This is a Blog site created by Bob Reed (in Florida) for folks who live--or used to live--in Marcus, Iowa. Its purpose is to exchange notes, news, remembrances, and thoughts about life in and about Marcus, or news about one's family, friends or acquaintances.
Monday, April 26, 2010
April/May 2010 (moderated) discussion
To keep the discussion on-topic, we will be moderating (reviewing and approving) all discussion comments until further notice.
We are sorry that we had to temporarily take this Blog down. We had hoped it would right itself, but some of the latest postings were again so negative and off the topic of Marcus per se that we felt a need to address the problem over a weekend.
As we have said, the site was created by us to exchange notes, news, remembrances, and thoughts about life in and around Marcus, or news about one’s family, friends, or acquaintances. That purpose has seemingly been lost on a very few who have begun to use it for different, specific, negative purposes.
We had hoped that this site could be a democratic, self-governing means of communication. All would have an opportunity to weigh in and there would be no need to filter out any posting. Sadly, that has not been the case in recent months.
We have considered abandoning the project, but we have received many heartfelt and thoughtful comments and suggestions, urging us to continue.
So after careful consideration we will press on, but with more attention and—sorry to say—moderation of all posted comments. Baritone Bob will serve as moderator.
We encourage lively ideas and discussions. But following the almost unanimous suggestions of a number of bloggers, any posting that is not signed by the full name of the individual will not be allowed on the site. There will be no completely anonymous postings, for as mentioned before, writing is a powerful agency and anonymity is the enemy of true discourse.
Please also be aware of posting criticisms of people or projects unless they are constructive in nature. If a comment flames an author, a person, or a topic it will be deleted. Profanity will not be allowed.
Off-topic comments (see paragraph 2 above) will also be deleted and that includes commentary about this blog. If anyone wishes to discuss this blog they may write to the moderator at bob@baribob.net.
We hope these new procedures will restore the purpose of this site. Be nice. Have fun!
YEA I am glad the blog is back up. I do enjoy reading it daily. It's great to see all the house's that were for sell are sold. I bet there is atleast 4 to 5 house that have sold or sale pending that's great maybe it will bring more kids to our schools and new people to our great town of Marcus. Kristi
Thanks for agreeing to continue on, Max, Bob and Baritone Bob.
I have a question for those who read this blog. The "Gund Home" as I knew it growing up, located on the southeast corner of town near Casey's was once described to me as designed by someone either with a Frank Lloyd Wright connection, or influenced by him. I think the idea was that (assuming what I have always been told is true) if the garage had a "turnaround" in it to reverse the direction of vehicles pulled into it, and there was, in fact, a tunnel connecting the house and garage, those were the types of functional design attributes that a "Wright influenced" designer would have built into the home. Plus, the overall look has a Prairie School design feel to it.
So, does anyone know anything about the architect who designed that home? If so, would you share it with us?
Growing up that house always intrigued me. I'd love to know more about it.
I would like to remind everyone in Marcus that our CITY WIDE GARAGE SALES are this Saturday (May 1st) from 8am-2pm with Friday night optional. If you would like to be on the garage sale map, please contact me, Melinda Rosewall, at either the Pizza Ranch 376-2168 or at Home 376-2740. The cost of being on the map is only $1.00 this year!
I had always heard that, too, Fred. But since it wasn't mentioned in a recent article about FLW homes in Iowa, I thought maybe it simply was designed with some Wright features. I think the house was bought recently by a Marcus couple, so it has new owners again. The history of the home would be interesting to learn about. I think two books came out last year about Wright's life and influence. It would be cool to know if Marcus really has a home that was built with Wright in mind.
I went searching on the internet for Iowan magazine article about what I call the Ames house and found this article about the Marcus News building being on one of Iowa's 2007 Top Ten endangered properties.
When I was in high school (maybe 1985?), the art teacher, Jean Caboth, had an architectural historian come and talk. She spent may 20 minutes of her hour or so presentation talking about the Ames house. She described it as one of the top 10 examples of prairie school architecture in Iowa.
Fred, I think the house you are referring to was the "Edmonds" house. My mother Lorraine Woodall owned a Gund house as did Jack Dunn. Mom's home is on the corner of Cedar and Maple and Jacks house is on the corner of Cedar and Walnut. Bill Woodall
Three cheers and a big HURRAH! the Blog is back. We can't thank the Reeds enough for this.
I want to add a little story Mabel Edmonds once told me. She was from Illinois and had met Ira when both were students at Wheaton College. When they were married and moved to Marcus his parents were living in the mansion now belonging to Engebretsons which they had built. So the parents built a small house across the alley to the east for the newlyweds. (I can see it but can't recall who lives there now. I'm sure someone else can.) Sometime later Mabel Glos Edmonds received a sizeable inheritance from her family. At that point she went back to Chicago and obtained Prairie School plans for the cottage(her word) which they built out in the country (again her words.) She didn't come right out and say it but I got the impression that she was most pleased to get out of the close scrutiny of her mother-in-law. Margaret Dorr
Thanks to all of you for helping clear up a few Edmonds house questions for me. (Not sure where I came up with the Gund connection, but that had stuck with me for some reason.)It was interesting to learn more about the history of that house.
At some point I'll try to figure out if Burr was a Frank LW disciple, or, if instead, he simply designed the home the Edmonds family asked him to, with the latter getting their inspiration from a Chicago FLW connection.
