Abbott Avenue

D. A. Abbott

Daniel A. Abbott was a farmer who lived in Cass Township. A "Methodist Class" was organized by Rev. David Power Day in 1857. This class met at the White Fox schoolhouse. When Rev. Day died the next year, D. A. Abbott took over as pastor of this congregation.

Angela Drive

Angela Zatlouckel

This drive does not appear on the 911 map, but it is a short street that was named by the developer of Hickory Hills addition north of Webster City. The post office recognizes the street.

Bach Grove Ave

Bach Grove

This road is six miles long, located in the northwest corner of our county. Bach Grove Avenue is named for an early day settlement, which was located along the Boone River in the northwest part of the county. Another spelling of the settlement was Batch Grove. It was named when settlers arrived and found three log cabins already there, each occupied by a bachelor. Later a school was located just south of the Boone River. It was called the Bach Grove School. School children living north of the river for some time crossed on a suspension walking bridge.

Bellevue Road

This road is located at the extreme west border of Hamilton County. It is about a mile in length and run north, making a sharp hook-shaped turn west to cross over the Boone River. It is named because it is the road that one can use to go to Belleville in Webster County. Belleville was named for the many Bell family members who settled there. Some of these Bell family were Benjamin and Elizabeth (Enoch) Bell. Their children were Henry, Elizabeth, Sarah Jane, Isaac, Amy, Jane, Nancy, Benjamin, Jr., and Ellen.

Bell's Mill Road

Jasper and Sarah Jane Bell

Jasper Newton Bell came from Putnam County, Indiania in 1852 with his parents, Benjamin, Jr. and Sarah. His grandfather was also named Benjamin Bell. Jasper married Sarah Jane Bell. She was born on Sept 20, 1842, was married in 1875, and died in February, 1931. Sarah Jane went by the nickname "Aunt Jen."

Though there were earlier owners of the Bell's Mill, the mill name is remembered today as Bell's Mill. It was purchased, by Jasper, from David Eckerson, a Methodist minister. They operated the mill until 1880, when a flood washed out the dam. Aunt Jen gave the land to the county for the park, Bell's Mill Park on June 1, 1926.

Big Bear Road

- could not confirm the street name - suspect a big bear was reported as being there in the early days of Hamilton County.

Blueberry Hill Drive

- Blueberry Hill Drive was not named for any pioneer family. It is common in many areas for one road, rather isolated, to serve young lovers. This name was used by locals long before the E911 road naming was done. A song has the name of the drive in its title. "I Lost My Thrill On Blueberry Hill."

Briggs Woods Road

- named for the road that went to Briggs Woods, our first county park.

Briggs Woods Trail

- named for the trail that goes to the Briggs Woods area.

Ulysses Briggs

Ulysses Briggs, generally called Ulis, was born in 1821 in Derbyshire, England. While still in England he married Ellen Brown in April, 1845 just before they left for America. They lived in Pennsylvania for 11 years where he practiced the art of pottery. Then they came to Hamilton County in 1857 settling in Cass Township. He bought 202 acres in Boone Township, which he farmed. They were the parents of eight children: Thirza, Agnes, Steven, Ella, Charles, Frank, Marion, and Ulis, Jr. Ulis served as Justice of Peace for Boone Township. His daughter, Thriza, gave the farmstead to Hamilton County to be used as a public park. It was given the name of Briggs Woods. Briggs Woods Road is also referred to as state highway 17. Briggs Woods Trail is the name given to the stub that leads to the park from the highway.

Callanan Drive

James Callanan

James Callanan was a Des Moines investor who was the president of the Des Moines and Minnesota Railroad. This was a narrow gauge line that ran north from Des Moines to Ames. He intended to extend the line all of the way into Minnesota. The only extension that he was able to accomplish was into Hamilton County in 1878. The town of Callanan was the northern terminus. It was first intended to name the town Lakin to honor the settlers who moved here from Lakin's grove, but in recognition of the railroad the name of Callanan was chosen instead. Callanan was located in the northwest corner of Section 2, Ellsworth Township. Later, when the line was expanded into a standard gauge line, the route was instead directed to Jewell Junction. The town of Callanan disappeared quickly as the residents moved to either Ellsworth or Jewell Junction.

Chase Ave

D. D. and D. C. Chase

Daniel Darrow Chase was born on July 4, 1830 in New York. He came to Iowa in 1858. He became a lawyer and then was appointed as district judge. In 1877 he was elected to the State Senate, serving for eight years. He had a son, Daniel Cady.

D. C. graduated from Iowa State University in journalism, then studied for the law and was admitted to the bar in 1880. It was he who defended Thomas Basket for the murder of Monsieur Dialo, the circus strongman of the Ringling Brothers Circus. D. C. was elected to the general assembly in 1890 and 1892. He became an organizer of the Webster City Savings Bank and served as president. He died in 1973.

Christytown Road

Christy Town

Mrs. Christy Ness, a widow, settled in Section 36, Ellsworth Township, in the timber land along the Skunk River. Later, other people settled in the same area, forming a settlement. The settlement took on the name Christy Town. Mrs. Ness later remarried Anders Nessa, and moved from the area. However, the name of the settlement stayed. The Christytown Road was named for this settlement.

