USA > Iowa > Dubuque County > History of Dubuque County, Iowa; being a general survey of Dubuque County history, including a history of the city of Dubuque and special account of districts throughout the county, from the earliest settlement to the present time > Part 9
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R. Spaulding was a book seller, music dealer and generally a patron of art; his book store was the first in Dubuque. In May, 1848, W. H. Merritt withdrew from the Miners' Erpress and Wil- liam Y. Lovell became sole proprietor of that sheet. Peter Waples kept the Waples House at Second and Main streets in the spring of 1848. R. Plumbe kept the City hotel. A semi-weekly of the Miners' Express, started March 29, 1848, was discontinued in December, 1848. In the spring of 1848 Dubuque demanded a free ferry across the river or a cessation of high ferry rates. As high as $I had been charged in emergencies for ferriage. Early in 1848 R. Spaulding established and maintained a library of standard periodical literature, to which persons were admitted upon the pay- ment of $3 per annum. In 1848 the Irish Shamrock Society and St. Raphael's Temperance Society united to celebrate St. Patrick's day. In March, 1848, James Pratt & Co., owners of the Dubuque Flouring Mills, called for 50,000 bushels of wheat and 4,000 flour barrels.
A "Countryman" in the Miners' Express of February 23, 1848, asked why the road leading up Lorimier Hollow was not widened. He said that it was so narrow in places that two wagons could not pass each other, and further said : "Several serious accidents have recently occurred on this much-traveled, very crooked, pinched-up, starved out, narrow contracted, Lorimier-fenced-up, disreputable, dangerous, leg-breaking, skull-cracking, wagon-smashing, horse- killing, badly-located, poorly-worked, corporation neglected, tire- some and hilly road."
W. D. Wilson and Mr. O'Reilly were rival telegraph agents here in the spring of 1848, each trying to get the support of the citizens to extend his line to this city. Each claimed the right to the Morse patents. Shares in the lines were offered at 50. It was claimed that the Barnes and Zook register was superior to that of Morse.
Whether the ferry privilege of Timothy Fanning was exclusive
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under his charter, and what ferry rights were owned by Jones & Gregoire, were inquired into in May, 1848. The city attorney hav- ing filed with the council his written opinion against the right of the city to establish a free ferry across the Mississippi, the council resolved that it was their "opinion that the city has the right to establish a ferry from this and the opposite side of the river and that the charter of Mr. Fanning is not exclusive." In June, 1848. the council refused to appropriate $375 at the request of Captain Barney to assist him in work on the harbor. In July, 1848, the council offered a reward of $150 for the apprehension of the per- sons "guilty of the outrage on the United States property employed in improving the harbor, and that a guard of twenty mnen be author- ized for the protection of the same, provided they can be obtained free of expense." To drive out smallpox $365.75 was spent in July, 1848.
In September, 1848, the first telegraph line was completed and opened to Peru, Illinois. The first messages were as follows:
"Peru, September 15, 1848. The compliments of C. S. Oslere to the ladies of the Waples House by lightning; would be happy to receive a 'flash' from them. C. S. Oslere." The following answer was "flashed" back : "Dubuque, September 15, 1848. C. S. Oslere : The ladies of the Waples House thank Mr. Oslere for his burning communication ; it warmed their cold hearts; they rejoice to know that they have a 'spark' in Peru. Ladies of Waples House."
The California gold excitement struck Dubuque county in Decem- ber, 1848. On December 30 a public meeting was held at the courthouse to form an organization of all who desired to go to the gold field. Mr. Morrison of Cascade was conspicuous in the Cali- fornia exodus. Late in 1848 citizens demanded that the unfinished harbor be completed.
The cholera at New Orleans in January, 1849, caused Dubuque to take extra precautions against the disease. W. Y. Lovell owned the Erpress for about six months, when it passed back to Holt and Keesecker late in 1848. On March 19, 1849, fourteen wagons bound for the gold field crossed the river here. Merritt, Mobley, Hammond, Gilliam, Alverson, Cox, Coriell and others left for California via the Isthmus of Panama. The California Society was organized, so great was the excitement. In the spring of 1849 the Northwest Demokrat was issued here by V. Hauf; it was in the German language. The Galena and Dubuque Mining Company was an organization which, with fifty-three teams, crossed the plains to California in 1849. The snowfall of the winter of 1848-9 at Dubuque aggregated five feet one and one-half inches-the greatest on record. Many shade trees were planted in Dubuque in 1849; it was almost a "fad" at this time. The terrible roads leading west- ward from Dubuque checked nearly all business with the back coun-
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try at muddy times. John King, postmaster for over ten years, resigned in April, 1849. The Alleghanians (minstrels) were here in May, 1849. By April 24, 1849, the Express said that over sixty citizens of Dubuque had gone to California. Week after week the streets were crowded with gold seekers. The Southwestern circus was here in July, 1849.
