Dr. Evans was born in Canada in 1857 and in 1888 was graduated from the Detroit College of Medicine. He began his medical practice in LaCrosse, Wis., and remained there until 1891 when he came to Fort Dodge and opened an office in the downtown area at 516½ Central Ave.
In 1908 he associated himself with Dr. C. H. Mulroney and Dr. W. W. Bowen. After 15 months Dr. Mulroney withdrew from the firm and Dr. Evans and Dr. Bowen continued together for 24 years with offices in the Snell Building. In the spring of 1932 Dr. Evans retired from active practice and in the fall of that year he died suddenly at his home.
Dr. Evans was married to Miss Mercie Thompson of LaCrosse. They had no children but raised two orphan nieces, Sarah and Kathryn Thompson. Kathryn was married to John P. Barton who was a city commissioner here some years ago. Both are now deceased.
THE DR. BOWEN HOME
The Dr. Bowen home
628 S. Twelfth Street
Two Fort Dodge physicians and surgeons who practiced together for 24 years also lived in the same South Twelfth Street neighborhood. They were Dr. W. W. Bowen, whose home at 628 S. 12th St. is pictured above, and Dr. Robert Evans who resided at 530 S. 12th St.
Both residences are of brick construction, fronting east on Twelfth Street, and were built about the same time in 1913. Dr. Bowen purchased his lot in 1912 and erected the house a year later.
The Bowen residence is now owned and occupied by another physician and his wife—Dr. and Mrs. Walter E. Gower—who acquired the property in 1946. The house has one unique feature—lightning rods on the roof.
The home has five rooms and a half bath on the first floor, four bedrooms and bath on the second floor and two finished rooms on the third floor. There is a butler’s pantry and a second pantry on the first floor, both with their original cupboards. In the butler’s pantry is a small heating element to keep dishes warm during the winter months.