Deer Run Road

This is another case where the name for the road was given by locals long before the E911 road naming was done. This road is located a mile north and about 3/4 mile east of Randall and follows the Skunk River. Many deer cross this road as they go to the river for water.

Dickenson Ave

Alanson Dickinson

Allanson Dickinson arrived in the county in 1854. He selected the farm which afterwards became the home of Benjamin Millard. It is located just up the hill west of the Highway 17 bridge as it crossed the Boone River. Is it here that the stagecoach later crossed the Boone River coming from Nevada and Skunk Grove. The stage then followed what is today called Millards Lane into Webster City. This crossing was abandoned after the Dubuque Street Bridge was built in town. Today the bridge is called the Bank Street Bridge.

Doolan Ave

Louisa Doolan

Louisa Doolan was a young lady who lived in the Saratoga neighborhood in 1857. For Christmas a group of friends decided to celebrate the Christmas holiday in Skunk Grove (later called Rose Grove). The party included Louisa Doolan, Louisa Levanch, Adelaid Woodard, Ralph Osborn, Elisha Hall, and E. G. Whaley. They left Saratoga at 4 o'clock in the evening on Christmas Eve in a wagon pulled by a four-horse team. There was no road to follow, only the wild prairie. Since the ground was frozen they did not need to worry about the many swampy areas. During the entire trip they did not see a house, a bush, or a briar. They did encounter wolves and coyotes, near present day Kamrar. A group of about 100 followed them for a long time, nipping at the horses and snapping at the wagon. One man carried a rifle, but they were afraid to use it for fear that the smell of blood might cause an attack. After the party, the group spent the night with friends at Skunk Grove. On Christmas day they had a fine dinner feast, their first in Hamilton County. Then they returned to Saratoga following the same route, this time without the threat of wolves. Louisa is the first settler with the name Doolan recorded in Hamilton County.

Erickson Ave

Andrew E. Erickson

Andrew and Margaret Erickson are the first Erickson family listed in Lee's 1912 History of Hamilton County. He served in the Iowa 39^th Infantry Division during the Civil War. Then they farmed on their homestead a mile east of Stratford. They had a daughter Agnes M. Erickson. Perhaps there were also other children, but their names are not known today.

Estes Ave

L. L. Estes

L. L. Estes arrived in the village of Webster City in the spring of 1858. The village had just had its name changed from Newcastle the year before. At this time there were only about 100 inhabitants. Estes went on the Spirit Lake march after the massacre in 1859. He opened a drug store at the northwest corner of Bank and Seneca streets. He was appointed postmaster by President Abraham Lincoln. The post office was then located at the rear of his store. School books were also sold in this store. In 1862 he married Francis Hillock. They had two children, Fred E. and Hattie B In 1874 he established a private bank, Young, Estes, & Company, which was located on the north side of Bank Street, just north of what we now call West Twin Park. This bank is the reason that Bank Street got its name. It was the first bank in Webster City. In 1889 his wife died and he married Mrs. Ella Miracle, the widow of Judge J. D. Miracle.

Evans Ave

Robert Evans

Mr. and Mrs. Robert Evans came to Iowa in 1864 settling near Stanhope. They were the parents of twelve children. One son was named Joseph, who was born in 1841 in New York. J. S. (Joseph) served in the Union Army, Co. E, 39^th Illinois Infantry during the Civil War. After the war he became the foreman of the Ten Eyck Farms, north of Stratford until 1869. He moved to a farm near Stratford, and later moved to another farm in the Lake Center community. After he retired he became a rural mail carrier. His youngest sister, Mary, was born in Wilmington, Illinois in 1858. She had a 50 year career as a practical nurse and midwife. The first baby she delivered in Webster City was Jesse Mason, later the owner of Mason Hardware. She never married but delivered about 700 babies during her career. The community knew her affectionately as "Aunt Molly," She was present for the birth of all seven of the children born to Mr. and Mrs. William Yungclas. She was also a long time member of the Congregational Church. Her life story was written up by Clark R. Mollenhoff and appeared in the Des Moines Register on November 3, 1946. She died in 1948 at the age of 90.

Fenton Ave

C. T. Fenton

Charles Thomas Fenton was born in New York in 1826. He came to Iowa in 1855 and wintered in Dubuque. He arrived in Webster City in 1856. He purchased the sawmill at the end of Ohio Street from W. C. Willson and went into the timber business. He also purchased a farm. For a period of time he engaged in the buying and shipping of livestock after the railroad arrived in 1869. When he gave up the livestock business he opened a lumber yard in Webster City. Next he became a charter member of the First National Bank. In 1884 he was elected as mayor of Webster City, winning with only one vote against him. Next he was elected as a county supervisor in 1885. He was married to Lyde Moore in 1867. They had four daughters, Lola, Jennie, Mabel, and Hattie.

Fisher Ave

Dr. Charles Fisher.

Charles Fisher came to this county in 1855. At that time the county was called Webster County. The name was changed to Hamilton County in 1857. Fisher purchased the Groseclose Mill, the third mill to be constructed along the Boone River, from Andrew Groseclose. Fisher was a practioner and also a millwright. He built two log cabins near the mill for his customers so use while they waited for their grain to be milled. He also operated a sawmill at the site and made laths and shingles. The mill burned down and was never rebuilt. It was located in Section 15-87-26.

