USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 44
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY
scription and have it ready for sale when a company with capital came upon the scene. On the maps published early as 1859 the "Waterloo & Des Moines Railroad" was one of the prominent features. Such line of road was deemed a certainty and the promoters of the Waterloo & Marshalltown project had basis for their belief that when the time came for a through line they would likely be able to make a good thing out of their enterprise.
The company began building a road from Marshalltown to Waterloo, secured a 5 per cent tax in a number of townships along the line, including a tax voted at Marshalltown and at Waterloo, both Waterloo and East Waterloo townships. But in 1884 the Chicago, St. Paul and Kansas City enterprise was projected and this company absorbed the Wisconsin, Iowa & Nebraska Company.
Largely interested in this new enterprise was a Mr. Wilson of New York. a man of means and one who had met with success in railroad building. He had several consultations with Waterloo and Cedar Falls business men. Mr. Wilson was a quiet, plain man, undemonstrative and cautious in speech, but strong in the presentation of the advantages of this diagonal line and he had little difficulty in winning the cooperation of Black Hawk County business men and also visited Cedar Falls. A survey of the line was made through the City of Waterloo in April. 1884. Surveys were also run northeast from Cedar Falls. Work was begun on the road at Des Moines. The Wisconsin, Iowa & Nebraska Company had done some work, in fact, had reached a point four miles south- east of Waterloo. It was found upon investigation that this company could not transfer the 5 per cent tax voted. The new company wanted a tax voted direct to it and in order to force the Waterloo townships to terms, began coquetting with Cedar Falls, surveyed a line up over the hills to that city and made one or more surveys from there northeast to Oelwein. the point on the proposed line where it veered southwest.
A survey was made through Waterloo in April, 1884, and also others. The railroad people were figuring for aid and in June, 1885. Waterloo and East Waterloo townships voted a 41/2 per cent tax on condition that the company should maintain a depot on each side of the Cedar River. The work was prose- cuted in earnest. The company had a head in the person of A. B. Stickney. Several surveys were made through Waterloo on Twelfth Street. on Lime Street east to Fourth Street. diagonally across lots to Park Avenue, and one farther up the river. President Stickney came to Waterloo, looked over the ground and the map of surveys, took a pencil and marked out a line down through the east side, marking depot grounds within two blocks of the business center. crossing the river on Sixth Street and running out of the city on Bluff Street, west side. locating that depot as near the center of business as possible.
The Illinois Central depot was more than a half mile from the business part of the town: the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern depot was even more inconveniently located. Mr. Stickney did not believe in forcing business to hunt his road, but sought to get in immediate touch with it, both as a convenience to shippers and of advantage to the company, giving the "Diagonal." as the road was then called, a decided advantage over the two old roads. This Stickney policy soon had its effects. The Illinois Central secured right of way. marked their depots, passenger and freight. down on Water Street. their present loca-
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tion, and the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern ( the Rock Island ) moved down on Bluff Street close against business on the west side.
The completion of this line of railroad gave the county three trunk lines, centering in Waterloo.
Another railroad project, the Anamosa, La Porte City & Eldora road, was voted a 5 per cent tax in 1886 by Big Creek Township, including La Porte City. This road was never constructed. but there have been efforts made at different times to secure a railroad covering this territory. The chief encour- agement given all these projects came from the business men of the bustling little town most concerned.
On March 8, 1904, negotiations were closed with the Midland Construction Company for a railroad. Waterloo was to have the Chicago, Anamosa & North- western Railroad, to be constructed through the west side of the city, crossing the Cedar at a point near Gilbertville. Surveys were made and many town- ships along the line voted a tax, but although it was built to Quasqueton, in Buchanan County, it never reached Waterloo.
If there is one factor in the development of a country and town that is of greater importance than others, it is the railroads. The railroad develops the country and makes the town. During the early years of settlement of this portion of Iowa the development was extremely slow. Products could not be marketed with profit. there was no incentive to build factories except such as to supply local consumption, and the lack of market facilities acted as a damper on the im- provements of the adjacent territory and the development of the alnost unlimited resources of the section. Such was the condition of things in Waterloo up to the close of the Civil war. Then came the railroad.
