The old Suspension Bridge and the bridge that was built to replace is are visible in this photo from 1974.

The old Suspension Bridge
provided the river crossing from 1932-1974

By Lucy Rodenberg

A majority of older readers will remember crossing the suspension bridge that was the predecessor of the
Marquette-Joliet bridge which was opened in November, 1974.
    Built in 1931-32, the suspension bridge was the first bridge constructed between Marquette and Prairie du Chien. Before 1932,
ferry service from McGregor was the only way to cross the river without a boat.
    One can imagine the excitement residents felt March 7, 1932 when the first automobile crossed the new bridge.
    The contract for the bridge expired March 7 that year, and all the hard work done to finish it in time provided a sense of great satisfaction to those
taking part. The first auto to make the crossing over the bridge was made by F. K. Ketler of Chicago, president of the bridge construction company.
The new bridge was described as the ‘real gateway to beautiful and scenic Iowa, the Switzerland of America.’ While the bridge opened in March, a
gala “Prairie du Chien-Marquette Bridge Day Celebration” was held on June 9.
    Drivers had to pay a toll to cross the bridge, however. The toll was used to pay for the bridge and was not lifted until 1954.
    Judge Walter Eichendorf, McGregor, was one of the prime movers behind building a bridge that would connect Iowa and Wisconsin for several years. 
He was a vital part in a bill that was presented to the state legislature in which the states would each pay half of the cost.
    This bill failed by three votes. Later, he became once again became active in procuring legislation for a bridge, but the state highway
commission balked at the location designated by the bridge company.
    Records from Jan. 22, 1931, show that Judge Eichendorf held the franchise for the bridge and announced that work would begin in two weeks from
this announcement. The original bridge company had failed in making much progress and the franchise was held up when Eichendorf then offered
a new franchise. As various issues were finally settled the good news came —the bridge finally could be built.
    The F.K. Ketler Construction Company of Chicago and the Pittsburgh-Des Moines Steel Company built the bridge with J. Max Yingling as designer
and chief engineer. (An interesting fact is that Alexander MacGregor was a great, great uncle of Yingling on his mother’s side.)
    The construction of the million dollar twin suspension bridge consisted of two suspension spans approximately 450 feet in length,  with wooden
decking connected by a blacktop roadway 2,000 feet long across an island.
    Prairie du Chien and the state of Wisconsin purchased it from the Pittsburgh Steel Company in 1949 and it was a toll bridge until the purchase
bonds had been paid when it became free July 15, 1954. It was re-dedicated during a three-day festival on June 9-11.
    The old suspension bridge was supposed to be demonlished by June 1, 1975.  There was some discussion in Marquette of trying to
preserve a portion of the bridge for foot traffic and an overlook, but this proved unfeasible from an engineering standpoint.
    More than 90 percent of the concrete piers were still standing in November, 1974. An unofficial report recorded shows that one-half million
had been set aside to remove the bridge when Wisconsin was offered a contract from a Michigan firm, the Dore Wrecking Co., to take down
the bridge for $387,000 and it rushed into this agreement. This turned into what was known as ‘a pig in the poke’ when Wisconsin paid the
firm $300,000 for doing nothing. Of this, $100,000 went to subcontractors who barely got the Main Channel cleared before the towboats were
ready to go in the spring. It’s thought that the contractors either gave up on removing the piers or went broke. A Prairie du Chien firm then
attempted to blast the piers, which were to be removed below the level of the  bottom, but no progress had been made by November. Wisconsin
had stated that about $87,000 and $113,000 of the original $500,000 left was still not enough to remove the footings of the old bridge.

A little old book reveals
the story of the enormous 1896 flood

By Lucy Rodenberg

Thanks to the readers of my history stories, I’ve had the  opportunity to see many actual pieces—artifacts and documents of the history of our area.
    The following story is based on one of these, a little book that was published by a North McGregor resident, Lorena Osborn Hunt, in the year of 1896
    about the great North McGregor Flood and from her personal experience.

The book was printed by Widman’s Printer and Binder of McGregor and is bound with thread with a hard cover. Illustrations of the flood damage were
also included.

Hunt’s book was published and printed locally by Widman Printers in McGregor. Widman also printed the McGregor News from 1889-1913. A relative of Mrs. Hunt, Julie Schlender, of Washington, sent Rodenberg the book

She begins the book with a poem on the introduction page :

‘On a night with its torrents ascending
‘Mid the deafening roar of the flood,
While the  towering rocks said benediction,
There were souls who went straight to their God.’

Lorena opens  her story describing a beautiful day in the “little town of North McGregor  nestled in a lovely valley, on the western bank of the great
and glorious Father of the Waters.”  Spring on this day of May 24 was showing its best in the trees that were beginning their foliage and the air was filled
with the “perfume of lilacs and roses” and sunshine warmed the air. In the afternoon, Nature began pouting and the air became quite sultry with gray
clouds flitting about in the blue sky. By evening, residents that had attended the little church on the hill were hardly seated when Nature’s tantrum had
grown so violent, “the church goers disbanded” and hurried home. 

A photo of the author from the book.

Lorena was one of them, and while she was closing windows on the east side  that looked out over the Mississippi, she writes “Suddenly I
beheld a bright, balloon shaped, cloud, leaving the inky black one that was passing, with a swiftness so fleet that tongue and pen are alike incapable of
describing it.”

This cloud passed over from west to east until reaching about the middle of Mississippi, quickly going down the river and away. Lorena writes that
she was sure that “it was the cyclonic wind leaving the rain cloud.” Darkness followed then with flashes of lighting filling the air along with rain
pouring down. Residents began to become concerned about neighbors after this went on for two hours, but were unable to venture out until the rain
finally stopped.

What greeted them was a “a foaming, splashing, gurgling, avalanche of water, rocks, dead branches and leaves that was  dashing past us,
along with that terrible, deafening roar, which seem to come from the hills west of town.” She writes hearing of someone calling, ‘It’s a flood, coming
down the Monona Hill.’ It wasn’t only water, but water carrying houses, barns, animals, iron bridges, depots, railroad tracks and of people that had lost
their lives.  Some still living, cried out for help, but no help could be offered.

For weeks after, searches were carried out for the many that were missing, many of whom were never found. Boats with long poles were used
in “searching tons of black, muddy pools littered with debris.” Men with “rubber leggins, waded  or swam” if able to, in attempts to find the missing.
Thousands of visitors came to town to see the wreckage and the demand for food and water could not be met for the town people themselves or for the
many visitors. There was hardly a yard in town without campers  and the string of pedestrians was so long, it stopped the efforts of those working to clean
up the mess.

The Milwaukee Railroad employees did the majority of the heavy work  of moving the debris in town along with the cleanup of the railroad yards, but it
was the last of June before the first train could use the tracks.

Sixteen lives were lost in the Flood of 1896 and there was $500,000 in damages, done by a storm that lasted just a few hours. There have been other
floods that caused great damage to the Marquette and McGregor area along with the 1896 flood, but this one claimed the largest loss of life and damages.

The years have seen the progress of the retention dams and dikes that have helped immensely in preventing tragedies like the one Lorena Hunt went through, but her story is bound forever in Marquette’s history when it was known as North McGregor.

Chipmunk’s harness shop was town’s gathering spot

By Lucy Rodenberg

Many readers know of the former Bergman Meat Market.

The brick building where the market was located was once owned by Sen. John Culver, who had an office there in 1979.
The building now houses The Main Street Mall, owned by Harold and Barb Corson.

What readers might not know about, was directly across the street from this antique shop. A two-story brick house and a harness
shop was operated at that location for 30 years.

The operator of the shop was Charlie Bowen, known as Charlie by his wife, but as ‘Chipmunk’ to others because of his small size
and friendly disposition.

