President Theodore (Teddy) Roosevelt was a guest in the Stillman T.
Meservey home at 923 1st Ave. S. when he visited Fort Dodge in 1902—the
residence that now is the Bruce Funeral Home.
[Illustration: The Meservey home
923 1st Avenue South]
The Meservey home was large and spacious with many elegantly furnished
rooms on its three floors. There were seven fireplaces in the home which
provided heat to the many rooms during the winter months. The first
floor included living room, dining room, library finished in black
walnut, kitchen and pantry, butler and maid’s quarters. There was also a
large reception hall from which the solid oak open stairway led
upstairs.
The second floor had a balcony area at the head of the stairs, five
bedrooms and two bathrooms. On the third floor is a complete apartment.
Meservey, one of the city’s most prominent early-day residents, was born
in Clinton, Ill., in 1848 and came to Fort Dodge with his parents in
1856. After completing his education in the public schools and high
school here he graduated from Clinton Liberal Institute with a degree in
pharmacy. He returned to Fort Dodge and for some time was associated
with the Cheney and Meservey drug firm. That was the start of his
meteoric rise as a merchant, industrialist, banker, financier and
politician.
In 1886 Meservey bought the property at the southwest corner of First
Avenue South and Tenth Street and in 1890 erected the large brick
residence. It was the showplace of the town and the meeting place for
many social and civic events. During this era the Meserveys entertained
President Roosevelt.
Meservey was one of the founders of the gypsum industry here in 1872 and
for many years was associated with the U. S. Gypsum Company as
secretary. He was also associated with civic and commercial enterprises,
including the city’s street railway system. Interested in politics he
was elected to the City Council for several terms and served as mayor of
Fort Dodge for three terms. He also was elected to the Iowa Legislature.
In 1905 Meservey moved to Chicago where he was active with the U. S.
Gypsum Company. In 1908 he sold the home here to Thomas D. Healy and the
Healy family resided there for many years. In 1936 it was sold to Mr.
and Mrs. Byron Wilder who moved their funeral parlor there and it since
has been used as a funeral home. Mack B. Bruce acquired an interest in
the business in 1938 and it operated as Wilder & Bruce until the Bruces
purchased the Wilder interest in 1945. Since then it has been Bruces
Funeral Home.