USA > Iowa > Muscatine County > History of Muscatine County, Iowa, from the earliest settlements to the present time, Volume I > Part 56
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September 4, the strike of the hands employed in the sawmills for ten hours instead of eleven hours' work, collapsed. The old time and old wages were re- sumed, the strikers losing their time while idle.
November 19, Chambers' mill cut out of one log, 51 feet long and 27 inches across the top, two pieces 6x22-51 for gunwales for Cedar river ferryboat; one piece 7x16-51 for bridge timber, and 500 feet of lumber. It was straight and sound and scaled 1,841 feet.
November 25, the epizootic epidemic stopped the use of horses for any purpose.
1873-January 26, Rev. Dr. Power, resident of Muscatine from 1862 to the close of the year 1867, died at Burlington, Iowa.
February 16, James S. Hatch, an old merchant and citizen, died at the age of sixty-three.
February 17, a series of union meetings by different churches was inaugurated at Olds' opera house.
March 6, dissatisfied with the nominations for school directors, another ticket was put in the field and elected by the friends of the public schools.
March 8, the largest lumber sale ever made in Muscatine was the selling to C. Cadle of 400,000 feet of lumber, lath, shingles and pickets to a firm in Omaha, Nebraska.
March 18, union meetings of the churches at Olds' opera house closed.
April I, the contract for erecting the new high school building on Iowa ave- nue was let to S. B. Hill.
May 21, Huttig Brothers of Muscatine and W. Faulter, of Davenport, com- menced the manufacture of sash, doors and blinds in Muscatine.
June 5, Kirk's planing and grist mill, Pekelder's frame dwelling and Pekelder & Nester's wagon and blacksmith shop burned. Loss $15,000.
July 15, Suel Foster's residence was totally destroyed by fire.
July 30, Tower Clock Association was formed and articles of incorporation adopted.
464
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
August 19, the Young America Flour Mills burned, loss $12,000.
October 4, George Dow, conductor on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, died at the age of forty-three. He was engineer of the first train run from Muscatine to Washington.
October 9, the Harvest Feast celebrated by the Patrons of Husbandry was attended by 200 grangers and 2,500 people.
October 10, the Union Lumber Company of Chippewa Falls, Wisconsin, bought O. W. Eckel's lumberyard and put in an immense stock.
October 17, Augustus H. Johnson, son of Dr. D. P. Johnson, arrived with 200 Cherokee cattle for sale; farmers bought and fattened them for market.
Towing rafts by steamers was laughed at seven years previous; at this time rafters were built which cost $27,000.
November I, the high school building on Iowa avenue was dedicated.
November 5, a novel craft named the "Trident" modeled somewhat after Winan's cigar shaped ship, was launched. It cost $2,500 and was built by Boone Brothers. It went to New Orleans and the Gulf of Mexico.
December 28, track laying on the Muscatine Western Railroad was com- pleted to Riverside, thirty-two miles west of Muscatine.
1874-January 6, the river opened and closed; only instance on record.
March 17, the ladies' temperance crusade began, eighteen ladies marching in procession and visiting the saloons.
March 20, Kirk & Baily's new planing mill, corner Second and Mulberry streets, began operations.
April 4, Hon. Jacob Butler, having become insane, owing to financial dif- ficulties in Chicago, to which place he had moved the preceding year, was taken to the asylum at Mt. Pleasant, where he died on the 23d.
July 13, the new bell for the tower clock, weighing 2,552 pounds, fifty-two inches across the mouth and four feet high, with the motto The Public Schools Our Nation's Defense, was placed in position. The clock cost $650 in addition to the bell.
August 20, two elevators, one church and twenty other buildings burned in Wilton, loss $70,000.
August 25, Chambers Brothers lower sawmill and warehouse and Baker's boiler shops burned. The bucket brigade confined the fire to that block. Loss $75,000.
September 30, the ferryboat "Northern Illinois," with charter and franchise, sold for $2,650 to Captain Arnold.
October 8, the Muscatine Mills (Bennett's old mill) sold to E. M. Kessinger for $9,800.
November 18, the old Butler slaughter house burned. It had just been pre- pared for a winter's work.
December 7, Chester Weed, one of the early settlers and most prominent business men of the city, died at the age of fifty-five.
December 1I, Chambers Brothers new planing mill built upon the site of the old sawmill, commenced running.
1875-February II, the new chemical fire engine was safely housed at the old livery barn opposite Trinity church. The boys called it the "soda fountain."
