Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1913-12-09


tically all the business buildings
erected during the year, and they
presented quite village, where in
the beginning only three or four
houses were to be seen. In the mean
time several residences had been put
up and the citizens looked forward
to lively business the next year.
The first building for 1876 was put
up by Henry Franks, who left his
farm and opened a carpenter shop,
which at a later period he converted
Into an agricultural warehouse and
embarked in that business.
From this time forward the work
of building up the town went on
more slowly than formerly, but none
the less steady, and all of a more
permanent and substantial kind. The
boom in building business houses had
subsidized, but residences were being
put up. In January, 1877, H. H.
j OHLSOu dCCl dCLcu w thC ioGo|Aoh
and bright prospects in view, locat-
ed in the town and began the pub
LEGATION of a newspaper, the Will
liams Standard. 1t was live paper,
and in the beginning received fair
support, but the future growth of
the town had been overestimated,
and there was not patronage enough
to support paper and the project
had to be abandoned after about two
years trial. All classes of business
were represented in the town; the
country round about was settling up
with thrifty and industrious class
of farmers, and business settled
down to a permanent, but growing
basis, and the affairs of town and
township went along in an ordinary
way until February, 1882, when a
disastrous fire occurred, sweeping
out of existence at once more than
half of the business part Of the
town, taking all of the business
buildings on the west side of Main
street except two. The fire started
in Pat Maloys saloon. In about an
hours time the town was in ruins.
The principal losers were the Mar
tin estate, S. S. Morrison, Pat Ma
10y. Mrs. Ann Carus, Fred Volen-
weider, ]. M. George, A. Rawhorter,
j. NJ. Houghtaling, Chas. Draper,
Frost & Co., Willis Ores and J. w.
Thompson.
After the fire public meeting
was held protesting against the re-
opening of any saloon or place where
Intoxicating liquors should be sold
and the protest bore the names of
over one hundred persons. Williams
was incorporated October %, 1888.
October 20, 1888, Williams held its
first town election and elected for
mayor, B. F. Corbin; recorder, L.
N. Gerber; and trustees, J. f. Frost,
Fred Beisner, E. Crabtree, H. N.
Johnson and VIM. Wilke.
There being some doubt as to the
legality of the Incorporation in the
spring of 1884, the legislature pass
ed an "Act to legalize the incorpora-
ton of the town of Williams in
Hamilton county. Iowa.
Mayor Corbin was reelected in
1884 and in 1885, William Allenson
became mayor. He was succeeded in
1886 by J. NJ. George. E. Crabtree
presided over the officers of the city
in 1887 and 1888, J. NJ. Watson in
1889, H. N. Johnson in 1890, John
Bennetto in 1891 and Ira Saum in
1892. In 1893 B. F. Corbin was
again elected mayor and held the
Office for the three terms, 1898, 1894
and 1895. Then A. j. Simpson was
elected for the years 1896 and 1897.
Walter H. HELEN was mayor in 1898
and was reelected in 1899. E. l.
Johnson presided in 1900 and A. ].
Ripley in 1902. H. F. Willie was
then mayor until 1910, when VIM.
Whistler was elected. He resigned
before the expiration of his term
and H. F. Willie was again elected.
The mayor at the present time is
William Gerber.
In August, 1887, w. A. Hutton
started the Williams Herald, but in
December following it suspended.
In 1891 VIM. R. Pooley commenc-
ed the publication of the Williams
Reporter and continued it's publica-
ton for several years. In 1897 the
Wasp was started and some years
later the Hornet.
ROSE GROVE TOWNSHIP.
Rose Grove township comprises
the congressional township of SO,
range %. In early days it was the
home of the famous Rose Grove farm
nf ouynar opa mo v, a RI Co |