In March, 1849, the public was given notice of the approaching charter election and of the fact that voters would be required to decide whether the city should borrow $7,000 for public improve- ments, etc., and for establishing a free ferry. A mark on the Emerson & Waples building was established as a permanent basis for the regulation of street and building grades.
In April, 1849, Warner Lewis became mayor. In May three causeways were ordered built on Bluff street at First, Second and Third streets. Drs. J. T. Boone, R. S. Lewis and G. W. Scott were the sanitary committee in 1849. The council bought fifty barrels of lime for distribution in view of the appearance of cholera here in 1849. Drs. Boone and Holt were constituted a board of health. A house for cholera patients was rented of B. Rupert for $4 a month. A house owned by T. Davis was also thus occupied. The council bought of Smith & Co. their interest in the powder maga- zine for $425. John Stafford was permitted to mine on Third street, the city to receive one-fifth of the mineral raised.
It was realized in June, 1849, that the plan for a Dubuque harbor, which seemed most likely to be best, was to build a levee out to the main channel and fill in the intermediate sloughs. Some plan that would improve existing conditions was deemed imperative. The Miners' Express of June 13, 1849, said : "Already the largest town west of the Mississippi and north of St. Louis, situated precisely at the point of latitude at which the railroads extending west from the towns upon the lakes inust strike the river; surrounded by a country on all sides, almost illimitable in extent and inexhaustible in its agricultural and mineral resources-it requires no gift of pro- phecy to foresee that Dubuque is destined to become and to remain the great commercial city of the Northwest." This was the spirit which animated the citizens at this period-Dubuque was to be the great city of the Northwest. It was realized that Galena aspired to this proud distinction, but her pretensions were belittled and denied. However, before even Dubuque could expect such great- ness and grandeur, a suitable harbor would have to be built, all admitted. "The space between the present landing and the main channel of the river, when once filled up, will amply compensate for the expense to be incurred in executing the work."
During the year 1849 over eighty brick buildings were erected in Dubuque, many of them large and costly. Main street was vastly improved-bumps were cut down, hollows filled and buildings of brick took the place of the old and faded wooden structures. New
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stores were built by Powers, Bush, Mangold, Mason, Heeb, Lang- worthy and the fine Globe buildings at Main and Fifth by Wilson & Smith. Judge J. J. Dyer, of the United States District court, had built an elegant mansion on Main street. The city contained twenty-two stores with stocks ranging from $10,000 to $80,000; one large wholesale hardware store; two drug stores; one book store; one boot and shoe store; two tinware manufactories; two auction and commission merchants; three bakeries; one large manufactory of confectionery ; seven master builders ; six plasterers ; seven mason bricklayers; four painters; two master stone masons; one marble worker; two saddle and harness factories; seven boot and shoe factories ; nine tailor shops; three milliners and dressmakers; three jewelers and watchmakers; six cabinet and chair factories; five blacksmith shops; three carriage and wagon factories; two gun- smiths; three cooper shops; five butcheries; one soap and candle factory; two livery stables; two large steam flouring mills; one steam saw mill; three newspaper and job printing offices; four weekly newspapers-two Whig and two Democratic, one of the latter in German; eight or ten hotels; eleven physicians; seventeen lawyers; thirteen preachers; churches, one each of Episcopalian, Catholic, Methodist, Congregational, Christian, Baptist, German Congregational and German Methodist. The Roman Catholics had laid the foundation of their large cathedral, the cost being esti- mated at over 100,000. The Episcopalians were finishing their Gothic church on Locust street. The Congregational church had been very much enlarged in 1849. The government offices here were those of surveyor general, where eight or ten clerks were employed at from $800 to $1,200 each per year, and with a patron- age of from $50,000 to $75,000 annually; receiver and register ; judge of the United States district court ; Masons, Odd Fellows and Sons of Temperance. Population, near 3,500. The first brick building was erected in 1836. In 1844 the place began to put on a stable appearance on the ruins of the miners' shanties. The city now wanted a harbor, railroads to the East, good roads to the West and other railroads to the western country.
