Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1909-06-30

undertaken and built in the manner I
have described when Cleveland was a
smaller town than Marshalltown is to-
day. Its population in 1916 was 1915
and in 1S4S 10000
How Railroads Helped Chicago.
Near Fort Dearborn on southwest
coast of Lake Michigan were few
log cabins. In 1894 town was laid
out there and named Chicago Four
years later it was organized as city.
In lS41 its population was All. in 1S4S
when it first engaged in railroad build
ing its population had reached 10000.
The road was built east from Chicago
TO meet one coming west from Toledo.
O. Part of this had wooden rails, with
strap iron on top. Also Chicago built
a railroad to LaSalle at the head of
navigation on the Illinois river. Another
was built from there to Rock Island,
and from Davenport line was built
10 Iowa City which was reached Jan. l.,
1856, and was the first railroad in Iowa.
Meantime a railroad was built from
Chicago to Dixon, the head of naviga-
ton on the Rock river. Then later one
was built from Dixon to Clinton. Then
a company was organized at Cedar
Rapids Called the Chicago, Iowa and
Nebraska Railroad Company which
built line from Clinton to Cedar Rap
ids. reaching there early in 1859.
First Railroad to MarshaIItown.
How did this railroad get extended
to Marshalltown? This should be to
US an interesting question. Capitalists
We're ready to undertake to put down
the track but the grading must be
done by the people west Of Cedar
Rapids
G. NJ. Woodbury. and others in Mar
shalltown, organized the Cedar Rapids
and Missouri River Railroad Company
June II, 1859, to build railroad from
| Cedar Rapids to the Missouri river. A
! land grant was transferred to this
company March "a. 1860. The county
seat was moved to Marshalltown the
last day of 1859 The population of
the whole county was about 5000 Mar
/ shalltown was small village but the
people determined to have a railroad.
i q. n. Woodbury. headed the subscrip-
ton with $4,000 Reuben Webster was
the next with $500, then both went to
third and he also joined the COM
pany OF solicitors, and so did the
/ fourth. Almost every one signed
so1ne' hing, much more than they first
thought of doing, with the understand
I ing that it might be paid in work Of
self OF team. or boarding hands or any
! scriptipns were taken all along the
line from Cedar Rapids to Marshall
| town, and engineers were immediately
set to work, the route laid out and
grading work was soon commenced.
One condition of the grant of land tc
this company required the building OF
forty miles of the road previous t
Jan. 1, 1852.
The grading was done and the track
layers were pushing things. the end o.
the year was near. G. NJ Woodbury.
was with them the last few days, ane
carried a lantern for the men to SET
how to drive the last spikes of the forty
miles just before midnight of the las
day.
In 1862 the line was extended west
ward and the track laid to Marshall.
town in January 1863.
What other important things were
being done at this time? A most ex.
C1llnS pT6SlueHLldl CANVASS was on II
which Abraham Lincoln was elected
president of the United States Thi!
was followed by a dissolution of tn,
union and civil war. Volunteer sol
diers were called for and many of ou
citizens answered the call and war il
earnest began. 1t was during such {
period that this railroad was bull
from Cedar Rapids to Marshalltown
In this work G. M. Woodbury. wa
the leading spirit, first in organizing
the company: second, he spent tn
winter in Des Moines and secured tn
passage by the Iowa legislature Of tn
bill granting to this company tn
lands which the U. s. congress ha'
granted the state to aid in building
such railroad, and third, in building
the road.
The line was extended west an
reached Council Bluffs in 1867. TIL
, last 15G miles were built in 27s days
) The engineer now lives in our city VIII