USA > Iowa > Polk County > Centennial history of Polk County, Iowa > Part 13
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The original incorporators were: S. D. Welling, Alexan- der Shaw, C. P. Holmes, W. C. Kent, C. S. Johnson, Thos. Hatton, H. H. Robinson, L. M. Sanford, O. W. Munsell, S. F. Spofford, Harry West, M. W. Robinson, A. P. Ayers, Wm. Patrick, F. R. West, and Geo. W. Savery. The first officers were: M. W. Robinson, President; O. W. Munsell, Vice-President; Alexander Shaw, Secretary; Jno. A. Elliott, Treasurer.
The first Fair under this organization, was held on the grounds of the Driving Park Association, commencing Tuesday, September 3d, and ending Friday, September 6th, 1872. It was very successful in all departments.
The next Fair was held at the same place, from Septem- ber 3d to September 6th, 1873. The Society by this time
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had incurred large debts; and it was with much difficulty, and much devotion on the part of its officers, that it was kept on its feet. On the 27th of September the following officers were chosen: President, M. W. Robinson; Vice- President, David Beatty; Secretary, Alex. Shaw; Treas- urer, John A. Elliott; Chief Marshal, Col. R. V. Ankeny.
At this time a strife sprung up between this Society, and the Central District Association. Efforts were made to consolidate, so as to hold but one Fair; but this result was not accomplished. The District Fair was partially success- ful; but the County exhibition was badly demoralized by heavy rains; so much so indeed, that no premiums were paid.
In January, 1875, the two Societies effected an agreement, resolving to hold but one Fair. The officers of the consol- idation were: President, William Patrick ; Vice-President, Daniel Flynn; Secretary, P. H. Bristow; Treasurer, II. H. Robinson; Chief Marshal, N. J. Miller. The time fixed for the Fair, was from September 21st to September 24th, 1875; but, one week before the date indicated, the grounds were ten feet under water! The exhibition was, threfore, post- poned until October 14th, at which time it was held; but owing to adverse circumstances, it was not a great success. It paid, however, all expenses, and fifty cents on the dollar in premiums.
The present officers are: President, O. W. Munsell; Vice President, H. H. Robinson; Secretary, P. H. Bristow; Treas- urer, Simon Cassady; Chief Marshal, Geo. W. Bristow. At this writing, August 15th, 1876, the prospect, for a fine Fair in Autumn, are very good.
For the history of this Association, we are principally in- debted to P. H. Bristow, Esq., of this City.
Since writing the above, the Fair indicated, which was to come off in September of the present year, was made a fail- ure by excessive rains.
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DES MOINES DRIVING PARK ASSOCIATION.
This Association was organized for the purpose of se- curing, laying out, and fitting up a "Driving and Skating Park," to be located within the limits of the City of Des Moines. Its articles of incorporation, which were filed Sept. 28th, 1866, date its commencement August 1st, 1866, and limit its continuance to twenty years. The capital stock of the corporation was fixed at $10,000, divided into shares of $100 each. At its organization there were thirty-one stockholders and members, all of whom were prominent citizens and business men in Des Moines. The first officers of the Association were as follows: S. F. Spofford, Presi- dent; John Mc Williams, Vice-President; F. R. West, Treas- urer; P. F. Bartle, Secretary ; Board of Directors, Geo. W. Savery, Geo. Crawford, Jno. H. Bacon,and Thos. Kavanaugh.
The association purchased about seventy acres of land, lying around Horse Shoe Lake, and between the lake and the Raccoon river, and fitted them up with a fine half-mile track, amphitheater, Floral, Fine-Art, and Agricultural Halls, skating park buildings, stands, stalls, dwellings, barns, etc., and made the grounds a favorite resort for fairs, horse and cattle shows, picknicks, and other amusements.
The affairs of the Association were wound up in 1870; and the grounds which had been enlarged, so as to com- prise about one hundred acres, became rightfully the prop- erty of S. F. Spofford and F. R. West, by purchase.