Fowler Ave

Alexander Lincoln Fowler

Alexander Fowler's parents lived in Calhoun County and he worked on the farm with them in his early years. In 1883 he married Elsie Emeline McCarthy in Blairsburg. They were the parents of two daughters; Pearl Blanche and Mary Jane. They farmed in the Blairsbury area until 1891. For a short time he was also in the dairy business. Then he purchased a meat market in the town of Blairsburg. After one year, he switched businesses and became a barber. He served as the recorder for the town, was on the board of education, and was also on the town council.

Gerber Ave

Jacob Gerber

Jacob Gerber emigrated to the U. S. in 1868 with his family. They settled on a farm south of Webster City. They were the parents of eight children; Caroline, Daniel, Charles, Louis N., William, Kate, Anna, and Mary. William founded a drug and jewelry business in Williams with his brother Louis. The store was known as Gerber Brothers. Louis continued to operate the store when William purchased a pool hall and bowling alley. William served on the city council for 17 years, was the Justice of Peace, and a member of the school board. Louis sold out the drug business later to become the Hamilton County School Superintendent, a position he held for 14 years. Brother Charles served as the county recorder for a term.

Gilmore Ave

Oscar L. Gilmore

Oscar L. Gilmore was born and raised in Illinois. He attended Illinois Normal School and after graduation moved to Webster City at the age of 17 to teach. He taught in the rural schools of Hamilton County. His education was continued at Capital City Commercial College in Des Moines. Gilmore was married to Effie Layne in 1893 and they farmed in the Pleasant Hill area. In 1922 the couple moved to Webster City, but returned to the farm in 1925. They retired from farming in 1947. They were the parents of five children; Reginald, Merville, Helen, Dorothy, and Geraldine.

The earliest Gilmore names found in our history was W. W. Gilmore and Frank Gilmore. Frank was an attorney in Hamilton County in 1912. No other record exists today about either of these two persons.

Hammond Ave

William Hammond

William Hammond left Wisconsin in a party that included W. C. and Mrs. Willson, Sumler Willson, and Levi Stearns to come west. The Willson's were interested in the new village of Newcastle from information given by Wilson Brewer who traveled throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Wisconsin in hopes of bringing settlers to this area. The party left Wisconsin in October, 1854. As the wagons moved west, Hammond and W. C. Willson would ride ahead and inspect prospective towns. After they visited Newcastle (now Webster City) they rode back and gave glowing reports of this prospect. The party arrrived in Newcastle in 1855, whereupon W. C. Willson purchased the entire town plat for $29,000.

Hickory Hills Lane

Hickory Hill Lane is a private road that leads to a housing development north of Webster City. The development was done by Jerry Zatloukel, who at one time was a broker with the Richard Obe Real Estate office. He had two children; Angela, born in 1963, and Jerry, born in 1965. The road leading to the development from the north was named Angela Street to honor his daughter. The name Hickory Hills was given because the development had several hickory trees and was located atop a hill east of the Boone River.

Homer Ave

Homer Main Street

Homer 2^nd Street

Homer Washington Street

Homer

These four streets are all located in the former town of Homer. The town was laid out by three men; Granville Burkley, Elisha Anderson, and Samuel B. McCall. Anderson and McCall were supervisors from Boone County, who were assigned the task of locating the county seat for the new Webster County, which covered all of Yell, Risley, and part of Humboldt counties. Burkley came to the Hamilton County area in 1852. He circulated a petition to have the the two counties of Risley and Yell combined into one. It was to be named Webster County for the national orator, Daniel Webster. Burkley had settled in the vicinity of his proposed new town of Homer. He persuaded Anderson and McCall to pick a site in Section 6, 87N, R26W for the new county seat. He then gave it the name Homer, for the epic Greek poet. Burkley was to become a teacher, the postmaster, and major force in the creation of Homer.

Main Street is the major north-south street in the town, 2^nd Street is the major east-west street. At one time Washington Street ran parallel to Main Street one block to the east. Now only the northern part of this street remains. Homer Avenue is the name given to the blacktop at the south edge of Homer. The Homer United Methodist Church sits on Main Street and Lamb's Small Engine shop is located on 2^nd Street.

Hook's Point Lane

Hook's Point Drive

Isaac Hook

Hook's Point Drive is a U-shaped drive that runs east from Stagecoach Road, then south for about a mile, and then back west to intersect with Stagecoach Road again. Hook's Point Lane is a very short stub of road that connects to Stagecoach Road after is rounds the curve.

According to Lee's 1912 History of Hamilton County, Isaac and James Hook came in 1851 and Isaac opened a store in 1852. The next year the post office was located in his store as Hook's Point Post Office. The mail was actually kept in a metal box under his bed. Isaac tried to name the community Marion City. It did appear on some early maps with that name, but the settler's preferred the Hook's Point name. This was the first settlement in what we now call Hamilton County.

