Danbury Iowa Early Businesses

Danbury Iowa Early Businesses

Genealogy for Woodbury County, Iowa, USA. Click here for the HOME page.

Mayor F J Innkeeper 1888-1890; Mayor J H Ostrom 1890-1894.

The town had changed a great deal by 1888. There were business places on both the east and west sides of Main Street. The buildings were all wooden buildings except for the Wilkinson building, which was of brick and built in 1888. Henry and Pat Fitzpatrick built the second brick structure, a new hardware, in 1889. Trees had been planted and cement sidewalks replaced the board walks. The tie racks for horses had been moved form Main Street, and the first telephone had been installed in Louck’s Drug store 1890. Soon telephone service was available to all who wanted it. Newer methods of fighting fires were available in 1892, and the first fire department was organized.

Danbury Main Street 1890-1892.
Mayor – J H Ostrom; Trustees – Samuel Boyer, C F Kueny, Walter Hand, William R Reinhold, M D Cord, and John Kampmeyer; Recorder – C F Seibold.

Businesses:
Elevators – Godfrey Durst, Sr, Roller Banner Mills and Elevator; W F Siebold, elevator and grain dealer; W B Booher, grain dealer;

Lumber Yards – W F Seibold, David Tangeman, and H Bowman Lbr Co;

General Merchandise stores – Sebold Brothers, C C Cook (who had bought out Shepard and Field), John Kampmeyer, Jacob Welte, V D Lyons and Son, grocery store.
Postmaster – V D Lyons;
Drug store – R H Loucks;
Hardware and Tin Shop – Walter Hand;
Grocery – J B Hash;
Hardware Furniture and Buggies – W B Booher (sold out to David Tangeman, 1892);
Harness and Saddlery – H T Wilcox;
Confectionery and Restaurant – D B Newcomer and Con Keleher;
Blacksmith Shops – 3;
Barers [Bakers] – J B Howe and J Millington;
Jewelry Shop – Willibald Endres;
Millinery – Mrs C C Frum;
Meat Market – J H Hart;
Variety Store – R R Glassey;
Shoemaker – Theodore Litzelschwab;
Livestock Dealers – P C Keitges, and C C Frum;
Livery Stable – Bray and Drea;
Hotels – Castle House and Livery, G N Castle, proprietor, and Commercial Hotel, John Collins, proprietor;
Danbury State Bank – President, Alex McHugh, Vice-President, A J Santee, Cashier- J W Hamilton, Ass’t Cashier – L B Santee, Sec’y, A J Wilkinson; Loan Office – Reed, Baxter and Co. of Ida Grove Pat Scanlon, Mgr;
Physicians – G W Murphy, W B Kenney and C F Kueny;
Insurance – P C Keitges;
Real Estate – J H and E Ostrom;
Loan and Land office – Joseph O’Dougherty;
Auctioneer – T W Frentress;
Windmills – R L Canty;
Furniture and Undertaking – Calvin Pierce;
Farmers Hotel – McGraths, 1892;
Criterion News – J L Killon and J W O’Day;
Hardware – W C Cameron;
Corn Shelling – L J Parks (Horses used for power).
Population 1890 was 423.

Danbury Review, as the paper is called today (1984), it was first published by J L Krozen and it was then called the Danbury News, 1882. In 1883, it was edited by Professor Shoup, Superintendent of the Public School, and known as the Maple Valley Scoop. In 1884 the name changed again to Danbury Vidette. In April 1885, J H Ostrom became editor and changed the name to The Criterion. Ownership changed again 1894, J W Killian and J W O’Day. In 1897, L B Jeneas [Jeness] and his wife, Maude Adams Jeness took over the paper and named it the Danbury Review. The building burned in 1910, and is wasn’t repaired. Mr. Jeness sold the paper to his brother-in-law, C L Adams. When Mr. Jeness left Danbury he said, ‘Danbury stands today at the head of practically every town in its class in northwest Iowa, in the matter of public and private improvements, demonstrated by its public and parochial school buildings, churches, the town’s water and electric systems, and the park, all worth thousands of dollars’. C L Adams sold the Danbury Review in January 1913, to C E Johnson. Fred Freeman bought it in 1932. Piney, as he was called, and his wife, Elsie, will long be remembered by the citizens of Danbury as the perfect newspaper team who served our community a long time and published a good local newspaper team who served our community a long time and published a good local newspaper. His sidewinders and editorials were read by everyone. During World War II he sent the Danbury Review free of charge to every boy in the service who had a Danbury address. The paper went all over the world. Our present Fire Station and Community Building was named Freeman Hall in honor of Fred Freeman.
Freemans sold the Review to John Rowley in 1955. He sold it to R L Harris of Correctionville in 1957. Virgil Dorweiler is now the owner in 1984.

