Part 67 (1/2)
”The attention of the early pioneers being drawn to the manufacturing resources of the county, the present site was early chosen as most suitable for a city, as the swift current of the river at this place would afford, in all probability, a valuable and extensive water-power. In 1841 the town was laid out, and within a short time thereafter the improvement of the water-power was commenced. The land lying along the margin of the river and commanding the water privileges was soon purchased by Messrs. N. B. Brown, George Greene, H. W. Gray, and others, who early commenced the construction of the dam and the building of those mills and manufactories which have since been the pride of the city and which have contributed so much to its permanent growth and development.
”N. B. Brown, Esq., has added an attractive feature to the city by erecting a costly and elegant hotel on North Commercial street, which, when finished, will be one of the finest west of Chicago. In addition to these, the building of the mammoth machine shops of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Minnesota R. R. Company is shortly contemplated. This will involve an expense of several hundred thousand dollars, for which purpose fifty thousand dollars have been appropriated to the company by this city and towns.h.i.+p.
”... As to educational interests Cedar Rapids has maintained a high position among her sister cities of the state. It is generally conceded that Iowa is the banner state of the Union, regarding her system of free schools and the advantages derived therefrom. This city has no less than thirty-five thousand dollars in school buildings, including the one recently built in West Cedar Rapids. The schools are cla.s.sified and graded under the latest improved system, and are presided over by an able corps of teachers, chosen with special reference to their attainments and adaptation to impart instruction. James E. Harlan has at present the entire superintendence of the schools, and by his efficiency he is maintaining the high reputation which the schools have before sustained. Over thirteen hundred pupils are in constant attendance, and the number is yearly increasing.
”... The Young Men's Christian a.s.sociation deserves even more than a pa.s.sing notice. The rooms of the a.s.sociation are in Mansfield's Block, over the postoffice, and are opened each morning and evening through the week.
”... The Young Men's Library a.s.sociation is also a pleasant feature of the city. The enterprise has established a choice and well selected library, consisting of historic, scientific, poetic and biographic works, chosen from the best authors in the land. The library rooms are in charge of Miss Mary Thompson, a lady of rare grace and culture, who takes delight in entertaining her guests and exhibiting the many works of interest that adorn the shelves of her library.
”... The social, moral and religious elements blend here in sweet harmony, and much of the refinement and culture witnessed in eastern cities and in eastern society is equally exhibited here; hence to those wis.h.i.+ng to settle in a place combining the advantages of church, schools and refined society, as well as a place of good business facilities will find Cedar Rapids a desirable city in which to locate. We venture the a.s.sertion that Cedar Rapids, in the future as in the past, is destined to excel, in wealth and numbers, her neighboring rivals, and evermore sit as queen in the rich valley she so beautifully adorns.”
The following obituary appeared in the Cedar Rapids _Gazette_ in March, 1909, and gives a sketch of a person who had pa.s.sed through much of what is now the history of a thriving city, and is for that reason made part of the history of the county. Mrs. Brown was at her death the widow of one of the foremost men who ever lived in Cedar Rapids.
”Susan Emery, daughter of Nathan Emery and Cornelia Broadhead, his wife, was born August 19, 1824, at Dingman's Ferry, Pike county, Pennsylvania, and died March 4, 1909, at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, thus having lived 84 years, 6 months and 15 days, a period of time much longer than the average allotted to mankind. A woman in her younger days of a n.o.ble, perhaps an imperious presence, strong in mental and physical make-up; self-reliant and unswerving in the object sought to be attained by her. Strong in likes and dislikes, no truer, more loyal friend among mankind than she. She came of a long-lived, stubborn warrior race. Through her mother, Cornelia Broadhead, she was descended from Daniel Broadhead, a Yorks.h.i.+re Englishman, a captain of Grenadiers, who fought for Charles the Second during the civil wars of England, and by him was commissioned to serve under Colonel Nicholls in the expedition to the new world to wrest New Netherlands from the Dutch, that the same might become a new world kingdom for James, duke of York, brother to the king.
”Captain Broadhead was made military governor of a portion of New Netherlands, with his headquarters at the old Indian town of Wiltwyck, called by the Hollanders Esophus and after the English occupation named and is still known as Kingston, in the state of New York. Captain Broadhead died in 1670. A grandson, Daniel by name, in 1733 migrated through the wilderness, down through the Jerseys to the water gap and located there. He with his sons refused to be driven out of the country and off his possessions by the savages during the Indian wars and fought for what they considered their own and won out. From this Daniel were descended three revolutionary soldiers--General Daniel Broadhead, a noted Indian fighter and close friend of George Was.h.i.+ngton; Luke Broadhead, a captain and friend of LaFayette, and Garret Broadhead, a captain. John Romeyn Broadhead, the historian, was of this family of Broadheads. From this it will be seen that Susan Brown came from no mean stock. In her younger days she was known to be generous and charitable to any worthy poor. Her giving was of the quiet and unostentatious kind, and to a considerable extent. This trait of character remained with her through her old age. She was a woman of strict integrity, spotless purity, and the world and community in which she lived was undoubtedly the gainer for her having lived in it. In 1852 she was married to her kinsman, Nicholas Broadhead Brown (a pioneer of 1840), coming immediately with her husband and sister, Mrs. Hannah E. Higley, to Cedar Rapids and has remained here continuously from that time, thus making her, with possibly one or two exceptions, at the time of her death, the oldest continuous resident of this city. In laying the foundation and the early upbuilding of this city were a number of potent and conspicuous men and women, such as George Greene, Alexander Ely, Addison Daniels, and others, but none more so than Nicholas B. Brown and his wife Susan.”
