USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 65
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Purdy's Park recently established, in the summer of 1914, and named in honor of the mayor, is situated just north and west of the city waterworks and electric light plant. It is small in area but embraces many attractions in the way of seats and is very convenient for passengers waiting for boats on the river.
Fair View Park was perhaps the most popular park which Independence ever had, and this strictly speaking was not a city park but was established by the Street Car Company. It was situated on the street car line just at the corner where it turned south through the fiells to reach the hospital grounds in the eighty west of Rush Park. This natural grove, upon a small hill overlooking the city and easily accessible by car and vehicle, made a most desirable resort for pienickers and was the rendezvous for almost daily excursion parties during the few years of the Independence boom.
One big exenrsion worth mentioning was when the Y. M. C. A., between Independence and Decorah, had an excursion to this city. Fifteen hundred excursionists took advantage of the rates and made Fair View Park their destination.
A large pavilion, benches, swings and other regulation pienie apparatus constituted the entire improvements.
Besides for pienie purposes Fair View was extremely popular for dancing parties, and almost nightly the strains of sweet music and rippling laughter was wafted on the gentle evening breezes. (So much for a sweet, decadent past. )
THE STREETS RENAMED
The question of re-naming and systematizing the streets of our city arose out of the necessity of adopting some regular system preparatory to the estab- lishment by the government of the free delivery of mail here. What the pos- tal requirements ask is simplicity and clearness in the arrangement. The following plan was presented to the council and was finally adopted.
Main Street shall be divided into East Main and West Main. All streets running north and south shall be designated immerically as First, Second and Third, ete., east and west of the river. Streets running east and west. shall be designated numerically as First, Second, Third, etc., beginning with Main Street, and further designated in the division. All streets running north and south are designated as avenues, the river forming the starting point for numbering. The city shall be divided into four districts separated by Main Street and the river, to be known as northwest, northeast, south- west, and southeast divisions and the portions of streets in these divisions shall have these respective letters added to their titles, according to location of such portion of street. This system was adopted and has proved simple and satisfactory.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
MAYORS OF INDEPENDENCE
Daniel S. Lee from 1864 to May 8, 1865, when he resigned and J. S. Wood- ward was appointed to fill out the nnexpired term.
W. A. Jones, from 1866 to 1868. Charles F. llerrick, from 1868 to 1870. llenry P. Henshaw in 1870. O. 1I. P. Roszell in 1871. W. A. Jones, 1872. O. 11. P. Roszell, 1873 to 1875. D. D. Holdridge from 1875 to 1877. O. II. P. Roszell in 1877. Mr. Roszell having died on October 5, 1877, Samuel Ilussey was elected to fill the vacancy.
John J. Ney in 1878. John Tollett from 1879 to 1881. C. M. Durham from 1881 to the time of his death in 1884. L. F. Springerin, 1885. D .. W. Howard from 1886 to 1897. Warren F. Miller from 1897 to 1901. P. A. Sutkamp from 1901 to 1905. C. F. Herrick, 1905. R. E. Leach was appointed to fill vaeaney caused by the death of Mayor Herrick in August, 1905. R. G. Swan from 1907 to 1911 .. A. N. Todd from 1911 to 1913. C. E. Purdy in 1913 and 1914.
CHAPTER XXVI
WHO'S WHO
IN LITERATURE-IN ART-MISCELLANEOUS
WHO'S WHO
Independence and Buchanan County have claimed some very notable people as residents. It would be impossible to name even a small part of them, from the fact that the list would be too long and that all the names worthy of men- tion are not obtainable, but this is no "blue book," so no one need feel slighted.
Many are like the "rose born to blush unseen and waste their fragrance on the desert air," and "the youth to fortune and to fame unknown," and many more like the man who is "not without honors save in his own town." We do not even attempt to name those who have acquired fame in social and club life, many of whom have reached the highest ranks. The politicians who have sealed the heights are duly recorded and honored in another chapter. A few men will be mentioned that have achieved success in artistie pursuits, and should we omit many who are eligible the fault is not intentional and other historians will find you out.
