A Fort Dodge clothier—Charles A. Brown—erected this Snell Place residence in 1923. Located at 1102 Summit Ave., the large two-story brick home was occupied by Mr. and Mrs. Brown and family until sold in 1939 to Mr. and Mrs. E. M. (Ed) Klapka. At that time the Browns moved to California.

Present owners and occupants of the house are Mr. and Mrs. Leonard Woodruff who purchased it in 1968 from Klapka’s widow, Pauline. Klapka was executive vice president of the Home Federal Savings and Loan Association of Fort Dodge from the time it was organized in 1919. He died in 1967. In 1967 Home Federal merged with First Federal Savings and Loan Association.

Woodruff is a partner in Woodruff-Evans Construction of Fort Dodge. The Woodruffs and their family have occupied the Summit Avenue home since the fall of 1968. Their children include two daughters, Anne and Laura, and four sons, David, Tom and twins Don and Bill.

The home’s room arrangement on the first floor includes entrance hall, living room, dining room, sun porch, kitchen, breakfast room and room for removing soiled clothes, muddy shoes and rubbers with closet and lavatory. The second floor has four bedrooms, sun porch and two baths. Another room with bath for the Woodruff girls is on the third floor. The basement has a children’s recreation room.

Charles A. Brown came to Fort Dodge in the 1890s and began work for L. E. Armstrong at the Plymouth Clothing House. He continued his association with the Plymouth until 1908 when he purchased the store and changed the name to Charles A. Brown, the Plymouth Clothier. In 1903 Harry L. Kurtz began work at the store and after Brown purchased the business Kurtz bought an interest in the store.

The Plymouth remained at Central Avenue and Sixth Street until 1914 when Brown leased the first floor of the new Snell Building and opened a large store there. The store remained there until 1927 when it moved to its present location at 917 Central Ave.

Brown was active in the store until he sold his Snell Place home in 1939 and moved to California. Kurtz then took over management of the business. Later Brown sold his interest to Robert R. Kurtz and Richard F. Rosien who are now officers of the firm. Harry Kurtz retired in 1964.

Brown and his wife were parents of two children—Walter, now deceased; and Marian, Mrs. Malcom Beck of Montebello, Calif. Brown died in 1965 at age 88. Mrs. Brown is also deceased.