USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 19
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The year 1874 started in high glee. The newly founded Bulletin boasts "Fifty is the number of houses we estimate that will be built in Denison this summer. If anyone will give us odds we will put it higher." The bank build- ing was completed in this year; J. W. Strohm and his brother Frank erected an elevator, as did also Mr. M. Stone; the residence of J. B. Romans was built ; C. Sprecher, who came to Denison after the tragic death of his brother, Samuel, erected a two story brick building near the depot; Trowbridge & Fox moved into their palatial new billiard hall. A subscription was raised to build a sidewalk connecting the Methodist church with the business part of town on one hand, and the residence of M. Stone on the other. The Luney Brothers pushed their foundry nearly to completion and this became an important feature of Denison's activities. In 1874 the Review changed hands and J. Fred Meyers purchased it from J. D. Ainsworth. P. McCormick, proprietor of the Denison Soap Fac- tory began his business career; Ed Matthews and Frank Lesher formed a part-
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nership and opened a restaurant in Wheeler Brother's old stand. Captain Familton, agent for the railroad land company, made Denison his headquarters. Great improvements were made upon the Cornwell mill; among the new busi- ness men of 1873-74 were M. H. Wygant, attorney; J. P. Conner, attorney ; Tabor & Tabor, attorneys; L. A. Sewell, architect and builder ; A. D. Lester, photographer; J. F. Burk, livery and feed stable; J. S. Nicholson and C. C. Donald, attorneys; George L. Wright, attorney; Charles Hitchcock, barber; and Mrs. Elizabeth Bieber, bakery in the Robinault building. Aaron Smith was pro- prietor of the Denison House, which he sold to Charles Blum, who defaulted and absconded after a brief career. The Denison papers also contain advertise- ments of J. T. Walker, physician and surgeon, at Vail; James De Wolf, notary public, etc., at Vail; L. E. Hardy, general merchant, at Dow City. The regular meetings of Devotion Lodge, A. F. & A. M. are also announced, with L. Corn- well, Worthy Master, and J. B. Poitevin, Secretary. Messrs. Fritz & McKim started a meat market, as did also S. P. Gardner, and. James Boots, a mason and plasterer of Belle Plaine came to town; in the fall of the year Evers and Aebischer succeeded to the Gardner meat market business, and B. W. Burk retired from the Burk House, leaving it in control of J. F. Burk, while B. W. established a cash store. The buyers on the market were Strohm & Company, M. Stone, J. S. Gilbreath, and A. C. Smith.
As early as 1871 a movement was made to buy the cemetery site at a price of ten dollars per acre. This was later accomplished and an association formed, and in 1874 we find the following plaintive item: "Our attention has been di- rected to the bad condition of the grave yard south of town and request made that we call attention thereto. It certainly demands notice. The grounds are not fenced at all and the graves are trampled upon and tombstones destroyed by grazing herds of cattle and horses in a manner that is, to say the least, dis- creditable. What has become of the cemetery association?"
The question of incorporation was agitated as early as 1869. The village was still under township government. The opposition to incorporation came from three sources, those who felt that it meant increased taxation on general prin- ciples ; those who feared that additional sidewalks would be ordered in; and those who felt that incorporation would mean added regulation and added license for saloons. A vote was taken in 1870, but failed to carry. In 1874 the Denison newspapers urged incorporation, using the following arguments :
Shall we Incorporate ?- This question is again being agitated among some of our business men, and it is thought if the question were put to a vote it would carry by a large majority. About four years ago the question of incorporating was voted upon and lost, those opposing it claiming that it would be time enough to think of incorporating when our town should have doubled its population ; that we are high and dry and did not then feel the need of sidewalks, and that it would be better to wait awhile and when we did incorporate we could make a bet- ter show, and the taxes would not fall so heavily upon a few individuals. The time has come when, for many reasons, the necessity of this step is apparent to all. Our town has more than doubled in population in the last two years, and is now building up rapidly. But there is no established grade, and every man builds according to the lay of his lot, whether it be higher or lower than his
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neighbors." What is everybody's business is nobody's, and the result is that there are a good many stepping-off places in the sidewalks that would not other- wise be there. As it is, it is not always safe for pedestrians, especially strangers unacquainted with the ups and downs of an average Western town. Denison is the only county seat on the line of the Northwestern railroad not incorporated, and, if it does not already, it soon will have a tendency to drive away many who would otherwise make their homes here. To outsiders this may seem a lack of enterprise on the part of our citizens, but to those who are acquainted, considering the various private and public schemes by which our present sidewalks have been built, this seeming lethargy will have no weight. Our people are public- spirited enough, but there is not that unity of spirit which would prevail were we living under incorporation laws. It would raise the taxes some, but then we could go slow for the first year or two; what we want is a beginning, and a good time to make a beginning is now. An established grade is loudly called for as one of the first items. .
