USA > Iowa > Black Hawk County > History of Black Hawk County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 50
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He was a charter member of the First Congregational Church of Waterloo, which he and four others founded in 1856. For fifty years he was the chairman of its board of trustees and one of its most faithful members. In 1870 and 1871 he was a member of the state Senate, at which session Senator Allison was first elected to the Senate. He was chairman of the committee which secured the Illi- nois Central Shops at Waterloo, and also chairman of the committee which secured the Chicago Great Western Railway.
WILLIAM H. HARTMAN
William H. Hartman was born at Allentown, Pennsylvania, on August 27. 1838, and died in Waterloo, Iowa, on July 1, 1895. In 1840. when Mr. Hartman was but two years of age, his parents moved to Tiffin, Ohio, where he received his early education, or until he had arrived at the age of fourteen years. At this time his parents again moved, this time to Anamosa. Jones County, Iowa.
In this latter place Mr. Hartman was to get his first experience in the news- paper business, a vocation he followed during his whole life. Shortly after the arrival of the Hartman family at Anamosa the Anamosa News, the first paper in that county, was established and William H. Hartman was one of the first employes. He served his apprenticeship in this office and then started out as a journeyman printer, working in numerous places, including Delhi and Dubuque and Tiffin, Ohio. His travels brought him to Waterloo. Iowa. in March. 1858.
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After working several months on the Iowa State Register and Waterloo Herald, edited by Maj. William Haddock, he went to Cedar Falls in an attempt to revive the almost defunct Banner at that place. In this undertaking he did not meet with much success. Later, in association with George D. Ingersoll, he pur- chased the office and moved it to Waterloo. On January 18, 1859, he issued the first number of the Waterloo Courier. Further history of this newspaper may be read in the chapter devoted to the City of Waterloo.
In October, 1860, William H. Hartman was married to Dorinda Z. Clark, of Cortland County, New York. To this union were born three children, namely : John C., born June 21, 1861, and now editor of The Waterloo Evening Courier and Reporter; William D., born February 16, 1863, and died October 4, 1902; and Genevieve M., born July 6, 1867, now the widow of J. P. von Lackum.
In politics, William H. Hartman was a stanch republican. In March, 1873, he was appointed postmaster at Waterloo under President Ulysses S. Grant and held the commission until 1885, under the successive administrations of Hayes and Garfield.
Matt Parrott was born in Schoharie County, New York, May 11, 1837, the son of William and Maria (Beck) Parrott. In this locality Matt Parrott ac- quired his early education and obtained his first newspaper experience on the Schoharie Patriot. In February, 1869, with J. J. Smart, he bought the Iowa State Reporter at Waterloo. Further history of this paper may be found in the chapter on Waterloo. For two terms Mr. Parrott served on the city council of Waterloo, as mayor from 1877 to 1881, was elected state senator from this district in 1885, was chosen lieutenant-governor of Iowa in 1895, and was a candidate for governor in 1897. Mr. Parrott's death occurred on April 22, 1900.
On October 25, 1859, he was married to Miss Frank M. Field, youngest daughter of Isaac N. Field, of Davenport, Iowa. To them were born three sons, namely : William F., Louis G., and James L. Louis G. died several years ago. William and James are now operating one of the largest blank book, job printing and advertising novelty establishments in the Middle West, under the firm name of Matt Parrott & Sons Company.
E. B. Smith was born in Cazenovia, New York, on September 17, 1853. In 1873 he came to Waterloo, where he lived until his death on March 17, 1903. He was prominently identified with the manufacturing interests of Waterloo, having assisted in organizing the Smith, Lichty and Hillman Company, and others. He was married on June 28, 1882, to Agnes W. Williams. Five chil- dren were born to them, namely : Roger, Paul, Margaret, Laurence and Merritt.
Henry Daniel was a native of Columbus, Ohio, and in the winter of 1862 came to Waterloo with his wife, who was Margaret M. Lawrence of Illinois. He first went into the furniture business. His death occurred on August 20, 1891. He was one of the organizers of the Daniel-Nauman Company and was one of the prominent men of early Waterloo.
Henry Nauman was born December 25, 1827, at Gosfelden Kries, Marburg, Hessen, Germany. In 1854 he came to America and on October 24. 1855, he came to Waterloo and stayed here until his death on April 6, 1899. The story of his business enterprises is written in another part of this volume. He was married on June 2, 1859, to Rosina Hiller, and five children were born to them: Mrs. L. C. Stifler, C. H., F. L., G. W., and W. B.
