[2] Places such as North Des Moines grew in popularity in the decades after the American Civil War as a way of improving housing by developing it away from the congested and the more densely populated inner city.

The development of street car lines in the 1880s increased the popularity of these areas as they provided a mode of transportation to the city's central business district.

Goode, along with Frank Pelton who was a Des Moines civil engineer, platted the area and created the first naturalistic suburban subdivision.

The third period began in the years after World War II and is not considered as contributing to the historic nature of the district.

The Des Moines architectural firms involved in the district include Liebbe, Nourse & Rasmussen and C. C. Cross & Company.