USA > Iowa > Warren County > The history of Warren County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics &c > Part 48
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On this 28th day of November, 1853, the petition of a large portion of the county was presented, asking that the question be submitted to a vote of the people of Warren county, Iowa, whether the county of Warren, aforesaid, will aid in the construction of the " Phila- delphia, Ft. Wayne & Platte River Air Line Railroad " by subscribing the sum of one hun- dred thousand dollars to the capital stock of the said road.
Now, therefore, in order that the sense of the voters of said county may be taken in the premises, it is hereby ordered that a special election be held on Saturday, the 31st day of December, 1853, for the purpose of voting "for" or "against " the following proposition to-wit: That the county of Warren, in the State of Iowa, will aid in the construction of said road, to-wit: the " Philadelphia, Ft. Wayne & Platte River Air Line Railroad, " by sub- scribing one hundred thousand dollars to the capital stock of the company of said road, provided that Indianola be made a point on said road. That county bonds be is- sued therefor, payable in twenty years of their date, bearing interest at a rate not to exceed six per centum per annum, payable semi-annually, and that whenever said
385
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
company has obtained a sufficient amount of subscription to its stock as will, in the opinion of the county judge, secure the completion of the road, then that county bonds shall be issued to the company of said road. That in addition to the taxes usually levied an an- nual tax not to exceed one per cent upon the county valuation be levied from year to year so long as the same is required to be applied to the liquidation of the interest and principal of the bonds aforesaid, unless it is found that the interest and principal can be satisfied by the dividends arising from, or sale of, stock above mentioned. That the county judge of War- ren county represent in person, or by proxy, the stock taken by said county. That the form of ballots for said elections shall be "For the county subscription " or " Against the county subscription," a majority of votes for the county subscription will be considered as adopting the above proposition entire. It is further directed that the law governing elections shall, so far as compatible, be applied to this election.
P. P. HENDERSON, County Judge.
In the Indianola Republican of December 27th, 1855, the following, pertaining to this road, appears:
NOTICE.
The Stockholders of the Philadelphia, Fort Wayne & Platte River Air Line Railroad Com- pany will take notice that at the meeting of the Board of Directors of said company, held on the 26th day of May, 1855, there was a levy of ten per cent made on the capital stock of said company, payable every three months thereafter until said stock is paid in. A strict compliance with the above notice is requested. By order of the Board of Directors.
LEWIS KISSEY, Sec'y.
This proposition was defeated, there being 250 votes in favor of the issue of bonds and 286 votes against it, and the early settlers were compelled to do without a railroad.
We do not find that anything more was done by way of agitating rail- roads until 1856, and then nothing of great moment, but from the India- nola Republican of September 4, 1856, we take the following article, ap- proving a project for a north and south road: " We published last week a call for a railroad convention, to be held at Chariton on the 21st of Sep- tember, and we urge the citizens of this county to deliberate and act in re- sponse to this call. Everyone acknowledges the importance of a railroad, and it is evident now, since the late donation of public lands to this State does not directly benefit us, that if we get a road our own means must con- struct it. No road would be more advantageous to this county than the North Missouri, which they propose to build to Ft. Des Moines. Its south- ern terminus is at St. Louis, which will bring us within a few hours ride of the great metropolis of the West, and its intersection with roads across the State would give us the advantage of an eastern and western outlet. Besides, this is the only road we have any probability of getting for a few years. We hope the citizens of Warren county will show that interest in this matter that its importance demands. Who will be foremost in the cause ? There should be a meeting held here for the purpose of appoint- ing delegates to attend the Chariton convention, to be held on the 21st of September."
About 1864 a project for building a road from Chariton to Iowa City, to be called the Iowa Southwestern, was agitated in the county, but it came to nothing.
It was not until about 1865 or 1866 that a railroad was projected, which finally succeeded. The Des Moines. Indianola and Missouri railway was the title selected, and the name itself represented pretty well what the originators hoped to make it. The line was surveyed and located from In- dianola to Des Moines, and considerable grading done upon during 1868 and 1869, but it was not until it was taken in hand by the Rock Island road that it was completed to Indianola. The struggle was a hard one.
