NEWS FROM THE 1880's "ODEBOLT OBSERVER"

July 1880
A trip to Wall Lake -  Local Matters -  sample advertising -  Flax Mill -  Trip to Early,  Sac City, Cook Township

August, September 1880
Trip to Grant City, Farmers vs. Hunters - Local Matters -  new businesses, gossip - school board -  Presbyterian Church

December, 1880
"Fletcher" a new town -  Holidays and Santa Claus - new school to open Monday - early days of Sac County

The 1881 portion of this newspaper has not been microfilmed and Bonnie Ekse has made it her mission to transcribe important items about the people and happenings of 1881 in Odebolt. 

February, 1881
A horse that drives itself? - Cattle feed in cornfields -  Snowed in again - Masonic Hall social gathering - Wrestling

March, 1881
Bad weather, no mail -  need for housing - spelling bee - Surprise party - 10 mile long snow drift - Dr. Groman - Child injured,  - Business news

April, 1881
News bits - many early names - Blizzard -  Building on "the mountain" - Park improvement

May, 1881
Sowing Wheat -  Presbyterian and Methodist Church - New houses, new business locations - Dedication of Presbyterian Church - Firemen to Council Bluffs - Sac and Ida Counties as Viewed by an Inter-Ocean Representative. - Cook Township - town of  Early items - The Odebolt Nursery - Eureka Items

June 1881
Cattle on the loose!  - New Wright Building -  Baseball scores - A local hero -  Wheeler addition -  1st case for Justice Sutton, -  Marriages -   Hook and Ladder Boys -  Old Settlers,  - Ice Cream & Strawberry Festival - A Ride to Cook Center - Burleigh & Summerwill store nearly complete - burglars and safe blowers! - Sloughs on public roads - Close of first year of "Observer" - Recap of progress in Odebolt - The comet and the District Fair

July 13 and 20, 1881
Bridges washed out; Dr. Huson for coroner - Waddell for sheriff; dog ordinance - baptism, births and a double marriage - Steps to include the Wheeler addition and "Bangtown" in city limits - "Basso profundo" and the visiting Dutchman! - District Fair - 40,000 pound wool shipment - Wheeler candidate for State Senator - Church news, McCarter barn fire - attempted murder of Cornelius Powell - sports in Odebolt

July 27, 1881
Temperature hits 100; Ross runs for senate - District Fair meeting - Baseball with Ida Grove - M.E. Church meets at Fox School House - New grocer; wheat harvest - Ada Douglass funeral - Personal news - Dog problem downtown

AUGUST 1881
Aug 3 & 10   ---   Aug 17 & 24  ---   Aug 31
News bits about numerous Odebolt people - Solution for the "aroma" of the stockyards - Jacob Kalmer accident with run away team - M.E. Church Social -  A visit to Boyer Valley - Eden, Cook and Eureka townships - Incorporation of the District Fair - Ida Grove and Cook Center ball clubs play -  A Burglary -  Unclaimed letters -  births, marriage, death - Presbyterian 1st Anniversary

September 1881
Many references to local people; Fox school house program; Post office to move to Ketterer & Co. building; Delmonico changed to Tremont Hotel; County Conventions; Flax Mill; Preston opens store; County school picnic; H.T. Martin for County Supt.; President Garfield dies; New Schmitz building; Harvest Home picnic; Odebolt House Hotel for sale; Odebolt Nursery; Train Robbery; Sac County politics; Odebolt honors President Garfield's passing; Marriages, deaths, business and personal information.

October 1881
Ads as they appear on the front page; Business Directory; references to local people;Schmitz building completed; Catholic Church in Vail destroyed in storm; Listing of students in High School, Intermediate and Primary in September 1881.

NEWS FROM THE "ODEBOLT  REPORTER"

1885 Excerpts - Mr. Currie, Sr. death ... The Monster Farm (Cook Ranch) ...  Thanksgiving 

Sept 23, 1886 - ODEBOLT; Its Early Settlement and Present Business Status. 

