USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 38
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"A sawmill a short distance ahove town and the Brick Makers at Black Hawk did a good business while the town was being built
"Our residence in Burris City was of short duration, and our individual ex- perience brief. We engaged to work in the winter of 1858 for Dunlap & Ells- worth, who, like many other sensible men have foolishly done, launched upon the literary sea, a 28-column weekly newspaper, known as the Burris Iowan. The town had at that time about 500 or 600 inhabitants, several dry goods, grocery and drug stores, and nearly every business usually represented in a town of that size. Mr. Dunlap was a lawyer, and Mr. George W. Ellsworth was a druggist, and by the way, proprietor of as fine an establishment of the kind as can be
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
found in Muscatine today. Neither of the partners knew anything about the business, and Mr. D. being a lawyer, with more brains than money, and a fearful appetite for an article sometimes kept in drugstores, Mr. Ellsworth, as a natural result was compelled to pay all bills and gratuitously furnish fuel to run the edi- torial engine. Well, the Burris fowan was born, blessed, buried and cursed, all within two short months. The writer of this article, then a youth of 19 summers, propelled the Burris Iowan, taking orders on the hotel and drugstore for pay, until forbearance ceased to be a virtue, when one day there was a 'strike' and the paper suspended. Previous to this time, however, sometime in 1857, a very re- spectable paper was printed at Burris, by the Robinson Bros. It was gotten up in good style neatly printed and filled with the choicest matter and newsy. I do not know how long it was printed, but probably not more than five or six months. In 1856-'57 Ed. Stafford, a man of considerable talent and an immense area of cheek, and in whom few men had so much confidence as 'Nate' Burris, published the New Boston Reporter and Burris Commercial, a 32-column weekly paper at New Boston, Ill., two miles below Burris City."
COLUMBUS CITY.
What seems to be the plat of the original town of Columbus City is certified to by John Gilliland, county surveyor, but is not dated. It was laid out by David Mortimore as proprietor. The streets from north to south were named as follows: Utah, Mulberry, Church, Philadelphia, Market, Main, Jefferson, Washington and Spring. Beginning on the east side, the north and south streets were named as follows: Water, Pearl, Chestnut, Columbus, Iowa, Burlington and Hamilton. Market street was 150 feet wide, Main, Philadelphia, Colum- bus, Iowa, Burlington, Chestnut and Pearl streets were 100 feet wide, and the others 75 feet wide. Most of the lots were 50x150 feet. The streets bore north twenty-nine degrees east, by north sixty-one degrees west. The plat does not state on what ground the town was laid out but on the back of it is a certified acknowledgment, dated June 18, 1840, made by John Gilliland, justice of the peace, which he certifies that on that day David Mortimore acknowledged the instrument to be the original plat and plan of Columbus City.
Rice and Mortimore advertised a sale of lots in Columbus City to be held on Thursday, July 16, 1840. The notice of the sale which they had printed and circulated at the time is an interesting and valuable historical item and we are under obligations to Colonel J. W. Garner for one of the original copies. It is as follows :
COLUMBUS CITY-VALUABLE TOWN LOTS AT PUBLIC SALE.
There will be several hundred in-lots offered at Public Auction, commencing on Thursday, the 16th July, 1840, on the premises.
This town is beautifully situated one and a half miles south of the forks of the Iowa and Cedar rivers, in Louisa County, Territory of Iowa, about half way from Iowa City to Burlington, immediately on the main Territorial roads, one running from Iowa City to Burlington, crossing the river at Sturges' Ferry, and the other running from Wapello to Iowa City, crossing the river at the Forks ; there are also several other roads crossing through this place.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
The location is upon a beautiful elevation where the timber and prairie intersect, it is also surrounded by a large body of choice farming land not sur- passed by any other portion of the territory, and this portion of country is set- tling thick and fast.
As regards health. Columbus City has the advantage of choice spring and well water and fine rolling prairies, varying from one to three miles in width, passing on the south and extending many miles up the river, and is bounded on the northi by a large body of choice timber.
There are several buildings now in progress, and there will be one or more mills in operation by next fall.
Steanı Boats have been and can run up to this point, which, with other advantages will doubtless make this one of the most flourishing and interesting towns in the Territory.