Pine Creek Flour Mill, 1848
Chambers Diamond Saw Works, Second and Oak Streets, 1876
Grange Factory, northeast corner Third and Mulberry Streets, 1877
Hershey's Saw Mill as it appeared in the early '60s
Drying House of Union Lumbering Com- pany built in 1875 on Museatine Island. Burned October 5, 1876
Musser Lumber Company Sawmill
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HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
It was the beginning of the future waterworks. It cost $2,500 and was manned by a company of German citizens. Building improvements this year footed up $169,000. The Journal was printed by steam.
April 21, the first paper printed by steam in Muscatine. The Soldiers' Monument mounted in the court house yard was dedicated July 2, with an ad- dress by ex-Governor Kirkwood.
The grand total lumber trade in feet was 74,567,000. Twenty-eight new en- terprises and firms were inaugurated during the year. Thirty-three public meet- ings and lectures were held. Nineteen fires visited the city, including Brent Brothers washboard factory and Kleinfelder's foundry and Baker's boiler shop.
1876-Centennial Year-Building improvements this year $274,100, in- augurated April 12; they cost $48,000; the city hall, corner Sycamore and Third streets, purchased for municipal purposes, May 13, $2,500; rainstorm do- ing $8,000 damage in city, July 12; another severe storm September 23, causing downfall of P. Bernius new brick building on Chestnut street, and Hampe Brothers and Shannon's on Second street. There were fourteen fires in the year.
May 17, the passenger depot of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific was damaged by fire.
October 5, the dry kiln of the Island Lumber Company burned, loss $30,000.
Chambers Brothers diamond stone saw cut thirty-eight carloads of stone into building material, value $30,000. Total lumber business 100,000,000 feet.
1877-June 25, a great storm of wind, hail and rain in and around the city. G. W. Dillaway opened his present store building, December I.
Brick burned by four yards, 5,400,000; new buildings, improvements, etc., $104,000. The farmers in the county erected more new dwellings and buildings than in any one year previous, all in spite of the dull times.
The real estate transfers amounted to $750,648; a great religious awakening culminating in the conversion of hundreds of souls in the various churches and the organization of a Young Men's Christian Association; the city officers re- moved to the city hall, formerly the Methodist Episcopal church; Roberts & Company started their new sawmill in South Muscatine.
James Mahin, junior editor of the Journal, died December 9.
This part of the winter was known as the "mud blockade;" travel on all roads, except railroads, and even on some of the streets was suspended. Corpses had to be carried to the cemetery on biers.
December 27, extract from the Daily Journal: "Unprecedented .- A telegram from Winona, Minnesota says: 'The weather is very warm. The Mississippi is clear of ice from Lake Pepin to the gulf. Ten days ago the river closed and boats laid up. They are now fired again. Bees flying as on a hot June day. River clear above the lake and excursion boats running from St. Paul.' "
1878 Building improvements, $200,000. Among the principal ones were Webster's block costing $8,000; the first ward schoolhouse costing $20,000; and repairs to jail and court house costing over $5,000. Hershey's creamery was also built this year, and $20,000 in improvements made in Musser's mill. Dam- aging storm and floods in Pappoose and Mad creeks, August 19.
Vol. I-30
466
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
June 30, fire destroyed one of the oldest houses in the town, a frame at the corner of Third and Chestnut streets. It was built in 1839 by William Brownell, who brought most of the lumber from Cincinnati, Ohio.
July 12, waterworks on West Hill tested and found to work well.
July 26, loan of $10,000 additional voted for new schoolhouses and the houses were erected.
October 2, the veterans of the late war held a grand reunion at the fair grounds and had a glorious time.
November 27, three brothers, Vincent, William and John Chambers, left for Texas to engage in business, their brother Anderson following in a few days.
1879-Building improvements, $225,000. The Muscatine Oat Meal Mill Company was organized this year. Four new schoolhouses were completed and opened. First bridge over Cedar river built at Lord's ferry. Government did $10,000 of dredging in the harbor. Muscatine Island gardening first came into prominence-$127,500 sold from it this year.
The Muscatine Western Railroad opened the What Cheer coal fields to us by extending their line to that place.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad was completed to Kansas City, Missouri.
July 4, a grand celebration ; six companies of militia, one battery and three fire companies from abroad, without soldiers, firemen and citizens made it a gala day.
The Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company obtained in August a lease of the B. C. R. & N. Railroad. Lumber business booming; Chambers sawmill lying idle for want of hands to run it.
September 23, Moses Couch, who lived here for more than forty-three years, died at the age of seventy-seven.
September 27, Muscatine County Veterans Association formed a regimental organization and C. C. Horton was made colonel.
