Red Oak Historic Preservation Commission

Red Oak Historic Preservation Commission Red Oak Historic Preservation Commission was created in 1994 when five volunteers applied to the National Park Service for CLG Status, which was approved.

Today the ROHPC has seven volunteers committed to preserving the history of our community.

JUDGE HORACE EMERSON DEEMER Horace E Deemer was born in Bourbon, Indiana on September 24, 1858. The family moved to a f...
04/26/2026

JUDGE HORACE EMERSON DEEMER

Horace E Deemer was born in Bourbon, Indiana on September 24, 1858. The family moved to a farm in Iowa, near West Liberty when he was 8 years old. After high school he attended the State University at Iowa City, and in 1879, at the age of twenty, he was graduated from the law department of the university.

After his admission to the bar, he entered a law office in Lincoln, Nebraska, then in 1879 he came to Red Oak, entering into a partnership with Joseph M. Junkin. In 1882 Deemer married Jeanette Gibson of Red Oak, for years one of the most prominent members of the State Federation of Woman's Clubs.

In 1886 he was elected Judge of the District Court at the age of twenty-eight. In 1894 the legislature increased the number of Iowa Supreme Court judges from five to six. Governor Frank D. Jackson had known Deemer at the State University of Iowa and appointed him, at age 35, to the vacancy.

Deemer proved an exceptional judge and a prodigious worker, filing some 2,000 opinions in 22 years. He wrote them in pencil, in a fairly illegible hand. Among numerous great questions he settled were constitutional cases concerning the anticigarette law, the party wall statute, and the antitrust statutes. He was repeatedly reelected to the court and was chief justice in 1898, 1904, 1908, and 1915.

Judge Deemer enjoys the distinction of having been the first pitcher in college baseball to use the curve ball, at the State University in Iowa City. At the time he was a star pitcher, and the captain of the college baseball team. He deveoped his curve ball after reading accounts of curve balls thrown by big league pitchers at that time.

Thanks to Judge Deeme's efforts, Red Oak has one of the prestigious Carnegie Libraries due to his direct correspondence with Andrew Carnegie.

Deemer's service on the court was one of the longest in its history, although he died while still in middle life. He was the author of several books and papers and was a lecturer on law at the University of Iowa. Justice Deemer died at Red Oak February 26, 1917, while a member of the court.

Here is a newspaper clipping of another historic East Hill home. This is a beautiful Craftsman style home built for Sam...
04/06/2026

Here is a newspaper clipping of another historic East Hill home. This is a beautiful Craftsman style home built for Samuel Martin Replogle in 1913. Replogle was for years the President of Replogle Mills, an important industry in Red Oak. This photo was published in the Red Oak Express, November 30, 1917, page 6.

Another beautiful East Hill Home, built in 1916 for John Egbert Auman, an early realtor in Red Oak. This photo was publi...
04/02/2026

Another beautiful East Hill Home, built in 1916 for John Egbert Auman, an early realtor in Red Oak. This photo was published in the Red Oak Express on November 30, 1917, page 6.

Have you ever wondered what the woman behind the "Ada B. Hysham House" looked like? See the attached photo of Beatrice ...
03/28/2026

Have you ever wondered what the woman behind the "Ada B. Hysham House" looked like? See the attached photo of Beatrice Ada Habgood Hysham. She was born on September 24, 1871 in London, England.

Ada had an extremely difficult early life. Her father died in 1881 and her mother was hospitalized and unfit to care for her. Ada was removed from the home and brought to Canada as part of the "British Home Children" program with Dr. Barnardo's Homes in 1884 at age 12. She was placed at Hazel Brae, in Peterborough, Ontario, Quebec, a "receivng home". Through the Find A Grave at Evergreen Cemetary in Red Oak, she was identified by the "Home Children Canada" program in 2024 even though the birthdates and first names don't match.

In 1891 she was living in Toronto working as a domestic. In October 1897, she married Dr. George Lawrence Liddell, from Cornwall, Ontario. In July, 1900 George Liddell died unexpectedly. In August 1901, Ada married Thomas Jefferson Hysham, from Red Oak, Iowa, in Toronto. The couple came back to Red Oak to live, in September of that year.

Thomas bought the John Hayes house in 1907. Mr Hysham remodeled their house, in 1926 into an English Tudor to resemble houses in England.

Ada died in 1956, and in her will she left $35,000 to the Murphy Memorial Hospital that was earmarked toward construction of a Home for the chronically ill, as a south wing to the hospital. In addition, she left $100,00 to the Red Oak Monday Club, to buy, build or remodel a home to be used for headquarters or club house for the women's club.

