Smythe was elected by a large majority and served until his death in

1870. Judge Smythe was one of the ablest men in the county; he had been

a delegate to the convention that nominated Lincoln for president, and

in 1861 was appointed to negotiate a bond issued by the state to

provide a war defense fund. He was also a colonel in the 31st Iowa

Infantry, and served in the field until December, 1864. Had he lived no

doubt he would have been one of the United States senators from Iowa,

and might have had the coveted place so long occupied by James Harlan

and William B. Allison.

In the Greeley contest there was not very much activity in politics in

the county, although a number who had previously affiliated with the

democratic party joined the republican ranks. The Blaine campaign was

one of the most bitter campaigns waged pro and con in the county. In

this campaign Milo P. Smith, of Linn, was the republican candidate for

congress against Ben Frederick, democrat, of Marshall county, who won

out against Smith on account of wrangling within the republican ranks.

John T. Hamilton, in another exciting contest for congress, won out as

a democrat against Geo. R. Struble, of Tama county, in 1890. Mr.

Hamilton had served in the legislature for six years previously and had

demonstrated his ability as an able and conservative legislator. He had

many stanch supporters in the district and especially in Linn county,

his home. Mr. Hamilton was defeated for re-election in 1892 by Robert

G. Cousins, of Cedar county, who held the seat continually till he was

succeeded by James W. Good, of Linn county, in the election of 1908.

Mr. Good was re-elected in the fall of 1910.

This article was not intended to deal with present politics, but with

past politics, and so the various contests which have been waged since

the Bryan campaign of 1896 will be left for other historians to

chronicle. The politicians of an early day in Linn county were men of

force and ability, who were interested in the material welfare of the

people of the state. These men always took a leading part in every

political and financial issue which arose, abhoring mere party

differences brought about for personal objects by selfish persons. Both

the leading parties possessed efficient leaders, who were fully

competent to cope with the issues under consideration from time to

time. These political leaders were efficient stump speakers, strong

political writers, financial backers and promoters of railroads and

steamboat lines. Their knowledge of the affairs of county and state

politics was unsurpassed, and as mere orators they held large

gatherings spellbound by their magnetic influence.

The politician of the old school was always a gentleman and would

seldom descend to anything low or unprofessional in order to obtain a

political victory over another. The instances cited in those pages are

only the occasional outbreak of party strife, or of selfish desire for

vengeance to satisfy some wrong, real or imaginary. Many of the party

leaders in the county in ye olden times, regardless of party

affiliations, were men of culture and education, conservative men,

keen, shrewd, and capable, who battled manfully, loyally, and

truthfully for the young state in its trying days in the beginning.

Nothing is more instructive than to read the early laws which were

passed and to meditate over the proceedings as found of three memorable

constitutional conventions. These deliberations show the good sense of

those who took part in debates, and while the discussions took a wide

range, the members never lost sight of the constitutional limitations

and of the legal status of the state to the federal government.

Such men as Abbe, the Smythe brothers, E. N. Bates, Durham, Col.

Preston, Judge Isbell, Strong, Gray, Kurtz, Col. Butler, Chandler

Jordan, Squire Nugent, Squire Ure, Isaac Cook, Col. W. H. Merritt,

Judge George Greene, Major M. A. Higley, and scores of other well known

pioneers were an honor to any community and in their respective

capacities wielded much influence in the county during the pioneer

days.

[Illustration: FATHER SVRDLIK, CEDAR RAPIDS]

CHAPTER XXXVI

_Cedar Rapids_

Cedar Rapids is not a new town. True, it has not been flourishing for

centuries, like the old European cities, with histories which reach

back several centuries, but as cities and towns in the middle west are

spoken of, it has a lengthy history and one of more or less interest.

Young as it is, Cedar Rapids has no definite chronicle as to who was

the first actual settler. Dyer Usher claimed that he and a companion

gazed upon the beauty of its banks and admired the river at the upper

falls as early as 1836. Osgood Shepherd maintained that he was the

first actual settler, and that he opened a tavern here in 1837 or 1838.

He, at least, sold his squatter right in the embryo town, and made the

first property deal involving landed rights in what later became the

city. J. Wilbert Stone, also known as Bill Stone and William Stone, was

here as early as any white man. He was born in the state of Rhode

Island about 1803, and emigrated to Iowa Territory in the early

thirties. Stone was a well educated, quiet, and refined man, who

possessed all the traits of a trader. He drifted into Davenport and

Rock Island, and came to Westport some time after William Abbe. No

doubt he came from Rockingham up along the river looking for a place to

barter with Indians, and the few white men who might come along as

hunters and trappers. He conducted a small trading post at Westport

some time in 1837, but whether he was the first storekeeper in the

county is not known, as this honor has also been accorded to John

Henry. Whether Henry bought Stone out or not is not certain, but this

is true, that Stone disposed of his interests and removed ten miles by

trail up to the lower rapids, at the bend in the Red Cedar river, where

the large packing plant of the T. M. Sinclair Company now stands, and

here laid out a squatter town, which he called Columbus. This town site

is supposed to have been staked out on the east side of the river. The

time must have been in 1837. He quarreled with Shepherd, who either

came about the same time, or closely followed Stone. Stone, being a

quiet, peaceable person, still single, was compelled to cross the river

and take up a claim on the west side. Robert Ellis asserts that he

found the first small hut on May 8, 1838, on what became Cedar Rapids,

and that it was located on the east side near the packing plant, and

was occupied by Philip Hull. Had Shepherd sold this cabin to Hull after

having driven Stone across the river? That might be probable, as

Shepherd tried the same dodge on Ellis a few months later when he was

building a cabin on his claim on the west side of the river. In that

instance Shepherd had a prospective purchaser who was willing to go

into Ellis's shack, and but for the nerve and presence of mind of

Ellis, Shepherd might have succeeded. From Stone's daughter, still

living, it would seem that Stone was the first actual settler who came

here to trade with the Indians, and the first to lay out the squatter

town which later became Cedar Rapids, and that this plat or staking out

was on the east and not the west side of the river, all of which would

be natural as all the other squatter towns had been staked on the east

side, and thus were better defended from an attack of Indians or border

ruffians, who were apt to congregate more frequently on the west side

of the stream.

Robert Ellis walked into the town and found Hull, and later Shepherd,

located in a small cabin, which he called a tavern situated on the

river bank on what is now First avenue. Mr. Ellis also found at this

time John Young, a Scotchman, Granger, Fisher, and another Scot by the

name of Galloway. Shepherd laid claim at that time to nearly all of the

land on the east side of the river and especially the land adjoining

the dam site and the slough now called Cedar lake. A few hunters and

trappers came now and then and remained at the Shepherd cabin for days

at a time and then would depart as quietly as they had entered the

crude hotel on the river bank. It has been reported that Shepherd

harbored border ruffians and it has been said of him that while "he did

not willingly steal, he had not scruples about harboring those who

subsisted from that kind of traffic." So far as authentic records

indicate, we have no written or reliable sources of information except

hearsay, till Robert Ellis walked up the river and found the cabins of

Hull and Shepherd on the east side of the river, which property rights

were claimed by these parties as squatter owners. By this time Stone

had removed to the west side of the river and had already erected a

cabin. Being a single man he was not at home at all times, and thus

might have been away at the time Ellis arrived. Ellis soon discovered

from what Shepherd said as well as from what Stone had intimated, that

these men were at outs, and the best way to keep peace was to have the

river between them. Ellis had been out in the world long enough not to

mix in the quarrels of other men and to keep as close-mouthed as

possible about the troubles between sworn enemies. They never

associated after their quarrel. The daughter of Stone claims that her

father told her many times that the reason he sold out and removed to

the Iowa river bottom was on account of Shepherd's attitude and that of

the members of his gang toward him. These men feared that Stone would

inform on them and wanted him out of the way so long as he refused to

become an associate of theirs or in any way to approve of their

actions.

It would seem plausible that in a community where so many were law

violators and enemies of law and order a man like Stone would not be

tolerated and the ruffians would do all in their power to get him out

of the way by intimidation or otherwise.

N. B. Brown, from what we have been informed by N. E. Brown and others,

must have passed through what became Cedar Rapids as early as 1839 but

he did not locate here till the following year, when he first realized

the full value of the falls and the feasibility of a plan to erect a

suitable dam across the river which would furnish power to run saw and

grist mills. Galloway, Young, Granger, O. S. Bowling, and a few others

were here in the meantime, all holding down claims, but no one thought

of any future city to be founded or of any valuable asset in the water

power which had never been harnessed to machinery. What appealed to

them was the fact that the stream could be forded at this place, that

the banks had plenty of timber, and that it was a sort of way station

for straggling Indian trappers and hunters. Mr. Brown was not a

frontiersman but a mechanic, who was a trained miller and looked into

the future and saw that the location was ideal. While he had but little

money, he could see far enough ahead that here would be the logical

point for mills. Mr. Brown interested George Greene, H. W. Gray, A. L.

Roach, and S. H. Tryon, and they purchased from Osgood Shepherd an

undivided three-fourths interest for $3,000. The other one-fourth

interest was later sold by Shepherd to J. E. Sanford and Addison

Daniels. Mr. Shepherd had nothing but a squatter claim to sell, but

Brown and the others figured that it would be cheaper to buy him out

than to make a fight on him, and so the bargain was made. From an old

account book still in the possession of N. E. Brown, we cite the

following:

"August 4, 1841. Commenced surveying 'Rapids City.' August 7,

2-1/2 days by N. B. Brown, same, S. Durham, same, J. W.

Carson, 1-1/2 days Geo. Greene, same, A. Daniels, 2-1/2 days

O. Shepherd."

This proves that after the squatter right was purchased from Shepherd,

and the embryo town was first named by Brown the actual work of

surveying was commenced in August, 1841. All of the above named

persons became later well known in the county. Greene and Tryon were

clerks of court about this time, Durham was the newly arrived surveyor,

while Daniels became a merchant and prominent business man. Sanford was

an attorney and the owner of much land in this county, but died early

leaving his estate to his widow and aged father, who resided in

Connecticut. It would seem that Cedar Rapids was first called Columbus,

next Rapids City, and finally Cedar Rapids, taking its name from the

name of the river and the rapids which are formed here by the rock

foundations in the river bed.

Shepherd lingered around the place till the next year, when he found

that there was nothing further in his line, and that he was not

interested in corner lots or in any enterprises such as appealed to

Brown, David King, Greene, Sanford, Daniels, and many others. He

disposed of all his remaining rights and left for Wisconsin with his

family. He was later killed in a railway accident.

John Young also disposed of his squatter rights to Dr. J. R. Richey and

J. W. Carson. These purchasers sold again to Brown the following year.

J. L. Enos, a newspaper man, has the following to say of Shepherd,

writing in 1866: "The crimes committed by Shepherd and his gang were

for years a constant annoyance. John Young and a man by the name of

Granger were his immediate companions. The islands in the river,

particularly the one above the dam, were used as places to conceal

their plunder. A great many horses and much other property were stolen

by them, and in many cases they succeeded in hiding their booty. It is

known that this gang stole at one time six horses, getting away with

four of them. Granger was later caught in Chicago and tried for passing

counterfeit money. He was sent to the Alton prison for four years.

Young, it is stated on reliable authority, was executed in a

neighboring state, having been convicted of murder."

To prove that there is more or less truth in the stories as written of

Shepherd by Enos, Mr. Ellis says that shortly after he had located on

his claim and while he was building a cabin so as to hold his land,

Shepherd and some stranger came along one day and Shepherd insisted

that this was his claim and that Ellis should vacate as soon as he

could, as there would be trouble in store for a newcomer who had the

cheek to jump a claim of this kind. Ellis was much surprised and could

not believe that Shepherd, with whom he had stayed for a short time,

would come at him with such unfounded accusations. He had heard of the

trouble with Stone and knew from Hull that Shepherd was not a very good

man. Hull seemed to be all right. Ellis made up his mind that in a game

of bluff he would not take a back seat, and that he had not come all

the way from Pennsylvania on foot for nothing. He got mad and then did

not stop to count noses, but raised his ax and came towards Shepherd,

saying in his most emphatic way that the claim was his and that some

one would get killed before he gave it up. He said he had picked out

and improved the land and by right owned it till such time as the

government saw fit to throw it open for settlement. He then accused

Shepherd of some of the things he had heard and offered to back it up

by proof if he wanted it. He said further, "You have bluffed others out

of their claims, but you can't bluff me. You get off my land or I shall

be compelled to use my ax." Shepherd moved away and the stranger turned

pale and was uncertain whether he should run or stand there with his

hands raised. He had never been in such a place before. Never again was

Ellis molested, nor did Shepherd again refer to the unpleasant

incident.

It was later rumored that Shepherd for a consideration was to locate

the stranger on a good claim. He figured that as Ellis had already a

cabin partially built this would be a good chance to get a bit of money

and he reasoned that a stranger in the country would soon give in. He

had not figured on the fact that Ellis was "the bravest of the brave,"

when it came to a question of asserting his own rights, which he knew

were just. From this little episode as to the character of Shepherd as

displayed toward Ellis it would seem that Shepherd might have gone at

Stone in the same manner in which he tried to treat Ellis, and by force

and intimidation made him give up his claim. Shepherd's course while a

citizen of Linn county was not an honorable one and few, if any, of his

associates speak of him except in an unfavorable light.

