USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 38
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In the summer of 1913 the planking again became very much worn and was given a coat of asphaltic-concrete. This is but an experiment and time will have to prove its worth.
At the regular June session of the board of supervisors, on June 13. 1894, the question of the location of another wagon and foot bridge across the Wap- sipinicon River at Independence was brought up. Delegations of citizens called on the board and urged the new structure. The principal reason given arose from the location of the electric street car line across the Main Street Bridge and to the fact that the cars frightened the horses.
The board voted to construct a bridge across the river on First Street south of Main Street. A small piece of land necessary for the west approach was bought for $300. The bridge was one span. 180 feet long. The piers were made of tubular stech. The structure was furnished by Dan Young of Man- chester for $8,999. Mr. Young also constructed the Main Street Bridge and other bridges in the county.
RAILROADS
Buchanan County, although not intersected with as many railroads as are many of the counties of the state, yet has enough, and so located as to furnish excellent shipping facilities to nearly every part of the county.
The Illinois Central, which was formerly called the Dubuque & Sioux City Road, passes through the county east and west in an almost direct line, and abont through its middle it passes through Winthrop, Independence and Jesup.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, commonly called the Rock Island, which was formerly the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern, intersects the county from north to south. It enters the county about the middle of ITazleton Town- ship, proceeds almost straight south through Hazleton, Bryantburg and Inde- pendence and still straight until section 21 of Sumner, when it slants diagonally to the southeast through Rowley and on down through the county.
The Chicago Great Western cuts diagonally through the northeastern corner of the county in Buffalo and Madison townships, in a southeasterly
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direction passing through the towns of Stanley, Aurora and Lamont. And this saine road, the Chicago Great Western Railroad, again cuts diagonally through a small section of Fairbank Township in the extreme northwestern corner of the county. The Town of Fairbank is situated on this road.
Another, the Chicago, Anamosa & Northern, recently extended from Anamosa to Quasqueton, and the electric line through Brandon from Waterloo to Cedar Rapids.
ILLINOIS CENTRAL RAILROAD
The first railroad built through this county was the "Dubuque & Sioux City" or "Dubuque & Pacific, " which was the proper name, now the Illinois Central, having been transferred by a perpetual lease, about the year 1870. The first intimation of the railroad being extended through Buchanan County was the appearance in a paper of March, 1856, of a printed circular gotten out by the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad Company to the citizens of Dubuque, Delaware, Buchanan and Blackhawk counties, calling on them to advance funds for the building of the second division of their road. that is, from Dyersville-it was then under construction as far as Dyersville, Dubuque County, and promised to be completed that far and in use by November 15th of that year. The rail- road company demanded that the aforesaid counties subseribe $250,000 each, in their corporate capacity, promising, if they were sufficiently successful in obtain- ing stoek subscriptions (a million dollars for a basis), the division would be extended as far west as the Cedar River.
The next notice was issued by JJudge Roszell. in compliance with a petition signed by 350 citizens and voters of Buchanan County, ordering a special election to be held in each township on July 3. 1856, to determine whether the county would assist in the construction of the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad by issuing $200.000 in county bonds at the rate of 10 per cent, payable in 17, 18, 19 and 20 years. The railroad company was to pay interest on said bonds until the railroad should be open for business as far as Independence and for six months thereafter. This proposition lost. Money was very scarce and the citi- zens found great difficulty in meeting the payment of taxes for the ordinary county expenses, as the pages of delinquencies with which the county papers were filled testified. So this partienlar railroad proposition was dropped, al- though for several years thereafter similar propositions were voted upon.
