USA > Iowa > Muscatine County > History of Muscatine County, Iowa, from the earliest settlements to the present time, Volume I > Part 35
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pality has no jail, prisoners are turned over to the county jail, where they are kept safely at the expense of the city.
FIRE DEPARTMENT.
Muscatine, although a city of importance and up-to-date in almost everything that one looks for in a modern municipality, is woefully in need of a place for its legislation halls, apartments for its officials and a place to incarcerate the evildoer within her gates. Neither has the city a fire department, as the term is now applied, but there is in existence, and has been for many years, volun- teer fire companies, that have done valiant service in the interest of the property owner, and their reputation throughout the state for skill and efficiency has long been established, trophies now at tournaments being substantial attestations to the truth of the latter statement. The united fire, or hose companies are, how- ever, given the dignity and title of a fire department. Through the efforts of Gustav Schmidt in 1874, supported by the sympathy of Richard Musser, then mayor, the movement became a substantial one when about forty citizens sig- nified their willingness to become firemen.
On the 7th day of January, 1875, a meeting of citizens was held and Gustav Schmidt was chosen president of the company then formed. David Meyer became secretary, Moritz Saal first engineer and Barney Schmidt second en- gineer. The organization chose the name of the Champion Chemical Fire Com- pany and used a chemical fire extinguisher with indifferent results until 1877, when the water works enabled the "boys" to place dependence on a hose cart and hook and ladder wagon. The Champion Chemical Fire Company changed its name to the Champion Hose, Hook and Ladder Company No. I.
Rescue Hose Company No. 2 was organized April 27, 1876, largely through the efforts of Galbraith Bitzer, still a member. The first officers were: Gal- braith Bitzer, captain; A. B. Hampton, first lieutenant ; Joseph Morrison, second lieutenant; C. G. Whipple, secretary ; J. A. Pickler, treasurer.
Excelsior Hose Company No. 3 was organized in June, 1876, through the in- fluence and activity of Phil J. Murphy. The first officials were: Fireman, F. Moran; first assistant, P. Ryan; second assistant, D. Burke; secretary, J. H. Cosgrove; treasurer, F. P. Anson.
Relief Hook and Ladder Company was organized April 2, 1877, with a mem- bership of twenty-eight. Its first officers were as follows: Fireman, Lyman Banks; assistant fireman, W. S. Halstead; recording secretary, A. N. Garlock; financial secretary, W. C. Kegel; treasurer, J. E. Coe.
Early in 1877 the fire department was considered fully organized, there being a company for each ward, and Joseph Morrison became the first chief, serv- ing until 1881, when H. F. Bodman was chosen as his successor. The present chief (19II) is C. Hagerman, his assistants being Otto Elfers and Frank Curry ..
WATER WORKS.
While Muscatine was settled in 1836 and incorporated in 1853, it was not until 1875 that a water works system was installed. On the 9th of November
OLD RELIEF HOOK AND LADDER COMPANY, ORGANIZED 1877. WON STATE BELT THIRD TIME IN SUCCESSION
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of the year last mentioned, the first steps were taken toward the building of a water system in this city. On that date several of the most prominent citizens held a meeting and organized the Muscatine Water Works Company. All the stock was subscribed and Alexander Jackson was made president of the cor- poration ; Richard Musser, vice president; H. W. Moore, treasurer; and J. Carskaddan, secretary. The contract for the construction of the works was ordered for $31,138 and the buildings were erected. In the following year the reservoir was constructed at a cost of $8,000, the pressure of the latter being from 60 to 90 pounds, varying with the location of the hydrants. Under the charter of the corporation the tenure of its franchise was twenty-five years. In that time eleven miles of mains were laid and one hundred and twenty-five fire hydrants erected. At the foot of Chestnut street a brick pump house was built, wherein were installed two double acting Cope and Maxwell pumps, the water drawn from the Mississippi river, being pumped through an intake direct to the reservoir. This water at certain times of the year was very unpalatable, so much so that it gave rise to a great deal of dissatisfaction on the part of the consumer. This led to a demand for the adoption of a new system. The fran- chise having reached its termination, the city in 1900 purchased the old works for $100,000. A board of trustees was formed, consisting of W. H. Roach, chairman, T. R. Fitzgerald and Samuel Cone. The services of William Molis, who had for many years been superintendent, were retained, he being an engineer of unusual ability, business integrity and honesty. At once a movement was made in the direction of adopting a better system of securing pure water and the first thing that the trustees had to consider in that direction was the erection of a new station and devising means for that purpose. Various plans were advo- cated but the most popular was that of the establishment of a station south of town. This resulted in the building of a station on Muscatine Island. It was thought that $60,000 in addition to the income of the old works would be suffi- cient to complete the new plant and consequently bonds were issued for that amount. Three and a half acres were purchased of W. H. Hoopes & Son for the site of the new pumping station and in the latter part of 1906 the plant was completed. The pump house is 45×85 feet, with a coal house 30x40 feet. The smoke stack is 30 feet high and is said to be the most perfect stack in the state. The pump machinery consists of one Holly horizontal compound high duty pumping engine, capable of delivering 3,000,000 gallons of water every twenty- four hours. There is also a Worthington horizontal triple expansion pumping engine, which can supply 3,000,000 gallons of water every twenty-four hours.
