immigrated from Denmark in 1883 she settled in Odebolt. She lived there until she got married in 1892, then she lived the rest of her life in Anthon, Iowa. Her name was Anna Knudsen Mickelsen 1865-1917.

(PLEASE RIGHT CLICK EACH PHOTO,
from the menu choose "Open Link in a New Tab",
then click the photo again to enlarge it.)

 

Anna Knudsen Mickelsen

Anna Knudsen Mickelsen

Below: The first person my great grandmother met in Odebolt was Anna Teaquist 1864-1947. Anna Teaquist married John Huldeen. I noticed in the Odebolt graveyard there are several Teaquist and Huldeen graves. Are there any of the descendants still living in the area that are interested in these pictures?

In the round picture Knudsen is on the left and Teaquist is on the right. In the fancy dresses picture are the same ladies, Knudsen on the right. 

                                                 Anna Knudsen Mickelsen and Anna Teaquist Huldeen

 

Anna Teaquist Huldeen and Anna Knudsen Mickelsen

 Below, the woman seated on the left is my great grandmother Anna Knudsen Mickelsen 1865-1917. I’m pretty sure the woman standing second from the left is Anna Teaquist Huldeen 1864-1947. The picture I assume is of a church ladies group or some other club/organization. Hopefully someone recognizes the other ladies

If you can identify any other of these women, please email me ((Barb Girvan Horak) at the email address on the right column. Also contact me if you wish to have Howard's contact info. 

 

1890s Horse and Wagon

We found the below photo on an auction site. It was taken by Odebolt photographer F.E. West about 1890. We believe it is on the corner of Main and Third Streets, looking north on Main. The photography studio was located at the corner of Main and Third, so this would be just outside it. 

Mr. West took over photography in Odebolt from the Lundquist Brothers, Swedish brothers who were the first photographers. West ran the business from about 1885 to September 1891, when, because of failing eyesight, he sold the business to W. C. Ross, Jr., who soon took in  E. S. Frey as a partner.

 

Read more about Photographers in Odebolt at the Odebolt History Pages.

Below is the same photo made clearer. 

The building on the right is the old photography studio.  

Men in women's dress

It's not often we receive a photo with identities! Pam (Rex) Hanson sent this photo in from her mom, Elaine Rex. 

Research in the Odebolt newspaper archives has revealed that the event was the "WOMANLESS WEDDING", presented in 1926 at the Princess Theater on Main Street on Friday, November 5th, Saturday, November 6th and, because it was such a big hit, another show was added on Monday, November 8th. About 70 Odebolt men took part in the presentation. The event was sponsored by the Odebolt Library Board. 

You can read the full story on the Odebolt History Pages.

Below is the photo. Click HERE to bring up the image - then CLICK AGAIN to enlarge it!

Barbershop Men

CLICK photo to enlarge it!

Photo believed to be either late 1940s or early 1950s. Please help identify these men!

Front Row: 

1)  Don Rex  2) Harry Sommers   3)               4) Ed Korneisel  5)  Ted Metier  6)  Dr. F.W. Worth  7) Jay Wicker

Middle Row:

1) Don "Spike" Einsphar ??   2) Elwood Deibert     3) Dr. James McAllister    4)            5) ??Russ Peters ??   6) Richard Swanson    7) Don Potter

Back Row

1) Marion Hix??     2)            3)           4)         5) Harry Swanson    6)  Frank Shaw   7) Dwight Meyer

Bonnie Ekse found the following:

The Rotary quartet, called “The Felony Four” in an article in the November 20, 1952 Chronicle. These are the men in the photo holding canes!
    Don Potter (far right, middle row)
    Ted Metier (3rd from right, first row)
    Jay Wicker (far right, first row)
    Ed Korneisel (middle of first row with cane)

 

Bonnie also searched Odebolt newspaper archives from 1/1/1952 to 3/1/1953 for names of Rotary members:
  (Perhaps you can spot some of these men in the photo?)

