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History · Dedham

Dedham’s history is
mostly unwritten

The public archives hold no old photos of Dedham. The rest are in attics, shoeboxes and the historical society. Help start the collection.

1883established
0old images & papers
2recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Dedham got its start in the year 1881, following construction of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway through that territory. It was named for Dedham, Massachusetts.

St. Joseph Parish was founded in 1891 by German and English Catholics. They built the first church in 1892 with a new, larger church coming in 1904. The present church was dedicated on October 1, 1940, by Bishop Edmond Heelan.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Be one of the first

Start Dedham’s collection

The first neighbors to add old photos shape how Dedham’s history is told.

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10

Famous people close to Dedham

See all 26 →
George GallupGeorge GallupJefferson · 24 miLoren ShriverLoren ShriverJefferson · 24 miNick NurseNick NurseCarroll · 11 miJames EllisonJames EllisonGuthrie Center · 23 miEREverett RogersCarroll · 11 miCMC. W. McCallAudubon · 14 mi
By decade

Dedham, decade by decade

Before
2000
No old photos in the archives yetWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
📷 Add from your album
Today2 photos
DedhamIowaPopPlotCommonsDedhamIowaPopPlot2021IAMap-doton-DedhamCommonsIAMap-doton-Dedham2004
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Dedham is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Dedham has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Armour Creameries Poultry House in Coon Rapids, 7.9 miles away.

Dedham and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Dedham. Tap a dot.
Armour Creameries Poultry HouseHoly Guardian Angels Church and Cemetery Historic DistrictRoswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic DistrictJohn Cretsinger HouseQuail Avenue BridgeKittyhawk Avenue Bridge

Closest to Dedham

Armour Creameries Poultry HouseCoon Rapids · Built 19287.9miHoly Guardian Angels Church and Cemetery Historic DistrictHalbur · District8miRoswell and Elizabeth Garst Farmstead Historic DistrictCoon Rapids · District8.4miJohn Cretsinger HouseCoon Rapids · Built 18538.7miQuail Avenue BridgeGlidden · Structure8.7mi

How a place gets listed

1Talk to the stateEvery nomination goes through the State Historic Preservation Office. Owners, towns and historical societies can start one.
2Try a local or state list firstMany states keep their own register with a shorter form, a common first step for old barns, halls and schoolhouses.
3Write it upA nomination covers the history, photos and a map. Armour Creameries Poultry House’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Dedham?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Dedham’s story, or a memory of it.
📷 Add a photo of an old place
National Park Service, National Register of Historic Places · photos from Wikimedia Commons

Then & now

When neighbors add old photos, retakes from the same spot appear here side by side.

Stories next door

nearby towns’ history
📜 Willey📜 Templeton📜 Coon Rapids📜 Gray

From Wikimedia Commons (2). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

We left the porch light on

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