In McGregor, any real ‘old timers’ could remember when the horsepower for the surrounding farms was supplied by the large
Percheron and Clydesdale workhorses. Farmers relied on these horses to pull farm implements before tractors became commonplace.

From time to time these horses needed new harnesses (about $10), or if old ones needed repair, the work could be done at a
fair price at Chipmunk’s harness shop.

Chipmunk would make at least three sets of harnesses weekly using rolls of ‘Boyne City’ leather and tools of his trade during the
summer. Winter found him spending time repairing harnesses and oiling them to ready them for spring field work.

Chipmunk’s shop was a gathering place for older men and farmers, and many stopped to warm up around the shop’s Cannonball
stove while sharing the news about town. Later, they’d head on back home with groceries their wives requested them to purchase.

News could include anything from mail arrival, something needing to be done about the ‘dilapidated’ outhouses on Ann Street,
to guessing when ‘Frank’ would get around to cutting more wood for heating. These visits might also include some talk about the
‘friendly’ waitress at the Reynolds’ Hotel.

It’s probable that conversation was somewhat lively when they saw a picture of McGregor resident, Earl DeHaven, driving the first
Whippet auto into town.

Kids even enjoyed Chipmunk’s shop and would beg for pieces of leather found in the junk box out in back of the shop and watch
intently as he cut and sewed straps onto whatever needed them.

The shop’s walls were covered with an assortment of advertisements, farm bills, high school graduation announcements and
even a clipping about President F. D. Roosevelt’s first inaugural ball in 1933. Also gracing the walls also were buggy whips,
various halters, horse and dog collars and other tools of Chipmunk’s trade. The oil-soaked floor at times was covered with pieces of
plaster that had fallen from the ceiling and the walls were covered in dust. This decor didn’t detract the townspeople from gathering to
visit.   

Credited with being an excellent shoe cobbler, Charlie had taught himself this trade that came in handy for many.

The end of Chalie Bowen’s harness shop has become another end to a chapter in McGregor’s book, but another beginning in a
new chapter of the town’s progress.
    (This story was compiled in part from an article by the late John R. Adney. Does anyone know of an existing photo of the Bowen
Harness Shop? If so, the North Iowa Times would be happy to print it.)

149-year old home was once site of a frontier murder

By Lucy Rodenberg

Set along Business Hwy. 18, about four miles west of McGregor, there is a stately two-story brick home
that sits on about 117 acres of farmland.

More than just a house, the structure was once an early roadside inn.

Travelers with their wagons filled with household items, stagecoach passengers and the many farmers
going to market points on the Mississippi, needed a place to rest, eat and to wash the dust from their
throats. These needs were met with the numerous inns found along the way and this brick home,
known as the Teets Inn/Tavern, were among those that was used for weary and thirsty travelers.

  Mr. Teets’s story began when he was one of the three settlers in our area.  As early as 1858 he
worked for Alexander McGregor as a ferryman.

This stately brick home four miles west of McGregor and directly past Maggie’s Diner on Hwy. 18, holds history
firmly in its walls. The home was a former inn built in 1860 for Andrew Teets, an early settler and
ferryman for Alexander MacGregor. (Photo by Lucy Rodenberg)

At first, he had a frame building erected that served as a tavern at this site on the highway. It was
successful enough that he had the brick home built in 1860. It contained a bar in the basement heated by a
fireplace, with the upper story having two large rooms filled with beds and another large room used as a
dance hall. The lower floor had family living quarters and a large dining area.

Besides earning recognition for surviving 149 years, the Teets’ Inn is home to an interesting story.
The same stairway going up to what is now bedrooms, was the site of an attempted murder. This story begins
when a ‘colored folks ball’ was held the night of Dec. 16, 1864. A group came from Prairie du Chien to
attend the festive occasion that included not only dancing, but a sleigh ride. James Liggens, asked a Martha
Tann, to dance and when she refused, an altercation broke out. Liggens broke a chair and was going to hit
Martha with it, so she was advised to leave the dance room, which she did.

By then, Mr. Teets and a visiting wagon master, John Winot (West Union), were on the way upstairs and
met people coming down and thinking the fight was over, turned to go back downstairs with the others.
Liggens suddenly appeared at the top of the stairs and fired a shot at Tann that went wild. A second  shot
struck Winot in the back of the head causing his death early in January.

Liggens was arrested, but escaped and got away in the dense woods that surrounded the area
between McGregor and Giard. Liggens stated he was sorry he killed the white man, but swore he would get
Martha Tann. A note of humour was found when Tann stated at the trial, that “at least her teeth loosened in
their fight were her own, whereas those she loosened for Liggens were artificial.”

Many roadside inns eventually closed when the Iowa Eastern Railroad was built, taking travelers more
easily and quickly to their destinations.

Rural McGregor resident, Dorene Larson, is shown holding a newsclipping about the Teets Inn/Tavern from many years ago. The Inn has kept its exterior appearance for 149 years. (Photo by Lucy Rodenberg)

  Remnants of the Teets Inn/Tavern is still evident today in the fan shaped
glass over the front door,
which has been replaced. Owners of the home, Harry and Dorene Larson,
have replaced the glass panes in
the windows, but the double-hung windows are still in the original openings.
Upstairs, there is a hallway that leads out through the original doors to a
small balcony. Many of the doors are original but ceilings have been
changed from 10 feet to about eight feet downstairs. Evidence of days past
in the basement is what Dorene Larson calls her ‘canning cupboard’ that
is made of wood and  has the date 1889 written on it. A date of 1913 is
inscribed in the basement floor with the initials of VW, for Vern Washburn.

The name of James Washburn is also  discovered in this story and was the name of a family that arrived
at MacGregor’s Landing long ago on the ferry Andrew Teets manned. Wondering where they might find a
place to rest, etc., they were directed by Teets to his inn. Talking to the woman that waited on them, the
Washburns were surprised when they found out that she was the wife of the ferryman.

Nine years later, Washburn, who had settled in West Union, wanted to move back to this area and
purchased the brick home from Teets.

Records showing all of the owners of the farm lists the names of Teets, Washburn, about the turn of the
century, John and Minnie Rodenberg, Lloyd Drahn, Fredrick and Florence Becker, and present owners,
Harry and Dorene Larson. It’s believed a Jim McGill and Dean Jones lived on the farm, but were not owners.

The Larsons moved to the farm in 1994 when they retired from farming at another location. Harry Larson
is employed part-time as a casino shuttle driver and also drives school bus. Their adult children are
Darren (Jo), Wendy Scallon, Todd (Karol) and Tina (Glen) Gordon. They have nine grandchildren and two step
grandchildren.

Woods Apartment house was
once grand lumber baron’s home

By Lucy Rodenberg

The building at 327 Kinney Street in McGregor has a story that dates back to when James MacGregor,
Jr. owned the property.

This particular property consisted of several lots (Block 20) laid out in 1860 and sold to George Colgate in
1862. Colgate had come to McGregor in 1859 with a Mr. G. C. Cone. The men formed a partnership in a
wholsesale and retail hardware business in town.

The Colgate house was very large and boasted of 12 rooms and 12 closets.

John Flemming later purchased the street corner lot on Kinney and Fourth Streets next to the Colgate home. According to a story in the North Iowa Times, he had 200 cords of stone quarried out of the adjoining hill, and used it to fill
up the back of the front lots. He had purchased all the property from Colgate’s widow by then, and moved
part of the house onto the excavated part of Lot 5.

The grand house at 327 Kinney St. was expanded to
its present size in 1874, by John Flemming, who was
part owner of a large sawmill in Marquette.
(Photo by Lucy Rodenberg)

It’s surmised that he did not move the whole house
as its believed part of it is near the hill. This two-
story section  had been the kitchen, store-room
and laundry, and probably held the maid’s
bedrooms upstairs. The Flemmings used this
part for the same purpose, and began construction
on a new section of the home.