In April, 1839, arrived Joe and John Listebarger, who erected a small

log house at what is now 818 North First street west and owned by

Ferdinand Uebel. A younger brother, Isaac, arrived later the same

summer. William Knowles erected a house on what later became known as

Mound Farm. John Stambaugh built a log house in what is now Bever Park,

which later was disposed of to John G. Cole. The upper part of the west

side was settled by Farnham Colby, who came shortly after Ellis had

staked out his holdings. During the years 1838-39 came others, such as

Thos. Gainor, Joel and James Leverich, P. W. Earle, and many others. It

was in July of this year that the family of Isaac Carroll arrived and

located a little to the east of what is now Cedar Rapids. A son of

Isaac Carroll, the Rev. George R. Carroll, writes as follows in his

_Pioneer Life_: "I cannot now recall anything of importance on the way

until we reached Linn Grove, where we found a few log cabins. In

conversation with one of the women who occupied one of these primitive

abodes we found that her language was so different from anything we had

heard, that it left a decided impression on our minds and was a source

of no little amusement to us children. Some of her peculiar expressions

were by-words with us for many years. She seemed very cordial and ready

as everybody was in welcoming newcomers, and she was quite

communicative, although her accounts were not always of the most

encouraging and inspiring character to the new arrivals.

"It was in the afternoon of July 4th, 1839, when we reached

the county seat and the only thing to mark the spot was a

bower of bushes under which our nation's birthday had been

celebrated in primitive style and in which, judging from

hilarious demonstrations of two or three men that we met on

the way, whiskey must have played a somewhat conspicuous

part. A little at one side of the town L. M. Strong had a

little cabin. I do not remember of having seen either the

cabin or the tenants at the time but Mr. Strong was for many

years after a well known and highly honored citizen of this

place. Passing on beyond Marion we crossed Indian creek about

a mile north of the present crossings and where there was a

beautiful crystal spring, near which was a little cabin

occupied by Mr. James W. Bassett. From this point, turning in

a southwesterly direction, we found our way by a dim track

through the woods reaching, towards night, the little bark

shanty of Ephraim T. Lewis, near where now stands the stone

barn just south of the boulevard two miles west of Marion.

Mr. Lewis and his son-in-law, Nathaniel G. Niece, were there

and gave us a most hearty welcome and most cordial invitation

to share their hospitality over night, which we gladly

accepted.

"The next day we passed a half mile west to the little hut of

Mr. Jewell, later occupied by Barnet Lutz. Passing on sixty

or eighty rods west of Mr. Jewell's through the tall grass we

found Mr. A. B. Mason breaking up prairie on the higher

ground just north of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul

Railway at a point forty or fifty rods west of the boulevard

crossing at Kenwood. This, I think, was the first furrow

plowed between Marion and Cedar Rapids. Passing Mr. Mason, we

found ourselves in a few moments on the ground which was to

be our future home. At a point of the ridge near the mound,

which in later years has been extensively known as Judge

Greene's Mound Farm, we pitched our tent, the little brook

near by affording us water, and the grove close at hand

furnishing wood and poles and bushes for the erection of a

bower, which for a few days were to serve us as a kitchen and

dining room."

In this company came also B. F. and C. C. Cook, step-sons of Isaac

Carroll, and Sarah Carroll, a step-daughter. There were also the

following children: Isaac W., George R., and Julia Carroll.

Mr. Carroll, in his interesting recollections of pioneer days, speaks

of a number of people who at this time and in the next few years

resided in and around Cedar Rapids, such as William Vineyard, who

married Sarah Carroll, and various members of the Lewis family, who

arrived that same fall. James Ferguson and his family, the Weare

family, William Stewart, A. Sines, Arvin Kennedy, Isaac and William

Cook, members of the Ely families, Dr. J. W. Traer, J. F. Charles, the

Daniels families, and many others came a little later.

Thus within a few years from the time that Brown and others purchased

the claims of Shepherd, the scene along the banks of the Red Cedar had

changed from an Indian wilderness and a resort of border ruffians to a

landscape bearing all the evidences of a high degree of civilization.

The old Indian burial grounds became the place of a Christian cemetery,

and the pole tepees covered with leaves and skins were removed to make

place for commodious log houses, erected by the whites.

In a study of the beginnings in Cedar Rapids it has seemed to the

writer that heretofore due amount of credit for his work has not been

given to N. B. Brown. His was indeed a constructive genius. He early

interested himself in and in many instances began businesses that gave

employment to labor, the backbone of any thrifty community. His

enterprises were not always successful ones, whose are? All of them,

however, were busy institutions for a time, and while they were going

they gave employment to many people. It seemed to be the rule to send

strangers in the city seeking employment to Nick Brown if no one else

had use for their services, they being told that Mr. Brown was sure to

give them something to do.

And he always did as it was intimated he would do.

His manufacturing industries were many and varied. He built and

operated saw and flour mills, woollen and knitting factories, at one

time conducting two saw mills in the city, one on each side of the

Cedar. He also at one time ran a saw mill on Indian Creek, south of

town. He built a starch factory at McCloud's Run, and when this failed

owing to the dismissal by his foreman of the only man who knew the

secrets of the manufacture he converted the mill into a distillery,

thus making a market for the corn raised in the county.

Some of his early account books are now in the possession of his son,

N. E. Brown. They show page after page of names of employes in his

various manufacturing enterprises.

It is scarcely possible at this date to give a proper estimate to the

value of his services to the infant city. Pioneers of the energy and

public spirit manifested by Mr. Brown were indeed of great benefit to

the community in which they wrought, and honor and credit ought to be

extended accordingly.

We are glad here to testify to the great worth of Mr. Brown along

industrial lines in the pioneer days of our beautiful and prosperous

Cedar Rapids.

For the first few years the settlers got along as best they could. They

had few if any luxuries. Dubuque and Muscatine were the nearest

markets. It required from six to fourteen days to make the trip and

frequently longer when the roads were bad and when fierce storms

overtook the party. Robert Ellis built three flat boats in the winter

of 1841 and took a cargo of wheat to Burlington, trading this for a

cargo of flour which he delivered safely at New Orleans, in July of

that year. He got back during the summer but did not make any money out

of the enterprise and never again cared to try the experiment. Many

years later he received a settlement with the Burlington firm which was

hard pressed for money and could not pay for the 4,000 bushels he had

delivered. So while he did not get a fortune he perhaps came out even

on this hazardous trip.

While it is true this daring enterprise failed to make Robert Ellis a

wealthy man it did stir people up to the possibility of river traffic

and that of course helped. The venture was talked over and over time

and again, flat boats were built now and then, and a little grain

shipped. Small steamers made Cedar Rapids in the early spring of the

year, bringing a few groceries and notions, and taking away wheat,

oats, pork, and a little corn.

Artificial dams in the river were talked of but that was as far as it

went. No one was able to have any pull with the legislatures. Robert

Holmes, an old Marion resident, had a grain house at Ivanhoe, and took

cargoes of grain down the river in 1844, '46 and '51; Henry Thomson

also ran a few flat boats on the river as far as St. Louis.

In 1858 a body of enterprising young men had built the steamer "Cedar

Rapids" at Beaver, Pennsylvania, at a cost of $20,000, the stockholders

being Wm. and George Greene, J. F. Ely, H. G. Angle, L. Daniels & Co.,

and W. W. Smith. This steamer ran during much of the spring and summer

and late into the fall, and did a big business. But within two years in

an accident on the Mississippi river the "Cedar Rapids" ran into

another steamer, litigation ensued, and the owners lost everything they

had made as well as the steamer.

Thus ended the first big adventure of the Cedar Rapids spirit. In the

same year another steamer, the "Black Hawk," was built to run up the

river to Waterloo and for a time did fair business. This was owned by

W. D. Watrous, J. J. Snouffer, W. W. Smith, J. Stanley, and several

others. This steamboat was sold to the government during the war and

used as a supply steamer on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. At one

time N. B. Brown was the owner of the boat. Just as the people were

demanding that another company be formed to invest in another steamer

enterprise the railways came, and now these daring business men

centered their efforts in developing railroads and won out, but not

until after many struggles, and after many failures. The people of Linn

county surveyed, planned, and talked about several lines before they

could realize the benefits of any.

The Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railway was organized in what is now

Clinton on January 26, 1856, the first officers being Charles Walker,

of Chicago, president, James Purdy, of Mansfield, Ohio, vice president,

T. T. Davis, of Syracuse, New York, treasurer, R. H. Norton, secretary,

and Milo Smith, of Clinton county, engineer. Many Cedar Rapids

residents put up money and notes to have the road come through the

city. Most of the necessary means were put up by eastern capitalists

and especially by John I. Blair, one of the most enterprising of the

early railroad promoters in America. Mr. Blair was born in New Jersey

in 1802 and passed away in 1892, one of the most noted men of this

country. He was at least in an early day the owner of more miles of

railways than any other man in the world, and had laid out more town

sites and villages in Iowa and Nebraska than any other person in the

west. It was John I. Blair who first saw the opportunity of making

Cedar Rapids a center on account of its progressive people, the water

power, and other advantages which this practical, wide-awake railway

man saw here, and which were lacking in other localities. In June,

1859, the road was completed to Cedar Rapids. Its coming was the most

important event in the history of the city. It was the beginning of the

end in the unique struggle for railways in Linn county, and marks an

epoch in the history of the city.

The road was extended west, and by 1862 the trains were running as far

as Marshalltown. By 1867 the road was completed to the Missouri river.

Both the Iowa and Nebraska and the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River

railways have for many years been under one management and are now

known as the Chicago and Northwestern Railway, which owns and operates

nearly 8,000 miles of road with a capital stock of $130,121,838.

[Illustration: BIRDSEYE VIEW Of CEDAR RAPIDS IN 1889]

In 1865 D. W. C. Rowley began grading for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids

and Northern Railway, which was organized in Cedar Rapids. A separate

company, known as the Cedar Valley Construction Company, was organized

to build this line to Waterloo. This company was composed of such men

as Dr. J. F. Ely, president, William Greene, superintendent, D. W. C.

Rowley, secretary. In December, 1866, another road was incorporated,

running to Burlington south via Iowa City. The men connected with this

enterprise were J. H. Gear, Burlington, president, J. E. Putnam,

Burlington, secretary, directors Dr. S. D. Carpenter, of Cedar Rapids,

E. Clark and Peter A. Dey, of Iowa City, and John Bird, Louisa county.

This southern branch did not progress rapidly and there was more or

less of a hitch with the plans, and a question as to how the road

should run. The articles were changed, leaving out Iowa City, and the

board increased to fifteen members, among whom may be mentioned N. B.

Brown, George Greene, and Charles Weare, who were added from Linn

county. George Greene was elected president and Charles Mason, vice

president. By June, 1868, the two roads were united under one name, the

Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern, Greene becoming president, and D.

W. C. Rowley secretary. By January 1, 1871, trains were running between

Cedar Rapids and Burlington, and early the following year they reached

to St. Paul, thus making one of the first great north and south roads

in Iowa. For many years C. J. Ives was president of the road till it

was absorbed by the Rock Island system, when the headquarters were

transferred to Chicago, the Cedar Rapids office becoming merely a

division point.

The Dubuque and Southwestern Railway was operated from Dubuque to Cedar

Rapids in October, 1865. This was an important factor in the upbuilding

of Marion and other towns along this road and in fact helped Cedar

Rapids. Like all small roads, it was not a financial success, and in

May, 1878, it was sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway

Company and new life put into it. The Milwaukee road in 1883 extended

this line to Kansas City. The main line of the Milwaukee was extended

to Omaha.

The building of the interurban to Iowa City, a distance of twenty-eight

miles, a few years ago concludes the railway building in Linn county,

with the exception of the Anamosa and Northwestern, which runs along

the northern part of the county; and the extension of the Illinois

Central, which runs down from Manchester, connecting with the main line

at that place.

We are pleased to give space here to the following account of

beginnings in Cedar Rapids. It is from Bailey & Hair's _Gazetteer_ for

1865:

"D. W. King and T. Gainor were the first settlers of any

advantage to the county. They reached here in 1839, and soon

after made a permanent settlement on the west side of the

river.

"The first white man, however, who pitched his tent on the

ground, now occupied by the Valley City, was a notorious

counterfeiter and horse thief by the name of Shepherd, who

took up his abode and erected his cabin on what is now

Commercial street, near the mills, in the year 1838.

"Thus early was this location selected as a central point

for commercial operations with the surrounding country, and

although the character of the operators was worse than some

who have followed them in business, it nevertheless

indicates their wisdom in making a good location for their

enterprise.

"In 1849 D. W. King established ferries for crossing the

river, and continued to run them up to the time of his

death, in 1854. They were located at Iowa avenue and Linn

street crossings. They were self-propellers, being forced

across the river by the power of the current. A wire rope or

cable extended across the stream upon which a pulley was

placed, and connected by ropes to the boat. The first dam

across the Cedar river was commenced in 1842, and the first

saw mill erected in 1843.

"In March, 1843, the lands came into market. The first

flouring mill was erected by N. B. Brown, in 1844-5, at a

cost of $3,000. Extensive additions have been made to this

mill since. It is still owned and run by Mr. Brown. In 1845,

A. Ely erected the second saw mill and the following year

the second flouring mill at a cost of $9,000. In 1848-9, the

first woolen factory was erected by N. B. Brown. Cost,

$10,000. The first steam engine was set in operation in

1855, in the machine shop of A. Hager.

"The first store was owned by J. Greene in the building now

standing on the northeast corner of Iowa avenue and

Washington street. The second store was opened by Mr.

Cleveland, and the third by Mr. Mulford. The proprietor of

these stores have all left the city. Mulford's store was

destroyed by fire in 1850, being the first building thus

destroyed in Cedar Rapids. The second fire occurred in 1855,

when the buildings on the west side of Commercial street,

between Iowa avenue and Linn street, were mostly consumed.