Just a quick reminder that sign ups for youth football was on April 18th. If anyone knows of a child that will be in the 3rd - 6th grade for the 2010-11 school year that would still like to sign up please have them get ahold of Jerome or I. There are funds availble to help with the registration fee as we do not want that to hinder any child from signing up.
If you want to print all eight pages you should be able to. Simply click on the link then click on the image to enlarge it, then do a print preview to see that it fits on one page and then print it. These images will only be hosted on the site for a limited time as I recall so you better print them now if you want a copy.
I read some of the article about the Erdman house. Very interesting. This home is truly one of a kind. I am sure there have been some changes on the inside since the Ames family lived there.
I found a series of beautiful pictures of a house in Waterloo by Burr with many of the artitectual features of the Edmonds house. If you would like to look at them they can be found at: www.praireschooltraveler.com/html/ ia/waterloo/burr/145prospect.html
How did the Garage Sales go? That was always such a festive day in Marcus. Some of the guys claimed it was just a matter of the gals exchanging their trash with each other, but I thought there were often some treasures to be had,too. In any case it is just another of the town traditions that draw everyone closer together and that's always a blessing. Margaret Dorr
I’ve given up trying to explain to outside people that Iowa is not flat like Kansas. They simply don’t want to understand that we are blessed with a bunch of gently rolling hills, particularly in the northwest section. And like those little hills, there are a lot of rolling destinies in life.
Oh, the hills aren’t big monsters of earth. They are puny compared to the Black Hills of South Dakota. But the wonderful section of highway between Marcus and LeMars is full of a series of graded, modest heights that seem to mirror the folk who live around there. Each one provides a wonderful vista of the surrounding fields and the road ahead.
I’m reminded of their beauty at this time of year, when our young people are graduating from MMC. Like those succeeding hills, they will soon be engaged in a series of events that will color and inform their lives by their ups and downs.
They will be facing rising challenges—chasing their destiny. Perhaps some of them can’t really articulate what it is they will do. Or what they will be. Or where they will go. But each step, like the mounting and descent of each little hill will see them to new small valleys and further heights.
There was a song—a duet—written by Rodgers and Hammerstein that was dropped from the score of “Oklahoma!” before it opened on Broadway in 1943. Part of the lyrics were
Songs and kings and many things Have their day and are gone. But boys and girls like you and me— We go on and on.
Like other R & H characters, the guy sings what he can’t say, and the girl warbles what she is afraid to know. But they somehow feel that they are on the verge of something, so they approach it with a hint of history, some apprehension, and a prescient persistance.
Similarly, our grads are in for a new life—a venture where dreams may be fulfilled or unrealized. Where ambitions are attained, or hopes dashed. Where potential is achieved or wasted in life’s insane little twists of ups and downs.
They are soon to engage in actions that may change the course of their lives—actions that are sometimes calculated, sometimes stumbled upon. Growing up is never easy on those doing the growing and sometimes lands hard on the people around them. But our young grads must find the life they were born to live.
How? As the Mother Abbess in another R & H show, “The Sound of Music” tells the anxious heroine, “Look for it. Examine. Invest. Alter.”
And while our MMC graduates may not fully understand that their lives may be dictated by a series of events like the little hills and valleys of their geography, they will be affected by them. For there will always be the challenge of a hill beyond the hill.
I sure hope someone gets your piece into the hands of the right people at the school and shares this with them on graduation day. This is an absolutely wonderful piece and so appropriate for the graduates of MMC.
Received this via email today. Hope everyone can attend next week and welcome the new business to the community.
The ground breaking ceremony for the Marcus Dentist office will be May 10th at 10:30am. This is a great event for Marcus and an example of the continuing progress of our community. I hope everyone can make it. This will be the first of many gatherings to welcome Karl and Sarah Koellig and their business to Marcus. "VANGIE COWEN"
Phil Dorr
P.S. Congrats to the community for another great addition to Marcus!
Interesting read on John I. Blair, the railroad magnate that built the railroad through Marcus. Note his son's name MARCUS. He was a wealthy man for his time and he certainly lived to a ripe old age.
The link above has links to John Blair's wife and son Marcus. Marcus is buried in the same grave as John Blair. Marcus Blair died when he was 43 in 1874.
from Bob Reed Max and I were invited to do a performance for Founders' Day at the First Presbyterian Church in Blairstown, NJ, a few years ago. It honored John Blair and his sons.
It's a pretty town in the wooded hills of that state. Our hosts took us on a tour of the village and the Academy. Neat!
Thank you to whoever added a link to my blog post about John Insley Blair, who was a cousin of my Vail ancestors. I added a post last night with the info I have on Marcus Blair. I will add more shortly, after I check the materials my mom has at her house. (Lots of info on the building of the railroad so I'm sure the town of Marcus will be mentioned.)
I have really enjoyed the photographs in the Marcus News recently of the high school kids, especially the action photos. All very good. No atribution is stated. Who is the photographer? Glad to see the trend again moving to including more photos of what's going on.
Came across this little blurb below about LeMars, Iowa from April 1893. What struck me was the number of passenger trains passing through town! 12 per day!
K.Dorr
“LeMars has five thousand inhabitants, waterworks, gas works, electric light, four banks, a normal school, the most extensive milling interests of any town in Iowa, fourteen churches, twelve hotels. Is the most rapidly growing city in Iowa, and has the largest extent of rich country tributary. . . . Twelve passenger trains daily.”
