History of Linn County Iowa Part 75

"In the rear of this table-land a somewhat abrupt elevation, varying from 20 to 40 feet, occurs, which is covered with a luxuriant growth of native oak. Upon this are the most beautiful and romantic sites for residences, being sufficiently elevated to overlook the entire valley for miles in either direction. Back of this the depressions and elevations alternate, making this portion of the city a series of circular, undulating swells.

"The city proper also extends on the west side of the river and embraces numerous other positions which are being occupied with rapidity and improved with taste, and though not embraced within the present city limits, forms of necessity a part of the Valley City.

"Cedar Rapids is situated due west of Chicago, the present emporium of the west, and is the present terminus of the princ.i.p.al trunk railroad from that city penetrating the heart of the northwest. It is 75 miles southwest from Dubuque, 80 miles nearly west from Clinton, about the same distance from Davenport, 55 miles from Muscatine, and about 110 from Des Moines--the capital of Iowa.

NATURAL ADVANTAGES

"Few interior cities are blessed with more natural advantages than Cedar Rapids. The rapids in the Cedar river are the first met with after leaving the Mississippi, and no more occur of any considerable amount for many miles above.

These afford one of the best water powers in the west, and with proper dams would afford power sufficient to run all machinery that will ever be required on either side of the river, even though our population should reach fifty thousand. Surrounding the town for miles is one of the richest agricultural districts in the Union, forming a part of the Cedar valley country which Professor Owen has taken as his type of perfection in fertility. There is a plentiful supply of timber for all ordinary uses--numerous groves are scattered upon the surrounding hills--giving the appearance of an enchanted garden--probably unsurpa.s.sed in richness by any region of equal extent on the American continent.

"Its position in reference to other towns and cities is such as must of necessity make it a great railroad center, and several are already projected, and one under contract to this city. We shall speak more fully of this cla.s.s of advantages in another portion of this article.

"In point of healthfulness, it will compare favorably with any of the river towns, the diseases being chiefly of a bilious nature, and yielding readily to very simple treatment. This fact applies with very general truth to all the valleys of Iowa--while the more elevated districts are more free from malaria, they are subject to a disease of a more complex and serious character. This may seem fabulous to the casual observer, but we feel a.s.sured that the combined experience of western pract.i.tioners will bear testimony to the correctness of our statements.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BLACK HAWK]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A WINNEBAGO INDIAN]

[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SLAVE DANCE OF THE SAC AND FOX]

SETTLEMENT

"There is always more or less of interest connected with the early days of any city, and it is not until years after that the record becomes of value. The pioneer suffers privations and trials of which future occupants can realize but little.

In fact, the honor paid them is seldom equal to their merits and oftentimes they are as illy prepared to receive as others are to bestow sympathy and praise. Among the first settlers of this city were some men of the first character, and are yet with us, while others have moved farther on, to enjoy what habit has taught them to love, a frontier life, and a few have gone down to the gate of common entry, their years being full and their memories yet linger, and make us glad that we lived with, knew and loved them. Of this number we name that generous and true man, D. W. King. Esq., who departed from our midst in the autumn of 1854.

"The first man, however, who pitched his tent on the ground now occupied by the Valley City, was a counterfeiter and horse thief, of no little notoriety, by the name of Shepard, who took up his abode and erected a log house on what is now Linn street, near the mills, some time in the year 1838.

"D. W. King and Thomas Gainer, the first settlers of any advantage to the country, reached here in 1839 and soon after made a permanent settlement on the west side of the river.

"The house of Shepard was soon found to be the home of a lawless band of outlaws, who secreted much of their plunder on the islands in the river above the city. John Young and a man named Granger were connected with Shepard in their work.

They stole at one time six horses and made good their escape with four of them. Granger was afterwards convicted of pa.s.sing counterfeit money in Chicago and sentenced to the Alton prison for four years. The fate of Young is not known with certainty, yet there is evidence to induce the belief that he was executed for murder, in a neighboring state, though he a.s.sumed a different name.

"The privations of the first settlers were at times very great, and though such as are not uncommon in the history of pioneer life, would cause many of our amateurs at the present time to sigh for the home of their childhood and a place at the luxurious tables of their fathers.

PROGRESS

"In 1849 D. W. King established ferries for crossing the Cedar, and continued to run them up to the time of his death. The one doing most of the business was at the Iowa avenue crossing. As it is probable that these boats will soon, if indeed they have not already made their last voyage, a brief note of them may not be out of place in this connection. They were self-propellers, being forced across the river by the power of the current. A wire rope extended across the stream upon which a pulley was placed, and connected by means of two ropes to the boat.

