Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-02-17

I
Black Hawk County, and for the information
Of our readers, VIC present short sketch Q
such facts as we have been enabled TO gather
From the hasty manner in which the fact
have been collected the sketch will be neccs
sarily brief aud mention merely the mos
prominent incidents.
The first permanent settlement of tn
County was made in March, 1915, wler
Cedar Falls now stands, by VIM. Sturgis ant
4. D. Adams, who, leaving their families il
johnson County, made a prospecting toul
up the Valley of the Cedar. and on arriving
at this point made their claims and erected
Their cabins. Sturgis claiming that portion
comprising the water power, and the north
half Of the present town of Cedar Falls. -
Mr.. Adams claim was south of the claim Of
Mr.. Stursis and near Dry Run, on which he
now resides.
In May or June OF the same year, John
Hamilton and sons, of johnson County,
came, made claims. and erected cabin
The last named brought with them break
ing team and pillow, and during the year 1916
did the first breaking ever done in this Coun.
.ty. The .Hamtons, however, soon abandon.
ed their claims and returned 10 johnson CO.,
leaving Messrs. Sturgis and Adams the only
white men in the County, with their nearest
white neighbors at Quasqucton, 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 to four families altogether
about sixteen persons. The next year other
settlers located at different points in the
County, and in 1916, the names Of the per-
sons who were permanently settled in the
County were, Messrs. Stursis. Adams, j.
Taylor, W. Virden, G. W. Hanna, Charles
Mullen, John Melrose, L. G. Young and C.
Dyer.
During this year the wandering Indians
were at times troublesome, stealing eld car
rying away the settlers horses land other
loose property.
The settlement Of the County increased
but slowly up to about the year 1862, in
which year the County is reported to con-
tain population of 3l5, in 1854, o,5l4; in
1856, $3.50; in 1859, 1905.
The first saw mill was erected by John I.
BaIraek, j. n. & ID. c. Overman & L Brown.
at Cedar Falls, in the year 1913, and a grist
mill was erected in 1850.
The first school was taught by Mrs. j..
Taylor, in the summer Of 1913, and had an
attendance of six scholars. In 1853 The Dis
triet was organized by eectng s. 4. Bishop,
President f. d. Adams, Secretary. aud J..
NJ. OvermaH, Treasurer. A school house
was built by crip.iun--being The same
which was recently sold to the Baptist
Church, known as the "old school house
in the belfry Of which was placed the first
bull west Of Dubuque. The number of per.
sons within school age was IL. The first
house was built by Mr. Sturgis. and stood,
until within the las, few years, on the south
bank Of the Mil Race, where now is the foot
of Clay street.
The settlement Of Cedar Falls, Of course,
dates back to the earliest settlement OF the
County, although The town was not laid out.
until 1851, when few lots wero laid out,
and little or nothing attempted to be done
with them. In 1866 a new plat was made
and recorded in Buchanan County, this
County then not being organized. In that
year the first lot WAS Sold from which time
we date the commencement of Cedar Falls
From the best information we can obtain, VIC
place the population of the town in that year
at 4o,-the number Of houses Q.
In 1851 store WAS opened Ivy the late
Andrew Mularky, being the first store in the
county. In 1858, Mr.. Joha r. Cameron
erected the first building designed expressly
for store, which now stands on the corner
OF Main and Second streets, now used for a
dry goods store by Frank & Herman.
In 1858 it was claimed that the town con-
tanned a population of three hundred, al,
though the actual population was much be-
low that figure. In 1854 the town com.
menced to increase in size and population
rapidly. Many new buildings were erected
and hotel opened.
On, the llth of July, that year, tie frst
humber Of the Cedar Falls Bann.r was is.
sued, being the first paper published in the
counties west Of Dubuque.
In. the same year occurred the great Ind-
an scare in the Cedar Valley. \ company
was raised for the war, at Cedar Falls, ard
under tie command of Captain Edwin Brown
and Lieutenants.A. I. Brown and VIM. II.
Mcclure marched to meet the foe. They
went up the Valley, meeting the flying and
terror stricken settlers, as far as Floyd Co.,
when, not finding any ''sigl.' and being sat,
islied that it was Il hoax, turned about and
marched home again. No one kil!ed--no
one wounded.
In 1854 the population increased to $50
Since that time the increase has been steady
and permanent.
The eldest flame house now standing is
the building occupied by J. W. Maggart as
q dwelling, near the corner OF Main and First
streets, which was built by Samuel Wick,
and was the first frame house erected in the
county.
The first white child born in the county is
scsiling hers. Henry Adams, son Of L. d
Adams.
APEEP AT CEDAR FAILS As 1T IS.
yi.Ha!ioa- NtsaTdI Advantages Httter F0,cer- Pop
ahgti,R-- NUatjeT Of Eaiiaiags- UccWpatioRs =
ChHrckes- SctOoLs- Township uad VRRicir0k on
GERS -4ssoctktioRs and O,ydai-1ti0ay Z usilless
&c.
Cedar Falls is stsated on the west bani
Of the Cedar river, one hundred miles dut
west from Dubuque, Oh the line Of the Du
buqun ard Sioux City Railroad. II posses
SEES all the natural adv; nt ges which ave re
quir.d to make it the largest and most th,i4