The Oskaloosa herald., 1902-05-29
GREATER OSKALOOSA
Past, Present and Future of the
Good Old Town.

Tue Teu MdI, OnleI OSCAR, MS WlIS
Lucy, and their gang used to roam
over these wild prairies, Up and down
the Des Moines and Skunk rivers, the
sight where Oskaloosa now stands
was their crossing place, because it
was the narrowest place between the
rivers and for some years after the
red men gave possession this place
was known as the narrows. When a
few settlers came here such as Rick
ard Parker, John Montgomery, Pouit-
ney Loughridge, Daniel Nelson, John
White, Alfred Sewers and others.
their friends coming from the east
to find them would inquire for the
ndrrows. The settlers finally started
a town and in honor of the great In
dian Chief Oscar and his wife LUCY,
they called the town Oskaloosa. The
people then had to go to Burlington
to mill as Burlington was the first
capital of the state there was a srist
or Touring mill established. Bat as
time went on Benjamin Roop put up
a mill in Oskaloosa and | saw people
who said they came one hundred
miles from the west here to mill. AS
B. Roop was a progressive and kind
of a wholesouled fellow he added a saw
mill to make lumber for people 10
build with; also a distillery 10 make
something, as some said, to make Ueo-
jle forget their troubles, an! / sup
pose make them forget their blessings.
When | came here in 1854 there was
a boom in building. Just north of
where the Central depot now is the
universal plan was little houses set
on wooden blocks side up, roof it, lay a
floor down with green lumber, spread
next
a rag carpet down, then move in. The
| ever saw, | took up, dressed and put
down many of the floors, the lumber
being dry by hat time. 1t has since
been a query in my mind why the
| people occupying those houses did not
freeze TO death. | have saw good
teams stick in the mud right in the
business part of Oskaloosa with not
more than six or eight hundred
pounds of freight on. | was here near
four years before | heard a steam
whistle and then it was on a steam
boat going up the Des Moines river.
Many more things might he sail but
will make a big jump to the present
of Oskaloosa.
1t would be foolish for me to speak
of the present of Oskaloosa 70 per,
sons that know the place, for they all
know it to be n of the incest, clean
est and best city in the best state in
| this great union. But for q this
might fall into the hands of some
stranger to the city, Will speak of it.
The location is all that could he
desired on a nice level prairie near
mid way between the two largest
rivers in the state, Des Moincs md
Skunk rivers, and where thew come
neal together, only. about nine miles
between them, and get plenty OF
water. with. good system of water
works from one of the rivers. Little
ravines run up into the city from
each river, SO we have good drainags
and yet our streets are comparatively
level. so we need not be in fear oil
getting the legs or necks of our ami
mails or ourselves broken in icy
times. The city has a population OF
about twelve thousand, as good school
systems as you will find any place
buildings to correspond. Penn Col
lege, one of the best institutions oil
learning in the state, or | might say
any other state, is located here, and in
a prosperous condition. Our High
school building is one of the best in
the state. The ward school buildings
will compare f~avorably with any
others in the state. About fifteen
churches at a cost of from one thous
and to forty thousand dollars each
The people of the city are a church
going people. Oskaloosa is noted fol
it's fine residences and business houses
The people in proportion are well sup
| piled with railroads. The great Rock
Island passing through, Iowa Central
| passing through, Des Moines Valley
| passes through, and the terminus OF
| the Burlington & Western is here.
So a person can go out on cars any
| time and in any direction. | commend
all the railroad companies for being
SO fortunate in securing such good Of
fcials as they have that tends to bust
ness and the needs of the people so
well. They say there are about fifty
| railroad trains pass through Oska-
| loosa each day besides the extras, eX-
cept Sunday.
Many of the principal streets are
paved. over ten miles of paved
| streets in Oskaloosa and still the good
work goes on. No matter how hard it
rains. as soon as il quits raining a
person can walk out on the street
without fear of getting in mud; looks
like the streets have been scrubbed in
| place of a good team being stalled
with six or eight hundred pounds.
One horse will haul two o most any
place.
Although there are several factories
in the city, il has always been a query
in my mind why there are not five
times more, as fuel is the cheapest
in Oskaloosa of any city of its size
| ever saw, and such good facilities
for shipping in and out.
The future cannot help but be a
large inland city, as it is such a de-
sirable place to live in, fuel so cheap,
and everything else cheap when cheap
other places, and persons or parties
looking for a place to establish a
manufacture will certainly not pass IL.
Let us look to that end. In helping
others we often help ourselves.
A. j. JEWELL.
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