USA > Iowa > Muscatine County > History of Muscatine County, Iowa, from the earliest settlements to the present time, Volume I > Part 55
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July 18-$1,400 from the thirteen-dollar-per-month boys of the Second Iowa Cavalry was sent home to their families. The Twenty-fourth and Twenty- fifth Iowa went into camp on Muscatine Island during the month of Septem- ber. The Thirty-fifth was Muscatine's own regiment, Companies A, B, C, D, E and F being recruited in this county. Nine men, including one of the editors, Dr. Hershe, from the Journal office enlisted in this regiment. Dr. Hershe was the busiest man in the county. He examined all would-be exempts from the draft.
Muscatine was now a military post-two full regiments in camp and one more to come. Camp String was the center of attraction and was daily thronged with visitors. The Thirty-fifth Iowa received a beautiful flag presented by Miss Mary Gordon, supported by Misses Washburn and Howell. October 20, the Twenty-fourth Iowa left Camp Strong for the south on the steamer Hawk- eye State. The Thirty-fifth escorted them to the landing, and the whole city turned out to bid them good-bye. November 29, the Thirty-fifth regiment, nearly 1,000 strong, shouldered their guns and were "off to the war" by rail via La Salle and Cairo. The year closed with Camp Strong deserted, the "Grey Beards" leaving the last week in the year and going to St. Louis for orders for garrison duty.
Business commenced to revive, lumber advanced, farm produce began the up-grade and never stopped until a point was reached that make a man's eyes snap even today to read them. Citizens, wives, mothers, daughters and sweet- hearts all felt the strong heavy iron hand of war. All they could do was to watch and pray for the war to cease and redouble their efforts to provide for the ones at home and look out for the loved ones at the front.
1863-The weather the first week of the year was delightful, almost like May, but the wind came down from the northwest and the river filled with floating ice, and on the 8th of January the ferry boat, Decalion, was obliged to seek winter quarters. A band of one hundred Wasquaka Indians moved their camp from Cedar river to the slough three miles below the city. January 6, Mr. Daymude opened his academy after the holidays. January 8, a monster mass meeting at the court house endorsed the president and his proclamation, cheered the soldiers in the field, and warned the "traitors" at home to keep still.
Rev. C. C. Cummins, D. D., died at the residence of his son-in-law, Dr. Hor- ton, January 10. Claim and pension agents' advertisements began to appear in the papers, all "experienced hands at the business," etc .; the soldier is the object aimed at. Large trainloads of hogs passed through Muscatine every day, bound for Chicago.
The Ladies' Soldiers Aid Society reported in January that for six months following June they had sent hospital stores and delicacies to the soldiers to
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the amount of $600, besides what they did for the Twenty-fourth and Thirty- fifth Iowa in Camp Strong, and expended in the camp hospital $192.24.
From October, 1862, until February, 1863, the Washington branch shipped 60,098 live hogs, 2,829 dressed hogs, and 827 live cattle, the majority of hogs coming to Muscatine and the balance going to Chicago. February 6, O. W. Eckel and L. Eckel, two old lumber dealers, formed a copartnership and com- bined their yards, making a big firm and a large stock.
The winter packing season showed the following number of hogs packed here : S. O. Butler, 28,340; Leland & Company, 16,400; W. S. Humphreys, 16,- 500; total, 61,240, which with the work of the smaller houses, made a grand total of 65,000 hogs for the season. Keokuk led, with Burlington a good third.
February 7-The river closed and a crossing was made the next day.
February 9-The administration guards held a rousing meeting and ap- pointed an executive committee. The members were old men exempt from draft.
The Union Benevolent Society disbursed $258.18 for wood, flour and other necessities, to fifty families of soldiers during the winter. During March, J. P. Walton raised the large brick building occupied by Clock & Company as a clothing store. In March, lumber took another rise and the mills and yards had all they could do.
April 2-"The eastbound train yesterday contained seventeen cars of stock." How would such a train look now in 1911 ?
Young men were so scarce that young ladies had to go out and serenade themselves. April 13 the M. & M. Railroad carried passengers to Malcom, ten miles west of Brooklyn. April 17, at the assignee's sale of Green & Stone's property, the mansion built by Mr. Stone was bid in by J. P. Cook, of Davenport, for $195, which, with incumbrance, made the cost $8,595. April 21, passengers could go on the M. & M. Railroad to Washington and return the same day. April 25, prints at wholesale were quoted from eighteen to twenty-two cents per yard; two days later they jumped to five cents more-war prices. Thurs- day, April 30, was kept as National Fast Day. Rev. J. H. Power preached the sermon.
