[Illustration: The Conrad Laufersweiler home
904 3rd Avenue South]
The Laufersweiler home at 904 3rd Ave. S. dates its history back to the
early years of Fort Dodge. Original portion of the house was built in
1866 by Conrad C. Laufersweiler, a pioneer businessman of the city.
In 1892 the home was enlarged to its present size and modernized. It was
occupied by members of the Laufersweiler family until the death of Elsie
Laufersweiler in 1969. The property is now owned by Grace Lutheran
Church and presently is leased to the Blanden Federation of Arts which
conducts art classes there and operates the Hand Art Shop in a portion
of the house. There is also a ceramics art shop with a potter’s wheel in
the basement.
The two-story house is of brick construction with stucco exterior. It
has five rooms and two baths on the first floor and seven rooms and two
baths on the second floor. An open stairway with oak railing and
spindles leads from the first to the second floor.
Laufersweiler came to Des Moines from his native Germany in 1854 and
spent two years there. In 1856 he traveled to Fort Dodge on the Charles
Rogers, the Des Moines River steamboat that plied between Keokuk and
Fort Dodge in those early years. For a time he lived in one of the
original fort buildings here.
On arrival in Fort Dodge Laufersweiler started a furniture and
undertaking business. He was an experienced cabinet maker and made most
of his furniture by hand. Three sons—William J., John and Charles—later
joined him in the business.
The furniture business was located on the south side of Central Avenue
between Sixth and Seventh Streets. It was discontinued in 1929, but the
undertaking business has continued since its establishment and is now
operated by Welch Laufersweiler.
There were 10 children in the Laufersweiler family—five sons, William
J., John, Charles, Albert and Frank; and five daughters, Mary, Bertha,
Kitty and twins Edith and Elsie. Mary was the only one of the daughters
who married. Her husband was Gustav Hilton and their son is Conrad
Hilton, the internationally known hotel magnate who visited Fort Dodge
in 1953 on the occasion of the 50th anniversary of the Chamber of
Commerce.
Hilton was guest speaker at that time at an elaborate banquet in the
Hotel Warden ballroom. While in the city he was a guest of his aunts at
the Laufersweiler home.