USA > Iowa > Jackson County > History of Jackson County, Iowa; Volume I > Part 76
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1891-Mayor, Thos. Lambert ; recorder, E. C. Brown ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, S. E. Day; trustees, W. H. Bahne, M. H. Long, Paul Kempter, S. E. Day, J. C. Day, B. Beesley ; marshal, G. L. Mills.
1892-Mayor, Thos. Lambert ; recorder, W. E. Long ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, S. E. Day ; trustees, J. L. Kimbell, M. H. Long, B. Beesley, S. E. Day, J. C. Day, Paul Kempter ; marshal, F. M. Tienan.
1893-Mayor, Thos. Lambert ; trustees, M. H. Long, J. C. Day, Benj. Beesley, S. E. Day, J. L. Kimbell, Isaac D. Marr ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake ; marshal, G. L. Mills.
1894-Mayor, W. R. Oake; recorder, Fred Schramling; treasurer, J. Hil- singer ; trustees, C. B. Cotton, Thos. Thompson, J. C. Day, Benj. Beesley, J. L. Kimbell, M. H. Long ; marshal, F. L. Collier.
1895-Mayor, S. E. Day; recorder, W. E. Long ; trustees, M. H. Long, J. C. Day, Benj. Beesley, Thos. Thompson, I. D. Marr, C. B. Cotton; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake; marshal, G. L. Mills.
1896-Mayor, S. E. Day; recorder, W. E. Long; assessor, A. E. McDole; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; trustees, R. A. Schroeder, Thos. Thompson, I. D. Marr, B. Beesley, C. B. Cotton, J. C. Day ; marshal, G. L. Mills.
1897-Mayor. S. E. Day ; recorder, W. E. Long; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; as- sessor, A. E. McDole; trustees, J. C. Day, J. D. Gage, C. B. Cotton, I. D. Marr, Benj. Beesley, R. A. Schroeder ; marshal, Chas. H. Swift.
1898-Mayor, S. E. Day ; recorder, L. L. Esmay ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; as- sessor. W. R. Oake; trustees, Chas. Lambert, I. D. Marr, R. A. Schroeder, B. Beesley, J. H. Esmay, J. D. Gage ; marshal, H. B. Love.
1899 -- Mayor, S. E. Day; clerk, L. L. Esmay; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; as- sessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, J. H. Esmay, W. H. Eldredge, J. D. Gage, Chas. Lambert, B. Beesley, I. D. Marr ; marshal, H. B. Love.
1900 -- Mayor, W. H. Eldredge; clerk, W. E. Long; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, J. D. Smith, Chas. Babcock, J. H. Esmay, B. Beesley, Chas. Lambert, I. D. Marr ; marshal, H. B. Love.
1901-Mayor, W. H. Eldredge; clerk, W. E. Long; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, James Esmay, Geo. Edington, Chas. Babcock, B. Beesley, C. B. Cotton, J. D. Smith ; marshal, H. B. Love.
1902-Mayor, S. E. Day ; clerk, W. E. Long; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; asses- sor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, T. J. Shraum, Chas. Babcock, Benj. Beesley, J. D. Smith, Geo. Edington, C. B. Cotton; marshal, Harvey Provin.
1903-Mayor, S. E. Day ; clerk, W. E. Long ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, A. E. McDole, Geo. Edington, W. R. Oake, C. B. Cot- ton, T. J. Shraum, B. Beesley ; marshal, John McMahon, F. M. Tienan.
1904-Mayor, S. E. Day ; clerk, C. F. Esmay ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake ; councilmen, Henry Schultz, T. J. Harrison, A. E. McDole, B. Bees- ley, T. J. Shraum ; marshal, W. S. Denick.
1905-Mayor, S. E. Day ; clerk, C. F. Esmay ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, T. J. Shraum, B. Beesley, Henry Schultz, W. R. Oake, A. E. McDole, T. J. Harrison ; marshal, W. S. Denick.