Among those worthy of mention is Mr. James Young, a poet of unquestion- able ability and versatility, known as the "Westburg Poet." Numerous fine prodnetions on various subjects, many of them on popular public issues, eulogies and anniversary poems and graphic descriptions, in rhyme of people and events connected with Buchanan County appeared in the papers of the '70s and '80s.
Other poets worthy of mention are Mr. G. M. Miller, of Hazleton, who has some exceptionally fine gems to his credit.
Mr. Erskine Barclay, of Littleton, was another poet of undeniable merit and versatility.
Mr. Newton Barr has written many poems, illustrative of pioneer life and homely incidents.
Mr. W. H. H. Joslin is also a voluminous writer of both poetry and songs, some of which have been published and became popular in Independence where he lives.
But perhaps the poet who has gained most distinction is Richard Warner Borst, a former Independence hoy, who is now a Unitarian minister in a large church at Fresno, California. While in the university at Minnesota, through the urgent request of the professor and his friends, he was induced to publish in a collection, various of his poems which had appeared in numerous papers throughout the country. The book appeared in 1911-under the title, "The Human Cry," and is a collection of rare and beautiful gems of thought.
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ILISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Mrs. Ada Knight Terrell is an extensive writer, having written numerous short stories which have appeared in some of the best newspapers and maga- zines and has written books, one of which is just now being published.
Rev. C. S. Percival, writer of the former Buchanan County History and for several years pastor of the St. James Episcopal Church, Independence, was a poet of no mean ability. His productions appeared in many of the leading newspapers and periodicals of the country, and were collected and published in book form under the title "Poetic Parallels and Similes in Song. " and contained many beautiful poems.
Among those who have gained fame both at home and abroad is Mr. Wil- liam E. Cook, son of J. E. Cook, who has achieved success and honor as an artist. He has spent several years abroad studying the masterpieces at close range. lle has prodneed some wonderfully fine pictures which have been hung in the best galleries of the United States and France, but his most noteworthy production is his large painting of Pope Pius X which now hangs in one of the largest galleries of the United States. He is the only American who has ever been privileged to paint a Pope.
Leigh S. Toman, another Independence prodnet, has achieved success as an illustrator, and is now employed in New York City on the stati of The Trot- ter and Pacer, an illustrator and cover designer.
Miss Alice Carsey is an artist and designer of unusual ability, and now has a fine position with an engraving company.
Among the notable people who have one time made Independence their home is Mrs. Richard L. Hozie, better known as Vinnie Reeve, Iowa's noted sculptress. She is the wife of Brigadier General Ilozie. U. S. A., retired, and now lives in Washington, D. C.
Two of her most famous statues are Lincoln, which graces the rotunda of the rapitol and has the distinction of being the only work of a woman to be admit- ted. and one of Admiral Farragut, in Farragut Square, Washington. She exe- ented for lowa a commission for a statue of Governor Kirkwood and has the distinction of having received the French right of adoption A. F. and A. M. Trom Albert Pike, in 1877.
The wife of General Shafter for a year or two, about 1860 and 1861, was a member of the Captain Lee family of Independence, and was sent here by her parents to thwart the attentions of Young Shafter. At the breaking out of the Civil war Shafter joined the ranks and soon rose to prominence and claimed his bride in spite of parental disapproval.
Gov. Frank Jackson was at one time a resident of Buchanan County.
Another person of fame and distinction who was for many years a resident of this county but who in the summer of 1914 shuffled off this mortal coil and all future responsibility for wind and weather. We refer to Mr. John Busby, the weather prophet, who for years has furnished Buchanan County and the whole surrounding vicinity weather predictions gratuitously, and even at that price has given us, to say the least, a great variety and probably an average quality of weather.
llis forecasts were largely quoted throughout the state and his favorable or otherwise predictions were the controlling force of many a public event.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Buchanan County has to her credit a long list of heroes and heroines, many of whom have been accredited the honor due them, but many more never win the applause, their names are unrecorded, and oven their heroisms forgotten.
One person whose deed of heroism was substantially rewarded was Dr. Charles Tidball, now located at Portland, but a resident of Independence. Hle rescued Miss May Maurer, who was a guest in the L. W. Goen home, from drown- ing and through the efforts of his friends was awarded a Carnegie medal and a gift of $1,000.
