'A CENTURY OF MEMORIES'
OF VAN WERT, DECATUR COUNTY, IOWA

1880 - 1980

HOTELS AND ROOMING HOUSES
 
In searching for records of the early rooming houses of Van Wert, there are so many names and various stories of people that "boarded" teachers or railroad men, that we cannot mention them all. A.H. Simmerman, Mrs. Phelps, Mrs. Jesse Redman, E.L. Michael Hotel, 1887-88, Easter House, H.M. Hoadley prop. 1899 are some of the ones.
One of the early boarding houses was managed by Mrs. Weigel. She lived in the house now occupied by Thelma Parmer.

For the most part, early pioneers of Van Wert recall three main hotel buildings that operated at the same time in Van Wert's early history.

The Palace Hotel was located on the east side of Main Street and operated by Mary Fuller in 1899 and later by Temp and Fannie Craft, so lots of people called it the Craft Hotel. An ad in a 1906 "Van Wert Record" called the Palace Hotel the traveling man's home. It said "Hack meets all trains, warm rooms, well ventilated. We lead, others follow. Livery established in 1888 in connection. First class turn-outs. Special attention to commercial trade."

After the Palace Hotel burned, Wayne Thompson moved a house to that location and added a room for a Barber Shop. After the Barber Shop closed in the forties, the house became a home.

Picture of hotel is included in the panoramic view of Main Street.

 The Depot Hotel was located in the northwest section of Van Wert, south of the Depot. All that remains in 1980 to show us the location of the Depot is a concrete watering trough and pump that is in the Pete Scadden pasture. Operators of the Depot Hotel at different times were Lon Beam and later the Kennels. A picture of the hotel is faintly to the left in the big train picture of the Depot.

One of the early hotels of Van Wert was called Corbett House. It was located a block east of Main Street, being the first building across east from the Dr. Phelps' residence. Thompson Price was listed as proprietor of Corbett House in 1894. It was also operated in the early years by J.D. Young. A newspaper article states that in March, 1893, Van Wert had a bad fire which burned Holt & Co.'s store, the Enterprise Office, John Corbett's residence and Hotel and Harve Wilson Real Estate. (Taken from March 21, 1915 "25 Years Ago" column). This hotel was evidently rebuilt as we also find that 1906 and 1908 "Van Wert Record" advertises "Corbett House giving special attention to commercial trade. Bus to and from all trains. Livery in connection. J.D. Young, Prop."

Another account in 1913 and 1914 was that J.M. Gill family was operating the hotel east of Main Street. This family had the livery barn in connection with the Gill Hotel. Neil Briner and Willis (Babe) Mote drove the bus with team to meet all the trains. At one time, during the evenings, there were four passenger trains arriving at the depot at the same time.

One interesting factor recalled from the memories of Corbett House was that the dining room featured a large round table with a center part that turned. Thus you did not need a "Boarding House Reach". You just turned the lazy susan to get what you wanted. This hotel also was destroyed by fire in the early twenties.
 
FUNERAL HOMES AND PARLORS
Through the years there have been only two funeral homes and one funeral parlor or showroom in Van Wert. Tuttle Studio and Funeral Parlor was opened on November 8, 1919, and was owned and operated by Harry O. Tuttle. He was probably one of the more prominent businessmen and citizens of Van Wert, serving as Mayor for several years, publisher of the Van Wert Record and was also a professional photographer.

The studio was located on the west side of what is now Main Street and through the years several different types of businesses have operated in the building.

Tuttle's Studio and Funeral Parlor building is still standing at this time but is used only as a storeroom.

Mr. Tuttle's residence, located southeast of the town park where Jim Clemens has his home now, was where the funerals were conducted. Mr. Tuttle conducted funerals here for twenty-five years until fire destroyed the home and one of the early businesses of Van Wert in April of 1944.

Earl Lamoree was the owner and operator of Lamoree's Funeral Home. He operated from the house where Thelma Parmer resides now, conducting funerals from the 1930s to the early 1940s. Mr. Lamoree also had funeral homes in Osceola and Grand River, and traveled between here and there as the need arose. Mr. Lamoree closed his business in the early 1940s and lived here at Van Wert for several years.
 
JEWELRY
In January of 1910, Fred and Fanny Hall ran a jewelry and watch repair store, known as the Novelty Shop. They kept their business going well into the 1940s.

The October 31, 1912 Van Wert Record stated this about the businessman, "Fred A. Hall, Van Wert's hustling jewelryman, made a business trip to Grand River the first of the week, and as usual, came home loaded with watch and jewelry repairing. Fred is a fine workman."

The business was located on the west side of Main Street on the south end of the street. Layton Schuldt used this building to operate a garage in the late 50s and early 60s. Don McClure now uses the building as storage.
 
 MILLINERIES
In the old days, often the most important part of a lady's attire was her hat. The fancier and fluffier the hat was, the better she looked. Each hat was usually unique in style so truly a prized possession. They were so important, shops called millineries were booming businesses.

As early as 1884-85, Mrs. N.J. Johnson had such a shop. Downey and Black (Ida Downey and Ella Black) ran a dressmaker and millinery store in 1895 and 1896. The Grim and Anderson store operated by Mrs. E.M. Grim and Laura Anderson sold hats around this time also.