1906-Mayor, A. E. McDole ; clerk, Wade Guenther ; treasurer, J. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, W. G. Newsome, Wmn. Flack, Henry Schultz, T. J. Shraum, T. J. Harrison, Benj. Beesley ; marshal, J. H. Cottrell. (Council-
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man Flack resigned at the July meeting and John G. Keller was elected to fill his unexpired term.) (Mayor McDole moved from city in March, 1907, and B. Beesley acted as mayor pro tem until spring election.)
1907-Mayor, S. E. Day; clerk, Wade Guenther ; treasurer, J. Kilsinger ; as- sessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, T. J. Shraum, A. B. Robinson, Geo. P. Whit- ney, T. J. Harrison, W. G. Newsome, John G. Keller ; marshal, F. Snover.
1908-Mayor, S. E. Day ; clerk, Wade Guenther ; treasurer, G. E. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake ; councilmen, W. G. Newsome, A. B. Robinson, T. J. Shraum, T. J. Harrison, Geo. P. Whitney, J. G. Keller ; marshal, Frank Snover.
1909-Mayor, S. E. Day; clerk, Wade Guenther ; treasurer, G. E. Hilsinger ; assessor, W. R. Oake; councilmen, T. J. Shraum, H. R. Rebman, Geo. P. Whit- ney, J. G. Keller, W. G. Newsome, T J. Harrison ; marshal, Frank Snover.
EVERGREEN CEMETERY.
Two acres, more or less, of land for cemetery purposes was purchased nearly twenty years before Sabula was incorporated of James Leonard, located a little over two miles northwest of the town. A subscription was raised by the citizens of the town to pay for this land which cost in the neighborhood of twenty-five dollars. There was no plat made of this burial tract and bodies were buried in- discriminately for nearly thirty years. In 1874 the town council purchased four acres adjoining the original tract and had it platted off into lots and roadways and a scale of prices arranged for the lots. This spot was fenced as was the old portion of the cemetery, evergreen trees planted and today it is as beautiful a "City of the Dead" as may be found in the county.
On March 6, 1882, the question "Shall the public square be donated to the in- dependent school district for schoolhouse purposes only?" was submitted to a vote of the people and carried by a vote of two hundred and seven to two.
At the meeting of the town council on September 10, 1894, a petition was pre- sented bearing the signatures of one hundred and fifty voters and asking the coun- cil to consider some kind of a proposition for the building of and maintaining of a public waterworks system. The proposition was submitted to a vote of the people on October 20, 1894, and carried by the vote of one hundred and ninety-three for and fifty-seven against. One hundred and fifty-seven men voted for the system and forty-nine against. Thirty-six women voted for and eight against the propo- sition. At the meeting of the council held on November 19, 1894, it was decided to issue water bonds to the extent of eight thousand, five hundred dollars.
The water system was completed and water turned into the mains on Thurs- day. March 14, 1895.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Two hose companies of eighteen men each were organized in March, 1895, and are known as Hose Company No. I and Hose Company No. 2. The first set of officers of Hose Company No. I comprised foreman, James McKillip ; assistant foreman, J. M. Cottral ; secretary, C. F. Esmay ; treasurer, W. E. Newsome. The different foremen since that time have been: 1896, James McKillip; 1897, C. F. Esmay; 1898, Jack Welch; 1899, C. F. Esmay; 1900, J. M. Cottral; 1901-2-3, J. M. Cottral; 1904, C. F. Esmay ; 1905-6, C. F. Esmay; 1907-8-9-10, Albert Spring. The present officers in full are foreman, Albert E. Spring; assistant foreman, Herman Koehler ; secretary, John Dallager : treasurer, W. E. Newsome.
Hose Company No. 2 has had but three foremen since their organization. The first was J. H. Esmay, who served several years. Mr. Esmay was followed by W. H. Eldredge, who served until 1910, when Charles Alton was elected. The present officers of No. 2 are: Foreman, Charles Alton; assistant foreman, Paul Bahne; second assistant foreman, Jacob Vicks; secretary, Albert L. Day ; treasurer, Charles Day.
