This is a picture taken at Sam Smith Coal Mine back in 1895. The Sam Smith coal mine was located southwest of Oskaloosa College, which today is on the 1300 block of High Avenue West. Today, many buildings and facilities in Oskaloosa were once the…
Like Mahaska County, many counties throughout Iowa have depended on their water supply from local rivers running within their community's vicinity. This photograph is an example of that. It also serves as an example of how long communities have…
Bridge going over the Skunk River in 1896. The Skunk River is a mid-size river in terms of both its width and distance. The Skunk River also consists of two branches: the North Skunk River and South Skunk River. The irony of the two branches is…
The Skunk River as scene through the eyes of the beholder in 1896. The Skunk River was once known as the Chiquaqua River by Native Americans and pioneers residing in the area in the early 1840's. Because of the Des Moines and Skunk Rivers, Mahaska…
Scene of the Skunk River dam in 1896. Along with the Des Moines River, these two rivers served as natural borders for the layout of Mahaska County in the 1840's.
This picture shows the hard work that went on in machine shops during the late 19th Century. This image was taken inside Seever's Mfg. Co. of men inside a machine shop. Seever's Mfg. Co. specialized in creating iron bridges, water heaters, and…
This is a view of the Oskaloosa Hospital as it appeared in 1896. Today, this hospital is known as the Mahaska Hospital and Health Partnership. The original hospital was located where the current hospital is, but was of much smaller proportion on C…
This is a view of the Oskaloosa National Bank as it appeared in 1896. Banks in Oskaloosa have come and gone, but the location of the banks in this community until the past few decades have remained within a block or two of this bank's location here;…
This historic home was the residence of Congressman John F. Lacey, who served in the United States House of Representatives between 1890 and 1908. His house was located on the corner of North Market Street and B Avenue East.
This historic home was the residence of Col. Albert W. Swalm, one-time editor and owner of the Oskaloosa Herald. Swalm came to Oskaloosa from Pennsylvania to learn the printing business from John R. Needham. After serving in the Civil War, Swalm…
