Elkport Flood
May 23, 2004

(This page was updated 03/30/07)

Looking north. The Waterman Store is on the left. On the right is the Elkport Garber Community Center which was one of the best in Northeast Iowa. In the fall of 2006 fire took the store building and melted the front on the Community Center buliding. In  January 2007 not sure what the future holds for it.

Another photo of the Elkport Hall, that was burned.

Jaster's blacksmith shop (gray building on left). Main St. ran north from the blacksmith shop to the school house.

Main Street.
On the right: Leland Welsh home, old Rudolph Jaster home (owner Katie Hansel ), old Lawrence Waterman home (owner Darrell Jaster), old Dr. Kriebs home (owner Keith Steger), and the old Frank Reimer home (owner Mike Hansel).

On the left: Clarence Phelan home, Thomas Phelan, Robert Phelan, old Elkport Bank, Ilo Moser home, and  LaVonne 'Peg' Schroeder home.

Front to rear:
The old Arthur & Joyce Kulper Jaster home (owners Roger & Carla Hansel Sear). The old William 'Bill' Ball home  (owner Merlin & Virginia Herman Ball). Farthest back was the Schlee home  for years .

The old Wittman home. Harold Aulwes bought from Wittman (owner Larry Smith)

James & Stella (Smith) Groth bought this house on Main street from John Bals. Stella was the postmistress until her retirement. Other owners were Lloyd Wessel, Allen Connelly & Allen Meyer.

The brown house (far rear) belonged to Roger & Patty Meyer.  The Town Hall is in the middle, and in the foreground, the old garage.

Notice the blue mark on the town hall. this was how high the floodwater was. There are  blue marks on all the buildings. If this old Hall could talk it could write a book. "Good old memories". It was built in 1906 and torn down in 2006,  so was a 100 years old. They used it for school basketball games and plays. Dances were also held in the Hall. In 1971 we had our sons wedding reception in the Hall.

On left, the Waterman Store (owner Marvin Rodenberg). On the right is the former Merlin Rudledge home (owner David Ingles).

Elkport School 1895-1969.
Top: school from the front.
Bottom: from the rear, showing the old gym.

Cost of school when built was $5,000. The high school closed in 1952  with Bert Hoffman and Bud Hyde being the last graduates. The grade school continued until 1969 when the school closed for good, and the students going to Central Community at Elkader. They still have a annual Elkport School Reunion with around 80 attending every year. They organized in June 1904 & except for  4 years in the 40's due to World War II, they have held a reunion every year. Elkport maybe gone but will live on for years.

The old George & Tillie Berns Meyer Kriebs home, for years owned by Louis & Sandra Knospe

Former Henry & Emma (Willman) Fritz home. As of January 2007 it is still standing. Louis Knospe was the last owner.

Martin Jaster home. Notice the blue high-water mark by the door.  

The house  on the right was a trailer house once owned by Eli Baker. The red building (left rear) is on the  Beck property.

The old Donald & Florence Billmeyer home (owner Harold Beck) next to Lutheran Church. 

Notice the blue mark on the left side of the house, marking the flood water level.

Elkport Immanuel Lutheran School. The Elkport Immanuel Lutheran Church started in 1859 with a small building, this one being build later. Notice the blue mark on the porch showing the water level of the flood waters. As of January 2007 the buildings are still standing but not being used.

Elkport Church May 27, 2004

On the left is the old Donald & Florence Billmeyer home (owner Harold Beck). Center, is the Elkport Lutheran  church and parsonage with the cemetery in the back. To the right are the Jeff & Darcy (Schroeder) Bolsinger and Ronnie "Chuck and Mary (Storbeck) Ingles homes.

The church and parsonage are still standing as of January 2007.

This is a cropped version of the photo above, click to enlarge it - the Elkport cemetery is visible on the hill behind the church.