To house the good father of the flock, a modest parochial residence was

built by the people and in the basement of the unpretentious home,

parish meetings were held and school was taught for years. It was in

the days of the good Father Chemlar also that the first Catholic

cemetery was secured by the people of St. Wenceslaus parish.

In 1889 Father Francis Chemlar was promoted to the charge at Norway,

and he was succeeded at St. Wenceslaus by Father John Broz. Fr. Broz

remained about two years in Cedar Rapids and during his short stay was

by no means inactive. He added to the seating capacity of the church

building and also built a tower in the church.

The next pastor was Father Kopecky. To his zealous and persistent labor

is due the parish school which still remains, in which the youth of the

parish receive the rudiments of knowledge in things secular and

religious from the good Sisters of Mercy.

At this time the pastor's income was only $650.00, yet from this

comparatively modest sum the good father found a modest means of doing

material good for others and himself. He was a great school man and

often spent hours in the school room, keeping at the class work. He

was popular with the people and accomplished much good.

Following Father Kopecky came Fr. Vrba who remained only a short time

and was transferred to Protovin.

In 1900 the present incumbent, Rev. Florian Svrdlik, was installed

pastor of St. Wenceslaus. Soon after his advent a new church was spoken

of and being a man of action as much as of word, he began to feel the

pulse of the parish on the matter. Seeing the interest and earnest

manner in which the new pastor took hold the people flocked to his aid

and in a short time the work assumed practical shape. Ft. Svrdlik is

not a man who builds a church on paper years before he has his brick

and mortar on the ground. He builds first and then talks of a reality

and not of a dream. With the unanimous aid of the people, he organized

a fair, and from this realized about $4,000.00.

Through the other ordinary means of collections and donations this

amount was increased in a short time to the extent of $10,000.00. To

this fund his grace, Archbishop Keane, of Dubuque, contributed $500.00.

At Christmas, 1903, the necessary property was secured, and on August

4, 1904, the corner stone was laid, and on October 18, 1905, the new

church was dedicated with solemn and impressive ceremony. The occasion

was one long to be remembered by the people of St. Wenceslaus and Cedar

Rapids in general. The new church is beautiful in design and faultless

in execution. It was erected at a cost of about $40,000.00, a lasting

monument to the zeal and efficiency of the pastor and to the piety and

generosity of the Bohemians of Cedar Rapids.

The parochial school erected in Father Kopecky's time is his

imperishable monument. It is in charge of the Sisters of Mercy. It is a

beautiful building, plain and substantial in its style, spacious and

well ventilated and well calculated to develop a sound mind in a

healthy body. There are about 175 pupils at present attending the

school and sowing the seed which will enable them to develop into

sturdy men and women.

ST. PATRICK'S, CEDAR RAPIDS

St. Patrick's parish on the west side, Cedar Rapids, was organized

April 18, 1886. Its first resident pastor was Rev. T. F. Richardson,

who was transferred from Fairfax. The first parish church was a modest

frame structure on Second avenue and Seventh street west. While its

seating capacity was limited yet it gave ample accommodation for the

few parishioners, whose interests had heretofore been attended to, from

the parent church on the east side, and occasionally from Fairfax.

Father Richardson retained the charge till the time of his death, which

occurred on September 12, 1888. After his demise the interests of the

young and struggling parish were entrusted to Rev. M. J. Quirk, who was

succeeded by the present incumbent, Rev. T. J. Sullivan who was

appointed November 17, 1889.

At this time many were locating on the west side who retired from the

country around to spend the evening of life in a well earned rest after

enduring for years the trials and difficulties of pioneer conditions.

Soon the little frame church became inadequate to the needs of the

place, and Father Sullivan, with that solicitude which has ever marked

his life and labor, began to entertain the wish of a more suitable

building. It did not take long for his efforts to be supported by the

hand and heart of his people, and on October 18, 1891, the corner stone

of the present beautiful building was laid. The late Very Rev. Father

Gunn officiated and the sermon on the occasion was delivered by the

Rev. C. M. Carroll, D. D.

The new church at First avenue and Fifth street, west was dedicated on

August 28, 1892, by Bishop Hennessy, of Dubuque.

St. Patrick's church is one of the most sightly buildings in the city

and when the frescoing which is now being done is completed it will be

one of the neatest houses of worship in the city.

The building when completed cost about $15,000.00. Father Sullivan took

charge of the parish about November 17, 1889. The congregation is now

large and representative.

Having secured a beautiful church Father Sullivan's next undertaking

was the building of a school in keeping with the needs of the parish.

The corner stone of this beautiful and spacious building was laid on

May 10, 1902, by Dean Gunn.

The school is in charge of the Sisters of Charity of the B. V. M.,

whose mother house is at Mount Carmel, Dubuque. The Sisters of Charity

as educators hold a similar place in the religious congregation of

women to that occupied by the Jesuits among the male orders. They are

the leaders in their respective classes. And the pupils turned out by

both orders today are an honor to their alma mater.

There are several sodalities and societies attached to St. Patrick's

church and the parish is growing rapidly.

THE CHURCH AT PRAIRIEBURG

It has been asserted that the first mass celebrated in Linn county was

at Prairieburg. This assertion I have sought to establish, but have

failed, so I take it for what it is worth. As far as I can learn the

first mass was said in a log house belonging to James Brislawn, but who

the priest was I have not been able to establish. The first authentic

record we have is when Rev. P. J. Maher, late of De Witt, then at

Anamosa, officiated in the home of Bernard McLaughlin in 1872. The

present brick church on the prairie at which a goodly number worship

and which is in charge of Rev. Fr. I. J. Norris of Stone City, was

erected by Fr. Maher in 1874. The Bohemian element who live in and

around Prairieburg built a church a few years ago in the town. It is in

charge of Father Ballou of Oxford Junction.

THE FAIRFAX CHURCH

The first Catholic church in Fairfax was built by Fr. John in 1875.

This cradle of christianity in the wilds was located on the state road

in Johnson county about six miles southeast of Fairfax. For the

construction of this primeval temple oak logs were hauled from the

Henderson mills on the Iowa river below Robert's Ferry. From this same

mill, which was the only one at that time in these parts, except the

Snouffer mills in Cedar Rapids, the early settlers hauled the lumber

for their log cabins and for the shelter sheds for their limited live

stock. This pioneer church in Fairfax district was afterwards removed

to Walford, later to the site of the present building.

After Fr. John came Fr. Urbin occasionally from Norway. He returned to

Bohemia and died there.

Among the early settlers were John Flaherty, who came in 1855; John B.

Murray in 1858, Wm. McNamara, Andrew Stark, whose children now enjoy

the fruits of his labors; the McDonalds, O'Connells, Donohues, Winekes,

Wickies, Brechts, Springer, Barretts, O'Hara, P. Flynn, Foleys, Cook,

Haydens, Hager, Cahill, Langan, Killeen, Kehoe, Meehan, Harrington,

Lilly, Murray, Cannon, O'Brien.

Before this time however there were some scattered settlers in and

around the site of the present town. Among the early settlers were

Thos. Murray, father of J. E. Murray and Charles Murray of this city,

John B. Murray who came from Illinois in '56 or '58, and located in

Benton county. John Flaherty, father of P. Flaherty, who came from

Illinois in '55 by way of Iowa City. In those days there were very few

settlers and the country around was densely wooded where the wild deer

and wolf held undisputed sway. The nearest and only Catholic church was

in Iowa City and there the pioneers journeyed periodically to make

their peace with God. There were no roads, and travelers were compelled

to follow the beaten path through thicket and forest. In these

journeyings danger and difficulty were ever present. The hardships

endured for the sake of religion remind one of the experiences of Saul

of Tarsus. Whenever Father Emmons came from Iowa City to Cedar Rapids,

his intention was declared some days before and a herald brought the

glad news to the settlers who came in from their desert haunts and

swelled the congregation at Cedar Rapids. These were literally the days

when these faithful pioneers, poor in the world's goods but rich in

faith, hungered and thirsted after justice.

When the church was built at Cedar Rapids the faithful at Fairfax were

looked after for some years till their number increased. Fr. Urbin, who

was stationed at Norway, later on also aided in keeping the lamp of

faith burning brightly. This was along about 1868. Later on Fr. John

Chemlar took care of their interests till in 1875 Father O'Farrell came

to abide with the faithful of Fairfax and was their first resident

priest.

The field of operation in Fairfax was too limited for the zeal of

Father O'Farrell and he remained only a short time. He was succeeded by

Father McCaffrey who was energetic in his labors, but because limited

in his resources was not able to accomplish much, and time hung heavily

on his hands. He left soon after. After this time, however, things

began to look more encouraging and we find some such sturdy men as John

Flaherty, Thomas Murray, John Murray, Pat Harrington, Wm. Harrington,

Maurice Cahill, Andrew Garrett, John Sears, Henry Wickie, putting their

shoulders to the wheel and from their limited resources, giving

material aid in the upbuilding of conditions. The next resident priest

was Father Quinn who came from the east. He was a man of action. He set

to work and organized the parish in practical shape and doubtless had

he been spared Fairfax would be today one of the leading parishes in

Linn county. He died after two years from pneumonia contracted while

attending to his flock.

After the death of Father Quinn, charge of affairs was assumed by

Father Kelly, who was succeeded by Father Richardson, who enlarged the

church edifice, which still remains a monument of early days and

pioneer conditions, but hardly in keeping with these days of opulence

and ease. After about four years pastorate in Fairfax, during which

time he attended Cedar Rapids west side people, he was transferred to

the west side of Cedar Rapids and built the first church in that place.

This church was located at Second avenue and Fifth street west, and was

a frame structure 60×32 feet. It was at this time, April 18, 1886, that

St. Patrick's parish was first organized and Father Richardson was its

first pastor and he retained the charge until his death in September,

1888. Father John Brogan assumed the charge of Fairfax parish in April,

1886, and remained seven years, during which time he labored earnestly

for the good of religion and was much beloved by the people. During his

pastorate he built a beautiful, well equipped modern residence, which

still remains and is occupied by the present incumbent. After Father

Brogan's removal Father John Hogan assumed the charge of the Fairfax

parish and during his stay of five years he labored zealously to pay

off the indebtedness on the church property and has improved things

generally. He afterwards exchanged Fairfax for his present charge Van

Horne, and Father Thomas Reynolds of Van Horne came to Fairfax where he

remained till his death. He was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev.

P. Reynolds, who has done much to better conditions and who hopes one

day to build a church in keeping with the present enviable status of

this wealthy community.

[Illustration: THE LATE VERY REVEREND DEAN GUNN]

THE CHURCH AT WALKER

For many years, the faithful of this town and the surrounding districts

were attended from Independence. In 1887 Very Rev. Fr. O'Dowd, of

Independence, erected a church at Walker, and for four years attended

to the same from his home in Independence. In 1891 a new parish was

established by Bishop Hennessy, and Rev. James Ryan, now of Calmar,

Ia., was appointed first resident pastor. Having a church already

secured the new pastor directed his zeal towards the erection of the

present parochial residence. While the parish was not numerically

extensive, yet what it lacked in numbers was supplied in interest and

zeal, and the new pastor in his apostolic spirit and unflagging zeal

soon had the good will of his congregation entirely at his disposal and

with their generous cooperation in hand and heart and as far as

circumstances permitted in currency, he erected a fine home for the use

of the priest and had it paid for in a short time. During his stay of

three years in the parish he also improved and completed the conditions

in church and church property which required attention. Fr. Ryan is the

best type of a truly apostolic priest, the zeal of God's house and the

happiness of God's people, being the single purpose which at all times

animates and actuates his life and action.

After three years, Archbishop Hennessy, recognizing his earnestness and

efficiency, assigned him to a new and more varied field of operation

and he was succeeded at Walker by Rev. John McNamara, now of Key West,

Dubuque. Fr. McNamara's stay in Walker was of only short duration,

about three months, when in obedience to the wish of authority he went

to Key West. After his departure the present pastor, Rev. Wm. Leen,

assumed jurisdiction and his stay in Walker for sixteen years is the

explanation of the present flourishing condition of the parish. Vast

improvements have been effected, in the church and church property, and

today Walker takes its place not only among the Catholic churches in

Linn county but among the churches in any county in the state.

The pastor is a most zealous and priestly man, an erudite scholar and a

profound and persistent student. He is not selfish, and generously

gives of the fruits of his research through the columns of pamphlet and

press. Fr. Leen also occasionally lets his thoughts run along metrical

lines.

Besides Walker, Fr. Leen also extends his zeal and paternal care to

Rowley and another mission station which is not in Linn county. But

while frequently engaged in historical research, and contributing to

current literature, he finds abundant time and opportunity to feed the

sheep and the lambs over which he is shepherd and does his duty so well

that he is most popular not only with his charge but with the community

in general.

THE MARION CHURCH

One of the prettiest churches in Linn county today is St. Joseph's at

Marion. It was built by the present pastor, Father P. M. Loughvane.

Like most other places in Linn county the early settlers in Marion had

to endure hardships for their religion. The settlers were few and far

between and the only consolation they had from a religious standpoint

was the occasional visit of a missionary priest from some outside

charge.

In the years 1855 and 1856 a good priest named Father Smith came

occasionally from Iowa City to minister to their needs and preach them

a word of encouragement. In those days Father Emmons also came from

Iowa City and contributed to keep the lamp of faith burning. Father

Laurent, of Muscatine, also came to Marion occasionally and did

missionary work among the pioneers.

