USA > Iowa > Clinton County > Wolfe's history of Clinton County, Iowa, Volume 1 > Part 37
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In 1852, the Lyons & Iowa Central railroad was organized and began operations, H. P. Adams, of New York, being the leading spirit in the enter- prise. In the spring of 1854, however, this project came to a sudden end. Several hundred persons who had worked on this road had been partly paid out of a general store in Lyons, hence the name "Calico" road. The history of this road has been told in the railroad chapter.
The city was re-surveyed in 1855, by Allen Slack.
The history of the churches and schools has been given in the general chapters on these topics.
The lumbering interests have also been included in the article on lumber- ing in the history of the city of Clinton.
Among the great industries located at Lyons years ago was the Paper Mills, which were established in 1873 by a stock company capitalized at sixty thousand dollars. The factory was erected on the levee, between the railroad tracks and Ringwood slough, occupying, with straw yards, ware- houses, etc., a space one hundred and sixty by eight hundred feet. Eight tons of excellent straw paper were turned out daily. Building paper was pro- duced in large quantities. Also one hundred thousand paper plates were stamped out at this factory each working day. Millions of such articles were
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made and found a ready sale. The officers of this company were: S. I. Smith, president; R. A. Rand, vice-president; H. F. Smith, secretary and treasurer; A. Carpenter, superintendent. It eventually entered the "trust" and went out of business.
A sash and door factory was established in 1856, which really did all kinds of wood work; it was greatly enlarged in 1859 and again in 1878. Seventy-five hands were employed.
In 1855, C. Moeszinger established an iron foundry in Buell's addition, which later moved to Main street. It produced the iron castings for many of the fine business houses in both Lyons and Clinton, and employed a large number of skilled mechanics.
The first telephone exchange in the entire country was established here by J. C. Root and others, in the seventies, when telephones were yet a new thing in commercial life.
FROM 1851 TO 1857.
Previous to railroad excitement, in 1851-52, there were no buildings in Lyons except a few isolated houses west of Fourth street. The river bank was dotted with small houses, interspersed with a few stores. The old Ex- change store stood near the Midland. depot. There was a small Catholic church, where later stood a liquor store. The plateau back to the bluffs, save where pioneers had made some improvements, was covered with clumps of dense chaparral, interspersed with timber and undergrowth. The north side of the slough, once planned to be used as a steamboat harbor, was thickly covered with timber. When that portion was platted in 1855, and annexed to the city as Newton's addition, many of the houses were surrounded with brush fences. The place had a very rapid growth from 1853 to 1857. The beginning of work on the Lyons & Iowa Central railroad attracted capital and labor and emigration was heavy in 1853. A little later many thrifty Germans came in and they added much to the value of the place by the im- provements which they made. These had left the old country on account of political changes and sought out homes in the Land of the Free.
In 1854 was erected the Clinton House, later known as the Adams House, the first brick hotel; it stood where later was reared the Masonic Temple, which still stands. In 1855-6-7 there sprung up a spirited rivalry between Pearl and Main streets. In 1855-56 on Sixth street were erected many elegant residences, such as Dr. Matthews', H. E. Gate's, Capt. N. C. Roe's, the Ferris and Gage houses. During the same time additions were rapidly being made and even the land west of the depot was held at high
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figures. The newcomers in the near-by country helped to mightily build up Lyons and her growing business interests. The roads for miles inland were at some seasons of the year congested with incoming teams, and weighing scales counted the day's business by the hundreds of loads. During the Civil war Lyons attained its growth, but its prosperity was unabated until the open- ing of the Midland railroad, which cut off much of its profitable trade. Then more attention was paid to getting in a line of good manufacturing plants, in which she was for a time very successful.
RINGWOOD.
Ringwood was a tract of land containing two hundred and sixty acres between Lyons and Clinton, platted by Ward Williams in 1856, and as a pro- posed bridge would terminate within its borders, lots sold readily and some houses were erected in 1856 to 1858. The plat was covered with large fine oak trees. After the connecting of Clinton and Lyons by a street car line in 1870, more houses were built and Clinton sought to absorb the place as a part of herself. But Ringwood did not propose to "annex." In 1873 Ring- wood was incorporated. The first and only municipal officers were : D. P. McDonald, mayor; J. Pollock, recorder ; A. L. Stone, E. S. Hart, Fred Rum- ble. W. Hannoecke and George Bryant, aldermen. In 1878, however, Ring- wood was annexed to Clinton.