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Thomas Loonan, deceased, was one of the leading agriculturists of Black Hawk County. He was born in Kings County, Ireland, April 4, 1833, and came to Black Hawk in September, 1864. He was married in Illinois on July 17, 1858, to Catherine Glenny, and seven children were born to then.
R. A. Whitaker was the first mayor of Waterloo. He was born at Holland Patent, Oneida County, New York, August 26, 1828. He was the eldest son of Jerome and Lydia N. Whitaker and when he was seven years of age his parents moved into Jefferson County, New York, and there he attended the dis- trict schools. In 1853 Mr. Whitaker came to Iowa and in April, 1856, settled at Waterloo. Until 1860 he engaged in farming and operating a sawmill. In 1860 he was appointed clerk in the office of the county treasurer and recorder, a position he held until 1864. The following two years he was employed in D. B. Stanton's hardware store, but in 1866 he returned to the county treasurer's office as deputy and in 1867 was elected treasurer. For four terms he held this position. In 1876 and 1877 he was engaged with W. W. Edgington in the sale of agricultural implements. Mr. Whitaker was elected to the office of mayor of Waterloo in 1868. His death occurred on March 23, 1899.
Horace Boies, twice governor of Iowa, was born in Aurora, Erie County, New York, and was the son of Heber and Hattie (Henshaw) Boies. At twenty- one years of age he married Adella King of New York. He studied law in New York, was admitted there, and in 1867 came to Waterloo. His wife had died in the meantime and he married Versalia M. Barber. He entered into law partnership here with H. B. Allen. He was elected governor in 1889 and again in 1891.
Lore Alford was born March 8, 1838, at Hope, Maine, and died at Waterloo on March 30, 1900. A sketch of his life is contained in the "Bench and Bar" chapter of this book.
Walter Oscar Richards, M. D., was born November 21, 1820, in Monroe County, New York, and died in Waterloo March 2, 1898. He was a son of William and Clarrissa A. (Eames) Richards. After his medical education at the University of Michigan he came to Waterloo. This was in 1855. He mar- ried Julia A. Bundy, a native of New York.
Henry D. Williams was born August 24, 1836, in Connecticut. He located at Waterloo about 1857 and started in the grocery business. At the outbreak of the Civil war he enlisted, but was forced to retire in 1863 by reason of a wound. He had won a captain's commission for bravery. After the war Mr. Williams traveled for a time, engaged in the hotel business in Waterloo, was deputy county clerk, clerk, serving in the latter position from 1891 until 1901. He then entered the florist business. Mr. Williams married Elizabeth Crittenden of Waterloo. He died October 12, 1914.
George W. Hayzlett was born near Indianapolis, Indiana, on February 16, 1837, the son of Andrew and Elizabeth (Hughart) Hayzlett. In 1860 he came to La Porte City, this county, and entered the mercantile business. He after- ward served as township supervisor, was postmaster at La Porte City, and sheriff of the county. In 1898 he accepted the appointment of agent to the Nav- ajo Indians in Arizona. He returned to La Porte City about 1904, and died there June 6, 1908.
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HISTORY OF BLACK HAWK COUNTY
Martin M. Dayton, one of the leading citizens of Cedar Falls, was born in Knox County, Ohio, October 10, 1834, and died at Cedar Falls January 18, 1899.
Moses Ricker was born at Winterport, Waldo County, Maine, on September 25, 1837. In 1870 he came to Waterloo and entered upon retail mercantile business and later engaged in the lumber trade. Mr. Ricker's death occurred December 16, 1900.
William L. Illingworth was one of the pioneer mill men in Waterloo. He came here in 1868. He then became connected with the leading enterprises of the city in the milling industry and continued this throughout his life. He served as councilman from the Fourth ward for several years.
Isaiah Van Metre was born in Fairfield County, Ohio, November 21. 1838. He began the study of law in Iowa and was admitted in 1858. In 1859, how- ever, he entered the newspaper business. He served throughout the Civil war. He continued in newspaper work most of the time until 1877, when he pur- chased a part interest in the Cedar Falls Recorder. In 1879 he started with J. H. Wilson the Cedar Valley Tribune. He remained with this paper until May 2, 1901. Mr. Van Metre's death occurred on July 5, 1914.
Samuel H. Rownd was a native of Pennsylvania. In 1859 he came to Black Hawk County and located at Cedar Falls. He died in 1880 at the age of seventy- two years.