As a rule the faithful journeyed to Iowa City whenever the weather

permitted. In these days there were no automobiles nor telephone

service, and it was not at all uncommon for the travelers to be

weather bound on their way to or from the scene of their religious

observance. Sometimes they had to sleep all night in the wagon in the

midst of the woods when the swollen streams prevented their going any

farther. It looks like something one may read about, but there are

those living today who recall it as a fact. Waiting till the river

flowed by, or at least till its current became less rapid, or till the

hidden ford appeared--such were the trials of pioneer days in Linn

county, and such the tests the faithful were subjected to.

After 1870, Marion was attended by Father Lowry, of Cedar Rapids. After

Father Lowry's time the faithful of Marion were attended by Father

Richardson, of Fairfax, and after his transfer to St. Patrick's he

continued to minister to their needs. His successor, Father McQuirk,

continued to assist in bringing the consolations of religion to the

early settlers. In later days Father John Brogan, of Fairfax,

ministered to their needs whenever time and opportunity permitted.

Father Timothy Sullivan, after his appointment to St. Patrick's, also

ministered to their needs and to this day has many friends who are

mindful of his kindness in the days of want.

The first resident priest in Marion was Father Laffin, who came in

1890. At this time and indeed previous to this the chief settlers in

the Marion district were the Senekir family, the Reillys, the Davises,

Colburts, Zimmermans, and Zackeries, and these were the first who took

hold and established the first church.

The church, by reason of the fewness of its members, was a difficult

problem to maintain. It was supported chiefly by the active and

energetic assistance of the people in holding sociables and picnics and

such other ways and means as were worthy of the noble cause.

When the building was completed there was an indebtedness of $1,800,

and nothing to pay this amount from. The sale of the property was

threatened by those who held the lien on the church. But the zealous

and hard-working members of the congregation set to work, and in two

years this amount was paid off.

After Father Laffin's departure the charge was taken by Rev. J.

Hartigan, now at Strawberry Point. For eight years this zealous and

interested young priest labored early and late for the welfare and

comfort of his flock. During his time the present parochial residence

was erected at a cost of $3,000. It is a modest, unpretentious

building, but fitted up with all the modern systems of hygienic and

healthful appliances. Not content with being comfortably housed

himself, Father Hartigan decided to secure also a becoming habitation

for his Lord and Master. He decided that a new church was now a matter

of necessity in Marion, and gradually he got the members of the

congregation to his way of thinking. He held fairs and sociables to

obtain the necessary funds to make his dream a reality, and at his

transfer from Marion he left in the church treasury more than $2,000 as

a nucleus for the new church building. The completion of the work was,

however, reserved for his no less interested and zealous successor.

Writing of the conditions in Marion at his appointment, Fr. Hartigan

says:

"I got my appointment to the charge in the winter of 1896,

about December 1st, and I shall never forget my feelings on

arriving there. I found the parish in excellent condition to

try a man's grit and patience. There were about thirty-five

families, more or less actively engaged in parish work.

There was a debt of upwards of $3,000, with no home except a

log cabin, and an old church that had stood the test of the

winters' blast for well nigh forty years. I heard murmurs on

all sides, some thinking that all their property would be

lost. I had many expressions of sympathy. I told the people

in very few words that I was not looking for sympathy

(although I needed it), that I was sent there to work, that

works, not words, were of more avail in those circumstances.

I tried to arouse their fainting spirits and told them to go

and put their shoulder to the wheel, which they did with a

willingness and energy that was beyond my most ardent

aspirations. In about two years we had the parish clear of

debt. Then it was necessary to build a home to supplant the

poor log cabin, one of the old landmarks that did its work

for well nigh half a century. To show the dilapidated

condition of that abode I may say that I was frequently

compelled to move my bed around to escape the rainfall. But

thanks to the generosity of the people and their willingness

to work and to give, the home was built in almost as short a

time as it would take to tell it. It was a gigantic

undertaking at the time, but where there is a will there is

a way, and the home was built and paid for in about one year

after the church property debt was liquidated. That home

cost about $3,000, and every cent was paid before it was

occupied. Then the cement sidewalks were laid at a cost of

about $120, and last but not least came the greatest

struggle of all. The parish had progressed so far so well,

and it was my desire and the people's desire that their work

should be crowned with success. The crowning work of all was

the building of that magnificent little church that now

stands on the corner of Tenth street. It was not my

privilege to see it built before I left the parish, but for

that purpose the people and myself labored tooth and nail in

season and out of season, so that when I got my appointment

to Strawberry Point in October, 1904, I turned over to the

present pastor upwards of $2,000. I may say before I close

that the spiritual advancement of the people more than kept

pace with the material development of the parish."

Rev. P. M. Loughnane, the present pastor of St. Joseph's, was born in

County Kerry, Ireland. He received his classical education at St.

Brendan's Seminary, Killarney, and studied philosophy and theology at

St. Patrick's College, Thurles, where he was ordained to the priesthood

on June 18, 1803. Coming to Dubuque, he was assigned as assistant to

Very Rev. E. McLoughlin, at St. Mary's, Clinton, Iowa. He was

afterwards transferred to take charge of the parish at Sabula. Thence

he went to State Center, in Marshall county, where he remained eight

years. While at State Center he interested himself much in school work

which he loved. Fr. Loughnane is a versatile scholar, a man of bright

mind, and keen sense of discernment. His ability as a priest he has

demonstrated by the beautiful new church which will ever remain a

monument to his competency and the earnestness and worth of his people.

Bearing in mind that the congregation at Marion is not numerically

large nor gifted with the possession of any too much of this world's

goods, the sacrifices they made for the new church are much enhanced.

The greater number of the members of the charge are railroad employees

and more or less of a fluctuating class. But the Catholic heart is cold

and callous, indeed, that cannot grow eloquent with faith when

contemplating the visible, the material evidence of a great personal

sacrifice for the faith.

Soon after his advent to St. Joseph's parish the pastor applied all his

energy to collect for the new church, and by earnest and energetic

effort raised about $5,000, each and every member of the congregation

doing his or her duty in a manner truly admirable.

THE CHURCH AT LISBON

One of the oldest, if not the mother church in Linn county, is that at

Lisbon. We have evidence of its existence and of early settlers for

whose use it was erected dating as far back as 1854. Records show that

Fr. Emmons, of Iowa City, the father of Catholicity in Linn county,

made frequent visits to the little town, and baptized and ministered to

the needs of the early settlers. Even farther back than 1854 it is on

record that this pioneer of the faith offered the holy sacrifice and

administered the holy sacraments in the home of Thomas McAllister, east

of the town of Lisbon.

There are those living today who remember these times and conditions,

and the fact is not questioned that some of the present members of the

Lisbon congregation were regenerated by the saving waters of baptism in

the home of Thomas McAllister, and it is even possible to meet

occasionally those who well remember Father Emmons and his teaching.

It was through the efforts of this faithful pioneer shepherd, aided by

the good will and support of the scattered few, that the old church of

Lisbon was called into existence, and it is through veneration for the

pastor and the pioneer that it is still allowed to stand, though no

longer used for divine worship. This old landmark was erected in 1854.

The site on which the little edifice was erected was donated by Jacob

S. Pfautz, who also contributed to the present church building. Be it

said to their eternal honor that among the contributors for the first

church there are several names which are not belonging to the limited

list of Catholics of those days.

Among the pioneers of those days we find such names as Peter Heller,

George Ringer, Mike Hoover, Samuel Bell, Fred Rabenau, William Andre,

Thomas McClelland, I. G. Trigenfuse, Sam Ellison, John Walton, J. A.

McClelland, Joseph Owens, Thomas Andre, and others.

Father Emmons was only a missionary in Lisbon at the time his home

charge was Iowa City, but as far as preaching and teaching the word and

breaking the bread of life to the children of the faith his

jurisdiction was not confined by any boundary or limitation.

The first resident pastor of Lisbon was Rev. W. Downey, who resided

there for about three years after his term of service. Father Daly

followed, and for a short time resided in Lisbon, and afterwards in

Mechanicsville, and is spending the evening of his life in Atlantic,

Iowa. After this time Lisbon was attached to Marion and was attended

for a while by Father Laffin. When Father Hartigan succeeded to the

charge at Marion he also attended Lisbon.

It was reserved, however, to the present popular pastor of Marion, Rev.

P. M. Loughnane, to add another laurel to his crown by replacing the

old time-honored landmark with the present ornate and well designed

church building.

The Catholic cemetery, which is a part of the property of this charge,

was purchased in Father Downey's time.

THE SISTERS OF MERCY

The Sisters of Mercy came to Cedar Rapids on the Feast of St. Mary

Magdalen, 22d July, 1875. They came from Davenport, which at that time

was subject to Dubuque Bishop for there was only one diocese in Iowa.

Sister Mary Isadore and Sister Mary Gertrude were the first to visit

Cedar Rapids, and in a few weeks afterwards Sister Mary Agatha and

Sister Mary Francis came. These four formally took possession of the

building which had been secured for school purposes, and in September,

1875, St. Joseph's Academy and parish school was opened for the first

time in Cedar Rapids.

This community at Cedar Rapids remained subject to the mother house in

Davenport until 1881, when the southern part of the state was cut off

and made a new diocese. This new division of the Dubuque diocese

necessitated the subjection of the Cedar Rapids community to the

diocese of Dubuque and so the branch house became an independent

community in November, 1881.

At this time the community at Cedar Rapids consisted of about ten

Sisters, and there were about twenty-five boarders at St. Joseph's

Academy at the time.

Previous to the installation of Father Quinn as pastor of Immaculate

Conception church the parish school was independent of the academy.

After this they were united and the academic school became a free

school for all those who were unable to pay for tuition.

[Illustration: QUAKER OATS TRAIN]

[Illustration: SCENE ON CEDAR RIVER]

[Illustration: ST. PATRICK'S CHURCH, CEDAR RAPIDS]

This arrangement continued till the spring of 1905, when the Sisters

secured the beautiful house and property known as Mound Farm, on which

they now have a beautiful mother house and academy. Up to 1905 St.

Joseph's was the mother house of the Cedar Rapids community. Now the

mother house is at "the Mound."

The new Sacred Heart Academy opened in September, 1905, with thirty

boarders. It is situated on the same location as the mother house of

the community.

From the Cedar Rapids mother house of the Sisters of Mercy the

following branch houses have been and are supplied: Decorah, Grand

Junction, Anamosa, Manchester, De Witt, Charles City, Elma, Oelwein,

Bernard, New Haven, Waterloo, Marion, St. Wenceslaus, St. Joseph's,

Cedar Rapids, with Mercy Hospital, and a new hospital at Kalispel,

Montana.

In the community at present there are about one hundred and thirty

members. In the novitiate or preparatory school for aspirants to the

Sisterhood there are about forty young ladies laying the foundation for

their future life work.

Any attempt at church history in a state or in a city would be

incomplete without honorable mention of the Sisters. The history of the

parish school is also the history of the Sisters, that glorious body of

women who have given and who give their lives to the uplifting of the

human race. That branch of the Sisterhood which devotes their lives to

teaching is one of the most powerful allies the church has in keeping

her members faithful. The teaching orders are not alone in the work of

education. The Sisters have done a great work on the battle field and

in hospitals in opening the eyes of the world to the great ends sought

by the church.

MERCY HOSPITAL

There are many orders, each doing their own work in their own place.

Wherever there is work to be done, or good deeds to be performed, there

we find the Sisters with an eye single to their work and looking for

their reward in the world to come. To come from general to particulars,

I would be untrue to my promise if I did not call particular attention

to one institution in particular, namely, Mercy Hospital. There are few

Catholics in Iowa who are not acquainted with Mercy Hospital, Cedar

Rapids, and the great work being done by the Sisters of Mercy.

The absolute need for such an institution became so much a necessity in

Cedar Rapids that on November 15, 1900, the Sisters for the first time

began operations in an old residence quite near their convent. For

three years, under conditions entirely inadequate, they ministered to

the needs of their constantly increasing patrons, till they were

compelled by necessity and their rapidly increasing work to build the

present institution, which compares favorably with any similar

institution in the country and offers every facility to the medical

profession.

The corner stone of this beautiful building was laid on August 15,

1902, and the building was completed by December 1, 1903. It cost over

$100,000. It is in charge of the Sisters of Mercy of Cedar Rapids

community, who also have charge of Sacred Heart Academy on Mound Farm,

and of St. Joseph's parochial school, with St. Wenceslaus' school and

St. Berchman's Seminary, Marion, together with several schools through

Iowa, and of the Mercy Hospital at Kalispel, Montana.

So great has been the success of this institution that there is need at

present for an addition. There is a large training school for nurses in

which at present there are twenty-five pupils. The management of the

institution is accomplished by the Sisters, who at present number about

fifteen, among whom there are seven qualified trained nurses.

Ability of more than ordinary character is required to manage

successfully an institution like Mercy Hospital. And as the work

increases the greater the strain on the management. This position of

trust and responsibility has been capably filled for nearly ten years

by Sister Mary Alphonsus. She it was who first assumed charge of the

little hospital on Third avenue. She has seen that mustard seed grow

into the present beautiful institution. Sister Alphonsus, always

solicitous for the comfort of others, overtaxed her limited strength.

