Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1865-11-10
From the Dubuque Herald.
CEDAR FALLS.
It's Early History and Rapid Gr0Wth--Its
Railroad Interests.

The growth of Iowa in material pros
perity has been large and steady. The
war which proved in many respects adj
vantageous to the manufacturing east,
bore heavily upon the agricultural west
| both in calling large numbers of the la
borers from peaceful avocations to pur-
suits of war and in checking many of
those enterprises essential to the devel-
opment Of an agricultural country. But
notwithstanding the evil Influences of
the war upon western interests, Iowa
has steadily advanced, increasing in
population and multiplying the evil
dences OF substantial prosperity. as
No where is the truth of this state
ment more fully demonstrated than in
those towns which form the trade CEN
tres for surrounding agricultural sec
tions. Their growth is sure indica-
tion of the growth of the country sup
porting them. Cedar Falls, in Black
Hawk county, Is one of these towns. A
brief history OF Cedar Falls, i'm showing
| its rapid growth will also give some in
dication of the improvement of the
country which surrounds it, and which
has been appropriately naEied the Gar
den Valley" of Iowa.
! The first permanent settlement in
! Black Hawk county was made on the
west bank of the Cedar River, one hun
dred miles west Of Dubuque, where the
town of Cedar Falls now stands, by
! William Sturgis and T.. ID. Adams. in
Marcliof 1915. In 1851 small number
of lots were laid out and the village
thus established. In 1853 new plat of
the town was made and recorded in Bu-
chanan county, and from this period
probably dates the beginning of the
history of Cedar Falls as village for i'm
that year we find that the first lot was
sold. In 1858 the population of tn,
town was, by actual count, forty per
sons of ali sexes and ages, and the vii
lage contained nine houses. One u
these houses was q store, the first i'm the
tcounty, kept by Andrew Muliarky
and first opened by him in 1851. Tic
first building erected for store purposes
was put up by j. II. Cameron In 1858.
In the following year the town began
to increase rapidly, having added to il
among other improvements "Hotel -
of no mean dimensions for the times. -
On the llth of July of the same year,
1854, the first number Of the 4" Banner -
Il weekly newspaper, and the first news
paper published III the counties west of
! Dubuque, was issued by Packard IL Nc
Ciure, IL we mistake not. The popula-
ton of the town had increased to 45O.-
Such were the small beginnings from
which the present thriving city OF Ce-
dar Falls sprung. From a population
of $50 ia 1854 it Increased to 1900 in
1851, 1900 in 1864, and has at present an
estimated population of about 3, 3,70O.-
There are 575 dwelling houses, many
of them buil in a style that would he
40 discrcdit To the older towns of the
east, l29 warehouses and shops, and III x
/ II oh "A
ganizations.
The business done in Cedar Falls by
merchants, manufacturers, produce
buyers, &C., in the year of 1864, footed
| up ar aggregate of $3,Ss3, 1l5. During
that year the amount of pork bought
and shipped was 2,3OS, ,527 lbs, besides a
large amount which was packed A
comparison of the figures for different
years will show that the business of Ce-
dar Falls has constantly been on the
increase. In 1860 the amount paid for
produce was &4s, ,D755, in 1861 it was Sl5O-
900, in 1863 il was 81 ,205, ,JSi, and in 1854
it was increased to $2, 1863, ,25S. 1t is said
by those who have facilities for krow-
ing, that the amount for the present
year will show still further increase.
This for town with but enc outlet for
the produce collected from the. large
farming country which surrounds it Is
not bad showing. Indeed il is said
that fer several years the number of
bushels of grain shipped fren Cedar
Falls has been considerably i'm excess Of
that from any other town on the line
Of the ID. Il S. G. Railroad, and this
road does as large n business, If it is not
larger, i'm the transportation of produce
as that Of any other road i'm the State,
i'm proportion to its length. During a
recent visit to Cedar Falls we were in
formed by reliable gentlemen that in
all departments of business the increase
for the present year would not he less
than twenty-five per cent. over that of
last year. If this is so, and from what
we witnessed of the activity of the diff
crent branches of industry we see no
reason why it should not be true, all
fears OF collapse upon the removal of
the terminus OF the railroad 6rom Cedar
Falls hundred miles west, and to Wa
verly on the north, must vanish. One
dry goods house has already sold to the
amount of $4,000 for the present year,
and grocery establishments books
show business up to the present time
of S155, 900.
During tho past year the people have
given evidences of their appreciation of
the prosperity which has attended
them by adding several very creditable
improvements to the town In the shane
of public buildings. The school house
built during the past year is without
doubt the best edifice Of the kind west
Of Dubuque. 1t is brick structure,
three stories high, each fourteen feet,
47x60, with projecting front 135x48,
and to complete which So, 900 were re-
quired. The building is arranged for
schools upon the graded system, SO
thoroughly and satisfactorily tested in
Dubuque. The Baptist society has dur
ing the year completed the erection Of
a commodious church edifice, on Main
street, frame building 40x75, with a
tasty spire. The Methodist society
church, the largest in town, ~ 45xso. s1
basement, audience room and spire.--