Yep--LeMars--like Sheldon had two railroads passing through for years. Illinois Central and Northwestern. The IC went east=west and North Weatern north and south. It was a major terminal/shipping point. Cherokee had only the IC serving it. Marcus was on that line with only the IC. Bob Reed
Hi Fred! Interesting question. At the peak, I'm guessing four regularly scheduled passenger trains and four frieght trains. Marcus had the reputation of being one of the best shipping points for freight, grain, and livestock between Sioux City and Chicago. In the early 1900s, the depot and stockyards somtimes shipped up to nineteen stock cars on a big day, according to the "Marcus News." They must have been pulled by two locamotives. Cattle and hogs went west to Sioux City and east to Chicago. The owners often accompanied their stock, riding in the caboose. Chickens were also shipped out of Marcus. Sometimes special trains were created just for the Marcus trade. Grain was also shipped from the elevators. All imports coming into Marcus came by train.(Furniture, groceies, coal, farm equipment etc.) Then came cheaper trucks with more flexible schedules. By the late 1930s I think it was down to two pasenger trains a day (morning and afternoon going east and west) snd two freight trains going east and west in the morning and afternoon. WW II saw a spurt of rail travel across the nation and many troop and freight trains passed through Marcus but did not stop. The 1950s and the interstate highways saw the diminishment of both passenger and freight trains throughout the country. Trucks dominated. By the mid-1960s, I think, no passenger trains stopped at Marcus. An era had come to an end. Bob Reed
Passenger train(s) still went through Marcus in 1962-63. I used to catch an evening passenger train in Chicago and arrive in Marcus the next morning for breakfast. Don
Thanks for the great post, Bob. I sent a quick note to a friend of mine who is a high order train buff. I asked him to join the blog if he had anything to add about train service through NW Iowa. Fred
May 1, 1971 was the date of the last passenger train through Marcus. My Gry Matter column of this past May 12 was all about the matter. In fact, I think that may have been what started this whole discussion. It is interesting and the sort of thing the Blog should be about. Keep it up! Margaret Dorr
I was in my firm's New York City office today and noticed they added a vending machine for . . . Well's Blue Bunny ice cream. I love it. First the US, next the world.
One of my fondest Luther College memories was seeing (and eating, of course) Blue Bunny in the Dominican Republic on Jazz Band tour ten years ago. A delicious treat anywhere!
Funny you should mention that. I was just at the PawSox baseball stadium in Pawtucket RI (Red Sox AA team). An artist was putting the finishing touches on the old-time signs all around the stadium. He was an amazing man. His real job is refurbishing fresco ceiling paintings in federal buildings. In addition to work in DC, he's also worked on the Iowa and Minnesota State House ceilings. Anyway, after he finished my company's sign, he was moving on to the next -- for Well's Blue Bunny!
In March, I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the beautifully restored 1909 Terminal Station. The railroad complex has an ice cream shoppe featuring Blue Bunny. (Pardon me, boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo...)
These recent posts got me to thinking about great food items produced in NW Iowa, in addition to ice cream. Sue Bee Honey, Jolly Time Popcorn and the wonderful aroma of fresh bread while driving past the Metz Bakery on the way in to Sioux City (helped cancel the stockyards special signature scent). Of course, BoDeans in LeMars makes great ice cream cones and Harker's, which got its big push when Sam Walton came calling and wanted certain meat products delivered for sale in his WalMart stores. The list goes on and on. Quite the breadbasket we all grew up in.
There was a competitor to Blue Bunny ice cream in the 1940s in Marcus. "Fred's Place" featured ice cream from a firm in Fairmont(or was is Marshall?) MN that was thicker and richer.(or so some of us thought). The brand was called (I think) Fairmont. To taste one of Fred's chocolate malted milk concoctions ( for 25 cents)was heaven indeed on a hot summeer afternoon. But now we have LeMars--the Ice Cream Capital of the World! YIPPEE! Bob Reed
The thing I remember most about "Fred's Place" was that it was the only place you could get a chocolate Coke from his soda fountain. I would still love one of those today but instead have settled for the cherry cokes in a can
How about the french fries and juke box at Lage's - usually after football practice or on weekends?
I always stopped in to buy a Baby Ruth at Lage's just before I picked up my newspapers downtown and started out on my paper route. I had those papers telescoped about 18 inches high coming out of my saddlebag baskets on my fat tire, one-speed bike.
Hope Julia Meylor doesn't mind my posting these two videos in honor of her father's (Gerald Meylor) service in WWII. Congratulations Gerald, glad you were able to make this trip.
My niece, Sharon Haselhoff of Iowa City, took these photos and put this together. I am going to cut down another video to the 10 minutes that YouTube requires. It was a great day. Those volunteers are amazing!
gotta add the great root beer floates at Fred's place; remember the granite long counter top? We had a similar counter and offerings at Bjornstad's Drug in Spencer until the middle 70s...changing times.
About the IC, Earl Rae amd I worked a college summer job on the RR raising rails; best paying job in Marcus in the summer. Decoration day of -47 we cleaned snow off the brick platform at the local depot.
Memorial Day Memories / Railroads / and ICE CREAM!
