USA > Nebraska > Lancaster County > Lincoln > Lincoln, the capital city and Lancaster County, Nebraska, Volume I > Part 19
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The City of Lincoln is located on a gently sloping plain, bounded on the west by the Valley of Salt Creek and on the east by the Antelope. This land charac- teristic is a distinct advantage to the beauty of the city, enabling the building of long level stretches of boulevards, handsome lawns and terraces, and giving freedom from bridging and tunneling, with which almost every city of size is burdened. Leading out from the city in all directions are paved boulevards, end- ing in well dragged and graded dirt roads, the pride of the county. These lead out to and past many parks, including amusement resorts, state institution grounds and municipal recreation places. The city itself maintains two parks, one in the west section and one in the east. The latter, Antelope Park, is comparatively new, while the former, Epworth Lake Park, is the home of the Nebraska Epworth Assembly, where for ten days each summer thousands dwell in tents and enjoy a program similar to that of a Chautauqua. West of the city is Capital Beach Park, located upon a wide lake now covering the historic salt basin. Electric Park is another amusement placc, owned by private capital. The city now owns 125 acres of public park land.
The importance of Lincoln as a political center has been another factor in the upbuilding of the city. Three-fourths of the state political conventions are held in Lincoln. Not only political conventions, but numerous meetings, trade conventions and similar gatherings are almost constantly in session in the city.
Manufacturing in Lincoln has kept pace with the development of the wholesale and retail trade. There are about one hundred and forty manufacturing plants in the city, some of them upon a large scale and long established, and others just beginning. In milling and packing the city is rapidly rising to a high plane. One of the largest creamery plants in the country, the largest paint manufacturing plant west of the Mississippi River, the largest corset factory west of Chicago, the largest manufactory for copper cable lightning rods in the United States, the largest factory for the production of gasoline engines west of the Missouri River, are part of the many industries flourishing here.
One of the most prominent factors in the growth of the city has been the activity of the commercial club. This started on June 29, 1894, and was incor- porated on July 18th by N. S. Harwood, A. E. Hargreaves, Charles Dauback, M. J. Waugh and M. A. Warren. For many years the club was known as the Union Commercial Club, but on May 28. 1903. the title was changed to the Lincoln Commercial Club. At present the club has over fifteen hundred members, occu-
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pies a new $150,000 building on the corner of Eleventh and P streets, and is one of the most active agents in the city. The organization reaches out after new enterprises ; promotes dramatic and musical festivities ; raises funds for various activities ; protects merchants from fake advertisers ; and passes upon charity endorsements ; boosts lagging institutions ; finances conventions ; and in fact does everything to better the municipal condition of the city. Its record is one of success.
For the twelve months ending December 31, 1915, the City of Lincoln col- lected more than a million dollars in taxes, special assessments and water and light receipts. The grand total for the year was $1,672,332. New bonds were issued during the year for $351,628. The total bond indebtedness of the city at this time was $1,646.799.08.
Lincoln's building record for 1915 surpassed all previous records. Nearly two million dollars worth of new buildings were put up during the year, including office buildings, department stores, churches and theaters. The old Burr Block on the northeast corner of Twelfth and O streets is now being transformed into a modern ten-story office building, to be known as the Security Mutual Build- ing. The original Burr Block was constructed in 1887 and was for many years the leading office building of the city. Twelve years ago the structure was pur- chased by the Security Mutal Life Insurance Company. The First National Bank Building was an important addition to Lincoln's sky-line and is described in the his- tory of that bank. Upon the site of the old Capital Block which was built in 1874, at the corner of Tenth and O streets the new ten-story Terminal Building is being constructed. The building will be finished in 1916 and will represent an outlay of nearly a half million dollars. The new $250,000 department store erected in 1915 by the firm of Miller & Paine is another distinct improvement to the commercial district. The new Orpheum is just completed at the corner of Twelfth and P streets. The Hardy Hardware Store, the Ganter Block, and the Bennett Block are new structures. The latter block was constructed upon the site of one of the real pioneer buildings of Lincoln, a two-story frame structure which was built forty-nine years ago by John Cadman. It was constructed almost entirely of cottonwood timber. Part of it was hauled from Nebraska City and part cut from the timber along Salt Creek. When the Burlington Railroad entered Lincoln in the spring of 1871 J. W. Mitchell was running a hotel there under the name of the Midland Pacific. For many years afterward the block was known as the Fedewa House. The addition to the Lincoln postoffice may be numbered among the latest improvements for the city, fully two hundred and twenty-five thousand dollars having been appropriated by Congress for this work. Besides the municipal improvements the university has recently constructed several new buildings. These are the new dairy farm building, the Bessey Building at Thirteenth and U streets.
