USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 10
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Jesup, a town of 697 inhabitants, about eight miles west of Independence, in Perry Township, and on the Illinois C'entral.
Winthrop, a town of 529 inhabitants, situated about seven miles east of Independence, in Byron Township, on the Ilinois Central.
Ilazleton, a town of 444 inhabitants, about nine miles north of Independence, in the township of the same name, and on the Rock Island Railroad.
Rowley, a town of 200 inhabitants, about nine miles south of Independence, in llomer Township, and on the Rock Island Railroad.
Fairbank, whose population is 618, situated on the Little Wapsie, close to the Fayette line, eighteen miles northwest of Independence, in Fairbank Township, and on the Chicago Great Western Railroad.
Stanley, with a population of 200, situated right next to the Fayette line, in Buffalo Township, and about fourteen or fifteen miles north and east of Inde- pendence, and on the Chicago Great Western.
Aurora, a town of 287 population, is situated on the line between Buffalo and Madison townships, on the Chicago Great Western road and about sixteen or seventeen miles northeast of Independence.
Lamont, a town of 571 inhabitants, is in the northeastern part of the county, in Madison Township, about twenty miles from Independence, and on the Chicago Great Western Railroad.
Quasqueton, a town of 394 population, in the southern part of Liberty Town- ship, on the Wapsie River, about ten miles southeast of Independence, and on the terminus of the Chicago, Anamosa & Northern Railroad.
Brandon, whose population is 400, is in the southwestern part of the county, in Jefferson Township, on Lime Creek, about fifteen or sixteen miles southwest of Independence, and on the Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern Railroad and Inter- urban Electric Line.
Kiene, a small village of twenty-five inhabitants, is in the north part of Newton Township, seventeen or eighteen miles southeast of Independence, and on the Chicago, Anamosa & Northern Railroad.
Doris is a small station in the southern part of Byron Township, about three miles east of Independence, on the Illinois Central.
Bryantburg, a station on the Rock Island, is in the southern part of Hazle- ton Township, about six miles north of Independence.
The other villages in the county are: Littleton, a place of 100 inhabitants, about ten miles northwest of Independence, just at the juneture of the Little Wapsie with the main river.
Otterville, a small village on Otter Creek, in Washington Township, about four miles northwest of Independence ..
Newtonville in Newton, Hammerville in Homer, Shady Grove in Jefferson, Vista in Westburg and Middlefield in Middlefield Township.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
With the increasing railroad facilities, these small hamlets may in time become towns and possibly eities.
TIIE FIRST ELECTION-PUBLIC SERVANTS
The first eleetion held in the county was on August 2, 1847, under the direction of S. V. Thompson, the organizing sheriff, and the following is a copy of his return :
Quasqueton, August 10, 1847.
Mr. Elisha Cutler, Iowa Secretary of State.
Dear Sir: Below is a copy of the abstract of votes given in this eounty, at the general and special election held on the first Monday, 2d day of August, A. D. 1847.
STATE OFFICERS
FOR MEMBER OF CONGRESS-HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SECOND DISTRICT
Shepherd Leffler-Received forty (40) votes. Thos. MeNight-Received fifteen (15) votes.
BOARD PUBLIC WORKS
H. W. Sample-Received thirty-eight (38) votes. Geo. Wilson-Received sixteen (16) votes.
SECRETARY
Chas. Corkery-Received thirty-eight (38) votes. Madison Dagger-Received sixteen (16) votes.
TREASURER
Paul Brittain-Received thirty-eight (38) votes. Pinco B. Fagin-Received sixteen (16) votes.
FOR COUNTY OFFICES
FOR JUDGE OF PROBATE COURT
Saul Sufficool 32
David S. Davis 23
FOR CORONER
A. B. Hathaway
.48
Levi Billings . 6
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
FOR COMMISSIONERS
Malcolm McBain 27
Isaac IIathaway 24
Frederick Keslar 43
Barney T. Springer 32
John Scott 33
CLERK DISTRICT COURT
Edward Brewer ... 53
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
Frederick Kesler 41
FOR SHERIFF
I. F. Hathaway 24
Rufus B. Clark 35
Daniel Grady 1
RECORDER
Edward Brewer 43
S. P. Stoughton 3
Samuel Hammond 1
COUNTY SURVEYOR
S. S. Mullican .49
FUND COMMISSIONERS
Thos. S. Hubbard 15
Levi Billings 30
INSPECTOR OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES
D. S. MeGonigal .33
Thos. Burr 4
I hereby certify the above to be a true copy of the abstract of votes given in Buchanan County at the election on the second day of August, 1847.
