USA > Iowa > Jackson County > The history of Jackson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion history of the Northwest, history of Iowa miscellaneous matters, &c > Part 51
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437
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
the middle of September, 1870, the Midland was under control of the North- Western, which went on to build the road.
The track of the Davenport & St. Paul was completed first, but at the time of its completion, the Midland had reached Delmar, where the roads cross, and, through the courtesy of the Davenport Company, the Midland was permitted to run their first train into Maquoketa on the same day with their rival, over the track of the latter.
From the Jackson Sentinel of December 15, 1870, we glean the following account of the completion of the roads, and the celebration upon the occasion of the first trains into Maquoketa, on the 13th of December :
" Tuesday last was a day ever to be remembered by the people of Maquo- keta. as the day upon which the cities of Lyons, Clinton, Davenport and Maquoketa were formally and indissolubly united by ' bands of iron and looks of steel.'
" Long before noon, large numbers of country people came pouring into town, eager to extend a cordial greeting to the citizens of the above-named places, who, upon this day, were to be the honored guests of our city. Eleven o'clock was the hour appointed for the arrival of the excursionists at the depot grounds, and by that time a crowd of enthusiastic people, numbering several hundreds, had assembled, eagerly gazing southward for the first appearance of the approaching trains. A gun squad had been organized, having in charge the only piece of artillery of which our city can boast, ready to belch forth its noisy greeting to the excursionists.
" At precisely 11.30, the shrill scream of the Wyoming engine announced the approach of the Davenport train, and in a few minutes after, it glided into the depot grounds, amidst the huzzas of the assembled multitude and the booming of the little four-pounder.
" This train consisted of six passenger coaches, a baggage and a platform car, upon the latter being a squad of the De Witt Artillery, with one gun. The excursionists were also accompanied by a brass band, from Davenport, which discoursed most excellent music through the day.
" As soon as possible after the train halted, the excursionists were trans- ferred to vehicles, which had been obtained for the purpose, and taken to the various public halls and private residences which had been thrown open for their reception.
"Scarce had these guests been disposed of when the shrill whistle of another engine announced the arrival of the Midland delegation, who were received with the same noisy demonstrations as their predecessors. The train consisted of three of the North-Western Company's finest passenger coaches, drawn by a powerful locomotive, the ' J. B. Turner.'
" These guests were soon disposed of in the same manner as the preceding ones, and the vast crowd which had assembled to meet them returned to town, to assist in carrying out what still remained of the programme.
" The most ample arrangements had been made for supplying our visitors with everything necessary to their comfort, both internally and externally, especially the former. Schrader's new hall, on the second floor, and his store- room, beneath, had both been fitted up with tables, capable of furnishing 400 persons with seats at one time, and these tables fairly groaned under the weight of everything imaginable in the edible line, provided for the occasion by the good people of this city and vicinity. Never was the proverbial hospi- tality of our town better illustrated than upon this occasion.
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HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
" Each of the excursionists had been provided with a ticket, to avoid con- fusion. At 1 o'clock, everything being in readiness and the corps of waiters being at their posts, the doors to both halls were thrown open, and the first bri- gade of guests-with turkeys to right of them, chickens to left of them and pastry in front of them-began the attack. Fresh brigades of hungry people were brought forward as rapidly as the tables could be cleared, until it is safe to say that not less than fifteen hundred persons had been supplied ; and yet. the fragments of this royal feast still remaining were sufficient to have fed a small army.
" After dinner, our guests spent the brief time remaining to them in look- ing over the city and forming the acquaintance of our citizens. A temporary platform, composed of a couple of dry-goods boxes, was erected on Main street, between the blocks, and from this the Hon. Hiram Price, President of the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad, delivered a brief impromptu speech to a large number of citizens, congratulating them upon the successful accomplishment of their long-deferred hopes in railroad matters, in which he took occasion to say that the time was not far distant when Maquoketa would be the center of a system of railroads, radiating from her in every direction. At the conclu- sion of his remarks, he was enthusiastically cheered.
