OHS 1914 basketball

Here we have Oxford High School’s 1914 men’s basketball team. Unfortunately, one of the men’s faces was distorted on this old photo, but don’t they look great? They are all trying to look tough with their arms crossed, and it is hard to imagine playing basketball in those shoes. Oddly enough, the tank tops and long shorts is what current basketball players wear so their clothes don’t look that dated – even though these men played over a hundred years ago! This photo is from the archives of Alice Edwards. UPDATE: I just realized that this photo is also in the Oxford, Iowa Centennial, 1869-1969 book with the following information: “Mr. Thomas Smiley introduced basketball to Oxford. The first team consisted of Dan Cotter, Charlie Doyle, Dewey Warthman, Omer Scanlon, Walter Barnes, Neilson Miller, and John James. Their first games were played in the building adjoining the bank which until recently housed the Oxford Library”.

The photo in the centennial book shows the guy on the right:

Old St. Mary’s

This great photo is from the archives of Don Saxton and shows the old St. Mary’s church which was built in 1877. The wood structure stood where the current, brick St. Mary’s church is standing and was likely torn down around 1913. The current St. Mary’s church was completed and dedicated in November 1914.

Below is a photo of St. Mary’s church that was in the Oxford, Iowa Centennial 1868-1968 book which I used to confirm that the photo above was indeed of the old Catholic church. That was a nice house next to the church – I wonder who used to live there.

Old gas station

The next three photos are of the gas station that used to sit north of Rhine creek on the east side of Augusta Avenue. In the first photo the station was called Champlin Gasoline, and you can see the auditorium in the background on the left.

The second photo is taken from the Oxford Centennial book and it is dated 1926.

This photo was taken from an unknown newspaper and it must have been a couple of years after the second photo based on the age of Virginia Dwyer in both photos. This also incorrectly says that the station was on the west side of Augusta.

Furniture store and undertaking parlor

What a combo! Per the Oxford, Iowa Centennial, 1869-1969 book, the dapper men in the photo are Tom Morrissey and Frank Floerchinger. They are standing in front of a furniture store and an undertaking parlor that were located in the building that is now apartments. I wonder, did those two businesses share a location, or were they separate spaces? Quite an odd pairing.

First Blacksmith Shop

This photo is in the Oxford, IA Centennial 1869-1969 book which states that it was the first blacksmith shop in Oxford.  The men in the photo are listed as Frank Scanlon, Mike O’Flarity, and J.L. Kinney.

Dapper Gents

Look at those suits and hats!  This photo was taken in front of the building on the southwest corner of Main Street and Augusta Avenue.  I found this photo in the Oxford, Iowa Centennial, 1869-1969 book which lists those in the photo as John Bireline, Frank McDonough, and Al Rohret. That building still has the distinctive entrance and now houses Whaley Campbell Design.  You can see the unique arch entranceway in the background which is the building that used to be Mary & Eldon’s back in the day, and more recently Old Roy’s before it moved to it’s new location.

Lunch break

I adore this photo that was in the Oxford, IA Centennial, 1869-1969 book. The book states that “this photo was taken in front of the Harris Store, later the Goodrich Produce.  The Post Office was next door to the right. Dr. Tom Kelly, a dentist and photographer, had his office upstairs above the Harris Store.  Left to right: Del Harris, Celia Spillanne, George Sies (Post Master), next to two unknown, and Kate McDonough Mooney.” I’m having a hard time figuring out where this building was located.  Any ideas?  Update: this was located to the east of the old opera house (and bank) located on E. Main Street.  The opera house is located just to the left, out of frame.

Livery and Feed Barn

How great to have a horse stable in the middle of town.  Hopefully the horses were able to run around in the grassy fields on the outskirts of town.  This is the same building that eventually housed the hardware store (see photo below).  The spot where this building used to stand is now the parking lot for the Tweaked Too vintage store which is housed in the smaller building on the left side of this photo.  This building was completed in 1890 a few months before a fire that destroyed a good portion of the downtown district, including the whole block north of the barn. The building likely survived because it was constructed of brick when most of the other buildings were wood structures.  The fire was set by an arsonist and the culprit was never found. This photo was in the Oxford, IA Centennial, 1869-1969 book.