USA > Iowa > Allamakee County > Past and present of Allamakee county, Iowa. A record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 34
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In the fall of 1864 an arrangement was made whereby Martin Stone was to teach the more advanced pupils of the school. in the College building, which had passed into his hands, and a similar arrangement was made the following year. In 1866 he sold the property to Thos. A. Cutler, who taught the school there the following winter. In 1867 the district purchased the College property of Cutler for $4,000, and afterwards sold the property in Shattuck's addition to various parties. In 1881 the school building was improved by putting in furnace, heating and ventilating apparatus.
In the spring of 1885 it was voted to erect a new school building, and F. M. Ellis of Marshalltown was selected as the architect. Under his plans and specifi- cations the following bids were submitted, the bidder to have the old building : Geo. H. King, of Brooklyn, lowa, $13.345; N. 1I. Pratt, $14,400; S. Peck & Sons, $16,000; E. B. Bascom, $16,800. The contract was let to Mr. King, and the building was occupied late the next fall. The board during this work comprised : D. W. Reed, president ; and directors, D. II. Bowen, 11. O. Dayton, J. C. Hubbell, F. H. Robbins and W. C. Thompson.
The great increase of school population by 1895 made it necessary to provide much more room and in the spring of 1896 an election was held on the question of issuing $4,000 bonds to build an addition, which was carried by a vote of 261 to 243, the women voting on this proposition to the number of 127. The alterna- tive was to provide one or more schoolhouses in other parts of town. The plans of architects C. G. Maybury & Son, of La Crosse, were adopted, the contract awarded to Geo. P. Leefeldt, of McGregor, for $6.750, and the present north wing was completed during that year. The board at this time consisted of : .A. T. Stillman, president ; and directors, R. J. Alexander, H. O. Dayton, J. E. Duffy. C. 11. Earle and J. G. Ratcliffe.
Mr. Stillman has continued as president of the board ever since, or for seven-
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teen years. The other directors at present are, R. J. Alexander, H. 1 .. Dayton, H. A. Howe and Frank Klees.
We find no record of school officers previous to 1859, in which year Moses Hancock was president, C. J. White, vice president; A. G. Howard, secretary ; and W. K. McFarland, treasurer.
November 8, 1862, the independent district of Waukon was erected, comprising all of sub-district No. 8 in Makee township : the south half of section 25, south- east quarter section 26, northeart quarter section 35, and all of section 36 in Union Prairie ; and section 6 and west half section 5, in Jefferson township. The first election of school officers in this independent district was held November 29, 1862, resulting as follows: W. K. McFarland, president ; E. B. Lyons, vice pres- ident ; J. R. Brown, secretary, and Jacob Shew, treasurer. Directors: J. B. Plank, one year ; A. A. Griffith, two years ( Mr. Griffith later a noted elocutionist of Chicago, died at Palmyra, Wisconsin, June 19, 1889), and J. W. Pennington, three years. The independent district was formed with a view to effect a transfer of the Allamakee college building to the district, in which to establish a graded school, and in December a committee was appointed to wait upon Professor Lough- ran with that purpose. In February, 1863, a proposition of Professor Loughran was rejected, and an attempt was made to secure the new courthouse, then stand- ing vacant. At the regular meeting, March 9th, D. W. Adams was elected pres- ident ; Moses Hancock, vice president ; C. W. Walker, secretary, and I. H. Hedge, treasurer. Since that year the president and secretary of the board have been as follows :
President-A. J. Hersey, 1864-66; L. O. Hatch, 1866-7 ; Martin Stone, 1867-9; C. T. Granger, 1869-73; John Goodykoontz, 1873-6; A. L. Grippen, 1876; H. H. Stilwell, 1876-9: M. Stone, 1879-80; J. W. Pratt, 1880-1; John Hall, 1881-3; D. W. Reed, 1883-4; Martin Stone. 1884-5; D. W. Reed, 1885-9; H. H. Stilwell, 1889-90 ; D. H. Bowen, 1890-95; resigned November, '95, and H. O. Dayton to vacancy 1895-6; and A. T. Stillman, 1896-1913, present incumbent.
Secretary-Robert Isted. 1864-5; T. C. Ransom, 1865-7; C. T. Granger, 1867-8; J. W. Pratt, 1868-74; A. J. Rodgers. 1874-82; E. M. Hancock, 1882-96; E. D. Purdy, 1896-1913, present incumbent.