Again in June, 1858, Judge Stephen J. W. Tabor issued a call for a special election for practically the same proposition. In May previous to this an in- formal meeting was held at Quasqueton. which was addressed by Mr. Platt Smith, Esq., of Dubuque, vice president and attorney of the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad, and he explained the railroad's proposition thoroughly. It was thought that the people had been educated up to appreciating the necessity of a railroad -- especially since the fastly increasing production of grain and live stock de- manded a more available market. For the farmers to haul all their produee fifty miles to the nearest market, first at Dubuque and later at Dyersville, entailed too much labor and expense, and the establishment of a market at home not only would facilitate market privileges but would greatly advance market values. All the accumulation of produce could be disposed of and create at least a demand
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at home and by this advance in prices alone the resident taxpayers would be enabled to pay their quota of the tax and to those who objected to receiving the company's script, if it were taken in exchange for their products, then the com- pany had guaranteed to receive the script in payment of the tax, so no danger could be apprehended that it might not be of money value. The taxable property in the county at that time was but $2.550,354, and a tax of 1 per cent, which was the proposed levy, would give a little over twenty-five thousand dollars-fully one-third of which would come out of non-resident owners. The actual expense of grading alone as far as Independence would be $60,000 and the construction of just this portion of the road would leave a surplus of $35,000. The benefits accruing from the expenditure of this sum in the county needed no demonstra- tion. Furthermore, it was to be expended before the collection of the tax. Another favorable feature of the proposition was that its adoption entailed no extended tax-it began and ended during the current year and could never act as a bug-bear to frighten away prospective settlers, but rather serve as an incentive to settlement. The creation of a market for produce was not the only equivalent offered, for the stock, until the road began to pay dividends. was to draw 7 per cent interest, payable in stock, and should the company in three years, through the earnings of the road and the sale of the land, pay a dividend of 20 per cent, it would give the county an income of $6,000 per annum and would materially lessen the burden of taxation. To this result the non-resident taxpayers would largely contribute, so that the county was only called upon to make an investment, which would yield immediately and be of great prospective value and advantage, and yet, for the second time, the proposition failed to pass. The whole object of the tax and the effort on the part of the company to secure private subscriptions seems to have been to make it an object to the people of the county, to take the script which the company must issue in order to proceed with the work. Now, with all these and many more pertinent reasons why they should vote the tax and with every possible objection answered it seemed as though there could be no possible chance of its passing, and yet in every election of every kind there should always be a wide latitude for mis- calculations.
And like many another absolutely safe and sure political forecast, the plans miscarried. The whyfors of this particular circumstance history and the records fail to state and we can only conclude that like all great things it had to culminate slowly, and that it takes the average human intellect a considerable length of time to grasp new ideas which after mature deliberation seem perfectly tangible and reasonable.
The board of directors of the company then published a circular endorsing the following plan to appraise the lots and lands belonging to the. company, issue land seript to the amount of the appraisement and pay off the bonded and funded debt by offering for every dollar of debt $1 of stock and $1 of land script and to appraise the balance of the 460,800 acres of land which the com- pany were to receive when the first 100 miles of the road was built and issue script as before and this to be devoted exclusively to building the road to Cedar Falls. Then for every dollar of full-paid stock then held or thereafter sub- scribed, an equal amount of this script was to be issued to the holder or subscriber in addition to the certificate of stock. In other words, as an inducement for
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men to furnish means for building the road, the company donated to each stoek- holder $100 worth of land for every share of stock for which he subscribed, thus making the stock itself cost him nothing.
This last proposition evidently carried weight with the citizens, for in the fall of 1859 appeared in the local county papers this item: "Glorious news for Buchanan County !! The Railroad Coming !!! On Saturday last our citizens were notified by a few lines written on the margin of the Western Stage Com- pany's way-bill, that the contract for the construction of the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad to this point had been signed and that the work was to be commenced immediately," but so sick had the people become by hope too long deferred, that it was not until Monday when the cheering news was confirmed by the Dubuque papers and by letters, that doubting gave way to universal joy and congratulation. This was in the days when the munificent display of capitals and sensational headlines had not yet struek the editorial caput or the popular fancy, so it must not be inferred that the above newspaper item, printed in an inconspicuous place on the third page and under the usual heading of "Local Matters," and the further top ballast of the "Township Ticket" was not of vital interest and one that stirred the heart of every Buchanan County citizen. It appeared from later intelligence that General Booth, a director of the com- pany, had just returned from the East, bringing the welcome news that a con- tract for the continuation of the road from Dubuque to Independence had been signed by Oliver P. Root, of Oneida, New York : and the contract stipulated that work should begin at once and the road to be completed to Manchester. then described as being located nine miles this side of Nottingham, by October 1st; to Winthrop, eleven miles further, by November Ist; to a point five miles west of Independence by December 1st, and the balance of the aggregate distance of eighty miles from Dubuque by January Ist. Mr. Root was represented as a practical engineer, a man of energy, and of financial ability, and the utmost confidence was expressed in the fulfillment of the terms of the contract. A few days only elapsed before work on the railroad bridge over the Wapsipinieon had been commenced, the piles were arriving and the work of driving them had already begun. The bridge was in the process of construction .at Dubuque and was to be brought out ready to put up when the ears began to run. The bridge was to consist of four spans of forty feet and twenty-four spans of twelve feet, making a total length of 448 feet, and the bridge was to escape the high-water mark of 1858.