Thomas Lambert served as fire marshal from the time the department was organized in 1895 to July 1, 1909, when his state official duties required that he should devote his time away from Sabula. His successor has not yet been chosen.
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY
At the city pump house a XXX pump and a thirty-two horsepower Fairbanks- Morse gas engine are located and in case of fire these are put into operation, giving the firemen the use of anywhere from sixty to one hundred pounds pressure.
MUSICAL ORGANIZATIONS.
Sabula has always enjoyed more or less fame from her bands, the little town of a thousand inhabitants never being without exceptional musical talent. The first of these bands was formed in 1857 and consisted of twelve or fifteen pieces. Under the leadership of Peter Bannick, a musician and composer of rare ability, the band became famous along the river from St. Louis to St. Paul. When the war of the Rebellion broke out many of the members enlisted and the organization was broken up. Two of the original members of this band are still living and reside in Sabula. They are John Esmay and Ramey Kin- dred. The former has the distinction of being the oldest pioneer photographer of the county and probably of eastern Iowa, having been in business here for sixty years and his work still compares favorably to the best, that can be found anywhere.
Returning to the original subject of musical organizations, we find another excellent band was that organized in 1875 with Thomas Esmay as leader. The Esmay band continued to play for nearly fifty years, while in the meantime another band sprang up known as the Day band under the leadership of Sey- mour E. Day and Sabula had two first class bands for several years. As players who belonged to these bands moved to other places or tired of the work, the two bands dwindled down to one and that generally a "pick up" until in 1895 J. H. Esmay, a younger member of the original Esmay band family, gathered together about eighteen of the young lads of the town and in a few years had the best band in this locality, known as the Sabula Brass and Concert Band. This band played many engagements in eastern Iowa and western Illinois and kept together for about eight years. Mr. Esmay moved to Wyoming and a year or two later Albert L. Day, a son of the old Day band leader, commenced working up a juvenile band which today numbers twenty pieces and the Sabula Juvenile has an excellent reputation for fifty miles in every direction. It is still in a flourishing condition and Sabula's reputation as a good band town bids fair to be upheld for a few years to come at least.
Sabula's only literary organization is the Shakespeare club which meets biweekly at the homes of its members and reads the plays of the English poet, with occasional banquets to please the inner man as well as feed the mind.
THE SABULA COMMERCIAL CLUB.
An organization of town boosters, who are on the alert to land factories and other enterprises, had its birth on Monday evening, January 31, 1910, and starts out with a membership of over sixty which will be increased to seventy-five or one hundred before this volume gets to press. The officers of the club are:
President-W. G. Newsome.
Vice President-S. E. Day.
Secretary-Paul W. Keller.
Treasurer-G. E. Hilsinger.
Executive committee-C. B. Cotton, Henry Schultz, Dr. H. R. Rebman.
The club held a big banquet on Tuesday evening, March Ist, and already has strings out for several small industries and is advertising Sabula as a summer resort.
SABULA FROM A BUSINESS STANDPOINT.
Sabula's biggest industry is the plant of the Iroquois Button company, which gives employment to sixty-five hands winter and summer and pays out
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY
for labor over forty thousand dollars a year. This factory is one of several operated in various parts of the country by Harvey Chalmers & Son, the millionaire button manufacturers of Amsterdam, New York. Mr. Barney Binhoff is superin- tendent of the local plant and has been since it started up nearly five years ago. Other smaller manufacturing plants are the Wisdom & Son stave mill, Walker & Kimbell, cement block and post manufacturers, J. F. Runkle, creamery.