The grounds are now used and known as Park Grounds, and are by nature adapted to the very purpose to which they are devoted. They occupy a place on which fairs have usually been held in the county. S. F. Spofford recently (June 28th) sold his share in the Park to Wesley Redhead, for $12,000.00; and the grounds now belong to Messrs. F. R. West, and Wesley Redhead.
For the above brief but comprehensive report, we are in- debted to P. F. Bartle, Esq., Secretary of the Association.
OF POLK COUNTY.
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JOURNALISM.
THE STATE LEADER.
In conversation with Barlow Granger, Esq., we elicited the following facts in connection with the early journalism of our county: A gentleman named Blair, issued in the the Fall of 1848, a prospectus which contemplated the es- tablishment at Fort Des Moines, of a democratic journal, styled The Star. The following Spring Mr. Blair went to California, without having started the paper, according to promise, leaving Mr. Granger to receive the office material which was expected to come from Iowa City. This expec- tation, however, was not realized; and finally Mr. Granger, who passed the greater part of the Winter of 1848-9 at Iowa City, negotiated at that place for the purchase of office fixtures, Judge Curtis Bates furnishing the means. During the following summer, Charles Winkley and Jonathan Rathburn were sent with wagons and teams, to bring back to the Fort the material with which the first newspaper in Central Iowa was to be printed. On returning with the coveted prize, Skunk river bottom presented such ob- stacles to progress, that Mr. Rathburn and his companion were compelled to relieve the load temporarily. by hauling as much of it as was possible up the steep acclivity this side of that river, and then returning for the balance. Such were the beginnings of the present State Leader. It is worthy of mention in this connection, that the first copy of the
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Iowa Star which went out of the office, was taken by our lamented fellow citizen, Lewis Jones, and the first money received on subscription, came from the purse and hands of Thomas Mitchell.
In June, 1849, Barlow Granger & Co., commenced the publication of the Iowa Star in one of the garrison buil- dings. In a short time it reached the healthy circulation of eight hundred. Curtis Bates, and Luther Johnson, suc- ceeded to the control of the paper in 1850, the latter gen- tleman dying eight months afterward. In August, 1851, Dr. A. Hull, now of Sedalia, Mo., a fluent and forcible writer, assumed the editorial management of The Star. He re- tired in 1852, Judge Bates remaining with the paper. In 1854, The Star changed its name to the Argus, and as Judge Bates was the Democratic candidate for Governor, he associated D. O. Finch with himself in the management. Subequently, the name was again changed by a formal re- baptism, and the Argus was known as the Statesman, pass- ing into the hands of Tomlinson and Farner, the former of whom was killed during the war, in the streets of Ripley, Ohio, by William Mitchell, a citizen of Kentucky. In Feb- ruary, 1857, having changed its name to Iowa State Jour- nal, Will Porter, now of this city, and a correspondent of the Chicago Times, became joint proprietor with Robert Hedge, H. C. Rippey assisting in the editorial department. They were succeeded in 1858, by Stilson Hutchins, now of the St. Louis Times, and one of the most trenchant writers in the West. He was associated with G. M. Todd.
Early in 1860, A. J. Stevens and Wm. H. Hoxie started the Commonwealth, a Republican paper, assuming to be the organ of the young Republicans of Iowa. This journal, possessing ability in its editorial department, had, neverthe- less, an ephemeral existence; and in 1861, it was merged into the Des Moines Times, J. B. Bausman, editor. Sub- sequently, Col. W. H. Merritt bought the Times, changing
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its name to the Statesman. In 1865, Col. Merritt sold the paper to Staub & Jenkins, after having controlled it about three years. These gentlemen were succeeded by G. W. Snow, who died in Chicago, much lamented, September 21st, 1870. In 1870, Barnhart Bros., and W. W. Witmer, bought the materials, and changed the name of the paper to its present title. The Leader Company was composed of W. W. and J. W. Witmer, and W. E. Andrews. They com- menced the management, March, 1873. In 1871, Dr. D. V. Cole was connected with this paper. The Leader is the ac- credited State organ of the Democratic party, displaying much talent in its editorial columns, and extending to all competing journals a dignified courtesy and amenity, which are worthy of universal imitation.