"The first dam across the Cedar was commenced in 1842, and the first saw mill erected in 1843, and is still running.

"In March, 1843, the lands came into the market. The first flouring mill was erected in 1844-5 at a cost of $3,000, by the present owner. In 1845 A. Ely erected the second saw mill, and the second flouring mill the following year, the latter costing about $9,000. In 1848-9 the woolen factory was erected at a cost of about $8,000. The first saw mill was erected in 1850 by Greene, Legare & Co. This has a chair and bedstead factory connected and cost about $4,000. These are all propelled by water power. In 1855-6, Greene & Graves erected a steam saw mill, and containing also a variety of other machinery. The first and only mill erected on the west side of the river went into operation in the summer of 1856. The first steam engine was stationed in this city by A. Hager, in his machine shop, sash, blind, and door factory in 1855. The second by Greene & Graves, and the third by S.

L. Pollock.

"The first store was opened by J. Greene, in the building now occupied by the postoffice, on the northwest corner of Iowa avenue and Washington street.

"The second store was opened by Mr. Cleveland, and C. R.

Mulford the third. This was located on Commercial street, and was destroyed by fire in 1850, being the first building thus destroyed in Cedar Rapids. No fire occurred thereafter until late in the autumn of 1855, when most of the block embraced on the west side of Commercial street, between Iowa avenue and Linn street, was consumed. No fire has occurred since.

"The postoffice was established in 1847, and J. Greene appointed postmaster.

"The first brick buildings were erected in 1844, the building on the southwest corner of Iowa avenue and Commercial street, and the dwelling house on the northwest corner of Iowa avenue and Washington street. The present Union House was the first hotel.

"The village of Cedar Rapids was laid out and the plat recorded in 1842. At this time, two log buildings const.i.tuted the village, and the total population was six persons.

"A public school house was erected in 1846 or '47, and the first school taught by Nelson Felch. This structure is now occupied as a dwelling, on the northwest corner of Eagle and Madison streets. The first church, Presbyterian, was erected in 1850.

"The first newspaper was published in 1851 by D. O. Finch, ent.i.tled the _Progressive Era_. It was continued under this name by various owners and editors until September, 1854, when it was purchased by J. L. Enos and F. A. Wilmans, and its name changed to the _Cedar Valley Times_ by which name it yet flourishes. In politics republican, it is at present published by J. G. Davenport. The second paper was established in January, 1856, under the editorial management of J. L. Enos, ent.i.tled the _Cedar Valley Farmer_, but was discontinued at the close of the first volume. The _Cedar Rapids Democrat_ was the third paper--commenced in June, 1856, by W. W. Perkins & Co. This is still published.

Democratic in politics, the _Times_ and the _Democrat_ are both good papers, and appear to be well sustained.

"_The Voice of Iowa_ was commenced in January, 1857, under the auspices of the Iowa Teachers' a.s.sociation, Phonetic a.s.sociation, etc., J. L. Enos, editor and publishing agent, a.s.sisted by a number of corresponding editors. This journal has met with more than ordinary success, the circulation pa.s.sing 1,000 during the first three months and commanding nearly $1,000 in advertising patronage, thus showing that the people of Iowa are aroused to the importance of paying due attention to the education of their youth.

"The foundation for a very large graded school was laid in the summer of 1856, but owing to the large amount of work contracted and the scarcity of workmen, the completion was of necessity deferred. It is designed to complete it early the coming summer, and when finished will form one of the finest educational structures in the state.

"During the past two years the growth of Valley City has been equaled by few towns even in the west. It now contains many blocks that would do credit to any eastern city.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CEDAR RAPIDS COUNTRY CLUB HOUSE]

[Ill.u.s.tration: GEORGE GREENE SQUARE, SEMI-CENTENNIAL, 1906]

[Ill.u.s.tration: RIVERSIDE PARK]

"The present city charter was adopted in the summer of 1856, and Isaac Whittam, Esq., was elected mayor. A free bridge across the Cedar was commenced in 1855, and is now ready for crossing by teams. The chief credit of this structure is due to a few, though many stood manfully by the free bridge and aided liberally in its erection. A charter for a toll bridge was obtained about the time that the free bridge charter was procured, which gave rise to a warm controversy in which much interest was manifest. The free bridge finally triumphed, and its n.o.ble arches now span the Cedar with every appearance of remaining for many years a proud monument to the energy and liberality of those who aided in placing it there. We have already intimated that Cedar Rapids is the center of a very large and increasing trade, and though not destined to become a city of the first magnitude, is destined to rank as one of the princ.i.p.al interior cities of Iowa. Its railroad connections--immense water power--the fertility of the surrounding country and the energy of its people will give it rank and importance as a manufacturing city, worthy of note.