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THE INDEPENDENCE CIVILIAN.
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CHAPTER XXVII THE INDEPENDENCE PRESS
TIIE CIVILIAN- THE GUARDIAN-THE RISING TIDE-TIIE CRISIS-THE NATIONAL ADVOCATE-THE COURIER-THE 10WA TURFMAN-THE SATURDAY HERALD-THE BUCHANAN COUNTY SCHOOLS.
THE INDEPENDENCE CIVILIAN
The first printing press set in motion within the limits of Buchanan County printed the first edition of The Independence Civilian, May 17, 1855. This was the first Buchanan County paper, although about thirteen years after the first settlement. It bears the imprint "B. F. Parker and James Hillery, editors. Published every Tuesday morning. Office in the rear building of W. Scott's harness establishment." This was the eulmination of a long promised venture -months previous subscriptions were solicited and the money paid in advance to help boost the proposition. To S. S. Allen, a young real estate agent and extensive property owner in the city, belongs the eredit of starting the enterprise . and furnishing most of the financial aid. Feeling that a newspaper was a publie want in the town, he went to Dubuque and interested two employees of the Herald office in the project. They were James Hillery and B. F. Parker. A press and the necessary outfit was purchased and forthwith the paper appeared. Hillery was an intelligent, well educated man and his editorials were of a superior quality. B. F. Parker seems not to have eut much figure in the eonduet of the paper. Undoubtedly he furnished more of brawn than brains. The paper was started non-partisan and extremely independent in its tone. After about a year Hillery sold his interest to Parker and returned to Maryland, and after- wards was employed in the Government printing office at Washington, D. C. Then in a few weeks Mr. Allen purchased Parker's interests and the latter went further West.
Thus deprived of a printer, Mr. Allen made another pilgrimage to Dubuque and employed as foreman another employee of the Herald offiee, G. W. Barnhart, who eondueted the business interests of the coneern. Judge S. J. W. Tabor acted as editor in 1856, and for a time was partner and made the paper strongly anti-slavery in its political tone.
The first of the year, 1857, Judge Tabor retired and Barnhart became a partner, and in April another practical printer named Cornwall became a member of the firm, and the paper was then condueted by Allen, Barnhart and Cornwall. At that time it espoused the principles and ticket of the democratic party and has ever since been the only organ of that party in the county. Barnhart then
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
sold out to a Mr. Metealf, who retired, and Allen & Cornwall continued as editors for a short time, then Cornwall sold his interests to Warren Barnhart.
In looking over the files of that period of the paper's existence, we find various changes transpired on this combination of names; every few weeks the partners exchanged or sold their interests, until in 1859 Cornelius Hedges became the sole editor and proprietor. This change, however, proved of short duration, for in 1860 Mr. Hedges sold it to the Barnhart brothers, A. M., G. W. and Warren, and they continued its publication until February, 1863, when . they retired in favor of the Buchanan County Printing Association, which firm consisted of C. F. Leavitt, S. S. Clarke, Il. W. Glyn, II. A. King, Levi Strohl, Albert Clark, John Smyser, E. W. Purdy, L. J. Dunlap, S. S. Allen, Henry Bright and associates.
The concern was officered by a president and sixteen directors, an editor, secretary and treasurer. This was in reality a joint stock company which represented 150 shares at $5.00 per share. The holders of all these shares were all of the democratic persuasion. It was, so to speak, the Buchanan County Democratic Party conducting its own mouth organ. Messrs. Roszell and Leavitt acted as editors. Early in 1864 the Barnhart brothers, this time Warren and A. M., again became its proprietors and on account of the unpopularity of the old name "Civilian" during war times, changed it to "The Conservative, " which title it has adhered to ever since. It was conducted by various combinations of the five Barnhart brothers until 1872, when Warren Barnhart became sole proprietor and continued until July, 1879, when business interests took him to Chicago. L. W. Goen, who had been printer for him, became the editor-in-chief. July 15, 1882, he bought a half interest of Mr. Barnhart and in 1886 bought the entire paper. In November, 1896, he sold a half interest to Warren Miller. This partnership continued until January, 1903, when Mr. Goen again assumed full charge, and continued its editor until his death in August, 1913. Mrs. Goen then condueted it until March 1, 1914, when she sold to Warren F. Miller, Samuel Miller and Mrs. Walter Stevenson, who incorporated under the name The Independence Conservative.