I wasn't quite sure how I would honor those who have given and those who have offered to give the utmost service for our freedoms on this Memorial Day. It came to me that a 'quick trip' to Marcus to visit my dad's gravesite and see his name on the memorial and the Avenue of Flags seemed most appropriate again this year. It was with slight trepidation that I asked my mom if she would like to spend most of Memorial Day in the car, driving to and from Marcus to visit the grave and perhaps take a short trip down memory lane. She was delighted and excited. Although the drive was 3-4 hours we weren’t able to leave early, so our arrival in Marcus was after the parade. We were blessed to have witnessed several parades and “avenues of flags” on the way in several of our lovely Iowa towns and country side along the route. We proudly drove through the Avenue of Flags in deep appreciate for our freedoms represented by the flags themselves and the sacrifices from those whose served our country which allow us to continue to enjoy those freedoms. We lovingly visited my father’s (and my infant brother’s) gravesite before approaching the strong granite memorial etched with names of those who have served from Marcus. There was another “visitor” at the memorial and she had a camera. A BIG camera. Ms Sarah McIntosh of WCAU channel 9 in Sioux City was filming part of her story on the “Avenue of Flags” and the tribute to Leonard “Smokey” Schnoes. For the slightest awkward moment we hesitated, Mom and I not wanting to interrupt her, and she not wanting to intrude on our memorial journey. She graciously requested we go first and while Mom and I chatted about several of the people whose names reflect their service to our country Sarah asked if she could interview us for the story. This was not an intrusive request, but sincerely an interest in the affect this memorial and the Avenue of Flags had on us personally. Only after our interview and visit did she mention that she was on a slight time crunch as she was also going to film the service in tribute to “Smokey” Schnoes. We had evidently arrived in Marcus “in time” for the service we needed to attend. Mom commented on the ties to Mr. and Mrs. Schnoes as neighbors when mom and dad lived in their first apartment in Marcus. We made our way to the service the “long way.” As we drove by the home in which I grew up (for the first 13 years of my life), friends’ and neighbors’ names and stories popped up from both my mom and me. Funny the differences between the perceptions of a child growing up on the streets of Marcus on a one speed fat tire bike (I think that might be plagiarizing Fred’s comments from an earlier post) and the mom who was raising 4 little girls (not quite angels!) in the kid safe heaven in Marcus. Although we had to leave the memorial service early we were blessed to have been a small part of it. Thanks to Gerald Pallesen for the “flying fox” story about my dad! We drove out of Marcus late for a “date” with some relatives in Paullina; but filled with love for the memories of Marcus and pride in the memories and freedoms reflected in the Avenue of Flags. Thank you to all who are responsible.
Passenger trains:more than just Amtrak. At least once a year, often two or three times we boarded the Illinois Central in Marcus for a trip to Grandma’s in Dubuque. I was so afraid I’d be sucked under those cars if I stood too close as the train came to a stop while we waited to board!
ICE CREAM! I lived on the Oregon coast for a few years. Oh what a contrast to the farms fields of Iowa. I fell deeply in love with the ocean and mountains. And one of the biggest surprises was the dairy farm in Tillamook, Oregon. A little valley that “looked” like Iowa right on the Pacific Coast. AND they had the best cheese and milk and ice cream. BUT, the coffee shop I frequented served both Tillamook ice cream … and the more popular Wells Blue Bunny ice cream!
Previous post / Memorial Day Visitor / I had to "repost" as the first was slightly over the word limit ... evidently I omitted my name when I re-posted ...
There was no one in Marcus with a more unique name than "SMOKEY" Schnoes that I knew of anyway!
What a grat story and my hat is off to the whole community for honoring Smokey in the manner in which they did on Memorial Day. What a super treat to see this on the BLOG this morning!
Thanks for sharing it with us on FB June Pallesen!!!!
From Max, Bob, and Baritone Bob Reed
ReplyDeleteWe are sorry that we had to temporarily take this Blog down. We had hoped it would right itself, but some of the latest postings were again so negative and off the topic of Marcus per se that we felt a need to address the problem over a weekend.
As we have said, the site was created by us to exchange notes, news, remembrances, and thoughts about life in and around Marcus, or news about one’s family, friends, or acquaintances. That purpose has seemingly been lost on a very few who have begun to use it for different, specific, negative purposes.
We had hoped that this site could be a democratic, self-governing means of communication. All would have an opportunity to weigh in and there would be no need to filter out any posting. Sadly, that has not been the case in recent months.
We have considered abandoning the project, but we have received many heartfelt and thoughtful comments and suggestions, urging us to continue.
So after careful consideration we will press on, but with more attention and—sorry to say—moderation of all posted comments. Baritone Bob will serve as moderator.
We encourage lively ideas and discussions. But following the almost unanimous suggestions of a number of bloggers, any posting that is not signed by the full name of the individual will not be allowed on the site. There will be no completely anonymous postings, for as mentioned before, writing is a powerful agency and anonymity is the enemy of true discourse.
Please also be aware of posting criticisms of people or projects unless they are constructive in nature. If a comment flames an author, a person, or a topic it will be deleted. Profanity will not be allowed.
Off-topic comments (see paragraph 2 above) will also be deleted and that includes commentary about this blog. If anyone wishes to discuss this blog they may write to the moderator at bob@baribob.net.
We hope these new procedures will restore the purpose of this site. Be nice. Have fun!
Max, Bob, and Bob
YEA I am glad the blog is back up. I do enjoy reading it daily. It's great to see all the house's that were for sell are sold. I bet there is atleast 4 to 5 house that have sold or sale pending that's great maybe it will bring more kids to our schools and new people to our great town of Marcus.
ReplyDeleteKristi
Thanks for agreeing to continue on, Max, Bob and Baritone Bob.
