USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 39
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After a lapse of months and under fire of all kinds of agitation and cogita- tion on the part of the citizens of Independence, and procrastination on the part of the company, a finale to this mehly sought and desired project was reached.
At a special meeting of the directors of the Wapsie Valley Railroad Com- pany, held September 18, 1904, they formally declined to accept the 5 per cent tax which had been voted in July, 1904, and which the board of supervisors levied, and relinquished all claims to such taxes and consented to the cancella- tion of the assessment of the same. This action was taken after it became posi- tive that there appeared no possibility that the road would be built. the com- pany finding it not expedient to construct the road under the conditions under which the tax was voted.
After all this, the vote and the subsequent deferred payment of the 5 per cent tax by the directors of the Wapsie Valley Railroad Company, the District Court held, adjudged and deereed that the election was invalid and void and of no force and effect and therefore the levying and assessment of any tax in favor of the West Virginia Railroad Company was illegal and invalid. so as far as Independence was concerned. It was just where it started from, everything wiped off the state. If it had been legally voted it would have barred the people of Independence from again exercising the right of extending aid of this kind for a period of ten years from the date of that election, but under that decree they were entitled to one at any time the promoters of any other railroad proposition again ask for aid. This decree was secured through the efforts of the reactionaries, who expended both time and money in endeavoring
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to defeat the proposition, and in November commenced action to restrain the county treasurer from collecting any part of the tax. There were sixteen plain- tiffs named in the petition. The reason of this decision of the court was the find- ing of several glaring technical errors. And thus endeth another chapter in the true and fictitious railroad history of Buchanan County.
CHICAGO, IOWA & NORTIIERN PACIFIC RAILROAD
A fourth that failed to materialize was the Chicago, lowa & Northern Pacific Railroad Company, a line that was to connect Independence to a junction with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul in Chickasaw County to erect and maintain a station within the corporate limits of the City of Independence on the condition that the citizens of Washington Township, Buchanan County, subscribe the sum of $30,000 in aid of such road. The Board of Trade of Independence were very actively interested in the proposition (and all the influential and monied citizens). D. R. W. Williams was the projector of the enterprise. He had pre- viously solicited the citizens for their cooperation to build a through line with Independence as the center of operations, but the citizens, not accepting the proposition thereby lost the golden opportunity to "make Independence the most important city in Iowa." And after refusing the "golden brick" the citizens repented of their folly and requested another chance at the plum basket, but the last plum offered was only a branch road with its terminus in Independ- enee and its ontlet the C. 1. & N. P. R. Road. The citizens' meeting at the Opera House, October 2, 1885, lacked enthusiasm, and it was evident that the project had cold water over it several fathoms deep, but an adjourned meeting of the Board of Trade was held at Firemen's Ilall Monday evening, thereafter, which evinced much enthusiasm and financial support. The soliciting commit- tee reported that they had secured $6,810 in subscriptions to the grading proposition and $3,580 on the completed road. At this meeting $600 more was subscribed. Mass meetings were held with due regularity and at every one the subscription list was amplified. The laboring men and mechanics held a meeting in regard to the railroad project, and at the conclusion thirty-nine men signed an agreement to pay 21/2 per cent upon the assessed valuation of their property in Washington Township with the provision that the business men and capitalists of Independence would subscribe aid in a proportionate amount, and besides the subscriptions a 3 per cent tax was voted and the rail- road company executed bonds in the sum of $15,000 for each mile of completed track. The tale is too long and full of details to devote more space to, but the circumstances were almost identical with other similar projects to which the citizens of Buchanan County had previously liberally subscribed. With this exception that the railroad company actually did construct sixty or more miles of grade-the evidence are still easily discernible from Otterville north through the county. Funds then gave out and Mr. Williams went to New York for the purpose of negotiating the bonds of the company to raise money to go on with the work. but time and circumstances were not propitious and he was not successful, so the enterprise was abandoned for a more favorable oppor- tunity.
