MONDAY DAILY

COMING TO WORK AT 7:15 THIS MORNING, DRIVING EAST ON SUMMIT STREET,  I COULDN'T RESIST TAKING THIS PHOTO THROUGH THE WINDSHIELD.

THIS IS A PHOTO OF THE RANDY AND JUDY LANGE BUILDINGS THAT BURNED DOWN
OVER A WEEK AGO, EARLY IN THE MORNING.   FIVE FIRE DEPARTMENTS FOUGHT THE BLAZE FROM 1 A.M. UNTIL 6 P.M. THE NEXT DAY.    THIS PILE OF BRICKS AND
RUBBLE IS 85 FEET WIDE AND 100 FEET DEEP, IN DOWNTOWN ONSLOW, A SMALL
TOWN ABOUT 20 MILES WEST OF MAQUOKETA.    MANY YEARS AGO, THIS BUILDING
WAS HOME TO BIG BILL'S FEED STORE (BEFORE IT EXPANDED TO WYOMING),
A MEAT MARKET, AND HODOVAL DRUG STORE.    THE LANGES BOUGHT THE DOWNTOWN BUILDINGS ABOUT 5 YEARS AGO AND THEY WERE NOW HOME TO
THIER BUSINESS  "ANYTHING COUNTRY, QUALITY HANDMADE CRAFTS".  
THE BACK PART WAS WHERE RANDY KEPT HIS LUBER, THE FRONT PART ADJACENT
TO MAIN STREET IS WHERE HE DID THE CRAFT WORK.     TO THE LEFT, A SMALLER
BUILDING THAT WAS THE STORY WHERE JUDY SOLD THE CRAFTS.   IT WAS
SAVED BY FIREMEN.

THIS OLD SIGN RANDY IS HOLDING WAS IN THE BACK ROOM OF THE SAVED BUILDING.

JUDY INSIDE THE STORE.    A LOT OF  HER CRAFTS ARE ON SALE AT THE GIFT
SHOP AT "KUHLMAN'S BLUFF LAKE CATFISH FARM RESTAURANT".
THE LANGES HAD INSURANCE AND PLAN TO RE-BUILD.

THE STORE BUILDING WILL BE CHECKED TO SEE IF IT CAN BE SAVED, AS IT MAY
HAVE STRUCTURAL DAMAGE.
THE FIRE WAS SO HOT THAT IS SCORCHED THE SIDING OF 3 BUILDINGS ACROSS
THE STEET.

LIKE MOST SMALL TOWNS, NOT MUCH LEFT OF THE DOWNTOWN AREA.    ONSLOW
HAS NO GAS STATION,  BUT DOES HAVE A CAFE AND THE ONSLOW TELEPHONE
OFFICE IS DOWNTOWN, ALONG WITH A BEAUTY SHOP, COMMUNITY CENTER AND
CITY HALL.

ANY QUESTIONS, RANDY'S PHONE NUMBER IS 319-821-0168 AND THEIR
EMAIL ADDRESS IS:    info@anythingcountryshop.com
IF YOU WANT TO BUY SOMETHING LEFT IN THE STORE,
YOU MIGHT CALL RANDY TO SET A TIME TO OPEN THE STORE FOR YOU.
GOOD LUCK TO THE LANGES...HERE'S HOPING THEY
WILL BE BACK TO NORMAL WITH NEW BUILDING SOON.

DENNIS VOY