USA > Iowa > Linn County > History of Linn County Iowa : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 45
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And he always did as it was intimated he would do.
His manufacturing industries were many and varied. He built and operated saw and flour mills, woollen and knitting factories, at one time conducting two saw mills in the eity, one on eaeli side of the Cedar. He also at one time ran a saw mill on Indian Creek, south of town. He built a stareh factory at McCloud's Run, and when this failed owing to the dismissal by his foreman of the only man who knew the secrets of the manufacture he converted the mill into a distillery, thus making a market for the corn raised in the county.
Some of his early account books are now in the possession of his son, N. E. Brown. They show page after page of names of employes in his various manu- facturing enterprises.
It is scarcely possible at this date to give a proper estimate to the value of his services to the infant city. Pioneers of the energy and publie spirit manifested by Mr. Brown were indeed of great benefit to the community in which they wrought, and honor and credit ought to be extended accordingly.
We are glad here to testify to the great worth of Mr. Brown along industrial lines in the pioneer days of our beautiful and prosperous Cedar Rapids.
For the first few years the settlers got along as best they could. They had few if any luxuries. Dubuque and Museatine were the nearest markets. It re- quired from six to fourteen days to make the trip and frequently longer when the roads were bad and when fierce storms overtook the party. Robert Ellis built three flat boats in the winter of 1841 and took a cargo of wheat to Burlington, trading this for a cargo of flour which he delivered safely at New Orleans, in July of that year. He got back during the summer but did not make any money out of the enterprise and never again cared to try the experiment. Many years later he received a settlement with the Burlington firm which was hard pressed for money and could not pay for the 4,000 bushels he had delivered. So while he did not get a fortune he perhaps eame out even on this hazardous trip.
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While it is true this daring enterprise failed to make Robert Ellis a wealthy man it did stir people up to the possibility of river traffic and that of course helped. The venture was talked over and over time and again, flat boats were built now and then, and a little grain shipped. Small steamers made Cedar Rapids in the early spring of the year, bringing a few groceries and notions, and taking away wheat, oats, pork, and a little eorn.
Artificial dams in the river were talked of but that was as far as it went. No one was able to have any pull with the legislatures. Robert Holmes, an old Marion resident, had a grain house at Ivanhoe, and took eargoes of grain down the river in 1844, '46 and '51 : Henry Thomson also ran a few flat boats on the river as far as St. Louis.
in 1858 a body of enterprising young men had built the steamer "Cedar Rapids" at Beaver, Pennsylvania, at a cost of $20,000, the stockholders being Wm. and George Greene, J. F. Ely, HI. G. Angle, L. Daniels & Co., and W. W. Smith. This steamer ran during much of the spring and summer and late into the fall, and did a big business. But within two years in an accident on the Mississippi river the "Cedar Rapids" ran into another steamer, litigation ensued. and the owners lost everything they had made as well as the steamer.
Thus ended the first big adventure of the Cedar Rapids spirit. In the same year another steamer, the "Black Hawk," was built to run up the river to Waterloo and for a time did fair business. This was owned by W. D. Watrous, J. J. Snouffer, W. W. Smith, J. Stanley, and several others. This steamboat was sold to the goverment during the war and used as a supply steamer on the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers. At one time N. B. Brown was the owner of the boat. Just as the people were demanding that another company be formed to invest in another steamer enterprise the railways came, and now these daring business men centered their efforts in developing railroads and won out, but not until after many struggles, and after many failures. The people of Linn eounty surveyed, planned, and talked about several lines before they could realize the benefits of any.
The Chicago, lowa and Nebraska Railway was organized in what is now Clinton on January 26, 1856, the first officers being Charles Walker, of Chicago. president, James Purdy, of Mansfield, Ohio, vice president, T. T. Davis, of Syra- ense, New York, treasurer, R. H. Nolton, seeretary, and Milo Smith, of Clinton county, engineer. Many Cedar Rapids residents put up money and notes to have the road come through the city. Most of the necessary means were put up by castern capitalists and especially by John I. Blair, one of the most enterprising of the early railroad promoters in America. Mr. Blair was born in New Jersey in 1802 and passed away in 1892, one of the most noted men of this country. He was at least in an early day the owner of more miles of railways than any other man in the world, and had laid out more town sites and villages in Iowa and Nebraska than any other person in the west. It was John 1. Blair who first saw the opportunity of making Cedar Rapids a center on account of its pro- gressive people, the water power, and other advantages which this practical. wide-awake railway man saw here, and which were lacking in other localities. In June, 1859, the road was completed to Cedar Rapids. Its coming was the most important event in the history of the city. It was the beginning of the end in the unique struggle for railways in Linn county, and marks an epoch in the history of the eity.
