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Around Atlantic, Atlantic, IA (2026)

10/18/2026

🍖 Inside an Atlantic Meat Market, Circa 1905 🥩

Step back in time to downtown Atlantic, Iowa, around the turn of the 20th century, when the neighborhood meat market was an essential part of everyday life. This fascinating photograph, believed to have been taken around 1905, offers a wonderful glimpse inside one of Atlantic’s early meat markets. Rows of freshly dressed poultry hang overhead, while sides of beef, pork, and other cuts of meat fill nearly every available space. Two butchers stand behind the counter, one carefully weighing a cut of meat while a well-dressed woman waits nearby. From the old-fashioned cash register and mechanical scale to the sign boldly declaring “POSITIVELY NO CREDIT,” nearly every inch of this photograph tells a story.

In those days, a trip to the meat market was a regular part of life for Atlantic families. Unlike today’s supermarkets, where refrigerated cases keep meat available for days, customers often purchased only what they needed for the next meal or two. Many households had limited refrigeration, relying on iceboxes or cool cellars to preserve their food. Local butchers were skilled tradesmen who knew their customers, understood their preferences, and often prepared specific cuts upon request. Much of the livestock came from surrounding farms, making the meat market an important connection between Atlantic’s agricultural community and its growing downtown business district. The work was demanding, requiring long hours, sharp knives, physical strength, and considerable knowledge of the trade.

One particularly interesting detail is the tremendous amount of meat hanging openly throughout the showroom. Before modern refrigeration, meat markets relied heavily on ice-cooled storage rooms, fresh deliveries, and quick turnover to keep their products from spoiling. It’s quite possible this photograph was taken during the late fall or winter months, when Iowa’s colder temperatures would have made displaying so much meat considerably easier. The abundance of poultry also raises the possibility that this was photographed around the Thanksgiving or Christmas season, when families were preparing their holiday meals. While so many of the old neighborhood meat markets have disappeared across America, Atlantic is fortunate to still have two local establishments carrying on the tradition: Atlantic Locker and Henningsen’s. Though the equipment, refrigeration, and methods have changed considerably over the past 120 years, the value of a local butcher and the personal service they provide remains much the same. It’s another piece of Atlantic’s heritage that we’re fortunate to still have in our community.

Do you remember visiting a neighborhood meat market or butcher shop in Atlantic? Which local meat markets do you remember, and does anyone know where this particular business might have been located?

*original photo in comments

10/17/2026

A Look Down Walnut Street, Atlantic, Iowa, Circa 1921

Step back in time more than a century and take a look down Walnut Street in downtown Atlantic, Iowa, sometime around 1921. This photograph captures a bustling downtown during an era when automobiles were rapidly changing the way Americans lived, worked, and traveled. Both sides of Walnut Street are lined with early automobiles, including open touring cars and enclosed sedans, many sporting wooden-spoke wheels and folding tops. The street itself is still unpaved, and the brick storefronts, decorative architecture, and old-fashioned streetlights offer a wonderful glimpse into Atlantic during the early years of the automobile age.

Perhaps the most fascinating feature of this photograph is what can be seen at the very end of Walnut Street. There, in the distance, stands what appears to be the original Rock Island Railroad Depot. In all my years of collecting and researching Atlantic’s history, this is the very first photograph I have ever seen of the original depot, period. That alone makes this image particularly exciting to me. When the newer brick Rock Island Depot was completed at the end of Chestnut Street in 1898, the original wooden depot remained standing at the north end of Walnut Street for decades afterward. Although this photograph has been digitally restored and colorized using artificial intelligence, which may have altered some of the finer architectural details, the general shape and location of the old depot provide a rare glimpse of a long-lost piece of Atlantic’s railroad history.

During the early 1920s, downtown Atlantic was the center of daily life for much of Cass County and the surrounding countryside. Walnut Street was filled with businesses serving a growing community, from clothing and furniture stores to restaurants, professional offices, and other establishments. Farmers traveled into town to purchase supplies, families came downtown to shop and socialize, and businessmen conducted their affairs along these busy streets. The railroad remained a vital connection to the outside world, bringing passengers, freight, merchandise, and opportunities into Atlantic. While automobiles were becoming increasingly common, the railroad still played an enormous role in the community’s economy and everyday life.