386
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Differences arose between the citizens of Polk county, especially in Des Moines, owing to injunctions served upon its officers to restrain them from the collection of the tax, which had been voted by the people, but which was said to increase the debt of the capital city to an amount greater than the constitution permitted. The question was thrown into politics, and much acrimonious discussion followed.
In the issue of the Indianola Journal of February 25th, 1869, Mr. Brady thus calls down anatheina on Des Moines. This was immediately following the application for an injunction:
" Judging the public spirit of Des Moines by the action of a number of her business men, we must conclude she is bound to commit financial sui- cide. Is Des Moines aware that the permanent location of the capital of Iowa is not yet fixed? Is she apprised that the last legislature did not make any appropriations for public buildings? Can she not see that other points want it? Marshalltown, Montana, Oskaloosa, and other cities, all
want the capital, and will make heavy bids for it. Is Des Moines aware that all the northern part of the State will vote for Montana or Marshall- town being the capital? Is Des Moines apprised of what these other points have offered in the way of financial help, if the capital is located at any one of them ? Is Des Moines blind to the fact that if a few counties south of her vote for locating the capital at.some other point, she will lose it as she lost the State Fair? Is Des Moines apprised that since her injunc- tions have found a being, the Des Moines Valley railroad threatens to re- move its machine shops to Pella, and will do it certain, if the injunction against paying to that road what was promised is sustained? The Valley Road is not under obligation to the city of Des Moines; can build her road withont a dime from that city; she can get all the funds she wants from the Pennsylvania Central, and if Des Moines breaks faith, by a lack of pub- lic spirit, in not paying what she promised, the machine shops of that road go to Pella, making, what is now called the Capital, a station on that road. Is Des Moines aware that by her action in the late injunction cases, and by some of her other acts, not necessary to refer to now, she is fast gaining a reputation over the State of lacking in publie spirit, and, that if she con- tinues to manifest the same lack of public enterprise, she will cut her financial throat, lose the capital, and become a dead city? Des Moines can yet redeem herself, but if she does not, her glory is departed. Some other location will get the capital, and Des Moines will have the glorious priv- ilege of sitting down in the midst of her injunctions to weep. Then a strong voice, crying mightily, shall be heard saying: 'Des Moines, the great, is fallen, is fallen, and is become the habitation of injunctions, and the hold of ten cent merchants !' And another voice shall be heard, say- ing: 'Come out of her, ye enterprising people, that ye be not partakers of her injunctions, and that ye receive not of her plagues, for her lack of public spirit is known all over the State, and the people have remembered how she breaks faith. Reward her even as she rewarded others, and double the injunctions she hath laid on others; in the cup which she hath filled, fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deli- ciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall get up as many injunctions as I please. " Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, rnin, and mourning, and famine; and she shall no longer be the capital; for strong is the people who judgeth her. Then shall her injunction merchants and business men,
387
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
their aiders and abetters bewail her, and lament for her, when they see she is the capital no more. Standing afar off for fear of her injunctions, saying, alas, alas, that great city of Des Moines, that mighty city, for in one hour thy judgment is come! And her injunction merchants and business men, and all their backers, shall weep and mourn over her; for no inan buyeth their merchandise anymore.'"
