USA > Iowa > Story County > History of Story County, Iowa: A Record of Settlement, Organization. > Part 52
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Of the outside towns the first place has been fairly won by Story City. It has a population not far from what Nevada and Ames had twenty years ago. But it is much better improved than they were at that time. When the town was laid out, a sentiment of public spirit caused the laying out of exceptionally wide streets; and though the time was when some of these streets were convenient pastures, they are now a conspicuous
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feature of the town's beauty. Its business district is well built up and its homes give evidence of wealth and taste. The town has long had water- works and electric lights; it has perhaps the largest department store in the county and it unquestionably has the best public park in the county. Maxwell shares with Story City the distinction of having one of the two third class postoffices in the county. The postoffices at Ames and Nevada being second class and the four being all there are of presidential rank. The postal business is suggestive of the general activity of the town which has habitually been characterized by its push. It has had its share of fires and is in considerable part, well built; and it has its share of hand- some residences. It has waterworks and an acetylene gas plant. Prob- ably the wealthiest of the smaller towns in proportion to its population is Roland which is also well built, particularly as to residences and churches ; and the casual visitor is surprised at the amount of its cement walks. Roland has recently voted, almost unanimously, to spend $10,000 for waterworks and $8,000 for electric lights. Cambridge had its best boom when its two new railroads were being built early in the decade. It has electric lights, good business buildings, good residences and a general ap- pearance of prosperity. In Palestine Township there are too many towns to give any one of them all the chance it might have, but Slater has been a good town from the time it was established and Huxley has prospered notably since the interurban railroad came. Colo, Collins, Zearing and Mc- Callsburg are all of them business and social centers that are improving steadily and that will continue to improve as time progresses and the sur- rounding country grows richer. Gilbert Station and Kelley have the dis- advantage of being rather close to Ames, as are Fernald and Shipley to Nevada, but the first three of these four towns are progressing obviously in spite of all their difficulties. Iowa Center is the one town in the county which maintains its existence off from any railroad; and while in this age it is impossible for any town to grow under such conditions the per- sistence of the village is not to be overlooked. Practically all of these towns have telephone exchanges and the three or four not so equipped are supplied with rural lines from larger towns. They are all knit to- gether with connecting toll lines and maintain closest touch with the sur- rounding country by means of their rural lines. They are a splendid Iot of towns and the past decade has counted with them greatly.
THE ADVENTIST INSTITUTIONS.
The coming to Nevada of the Adventist Institutions has been a notable matter. From near the beginning of things in this community, there has always been an element of Seventh Day Adventists; but in the inter- mediate years their organization had been distinctly less active than it was back in the Seventies. Their number and standing, however, was such as to afford to them real influence in the organization of their denomina-
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tion; and when the management of the denomination proposed, for reasons good and sufficient from their own point of view, to take out of the city of Des Moines the Iowa Sanitarium, which was their chief denominational institution in the state, the Nevada contingent suggested that the institu- tion be brought to Nevada. Of this Nevada contingent, it is proper here to make personal mention of Mr. J. M. Whitney, a retired and wealthy farmer, who was a member of the state executive board of the sanitarium. Largely at his insistence, in the fall of 1907, some of the officials of the institution came to Nevada to look the situation over, and negotiations for the removal of the sanitarium were instituted. These negotiations, however, did not result definitely, and in the following spring a fresh start was made. The sanitarium committee came up to Nevada and various locations were shown to them. Finally, however, they picked out a location on their own motion, different from any that had been sug- gested to them and much better than any that had been so suggested. This location was on the hill immediately south of the city, in a place ordinarily difficult to reach from town because; there was no bridge near it over the creek; but it was easy enough to get to when once a suitable bridge was built. Being very much pleased with the location they had found, the committee made definite proposal that if the city would raise $15,000, give them a road, and get the county to build a bridge, they would move the sanitarium and put up a building to cost not less than $50,000. The local subscription was raised within a week, and fifty-five acres of the desired ground purchased. The road was built, and the bridge also; and the Adventists more than fulfilled their agreement by putting up a sanitarium building which cost $75,000.00.
Incident to the location of this institution, the Adventists moved to Nevada the headquarters of their denominational organization; purchased for its uses a residence property between the court house and the city park, and following the two removals, members of the denomination from various parts of the state, began to move to Nevada. The ground for the sanitarium building was broken in the fall of 1908, and the building was dedicated about the Ist of September, 1909. The denominational camp meeting had been held on the sanitarium ground just before the ex- cavations were begun, and the second camp meeting was in progress at the time of the dedication. The two camp meetings familiarized the de- nomination in the state thoroughly with the denominational acquisition, and the action of the managing board was endorsed with enthusiasm and unanimity. The institution itself has proved to be all that it was repre- sented to be and more, and commands recognition as the best of its class in the state.