Never physically strong, she has given herself most generously in

constant care and vigilance to the duties of her responsible position.

Forgetting herself to be of help to others, it is not surprising that

her frail constitution should give way, when one considers the

responsibility of her position. This fact, coupled with the recent

death of her beloved mother, to whom she was much attached, almost

completely undermined her physical condition, and acting on the advice

of her medical adviser and that of her superior mother, N. Teresa,

Sister Alphonsus retired from the hospital to recuperate her failing

strength. During her years of office she made herself a general

favorite with all with whom she had to do.

SACRED HEART ACADEMY

This high grade school fills a long felt want in Cedar Rapids and Linn

county. There is no more suitable location for a young ladies' academy

than Cedar Rapids, and for its site there is not perhaps in the west a

place more suited than where the Sacred Heart Academy stands. Situated

on the highest elevation, perhaps, in the county, it is by nature and

the skill and taste admirably fitted to generate both sound minds and

healthy bodies. Recently a new addition has been built to the former

academy.

The church realizes that true progress is the law which God has given

to His creation. Any progress is creation continued. The gospel of

Christ is the gospel of progress. The mind to be progressive must seek

Him and find Him, and finding Him, be of value to the child and the

state.

This the church understands better than she gets credit for, and this

is the reason why her parish school is her first care after her own

existence has been established. Hence any attempt at her history which

would not include her schools would be incomplete and dwarfed. In the

school is sown the seed which is afterwards nursed and cared for by the

church, in its life-giving sacramental system.

One of the chief parish schools in Linn county is Sacred Heart Academy,

at Green Mound Farm. It is a school for young ladies in which are

taught all subjects which qualify candidates for the varied positions

to which they may wish to aspire, such as teaching, bookkeeping,

stenography, etc., etc.

St. Berchman's Seminary at Marion is a boarding school for boys who

have not attained the age of fourteen. In this school, which is in

charge of the Sisters of Mercy of Cedar Rapids, the most approved

methods are employed in imparting thorough and comprehensive

instruction in all the elementary branches of an English education,

together with a marked attention to the moral culture of the boys,

which makes them an honor to their parents and society. Careful

attention is given to their physical needs and bodily comfort, and

diligent care is extended in seeing that their time in the seminary is

put to the best advantage. Music and elocution are among the subjects

taught.

The seminary is located on First avenue and Fifteenth street. It is

situated on a twenty acre area, beautifully wooded, and affording

excellent facilities for outdoor games which boys usually indulge in.

The seminary has its own sources of supply in all edible stuffs. It has

a beautiful orchard and vegetable gardens, and its needs in the way of

dairy produce and poultry are supplied from its own farm. While within

the city limits, it is far removed from noise and all disturbing

elements which may in any way militate against the best results.

The apartments are spacious and are furnished with every modern

improvement conducive to health and comfort. The building is heated by

steam, well ventilated, and lighted by electricity. Hot and cold water

are in use for the bath system. At the present time a large addition is

being built to meet the needs of the increasing patronage.

CHAPTER XXXIX

_Linn County Statistics_

POPULATION

In 1840 the greatest number of people to the square mile was in the

extreme southeastern part of the territory. This was but natural, as

nearly all the settlers had come by river from St. Louis, only a few

coming by wagons up to this time. The settlers had in part come up

along the Red Cedar river, and Linn county claimed a population of

1,373, few of whom had lived more than two years in the county.

Settlers also ascended the Iowa and Des Moines rivers. By 1850 land

seekers had followed the Des Moines river and had already found homes

as far west as Boone county.

It was a severe blow to the agricultural interests of Linn county and

the newborn state when news of the gold fever reached the borders. Not

only the newspapers stirred up the people, but hundreds of parties

crossed the state in wagons, stopped along the way and talked

incessantly about the great diggings in California. The young men were

fired with enthusiasm. Work on the farm was hard and the returns small.

Thus Linn county lost many of its best and most enterprising young men.

Some, it is true, returned again after a stay of a few years in the

gold fields, but a large number never came back, but either died or

remained on the coast. While Linn county lost many settlers it also

gained others, who started west expecting to join mining parties, but

who settled down as farmers instead. From 1849 to 1857 was a restless

era of migration in what we call the middle west. In fact it extended

over the entire country. There were many causes for this. An era of

prosperity sprang up after the Mexican war, the gold discoveries and

the opening up of much fertile land by the government. All this, no

doubt, stirred people to find new homes or seek new adventures. The

panic of '57 of course for a time put a stop to all speculations,

especially in western lands.

The greatest influx of people into the state was from 1850 to 1856,

when the population increased from 192,214 to 517,875, an increase of

169.4 per cent. The population of the state for 1910 is 2,225,771. Linn

county felt the same influx, for the population increased from 5,444 in

1850 to 14,702 in 1856.

There seems to have been an increase of about 8,000 by the census of

1860, showing that while the panic may have kept some at home who might

have gone west, few new settlers sought the west to make new homes. The

population of the county and the towns will give the reader an idea of

the gradual growth in the population.

Here are some figures showing our development:

In May, 1838, the population of the county was 205. This had increased

to 2,643 in 1844. In 1847 we had 3,954 people, 4,762 in 1849, 5,444 in

1850, 6,870 in 1852, 10,802 in 1856, 18,947 in 1860, 18,693 in 1863,

showing the effects of the Civil war, this conflict not only taking

many of our substantial citizens to serve in the armies, but for the

time impeding emigration.

In 1865 the figures had increased to 20,754, in 1867 to 24,549, in 1870

to 31,080, in 1875 to 31,875, in 1880 to 37,237, in 1885 to 40,720, in

1890 to 45,303, in 1895 to 49,905, in 1900 to 55,392, and in 1905 to

57,362.

[Illustration: MERCY HOSPITAL, CEDAR RAPIDS]

At the time this is being written the population for the county for

1910 has not been announced.

The cities and the towns of the county have grown with it.

Cedar Rapids in 1885 had 15,426 people; in 1890, 18,020; in 1895,

21,555; in 1900, 25,656; in 1905, 28,759; and in 1910, 32,870.

Marion in 1885 had a population of 2,673; in 1890, 3,094; in 1895,

3,766; in 1900, 4,102; in 1905, 4,112.

Mt. Vernon boasted of 859 people in 1885, 1,259 in 1890, 1,178 in 1895,

1,629 in 1900, and 1,664 in 1905.

Lisbon's population in 1885 was 703. No statistics are available for

1890, but in 1895 the town had 817 people, 956 in 1900, and 948 in

1905.

The population of Center Point in 1885 was 565; in 1890, 615; in 1895,

595; in 1900, 674; and in 1905, 823.

Springville in 1885 was credited with 561; in 1890, 518; in 1895, 562;

in 1900, 509; and in 1905, 582.

In 1890 the population of Central City was given as 467; in 1895, 594;

in 1900, 623; and in 1905, 607.

Walker in 1895 had 485 people, 505 in 1900, and 571 in 1905.

In this connection it is of interest to note that in 1836 the

population of Wisconsin Territory, of which Iowa was then a part, west

of the Mississippi river was, Dubuque county 4,274, Des Moines county

6,257, or a total of 10,531.

A second census was taken in 1838, which showed that there were in

sixteen counties organized from the original two counties a population

of 22,859. Jones county had 241 people at this time, Cedar 557, Johnson

237, and Linn 205.

In the first constitutional convention, which met at Iowa City October

7, 1844, and adjourned November 1, 1844, this county was represented by

Thomas J. McKean, Samuel W. Durham, L. M. Strong.

The constitution adopted by this convention was rejected by the people

at an election held August 4, 1845, the vote being, for 7,235, against

7,656.

In the second constitutional convention, which met at Iowa City May 4,

1846, and adjourned May 19, the county was represented by Socrates H.

Tryon.

At the election on August 3, 1846, this constitution was adopted by the

people by a small majority. It was presented to congress in December,

1846, and on the 28th of the same month an act was passed for the

admission of Iowa into the Union.

The third constitutional convention sat in Iowa City from January 19 to

March 3, 1857, and adopted a constitution which was ratified by the

people on August 3 following. In this convention Linn's representative

was Hosea W. Gray.

In this county the vote on the constitution was 1,307 yes, 955 no. In

the state the vote was, yes 40,000, no 38,681. The result shows the

first sign of a change in the political sentiment in state and county.

The republicans favored the constitution, and the democrats opposed it.

Following are the members of the General Assembly from Linn county from

1846 to date. In the Territorial Legislature, 1843-4, Robert Smythe was

our representative in the House of Representatives, and William Abbe in

the Senate.

J. S. Alexander, Marion, senator 26th, 26th extra session, 27th, 28th

and 29th.

H. G. Angle, Cedar Rapids, senator 8th, 8th extra session, 9th, 9th

extra session.

Ellsworth N. Bates, Cedar Rapids, representative 7th.

E. J. C. Bealer, Cedar Rapids, representative 29th, 30th, 31st.

A. Sidney Belt, Cedar Rapids, representative 11th.

J. W. Bowman, Marion, representative 33d, 34th.

I. P. Bowdish, Waubeek, representative 17th, 19th.

David Brant, Cedar Rapids, representative 26th, 26th extra session.

W. R. Brown, Viola, representative 18th.

J. P. Carbee, Springville, representative 10th, 11th.

J. P. Conkey, representative 5th, 5th extra session.

Jennings Crawford, Wapsie, representative 8th, 8th extra session.

Joshua Doran, Mt. Vernon, representative 22d.

William G. Dows, Cedar Rapids, representative 27th, 28th.

Stephen L. Dows, Cedar Rapids, senator 16th, 17th.

Charles G. Gitchell, Walker, representative 23d, 24th.

John T. Hamilton, Cedar Rapids, representative 21st, 22d, 23d.

John W. Henderson, Cedar Rapids, senator 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st.

Robert Holmes, Cedar Rapids, representative 5th, 5th extra session.

Moses C. Jordan, Central City, representative 16th.

Ezekiel B. Kephart, Western, senator 14th, 15th.

John E. Kurtz, Lisbon, representative 6th.

William B. Leach, Cedar Rapids, representative 12th.

William D. Linzenberg, Waubeek, representative 14th, 15th.

Dan Lothian, Marion, representative 6th.

John McAllister, Cedar Rapids, representative 30th, 31st, 32d.

F. McClelland, Cedar Rapids, representative 26th.

Arthur M. McKeel, Fairfax, representative 15th.

Isaac Milburn, Cedar Rapids, representative 9th extra session.

Ernest R. Moore, Cedar Rapids, representative 32d, 33d, 34th.

H. J. Neitert, Walker, representative 25th, 26th, 26th extra session,

27th.

Jonathan J. Nugent, Nugent, representative 20th.

Adam Perry, Western, representative 12th.

Isaac M. Preston, Marion, representative 3d, senator 4th, 5th, 5th

extra session.

A. St. Clair Smith, Cedar Rapids, representative 25th.

J. H. Smith, Cedar Rapids, senator 22d, 23d.

Robert Smythe, Mt. Vernon, representative 1st, 1st extra session,

senator 12th, 13th, representative 20th.

Oliver O. Stanchfield, Cedar Rapids, representative 13th.

Redman D. Stephens, Marion, representative 18th.

W. C. Stuckslager, Lisbon, representative 28th, 29th, senator 30th,

31st, 32d.

John M. Terry, Cedar Rapids, senator 24th, 25th.

W. G. Thompson, Marion, senator 6th, 7th, representative 21st.

William Ure, Fairfax, representative 16th, 17th.

E. D. Wain, Mt. Vernon, representative 7th.

Edgar A. Warner, Waubeek, representative 13th.

Charles Weare, Cedar Rapids, representative 10th.

Amos Witter, Mt. Vernon, representative 8th, 8th extra session.

Joseph B. Young, Marion, representative 9th, 9th extra session, senator

10th, 11th.

Linn county has never had a governor, lieutenant governor, a secretary

of state, state auditor, state treasurer, or member of railroad

commission.

John W. Atkins served as superintendent of public instruction from

1882-1888. John T. Hamilton served as speaker of the house during the

session of 1890. S. N. Parsons served as secretary of the senate in the

24th General Assembly. George Greene, Jr., served as adjutant general

from 1890-1894. L. S. Merchant was state binder during the years

1885-88. George A. Lincoln has been fish commissioner continuously

since April 1, 1901. James H. Trewin is serving as a member of the

state board of education. J. T. Hamilton was a member of the state

board of control from 1906-1909. Johnson Brigham, a former resident of

Linn county, has been state librarian since 1898. On the supreme bench

of this state sat George Greene, Norman W. Isbell, and J. H. Rothrock.

L. S. Merchant was state oil inspector for a few months in 1893. He

was succeeded by Luther A. Brewer, who served from 1893-1897.

In congress we have had the following representatives: Wm. Smythe, and

Wm. G. Thompson, Marion; J. T. Hamilton, and James W. Good, Cedar

Rapids.

CHAPTER XL

_The Bridges Across the Cedar at Cedar Rapids and Early Steamboating on

the Cedar River_

One of the most enterprising men who devoted all his time to the

upbuilding of Kingston, which later became part of Cedar Rapids, was

David W. King, who arrived a short time after Robert Ellis. Mr. King

and the settlers on the west side of the river early devised schemes by

which to get in touch with the east side and the county seat. True, it

was all right when the river was frozen over and in summer when the

river was down so that it was safe to ford the stream, but there were

times when it was impossible to ford the river on account of high

water.