Treasurer-(Since 1882)-L. W. Hersey, 1882-3; J. H. Boomer, 1883-4; 1 .. W. Hersey, 1884-5; J. H. Boomer, 1885-8; L. W. Hersey, 1888-94; L. A. Howe, 1894-1902; A. T. Nierling, 1802-06; W. H. Niehaus, 1906-10; S. W. Ludeking, 1910-13, present incumbent.
In 1908 it became necessary to make improvements in the heating plant, and it was decided to remove the old furnaces entirely and heat by steam. Plans were adopted for a modern steam heating plant, with fan system of ventilation. and automatic regulation. Bids were advertised for. March 2d, and examined May 20th, as follows: Lewis & Kitchen, $7.500 ; Thill & Laptz, $8,717; I. E. Beeman, $9,278; Peter Johnson & Son, $11,266.65. The contract was awarded to Lewis & Kitchen, lowest bidders, and plant installed during the summer vacation.
The present value of the school building and contents is considered to be $40,000.
In 1863 the number of school age in the district was 307 In 1882 the number of school age in the district was 472
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In 1895 the number of school age in the district was 678 In 1898 the number of school age in the district was 725 In 1912 the number of school age in the district was 622 ( Males 317 ; females, 305.)
Present enrollment is about 400.
The first class to graduate from the high school was in 1879, and consisted of Misses Minnie C. Earle, Jessie M. Lewis, Lizzie W. Spaulding and Lizzie G. Ward. The total number of graduates is now 330, including the eleven of 1913.
About the year 1894, or '95 the remnant of the old Waukon Library, which was started in the early sixties by the Waukon Dramatic Club, as the result of a series of delightful entertainments by home talent-and talent it was, of the first order-was turned over to the care of the school, as a nucleus for a school library, which now possesses some 1,800 volumes.
When the old library was established the books were kept for years at the home of D. W. Adams, and comprised a most excellent and varied selection. Later the library was housed in other homes, and was for some time kept up by the Young Men's Temperance Association, by whom it was finally transferred to the school.
ALLAMAKEE COLLEGE
While of brief existence, this institution is worthy of mention as contributing to the ancient history of this town and county. Its conception was in 1859, when on the 6th of March, J. C. Armstrong, J. B. Plank, C. J. White, Walter Delafield, M. G. Belden, R. C. Armstrong, James Maxwell, Jacob Shew, Benj. H. Bailey, Joseph Savoie, T. J. Goodykoontz, William S. Cook, John Chapman and Lewis 11. Clark, associated themselves together in a corporation to be known as the "Allamakee Association," to be under the supervision of the Colesburg Pres- bytery of the Cumberland Presbyterian church, for the purpose of erecting suit- able buildings for the advancement of scientific and religious learning, to be known as the Waukon Seminary. Out of this grew the Allamakee College, a catalogue of which was printed in 1862, from which we gather its history, in substance, as follows :
A number of citizens of Waukon and vicinity, deeply feeling the want in their rapidly growing community of an institution of learning of an academic or collegiate order, entered into an agreement with Rev. J. Loughran, A. M., formerly president of Waynesburg College, Pennsylvania, for the erection in Waukon of a suitable college edifice, and the maintenance therein of a school as above named, on the following plan: They stipulated to draw in favor of said J. Loughran their promissory notes, each for $125, to be paid within one year from date, for which they should receive from him certificates of scholarship, each scholarship guaranteeing the tuition of one student for five years in the institution, to commence when the building would be finished. At the end of the five years the title of the property was to pass to Mr. Loughran in full own- ership, being paid for by said scholarships.
To carry out this plan the following gentlemen were chosen by the stock- holders with the style and title of "Trustees of Allamakee College:" R. C. Arm-
RESIDENCE OF O. J. HAGER, WAUKON
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strong, Robert Isted, Walter Delafield, A. M. Haslip, L. G. Calkins, A. H. Hersey, W. R. Pottle, Jacob Shew and Jacob Plank. Walter Delafield donated the whole of block 19 in his addition to Waukon, comprising two acres. as a site for the building. The notes given by the stockholders were transferred by Mr. Loughran to the trustees, and with the money accruing they erected a three-story brick edifice, in size 47 by 64 feet, the height of the stories being 11, 13 and 81/2 feet, respectively. Its accommodations were, four large recitation rooms on the first floor, a hall in the second story 44 by 52 feet, and eight rooms in the third story, each 13 by 19 feet, designed for students desiring to board themselves. This was built in 1861, following the completion of the courthouse, but was not fin- ished for occupancy until the following spring. In the fall of 1862 there were ninety students in attendance, double the number entitled to tuition on scholar- ships, that being but forty-eight.
