Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1905-12-01

Joined with his mother in erecting the
second building in town. Even a third
building was brought into town thru
the removal OF the Rails smoke house
lrom where 1t stood, in the timber, 10
a point which is now the northwest
corner OF Main and Center streets.
Wells Rice then built on the southeast
corner Of what is now Main and First
streets building for a store, with liv-
ing apartments upstairs. This was the
first general store in the town. Syl-
vanus Rice, about the same time, built
the Marshall House, at the southwest
corner of Main and Center streets. The
first frame house was started by John
Childs at the northwest corner of Main
and Center streets, which MIR. Arson
traded for and completed. This build
ing contained the first stock of dry
goods in the town, which was put in
by Charles and Warren Pratt, who
later sold to Edward Willigrod.
Arson Gets Saw Mill.
Realizing how necessary it was, If
he We're going to build town. to have
lumber cheaper and more easily OBJ
tainable. Mr.. Arson determined to put
in saw MILL He ordered the machin-
cry from Columbiania county, Ohio,
and it was transported from that point
to Cleveland by rail. From there it
went by lake to Chicago. thence by
rail to Rock Island and here overland.
He began the work of cutting the ma
tive timber and for many years made
practically all the lumber used in the
county.
Another great need Of the day was a
Touring mill. Its needs were felt more
and more as the demand for flour in
creased. In order to induce capital to
locate in the new town Mr.. Arson
made a donation of the present site
of the Fallgatter mill to anyone who
would come to Marshall and operate
a mill. In addition to the forty acres
of land on the river Mr.. Arson. in COM
pany with Sylvanus and Wells Rice.
put up cash bonus of $500. which In
those days was a goodly sum. With
to Marshall and built the Woodbury.
mill, which was operated for many
years under that name.
Prominent in County Seat Fight.
In 1853 the commission to locate the
county seat appeared Marietta was
a thriving little village larger than
Marshall. Mr.. Arson, realizing what
benefits would be derived in business
way by having his town the county
seat, began to work with the commits
sion to locate it here. With others
he sought an interview with the COM
missioners and had time appointed
for meeting in Marshall The hour
arrived but the commissioners put in
no appearance. Upon investigation it
proved that the commissioners had To-
Gated the county seat at Marietta at
5 o'clock on the morning of the same
day that they We're to have met here.
This incensed all people of Marshall
to a great degree and stirred them up
as they had never been stirred before.
This was practically the beginning of
the county seat war, which lasted for
seven years, or as long as the revolu-
tion of our forefathers, and resulted
in the records being secured from the
court house at Marietta and moved
to Marshall.
/ Real Politics in Those Days.
If one thinks that there was no
politics in the olden days he should
read of the efforts made by Henry An
son and others to secure the county
seat for Marshall. Mr.. Arson had a
standing inducement of a free town lot
to any man who would become a set
tier, and in this way secure vote
on the county seat location. In his
autobiography he refers to this quite
fully, and says that he disposed of
lots aggregating a half mile square.
He spent three years of his time locat-
ing settlers in such parts of the county
as would best further the interests Of
Marshall by their votes. He gave an
attorney 500 in cash, and deeds to a
few town lots. as an inducement to get
him to work for Marshall while under
l the pretense of being for Marietta.
When the time was about ripe to
change the county seat location Mr..
Arson rode to Des Moines on horse
back and induced Judge Mckay to
make the appointment of the COM
missioners who would relocate the
county seat. He then went on horse
back into Story, Jasper and Tama
counties to notify the new commits
sioners in person Of their appointment.
While he was doing this the Marietta
people were not idle, and they went to
Des Moines, and succeeded in getting
Judge Mckay to revoke the order of
4 appointment Then followed the long
litigation in the supreme court, the
securing Of the injunction by Judge
Smith, now of Albion, and others, and
the work of Mr.. Arson and his friends
in dissolving the injunction, all of
which are a matter of history.
Gives Town Its Name.
Mr.. Arson not only founded the
town and surveyed the site, but also
gave it it's name He called his crea-
ton Marshall, because of the pleasant
memories that he had of the town by
the same name in Michigan. Carrying
out the same idea he gave as Christian
names to his two sons the names OF
Michigan towns, Adrian and Sturgis.
Mr.. Anson's name, however. was later
changed, and the. suffix "town" added,
in order that it might not be confused
with a Marshall in Henry county. Altho
founded in 1851 Mr.. Anson's town was
not incorporated until July, 1863, and
remained as town until March, 1858,
when it was incorporated into city
of the second class. Mr. Arson was
elected mayor of the city in the spring
of 1891, and served one term, sue
ceeding Hon. Nelson Ames. He was
followed by DR.. W. B. Kibbey. Ten
wears previous, to year, he served on