USA > Iowa > Johnson County > Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa, History > Part 19
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In the early summer of 1850 enthusiasm ran high on the railroad question, and it finally resulted in the incorporation of the Davenport and Iowa City road. Enoch Lewis presided over the meeting, and Thomas Hughes was the secretary. The first board of directors included James P. Carleton, Le Grand Byington, Joseph T. Fales, Smiley H. Bonham, Henry W. La- throp, Samuel Workman, James Cavanagh, Thomas Hughes, and G. D. Palmer. James P. Carleton was made president, and
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H. W. Lathrop the secretary of the corporation, with Le Grand Byington as treasurer. So more than sixty years ago, October 14, 1850, the first effort was made to secure a railway line from Iowa City to the Mississippi. On the twenty-sixth of the same month a contract was made with Richard P. Morgan, who had been an engineer on the line from Chicago to Davenport, to sur- vey the road from Davenport to Iowa City for which he was to be paid $500, the funds for this purpose having been raised by citizens of Iowa City, those who were not stockholders paying more than one hundred dollars of the amount, the balance coming from an assessment on the stock of five dollars per share, and it is said that the stock subscribed never amounted to more than $1,500.
In December following, the engineer made a full report of his survey and furnished a map of all the contemplated roads from Council Bluffs to Pittsburg. The estimated cost of con- struction and equipment, not including depots, was placed at $431,000. Judge Carleton and Mr. Byington were appointed a committee to secure right of way from Iowa City to the Cedar river, and Judge James Grant and such assistance as he might select from Davenport to the Cedar. In November, 1851, a second election for directors occurred, which resulted in the choice of Carleton, Byington, Lathrop, Hughes, and Pal- mer , as before, and the addition of Sylvanus Johnson, Henry Murray, and James Grant.
Congress was memorialized to grant right of way across the public lands and to donate a tract of 210,000 acres to aid in its construction. The state legislature was also asked for a further grant of land for the same purpose, and to aid in a road from Dubuque to Keokuk. It was of course hoped that the latter road would also go by way of Johnson county, but al- most every town in the Black Hawk Purchase was expecting it to come its way and for that reason it was nicknamed "The Ram's Horn." 221
In May, 1853, work had progressed so far westward from Chicago that the city council of Iowa City held a special meet- ing when W. Penn Clarke and Le Grand Byington were sent to Chicago as delegates to a meeting called to organize the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company, and if called upon so to do, to subscribe stock in the company payable in
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bonds of the city, to be issued by the city council, and in case a company was formed they were instructed to cast the vote in the name of the city, provided Iowa City was made a point on the road. On the same day a meeting of the directors of the Davenport and Iowa City railway company was held, and Mr. Byington was authorized to sell and transfer to the new company when organized all the property rights and franchises of the old company, provided, as before, the road came to Iowa City. There was opposition to this movement, for while all this was doing citizens of Muscatine were busy endeavoring to secure the road at that point and thence westward to Wash- ington and Oskaloosa, and of course the assistance of these points went to Muscatine.222 The last work done by the Daven- port and Iowa City company was to overcome this influence, and to do this a hurried meeting was called, and Dr. Murray sent to attend another meeting of the directors of the M. & M. Company at Davenport the following day. After an all night ride on horseback he reached there on time and accomplished his mission. It was then that a compromise was arranged by which the "plug road" was to be built from Wilton Junction to the city of Muscatine, and this plan finally matured. When this account was written, there were but three survivors of the Davenport and Iowa City company, and the youngest of them was H. W. Lathrop, who was in his eighty-second year.228
The members of the city council began to wrestle with the railroad subject almost in their first session, for the Lyons Iowa Central was granted right of way across the streets and alleys and public grounds of the city at the last meeting in May, 1853. At a special session on May 20, the M. & M. was up for consideration, concerning which the council said: "that in the final organization of the Mississippi and Missouri River Rail Road Company or in any necessary proceeding prelimi- nary or subsequent thereto, at the proposed meeting of the corporators at Chicago, on the 25th of May, 1853, or at any other suitable time and place Le Grand Byington and Wm. Penn Clarke, delegates to said meeting on behalf of the people of Iowa City, are authorized in their discretion to subscribe to the capital stock of said company in the name of said Iowa City - - thousand dollars, upon condition that said city is made a point on said road, by irrevocable order of the man-