S. V. Thompson,
Organizing Sheriff, Buchanan County.
In April, following the first election, another was held, at which time Liberty Township cast thirty-three votes, Spring, 11 and Washington, 18. Thomas II. Benton was elected superintendent of publie instruction, Elijah Beardsley, judge of probate, D. C. Greeley, county surveyor, D. S. MeGonigal, coroner, and S. P. Stoughton, school fund trustee.
In August of that year, at a general election, Rufus Clark, John Scott and Malcom McBain were elected commissioners, and Shepherd Leffler carried the county for Congress by two votes. Leffler was a democrat.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
In August, 1849, W. H. Hatch was elected sheriff; E. Brewer, recorder ; D. C. Greeley, surveyor: T. Kesler, distriet clerk; G. I. Cummins, probate judge; Carmi Hicks and Malcom MeBain, county commissioners, and E. Brewer, com- missioner's clerk.
In April, 1850, William Logan was elected school fund commissioner and Daniel Greeley, surveyor, both of whom were whigs.
In August of the same year, the county was carried by James Thompson, whig candidate for governor.
In 1851, O. 11. P. Roszell, democrat, was elected county judge as well as county surveyor.
In August, 1852, Jefferson Township cast its first vote, nineteen persons voting, and in November of that year, eighty-two votes were cast in the county.
In April, 1853. Perry Township east twenty votes, and in November of that vear, Buffalo cast eleven votes and Superior (now Hazleton), cast fifteen.
In 1854, J. W. Grimes, whig candidate for governor, carried the county, and at the same time a proposition to build a jail lost 170 to 106. In April of the next year, Alton (now Fairbank) and Newton townships voted. At that time a proposition to prohibit the sale of liquor in lowa was carried in this county, 304 to 178.
In April, 1856, the only office voted for was commissioner of school fund, but this was the first election in which Byron Township and Prairie (now Fre- mont) Township took part. The county went republiean in August, 1856, and a proposition for a constitutional convention carried 104 to 13. The next Novem- ber, J. C. Traer was chosen delegate to the convention. In April, 1857. Madi- son and Sumner townships voted, at which time H. B. Ilatch was chosen the first county assessor. In May of the next year, 432 votes were east for liquor and 295 against.
In June of the same year, a special election was held, when 794 votes were cast for banking laws and 289 against; 1,128 for state banking laws and 53 against ; 357 for railroad laws and 884 against.
In October, 1858, Middlefield, Homer, and Cono townships voted, and on a proposition to build bridges, 63 votes were cast for and 1,069 against; 70 for repair of bridges and 1.067 against. In October, 1859, the county went for Samuel J. Kirkwood for governor and the entire republican ticket. Westburg and Fremont townships voted, these being the new names For Spring and Prairie townships.
In October, 1861, Samuel J. Kirkwood again carried the county, and the republican ticket was successful. In 1862, William B. Allison carried the county for Congress.
In 1863 the republicans again carried the county, and a proposition for bridges carried, 504 to 469 against.
The republican election for President was successful in Bnehanan in 1864.
In October. 1865, another proposition for bridges carried-and in October, 1866. it was voted to buy a county farm-996 for, 308 against.
In November, 1868, the voters had changed their minds concerning the necessity of a jail and carried the proposition 1,405 for and 264 against.
Until 1869 each township eleeted a supervisor, but the Legislature that year reduced the number to three.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
In 1870, the Prohibition question was again voted upon and carried, 1,454 for, to 737 against. A proposition to increase the number of supervisors was lost, 1,149 to 641, and a proposition to restrain stock from running at large was lost, 1,221 to 722.
In November, 1872, a proposition to increase the number of supervisors from three to seven was carried, 738 for, 579 against and in October, 1873, a proposition to build a County High School lost, 256 for, to 1,954 against.
In October, 1874, 1. M. Weart, an attorney of Independence, was a candi- date on the democratie ticket for Supreme Court Reporter and carried the county by 103 votes.
In October, 1877, a proposition to bond the county for $7,500 to build a fire-proof building lost. 296 for, to 1.895 against ..
In November, 1880, a proposition to amend Article 3 of the Constitution of Iowa, by striking out "Free White" carried, 1,625 for, to 672 against and a proposition to appropriate $7.500 of the swamp land fund to build a fire- proof office building carried, 2,155 for, to 615 against and then a crime was committed by building the monstrous affair which we are still using.
