USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 71
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The fire, which was the most destructive, in point of value of the property burned, that ever occurred in the history of lowa, commenced at 2 o'clock of Monday morning, May 25th, in a frame building on Chatham street, south of and adjoining the Burr block, owned by N. Burr and occupied by Mrs. M. E. Brown as a millinery store and resi- dence. Mr. Holt and family also had rooms in the second story. These parties were aroused from slumber by the night watchman, and before they had time to dress, the fire had communicated to the outside stairs of the building, thus cutting off egress. In this dilemma Mr. Holt seized a mattress and threw it to the ground, then tossing the baby on it, his wife and a lady visitor, Miss Gannon, following, and finally him- self. Miss Gannon was slightly injured by the leap, but has recovered.
The fire swept southward toward Main street with great rapidity, the old dry frame buildings in its path in this direction going down be- fore the terrible blast like straw. The firemen were early on the ground and the hand engine got to work without delay, but without any appre- ciable effect. The flames soon communicated with the Burr block through the windows in the third story above the building in which they originated, and soon that fine structure, including the stores of Levi Strohl, dry goods, W. J. Cummings, groceries, C. R. Wallace, drugs, and J. W. Johnston, groceries, and the St. James hotel, was the centre of a sea of fire.
A new steam fire engine, purchased by the city some time since of Clapp & Jones, manufacturing company, Hudson, New York, had ar- rived a day or two previous, and, with most of its attachments packed in boxes, was awaiting the coming of the general agent, for trial and accept- ance by the city. When the fire began to assume formidable proportions it occurred to our competent engineer and machinist, Dick Gurnsey, that this machine was not fulfilling its destiny lying idle in the engine house. So, with the assistance of some of the crowd, he took it to the river in the rear of the Burr block, filled its boiler by means of a garden pump lighted the fire, attached the hose, and ran the steamer to her utmost capacity during the remainder of the night, doing most efficient service. When it is remembered that the engine had neither steam nor water guages attached, and was operated by Mr. Gurnsey entirely without means to indicate the pressure or state of the water in the boiler, and at imminent risk of his life, the heroism of the aet will be realized.
The new steamer under these unfavorable circumstances behaved ad- mirably, and more than realized all the good that had been promised of it. It was undoubtedly the sole agency by which property of many times more value than the cost of the machine was saved from the flames. The lumber yard of Benton & Company, on the opposite side of Chatham street from the St. James hotel, was on fire several times, but was promptly extinguished by the strong and steady stream of water from the steamer. Had it burned, the conflagration would, with- out doubt, have swept through the square, consuming the Munson block, the First National bank building and other valuable property.
But to resume: The march of the devouring element toward Main street was resistless, successively taking Robbins' grocery, Steinmetz's shoe shop, Hinman's meat market, Whait's shoe store, and the bank_ ing house of Francis, Jones & Elwell. These parties generally saved a part of their goods.
At this point the conflagration began to assume magnificent propor- tions. The wooden block on the north side of Main street, between Chatham and the river, belonging to the Wilcox estate, in its turn fell a resistless prey to the tempest of fire, and fully verified the common prediction that, if it ever did burn, it would make one of the hottest fires on record. It was occupied on the ground floor by T. Kittridge, variety store; S. M. Marquette, furniture; Olmstead, restaurant, and John Gorman, tailor, the second story being occupied by Ensminger Brothers, photograph gallery, and several other parties. Being entirely of wood, that material forming its inside walls instead of plaster, and withal of large proportions, it burned with a fierce intensity that for- bade near approach, and carried destruction to all in its vicinity. Most of its occupants had removed their goods, which were piled in the ut- most confusion on the bridge. As the surging flame advanced a second removal was necessary, and the ensuing confusion and terror were aw- ful to contemplate. Two frame buildings at the approach to the bridge on the north side of the street, were licked up in a breath, and left no trace behind. The wind, which was but a zephyr when the fire commenced, had now arisen to a brisk breeze from the northwest. This sealed the fate of the magnificent three-story brick block of six stores on the opposite side of Main street, also the property of the Wilcox heirs. When the forked tongues of flame, reaching with insatiable fury across the street, attacked this splendid pile of buildings, simulta- neously firing it in front and on the roof, the culminating terror and sublimity had arrived. No pen can describe the awful grandeur of the moment; neither can tongue fitly portray the pang of sorrow which penetrated the hearts of our citizens as they saw this splendid build- ing -- no interior town in Iowa containing as fine a structure-wrapped in the embrace of the relentless fire fiend. But regrets were unavailing; once fired the building burned rapidly, and the demon of fire passed on. The occupants of the Wilcox block were: Bowley & Orcutt, dry goods; Welch & Wilcox, grocers; Morse & Barnett, dry goods; Tabor & Son, druggists; and J. F. Sullivan, dry goods, on the lower floor. The sec- ond floor was occupied by W. H. Joslin, insurance agent; Hart & Bru- cart, attorneys; F. S. Brainard, dentist; John Burke, barber; William Few, tailor; and the public library. The Masonic and firemen's halls were in the third story. Many of the goods removed from these build- ings, through miscalculation of the intense heat, were burned after they were supposed to he in a place of safety. The brick building next the bridge, on the south side of Main street, occupied by S. M. Osgood, music and millinery store, J. S. Woodward, attorney, and the Odd Fellows, went the way of all the rest, with much of its contents.