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aging board of said Rail Road Co .; and upon further condition that said stock shall be payable in the bonds of said city bear- ing interest at the rate of - per cent per annum, and sub- ject to the approval of a majority of the electors of said city at an election which may be hereafter held for that pur- pose.'' 224
The vote on the M. & M. bond issue for fifty thousand dol- lars in stock in the first division of the line was taken on March 12, 1853, and in a total vote of 339 ballots, 308 were for the issue and 30 against, while one vote was defective. Un- fortunately for current news and some local facts of interest to anyone endeavoring to follow railroad history, the news- papers of the early fifties are missing. The following state- ment throws some light on the local situation as the time approached to make ready for the first train on the M. & M. road. In a resolution introduced by Alderman James H. Gower, December 17, 1855, it was declared that "some few citizens of this city have stated and the city papers have pub- lished that the council at the last meeting refused to appro- priate the sum of one thousand dollars to aid in defraying the expenses of the contemplated R. R. celebration," and the idea seems to have prevailed that the council was opposed to such an observance, therefore the council ordered their proceedings for December 10, 1855, to be published wherein they appro- priated 1,000 dollars for the aid of the celebration, and this amount was added to more than 1,400 dollars subscribed by individuals. The vote on this measure stood five to four. They were careful to say "that the city council are unanimously in favor of a proper, judicious, and even splendid and magnifi- cent celebration and entertainment upon the completion of the first. R. R. and the arrival of the first train of Cars to our city, that we will rejoice that an improvement so important to our City and County and to the adjacent counties will then have been completed, and that we are ready and willing, and have never been unwilling to subscribe our full share and to parti- cipate and to assist as individuals and as Councilmen or both in every honorable and proper manner in promoting the very best interests and objects of the occasion." On this resolu- tion there was but one "nay." However, after all the adjec- tives, and all the resolutions, the citizens committee refused
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BIRD'S EYE VIEW FROM WEST SIDE, IOWA CITY
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THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR LENOX TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
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to cooperate in expending this sum, and having "dissolved," according to record of the council, the resolution making the appropriation was "rescinded."
The question of issuing the fifty thousand dollars in bonds for M. & M. stock was taken up after the road reached the city. The committee to whom the matter was referred consisted of James H. Gower, Geo. Clark, and E. K. Rugg. The first two reported against the issue until there was a certainty that the company had complied in full and notified the city. Mr. Rugg made a minority report arguing for the immediate issue.225 In this case the minority report was adopted by one vote. The fifty thousand dollars in bonds were receipted for by Ebenezer Cook, the vice-president of the M. & M., and stock was issued in due time to the city on which the city was supposed to draw the regular dividend, and which should help in paying the interest on the bonds. However, when the time came to pay the first installment of interest the certificates of stock had not been issued and the amount being ready was retained by order of the council until the conditions under which the bonds were issued were complied with. This brought the amount of stock demanded from the president, John A. Dix, who certified that "Iowa City, in the state of Iowa, had paid the sum of fifty thousand dollars," and was the owner of that much stock. It appears that some time in 1858, when the interest became due on the railroad bonds and the means not being at hand to pay, Jesse Berry presented a proposition wherein he declared him- self to be ready to become one of seventeen citizens of Iowa City to furnish fifty dollars in gold each, for six months at ten per cent, to pay the interest. The proposition was referred back to him "to secure sixteen others." It is not recorded whether he succeeded in his efforts.226
That the citizens were not indifferent to the arrival of the first train to the county and city is well illustrated in the ac- count of the reception given by one who was a participant, thus assuring a correct view of the proceedings. Not more than twelve years after the event it was recorded:
At the meeting of the city council in November, 1855, J. H. Gower introduced a resolution calling for a meeting of the citizens of Iowa City to meet at the school building for the pur- pose of making necessary arrangements for the proper observ-
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ance of the arrival of the M. & M. Railroad to the city. Con- tributions of sufficient amount having been raised by private subscription to pay expenses, invitations were issued to the towns along the line to participate, even going beyond the usual limits and requesting delegates from other cities in the state, and from the terminus of the line, Chicago.