The Civilian had a most changeful career. During the war the intense party strife and antagonism to democratie principles and "copperheads" made the paper in this strong union and republican county a veritable struggle for existence. Hedges abandoned it because he could not make it pay expenses. and when Judge Roszell was editor, A. M. and A. E. Barnhart, the printers, were given whatever proceeds there were for their labors.
To further show to what straits those early editors were driven to get pay either on back subscriptions or advance payments, was the ever recurrent plea for subscribers to bring in anything they might have for sale, corn, wheat, oats, potatoes, butter, eggs, cabbage, turnips, wood, anything and everything, and they would be allowed the highest market price. In 1856 one cord of wood paid a year's subscription to the Civilian. Even marriage notices had to be accompanied with a dollar bill, or else receive the ignominious fate of the waste- basket. But news was voluminous and space at a premium, during war times at least. The paper was started a seven column folio, seven columns to the page and four pages, but has been changed several times; for a short season, during the war, when paper was exorbitantly high, the size was ent to six columns, also.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
in the early '80s it was smaller. The Conservative office is now equipped with fine up-to-date machinery, an Intertype type casting machine, a Cottrell news press and two job presses, with individual motor for each press.
It has a circulation of over two thousand, and being the only democratic paper in the county, is the temperature and pulse of all the adherents of that faith.
Files of the early papers were not kept and only a few scattered and · incomplete numbers are still in existence, saved from the fire of 1873, the earliest of which is a copy of the March 27, 1856 edition, Volume I, No. 40, with the following motto as its escutcheon, "Deserve success and you will command it," and the subhead "A family newspaper devoted to foreign and domestic news, literature, science, the arts, agrienlture, education, etc .- Independent on all subjects."
As far as living up to the foregoing professions and devotions, it most certainly fulfilled its obligations; has sown and reaped success and conscien- tiously devoted its entire space to all the above named topics, so far as the advertising space, which constituted the far greater portion, would permit. During the race meetings in 1891 the Conservative was published as a daily and during the 1. N. Guard encampment in 1896.
A copy of the original issue of the Civilian was framed and presented to the public library by L. W. Goen, a photographic reproduction of which may be found in this volume.
In November, 1904, the Conservative moved into the store building on South Main Street, now owned by Will Littlejohn and occupied by the Ten Cent Store operated by Mr. Hale, after a residence of thirty years, or sinee the big fire in 1874, in the second story of the building occupied by the Steinmetz shoe store. In 1910 the Conservative moved into its present convenient quarters, in the Wapsie Block, on North Main Street, near the bridge.
THE GUARDIAN
This, the second paper published in the county, eame into existence in Quas- queton, December 13, 1856. It was a seven column folio published every Tuesday under the editorial name Buchanan County Guardian, with Rich and Jordon as proprietors.
In 1858, it was removed to Independence and was located in the Union Block over the postoffice where it remained many years. When the war broke out Mr. Jordon was enlisted in the first company that was organized in Independence and was elected first lieutenant. In a few short months he succumbed to disease, and Mr. Rich, who had been condneting the paper, continued as before in the interests of himself and Mrs. Jordon, until June 8, 1864, when he sold their interests to Mr. S. B. Goodenow to become editor of the Dubuque Times.
Mr. Goodenow conducted the paper for two years under the eaption of "The Guardian of Independence, Buchanan County, Our Home, Our Country and Our Brother Man." This title caused the editor much discussion and many explana- tions in its defense. He also changed the day of publishing it from Tuesday to Wednesday.
Previons to his purchasing the Guardian, S. B. Goodenow had been a Method- ist minister in Waterloo. He was a very able and fearless man.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
In June, 1866, he enlarged the paper to an eight column folio which he con- tinued for a few weeks, but probably owing to the bitter animosity which he en- gendered from his outspoken and vitriolie arraignment of the other republican paper, The Bulletin, and the republican machine, he was eventually forced to sell to J. J. Loomis, who consolidated it with his own paper, The Bulletin, which he had established about a year before. The consolidated paper bore for a time the rather cumbrous title of The Buchanan County Bulletin and Guardian. The last name, however, was dropped after a time, and the paper continued as the Bulletin until it was combined with the Journal in 1891 and still continues the Bulletin-Journal.
