USA > Indiana > Vanderburgh County > History of Vanderburgh County, Indiana, from the earliest times to the present, with biographical sketches, reminiscences, etc. > Part 17
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simplicity and purity of his manhood, ex- hibited such elements of strength, that the people were wildly enthusiastic over his canvass. Gorgeous street parades with ban- ners, emblems and various spectacular con- trivances, soul-stirring discussions of issues finally submitted to the "fierce arbitrament of the sword" for decision, and massive assemblies of people from the surrounding country, fanned the fires of patriotism and encouraged the enthusiasm of the people. Following this came the firing upon Fort Sumter by an armed force in rebellion against the authority of the nation, and then in quick succession the scenes of a civil war, which laid waste a great area of rich and prosperous territory, consumed unreckoned quantities of individual and public wealth, and sending desolation and woe to the homes and hearts of many people. An at- tempt to describe these scenes so far as they concern this locality, to give some account of what the loyal people of Evans- ville did in those trying times, and what occurred in and about the city as incident to the prosecution of the war, is made in an- other chapter. As to the business interests of that period Hon. John W. Foster, the distinguished soldier, citizen, and diplomat, in a compilation of facts made by him in 1868, when acting under the authority of the board of trade, and basing his com- parisons on the tables quoted above, said:
"In 1861, at the commencement of oar late civil war, Evansville was one of the most important ports of southern shipments on the western waters. In the leading articles of produce and provisions it compared far- orably with St. Louis and Louisville (ex- ceeding in many articles the latter city), as its shipments had largely increased since 1857. There was established a regular tri- weekly line of packets to Cairo, mainly
In 1860 the citizens of Evansville wit- nessed the most hotly contested and exciting political campaign known in her history. The rail-splitter, Abraham Lincoln, in the owned and controlled here. Regular packets
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THE WAR PERIOD.
were maintained between Evansville and Bowling Green, Ky., on Green river. The Wabash packets made this their home port. Its steamboat interests were very considera- ble and rapidly increasing. The whole trade of the city came from the border counties of Kentucky on the lower Ohio and Illinois, the Green river valley, in Kentucky, the Lower Wabash valley, and the regions of country traversed by the Evansville & Crawfordsville railroad and the Wabash & Erie canal, for a distance of seventy-five miles. The war caused material changes in these interests and the circle of trade. For a time the steamboat interest was apparently destroyed. Communication with the Lower Mississippi was entirely cut off, and nearly so with Green river. The Cairo packet line was greatly hampered and harassed by military restrictions. The immense pro- duce and provision carrying trade from the Wabash ceased with the closing of business relations with the South. The freight busi- ness of the Evansville & Crawfordsville railroad was, for a like reason, materially lessened. About this time the navigation of the Wabash & Erie canal became uncer- tain and finally closed. A valuable part of the trade, on this account and the cutting off of our New Orleans communication, was lost to this city. Under these circumstances the future of Evansville at that time looked gloomy in the extreme. But steamboat owners, merchants and manufacturers, in a little while began to experience a more hope- ful state of affairs. The wants of the gov- ernment gave employment at remunerative rates to such of the steamboats as were not profitably engaged in the carrying busi- ness of the city. The grocery merchants, whose supply market at New Orleans had been cut off, found a more enlarged depot of supplies at New York, to which place the operations of the war turned all whole-
sale merchandise dealers. As the field of occupancy of the federal army was enlarged, the enterprise of our merchants and manu- facturers extended. The old packet lines were re-established, and new lines opened up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers, and down the Mississippi to Memphis. Evansville became the most convenient point of supply for western Kentucky, and for the rich valleys of the Cumberland and Tennessee, and received a very considerable trade from Memphis and the country bor- dering the Mississippi, between that city and Cairo. From 1862 forward the business of this city began to revive, and in a little while it exceeded that done before the war. The restoration of peace found it greatly in- creased in population and wealth, its area of trade enlarged threefold, its steamboat in- terests more than doubled, its manufactories much more numerous and their product largely multiplied, and the various depart- ments of industry quickened into new life and activity. Since the close of the war, with all the channels of trade and commerce open and unrestricted, and with all the em- barrassments of finances and the fluctuation of values, Evansville has been enabled, not only to retain the business which was at- tracted to it by the changed condition of af- fairs, but has reached out into new fields of enterprise."