The house was dedicated on May 24, 1957, as the Ada B Hysham Memorial Club House. Ada's friend, Dorothy Houghton gave the dedication speech, and described Ada in these words, "Ada Beatrice Habgood Hysham, born in London, bred in Ontario, an auburn haired, brown eyed beauty, with a hearty laugh and a warm handclasp, keen intelligence and a loyal friend. She always believed the best of everyone, and lived life abundantly, giving happiness to her many friends”.

THE HISTORY OF RED OAK POTTERY WORKSRailroad Addition, Block 1 Lots 1, 2,15 Established in 1870-71 by Webster EatonRED ...
03/20/2026

THE HISTORY OF RED OAK POTTERY WORKS

Railroad Addition, Block 1 Lots 1, 2,15
Established in 1870-71 by Webster Eaton

RED OAK POTTERY-FOUNDING (1870 – 1876) : The first stoneware pottery in Red Oak was established around 1870 – 1871 by Webster Eaton, a Union Army veteran who also founded the Red Oak Express newspaper. The business was known as “Red Oak Pottery” and was run by Eaton’s brother, Oramus “O V” Eaton. Webster Eaton, the elder brother, was born in Brighton, New York, on December 5, 1839. After the Civil War, Webster joined the westward migration moving to Iowa in 1866. After a few years as assistant postmaster, he founded the Red Oak Express, which he edited and published for a little more than a year.
Webster’s younger brother, “O V” Eaton, was born on December 1, 1843. He did not serve during the Civil War but as a young man learned the potter’s trade in Rochester, New York. He followed Webster to Iowa, working in the pottery in Red Oak established by Webster. According to the Villisca Review in 1872, “the proprietors of the Red Oak Pottery are burning corn for fuel in their kilns, and claim that it is better than wood or coal.” In1877 he moved to Hamburg, working in a pottery there.
The brothers moved to Lincoln in 1880. In May of that year Webster purchased the Lincoln Globe. O.V. Eaton and his wife Annie obtained a title to a block of newly platted lots near Lincoln, establishing Lincoln Pottery Works (LPW). The company operated successfully until 1901, when the company was declared to be in default of a loan and a sheriffs’ sale transferred ownership to the bank.

RED OAK POTTERY WORKS ( 1876 – 1896): William H. Close was born in Binghampton, New York in 1838. He and his wife came to Red Oak in about 1870, and established Red Oak Pottery Works around 1876, purchasing the location of the original established pottery. Clay was obtained 1 mile south of the pottery location. W H Close has the honor of being the inventor of a method of heating his pottery kilns with corn cobs, which was probably the only pottery in the world where this was done. Close expanded his plant purchasing additional lots (Lots 3, 4, 5) and having additional buildings built. In 1880, 1,500,000 bricks were made and used in Red Oak. Having the local clay tested, Close found it was suitable to use for pressed brick and in 1891 purchased the required equipment to be able to manufacture the pressed brick. According to article titled “A Day in Red Oak”, by the Creston Sunday Times, featured in the Red Oak Express, June 5, 1891, page 1, “…we visited the Pottery Works, the leading industry of Red Oak in the manufacturing line.” In addition, “The new Montgomery County courthouse is built of brick made here.” Close operated the business until his death on April 4th,1896.

J C CURTIS ( 1896 – 1910): Following W. H. Close, John C. Curtis operated the plant, which manufactured stoneware, brick and tile. Curtis came to Red Oak as a young man and became book keeper and shipping clerk at the W H Close pottery and brickyard, one of the community’s important industries. He became the owner and conducted it for some fifteen years. The facility continued operations until roughly 1910.

02/01/2026

Interested in Serving!!
If you would like to apply to serve on the Historic Preservation Commission or the Planning and Zoning Commission please submit a letter of interest to Lisa Kotter, City Administrator no later than Thursday, February 26.

On the left is an engraving of one of the original East Hill houses. It was built for Dr John Hatton, by George M. Wes...
12/02/2025

On the left is an engraving of one of the original East Hill houses. It was built for Dr John Hatton, by George M. West. Hatton moved to Red Oak in 1871 and began practicing medicine. The lot was purchased by him in 1879, and the house was built shortly after that. Hatton traded the house to T A Carter in 1889, and moved to Des Moines. The house was sold to M E Fisher in 1890. Fisher did an extensive remodeling of the house and turned it from an "Italianate" style house into a "Queen Anne" Victorian style house. (See photo on the right.) The house is still standing. Source of the Engraving: Montgomery County Iowa 1889 Directory, page 22.

