USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 11
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77
HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
D. S. Davis and S. V. Thompson were the first regular merchants in the county, starting their suecessful business in Quasqueton in 1845, and a couple of years before the beginning of Independence.
The first merchant in Independence was Charles Cummings, who had his store in a log building near the lower end of Main and just east of Chatham Street (just about where Sheehan Brothers Clothing Store is).
William Brazleton eame next, his store was on the corner where the First National Bank is now located. He put up the first building on the south corner of Main and Walnut streets, where the Commercial Bank is, and there kept the first hotel of Independence, which was afterward changed to the Montour House. Mr. E. Purdy was the proprietor for several years. A. H. and Orville Fonda and R. R. Plane were among the pioneer merchants of Independence and were engaged in the mercantile business here for many years, in fact, the longest of any of the early ones. A. H. Fonda, the elder of the brothers, came from New York State in 1854 and opened a store in a frame building on the same eorner where, in 1861, they erected a stone store, which was occupied by Orville for many years as a general merchandise store. In 1860, the old wooden structure which they first occupied was moved east to the river bank, and was used by Mr. Clark for a drug store. Afterwards he erected the stone building and occupied it until he sold out to H. W. Hovey who was in the drug business.
Orville Fonda eame from Janesville. Wiseonsin, in 1853, the year previous to his brother, and for some time was engaged in the preparation of the buhr stones for the flouring mill, which was in the process of ereetion. He then be- came a partner with his brother in the general merchandise business. They were partners for six years, then dissolved partnership and A. H. kept a news stand and variety store in the Hageman Building, now occupied by A. S. Cobb. Orville bought out his brother and continued in the dry goods and grocery busi- ness until his death, when the building was sold to W. M. Woodward who remodeled it and built on an addition, and still occupies it with a hardware stock, and that, combined with the store building next to him on the east, which he bought later, forms his fine, modern department store.
Among the merchants who were in business in Independence when the Fonda brothers commenced, was James Forrester, who in the spring of 1852 opened a general store, groceries, dry goods, hardware and drugs, in the place afterwards occupied by the "Wigwam," on East Main Street, abont where the implement stores now are. After retiring from business, he devoted himself to farming on East Main Street, adjoining the city, where he owned a fine farm and what was then considered a fine, attractive residence. E. B. and P. A. Older also had a store at this time, on Main between Chatham and Walnut streets.
R. R. Plane was the pioneer hardware merchant, coming to Independence from Belvidere, Illinois, in 1854. He began business in a small way on the north side of Main Street. He continued for twelve years and then purchased a lot in front of Chatham Street and ereeted a fine store, which he occupied until it was burned down, in 1874, which he rebuilt in the same place. where the Plane Hardware Store is now located. He conducted the store until his death and now his son, Irving, is proprietor. An old history tells that his first year's business amounted to about eight thousand dollars, and in 1880, to about forty thousand and had reached as high as seventy-five thousand dollars in a
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
year. An immense business, and a most profitable one, as any merchant of today would agree. Competition certainly was not so great then as now.
M. D. Smith commenced a "Foreign and Domestic Hardware" business the year after Mr. Plane, but did not continue it long.
S. S. Allen, as proprietor of the "Agricultural Store," advertised all kinds of farm implements, among which we noticed cradles, corn and coffee mills, corn crackers, sausage cutters, and stuffers, fanning mills, log chains, butter tubs and ladles, hntehetts, sneath's lanthors, lard lamps, iron boot jacks, well wheels, rope bed cords, brush hooks, candle molds, and many other things which are obsolete now. lle also advertised all kinds of stoves, ranging from five dollars to twenty-five dollars or cheaper, and churns, glass and putty, and garden and flower seeds, also clover, osage orange and yellow locust.
This store was located on South Main Street, near the bridge. Many years afterwards his son. Andrew, also operated a fine general hardware store a few doors east of where his father had been in business in the early days. Previous to this S. S. Allen was one of a company of "Land and Exchange Brokers, Attorney-at-Law, and Real Estate Agents," and also one of the editors of the Civilian, the first county newspaper. he and Stephen J. W. Tabor, in February, 1855, having bought out B. F. Parker and James Hillcary. He was also pro- prietor of the first book store in the county. His line ineluded all kinds of books, wall and curtain paper, church music, sheet music, musical instruments, and all kinds of stationery.
