Midway Station - Four Roads Inn

The northeast corner of Highway 3 and v62 saw the location of a few businesses.  Information is sparse and gathered from news or ads in the Oelwein Register.  No photos are available of any of the businesses.

Glenda (Gipper) Kane, daughter of Lloyd & Barb (Hausler) Gipper was able to provide insight to ownership of the property via the abstract. It reveals the property only had a few owners and that many who ran the businesses were not owners.

Although most references are to 4 Roads Inn, Lloyd Gipper actually named it 4 Road In (only 1 n) because it was not an inn for overnight stays.

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From Abstract:

1901.10.12 J. I.  Minkler & Martins sold to E. E. Shippy and F. N. Harwood

1927.08.27  Frank Harwood a single male sold to his sister Mrs. Nellie Shippy, wife of E. E. Shippy

1938.10.25  E. E. Shippy & wife Nellie sold to son Earl Shippy

1945.11.14  Mortgage for Earl & Marie Shippy to Oran Savings Bank. $5,000 due Nov. 14. 1955

1948.04.12  There is a reference to Lewis Miller & wife Martha A. to P. H. Paulson and Mabel to Earl Shippy.  It’s unknown what the refers to.

1963.04.13  Earl & Marie Shippy land transaction of 2.7 acres to state of Iowa $715 warranty deed

1950.05.16  Authorization of Interstate Power Company Easement

1961.09.29  Earl & Marie Shippy lease to Edwin & LaVern Tegtmeier. There was a sublease to Albert Ohl.  The sublease could construct at their won expense for commercial purposes and can remove at their own expense and were liable for damage.

1974.09.19  Earl & Marie Shippy sold to Lloyd R. Gipper for $10,000.  Agree to $2,500 payment up front and $7,500 due in 60 months at 8% interest rate.

1986.10.27 After Glenda & Mitch Gipper ran 4 Roads Inn together for about a year, Rex & Glenda Kane purchased it and ran the business.

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1936.01.14 The Roy Cosselman station north of Oran was robbed. Mr. Cosselman lost a valuable revolver and some merchandise.

1938.01.31 Mr. and Mrs. Pond and children moved out to the filling station one mile north and one-half mile west of Oran where Mr. Pond has charge of the filling station recently vacated by August Chaplin.  Although this report indicates the filling station is 1/2 mile west of the corner, the next article supports that it was straight north of Oran on the corner.

1938.06.18 Mr. Mundt of Oelwein is operating the Sinclair filling station one mile north of Oran on number 10 (Highway 3).  He is taking the place left vacant when the former operation, Harvey Pond, left to accept new job at Marshalltown.

1939.03.17 Albia Nichols held closing  farm sale on the Henry Mealey farm and moved to the Roy Cosselman filling station one mile north of Oran where he took possession.

1940’s estimated when Albert & Kate Ott ran the station. Their daughter Ida Mae ran the switch board for the Oran Telephone Company

1948.08.14  An ad from Bennett’s Filling Station on Highway 3, one mile north of Oran, offered a 1947 Indian Chief Motorcycle 74 for sale.

1948.11.05 Three months later, Don Bennett, the proprietor of the Phillip 66 service station reported the west window was used for a forced entry in the main part of the station.  Other locks inside were jammed.  A radio, razor and money were missing from the till and the premise was still being searched.  The Bennett’s carried theft insurance.

1951.01.03 An ad offers the Midway Station one mile north of Oran for sale

1951.06.20 A second ad to sell Midway Station reports it’s a very good business. Reasonable. Come and see. Matt Teberg. Possession July 1

1959 March – Midway station was under the ownership of Albert “Smokey” Ohl. Sixteen people were stranded in a snow storm.  Jim Weaver reported to the Register that people had enough fuel and food for a day but the help would be needed.  Ray Smith who live across the road in a farm house was helping them.  The article can be found on this page listing the names of those stranded including local Jerry Heineman.  A follow up report indicated everyone had found a way home, either on foot or in their cars.  After a snow plow came from Waverly, Milo Olthausen, a Navy from Washington D.C and W. B. Oatey, a salesman from Dubuque were able to continue on their way. Others stranded included Ed Laube, Robert Rohrick, Henry McElree, Harry Zanatta, Max Russell, Henry Vargason, Edward Finneg, Lawrence Clivien, Herbert Smith Robert Pepein, H. C. Lillibridge, Web Brickman and Smokey Ohl.

1963.03.09 As Albert Ohl arrived at his station at 3 a.m. and noticed the glass broken out of the door.  As Ohl entered, Phillip L. Kraft fled through another door and ran down the gravel road.  Ohl then rushed to Kraft’s parked car and jerked the ignition wire loose. He returned to the cafe and called the Fayette county sheriff.  Kraft got cold and returned to the car.  Kraft indicated later to authorities that he and Jerry Bradley were together.  They reportedly took 27 cartons of cigarettes and about $30-$35 from the station and had put them in his car before being surprised by Ohl. 

1964.10.13 The Fayette Board of Supervisors upon submission of a report by law enforcement officers resolved that the beer permit for Midway Station and Supper Club in the name of Albert H. Ohl from May 14, 1964 should be revoked and should be removed from the premises forthwith. 

1969.05.07 Ad in Oelwein Register “Briddle’s Midway Station – Hwy.  – Oran, Iowa”

1969.09.04 Ad in Oelwein Register “Mast Midway Station – Hwy. 3 – Oran, Iowa” reveals that ownership from Briddle’s to Mast’s happened between May and September of 1969.

According to Barb Gipper’s obituary (Oct. 4, 2010) her and Lloyd Gipper operated Four Roads Inn from 1973 to 1984.  As new owner’s they changed the name from Midway to Four Roads Inn.

1974.07.19  Two Oelwein men were being held in jail for charges in three counties.  They were wanted in Fayette County on a charge of breaking and entering the Midway Station near Oran and also stealing a car belonging to Richard Rundle, Oran.  The 1963 car was found in Johnsonville (which is north of Littleton) where it had been run into a tree. The vehicles is listed as a total loss.

1984 Glenda & Rex Kane became new managers of Four Roads Inn.  In 1994 it was advertised for sale.   It remained in business until 1996 when a liquidation auction was held.