Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-12-30
THE GAZETTE.
CEDAR FALLS IN 1870 !
what and Where 1t is.
4 Review o. tho Year.
Improvements, Changes, &C.

The name and fame of Cedar Falls
is already familiar to the readers OF
the GAZETTE, but i'm order TO make
rur report complete. and show more
definitely the changes of the past,
we preface our review of the year
with a brief sketch of our prosperous
city, prepared aud published in our
daily during the session of the Nj. e.
Conference in this city, in Septem-
Der last. We are obliged to be brief
on account of other equally import
ant matters:
The situation is upon the west
hank Of the Cedar River one hun
drcd miles west Of Dubuque, and at
he falls Of this beautiful river from
which the city takes it name. The
surrounding country is rich, rolling
well watered prairies dotted with
farms and farm houses, and the
banks of the Cedar River and its
tributaries here are lined with mag
niicent timber making it one Of the
most desirable spots for settlement
In the state. The falls of the river
arc the basis of a tremendous water
power which is now only partially
employed, but at n moderate expense
can lie made to yield immense re-
turns i'm the way of manufactures.
Along the shore line the river-cl clear
as crystal-tumbles over rock bot
tom from point at the west side OF
the city half a mile until lost again
i'm the steadier current below. Cedar
count on the fingers Of one hand al
most the years since the Indian title
to the lands upon which it stands
WAS eXtingished. twenty-five years
ago (lSi5) the first permanent settle
ment was made in Black Hawk Co.
by L. ID. Adams, and VIM. Sturgis
OH the lands now occupied 10y The
city OF Cedar Falls, and the first
cabin erected on the spot where
stands the "Calaboose" or City Pris-
on on First street. The same year
John Hamilton and his sons arrived
with breaking team and frontier
outfit and ripped up the first soil ever
broken by plow in this great county
OF ours. Immigrants began gradual.
ly TO arrive until in the 1S4S John +.
Barrick, J. NJ. Overman, ID. G. Over.
man and l.. Brown built q sawmill
at the falls and were the first to tame
the waters of The Cedar here and put
them to work, aud i'm 1850 added O
one run of stone and constituted il
the first flour mill in the county, and
in this section of the State. These
pioneers did not forget i'm their iso-
lation and solitude educational inter.
ests, for as far back as 1S4S, they es-
tablished q school with total mum.
bcr of scholars of six. Mrs. Jackson
Taylor was the first principal of this
frontier seminary-this neucleus of
our magnificent common school
rystem-in this part of the State.
In 1853, the first school house was
erected by the subscription of two
settlers, and upon it was hung the
first bell that ever pealed west OF
Dubuque. These were strange
sounds for the wilderness, now fa-
miliar sounds commingliDg with the
industrious hum of factory and mill
machinery, and n glorious sign OF
the suhjugatiOn of this new country
TO new uses. Cedar Falls-what il
known as the flourishing city of the
name-was not located until 1851,
when a-few lots were laid out and a
town-site plated. In 1853 new plat
Was made and recorded i'm Buchanan
county, Black Hawk being then un.
organized. From that year the
growth of Cedar Falls dates. From
the most reliable sources, the settlers
themselves, who are still living here,
we find that there were nine cabins
In the settlement and forty.one in.
habitants. The first store i'm the city
was established by the late Andrew
Mullarky. and was known far aud
wide as the "Blach Hawk Store. "
The first store house was put up i'm
1858, by John r. Cameron, on the
corner of Second and Main streets,
the building now occupied by Hunt
& Rowland.
The superior advantages Of the
place at the falls of the river, the
r.ch prairie in the vicinity, and the
heavy bodies of timber along the
streams attracted settlers and in the
latter part of the year Cedar Falls
Ind population of 300.
The year 1854 was very prosper
Gus year for the city. Many new
buildings were erected and the first
hotel established, and the first paper
west of Dubuque, the Cedar Falls
Banner, published. AT the close OF
the year the city had a population of
four hundred and fifty. From that
hamlet in the wilds We have grown
steadily and substantially to our
present size, and visitors here at this
time can see for themselves what
foresight must have been possessed
ly the pioneers in selecting this ro-
mantle and excellent location for q
city. The primitive log cabins of
early day are replaced by handsome
stone, wood and brick edifices, stores,
business blocks and private resi-
dences, all the handiwork Of live,
prosperous and energetic people.
The one run of stone of 1850 has
given place to two solid structures Of
masonry and one of wood for mill
purposes. and besides other machin-
cry propelled by the Cedar only par
TALLY employed, and still the demand
is for more mills, and machinery.
The little, modest, backwoods
school-hoase has been replaced by a
monument of public liberality in
the form of a school building COM
parable with that of any other i'm the
Stats-this great and glorious State
of handsome and well supplied, and
magnificently endowed schools
Eight churches adorn the city with
their spires, and indicate that the