An election was ordered on this question, Judge Stockton appointing H. C. Laub, A. F. Cassaday, C. H. De Wolf, James Greenough, and Charles Tabor as commissioners. The election was held in October, the vote being forty-four ayes and sixty-six nays. The agitation did not cease, however, and in 1875 the question was again brought forward. This year the circuit appointed Charles Bullock, B. H. Wiggins, E. S. Plimpton, H. C. Laub, and R. Heffelfinger com- missioners to conduct the election, which was held October 2, 1875. At this election the vote to incorporate was carried, one hundred and sixteen to fifty- five. A mass meeting was held for the nomination of the first city officers. The nominees were, for mayor, H. C. Laub; recorder, A. Carpenter ; assessor, George Scott ; trustees, Ward Matthews, C. F. Cassaday, J. W. Wagoner, C. H. De Wolf, and John Seeman. Later a second ticket was placed in the field and A. F. Bond was nominated for mayor. The contest was a lively one and A. F. Bond was elected the first mayor of Denison by a majority of forty-nine votes. The other officers were those nominated at the general caucus. The first council met November 4, 1875, and J. L. McClellan was elected the first marshal. At this time the population of Denison was 857; that of the township, 1123. The ques- tion of incorporation had been so long delayed and debated that Vail held its election prior to the one in Denison, and thus has the honor of being the first incorporated town in Crawford county.
Another evidence of civic improvement was found in the formation of a Denison protective association. A large number of citizens met at Cassaday's store for the purpose of considering the propriety of employing a night watch- man in the business portion of the town as a means of protection againt fire and burglaries. A permanent organization was formed with George Hayne as president, James Greenough, treasurer and George W. Stephens, secretary. A committee of five was appointed to receive proposals for a watchman, to name the beat to be walked and to report at a later meeting. This meeting was held July 1, 1875, and a week later we find the following news item: "About five hundred dollars has been subscribed, payable monthly, for a night watchman and at a public meeting held last Thursday evening Mr. Holst, a well disposed Ger-
Night-Watch L. M. Baer
J. P. Miller. First German Merchant
Hugh MeWilliams
Samuel Luney
GROUP OF DENISON PIONEERS
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man, was designated. He was succeeded by L. M. Baer, who faithfully filled the office for many years, until his death.
In 1871 the Presbyterian church had been built and dedicated and the two story brick schoolhouse, erected in the same year, was the pride of all the coun- try around and spoke volumes for the premanency of the town. It was in this period that the courthouse was enlarged to double its size. The people projected a narrow gauge railroad from Harlan to Denison, and this was discussed at great length in the papers. In 1871 Denison had the first of its series of brass bands, the obituary of which is humorously written in a Denison paper in 1874. Jay Wheeler is said to have officiated and the pall bearers are given as Mort Sayre, Nels Wheeler, W. A. McHenry and Charlie Bullock, while the chief mourners were Orr Wheeler, George Gillette, Will McHenry, Jim Ainsworth, True Daniells and George Stephens. There were numerous efforts at a social life. A lyceum was organized at the courthouse with C. C. Donald as chairman and J. P. Conner as secretary. In January, 1874, the still living question was debated, "Resolved that railroad tariffs should be regulated by the state law." The chief disputants were George L. Wright, affirmative, and J. P. Conner negative.