It was decided that New Year's Day, 1856, should see the track completed to the depot grounds in Iowa City. This meant the grounds now occupied by the Rock Island freight depot. By dint of hard labor, long days, and extra help, the task was completed as intended, so that the year 1856 and the first train came in on the same day.
Great wood fires were built along the track to aid in keeping the workmen comfortable. January 3, 1856, the day set for the celebration, was ushered in with a temperature of twenty degrees below zero. At two o'clock in the afternoon the boom- ing of artillery announced the arrival of the train bearing the visitors, who were royally received by the waiting company, and defying the frigid atmosphere they marched to the Old State House where Le Grand Byington, president of the day, welcomed the company, and a response was made by Dr. Max- well, of Chicago.
At the feast which followed, Bishop Lee, of Davenport, was requested to say grace in accordance with "a good and ancient custom," which was a fitting way to begin "one of the most bountiful spreads" in the history of the county, for which the ladies were duly thanked by long and eloquent resolutions. After paying all the bills the committee on arrangements found themselves in possession of nearly five hundred dollars in money which was appropriated on orders from the general com- mittee to a survey of "a practical nature," for a road to Cedar Rapids or Mt. Pleasant. It was probably applied on the beginnings of the "I. N. C.," which remained a visionary road for so many years.227
Work on the westward extension of the M. & M. may be said to have commenced in earnest in November, 1859. Between Iowa City and Homestead there were five separate contracts. Durant and Holmes had the contract for the bridge and trestle work, and for six miles west S. R. Boomer built the first bridge
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for the company over the river. Hon. Peter A. Dey was the chief engineer of the road.
It was the last day of August, 1860, that the M. & M. ran its first train of freight over the river and to Homestead, the end of the new extension. Seven cars of stock were brought in over this line of some twenty miles, and it was announced by officials that "a stock train would run each Saturday from Homestead to Chicago, reaching that city on Sunday morn- ing." 228
About this time in the history of railroad construction a more than ordinary event occurred in the action of the new line westward from the Mississippi. The local papers men- tioned it with some pride in the notice given to the city.
When the republican convention was held in Chicago in May, 1860, the president of the Rock Island railroad, Henry Farnham, carried a trainload of delegates and editors from Chicago to Iowa City and return, as a complimentary trip. Many, or probably most of these men had never been in the state before. Nineteen states were represented in this company.
Judging from the resolutions they presented they were much impressed with the country they passed over. Nearly all these excursionists came from east of the Alleghanies, and among them was Thurlow Weed, then editor of the Albany Journal.229
The proposal of a railroad north and south, the Cedar Val- ley road, as it came to be called, led to a meeting for its con- sideration by the citizens of Johnson county, in accordance with other meetings held north and south of Iowa City, and for a time the line was expected to "come this way." Gov. S. J. Kirkwood was the chairman of the first meeting held in Iowa City, October 14, 1865, and John P. Irish and N. H. Brainerd were secretaries. A committee of five men from the county was appointed to formulate resolutions in reference to the proposed line. Cyrus Sanders, Geo. J. Boal, W. B. Dan- iels, Jesse Westenhaver, and Jas. B. Edmonds composed this committee. They reported the following:
"Resolved, that in the judgment of this meeting the citizens of Johnson county should and will aid in the construction of a road north and south through Iowa City." Additional com- mittees were appointed to confer with citizens along the line, with the officers of the road, already called the C. R. and St.
