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History · Ottosen

Ottosen’s history is
mostly unwritten

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

1906established
0old images & papers
2recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

Ottosen, Iowa was founded in 1896 when Chris Ottosen, a grain dealer in Russel Switch, Iowa petitioned the postmaster general to have a post office. It was rejected because of a similar name in use, so Senator Dolliver resubmitted it under the name of Ottosen. Much of the town burned in a fire in the mid 20th century and was never rebuilt.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

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Start Ottosen’s collection

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

0 of 10 decades since 1900 have photos 📦Share a family photoSign in to add one+10
Famous people from OttosenWriters, athletes, leaders and more who were born in Ottosen.Meet them →
By decade

Ottosen, 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
Ottosen IowaCommonsOttosen Iowa2010IAMap-doton-OttosenCommonsIAMap-doton-Ottosen2004
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Ottosen is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Ottosen has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is First Presbyterian Church in West Bend, 5.7 miles away.

Ottosen and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Ottosen. Tap a dot.
First Presbyterian ChurchGrotto of the RedemptionBerkhimer BridgeWilliam C. and Hertha Dau HouseAlgona Junior and Senior High School Building and High School Building AnnexLand and Loan Office Building

Closest to Ottosen

First Presbyterian ChurchWest Bend · Building5.7miGrotto of the RedemptionWest Bend · Structure5.8miBerkhimer BridgeHumboldt · Built 189912.6miWilliam C. and Hertha Dau HouseAlgona · Built 193713.6miAlgona Junior and Senior High School Building and High School Building AnnexAlgona · Built 193113.8mi

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. First Presbyterian Church’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Ottosen?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Ottosen’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
📜 Bode📜 West Bend📜 Bradgate📜 Rolfe

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

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Boundary source: https://tigerweb.geo.census.gov/arcgis/rest/services/TIGERweb/Places_CouSub_ConCity_SubMCD/MapServer/18 · 2025-01-01
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