Oleson was noted for his countless philanthropic acts. He donated land to the city for Oleson Park in the southeast part of the city and Leif Erickson Park in west Fort Dodge. He was the principal benefactor of Lutheran Hospital when it was organized and began operations here. His widow, Julie Haskell Oleson, willed more than $2 million to the hospital at the time of her death. Oleson was a native of Norway and came to Fort Dodge as a young man and started in the drug business. In 1894 he erected the three-story brick building at Central Avenue and Eighth Street which was long the home of his drug firm—the Oleson Drug Company. The first floor and basement were occupied by the drug firm which for many years had both retail and wholesale operations. The second and third floors had apartments and some offices. The building was razed in recent years along with other structures to make way for the City Green Parking lot. Oleson enjoyed good music and in the early 1890s organized the Grieg Male Chorus and was its director for many years. The chorus had a large hall on the third floor of the Oleson building where members rehearsed and held social activities. His love of music led to some composing. One of the numbers he set to music was the celebrated World War I poem by Col. John McCrae—“In Flanders Fields the Poppies Grow.” THE E. H. RICH HOME [Illustration: The E. H. Rich home 819 3rd Avenue South] E. H. Rich, a prominent Fort Dodge banker, built this large brick home at 819 3rd Ave. S. in 1880 and it was occupied continuously by members of the Rich family until the recent death of Miss Eva Rich. Rich came to the city in 1874 and was cashier of the early-day First National Bank for many years—a bank that later was reorganized as the State Bank. The Rich house is located on a three-lot site at the southwest corner of Third Avenue South and Ninth Street. Foundation of the home is constructed of large hand-hewn limestone blocks 20 inches thick and upper walls are 14 inches thick. The soft burned red brick used on the exterior was produced at a local brickyard using wood logs at that time to fire the kilns. The house contains seven bedrooms, living room, dining room, music room, kitchen and two bathrooms. The third floor attic area has three large rooms and there is a fourth floor with two unfinished rooms now reached only by a ladder. The interior stairway, doors and trim of the home are of solid walnut, cut out and formed from local walnut trees. Originally the house had seven open fireplaces, four on the first floor and three in upstairs bedrooms. With the coming of gas heat these were sealed off and six of the eight chimneys on the house removed. The house is now heated by two hot air gas-fired furnaces.