Again, on the 2d of September, 1869, he opened the vials of his wrath, and ponred them out on the heads of the people of Des Moines. He said :
"We hear that a portion of the citizens of Des Moines complain at Warren county's action, in the Republican Convention, in instructing onr Senator and Representative to vote against a capitol appropriation, if that eight miles of railroad is not completed in Polk county. These complain- ers say: 'We can be coaxed and entreated, but not driven.' That is an · old dodge' which has been played for nearly six thousand years by ' do nothings.' 'We can be coaxed and entreated to do our duty, but not driven,' is their cry. All such tell that which they know is not true. Those men of Des Moines who assert they will not give a cent toward this road because of the action of this county on appropriation, never did in- tend to give anything, and now make our action a pretext to excuse them- selves. That 'dodge' won't do. Be a man and flatly refuse, if you have no interest in the prosperity of your city, but don't make a pretext of our refusing to work for Des Moines, when Des Moines won't work for us, the ground of your refusal to give to this railroad. All that we have done is: "If Des Moines won't work for our interests, we will refuse to work for Des Moines interests.' That is all. Again, if Des Moines works for our in- terests this county is pledged to work for the interest of Des Moines. Is there anything wrong in that? What, must this county work for the interest of Des Moines, when that city flatly refuses to work for our interests, as she will if she refuses to build that eight miles of railroad? The idea is preposterous. And then, because we won't work in the interest of Des Moines, she refus- ing to work for our interests, certain citizens of that city claim they will not give a cent to the railroad. Be it so. Those men never would have given under any circumstances. Never. Their excuse is a cowardly shirking of duty. We want that road. We want Des Moines to give us a chance to work for her interests. We will do it if Des Moines will do her duty. If she refuses to do her duty we will not work for her interests. Never, no never. We make the offer to Des Moines, benefit yourselves and us by the construction of the road south, and we will work for capitol appropriation when the time comes. Refuse, and we refuse to so work. This is all we liave done in this county in the way of trying to drive Des Moines. This county has no conscience on this matter-has no nothing but an eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. The counties south of us are in precisely the same fix. If Des Moines refuses to work for ns and herself, we would be a great set of fools to work for her."
Finally, all difficulties were smoothed over, and on the 11th day of August, 1871, the first rail was laid in Warren county, the principal part of the distance between the north line and Indianola being already graded.
Shortly after this Mr. Brady, for the people of the county, put off the severe aspect he had worn for some time and made a "joyful noise" in the Journal, after this fashion :
"Eight cars of railroad iron arrived in Des Moines, on last Monday, for our railroad. The construction train, with a large corps of workmen, is
388
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
on the track, putting the iron down at the rate of half a mile per day. The iron is down on the track as far as Carlisle. There will be no relaxing of the iron laying until the cars are in our city. Five weeks will bring them to Indianola. Hon. B. F. Allen, who has control of the finishing of the road-putting the iron and rolling stock on it, and through whose in- fluence, as Director, on the Rock Island road, it is being constructed-will push it to a speedy completion. A telegraph will be finished to our city as soon as the road is, or in a few days afterward. Mr. Bush has his grain elevator about finished, and will ship it to this city as soon as the cars are here, and will be ready, as he stated last Monday, to ship grain from Indi- anola as soon as the cars are running. Think of it! The iron horse, drag- ging the cars of progress, at twenty miles an hour, snorting into our city, a telegraph bringing us news with a speed that ontstrides the lightning's flashing level best; and a grain elevator likewise. Ont of the woods at last! No use in any longer whistling to keep our courage up-the cars are coming, so is the telegraph and a good time."
The road was pushed rapidly through to Indianola, although not so quickly as the Journal predicted, and reached the county seat in the last days of October, 1871, the first business being transacted at the station on the first day of November, as shown by the books of the Rock Island Company.
The completion of the road was celebrated by an excursion from Indian- ola to Des Moines, of which we take the following account froin the Iowa State Register, of November 2, 1871:
"For many years Indianola and Des Moines have been most closely united in bonds of mutual regard and in business ties. Their interests have been in common, and it was, therefore, with no common zest that they met, last evening in the halls and parlors of the Savery House, to congratulate each other over the completion of the iron band of railroad which now unites them. The train from Indianola arrived at 8 o'clock, and consisted of three large coaches filled to overflowing with the best and most influential citizens of that city. They were two hundred in number. Among them were the representatives of Warren county in the General Assembly, the county officers of that county, and other officials .. A large number of ladies accompanied the party, and the Indianola Silver Cornet Band furnished the music. Arriving at the depot the excursionists made their way to the Savery Honse, where they passed the evening in social converse, or strayed away by one's and two's to the theater and other places of amusement. At half-past 10 o'clock they re-assembled at the Savery House, the dining room doors were thrown open, and our Indianola guests were ushered into the hall and to a table spread with every delicacy the good taste and known skill of so able a caterer as mine host Brown could procure.
"There have been few pleasanter sights known to Des Moines than that presented at the table last evening. There were gathered the men who have Warren county, one of the very best in the State; the inen who have labored so earnestly and so long for everything tending to its advancement; the men who toiled so faithfully to bring about the building of the rail- road, whose completion they had come to our hearthstones to celebrate. Who could have a better, nay so good a right to be jolly over a fact so sub- stantial to them as the welding of the last link in the chain which bound the capital of Warren county with the capital of Iowa together.