The announcement in the catalogue goes on to say: "The trustees have mani- fested a most praiseworthy liberality and perseverence. They have raised and almost completed the building in the face of the greatest money pressure ever experienced in the West. The institution is now in successful operation. One hundred and twenty-five students have been in attendance during the past year, and over. three hundred since the commencement of the school in 1859. But this summer is the first we have occupied the college building. The scholarships became available when we entered the building."
Rev. J. Loughran, president, resided in the building with his family. He was ably assisted during the first three years by the following faculty :
J. C. Loughran, higher academic.
G. H. Brock, higher academic. (Enlisted in Co. B. 12th Iowa Infantry, October 7, 1861.)
W. W. Likens, collegiate scientific.
Mrs. Jennie Calkins, French, German and mathematics.
Mrs. Jennie Loughran, lower academic.
Miss Pennoyer, lower academic and professor of phonography and phonetic shorthand.
Professor Loughran had opened what was called the Waukon High School, October 3, 1859, in the Presbyterian church, and conducted the same success- fully for three years or until the college building was completed, with the above named assistants, and Prof. A. A. Griffith in elocution. Mr. Loughran was pretty thorough, both in instruction and in discipline, believing in the virtues of the old-fashioned switch. The timid ones among the pupils however dreaded the expression of his displeasure, as worse than a licking. In his catalogue he says : "We do not use the topic system as it often tends to strengthen the memory at the expense of the reasoning faculties. We require our students to analyze each lesson, and where it can be done, to explain fully the rationale of the process on the black-board. Where the black-board cannot be used, they must give the analysis verbally or in writing. During the recitation they are not allowed the use of books. * The object is to draw them out, to interest them in the sub- ject of the lesson, and to excite them to depend as much as possible upon their own reason." All of which is doctrine too often neglected at this day.
The institution was deserving of success, but unfortunately it was not such as hoped for ; probably the absence of so many young men during that time in
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the war was one of the causes : and in May, 1863, a corporation styled the "Alla- makee Collegiate Institute" was formed for the purpose of cancelling the indebt- edness against the Allamakee College and perpetuating the institution. In the same year the property was purchased by Martin Stone, and a few years later passed into the possession of the Independent School District of Waukon, as described elsewhere.
It would be interesting to print here the names of all enrolled as shown by this old catalogue, but the list is too long. But the list of those still living here (all or part of the time ) is very brief :
Year 1859-60-Ellen Hedge. Althea Pottle, John P. Raymond, collegiate, Mary Stillman, Martha Shaw, DeEtte Clark, Emery Pratt. George Schrody, Samuel Thompson, Herbert Townsend, Nelson Maxwell, Perky Raymond, academic.
Year 1860-61-(Omitting repetitions ) Phoebe Maxwell, Henry Bentley, col- legiate; Emma Townsend. Mary Johnson, Bert Taggart, George Johnson, Ellery Hancock, academic.
Year 1861-62-(Omitting repetitions ) Eva McClaskey, academic.
In July, 1876, after closing his contract with the Waukon public school. Pro- fessor Loughran bought the old German Presbyterian church building and re- moved it to his premises on Worcester street, where in September following lie opened an institution of learning called the Waukon Seminary, well supplied with maps, charts, chemical and philosophical apparatus, and more especially for the purpose of preparing students for teaching, or for a college course. Professor Loughran had devoted a long and active life to the interests of edu- cation, and was exceedingly well qualified for instructing in the higher branches. His seminary continued to flourish for several years, until in 1883 it was discon- tinted, and Mr. Loughran removed to White Lake, South Dakota, to the regret of hosts of his old Waukon friends, where he died in or about the year 1900 at a ripe old age.
THE PRESS
The Wawkon Journal, the first newspaper published here, was established by Frank Belfoy in the spring of 1857, and was free-soil in politics. It was first printed in the Taggart building, situated on the northeast corner of Main and Armstrong streets, which is still standing, the residence of D. W. Douglass. This lot. being lot 4 in block 2. Armstrong's addition, was purchased of Arm- strong in 1856, for $25, by Mr. John A. Taggart, who built the house thereon. After some nine months Belfoy sold the paper to Frank Pease, who made a democratic sheet of it and changed the name to Allamakee Herald, the first number of which was issued February 26, 1858. It was a six-column folio, is- sued Fridays; and one M. M. Webster, a lawyer, was associated with Pease for a while, as was also R. K. Smith, who afterwards went south and his fate is un- known. He was a brother of James C. Smith, a pioneer of Volney, later a hotel man in Waukon and Decorah, and at the time of his death, in 1875, owner of the part of Waukon where is now Ratcliffe's addition. The Herald was discontinued in May. 1859, and Pease drifted southward, continuing in newspaper work ; but in 1878, when last heard of, he was city clerk of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
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In August, 1859, the paper was revived under the name of Wawkon Trans- cript. also democratic, by T. H. McElroy, with whom was associated one Dr. Parker, from McGregor. About one year later they removed the establishment to Lansing and began the publication of the first democratic paper there under the name of Northwestern Democrat.
