Beautiful Dow City

A Quiet City of Churches, Schools and Cozy Houses.

Business Men Up-to-date and Enterprising.

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September 23, 1902:

Located in the midst of a dense and unbroken forest, its early life had all the appearance of a frontier town, but this soon took a phenomenal growth and continued to spread until now its population is reckoned at 1000. This beautiful little town is situated on the main lines of the C. & N.W. (Chicago & Northwestern) and I.C.R.R. (Illinois Central Rail Road) and is noted for its fine residences, shaded streets, lovely parks and modern business houses. Abreast of the age and throbbing with progressive ideas the town has in contemplation a water and light system to add to the comforts and conveniences of a busy city, it has fine graded schools, the buildings used are modern in architecture, ventilation and sanitary equipments. Dow City has 3 churches namely the Baptist, Methodist and Latter Day Saints each having an auxiliary organization and societies; three rural mail routes, one bank, three first class hotels; one flouring mill; one elevator, one newspaper, one brickyard and four blocks of business houses.

Baptist Church

Its businessmen are a hustling set of young men who are always on the alert and ready to help push the progress of the town. The presiding officers of the town are as follows: J.W. Bonsall, Mayor; N.R. Wilder, Sidney Green, Clark Sterrett, B.B. Keith, Jas, Riddle, and C.O. Miller are councilmen. M.V. Whaley, city clerk; Thos. Muncie, street commissioner and Henry Kent, marshal, who are a progressive and wide awake class of men who pull together and are always ready to help any enterprise that will be a benefit to the city.

The city has but one bank and needs but one as the Exchange Bank of Dow City is capable of handling the banking business of the community in the most satisfactory manner, its capital is ample and its resources are sufficient to care for all legitimate demands made upon it. Mr. Chas. E. Booth is cashier and he was raised in this vicinity and needs no introduction for he is recognized as one of the best financiers in this part of the country, he is well up in the banking business. Mr. H.S. Green is president and proprietor and through him this institution has been brought to its present standing he is a whole souled man and stands high in the community.

H.S. "Sid" Green

There is probably not in the state a stronger or more solid lot of general merchandise dealers than those run by the following men, T.P. Black, A.C. Heath, Sarah Vengrovitch and B.E. Keith who are counted among the strongest merchantile concerns in the country, their financial standing being of the highest, while their reputation for honestly and probity being of the best possible character, their stock of goods handled embraces everything known to the trade in the way of dry good, clothing, furnishing goods, groceries, etc. They enjoy a good trade and are very popular with all classes.

Mr. M.G. Wiggins the popular postmaster is a Grand Army man, it is said of him that he made a most excellent soldier. His record as a soldier is of the highest character and one to which his friends take a pardonable pride in referring “a good solder makes a good citizen and generally a good businessman”. In the case of Capt. Wiggins this is true, he has managed the affairs of Uncle Sam as to gain respect and confidence of the entire community.

Dow City Street Scene (the sign protruding from fourth building from the left,

with all the horses standing in front of i,t reads" MEALS & LUNCH)

Mr. Clair Butterworth is proprietor of the leading meat market where he carries a nice choice line of the best meats. He is a very careful, and recognized as one of our reputable and honorable citizens, and is known as a straightforward honest business man. He is deserving of the trade he has and his friends are glad to know that his enterprising efforts have been rewarded.

We take pleasure in referring our readers to Geo. H. Davis the popular drug man . His store is centrally located and one of the neatest and most handsomely furnished in this portion of the country. The stock carried is both large and complete and comprises a full line of everything carried in a modern drug store.

No town is complete without a first class furniture store and it is with pride that we point to S. Wise who is a first class furniture man and carries a fine up-to-date stock. He bears a very high reputation for the extent, variety and quality of stock - also in his treatment of the public. he is a worthY citizen and is entitled to the high esteem in which he is held by all.

If any one wants to buy real estate in Dow City or surrounding territory, Wilder is the man to see. His judgment on valuation on land is among the best of real estate dealers in Iowa. Mr. N.R. Wilder is one of our best citizens and is held in high esteem by all who know him as he is honest and Straightforward in all his dealings.

We believe we are safe in saying that no man in Dow City is better or more favorably known than our genial and obliging insurance man Mr. M.V. Whaley. His business is both fire and life insurance. He always tells you just what a company is and as he is a truthful man his representations can always be depended upon.

The town is blessed with two first class harness men who carry big stocks and have a nice trade. The firms are C.R. Vaughn and W.C. Rule, who are noted for dealing with their patrons in the conscientious manner and as a consequence they have built up a very lucrative and growing business. Mr. A.L. Brown is one of the leading jewelry men of the city. He carries a nice line of jewelry, watches and optical goods and does first class work. He is an enterprising and loyal citizen and is known to be a thoroughly reliable, honest, truthful man and he would not make a false representation about his goods.

Mr. A.H. Rudd is the editor of a bright newsy sheet called the “Enterprise” and is one of the leading factors of the town.

Hotel and Enterprise newspaper office

Joseph McColl has done a great deal towards advancing the farming interest and increasing the reputation of Dow City as a desirable grain and hog market. He had faith in the town and subsequent events have demonstrated that his judgment was well founded. He has built up the grain and hog business until it is now the best in the country.

Everybody for miles know the four blacksmiths, or as they are called, “the jolly four”. They are Isaac Scott, J.A. Scott, T.W. Swatman and T.E. Baber. They do all kinds blacksmith. Wagon work, plow work, horse shoeing and general repairing. They are all skilled workmen and guarantee their work. They are all very prompt in all their work. They are very prompt in all their dealings.

Unidentified Dow City Blacksmith

Mr. E.V. Goddard is the wagon maker who needs no introduction as his work has built up a good reputation. He is very popular and is liked and esteemed by all.

Everybody who has stopped in Dow City has heard of Jacksons and Sterretts and Sanfords livery barns. It is almost a household word, they have lived here a long time and are well known by all the commercial travelers. They have first class rigs and their prices are always reasonable.

Dow City Livery

Clark Sterrett runs the pool room and eating house and carries a fine line of cigars and Frank Luxford runs the bowling alley, they both run nice orderly places and try to please their customers. E.P. O'Meara and L.D. Smith are the liquor dispensers who carry a fine line of beer, wine, liquors and cigars. They strictly obey the law in keeping their places up to the letter and treating their trade courteously.

Dow City Saloon

Honor in business always pays a sure and fair dividend and those establishments conducted upon principles of unflinching integrity are sure to advance in public favor and to command a liberal patronage such as has been the experience of W.J. Wiggins the popular fruit man who has built up a nice trade and carries a fine line of choice confectionery, cigars, nuts, etc. He is a good man for the town and upon inquiry the writer learns that no man in the town is held in higher esteem than Mr. Wiggins.

C. M. Talcott and James Snyder are the two leading tonsorial artists who fully understand the wants of the shaving populace. They are experts in their line and by their good natured ways have built up a good trade.

Last but not least comes the Stewart Lumber Co., with Mr. Frank Stone as manager. They carry an elegant line of all kinds of lumber, hardware and implements and have a large trade. Through the hard, conservative work work of Mr. Frank Stone this company has kept on building and increasing its stock until now it covers about three acres of ground. Frank is a hustler in all his work, also has sterling habits and is very prominent in the community and bears a high reputation for honesty in all his dealings.

It may be safely said that Dow City ranks first in the country for pure water, healthful climate and good looking people and that is one reason the writer settled down at this point.