Near Adel in Dallas County, Iowa — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
Panther
Panther Revisited
The original Panther store started in response to the business the blacksmith and tin shops were generating. The original store sat on the southeast corner of the intersection and was operated by Israel Beaver. In February of 1898 a group of farmers started a new general store building on the northwest corner (where you are now). Because it served a vast area, the Panther store sold a wide variety of things. It also served as a place to socialize on Saturday nights.
It was the construction of Highway 44 that brought the most change to Panther. The road linked the Panther area with the neighboring communities. Eventually a garage was built at Panther as more people began to drive cars and needed repairs for those cars. However as people depended more on the automobile, the store lost most of its business to larger towns. As the years passed and business declined, Panther soon vanished from the roadside. All that remains is the foundation of the garage on the northeast side of the intersection and memories.
Erected by Tileyard Hill Questers.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Industry & Commerce • Notable Places. A significant historical month for this entry is February 1898.
Location. 41° 41.315′ N, 94° 6.348′ W. Marker is near Adel, Iowa, in Dallas County. Marker is at the intersection of J Avenue (County Route P58) and 240th Street (Iowa Highway 44), on the right when traveling south on J Avenue. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 2399 County Highway P58, Adel IA 50003, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 5 other markers are within 10 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Panther Creek Cemetery (approx. 6.4 miles away); Co. H. 39th Iowa Volunteer Infantry (approx. 8.3 miles away); Fighting Slavery - Aiding Runaways (approx. 8.4 miles away); Dallas County (approx. 8˝ miles away); Ortonville (approx. 9.1 miles away).
Regarding Panther. Noted at the bottom right corner of marker:
The text in this exhibit is from an article title "Panther Store Revisited, printed in the publication, Wildrows,Vol. 1, No. 2, Spring 1978. The original text has been edited. This sign was sponsored by the Tileyard Hill Questers.
Also see . . . Skelly Oil - Wikipedia. The gas station in Panther, both in the 1930s and 1940s sold Skelly Oil. Later Skelly would become part of Getty Oil as this link describes. (Submitted on May 17, 2010, by John Desaulniers, Jr. of Mingo, Iowa.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 16, 2020. It was originally submitted on May 17, 2010, by John Desaulniers, Jr. of Mingo, Iowa. This page has been viewed 1,385 times since then and 32 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6. submitted on May 17, 2010, by John Desaulniers, Jr. of Mingo, Iowa. • Syd Whittle was the editor who published this page.