![FDClockTower-Cutout[3325].png](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/0d4607_6da264acdddc4b12a964a083b60a72b5~mv2.png/v1/fill/w_131,h_206,al_c,q_85,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/FDClockTower-Cutout%5B3325%5D.png)
OUR BEGINNINGS
HISTORY
1940-1950
Fort Dodge and the Second World War
After the December 7, 1941, Japanese attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, the U.S. was thrust into World War II (1939-45), and everyday life across the country was dramatically altered. Food, gas and clothing were rationed. Communities conducted scrap metal drives. To help build the armaments necessary to win the war, women found employment as electricians, welders and riveters in defense plants. Japanese Americans had their rights as citizens stripped from them. People in the U.S. grew increasingly dependent on radio reports for news of the fighting overseas. And, while popular entertainment served to demonize the nation’s enemies, it also was viewed as an escapist outlet that allowed Americans brief respites from war worries.
The Task of Winning the War
On December 7, 1941, the U.S. was thrust into World War II when Japan launched a surprise attack on the American naval fleet at Pearl Harbor. The following day, America and Great Britain declared war on Japan. On December 10, Germany and Italy declared war on the U.S.
Did you know? During World War II, as an alternative to rationing, Americans planted “victory gardens,” in which they grew their own food. By 1945, some 20 million such gardens were in use and accounted for about 40 percent of all vegetables consumed in the U.S.
In the earliest days of America’s participation in the war, panic gripped the country. If the Japanese military could successfully attack Hawaii and inflict damage on the naval fleet and casualties among innocent civilians, many people wondered what was to prevent a similar assault on the U.S. mainland, particularly along the Pacific coast.
This fear of attack translated into a ready acceptance by a majority of Americans of the need to sacrifice in order to achieve victory. During the spring of 1942, a rationing program was establishe
d that set limits on the amount of gas, food and clothing consumers could purchase. Families were issued ration stamps that were used to buy their allotment of everything from meat, sugar, fat, butter, vegetables and fruit to gas, tires, clothing and fuel oil. The United States Office of War Information released posters in which Americans were urged to “Do with less–so they’ll have enough” (“they” referred to U.S. troops). Meanwhile, individuals and communities conducted drives for the collection of scrap metal, aluminum cans and rubber, all of which were recycled and used to produce armaments. Individuals purchased U.S. war bonds to help pay for the high cost of armed conflict.
The Role of the American Worker
From the outset of the war, it was clear that enormous quantities of airplanes, tanks, warships, rifles
and other armaments would be essential to beating America’s aggressors. U.S. workers played a vital role in the production of such war-related materials. Many of these workers were women. Indeed, with tens of thousands of American men joining the armed forces and heading into training and into battle, women began securing jobs as welders, electricians and riveters in defense plants. Until that time, such positions had been strictly for men only.
A woman who toiled in the defense industry came to be known as a “Rosie the Riveter.” The term was popularized in a song of the same name that in 1942 became a hit for bandleader Kay Kyser (1905-85). Soon afterward, Walter Pidgeon (1897-1984), a Hollywood leading man, traveled to the Willow Run aircraft plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan, to make a promotional film encouraging the sale of war bonds. One of the women employed at the factory, Rose Will Monroe (1920-97), was a riveter involved in the construction of B-24 and B-29 bombers. Monroe, a real-life Rosie the Riveter, was recruited to appear in Pidgeon’s film.
During the war years, the decrease in the availability of men in the work force also led to an upsurge in the number of women holding non-war-related factory jobs. By the mid-1940s, the percentage of women in the American work force had expanded from 25 percent to 36 percent.
Baseball and the Battlefield
In January 1942, Kenesaw Mountain Landis (1866-1944), the national commissioner of baseball, wrote a letter to President Roosevelt in which he asked if professional baseball should shut down for the duration of the war. In what came to be known as the “green light” letter, Roosevelt responded that professional baseball should continue operations, as it was good for the country’s collective morale and would serve as a needed diversion.