The postoffice was established in 1847, and J. Greene

appointed postmaster.

"The first brick building was erected in 1844, on the

northwest corner of Iowa avenue and Washington street, by P.

W. Earle, and is now occupied by him. The Union House, on

the northwest corner of Adams and Market streets, was the

first hotel. It was destroyed by fire early in 1865. The

first school house was erected in 1847, and the first school

taught by Nelson Felch. This structure is now occupied as a

dwelling on the north side of Eagle street between Jefferson

and Madison. The first white child born was the daughter of

John Vardy, now removed to Texas. The first church erected

is that commonly known as the 'Muddy,' and is still used as

a house of worship. It is a small 'grout' building at the

southeast corner of Eagle and Adams streets. The first death

was that of a young man by the name of William Brookey, some

time in 1843. The first frame building was built by John

Vardy.

"The lodge of Free Masons was established in 1850, and James

Keeler, an Episcopal minister, was the first W. M. The lodge

took the name of Cedar Rapids Lodge No. 25. Its name was

changed in 1864 to the more euphonious and Masonic name of

Crescent.

"The first newspaper was established by D. O. Finch, in

1854. Three volumes only were issued. D. O. Finch, James J.

Child, and James L. Enos, were successively its editors. The

_Era_ was purchased in 1854 by James L. Enos, and the name

changed to the _Cedar Valley Times_, by which name it still

flourishes. C. M. Hollis, Esq., is the present editor. The

second paper was the _Cedar Valley Farmer_, J. L. Enos,

editor. The _Cedar Rapids Democrat_ was the third paper

established, by W. W. Perkins & Co., in 1856. The _Voice of

Iowa_ was commenced in January, 1857, by the Iowa State

Teachers' Association, and J. L. Enos elected editor. This

journal reached a large circulation, and did much to give

form to the school system of the state. The present public

school edifice was erected in 1856-7-8, at a cost of some

$15,000. It has six departments, and employs seven or eight

teachers.

"Cedar Rapids was incorporated as a city in 1856, and Isaac

Newton Whittam, Esq., was chosen the first mayor. A free

bridge was constructed across the Cedar in 1855-6, but was

soon carried away by the ice. As it fell, a large number

were standing on the banks watching the ice as it rapidly

tore the stone piers from their positions. Two sisters,

daughters of Mr. Black, passed by the guard, which was

stationed at the end of the bridge to keep the people from

passing on, and had reached about the middle, when the frail

fabric went down. Both young ladies were drowned, and the

body of one was never recovered. A toll bridge was erected

the following year, and though a slender structure, has thus

far withstood the action of the ice, though occasionally

broken down by cattle passing over it.

"KINGSTON CITY

"Is a place of about 350 inhabitants, situated on the west

side of the Cedar river, opposite the city of Cedar Rapids.

It is connected with this city by a wooden bridge, and is

about one-quarter of a mile from the Cedar Rapids depot of

the Chicago and Northwestern railroad. In the year 1838

Robert Ellis and O. Bowling settled on land in the vicinity,

and in the year following Messrs. Isaac, John, and Joseph

Lichtebarger settled where Kingston now stands. During the

summer following David W. King and Thomas Gainor arrived

here. The first child born was Mary Jane, daughter of T. and

R. Gainor, on the 15th of May, 1840. Rosannah Gainor died on

the 8th of June, 1840. This was the first death in the

place. There is in the place one paper mill, one saw mill,

two blacksmith shops, two groceries, and one dry goods

store. There are three religious societies, Methodist

Episcopal, Congregationalist, and United Presbyterian. There

is also a commodious building for school purposes, and three

libraries. This region of country is especially adapted to

growing grain. Large quantities are annually shipped to

Chicago from this place. The immense water-power will at no

distant day make this a large manufacturing town."

The following as to early things in Cedar Rapids is taken from a copy

of the _Cedar Valley Times_, J. L. Enos, editor, in 1865:

"On the 4th day of July, 1841, N. B. Brown began

construction of a dam for utilization of the power. Carson,

Gray and Roach soon sold their interests to Messrs. Brown

and Greene, who became the sole proprietors of the

water-power, and constructed the first saw mill in 1842-3.

This mill is yet standing in the rear of Brown's flouring

mill, which was also the first grist mill, and erected in

1843, and extensively enlarged by the present owner in

1854-5.

"The first blacksmith in the place was Harrison Campbell,

who opened a shop in Shepherd's old cabin in 1843. Isaac

Cook, Esq., was the first lawyer, John L. Shearer the first

justice, and James Lewis the first constable. The name of

the first physician seems to be lost from the memory of the

'early day,' though many of his peculiar traits of character

are remembered. Like some others in the profession he was

disposed to blow his own trumpet, and the stories he told to

the uninitiated ones were marvelous in the extreme. Once

when he had returned from Muscatine he claimed to have lost

forty pounds of quinine in one of the streams which put into

the Cedar below the city--the water being unusually high.

His credit was evidently then better than afterward, as was

also his physical courage. Constable Lewis, at one time

called upon him with an execution to secure a judgment, when

the doctor becoming wrathy, threw off his coat for a fight.

The constable being more intent on collecting the claim than

emulous for notoriety as a pugilist, seized the coat and

made away with it--finding a sufficient amount of money to

pay the debt. Dr. S. M. Brice remained here for a few months

and then removed to Center Point. Dr. E. L. Mansfield was

the first physician who made a permanent location in this

city, and still enjoys a large and lucrative practice. He

came here in 1847 and has ever since been engaged in the

noble endeavor--to heal the thousand natural ills that flesh

is heir to.

"The first brick building was erected in 1844, by P. W.

Earle, Esq., on the west corner of Iowa avenue and

Washington street. This building is still occupied by Mr.

Earle, and shows but little the marks of age. A three-story

brick store was erected the same year on the south corner of

Iowa avenue and Commercial street. This building has since

been removed to make room for the block of stores extending

from Iowa avenue down the west side of Commercial street

toward Eagle street. Greene's hotel, a fine-appearing brick

hotel four stories high, also occupied a portion of this

ground. It was erected in 1853-4 by George Greene, and was

kept by various persons as a first-class hotel until it was

taken down to make room for a new brick block, which was

erected in 1862.

"The first store proper was opened in the building now

standing on the north corner of Iowa avenue and Washington

street, by Joseph Greene. As early as 1842 Mr. Greene had a

store in one part of a log building located on the north

corner of Commercial and Sugar streets, the other end of the

same building being occupied as a boarding house or hotel.

"The first building erected for a hotel was built by William

Dwyer in 1847, James Gunning being the first landlord. The

building was destroyed by fire in January, 1865. It was

known as the Union House and was located on the west corner

of Market and Adams streets.

"The Adventists held meetings here as early as 1842-3; a Mr.

Baker being the minister. The Protestant and Episcopal

Methodists also had organizations at an early day. The

Presbyterians organized soon after and erected the first

church edifice, known as the 'Big Muddy,' taking its name

from the material of which it was composed. It is a grout

building, occupying the east corner of Eagle street and

Adams street. The Universalists had an organization here

quite early and were 'ministered unto' by Rev. Mr. Westfall.

In either 1843 or '44 a somewhat noted discussion was held

between Mr. Westfall, the Universalist, and Mr. Roberts, Old

School Presbyterian, at which Joseph Greene acted as umpire.

The discussion continued for four days and nights. The

meetings were largely attended and the combatants were sharp

and excited. The conflict ended as such discussions usually

do--in the victory of both--and this was regarded by nearly

all as a drawn game.

"The first school was kept by Miss Emily Coffman. The first

school building was erected in 1846-7, by a company

consisting of N. B. Brown, George Greene, Alex. Ely, and

others, who sold it to the district, and had the

satisfaction of being taxed to pay themselves for it. This

building was on the north side of Eagle street between

Jefferson and Madison. It is still standing and is occupied

as a dwelling house. Nelson Felch was among the first

teachers, also a Mr. Freeman, who has since been receiving

instruction in a state institution located at Fort Madison.

"The second saw mill was erected by Alex Ely in 1844 and the

second flouring mill in 1844-5. Mr. Ely died shortly after

the completion of this mill. In 1848 N. B. Brown built the

first woolen factory. The first steam engine was put up here

in 1855 by A. Hager, in his sash, door and blind

manufactory. He had an extensive amount of machinery

connected with it and employed a number of workmen.

"The second store was established by Mr. Cleveland, and the

third by C. K. Mulford. Mulford's store was afterward

occupied as a dwelling, on the east corner of Commercial and

Linn streets, and was destroyed by fire in 1850. That was

the first fire in Cedar Rapids, and none occurred after it

until the autumn of 1855, when most of the block on the west

side of Commercial street, between Iowa avenue and Linn

street, was destroyed. No precautions have been taken to

prevent the spread of the destroying element, and were a

fire to occur tomorrow no more means would be found of

subduing it than existed twenty years ago. It would seem

that a wise people would not thus neglect what may at any

moment be of such vast importance. But so it is, and so it

is likely to remain until a fire shall occur that will lay

in ruins a large portion of our city and destroy thousands

of dollars worth of property. Personal insurance can best

cover a part of this loss and perhaps not one-half are

provided with this protection."

[Illustration: REPRODUCTION _of_ THE FIRST MAP OF CEDAR RAPIDS (Part

1)]

[Illustration: REPRODUCTION _of_ THE FIRST MAP OF CEDAR RAPIDS (Part

2)

The old map was made in 1859 and the only copy now in existence is the

property of Mr. Lew W. Anderson. It is yellow, faded and dim and in

many parts was difficult to trace. It has been used many times as

evidence in court in legal contests over property rights. The

reproduction shows clearly the original plat of the city including

Kingston, the islands, parks, squares, blocks, additions, stations,

streets, names, etc. The street names have nearly all been changed

since that time.]

Dr. Seymour D. Carpenter, who came to Cedar Rapids in 1849, contributed

the below quoted memoirs to a _History of Crescent Lodge_, J. E.

Morcombe, author, and published by the lodge in 1906. It is of value in

the consideration of the history of early times in the city and county:

"I wished to read law, but there was a family prejudice

against the profession, and I concluded to study medicine

and accordingly entered as a student the office of Drs.

Boerstler & Edwards, who were among the leading physicians.

There for a year I read books that were full of what are now

exploded theories and practice, at the end of which time I

was sent to the University of Pennsylvania, where two years

after I was graduated as a doctor of medicine. Returning

home in the spring of 1849, I remained but a few months and

then started west 'to grow up with the country.' I again

rode to Cincinnati on horseback, took steamer to St. Louis,

thence by another boat up the Illinois river to Haverville.

Not liking the place, I rode west and crossed the

Mississippi at Quincy and went to Kirksville in Missouri.

Still not pleased, I turned north and went to Ottumwa, Iowa,

where I met Judge Greene, then a member of the supreme bench

of Iowa. He persuaded me that Cedar Rapids was in the near

future to become a metropolis, and I decided to go there.

After four days' hard riding and swimming several swollen

streams, I struck the town on the afternoon of the 14th of

June, 1849. I crossed the river on a rope ferry operated by

David King, who lived in a cabin on the west side. On the

other side of the river stood the cabin once the home of a

man named Shepherd, and said to have been the resort of

thieves in an earlier day. I cannot say that I was very

favorably impressed by the thirty or forty mostly one-story

unpainted houses that were scattered about near the river.

There seemed to be a great deal of sand, and the houses were

so situated that there was no sign of a street. There were

three two-story houses, one on the river near the foot of

what is now Third avenue, called the 'Park house,' in which

the Greenes had their store; one on second street in which

John Coffman kept a hotel, and one on Third avenue, back of

the Dows & Ely block, also a hotel, but keeper's name

forgotten. I was discouraged and would have traveled further

but only had about ten dollars left, and from necessity had

to stop. I put up at the Coffman hotel, which, as I have

said, was a two-story structure with a wing. It had been

built of unseasoned oak lumber and was not plastered. The

whole of the second story of the main building was in one

room, and contained eight or ten beds and was the common

sleeping room of the guests. The lumber had shrunk and there

could be no complaint as to ventilation, however short the

accommodations might be in other respects. I had hardly got

settled before I was interviewed by old Joe Leverich, a

noted character of Linn county of that day. He was known as

the 'Bogus Coon,' because, as was alleged, he had to do with

counterfeiters. He was a power in politics and was the kind

of a man from which the modern 'pop' has evoluted. Joe

looked me over, asked where I was from, where I was going,

what my business was, etc., etc. I was somewhat indignant

and tried to be sarcastic, but Joe, in terminating his

interview, squelched me by remarking: 'Young man, a fellow

that wears such a hat as you do may pass in this country,

but I consider it d--d doubtful.' I unfortunately wore a

'plug' hat which was not the style in Iowa a half century

ago. In subsequent years Joe and I became fast friends, and

I became quite convinced that the shady stories told of him

were the talk of enemies who were jealous of him because he

was smarter than the great majority of them. I was with him

when he died, and, although a free-thinker, he passed away

with all the calmness of a stoic philosopher.

"Within a week I made the acquaintance of all the people of

the town. Among the leading persons were William and Joseph

Greene, brothers of the judge, Lowell and Lawson Daniels,

Homer Bishop and John Weare, all of whom were merchants.

The three stores of which they were the proprietors would

not compare well with the department stores of today, but

all the same they were department stores, and in their

miscellaneous stocks the customer could find all he wanted,

from castor oil to broad-axes. Pollock & Stewart were the

blacksmiths, and the carpenters and wagon-makers were also

represented, but I cannot recall their names.

