A Fort Dodge clothier—Charles A. Brown—erected this Snell Place
residence in 1923. Located at 1102 Summit Ave., the large two-story
brick home was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Brown and family until sold in
1939 to Mr. and Mrs. E. M. (Ed) Klapka. At that time the Browns moved to
California.
Present owners and occupants of the house are Mr. and Mrs. Leonard
Woodruff who purchased it in 1968 from Klapka’s widow, Pauline. Klapka
was executive vice president of the Home Federal Savings and Loan
Association of Fort Dodge from the time it was organized in 1919. He
died in 1967. In 1967 Home Federal merged with First Federal Savings and
Loan Association.
Woodruff is a partner in Woodruff-Evans Construction of Fort Dodge. The
Woodruffs and their family have occupied the Summit Avenue home since
the fall of 1968. Their children include two daughters, Anne and Laura,
and four sons, David, Tom and twins Don and Bill.
The home’s room arrangement on the first floor includes entrance hall,
living room, dining room, sun porch, kitchen, breakfast room and room
for removing soiled clothes, muddy shoes and rubbers with closet and
lavatory. The second floor has four bedrooms, sun porch and two baths.
Another room with bath for the Woodruff girls is on the third floor. The
basement has a children’s recreation room.
Charles A. Brown came to Fort Dodge in the 1890s and began work for L.
E. Armstrong at the Plymouth Clothing House. He continued his
association with the Plymouth until 1908 when he purchased the store and
changed the name to Charles A. Brown, the Plymouth Clothier. In 1903
Harry L. Kurtz began work at the store and after Brown purchased the
business Kurtz bought an interest in the store.
[Illustration: The Charles A. Brown home
1102 Summit Avenue]
The Plymouth remained at Central Avenue and Sixth Street until 1914 when
Brown leased the first floor of the new Snell Building and opened a
large store there. The store remained there until 1927 when it moved to
its present location at 917 Central Ave.
Brown was active in the store until he sold his Snell Place home in 1939
and moved to California. Kurtz then took over management of the
business. Later Brown sold his interest to Robert R. Kurtz and Richard
F. Rosien who are now officers of the firm. Harry Kurtz retired in 1964.
Brown and his wife were parents of two children—Walter, now deceased;
and Marian, Mrs. Malcom Beck of Montebello, Calif. Brown died in 1965 at
age 88. Mrs. Brown is also deceased.