WORLD WAR…AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION TORNADO OF ’18 The home of Henry Finster who lost his life in the tornado of 1918 that destroyed many farmsteads. This is the barn on the farm of Antone Luiken east of Steamboat Rock after the tornado hit that farm. Notice the dead horses […]

WORLD WAR…AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION WORLD WAR…AND THE GREAT DEPRESSION Steamboat Rock has a long list of veterans of what would become known as The First World War.    It would be the most costly war ever seen. Some 10 million men were killed, 20 million wounded, and whole regions […]

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION ELECTRICITY The Park Dam Company bought the old mill site in 1912, and began a project of bringing electric power to Steamboat Rock. There were only a few subscribers and this first attempt at bringing in electric power gained little success. In 1910 Eldora was being lighted with […]

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION WELL DRILLING Bill had still another natural talent on which he could rely. He had always been interested in geology. He often startled listeners by tossing words like “antediluvian” and “glacial epochs” around, which puzzled many but it was no bluff.    He knew a great many geological […]

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION THE BLACKSMITH ERA ENDS Steamboat Rock still had a blacksmith, and his name was William Hartman. Bill or Billy as he was called was one of the more colorful characters in the town’s history. He was a talented man and liked by all who knew him.    Mildred […]

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION THE BUSSING ISSUE Businesses and trades that were in Steamboat Rock in 1911 that have not already been discussed include a farm implement store operated by Sanders and Eckhoff, and another by Luiken and Cramer. Sanders and Eckhoff also operated a Furniture store.    General Merchandise was handled […]

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION THE BUSSING ISSUE Marie Eilers drove one of Steamboat Rock Consolidated School’s first school busses. Some of thefamilies on her route included: Heye Folkerts children, and those of Alfred Gast, Leonard Taylor,Carl DeVries, George Kramer, Emil Tietz, John Bolar, Castevens and Frerichs.   When all those little country schools […]

SCHOOL CONSOLIDATION Pleasant Mound School: 1908, Chrissy Sharpshair Teacher- Back Row- Ben Harms, Bertha Luiken, Nora Moore, Rena Karsjens, Florence Finster, Floyd Beamsley, Teacher, Grace Wilson, Nellie Schmel, Ed Luiken, Anton Luiken, Lizzie Tholen, Dena Eilers. Middle Row: Hannah Wubben, Anna Eilers, Bessie Wilson, Addie Wilson, Ray Karsjens, Nuretta Harms, […]

TRAILS BECOME ROADS THE MEAT MARKET Mildred Dunn Lepper lived a few doors down from Tom Ruppelt’s meat market which was a few doors down from her home in the back of her mother’s restaurant. She recalled some memories in her book. Tom Ruppelt   “Next to Mel Baker’s drug store […]

TRAILS BECOME ROADS “SPIKE” KLUGER & CLAMMING All communities from time to time have within them what the general population terms “characters”. Steamboat Rock developed many unique characters. Among these one of the more interesting was Gust. C. Kluger.    August Christian Kluger was born on August 22, 1871 in […]