This attractive two-story residence is one of the many fine homes
erected along Tenth Avenue North after the Crawford-Armstrong Addition
to the city was platted.
Built in 1916 at 1201 10th Ave. N., by O. M. Thatcher, it was the
Thatcher family home until sold in 1965 to Mr. and Mrs. Charles L.
Hancock. The Hancocks resided there until the fall of 1974 when they
sold the house to Dr. John E. Duro, Fort Dodge dentist. The Hancocks
then moved across the street to the residence at 1200 10th Ave. N. which
they purchased from the Don Carneys. The Carneys, in turn, moved to
their newly-built home at 1227 11th Ave. N.
The frame and stucco house has a red tile roof such as used on several
of the homes built in the area. The room arrangement of the house
includes a living room, library, dining room, kitchen and half bath on
the first floor; four bedrooms and bath on the second floor. It has a
steam heating system now fired with gas. After their purchase of the
home, the Hancocks remodeled and modernized the kitchen.
Thatcher was a native of the town of Grimes and both he and his wife
were graduates of Valparaiso University in Indiana. After completing his
education Thatcher went into the banking business at Luther and remained
there until 1914 when he sold out his interest and came to Fort Dodge.
A few years after arriving in the city Thatcher was one of the
organizers and officers of the Webster County National Bank and its
affiliate, the Webster County Trust & Savings Bank. They were located in
a large double room in the Wahkonsa Hotel Building at 919-921 Central
Avenue.
Later Thatcher was in the insurance business here for many years, part
of the time under the name of Thatcher & Weiss following his purchase of
the firm owned by Henry Weiss.
Married in 1907, Thatcher and his wife resided in Luther until 1914.
They were the parents of two sons and a daughter—Dr. W. C. Thatcher, a
retired Fort Dodge physician and surgeon now living at Woman Lake near
Hackensack, Minn.; Dr. Don Thatcher, who was lost on a military flight
across the English channel during World War II; and Mrs. Wayne (Mildred)
Warren of Humboldt. A grandson is William Jeffrey Thatcher, who was
elected Webster County attorney last fall and began serving in this
office Jan. 1.
[Illustration: The Thatcher home
1201 10th Avenue North]
The elder Thatcher died in 1968 at the age of 83 years. Mrs. Thatcher
died in 1967 at age 81.