"Dr. Mansfield took me as a partner, and in company with

Judge Cook, we had a room, 10×16, in a small one-story

building opposite the mill, the other part being occupied by

S. L. Pollock and family. His blacksmith shop was near by.

Our medicines were kept on a shelf and a store box made a

table. Our bunks occupied one side and a few stools and two

split-bottomed chairs made up our furniture. We took our

meals at the Coffman house. Our field of practice embraced

the settlers, not numerous, in the valleys of the Cedar and

Iowa rivers and their tributaries. We made very long rides.

I was called to see a patient two miles above the present

town of Vinton, not then begun. I got lost in the night and

waited for daylight under a tree on the bank of the river at

the very spot where Vinton now stands. Bilious fever and

ague were the prevailing diseases, all the newcomers having

to undergo one or both. As patients and clients were not

very numerous, we had a good deal of leisure. Judge Cook was

a fine reader and we took turns at Shakespeare, a copy of

which we fortunately possessed. During the summer Dr.

Mansfield and myself built a story and half office on

Commercial street, about the middle of the block on which

the Daniels store was located. We had a mail three times a

week from Dubuque and Iowa City. The Higley brothers did the

service in a two-horse hack. I think Joseph Greene was

postmaster. John Weare, Sr., was justice of the peace. He

was a very original character, fond of company and full of

interesting reminiscences extending back to the war of 1812,

in which he had lost a leg. His small office was in the rear

of Mrs. Ely's residence, which stood on the ground where the

Dows & Ely block now is. He gave 'nicknames' to many people

and places which stuck to them like burrs. The first

Presbyterian or Congregational church building was begun

that summer, and as the walls were built of cement, old Mr.

Weare named it the 'Muddy,' which it retained to the last

day of its existence. Many buildings were put up that year

with a corresponding increase in population. All the people

were full of hope and ambition. We began to talk of

railroads. The people of Dubuque and Keokuk, the leading

river towns, started a scheme for a road running through the

interior and connecting them. The people along the line, at

Cascade, Anamosa, Marion, Cedar Rapids, Washington and

Fairfield eagerly endorsed the project, meetings were held

and it was resolved to hold two delegate conventions, on the

same day, one at Anamosa, the other at Fairfield. We had a

rousing meeting in Cedar Rapids. There were nearly a hundred

people present, and they resolved to have the railroad

forthwith. From our standpoint it was the government's duty

to donate land, and for eastern people to furnish the money.

Delegates were chosen to both conventions. Dr. John F. Ely

and myself were selected to go to Fairfield. Both

conventions were to be held on the 6th of December, 1849. We

left Cedar Rapids on the 3d of December and after three

days' hard and cold travel reached Fairfield. Marion sent

Col. I. M. Preston and Dr. Ristine. The convention met in a

small school house. All the counties were represented. The

Hon. C. W. Slagle, of Fairfield, then a very young man, was

chosen president. I was chosen secretary. The little school

house was packed, and if any doubt the courage and scope of

that convention, let him look up the old file of newspapers

of that day and read. Dr. Ballard, of Iowa City, Stewart

Goodsel, of Brighton, Joseph Casey, of Keokuk county, and

General Van Plank Van Antwerp were present and took active

part. We parted for our various homes, thinking the work

half done, but sad to relate, Cedar Rapids had to wait ten

years longer for the locomotive. These two meetings were,

as I think, the first railroad conventions held in the

interior of the state. Soon opposition schemes were started

for east and west lines, and our project was ignominiously

called the 'Ram's Horn.' The next year was quite a stirring

one. New people were coming in great numbers, but many were

leaving, for the California fever had broken out. Several

outfits left Cedar Rapids, and with one of them Dr.

Mansfield, my partner, whose place was taken by Dr. S. C.

Koontz, a cousin of mine, one well known to the old

citizens. That year the first brick buildings were erected,

a dwelling on Iowa avenue near Greene's opera house, and a

three-story building on Commercial street, by Judge Greene,

which for a long time was the show building of the town. We

began to put on city airs.

"At this time Martin L. Barber was mayor of the village. It

was before the present city organization. Barber was an

eccentric character, a millwright by trade. He was nearly as

wise as Solomon, with courage to match. A 'bad man' came to

the town. He hung about the saloon. It was said he drew a

knife and threatened to kill a citizen. The majesty of the

law was invoked. It was night. The offender took refuge in

the saloon and barricaded the door. The mayor called out the

'posse commitatus' numbering two or three dozen young

fellows like myself. He pounded on the door, demanding

admittance in the name of the law. No response. We got a

piece of timber and battered down the door. The mayor

collared the 'bad man' who offered no resistance. He was

hurried towards the Coffman house, where the mayor proposed

to deal out justice. As we neared the hotel he tore loose

from the mayor and made for the river. We in full cry in

pursuit. He plunged in just below the mill. We paused at the

brink. Gradually he disappeared, and was never seen

afterwards. It was the first and last exhibition of the

mayor's power.

"In 1850 Miss Mary S. Legare, sister of the Hon. Hugh S.

Legare of South Carolina, came to Cedar Rapids. She was a

woman of the highest culture, who had moved much in the

official circles of Washington, and had considerable wealth.

With her came numerous relatives named Bryan, Storey, and

McIntosh, the latter a well known lawyer of the early days.

She made investments in the town and took up large tracts of

land. In the spring of that year we had a very spirited

election. The people were divided into two factions, the

'codfish' and the 'catfish.' For mayor the former nominated

N. B. Brown, the latter Jacob Bressler. I cannot recall the

issues, but only remember that we almost came to blows

during the canvass. Less than one hundred votes were cast

and Brown was elected. Brown was one of the original owners

of the town site, and built the first mills. He was one of

the prominent characters in the early history of the town, a

modest, quiet, but genial man, with many friends.

"This year, on the 6th of July, I did one of the few wise

acts of my life. I married Sarah Weare, the daughter of John

Weare, Sr. We went to housekeeping in a small one-story

house, near where the old passenger depot stood. It was then

the only house east of the present railroad. The next year,

1851, was a very active one for the town. Judge Greene, who

had lived in Dubuque, moved to the town. The same year came

S. C. Bever, who had driven in a two-horse buggy from Holmes

county, Ohio, to Cedar Rapids. By this time I considered

myself an old citizen, thoroughly identified with the county

and town, and devoted all my leisure time to meeting

strangers and exploiting the town and county. I met Mr.

Bever soon after his arrival and spent several days with him

riding about the country. He made large investments both in

country and town. One was 160 acres about a mile from the

ferry, at $5.00 per acre. I made the sale for Mr. Addison

Daniels of Marion, who was so pleased with my effort that he

presented me with a four-bladed penknife. Both Mr. Daniels

and myself were satisfied and I have never heard that Mr.

Bever regretted the purchase. That same year my father, Mr.

Gabriel Carpenter, came out to see the country. After great

effort on my part and many misgivings on his, he purchased

of Mr. Levi Lewis 300 acres of land adjoining the town plat

on the south, for which he paid $2,500. The land embraced

the present cemetery. By this time Judge Greene had

completed his three-story building, into which the Greene

Bros. placed a large stock of goods. The most of their stock

was brought up the river in a keel boat of forty or fifty

tons capacity. It was rigged with a large square sail, but

the principal power was men with poles, who shoved it

against the current. They had loaded it with pork and sent

it down the river in the spring.

"In 1851 occurred the great flood. Most of the lower parts

of the town were under water. The grand lodge met that year

at Ft. Madison, and at the time the river was at its highest

point. We were cut off from all the neighboring country by

the swollen streams, but the lodge thought it must be

represented and I was chosen as the delegate. N. B. Brown

suggested that I should go down the river in a skiff to a

point opposite Muscatine, then by land to that place, which

is only ten or twelve miles distant, then by steamer to Ft.

Madison. The lodge furnished the skiff. I found a companion.

We embarked in the morning and so swift was the current that

we reached our destination by nightfall, and I was on time

for the meeting. At the meeting I renewed my acquaintance

with the grand master and the grand secretary, and met many

brethren who became lifelong friends.

"In the spring of 1852 a steamboat came to Cedar Rapids. It

was a great event, and brought in people from near and far.

She brought a full cargo of freight, among which was the

household effects of Mr. Bever and my father, both of whom

from that time forward became citizens of the town. This

year also came Mr. Daniel O. Finch with a printing press and

forthwith started the _Progressive Era_, the first paper in

the Cedar valley. Ezra Van Metre, a talented young lawyer

from Cincinnati, Ohio, also came that year. Every one was

rejoiced that we had an organ and the editor was overwhelmed

with original matter. There were at least a dozen young

fellows in the town, myself among the rest, who thought they

'knew it all,' and anxiously rushed into print. The paper

changed hands in a year or two, and became the _Cedar Valley

Times_ and continued until a few years ago.

[Illustration: FEDERAL BUILDING, CEDAR RAPIDS]

[Illustration: AUDITORIUM, CEDAR RAPIDS]

"In the winter of 1852 I had a serious time in a

professional way. A young man living at Quasqueton, Buchanan

county, was riding across the prairie near that place and

met a bear. The bear fled and he pursued. In crossing a

strip of ice the horse fell. He was thrown and his foot

stuck in the stirrup and he was dragged four miles over the

snow, which was about six inches deep. In the mad flight the

horse kicked and broke his right leg below the knee in two

places. Finally the saddle turned, his foot was released and

he was dropped on the lone prairie. The horse found his way

home with saddle under his belly. This was on the evening of

the 17th of December. A search was organized, but he was not

found till the 21st, four days after the accident.

Fortunately the weather was not as cold as it sometimes

gets, but his hands and feet were badly frozen. Cedar

Rapids, about thirty-five miles distant, was the nearest

point where doctors could be found. I was sent for and went

by the way of Marion, and took with me Dr. Thomas Bardwell,

who was then a student in Dr. Ristine's office. There was a

road to Center Point. There we struck across the prairie to

Quasqueton, eighteen miles distant, without a house. We

reached there the evening of the 23d, nearly frozen

ourselves, for the weather was bitterly cold. They had got

the young man thawed out, but in a most miserable condition.

Mortification had set in, and there was no chance for the

broken leg. Immediate amputation was the only hope, but I

had no instrument but a small pocket case, and delay would

be fatal. Necessity is the mother of invention. A butcher

had just come to the place and had his tools. He sharpened

his knives and filed his saw. A strong handkerchief was

twisted, a knot made in the middle, which was placed over

the main artery. It was tied tightly and a strong stick

thrust under it and twisted till the circulation was shut

off. Then with the butcher's tool I amputated the thigh four

inches above the knee. Dr. Bardwell administered chloroform,

which fortunately we had taken with us, and he encouraged me

by word and deed. The young fellow, who was about 21, had

never been sick a day in his life, rallied well and improved

for about a week, but the other leg, which we hoped to save,

began to mortify and there was nothing left but to amputate

it. In the meantime we heard of a doctor about thirty miles

away, in the direction of Dubuque, who had a case of

instruments. I sent to borrow them. He refused to lend them

but came back with the messenger and insisted, as he owned

the instruments, he should perform the operation. That was

not professional, but as I thought the patient had not more

than one chance in ten to recover, I was not unwilling to

divide the responsibility; so he amputated the other leg

below the knee. During that winter I made eight trips

between Cedar Rapids and Quasqueton on horseback, and the

fellow recovered. He was the son of a well-to-do farmer in

Harrison county, Ohio. His father came out in the spring,

stole his son away without paying the doctors or the man in

whose house he had been during recovery, and to carry

ingratitude still further he procured a Methodist preacher

to write his life, in which I was depicted as an ignorant

butcher. This book he peddled about Ohio in person. I

confess that when I heard he had been sent to the

penitentiary for committing an aggravated rape I was not

very sorry. This experience rather disgusted me with the

practice of medicine in a new country. I was, however, in a

way compensated, for I sent a history of the case to the New

York _Tribune_, and its publication gave me quite a

reputation as a fearless surgeon and thereafter I was called

when surgery was required. As I have said before, I was in

the habit of showing strangers about the country who wanted

to buy land. In that way I became familiar with choice lots

of vacant land. Greene and Weare dealt in land warrants,

which they sold on a credit at three per cent per month

interest. I knew of a section of land in the Iowa river

bottom that I thought I should be able to sell. I borrowed

the land warrants, entered the section and in less than two

months had sold it for $3 per acre cash. That settled the

matter. By one transaction I had made more than I had done

in any year's practice. I sold out my medicines to Dr.

Koontz and thenceforth till the war had nothing to do with

medicine.

"About 1853-4 we began to lose confidence in the 'Ram's

Horn' railroad project. Congress had made grants of land to

aid railroad projects and public opinion seemed to favor

east and west rather than north and south lines. Roads from

Chicago were approaching the Mississippi river, and a line

from Rock Island to Council Bluffs was projected. The people

in the tier of counties north of the projected line became

stirred up and a railroad convention was called to meet in

Maquoketa, Jackson county, to organize a company to build a

line in their interest. Cedar Rapids sent a delegation as

follows: George Greene, N. B. Brown, Daniel Lothian, I. N.

Whittam, Donald McIntosh, Ezra Van Metre, and myself. Marion

also sent a large delegation and the counties along the line

were well represented. A company was organized to build a

line from Savanna on the Mississippi river to a point on the

Missouri river not named. A corps of surveyors was put in

the field and for two or three years it was the favorite

project of Cedar Rapids. The settlements both in town and

country were increasing rapidly and we suffered greatly for

lack of transportation. Judge Greene, with his usual energy

and public spirit, organized a steamboat company in which

the prominent citizens became stockholders. This was in the

winter. The judge went to Pittsburg, contracted for a boat

suitable for our river, which by spring was completed and at

the opening of navigation made her first trip, well

freighted with all kinds of goods for our own merchants, and

those of the surrounding towns. She was kept in commission

for two or three years and was a great benefit to the

community. The company hired a captain and various

stockholders were at different times supercargo. While H. G.