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Again in 1892 the project was revived by the arrival of Mr. Dudley Wil- liams, one of the original promoters, with fresh enthusiasm and a booster optim- ism, and with a much more favorable proposition. The project of the company had been somewhat modified. The last proposition was to start as before from a junction with the Northwestern Road at Anamosa and run through Inde- pendence and on the already graded line to Fredericksburg and thence north and west making various connections to Bismark, North Dakota. This visit did not signify any intention of asking for more financial aid but just moral sup- port and the "glad hand," so to speak. It was given but received no warm response. It was as before a futile attempt." .
RAILWAY PASSENGER STATIONS
The old Illinois Central Station at Independence prior to 1892 was a com- bined freight and passenger house. A long platform ran across the entire north side of the building and projected some distance beyond it but was a high one, on the level with the floor of a freight train and was located on a side track between the building and the main track. This track was most of the time filled with cars. The facilities of passengers going to and from trains was not only inconvenient but dangerous.
On August 13, 1891, the mayor, all the county officers and thirty-two eiti- zens petitioned the railroad commissioners to have a temporary order requiring the company to run its trains to the platform for discharging the passengers during the horse association meeting. On October 22d the commissioners vis- ited Independence, examined the station house and tracks and found the situa- tion to be substantially as claimed by the petitioners and on October 27th another petition was filed with the railroad commissioners signed by the post- master and seventy-seven other citizens asking that the Illinois Central Rail- road Company be ordered to ereet a passenger depot north of Market Street and west of Chatham Street. This petition was sent to the company and in December they were informed that it was the intention of the company, in view of the business to and from Independence to build a suitable station at this point.
The new depot, according to the plans of the railroad company, was to be located on the north side of Market Street at the head of Chatham Street, facing Main Street, a new through track laid to the north side of the station for passenger trains on the ground between Market Street and the main track then occupied by lumber yards and corn cribs belonging to the company. While this would prevent the opening of Chatham Street it was an improvement that the citizens were anxious to see as the completed arrangement would give the street a more eitified appearance and do away with the annoyance of re- moving the elevators and buildings.
There were some differences between the city council and the Illinois Cen- tral Railroad officials, relating to the right of way for certain streets crossing the tracks of the railroad and a conference of the city council and the Railroad Company's representatives was held in May, 1892, at which a basis of agree- ment was arrived at. The matters involved were discussed at length at two
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conferences of the city council with the Illinois Central Railroad officials and an ordinanee prepared by Mr. Knight, which was in the character of a contraet between the eity and the road was passed. By the terms of this eontraet the city agreed in general terms to permit the closing of Walnut and Madison streets, where they cross the railroad right of way, and cede the land involved, and also that part of Ross Street lying west of Nelson Street to the Railroad Company for its own use and ownership. Ross Street, it may be explained, is an out of the way and impracticable street 21/2 blocks long, lying east and west along the north side of the railroad embankment and terminating in the river. It could not be used for the highway and was of no possible use to the city.
In consideration of these concessions the company agreed to open Nelson, Chatham and North streets crossing its tracks, for the use of the public and to keep them open permanently. It also agreed to remove all obstructions in the shape of buildings on Chatham Street at its own expense and to plank the tracks on said streets between the rails and one foot on each side, and also to build a first class, briek passenger depot and to have the same completed by September 1, 1892. The plans for the same were exhibited to the council at its meetings.
It is a fine structure of ample proportions and is so placed between Chatham and Walnut streets that the stoppage of trains does not obstruct the street. Covered platforms extend on each side of it to the line of those streets. A hand- some park, laid out with flower beds and small trees, make it one of the most at- tractive depots along the Central Line. The entire cost of this and the new stock yards built at that time cost $25,000. They also built a fine bridge over the Wapsie at a cost of $20,000, which was the one used until 1912 when it was eondemned and torn down. And for two years they have been constructing one at that point, experieneing great difficulty in establishing the concrete foundations for the piers. It was finished in the spring of 1914 and although a very unattractive structure, is built to withstand all onslaughts of time and weather and will probably furnish data for the next historian fifty years henee.
