Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-07-07
HIS TORY OF b u HA N A N
COUNT

1857, the bubble collapsed, and al
most every business house failed in
consequence. Expedients innumer
able were devised to stay the disaster
"Wild Cat" companies were organ
lied, that issued "shin plasters," III
the shape of bank notes, for circula
ton in place of money. Early in
1857, company was organized, with
a project for railroad up the Wapsi
pinicon, called the Wapslpinicon Val
ley Railroad Company. They, like
the Dubuque & Pacific Company
asked the county to take 100000 Of
stock, and issue bonds for the amount
The question was submitted at q
special election in May of that year
and carried, but re-submitted in June
and defeated. Some membersof the
company then organized what they
called the "Wapsipinicon Land
Company" and issued scrip in the
shape Of bills for circulation. Alb
solutely worthless, yet quite extern
sively circulated for time, as
money, such were tho desperate
straits to which business men Were
driven.
The rapid influx of people, from
1854 to 1857, is shown by compare
son of the vote, which, in April, 1854
was only a15, and at the special rail
road election in June, 1857, was
l,26s, an increase of over $50 votes
or 400 per cent. in about three years
The township of Madison was set
off in April, 1857; and also the town
of Sumner. That spring, also, the
erection of the first court house (the
same now used) was commenced by
O. H. =. Roszell, who had control of
the county business from August,
1851, at which time he was elected
County Judge, up to August, 1857,
when he was superseded by S. j. w.
Tabor, who was appointed 4th Audi
tor of the U. S. Treasury, in 1861,
which position he now holds. The
county finances were in q healthy con-
dition, Notwithstanding the general
crash, there being about $4,000 sur
plus county fund in the treasury. -
The court house was completed by
Judge Tabor in the fall of ISL
The lumber was hauled by OK teams
from Dyersville, that then being the
terminus of the Dubuque & Pacific
Railroad.
In December, 1856, Rich & Jordan
commenced the publication of a
weekly newspaper, called the "Quas-
queton Guardiou," at Quasqueton,
and continued its publication there
till June, 1853, when they removed it
to Independence, and changed its
name to the buchanan County Guar
dian."
In October, 1853, Como and Mid
dlefield were set off as separate town.
ships, and the boundaries of all the
townships arranged about as they
now are. The population of the
county continued to increase with re-
rapldity; so that in 1860, at
the Presidential election, there were
polled l,61O votes.
The Dubuque & Pacific Railroad
was completed to independence the
last of December, 1859.
When the War of the Rebellion
broke out, Buchanan county was
among the foremost to respond to the
call for troops, and continued to re-
snond with volunteers to every call
during the war, raising her full quota
without draft. The first company
was organized in June, 1861, and was
commanded by Captain d. S. Lee,
who settled here in 1852, and was
the first regular professional lawyer
who located in independence. His
company was one of those composing
the 5th Iowa regiment of Infantry
l would like to honor this sketch by
inserting therein the names of the
many brave citizens of the county,
who risked and lost their lives in de-
Tense Of the national flag, but the list
is too long; and to make selections
from the number would be invidious.
Notwithstanding the war, and the
drain upon the population for troops,
the county continued to prosper and
to increase in numbers. The Du-
buque & Pacific Railroad extended
its line westward through the county.
The village of Winthrop on the rail
road eight miles east of Indepcnd-
ence, which had been laid out by A.
=. Foster in 1857, and in which the
first building lad been erected by A.
E. Dutton in 1859, grew to be thriv-
ing town, with stores, shops, grain
warehouses and elevators, and a pop
ulation of several hundred. Nine
miles to the west of Independence on
the same railroad, sprung up the vii
lage of Jesup, in the same manner.
On the night Of March 10th, 1864,
the office and safe of the County Treas
urer were broken open and robbed Of
about $4,000 in money. Two men
and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ac-
cused of the crime, arrested, and con-
victed, but no part of the money was
ever recovered. This loss, together
with the great expense incurred in
discovering and trying the burglars,
proved a serious Inconvenience to the
county, and is the only loss ever oc-
curing to the county through rob-
berry, or through defalcation of Off
GERS. In August, 1864, Independence
was Incorporated as acity, and Daniel
S. Lee chosen its first Mayor. In
1868 an act of the Legislature pro-
vided for the erection Of hospital
for the insane at Independence, and
the erection of the building was COM
In 1869. In the summer of
1878 the Milwaukee division of the
Burlington, Cedar Rapids e Mime
sofa Railroad was completed through
the county, and on the line of that
road there at once sprung up the
llourishing village of Hazleton, 9
miles north of Independence, and of
Rowley, about the same distance
south. No great disaster, either by
fire or flood, occurred to mar the
prosperity Of the county, or any part
Of it, until 1878. In November of
that year quite a serious fire occurred
in Independence, destroying nine