"Nor is this imaginary, as the following statistics will show. Cedar Rapids now contains: 4 flouring mills, 2 door, sash and blind, and planing mills, 1 cooper and barrel factory, 5 wagon and carriage factories, 1 iron factory, 2 cabinet furniture and chair factories, 3 plow factories, 3 boot and shoe factories, 2 saddle and harness manufactories, 4 tin, copper and sheet iron establishments, 1 woolen factory, 5 brick yards, 2 agricultural implement manufactories, 3 merchant tailor establishments, 2 wood turning establishments, 3 newspapers and magazines, 1 brick machine factory, 8 grocery and provision stores, 5 clothing stores, 5 dry-goods stores, 1 millinery and fancy goods store, 6 liquor and cigar shops, 4 drug stores, 2 silversmith, clock and jewelry stores, 4 hardware stores, 3 book stores, 1 book bindery, 5 public and private halls, 5 hotels, 4 churches, 4 lumber yards, 3 banking houses, 1 public reading room, 1 shaving and hair dressing establishment.

[Ill.u.s.tration: CEDAR RAPIDS IN 1856]

"A paper mill is in contemplation, and there is room and excellent openings for other branches of business.

"A hat and cap manufactory--pork packing establishment--in fact nearly every branch of manufactory not included in the above would do well. There are two nurseries contiguous to town, where nearly every kind of fruit and a large variety of ornamental trees can be procured. The Mound nursery is one of the oldest and most extensive in the country, and the proprietor furnishes orders on very liberal terms."

The following letter to A. T. Hall, as to a gavel, at the meeting of carpenters of America at Des Moines, 1910, gives some interesting facts as to early days in Cedar Rapids:

"Dear Sir: In reply to your request for such information as I have concerning the small mallet or gavel which you had made from a piece of the red cedar shaft, I can only say that there is but little to its history. My father, the late Nicholas Brodhead Brown, came to what is now the city of Cedar Rapids in 1839, but did not remain here at that time.

He went as far north as Cedar Falls looking for a mill site, and returned to this location in 1840. After building the first manufacturing plant in Linn county for the Doty brothers, a saw mill in Bertram township, located near the mouth of Indian creek, he began in 1841 to improve the waterfall in the Cedar river at this place. He first built a temporary dam then built a saw mill, the second to be built in the county, for himself. He then began the building of the first flour mill in the county. This mill was completed and in operation either in 1843 or 1844, and from this mill came the cedar shaft from which the little mallet or gavel was made. There is no doubt in my mind about the cedar tree from which the mallet was made was cut very close to, and perhaps within the present limits of Cedar Rapids. Nicholas Brodhead Brown was in all probability the first mechanic who used edged tools, to locate in Cedar Rapids. Nor is there any doubt in my mind about his making the shaft above spoken of. It was the real shaft in the old bolting chest in the mill known as Brown's Mill. Mr. Brown by occupation was a millwright and through force of circ.u.mstances worked at that trade for some twelve or fifteen years after his arrival here. He especially did all of the millwrighting that he could do himself on this mill, working twelve and fourteen hours a day for the purpose of getting it into operation as soon as possible, as not only he himself needed its income but the country all about this locality needed a mill.

"Another of the early mechanics to come to Cedar Rapids was Samuel Sherwood, also a millwright. He worked for a time on Brown's flour mill, and on the Alexander Ely flour mill, now known as the Anchor mill. This was the second mill to begin operation in Cedar Rapids. The Ely mill began operating the same year as the Brown's, but later on in the year. Another of the old-time mechanics, a user of edged tools, was Joseph Love. He was the first cabinet-maker to locate in Cedar Rapids. Another was John Vardy; he was the second cabinet-maker to locate in Cedar Rapids, and was the builder of the first house in Cedar Rapids to be constructed of sawed lumber. The house still stands--is in use and owned by the Stary family. John F. Boyce, the father of William and Frank Boyce of this city, was another early mechanic. He also was a cabinet-maker. John Patterson, an uncle of Chas.

A. Calder of this city, was another. He also was a cabinet-maker. All of these men worked to a greater or less extent at the carpenter's trade. In those days there were no trade unions and consequently no limitations on the kind of work a mechanic should do. To my mind these men could be cla.s.sed as carpenters as well as millwrights and cabinet-makers. I should have said that Samuel Sherwood went to Independence from this city and became the founder of the milling industry at that thriving little place. I have diverged largely from the gavel, but believe it will be interesting to yourself and your fraternity to know who the first users of edged tools were in this part of Iowa.

Respectfully yours,

"N. E. BROWN."

HOW THE FIRST RAILROAD CAME TO CEDAR RAPIDS