The only bank in Sabula is the private banking institution of J. Hilsinger & Son, founded in 1872 by the late Hon. J. Hilsinger, and although financial flurries have passed over the nation many times since that date, this bank has never given its depositors one minute of worry and has maintained a strictly cash on the spot method of doing business. It is needless to say that this bank has the confidence of a large clientage. The bank is under the personal super- vision of Hon. G. E. Hilsinger with W. G. Newsome as cashier.
Four large general stores are those of A. W. Day & Son, the pioneer estab- lishment in its line ; W. T. Berner, Thos. Thompson and Paul W. Keller. The hardware line is handled by J. C. Day, one of the oldest merchants in the county who has been in business here continuously since 1851-nearly sixty years. C. G. Eldredge has the drug store, another old established trade founded by the present proprietor's father, the late Wade H. Eldredge, in the sixties. Sabula has two meat markets, both conducted by J. P. Busch, who came to Sabula from his native land, Denmark, nearly thirty years ago. J. D. Gage & Son have a well stocked harness store, while the blacksmithing and horseshoe- ing is attended to by J. G. Keller (in business here for over twenty-five years) and J. H. Kruse, a newer arrival. Both are excellent workmen. Chas. Lambert has a fine restaurant in a substantial brick block which he but recently built and holds a good trade, built up during fifteen years on one corner. Other restaurants are those of Geo. F. Manning and Emil Weihs, both of these young men embarking in business the first month of the present year. F. H. Wulff handles the furniture and undertaking and has been in business about twenty years. Mrs. F. M. Guenther is the only milliner, and her period of business life dates back to 1897. Sabula has two saloons, both conducted on a higher plane than is found in many places. They are the establishments of Miller & Mann- ing and the Sabula house bar, operated by Wm. Schepler. Other lines of busi- ness are J. F. Goos and Peter Hundevard, barbers; E. L. Smith, livery ; Dr. H. R. Rebman, dentist; Drs. A. R. Lynn and F. D. Ayers, physicians and sur- geons ; N. M. Sorenson, shoemaker ; J. G. Lambert, boat livery ; D. G. Whitney, wagonmaker ; White Bros., dray and ice business; Fred Rathje, groceries and notions ; F. J. Tienan, pool room.
Schramling & Cotton, the local lumbermen, have extensive yards here and also operate their own planing mill. They also own a mill in the pine lands of northern Minnesota where they cut their own lumber, ship it to their mill at Sabula where it is dressed for their yards at this place and Savanna, Illinois. The firm consists of John F. Schramling and C. B. Cotton, both thoroughly versed in the lumber business.
SABULA'S NEWSPAPERS.
Sabula's first newspaper was the Sabula Tribune, founded by C. N. Beecher in 1856, published one year and then suspended. It was republican in politics. In 1862 the Gazette company was formed and commenced publishing a republi- can paper called the Gazette. This paper later became democratic. The first to wield the editorial pen was R. B. Rice, and he was succeeded by John Kulp. J. F. H. Sugg, who later took charge, changed the name of the publication to the Eastern Iowan and he was succeeded by Alex B. Fanning, who called the paper the Sabula Union. The paper next came into the hands of Dr. J. F. Fairbank, a writer of wit and ability, who restored it to its old name, the Gazette. Dr. Fairbank & Sons published the paper until 1879 when it was
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY
purchased by Frank B. Hand. This gentleman in turn sold it to Gray & Lam- bert (Alex. Gray and Thos. Lambert) in 1880. Mr. Gray was soon after taken sick and within six months had passed away. Mr. Lambert purchased his partner's interest and is still owner of the Gazette. Under the latter's manage- ment the Gazette has grown from a small four page paper to an eight column sheet of eight pages with a circulation of one thousand eight hundred. It is equipped with the latest and best machinery including a large cylinder news- paper press, Junior linotype machine, two job presses, folder, gas engine and has six people on its payroll. In July, 1909, Mr. Lambert was appointed a member of the finance committee of the state educational institutions and turned the editorship and business management over to Wade Guenther, who had served as local editor for seven years previous. Besides the Sabula pages the paper includes as subheads, the Preston Independent and Miles Reporter. "The Trapper's World," a monthly publication, devoted to trapping, hunting and fishing and outdoor life in general, is published by David E. Allyn, of Sabula. It is a magazine of one hundred and thirty-two pages and goes to every state in the Union, Mexico, Canada and nineteen foreign countries.
