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History · Remsen

Remsen’s history is
mostly unwritten

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

1889established
0old images & papers
1recent photos

The story

from WikipediaRead it all ↗

On July 4, 1936, a massive fire destroyed 15 homes and 18 buildings that housed 38 businesses. The fire started when a couple young kids, never identified, were playing with fireworks when a nearby tent caught fire. With the winds and extreme heat, the fire was out of control within minutes. This resulted in an all-night battle for nearby fire departments. This led to the 84 year long ban of fireworks in Iowa.

Text from Wikipedia, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.

Be one of the first

Start Remsen’s collection

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

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

Famous people from Remsen

See all 4 →
Jared HomanJared HomanSportsJLJoe LotzSportsJohnny NiggelingJohnny NiggelingSportsDNDale F. NitzschkePolitics & Law
By decade

Remsen, 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
Today1 photo
IAMap-doton-RemsenCommonsIAMap-doton-Remsen2004
National Register of Historic Places

Nothing in Remsen is on the National Register yet

That’s true of most small towns. It doesn’t mean Remsen has no history, only that no one has written up a nomination. The closest listed place is Le Mars Municipal Park and Golf Course Historic District in Le Mars, 8.9 miles away.

Remsen and the nearest listed places

Dashed line = Remsen. Tap a dot.
Le Mars Municipal Park and Golf Course Historic DistrictSacred Heart HospitalPlymouth County CourthouseSt. George's Episcopal ChurchLe Mars Public LibraryLe Mars Downtown Commercial Historic District

Closest to Remsen

Le Mars Municipal Park and Golf Course Historic DistrictLe Mars · District8.9miSacred Heart HospitalLe Mars · Stripped Classicism9.5miPlymouth County CourthouseLe Mars · Building9.7miSt. George's Episcopal ChurchLe Mars · Building9.9miLe Mars Public LibraryLe Mars · Renaissance Revival · Built 18769.9mi

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. Le Mars Municipal Park and Golf Course Historic District’s page links to a real one.
Know an old place in Remsen?A mill, a schoolhouse, a cellar hole, a church: add a photo of it to Remsen’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
📜 Oyens📜 Marcus📜 Le Mars📜 Alton

From Wikimedia Commons (1). Images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.

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