The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1877-01-25
THAT BRIDGE.
East and West Cedar Co. Joined
In WellOcA-..The Iron Bonds
Examined and fronOun ccd q.
h.

Cedar river is an old and threadbare
one to the citizens of Cedar county.
They have read about it, talked about
it, petitioned for it, demonstrated
against it, and voted on it land always
against it, until we should hardly dare
to again bring 1t up, were it not for
the fact that they are just now paying
for (which we fondly hope may
prove sufficiently close argument TO
induce some Difference TO a new chap
ter on the old subject. For now the
bridge is not in perspective, more or
less remote, but is an actual and sub
stantial, as well as very handsome
fact. But before paying more atten-
ton to the bridge of 1877, structure
of stone and iron, we will glance for a
moment at the bridges of the past
none of which ever got beyond the
stage of wind and paper.
In the Cedar county Legislature, or
Board of Supervisors as some peo-
pie would insist in calling that potent
body, at the June term, 1865, Hon.
Robt. Cover, then as for many year.
member thereof, offered the follow
ing resolution
Reso'rod, That, rs there appears
/ great anxiety by some individuals for
bridging Cedar and Wapsiepinicon
rivers, that we will attempt TO aid in
constructing one toll bridge across
each within Cedar Co., to the amount
of the necessary stock-provided, in
dividuals shall pay or secure the other
on the following conditions, cte
| That those citizens DESTROYS for said
bridges shall furnish complete survey
| and estimates of cost thereof, emf
bracing all particulars of various sites.
This was the first of the many vain
efforts to build bridge without
money, price or responsibility. The
resolution was referred to special
committee consisting of Bassett, Gar
rison and Mason, who reported in
favor of appointing Messrs. w. A.
Rigby, J. +. l.. Carey and w. S.
Chase as a committee to examine the
Cedar river, with bridging intentions,
i GNU polN al iiSAl [AS w viz
Wapsie part Of the resolution it
passes out of sight so far as the records
of the Board are concerned, but we
will just pause here to say that Louden
appointed a committee OF her citizens
who reported in favor of Massilon and
a wooden bridge was erected there,
one-half being paid by local subscrip-
ton, the half falling TO the county
being authorized by a vote of the
people hereinafter referred to. It was
a toll-bridge for some years, but long
| since was made free. Thos. Shearer,
| we think, was the moving spirit in
that enterprise.
Well, at the Sept, '65, meeting of
the Board the Cedar river Com. made
a long and excellent report. They
gave full statistics regarding Roches-
ter, Grey's Ford, GaskilIa Ferry and
Covers Ferry, concluding that Cow
er's Ferry offered much the best ma
tural site for bridge, but that as in
their opinion the first object of n
bridge was the accommodation of the
greatest number Of citizens, they must
recommend Grey's Ford As the proper
site. AS a preface to this conclusion,
the Committee adyerted to the disad-
vantage under which it had labored
in paragraph altogether too neat to
be lost, as follows:
/ Aacnrlin.r 10 ha
Committee did not feel authorized tt
employ a surveyor or engineer and
have been obliged to gather what VIZ
| could from observation and what W.
| consider reliable information. viii
ling to do all we could without ex
cceding our authority, we have wad
ed, swan and rowed across Cedar riy
er innumerable times; we have climb
! ed, examined and tumbled over hel
bluffs, and chained across her width
! with Linn bark again and again-in
short, making use u all the cheal
means at our disposal
We imagine we see Squire Rigby's
genial face broaden and Squire Carey's
eyes twinkle as they delivered them.
selves of the above. But at all events
the Board adopted the report, and
then at once ordered a popular vote
to decide between the two points
Grey's Ford, and Covers Ferry. TIL,
vote took place in October, and result
ed: For the Ferry, 5a5; For the Ford
s62. At the same election was sub
, / miiied the proposition, for or agains
bridge over the Wapsie, and til,
"forsn had it by 5s7 to 556
So the first conflict between local.
ties went in favor Of Grey's Ford
. and there the question Of u bridge a
that point seems to have rested for
, good while. Indeed one of tn
"hefty" arguments against that local.
ty in the last contest was the assertion
that the citizens there had always sa
down on their own bridge project jus
so soon as they had secured its tri
umph over that of some other point
But "Uncle Robert did not "let up
by any manner OF means. At tn
Jan. term, 81, he presented a resolu
ton to appropriate S, 900 for . bridg
sat Covers Ferry, provided individ
"uals shall subscribe an cqua
amount This proposition resoiv
ed itself into another vote the follow
ing October resulting: For a bridg
at Covers Ferry, 1856; Against, sos
Even this did not discourage Mr.
, Cover longer than until the next Jan
. uary, 1867, when he again presented
, resolution for "A vote, which passed th
: Board by = to 7 and was lost befor
the people 1T the October election l.
56l to ! 1856.
Il In 1870, at Mr.. Covers persona
request, another Committee consistin
= Of Van Ness, Sharp and Downing
were sent to the Ferry, and reporto
to the Board that Il WAS 4 site "cntirt
ly suitable and practicable" The
the scheme Of raising stock, in whic
the county should hold one-half wa
again pushed forward until The c.
Attorney flied an opinion that tn
county could not legally take stoc
in q toll bridge IN 1914 the matt,
was again before the public, and til
= Board deciding this time in favor ,
| Crews Ford a vote WAS ordered for ,