USA > Iowa > Jones County > History of Jones County, Iowa, past and present, Volume I > Part 44
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They brought them to our house, and we had to lay them around the stove to thaw out, so as to get their clothes off. My mother and some others of the neigh- bors staid with the children all the time until after the funeral. They found the horses just where he had unhitched them. They had not moved out of their tracks. It took hard work to get them to the house. They lived, but were not able to do any thing the rest of the winter. This happened two weeks before Christmas. Wades had planned to have a big dinner on Christmas and invited several of the neighbors. They had their turkey killed and hung up to freeze. So on Christmas all the neighbors that were expecting to be there, baked up all sorts of good things and took them there, and cooked the turkey and had all the children sit down and eat together for the last time as they had to be separated. All the neighbors that could, took a child to keep until they could do better. One of the smaller ones lived with us for several years. I should have said that the men got together and appraised the stock and household goods and made an auction. And after the funeral expenses were paid divided the balance among the children. There were no legal proceedings, and no one charged any thing for his services although some spent days attending to it.
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I should have stated before that our second postmaster was G. W. Lammon. He came soon after the Monticello house was built. He built a small, one story building on the east side of Main street between First and Grand streets. My memory picture of it is as plain as if I were now looking at it. On one side there was a counter and some shelves back of that. At one end there were some pigeon holes for the mail, and the rest of the shelves were filled with different articles, a few pieces of calico, some muslin and denims, and on the lower shelves some shelf hardware, tinware, spices, etc. On the other side of the room was a strong bench running the length of the room that held barrels, one each of sugar, mo- lasses, vinegar and whiskey. Anyone could get from a glass to a gallon. His business outgrew the place, and he moved somewhere near the railroad, and went into partnership with Enoch Jones in the dry goods business. They also kept the wet goods and the postoffice. The venture proved too much for Lammon, and he lost nearly all he had. I don't remember who the next postmaster was.
About this time Jackson Peak, William Hogg and George Bacon built a frame building near the depot and put in quite a nice stock of goods. I remember Mr. Bacon used to say, "This store is run principally by hogs" and pointing to Mr. Hogg would say : "He's a hog and I am the best part of a hog."
I don't remember anything special that happened until the surveyors came to survey for the D. S. W. R. R. from Dubuque to Anamosa. Then we began to prick up our ears for scarcely one of us had ever seen a railroad or a car. The Langworthys of Dubuque were the principal figures in getting stock for the road. James Langworthy was the main one. He induced a great many people to take stock in the road, and made them believe they would be getting dividends as soon as the road got to running. He got them to mortgage a piece of land to secure the purchase price of the stock subscribed for, and afterward the com- pany sold out to another road. After some time the mortgages were foreclosed, and if the land did not bring what the mortgages called for, the parties who were worth it, had to pay the deficiency. No one ever realized a cent from the stock.
James Langworthy came out to collect for some of the stock, and while he was having some excitement about it on the depot platform, he suddenly fell dead. I don't think the stockholders grieved very much, for they all felt very bitter towards him.
I remember that nearly everyone that could walk, went to the depot when the first train came through. Several got on and rode to Anamosa and back. I remember I rode down to Anamosa when it had been running a week or so. My mother almost held her breath until I got home again, she was so afraid the cars would run off and kill all who were on them. She had some reason for her fears, for the first two or three trips they had some serious accidents. Once they killed the conductor and some others. I think there were no others on at the time but the railroad men. The road bed was not sufficiently settled they said.
They only had one coach the first year and on the first Fourth of July, af- terward, there was a celebration at Anamosa, so they hitched on some cattle cars and covered them with green branches of trees, and made some rough seats along the sides. I rode in one of them and enjoyed the ride as much as we do now
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in a palace coach. Charlie Wales was in the crowd, and kept us all laughing by singing comic songs. I think the road was built in '58 and '59.
