Roland Historical Society

05/31/2026

A reminder! Join us next Sunday (June 7th) for our presentation on the history of Ames In-Cross. Anyone living near Roland in the 1940's-1970's likely has memories of this groundbreaking Roland based company.

A light free will donation lunch will be served at 1PM with the presentation beginning at 1:30pm.

Location:
Bergen Lutheran Church Fellowship Hall
101 W Maple Street Roland, IA

Brought to you by the Roland Historical Society

05/26/2026

Roland Memorial Day 2026

05/15/2026

Please join the Roland Historical Society on Sunday, June 7th for our Spring Program. We will feature the story of Ames In-Cross, a company organized by locals that rose to prominence as a leader in developing egg-laying chicken hybrid varieties. The company became a leader in the industry bringing in visitors from across the country and the world. It also became a major driver of the local economy providing good jobs for Roland residents and positively impacting the community in many ways.

The event will be held in the Fellowship Hall of Bergen Lutheran Church (101 W. Maple St.) at 1PM on June 7th. The presentation will begin at 1:30PM. Come enjoy local history and good food with friends and family!

05/13/2026

This Month in Roland History (May 5th, 1976) – 50 Years Ago

Fifty years ago this month, Roland’s first firetruck returned after an eight-year absence. The Roland fire department was organized in January 1912 when twenty-one men volunteered to serve with S.J. Michaelson elected as chief. In early years, Roland’s fire department used two hose carts pulled to the fire location with hand pumps used to spray water to control fire.

In 1928, several Story County cities purchased motorized fire trucks, prompting Roland to consider a similar action. City leaders canvassed the community asking for donations to create a fire truck fund. Landowners outside city limits who donated at least $25 were promised fire protection for their rural properties. Rural property owners who did not donate would be charged $75 per visit. The Roland City Council agreed to provide a maximum of $2,000 toward the purchase in addition to funds provided by donors.

In February 1929, the city ordered a fire truck from the W.S. Nott Company of Minneapolis, MN. The model was a two-ton REO truck chassis with a Gold Bond motor, 152-inch wheelbase, four speeds forward, and hydraulic brakes. The truck had a 100-gallon booster water tank with 300 feet of 1-inch hose on two reels. A 500-gallon rotary pump was included to transfer water from source to hose. Ladders, pails, electrical lights, and a siren were also included. Final cost for the 1929 REO Speedwagon fire truck was $3,850.

The new fire truck became a popular attraction with Roland residents, and following the vehicle as it traveled on calls became a popular social event. The fire department provided repeated instructions via the newspaper on how people should act when the fire truck was traveling to a call. Drivers were reminded to keep their distance when following should an abrupt stop become necessary or a fireman fall off the truck.

As time passed newer truck models were added, and the REO became obsolete. In January 1968, the city council voted to sell the truck for $550 to a buyer from Eagle Grove, IA.

By the mid 1970’s, several members of the Roland fire department were interested in returning the truck to Roland. The truck’s owner agreed to sell it for $5,500. Twelve individuals took personal loans from the Roland State Bank to raise the funds needed. A Roland Farmers’ Co-op truck transported the REO from Pocahontas, IA to Roland where it was on display during the city’s 1976 U.S. Bicentennial celebration. Fund-raising covered a portion of the purchase; however, the twelve original borrowers paid some cost out of pocket.

In 1978 the REO Speedwagon was turned over to the Roland Historical Society and placed on display in a newly built garage on the city museum grounds. It remains on display today, a symbol of civic responsibility and community effort.

05/12/2026

05/02/2026

Roland's Historic Homes - May Edition
126 North Vine Street - The 1st Solem House. Built 1897

The lot at 126 North Vine Street was originally owned by Mikel Erickson, a member of the first group of Howard Township settlers who arrived in June 1856. The lot was sold to Peter S. Solem in 1897 when the Erickson family began selling farmland for home sites in the growing community of Roland.

Solem was born in Norway in August 1857. As a young man he took to the sea and spent 18 months as a sailor aboard a Norwegian trade ship. He spent time in South Africa where he learned the carpenter trade and became a cabinet maker. After a stay in Australia, Solem returned to work as a sailor on a British ship. When his ship docked in America, he decided to stay. Solem arrived in Roland in 1885 and worked as a carpenter for two years before establishing his own successful furniture and home furnishings business, housed in a Main Street building. As with many furniture makers during this period, he also offered funeral services including coffins and a horse-drawn hearse. Solem’s store became a mainstay of the early Roland business community.

In December 1888, Solem married Annie Helland. Helland immigrated from Norway in 1886 and came directly to Roland where she worked as a housekeeper in the home of Bergen Lutheran’s Reverand and Mrs. C.B. Jacobson. The Solem’s had three children, two of whom lived to adulthood. The family was well respected, active in the community, and faithful members of the Salem Lutheran Church.

