History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 72

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574

USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 72

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THE PUBLIC LIBRARY.

The free public library and reading room is one of the institutions of which the city may not only be proud, but for which she may also congratulate herself, as not only a means of intellectual eulture, but also, to a great extent, as a means of preventing intemperance and kin- dred vices, by providing a place where the young may spend some of those leisure hours outside of their homes, which they will have; not to mention those who have no homes worthy of the name. At the reading room, well warmed and lighted, may be found, every afternoon and evening, a quiet, orderly company of peo- ple, interesting themselves in the leading periodicals and the news of the day.

NOTE .- A private night watchman is employed by the merchants on Main street, the present one being Mr. John O'Mara who has served in that capacity several years.

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

The library is supported by a tax of one mill on the property of the city, authorized by the law of the State. It was organized in September, 1873, and received the books of the Library association, numbering about six hundred volumes. This was a voluntary association, which had been in existence for a few years previous, and had been maintained by annual fees. It had suc- ceeded the old Independence Lyceum (formed about 1857 or earlier by C. F. Leavitt, D. S. Deering and oth- ers) in the care of a collection of books, mostly stand- ard, numbering about three hundred volumes. The formation of the Library association and, in 1871-2, the purchase of new books, had awakened in the people a desire for a larger library; and when the act authoriz- ing the tax levy was passed, it was quickly taken advan- tage of.

The public library was burned in May, 1874, nothing escaping but the record book and books in the hands of patrons. But in the autumn of 1874, the present libra- ry rooms were leased, books purchased, and the reading room opened. The library is under the control of a board of seven members, two of whom are chosen an- nually by the council for a term of three years. The seventh member is chosen by the council from their own number, and acts during the continuance of his term of office in the council. The present members of the board are: George Warne, M. D., president; S. J. Tabor, secretary; H. Burlingham, treasurer; J. Hollo- way, M. W. Harmon, D. S. Deering, B. W. Tabor. The librarian is Mrs. E. A. Sanford. The library is in the second story of Morse's building, No. 14 Main street, and the reading room adjoins it on the west. The num- ber of volumes in the library list is seventeen hundred and fifty, valued at about eighteen hundred dollars.

The periodicals subscribed for are:

Nine monthly, viz: Harper, Scribner, Appleton, At- lantic, Popular Science Monthly, Phrenological Journal, St. Nicholas, American Agriculturist.

Four dailies, viz : Chicago Journal, Chicago Times, Dubuque Times, Dubuque Herald.

Nine weeklies, viz: Scientific American, Burlington Hawkeye, San Francisco Post, Harper's Weekly, Harper's Bazar, Fraak Leslie, Youth's Companion, Woman's Journal, New England Journal of Education.

Sent free by publishers: Bulletin, Conservative and Advocate, of Independence, LaPorte Progress, West Union Gazette, Western Stock Journal.

By individuals: The Advance.

Besides the funds from taxation, the library received, during the past year, fifty dollars from the Dramatic association for the purchase of new carpet, etc.

Patrons residing outside the city pay an annual fee of two dollars. Books drawn from the library may be re- tained two weeks, and renewed for one week on presen- tation. A fine of three cents is imposed for every day overdue; which, if not paid within two weeks, is collect- ed by a messenger, with an additional charge of twenty- five cents. Out-of town subscribers are charged a mile- age of twenty-five cents per mile when a messenger is sent to collect a fine.

The amount of money available for the use of the library at the beginning of the fiscal year, March I, 1880, was $331.16; and the amount received from all sources, $914.34 ; making a total of $1,245.50. There has been expended for all purposes $936.05, leaving on hand a balance of $309.45.

The number of book loans from the library during the year was 10,278; and the number of new applicants for permits, 169.

Of the receipts above mentioned, $22.26 was a dona- tion from the Young Ladies' Social club, and $48.00 from fines collected.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The people who settled in Independence were largely from New England, and the other northeastern States, and brought with them their inherited belief in the desirability of education for the individual, and the. necessity to the State that its citizens should be intelli- gent.

The school accommodations were, however, quite meagre at first-there being only two school-houses in the district. and no graded schools. Those who wished better instruction than the public schools afforded, were obliged to resort to private schools. But in June, 1866, the school board voted to build a school-house large enough to seat four hundred pupils, and establish a graded school. This was finished in 1867, and the graded school established in the autumn of that year, with five rooms and six teachers, besides the principal. The building is of brick and three stories high, besides a basement; and cost, with furniture and fencing, about twenty thousand dollars.