Dwight V. Meyer (in photo)
Merle Sanders
B. G. Ogden
A. W. Lewis
Dr. James McAllister (in photo)
Nate Skalovsky
Paul Fox
Herbert Turin
E. B. Deibert (in photo)
Richard Swanson (in photo)
Rev. W. B. Bell
Walter Lundblad
Harry Sommers (in photo)
Dr. F. W. Worth (in photo-top hat)
Bob Dannenberg
Marion Hix (in photo)

     (start P. 3, rotary 01/01/1952-03/01/1953
Wally Hamann
Ralph Swanson (in photo)
Francis McCorkindale

 

Went back farther and found:

Rev. Palmer Sellstrom
Dean Brown
Rev. Albert Peters
B. B. Strieby
M. H. Paul
Harry Iversen
 

Identify People from Album

From Erin Bohannon: I acquired an old family album from an auction in Oregon, and many of the photos list an Odebolt photographer.  I was wondering if you might be able to identify any of the photos? Almost all the photos came from Odebolt, with a few others coming from other parts of Iowa.

I belong to several Facebook groups that acquire old photos and try to get them back to family.  This is something we do for free.  This old album has 25 photos.  A treasure trove of family history! Any help at all you can give me would be greatly appreciated.I would really love to get the album back to family. If you use the email just below, they will put you in contact with me.
Thanks for any help you can give!

 ==============================================

If you have information on the identities of some of these people, please contact us at our email address, referring to the Photo #:  

Click on an image and a slide show will come up. If you want to see an enlargement, RIGHT click on the image in the slideshow, and select "View image". The single image will come up. Then click on the image and it should enlarge. (This is for PCs - I don't know how Macs work).

===============================================

This is the front and back of the album

PHOTO 1 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

PHOTO 2 - Taken a Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

 PHOTO 3  - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt. This "may" be the same couple as in PHOTO 2.

 

PHOTO 4 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

PHOTO 5 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

PHOTO 6 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

Photo number 6 could be a young John Reynolds, who would have been about 39 when Frey bought the studio.
A known photo of John Reynolds is here:
http://sites.rootsweb.com/~iaohms/reynoldsja.html

 

 

PHOTO 7 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

PHOTO 8 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt. This "may" be the same man as in PHOTO 7.

 

PHOTO 9 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt. The seated couple are the same as PHOTO 8.

PHOTO 10 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

PHOTO 11 - Taken at Fry Studio - Odebolt

 

PHOTO 12 - Photographer is J L Umphrey, Odebolt, Iowa

 

PHOTO 13 -  Photographer is J L Umphrey, Odebolt, Iowa

Appears to be a match to PHOTO 12.

 

PHOTO 14 -  Photographer L. F. Wil....something, Spirit Lake, Iowa

 

PHOTO 15  

 

PHOTO 16 - Photographer Adams, Sac City, IA

 PHOTO 17 - Photographer McLagan, Early, IA

 PHOTO 18 - Photographer Phelps, Muscatine, IA

This appears to be an older photo than most of them.

 PHOTO 19 - The Hoff Studios, Carroll, IA

 PHOTO 20 - Photographer Gunderson, Winona, MN

 PHOTO 21 - Unknown photographer. Appears to be and older photo than the others.

 

PHOTO 22 - Photographer Skewis Photo Studio, Windom, Minnesota

 

PHOTO 23- Hawkins Bros. Photo/Studio

Help Identify Unknown People

 

These are photos from Odebolt photographers that we have collected over time from various auction sites. Click the image or click here to access them.  If you click on the first photo it will open a slide show. 

If you can identify any of them, please comment below.

Help identify old Briggle photos

Please click the above image or  click this link to view the photos. If you click on the first photo, you will start a slide show.

If you have comments about a photo or can identify people in a photo, please leave a comment below this blog post, giving the photo number.


These photos were taken after 1915 (dated by the fact that the bank on Main and 2nd is pictured, and it was built in 1915.)

Kay Summerville Stephan from Ames found some old negatives and, thinking they were scenes taken by family from Odebolt, she had them developed. She donated them to the Odebolt Museum and the curator, Kathy Larson, scanned them in hopes that people will be able to help identify people, or leave comments about the photos.

The photos are associated with the Briggle family. Kay said her grandfather was Harry Briggle. She also mentioned Everett Briggle.  According to Everett Briggle's obituary, both Everett and Harry were sons of John G. Briggle (who owned and operated Briggle's Ice Cream Parlor). Everett's obituary states that he operated the Briggle Brothers Cafe in Odebolt until it was destroyed by fire in 1952.