A new feature of the municipal government of Lincoln was established in June, 1915, and is called the legal aid department. The ordinance creating the department went into effect June 28, 1915. This and the municipal employment bureau are two new features of Lincoln's administration and came in through the efforts of Mayor C. W. Bryan. The city health department has also undergone a thorough process of reorganization. Strong efforts have been made to better the sanitary conditions of the city. The old isolation hospital south of the Country
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Club golf links have been renovated. During the year 1915 there were three epidemics. Measles in the spring of the year created havoc in the public schools, 924 cases having been reported inside of four months. There were in all, during the year, 68 cases of diphtheria, 115 of scarlet fever, 105 of smallpox, II of tuberculosis, 960 of measles and 50 of typhoid fever. With the exception of the measles epidemic this is about an average for every year in the city. The total number of births in the city for the year reached 1.163. During the same period there were 603 deaths. The death rate runs about 11, figuring on a population of 50,000.
As late as 1911 an effort was made to remove the capital from Lincoln. The question came up owing to the fact that the liquor question was being agitated considerably in the state. The republican leaders in the county were strongly in favor of county option and this, with the fact that Lincoln had recently voted "dry," aroused the ire of the "wet" element in the state and in several, hostile camps an agitation was stirred up for the removal of the capital from Lincoln. Two bills for this purpose were introduced in the Legislature, but both met the same fate-defeat. A bill providing for the removal of the capital was ordered engrossed for the third reading in the committee of the whole, but failed on first passage in the house by a vote of thirty-eight to fifty-eight. The second bill, which was of the same character, was amended in the committee of the whole, passed through several legislative formalities and finally was abandoned.
Lincoln in itself is a clean city, both morally and physically, in comparison with many other large communities of the West. The council records of April 19, 1873, contain the startling fact that N. S. Scott made a motion, seconded by L. A. Scoggin, and carried, that the city marshal be instructed to cause the hog-pen on Fourteenth between O and P streets to be summarily removed. Again on May 31, 1873, S. W. Robinson and sixty-four others petitioned. that the hog- pens be removed from the city. This is the last record, official at least, of such strenuous sanitary measures having to be exercised.
PAVEMENT
The first paving ever done in the City of Lincoln was in 1888, although a con- tract had been let the previous year to H. T. Clarke and Hugh Murphy to pave the center part of the city, in the business district, from N to S on Seventh, Eighth and Ninth, and from N to Q on Tenth and Eleventh, and from N to P from Eleventh to Fourteenth, the outside streets named being included. This area was divided into two paving districts, first and second. Notwithstanding the fact the contracts were let and everything prepared to pave these streets quite a host of obstacles appeared, such as the necessity for the laying of water mains, gas pipes, sewers and car tracks before the pavement could be placed upon the streets. This necessity required so much time and money that the people became severe in their criticism of the administration, backed up in good measure by the local newspapers. The streets were not graded, ditches formed in every direction and water backed up into the business section. Government Square at times resembled a swamp and the space in front of the Capitol Hotel presented the appearance of a harbor. Persons could not cross the streets without braving the mud and water. In 1888, however, the work of paving was finished and the
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sidewalk leveled to some degree of conformity. During 1888 and 1889 about eight miles of streets were paved, mostly with red cedar blocks, some with vitri- fied brick. Stout & Buckstaff of Lincoln manufactured the brick here.
The City of Lincoln can now boast of more than sixty-five miles of paving. There are 23.28 miles of streets paved with brick, 21.36 miles with sheet asphalt, 14.71 with asphalt concrete, and I mile of cedar block pavement remains although there is not much left of the blocks. Five miles of alleys are paved. The task of keeping the pavement in repair and to lay the new is an important part of the city street department's work. In 1915 the sum of $12,788.13 was spent in repair work alone. The brick pavement laid years ago is constantly going to pieces and it is only a matter of time until it will be succeeded by new, probably asphalt.
