Oskaloosa College, not to be confused with Penn College which is also located in Oskaloosa, was the first college to open in Mahaska County in 1861. George T. Carpenter served as Oskaloosa College's first president. The college was never…
After the second Oskaloosa High School was constructed in 1897, it did not take long before the school population needed additional space. Therefore, in 1917 an addition was made to the northeast corner of the building. In 1937, a northwest wing…
Completed in 1897, the second Oskaloosa High School was located at the corner of B Avenue and North First Street, which was only two blocks from the town square. The new high school was built on a bond valued at $30,000. Later, the high school was…
Built in 1870, the old Oskaloosa High School consisted of eleven classrooms and housed 525 students. The first two floors held high school classes, but the third floor of the high school actually was the home of Jefferson Elementary School students.…
This statue of Chief Mahaska was dedicated to the people of Oskaloosa on May 12, 1909, and is located on the west side of the Oskaloosa's town square. The statue was designed by Shirley Fry of Creston, IA after being approached by James D. Edmundson…
The Baldauf fountain was erected at the same time the new bandstand was created in the town square in 1912. Today the fountain no longer is in existence.
The bandstand pictured here replaced the old wooden bandstand that was built back in 1882. This bandstand was erected in 1912 and still stands and is made use of to this day.
The old wooden bandstand was built back in 1882 so that performers like C.L. Barnhouse's Iowa Brigade Band could entertain spectators from around the county. The bandstand was originally built to cover the cap underneath that came about as a result…
The west side of Oskaloosa's town square as it appeared 1942. The tower at the far end of the picture is the Central Methodist Church. The state bank appears at the near end of the photograph.
The west side of Oskaloosa's town square as it appeared during the Civil War (1861-1865). The white fence line stood as a place for townspeople to park their horse or carriage while they went about their day visiting the various establishments…