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L. R. R., and to learn on what terms the road could be secured for Iowa City. The business men of St. Louis were to be con- sulted by a committee consisting of Geo. J. Boal, John Powell, and James B. Edmonds. The road was projected from some- where in the north through the county, then by way of Wash- ington and Mt. Pleasant and Keokuk to St. Louis. Information regarding the commerce of Iowa City was to be collected for use in this campaign. A committee on correspondence, and one on finance were later appointed, the latter to raise money, first of all to pay committee expenses. The towns along the line were, as usual, very enthusiastic.
The committee which visited St. Louis made a report later which indicated the cooperation of two companies in the north and south line. As usual, the company required the right of way to be secured without cost to them. Like all the roads of that time aid was expected, and it must be material aid. Dur- ing this time of agitation there was the old ghost of the bond issues of more than ten years before presenting itself on every occasion. One hundred thousand dollars in bonds were then outstanding in aid of roads. The fifty thousand of these bonds in aid of the old Lyons Iowa Central were of no benefit what- ever to the county, since the only thing that ever came of that road was a grade and some deep cuts, with possibly some pre- tensions to a bridge here and there.230 The M. & M., now the Rock Island main line, had not proved to be what was antici- pated, and all these "swindles," as they were denominated, led the people to take a determined stand against the payment of any of them. Interest had not been paid and the courts had been appealed to by the bond holders to compel the tax levy to pay this interest. The courts disagreed, mandamus and in- junction being granted in different cases. Altogether the situ- ation was anything but favorable for the voting of new bonds for another road in any direction. The people, however, soon forget, and enthusiasm often carries questions that were voted down after sober reflection. The counties of Johnson, Linn, Washington, Jefferson, and Davis were called in convention to make a united effort to secure this north and south line, in January, 1866, and soon after this a plan for stock subscrip- tion was proposed to the citizens of Johnson county. Condi- tions of payment were such that no "bond scheme" could catch
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a subscriber, since his payment was conditioned on the con- struction over a certain route.
Some of the townships in the western part of the county had no particular interest in securing this road, and in this emergency some correspondent, who signs himself "Railroad," labors with the citizens in that part of the county endeavoring to show them wherein such a line will benefit all concerned, and the appeal is made from a patriotic sense, or county pride rather than from the point of material advantage. Strong ap- peals were made to the moneyed interests and the producers to support this new project. There was good logic in the argu- ment of competing markets, such as St. Louis and Chicago, and a line directly south would produce this competition. Johnson county was said "to have her fate in her own hands." That is the fate of prosperity produced by these competing lines of road, or of stationary conditions due to the one outlet.
Judging from complaints frequently heard, the prophecy of that day has been fulfilled in some particulars as to transpor- tation if not "prosperity." 281 Stock to the amount of $115,000 was subscribed for this north and south line, but before the end of 1866 the enthusiasm began to wane in counties south and the route was diverted farther toward the river. This road even- tually took the route of the old B., C. R. & N., now a part of the Rock Island system, which missed the central part of Johnson county after all the efforts to get it for Iowa City. Stronger inducements came from other towns on the river, and St. Louis was reached but indirectly from this point. For a time it ap- peared that the north and south line was a sure thing, since work of grading was in progress. Possibly its failure was due to the lack of interest on the part of the counties south where interest seemed to fall away at the time when it was most needed.
