Halloween mischief is nothing new in Mahaska County. Long before modern trick-or-treating, local boys were finding their own ways to make the holiday memorable. One unusual prank, recorded in a history of Mahaska County, involved a buggy, a wooden hotel awning and a building with a name that made the joke even better.
According to Roustabout’s History of Mahaska County, an old Halloween prank took place at a hotel known as “Noah’s Ark.” The building had once served as Mahaska County’s original courthouse before being moved and converted into a hotel operated by the Noe family.
The original courthouse was built in the mid-1840s, when Oskaloosa was still a young settlement. The two-story wooden structure measured approximately 28 by 50 feet and served the community in several ways. Besides its official duties as a courthouse, the building was also used for church services and public entertainment.
By 1855, the building was no longer being used as the county courthouse. It eventually left its original location near the town square and took on a new life as a hotel. Historical accounts refer to the establishment as both “Oskaloosa House” and “Noe’s Ark.”
It was there that Halloween pranksters made their mark.
The account in Roustabout’s History of Mahaska County recalls helping put a buggy on the wooden awning that sheltered hotel guests. Imagine the work involved in getting a horse-drawn vehicle onto a raised structure, all for the sake of a Halloween joke.
The prank apparently gave the local boys plenty to talk about afterward. According to the account, they joked that hotel owner Mr. Noe was getting his property ready in anticipation of another flood.
The reference to a flood was a play on the hotel’s name. In the biblical story of Noah’s Ark, Noah built an ark to survive the great flood. With a hotel called “Noah’s Ark,” a buggy sitting on its awning gave the boys an easy opportunity to turn the building’s name into the punchline.
The book also mentions Carl Noe, the owner’s son, who was remembered as an accomplished foot racer who could beat the other contestants who challenged him.
Although the historical account does not provide an exact date for the Halloween prank, it offers a glimpse into the humor and youthful mischief of early Oskaloosa. It also preserves a small piece of local history that might otherwise have been lost to time.
Today, Halloween is often associated with costumes, candy and neighborhood celebrations. But this story shows that generations ago, some young people celebrated the season by finding creative ways to surprise their neighbors — even if it meant putting a buggy somewhere it certainly did not belong.
And in this case, the old courthouse-turned-hotel became part of the joke, leaving behind a story that continues to stand out in Mahaska County history.
