“Since 1975 Roger has been accumulating books, articles and photographs and organizing them in the archive room,” said Webster County Historical Society board member Steve Kersten. “It’s not a very big room, but it’s full. Because of Roger’s involvement and continued support, the board of the Historical Society has voted unanimously to honor him by forever naming the archive room the Roger Natte Archive.”

“Wow,” said Natte. “Thank you. History is happening.”

The announcement was made as the Webster County Historical Society celebrated 50 years of preserving local history and became the newest member of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance.

“We kept it a secret from Roger,” said Historical Society board member Meg Beshey. “We were taking things home so he wouldn’t see them and in the board minutes we kept his name out of them. We told him that today was a ribbon cutting and presentation, and it was the best surprise ever.”

-Submitted photo
Roger Natte and his wife, Dr. Joyce Garton Natte, attended a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday at which he was surprised by the renaming of the Webster County Historical Society room in his honor. The room at the Fort Dodge Public Library is now called the Roger Natte Archives.

Natte resurrected the Historical Society in 1975 and filed articles of incorporation for the organization. According to Kersten, who spoke at Monday’s event, the Historical Society was started in 1906 by Mrs. Jonathan Dolliver, but was started and stopped multiple times before Natte took on preserving Webster County’s history.

Natte came to Fort Dodge while attending Iowa State Teachers College, which later became the University of Northern Iowa. He did his student-teaching at Fort Dodge North Junior High as a history teacher. After receiving his teaching degree, Natte joined the Peace Corps where he served in Liberia for 2.5 years. Natte later returned to Fort Dodge as a history teacher for Fort Dodge Junior College, which later became Iowa Central Community College, where he taught for 33 years before retiring.

Natte is a recipient of the Lions Club Community Service Award and received the Iowa Volunteer Hall of Fame Award in 1997.

He is the 2018 recipient of the William J. Peterson/Edgar R. Harlan Award, which recognizes an individual, group or organization that has made significant long-term or continuing contributions to Iowa history.

He has written more than two dozen articles and several books. His most recent book was about people from Fort Dodge who served in World War II.

-Submitted photo
This new sign bears the name of the Webster County Historical Society room — the Roger Natte Archives — and features a photo of the man it is named after. Natte, the preeminent local historian, taught at Iowa Central Community College and rejuvenated the Historical Society.

Throughout Monday’s event, historical quizzes were also given to attendees, including noting that Fort Dodge has had 28 theaters since 1900 with most burning down because projection bulbs exploded. The Rialto had a slanted floor which allowed candies to roll throughout the seating area, and The Dodge, when it opened, was supposed to be a state-of-the-art theatre which also showed the first love scene in a movie.

The Roger Natte Archives, which is located in the Fort Dodge Public Library, is open to the public from 2 to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday.

-Submitted photo
Roger Natte looks over the refreshments at a ribbon cutting ceremony Monday at which he was surprised by the renaming of the Webster County Historical Society room in his honor. The room at the Fort Dodge Public Library is now called the Roger Natte Archives.