INCORPORATION.
Lyons was incorporated by its city charter April 23, 1855, and re-incor- porated in 1873 under the general law. The first election was a very spirited affair. Of the first council, five were Whigs and two Democrats. "Carpet- baggers" were in evidence then, but not known by this title. Under this form of government-the incorporation of 1873-Lyons continued as a municipal- ity until it was consolidated with Clinton in 1895. The mayors who served in Lyons were: A. R. Cotton, 1856; Ezra Batcheller, 1857; Z. T. Wilson, 1858; John Sloan, 1859; S. G. McGill, 1860-61 ; S. G. McGill and E. Bald- win were a deadlock, but McGill held until a special election; F. G. Heinrich. 1863-64: J. M. Rice. 1865 : D. H. Scott, 1866-67; C. M. Baldwin. 1868-69; . A. C. Root. 1870; J. N. Cross, 1871 ; David Joyce, 1872-73: J. J. McDon- nell, 1874; C. M. Baldwin, 1875: T. C. Hannaher, 1876; C. Moeszinger, 1877: W. M. Bentley, 1878: J. S. Stratton, 1879; Ira Stockwell, 1880; J. S.
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Stratton, 1881 ; M. H. Westbrook, 1882; Joseph C. Root, 1883-4; M. H. Westbrook, 1885; A. T. Pierpont, 1886; J. C. Hopkins, 1887-88-89-90; C. L. Root, 1891-92-93-94; D. Whitney, 1895.
THE LYONS POSTOFFICE.
The postoffice at Lyons was established in 1840, and it was an important office to the pioneers of this section of the upper Mississippi river country for many years. It is now a second class office and its receipts for last year were fifteen thousand four hundred and ninety-six dollars and seventy-two cents. Sixteen mails are received daily at this office. The office was robbed August 22, 1900, and eighty dollars taken, but aside from this no harm has befallen the office by fire, flood or otherwise. in all the years of its existence. It was removed to its present quarters in 1902. The present worthy assistant post- master is L. E. Madden, who has served since 1895. The following gentle- men have served as postmasters at Lyons: C. A. Hoag. Daniel Hess, 1840: A. P. Durlin, Democratic. 1856 to 1861 : George M. Davis, Republican, J. J. Mathews, Republican, 1865; Theoran R. Beers, Republican; W. H. West- brook; V. S. Nelson, four years; M. D. Madden, appointed in 1885: W. D. Jacobson, appointed in 1899. under President William Mckinley, and is still serving.
A rural route, almost twenty-eight miles in length, was established from Lyons into the outlying districts, August 15. 1902. There are now two routes from Lyons office.
Lyons had free city delivery carriers August 1, 1904; at first three car- riers were employed, but another has been recently added.
PUBLIC LIBRARY.
The Young Men's Library Association of Lyons has had a varied his- tory, too long to here be recorded. The first attempt at a library here was in 1858, and was a sort of a debating society. Next the Iowa Literary Society was established and flourished for a time, but fell by the wayside. Then came the Young America Debating Club, the Washingtonian Society, then the Young Men's Social and Literary and Debating Society, which died by rea- son of its tangled up name. In 1862 it changed its name to the Excelsior Society. from which finally came the Young Men's Library Association, which struggled long and well to make inroads into the minds and pocket- books of the people. Concerts and lectures were given in support of this
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cause for many years. During 1865-67 many notable men lectured here, in- cluding Horace Greeley, Carl Schurz, Bayard Taylor and Frederick Doug- las. The society had quarters in Baldwin brothers' store building, from 1870 to 1879, then in the Disbrow block, north side of Main street. In 1878 this library was valued at five thousand dollars and contained three thousand volumes of choice books. It has come to be a choice library of seven thou- sand of the best books. Its paper files reach back into the dim past, farther than any in eastern Iowa.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC.
Albert Winchell G. A. R. Post, at Lyons, was organized in May, 1884, and had for years a strong post, with a Ladies' Relief Corps, but time has worked his way into the organization, and most of the old Civil war veterans have passed to that land where civil strife has no place. Only seventeen old soldiers now belong to this post, which was named in honor of Alfred Win- chell, the first soldier killed from out the ranks of the boys in blue who en- listed from Clinton county. He was accidentally killed, while in front of Macon, Missouri, by a comrade accidentally stepping on his musket, while "resting at arms" in camp.
