This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Portrait of a thriving city with immense growth
The report highlights a city with over 20,000 books in two libraries, 17 grades and 3 central high schools, 60 fraternal groups, and major facilities including Iowa Electric Amusement Park and the largest Y M C A in Iowa. It notes a $150,000 marble court house, a $160,000 courthouse, a vast mail order house, the midwest’s largest horse market, 12 strong banks, 160 factories employing 7,000, and $20,000,000 yearly manufactured value. The city sits on the Cedar River, has extensive water power, bridges, two modern hospitals, 82 churches, and near-complete occupancy.