October 6, W. C. Betts, junior editor of the Tribune, died at the age of twenty-six.
October 12, three hundred citizens of Muscatine went on an excursion to South English, fifty-eight miles west on the Muscatine Western Railroad. A new tributary was opened to the trade of Muscatine.
October 26, a convention of driven well owners held to take means to resist the demand for a royalty of $10 on each well.
October 30, four new schoolhouses, namely: South Muscatine, Weedville, Butlerville and Ward No. I were thrown open to the public, and in the evening a regular house warming was held in the First Ward schoolhouse.
November 2, ex-Mayor, J. P. Ament died at the age of fifty-five.
December 3, steam was raised in the new oatmeal mill and machinery started.
December 23, T. Cowell purchased the Muscatine gas works of R. T. Cover- dale and took possession at once. Price, $55,000.
1880-March 8, a tax of $10,000 voted by the city to complete schoolhouses.
June II, firemen returned from Marshalltown, bearing trophies of victory in the state tournament.
1
FEUSTEL'S POTTERY AT FAIRPORT IN 1874
BEER + SALOON
MAIN STREET, NICHOLS, IN 1877
467
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
June 13, Cadle & Mulford's planing mill burned, loss $20,000, insurance $9,000.
June 25, threatening high stage of water in the Mississippi.
July 23, Brent's washboard factory damaged $6,000 by fire.
November 20, Saulsbury bridge over Cedar river and teams crossing.
December 20, scarlet fever scourge reaches its worst, there being about twenty- five cases in the city and sixty-five deaths reported since June.
December 27, the first train ran into Montezuma from Muscatine.
The construction of the River road between Muscatine and Davenport was commenced this year.
The Hershey Lumber Company built their $10,000 office this year.
It was estimated that $1,000,000 was paid out by Muscatine merchants for country produce this year and that $250,000 was expended in building im- provements.
1881-January 22, Wilton had a $5,000 fire, beginning in Farrier & Wooster's bakery.
January 25, B. Hershey purchased the Burdick lumber mill and stock at about $100,000.
January 31, William H. Stewart, a prominent merchant and useful citizen, died at the age of sixty-eight.
February 9, Muscatine branch of the Irish Land League was organized, with Samuell Sinnett as president and J. J. Russell as secretary.
February 12, Langridge & Martin's grist mill on Mulberry street burned, loss $6,000. The fire was at 2:30 in the morning during a fearful snow storm, which stopped railroad trains the following day.
March 4, there was another blockade of trains by snow.
Thomas Hannah, state senator, died at the age of sixty-one.
March 13, Thomas Hughes, who with John B. Russell started the Herald (predecessor of the Muscatine Journal) died in Iowa City.
March 31, an interruption of railroad travel by snow for the third time this winter.
April 2, unprecedented high water in the Cedar river.
May 18, firemen's parade and excursion from points on the Muscatine West- ern Railroad, with free dinner in the court house yard, made a gala day.
June 7, the telephone system was inaugurated in Muscatine.
June II, a royal reception was given the firemen returning home from the tournament at Council Bluffs. The hook and ladder company won the belt the third time and were champions of the state. The Rescue Hose Company of this city proved the best runners but an unfortunate accident lost them the prize.
June 14, Captain Lyman Banks of Company C, of this city, was elected general of the First Brigade, I. N. G.
June 16, Wilton was connected by telephone.
June 27, track laying on the new road between Muscatine and Davenport was commenced.
June 28, James Mayes, member of the hook and ladder company, was pre- sented by the company with gold watch and chain as the champion ladder climber of the state.
468
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
July I, Muscatine Cattle Company was organized with a capital stock of $400,000.
July 2, the city was terribly excited over the shooting of President Garfield by Charles Guiteau.
July 30, Captain Boynton, the world renowned swimmer, gave an exhibition in his floating and swimming rubber suit on the river.
August 5, Marx Block, the well known steamboat agent and resident of the city for thirty-six years, died at the age of sixty-seven.
September 8, Governor Gear, having appointed this day as a day for solemn prayer service to the Great Physician for the life of President Garfield, union services were held at the Congregational church.
September 20, Muscatine was in mourning for the death of President Garfield. A committee was appointed to make arrangements for the proper ceremonies. A message of condolence was sent to Mrs. Garfield.
September 26, obsequies of President Garfield commemorated by an im- pressive and military pageant, with memorial address by Hon. D. C. Richman, six thousand people being present in the court house square.
October 21, Mississippi river high, ferry landing out of sight. Elevator, packet warehouse and waterworks buildings surrounded by water.
