Winnebago Street

Winnebago Street. Decorah: A Walk into the Past. , Winneshiek County Jail , The jail was originally housed in the first courthouse built in 1857 and located in the basement on the west side of the courthouse. When additional courthouse space was needed, the building you see in the southeast corner of the courthouse square was added in 1878. The rectangular form, low-pitched roof, wide cornice molding, and broken pediments in the gable ends are typical of Greek Revival style while the segmental arch windows are characteristic of the Italianate style. Iron cresting surmounts the roof peaks and a bay window. The original brick facade was stuccoed in the 20th century. Only one prisoner escaped during the years the jail was in use. , Beyond Water Street , Winnebago Street has a history predating the first white settlers' arrival by hundreds of years. The indigenous Oneota and later the Winnebago occupied the area long before the arrival of the Painters and the Days in 1849. The present courthouse square was known to be one of the campsites frequented by the Winnebago. The street derives its name from an unknown Winnebago whose remains were found when the 1857 courthouse was built and the streets were improved. Originally located in a mound burial to your right at the intersection of Winnebago and Main Streets, the remains were first thought to be those of Chief Waukon Decorah, the Winnebago for whom Decorah is named. The identity of the black-haired man found in the mound was proved otherwise when it was learned that Chief Decorah had grey hair. Reburied for a time on the courthouse grounds in 1859, the unidentified remains were reinterred elsewhere in 1876. , Reed’s Castle , An imposing residence no longer in existence occupied the lot where the Anderson Law Office now stands. Built by Judge David Reed in the early 1850s, it was known as "Reed's Castle" because it was a three-story dwelling in a village of log structures. The impressive home displayed the straight lintels over windows and doors and six-over-six windows of Greek Revival, elaborate porches and trim of Italianate, and the low-pitched hip roof, widow's walk, and quoins characteristic of both styles. The building itself was constructed of rubble fill with a lime/sand finish on the walls, scored 8" x 16" rectangles on the walls simulated stone blocks. Reed held office as county judge from 1851 to 1857 and court was held in his home and later in rented rooms until the first Courthouse was constructed in 1857. , Bullis Law Office , Located behind where you are standing, the Levi Bullis law office was the first building on this site. Its low-pitched roof, wide moldings beneath the cornice, and straight stone lintels over windows and doors are typical of the Greek Revival style popular during the time it was built in the 1850s. Six-over-six windows with louvered shutters and a deep transom over the entrance door completed the look. Born in West Plattsburgh, New York, Levi Bullis arrived in Decorah in May of 1854 becoming the fifth lawyer to take up residence here and winning his first case just a week after his arrival. He was elected one of the original members of the Board of Supervisors in 1860. , Decorah Post Office , The post office has occupied several different sites since Decorah was founded in 1849, the first one described as early Postmaster Claiborne Day's coat pocket. The building that now houses the Decorah Public Library directly behind you was built in 1911 and is typical of the federal buildings of that period. Done in the Classical Revival style, it has a low-pitched roof with dentil molding banding the underside of the cornice, a full-height entry porch supported by classical columns, and an oculus window in the porch pediment. Arched multi-pane windows and arched transoms over the entrance doors (now altered) are symmetrically placed on the wall facades. This building served as the post office until the present one at 401 Heivly Street was built in the 1960s. , Live on Winnebago , Street celebrations on Winnebago Street are not a new phenomenon. This photo records an event that took place most likely between 1880 when the Ben Bear store was completed and 1902 when the streets were paved. The 100 block of Winnebago is filled with buggies, buckboards, and a throng of people while additional onlookers fill the porch of the St. Cloud Hotel. , Portman Law Office , The original building at 115 Winnebago Street housed the Portman law office. In this photo, R.F.B. Portman, his father-in-law, and his dog Sport pose in front of the law office. The arched entrance doors with keystones, the roof brackets in pairs, and the Corinthian pilasters are characteristic of the Italianate style while the double-hung sash windows with pointed arches are typical of Gothic Revival style architecture. Portman was part of the "English Colony" which settled in Decorah in the 1870s. , Ben Bear Clothier , Ben Bear characterizes the industrious, insightful, and public-spirited citizens that built Decorah into a thriving town. Upon his arrival in 1876, he secured a building on the corner of Winnebago and Water Streets and within a week opened a clothing store. When a Thanksgiving evening fire destroyed his business in 1878, he reopened the next day in a store front across the street until a new building was constructed on his original store site. Replacing the fire-ravaged frame building, the imposing brick building had an ornate cornice with Italianate style single roof brackets, elaborate trim, decorative hood molds crowning the windows, and proudly advertised "Ben Bear Square Dealing Clothier" on the building pediment. Known for giving full value to his customers and for his fairness in dealing with his employees, he was held in high regard by both for his personable and honest manner. He was president of the first electric light company in Decorah, a leader promoting the building of the 1903 courthouse, the Grand Opera House, the 1911 post office, the Hotel Winneshiek and “was a liberal contributor to any cause that might work in the best interests of Decorah.” , [other photo captions] , . Reed’s Castle , . Bullis Law Office , . The post office cornerstone was laid on April 25, 1911. , . Original windows are present in this early photo of the post office building. , . Portman Law Office