Immediately signs of unusual activity were manifested in Independence, and the streets were thronged with wagons bringing in produce. There was a lively competition in the grain market and already a cash value for farm products was established. In one day the editor counted thirty-five wagon loads of grain on Main Street going to the elevators to store their grain, awaiting the forthcom- ing deliverance. As the time for the opening of the road approached, it seemed a question whether Independence might not be compelled to close her ports of entry, so continuous was the inpouring of her golden harvest. New elevators were being speedily erected and several new grain and produce firms had already commenced operations here. An era of prosperity was fairly established. Al- though the road was not completed quite as soon as expected, owing to some defeet in the title of the company, it was elose enough so that it was an assured
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fact, the people in Independence making the "railroad diggings" the eulmi- native point of every journey, and the all-absorbing topic of conversation and interest. On Tuesday, November 22d, a meeting was held at the Montour House for the purpose of making arrangements to celebrate the completion of the road to Independence. By the 1st of December the track was laid to within two miles of the town and before the end of that week would be completed to the depot grounds, if the weather continued favorable. This was grand and glo- rious news to everyone and especially to those who had been waiting some time for their pay. There was some discussion among the citizens of Independence over the location of the depot. many wanting it to be located on the west side of the river. On Sunday, December 11th, the track layers were busy all day (work could not be suspended even for the Sabbath day) and the rails were laid to the Independence depot, the turntables were brought up from Mason- ville and put in order, passenger and freight cars were standing at the depot, and all necessary preparations were made to commence the formal opening of the road on Monday. At 9 o'clock on the morning of December 12, 1859, the first regular train left Independence depot, taking the first shipment of prod- nce, which was made by West & Hopkins and consisted of wheat and pork. From then on the shipments out of Independence station were exceptionally large for the size of the town and as we have told elsewhere, exceeded any other place.
The station agents for several years made out monthly reports of shipments which were printed in the county papers.
When the time set for the celebration arrived, everything was auspicions for a glorious jubilee. At an early hour people came flocking into town from all directions, the streets were soon crowded with a happy, expectant concourse of people who assembled at the depot to welcome the long-anticipated arrival. Many of the younger generation would behold the panting, puffing steel monster for the first time and great was their excitement when at 2 P. M., precisely, according to schedule, the train arrived with four carloads of guests, among whom were the Governor Greys, Captain Robinson of Dubuque, accompanied by the Germania Band. D. S. Lee, on behalf of the citizens of Independence, extended the hospitalities of the town, and Captain Robinson gracefully re- sponded on behalf of the Greys, after which the whole assembled multitude formed in procession, headed by the military company and the band, and marched through the village to the Montour House, where at 4 P. M. a sumptuous dinner was served to the guests by Landlord Purdy. After dinner the military company gave a public exhibition of military drills and manual of arms. The entertain- ment provided for the evening was a dance at Morse's hall and although it was the largest crowd ever assembled at a dance in Independence, everything passed off harmoniously and in good order, and the enjoyment continued unabated until the summons for the return train brought to a close this pleasurable and memorable occasion. The Germania Band furnished the music for the dance, choice refreshments were served both at the Montour and the Revere houses. The hotels previous to this event were filled to their utmost capacity with people who had come from abroad to witness the celebration and both the hotels and committee on arrangements deserved great praise for their unwearied exertions and the creditable manner in which they entertained the numerous guests. This
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celebration completed the spectacular advent of the first railroad in Buchanan County and it now became a settled and indispensable reality, with a bona fide time-table which appeared weekly in the columns of the town papers, and as a matter of fact this particular column of type was always a fresh source of inter- est and new information-nothing stale or antiquated about those first time- tables, for they changed time every issue, and it kept the prospective travelers busy to keep up with the latest time shifts. An item, which leads one to believe that the railroad company was a more generous corporation than it is at present accused of being, appeared in the papers extending to all of the scholars and teachers of the various Sunday and day schools along the route between Cedar Falls and Manchester, a free excursion to the latter place on August 2, 1862. It was a miserable rainy day but when the train left Independence there were 1.500 aboard, and this number, of course, would be considerably increased by the time they reached their destination. This was no small item, and in those days before the 2-cent rate was even of greater magnitude. Another exhibition of their generosity is that they carried all animals and articles free of charge to the state fair which was then held at Dubuque. The railroad put on its first exclusive passenger trains each way in the fall of 1863. The railroad service for the first few years was not all that could be wished and the incon- venienees experienced almost surpassed the benefits, as we have told in another chapter. but gradually the company improved and graded their roadbed so that every heavy snow or freshet could not obstruct or wash out the track and demoralize traffic.
The first station agent at Independence was W. B. Boss, who remained only six or eight months ; then two others followed who did not stay long at it, and in 1862 or 1863 C. M. Durham took charge and held the position until his death, a period of over twenty-tive years. There have been many since his time.
In the summer of 1899 County Recorder Truax recorded the lease of the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad by the Illinois Central; this lease was made in 1895, for a period of fifty-six years-or until 1951. The lease covers the 325 miles of track from Dubuque to Sioux City, besides several other branches.
The lease covers several sheets of typewritten paper and contains 7,500 words. A recent change in the law required that it must be recorded in every county through which the railroad passes.
