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.
Mulroney, who once owned the property was a well-known Fort Dodger and
one of the owners and officers of the Mulroney Manufacturing Company.
The company produced overalls and work clothes for many years and
distributed them over a wide area. The three-story building at First
Avenue North and Seventh Street now occupied by the Marso & Rodenborn
Manufacturing Company is the former plant of the Mulroney firm.
[Illustration: The Cheney home
1008 3rd Avenue South]
Tom Kelley and his wife, Mary Brady Kelley, moved into the house in the
fall of 1931. Kelley was a widely-known insurance man who organized the
Kelley Insurance Agency now located at 216 S. 8th St. Two of his sons,
Robert and Thomas X., are presently members of the firm carrying on the
business.
Following the deaths of Kelley in 1958 and Mrs. Kelley in 1959 the
property was transferred to Robert and Thomas Kelley and their sister,
Mrs. Charles H. McCrea of Las Vegas, Nev., the former Mary Loyola
Kelley. The home has been rented for many years and currently is
occupied by the Robert Tarbox family.