[Illustration: The Abel home
1333 2nd Avenue South]
A former Webster County treasurer and brick and tile company officer
built the original section of this spacious residence at 1333 2nd Ave.
S. in 1891. He was John H. Abel, a native of Germany, who came to the
United States in 1867 at age 13 and lived on a farm in Colfax Township
for several years.
In 1888 Abel moved into Fort Dodge and three years later purchased two
lots at the southwest corner of Second Avenue South and Fourteenth
Street where he built his home. In 1904 he enlarged the house.
W. H. Koeper purchased the home in 1934, enlarged and remodeled it into
a funeral home which he operated until selling the business to L. O.
Guenther in 1947. Guenther merged the business with Bruces in 1972 and
the house later was sold to Mr. and Mrs. Raphael Halligan of 1415 2nd
Ave. S. They, in turn, did some further remodeling and now have two
apartments in the house which are rented out.
Abel was engaged in various activities here before being appointed
deputy county treasurer in 1892 under C. W. Newton. He served in this
capacity until 1896 when he was elected to the treasurer’s post for two
terms.
After leaving the county treasurer’s office, Abel became interested in
the brick and tile business here and was president of the Fort Dodge
Brick & Tile Company from 1900 until 1922. This clay plant was in the
northwest part of the city near the east end of the Hawkeye Avenue
bridge over the Des Moines River. The brick plant was sold in 1922 but
continued operations for a time and then was closed. Abel retired from
active work after the clay plant was sold.
Abel was interested in other businesses in Fort Dodge including the Fort
Dodge Serum Company, Plymouth Gypsum Company and the Fort Dodge Foundry.
He was also a director of the Fort Dodge National Bank (now the First
National Bank) in its early years.
Active in church work he was treasurer of the Iowa District of the
Lutheran Church-Missouri Synod from 1893 to 1912. He died in 1946 at age
91. Mr. and Mrs. Abel were parents of two daughters and a son—Miss
Mathilda Abel, now deceased, Mrs. W. H. (Amanda) Koeper and A. C. Abel,
who was assistant Fort Dodge postmaster for many years.