[Illustration: The Pearsons home
1026 2nd Avenue South]
The large two-story frame residence (pictured above) is located at 1026
2nd Ave. S. and dates its history back to 1896 when it was constructed
by John H. Pearsons, son of an early-day mayor of Fort Dodge.
The house is now owned by Martin Cacioppo who acquired it in 1944. He
retired recently after 55 years as a grocery and meat market operator
here.
There are 10 rooms in the house which has been remodeled and modernized
in past years. Present room arrangement is as follows: living room,
dining room, entrance hall, kitchen, bedroom and half bath on the first
floor; two bedrooms and a three-room apartment on the second floor.
Cacioppo, a native of Italy, emigrated to the United States in 1910, and
lived in Omaha for six years before coming to Fort Dodge. He is a
widower, his wife having died in 1971. Their family includes Tony, Mrs.
Ernest (Marguerite) Peterson and James.
The large Second Avenue South home is located in the East Fort Dodge
addition to the city and one of the first owners of the property was
Thomas Snell. He purchased building lots there in 1856 and in 1871 sold
the lot on which the house is located to E. G. Morgan, an early Fort
Dodge banker. Morgan, in turn, sold the lot in 1892 to John F. Duncombe.
John H. Pearsons purchased the property in 1896 and built the large home
that same year.
In later years the home was owned by Margaret Mason Haire and Peter J.
Rodenborn. The Rodenborns sold the house in 1944 to Cacioppo.
John Pearsons was the son of George R. Pearsons who served as mayor of
Fort Dodge in 1873, 1899 and 1900 and who constructed the Dolliver home,
now the Women’s Clubhouse. John was a brother of Louise Pearsons who was
married to United States Senator Jonathan P. Dolliver of Fort Dodge. He
had farming and other interests in this area. Shortly after the turn of
the century he moved to California where he owned farm property.