Hook's Point grew until it had a population of about 100 people. The Hook's Point Cemetery is located in the northwest corrner of the Stratford Cemetery. The first stagecoach to our county came from Montana (now Boonesboro) and stopped at Hook's Point. It continued north along what is now named Stagecoach Road, crossing the Boone River at Fishtrap Ford. Then it continued up the hill and into Homer, where it turned west to Border Plains and Fort Dodge.

Hook's Point fate was sealed when the Chicago & Northwester Railroad came from Stanhope in 1881, passing a few miles south. The railroad laid out a town, and gave it the name Stratford for Shakespeare's home in England. The people and many of the buildings of Hook's Point moved to Stratford, ending the occupancy of our first settlement.

Inkpaduta Ave

Inkpaduta

This avenue is the only street in our county that has been named for an American Indian. Inkpaduta was by some accounts, the nephew of the Sioux chief, Sidominadota. Another source referred to him as a son. In either case, he was a renegade Indian. His name, in Sioux, meant Fiery Point, and his disposition matched his name.

When Henry Lott came to the forks of the Boone and Des Moines Rivers in 1847 he was visited by the Chief Sidominadota, who informed him that he was trespassing on Sioux territory. In fact, the Sioux were to be north of a line that was about 20 miles north of where Lott built his cabin. The Fox and Sac tribes were to be located south of the Neutral Zone, set up in 1825 and expanded in 1830 by the U. S. government to keep the Indians at peace with one another. Any Indian could hunt in the neutral zone, but could not live there.

It appears in some accounts that Lott had stolen some of the Indian horses and sold them to travelers in Missouri. Sidominadota came to the Lott cabin one day while Henry and his oldest son were across the river. The Indians ransacked the cabin, drove Mrs. Lott into the woods, and took silver and other items which they deemed payment for the horses. Mrs. Lott died a couple of weeks later of exposure. Her youngest son, Milton, ran down the Des Moines River seeking help. He was later found frozen to death.

Heny Lott and his oldest son left the area for a few years. He remarried to a McGuire girl and with his stepson, he went searching for Chief Sidominadota. The chief and his party were camping in the Humboldt County area. Lott met the chief and enticed him to join in a search for a large group of elk. As they rode off in search of the animals, Lott, riding behind, killed him. They cut off the chief's head and hid the body and head in different locations. Then Lott and his stepson, dressed like Indians, went to the chief's quarters and murdered the chief's mother, wife, and children. One girl managed to escape and report the incident. Lott and the stepson left the county and were never seen again.

Inkpaduta and his band of about 25 renegades decided to seek revenge. Since the settlement at Homer and Hook's Point had several people in them, they moved west. Eventually, in the winter of 1857, they struck at Spirit Lake and killed most of the settlers there. This is now called the Spirit Lake Massacre. Three companies of militia; one from each of Webster City, Dakota City, and Fort Dodge, marched to Spirit Lake to encounter the hostile Sioux Indians. They arrived to find that the Indians had fled. They buried the dead and then returned. The brutal winter weather caused several to die on the way back as they were caught in blizzards.

Inkpaduta, also spelled in some accounts as Inkpadutah, escaped into Minnesota and was never captured.

Jane Young Road

Jane Underdown Young

Jane Young, the wife of Kendall Young, was born in Maine. She came to Webster City to help her brother, Dan Underdown, operate the Willson House hotel. Here she met Kendall Young when he arrived to stay at the hotel. They married in 1857 and moved to try to found the town of Irvington in Kossuth County. When the town failed to materialize, they moved back to Webster City where Kendall opened a mercantile store across from the Willson House, a hotel at the corner of what is now Seneca and Bank Streets. Jane soon became ill and they returned with to Maine to recuperate. When her health did not improve it was necessary for him to enter her in a sanitarium in Battle Creek, Michigan. After his death in 1896, she notified the Kendall Young Trustees that the library should be started in the Young home. It was located on the west side of Willson Avenue, the only house between Water and Elm Streets. This street is not located on today's maps. It ran east from White Fox Road to intersect with Kendall Young Road at the south edge of Kendall Young Park. When the iron bridge across the White Fox was removed, the street was cut off. Today, it is just a stub that serves a house or two. The east end is also still named Jane Young Road.

Johnson Ave

Philomen Johnson

Philomen Johnson settled in the Homer area prior to the first election which was held in August, 1852. He is listed in the poll list of those persons voting. He was later elected to be Justice of Peace. Philomen was the first person named Johnson to come to what is now Hamilton County.

Kantor Ave

MacKinlay Kantor

See his story in the MacKinlay Kantor Drive story.

Kendall Young Road

Kendall Kitteridge Young

Kendall Young came to Hamilton County in 1857. He was born in Maine in 1820. At age 19 he saw military service in the U. S. - Canadian border dispute called the Aroostoock War. He was given land grants in Kossuth and Hamilton Counties for this service.

He went to sea for a time before emigrating to Wisconsin, where he farmed and barted with the fihsermen. Gold fever caught his attention in 1849 so he walked to California with a wagon train. There he settled on Mormon Island in the American River where he panned for gold. After 2 1/2 years he returned to Maine, then moved to Illinois for a time with L. L. Treat. He and Treat arrived in Hamilton County in 1859 after trying to found the town of Irvington in Kossuth County.