In 1891 a new passenger depot was ereeted by the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad Company at Independence, Iowa. The ground was broken in May of that year and the building was rushed to completion in August in time to accommodate the race meet crowds. The depot is situated on Main Street, south of the old one, and on the east side of the track. The foundation is constructed of Anamosa stone and the walls of brick. The elevations were so made that the building has three fronts. The building is 68 feet long and 26 feet wide at the south side, 22 feet at the north, and cost several thousand dollars.
GENEROUS TREATMENT
After the fire, the Illinois Central and Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroads through the efforts of Mayor Roszell, and C. M. Durham, depot agent of the Illinois Central, and Mr. M. R. Harding, the agent at the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern depot, consented to give a rebate of 20 per cent upon all merchandise shipped to the sufferers from the fire, dur- ing the month of June, and equally as valuable concessions were made on the freighting of all building materials.
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This generous treatment on the part of the railroads was certainly appre- ciated by the people of Independence. The editors of the papers were particu- larly grateful to the railroad companies for considerable reductions from the regular rates on the transportation of the presses and types from Chicago, and the freight on the new Steamer engine was deducted $43.00.
These facts do not indicate rapacions monopolies, yet at that very time an anti-monopoly party had convened at the Buchanan County Courthouse and nominated a tieket in opposition to those same concerns.
MAILS AND MEANS OF COMMUNICATION
It was in 1845, three years after the first settlements in the county, before a regular postoffice was established within its limits.
During this time the settlers had their mail directed to the most convenient postoffice, and from there was brought by private conveyance, as opportunity afforded.
The settlers about Quasqueton, and farther north, obtained their mail from the nearest office in Delaware County, or from Dubuque.
In the early part of the first winter, 1842-3, there was a heavy snow, suffi- ciently strong to bear up the weight of a man provided he was not too heavy. During this time, Frederick Kessler, on account of being small and light, was selected to bring the mail on foot once a week from a settlement in Delaware County, called " The Colony, " near Ead's Grove. As there was no established postoffice in Delaware County at that time, the mail must have been brought there from Dubuque by private conveyance, and held for the Quesqueton set- tlers until they could send for it. Most of the mail matter previous to, as well as after, the establishment of a postoffice in the county, came through Dubuque, but some living in the southern part of the county got their mail once a week by William Smith of Dubuque, who had the first mail contract through the county, which he carried on horseback. Now if this be true, and he carried mail to Quasqueton from the commencement of his contraet, he must have made some private arrangement with the settlers of that place, since the postoffice was not established there till 1845. D. S. Davis was principally influential in securing it and William Richards was the first postmaster. It is probable that Davis was the second mail contractor and that Malcom MeBane was the second postmaster, for early in 1847, when A. Il. Trask came into the county from Wisconsin, he found them occupying these positions; and Davis sublet the mail .contract to him in the fall of that year.
The contract bound him to carry the mail from Quasqueton to Dubuque and back, once every week, on horseback or by any other conveyance he might choose. The "round trip" occupied four days, and he received as compensation $365 a year. He had a partner by the name of Eli D. Phelps, a brick and stone mason by trade, who came from Wisconsin about the same time as Trask. They took turns in carrying the mail between Dubnque and Quasqueton ; and after a short time they made a contract with Davis to carry it between Quasqueton and Marion. At that time, there were but four postoffices between Quasqueton and Dubuque, one at Coffin's Grove, at Delhi, at Rockville, and one at a farm- house ncar Epworth.