Angle was acting in that capacity she collided with and sunk

another boat on the Mississippi, which led to a law suit in

which our company had to pay large damages, which swept away

all our profits. She made her last trip under my charge, and

under direction of the company I sold her to parties in St.

Louis. By this time a great rivalry had grown up between our

town and Marion. Cedar Rapids claimed that she was to be the

commercial metropolis and therefore ought to be the

political center. The question was brought to an issue by

the county commissioners ordering a new court house at

Marion, subject to the approval of the voters of the county.

Cedar Rapids opposed the measure, believing that the

building would insure the permanent location of the county

seat. Then ensued a most bitter canvass. The voters were

deluged with oratory. Marion put on the stump Judge Isbell,

I. M. Preston, Col. Wm. Smythe, N. M. Hubbard, W. G.

Thompson, and R. D. Stephens, against whom Cedar Rapids

opposed Jas. J. Child, Ezra Van Metre, Donald McIntosh, A.

S. Belt, E. N. Bates, I. N. Whittam, and others. Every

school district was canvassed and much bitter feeling

engendered. The Marion people were more adroit politicians

and carried the election, but the result did not discourage

our citizens, who asserted that no election could affect

'manifest destiny.'

"About 1852 Major J. M. May came to Cedar Rapids from

Janesville, Wisconsin. The major was a stirring man with a

head full of schemes. He said that Cedar Rapids was a place

of immense possibilities and only wanted enterprise to make

it the great town of Iowa. He bought land at the lower part

of town adjoining that owned by my father, and land on the

west side adjoining the river and below that owned by Dr.

King. He platted out town lots on both sides of the river,

and induced my father and King to do the same, which were

the first additions made to the original town. He also

surveyed the island, sent a plat to the general government

and took possession of it, much to the chagrin and surprise

of the old settlers. Then he began to agitate the question

of a free bridge. Every one wanted a free bridge but were

undecided as to the location. The major induced my father to

subscribe $1,500, and he gave $1,000, which with sums

contributed by others in the lower end of the town, secured

the location below the island at the narrowest place in the

river. The bridge was completed and thrown open to the

public, I think, in the late fall of 1852, and proved a

great convenience. The construction was defective and when

the ice broke up in the spring, the heavy cakes knocked down

two of the piers, and destroyed the greater part of the

bridge. All the people of the town were collected on the

bank of the river watching the event, and two young women

who were crossing went down with the structure and were

drowned. This was the first bridge built at Cedar Rapids.

The next was a bridge of boats at the foot of Iowa avenue

which I believe was also swept away by ice. About this time

the Rev. Williston Jones, who officiated in the 'Muddy,' and

was a very good as well as energetic man, went east on some

missionary effort. While there he met a gentleman named Coe,

who made a donation of land adjoining the town plat for

educational purposes providing the people would also

contribute. A meeting was called and the terms complied with

and thus Coe college was founded. I was quite honored when

with others I was named as a trustee. Not long after this

time the Reverend Starr became rector of the Episcopal

church, and under the lead of Judge Greene and Mr. Bever,

they began the erection of the first Episcopal church, and

about the same time the Methodists built a brick church, so

you see Cedar Rapids began to get on 'praying grounds and

interceding terms.' In the winter of 1856-7 we were

surprised and flattered by receiving a communication from a

party of railroad men connected with the North-Western

railroad, then completed to Fulton, Illinois, asking us to

join them and organize a railroad company from Clinton on

the west side of the Mississippi river to our town. This was

a new proposition, and we had never heard of Clinton, which

in point of fact was only a cornfield staked out in town

lots, besides we were committed to the line that was to run

west from Savanna. We consulted with the Marion people, but

they would have nothing to do with it, arguing that we had

already applied for the land grant for the Savanna route.

After serious deliberation and with considerable misgivings,

we decided to send a delegation to spy out the land and be

governed by circumstances. John Weare and H. G. Angle were

chosen as our representatives. It took them three days to

drive to Lyons which was the nearest town to Clinton, the

proposed starting point. That was the first time any of our

citizens had come in contact with real capitalists, men who

built railroads. There they met a party of men from Boston,

from Maine, from New York, and Chicago, among whom was

Charles Walker of Chicago, then president of the

North-Western. Our deputations were swept from their old

moorings and immediately joined hands with these men and

formed a company, the 'Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska,' to build

west from Clinton, by the way of Cedar Rapids to the

Missouri river. Cedar Rapids was given first directors as

follows: Geo. Greene, John Weare, H. G. Angle, S. C. Bever,

and S. D. Carpenter, which positions we held till the road

was built to Cedar Rapids. This new departure on the part of

Cedar Rapids intensified the feeling of rivalry between her

and Marion; a direct line between Clinton and Cedar Rapids

would leave Marion off the route, besides the natural

obstacles were less from Mount Vernon to the river and

thence to Cedar Rapids. The Marionites denounced us as

traitors to the original scheme, with a malignant intent to

leave them out in the cold. We denied the 'allegation and

defied the alligators.'

"We said there was nothing behind the old project, but that

ours was a live scheme, with experienced men with bags of

money to put it through. Our deputies had pledged $200,000

from Cedar Rapids, which we proceeded to raise, $100,000 by

private subscription and $100,000 by city bonds. Greene &

Weare, then bankers, subscribed $10,000; George Greene,

$5,000; John Weare, $5,000; N. B. Brown, $5,000; S. C.

Bever, $5,000; Gabriel Carpenter, $5,000, and numerous

others smaller sums to make up the amount. Then a city

election was had and the $100,000 voted by an overwhelming

majority. Surveys of the route were begun at once and from

Mount Vernon and Cedar Rapids, two lines were seen; one by

the way of Marion, and the other by the river. It was

ascertained that the latter route would be shorter and

cheaper by $100,000 than the former, but the company

proposed to adopt the Marion route if she would subscribe

$100,000, which she declined to do, and the river line was

chosen. Work progressed slowly and the first year found the

rails no further west than De Witt, Clinton county. Nothing

had been done on the Savanna line.

"Meantime the legislature for 1857-8 assembled, and we were

astounded to learn that they had passed a bill giving a land

grant to that company. I do not remember why we had not

looked after our interests, but only know that we were taken

by surprise. We thought our enterprise in great jeopardy,

and resolved to compromise, if possible, with Marion. I

think that Judge Isbell was then president of the Savanna

company. Major May, who had favored the Marion line, for

what reason I now forget, and myself from a warm personal

friendship with Judge Isbell, were chosen ambassadors. We

met the judge and the Marion directors of the rival line.

They were courteous, but obdurate. They said we had deserted

them and run after strange gods, and now that the tables

were turned, they proposed to build the road straight west,

crossing the river eight miles north of Cedar Rapids, and

instead of their building a branch to Cedar Rapids, we if we

chose might build the branch from Cedar Rapids, and thus we

left them, sad and discouraged. 'Whom the gods would destroy

they first make mad,' and thus it turned out with the

Savanna route. The company was composed entirely of Iowa

men, directors from the various county seats and towns along

the line. Very soon after obtaining the grant, they got

together and voted each other $25,000 apiece for services

rendered in obtaining the land grant. As there were about

twenty of them, the scheme was loaded by about $500,000.

Then they tried to exploit the enterprise among eastern

capitalists. But the hard times of 1857-8 were upon us and

money was scarce both east and west. No one would take hold.

In the meantime our road was slowly creeping on, and was

within thirty miles of Cedar Rapids. The grading contract

was let to John G. Wolf, an experienced railroad builder

from the east. Most of the money to pay him had to be raised

among ourselves and pay day was a most serious time. I

remember upon one occasion, the cash entirely failed, but

the merchants of the town agreed to honor orders for goods,

Mr. Bever among the others. Mr. Bever had been a merchant in

Holmes county, Ohio, and brought his stock of goods from

there to Cedar Rapids. Among other things he had two or

three cases of bell crowned silk hats of a very ancient

date. On pay day our citizens were greatly amused to see our

streets crowded with Irishmen, all wearing bell crowned

hats, and as 'fire water' was plenty, before night a great

many of the hats were caved in. Our Marion friends hearing

of it said our company was 'busted,' our only assets

consisting of bell crowned hats. But we persevered and bided

our time. We called a mass meeting in the city preparatory

to forming a new company to build the road west from Cedar

Rapids to the Missouri river, and appointed a committee to

issue a prospectus to all the counties west of us on the

proposed line to meet in delegate convention at Cedar

Rapids. I had the honor of being chairman of that convention

and as such prepared the paper, and if you will examine the

file of newspapers of that day you will find a 'Spread

Eagle' document that I supposed would move the souls of our

frontier friends. They responded nobly and came on the time

designated, and we organized the 'Cedar Rapids & Missouri

Railroad Company,' at least I believe that was the name. L.

B. Crocker, of New York, was made president, with several

eastern and western directors, myself among the number. Then

as the company to whom the legislature had given the grant

of land, had not turned a spadeful of earth, we organized a

lobby embracing all our directors on the line west of us; L.

B. Crocker, the president, Major Bodfish, a Maine man, and

several of our Cedar Rapids directors, myself among the

others. When the legislature assembled in 1859-60 we invaded

the capital, and established our headquarters in an old

hotel near the river, whose name I have forgotten. Major

Bodfish was the commissary of the body. We had no money to

expend, but determined to be hospitable. The major laid in a

barrel of old rye whiskey; as it was before the war, whiskey

was cheap, also several boxes of cigars. One of our

strongest henchmen was J. M. Woodbury, a leading man from

Marshalltown, and with him Peter Hepburn, now an honored

congressman, then a very stripling, but showing evident

signs of what was in him. John J. Kasson was then a young

lawyer in Des Moines, and we secured him as our attorney.

Our opponents were not asleep, but were on hand from Marion,

east to the Mississippi river, with Platt Smith, a

distinguished member of the bar at Dubuque, as their lawyer.

Then the fight began, in and out of the state house.

Speeches were made by our adherents in both branches, and we

buttonholed and dragged to our headquarters all thirsty

souls, as well as those who indulged in the milder

stimulant. Our strong argument was, that our opponents had

done nothing after having the grant for two years, while we

had about completed eighty miles of road without help; that

we only asked for the grant to apply to the line west of

Cedar Rapids, while they would use it for the line from the

Mississippi, and that we would be able to accommodate the

people with a finished road at least two years before they

could. The law makers were not in a hurry, but towards the

last of the session they passed our bill, and you may be

sure there was great rejoicing in Cedar Rapids. On our

return the citizens gave us a grand banquet in Greene's

hotel, and we felt that we had at last secured a substantial

victory for our city, as in fact it was, for thenceforward

Marion could no longer be our rival. The cars came to Cedar

Rapids in the summer of 1859, just ten years after we had

held our first railroad meeting, and we felt at last that

hope had ended in fruition. An immense concourse greeted

their arrival from all parts of the surrounding country.

General D. N. Sprague, then mayor, welcomed the guests, and

the citizens threw open hospitable doors to all comers."

From 1840 to 1846 much work was going on in the thriving little town.

Glass had already a small grist mill on McCloud's Run and a saw mill

had been started on Indian creek which furnished lumber till the saw

mill on the Cedar river was completed. The labor on the dam was a big

undertaking and took much time as the enterprising adventurers were not

well prepared to cope with so large an undertaking.

Many settlers were coming constantly, all of them full of courage and

pleased with the location, which all proclaimed could not be improved

upon. There were Alexander Ely, Joseph Greene, Homer Bishop, P. W.

Earle, John Vardy, D. Fiddlar, A. Eddy, George Westlake, William Dwyer,

James Gunning, Charles Mulford, Isaac Cook, John Shearer, James Lewis,

Dr. S. M. Brice, and many others.

Churches were also organized, such as the Methodist, in 1841, by Rev.

Hodges, and the Baptist the same year by Rev. G. E. Eberhart. The

United Presbyterian church was organized by John Cunningham ten years

later. New settlers came and other church organizations were completed

and small church buildings were erected by the members.

The following chatty reminiscences of pioneer times is from the

_Republican_ of recent date:

"'If two of us wanted to lunch together,' he said, 'we went

to a saloon and sat down over some black bread and a little

beer. Now you must stand up to drink your beer, and you may

eat nothing.'

"In the old days the city and the county politicians met

here and talked over the political situation. The

professional men met on equal grounds. Now it is all

changed.

"There were some interesting places in Cedar Rapids in those

old days. In the location where Mr. Armstrong is now about

to erect a fine business block there was an old German named

Moritz Hoffbeck. It was a sand hill then, but there was a

good cellar where Hoffbeck sold beer, gave away good lunches

and entertained the crowd. His good wife also served the

guests with good things to eat, cooked after her own

fashion. Here congregated the best business men of the town

after the day's business was over. They went home in the

best of spirits, but often it was rather late when they

went.

"Some of the city's poets of that day composed a little poem

about Moritz which ran as follows:

"Moritz Hoffbeck is my name,

Bavaria is my nation.

Cedar Rapids I dearly love,

For here I get my ration.

"Another German, Sam Leunch, kept a place at Third avenue

and First street, which was for many years a meeting place

for farmers as well as city men. It also had a reputation

for its fine lunches.

"Sych's place was on the present location of the Y. M. C. A.

This also was German and German dishes were one of its great

attractions.

