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Industry
HISTORY
Fort Dodge Animal Laboratories
Fort Dodge Animal Health
Fort Dodge Serum
“The Labs”
Manufacturer of veterinary pharmaceuticals
Timeline:
1911 - Founded by Dr. D. E. Baughman in 1911 as the Ames Vaccine Company of Ames, Iowa.
1912 - The facilities were moved to Fort Dodge, Iowa in 1912 and renamed the Fort Dodge Serum Company, which began manufacturing hog cholera serum.
1932 - It underwent another name change in 1932, becoming the Fort Dodge Laboratories
1945 - It became a division of American Home Products in 1945, (which later became Wyeth), and became known as Fort Dodge Animal Health
1995 - Fort Dodge Animal Health moved its worldwide headquarters to Overland Park, Kansas, following the acquisition of the American Cyanamid Company and Syntex Animal Health
2002 - American Home Products’ (Fort Dodge Animal Health’s parent corporation) name was changed to Wyeth
2009 - Pfizer purchased Wyeth for $68 billion. To address unfair trade concerns in several markets, Pfizer divested different parts of the Fort Dodge Animal Health product portfolio to different companies in different markets. In the US, most of the canine, feline and bovine vaccines were acquired by Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (St. Joseph, Missouri).
2009 - Fort Dodge Animal Health/Wyeth began operating as Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. in Fort Dodge.
2015 - Argenta (a New Zealand – based company) purchased the Boehringer Ingelheim Riverside property and a manufacturing facility that was built by Fort Dodge Laboratories and was used by its successors, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Pfizer, Inc., and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. It became AML Riverside
2016 - AML Riverside began operations. This is a separate transaction from the Elanco 2017 purchase of Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica.
2017 - Elanco (an affiliate of Ely Lilly) purchased Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica.
The Fort Dodge Serum Company began in 1912. It was founded by Daniel E. Baughman, D.V.M.
Dr. Baughman researched vaccines to address hog cholera, which at that time, was one of the costliest diseases to Iowa’s economy. An anti-cholera serum was discovered by employees of the United States Department of Agriculture, Bureau of Animal Industry, in 1906. The process was patented by the government. Dr. Baughman bought the serum from the government and started injecting it in swine in Ames, Iowa, through a business he had established with a former employee of the Bureau of Animal Industry, Ames Vaccine Company. Within a year, he moved the business to Fort Dodge, where he renamed it Fort Dodge Serum Company and began manufacturing animal pharmaceuticals and vaccines.
Dr. Baughman very astutely hired individuals who were excellent scientists as well as individuals who knew how to work with the U.S. Government and its patenting process. He hired Dr. H. P. Lefler in 1919, formerly with the Department of Animal Industry, as the director of the production of hog cholera serum and virus. Due to the many biological and pharmaceutical products it had added to its production line, the company’s name was changed to Fort Dodge Laboratories in 1932. It became known to many as “The Labs”.
The business fell upon hard times during the Depression when farmers did not have the money to have their hogs vaccinated. But in 1938, the company had the good fortune to develop a vaccine for sleeping sickness in horses, a disease that was plaguing the draft horse population in Iowa and southern Minnesota. It was a virus that affected the brain of the horse, eventually causing it to die. This development secured the company’s future, but it marked the beginning of the end for the draft horse as farmers now had an excuse to buy their first tractor.
In 1945, Fort Dodge Laboratories was sold to American Home Products. During the 1930’s, Fort Dodge Laboratories had partnered with American Home Products to build a manufacturing facility in Spain. Dr. Baughman and a few other employees had spent time in Spain to oversee the construction of the plant. During this period, many employees of Fort Dodge Laboratories, from secretaries to scientists, were able to purchase stock in the company. This stock was eventually converted to American Home Products stock, and over time, the stock significantly increased in value enriching many employees.
Fort Dodge Laboratories began producing numerous veterinary medicines that were primarily used in the treatment of farm livestock and household pets. The company had a history of animal health “firsts”: the first canine Lyme disease vaccine, the first genetically cloned feline leukemia vaccine, the first feline ringworm vaccine and the first complete line of equine vaccines.
In 1995, Fort Dodge Animal Health established its worldwide headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas, following the acquisition of the American Cyanamid Company and Syntex Animal Health.
In 2002, Fort Dodge Animal Health’s parent corporation, American Home Products, changed its name to Wyeth.
In addition to the worldwide headquarters in Overland Park, Kansas, Fort Dodge Animal Health had global biological facilities in Fort Dodge, Iowa; Charles City, Iowa; Campinas, Brazil; Sligo, Ireland; Weesp, Netherlands; Olot, Spain; Glenorie, Australia; and Penrith, Australia.
Global pharmaceutical facilities were located in Fort Dodge, Iowa; Charles City, Iowa; Varela, Argentina; Olot, Spain; Catania, Italy; Bulsar, India; and Hsinchu, Taiwan until October 2009.
In 2005, Fort Dodge Laboratories developed the first DNA vaccine, the equine West Nile Disease vaccine. In collaboration with scientists at the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the CDC Directory Dr. Julie Gerberding said “This is truly an exciting innovation, and an incredible scientific breakthrough that has potential benefits far beyond preventing West Nile virus in horses. This science will allow for the development of safer and more effective human and animal vaccines more quickly.”
Traditional vaccines, such as those used to protect people from polio, measles or hepatitis, involve using a disease-producing virus that has been weakened or killed. The weakened or killed virus contained in the vaccine does not cause the illness but causes the body to develop immunity against the disease.
In contrast, DNA vaccines use carefully selected small pieces of the virus’s genetic material that stimulate the vaccine recipient’s body to develop protective immunity. This revolutionary process is what was used to produce Fort Dodge Animal Health’s Equine West Nile Disease vaccine. DNA vaccines present several advantages over traditional vaccine approaches. DNA vaccines offer a quick turnaround time during emerging epidemics—once a vaccine model is developed, it can be adapted relatively easily for similar organisms.
The CDC and Fort Dodge Animal Health conducted clinical studies to determine the safety and effectiveness of the new vaccine. These studies showed the vaccine protected the horses from the West Nile virus, with no adverse or major side effects. West Nile virus causes similar diseases in horses and humans. The DNA technology used to develop Equine West Nile Disease vaccine served as the foundation for a small human West Nile virus vaccine trial that was conducted through the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Other human vaccines, including the COVID 19 vaccines (both Pfizer and Moderna vaccines), used this DNA method to develop the COVID 19 vaccines quickly and effectively.
In 2009, Fort Dodge Animal Health/Wyeth began operating as Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. in Fort Dodge when Pfizer acquired Wyeth for $68 billion.
To address unfair trade concerns in several markets, Pfizer divested different parts of the Fort Dodge Animal Health product portfolio to different companies in different markets.
In the U.S., most of the canine, feline and bovine vaccines were acquired by Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica Inc. (St. Joseph, Missouri), an operating unit of the privately owned Boehringer-Ingelheim company.
In 2015, Boehringer Ingelheim sold the Riverside property to Argenta (a New Zealand – based company). The Riverside property is a manufacturing facility that was originally built by Fort Dodge Laboratories and was used by its successors, Fort Dodge Animal Health, Pfizer, Inc., and Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica, Inc. It became AML Riverside, located at 141 East Riverside Drive.
In 2017, Boehringer-Ingelheim Vetmedica sold the large Fort Dodge research and manufacturing plant
located at 800 5th Street N.W. to Elanco, an affiliate of Ely Lilly.
Leaders of Elanco Animal Health have reaffirmed their commitment to the Fort Dodge facility following the company’s acquisition of Bayer’s animal health business. That purchase prompted a thorough review of all the company’s plants and three of them were sold. But those executives found the Fort Dodge facility to be worth keeping, committing to retaining the 441 jobs currently at the plant. But they went further and pledged to create 26 additional jobs while investing $106 million there over the next six years.
