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  4. Observatory Building, Des Moines, Iowa

Observatory Building, Des Moines, Iowa

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The first skyscraper in Iowa stood was on Locust Street reported at a height of 197 feet and heralded as "the tallest office building between Chicago and San Francisco" when it opened in 1896. It included a distinctive five-story observation tower and provided electricity and gas lighting to all tenants. The building was eventually demolished in1937, and this location is now occupied by Capital Square Mall. 1905 postmark. Number 105.
Title Observatory Building, Des Moines, Iowa
Alternative TitleVan Ginkel Building
supporting host Grinnell College Libraries Special Collections
Index Date 1905
Publisher B.T. Co.
Type of Resource still image
Genre postcard
Physical Extent 1 postcard : b&w ; 9 x 14 cm.
Medium Real photo reprint, undivided back.
Note Sepia
citation/reference Des Moines by Craig S. McCue and Ron Playle, Arcadia Publishing, 2007
Date Issued 1905?
Note Purchase or donation
Note Scanned with HP Scanjet 4670 at 600 ppi. Archival master image available in tiff format.
Language English
Topic Observatories
Topic Vehicles
Topic Carriages and coaches
Topic Commercial facilities
Topic Polk County (Iowa)
Topic Des Moines (Iowa)
Topic Van Ginkel Building
Cartographic 41.587078, -93.623441
Classification MS 108, Box 2, ihpc_desa0117
Related Item Iowa Historical Postcard Collection (IHPC)
Related Item Grinnell College. Special Collections and Archives
Related Item Digital Grinnell
Identifier (local) ihpc_desa0117
Identifier (local) grinnell:16137
Access Condition Grinnell College Libraries does not own the copyright in these images and therefore cannot give or deny permission to publish or distribute any of them. It is the researcher's responsibility to determine and satisfy copyright or other use restrictions when publishing or distributing material from this collection. Any materials used must carry a credit line: Historic Iowa Postcard Collection, Special Collections and Archives, Grinnell College Libraries.
Identifier (hdl) http://hdl.handle.net/11084/16137
In collections