Depicted in this photograph is an ice machine that was used in production at the Oskaloosa Ice Plant back in March of 1904. Since refrigerators had not been invented yet, ice delivery would be made in the same fashion that the milk man came back in…
This is a photograph of the H.L. Spencer and Company building that was taken in 1908. Harry Lindley (H.L.) Spencer started a grocery business in 1867 with F.J. Terry in Oskaloosa, Iowa. Over the years the business gained much success and Spencer…
Pictured here in this photograph is work being done in order to pave Oskaloosa, Iowa's first modern day road for automobile use. Prior to this, the horse and buggy were the common method of transportation used in the community, as it was across all…
This photograph depicts a scene from the 1912 Labor Day parade in downtown Oskaloosa, Iowa. In this image, the participants of the parade are marching down High Ave West. The citizens of Oskaloosa deeply respected all who worked and the workers…
Pictured here is the southside of the Oskaloosa town square as it appeared around 1900. The southside of the square is bordered by 1st Avenue East, which runs perpendicular with South Market Street. As Oskaloosa entered the 20th Century, its roads…
This is a photograph of gentleman enjoying a drink after playing eighteen holes of golf at the Elmhurst Country Club in Oskaloosa, Iowa. The course and country club opened in 1928 and was in business until 2008, when it closed its doors, but was…
This image captures children riding their bikes through the downtown square in Oskaloosa, Iowa, around 1915. The streets have brick pavement in this photograph, but there are no automobiles present, illustrating the fact that few residents in…
The concept of small business was very prevalent throughout Oskaloosa, Iowa, at the turn of the 20th Century. In this photograph, staff from a chocolate store in town posed for the camera. What stands out significantly in the photograph is the…
This 1900 photograph taken of Oskaloosa, Iowa's famous town square and Mahaska County Courthouse from 1st Avenue East captures the organization and layout of Midwest towns of the period. Space was set aside at the town square so that horses and…
This photograph of a 1915 Ford Model T stuck in the middle of a flood in New Sharon, Iowa, depicts how vulnerable people are to the forces of nature. Even with advanced sewage systems and technology today, people just cannot compete with mother…
