July 21, 2007

In the mid-1890s, the Polk County town of Janssen was established along the newly constructed railroad. Because the town’s mail was frequently misdirected to a second town with the same name, Janssen was renamed Vandervoort in 1907. The town prospered in the early 1900s, reaching a population of over 500 citizens. Such prosperity led to the construction of four hotels, including the Pipe’s Hotel shown here in 1910.