Incidental to the location of the sanitarium and of the denominational headquarters and of the removal to Nevada of many Adventists, a senti- ment grew up in the denomination for the removal to Nevada of their academy, which has been at Stuart in Guthrie County. This sentiment
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found definite expression at a state conference in Nevada early in the present year; and after various negotiations and the receipt of propositions from some other towns, the definite offer was made that, if Nevada would raise $5,000 for the purpose, the academy would be removed to this city. The money was raised in April of the present year, and the academy is now being built. . It will be a fine building on the hill west of the sanitarium, both institutions being south of the city and of the creek, and the general progress which its erection suggests is typical of the situa- tion.
THE COLLEGE.
The Iowa State College in 1902, suffered the very great loss of the death of President Beardshear, under whose administration, the college had made very great progress and was assured of even greater progress in the future. Not only had the college grown in numbers both of students and of faculty ; but it had been actually benefited by the enforced aban- donment, so far as the boys were concerned, of the dormitory system, and the state had reached the point where it was willing to provide means for the erection of what might be regarded as permanent buildings at the college. To put the matter upon a permanent basis, a special tax of 1/10 of a mill was levied for the benefit of the institution for building purposes, and this levy was subsequently increased to 2/10 of a mill. The fund thus provided was one which enabled the management of the college to figure upon for several years ahead and to make their building plans ac- cordingly. Also, this fund was supplemented by direct appropriations for . building purposes, and the funds for support were also increased. Out of the millage tax and the special appropriations, the trustees proceeded, in fact, to build a new sort of buildings. These buildings were of modern construction, fire proof, stone on the outside; brick, iron and tile within, and such in fact as should be regarded as permanent additions of the first order to the equipment of the institution. The first of these stone buildings erected at the college was the Engineering building, which was followed shortly by the new Central building on the site of the Old Main building, and later on the east end of the campus, facing the Central building, was put up the magnificent Agricultural Hall, with its annex of an auditorium on the east side. Other buildings, less imposing and ex- pensive but equally adapted to the uses of the institution, have followed upon various parts of the campus, and the general character of the in- stitution has been greatly advanced. All of this progress was fairly started or well assured when the president who had been the inspiration of a great part of it, suddenly dropped by the wayside. President Beard- shear was not only the head of the Iowa State College of Agriculture and Mechanic Arts; but he was also for the time being, president of the National Educational Association, having been, we think, the only citizen of Iowa ever to attain this particular honor. The association met in the
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summer of 1902 at Minneapolis, and for that occasion Dr. Beardshear had prepared a suitable address. When the time came, he was in attendance upon the convention, but was unable to deliver his address and had to have it read by another. He came home from the association a sick man and died soon afterwards. His place at the head of the college was filled for the ensuing year by Prof. Stanton as acting president, and a vigorous contest entered on for the choice of the permanent succession. The older alumni, generally, asked the continuance of Prof. Stanton, while the agri- cultural interests of the state, recognizing the especial service of Prof. Curtiss at the head of the agricultural department of the institution, de- sired his advancement to the presidency. In the ultimate the board of trustees divided too closely to make the choice of either practicable, and Dr. A. B. Storms, a Methodist Divine of Des Moines, was chosen as a compromise. Dr. Storms was an able preacher and a man of notable culture. Under his administration, the impetus which had been gained under the Beardshear regime was not lost, and the college continued to prosper, as has been noted. In 1909, the general assembly placed the col- lege, along with the state university and the state normal school, under the management of a single board of education, which board somewhat speedily found occasion to call for Dr. Storms' resignation, and he ac- cordingly retired in September, 1910, after a service of seven years. The state board of education, like the earlier board of trustees, however, found much difficulty in filling the vacancy. They spent several months upon the proposition, and then placed Dean Stanton again in charge as acting . president, which position he continues to hold pending the efforts of the state board to reach a conclusion as to another permanent president of the institution. Troubles about the president, however, have had little to do in late years with the progress of the college. The institution has grown to be altogether too large and great and has too strong a hold in the confidence of the people of the state, and is looked to with to much interest by the youth of the state, and is too well supported in the matter of appropriations by the general assembly of the state, for its growth and usefulness to be effectively retarded. Also, it is to be ob- served that Acting President Stanton entered the institution as a student with the first batch of preparatory youngsters in the fall of 1869 and graduated with the first class in 1873. Very soon thereafter, he became an instructor in the institution, and in time its professor of mathematics. His identification with the institution has been absolutely from its very be- ginning and his executive ability in the handling of its affairs and his under- standing of what is to the interest of the institution are such as the friends of the institution would wish to see in the one who is at the head of its affairs. The institution never was more prosperous than it is now.