And from that time until this the growth of the country adjacent to Waterloo has been rapid. It was in the year 1861 that the first locomotive of the old Dubuque & Sioux City Railway poked its pilot into the City of Waterloo. Rather, the Village of Waterloo. It was not much of a railroad in those days, it is true, but it was a railroad and that was what Waterloo and contiguous territory had awaited for long years. With the citizens of Waterloo it was a long and tedious wait, indeed. The first survey of the road was made as early as 1854. But the financial status of the projecting company was weak and the work progressed slowly, in fact at times was wholly at a standstill. The citizens of Black Hawk County were asked to vote and donate the sum of $300,000. At this period it was a great burden to raise the bonus, but it was done and seven years after the first survey was made the first steam engine puffed its way into the limits of the town and from that time Waterloo's prosperity was assured. It meant the rapid transportation of products to the eastern markets and the return of manufactured goods from the eastern factories.
Along the line of railway were several promising towns not far distant from Waterloo -- some in fact which had outstripped the youngster on the banks of the Cedar in point of growth. With only one line of road all stood an equal chance to become a factor in the commercial interests of this portion of Iowa. It was a matter of additional railroad facilities and these came to Waterloo on account of its advantageous position geographically and the fact that the Cedar River supplied excellent power for manufacturing interests.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY
In the fall of 1860 work had been commenced on what was then known as the Cedar Falls & Minnesota and it was planned to have the road start north- ward from Cedar Falls. The new line, however, was so far dependent upon the Dubuque & Sioux City that the latter forced the weaker road to start two miles east of Cedar Falls and soon after the completion this line was absorbed by the Dubuque & Sioux City and became what was later known as the Albert Lea Division of the Illinois Central. Later both of these lines were leased for a term of years to the Illinois Central Railway. by which company it is still operated. By this transfer Waterloo found herself located upon one of the best railway systems of the West and South, being at this time on a direct line from Sioux City and Omaha to Chicago and in direct communication with the Dakotas and Minnesota. Not only this, but the Illinois Central has reached out to the south- ward until it touches the waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Black Hawk County products frequently find their way to export through the medium of this line and the splendid shipping advantages afforded by the southern port of New Orleans.
The addition of these facilities gave Waterloo railway significance and other lines began to find their way to the County of Black Hawk. In 1870 what was then known as the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota was built through Black Hawk and Waterloo was one of the principal stations on this line. Later it became the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern and established through connections from St. Paul to St. Louis, thus giving Waterloo a northern and southern outlet and opening up trade relations with a previously unknown territory. This road is now a part of the Rock Island System.
Again in 1884 what was once the "Diagonal" or Wisconsin, Iowa & Nebraska Road constructed its line from Chicago to Kansas City and from Chicago to St. Paul. Waterloo was on the Kansas City branch of this road. This road is now known as the Chicago Great Western.
ILLINOIS CENTRAL LINES IN IOWA
Dubuque & Pacific
The Dubuque & Pacific Railroad Company was organized on April 28. 1853. for the purpose of building a railroad from the City of Dubuque, Iowa, west- ward towards the Pacific Ocean. The first thirty miles of the road, from Du- buque to Dyersville, was completed and opened for business on May 11. 1857. From Dyersville to Nottingham. now Earlville, eight miles. the road was opened for business on December 22. 1857. During the fall of 1859 the road was ex- tended to Independence. The road was completed to Jesup on December 12. 1859.
Dubuque & Sioux City
On August 1, 1860, articles of incorporation of the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad were signed, and filed for the purpose of taking over all the rights and privileges. property and franchises of the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad Company and to complete and operate the said road. The Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad was completed from Jesup to Waterloo and the first passenger train into that station arrived from Dubuque at 5:05 P. M. Monday, March 11, 1861. J. S.
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Northup. conductor. C. Childs was the first agent in Waterloo. Construction work was continued and the first passenger train into Cedar Falls arrived from Dubuque 5:30 P. M. Monday, April 1, 1861. W. B. Boss was the first agent at Cedar Falls. On account of financial difficulty the road was built no farther west for several years.
