Des Moines and Polk County, Iowa, City Directory 1866, Part 1

Author:
Publication date: 1866
Publisher:
Number of Pages:

USA > Iowa > Polk County > Des Moines > Des Moines and Polk County, Iowa, City Directory 1866 > Part 1

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org.

VAL & CO

ale Agents

ADIENNES IOWA.

TO WIA

BUSINESS COLLEGE

Worthington WarFor My Do.

DES MOINES

CITY

Directory

Correctoon and Removals.

ulness Dirootof - Olasidod

BOUNDARIES OF STREETS.

WEST SIDE

ALICE - Mill to Day ARCHI - Farnam to function of Greenwood Avenue and Sycamore. ASCENSION -Bluff to Third! BLUFF- Willow to north city limits. CEDAR -Eighth to MoMfullen.

CENTER + Des Moines tiver to the Cemetery. CHERRY - Fifth to Fartam. CLINTON -Eighth to MeMullen.

COLLEGE- Young to city limits! COMMERCIAL -Dos Moines river to Third. COURT AVENUE -- Des Moines river to the Court House.

DAY - Nassau to Greene. DIVISION - Bluff to Fifth. DOOK I MoMullen to Twelfth, EIGHTH - Elm to Pleasant!

ELM - Des Moines river to Elerpath. ELEVENTH - Lake to High. FARNAM - Cdon river to Linden. FIFTH - Coon river to north ofty limite. FOURTH - Elim to Couter. FULTON - Coon river to Collego. GREEN -- Park to north pily limitte. GREENWOOD AVENUR -- Ateb to'olty 8.

1110 -- Sixth to Twelfth, IDA = Park to Mill, IOWA - Mulberry to Bychmore. JEFFERSON -- College to Center JULIN - Twelfth to MuMullen. JULIAN = Eighth to Mobfullen. LAKE - MoMullen to Fulton; LAHALDE = MoMullen to Arch. TINDUN - Hyenmore to lhilton. LONIUNT : Des Molnes river t. Arch. MADI/T =Twelfth to ofty limits, MAIER IT - Dea Molnes river to leventb MoMULLEN =Coon riverito Ayonmore, MITT, - Des Moines river th the Cemetery, MULBERRY -- Fifth to Aruh!' NASSAU - Boath to Mill,! NINTH +- Lake to Center, NONTHI - Des Moines river to west city limits. PARK - Fourth to Ninth !! PINE - Twelfth to Farnam. PLEASANT -Eighth to olty limits, PUBLIC GROUNDS- Coon fiver to Elm || and Des Moines river to 2d, PURSLEY - Linden to College. . RAILROAD - Coon river to College. RANDOLPH - MoMullen to Coop river. RIDGE - Bluff to Third, RIVER - Des Moines river to the Cemetery SECOND -- Publio Grounds to city limits. SECTION - Sycamore to north city limits SEVENTH - Elm to north city limits. SIXTH -Coon river to north city limits. SHORT - Des Moines river to Third. SOUTH - Des Moines rivor to Ninth. SYCAMORE -- Des Moines river to Greenwood Avenue. TENTH -Lake to Pleasant.

THIRD- Elm to porth ofty limiteis THIRTEENTH -- "Good rigor to north city limits TWELFTH + Coonriver to north pity limite. VINE -- Des Moines river to MoMalled WALNUT -Des Moines river to Arobli WASHINGTON -` Boath to Center; WATER -Publio Grounds to Secoma. WILEY + MI to DAY WILLOWH . Des Moines river to Third! WOOD .- Mounted to Doon river. | YOUNG - Malle to Pleasant.'

HALL 'S ADDITION

ELM - Des Moines river to Bluff BYJAMORE || Des Motbed river to Blut.

BAST SIDE.

ALLEN - Des Moines river ito Thirteenth !! BROOKS 4+ Eufteenth to north off" limitel BUDHANANEI venti lo Seventeenth !!! 1 COURT AVENUE - De toinestiver to out ofty limi DEAN :+ Front to third."

NICHTH !- Des Moines ti or to Court A rende RICHTERN TH __ Ballford Avenue to Horta ELEVENTH ++ Des Molse tiver to Dubbia) BLM = bis Moin Hiver to Twohb.