The City of Fort Dodge, Webster County, Iowa Central Community College and other organizations worked together to support the endeavors of what was once Fort Dodge Animal Health and is now Elanco and AML Riverside. Local, state and federal grants helped support plant expansion projects. State training grants enabled Iowa Central Community College to provide training for the employees. Research and development for farm animals, household pets and veterinary services continue at Elanco in Fort Dodge. And, vaccines for dogs, cats, cattle and pigs continue to be manufactured in the Fort Dodge facility.
According to the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, in 2022, the two animal pharmaceutical plants, Elanco and AML Riverside, contribute more than 40 percent of Webster County's manufacturing gross regional product. Elanco employs over 400 people and AML Riverside has approximately 80 employees. Highly educated scientists and trained employees continue to develop vaccines and medications that keep the world’s animals healthier and safer.
With a solid foundation in place, the 1960s through 1980s marked decades of expansion and innovation. Elanco developed regional offices in the U.S., entered global markets, and grew its product portfolio to focus on both farm animal and pet health. Fast forward to today, with operations in 90 counties around the world and 17 dedicated research and development and manufacturing sites, including Fort Dodge, Elanco remains committed to efficiently delivering innovation that improves the health of animals, the people who care for them, and the planet we inhabit together.
Elanco is the second-largest independent animal health company in the world. Its corporate headquarters is located in Greenfield, Indiana. In 2020, Elanco made the decision to move its corporate headquarters to Indianapolis, Indiana and is building a new global headquarters in Indianapolis, Indiana. The new 220,000 square foot six-story office structure will be connected to innovation and collaboration buildings and will occupy 40 acres of land on the western edge of the White River, creating a greenspace-forward campus in downtown Indianapolis. Elanco expects to move into their new corporate center in 2025.
Sources:
The Fort Dodge Messenger
Pfizer
Wyeth
https://findingaids.lib.iastate.edu/spcl/manuscripts/MS019.html
Wikipedia
Elanco
Cdc.gov
Kenneth E. Baughman
Alpha E. Baughman
Lydia Somer Baughman,
Ethel Baughman Heater
D.A. Peterson, Dr. Baughman’s former assistant and company president from 1965-75,
Walter Stevens, Editor Emeritus of the Ft Dodge Messenger
Gypsum Mining in Fort Dodge
In 2020, according to the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance, gypsum mining employed approximately 360 people in Fort Dodge.
Gypsum is a valuable mineral found in the ground around Fort Dodge.
It was formed during the Jurassic Age (about 145 million years ago) and is comprised of Calcium Sulphate and water (CaSO4·2H2O).
Water from the Jurassic-age Sundance Sea passed over a low-lying barrier into the basin, where the mineral salts became concentrated by evaporation in the hot semi-tropical sun. When the brine became sufficiently concentrated, gypsum crystals formed and settled to the floor of the basin. The gypsum beds in Fort Dodge average over 95% pure gypsum and contain no anhydrite (a common alteration mineral contaminant.) The extent of the original depositional basin is unknown, but it was certainly larger than the 15 square miles of gypsum remaining today.[1]
The gypsum in the Fort Dodge area was buried for millions of years, first by erosion and later by glacier materials that were carried by the glacial ice that covered the region about 2.5 million years ago.
Gypsum was reported in the 1852 by geologist David Dale Owen. He believed it was the largest supply of gypsum west of the Appalachians, and possibly, the largest supply in the United States. It was mined by the early settlers to be used as building stone and, for centuries, by Native Americans who used the white pigment for decorating pottery, teepees, body paint and shields.
The first gypsum mill in Fort Dodge, Fort Dodge Plaster Mill, was built in 1872 by George Ringland,
Webb Vincent and Stillman T. Meservey. This mill mined the gypsum, ground it and prepared it for commercial use. This led to the creation of additional gypsum mining companies as well as other construction-related companies (roofing, mortar, plaster and flooring materials). Gypsum was especially useful due to its versatility and its fire-retardant properties. By 1902, seven gypsum mills were operating in the Fort Dodge area.
On July 1, 1903, the Fort Dodge Messenger reported that United States Gypsum had added electric lights to its Mineral City Mill and Mine, enabling it to operate continuously. Drilling was also now done using electricity, making it the most modern and best-equipped mill in the country at that time.
In the past, gypsum was mined from underground. A “Dodger” had to light the dynamite fuse and then “dodge” the explosion that opened the ground. Even though Fort Dodge was named after Henry Dodge, governor of the Wisconsin Territory, both residents and sport teams from Fort Dodge are known as ‘Dodgers”, a two-fold reference to different origins of the name in Fort Dodge.
Gypsum is currently extracted by stripping in open pits. After mining, the gypsum is processed into a variety of products, the most common of which are wallboard and plaster-of-Paris. To produce wallboard, the gypsum is "calcined," an industrial term for the process that includes the grinding of gypsum to a fine powder which is then heated for 2 to 3 hours.
During the heating process, the powdered gypsum goes through a complex series of temperatures (as high as 204°C) that drives off some of the water to produce a material called ß-hemihydrate. To manufacture the wallboard, the ß-hemihydrate is combined with water to form a slurry that is poured onto a continuous strip of special paper. As the slurry crystallizes, forming tiny interlocking needles of gypsum, a top layer of paper is added with rollers that insure the proper thickness. The wallboard then goes through heaters that expel excess water as the board solidifies. It is then cut to size and stacked for shipping. [2]
Gypsum has many other uses in addition to being used in the manufacture of wallboard/sheetrock.
Gypsum is added to soil to improve its workability, its receptiveness to moisture and to reduce the corrosive effect of alkalinity in the soil. It is often added to cloudy or turbid water (especially ponds that have particulates in them) to settle the dirt and clay particles without harming aquatic life.
The USDA recognizes gypsum as a safe additive for food as a source of calcium; it can also be used in the water that is used in the manufacturing of beer. It can be used to control the tartness and clarity of wine and as an ingredient in canned vegetables, flour, white bread, ice cream, blue cheese and other foods. Gypsum is approved for use as a color additive for drugs and cosmetics and as a primary ingredient in toothpaste.[3]
In the past, gypsum was used to create snow scenes in movies. In fact, Hollywood used Fort Dodge gypsum to create the snow scenes in the movie “It’s a Wonderful Life”, starring Jimmy Stewart and Donna Reed.
After gypsum was mined from underground and also from stripping from the top of land, the residual property is often not able to be used for farming or housing or buildings. Fort Dodge has been able to utilize previously mined gypsum properties very creatively.
North Central Iowa Regional Solid Waste Agency uses previously mined gypsum land for its solid waste collection. Fort Dodge, Humboldt, Webster City, Manson, Rockwell City and other communities dispose of their solid waste at this location.
Old quarry land southeast of Fort Dodge that was owned by USG, National Gypsum and Georgia Pacific is
now used as an OHV (Off Highway Vehicles) park, “Gypsum City OHV Park It has approximately 800 acres with 60 miles of trails for use by ATV’s, side-by-sides and off-road motorcycles. A 1.5 mile motocross track, an amateur supercross track a .4-mile kids’ track and numerous water crossings.
A full-service campground for RV’s and campers as well as a number of “Tiny Houses” are also part of the Gypsum City OHV park. The “Tiny Houses” were constructed by Iowa Central Community college instructors and inmates from the Fort Dodge Correctional Facility. [4]
Over the years, four strong gypsum companies have continued operations in Fort Dodge: USG (United States Gypsum), National Gypsum, CertainTeed (formally known as Celotex) and Georgia Pacific.
One of the biggest hoaxes in U.S.. history involved the Cardiff Giant, which originated in the Fort Dodge area. Please click here to read about the Cardiff Giant Hoax.
