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Photos by Ryan Moffatt |
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Fort Dodge Photo Page Fort Dodge, Iowa has a population of 25,136 within the city and 40,235 in the micropolitan area. The city is located 91 miles northwest of Des Moines and is the county seat of Webster County. Platted in 1854, the city's namesake has much to do with the history as Fort Dodge as it was the site of a military fort upon the "frontier of Iowa" and the Des Moines River before the town was settled. The area has a rich tradition of industry in the extraction and production of natural materials, and to this day produces the bulk of gypsum (sheetrock) deposits found in the U.S. Today Fort Dodge is an important employment and retail hub for a large section of north central and northwest Iowa. Major industries include trucking/transportation, manufacturing, agriculture related industries and gypsum mining/manufacturing. The city fell on hard times during the farm crisis of the 1980's with several large manufacturing and packing plants closing their doors. The economy of Fort Dodge has slowly improved since the days of the 1980's when several plants closed, eliminating 2,000 jobs within three years. Fort Dodge remains a tight-knit community that is slowly on the rebound, despite the problems with urban decay and poverty. Click the thumbnail on the left to see a larger image. Use your browser's Back button to return to this page. |
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Fort Dodge Skyline- Taken from a high point on the south end of Fort
Dodge, most of the downtown skyline is present in this shot. From Left
to right, the Sears Building, Central Place Apartments, Webster County
Courthouse, the Boston Center and Snell Buildings stick out over the trees. April 2005 |
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Fort Dodge Skyline- Another photo that is a little more panned out, taken from the same location. April 2005 |
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Fort Dodge Skyline- Another view of the
Fort Dodge Skyline, taken from the west on the Karl King Viaduct. |
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Des Moines River-
Downtown Fort Dodge, and many near
downtown neighborhoods sit on the ground of the heavily forested Des Moines
River Valley. The river valley creates a welcome change in the
otherwise flat scenery of North Central Iowa. Fort Dodge is in the
process of slowly building parks, recreation, and attractions to the
riverfront. June 2005 |
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Great Western High Bridge- Sitting
182 ft. above the Des Moines River Valley, the Great Western High Bridge is
a Fort Dodge landmark. The bridge was constructed in 1901 and is still
in use. June 2005 |
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Down Central Avenue-
The main drag through downtown Fort Dodge
is known as Central Avenue. This is photo zoomed down Central Avenue,
which curves around a town square/public park. Central Avenue is
popular destination for young people to cruise at night, a procedure known
locally as "Shagging the Drag." June 2005 |
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Down Central Avenue- Another view down
Central Avenue with the Karl King Public Square visible near the flagpole in
the distance. A trolley line ran down Central Avenue, and through the
public square until the 1950's. |
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John Hower Buildings- The gateway into Fort Dodge from Central Avenue
reveals some small, but detailed brick buildings that are home to some small
businesses with upper floor apartments. May 2005 |
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Carver Building- One of the taller buildings in downtown is the 8-story Carver Building, located on Central Avenue. The building is primarily occupied by the offices of a local publishing company April 2005 |
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Carver Building-
Another view of the Carver
Building, which was built in 1918.
In the foreground is the Brass Monkey Lounge: "Where no drink is over
$3.50." |
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Boston Center- The Boston Center and Snell Buildings are a series of
3 seven story buildings that are all attached. Several law offices and
local brokerage firms occupy the upper floors of these buildings on a prime
corner in downtown. The buildings were built in
1913. April 2005 |
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Top Hat Lounge- The cream of the crop for Fort Dodge adult
entertainment, the Top Hat Lounge will be the only strip club you may ever
go in that doesn't have a pole for the dancers. A must see on any trip
to Fort Dodge! The building to the left of the Top Hat is the Snell
Building. June 2005 |
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Wells Fargo Building-
The newest major addition
to downtown Fort Dodge office space is the four story Wells Fargo Building.
Completed in 1984, the
building houses operations for Wells Fargo and features some speculative
office space. June 2005 |
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Dodgy Apartments- Located right on Central Avenue, this small
building sits nearly vacant with the exception of some transitional
apartments on the upper floors. This is 1 of 2 buildings in downtown
Fort Dodge that feature metal bay windows on the side. June 2005 |
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Downtown Brick Building- This small 3-story building located on Central Avenue is home to transitional apartments, and a 24 hour restaurant on the first floor called The Galley. June 2005 |
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Warden Plaza-
What was once Fort Dodge's most prominent
and luxurious hotel during the local boom years has fallen on hard times.