October 28, river on a stand, seventeen feet and six inches above low water mark. Over one hundred houses at the head of the island surrounded by water.
November 6, two freight trains collided near Mad creek on the Wilton branch. Both engines and six box cars wrecked and $50,000 damage. Dis- obedience of orders was the cause.
December 5, passengers trains began running from the new depot of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, cost $5,000.
December 7, Musser & Company bought the entire plant of the Dessaint Mill & Lumber Company ; price paid estimated from $70,000 to $100,000.
Lumber cut, including lath and shingles, 79,500,000 feet ; 65,000 doors, 35,000 pairs blinds, 90,000 windows, 28,000 barrels oatmeal. Buildings and improve- ments, $65,000; 4,050 carloads shipped over the B. C. R. & N. Railroad from Muscatine, an increase of 1,260 cars; oatmeal company bought 460,000 bushels of oats at an average of 40 cents, making a grand total paid during the year for oats alone $184,000.
1882-February 27, Harry Hoover, one of the oldest citizens and an old Union veteran of Company D, Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry, died at the age of fifty-one. He had lived here thirty years.
March 4, William M. Stewart formerly of this city and captain of Com- pany B, Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry, died at Prior Lake, Minnesota.
April 6, the first locomotive to haul a train into Muscatine was sold to a Kansas road. It was called Antoine LeClaire, cost $12,000 and sold for $6,000. It crossed the river at Rock Island, July 1855, in a flatboat.
May 10, the contract was let for the new freight house of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific to be built of brick, 180x30, and at the east end two stories high.
May 23, it commenced to snow about 2 o'clock a. m. and continued until sunrise. About two inches fell.
469
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
June 17, the state firemen's tournament closed after a four days' contest. A row between hose companies in regard to awarding prizes and the slim attend- ance of companies did not make it a success.
June 18, news of the tornado at Grinnell, Iowa, caused great uneasiness here on account of Muscatine citizens visiting there. Fortunately none of them were injured.
June 22, the amount collected for the Grinnell sufferers reached $1,000.
June 27, the election for the adoption of the so called prohibitory amend- ment to the state constitution passed off quietly. The amendment carried in the county by 107 majority but was defeated in the city by 152.
July 3, Encampment of the First Brigade, Iowa National Guard; twenty- two companies of the three regiments, Second, Third and Fifth in camp, with General Lyman Banks commanding.
July 4, word was received telling of the death of Augustus J. Johnson, eldest son of Dr. D. P. Johnson of this city. He was killed by lightning near Cool- idge, Kansas, on the evening of July 3d. He and two companions were riding on horseback when the bolt descended, killing Mr. Johnson and knocking down the whole party, horses and all. The other two men and the horses escaped.
The Fourth of July was celebrated in camp of the First Brigade by com- petitive prize drills, etc., followed by brigade dress parade. Nine hundred and seventy-seven officers and men were in camp.
July 10, the relief committee's report shows that Muscatine sent to the re- lief of Grinnell, $1,225 and to sufferers at Malcom, $732.15; total with lumber sent to Grinnell, $2,500.
August 17, telephone communication was established with Davenport, Rock Island and Moline, also with Geneseo and Cambridge, Illinois, and De Witt and Lyons, Iowa.
August 18, Captain A. N. Snyder, serving his second term as sheriff of this county, died of cancer on the lip .. He was captain of Company F, Thirty-fifth Iowa Infantry and a resident of Seventy-six township.
September I, the Journal was unexpectedly called up by telephone from Clin- ton-the first message over the wire.
September 6, the thirty-ninth session of the Iowa conference of the Meth- odist church convened and lasted until Monday, September II.
Of the many public improvements made during the year are noted the ex- tensions of Silverman's block down the avenue to accomodate Cook, Musser & Company's bank and the Masonic fraternity; conversion of Hare's Hall into the armory and parlors for Company C, Second Regiment, Iowa National Guards and Relief Hook & Ladder Company No. 1; the large brick freight house of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific; new bridge across Pappoose creek on Front street at a cost of $3,200; Musser Lumber Company's new planing mill; in- auguration of burning charcoal from pinewood near lower mill; the new pier on the river for coaling steamers ; many new stores and residences erected and many more renovated and improved, all amounting to $195,000.
Over 10,000 cars of lumber, sash, doors and other articles were shipped out. Sales of passenger tickets amounted to over $50,000.
470
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
1883-A heavy rainstorm raised Mad creek so high that the water tore away the Second street wagon bridge and the railroad bridge on the Wilton branch. Over a half million feet of lumber belonging to the Muscatine Lumber Company were swept out of the yard and carried in huge, unbroken piles under Front street bridges. The ice bridge stopped the lumber and it was piled out upon it sev- eral hundred feet from shore. A large gang of men and teams were set to work to bring it ashore and all that could be rescued was landed before the ice broke up.