D. W. King obtained a license to operate a ferry across the river,

which he continued to run up to the time of his death in 1854. This

ferry was operated till about 1857 when the bridges were opened. Even

for some time after the first bridge was put in operation did the ferry

do much business, as the first bridge soon after it had been completed

went out with the flood in the spring of '57, and the second bridge,

finished that fall, also went out by an ice gorge in January the next

year. Then for a time the ferry was used from and to May's Island as

the bridge from the east side to May's Island had been properly erected

so as to stand the floods.

The establishment of a ferry at this point brought trade to Cedar

Rapids and accomplished much in making Cedar Rapids a business center,

to which place travelers and others came. It was not till many years

later that free bridges could be offered to the citizens of the town.

But in this respect the city was ahead of other cities of the state.

It was David W. King who early began a toll bridge, and it is said that

"when the boulder in the river near the Watrous mill was visible the

early pioneer could with safety drive across the river." If it was not

they had to pay for crossing on the toll bridge. David King's ferry was

the first step in the direction of progress in Cedar Rapids. By virtue

of a law which went into effect December 22, 1848, Mr. King was

authorized to establish and keep a ferry across Cedar river at a point

in Linn county opposite Cedar Rapids for a term of ten years with

exclusive privilege for the space of one mile on either side. Here King

for a number of years did a thriving business, and Cedar Rapids

received the benefits of the trade which extended west into Benton

county.

THE FIRST BRIDGE

In an old paper, being part of the records of the house passed January

23, 1853, the following may be found: "An Act to create a Board of

Commissioners with authority to erect a free bridge across the Cedar

River at Cedar Rapids in Linn County.

"SECTION 1. Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the

State of Iowa that John M. May, Frederick A. Williams and

Gabriel Carpenter be and are hereby appointed and

constituted a Board of Commissioners to receive voluntary

subscriptions in trust for the erection of a free bridge

across the Cedar river at Cedar Rapids in Rapids Township,

Linn County, with a draw of not less than forty feet in

said bridge for the free passage of boats and other craft

navigating said river.

"SEC. 2. Provided, that the Board should furnish Bonds in

the sum of $20,000.00 to be approved by the County Judge of

Linn County.

"Sec. 4. Providing, that the construction of the bridge

should be begun within ninety days from the time of the

beginning to collect subscriptions and that the bridge

should be completed within two years from the time that

active work was begun."

This bridge was begun in the fall of 1856 and completed during the

winter of 1856 and 1857. It was located below May's Island at the foot

of Daniels street, now Seventh avenue. This bridge was really gotten up

to spring a real estate boom in property owned by Carpenter, Major May

and others on the west side of the river. It is said Major May himself

subscribed $1,000. However, the location of the bridge was ideal. It

was needed and was something the people of the town took a great pride

in; in the early day toll bridges were the rule and not the exception.

During the early spring of 1857 this bridge in a high flood was carried

away and two sisters by the name of Black, living on the west side and

who were crossing the bridge at the time, lost their lives.

During the following summer there was much agitation for a bridge,

especially by the people having real estate and residing on the west

side of the river and farmers who had located in the western part of

the county as well as in southeast Benton county. During the summer a

floating bridge was built across the river at what is known now as

First avenue. This was also a short lived bridge, having been carried

away by the ice gorge in the spring of 1858.

During the same summer materials were secured and some was saved from

the old bridge and a temporary bridge was erected across May's Island,

between May's Island and east Cedar Rapids, while on the west side a

ferry boat was used. In February, 1855, the county court granted a

license for twenty-five years to H. G. Angle for the erection and

maintenance of a toll bridge at First avenue. It provided that no other

toll bridge should be erected on the river for two years within two

miles on either side of this contemplated toll bridge. In the decree of

the court it was also mentioned that in case a free bridge was

constructed within two miles a reasonable sum of money should be paid

to the person or company owning the toll bridge. This toll privilege

was transferred in the following year to George Greene, John Weare,

William Greene, P. W. Earle, A. F. Steadman, H. E. Higley, N. B. Brown,

Lowell and Lawson Daniels, E. H. Dobbs, J. J. Child, and J. P. Rogers.

This bridge, however, was not opened for traffic until the winter of

1859-60. The stockholders were made up of Cedar Rapids people, and at

one time the stock was above par. The prices charged were as follows:

25 cents for a double team and wagon; for driving cattle 5 cents a

head: for driving sheep 3 cents a head; and for pedestrians 1 cent

each. Some time later reduction was made by the management for round

trip ticket holders. Many squabbles were had over these tickets. It is

said that an Irishman came to T. J. Dudley, Jr., wanting to start suit

for preventing him returning, he having lost his round trip ticket, and

offering him $10.00. Mr. Dudley quietly went down to the office of the

company and told the man to cross. He was permitted to do so and

willingly parted with his $10.00 to Dudley, the latter paying the

customary price to the gatekeeper. This story of Dudley's wit, showing

how a lawyer got the best of it, was repeated in many families in Cedar

Rapids, and as a consequence a number of young men took up the study of

law for a profession.

For a number of years citizens residing in west Cedar Rapids and in the

eastern part of the county made various attempts for a free bridge

across the river. Much of the grain and produce came from Benton county

and the western part of Linn county. A number of grain merchants and

others were located on that side of the river and had their grain in

storage at that place and were asking the railroad authorities for

permission to erect freight houses on that side of the river. A number

of citizens of Cedar Rapids who were interested in Kingston real estate

also attempted this enterprise, believing that the time was not far

distant before Kingston would become the more important town of the

two. A petition was circulated for a free bridge across the Cedar river

and presented to the board of supervisors to take the matter under

consideration. At the January term, 1871, the board appropriated

$14,000 for the purpose, providing that the city or citizens of Cedar

Rapids, or both, should guarantee to furnish the balance of such sum as

should be necessary to pay for a first-class iron bridge across the

Cedar. It was further provided that no part of the county funds should

be expended until the whole sum necessary had been raised by

subscription or otherwise. The citizens of Cedar Rapids, and others

interested in the city, at once circulated petitions for funds and also

authorized the mayor of Cedar Rapids to call an election and vote on

the question of issuing bonds to aid in the construction of said

bridge. This petition was signed by S. C. Bever, one of the early

bankers, and by more than fifty citizens wanting a bridge located at

what is now First avenue, asking that the city vote bonds to the extent

of $6,000, promising that the citizens would guarantee the balance for

the erection of a bridge.

Another petition was signed by John F. Ely and about one hundred other

citizens all interested in locating the bridge at the foot of Park

avenue, now Third avenue. These gentlemen asked for the issuance of

$12,000 worth of city bonds, and were willing to guarantee any

additional sum necessary over and above the amount appropriated by the

county and city, which they were to raise by private subscription.

Thus, there were two factions within the city, one working against the

other in the matter of the location of the bridge. These factions were

composed, of course, of people who were interested in the location at a

point that would be most advantageous to their private interests.

During the winter of 1870-71 it was very cold and severe until in March

when it became suddenly warm. Heavy rains followed and the river on or

about the first of March was very high and the ice commenced to move

out. Large quantities of ice came rolling and surging down the stream

and carried everything down the river. In a few days the toll bridge at

First avenue went down, struck by one of the ice floes which made it

collapse. The Bourne saw mill also became a total wreck, and more or

less damage was done to all the mills along the river. On account of

the disaster to the toll bridge all communication with Kingston was cut

off and it became necessary to do something at once.

The city council was called together and the mayor called for an

election. In this council sat J. J. Snouffer, Dr. Mansfield, Stephens,

C. C. Cook, David Denlinger, E. S. Hill, James Bell, and E. Robbins,

with Mayor Thomas Z. Cook. The city voted bonds to the extent of

$12,000 by a majority vote of 483 for and 83 against the bond

proposition. All this time E. Robbins, one of the aldermen, operated a

small boat called the "Aurora," which had previously been used between

this point and Vinton, as a ferry boat above the dam. It was so

arranged that eight teams could cross at the same time.

About the same time Keech & Co. established a ferry boat that was

operated by horse power attached to a cable stretched across the river.

[Illustration: JUDGE N. M. HUBBARD]

The two men having the most to do with the building of this bridge were

William Ure, a member of the board of supervisors, from Scotch Grove,

and William Richmond, a part of the city council, who had charge of the

entire work. These men devoted a great deal of their time in helping

along the speedy construction of the bridge. The contract for the

superstructure was let in April to Messrs. O'Hanlan and O'Hara at a

cost of $22,000.00. The contract provided that the work should be done

within ninety days from April 15th. The bridge proper was erected by

the Canton Bridge Company, of Canton, Ohio, and cost about $20,000

for the abutment and piers. The other necessary masonry work made a

total cost of $42,000. The bridge fund consisted of the following

amounts: The county expended $15,000; city bonds, $12,000;

subscriptions paid, about $16,000.

For many years this bridge was considered as a county bridge and all

moneys used for repairs were paid from the county bridge fund; later it

was looked upon as a city bridge, and repairs, etc., were paid for out

of the city treasury. This bridge was completed August 15th and a

celebration was had. It is still used and the bonds have long since

been paid.

During the year 1874 the board of supervisors appropriated $8,000 for

the B avenue bridge and the citizens subscribed $22,000, of which sum

N. B. Brown subscribed $5,000, George Greene $4,000, William Greene

$4,000, Higley estate $2,000. A contract was let for the bridge in

September, 1874, in the amount of $28,500; other additions were made,

making the bridge cost about $32,000.

Fourteenth avenue bridge, known as the James street bridge, was begun

in August, 1875, and completed in December of the same year at a total

cost of $27,000. The county appropriated for this bridge $11,500, the

city $6,000, and the property owners paid $9,500, T. M. Sinclair paying

the largest amount.

The First avenue bridge was constructed in 1884 at a cost of about

$25,000, the bridge being opened for traffic in November, 1884.

The Second avenue bridge, being a cement bridge with railings, cost

about $110,000, and was opened for traffic in December, 1905.

The new Fourteenth avenue, or James street, bridge was commenced by the

Union Construction Company in 1909, and completed in the spring of 1910

at a cost of about $80,000.

EARLY STEAMBOATING ON THE CEDAR

The following account of some early steamboating adventures on the

Cedar river is from the pen of B. L. Wick, and is taken from the first

volume of the _Proceedings_ of the Historical Society of Linn county.

It is of interest.

The subject matter of steamboating on the Cedar will scarcely attract

any attention today and means only a pleasure jaunt with more or less

inconvenience among sandbars on the upper river. However, historically

speaking, steamboating on this river was an epoch-making period for

this section of the country, and the prosperity of our city was due in

a large measure, to our dam, our grist, saw and woolen mills; and to

our steamboat traffic. These industries made Cedar Rapids.

It has been said that the history of a town is frequently the history

of a great river. This is true of nearly all the great European cities

and is equally true of the great marts of commerce in this country. The

great Father of Waters has, however, played an important part in the

development of the middle west, of which great body of water the Red

Cedar is one of its many tributaries. It has been stated that this

great river system has 16,000 miles of navigable waters, and it is

further the river along whose banks at least three of the European

powers have contested for the extension of territory. I shall leave

this discussion out of the question, and confine myself to one of its

many branches--the Red Cedar.

It was not till August 7, 1807, that Robert Fulton propelled the

Clermont up the Hudson by means of steam navigation at the rate of five

miles an hour, and solved forever, the great question of water

navigation. It was not long till the inventor and his friend,

Livingston, extended their operations to the great west, and began

building steamboats at Pittsburg, and on December 6, 1812, the

"Orleans" of 400 tons burden, was the first steamer which made the trip

to New Orleans, and thus opened up the newly acquired possessions. This

boat was commanded by W. I. Roosevelt, a sturdy ancestor of a worthy

descendant.

Prior to this time the products of the great West had been transported

by means of rafts and flat boats, both slow and dangerous. Now river

trade could be carried on up as well as down the river, and in what was

then considered very quick time.

During the year 1819, Capt. Nelson was the first to propel a steamer,

"The Independence," up the Mississippi river from St. Louis. It was not

till 1825, according to an old pioneer, Dr. Isaac Galland, that Capt.

James White, commanding the steamer "Mandan," passed the rapids at

Keokuk.

In 1831, Col. George Davenport, the founder of the town which bears his

name, explored the Red Cedar as far as Rock creek, and at this place

established a trading post with the Indians, which continued for four

years. This is the first navigation of this river by the whites on

record. The first steamboat on the Des Moines river, of which we have

any knowledge, was in 1837, which arrived as far as Keosauqua. The

first keel boat was owned by Capt. Cash, and came up in the following

year.

It seems that the settlers of the territory early began to encourage

steamboat traffic with the world. On the 12th of January, 1839, the

legislature of Iowa Territory empowered a company to incorporate in the

amount of $200,000, in order to build a slack water canal from the

Cedar river to the Mississippi by way of Rock creek. An act was also

passed for the inspection of steamboats, boilers, etc., at this

session. Congress on November 6, 1846, for the purposes of improving

the river traffic, granted certain lands to the Territory of Iowa, to

aid in the improving of the Des Moines river for the purpose of

navigation. Even the other day a large appropriation was granted for

the erection of locks and a canal at the Keokuk rapids on the

Mississippi.