Since writing the above, a change has taken place in the ownership of the Leader. On the 15th of August, 1876, Geo. F. Parker, of the Indianola Tribune, purchased Mr. Andrews' and a portion of J. W. Witmer's stock. W. W. Witmer also purchased a portion of J. W. Witmer's stock, and the management, and the editorial duties of the paper, will hereafter be conducted by these gentlemen.
IOWA STATE REGISTER.
The inauguration of the Star in 1849, as a Democratic journal, stimulated the Whigs, in the same year, to start a competing paper. Accordingly, the Fort Des Moines Ga- zette was issued by L. P. Sherman & Co. Mr. Sherman had been several years foreman of the Gazette office, Cincin- nati. He, therefore, brought to the new enterprise a large amount of ripe experience; but at the time of which we write, the Democratic party in Central Iowa, and, indeed, in the entire State, had acquired such complete and undis- puted sway, that Whig journals, for want of local and gen- eral patronage, had nothing but their naked subscription lists to give them vitality and permanence. For this cause, 24
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the career of the Gazette was comparatively brief. It was followed by the State Journal, published by Peter Myers & Co.
It was during the administration of Mr. Myers, that the vigorous pens of W. W. Williamson and C. Ben Darwin, were employed on the paper. Both of them are accom- plished attorneys. Tradition affirms that Mr. Darwin oc- casionally relieved the tedium of editorial duties by chop- ping wood, washing dishes, and tending baby, displaying in this excellent way, his affection for his sick wife.
For some time after the suspension of the Gazette, the party opposed to the Democratic faith, were left without an organ. In February, 1856, Thomas H. Sypherd, now a clerk in the Treasury Department, Washington City, started the Iowa Citizen, in Exchange Block. His partner in the enterprise was A. J. Stevens, a banker in the town. In February, 1857, Mr. Sypherd retired from the paper, leaving it to Mr. Stevens. Immediately after this change, W. H. Farner and J. M. Dixon were installed as editors and pub- lishers. Meantime, the paper had identified itself with the new Republican party.
In August, 1857, the Citizen passed into the hands of J. C. Savery, and at the same time, Dr. Farner retired from the editorial chair, resigning it, under the direction of Mr. Savery, to J. M. Dixon. In December, 1857, John Tees- dale, who had been elected State Printer, assumed the pro- prietorship, with Mr. Dixon as his Associate Editor. Dur- ing the Winter of 1859-60, the paper was invested with its present title: Iowa State Register.
In May, 1861, F. W. Palmer, who had been chosen State Printer, became the owner, with Mr. Dixon as his associate in editorial duty. January 13, 1862, the first number of the Daily State Register was issued, depending for news by telegraph on the line extending from Chicago to California, which had recently commenced operation. December 4th,
.
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1866, Frank and Jacob Mills, and J. M. Ross, under the title of Mills & Co., assumed ownership, with Messrs. Palmer and Dixon in the editorial department; but as the latter was becoming hopelessly blind, he was compelled, at this point, to vacate the place which he had occupied nearly eleven years.
During the proprietorship of Mills & Co., the editorial conduct of the Register devolved, for a part of the time, on Mr. Palmer, assisted by J. S. Clarkson. The latter gen- tleman remained with the paper, until December 4th, 1870, when J. S. and R. P. Clarkson, under the name of Clarkson Brothers, purchased the establishment.
C. S. Wilson, formerly of Pella and Winterset, at which places he published newspapers, has been the City Editor several years. The editorial talent invested in this paper is of a high order. From the date of the establishment of the Register in 1856, until the present time, it has been the recognized State organ of the Republican party.
