ADOLPH KOCH was the first blacksmith in Marne. He was born in the Kingdom of Prussia in 1839. He emigrated to America in 1857 and worked as a blacksmith in Pennsylvania and Illinois before serving in the Civil War. After his discharge from the Union Army, he returned to Pike County, Illinois, and worked there until 1873, when he moved to Kansas. Opportunities in Kansas were not as bright as desired, for in 1875 Adolph Koch moved to the new town of Marne and established himself as the pioneer blacksmith of the town. His shop was located south of the railroad tracks near Washington Street, and opened for business in November, 1875.

Transcribed from "The First Century, A History of Marne, Iowa 1875 - 1975", published in 1975, Marne, Iowa: The Marne Centennial Historical Committee, pp. 30-31. Transcribed (2015) by Cheryl Siebrass and contributed September, 2019.

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