J. B. Thomas, another merchant of early times, owned a store building at the corner of Main and North streets, where he kept a large and general assort- ment of latest style goods. In his advertisements of 1857 he pledges himself not to be undersold by any house west of Dubuque. He also demanded settle- ment from his debtors, some of whom had been owing him since 1853 and further threatened them with the law. Same afflietions which befall merchants of today, but with the excuse that money was much more scarce then than now, and morals were then and always will be the same, and honesty does not entirely depend on financial standing. Mr. Thomas sold out that year to D. T. Randall.
Another of the early places of business was the "Saving Store," Clarke, Sul- livan and Company were the proprietors. This store was opposite White's Hotel, on the corner of Main and Court streets, where the Ransier flats are now located. Their advertisements are interesting to read, and note the great changes in dress materials and styles. We further notice that our mothers and grandmothers were quite as subservient to fashion as the women of today. This firm advertises: "The largest and richest stoek of faney and staple dry goods, ladies' and children's shoes and perfumery ever brought into Independence, among which may be found, rich silks, French merinos, wool and muslin delaines, cashmeres, lustros, Parisian twills, white goods, embroideries, dress trimmings, sheetings, shirtings, denims, flannels, alpacas, Ansey's prints, tiekings, hosiery, bonnets, ribbons, flowers, and a fine line of all kinds of shawls, including Brocha, Stella, Bay State, Waterloo, and other favorite styles, ete. We will give you more goods for a dollar than any other establishment west of the Mississippi."
In this same Civilian of this early date, is an advertisement of a general store in Quasqueton, which reads. "The Quasqueton Railroad is not located yet, but D. S. Davis has just received the largest and best stock of dry goods
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
and groceries, etc. I have selected my goods in New York and Boston, " and so on. Benthall and Jennegan also had a general store at Quasqueton.
Another, of the firm, Marshall & Sufficool (afterwards Sufficool sold his interest to John Cameron), located at Littleton, advertising a general line. including everything in dry goods and boots and shoes, hardware, groceries and drugs, paints, oils, glass and saslı.
Parsons and Mellish were proprietors of a "Drag and Medicine" store at Independence, and advertised everything in that line, and some things besides. "Camphene, alcohol, turpentine, burning fluid ( used for lighting purposes), wines and liquors, stationery, confectionery, etc., all of which we offer for sale, from motives, neither of enlarged benevolence nor imminent necessity, but on the principle that the interests of the buyer and seller in all legitimate trade are identical. We solicit patronage on no other terms." Special notice was also given to all "good livers" and "appreciating stomachs," that they had just received a large assortment of both "fresh and preserved fruits. raisins, straw- berries, currants, blackberries, cherries, whortle berries, plums, peaches, etc .. beans. and asparagus, all neatly put up in hermetically sealed cans." This firm certainly catered to the pioneer aristocracy. Evidently there were epicurean tastes, even in those early days. This advertisement was a revelation to the anthors, for we had always supposed that the early settlers were denied all but the coarser and necessary things of life.
John Bogert was one of the pioneer merchants and kept drugs, boots and shoes, hats, caps, and groceries, and ocenpied a store in the "New Jones Block" near the foot of Main Street.
Sanders & Burns were the proprietors of the "People's Headquarters' Store," with a stock of gentlemen's furnishings, boots, shoes, rubber goods, dry goods, millinery, and groceries, cash system. Lindley Able, J. Whait, Marsh, D. T. Randall, Eli D. Phelps, J. W. Melone. JJ. Hirsch, T. B. Bullen, Rowse & Clarke, Ephraim Leach, S. Hellman, Lorenzo Moore and G. W. Counts, J. E. and J. B. Voak, Ransom Bartle, R. W. Wright, H. S. Chase, J. D. Meyers, S. S. MeClure, and T. B. Bullen, and many other names, appear as proprietors of stores in the early '50s.
(. V. C. Post had the first furniture store. It was situated on the west side of the river.
Independence could also boast three boot and shoe manufactories in those early days, one condneted by W. Chandler. one by J. Wiley, and one run by J. C. Loomis in connection with his boot and shoe store (the first exclusive shoe store in the county). These boot and shoe manufacturers promised, as they do today, "to satisfy and please the public, and fit the feet." They claimed to be prepared to manufacture to order, every article in the line of boots and shoes in a neat and most substantial manner. "Buffalo overshoes" were much adver- tised in those days. J. C. Loomis also sold humber wagons, buggies, and " democrat wagons."
