It’s a beautiful day in our neighborhood (shoutout to Mister Rogers).

Having spent the last seven years as full time RV’ers in these United States, my wife and I decided to take that big step of, once again, buying a stick home. Our choices were, to be fair, a bit limited; our one grandchild serves as the center of our universe and we wanted to be within a half hour or so of her and our daughter.

Webster City turned out to be the best choice we could have hoped for. Kind, inviting people, beautiful parks, a good mix of shopping, health care and other amenities… and the perfect neighborhood for an author who prefers to write on history and the people who have made it.

This is, I sincerely hope, the first of many articles I would like to write; introducing others to the amazing collection of people that have made Webster City, indeed our country, a wonderful place to call home.

Naturally, for me, choosing a house across the street from Graceland Cemetery makes it all the more enjoyable. Everyone I know desires a quieter atmosphere to live in; I haven’t heard so much as a peep from those on the other side of Ohio Street.

There is no particular order to the people I’ll write about… except this first one.

I know the area owes much to names like Brewer and Willson; I thought I’d start with one that might not, at first glance, be quite as familiar. He is near and dear to my heart, as a lover of history, like me.

Much has been written about Charles Aldrich. Born in New York in October of 1828, Charles landed a job in a printing office at the age of 18.

Two years later, he started his own newspaper before moving to Iowa in early 1857, finding a home on the frontier in Webster City.

That same year, in May, he founded the Hamilton Freeman.

This was a man of numerous accomplishments; Chief Clerk of the state House of Representatives (more than once), he was elected as a State Representative for Hamilton County later in life, and was Adjutant of the Iowa 32nd Infantry Regiment during the Civil War for a while.

Charles also served on two commissions honoring those involved in the Spirit Lake Massacre of 1857; the first was for a plaque located in front of the original Hamilton County Courthouse (does anyone know where the plaque is now?) and, later, to erect the monument standing near the site of the conflict.

Mr. Aldrich was also a collector of autographs; his personal collection was the start of what would become the Iowa State Historical Department. In 1888, Charles Aldrich was appointed as Curator and, by 1893, was overseeing the publication of Annals of Iowa, a treasure of state history now available online.

Charles was married twice and is buried in Graceland with both wives. His second wife, Thirza Briggs, was from Webster City.

Her family owned land a few miles south of town, along what is now Highway 17. After Charles’ death, and that of her parents, Thirza arranged for the transfer of much of the land to Hamilton County. We now enjoy it as Briggs Woods Park.

Much more could be written about Charles Aldrich. This is not intended as a complete biography, merely an introduction to one of the many people I enjoy as neighbors.

Let me say it is a real joy to live in Webster City; I hope to meet many of you… alive.