Ottumwa CVB's photostream

Ottumwa…the name means place of perseverance and land of rippling waters. Ottumwa embodies the westward expansion of the United States, plentiful game, good fishing, and the river’s rippling waters. These qualities enticed Iowa’s most famous chiefs, Wapello, Keokuk, and Appanoose, to settle here.

They weren’t alone for long, in the land rush of 1843 a group of white investors staked out 467 acres along the winding Des Moines River, to make a town. The railroad came through in 1859, opening Ottumwa and Wapello County to the word and ensuring the city’s continued growth over the next 100 years. By 1870 Ottumwa boasted a population of over 5,000 people.

The city’s population boom was fueled by rapid industrial growth. Large deposits of coal drew mining and manufacturing plants making sewing machines, agricultural tools, box car loaders, cigars, and more. As Ottumwa moved into the 20th century, Dain Manufacturing opened a new factory that would become John Deere, one of Iowa’s largest employers.

Trade, meat packing, and entertainment all flourished as well. Industrialists populated the bluff along the river with prestigious homes that embraced a variety of significant and enduring architectural styles. They were also staunch supporters of Ottumwa’s flourishing art and culture.