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Our History
The beginning history of Gilmore City as taken from the
Pocahontas County History of 1904 and some additional
information taken from the Humboldt County History.
Gilmore City is located on the line between Pocahontas and
Humboldt counties, on Section1 of Lake, and Section 6 of Weaver
Township. The site of the town is an elevation so high that
before the view was obstructed by artificial groves, there could
be seen from it the three neighboring county seats - Pocahontas,
Humboldt, and Fort Dodge. It is on the line of the Des Moines
and Ruthven branch of the |
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C.R.I. and P. Ry., and was named in honor of its superintendent,
C.N. Gilmore of Des Moines. The track was laid to Gilmore City
about June 1, 1882, and this event led to the founding of the
town. It is 18 miles northwest of Tara and is in the center of
a rich agricultural section of county that at that time was
comparatively unsettled, so that only here and there would be
seen a spot of cultivated ground. The prairies, covered with a
luxuriant growth of grass and flowers, and stretching away in
every direction as far as the eye could reach, like a rolling
sea of green and yellow hues, presented to the observer a scene
as beautiful as the eye of man ever rested upon. It was a
splendid range from stock and game, and sporting engineer
thought it not inappropriate to commemorate this fact in the
names of the towns further north-Plover, Mallard and Curlew.
The few old settlers of this section, who previously had to haul
their lumber, coal, and other necessities from Fort Dodge and
other distant places, and did not leave their farms in
grasshopper times, because they could not sell them for the
price of government land are now happy in the possession of
valuable farms and comfortable homes.
Near the city is a splendid quarry limestone, that furnishes an
inexhaustible supply of good rock either for building purposes
or for use as a fertilizer. Many of the business blocks have
been built of this substantial material and the large number of
fine buildings erected would prove a credit to a town of much
larger size. One of the largest general stores in the county
will be found here.
The first store building was erected by L.E. Childs in 1882 and
soon after its completion he was appointed postmaster. This was
a frame building, and after the site of the town was permanently
arranged, it was moved to its present location, where since
1891; it has been occupied by the Collins Brothers.
The first teacher was Captain F. E. Beers in a room over Conn's
store in the winter of 1882-1883. Some early teachers were
Angeline Jackson, Charles Sargent, Ida Garlock, Miss McCormick,
and Mrs. Edna Blake.
This information was taken from
"The Gilmore City Centennial"
The City of Gilmore City
304 South Gilmore Street
Gilmore City, IA 50541
(515) 373-6326
(515) 373-6314 fax
gchall@dtnspeed.net
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Cornerstone Computers
401 So. Gilmore Street
Gilmore City, IA 50541
515-373-6135
batwood@ncn.net
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