407 E 5th St.
2004 - Mary at 407 E 5th St, Remsen, IA
This photo is of Mary Wagner, sitting on the steps of her childhood home, 407 E 5th St in Remsen, Iowa. The picture was taken in 2004 during the Pick family reunion festivities.
The house is full of memories of where she grew up with her eight siblings in an idyllic 1950s small-town setting.
In 1960 her parents bought a farm and moved with their nine children outside of town. Since their move, this house has belonged to several other families from 1960 to 2004 when this photo was taken.
In November of 1946 Dad (Dr. Elmer Pick) bought the land from Roman Bunkers, a barber and Remsen native. This acreage was located in the Homan Addition No 2 that served as the Bunkers’ family residence. Dad's property started on the east side of the alley and went 2 lots beyond where our house was moved. The area encompassed 2 acres beginning east of the alley and ending west where the property butted against Johnny Schneiders’ sheep pasture.
The property was gradually divided into 7 lots. Dad donated a strip of land on the south side for a city street extension. Lot No. 1 (east of the alley) is now 315 E 5th St. The last lot, No. 7 at 415 E 5th St. was next to the pasture. The Pick’s lot was No. 5, 407 E 5th St. The street was a dead end for many years.
The first lot, No 1, sold to R O Crawford. Digging the basement commenced as soon as the ground thawed (Spring ’47). But not before the old house, partially situated on lots 1 & 2, had to be moved eastward to get it out of the way. There it sat on blocks, temporarily, while a basement was dug for the Pick home on Lot No 5. By July, according to Remsen Bell-Enterprise publications, the Crawford home was ready for occupancy and the Pick basement, ready for the old house. The Pick family lived in the basement while major remodeling took place on 1st & 2nd floors.
Anton Duster purchased Lot No 3 (323 E 5th St) with his home finished in 1951. As was also the case with Nick Weiler in 1951 – Lot No 4 (403 E 5th St). Lot No 6, (411 E 5th St) sold to Orville Hames – late 1950’s where he built. Other than the knowledge that Lots 2 & 7 were the last to be sold, I have no particulars.
In the winter our street was busy with sledders...not many "hills" in Remsen and was a safe place for kids because the street ended after the 2 lots. It was all fenced in sheep pasture beyond that. All the way to the highway. The pool didn't come until July 1956. What a day that was!!!! We had a shortcut -alongside our driveway and Johnny Schneiders' pasture.
Our house had a heated basement where we (& neighbor kids) spent hours in the winter. In the summer it was cool as a cucumber!
As a matter of interest...The house, moved onto a nice new basement, wasn't inhabitable. But the basement was...we lived in it while the upper floors were remodeled. Stove, refrigerator, washing machine, table, beds, you name it...all down there...heated...nice & cozy as I remember. And were still there when Barbara was born Nov. 12, 1947. One of Dad's nieces from Alton, Florence Pottebaum, stayed with us to help Mom after Barbara was born. She remembers 2x6s that substituted for sidewalks around the front of the house and the side door on the east...had to wait until Spring for concrete pouring weather. Dad worked hellish hours and in spite of being dead tired at the end of the day, he meticulously filled in areas that he felt weren't insulated enough...walls, around window frames. And he wore a mask! Back in the day, it was unheard of to insulate! People thought Dad was NUTS!
We had many very happy years in our beloved "house in town." My brother, David, calls it a Norman Rockwell childhood. I like to call it "Dick & Jane."
Old Photos - 407 E 5th St
Historical Documents on 407 E 5th St
