This is a scene taken at a parade held in downtown Oskaloosa in the late 1800's. The heavy concentration of trees in the middle of the photograph is the town square at that point. Over the years, the town has been able to modify the town square…
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…
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…
This is a photograph taken of Samira Ann Hobbs Phillips, the first school teacher in Mahaska County, Iowa, in 1844. The first schoolhouse in Mahaska County was located approximately two miles east of Oskaloosa. Fighting the elements, heavy…
On September 16, 1899, a horrific train wreck happened in Tioga, White Oak Township, Mahaska County, Iowa. This happened when a passenger train coming from Belle Plaine crashed directly into a freight train in Tioga. Four passenger train workers…
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 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.
In Oskaloosa, Iowa, music has always been appreciated and taken seriously by its bands. One of the first bands in Oskaloosa was the Knights Templar Band, formed out of the musical brotherhood that existed within the town. On weekends and on special…
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…