ReplyDeleteI have a question for those who read this blog. The "Gund Home" as I knew it growing up, located on the southeast corner of town near Casey's was once described to me as designed by someone either with a Frank Lloyd Wright connection, or influenced by him. I think the idea was that (assuming what I have always been told is true) if the garage had a "turnaround" in it to reverse the direction of vehicles pulled into it, and there was, in fact, a tunnel connecting the house and garage, those were the types of functional design attributes that a "Wright influenced" designer would have built into the home. Plus, the overall look has a Prairie School design feel to it.
So, does anyone know anything about the architect who designed that home? If so, would you share it with us?
Growing up that house always intrigued me. I'd love to know more about it.
Thanks. Fred
I would like to remind everyone in Marcus that our CITY WIDE GARAGE SALES are this Saturday (May 1st) from 8am-2pm with Friday night optional. If you would like to be on the garage sale map, please contact me, Melinda Rosewall, at either the Pizza Ranch 376-2168 or at Home 376-2740. The cost of being on the map is only $1.00 this year!
ReplyDeleteJM Simpson has left a new comment
ReplyDeleteI had always heard that, too, Fred. But since it wasn't mentioned in a recent article about FLW homes in Iowa, I thought maybe it simply was designed with some Wright features. I think the house was bought recently by a Marcus couple, so it has new owners again. The history of the home would be interesting to learn about. I think two books came out last year about Wright's life and influence. It would be cool to know if Marcus really has a home that was built with Wright in mind.
Paul Wilkens has left a new comment
ReplyDeleteFred,
That home was featured in the "Iowan" magazine a few years ago. I am thinking there is copy of that issue at the Reed Center?
I went searching on the internet for Iowan magazine article about what I call the Ames house and found this article about the Marcus News building being on one of Iowa's 2007 Top Ten endangered properties.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.preservationiowa.org/programs/endangeredItem.php?id=213&year=2007
When I was in high school (maybe 1985?), the art teacher, Jean Caboth, had an architectural historian come and talk. She spent may 20 minutes of her hour or so presentation talking about the Ames house. She described it as one of the top 10 examples of prairie school architecture in Iowa.
Kyle Drefke
Can someone find that issue of the Iowan and scan the article and post it here? I'd love to read it.
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
Fred, I think the house you are referring to was the "Edmonds" house. My mother Lorraine Woodall owned a Gund house as did Jack Dunn. Mom's home is on the corner of Cedar and Maple and Jacks house is on the corner of Cedar and Walnut.
ReplyDeleteBill Woodall
Tim and Margie Erdman live in the Ames house now.
ReplyDeleteThree cheers and a big HURRAH! the Blog is back. We can't thank the Reeds enough for this.
ReplyDeleteI want to add a little story Mabel Edmonds once told me. She was from Illinois and had met Ira when both were students at Wheaton College. When they were married and moved to Marcus his parents were living in the mansion now belonging to Engebretsons which they had built. So the parents built a small house across the alley to the east for the newlyweds. (I can see it but can't recall who lives there now. I'm sure someone else can.) Sometime later Mabel Glos Edmonds received a sizeable inheritance from her family. At that point she went back to Chicago and obtained Prairie School plans for the cottage(her word) which they built out in the country (again her words.) She didn't come right out and say it but I got the impression that she was most pleased to get out of the close scrutiny of her mother-in-law.
Margaret Dorr
Here is some information on the home Fred was talking about. I call it the Ame's home although now it appears to be the Erdman home!
ReplyDeleteAme's home
K.Dorr
Prairie School Traveler also has a Facebook page with photos of Howard Burr's homes.
ReplyDeleteThanks to all of you for helping clear up a few Edmonds house questions for me. (Not sure where I came up with the Gund connection, but that had stuck with me for some reason.)It was interesting to learn more about the history of that house.
ReplyDeleteAt some point I'll try to figure out if Burr was a Frank LW disciple, or, if instead, he simply designed the home the Edmonds family asked him to, with the latter getting their inspiration from a Chicago FLW connection.
Fred
Fred
Just a quick reminder that sign ups for youth football was on April 18th. If anyone knows of a child that will be in the 3rd - 6th grade for the 2010-11 school year that would still like to sign up please have them get ahold of Jerome or I. There are funds availble to help with the registration fee as we do not want that to hinder any child from signing up.
ReplyDeleteHelps if I tell you who I am - to sign up for youth football contact Jerome or Heidi Holmes - number is in the phone book - Sorry
ReplyDeleteHeidi Holmes
Paul Wilkens kindly emailed me the scanned pages of the Iowan with the Edmonds home in it. I will post the pages for all to see shortly.
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
Here is the article about the Edmond's home. Paul Wilkens provided these copies to me. Thank you Paul!
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
Howard Burr page one
Howard Burr page two
Howard Burr page three
Howard Burr page four
Howard Burr page five
Howard Burr page six
Howard Burr page seven
Howard Burr page eight last page
Fascinating article. Thanks for tracking it down, Paul. Fred
ReplyDeleteIf you want to print all eight pages you should be able to. Simply click on the link then click on the image to enlarge it, then do a print preview to see that it fits on one page and then print it. These images will only be hosted on the site for a limited time as I recall so you better print them now if you want a copy.
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
I read some of the article about the Erdman house. Very interesting. This home is truly one of a kind. I am sure there have been some changes on the inside since the Ames family lived there.