"One would suppose that the millers and merchants of Dubuque' could afford to give as good a price for wheat as is given in the northern portion of the state. Such, however, appears not to be the fact. Also buyers at Bellevue have recently paid as high as 68 cents for wheat, while our millers and merchants have been paying for the best prime wheat 60 cents. We must not be blind to the effects of this state of things. If the merchants here will not buy the wheat and pork of the farmer at the best price they can afford to give, the farmer will very naturally go where he can do better, and there he will buy his groceries, clothing, etc."-(Miners' Express, December 12, 1849. )
The total value of taxable property in Dubuque in June, 1849,
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was $675,000; at the maximum rate allowed by law this would yield a revenue of $10,125 ; a tax of 314 mills was levied for general city expenses. In September, 1849, a second California "fever" struck Dubuque and many more departed. A sharp frost on August 30, 1849, wilted vines and vegetables. Valentine Glenat, prominent merchant and judge of probate here, died of cholera in the Rocky mountains while on his way to the gold fields. The harbor question engrossed much attention in 1849. This year the postoffice was removed to the Globe building at Main and Sixth streets. William H. Robbins was postmaster and Alexander Levi was his assistant. Late in 1849 Holt and Keesecker issued the Miners' Express; Wood issued the Tribune, and McCraney issued the Telegraph; the latter leaned toward the Whigs. Thomas McKnight succeeded Warner Lewis as register, and M. Mobley succeeded George McHenry as receiver under the change of national administration in 1849. Cholera on the steamer War Eagle in 1849 frightened the city.
4
CITY OF DUBUQUE, 1850 TO 1859.
I N January, 1850, Dubuque was without a fire department of any kind; the loss of a few buildings caused people to think. "When a building takes fire here, as was the case with the Goodrich building, everyone runs toward the scene, anxious to assist in subduing the destructive ele- ment; but what avails an unorganized set of men and boys without apparatus of any kind whatever-without an engine, buckets or hose."-(Express, January 16, 1850.) In January, 1850, Col. Samuel R. Curtis, whose plan was to build a levee not less than fifty feet wide on top from the city out to the main channel of the river, estimated the total cost at $29,648. It was thought at the time that this was the cheapest, most practical and most speedily built of any plan yet proposed.
For the fiscal year ending April, 1850, the total receipts of the city were $6,034.81, and at this time the balance against the city was $2,484. Among the items of expense were $425 for a powder house; $168 to Emerson & Shields for lime to sprinkle in the streets and alleys to ward off the cholera, and $100 to Drs. Boone and Holt for their services as a board of health.
In 1849-50 the Dubuque subscribers to the American Art Union of New York were Hon. George Green, Francis C. Smith, Timothy Mason, James Reid, Alfred L. Brown, Eustace H. Smith, A. D. Anderson, Harrison Holt, Thomas H. Benton, Jr., William J. Bar- ney (2), Stephen G. Fenimore and R. Spaulding. Five prizes were drawn by the Dubuquers as follows: Painting, "Jephtha's Dauglı- ter," worth $350, F. S. Smith, who had recently died; painting, "Sunset," S. G. Fenimore ; outline painting, W. J. Barney ; medals, Timothy Mason and R. Spaulding.
In February, 1850, Dubuque buyers paid more for wheat than was paid at any other point on the Mississippi-75 cents. Daven- port was paying 60 cents; Galena 60 cents; Bellevue 70 cents ; Catfish Mills 73 cents.
Early in 1850 Dubuque was connected by new mail routes with Iowa City, Bellevue, Andrew, Tipton, Delhi, Colesburg, Garnavillo and Muscatine. Major Mobley was connected with the Telegraph early in 1850; so was John B. Hogan. Mobley was a leading Whig, as also was George L. Nightingale; they quarreled over government patronage.
