St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1860-09-27
For the st. Charles City lntelligenccr
A Contrast.

FLOYD COUNTY IN 1855 AND 1860.
FRIEND HrpDRErH In the fall of
1855 visited Floyd County, intend
ing to purchase location for farm.
| asccrtained to some extent the popn-
lation and improvements of this coun-
tv. found at St. Charles, three or
four log houses at Floyd there were
about the same number. There were
about ten or twelve settlers on the
Cedar River within distance of TWEEN
)tv-four miles, who had that season
raised some corn, potatoes, &c. On
the Shell Rock river and Flood Creek
there were not as many who had
raised crops that season, as on the
Cedar. There were no mills in opera
ton in the County. A board could
not be bought to make a table, nor a
slab to make a bench. ! then tool
my first lessons in hcwing punchcons
and log house building. The mum
Der of votes cast at the April election
in 1852, was only 81. The largcs
portion of the lands now under cult
walton, was at that time Government
LANDS. | believe there had not beer
any wheat raised in the county. Thu
was Floyd County five years ago.
To give full description Of tn
present condition of Floyd Count.
would be trespassing upon your pa
thence, and the columns of your pa
per. But few facts, asccrtaincd re
Gently 10y observation, in ditfercn
parts of the county, may not be unii
= teresting to some of your readers
both at home and abroad.
No person can travel through thi
County now without noticing the gel
eral appearance of thrift, and the m;
nv evidences of substantial livinj
that surround almost every dwelling
The farmers are very uniform IN tn
extent of their improvements. w
have no extensire farmers in the Coul
ty; and yet but few who have nc
raised a surplus of grain this season
Our farmers might be all classed a
quarter section" farmers.
The amount of grain raised thi
season in this county, is beyond m
means to estimate with accuracy
There is single township that ha
: produced this season grain suflicicr
, for the consumption of the Who'll
:, county. In one township there wei
fifteen rcapers running through tn
entire harvest season and yet
:. large amount of grain was waste
q before it could be harvested. III
q present crop of wheat will range fro'
:. twenty five to forty bushels per acr
). Oats, corn and potatoes | have ncvt
n seen better.
+ Other improvements are kccpin
g pace with the Agricultural improv'
3 ments of the county. At Marble Roc
v a large, capacious FIGURING Mill ha
}, been recently erected its substanti
r. foundation and internal arrangemel
0 speak well for the taste and skill
d its cnterprisiDg proprietor, Mr.. Or
s ham. At St. Charles the Flourin
n Mill of Mr.. Kelly, with whom ever,
n body is acquainted,) comprises II
' improvements of this kind now
J. operation in the county. There a
T. saw mills, lath and shinglc mills, pla
II ing machines, &c, propelled by stea
IS and water power, sufficient for Il
t. wants of the County.
ID Flourishing towns have sprung
m within a few years along the Sh'
g Rock and Cedar Rivers, embracing I
n necessary number Of merchants, II
'chanics and professional men to 81