389
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY. .
"Of the entertainment given them at the Savery House, we heard but one expression-that of unqualified approval. After the tables were cleared away a dance was improvised in the dining hall. The decorations for the New England Banquet being still in the room added materially to its charms as a dancing hall, and the beauty of Indianola, set off with the graces of toilets all a-la-mode, and fitted to grace any parlor, floated in and ont amid the National colors, the evergreens and mottoes, to the tones of the music of the Indianola band, with an earnest pleasure well worth be- holding. All too soon came the parting hour when the shrill whistle of the locomotive gave the homeward signal.
" The party left at two o'clock for home, and though the air was of the biting zero sort, when grades are icy and rails are brittle, we know they got home safely, for the train was drawn by 'Engine 20,' with Charley Smith, as good a boy as ever had hand on a throttle, for engineer. Conductor Perigo had charge of the train. He is a general favorite with the patrons of the road, and enjoyed the honor of condneting the excursion train as well as those who composed it enjoyed the excursion."
Soon after the completion of the main line from Des Moines to Indian- ola, the Rock Island Road began the construction of the Winterset branch from Summerset Junction, running along the valley of Middle river, through Greenfield and Jefferson townships, and leaving the county at Bevington, on the line between Madison and Warren connties, reaching Winterset sometime in 1872.
The stations on the Rock Island Road in Warren county are Carlisle, Summerset Junction, Summerset and Indianola on the main line from Des Moines to Indianola; and Spring Hill, Lothrop and Bevington on the Winterset branch from Summerset Junction to Winterset.
The length of road belonging to this company in Warren county is shown in the following from the proceedings of the board of supervisors:
In accordance with Chapter 5, Sec. 1321, Code of 1873, the Board of Supervisors of Warren connty, on April 8, 1879, made the following division of railroad lines in Warren county, Iowa:
CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC RAILWAY.
TOWNSHIPS.
MILES. TOWNSHIPS.
MILES.
Allen
4.75
Jefferson 6.87
Washington
8.03
Greenfield
6.58
Total length.
26.23
LESSER DIVISIONS.
TOWNS AND DISTRICTS. MILES.
Ind. Dist. of Carlisle. 3.00 Sub-Dist. No. 2, Allen Tp .... 1.75
Ind. Dist., Rural Hill, Wash- ington Tp 3.25
Ind. Dist., Gunning, Washing-
·
ton Tp. 1.00
Ind. Dist., Oak Grove, Wash- ington Tp 1.25
Ind. Dist., Washington Center, Washington Tp. 1.53
Ind. Dist., Indianola, Washing- ton Tp 1.00
TOWNS AND DISTRICTS. MILES.
Ind. Dist., Spring Hill, Green-
field Tp. 2.50
Ind. Dist., Brush College, Jef-
ferson Tp ... 1.12
Ind. Dist., Spring, Jefferson Tp. 2.60
Ind. Dist., Middle Valley, Jef- ferson Tp .. 1.07
Ind. Dist., Spencer, Jefferson Tp. 1.50
Ind. Dist., Bevington, Jefferson Tp. .58
390
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
The next road to be completed was that from Chariton to Indianola under the name of the Chariton, Des Moines & Southern Railroad. The matter of a southern connection has been agitated for many years, but only took shape last year. Mr. S. H. Mallory, of Chariton, was the president of the road, and perhaps the most active spirit in its construction; but the principal credit for the work in this county belongs to Mr. Joel Jacoby, of Indianola. The road was completed and opened for business in January last. After it was built, the new road was bought by the Chicago, Burling- ton & Quincy Railway Company.
The stations on the road in this county are Lacona, Milo, Ackworth and Indianola.
The total length of line in the county is about twenty-three miles, be- sides four miles of side track, as we have obtained from the agent at India- nola.
Aside from giving a south outlet, the new road enables the merchants and shippers of the county to secure competition from two great lines, thus saving many dollars to the people, and affording greater conveniences and accommodations for the transaction of their business.