The road was extended west, and by 1862 the trains were running as far as Marshalltown. By 1867 the road was completed to the Missouri river. Both the Iowa and Nebraska and the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River railways have for many years been under one management and are now known as the Chieago and Northwestern Railway, which owns and operates nearly 8,000 miles of road with a capital stock of $130,121,838.
HVERSIDE PARK
VI
BIRDSEYE VIEW OF CEDAR RAPIDS IN 1889
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CEDAR RAPIDS
In 1865 D. W. C. Rowley began grading for the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railway, which was organized in Cedar Rapids. A separate company, known as the Cedar Valley Construction Company, was organized to build this line to Waterloo. This company was composed of such men as Dr. J. F. Ely, president, William Greene, superintendent, D. W. C. Rowley, secretary. In December, 1866, another road was incorporated, running to Burlington south via Iowa City. The men connected with this enterprise were J. H. Gear, Bur- lington, president, J. E. Putnam, Burlington. secretary, directors Dr. S. D. Car- penter, of Cedar Rapids, E. Clark and Peter A. Dey, of Iowa City, and John Bird, Louisa county.
This southern branch did not progress rapidly and there was more or less of a hitch with the plans, and a question as to how the road should run. The articles were changed, leaving out Iowa City, and the board increased to fifteen members, among whom may be mentioned N. B. Brown, George Greene, and Charles Weare, who were added from Linn county. George Greene was elected president and Charles Mason, vice president. By June, 1868, the two roads were united under one name, the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern, Greenc becoming president, and D. W. C. Rowley secretary. By January 1, 1871. trains were running between Cedar Rapids and Burlington, and early the fol- lowing year they reached to St. Paul, thus making one of the first great north and south roads in Iowa. For many years C. J. Ives was president of the road till it was absorbed by the Rock Island system, when the headquarters were trans- ferred to Chicago, the Cedar Rapids office becoming merely a division point.
The Dubuque and Southwestern Railway was operated from Dubuque to Cedar Rapids in October, 1865. This was an important factor in the upbuilding of Marion and other towns along this road and in fact helped Cedar Rapids. Like all small roads, it was not a financial success, and in May, 1878, it was sold to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company and new life put into it. The Milwaukee road in 1883 extended this line to Kansas City. The main line of the Milwaukee was extended to Omaha.
The building of the interurban to Iowa City, a distance of twenty-eight miles, a few years ago coneludes the railway building in Linn county, with the exception of the Anamosa and Northwestern, which runs along the northern part of the county; and the extension of the Illinois Central, which runs down from Man- chester. connecting with the main line at that place.
We are pleased to give space here to the following account of beginnings in Cedar Rapids. It is from Bailey & Hair's Gazetteer for 1865:
"D. W. King and T. Gainor were the first settlers of any advantage to the county. They reached here in 1839, and soon after made a permanent settlement on the west side of the river.
"The first white man, however, who pitched his tent on the ground, now occupied by the Valley City, was a notorious eounterfciter and horse thief by the name of Shepherd, who took up his abode and erected his cabin on what is now Commercial street, near the mills, in the year 1838.
"Thus early was this location selected as a central point for commercial oper- ations with the surrounding country, and although the character of the operators was worse than some who have followed them in business, it nevertheless indieates their wisdom in making a good location for their enterprise.
"In 1849 D. W. King established ferries for erossing the river, and continued to run them up to the time of his death, in 1854. They were located at Iowa avenue and Linn street crossings. They were self-propellers, being forced across the river by the power of the current. A wire rope or cable extended across the stream upon which a pulley was placed, and connected by ropes to the boat. The
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
first dam across the Cedar river was commenced in 1842, and the first saw mill ereeted in 1843.