C. C. Hewitt, who had lived here many years, upon leaving for
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California in 1850, was thanked by the council for his untiring and fearless efforts to suppress cholera in 1849. B. M. Samuels was city attorney in 1849-50. J. H. Emerson was elected mayor in April, 1850. In April the register informed the council that he was instructed "to allow the constituted authorities of the city to enter certain tracts in front of it," whereupon the steps to enter such tracts were at once taken. At this time an ordinance giving justices of the peace concurrent jurisdiction with the mayor was passed. The smallpox was here again in 1850, but was checked at once. The old powder house stood on Eighth street. In June, 1850, the council ordered a complete survey from Lorimier's fur- nace up the inner slough, through the lake and across to Eagle Point, with a view of building a canal along the whole city front. Three members of the council and fifteen other citizens were placed in charge of this movement. They were E. Langworthy, L. D. Randall and H. V. Gildea, aldermen, and P. A. Lorimier, William Waples, M. McNamara, C. H. Booth, W. J. Barney, J. G. Shields, J. H. Thedinga, Peter Kiene, T. M. Craney, Mathias Ham, R. Plumbe, H. A. Wiltse, B. J. O'Halloran, H. S. Hethrington and Timothy Fanning. A steamboat channel sixty feet wide and four feet below low water was contemplated. Large quantities of fresh lime were scattered throughout the city in 1850 and all public places were cleansed. The powder house was ordered sold at public auc- tion to the highest bidder in August, 1850. Four public cisterns were ordered built for protection against fires. An election was ordered in 1850 on the question of borrowing $20,000 for use on the steamboat channel from Lorimier's up to Eagle Point. Six fire ladders and four fire hooks were bought in November, 1850. A meeting of the citizens was held and a fire company was organized at this time. They called themselves the "Hook and Ladder Fire Company." The vote on the question of securing a loan of $20,000 for the proposed steamboat channel was-for the loan 315. against the loan 14. D. Murphy was granted the privilege of mining in the graveyard upon paying to the city one-fifth of the minera! raised. M. McNear was allowed the same privilege on Fifth street. A harbor tax was ordered levied to meet the $20,000 authorized for harbor improvement. Abel Hawley was the contractor for the steamboat channel. It was found necessary to buy for $10,000 a large dredge boat to be used on the proposed steamboat channel.
In April, 1850, the citizens voted down the proposition to secure a loan of $10,000 for harbor improvement. Boats passed throughi Barney's cut to the wharf. "We announce the defeat of this meas- ure as we do the death of a friend-briefly and sorrowfully. On the first day of April, a majority of the citizens of Dubuque decided that they would have no harbor unless someone would make it for them." -- (Miners' Erpress, April 3, 1850. )
The Western hotel was burned in April, 1850; the city was with-
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out fire apparatus or fire organization. In April, 1850, the Dubuque Emigrating Association consisted of fifty-four men and twenty wagons bound for California. The organization occurred at Coun- cil Bluffs. Pratt & Co. owned the Catfish Mills. Mr. Codding, the mesmerist, then called "biologist," was here in June, 1850, and astonished all by his performances. The famous Dubuque Nursery stood about two hundred yards north of the city limits and embraced four acres on which, in 1850, were 12,000 apple trees; the pro- prietor was W. L. Johnson. Already much of the trade of the southwest was lost to Dubuque-the settlers going to Muscatine. The land office was reopened in October, 1850, with Mobley and McKnight in charge.
"A Town Full-The city of Dubuque is literally filled. There has been a greater call for houses within the last two months than ever before known. Houses are being finished every day, but are all engaged long before they are complete. More are building, how- ever ; don't be discouraged."-(Miners' Express, October 23, 1850. )
In 1850 H. S. Hetherington built four cisterns for the city and was paid $121.50. In November, 1850, corn was worth 20 to 25 cents, wheat 65 cents and live hogs $2.50 to $3. In November the livery stable of Lyman & Shomo was burned and nine horses out of sixteen perished. There were loud demands for a fire engine and fire organizations. The canal committee recommended in 1850 a steamboat channel from Lorimier furnace to Eagle Point through Lake Peosta and the sloughs; the council ordered 600 copies of the report printed and distributed. The committee recommended a channel 100 feet wide and four feet below the low water standard of Captain Barney ; total excavation to be 279,190 cubic yards ; length of improvement, 24,220 feet; cost of dredge, $8,000: two flatboats, $300; channel to be extra wide in places to permit boats to pass each other; the channel to skirt closely the inner shore line of Dubuque; distance by river from Lorimier furnace to Eagle Point, 25,800 feet ; shortening of the line would cause a quicker cur- rent ; stagnant water in the sloughs would be drained ; $20,000 must be raised to make this improvement, either by subscription or taxa- tion ; completion of the canal would advance property at once 25 per cent. At this date the steamboat arrivals were about 200 annually. With a charge to each of only $5 for each landing the wharfage would amount to $1,000 yearly. "Shall our city three years hence be without a harbor and out of debt or shall we, by creating the debt, construct a harbor worth $250,000 the moment it is com- pleted ? Without a harbor or any facilities to overcome the want of one, at an objectionable distance from the bank of the river and this bank separated from the main river by a series of sloughs often too shallow for steamboats, Dubuque has nevertheless derived her existence and growth from the navigation of the Mississippi. With these difficulties she has had constantly to struggle and by such
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efforts she has attained to sufficient size and capital to command a harbor of unsurpassed excellence." -- (Express, September 18, 1850; Report of the Harbor Committee. ) The committee reported against a boat canal from the main channel across the sloughs and islands to the city shore proper-boats would have to go back after coming in.
