The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1911-04-05
CENSUS LESSONS.

an increase over ten years ago, there
is reason to believe that it is not an
increase over five years ago, and this
leads TO the belief that we have come
to the parting of the ways. In point
of population the city is apparently
at a standstill. The next decade will
tell whether it is to become a lively,
growing city like Waterloo or Mason
City or Shenandoah, or whether it
is to lose in population and become
merely a trading point and pleas
ant residence place, as have very
many Iowa cities.
When the town Of Denison was laid
out it was selected on account of its
many natural advantages. 1t was in
the heart of a good country. 1t was
situated at the head of the Boyer
valley, down which it was thought
that the railroad must run. 1t was
equi-distant from larger points such
as Council Bluffs, Fort Dodge and
Sioux City.
The founders of Denison were right
as to the location, but the city has not
come up to the expectations of those
who contributed largely to it's growth
and prosperity in the early days.
Is it not the business of the pres
ent generation to find out why Deni-
son has not lived up to these fond
hopes and expectations and endeavor
to so change conditions that Denison
shall become the thriving city of their
dreams?
The question is, how can all of us
help to make Denison better city?
Looking over the census figures one
will be impressed with the fact that
there are but three classes of Iowa
towns which have grown to any con-
siderable extent during the past de-
cade. These may be roughly CLASH
fed as railroad towns, manufacturing
towns and mining towns. Denison
must get into one of these classes if
it is to win.
But how?
While the location of Denison at
the head of the Boyer valley has
brought us on the line of two trunk
railroads, the increased efficiency of
locomotives has placed the division
stations far beyond us, and while we
have excellent transportation facili-
ties, there is but little hope that we
can become, what is generally known
as railroad" town. Something
might be done in the way of interur-
bans. and if the money to be expend-
ed for paving could be expended on
an interurban to Schleswig and Kiron
or south to Manila, it would mean
much more for the business of the
city than the paving will, but the in
terurbans would serve only to place
us in closer touch with the rural pop
ulation, and this is growing less every
year.
Coal has been denied us, or at least
if it exists it is too far below the sur
face to be made available. We can
not hope to be mining town.
There are but two futures. Either
to become manufacturing town or
a nice, quiet, residential cemetery.
1t seems to us that we have been
going at the thing backward Let us
first create business and the city will
look after itself Create a demand for
houses and you will create a demand
for paving and for opera houses and
all the pleasant things with which
we might be surrounded
The new hotel is a delightful insti-
tuition, it is not only well built, but it
is well managed and we are proud of
it, 1t is nice thing to have in the
town. But it has not added ten peo-
pie to the permanent residents of the
city, it has not filled a vacant house,
nor created a demand for any new
houses nor given employment to half
dozen people who were not employed
here before. Street paving will be
nice" new opera house will be
mice but how will they increase the
business of the city? How will they
add to the population? How will they
give employment to the people who
are now here and who at many sea
sons of the year are in need of en-
ployment and who are being forced to
go elsewhere to find it?
What DenisOn needs the most is
something that will create business,
give employment to the laboring men
already here, attract others, create a
demand for added homes, and put the
life blood of wages into the arteries
of trade.
This can only be done in Denison
by the establishment of manufactures.
AS The Review has already pointed
out, our transportation facilities. |