The work on the lots, the moving of the home and building of the new part was all done in the summer of
1874. This new part was 30 feet by 44 feet, with two full stories and an eight-foot cellar under all.

S. S. Steele was the architect and the builder and the cost was about $10,000.

On the ground floor there was a hall,  parlor, living  room, dining room, two bedrooms, bathroom and closets. A large tank on this floor supplied water to the kitchen range, which in turn supplied all the sleeping rooms and bathrooms with
warm and cold water. A veranda, still gracing the home, is 90 feet long and the home has four bay windows,
which made it one of the most handsome homes in McGregor.

The Flemmings could afford such an expensive home, because they had the advantage of being lumber
dealers and could make their own lumber at the mill they owned in North McGregor. The mill  was one of the
largest mills north of Dubuque.

William and John Flemming settled in North McGregor in 1863 and established their mill that operated
there for years.

After John Flemming died, his widow sold her home to Charles Cowles, whose family lived there for several
years.

The next owner was Lawrence Jennings, who moved into town from his farm on Pleasant Ridge.
Jennings, after a few years, purchased what is now known as the Huntting Mansion and sold the Flemming
house to his sister-in-law, Mrs. Josephine Connell. The next owner was Mr. James Wood and after Mr.
Wood’s death, his estate sold it to Mr. Marion L. Wood who restored it.  Wood, who had operated a motel
business before purchasing the building, stated in the North Iowa Times that “there appeared to be a shortage
of apartments in town,” and he met this need by using the many rooms as apartments. Larry and Maria
Brummel also owned the house for several years.

The house is currently owned by C.W. Cowell, LLC.

The years have brought changes to the home nestled next to the hill with its wrap-around veranda and
bay windows, but it still plays an important part in our town’s history.

Boat and family
history anchored to McGregor’s past

By Lucy Rodenberg

McGregor’s boat history is anchored securely in the town’s ‘chapters of life.’ Captain Jack Slyfield played an important part in this history in the early 1930s when he purchased The Elk cruiser that eventually led to a line of boats that not only provided river tours, but also were functional in hauling grain and steel.
    Captain Jack worked as a salesman  for the White House Biscuit Company out of Dubuque. He would travel to McGregor and the surrounding area and finally convinced the owners of the company that he would be better off establishing an office in McGregor as this area had the most business.
    He and his wife, Louabelle, moved to McGregor in 1921 a with the help of ‘Cap’ Freeman, (owner of the Rob Roy  ferry) who moved their things when he took the ferry to Dubuque. With them they brought their pleasure boat, the Lujax.
    Captain Jack continued to work for White House Biscuit Co., but it wasn’t long before his love of the river drew him into the business that would make his name a local legend. His boats provided pleasure to river lovers for many years.
    By 1922, he was already offering rides on the Lujax.  Then Captain Jack purchased The Elk in 1929, beginning of the cruise line that grew to include both excursion craft and workboats. 
    Some years after he obtained The Elk, he constructed a boat called Mike and that was used for a contract with the Army Corps of Engineers to assist with the work on area locks and dams. Following wasa boat  called the Pat, that had a diesel engine that was started with a blowtorch.

Jack Slyfield, Jr. is shown with a picture (1) of the Black Hawk that was part of his father’s boat line. Captain Jack (center photo), and his cruiser,  The Elk that is shown on the right. Slyfield recalls how the tour at Catfish Slough was the day tour ,and evening tours were called “Lover’s Lane.”  (Photo by Lucy Rodenberg)

    The tour cruise was to Guttenberg’s lock and dam and during this time, a 26-foot runabout Christ Craft, called Julie, was purchased. Tours to the bridge and back  in 1934 cost 25 cents. Tours from the docks at McGregor to the mouth of the Mississippi/Wisconsin Rivers 75 cents. The tour that included Catfish Slough and around the Horn, was $1.75.
    The tours were so popular that the speedboat Garwood was purchased.
    Another boat, the Palisades, about 30-feet long, was purchased from the Wisconsin Dells area and was used to take the kids, along with others that wanted to go, to Prairie du Chien swimming pool.
    There was also the stern-wheeler, the Lorrene, in which Slyfield and Logan Blizzard were partners. That caused Cap Freeman, a competitor, some distress. Slyfield and Lyman Howe of Prairie du Chien also had a ‘party barge’ and they took turns on each side of the river to dock, depending on where the party was held.
    In 1938, Captain Jack built the passenger boat, the Blackhawk, that was also used to haul grain and steel in Illinois. The Blackhawk would also give guided tours to the islands for those attending the Wild Life School held on the McGregor Heights. The Burlington Northern Railroad would also include boat tours on excursion trips for their passenger, and The Elk line was kept busy weekends during the summer to accommodate these passengers. 
    Slyfield also provided provided two to six row boats for fisherman to rent, with or without outboard motors.
    McGregor resident, Jack Slyfield, Jr. has many fond memories of when he helped his father with the boat line when he was younger. Captain Jack’s love for the river, evidently was passed on to his son as he and his wife, Dawn have enjoyed many hours boating throughout the years.

Remnant buildings
recall Marquette’s sawmill era

Story and photos
by Lucy Rodenberg

You may have noticed the small wooden building seen coming off the bridge ramp at Marquette. Located behind the Frontier Motel, and posted with advertising, you might not guess that it holds its own story of some of the town’s early history of the Flemming and Wingen Sawmill.

    The W. & J. Flemming Lumber Company, which began business in 1863, was one of the then North McGregor’s largest industries.  The mill was located where the Lady Luck Casino is today.
    In 1867, a small sawmill was built on the river bank south of the old mouth of Bloody Run Creek and a year later, a gang saw was installed; greatly increasing production. By 1890, the firm employed 120 men with a monthly payroll of $5,000 and their trade extended all over the northwest, especially the Dakotas.
    The usual inventory was 10 million board feet and the firm was large enough to have its own raft boat, the steamer C. W. Cowles, named in honor of the manager of the sawmill. The logs were purchased in Wisconsin and rafted to North McGregor, pushed by the C. W. Cowles.
   

This mill was wiped out by fire in 1871, but was immediately rebuilt, which often happened at sawmills.
    A common story around Marquette when the ‘old-timers’ got together was how when logs were in short supply, mill employees would take advantage of dark, moonless nights. They would row quietly out to some passing log raft headed downstream, that was moored to the bank for the night and make away with as many logs as possible.
If discovered, a lively fight could be counted on. If the raid was successful, the logs were brought to the mill and the ends were sawed off to remove the identifying brand marks of the rightful owner. In this way, the mill could continue operating.
    Gerhard Wingen & Sons bought the Flemming business in 1887. Wingen, who came to North McGregor in 1858, worked as a builder and then in a general store, before purchasing the lumber yard and mill.
    An ad in an early North Iowa Times states G.Wingen & Sons “Are serving the public with first class lumber, millwork, brick, block, cement, roofing, paints, varnishes, oils and glass,” among other items needed by builders.
    Evidence of the sawmill business of G. Wingen & Sons can be seen at the Marquette Hardware Store where the G. Wingen & Sons sign is proudly displayed at the very top of the building. Part of this building in the past also housed the Star Theater.

    Sawmill operations were very important to the local economy in our area and in other  towns on the banks of the Mississippi River. The North Iowa Times noted in 1874 the production of area mills: “Staur & Company have sawed at their mill this last season 8,025,000 board feet; Flemming Brothers, 11,000,000 and Charles Budde, 1,000,000 board feet, making a total of 20,025,000 board feet.”
    The small building in Marquette located in back of the Frontier Motel, makes one think that the early area was much different than it is now, when it was covered with densely wooded areas that needed to be cleared to make room for habitation. These forests provided fuel for the steamboats that played an important part in transportation and before long, the densely covered bluffsides were transformed into areas where it was possible to create a small settlement that grew.

