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.…
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 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…
The southeast side of Oskaloosa's town square as it appeared in 1868. At this point, the town post office existed on the square itself. Today, the post office is located on South Market Street.
The south half of the east side of Oskaloosa's town square as it appeared in 1868. The trees you see in this photograph are located in the middle of the town square today, providing an excellent source of shade for people as they attend concerts,…
The north side of Oskaloosa's town square as it appeared in 1868. The park stood on the inside of the white fence line, but it was not for some time that the bandstand/gazebo was in existence.
The north half of the east side of Oskaloosa's town square as it appeared in 1868. Notice how roads were not yet paved and wouldn't become paved for almost another 30 years.
Founded in 1886, the Oskaloosa Business College served as an extension of the Oskaloosa College campus on the other side of town by offering courses of study in Business, Shorthand, and Instrumental Music. W.L. Howe is responsible for the founding…
In 1892,Whittier School was erected to serve the children residing in the Fifth Ward of Oskaloosa. This is a photograph taken of the school in 1896, at which time the building served as a temporary home for high school students while the new high…