Nothing happened that I remember of until 1860, when the stone store known far and wide as Proctor's store was built. The date is cut on a stone on front of the store. Samuel Wales, father of C. E. Wales commonly called "Gov- ernor" Wales, built it. That Fourth of July we had about as big a celebration as Monticello ever had. C. E. Wales and the Marvins, I think, were the main ones in getting it up. C. E. Wales got up the dinner and all who know him, know that he never did anything by halves. He hired colored cooks from Du- buque, built brick ovens to do the baking in and had all kinds of fowls and meats, including dozens of baked pigs, besides all other things that go to make up a good dinner. There was a very nice little grove where Proctor's barns and woodyard are now. There the tables were set. There were several very long ones and all were filled many times. After the celebrating he had roast pigs and other things to give away. They had a band from somewhere, and had girls to represent each state carrying flags and marching. I remember I felt some- what disgraced for they gave me Louisiana, and you know at that time there were quite bitter feelings between the north and south. Andrew Marvin drilled us.
The store building was enclosed and the floors laid, so at night they had a dance on the lower floor as it was all in one room, and made quite a large hall. They carried all the eatables upstairs and had a big supper for all who staid to the dance. I did not stay, but those who did said they had a grand time. This was the last Fourth of July celebration that I took an active part in, for I was married soon after, and for a number of years, was too busy trying to take care of my little family, to do much outside of the household.
In '61 the war was declared, and you know the excitement and sadness we all had to endure. There were many sad scenes as fathers, mothers, wives and sweethearts bade the soldier boys "good-eye." Very many times it was a last good-bye. From this time on, unto the present, there are people living in Mon- ticello who know as much or more than I do of the events that have combined to make the history of the town.
I submit this meager account of the early days at the request of Mrs. Kate Mirick, hoping that it may instruct the younger people in the things of the past. MARTHA J. GALLAGHER.
THE VILLAGE OF MONTICELLO INCORPORATED.
In the spring of 1867, the good people of Monticello, after having waded through mud and slush and having received a vision of streets lined with sub- stantial sidewalks, and of the benefits to be derived from incorporation. longed to assume the garments of cityhood. It was talked over on rainy days when the people could not go out to cultivate their hops and other crops, it was consid- ered on the street corners and preached from the dry goods boxes, and finally took form in the call for a meeting of the citizens of Monticello in Davenport Hall on Saturday evening, April 13, 1867.
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At this meeting, the records disclose the following report :
"At a meeting of the citizens of Monticello in Davenport hall on Saturday evening, April 13, 1867, for the purpose of considering the practicability of in- corporating the town, C. E. Wales was chairman and Prof. Allen, secretary. After some general remarks, J. Davidson offered the following:
"Resolved, that it is the sense of this meeting that the material interests of the town demand that it should be incorporated.
"Remarks were made by S. Y. Bradstreet, A. J. Monroe, Rev. E. P. Kim- ball. Dr. Simington, M. M. Moulton and F. J. Tyron, and after reading a por- tion of the law on the subject, the resolution was adopted.
On motion a committee of three consisting of A. J. Monroe, A. H. Marvin and M. M. Moulton was appointed to draft a proper petition to the county court for incorporation.
"On motion of M. R. Gurney, a committee consisting of C. E. Wales, M. R. Gurney and A. H. Marvin was appointed to circulate the petition for signatures."
From other records we learn that about two-thirds of the citizens signed the petition. The petition was presented to the court and the same was granted. September 17. 1867, was the date set for the election of the first town officers. At this election S. Y. Bradstreet was elected mayor by fifty-three majority ; C. E. Wales, N. P. Starks, J. L. Davenport, Stanley R. Howard and P. O. Babcock were elected trustees, and F. J. Tyron, recorder. A newspaper account of this election states that "all the officers are perpendicular republicans." Possibly the citizens of that day would better understand what that term "per- pendicular" means. A resident of today states that some of the later officers were not perpendicular republicans, though he did not say they were not hon- orable men.
Of this election, the editor of The Monticello Express at that time gives the following hopeful view of the future of Monticello:
"Monticello has cast off the swaddling clothes of infancy and assumed the garments of strength and young manhood. She is no longer a country village content with an apple sauce and ginger-bread future, but rather metropolitan in her ideas, tastes and aspirations. Visions of broad sidewalks, Nicholson pave- ments and horse-railroads, already flit before the mind's eye of her enterprising citizens, and the time when our young city shall count ten thousand people is not far distant.
"If some judicious and systematic plan of improvement be now adopted by our city authorities, our town will be one of the most inviting as a residence in Iowa. Nature has given us a beautiful and healthy location; commodious churches are already erected; our schools have an established reputation for su- periority, and a more orderly and peaceful town is not to be found. All that seemed to be wanting was well organized and definite action for grading of streets, building of sidewalks, and general improvements. We now have the legal organization, and if our citizens are alive to their interests, we shall con- tinue on the high road to prosperity."