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When the traveling permitted (which was the most of the time, although there were no bridges and no roads kept in order by the public), they went by wagon or sleigh, and sometimes carried a large amount of express matter, in addition to the mail. But sometimes, when the roads were bad and the streams too high to ford with a wagon, they were compelled to go on horseback, and of conrse carried very little besides the mails. In the winter the snow was some- times very deep, Mr. Trask, on one occasion, having had to break a track the entire distance from Quasqueton to Farley, when the snow was nearly three feet deep on the level.
The early mail carriers had many adventures and some narrow escapes with wind and weather.
After carrying the mail for nearly two years, Trask and Phelps sold out to Thomas W. Close, who held the contract only abont a year, "carrying the mail and doing the county shopping," when the business was resumed by the original contractor, Davis, whose partiality for Quasqueton, led him to discontinue Inde- pendence as a part of the regular route; and for some time the residents at the latter place had to make private arrangements to get their mail which was first carried to Qnasqueton. The postoffice was established at Independence in 1848, S. P. Stoughton, the champion of that place, as Davis was of Quasque- ton, being the postmaster. After holding the place (which brought more fame than money and not enough of either to boast of) for one year, he resigned and Doetor Brewer was appointed in his stead.
The enterprising and public-spirited doctor assumed the duties of mail car- rier as well as that of postmaster and sometimes made the trip to Quasqueton on foot, carrying the entire mail in his vest poeket. The souvenir postal, cheap postage and catalogue and mail houses, daily papers and cheap magazines, were then no burden to the mail carrier.
Doctor Brewer paid the first quarterly to the Goverment with a 5-franc piece, his own commission amounting to 4716 cents. He held the office for six years, and during no one of them did his income from commissions amount to $5. After a time he put into the office a few rows of letter boxes, and the rent of these increased his income a little.
The meager income of the office is probably to be accounted for, not so much by the small number-of settlers as by their acknowledged lack of money. Their eastern friends and relatives showed their generous appreciation of this fact by prepaying their own postage, and the settlers showed their equally feeling appreciation of it by leaving theirs unpaid. Thus the letters, whether sent or received, brought very little money into the office, although there were higher postage rates then than now. Postoffice regulations were very different than they are nowadays, when it takes a 2-cent stamp to budge them from the office.
About 1850 the contest for postal supremacy, which has been waged for some time and with some bitterness between Qnasqneton and Independence, was decided by making the latter a point on the regular route west, which was then extended to Cedar Falls, and placing the former on a side route southward. A man by the name of Gould was the first mail contractor on the route from Dubuque to Cedar Falls.
Both the roads and vehicles began to improve, though the roads at certain seasons of the year continued to he almost impassable.
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Mr. Trask, one of the pioneer mail carriers, got the gold fever and went to California in 1850. When he returned in 1854 he found regular stage coaches running east and west through Independence, and southward from that point through Quasqneton.
When the railroads intersected the county, east and west, and north and south. it did away with these two stage coach routes, and the great improve- ment in the roads and the construction of substantial bridges over all the streams made the remaining stage routes comparatively easy. Many of these original routes were maintained until a few years ago when rural free delivery was introduced into the county.
The Independence correspondent of the Quasqueton Guardian mentions, un- der date of October 19, 1857, that the people of that town were enjoying the luxury of a daily mail through the influence of Senator Jones.
In 1856 there were eleven postoffices in the county-they were Independence, Quasqueton, Fairbank, Chatham, Greeley's Grove, Buffalo Grove, Erie, Pine, Erin, Frink's Grove, and Brandon. Of these only the offices at Independence, Qnasqueton, Fairbank, and Brandon are still maintained. In Angust, 1858. a new mail route was established between Independence and MeGregor, haeks starting from the Judson House, Independence, every Monday morning. On October 1, 1860, a direct mail ronte was first established between Fairbank and Independence; this was a much-needed route. J. F. Sullivan was the first contraetor.
