USA > Iowa > Linn County > History of Linn County Iowa : from its earliest settlement to the present time, Volume I > Part 54
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71
THE OLD BLAIR BUILDING, NOW THE SITE OF THE KIMBALL BUILDING
372
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
These bonds were to be issued in series as the work on the new road progressed, fifteen thousand dollars worth when the contract was let for buliding the road from De Witt to Cedar Rapids ; the second series of fifteen thousand dollars worth when the first five miles of grading were completed in Linn county ; and the balance of thirty thousand dollars worth when the grading was finished into the city of Cedar Rapids and the road in operation and cars running as far west as Mt. Vernon.
On the 20th of February, 1857, Mayor Whittam in a report to the city council made a statement that he, as representative of the city, had attended the meeting of the stockholders of the Chicago, lowa & Nebraska, held on the 25th day of January, 1857, at Clinton and at that time had passed over to the railroad com- pany the fifteen bonds of one thousand dollars each, to which they were entitled, they giving the required stock certificates for same as per agreement. The rail- road company also entered into a contract with the eity in which they agreed to pay interest on said bonds and all others to be issued to the railroad until such time as the road should be finished and the cars running into the city of Cedar Rapids.
The mayor also complimented the men in charge of the affairs of the road as men of means, honor, and energy, and finished his report by predicting that when the road was completed it would be of great benefit and advantage to our young but growing city. But notwithstanding the financial aid and the general en- couragement given by the people the road advanced westward slowly and while the grading had been nearly completed there were many other things necessary to build a railroad and which could only be had by having the ready money with which to buy such supplies. In June. 1857, another petition was presented to the city council asking that the mayor call an election of the legal voters of the city to vote on the question, shall the city issue its bonds to the amount of forty thous- and dollars to aid in purchasing the iron rails to complete the road to Cedar Rapids, the city to be a subscriber to the capital stock of the road to that amount. On July 10, 1857, the mayor called the election to vote on the proposition, shall the city in its corporate capacity issue its bonds for forty thousand dollars, the money to be used to procure iron rails and for no other purpose. The election was held on July 20, 1857, and resulted as follows: For the proposition, 104 votes; against 25 votes.
These bonds were to be issued in series and were to be paid one-quarter in 13 years, one-quarter in 14 years, one-quarter in 15 years, and the balance in 16 years from date.
Some time after these bonds were issued and turned over to the railroad com- pany some legal point was raised touching their validity, and this together with the fact that the financial standing of the railroad company in the east among the iron manufacturers was not first class, made it necessary that some other plan should be adopted to procure the iron rails to build the road to Cedar Rap- ids. Heretofore they had found it practicable to survey and locate and grade a road and pay for the same in farm produets, dry goods and groceries, etc. But when it came to buying iron from the manufacturers it required the cash or a suitable collateral. But our people were ready to meet this unforeseen emergency. Six of our early and more wealthy citizens made notes of $8,000.00 each, each note being signed by each of the other gentlemen, making a joint note of each one and together amounting to the $48,000.00. These notes were to be used as collateral and to strengthen up their credit, so that the iron rails could be bought and the road completed to this city. This was purely accommodation paper and the road contracted that the interest and principal of these notes should be paid by the railroad company from the first net earnings of the company, but in the early years of the road there were no net earnings. It was only by the most economical management that the operating expenses could be met, and several
373
CEDAR RAPIDS
years elapsed before these notes given to aid the railroad were fully paid. The gentlemen aiding in the early construction of the first railroad to Cedar Rapids were Gabriel Carpenter, George Greene, Sampson C. Bever, J. J. Snouffer, and two others whose names are not remembered.
After the railroad was completed and in operation to this place little was said in regard to these city bonds. In the proceedings of the city council Jume 13, 1860, a resolution was passed authorizing E. H. Steadman, the mayor of the city. to represent the city at the annual meeting of the stockholders of the C., 1. & N. Ry., which was to be held in Clinton at a later date.
On January 25, 1861, a committee was appointed consisting of the mayor, I. N. Whittam, and Alderman G. Livensbarger who were to examine into the legal condition of the city in relation to the $100,000.00 worth of city bonds already issued for railroad purposes. What this investigating committee did, and what their eonelusions were, are not matters of record. Nothing more is said in any of the proceedings of the city council in regard to this matter until May 8, 1863, when it appears from the preamble of a resolution introduced that the railroad company was calling upon the city authorities to comply with the terms of the contraet entered into when the bonds were issued, which was that the city should pay the interest on such bonds after the completion of the road to this place.
