The Oskaloosa City Park has been a center of activity in the community for over a century, as events and entertainment have been conducted within the realm of the park. Also known as the town square, many businesses surround the park, so in many…
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…
Pictured here is the group of employees that helped run the Iowa Dress Club in downtown Oskaloosa, Iowa, circa 1900. The store was located at 303 A Avenue East and the store specialized in dry cleaning and the sale of wedding dresses and other forms…
This is an image depicting the members of the Iowa Brigade Band in 1896. The band was led by the legendary bandmaster and composer C.L. Barnhouse, who is pictured in the center of this display. The band was very popular among the people of…
Historically, The Hub serves as a wonderful example of American small business at the turn of the 20th Century. Location was the key to American small business success and The Hub definitely had this quality, as it was situated in downtown Oskaloosa…
Pictured here is the corner of High Avenue East and South 1st Street around 1895 in Oskaloosa, Iowa. This corner was one of the busier corners in the community, as many businesses were conducted on these two roads. Diagonally across the street was…
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.
Pictured here is the 1907 Oskaloosa baseball team from Oskaloosa, Iowa. Based on the excerpt under the photograph of the players, the team was facing a serious financial crisis in 1907, looking at a team debt of $2,800.00. In order to raise funds…
Taintor was a village established in 1882 as a central trading point for farmers, pioneers, and their families. This is a map of Taintor from the original plat in 1882.