Former mayors played
a key role in Marquette’s growth

Story and photos
by Lucy Rodenberg

 Seven former mayors are still living in Marquette, and these individuals, along with community members that have served as council members, have seen changes in Marquette that have become part of the town’s history. Following are a few experiences of these people while in office.
    Donna Kinley states by the time she took office in 1979, the state requirement for the city to update its sewer, or waste water treatment plant, was the beginning of what she feels was the ‘coming of age’ for Marquette as it struggled with more changes that followed. Certification of city employees was one of these changes for the people. “Marquette had reached a point that changes had to be made which were not easy,” Kinley said.
    A tremendous amount of Kinley’s time as mayor was spent working on the organization and codification of the city ordinances, which she received in a cardboard box. This included rewriting, or writing new ordinances, holding several public meetings and then sending them for codification at the state level. A new accounting system was implemented so it was known how much money the city had and where it was spent.

Donna Kinley

    The bridge closure, Jan. 16, 1981, was a big problem to manage. Ferry transportation for passengers, then vehicles, had to be obtained and there were many hours spent communicating with the Iowa Dept. of Transportation and Prairie du Chien.
    In spite of the “tremendously busy time,” Kinley said her time as mayor was an interesting time. “Running city government is a team effort between the mayor, council and community members,” Kinley says. She advises community residents to “be aware of what’s going on and to ask questions,” and act as guardians of the town’s welfare.
    Donna and the late Dan Kinley have two sons, John and James; she has two grandchildren she enjoys.
    The late Blanche Cardin and Freda McCracken, requested Mike Doll to run for mayor in 1982. Doll says times were tough during his term as mayor and because of this he and the council “did the best they could.” One thing he recalls is when the engineers who put in the sewer plant threatened to sue Marquette because they couldn’t pay the bill, which was larger then expected. Doll was also concerned that the city would be unable to maintain the new system.
    At one time, the main city well went out and they had to re-bore the well; for a short time a tanker truck brought in water. Another project he worked on was the developing of a public boat dock to help get more money into the town.

                                                                                                                                                                Mike Doll

    “The casino saved Marquette,” Doll says. He had praise for the council members he served with and also for former city employee Frank Rodenberg, who did a “wonderful job” in keeping on top of any problems that came up.
    Mike and Diane Doll have lived in the same house they now reside in for 34 years; their children are Elisabeth, Andrew and Ted.
    Serving as mayor from 1983-85, Ray Childs, states that “I enjoyed working with the people and council members as mayor; everything that was started, was finished.”
    Childs said one of the bigger experiences he had was the construction of the highway by-pass and opposition to the project by the environmentalists. He presented the resolution in favor of the by-pass not only to Marquette, but to Prairie du Chien and Monona.

  Ray Childs

    “Could you imagine what it would be like without it now?” he said.
    Development of Water Street was another project during his time as mayor.  The DNR and Marquette had conflicting views of who should have this property and Childs can recall how the city had to stand firm on its ownership.
    Besides serving as mayor, Childs was once the Crawford County Sheriff, and police chief of Marquette when services were earlier shared with McGregor, and fire chief.
    Ray and Nola Childs’ adult children are Todd (Sally), Vicki Whaylen, Lori Richardson, Cindy Ihde and Shelley. How many grandchildren do they have? “A lot!”  Ray quips. Consultation with Nola reveals 15 with 13 great-grandchildren.
    Ralph Pirc, who will celebrate his 97th birthday June 23, says his memory isn’t as good as it used to be, but during his term as mayor from 1987-89, he can clearly say, “We had no money!” He says he would have to go to the bank to sign papers to get the bills paid and when taxes came in, the bank would get paid. Marquette didn’t have police service much of the time because of the many officers wouldn’t stay very long.

                                                                                                                                                                     Ralph Pirc

    Because of his plumbing business it was difficult to attend many of the meetings, and Pirc says the late Dick Hinkle helped out a lot. Pirc himself had been on the council eight years before he became mayor and served as mayor pro-tem for two years when mayor Roy Hunter was gone during that time (1985).  But, Pirc says, much of what he learned in his plumbing business was useful to the town.
    Pirc believes the casino is a wonderful thing (especially their breakfast which he loves).
    Pirc sums up his experience: “I never regretted serving as mayor. There’s was no money in it and a person had to be willing to contribute much of their time. Now, because of the boat, the mayor and council members receive much more.” Pirc says he’d like to see Marquette build a pier on the riverfront for fishing, which other cities have done with great success.
    Pirc’s adult children are Mary Jo Pirc and Sharon (George) Kirby.
    Former mayor Gene Trudo served three terms (1989-94) and states first and foremost he recalls being instrumental with council members to bringing the casino to Marquette. He remembers his many plane rides to government offices to obtain the necessary permits.

Gene Trudo

    Another experience was the purchase of nearly 20 acres of the Roundhouse property Marquette was able to buy from the railroad at a very reasonable cost due to his and the council’s negotiations with the railroad. Trudo personally purchased and donated the land where the city garage and Fire Department is today. Trudo has some concern if the town is “saving enough [money] back for the time if and when the boat should ever leave.”
    “I don’t regret a thing I did for city and felt I was doing it for the benefit of the city. I might have ruffled some feathers and stirred things up, but things were accomplished,” he adds. He further states that who you know can be of great assistance in helping projects to get done.
    Gene and Ann Trudo had spent 10 years at Harpers Ferry before moving to Marquette. Their adult children are Mike (Kate); Mark; Rick (Brenda); Ron (Sherry) and Dan (Mary Ann). They have six grandchildren and four great grandchildren.
    Serving as mayor from 1995-97, Deidre Vick-Froelich, remembers her experience enthusiastically
    “It was great!  I didn’t know much when I came into office and I knew a little more when I left.  It was a good learning experience and I got to know the people in town much better.”

                                                                                                                                         Deidre Vick-Froelich

    Deidre remembers the casino’s new owner, Sodak (from South Dakota), coming in. Many felt this new company would bring more problems to Marquette. She was a bit skeptical, but readily agrees her mind was changed when the town was able to work on new infrastructure, etc., as a result of casino revenues. She also adds that once the people recognized the problems they were worried about weren’t happening, they also changed their minds about the boat.
    The work to obtain the old railroad depot was on-going when she took office, and she feels this was a very positive move for Marquette to make. She feels the evolution into the museum has definitely been to the town’s benefit.
    Mike Froelich and Deidre Vick-Froelich have two adult children, Collin (Jessica) Vick and Amanda Vick.
    “The boat has definitely been a good thing for the town,” former mayor Eleanor Soulli replies when asked her opinion.

Eleanore Soulli

    Serving from 1997-01, Soulli says road work on Cty Rd. B-45, the new water and sewer lines put in and work on the sidewalks greatly improved the city, not only in appearance but more importantly, the city’s infrastructure.
    The police merger between Marquette and McGregor, Soulli feels, has been a great benefit to both towns and she feels Chief Randy Grady is doing a good job.
    Being mayor, Soulli says, was “very interesting, especially during the flood.” She credits John Ries and Pat Young as being ‘miracle workers’ in the work they did along with other residents during that time.
    “I left office feeling good, we had money in the bank and the bills were being paid. I worked with a lot of good people on the council and City Clerk Maryanne Trudo,” Soulli said.