In June, 1882, a special election was held for a constitutional amendment prohibiting the sale of liquor. It carried in Buchanan, 1,862 for, to 1,201 against.
In 1889, Joseph G. Hutchinson carried the county over Horace Boies, 2,070 to 1,964. In November, 1891, Horace Boies carried the county over Horace C. Wheeler, 2,292 to 2,271.
In November, 1893, Frank D. Jackson carried the county over Horace Boies, 2,392 to 2,133.
In November, 1895, a proposition to levy a tax to buy the grounds of the Buchanan County Agricultural Association at a cost not to exceed $4,700 was lost, 381 for, 2.494 against.
In 1899 a proposition to reduce the number of supervisors from seven to three carried.
In 1900 the constitutional amendment providing for biennial elections carried the second time, Buchanan voting in favor of the amendment.
In 1902 three propositions for tax levies failed of passage. One to issue bonds to build a county home, another to levy a tax for that purpose and another to increase the levy for the county fund.
In 1903 the election was so close on county superintendents that Anna Barrett, the democratic candidate, who received 2,118 votes, contested the elec- tion of M. J. Goodrich, the republican candidate, who received 2,140.
The contest resulted in sustaining the return of the original canvass.
In 1904 the proposition for biennial election carried in the county as well as in the state. This was the second time it had been submitted and carried and therefore became the law, since which time elections occur every other year. However, the primary which went into effeet in 1908 fully satisfies the desires of the most ardent voter to exercise his right of suffrage.
CIVIL LIST OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Buchanan County forms part of the Third Congressional District and the only representative to Congress elected from the county is Hon. W. G. Donnan, elected October 11, 1870, serving two terms.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
A hard won battle was waged at this election. When Mr. Donnan was nominated at the Congressional Convention at Charles City, there were eight candidates in the field, all worthy opponents: distinguished and widely known men, and after balloting all morning, afternoon and way into the night, on the 107th ballot there were still eight candidates in the field and on that ballot Dubuque, which had heretofore been divided equally among the eight candi- dates, was east solid for Donnan. This created a sensation and several counties asked time for consultation and on the 108th ballot, Donnan won; the final vote stood, Donnan, 97 7-12; Updegraff, 62 5-12; Larrabee, 4.
At the crossing of the Davenport & St. Paul and the B. C. R. & M. R. R., in Fayette County, a postoffice was established in 1874, and named Donnan in honor of Mr. W. G. Donnan. Later a little town sprang up.
STATE SENATORS
D. C. Hastings, October, 1859; L. W. Hart, November, 1863; W. G. Donnan, October, 1867 ; George W. Bemis, 1871 ; M. W. Harmon, 1875; C. R. Millington, 1883; Ed P. Seeds, 1887; D. W. Jones, 1890; M. W. Harmon, 1891; Dan H. Young, 1895; H. J. Griswold, 1899; G. W. Dunham, 1903; E. H. Hoyt, 1908 : Eli Perkins, 1912.
REPRESENTATIVES
D. S. Davis, Qnasqueton, 1852; F. E. Turner, Quasqueton, 1854; George W. Bemis, 1859; Jed Lake, 1861; D. D. Holdridge, 1863; P. C. Wilcox, 1865- 1867 : D. S. Lee, 1869; J. M. Hovey, Jesup, 1871 ; S. T. Spangler, Buffalo, 1873; John Calvin, 1875-77-87; Isaac Muncey, 1879-81; W. H. Chamberlain, 1883- 85-89-91: II. J. Griswold, 1893-95; T. E. MeCurdy, 1897-99; L. F. Springer, 1901-03-06: B. F. Stoddard, 1908-10: T. F. Halstead, 1912; T. E. Taylor, 1914.
COUNTY JUDGES
O. H. P. Roszell, August, 1851; O. H. P. Roszell, 1855; S. J. W. Tabor, October, 1859 (resigned ) ; W. H. Burton (to fill vacancy ), 1861 ; W. H. Burton, 1863-67.
During the latter part of Judge Burton's term, and since, the office of audi- tor has taken the place of that of county judge.
COUNTY AUDITORS
J. L. Loomis, October, 1869-71; D. A. MeLiesh, 1873-75; George B. Warren, 1877-79-81 ; Clarke L. Cole, 1882-83-85; H. F. Sill, 1887-89-92-94; V. W. Davis. 1896-98-1900: C. E. Hayes, 1902-04-06: E. E. Everett, 1908-10-12: E. A. Bordner, 1914.