"Frank Simon had a restaurant where Stark's hotel is now

located. It was an eating house; also a drinking house. It

was noted in five counties for being the place to get the

best oysters in any style. The German fries have never been

excelled. When Simon died, Ben Springer married his widow.

He retired many years ago and sold the business to the

Starks.

"Frank Mark was a Swede who kept a saloon where Denecke's

store is located, fronting on Second avenue. It was a small

place but it was always full for he served eatables and kept

private rooms for his city patrons who wished a quiet place

in which to talk things over.

"Pollack's where Severa's store is now located, was the

Bohemian restaurant much sought for its good things to eat

and for the imported drinks which he kept for his best

friends.

"Count Boshon kept a saloon down into prohibition times and

ran many saloons in various places. He was known as the King

of Bohemia and acted as though he might have been a count.

He imported the Philip Best beer from Milwaukee and stored a

car or two at a time in ice, and for this he obtained a

great reputation. Count Boshon was a chancellor and knew how

to secure the good will of prominent persons of the city and

of the county officials. He seemed to stand in with all. It

is said in his favor that while he may have violated the law

in some instance he tried to keep a decent place.

"The young business men would take a Saturday off and go up

fishing or hunting or hire Elias Doty and his boat, the

'Climax,' and take a sail on the murky waters on the Red

Cedar, sometimes up, and now and then when the water was

high, down stream. Now all has changed.

"In the olden times there were dances at the neighbors or

other old gatherings. All were common. No dress suits were

seen and there was no delay on account of lack of any

introduction.

"Doctors would get together and tell stories, lawyers would

joke over their trials in court and in every way people were

on an equality and truly happy.

"Then people did not devote all their time to making money.

They did not spend all the time in business. Young and old

had a better time of it, for they worked and played as well.

They were really content with the surroundings and with

their condition in life.

"In winter time people got together and had a good time,

going skating or sleighing--on Christmas there were not so

many gifts as now, but what was given was with the best of

feeling. Another thing we have lost, and that is, the New

Year's day calls. Old and young, married and single, made

calls on this day every year.

"It was a fine custom and it ought not to have been dropped.

Now people are too busy to call on their neighbors and they

seem to fear that society would not approve of it. In the

olden days no questions were asked about one's grandfather."

The old founders of Cedar Rapids were strong men in many ways. They

were real live wires, and frequently spent money and devoted much of

their time to exploit new industries. Such men as Geo. Greene, N. B.

Brown, David King, S. D. Carpenter, W. B. Mack, R. C. Rock, P. W.

Earle, H. G. Angle, J. E. Sanford, the Daniels family, the Ely family,

the Weare family, the Bever family, and many others were men of rare

intelligence, aggressive, enterprising, and wide awake, who came here

to make a city at all hazards. They were true as steel to their

convictions, enthusiastic in booming their town, and the "balance

wheels" in time of need which kept things going. Even when some of

these men lost heavily in the unfortunate steamboat ventures, in

railroad exploitations, in bridges, dams, factory properties, and in

other ways, they never complained, although at times it made them "men

of sorrow and acquainted with grief." They never lost courage, and

expected things to turn, even when they looked the darkest, and won in

the end. The early pioneers were men keen to see an opportunity. They

were able to look ahead, and for this reason they perhaps hung on when

times were hard and when enterprises failed to materialize. It was due

to the enthusiastic spirit of those leading citizens that caused the

Legare and Bryan families to invest $80,000 in gold in Linn county

property. It was no doubt due to the up-to-date, progressive spirit of

those citizens that led S. C. Bever to bring $30,000 in gold, which was

invested mostly in city property in Cedar Rapids in the early '50s. It

was no doubt due to the keenness of mind of the late Judge Greene, that

John T. Waterhouse in an early day came to Cedar Rapids and invested

much money in choice corner lots on which he erected, for that time,

modern business blocks. But outside of a few men, most of the early

pioneers came to the county without any means. These acquired in the

course of a few years, large holdings which have since doubled in value

several times. Few, if any, who invested in real estate in Cedar Rapids

and Linn county in an early day and who had foresight enough to hold on

to it, ever lost anything on such investments. Values have gradually

increased until corner lots which sold for $10 in the early '40s in

Cedar Rapids, have now a value of from $2,000 to $10,000, and lands in

and around the city which were disposed of at $5 to $10 an acre, have

sold at from $250 to $500 an acre, and even higher.

The settlement in Linn county was an event of more or less importance,

for it was the last stand of the "free booters," and the last rush for

cheap land in the Mississippi valley. The citizens came at an opportune

time and took up the cheap lands, which soon rose in value. While

during the panic of 1857, many of the farmers were unable to pay taxes

on their farms and the value of farm produce was very low, yet they

managed to get through. The panic of 1873 was not so disastrous on the

farmers of Iowa, because by that time they had acquired more property

and could afford to hold their stuff longer than in the panic of 1857.

The land values stood still for awhile, but soon they began to move

again and the farmer who had paid for an eighty-acre strip of land

generally purchased another eighty or two, as he had plenty of help and

the banks were willing to loan him the money. This land has more than

doubled in the past twenty years, but the value of a season's crop now,

as compared to forty years ago, has also more than doubled.

Elias Doty, the son of an old pioneer, contributes the following items

regarding Westport:

"The first squatter town in Linn county was Westport,

situated on the east bank of the Cedar river, near a spring

three-fourths of a mile below the mouth of Indian creek. In

1845 its buildings consisted of one double log cabin, one

frame dwelling, one frame storehouse, and one frame grain

elevator. My father occupied the storehouse as a pottery,

where he made earthenware. The elevator was owned by Robert

Holmes and occupied by H. G. Higley and Lawson Daniels, who

bought wheat and built flatboats to float it to the St.

Louis market. Our family were the only dwellers at the town

at that time. Higley and Daniels boarded with us. They built

their boats bottom up and when completed turned them over.

"Jacob Leabo lived a half mile below us, and Hiram Deem a

half mile above us. I. W. Carroll and C. C. Cook lived at

Dairy Dale, where they had started a brick kiln, which was

the first in the county so far as I know. The first lime

kiln was at Westport, where John Henry burned lime to

plaster the houses of the town. The saw mill of the county

at that time was near Bertram. It was started by my uncle,

Elias Doty, who was killed at its raising in 1841. It was

finished by James Briney."

EARLY HOTELS IN CEDAR RAPIDS

While the Shepherd Tavern was the first place where strangers could be

entertained in Cedar Rapids, it was not long till several hotels were

started. "It has always been a hotel town," said an old settler, "for

the reason that when people came here they liked it so well that they

did not care to move and they stayed at the tavern as long as money and

credit held out."

John Young, who held a claim near Shepherd, erected a small house on

Fourth avenue close to the river, which became known as the "Astor

House." This was a double log house, 18×26, and one story high,

according to the testimony of Robert Ellis, George R. Carroll, and

others. This building had several additions built to it during the next

five years. A Mr. Verbeck, a native of Vermont, was one of the early

landlords. This house was occupied by J. L. Shearer, John Weare, James

Hamilton, and several other well known pioneer families. The

Listebargers kept a sort of hotel near the Sinclair ice houses in

1839-40, and here Robert Ellis and several other unmarried men boarded.

The Listebargers did not keep strangers, only regular boarders.

Wm. Dwyer erected a real up-to-date hotel in 1847, as it was said there

was a demand for such a building. It received the name of the Union

House, with Jas. Gunning as the first landlord. It was located on Third

avenue and Third street, near the present site of the Montrose Hotel.

It was well spoken of and much patronized. The building was destroyed

by fire in 1865. The American House and Greene's Hotel, both on First

street, were well known places, sought by the traveling public.

Greene's Hotel was for years one of the leading hotels in Iowa, a

four-story building on the corner of First avenue and First street

where political rallies were held and banquets were served, and where

balls occurred during the winter seasons.

The old Southern or Brown's Hotel was for many years one of the leading

hotels. It is still operated under the name of Gorman's Hotel. The old

Empire House was another hotel which in the early fifties was a place

much frequented by the commercial traveler. It stood on the corner of

Third avenue and Second street. Johnson's Hotel, on the west side,

formerly Kingston Hotel, was also a well known place of entertainment.

On the site of what is now the Cedar Rapids House there was operated

for many years a popular little hotel which was always full to

overflowing. One of the old clerks here used to reply to the fellow who

asked if they were full, "The clerk is, but the house never, come in."

Many of the pioneer travelers, who wanted to cross Dave King's ferry,

came to stay over night at this place. The river traffic increased

hotel trade, so did the gold craze in California, but in 1859, when the

railroads reached Cedar Rapids, every other home was turned into a

rooming house to accommodate the traveling public.

The Grand, the Clifton, Palace Hotel, the Pullman, were for years busy

places, till the Delevan, the Allison, and the Montrose were built.

A city is largely known by its hotels, as the word is generally passed

along by the traveling men. Cedar Rapids stands well in the state as a

hotel center.

In the Wolfe Directory for 1868 the following hotels are given Cedar

Rapids: American House, G. E. Cheny; Chicago House, Nick Pitting;

Dubuque House, Anton Christle; Eagle Hotel, R. E. Baldwin; Empire

House, J. L. Peak; Valley City House, Harvey & Sherund; Kingston Hotel,

William Friis; Dubuque House; National Hotel, Humphrey & Bean.

[Illustration: PART OF ZOO IN BEVER PARK, CEDAR RAPIDS]

[Illustration: A SCENE IN BEVER PARK, CEDAR RAPIDS]

BUSINESS IN 1856

From 1850 to 1860 Cedar Rapids had a marvelous growth, despite the

panic of 1857 which wiped out some of the fortunes of those who had

invested heavily in wild lands and who had engaged in banking. The

_Voice of Iowa_, a local newspaper, has the following to say of the

wealth of the city's business enterprises:

Flouring mills, four; planing mills, sash, doors and blinds,

two; cooper, one; wagon and carriage factories, five; iron

foundry, one; cabinet and chair factories, two; plow

factories, three; boot and shoe factories, three; saddle and

harness factories, three; tin, copper and sheet iron

workers, four; woolen factory, one; brick yards, five; farm

implement factories, two; merchant tailors, two;

woodworking, two; newspapers, three; brick machine factory,

one; grocery and provision stores, eight; dry goods,

fifteen; clothing, five; drug stores, four; jewelers, two;

hardware, four; book stores, two; book bindery, one; liquor

and cigars, six; public halls, five; hotels, five; churches,

four; lumber yards, four; bakery, one; banks, three; barber,

one; public reading room, one. The same issue of the paper

cites that the town should have a pork packing plant as well

as a paper mill. It took a long time before the T. M.

Sinclair Company's plant became an assured reality, which

has become in time such a factor in the upbuilding of Cedar

Rapids and Linn county.

The following list of business firms in Cedar Rapids in 1856 is of

interest:

Dry Goods Stores--Shattuck & Dewey, Commercial street; L.

Daniels & Co., Commercial street; C. E. Livingston,

Carpenter's block, Commercial street; Partridge & Cook,

Commercial street; Leach & Wood, corner of Washington and

Eagle streets; Elder & McClelland, corner Iowa avenue and

Commercial street.

Grocery Stores--C. W. Stebbins, corner Front street and Iowa

avenue, Kingston; A. C. Keyes, Carpenter's block, Commercial

street; Bever & Rowley, Commercial street; J. H. Atwell,

Commercial street.

Clothing Stores--David Kahn, Commercial street; Bangs &

Bixby, Commercial street.

Hardware Stores--Rock & Camp, Commercial street; C. P.

Spaethe, Commercial street; A. H. Brown & Co., Commercial

street.

Drug Stores--J. P. Conkey, No. 3, Commercial block; James L.

Enos, No. 4, Iowa avenue.

Jewelry Stores--J. T. Walker, Commercial street; L. H.

Keyes, Commercial street.

Book Stores--James L. Enos, No. 4, Iowa avenue.

Banking Houses--Greene & Weare, Commercial street; Ward,

Bryan & Co., Commercial street; W. A. Dodge, Carr & Co.,

Commercial street.

Land and General Agency Offices--Whittam & Belt, Commercial

street; Bates & Tousley, Commercial street; Carpenter,

Lehman & Co., Commercial street; H. Mount & Co., Washington

street.

Furniture Ware Rooms--John Boyce, Iowa avenue; J. Alloway,

Commercial street.

Builders, Joiners, Etc.--W. D. Watrous, designer and

builder, Carpenter's block; Smith & Williams, S on Madison,

W on Washington street; Elihu Robbins, residence Washington

street; Hyatt & Moore, shop on Commercial street.

Blacksmith Shop and Plow Factory--Stephen L. Pollock, Linn

street.

Lumber Yard--Charles & Carroll, Commercial street.

Carriage Manufacturers--Roswell Tibbetts, Benton street,

West side; J. M. Chambers, Linn street.

Hotels--Empire House, W. M. McMahon, corner Washington and

Market streets; Greene's Hotel, Coffman & Smith, Commercial

street; Rapids Hotel.

Insurance Agents--S. C. Bever, Franklin and Marine; E. N.

Bates, Hartford Fire; J. L. Enos, Iowa Insurance Co.,

Oskaloosa.

Bakery and Restaurant--Alexander Clinton, Commercial street;

Walter D. Thompson, No. 6 South Commercial street.

Millinery--Mrs. E. A. Emery, Brown's block, Kingston; Miss

Mary E. Stewart, Rapids Hotel.

Physicians--S. C. Koontz, office Carpenter's block; J. H.

Camburn, residence Washington street; W. D. Barclay,

residence Iowa avenue; J. W. Edes, residence Washington

street; Smith & Larrabee, office Commercial street; R. R.