On October 1, 1867, the Illinois Central Railroad Company leased the Dubuque & Sioux City Road.
An ordinance granting the right of way to the Illinois Central Railroad Com- pany in, through, across, along and upon certain streets, avenues, alleys and public highways in the City of Waterloo, Iowa, was passed August 27, 1886. This piece of road is known as the Waterloo Belt Line. The construction work was con- siderably delayed on account of trouble in securing the right of way. However, the track was laid and the first train pulled over the track was a delayed passen- ger train, due to a wreck on the main line, near the west end of the Waterloo yard, which occurred November 10, ISSS. The new downtown freight station was completed and the ladies of Christ Episcopal Church made arrangements for an entertainment which was given Friday evening, September 11, 1891. in the building, also the ladies' society of St. Joseph's Church gave a banquet on Sep- tember 24, 1891, in this building, which was opened for business on October 11, IS91. The new downtown passenger station was opened for business Tuesday, November 1, 1892. The downtown route was selected owing to the competition of other railroads which have central depot locations.
The Cedar Falls & New Hartford Railroad was incorporated January 3, 1903. The grading was completed, the track laid and connected with the Illi- nois Central main line, June 21, 1904.
The Cedar Valley Railroad, which was later changed to the Cedar Falls & Minnesota Railroad Company, was organized in Cedar Falls on April 16, 1858, for the purpose of constructing a railroad from Cedar Falls, Iowa, to the Min- nesota State Line. In September, 1858, ground was broken at Cedar Falls and some grading was done towards Waverly. Hard times came on. Several of the directors withdrew and the company ceased operations for a time. The road lingered until the fall of 1863, when the stock changed hands at about ten cents on the dollar. Early in 1864 new articles of incorporation were adopted, retain- ing the same name. The road was completed as far as Waverly on December I, 1864. The road was operated by the Dubuque & Sioux City Company to which it was leased on January 1, 1867, for forty years. By the terms of the lease the Cedar Falls & Minnesota Company was to extend the road northward and it passed into the hands of the Illinois Central with the Dubuque & Sioux City on October 1, 1867.
The Cedar Falls & Northeastern Railroad Company, constructed for the pur- pose of connecting Cedar Falls Station with the main line of the Cedar Falls & Minnesota Railroad, was incorporated August 22. 1904. The road was completed in November of that year and opened for traffic.
THIE ILLINOIS CENTRAL SHOPS
On Saturday. November 12, 1870, the machine shops of the Iowa Division of the Illinois Central Railroad were removed from Dubuque to Waterloo. The
CENTE
LEATHER STORE
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First Illinois Central machine shops, Water- loo, 1873.
Old Bickley Block, corner Bridge and Com- mercial streets.
Corner Bridge and Commercial streets, look- ing north, in the early '60s. Commercial Street about 1866.
EARLY SCENES IN WATERLOO
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change was made by reason of the necessity for a more central site than Du- buque. Waterloo was selected as practically the most central point on the Iowa Division. The only question to be decided when these shops were removed was whether they should be located between Waterloo and Cedar Falls, where the track of the Valley Branch joins the main line, or at Waterloo, which had always been deemed the junction in the matter of running trains. The people of Water- loo settled this question by giving the company $23,000 in cash and about seventy acres of land for the location within the limits of the town. Having decided upon the location of the shops, the company proceeded to erect buildings suitable for the works intended.
It will be remembered that the Jowa Division of the Illinois Central is the old Dubuque & Sioux City Road, and the Valley Branch, being the Cedar Falls & Minnesota Road built by the Sioux City Company under a contract providing for a lease. The Dubuque & Sioux City Road, with its leased branch, was leased to the Illinois Central Company in 1867. The shops were established at Dubuque in the spring of 1856 and twenty men were employed. With the re- moval to Waterloo about one hundred and sixty men were given employment. The buildings at first consisted of a roundhouse with fourteen stalls, machine and blacksmith shops, carpenter and paint shops. They were constructed of brick from Dubuque and were as nearly fireproof as possible to make them. Mr. Thomas W. Place was the master mechanic appointed for these shops.