Mrs. Mattie Blair seemed to have the longest lasting millinery, being in business at least five or six years (1895-1899). Van Wert had two other millineries which both opened in 1909. A.S. Ramsey's grand opening occurred on September 22nd and featured "a choice line of sailors and Fall walking hats." (Van Wert Record) J.M. Allen opened his store Saturday, September 18. Fred Hall also sold hats in his Novelty Shop and employed Fern Mallatt for a time.
 
PHARMACY AND DRUG STORES
An early historical book lists a W.H. Todd as a physician and druggist in Van Wert in 1887 and N.J. Hyatt in 1887-1888 as druggist.

A.L. Belding had the drug store on the west side of Main Street in 1895 and still in 1912 - 1913. This business was run later by Ora Burkey.

In 1927, Marion and Irene Jones arrived in Van Wert to run the drug store. During the depression of the 1930s, the drug store expanded and changed into a grocery store and produce station in addition to the original drug store. After the war they dropped these additional services and returned to the original drug store items and soda fountain.

M.L. Jones was a registered pharmacist, graduated from Highland Park College in Des Moines. Irene (Cannam) Jones was a practical nurse and operating assistant for a Des Moines surgeon. For a time, the Jones' drug store even housed a branch office of a Leon Bank.

One of the memories of Jones' drug store during the forties was that they displayed graduating pictures of each class of the Van Wert High School.

Jones sold to Elmer and Ruth Houck who operated it as a drug store, then later turned it into a tavern and finally into a home.

The second floor was at one time the Odd Fellows Hall and then later living quarters. The building is presently unoccupied.
 
UPHOLSTERY SHOP
Donna's Upholstery Shop was started in April, 1979. Donna (Fry) Hatfield is the owner and operator and has redone such items as couches, rockers, occasional chairs, dinette sets and car and pickup seats in the past few months. In a matter of a few days an old chair can be made new. Car seats require from six to eighteen hours work to complete.

Furniture repair and some wood refinishing is also done here. She has on hand several supplies and a series of swatch books so that the customer might receive an estimate and order fabric in a matter of minutes. With prices being what they are today, most of the time a recovered chair, etc., will cost less than a new one and "they don't make 'em now the way they used to."
 
FURNITURE STORES
There have been a few furniture stores through the years located in Van Wert. Probably the very first one was open for business on April 11, 1895 and was owned by Dan E. Tuttle and Son. There is no information when this business closed but several other businesses through the years handled furniture along with hardware.

Harry DeVore operated a used furniture store with the help of his son, Gene, and with it being located where the Van Wert Tavern is now. He stored his furniture in the Tuttle Building and also in the house where Thelma Parmer lives now. He closed this business in 1966.

Roger Downard and Wendell Jones operated a used furniture store together from 1964 to 1966. They were located in the building where Jerry Parmer now has his garage.
 
BARBERS AND BEAUTICIANS
Late in the 1800s, C.M. Grim was Van Wert's Tonsorial Artist. In a 1910 ad, Chestnuts Tonsorial Parlor, located in the Tallman Block, charged 25 cents for baths and 50 cents for a lady's shampoo. Tonsorial Parlors dealt in the following services: hair cuts, shampoos, laundry and baths.

Another parlor was operated by W.H. Fletcher. He was also an agent for Centerville Steam Laundry.

The "O.K. Barber Shop" did first class barber work and had a bathroom. You could bring your laundry to them. Walker and Wils were the proprietors.

There have been many barbers in Van Wert over the years. They are:
Jim Rosa, Art (Bud) Owens, Fred Elston,
Rex Adams, Edwards Bros., Laurence Walker,
W.E. Wheeler, Lester Stubbs, J.H. Parker,
Ralph Mathews, Hale McConnell, Ora Irving,
Ray Miller, Ralph Cisco, Leonard Hastings,
Ed Randol, Harry DeVore, Fred Elwee,
John DeVore and Wayne Thompson.
Mrs. Leonard (Christie) Mallatt had a beauty shop upstairs of the Enterprise store in the late 1920s. From December of 1946 until April of 1957, Mrs. Bernard (Mildred) Adams had a shop at her home one mile south of the Van Wert corner. Mrs. Adams has a shop located in Leon now.

In August of 1978, Mrs. Bobby (JoAnn) Tompkins started a shop at her home three and one-half miles south of Van Wert. It is under the name of "JoAnn's Beauty Shoppe".

Beauticians from Van Wert also include Mrs. Gabriel (Jean) Boeckman, Mrs. Terry (Cheryl) Hainline and Mrs. Eddie (Ellen) Parmer.
 
PAINT AND PAPER HANGING
Interior decorating in a primitive form was started as far back as the years 1897 and 1898 when two firms had paint and paper hanging businesses, Holt and Kimekel, and Benjamin A. Hall. Jesse Holt was a painter in 1912 and 1913.

Ben Hall and Ora Irving started their paint and paper hanging business in 1921 (Ora Irving was a brother to Mrs. Cecil Pelsor). In later years Elsie (Fry) Reed and Margreet (Fry) Cain did quite a lot of paperhanging for people of the community and still operate on a small scale today.
Pages 101 - 106
 
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