This is the fourth of a series about architects that were important to the city of Creston. During the Creston Historic Preservation Commission’s research of downtown Creston wonderful information about these people arose. They are no longer unknown citizens in Creston. The last and most important architect was Clarence Yule.
Clarence Yule was born in Dec. 10, 1886, in Somers, Kenosha County, Wisconsin, to Benjamin Yule and Jessie Strong. Both the Yules and the Strongs were active in the Masonic Lodge and were identified with the Bains Wagon Works in Kenosha.
Clarence was educated by attended high school for five years and then attended college for two years. Clarence was a graduate of Northwestern Military & Academy in Highland Park, Illinois. He was listed as being in the class of 1905. He then studied architecture at the Armour Institute of Technology in Chicago, Illinois. Yule’s training in Chicago was when the Prairie School architects dominated the scene. He may have learned from such Prairie Style masters as Frank Lloyd Wright, Louis Sullivan, Walter Burley Griffin and others.
Clarence owned his own business as a draftsman in Grand Rapids, Michigan., and was living as lodger in a rooming house belonging to Orelia Helmus.
The American Contractor in April 19, 1913, reported Clarence Yule was living in Creston and working as an architect with a partner, William R. Williamson in a new architectural firm. They called their business Yule & Williamson and at 117 W. Adams Street. The two of them were involved in several building projects in their short time together. They planned the building of store with an apartment owned by M.J. Welch in Creston in October 1913. At the same time they were designed the Sidney Hotel at the corner of East Adams Street and North Pine Street. It was to be a brick building 80 ft. by 120 ft. and was owned by Strauss and Levi. Completed at a cost of $40,000 in spring 1914. According to the Iowa Census taken in Creston in 1915, Clarence Yule had made approximately $1,000 during the year 1914 as an architect.
Yule’s business covered an area from Atlantic to Chariton. Ruth Chase of Atlantic purchased a lot to build a new home. Charles and Ruth Chase, desired a Prairie Style dwelling. In June 1914, Clarence Yule provided them with a fine design to satisfy their wishes. The two-story, stucco-on-frame, Prairie School dwelling features a hipped roof, enclosed front porch, wide overhanging eaves, ribbons of casement windows on both floors of the front and back elevations and a full basement. This home was placed on the Register of Historic Places on March 15, 1999.
Clarence L. Yule and Alfred T. Waldo announced in the Western Architect periodical in July 1914 they were in practice together as architects under the name Yule & Waldo. This firm began work designing a plan to build Hotel Summit, a three-story hotel building in Creston, at a cost of $19 million and also creating a plan to build a high school in the neighboring town of Chariton at the cost of $13 million. Numerous other plans were designed during their partnership.
An announcement was made in the May 3, 1916, edition of The Western Contractor Yule and partner in business, Alfred T. Waldo, had dissolved their architectural firm and Yule would be practicing at the same location.
At the age of 31, Clarence married Edna Beckwith in Union County Nov. 14, 1917. Edna was born to George La Bean Beckwith and Ellen Clara Laurence in Creston in December 1880. Edna’s father was born in Michigan and worked in Creston as a master mechanic and a locomotive engineer. Edna was about 37 when she married Clarence. Clarence and Edna were members of Congregational Church where they attended regularly in Creston. Edna Beck with Yule and her parents had been members since the 1890s. Clarence became a member of the church in 1916. It was likely that was how he met and married Edna.
On June 5, 1917, the WWI Draft Registration listed Clarence Logan Yule living in Creston. Clarence was listed having a physical disability. He was listed as an architect with his own business and living at 805 ½ W. Jefferson St. His architectural office was located at 213 ½ W. Montgomery St. On Sept. 6, 1918, Clarence Lozan Yule was enlisted into the military. He joined the 88th Infantry. At that time Edna and Clarence were living at 305 N. Sycamore St. in Creston. Further military information at the time says that he was enlisted for service during World War I. He was sent to Camp Dodge, Iowa, for training. Clarence was only in the military for a short time, serving as a Private 1st Class in Company A 88th Infantry. The war ended and he was discharged Nov. 29, 1918.
Clarence and Edna were living in Creston in 1920 according to the U.S. Federal Census Record. Clarence’s office for his architect business was at 213 W. Montgomery St. They were living on Adams Street. During the 1920s two important buildings were destroyed by fires; the Congregational Church and the Masonic Temple, both on Montgomery Street. Yule designed the plans for the new Masonic Temple and let bids in 1922. The building was to cost $35,000. In 1923, Yule designed the Congregational Church and when he awarded bids for this building on July 14, 1923, the cost was estimated at $40,000.
Clarence and Edna moved to Chicago, Cook County, Illinois. They were living in the Lousing Hotel and he was working as a draftsman in the architecture business.
Sometime before 1937, Clarence and Edna Yule moved back to Creston and were living at 305 N. Jarvis. The Des Moines City Directory in 1939 reported Clarence and Edna were residents. Clarence was working as a draftsman for the U.S. Soil Conservation Service. In 1940, Clarence and Edna Yule were living and in Port Washington, Wisconsin, a suburb of Milwaukee, where he was working as a draftsman for a division of the United States government or the United States Department of Agriculture. He continued in this work until on the March 6, 1945, Clarence Yule unexpectedly died. He was buried in Graceland Cemetery in Creston next to Edna’s parents, George and Ella Beckwith.
This is just brief account of how Clarence Yule affected the community architecturally. He was responsible for remodeling and designing buildings throughout southwest Iowa.