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An early-day Fort Dodge banker—John C. Cheney—built this home at 1008 3rd Ave. S. in 1896—another of the fine residences constructed in the 1890-1900 era.

Cheney was one of the organizers of the Fort Dodge National Bank (now the First National Bank) and first president when it began business in 1882. He and his wife resided in the Third Avenue South home until 1913 when it was acquired by J. R. Mulroney. The Mulroney family owned the property until 1931 when it was purchased by Mr. and Mrs. Tom Kelley.

The three-story house is of frame construction with a large open porch on the front. On the first floor are parlor, dining room, library and kitchen with breakfast nook that earlier was a butler’s pantry. The second floor has five bedrooms and two baths; the third floor includes a large finished room and storage space.

A first floor fireplace in the home is unique in that it won second prize in the Columbian Exposition in Chicago in 1892-1893. It reportedly was purchased by Cheney and shipped to Fort Dodge for his new home that was constructed shortly after the exposition closed.

The fireplace is made of hand carved oak with red tile around the fire area. The ornate mantel atop the fireplace has a large mirror with lights on either side. Columns on sides of the fireplace are topped by hand carved gargoyles.

Mulroney, who once owned the property was a well-known Fort Dodger and one of the owners and officers of the Mulroney Manufacturing Company. The company produced overalls and work clothes for many years and distributed them over a wide area. The three-story building at First Avenue North and Seventh Street now occupied by the Marso & Rodenborn Manufacturing Company is the former plant of the Mulroney firm.

The Cheney home

1008 3rd Avenue South

Tom Kelley and his wife, Mary Brady Kelley, moved into the house in the fall of 1931. Kelley was a widely-known insurance man who organized the Kelley Insurance Agency now located at 216 S. 8th St. Two of his sons, Robert and Thomas X., are presently members of the firm carrying on the business.

Following the deaths of Kelley in 1958 and Mrs. Kelley in 1959 the property was transferred to Robert and Thomas Kelley and their sister, Mrs. Charles H. McCrea of Las Vegas, Nev., the former Mary Loyola Kelley. The home has been rented for many years and currently is occupied by the Robert Tarbox family.