During the war, 95 percent of all professional baseball players who donned major league uniforms during the 1941 season were directly involved in the conflict. Future Hall of Famers Bob Feller (1918-), Hank Greenberg (1911-86), Joe DiMaggio (1914-99) and Ted Williams (1918-2002) exchanged their baseball jerseys for military fatigues. Feller, in fact, enlisted in the U.S. Navy one day after Pearl Harbor. Because baseball was depleted of so many able bodies, athletes who otherwise likely never would have made the big leagues won spots on rosters. One of the more notable was Pete Gray (1915-2002), a one-armed outfielder who appeared in 77 games for the St. Louis Browns in 1945.
Not all those who served in the military were superstars. Elmer Gedeon (1917-44), an outfielder who appeared in five games for the 1939 Washington Senators, and Harry O’Neill (1917-45), a catcher who played in one game for the 1939 Philadelphia Athletics, were the two big leaguers who died in combat. Over 120 minor leaguers also were killed. Other players overcame debilitating wartime injuries. One was Bert Shepard (1920-2008), a minor league pitcher turned air force fighter pilot. In 1944, Shepard’s right leg was amputated after he was shot down over Germany. The following year, he pitched three innings for the Washington Senators in a major league game.
The Movies Go to War
Throughout World War II, American moviegoers were treated to a steady stream of war-related programming. The movie-going experience included a newsreel, which lasted approximately 10 minutes and was loaded with images and accounts of recent battles, followed by an animated cartoon. While many of these cartoons were entertainingly escapist, some comically caricatured the enemy. Among these titles were “Japoteurs” (1942) featuring Superman, “Der Fuehrer’s Face” (1943)
starring Donald Duck, “Confessions of a Nutsy Spy” (1943) with Bugs Bunny, “Daffy the Commando” (1943) with Daffy Duck and “Tokyo Jokie-o” (1943). Documentaries such as the seven-part “Why We Fight” series, released between 1943 and 1945 and produced and directed by Academy Award-winning filmmaker Frank Capra (1897-1991), included Axis propaganda footage and emphasized the necessity of America’s involvement in the war, as well as the importance of Allied victory.
As for the main program, movie theaters showed non-war-related dramas, comedies, mysteries and Westerns; however, a significant segment of feature films dealt directly with the war. Scores of features spotlighted the trials of men in combat while demonizing the Nazis and Japanese who perpetuated the conflict. “Wake Island” (1942), “Guadalcanal Diary” (1943), “Bataan” (1943) and “Back to Bataan” (1945) were a few of the titles that centered on specific battles. “Nazi Agent” (1942), “Saboteur” (1942) and “They Came to Blow Up America” (1943) portrayed America’s enemies as spies and terrorists. “So Proudly We Hail!” (1943) and “Cry ‘Havoc'” (1943) recorded the heroics of women nurses and volunteers at faraway battlefronts. “Tender Comrade” (1943), “The Human Comedy” (1943) and “Since You Went Away” (1944) focused, respectively, on the trials of average American women, communities and families while exploring the very real fear that a loved one who went off to war might never return. The struggles of citizens in occupied countries were portrayed in such films as “Hangmen Also Die!” (1943) and “The Seventh Cross” (1944).
Meanwhile, some of Hollywood’s top stars joined the military. Many appeared in government-produced training films and morale-boosting short subjects. Others participated directly in the fighting. Clark Gable (1901-60), the beloved, Academy Award-winning actor, served as a tail-gunner with the U.S. Army Air Corps and flew combat missions over Germany. James Stewart (1908-97), another equally adored Oscar winner, had enlisted in the corps even before Pearl Harbor. He eventually became a B-24 combat pilot and commander and also flew missions over Germany.
Patriotic Music and Radio Reports from the Frontline
As the U.S. became immersed in the war, Americans listened to more patriotic or war-related music. Even before the country entered the war, such ditties as “The Last Time I Saw Paris,” which evoked nostalgia for a peaceful pre-war Paris, and “Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy,” which charted a young soldier’s military experiences, were extremely popular. Other songs with self-explanatory titles were “Praise the Lord and Pass the Ammunition,” “Comin’ In on a Wing and a Prayer” and “You’re a Sap, Mr. Jap.”
Radio was the primary source of news and entertainment for most American households during the war, and as the conflict progressed, people grew increasingly dependent on radio for updates on the fighting overseas. They were riveted by the frontline reports from such legendary journalists as Edward R. Murrow (1908-65). Meanwhile, big bands, most famously the orchestra headed by Glenn Miller (1904-44), and entertainers such as Bob Hope (1903-2003) performed before thousands at military bases. These programs were aired directly on the radio to listeners from Maine to California.