Information on the Briggle family can be located at
http://sites.rootsweb.com/~iaohms/briggle.html

Briggle's Ice Cream Parlor as pictured at Odebolt History Pages

Interior of Briggle's Ice Cream Parlor

PREVIOUS COMMENTS:

R.J. Rex, Friday, August 12, 2011
I remember going into Briggle's ice cream parlor as a kid. I think there was a saloon in the back of the building. 

Chuck Hanson - Sunday, April 29, 2012
In photo #7: the man on the right is Alfred Meyers. The lad to the left of the man in the white shirt as we view it, bears very strong resemblance to Eugene (Budix) Reynolds

Chuck Hanson added ... Alfred Meyers later became the manager of the Green Bay Lumber Yard.

Kiron photos

I grew up halfway between Odebolt and Kiron and although I spent most of my time in Odebolt, Kiron was always a fun place for us to go, especially to get ice cream cones after a Sunday afternoon drive!

I have collected photos of Kiron here and there and finally got them posted on the Odebolt History Pages. 
Click here to view the Kiron Photos.

I also added a number of photos of Arthur, Iowa at Arthur, Iowa Photos

You can view all the photos on the Odebolt History Pages by clicking the Odebolt Photo Gallary.

View all recent additions to the Odebolt History pages.


Also, while you are on this blog, look at the sidebar on the right.  There is a list of topics this history blog has covered.  Try clicking on a few!

 - Barb

1952 Skelly Station

Recently posted on the Odebolt History Pages:

THE ODEBOLT CHRONICLE, SEPTEMBER 25, 1952

Car Washing Bee Nets $173

http://www.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~iaohms/1952-car-wash.html

See the names of all the below men and read about their fund-raising project.

The Linden Collection

Some time ago Norman Linden, formerly of Odebolt, contacted me to see if  I would like images of postcards he had collected over the years of Odebolt and of the Adams Ranch.  Of course I said yes!

So Norman scanned all the postcards and transferred them to me.  Due to problems the web host for the Odebolt History Pages was having, I was unable to access or edit it for some time and I apologize to Norman for the long delay.  However, here they are, finally, and we hope you enjoy them.  Thank you Norman for sharing this wonderful peek into the past.

Please allow time for the large images to load.
Postcards of Odebolt
Postcards of Fairview Farm (Adams Ranch)

See more historic photos at the Odebolt History Pages Photo Gallery.

Presbyterian Bible School - May 1953

Here's a photo from many years ago, taken in front of the bridal wreath spirea at the edge of the Presbyterian Church lawn in Odebolt.  The tallest person in the back row is Rev. Albert Peters.  I'm wearing a light-colored dress, standing behind the third boy from the right who is seated on the grass.  Scroll down this page to read The Odebolt Chronicle article about the Presbyterian and Methodist Bible schools held at the same time.  Vacation Bible school was a fun highlight of the summer for many of us.

Odebolt's swimming pool opened for the very first time later that summer, on August 7, 1953.  (Read all about it at the Odebolt History Pages.)  We took Red Cross swimming lessons the following summer, passed the swimming test for the deep end, and whiled away many idyllic summer hours at the pool during our growing-up years.

I can put names to more than a dozen faces in this photo.  Who do you recognize?    - Bonnie

The Odebolt Chronicle, May 28, 1953

February 14, 1956: Girl Scouts Give Sweetheart Party

A Valentine's Day Party 60 Years Ago

Who do you recognize in this picture?  Click on it, then click again to make it larger.

Article from the Digital Archives of the Odebolt Public Library and Odebolt Historical Museum:
The Odebolt Chronicle, February 16, 1956

We now have another photo, thanks to Linda Trudeau.  Linda Trudeau and her dad, Larry Trudeau, are at the dessert table, followed by Karen and Kathy Wagner and their dad, Amos Wagner (holding napkin that covers Kathy's face).  Doris Johnson is behind the table arranging drinks.  In the group of men standing at the left of the photo, Bob Girvan is fourth from left, and Bonnie Girvan is beside him with her hand to her mouth.

We promised identifications for this photo originally posted on Valentine's Day 2016.  Can you help us with missing identifications?

Click on photo to enlarge it.

Dads, red numbers:

  1.  Lloyd Lundblad
  2. 
  3.
  4.
  5.  Lawrence Anderson
  6. 
  7.  Grant Langle?
  8.  Rev. Lyle Lieder?
  9.  Harry Sellman
10.  Kermit Johnson?
11.  Bob Girvan
12.  Amos Wagner
13.  Larry Trudeau
14. 
15.  Harvey Keller
16.  Charles Ferguson?
17.  Neil Lashier
18.  Vernon Loger
19.  Ronald Einspahr
20.