Since that time Monticello has met with her portion of the prosperity of the county. The residence district was built up with fine residences and comfortable homes. the business district was enlarged, new stores and new industries grew
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and flourished. The town was inhabited with a peaceful and happy people, the moral and spiritual side of life as well as the physical was carefully guarded.
In 1895, the population had so increased, that the two thousand mark was passed and the town became eligible to become a city of the second class with all of its incidental advantages and dignities. Accordingly the city was divided into three wards in the year 1896. The population as given by the census since 1870 is as follows : 1870, 1337; 1875, 1587; 1880, 1877; 1885, 1826; 1890, 1938; 1895, 2079; 1900, 2104; 1905, 2156.
THE PRINCIPAL FIRES.
In common with most towns, Monticello has had some thorns with her roses, and her onward progress has been checked by the unwelcome flames at various times during her seventy odd years of existence. We give herewith a record pre- pared by M. M. Moulton in the History of 1879, supplemented by the principal fires since that time. .
The first fire was that of D. S. Dewey's two story frame sawmill, at East Monticello, in March, 1855; loss, four thousand dollars, no insurance.
In April, 1864, the two story shop and horse stable of N. W. Austin was burned. Loss on building, five hundred dollars; contents, horse, one hundred dollars; tools, hay and grain, one hundred dollars; one horse belonging to Mr. Ketchum, one hundred dollars. Total, eight hundred dollars. No insurance. The fire was the work of an incendiary .. Mr. Austin had been prosecuting wit- ness in a certain liquor suit, and is supposed to have lost his shop and barn as a result.
In May, 1864, the frame stable of G. Slade was destroyed by fire. It was Sunday evening, just after services had commenced at the M. E. church, that the fire was discovered. Several prosecutions had been commenced against the sa- loon keepers for the illegal sale of intoxicating beverages.
Some parties had hid a keg of whiskey in the stable where it was found by some boys, who had been taking a "nip" from it daily, and they concluded to take a swig before attending church, and, as it was dark, lighted a match that they might see; the match fell into the dry hay, and the building was in flames in a moment. Loss on building, five hundred dollars; contents, one hundred dollars; one span of horses, two hundred dollars. Total, eight hundred dollars. No insurance.
July 5, 1864, the restaurant and saloon owned and kept by J. P. Sleeper was destroyed by fire, and was a total loss of about two thousand dollars; no in- surance. The fire is supposed to have been caused by fire works on the 4th.
A fire occurred on the 26th of July, 1868, and was supposed to be an in- cendiary fire. The following buildings were totally destroyed: M. M. Moulton's two story building on lot 503; loss two thousand dollars. Loss to Odd Fellows lodge, two hundred dollars; loss of Good Templar's lodge, two hundred dollars. Insurance, eight hundred dollars. H. D. Sherman's butter in the cellar, five hundred dollars ; no insurance.
H. M. Wright's book store; loss on building and contents, two thousand dol- lars ; fully insured.
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C. A. Whiting's barber-shop; loss on building and contents, two thousand dollars, also fully insured.
October 12, 1869, occurred another incendiary fire, and four buildings were destroyed, viz .: W. E. Berry's saloon, loss two thousand dollars, insured; the building was occupied by Warriner & Monroe, loss to them, two hundred dollars; no insurance. McCormick & Kennedy's store; loss on building and contents, two thousand, five hundred dollars, fully insured. N. M. Smith's drug store and contents, two thousand, five hundred dollars; no insurance. The building owned by Dr. Smith, occupied by J. Davidson with postoffice; loss on con- tents, two hundred dollars; no insurance. Gardiner & Dunham's building, dam- aged to the amount of one thousand dollars; fully insured.
December 9, 1869, a partial loss by fire of C. A. Whiting's drug store; loss on building, five hundred dollars; fully insured.
C. J. Conley's loss on contents, one thousand dollars. This fire was supposed to be the result of incendiary causes.
January 23, 1870, C. E. Wales' residence was damaged by fire about one thousand dollars; fully insured.
April 14, 1870, Mr. Reiger's building was damaged about eight hundred dol- lars; insured.
Damage to Hany building and contents (grocery), one thousand four hun- dred dollars ; insurance, four hundred and fifty dollars.