Sardis Van Rensselaer Slade was born August 31, 1835, at Prairie Ronde, Michigan, and died at Waterloo February 6, 1902. He came to Waterloo in 1865. He engaged in the furniture and undertaking business.
Thomas Cascaden, Jr., was born at Southampton, Canada. He was reared and educated in Waterloo and was the founder of the Cascaden Manufacturing Company.
Martin Blim, late editor of Der Deutsch Amerikaner, was born January 8, 1841, in Abenheim, Germany, and died there on November 22, 1882. In 1860 he came to America and in the next year to this county. In 1873 he began the publication of the newspaper mentioned above.
Joseph H. Kuhns, once mayor of Waterloo, was born in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. In April, 1869, he came to Waterloo and engaged for a time in the grain business. He afterward entered the insurance field.
Daniel G. Ellis was born in Washington County, Ohio, and came to Waterloo in 1850. He engaged in farming until 1892 and then moved to Waterloo to live a retired life. He served in the Civil war. In the early days Mr. Ellis' home served for a stage station.
Solomon Giles Leversee was born in New York State March 20, 1838. On October 16, 1854, he established with his father a wagon and blacksmith shop at Cedar Falls. In 1866 he began farming with his brother, Austin W.
F. J. Eighmey, one of the prominent bankers of Waterloo, was born March . 30, 1863. Eagle Township, this county. In 1887 his association began with the First National Bank of Waterloo.
D. B. Washburn was born September 3. 1835. in St. Lawrence County, New York. He located in Iowa in 1855 and passed the first years of his residence here in teaching. Later he engaged in the carpenter trade and in 1860 he bought his farm and in this pursuit continued.
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Daniel Webster was born May 22, 1836, in Lake County, Ohio. He came to this county in 1854 with his parents, his father being a physician by occupation, but taking up farming after his arrival here. Daniel Webster early learned the fariner's business and remained in this work after his father's death. His farm was located in Mount Vernon Township.
Allen Todd Lane was born in Niagara County, New York, October 17, 1832. Here he acquired his early education. In 1867 he removed to Waterloo with his family and here he resided until the time of his death on September 8, 1887. For the most of the time while living he engaged in the lumber and milling business.
Edward Townsend, of Cedar Falls, was born in La Grange Township, Dutch- ess County, New York, November 28, 1831. In May, 1859, he came to Waterloo, Iowa, and two years later moved to Cedar Falls. He engaged in the banking business until 1874 and in 1878 started in the lumber and coal business, which latter he continued during his whole life. His death occurred January 19, 1900. Mr. Townsend was a veteran of the Civil war and reached the rank of first lieutenant.
Henry Miller was born at Sand Lake, New York, October 11, 1826, and died at Cedar Falls on March 27, 1887. He came to Cedar Falls in 1857 and entered the mercantile business, which he continued during his entire life.
Warren Brown was born at Cornwall, Litchfield County, Connecticut, in 1851. His parents came to East Waterloo Township in 1867 and here Warren Brown received his early education. He worked upon his father's farm for a time, then engaged in the lumber business, becoming secretary and manager of the Waterloo Lumber Co.
John C. Gates was born in Hopewell, Ontario County, New York, and came to Waterloo in September, 1864. A more complete sketch of Mr. Gates may be found in the chapter on the bench and bar.
Rev. John O. Stevenson, D. D., was born in 1841 in Scotland. In 1863 he came to America and taught school in Texas. He afterward attended Yale University, Oberlin University and Tabor College. In the fall of 1886 he be- came pastor of the Congregational Church at Waterloo and remained until 1899. He then took up literary work in Waterloo, being editor of the Woman's Standard. His death occurred December 19, 1912.
Albert Holzer was born in Austria, October II, 1845. He came to America in his twentieth year and in 1870 came to Waterloo, Iowa, where he opened a grocery and crockery store. His business continued to grow and is now known as the Waterloo Fruit and Commission Company.
John M. Overman, the first mayor of Cedar Falls, was born November 10. 1817, in Highland County, Ohio. He came to Cedar Falls with his brother, . Dempsey. in 1848, and entered the milling business. Further history of this pioneer may be found in the sketch of Cedar Falls.
John T. Coolidge was born in Watertown, New York, in 1827, and after engaging in business in different parts of the country came to Waterloo in 1877 and established the dry goods house of J. T. Coolidge & Company. He later became identified prominently with the banking business of the city, being presi- dent of the Security Savings Bank.
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Joseph P. White was born at Heath, Massachusetts, on November 2. 1821, and came to Black Hawk County in 1856, and bought farm land. He came to Waterloo in 1893. His farms were in West Waterloo and Orange townships and also in Hudson.
