Dwellings -- Iowa -- Fort Dodge; Fort Dodge (Iowa) -- Buildings, structures, etc.; Historic buildings -- Iowa -- Fort Dodge
The two-story house is of frame and stucco construction with full
basement and porches on both the east and west sides. On the first floor
are living room, dining room, kitchen, bedroom and bath, front hall and
curving open stairway to the second floor. The second floor has four
bedrooms, bath and enclosed porch. The downstairs bedroom and full bath
were added some years after the house was built and this addition
included a garage underneath.
The west porch has been converted into a family room and the east porch
is a room for social activities. The 10 upstairs windows on the main
portion of the house have stained glass insets and there are also
stained glass insets in the living and dining room windows.
Judge Thomas, a native of Ohio, was educated in the east and was a
school teacher and principal before coming to Iowa in 1900. In 1902 he
was named principal of the Washington, Iowa, high school and served
there for three years. He came to Fort Dodge in 1905 and was principal
of the high school here until 1909. He studied law during the summer
months at the University of Michigan and received his law degree at Iowa
University in 1910.
Thomas began his practice of law here with Healy & Healy and from 1910
to 1928 was a law partner of M. F. Healy. He was appointed assistant U.
S. district attorney for northern Iowa from 1914 until 1921.
Later he was a law partner of Alan Loth and in 1933 was appointed
solicitor of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in Washington, D. C. He
served there until 1935 when he was appointed judge of the Circuit Court
of Appeals, 8th circuit, with office in Fort Dodge. Thomas was a judge
of this court for 19 years, retiring in 1954. He continued to make his
home in Fort Dodge and died in 1962 at the age of 88.
Judge Thomas was the father of two children—Reynolds B. Thomas, a Fort
Dodge attorney; and Mrs. Franz (Eleanor) Van Alstine of Pocahontas. He
was prominent in legal circles and was president of the Iowa State Bar
Association (1931-1932). He was a member of the Webster County, Iowa and
American Bar Associations and served as president of the Fort Dodge
Chamber of Commerce two years. In 1947 he received special recognition
as one of the 50 prominent living alumni at the 100th anniversary of the
University of Iowa.
THE SAUNDERS HOME
[Illustration: The Saunders home
1108 4th Avenue North]
Dr. C. J. Saunders, a well-known Fort Dodge physician, who came to the
city in 1893, built this spacious home at 1108 4th Ave. N. in 1907.
During the following 23 years it was the home of the Saunders family
until sold in 1930 to Dr. C. J. Jensen, a local chiropractor, and his
wife, Agnes.
Dr. Jensen, who died in 1970, had his office in the house for many
years. His widow now owns the property and lives in one of the
apartments in the house.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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