Taylor, office Carpenter's block; H. Mount, oculist,

Washington street; McCauley & Pulsifer, dentists, Commercial

street.

Attorneys and Counsellors--James J. Child, Commercial

street; Bates & Tousley, Commercial street; Henry Lehman,

Commercial street; D. M. McIntosh, Commercial street.

Nurseries--Central Iowa Nursery, J. B. Gate, proprietor, on

west side, near city. Was established 1853. Mound Nursery,

George Greene, proprietor, two miles north of the city.

Planing Mill--Alexander Hager, shop 45×50 feet, two engines,

one of nine and the other of twenty-four horsepower. Capital

invested in plant and machinery, $10,000.

Lumber Mills--Greene & Graves, located at upper end of city.

Mill 40×50 feet, two stories high; engine house, 24×60 feet,

one story high. Had capacity of 5,000 feet of lumber per

day, with lath, shingles, etc., in proportion. This

establishment also included a machine shop 35×70 feet, three

stories high; foundry of brick, 30×60 feet, and a brick

blacksmith and plow shop 25×35 feet. Capital invested,

$25,000. J. J. Snouffer, one saw, cutting 200,000 feet of

lumber during three months, ending June 30, 1856. A circular

saw for plow beams, wagon felloes, etc.

Saw Mill and Chair Factory--Dobbs & Dewey, capacity 10,000

feet of lumber a week. During year had turned out 8,000

chairs, 1,000 bedsteads and other articles. Fifteen hands

employed. Capital, $12,000.

Churches--Presbyterian (Old School), Rev. R. H. Morrow,

pastor. Worships in Daniels' Hall. Subscription of $2,700

secured for a building, which with site is expected to cost

$3,500. Membership, 46. Episcopal, Rev. S. Starr, rector.

Church a fine structure and furnished in the neatest manner.

Methodist Episcopal, destitute of pastor temporarily. More

than one hundred members; largest congregation in city, more

than 150 in attendance at Sabbath school. Baptist, West

Side, Rev. J. Woodward, pastor. Temporary edifice to be

erected present season. Membership between thirty and forty.

Presbyterian (New School), Rev. L. F. Dudley, pastor. Church

building small; was first to be erected in the city. Affairs

in a flourishing condition. Presbyterians (Seceders), Rev.

J. H. Sturgeon, pastor. Church edifice just erected and pews

sold.

Secret Societies--Cedar Rapids Lodge No. 25, A. F. & A. M.

(organized 1850), Hiram Deem, W. M.; Isaac N. Whittam,

secretary. Meets first Monday after new moon. Hope Lodge No.

201, I. O. O. F., organized 1851. Hiram Deem, N. G.; Joseph

G. Davenport, secretary. Meets every Tuesday evening.

Select Schools--Misses Farnham, in rooms under the Episcopal

church; Miss H. Latshaw, on Washington street.

Buildings Erected in Year--William Stewart, brick store, one

story; R. C. Rock, brick store, three stories; J. F. Ely,

two brick stores, three stories; A. Hager, machine shop,

brick, three stories; Gabriel Carpenter, three stores,

brick, four stories; S. C. Bever, store, brick, three

stories; H. G. Angle, store, brick front, two stories; Bates

& Tousley, banking house, brick, three stories; Shattuck &

Dewey, two stores, three stories; P. W. Earle, store, three

stories above basement; S. L. Pollock, addition to plow

factory; Greene & Graves, stone machine shop, three stories;

Greene & Graves, blacksmith shop and foundry; public school

building, brick, three stories.

Brick Dwellings--F. A. Lee, William Greene, James Bates, B.

E. Baker, W. & S. Johnson, Elihu Robbins (two), M. Ohler,

Ezra Havens, H. G. Angle, Watrous & Gillett, A. Whitensack.

Frame Dwellings--H. Riefensthall, W. W. Smith, John Graves,

Lowell Daniels, G. W. Westlake, H. L. Bryan, A. J. Reed, P.

W. Reeder, W. Harvey, Henry Ward, S. A. Shattuck, D. S.

Bryan, G. Dewey, Rev. Samuel Starr, Freeman Smith, ----

Jordan, J. Crabil, Mary Lucore, Mr. McDougal, Mary Clark,

Mr. Coon, Mr. Seabury.

As yet, however, the improvements were confined to but a small portion

of the present city. Iowa (First) avenue had been used as a sand bank,

at the convenience of builders, and being left in ridges and hollows

was impassable to teams. Lot owners on Eagle street (Second avenue)

were urged to cut out the underbrush in the street so that wagons might

pass, and thus that section of the city become attractive for

residences.

From _Wolfe's Business Directory for 1869_ we may note a few of the

business houses and professional men.

Agricultural Implements--Averill & Hamilton, A. C. Churchill,

Fleck & Dorwart, Higley Bros., Patterson & Co., F. J. Upton.

Ammunition--J. A. Nye.

Architect--S. S. Spaulding.

Attorneys--Boyd & Smith, J. J. Child, Craft & Sosel, A. V.

Eastman, R. H. Gilmore, H. H. Gray, Hubbard & Belt, J. W.

Leslie, M. P. Mills, A. St. C. Smith, O. O. Stanchfield, I.

N. Whittam.

Baker--P. Seitz.

Banks--City National, First National.

Bankers--Carpenter, Stibbs & Co.

Barbers--Brown & Bolin, W. K. Harris, Lightenberg & Reiss.

Billiard Halls--F. Witousek, D. T. Williams.

Blank Book Makers--J. C. Stoddard, C. Barthel, S. B. Carl,

Cook & Funk, J. E. Davis, R. H. Dutton, C. Everlien, C. A.

Files, J. Hough, A. S. Mershon, J. M. Nell, Delia Rudolph, L.

Turner.

Book and Job Printers--Ayers Bros., W. A. Ballard.

Book Stores--E. R. Derby, J. G. Graves, F. G. Bennett.

Boot and Shoe Dealers--E. R. Bradford, J. Gates, McClelland

Bros., J. E. Morrison, P. Necomb, A. G. Plumb, O. Robinson,

C. Tomasek, T. S. Wilson, J. Wolfe.

Brewers--C. Magnus, owner of the Eagle Brewery, Will

Williams, Cedar Rapids Brewery, owned by Joe Schneider.

Carpenters--Boss & Gray, M. J. Bourne, M. Moore, Null &

DeCamp, W. Richmond, S. S. Spalding, J. M. Waldt.

Carpets--I. N. Isham, J. Bell & Co., P. Newcomb.

Clothing--Arnold & Loucheim, Arnold & Levi, Jackson &

Lincoln, Otto Co., R. B. Tomlinson, J. Wiener.

Commission Merchants--H. L. Bryan, Charles & Carroll, C. H.

Hall, R. L. Porter, J. J. Snouffer & Co.

Dentists--E. Ebi, A. K. Miner.

Drugs--G. C. Haman, J. C. May, L. Roth, A. H. Taylor, W. L.

Weller, Wetherby & Bowen.

Flour Mills--Aetna Mills, by J. J. Snouffer & Co., Cedar

Rapids Flouring Mills, W. B. Leach & Co., Union Mills, by W.

S. Cooper.

Grocers--O. B. Coe, Anderson & Pettinger, Al Jacobs, P. G.

Garret, Hildebrand & Lansing, A. C. Keyes, P. Keech, W.

Lench, C. L. Lutz, Sam Neidig, G. Parr, F. Plucshel, P.

Seitz, J. B. Spry, J. H. Stibbs, T. S. Wilson, J. J. Witwer,

Wood & Wolcott.

Six hotels on the east side, and several on the west side,

known as Kingston.

The doctors were--C. F. Bullen, J. H. Camburn, G. P.

Carpenter, J. P. Coulter, J. W. Edes, Mansfield & Smith, F.

McClelland, J. North, Israel Snyder, C. H. Thompson, W.

Bolinger.

The live real estate agents were--Carpenter, Stibbs & Co., R.

H. Gilmore, St. Clair Smith, O. O. Stanchfield, West &

Eastman.

There were about twenty saloons operated.

The wagon makers were--R. C. Hall, John Hesse, Jos. Hrbek,

John Mehan, Star Wagon Co., run by Upton, Chambers & Co.

Kingston also boasted of two blacksmith shops, one boarding house,

three hotels, several grocers, wagon makers, lumber dealers, etc. The

population of Kingston as given by this directory was 300.

LINN COUNTY STATISTICS FOR 1856

General Figures--Number of dwelling houses, 2,518; number of families,

2,612; number of males, 7,911; number of females, 6,791; colored, 6;

married, 5,110; widowed, 307; native voters, 2,946; naturalized voters,

236; aliens, 215; militia, 2,795; deaf and dumb, none; blind, 1;

insane, 1; idiotic, 14; owners of land, 1,824; paupers, 3; total

population of county, 14,792.

Agricultural Statistics--Acres of land improved, 66,132; acres of land

unimproved, 155,991; acres of meadow, 3,871; tons of hay, 8,551;

bushels of grass seed, 306; acres spring wheat, 14,739; bushels

harvested, 212,573; acres winter wheat, 249; bushels harvested, 1,532;

acres oats, 5,854; bushels harvested, 180,674; acres corn, 24,251;

bushels harvested, 1,025,375.

Live Stock Figures--Number hogs sold, 16,905; value of hogs sold,

$127,942; number of cattle sold, 3,284; value of cattle sold, $79,273.

Farm Products--Pounds butter made, 153,646; pounds of wool sold,

14,143; pounds of cheese sold, 25,506; value of domestic manufactures,

$7,269; value of general manufactures, $212,795.

Nativity of population--Ohio, 3,758; Indiana, 1,320; Pennsylvania,

1,914; Iowa, 2,770; New York, 1,209; Maine, 111; New Hampshire, 83;

Vermont, 189; Massachusetts, 188; Connecticut, 124; Rhode Island, 7;

Virginia, 436; Kentucky, 242; Illinois, 453; Michigan, 87; Alabama, 1;

Louisiana, 2; Mississippi, 4; North Carolina, 59; South Carolina, 23;

Tennessee, 55; Missouri, 40; Georgia, 2; Maryland, 208; New Jersey,

178; Wisconsin, 51; Delaware, 10; England, 166; Ireland, 204; Wales, 4;

Scotland, 72; Germany, 278; France, 11; Austria, 36; Russia, 0;

Prussia, 5; Norway, 16; Sweden, 2; Holland, 2; on the ocean, 1; Canada,

161; New Brunswick, 11; Switzerland, 6; Denmark, 1; West Indies, 2;

Bohemia, 139; Nova Scotia, 52; Prince Edward Island, 8; District of

Columbia, 4; Poland, 1; Moravia, 6; Hungary, 5; Unknown, 1.

From "Historical Sketch of the City," in the _Cedar Rapids Directory

for 1870-71_, we cull the following:

"During the year 1838 the first land claim was made by a

certain Wm. Stone on what constituted the present site of

Cedar Rapids. This was not the first claim made, however, as

John Mann, Esq., had the honor of being the first settler in

the county, having located at Pine Grove in the early part

of the same year.

"The attention of the early pioneers being drawn to the

manufacturing resources of the county, the present site was

early chosen as most suitable for a city, as the swift

current of the river at this place would afford, in all

probability, a valuable and extensive water-power. In 1841

the town was laid out, and within a short time thereafter

the improvement of the water-power was commenced. The land

lying along the margin of the river and commanding the

water privileges was soon purchased by Messrs. N. B. Brown,

George Greene, H. W. Gray, and others, who early commenced

the construction of the dam and the building of those mills

and manufactories which have since been the pride of the

city and which have contributed so much to its permanent

growth and development.

* * * * *

"N. B. Brown, Esq., has added an attractive feature to the

city by erecting a costly and elegant hotel on North

Commercial street, which, when finished, will be one of the

finest west of Chicago. In addition to these, the building

of the mammoth machine shops of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids

and Minnesota R. R. Company is shortly contemplated. This

will involve an expense of several hundred thousand dollars,

for which purpose fifty thousand dollars have been

appropriated to the company by this city and township.

"... As to educational interests Cedar Rapids has maintained

a high position among her sister cities of the state. It is

generally conceded that Iowa is the banner state of the

Union, regarding her system of free schools and the

advantages derived therefrom. This city has no less than

thirty-five thousand dollars in school buildings, including

the one recently built in West Cedar Rapids. The schools are

classified and graded under the latest improved system, and

are presided over by an able corps of teachers, chosen with

special reference to their attainments and adaptation to

impart instruction. James E. Harlan has at present the

entire superintendence of the schools, and by his efficiency

he is maintaining the high reputation which the schools have

before sustained. Over thirteen hundred pupils are in

constant attendance, and the number is yearly increasing.

"... The Young Men's Christian Association deserves even

more than a passing notice. The rooms of the Association are

in Mansfield's Block, over the postoffice, and are opened

each morning and evening through the week.

"... The Young Men's Library Association is also a pleasant

feature of the city. The enterprise has established a choice

and well selected library, consisting of historic,

scientific, poetic and biographic works, chosen from the

best authors in the land. The library rooms are in charge of

Miss Mary Thompson, a lady of rare grace and culture, who

takes delight in entertaining her guests and exhibiting the

many works of interest that adorn the shelves of her

library.

"... The social, moral and religious elements blend here in

sweet harmony, and much of the refinement and culture

witnessed in eastern cities and in eastern society is

equally exhibited here; hence to those wishing to settle in

a place combining the advantages of church, schools and

refined society, as well as a place of good business

facilities will find Cedar Rapids a desirable city in which

to locate. We venture the assertion that Cedar Rapids, in

the future as in the past, is destined to excel, in wealth

and numbers, her neighboring rivals, and evermore sit as

queen in the rich valley she so beautifully adorns."