He became a merchant, operating a mercantile store first on Bank Street and then on Seneca Street. He entered the banking business by opening the Young and Estes Bank, a private bank, on Bank Street. This is the way the street acquired its name. Then he founded the First National Bank in 1871 on Seneca Street. He became its first president, a position he held until his death in 1896.

Upon his death, the citizens of Webster City were stunned to learn that Young had left his entire estate to the City of Webster City for the establishment and operation of a "free public library." Kendall Young Library is his legacy.

Lake Cairo Drive

Lake Cairo was once the largest lake in Hamilton County. It was located in parts of Sections 12, 13, and 24 in Hamilton Township and parts of Sections 18, 19, and 10 in Lyon Township. This lake was very shallow. At one time, Indians of the Mesquakie tribe lived along the south shore. It has been reported that a Mesquakie chief was buried at the south shore. This lake was originally named for Cairo, the city in Egypt. Since the lake was always very shallow, it was commonly called Mud Lake. The lake was drained in the 1920s' to provide valuable farm land. The county created a deep drainage ditch that drained east and south to Jewell.

Lakin's Grove Ave

Luther Lakin

Luther Lakin came to Risley County in 1854 with Elisha Lakin, Dr. Cochrane, and Oscar Lakin to search for land. They entered land and returned back east until spring when they would bring their families. Luther returned first, in the spring of 1855, and became the first settler in Lyon Township. Two weeks later Elisha and B. A. Lakin arrived and settled in Section 24 of Lyon Township. The area became know as Lakin's Grove for all of the Lakin families that lived there. For a short time, it was a stagecoach stop for the stage that ran from Nevada in Story County to Newcastle in Webster County. Today Newcastle is called Webster City and the east portion of Webster County is called Hamilton County.

Little Wall Lake Drive

Little Wall Lake Road

Little Wall Lake is a shallow lake located in parts of Sections 9, 10, 15, and 16 of Ellsworth Township. By 1896 it had drained naturally. In the 1924 Atlas it was outlined and referred to as "Originally Little Wall Lake." Later efforts a dredging has revived the lake which is now a recreational area offering fishing, swimming, and boating. Wall Lake, for which it was named, is located in Wall Lake Township in Wright County to the north. Since the lake in Hamilton County was the smaller of the two at the time, it was named Little Wall Lake. If it had been the same size, it might have been named South Wall Lake. Wall Lake Road passed along the west side of the lake. Wall Lake Drive is a street along the south end of the lake.

Lockwood Ave

A. C. Lockwood

A. C. Lockwood came to Hamilton County in 1855, the same year as the Willson Brothers, Jacob Funk, B. S. Mason, Tolman Wiltsey, and Morgan Everts. He is mentioned in a story written by S. B. Rosencrans in Lee's History and is the first person with the name Lockwood to appear in our county. He was elected to serve as a Boone Township trustee in October of 1859. His wife served as a judge of the Miscellaneous division of the 1859 county fair.

MacKinlay Kantor Drive

Kantor Avenue

MacKinlay Kantor

MacKinlay Benjamin Kantor was born in 1904 in Webster City. His mother, Effie McKinlay Kantor, was the editor of the Webster City Daily News, a general circulation newspaper in the early 1920's. Mack, as he was called, changed his name by adding the "a" to his grandfather's name because he thought it sounded more Scottish. Kantor's father deserted the family before Mack's birth. Effie wrote the chapter on Hamilton County Mills that was printed in Lee's 1912 History of Hamilton County.

Kantor graduated from Webster City High School. "Mack Kantor did not attend college, but Kendall Young Library was his university from the day it opened" according to a quote attributed to him by Clark Mollenhoff. Kantor was the author of over 40 novels, starting with Diversy in 1928. In 1956 he won the Pulitzer Prize for "Andersonville". His novel "Glory For Me" was made into the Academy Award winning movie, "The Best Years of Our Lives."

Kantor died in 1997, one year after the dedication of the Kantor-Mollenhoff Plaza in West Twin Park in Webster City. MacKinlay Kantor Street is located at the west edge of Webster City. Kantor Avenue is located in the county. It connects with Clark R. Mollenhoff Drive at the east edge of Webster City.

McMurray Ave

L. A. McMurray

Leslie A. McMurray was born in New York in July of 1854. He came to Webster City in 1875 where he and O. K. Eastman purchased the Hamilton County Bank, which was a small private bank. Mr. McMurray was elected to serve as President. He and his wife had two children, Jessie and Murray. Mr. McMurray died on June 1, 1920 at the age of 66. His daughter became a librarian at the Kendall Young Library and Murray founded the first Boy Scout troop in Webster City in 1913. Grandson, John, took over the troop and served as scout master until 1972.

Mechaelsen Ave

Brechtje and Seafka Mechaelsen

Brechtje (Bertha) and Seafka Mechaelson and their four children arrived in Hamilton County from Germany in about 1873, settling in the Kamrar area. They were involved in starting the Presbyterian Church at Kamrar. Their children were named Ulfert, Benjamin S., Peter, and Lena. This road, about a mile long, exits Kamrar heading north.