The Red Cedar river is about 248 miles long and is comparatively free

from any rapids as far as this city, and hence, was early looked upon

as one of the most favored rivers for steamboat navigation. The Iowa,

into which the Cedar empties, is about 240 miles in length, and not so

favorable for navigation.

It is well known that Linn county was created by an act of the

legislature of Wisconsin territory, and approved December 21, 1837; and

the spot which our city now covers, was settled the following spring,

by Osgood Shepherd and William Stone, soon followed by Robert Ellis,

Philip Hull, the Listebargers, Thos. Gainer and David King.

[Illustration: VIEWS ALONG THE CEDAR RIVER]

One cannot speak of steamboating without mentioning Robert Ellis, our

respected pioneer who landed on the present confines of our city May 8,

1838, and found only one shanty inhabited, which was on the present

location of the T. M. Sinclair packing house, and was owned by Philip

Hull; the other hut was built near the Cooper mills and was then vacant

as the owner, Osgood Shepherd, had gone east for his family. Mr. Ellis

located on his present farm that summer and obtained a patent for it

from President Polk, and he is no doubt one of the very few in this

county who hold title direct from the government of this date. Mr.

Ellis in the winter of 1846, had three flat boats built at Palo, each

boat being sixty feet long, sixteen feet wide and drawing three feet of

water when loaded. On these boats he loaded four thousand bushels of

wheat which he consigned to Noble and McCutchins, of Burlington,

millers of that place. On each boat he had three men and these were

provided with side oars to be used when they got into bends of the

river. They started with their cargo the latter part of March and

arrived after some trouble at Burlington; when arriving at Burlington

the firm were in financial trouble and it looked as though the men

could not get their pay, but it was finally arranged if Mr. Ellis could

take flour to New Orleans, they could then realize some money and he

would be paid. They remained here for some little time, and started out

the three flat boats again, loaded down with flour. They were a long

time in getting down the stream but kept on paddling when they got fast

in the stumps and otherwise floated down the river. By the latter

part of June they arrived at New Orleans in safety and disposed of

the flour, but again were unable to realize on the flour as it had been

consigned to certain brokers and the payments were tied up. They took

in the slave markets and otherwise looked around the great city which

was now the great emporium of the west and the southwest, and then took

steamer for Burlington. Arriving at Burlington Mr. Ellis stood no show

of getting his money, but trusted to luck and bought a horse, riding

horseback from Burlington to Cedar Rapids. Not till that fall did he

realize anything on this wheat deal, and finally was paid after much

trouble by the parties, who were not dishonest, but whose property

interests had been tied up so they were unable to realize on their

goods sufficiently to pay creditors.

The new waterway of Robert Ellis became the subject of conversation for

some time afterwards, and it inspired others to greater activity. The

people realized that they must have an outlet, for their produce and

cheapen transportation, if possible. It became the subject of serious

consideration by the settlers. If this question could be solved, the

greatness and importance of the city as a commercial center would be

assured. By 1839, keel boats had reached Ivanhoe, and quite a trade was

carried on at certain seasons of the year, mostly in the spring, and

much grain and farm products were taken away in trade for provisions.

Thus Squire Holmes, the Higley Bros., Daniels & Co., and several

others, from Marion and Cedar Rapids, in the early forties built flat

boats at Westport and Ivanhoe and traded groceries and other articles

the farmers needed for wheat, pork, and other produce. This stuff was

shipped in the early spring on flat boats. Sheds were also erected so

as to store the grain until such time as the boats could be loaded. Old

Henry Rogers also erected a saw mill and shipped a little lumber down

the river. It was dangerous and not practical to get the lumber down

stream, and the scheme was abandoned.

The first large Mississippi steamer, which came as far as our city

limits, was in the month of August, 1844, called the "Maid of Iowa,"

when a number of settlers and also a part of Mormons came as

landseekers.

"The first stream boat at Cedar Rapids was the 'Maid of Iowa' commanded

by Capt. Chas. Ross. She landed and cabled to the saw-mill on the 3rd

of August, 1844, just as the sun was setting."--Extract from Account

Book kept by N. B. Brown.

On this boat was Rev. Isaac Searles, born in 1812, who located in

Johnson county in 1842. He gave the first sermon in true Methodist

fashion from the deck of the steamer, and talked to a large concourse

of people who had assembled from the surrounding country. Each

passenger was offered a lot by the enterprising people of the city. As

a result of this steamboat venture, a Methodist church was organized at

the home of one of the Listebargers. During the next ten years, many

large and small Mississippi steamers made the Cedar river points as far

as Cedar Rapids, and quite a trade had been established between St.

Louis, Keokuk, Burlington and this part of the state.

The last of the large Mississippi steamers, which made Cedar Rapids,

was the "Uncle Tobey," of two hundred tons burden, which made her way

up here among the brush and overhanging willows in the spring of 1853,

and remained at the Third avenue landing for several days, at what is

now the Warfield-Pratt-Howell building. When departing, after taking on

a large cargo of grain and produce, she steamed up the river and turned

down the channel on the west side of May's island. A number of people

are still living who remember this steamer and the shouts and waving of

handkerchiefs as the steamer glided smoothly down the river and out of

sight.

From the _Annals of Iowa_, Vol. 5, page 401, I quote the following

showing the rainfall in this state from 1848 to 1855: "In 1848, 26

inches; 1849, 49 inches; 1850, 49 inches; 1851, 74-1/2, inches; 1852,

49 inches; 1853, 45 inches; 1854, 23 inches and in 1855, 28 inches." Up

to 1858, the rainfall was below the average, while during the years

from '58 to '59, it was above the average. From the newspapers of that

time, it seems that there were a great many floods during the summer

months, so that steamboating was common on all the rivers during the

entire year until frost came.

The question has frequently arisen, whether or not the rain fall was

greater fifty years ago than now, and on the whole, from the old

settlers, and from reports, as kept, it would seem to be about the

same. All agree, however, that there was more water in the rivers, and

they give their reasons as follows: "That the channel of the river was

more narrow, and that the rivers were deeper, and free from the mud and

the sand, which have now accumulated due to the tilling of the soil.

Then the river banks were lined with trees, which protected the water

from the rays of the sun, and the sloughs were filled with water all

summer on account of the high grass, and all these sloughs, creeks,

bayous, supplied the river with water during all seasons of the year,

which is now not the case." All the water which fell in those days

found its way into the river, which is not true after the ground became

cultivated to any extent, so that it has been figured out that only

about a fourth of the water finds its way into the river. This, of

course, may be one of the reasons why steamboating was possible fifty

years ago and is not now.

Of the many enterprising settlers, who came west to make this city

their home, there were a number of enterprising, wide-awake and

industrious men, who had courage and besides possessed more than

ordinary ability along commercial lines. Among these settlers, George

Greene, who was a prime mover in every new enterprise, succeeded in

organizing a company for the building of a steamboat, to be called the

"Cedar Rapids," and to be especially built for navigation upon the Red

Cedar river. In this company were, besides Mr. Greene, W. H. Merritt,

the Daniels family, Dr. J. F. Ely, Dr. S. D. Carpenter and later, W. B.

Mack. A contract was entered into with parties at Pittsburg for the

building of a modern steamboat, to be of white oak 155 feet long,

single deck, stern wheel, clinker built, to be arranged for freight and

passenger traffic, and to draw the least possible amount of water. The

contract price for this steamer was $20,000, and it was launched in

June, 1858, about three months after the contract was let. It was built

at Freedom, Beaver county, Pennsylvania, not far from Pittsburg.

As to the subsequent history of this steamer, I shall confine myself to

press notices from the _Cedar Valley Times_, which will give you an

idea of the people and how much interest they took in this vessel,

which was to connect them with the outside world. From the issue of

July 8th, I find the following: "News has arrived that the 'Cedar

Rapids' left Pittsburg July 1st, with 100 tons of freight." From the

issue of July 22nd: "The 'Cedar Rapids' arrived from Pittsburg in three

weeks, and is around at the dock at Market St. Roman candles were sent

up from her decks when she arrived, and the crowd upon the shores

saluted her with renewed cheers and with a firing of cannons; below is

her Log: 'Left Pittsburg July 1st, at dark. At Cincinnati the 5th; at

Louisville the 8th; arrived at St. Louis the 12th; left the 15th;

arrived at the mouth of the Iowa river at 11 o'clock, and took in tow,

60,000 feet of lumber; five feet of water in the channel up to the

mouth of the Cedar river. Arrived at Moscow Friday evening. Consignees,

William Greene, W. B. Mack, H. C. Camp, groceries; L. Daniels, R. C.

Rock, Greene and Hay, hardware; W. W. Smith, O. O. Stanchfield,

lumber." The article further goes on describing the steamer as follows:

"She is 155 feet long, 26 feet wide, and three feet in the hold. She is

a stern wheel, 14 feet in diameter, 18 feet long, buckets being 15

inches wide. She is provided with a decker or smaller engine for

supplying the boiler with water, also with a smaller engine for

hoisting freight out of the hold. All four engines are separate

machines. She is also supplied with appliances, such as water gauge,

two Evans safety guides, one on each engine, life preservers, fire hose

and force pump, in short, everything to make her a first-class

passenger boat. The captain is J. M. Andrews, a gentleman who has had

much experience with river navigation; the pilot is Albert Wemper;

mate, T. Risley; engineers, J. P. Fulton and W. M. Hunter; clerks, J.

C. Graves, A. W. Lamb. She had on 300 tons of freight, and drew only

three feet of water, and when light, draws eleven inches. She had on

board eighty-four passengers."

The above description will give you an idea of the first passenger boat

of any note built for traffic in Iowa, and was no doubt at that time,

one of the best equipped steamers for passenger and freight traffic

owned exclusively by Iowa men and operated upon Iowa rivers.

On this steamer, which made its first trip in 1858, was W. B. Mack, a

person well known to Cedar Rapids people, and who for half a century,

up to the time of his death a few years ago, had been one of the most

active business men of our city, and in an early day did much in the

east in securing funds from the rich in various investments in this

city. Mr. Mack had come to this city in March of this year, at the

solicitation of Greene and Merritt, and he entered into a partnership

relation with said men in the banking business. He early saw the

opportunity for Cedar Rapids as a wholesale center, and purchased stock

in the steam ship company, went east in June, purchased a stock of

groceries in New York City, had them transported by rail to Pittsburg,

and personally saw that they were properly stored on the "Cedar

Rapids." On the route he made a purchase of a considerable cargo of

Kenawha salt. All of which were shipped to Cedar Rapids, and was the

first exclusive wholesale stock of groceries in this city. This had an

effect of reducing the price of salt from $5 per barrel, to one-half,

and it had the further effect of reducing the price of nearly every

commodity, so that Cedar Rapids, on account of its transportation

facilities, became known as a cheap trading center, and I believe has

retained that reputation up to the present time.

On this first trip of the "Cedar Rapids," came as a passenger from

Pittsburg, Susan H. Greene, better known to you, as Mrs. A. S. Belt. If

we could only have the impression of what this seventeen-year-old young

lady saw on this trip from Pittsburg to Cedar Rapids, in the '50s,

along this historic waterway, we should undoubtedly have at least a

chapter of the history of the country and of the life of the people as

she observed it, and it would no doubt make a valuable addition to the

history of this county.

The "Cedar Rapids" made in all, twelve trips during the season, to St.

Louis, stopping at every point along the way to pick up cargo or

passengers. In this respect, the captain was much like President

Stickney, of the Great Western, who replied to the manager of an

electric road the other day, wanting certain traffic relations

established, that he would stop for a farm wagon, providing there was

anything in it. Of the Cedar Rapids business men, who, during this time

received large shipments of goods from time to time, I note the

following: A. C. Keyes, J. S. Cook, A. H. Atwell, H. C. Camp, H. G.

Angle, W. W. Smith Bros., Stanchfield, Taylor, Greene, and W. B. Mack.

From the issue of July 29th, I find the following: "The 'Cedar Rapids'

left for St. Louis yesterday, and had in tow, a barge loaded with 1,138

sacks of oats, 736 sacks of wheat, some corn and 938 barrels of flour.

At Rochester it will take on 200 barrels of flour. It had besides

twenty passengers. It was frequently difficult to get under the bridge

at Moscow, so a quantity of sand was taken on board at Cedar Rapids to

weigh the steamer down sufficiently to get under the bridge, when the

weight of the cargo was not sufficient." On October 14th, the newspaper

again mentioned the steamer having arrived from St. Louis with a good

cargo, the bulk of which was 45,000 feet of lumber, consigned to O. O.

Stanchfield and Gordon & Enos, the captain further reports low water

and numerous sand-bars.

The steamer seems to have run until about the middle of November, when

she was laid up at St. Louis, and was expected to have gone into winter

trade on the Red river. Dr. S. D. Carpenter and G. W. Hollet having

gone to New Orleans to make the arrangements. The newspaper for

December speaks of the parties having returned unable to book the

steamer for the winter trade on the Red river, as she was not

constructed properly for Southern trade.

Early in March of the following year the whistle of the "Cedar Rapids"

again greeted the denizens of this city, bringing a large cargo of

freight, leaving again on the 14th with 4,300 bushels of grain and

sixteen passengers. On this trip was one of our honored townsmen,

George Haman, who had come from Mifflin county, Pennsylvania, two years

previously, and who now was on his way to St. Louis to buy his first

stock of drugs. He returned in about ten days with a well selected

stock, and has been in active business in the same location ever since.