The second decade in the history of Evansville as a city, ending in 1867, not- withstanding some unfavorable circum- stances at its commencement, was, in its entirety, one of progress and prosperity. The war, blighting in its first effects, event- ually proved a cause of lasting good. Never before had the commercial interests of the city been so well served by its location on the dividing line between a body of pro- ducers and a body of consumers as at the restoration of peace. The South, wealthy
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THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
at the commencement of hostilities in 1861, " found itself as the result of four years of civil war entirely prostrate, without industry, without tools, without money, credit or crops; deprived of local self-government, and, to a great extent, of political privileges ; the flower of its youth in hospitals, or dead upon the bloody, storm-rent battle-fields; with society disorganized, and starvation im- minent or actually present." The first efforts of the people to lift themselves from this gloomy and depressing condition were opposed by great obstacles. For two years the cotton and grain crops were, to a great extent, failures, and much difficulty was ex- perienced in making satisfactory arrange- ments for the employment of labor. The South had not been supplied with manu . facturing establishments, and was, therefore, compelled to seek a supply of breadstuffs and clothing, of mechanical tools and agri- cultural implements, in other than home markets. This she had been accustomed to doing, and, therefore, while vast quantities of the raw material used in forming the products which she consumed were in her possession and easy of access, no efforts were as yet made to utilize these great sources of wealth.
The heavy duties placed upon imported articles during the war by the national congress encouraged manufacturing and rendered successful competition by foreign competitors impossible. To a large portion of the South, Evansville was the most con- venient depot for supplies. Her marts were well supplied with every necessary of life, her factories and furnaces were in full blast, her merchants were liberal, conscientious, accommodating, honorable. Business grew rapidly under this new stimulus. The steam- boat carrying trade was then appoaching the height of its importance. From Pitts- burgh to Cairo the towns along the course
of the Ohio river and those along its tribu- taries were growing in wealth and popula- tion. At Evansville the steamboat arrivals had grown from 1,493 in 1861 to 2,580 in 1 868, and some of the exports during the last named year were as follows: Corn, 2,017,794 bushels: flour, 58,840 barrels; hay, 12,045 bales: meal, 16,728 barrels; oats, 54,595 bushels; pork, 12,374 barrels; tobacco, 19,758 hogsheads; wheat, 175,410 bushels. In 1867 there were 354 houses built in the city, their estimated value being $1, 131,700.00. The assessed value of real and personal property was $15,785,555, and the taxes levied amounted to $165,- 004.10. The merchandise sales amounted to $12,763,690.00; those in dry goods and groceries each exceeding three and a third millions of dollars. Of manufactured articles produced there were $2,890,202.00 worth. The banking capital, as represented by Na- tional bank stocks, was $1,550,000.00, and the deposits ranged from $399,397.00 to $692,308.00. The discounts ran, per quar- ter, from $1,423, 174.00 to $1,547,222.00. This was an era of general prosperity and improvement. The favorable outlook begat confidence, and the growth of the city was then more rapid perhaps than at any other period of its career. Cotton mills, the largest in the west, and other large and important mills and factories were put in operation, street cars and other public conveniences be- gan to be provided, and on every hand there were striking evidences of individual and public prosperity. The city was receiving valuable additions to its population by an in- flux of intelligent citizens from the south and east. Business and professional circles were being recruited with a class of people that was in all respects highly beneficial to the community. In 1867 the enrollment for schools and estimates based on the votes cast at the elections indicated a population
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BUSINESS STAGNATION.
of 22,000 inhabitants. Three years later, however, in 1870, the United States census credited the city with only 21,830 inhabi- tants, but this seemed so manifestly a mis- take that it caused great dissatisfaction to those interested in having Evansville's im- portance as a city undiminished by incorrect statements regarding its size. The votes cast in October of that year at the congres- sional election numbered 4,665, and if one vote represented five people, a basis of computation accepted by statisticians, the population was about 23.325: and estimat- ing one vote for every six inhabitants, there were at that time 28,990 residents of the city.
The year 1868 marked the commence- ment of a period of depression. While the growth of the city continued it was not with the rapid strides which had characterized its movements from 1862 to 1867. An ab- normal condition of affairs continued for some years after the close of the war. Among its results were an inflated paper currency, high prices, and a stimulated demand for articles of trade which was not abated while people were forced to restrict their purchases and accommodate themselves to their changed conditions. During this settling process, or the period in which the public was learning its true condition, and especially that portion of the public which was drawing most heavily upon the mer- chants and manufacturers of Evansville for its supplies, there was a marked decline in prices, a contraction of business, a repres- sion of speculation, a reduction of public and private expenditures, and a restriction of commercial enterprises and improvements. These, together with financial embarrass- ment and uncertainty growing out of the questions of national currency, banking, taxation, debt, and the aspect of political affairs, upon the peaceful settlement of which naturally depended the commercial
operations of the country, caused a general depression affecting the mercantile and manufacturing interests of the entire coun- try. The chief influence affecting Evans- ville locally was the business rivalry of other cities in the Ohio valley. The mer- chants of Cincinnati, Louisville, St. Louis, Cairo and Paducah made vigorous efforts to divert from Evansville the large and valuable trade of the lower Ohio, and the rich valleys of Green, Cumberland, and Tennessee rivers. Rival packet lines and mercantile agents used every exertion and resorted to every expedient to draw the trade away from this city, and while at the close of the year the business men viewed the operations of the year with satisfaction, there was not that increase in the volume of business transacted, which under favor- able conditions, the results of the previous years would have justified. While an in- crease in the general business of the city was observed, there was a decre ase in some articles of export or departments of trade and manufactures, when reckoned in dollars and cents. It is possible that there was no actual falling off in the amount of goods handled and that the decrease observable was due to the decline in prices. However, this was a decrease in general business.
The year was the first of the national bankrupt act, and there were widespread financial embarrassment and distrust, but no large and disastrous failures occurred in this city. Some individuals were forced to yield before the storm of adversity, but there were no failures of moment. The substan- tial character and reliability of the business men of this community, were attested by the fact that the credit of but few leading merchants or manufactures was seriously impaired. While conducting their business with just liberality toward their customers, and with a reasonable degree of enterprise
8
136
THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
and spirit, they engaged in no unhealthy speculations and did not seek to extend their business beyond their capital or ability to control it. At that time there was no ap- preciable decline in real estate values, thus showing that confidence in future develop- ment was unshaken. Rents, especially of business houses, were reduced to conform to the reduction in profits of trade, wages and the prices of building materials, and the value of improvements depreciated, but real property was maintained at its highest quo- tations throughout the year. A revival of business was confidently hoped for, but these hopes rested on an unsound basis. The bursting of the storm and the crash of fail- ures was not long postponed. The crisis was reached in 1873; panic and dismay were the results.
Just prior to this time many valuable im- provements, public and private, were pro- vided for. A large rolling mill, now out of operation, extensive additions to the cotton mill, which had proved to be a successful venture, many fine buildings for manufac- turing and commercial purposes, and many elegant private residences were erected. Congress had appropriated the money for the erection of a postoffice and custom house building, although work on it was not im- mediately commenced. The St. George hotel, a magnificent building, costing in the neighborhood of $200,000.00, was con- structed in response to the demands of the traveling public and to push forward the growth of the city. Improvements in the streets, wharves, and elsewhere through the city were undertaken.
The extent and diversity of the manufac- turing industries were by this time very great. The list included 150 different classes of articles, and almost every- thing of importance in the way of ordi- nary manufactures was comprised in it, | country.
The total value of articles manufactured yearly was then estimated at $12,000,- 000.00. The most extensive manufactures were heavy machinery, such as mills, en- gines, etc., and furniture. The milling interests had assumed large proportions and the products in breadstuffs was up to this time annually increased. There were about 150 wholesale houses, and a very con- siderable proportion of them carried as large stocks as could be found in the leading houses of similar branches in the principal cities of the West. Commodious business buildings were erected for the ac- commodation of this rapidly growing trade, until there were many blocks in the lower or wholesale part of the city that would have ornamented the chief wholesale streets of Cincinnati or St. Louis.