The road had been finished and in operation some two years and still no in- terest had been paid and the city made no efforts to collect any sum for such purpose. At the meeting of the council May 8, 1863, a resolution was introduced asking that a committee be appointed to investigate and report on the recorded facts bearing upon this matter of railroad bonds from its inception to this date. Aldermen MeClelland, Denlinger and Slonaker were desirous of having light on the subject and voted for an investigation, but Aldermen Bever, Carroll and Stibbs voted in the negative, and this being a tie vote it was decided by the mayor, who also voted in the negative.
At the council meeting held June 11, 1864, another committee to investigate was appointed who was authorized to procure legal advice in regard to the lia- bility of the eity and also meet and confer with the officers of the railroad eom- pany, and this committee consisting of Aldermen McClelland and E. II. Stead- man reported baek to the couneil that they had procured legal advice in the mat- ter and from all data and facts collected their attorney was of the opinion that the railroad company had no legal elaims against the city and that the bonds were illegal and void.
In October of 1864 the same subjeet came up in the city council and a com- mittee of three consisting of S. C. Bever, H. C. Angle and John Weare were ap- pointed to confer with the railroad company and get the best terms of settlement they eould, either by taking reissued stoek in payment or a certain amount of money yearly in full settlement. This eommittee were prompt in their investiga- tions and reported baek to the council November 4, 1864. Their report was that they had a conference with the railroad company and the best compromise they could obtain was this:
First. That the city surrender to the company all its claims to stoek in said road.
Seeond. The railroad company would then return to the eity $90,000.00 worth of the city bonds already issued together with all coupons on the balanee, leaving in the hands of the company $10,000.00 worth with all coupons cut off to date. This surrendering of bonds to in no way affeet the legality of the bonds retained, the legal points to be settled later.
At the meeting of the eouneil Alderman Bever introduced a resolution eover- ing all the points made in the report of the committee that the city surrender the stoek and that the railroad company return the $90,000.00 worth of bonds, leav-
4
374
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
ing outstanding and in the hands of the railroad company $10,000.00 worth of eity bonds.
On the yeas and nays being called the following aldermen voted yea : Bever, Denlinger, Holland and Slonaker, and in the negative. Alderman MeClelland, and the resolution was declared adopted.
Alderman MeClelland then at once offered his resignation as alderman from the Third ward and his resignation was as promptly accepted and Wmn. Rich- mond elected as his successor.
Nothing more appears in the records of the city council bearing on this ques- tion of railroad bonds until June 29, 1866, when Alderman Adams of the Third ward introduced a resolution that a committee of one consisting of Alderman Snouffer be appointed to confer and negotiate with Horace Williams, agent of the Chicago, lowa & Nebraska railroad, for the surrender of the outstanding bonds, and he was authorized to release and exonerate the railroad company from per- forming certain aets they had previously agreed to do. One was the grading of Jefferson street and another was the grading of the North city park and the build- ing a fence of oak posts around said park, both of which they had failed to do .. These agreements of the railroad company the city would relinquish, provided the railroad company would return the balance of the city bonds in their hands, amounting to $10,000.00.
It is presumed that Alderman Snouffer failed to make these negotiations with lTorace Williams as instructed by the city council, at least there is nothing in the records to show that this committee of one ever made any report on this subjeet to the city council.
At the meeting of the city council held May 15, 1868. another committee was appointed to investigate and try to induce the railroad company to relinquish and return these outstanding eity bonds and it is fair to presume that the commit- tee accomplished something in that direction as at a subsequent meeting held June 26, 1868, Alderman Leach moved that the city treasurer be authorized to receive the city bonds now in the possession of the Chicago & Northwestern rail- road and receipt for same. This is the last record to be found in the proceedings of the city council bearing on this subject of city bonds.