JUDGE OF PROBATE
Elijah Beardsley, August, 1848; G. I. Cummins, 1849.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
CLERK OF THE DISTRICT COURT
S. P. Stoughton, 1848; Edward Brewer (elected biennially from 1852 to 1866, inclusive) : D. L. Smith, November, 1868-70-72-74-76; Robert J. William- son, 1878: O. M. Gillette, 1880-82-84-86-88; W. E. Bain to fill vacancy in 1890; L. F. Springer, 1890-92; A. M. Shellito, 1894; II. C. Chappell, 1896-98; M. O. Fonts, 1900-02-04: J. F. Stevenson, 1906-08-10; J. N. Smith, 1912; D. C. Ilood, 1914.
RECORDER AND TREASURER
Edward Brewer, August, 1848; Edward Brewer, 1859; G. I. Cummins, 1851; John Leslie, 1853; H. G. Hastings, 1855; William G. Donnan, 1859; S. J. W. Tabor, 1861; E. B. Older, 1863.
The offices of treasurer and recorder were then separated and the recorders were as follows: T. J. Marinus, 1864-66; John IIollett, 1868-70-72-74-76; Wil- liam J. Miller, 1878: J. W. Foreman, 1880-82-84-86-88-90; J. B. Truax, 1892- 94-96-98-1900-02-04-06-08-10; A. L. MeClernon, 1912; C. A. Kenyon, 1914.
TREASURERS
E. B. Older, 1865; L. A. Main. 1867-69-71; James A. Poor, 1873-75-77-79-81- 83-85-87-89-91-93-95-97-99: D. W. Poor (to fill vacancy), 1901; C. M. Roberts, 1901-03; A. M. Donnan, 1906-08-10-12-14.
PROSECUTING ATTORNEY
Elijah Beardsley. 1848- (record defective) 1850; D. S. Lee. 1852; J. S. Woodward, April, 1854; James Jamison, August, 1854; J. C. Ilead, Quasque- ton, 1856.
COUNTY ATTORNEY
( The office of county attorney was established in 1886)
II. W. Holman, 1886-88-90-98-1900; C. E. Ransier, 1892-94-96; M. A. Smith, 1902-04; R. J. O'Brien, 1906-08-10-12; R. W. Hasner, 1914.
SHERIFF
E. D. Phelps, August. 1848: N. W. Hatch, August, 1849-51 ; J. A. Guthrie, 1852; Eli D. Phelps, August, 1853; Leander Keys, 1855; Byron C. Hale, October, 1859; M. Gillette (died during term), 1861; John M. Westfall, 1862-63; A. Crooks, 1865: John A. Davis, 1867-69; George O. Farr, 1871-73; W. S. Van Orsdol, 1875-77; E. L. Currier. 1879-81-83; W. S. Mitchell. 1885; I. N. Iliff, 1887-89: W. M. Iligbee, 1891; E. O. Craig. 1893-95; C. E. Hiff, 1897-99-1901; George O. Corlis, 1903-06; O. E. Finnf, 1908-10-12; F. II. Lehmkuhl. 1914.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
COUNTY SURVEYOR
D. C. Greeley, April and Angust, 1848; O. H. P. Roszell, Angust, 1850; O. H. P. Roszell, August, 1851-53; George W. Bemis, 1855; David Merrill, 1859; I. P. Warren, 1861; J. W. Myers, 1865-67; J. L. Seely, 1868-69-71; D. S. Deering, 1873-87-89-91; J. L. Seely, 1874-75-77; Jasper N. Iliff, 1879-81; D. S. Fay, 1882-83; J. N. Iliff, 1893; I. B. Ellis, 1899-1901; A. D. Guernsey, 1902-03; A. M. Donnan, 1904; C. E. Boyack, 1906-08-10. The office then be- came appointive and C. E. Boyack secured the first appointment and was sue- ceeded by R. W. Gearhart.
CORONER
D. S. MeGonigal, 1848; T. Merritt, 1849; Thomas Morgan, 1851; Thomas J. Marinus, 1852; E. W. Wright, 1853; T. J. Marinus, 1854: J. L. McGee, 1855; R. W. Wright, 1859; II. H. Hunt, 1861; L. S. Brooks, 1863; H. II. Hunt, 1865-67-69-71-75-77-79-81-83-85-87-89-93-95; M. A. Chamberlain, 1873; M. L. Shine, 1891; F. R. Bain, 1896-97; P. E. Gardner, 1899; R. G. Swan, 1901-03- 06-08-10-12-14.