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CHAPTER XLV. RAILROADS AND DITCHES.
RAILROAD IMPROVEMENTS.
In the past decade, Story County has witnessed the double tracking of the Northwestern railroad; the construction of a small railroad through the southwest corner of the county, the construction of an important line north and south across the county and the construction and adaptation of an electric road in the west part of the county. The double tracking of the Chicago & Northwestern began late in the 'gos and was completed early in this decade, the bulk of the work in this county being done about 1899 and 1900. Not only was the road across the county and state changed from single track to double track but the line was variously improved, regardless of expense where improvements were practicable. Curves were straightened and grades reduced. The most approved signalling devices were installed, great bridges built, new and heavier rails laid, new depots built in all the principal towns including Ames and Nevada, any amount of new equipment procured and the road generally brought to the highest degree of attainable perfection. Since the completion of this work it has been generally recognized that the main railroad across Story County is the best there is in the west.
The cross railroad at Nevada, Cambridge and McCallsburg came after a renewal of struggles which date back to the '60s. In the beginning of the end in the latter 'gos a family by the name of Wardall, hailing from Mitchell County, near Osage, came through the county proposing the con- struction of a road to be known as the Duluth & New Orleans, and intended by its promoters to be ultimately a great trunk line between the Gulf of Mexico and the most northern of the Great Unsalted Seas. Their immediate hope, however, was to organize a company that should build a line from Des Moines to Osage, connecting at the former point with various roads, south and south-west, and at the latter point with a plug railroad, that might be given some importance if it had had a southern connection. The Wardalls ultimately made Nevada the headquarters of their operations, and secured here a quite general popular support. They were undoubtedly sincere, though somewhat visionary, and they would
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have built the railroad if they could have found the money to build it with. Their resources, however, were quite inadequate, and though Nevada voted a three per cent tax twice, and some individuals in this vicinity contributed quite largely, they were not able to induce other com- munities to take similar interest in their enterprise and failed to enlist the co-operation of capital in amounts sufficient for actual railroad con- struction. Possibly one condition that made their difficulties the greater, was the fact that about the same time, another company was projected at Iowa Falls to build a railroad over substantially the same route, which, by the Iowa Falls crowd, it was proposed to call the Des Moines, Iowa Falls & Northern. The Duluth & New Orleans project having been started first, the Iowa Falls proposition was compelled to await the death of the former one; but in time the Wardalls exhausted their resources, made for the benefit of their principal backer a bill of sale for such grading as had been done and removed from the community.
In the meantime, another project, which was started, was the Des Moines, Eldora & Nevada Electric Railroad, the principal backer of which was Mr. J. S. Polk of Des Moines, who was an undoubted financier and had made much of his fortune in the electric railroad business at Des Moines. The headquarters of this enterprise, however, was to be at Nevada, and, the Duluth & New Orleans matter having by this time sub- sided, Nevada voted for this enterprise a two and one-half mill tax. Mr. Polk, however, like others before him, failed to enlist in this matter, the capital which he had hoped to enlist, and this project died also.
Before the electric proposition was quite dead, however, the Iowa Falls crowd became active and ran two or three surveys through the county for their line. One of these surveys was upon the route along which the road was ultimately built, and another was the same from Iowa Falls to the crossing of the North-Western at East Indian Creek, east of Nevada, from which crossing it was proposed to continue down the creek valley to Maxwell, and then diagonally across Polk County to Des Moines. How seriously this latter route was really contemplated, it never has been practicable to say, but it served at least to make Nevada contribute, as was desired, towards the construction of the road. The con- tribution asked was cash donations to buy the right-of-way through the city and Nevada Township, and a two and one-half per cent tax. Nevada people became convinced that this road was a business proposition, and they raised the subscription and bought the right-of-way. They also voted the tax, its condition being that the depot should be within three-quarters of a mile of the court house and that all passenger trains should be stopped at Nevada. There was no trouble about voting the tax, and when the subscription had been made equal to the options upon the right-of-way, the location was determined; and from that time, the Iowa Falls people proceeded consistently with their enterprise along the line of actual con- struction. The road was built principally in 1902, the construction being
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pushed southward from Iowa Falls, and both ways from Cambridge. The lines were joined when the grade was completed through the hill west of West Indian Creek and a bridge built over that same stream. The season proved to be wet and unfavorable, and there was much trouble with the construction, but it was ultimately accomplished. It was several years before the line northward from Iowa Falls was definitely located and built, there being a choice between Mason City, Charles City and Osage as northern terminals; but Mason City was ultimately selected and the road built.
