Count on us .
To help your family stay healthy . Quality preventive care is essential to good health . It ’ s why we ’ re here , close to home , providing compassionate , individualizedcare to folks of all ages . So you , your family , and our entire community canall be their very best . From the routine to theunforeseen , count on us .
To find a healthcare provider call 641.505.1375 .
Enhancedcleaning , maskrequirements and social distancing to help keep you safe .
History
The past and present are alive and well in Ottumwa , the hub of southeast Iowa and the county seat of Wapello County . This picturesque city is split into northern and southern halves by the Des Moines River . From the first rush of settlers , through generations of coal miners , meat packers and manufacturers , Ottumwa has a lively past rooted in Midwestern values and hard work .
Whether you ’ re looking for a salt of-the earth community to call home or are just passing through and looking for a bit of culture at the lively Bridge View Center , Ottumwa has it all .
Originally the site of three Sac and Fox villages , and later bolstered by coal mining , the Ottumwa community has grown and changed dramatically through the years .
In 1857 , coal was being mined from the McCready Bank , a site along Bear Creek four miles west of Ottumwa . In 1868 , Brown and Godfrey opened a drift mine four miles northwest of town . By 1872 , Brown and Godfrey employed 300 men and had an annual production of 77,000 tons . In 1880 , the Phillips Coal and Mining Company opened a mine two miles northwest of town . In subsequent years , the company opened five more shafts in the Phillips and Rutledge neighborhoods , just north of Ottumwa . By 1889 , the state mine inspector ’ s report listed 15 mine shafts in Ottumwa . In 1914 , the Phillips Fuel Company produced more than 100,000 tons of coal , ranking among the top 20 coal producers in the state .
Coal mining was so important to the local economy in fact , that from 1890 to 1892 , the Coal Palace was erected in Ottumwa as an exhibition center .
John Morrell & Company played a significant role in the development of the city of Ottumwa from 1877 to 1973 . The complex typified meat packing as it developed in the Midwest during the last quarter of the 19th century and the first half of the 20th century .
Today , perhaps one of the most telling stalwarts of the city is the Hotel Ottumwa . In the early 1900s , a group of influential Ottumwa citizens recognized the need for quality guest accommodations in the thriving city . They hired Proudfoot , Bird , and Rawson , the architect of several notable hotels in the state . The Hotel Ottumwa was completed in 1917 with a gala opening in the Grand Ballroom . In the late 1930s , the Snider family purchased the hotel and made several major renovations . The hotel closed in 1973 , with an uncertain future as it sat vacant for almost a decade , until the Schwartz family acquired it in 1982 .
With a vision , and faith in the community ’ s bright future , they brought the Hotel Ottumwa to its present-day proud tradition of hospitality .
Ottumwa has continued to evolve its identity . It has five thriving districts full of retail , restaurants and lodging ; it is full of parks , making it one of the leaders of green space in the state ; and continues to invest in new programs at its schools and community college .
Today , with the natural beauty of the river , a thriving economy and a vast array of amenities , Ottumwa has truly become the hub of southeast Iowa .
10 GOPIP Investor Directory 2022-23