Sources
Iowa Geology, 1998, Iowa DNRMine is Lighted by Electricity Posted by: admin Tags: 1903, Blanden, Duncombe
The Fort Dodge Messenger: July 1, 1903 Mine is Lighted by Electricity United States Gypsum Company Inaugrates (sic) Improvement at Mineral City Mill. Is Running Day and Night. Both Mill and Mine are Thoroughly Lighted – Drilling is Also Done by Electricity – Improvements at Blanden Mill. Improvements have just been completed in the Mineral City mill and mine of the United States Gypsum company, which the officials of the company in this city claim, make it the most modern and best equipped mill in the country. Both mill and mine have been fitted up with electric lights thruout, and the work is now carried on there day and night without intermission. The drilling is also done by electricity. These improvements have only just been completed, and the mill is now running under them. The Blanden mill has also been greatly improved by the addition of new machinery. One of the mills and mines of the company has been closed down and the men transferred to the Mineral City mill, but Manager Duncombe stated this morning that this was merely temporary and quite in accordance with the usual policy of the company when it was necessary to close the mill for repairs. The company had some trouble with water in the mines during the heavy rains, but this is now entirely over, and the damage done is less than was expected.
Fort Dodge Messenger
Gypsum News: 100 Years of Sheetrock
98.1 KHAK
Fort Dodge Messenger “Fort Dodge and Gypsum” by Paul Stevens
Iowa’s Mineral Heritage, Dr. Stanley C. Grant, Iowa Geological Survey 1979
www.mycountyparks.com
Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences
[1] Iowa Geology, Iowa DNR, 1998 [2] Iowa Geology, Iowa DNR, 1998 [3] Fort Dodge Messenger, “Fort Dodge and Gypsum”, by Paul Stevens, 3/2/2020. [4] Fort Dodge Messenger, “Fort Dodge and Gypsum” by Paul Stevens, 3/2/2020
Sources:
The Fort Dodge Messenger
Walt Stevens
Paul Stevens
Library of Congress
Fort Dodge Public Library Archives
Communication is tantamount to a civilization’s growth and survival. The Fort Dodge Messenger has served a crucial role throughout many decades in the Fort Dodge region. At least ten different newspapers served Fort Dodge and Webster County during the last part of the 19th century. These newspapers were very important to the residents, settlers and prospective residents who were moving from the east coast to the nation’s prairieland. Editors and publishers of these newspapers played vital roles in the development of Fort Dodge. They were leaders in politics and social reform and greatly influenced the social, spiritual, and economic growth of the region. Their readers were hungry for news, local, national, and international, but most importantly, the readers wanted news of their own communities.
The first newspaper published in Webster County was the Fort Dodge Sentinel, established July 31, 1856. It was “A Paper for the Family Fireside; Devoted to Moral, Intellectual and Social Improvement, and the dissemination of correct Political Purposes”, according to the newspaper’s mission. It was published every Thursday morning; subscriptions were $2.00 a year (hopefully, always paid in advance). The paper was Democratic in its political philosophies. Its publisher was Azariah S. White. White was born in Syracuse, New York. As a young adult, he worked in San Francisco in the newspaper industry for five years. He moved to Fort Dodge in 1856.
The Fort Dodge Sentinel was a strong advocate for Fort Dodge. In one of White’s descriptions of the region, he touted the abundant natural resources, merchants, potential for economic growth and endless possibilities for a wonderful life in Fort Dodge. He was the chief “marketing” staff for promoting Fort Dodge to the east coast. He also expounded on the high quality of men who were working and establishing businesses and farms in the Fort Dodge area. He may have exaggerated just a bit when he stated that the Sentinel’s readership reached all thirty-one states and had a circulation of 1,200.
When printing supplies ran low, White would travel by wagon and a six-ox team to Dubuque to replenish the supplies. The trip lasted twenty days. He slept under his wagon. The trip was arduous but White was up for the challenge. Railroads didn’t come to Fort Dodge until 1868.
An early editor of the Fort Dodge Sentinel was John F. Duncombe in 1858. This is the same John F. Duncombe, as legend has it, who settled the argument about whether Fort Dodge or Homer would be the county seat by winning a wrestling match (https://www.fortdodgehistory.com/our-beginnings) . Duncombe was a prolific writer and told of the excitement of the settlers coming to Fort Dodge.
On October 31, 1860, White sold the Fort Dodge Sentinel and it became the Fort Dodge Republican. A few years later, it became The North West, after Benjamin F. Gue gained complete ownership. Gue had moved to Fort Dodge from New York and not only became publisher and editor, but a state senator from 1861 – 1864.
Gue wanted to cover the news for all of northwest Iowa. The North West was published every Thursday and was the only newspaper between Fort Dodge and Sioux City. Gue understood that the soil in northwest Iowa was very fertile and extremely valuable. He also understood that the area the newspaper represented was larger than a lot of New England states. Gue knew that this was a strong incentive for people to move from the east coast to Iowa and settle the land. The North West could advertise the land, businesses, homes and opportunities that existed in northwest Iowa.
The North West was “Devoted to News Politics, Agriculture and the Interests of North Western Iowa.” Annual subscriptions were $2; wedding notices cost $1 each.
Half of the front page contained advertisements; the two left hand columns were “cards” (short notices” for attorneys, physicians, hotels and real estate. Public notices (past due taxes, legal notices) were printed on the interior pages. Gue stayed with The North West until 1871, when he sold it to G.W. Chapman of Iowa Falls; Gue then became the editor of the Iowa Homestead in Des Moines. Chapman was editor for one year, at which time he sold it and it became the Fort Dodge Messenger.
Around the same time, The Fort Dodge Times newspaper was established. This paper eventually became a daily paper in 1884, as did the Fort Dodge Messenger. As soon as The Messenger became a daily paper, the Fort Dodge Times reverted back to being a weekly paper.
A third paper, the Fort Dodge Chronicle, was founded by Charles F. Duncombe (son of John F. Duncombe) in 1883. Charles F. Duncombe later sold half interest to his brother, William Duncombe. The Fort Dodge Chronicle became the favorite of many in the region, no matter their political party affiliation The two brothers, along with their father, owned Duncombe Stucco Company.
The Fort Dodge Messenger first appeared in Fort Dodge in 1872, as a weekly. In 1884, the Fort Dodge Messenger became a daily newspaper and has continued daily publishing to the present day. The Messenger is a lineal descendant of the Fort Dodge Sentinel, which began in 1856.
The Messenger was a Republican paper; the Times was mainly Democratic, but in 1888, it began to advocate Republican principles, and later, became independent and "favored protection to the home and home industry, and was opposed to monopoly, trusts and combines as detrimental to the highest general prosperity."
William N. Meservey, a county judge, became a proprietor and editor less than two months after the inaugural issue of the Messenger. Meservey gained a half-interest in the paper on June 27, 1872, and purchased remaining interest in the paper on Aug. 29, 1872.
In 1872, The Messenger consisted of eight pages, including prose and poetry and a small amount of local and national news. The main focus seemed to have been entertainment.
George G. Roberts , editor and publisher of The Messenger from 1878 – 1898 and was vital to its growth and survival. Despite never having gone beyond eighth grade, Roberts was a man with much foresight, ambition, and influence. He was elected state printer by a joint ballot of the houses in 1882 and was re-elected to the position in 1884 and 1886.
Roberts purchased two Des Moines newspapers, The Iowa State Register and the Des Moines Leader. He and a partner (Samuel Strauss) then sold the consolidated newspapers to Gardner Cowles, Sr., for $300,000 (in today’s 2024 dollars, this sum would equal more $8 million). The Des Moines Register and Des Moines Tribune merged in 1924. Today, the Des Moines Register is Iowa’s largest newspaper.
In 1898, George Roberts became the director of the U.S Mint, where he served under Presidents McKinley, Theodore Roosevelt, and William Taft. His brother, Charles, replaced him as publisher and editor of The Messenger after returning from working for a mining company in Korea.
After serving as director of the U.S. Mint, Roberts became president of the Commercial National Bank in Chicago. Later, he moved to New York City, where he became an officer of First City National Bank. In 1914. Roberts’ connections with the large financial institutions and their customers and his ties to Fort Dodge continued to help with the growth and expansion of Fort Dodge and Webster County.