Dramatic radio programming increasingly featured war-related storylines. One of the most jarring was “Untitled” (1944), a production penned by writer Norman Corwin (1910-) and broadcast on the CBS radio network. “Untitled” traced the story of Hank Peters, a fictional American soldier who was killed in combat.
Sources:
WW 2 Museum
YouTube
Wikipedia
Smithsonian
Fort Dodge
1940-1950
The period between 1940 and 1950 was a period of great change in Fort Dodge. Leaving the devastation of the Great Depression behind, residents were begin to return to a sense of normalcy. However, the onset of the Nazi invasions in Europe soon brought the world to its feet, including people in Fort Dodge.
During the 1940’s, 9% of the U.S. population served in the U.S. armed forces. This greatly changed the complexion of the home front: many men went to war, women served as nurses, WAC’s (Women’s Army Corps), WAVES (Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Service) and “Rosie the Riveter” (a cultural icon of World War II, representing the women who worked in factories and shipyards during World War II, many of whom produced munitions and war supplies at home). By 1945, one out of four married women was in the workforce and nearly 37% of the entire U.S. workforce was made up of women. Locally, it is estimated that approximately 2,000 Fort Dodge residents served in the Armed Force during World War II. Ninety seven Webster County residents lost their lives in WW II.
Fort Dodge served as a recruitment center for WAC’s. This office, located in The State Bank Building, served as an information and testing center for eighteen Iowa Counties. Interested women were given a “Mental Alertness Test” and if they passed that test, the women were sent to Des Moines for a physical exam. If they passed the physical exam, they were enrolled in active duty where they assumed responsibilities that were previously held by men so that the men could go into combat.
During WWII, Fort Dodge was still very much a rural community. In 1940, 85% of Iowa was farmland; the average farm was 160 acres. Farming was returning to profitability following the devastating Depression years. Farmers raised livestock and grain (mainly corn). 66% of Iowa’s farms had telephones and 40% had electricity. These rates were the highest in the United States at that time, but despite these amenities, farming was still a difficult and demanding life. Farmers were using a combination of horses and tractors but mechanization was quickly gaining popularity.
The use of tractors led to other new developments: use of oil and fuel to run the machines and new buildings in which to house the tractors in order to protect the tractor from the elements. These new buildings were made of durable material and were less fire – prone. Many were made of steel and were termite and pest resistant; different types of tires were needed (as opposed a horse drawn plow). Iowa began using hybrid seed corn, increasing yield and quality. Farming was becoming more a business than a way of life.
Iowans were divided about possible involvement in WWII. In 1941, many young men were required to register for the draft. Farmers were called upon to grow the food to feed the troops and were often given deferments. Additional tractors and equipment were being used for farming – fewer horses were being used, which helped increase the acreage for crop and livestock production (since the horses weren’t using the land for grazing. Farmers also turned to machinery to help with farming due to labor shortages during WWI when so many young men were enlisted as the war wore on. Migrants began working on Iowa farms; many “townspeople”, including women and civic groups, often helped with farm work.
When WWII ended and the veterans returned home, they were greatly relieved to have survived and were grateful to be back at home. Many took advantage of the GI Bill. The GI Bill established hospitals, made low-interest mortgages available and granted stipends covering tuition and expenses for veterans attending college or trade schools. From 1944 to 1949, nearly 9 million veterans received close to $4 billion from the bill’s unemployment compensation program.
Many veterans also got married and started families. Fort Dodge’s population grew from 22,904 in 1940 to 25,115 in1950. The number of homes in Fort Dodge increased from 4,286 before 1940 to 5,358 in 1950 – a 28% increase. Vets were building families, homes and strengthening the community.
Many veterans were able to attend college or trade school, something many wouldn’t have been able to do without the help of the GI Bill. Education and families were priorities. This, “The Greatest Generation”, as it became known in newscaster and author Tom Brokaw’s book, was known for duty, honor, country, flag, family, church, faith, loyalty, self-sacrifice, purpose, modesty, responsibility. They did “the right thing” because that was what they were supposed to do. Not for recognition or glory, but because it was the right thing to do. And Fort Dodge grew and thrived because of this generation.
