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From: "Cathy Joynt Labath" <>
Subject: [IAPALOAL] West Bend History (cont.)
Date: Sun, 11 May 2003 14:23:17 -0500


...continued...

West Bend Journal
May 30, 1956
Centennial Edition

First History Written of 100 Year Old Town
Original Site on West Fork of the Des Moines River
By Mrs. Ed Nessen


At a special election in '914 the citizens of West Bend voted to
establish a municipal light plant to supply the community with electric
service and to light the streets. Previous to this time there was no
electric service and only a few blocks of the town's main street were
lighted by 3 gas lamps, all residence streets being in darkness.
In the spring of 1915 the original building was erected by local
contractors, Dixon & Anderegg and a 50 h.p. steam engine and boiler
installed. In 1932 the system was rebuilt from a direct to an alternating
current system. In 1954 a 1400 h.p. diesel engine was installed and also at
this time a new building was built around the old one and then the latter
was removed. Nevuis Cuplin, present plant superintendent began his work in
1924. This vital town enterprise supplies the public, free of charge,
electricity for lighting the streets, lighting of our famous Grotto and the
park, city hall, library, fire department and also the power for the water
pumping and operation of the disposal plant.
In connection with the above we might also tell a little about the
local Volunteer Fire Dept. This organization was started in 1919 with the
members being: Ed Mayer, Les Minger, Fred Schurg, Bob Tinsley, R.G. Wilson,
Irvin Shellmyer, P.O. Dorweiler, Jerry Schutter, Dewey Crotts, Ben Walker,
Geo. Foley and Walter Shellmyre. Bob Tinsley was the first fire chief. The
present fire chief is Irvin Shellmyer, charter member of the department.
The present town of West Bend was incorporated in 1884.
At one time the town of West Bend had 2 newspapers, the Advance and
the West Bend Journal. The latter which is still an up and coming small town
paper was first entered as 2nd class matter in July, 1888. Editor was D.H.
Williamson. Mr. J.B. Martin was also an early publisher of the West Bend
Journal. Present owners and publishers are Elmer and GeVerna Cole.
Continuing the saga of West Bend, its growth and progress. In this we
attempt to tell about those business men and the organizations which figured
in the town's beginning and for the first years and then go on to the latter
years.
In a previous installment, the first hotel (West Bend House) was
mentioned. In due fairness to early business folk, we wish to tell about
another hotel, which was well known. This was the Garthwaite Hotel,
purchased in 1886 by the Benjamin Garthwaites from Mr. Appleton, West Bend's
first depot agent. Mrs. Nellie Emerson, well known resident of our town is a
daughter of the Garthwaites. The hotel, located on the east side of Main St.
about where the Montag Bros. Garage is now was operated by Mr. and Mrs.
Garthwaite from 1886 to 1895. An interesting note which we wish to insert
here. Mrs. Emerson came to West Bend as a girl of 12 years and from then on
she proudly says, "I spent my life for the past 70 years on Main St. of West
Bend" by this she means she lived there first, with her parents, then as
Mrs. Geo. Emerson (operating a restaurant with her husband) and before
retiring to her present home on the corner of Main St. she operated an Ice
Cream Parlor in the restaurant location. She has observed the life of the
town from her windows.
Important to the town's business and prosperity are the grain
elevators. Mr. W.E. Reid operated one where the present Farmers Coop
Elevator Co. is located. They bought it from Mr. Reid in 1915. Geo Schreiber
and then Carl Krueger (father of Ernest Krueger) ran a grain elevator where
the Davenport Elevator Co. is at the present time.
In conjunction with the Farmers Coop Elevator there is a Farmers
Service Station on the street running West from Main. R.W. Jurgens is the
present manager of the Coop and Mr. J.A. Olson is manager of the Davenport
Elevator Co.
Located where the home of Mrs. W.H. Daubendiek is now, was the first
creamery. Then in 1892 the Farmers Creamery was started in a frame building
in the northwest section of town across the railroad tracks where the Gene
Claude home is. Tom Clark was the creamery manager. When the creamery
building burned down in 1928 the new creamery (the present Farmers Coop
Creamery) was started immediately and operation of it began about November
of 1928, with O.W. Dubbs as manager.
The first telephone company was begun and managed by J.M. Border and Ed
Bartlett. The telephone office was in the small building (still standing) at
the rear of Walkers Store. This little frame building is now used for
storage. Mrs. Stena Hanson was the first telephone operator and Mr.
Jorgenson (called Jergy by everyone) was the lineman and Irvan Shellmyer, a
school boy then, worked with him. Later Mr. Archie Bourrett was the
telephone Co. manager and he in turn sold it to Leo Balgeman. in the spring
of 1917 W.H. Daubendiek came from eastern Iowa, bought the Telephone Co.
(then known as West Bend Telephone Co.)-from Balgeman and became manager. In
1926 the West Iowa Telephone Co. was organized and the West Bend company was
made a part of it, and the office was moved to Main Street. Mr. Shellmyer
continued with the West Iowa until 1936. A great improvement was made in the
system in 1954 when the company changed to the dial system, and everyone in
town and the surrounding community were supplied with dial phones, Mayor
J.A. Olson placed the first call (to California) over the new system. Mr.
Robert Alcorn is the present local manager.

...to be continued...


Cathy Joynt Labath
Palo Alto Co, IA USGenWeb Project
http://www.celticcousins.net/paloalto/index.htm


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