Looking west and northwest from the 100 block of High Avenue East in Oskaloosa, Iowa, in 1895. Note the old department stores in the area. If the person taking this picture was looking southwest, then he/she would be staring at the town square.
Pictured here is one of the earliest automobiles traveling west down 1st Avenue East in Oskaloosa, Iowa. 1st Avenue East was one of the first streets paved for automobile usage. Eventually, block after block would be paved in the community, but the…
This is a view of the 200 block of North Market Street in 1887. Not many business or stores would be found on this block in Oskaloosa in the 19th Century and has continued to stay that way. By and large, the 200 block of North Market Street serves…
Dating from around 1900, this is a shot of a general store with its staff taking a moment to pose for the camera. General stores were very common in the early 1900's in rural communities like Oskaloosa, Iowa. In the center of the photograph is a…
When a stagecoach came through your town in the late 1800's it could have meant several things. First, the stagecoach might have been carrying a family on its way to settling down in the community or just to stop in the middle of their journey east…
This 1900 photograph taken of Oskaloosa, Iowa's famous town square and Mahaska County Courthouse from 1st Avenue East captures the organization and layout of Midwest towns of the period. Space was set aside at the town square so that horses and…
This is a picture taken at the A.M. Ellis Coal Mine in 1926. Today, the Oskaloosa golf course is located there. By this point, coal mining was just becoming more modernized, but was and still is a dangerous occupation.
This is a picture taken at the A.M. Ellis Coal Mine in 1930. Today, the Oskaloosa golf course is located there. By this point, coal mining was just becoming more modernized, but was and still is a dangerous occupation. Note the equipment being…
This is an aerial photograph taken of the town of Oskaloosa, Iowa, around the year 1940. The image shows the downtown of the community in the center of the photograph, along with the many residencies of the community spreading out from the center. …
African-Americans played a very serious role in Mahaska County, Iowa history. From its early inception, African-Americans have participated in major events that determined the prosperity of the county. When Mahaska County was a major coal extractor…