It was hoped that the solid and high wall on the east end of the Wil- cox block would be a barrier to the flames in that direction; and this might have been the ease but for the frame warehouses and old shanties in the rear of these buildings all the way to the Montour house corner. The flames, seizing upon these, advanced eastward in the rear twice as
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
fast as in front. While the Opera house was burning in front, the fire had progressed as far as the Bulletin office at the back of the block.
The next building to succumb to the devouring element, after the Wilcox block, was Plane's hardware store; and, from that point, the march of the destroyer was steady, persistent and resist- less. Fisher's grocery, Close & Tyson's grocery, Moore & Chamber- lain's dry goods store, the Bazaar, the Opera house, Maas' dry goods store, King & Menyon's hardware store, the Conservative office, A. Myers' dry goods store, Smale Brothers' drug store, Robert & Taylor's hardware store, Williams & Son's grocery, the Bulletin office, Stevens' meat market, Turner's millinery store, the Montour house, Curtis' livery stable, and Sherwood's livery stable successively fell into the un- satisfied maw of the monster, and were soon masses of smoking ruins. While all this was transpiring on Main street, the buildings on the south front of the square, including the German Presbyterian church, and the residences of W. R. Kenyon, S. D. Orcutt, H. R. Hunter, B. F. Gillett and Thomas Sherwood, were swept off like chaff before the wind, leaving the entire block bare of everything, except here and there broken fragments of wall, standing like sentinels over heaps of unsightly debris. Drawing water from the cistern at the corner of Main and Walnut, the new steamer kept the roof of Glass' furniture store wet, thus saving it, and with it the whole southeastern portion of the city.
At 6 o'clock, A. M. the fire was finally subdued; but, in the four short hours that elapsed after the sharp stroke of the city bell aroused our citizens from their peaceful slumbers, quite nine-tenths of our most valuable business places, with nearly an equal proportion of the stocks of our merchants, were but smouldering heaps of ruins. Thirty-nine business houses, two hotels, one church, five dwellings, and two livery stables were embraced in the terrible disaster. Independence, in pro- portion to her wealth, is worse smitten than was Chicago in her mem- orable disaster. It was but natural that this terrible catastrophe should at first fall with stunning effect upon our people. This feeling was but temporary, however; the first shock past, it gave place to a hopeful courage and an indomitable determination to conquer an adverse fate, that is strengthening day by day, as words of cheer and sympathy, and offers of aid and credit come from abroad. Preparations are already in progress for rebuilding a large share of the burnt district, and every- thing betokens a business season not less active than was anticipated previous to the fire.
It is a subject for deep congratulation that, amid all the appalling scenes of this great calamity, no loss of life occurred; though there were several narrow escapes. A pair of horses belonging to T. Curtis had been sent to the west side of the river to bring over the old Amos- keag engine. Finding this impracticable on account of the wall of fire that rendered Main street, east side of the bridge, a very avenue of the infernal pit, young Clarence Fonda, a son of the west side dealer, mounted one of the horses and imprudently attempted to run the fiery gauntlet. As he came opposite the Wilcox block, which was raging and seething like a furnace seven times heated, the rider's clothes were observed to smoke, and the noble steed to cringe in the scorching blast ; but he came through, and, when out of range, it was found that the foolish boy and the faithful beast were severely burned. A moment more and both would undoubtedly have succumbed to the fiery ordeal.
