The Buchanan County guardian. (Independence, Buchanan County, Iowa) 1858-1864, 1859-11-24
Progress.

AAo6sCoSs
E Within the past two months there
has been a very considerable increase in
the population and business Of our town.
At the time of taking the census last
spring. there was a population Of 1900
in independence, while many houses
were then empty, and nearly one-third
the stores in town were closed. Now,
every dwelling-house is tenanted, and
our present population cannot be far from
1900. Two new Variety stores, and one
new Hardware store, have recently been
opened, and preparations are being made
for the opening of two, if not three, 9TH
err Variety stores. In the meantime it is
a mystery to our old merchants where
all the people come from who now trade
at this place. Our tradesmen all bought
large stocks of goods at the commence
ment of fall, and yet all have had to or
der new supplies since. And every day
our streets are filled with teams, bringing
in produce and taking away goods. AL
though money is still very scarce, yet
our farmers find a cash market for what
ever they have to sell, and consequently
are enabled to pay many debts and make
many improvements. Many of them
have been enabled to build more COM
Portable residences, and we know of sew
eral very large and fine barns erected
the present year in this vicinity. Alto
gether the mount of Improvement made
throughout the county, the present year,
Notwithstanding the failure of last years
crops, and the hardness of the times,
is by no means Observation-Disclosures
that there is plenty of vitality in our peo-
pie, and hat they have abundant conf
dence in the future of the country. The
present fall has thas far given hopes
that the old story of pleasant autumns
and mild winters, in Iowa, may not be en-
tirely %groundless, as many had been led
to believe, from the severity Of preced-
ing winters, and there is now no mani
festation of the desire, a year or two ago
prevalent, to leave this for a warmer eli
mate. Many who have tried other To-
c%alities, have returned, declaring that our
locality is not inferior to any which they
have seen, in quality of land and future
prospects. We think that our present
population may now be considered a sta
bic one, and that from this time onward,
cultivation and improvement, instead Of
speculation, will be the order of the day.
The railroad will always insure us a cash
market for what We raise, at some price.
and with a succession of average crops,
such as We have a right to anticipate, we
see nothing to prevent lourishing times
and a great development of the country,
in a few years. Our county is out of
debt, while possessing public buildings
sufficient for our needs, for many years,
and therefore our county taxes must here
after be light. Most Of our streams are
bridged, and many OF our school districts
supplied with school houses. These have
been an onerous tax upon the people,
heretofore, but hereafter this demand
must gradually and sensibly decrease.
We therefore think that everything prom
Uses well for the producers of this coun-
ty, and believe, too, that at no time has
there been more inducement to invest
ment in the county than at present. I'm
improved land can be purchased for from
three to five dollars per acre, and at these
rates, in view of the facts we have Civ
en-, it does appear to us that it strong
iy invites to investment-that it is far
cheaper than government land, consider
ing the surroundings. And we think if
any resident of this county has a friend
east DESTROYS of coming west to engage
in agriculture, now is the time to invite
him to purchase in Buchanan County.
We think we are not sanguine in
stating the case.
w -. 49, IL