May 8, 1,750 Sioux Indians passed down on a steamer from Minnesota to their new reservation in Dakota territory. 1,500 more followed.
May 22, Potato day, Gabriel Little, residing three miles from the city, on the Tipton road, donated thirty acres of land to plant in potatoes for the soldiers. A picnic party went out and planted twenty acres, ladies assisting in the work. Enrolling officers for the draft were appointed in June. A great Fourth of July celebration was held this year. One hundred and seventy-four wagons with the floral procession made it over a mile long. Miss Cora Chaplain- per- sonated the "Goddess of Liberty."
October 19, the ladies and gentlemen began digging the soldiers' potatoes. In two days the patch was dug, leaving an acre for the soldiers' families and 1,000 bushels stored for shipment to the boys in the south.
November 26, a catamount was killed near the poor farm by Richard Smith. On Sunday, August 16, a little steamer built by Benjamin Middleton exploded just below the city, killing Samuel W. Barrows, his son, Charles, and another
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boy named William H. Mineere. William D. Ward and William B. Fish were fatally injured and afterward died.
There was also excitement over what was known as the "Skunk River War." A company commanded by Captain George A. Satterlee went from Muscatine to Sigourney, but the difficulty was settled without bloodshed.
1864-During January cattle froze to death. The great storm cut off rail- road communication for nearly a week. 64,870 hogs were packed this season. A wolf chased on the ice of the river, another found in General Gordon's yard and killed shortly afterward, shows the severity of the winter.
Muscatine City escaped the draft for soldiers by filling her quota March Ist. The new steamer "Muscatine," of the Northern Line Packet Company, was pre- sented a set of flags upon her arrival here. Ladies of Muscatine offered to take the place of clerks and salesmen in the stores in order to allow men to enlist in the one hundred days' regiment, the ladies agreeing to take only govern- ment pay and allow the absent clerks the difference in wages while away. Cap- tain Bitzer's company joined the Forty-fourth Iowa Infantry in June.
Green's stallion, Bashaw, sold for $5,000.
A great sanitary fair, conducted by the Ladies' Soldiers' Aid Society, was held at the court house. It netted several thousand dollars for sanitary work among the soldiers of the Union.
A boiler in the Nevada mill, at the corner of Iowa avenue and Third street, exploded October I, killing a child of David Rothschild, and breaking a leg of Charles Lilly. It also set fire to Washam & Phelps' livery barn and destroyed it.
This year Muscatine felt all the horrors of the war. Many heavy battles had been fought and the end was now in sight. Colonel S. G. Hill and his son Fred, Major A. B. John, Captain Buermeister, Captain DeHues, and many of the men of companies raised here, were killed on the field.
War prices still continued: Wheat, $1.50, corn, 95 cents, oats, fifty cents, potatoes, 60 cents, rye, 90 cents, common boards $32.50 per hundred, sheathing, $27.50, lath, $6.50, bar iron 101/2 and 121/2, standard brown sheetings, 50 and 65 cents, prints, 25 and 40 cents, live hogs 8 and 9 cents.
Chambers Brothers and S. O. Butler rebuilt and enlarged their slaughter and packing houses this year.
1865-This year will always be known as the last year of the war, al- though the war was not officially declared closed until 1866. The soldiers re- turned home by regiments, companies, platoons, in squads and singly. They were all welcomed back by the loyal citizens and soon the soldier was merged into the citizen. Business was booming, gold reached its highest notch, and the question of specific payment and how to reach it appeared. The city improved wonderfully, business blocks and dwellings arose on every side. The railroad reached Des Moines and the tide of travel and emigration setting west was wonderful.
1866-This was a prosperous year for Muscatine. L. W. Olds' opera house block was commenced this year; Chambers Brothers built an elevator; the court house which had been burned down, was rebuilt and completed June Ist. Pork packing ceased in February-only 12,000 this year against 24,000 last year. This proportion ruled all over the state. The bodies of the Union soldiers in the
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city cemetery were removed to the soldiers' circle, two lots being purchased by the Young Ladies' Loyal League. A fine monument stands in the center.
A flatboat containing 110,000 feet of flooring and siding was shipped to Memphis in April.
Captain Joseph Green bought and brought back to Muscatine the celebrated horse, Young Bashaw, he had sold two years before.