The water supply consists of fourteen driven wells in sand and gravel. They are located on either side of a twenty inch pipe line which runs from the pump house south some 1,500 feet through the lots of T. B. Holcomb. These wells are about 100 to II0 feet apart and consist of six inch pipe with a strainer at the bottom, and are at an average depth of forty-eight feet.
THE FIRST POSTMASTER.
It was not until three years after Bloomington was laid out that a postmaster was appointed-a Mr. Stowell, who left these parts before the arrival of his
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commission. The honor of being the first postmaster then reverted to Edward E. Fay, who died in 1840 and was succeeded in office by his brother, Pliny Fay. He served all during the Harrison and Tyler administrations. When James Knox Polk was elected, George Earll took charge of the office at this place. He kept the mail in a small building that stood on the site of old Tremont Hall. Before the expiration of his term Mr. Earll died and his daughter Lucy be- came his successor. General Zachary Taylor was inaugurated president of the United States in 1849 and that year Nathan L. Stout was made postmaster of Muscatine. Mr. Stout at that time was editor of the Bloomingon Herald. He kept the postoffice in a new frame building that stood on the site of the old A. M. Winn establishment. Mr. Stout served less than a year, giving way to Richard Cadle, who moved the office to the lower room of the Freeman block on Second street and was the incumbent during the Taylor administration. Henry Reece was appointed postmaster under President Pierce in 1853. He removed the office from Second street to the Boston House on Iowa avenue. Owing to the active part he took in political affairs of the day he was removed from his office after a service of three years and John A. McCormick succeeded him. Mr. McCormick established the office on the east end of Second street. Robert Williams was appointed by President Buchanan in 1860 but in 1861 'Abraham Lincoln having been elected president, John Mahin took the office. Under his administration the citizens of Muscatine received their mail in a building on Iowa avenue. R. W. H. Brent was appointed postmaster in 1869 under the Grant administration and the postoffice was removed to the Butler block on Iowa avenue. John Mahin was reappointed in 1873 and he fitted up an office on Second street, between Iowa avenue and Chestnut street, more spacious than any known to the citizens before that time, in what was then known as the Stein building. His successor was Captain Ben Beach, in 1878. Captain Beach was succeeded by J. J. Russell, who removed the office to the Fitzgerald building. His successors were John Mahin and G. W. Van Horne. The latter died before the expiration of his term and was succeeded by his wife. For six years after Mrs. Van Horne's term expired, W. L. Roach was the in- cumbent. After him came W. D. Burke, who served a full term and was fol- lowed by Dr. R. S. McNutt, the present postmaster.
Early in the year 1909 one of the finest federal buildings was completed and occupied. It stands on the northeast corner of Iowa avenue and Fourth street, and the contract price of its construction was $65,232. The site of the new postoffice is a very desirable one. It is but a block from the heart of the business center of the city and is very convenient for the residents. The main body of the structure is of finest white Bedford stone, with trimmings, the windows and corners, in cut stone. The main entrance faces on Iowa avenue, while there is a side entrance on Fourth street, near the Iowa avenue corner. Entrances for employes are at the rear of the building which faces the east. The building measures 100x50 feet and stands almost flush with the two streets. At the rear is a macadamized entrance for teams, which separates the building from a beautiful grass plot, 25x30 feet in width.
The building has a magnificent exterior view and the furniture and finishing of the interior is in keeping with buildings of that character in all of the large
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cities of the country. It stands out prominently as a strong feature in beautiful building effects of the city and is an object of pride to every inhabitant in the place. With the site and the appurtenances the new postoffice building cost about $125,000.
MUSCATINE'S FIRST CITY DIRECTORY.
(By John Mahin in 1906.)