In 1900 plans were made known by the Illinois Central to the effect that they intended making the Waterloo central division point the most important place on the lines between Omaha and Chicago, and to install improvements in the city to the amount of $700,000. Plans for offices here and a general office build- ing were drawn and the structure built. The shops were practically rebuilt also and enlarged to their extensive space as occupied at present. Additional land was given by the citizens of Waterloo for the accommodations.
THOMAS W. PLACE
Thomas W. Place, the first master mechanic of the Waterloo shops of the Illinois Central, was born in Acworth, Sullivan County, New Hampshire, on January 2, 1833, and was educated in the public schools. In March, 1850, he en- tered the shops of Parks and Woolson of Springfield, Vermont, as machinist apprentice. Two years later he was employed as machinist in the Boston Loco- motive Works. From December 25, 1852, to December 25, 1853, he was en- ployed as locomotive fireman on the Northern Railroad of New Hampshire, which is now a part of the Boston & Maine System. In January, 1854, Mr. Place moved to Chicago, Illinois, and entered the service of the Chicago & Aurora Railroad. now a part of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy System, as machinist. On April I, 1854, he accepted the position of locomotive engineer on the Illinois Central Railroad and was thus employed in Chicago and Centralia districts until Novem- ber 13, 1856. On this latter date he resigned to enter the service of the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad, as locomotive engineer, this road then being in the course of construction from Dubuque westward. This position he retained until August. 1859, at which time he was appointed foreman of the company shops at Dubuque. In May, 1860, he secured the position of foreman in the engine house at Joliet,
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Illinois, for the Chicago & Alton Railroad and was in their employ until Sep- tember 1, 1861, when he returned to Dubuque as master mechanic of the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad, the outgrowth of the Dubuque & Pacific Road, and which was leased by the Illinois Central October 1, 1867. From this latter date Mr. Place was employed continually in the service of the Illinois Central Lines in Iowa as master mechanic of the Waterloo Shops until retired from active service and his name placed on the pension rolls, November 1, 1901. Mr. Place continues to make Waterloo his home, residing at 312 High Street.
ANOTHER WATERLOO-CEDAR FALLS CONTEST
The spirit of rivalry, and perhaps bitterness, existing between Waterloo and Cedar Falls, was many years dying out. if it ever did. There have been several incidents in history where the two towns have contested over something beneficial to the existence of either, and one of these was when the Dubuque & Sioux City, now the Illinois Central, railroad reached this point in 1860. The following is quoted from a writer on that subject :
"In the fall of 1860 the Illinois Central Railroad, then the Dubuque & Sioux City, completed its track to Waterloo. That was the great event of the year for the village. It was thus for the first time in actual touch with the outside world. In reading over the different accounts of the situation at that time between the vil- lages of Waterloo and Cedar Falls, one is led to believe that the intention of the company was to give Cedar Falls any extra benefit which might be at its disposal on its way farther west. It is tolerably certain that the citizens of that village took that view of it, for it is recorded that on the arrival of the road at the water tank eighty rods this side of the town, March 29, 1861. the people at once began preparations for a big celebration, which came off in due form April 11th. So elaborate was this affair that a committee of reception composed of 128 citizens was a modest feature of the program. At the banquet held in the evening, given to the officials of the road and other men of prominence present, speeches were made and a large list of toasts were responded to. Toasts to the 'Road Officials,' 'Our Guests,' 'The Flag,' 'The Press,' 'Iowa,' 'The Cedar Falls & Minnesota Railroad,' and some others were given. The principal toast was characteristic of the high hopes and ambitious anticipations of the people of our sister village. and read as follows:
" 'The four great cities of the Northern Confederacy-Cedar Falls, Dubuque, Chicago and New York.'
"The citizens evidently expected the village to be the end of a division of the road, if not its final terminus. There are reasons for believing that they were encouraged in their high expectations by the officials of the road and counted on as a certainty the location of the machine shops at that point. Nobody blames them. They were rejoicing and had good cause for their jubilation. In the meantime Waterloo kept quiet and sawed wood. When the proper time came our shrewd men got in their work, out-figured the wise men of Cedar Falls, who had neglected to shut a tight fist on the machine shops when practically in their hands, and brought the coveted prize to Waterloo."
