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Forty years or more ago settler trains were almost daily passing through Odebolt bringing easterners out into what was then the wild and wooly west to settle and carve out their future destiny and fortunes in Northwestern Iowa.
Early in the year 1880 there came from the east eight or ten families from Pennsylvania seeking homes in this region. Four of the families disembarked at the then sparsely settled village of Odebolt. Among them was the Waggoner family which decided that this portion of Sac county looked good enough to them, while the others on the train went on to Ida Grove and Battle Creek. Harry Waggoner, at this time was a sturdy stripling sixteen years of age. He was born in Carlisle, Penn., May 9, 1864 and as he grew towards manhood imbibed the western sprit which had taken firm hold of his parents.
The winter of 1880 was a memorable one and will go down in history as the severest ever known in this region. Snow was everywhere, drifts abounded on every hand and the railway snow plows were kept constantly at work.
On the train that the Waggoners came on[,] numerous snow drifts were encountered and it was necessary for the locomotive to buck them repeatedly. Just east of Odebolt in a cut the snow filled it almost bank full and it required several hours of repeated bucking to gain a passage through in order to reach Odebolt.
Upon arriving in Odebolt the Waggoners were taken to the C. W. Cook ranch, northwest of town, where they remained two years. Harry never forgot his first Iowa winter and recalls vast fields of snow and how he plowed his way about with only the tops of fenceposts visible and his frequent upsets from point to point. On this ranch were many horses that had served as street car horses elsewhere and it took skillful handling to work them satisfactorily after the street car training but Harry soon learned their ways and by means of kind treatment and gentle persuasion learned [taught] them ranch methods. So severe were the blizzards in those days, lasting as they generally did from three to four days, it became necessary to stretch a clothesline from the house to the barn in order to find one's way and several times did Harry get lost while journeying to the neighbors, only to bring up at the home after hours spent in the blizzard trying to locate it.
Tiring of ranch life Mr. Waggoner came to Odebolt and later on engaged in the painting and paperhanging business and by his promptitude and efficient manner of workmanship his services were constantly in demand and many of the older homes in Odebolt still bear marks of his handiwork.
Thirty-six years ago Mr. Waggoner took unto himself a wife and to this union was born six splendid daughters. Throughout his life Mr. Waggoner was constantly busy, leading a clean, consistent life and was content to live in a quiet, unassuming manner, rearing his family in a manner that has brought added honors to the name of Waggoner. He lives in a neat little home on West Sixth street with ground enough to furnish a fine garden and here surrounded by a portion of his family he lives a life of contentment, happiness and moderate prosperity.
In 1922 he was elected janitor of the Odebolt high school building, to which position he was recently re-elected for the fifth time. His capabilities have been well exemplified in this position and in season and out he has proved himself the ideal man for the place.
During his residence here he has served as sexton of the Presbyterian and Methodist churches and as usual proved himself invaluable in these positions.
Of a sunny disposition and an undefatigable [sic] worker Mr. Waggoner has a host of friends who look upon him as an ideal citizen whose quiet, unassuming way was won him a high place in their estimation.
He lays his having a rugged constitution to the fact of his early days having been spent on the ranch and pioneering in true fashion.
transcribed by B. Ekse from microfilm