In the early 1900’s, the Daily Messenger and the Daily chronicle were the only surviving newspapers. The other newspapers didn’t survive due to the failure of subscribers to pay for their subscriptions and failure of advertisers to pay for their ads. Subscriptions were inexpensive - $2 per year for the weekly edition and $5 per year for the daily subscription.
Due to Fort Dodge’s rapid growth and expansion and subscribers wanting to align themselves with political sides, the two newspapers were able to survive. By 1900, Fort Dodge’s population was 12,000 – a 150 percent increase from 1890 (when the population was 4,871). Industry was expanding – especially the gypsum sector; rail expansion enabled businesses to haul freight in and out of Fort Dodge. The newspapers didn’t have to just rely on subscriptions and advertising for their income – they would often print things like lists of delinquent tax lists, city and county proceedings and county and state laws.
In 1906, The Fort Dodge Messenger constructed its new building on Central Avenue, the same location where the Messenger operates today (2024).
As the years passed, the two papers became more similar, reporting on both political sides. Both subscribed to the Associated Press. It was said that both papers retained their party’s basic philosophies, but not in the narrow-minded, biased manner of the 1800’s.
Competition was intense between the two newspapers. However, with the onset of WWI, the economy just didn’t allow the two papers to exist. On June 30, 1917, The Messenger announced that the Chronicle would be consolidated into the Messenger on July 2, 1917. The terse announcement read:
· "The announcement of the consolidation of the two Fort Dodge daily newspapers would not call for an explanation to any newspapermen or to those familiar with publishing conditions. For the benefit of all, however, we will say that the decisive cause of the merger is the extraordinary increase in the cost of production.
· "Newsprint paper cost 100 percent more than it did two years ago. Several hundred tons of it are used by the local papers yearly and the increase of cost amounts to thousands of dollars per annum.
· "Every item that is used in the business costs a great deal more than formerly and in some cases the percentage of increase amounts to hundreds, and in the case of certain chemicals, thousands.
· "Consolidations of newspapers have been taking place in many other cities of the United States. In fact, the tendency was noticed elsewhere long before the war, for aside from the ‘war economy’ of the move, there are other effecting causes. Daily newspapers are no longer political organs anywhere. They are neither the makers nor tools of any kind of organizations. One paper can ‘sell the news’ more efficiently than two can and with less expense to subscribers and advertisers.
· "By this action Fort Dodge will be given a stronger paper in the daily evening field. The circulation of both papers goes into this one. The advertising rate of the combined list will be less than the total charge for the two individual lists has been.
Reporters were versatile and hardworking in the 1920’s. They knew the politicians and local government officials as well as business
and community leaders and people from all walks of life. They had their finger on the pulse of life in Fort Dodge and surrounding communities. The reporters needed to be excellent writers. Not many people had college degrees in those days. They worked
diligently to get the latest local news, business, police and fire reports, sporting events, political and national news, to produce a daily newspaper. They would also write personal interest stories about individuals and families. When we think of social media today, it harkens to the time (1900’s) when the daily newspaper served that very purpose and that readers have been hungry for news and information on a wide range of matters similar to people post on social media accounts today.
In 1954, Walt Stevens and his family moved to Fort Dodge. Stevens was named the managing editor of The Messenger. He and his family moved into former Messenger editor Granger Mitchell’s house, where they lived for 50 years.
Under Walt Stevens’ guidance, The Messenger focused on local issues in the area as well as national events. Since Iowa has held one of the first caucuses in the nation for many years, it was visited by many presidential candidates. As a result, The Messenger played an integral role in presidential races for many decades. It featured many editorials and articles on presidential hopefuls. It also helped the candidates meet many of the “regular” American citizens in both formal and informal settings. Under Stevens’ guidance, The Messenger aimed to provide honest and fair journalism, reported with reliability and integrity. (See the Walt Stevens biography in the Iconic People section on this website.)
Another Messenger icon was Bob Brown, the paper's sports editor for nearly four decades. Brown worked at the paper from 1956 to 1993, and for all but about three years of that time he was the sports editor. He did an amazing job reporting on both high school and college games and reporting on all
Messenger area sports for 37 years. During his tenure at The Messenger, Brown won Associated Press sports writing awards for 11 consecutive years. He was also named the Iowa Sportswriter of the Year in 1964, 1974 and 1975. Brown also won the National Sportswriter of the Year Award from the Catholic Youth Organization and the Iowa High School Athletic Association Media Award. Bob Brown was also a charter member of the University of Iowa's Media Wall of Fame. (See the Bob Brown biography in the Iconic People section on this website.)
In 1953, the first television station, KVFD, was established in Fort Dodge. This created competition and a different way to report the news. It was owned by former Messenger staff member Ed Breen. While a competitor of The Messenger, the television station’s main competitors were the Des Moines and Ames television stations. KVFD-TV came to an abrupt halt in 1977 when its tower was destroyed by a tornado.
In 1963, The Messenger was purchased by Ogden Newspapers of Wheeling, West Virginia, a newspaper group with more than 40 newspaper holdings. In 2006, The Messenger celebrated its 150th anniversary.
The Messenger continues to publish Monday – Saturday (2024). It remains an important newspaper for Fort Dodge and the surrounding area despite online news and entertainment media and a plethora of television networks. The strength of being a “hometown” newspaper, reporting mainly local news, is what keeps it going.
The newspaper industry has always faced competition from rival news sources. This was the case in the mid 1800’s when newspapers were first established in Fort Dodge and continues to be the case today. The news industry requires immediacy – reporting the breaking news quickly and accurately. With the rise of digital media and online publications, traditional newspapers and other print media have struggled. One major disadvantage for print media is the cost associated with printing and distribution. Producing physical copies requires investing resources in machinery, paper, ink, and transportation logistics. These expenses add up quickly for both publishers. Print media also lacks the immediacy that digital platforms offer in covering breaking news stories within hours. Consumers have increasingly turned to digital sources for news, information, and entertainment, leading to declining subscribers and advertising revenue for newspapers and other print publications.
The role that newspapers have played in the history of our country has been enormous. Historically, the core mission of newspapers in democracies and capitalist societies around the world has been to inform a nation's citizens so they can make better decisions about how they vote or spend their money. The socially responsible press has helped citizens to be well informed on issues of immediate concern to them. Newspapers helped the emergence of public opinion, reporting news on current events, expressing views, and informing the public and thereby facilitating public discussion on issues of importance.
No doubt, the Messenger newspaper has a storied history and has played a very significant role in the history of Fort Dodge and Webster County.
The Messenger remains an important community asset as it continues to provide news, sports, entertainment information and social announcements to the public it serves.
Coal was first discovered in Iowa in 1835, but didn’t become important until the expansion of the railroads in the 1850’s. Coal was an available source of energy used to power the railroads, factories and homes. It is still used today in the United States and many parts of the world as a major source of energy.
In the Webster County area, there were several seams of coal which led to coal mining that started in 1862. By 1870, Webster County was the 4th highest coal producing county in Iowa.
J.L. Piatt and others opened the first coal mine in Webster County, the Northwestern Coal and Mining Company. It was located on Holaday Creek, northeast of Fort Dodge, and was connected to a rail line about 3 miles away by a tram. The company built a tramway to the railroad and the cars were drawn by mules. Later the track was widened, and steam power was substituted for the mules. In the latter part of the same year, two other rail pioneers, John Duncombe and Richards sank the first shaft at the locality which has since been known as Coalville. Two miles of railroad track were built to connect with the Illinois Central and coal was hauled out by the company's private engine. Large shipments of coal were made from these two mines and after operating them for a few years the company sold them to the Fort Dodge Coal Company. This firm prospected most of the lands in and around Coalville and mined them for seventeen years. Seven large mines were operational and became large producers of coal. Other mines were also opened in Lehigh and Kalo. Some of the other coal mining companies were in Webster County included Crooked Creek Coal and Railroad Company and Pioneer Iowa Coal Operators.