What makes photographs like this so special is the opportunity to see Atlantic as previous generations knew it. Imagine the sounds of automobile engines, conversations spilling out of storefronts, footsteps along the sidewalks, and trains arriving and departing just down the street. This was a thriving downtown, full of activity, commerce, and community pride. More than 100 years later, many of these buildings and the street layout remain familiar, even as the world around them has changed dramatically. What businesses do you remember along Walnut Street, and does anyone have additional photographs or information about Atlantic’s original Rock Island Depot? I would especially love to see another photograph of that original depot and learn more about its history. Have you ever seen a photo of the original depot?

*original photo in comments

10/16/2026

The 1981 Atlantic Trojans, A Season to Remember

The 1981 Atlantic Trojan football team was one of the finest squads to ever take the field for Atlantic High School. Under legendary head coach Bob Younger, the Trojans put together a perfect 9-0 regular season, captured the Hawkeye 8 Conference championship, and held the No. 1 ranking in Iowa’s Class 3A throughout the season. This was a team that didn’t just win football games, it dominated. Atlantic outscored its regular-season opponents by an incredible 326-62 margin, averaging more than 36 points per game while allowing fewer than seven. From a 48-0 shutout of Glenwood to a 49-12 victory over Red Oak, the Trojans were a powerhouse that had the entire community dreaming of a state championship.

One of the most memorable victories came against longtime rival Harlan, when Atlantic traveled to Harlan and defeated the Cyclones 28-6. That victory carries special significance even today, as 1981 remains the last time the Trojans defeated Harlan on its home field. The team was loaded with talent on both sides of the football. Kent Behrends led the offense with 98 points, while Kevin Ruhr contributed 674 rushing yards and 60 points. Keith Behrends added 177 rushing yards, and quarterback Gary Witmer directed the offense. Defensively, Joe Sonntag led the team with 87 tackles, while Kent Behrends recorded five interceptions. Ten Trojans earned All-Conference recognition, including first-team selections Mike Eagan, Kent Behrends, Kevin Ruhr, Casey Hayes, Steve Masteller, John Westering, and Keith Behrends.

Unfortunately, football has a way of delivering heartbreak even to the very best teams. After completing their undefeated regular season, the Trojans entered the first round of the state playoffs with championship expectations. Waiting for them was a familiar opponent, the Harlan Cyclones, the same team Atlantic had beaten convincingly earlier that fall. This time, however, Harlan turned the tables. In a defensive battle that went into overtime, the Cyclones edged Atlantic 7-6, bringing a stunning end to the Trojans’ championship dreams. One point separated one of Atlantic’s greatest teams from continuing its pursuit of a state title. It was a heartbreaking finish to an otherwise remarkable season.

More than four decades later, the 1981 Trojans deserve to be remembered for far more than that final game. They were a team built on toughness, discipline, teamwork, and the demanding expectations of Coach Younger and his staff, including coaches Lynn Barnes and Chuck Burnett. They gave Atlantic a perfect regular season, a conference championship, a No. 1 state ranking, and memories that have lasted generations. For those who played, coached, attended the games, or followed the team through the Atlantic News-Telegraph, the fall of 1981 was something special.

And tonight, 45 years later, the Atlantic Trojans travel to Harlan once again, hoping to accomplish something that hasn’t been done since that remarkable 1981 season, defeat the Cyclones on their home field. Atlantic enters tonight’s matchup as the higher-ranked team, bringing renewed excitement and hopes of finally ending one of the longest road losing streaks in this storied rivalry. Could this be the year the Trojans make history in Harlan once again? We certainly hope so! Best of luck to our Trojans tonight!

Do you remember the great 1981 Trojan football team? Were you at the victory in Harlan or the heartbreaking playoff rematch? We’d love to hear your memories of that incredible season. And to our 2026 Trojans, bring home a victory! Go Trojans!