An echo of the I. N. C. R. R., the north and south line, was heard in a meeting held in Washington, Iowa, in April, 1869. Some figures were given there that are of local interest: Twenty-three miles of this line were graded in Washington county at a cost of $28,000, besides the engineering, the total ontlay being about $45,000. This left about seven miles only to be graded in that county. In Johnson something more than fourteen miles had then been graded at a cost of $61,000, and
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masonry had cost $10,000 more. In Linn county only about three miles had been graded at a cost of $5,000 or less. The extra cost in Johnson was due to the heavy grading near the river crossing.232
The death blow was given to the I. N. C. when the county directors of this long-proposed line decided to wait until the southern end of the road concluded to do something. The de- cision of the courts of the state caused the suspension of all work, and since then the old grade has been a mark of the interests of men in "what might have been." In one county, typical of all, the resolutions contained in sense "that all work ought to stop until the Keokuk and Northern should provide means to build their road," and something farther to this ef- fect: "Although we have full faith in the success of our road, yet we deem it expedient to stop work in the county until suf- ficient sum is raised to build the road south from Mt. Pleas- ant.'' 288
The action just mentioned had some influence on the action of Solon citizens in their efforts to secure a road. They now gave up the I. N. C. and went after the line they now have, then called the "Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota." It later became "Northern" instead of "Minnesota," and as all know, is a part of the Rock Island system. Considerable an- tipathy against Iowa City movements was indicated by the meeting of Solon citizens in May, 1869. They were convinced that "a secret and powerful influence has been and is now being exerted by a large number of people of Iowa City to divert the B., C. R. and M. from its present location through West Branch to Solon, and by a large offer of money induced that company to go to Iowa City and thence to Cedar Rapids on a line several miles west of Solon, exhibiting the same determi- nation and selfish spirit which predominates over all virtue and charity, to keep this district forever tributary and dependent."
After this fierce onslaught upon the neighboring city they proceeded to assert their manhood and determination to do the required and necessary labor to secure the line, declaring that "we are of mature age and able to guard and protect ourselves from the avaricious spirit of those who claim the right to rule over and dictate to us. We now declare our manhood and show our spirit in a united front and a positive determination to
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raise the small proportion of money required of us to secure the early completion of this road, thereby defeating the de- signs of those who show a natural disposition to dupe the rich, enslave the poor, and crush the weak." This is what one might call the new Solon declaration of independence. Judging from what followed, Solon won out in the contest.
Among the most promising outlooks for a second railroad proposed was the one from Clinton, and it really took on the form of an organization long enough to commence construction, and in later years became part of a line now in daily operation. The company was organized in Iowa City in connection with plans to build from Clinton, Iowa, the crossing of the Missis- sippi by the Northwestern, to some indefinite point in the great southwest, and for this another tax levy was asked in aid. It is very remarkable that any company could have the courage or even audacity to ask any county on the line of the old "Lyons" road to vote another "bond" for any railroad under a century of time. How could they expect such a question to carry when the thousands of dollars necessary to pay the bonds already issued were just then about to be levied?
A convention of citizens along this proposed line was held in Iowa City on May 3, 1870. One of the chief centers of in- terest in this line was Tipton, Cedar county, which had no road and had been held up on bonds for the old "Lyons" road, the traces of which are close to its corporation line now. Delegates came from this county enthusiastic for the line. Judge Roth- rock, ex-Governor S. J. Kirkwood, Judge Tuthill, John P. Irish, E. H. Thayer, H. S. Hyatt, Rush Clark, and T. A. Mor- gan were the prominent men along the line who took part in this convention. At the conclusion of a long session in which many speeches were made, a board of directors was chosen and this board elected S. J. Kirkwood, president; C. T. Ransom, vice-president; S. Sharpless, secretary and treasurer ; and Wm. P. Wolf and T. A. Morgan, with the officers, constituted the executive committee.234 Then the people all along the line were hustled into a fever to support this road with a tax, more taxes all the time.
Confident that the Iowa Southwestern was a sure thing the entire line was projected across the state. Newspapers along the line from Clinton to Nebraska City, wondered why it had
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not been thought of before. The survey was under way in July, 1870, when the engineers, under the direction of Mr. C. W. Irish, went through Johnson county and on toward Sigourney. People were enthusiastic, and the executive com- mittee of the board of directors prepared for an active cam- paign. It was estimated that one hundred thousand dollars from each county in bonds or stock would be necessary to put the road through.
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