In all of this time, after the construction of the road was actually as- sured, the question remained distinctly open as to what railroad system would ultimately control it. It was at first believed that the Illinois Central would use the road as an outlet to Des Moines, but it did not do so, and after the road had been extended to Mason City, the theory ob- tained that it would be absorbed and utilized by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system. In the ultimate, the bargain was substantially struck for its sale to the Chicago Great-Western, whose line between Kansas City and the Twin Cities would be much shortened by using this road as a cut off; but before this deal could be closed, a majority of the stock of the St. Paul & Des Moines-under which name the Des Moines, Iowa Falls & Northern had been reorganized-was bought in the open market early in 1911 by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. This purchase settled the future of what has been generally known as the Des Moines Short Line. The Rock Island has rechristened it the St. Paul & Kansas City Short Line; and it is to be extended southward from Des Moines to a connection with the Rock Island's South-Western branch. The general outcome of the matter is that, after the discussion of a north and south railroad from the time when the Cedar Rapids '& Missouri River Road reached Nevada, and the stage drivers, driving between Nevada and Des Moines, were wont to get stuck in the Skunk River bottom, and after many uncertainties following the actual laying down of the first rails, there is now assured a trunk line from the leading depot of the south-west to the leading depot at the upper end of the Mississippi, which line will un- doubtedly be the shortest and probably the best between these depots and a more important north and south railroad than people in Nevada or in the other towns of the county concerned had ever expected to have. In this consummation, the old timers, who first struggled for a north and south railroad, have their judgment fully vindicated, and the interesting fact of the matter is that a trunk line railroad north and south should finally be so located, after the construction of other north and south rail- roads and the seeming abandonment by every one of the route thus con- sidered.
Another railroad which was built at first through one corner of the county and which has later developed into an important railroad, was the Newton & Northwestern. This road was built from Newton to Boone
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and thence to Gowrie in the southern part of Webster County. The towns which it struck in Story County were Cambridge and Kelley and unlike other new roads in the county it did not undertake the founding of any new towns. This road was built in 1903 and its coming to Cambridge in the year following the construction through that place of the Short Line was a notable event for that place which was thus the first town in the county to secure three railroads,-the Milwaukee having preceded the other two. The Newton & Northwestern was projected in the apparent hope of a sale to the Rock Island, which might have had considerable use for it; but the Rock Island failed to buy and the road was commercially a failure from the first. Later however the western end of the line was converted into an electric line and connections were made with Des Moines, Ames and Fort Dodge. In making connection with Des Moines, use was made of the grade which had been constructed for J. S. Polk's Des Moines, Nevada & Eldora road as far as Ankeny; and, in making the Ames connection, the old Ames & College road was absorbed. Connecting links were built from Ankeny to a junction north of Huxley and from Kelley to the College. Also an extension was run to Fort Dodge; and all of the line from Des Moines to Ames and Fort Dodge was electrified. This western portion of the Newton & Northwestern was renamed the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern, and it became an important inter- urban system of very great importance to Ames and other localities in the west part of the county concerned. The portion of the line east of the Des Moines Junction, however, has never developed even to the extent of paying operating expenses; and seemingly no railroad system has been willing to buy it at any price.
COUNTY DITCHES.
In this last decade there has developed in the county the enterprise of the systematic construction of county ditches for the purpose of drain- ing out the farm lands that were especially needing outlets for drainage. In previous times there had been constructed a few important ditches by county authority. Among them were some important ditches on Skunk River bottom, that changed the channel of the river and rendered more or less tillable some lands that had been quite too subject to overflow. Also a ditch of some value had been built near the center of Richland town- ship; but the spirit which prompted the construction of these ditches did not prove to be infectious, and these enterprises were not immediately followed by any general movement toward systematic draining. Up to this time the farmers whose land needed draining and who had outlets of their own or who could arrange with their downstream neighbors for outlets tiled out their farms according to their disposition and ability. But where outlets were not easily to be had the matter languished.
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The first serious attempt upon a large scale to drain out at joint ex- pense a considerable area of upland but swampy prairie was the Grant Township ditch No. 5. This ditch had its outlet near West Indian Creek, three or four miles south of Nevada and extended up a long swale to the Northwestern railroad. This ditch was poorly engineered, the county officials were inexperienced in the subject matter, it was projected under an old and inadequate law, the people concerned were utterly dissatisfied with their assessments and the ditch was the occasion of trouble from its inception until the last party who could object had been beaten in court. The litigation and delays added much to the cost of the ditch and three assessments were made before its affairs were adjusted. But in spite of all obstacles the ditch was constructed, the country along its route was undoubtedly greatly benefited, and into it several collateral county ditches have since been run.
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