The pork packing industry was for a period of twenty years a valuable asset to the business life of Sabula. It was established in 1860 by Perley G. and Josiah Stiles, who in that year butchered and packed five hundred and eighty-eighty hogs and gradually increased their output until in 1878, they slaughtered ninety-one thousand eight hundred hogs, ranking fourth of all the cities of Iowa in the pork packing industry. Their plant consisted of a three story building of brick and stone, forty by three hundred and sixty feet long to which was later added an addition which made the total dimensions of the mammoth structure seventy by three hundred and sixty feet, with four floors making floor space of over two acres. Besides this the pens occupied almost an entire block and an ice house on an adjoining lot had a capacity of ten thousand tons of ice. About two hundred men were employed during the winter months and during the summer most of these same men worked in the sawmill and lumber yards of E. and M. H. Long. June 23, 1878, the Iowa Packing Company was incorporated by Oliver McMahan, Isaiah Goldy, Josiah and Perley G. Stiles, with a paid up capital of one hundred thousand dollars and continued the business for a number of years. The business changed hands twice thereafter and the large packing concerns of the city (the trusts of today) gradually killed the business of the small packer and in 1904 the mammoth structure was razed to the ground by a Chicago wrecking company for the material it contained.
In 1869, a flouring mill of two runs of stone was constructed by Risley & Day, who operated it until 1872, when after a short period of idleness the mill was sold to Young Brothers, who enlarged the capacity to three hundred and ninety bushels of wheat a day and for several years ran the mill eighteen hours out of twenty-four. In August, 1878, a third partner, Beesley was taken into the firm. During the '80's the mill changed hands several times and was finally torn down and a residence now marks the spot where it once stood.
Young Brothers put up an oatmeal mill in 1877 on the river front and after- ward sold it to Sugg & Lambert. This mill was destroyed by fire some six or seven years later and was never rebuilt.
The lumber industry was once a flourishing one in Sabula as it was in most river towns up to a period of twenty years ago. E. & M. H. Long came from Ga- lena to Sabula in 1863 and in 1871 built a frame sawmill, which they equipped with the best machinery on the market at that time. The capacity of the Long mill was about twenty-five thousand feet per day and the mill ran from April to No- vember. The mill was operated for about twenty years steadily. Since then some custom sawing has been done and it is now owned by John Wisdom & Son, stave manufacturers.
A planing mill was built in 1875 by D. L. Bowen & Son and for a number
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY
of years they handled dressed lumber, the capacity of their mill being about ten thousand feet a day.
Francis Esmay built a planing mill, costing five thousand dollars in 1870, and the capacity of this plant was fifty thousand feet daily. This mill was burned in 1877, and rebuilt the year following. It is still in running order and is used by Schramling & Cotton, the local lumber firm, to dress the lumber which they bring down from their sawmill located in the pinelands of northern Minnesota. The mill is not run regularly, being operated only as occasion demands.
TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES.