" At 3 o'clock, the excursionists were escorted to the cars, and were soon speeding on their way home, all expressing themselves as highly pleased with the reception given them by the 'Timber City.' Among the distinguished vis- itors from abroad, we mention the following :
" Messrs. Sykes, Pearson, Dunlap, officials of the N .- W. R. R .; Col. W. T. Shaw, President of the Midland; Ezra Baldwin, C. M. Baldwin, Charles Magill, David Joyce, Ira Stockwell, S. D. Leland, W. M. Bentley, Judge Leffingwell, Lyman Ellis, Capt. H. Gates, T. R. Beers, editor of the Mirror, at Lyons, W. J. Young. C. E. Shattuck, Judge Thayer, of. the Clinton Age, Messrs. Palmer and Clark and several others, of Clinton ; S. H. Shoemaker, editor of the Observer, at De Witt, E. A. Russell, editor of the Gazette. D. A. Richardson, editor of the Democrat, the Hon. G. H. Parker, the Hon. Hiram Price, President of the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad ; Messrs. Don- ahue, Krause, Wilkins, Woeber, Andrus, Ackley and a host of others, from Davenport ; G. W. Hunt, editor of the Express, and F. S. Dunham, of Monticello, and the Hon. John Russell, of Jones County, were also in the city.
" Among the pleasing and interesting incidents of the occasion, was the exhibition, by contractor E. W. Baker, who graded the south part of the road, of the first spike driven on the D. & St. P. R. R. This had been extracted from the tie by Mr. Baker, one side planed smooth, and engraved thus : 'First spike driven on the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad, by H. Price and M. Don- ahue, July 9, 1870.'"
The Midland Road was continued west to Anamosa not long after, being aided by a vote of 5 per cent tax from Maquoketa City, which tax was demanded on account of the extra expense involved in bringing the road close to the city.
Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad .- May 18, 1856, an act of Congress made a grant of land to build a railroad from Dubuque to Sioux City. This provided that the road should run south from Dubuque, along the river, until near the mouth of Tete des Morts Creek, when it should turn west. This grant consisted in the odd sections of land, not already claimed, on either side of the route for six miles back, and, where the country was settled up, it
439
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
was left with the State to choose an equivalent amount of land within fifteen miles of the line of road.
The road was partially graded from Dubuque to the Tete des Morts in 1856, when the route was abandoned for the present one occupied by the Dubuque & Sioux City Road. About 1866, an organization was effected for the purpose of building a road from Dubuque down the river. This company had as its President Charles Gillam of Eldora. To this company was granted by the Legislature the sixty-six sections of ths original grant forfeited by the Dubuque & Sioux City in abandoning a portion of their original route, with the proviso that the land should revert to the State if the road was not completed to Belle- vue in two years. The two years passed, and nothing was done.
Finally, on the 1st of January, 1870, was incorporated the Dubuque, Belle- vue & Mississippi Company, with the avowed object to build a road from Belle- vue to the city of Dubuque, "and to extend the same, and by branch roads to connect with other points or other lines of railroads within the State, or with railroads of adjoining States."
The capital stock of the Company was fixed at $1,000,000. The road secured the sixty-six sections of land. The first Board of Directors were : W. Vandever, President ; Joseph Kelso, Treasurer ; Charles Barrol, Secretary ; E. G. Potter, Eli Cole, L. D. Randal, W. J. Knight, George W. Lewis, Arnold Reiling, J. K. Graves.
The next President was J. K. Graves. During the summer of 1870, a tax of 5 per cent was voted in favor of the road by Bellevue Township, and, in addition to this, about $12,000 was subscribed in stock by the citizens of Belle- vue. Dubuque took $50,000 stock.
Graves and Romburg, President and Vice President of the road, organized into a construction company and went to work on the route, using the grading of 1856 south of Dubuque. October 5, 1871, at a meeting of the Directors, the name was ordered to be changed to Chicago, Clinton & Dubuque. The original purpose was to have the road cross the river at Bellevue, and connect from there to - -, Ill. But influence from down the river drew the road to Clinton. The road was completed to that point about 1872. A couple of years later, the bondholders took possession of the road, and it passed under control of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Company, who now have the management of the road. The name has again been changed, and the road is now called the Chicago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota Railroad.
Chicago, Bellevue, Cascade & Western Railroad Company .- For some five years past, bas been agitated the question of a narrow-gauge road from Bellevue northwest. The first object was to build it through the northern part of Jack- son County, and thus bring Bellevue into more intimate relations with the northwest townships; but the roughness of the country and the inducements held out by the people of Cascade led to the abandonment of that route and the beginning of a line further north, cutting off a corner of Dubuque County.
A company was formed in August, 1877, under the name given at the head of this article, with the avowed object to build a road from Bellevue to Cascade, and extend the same. The capital stock was named at $200,000, and the man- agement placed in the hands of twenty-seven Directors, which number was, in 1878, changed to thirteen.