Tract Housing was built – often using leftover materials from WW II. Houses were built in the northeast and west sections of Fort Dodge, as well as other locations throughout the community. Ranch style and split level homes seemed to be the most popular and economical to build. Tract housing could be built quickly and efficiently, using similar designs and materials. Over these years, these homes, once almost identical, have developed their own personalities and facades.
Fort Dodge’s industries began to flourish: meatpacking, food production and local natural resources (gypsum, coal, gravel) industries also grew. Many of these products were in high demand. The location of Fort Dodge, which was at the crossroads of many railroads, was ideal for shipping both raw materials and finished goods.
Many babies were born to WW II veterans and their spouses, thus, the beginning of the “Baby Boomer” generation, those children born between 1946 and 1964 – seventy six million were born between these years, creating a huge demand for housing, furniture, food and everything else it took to raise a family.
Radio stations served as very important communication tools for Fort Dodge. During WW II, local attorney and broadcaster Ed Breen published “Your Letter From Home”, a newsletter that told what was happening with local service men and women. Following the war, Ed Breen’s radio station, KVFD, was well-known for its news and entertainment.
This also created a need for additional schools in Fort Dodge. Between 1952-and 1958, the following schools were built to handle the increased student populations that began immediately following WW II in Fort Dodge
1952: Highland Park School
1952: Corpus Christi Grade School
1952: Holy Rosary School
1955: St. Edmond School
1956: Hillcrest School
1956: Cooper School
1958: New High School
Fort Dodge also had a number of theaters: Theaters, all on Central Avenue: Dodge Theatre, 1018 Central Ave; Iowa Theatre, 605 Central Ave; Park Theatre, 524 Central avenue, Rialto Theatre, 604 Central Avenue, Strand Theatre, 912 Central Avenue and the Drive-In Theatre, “RFD” (Rural Free Delivery” (Rural Free Delivery is a service that began in the United States in the late 19th century to deliver mail directly to rural farm families. The rural delivery service has used a network of rural routes traveled by carriers to deliver mail to and pick it up from roadside mailboxes). People began having disposable income and the wherewithal to go to movies and concerts. The community also enjoyed many events at the Oleson Park Band Shell, a W.P.A. project that was completed in 1939.
The end of the decade was full of optimism, growth and industriousness. Leaving the difficulties of the war years behind them, Fort Dodge residents looked to the future with hope, a strong work ethic and hope.
Following the end of World War II, downtown Fort Dodge flourished and was a hustling-bustling place with robust economic activity. During the period between 1946 to 1949, there were 402 businesses, organizations, doctors and dentists located in downtown Fort Dodge (between 1st Avenue North, Central Avenue, and 1st Ave South - from 15th Street on the east end to the Des Moines River on the west end).
Here are the number of businesses in each category:
Women's Clothing Stores (20)
Men's Clothing Stores (9)
Department Stores (11)
Cafes/Eating Establishments (37)
Shoe Stores/Shoe Repair (13)
Movie Theaters (5)