Here is another East Hill home with an interesting history! ( This is a recent photo.) The original house at this addre...
11/13/2025

Here is another East Hill home with an interesting history! ( This is a recent photo.) The original house at this address was built in the early 1870's for Alexander McConnell. McConnell was a farmer and a grocer. He moved to Montgomery County in 1871, and bought farm land west of Stennett. In addition he bought lots on East Hill in 1871, and built a house there. He and partner Alex Windle opened a grocery store on the north side of the square, called MConnell & Windles Co. The partnership was dissolved in 1875 and the pair sold the grocery business to the Moriarty Brothers. In 1887 he bought the Moriarty Bros. & Co. business back when they moved to Hastings, Ne. and he and his partners turned it into a whotesale grocery business called "McConnell & Co".

In 1916 the house was sold to Norman N Turner. Turner was partner with his three brothers in a grain and lumber business called "Turner Brothers". At one time, the business consisted of 17 elevators and six lumber yards. The headquarters for the business was moved to Red Oak in 1919. Mr. Turner had the house remodeled to the present "Prairie Style' between 1916 and 1917.

This is another beautiful East Hill home. This is a recent photo. Please view comments posted by Jim Hoskinson for his...
11/07/2025

This is another beautiful East Hill home. This is a recent photo. Please view comments posted by Jim Hoskinson for historical photos of the original house that was built in 1887 for John Hayes and his family. Hayes was a Civil War Veteran who moved to Red Oak and with his brother Edward co-owned a real estate and loan business called, Red Oak Investment, Co. Hayes sold the house in 1907 to Thomas Jefferson Hysham, a lawyer. Mr Hysham remodeled the house in 1925 into a Tudor style, to resemble an English Manor.

Here is another beautiful East Hill home that was built in 1911, for Altis Clements. Mr Clements moved to Red Oak in 188...
10/31/2025

Here is another beautiful East Hill home that was built in 1911, for Altis Clements. Mr Clements moved to Red Oak in 1886, and was in the abstract business in Red Oak for many years, but for the last 18 years of his life, he was a traveling salesman for the Thomas D. Murphy Calendar Company. Source: Just a Glance at Red Oak, by the Red Oak Commercial Club, 1913.

THANK YOU!!On Sunday, October 26th, the Red Oak Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) hosted a “Public Meeting” for hom...
10/30/2025

THANK YOU!!

On Sunday, October 26th, the Red Oak Historic Preservation Commission (HPC) hosted a “Public Meeting” for homeowners with properties in the "East Hill Historic District" grant survey area, and anyone else that might be interested, at the Burlington Northern Depot and W W II Museum.

At last Sunday’s meeting, we had about 40 people in attendance. THANK YOU to everyone who was able to attend. We also want to thank the Burlington Northern Depot & W W II Museum Committee for donating the space, and to the ladies who hosted and made coffee, Ann Iverson and Chris Johnson.

Members of the Red Oak HPC were introduced, those members include: Daric O’Neal, Jim Hoskinson, Drew Swanson, Faith Smith, Bill Jordan, Steve Adams, and Cece Lock.

Mayor Shawnna Silvius was on hand to give out the Accolades Awards. Thank you to her for attending and handing out the awards.

Chele Thornton accepted the award on behalf of Builders Development Corporation for the work on the historic building at 308 Coolbaugh, "The 1917 Lofts".

Daric O'Neal accepted the award on behalf of Root Development for the work on the historic buildings at 302 and 304 Coolbaugh St.-Alley Poyner and J Mercantile.

Daric O’Neal then introduced his co-worker, Jennifer Honebrink. Both Daric and Jennifer are partners of Alley Poyner Macchietto Architecture. Daric then covered the history of the HPC in Red Oak.

The Red Oak HPC was organized and certified as a CLG community in 1994. Through the years the HPC has been able to get several buildings listed on the National Register of Historic Places, including the Red Oak “Historic Downtown” .
The following buildings are also listed on the National Register: Chautauqua Park, Hebard House, Montgomery County Courthouse, Thos. D Murphy Co. Factory and Powerhouse, Edmund B Osborne House, Red Oak Public Library, Burlington Northern Depot & W W II Museum, and the Red Oak Firehouse and City Jail.

Daric then covered how research on houses and historic properties is done and what items are used for research. For example, old photos, news items, courthouse records, books, census documents, cemetery records, letters, diaries. etc.

Some examples of research was shown, including research done on the Thomas Griffith House, the Lucian Powell House and the Thomas H Dearborn House.

Daric also reported on what participation in a historic district and a listing on the National Register would mean for the homeowner. The homeowner has the freedom to change and alter a house that is part of a historic district however they want to. The homeowner can paint the house, sell the house, and even tear down the house. However, if the person received federal money for possible restoration work, then the homeowner would need to follow the guidelines set out by the National Park Service.

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601 N 6th Street
Red Oak, IA
51566

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