brief  KINGSLEY, IOWA history
THE FOUNDING OF KINGSLEY.....

The whole  brunt of this story is Mr. John Insley Blair, railroad builder, had his own ideas for a town and won over the developers of Quorn ( The Close Brothers )  in this struggle to have the "feeder" line railroad go through this area  And with a shroud business move purchased land from George B. & Martha B. Smyth on June 22, 1883 and by August 6, 1883 had the lay out of the Town done.  This consisted of comprised streets and alleys and blocks numbered 1 to 13 inclusive , which where divided into 305 lots, and certain grounds for the station of the Maple River Railroad Company. And it was recorded in the  Town Lot Records, found on page 330, by the Blair Town & Lot Company.
  With this move Mr. Blair won the "trumpet" card for the railroad and before the ink was dry a few of the business men of Quorn began their move into this new Town which soon would bare the name Kingsley. 

Please reveiw
the History for Quorn.  Though this "Business" done by Mr. Blair and the Railroad slowed Quorn.  It did survive and was legally  a part of the Plymouth County up untill 1920.  
NAMING OF KINGSLEY......

Mr. Blair hired Nahum P. Kingsley to lay out the new town.  Mr. Kingsley,  a navative of Rutland, Vermont , did his work well, and enjoyed naming the streets of the town after those in his home town and state.  He was honored by Mr. Blair by having the town named after him, "KINGSLEY".
LOCATION OF KINGSLEY....

  The town of Kingsley is located in sections 19 and 30 of Garfield Township in the County seat of Plymouth.
HISTORY DETAILS OF KINGSLEY....

In 1884 Kingsley was officially incorporated  as a City by it's community.
The 15th Of Janurary of 1884 the election result of For Incorporation or Against Incorporation  was 68 For and 43 against.

First Businesses to uproot and Move to Kingsley from Quorn, and first operating Business  was Gaspar Brothers' Store &  J.F. Varner came in a close second. 

First Hardware Store was another move from Quorn by Rathburn & Ireland Hardware and Agricutlural Implements.

First to deal furntiture was C.H Loring

First Drug Store was Marshall and Banks

First Child Born and First Blacksmith was Mr. & Mrs. Charles Bower. Who named there new loved one appropraitely "Kingsley" Bowers.

First Wagon Shop was conducted by M.A. Oberholser

and First harness tradesman was M.A. Condon

The villagers were first supplied with meat by Scott Bros.

First Livermen where the Hamil Bros.

First Bank was The Kingsley Bank  established in the new town in 1883.

And The Plymouth County Lynx ( see Quorn History )  became the The Kingsley Times upon removal to this new community. 

May 28, 1884 the first additon was added. The extension was one full block north of third to Fourth Street all the way to Brandon and Rutland Streets.

June 19, 1884 th second addtion was added.  This exstension effected the east side of town adding a full block east of Rutland to the new street Clarendon from Third Street south to the railroad.

July 14, 1884 the third addtion was added.  This added  land fron Third to Forth west of Claredon to Vermont Avenue.

Oct 28, 1884 the extension added one block east of Claredon -- First and Second Street.




   The paintings in the left side of this page's background is reproductions of the black & white photos of  West  side of Main St. looking from the North in pre-1900. In this picture the Corner builing would now ( 1987 ) be Terry Clover Farm and the Corner building on the south in Now Chet's pantry or the future home of the Reinke Building. .      The other one is the West  Side  of Main Street ( South ) on the intersestion of 2nd Street. On the corner is the  Reinke Building which was erected in 1905, a time of the photo it was owned by Mayme Martin Grocies, Drygoods and Wearing Appareal ( now Chet's Grocery Store ), and Farmers First National Bank Building, built in 1905. ( no long in use - but the building still there ).
By the 1890 Atlas Of Kingsley, Iowa it shows the great deversity of this Successful community businesses.

Attorneys.................................J.M Wormley, John A Dewey,
                                               and D.W Wood
Agricultural Implements............ S.A. Tennant, Knowles &
                                               Smaltz ,and Law Bros.
Banks..................................... Bank Of Kingsley, Kingsley Bank
Blacksmiths............................. Charles Bowers, Charles Price,
                                                C.C. Schneider, and  F.A. Barns
Boots & Shoes........................  John Gasper, and Truman Alger
Coal Dealers .................................. D. Joyce, and M.A. Moore
Drugs.............. Martland & Banks, J.J. Wilder, and Wilson Bros.
Furniture ............................................................ C.H. Loring
Grocers.................................... Clarence Woods, M.S. Snider,
                                                C. Strortz & Co., Gasper Bros.,                                                 J.F. Varner, and J.J. Filson
Grain............................................................... Cathcart Bros.
General Dealers .... Wm. Reicke Bros., W.F. Howard,
                             M .C Evans, Martin Kalbfleisch, W.H. Miller
Hardware.................................. S.A Tennant, Knowles, &
                                                 Smaltz Law Bros. 
Harness Shops .......................... M.A. Condon, and H. Rhode
Hotels .............................. George's Hotel,  Stowell House Hotel
Jewelers ............................................................... C.E. Smith
Livery ........................ Trotter Bros.,  James Greives, D.W Peer
Lumber ............................................ D. Joyce, and M.A Stone
Miller ................................................................. J.J. Heacock
Photo Gallery ................................................... George A. Fox
Press ....................................................... The Kingsley Times
Physicians ................... Drs. J.J Wilder, E.H Banks, R.D Mason
                                    and J.R Walcutt
Real Estate .................................. J.S. Ellis , and J.M Wormely
Stock Dealers ...................................................... Heron Bros.
Saloons ........................ Three "Holes in the Wall" ( unlincesed )
Veterinary ............................................................. Peter Elliot
Wagon Shop .......................................... ....... H.H. Obersolser                                  


Site Map:  Home Page History Of KingsleyKingsley Town Family History Index A-KKingsley Town Family History Index  L - Z,    History of Quorn,   History of Elkhorn Twp.History of Garfield Twp., History of Kingsley Area Churches, Cemetery Transcriptions
found in "A Century of Memories, Kingsley, Iowa  1884 - 1994"
published by Miller Printing & Publishing, Odebolt, Iowa  ( currently out of Print )
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