FILMORE=+ Ninth to Thirteenth FOURTEENTH -Court Avenue to north blfr Ilan FOURTH !- Des Moines flyer to Goout! FREMONT - Nisu to Fifteenth FRONT - RAcoon to Dopubb. JIMWITT - Brooks to corth oltyl'im! KEOKUKI-Des Moinesriver to Elgh LODUST + DA. Meinesilver to I YON = dedar to Wishteenth, PITE! Denn to MEust

010 2 Del Melder river to Jointy YINTH -. Der Molade tier to north of YINETRENTH-Des Moines river to north ofyl Latte PENNSYLVANIAL VENUS-ventR . M. RACCOON -- Den Molnet river to Thirteenth. RAULHOND AVENUEI Den Moffen siver to Des Moines river Jecond tirweinh A00TT.+Fourth to one oldy Ill AKOOND "- Jinotion of Shaw and Fourth to Looft .. BEOUND - Front to Third BEVENTE - Des Moines +Tver to Loquat] SEVENTHENTH - Raftroad Avenue to north offy limite BIXTH - Der Moipes river to Lodosta SIXTEENTH| Brooke to north city limits TENTH- De, Moidea ritar to Lyph. THIRD- Allon to Localti THIRTEENTH - Boots to porth city limits. TWELFLIE - Des Moines river U |north olty limits. TWENTIETH - Des Moines river to north city limits TWENTY - FIRST! Maury to Brooks' TWENTY - BECONDE Maury to Brook TWENTY THIRD :- Maury to Brooks; TWENTY- FOURTH - Maury to Brooks WINE : Des Moines river to cast ofty limite. WALKER - Ninth to Nineteenth WALNUT- Des Moines river to bast dity jimit

WILLIAMSON -+ Ninth to Nineteenth. YALE- Des Moines river to Twelfth.

OLD EAST PORT DES MOINES.

BATES - Looust to Des Moines river. CEDAR - Locust to north city limits. CENTER - Locust to north city limits, DEAN - Looust to Des Moines'river. DIVISION - Locust to north city limits. HICKORY - Locust to north city limits. KROSAUQUA - Looust to north city limits! PINE - Lyons to north city limits. 1

OLD SOUTH FORT DEE MOINES.

CLAY - Front to Fourteenth. EIGHTH - Washington to Clay. ELEVENTH - Washington to Clay. FIFTH - Washington to Clay. FRONT - Coon river to Des Moines river. FOURTH :- Washington to Olay: FOURTEENTH - Washington to Clay JEFFERSON - Fropt to Fourteenth. MADISON - Front to Fourteenth. . MONROE-Front to Fourteenth. NINTH - Washington to Clay. . SECOND - Washington to Clay. SEVENTH - Washington to Clay. SIXTH - Washington to Cuy,; TENTH - Washington to Clay."! THIRD - Washington to Clayi THIRTEENTH - Washington to diay. TWELFTH - Washington to Clay. WASHINGTON -Front to Fourteenth,

CHURCH DIRECTORY.

First Presbyterian, Locust street, between 7th and 8th. No pastor. I Central Presbyterian, Fourth street, bear Savery House. No pastor. Third Presbyterian, corner Sycamore and 8th. J. M. PHILLips, pastor. First Baptist, corner Locust and Eighth. L. W. HlatauRar pastor. St Ambrose. ( Catholle) corner Locust and Sixth. J. F. BRAZILL, pastor. Plymouth Congregational, Locust, between "Sixth, and Seventh. H. IS .. DEFORREST, pastor. Methodist Episcopal, Fifth, between Court Avenue and Walnut! INGALLS, pastor.

German Methodist, corner Locust and Second .; . P. WILHELMI, pastor. Wesley Chapel,: Keokuk street, between Seventh and Pennsylvania Avenue, east side. H. B. H Acock, pastor. German Lutheran, Locust, between First and Second. J. LErz, pastor. First Christian, corner Mulberry and Nihth!

J. J. SUMMERHELL, pastor; Second Christian, Cherry, south of Court House,! JIE. GIBTON, pastor! pastor .. 1

First Evangelical Lutheran. A. M GEIGEE, pastor. United Presbyterian, Second, between Codft Avenue and Walnut, cast side. THOS, MOCAQUE, pastor,

Evangelical Association, Third, between Court Avenue and Vine, esat side. - IT. BENZE, (German), A. H. H. HOLDRIDGE, (English) pastors. Burn Chapel, (colored) east side S. T. WELLS, pastor .. Friends, east side, with German Evangelical Church.

ENOS GRUNDY, speaker .; St. Paul, (Episcopal) Seventh neat Walnut: I. BROOKS, rector. Bible Repository, of Am. Tract Souly, at Mills & Co.'s, 46 Court Avenue. vili

DIRECTORY:

HISTORICAL.