Construction of the 126 N. Vine Street house began in fall of 1897 with work completed in spring of 1898. The house was constructed by area builder John Jondall who built many new Roland homes during this period.

The Solem’s lived in the 126 N Vine Street house for approximately six years. In 1903 they purchased a lot across the street to the west (314 E Poplar Street) and built a new house there which they soon occupied.

In 1903 the 126 N. Vine Street house was sold to farmer, businessman, and Roland Bank director N.E Waugh and his wife Rikka. They occupied the house until the late 1930’s. Waugh was born in Norway but left for America at the age of 14. In addition to his banking leadership, Waugh owned several local farms and was involved in other business interests.

04/24/2026

This Month in Roland History (April 1911) – 115 Years Ago

In April 1911 Roland’s first automobile sales and service business opened. The enterprise was owned by brothers M.O. and J.T. Anderson and they named their venture the Anderson Brothers Auto Company. The Anderson brothers were born and raised on a farm south of Roland. Their parents (Ove and Aagote Anderson) emigrated from Norway around 1870. Before the automobile venture, M.O. Anderson had been involved in the livery business. J.T. Anderson would later serve as Roland city accessor and as president of the Roland school board.

In March, the Anderson brothers purchased a building (no longer standing) on the southeast corner of Main and Poplar Streets (location of today’s Roland City Hall) and used it as their base of operations. Their company sold new Hudson, Marion, Ford, and Overland brand automobiles in addition to offering service and repairs. Roland residents traveled to larger cities to purchase automobiles, but a local option became available through the Anderson Brothers company.

Roland’s first automobile was likely owned by Roland livery stable owner E. A. Cole and was mentioned in newspapers in 1907. The Roland Record newspaper printed weekly updates on the car’s trips including an article entitled “The Automobile Balks” describing a breakdown in which a horse drawn wagon had to pick up passengers on an aborted trip to Ames. By 1908 it was reported that there were five cars in Roland with most owned by prominent businessmen or doctors. Businessman O.M Anenson made a practice to buy a new car every year and drive it around town for all to see. In 1911 Henry Thompson became the first farmer in Howard Township to purchase an automobile.

The first motorcycle in town (owned by Jospeh Twedt) was reported in September 1908. While riding his cousin’s motorcycle, Albert Twedt lost control and collided with a tree near the intersection of Roland’s Main and Maple Streets, but he escaped injury.

In November 1913, the Anderson brothers sold their business to A.B. Burch of Iowa Falls. Burch then sold the business to Carl Knutson and Isadore Halvorson who focused their efforts on auto service and repair. Their business grew into the Hawkeye Auto Company.

Other car dealerships and garages served Roland in the next decade including the Roland Auto Company (Joseph Twedt), Anderson & Quam Garage, and the Thompson Brothers Garage (Cyrus and Milton Thompson). Two new buildings were built on adjoining lots on the west side of Main Street in 1914 and 1915 to house early garages that serviced the growing number of automobiles. Only one (121 N Main Street) still stands today.

04/10/2026

This Month in Roland History – April 10th, 1956 (70 Years Ago)

The Roland school cafeteria was beautifully adorned for a special event on a Tuesday evening. Community members gathered for a Charter Night ceremony to officially recognize the organization of a local Wa-Tan-Ye club chapter. The assembled crowd included new members of the Roland club, Mayor Willard Vaughn, Roland’s two Lutheran pastors, Roland Kiwanis club members, and representatives of other Wa-Tan-Ye chapters. The evening included an imitation ceremony and a meal prepared by the Roland school cooks and served by ten girls from the Nevada Rainbow Girls organization. Around fifty telegrams and letters with congratulations from other club chapters were read aloud throughout the evening.

Officers of the original Roland club were Ione Osheim (president), Dorthy Christian (vice-president), Rhoda Hondred (secretary), Nancy Kilstoffe (treasurer), and Ann Larsen (historian). Other charter members included: Faye Ann Anderson, Doris Bakke, Thordis Chriatian, Charlotte Eggland, Carrie Fatland, Doris Johnson, JoAnn Molde, Katherin Nelson, Rosie Quam, Bonnie Reinertson, Shirley Rod, Mary Ann Sandvold, Jessie Sather, Laura Sather, Pat Sather, Berdine Severson, Edith Truman, Mary Ann Tjelmeland, Gloria Twedt, Diana Jacobson, and Myrtie Rosheim.

Wa-Tan-Ye was a women’s service club whose members were engaged in business. The original club was organized in Mason City, IA in 1921. At its height Wa-Tan-Ye had chapters in many Midwestern towns. The Roland chapter was active over the years in projects including providing student scholarships, helping fund the first Roland swimming pool and the city’s first library, providing money for local parks, and decorating Story City’s Bethany Manor for Christmas.

The club organized social activities for its members including parties and social events. One early tradition involved gathering members unexpectedly in the morning—regardless of what they were wearing—and taking them to the Erickson Park shelter house for a breakfast celebration.

