Part 75 (1/2)
”In the rear of this table-land a somewhat abrupt elevation, varying from 20 to 40 feet, occurs, which is covered with a luxuriant growth of native oak. Upon this are the most beautiful and romantic sites for residences, being sufficiently elevated to overlook the entire valley for miles in either direction. Back of this the depressions and elevations alternate, making this portion of the city a series of circular, undulating swells.
”The city proper also extends on the west side of the river and embraces numerous other positions which are being occupied with rapidity and improved with taste, and though not embraced within the present city limits, forms of necessity a part of the Valley City.
”Cedar Rapids is situated due west of Chicago, the present emporium of the west, and is the present terminus of the princ.i.p.al trunk railroad from that city penetrating the heart of the northwest. It is 75 miles southwest from Dubuque, 80 miles nearly west from Clinton, about the same distance from Davenport, 55 miles from Muscatine, and about 110 from Des Moines--the capital of Iowa.
NATURAL ADVANTAGES
”Few interior cities are blessed with more natural advantages than Cedar Rapids. The rapids in the Cedar river are the first met with after leaving the Mississippi, and no more occur of any considerable amount for many miles above.
These afford one of the best water powers in the west, and with proper dams would afford power sufficient to run all machinery that will ever be required on either side of the river, even though our population should reach fifty thousand. Surrounding the town for miles is one of the richest agricultural districts in the Union, forming a part of the Cedar valley country which Professor Owen has taken as his type of perfection in fertility. There is a plentiful supply of timber for all ordinary uses--numerous groves are scattered upon the surrounding hills--giving the appearance of an enchanted garden--probably unsurpa.s.sed in richness by any region of equal extent on the American continent.
”Its position in reference to other towns and cities is such as must of necessity make it a great railroad center, and several are already projected, and one under contract to this city. We shall speak more fully of this cla.s.s of advantages in another portion of this article.
”In point of healthfulness, it will compare favorably with any of the river towns, the diseases being chiefly of a bilious nature, and yielding readily to very simple treatment. This fact applies with very general truth to all the valleys of Iowa--while the more elevated districts are more free from malaria, they are subject to a disease of a more complex and serious character. This may seem fabulous to the casual observer, but we feel a.s.sured that the combined experience of western pract.i.tioners will bear testimony to the correctness of our statements.
[Ill.u.s.tration: BLACK HAWK]
[Ill.u.s.tration: A WINNEBAGO INDIAN]
[Ill.u.s.tration: THE SLAVE DANCE OF THE SAC AND FOX]
SETTLEMENT
”There is always more or less of interest connected with the early days of any city, and it is not until years after that the record becomes of value. The pioneer suffers privations and trials of which future occupants can realize but little.
In fact, the honor paid them is seldom equal to their merits and oftentimes they are as illy prepared to receive as others are to bestow sympathy and praise. Among the first settlers of this city were some men of the first character, and are yet with us, while others have moved farther on, to enjoy what habit has taught them to love, a frontier life, and a few have gone down to the gate of common entry, their years being full and their memories yet linger, and make us glad that we lived with, knew and loved them. Of this number we name that generous and true man, D. W. King. Esq., who departed from our midst in the autumn of 1854.
”The first man, however, who pitched his tent on the ground now occupied by the Valley City, was a counterfeiter and horse thief, of no little notoriety, by the name of Shepard, who took up his abode and erected a log house on what is now Linn street, near the mills, some time in the year 1838.
”D. W. King and Thomas Gainer, the first settlers of any advantage to the country, reached here in 1839 and soon after made a permanent settlement on the west side of the river.
”The house of Shepard was soon found to be the home of a lawless band of outlaws, who secreted much of their plunder on the islands in the river above the city. John Young and a man named Granger were connected with Shepard in their work.
They stole at one time six horses and made good their escape with four of them. Granger was afterwards convicted of pa.s.sing counterfeit money in Chicago and sentenced to the Alton prison for four years. The fate of Young is not known with certainty, yet there is evidence to induce the belief that he was executed for murder, in a neighboring state, though he a.s.sumed a different name.
”The privations of the first settlers were at times very great, and though such as are not uncommon in the history of pioneer life, would cause many of our amateurs at the present time to sigh for the home of their childhood and a place at the luxurious tables of their fathers.
PROGRESS
”In 1849 D. W. King established ferries for crossing the Cedar, and continued to run them up to the time of his death. The one doing most of the business was at the Iowa avenue crossing. As it is probable that these boats will soon, if indeed they have not already made their last voyage, a brief note of them may not be out of place in this connection. They were self-propellers, being forced across the river by the power of the current. A wire rope extended across the stream upon which a pulley was placed, and connected by means of two ropes to the boat.
”The first dam across the Cedar was commenced in 1842, and the first saw mill erected in 1843, and is still running.
”In March, 1843, the lands came into the market. The first flouring mill was erected in 1844-5 at a cost of $3,000, by the present owner. In 1845 A. Ely erected the second saw mill, and the second flouring mill the following year, the latter costing about $9,000. In 1848-9 the woolen factory was erected at a cost of about $8,000. The first saw mill was erected in 1850 by Greene, Legare & Co. This has a chair and bedstead factory connected and cost about $4,000. These are all propelled by water power. In 1855-6, Greene & Graves erected a steam saw mill, and containing also a variety of other machinery. The first and only mill erected on the west side of the river went into operation in the summer of 1856. The first steam engine was stationed in this city by A. Hager, in his machine shop, sash, blind, and door factory in 1855. The second by Greene & Graves, and the third by S.
L. Pollock.
”The first store was opened by J. Greene, in the building now occupied by the postoffice, on the northwest corner of Iowa avenue and Was.h.i.+ngton street.
”The second store was opened by Mr. Cleveland, and C. R.
Mulford the third. This was located on Commercial street, and was destroyed by fire in 1850, being the first building thus destroyed in Cedar Rapids. No fire occurred thereafter until late in the autumn of 1855, when most of the block embraced on the west side of Commercial street, between Iowa avenue and Linn street, was consumed. No fire has occurred since.