The officers this year were captain, B. Tay; clerk, G. W. Hollet, mate,

T. G. Isherwood, and pilot, Merrit. Mr. Haman speaks in glowing terms

of the fine treatment received while on board, of the luxurious

staterooms and of the magnificent table which was fit for a king. On

one of these trips certain machinery was broken at Rochester, and it

was thought that they had to go afoot to Muscatine to make the repairs

before the steamer could proceed further. A village blacksmith by the

name of Jim Grant, a cousin of the general, after looking over the

broken piston rods, said in his laconic way, "I'd rather pound away

here all summer, than have a man walk to Muscatine and back," and he

was as good as his word, for in the morning he had the damage repaired

and received a good day's wages and three cheers from the crew and the

passengers.

In the issue of May 5th, the paper mentioned the steamer "Cedar Rapids"

as departing from this city for Burlington with 9,000 bushels of grain

with A. W. Lamb as captain. This was the last trip the "Cedar Rapids"

made on Cedar river water, as by the issue of May 19th the paper speaks

of the "Cedar Rapids" sinking another steamer near Burlington. Mr.

Isherwood tells me, that the steamer which was sunk was called the

"Canton" and owned by John Roads of Savannah, Ill. The accident was due

to a mistake of signals. The injured parties held the "Cedar Rapids"

and a long litigation ensued, which was a severe blow to the

stockholders, who lost their steamer. The sound of the whistle of the

"Cedar Rapids" was never heard again, and it closes the chapter as far

as steam boating below the dam is concerned.

The day of steamboating was about over. A new method of transportation

was devised, and millions of dollars which had been spent by the state

and by the nation was now of but little account, and the grants of land

which had been made in order to improve the navigation of our river,

was now changed, and given in the extension of railroads. June 15,

1859, is the great gala day of Cedar Rapids, for it is on this day that

the last rail was laid which connected us with Chicago, and the far

East, and the celebration of this occasion is the most noted that we

have ever had up to the present time. There were orators from the East,

from the South and from the North, and the news of this celebration was

spread broadcast over the land and it seemed to have been of such a

flowery kind that it caused the waters of the Cedar to flow backwards,

and only Elias Doty has ever since that time succeeded in piloting a

steamboat on the murky waters of the Cedar, as far as Rochester.

As I have stated before, the dam across the Cedar was erected in 1842,

although Mrs. John F. Ely says the dam was never completed, and her

husband constantly spent large sums of money to keep it up, and it was

not long till quite a traffic was going on above the dam as far as

Cedar Falls. Early in 1858, T. G. Isherwood came from Brownsville,

Pennsylvania, the son of a boat builder, and he set to work to build

the first boat of any size for river traffic. It was built for Freeman

Smith & Co., and nearly all the lumber was sawed by Snouffer & Watrous

and came out of Bever Park. It made its trial trip on September 30,

1858. It was a stern wheeler, single deck, 125 feet long, 125 tons

burden, called the "Export." From the paper of October 7, I quote the

following: "The new steamer 'Export' made her trial trip up the river

last Friday, having on board some 70 or 80 of our citizens. She

performed well, and all on board were delighted with the trip. We are

happy to know that the whole community unite in awarding the owners,

Freeman Smith &. Co., much praise. The list of officers are as follows:

Master, Freeman Smith, Jr.; clerk, S. D. McCaulley; engineer, Tom

Stanley; mate, Tom G. Isherwood." The paper for the next few weeks

speaks in glowing terms of the "Export" and what a trade the merchants

of this city have worked up with the towns along the river. That the

boat makes the distance by river from Waterloo in fourteen hours and

from Vinton, in five hours. The Waverly _Republican_, then edited by

our townsman, J. O. Stewart, asks the people of Waverly and the

surrounding country to obtain their goods by way of Cedar Rapids, as

the cheapest and quickest method by which to get goods into that region

of the country.

Mr. Isherwood speaks of the boat doing a big business, both in freight

and passenger traffic, and that on the whole he did a paying business

for the short time it was in service. On this first trip, was enrolled

as a member of the crew, George Horridge, a young tinner, who had

recently come from the east, and who is now well and favorably known as

a banker and capitalist at Vinton. Marion Evans, now mayor of said

town, tells me of running a mile and a half to the river to see this

first steamer, and when he saw the smoke from the smoke-stack he hid

behind the hazelbrush thinking of the eruption of Vesuvius. The paper

of October 21st speaks of a picnic party having chartered the boat and

gone up the river, and among the names of those well and favorably

known to most of you, at least by name, I shall mention a few: George

Greene, Dr. S. D. Carpenter, Dr. Lyon, J. F. Ely, J. S. Cook, Rev.

Durley and ladies. During the winter the "Export" was sold to J. J.

Snouffer and W. D. Watrous. It was remodeled, called the "Blackhawk,"

and on March 16th made its first trip to Waterloo, with J. J. Snouffer

as captain and George A. Ohler as chief carpenter. Arriving at Vinton,

they were unable to get under the bridge, and threatened to destroy it.

A council of war was held and it was finally decided to elevate one

span of the bridge about four feet, and Ohler superintended the work.

Mr. Snouffer tells me that the biggest business the steamer did was on

June 15th, when he carried 107 passengers at $5.00 a head for round

trip for the Cedar Rapids celebration, including board and lodging. He

made in all, twenty-nine trips, and during this season, free of all

expenses, netted the owners $2,000. The "Blackhawk" as remodeled, was

110 feet long by 19 feet wide, and had two rows of berths on each side,

and accommodated 24 passengers, besides a crew of seven people. It took

four cords of wood per trip. The table of distances by river compiled

by the pilot on the "Blackhawk" is as follows: Palo, 14-1/2 miles;

Benton City, 42 miles; Vinton, 50 miles; La Porte, 82 miles, and

Waterloo, 113 miles. It was sold to Burley & Durlin, and the owners

accepted one-half of the purchase price in land. The cash was never

paid, and attachment was gotten out for labor claims and the boat was

sold for $19.00. It was sold to a preacher, at Western, who threw up

the deal, and again the boat was sold to N. B. Brown and John Curliss,

the entire purchase price being paid in woolen goods. On account of dry

season, the boat was sent south and was sold by the owners to the

government for $6,000 during the war, and was used for carrying

provisions for the soldiers on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. At

one time some of the Linn county soldier boys saw the little steamer

make its way up one of the rivers, and a yell went up for the old

"Blackhawk." The sight of the steamer brought them nearer home.

On one of the trips Mr. Snouffer made that summer, the wife of the

fireman, who was acting as maid, was taken ill and the captain sent two

doctors who were passengers to examine her. After a hurried examination

both came up very much excited, stating that the patient was suffering

from spotted fever and for him to stop the boat that they wanted to

get off at all hazards. Mr. Snouffer thought perhaps of damages and

financial loss so he was in no hurry to comply, but took the husband

and went into the small cabin up next to the smoke-stack to investigate

for himself. There was the woman in great stress of mind and much

worried. He took hold of her hand and tried to rub the spots out and

sure enough it was found that during the night the coloring in the

cotton goods had colored her arms and the headache was no doubt due to

the stuffy room and extremely warm quarters. It is needless to say that

for the rest of the trip the doctors were made the butt of ridicule by

the passengers.

The "Surprise" freighted between this city and Vinton in '63 and the

next steamer was known as the "Nettie Munn," being a stern wheeler 70

feet long and 12 feet wide, and was brought here from Wisconsin by Mr.

Passmore in 1866, and was blown up at Kelsey's landing the following

year. Another steamer was built by E. Robins and used as a ferry boat,

and in the wool and lime trade, but was never fully equipped, and was

sunk many years ago. The "Carrie Wallace" was built by W. G. Brock in

about 1870; was 16×40, a stern wheeler without state rooms, and was

used mostly to tow barges, excursion steamers, etc., and was blown up

about 1879-80. The "Kitty Clyde" was run awhile and abandoned. John

Kozlovsky built the "Rose" in the early days, and after a steamboat

venture on the river, was minus several thousand dollars, but had

gained a heap of experience in the meantime. The boiler of the "Rose"

was shipped to Solon to be placed in the grist mill, and the engine was

sent to Spirit Lake, while Captain Elias Doty bought the hull for a

mere song in 1884. In this "Rose" hull, Capt. Doty installed the

boilers of an abandoned steamer, the "Carrie Wallace," and into it he

also installed the engine of an old freighter, called "General Weaver."

This combination, Doty called the "Climax." A stock company was

organized with the amount of $1,000 and is the only stock known on

record which never at any time went below par. Doty put in $600, and

his Cedar Rapids friends the balance. He says that he was not out any

interest as he had the money in the bank when he started. He was out

only his time, but he didn't count that much, as he had all the time

there was, and a whole lot of fun in the bargain. It is true, he lost

the principal, but then the captain consoles himself with the fact that

he might have lost that anyway. The "Climax" was not the only boat the

"Governor" ran, for a number of years he had a side wheeler called the

"Khedive" and another boat named after his patron saint of greenback

days and called the "General Weaver." After his exploits upon the river

the captain, like the snail, carried his house with him, and for a

number of years, one of the hulls of one of his stranded boats is said

to have served him as a photograph gallery.

There had been more or less trouble growing out of the fact that this

river and the Iowa, which seems to have been known as one stream, were

navigable, as the people preferred bridges and dams to open river

fronts. In an Act of Congress passed May 6, 1870, the following

appears: "That so much of the same river as lies north of the town of

Wapello be and the same is hereby declared not a navigable stream."

Another act was passed on the 18th day of August, 1894, to the effect

that "so much of the same river as lies between the town of

Toolsborough and Wapello in Louisa county, Iowa, shall not be deemed a

navigable stream, but dams and bridges may be constructed across it."

Thus it would seem that the Iowa and Red Cedar rivers for nearly the

entire distance in Iowa are not navigable so far as Congress has the

right and power to enact such laws, which of course merely refer to

whether or not such streams may be used for other purposes than

navigation.

After all, the story of steamboating is a history of a struggle, which

began under auspicious circumstances, and ended in financial failure,

but for all that, it made a new Cedar Rapids, and we perhaps today, are

profiting by the failures of half a century ago, for it shows what

energy and public spirit its first citizens had, which left an

impression upon the community and upon the state. We must bear in mind,

that Cedar Rapids had only 2,000 people and the county less than

18,000, when these enterprising men of energy, perseverance and thrift

put $20,000 into a hazardous undertaking, and even presented passengers

and crew with corner lots on arrival.

Well might the first passenger have said, when he stepped off the

steamboat landing, at Third avenue, much like Moore said of Washington

a hundred years ago,

"An embryo capital where fancy sees,

Squares in morasses and obelisks in trees,"

but the observing traveler, amid these crude surroundings, must have

been alive to new impressions, for Cedar Rapids was a thrifty place,

even then, where the new man was a pilot on a boat today, and a banker

tomorrow, and although the waters of the Cedar henceforth ran quietly

by, unhindered by paddle or screw, railroad building claimed the

attention of its people, and they became equally at home on land, as

they had been on water. Just the other day I asked one of your old

settlers why they could keep up several newspapers in that day, really

before they had a postoffice. The venerable ex-postmaster replied with

fire in his eye, "Why, heavens sakes my man, it took three newspapers

to keep up the town."

I have attempted to give you an idea of steamboating on the Red Cedar.

I have omitted much, and can only say in the words of the old miller,

that he sees not all the water that goes by his mill. Neither have I

mentioned all the steamboat ventures on the beautiful Cedar.

In this connection it is of interest to note a report made by B. L.

Wick to Lew W. Anderson, chairman of the River Front Improvement

Commission of Cedar Rapids, under date of May 8, 1909, which report was

later submitted to the authorities at Washington, and an appropriation

made for a survey of the Cedar. The survey was made in 1909, and report

submitted that it was not feasible without a large expenditure of money

to make the river navigable except for a short distance from its mouth.

Dear Sir:

I have been requested to state my views on the

practicability and the importance of the navigability of the

Cedar river, and will say that for the past ten years I have

devoted more or less study to this subject from a historic

standpoint, and will herewith give you my views. I believe

that what you want more than anything else is whether or not

the Cedar river has been navigated formerly, whether or not

the rainfall is the same as it used to be, and whether or

not there is at present a demand for the opening of this

river as a water way for transportation purposes.

Historically speaking, traffic on the Cedar river was an

epoch making period of this section of the country in the

early pioneer days, and the prosperity of Cedar Rapids and

other cities was due in a large measure to the river traffic

which in those days made, at least, this city what it later

became.

The first notice we have of a white man exploring what is

known as the "Red Cedar River" was by Col. George Davenport

as early as 1831 when he established a trading post, at Rock

Creek. The first steamboating on the Des Moines river was

about in 1837, and from this time on the Des Moines, the

Iowa and Red Cedar became the inland water ways by which

grain was exported and freight was brought up from the

cities on the Mississippi river. As early as 1839 the

legislature of Iowa territory empowered a company to

incorporate in the amount of $200,000.00 to build a slack

water canal from the Cedar river to the Mississippi river by

way of what is known as "Rock Creek," and while this project

did not come to anything, it shows that the people of this

early day believed in a public water way in order to come in

contact with the towns along the river further up.