Going back to the time the railroad was built into Cedar Rapids it will be remembered that little vahe was placed on the stock. People subseribed for the stock and paid their subscriptions as called for more to encourage the building of the road than for an investment. Nearly every citizen had some few shares of the stock. They had all done their share in getting the road here according to each one's means and financial ability, and held their stock in the road. It was then that men of means with confidence in the rapid growth and advancement of this great state of Iowa began in a private way gathering up this stock of the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska R. R., buying up from the small holders their stoek at prices from 25 to 35 eents on the dollar of the par value and in a few years the small holders had parted with their holdings and in 1865 there was little or no stock of the Chicago, lowa & Nebraska R. R. to be had and in the latter part of that year the road was merged into the Chicago & Northwestern system. At what price per share the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska went into the Northwestern is not positively known. but it is generally supposed that one share of the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska R. R. was good for about three shares of the new consolidated Chieago & Northwestern.
SOME OF THE EARLY BRICK HOUSES IN CEDAR RAPIDS
Charles Weare used to say that there was a brick building on the Y. M. C. A. corner which was torn down many years ago, and which was supposed to be one of the first briek buildings in Cedar Rapids; it was occupied by Ingham Wood as
375
CEDAR RAPIDS
a store building. Porter Earle erected one of the first, if not the first, brick build- ing at the corner of First avenue and Second street where the Union Block is now standing, which was one of the most commodious buildings of its kind in the city for many years. The Michael Bryan family erected one of the first dwelling houses of brick about where N. E. Brown's home now stands in 1849 or 1850, and for many years it was one of the best equipped houses in the city and the west. This house had an open fire place in every room, and consisted of eight rooms. The house was built according to the southern style of architecture. An- other member of the Bryan family erected a stone and cement house about the same time at the corner of Third avenue and Second street, which building was later occupied by the family of William Greene.
D. M. McIntosh erected a onc-story brick building near the present library in 1850 or 1851, which building is still standing. About the same time the father of James Snyder erected a brick dwelling which stood on South Third street near where the Vardy cottage is located. Greene's Hotel on First street was a brick structure erected between 1854 and 1855; it had an eighty feet front and ran back toward the river about eighty feet. The picture of this building shows that it was a four-story structure, although many claim that it was only a three-story build- ing. This building was erected by J. J. Snouffer ; for many years it was the largest and best equipped hotel in this part of the west.
Part of the residence of Dr. Skinner was erected by George Berg and was one of the most complete brick structures in this city. Elihu Baker also erected a brick residence on the property now occupied by Dr. H. W. Bender about the early '50s. Sampson C. Bever erected a brick building on the premises where the Rock Island offices now stand, being a two story structure similar to the Spangler residence which was erected later across the street. In this structure Mr. Bever installed the first hot air furnace used in Cedar Rapids, and a great many of the early settlers came to inspect the house, and especially to examine the hot air furnace which was a new thing in those days.
J. S. Cook in the early days erected a brick structure on the corner of A avenue and Fifth street, which was one of the fine homes for many years in this city. S. A. Shattuck built in the early '50s a brick structure on Sixth avenue and Fifth street. John Newell, during the years 1855 and 1856, erected a double brick structure at the corner of Fifth street and Seventh avenue. The old Seabury house on Eighth avenue was erected prior to 1860 and for many years was a land- mark in that end of town. The Barthel house which stood where the Majestic Theatre now stands was one of the carly brick vencer houses in the city and was occupied by many of the prominent families from time to time.
R. C. Rock, one of the early merchants, erected a brick house in the early days on the premises where George Williams has since erected a magnificent mansion. Dr. Wilman, Dr. J. L. Enos and Dr. S. D. Carpenter erccted brick houses in the early days which were landmarks along Second avenue up toward Tenth street. The Lawson Daniels brick residence was on First avenue between Second and Third streets adjoining the Thomas Building, and adjoining this was the dwelling of Dr. Thomas, a friend of J. J. Snouffer and a native of Maryland; Dr. Thomas returned to his native state in the '50s. Adjoining these brick dwellings was also another brick building erected by the old pioneer H. G. Angle and occupied by him as a residence for many years.
Another substantial brick dwelling was erected by John Graves on B avenue and Fourth street, being a two-story brick building with an upper and lower porch. The old Gillette house was on the east side of Fifth street where William S. Bye now resides; it was known as the Gillette house, Mr. Gillette being the brother-in-law of the late W. D. Watrous.
Another large and commodious brick dwelling house was a two-story structure erected on Fifth street between B and C avenues and near what is known now as
376
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
Whittam Park. Adjoining this was the Koontz house, occupied by Dr. Koontz and his family for many years. The Tryon house was also a briek structure erected near the corner of Third avenue and Second street; Mr. Tryon was a sur- veyor and well known in the early days.
