History:

The beginning history of Gilmore City as taken from the Pocahontas County History of 1904 and some additional information taken from the Humboldt County History. Gilmore City is located on the line between Pocahontas and Humboldt counties, on Section1 of Lake, and Section 6 of Weaver Township. The site of the town is an elevation so high that before the view was obstructed by artificial groves, there could be seen from it the three neighboring county seats - Pocahontas, Humboldt, and Fort Dodge. It is on the line of the Des Moines and Ruthven branch of the If you have a history article for us please call 373-6135. Thanks C.R.I. and P. Ry., and was named in honor of its superintendent, C.N. Gilmore of Des Moines. The track was laid to Gilmore City about June 1, 1882, and this event led to the founding of the town. It is 18 miles northwest of Tara and is in the center of a rich agricultural section of county that at that time was comparatively unsettled, so that only here and there would be seen a spot of cultivated ground. The prairies, covered with a luxuriant growth of grass and flowers, and stretching away in every direction as far as the eye could reach, like a rolling sea of green and yellow hues, presented to the observer a scene as beautiful as the eye of man ever rested upon. It was a splendid range from stock and game, and sporting engineer thought it not inappropriate to commemorate this fact in the names of the towns further north-Plover, Mallard and Curlew. The few old settlers of this section, who previously had to haul their lumber, coal, and other necessities from Fort Dodge and other distant places, and did not leave their farms in grasshopper times, because they could not sell them for the price of government land are now happy in the possession of valuable farms and comfortable homes.

Near the city is a splendid quarry limestone, that furnishes an inexhaustible supply of good rock either for building purposes or for use as a fertilizer. Many of the business blocks have been built of this substantial material and the large number of fine buildings erected would prove a credit to a town of much larger size. One of the largest general stores in the county will be found here. The first store building was erected by L.E. Childs in 1882 and soon after its completion he was appointed postmaster. This was a frame building, and after the site of the town was permanently arranged, it was moved to its present location, where since 1891; it has been occupied by the Collins Brothers.
The first teacher was Captain F. E. Beers in a room over Conn's store in the winter of 1882-1883. Some early teachers were Angeline Jackson, Charles Sargent, Ida Garlock, Miss McCormick, and Mrs. Edna Blake.