William Scott manufactured saddles and harnesses and also sold and bought all kinds of hides and kept all kinds of saddles and harnesses, hardware and shoe findings, while S. J. Hicks, E. H. Gaylord, and L. S. Hicks were manu- facturers of several different kinds of plows and also kept all kinds of farm
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
machinery. They manufactured to order and guaranteed every plow. They also were blacksmiths and horseshoers.
Thomas W. Close kept a grocery store consisting of all kinds of groceries, also pork, flour, glass, paints, oils. putty, patent medicine, earthen and wood- ware of every description, a full assortment of the various kinds of perfumery, inks and extraets and all other articles usually kept in a grocery store. C. M. Turner kept a meat market in the Adam's Block on Walnut Street.
F. Bitner also conducted a meat market and bonght and sold all different kinds of farm produce. Thomas Blondin, in 1857, had just a shaving and hair entting saloon. Anthony Hageman, proprietor of the old "Turner House" (now the Fisher Hotel), for many years advertised his business of blacksmith- ing with an original poem, certainly clever and unique, if not of much literary merit. John MeGready was also one of the pioneer horseshoers and blacksmiths of Independence. locating here in 1857 and in the shop on North Walunt Street, south of Doctor MeGready's residence, which is still occupied for the same pur- pose.
William C. Wright, of Fairbank, seems to have been the first regular horticul- turist. He advertised all kinds of trees, vines, and shrubbery, every article sold will be warranted and customers may depend upon their being genuine.
Bartle & Wright were advertising osage orange plants for sale, begging the farmers to cease hostilities on their timber for feneing purposes and advis- ing them to plant some of their two-year-old osage orange trees, which would make a good fence in three to five years, and declared that the winters here would not freeze tliem out.
Many farmers did plant them for fencing.
L. L. Walton owned a marble works on the east end of Main Street, and advertised to do everything in his line of business in a manner not to be sur- passed.
R. W. Wright was the original proprietor of the New York Store, a store that was continued for many years under that name. He advertises as being always in favor of the nimble shilling in preference to the slow dollar.
Ingalls & MeEwen, builders and contractors, manufactured hand-made doors and sash.
A. H. Gillet & C. C. Weleom had located in Independence for the purpose of furnishing the citizens with all the latest styles of photographs, ambrotypes, melainotypes, sphereotypes and chemotypes.
One of the cleverest advertisements which appeared in the ad columns was of the opening of a new dry goods store. It goes something like this: "Grand show at Independence, lowa-S. Hellman Manager and Proprietor. Doors open at 6 o'clock A. M. Performance to commence at 7 o'clock A. M. Prices of Admis- sion-Adults Free-children (under 19 years of age), Half Price, Grand Com- plimentary Benefit, to the Public.
"The subscriber, thankful for past favors, respectfully informs the inhabi- tants that he has a splendid stock of Goods, etc., he, in return for the liberal patronage bestowed upon him, will present Three Magnificent Pieces-On Wednesday, April 29, 1857, and every day until further notice will be presented, the very popular Tragedy of Good Fits, with the following unrivalled cast : Fashionable, Gentlemen's Furnishings, Goods, and Boots, Shoes, Hats, Caps,
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF INDEPENDENCE, 1868
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
etc. To be followed by the Melo Drama entitled Beauty & Fashion. An inter- mission of Ten Minutes to allow those making large purchases, time for Lunch, ete.
"The whole to conelnde with S. Hellman's snecessful Play entitled Varieties, the beauty of which will cause great excitement among the Ladies and Gentle- men. During the performance the proprietor will exhibit a fine stock of fresh Groceries.
"The manager promises an entire new troupe at the commencement of each season-P. S. More and finer goods given for a 'Spanish Quarter' than any other place in town."
The reason we printed the above and other advertisements is to show that advertising was an acknowledged scienee even in those early days, and that they thoroughly believed the statement, "It pays to advertise." Another thing which we noticed in looking over the old papers was that so many business firms, stores, hotels, etc., of other cities, like Chicago, Dubuque, Des Moines, and others, were regular patrons of our paper's ad columns.
