OUR BEGINNINGS

HISTORY
1940-1950

Downtown Fort Dodge Following World War II

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