Emigrants and others who wish to make investments of money in good town property are respectfully requested to attend this sale, as a view of the place, together with a knowledge of the Territory, will doubtless convince all that this is an important point.
Terms of sale-one fourth of the purchase money in hand, the balance in two equal payments, six and twelve months.
LEVI RICE, DAVID MORTIMORE, Proprietors.
June 15th, 1840.
The above plat was probably located chiefly in the northwest quarter of section 31, township 75 north, range 4 west, and possibly extended over north into the southwest quarter of section 30. David Mortimore and Levi Rice were interested together in what is known as the old town of Columbus City, and the records of original entries show that Levi Rice entered the west half of section 31 and the southwest quarter of section 30. The angle of the bearing of the streets also points to the same conclusion, because it seems that the old road from Wapello to the ferry across the Iowa river had about the same bearing and direction as the north and south streets in this plat would have. It would also appear by the advertisement for the sale of lots in Columbus City as made and published by Edward F. Willson and others in 1841 that the town as laid out by Edward F. Willson was not in the same location as the one laid out by Mortimore and Rice.
Edward F. Willson's plat of Columbus City, laid out March 23, 1841. The streets shown on this plat running east and west were as follows, beginning at the north: Mulberry, Church, Philadelphia, Market, Main, Jefferson, Wash- ington and Pring, and the north and south streets beginning at the east were Water, Pearl, Chestnut, Columbus, Iowa and Arlington. Most of the lots were 50x150 feet and all streets were 75 feet wide except Main and Market streets, which were 100 feet in width. The plat does not state upon what particular ground it is located but we know it was located in the northeast quarter of sec- tion 36, township 75 north, range 5 west, being just a little west of the town as laid out by Mortimore and Rice. The land was entered by David Dix and conveyed to Edward F. Willson, who at that time lived in Burlington.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
Immediately after the laying out of Willson's addition, as it was then called, but Columbus City, as it is now called, Mr. Willson seems to have conveyed a large number of lots to the half dozen other men whose names are signed to the following notice, which seems to have been published in the Burlington Patriot not long after its date.
"EMIGRANTS TO IOWA!
"The subscribers having located the plat of Columbus City upon a more elevated and advantageous site than heretofore, are now prepared to dispose of lots upon the most favorable terms. Viewing it as a matter of the highest import- ance that the youth of our Territory should enjoy the privilege of a thorough academic and collegiate education, arrangements are now in progress for the erection of a suitable building to be put up immediately for the reception of pupils of both sexes the present season. Columbus City is situated in Louisa County, at the confluence of the Iowa and Cedar Rivers, on a beautiful rolling and healthy prairie, abounding with as fine springs of running water as are to be found in any of the Eastern States. As six or eight of the most public thoroughfares in the Territory centre at this point. it will conse- quently be the great deposits for pork, and produce generally, in this part of the Territory.
EDWARD F. WILLSON, J. M. ROBERTSON, WILLIAM REYNOLDS, C. M. McDANIEL. WILLIAM L. TOOLE. SAMUEL HUTCHISON.
Proprietors.
March 25, 1841."
Rice and Mortimore had a great many lawsuits beginning about the time they laid out the old town of Columbus City. The result seems to have been that David Mortimore acquired the interest of Rice in the town plat. Mr. Morti- more was anxious to give his new town a good start by providing for a seminary of learning, and this resulted in a very interesting and curious incident of more than local importanee. On December 1, 1840, William L. Toole, who was then a member of the territorial legislature from this county, introduced House File No. 41, entitled "A bill to establish a seminary of learning at Columbus City in Louisa county." On December 2d this bill was read a second time and on motion of David Hendershot, of Des Moines county, it was made the order of the day for Friday, December 4th. On December 4th, on motion of Mr. Toole the house resolved itself into a committee of the whole house for the purpose of consider- ing this bill. After some time spent in consideration of the bill, Mr. Teeple. chairman of the committee of the whole, reported that the committee had directed him to report the bill back to the house with certain amendments, which were then agreed to by the house. The journal of the house does not state what these amendments were but we may presume from the record which follows that these amendments were to strike out the lottery plan of selling certain lots to raise money for the erection of a seminary of learning and insert instead a provision
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
to sell the lots by a public or private sale. After these amendments were agreed to it seems that Mr. Toole and the friends of the bill were not satisfied and the bill was referred to the committee on incorporations. This committee consisted of David Hendershot, of Des Moines county. James Brierly, of Lee county, and Timothy Mason, of Dubuque county.
