The danger of fire was ever present in the days of all wood construction coupled with inadequate fire-fighting equipment and water. In order to eliminate the hazard, in 1869, the council passed an ordinance giving owners a month to remove stove pipes going through roofs and sides of buildings, replacing them with brick chimneys.
New construction occurred in the late 1880s with iron and wood frameworks covered with iron, inside and out.
On the corner of South Main Street, going north, was Garretson’s Drug Store, 1885, Dr. B. M. Robins, 1890, and Fisher & Lynn, 1947. This is the Windland’s, Western Auto, Vision Center location today.
Osceola National Bank built a splendid new stone front building in 1920. Today, this is Clarke County State Bank.
Next door was Harrison’s Grocery, Rindy’s Gold Star Market, Kraft Clothing, Paul’s Men’s clothing, Heinrich Rexall, Goldsmith, Ettinger’s, Dr. Paul’s dentistry and insurance, Earl E. Coburn, a photographer, who later went to Hollywood, California, and worked for Warner Brother’s Studio and Samuel Goldwyn doing stills.
The Goldsmith family was in the business on the east side ofthe dquare before moving to the south side. Their large store burned to the ground in 1917. Two men were killed in the fire.
Richard A. Robinson bought out a variety store in 1933. He expanded his business in the Harding block that was build in 1895. The store carried dry goods, hardware, boat kits, clothing for the family and much more. Robinson purchased Paul’s Men’s clothing store in 1973. Robinson’s landmark business is located in three store fronts.
North of the alley was the Myer-Riley block. Riley and Simmons Bank was located on the south side of the building. Paul’s Hardware and Implement, J.C. Penney and several restaurants were on the north side.
In 1902, S.S. Dalby built the two-story building with the balcony window. A full-size dapple grey paper mache horse, fully harnassed, was in the window as a sign of Dalby’s trade. General merchandise, Hood’s Shoe Store, Miller’s Shoe Store and clothing stores followed.
Newspaper offices, dry goods, groceries, attorneys filled the in W.H. Hall block. Paul and Ruth Ostrus founded the 70th Coast to Coast store in the nation in Osceola in 1946. The block was also home to meat markets, clothing and an expanded Coast to Coast that was destroyed by a fire in Nov. 1984.
In 1892, Bond’s Jewelry Store was established in Slymaker block. Bond moved the jewelry store to North Main Street in 1902. Other businesses were Moore’s Shoes, shoes and clothing store businesses. After WWII, the building was made into two fronts with Slaymaker, Killmar law office where H & R Block now stands.
The large three-story Mintonye block was built around spring 1870. In 1896, it was a London Drug. It included offices for Dr. Sells and Story and a hospital on the third floor until 1944. In 1952, it became a Gambles Store. The owners through the years were Hutchings, Estell and Baker. Drug store owners throughout the years were Coye-Thornton, Albertson, Doolittle, Windrath, Shadley and Kentner. This is where the Department of Human Services now stands.
On the three-story Masonic block, Cowles Bank started in 1871. Attorney offices, insurance, Dr. Sells office and the American Legion occupied the building, with the Jaycees on the second floor. Iowa State Bank and Spurgeon Mercantile started in 1929; future home of Iowa Southern Utilities, Rexall Drug, Penick Electric. The Osceola Masonic Lodge built and owned the floor.