This year the growth of Muscatine was the best in ten years. Between two and three hundred new buildings were erected. Beside the opera house and elevator mentioned, John Lemp and Joseph Bennett built store rooms, while two others on Chestnut street, two on Second near Mulberry, and several others and many buildings were enlarged and improved. The lumber business grew to huge proportions and all other lines followed.
The pork houses did not pack any in December. Hogs were down to 31/2 cents for live and 5 cents for dressed. 659,334 bushels of grain were bought and shipped from Muscatine this year.
1867-January 8, the first telegram was received from Iowa City, the line having just been completed.
April 19, work commenced on the Muscatine, Tipton & Anamosa Railroad, just north of the city.
During the winter of 1867 there were killed in this county two lynx, ten wild- cats and fifty wolves. The county paid $4,294 for bounties on wild animals killed this year. This includes 19,845 gophers, at 20 cents for each tail.
The lumber trade grew wonderfully-12,260,000 feet sawed, 8,400,000 feet bought in water, 33,000,000 feet sold, 12,750,000 shingles sold, 8,527,000 lath sold, 10,000,000 feet of lumber on hand.
1868-January 16, Chambers Brothers stopped pork packing for the season, packing 12,000 hogs against 3,500 the year previous.
At this time Muscatine had sixteen dry-goods stores, thirty-seven retail and three wholesale groceries, seven drug stores, five boot and shoe stores, seven cobbler shops, five jewelry establishments, two music, six hardware and five clothing stores, eight tailoring and seven millinery establishments, five stove and tinware, four furniture and two bookstores, two retail and one wholesale crockery establishments, three cigar shops, five saddlery and harness manufactories, one hat and cap store, two daguerrean galleries, forty-six saloons, seven barber shops, seven meat markets, one marble yard, three flouring, one planing and three saw- mills, eleven lumberyards, counting those connected with the mills, ten hotels and first class boarding houses, thirteen doctors and sixteen lawyers.
The Muscatine, Oskaloosa & Council Bluffs Railroad Company was organized, with Jacob Butler, of Muscatine, as president. 2,000 tons of ice were harvested and stored.
Muscatine was second in the state for lumber trade the previous year.
February 10, the large frame building known as the Academy, occupied by Brown's high school, burned after daylight. The mercury was thirty-two degrees below zero. The building stood on the corner of Fifth street and Iowa avenue. It was never rebuilt.
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The celebrated stallion, Bashaw, Jr., son of Green's Bashaw, sold for $16,000.
The ferry question was settled by a new company and a new boat. The Northern Illinois, a large and strong steamer, commenced making regular trips in April.
Sunday, May 3d, a terrible tornado passed over the country, starting in Cedar township and winding up in Sweetland township. It entirely demolished the High Prairie church, eight miles from the city. No lives were lost.
The cornerstone for the new Methodist church, at the corner of Third street and Iowa avenue, was laid May 30.
July 2, a terrible rain and thunderstorm passed over the city early in the morn- ing. The lightning struck No. I schoolhouse, in the Third ward and it was burned. Anderson Chambers' dwelling on Sixth street, and a frame house on Seventh street, were struck at about the same time. The two dwellings were badly shattered but did not burn.
Three hundred citizens of Muscatine went to Wilton on the 13th of Sep- tember, to witness the laying of the cornerstone of the new Catholic church.
The board of supervisors, having refused to obey an order from the United States court to levy a tax, were attached for contempt and released on $500 bail each. The matter rested for six months.
Charles Stone shipped 4,000 osage orange plants to Carlow, Ireland-a sample lot.
1869-The board of supervisors were put under $1,000 bonds to appear at the next term of the district court. The United States courts held them for $500 to do as they were told, and the district courts held them for $1,000 not to do it.
March 9, Dr. C. Hershe, a prominent citizen, was shot and killed by a man named Mori, on his farm a few miles below the city. The murderer narrowly escaped lynching. He was sentenced for a term of six years in the penitentiary. He cut his hand off while there, became insane, and died in the insane asylum at Mt. Pleasant.
May 10, a large crowd of citizens in the telegraph office heard the signals given as the junction of two lines of Pacific railroads were made. Driving the last spike (a gold one) with a silver hammer, made the signals. They were heard at every telegraph station in the United States and over the Atlantic cable.
Lightning struck on the Ogilvie hill the evening of July 13, and killed police- man Thomas D. Moore. The year previous the schoolhouse on the same hill was destroyed by lightning.
Cadle & Mulford's new planing mill, at the corner of Sycamore and Front streets, began operations in August. It was one of the best on the river.
