Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1871-05-26

tNCISu, SlI
of clear, pure water travcrsing the
intervals of prairie in almost every
section of the county. The supply
of timber, while not so plentiful as
in some favored localities, is great
er than the average in prairie coun-
ties. Liberal belts skirt the Wap-
sipinicon and smaller streams,
supplying all the needs for fuel and
manufacturing purposes at moder-
ate cost.
The Wapsie is beautiful stream
and furnishes at this point a water
power of no mean proportions, of
which we will take occasion to
speak more at length in another
place.
Our prairics are broad and offer
homes yet to thousands. They af-
ford special inducements to farmers
from the older States. The poorest
may here, by industry, economy and
careful management secure to him
self a competency in few years,
and to those having money is here
presented the broadest field for its
safe and profitable investment.
Iowa is situated in what is to be the
great heart of the nation. Already
are the great iron highways lad
across her soil, which are to convey
her products to markets east and
west. Her fertile acres may yet be
bought at prices strikingly dispro-
portioned to their value in the near
future. Homes may he secured here
better and cheaper, all things con-
sidered, than any the government
have to offer further west. 1t has
been repeatedly demonstrated by
actual, and often sad, experience
that Kansas and Nebraska do not
offer near so valuable inducements
to parties seeking homes in the
West, taking into consideration
health, social and educational priv
ileges, contiguity to markets and
the like, as may be found right here
in Buchanan county.
We are aware that this portion Of
our sketch is more lengthy than a
history of Independence merely
would seem to justify, but we can
not drop it without producing few
figures intended to illustrate the
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS.
of our county. The schools of Bu-
chanan county are her pride and
boast. We point to the degree of
efficiency and completeness of sys-
tenn to which our common schools
have attained, unsurpassed and un-
equalled as they are by those of
many older and richer communities
at the East, with exultation which
we do not care to conceal. Our
space will not permit us to enlarge
on this topic but we give the follow
ing from the report for the year
1869:
Total No. OF males and females
between the ages of s and2 81. 1928
No. attending school during
the year. 400
No. male teachers employed 50
do female do do 49,. lat
Agg amount paid teachers. .$25, 1888
No. of school houses. ...... 112
Value of the same. ......... $15. 157 sc
do apparatus belongingto
schools .......... l,Soo.0o
Turn we now to the main feature
of our sketch, the history Of
INDEPENDENCE.
At the time the State Legislature
organized Buchanan County, Thom-
as S. Dcnison, Of Jones county, Ly-
man Dillon, of Dubuque, and Syl-
vestcr Stevens, of Jackson, were ap-
pointed Commissioners to select
some eligible spot for the perma-
nent capital of the county. The
commissioners met as per order of
the Legislature, on the cath day of
June, ls47, and after due consider
alton selected the present site of In
dependence, and gave to the place
it's present name. The original plat
Of the town was entered at the land
office in Dubuque in the name of
the county, and portion Of it laid
off in town lots by T. J. Rigaud,
surveyor, November 4th, ls47.
PRIOR TO THIS TIME, ~
and even before Buchanan County
had an existence, white men had
had their homes in localities all
around us, principally along the
Wapsic. Tempted perhaps by the
fertility of the soil, more probably
by the abundance Of game which
roamed over the hills and prairics,
adventurous white men scorning the