July 4th (various early years) From Odebolt Reporter and Odebolt Observer; News about July 4th  celebrations in various years

NEWS FROM THE "ODEBOLT NEWS"

The New Bell Hotel, & Odebolt - Masher's Mecca!

The Boys of Company B

Frank Kelley Recollections of the Early Days

History of Hanson Blvd

Excerpts from 1914
Bruce, Starner to build bungalows; Undertaker Kircher makes chapel; Mattes engagement; Cozy & Princess Theaters;  Building and Improvement going on in Odebolt.

NEWS FROM THE  "ODEBOLT CHRONICLE"

Excerpts from the oldest extant issue of  THE CHRONICLE, June 3, 1887

Mother Mummey - 1877 story of an aged woman

The Cook & Wheeler Farms
12 August 1887

Red Front Fire, April, 1894

1902 to 1904 Chronicle Excerpts
Fry sells photography studio; Cloid Smith sells drug store; new Brookmont elevators, sawmill; 21 years ago; Traver trip by covered wagon

1903 Chronicle Excerpts
March - July, 1903
-County uniformity of school books adopted
-Neighbors help John Scott
- Walls and ceilings in First National Bank building  frescoed by Erik Eriksson.
- Cloid Smith and HenryPetersmeyer purchase Sioux Valley Telephone company
-The Chronicle, 16 years under Hamilton
- 1903 Graduation
-So many songbirds; Kiron band;
- G. A. R. Encampment at Cedar Rapids
-Forty-one German counts, barons & and landed  proprietors visit Odebolt farms
- Fred Frevert will move to Charles City; sold farm to brother Henry
- Hotel Bell name change to Pennell House
- Stores and offices piped with gas
- Hail causes damage
August - October, 1903
-Billy Hamilton-witness fees and mileage for Cherry Sisters case
-Rattlesnake in Odebolt
-Gas ranges & lighting come to Odebolt
-Obituaries; George H. Turner & J. W. Mertz
-2,750 lambs for W.P. Adams
- Brookmont ships 500 head of steers
-Ingleside and Women's Literary clubs arrange for entertainmers

July 4, 1907 (photo and article)
Odebolt's greatest throng - Six thousand visitors
They Came From Far and Near to Celebrate the Fourth 

1908 D. Correll Auction

1910, Grad. Ag Students Tour Odebolt Farms

12 January 1911
Halboth Auction
Swedish Covenant Church meetings

1911 Chronicle Excerpts
Several prominent Odeboltians, now in the west, will attend the annual picnic of the Iowa Association of Southern California; McDonough Valentine Social; Schmitz family gathering; various mentions of Odebolt people

1912 Chronicle Excerpts NEW
New county bridges across Odebolt Creek; Koehler and Hanson; William Jennings Bryan visits Odebolt Chautauqua; Land changing hands; lemonade recipe; more

December 1913 - The Princess Theater Opens

1914 Chronicle Excerpts
Rebuilding Koehler & Hanson & Einspahr garage after fire; Trees trimmed on Hanson Blvd; Fire Dept. purchases uniforms; Walters/Kuhlberg wedding; Autos great for Odebolt businesses!

Articles from 1890 - 1914 - 1916
An easy winter; Wheeler"caned" by friends;
John Fuchs Barn Dance, A corn palace, 
1890's Decoration Day, 1890 Census, 
Henry Hanson sells grain business!

January/February 1918 
Stockholder in the Cooperative; News from Odebolt men in the military; Red Cross ladies; social activites & trips; Death of Mr. Bennet of the Odebolt Observer

29 January, 1925
Odebolt's oldest women; Cemetery Lawn Mower
E. McKinley Eriksson promoted

April & August, 1926
Piano Recitals; Cracker Jack Adds to Holdings

3 June, 1926  Decoration Day

Letter from Frank Kelley, 1938

Who Works for Whom in Odebolt, 1944

35 Odebolt Area Farms Demolished By Tornado on May 18, 1944

War Prisoners at Fairview Farm

Old railroad water tower razed, 1952

Christmas from
The Odebolt History Pages

Click for the
Christmas Past Index