Thomas Dobson was born in Clinton County, New York, June 28. 1835. He remained at home until he was twenty-eight years of age, then married, and came to East Waterloo Township, Iowa, and purchased farming land. He continued farming all of his life and made a pronounced success.
C. F. Fowler was born at East Henrietta, Monroe County, New York, on June 9. 1845, and came to Waterloo in 1869. He entered the business life of the city and made a success, becoming president of the Fowler Company, one of the biggest wholesaling houses in the city.
William H. Palmer was born in Devonshire, England, June 10, 1829, and died in Mount Vernon Township, Iowa, November 27, 1886. He settled in this town- ship on May 9, 1861. and began farming.
CHAPTER XXI MISCELLANEOUS
CROPS
The following report prepared by the auditor of Black Hawk County will serve to exhibit the quantity of the crops in the county for the year 1913, which figures are a slight increase on the preceding year, and so on. In the county there are 2,168 farms of all descriptions, with a total of 331,850 acres. In the year there were 903,945 bushels of corn raised, 2,008,209 bushels of oats, 30,882 bushels of winter wheat, 2,827 bushels of spring wheat, 129,251 bushels of barley, 30,787 bushels of rye, 38,722 tons of hay (tame), 10,227 tons of hay (wild), 106 tons of alfalfa, 60,840 bushels of potatoes, 3,160 tons of green corn gathered for canning, 2,447 bushels of pop corn, 2,489 bushels of timothy seed, 380 bushels of clover seed, 27,017 bushels of apples harvested.
The total acreage in pasture in the county is 87,112; in garden, 445; and in orchard, 847. There are 2,215 acres in waste land, not used for any purpose. In the year there were 26,480 hogs lost on account of the ravages of cholera. There are in the country approximately 14,717 horses, 169 mules, 92,020 hogs, and 46,728 head of cattle. There are 2,026 head of sheep on farms, 316 shipped in for feeding purposes, 918 sold for slaughter, and 10,630 pounds of wool clipped for the market. There are 435,384 chickens of all kinds and in the county during the year there were 1,430,504 dozen of eggs produced.
HIGHWAYS
In common with other counties in the state a county road system was adopted in Black Hawk in 1913, and Nathan B. Barber was appointed highway engineer. The highways designated as a part of the county road system are the leading inter-county thoroughfares. These roads lie parallel with and vertical to the surveyor's base line. Already much work has been done on a systematic im- provement of the county highway system. The county board purchased a big gasoline tractor and two graders-the best that could be obtained. This appa- . ratus was procured in October, though much work had previously been done in demonstrations by rival manufacturers. The most work was done on the new Cedar Falls Road, the Janesville Road and the Hudson-Eagle Center Road. Hills will be graded down, hollows filled, the roadbed rounded, drained and grav- eled. Present plans contemplate a permanent system of highway improvement which will make of the country roads a group of highways hard and smooth as a pavement. The main feature is the graveling of the surface and the county
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will ultimately purchase gravel pits favorably located. Black Hawk County enjoys the distinction of having more steel and concrete bridges and concrete culverts than any other county in Iowa. Very few wooden structures, either bridges or culverts, remain. While the first cost is greater, concrete structures require no repairs.
PESTS
Black Hawk County was ridded of 4.301 pests during the year ending De- cember 1, 1913. Destruction was waged vigorously on gophers, groundhogs, wolves and crows. Duty in the sum of $90 was drawn for the extermination of wolves. The bounty now is $20 for adults and $4 for cubs. For gophers 8 cents each is allowed. Groundhogs bring 15 cents each. When the head and both feet of a crow are turned in the bounty is to cents. There were 3.247 gophers killed in 1913. 482 groundhogs and 552 crows. In 1914 there were 6,661 pests killed and bounty paid was $968.82, including $242 for wolves.
BLACK HAWK COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
The first steps taken in the county toward the organization of an agricultural society were at the meeting held at the clerk's office in Waterloo on August 30, 1856. G. A. Knowles was chairman of the meeting and S. W. Rawson secretary. At this meeting a constitution was adopted and the following officers elected : President, George Ordway ; vice presidents, G. A. Knowles, Z. Streeter, B. Win- set ; corresponding secretary, S. W. Rawson : recording secretary, J. O. Williams ; treasurer, O. E. Hardy ; executive committee, L. Kennicutt, S. R. Crittenden, James Barclay, C. K. White, James Dunkerton, S. Webster, Benjamin Knapp, M. S. Oxley, M. W. Chapman, William Kent and Byron Sergeant.