The commission business had attained considerable importance. Large assign- ments of flour, grain, salt, seed, tobacco, cot- ton, meats and every article of commerce, of large or small bulk, were made to the houses of this city. The growth of the re- tail trade had been commensurate with that in other departments. The progressive men of that period, many of whom are still in the van and forefront of the fight for indus- trial supremacy, were not standing with idle hands and watching with complaisance the efforts of other cities to outstrip Evansville in the race for advantage. Railroads were planned in various directions, and active steps were taken to secure their construc- tion. Far-seeing men realized that the day was at hand for the railroad to usurp, or rather, by right to succeed to the throne, so long and so well occupied by the majestic river, from which was ruled the growing empire of the great West.
At length, however, the climax was reached in the business stagnation of the Industries that had languished
137
TOUCHING BOTTOM.
since 1868, were now to be engulfed in the general ruin. The financial panic of 1873, national in its proportions, swept across the land, blighting hopes and wrecking fortunes. The convulsions of the storm were felt in Evansville, as in other cities of like size and like environments. Many private enterprises were abandoned. Business men were driven to the wall, and their failures increased the general feelings of distrust. Capital was ti nid. Its investment was withheld for signs of better promise. Projectors of railroads gave up their plans to await a recovery from the season of distress. Private improve- ments were suspended and real estate values declined. Few exchanges were made and there was no active demand. The banks and leading commercial houses, however, weathered the storm and there was no disas- trous or sensational collapse of business.
The condition resulting immediately from this panic was not long continued, but after passing out of the trying experience, the city resumed the march of progress with slow and cautious steps. There was visible ad- vancement within a year, but entire confi- dence was not immediately restored, and improvement was consequently slow. Real estate soon recovered, though there was no immediate demand. Holders had un- shaken confidence in ultimate prosperity, and were not anxious to dispossess themselves at a sacrifice. The valuation of real and per- sonal property in 1874 was $24,758,355.00, and for the twelve months ending with August of that year, the sales of real estate [ and a half dollars will be expended in build- numbered 814 and aggregated $2,307,562.00 These changes in possession occurred be- tween individual residents principally. There was no attempt to inflate values or raise prices by fictitious means. The Courier of May 2 of that year, contained this perti- nent statement :
" Real estate has no fanciful or feverish
values here, raised by rings of speculators. Good lots can be had for from $100 to $1,500 according to location and improve- ments. There has been a steady advance- ment in the value of property with each successive year. Some vast tracts in the suburbs of the city are held by foreign capi- talists, and they have no doubt found a profit- able investment. There has, however, been but little speculation outside of purely legitimate channels. Property is regarded here by all as certain to pay handsomely, and there are splendid opportunities for in- vestments of all kinds."
That the financial crisis and the resulting depression did not long deter citizens from progressive activity is attested by the follow- ing statement from the same paper:
"The present building season is only about one-third over, and yet our contractors and architects have been engaged for work till the end of the season, while building material can scarcely be manufactured to meet the steady demand. At the opening of the present season, it was predicted that the financial stringency would affect our building operations disastrously, but such has not been the case. On the other hand it will even show much larger results. In addition to the large business blocks being erected, the number of private residences going up was never in numbers so great as in the present season. This is attested by all persons who are associated with this de- partment of business. At least two millions ings alone this season. A list of these blocks and houses, which we have secured, would cover four columns of this copy of the Courier. We have passed that period of development when all buildings are con- structed for use without regard to the beauties of architecture or the satisfaction of taste, and the city rejoices in scores of
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THE CITY OF EVANSVILLE.
private residences which are perfect models of beauty and taste. In the rapid manner in which the city grew, no attention was paid to these essential elements in making a city attractive and beautiful, but that era has been passed, and in the next three years even greater progress will be made."
