August 13, 1947
Mr. Oral Bower 203 S. 5th Ave. Guthrie Center, Iowa
Re: New home for Mrs. L.A. Goff and Leora F. Wilson
Dear Mr. Bower:
You will find a sketch enclosed of just about what my mother and sister want in the way of a house. They would like to have your comments and suggestions on this; and any changes that might be necessary to make to better fit on the lot, etc. They would also appreciate an estimate of the cost for both brick veneer and frame. If agreeable to you and the city, Mrs. Wilson’s two sons will do the electric wiring. They are electricians at Perry, Iowa. We can furnish the Timken Furnace with controls and 275 Gal. oil tank. We would want a local shop to install the furnace, ducts and tank.
The following are some of the things we would like to have in the house.
52-Gal. Electric water heater 8x12 chimney with flue lining. 6’6” high directional-flow warm air registers. Return air from all rooms except kitchen and bath. 2-warm air outlets with branches in the basement. Steel beams in basement–no partitions. 4” Rock Wool insulation in attic. 1” Balsom wool in the walls. Weather stripping and Storm doors and windows Composition or asbestos shingles. basement 11 blocks deep. (use 12” wide blocks, if brick veneer) Sod lawn on North, east and south. Full basement except under porch and deck.
It would seem that the house should be set low on the East, so that the back of the house on the west will not be too far out of the ground. Possibly the dirt from the excavating could be used to fill in the west part of the lot. Everything including the grading and sodding should be complete.
From the above, we hope that you will be able to make up some tentative sketches and specifications and estimates. Thank you,
[signed] C.Z. Goff
Mrs. Wilson’s sons, Delbert and Donald, did electrical work together for a while after the war.
Clarence Zenas Goff
Clarence Zenas Goff was a younger son of Laura, who was allowed to attend high school in Guthrie Center. He became the valedictorian of the Class of 1923 at age 17. In the letter above he mentions Timken Furnace, which was the company he ran in Omaha for years. In fact, during the Great Depression, when his older brothers (who’d served in WWI) couldn’t pay for their trucks, he gave them jobs.
Laura Goff’s Dexter house had been collateral for those trucks, so that was lost as well. C.Z. was 30 years old when he provided a home in Omaha for his mother, two brothers, and the motherless teenagers of one brother. And when WWII broke out, C.Z. Goff joined the Navy as an officer.
Back to the house plans in 1947. Clarence’s mother and sister also wanted a mailbox opening in the front door. I can still hear the brass flap slap shut and the mail fall onto the floor just inside the door.
They knew exactly what they wanted. That’s more than most.
Yes, down to the mail slot in the door! Thanks, GP!
Now – That’s attention to details!!
Thank you for sharing, Joy. These details – photos, drawings, letters – are like taking a trip back in time. Apparently a time when wool was used as insulation. I had no idea. 🥰
And asbestos in the shingles! Thanks, Vicki!
Yes! Oh my goodness. I noticed that, too!
I enjoyed this post very much!
Thank you, Liz!
You’re welcome, Joy!
These are great details, Joy. It is amazing how many people back in 1947 had their houses buff to their specifications rather than ready made.
This was right after the war when returning veterans had trouble fining housing, in a very small town, so I bet they couldn’t find anyplace to buy so CZ had a talk with someone in town about it!
Good move I would say.
That’s great, how specific they were on the house they wanted. Laura sure doesn’t look 80 years old in that picture.
People used to remark about Laura’s beautiful skin. She was dutiful to wear a bonnet or hat when outside, unlike her oldest daughter, Leora! Thank you, Tim!
That’s quite a well thought out design for an economic house at that time. Their new home was certainly a stark change from the one Leora had raised her family in. What lovely women! 🙂
Actually it was an upgrade, after raising her family in one drafty little house after another during the Depression. Even during the war, all the boys slept in the attic of a 2-bedroom house. This was such a relief for her since it already had electricity and running water and she could walk anywhere she wanted! (Perhaps that walking is what allowed her to still be in her own home at age 97!)
It’s amazing how large families of that era managed to acclimate to their close quarters with no amentities. I agree-Leora’s walking likely improved her quality of life.
Totally cool. What’s amazing is that so many of those homes are still in use today.
I think it was sturdy and well-built, just tiny, so the new owners bought the little house on the corner and took it down so they could build on to Grandma’s house to the north. You’d never guess! https://joynealkidney.com/2024/05/30/youd-never-recognize-grandma-leoras-small-white-house/
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