I. F. Mack Dimrock House

The I. F. Mack Dimrock House

Built on Dimrock (now 4th Street), in the 1850's, this Isaac Foster Mack house is a contender as the oldest standing house in Brodhead.

I.F. Mack, Sr. built this home as a rental property, subsequently selling it to William H and Eliza Eastman. Henry and Hattie Clarke purchased the home in 1881. They lived in the home, and eventually rented it to the Schempp family for several decades.

I. F. Mack Dimrock House
originally built as a rental property in the 1850's

I. F. Mack, Sr.

There is much to be written about I.F. Mack as he was a founding pioneer of Brodhead, a successful attorney, and Editor of the Brodhead Independent.

Additionally, letters from his son, I. F. Mack, Jr. from the battle fields of the Divil War are being shared here in The Mack Letters series. Mack Senior published these letters in the Independent, and they are a captivating firsthand account of I.F.'s service and insights to the realities of serving in the Civil War.

I. F. Mack, Sr. | Editor of the Brodhead Independent

Hattie Clarke

Henry Clarke was a Druggist, and Hattie served as Brodhead's Post Mistress in the 1890's. Hattie wrote an interesting history on the I. F. Mack Dimrock house which was published in the Brodhead paper. The following is her account and history of this historic house.

The Independent-Register is indebted to Mrs. Hattie H. Clark, Waterloo, Iowa, for the following enlightening letter concerning an old residence of Brodhead.

Mrs. Clarke writes as follows:

The Independent-Register - Dear Sirs: I am sending a renewal of my subscription to The Independent-Register. I note in The Independent-Register that you are trying to find which was i the first house built in Brodhead. I will tell you what I know about the Mrs. Schempp house. I still have the deeds to it.

1. F. Mack owned the place when I first knew of it. They did not live there but held it for rent. Mr. Mack sold the place to Mrs. Eliza A. East man and Wm. H. Eastman in September, 1865. The Eastmans were the mother-in-law and father-in-law of Dr. B. C. Brett who with his wife lived with them.

Dr. Brett was a partner of Dr. L. E. Towne, my brother-in-law. Mr. Clarke bought the place in June, 1881, and we lived there until he built the house on the corner now occupied by Dr. Taylor.

I remember it was said that the Schempp house was the first well built home in Brodhead and some said it was the first house. It sure was a well built home. Of course, it has been remodeled quite a bit.

When we moved there the half block looked like an orchard. A row of tame plum (delicious) trees grew along the fence on Race street. Many apple trees of different varieties, raspberries, blackberries, gooseberries, currants, and strawberries also grew there. A lot of lilac bushes were growing right before the south window. These we cut down. Three, cottonwood trees we also removed after lightning split one of them to the ground.

Some Brodhead residents may recall that between Clinton avenue and Center street and from the Carpenter house down to the Blanchard home the ground was low, not a house on the land. The water settled there. In winter it made the finest kind of skating rink and was used all the time. They built bonfires in the evening and had the gayest kind of a time.

There is more that I could relate but this will suffice, Mrs. Hattie H. Clarke.

Hattie Clarke's account of the I. F. Mack Dimrock House