One of the most prominent of the founders was John Duncombe, who had ties with the railroads and served as the attorney for five railroads for many years. Duncombe eventually developed commercial interests in new coal fields in Wyoming.
The coal industry attracted many immigrants to Iowa. Immigrants from Northern Europe, Eastern Europe and Italy migrated to Webster County seeking job opportunities. And African Americans from the southern United States migrated to Iowa from Mississippi after the Civil War ended.
As early as 1880 machines were being used effectively by the mining companies. About the same time that the Fort Dodge Coal Company began operations the Craig Coal Company opened a number of mines at Kalo, opposite the river from Coalville. All of these early mines relied on natural ventilation. In 1880 the Minneapolis and Saint Louis railroad was built close to the river and gave the mines an outlet to the north. By 1883 these two companies were operating six mines and were putting out 600 tons daily. The Fort Dodge Coal Company was employing 350 miners who dug thirty cars of coal each day. Other early producers were Collins Brothers, who operated a large shipping mine for ten years, and the Standard Coal Company, whose mines were for a time the largest producers at Kalo. In 1886, the Collins mine became a major producer when the Mason City - Fort Dodge railroad, now a part of the Chicago Great Western system, was built near their mine and large tonnage was marketed.
A great deal of coal mining occurred in the Lehigh district, about seven miles southeast of Coalville. The first operator of importance in this field was W. C. Wilson of Webster City, who in 1871, opened a mine there and subsequently formed the Crooked Creek Coal and
Railroad Co. This company built and operated its own railroad line to haul its coal.
In addition to these mines, W. C. Beem opened the Black Diamond Mine No. 1 around 1880 and Black Diamond Mine No. 2 about 1886. Both were located on Crooked Creek near Lehigh and were good producers for many years.
The Corey brothers operated a number of mines from 1885 to 1903. The Webster County Coal and Land Co. was organized about 1899 and operated a mine near Lehigh until 1902.
In 1895 the Pleasant Valley Coal Company sank a shaft 105 feet at Coalville and furnished it -with the best equipment possible. With one hundred men employed, large quantities of coal were shipped from a six-foot bed of coal.
The next important producer to locate in this area in Webster County was the Gleason Coal Co., which sank its first shaft in 1899. Using a well-equipped powerhouse and a steam-powered hoist, two hundred thousand tons of coal was extracted from this mine before it was abandoned in 1907. In 1908 the company began sinking mine No.2, the only remaining mine in the Coalville district, a district which had been a consistent and heavy producer of coal for nearly forty years. This new mine was located only about 600 feet from the first Duncombe mine and it gave promise of being a much better producer as the coal was better and thicker than in the old mine.
While most coal mining in Webster County was conducted using surface-mining techniques, a few of the mines were deep enough (200 feet deep or more) for drilling. Surface mining entailed removing topsoil and other materials. The coal veins, in most instances in Webster County, were approximately 36” wide. The land where the coal was discovered was drilled, excavated and dynamited to remove the layers above the coal. These materials, called “spoil”, were removed and saved to be used later to backfill old mines and quarries, and also used as the base for railways and railway embankments.
When coal was mined at significant depths (two hundred feet deep or more), it was done by the “room and pillar” method. Shafts were dug diagonally until they reached the coal. At that point, “rooms” were cut into the coal bed, leaving a series of pillars of coal that helped support the mine “roof”. These also helped control air flow. Generally, rooms were 2,000 feet wide, and the “pillars” were up to 300 feet wide.
Coal in Webster County was of medium grade, bituminous coal. However, it was desirable because Webster County was the furthest western location that had coal until coal was discovered and mined later in Wyoming and Montana. The railroads purchased this coal for their fuel as people continued to migrate west. Webster County coal was also used to power businesses and factories, and heat homes all across northern Iowa and southern Minnesota.
A miner’s day typically began before sunrise when a miner left his home to go to the mine, often on foot. Some miners were fortunate enough to get rides to the mine. The miners would change into their mining clothes at the camp wash house (if the mine had a wash house) and wait with the other miners to ride into the mine. The miners would usually eat their lunch in the mine or at the mine site. At the end of their shift, the miners would get a ride back to the wash house where they would wash, change clothes and make their way home, sometimes getting a ride or often, walking home, which would easily make for a 12+ hour workday. Some miners began working as teenagers or even as young as nine years old, helping relatives who were coal miners and bringing in extra income for their households.
Coal mining was extremely dangerous work. Coal miners often suffered from Black Lung Disease (pneumoconiosis), silicosis and cancer. These diseases were caused by miners inhaling coal dust and crystalline silica dust found in stones, rocks and clay that had to be removed to reach the coal. Miners also developed lung cancer which often led to a miserable ending to their difficult lives.
Mine shafts that were drilled also created dangerous health hazards for miners due to the danger of noxious gases in the mines that had the potential to poison the miners. Thus, shafts were drilled that brought in fresh air for circulation. The saying “A canary in a coal mine” resulted from mining companies using a type of bird cage that allowed canaries to accompany miners into the mines. Canaries are more sensitive to deadly carbon monoxide gas that sometimes built up in the coal mines, so they were used to test the safety of the air. Because canaries are twenty times more sensitive to carbon monoxide gas than humans, they would quickly become unconscious if the gas was present. When this occurred, the miners knew they needed to exit the mine quickly. They would grab the canary cages and pack the animals that carried the coal and quickly exit the mine. Mining companies around the world quickly adopted this safety procedure, and the canaries were often called “the most important members of the coal mining companies.” The practice of using canaries ended in 1987, but canaries are still used for “backup” testing in some parts of the world today.
Mining has always been a difficult occupation. Besides the health-related dangers, miners’ wages were slightly less than the wages paid by other manufacturing jobs. When the Depression started in the fall of 1929, wages for miners dramatically declined forcing many to take other manufacturing jobs. During the Depression, coal production in Webster County and the nation declined by approximately 50%.
From the 1860’s through 1929, coal mining greatly contributed to the development of Fort Dodge and Webster County. It provided jobs for many individuals and fuel for the many new industries that were developing. In 1883, there were thirty-seven operating coal mines in Webster County, employing over 700 miners and producing one quarter of a million tons of coal annually. Coal mining served as a catalyst for the expansion of the railroads that ran through Webster County and to the western states. These railroads brought thousands of people to the region and also shipped the grain, gypsum, and limestone throughout the U.S. that was produced by industries in Webster County.
As a result of these excellent economic opportunities generated by the coal industry, supported the many employees of the coal and other mining industries – grocery stores, clothing stores, machinists, blacksmiths, wagon repair shops, milliners, shoe stores – the list goes on and on. This economic prosperity led to population growth, new schools and homes. All these businesses contributed to the rapid growth of Fort Dodge and Webster County, expanding the area’s role as a leading commercial center in northwest central Iowa.
No doubt, coal was a major part of Webster County’s history, with mining beginning in the 1860s and growing rapidly until 1929. The coal mining industry declined after 1929 due to several factors, including the Depression and railroads buying coal from other states. Today, there are no active coal mines in Iowa as the last one closed in 1971.
Sources:
www.bbc.com
National Bureau of Economic Research
Wikipedia
Iowa Geological Survey
U.S. Geological Survey
Iowa PBS
Coal Deposits of Iowa by Henry Hinds
The Annals of Iowa, 1955
The Railroad Industry
in Fort Dodge and Webster County Helped
Develop the Region and the Country
And Brought Economic Prosperity
Transportation in the 1800’s and Early 1900’s
Transportation across the United States in the 19th century was difficult and dangerous. Fearless and adventurous settlers were making their way across the country, establishing homesteads, farms, businesses and towns. Travel by wagon train, stagecoach and horse or oxen – drawn wagons was extremely challenging. These brave settlers were determined to capitalize on the opportunities this new country and untamed land had to offer.