The Editor-in-Chief is J. S. Clarkson; business manager, R. P. Clarkson; Agricultural Editor, C. F. Clarkson. Carroll Wright, son of Senator Geo. G. Wright, is also on the ed- itorial staff of this paper, in the local department. Ellis Pattee, foreman of the book and job department, has been an attachee of the office during the past twenty years.
HOMESTEAD.
In 1859, Wm. Duane Wilson transferred the Iowa Farmer from Mt. Pleasant and Fairfield to Des Moines, changing it from a monthly to a weekly; Mills Brothers, publishers. The same year it became the property of Hiram Torrey, who styled it the Pioneer Farmer. The next owner was W. S. Simmons, who sold to Mark Miller, under whose control it became the Iowa Homestead. It next, in 1864, passed into the hands of H. W. Petitt, who died in the spring of 1866, and the Homestead then re-
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verted to Mark Miller, after which it returned to its original proprietor, Wm. Duane Wilson.
The present management, Dr. Sprague, editor and proprie- tor, commenced, September, 1873. The paper is now called the Homestead and Western Farm Journal.
Gen. William Duane Wilson, whose name has been men- tioned as one of the former editors of the Homestead, was the first Secretary of the State Agricultural College, elected by the Board of Trustees of that institution. He served in that capacity seven years with great acceptability, and then resigned, going into other departments of labor. He has been intimately connected with the Grange movement in Iowa, from its inception. He is now associated with the Helper newspaper, and also with the Agricultural Depart- ment of the Iowa Industrial Exposition.
Mark Miller, one of the editors of the Homestead, and the conductor of the Pomologist, came to Des Moines in 1860, from Dubuque. He was an engraver by profession, and quite a genius. He died April 9th, 1874, while residing on his farm near the city.
George E. Wilson, son of General Wilson, sold in 1866, the first ticket, and checked the first baggage, on the Union Pacific Railroad.
STATE JOURNAL.
Stewart, Waterman & Speed started the State Journal under the name of Review, December 31st, 1870. May 18, 1872, it was bought by the Republican Printing Company, of which G. W. Edwards was President, and G. A. Stewart, Secretary. These gentlemen were respectively Editor and Associate Editor. At the last date, the Daily Republican was started, which was continued until October, 1873, when it was purchased by the State Printing Company, and its name changed to the State Journal. It was continued un- der this management until April, 1874, when it passed into
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OF POLK COUNTY.
the hands of G. W. Edwards. It was bought by Williams, Blair & Pearson, October 25th, 1874, with Williams as Ed- itor, Blair as Business Manager, and Pearson as Book Keeper. The Daily Journal was discontinued October 23d, 1875, but the Weekly is still in existence, never having missed an issue. J. G. Blair succeeded, as conductor of the paper, August 10tb, 1875. The engine of the Journal Office was manufactured in this city, by Loughran & Hillis. The Journal has always been Republican in politics.
IOWA PROGRESS.
In July, 1872, H. S. Hyatt issued the first number of the Iowa Progress, a monthly 16 page journal, devoted to the resources, industries, and interests of the State, with an Im- migration Department, edited by A. R. Fulton, then Secre- tary of the State Board of Immigration. It had an aggre- gate circulation of over 5,000 copies, but at the end of one year, Mr. Hyatt removed the publication to St. Louis, where it was continued as the Mississippi Valley Progress.
IOWA STATE GAZETTE.
In 1873, J. P. Bushnell commenced the publication of the Iowa State Gazette, a Monthly quarto, devoted to the gen- eral interest of Iowa and the Northwest. Its publication was continued up to 1876.
THE PEOPLE.
This journal, a Weekly, advocating the election of Peter Cooper for President, commenced its existence in Des Moines, September 21st, 1876. George William Jones, pub- lisher.