The North Iowa Journal, republican, was established at Waukon in May, 1860. by E. L. Babbitt and W. H. Merrill, the first number bearing date May 29th. Mr. Babbitt was postmaster in 1861, the postoffice being situated in a two- story frame building erected in 1859 by Shattuck and Woodcock, on the corner where the postoffice is now again located. The printing office occupied the rear part of the second story ; and it was at this time the writer first became interested in the printing business, being employed as carrier boy for the town list, at twenty cents per week, the first earnings of which he has any recollections.
In 1861 they sold the paper to Leonard G. Calkins and Albert B. Goodwin. and returned to Wyoming county, New York, where Babbitt died a couple of years later. Twenty-five years later Mr. Merrill became editor of the New York World. Goodwin disposed of his interest to Calkins; and in April, 1862, the Journal suffered a temporary suspension, but was revived about August Ist, with Calkins and Cole editors, Chas. B. Cole publisher. In September the name of L. G. Calkins appears as publisher, Cole still being associated with him as local editor. About November, Cole assumed the entire control, made its poli- tics democratic, and in March, 1863, removed the Journal to Lansing.
For nearly five years thereafter Waukon was without a local paper. In the winter of 1867-8 negotiations were entered into with Chas. W. McDonald, then publishing the Gazette at Blairstown, this state, who came here and on the 9th of January, 1868, issued the first number of the Waukon Standard. After publish- ing it three months he sold to R. L. Hayward & Co. (the "company" being A. M. May) and went to Illinois, and later to New York where he was for some time engaged in the Swedenborgian Publishing House. He next published a paper at Sioux Falls : and later became superintendent of schools of Aurora county, South Dakota. Under its new management the Standard was edited by A. M. May, who continued its chief editor for thirty-three years, and made it a strong, pure, and reliable local family newspaper. It has always been republican in politics. His first partner, Mr. Hayward, did not come to Waukon until the following August; and in March, 1869, he disposed of his interest and went to Arkansas, and eventually to San Antonio, Texas, where he was engaged in newspaper business and where he died in August, 1882. Mr. May then ( 1869) associated with him one Jas. H. Brayton, who although a good printer had some habits that threatened to swamp the establishment, and after about four months Mr. May found it necessary to assume the entire control.
In December, 1869, E. M. Hancock became associated with May in the business, but withdrew in July following. August 1, 1872, Chas R. Hamstreet bought an interest in the office, which he held until June 1, 1873, when he dis- posed of it and engaged in farming near Clear Lake, Iowa. At that time E. M. Hancock purchased a half interest in the concern, and May & Hancock conducted the business for nine and a half years, until January 1. 1882, when Hancock dis- posed of his interest to Mrs. May, the firm becoming A. M. May & Co. The firm title continued thus, or as A. M. May & Son ( Frank H. and later R. B.),
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until January 1, 1901, when R. Bruce May become sole proprietor. In June, 1909. he disposed of the plant to John H. DeWild, his foreman, an excellent printer, who continues the business and who put in the first linotype machine in the county. Bruce May is now in a fine printing establishment at Iowa Falls.
Upon the completion of the railroad in 1877. the Waukon Democrat was started by Daniel O'Brien, who sold it July 5, 1879. to John W. Hinchon, ex- county superintendent of schools, who sold it in July, 1882, to T. C. Medary & Son (George C.), and went to Algona, Iowa, where he became one of the pro- prietors of the Algona Courier. The veteran printer, T. C. Medary, died in 1893, and George, who had been railroad mail agent for some time, succeeded to the active control, but lived only a few weeks, dying August 13th following. Another son, Edgar F., who had been publishing the Postville Graphic, then took charge of the Democrat and continued its publication for five years, selling June 15, 1898, to E. L. Coffeen and A. P. Bock, who changed its politics and name to Waukon Republican. Mr. Bock purchased his partner's interest in September, 1902, and continues sole proprietor today. Mr Coffeen resumed his profession of teaching, as superintendent of schools at Decorah, Mason City and Marshalltown, and is now a prominent educator in Massachusetts.