Besides the mercantile business, the early commerce of the county ineluded the milling and shipping interests.
The early milling interests were largely represented by a single name, that of Samuel Sherwood, who came to this county in 1847 from Janesville, Wis- consin, with Stoughton and his party of pioneers. He was a millwright by trade, having served his apprenticeship under T. B. Hall, in Vermont. He came to Independenee to put up a sawmill for Mr. Stoughton. The sawmill was built nearly on the same ground where the present flouring mill stands. Two years later, another was built a short distance from that location. In 1857 a steam sawmill was ereeted on the east side of the river a few rods above the bridge by Mr. Snow of Dubuque. Already there were three mills running day and night to supply the demands for Inmber, and the next year records still another built in the north part of Indiana and operated by the Messrs. Clum- mings. These mills sawed a large amount of lumber, all of which was used in the immediate vieinity. The first flouring mill was built in 1854. In that day it was known as "The New Haven Mills," New Haven being the name first given to that portion of the town west of the river.
Previous to this, the people of Independence had procured their flour mainly from Quasqueton, at which place a "enstom mill" had been in operation for several years. A "eustom mill" is one that only grinds the grain that the indi- vidual customers bring in (neither buys nor sells in any great amount). The New Haven Mill, like the one at Quasqueton, did for the most part a custom business, though at different times did ship considerable flour to the West and occasionally a little to Dubuque. The mill built in 1854 did a fair business for about fifteen years, being owned during all that time by Sanford Clark and Samnel Sherwood, who then thought it advisable to tear it down and build larger. This they proceeded to do, and the present structure of stone and briek was begun in the summer of 1868 and completed in two years. It was built and has always been owned by a stock company. Hon. P. C. Wilcox (a former notable citizen, long since dead), was at first the principal stockholder. The Quasqueton Mill (which unfortunately was burned in 1880), was purchased by the Independence Mill Company and their capital stock was increased to $120,000. Vol. I- 6
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
In 1880, Mr. Sherwood was the largest owner. The property was at that time and always had been lucrative, realizing in one of its best years a net profit of 11 per cent to the stockholders, but later years it could scarcely pay expenses and now is used more for generating light than for milling purposes, the city having made arrangements with the mill to furnish light whenever possible at a specified cost, and they grind a little feed, but do not do any other milling.
During the existence of the "Old Mill," the supply of wheat was obtained entirely from this county, but when wheat failed in this locality they shipped it in, principally from Minnesota, but largely also from Dakota Territory, which at that time raised the best wheat. Their best market was Chicago, then St. Louis and after that New Orleans.
In 1865 there were ten improved water-powers in the county. In June, 1862, Messrs. Dyre, Young & Co., built a fine flouring mill on Cotter Creek and manu- factured a very superior article.
Thomas Searcliff was one of the earliest grain dealers in the county and pursued that business until he was the oldest representative. In 1856 he began buying grain in a small way. His first operation was the purchase of 500 bushels of oats in Linn County. which he sold here at a price ranging from 90 cents to $1 a bushel. The very next year the price dropped 10 cents a bushel. During that year he made a nice little sperulation on 200 bushels of oats purchased here at 12 cents a bushel, shipped by wagon to Earlville (then the terminus of the railroad ), then taken by rail to Dubuque and then down the river to St. Louis, where he sold them at 75 cents per bushel. Two years later, in 1859, when the railroad was extended to Independence, he had 2,000 bushels of wheat and as many of oats ready for shipment by the first freight East. Mr. Scarchiff at one time owned several granaries and an elevator at the Central Depot, but retired from that business several years ago.
At one time, about 1873, the wheat erop began to fail and very little was planted from then on, which made a big difference in the amount of shipping at first, but very soon the farmers began raising a more diversified crop of grains (chiefly eorn, oats and flax), and an increased production of all, so that it kept the grain business inereasing for many years. During the wheat raising years corn was merely a side issue, as wheat has been of late years. In 1880 it was estimated that 100,000 bushels of corn were annually shipped from Independ- ence, 200,000 bushels of oats, and 100,000 bushels of flax, while in 1879 there was only 40,000 bushels of flax shipped. At that time farmers had only been raising it three years.