This building proved to be too small, however, and it was found necessary to hire additional school-rooms, be- sides occupying the old school building. In the autumn of 1868, a lot was purchased on the west side, and an- other school-house was built the following year and finished in 1870. This also cost over twenty thousand dollars. School was opened in the new building with six teachers. Since then the Wilcox residence, on Wal- nut street, in the northern part of the city, has been purchased and converted into a school house, for the use of the high school, and an additional primary. All the buildings have large yards attached and are well lighted, warmed, ventilated, and furnished with the most ap- proved seats and desks. The board of directors have been very generous in furnishing apparatus, and it is be- lieved that no public schools in the State are better pro- vided.

In the high school department there is a full set of apparatus for performing all the experiments laid down in the text books of philosophy and chemistry, and also about two hundred geological specimens. In the dif- ferent school-rooms all the walls between doors and windows are prepared as blackboards. In both gram- mar departments, and in the high school, class-rooms are provided for recitations, outside of the school-room.

But good buildings and apparatus do not make a good school. A corps of efficient teachers, trained for their work and instructed in it, is necessary, and an examina-

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

tion of the schools and their working shows that Inde- pendence is fortunate in the possession of such teachers, under the intelligent oversight of the present superin- tendent. From the lowest primary to the highest school, no effort is spared to make the pupils take in the real meaning of their studies and to prevent "parroting" or mere memorizing of lessons. Beginning with the young- est pupils, arithmetic is taught by the giving out to each pupil examples not previously studied, and these are per- formed at the blackboard, and must be logically explained. In the reading classes the pupils are constantly questioned to test their understanding of the words read; and, in all recitations pupils are called upon, out of course, so that there can be no chance for any pupil to commit to memory his own partieular paragraph or problem. In the primary departments the recitations are made short, and so arranged as to keep all the pupils interested, and it is evident the object thus sought is attained. The order, both of recitations and studies, is written on the blackboard, the recitations in colored crayon, so that both teacher and pupil can see at exactly what minute any exercise is to be expected. Finally, by frequent ex- aminations, a test is made to show what the pupils have retained, as well as learned to recite.

The whole graded school course extends over a period of eleven years, divided as follows:

First primary, one year; second primary, one and one- half years; third primary, one and one-half years; two grammar rooms, four years; high school, three years.

The course of study is divided into eight grades (not including the high school course) and each grade into two classes. In view of the importance of education, and as showing something of the intellectual status of the city, it is thought worth while to give an outline of the course of study:

First grade, first year .- Charts, cards, and blackboard, through year. First reader, second one-half year, with oral spelling. Slate and blackboard, copying from reader and spelling from dictation. Drawing, four cards No. I. Geography (oral), local, county, and State. Morals and manners (Gow). Oral arithmetic.

Second grade, second year .- Second reader, through year. Word primer, second one-half year. Slate and blackboard, exercises and drawing. Oral geography and Gow's morals and manners, as in first grade. Oral arithmetic.

Third grade, third year .- Third reader, unfinished. Word primer, continued. Copy books (pencils one-half year, pens one-half year). Spelling on slate and black- board. Drawing, from cards one-half year, maps one- half year. Oral arithmetic and geography, morals and manners, "common things," physical exercise, and sing- ing through first four grades.

Fourth grade, fourth year .- Third reader finished, fourth begun. Word primer finished, Word book begun. Copy-book. Intermediate arithmetic to fractions. Other studies and exercises as before.

Fifth grade .- Reading, fourth reader, and Childs' book of nature, Word book, copy-books. Drawing (of | figures from book of nature, maps, geometry figures,

etc.). Arithmetic, intermediate continued. Language lessons (oral), primary geography.

Sixth grade .- Reading as before, and fifth reader be- gun. Spelling, Word book and review. Writing, copy- books Nos. two and five. Arithmetic, intermediate finished, common school begun. Language lessons (oral), graded English one-half through. Geography, comprehension. History, first lesson. (Singing, morals and manners through eighth grade.)

Seventh grade .- Spelling, Word book finished. Writ- ing, copy-books No. five. Arithmetic, common school continued. Grammar, graded English finished, Harvey's grammar begun.

