Mary Green-Warnstadt 7/1/21 Mary Green-Warnstadt 7/1/21

T. S. Martin Realty Company

T. S. Martin and the Martin family were leading forces in the development of commerce and real estate in Sioux City in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Along with starting one of the city’s most successful department stores, the T. S. Martin Company invested in real estate and developing downtown Sioux City into a major business district.

Mary Green-Warnstadt 12/1/20 Mary Green-Warnstadt 12/1/20

1887 Sioux City Corn Palace

On October 3, 1887, the first Corn Palace Festival officially opened. There was good weather and lots of excitement. Every day there were parades, speeches, dances, fireworks and concerts. Each day brought a new parade. Nearly 140,000 people attended the festivities, more than anyone had expected.

Guest User 11/1/20 Guest User 11/1/20

1888 Sioux City Corn Palace

Sioux City’s second corn palace, built the next year in 1888, was even more splendid than the first. It was built at a new site on the northeast corner of Sixth and Pierce. There was a huge main tower and several smaller towers, and every square inch of the exterior was covered with grain. The only wood showing was on the flagpoles.

Guest User 10/1/20 Guest User 10/1/20

1889 Sioux City Corn Palace

The publicity generated by the Corn Palace Train and the successes of the first two palaces led to the grandest festival thus far. Built on the same site as the last palace, (now known as the Corn Palace Lot), the 1889 palace featured a main tower 200 feet high that towered over surrounding buildings.

Guest User 9/1/20 Guest User 9/1/20

1890 Sioux City Corn Palace

The biggest palace yet, the 1890 Corn Palace featured a 200-foot main tower and six 100-foot towers. A huge dome, built as part of the largest tower, formed a giant globe with various countries mapped with grains of corn. Of course, Iowa faced front and center with Sioux City most prominently displayed.

Guest User 8/1/20 Guest User 8/1/20

1891 Sioux City Corn Palace

The 1891 Palace was so large that it spread across Pierce Street and featured a large archway that allowed traffic to pass through. The palace featured a balcony atop the main 200-foot tower. There, visitors could take in a magnificent view of the city and the surrounding three states.

Mary Green-Warnstadt 12/1/19 Mary Green-Warnstadt 12/1/19

Financial Panic of 1893

For a while, it seemed like there was no end to the great prosperity that marked the 1880s. Towns like Sioux City were booming everywhere. Then, a world wide financial panic, the Panic of 1893, brought everything to a screeching halt.

Mary Green-Warnstadt 11/15/19 Mary Green-Warnstadt 11/15/19

Fires

Fires have destroyed many Sioux City buildings over the years. In the years before electricity, candles and gas lights were a source of flame. The early fire departments were not equipped to stop a large blaze and many historic structures burned to the ground.

Mary Green-Warnstadt 10/31/19 Mary Green-Warnstadt 10/31/19

Floyd River Flood of 1892

About 6:00 a.m. on May 18, 1892, a huge wave of muddy water rolled through the city. The citizens were not prepared. People were climbing trees, climbing on their house roofs and up onto the elevated railroad line to avoid being swept away by the swirling waters. At its high point the river swept from the base of Floyd's Bluff to Court Street by way of Fourth Street.