The Red Cedar river is about 248 miles long and is

comparatively free from any rapids as far as Cedar Rapids,

and hence was early looked upon as one of the most favored

rivers for steam boat navigation. The Iowa river, into which

the Cedar river empties, is about 240 miles in length and is

not so favorable for navigation. One of the early settlers

who first saw the use of this inland water way was Robert

Ellis, who came to these parts in 1838 and who is still

living, and who, as early as 1846, caused three flat boats

to be built, each boat being about sixty feet in length,

sixteen feet in width and only drew three feet of water when

loaded. On these boats he loaded 4,000 bushels of wheat

consigned to certain millers at Burlington; at Burlington he

unloaded the wheat and loaded the same boats with a cargo of

flour which was duly taken to New Orleans. From this time on

much wheat, corn, bacon, and other articles were shipped

from Cedar Rapids to Burlington, Keokuk, St. Louis, and

other places on the Mississippi.

It is also true that Mr. Haman, one of the oldest druggists

of this city, went to St. Louis for his first stock of drugs

and these were brought back by water.

W. B. Mack, one of the early settlers, and one of the first

wholesale grocers, secured a cargo of salt in Ohio, which

was duly freighted to Cedar Rapids and caused a decline in

the price of this commodity in the amount of $5.00 a barrel.

It is known that as early as 1839 keel boats had reached

Ivanhoe, and quite a trade was carried on at certain seasons

of the year. The first Mississippi steamer which came as far

as our city limits was in the month of June, 1846, called

"The Maid of Iowa," when a number of settlers came this way

as land seekers and at a time when each passenger was

offered a lot by the enterprising people of this city.

During the next ten years many large and many small steamers

made the Cedar river towns as far as Cedar Rapids, and quite

a trade had been established between St. Louis, Keokuk,

Burlington, and other cities. One of the large Mississippi

steamers of 200 tons burden was "The Uncle Tobey," which

made her way up here among the brush and hanging willows in

the spring of 1853, having on board a large cargo of

freight.

To show how much importance the river was to the early

settlers it might be well to state that in the fifties--in

about 1857--a contract was entered into for the building of

a steamer about 155 feet long, single deck, stern wheel,

clinker built, to be arranged for freight and passenger

traffic and to draw the least possible amount of water. The

contract price of this steamer was $20,000.00, and it was

launched in June, 1858, and was put into service, arriving

at Cedar Rapids July 22, having arrived from Pittsburg in

three weeks, stopping at all the cities along the way; this

boat had on board about three hundred tons of freight, drew

only three feet of water, and had on board nearly one

hundred passengers. This was, undoubtedly, the best built

passenger and freight boat put on Iowa rivers at that time;

during that season this boat made in all twelve trips. On

the first trip down stream on July 29, of that year, the

papers show that she was loaded down and had in tow a barge

loaded with 1,138 sacks of oats, 736 sacks of wheat, some

corn, and nearly 1,000 barrels of flour. On one of the trips

in October up stream this boat had on board 45,000 feet of

lumber; in the following summer this boat got into a

collision with another steamer on the Mississippi, and on

account of a lawsuit the boat was tied up by litigation.

For a number of years a profitable steamboat business was

carried on in the spring of the year above the dam between

Cedar Rapids, Vinton, Waterloo and other places. The early

settlers all agree that navigation was possible in those

days and profitable as well. It was just at this time when

steamboating became certain and settled that the railroad

entered Cedar Rapids in June, 1859, and from that time every

enterprise which was started was in the line of railway

extension as well as transportation.

[Illustration: PARK VIEWS IN CEDAR RAPIDS]

As to the rain fall, it seems that there has not been much

difference between the rains of sixty years ago and now. I

collected the following from the _Annals of Iowa_, Volume 5,

page 401, being the rain fall from 1848 to 1855.

In 1848, 26 inches; 1849, 49 inches; 1850, 49 inches; 1851,

71 inches; 1852, 49 inches; 1853, 45 inches; 1854, 23

inches; 1855, 28 inches.

From this the average rain fall of Iowa, I believe, is

estimated at about 33 inches. It would appear from 1858 the

rain fall was below the average, while during the years up

to 1858 the rain fall was above the average. From the

newspapers that I have consulted in regard to the rain fall

during these years it seemed that there were a good many

floods during the summer months so that the steamboating was

good until about November, when the boats were taken down

south for winter traffic on the southern rivers. As to the

rain fall, I have further investigated among the old

settlers, and from reports which were kept, it seems that

there is not very much difference in the rain fall now and

fifty years ago; however, there is this difference, which

all agree on, that the channel of the river was more narrow

and that the river was deeper and free from mud and sand,

which has now accumulated due to the tilling of the soil.

The river banks were lined with trees which protected the

water from the rays of the sun, and the sloughs were filled

with water all summer on account of the high grass, and

these grasses and sloughs supplied the river with water more

so then than now, as more of it evaporated on account of the

tilling of soil and on account of the cutting of the grass

than formerly. All the water which fell in those days found

its way into the river, which is not true after the ground

became cultivated to any extent, and it may be true that

only one-fourth of the water which falls now finds its way

into the river.

Another question may arise "is it practical?" This is a

question not easily answered. It is certain that it can not

be done through private enterprise; if it shall succeed at

all it must be through state or government aid in part, at

least. There is no question but what it will be useful, but

whether or not the expenses would be too great to undertake

such an enterprise--that remains a debatable question. There

is water enough in the river, especially by putting in a dam

at Moscow and by straightening the channel a little, so that

there will be enough water for the number of months during

the year to haul much of our heavy freight, and, if

necessary, these products could be stored further along the

river until such a time as it was deemed advisable to sell

and dispose of the same. Heavy freight requires slow transit

and a cheap rate, and such can as well go by water as by

rail. For this reason it would be possible to ship by water,

grain, cereals, as well as cattle, and there would be a

great saving to the farmers of this part of Iowa.

A conservative estimate of freight paid in Cedar Rapids

during the past year is no less than $2,500,000.00, all of

which is paid to five railroads which have connecting lines

in this city. It is also estimated, and I have been told on

good authority, that during October, 1908, the tonnage

receipts in this city were as follows for the Rock Island

railroad:

Live stock 4,638,800 pounds

Coal 14,659,303 pounds

Brick 383,900 pounds

Stone 1,603,200 pounds

These are only a few of the larger items and there are a

great many more of nearly equal importance with those cited

above. There has also been shipped out in farm and dairy

products for the year ending 1908 from

Linn county 1,980,218 pounds

Cedar county 733,708 pounds

Benton county 451,297 pounds

Black Hawk county 1,032,444 pounds

Buchanan county 1,980,218 pounds

These are a few of the items from the counties which are

tributory to this river.

For the year 1907 I will mention the yield of a few cereals

in counties adjoining the Cedar river, to-wit:

Buchanan county 1,942,750 bushels corn 1,011,000 bushels oats

Benton county 3,686,100 bushels corn 1,842,800 bushels oats

Linn county 3,851,500 bushels corn 1,166,160 bushels oats

Johnson county 3,415,170 bushels corn 1,231,100 bushels oats

Cedar county 3,211,230 bushels corn 804,500 bushels oats

Say nothing of hay, potatoes, barley, wheat, rye and other

products.

Such a water course would also offer inducement to

manufacturing concerns for the manufacture of cereals, etc.,

which are shipped out in carload lots daily, as well as

grain which is cleaned here and sent out to other cities.

This will give you somewhat of an idea, not only of the

value and productiveness of Iowa soil, but to show the

chances of such a water way by which freight products could

be handled at a much lower rate than at present, as we have

here the same freight rate as they have at Council Bluffs,

and by this means we would get the Mississippi rate, which

is much less. Such a water way would open up the heart of

the corn and oats belt of Iowa and make it possible to get

the water rate on large shipments of freight. If the

government is now urging a water way enterprise, surely the

Cedar river should not be overlooked, for it is a large body

of water, with a rich adjoining territory, and by government

promotion could be made the carrier of all our products

which, as above set out, means millions in bushels annually.

It is not likely that the freight shipped into our city

would come by water, as it is generally of a kind which is

wanted quickly, but there is no question but that the

products of our farmers, and all our mills and factories,

would be sent by water, on account of cheaper rates to

better markets than now.

It is only when I visited other countries and studied

transportation from cities in England, Holland, Belgium,

France and Germany that I realized the small rivers of those

countries which have been used for centuries to such an

advantage for the carriage of freight. For instance, a river

of any size is dredged to a certain depth at government

expense; there is a uniform depth of a little better than

three feet of water on many of these rivers, and on these

bodies of water barges of not less than 1,000 tons pass up

and down loaded with freight. This means cheaper freight

rates than we have and this in consequence makes products

cheaper to the consumer and higher for the producer. Canada,

during the past few years, has spent millions of dollars on

its rivers and canals, and it is money wisely spent; while

we have spent little or nothing in any effort to help the

people in the promotion of water ways, which will be the

real source of competition in freight rates in the future.

I fully believe that the survey of the Cedar should be made,

and I believe that if such a survey is made that this stream

will be declared navigable, and that the state or nation

will step in in order to make definite plans for financing

this great enterprise for the carrying on of freight

steamers, carrying cargoes as far as the Mississippi, and I

believe that enough tariff exists now to warrant such an

enterprise. The Cedar river is an important factor now for

the purpose of furnishing power, and should also become a

factor in transportation as well. This would be the case

provided the river would be improved as demanded, which

would result in re-establishing heavy freight traffic by

water instead of as now wholly by rail.

CHAPTER XLI

_Banks and Banking in Linn County_

The history of banking in Cedar Rapids and Linn county may

appropriately be divided into three periods, designated respectively,

Frontier Banking, Country Banking, and City Banking, each possessing

characteristics peculiar to itself and expressive of its time.

Frontier Banking was coincident with the beginning of business in Iowa,

and continuing, covered the pioneer days, prior to the coming of the

railroad, and its story is most interestingly told in his own words by

Dr. S. D. Carpenter, whose youthful activities were a part of that

early life, and who, in his eightieth year, writes as follows:

"Something over fifty years ago, as I recall the

circumstance, I was greatly elated when the local printer at

Cedar Rapids produced a card on which was imprinted

'Carpenter, Lehman & Co., Bankers.' At an earlier period of

my life, I had read _Æsop's Fables_, but if I had, the story

of the Ass who paraded in the Lion's skin did not seem

applicable, and I mingled boldly with my companions, who,

with equal effrontery, wore the same apparel. The

'protoplasm' from which the bankers of that day evoluted was

plentiful and the environment all that could be desired. In

a technical sense, it is quite true, there was no necessity

for a bank and no business for a banker; there being no

commerce, there were no bills to discount; but nevertheless,

we established banks and became bankers. This was possible,

because we had squatted down in the midst of millions of

acres of a very fertile soil, in a genial and healthy

climate. The product of land could not be exported, but a

large immigration was pouring into the country, hungry for

land and sufficiently numerous to consume all the surplus

products. Land was the basis of all the live business, and

the land agent and real estate dealer evoluted naturally

into a banker. Land warrants took the place of commodities,

dealers in the east collected them, and sent them to their

agents in the west, who sold them at a large advance to the

immigrants for whom they entered the land. The western real

estate dealer ordinarily did not have capital enough to buy

the land warrant, but handled it on a commission for his

eastern correspondent until such time as he could accumulate

from his profits sufficient cash to buy it outright. The

price of the land warrant as purchased from the party to

whom issued, was less than one dollar per acre, and was

always sold to the buyer who used it at $1.25 per acre, that

is a profit of at least 25 cents per acre, and with the

continual increase of immigrants the business became of

great volume and was correspondingly remunerative. Often the

purchaser wanted more land than he had cash to pay for; then

the real estate man sold the warrant at the rate of $1.25

per acre, took the purchaser's note for the balance at three

per cent per month interest and held all the land as

security. At this point, the real estate man became a

banker. The first real estate firm in Cedar Rapids was that

of Weare, Finch & Co., consisting of John Weare, Jr., Daniel

O. Finch, and George Greene. They began business either in

1850 or 1851. I was offered a one-fourth interest in the

syndicate for $500.00 and would gladly have taken it, but

was unable to raise the requisite capital. Although unable

to break into the crib, like many others, I hung around and

was able now and then to grab an ear from the overflow. In

other words, I became a customer of the bank. Being in the

practise of medicine, I became familiar with all the

surrounding country. When I discovered a choice location as

regarded timber, water, etc., I went to the bank, bought a

land warrant at $1.25 per acre, gave my note at three per

cent per month, with a cast iron mortgage, and took my

chances in the hope of selling at an advance before the

maturity of the note. I was so successful in these ventures

that I soon abandoned my profession and devoted my whole

time to real estate. The real estate operator took advantage

of the fact that many of the immigrants brought money with

them, which it required time to invest. They had to look up

locations to enter or to examine tracts which they desired

to buy at second hand. Meantime, they did not wish to carry

their money about with them and therefore they deposited it

in the bank. The trade of the local merchants also

increased, and they gradually became customers, and from

these sources came the deposits. The volume of exchange was

small, but the bank added something to its income by acting

as agent for the payment of taxes for non-residents. The

firm of Weare, Finch & Co. soon merged into that of Greene &

Weare, D. O. Finch removing to Des Moines to establish a

branch of the same house. Greene & Weare did not long enjoy

a monopoly at Cedar Rapids. B. S. Bryan, who had been a

clerk in their house, and had become familiar with the

business, with a brother-in-law named Ward, from New Jersey,

opened a rival establishment under the name of Ward & Bryan,

some time in 1852 or '53. At that time, the immigration was

so large that both establishments had all the business they

could manage with their limited capital. It is not probable

that either concern was very conservative, but the newer

firm had but little capital, and the members branched out in

the way of building new residences for themselves, and Bryan

went so far as to buy a top buggy and a fine horse. This was

going beyond the limit; the pioneer whose aspirations in the

way of a pleasure carriage did not extend beyond a two horse

wagon, became suspicious. Some renewals of paper in Iowa

City and Davenport were refused them, and they had to close

their doors. Then ensued a mild financial earthquake, which

did not affect the town itself, because no one in the town,

except the merchants, had any money on deposit, and they but

little, but the sufferers were those who had put their money

in the bank preparatory to buying land, and the bankers of

whom they had bought land warrants on credit. Wm. Greene and

myself, were appointed receivers. The assets amounted to

about $35,000.00 and the indebtedness to something more. It

took a year or two to close up the business and there was

not a very great loss to any one.

