Search results | Digital Grinnell

Title: 1889 Fire Damage
Description: Photograph of the damage to the business district caused by the 1889. The photo was taken from the railroad tower across Main Street. The Congregational Church is visible in the back center of the image. Main Street is on the left and Central Park on the far right. The fire started in two grain elevators next to the railroad around noon. The presumption is that a spark from the railroad ignited the very flammable contents of the elevators. The fire destroyed everything not constructed of brick. In 1891, the whole center of the block to the north burned.
PID: grinnell:3304

Title: 1889 Fire Damage - 2
Description: Photograph of damage to the business district caused by the fire of 1889. The scene is looking NE across the railroad to the Congregational Church. Central Park is on the right. The fire started in a grain elevator next to the railroad. The wind blew NE and then East. At the center of the photo, brick buildings are still standing. Some buildings on Main and 4th also remained. Lost to the fire were the post office, the implement store on Commercial Street (a replica was built at Living History Farms), the fire department, and other businesses As a result of the fire, the City Council then set up a fire zone and forbade the use of wooden awnings. The width of Commercial Street, which varied, was also made uniform.
PID: grinnell:3317

Title: 1941 Overview of Town
Description: Overview from a photograph taken in 1941 showing Main Street to Broad and 4th. Grinnell House (hotel) is in the lower lefthand corner.
PID: grinnell:3313

Title: 2nd Avenue and Main St
Description: Photograph of the city water system located at the corner of 2nd Avenue and Main Street. It was built in 1894 of brick. The cistern is visible in the foreground; the pump house is in the background. The standpipe was half masonry with a balcony on the top and a ladder to reach balcony alongside the pipe. That balcony was the vantage point for photography, most notably a double panoramic view of Grinnell.
PID: grinnell:3310

Title: 3rd and RR & Broad Street
Description: Photograph of the Morrison & McIntosh glove factory located at 3rd and RR & Broad Street. Built in 1895, it was later owned by DeLong Sportswear and eventually was purchased and renovated by Grinnell College.
PID: grinnell:3296

Title: 716 4th Avenue
Description: Photograph of Child's Livery & Feed Stable, located at 716 4th Avenue. The brick building was constructed in 1880.
PID: grinnell:3290

Title: 800 4th Avenue
Description: Copy of a photograph of the Bijou Theater located at 800 4th Avenue. Owned by the Mart family who also built the Strand Theater. The photograph was taken prior to 1914.
PID: grinnell:3286

Title: 831 Main Street
Description: Photograph of the Preston Opera House (831 Main Street) built in 1878. The original brick building was modified many times eventually becoming a two-story structure. The photograph was taken looking north from Commercial St. and shows Company K on its way to the Spanish-American War. This company used the third floor of the Opera House for an armory. The Fair (five-and-dime) and the New York Chop House (see awning) are visible.
PID: grinnell:3318

Title: 900 Block of Broad Street
Description: Photograph taken in 1891 of the post-fire ruins of the 900 block of Broad Street.
PID: grinnell:3301

Title: 911-913 Main Street
Description: Photograph of 911-913 Main Street in Grinnell including Spurgeon's storefront. Structures were built about 1905. Photo was taken circa 1970.
PID: grinnell:3300