Millards Lane

Benjamin Millard

Benjamin Millard was born in 1916 in Canada. He came to Webster City in 1855, and built Hamilton House, a very early hotel, which he operated for several years. He started the first nursery in the county at in 1857 on his farm south of town on the west side of the Highway 17. This farm was located at the north end of the bridge over the Boone River. After the death of his wife, he left the county for four years. Then he returned to his farm, where he lived for the rest of his life. At was at this farm that an early stagecoach crossed the Boone River as it came from Skunk Grove on its way to Newcastle, (now Webster City.) The stagecoach proceeded into Webster City along Millard's Lane. This street was the route of old state Highway 60 before the new bridge was built.

Clark Mollenhoff Drive

Clark Mollenhoff

Clark was born in Burnside and attended school in Lohrville and Webster City. He graduated from Webster City Junior College, and took a job with the Des Moines Register in 1941. He earned his law degree from Drake University in 1944. During this time, he played on the Drake University football team Following graduation, he served in the Navy from 1944 - 1946. He earned the Pulitzer Prize for national reporting in 1958. He was a special counsel to President Nixon from 1969-1970. He authored 12 books. He was remembered by Webster City by the naming of the Kantor-Mollenhoff Plaza in West Twin Parks in 1976.

Neely Ave

William M. Neely

William M. Neely was elected Captain of the first company of the State Militia that was raised on August 20^th, 1864. This company came from the southern part of Hamilton County. It was organized as a response to the call of President Lincoln, who called for 300,000 additional men to enter the service of the Union Army. In early 1865, the board of supervisors offered $500 to each volunteer. Three companies were raised from our county.

Nelson Ave

Canute C. Nelson

This road is seven miles long and runs south of Lake Cairo to the southern border of the county. The road was named for Canute C. Nelson, who was born in LaSalle County, Illinois on March 27, 1844. His parents were Jonas and Sophie Nelson, both natives of Sweden. Canute was the second son. His sister, Josie, was the wife of M. L. Henderson of Randall.

Canute enlisted in April, 1862, in Company G, One Hundred and Fourth Illinois Infantry. He participated in the battle of Chickamanga. He was taken prisoner at Hartsville, Tennessee. He was discharged in 1864. He came to Hamilton County in 1865 and settled in Scott Township. He married Bertha Christianson, who came from Norway in 1844.

Mr. and Mrs. Nelson had eight children; Carl, Johas, Mary, Henry, Frank, John, Ellen, according to the 1902 biography. He later had another daughter, Mollie. He settled on a farm of his own in Section 14, Ellsworth Township. He served as Justice of Peace in Ellsworth Township for seven years, and was a school board director. His oldest son, Carl, became a musician, traveling thoughout the United States, finally settling in Jewell where he became the Jewell band director.

North Stonega Ave

North Stonega Avenue

North Stonega Avenue is the name of the road running north from State 928 (old Highway 20) to the north edge of the map. It was named for the elevator and railroad siding on the Illinois Central Railroad. The station stop was named for Mr. Stone, the division superintendent for the Waterloo-Fort Dodge division. A short drive, called Stonega Drive, is located on the south side of State 928, a leg about 3/4 mile long. At one time in the past, a local farmer told me that the name Stonega was made up of the first letters of the last names of each of the founders of the elevator. He suggested S was for Stone, T for Thompson, O for Olson, N for Nail, E for Eggers. He did not recall who the G and A for for.

Northwestern Ave

Northwestern Avenue

This avenue is a very short stub located at the southeast corner of Kamrar. It was named for the Chicago and Northwester Railroad that it parallels for a short distance.

Olsen Ave

Nels Peter Olsen

Nels Olsen was born in Helsingberg, Sweden to Gustav and Bengta Olsen in 1861. They came to the United States in 1870 when he was 8 years old. The family first settled in Johnson County, and then came to Ellsworth in 1873. Olsen was married on December 9, 1885 to Julia Katrina Sexy. They had six children, two who died in infancy. The other children were Mrs. Martin Risetter, G. C. Olsen, Mrs. Glen Wallace, and Ralph Olsen of Ellsworth. Nels died in 1943.

Parker Ave

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Parker

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Parker came to Hamilton County in 1869 in a prairie schooner. They settled in what is now the Stanhope area. Mrs. Parker taught five neighborhood children in her home starting in 1871. When Stanhope was platted in 1883, the main street was named for them. Mrs. Parker served as the first postmistress of Stanhope on Jan. 9, 1882.

Park View Heights

Park View Heights

This is a private drive connecting a residential area in the northeast part of Webster City to the Kendall Young Road. It was named Park View as it is located just east of the Kendall Young Park.

Poplar Grove Ave

Poplar Grove Avenue

This avenue runs north-south from the north border of the county to the south border, except for a two mile gap caused by the railroad tracks between Jewell and Kamrar. It was named for the creamery that was located in Section 23 of Freedom Township, 88N, R26W. It was named for a small grove of poplar trees. At one time this little settlement boasted a creamery, store, school, and post office. The post office opened in 1890 and closed in 1900. After that time, the settlement disappeared from the maps.