Daughters and Mrs. Worth, following circle counter-clockwise:
  1.  Julie Lundblad
  2.  Mrs. Worth (leading the folk dance)
  3.  Judy Lee Anderson (wearing a beanie)
  4. 
  5.  Patty Langle
  6. 
  7.
  8.  Linda Peters
  9.  Jennifer Sellman
10.  Susie Johnson
11.  Bonnie Girvan
12.  Linda Trudeau
13.
14.  Cheri Keller
15.  Jayne Lashier
16.  Polly Loger

Who played the piano?

The Old Log Swing

Photo of the Log Swing gets many responses on Facebook

[Editor]  I posted this photo on Facebook on September 17th and was surprised at the number of responses it received.  It has been viewed by 2,113 people!

The original post with the photo:  I was looking at the Odebolt History Pages and ran across this photo of "the log" from the playground at Odebolt school. The photo is from Joan (Lundell) Paup. Many of you won't recognize it, but it used to be a big deal on the playground. To the left is the OLD school, long gone, and the original high school is in the background. We used to get on it 7 or 8 at a time and the big kids would push it. If no one ever got injured by it, it was a miracle! Very dangerous, but so much fun!

Here are some comments (people's names removed).

I certainly remember this from my grade school years. That log swing was a major challenge!! Lots of fun though!

The challenge was to jump on it while it was swinging! You didn't want to miss!! AAAAHHHH the days when I could actually jump that high!

Sure, I remember the log. I also remember that occasionally kids got big slivers from it. It was really a unique playground thing.Too bad you don't still have it for historical value.

We lived across the street when I was in high school for a couple years, loved that swing.

Who could ever forget the log!

I remember it well!

Much too dangerous for today's kids.

It is a wonder that no one was killed on the log swing. I was on it one time when some bigger kids had it going high and I could hang on in fear.

Sooo dangerous and soooo exciting!!!

Dad, Class of 1940, told us of a prank he and some other kids pulled with this log swing. The Supt. back then was Mr. Coon and his daughter June, was one of his classmates. She got her Dad's keys to the school and that night, they stole a cow from Mr. Peterson's pasture next to the school, took down the log and used the cow to pull it into the school.They left the log in the hallway and locked the cow in the Principal's office overnight !!!

I attended Odebolt grade school from about 1937 to 1947 and I remember playing on the log. As I look back; it blows my mind that no one (that I know of) was ever hurt and that the school was never sued. I remember wearing my corderoy knickers and long socks; it was the style.

This thing was hazardous (incredibly fun) and I winder how many kids were maimed by it. If you sat on the end you were pinched by the bars that it swung on, and if you were walking past the end, you could be nailed by the end of the log.

It used to be a very big deal to hop on the log while it was swinging. It was pretty scary getting on as well as getting off while it was swinging. But oh so much fun!

Bonnie is not on Facebook, but sent me the following about the log swing. It includes the origin of the log!  About "The Log"

I remember that a big kid would stand at each end of the log facing each other.  While gripping the cables with their hands, they'd alternately "pump" the log with their legs.  While I was in grade school I think the original log was replaced with a new one, which was really a laminate made of boards glued together.  It was thicker than the original log and not rounded on the bottom.  We'd lie chest-down on the new log, but it was so thick that it was hard stretch our arms and legs far enough to get a good grip at the bottom.  We had to hold on for dear life as the big kids pumped.

In the September 26, 1946 School Chronicle there's an account of a student breaking his arm while playing on the swing after school.

Here's a story about the origin of the log swing:
The Odebolt Chronicle
October 30, 1930

Mr. Adams Gives Grade Pupils New Swing

A unique swing, like one Mr. W. P. Adams saw the children of the Philippines enjoying, has been set up for the pupils of the public schools.  The swing is perhaps unlike any that one has ever seen.  It is a huge log suspended from a framework of steel.  The pupils are truly elated over it, and are showing their gratitude to the donor by their enthusiasm.

Other photos of the log

The below photos are hanging in the Odebolt Community Center

READ ANOTHER POST ABOUT THE LOG SWING