Eighth grade .- Reading, fifth reader finished. Spell- ing, Word book reviewed and selected words. Writing, No. five, and drawing. Arithmetic, common school finished. English grammar. United States history. Book-keeping, single entry.

The high school course comprises for the first year: Reading, with Word analysis, English grammar, algebra and philosophy, with botany, during the spring and sum- mer. In the second year: English literature, with word analysis, rhetoric, geometry, botany completed, gen- eral history, geometry, and physics. In the third year: Intellectual philosophy, trigonometry and surveying, chemistry, science of arithmetic, geology, and lectures on zoology.

An examination of the foregoing list will show that, while it is as comprehensive as any that could well be adopted in a common school. it is so arranged that only four branches are generally taken up at once; so that the minds of the pupils are not burdened with a multiplicity of studies. The superintendent, Mr. William Elden, inspects the schools daily, and conducts three recitations in the high school, besides delivering lectures.

The whole number of teachers is fifteen. The salary of the superintendent is one thousand one hundred dol- lars, and of the other teachers, from thirty-five to fifty dollars per month. The number of pupils enrolled is one thousand two hundred and fifty, and the actual number attending the schools is eight hundred and fifty- one.

The total expense of conducting the schools is nine thousand, and seventy-two dollars per year,-being ten dollars and sixty-six cents for each pupil in actual at- tendance. There are about twenty pupils residing out of the district who pay weekly forty cents for their tuition.

The present teachers are, William Elden, superintend- ent; Sarah L. Angell, Anna Deering, high school; Mrs. Alice R. Davis, primary in high school building; Misses I. C. Parker and Ellen Jones, east side grammar; Misses Carr and M. R. Johnson, east side intermediate; Misses Lizzie Sherwood, Fanny Mason, E. S. Primrose, Maggie E. Vincent, and Annie Getchell, west side grammar; Mrs. Ella A. Comfort, Miss Hough, west side inter- mediate; Mrs. Nettie Hasuer and Miss Minnie Sherwood, west side primary.

Mr. Elden commenced his duties in 1876 and the first class graduated from the high school in 1877.

The school directors are, E. W. Purdy, D. F. Bisbee,

2.49

HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

R. Bartle, Thomas Edwards, B. W. Ogden, C. R. Mil- lington.

CHURCHES.

The churches of Independence are nine in number, as follows: Presbyterian, Episcopal, Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, Congregational, German Presbyterian, Roman Catholic, Evangelical (German), Lutheran (German). The Roman Catholics have also a convent, in charge of the sisters of charity, with a day school.

The Presbyterian church is situated at the corner of Spring and Main streets, on the west side of the river, is substantially built of brick, with a spire. It has seats for four hundred, and has a pipe organ, built by John- son, of Westfield, and having about six hundred pipes. The present membership of the church is one hundred and ninety. The officers are J. H. Ritchie, pastor; . 1. B. Clarke, J. F. Coy; W. G. Donnan, J. B. Donnan, elders. The trustees are, Hamilton Williamson, D. F. Bisbee, J. C. Holloway, H. B. Barber, W. S. Boggs. The church and organ cost, in 1868, about thirteen thousand dollars.

St. James' (Protestant Episcopal) church is situated on the east side of Chatham street, above Mott; is built in gothic style, of wood, but with an outside "veneering" of brick; has a tower and belfry with bell, and has seats for two hundred persons. The communicants number about one hundred. Thomas B. Kemp, D. D., rector ; Thomas Coghlan, George Josselyn, C. D. Jones, S. New- man, George S. Woodruff, W. R. Kenyon, Frederick Hopkins, vestry.

The Baptist church is on the southeast corner of Wal- nut and Church streets ; is built of wood, with a tower. It has sittings for two hundred and sixty. The present membership is ninety-four, and the officers are: Rev. George Sutherland, pastor ; Milton House, L. A. Main, William Few, Josiah Brace, deacons ; Melvin Webster, clerk. The corporate name of the church is, The First Baptist Society of Independence, and the trustees are: M. J. Baker, president ; William Elden, secretary; W. H. Thrift, treasurer ; George N. Leach, William Few, George S. Dean, Thomas Blamer.

The Methodist Episcopal church is situated on the south side of South street; is built of brick and has two towers. One of the latter was originally surmounted by a spire of wood which, however, was blown down in the gale of 1873. The building has two stories, the lower containing Sunday-school and class rooms, and the upper, the main audience room. The seating capacity of the latter is four hundred. The present officers are: Rev. J. A. Ward, pastor ; 1). B. Sanford, H. P. Benton, J. Evers, S. Waggoner, Luther Hayford, W. Francis, D. L. Smith, J. Lesure, trustees.