The 8 story Warden Plaza Hotel Building currently sits empty. There
have been several proposals to transform the building into a new use, but
the sheer size of the structure has made rehabilitation unfeasible thus far.
The Warden Plaza Hotel was built in 1914. June 2005 |
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Warden Plaza Entryway- The entryway of the Warden Plaza. The building was actually occupied by retail and apartment tenants until 2004, when the building forced all tenants out to the costs of running and maintain the building per city codes. The Warden Plaza is connected to the Wakonsa Manor Senior apartments, partially visible at right. June 2005 |
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Wahkonsa Manor - The seven story annex to the former Warden Plaza Hotel is currently empty, but once served as downtown apartments after the hotel was shuttered. When connected with the rest of Warden Plaza and the Wahkonsa Manor, the buildings take up a massive footprint that covers an entire city block of downtown. The building was built in 1909. June 2005 |
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Wahkonsa Manor- A photo showing the full length of the Wahkonsa Manor Apartments. June 2005 |
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Gritty Alleyway-
The back alley connection of the Wahkonsa
Manor and Warden Plaza Hotel is seen in this gritty alleyway. June 2005 |
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Wahkonsa Manor- Yet another view of the Wahkonsa Manor showing it's relationship with the Warden Plaza Hotel Building. June 2005 |
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First Federal Savings Bank-
A modern addition to a major downtown
street corner is the First Federal Savings Bank. June 2005 |
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Historic Fort Dodge Mural-
Visible from Central Avenue, a mural has
been painted on the empty side of building commemorating Fort Dodge's
history as a pioneer/military settlement, mining community, and a hub for
railroad activity. June 2005 |
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Messenger News- Located right on Central Avenue, the Fort Dodge
Messenger Newspaper calls the small 3-story brick building on the left its
home. Next to the Messenger News Building sits the Webster County
Courthouse, with the Central Place Apartments further down the street.
Notice the small bronze bust of John Dolliver in between the Messenger
Building and the courthouse. Dolliver was another prominent Fort Dodge
citizen that did so much for the city that a state park was named in his
honor. June 2005 |
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Webster County Courthouse- The
Webster County Courthouse is downtown's most ornate and stately structure.
It was constructed in the early 1900's in the Beaux Arts style, using
Indiana Limestone. June 2005 |
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Sears Building- The 8-story tall former Sears Department Store Building currently sits empty, except for a ballroom occupying the first two levels. The building was constructed in 1916. April 2005 |
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Sears Building-
A closer in view of some of the detailing
of the Sears Building. This is Fort Dodge's tallest building and would
make a great candidate for rehabilitation if a developer would step up to
the plate. April 2005 |
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Central Place Apartments- Originally home to the First National Bank,
and later the State Bank, the building is currently Fort Dodge's newest
downtown apartment building for seniors. The 6-story building
originally built in 1907 was
rehabbed into apartments in 2004. June 2005 |
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Garmoe Building-
Constructed in 1896, the Garmoe Building has an ornate turret (missing the peak).
The building is a mix of commercial space and transitional apartments. April 2005 |
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Carnegie Library-
The home to the Fort Dodge Public Library
for many years until the city built a modern library on the downtown square
in 2000, this original Carnegie Library currently sits empty waiting for its
next use. The library was built in 1901. June 2005 |
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YWCA- The YWCA Building is one block north of Central
Avenue, and currently provides a transitional home to women that are
homeless or temporarily homeless. It was built in
1914 and has since been home to the local YWCA Chapter. June 2005 |
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Down 11th Street-
A view down
11th Street shows the
businesses and brick buildings on the eastern end of downtown Fort Dodge.