The following obituary appeared in the Cedar Rapids _Gazette_ in March,

1909, and gives a sketch of a person who had passed through much of

what is now the history of a thriving city, and is for that reason made

part of the history of the county. Mrs. Brown was at her death the

widow of one of the foremost men who ever lived in Cedar Rapids.

"Susan Emery, daughter of Nathan Emery and Cornelia

Broadhead, his wife, was born August 19, 1824, at Dingman's

Ferry, Pike county, Pennsylvania, and died March 4, 1909, at

Cedar Rapids, Iowa, thus having lived 84 years, 6 months and

15 days, a period of time much longer than the average

allotted to mankind. A woman in her younger days of a noble,

perhaps an imperious presence, strong in mental and physical

make-up; self-reliant and unswerving in the object sought

to be attained by her. Strong in likes and dislikes, no

truer, more loyal friend among mankind than she. She came of

a long-lived, stubborn warrior race. Through her mother,

Cornelia Broadhead, she was descended from Daniel Broadhead,

a Yorkshire Englishman, a captain of Grenadiers, who fought

for Charles the Second during the civil wars of England, and

by him was commissioned to serve under Colonel Nicholls in

the expedition to the new world to wrest New Netherlands

from the Dutch, that the same might become a new world

kingdom for James, duke of York, brother to the king.

"Captain Broadhead was made military governor of a portion

of New Netherlands, with his headquarters at the old Indian

town of Wiltwyck, called by the Hollanders Esophus and after

the English occupation named and is still known as Kingston,

in the state of New York. Captain Broadhead died in 1670. A

grandson, Daniel by name, in 1733 migrated through the

wilderness, down through the Jerseys to the water gap and

located there. He with his sons refused to be driven out of

the country and off his possessions by the savages during

the Indian wars and fought for what they considered their

own and won out. From this Daniel were descended three

revolutionary soldiers--General Daniel Broadhead, a noted

Indian fighter and close friend of George Washington; Luke

Broadhead, a captain and friend of LaFayette, and Garret

Broadhead, a captain. John Romeyn Broadhead, the historian,

was of this family of Broadheads. From this it will be seen

that Susan Brown came from no mean stock. In her younger

days she was known to be generous and charitable to any

worthy poor. Her giving was of the quiet and unostentatious

kind, and to a considerable extent. This trait of character

remained with her through her old age. She was a woman of

strict integrity, spotless purity, and the world and

community in which she lived was undoubtedly the gainer for

her having lived in it. In 1852 she was married to her

kinsman, Nicholas Broadhead Brown (a pioneer of 1840),

coming immediately with her husband and sister, Mrs. Hannah

E. Higley, to Cedar Rapids and has remained here

continuously from that time, thus making her, with possibly

one or two exceptions, at the time of her death, the oldest

continuous resident of this city. In laying the foundation

and the early upbuilding of this city were a number of

potent and conspicuous men and women, such as George Greene,

Alexander Ely, Addison Daniels, and others, but none more so

than Nicholas B. Brown and his wife Susan."

It is entirely proper to make some mention in these pages of Captain

Joshua John Snouffer, who came to Cedar Rapids in 1852 when the city

contained less than 400 people. He too had an intimate knowledge of

what it meant to be a pioneer.

Captain Snouffer was born in Maryland February 24, 1825, and though he

was a loyal citizen of Iowa he never ceased to love his native state,

nor did he ever forget its history, its traditions, and its people. He

entered the Mexican war where he was wounded in the head on the field

of battle on November 9, 1847. This wound troubled him all the

remaining days of his life. At the time he was wounded he was first

sergeant of a company of dragoons, and on several occasions had

commanded a company.

As a member of the firm of W. D. Watrous & Company he was closely

identified with the milling industry of Cedar Rapids. He superintended

the erection of "the brick mill" in 1875. With J. J. Child he was the

joint author of the city's charter. He took an active part in the

building of the Iowa & Nebraska Railroad, now the Northwestern. He was

a prime mover in establishing the water works, and was one of those who

gave the city its first street railway. At various times he was a

member of the city government both as alderman and mayor. He was a

skilled parliamentarian, and an honest man in every sense of the word.

CEDAR RAPIDS TODAY

W. I. Endicott, in _The Saturday Record_, July 10, 1909:

Cedar Rapids has had a civic existence since January 15, 1849, on which

date a town charter was adopted and town officers elected. In 1856, a

new city charter was granted by the legislature and under that charter

the affairs of the city were conducted until April 6, 1908, when the

charter was abandoned and the city went under what is known as the

"Commission Plan." Under the provisions of this law all ward lines and

divisions were abolished and five men--a mayor and four councilmen or

commissioners are elected at large. In the hands of these five men is

placed all responsibility for the appointment of the entire city

official staff and the management of city affairs.

The new plan is working in a most satisfactory manner in Cedar Rapids

and many things are being accomplished under it that were impossible of

accomplishment under the old ward system. The improvements under way

are all planned with a view to actual necessity and the harmonious

building up of the city in all its sections. Modern business methods

are in use in the conduct of the city's affairs and unwise or

extravagant expenditure of the public money is not permitted. The

council meets nearly every day and the citizen who has business to

transact with the council is given instant hearing and attention.

Under the law, the mayor is paid a salary of $2,500 and each of the

councilmen $1,800 annually, and they devote full time and attention to

the work of the city. The city's business is divided into departments

and each man is in charge of and responsible for a certain department.

The mayor is head of the department of Public Affairs and as such,

exercises a general supervision over all phases of the city business.

Then there are the departments of Accounts and Finances, the department

of Public Safety, the department of Streets and Public Improvements,

and the department of Parks and Public Property. The men elected have

first to be successful in a wide open primary and then in the regular

city election secure a majority of all the votes cast. In the election

of 1908 there were 48 candidates for councilman and nine candidates for

mayor on the primary ballot. From these names the two who received the

highest number of votes for mayor and the eight who received the

highest number of votes for councilman were declared the nominees and

their names appeared on the ballot at the regular election, the names

appearing in alphabetical order on both the primary and regular

election ballots, and without any party or other designation.

In 1908 the council accomplished the sale of the old city hall site and

the purchase of May's Island for park and public buildings purposes.

This island has an area of about six acres, and lying in the Cedar

river in the very center of the city, forms an ideal place for a civic

center. The city offices are now occupying temporary quarters on the

island and as rapidly as possible the low places are being filled with

dirt from the various excavations for business buildings, and from

other sources, so that what was once a municipal disgrace, is being

rapidly transformed into a place of beauty, to say nothing of forever

setting at rest any possibility of divisive strife between the two

sides of the river.

THE CITY'S ASSETS

The public improvements of the city of Cedar Rapids represent

expenditures running into the millions of dollars. Few cities of like

size are so thoroughly or excellently paved. On the first of January,

1909, the city had three miles of asphalt, twenty miles of brick, and

five miles of macadam paving, or a total of twenty-eight miles. There

are now under construction, or already completed on contracts carried

over from 1908, two miles of brick and one mile of tar treated macadam,

giving Cedar Rapids at the present time thirty-one miles of paving.

The contracts let for 1909 will add more than five miles to that total,

so the city will have approximately thirty-six miles of paving at the

end of the present year.

Sidewalks are practically all of cement construction and laid under

city supervision. On January 1, 1909, there were more than 102 miles of

walk in the city, and of this more than ninety-six miles were of

cement, nearly four miles of brick or stone and only about two miles of

wooden construction. The contracts let for this season will represent

the construction of about eight miles of walks, giving the city a total

of 110 miles of sidewalks.

Cedar Rapids has two systems of sewers, sanitary and storm water. Some

of the storm water sewers are of large size, being seven feet in

diameter, and one--the Vinton ditch sewer, is even larger.

Cedar Rapids has an excellent fire department, equipped with the best

of apparatus. There are five stations--one central station and four

outlying hose houses.

In the matter of parks the city has made a most promising start. There

are now in the city twenty-eight parks, counting large and small and

not including any street parkways. Of this number Bever Park, Ellis

Park, Daniels Park, May's Island Park, Riverside Park, and Whittam Park

are considerable tracts, while George Greene Square, opposite the union

station, with its beautiful display of flowers and rich green lawn, is

one of the show spots of the city. Bever Park, the largest of the

parks, in the woods to the east of the city, was the gift of James L.

Bever, George W. Bever, and John B. Bever, as a memorial to their

father, Sampson C. Bever, who was one of the pioneers of the city.

Bever Park is flanked one side by picturesque Vernon Heights and on the

other by beautiful Ridgewood, forming an almost continuous park of

great extent and beauty. Daniels Park is the newest of the city parks.

It is located on the Old Marion Road and has been transformed into a

beautiful floral park, with well-arranged walks and driveways.

Riverside Park is the close-in park, being located on the bank of the

river south of Eleventh avenue, and this has been made a play park,

with plenty of out-door gymnasium apparatus for the children and young

people. Ellis Park, located on the river bank above the city, is one of

the most beautiful and attractive of all the parks, and when adequate

means of reaching it are installed, it will without question be one of

the most popular parks in the city. The river with its excellent

boating facilities, gives a charm to Ellis Park that is denied the

other breathing places of the city. The city of Cedar Rapids is

spending more than twenty thousand dollars each year on its park

system, and it is money well spent. There are about two hundred acres

in the park system, and a conservative value of the park grounds and

improvements is well over $300,000.

The Free Public Library is a most valuable asset to the city and aside

from the unmeasurable good done in the dissemination of knowledge,

represents a money investment of well toward $150,000. The building

proper was the gift of Mr. Carnegie and cost $75,000, the grounds and

other items and the contents of the library will add another $75,000 to

the valuation. It is supported by a city tax and costs about $12,000

per year to operate. Its affairs are in charge of a board of trustees,

appointed by the council.

The city owns and maintains five bridges across the Cedar river. Of

these bridges four are of steel construction and one--the Second avenue

bridge--is a magnificent reinforced concrete bridge of Melan arch

design. This bridge is one of the best and most attractive in the

middle west. Its cost was more than $100,000.

[The city contracted in 1909-10 a new concrete bridge to replace the

old steel bridge on Sixteenth avenue at a cost of $80,000. It is 40

feet wide and 2,600 feet long, and was opened for traffic January,

1910. A new concrete bridge will be contracted in 1911 at Third avenue

to replace one of the oldest in the city.]

[Illustration: SIXTEENTH AVENUE BRIDGE, CEDAR RAPIDS]

[Illustration: FIRST STREET, CORNER SECOND AVENUE, IN 1869]

The city water works are owned by the city of Cedar Rapids, and are

managed by three trustees appointed by the council. The plant was

purchased from the water company July 1, 1903, at an agreed price of

$473,000. Of this amount, $23,000 was paid in cash and the remainder

was put in the form of bonds. In the past six years $158,000 of these

bonds have been retired, leaving a net indebtedness against the water

plant of $315,000. The net earnings of the plant from July 1, 1903, to

July 1, 1908, were $79,952.30, and for the year ending July 1, 1909,

were almost $25,000. In addition the city gets free hydrant rental and

fire protection. A conservative inventory of the water plant will show

a valuation of well over $600,000 at the present time. The water is

taken from large wells on an island in the Cedar river belonging to the

city and located some distance above the C. & N. W. bridge. It is

filtered by the Jewell system and is forced through the mains by large

pumps. There are three of these pumps in use, one of two million

gallons daily capacity, one of three million gallons capacity and one

of five million gallons capacity. The necessary power is supplied by

two water tube boilers of 350 horsepower each, and three tubular

boilers of 70 horsepower each. The filter system has a capacity of

three million gallons per day, and an additional reservoir for the

filter is now under construction. There are at the present time 390

fire hydrants and an excellent and satisfactory fire pressure is

maintained for all fire alarms. A loop of twelve-inch mains encircles

the business district and this loop is supplied by a twenty-inch main

direct from the pumps, giving the business section a fire protection

unexcelled by that of any city in the west.

THE RAILWAYS

Up to 1849 the village of Cedar Rapids had no formal organization. It

was simply a township. But the legislature of 1849 granted a town

charter and for the next decade the community throve apace. It was

during this period of years that Cedar Rapids strove for, and secured,

its first line of railway. In the fifties the railway lines to the west

left the bank of the Mississippi and pushed their way out into the

fertile prairies of Iowa. Among these lines was one known as the

Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska, and its purpose was to construct a line of

railway from Clinton, across Iowa, to some point on the Missouri river.

Among Cedar Rapids men who were prominently identified with the

enterprise and were on the board of directors were John Weare, Jr.,

William Greene, H. G. Angle and S. C. Bever. The company was organized

in 1856, but it was not until June, 1859, that the line was completed

from Clinton to Cedar Rapids, a distance of a little over eighty miles,

and train service established between the two towns.

Previous to the coming of the railroad, communication with the outside

world was maintained by means of stage lines; Dubuque, Clinton,

Davenport, Muscatine, Iowa City, and Waterloo being reached by that

method. Freight and supplies were brought in by wagon, though in the

early days there was some steamboat traffic on the Cedar river as far

as Cedar Rapids.

It required hard work, and plenty of it, to get that first new line of

railway into Cedar Rapids. Marion, the old, substantial town and the

county seat, wanted the road--and came pretty near getting it, too. The

next move in railway construction work for the community was the

extension of the new line west, on its way to the Missouri river, a

line which is today the main artery of the Chicago & Northwestern

system, forming an important part of the great highway of steel

connecting the Atlantic and Pacific.