"In March, 1843, the lands came into market. The first flouring mill was erected by N. B. Brown, in 1844-5, at a cost of $3,000. Extensive additions have been made to this mill since. It is still owned and run by Mr. Brown. In 1845, A. Ely erected the second saw mill and the following year the second flour- ing mill at a cost of $9,000. In 1848-9, the first woolen factory was erected by N. B. Brown. Cost, $10,000. The first steam engine was set in operation in 1855, in the machine shop of A. Hager.
"The first store was owned by J. Greene in the building now standing on the northeast corner of Iowa avenue and Washington street. The second store was opened by Mr. Cleveland, and the third by Mr. Mulford. The proprietor of these stores have all left the city. Mulford's store was destroyed by fire in 1850, being the first building thus destroyed in Cedar Rapids. The second fire oe- curred in 1855, when the buildings on the west side of Commercial street, between Iowa avenue and Linn street, were mostly consumed. The postoffice was estab- lished in 1847, and J. Greene appointed postmaster.
"The first briek building was ereeted in 1844, on the northwest corner of Iowa avenue and Washington street, by P. W. Earle, and is now occupied by him. The Union House, on the northwest corner of Adams and Market streets, was the first hotel. It was destroyed by fire early in 1865. The first school house was ereeted iu 1847, and the first school taught by Nelson Feleh. This structure is now oceupied as a dwelling on the north side of Eagle street between Jefferson and Madison. The first white child born was the daughter of John Vardy, now removed to Texas. The first church erected is that commonly known as the 'Muddy,' and is still used as a house of worship. It is a small 'gront' building at the southeast corner of Eagle and Adams streets. The first death was that of a young man by the name of William Brookey, some time in 1843. The first frame building was built by John Vardy.
"The lodge of Free Masons was established in 1850, and James Keeler, an Episcopal minister, was the first W. M. The lodge took the name of Cedar Rapids Lodge No. 25. Its name was changed in 1864 to the more euphonious and Masonie name of Crescent.
"The first newspaper was established by D. O. Finch, in 1854. Three vol- umes only were issued. D. O. Finch, James J. Child, and James L. Enos, were snecessively its editors. The Era was purchased in 1854 by James L. Enos, and the name changed to the Cedar Valley Times, by which name it still flourishes. C. M. Hollis, Esq., is the present editor. The second paper was the Cedar Valley Farmer, J. L. Enos, editor. The Cedar Rapids Democrat was the third paper established, by W. W. Perkins & Co., in 1856. The Voice of Iowa was commenced in January, 1857, by the Iowa State Teachers' Association, and J. L. Enos elected editor. This journal reached a large eirculation, and did much to give form to the school system of the state. The present publie school edifiee was erected in 1856-7-8, at a cost of some $15,000. It has six departments, and employs seven or eight teachers.
"Cedar Rapids was incorporated as a city in 1856, and Isaac Newton Whit- tam, Esq., was chosen the first mayor. A free bridge was constructed across the Cedar in 1855-6, but was soon carried away by the ice. As it fell, a large number were standing on the banks watching the iee as it rapidly tore the stone piers from their positions. Two sisters, daughters of Mr. Black, passed by the guard, which was stationed at the end of the bridge to keep the people from passing on, and had reached about the middle, when the frail fabrie went down. Both young ladies were drowned, and the body of one was never recovered. A toll bridge was erected the following year, and though a slender structure, has thus far with-
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stood the action of the ice, though occasionally broken down by cattle passing over it.
"KINGSTON CITY
"Is a place of about 350 inhabitants, situated on the west side of the Cedar river, opposite the city of Cedar Rapids. It is connected with this city by a wooden bridge, and is about one-quarter of a mile from the Cedar Rapids depot of the Chicago and Northwestern railroad. In the year 1838 Robert Ellis and O. Bowling settled on land in the vicinity, and in the year following Messrs. Isaac, John, and Joseph Lichtebarger settled where Kingston now stands. Dur- ing the summer following David W. King and Thomas Gainor arrived here. The first child born was Mary Jane, daughter of T. and R. Gainor, on the 15th of May, 1840. Rosannah Gainor died on the 8th of June, 1840. This was the first deatlı in the place. There is in the place one paper mill, one saw mill, two black- smith shops, two groceries, and one dry goods store. There are three religious societies, Methodist Episcopal, Congregationalist, and United Presbyterian. There is also a commodious building for school purposes, and three libraries. This region of country is especially adapted to growing grain. Large quantities are annually shipped to Chicago from this place. The immense water-power will at no distant day make this a large manufacturing town."