Business men of Waterloo and of Cedar Falls, of course, disagree as to the real cause of the latter's defeat. Some attribute it to the carelessness of the Cedar
THOMAS W. PLACE First master mechanic at Illinois Central shops, Waterloo.
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Falls citizens, the charging of a high rate per day for shutting off the mill-race during the construction of a bridge and the remote site given the railroad for the repair shops. Others say that it was the sagacity and opportune action of the Waterloo citizens which won. It is natural to suppose that the railroad, as big a corporation as it was, would choose the city best adapted to their needs and not by force of persuasion or advertising.
In 1864 there came the question of the location of the machine shops and the roundhouse and again the two towns stood toe to toe and fought it out. Waterloo again won. A subscription was given and a 40-acre tract of land donated to the railroad company. The people of Cedar Falls, until a very recent date, entertained hopes of gaining the railroad buildings from Waterloo, but this hope has been destroyed by the extensive improvements at the latter place.
THE INTERURBAN LINE
In 1896 Waterloo had become sufficiently metropolitan to warrant the build- ing of an electric street railway system to supersede the old horse car line. This was built in 1896 under the name of the Waterloo & Cedar Falls Rapid Transit line and one year later the connecting line between the two cities was completed. In 1897 the city system of Waterloo consisted of two miles of steel track and two cars, drawn by a span of horses each.
Year by year from that time the interurban and street railways have had a remarkable growth. The officials of the road early adopted the policy of extensive improvements and each year have spent more and more in perfecting the system, "the smokeless way," as they term it. In the year 1913 the sum of $1,124,400 was expended on road improvements, such as new cars, heavier steel rails, new concrete bridges and culverts, ballasting, equipment, etc. To the northwest there are twenty-four cars operating daily between Waterloo and Cedar Falls. Waverly to the north has splendid connection and in September, 1914, the line to Cedar Rapids, projected from La Porte City and Urbana, was completed and good service supplied to that city. Waterloo people now have the advantage of forty-four incoming trains from Cedar Rapids, Waverly, Cedar Falls and intermediate points.
Altogether, a total of seventy-five trains, interurban and steam, enter Waterloo every twenty-four hours. The Illinois Central has sixteen, the Rock Island seven, and the Chicago Great Western has eight. The trade territory of Waterloo extends in all directions to a distance of fifty miles or more. Thousands of people are brought here each week by the steel lines. The service is excellent on all of the roads and the passenger and interurban trains endeavor to maintain a schedule convenient with the shoppers.
The interurban is now the Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern Line, or the Cedar Valley Route.
SUMMARY OF INTERURBAN GROWTH
In 1910 the Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern Railway Company was given financial assistance which made it the most important factor in the development of this part of the state. In this year work was started on the $500,000 modern
1
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fire proof power station in Waterloo. The station was completed in 1911 and now has sufficient power to operate 400 miles of interurban railroad. During the same year over five hundred and forty-five thousand dollars was expended in improving the lines, and in 1911 the La Porte City Line was constructed. In 1913 the line was extended to Brandon and Urbana and in September, 1914, to Cedar Rapids.
Plans are now made for the construction of complete railroad shops in Waterloo and also a general office building and waiting station. The estimated cost of this proposed building is $350,000. The building will be the acme of efficiency and modern equipment.
ROADS
By an act approved January 9, 1855, Palmer F. Newton of Fayette County and T. E. Turner of Buchanan were appointed to locate a state road from Cedar Falls to Janesville and Waverly, in Bremer County, thence to St. Charles, Floyd County, thence to Osage, Mitchell County.
On January 24th William H. McClure of Black Hawk County, Henry H. Griffith of Polk, and Thomas S. Griffin of Woodbury were appointed to locate a state road from Cedar Falls, by Fort Dodge, in Webster County, to near the mouth of the Big Sioux River in Woodbury County.
By an act approved January 25, 1855, the counties of Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan, Black Hawk and Bremer were constituted the Second Judicial Dis- trict and terms of court established in Black Hawk on the first Monday after the third Monday in March and September of each year.
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