In July. 1899, Ed F. Medary revived the Waukon Democrat ; and about the same time W. J. Wallis & Son started a new paper, the Allamakee Democrat, but less than a year later sold out to Mr. Medary who consolidated it with his own plant which he continues to publish, together with a supplemental sheet devoted to Waterville affairs and called the Budget.
In October. 1882, the Waukon branch of the Allamakee Journal was estab- lished, under the personal management of Thos. F. Dunlevy, who has thus con- ducted it for over thirty years. So today Waukon has four newspapers, two republican and two democratic.
POSTOFFICE
A postoffice was first established at Waukon in the early fall of 1853, with Scott Shattuck as postmaster. He was succeeded by L. T. Woodcock, and he by W. Beale, in the summer of 1856, the office then being removed from the Woodcock store building on west Main street to Beale's new store on the now vacant corner opposite the Allamakee House on Allamakee street. In 1859 R. C. Armstrong was appointed and the office went back to west Main street, opposite the Presbyterian church. He served but a year or two, having met with the misfortune of finding one morning that the valuables of his office had disap- peared during the night. The brunt of this misfortune fell upon his bondsmen. as .Armstrong departed from the county. He was succeeded by H. Stroud, a shoemaker, in the latter part of 1860 or '61, who served but a short time and was followed by E. L. Babbitt, and the office was located in the new Wood- cock building on the corner of Main and Spring avenue, where it is now again. Babbitt was succeeded by L. G. Calkins in 1862, who held the office during 1863. During most of his term, however. L. M. Bearce was his deputy and virtually postmaster, as Calkins had but little to do with the office. From 1864 to 1871 Wm. R. Pottle was the incumbent, the office going directly across the street to the north side of Main street. During his term it was made a money order office.
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Mr. Pottle died in March, 1872. In January, 1871, Mrs. E. E. Stevens became postmistress (in her frame building, corner of Main and West streets-burned down in 1891), and so continued until succeeded by D. W. Reed, July 1, 1879.
Major Reed moved the office to the east side of Allamakee street, where the O'Brien building now is, and continued as postmaster until the middle of the Cleveland administration, in 1887, when T. C. Medary was appointed, and the postoffice went down onto Spring avenue. F. H. Robbins was appointed by President Harrison, taking the office October 1, 1889, and serving four years. when T. J. Kelleher received the appointment by President Cleveland, in 1893. He was succeeded by F. H. Robbins again, during the Mckinley regime, who served from February, 1898, to December 31, 1903. P. S. Narum then received the appointment from Roosevelt, entering upon his duties January 1, 1904, and is now well along in his third term. He removed the office to its present location. the Boomer Opera House.
PUBLIC LIBRARY
In the spring of 1911 some of the public-spirited ladies of Waukon, mostly members of its numerous clubs, discussed the question of forming an organiza- tion for civic improvement, and the various ideas advanced became materialized on the 13th of March in the organization of the Women's Civic Improvement League, of which the officers elected were as follows: President, Miss Leah Jones ; vice president, Mrs. W. C. Earle ; secretary, Mrs. S. W. Ludeking ; corre- sponding secretary, Mrs. Keo Minert ; treasurer, Miss Cora Miner.
The first and immediately visible results were chiefly in the "cleaning up" day for the streets and alleys, and an interest in the better care of the residence lots. But the ladies had plans for other kinds of improvement, among them the establishing of a public library, and for a location they secured from the city council the use of the small room in the south part of the city hall building, and the larger room on the east side for a reading room. Here the beginning was made on January 13, 1912, when a collection of 149 books and some magazines was opened to the public, with Mr. W. C. Wilkinson in charge as librarian. At this writing, in March, 1913, the number of volumes has increased to almost 1,000, and the record shows that 8,160 volumes were loaned during the year ending March ist. The sources of income have been from voluntary contribu- tions, occasional dinners and socials, and delinquent fines. The reading room is entirely free, as well as the library, and is well supplied with current magazines and papers, and is well patronized. Thus a good beginning has been made, and doubtless the ladies of the league will be encouraged to continue their efforts in this direction. At its March meeting the league elected the following officers for the ensuing year: President, Mrs. J. B. Jones ; vice president, Mrs. Keo. Minert ; secretary, Mrs. P. N. Heiser ; corresponding secretary, Mrs. J. E. O'Brien; treasurer, Miss Ella Vold; board of managers, Mesdames W. C. Earle, H. E. Taylor and J. F. Dougherty.
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