I'm constantly pleading with people to NOT throw away their old Manning connected pictures, school stuff, documents/certificates of Manning history, old family albums and pictures, memorabilia, even old items that belonged to Manning folks of the past.

I constantly hear from people that we can't keep everything - Let me give you a little clue...there is almost NOTHING left of our over-all history...put two of your fingers together and slide a piece of paper in between them - that is what is left of our history.

You say you just don't want to be bothered with getting this junk to me to scan.
Not caring about your history is like not caring when a loved one passes away.
There are many old sayings such as: "When an old man dies, a library burns to the ground."
After a parent or grandparent passes away, I hear a lot of family members tell me that they wished they had asked more questions - meaning their "library" burned down and they no longer have access to ask that loved one any more questions.

Here is an example of a piece of Manning's puzzle sent to me and I'm sure Steve had no idea how much it would help me with business locations, corrections and updates to the Manning Centennial book.

Steve purchased this watercolor by Tom Williams during an auction fundraiser for the new fire station.
Steve's mother and Tom's wife are cousins, and Steve also served with Tom on the Manning Fire Department, so he especially wanted this item.

Digital snapshot Steve took of the framed watercolor made by Tom in 2008.

After I did some digital enhancing and editing.

The very first thing I noticed was "Nielsen Hotel" in the window of the building next door.

Now I have several pictures scanned of the building before it was used as a fire station, and I noticed the word "Hotel" in the window next door but the view wasn't far enough north to see what the name was before hotel. Now I know and it really added to the pieces of the Manning puzzle.

I always knew about this early Nielsen hotel but not the EXACT location. Art Rix, Bud Johnson, and Claus Nielsen, Jr. could only tell me in the "hospital block." The location is described in the 1981 Manning Centennial book as "The Nielsen Hotel, earlier occupied as the Uthoff Hotel, was located south of the Fourth Street intersection" which is was known as the hospital block for many years.
So now I can update the centennial book and also know the location of the Uthoff Hotel.

I also updated my Historical Main Street business web page to the location of the Nielsen & Uthoff business locations.

While working on the Nielsen Hotel history, I noticed Claus' wife wasn't listed, so I searched my obituary page and then remembered she was a Strosahl, so I added Maria Strosahl to the Manning Centennial book updates...all that was previously listed was Mr. & Mrs. Claus Nielsen.

Then I decided to look for more pictures I have in my database for this location to compare the different businesses and time-frames. Below you will see a progression from 141 and working north until we get to the location of the old fire station.

Looking southeast toward the old high school - Conoco Station in front.

Looking northeast toward the hospital and on the other side will be the fire station building.

Looking east toward the DX Station.

If anyone knows who either of these men are please let me know.

1956 Now we are just north of the hospital in front of the emergency alley to the back of the hospital.
Today it would be the location of the Plaza snackbar.
Note the WWII Roll of Honor board on the south wall of the firestation.
I have a number of images from a distance of this wall.
I'm looking for anyone who has a close head-on shot of it, so I can attempt to read all of the names.

Looking straight east.
At this later point in time, the business just north was Ral-Mars (Ralph & Martha Hagedorn).
The second story of the Fire Station was the Manning Library.

View before it was a fire station - circa 1908 and before the Wyatt Hospital was built to the south.
Art Rix thought the man is Paul Moerke. Paul made the "Iowa Boy" cigar in this building.
The building to the north was a wooden structure at that time and later brick for Ral-Mars.

View, now with the Wyatt Hospital.

View a few years later than the picture just above.

View looking farther north down Main Street when Ral-Mars was in the building just north.

Looking south back towards the buildings where the fire station was once located.
In this picture there is a smaller wooden building just south of the Moerke cigar factory.
Now I have another business name to figure out
Hopefully someday I'll find a picture/postcard that shows a closer view of that building.

1909 inside view of the Nielsen Hotel lobby - notice the spittoon.
Grelck & Fonken clothiers, calendar on the wall - another business I do not know the location of.
I couldn't read the details but there is a time-table on the wall for the 3 different railroad passenger trains. Pictures from the Bev (Nielsen) Smith collection

Claus, Sr. & wife Maria (Strosahl) holding Claus Jr.
Sign says "Meals 35 cents"