Furniture Stores/Furniture Repair (9)
Drug Stores (10)
Hardware Stores (5)
Barber/Beauty Shops (18)
Taverns/Bars/Entertainment (9)
Hotels (9)
Grocery Stores (34)
Jewelry Stores (3)
Appliance Stores (9)
Gift Shops/Confectioners/Cigars (15)
Retail/Photography/Other (24)
Industry (29)
Transportation (15)
Insurance and Real Estate (39)
Organizations and Services (46)
Churches (2)
Veterinarians (2)
Lawyers (27)
Medical/Dental/Opticians (45)
Here is the list of businessess:
Women's Clothing (20)
Ames Apparel Co
Ames Millinery
Beenar's Women's Clothing
Colonial Shop
Cownie Furs
Dottie Dunn Millinery
Fantle's
Hollywood Style Shoppe
JC Petersen
Lilyan's Mode
Malloy Hat Shop
Miller Wohl Women's Apparel
Mode O'Day
O'Connor Millinery
O'Day Frock Shop
Peoples Clothing
Reo C. Green Rug Dealer
Sperry Furs
Three Sisters
Tru-Value Dress Shop
Men's Clothing Stores (9)
Charles A Brown
Fantle's Boys' Shop
Harry Tuel, Tailor
JC Peterson
Larson Clothing
Model Clothing
New Leader
People's Clothing
Walrod's Men's Store
Department Stores (11)
Boston Store
Fantle's
Gambles
JC Penney
Kresge's
McClellan's
Montgomery Ward (Catalog, too)
Sears Roebuck and Co
Turk Mercantile co
Woolworth's
Younkers
Cafes/Eating Establishments (37)
Bennie Salvatore
Bob's Burgers
Butterfly Café
Carl's Hamburger Shop
Chas Hartung Café
Constance Hockert Restaurant
Edwin Davisson Restaurant
Ethel's Clausen's
George Smith's
Gust Katsoulis's Café
Guy Boswell
Harriett Malvey's
Henry Heesch
Joseph Simone's
K Coffee Shop and Restaurant
Kermit Taylor Restaurant
Lester Treloar
Mae's Coffee Shop
Maid-Rite Sandwich Shop
Maywood Restaurant
Michael Mori's
Milo Hlavacek Restaurant
Nelson Argus Root Beer
New Club Café
New Goody Shop Café
Norman Grimes
Oasis Café
OK Coffee Shop
Pop's Lunch
Royal 400 Restaurant
Schrader's Steak House
Sonny's Grill
Stephan Valissiades
The Interstate Company
Tierney's Café
Warden Hotel Coffee Shop
Wimpy's Place Restaurant
Shoe Stores/Shoe Repair (13)
Boston Shoe Repair
Essig and DeFoe Shoe Repair
Harry Wilson Shoe Shine
James Scott Shoe Repair
Kinney Shoes
Ragner Johnson Shoe Repair
Sami Hayes Shoe Shiner
Schill Shoe Company
The Bootery
Tradehome Shoe Store
Wahkonsa Shoe Shop and Repairs
Walker Shoe Company
Welch Brothers Shoe Co.
Movie Theaters (5)
Dodge Theatre
Iowa Theatre
Park Theatre
Rialto Theatre
Strand Theatre
Furniture Stores/Furniture Repair (9)
Bender Furniture
FD Furniture Mart
Gambles Dept Store
Home Furniture Company
Landry Furniture Repair
McKinney Furniture Repair
McQuilkin Furniture/Rugs/Drapes
Munn Furniture
Richardson Furniture
Drug Stores (10)
Bohan Pharmacy
Clinic Pharmacy
Dick Brothers Walgreen Agency
Ford Hopkins Com
George Gellman Pharmacist
Hine Thome Drug Co
Iowa Medical Supply
O'Connell Bros Drug Store
Oleson Drug Co
Wiewel Drug Store
Hardware Stores (5)
Bickford Johnson Hardware
Gambles Dept Store
Leighton Supply
Sears Roebuck
Thiede Mueller Hardware
Barber/Beauty Shops (18)
Alonzo Bradley
Arcade Beauty Shop
Benjamen Bugg Barber
Carl Dillman, Barber
Carl Michaels, Barber
Cecelia's Beauty Shop
Ester Ryerson Beauty
FD Beauty Academy
Field Beauty Salon
Johanna Hanrahan Beauty Shop
John Sandeline Barber
O'Hern Beauty Shop
Powder Puff Beauty Parlor
Rose Beauty Shop
Vivian Anderson Beauty Shop
Wahkonsa Beauty Shop
Wm Rowland, Barber
Youth Beauty Salon
Taverns/Bars/Entertainment (9)
FD Beer Garden
FD Recreation Parlor
Frost Bowling Alley
Habhab Tavern
Hotel Eilers Tap Room
Leonard's Tavern
Royal 400 Nite Club