Nearly all the brick used in the early days was made by a Mr. Geeslan who operated a brick yard near what is now known as the "Lame Johnny" place. Brick was cheap, labor was low and the cost of erecting these dwellings in that day was much lower than later. It is said that Sam Stambaugh in the early days worked as a brick mason and walked home to Bertram every night, the wages paid being about $1.00 a day, which was considered high. It is also said that during the '50s Cedar Rapids had more commodious homes than any other town of its size in Iowa. It was made up largely of a brainy, wide-awake, enter- prising lot of men, such as NN. B. Brown, II. G. Angle, the Greenes, Earles, Elys, Daniels, Macks, Weares. Bevers, and many others who had drifted into the town and who soon built up an enterprising little town, engaging in various ventures. not always successful, but they had Cedar Rapids before the world so that they finally landed the railroad which henceforth made the town. It is said by the late Charles Weare that "when they first started a newspaper there were no settlers in the town, but they had to use a newspaper to boom the town with."
SOME STRENUOUS DAYS IN THE OLDEN TIMES
FROM THE CEDAR RAPIDS REPUBLICAN, SUNDAY, JUNE 10, 1906
An ordinance creating a fire department was introduced in the council in January, 1869, and it was passed February 12, 1869. This ordinance was lengthy. It stipulated what officers should be appointed, what their duties were. how many fire companies to eachi engine, how many men to each company and many other details. One of the provisions of this first and original ordinance was that the fire chief should be appointed by the council.
On March 12, 1869. the fire company which had already been organized but not officially recognized by the city council. presented a petition to the council, asking that P. C. Isk be appointed as fire chief. At a subsequent meeting a vote was taken on the election of a fire chief with the following result :
P. C. Lusk, who was the choice of the fire department, received four votes and J. J. Snouffer one vote. Lusk having received a majority of the votes cast was declared elected chief of the fire department. At the meeting held April 9, 1869, the chief of the fire department presented the names of the members of the first company which was styled "The Steam Fire Engine Co .. No. 1." It was or- ganized under Ordinance No. 78. Mr. Lusk reported the names of sixty members. ineluding officers, and asked the council to confirm them, which was done.
The officers of this company were as follows:
Foreman-Geo. A. Lincoln.
Assistant Foreman-M. T. Bell.
Secretary-E. W. S. Otto.
Treasurer-W. B. Stewart.
Hose Captain-D. A. Dingman.
Assistant Hose Captain-N. H. Martin.
Engineer-W. Berkley.
Stoker-II. S. Gilmore.
Some of the "high privates" in this first organized fire company of Cedar Rapids were as follows: Al Jacobs, Richard Cornish, C. E. Calder, Lyman Ayers, Geo. Rhodes, Ed. Buttolph, John H. Smith, H. S. Bever. H. E. Witwer. II. Hale, Geo. Hasse, John Bryan, Walter L. Clark. L. L. Cone, Chas. L. Morehead. A. S. Mershon, Ely E. Weare, JJames Snyder, John Shearer, Baxter MeQuinn. W. J.
MONTROSE HOTEL, CEDAR RAPIDS
377
CEDAR RAPIDS
Wood, Richard Moorhead, Don Harris, Lowell Bressler, N. Rudolph, Ira Taft, and twenty-seven others.
Early in April a hook and ladder company was organized and on April 16, 1869, was confirmed by the council as a part of the fire department of Cedar Rapids. The officers of the company were as follows :
Foreman-S. D. Fleck.
First Assistant-J. S. Dickinson.
Secretary-Geo. A. Gault.
Recorder and Treasurer-J. G. Krebs.
Samuel A. Lilly, H. C. Morehead, James Fowler, P. C. Garrett, J. C. Adams, Samuel Spalding, J. A. Ilart, Joseph Lilly, J. M. Chambers, T. Snook, J. J. Calder, G. M. Howlett, C. D. Pettibone and six others constituted the active membership of this organization.
The official life of Chief Engineer Lusk was very brief and was marked by continued strife and dissension among thie members of the department. He became persona non grata to the council and charges were preferred against him. July 13, 1869, Alderman Hill introduced a resolution reciting that while the chief engineer could not be declared guilty of intentional fraud he was indisereet in many things and his influence for good in the department had been so impaired that his resignation was demanded. This did the business. and on July 23 he resigned. W. B. Leach was appointed chief engineer for the remainder of the term, and peace and good feeling prevailed in the department.