*original photo from 1982 Javelin in comments

10/15/2026

Leaving Atlantic for the Great War, A Farewell at the Rock Island Depot, 1918

There are photographs that capture more than a moment in time. They capture the emotions, sacrifices, and uncertainty of an entire generation. This remarkable photograph, taken at the Rock Island Railroad depot in Atlantic, Iowa, shows young men preparing to leave their hometown for military training during World War I. Family members, friends, and loved ones crowd alongside the passenger train, sharing what may have been their final moments together for quite some time. The young man second from the right in the train window is Ellis C. Crane of Atlantic, one of the many Cass County men called into military service during the Great War. Looking closely at the faces in the windows and the people gathered below, one can almost feel the mixture of pride, excitement, sadness, and uncertainty that must have filled the depot that day.

When the United States entered World War I in April 1917, communities across Iowa began sending their young men into military service. Some volunteered, while others were called through the newly established draft. Many were farm boys, laborers, clerks, and young men who had rarely traveled far beyond their home counties. For many Iowa recruits, their first destination was Camp Dodge, near Des Moines, where they would undergo military training before potentially being sent overseas to fight in Europe. Between September 1917 and December 1918, more than 111,000 recruits trained at Camp Dodge, including over 37,000 Iowans. Cass County contributed heavily to the war effort, with a history published shortly after the war reporting that more than a thousand men from the county entered military service.

According to the historical publication Cass County in the World War, 1917–1918–1919, Ellis was born November 7, 1885, the son of Mr. and Mrs. S. J. Crane. He entered military service on July 29, 1918, at the age of 32, serving as a private in Company D of the 212th Engineers. During his service, he was stationed at Camp Forrest and Camp Devens before receiving his discharge on February 1, 1919, just a few months after the armistice brought the fighting to an end. He eventually returned to civilian life in Atlantic, marrying Leona Merle Roe on February 23, 1921. He lived until March 1967, passing away at the age of 81. His story is just one of the many personal histories connected to the thousands of Iowa men who answered their country’s call during the First World War.

Imagine what it must have been like standing on that platform in Atlantic more than a century ago. Mothers saying goodbye to sons, fathers offering a final handshake, sweethearts sharing a few last words, and younger brothers and sisters watching as the train prepared to depart. Some of these young men were probably eager for adventure, while others undoubtedly worried about what awaited them. They were leaving behind familiar streets, family farms, businesses, and the comforts of home for a war being fought thousands of miles away. There were no cell phones, no video calls, and no guarantees of when they might see their families again. Letters would become their connection to Atlantic, and every piece of mail arriving from a military camp or overseas would be treasured.

What makes this photograph so powerful is its ordinary humanity. These were not yet the seasoned soldiers we often see in wartime photographs. They were young men from Atlantic and the surrounding countryside, dressed in their everyday clothing, surrounded by the people who loved them. Some would eventually return home, marry, raise families, and spend the rest of their lives in the communities they had left behind. Others would never return. More than a century later, this photograph reminds us that behind every name on a veterans memorial was a real person, a family, and a story worth remembering. For one brief moment, someone with a camera preserved a goodbye that otherwise would have been lost to time.

Do you have family stories passed down about relatives who served during World War I or departed from the Rock Island depot in Atlantic? Perhaps your family still has old letters, photographs, military records, or memories shared by parents and grandparents about those who answered the call to serve. We would love to hear those stories and learn more about the men and families of Cass County whose lives were forever touched by the Great War.

*original photo in comments

10/11/2026

Working Off the Taxes: Road Building in Cass County, 1884

In 1884, life in rural Cass County, Iowa, was built on hard work, determination, and the strength of both man and horse. This remarkable photograph, taken in Franklin Township, captures a group of local men working off their poll and property taxes by building a road. Long before bulldozers, motor graders, and modern road construction equipment, roads were carved out of the Iowa countryside with horse-drawn implements, shovels, spades, and plenty of muscle. It was backbreaking work, but it was also essential to connecting farms, communities, and markets across a rapidly developing county.

According to the original newspaper caption accompanying this photograph, a man working with a spade received credit of $1.50 per day toward his taxes, while a man providing a team of horses received $3 per day. These men weren’t simply earning a paycheck in the traditional sense. They were fulfilling a civic obligation through their own labor and equipment. A day’s work meant long hours under the sun, moving heavy earth, cutting down high spots, filling low areas, and shaping a passable road across the uneven Iowa landscape. There were no air-conditioned cabs, hydraulic controls, or powerful engines to make the job easier. Every foot of progress required physical effort, patience, and the steady pulling power of horses.