That deotion of country, which now comprises sthe county of Polk was included ui the, purchase made of the Baci and| fox Indiand. By treaty stipulations they were removed from the eastern portion of the State. Here they were to remain in cadisputed possession for three years from the 14th of October, 1842. | Shortly after their removal here, it becam) apparent that cordachments would be made upon

them by the Bloux and other surrounding tribes. To protect them from such attacks and for their further benefit a military post was established Here, and accordingly on the 9th of May, 1848, the steamp. Tone, the first that ever sailed to this point grafived with a body of troops, under command of Capt James Allen. Immediately therest ter commenced the work of erecting suitable quarters for the soldiers which extended along the west bank of the Des Moines and Coor rivers! " Somsbid has been the march of civilization and immigration, that but few of these rude hats remain. One id still to be seen on Second street near the Point. Soon after the arrival of the soldier, I' trading post was established. .on the prairie about one mile cast of the city, where vore three Indian villages, one with Powershell as the chief, one with Hard Fish as chief and one with Kdokok as chien | This letter chief was after- ward the successor of the celebrated . Black Hawk: | |Horas;said to

be a noble secimed: of his race . rdl enjoyed the confidence of the

Government and respect of the early settlers. W. G. & CH. W. E. ing were the authorized Indien Tradera. The

American Fer Company. also established wy gene. and what is known as the "Haben Farm.' 2

----- -..

HISTORICAL. ;

Major Beach was Indian Agent, and Joseph, Smart, Interpreter, who evinced his admiration of the red man by taking a squaw for a wife ..

Robt. A. Kinzie, Dr. T. K. Brooks, Benjamin Bryant, Chas. Weath- erford, J. M. Thrift John Sturtevant, James Drake were among the arrivals in 1843, and were attaches of the garrison and Indian Agency.'

During this year, Wm. Lamb, Alexander Turner, John B. and W. A. Scott, arrived with the expectation of locating farms, but the treaty with the Indians was inviolably kept, and they were obliged to await its termination. Permission was given them, however, to reside in various localities, which they accepted, and in various ways man- aged to support their families; until they were enabled to make their claims.

The following year, a few additions were made to the white settlers, among whom was Peter Newcomer, who arrived in February. But little progress was made, as ever' one was waiting the coming of the 11th df October, 1845.

By previous arrangement, each settler was permitted to make his " claim, by implication, for 320 acres, which was to, bo respected and hold valid.

The signal for the termination of the treaty was the aring of a cannon at the fort. As the hour approached, the settlers scattered to their several claims, and when at precisely twelve o'clock the boom ing gun awoke into new life and being this beautiful valley, jevery; man started, with compass in hand, to stake out his claim, and il is said some very good specimens of tallwaking was done, the correct ness of measurement being governed by the length of strides made by the claimant. So eagerly was the work accomplished, that before day dawned on the morning of the 12th, the stakes were all put down. and before the sun went down, work begun on thousands of actes.

An area of one aquare mile around the Fort was held in reserve for the use of the Government .. One hundred and sixty sores of thir; land was ceded to Polk county, including all the buildings thereon : Polk county was organized under a law passed by the territorial legislature in January, 1846) which held its session at Iowa City.

The same year July 8th, a survey of the town of Ft. Des Moines was made by A. I. Jones, a rope being used for that purpose.

It embraced thet portion of the present city west from Des Moines river to Eighth street, and north from Elm street to Loust. The Ded Moines and Raccoon rivers were the eastern and western boundaries !!

-- --

HISTORICAL.

The same year was laid out the town of Dudley, by Jeremich Church, al beculativo, flinerating genios of that day. Of this enten- prise we le Jerry speck for himself In a sketch of this transaction he saya:

--.

"Tempikied a surveyor and laid out the town of Dudley. : I then want to work and built the first frame bout in the country of Folk. This was til the year of [46, and part off'44 | I sold goede in- that House for two years and made money. Wellbed in the village to stores one grocery) two doctors, and one blacksmith shop. We'll lived here very well until 1851 when there was the gre flood, for it rained forty days and forty nights: The Des Moin - sivet overflowed its banka, and was from two to five miles wide and 1 flooded anumber of small village, including the town of Dudley. We concluded it would not do to make a town where there was da of being drowned, bo I then laid out the town of Carlisle, situated about two miles back from the river, determined to keep my head above water The citizens of old Dudley then commenced moving into the new town of Carlisle. I However still lived in the town of Dudley. When the water came into the house, I moved up stairs and lived two weeks. | There was a gentleman came down from the Forth & skiff an ] run right through the town of Dudley , but I| remained until the waiter went away The original entry of that portion of the city which constituted the town of Fort Des Moines, was made by Andrew Groveclose, James Mount and Thomas| Black As Commissioners for Polk County, May 12th, 1848