Stiles Beer Equipment and Service
The Brass Rail
Hotels (9)
Central Hotel
Cornbelt Hotel
Eilers Hotel
Logan Hotel
New Crawford Hotel
Tremont Hotel
Wahkonsa Hotel
Warden Apt/Hotel
Grocery Stores (34)
Andersen's Food Market
Andy Johnston Grocery
Big Three Market
Brown Grocery
Consumers Market
Edward Zemke Grocery
Fareway Stores
Fort Dodge Creamery
Frank Kennedy Grocery
Gold Bar Dairy and Grocery
Great Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company
Harry's Market
Horace Robinson Grocery
Hutchinson Grocery
Jeffries Grocery
John Anderson's Grocery
Kleber Grocery and Bakery
Martin Armato Grocery
National Foods
Pappas Fruit Market
Porter's Poultry Place
Raymond Hilton Market
Red Arrow Food Center
Royal 400 Food Store
S&O Supermarkets
Saigh's Groceteria Market
Scandia Bake Shop
Steph Messa Grocery
Sturdevant Meat Market
Sunbeam Dairy
Thompson Dairy Store
Uncle John's Grocery
Vito Amanzio Grocery
Wholesale Fruit Exchange
Jewelry Stores (3)
Kirkberg Jewelers
Olson Jewelry Store
Wicker Jewelers
Appliance Stores (9)
Central Appliance Store
Essinger Electric
FD Appliance Co
FD Maytag
Iowa Illinois Gas and Electric
Modern Appliance
Swaney Home Appliance
Thiede Mueller Hardware Co
Walker Appliance
Gift Shops/Confectioners/Cigars (15)
Art Kruckman Cigar Co
Constantine's Confectionery
Dodge Confections
Donly's Cigar Store
Dutch Mill Confectioner
Flower Flavor Gift Shop
Goldie Hoffman Gift Shop
Iowa Sweet Shop
Louis Luggage Shop
Mary Stevens'
Nugent's Gift and Beauty Shop
Roy Owen Candies
Snell Cigar Shop
Strand Sweet Shop
Wahkonsa Cigar Stand
Retail/Photography/Other (24)
Baldwin Studio Photography
Bergman Photos
Bergman Photos
Central App
Collins Beier Paints
Cook Paint and Varnish
Dick Bros. Walgreen Drug Store
Don Peterson Photos
FD Appliance
FD Upholstering Company
Hogans Sporting Goods
Hoover Sales & Vacuum Cleaners
Jahns Upholstering Shop
Kautzky Sporting Goods
King Music Company
MidBell Music
National Farm Loan Associations
Ruth King Music Shoppe
Singer Sewing Machine Co
Smith Photo Center
The State Bank
Tiny Tots Toggery
Wretman's Toy Town
Zakeer Auto and Home Supply
Industry (29)
Adams Agricultural Implements
Brown Supply
Cargill
Clagg Hide and Fur Co.
Dr. Pepper Bottling
East Side Lumber Company
Edwin Bowles Grain
Essingler Electric
Farmers Coop Grain and Coal Co
FD Feed Company
Firestone Retread Shops
Fort Dodge Grocery Company
Fort Dodge Iron and Metal
Fort Dodge Roofing
Hagen food Brokers
Horn Brothers Mfg.
Iowa Farm Management
J&B Machine Work
Lehigh Sewer and Tile
Loots Supply and Roofing
Midwest Grain Company
Quaker Oats Co.
Rabiner Feeds
Sundberg Implement
Tobin Meat Packing
United Packing House
Vincent Clay Products
Walker Appliance
Webster County Lumber Store/Coal/Hardware
Transportation (15)
Algona Bus Line
Chicago Great Western Railroad Station
City Cab
Corn Huskers Bus Line
Firestone Stores
Fort Dodge Transportation Company
Illinois Central RR Depot
Kelsey Burtis Filling Station
Liberty Cab Company
M&S Railroad
Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad Station
Royal Oil Filling Station
Union Freightways Garage
Walker Motor Co
Yellow Cab
Insurance and Real Estate (39)
30 Real Estate Offices
A.R. Loomis Real Estate
Aetna Life Ins.
American Mutual Life Ins.
Bankers Life Ins.
Barton and Crowl Insurance
Butler & Rhodes Abstracts
Central Life Insurance Co
Clayton Meyers Real Estate
Codner Realty
Dilocker & Son Real Estate
Durian Ins. Agency
Edward Trost Ins.