At one time, or another, there have been ninety members in this post. The past commanders have been : G. F. Wetherell, Abraham Carney, L. Cavillier, Thomas Dailey, Robert Nunn, James L. Jordan, Albert Polley, Nicholas Schreiner, present commander.
The present ( 1910) officers of the post are: Commander, Nicholas Schreiner; vice-commander, surgeon, M. M. Marshall; adjutant, D. C. Law; quartermaster, L. Cavillier; chaplain, O. H. Smith; officer of the day, C. Cahill; officer of the guard, William Connely; quartermaster sergeant, M. Rose. They meet in I. O. O. F. hall.
ANNEXATION TO CLINTON.
For many years there were men in both Lyons and Clinton who favored the consolidation of the two cities under one municipality, but there were also bitter feelings upon the part of some of the property owners and the pioneer band in both places, who would not consent to annexation. On March 4, 1877, an election was held to decide this matter of consolidation, though many did not vote either way. One hundred and fifteen voted for annexation, three hundred and seventy-nine voted against the proposition,
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about one-seventh of the voters voting for annexation. But at an election in 1894, seventeen years later, the opinions had changed; the vote was al- most exactly reversed and Lyons became a part of Clinton.
The Clinton Mirror, which paper had been a good fighter in the cause of Lyons, though always reasonable, acknowledged defeat in the following befitting language :
"Clinton, after besieging Lyons for a quarter of a century, has at last captured the city-by what means, fair or foul, approved or condemned by the canons of war, ancient or modern, or by the rules of heathen gladiatorial contests or Christian prize fights, it is bootless now to enquire. We are de- feated, are prisoners of war, with public property and private homes in the possession of the conquerors, at their behest and at their mercy.
"The fourth day since the victorious onslaught of the invading and invest- ing army is passing, and save for the first spontaneous outburst of their camp-followers, it must be said that they of the strong and cunning hand are behaving very well for the nineteenth century. Our leaders have not been condemned or executed; the rank and file of our army have not suffered any blood-letting-at least we are alive and kicking; the city has not been looted; its people have not been carried off as slaves to work the rest of their days under foreign task-masters-indeed the promise seems to be that the sur- rendered city and people are to be treated in the modern instead of the an- cient methods, and we are half glad to believe and announce it.
"Being in Clinton now, we must do as the Clintonians do-claim the earth and the waters and all that on or in them is. Brethren, old and new. come and see us, see our town, the paper, etc., and carry out your pledges."
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CHAPTER XXXVIII.
MISCELLANEOUS ITEMS OF IMPORTANCE AND INTEREST.
In the compiling of a county history, as well as many other publications. there are numerous topics that do not well fit into general chapters, or even special ones, but which are always of much interest to the reader. It is this class of subjects, topics and interesting items, which will make up the chapter now before you.
VILLAGE PLATS OF THE COUNTY.
The following will give some account of the plattings of the numerous village, town and city plats within Clinton county. The most of these are in existence today, but some have been vacated and are now defunct, or merged with the city of Clinton.
ANDOVER, in Elk Rock township, was platted September 10, 1886, by August and Dorathy Eggert in the northeast quarter of the southwest quar- ter of section 22. township 83, range 6.
CALAMUS, in Olive township, was platted October 9, 1865. by Milo Smith. R. S. Dickinson and Emily Dickinson, in section 17, township 81. range 2 east.
CHARLOTTE, in Waterford township, was platted in section 26. township 83, range 4. January, 1871. by John Preffer, Thomas Watts, Baily Watts. Isaac Howe and their wives.
BRYANT, in Deep Creek township. was platted March 13. 1871, by B. B. and Letitia A. Hart on the south half of the southwest quarter of section 25. township 83, range 5.
CAMANCHE, in Camanche township. was platted December 15, 1855, on sections 27 and 28 of township 81. range 6, by Elisha M. Osborne.
DELMAR, in Bloomfield township. was platted February 10, 1872, by E. P. Sparks, S. S. Norton, William F. Willey. Amos Hurst and their wives.
CLINTON, in Clinton township, was platted originally by the Iowa Land Company, November 10, 1855. on the northwest quarter of section 7, town- ship 81. range 7, and part of the southwest quarter of section 6, township 81. range 7.