SCHOOL FUND COMMISSIONER
S. P. Stoughton, April, 1848; William Logan, 1850-52-54-56.
MEMBER OF BOARD OF PUBLIC EDUCATION
H. N. Gates, 1858; S. J. W. Tabor, 1860.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENT OF PUBLIC SCHOOLS
O. H. P. Roszell, 1858; Bennett Roberts, October, 1859; S. G. Pierce, Novem- ber, 1860-61 : George Gemmell, 1863; S. G. Pierce, 1865-67-69: E. H. Ely, 1871; Amos Rowe, 1873; W. E. Parker, 1875-77-79-81-83-85-87-89-91-93-95; E. C. Lillie, 1897-99; M. J. Goodrich, 1901-03; P. C. Arildson, 1906; G. R. Loekwood, 1908-10-12.
COUNTY ASSESSOR
H. B. Hatch, 1857, appears to have been the only one.
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Rufus B. Clark, 1848; James Collier, Malcolm McBain, 1848; Carmi Hickox, M. McBain, 1849; Nathan Trogdon, 1850.
COUNTY SUPERVISORS
The first board met January 7, 1861, consisting of one member elect from each township, viz .: Elisha Sanborn, Alton Township; E. B. Baker, Byron ;
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
C. Il. Jakway, Buffalo; E. D. Hlovey, Cono; James Fleming, Fremont; L. S. Allen, Homer; John JJohnson, Jefferson : William Logan, Liberty ; J. B. Ward, Madison : James M. Kerr, Middlefield ; N. W. Richardson, Newton; D. B. San- ford, Perry : V. R. Beach, Sumner: William C. Nelson, Superior; George W. Bemis, Washington; William B. Wilkinson, Westburg.
The chairmen of the board were: George M. Bemis, January, 1861-62: John Johnson. Jannary, 1863; Isaac G. Freeman, January, 1864-65; N. Diekey. 1866: J. H. Campbell, January, 1867; John Johnson, January, 1868; E. P. Brintnall, January, 1869: S. W. Rich, January, 1870; E. P. Brintnall, JJannary, 1871.
In 1871 the board was reduced to three members, chosen by the county at large. This contimed for three terms, and the members were: E. P. Brintnall, Jed Lake. I. A. Stoddard, 1871 : Jed Lake, J. A. Stoddard, Morris Todd, 1872; J. A. Stoddard, Morris Todd, John D. Russell, 1873.
In 1874 the board was increased to seven members, of whom the following have been chairmen : Horatio Bryant, M. D., 1874-75-76; J. G. House, M. D .. 1877-78-79; II. Bryant, 1880: C. R. Millington, 1881-82; J. B. Pot- ter, 1881; Il. M. Coughtry, 188]: L. B. ILaskin, 1881; T. E. MeCurdy, 1882: W. II. H. Eddy, 1882; O. S. Payne, 1883-86-89; Walter Jamie- son, 1884-87: E. O. Craig, 1884-87-90; Charles Tullock, 1884-87; W. E. Rosemond, 1885; W. B. Rossell, 1885-88; N. M. Mignet, 1885-1902-06; Randall Jacobs, 1888-91-97; Jacob Kiefer. 1888-91-94; James Van Orsdol, 1890; A. T. Cooper, 1890: Walter Thompson, 1891-94-97-1914; Mathew Stewart, 1892: H. F. Miller, 1893; Isaac Holman, 1893; C. II. Jakway, 1893; J. W. Foreman. 1894: J. D. Laird, 1895-98; E. F. Irwin, 1896-98; C. E. Boyack, 1896; Fred Eversole, 1896-98; John Elliott, 1897: John Leehey, 1899; Elzy Wilson, 1900; W. HI. Cooke, 1901; A. Il. Farwell, to fill vaeaney, 1903; J. H. Riseley, 1903; C. E. Boies, 1904; L. P. Timson, 1906-08: A. P. Miller, 1906-10; Jesse Lyon, 1908-14: Fred Finch, 1912.
CHAPTER VI
EARLY COMMERCE
PIONEER MERCIIANTS AND MANUFACTURES-TIIE PROFESSIONS
The beginnings of commercial enterprises in a rural district are always exceedingly crude and simple, and Buchanan was no exception to the rule.