Look closely at the photograph and consider what it took to accomplish even a few hundred yards of road construction. The men wore everyday work clothes, broad-brimmed hats, and sturdy boots, while teams of horses pulled heavy equipment through the rough ground. Many of these workers were likely farmers, accustomed to rising before daylight, tending livestock, cultivating fields, and repairing whatever needed fixing. Working on the township roads meant another demanding responsibility added to an already exhausting way of life. Yet these were the people who helped build the foundations of Cass County. Their labor made it possible for neighbors to travel, children to reach schools, farmers to haul grain to market, and communities to grow.

Fortunately, the original caption preserves the identities of three men pictured here. On the extreme right is Hugh Day. The third man from the right is O. J. Ostrus, father of Oliver Ostrus, whose collection preserved this photograph. Standing next to him is Charlie Euken. The identities of the other men remain unknown, but their contribution was no less important. More than 140 years later, the roads we travel so easily are reminders of the generations who came before us, men who built their communities one shovel of dirt and one team of horses at a time.

It’s hard to imagine the amount of physical labor that went into building the roads we take for granted today. These men worked with little more than horsepower, hand tools, and determination, helping lay the groundwork for the Cass County we know today. Can you imagine spending an entire day moving dirt by hand to work off your taxes? How many of today’s roads do you suppose follow the same routes these men carved out more than 140 years ago? And do you think we’ve lost some of the toughness and resourcefulness that were simply part of everyday life back then?

*original photo in comments

10/10/2026

Bob Younger: A Coaching Legacy That Helped Define Atlantic Football

For generations of Atlantic residents, certain names have been forever connected to the history and tradition of Trojan athletics. One of those names is Bob Younger, a longtime teacher, coach, and respected figure whose influence reached far beyond the football field. During a remarkable career spanning nearly three decades, Younger helped establish a tradition of winning football, discipline, and pride that remains an important part of Atlantic’s athletic history.

Younger was part of an era when high school coaches were much more than the men standing along the sidelines on Friday nights. They were teachers, mentors, disciplinarians, and familiar faces in the hallways of the schools. Their influence extended into classrooms, gymnasiums, and the lives of hundreds of young people. For many former Atlantic students, Bob Younger was one of those individuals who made a lasting impression.

By the late 1960s, Younger was leading the Atlantic Trojan football program, and over the following years his teams would become some of the most successful in school history. Working alongside fellow coaches and educators, including Lynn Barnes and Chuck Burnett, Younger helped develop a football program that competed at a high level and earned respect throughout southwest Iowa.

Two of the greatest achievements of Younger’s coaching career came in 1974 and 1980, when his Atlantic teams advanced to the Iowa high school football state championship games, finishing as state runners-up. At a time when reaching the state playoffs was an accomplishment in itself, Atlantic established itself as a legitimate contender. Under Younger’s leadership, the Trojans made seven playoff appearances, an impressive achievement that reflected the consistency and strength of the program.

Across 28 seasons coaching at Atlantic and Fremont-Mills, Younger compiled an outstanding 203 victories against just 83 defeats. Those 203 wins placed him among Iowa’s accomplished high school football coaches. His success was not limited to one particularly talented class or a brief stretch of winning seasons. It was the result of years of building teams, developing athletes, and establishing expectations that carried from one graduating class to the next.

But statistics alone cannot tell the entire story of Bob Younger. Perhaps the best understanding of the man comes from the young athletes who played for him. One former player recently shared this recollection of his coach:

“Coach Younger was strict and didn’t put up with any BS. He expected his athletes to work hard and was hands-on with every aspect of the game of football. He was one of the best football coaches in the state. He helped turn boys into men. A great coach and a great man!”

Those words speak volumes about the kind of coach Younger was. He demanded effort, discipline, accountability, and commitment from his players. Practices weren’t simply about preparing for the next opponent; they were about developing the toughness and character needed to succeed both on and off the field. Many of the lessons learned under his leadership would remain with his players long after they had taken off their Trojan uniforms for the final time.