The committee soon after reported the bill without change and it was laid on the table. Mr. Hendershot from the minority of the committee made a report and submitted with this report a new bill, House File, No. 86. We may gather what the new bill contained from the report of Mr. Hendershot, from which we make the following extracts: "The objects of the bill are expressed in its title and the seminary proposed to be established is intended for the education of youth of both sexes. The bill provides for a donation of forty lots of ground in Columbus City, being a donation by Mr. David Mortimore, by the sale of which, as provided in said bill, a fund is expected to be raised sufficient to put the seminary into immediate operation. To accomplish these objects, an act of in- corporation is asked for and in order to render this donation of town lots im- mediately available and also to enhance the fund derived from their sale, the bill asks the privilege to dispose of these lots by lottery. Objections to this clause of the bill led to its reference to your committee and to this subject the attention of the committee has been mostly directed."
The report then proceeds at some length to discuss the subject of iotteries, severely condemning the ordinary lottery schemes and the way in which they are usually carried out, and deprecating their tendency to produce undue excitement and to promote a spirit of gambling, etc., and then says "but the lottery asked for in this bill is of a very different character. . Its capital is a limited number of town lots of a value that every one understands. There cannot be any fraudi- lent scheme proposed, for there is no bonus to cover, no profits to be made but what grows out of the sale of the lots, and all this is for the benefit of the com- munity who are deeply interested in promoting the means of education and the drawing of such a lottery for such a purpose your committee cannot sup- pose will ever be likely to ripen into an injurious custom or to introduce any gambling habits into the community. Besides, your committee are of the opinion that if this privilege is not granted in this bill the only mode by which the trustees can dispose of these lots, the only capital on which they depend for establishing the institution must be a private sale, or a sale at auction to the highest bidder. The process of the first will be so slow as to prevent the seminary from going into operation for years to come, like most others that have been chartered in this territory-and the last would sacrifice the property and defeat the beneficent de- sign of the donor."
The report estimated that, sold in either of these ways, the lots would bring from two to three thousand dollars, but disposed of by lottery they would bring from ten to twelve thousand dollars. The minority therefore recommended the passage of the bill with the privilege of disposing of the lots by lottery.
Final action on this matter was taken on December 21st, at which time the house then again went into a committee of the whole on the new bill of House File 86. The committee of the whole recommended an amendment and Mr. Sum- mers, of Scott county, moved to strike out the words "lottery or otherwise" and insert "public or private sale." This motion was carried by a vote of fifteen to
U. P. Church
Christian Church
Main Street
Public School
M. E. Church
SCENES IN COLUMBUS CITY
8
一
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
nine, as follows: Yeas: Avery. Box, Brierly, Isett, Lash, Lewis, Mason, Miller, Porter, Steel, Summers, Van Antwerp, Whitaker, Wilson of Henry county, and Wilson, of Jefferson county. Nays were Browning, Felkner, Hendershot Leffler, Robertson, Teeple, Toole, Walworth and Speaker Cox.
This action of the house killed the lottery plan and we may infer that the pro- moters felt that no other plan would be of any immediate benefit, for on motion of Mr. Hendershot, the enacting clause of the bill was stricken out.
There seems, however, to have been a Columbus City seminary organized in the year 1841, for we find that Edward F. Willson deeded outlot No. 4 to the trustees of the Columbus City Seminary. This deed was dated October 22, 1841, and is recorded in Book B, Page 216.
No seminary building was ever constructed on outlot No. 4 and nothing seems to have been done with it until in January, 1847, when the state legislature passed an act authorizing Wesley W. Garner, James M. Robertson and William L. Toole to sell outlot No. 4 in Columbus City and to execute a conveyance there- for. The act provided that the proceeds should first be applied to the payment on the date accorded by the trustees of the Columbus City Seminary and that if any money should remain after the payment it should be invested in books for the use of some public library in Columbus City. It is understood that the principal part of the proceeds went to pay a debt due Dr. James M. Robertson from the Columbus City Seminary.
