In 1910, Main Street was paved with creosote/tar coated wood bricks. Wood blocks, it turned out, in time lost the creosote to the effects of weathering. Wet weather then caused the wood paving to swell and break up as seen here. This June 4, 1918 photo shows houses once located on the north side of Main Street near the Clark Avenue intersection (where, in 1996, stands the U.S. West Communications building). Wood brick pavement was replaced in 1926 with concrete paving. (Iowa Department of Transportation)