In 1873 it is recorded with much pride that there were twenty-four organs, seven pianos and two melodeons owned in Denison, not to speak of numerous violins, guitars, banjos, brass horns and cats. That the German emigration had already commenced is evidenced not only by the first German sign being hung out by Miller Brothers but by the fact that in July, 1874, it is announced that the Germans of Crawford county will celebrate the Fourth at Trumm's Grove, just across the river south of town. In 1875 Mr. John Seeman built the hotel which was the rallying point of the German people for many years, and he christened it "The Farmers' Home." The growth of the county is illustrated by the statement that McHenry Brothers sold two thousand acres in the week prior to April 10th, 1872; in the latter part of May, 1873, Captain Familton is reported to have sold ten thousand acres since March Ist; again it is reported that he sold between twenty-five thousand and thirty thousand acres during the year 1873. April 7, 1875, we find the following note: "Captain Familton sold eleven hundred and twenty acres to eight actual settlers (Germans) last Saturday." Excursion trains were run and numerous land buyers were brought in. In Jan- uary, 1876, it was stated that "Fair prairie lands can be bought for from seven to ten dollars per acre, but choice lands will soon be out of the market." In the spring of the same year we note the following item, indicating the inrush of the German citizens: "We have it upon good authority that if the crops prove good the coming season more than twice the number of German emigrants will come here next spring than have arrived the past few weeks. There are now living in Scott and Clinton counties scores of people, who in view of the fertility and cheapness of the Crawford county lands have resolved to purchase homes in this agricultural El Dorado of the west." And again, "There arrived in Denison during the month of March, 1876, sixty-seven carloads of emigrants' goods and forty cars of lumber." The total sale of lands for 1875 is reported for Crawford county as ten thousand, five hundred and eight acres. All this brought continued prosperity to the little town.
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The Denison library association was formed in 1875 and this gave a series of dramatic entertainments, producing the comic drama, "Temptation, or The Irish Emigrant;" the "Yankee Peddler, or Old Times in Virginia," and other interesting productions. The result was the establishment of a school library in April, 1876, which may be said to have been the father of the McKim Library and the grandfather of the Carnegie Library of today. Shortly after the library opened the Review proudly notes: "Upward of twenty-five citizens have al- ready availed themselves of the benefits of the library. Sixty-six additional volumes have already been received and fifty more will be added." "The in- stitution is exceedingly well patronized," states the paper at a latter date, "about thirty volumes being constantly out. By next fall one hundred more volumes will be added." In 1876 our lecture course had its beginning. "Thirty gentle- men subscribed two dollars and a half each for the purpose of securing a course of lectures." Those of the more worldly desired to dance but there were diffi- culties in the way, as is evidenced by the following item: "The ball which was announced for tomorrow evening has been abandoned, Mr. Morris McHenry having for conscientious reasons refused the use of the hall. He paid all expenses incurred, amounting to thirty-six dollars." In spite of this puritanical effort on the part of Mr. McHenry it would appear that Denison was not all that it should have been, for in the spring of 1876 it is reported that, "There was a general exodus of gamblers from Denison Tuesday morning. Three poker players with their wives took their departure for greener fields. There were none to mourn their loss save the fools whom they have gulled. Gambling seems to be altogether too prevalent in this community."
In 1875 the population of the country is given as follows : Denison township, 1,123; Milford, 643; West Side, 629; Union, 442; Otter Creek, 361 ; East Boyer, 355 ; Stockholm, 334; Hayes, 315; Jackson, 264 ; Goodrich, 258; Washington, 239; Boyer, 224; Iowa, 223; Paradise, 162; Soldier, 101; Nishnabotny, 98; Morgan, 91 ; Willow, 77; Charter Oak, 63; Hanover, 36; total, 6,038.
In September, 1875, occurred the greatest sensation which Denison has yet known. This was a fight between residents and circus men, which assumed the proportions of a riot and which promised for a time to end in the wholesale destruction of the business district. We have obtained many and various accounts of this sensational episode and as we believe it is of sufficient interest, especially to the old timers, we give the account of the affair as published in the Denison Review of September 17, 1873:
A TERRIBLE FIGHT !
THREE OF GRADY'S SHOWMEN SHOT-A LIVELY TIME AT ED. TROWBRIDGE'S BILLIARD HALL-THE SCENE ON THE STREET-THE GLASS FRONT OF GREENOUGH & BULLOCK'S STORE SMASHED-A SEVERE STRUGGLE FOR THE MONEY
DRAWER.
"On Thursday of last week, as per previous notice, Grady's circus and me- nagerie gave an exhibition in Denison.
"The streets were filled at an early hour, and it was estimated that about 2,000 persons were in town to see the show, which began to arrive at about ten a. m.