June 9, the board of supervisors ordered an iron bridge put across Mad creek on Second street, to replace the one carried away by the flood.
July 18, Robert Williams, the venerable city recorder and a citizen since 1855, died at the age of seventy-four.
July 27, the auditors of Muscatine and Louisa counties let the contract for building the levee along the Mississippi across the island, for $32,000.
August 4, William B. Langridge, a real estate and insurance man and a Ma- son of high rank and grand recorder of the commandery, died at the age of sixty-two.
August 10, Muscatine Tile Works, costing $10,000, burned their first kiln.
September II, the street car company ran their first cars over the line. The track is over two and a half miles long.
October 13, standard time was established all over the country. Iowa comes in the Central time district.
Public improvements this year cost $90,000; freight receipts, general mer- chandise, 9,567 tons; carload lots, 2,103 cars. Shipments: Miscellaneous mer- chandise, 14,579 tons; carload lots, 10,721 cars. Shipments by river unusually heavy both ways.
1884-January 3, The Muscatine Mutual Aid Society was organized.
January 4 was the coldest night known for years-thirty-six degrees below zero.
W. B. Craw, trainmaster of the Muscatine Western was killed by the train jumping the track.
March 5, Hotel Webster was opened to the public and a brilliant entertain- ment held.
December 8, Muscatine Manufacturing Company's establishment, formerly Brent Brothers, was burned, loss $20,000, insurance $9,000.
Among old settlers and prominent citizens who died this year were: Eliza- beth Mahin, aged eighty, January 28; Henry Molis, aged sixty-nine, February 8; M. M. Berkshire, May 2; George W. Hunt, in Moscow, August 5; Mrs. Pliny Fay, in Santa Cruz, California, December 15; Theodore Becke, aged sev- enty-seven, December 21 ; James Jackson, aged seventy-five, December 27.
1885-This year Front street was macadamized, the Turner Opera House was completed and the Lutheran church erected.
The citizens were considerably agitated over the efforts to enforce the pro- hibitory law. At a meeting held in the court house March 21, presided over by Lindley Hoopes, president of the County Temperance Alliance, it was re- solved to raise $5,000 by subscription to enforce the law in the county.
April 26, The Muscatine Rifles departed for Mobile, Alabama, to engage in a national encampment.
471
HISTORY OF MUSCATINE COUNTY
May I, several thousand dollars worth of liquor was seized by Constable Keckler under the prohibitory law.
May 6, a cold wave struck Iowa and formed ice a-half inch thick.
May 13, The Muscatine Rifles returned home from Mobile, Alabama, and received a hearty welcome.
May 22, the warehouse, paint shop and blacksmith shop of the Muscatine Manufacturing Company were destroyed by fire. The fire department saved the balance of the plant.
June I, Drury township, in Illinois, opposite Muscatine, carried the $500 tax for the Ferry road, which made $1,250 to improve the road on the other side from the bluff to the ferry landing.
June 29, the old grain elevator on the levee burned at II:25 P. M. It was built in 1866, cost $28,000 and was owned by Captain Davidson of the Packet Company.
July 6, the strike inaugurated a few days before at the upper mill of the Hershey Lumber Company, which resulted in several suits for the disturbance of the peace, and the loss of wages for the time unemployed was declared off and every man went to work on the same old time at the same wages.
July 23, Muscatine exhibited deep and heartfelt mourning over the death of General U. S. Grant. Appropriate ceremonies were arranged for and the city was draped in mourning.
July 27, the mercury reached 107 degrees in the shade. The mills all shut down and all business on the streets was suspended.
August 8, memorial services for General Grant were the most impressive ever held in the city. Minute guns were fired and bells tolled, all business sus- pended and the city generally decorated in mourning. An immense meeting in the court house square was addressed by president of the day, Colonel C. C. Horton, Judges Carskaddan and Brannan.
August 29, a boiler exploded in Niver's foundry on Mulberry, south of Sec- ond street. The steam drum, weighing three hundred pounds, was thrown four hundred feet. One man was slightly scalded and another slightly hurt.
September 2, the cornerstone for the new African Methodist Episcopal church was laid.
November 19, commissioners were appointed to appraise the Water Works Company's property, with the view of its purchase by the city. The city's com- missioner fixed the value at $60,135, while the Water Works Company's com- missioner valued it at $77,825-the last including the franchise. No purchase was made.
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