ReplyDeleteI found a series of beautiful pictures of a house in Waterloo by Burr with many of the artitectual features of the Edmonds house. If you would like to look at them they can be found at: www.praireschooltraveler.com/html/
ReplyDeleteia/waterloo/burr/145prospect.html
How did the Garage Sales go? That was always such a festive day in Marcus. Some of the guys claimed it was just a matter of the gals exchanging their trash with each other, but I thought there were often some treasures to be had,too. In any case it is just another of the town traditions that draw everyone closer together and that's always a blessing.
ReplyDeleteMargaret Dorr
from Bob Reed
ReplyDeleteTHE HILL BEYOND THE HILL
I’ve given up trying to explain to outside people that Iowa is not flat like Kansas. They simply don’t want to understand that we are blessed with a bunch of gently rolling hills, particularly in the northwest section. And like those little hills, there are a lot of rolling destinies in life.
Oh, the hills aren’t big monsters of earth. They are puny compared to the Black Hills of South Dakota. But the wonderful section of highway between Marcus and LeMars is full of a series of graded, modest heights that seem to mirror the folk who live around there. Each one provides a wonderful vista of the surrounding fields and the road ahead.
I’m reminded of their beauty at this time of year, when our young people are graduating from MMC. Like those succeeding hills, they will soon be engaged in a series of events that will color and inform their lives by their ups and downs.
They will be facing rising challenges—chasing their destiny. Perhaps some of them can’t really articulate what it is they will do. Or what they will be. Or where they will go. But each step, like the mounting and descent of each little hill will see them to new small valleys and further heights.
There was a song—a duet—written by Rodgers and Hammerstein that was dropped from the score of “Oklahoma!” before it opened on Broadway in 1943. Part of the lyrics were
Songs and kings and many things
Have their day and are gone.
But boys and girls like you and me—
We go on and on.
Like other R & H characters, the guy sings what he can’t say, and the girl warbles what she is afraid to know. But they somehow feel that they are on the verge of something, so they approach it with a hint of history, some apprehension, and a prescient persistance.
Similarly, our grads are in for a new life—a venture where dreams may be fulfilled or unrealized. Where ambitions are attained, or hopes dashed. Where potential is achieved or wasted in life’s insane little twists of ups and downs.
They are soon to engage in actions that may change the course of their lives—actions that are sometimes calculated, sometimes stumbled upon. Growing up is never easy on those doing the growing and sometimes lands hard on the people around them. But our young grads must find the life they were born to live.
How? As the Mother Abbess in another R & H show, “The Sound of Music” tells the anxious heroine, “Look for it. Examine. Invest. Alter.”
And while our MMC graduates may not fully understand that their lives may be dictated by a series of events like the little hills and valleys of their geography, they will be affected by them. For there will always be the challenge of a hill beyond the hill.
Congratulations MMC grads of 2010! GO!
Bob Reed
BOB:
ReplyDeleteI sure hope someone gets your piece into the hands of the right people at the school and shares this with them on graduation day. This is an absolutely wonderful piece and so appropriate for the graduates of MMC.
Thanks for sharing......Phil Dorr
Received this via email today. Hope everyone can attend next week and welcome the new business to the community.
ReplyDeleteThe ground breaking ceremony for the Marcus Dentist office will be May 10th at 10:30am. This is a great event for Marcus and an example of the continuing progress of our community. I hope everyone can make it. This will be the first of many gatherings to welcome Karl and Sarah Koellig and their business to Marcus.
"VANGIE COWEN"
Phil Dorr
P.S. Congrats to the community for another great addition to Marcus!
Interesting read on John I. Blair, the railroad magnate that built the railroad through Marcus. Note his son's name MARCUS. He was a wealthy man for his time and he certainly lived to a ripe old age.
ReplyDeleteJohn I. Blair
K.Dorr
Blog on John I. Blair
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
More info on John Blair
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
Even better link to John I. Blair's Grave
ReplyDeleteThe link above has links to John Blair's wife and son Marcus. Marcus is buried in the same grave as John Blair. Marcus Blair died when he was 43 in 1874.
K.Dorr
from Bob Reed
ReplyDeleteMax and I were invited to do a performance for Founders' Day at the First Presbyterian Church in Blairstown, NJ, a few years ago. It honored John Blair and his sons.
It's a pretty town in the wooded hills of that state. Our hosts took us on a tour of the village and the Academy. Neat!
Bob
Thank you to whoever added a link to my blog post about John Insley Blair, who was a cousin of my Vail ancestors. I added a post last night with the info I have on Marcus Blair. I will add more shortly, after I check the materials my mom has at her house. (Lots of info on the building of the railroad so I'm sure the town of Marcus will be mentioned.)
ReplyDeletehttp://thetailoredwoman.blogspot.com/2010/05/post-for-my-new-friends-in-marcus-iowa.html
The Tailored Woman Link
ReplyDeleteYou are welcome. I added a clickable link to your blog for ease of use. Would love to have you come to the Marcus Fair!
K.Dorr
Another interesting post on John Blair
ReplyDeleteApparently he wasn't to well liked in the area!
K.Dorr
I have really enjoyed the photographs in the Marcus News recently of the high school kids, especially the action photos. All very good. No atribution is stated. Who is the photographer? Glad to see the trend again moving to including more photos of what's going on.
ReplyDeleteKyle Drefke
Came across this little blurb below about LeMars, Iowa from April 1893. What struck me was the number of passenger trains passing through town! 12 per day!