I will write concerning Muscatine's first city directory, issued in 1856, just fifty years ago. It was the first book ever printed that was devoted entirely to the interests of Muscatine. The title is Muscatine City Directory and Adver- tiser for 1856, containing a history of the city and county, notices of the various religious, benevolent and literary associations, names of state, county, township and city officers, and an alphabetical list of the names of heads of families and male adults in the city, with their several places of business and residence. Com- piled by John Mahin.
In the preface it is stated that it was the author's design when he commenced the work to give in an appendix information relative to the fertile and fast popu- lating region in the interior of Iowa then tributary to the Muscatine market, which would have been of particular interest to immigrants but as only meager and unsatisfactory accounts were obtained from some of the counties, and as the work proved to be larger than at first anticipated without such an appendix, it was thought best to omit it altogether. Nevertheless, the book contains three pages of the early history of Iowa and twenty-five pages of the history of Mus- catine city and county in chronological order, including five pages descriptive of the soil and productions of Muscatine county, with meteorological observations, etc., by T. S. Parvin, from 1837 to 1855, inclusive. Altogether, in this respect, no work ever issued contained so much information of local interest on these subjects. The population of the city at that time was estimated at 8,000 (prob- ably 2,000 too much), and of the county at 14,000.
The names in the directory proper number 1,384. In the As were 30, not one of whom remains a resident of the city at this time. In the 146 Bs there remain Benjamin Beach, Barney Beil, Joseph Biles and W. F. Brannan. Of the 96 Cs Jerome Carskaddan alone remains. Of the 71 Ds none remain. The same may be said of the 20 Es, the 63 Fs, the 46 Gs, the 141 Hs, the 7 Is and the 18 Js. Of the 66 Ks there remain Barney Kemper and W. B. Keeler, the latter now of Chicago. Of the 59 Ls only Ewing B. Lewis remains-though if I mistake not he has recently moved from Muscatine. Of the 139 Ms there remain John Mahin, Joseph Morrison and B. F. Mull, the first named now re- siding in Evanston, Illinois. Of the 25 Ns Maurice O. Neidig and J. R. Nisley remain. Of the 22 Os none remain. Of the 43 Ps J. S. Patten is the sole rep- resentative. Of the 5 Qs none remain. Of the 60 Rs J. Scott Richman, John Roth and W. G. Robb remain. Mr. Robb, however, lives in Jasper county, Iowa. Of the 129 Ss there remain George A. Satterlee, S. P. Sladden, T. D. Smith, Philip Stein and William R. Stone. Mr. Satterlee, however, is an in- mate of the Old Soldiers' Home at Los Angeles, California; Mr. Sladden re- sides at Eugene, Oregon, and Mr. Stone in Duluth, Minnesota. Of the 33 Ts
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none remain. The same can also be said of the 7 Us and the 14 Vs. Of the 117 Ws the only one I know of now living is Charles H. Wilson, of Washing- ton, Iowa. There were 4 Ys and 3 Zs, none of whom remain.
The name of Benjamin F. Neidig should have been in the directory, though he was not then the head of a family. As a printer he put in type most of the directory and it is a credit to his handiwork.
Of the 91 firms and individuals who had advertisements in the directory, W. F. Brennan, J. Carskaddan and J. S. Richman, attorneys, are still in the same business. W. F. Brannan's card appeared alone. J. S. Richman's name was in the firm of Richman & Brother, D. C. Richman (now deceased). Mr. Carskaddan was in the firm of Thayer & Carskaddan. T. D. Smith was then in the firm of Smith & Lord, booksellers. Two firms in business remain the same in name as then-H. Molis & Company, gunsmiths, and S. G. & P. Stein, furniture dealers, but the first name in each of the firms is that of the son of the senior partner at that time. Barney Beil was then the "Company" in the firm of H. Molis & Company, as he is now.
The pastors of the principal churches in 1856 were: John Harris, Methodist ; A. B. Robbins, Congregational; S. J. Baird, Presbyterian ; A. G. Eberhart, Bap- tist ; John Ufford, Episcopal; and Martin Bowman, United Brethren. It was stated in the directory that St. Matthias Catholic church had no pastor at that time but Philip Laurent had been before and was subsequently for nearly fifty years pastor of St. Matthias. He was probably absent at the time the directory was printed. It is remembered that he made an extended visit to the western part of the state about that time.
The teachers in the public schools were George B. Denison, D. Franklin Wells, Miss Margaret M. Lyon (afterward Mrs. George G. Denison), Miss Fannie A. Adams, Miss Henrietta F. Mikesell and N. F. Hoag.
The chief lawyers were Stephen Whicher, Jacob Butler, W. G. Woodward (then associate justice on the supreme bench), D. C. Cloud, Henry O'Connor, J. S. Richman and W. F. Brannan.