Note the apartment building at left with the bay windows. April 2005 |
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Physician's Building-
The six story
Physician's Building is home to quite a few downtown apartments. The
building sits one block north of Central Avenue and was built in
1923. June 2005 |
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Fraternal Order of the Eagles Lodge-
A building one block north of Central
Avenue with some nice ornamentation is the current home to an Eagles Club
Lodge. Note the clock on the center of the building. June 2005 |
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Halfway House- This smaller downtown building is one block north of
Central Avenue, and is currently home to a halfway house, with several
engineering and design firms as tenants on the first floor. June 2005 |
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Historic Buildings- A couple of historic brick buildings on a side
street just off of Central Avenue. The building with the green turret
is the current home of one of Fort Dodge's most popular Irish bars...ok,
it's the only Irish bar. June 2005 |
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Masonic Temple- Built in 1914,
the Masonic Temple features Ionic Greek Pillars. The building is
showing some signs of neglect, but is still home to several community
organizations. June 2005 |
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Methodist Church- One of the more interesting churches in downtown
Fort Dodge is the First United
Methodist Church. The bell tower, silver dome, and Greek Columns give
the church a distinctive look. April 2005 |
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Duncombe Hotel Mural- The site of the new library on the downtown
square was once home to the historic Duncombe Hotel. Through the
years, the Duncombe Hotel fell into disrepair and was known for something
other than "clean and friendly rooms", as it sat in the heart of Fort
Dodge's once thriving "red light district." This mural was painted on
the side of building on the downtown square to commemorate the hotel's
history. June 2005 |
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Downtown Square- A view of some of the smaller buildings that sit on
the square facing the new library. The Garmoe Building is on the
right, and yes that is a rusty Ferris Wheel on the far left. June 2005 |
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Karl King Municipal Park- Fort Dodge's most famous native son is
well-renowned musical composer Karl King. Among many other
accomplishments, King was the head of the city's municipal band that played
on the downtown square. The gazebo shown in this photo is still the
home of the city's municipal band and the entire downtown square park was
named in honor of King. In the background is the new Fort Dodge Public
Library. June 2005 |
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Fort Dodge Public Library-
Constructed in 2000, the new Fort Dodge
Public Library is the anchor of the downtown square and a hub of activity
for downtown (just not on the Sunday in which this photo was taken). June 2005 |
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Federal Building- The modernist
looking 4-story Federal Building is home to the Central Post Office of Fort
Dodge, along with several other government offices. The Federal
Building sits on the southern end of downtown. June 2005 |
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Bruce's Funeral Home- Once an
ornate Victorian private residence, this large brick home now serves as a
Funeral Parlor located directly in downtown Fort Dodge. June 2005 |
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Ghost Signs- Fort Dodge must have one of the most impressive
collections of "ghost signs" in all of Iowa. There's a lot of
buildings in downtown that have faded signs similar to what is pictured
here. The construction in foreground is for a new office building. June 2005 |
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Fort Dodge Municipal Building- The Fort Dodge Municipal
Building serves as the city hall and government offices. Built in the
late 1920's, it once housed the Fort Dodge Fire Department as well. June 2005 |
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Commercial Row- A nice set of early 20th Century Commercial Buildings
sit just one block south of Central Avenue. The ground floor tenants
of these buildings include a real estate auction company, a Knights of
Columbus meeting hall, and a biker bar. June 2005 |
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Grace Lutheran Church- Fort
Dodge is home to several beautiful churches made from limestone block mined
out of nearby Humboldt County. The
Grace Lutheran Church is one of the
more ornate examples of this style of church. June 2005 |
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Kalo Brick and Tile Company-
Located on 1st Avenue South, just outside
of downtown is the former home of the Kalo Brick & Tile Company, which
pulled minerals from the nearby river valley to build much of the brick
found in Fort Dodge's older buildings. The building is currently a
warehouse for an electrical supply company. April 2005 |
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Riverfront Warehouse-
Further down Central Avenue, on the
descent downward into the river valley is a nice, old warehouse that would
make a great conversion into lofts or apartments someday. This
warehouse marks the downtown transition between commercial buildings and
more industrial uses that were once located on the Des Moines River
riverfront. It once served as the warehouse of a grocery and wholesale
supply company. April 2005 |
Neighborhoods
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Corpus Christi Catholic Church-
With a steeple taller than other churches
in downtown Fort Dodge, the Corpus Christi Catholic Church as built in 1881.