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
“LeMars has five thousand inhabitants, waterworks, gas works, electric light, four banks, a normal school, the most extensive milling interests of any town in Iowa, fourteen churches, twelve hotels. Is the most rapidly growing city in Iowa, and has the largest extent of rich country tributary. . . . Twelve passenger trains daily.”
Yep--LeMars--like Sheldon had two railroads passing through for years. Illinois Central and Northwestern. The IC went east=west and North Weatern north and south. It was a major terminal/shipping point. Cherokee had only the IC serving it. Marcus was on that line with only the IC.
ReplyDeleteBob Reed
Would you happen to know, Bob, at its peak how many passenger and freight trains went through Marcus daily?
ReplyDeleteFred
Hi Fred!
ReplyDeleteInteresting question. At the peak, I'm guessing four regularly scheduled passenger trains and four frieght trains. Marcus had the reputation of being one of the best shipping points for freight, grain, and livestock between Sioux City and Chicago. In the early 1900s, the depot and stockyards somtimes shipped up to nineteen stock cars on a big day, according to the "Marcus News." They must have been pulled by two locamotives. Cattle and hogs went west to Sioux City and east to Chicago. The owners often accompanied their stock, riding in the caboose. Chickens were also shipped out of Marcus. Sometimes special trains were created just for the Marcus trade. Grain was also shipped from the elevators.
All imports coming into Marcus came by train.(Furniture, groceies, coal, farm equipment etc.)
Then came cheaper trucks with more flexible schedules.
By the late 1930s I think it was down to two pasenger trains a day (morning and afternoon going east and west) snd two freight trains going east and west in the morning and afternoon.
WW II saw a spurt of rail travel across the nation and many troop and freight trains passed through Marcus but did not stop. The 1950s and the interstate highways saw the diminishment of both passenger and freight trains throughout the country. Trucks dominated. By the mid-1960s, I think, no passenger trains stopped at Marcus. An era had come to an end.
Bob Reed
Passenger train(s) still went through Marcus in 1962-63. I used to catch an evening passenger train in Chicago and arrive in Marcus the next morning for breakfast.
ReplyDeleteDon
Thanks for the great post, Bob. I sent a quick note to a friend of mine who is a high order train buff. I asked him to join the blog if he had anything to add about train service through NW Iowa. Fred
ReplyDeleteMay 1, 1971 was the date of the last passenger train through Marcus. My Gry Matter column of this past May 12 was all about the matter. In fact, I think that may have been what started this whole discussion. It is interesting and the sort of thing the Blog should be about. Keep it up!
ReplyDeleteMargaret Dorr
I was in my firm's New York City office today and noticed they added a vending machine for . . . Well's Blue Bunny ice cream. I love it. First the US, next the world.
ReplyDeleteKyle Drefke
One of my fondest Luther College memories was seeing (and eating, of course) Blue Bunny in the Dominican Republic on Jazz Band tour ten years ago. A delicious treat anywhere!
ReplyDeleteJennifer Smith Hoesing
Funny you should mention that. I was just at the PawSox baseball stadium in Pawtucket RI (Red Sox AA team). An artist was putting the finishing touches on the old-time signs all around the stadium. He was an amazing man. His real job is refurbishing fresco ceiling paintings in federal buildings. In addition to work in DC, he's also worked on the Iowa and Minnesota State House ceilings. Anyway, after he finished my company's sign, he was moving on to the next -- for Well's Blue Bunny!
ReplyDeleteIn March, I was in Chattanooga, Tennessee, at the beautifully restored 1909 Terminal Station. The railroad complex has an ice cream shoppe featuring Blue Bunny. (Pardon me, boy, is that the Chattanooga Choo Choo...)
ReplyDeleteCorinne Alesch
These recent posts got me to thinking about great food items produced in NW Iowa, in addition to ice cream. Sue Bee Honey, Jolly Time Popcorn and the wonderful aroma of fresh bread while driving past the Metz Bakery on the way in to Sioux City (helped cancel the stockyards special signature scent). Of course, BoDeans in LeMars makes great ice cream cones and Harker's, which got its big push when Sam Walton came calling and wanted certain meat products delivered for sale in his WalMart stores. The list goes on and on. Quite the breadbasket we all grew up in.
ReplyDeleteFred
There was a competitor to Blue Bunny ice cream in the 1940s in Marcus. "Fred's Place" featured ice cream from a firm in Fairmont(or was is Marshall?) MN that was thicker and richer.(or so some of us thought). The brand was called (I think) Fairmont. To taste one of Fred's chocolate malted milk concoctions ( for 25 cents)was heaven indeed on a hot summeer afternoon.
ReplyDeleteBut now we have LeMars--the Ice Cream Capital of the World! YIPPEE!
Bob Reed
Great pic of Jay Welp in the Sioux City Journal running the 3200 at state. Jay came in 5th place.
ReplyDeleteK.Dorr
Jay Welp running the 3200 at State in Des Moines
The thing I remember most about "Fred's Place" was that it was the only place you could get a chocolate Coke from his soda fountain. I would still love one of those today but instead have settled for the cherry cokes in a can
ReplyDeleteDon:
ReplyDeleteHow about the french fries and juke box at Lage's - usually after football practice or on weekends?
I always stopped in to buy a Baby Ruth at Lage's just before I picked up my newspapers downtown and started out on my paper route. I had those papers telescoped about 18 inches high coming out of my saddlebag baskets on my fat tire, one-speed bike.
