This large frame and stucco house is now the home of Dr. and Mrs. Paul
L. Stitt, but for many years it was known as the Chumlea home.
Located at 605 N. 13th St., it was built in 1914 by Miles P. Chumlea,
who came from Sioux City to take over as vice president and general
manager of the Lehigh Sewer Pipe & Tile Company.
[Illustration: The Chumlea home
605 No. Thirteenth Street]
The Fred Hagans acquired the residence in 1936 and resided there with
their family until 1951 when the home was sold to Dr. and Mrs. Stitt.
The Stitts have occupied it since that time.
The house has a large living room, dining room, kitchen, breakfast nook
(formerly the pantry), sun porch and powder room on the first floor;
four bedrooms, sleeping porch and two baths on the second floor;
bedroom, bath and storage area on the third floor.
Dr. and Mrs. Stitt have four children—two sons and two daughters. They
are: Dr. Michael W. Stitt, associated with his father in the practice of
medicine here; Marc P. Stitt of Fort Dodge; Mrs. Dan (Beth) Culver, a
junior high teacher in Moline, Ill.; her husband teaches in Augustana
College; and Mrs. Mark (Jane) Anderson of Des Moines, a teacher in Van
Meter special education school; her husband is attending the College of
Osteopathic medicine in Des Moines.
When the Lehigh Sewer Pipe & Tile Company was sold by E. J. Breen, the
company founder, to George Avery of Sioux City, Chumlea came to Fort
Dodge in 1914 to take over management of the company.
For many years the company had its offices in the First National Bank
Building, later moving to First Avenue South and Eleventh Street in the
building now dismantled but formerly occupied by the Laufersweiler
Funeral Home and the Union Trust & Savings Bank. The clay plant was sold
in 1964 to the W. S. Dickey Clay Manufacturing Company and offices were
moved to Lehigh.
Chumlea continued as an official of the firm until his death in 1917.
Roy Dallam, who had been associated with the company for many years was
then named general manager and continued in that capacity until his
retirement in 1955.