the first elevator in 1884. Harvey & Truesdale started a hardware store about the same time, while W. S. Bowles put up and operated the first blacksmith shop in the town. The pioneer hotel was built by Anthony Arnold and was conducted by him up to 1888, when he sold out to Major E. P. Ring, who improved it and conducted it for several years. Mr. Ring also in connection with the hotel, conducted the first livery barn in the place.

The first physician to hang out his shingle was Dr. Beebe in 1885, and the first drugstore was started a year or two later by Dr. C. E. Everett, formerly of Spirit Lake.

S. Benson put in the first restaurant in Lake Park, and afterwards he put in a stock of dry goods and was succeeded in the dry goods business in 1887 by Strathman & Bock. The first real estate and insurance man was S. M. Thomas. L. Stoltenberg was the first to handle farm machinery, he having started in that business as early as 1885. Indeed, most of the branches of the business represented in town were started about that time, many of them in a small way and might now be considered insignificant, but all the same they were the pioneer movements in building up the town.

The first butcher shop was started by John Hunt in 1888. Ole Knutesen was the first shoemaker. At first he worked in the back part of Thompson's store, but put up a building of his bwn in 1886. The first furniture store was by J. T. Benson in 1890, and the first harness shop was by Elmer Buffum in 1891. He was succeeded by D. C. May, who erected one of the first three brick buildings in town. The first barber in town. was Frank Dunbar. The first man to engage in the business of baling and shipping hay was II. H. Kitts.

As time passed there came a demand for larger and better buildings and better business facilities. In 1888 Koester & Company erected a store and put in a stock of goods that was

HEREFORD COWS, BENNETT'S RANCH, LAKE PARK, IOWA.

considered a long way ahead of anything before attempted. Theodore Strathman, one of the members of the firm, was gencral manager of the concern.

In 1885 Mr. C. P. Bennett purchased several tracts of land on the south and southeast of Silver Lake with the object in view of rearing fine stock. In building up his extensive improvements, his aim all of the time has been to have everything first-class. Ample means has enabled him to indulge this propensity to its fullest extent. In stocking his farm the same rule has been observed, until his herd of Hereford cattle are known among stock raisers and dealers as one of the finest in the middle west. Mr. Bennett has been a mascott to Lake Park in more ways than one.

Every live town is supposed to have a live newspaper, and Lake Park is certainly no exception to this rule. The Lake Park News was established in 1890 by A. B. Chrysler, the first umber appearing Friday, September first, of that year. The first issue was about three hundred copies It was uphill business getting out the early numbers of the News. Mr. Chrysler had never worked in a printing office a day in his life and knew absolutely nothing of the proper disposition and arrangement of the furniture and fixtures of a printing office, and yet, upon the arrival of his material, he tackled the job and with no assistant but his daughter, a bright girl of twelve, by dint of feeling his way along and by numerous experiments, he finally succeeded in getting things in working order. The only error made, as was afterwards shown, was that some of the cases of type were placed wrong side to. In the composition and presswork, and, in fact, in everything connected with the getting out of the earlier numbers, it was cut and try and feel their way along until they had things as near right as they could get them, and then trust to luck for results.

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Among educators, a favorite motto is: "Learn to do by doing." Well, this is the way Chrysler learned the printing business. It is related that on one occasion Mr. Chrysler was unexpectedly called away, leaving the office in charge of his daughter, who, nothing daunted, tackled the job of getting the paper out on time, which she succeeded in doing, and by the way, some people declare it was one of the brightest numbers ever issued. They started in working off three hundred copies and have increased the number until now it requires seven hundred. In 1897, J. D. Flint and H. C. Darland purchased the outfit and conducted the paper a little less than two years, when they turned it back to its first owner. The News was one of the official papers of the county from 1891 to 1896.

The pioneer schools of the township have already been noticed quite extensively. After the starting of the town in 1882, the old Knox Schoolhouse was made to do duty for a year or two, when more room was needed. In 1884 a new two room building was erected, but this soon proving too small, two more rooms were added. Five teachers are employed and the old time interest maintained.

Th religious denominations represented in Lake Park are the Methodists, the Presbyterians and the Catholics. The early religious services were decidedly cosmopolitan and it was not until about 1883 that denominational lines were drawn to any appreciable extent. In that year the Methodist Episcopal Church established the Lake Park circuit, which was placed in charge of Rev. Hild. Since that time the appointments on the circuit have been Reverends Cheney, Keister, Woolery, Olds, G. W. Barnes, J. C. Clearwater, Shoemaker and W. H. Prugh. The Methodists were also the first to erect a church building in town, their church having been erected in 1891. The present membership is about one hundred and ten. An enthusiastic Sabbath school and an

active branch of the Epworth League are maintained, and everything pertaining to the church is in a prosperous condition.

The preliminary steps for organizing a Presbyterian Church were taken early in 1893 and an organization effected the same year. Through the active efforts of Reverend Clapp, and the hearty co-operation of resident members, the society was soon in a prosperous condition. They started in with eight members and from this the membership has increased until now the number is about forty. A neat and commodious church building was erected in 1895 and Doctor Bailey preached the dedicatory sermon. Previous to this time the meetings were first