[Illustration: The Dr. Evans home
530 S. Twelfth Street]
The brick home located at 530 S. 12th St. was built in 1913 by Dr.
Robert Evans, for many years a prominent physician and surgeon in Fort
Dodge. The two-story house has three rooms on the first floor, three
rooms on the second floor and an attic area with two rooms.
The house is situated in part of the Fair Oaks addition to the city that
once was also the location of the Duncombe deer park and the attractive
gypsum block residence of John F. Duncombe and his wife, Mary. Duncombe
was a prominent early-day attorney and industrialist here.
Mrs. Duncombe sold the South Twelfth Street building lot in 1909 to
Mercie T. Evans, wife of Dr. Evans. Four years later the Evans built the
brick home which they occupied for many years.
The house has changed ownership a number of times and once was owned by
Mr. and Mrs. John P. Barton. Mrs. Barton was a niece of Dr. and Mrs.
Evans. Following the deaths of the Bartons the house was sold to Mr. and
Mrs. Al Hayden who now live in Mesa, Ariz. After some remodeling of the
house it was sold by Haydens in 1967 to the Don Slotten family. They, in
turn, sold the property in 1972 to Mr. and Mrs. Norman Lee Pingel who
presently reside there with their family.
Dr. Evans was born in Canada in 1857 and in 1888 was graduated from the
Detroit College of Medicine. He began his medical practice in LaCrosse,
Wis., and remained there until 1891 when he came to Fort Dodge and
opened an office in the downtown area at 516½ Central Ave.
In 1908 he associated himself with Dr. C. H. Mulroney and Dr. W. W.
Bowen. After 15 months Dr. Mulroney withdrew from the firm and Dr. Evans
and Dr. Bowen continued together for 24 years with offices in the Snell
Building. In the spring of 1932 Dr. Evans retired from active practice
and in the fall of that year he died suddenly at his home.
Dr. Evans was married to Miss Mercie Thompson of LaCrosse. They had no
children but raised two orphan nieces, Sarah and Kathryn Thompson.
Kathryn was married to John P. Barton who was a city commissioner here
some years ago. Both are now deceased.