The principal doctors were George Reeder, C. P. Hastings, C. O. Waters, D. P. Johnson, C. Hershe, B. W. Thompson and C. H. Thompson.
The county officers at that time were : George Meason, judge (an office sub- sequently abolished) ; D. G. McCloud, sheriff; Richard Cadle, clerk; W. G. Robb, recorder ; Peter Houtz, surveyor; Asa Gregg, school fund commissioner ; Shepherd Smalley, drainage commissioner.
The city officers were: John H. Wallace, mayor ; John B. Dougherty, treas- urer; W. L. Browning, wharfmaster; Abial Fry, marshal; D. P. Johnson, re- corder ; John A. McCormick, assessor; Ed Hoch, weigher and measurer; Isaac Longstreth, street commissioner; John Seller, sexton of cemetery.
The members of the city council were: Jacob Butler, F. S. Phelps, Charles Neulley, D. C. Cloud, William Leffingwell, Cornelius Cadle.
Henry Reece was postmaster, George W. Wilkinson, senator in the state legislature, and R. Pritchard and John H. Pigman, representatives.
Men then prominent in business enterprises who are now deceased, may be enumerated alphabetically as follows: W. D. Ament, Joseph Bennett, Marx Block, Joseph Bridgman, R. M. Burnett, Jacob Butler, S. O. Butler, Anderson
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and William Chambers, Alexander Clark, S. B. Crane, J. B. Dougherty, Doug- las Dunsmore, Pliny Fay, Suel Foster, J. P. Freeman, Henry Funk, G. A. Garrettson, John G. Gordon, J. E. Graham, Joseph A. Green, A. M. Hare, J. S. Hatch, B. Hershey, Dr. C. Hershe, S. B. and S. G. Hill, H. H. Hine, Thomas M. Isett, Peter Jackson, A. Jackson, Elias M. Kessinger, John Lemp, George D. Magoon, S. M. Mckibben, Henry Molis, H. W. Moore, Peter Musser, Richard Musser, Adam Ogilvie, L. W. Olds, John A. Parvin, T. S. Parvin, Adam Reul- ing, Abraham Smalley, Simon G. Stein, W. H. Stewart, George C. Stone, John H. Wallace, J. P. Walton, Zephaniah Washburn, Chester Weed, James Weed.
MUSCATINERS WHO HAVE GAINED STATE AND NATIONAL DISTINCTION.
Muscatine has had many people of distinction. These distinctions have been noted in many lines, among them art, music, literature, politics, education, diplo- macy, the army and navy, law, medicine, the church and in business.
ARTISTS.
In art the most distinguished Muscatiner has been George Grey Barnard, . the sculptor of international fame. It is sometimes disputed that Barnard was a Muscatine man. He is, however, a Muscatiner out and out. He came here in 1875, when twelve years of age and at that time I. B. Richman, the writer, was attending the Third Ward school. In 1876 both of them entered the high school and while there Barnard became interested in drawing and this led to interest in other forms of art, including modeling in clay. His talent was en- couraged and stimulated by G. W. Van Horne, who urged that he go to Europe for study. Thus it may be seen that his inspiration came wholly from this locality. Besides Barnard, Muscatine is represented in art in other cities by Miss Jessie Washburn, of Los Angeles, California, and Miss Stella Richardson, of New York.
IN MUSIC.
Among those whom Muscatine has contributed to the musical world are Mrs. Sarah Hershey Marsh, who now resides near Paris, France; Miss Esther But- ler, a vocalist of Los Angeles, California; Miss Anna Millar, who for a time managed the Thomas Orchestra, of Chicago, and Mrs. May Morgridge, of Phil- adelphia.
WITH THE WRITERS.
In literature Mark Twain is associated with Muscatine. As a Mississippi pilot he saw much of the locality which he describes in his Life on the Missis- sippi. In the book he says: "I remember Muscatine for its serene sunsets. I have never seen any on either side of the ocean which equaled them. It is the true sunset land. The sunrises are also exceedingly fine."
F. M. Witter is known for his contributions on the mussel shells of the Mississippi river, to the scientific journals.
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D. C. Cloud, a Muscatine man, in 1873 wrote "Monopolies and the People," a book which at the time was laughed at, but since, tributes of high respect have been paid to it by such educators as Professor Richard Ely, of the University of Wisconsin, who says that he divined his inspiration from it.
In the Whichers, George, Sr., and George, Jr., Muscatine has two poets of distinction. Muscatine, however, is not sufficiently acquainted with the poetical works of George, Sr., which have appeared from time to time in the leading publications of this country.
