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.

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Looking northwest on Third Street at a one story wooden building with bell tower in front. The church was rebuilt in the fall of 1860 after the devastating tornado that ripped through town in June, 1860. Located at 1015 Third Street, Camanche, Clinton County, Iowa. 1907 postmark.

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Looking northeast at the home of J.F. Wilcox. Council Bluffs had more greenhouses than any city of its size in the U.S. J.F. Wilcox & Sons was one of the four largest greenhouses in Council Bluffs. It was located at 1132 East Pierce Street, Council Bluffs, Pottawattamie County, Iowa. 1907 postmark.

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Looking northeast from Front Street in Brooklyn, Iowa. There is a barber pole in front of the first building. 1907 postmark. Number 61796.

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Wooden church with belfry and parsonage on dirt road. 1907 postmark.

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Drawing on leather postcard. 1907 postmark.

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A two story wooden house with interior photo of an alleged haunted dwelling according to the book published in 1888 entitled, "Picturesque Burlington and Vicinity" by Conrad Lutz. 1907 postmark.

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Looking southeast from Park Street. Constructed in 1907 at a cost of approx. $20,000, Herrick Chapel was designed to house the college's religious services and to serve as a general purpose large auditorium which seats 700. The Christian Associations Building (Steiner Hall) is in the background.

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The Clinton-Illinois Wagon Bridge in the foreground was a cantilever through truss bridge built in 1892 and "lost" in 1956. It was built by Clinton Bridge & Iron Works. The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Bridge in the background was a truss bridge that opened in 1909 and still carries approximately 50 trains a day from the Union Pacific Railroad. The cost of erecting the bridge was one million dollars plus. It was built by Detroit Bridge Company. 1907 postmark. Number 15925.

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The two story brick and stone building was built in 1903. 1907 postmark.

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Looking northwest. The first Grinnell high school was built in 1904. An addition that expanded the building to include junior high students was completed in 1921. 1907 postmark. Number 2363. It now houses the Grinnell Community Center.

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The hospital was built as a home in 1875. The original builder used the building as a saloon before it became a hotel known as the "Stephenson House". Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 1907 postmark. Dr. C. D. Busby purchased the hotel and made it not only his residence but also turned it into a hospital. He later closed the hospital, but continued to live there. It was later used again as a hotel and restaurant. Located at 154 West Front Street, Brooklyn, Poweshiek County, Iowa

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Men's 22 member Grinnell College glee club who most likely practiced in the Music Hall which was located at the site of Burling Library. 1907 postmark.

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Looking southeast with Carnegie Library (Hall), Blair Hall, Herrick Chapel and Goodnow Hall. Number 1303.

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A canoe along the shore of the Iowa River near Belle Plaine, Iowa.

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A canoe along the shore of the Iowa River near Belle Plaine, Iowa. 1907 postmark. Number 4409.

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Looking northeast at the Iowa State Capitol building which was completed in 1886 at a cost of $3,296,256, and, and at the time, was the only five-domed capitol in the country. The dome of the capitol is gilded with tissue-paper thin sheets of pure 23-karat gold, with a protective layer sealing the gold from the weather, and the top of its finial peak is 275 feet (84 m) above the ground. From its opening during 1884 until 1924, it was the tallest building in Des Moines, and likely the entire state. It is located at 1007 East Grand Avenue, Des Moines, Polk County, Iowa and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. 1907 postmark. Number 5.

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Veatch Studio
Split postcard looking northeast at the Gymnasium (East Gym) completed in 1905 at a cost of $100,000, and looking east at the Administration Building completed in 1896 at a cost of $35,000, and the Auditorium Building (Lang Hall) completed in 1901 at a cost of $120,000. 1907 postmark. Number 1731.

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Two-story wooden house and barn with a picket fence. 1907 postmark.

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Looking southeast at the "state of the art" venue for vaudevillians who frequented Clinton and often stayed there. The hotel opened in 1906 and was named after its key investor, Layfayette Lamp. It is currently known as the Lafayette Apartments and located at 143 Sixth Avenue South, Clinton, Clinton County, Iowa. 1907 postmark.

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View of log cabin at entrance to Marshalltown's Veteran Home. 1907 postmark.