Fred
Hope Julia Meylor doesn't mind my posting these two videos in honor of her father's (Gerald Meylor) service in WWII. Congratulations Gerald, glad you were able to make this trip.
ReplyDeletePart 1 Honor Flight
Part 2 of Honor Flight
K.Dorr
My niece, Sharon Haselhoff of Iowa City, took these photos and put this together. I am going to cut down another video to the 10 minutes that YouTube requires. It was a great day. Those volunteers are amazing!
ReplyDeleteJulia Meylor Simpson
gotta add the great root beer floates at Fred's place; remember the granite long counter top? We had a similar counter and offerings at Bjornstad's Drug in Spencer until the middle 70s...changing times.
ReplyDeleteAbout the IC, Earl Rae amd I worked a college summer job on the RR raising rails; best paying job in Marcus in the summer. Decoration day of -47 we cleaned snow off the brick platform at the local depot.
Don Peters, so cal
Will anyone be posting pix of the Avenue of Flags and the ceremony at the cemetery or at Trinity? I missed those beautiful sights today! Margaret Dorr
ReplyDeleteMemorial Day Memories / Railroads / and ICE CREAM!
ReplyDeleteI wasn't quite sure how I would honor those who have given and those who have offered to give the utmost service for our freedoms on this Memorial Day. It came to me that a 'quick trip' to Marcus to visit my dad's gravesite and see his name on the memorial and the Avenue of Flags seemed most appropriate again this year. It was with slight trepidation that I asked my mom if she would like to spend most of Memorial Day in the car, driving to and from Marcus to visit the grave and perhaps take a short trip down memory lane. She was delighted and excited. Although the drive was 3-4 hours we weren’t able to leave early, so our arrival in Marcus was after the parade. We were blessed to have witnessed several parades and “avenues of flags” on the way in several of our lovely Iowa towns and country side along the route. We proudly drove through the Avenue of Flags in deep appreciate for our freedoms represented by the flags themselves and the sacrifices from those whose served our country which allow us to continue to enjoy those freedoms. We lovingly visited my father’s (and my infant brother’s) gravesite before approaching the strong granite memorial etched with names of those who have served from Marcus. There was another “visitor” at the memorial and she had a camera. A BIG camera. Ms Sarah McIntosh of WCAU channel 9 in Sioux City was filming part of her story on the “Avenue of Flags” and the tribute to Leonard “Smokey” Schnoes. For the slightest awkward moment we hesitated, Mom and I not wanting to interrupt her, and she not wanting to intrude on our memorial journey. She graciously requested we go first and while Mom and I chatted about several of the people whose names reflect their service to our country Sarah asked if she could interview us for the story. This was not an intrusive request, but sincerely an interest in the affect this memorial and the Avenue of Flags had on us personally. Only after our interview and visit did she mention that she was on a slight time crunch as she was also going to film the service in tribute to “Smokey” Schnoes. We had evidently arrived in Marcus “in time” for the service we needed to attend. Mom commented on the ties to Mr. and Mrs. Schnoes as neighbors when mom and dad lived in their first apartment in Marcus. We made our way to the service the “long way.” As we drove by the home in which I grew up (for the first 13 years of my life), friends’ and neighbors’ names and stories popped up from both my mom and me. Funny the differences between the perceptions of a child growing up on the streets of Marcus on a one speed fat tire bike (I think that might be plagiarizing Fred’s comments from an earlier post) and the mom who was raising 4 little girls (not quite angels!) in the kid safe heaven in Marcus. Although we had to leave the memorial service early we were blessed to have been a small part of it. Thanks to Gerald Pallesen for the “flying fox” story about my dad! We drove out of Marcus late for a “date” with some relatives in Paullina; but filled with love for the memories of Marcus and pride in the memories and freedoms reflected in the Avenue of Flags. Thank you to all who are responsible.
Passenger trains:more than just Amtrak. At least once a year, often two or three times we boarded the Illinois Central in Marcus for a trip to Grandma’s in Dubuque. I was so afraid I’d be sucked under those cars if I stood too close as the train came to a stop while we waited to board!
ICE CREAM! I lived on the Oregon coast for a few years. Oh what a contrast to the farms fields of Iowa. I fell deeply in love with the ocean and mountains. And one of the biggest surprises was the dairy farm in Tillamook, Oregon. A little valley that “looked” like Iowa right on the Pacific Coast. AND they had the best cheese and milk and ice cream. BUT, the coffee shop I frequented served both Tillamook ice cream … and the more popular Wells Blue Bunny ice cream!
Previous post / Memorial Day Visitor /
ReplyDeleteI had to "repost" as the first was slightly over the word limit ... evidently I omitted my name when I re-posted ...
Dianne (Wallin) Jones, Indianola IA
KCAU TV coverage of Marcus Avenue of Flags
ReplyDeleteThank you to June Pallesen for pointing this out to me.
K.Dorr
Dianne:
ReplyDeleteThanks for the wonderful post.
There was no one in Marcus with a more unique name than "SMOKEY" Schnoes that I knew of anyway!
What a grat story and my hat is off to the whole community for honoring Smokey in the manner in which they did on Memorial Day. What a super treat to see this on the BLOG this morning!
Thanks for sharing it with us on FB June Pallesen!!!!
Phil Dorr
Dianne,
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful story you shared. It would be a treat to "hear" your voice here again.
Thank you. Julia Meylor Simpson