The executive committee was authorized to make arrangements for a fair, but the first exhibition was not held until October 1, 1857, when it took place at the courthouse. A total of $100 was taken in at this fair. There was a good attend- ance. During the progress of the fair the organization of the agricultural society was completed.
The second fair was held on the west side during the following year. The vegetables, fine arts, pickles, etc., were in the basement of the Congregational Church and other exhibits were on the bluff. The grounds of the society, cast of the courthouse, were purchased in 1865, but had been occupied for several years before the purchase for the exhibition of stock, and the courthouse was used for an exhibition hall. The grounds cost $2.175. The cost of fitting up fences, grading the ground, and otherwise improving, was about sixteen hundred dollars. Fairs were held regularly every year until 1881, when the society found itself in a non-profitable state and accordingly discontinued their exhibitions.
The following men served as presidents of the organization : George Ordway. J. H. Sherrill, O. O. St. John, Cicero Close, John Elwell, C. A. Farwell, P. Mc- Isaac. A. Cottrell, Byron Sergeant. A. Cottrell, Albert Whitney, HI. B. Allen, A. C. Bratnober, W. T. Whitney and M. W. Miller.
The Cedar Valley District Joint Stock Agricultural Association was organ- ized in 1856, through Peter Melendy, who was its first president. Fairs were held at Cedar Falls until 1872, when a union was made with the county society.
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The agricultural society had a few years of prosperity and held occasional successful fairs. Then the state fairs, the horse shows and kindred exhibitions became so numerous as to overshadow the county fair. The interest of the peo- ple waned and the county society found themselves unable to revive it, although they tried making the fair a racing meet. The society grew poor, became in- volved in a judgment suit and lost, and finally dissolved. There were a few ani- mal shows held on the grounds afterwards, but nothing in the way of a fair. The firm which had sued the society bought the grounds for $120, the amount of the suit, and they assigned the certificate to Leavitt & Johnson, and they to George Mason, to whom a sheriff's deed was executed May 1. 1883 Willian Groves bought the property of Mason and the growth of the City of Waterloo gradually extended over it.
THE GRANGE
In 1872-73 the grange movement reached Black Hawk County, at the time when the whole country was being engulfed with these societies. They were called "Patrons of Husbandry." In this county there was a very definite organization. one large union and subordinate ones in almost every township.
The purpose of the organizations was the union of men and women for co- operation, the elimination of the middleman and the obtaining for the grange of the profits which had hitherto gone to the middleman. Great prospects were out- lined to the people and the majority of them thought that a new era of finance would result from it. The Farmers' Cooperative Store was started in Waterloo on the east side and on the west side a cooperative elevator. Those were years of extreme depression and the embarrassed farmers grasped at anything which might bring relief to their conditoin.
However. aside from its social features, the grange movement in Black Hawk County was a miserable failure. It was impossible to satisfy, in the management. such a difference of tastes, business methods and judgments as were embodied in the membership. The store and elevator had a short life; the membership rapidly shrank and inside of ten years after the organization there was but a vestige of the grange in the county.
WILDCAT BANKS
In the year 1857 the wildcat banks became very numerous. The system upon which these banks was based and upon which the product of their paper dollar mills was floated, was the confidence of the public. Sometimes a firm of sup- posed bankers located in one of the larger of the western towns, would have two or more banks in different sections. People thought themselves rich because they had their pockets full of the paper dollars, promises to pay. They lived accordingly, speculated, and placed perfect confidence in the value of the paper. The crash soon came, however. The paper money became valueless and only gold or silver would pay debts. For a long time this catastrophe stopped the advance of improvements and made many people bankrupt. This was the last of the wildcat banks.
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"SAMP"
Mrs. Fidelia (Hale) Lane, one of the pioneer women of Waterloo, recalled the food known as "samp" to the carly settlers. According to her story, the people always had plenty to cat, of the more substantial viands at least, except perhaps in times when severe winters or high waters would cut off the supply of meal and flour. Samp was a popular food. The early settlers took cracked corn, each kernel being broken into three or more pieces, placed it in a big kettle, which was placed over a hot fire and boiled for a considerable time, until the contents became of the consistency of gelatine. This was allowed to cool, being first prop- erly seasoned with salt and then it was caten with milk and sugar, then molasses was used as a dressing and in the absence of even molasses the best was made of the situation. But samp was good and many a little lad and lassie thrived on the dish.
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