The pioneer merchant usually has not the capital to invest in a large, fine and diversified stock of goods and, even though he had the means, he would have no demand for the luxuries. His customers are too poor to indulge in any of the fineries. Their desires are simple and their wants are few. Groceries, embracing only the commonest necessities of life, are the first imports into a new country, while drugs, hardware, and dry goods of a very common and cheap variety and of a universal pattern and style follow. No merchant could afford to cater to the tastes of the exclusive few, but must satisfy the simple wants of the many. There cannot be extensive imports into any country, for any length of time, without a counter balancing amount of exports, and, of course, in a wild and uneultivated country there are no exports, for several years at least. In those days there was no such thing as a regular department store, even in the larger cities, and in the country villages the general store answered for all purposes, often hardware and drugs being combined with the inseparable "dry goods and groceries." An exclusive stock was never thought of in those days.
The earliest merchants purchased their supplies in Dubuque and brought them through on wagons. Later trips were made into Chicago and New York to make purchases, and some bought their goods in St. Louis, and brought them up to Duhuqne on the river and thence overland on wagons. Most of the merchants kept one or more teams for this purpose and there were many independent team- sters who made their living that way. The round trip from Quasqueton or Inde- pendence to Dubuque and back consumed an entire week. Most of the vehicles used then were covered, two-horse wagons, but when the roads were particularly bad, four horses often had to be used. The teamsters always went in companies, not only for the sake of mutual assistance in case of trouble, but because there were so many going and coming on the road continually that they were assured of company. This fact seems incredible, until one considers the immense amount of supplies; lumber for dwellings, household goods and furniture, as well as all the groceries and dry goods that just the population of this county, which bad reached seven or eight thousand people, would consume, and that several other counties west of here were rapidly being settled, and that all the supplies for all these people must be hauled over the same wagon route, it is not surprising that these wagon teamsters formed rather a continuons procession between this
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76
IHISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
new West and their source of provision (their commissary department) at Dubuque. It was a common statement that the lines of canvas-covered vehicles often looked like the supply trains of an army. Both of the counties east were far more populous than Buchanan, but at that time the railroad was an embryo project. For a long time most of the wagons went to Dubuque empty. since there was no produce to ship east, and the surplus was shipped to the settlers further west, but for a few years before the railroad was built, flour from the Independence mill, and perhaps also from the mill at Quasqueton, and corn, wheat and pork began to be sent to Dubuque in the wagons, but never in large quantities. The usual price for freight was $1.00 per hundredweight, and this alone made the cost of freighting, especially on heavy articles like salt, extrava- gantly high. The freight on a barrel of salt was $3.00, and the price of the salt itself three or four dollars a barrel, making oven salt a luxury. The best salt and almost the entire supply came from Syracuse, New York.
Financial matters were managed very differently in the early days than now, there being no banks to furnish exchange, the merchants when buying goods in the East, would carry their money with them generally to settle former accounts, for goods were bought on four to six months' credit then. money being very scarce. Those who bought their supplies in Dubuque, often sent the money by the teamsters.
A noticeable thing about the early business firms was their frequent dissolu- tion of partnership, also their frequent movings. Every issue of the papers chronicled several business changes and removals. The population fluctuated greatly in those days.
The first bank established in Independence was located in the old Brewer Block, on the south side of Main Street, just cast of Third Avenue, Southeast, by Bemis, Brewer and Roszell about 1865. This bank was not for issue but only for deposit and exchange. From that time, remittances began to be made by mail, and merchants going East began to take draft instead of cash with them, or else leave their money on deposit, subject to cheek, just as at present.
The first Buchanan County merchant, as has been mentioned before, was a man familiarly called "Bill Dick," sometimes dignified with the name, Wil- liam Richards, for style. He opened up a store in Quasqueton in 1843, and although his stock was not an extensive one, nor was his supply of the necessi- ties of life always abundant, yet his barrel of whiskey, like the widow of Zareph- thah's eruse of oil, never failed. In for . er days this article was generally considered one of the staples and no stoek was complete without it, even a dry goods, hardware and grocery stock. but later it was east out as an unfit associate for more respectable merchandise, and took up an allegiance with drugs, which it has maintained more or less until this day. Bill Diek's only distinction rests in the fact that he was the pioneer in his particular line, but he has had a multi- tudinous following which steadily inereased until education and economical conditions demanded reform, then the good citizens of Buchanan County rose in rebellion and ousted the offensive traffic. But in the early days, the saloon ads occupied a conspicuous place in the papers, like this, in the Civilian of October 14, 18-, Mike's card: In our columns will be found the card of Mike, who is prepared to do all kinds of work in his line, on short notice.
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