Ellis Parker Butler is too well known to make it necessary to say anything about him.
In education Muscatine is known by G. M. Whicher of the Girls' Normal College of New York city ; by Fred Lambert, of Tuft's College, Massachusetts, and Miss Clara Lillibridge, of the Los Angeles high school.
POLITICIANS.
Muscatine has so far produced no governors and but one congressman ; that is, S. C. Hastings, who went to congress in 1848, was at that time a Mus- catiner. Two governors are associated with Muscatine-Robert Lucas, who at the end of his term in 184I came here to reside, and Ralph P. Lowe, who came to Muscatine in 1840 and was made governor in 1857. In the state department at Washington, D. C., Muscatine had a representative in Henry O'Connor, who held the position of solicitor of the department.
DIPLOMACY.
Diplomacy is a field in which Muscatine has had many representatives. In 1861 G. W. Van Horne was appointed as consul at Marseilles, France, and in 1890 Alexander Clark was sent as minister to Liberia. Samuel McNutt was American representative at Maracaibo, Venezuela, and in 1893 Frank Mahin, an old time Muscatiner, was dispatched to Reichenberg, 'Austria. Of these men, Samuel McNutt was the most talked about.
IN THE SERVICE.
In the regular army Muscatine sent Colonel E. Hatch, Colonel Charles Compton, Lieutenant Rollo Hill, Lieutenant Charles O'Connor, Major Joseph Davidson, Captain A. A. King and Lieutenant J. C. King. In the navy, local representatives have been William Reeder, C. S. Richman, John F. Dayton and Lyal Davidson. In law and medicine the distinguished Muscatiners are too numerous to mention.
IN THE CHURCH.
In the church Muscatine is known by Bishop Vail, who was consecrated here as the bishop of Kansas; by P. Laurent, who was once connected with the Church of the Madeline at Paris; by A. B. Robbins, of the Iowa band; and Fred Smith, one of the present international secretaries of the Y. M. C. A.
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In business Muscatine has had many representatives of more than state- wide reputation. Among them are numbered William C. Brewster and William Ziegler, of New York; F. L. Underwood and W. R. Greene, international pro- moters; and Miss Mira Hershey, now of Los Angeles. Those who have gained prominence in the interest of lumber, sash and doors, and buttons, require no mention.
IRVING B. RICHMAN.
Irving B. Richman should be noted among men of letters. Some time since the Brown University honored him with the title of LL. D. He has been vice president of the Iowa Literary Association, has written historical articles for the Atlantic Monthly, Political Science Quarterly and the Harvard Law Review. He is the author of "John Brown Among the Quakers," "Appenzell, A' Swiss Study," "Rhode Island, Its Making and History," and has just sent to the printer for publication "A History of California."
Mr. Richman is fifty years of age and is a native born son of Muscatine. He was educated in the public schools of this city and the State University of Iowa and is one of the county's distinguished alumni of that institution. In 1908 the State Historical Society honored him as a guest and tendered him a banquet, which was attended by many of the notables of the state.
THE CLEMENS HOME.
The little black house to the east of the entrance to the high bridge was the home of Samuel Clemens (Mark Twain), his widowed mother and his two brothers, Orrin and Henry, during their residence in this city. Mrs. Clemens, with the two other boys, came to the city first and Samuel came later. Resi- dents of Muscatine who lived in the vicinity of the Clemens home tell inter- esting stories of the family. At that time there was no such thing as the high bridge and from the steps in front of the house no doubt Samuel often watched the river and had long thoughts. His description of the summer sunsets at Muscatine, of which he speaks in his book, "Life on the Mississippi," shows that he often pondered on the beauty of the natural scenery in this vicinity.
To the back of the house there is a little grape arbor and a latticed porch. There his mother performed many daily tasks. She had the true southern hos- pitality and one citizen who was but a child when the family moved to this city, remembers distinctly the many acts of kindness with which the mother of Mark Twain was imbued.
During the residence of the family in this city Henry clerked in Mr. Bur- nett's book store and Samuel worked for a while on the Journal, as did Orrin, the elder brother. Later Henry worked on a steamboat on the Mississippi, where he was injured in an explosion, the effects of which cost him his life.
Mark had had trouble with the pilot of the boat Pennsylvania and was on board the Lacey. When the Lacey reached Greenville, Mississippi, the passen- gers received word that the Pennsylvania had been blown up at Ship Island and one hundred and fifty lives were lost. At Napoleon, Arkansas, an extra issued by a Memphis paper was obtained and among the names of the injured appeared the name of Henry Clemens. The unfortunate ones were taken by steamer to
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