Railroad transportation arrived in Iowa in 1850. Ten years later, in 1860, Iowa had approximately 655 miles of track in operation and, by 1870, Iowa had 2,683 miles of track. This mileage grew to almost 9,200 miles by the turn of the century.
Construction of new rail lines throughout Iowa significantly affected the development and growth of the state, Webster County, Fort Dodge and ultimately, the entire United States. New innovations were constantly being made to the railroad industry, increasing efficiency, decreasing costs and making rail travel for people and freight more accessible.
Federal and state governments recognized the benefit of encouraging the growth of the rail industry (please read more ). Until railroads became customary modes of transportation, people and freight had to rely on horse or oxen-drawn wagons and stagecoaches for land transportation or barges and steamboats for water transportation. Freight would often require long overland journeys to rivers, where steamboat and barge transportation were available. These modes of transportation were extremely slow and didn’t allow for much commerce for the many products and perishable goods that were produced in the United States and in Webster County.
Pioneer settlers had to travel in horse or oxen-drawn wagons there were slow and very uncomfortable – the terrain was rough, roads almost non-existent (and where they did exist, were muddy, bumpy and very snowy in winter) and often, the wagons didn’t have any springs. Wheels were often made from wood and broke frequently. The interior temperature of these modes of transportation wasn’t able to be controlled. The wagons were usually crowded, since they had to carry luggage, food for the travelers and the horses as well as necessities for the trip. A horse-drawn wagon could travel 20-30 miles in a day, depending on the terrain and road conditions (if, in fact, there were any roads at all). Horses had to be fed and watered; the horses would often get injured and would need to rest and recover. No doubt, these pioneers faced difficult, tedious and treacherous travel from the East to the Midwest and beyond.
The United States government recognized that there were immense opportunities if the rail industry could be developed. Consequently, with government incentives, grants and funding, the railroad industry experienced rapid growth. The arrival of the railroads revolutionized both freight and passenger transportation.
Development of the Railroads and Steam Engines Revolutionized Transportation
Initially, trains used wood, coal, kerosene or oil to power steam engines. These fuels could be hauled in freight cars and fed directly into the engines to produce the steam that powered the locomotives. Rail cars were built to carry all sorts of grain, freight, retail goods, food – and people. Passenger rail cars were much more comfortable than horse-drawn wagons and riding on rails was much smoother than crossing the prairie in a bumpy, rough wagons. Although certainly not perfect, rail cars could be heated with the steam from the engines as well as pot-bellied stoves in individual rail cars. It took decades until the cars carrying passengers were uniformly heated, but rail travel was more comfortable and efficient than horse-drawn wagons. As time went on, some of the rail cars were “refrigerated”, using blocks of ice to keep perishable freight cool. These developments spurred further innovations and allowed our country to grow and prosper including Fort Dodge and Webster County that thrived and prospered after the railroads arrived.
Fort Dodge and Webster County were located in an exceptional position because of the natural resources in the region. Coal, gypsum, limestone, clay and fertile soil, were valuable local assets. Coal served as fuel for homes, factories and railroads; gypsum, limestone and clay contributed to the construction industry that was booming in Webster County and across the United States. Farmers were able to raise many types of crops and livestock and thanks to the railroads, were able to ship these products that would feed the growing American population.
Fort Dodge and Webster County businessmen aggressively encouraged the development of the rail industry. They realized that rail lines would enable them to ship local products to railroad hubs - east to Chicago, north to Minneapolis and west to the developing states. The Roundhouse in Fort Dodge enabled rail cars to be delivered to the Roundhouse from one rail line and connected to another rail line so the freight could be carried to many areas of the country. The rapid growth of the United States required raw materials for housing and manufacturing and grains, dairy and food products for the growing population.
The railroads also brought farm implements, machinery and new technology to the Fort Dodge area, allowing farming and manufacturing to become more efficient and cost-effective. Rail transportation also brought "ready-made' clothing and many types of dry goods to the area, which helped the residents simplify some of their everyday chores (such as making their own clothing, growing their own foods, etc.) Trains brought new settlers to the region. These newcomers provided labor and increased demand for local goods and services. These settlers also brought different skills and talents that helped diversity the region's workforce.
The history of the railroad industry in Fort Dodge would not be complete with out recognizing the impact John Duncombe (insert link to his bio here), Fort Dodge attorney, industrialist, farmer, and businessman, had on the expansion of the railroad industry in and around Fort Dodge. Duncombe served as the attorney of the Illinois Central railroad in a district embracing seventeen counties, for a period of over thirty years. He also served in the same capacity for the Mason City & Fort Dodge, the Des Moines & Fort Dodge and the Cherokee & Dakota Railroads. Having a reputation as a very intelligent and shrewd attorney, Duncombe took pride in being known for the care with which he counseled amicable settlements out of court where such methods were possible. With his foresight, influence and hard work, Fort Dodge became a major railroad hub.
Duncombe also served as a state legislator, serving with the idea of progress and an aggressive vision for the future of the country, the state of Iowa and of Fort Dodge at the forefront. From 1881 to 1889, Mr. Duncombe enjoyed the distinction of being lecturer on railroad law on the law faculty of the University of Iowa; and many are the graduates of the Law School at Iowa City who can testify to the thoroughness of his research and the vigor and clearness of his expositions of the law. He was for eighteen years a regent of the University of Iowa.
Rich coal deposits in the Fort Dodge area contributed to the prosperity of the region. The United States was growing and expanding quickly and required this coal to fuel the trains as well as heat the growing number of homes and factories in northern Iowa and southern Minnesota. Coal was also used to fuel many of the trains that travelled through Iowa. The demand for coal stimulated the coal mining industry in Fort Dodge and Webster County, providing jobs and wealth. Rail spurs were built to and from the coal mines so coal could quickly be loaded onto freight cars and transported throughout the region and the country.
Clay in the region contributed to the growth of the brick, tile and clay pipe industries in Webster County. These products were used in local construction projects as well as being shipped throughout the United States. Rail spurs were built that connected rail lines with local factories so that products could be directly loaded onto freight cars and shipped throughout the country. The transport of clay pipes made it possible for many homes and factories to install running water and plumbing, greatly improving quality of life for many people. Clay tile pipes helped with drainage of much of the land in the region and in the Midwest, allowing the fertile soil be better utilized for farming.
The banking industry also developed in tandem with the construction of the railroads. Banks served as conduits between government grants and railroad developers as well as financiers for local industries, home construction and farm expansion.
Local, state and national government entities also expanded in order to help plan, design and regulate the burgeoning rail and commercial industries. Fort Dodge became a hub of economic activity.
The main rail lines that crossed through Fort Dodge carried both passengers and freight. Not only did they stop in other urban areas, they also made frequent stops in the smaller towns that developed along these rail lines. It is estimated that small towns were situated about every 8-10 miles along the railroad lines. The major lines that travelled through Fort Dodge and Webster County were:
Chicago Great Western Railroad- - covered cities Chicago, Minneapolis, Omaha and Kansas City
Fort Dodge Des Moines and Southern Railroad – an “Interurban” railroad, connected Fort Dodge and Des Moines.
Illinois Central Railroad – originated in Illinois and eventually spread throughout much of the Midwest
Chesapeake and Ohio
The railroads spurred the growth of many small communities. These communities developed because trains would stop to re-fuel and the local farmers could have easy access to transport their crops. Almost every little town in the county had a railroad depot. Not only did this allow for active commerce of goods and services, it enabled people who had probably never travelled more than a few miles from home the opportunity to “see the world”. All this encouraged innovations, creativity and new inventions and advancements that improved the quality of people’s lives. Travel no longer needed to be designed so that it connected exclusively to waterways because railroads could be built in the areas that goods and services were produced and sent by rail to where they were needed.