Terry's jewelry establishment was robbed of $3,000 worth of goods on Sun- day night, the 8th of August. No clue to the robbers was ever found.
Sunday, August 29, the new Methodist Episcopal church, costing $25,000, at the corner of Iowa avenue and Third streets, was dedicated.
Joseph Richardson, president of the Muscatine National Bank, died at Ded- ham, Massachusetts, September 2.
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October II, Azel Farnsworth and Mrs. Mary C. Miles were married in the court house square, the bride and groom, with their attendants, being on horse- back during the ceremony. A vast crowd was in attendance.
October 13, during the afternoon a boiler in Chambers' sawmill exploded. Two boys, John Garrett and L. Schlosser, were so severely scalded that they died that night.
November 8, the new schoolhouse in the third ward, was dedicated. It cost, with furnishings, $25,000, being one of the finest school buildings in the state.
November 17, there was a lively meeting at the court house-adoption of resolution denouncing the railroad bonds as a fraud, sustaining our state courts, and opposing the submission of the enabling act at present.
November 22, a monster hog, only two years old and weighing 840 pounds, was purchased by W. S. Richie, at nine cents per pound-$75 for a hog! The hog was a Chester White, raised by U. Houseman, of Lake township, Musca- tine county.
December 15, a railroad bond convention was held in Olds' opera house. Delegates were present from Muscatine, Washington, Johnson, Jefferson, Cedar, Iowa, Poweshiek, Lee and Louisa counties. The tax levy in each county was to be contested.
December 22, between eleven and twelve o'clock P. M. Chambers' Brothers mammoth elevator, situated just below their sawmill on East Front street, took fire and was totally destroyed, loss $40,000, insurance $22,000.
1,030,970 bushels of grain were shipped out by flour dealers during this year. 1870-January 15, a white coon was captured in the woods west of the city.
January 17, Bishop & Lillibridge's, M. Havercamp's and Byrne & Murphy's grocery stores were burglarized. The celebrated trotting Bashaw stallion, Kirk- wood, was sold for $14,000, being shipped to New York.
March 31, Judge Joseph Williams, one of the pioneer citizens, died at Fort Scott, Kansas. He had settled in Muscatine in 1838.
April 13, another railroad meeting was held to consider a proposition of the Rockford, Rock Island & St. Louis Railroad to give Muscatine an outlet in Illinois.
April 19, the Mississippi river rose to within three inches of the top of the island levee.
April 26, the island levee broke in three places, carrying away the railroad bridge about a mile below the Hershey mill. The greater part of the island was under water.
May 23, articles of incorporation of the Muscatine Western Railroad were adopted and the next day directors were elected. The capital stock was $10,000,000.
May 29, County Treasurer Thompson was served with a peremptory writ of mandamus commanding him to proceed in the collection of the railroad bond tax.
May 30, R. Musser & Company, lumber dealers, purchased several lots below the roundhouse on the island, upon which to erect a large sawmill the next spring.
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June 17, a boy playing with matches caused the burning of several stables on Sixth street, between Iowa avenue and Sycamore street.
July 6, surveying commenced for the proposed line of the Muscatine West- ern Railroad.
July 19, at 2 P. M. the thermometer stood at 1021/2 degrees, the highest range on record. The mercury was above 90 degrees for eight days in succession.
July 25, S. O. Butler, an old citizen and proprietor of Butler's pork pack- ing house, died at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa.
September 29, Steamboat Agent Block signed a bill of lading for two hun- dred barrels of flour from Hale's mill, for Boston, Massachusetts, all the way by water via St. Louis and New Orleans, for $1.40 per barrel.
October 2, Hon. William Smyth, member of congress from the second dis- trict of Iowa, died at his home in Marion.
December 1, Russell Hare, brother of Colonel A. M. Hare, was crushed to death by a load of lumber upsetting and falling upon him, as he was on his way home.
1871-January 22, the jury in the celebrated dog case, I. K. Terry vs. Nellis, after twenty-four hours' deliberating, failed to agree and were dis- charged.
February 24, Judge W. G. Woodward, of Muscatine, died at his home, aged sixty-three years.
May I, a spark from a construction train on Hershey's switch set fire to the lumberyard, causing the destruction of several piles of lumber, the sawmill stables and two dwelling houses. The steam fire pump did good service and with the help of the bucket brigade the flames were extinguished.
May 17, a special election was held in Bloomington township, including the city of Muscatine, on the question of donating a five per cent tax to construct the Muscatine Western Railroad. It carried by 728 majority in a total vote of 1,096. The tax realized was nearly $150,000.