The Roland club raised funds through various activities, but their longest-running effort was managing the Erickson Park softball concession stand. The project started in the late 1950s, when a small white concessions building was constructed near the ball fields at Erickson Park. The construction of a new softball complex in 1974 included a larger concession stand, which continues to serve visitors today. The club has managed the concession stand for over 65 years.

In February 1998, the Roland club voted to leave the Wa-Tan-Ye organization. They renamed themselves the Friends N Service club and continued their mission of planning and supporting projects to benefit Roland and its residents. The club is still active in the community, organizing projects and supporting important causes. No matter what the name, the club has worked diligently for 70 years to improve the quality of life in Roland for their friends and neighbors.

04/01/2026

Roland's Historic Home of the Month
101 East Poplar Street - James & Anna Twedt House
Built in 1910

The lot on which this house sits is one of the most historic sites in Roland. The Jacob Erickson family arrived in Howard Township in June 1856 and built a small wooden cabin on this location. The Erickson’s eventually moved into other homes, but the cabin remained intact until the early 1900’s. As the Roland community grew, the Erickson’s land became the location of the city’s business district and several residential neighborhoods in the east part of town. In 1909 Mikel Erickson sold two lots at 101 East Poplar Street to John and Anna (Erickson) Twedt. Anna was Mikel Erickson’s sister. Construction on the Twedt’s house began in late 1909 but was delayed because of extremely cold weather. Construction resumed in the spring and was completed by summer 1910.

John (Johannes) Twedt was born in Norway in 1845. He became a sailor at the age of 14 and worked for seven years as a seaman. He emigrated to the United States in 1866 spending time in Chicago working on Lake Michigan before moving to Story County. Twedt married Anna Erickson in December 1868. Anna was the daughter of Jacob and Ellen Erickson, the original owners of the house property. She was 10 years old when her family arrived in Howard Township after an 1856 move from the Fox River Settlement of Norwegians in Illinois.

The Twedts’ and their nine children built a very successful farm three miles south of Roland where they lived for forty-four years. John Twedt was a prominent man serving on the Story County Board of Supervisors for six years, and as an early leader of the Bergen Lutheran Church. The Twedt’s construction of a new house in town was in part due to their retirement from farming activities.

In November 1917, John Twedt sold the eastern quarter of his Poplar Street lot to the Story County Independent Telephone Company. A brick telephone exchange building was built on the property which contained a switchboard where employees worked directing phone calls. A telephone communications building still sits on this site.

The house was purchased by Embert (Bert) & Cora Britson in 1942. Britson worked at the Roland Lumberyard before he and his wife managed the Britson Café on Main Street. The house was large enough that rooms were rented out to those in need. The house was owned by the family for 40 years.

02/04/2026

This Month in Roland History (February 1891) – 135 Years Ago

Early 1891 was an exciting time for the growing community of Roland. In January a cooperative creamery was organized and a facility built in west Roland. The town’s second grain elevator (built by Jonas Duea & O.O. Stole) opened for business. In February construction on the Iowa Central House began. The new hotel occupied the northwest corner of Main and Ash Streets, the location of today’s Ja Max Machine Company. It became the community’s second hotel to cater to travelers.

Roland’s first hotel was likely built after the arrival of the railroad in 1881. Called the City Hotel, it was located on the southeast corner of Main and Poplar Streets (site of today’s Roland Fire Department building). Demand for lodging was such that a second hotel was needed. The site chosen was the previous location of the Duea and Stole farm implement business. The location was near the town’s business district and just south of the Iowa Central train depot where travelers would disembark from passenger trains. Three years later the Roland Opera House was built nearby, and the hotel housed many traveling entertainers of the day.

In May 1893, Roland’s only homicide took place in the hotel, the result of a stolen watch and too much to drink. Manslaughter charges against two men ended in a plea bargain and a conviction which was later overturned by the Iowa Supreme Court.

The Iowa Central House had a series of owners but by 1920 was no longer in business. The decline in rail passenger service and increase in automobile travel reduced the need for small town lodging. In September 1924 the building was purchased by the Skromme Seed Company and used as their administrative center. The company also purchased the Opera House for workspace. The Skromme’s also operated a chicken hatchery in the facility.

In October 1933, Carrie Skromme was named Roland’s U.S. Postmaster. She purchased the former hotel building in 1935 and relocated Roland’s post office there. The post office took up a part of the building’s space with the remainer housing rental apartments. The building was Roland’s post office for thirty-five years until 1970 when a new building took its place.

By the 1980’s the former Iowa Central Hotel and surrounding buildings were in poor shape. The city purchased the property and in April 1985 the buildings were demolished. The lots were cleared and purchased by Ade Lounsberry who in 1987 built a facility to house his seed business. In the mid-1990’s the Ja Max Machine Company purchased the building and are still in business on the property.