Equitable Life Insurance (farm loan dept)
Farmers and Bankers Life Insurance
Farmers Mutual Fire Ins. Assoc
FD Title and Investment Co
Glen Southwick Real Estate
Hawkeye Mutual Hail Ins. Assoc
Henry Luebke Real Estate
John Hackett Real Estate
John O'Connor Insurance
Kelley Insurance Co.
Lauderdale Co. Insurance
Lincoln Nat'l Insurance
McTigue Bros. Insurance
Mulholland Realty
Mulroney Ins. Co
National Fidelity Life Insurance
Nelson Realty
New York Life Ins
Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance
Olaff Larson Insurance
Penn Mutual Life Ins. Co
Prudential Insurance
Underwriters Adjusting Co.
Webster County Abstract
Webster County Farm Bureau
Willis Rich Agency (real estate)
Organizations and Services (46)
Am Federation of Labor
American Red Cross
Bureau of Animal Industry (Div. Virus Serum Control)
Campfire Girls
Carpenters Union/Hall
Christian Science Reading Room
City Assessor
Coast to Coast Store (Auto Accessories)
County Engineer, Treasurer, Supervisors, Auditor, Clerk
County Insanity Commission
County Jail
County Motor Vehicle Dept
County Recorder
County Sheriff
County Supt of Schools
Court House
Earl May Seed Company
FD Lodge
FD Tobin Business College
FD Typographical Union
Fort Dodge Seed Store
International Harvester
Internat'l Brotherhood of Teamsters and Chauffeurs
Iowa District Health Service
Iowa State Dairy Assoc.
IRS
Italian Mutual Society
Jewish Community Center
Junior Chamber of Commerce Boxing Center
Modern Display Service (Signs)
Moose Hall
Navy Recruiting Office
Northwestern Bell Telephone
Post Office
Preferred Beer
Probation Office, District Court
Public Health Nursing Services
Salvation Army
Sharp Needle Service
Social Security Office
Soldiers Relief Commission
United Spanish War Veterans
US Selective Service
US Soil Conservation Office
VFW
Western Union Telegram
Churches (2)
Coppin Chapel African Methodist Church
Jehovah's Witness Kingdom Hall
Medical/ Dental/Opticians (45)
Albert Archer, MD
Albert Kinne, Dentist
American Optical
Arentz Ericson, Dentist
Carolyn Barker, Osteopath
Chas Baker, MD
Chas Moe, Optometrist
Chase Sumner, MD
Claude Friedrich, Optometrist
Clement Hughes, Dentist
Cloyde Eatinger, Chiropractor
Elton Hoover, Dentist
Emerson Dawson, MD
Ernest Kersten, MD
Ernest VanPatten, Osteopath
FD Dental Laboratory
Frank Larsen, MD
Fred Klepper, Dentist
Geo Sayles, Dentist
Hal Clough, Dentist
Harold Larson, MD
Harry Framptom, Dentist
Henry Heilman, Optician
Hewett Hines, Dentist
Iowa Medical Supply Drugs
Irish Green and Hand Dentist
John Schrader, MD
Jos Magennis, Dentist
Jos Weyer, MD
Kasemer, Dentist
Leon Smith, Dentist
LeRoy Larson, Dentist
Lloyd Titsworth, Dentist
Loran Martin, MD
Mills Neslund Dental Lab
Otto Glesne, MD
Paul Maggio, Dentist
Paul Otto, MD
Phil Dorr, Dentist
Reuben Bloomberg, Dentist
Reuben Mater, Chiropodist
Robt Mace, Optometrist
Robt Kruger, Dentist
Roger Minkel, MD
Veterinary (2)
Francis Ludgate
Kaderabek & Rhodes
Lawyers (27)
34 lawyers in 1946s
58 lawyers in 1951
Alan Loth
Austin Hogan, Attorney
Breen Breen and McCormick
Fred Grosenbaugh, Lawyer
Frederick Larrabee, Lawyer
Helsell Burnquist & Bradshaw Lawyers
Horace Melton
James Cross, Attorney
James I Dolliver
John Schaupp, Lawyer
Kelleher & Kelleher Lawyers
Kirchner & Kirchner Lawyers
Laith & Melton Lawyers
Loth and Melton
Maher and Mullen, Lawyers
Mitchell & Mitchell Attorneys
Paul McCarville, Lawyer
Phelan Karr & Kerr Lawyers
Reynolds Thomas, Lawyer
Richard Mitchell
Rider & Bastian
Robert Knudson, Lawyer
Stowe and Kramer, Lawyers
Thomas Healy, Lawyer
Wm Peters
Sources:
https://lib.dr.iastate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=13635&context=rtd
www.history.com
Wikipedia
The quality of healthcare improved vastly during the decade between 1940-1950. The onset of World War II brought new methods of treatment and medications to the civilian population. Probably the most important was the use of penicillin. Prior to WWII, its use was not prevalent, nor was it mass-produced.