ELWOOD; in Brookfield township. was platted by Kinsey Elwood and
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wife, Percy and Barnabus and Submit Clark, on the southwest quarter of section 16, township 83, range 2, and on the northwest quarter of the north- west quarter of section 21, township 83, range 2, on November 26, 1873.
DE WITT, in De Witt township, was platted by the county commission- ers of Clinton county, July 6, 1841, on the east half of the northwest quar- ter of section 18 and the west half of the northeast quarter of section 18, township 81, range 4.
ELVIRA, in Center township, was platted October 30, 1854, on section 34, township 82, range 5, by the county surveyor, Amos Mathews.
GOOSE LAKE, in Deep Creek, was platted on a part of section 28, town- ship 83, range 5, January 5, 1889, by the following persons: Paul Ahrens. Joseph Husen, P. L. Peterson, John Dickey, L. Harhsen, Peter Kruse, Christ Eggert, Henry Vogt, John H. Schroder, and wives, and John Lander.
GRAND MOUND, in Orange township, was platted, July 2, 1866, by Hor- ace Williams, on the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 18, township 81, range 3, and a part of the east half of the southwest quarter of the northeast quarter of the same section. Surveyed and offered for rec- ord, January 1, 1858.
LOST NATION, in Sharon township, was platted July 11, 1872, by Jacob E. Long and wife, on section 26, township 83, range I.
Low MOOR, in Eden township, was platted on sections 22 and 23, town- ship 81, range 5, by J. K. Tong, W. Mudgett and Milo Smith, April 30, 1858.
LYONS, in Lyons township, was platted July 17, 1840, by Elijah Buell, George W. Harland. Dennis Warren, Beale Randall and Chalkley A. Hoag, et al, on sections 29, 30 and 31, of township 82, range 7.
MALONE, in Eden township, was platted March 25, 1869, by Asa and Ellen S. Oatman, on a part of the northeast quarter of section 24, township 81, range 4.
TORONTO, in Liberty township, was platted July 5, 1853, by George W. Thorn, on a part of the southwest quarter of section 17, township 82, range I.
PETERSVILLE, in Bloomfield township, was platted May 2, 1902, in parts of the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 30, township 83, range 4, by Rev. P. O. Dowd, Matthew Heenan, James McDonald and wife, Anna McGuire, Arthur B. Goodell.
WELTON, in Welton township, was platted in the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 15, township 82, range 3, by Nicholas N. and Polly R. Wafrod. March 28, 1871.
WHEATLAND, in Spring Rock township, was platted January 1, 1858, by Horatio Williams, John I. Bennett and Milo Smith, on sections 9 and 10 of township 81, range I.
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NORTH WELTON, in Welton township, was platted in April, 1888, by John W. and Susan Loofboro on the northwest quarter of section 15, town- ship 82, range 3 east.
THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD.
( Written by one who was personally engaged, with others, in operating it through Clinton county.)
At the present time hundreds of our intelligent citizens are ignorant of the significance or meaning of the term which heads this article. It is a strange thing, indeed, where subjects of interesting and thrilling narrative are so much in demand as at the present, that the history of the underground railroad remains yet to be fully recorded. The incidents connected therewith, and the results ultimately accruing from the operation of that secret yet powerful organization, so closely interwoven with the vital interests of universal liberty in America, surely furnish a rich field in which to delve for genuine material with which to adorn the historic page. To thrill the heart and quicken the pulse of the eager student of the grand progressive movement of human liberty in the past, hairbreadth escapes, perilous journeys by land and water, incredible human sufferings, and all the various phases of misery incidental to an outraged and downtrodden people fleeing from an unjust bondage, are not wanting to form at once one of the most interesting chap- ters of a nation's history.
At the time of which we write, embracing several years previous to the breaking out of the Civil war, a sad and disgraceful state of affairs pre- vailed with respect to the question of human slavery in the South. It was truly said by a celebrated writer of that time. that, "the pulpit is muzzled, it cannot speak; the press is fettered, it cannot move; the right arm of the law is manacled, it cannot stretch forth to maintain its own authority and su- premacy." From the pulpit came no warning note of impending national danger, or words of sympathy for the flying fugitive. The boasted free press of the North avoided the anti-slavery question and the underground railroad as unclean things and branded their advocates and adherents as wild fanatics and dangerous agitators. Notwithstanding this disheartening condition of af- fairs, the managers of the underground railroad, in the meantime, conscious of the justice and nobility of their aims and objects, and regardless of the obloquy and social ostracism leveled at them by even those who should have been their friends, continued to pursue the very uneven tenor of their way, enduring abuse, vituperation and shame, besides subjecting themselves to the
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liability of having a heavy fine and imprisonment imposed upon them by an unjust law, in order that the higher law of love and mercy might be prac- ticed and maintained, and that their enslaved fellows might be enabled to realize, though in a distant country, that liberty which they themselves en- joyed.