Meat market of William Peterson, building and contents, one thousand dol- lars; no insurance.
W. Stambaugh's hardware store; loss on building, one thousand dollars; loss to M. Haran on contents, five thousand dollars; fully insured.
December 12, 1871, E. E. Burdick's tenement house at East Monticello; loss eight hundred dollars; insured.
February 11, 1872, loss by fire of Hibbard, Frost & Wood, of frame flour- ing mill, fourteen thousand dollars; no insurance.
Dexter Page's foundry and machine shop building; loss one thousand, five hundred dollars; no insurance.
E. B. Kinsella's warehouse burned; loss, five hundred dollars; loss to Pat Hopkins on contents, one hundred and fifty dollars; fully insured.
John Kinsella's ware-house; loss, five hundred dollars; also insured. Lang- worthy & Holt, contents in same, one thousand five hundred dollars; insured.
Pat Washington's warehouse; loss, seven hundred dollars; no insurance. Hake & Rohn, grain in same, one thousand dollars; fully insured.
A. J. Monroe's barn; loss, one hundred and fifty dollars; not insured.
B. Stuart's barn; loss one hundred dollars; insured for fifty dollars.
W. E. Herrick's tools in mill; loss, one hundred dollars. E. Grissenger's tools in mill, loss. one hundred dollars. The mill was set on fire in the night.
March 28, 1872, A. J. Monroe's barber-shop and law office; loss, five hundred dollars ; insured.
April 23, 1872. D. L. Norcross' dwelling house; loss eight hundred dollars; insured.
September 29. 1877. a dwelling that belonged to the estate of David Young, damaged by fire. five hundred dollars; insured.
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February 27, 1879, stone flouring mill of H. S. Pope & Bro .; loss, eight thou- sand dollars; insured for five thousand one hundred dollars.
March 28, 1879, brick residence of D. S. Kinsella; loss, three thousand dol- lars; insurance, two thousand, five hundred dollars.
June 5, 1879, tin-shop of F. S. Dunham; damage to building, five hundred dollars; damage to contents, three thousand dollars; fully insured.
Dr. W. A. Mirick's office contents, damages, fifty dollars; Dr. Henry's office contents ; damages, fifty dollars; no insurance.
Damage to Mrs. Derbin's building, one hundred dollars; damage to contents, four hundred dollars; fully insured.
August 15, 1879, damage to James Young's residence, one hundred dollars; insured.
After this date we cannot find that any record has been kept of the several fires which have visited Monticello. We learn, however, that in the year 1894 there were two destructive fires.
On October 18, 1894, the following losses were sustained : Isaac Rigby, livery, one thousand eight hundred dollars; Miller Brothers, livery stock, three thou- sand dollars; W. H. Procter, warehouse, one thousand five hundred dollars ; John McConnon, stock of feed. one thousand dollars; William G. Wales, agricultural implements, four thousand dollars; Dennis Liddy, blacksmith shop, one thou- sand dollars; Dr. J. E. Gilmore, barn, three hundred dollars; Abijah Bickford, livery, one thousand dollars; Henry Eilers, livery stock, two thousand dollars; Dr. W. W. Hunter, one thousand seven hundred dollars; Wm. Welch, three hun- dred dollars.
On December 27, '1894, fire losses : W. F. Rohn, six thousand dollars; Ur- sula Prader, six thousand, three hundred dollars; Mrs. C. A. Wood, nine hundred and fifty dollars ; B. D. Hauessler, two hundred dollars; Anna King, three hun- dred dollars.
November 30, 1902. This was one of the most destructive fires which ever visited the town of Monticello. The block opposite the opera house was de- stroyed, the origin of the fire not being fully known, but from the best informa- tion obtainable at the time it was supposed to have been from combustion in the coal in the basement.
The following were the losses sustained at this fire: Eastwood & Chase, building and contents, thirty-one thousand dollars; George Stuhler's Sons, goods damaged, eight thousand dollars; Dr. George Inglis, eight hundred dollars; At- torney. E. E. Reed, five hundred dollars; J. M. Sleeper, stock and household goods, four thousand dollars; P. J. Monier, one hundred dollars ; Bell Telephone Company, three hundred dollars; Electric Light company, seventy-five dollars; Dr. F. A. Hefner, dentist, one thousand dollars.