Younger’s contributions were recognized beyond Atlantic as well. In 1980, he served as president of the Iowa Football Coaches Association, an indication of the respect he had earned among fellow coaches across the state. His career also earned him recognition in the Iowa Football Coaches Association Hall of Fame, an honor reserved for individuals who made significant contributions to the game and to the young people they coached.

But football was only one part of Bob Younger’s story. Like so many educators of his generation, he was also a teacher whose daily work brought him into contact with students who might never have worn a Trojan football uniform. His years in education made him a familiar figure to generations of Atlantic families, and his influence extended well beyond the athletes whose names appeared in the newspaper on Saturday mornings.

The Younger family itself became part of the fabric of Atlantic’s schools. Bob’s wife, Marilyn Younger, is another name that many former Atlantic students will remember fondly. Marilyn worked at Washington School, where her warm smile, cheerful greetings, and welcoming personality made her a familiar and appreciated presence. For countless children passing through those doors, she was one of the friendly faces that helped make Washington School feel like a special place. Together, Bob and Marilyn represent the kind of lasting connection that families developed with Atlantic’s schools over the years.

The accompanying photograph captures a wonderful moment from that earlier era of Trojan football. Pictured on the left is Coach Bob Younger, being interviewed following an Atlantic victory by longtime Atlantic News-Telegraph sportswriter Phil Chinitz, shown on the right. It is a simple photograph, but one that tells a larger story. Before instant highlights, social media, and digital sports coverage, local newspaper writers like Chinitz were responsible for documenting the accomplishments of hometown athletes and coaches. Their reporting preserved the victories, defeats, personalities, and memorable moments that helped define Atlantic sports for generations.

One can imagine the scene following another hard-fought Trojan victory. The players have left the field, the crowd is beginning to disperse, and the coach is taking a few moments to discuss the game with the local sportswriter. Photographs like this remind us that Atlantic’s athletic history was built not only by the players who wore the uniforms, but also by the coaches who guided them and the people who took the time to preserve their stories.

When looking back at the history of Atlantic football, the accomplishments of Bob Younger deserve a prominent place. More than 200 career victories, multiple state championship appearances, statewide recognition, and decades spent working with young people represent an extraordinary contribution to Iowa high school athletics. Yet perhaps his greatest legacy is found in the memories of the students and athletes who knew him personally. As that former player so simply and powerfully recalled, he helped turn boys into men. That is a legacy no win-loss record can fully measure.

Were you a student or football player under Coach Bob Younger? Do you remember the great Trojan teams of 1974 or 1980? Or perhaps you remember Bob and Marilyn from their years in the Atlantic school system? We’d love to hear your memories and stories about a man and a family who were such an important part of Atlantic’s history.

*original BW photo in comment

10/09/2026

K*m & Go, An Iowa Original, 1996

A familiar sight along the streets of Atlantic in 1996, this photograph captures the K*m & Go convenience store at the corner of 7th and Laurel Streets, shortly after the installation of its new gas pump canopy featuring the company’s updated colors and signage. In fact, that new canopy was the reason this photograph was taken, documenting a small but noticeable improvement to a longtime neighborhood convenience store. With its distinctive K*m & Go lettering, gas pumps, and pickup trucks parked outside, it was the kind of place where people stopped for a tank of gas, a cold pop, a snack, or perhaps a quick conversation with someone they knew. Long before today’s larger, more modern convenience stores, places like this were fixtures of small-town Iowa.

K*m & Go was actually an Iowa-born business, founded in Hampton, Iowa, in 1959 by William A. “Bill” Krause and his father-in-law, Tony S. Gentle. Originally called the Hampton Oil Company, the business began as a traditional gasoline station before expanding into the relatively new concept of selling groceries, snacks, and other merchandise alongside fuel in 1963. In 1975, the company adopted the memorable K*m & Go name, combining the initials of Krause and Gentle while emphasizing the convenience of getting customers in and out quickly. By the end of 1989, the company had grown to 134 locations across the Midwest. The 1990s brought even greater expansion, with 22 new stores opening in 1996 alone.

