USA > Iowa > Fayette County > The history of Fayette County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 56
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On Friday, July 14, 1871, the Committee of citizens before mentioned closed the contract with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota Railroad Com- pany, at Cedar Rapids, apparently to the satisfaction of all parties. This con- tract was substantially as follows :
1st. That the Railroad Company agree to build, equip and operate a railroad from their present line of road, to intersect the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad at or near Postville, via West Union and Clermont.
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2d. That said road shall be completed within one year from the date that the stipulated aid is raised along the line, with an equivalent extension of time, if the Company is delayed on account of obtaining the right of way.
3d. That said road shall be of a character similar to the one operated by said Company, which will compare favorably with any road in Iowa.
4th. That depots or stations shall be established in the several townships, if the people along the line raise the required amount of aid, with free right of way.
5th. That the citizens of Fayette County shall pay said Railroad Company, $90,000, in rail- road taxes, legally voted, and conditional notes of individuals, payable when the road is com- pleted through the township where the notes are given. The taxes voted by any township are not to be drawn from the treasury until the road is completed through said township.
6th. That the citizens shall give said Company free right of way and depot grounds.
7th. That taxes in West Union Township are not to be drawn from the treasury nor the notes payable, until the road is completed and the cars running into West Union, and one-half of the grading done between West Union and the point of intersection with the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad.
8th. The citizens to have sixty days from July 15th, to raise the amount of aid, right of way and depot grounds.
Having made the contract, the people of Fayette County at once inaugu- rated energetic measures for raising the stipulated amount. Railroad meetings were held in all the townships interested in the project. West Union voted a five per cent. tax in aid of the road on the 16th of August, by a vote of 273 to 29. On the 17th, Windsor Township voted a five per cent. tax by forty-four majority. In Harlan, on the 17th, the tax was defeated by a vote of forty to thirty-eight. The tax and subscription in West Union amounted to about $50,000. Jefferson voted the five per cent. tax by seventy-five to fifty-six, and Pleasant Valley by 128 to 33. Harlan voted again in September, and voted a three per cent. tax by six majority. Center was the only township that refused to vote the aid required. It should be remembered that the Iowa & Pacific Railroad Company were asking similar aid at the same time.
The required amount of aid having been provided by tax and subscriptions, the Company at once commenced active preparations for commencing work. The surveys were completed and ground was broken on the line between Post- ville and Clermont November 9, 1871. The first iron rail was laid in Fayette County on the road August 14, 1872, at 10 o'clock A. M. It was completed to Clermont, and the first train arrived there September 5, 1872, and during that month it was completed to Elgin ; and to West Union soon afterward, but was not completed through the county until the next year. Trains were run between Postville and West Union, and between Cedar Rapids and Center Point, nearly a year before. The first through train on the " Milwaukee Divi- sion " was run September 7, 1873.
The road was built by a Construction Company, under a contract with the B., C. R. & M. R. R. Co. By virtue of a decree of foreclosure and sale, under the mortgage of the B., C. R. & M. R. R. Co., the road passed into the posses- sion of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway Company July 20, 1876. This road was the first to enter Fayette, and the only one as yet that passes entirely through the county.
THE DAVENPORT & ST. PAUL R. R.
In January, 1868, Judge F. B. Doolittle, and Col. J. H. Peters, of Delhi, J. M. King, of Cascade, and several others, held a meeting at Cascade for the purpose of discussing the feasibility of constructing a railway from Clinton via Cascade and Delhi, to some point in Fayette County. At this meeting, the Iowa & Minnesota Grand Trunk Railway Company was temporarily organized with George W. Trumbull, of Jackson County, President; J. M. King, Secretary ;
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and C. M. Dunbar, Treasurer, and a committee was appointed to draft articles of incorporation.
In April, another meeting was held in Hopkinton, Delaware County, at which Articles of Incorporation, reported by the committee, were adopted, and the company was permanently organized, with F. B. Doolittle, H. S. Brunson, Richard Boon, Benjamin Burch, M. O. Barnes, G. C. Crosten, Z. G. Allen and W. H. Finley. Articles of Incorporation filed for record in Delaware County, June 4, 1868.