The Journal this year published a number of interesting letters from Europe, written by its associate editor, James Mahin, now deceased.
June 18, Musser & Company's new sawmill began operations.
August 2, a fire burned out three frame buildings on Front street, between Iowa avenue and Sycamore street, loss $6,000.
John Huber, a barber of Muscatine, was run over by a locomotive on the railroad bridge at Iowa City and instantly killed.
August 22, Rev. E. L. Belden, for six years pastor of the Presbyterian church of Muscatine, died at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, where he was president of the Female Seminary.
September 13, Joseph Brown, brother of William Brown, of the Nevada mill, walked into the city from Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He walked the entire distance of six hundred miles, in four weeks, making twenty miles per day.
October 10, the news of the great Chicago fire was startling to the city of Muscatine, and the appeal for help was responded to instantly.
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October 12, the relief committee remitted $1,500 in money and sent a car- load of supplies to the sufferers at Chicago. West Liberty sent a carload of potatoes and one of clothing, and Wilton sent a carload of provisions.
October 19, two brick store buildings on the south side of Second street, be- tween Cedar and Walnut streets, burned. C. Connell, stove dealer, and Ed. Shepherd, grocer, occupied the buildings. Loss $18,000 on goods and buildings.
October 25, Captain John Phillips, of notorious ferryboat fame in early days, died at Lettsville, Iowa.
On the morning of November II, the dead body of John L. Hall, photog- rapher on Second street, was found lying on a sofa in his gallery. He took cyanide of potassium and instant death was the result. Gambling, losing bor- rowed money and fear of exposure led to the deed.
November 29, the steamer "Savannah" fast aground on a sandbar above the city, was abandoned by the crew, leaving the watchman in charge.
The balance of Muscatine's subscription to the Chicago sufferers, $182.10, was receipted for on the 25th. That made $1,682.10 remitted in cash. .
December 4, the Muscatine Western Railroad Company, authorized by reso- lution the suspension of the tax and no penalties until ninety days after the road was built.
December 29, Hagens & Company slaughtered 12,000 hogs this season, price $3.60 and $3.70.
1872-This was a year of considerable political excitement and of unusual interest in Muscatine county politics, from the fact that prominent local leaders of the republican party like Jacob C. Butler and D. C. Cloud left the party and joined the democrats in support of Horace Greeley for president. The result was a majority of 722 in the county for Grant over Greeley.
January 25, a body snatching case was discovered at Wilton. The body was traced to the medical department of the State University of Iowa City, which paid $30 for bodies for dissection. A great excitement followed.
January 29, Ex-Mayor John G. Stine died during the afternoon.
February 7, Mr. Cotton, congressman from the second district of Iowa, by unanimous consent, introduced a bill (H. F. 1409) authorizing the construction of a bridge over the Mississippi river at Muscatine, Iowa, which was read a first and second time, referred to the committee on commerce and ordered printed.
March 7, Chambers Brothers shipped a carload of lumber to Denver, Colo- rado. They shipped thirty-nine cars of lath to Chicago. The immense amount of building going on in that city created the demand from the outer world.
March 29, the steamer "Savannah" which was cut loose from the ice sev- eral days previous and safely moored out of danger, came down from her win- ter's berth and loaded for St. Louis.
April 6, General J. E. Fletcher, a pioneer citizen, died at his home, the Fletcher farm.
April 19, contracts were let for the grading of the Muscatine Western Rail- road and on the 21st the first work for the construction of the Muscatine West- ern Railroad was the driving of piling on Mad creek, near Dorn's brewery.
May 2, W. F. Brannan was appointed district judge by Governor Carpen- ter, vice J. S. Richman, resigned.
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May 10, a monster raft containing 2,000,000 feet of lumber and loaded with 500,000 shingles, 700,000 lath and 100,000 pickets, passed down in tow of the rafter J. W. VanSant.
Rev. Mr. Eaton, until 1871 pastor of the Baptist church of Muscatine, died at LaGrange, Missouri.
July 2, at 6 P. M., the last rail was laid on the Muscatine Western Railroad connecting this city with Nichols, and a mixed train came over it and into the city at II P. M.
The paper canoe "Dolly Varden" commanded by Julius Chambers, formerly of the late New York Tribune, arrived from Lake Itasca. There was but one person in the whole crew. The little craft left for Burlington.
August 6, war commenced between the Northern Line and Keokuk Packet Company and the Davidson St. Louis and St. Paul line. The latter wore white collars around their smokestacks.
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