The Congregational church is on the east side of North street, near Main. It is built of wood, has a spire and bell, and seats about three hundred. The officers are: Roswell Foster, pastor; B. S. Brownell, deacon ; H. W. Holman, William Toman, B. S. Brownell, C. S. Getchell, Charles Merritt, trustees.

The German Presbyterian church is on the north side of Church street, near the east bank of the river. It is

built of brick, with Sunday-school room in the basement, and is surmounted with a wooden spire. It seats about two hundred. J. Schaible, pastor; E. Zinn, H. Long- neckhard, elders; l'eter Tunpus, George Goeller, dea- cons ; Peter Tunpus, E. Zinn, George Goeller, trustees.

St. John's (Roman Catholic) church is on the north- east corner of Mott and Elizabeth streets; is built of brick, and seats four hundred. It has a rectory attached. The pastor is the Rev. John Burke.

The Evangelical (German) association have a wooden church on the northeast corner of Monroe and Madison streets, on the east side of the river. It has a neat spire, and seats about one hundred and fifty. It is under the charge of the Rev. H. Stellrecht. George Kiefer, Con- rad Vollmer, Jacob Kress, trustees.

The German Lutheran church is a wooden building, about twenty-five by thirty-five feet, and seats about one hundred and ten. Services are not held regularly. The church is on the west side of Elizabeth street, about one block north of the court house.

INDUSTRIAL ESTABLISHMENTS.

The geographical situation of Independence, and the lack of raw material, have not been favorable to the es- tablishment and growth of manufacture; and capitalists have been (perhaps unduly) shy of investing in such en- terprises. Among the most noticeable is the

INDEPENDENCE MILLS COMPANY.

This is a joint stockc ompany with a capital of one hun- dred and twenty thousand dollars invested, mainly in the flouring mill and the water privilege of the Wapsipinicon river; but the property of the company includes also the water power at Quasqueton. The mill takes the place of the old "New Haven mill," elsewhere mentioned in this work, and was built in 1870. The foundation is built, most substantially, of bowlder granite, and the basement of Farley limestone. The superstructure is a timber frame, with filling and veneering of brick, so that it is in effect a brick building, strengthened by a timber frame. It is five stories high from the basement, one hundred and twelve feet long, sixty-two wide, and one hundred and two in height from the bed of the river. It is not occupied with its full capacity of machinery, but has seven turbin wheels, and five run of French buhr stones, and is capable of turning out about seventy- five barrels of flour daily. It has two La Croix middlings purifiers, and turns out a very fine quality of faney pat- ent flour. At the time when the mill was built, it was intended for a woollen mill, but as this did not appear to be a good point for that business, it was fitted up for flouring. The gradual decline, and finally total aban- donment, of wheat growing in this vicinity, has made it unnecessary to enlarge the working power of the mill. It is believed that there is power enough to admit of the introduction of some other kind of machinery. The mill and water privilege cost one hundred thousand dol- lars. The officers of the company are: Z. Stout, presi- dent; O. B. Clarke, secretary; William S. Boggs, treas- urer; S. Sherwood, Jed Lake, E. W. Purdy, executive committee.

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

THE INDEPENDENCE MANUFACTURING COMPANY

have their works on the west bank of the river, south of Main street. Their specialty is the manufacture of the Sherman patent window blind, which has the peculiarity of having the slats movable from the inside of the room. The company also manufacture doors, sash, and all sorts of carpenters' mill work, farmers' water tanks, and an improved churn. They also do feed grinding, and all kinds of repairing of agricultural machinery. The works consist of a two-story wooden building with a thirty-five horse power engine, wood planer, circular saws, molding machines, scroll saw, cut off saws, mortise and tenon machines, slat machines, etc. Adjoining and fronting River street is a one-story building, containing iron lathes, drilling machines, etc., and forges. The main building has a set of French buhrs for grinding feed. The com- pany has a capital stock of thirty thousand dollars, and was organized as a stock company in 1874. The gross earnings of the establishment during 1880 were a little over twenty thousand dollars.