During Is first two years after the organization of the county, but little attention was paid to the safe keeping of records of the deings; of county osloers, and it is only by dilligent seerolt among old manu. I scripts, serons of paper here and there, which seem to have been Laid carelessly away, that the compiler is enabled to present ist report a their doinga during the years 1848-und 1847 . Sufficient however b been gleaned to show that the first election held in Polk county on the first Monday in April, 1846 the polls being opened in ond of the dragoon buildings pear the Point | The number of votes polled on that pocasion was one hundred and seventy avel "It is estimated the entire population of the country . this time about three There were then elected, John Saylot - Probate Judge

Thos Mitch IL_ Sheriff.

Jamis Phillipe - Coroner.

HISTORICAL.

A. D. Jones - Surveyor .. Thos. McMullon - Recorder.| Wm. F. Ayers - Treasurer. G. B. Clark = Assessor. Adison Michael - Collector.

Benj. Saylor, Wm. H. Meacham, F. W. Fouts, Commissioners,

1. The officers were elected to serve until the next election, which took place the following August.

The returns of the election were made to the "Right Honorable President of County Commissioners," who appear to have been the grand embodiment ot power and greatness in those days.

At this election Adison Michael and Sanford Start were elected Justices of the Peace, who filled the first office of the kind in the county. Hitherto all transactions in law and equity were settled by the military code.

The first case tried before a Justice was April 28th, 1846, before Adison Michael, wherein the United States was plaintiff and Campbell Rieves defendant. It was a complaint for search warrant, to recover stolen gobds. The Sheriff made return that neither goods nor defen- dant were to be found !!

The first District Court held in the county was convened April 6th 1846, in one of the garrison buildings on the Point. This was a part of the second Judicial District, Hon. Joseph Williams apting as Judge. The first business of the court was to provide a seal. After delibera! tion' it was ordered that ''the eagle side of a twenty-five dent piece of American coin be the seal of said court until a proper one can be pro- cured." ; It is not & liftle strange that at the present time it would trouble the court as much to procure a twenty-five dent piece for a seal as it did then a proper one, such an article being seldom seen except in the archives of Historical Societies.

The records of this court show but little business done. A Grandi Jury were impannelled, but presented no bills. " They were dis charged and the court adjourned the second day to the September term, at which time P. M. Casady was admitted to the practice of law!

The early records of the Probate Court were kept in a confused and unsystematic manner, and it was not until the election of How. Byron Rice that they were compiled in a record .!

The first case in the Probate Court was in the matter of the estate of Lumina Scott, deceased, Win. Rickey acting as Judge, he being elech ted in August, 1846, and bears date September 12th following his election.

HISTORICAL

The first Court House was erected in 1848, and was located on a lot! south of the present Court House, purchased by Thou MoNullen or thirty five dollars. John Baylor "as the builder! iIt swad oboupied

, until the new Court House was completed, when it was rented for various purposes until last spring it was torn down to make room lfor a church building!

It will be seen by the letter of Jerry Church that he claims the honor of erecting the first house in Polk County, but some of the old. settlers say the first dwelling houses was created by Win. Lamb 's short distance east of where Allen's port house how stands on the bank of the river. I'mis still to be seen to a very dilapidated condi- tion.

The first oftizen's store was opened by Mr. Home, at an Indian trading House on the east side, which stood in the present street between the wooden factory and Shepard's mill.

The first frame building in the town was created by Adison Michael in 1847, and was occupied as a store: | It now sisids neaf the bold American House,

Anlaged lely informs us that the first rest nice brick house" was. built by Mit Campbell which is still standing near the Point The first mall erected in the county was what is now known'as Parmeled's mill It was commenced in 1844 and for two years was used as a saw mill. In 1846 it was converted into ( pouring mill. Previous to the erection of this bill settlers were obliged to go twenty miles beyond Fairfield 's bout, one hundred and sixty, miles distant to get corn or wheat ground a trip which required three weeks. Brent after the completion of Parmelee's mill Mr. Imac Cho- per was obliged to go to Oskaloces to get born and bring it to Partes- lee's mill. The water being very high and there being no bridges he took his corn scross on fosting loss waiting in his wagon in the open field over night while it was Heldig ground. He then, brought it to town and sold it for two dollars a bushel It was not an uncommon thing for the people to be obliged to wait four and five weeks at the mill, at Heirdild for their grain to be ground

The arst mill within the, limite of the town persoted by W. H. Meacham, on the site where Gilorests mill now i. FIt was - propelled

by horse power il

In 1848's post office was established and Joseph Smart, the Indian Interpreter was appointed post master. The mai was brought on horseback and in various ways, principally by soldiers. The mail for

. 6

HISTORICAL.

this section was received at Fairfield and Oskaloosa, The post office was kept at the Indian Agendy.