DAILY BULLETIN.
The Des Moines Bulletin, Daily and Weekly, was established January 1st, 1868, by R. G. Orwig, Editor and
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY
Proprietor. At the close of the first year it had a circula- tion of 2,400 Daily, and 4,200 Weekly copies. Early in 1870, after enjoying a large degree of prosperity, it was merged into the State Register. While conducting this paper, which was Republican in politics, Mr. Orwig mani- fested signal ability as a writer; and although the Bulle- tin was discontinued, as an independent publication, several years since, it is still vividly remembered for the pungency and vivacity of its editorial paragraphs.
PATRONS' HELPER.
This journal was established by W. W. Garretson, July 16th, 1874. In November, 1874, it was purchased by Geo. William Jones, the present editor and proprietor. It is a Weekly publication, and is the accredited State organ of the Grangers. William Duane Wilson is its Associate Editor.
WESTERN JURIST.
The Western Jurist was established in 1866, with W. G. Hammond as its Editor. It is now managed by Hon. C. C. Cole, General Editor; A. N. Porter, Associate Editor. Be- sides these, the following gentlemen are connected with the Jurist : J. S. Runnells, E. H. Stiles, O. M. Conover, Nor- man L. Freeman, and Guy A. Brown.
TEMPERANCE PLATFORM.
The Temperance Platform was transferred from Du- buque to Des Moines by W. S. Peterson, Jan., 1866. Mr. P. published the paper until the latter part of the year 1868, when the Grand Lodge of Good Templars bought the sub- scription list and material, and changed the name to Tem- perance Standard, appointing at the same time, L. M. Holt as Publisher, and W. H. Fleming and J. M. Dixon as Ed- itors. In Arpil, 1869, the paper was sold to L. M. Holt, and taken to Marshalltown, Mr. Dixon still continuing with it.
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OF POLK COUNTY.
PLAIN TALK.
Plain Talk, a weekly newspaper of eight pages, published in East Des Moines, was established in 1870, by M. H. Bish- ard, the present editor and proprietor. It is independent in politics, and is a very readable and interesting journal. It is printed by steam.
Since the above was written, we have received intelli- gence of the death of Mr. Bishard. He died at his residence in East Des Moines, October 22d, 1876, after a lingering and painful illness. The paper which was conducted by him so faithfully, and so successfully, will hereafter be under the management of his sons.
BAPTIST BEACON.
The Baptist Beacon, published in East Des Moines, and edited by A. Robbins and J. B. Hawk, is now in its third volume. It was recently moved from Pella to this city.
ANALYST.
The Analyst, a purely mathematical journal, was started by J. E. Hendricks, in 1874.
ANZEIGER.
The Anzeiger, a German paper of the Democratic faith, was established by Messrs. Beck & Voigt in 1869. In Feb- ruary, 1874, it became the property of Col. J. Eibeck, its present talented proprietor.
HERALD OF LIBERTY.
The Herald of Liberty, Col. J. Eibeck, editor and pro- prietor, discusses the temperance question generally, on the license side. It was started May 1, 1875. It is also of the Democratic faith. The Colonel edited and published the Clayton County Journal at Elkader, during a period of
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fourteen years. He also started in 1867, at the same place, the North Iowa Herald, a German paper.
SCHOOL JOURNAL.
The Iowa School Journal was established in 1859, under the auspices of Mills Brothers, publishers. Its first editors were A. J. Stevens, and Oran Faville. In January, 1872, it passed into the hands of C. M. Greene, proprietor. In June, 1875, Mr. Greene sold it to W. E. Crosby, who re- moved it to Davenport and changed its name to the Com- mon School.
THE MOTOR.
The Industrial Motor was established in January, 1872, by T. G. Orwig. In March, 1876, J. Alvah Smith became joint proprietor with Mr. Orwig. Circulation about 1,500.