Megow Brothers' foundry and machine shop, Frank and William Megow, proprietors. This business was established in February, 1873, by Frank Megow, but the building was burnt just after the fire of 1873. William Megow was admitted to partnership in 1879. The specialty of the firm is the casting of architectural work, such as columns, cornices, etc., and also vases, iron fence, and lawn ornaments. They have also iron lathes, etc., and are prepared to manufacture steam engines, or other machinery. The shops are near the river on the east side above Mott street.

B. Yeager's machine shop is just north of Megow Brothers. The work done consists entirely of repairs, mostly of agricultural machinery.

J. EVERS' COOPER SHOP.

The great increase in the dairy product of the county has given a new impetus to the business of manufactur- ing butter tubs. J. Evers' shop was started in 1876, and was run by steam power, with a full complement of machinery, but has been twice burned, the last time in the fall of 1880. At present the product is at the rate of forty thousand eight hundred "Welsh " tubs annually, one thousand to thirteen hundred tight barrels, and two thousand five hundred flour and cgg barrels. The amount paid for labor is about six hundred dollars per week.

Hunter & Forrester's cooper shop was not started until April 10, 1880, but the product to January 1, 1881, was fourteen thousand one hundred and four butter tubs, and about four hundred tight barrels. The number of hands employed averages six.

S. G. Carter, on the west bank of the river, makes about four thousand butter tubs and one hundred and fifty tight barrels. The average value of butter tubs is thirty cents each, and of barrels one dollar and fifty cents.

J. Gregory, cooper, has a small shop near the east bank of the river.

WAGON SHOPS.

These are nearly all on Walnut street, east side, be- tween Main and Mott streets. Only hand work is done.

Whait Brothers, established 1859, make spring wagons and buggies, and have lately resumed heavy wagon making.

Brandenburg & Halzer, 1873, heavy wagons.

Klotzbach & Hagiman, heavy wagons.

Charles Kerwer, heavy wagons.

John Bitner, west side of Walnut street.

Samuel Cole and N. C. Ellis, Chatham, above Mott.

Simeon Hale, outside of the corporation, on the west side, manufactures occasionally fine carriages, omnibuses, hearses, etc.

BLACKSMITHS.

John McGrady, Walnut, above Mott.

Alexander Hathaway, River street, below Main.

George Weber, back of Walnut street, above Main.

J. G. Whitney, gunsmith and fine tool maker, street west of River street, makes a great many tuning forks, which are sold in all parts of the Union.

BREWERIES.

Chris. Seeland, at the eastern outskirts of the city, manufactures six hundred and fifty barrels of lager beer annually. Established in October, 1859.

John Wingert's brewery is situated on the west side of Walnut street, near the Illinois Central railroad; turns out two thousand barrels of beer annually.

CIGAR FACTORIES.

J. W. McCarthy, over No. 20 Main street, makes about five hundred thousand cigars annually, and em- ploys twelve hands and upwards.

Simpson Stout, over Goeller's grocery, employs three or four hands, and makes upwards of one hundred and sixty-five thousand annually, selling wholesale at twenty- five to thirty dollars per thousand.

S. D. Frank, east of Wheeler house, employs three or four hands, and makes one hundred and fifty thousand cigars annually.

KING'S OPERA HOUSE.

This, the principal place of amusement, is situated on the northwest corner of Main and North streets. It was built by Charles King in 1876 and cost ninety-five hun- dred dollars. The extreme length is one hundred and twenty feet and width fifty-six feet. The stage is twenty- four by fifty-three feet, and is furnished with gas foot- lights and suitable drop curtains, wings and backgrounds for ordinary entertainments. The gallery is twenty-two feet deep, and under it are the entrance, ticket-office and foyer. The heighth of the auditorium is twenty- six feet, and the ceiling is decorated in color. The building seats about eight hundred persons.

PHOTOGRAPHERS.

Ensminger Brothers, established about 1870, give special attention to copying and enlarging ; three persons constantly employed. The firm consists of J. E. Ens- minger and S. M. Ensminger, and are located in Ungerer's block up-stairs.

Barclay & Bertrand, in Purdy's new block, have a very handsomely fitted gallery, and do nice work. Proprie- tors, B. F. Barclay and E. E. Bertrand, the latter but lately admitted to partnership.

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

BOOKBINDERV.

J. G. Boettcher, in the second story, rear room, over Goeller's grocery, does a fair amount of custom work, and the business increases.

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History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 72

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers Number of Pages: 574

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574