Historic Iowa Postcards

Grinnell College Libraries' Historic Iowa Postcard Collection. A collection of postcards from 1900 through the middle of the 20th century, covering all parts of Iowa.

grinnell:14222
Looking at front entrance of two-story brick church building from the street.
grinnell:14145
Graves
Looking at a three-story brick building with a bell tower.
grinnell:14081
School children & school staff standing in front of a two-story wooden school house with bell tower. 1905 postmark.
grinnell:16981
Looking at the entrance to a three-story brick and stone building built in 1882. Number 71.
grinnell:14216
Italianate Victorian style brick home with cupola. Owner's initials of G.G.E. on verso.
grinnell:14293
Two story brick building with a tower. Sacred Heart Academy was a private Catholic school which opened in 1877, staffed by two Presentation sisters and two laywomen.
grinnell:14117
Looking east from Second Street at the business district on Second Avenue. Number 22208.
grinnell:14427
A peaceful day on the Skunk River near Colfax, Iowa. The Skunk River in Iowa is about 265 miles long and flows parallel to the Iowa River and the Des Moines River. Number 9477.
grinnell:13608
Looking north on Court Avenue with the Taylor County Courthouse in the background. The building on corner right says F.E. Walker at top. It was erected in 1879 costing approximately $12,000. Reportedly, the original owner of the building was James M. Thompson housing the James Thompson Mercantile Co. (printed on side of building) until 1918. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places under Bedford Commercial Historic District.
grinnell:18494
Looking north at the 5th Avenue bridge. 1905 postmark.
grinnell:13479
Looking at the business district in Atlantic, Iowa. Hansen & Lowe is printed on the side of the building on the left. Number 6934.
grinnell:14440
Looking north on Jackson Street in Brooklyn, Iowa. Number 61795.
grinnell:14085
Looking northwest at Main Street, Cherokee, Iowa. On the left is a building with Elmo Archer, Lumber, Grain, Hard & Soft Coal. In the background on the hill is the Cherokee County Courthouse which was built in 1892 and torn down in 1965.
grinnell:16967
Looking southwest on Main Street showing the post office. The Cumberland Post Office was established on January 19, 1885, and is still operating today and located at 123 Main Street, Cumberland, Cass County, Iowa.
grinnell:13973
A. Yerkes
Drawing of man falling down. Number 767. Copyright 1905 by A. Yerkes.
grinnell:14498
Looking east at shoreline with sailboat and boathouse. Arbor Lake, named for Arbor Day, when hundreds of trees were planted there, was created in 1902 as a storage reservoir to provide soft water for manufacturing firms. 1906 postmark. Number 132.
grinnell:16758
Looking northwest at several housing units for army officers who attended the Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School established in 1901 on 640 acres, several miles south of downtown Des Moines. In 1917 the first officer candidate class of African Americans in US military history, trained at Fort Des Moines, and received commissions. Also in 1917 a training camp for black medical personnel began, and in 1918 the fort was used for the treatment of World War I casualties. In 1933-34 it was used as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. With the entry of the United States into World War II, the fort was used as a training center for women, for service in the Army's Women's Army Corps. After the war, the fort housed veteran soldiers for a time, and was turned over to the city in the early 1950s. Much of the original 640-acre base was sold off for development as the city grew. A number of the fort's buildings still stand, mainly on the southern and eastern edges of the parade ground. These buildings, including barracks, quarters, and stables, are now used for a variety of civic and commercial purposes. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 1906 postmark. Number 1749.
grinnell:16161
Looking north at a housing unit for army officers who attended the Fort Des Moines Provisional Army Officer Training School established in 1901 on 640 acres, several miles south of downtown Des Moines. In 1917 the first officer candidate class of African Americans in US military history, trained at Fort Des Moines, and received commissions. Also in 1917 a training camp for black medical personnel began, and in 1918 the fort was used for the treatment of World War I casualties. In 1933-34 it was used as a Civilian Conservation Corps camp. With the entry of the United States into World War II, the fort was used as a training center for women, for service in the Army's Women's Army Corps. After the war, the fort housed veteran soldiers for a time, and was turned over to the city in the early 1950s. Much of the original 640-acre base was sold off for development as the city grew. A number of the fort's buildings still stand, mainly on the southern and eastern edges of the parade ground. These buildings, including barracks, quarters, and stables, are now used for a variety of civic and commercial purposes. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. 1906 postmark. Number 24.
grinnell:14542
Looking north. Blair Hall was constructed in 1882-1886, razed in 1961. Cost was $37,200 excluding grading and landscaping. 1906 postmark.
grinnell:13436
Looking northeast. Carnegie Library was constructed in 1904, costing $50,000 excluding stacks and moveable furnishings. Funded by a $50,000 grant from Andrew Carnegie. Title supplied by cataloger.