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The circus wagons were formed into a procession and paraded the streets around one block several times, and then repaired to the grounds upon which their huge canvass tents were being erected.
"Early in the morning it was reported that one of the showmen had been shot through the leg by the Marshal of Carroll, at which place they had exhibited the day before, and that the man was unable to come with them. It was also further reported that a number of thieves and blacklegs were traveling with the circus, and that our citizens would have to watch them close, which they very naturally did, and succeeded in foiling several attempts of petty thieving.
"The circus entertainment in the afternoon was conducted in the best possible manner, and everything passed off satisfactorily to all in attendance, with the single exception of the much-talked-of balloon ascension, which did not 'pass off' to any degree of satisfaction to those who had never witnessed an ascension, owing it was said, to the wind being so strong that it was impossible to attempt it.
"After the entertainment was over, quite a severe rain and wind storm came up, which continued nearly all night, and made it impossible for Grady to give an evening entertainment, which he had intended to do, and consequently his men were going to have a high old time, as they termed it, and about fifteen or twenty of them went down to Ed. Trowbridge's Billiard hall, where they seemed to enjoy themselves in drinking and playing billiards .- But they soon began to get noisy, and those who did not belong to their crowd began to get back into the corners out of their way. It was evident that a big fight was brewing, and quite a number left the hall to seek a place of more peaceful proportions, and when it became apparent that the town people were thinning out, the showmen began to mutter angry threats that they would clean out the d-d town. No attention, however, was paid to these foolish threats, and the drinking continued to go on in a lively manner.
"The bar-room adjoining the billiard hall is quite small-being long but scarcely wide enough to let two men pass. There were about eight or ten show- men and three or four men from the country, at the bar drinking, when Wm. Hubbel, who lives on Maple Creek, came in. The showmen undertook to crowd him out, and then the trouble commenced .- Hubbel, who is a large and powerful man, was shoved out into the billiard room where he succeeded in knocking several of them down, but was immediately struck on the head with a heavy billiard cue and knocked to the floor, where they continued to kick and pound him in a fearful manner-breaking two heavy oak cues over his head. But he made his escape from them and got outside the building, when he was taken to the drug store of Messrs. Greenough & Bullock to have his head bound up. When Hubbel made his escape, the showmen struck Isaac Jones, who lives on Soldier Creek, and who was also in the room at the time, with a billiard ball and knocked him down. He fought well, but it was no use, and he was served in about the same manner that Hubbel was. The two men had a most desperate struggle for life, but succeeded in getting off with badly bruised bodies and heads.
"Jones and one or two of the showmen were taken to Kirk's drug store to get their wounds dressed, after which the circus-men became more furious than ever, and all started across the road toward Greenough & Bullock's store where Hubbel was being cared for. The howling and cursing was terrible as they
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came in front of the store and got a glimpse of Hubbel, who had started to come out, and then the fight commenced in earnest. The first showman that struck the porch in front of the door, was caught by the collar and one ear and thrown upon the walk immediately in front of the door, when some person stepped quickly to his side and fired two shots into his body. The store was full of men-several showmen being among the number, and when the first shot was fired, the door was shut and lights put out, and the noise and confusion was ter- rible. Those upon the outside were shooting into the store and shivering the glass front to atoms, while those upon the inside were getting out of the back door as fast as possible. But it seems that what few showmen were in the building were bent on plunder, and two or three succeeded in getting behind the counter where the money drawer was kept. The robbers were met by Messrs. G. & B., and after a severe struggle were driven from behind the counter, and made their escape through the back door. In the fight for the money drawer, which contained about $200, Mr. Greenough received a severe blow upon the back with a heavy club, but he succeeded in reaching the drawer before any money was taken.