Appropos to journalism, it may be noted that in the same building in which the Motor is conducted, C. A. Johnson, engraver and delineator, makes all kinds of cuts, illustra- tions of stock, buildings, machinery, etc.
NEW BROOM.
This is the unique and piquant name of a sprightly journal, which was started by Carter, Hussey & Curl, November 25, 1869. Its merits should have given it a long lease of exist- ence, but it was discontinued November 4, 1871. It was edited by Tac. Hussey.
POMOLOGIST.
This journal was established by Mark Miller in Des Moines, January, 1870. It was consolidated with the Hor- ticulturist, Albany, N. Y., in July, 1872.
MONROE'S SPECIAL TRAIN.
The only temperance paper published in Iowa at this time,
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OF POLK COUNTY.
is Monroe's Special Train, and Trade Reform, Walnut street, Des Moines. It was established in 1870, for gratu- itous distribution, and was issued semi occasionally, for some time, as the necessities of the case seemed to demand. Hereafter, it will be published monthly. Circulation about two thousand.
DES MOINES DIRECTORY.
The first regular city directory was published by Mills & Co., for the years 1866-7. It embraced a historical intro- duction of much interest. The same enterprising Company published the Directory of 1869. The succeeding four volumes, running from 1871, to 1876, were compiled by J. P. Bushnell, of this city. In the preparation of this history, we have been greatly assisted by these volumes.
IOWA PRINTING COMPANY.
In January, 1873, a Joint Stock Company, under the name of State Printing Co., commenced the business of auxiliary or co-operative newspaper printing. The limit of capital stock was fixed at $40,000. The original stock- holders were: S. F. Spofford, J. M. Coggeshall, Samuel Merrill, J. H. Brooks, B. F. Gue, John A. Elliott, Wesley Redhead, Ezekiel Clark, James Callanan, and A. R. Fulton.
The following officers were elected: Directors, S. F. Spofford, J. H. Brooks, Wesley Redhead, Samuel Merrill, and B. F. Gue; President, S. F. Spofford; Vice President, Wesley Redhead; Secretary, A. R. Fulton; Treasurer, John A. Elliott; Superintendent, B. F. Gue. At the commence- ment of its business, about thirty Iowa papers were furn- ished.
In 1873, this Company consolidated with the Republican Printing Company, and for some time published the Daily and Weekly State Journal. At the expiration of about six months, this arrangement was dissolved, and the State
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CENTENNIAL HISTORY
Printing Company again restricted its business to auxiliary newspaper printing. In April 1876, the State Printing Company was succeeded by the Iowa Printing Company, the stock-holders of the new Company being mainly those of the old one. The Company is now furnishing about seventy-five papers, mostly for publishers in Iowa and Ne- braska. The present officers are, J. H. Brooks, President; James Callanan, Jr., Vice President; Samuel Merrill, Treas- urer; A. R. Fulton, Secretary; E. T. Cressey, Manager. H. B. Speed, now of Cleveland, Ohio, preceded Mr. Cressey as manager. The Company has presses, material, and all the facilities for competing with the best houses in the same line of business. This is the only house of the kind in the State; there are but few, indeed, in the United States. This Company alone uses a car load of print paper every five weeks, and in its supplies to publishers, and its advertising patronage, transacts a business amounting to over fifty thousand dollars annually.
PUBLISHING HOUSES.
The oldest Publishing House in Des Moines, is that of Mills & Co., having been established in 1856. This house has grown up from comparatively small proportions, until it now embraces stereotyping, lithographing, and all other improvements which are found in first-class establishments of this character. A large number of books have been issued from this house, besides an immense amount of miscellaneous printing and binding. The Supreme Court reports are printed here.
The Publishing House of Carter, Hussey & Curl, was es- tablished February 20th, 1864. The firm first started in a small 12x16 room; and their business increased so rapidly, that a few years since, they erected a large brick building on Walnut street, three stories high, with basement, in which are now carried on the various departments of their
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