The prospects for a road from Clinton were not encouraging. A combina- tion was formed, in which the people of Fayette, Brush Creek, Strawberry Point, Delaware, Delhi and Hopkinton pledged their faith to stand by each other come what would, and that neither town should be left off the line of a railroad if they should succeed in their efforts ; and, in May, 1868, Brunson, Boon, Doolittle and others interested, went to Davenport with a view of inter- esting the railroad men of that city in the project, proposing to make Daven- port the southern terminus, and give them the control of the road if they would engage in the enterprise. Several mcetings were held ; the people of Daven- port became interested ; the name was changed to the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad Company and re-organized, with Benjamin Burch and H. S. Brun- son, of Fayette; Z. G. Allen, of Brush Creek ; Richard Boon, of Delaware; F. B. Doolittle, of Delhi ; W. H. Finley, of Hopkinton ; John L. Davis and Michael Donahan, of Davenport, and G. C. Croston, of Cascade, Directors.
Arrangements were made for obtaining subscriptions to capital stock. Various towns along the line voted five per cent. taxes in aid of the enterprise, and preparations for substantial work began to be made. In August, William H. Holmes, of Davenport, was elected President. The required amount of stock having been subscribed, it was expected that work would be commenced in the Spring of 1869, but before it could be commenced the Supreme Court had decided that the law authorizing townships to vote a tax to aid in the construc- tion of railroads was unconstitutional. By this decision, the available assets of the D. & St. P. Co. were reduced nearly one-half.
In April, 1869, a meeting was held in Davenport to review the situation and devise means for carrying forward the enterprise. At this meeting, the Davenport people were inclined to abandon the project, but after much consul- tation they finally concluded to persevere, and active efforts were made during the remainder of that year to obtain the additional subscriptions necessary. At the next session of the General Assembly, in the Winter of 1869-70, however, the law was revised and so amended that towns might levy taxes for building railroads if the people should so vote. The various towns along the line again voted for the five per cent. tax. Assessments were made on the capital stock, and in June, 1870, the contracts were made for grading, bridging and tieing the road from Davenport to Fayette. B. & H. M. Burch were the contractors for Delaware County line to Fayette. Work on the line in Fayette County was commenced in the Spring of 1871. The road was completed to Brush Creek July 8, 1873; and the first car load of freight was received at that sta- tion July 22, and the rails were laid to Fayette September 16, of that year.
In August or September, 1872, Benjamin Burch, J. H. Lakin and William Burch, under the firm name of Burch, Lakin & Co., took the contract for grad- ing the road north from Fayette to Cresco, and commenced work immediately and prosecuted it vigorously until the Fall of 1873, when they suspended opera- tions, having nearly completed the grading from Fayette to Cresco, including several deep cuts-one near Fayette 700 feet long and fifty-seven feet deep,
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through solid rock, and costing over $30,000. The Company paid the con- tractors' estimates promptly until May, 1873, when its exchequer became ex- hausted, but the contractors continued to work, hoping, Micawber-like, that " something would turn up " to enable the company to make payments and complete the work. But the financial pressure of that time, culminating in a panic in October following, effectually prevented any further extension of the road. and work on it has not yet been resumed ; but its friends fondly hope that ere long it will be completed to Cresco, where advantageous connections can be made. The construction of the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad to Fayette affords a remarkable example of energy and pluck in overcoming apparently insur- mountable obstacles.
THE IOWA & PACIFIC RAILROAD.
At the same time that the people were asked to aid in the construction of the B., C. R. & M. R. R. from the south, the Iowa & Pacific was knocking at the door from the east, and asking that the several townships on its projected line should vote a tax in its aid. A considerable portion of the work of grad- ing this road in this county was done in 1872-3. The line passes about four miles north of the town of Fayette, crosses the line of the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad near the geographical center of the county, and the B., C. R. & N. R. R. at Randalia, thence west through Center and Banks Townships to the west line of the county. The road was completed from the east into the county to Wadena in May, 1878, and the first shipment of freight for that point was made on the 2d day of June. Preparations are being made for the construction of the road west from Wadena, and it is anticipated that it will be completed at least to a junction with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern at Randalia, if not entirely across the county, during the year 1878.
THE PRESS.
The Fayette County Pioneer was established by John Gharky in 1853, the first number being given to the public October 21st. Charles McDowell, a brother-in-law of Gharky's, did nearly all the work of the paper, which was a six-column folio sheet, 22x32 inches. At the close of the first volume, which was on November 8, 1854, indicating that three weeks had passed in the interim without getting out the paper, the publication was suspended, with the full intention of abandoning the business ; but, through the persuasion of vari- ous citizens, without regard to party, its publication was resumed on the 6th of December, and continued until some time in 1864, with the exception of a short interruption caused by the press being injured and considerable of the type "pied " by a party of young men who broke into the office May 25, 1863.
The news of the outrage perpetrated on the Pioneer office spread all over the county in the next two days. A meeting was called a few evenings after, which was attended by several hundred friends and patrons of the paper, and the street between Gharky's office-which was near where the National Bank is located-and the Court House Square was crowded with teams. The meeting was held in the Court House, which was crowded full. Resolutions were adopted, strongly condemning the violent and inexcusable act, and a contribu- tion was taken to replace the loss. Almost every man present was anxious to contribute cash to help repair the damage. The Pioneer's treasury was abun- dantly replenished that night, "and," says one who contributed, " I never saw money offered so freely in all my life."
Hiram Hoagland
AUBURN TOWNSHIP
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In 1864, as above stated, Mr. Gharky packed up his material, the press excepted, and had it hauled to Manchester, from whence he shipped it to Mem- phis, Mo. The only file of the Pioneer for the first year now in existence is that saved by Mr. Gharky himself and taken to Missouri by him when he removed.
The Corvette " sails, semi-occasionally." During the period when the Pioneer was the only paper published at West Union, political lines were strongly drawn, and partisan feeling was sometimes strong enough to verge upon bitterness. Mr. Gharky (pronounced " Yarky," or " Yerky"), the editor of the Pioneer, was a Democrat of the Old School, who could never discover, at least never acknowledge, any virtue in a political opponent, and often fired hot shot into the opposing ranks. Until the other political party established an organ, it frequently was considered necessary for those who did not agree with Mr. Gharky, politically, to issue circulars and other publications in self-defense. Among these was one called the " Corvette," without date or editor's name, a small sheet about 9x12, but containing "pepper " enough for a Presidential campaign, if "Volume 1, No. 1," which happened to fall under the eye of the historian, is any criterion.
The Free Press was first issued between the 2d and 9th of September, 1856, by Frank A. Badger, who was induced by the Republicans of Fayette County to establish a paper at West Union, in consideration of a bonus of four hundred dollars. C. O. Myers became his partner before the first number was issued. " Badger," says John Gharky, " slid out, soon after election, with his vest pocket filled with gold coin and his stomach with such stuff as was then for sale at the office off the 'Black Warrior.'" The paper probably proved unre- munerative to Mr. Mvers, for he disposed of the concern to some gentlemen of Fayette in May, 1857, who removed it to that town.
The Fayette Journal was launched in the Winter of 1857-8, by C. O. Myers, the editor being J. E. Cooke, who remained in that capacity during a rapid succession of publishers-E. C. Byam, - Norton, - Robertson, L. Templeton and - Halbert. Myers again resumed control, followed by - Watts, D. Vines, - Halbert and one or two ladies-the paper dying in 1858, with Myers again in charge. In the Spring of 1860, the paper was resurrected by D. Harmes, who, after three weeks, changed its name to
North Iowa Observer, owned by Rev. Wm. Brush and edited by J. W. Shannon. It soon passed into the hands of Wm. B. Lakin and James Mc- Donald, and fell asleep in the Fall of 1861. O. C. Cole revived the paper April 5, 1866, under the heading of Fayette Public Record. One year after, Lakin & Wood assumed control, and restored the name of North Iowa Observer. Lakin withdrew in the Fall of 1867, giving place to O. C. Cole. The paper again died in June, 1868, and T. B. Wood, who was at that time owner of the majority of the stock of the concern, prepared to remove the material to Austin, Minn., for which he was arrested for the crime of larceny, on the com- plaint of another stockholder. A two days' trial was had, which resulted in his acquittal, and he was allowed to go in peace with the material. D. Vines soon revived the paper, bestowing the name of Fayette Journal. O. C. Cole again became part proprietor in October, 1869, the name bestowed by Vines & Cole being Volga Valley Times. The firm and name continued till July 18, 1874, when the paper again suspended, bearing in large type above the heading, " Last will and testament of the, etc.," but was revived August 5, by Burch & Scobey, with the heading of
Fayette News, who continued it with one short break, till January 31, 1877, when it passed into the hands of Freer & Winrott, two energetic young men, K
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who have succeeded in placing the concern on a stable footing, and have already built up a large business. The News is Republican in politics.
The Public Review .- The publishers of the Journal, at Fayette, finding the business unremunerative, disposed of the outfit to J. E. Cooke and Jud. Hale, who removed to West Union, and began the publication of the Public Review, March 3, 1859. Hale withdrew from the editorial management in August, but continued in the office. The Review was the first paper in the county to place- the local items on the third page, the prior fashion having been to put all original matter, editorials, puffs and locals on the second page. Mr. Cooke died in 1860, and Hale again assumed control, B. H. Geary doing most of the editorial work. In the Spring of 1861, Hale disposed of the property, and
The Republican Era, J. W. Rogers, publisher, and J. A. Cruzan, printer, first saw the light April 10, 1861. In the introductory article, the editor says: " We have some faint conception of the delicacy of the editor's relation to the public; we remember how often the burden of the printer's complaint has been ' the lack of funds.' We know that Pharaoh's leanest kine and Job's shadowy turkey are by general consent admitted to be the general type of an editor's and printer's financial condition." The name of the paper was indicative of its politics. The sheet was an eight-column folio, and was printed on the material formerly used in the Review office. Mr. Rogers soon disposed of the paper to Rev. S. D. Helms, who succeeded in getting the delinquent tax list for that year. This was let like selling a cow at auction, Helms bidding ten cents a tract, Gharky five cents. Lakin, for the Fayette Observer, offered 4}, followed by Helms at 4, and Gharky at 3}. Helms then offered to do the work at two cents, when his competitors desisted from the contest. The Era continued under Mr. Helms' management until some time in 1862, when, having an encouraging offer from the people of Bellevue, Jackson County, he removed the office thither.
The publication of the Fayette County Union began Thursday, January 4, 1866, McClintock & Rickel, editors and proprietors. In the introductory arti- cle it was announced that it would be " the chief aim to advance and truly rep- resent the interests of Fayette County," and that political questions would be discussed with moderation and in the spirit of patriotism rather than partisan- ship. The paper was a six-column, four-page sheet, about half the size of the Union as now published. January 10, 1867, the firm disposed of the office and business to Isaiah Wood and Milo Lacy, who announced that the paper would be continued as a loyal Democratic paper. July 22, 1868, Wood & Lacy retired to establish the Austin (Minn.) Democrat, and the Union was by them transferred to McClintock & Rickel, its founders. Aug. 26, 1868, T. B. Wood became associated in the publication of the paper. June 14, 1869, Henry Rickel retired from his long partnership with Mr. McClintock, and from editorial duty upon the paper as well. Milo Lacy died at West Union June 25, 1869, of hemorrhage of the lungs. Mr. Lacy learned his trade in the Pioneer office, served in the navy during the war, and after its close-Decem- ber, 1866 -- married Jennie Hines, of West Union. Mr. Wood disposed of his interest in the Union in April, 1870, to his partner, William McClintock, who continued as sole proprietor until May 29, 1872, when his son Frank purchased a half interest in the concern and assumed a share in the editorial management. July 9, 1873, John A. Weaver made his editorial bow, but it was announced that William McClintock would continue to do editorial work on the paper as of old. December 3, Mr. Weaver's name appeared as part owner for the last time, and he omitted the formality of a valedictory. Frank McClintock
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remained as sole proprietor until August 23, 1877, when the property reverted to its founder, Frank giving one of his reasons for withdrawing to be " lack of cheek." William McClintock says, in resuming control, that the "entire responsibility for the moral, political, social and financial attitude " of the paper should rest upon himself.
The Clermont Leader .- The publication of the Clermont Leader began Thursday, May 21, 1866, under the management of George B. Edmonds, who manifested much newspaper ability. The press employed was that left behind by Gharky, the remainder of the material being entirely new. The Leader was Republican in politics, and its editor began to occupy a high position in the ranks of that party. His articles were frequently copied by exchanges, and Mr. Edmonds could have remained, to this day, a respectable personage in Fayette County ; but, in the Summer of 1867, an unfortunate circumstance arose, and he found it best to conciliate Clermont by " stepping down and out." H. D. Lindley mounted the tripod vacated by Edmonds, but his success was indifferent, and in November, 1867, the Leader made its last suspiration.
Republican Gazette .- About the 25th of November, 1867, J. W. Shannon and C. H. Talmadge, of West Union, purchased the material of the defunct Clermont Leader, and removed the outfit to West Union for the purpose of establishing a Republican paper. The firm named the venture Republican Ga- zette and Clermont Leader. The times were ripe for a permanent Republican institution at West Union, and the young firm were thoroughly trained in their profession, capable and industrious. The paper sprung at once into vigorous life. In December, 1869, Mr. Shannon retired, owing to ill health. In July, 1870, John Stewart bought an interest in the concern, but one month was enough to satisfy him, for, in August, he disposed of his share to J. W. Rogers, who remained as partner about two years, when he withdrew, leaving Mr. Tal- madge to steer the craft alone. January 1st, 1877, D. H. Whittemore pur- chased a half interest, which he still retains. The Gazette office is well equipped with machinery and material, and does a large business.