A Busy Day on Main Street

McGregor's Main St., about 1870. The town was a major trading and wheat shipping center. The long line of wagons are probably loaded with grain and goods to be sold and loaded on waiting steamboats at the riverfront. (Photo courtesy of the McGregor Historical Museum)

The nine husbands of
Virgin Em, frontier paramour

By Ronald G. Harris

Not many McGregor residents recognize the name Emma Eastman, but a mention of “Virgin Em” to older residents will still raise eyebrows a hundred years after her death.  They know that a mysterious lady is buried up on the hill west of McGregor, and along with her, those husbands who some say number ten, keep her company.
    It is not clear when the “Virgin Em” moniker was attached to Emma.  Perhaps it was her flamboyant nature and penchant for sticking up for herself that enticed the local coffee klatch crowd to start the name calling.  And that cemetery.  The story was that Emma forced her husbands to go out to the cemetery that is located on the old Eastman homestead and whitewash the grave markers of her former husbands whenever she was displeased with one of them, as a preview of coming events if they didn’t shape up.
    By the time of Emma’s death on February 6, 1905, the memory of her life and legend had so faded that the North Iowa Times did not even print an obituary. The Monona Leader had this terse notice:
 

Mrs. Joseph Wilson, an old and eccentric character known as Virgin Em, died Monday Feb. 6th at her home in the country. Deceased has been helpless for the past two years when she suffered a stroke of paralysis.  She is survived by her husband.  The funeral was held this Wednesday afternoon. About this woman there might be quite an interesting bit of history written. At one time she laid claim to a considerable tract of territory within the borders of La Crosse, but she was unable to profit by the claim, though the lawyers dug deep into the hidden recesses of a long string of transfers, claimants, etc. In that time she was known as Emma Van Sickle.

[Monona Leader, Feb. 16, 1905]

 Emma died on the old family homestead near McGregor in the home of her sister, Louisa Klotzbach, who cared for Emma during the last years of her life.
    The La Crosse Tribune had a front page notice in which she was called the “Belle of La Crosse,” which is what she was called in her days of marriage to Peter Cameron. Cameron, her fourth husband was an early settler and prominent resident of La Crosse.
    Emma Eastman was born to Peter Eastman and Mary Coleman Eastman in Fitchville, Ohio on April 14, 1823. The Eastmans and Colemans came from New England to Ohio in the 1820’s. Peter and Mary and family came to McGregor in 1838 and began homesteading land west of town. 
    The marriage records of Huron County, Ohio show that Emma Eastman was married to Ephraim Kellogg in 1837, one year before the family came to McGregor.  Emma was almost fourteen at the time.  The Eastman family oral history says that Ephraim was an old man and died soon after the marriage, leaving Emma a fortune.  Other sources say Kellogg was a young man who was a stage coach driver and went on to run a tavern in La Porte, Indiana.
    The records of Grant County, Wis., show Emma Kellogg marrying Moses Van Sickle two years later in 1839. The Van Sickles were early pioneers in Clayton County and they had been neighbors of the Eastmans in Ohio before 1838.  Emma would later marry a brother of Moses, her sister Anna would marry another brother, and her mother marry yet another Van Sickle brother.
    In 1841 Moses filed for divorce from Emma on the basis of her marriage in Prairie du Chien to William Cunningham that same year.  Aside from the marriage record, there is nothing known about Cunningham.
    Emma next married Peter Cameron in La Crosse in 1846.  It is not clear where Emma met Peter, but he was a fur trader and entrepreneur who had grown up in New York and traveled throughout the east trading with the Indians.  He set up a trading post in La Crosse and eventually built a sawmill and a shingle factory. At his death in 1855, he had a steamboat under construction and a canal that would connect La Crescent, Minn., to the main channel of the Mississippi. Neither the canal or the steamboat were finished.

This is the only known photo that is believed to be an image of Emma. It may have been taken in the 1860s, when she was married to De Witt Clinton Van Sickle, and lived near Elkader. (Photo courtesy of Ron Harris)

    Emma was a prominent character of early La Crosse social life.  It was said in local papers that she carried a rifle as she rode horseback through town, and she attended all the gatherings and celebrations of that early town on the mud flats of the Mississippi.  One report had her saving the town from an attack by Indians due to her knowledge of the Indian language.
    There are a number of letters that still exist from Peter to his family and letters they wrote him.  In one letter he tells that “I got myself a wife sometime since.”
    He also states in a letter dated 1854 that Emma and he had a child who died as an infant and that his name was Peter Daniel Cameron.  Peter says in the letter that Emma went to visit her mother in McGregor because she was distraught over the death of the child.  It is likely that Emma took the child’s body with her on a steamboat and buried him in the family plot west of town. 
    In a dispute over ownership of some logs, Peter killed a man in 1849 and was charged with murder.  He was placed in the Territorial Prison in Prairie du Chien. 
    At one point while Peter was in prison, Emma came down from La Crosse and kept house for Peter and the jailer.  Some of Peter’s employees were keeping the business operations going in La Crosse in the meantime.
    In a letter to his father, Peter says that the jailer eventually quit because he had a better job, and so Peter was hired and paid fifty cents a day to watch over a lunatic who was also in the jail.  Eventually, Peter got out on bail, and a final verdict came in 1853 when he got off with a charge of manslaughter and a $2,500 fine.
    After Peter’s death in La Crosse in 1855, Emma spent a number of years fighting in court with the Cameron family to gain control of Peter’s property.  Newspapers reported that she eventually lost, although court records have yet to be found of exactly what happened.
    Ralph C. Bowles was married to Emma in 1858 and according to some court records, was helping her with some of the property disputes.
    In 1859, Peter Cameron’s brother Daniel came to Emma’s house in La Crosse one evening and sought to get some deeds from her, but their meeting was not friendly. 
    Later, in a newspaper ad in defense of herself, Emma said it was a good thing she had her pistol under her pillow, because she thought Daniel would harm her.  She took two shots at him—the first went through his coat, the second took off his little finger.
    The La Crosse Democrat reported the incident as an attempted murder.  Apparently no charges were lodged against Emma.  She insisted it was a case of self-defense.  She said in her newspaper ad that “. . .I have no remorse of conscience in defending my own life in my own house, and in the dark in the absence of my husband.—Any one that has got a drop of true American blood [will] defend their own.  My fore fathers fought in the Revolutionary War for their freedom and rights, and I hope their grand-daughter, Emma C. Bowles, has too noble a heart to let one Scotch Tory Rob her.”
    Late in 1859, Emma would petition the court in La Crosse for a divorce from Ralph.  She entered into the court record a letter from Ralph mailed from Missouri in which he accuses her of infidelity, and states he should look her up and hang her, but on second thought,  said it would “. . . nasty up a perfectly good rope.” 
    The letter released her from the marriage and she then married Nelson Sharp in Prairie du Chien in 1861.  Other than the marriage record, no information has been found about Mr. Sharp.
    In 1863 Emma married DeWitt Clinton Van Sickle and they lived on a farm outside of Elkader, Iowa. The death of Nelson Sharp is noted on the marriage application.  By this time Emma was 39 and this was husband number seven.  Emma called DeWitt “Clinty,” and he died as a result of a runaway team of horses in McGregor in 1881.
    Emma’s second-to-last husband was Michael Stence, who was another Elkader farmer.  He was 70 and she 58.  They were married in Giard, just west of McGregor, by Rev. Kaste on Christmas Day of 1881.  No record of their life together has been found.  The WPA Cemetery Recording Project lists Michael as being buried in the Eastman Cemetery.
    As years passed, Emma would make journeys from her home in Clayton County to La Crosse to visit friends.  One newspaper story says that at age 72 she walked from McGregor to La Crosse, but was able to buy a ticket for the trip back due to the generosity of a friend.
    Emma’s last husband, Joseph A. Wilson, survived her, and although some written county history says he was seen driving away in an old wagon after her death, his name is listed by the WPA project as also being buried in the Eastman Cemetery.
    So, Emma, a colorful character in local history, had nine husbands. Reportedly, she annoyed some local people by saying she had tried to make it an even dozen.