The earliest merchant mentioned in any Columbus City history is Italian Myler. who started a store there in 1842. His store sign was "I. Myler, Picayune Grocery." Mr. Myler was a well digger and worked out at his trade much of the time, keeping his, store open on Saturdays and other days when there was likely to be a crowd in town. Myler was a noted character in Columbus City, and he often broke into county history by getting his name on the court docket. He continued in business until his death, in 1885. and at one time had quite a large business.
But according to the county records there were store keepers in Columbus City much earlier than 1842. Some were in the old town. We find that on August 15, 1840, a license to sell merchandise was granted to Gildea & McGan- non, and their place of business was given as Columbus City. And on December Ir, 1840, a similar license was granted to G. B. Alexander & Company located at Columbus City. Charles Wightman, afterward a prominent citizen of Bur- lington, and at one time County Judge of Des Moines County, was either a clerk or a partner in the store of Alexander & Company. These two stores were in the old town, of course, as the other was not laid out until 1841. It is likely that the first real store, or at least among the first. at Columbus City, was kept by Philip Gore. Mr. Gore deserves honorable mention as one of the pioneers in the founding of Columbus City. He was postmaster from 1845 to 1849 and was justice of the peace for a number of years and also School Fund Commis- sioner. He was a man of good character and of much more than ordinary ed- ucation. He was not, however, as is generally supposed, the first postmaster at Columbus City.
Following is a list of the postmasters at Columbus City, with the date of their appointment. as given by the postoffice department up to 1864: Tobias Hammer, appointed March 3, 1843; Uriah Limbocker, June 14, 1844: Philip Gore, June
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
14. 1845 ; John Gardner, February 19. 1849; J. A. Luckett, April 23, 1849; Ben- jamin G. Neal, June 10, 1854: William M. Clark, June 19, 1851 ; John Gardner, April 17, 1852; William A. Colton, June 24. 1854: William G. Allen, September 8. 1857 ; William O. Kulp, June 9. 1859; William G. Allen, July 1, 1859: Elisha T. Williamson, May 4, 1861 : James Goble, February 9. 1866. There was a time after the appointment of J. A. Luckett when Colonel W. W. Garner was in charge of the postoffice, but his name does not appear in the list furnished from the post- office department. There is a tradition that William H. R. Thomas was post- master at Columbus City at a very early day, supposed to have been prior to 1843, but it may well be doubted whether this tradition has any foundation.
A little later there were some first-class stores in Columbus City and for many years it was one of the leading trading points in the county, its trade extending into Muscatine, Jolinson, Washington and Henry counties.
One of the leading firms for some years was Fitch & Luckett and N. G. Fitch & Company, and another was Harrison & Barrett. The first drug store was opened by the firm of Clark & Colton, both being doctors.
The first physicians to locate in Columbus City were Dr. J. M. Robertson, Dr. E. H. Skillman. Dr. John Bell. Dr. John Cleaves, Dr. William M. Clark, Dr. B. G. Neal. Dr. William A. Colton, and Dr. W. S. Robertson and they came in about the order named here.
The early tavern keepers were Dr. Skillman, Philip Gore and John Gardner.
The first hardware store was established by Colonel W. W. Garner in the year 1850 or 1851. This was the first store of its kind in either Louisa or Wash- ington counties and commanded a very large trade.
We have a number of shipping bills connected with the business of Colonel Garner, which throw some light on the means of transportation in those days, the freight charged, etc. The first is dated April 22, 1851, and is as follows:
"MR. W. W. GARNER, TO STEAMER BLACK HAWK, DR.
To Freight on 8732 lb. Iron at 40c pr. 100. .$34.93
To Freight on Lot from Burlington 1.00
$35.93
April 22d. 1851.
Rec'd Pay't, W. M. Zalzell. Clerk."
The above does not state where the 8732 pounds of iron came from but we are informed it came from St. Louis.
Another shipping bill is dated April 17. 1852, from John Phillips & Company of St. Louis, by the steamboat called the Black Hawk, of some iron and steel at forty cents per hundred pounds, to be delivered near Columbus City.