It is entirely proper to make some mention in these pages of Captain Joshua John Snouffer, who came to Cedar Rapids in 1852 when the city contained less than 400 people. He too had an intimate knowledge of what it meant to be a pioneer.
Captain Snouffer was born in Maryland February 24, 1825, and though he was a loyal citizen of Iowa he never ceased to love his native state, nor did he ever forget its history, its traditions, and its people. He entered the Mexican war where he was wounded in the head on the field of battle on November 9, 1847. This wound troubled him all the remaining days of his life. At the time he was wounded he was first sergeant of a company of dragoons, and on several occasions had commanded a company.
As a member of the firm of W. D. Watrous & Company he was closely identified with the milling industry of Cedar Rapids. He superintended the erection of ”the brick mill” in 1875. With J. J. Child he was the joint author of the city's charter. He took an active part in the building of the Iowa & Nebraska Railroad, now the Northwestern. He was a prime mover in establis.h.i.+ng the water works, and was one of those who gave the city its first street railway. At various times he was a member of the city government both as alderman and mayor. He was a skilled parliamentarian, and an honest man in every sense of the word.
CEDAR RAPIDS TODAY
W. I. Endicott, in _The Sat.u.r.day Record_, July 10, 1909:
Cedar Rapids has had a civic existence since January 15, 1849, on which date a town charter was adopted and town officers elected. In 1856, a new city charter was granted by the legislature and under that charter the affairs of the city were conducted until April 6, 1908, when the charter was abandoned and the city went under what is known as the ”Commission Plan.” Under the provisions of this law all ward lines and divisions were abolished and five men--a mayor and four councilmen or commissioners are elected at large. In the hands of these five men is placed all responsibility for the appointment of the entire city official staff and the management of city affairs.
The new plan is working in a most satisfactory manner in Cedar Rapids and many things are being accomplished under it that were impossible of accomplishment under the old ward system. The improvements under way are all planned with a view to actual necessity and the harmonious building up of the city in all its sections. Modern business methods are in use in the conduct of the city's affairs and unwise or extravagant expenditure of the public money is not permitted. The council meets nearly every day and the citizen who has business to transact with the council is given instant hearing and attention.
Under the law, the mayor is paid a salary of $2,500 and each of the councilmen $1,800 annually, and they devote full time and attention to the work of the city. The city's business is divided into departments and each man is in charge of and responsible for a certain department.
The mayor is head of the department of Public Affairs and as such, exercises a general supervision over all phases of the city business.
Then there are the departments of Accounts and Finances, the department of Public Safety, the department of Streets and Public Improvements, and the department of Parks and Public Property. The men elected have first to be successful in a wide open primary and then in the regular city election secure a majority of all the votes cast. In the election of 1908 there were 48 candidates for councilman and nine candidates for mayor on the primary ballot. From these names the two who received the highest number of votes for mayor and the eight who received the highest number of votes for councilman were declared the nominees and their names appeared on the ballot at the regular election, the names appearing in alphabetical order on both the primary and regular election ballots, and without any party or other designation.
In 1908 the council accomplished the sale of the old city hall site and the purchase of May's Island for park and public buildings purposes.
This island has an area of about six acres, and lying in the Cedar river in the very center of the city, forms an ideal place for a civic center. The city offices are now occupying temporary quarters on the island and as rapidly as possible the low places are being filled with dirt from the various excavations for business buildings, and from other sources, so that what was once a munic.i.p.al disgrace, is being rapidly transformed into a place of beauty, to say nothing of forever setting at rest any possibility of divisive strife between the two sides of the river.
THE CITY'S a.s.sETS
The public improvements of the city of Cedar Rapids represent expenditures running into the millions of dollars. Few cities of like size are so thoroughly or excellently paved. On the first of January, 1909, the city had three miles of asphalt, twenty miles of brick, and five miles of macadam paving, or a total of twenty-eight miles. There are now under construction, or already completed on contracts carried over from 1908, two miles of brick and one mile of tar treated macadam, giving Cedar Rapids at the present time thirty-one miles of paving.
The contracts let for 1909 will add more than five miles to that total, so the city will have approximately thirty-six miles of paving at the end of the present year.
Sidewalks are practically all of cement construction and laid under city supervision. On January 1, 1909, there were more than 102 miles of walk in the city, and of this more than ninety-six miles were of cement, nearly four miles of brick or stone and only about two miles of wooden construction. The contracts let for this season will represent the construction of about eight miles of walks, giving the city a total of 110 miles of sidewalks.
Cedar Rapids has two systems of sewers, sanitary and storm water. Some of the storm water sewers are of large size, being seven feet in diameter, and one--the Vinton ditch sewer, is even larger.
Cedar Rapids has an excellent fire department, equipped with the best of apparatus. There are five stations--one central station and four outlying hose houses.
In the matter of parks the city has made a most promising start. There are now in the city twenty-eight parks, counting large and small and not including any street parkways. Of this number Bever Park, Ellis Park, Daniels Park, May's Island Park, Riverside Park, and Whittam Park are considerable tracts, while George Greene Square, opposite the union station, with its beautiful display of flowers and rich green lawn, is one of the show spots of the city. Bever Park, the largest of the parks, in the woods to the east of the city, was the gift of James L.