The third and last railroad to be built in the county is not yet completed, but so nearly so as to warrant us in treating it as though it were. This is the Knoxville & Des Moines branch of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway, which enters the county near the northeast corner of Richland township, following the Des Moines river, and erossing Middle river not far from its mouth, thence in a northeasterly direction through Richland and Allen townships, leaving the connty on the north line of Allen town- ship, about a mile and a-half from its eastern line.
There will probably be two stations on the new road in Warren county. One at or near Taylor's, about two miles north of Hartford, and the other near the farm of W. H. Hartman, in Allen township, about two miles east of Carlisle.
The county will then have something like sixty miles of railroad, with a a prospect at no very distant day of an extension of the Knoxville branch of the C., R. I. & P. R. R., westward, to Indianola, and probably its farther extension westward in the direction of Winterset.
Whatever the future may liave in store for the county in this region, it has already secured such an outlet for its agricultural and mineral pro- ductions as give them the very highest attainable valne, and to show in very marked contrast the difference in the conveniences of transportation of the early settlers of the county and those who now constitute its citizens.
COUNTY FINANCES.
There is very little cause for complaint in regard to the financial man- agement of the county. There has been an absence of extravagance from the beginning, and in the main county affairs have been managed in an economical and judicious manner. Indeed, many are of the opinion that the management of county affairs has been too conservative. The greatest expenditures have always been those voted by the people themselves. The county is in debt at the present time for a balance on the court-honse loan, and because of immense costs of criminal matters in the county since the year 1876, but it is thought this will be entirely paid off during the pres- ent year, and the county freed from all local indebtedness. This once ac-
-
391
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
complished there would seem to be no good reason why it should not be maintained.
Elsewhere we have given statistics of the earlier financial affairs of the county. They will afford interesting points of comparison with statements of the present time and a few years back.
The permanent improvements have been quite generally mnade, and with the one exception, of keeping up the immense bridge system of the county, there is no reason why expenses may not yet be considerably reduced.
The following is the total valuation of lands and personal property, and also the aggregate amount of each tax levied in the county for the year 1878, as shown by the tax-books when the same was delivered to the county treasurer for collection :
Total valuation.
$ 4,905,937
TAXES.
LEVY.
AMOUNT.
County
4 mills.
$ 19,607.03
State.
2
9,803.50
School
1 mill.
4,901.75
Bridge
7,352.59
Poor Farm
2,450.85
Bond
12 "
2,450.85
Insane
17 .
2,450.85
Poll.
2,158.00
Road
4,915.88
District.
18,185.16
School-house
5,708.12
Contingent ..
8,567.46
City
2,118.99
Total
$ 90,733.03
The following table will show the tax levied for the ten years beginning with 1869 and ending with 1878:
Total tax for 1869 .$105,416.57
Total tax for 1874 97,846.02
Total tax for 1870 *135,177.09
Total tax for 1875. 114,696.11
Total tax for 1871 120,475.27 Total tax for 1876 126,600.64
Total tax for 1872
112,166.01
Total tax for 1877 104,530.44
Total tax for 1873
99,930.47
Total tax for 1878 90,733.03
*The tax levy was large this year because of the fact that a railroad tax of $20,468.86 was voted by the people and levied and collected that year, so that the real tax was only $114,708.23.
392
HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
The general expenses of the county for 1878, as set forth on the Audi- tor's books, are shown by the following exhibit of warrants issued:
Courts
$12,390.34
Grand jury
876.25
Township officers
1,419.55
Supervisors and county officers
7,508.68
Collection delinquent taxes ..
50.90
Roads.
23.50
Certificate of balance
5,219.76
Assessors
991.00
Fuel for court-house and jail
315.29
Goods for court-house and jail
181.29
Jail expense.
644.55
Books, stationery and printing
3,036.97
Janitor .
520.00
Miscellaneous
2,541.34
Total county fund ..
14,044.76
Total bridge fund
5,580.10
Total poor farm fund
1,784.03
Total insane fund ..
357.55
Total warrants issued
$41,158.10
The indebtedness of the county on the first of January, 1879, is shown in the treasurer's report submitted to the board of supervisors to be as follows:
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