Another shipping bill is from the same firm, October 19, 1852, by the steam- boat Milton-a shipment of hardware to be delivered at Port Louisa, consigned to Lockwood & Williamson at the rate of fifty cents a hundred.
Another bill is for goods shipped by Colonel W. W. Garner from Todd's Landing, June 6. 1853. by the steamboat Daniel Hillman, for Brown, Phillips & Company, of St. Louis. The shipment was for thirty-six sacks of flaxseed at the rate of fourteen cents per bushel.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
The project of building a bridge across the Iowa river at or near the forks of the Cedar and Iowa was broached as early as 1850 by the people of Columbus City who were greatly interested in it. The first meeting toward this end of which we have any knowledge was held March 27, 1850. At least we may pre- sume it was so held, because of the following notice :
"BRIDGE MEETING.
"It is in contemplation to build a Bridge across the lowa river, at or near the forks of Cedar and Iowa. In this project the whole State has an interest; but those more immediately interested, on the west side of the river, are persons re- siding between English river and Virginia Grove, and as far west as Keokuk and Mahaska counties. A general meeting will be held at Columbus City, on Wed- mesday, 27th of March inst., at noon of the day, to talk about it and see how much money can be raised. Let everybody come.
"Columbus City, March 11, 1850."
The above notice is copied from one of the original bills printed and circulated at the time.
Another project that interested the people of Columbus City in those days was the proposed extension of the plank road leading north from Burlington, and it would seem from the following notice, which is copied from one of the original bills, that a meeting was held for this purpose at Columbus City on March 12, 1852:
"PLANKROAD MEETING!
"THERE will be a Plankroad meeting at the School House, in Columbus City, on Friday, the 12th day of March next, the object of which will be to make our arrangements for the extension of the Burlington and Louisa County Plank- road to Columbus City. All that feel an interest in sueli an enterprise are re- quested to attend.
PHILIP GORE, ALFRED LIMBARKER, W. W. GARNER, Committee of Correspondence.
"Columbus City, Feb. 27th, 1852."
The name Limbarker is a misprint ; it should be Limboeker.
The plank road from Burlington north was built by the Burlington & Vir- ginia Grove Plank Road Company, incorporated in 1851. We are not able to state just how far north from Burlington the road was actually built but it was at least as far as Dodgeville. The first officers of this company were: President, Hiram Leonard, Yellow Springs ; treasurer, John G. Foote, Burlington ; directors, William M. Graham, Honey Creek, Luke Palmer, Burlington, S. Fullenwider, Yellow Springs, Abner Leonard, Flint River and T. B. Crocker. Burlington, secretary. The capital stock of the company was fixed by the article at $60,000 in shares of $50 each, and it was authorized to do business as soon as $5,000 of the stock was taken.
We have before us a few copies of the Columbus City Courier edited by B.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
G. Neal, M. D. Number one of Volume 1 is dated April 8, 1856. This is said to be the first newspaper ever published in Columbus City. The writer is of the opinion that there was a paper published in Columbus City in 1855 and it may be that before this goes to press this fact can be definitely determined. The pros- pectus of the paper is dated April 3, 1856, and is signed by J. L. Grubb, W. M. Clark and B. G. Neal. styling themselves "committee of publication." Many in- teresting items in regard to the Columbus City of that day and its hopes and prospects are to be found in this first issue. The first article in the editorial part of the paper is entitled "Salutation," and we make the following extracts from it :
"In order to keep pace with our flourishing village and surrounding country, a company of gentlemen in this town formed themselves into an organized body for the purpose of procuring the material necessary for publishing a respectable paper in this place-which object being accomplished. with pride we lay before you today the first number. Railroads are approaching us from all im- portant directions, and commercially our village will soon be connected with the great center of circulation-so that there is no more danger that Columbus City will become isolated and fall into decay. The gassing for a fine seminary has all been completed and the more substantial part put in a fair way of accomplish- ing the work. Our prairies are fast filling up with intelligent and enterprising men who think more of good houses and large fields than of their dogs and guns. So the idea of having a Newspaper in Columbus City cannot be considered pre- mature, but at the same time it is hoped that all good citizens will come up promptly to the support of their ozem paper.
This e litorial is followed by another which is so full of interesting information in regard to the town and its prospects at that time that we copy substantially the entire article. It is as follows :
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