The first directors were : John B. Sawyer, Frank May, James Hill, Thomas H. Davis, Joseph Kelso, A. J. Dorchester, G. G. Banghart, Daniel Leery, James Magargell, David Beaty, Thomas McMillan, T. Moore, William H. Francis, T. E. L. Kane, James Conlin, William Jess, Dennis O'Brien, John Maloney.
440
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
Joseph Hunter. James Dunne, C. Demlinger, James Hickson, Joseph Burke, John Wilson, C. Cort and Daniel Crowley.
In 1878, a tax of 5 per cent was voted in. Bellevue, 3 per cent in Otter Creek Township, as well as in other townships along the line of road. Sub- scriptions to the. amount of $5,000 were taken in the city of Bellevue, and various amounts were subscribed along the route, farmers subscribing and work- ing out their subscriptions with hands and teams. The railroad company has since turned over its stock, tax and right of way to President Joy, of the Chi- cago, Clinton, Dubuque & Minnesota road, who agreed to put the road in running order to Cascade by January, 1880, and the work of grading is about completed. The building is superintended by Vice President Runkle, of Wiscon- sin. There being no other narrow gauge route running into Bellevue, all freight will have to be transferred at that point.
The prime object to Bellevue people in having this road built was the argu- ment it would form in favor of relocating the county seat at that point, and this much-disputed question will doubtless be opened again when the road is completed, as it probably will be in January, 1880.
Sabula, Ackley & Dakota R. R .-- The construction of this road began in 1870 by the Sabula, Ackley & Dakota Railroad Company, with Wells as President, and H. P. Elliott, of Marion, as Secretary. In Union Township a tax of 5 per cent was promptly voted to aid the construction of the railroad, and liberal subscriptions were made all along the route.
The road-bed was completed by the S., A. & D. Company, and was bridged, ironed and equipped by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul R. R. Company, by which it is now operated.
About twenty miles of this road was built in 1870, and it was completed to Marion in 1872. Only eleven and one-half miles of the road are within the limits of Jackson Connty. Cars are transferred across the Mississippi by a ferryboat in the summer season, and over a temporary bridge during the winter.
In August, 1879, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Company came into possession of the Davenport & St. Paul R. R., which is now operated in con- junction with the S., A. & D. R. R .; with connections at Delmar.
JACKSON COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
For the items from which we make a sketch of this society, we are indebted to the gentlemanly Secretary, B. A. Spencer, Esq. The Society had its first meeting under a sort of temporary organization in 1853. This preliminary meeting was held in Maquoketa on the 22d of February, a sort of celebration of Washington's birthday, we presume, and must say we never saw it better celebrated than on this occasion.
John E. Goodenow and Jonas Clark, of Maquoketa, were the first Presi- dent and Secretary ; N. Butterworth, Treasurer; Vice Presidents, William Keister, R. Welch, T. Darling, D. Swaney, J. Holroyd, J. Hershberger, N. Jewett, W. H. Burns, D. Burke, A. Ballou, J. Galloway, J. S. Duly, D. O. Montague, P. Malony. It will be seen there were fourteen Vice Presidents chosen, from all parts of the county, who held about the same power as a Board of Directors.
The fair of 1853 was held in Maquoketa, in the northwest corner of the town plat. This exhibition was a crude sort of an affair, but was the beginning of the agricultural displays for which Jackson County has since become famous.
441
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
A permanent organization was effected in 1858, at which time the Society was incorporated by Schuyler Eddy, Jonas Clark, John E. Goodenow, William Current, Ezra Baldwin and James W. Martin. All these men are yet living except Mr. Baldwin.
Two fairs were held at Andrew, about 1860. The remainder have been in Magnoketa. Previous to the purchase of the present grounds, the fairs for a number of years were held in the northeast corner of the city limits, on grounds inclosed and rented by Zalmon Livermore to the Society. These grounds con- tained about twenty acres and included the tract where the Davenport & St. Paul depot now stands.