Mayors: M D Cord 1894-1898; Joseph Conway 1898-1900; J F Mohr 1900-1902; W B Booher 1902-1904; R H Loucks 1904-1906; I B Santee 1906-1910; and P C Keitges 1910-1912.
Councilmen 1910-1912 were: Henry Fitzpatrick, George J Braig, C F Seibold, Wm Schneph, and J W Kinney. Treasurer: J H Crilley. Assessor: P C Keitges. Clerk: P A McGlaughlin.
Business along Main Street 1910-1912 were: Elevators: Durst Bros. – Godfrey Durst Jr and Mark Durst; Roller Banner Mills, F H Hancock; Ace Nicholls and Tangeman Boys, W F Seibold sold to Santee in 1908, and also to Tangeman. They sold to Mike Burke 1910. He built a larger elevator.
Lumber Yards: Wm Schneph, and Maple Valley Lbr – P C Keitges, Mgr.
General Merchandise: J H Crilley, Wm Jones, John Schrepher, George C Braig, and E E Crane.
Confectionery – J P Sexton.
Produce Stations: M J Frum, feeds, etc; J A Ryan – Poultry feeds and poultry.
Hardware's – Fitzpatrick Brothers, George C Braig;
Undertakers, Henry Fitzpatrick;
Draymen: J A Harrigan, Ed Tangeman, J A Stonton-Dray, Baggage and express;
Liveries: Barry Brothers – Livery and Stable-Town and Country, W H Jones – City Livery Stable;
Butcher Shops: Clancy and Food Meat Market; John Hart Meat Market;
Danbury State Bank: Lewis Larsen, Cashier, Wm Gibson and Flora Betts;
Coffee Shop: Joe Wienand;
Blacksmiths and Wagon Making: J M Boyer;
City Bakery: H Derksen;
Barbers: John Quigley, Jay Smith, Frank Neustrom, and Herman Hanson;
Contractor and Builder: F I Clement;
Dentist: W H Richards;
Drug Stores: O’Day Drug, Jim and John O’Day, and W E Schuyler;
Shoe Repair: A E Keller;
Coal: J F Mohr;
Collins Hotel: built in 1910, John Collins, Prop;
Tie Barn: Elzie Tangeman;
Auctioneer: Irving Eells;
Real Estate: Joseph O’Dougherty;
Tailoring: Mrs Walter Hand.
Olive and May Parks, and Mrs Mahoney;
Insurance and Real Estate: M D Cord;
Wagon and repair shop: S R Haberstreit;
Mason: Jacob Wendell;
Beer Tavern: F B Collins;
Lumber Yard: Bruce Edgington;
Painters and Paper Hangers: Arthur Powell; George Pullis;
Attorney form Sioux City: C W Piersol;
Postmaster: L B Jeness;
Doctors: Wm L Creswell, J J Murphy, and G W Murphy;
Corn Shelling: Tony Treiber;
Depot Agent: A B Dowling;
St Mary’s Catholic Church: Rev A J Schafer;
St Patrick's Catholic Church: Rev Timothy Meagher;
Methodist Church: Rev J R Tumbleson 1910, and Rev Ezara Cathcart 1911.
The Danbury Trust and Savings Bank organized in 1911. Officers were: D H Hedrick, President; George Braig, Vice-President; Louis Derr, Cashier; Board of Directors, Henry Diimig and P C Keitges;
Harness Shop: Emil and Broder Jacobsen.
Mayors: C F Seibold, 1912-1914; J F Mohr, 1914-1916; Maurice W Colbert, 1916-1920. Colbert died of influenza November 26, 1918. Patrick H Rush was elected to finish his term.

Woodbury County Coordinator