Hon. P. M. Casady, one of the earliest post masters, reports that his pooket or hat usually containedy all the mail matter for the 'Fort, as this town was then called. Quite in contrast with the present bus iness of the office, which shows the following exhibit, as furnished by Mr. J. Teesdale, the post master :

About 4,500 letters are received, and a like number sent, weekly .- " Six daily, three try weekly, and one semi-weekly mails arrive and depart.' About 1,000 weekly papers are received and distributed.+ Dailies are received by news-dealers, i amounting to over 5,000 per quarter. And 1,200 periodicals are received quarterly, The sale of stamps and envelopes amounts to over $2,200 per quarter. The office contains 1000 boxes and 125 drawers, . It is also a collection and draft office, and depository of public funds,

It becoming apparent that Fort Des Moines must, becomemi place of importance, albeit the earliest settlers were told by the Indian Agent that this county would never be settled by white men- the uplands being unhealthy, and the bottom lande half the time under water- meeting was called on the 22d of September, 1851 for the purpose of incorporating it as a town ' The proposition was endorsed unani mously, and P. M. Casady, Rev. Thompson Bird, and L. P. Sherman were appointed a committee to draft a charter which was accordingly done, and in October following, it was adopted by a vote of the citizend.

It was during the month of May in' this year that occurred the; great freshet. The Des Moines and Raccoon rivers rose to an unpre- cedented hight, inundating the entire country east of the Des Moines river. Crops were utterly destroyed, houses and fences swept away Farms were covered with drift wood and other debris, so that the entire work of the season was lost.

Since this date levees and other barriers have been erected which will in future guard against the recurrence of a like disaster to the prosperity of the county .

A remarkable fact is worthy of mention at this time. An early settler says that while standing on the prairie near the old Fur Con- pany's quarters, an Indian told him he could recollect when almost the entire, prairie was an island, being surrounded by the Des Moines river, a branch. of which passed along under the bluff near the State House, thence east, forming a junction with the present stream about three miles from the city. The statement seems highly credible,'08 the bed of a river in this direction is plainly seen at the present time.

HISTORIOAL:

By what changes in nature this stream bed ceased to dow is unkpor Certain it is like changes are going on all over the rest : ry lakes are bi joing extinct and many large rivers i evon the Missil sippi- arellicoming less in volume each year !. In 1852 u > United States Land Quio was established _t. Fort Dos Moines, and the sale of land was immediately commenced. The set flors had: i temiously formed" themselvis into @ matuel protection Association to guard themselves ags tost the tricks of isharpers and land sharke who infested | Il new settlements, much to the Injury and prosperity if totual residents. There harpies were given a positive warning that their presence would bring upon them the severest treatment|It should be recorded here, however, that e large portion of the town of Fort Des Moines had been previously bought at a land- sale at lowe City in 1848, at which the demands of the above claim. association were fully respected,

In 1888, My net of the legislature, Fort Des Moines was incorporated as a town. . |A | this tilde the town had increased (to such importance that attenti awas toried to it so the Capital of the Slate. Ils central geographical location at once inducedi the sanotion of the people of the State, and in 1854 an act was passed by the legislature; designs- ting Fort Des Moines is the Capital of the State. A subsequent con- vention to revise and omend the State Constitution permanently fred the Capital at this place.||Thereupon commenced afftrife between the citizens of the east and west side of the State House. | By dint of great zes tiver for the location of the hsagacious [ maneuvering; the east side gained the' point, andi imm beautiful location secured fand an edificp entirely unworthy the dignified namo it be costing Herr sixty-five thousand dollars esboted; which with an adj ing tract of land was donated to the Plate | It is billy y probable that

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

Des Moines and Polk County, Iowa, City Directory 1866, Part 1

Author: Publication date: 1866 Publisher: Number of Pages:

Author:
Publication date: 1866
Publisher:
Number of Pages: