USA > Iowa > Lee County > Story of Lee County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 13
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With the death of John and Nathaniel Knapp, Fort Madison lost two of its most enterprising citizens, but the constant influx of settlers
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MADISON HOUSE IN 1878, FORT MADISON
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kept the growth of the town up to the expectations of its early inhabitants and in time the two founders were almost forgotten.
Some questions arose as to the validity of the title to lots acquired under the Horton and Williams claims and on July 2, 1836, Congress passed an act providing for the platting of certain tracts of land in the Black Hawk Purchase into town sites. One of these tracts was the site of Fort Madison. A supplementary act, approved by Presi- dent Jackson on March 3, 1837, named William W. Coriell, George Cubbage and M. M. McCarver as commissioners to resurvey the town. The original plat was accepted by the commissioners, with the exception of the fractional lots between Front Street and the river, which were made public property. The first sale of lots in the Government survey was made at the land office in Burlington, in the fall of 1838, but those who had purchased lots from the original founders of the town were protected by provisions of the law, the holders of the property receiving patents direct from the United States.
Fort Madison was incorporated by an act of the Territorial Legis- lature of Wisconsin, approved on January 19, 1838. Section I of this act provided "That all that portion of territory which is included in a survey made by and under authority of the United States, and which is known and designated as the Town of Fort Madison, con- taining about six hundred and forty acres of land in the County of Lee, in said territory, be, and the same is hereby, constituted a town corporate and shall hereafter be known by the name or title of Fort Madison."
Section 2 directed that an election for town officers be held on the first Monday in May, 1838, at which time Philip Viele was elected president; Robert Wyman, recorder ; Herbert Morris, Joseph S. Kennie, Charles McDill, John D. Drake and Isaac Atlee, trustees. As no regular meeting place was provided for the board, the sessions of that body were held at such places as could be secured, chiefly at the Madison House and the offices of Daniel F. Miller and Volney Spaulding. At the town election in May, 1839, Peter Miller was chosen president and continued in that office by reelections until the Iowa Legislature, by the act of February 12, 1842, granted the town a new charter, which provided for the division of the town into three wards and the election of a mayor and six aldermen-two from each ward.
The first election under the new charter was held on April 4, 1842, the three wards having been established by the old board of trustees on March 5, preceding. Isaac Atlee was elected mayor;
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William B. Matthews and Henry E. Vrooman, aldermen from the first ward; Alexander Anderson and William Evans, aldermen from the second ward, and Josiah Cowles and Levi Leech, aldermen from the third ward. E. G. Wilson was the first recorder, or clerk, under the new charter, and Joel C. Walker was the first treasurer. Some years later the city was divided into four wards.
Following is a list of the mayors of Fort Madison, with the year in which each entered upon the duties of the office : Isaac Atlee, 1842; Philip Viele, 1843; Thomas Hale, 1845; A. N. Deming, 1847; Wickliff Ketchel, 1848; Edward Johnstone, 1849; Philip Viele, 1850; Joel C. Parrott, 1851 ; Joseph M. Beck, 1852; Joel C. Walker, 1853; J. H. Bacon, 1854; Philip Viele, 1855; Robert McFarland, 1856; R. W. Albright, 1857; Daniel F. Miller, 1858; Thomas S. Espy, 1859; Patrick Gilligan, 1860 (served continuously by reelec- tions until October, 1864, when he resigned and John A. Nunn was elected for the remainder of the term) ; Patrick Gilligan was elected again in 1865 and 1866; T. L. Lawrence, 1867; Patrick Gilligan, 1868; Peter Miller, 1869; J. M. Casey, 1870; Henry Cattermole, 1872; A. C. Roberts, 1873 ; A. J. Alley, 1876; Henry Schlemer, 1884; Otway Cutler, 1886; J. D. M. Hamilton, 1887; Samuel Atlee, 1893; J. A. Jordan, 1897; Samuel Atlee, 1899; Charles H. Finch, 1901; J. A. Jordan, 1903; Augustus P. Brown, 1905; Charles H. Finch, 1907; William L. Gerber, 1909 (died February 20, 1910, and August E. Johns elected to the vacancy) ; August E. Johns, 1911; Augustus P. Brown, 1913.
A few years ago a slight change was made in the city government. Instead of four wards, the city was divided into five, and the legisla- tive department of the municipal government was made to consist of two councilmen-at-large and one from each of the five wards. On September 1, 1914, the city government was constituted as follows: Augustus P. Brown, mayor; A. S. Gaylord, city clerk ; J. R. Frailey, solicitor; A. M. Lowrey, treasurer; Matt Thrasher, chief of police; William M. Decker, chief of the fire department; Ben J. Schulte, street commissioner ; F. R. Smith, assessor ; N. J. Bever and Harvey A. Skyles, councilmen-at-large; J. C. B. Myers, first ward; F. A. Woodmansee, second ward; W. D. Masters, third ward ; H. D. Kern, fourth ward; John Oppenheimer, fifth ward.
FIRE DEPARTMENT
The first step toward protection against fire was taken in October, 1841, when the board of trustees passed an ordinance providing:
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"That each and every person owning a building within the town limits, is required to provide said building with a good leather fire- bucket by the Ist of November; each building having one stove or fireplace to have one bucket, and those having more than one flue or fireplace to have one additional bucket for every two flues or fire- places."
The ordinance also provided that the buckets were to be kept in some convenient place, where they would be easy of access in case of fire, and a penalty of $1.00 per day was imposed upon all who had failed to comply with the provisions of the ordinance at the con- clusion of the time specified.
From that time until the spring of 1874, the records do not show what, if any, arrangements were made for the protection of property from fire. In the spring of 1874 the city purchased a Silsby engine, two hose carts and 1,500 feet of hose. A volunteer fire company was soon afterward organized and the apparatus was placed in the hands of the company. For a few months the engine and hose carts were kept in a livery stable, until permanent quarters could be found. When the Government laid off the Town of Fort Madison, the lot at the northwest corner of Fourth and Market streets was reserved as a site for a public market. A brick market-house had been erected on the lot, and this was now turned over to the "Gem City Fire Company." It is still used as the central fire station and in the rear part of the building are the city offices.
During the summer of 1874, three cisterns were built on Fourth Street-at the intersections of Pine, Vine and Maple streets-to pro- vide storage for a water supply. In 1876 a hook and ladder truck, with all the necessary appurtenances, was added to the equipment. The old Silsby engine, the "Gem City," has been rebuilt and is still in service. On October 25, 1913, a combined automobile chemical engine and hose cart, carrying 200 feet of chemical and 1,200 feet of water hose, was placed in commission at the central station.
The paid department consists of six men at the central station. In addition to this company there are six volunteer companies, to wit: Phoenix, No. 1, ten men; George B. Inman, No. 2, ten men ; Boss Hose Company, No. 3, ten men ; J. D. M. Hamilton, No. 4, ten men; German-American, No. 5, ten men; Fort Madison, No. 6, twenty men. The Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company also maintains a fire company for the protection of the shops and round houses in the western part of the city.
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WATER WORKS
The Fort Madison Water Company erected its plant in 1885. At first, a reservoir with a capacity of 1,500,000 gallons was built upon a high bluff at the eastern end of the city and into this reservoir the water was pumped from the Mississippi River. Since then the original reservoir has been much enlarged and an additional one constructed, the two having a capacity of 14,500,000 gallons. These reservoirs are situated about one hundred and sixty feet above the level of the town, so that the gravity pressure is sufficient for all ordinary uses, direct pressure from the pumps being called into requisition only in case of fire. The pump-house has also been com- pletely overhauled and the pumping capacity greatly increased, the daily capacity of the pumps being about seven million gallons. The company has about twenty miles of mains, distributed to all parts of the city. J. G. Sutton, a man of experience in his line of work, is the superintendent.
Much of the water used for domestic purposes comes from the six artesian wells in the city. These wells are about eight hundred feet in depth and furnish a bountiful supply of pure, wholesome water.
PUBLIC LIGHTING
The Fort Madison Gas Company began business in 1885 by the construction of gas works in the eastern part of the city, a short dis- tance east of the penitentiary. Ten years later the company had nearly eight miles of mains and was supplying about thirty thousand cubic feet of gas daily. Since then the mileage of the mains has been more than doubled, the capacity of the plant correspondingly in- creased, the price of gas reduced about 15 per cent, and the com- pany has nearly two thousand patrons. J. G. Moffett is the manager.
Elecric lights were first introduced in 1887 by the Fort Madison Electric Light & Power Company, of which Samuel and J. C. Atlee were the principal owners. A power and lighting plant was erected at the corner of Maple and Johnson streets and the company began business. Under the ordinance of October 12, 1903, which provided for the lighting of the city by electricity-100 arc lights of 1,200 candle power each being specified in the ordinance-the company was given greater privileges and the plant was practically rebuilt. In April, 1913, the old company was succeeded by the Fort Madison Electric Company, which has made extensive alterations. The old
FRONT STREET, FORT MADISON During high water period of 1881.
FRONT STREET, FORT MADISON Taken from the old "Q" depot in 1881. Anthexo Hotel and Academy in the foreground.
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steam plant at Maple and Johnson streets has been made a sub-station, the new company taking current from the Mississippi River Power Company, which owns and operates the great water power plant at Keokuk. Under the old system the streets were lighted on a "moon- light" schedule, but the new company keeps the street lights on all night. About one hundred thousand dollars have already been ex- pended in improvements and the increased patronage seems to justify the investment. Alfred S. Nichols is the local manager.
STREET RAILWAY
The Fort Madison Street Railway Company was incorporated on June 2, 1887, under a charter to run for fifty years, with the following officers : J. B. Morrison, president; W. E. Harrison, vice president ; Howell Jones, secretary; James T. Ritchie, treasurer; Charles H. Peters, assistant treasurer. These officers constituted the first board of directors.
Work was commenced on a line running from a point near the penitentiary, in the eastern part of the city, to Ivanhoe Park, in the west end, and the first car passed over the road early in July. Until the summer of 1895 the motive power was furnished by mules. Then the road was changed to an electric line, the Electric Light & Power Company supplying the power. The route followed by the railway from its eastern terminus at the east end of Fourth Street is as follows : West. on Fourth to Broadway; south on Broadway to Second; west on Second to Cedar; south on Cedar to Front; west on Front, past the boat landing and the railroad stations, to Union Avenue, where it turns south to Santa Fe Avenue, and thence west to Ivanhoe Park. There is also a spur from the main line to the shops of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, making a total length of a little over four miles.
THE POSTOFFICE
Late in the '3os a mail route was established from Flint Hills (now Burlington) to St. Francisville, Missouri, with "Doc" Hearn as the mail carrier. James Douglass was the first postmaster at Fort Madison and kept the office in his residence at the southwest corner of Second and Market streets, using a pine shoe box as a receptacle for the mail. From that time until 1914 the office was located in various buildings, the postmasters for many years keeping it in their respective places of business. After the business of the office in- Vol. 1-9
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creased to such a point that it was too large to be considered as a "side line" for some merchant, the Government rented quarters and appointed postmasters who were expected to give their entire time to the handling of the mails.
The present handsome and well appointed postoffice building, one of the most modern in the State of Iowa, was opened to the public for the reception and transmission of mail matter on June 1, 1914, with Nelson C. Roberts as postmaster. An appropriation of $75,000 was made by Congress for the purchase of the site and the erection of the building. The walls of the new postoffice are of Indiana oolitic limestone-commonly called Bedford stone-with terrazzo floor in the corridor, hardwood interior finish, plate glass windows, and departments for all divisions of the mail service. Besides the postmaster and his assistant, the office employs four clerks, six car- riers, three substitute clerks and carriers, two janitors and three rural carriers who make daily trips into the surrounding country. From Mr. Douglass' little shoe box, the Fort Madison Postoffice now occu- pies the new building at the northwest corner of Second and Chestnut streets, and the annual receipts of the office are, in round numbers, $23,000.
THE COMMERCIAL CLUB
The Commercial Club of Fort Madison was incorporated on February 3, 1904, with J. C. Ehart, president; T. T. Hitch, vice president; M. T. Walker, secretary, and C. E. Stoeckle, treasurer. As stated in the articles of incorporation, the objects of the club are : "For the social intercourse of its members, and for the promotion of the commercial and general welfare and prosperity of the city; to take by gift, purchase, devise or bequest real and personal prop- erty for purposes appropriate to its creation; to contract for and erect buildings for the purposes of the corporation, and to transact any and all other business ordinarily within the scope of such cor- porations."
This club is the successor to the Business Men's Association, which was organized some twenty years before, but which after a time became inactive. The club has handsome quarters in the Burster Block, at the corner of Second and Pine streets and the club rooms are open from 9 o'clock A. M. until midnight every week day. On September 1, 1914, the club numbered about one hundred active members. The officers at that time were: Ernest Corsepius, presi- dent; Jesse Schlarbaum, secretary, and George M. Hanchett, treasurer.