As an added bonus, entertainers, musicians, bands, orchestras, sports teams and politicians used trains to travel and enrich lives of residents and spread the word of what was going on in the country. Another interesting method of bringing new ideas to locals was the “Seed Corn Gospel Train”. In 1903, Iowa State Agronomy Professor Perry Holden, in partnership with the railroads, put his classroom on the train. The train car had a speaker’s platform from which Holden would teach farmers about how to get the best seed. This soon expanded and other types of educational lectures about various agricultural subjects were travelling throughout the nation.
By 1910 thirty-five passenger trains served Fort Dodge daily and by 1920 the city claimed 45,000 freight car loadings annually. One source indicates that the railroads provided over 1,000 jobs. Because of the railroads, Fort Dodge boasted being the home for 500 traveling salesmen representing local industry, wholesale houses and jobbers. The local economy was highly diversified with producers for gypsum, brick and tile, stoneware, hardware, pharmaceuticals, telephones, electrical products, clothing, plumbing supplies, flour and milling products, and groceries.
In 1907, the first “Interurban” arrived in Fort Dodge. Interurban trains were trains that connected different cities in a geographical area. Fort Dodge had direct rail connections with Chicago, Dubuque, Mason City, Minneapolis, Sioux City, Sioux Falls, Omaha, Des Moines, and almost every small town in the immediate area. Homer and Louise Loring were principal shareholders in this streetcar line in Fort Dodge. Homer Loring was an American industrialist who was born in Massachusetts. During his lifetime, he was chairman of several railroad companies.
The Lorings also owned many boxcars throughout the United States and ultimately invested in a line in Fort Dodge. The Lorings were shrewd businesspeople and marketers. In the 1900’s, boxcars were usually painted “Box Car Red”. However, the Lorings wanted their boxcars to be distinct, so they had them painted grey with black lettering that read “The Fort Dodge Line”. They wanted these boxcars to be seen and recognized as unique. This bold marketing of Fort Dodge and the materials, grain, freight and other goods that came from Fort Dodge greatly benefited local Fort Dodge industries, since many people in the widespread region would see the Fort Dodge logo. Loring used this genius marketing tool to help local industries expand and grow freight traffic in and out of Fort Dodge for many years. With the exponential growth of the country, the railroads were critical to Fort Dodge industry’s ability to supply many of the building materials and food for a growing population.
Looking back historically, without the ease of rail travel, it is unlikely these Fort Dodge leaders would have been able to make the trip to Chicago for the 1893 World’s Fair, nor could the exhibitors bring their exhibits to the Chicago World’s Fair. World’s Fair attendees would not have been able to view the newest inventions, return home and incorporate them in the new housing, industrial and other industries that were being developed at the time without rail transportation.
There is no doubt that the railroads contributed to the population growth of Fort Dodge. Bringing settlers to Fort Dodge from the eastern part of the United States, the number of people living and working in Fort Dodge exploded. In 1880, the population of Fort Dodge was 3,586 and by 1920, the population was
Just as the railroads displaced steamboats as the main transportation of goods and services, the rise of the Interstate Highway System in Iowa beginning in 1958 displaced the growth of railroads in Iowa. The Interstate Highway System made it much easier for goods to be transported by trucking companies across Iowa and the nation. Today, less than 4,000 miles of track are in operation in Iowa, much of it lost after 1974 due to railroad company bankruptcies. This fact stands as testimony of the impact of the Interstate Highway System during the mid and later part of the 20th century.
Sources:
The History of Fort Dodge and Webster County…. by H.M. Pratt
A Capsule History of Fort Dodge …. by Roger Natte
Iowa Rail History…. by the Iowa Dept. of Transportation
Iowa History Project…. the Coming of the Railroads
Wikipedia
The Story of the Fort Dodge Street Railway System…by A.P. Butts
U.S. Census
Meat processing and meatpacking were major industries in Fort Dodge for many years. Gus Glaser Meats, Tobin Meatpacking, Iowa Beef Processors and Hormel were all located in Fort Dodge. These plants employed hundreds of workers. Fort Dodge was ideally located for meatpacking due to its proximity to livestock on Iowa farms and the efficiency of the railroads that passed through Fort Dodge. Trains could transport livestock to the processors and then transport meat products throughout the rest of the U.S.
Meatpacking was, and still is, a demanding and often dangerous business. Butchering animals has always been a messy, difficult and hazardous industry. Initially, it was known for its low wages, poor working conditions, long hours and irregular wages due to variations in supply and demand for meat products. Meat was often a luxury for households and one of the more expensive food items in the family budget. In the early 1900’s, transportation was unreliable, both in getting livestock to the processors, and transporting the processed meat to the consumer.
The theme of The Jungle, a book by Upton Sinclair, highlighted treacherous working conditions for meat processing plants’ workers. In fact, it is often thought that this book led to the Pure Food and Drug Act and the Federal Meat Inspection Act of 1906. This law required that meat and meat products were slaughtered and processed in sanitary conditions and required the U.S. Department of Agriculture inspect all livestock before slaughter.
Meatpacking gradually began to change with the advent of “refrigerated” rail cars which began to be developed in the late 1800’s by using ice inside the rail car with fans (powered by the rail cars’ axles) that circulated the cold air. Mats made from cow hair (waste not, want not, was the adage) were used as insulation on the floors and walls of the rail cars. Timing was complicated, because the ice melted quickly, and the train conductor had to be sure that the train reached the next “Icing Station” in time to add more ice so that the meat didn’t spoil. Following World War II, mechanically refrigerated trucks, “Reefers”, began replacing the rail cars, eliminating the use of ice for rail transportation.
From the 1930’s until the early 1980’s, Fort Dodge’s meatpackers expanded and thrived. Plenty of livestock, high demand for beef and pork and an improving transportation system enabled the average American to have access to quality meat.
Labor standards (wages and safety) were raised for many manufacturing jobs (meat processing, auto, steel and other industrial workers) after many workers became unionized. Jobs were steadier and more secure. Meatpackers’ wages were relatively higher than the average manufacturing wage (15% higher in 1960, 19% higher in 1970 and 17% higher in 1980). These wages, along with health insurance and retirement benefits, provided stable and comfortable incomes for meat processing workers. These workers’ incomes allowed them to buy houses, support local retail establishments and restaurants and to contribute substantially to the tax base in Fort Dodge and Webster County.
In the 1970’s and early 1980’s, labor issues, slim profit margins and the fact that more livestock were being raised and processed in western states began to contribute to the demise of Fort Dodge’s meatpacking businesses. Plants were becoming outdated and needed to be modernized. Consumer diets were changing – the demand for beef and pork was declining. New machinery and streamlined processes were being developed that improved the manufacturing process. This often reduced the need for the high number of employees historically required to process meat.
At separate times, Iowa Beef Processors and Hormel workers each went on strike. Wage demands, as well as the concessions management was requiring so they could pay for updates to the plants were not able to be negotiated. Subsequently, in the early 1980’s, both plants closed and approximately 3,000 jobs were lost in Fort Dodge. Many workers were offered the opportunity to take jobs at other plants, but many didn’t want to leave their Fort Dodge homes. The economic impact of these huge job losses was monumental for Fort Dodge. The population dropped from 31,263 in 1970 to 25,894 in 1990. Many ancillary businesses and retail businesses couldn’t sustain themselves due to the loss of Hormel customers. It took decades to recover.
The four meat processors are no longer in existence in Fort Dodge , but these meat packing plants certainly contributed greatly in growing and supporting Fort Dodge’s robust economy.
1934
Tobin Packing Company
Tobin Packing was founded in Rochester, New York. It was famously known for its high quality “White Hots” – award winning hot dogs, developed by its German community. These were white because they were unsmoked and uncured. Tobin gradually expanded and opened plants in additional locations. The Fort Dodge location was opened in 1934. At that time, Tobin was purchasing approximately $100,000 worth of hogs per week and had a capacity of processing 7,000 head per week. In 1952, Tobin was the 10th largest meat packing company in the country.