[Illustration: IN AND AROUND MT. VERNON]

"The town had scarcely quieted down from this excitement

before it was struck by another financial cyclone of an

entirely different character. We had a mail three times a

week from Dubuque to Iowa City, the service being performed

by four horse Concord coaches; it was before the day of the

express companies. All money and other valuable packages

came by mail. One day about 9 o'clock in the morning, the

postmaster from Marion dashed into town at full speed,

bringing the alarming intelligence that a mail pouch had

been stolen from the coach in Marion, which had been found

cut open and rifled and then concealed in some shavings back

of a carpenter shop, near the hotel where the stage stopped

to change horses and allow the passengers to breakfast. In

the sack and near it, concealed in the shavings, were

letters, and a package of land warrants, amounting to

several thousand dollars. What was missing was not known.

The land warrants were addressed to Greene & Weare. A crowd

gathered about the bank and it soon became known that a

money package had been in the pouch, but the amount was not

given. Soon the report spread about that the bank had lost

five, ten, or twenty thousand dollars, the sum varying

according to the guessing power of the relator. Immediately

John Weare and Wm. Greene started post haste to Marion,

where they found a high state of excitement. The town had

resolved itself into a committee of 'Sherlock Holmeses,' all

devoting themselves to detective business. As a starting

point, they were told that the money consisted of bank

notes, issued by the Bank of Elgin, Illinois. Suspicion soon

pointed to a disreputable blacksmith, living in a small

frame house nearby. The stage had arrived at the hotel just

before daylight, first driving to the postoffice, where the

driver thought he had thrown all the sacks from the boot,

but the small one had escaped his notice. The stage stood in

front of the hotel and the horses were taken to the stable

and fresh ones brought to supply their places. While this

was being done and the passengers being at their breakfast,

the stage was quite deserted, and it was then, it still

being dark, that the thief got in his work. The stage

proceeded on its way, and it was not till the carpenter

shop, which stood just across the street from the hotel, was

opened up for work, that a workman discovered the papers

scattered about and finally the pouch itself. The alarm was

at once given and the postmaster, as stated, carried the

news to Cedar Rapids. It was not known that money had been

stolen till Mr. Weare and Mr. Greene arrived. Soon after

their arrival it became known that the blacksmith, quite

early in the day, had been to the town grocery and much to

the surprise of the grocer, paid up a standing account, and

bought several dollars' worth of goods, for which he paid

cash, with bills of the Bank of Elgin. These bills had not

been in general circulation, and the grocer was making

inquiries about them, which at once fixed suspicion on the

blacksmith, who was immediately arrested and a guard placed

about his house. He was searched, but nothing of an

incriminating nature found. The house was then thoroughly

gone over, and a five dollar bill of the Bank of Elgin found

in the crack in the wall behind a looking glass. The man

declared his innocence, and the woman said she knew nothing

about the discovered bill. They had three children, a boy

about thirteen, another eight, and a younger girl. In

explanation of the bills paid the grocer, he said a man from

Illinois, where he had formerly lived, had passed through

the town the day before, and had paid him a bill of long

standing in the bank notes that he had given the grocer.

This story they stuck to, through all sorts of cross

examination. Another diligent search of the house and

adjacent premises was made, but nothing found. People living

in the house nearest them, said that before daylight they

had heard them up, and saw a light in the house, which was

an unusual circumstance. The eldest boy, however, explained

that he was raising a pet pig by hand, and that he was up so

early because his pig was hungry and he had to feed it.

Things went on in this manner till nearly night, when a new

clew was struck. A woman living at the outskirts of the

village had seen the eldest boy pass her house about eight

or nine o'clock in the morning, carrying a sack, which

apparently had something in it. No one had, however, seen

him leave or return to his father's house, and he was there

when the arrest was made, but the time that he was seen

corresponded to about the time the grocer was being examined

about the bills, and the detectives concluded that the

blacksmith had his eyes open and surmised that they were

getting warm on the trail, and had then sent out the boy

with the money in the sack. The boy stoutly denied that he

had left the house and that the woman was mistaken. So the

matter rested for the first night. The next morning two

other persons were found who had seen the boy and the sack

at the time mentioned. Then the boy being hard pressed

confessed that his mother had sent him out to a neighboring

farm to get meal, but not finding any he had left the sack.

Mr. Greene took the boy to the farm, but the people said he

had not been there. Then he was brought back and again cross

examined. He told numerous and conflicting stories, which I

have forgotten, but succeeded in baffling the detectives the

whole day. In the afternoon, Mr. Weare wrote me from Marion

a very despairing note, saying that they were perfectly sure

that the blacksmith was the thief, but that there was no

clue to the money, which was the main thing, and suggesting

that I bring three or four determined men and join him, and

try by intimidation, whether it was not possible to frighten

him into giving it up. I acted upon his advice and joined

him in Marion about nightfall.

"I found him at the house of his mother-in-law in company

with a couple of dozen of the amateur detectives. They were

awaiting the return of Wm. Greene, whom the boy was leading

another wild goose chase. It was the consensus of opinion

that if the last effort with the boy failed, the crowd

should take the old man from the jail and threaten to lynch

him. This might possibly make him confess. I felt perfectly

sure that the boy had taken the money in the sack and

concealed it and argued that it would be more easy to

intimidate him than his father, who seemed to be hardened

and determined. Objection was made on account of his age,

and on the score of cruelty, but they finally agreed that I

might make a trial on the boy, and that in case of failure,

they would deal with the old man. Pending the discussion,

William Greene and the boy drove up in a buggy. The boy had

added another to his many lies about the disposition of the

sack. He was a sturdy chap of thirteen, and under the

embarrassing circumstances seemed pretty cool. When they got

out of the buggy William Greene made a final appeal to him.

'My boy,' he said, 'you have been lying to us all day as you

well know, but I will make a last offer to you. If you will

tell where you have hidden the money, I will give you

$200.00 and you shall not be hurt, or anything done to you,

but if you don't, I will turn you over to these men, and I

don't know what they will do to you.' The boy said, 'that as

true as there was a God in heaven, he didn't know anything

about the money, and could tell nothing.' Then I took up the

role; I seized him by the throat and threw him pretty

heavily to the ground, and called for a rope; the crowd had

a rope prepared for the old man, which was immediately put

about his neck; then I raised him up and told them to throw

the rope over the limb of a tree under which we were

standing. They did so and drew it taut, and I said, 'now you

lying young rascal, we are going to hang you instantly, and

if you have anything to say, this is your last chance.' The

suddenness of the attack, and the jar he received in falling

sort of dazed him; at all events he cried out, 'don't hang

me and I will tell.' He at once confessed that he had the

money in the sack, and had buried it in a clump of bushes

within three hundred yards of where we were. I led him by

the rope, followed by the crowd, and in a few minutes a

couple of the men unearthed the sack. We then returned to

the house, the money was counted and only a few hundred

dollars was missing from the original $6,000.00 which the

package contained. The boy in the meantime had regained his

courage, and on being asked to explain who gave him the

money, said that while going with the sack for the meal

early in the morning of the robbery, he had met two men, who

gave him the money and told him to bury it and they would

call in a few days and pay him $200.00 for his trouble, and

that his father had nothing to do with it, and knew nothing

about it. Asked to describe the men, he looked at the crowd

and gave a very accurate description of myself and John

Weare, who stood beside me. The bystanders appreciated the

joke, and inquired whether Weare and I were not the men. He

gave us another look and said he was not quite certain, but

they were men who looked mightily like us, if we were not

the very men.

"The old man was kept in jail but the boy was left with his

mother. In a few weeks the prisoner escaped, the boy having

with an axe one night dug a hole in the wall of the jail. He

and his father were heard of no more, and were never brought

to justice. I have always had a sneaking sort of an

admiration for that boy and feel certain that he must have

reached distinction in some way or another.

"The above episode took place, if my memory is not at fault,

about 1854-5, and at that time and on till 1857, the real

estate dealers and bankers throve apace. Personally I had

arrived at a position that I thought entitled me to become a

financier, and in company with L. H. Lehman, of Wooster,

Ohio, and E. C. Kreider, of Lancaster, Ohio, we opened our

doors and proclaimed ourselves bankers under the firm name

of Carpenter, Lehman & Co. Soon afterwards another bank was

started, the firm name of which I have forgotten, but of it

Henry Wood, an early settler of the town, was a member. Thus

Cedar Rapids, with a population of less than 2,000, could

boast of three banks. Meantime Greene & Weare grew apace,

and besides the home institution, within a few years they

established branches in Des Moines, Council Bluffs, Omaha,

Ft. Dodge, Sioux City, and it may be at other places, and in

almost every county seat that I can think of there were two

or three banks. Cook & Sargeant, of Davenport, were the

Pierpont Morgans of the day, and had even more branches than

Greene & Weare.

"I cannot remember that there were any banks of issue in

Iowa, nor do I know what the banking laws of Iowa were at

that time, but if there were any, they were not so favorable

as those of the territory of Nebraska. Cook & Sargeant, I

believe, were the discoverers of the new field, and

organized a bank at an obscure town in that territory named

Florence, and very soon currency of the Bank of Florence was

in active circulation; to keep abreast of the times, Greene

& Weare started a bank at Fontanelle, a still more obscure

place in the territory, and bills of the Bank of Fontanelle

were greatly in evidence. I do not remember what provisions

were made for the redemption of the notes, but imagine that

the holders had a pretty tedious journey to get to the

places of issue. They however did duty as money, made times

good, and stimulated speculation. When the land office was

opened at Fort Dodge, I made a trip to that place with John

Weare, Jr., who went, I think, to establish a branch there.

The journey consumed several days, and on arriving we found

all the buildings that had formerly been occupied by the

soldiers filled to overflowing with land seekers and

bankers. Not only were the old buildings full, but many were

in hastily built cabins, and even in tents. There were seven

banks in full operation; one in a tent which served as a

background for a large sign, announcing that ten per cent

would be paid on current deposits. John Garaghty, of

Lancaster, Ohio, an old friend of mine, had his bank in one

of the recently built cabins. I found him on the floor of

the bank, diligently sewing at a bed tick, which was to

garnish a bunk in one corner where he slept. He seemed

cheerful, but animadverted severely on his competitor in the

tent, whom he said was taking a rascally advantage in

offering ten per cent interest. Things went on swimmingly

for a couple of years. Immigration was large, lands advanced

rapidly in price, with plenty of buyers; to make money one

only had to buy real estate, so we all cheerfully used all

our cash and credit in that line.

"Without much warning, so far as I can remember, the hard

times of 1857 struck us, as the stringency extended over the

whole country. Our supplies were suddenly cut off. We that

were wearing the 'Lion's skin' began to bray, and to take to

the tall timber. Our firm fortunately had not gotten

entirely beyond its depth, but it was in well up to the

chin. By strenuous efforts we managed to pay our depositors

and then divided our lands, and went out of business, as did

the other concern which had started in about the time we

did. Greene & Weare were left alone in the field, but their

difficulties were great, and the firm was soon dissolved by

the withdrawal of John Weare, Jr., whose place was taken by

Wm. Merritt, and the name changed to Greene, Merritt & Co.

That financial cyclone I should say wiped out at least

one-half of the bankers of Iowa, and had they been asked why

they failed, they could have answered in the laconic terms

of John Thompson, the bank note reporter, to a similar

question, 'for want of money.'

"For a couple of years thereafter I devoted my whole time to

real estate, trying to get rid of my holdings, which were

more than I could comfortably carry. In 1859, or

thereabouts, having gotten my affairs into better shape, I

again embarked in the banking business, having for partners

John Weare, Jr., and Henry B. Stibbs, both of whom had been

with the firm of Greene & Weare, the former as a partner,

the latter as cashier. The firm name was Carpenter, Stibbs

& Co. Banking had then become more legitimate. The railroad

had been completed to Cedar Rapids. Commission houses had

been established. Grain, hogs, and cattle were shipped in

carloads, which furnished bills for discount; merchants were

on a firmer basis and did a larger business, and the

deposits were of considerable volume: real estate and tax

paying still had a place, but were inconsiderable.