Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1913-12-03
HISTORICAL SOCIETY OBSERVES
sEMI.cENTENNIAL OF COMING
OF THE RAILROAD.
THOSE PRESENT"
TELL OF EVENT
George T. Kirby, Engineer Who Helped
Build tho Railroad, and Mrs. A. c.
Abbott Read Interesting Papsrs-M.
1. Rogers Rseounts Old Railroad
Events-Prosram Is Interesting.

opened in this city. 1t was big event
in the life Of the village and county
1t marked a new epoch in the develop
ment of the community, so the His
torical Society Of Marshall County call
ed back the day and the event by OBJ
serving the semicentennial at the pub
| lie library Tuesday evening.
Papers prepared by George F. Kirby
and Mrs. A. c. Abbott. dealing par
| ticularly with the coming of the rail-
road. were read by the writer's An
other paper, "A Sketch of Iowa's Rail-
road History" written by NJ L. Rogers,
OF Los Angeles, was read by Mrs. May
r. montgomery. A poem Of reminis-
cences, to the meter Of "Hiawatha,"
cleVerly worded, and written by C. c.
Trine. was read by him.
Arrival Of Train an Event
Mail once week, and sometimes de-
| layed as long as three weeks when the
weather was bad, no near and quick
market for products, were the condi-
lions that the coming of the first rail-
road relieved. The present day gcner-
alton little understands or appreciates
just how important, therefore, the OPP
ening of the railroad was. The papers
Of Mr.. Kirby and Mrs. Abbott, the lat
ter favorite raconteur of the society,
made very plain the Importance of the
connecting Of the town by rail with
the outside world And the fact that
the historians did not agree on the
exact date Of the arrival OF the first
n 1afr no
cal Importance or interest OF the au-
dience. Mr. Kirby fixed the date as
February, 1853; Mrs. Abbott as June,
1868, while the history of the county
written in 1857 by the late Mrs. Net
tie Sanford, puts the date in March,
1863.
Celebrated tho Day.
From her personal recollections, Mrs
Abbott recalled the celebration Of the
arrival Of the first train. The town was
the host. 1t having invited members Of
the Chicago Board OF Trade and prom
inent men from all along the line to
be her guests for the day. 1--WE had a
grand holiday" read Mrs. Abbott.
Parts Of two bands. Eldora and AL
bion, met the train and played during
the day. A chorus directed by Prof.
I1el6ulO1l, sang, ana there was ledSllNS,
speechmaking and dancing.
Henry Arson presided at the gather
ing at woodbury's hall. The town
danced far into the night in the hall
of the old court house.
Soon after the celebration many Of
the people Of the city had their first
to Chicago on the invitation of the
of Two n ~
indeed was that journey.
Eelped Build tho Line.
Mr.. Kirby, who was in personal
charge Of the construction of that part
of the road west of Cedar Rapids
sketched briefly the history Of the
building Of the lines that are now the
Northwestern railroad.
The GaIena and Chicago Union Rail-
roal Company began building west out
of Chicago in 1s47. An extension Of
this line, the Dixon Air Line. was COM
pleted to Fulton, Ill, Dec. 10, 1855, he
said. The Mississippi Chicago, Iowa
and Nebra ska railroad, projected from
Clinton to Cedar Rapids, was finished
in 1858. The Cedar Rapids and Mis-
souri, River railroad. projected from
Cedar Rapids to Council Bluffs, was
started in 1850. The first twenty seven
miles were laid that year. During the
next three years 1t was extended to
this city and west. Later all these
roads were leased and operated by the
| Northwestern, and still later they were
purchased by that road.
Work Over the Route.
Mr.. Kirby worked over the route Of
the road thru central Iowa. With the
engineering party that was surveying
the right of-way he camped at Haines'
Grove, Bear Grove, and other places
in the county in the fall Of 1861.
John I. Blair, Of Blairstown. N. j..
furnished most Of the money for the
building Of the Cedar Rapids to- Coun-
Gil Bluffs road. He was a delegate 10
the national convention that nominated
Abraham Lincoln in Chicago, and from
that convention was induced to come
to Cedar Rapids and this city in the
interests Of the proposed road. G. M.
Woodbury., Henry Arson, George Click,
J. L. Williams, s. P. Knisely and 9TH
ers were working hand in hand with
Cedar Rapids for this railroad.
Mr.. Kirby presented to the society
time table No. 2, of the Chicago, Iowa
& Nebraska railroad, that went into
effect april 1880. 1t scheduled one
, passenger and one freight train each
way each day between Clinton and
Cedar Rapids.
The high school glee club sang Aud