William Brown was another of the pioneer grain dealers, entered into the business about the same time as Mr. Scareliff, and, like him, was a successful dealer. le owned a fine elevator at the I. C. Depot and was in that business for many years. The constantly increasing production of grain which, on account of poor shipping facilities, necessitated its being stored at the depot, prompted the building of several elevators. This agitation was begun in 1861, and Messrs. Candee and Putnam were the first to respond to the need. They contracted with Sam Sherwood to build a spacious elevator with a storage capacity of 10.000 bushels. It was divided into twenty-eight bins each holding a carload, or 350 bushels, and could be emptied in one hour. These elevators proved a great help ' to the farmers. In 1864 a stock company of Independence business men built
Old saw and grist mill
Main Street in 1860
LIVERY
Old dam at Independence
Old Methodist Church
Old Episcopal Church
EARLY SCENES IN INDEPENDENCE
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
another fine, new elevator, and the next year Newman & Johnson built one with a capacity of 30,000 bushels and fitted with all the modern conveniences of that day, among them Mr. Haradon's grain distributor. Winegar & Company built one with a capacity of 10,000 bushels, and also J. F. Lyon. Several other elevators and storage houses were built in those years, and they all were kept busy. In 1862 about three hundred thousand dollars worth of produce was shipped from the Independence station.
The value of produce shipped from Independence station for the year 1862, estimated at a low average :
Wheat
$97,869.00
Oats
2,417.85
Live hogs
76,270.00
Dressed pork
12,554.22
Cattle
12,480.00
Butter
8,886.64
Eggs
477.15
Barley
1,518.00
Hides
925.36
Wool
2,298.00
$215,697.22
And this did not include the miscellaneous shipments of nearly half a million pounds, which would probably bring the total value up to nearly three hundred thousand dollars. Then quite a considerable amount was shipped from Jesup and Winthrop, and also a quantity from the lower part of the county was hauled to Cedar Rapids. The imports into the county amounted to about two hundred thousand dollars, so the balance of one hundred thousand dollars was profit. A fine showing for war times and a new country. In November, 1863, about seventy carloads of wheat and oats were stored at the 1. C. depot awaiting shipment, and the shippers were obliged to submit to a three weeks' delay in getting their produce to the eastern markets. In February, 1865, a great quantity was detained from laek of cars. Besides the great inconvenience of being compelled to store their grain, and often losing on the market price, they were compelled to pay exorbitant prices for cartage across the river at Dubuque, and suffered much loss in measure as well. To overcome these obstacles, the shippers and merchants held a big convention at Dubuque in March, 1865, to consider the transfer grievances. Independence sent nineteen delegates; P. C. Wilcox was elected president and L. M. Putnam and Jacob Rieh were on important com- mittees. Mr. W. A. Jones gave a speech before the convention that brought down the house.
In 1861 P. C. Wileox shipped a ton and one-half of rags, the first shipment of this kind ever made. This was an indication that the county was becoming rieber. Formerly people wore every vestige of their clothing.
The pioneer dealer in live stock in this county was E. Cobb, who came to Independence in 1853 from Illinois. The first business he engaged in after coming here was to keep a hotel in the house which he built on West Main Street,
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
opposite the Hawthorne School, Independence, and in which he lived until his death, June 3, 1914. He continued in this business about six years. In the year 1857 he embarked in the business of buying and selling hogs and cattle. Ile owned a large farm of nearly three hundred acres adjoining Independence and here he kept the stock he bought and fed them for the market. On this farm, just west of the city, he had one of the largest barns in the county at the time it was built, but this one burned (spontaneous combustion was thought to be the cause), and he built another somewhat smaller. At first he dealt about equally in hogs and cattle, but since about 1870 he has dealt almost entirely in cattle and made a great success of this business. He shipped the first carload of cattle that was taken from here over the Illinois C'entral in 1859, and also the first over the old Burlington road in 1873. the never shipped any live hogs before the railroad was built. always butchering and dressing them, but many large droves of cattle were driven East previous to that time, sometimes being taken across the Mis- sissippi River on the ice and sometimes by ferryboat.
A Mr. J. D. Myers was connected with Mr. Cobb in business from 1860 on for six or seven years. Hle used to have his cattle yards at Independence, in the Third Ward, where the L. W. Goen and D. F. Logan residences are now situated.
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