People's Paper and Alliance was first issued under the name of the People's Paper in April, 1870, by D. G. Goodrich, devoted to the interests of farmers and farm machinery. It was published once a month, at Clermont, being printed at West Union, in the office of Wm. McClintock. It soon out- grew the narrow space of five columns, and in October, 1870, Mr. Goodrich found it necessary to increase the size of his paper. He accordingly purchased a new office (which is now one of the finest in the county), and moved his paper to Clermont, increasing the size to eight columns, and on April 7, 1871, the paper was changed to a weekly. It is now published simultaneously from Independence, Oelwein and Clermont, is Greenback in principle, and the largest paper in the county.
The Brush Creek News was established in March, 1874, by O. H. Osborn, who continued its publication two years, when he sold out to A. B. Vines. Mr. Vines continued its publication about six months, when he disposed of the property to M. W. Bates, by whom the name of the paper was changed to Brush Creek Plaindealer and Advertiser. Bates owned the paper for about six months, when he sold it to O. H. Osborn, who still publishes the paper under its first and more appropriate name. The paper has a good subscription list. It is Independent in politics. The News seems to occupy an excellent field, and can easily be made a desirable property.
The Oelwein Clipper was established by Arthur Stahl in August, 1876. Mr. Stahl had learned his trade at West Union, years before, but had resided in
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other localities some time before essaying this venture. The Clipper was a seven-column folio, one side printed in Chicago. The enterprise was as well sustained as the town could afford, but the experiment proved to be premature, for the paper endured only till February, 1877, when its proprietor packed up his press and type and sought another field.
The Elgin Times was first issued July 7, 1875, the people of that pleasant village being anxious to have a paper of their own. Henry C. Hammond was owner and editor. Mr. Hammond continued the Times till March, 1878, when he disposed of the concern to M. W. Blodgett. The latter transferred back the paper to Mr. Hammond about July 1, 1878, who has decided to stop its publication and seek another field.
THE FAYETTE COUNTY HISTORICAL AND PIONEER ASSOCIATION.
Oh ! a wonderful stream is the River Time, As it runs through the realm of tears, With a faultless rhythm and a musical rhyme, And a broader sweep and a surge sublime, As it blends with the ocean with years .- B. F. Taylor.
Only thirty years have come and gone since white men began to exercise dominion in the northern part of Fayette County-erst the home of the Winne- bagoes, and the "neutral ground " where the warlike Sacs and Foxes on the south and the ferocious Sioux on the north must not meet in battle array. Only thirty years ! and yet these years have been full of wonderful changes, and the visitor of 1878, ignorant of the past, could hardly realize that, within these few fleeting years, there has grown up a population of thousands, as far advanced in all the accomplishments and advantages of civilization as are the people of tlie older settlements in the Eastern States-that, where all these churches, school houses, comfortable dwellings, beautiful grounds, large and well-cultivated farms, busy towns and factories and railways now greet the eye, only thirty years ago was the home of the savage, occupied only by the tepees and hunting grounds of the Winnebagoes. And yet but little is left to remind one of the former owners of this part of the " beautiful land." Very few of the old landmarks remain. They have been swept away by that "wonderful stream, the River Time." Advancing civilization and the progressive demand of the swift revolv- ing years have well-nigh obliterated all traces of Indian occupancy, and already they are remembered by only a name. But Fayette County was peculiarly situated. While, from much the larger portion of its territory the pioneers were carefully and rigidly excluded, a portion of the southern part, south of the Volga, was included in the Black Hawk Purchase, and the first log cabins of the whites were erected there at an early period ; yet the permanent settlement of the county can hardly be said to have commenced until the Indian title to the " neutral ground " was extinguished and the Winnebagoes removed in 1848. Of those who came from that date until 1854, to open the way for the resistless tide of emigration Westward-of the voters and heads of families representing the population of Fayette County in 1854-not many remain to tell the story of early privations and sufferings. Many of them have been called to join the immortal throng " over the river," in the bright realms of eternal life. Many others have removed from the county, to find homes in other counties and other States. Others, however, preferred to remain on the home they commenced, in the land of the Winnebagoes, and, by the mercy and goodness of God, have
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