Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1864-02-12
G e . AR FALL S.

G e q AR FALL S.
IT'S EARLY HrsTORY.-sKTUAT
-GROWTH,-POPUL
RAJ ADVANTAGES,-BU Dl
KECTORY,-MARK REPORTS
&c. &c.
Business Statistics for 1868
EARLY HISTORY.
With view to the preservation of the fact
connected with the early settlement Of Blacl
Hawk County, and for the information o
our readers, we present short sketch o
such facts as we have been enabled to gather
From the hasty manner in which the fact
have been collected the sketch will be neces
sarily brief and mention merely the nos
prominent incidents.
The frst permanent settlement Of thu
County was made in March, 1s45, where
Cedar Falls now stands, by VIM. Sturgis ant
ED Adams, who, leaving their families ir
Johnson County, made prospecting tour NJ
the Valley Of the Cedar, and on arriving al
this point made their claims and erected theii
cabins. Sturgis claiming that portion com
prising the water power, and the north hall
Of the present town Of Cedar Falls. Mr.
Adams claim was south Of the clam Of MIR.
Sturgis and near Dry Run, on which he now
resides. In May or June oe the same year,
John Hamilton and sons, Of johnson .Coun.
ty, came, made claims. and erected & cabin.
The last named brought with them break
ing team and plow, and during the year 1s45
did the first breaking ever done in this Coun-
". The Hamitons, however, soon abandon
81 their claims and returned to johnson Co.,
leaving Messrs. Sturgis and Adams the only
white men in,the County, with their nearest
white neighbors at Qussqucton, in Buchanan
County, and Vinton, in Benton County. The
settlement Of Black Hawk County dates,
therefore, from March, 1916. During that
year the population Of the County increased
70 four families, altogether about sixteen
persons. The next year other settlers loca
ted at d ferent points in tho County, and in
1s46, the names of the persons who were
permanently settled in the County were,
Messrs. Sturgis, Adams, ]. Taylor, ". Viz.
den, G. w. Hanna, Chss. Mullen, John Mel
rose, E. G. Young and C. Dyer.
During this year the wandering Indians
were at times troublesome, stealing and car
rying away the settlers horses and other
loose property.
The settlement Of the county increased
but slowly up to about the year 1s52,tin
which year the County was reported to con-
tain q population Of 3l5, in 1854, 2,514; in
1855, $3.50; in 1859, 1905; and now con-
tsins 10,0O5.
The first Saw Mill was erected by John r.
Barrack, j. NJ 81 c. Overman & E. Brown,
Al Cedar Falls, in the year 1913, and Grist
Mill was erected in 1850.
The first school was taught by Mrs. J.
Taylor, in the summer of 1S4S, and had an
attendance Of six scholars. InlS53 the Dis
riot was organized by electing s. A. Bishop
President; +. d. Adams, Secretary, and J.
n. Overman, Treasurer. A school house
MAS built by subscription being the same
row known rs the "old school house." in the
aelfry Of which was placed the first bell west
# Dubuque. The number of persons with
n school age was Al. The first house was
,uilt by Mr.. Sturgis, and stood, until within
he last few years. on the south bank of the
iill Race, where now is the foot OF Clay
Street.
Tho settlement Ct Cedar Falls, Of course, |
istcs back to the earliest settlement of the
'ouniy, although the town was not laid out
until 1851, when few lots were laid out,
md little or nothing attempted 10 be done
With them. In 1853 q new plat was made
md recorded in Buchanan County, this Coun-
y lken not being organized. In that year the
lrsi To-. was sold, from which time we date
he commencement of Cedar Falls. From
he best Information we can obtain, we place
he population Of the town in that year at
0,--the number Of houses 8. In 1851
tore WAS opened by the late Andrew Mullar-
y, being the first store in the county. IE
S53, Mr. John r. Cameron erected the first
uildng designed expressly for store, which
low stands On the corner of Main and Sec.
nd streets. In 1853 it was claimed that the
own contained q population Of three humid
cd, although the actual population was much
Al hot In, Ia
,cnced to increase in size and population
apidly. Many new buildings were erected,
nd hotel opened. On the 18th of July,
hat year, the first number of the Cedar
'al!s Banner was issued, being the first pa
er published in the counties west of Dubu.
uc. In tho same year occurred the great
indian scare in the Cedar Valley. A comps-
y was raised for the war, at Cedar Falls, and
nder. the command of Captain Edwin Brown
nd Lieutenants A. F. Brown and Wm. II.
lecture marched to meet the foe. They
vent up the Valley, meeting the flying and
error stricken settlers, as far as Floyd Co,
'hen not finding any "sig's' and being sat.
SIZED that it was hoax, turned about and
aarchcd home again. No oRe killed-no
ne wounded. In 1854 the population iu-
reascd to 450. Since that time the increase /.
as been steady and permanent, until.now 4
edar Falls contains population Of a. least
100. The eldest frame house now standing i
J the building occupied by j. W. Maggart ,
= a dwelling, near the corner of Main and l
rst streets, which was built by Samuel s
Wick, and was the first frame house erected {
, the County. The first white child born
, the County is now residing here, Henry
dams, son Of Z. D. Adams.