ยท SEWERAGE
Lincoln City now has almost seventy miles of sanitary and storm sewerage. The first sewers in the city were laid in the late 'zos and by 1889 quite an ex- tensive sanitary and storm sewerage system had been installed. Quite a bit of progress in this direction was made in 1888, when it was found that in order to have paved streets sewers had to be laid first. Each year several miles of sewer- age are added, in 1915 6.78 miles being laid. Additions are constantly being made to the property and residence extent of the city, new streets are being laid out, and in comparison to this progress in real estate opening the system of sewerage has been extended.
STREET CAR LINES
The history of the street car lines in Lincoln is a history replete with be- wildering details of litigation, financial contest and rivalry for the support of the public. There have been traction companies in Lincoln almost without number, seeking to gain the upper hand in the fight for the control of the electric interests of the city.
As early as July 18, 1870, the town board of Lincoln passed an ordinance ratifying articles of incorporation filed by the Lincoln Street Railway. The city voted this same company the right of way upon the streets of the city in April, 1881. On August 15, 1883, the city granted a franchise to the Capital City Street Railway Company, the articles of incorporation of this company having been filed July 31st of the same year.
The first trial of street cars took place in the city at 3 o'clock on the afternoon of Thursday, November 1, 1883. Mr. Durfee hooked a pair of small horses to car No. 4 and shouted to about a hundred small boys to climb on. This outfit started to climb the hill from the depot to the corner of O and Thirteenth streets. Two or three more trips were made that afternoon in order to test the track. Regular service began the following Monday. The eight or ten broncho ponies which supplied the motive power for the cars were kept in Fedewa's barn. The first three lines which were constructed in Lincoln were on South Tenth Street from O to South Street, on East O Street from Tenth to Twenty-seventh, and the South Fourteenth Street line which deviated through the south part of town.
On May 16, 1887, the South Lincoln Street Railway Company was incorpo- Vol. 1-10
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rated by J. H. McClay, S. W. Burnham, J. M. Hoffman, H. C. Eddy, J. E. Baum, J. W. McDonald, F. J. Foss, S. H. Burnham, C. M. Branson, C. C. Hawkins and C. D. Hyatt. The Lincoln Cable Railway Company was incorporated April 25, 1887, by Thomas Sewell, John H. Ames. A. D. Kitchen, J. H. McMurtry, W. W. Wilson, John Zehrung and John J. Gillilan. The Lincoln Rapid Transit Company incorporated May 18, 1887, and built their lines the same year ; this company con- nected Lincoln with the state hospital by way of Twelfth Street. The North Lincoln Street Railway Company was incorporated December 19, 1888, and the Standard Street Railway Company on February 20, 1889. The latter road was built to connect the Lincoln Company's line on North Twenty-seventh Street with Wesleyan University. The Capital Heights Street Railway Company was incor- porated on June 20, 1887, by W. H. Harris, J. A. Rollins, A. P. Martin, V. S. Botsford, S. Sprague, M. M. Catlin, H. C. Bittenbender, and J. K. Corey. The Standard Company mentioned above afterwards consolidated with the Lincoln Electric Railway Company which was incorporated November 12, 1890. The Bethany Heights Street Railway Company was incorporated June 3, 1889, and the papers were signed by J. Z. Briscoe, Charles Hammond, E. T. Gadd. C. T. Boggs, A. Eddy, W. W. Holmes, C. C. Munson, John H. Ames, Thomas H. Hyde, A. S. Raymond, C. R. Van Duyn, W. S. Mills, Porter Hedge and H. C. Eddy. The line was built to connect the Lincoln Company's line at V and Thirty- third streets with the Christian University. At this time there were thirty-one miles of street car track in the city. with five companies doing business.
The North Lincoln Street Railway was incorporated March 6, 1889, and on October 14, 1890, opened their line for business. On November 20th the records show the incorporation of the Lincoln and West Lincoln Terminal Railway Com- pany. On November 24th the Lincoln and Lake Park Railway Company was started with George E. Bigelow, J. H. McMurtry, K. K. Hayden, M. J. Bush, W. B. Comstock, G. A. Bush and D. L. Brace as the incorporators.