Tobin was able to use refrigerated rail cars to ship its products across the country. It is estimated that it shipped a total of 1 million hams from the Fort Dodge plant. The Fort Dodge plant used natural gas to produce 160 tons of ice per day in order to keep its products fresh; its stock yards could hold 3,000 hogs. In its most productive year, the Fort Dodge Tobin plant processed 864,000 hogs. Tobin Packing was bought by Hormel in 1953.
1938
Gus Glaser Meats
In 1938, the Gus and Eileen Glaser began operations in Fort Dodge in a rented building. The business continued to grow, and in 1946, the Glasers built a new meat processing and manufacturing plant at 2400 5th Avenue South (Old Highway 20). At the time, they had 11 trucks and a sales force of 12. Eileen did the accounting for the company and, when necessary, helped drive trucks for deliveries. Eileen worked for the company until the birth of their fourth child. It was then that she stayed home to raise her family.
The plant was expanded nine times, and when their children grew up, two sons, Robert and John, became involved in the business. Robert managed the Fort Dodge location and John managed a plant in Wilber, Nebraska, “Gus Glaser Meats”.
Products included luncheon meats (50 varieties), wieners, sausages, cooked hams and bacon. Glaser had developed new methods of packaging and display, which added to the products’ appeal. Gus Glaser Meats also had an operation in Sioux City, Glaser Dressed Beef, as well as warehouses in Des Moines and Cedar Rapids. Subsequently, Gus Glaser Meats added full product lines of cheeses, fish and poultry items. At one point, Gus Glaser Meats was one of the 10th largest businesses in Iowa.
In 1970, Gus Glaser Meats was sold to a Minneapolis resident Robert D. Husemoller. Husemoller and his family moved to Fort Dodge to run the company. At the time, Gus Glaser Meats had annual sales of
$8 million. It was just two years later when the company declared bankruptcy and closed down in
Fort Dodge due to mismanagement by the new owners.
Please click here to read more about Gus and Eileen Glaser.
1953
Hormel
Tobin Packing in Fort Dodge was purchased by Hormel Foods in 1953. Hormel began in Austin, Minnesota in 1891. Its focus was on providing a quality product, rather than aiming to process and sell mass quantities of meat.
Hormel was originally a family-owned business. It had a history of being able to respond quickly to changes in the marketplace and to be able to implement new plant and manufacturing processes to capitalize on new opportunities.
Hormel processed meat that was sold to retail establishments. It was also a large supplier of meat to the U.S. military, both in WWI and WWII. Hormel developed the first canned ham in 1926 and Hormel Dinty Moore Stew, Hormel Chili and Spam in the 1930’s. In 1942, “K Rations” were created for the U.S. military and Hormel provided meat for them.
In a literally “cutthroat” industry, Hormel was known for keeping its employees’ needs more at the forefront than a number of other meatpackers. Starting in 1938, Hormel established guaranteed annual wages, a joint-earnings savings plan and an employee profit sharing trust. Hormel also promised its employees that they would be welcome back after serving military service.
In the late 1950’s and early 1960’s, Hormel introduced Little Sizzlers and Cure 81 Hams (hardwood smoked hams). In 1973, Hormel Foods became the first meatpacking company to include nutritional labels on meat products.
In the late 1970’s, things began to change for Hormel in Fort Dodge. Manufacturing equipment was becoming outdated and the need to update the Fort Dodge plant was necessary. Management and the union Hormel workers tried to negotiate an agreement whereby workers would accept wage and benefit concessions in order for the plant be modernized. Union workers went on strike. Ultimately, management and the union were not able to reach an agreement, and the Fort Dodge Hormel plant closed in 1981.
1962
Iowa Beef Packers (IBP)/ later known as Iowa Beef Processors
1505 O Avenue, Fort Dodge
Iowa Beef Packers was formed in 1961 in Denison, Iowa, by Andy Anderson and Currier Holman. IBP opened a slaughter-only plant in Fort Dodge in 1962. Anderson and Holman led the company for several decades until Bob Peterson, an employee who had worked at the IBP Fort Dodge location in the 1960’s, became CEO in 1980. Peterson led IBP to become the largest beef and pork processing company in the country.
IBP often hired non-union workers, enabling it to have lower wage and benefit costs. In an industry with slim profit margins, every penny made a difference. IBP frequently located its plants in small, rural areas, where wages were lower, and the likelihood of unionization was less likely.
In 1967, under Bob Peterson’s direction, IBP began marketing boxed, vacuum-packed smaller portions of beef and pork. This lowered shipping costs because the entire carcass wasn’t being transported. This was transformative for the meat processing industry.
In August 1969, IBP workers in Dakota City, Nebraska, went on strike due to an impasse in contract negotiations. IBP workers in Mason City, LeMars and Fort Dodge became “Sympathizers” and these three plants soon began experiencing machinery “breakdowns” and “malfunctions” as a show of protest to management and allegiance to the Dakota City striking workers.
These work stoppages were commonplace and caused a great deal of management distress. A few months later, “Sympathy Strikes” were held in Mason City, LeMars and Fort Dodge. The situation was very contentious and violent. Over the six-month period of the strike in the four locations, there was one death, twenty shootings, fifty-six bombings, multiple death threats, significant property damage and a fire-bombing of an IBP vice-president’s home.
In order to try to end the strikes, IBP founder Currier J. Holman and other leaders from the company held secret meetings with Moe Steinman, a New York “labor consultant” who had close ties to the New York La Cosa Nostra, (i.e., the Mafia).
(As a well-known figure in New York, Steinman had previously helped to end a New York butchers' boycott that was held in support of the meatpackers' strike. The New York butchers had gone on strike to protest IBP’s sales of boxed meat because boxed meat was eliminating many meat packers’ jobs).
IBP secretly paid Steinman millions of dollars in 1970 for him to negotiate with the IBP union workers, but the money ended up in union leaders’ pockets and did not benefit the union workers. IBP continued to pay Steinman for several years. Ultimately, workers received an increase of only twenty cents per hour over the original amount that had been offered by IBP management.
Steinman was later tried and convicted for bribing union leaders and meat wholesalers. A judge fined IBP $7,000 but didn’t punish Holman (IPG founder) with any prison time, noting the “bribes were sometimes part of the cost of doing business in New York City.” This action demonstrated a true testimonial to the ruthless business practices in the meat processing industry.
Following the strike settlement, relations between IBP management and union workers remained contentious. As a result of the strike, and litigation between IBP union workers and management, a jury trial was held and IBP was awarded $1, 756,592 from the unions as a result of claims that the unions breached the no-strike provisions of their collective bargaining agreements at the Fort Dodge, Mason City and LeMars locations.
The IBP plant in Fort Dodge closed in 1985. CEO Bob Peterson cited the lack of profitability and scarcity of cattle in northwest Iowa. 280 workers lost their jobs as a result of the IBP Fort Dodge plant closing.
Tyson Foods acquired IBP in 2001 for $3.2 billion in cash and stock.
Sources:
Apnews.com
Hormelfood.com
Fort Dodge Messenger
Paul Stevens
realstmfc.groups.io/g/main/topic/tobin_packing
Wikipediawe\
‘[dczs
Jane Burleson Papers, University of Iowa Libraries
https://dbridgerhot.blogspot.com/
newspapers.com
Waterloo Courier
Science Photo Gallery
Flickr
Wisconsin Historical Society
Fort Dodge is a city with a rich history of thriving businesses and industries. The region is blessed with abundant natural resources such as soil, minerals, and water, which have been utilized to develop and manufacture products that are essential to the country and the world.
From its early beginnings in the 1850’s and through the decades, Fort Dodge has benefitted from many successful businesses, industries and manufacturers that served as the foundation of the local economy and were responsible for creating significant wealth, of which much was contributed back to the community to better our community and improve quality of life in the Fort Dodge area.
This section is currently under construction.
Anyone who would like to recommend a business or industry to be highlighted that was important to the growth, development and culture of Fort Dodge is encouraged to contact the Fort Dodge Community Foundation by emailing Randy Kuhlman at rk@fd-foundation.org or call 515-573-3171.