The steeple is dramatically lit up at night and visible over most of Fort
Dodge. April 2005 |
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Paula Apartments- Fort Dodge has an
amazingly urban infrastructure in place from the days when the community was
larger, and growing quickly. Evidence of this more urban built
environment are several brick apartment blocks that are scattered throughout
the near downtown neighborhoods. |
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Gustofson Apartments-
Another brick apartment block. To the left of this apartment is the AT
& T (Now Qwest) switching tower and communications hub. |
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Hawkeye Community Theater-
Located just north of downtown in the home of a former church is Fort
Dodge's community theater. The local community college, and several
other local performing arts groups routinely put on plays and performances
here. |
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Blanden Art Museum-
The pride and joy of Fort Dodge is the
Blanden Art Museum. This is the only nationally accredited art museum
between Des Moines and Minneapolis, and is home to some very nice
collections of art. It was built in 1932 with donations from a wealthy
Fort Dodge citizen. The Blanden is located in the densely wooded Oak
Park Historic District. June 2005 |
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Oak Hill Historic District- The Oak Hill Historic District is located
in a heavily treed area just south of downtown Fort Dodge. It features
many historic mansions built in Fort Dodge's boom years, and is one of the
city's most architecturally impressive neighborhoods.. The following
photos are a few of the historic homes found in the neighborhood. June 2005 |
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Oak Hill Historic District- Another large brick home found in the Oak
Hill Historic District. June 2005 |
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Oak Hill Historic District- Sitting on the fringe of the historic
district is this huge "four square" brick home with Prairie Style
influences. June 2005 |
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Oak Hill Historic District- One of the more interesting brick
Victorians found in the neighborhood. Fort Dodge has a lot of older
Victorian homes in the near downtown neighborhoods, however, most are wood
framed instead of brick. June 2005 |
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Oak Hill Historic District-
Known as the Vincent House, this
Victorian Italianate mansion was built in 1871 and is one of the older homes
in the Oak Hill Historic District. June 2005 |
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Sacred Heart Church-
The red Spanish tiled roof, and tall
steeple of the Sacred Heart Church is a near downtown landmark of Fort
Dodge. June 2005 |
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Karl King Bandshell- Located in southern
Fort Dodge is the expansive Oleson Park, the Karl King Bandshell is a Works
Progress Administration project dating from the 1930's. The Bandshell
is the most popular outdoor concert venue in the area, and is currently
undergoing a restoration to bring it up to modern concert standards. |
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Snell Place Neighborhood- The
Snell Place Neighborhood is the
old-money section of Fort Dodge, with many beautiful homes built from the
1920's-1950's sitting under a large canopy of trees. Some of the most
well-kept, and architecturally interesting homes in the city are found in
this neighborhood. June 2005 |
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Snell Place Neighborhood-
Another interesting home found in the
Snell Place Neighborhood.
Notice the unique use of stone on the first level. June 2005 |
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Snell Place- A
few more homes of various styles found in the
Snell Place Neighborhood, just north
of downtown. June 2005 |
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Phillips Middle School- Originally the Fort Dodge Public High School,
until the new facility was built in 1957, Phillips Middle School was built
in 1922 with a common type of school architecture during the period.
This is arguably the most architecturally significant school building in the
community. June 2005 |
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Former Synagogue- Located just north of downtown, this was the home
of a former synagogue, but has since been converted to a senior center for a
nearby Presbyterian Church June 2005 |
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Common Residential Vernacular- This photo shows a common residential
street found in the older portions of Fort Dodge. This is a scene from
the Reynolds Park Neighborhood, to the east of downtown. June 2005 |
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Former Hospital- This six story building once served as the hospital
complex for Fort Dodge until the Trinity Regional Medical Center was built.
This hospital was built in the 1920's, but later shut down when a new
hospital was built in the 1950's. Today, the building which sits in a
neighborhood to the southeast of downtown, is
used as senior apartments. April 2005 |
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Fort Dodge 8 Theater- The eight-screen cineplex in Fort Dodge is
located on the eastern fringe of downtown. May 2005 |
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Trinity Regional Medical Center- Over the train
tracks and through the river valley sits the Trinity Regional Medical Center
complex. The hospital is modern, 200 bed medical complex that serves
as the primary hospital over an eight county area in North Central Iowa. |
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Friendship Haven Retirement Home-
Friendship Haven is a large senior campus
that has several buildings that poke above the tree line. The largest
is this 6-story "retirement condo" tucked into the campus. June 2005 |
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Iowa Central Community College Dorms/Apartments-
Iowa Central Community College is based
in, and has a large campus in Fort Dodge. To make the school seem less
of a commuter school, and feel more like a real college, these 6-story
dorms/apartments were constructed to house students. Iowa Central is a
technical college that specializes in vocational trades, nursing, and
liberal arts. June 2005 |
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Fort Museum and Frontier Village-
Perhaps the most interesting tourist
attraction in Fort Dodge, the Fort Museum and Frontier Village consists of
original and replica buildings from the original settlement of Fort Dodge.
The village features buildings with artifacts inside that are reminiscent of
the early frontier period, along with local historical memorabilia. June 2005 |
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Frontier Fort Museum-
The replica fort that gave the town its
namesake is now open for tours. Employees of the Fort Museum dress in
period clothing and often have reenactments of what life was like during the
early frontier years. June 2005 |
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Opera House-
The 5,500 sq. ft. Opera House is a
community meeting/banquet hall, performing arts center that is located at
the historic Fort Museum and Frontier Village. June 2005 |
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Crossroads Mall- Anchored by
Sears, Younkers, and JCPenny's, the Crossroads Mall is home to 45 stores and
located in a busy commercial area of the city. Fort Dodge is the
retail hub of north central Iowa. June 2005 |