The U.S. Government worked with scientists, both public and private, to produce massive quantities of penicillin prior to D-Day. The government knew there would be horrible wounds and wanted to be able to treat the soldiers as quickly and effectively as possible. The drug was used by the Allied Forces, saving many, many lives.
After the war, the civilian population, including those in Fort Dodge, was able to use penicillin (priority had been given to the armed forces during the war). Many lives were saved – prior to the use of penicillin, a minor scratch could have become infected and potentially cause the patient to die.
Other medical developments made during the 1940’s include the kidney dialysis machine and synthetic cortisone. Synthetic Cortisone, used for treatment of adrenocortical deficiency and treatment of conditions associated with inflammation. Corticosteroids are synthetic drugs that are used to treat a wide variety of disorders, including asthma, arthritis, skin conditions and autoimmune diseases.
Synthetic rubber was invented in the 1940’s – this led to the manufacture of rubber gloves, another way healthcare was improved because they provided improved sanitary methods for doctors and nurses.
In the 1940’s, there were two hospitals in Fort Dodge – Lutheran Hospital and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital. Lutheran Hospital opened in 1932 and St. Joseph Mercy Hospital open in 1909. After the World War II ended, hospital admissions increased dramatically and the demand for more hospital beds became a priority. In 1948, St. Joseph Mercy Hospital began construction on its third expansion, adding more beds and surgical space. The trustees of Lutheran Hospital also embarked on the planning for expanding its bed capacity to meet the growing need of the community.
After the war, many physicians established their practices in Fort Dodge. Many physicians had offices in the Physician’s Office Building (at the corner of 1st Avenue North and North 10th Street) and in the Carver Building (at the corner of Central Avenue and 10th Street). These physicians had “privileges” at both hospitals. Lutheran Hospital was a Protestant hospital and Mercy Hospital was a Catholic hospital.
Many of these physicians had accelerated medical school training and graduated early in order to serve in the armed forces. While in the armed forces, these physicians had many front line and varied experiences, treating all sorts of injuries, illnesses, infections and maladies. These experiences proved to be very valuable learning experiences because when they returned to Fort Dodge to practice, they had exceptional experience and critical decision-making skills, developed during their years in the armed forces.
Friendship Haven, a retirement community, opened in 1947, headed by director Rev. Clarence Tomkins, who served as director for 25 years. It was built on land from the Fort Dodge Betterment Foundation, a lead gift from Mrs. O.M. Oleson.
Shortly after the end of World War 2, there was a sudden surplus of hospital beds nationwide, and realizing that patients and families were not willing or able to use hospital services at the prices demanded, leaders of hospital associations and of medical associations, such as the American College of Surgeons, began to look for models of collective health care payment.
They remarked that European countries which had adopted government-funded health plans did not seem to have the same problem of surplus capacity. The apparent ability of European systems to coordinate supply and demand reinforced the belief of these American leaders that a similar plan would be desirable for the United States. But political opposition to a national health care system was strong, and the medical community itself was divided on this idea. State-level legislations were passed to allow pre-payment plans, such as Blue Cross and Blue Shield programs, to obtain non-profit, tax-exempt status and to offer insurance coverage without the reserve requirements imposed on commercial insurance companies.
With these successive legislations and rulings, commercial insurance entered the health care market more willingly and employers began to offer health insurance to employees on a very large scale. Between 1940 and 1950, the number of people with health insurance grew from less than 10 million to over 80 million Americans.
Beginning in the second half of this decade, the economy began to grow and health care utilization and costs increased at a rapid pace. Contributing to the rise in costs was the level of scientific and technological advances in medicine.
Sources:
Etsy