Two nights after the fire narrated above, our citizens were again called from their beds by the clang of the fire alarm. About half past 11 o'clock, on Wednesday evening, the Star foundry and machine shop owned by Frank Megow, was discovered to be on fire. The steamer being disabled, and the fire having, before discovery, got a fair start in the dry wooden foundry building, all efforts to stop it were futile. The greatest excitement prevailed in consequence of this later fire. Many discovered in it the confirmation of their theory that a systematic purpose was entertained by somebody to burn our city. Yet in this case, as in the other, the presumption of incendiarism was utterly at fault. The fire at the foundry was, without doubt, the result of accident, if not carelessness. Mr. Megow's loss was five thousand five hundred dollars with seven hundred dollars insurance. The blow falls upon a very worthy and industrious young man, who is noways discouraged, but already has the frame up for a new foundry, and hopes to make available, with some repairs, the engine and a portion of the tools in the machine shop.
LOSSES.
The following list of some of the heavier losses is taken from the Bulletin's complete schedule of losses and insurance :
NAME.
LOSS.
INSURANCE.
Wilcox estate.
$80,000
$29,000
G. N. Whait ..
3,000
1,000
John Gorman
2,800
J. F. Sullivan
12,000
3,000
P. Tabor & Son
8,000
3,200
Morse & Barnett.
25,000
10,000
Welch, Wilcox & Welch
7,000
1, 500
Bowley & Orcutt
30,000
16,500
N. Maas.
25,000
15,000
Jacob Manz.
11,000
7,000
Smale Brothers.
9,000
3.000
Robert & Taylor
11,000
11,000
C. W. Taylor
6,800
5,000
O'Brien & Stone
5,000
3,000
Montour House.
10,000
J. F. Hodges.
4,000
Conservative office
3,000
1,200
S. Waggoner
800
Moore & Chamberlain
20,000
7,000
S. N. Marquette.
4,000
S. M. Osgood.
9,000
2,700
A. J. Bowley.
2,000
1,000
T. Kittridge ..
1,500
600
Lawton & Post.
30,000
18,000
King & Kenyon.
40,000
15,000
C. R. Wallace
5,000
3,000
Herrick & Henshaw
4,500
3,000
C. A. Clarke.
9,000
5,000
N. Burr.
23,000
10,500
J. W. Johnston.
2,500
1,000
M. Ungerer
5,500
William Richmond.
2, 500
1,300
R. R. Planc.
22,000
6,000
W. R. Kenyon.
3,000
1,500
J. B. Turner.
3,000
2,000
William Few
1,300
1,000
Ensminger Brothers.
800
500
A. Myers
30,000
18,000
T. Sherwood.
5.000
1,000
O. B. Dickinson
3,500
1,000
A. E. Olmstead
1,000
500
German Presbyterian church.
2,500
1,000
C. Swartz,.
4,000
Mrs. Benham
3,500
C. Iekel.
1,500
Bulletin office.
4,500
3,000
Mrs. D. S. Dunham
4,500
3,000
John Fawcett.
11,000
6,000
Mrs. M. E. Brown.
2,600
500
W. J. Cummings.
3,500
2,000
Fisher Brothers
8,000
4,000
Levi Strohl .
6,500
2,000
John Buchler.
4,000
2,000
Close & Tyson.
5,000
I. H. & L. Co
1,400
400
Odd Fellows.
1,000
500
When it is remembered that in November of 1873, only six months previous to the great fire, more than half of the north side of Main street, between Chatham and Walnut, had been burned, some idea can be formed of the desolation that reigned in the very centre of what had been the business nucleus of the city. The fire of 1873 had been regarded as a serious check to the busi- ness interests of the place; no wonder, then, that the men who had identified their fortunes with those of the growing city, and had waited long and patiently to reap the returns of their early ventures, were, for a time, appalled by the greatness of this new calamity. That the wounds then received have been so speedily healed, leaving only honorable scars, gives ample proof of the superior abilities of her leading business men, and is
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
also a sure pledge that Independence will yet justify the wisdom of those who have labored in good faith for her advancement.
INDEPENDENCE IN 1881 .- A COMPLETE VIEW OF IT'S VA- RIOUS INTERESTS; INDUSTRIAL, COMMERCIAL, SOCIAL, EDUCATIONAL, AND RELIGIOUS.
It is intended in this chapter to present such a view of the present condition of the business interests and public institutions of Independence, as shall be of in- creasing value in the future; and the more so as the things of the present recede farther and farther into the past. Any one who has been well acquainted with any such town in the past will be surprised on attempting to recall accurately the condition of business at any partic- ular time, and the persons who engaged in business or political life, to find how much he has forgotten, and how confused and mixed is his recollection of the business changes that have taken place.