In March, 1870, after the inauguration of the new council of which W. B. Leach was mayor, a petition of the fire department was presented in which they asked the council to appoint Geo. A. Lincoln as chief engineer of the department. Another petition was also presented, signed by many citizens, asking that W. D. Watrous be appointed chief engineer of the department. On the 25th of March. a ballot being ordered, Geo. A. Lincoln received three votes and W. D. Watrons three votes, whereupon the mayor voted for Lincoln and declared him elected to the position of chief engineer, and on the 26th day of March he was duly qualified and took the oath of office.
Shortly after Mr. Lincoln assumed the authority vested in the office of chief engineer of the fire department, an element of discord arose in the council and an effort was made to secure by legislation and diplomacy what they had failed to accomplish when the vote was taken in March.
It was thought the original ordinance passed in January, 1869, was faulty and should be amended and the ordinance committee was directed to make such amend- ments as were necessary or to prepare an entirely new ordinance.
During the summer of 1870 the committee had prepared an ordinance which was practically the same as the old one. The only radical change was in the manner of electing a chief engineer. The new ordinance placed the election of the officer with the electors after the year 1870 and a new section was added which read as follows:
"No person shall be eligible to the office of chief engineer unless he be a resi- dent of said city at least one year and shall have attained the age of twenty-five years."
To understand the force of this last elause in the ordinance it will he neces- sary to remark that at this time Mr. Lincoln was only twenty-three years old. This ordinance, the records say, was passed July 29, 1870, but it was found necessary to amend it and it was not until ordinance No. 98 was passed on Sep- tember 30, 1870, that the eouneil felt safe in eleeting a new chief engineer to take the place of the one so skilfully legislated out of office. On the 15th of October, 1870, A. R. West became the chief engineer of the fire department by the vote of the council. After the election of Mr. Lincoln during the spring and summer of 1870 it was uncertain whether the eity of Cedar Rapids had a fire department or
378
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY
not, and it was also a question as to the authority possessed by the chief. There was much discord and bitterness among some of the members of the fire organ- izations. The city council was far from being hermonious and rarely aeted in unison in legislating for the well being of the fire department. The citizens who had labored long and earnestly in this work of procuring fire apparatus felt that they had a right to demand that this biekering and personal contention be- tween the organized fire department and the duly elected city council should be ended, but the strife continued. Early in the administration of Mr. Lincoln as chief of the department a communication was presented to the city council in which the petitioners, after recounting their many grievances, made the claim that the election of Mr. Lincoln was unparliamentary, unfair and contrary to the wishes of the department and to a great majority of the property holders, and that while the petitioners were willing to obey all ordinances of the city and the ruling of any legally appointed officer as chief of the fire department, they did not consider themselves lawfully bound to give any heed or attention to the said Geo. A. Lincoln. That they as members of the fire department would pay no attention to the said unlawfully eleeted chief engineer nor to any order coming from him. This petition was signed by Sam Neidig, C. W. Eaton, G. M. Howlett, Sam Lilly, Chas. Hubbard, J. C. Adams, Thos. Snook, and fifteen others.
Some time later the chief engineer made a report to the eity couneil as the ordinance direeted he should do giving the necessary information in regard to the efficiency of the department and its probable needs for the future, but the council refused to accept it as the report of the chief engineer, making the broad claim that there was no fire department or a legally elected chief engineer and this was backed up by the opinion of the city attorney. Mr. Lineoln, not to be thwart- ed by the city council in refusing to listen to his report, was obliged to have it published in the city papers and some extracts are made here, showing the friendly feeling existing between him and some members of the city council. He reported that the steam engine was in good shape excepting that the grate had burned ont and the committee on the fire department had refused to get it repaired. The hose was poor and not in condition to stand the pressure necessary in ease of a large fire. This was owing to the committee on fire refusing to have the tower on the city hall arranged so the hose could be hung up to dry after having been used. Many small bills for supplies used by the department, and which were necessary for the running of the steamer, were hung up and not allowed. and in speaking of the eistern which the city had built he reports that one of the aldermen had the keys of the same and refused to turn them over to him and as to the amount of water in same he could make no report.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.