America’s wealth and democracy caused a great emigration from Sweden to America in the first half of the 19th century.
Two brothers, Emil and Ed Jarl of Sweden, worked hard for two years saving enough money to book passage to America. In 1887, at ages 14 and 16, they sailed to America. As they had an uncle in Afton as a sponsor, they did not have to stop at Ellis Island. They boarded a train in New York for Iowa.
The two worked as farm laborers and quickly learned the English language. They completed their education and graduated from high school in Afton. They worked and accumulated a small nest egg and decided to strike out on their own and establish their own business. In searching for a good location, they purchased and operated a small store in Osceola.
Osceola was a regional marketing center served by the railroad. Farm production was increasing, and Osceola looked like the ideal location for a new business in the 1890s.
In 1906, the Jarl brothers secured a lot from S. A. Babb on the north side of the square, next to the I.O.O.F. building. The old wooden building on the lot was moved to the rear of the lot and used for storage purposes. Work was to begin at once on the new large brick block building for the Jarl Brothers general merchandise store.
While workmen were placing the roof on the new Jarl building, a can of tar was being warmed over a torch and the can burst, allowing tar to pour over the torch, starting a fire that sent dense columns of black smoke upward, creating considerable excitement. The fire department quickly responded and the hose was raised to the roof. While the fire was extinguished quickly, the damage to the roof was quite large, amounting to $100 or $200.
The new two-story building was built in 1907 at a cost of almost $10,000. The store was a commodious one, 28 x 100 feet with a steel ceiling. The basement was unusually fine and used as a salesroom in rush seasons. The basement was floored with cement and was well-lit, with a broad stairway leading down to it from the back of the store room.
On the second floor were two office suites with two rooms each, a toilet room and two six-room residence suites. The upper floor was all hard wood, and the entrance was located on an alley for ease of access. Today, this is the location of Dr. Thomas Lower’s office.
In 1917, Emil Jarl and his wife, Gunilla, built a new home on a lot just south of the library. Gunilla hand picked each brick used in the fireplace, the tiles and oak for the woodwork, going to Chicago several times to select materials. The home has two stories, many built-in oak cabinets, a tile roof and a garage in the basement.
The Jarls represent the American Dream.