All of the rooms are large and typical of the style of the era when it was built. One of the downstairs living rooms has the original fireplace and there is an attractive circular stairway leading to the upstairs.
Crawford was in the wholesale and retail drug business during the early years of Fort Dodge. He erected a large building at the northwest corner of Central Avenue and Sixth Street—known as the Crawford Block—in which his store was located. The structure was destroyed in the big fire that struck the area in December of 1956.
A product known as “Gopher Death” was developed by Crawford which was manufactured and distributed through the Fort Dodge Chemical Company which he organized. The product was widely sold throughout the nation. In 1945 the company was purchased by Jewell A. Johnson, a Fort Dodge druggist, who continued its operation until he sold the business in 1970.
There were three children in the Crawford family—a daughter and two sons. The daughter, Mary, was married to E. F. Armstrong, a long-time pharmacist here with the Oleson Drug Company. Mrs. Armstrong was prominent in Fort Dodge and Iowa circles; taught English in high school and was appointed to the State Conservation Commission. The sons were Charles, who operated the Crawford Hotel here and Robert, now a physician at Burlington.
Crawford-Armstrong addition in the north part of the city was opened by the two families for which it was named and Crawford-Armstrong Park was their gift to the city.
THE JOHN M. MULRONEY HOME
The Mulroney home
302 So. Seventh Street
Another of Fort Dodge’s brick residences built by pioneer businessmen is the one pictured above which dates back to 1871. Erected by John M. Mulroney, it is located at 302 S. 7th St.
The two-story house was built of soft red brick manufactured by one of the city’s early-day brick plants and they are generally in good condition after more than 100 years. Basement walls are of native stone.