"The undersigned citizens of Dubuque and the adjoining counties most respectfully solicit and earnestly request our honorable mem- bers of Congress to obtain of the War Department the establish- ment of a military road, commencing at Dubuque and terminating at Fort Clark (Fort Dodge) on the Des Moines river :
M. M. Hayden, J. H. Emerson, J. M. Marsh, George M. Henry, Henry S. Hetherington, William Donnellan, Peter Waples, Charles Bogy, L. D. Randall, J. Sprague, Charles Corkery, Timothy Fan- ning, E. D. Turner, S. R. West, C. H. Booth, F. V. Goodrich, E. Langworthy, Owen Smith, I. E. Wootton, B. J. O'Halloran, Michael Nolan, Patrick Byrne, J. J. E. Norman, W. J. Sullivan, William Roche, Francis Mangold, J. L. Langworthy, A. H. Miller, Michael O'Brien, John Palmer, J. P. Farley, Jacob Christman, A. Linn and Dennis A. Mahony."
The object of this petition was, by opening such a road, to secure to Dubuque the trade at Fort Clark and other points on the upper Des Moines river ; that Fort previously had obtained all its supplies from Keokuk, which was distant 280 miles; Dubuque was distant only 180 miles. J. J. Abert of the topographical engineers, said : "By the Nicollet map the distance from Dubuque to Fort Clark is about 180 miles, and the distance from Fort Clark to the mouth of the Des Moines about 300 miles. This last distance is represented as the usual traveled distance with supplies, making the difference between the routes-both are land routes-of about 120 miles, the route from Dubuque being that much shorter. This fact gives to the Dubuque route great advantages. The only difference deserving of notice is that to arrive at Dubuque, the Mississippi has to be ascended about 200 miles; but as this distance during the season when supplies are forwarded can be passed by steamboats, it reduces a comparison of the difference on this account between the routes to 200 miles of steamboat navigation and 120 miles of land carriage. This fact also gives to the Dubuque route great advantages. Under all circumstances, therefore, the Dubuque route is much to be pre- ferred and the making of a road on this route would cost but little more than half for a road on the other route."
In 1851 the public square was ordered rented to the highest bidder ; grocery (wet) license was fixed at $150, and beer license at $75 per annum in May, 1851. Thomas S. Wilson was authorized to sell the city's $20,000 bonds in New York city.
Proposals for furnishing a steam ferry to ply between Dubuque and the Illinois shore were called for in June, 1851. At this time
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a proposition to build a suspension bridge across the Mississippi was received from A. G. Garver. The council considered building a plank road from Bluff street to the western boundary of the city in 1851. The proposition of S. L. Gregoire to furnish a steam ferry was accepted. The offer of T. Davis of ten acres and a house to be used as a hospital, at a cost of $625, was accepted by the council. In August, 1851, the ferry rates were fixed as follows: Footman, 10 cents ; man and horse, 25 cents ; wagon and two horses or oxen, 75 cents ; one horse and wagon, 50 cents; minors under 16 years, free ; minors over 16, 5 cents ; loose freight, 5 cents per 100 pounds ; cattle, per head, 10 cents ; each hog, sheep or calf, 3 cents. It was found necessary in August, 1851, to borrow more money to con- tinue the work on the harbor. The northern boundary of the city under the charter was ordered surveyed and marked. Early in Sep- tember, the contract to dredge the steamboat channel was signed with Abel Hawley. More city bonds were ordered issued to meet the harbor improvement expenses. The new graveyard boundaries were defined in October, 1851. The sum of $15 each was ordered paid to the Dubuque delegates to the "Rapids Convention." The cholera was here again in 1851. In December, 1851, the harbor bonds of $20,000 were cancelled and destroyed. In January, 1852, George W. Burton and others were granted the right to cut a canal through the island opposite First or Second street to intersect the channel through which steamboats were then admitted from the main river. The steam ferry boat of A. L. Gregoire was to be ready by April 15, 1852.
George L. Dickinson kept a popular temperance hotel in 1851. Cook, Sargent & Co. had an exchange banking house and land agency at this time. The land office and many land companies and firms made this city the liveliest real estate center west of Chicago.
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