Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1876-07-07
WHOLE NO. $40.

them any lots they might select il
they would build ON them and re.
main here, but the inducement was
not sufficient, and they settled five
miles north. In June, Mcclure
traded fractional block No. l, and
the east half of block 2, on the west
side of the river, to Andrew Null
larkey for barrel of gin and box of
cigars, and thought it good trade.
With this assistance, we had a grand
celebration the 4th of July. Samuel
Sherwood, Samuel S. Mcclure, DIR.
Brewer, Alexander Hathaway and
0. II. 2. Roszell were officers, orators
and procession.
Henry Sparkling and family settled
near tho county poor farm that
autumn, and Philander French, and
Ephraim Miller, and J. c. Neidy, in
the timber, between Independence
and Quasqueton. John w. Melone
came during the winter of 80 and 81;
also VIM. B. Wilkinson. Melone
entered the quarter section of land
Immediately east of Independence,
and Wilkinson the quarter section
northeast. In the spring of 1851
came Casper Rowse and family, and
in the summer, Chas. w. Cummings
and family, and several others
Among them, Francis Girten, Byron
c. Hale, Amos B. King, Jacob S.
Travis and one Evans, who settled
where Lyman J. Curtis now lives
In June, 1851, the river rose twenty
one feet above low water mark-the
highest point it has ever been known
to reach. The saw mill on Pine
Creek was washed away and some
injury done the fences. No bridges
were carried away, for there were
nonc-and no great damage done,
for there was little to be damaged
That summer, Samuel Sherwood
commenced the erection of a -four
ing mill at Independence, and COM
pleted it the next season. The tim
bers were cut above Littleton, and
floated down the river, with incredi-
BILE labor, such as none but men OF
iron constitution and steel resolution
could, or would have performed
Sam Sherwood had both. In the
spring of that year state road was
surveyed from Independence to Cedar
Falls, and persons crossing the
prairie were enabled by following
the line of stakes, to keep the same
route, so that a visible track was
soon formed. The line of the route
was q little north of where Jesup
now is, and through Pilot Grove.
In 1851, VIM. Brazelton erected Q
frame building on Main street, in In
dependence, where now stands the
First National Bank building, and
opened a general variety store, and
in 1852 built the first Hotel, on the
opposite corner, where, so long stood
the "Montour House" c. w. Cum
mings also brought stock of goods
here in the fall of 1851. All goods
were hauled from Dubuque, general
ly by OK teams. The roads were in
such wretched condition that it was
no unusal thing for teamsters to be
compelled to unload their wagons
and carry their packages, singly,
across the sloughs, and even to take
their very wagons apart and carry
them across in the same way. Such
roads would now be considered adj
solutely impossible. The price paid
for hauling was from IS cents to
$3.50 per hundred weight; yet goods
were fully as cheap, and many OF
them cheaper, than now. Brown
sugar could be bought here 90 lbs
for 81, and seven or eight pounds of
coffee for the same amount.
From 1852 the village and county
settled very rapidly, and it will be
hardly practicable to partiularize in
dividuals. In August, 1852, Jefer-
son township was carved out of
Spring" and in '53, Perry from
Washington, and in August, 1853,
Buffalo and Superior (now Hazleton)
were set off as separate townships.
In September, 1854, Messrs. Parker
& Hillery commenced the publication
of the first newspaper in the county,
and named it the Independence
Ciuihan." In 1855, Samuel Sher-
wood built the first bridge in the
county, across the Wapsipinicon, at
independence. 1t was of wood, and
paid for by subscription of the citi-
zens of the county. In April of that
year, Newton and Alton (now Fair
bank townships were set off; and at
the election that year the county
polled 524 votes.
In that year also, the first stage
coaches were run from Dubuque to
Independence. Heman Morse had
settled here in 1853, and bought the
hotel built by Brazleton, which he
enlarged, and kept until 1856. One
Gould commenced running a line of
two-horse hacks in 1854, and during
the years ls54-5-6, the "Montour"
was crowded to its utmost capacity
with travellers, and its capacity being
guaged more by the number and ne
cessity of the guests than by the size
of the house, was truly marvellous.
Coaches ran night and day, and
were sometimes 4s hours making the
journey from Dubuque to Indepen-
pence. Passenger were fortunate, if
in addition to walking across the
sloughs, they were not compelled to
carry their baggage, and the coaches
too, over the bad places.
In 1855, w. H. Clifford & Brother,
commenced the erection of the hotel
now known as the Merchants Hotel;
completed it in the spring of 1856,
and during that summer sold it to
Carl White and Thomas Sherwood,
who gave it the name of the "White
House" and occupied it as hotel for
several years, when they sold it to
Leander Keyes. 1t was the first
brick hotel erected in the county, and
gave the city quite metropolitan
air.
In April, 1856, Byron and Prairie
now Fremont) townships were set
off, and at the spring election of that
year I'll votes were cast in the coun-
ty. That spring, also, the Dubuque
& Pacific Railroad was projected,
and efforts were made to induce this