"During the fight a lamp was struck and knocked to the floor, the oil igniting and setting one side of the store on fire. Mr. Greenough seized a broom and tried to put out the blaze, when they commenced to shoot at him from the out- side. The bright light afforded by the burning oil placed him in a dangerous position, and two of the bullets barely missed his head. But he bravely stood his ground until the fire was extinguished, and the fearful fight had stopped. Much credit is due to the handsome manner in which Messrs. Greenough & Bul- lock defended their property. Not many men would have stood the test as they did, and they have not to thank many but themselves for the safety of their store and stock. About ten shots were fired in quick succession-one man receiving three of them, two in the bowels and one in his left arm. He was carried to the Burk House where he now lies in a critical condition, attended by Dr. Iseminger. Of the other two who were shot, one received a ball through the thigh-similar to the one who was shot at Carroll; the other was shot in the breast, the ball passing across the skin just over the heart. The last two were taken to Dunlap the next morning on the cars. The greatest wonder after the fight was over, was that no one but the showmen had got shot-none of the citizens or country men being hurt during the fight with pistols. But three whole panes of glass were left in the front of the store, and the heavy glass in both show-cases was mashed to atoms, while many of the fine glass covered display cards were badly damaged."
Denison was the center of a large trade territory. The insufficiency of the railway service for western Iowa is shown by the numerous mail routes which radiated from the Denison office long after the railroad passed through here. In 1871 Hiram Matthews was one of the carriers on the route from Denison to Storm Lake. In 1872 a petition was circulated asking for a mail route from Harlan to Denison. This was established in 1874 and the people then asked for a route extending into Monona county and accommodating the people at Charter Oak. The Harlan route went by way of Coon Grove and another route went to Sac City by way of Deloit and Odebolt. In 1875 a route from Denison to
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Listonville (now Danbury) was established and later a route to Ida, by way of Morgan and Snidersville. In 1879 George Baizebrown drove the mail to Odebolt, while A. D. Molony had the Harlan contract. A postoffice at Como was abolished and once a week mail facilities established between Denison and Charter Oak. The mail facilities were often badly interrupted. For five days in 1875 there was no mail on account of high water, and it is said the daily papers arrived about twice a week. In September, of 1875, Denison witnessed a disastrous flood. The paper commented as follows: "Denison had no communication from the rest of the world from Thursday night of last week until yesterday. Travel by rail, and by every other means, was most effectually stopped. The Boyer river overflowed its banks on Friday and the water has been alternately rising and receding ever since. On Monday morning it reached its greatest height, carrying away a number of bridges, among them the Furr and the Luney bridges. The water reached the sills of the Luney machine shops and all the buildings in the vicinity of the depot south and west were more or less under water. By working lively the Messrs. Luney saved a pile of boards from floating off."
1876 saw the last of the picturesque old-time political campaigns. The Hayes and Wheeler minute men were formed and had most enthusiastic times. The Review of August 23, 1876, says : "The procession on Friday night with seventy torches in line was a splendid success. It was headed by a band of martial music and flag bearers and was the finest display ever seen in Denison. The proces- sion marched through several streets, giving cheers before the homes of Mr. Heffelfinger, Morris McHenry and others. When the procession arrived below the lawn of Mayor Bond, where the temperance ladies had a party, numerous cheers were given. Every one was well pleased. The club will shortly organize a campaign glee club and we have no doubt but that the next procession will be still more imposing."
By 1875 Denison claimed to be becoming quite a manufacturing town. Among the shipments were soap, cheese, brick and agricultural implements, all made in Denison. There was a new lumber yard opened by R. K. Clark and C. P. Stock- ing, of Marshalltown. A number of the merchants got together and formed a trade agreement by which the lines of business were somewhat divided. The divisions in the lines of trade were as follows: General merchandise, Laub & Hayne; dry goods, C. F. Cassaday, Ward Matthews; clothing and furniture, Plimpton & McHenry ; groceries, M. H. Hendricks, M. J. Burk & Son, Peter Miller, C. Sprecher ; boots and shoes, Brown & Depew. Later in the year a bookstore was established on Court street, with L. T. Carr as proprietor. Messrs. Lee & Seebern established a photograph gallery; Dr. Holmes bought the Gardner House; Nixon & Stallcop established an agricultural implement ware- house and Laub & Hayne put upon our streets the first delivery wagon. In 1876 Mr. Jensen, of Clinton, entered the field as a dry goods merchant, having his store next to Judson Mead's, on Main street. The year 1876 also witnessed the establishment of a new bank by R. Heffelfinger. This was called Heffel- finger's Bank, but the name was soon changed to that of the Crawford County Bank. Mr. J. V. Patterson had the honor of introducing the first hearse, "it being painted in good style by Mr. Hotchkiss, making a creditable appearance." Mr. Kendall erected a block of three store fronts on the south side of Broad-
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