The number of houses erected during the year was estimated at fully 500 and the amount expended in the season's work and on buildings completed in that year, though commenced at an earlier date, at $3,000,000.
industry, own their own homes, and, to say nothing of the wage-workers' earnings held by numerous building associations, the People's Savings Bank, an institution whose patrons are chiefly among the laboring classes, has over $650,000 in deposits, representing a portion of the savings of 2,500 people. This is the condition of the wage-worker at this time, and it fairly represents his condition at all times since 1874, for while the agencies of Evansville's advancement have changed and in the changes invested capital has suffered, the laborer, shifting and becoming an adjunct of each new agency, has encountered no serious harm.
With the employment to labor afforded by so much building in addition to that engaged in the commercial and manufact- uring pursuits of the city, which, though The population of Evansville is and has been since a time antedating its corporation as a city, largely of German descent, though other nationalities are well represented. The greatest of harmony and best of feel- ing, generally considered, have prevailed be- tween employers and employes. The city has enjoyed a pleasing immunity from strikes and labor troubles of all kinds. The wage- workers are intelligent and enjoy undis- turbed the highest rights of citizenship. The dignity of labor is recognized by all, and it is only the idler who provokes con- tempt. yielding in some particulars, were generally holding the station gained before the panic, if they were not advancing, general distress and pressing want could not, and did not, prevail among the people. The improvement of Evansville from that time has continued. She has taken no back- ward step, never essaying a mushroom growth, such as has occurred in many " boomed" cities of late years; her advance- ment has been constant and substantial. The scenes of activity may have shifted and in many departments of industry " good old days " may have gone, never to return, but In the early development of the vast em- pire of the west, the Ohio river was the main thoroughfare upon which the products of the mill and factory were brought from the east to their consumers in the new country. The wealth of surplus products of the rich lands of the west were put upon the same highway to find their way into the distant markets of the world; and the staples of the tropics were distributed to the agricultural and manufacturing centers of the north by the same means. In this era producer and consumer were separated by the general improvement of the city has been maintained. The population has con- stantly increased in numbers, its aggregate wealth has grown, and the individual pros- perity of the masses has been preserved. This is particularly evidenced by the fact that its laboring classes, its mechanics, miners and toilers of every sort, enjoy not only an abundance of the necessaries of life but also many of its comforts and luxuries. A very large proportion of these people - about 85 per cent of them -- because of regular employment, good wages, thrift and many miles of distance; and commerce was
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WHEN THE RIVER WAS KING.
the soul of business activity. When the citizen of Evansville desired to witness scenes of life and restless action he went to the river front. There, upon the levee, pon- derous wagons, carts, and drays, crowded each other for space, and workmen hurried from place to place in every sort of occu- pation. Vast quantities of produce, of lum- ber, salt, cotton, tobacco, grain, agricultural implements, furniture and what not were piled on the wharves and on the river bank. Warerooms, commission houses, and store- rooms sought convenient locations on Water
street. Then, indeed, the river was king, and when the first railroad was built it be- came an obedient subject to the power on the throne. But at length the general con- struction of railroads commenced, and marked the decline of the river trade. Rapid transit was the great desideratum. In earlier days merchants received their goods by steamer from the eastern cities, and they were sometimes long delayed by obstructions to navigation. It was soon found that by using the facilities for ship- ping afforded by railroads, goods could be received and in a large measure sold, before the arrival of goods ordered at the same time and shipped by boat. Merchants de- siring to turn their capital frequently soon gave their undivided patronage, in through freights, to the railroads. Gradually the through lines of steamers were abandoned. The effects of this change were seriously felt by many prosperous villages along the | products of the same rich country, instead of Ohio river. To many it was a death blow. From Pittsburgh to Cairo to-day, there are to be seen at short intervals, towns with Under these circumstances the river trade grew immensely, but this was in the infancy of the giant railroad system. When the country, thus supplied by steamers, making daily and tri-weekly trips, became covered with a network of railroads, it could not be expected that the same amount and kind of abandoned houses and shops, dilapidated mines, silent mills, and all the essentials to a picture of " the deserted village." The commerce of the Ohio gave them life. When that went down, or to speak more accurately, was altered from what may be
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