The following as to early things in Cedar Rapids is taken from a copy of the Cedar Valley Times, J. L. Enos, editor, in 1865 :
"On the 4th day of July, 1841, N. B. Brown began construction of a dam for utilization of the power. Carson, Gray and Roach soon sold their interests to Messrs. Brown and Greene, who became the sole proprietors of the water-power, and constructed the first saw mill in 1842-3. This mill is yet standing in the rear of Brown's flouring mill, which was also the first grist mill, and erected in 1843, and extensively enlarged by the present owner in 1854-5.
"The first blacksmith in the place was Harrison Campbell, who opened a shop in Shepherd's old cabin in 1843. Isaac Cook, Esq., was the first lawyer, John L. Shearer the first justice, and James Lewis the first constable. The name of the first physician seems to be lost from the memory of the 'early day,' though many of his peculiar traits of character are remembered. Like some others in the profession he was disposed to blow his own trumpet, and the stories he told to the uninitiated ones were marvelous in the extreme. Once when he had returned from Muscatine he claimed to have lost forty pounds of quinine in one of the streams which put into the Cedar below the city - the water being unusually high. His credit was evidently then better than afterward, as was also his phy- sical courage. Constable Lewis, at one time called upon him with an execution to secure a judgment, wlien the doctor becoming wrathy, threw off his coat for a fight. The constable being more intent on collecting the claim than emulous for notoriety as a pugilist, seized the coat and made away with it - finding a sufficient amount of money to pay the debt. Dr. S. M. Brice remained here for a few months and then removed to Center Point. Dr. E. L. Mansfield was the first physician who made a permanent location in this city, and still enjoys a large and lucrative practice. He came here in 1847 and has ever since been engaged in the noble endeavor - to heal the thousand natural ills that flesh is heir to.
"The first brick building was erected in 1844, by P. W. Earle, Esq., on the west corner of Iowa avenue and Washington street. This building is still occu- pied by Mr. Earle, and shows but little the marks of age. A three-story brick store was erected the same year on the south corner of Iowa avenue and Con- mercial street. This building has since been removed to make room for the block
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of stores extending from Iowa avenue down the west side of Commercial street toward Eagle street. Greene's hotel, a fine-appearing brick hotel four stories high, also oceupied a portion of this ground. It was ereeted in 1853-4 by George Greene, and was kept by various persons as a first-class hotel until it was taken down to make room for a new briek block, which was erected in 1862.
"The first store proper was opened in the building now standing on the north corner of Iowa avenne and Washington street, by Joseph Greene. As early as 1842 Mr. Greene had a store in one part of a log building located on the north corner of Commercial and Sugar streets, the other end of the same building being occupied as a boarding house or hotel.
"The first building erected for a hotel was built by William Dwyer in 1847. James Gunning being the first landlord. The building was destroyed by fire in January, 1865. It was known as the Union House and was located on the west corner of Market and Adams streets.
"The Adventists held meetings here as early as 1842-3; a Mr. Baker being the minister. The Protestant and Episcopal Methodists also had organizations at an early day. The Presbyterians organized soon after and erected the first church edifiee, known as the 'Big Muddy,' taking its name from the material of which it was composed. It is a grout building, occupying the east corner of Eagle street and Adams street. The Universalists had an organization here quite early and were 'ministered unto' by Rev. Mr. Westfall. In either 1843 or 44 a somewhat noted discussion was held between Mr. Westfall, the Universalist, and Mr. Roberts, Old School Presbyterian, at which Joseph Greene aeted as umpire. The discussion continued for four days and nights. The meetings were largely attended and the combatants were sharp and exeited. The conflict ended as such discussions usually do - in the victory of both - and this was regarded by nearly all as a drawn game.
"The first school was kept by Miss Emily Coffman. The first school building was erected in 1846-7, by a company consisting of N. B. Brown, George Greene. Alex. Ely, and others, who sold it to the distriet, and had the satisfaction of being taxed to pay themselves for it. This building was on the north side of Eagle street between Jefferson and Madison. It is still standing and is occupied as a dwelling house. Nelson Feleh was among the first teachers. also a Mr. Freeman, who has since been receiving instruction in a state institution located at Fort Madison.
