1505 4th Ave

This property would have been on the west side of 4th Ave, between 14th and 15th Streets. So it's a block south of 1505.

Lightning Strikes Haloupek House

Belle Plaine Union 16 Jul 1914

During the severe electrical storm which visited this vicinity Sunday morning, lightning struck the cupola of the Frank Haloupek sr. home in the wet part of the city and tore off a large patch of shingles. The electric lights were all burned out in the house. Fortunately the family were all in the basement at the time or some of them might have received a shock, perhaps fatal. In a number of other houses in the vicinity the electric fuses were burned out.

There was a bit of excitement one day in 1914.

Frank Sr's obituary, 1929, says the he died at the home of his son, Frank.

The Will

Frank Chaloupek Sr died on 20 May 1929. He left a will, which had been written in 1915. His son, Frank Jr, was named as executor of the estate. The estate is left to his wife and children. His wife, Anna, was to receive 1/3, and each of the six children were to receive 1/9.

Frank Sr had been married three times, and he outlived all of his wives. In particular, Anna had died in 1926. Anna had children from other marriages, but they were not mentioned in the will or the settlement. It seems that the estate was divided up evenly among the six children of Frank and Mary.

There was a savings account, and other small items, totaling $621.12, and disbursements were made for funeral expenses etc, in the amount of $428.16, so the balance was $192.96, in addition to two pieces of real estate.

There was Lot 3, Block 1, Wentz Addition, and Lot 8, Block 24, Blair's 2nd Addition, valued at $1,600 and $1,000 respectively. These can be located on the map of Belle Plaine, from the 1917 Atlas. This map is a little blurry, so it helps to find the same properties on the map of Belle Plaine, from the 1901 Atlas. The first property appears to be on the west side of the street, on narrow section of 4th Ave (Cherry St), between 15th and 16th Streets. The second is on the east side of 4th Ave (Cherry), between 13th and 14th Streets. Under normal numbering conventions, one would expect 1505 and 1509 4th Ave to be just north of 15th Street, and the first property here seems to be closer to 16th Street. Still, I think it must be the one in question.

The will stipulated that the property was to be sold, and the cash should be divided up among the inheritors. However, we know that Frank Jr and his family continued to live in the house until at least 1948. He must have paid his siblings for their shares, effectively buying the house himself.

An article from the Belle Plaine Union, 18 Jul 1946, has Frank and Katie at 1505 4th Ave. At this time, William, their youngest child, was almost 18.

The Outback

Next Door

At some point, Frank and Katie moved into the house next door, at 1509 4th Ave. This picture is from their Golden (50th) Anniversary. The newspaper article covering Frank and Katie's Golden Anniversary also lists their address as 1509 4th Ave.

The latest google view shows both houses, at 1505 and 1509, and they look like they could be unchanged, but I can't be sure.

The 1897 Belle Plaine Biographical Directory has the Frank Chaloupek Sr family living at No 14 N. Cherry. This map of Belle Plaine, from the 1901 "Standard Atlas of Benton County, Iowa," shows Cherry Street in the western part of town, in the area known as Blair's Second Addition. Note the proximity to the C&NW roundhouse, where Frank Chaloupek worked as a "car repairer."

All the street names were changed in 1905, and Cherry Street has become Fourth Ave, as seen in this map of Belle Plaine, from the 1917 Atlas.

Updated 3 Jan 2021 by William Haloupek. Contact haloupek at gmail dot com.