1846 –   Ohio became the 29th state in the Union when President James K. Polk signed Iowa’s admission bill into law.

1850 –   Sometime between 1846 and 1850 Iowa established the layout and townships. The 1850 Iowa State Sectional map was printed.

1850 –   By 1850, John Ossian Porter and his family settled in what is to become Ossian.

1855 –   The village of Ossian is founded.

1856 & 1857 – Ossian experiences an unusually severe winter in 1856 and 1857. H.P. Nicholson writes: “Snow fell to a depth of four feet, followed by freezing rain which formed a crust encasing everything in its grasp”.

1865 –   The railroad gave new life to Ossian. Note: After the railroad was put in, there are many accidents where people were killed crossing the tracks. The descriptions state that people and/or wagons were hit by the ‘cars’.

1860 –   By 1860, the town boasted a blacksmith, a millwright, a tailor, a hotel keeper, a grocery store, a carpenter, a merchant, a clergyman and 5 school teachers.

1861 –   The pay for military service in 1861 was: Major General, $469 a month; 2nd Lt. $103.50; sgt. Major, $21; private, $11. By August of that year, the pay of common soldier was raised to $13, and a bonus of $100 in gold promised at the end of the war.

1874 –   A tornado hit the town late in the fall. Several buildings were damaged or destroyed. Dr. Small’s barn was moved at least 20 yards from its foundation.

1875 –   We are indebted to Mrs. John Moellers for the minutes of a meeting held in 1875 for the purpose of forming school district no. 4. The records were kept by William Derr (sic). This district was known as: “The Collins School.” [This is our Wilhelm Doerr. He is said to have been a school director. Mrs. John Moellers was Helena Mary (Doerr) Moellers, wife of John Bernard Moellers and daughter of William Doerr Jr., son of Wilhelm.]

1875 –   A Directory of Military Township for 1875 lists name, occupation, town, acres, section and value. William Doerr Sr. is listed as follows:3

“Doerr, William, farmer, Festina, 296 [acres], section 18, value $2,883.”

1877 –  A series of fires in the community were recorded. Two of the more interesting ones follow:

1. 1. January 1877, the citizens of Ossian were aroused from their peaceful slumbers by the alarm of fire. The scene of the conflagration was found to be a building owned by Mr. Groff. The upper story of the building was occupied by the Grof family. The Ground floor was rented by John Murray as a store, while the casement was used as a saloon. The building with all its contents was completely destroyed. The cause of the fire was attributed to a drunken overnight party. Most of the celebrants were in a stupor when the building caught fire; one was saved by being dragged from the premises, he unable to help himself. Mr. Groff’s family barely escaped in their night clothes, as did a clerk who had spent the night in the store.
   2. A fire in the Ossian jail, a few months later, resulted in the death of a vagrant, who, with a fellow transient, had set fire to their straw-filled mattress. An unnamed local blacksmith, alerted by their cries, seized a sledge and broke down the jail cell door and dragged them out; but not before both were seriously burned–one expiring from his injuries

1870’s –This story was published in the Fayette County Union:³
Mr. Wm. Cleery and his mother were returning home from Ossian in a heavily loaded wagon when their horses were frightened and bolted. Mr. Cleery attempted to hold them back, but the traces became unhitched and the wagon overturned killing the driver and injuring his elderly mother. The Union’s account continues as written: “Mrs. Jordan, the wife of the proprietor of the Hilton House at Ossian, was the sister of Wm. B. McCleery, who met the awful and unexpected death. Mr. McCleery and his mother left the Hilton House in good spirits. That night Mrs. Jordan awoke her husband and told him that she had dreamed a horrible dream. That she had seen her brother William killed. Mr. Jordan told his wife that it was impossible, and after much persuasion she laid down to sleep. About daylight the next morning, a messenger, who had been sent to convey the sad tidings, knocked at the door. Before answering the door, Mrs. Jordan sprang from her bed, crying: ‘I knew it! I knew it! They have come to tell us.’ Sure enough, the dream proved a terrible reality.”

1873 –   The winter of 73 was very severe. Trains became snowbound and many people were reported frozen to death. A snowdrift on the railroad tracks near Ossian was reported to be one thousand feet long and averaging over six feet in depth.

1873 –   The editor of The Republican writes: Ossian has lately most effectively dried up the liquor traffic in their midst, and not a drop is to be had anywhere.

1882 –   Telephone established in the community.

1883 –   Mr. Vance, Ossian’s popular jeweler, has invented an ear-piercer which makes piercing a painless art. There is no longer an excuse for ladies not wearing earrings.

1883 –   Our city marshal arrested a young lad for driving too fast on Ossian’s streets. It serves him right! (So, speeding with horse and buggy was a problem in 1883.)

1883 –   Mr. Henry Scott has a number of washing machines for sale. Parties who have tried this new convenience speak with praise of the good work they accomplish.