About 1869, the present grounds of the Society, on the eastern boundary of the city limits, comprising thirty acres, were purchased by twenty citizens of Maquoketa and vicinity. The citizens by whose obliging act the Society was enabled to inclose and improve grounds of sufficient size for all present needs, were John E. Goodenow, S. L. Eddy, T. E. Cannell, Richard Elwood, J. K. Hershberger, Hosea Goodenow, D. H. Anderson, H. B. Griffin, William Sears, B. A. Spencer, H. Knittle, George Sears, G. B. Heustis, E. A. Cram, Frank Trout, C. M. Sanborn, Ad. Dyer, James Burns, E. B. Royce, A. E. Tubbs. These gentlemen agreed to let the Society have the grounds at what they paid for them, when the Society had the means to purchase. The latter has kept the interest paid up to the present time, but has not been able thus far to do more.
In 1872, through general bad management, the Society came very near going to pieces, but was re-organized during that year, and has met with unex- pected success ever since. Every fair for seven years has placed money in the treasury, and had it not been for old debts on which the Society had the manli- ness to pay one hundred cents on the dollar to creditors who never expected a cent, the financial condition would have been much above par before this time ; as it is, the Society have paid out for improvements about $6,000, and, includ- ing the $2,000 necessary to make the grounds their own, are in debt about $3,000. This debt is being diminished every year, and it is hoped will soon be wiped out. The Society offer in premiums about $2,500 annually. Perhaps one-fourth of these are premiums for speed.
Though called the Jackson County Agricultural Society, it includes in its legitimate district, nine townships in the northern part of Clinton County- the latter having no county fair. Of these, six townships were admitted in 1875, and the other three in 1876. The grounds are inclosed by a close board fence. The main building is frame, 32x60 feet, with additions now building on either side 30x32. A third addition is contemplated, which will complete the building in the shape of a Greek cross. An excellent half-mile track of regu- lation width offers good opportunities for exhibitions of speed. An amphitheater actually seating twelve hundred people, commands a view of the circular course. By means of excellent wells and pipes laid underground, water is distributed to eighty-six box-stalls for horses, 100 cattle stalls, and, perhaps, 200 pig pens.
But few trees have been set out, and the buildings sadly need painting. The Society are alive to the propriety of the ornamental, however, so soon as they have the means.
Much interest has been awakened in stock-raising in Jackson County. In cattle, principal attention is given to Short-Horns and Jerseys. In hogs, sen- timent is divided, and they rank in popularity about in the order named, viz .: Berkshires, Poland-China, Chester and Suffolk. The stables of fine horses are not numerous. The leading breeder is W. P. Dunlap, who possesses a very fine thoroughbred stallion.
442
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
The present officers of the Society are: H. B. Griffin, of Maquoketa, Presi- dent; James D. Gage, of Sterling, Vice President ; B. A. Spencer, of Maquo- keta, Secretary; O. W. Joiner, of Maquoketa, Treasurer; G. A. Hess, of Maquoketa, Marshal.
HORTICULTURAL.
Horticulture has not received, in Jackson County, a tithe of the attention which its importance demands. There seems to be a prevailing idea that it is a waste of time to devote attention to attempts at improving the fruit interests of the county. Many farmers, especially, secm of the opinion that one kind of tree is as good as another, and that anything will produce apples, provided it is an apple-tree, and scarcely know one variety from another.
The fact is that the soil of Jackson County and its climate limit, to a quite narrow field, the successful varieties of fruit. Certain trees which do well in the same latitude in other sections will produce no more apples in Jackson County than a hickory would do ; and, until the farming community is awak- ened to the importance of scientific study and experiment on this subject, fruit- raising in the county will be a comparative failure.
The first grafted trees brought into the county in any considerable quanti- ties were brought by the Shakers from Indiana, who came with a loaded flat- boat down the Wabash and Ohio, then up the Mississippi, stopping at every town they passed, and selling a large number of trees.
The best orchards in the county are to be found about the forks of the Maquoketa. There are no large fruit-growers in Jackson-that is, no orchard farms. Many orchards produce a surplus over the owners' needs, and find a way to market, but there are few, if any, cases where apple-growing is made a business.
Dr. Millar, of Bellevue, who is a practical fruit man, and who has had con- siderable experience, gave us his judgment of the best varieties of fruits for this climate and soil.
For summer apples, Red Astrakhan, Tetofsky ; fall apples, Duchess of Old .. enburg, Gross Pomier and St. Lawrence : early winter apples, Fameuse and Rambo ; winter varieties, Ben Davis and Genitan.
Dwarf pears are a failure. Standards have moderate success. Dr. Millar has had best results from pears on White Thorn graft. Peaches and plums are a failure. Peach-trees cannot stand the winter. Grapes receive consider- able cultivation, and an increasing interest is noticeable in grape culture. The Concord variety takes the lead. Small fruits of all kinds are successfully grown.
The Agricultural Society, upon its first organization, was called the Jack- son County Agricultural and Horticultural Society, but the department and name of " Horticultural " was afterward dropped. There is now a society devoted to horticulture, with headquarters at Bellevue, known as the
Jackson County Fruit-Growers' and Farmers' Club .- This club was organized some twelve years ago at Bellevue, by Thomas.W. Cassin, Judge I. B. Booth, William T. Wynkoop, William A. Webber, Geo. W. Lewis, Judge I. Kelso, Will- iam Dyas, Theodore Nieman, William Simpson, William Reed, Wm. A. Magin- nis, N. B. Sisler, Ben Sisler, Dr. L. Millar, and others. Dr. L. Millar was elected first President, and has continued at the head of the Club ever since. Thomas W. Cassin has been Vice President quite a number of years. William A. Warren was the first Secretary. W. L. Redmond is the present Scribe of the Club.
443
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
This Club has had an exhibition of more or less importance every year, and sometimes twice per year. The exhibits are limited to products of the garden, orchard and field. Meetings of the association have usually been held in the office of William A. Warren or W. L. Redmond.
POLITICAL.
Most of the time since its organization, Jackson County has been Demo- cratic. That party has been considered in the ascendency except from 1862 until 1867, during which five years the county was Republican. In 1855, the Know Nothings or Americans carried the county by a heavy majority, much to the astonishment of the Democratic candidates, who supposed they would be elected almost without opposition. In 1856, on the county ticket, the Democracy were defeated in August, by the Americans and Republicans, but in the following November, the county showed a decided majority for Buchanan, as President. Of late years, on the county ticket, the vote has been divided, and, while there is an acknowledged Democratic majority, the good sense of the citizens has elected the man, regardless of the party.
In 1872, at the time of the Greeley campaign, Grant had a majority of 27 votes in the county.
The first Republican meeting in Jackson County, the organization of the party in the county, in fact, was a convention held in the small brick school- house which stood in the Third Ward, and which has since been converted into a dwelling-house, and is owned by D. C. Clary. This was on Saturday, Feb- ruary 16, 1856, and its purpose was to nominate Delegates to the Republican State Convention, to be held at Iowa City. The Sentinel says, there were present at that meeting twenty men and a boy, and, from the statement of those who were present, this was not far from the truth. So far as we have been able to ascertain the participants and their previous party allegiance, they were as follows :
A. G. Henderson, Whig ; James P. Edie, Whig ; J. O. DeGrush, Demo- crat ; Peter Moriarty, Whig; Alexander Jenkins, Democrat; J. C. Brakey, Whig ; Alonzo Spaulding, Whig ; William Current, Democrat ; Alfred Fellows, Whig; J. W. Jenkins, Whig.
In 1873, the Anti-Monopolist party first nominated a ticket in Jackson County, and polled about seven hundred votes. The following year, the Demo- crats and Anti-Monopolists formed a coalition ticket, and, of course, had things their own way. The Anti-Monopolists had, for a time, a party organ called the Andrew Picket, established at Andrew, in 1873, and subsequently removed to Maquoketa, where its days were soon numbered. There were not to exceed five Granges organized in the county.
At the present time, the Greenback element in Jackson County possesses considerable strength. It is not possible to estimate with any accuracy, the number of votes it controls, though, in the election of 1878, for county officers, the Greenback ticket received from 500 to 800 votes.
The Presidential vote, since 1852, has been as follows: 1852, Scott, 739; Pierce, 554 ; Hale, 12. 1856, Buchanan, 1,332; Fremont, 1,163; Fillmore, 276. 1860, Lincoln, 1,447 ; Douglas, 1,574. 1864, Lincoln, 1,598; McClel- lan, 1,609. 1868, Grant, 2,040; Seymour, 2,117. 1872, Grant, 1,884; Greeley, 1,857; O'Connor, 61. 1876, Hayes, 2,126: Tilden, 2,485; Cooper, 101.
444
HISTORY OF JACKSON COUNTY.
VOTE OF JACKSON COUNTY 1876 AND 1878.
STATE TICKET, 1878.
COUNTY TICKET, 1878.
PRESIDENTIAL TICKET, 1876.
SEC'Y OF STATE.
CLERK OF COURTS.
RECORDER.
Joo. A. T. Hull.
(Republican.)
E. M. Farnsworth.
B. Van Steinburg.
(Republican.)
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