In order to show the condition of public sentiment with regard to the anti-slavery question in Clinton county, as elsewhere. the following incident will speak for itself. A. T. Foss, agent of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society, came to this county for the purpose of delivering a series of lectures, circulating anti-slavery tracts. papers, etc., and to create a better feeling for the cause in which he was engaged. After having lectured several times in Clinton, under, we are sorry to say, very discouraging circumstances. it was decided by the friends here that he should deliver one lecture in the thriving little town of Camanche, in hopes that a little anti-slavery leaven buried there might. perchance, leaven the whole Clinton county lump. Hand bills were accordingly struck off and posted and the Baptist church there engaged for the meeting. After all necessary preparations had been perfected, Mr. Foss, accompanied by Andrew Bather, a resident of Clinton, proceeded in a buggy hired for the occasion, to that enterprising burg. Upon arriving. their astonishment and chagrin may be imagined when, although fully time for the commencement of the lecture, not a light was visible in the church. nor any signs of any one about the door who cared particularly about seeing one. Of course the sexton was immediately interviewed, but with indifferent results, as he told them he didn't intend to open and light the church for a abolition lecture, not if he knew himself. and he rather thought he did. Somewhat disheartened, they proceeded to the hotel in hopes of find- ing parties there willing to assist in procuring a room and an audience to listen to the lecture. Their reception was decidedly warm-warmer in fact than was at all comfortable. No sooner was the object of their visit made known than threats of personal violence were freely made, and a good deal of loud and angry talk indulged in at the expense of our two reformers. Judging from the burden of the uproar. tar and feathers seemed to be very important commodities in Camanche at that time. As might be expected. our heroes "stood not on the order of their going." but went. glad to escape with a whole skin and unbroken bones.
Among the inhabitants of Clinton county, but very few were found willing to engage in the dangerous work of assisting in operating the under- ground railroad. Some there were who favored the idea of immediate and unconditional emancipation, and aided by pecuniary means in keeping the
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rolling stock in motion; but few, very few indeed. could be found with the disposition or the necessary courage to stand by the throttle or conduct the trains. Of the latter class we recognize as the principal agent in the work, not only in the state of Iowa, but in every locality where their co-operation could be of any avail, the Quakers, or Society of Friends, one community of which sect was located near West Branch, Cedar county, Iowa. Agents from this number were constantly on the alert. principally operating in the state of Missouri, running off. as opportunity afforded, all the fugitive slaves they could find into this state. Such were picked up by one section of the road at De Witt, pushed through, chiefly at night, to Low Moor. thence to Clinton, at which place they were generally kept for a few days to rest and refresh themselves; then taken across the river in a skiff. and afterward transported by wagon to Union Grove, Whiteside county, Illinois. From the latter place they were conducted by similar stages until Lake Michigan . was reached, where. at several ports, agents of the underground took charge of and se- creted them until a friendly sailing master appeared to take the weary fugi- tive on his last stage to a land of liberty.
The following is a partial list of the names of parties engaged on the "underground" in Clinton county: In De Witt, Robert Lee Smith, Captain Burdette, Judge Graham, and Mrs. J. D. Stillman ; in Low Moor, George W. Weston. Abel B. Gleason, B. R. Palmer, J. B. Jones. Lawrence Mix, and Nelson Olin: in Clinton. C. B. Campbell, Andrew Bather, J. R. Bather, G. WV. Brindell, W. B. Star. T. Savage, and H. Leslie. C. B. Campbell, of Clin- ton. George W. Weston, of Low Moor, and Captain Burdette and Judge Gra- ham, of De Witt, were really the prime movers in the enterprise of aiding and assisting and helping forward such fugitives as were passed over the line. On them devolved the responsibility of having agents promptly at their posts. and of warning such of approaching danger, of procuring the necessary funds, and conducting the correspondence, etc.
The following is a sample of the average correspondence :
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