"The second saw mill was erceted by Alex Ely in 1844 and the second flouring mill in 1844-5. Mr. Ely died shortly after the completion of this mill. In 1848 N. B. Brown built the first woolen factory. The first steam engine was put up here in 1855 by A. Hager, in his sash, door and blind manufactory. He had an extensive amount of machinery connected with it and employed a number of workmen.
"The second store was established by Mr. Cleveland, and the third by C. K. Mulford. Mulford's store was afterward occupied as a dwelling, on the east corner of Commercial and Linn streets, and was destroyed by fire in 1850. That was the first fire in Cedar Rapids, and none occurred after it until the autumn of 1855, when most of the block on the west side of Commercial street, between Iowa avenue and Linn street, was destroyed. No precautions have been taken to prevent the spread of the destroying element, and were a fire to oeeur tomor- row no more means would be found of subdning it than existed twenty years ago. It would seem that a wise people would not thus neglect what may at any moment be of such vast importance. But so it is, and so it is likely to remain until a fire shall oceur that will lay in ruins a large portion of our city and de- stroy thousands of dollars worth of property. Personal insurance can best cover a part of this loss and perhaps not one-half are provided with this protection."
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Dr. Seymour D. Carpenter, who came to Cedar Rapids in 1849, contributed the below quoted memoirs to a History of Crescent Lodge, J. E. Morcombe, author, and published by the lodge in 1906. It is of value in the consideration of the history of early times in the city and county :
"I wished to read law, but there was a family prejudice against the profession, and I concluded to study medicine and accordingly entered as a student the office of Drs. Boerstler & Edwards, who were among the leading physicians. There for a year I read books that were full of what are now exploded theories and practice, at the end of which time I was sent to the University of Pennsyl- vania, where two years after I was graduated as a doctor of medicine. Returning home in the spring of 1849, I remained but a few months and then started west 'to grow up with the country.' I again rode to Cincinnati on horseback, took steamer to St. Louis, thence by another boat up the Illinois river to Haver- ville. Not liking the place, I rode west and crossed the Mississippi at Quincy and went to Kirksville in Missouri. Still not pleased, I turned north and went to Ottumwa, Iowa, where I met Judge Greene, then a member of the supreme bench of Iowa. He persuaded me that Cedar Rapids was in the near future to become a metropolis, and I decided to go there. After four days' hard riding and swimming several swollen streams, I struck the town on the afternoon of the 14th of June, 1849. I crossed the river on a rope ferry operated by David King, who lived in a cabin on the west side. On the other side of the river stood the cabin once the home of a man named Shepherd, and said to have been the resort of thieves in an earlier day. I cannot say that I was very favorably im- pressed by the thirty or forty mostly one-story unpainted houses that were scat- tered about near the river. There seemed to he a great deal of sand, and the houses were so situated that there was no sign of a street. There were three two-story houses, one on the river near the foot of what is now Third avenue, ealled the 'Park house,' in which the Greenes had their store; one on second street in which John Coffman kept a hotel, and one on Third avenue, back of the Dows & Ely block, also a hotel, but keeper's name forgotten. I was discouraged and would have traveled further but only had about ten dollars left, and from neces- sity had to stop. I put up at the Coffman hotel, which, as I have said, was a two-story structure with a wing. It had been built of unseasoned oak lumber and was not plastered. The whole of the second story of the main building was in one room, and contained eight or ten beds and was the common sleeping room of the guests. The lumber had shrunk and there could be no complaint as to ventilation, however short the accommodations might be in other respects. I had hardly got settled before I was interviewed by old Joe Leverich, a noted character of Linn county of that day. He was known as the 'Bogus Coon,' be- cause, as was alleged, he had to do with counterfeiters. He was a power in politics and was the kind of a man from which the modern 'pop' has evolnted. Joe looked me over, asked where I was from, where I was going, what my business was, etc., etc. I was somewhat indignant and tried to be sarcastic, but Joe, in terminating his interview, squelched me by remarking: 'Young man, a fellow that wears such a hat as you do may pass in this country, but I consider it d-d doubtful.' I unfortunately wore a 'plug' hat which was not the style in Iowa a half century ago. In subsequent years Joe and I became fast friends, and I became quite convinced that the shady stories told of him were the talk of enemies who were jealous of him because he was smarter than the great majority of them. I was with him when he died, and, although a free-thinker, he passed away with all the calmness of a stoic philosopher.
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