SANTA FE RAILROAD BRIDGE ACROSS THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AT FORT MADISON
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Another organization, somewhat similar in character to the Com- mercial Club, is the Fort Madison First Association, which was organized in 1911, with a capital stock of $30,000 as the basis of a fund to secure the location of new manufacturing industries. The motto of the association is, "Fort Madison first." It has been active in advertising the resources and advantages of the city as a manu- facturing center and through its efforts new factories have been and are being brought to Fort Madison. The officers of the association for 1914 were: Preston E. Roberts, president; Jesse Schlarbaum, secretary ; J. A. S. Pollard, treasurer.
MISCELLANEOUS
Opposite Fort Madison, on the Illinois side of the Mississippi, is what remains of the old Town of Niota, now known on the railroad time tables as East Fort Madison. In the early history of the city a ferry boat propelled by hand was the only means of crossing the river. This was succeeded in time by a steam ferry, the eastern terminus of which was at Appanoose, about a mile and a half above Fort Madison. Then Charles Doerr built a dike from Doerr's Island to the main land at Niota, constructed a good landing there, and the terminus at Appanoose was abandoned. In 1887 the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad Company, under a charter granted to a company some years before, built a railway and wagon bridge across the river. The bridge is 1,925 feet in length, with 1,000 feet of trestle work at the Illinois end. There is a roadway for vehicles on either side of the railroad track and between the track and the roadways are screens, so that horses will not become frightened at the sight of passing trains. Near the Iowa shore one span of the bridge is a draw, operated by a steam engine above the railway tracks, for the passage of boats. The first train passed over this bridge on December 7, 1887.
No city on the eastern border of Iowa is better provided with transportation and shipping facilities than Fort Madison. It is a division point on the main line of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad, which gives it direct connection with Chicago and all points north and east of that city. The Burlington & St. Louis and Burling- ton & Carrollton divisions of the great Chicago, Burlington & Quincy System pass through the city, which is also the eastern terminus of the Fort Madison & Ottumwa Division of the same system. By means of these various railway lines the city is within easy communication with all parts of the country. Then there is the Mississippi River flowing in front of the city, and upon its bosom the boats of the
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Streckfus Line ply regularly between St. Louis and St. Paul, while the White Collar Line runs daily boats between Burlington and Quincy. Although river transportation has decreased to some extent since the introduction of the railroad, it is still an important factor in carrying freight and passengers, and Fort Madison is so situated that she can take advantage of the low rates offered by the various steamboat lines.
Fort Madison has a fine high school building and four modern school buildings. In addition to these public schools each of the Catholic parishes maintains a parochial school, so that the educational facilities of the city are unsurpassed. Eight Protestant and three Catholic churches afford the church-going portion of the population ample opportunities to attend the denomination of their choice. The city has over three miles of brick paved streets and more than three times that amount of fine macadamized streets, good cement side- walks, five public parks-Central, Old Settlers, Ivanhoe, Riverview and Black Hawk Heights, two hospitals, good hotels, two daily newspapers, excellent telegraph and telephone service, a good public library, and a large number of cozy homes.
The business interests of the city include several large manufac- turing establishments, three banks, a number of well stocked mercan- tile houses and the usual number of small shops, restaurants, etc., usually to be found in cities of its class. The following table shows the population of the city, as shown by the United States census reports since 1850:
1850. 1,509
1860 2,886
1870. 4,01 1
1880 4,679
1890.
7,90I
1900
9,278
1910.
8,900
When the Government's figures for 1910 were made known in Fort Madison, the Commercial Club claimed that an error had been made by the enumerators, and was granted permission to take a new census. Work was commenced and in two of the five wards enough additional names were found to overcome the decrease shown by the Government report below that of 1900. Then the census bureau announced that it would be impossible to make any corrections in the original enumeration and the work of the Commercial Club
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was stopped. In 1912 the canvassers for the city directory took the names-or at least the number-of members in each family, and this census showed a population of over eleven thousand.
With the excellent transportation facilities offered by Fort Madi- son, there is no reason why its manufacturing interests should not be greatly increased during the next few years. Its bountiful supply of pure drinking water, its wholesome air, its schools and churches, its intelligent and courteous people, its geographical location, all com- bine to make Fort Madison an ideal residence town and justify its sobriquet of "The Gem City."