Ron Harris, a native of Giard, is working on a biography of Virgin Em.

This image of McGregor is believed to have been snapped near the river after the flash flood of May, 1896.

The McGregor passenger depot, about 1890. The freight depot was in a separate building about a block away. Passenger service in McGregor was discontinued in about 1955.

This sketch by an unknown artist, shows McGregor in about 1870, the same time period as the photo at the top of the page.

Buttered up

Paul Pagel, butter maker for the Farmers’ Cooperative Creamery of McGregor, is shown with his trophy for the best butter award at the Waterloo Cattle Congress. The photo is undated.
Perhaps the Colgate company sponsored the trophy, as Paul seems to be featuring their Vel brand laundry detergent in this picture. The creamery’s Lotus brand butter was well regarded. The cooperative was organized in 1921, and the creamery was located near Triangle Park where the McGregor Landing Event Center is today. (Photo courtesy of Lucy Rodenberg)

Rodenberg
publishes new local history book

By Trudy Balcom

Lucy Rodenberg likes to have a project to work on.
    As most people in the community know, Rodenberg loves to study local history, and she loves to discover new stories about McGregor’s past.
    Last spring she began working on a new book of McGregor history. Rodenberg had previously published  a book called “Echoes of McGregor’s Past,” which focused primarily on the early settlement history and growth of the town in the 19th century.
    She knew that there were many stories about the more recent history of the town that needed to be saved and recorded, so she decided to focus the book on 20th century people and events, and up to 2008. Lucy noted that there are a few bit and pieces of 1800s history in the book. “But most of that is in ‘Echoes’,” she said.
   

The other focus her project was to draw in members of the community to share their stories. She ended up with more than 24 local contributors that shared information and photos.
    “People really got involved. I started out to make this a community thing, and it kind of worked out,” Lucy said with some satisfaction.
    The book offers a rich and encyclopedic variety of information including many stories, lists of town businesses in different eras, and a list of high school graduates from 1957 to 1965. There is also information on town physicians, churches and schools and historic homes and lots of names and faces.
    Topics include the Pullen Tobacco Farm, paving of the road between Marquette and McGregor, the McGregor Electronics factory, the Elk Boat Line and many more.
    Photos include portraits of many town residents and places and images of various floods and other events.
    The breadth of information included reflects Lucy’s wide-ranging curiosity. “It’s been a real learning experience for me,” she said.
    Her sources included oral accounts from residents, back issues of the North Iowa Times, and various documents  such as school yearbooks.
    

“To me, the most difficult thing was to try to keep things accurate,” Lucy explained, since she had to depend on people’s memories and written accounts which are sometimes contradictory.
    Rodenberg is grateful for all of the help she received from various people with the project. Carolyn Scott and Charlene Palucci assisted with editing, Toni Kann donated the cover artwork and Dave Kneer helped with scanning many of the photos. Jack Slyfield, Bud Jameson, Meda Weller and Bob Clark were some of her story and photo contributors.
    Copies of the book will be available during a special book signing to be held at Paper Moon Books on Feb. 28, from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m.
    Lucy is also selling the book herself, call her at 873-1676 to purchase a copy.
    Lucy says that although the book project was challenging at times, she is already thinking ahead to a possible second volume. She is still collecting stories, and she encourages older residents to contact her if they have information to share.

Postcard for McGregor Tavern turns up

Tim Mason of McGregor purchased this somewhat racy postcard at a local auction
 Does anyone know something about Gynny  & Hugo's Tavern? Contact the North Iowa Times.

Remembering the Larson House in Marquette

By Sally Scarff

When I heard they were going to tear the “Larson” house down, I thought ‘goodbye to the history of that neighborhood and no one will remember those good neighbors.’
    The house belonged to my mother and dad, Chuck and Toots Veit. Dad worked on the railroad as a brakeman and later a conducter, lived in  North McGregor (Marquette) his entire life. His dad was the roundhouse foreman.
    The park was my front yard and the street wasn’t called Edgar Street, it was just Back Alley. North Street was called Front Street.
    My front yard was where all kids would get together and play ball. Hitting over the tracks would be out! That was summer fun and so was rollerskating aound the block. The sidewalk went all the way around town and up to the Depot. The park was used for carnivals, people celebrations and family get-togethers. It was lined by bushes from the Milwaukee Women’s Club to the fountain at the beginning of the park.
    Our neighbors across Back Alley and some facing Front Street were: John and Maude Stuckey and son Jack, the Langlies, who built the grocery store and apartments and their daughter Marjorie, the Donahues and daughter Joanne, Lizzie Colnnell with Kenneth, Ethel, Mickey, Helen and Robert, Daisy and Sonny Dahmen with Richard and Mary Ann, who joined the Marines during the war--the Wingen’s Opera House, then the Sloans - Jim and Marie with children Frederick and Mary, Amelia Donahue, the blind lady across the street and mother of Ernet, Hannah and Minnie.

The Larson House on Edgar St. in Marquette has been acquired by the city and is scheduled to be demolished in spring 2009 to add space to the adjoining city park. (Photo by Lucy Dodge)

    Then the Gallaghers, Frank and Alice, sister and brother, who were Irish through and through. Alice always said she had a multitude of sins in her apron pocket! Mary Gallagher lived next door and later the house was sold to the Soullis. Emma and Shube Hunter- he was the town marshal and lost his arm in a railroad accident. Their children were Roy, who later became mayor, Leonard, who also was a marshall, Dorothy, Petey, Doris and Jenny. Petey would bring her two daughters to stay with Grandma Hunter and they became my best friends--Dorie and Marguerite.. Next was a vacant fenced-in lot owned by Pete Dahmen and where he raised chickens along the Back Alley. His house faced Front Street and later was owned by the Edgars. (Is that where Edgar Street got it’s name or from his brother Jay?) Nate Pixler lived in a little house on the alley. Next was the Connell house where Mae raised Kathryn after her mom died and Mickey, after an accident to his knee. Mae was the local school teacher having taught almost everyone in town. The house will probably  be called the Hinkel house as Kathryn Tayek Hinkel has lived there her entire life. Next  was Jay Edgar’s house with Shirley and Helen Mae.
    Going west of the Veit house along the alley were the Wackers--Leota and Heinie- the Ferrises, Ina and Cloyd, who took the toll on the suspension bridge, and the Hagensick house, where Leota’s mom and brother, Everett, lived.
    Those still around are Robert Connell and Kathryn Hinkel.
    My brother Charles and I attended Marquette Public School. He is 82 and lives in Milwaukee and I am 76 and live in McGregor.
    It was a wonderful place to live with so many caring people and will only be a memory when the house is gone.

Well of history

Recently, the City of McGregor has been faced with the task capping an old artesian well in the city park behind the library. The North Iowa Times thought it would be interesting to readers to remember some of the history of the well. This undated photo is courtesy of the McGregor Historical Museum.

 “The women of McGregor were eager to have an Artesian well with its health-promoting water like the one in Prairie du Chien. They began raising money with a "Ladies Festival." This led to the formation of the Artesian Well Co.  Money in the amount of $1,900 was raised. Drilling was started in March 1876, and after two attempts in two different locations, water was reached at a depth of 1,005 feet in December.
    On New Year's Day 1877, a large crowd assembled at the site in front of the Methodist Church to watch the various test of power and strength which claimed a 60-foot spout of water. In May 1951, the well was quietly put to rest under a tomb of cement. It had deteriorated until there was only a weak three foot spray and pipes and casing were said to be worn out.”
    From  the McGregor Historical Society Cookbook in the history section, written by Mae Huebsch.