In 1862, by an act of Congress, a new mail route was established from Inde- pendence to Vinton via Brandon, with weekly service. The regular Brandon mail ronte was not established until 1862, when by an act of Congress a new postoffice had been established on the route from Elkader to Independence and between Independence and Buffalo Grove. The new office was called Castle- ville and Samuel Castle was appointed postmaster. One was established from Independence to Janesville, with B. L. Thompson as mail carrier; one from Wolf Creek, with Wm. A. Dana as carrier, who was also carrier from Inde- pendence to Fredericksburg, this ronte having increased to two trips per week.
Another route was established from Elkader to Independence, and also one from MeGregor to Independence. Most of these were established in 1861 and 1862.
THE TELEGRAPHI
The people of the county thought that with the extension of the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad all their troubles with delayed mails and insufficient communication would be at an end, but they found to their sorrow that a combination of wind and weather just as seriously affected the railroad traffic even to a far greater degree than it did the old mail routes in the early days as the road beds were poorly graded and there was no protection from drifting snow, and none of these monstrous, modern snow plows that cut through the drifts like gophers burrowing to facilitate matters. When the bridges were washed out or the snows drifted over the tracks, the mails were delayed often for weeks at a time, as in the great snowstorm of 1861, when mails were irregular from January 15th until March 1st, and most of that time
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Independence was bereft of outside communications. Then, at the conclusion of the winter's blockade, the spring thaws and rains washed out bridges and embankments and caused more trouble and took weeks to repair the damages sufficient for regular traffic. In the winter of 1862, in the fourteen days from February 13th to the 17th. only five mails were received, two of those coming on the same day, although the railroad company had promised to bring them through on sleds and had contracted to furnish at least tri-weekly service. Then for five days after that no mail whatever was received, and so on, con- tinuously and not until the middle of March was the road opened up clear through, which caused general rejoicing. And not alone the poor mail service, but the great inconvenience and positive harm done the patrons, shippers and merchants demand that some definite measure be taken to overcome this difficulty.
General dissatisfaction had been ineurred by the railroad company for the extremely lax manner in which they had conducted their business. It seemed as though no great effort had been made by them to fulfill their contract. This, like the previous winter, was an exceptionally bad one, with heavier and more frequent snows, but that did not quite excuse the railroad company or greatly alleviate the animosity of the people against them. Letters of complaint from the persecuted and long suffering public, followed by letters of explanation and vindication from the railroad company were of frequent occurrence. The road- way was fenced the next year, which prevented the drifting to a great extent and the recurrent blockades. During those exciting times, with rumors of impending battles or those that had already been fought, only meager and unreliable news could be received and only in a roundabout, desultory manner, and the suspense was maddening to those having friends and relatives in the conflict. All the war news came through Cedar Rapids. Then in July again terrific rains and high water did great damage; in some places the embankments were washed out for distances of 200 feet and 42 feet deep. For four weeks there had been little or no traffic and only mail and passenger trains. Consequently a vast amount of freight had accumulated at every station. Mails were from three to five days late and it took five days going from Cedar Falls to Dubuque. Temporary traeks were laid, but it took mouths to repair the road to its former condition. . These interruptions of mail service continued indefinitely. and even unto this present day railway mail service is not all that could be desired, depending wholly on the favorable or unfavorable conditions of the weather, but with no telephone or telegraphic communications the delays seemed ahnost unbearable, especially during war times.
So in consequence of these intolerant conditions early in the year 1862 agitation was begun in Independence for a telegraphie line to be built out from Dubuque, but the proposition made by Mr. Stimson, president of the D. & S. C. R. R. Company, to the people along the intended route did not meet with particular approval, for the reason that the railroad company expected too much of the local people and they refused to meet with the company's demands. so the matter was dropped for a time, but finally. in the fall of 1863, a line was started out of Dubuque and was expected to be finished before winter. By November the holes for the posts were dug as far west as Jesup and wires were stretched to Independenee and by the last of December the line was in full
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