There have been several small fires since that date, but we have been unable to secure the amount of the losses sustained. The cold storage plant of the Dia- mond Creamery Company was destroyed about fifteen years ago, with consid- erable loss to the company.
The volunteer fire company as organized at present is a potent factor in re- ducing the fire losses. There is a good water pressure. and the hose is kept in
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good working order. Occasional drills keep the fire laddies in readiness for emergencies.
THE POSTOFFICE.
The people of today do not look forward to the arrival of the semi-daily mail any more eagerly, or perhaps with less than one half the eagerness, than the residents of Monticello and vicinity did sixty or seventy years ago. To re- ceive their mail twice a week was among the luxuries of the day. Far from home, relatives and native land, surrounded by the forests, the howl of the coyote, and covered mostly with the blue sky, their meat what nature and a good shot provided, the missive from mother, brother or neighbor far away, and the newspaper with its brief chronicle of national events in those days of stirring progress, these made the arrival of the stage coach a very popular event. The weekly mail from Dubuque to Iowa city, the territorial capital of Iowa, was con- sidered good service.
The first postoffice was established in Monticello in 1847. It has been said that the postoffice was established in 1841, but the official records do not bear out this claim. Tradition also has it that Daniel Varvel was the first postmaster. It may be true that Daniel Varvel performed some of the functions of the postmaster and assumed the dignity of a mail carrier. He carried the mail around in his hat. When he met any enquirer for mail, he doffed his hat, allowed the enquirer to look through the mail for such as was directed to him. The credit for keeping the postoffice while he was postmaster has been given to his wife.
The first postmaster at Monticello was William Clark. His appointment is dated January 4, 1847. On the 8th of November, 1849, the postoffice was discontinued and on January 9, 1850. the Monticello postoffice was re- established and on that date Daniel Varvel was appointed postmaster. Following Mr. Varvel with the dates of their appointment, the postmasters have been : John W. Moore. March 20, 1854; Thompson C. West, December 12, 1855; George W. Lammon, August 24. 1857; Nathan Comstock, April 20, 1861 ; Edward T. Mel- lett. March 7, 1864; James Davidson, June 7, 1866; John Blanchard, December 15, 1879; P. O. Babcock, January 15, 1884; L. T. Alexander, March 30, 1887; Marshal W. Herrick, January 8, 1890; L. T. Alexander, October 20, 1893; Dan- iel E. Pond. the present incumbent, January 10, 1898.
From this early start, which was among the first in the county, as in all other towns, the postoffice has been a much frequented spot. It is now an office of the third class, the salary of the postmaster being one thousand, nine hundred dollars per annum.
There are now four rural mail routes established at Monticello. The first route was established March 15, 1900. This was one of the earliest routes estab- lished in the county. Route No. 2 was established December 1, 1902; Route No. 3 on the same date, and Route No. 4, January 2, 1906. The mail carriers on these rural mail routes at the present time are : No. I, Fred F .. Matheson ; No. 2, Edgar G. - Brazelton : No. 3, Ira M. Rodman; No. 4. Charles A. Cramer. The postoffice at Monticello now receives five mails each day, except Sunday, three in the morning and two in the evening.
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JOHN O. DUER POST NO. 176 G. A. R.
It is to be regretted that the history of this veteran organization is not avail- able. It was organized about 1880 with about forty members. Later in its his- tory its membership numbered over seventy-five. There have been no regular meetings for several years. The ranks have been depleted by removals, some in answer to the roll call in the camp of the departed, others to various points of activity.
No Woman's Relief Corps has been organized in Monticello. The ladies have taken an active part in the Decoration day exercises, but have never organized.
HISTORY OF EDUCATION AND MONTICELLO SCHOOLS.
(The following history of the Monticello public schools was condensed from a paper prepared by Mrs. Edward Templeton in 1907 for the Friday club as one of a series of historical essays. The paper is replete with interesting histori- cal data and prepared by Mrs. Templeton after careful research to secure the facts.)
A claim which covered a large part of the ground on which Monticello now stands was entered in the year 1836 by two young unmarried men-Daniel Var- vel and William Clark. They were the only white men in the vicinity during the winter of 1836-7, but in the spring other settlers came, and they continued to come in such numbers that on the 7th of December, 1838, a meeting was held at the house of Barrett Whittemore of Bowen's Prairie to form a county organization.
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