DR. S. W. MOORHEAD
CHAPTER IX
THE CITY OF KEOKUK
LOCATION AND INDIAN NAME-THE FIRST WHITE SETTLER-MOSES STILLWELL-OTHER PIONEERS-AMERICAN FUR COMPANY-"RAT ROW"-HORSE RACING AS AN AMUSEMENT-ADOPTION OF THE NAME KEOKUK-PLATTING THE TOWN-SOME EARLY EVENTS- KEOKUK INCORPORATED-LIST OF MAYORS-WATERWORKS-FIRE DEPARTMENT-PUBLIC LIGHTING-STREET RAILWAY-THE POST- OFFICE-INDUSTRIAL ASSOCIATION-THE RIVER BRIDGE-MISCEL- LANEOUS.COMMENT.
Keokuk, the metropolis of Lee County, is beautifully situated upon the romantic and picturesque bluffs overlooking the Mississipp! River at the foot of the Des Moines Rapids, in the southern part of Jackson Township and the extreme southeastern corner of the State of Iowa. This place was called by the Indians Puck-e-she- tuck, which some writers have interpreted as meaning "the foot of the rapids," but Francis Labiseur, who acted as interpreter in the negotiation of some of the early treaties, and who understood the language of the Sacs and Foxes, says its liberal meaning is "where the water runs still."
The first habitation built by a white man within the present limits of the city was the log cabin erected by Dr. Samuel C. Muir in 1820. In an address before the Old Settlers' Association in 1875, Capt. James W. Campbell says this cabin "stood on the right hand corner of Main and Levee, as you ascend the street." Doctor Muir had been a surgeon in the United States army and was stationed at Fort Edwards. He married an Indian girl and when the government officials issued an order that all soldiers having Indian wives should abandon them, he resigned his position as surgeon. Circumstances then compelled him to practice medicine elsewhere, so he leased his claim at Puck-e-she-tuck to Otis Reynolds and John Culver, of St. Louis, who employed Moses Stillwell as their agent to open a trading house there.
Stillwell, accompanied by his two brothers-in-law, Amos and Valencourt Van Ausdal, took possession in the spring of 1828. Dur-
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ing the preceding winter he had visited the claim and erected two cabins, one of which, near the foot of Main Street, he occupied with his family-the first white family to take up a residence at the foot of the rapids on the Iowa side of the river. A little further up the hill he cleared a small patch of ground, where he raised some corn and potatoes in 1828. A short distance below the cabin he built a stone building about 15 by 40 feet, using the stone bluff for the back wall. This building was erected for a warehouse for Culver & Reynolds and was used until it was carried away by the great ice gorge in 1832. Margaret, a daughter of Moses Stillwell, born in 1831, was the first white child to be born in what is now the City of Keokuk.
Shortly after Mr. Stillwell established himself at the foot of the rapids, the American Fur Company erected a row of five houses at the junction of Blondeau and Levee streets and installed Russell Farnham as resident manager; Joshua Palean; Mark Aldrich and Edward Bushnell, clerks. Paul Bessette, John Shook and Baptiste Neddo came as trappers and hunters. The buildings of the American Fur Company were of hewed logs and for many years were known as "Rat Row." John Connolly, John Forsyth, James Thorn and John Tolman were employed by the company as itinerant peddlers and in the collection of furs. Andre Santamont also came with the com- pany's employees and built his cabin not far from where the round- house of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad was afterward erected. He was the stepfather of Francis Labiseur, the interpreter above mentioned.
The lease of Reynolds & Culver expired in 1830, when Doctor Muir again took possession of his claim and formed a partnership with Isaac R. Campbell, the firm succeeding to the business estab- lished by Moses Stillwell. Doctor Muir died of cholera in 1832 and at the breaking out of the Black Hawk war in that year the American Fur Company sold "Rat Row" to Isaac R. Campbell and abandoned the field, leaving Mr. Campbell and thirty-four employees as the entire male population. Fears of an Indian attack were entertained, and at the suggestion of Maj. Jenifer T. Spriggs, who had come to survey the half-breed tract, a stockade was built around Mr. Camp- bell's establishment and a small blockhouse was constructed. The men were organized into a military company, with Major Spriggs in command. Mr. Campbell was elected lieutenant and commissary and wrote to the commandant at St. Louis for a supply of arms and ammunition. The company was furnished with a small swivel gun,
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