The business of Independence, like that of so many Iowa towns, has undergone almost an entire change with- in the past ten years, especially that part of it which con- sisted in the collection and distribution of the products of the surrounding country. Independence is still, as it always has been, mainly a distributing point ; manufac- tures having never assumed much magnitude or impor- tance. But the change spoken of has come through a radical change in the agriculture of the surrounding country.
A few years ago many car loads of reapers, seed sow- ers and threshing machines were annually imported and sold to all parts of the surrounding country. Spring wheat was the great staple production of the farms, and the business of buying, storing, and shipping wheat, was the important feature of the business which clustered around the railroad stations.
But the reputation gained by a few samples of Iowa butter in 1876, and the total failure of the wheat crop, turned the attention of the farmers to butter making and stock-raising, as not only more profitable, but as the only resource left them. The result is seen in the absence of wheat shipments and the great increase in the trade in butter, cattle and hogs, and also in the larger amount of corn and oats handled. One effect has been to transfer the greater part of the buying of produce from the neighborhood of the railroad stations to the centre of the city.
The business of Independence, aside from the coal, lumber, and grain trade, is nearly all done on that part of Main street extending from River street on the west side of Wapsipinicon river, to North street on the east, and on Chatham street northward from Main to Mott streets. This compactness of the business part of the town, and the rebuilding in uniform style, after the great fire of 1874, gives an appearance of neatness and solidity sel- dom found in western towns. The main street crosses the river by a wrought iron bridge, consisting of arch trusses resting on a pier and two abutments of boulder granite. The bridge was built in 1873 by the Canton Bridge company, of Canton, Ohio, and cost between eighteen and nineteen thousand dollars.
In making the following statement of the present bus- iness interests of the place, some attention has also been given to the past history of those firms which have been long established, or whose members are old residents. Many interesting details might be added in this connec- tion, but do not come properly within the scope of this article.
CITY GOVERNMENT.
From time to time, as the town of Independence in_ creased in population and business importance, and sub- stantial brick buildings were erected, either on vacant lots or as substitutes for the old wooden buildings, it became apparent that there ought to be some authority to estab- lish a grade for buildings, sidewalks, and streets, and to make and enforce such rules and regulations as are nec- essary for the health and good order of a town. On the business streets, everyone had built his board sidewalk at such a height and of such width as suited him, the result being an irregularity which was neither ornamental by day nor safe at night. Of paved sidewalks on the side streets, there were few, if any. A petition for incorpora- tion was accordingly filed, and the act of incorporation was recorded August 6, 1864. The first election of city officers was held December 19, 1864, and resulted in the election of D. S. Lee, mayor; James M. Weart, clerk ; Edward Brewer, treasurer; R. Campbell, O. H. P. Ros- zell, James B. Thomas, Robert R. Plane, Sanford Clark, Albert Clarke, John F. Lyon, and Samuel Sherwood, trustees.
The following is the list of mayors from the incorpora- tion to the present time, with the date of their election: D. S. Lee, elected in 1864; D). S. Lee (resigned before expiration of term), 1865; J. S. Woodward (to fill va- cancy), June 5, 1865; William A. Jones, two terms, 1866, 1867; Charles F. Herrick, two terms, 1868, 1869; H. P. Henshaw, 1870; O. H. P. Roszell, 1871; W. A. Jones, 1872; O. H. P. Roszell, 1873, 1874; D. D. Hol- dridge, 1875, 1876; O. H. P. Roszell, 1877; O. H. P. Roszell (died before expiration of term), 1878; Samuel Hussey (to fill vacancy), 1878; John Hallett, 1879, 1880; C. M. Durham, ISSI.
Elections are held annually on the first Monday in March.
The city is divided into five wards, bounded as fol- lows: First, north of Main street and east of Walnut street ; Second, south of Main street and east of Wapsi- pinicon river; Third, south of Main street and west of the river; Fourth, north of Main street, between Walnut street and the river; Fifth, north of Main street, west of the river.
The city officers elected by popular vote are -- mayor, elected annually; one councilman annually from each ward, holding office for two years: treasurer, elected an- nually; solicitor, every two years; assessor, annually. The council elect the city clerk, marshal, city engineer, night watch, bell ringer, chief engineer of fire depart- ment, steam fire engineer, street commissioner.
PRESENT CITY OFFICERS.