In 1870 the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad Company built a line south from Dubuque to Clinton, which passed under the bluff just back of the corporation, but the first railroad track to cross the city boundaries was the Sabula, Ackley, & Dakota, which was begun in 1870 and finished clear through to Marion by 1872. Union township voted a tax of five per cent. to aid in the construction of this railroad. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company later came into possession of the road and are still operating it. For the first ten years of the road's history the cars were ferried across the Mississippi River at this point on the company's steam ferryboat "William Osborne." This boat car- ried four cars at a trip and transferred as high as one hundred and fifty cars in a day. In the fall of 1880, the company began the construction of an iron bridge across the Mississippi and in the course of two years it was completed but not until several lives had been lost and many workmen injured in the course of its construction, the work being extremely hazardous. In 1906, the old bridge was torn down and a new one forty per cent. heavier built in its place. One man, Wil- liam Thornburg, lost his life on this job, falling from one of the highest points of the bridge while painting the completed structure. Several other workmen were more or less seriously injured. This bridge is operated by electricity and an elec- tric block system is used in handling the trains as they approach the bridge. Ben- jamin Beesley, who has charge of the apparatus daytimes has been on the bridge nearly thirty years as has also J. M. and Jacob Berry, assistants. Frank W. Bow- ers is the man in charge nights. John Maloney, the present station agent of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company at Sabula has held that position for about twenty-five years and is the oldest station agent in point of service on the division. He also handles the Wells Fargo express business.
The ferry business between Sabula and Savanna, a distance of a trifle over two miles from landing to landing, dates back to pioneer days when Ike Dorman, as early as 1837, operated a scow. Wade H. Eldredge established the first horse ferry in 1850. The first steam ferry was operated by Jacob Oswald and Matt Hodson in 1859. The steam ferry finally gave way to a horse ferry owned by Captain Kimbell, of East Dubuque, which was run by Captain Sam Marsden and later by John Woolweever. Thomas Lambert and J. L. Kimbell had a steam ferry built in 189- called the "Midget," which they operated for some ten or twelve years This was purchased by H. H. Leonard, who dismantled it and had a fine stern wheel steamer the "H. L." built for the traffic between the two towns. Busi- ness did not justify the use of so costly a boat, and it was sold to an excursion company and a twenty-four foot gasoline launch, the "Hiawatha" entered the ser- vice. Captain Leonard sold his business to G. L. Manning, who in turn disposed of it. Whitney Brothers, the purchasers, still run the "Hiawatha" and have entered another boat, the "Irene D." in the Sabula-Clinton trade. This firm is composed of George P. and Walter W. Whitney, both of whom are hustlers and thoroughly understand the boat business.
CHURCH AND RELIGIOUS LIFE.
Sabula has at present four church organizations each owning their own church edifice. The denominations represented are Congregational, Methodist, Christian Science and Roman Catholic.
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY .
The first of these to establish church in the settlement was the Methodist, the Sabula charge of that creed being established as a part of the Rock River confer- ence in 1839. It was later made a part of the Iowa conference and still later set off as in the Upper Iowa conference, where it has since remained. It was first a part of what was known as the Charleston circuit, named for this city, then called Charleston. This circuit embraced Lyons, Camanche, Dewitt and Maquo- keta. This was in a few years changed to the Sabula circuit, including besides Sabula, Maquoketa and Copper Creek. The next change put Vernon Prairie, Teed's Grove and Mt. Algor into the Sabula circuit. In 1870 the charge was changed to the Sabula charge and included only Sabula, Sterling and Fairview.
The first Methodist sermon, or in fact, the first sermon of any kind, preached in Charleston (now Sabula) was in September, 1893, by Rev. B. H. Cartwright, in the home of Wm. Hubbell and the first class was comprised of James and So- phia Murphy, James Canfield and a Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Mr. Murphy being chosen leader.
The first Methodist Episcopal church building was commenced in 1843 and completed in 1844 by Rev. John Walker.
The present church edifice on the corner of Elk and Washington streets was begun in 1853, but was not completed until 1865, when the church was dedicated by Rev. A. J. Kynett. This edifice was remodeled in 1872 until it appeared to be almost a new building and has since been repaired and improved and but a few years ago was refurnished throughout making it a very neat and comfortable house of worship with a seating capacity of nearly three hundred. In 1877 a resi- dence property on the opposite side of the street was purchased for a parsonage and was used as such until 1908 when under the vigorous leadership of Rev. A. C. Brackett money was raised with which to purchase the commodious residence ad- joining the church on the north and known as the Canfield property, for two thousand dollars.
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