Today, this photograph represents more than a newly installed canopy or an old gas station. It captures a recognizable Iowa business during a period of tremendous growth, along with a little piece of Atlantic’s everyday history. K*m & Go remained an Iowa-owned family business for decades before being purchased by Maverik in 2023, with the familiar K*m & Go name eventually disappearing as stores were rebranded. For generations of Iowans, however, the name will always bring back memories of road trips, after-school stops, fountain drinks, candy bars, and filling up the tank before heading out of town. Do you remember stopping at this particular K*m & Go at 7th and Laurel? Did you ever work there, and what do you remember most about the old stores?

*original photo in comments

10/08/2026

*photo is from flood of 1991 when Atlantic received 6.87 inches of rain in two hours.

The Great Flood of 1993, When Iowa Became a Sea

For Iowans who lived through the summer of 1993, scenes like this are hard to forget. This aerial photograph was taken on the northeast side of Atlantic during the Flood of 1993, looking across an almost unrecognizable landscape of water. Near the center is the Schildberg Quarry, remarkably sitting as a large dry area while the surrounding lowlands and farmland are inundated. The quarry appears almost like an island in the middle of the flood.

Exactly how the quarry was protected is something I’d like to learn more about. Judging from the photograph, it seems likely that earthen berms or temporary flood protection, possibly including sandbags, helped keep the water out, but I haven’t found a record confirming exactly what was done at the Schildberg site. Sandbagging and the reinforcement of earthen berms were certainly used extensively throughout Iowa during the 1993 flood. Perhaps someone who worked at Schildberg or helped during the flood can fill us in: Was a berm built up around the quarry, was it sandbagged, or was the ground simply high enough to keep the water out?

The disaster had been building for months. A wet fall in 1992 was followed by continued precipitation through the winter and spring, leaving the ground saturated. Then came an extraordinary summer. July 1993 averaged approximately 10.5 inches of rain statewide, and repeated storms during the first half of the month sent rivers and creeks spilling far beyond their banks. By the time the disaster ended, all 99 Iowa counties had been declared federal disaster areas.

The situation became particularly desperate in early July. Historic flooding struck Ames and the Raccoon River basin, and on July 11, floodwaters overwhelmed the Des Moines Water Works. Across Iowa, communities responded much as they always have in times of disaster, neighbors, volunteers, emergency crews and the National Guard worked around the clock filling sandbags, strengthening levees and trying to stay one step ahead of the rising water.

More than three decades later, this photograph brings the story home. The Flood of 1993 wasn’t simply something happening along the Mississippi or in Des Moines, it was happening right here in Atlantic, across fields, roads and countryside local people knew by heart. Do you remember the flooding around Atlantic in July 1993? And does anyone remember what was done to protect the Schildberg Quarry and keep that area dry?

*original photo in comments
*AI version added buildings. See original

10/04/2026

A Homecoming Tradition Worth Bringing Back

This photo, from the 1982 Atlantic Javelin, captures a group of Art II students in 1981 painting a homecoming mural on the window of one of Atlantic’s downtown businesses. Armed with brushes, paint cans and ladders, the students were doing something that was once a familiar part of homecoming week, bringing school spirit right into the heart of downtown Atlantic.

For many years, painting downtown business windows was a much-loved homecoming tradition. Students had a chance to be creative, businesses became part of the celebration, and anyone walking or driving through downtown knew immediately that it was homecoming week. Like a number of traditions, though, somewhere along the way it faded away.

On our previous homecoming post, quite a few people mentioned how much they remembered the painted windows and how great it would be to see the tradition return. Maybe this photograph can provide a little incentive to make that happen. Imagine Atlantic High School art students once again partnering with a handful of willing downtown businesses and decorating their windows in Trojan colors before homecoming.

It wouldn’t have to be every storefront or anything elaborate. Start with a few businesses, give the students some creative freedom, and see where it goes. Sometimes bringing back an old tradition only requires somebody to say, “Why don’t we do that again?”

Who remembers painting, or seeing, the downtown windows during homecoming? And would you like to see Atlantic’s art students bring this tradition back next year?

*original photo in comments

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