1888 –   Installed street lights powered with oil.

1896 –   Much of the town’s business district, along with the public school, was destroyed by fire.

1898 – Actual fire department established with pumpers and a building to house equipment.

1898 –  On October 7th, Julius Huber of Fort Atkinson buried alive in a pit while engaged in road work. Smothered to death before he could be dug out.

1900 –   January 18th, fire at Ossian damages the Ossian Band and M. J. Carter’s law library.

1912 – Horse and buggy were still the main form of transportation, but automobiles became more common.

1912 –  “Mr. Victor Cason has purchased the Bullard Hall and announces that he will install his own light plant and show motion picture is Ossian.” Cason’s movie house was known as the Majestic Theatre.

1914 –   Hogs are dying by the thousands to the south and east. The disease is spreading ever closer to Ossian. This must have been the first Cholera outbreak.

1915 –   Ossian barbers raised their prices to 25¢ for haircuts and 15¢ for shaves.

1915 –   An oil sprinkler was purchased by the council and a resolution passed calling for oiling of the streets.

1913 –   Oil street lights were replaced with electric lights.

1916 –   The ratification of an amendment to the U. S. Constitution, legalizing women’s suffrage, was defeated in Iowa, 60 yes, 135 no, in Military Township.

1917 –   The town installed a municipal water system with a 60,000-gallon water tower. This tower was replaced in 1988 with a 150,000-gallon water tower.

1917 –   Iowa went dry after a federal court decision ruled that shipment of alcoholic beverages into the state is illegal.

1917 –   World War I, all male residents of the community between the ages of 21 and 30 years were required to register for military service under the conscription act of 1917.

1917 –   There was great patriotism on the home front during this period. Anyone, who refused to contribute to the war effort, was subject to ostracism by the community. Ossian’s residents, almost without exception, supported the war effort.

1918 –   Spanish influenza was sweeping the nation and became epidemic in Ossian this year.

1919 –   The ratification of an amendment to the U.S. Constitution, legalizing women’s suffrage was passed and ratified by the states in 1920– suffrage was granted.

1919 –  The Wiltgen Hotel has installed an “iceless” refrigerator. Evidently this was the first mechanical refrigerator in Ossian.

1920 –  Ossian ladies too advantage of ability to vote, casting 260 votes in the 1920 election.

1921 –  The following speed limits were established for Iowa highways: maximum of 30 MPH for motor vehicles under 3 ton; 25 MPH for vehicles of 3 to 6 tons; and 10 MPH for any vehicle with two or more metal tires.

1922 –   Mayor Schmitz warned motorists that their machines must be equipped with two head lights, a tail light and a closed cut-out. Marshal Grimstad has been instructed to arrest all violators.

1922 –   The Figge Auto Company has installed a wireless telephone (radio receiver) with a range of several thousand miles. Broadcasts have been received from Memphis, Madison and Cedar Rapids. Radio has arrived in Ossian.

1922 –  The state board of health notified the town’s authorities that unsanitary conditions exist within the corporation & must be corrected. Board recommends installation of a sanitary sewer system.

1923 –   Ossian’s business houses donated several thousand dollars and the town contributed $600 to finance a white way on Lydia and Main streets. The poles and lights were installed by the Interstate Power Company crew.

1923 –   The first municipal sanitary sewer system was installed. This was upgraded twice; once in 1949 and again in 1990.

1924 –   The Bee reported that snow fell in Ossian on August 18, 1924. Was this an all-time record?

1926 –   Mr. Carter reported that the winter of 1925-26 was a rough one. He cleaned the snow from his sidewalk 47 times. There were 103 days of sleighing with drifts reaching a depth of ten feet.

1927 –   A resolution, ordering all property owners whose lots abut on Main street to establish water and sewer connections, was passed by the city council. Ossian’s Main street will be paved next spring. Water connections must be heavy lead pipe sewer connections of vitrified self-glazed, or iron soil pipe.

1928 –   The paving of Main street began at 8:30 on April 23rd. 450 feet of pavement was complete by the 700 P.M. quitting whistle. A series of accidents followed the opening of the newly paved streets. Mayor Schmitz pointed out that they were not intended to be race tracks and that the stop sign at the intersection of Lydia and Main means STOP period.

1929 –   Editor Schmitz reported that good “moonshine” was selling for $4 a pint over the July 4th holiday. He hastened to add that his knowledge did not come from personal experience. We have been told that there were 3 bootleggers in Ossian.

1931 –   A vagrant, quartered overnight in the city jail, inadvertently pressed the button that activates the fire siren. The hastily assembled firemen reported that the frightened hobo was last seen “legging it” out of town. Evidently, he feared the wrath of the inconvenienced volunteers.

1932 –   The state required licenses to operate motor vehicles for the first tim