The home has five rooms and a half bath on the first floor, four bedrooms and bath on the second floor and two finished rooms on the third floor. There is a butler’s pantry and a second pantry on the first floor, both with their original cupboards. In the butler’s pantry is a small heating element to keep dishes warm during the winter months. Woodwork in the house has the original finish and has never been redone. The Gowers have been told that the excellent varnish finish is the same as used on the early-day Pullman railroad cars. Dr. Bowen was born in Marion, Ill., in 1869 and as a youth of 15 moved with his parents to Kossuth County where the family settled near Algona. He attended the Algona public schools and later Northern Illinois Normal School in Dixon, Ill. In 1895 he graduated from the University of Iowa Medical college and began the practice of medicine at Whittemore. After five years he sold his practice and went to Berlin, Germany, for a year. Returning to the United States in 1901 he came to Fort Dodge where he was a prominent physician and surgeon until 1940 when he retired. He and Dr. Evans practiced together for 24 years. Dr. Bowen was active in medical societies and served as president of the Iowa Medical Society. He was a charter Fellow of the American College of Surgeons which was organized in 1913. In 1895 Dr. Bowen was married to Miss May King and they were parents of a son, Harold, and a daughter, Lydia. Dr. Bowen died in Fort Dodge in 1944 at age 75. THE CHENEY HOME An early-day Fort Dodge banker—John C. Cheney—built this home at 1008 3rd Ave. S. in 1896—another of the fine residences constructed in the 1890-1900 era. Cheney was one of the organizers of the Fort Dodge National Bank (now the First National Bank) and first president when it began business in 1882. He and his wife resided in the Third Avenue South home until 1913 when it was acquired by J. R. Mulroney. The Mulroney family owned the property until 1931 when it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kelley. The three-story house is of frame construction with a large open porch on the front. On the first floor are parlor, dining room, library and kitchen with breakfast nook that earlier was a butler’s pantry. The second floor has five bedrooms and two baths; the third floor includes a large finished room and storage space. A first floor fireplace in the home is unique in that it won second prize in the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1892-1893. It reportedly was purchased by Cheney and shipped to Fort Dodge for his new home that was constructed shortly after the exposition closed. The fireplace is made of hand carved oak with red tile around the fire area. The ornate mantel atop the fireplace has a large mirror with lights on either side. Columns on sides of the fireplace are topped by hand carved gargoyles.