Queens Ave

Queens Avenue

This avenue runs north-south through the county with occasional gaps. It borders the west side of Jewell The author has been unable to find any person named Queen that lived in the county. It is suspected that the person who chose the name needed a Q and could not come up with one. An ideal name for Q would have been Quackenbush, an early bridgebuilder in the county.

Quinlan Ave

Risley Ave

Colonel Risley

Two new counties were created by the State Legislature in 1850. One was named Risley, the other Yell. Both were supposedly named for Colonels that served in the Mexican War. Risley was located to the east, which was much later renamed Hamilton County. Yell was to the west, and was later named Webster County. Risley county was 36 miles square in townships 86, 87, 88, and 89 in ranges 23, 24, 25, and 26. It is west of the 5^th Prime Meridian. This county had no county seat and contained at most 20 settlers along with the Sac and Fox Indian tribes. The Sioux tribe entered the north part of this county to hunt and intimidate the peaceful Sac and Fox. Recent research indicates that no colonel by the name Risley was ever killed in the Mexican War. This information has appeared in many books about the history of our county, including Hamilton County, Then and Now, by Bessie Lyons.

Riverside Road

This road leads east off Christy Town Road and connects the Riverside Bible Camp. The camp in located on the site of Christytown, which was a small settlement at the south end of the county. The road was obviously named for the Bible camp.

Rosendale Drive

This small drive is located in Sec. 35, Hamilton Township, connecting 330^th Street with Nelson Avenue. The drive in about a mile in length. It was named for the small settlement of Rosendale, which was located on the John J. Skaaluve farm, in Section 25, Clear Lake Township. A post office with the name Rosendale was established in 1888 with Skaaluve serving as the postmaster. This post office was moved twice. First is was relocated in the SE corner of Section 35 and then was moved again into Boone County in 1896 and then was discontinued in 1902.

A creamery was the largest business. Other thriving businesses in the settlement were owned and operated by A. O. Peterson from 1899 to 1919. He sold groceries, hardware, and machinery. Another of his businesses was a produce house. The Rosendale store, with one gas pump, closed in 1966.

Sac & Fox Ave

Sac and Fox Avenue

Two Indian tribes lived in what is now our county. One was the Sac (sometimes spelled Sauk) and the other was the Fox. They were peaceful Indians that hunted, trapped, fished, and planted crops. They were constantly raided by the ferocious Sioux tribe which was located north of the Neutral Strip set up by the United States Government in 1825 and expanded in 1835, to separate the tribes. The Sioux tribe never honored the strip. It should be noted that the Sac and Fox tribes never called themselves by those names. They were names used by the U. S. government. The Fox tribe was actually called the Mesquaki tribe. This was spelled different ways, such as Meskwaki, Mesquakie, Maskwaki, Outagami. They were a branch of the Algonquain tribe. Mesquaki, in English, means "The Red Earth People."

Keokuk was the government recognized chief of the allied Fox and Sac tribes. Wapello, Powashiek, Mahaska, were also chiefs at different times. All have towns named for them.

For many decades, the Sac and Fox were the only tribes in Iowa. In 1842 they sold 1/3^rd of the state of Iowa to the U. S. for 12 cents per acre. In 1845 they were driven by the U. S. government to Kansas. In 1856 they stole away from Kansas and returned to Iowa, settling on lands they purchased in Tama County along the Iowa River. The Foxes came in silent procession from Kansas carrying the bones of their dead with them. In January, 1856, the legislature passed a law allowing them to remain in Tama County.

Saratoga Ave

Saratoga Avenue

This avenue was named for an early town platted on July 24, 1855, by Isreal Woodard in Section 12, Webster Township, 87N, R26W. It was never more than a paper town, even though it was hoped to rival Webster City (Newcastle) for the county seat. The town was named by Woodard for his former home of Saratoga Springs, New York. At one time the settlement had a school, a church, and a cemetery (which still exists today). About a mile noreth Samuel Layne operated a small store and a blacksmith shop. A post office was established by Layne with the name Red Cedar. For a short time, the stagecoach stopped at Red Cedar, crossed the Boone River at Olmstead's Ford, and then stopped at Tunnel Mill before continuing on to Homer. At a later time, the post office was moved from Red Cedar to Tunnel Mill and was renamed Tunnel.

Shiloh Road

Shiloh

Charles Olmstead, known locally as Shiloh, appeared in Webster City after the Civil War. He was playing his drum. He called himself Shiloh, stating that he has been a drummer boy at the battle of Shiloh. We was born in December, 1854. If he was a drummer boy, as he claimed, he would have been only about ten years old. There is no record of his serving in the military records. Shiloh built himself a cabin, of sorts, on an island in the Boone River, just south of the Bank Street bridge. He used materials from the Catholic Church which was demolished when they moved from the east end of the bridge to build a new church on Des Moines Street.

Shiloh was a small man, who lived by himself on the river. The restaurants in town would set aside left-over food for him. The grocery stores would set out produce that they could not sell. He befriended several boys. One of those that he taught to fish, carve, and travel along the river banks was MacKinlay Kantor. Whenever the river flooded the citizens would worry about Shiloh. They appeared on the bridge to check out for his safety. One time, when the waters were very high, it was reported in the newspaper that they found him at his second story window with his feet dangling in the water. A boat was sent out to rescue him. After these floods he would repair his cabin as best he could.

