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Star Foundry

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Frank Megow, ownerLocated at corner of Corinne Ave.And 3rd St. NE (near the river) Mr. Megow was born September 11, 1848, in Germany and came to the United States in 1856.  The family settled in Montella, Wisconsin, where Frank learned the machinist trade.  In 1860 he and one of his brothers took jobs as engineers…

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Webster Seed Co.

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webster seed company

Webster Seed Co. – 1908 WEBSTER SEED CO- INDEPDNENCE, IA. Article that appeared in “The Conservative” Independence 1930: “The Mel L. Webster Co. is engaged in selling vegetable and flower seeds. Mel L. Webster, the founder of the company, began packeting seeds in 1989, when he was engaged in the retail grocery business in Independence.…

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Area Theaters

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interior of the gedney opera house

The motion picture arrived in Buchanan County in much the same way as it did in most small towns across the heart of the country.  As word of mouth spread the lucrative lure of showing moving photoplays, existing music halls and opera house scrambled to equip their auditoriums with projection equipment. By 1910, the motion…

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Rush Park Seed Company

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RUSH PARK SEED COMPANYIndependence, Iowa Reprint “History of Buchanan County, Iowa and It’s People” 1914 “The Rush Park Seed Company,” one of the largest seed depots in the west, was organized and incorporated in November, 1889, and went into the seed business on a comparatively small scale, occupying one store building on Chatham St., opposite…

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Flying Horse Company

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flying wooden horse

During the late 1915 era Louis Hammelman and his father-in-law, George Wurtz, were manufacturing children’s toys in the “Old Armory” building (located on 2nd St. SW-where Indee Car Wash is now located). The upper story was devoted to machinery used in cutting out the “Flying Horses”.  The lower floor housed the varnishing, painting, assembling and…

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Ice Companies in Independence

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In 1880 three ice companies were doing business in Independence, namely: T.J. Marinus & Son, Kandy & Co. and C.E. Burr, and an immense amount of ice was put up.  Marinus owned an ice house that would store 1,000 tons and numerous private firms and creameries were supplied by them.  The summer of 1880 was…

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J.S. Bloom Mfg. Co.

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In the late 1800’s J.S. Bloom discovered through working with Iowa state University, that cattle benefited from eating the whole ear of corn rather than just the kernels. The ear acted as roughage and contained some nutrients. This knowledge led Smith to design, build and patient a corn cutter and crusher in 1901. The equipment…

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