The Lincoln Street Railway Company was organized by J. D. McFarland, J. W. Deweese, C. J. Ernst, T. E. Calvert and Henry Lee. The Lincoln Electric Railway Company was organized by C. A. Clark, Joseph Sampson, J. D. Mc- Farland, J. W. Deweese, C. J. Ernst, John C. French and W. Little. These two roads were consolidated June 15, 1891, and the articles of incorporation of the consolidated companies filed July 13th. The new organization was known as the Lincoln Street Railway Company. Other articles of incorporation record that a Lincoln Electric Railway Company was started July 11, 1891, and the incor- porators were A. C. Ziemer, A. C. Ricketts, E. H. Andrus, Thomas Ryan, John K. Barr, John S. Reed. On February 16, 1892, the Lincoln City Electric Railway was ordered sold and on July 12th, same year, it was disposed of at sheriff's sale for $51,500.
In January, 1892, the Lincoln Street Railway Company and the Lincoln Rapid Transit Company consolidated. On January 4, 1895, the Lincoln Street Railway was placed in the hands of a receiver and on December 17, 1897, was auctioned and sold for $60,500.
On July 31, 1903, Governor Mickey drove the silver spike which marked the completion of the new track to the State University Farm.
On August 12, 1903, the Lincoln Heights Street Railway Company was incorporated by I. L. Lyman, R. J. Gaddis, C. M. Bailey, and Laura H. Weld.
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On March 21, 1904, the council granted a franchise to the Omaha. Lincoln and Beatrice Railway Company.
With the beginning of the year 1905 there started a movement for a new street car company, which was to culminate several years later in the present effi- cient system of electric street railways in the City of Lincoln. On January 6th of this year a preliminary meeting was held to consider the question and on the 7th over fifty active business men of Lincoln organized the Citizens' Street Rail- way Company, incorporating on February 23, 1905. The articles of incorporation were signed by Alex Berger, W. E. Sharp, C. J. Bills, R. E. Moore, J. M. Hayes, H. O. Barber, I. M. Raymond, and L. P. Funkhouser. On February 13th the new company had an ordinance introduced asking for a franchise to the Lincoln City streets. A franchise was granted them. In April, 1906, the Lincoln Traction Company secured an injunction against the Citizens' Company in the Federal Court at Omaha to prevent the new concern from laying tracks in Lincoln. This litigation was unsuccessful and by the summer of 1906 the Citizens' Company had the Eighteenth Street line completed. During the next year they built a line east on N Street to Twenty-ninth and to Wyuka by way of S Street. They also built north on Twenty-fifth to Holdrege; west on Hoklrege to the fair grounds, east on Vine to Thirty-third ; south on Twelfth to South Street ; and east to Nine- teenth. The next year a line was started to College View and finished, and the road to University Place and Havelock begun.
The officials of the Lincoln Traction Company realized that the new Citizens' Company meant business and after endeavoring to discover some loophole through which to pierce the enemy entered into negotiations with the intent of consoli- dating. This agreement was made a real fact on February 15, 1909, when the two companies got together and merged, much to the benefit of the city and the people. The articles of agreement were filed the same day with the county clerk.
This settlement of the traction troubles in the city resulted in an immediate prosperity and the resultant improvement of the street car service. Lines to all suburban points are now operated, the Highland Line to College View having been opened on March 5, 1912. The latest type of car is used by the company, which is the side-door, pay-as-you-enter style, heavy type. Quick service is given upon all of the lines. The new Traction Terminal Building which is being erected on the corner of Tenth and O streets is a great improvement to the business section of Lincoln and testifies well of the prosperity of this public utility.
WATER, GAS AND ELECTRICITY
The city waterworks was begun in 1882 and consisted for seven years of a single well. This well was located in the park bounded by D and F. Eighth and Sixth streets. The supply from this well was about one million gallons per day. An attempt was made in 1887 to increase the supply by sinking a pipe in the center of the well, but after this had been done the water became salty in taste. The same year Josepli Burns was employed to construct a system of driven wells in Sixth Street, and connect them with the pumping station. Most of these pro- duced salt water within a very few days. Finally it was decided to establish a well near N and the channel of the Antelope. This well was completed in July of 1889 and was very satisfactory. Water was sent for the first time through
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the waterworks' pipe on April 28, 1885. This was the beginning of the present efficient waterworks system of Lincoln. The water that is now supplied to the people is sterilized and has never been the cause of an epidemic.
