Webster City freeman. [volume] (Webster City, Hamilton County, Iowa) 1884-1946, 1916-04-25
FT[|R sixty S !
EYENI|f||:UL Years )
J. M. Jones Host to a Party Of Pion.
eer Friends who Helped Make
Webster City What
It Is.
INTERESTING "REMINISCENCES
Didn't Know Where He was Bound
for When He Arrived Here
in the Year 1866.

at a seven O'Clock dinner at his home
and that of his son, r. E. Jones and
wife, on south Wilson avenue, the
guests including most unusual COM
pany-those who were in this city
sixty years ago yesterday, the date
when Mr.. Jones arrived in Webster
City. "A.
"A few who afe now alive and who
were able to be present were Mr.. and
Mrs. Thomas Bonebright, Mr.. and
Mrs. B. r.. Brewer, Uncle" David
Beach and wife, Mrs. Charles Stod-
dard and Mrs. J. N. Lyon. Before
the dinner, Photographer Traver
took number of pictures of the
group-two OF the entire group and
two of the four people who have been
here sixty years. These four were
Mrs. Thos. Bonebright, B. r. Brew
er, David Beach and the host, ]. M.
Jones. W.
The guests were then served with
q delicious turkey dinner and all ac-
compartments, although the invita-
|tions bore typical 1856" menu OF
black beans, side meat, pumpkin pie,
wild crabappIes, black walnuts, etc.
The table was beautifully decorated
with bouquets of red Richmond roses
and red candles, the place cards be-
ing also decorated with red roses.
The roses were given the guests as
favors upon their departure.
The conversation during the even
ing was naturally directed to the
life and the events of other years.
One Of the few maps Of Webster City
in 1869 which was made from a
drawing of a birdseye view Of the
city at that time, was spread upon
the library table and with it were
a few old photographs, including one
of the first Methodist church in this
city, a building which Thos. Bone
bright helped erect and in after
years helped to tear down. This
building was located near where the
north school building now is. &;
At four o'clock in the afternoon
on April 81, 1856, the host arrived
in Webster City from the east, hav-
ing come from Boston to Chicago by
rail. distance then requiring four
days of travel in day coaches, Q
sleeping car then being an unheard
OF luxury. During those four days.
the train would occasionally stop
while the engineer and fireman
''shooed" away the cattle from the
railroad track. Changing cars at
Chicago, Mr.. Jones resumed his Jour-
ney by rail- to Dubuque, which was
the terminal of the Illinois Central
railroad. Here, in company with two
or three others, he bought a team
and a "democrat" wagon, with which
they started upon their journey west,
having no distinct plans just where
they would locate.
Somewhere east of Webster City
they fell in with Sumler Wilson, a
brother of w. c. Wilson, two Of the
earliest pioneer settlers of this city,
and the former gentleman used all
the persuasive powers in his possess
sion to induce Mr.. Jones to come to
the thriving little settlement q lit
tie farther on, known as Webster
City. Such a good strong argument
was made in behalf of the town
which had just previously changed
its name from New Castle to Web
ster City, that the traveller stopped
when he got here and has never liv-
led elsewhere since that time.
There were between so and 100
souls then living In Webster City,
which was irregularly scattered
about the territory now known by
that name and the one hotel was a
log cabin located on east Division
street called the Moon House. w. c..
and Sumler Wilson in that year.
brought by teams from Dubuque, ma
chinery to equip steam saw mill
which was located just east Of the
Northwestern railroad tracks on
Bank street, Here Mr.. Jones seeur-
ed a good job at 81 per day, shovel
ling sawdust, and worked in the mill
for one year. Then he and another
man hired the mill and ran it for a
time.
A few log cabins were in the vi
cinity of the old Chase Mill site, one
OF which was the home of Mrs. Bone
bright and her brother. B. r. Brew
er. and their parents. 1t was in this
little settlement Of log cabins that
Stoddard started the first