Shiloh died in August, 1913. MacKinlay Kantor reported that only four people were in attendance at the burial service. Kantor, then a lad, was accompanied by his mother, Effie Kantor to Graceland Cemetery. The minister and one other unknown person completed the group.

His grave was unmarked for many years. Lloyd Oakland enlisted the aid of several people in town to place a marker on his grave. The marker depicts his drum and tells the story of Shiloh.

Stagecoach Road

This road entered the county in the southwest in 1853 coming through Mineral Ridge, Ridgeport, and Pea's Point - all in Boone County. The first stop in what is now Hamilton County was at Hook's Point. The stagecoach continued north to Homer, crossing the Boone River at Fishtrap Ford (now the site of the Ubben Bridge.) From Homer, the stagecoach turned west passing through Border Plains and then on to Fort Dodge. Our present day Stagecoach Road continues north to the northern border of the county, but in fact no stagecoach ever went further north along this road than Homer.

Stonega Drive

See Stonega Road for the history of this drive. The road called Stonega Road is located north of State 928 and Stonega Drive is located south of that highway. The road was named for the elevator called the Stonega Elevator. One person, Pete Nail, reported to me that the name was actually taken from the first letter of the last name of each of the organizers of the elevator. The N stood for Nail, the T for Thompson, the E for Eggers, and others whose names are now forgotten.

Timberlane Road

Timberlane Trail

Timberlane Road and Timberlane Trail

The name of these two streets was given to the area by Robert Johnson who developed this housing area south of Webster City on the McConnell Farm. Timberlane Road goes east-west and Timberlane Trail goes north-south a short distance. It was named for the abundant timber that is located north and west of the houses.

Tollman Ave

John P. Tolman

John P. Tolman was one of three settlers who came to our county in 1850. Presley Bell was first in 1849. Then Osmond Brannon, Thomas Hogan, and John Tolman came next. The spelling of the name was changed to one "l" when the road was named, probably by accident. Tolman was named a school fund commissioner of Webster County (then Risley and Yell combined). He located a claim which he later sold to Minter Brassfield when he left the area to settle further west.

Tucker Ave

Tunnel Mill Road

Tunnel Mill was a major mill on the Boone River and figured prominently in the history of Hamilton County History. The road was named to recognize this important part of our history.

Ubben Ave

Underwood Ave

Upton Ave

Vail Ave

Van Meter Ave

White Fox Ave

White Fox Avenue

This avenue passes north from Webster City, crossing the Boone River. An early settler, Peter Lyons, was an outdoorsman who settled in the vicinity of the old Hamilton County Home. He fished, hunted and trapped all over the area. One day, he shot a white fox along an unnamed creek which he promptly named the White Fox Creek. Another creek near his cabin was named Lyon's Creek in his honor. An early day school was located about two miles north of Webster City along White Fox, and it took the name of the White Fox School. For a short time, about two or three years, a stagecoach operated from Webster City to Goldfield. It left Webster City on the White Fox Avenue. It ran only one day a week, but the route it followed became a popular road for settler's wagons to follow.

Wilson Ave

Xircus Ave

This name appears to have no connection with our history. There is a Greek word Xircus and I suspect the person naming the streets was stuck with no family name started with an X.

Yell Ave

Yell Avenue

Yell was the name of a Colonel who was killed in the Mexican War. When the two new counties were created by the state legislature in 1850, one was named for Col. Yell, the other for Col. Risley. Both counties were combined, with a portion of Humboldt County to form a new large county that was given the name Webster County. Webster County was again divided in 1857, and the west portion retained the name Webster while the eastern part was named Hamilton County. Webster County has a township named Yell even today.

Young Ave

Kendall and Jane Young

Young Avenue was named for Kendall and Jane Young. Their story is told at length earlier in the Kendall Young Road account.

Ziegler Ave

John R. Ziegler

John (Jack) Ziegler was born in Freiberg, Auglaize County, Ohio in 1880. Jack worked for many years as a cowboy in Wyoming and North Dakota. Then he attended barber college in Minnesota. He married Henrietta Segar in 1905, and they came to Hamilton County the same year. He bought a barber shop in 1927. He barbered for a year before deciding to become a policeman. A year after joining the force he returned to barbering in 1929. His barber shop was located under the Jensen Drug Store at the corner of Des Moines and Second Street. In 1935 he returned to the police force again. They had five children; Marion Josephine, Margie Irene, Mildred Adelle, Furman, and Myron. Jack's hobby was gunsmithing. He and a son won many muzzle loading awards.

Zublin Ave

C. L. Zublin

Clarence Leroy Zublin was born in 1857 in Ohio. He married Hannah Thompson in 1873, and they moved ot Webster City in 1875. C. L. entered into the meat and cattle business. The Zublins had one son C. F., and two daughters, Ruby and Lou. His son-in-law, E. W. Garth, joined him in the Zublin-Garth ice company, known as the Up River Ice Company. The ice block house walls still remain along the river just east of White Fox Road. Today the ice house is now used by John Tolle for his automobile repair business. Clarence died in May of 1940.