C. M. Durham, mayor; B. W. Tabor, treasurer; Rufus Brewer, clerk; L. F. Springer, solicitor; C. B. Kandy,
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.
marshal; E. E. Backus, street commissioner ; Thomas J. Marinus, assessor; D. S. Deering, engineer : Henry R. Hunter, chief engineer fire department ; V. Cates, night watch ; A. D. Guernsey, steam fire engineer. Members of council: First ward, R. O'Brien, Hugh McClernon; Second ward, George A. Steinmetz, N. Maas; Third ward, J. E. Cook, H. B. Phillips; Fourth ward, J. W. Johnston, O. M. Gillett ; Fifth ward, C. R. Millington, George Warne.
THE FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The fire department is under the control of the city, and the various apparatus is the property of the city; but the fire companies are volunteer organizations, acting in time of fires under the orders of the chief engineer of the department.
The following are the companies and officers: H. R. Hunter, chief; Jacob Wackerbarth, first assistant; L. Soener, second assistant.
THE STEAMER COMPANY.
This was originally organized as a hook and ladder company, in 1864, and was changed to steamer com- pany on purchase of the engine by the city, in 1874. Mr. Hunter, the present foreman, is the only member who belonged to the original company in 1864. The engine is a Clapp & Jones, piston, and cost four thousand dollars ; and is accompanied by a hose cart carrying two thousand feet of hose.
The officers are H. R. Hunter, foreman; E. L. Cur- rier, first assistant ; Hugh McClernon, second assistant ; B. W. Tabor, treasurer; James Forrester, secretary; L. M. Stevens, foreman of hose; P. MeCorston, first assist- ant ; Z. Hasbrouck, second assistant.
CATARACT ENGINE COMPANY NO. I.
This was originally organized in 1863, and the engine purchased ; but, after several years, was disbanded, and the engine given to the city. The present company which, like the first, is composed of citizens of German descent, was organized December 17, 1873.
The officers are Louis Soener, foreman; Charles Schmidt, first assistant; A. E. Holtzer, second assistant; J. Wackerbarth, secretary; B. Yaeger, treasurer.
Both engines and the three hose earts are kept in the engine house on the south side of Main street, just west of North street. The engine house has a bell tower at- tached ; and the bell, in the absence of any tower clocks, is rung at the "workmen's hours," 7 A. M., 12 M., I P. M., and 6 r. M.
FIRE LIMITS.
Fire limits were established soon after the fire of 1874, and are of two orders. Within the first, buildings may be only of brick or stone, and must have fire-walls extend- ing above the roofs, which must be of tin or of gravel of sufficient depth to prevent the composition from taking fire. Within the second limit residenees may be built of wood with brick "veneering."
SALARIES OF CITY OFFICERS.
The following are the salaries received by the different city officers: Mayor, fifty dollars per annum and office rent ; clerk, two hundred dollars per annum and fees; mar-
shal, four hundred dollars per annum and fees ; solicitor, twenty-five dollars per annum and fees when employed; night watch, four hundred dollars per annum ; bell ringer, seventy five dollars per annum ; steam fire engineer, three hundred dollars per annum; chief of fire department, fifty dollars per annum.
Members of council receive one dollar for each meet- ing, providing that the total amount received by all shall not exceed fifty dollars per year.
There is also an appropriation of one hundred dollars a year to each fire company.
FINANCES OF THE CITY.
The city is out of debt, the taxes collected being sufficient to pay all expenses.
The total assessed value of taxable property is seven hundred and sixty-six thousand eight hundred and seventy-six dollars.
The tax rate for the year 1880 was three and a half mills, divided as follows: Street fund, two and a half mills : library, one mill. Besides this. is the road tax, assessed in lieu of labor, as a poll tax on each voter, and license fees which are as follows: Beer and wine saloons, two hundred dollars per year; exhibitions in halls, three dollars each; cireuses, twenty-five dollars each ; circus "side shows," five dollars; transient merehants, five dollars per day.
The receipts from all sourees, during the fiscal year ending February, 1881, were four thousand five hundred and seventy dollars and thirty-two eents ; and the balance on hand at the time of the previous annual report, three thousand eight hundred and sixty-five dollars and forty- two cents, making a total of eight thousand three hun- dred and seventy-five dollars and seventy-four cents; total disbursements, six thousand seven hundred and fifteen dollars and sixty-two cents; total on hand, one thousand six hundred and sixty dollars and twelve cents. The foregoing statement shows that the finances of the city are in good condition, and that Independence is free from that curse of cities, a floating debt. One item of the expenditures above mentioned was five hundred and fifty-one dollars and ten cents for the extinguishment of the last of the sinking fund.
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