We planned this leg of the trip to be able to go to the Webster County Historical Library, which is only open on Tuesdays. When we get there, they did not have the newspaper files that Deb needed (they were in the regular library, which is open every day), so she sent me in to research some old files on the Fort Dodge Post Office where here grandfather was assistant postmaster. I was in there five minutes and the curator wanted to close up and go home! I told him that we came all the way from Oregon and he said, "you are lucky you found anyone here... there is hardly ever anyone here!" Then he agreed to stay a little longer so i could get some copies of an article about the history of the Post Office.
Fortunately, we had a lot more success in the main library going through many, many, microfiche rolls of old newspapers. Unfortunately, the person she wanted to find information the most for, it seemed that the file or page or newspaper was always missing.
After lunch we decided to check the county court house for some birth and death records that we need...
You guessed it... we needed records from 1878 and the record books started at 1880!
Back at the public library we continued to search newspaper films... it was fun to read the descriptions of the wedding parties and other community events from around the turn of the 20th Century...
After eight hours of this stuff, you feel like your head is going to explode!
So we left the library and drove past the home where Deb's mom was raised (built by Deb's grandfather)... actually both of these homes were owned by the family (Deb's great-grandfather lived in the one on the left)...
This home, a few blocks away, was the first home that Deb's mom and dad owned after they were married. Deb's dad had to go overseas with the Air Force and her mom lived here with her older brother and sister until he returned.
Tomorrow we are going to go to Colfax Cemetery outside of Vincent to search for headstones for some of Deb's ancestors.
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