Bird's Eye View of Odebolt

By A.W. Dahlstrom, 1914

The photo above was taken by Odebolt's talented, long-time photographer, A. W. Dahlstrom, from the top of the water tower in the year 1914. Because it is a panorama, the streets look distorted. The street to the right on the photo is 5th Street, which runs to the east past the old school. In front of St. Martin's Parish Church in the middle of the photo is Hanson Boulevard, which runs north and south. The Street you see in the middle of the left side of the photo is Lincoln Street, which also runs north and south.

Judy (Messer) Bauer, a former Ida Grove resident, brought me the photo to scan. It was quite large and took 5 or 6 scans to capture the entire photo. I reduced the scans and pieced the photo back together in order to show you the panorama above. Below are thumbnails of close-up views I have taken from the larger scans. It is wonderful how computer technology allows us to zoom in on the scenes of our past!

Click on each photo to view the enlargement.
Alternately, right click and use the menu to open the enlargement in another browser window. Be patient, they take some time to load but are worth it!

Note that Lincoln St. appears to be nearly the west edge of town.	A rather sizeable garden; people tending the garden, & clothes on the line.	St. Martin's school children in the alley and near the outhouse.	St. Martin's Church and school. Note the children in front.
St. Martin's steeple on the left. In the center of the photo, the old Swedish Lutheran Church and the Library roof.	Elevators that are no longer there.	The steeple of the old Methodist Church near the left; Mission Covenant Church on the right.	5th Street running east past the old school.
A close-up showing the Mission Covenant Church neighborhood.	5th Street with children playing in front of the school	Another close-up of the school	A view south of the school. Many of these houses are now gone.

Dahlstrom Retires After 46 Years

(Source – The Odebolt Chronicle Progress Edition, October 29, 1953, Volume 65, Number 44)

A. W. Dahlstrom made photographic records of three generations of Odebolt people during the 46 years he operated a photography studio here. He came to Odebolt from Marathon, Iowa and purchased the studio of J. L. Humphrey who had been in Odebolt some time, occupying the building always known as the studio. Mr. Dahlstrom was an experienced photographer before buying out Humphrey. Throughout the years he has always kept abreast of the times, making use of all scientific advancements and progress as developed by the industry.

Mr. Dahlstrom originally took pictures on glass negatives, then came the use of film and modern developing methods. When he began business here, Odebolt was served with gas for illuminating, and it was difficult for him with those crude methods to develop and print his pictures. Then came electricity and a general improvement in the work. Mr. Dahlstrom retired in May this year [1953].

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