In 1863 the Guardian improved its equipment by buying a new Gordon press, capable of printing 1,000 sheets per honr. which was considered a fine machine. At this time the circulation of the paper was between five hundred and six hun- dred copies. It also boasted seventy different styles of type for jobbing purposes, and professed to excel the Dubuque offices in assortment of type and superiority of work. In 1865, appeared the first correspondence from other towns and commu- nities, that is, in a collective sense,
The Guardian under Mr. Rich's management received the most flattering notices throughout the state. It was known as a strong, earnest, wideawake, in- fluential paper, made up of fine scissorings and a greater amount of original matter than any other weekly in the state.
Mr. Rich was a man of rare abilities with a quick, virile and versatile pen. His partisan zeal was very pronounced and that his pen exerted great influence was demonstrated in the fall election of 1863, which went republican by a large majority and Buchanan had hitherto been closely contested.
RISING TIDE
In 1858 was established another republican paper with the editorial nomen, The Republican Eagle, which after a short existence under that title assumed one more euphonius The Rising Tide. It was published weekly with Mrs. Daniels and Esquire Chandler as editors. Under this management its faith was changed from republicanism to spiritualism, and about 1860 moved its field of operations to a more congenial atmosphere, namely, Des Moines.
THE CRISIS
The Crisis was another paper of short and meteoric existence. It was pub- lished during the campaign of 1862 by some of the leading democrats, and being of bombastie and vitriolie nature wore itself out in a short time, but its purpose, the issues of that bitter and hot campaign, were decided by the ballot and proved that even a ballot is mightier than the pen.
THE NATIONAL ADVOCATE
The National Advocate, an eight column folio, was established and its first number issued at Independence, May 17, 1878, by R. J. Williamson. It was the result of the somewhat popular protest against the bank and bond system, and
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
the general financial policy of the republican party ; and, up to June 1, 1881, con- tinned to be an organ of the national greenback labor party. Mr. Williamson having been elected to the office of clerk of the courts of Buchanan County on the greenbaek ticket, and finding it impracticable to conduct the paper in connection with the duties of his office, sold it to M. S. Hitchcock, one of the pioneers of the greenback movement, January 1, 1880. During that year a Washington press was procured, and other important additions were made to the stoek and furni- ture of the office. The Advocate was then printed both sides at home, and for the six months previous to June 1, 1881, the average circulation of the paper was over eight hundred copies.
L. H. Weller, commonly called "Calamity," afterwards became its editor and publisher and issued it spasmodically until about 1904, when it gasped its last breath. Weller made a contract to trade the plant on a piece of land in Minne- sota but refused to complete the trade. Some litigation followed but the Advo- cate did not survive the shoek and with its only excuse for existence, "the green- back party," is now but a matter of history.
THE INDEPENDENCE COURIER
The Independence Courier, a paper printed in the German language, was established in January, 1881, by Hermann Hoffman, as editor and proprietor. It was a six column paper with "patent insides," published every Thursday, and independent in politics. It was printed on the Bulletin press. Mr. Hoffman prepared all the editorials, set all the type-in fact did all the work of the office, with assistance in putting the paper through the press. He often "composed," in both senses, at the case ; setting up what had never been set down, except in his own head. Mr. Hoffman sold out the type and other property of the office, to Steinmetz & Company, about the middle of April, 1881, but was still retained as editor and continued the publication until November 28, 1888, when it was discontinued.
THE IOWA TURFMAN
In the last of December, 1890, the prospectus of the Iowa Turfman, a monthly journal published at Independence and devoted to the advancement of the horse breeding interests of Iowa in general, and Independence in particular, had just been issued. As the proprietors of the enterprise preferred to remain incognito, no name being attached to the prospectus, the public was left to guess under whose guiding hand the craft set sail. It later developed that C. W. Williams, the Croesus of Independence, was the substantial promoter of the enterprise.
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