Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-02-12
NORTHERN IOWA.
Cedar Falls and the Country Tributary

i nc lo!iONlliP interesting oTiCle VIC tahe
from the Rockford (Ill) Register. II was
prepared for that paper by Mr.. II. P. Sloan,
who lately removed from Rockford to this
place:
MEssRs. EpIroRs REGISrEr:
Since my short residence in Cedar Falls,
Iowa, several friends and acquaintances Of
Rockford and other, localities have written
letters to me inquiring of the country, farms,
lands, society, schools, churches, railroads,
&c. Desiring to communicate all the infor.
nation possible with the least labor, have
thought to prepare a brief statement or detail
of some Of the characteristics Of Black Hawk
County and the Cedar Valley, north and east
of this point, and by your permission have
the same published in the columns Of your
paper, which may be more or less interesting
to some ofyour readers. BY attempting ;his
brief sketch it may be well to merely state
the fact that the writer has been citizen of
Winnebago county, Illinois, since 1850 until
within two months past, and during that
time has Travelled through Illinois, Wiscon-
sin, Iowa and Minnesota to a considerable
extent, and is prepared to speak from per-
sonal observation. Before entering upon
description Of this particular locality, it would
be proper to give general description of
Iowa as a State, as any minor section or di.
vision is affected by it's surroundings.
Iowa is bounded on the east and west by
the two great rivers of the continent, Missis-
sippi and Missouri, on the north by the State
of Minnesota, and south by the State of Mis-
souri; situated between 40 deg 80 m and
43 deg. 80 m. north latitude, and is upwards
Of two hundred miles from north to south,
Inn fl,rrn innlral mil 70
containing an area OF So, 1000 square miles,
and has a population now approaching near
one million. The climate is dry and healthy,
statistics showing that i, is the third State in
the Union for heaithiness. The general ap.
pearauce of the country is most charming
and exhiIeratng, wide. spreading and grace.
ful prairies, undula;ing and beautiful ira
vcrSed by numerous streams and rivers, skirt
cd with woodlands and gTovan, truly merit
ing the name it bears, sgnifying beautiful
land" The soil Of Iowa is of the most fertile
and productive quality, and according to
Ovens geological reports, is based upon cal
carious and magnesia-c cacarious rockswhich
afford saline and organic matter best suited
to the growth OF wheat and small grain.-
The State is most admirably watered in
springs, lakes, creeks and rivers, which rem
der it well adapted to agriculture and manu-
factures. It's coal fields are among the lar.
gest in the Union.
Thus much for the State at large. Your
correspondent would now briefly attempt to
give more particular information TO those in
Quiring or desiring to hear something Of Ce.
dar Falls, Black Hawk and adjoining coun-
ties
The town Of Cedar Falls is situated in
Black Hawk county, on Cedar river, at a
point due west Of Dubuque one hundred
miles and is the present termination Of the
, Dubuque and Sioux City Railroad. This
, town was laid out in 1853 by MesSrs Over
man and Brown who had purchased the claim
made here, embracing tho present water pow
er, which is said to be the best in the State.
/ These gentlemen commenced their improve
, inents on this water power in 34S, andtherc
are now two saw mills in operation, and
three large Touring mills two Of which are
substantially and elegantly built of stone,
; one 40 by SO feet, with four run Of burrs
, the ether so by 30, with three run Of burrs,
each five stories high the third is frame
building Of good construction, SO by 30 feet,
with three run Of burrs, and same height as
the other two, and the machinery Of which
is now being fitted up for operation in the
spring, is Of the most approved and modern
style, making TN run Of bulrs in the three
mills. There is a planning mill, carding ma.
chine, foundry and other machine shops and
manufactures now in operation; also fOun-
dation is laid for n wooden factory, which is
to be erected next summer. These mills and
machine shops have been built and are now
: owned by Mcssrs. Overman and Brown, who
} are the proprictors Of this valuable water
, power.
The population Of the town is about {, 2,5C0
There arc several large brick blocks and bu-
; sncss houses erected and filed with good
stocks of merchandise, Of all classes The
[ present school houses are Of The primary
style; but a beginning has already been made
towards the building Of a large four story
building, 40 by 90 feet, at cost of ten or
twelve thousand dollars, to bo used as union
school house, which is to be completed the
, coming summer. There arc six or eight
church organizations here, embracing Meth
odist, Baptist Presbyterian, Congregational
ists Episcopalian, and a German church,
, The Methodibts and Germans have comfort
able houses for worship. Other denomina.
tons worship at present in public halls, but
arrangements are making by the Congrega-
tional, Baptist and Methodist societies to
erect churches during the present year.
The citizens here, as in the adjoining coun-
ties are chiefly natives Of New York, New
England, Pennsylvania and Ohio. The for.
eign population is mostly from Germany, and
of very industrious and respectable class.
The Cedar River runs dingonally from
northwest to southeast, dividing Black Hawk
county. Waterloo is the county seat, situa-
ted six miles below here, on the Cedar river,
has population Of 1000 inhabitants--s n
flouIishing town. There are two newspapers
published in this county: The Waterloo
Courier, and Ceelar Falls Gasetto The lat
ter is a large sized paper and conducted with
fair ability. The telegraph office, now cstab.
lished here, affords ready communication
with all parts Of the country
This point being the present terminus of
the railroad, makes il great market for
all the produce north and west for one hun
dred miles. Prices paid for produce during
the past two months have ranged about as
follows: wheat from so to 30 c., oats so to
55c., barley so to 90c., pork $3.50 to sc, 30,
dividing on 200 lbs, eggs Is to 25c., butter
1S to zoe, potatoes 30 to 4oc. per bushcl
! This county possesses some of the best Of
lands-choice prairie and good timber in
quantities sufficient for all practicable pur-
poses. Improved farms, one to five mics
from town, range from ten to twenty five dol.
lars per acre; wild lands, within tho Same
distance, rate at FIVE and ten dollars per acre.
From FIVE to ten miles from town, excellent
/ wild lands can be bought from three to five
dollars per acre. Timber lands, according to
quality and location, arc held at from $40 10
$50 per acre.
Grundy County. adjoining Black Hawk,
and about five miles west to the cast line,
perhaps contains as much good land as any
county in the State; being very destitute of
timber il is not yet settling 80 rapidly, but
when the system of growing timber, and live
fence is inaugurated, it will be one Of the best