The photo below was taken at a much later date.

Museum visitors
share their ties to McGregor

Submitted by
Reva Smock

Recently, the McGregor Historical Museum had some visitors who shared an interesting story of one of their ancestors. William Churchill Henshaw, his wife Carol and their grandson Dawson visited from Washington. Hen-shaw’s great-grandfather, Mr. William R. Kinnaird, was a prominent banker in McGregor at one time.

William Henshaw, his grandson Dawson and wife Carol presented the McGregor Historical Museum with a copy of Henshaw’s grandmother’s valedictory essay dated 1899.

    Kinnaird came from Kentucky to McGregor after finishing college and took a  position in his older brother’s bank. It was a private bank organized in 1856 by O.C. Lee and John Kinnaird. It was the first bank not only in McGregor, but in the county. The bank was hard hit during the panic of 1857 and was forced to close in 1861.
    After working in his brother’s bank, William Kinnaird accepted a position as a cashier in the McGregor branch of the State Bank of Iowa. In 1863 he became associated with the First National Bank of McGregor and remained with them until his death in 1913. Mr. Kinnaird’s business career extended over one-half of a century of McGregor history.
    He married Amy Lawrence of Decorah in 1870. They had four children.

Kate Clive Kinnaird

    Their youngest was Kate Clive Kinnaird born Sept. 5, 1881. They lived in a house near the Methodist Church. Later, they moved to the property in Walton Hallow which was once owned by H.H. Barnes, an early shoe dealer, but at that time was owned by James McKinley. They lived there until 1887, when they purchased the Bassett home on Kinney Street (also known as the Dull House). They were a very prominent family in the Congregational Church and in the social life of McGregor.
    Kate died  October 5, 1958.
    William’s grandmother was Kate Clive Kinnaird.
    The Henshaws presented the museum with Kate Kinnaird’s Graduation Essay and Valedictory dated June 22, 1899. The essay was entitled “ The Cultivation of Our Ideals.”
    Jean Peterson had gathered information on the Kinnaird family  for the Henshaws and in return they gave the Museum a nice donation along with the original essay document.

Start of classes brings back
memories for former one-room school teacher

By Lucy Rodenberg

    The opening of a new  school year brings back many memories for former McGregor teacher, 92 year-old Evelyn Wild-Dresselhaus.
    Evelyn taught school for 46 years, 18 of which were in McGregor with the remaining in Allamakee and Clayton Counties where she taught in one-room rural schools.
     Evelyn Regan was born July 31, 1916, in Allamakee County. When she was two, her family moved to rural Waukon.
    She worked toward her teaching certificate while she was a junior and senior by including Normal Training along with her other classes. She received her certificate and diploma in 1934. After teaching for some time she went to Upper Iowa University at Fayette to receive a B.A. in Elementary Education and a minor in history and art.
    Evelyn remembers that of her 100 classmates, only a small portion took the Normal Training with others taking the College Entrance and Commercial training.
    She feels that being raised in a rural school influenced her interest in teaching and says that she “always wanted to teach and to be a successful teacher.”
    Memories brought back to her are those of how her first class in a rural school held only seven students, most of whom she was related to. At one time she taught her sister, Mary, in eighth grade and also her daughter, Eileen, when she began school. Evelyn chuckles when she tells of how she brought the primer out to start teaching Eileen to read and was thoroughly surprised when her daughter was able to read the whole book, having learned reading from the other kids.
    “Kids then came to school anxious to learn, not like today's students that take it for granted,” Evelyn stated.  She recalls how excited they’d be when she'd bring a shopping bag full of books. “They went after the books like they were candy.,” she said.
    She stated firmly that she believed that “all students should appear on stage and every student at the Christmas programs had a part, especially the shyer ones which helped them gain more confidence.”
    One of her favorite stories is how one of her sixth grade students won the eighth grade Allamakee County Spelling Contest and then went on the State Spelling Bee.
    They traveled to Des Moines for this and it was the first time Evelyn had been there. She also says that every eighth grade student she had, was on the honor roll and had perfect attendance.
    Evelyn married Keith Wild in 1941 and they moved to McGregor from the Waukon area in 1950.  Due to unsatisfactory employment, Keith left McGregor. Evelyn returned to teaching in McGregor where for a time she taught at the Swede Ridge and Sny Magill schools. During this time, changes were being made in education as to giving more help to students that needed it. She eventually got a position teaching fourth grade at the McGregor School and retired from this position after 18 years.
    Some time after retirement, Evelyn remarried George Dresselhaus and they traveled extensively, something they both greatly enjoyed. He died in 2005.
    Evelyn Dresselhaus has four children: Eileen (Carl) Olofson, Maurice (Marie) Wild, Bill Wild and Mel (Maureen) Wild. She has seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
    She is presently living at the McGregor Turner Pointe Assisted Living Center. She continues to be an avid reader,  and enjoys visiting with the other residents.

Letter brings back fond memories
of ‘ The Old Swimming Hole’

By Lucy Rodenberg

A letter written to Morris Corlett of McGregor in 1965 from former McGregor resident Gordon Lord, has brought back many fond memories of McGregor’s old swimming hole at Sny McGill to Linda (Cowell) Kettlelkamp, and others who enjoyed fun afternoons with Lord as they were taught to swim.
    Many residents will recall that Gordon Lord was a nationally recognized photographer and he once stated, ‘the Midwest is my model,’ according to a quote from the North Iowa Times years back.
    Lord, born in Normal, Illinois, was trained as a civil engineer at Peoria. After he left school in 1932 he hitchhiked to Bayfield County, Wisconsin. There he fished and practiced his craft of photography, something he’d always been interested in.
    At first, he took what employment he could find, including being a steel worker, hotel night clerk, cannery foreman, employee of the U. S. Forest Service and a surveyor along the Illinois River for the government.  In 1940 he was transferred to Honolulu, then later to Tennessee where his photography career became a serious part of his life.
    Gordon Lord traveled all over and won several awards for his pictures some of  which featured our area in national magazines and newspapers.
   

Featured is Monona resident Linda (Cowell) Kettlekamp, formerly of McGregor, wading in Sny Magill Creek. The photo was taken by renowned photographer and local swim instructor, Gordon Lord.

Gordon at first visited McGregor during the summer time, then wintered in Florida. After several years of this, he and his mother made their home in McGregor, returning to Florida upon his retirement to live.
    McGregor had no swimming pool and because he always appreciated kids, Gordon decided to offer a swimming program for the kids.
    For years, Gordon took his afternoons off from his work and transported the younger kids one day and the older ones the next to the swimming hole. A former student of Gordon’s, who was one of his high school assistants in teaching the kids to swim, was Linda (Cowell) Kettlelkamp.
    Linda says she remembers Gordon as one of the kindest people she’s known.  
    The kids went to Bloody Run for three years, then to Sny McGill, or ‘Slimy Gill,’ called by some.  They were told to ‘hang your clothes on a hickory limb’ at first with the boys going to one side of the creek and the girls on the other side of the dense woods.  Later, some dressing rooms were provided. At first, he used his Jeep to transport the kids. But when the number of children reached 13 or so, this was no longer adequate and the school contributed a bus for his use. One of the town’s clubs provided gas and oil and another fixed a sandy beach for the kids.
    He taught 425 kids to swim throughout the years, many of whom will remember the good old days at the old swimming hole.
    Linda was one of the many kids photographed by Gordon and her photograph appeared on the front page of the November issue of the Des Moines Register “Parade” section in 1967.  She also had the honor of being featured on McGregor historian Lena Meyer’s book jacket.  Linda says Gordon gave her an original clan MacGregor tartan plaid tie and skirt for the photo.
    Gordon’s kindness is shown in the following letter written to McGregor resident Morris Corlett, who received it 1965; written while Gordon was wintering in Florida. Though he wasn’t able to write to all his students, he did keep in touch with some. The following is part of the letter that Morris’ mother, Olga Corlett, has kept.