THIE WAPSI & ST. PETER'S VALLEY RAILROAD
Even before the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad was suggested, another road- called the Wapsipinicon & St. Peter's Valley-proposed the construction of a road which was to begin at Anamosa and run in a northwesterly direction through Quasqueton, Independence and Fairbank, thenee north to the state line, where it was to connect with a line through to St. Paul. In other words, this was to constitute a direct line from St. Louis to St. Paul. What their first proposition was we are not prepared to state, but presume it was similar to that of the Dubuque & Pacific and all those early roads. The papers contained fre- quent editorials greatly favoring the project. But the proposition failed to carry. On May 25, 1857, the question of issning bonds to the amount of $250,000 was voted upon and this time carried, the vote exceeding the most sanguine
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expectations; "giving a handsome majority, about one hundred, in favor of the loan." (At a special election later, however, the action was rescinded.) But before this everything was apparently ready under the most favorable anspices to commence the construction of the road, but the plans miscarried.
Again, in May, 1870, another railroad project was being agitated; this was known as the Anamosa & Northwestern Railroad Company. They had had assurance of co-operation from eastern capitalists, and with the proper assistance of the people along the proposed route, it would soon be an established faet. Meetings were held and special elections held in the several townships through which the road was to pass. It had received loeal aid up to our county, Liberty Township had pledged $35,000 of the $40,000 asked of her, Newton Township voted the 5 per cent tax levy down, Cono for it, and so on; others voted for it, but the fact of these elections did not bring it and at last it was a dead issue.
At the same time, or shortly thereafter, as the Anamosa & Northwestern were making their propositions, the Ottumwa & St. Paul Railroad were also making overtures to the people of this county. Their surveys were already under way; Iowa and Benton counties both had furnished guarantees and the counties were demanding a guaranty of $300 payable when the engineers reached Inde- pendence, so the guaranty was forthcoming immediately. The line was surveyed through the county, but this, like several other projects, was abandoned.
On Tuesday, March 11, 1873, as per previous notice, a delegation of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Company visited Independence to confer with the citizens on the project of completing the Postville Branch of the B., C. R. & N. through Independence. Some five of the road's high officials were present and were met by the prominent and influential citizens of Inde- pendence. Meetings were held for three successive evenings and the company's representatives gave a thorough exposition of the wishes and intentions of the company and a satisfactory explanation of the failure to complete the road last fall.
In place of the tax of $30,000 then forfeited, the company now asked for a donation of $25,000 to be raised by subscription and demanded an answer in two or three weeks. The meeting on Tuesday evening appointed a soliciting committee which consisted of ten of the leading citizens.
Liberal amounts were subscribed at the first meetings, but not enough to guarantee its surety. One of the arguments held over the Independence people's heads was that the survey showed a feasible route through Quasqueton and Winthrop, and that if Independenee did not seenre it these localities, with their rich farmers, would jump at the chance to profit by their lack of enterprise. The prospects of securing the road brightened as the weeks went by. The German property owners, after they became thoroughly acquainted with the merits of the subject, took an active interest and subseribed liberally, and a determination to secure it at any sacrifice. Publie meetings were held and finally the required amount was seeured and the day of progress and prosperity was dawning. The decision of this question was deemed a crisis in the history of the county, and after it was assured the citizens who had labored so hard for it were jubilant, and they confidently expeeted, with these added railroad facilities and railroad competition, that Independence would become a thriving city and that manufacturers would flock to so convenient a railroad center. Vol. I-20
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At the same time, as the project for the B., C. R. & N. was before the Independence people, a narrow gauge road from Anamosa, through Quasqueton to Independence and northwest, was discussed and proposed. The route was pronounced as one of the best and cheapest, following, as it did, the river valleys. These "farmer roads," as they were called, with their cheapness of construction and economy of running expenses reduced to a minimum, were greatly favored by the newspapers and were destined to play an important part in relieving the farming community from the burden of high freights. and furthermore they deemed it not improbable that many of these narrow gauge roads would be planned and built-even on roads partially or wholly occupied by other roads. It was urged and expected that the people of the county give it every encourage- ment, if the project should assume definite shape. This is but an evidence of the wonderful booster spirit that inspired those early newspaper men.
WAPSIE VALLEY RAILWAY
In the spring of 1904, after a cessation of activities, petitions for Wapsie Valley Railroad were again circulated in Independence and Washington Town- ship for a 5 per cent tax to be voted and levied upon assessed value of real and personal property, etc. There were many signers, all of them our influential and prosperous business men, but between 500 or 600 names were necessary to call the election. In two weeks over 500 names were secured and the petitions lacked less than 50 to call the election. On July 1st the question was submitted and carried by a majority of 480. The women voted on the proposition and gave a larger majority than the men.
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