Our Yesterdays

The following is from the March 21, 1963 issue of The Richland Clarion:

Article continued from last week.

Without doubt, the greatest single financial impact on Harper during this century was the establishment of the Natural Gas Pipeline Company of America’s compressor station there in 1931. Forty-six persons are now employed in the Harper community, with an annual payroll of $323,000. V.J. Fleming is the superintendent, Paul O. Nelson is station foreman, and A.J. “Doc” Smith is maintenance foreman. Together these three men have been with the company for 86 years.

In 1931 this station had a capacity of 175 million cubic feet of natural gas daily. Today’s capacity through the ten compressors with total horse power of 17,500 is 1,599 million cubic feet. The Federal Power commission has approved an additional $26,750,000 expansion program for the company in eastern Iowa, which will help assure Keokuk County communities of Keota, Harper, Sigourney, and What Cheer of a continuing supply of gas for commercial and domestic purposes. It has been only in very recent years that the Iowa Southern Utilities company has been allotted gas for local communities, the demand having been so great in larger centers to the east.

Although Harper has been fortunate in the establishment of the compressor station, it has been the industry and adaptability of its own people to changing conditions that has kept the town alive and prosperous.

After the advent of the automobile, many small towns have died, or nearly so, because the surrounding farmers went elsewhere for their services. Harper reversed this trend, and began drawing business to Harper from a larger area.

Recognizing the fact that they had to serve the farmers of the area, Harper merchants set out to do just that, and to do it well. At the same time, and especially since the election of Alfred J. Conrad as Mayor, this town of only 177 persons has kept pace with its cultural and civic needs. Streets are now hard surfaced, a water system has been installed to supply the needs of the community, a new natural gas distribution system has been created after a franchise was given the Iowa Southern Utilities company.

New underground cables were installed by the Central Iowa Telephone Company, and dial phones have been in use since January. The town also has a new Knights of Columbus hall, which is also used as a community center. A new post office building was built in 1957.

Keeping pace with this progress or perhaps even moving ahead’of the business interests of the community. An outstanding Harper firm is W.C. Gretter & Sons, a partnership consisting of W.C. Gretter, now partially retired, and sons, William and Robert. This firm owns a large, modern elevator and much grain storage space totaling a capacity of 653,000 bushels. They also own a fleet of trucks, two cornshellers, and other equipment to assist farmers in producing and marketing their crops. Since 1917, when W.C. Gretter started the business, a hog buying station has been maintained, where a daily competitive market is furnished the community. Hogs are sold daily to John Morrell and Company at Ottumwa. Other services includes sales of fertilizers and lime; buying and selling of grain and feeds; and even custom corn picking and shelling at times, such as last year when weather hampered normal harvest.

Space limits the discussion of the various business concerns in detail, but is interesting to note that most firms do offer needed services to the farm community. Hammes Brothers (Herbert and Omer) operate a hardware store, produce, and feed and hatchery business. In fact, this is the only hatchery now operating in Keokuk County. It would seem this partnership sells almost as many items as Sears, Roebuck, and Company used to, and they are ‘home town folks’.

The Harper Lumber and Fuel Company is only one of a number of other successful and needed enterprises, such as William Besser’s Service Station, Singmaster’s Grocery, Reynold’s Funeral Parlor, Nick Weber’s machine shop and saw mill, and the Harper House, to mention a few.

John Miller, postmaster and rabbit fancier, cannot be neglected in this story. Almost single handedly he has brought Harper national recognition by promoting two National Rabbit Shows and several Iowa State shows in the K.C. Hall.

In the final analysis, it isn’t the commercial houses, the churches, the schools, or the institutions that make a town a good place in which to live. It is the people themselves, and in the humble opinion of this writer, Harper’s citizens are really nice people. This judgment is based on day to day dealings with people in this community.