On June 3, 1872, the excavation was begun for the Lincoln Gas Works, and on December 14th of the same year gas was used for the first time by the people of Lincoln. The crude oil method of making the gas was used at that time, but in 1877. in February, this method was abandoned and coal used instead of the crude oil. On April 14, 1884, the Lincoln Electric Light Company was incor- porated. Gas lamps for street lighting were installed in December, 1886. The privately owned concerns manufacturing the lights for the city were not exactly to the voters' taste and accordingly the council, on February 15, 1904, passed an ordinance to submit the question of municipal lighting to the voters. The election was held on April 5, 1904, and the vote was in favor of a municipally owned electric light plant. On August 22d the council, by a vote of eight to five, located the new municipal lighting plant at the Mockett or A Street well. On November 12, 1906, the Lincoln council passed a dollar gas ordinance, but on December 27th the Lincoln Gas and Electric Company secured a restraining order in the Federal Court at Omaha to prevent the city from enforcing the dollar gas rate ordinance and the 3 per cent gross earnings tax measure. The matter held fire until February 10, 1908, when the company made a compromise offer to the city in regard to the dollar gas. The terms were not acceptable to the council and on March 2d the council decided to contest the franchise of the Lincoln Gas and Electric Company. However, Mayor Brown vetoed the ordinance directing the suit against the company. The matter switched back and forth for years, nothing done to compel the company to grant the needed decrease in rates. Not until the summer of 1915 was the contest brought to a close and the city was success- ful. The people are now able to get gas and electricity at a price approaching that of other well regulated commonwealths. The Lincoln Traction Company also supplied electricity to consumers in the city.
The Lincoln Ileat, Light and Power Company was incorporated July 1, 1902, by John H. Humpe, Paul F. Clark, W. II. Dorgan, Charles S. Allen and C. H. Morrill. The Citizens' Gas and Power Company was incorporated June 6, 1908, by A. L. Johnson, E. S. Kirtland, W. A. Taylor, G. W. Isham, Charles G. Ander- son and W. A. Taylor.
TELEPIIONES
On November 22, 1879, the Lincoln Telephone Exchange was organized with a capital stock of $10,000. On June 1I, 1882, the first successful telephone con- nection was made between Lincoln and the City of Omaha. By 1889 615 instru- ments were in use in Lincoln and good connection was had with fifty-seven towns in Nebraska and sixty-six towns in Iowa. Each year the company grew and more people used 'phones, until in 1900 the city apparently was ready to admit a com- peting company. The Western Independent Long Distance Telephone Company of Plattsmouth made application to enter Lincoln, construct their lines and, in fact, do business here, and on May 28th, 1900, the city council passed an ordinance to permit them to do so. However, on June 2d Mayor Winnett vetoed the ordi- nance as passed by the council. On March 9. the same year, the city granted a
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franchise to the Western Union Independent Telephone Company. On March 26, 1903, the Lincoln Telephone made connections with the Fairbury and Platts- mouth corporations. It was in this year that the Lincoln Telephone Company began to install the automatic telephone system in the city. On September 2, 1905, the Lincoln company made contracts with the independent companies in Lan- caster and Gage counties, a business agreement to forestall collisions. On January 2, 1909, the Lincoln Telephone was reorganized and incorporated as the Lincoln Telephone and Telegraph Company ; the capital stock of the new corporation thus formed was $2,000,000. On January 22, 1912, the company was merged with the Bell Telephone Company.
TELEGRAPII COMPANIES
The first line of the B. & M. Telegraph Company was completed to Lincoln on Sunday evening, June 5, 1870, and the first message was sent by the Nebraska State Journal to Omaha and Plattsmouth newspapers. A man was sent from Omaha by stage to take charge of the new office at Lincoln. R. H. Oakley, of the firm of Oakley & Owen, was the only resident of Lincoln who understood telegraphy and he had the honor of sending the first message. The new man from Omaha emerged the morning after his arrival in a drunken condition, conse- quently lost his job. Oakley was persuaded to take charge of the office until another man could be secured. The telegraph line had been rushed through fifty days before the railroad owing to the fact that a public sale of lots was to begin on the following Wednesday in the Capital City. The office of the company was installed in the old Scoggin row. There was one continuous wire from Platts- mouth to Lincoln, the only station between being that of Ashland, Saunders County.
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