 Dear Morris:
     Thought I’d write you a letter this time for a change.  I’ll send you some more postcards when we start back home and stay in some new places you might like to hear about.  How’s the weather up your way, I see by the McGregor paper you have had to close school a few times because of snow or ice.  I suppose Sny Mcgill has been frozen over ever since we left for the south before Christmas.  Speaking of Christmas, I sure enjoyed getting that nice Christmas card from you and your brothers and sisters.  It reached me in New Orleans and I was tickled to see all those Corlett names at the bottom. I know lots of families that have one, two or three nice children, but I know of no other family that has nine nice children and I really should say very nice! As long as you live nearby and Mama can bring you all along you will all gradually get in on the act, anyway, and even if you should move somewhere else, (I hope not) you could then ride the bus after you reached first grade at least.
     I might be able to save Mama a few trips to the swim hole next summer because I’m thinking about changing bus routes. I think that on every other trip I’ll come out Swede Ridge past the Nadings and Kluths and down the hollow to and from the swim hole.  You kids could then get on the bus at the corner where they dug the rock out, where your road joins the Eggen Hollow road. This would only be every other day, and then if Mama still wanted to make the long trip all the way, she could every other day. The other trips will be made straight out Walton hollow up the hill across Moody Ridge and down past Voshells to the gill.  All the children such as Larsons, Ruffs, etc. would ride that day regardless of age.
    Another change is to have everyone arrive in their swimsuits and leave that way; an extra towel could be brought to sit on the seat and to keep their seats. On the day it is your turn Morris, to ride the bus I’ll save you a back seat where you can leave your leg and no one will even walk by it or think anything about it-ok? 
    Be sure to show this to your folks, Kathy, Mina and Calvin at least, and tell them and Blaine, Matt, Neil, Karl and Andy I said, ‘Hi, and I’m looking forward to seeing them all again next summer.’ 
    Your friend, Gordon
    Though Gordon Lord has passed on, the kindness he showed his swimming students will be remembered by many. Others will recall a deep sense of appreciation of our area’s beauty as portrayed in his scenic photography that has been preserved for years to come.

Woman in photo identified

"The lady in the picture is my great grandmother Edith Hariett Moody. She was born August 30, 1896 on Moody Ridge in McGregor. She was the daughter of Charles and Ruth (Moore) Moody. She married Elmer Weller August 30, 1914 which was his and her birthday also. They had three daughters Agnes Corlett, Irene Kelsey, and Ruth Bradley. Later in life she married Cy McCauley. She was the first person in the state of Iowa to get her Beautician License. I am her great-granddaughter, Heather Silvers, from Mount Hope, Wis. I grew up in McGregor and lived with my great-grandmother Edith until I was 18.”

 Methodist Church tower
has been through several renovations

By Lucy Dodge

 McGregor’s United Methodist Church, now known as the Living Faith United Methodist Church, has seen about 135 years of time pass while providing a place to worship for area residents.
    When it was completed in 1873, the two-towered church was patterned after the Centenary Church of Chicago and was considered one of the finest churches in northeast Iowa. The stately brick building, five years in the making, was graced with a style called ‘Romanesque,’ somewhat modernized in some respects. Its tower windows were an attraction capped with arches of neat white brick.
    One of the most impressive attributes of the church was the spire on the main tower that originally rose 25 feet above the tower, or 151 feet from the ground. Prairie du Chien and those on McGregor’s riverfront had a wonderful view of this spire that was destroyed by lightning in 1883. The steeple was split and shattered and the damage was so bad that the spire had to be taken down and the tower finished to match the other tower.
  

This photo of the Methodist Church, McGregor, shows a clock that is no longer watching time pass by. Before the clock a tall spire once capped the top of one of the towers. (Postcard photo courtesy of Bob Clark)

 According to records, it was quite a job to remove the spire and the head carpenter, S. S. Steele, had to send away for workers. To get the job done, skids were built from the top of the tower over to the hill across the street. Ropes, pulleys and rollers were used to slide the demolished spire along with soft soap used for lubrication. But before the spire reached the ground, it fell off the apparatus and crashed to the street into innumerable pieces.
    Records do not show exactly when the clock featured in this photo was removed, but it’s believed it was removed in the mid-1960s.
    Some interior remodeling has been done throughout the years to the building, but it still emits an aura of ‘stateliness’ in its neatly arched windows and brick walls that have seen over a century of the town’s history pass by.

McGregor’s historic former home of J. D. Bickel was once called ‘The Minney Tourist Home’ many years ago. Present owner, Karla Vogel, has mixed feelings about the sale of the home because of the memories she and her late husband, Bob, shared, but feels it is time to downsize. (Photo courtesy of Bob Clark)

Vogel puts historic Bickel home on the market

By Lucy Dodge

 The well-known historic twelve room home of the late Bob Vogel and Karla Vogel, McGregor, is ending a chapter. Those driving by the home across from McGregor’s Cannon Park will now see a ‘For Sale’ sign in the yard.
    This same yard was once photographed filled with neighborhood children and a herd of goats! J.D. Bickel built the home over a century ago. One of McGregor’s most enterprising businessmen, Bickel was responsible for the J. D. Bickel Produce Company, beleived to be the largest produce dealer in our area. He also owned the Bickel Meat and Grocery and the Bickel Baking Company with as many as 200 bakery employees and many others in his other businesses.
    J. D. Bickel and his wife, Mary, had ten children and the home has four to six large bedrooms that accomodated their family, three of which died during a diphtheria epidemic that caused many other deaths in the area.
Included in the story of J. D. Bickel home, some older residents might recall the home when it was called ‘Minney’s Tourist Home,’ used somewhat like we think of a Bed and Breakfast today as it shown in the photo. (Area readers that have any information about the Minney Tourist Home are invited to share this by calling Lucy at 873-1676).

Carriage factory
was later the site of Clark Hospital

By Lucy Dodge

 Bits and pieces of McGregor’s history keep coming to light after being hidden away for years. One of these is the story about the former Clark Hospital that was at the corner of Main and 5th Street in McGregor.
    Before this site held the hospital, it was the Carriage andManufacturing Company.  G. Hawley and Son began to make carriages in the factory that was built in March of 1871. Charles Fessman, a skilled workman from Germany, was the foreman and he with other craftsmen who worked at the five forges in the factory made the Hawley sleighs and carriages famous.  One sleigh won first prize at the Centennial Exposition in Philadelphia in 1876.
    Fessman’s work is honored at the McGregor Historical Museum that features items he made for his children.
    Amos Pearsall, who came to McGregor in 1856 and operated a livery stable until 1871, was a member of the Hawley firm for nine years and in 1880 purchased the factory. He took his younger son, Charles A., into partnership with him and retained Fessman in his employ.
     It is not known exactly when the carriage works closed, but records show that  Dr. Henry Clark  and his daughter, Dr. Mae Clark were responsible for building the Clark Hospital at the site in 1902. They were instrumental in operating the hospital for many years, until their retirement. Then it became the McGregor Community Hospital. Due to changing state requirements and its economic circumstances, the hospital was closed and sold in 1968 by the McGregor Community Hospital board to Charles E. Starkey and his wife and a Miss Edith Abbott of Brandon, Iowa.
    The building then became ‘The Golden Age Custodial Home # 2’. Starkey and Abbott were operating another Golden Age home in Brandon. The Home housed indigent elderly (funded by the state and county) who needed no nursing care.
    Due to the contining deterioration of the buildings and more government requirements, the old carriage factory was razed January, 1975. The former factory and hospital site is now the site of the Carriage Apartment Building