Major Events in Clinton's History
Major events of historic nature since Elijah Buell settled in what later becameLyons in 1835 and Joseph M. Bartlett established a store in what later was known as New York andthen became Clinton, as revealed in published histories and the files of The Herald tell the rise of a struggling, pioneer settlement and its sebsequent development into one of Iowa's foremost cities.
Obviously, it is impossible to chronicle all the happenings of more thana century but an effort was made to single out the most important ones.
The History:
| 1835 | Elijah Buell settled in what became Lyons. |
| 1836 | Elijah Buell breaks first ground for crops. |
| 1836 | J. M. Bartlett settles on land which later becomes Clinton |
| 1837 | Buell hauls wheat and salt port to Chicago, returning with load of salt. Wheat sold for 40 cents per bushel and port at $2.25 per hundred. |
| 1838 | Iowa Territory organized out of "Black Hawk" country. |
| 1838 | Joseph M. Bartlett sells to Capt. C. G. Pearce of Cincinnati and Col. Beal Randall, Baltimore, land which now embraces greater part of Clinton upon which he had settled in 1836. |
| 1838-1839 | City first known as New York. Bartlett's store, the Perrin House and the Pearce home were the only buildings. Bigelow's mint was first manufacturing enterprise. Hard money was coined and distributed in all directions as legal tender. |
| 1839 | First election held. Furrow on section line between Townships 81 and 82 marked road to interior of county. |
| 1839 | First district court held in October. Hon. Thomas S. Wilson, Dubuque, was the judge; James D. Bourne, sheriff, and Martin Dunning, clerk. |
| 1840 | Territorial legislature, by enactment Jan. 11, organized County of Clinton, the law to take effect March 1, 1840, and making Camanche the county seat. Election of three commissioners and other officers set for first Monday in April. The Rev. Oliver Emerson preached first church sermon in Clinton. |
| 1841 | First record of proceedings of commissioners show session Jan. 5. Robert C. Bourne, Eli Goddard and Elijah Buell were first county commissioners. |
| 1842 | Territorial post road established between Davenport and Dubuque. Route passed through Clinton. Name of town of "Vandenburg" changed to "DeWitt". |
| 1844 | Tornado swept southern part of county, June 4, fatally injuring Mr. Peoples, a farmer livingnear what is now known as Shaffton. Caused heavy loss in livestock and buildings. |
| 1844 | First steps taken toward obtaining admission of Iowa into Union by passage of a law by territoial legislature providing for an expression of the opinion of the people at the April election of that year. The majority opinion was favorable. |
| 1845 | Congress passed law March 3 for providing for admission of Iowa into Union but people rejected it because western boundary was only 30 miles west of Des Moines. |
| 1846 | Convention held May 18 completed constitution which was voted on and adopted during August election. Congress passed final act Dec. 28, 1846, which declared "that the State of Iowa shall be one, and is hereby declared to be one, one of the United States of America and admitted into the Union on an equal footing with the original states in all respects whatsoever." |
| 1850 | Population of Clinton county rises to 2,822 with 19,008 acres of improved land. |
| 1855 | Iowa Land Company, which founded Clinton, organized May 28. By articles was authorized "to purchase, hold, improve and sell real estate." First purchase of land, comprising 500 acres, made July 4. First growth was very slow. Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska railroad reaches Fulton, Illinois. |
| 1856 | First school election held. Clinton Herald published first edition Dec. 18. |
| 1857 | Charter conferred upon City of Clinton Jan. 26 by general assembly. Unanimously adopted by city March 7, ninety-seven votes being cast. Samuel Crozer was first mayor. Railroad reaches DeWitt. |
| 1859 | Amended charter adopted April 5, dividing city into four wards. |
| 1861 | Recruiting of men for Civil service was started April 18, three days after declaration of war. |
| 1862 | Clinton county regiment organized and mustered into service Sept. 30 as Twenty-Sixth Iowa infantry. |
| 1865 | City enters "Era of Expansion." Railroad bridge across Mississippi river completed. Clinton National bank organized. |
| 1866 | Gray's addition added to city June 22, making first addition to original plat of Clinton. |
| 1867 | Engine house and council chamber constructed in Second street between Fourth and Fifth avenues. Old special charter abandoned and Clinton chartered as second class city with 15,000 residents. |
| 1869 | Clinton Gas Light and Coke Co., organized. |
| 1869 | Clinton Horse Railway Co., begins operation. Court house moved to Clinton from DeWitt, Nov. 21. |
| 1871 | Old Jefferson school completed with seating capacity of 475 pupils. |
| 1874 | Clinton Water Works Co., given franchise. |
| 1878 | Joseph C. Root and J. K. P. Balch establish one of first, if not the first, telephone exchanges in United States. Ringwood annexed to Clinton. |
| 1882 | Gen. N. B. Baker post, Grand Army of the Republic organized July 3. County votes 3,267 to 2,547 against prohibition. |
| 1885 | Clinton county population increased to 38,661. Mississippi Valley Spiritualist association acquires Mt. Pleasant park. |
| 1887 | Free mail delivery service established. |
| 1890 | Young Men's Christian association organized. |
| 1890-1891 | Lyons and Fulton bridge built. |
| 1892 | Clinton and Illinois bridge completed. |
| 1893 | City hall erected. Cost was $25,000. |
| 1895 | Clinton and Lyons consolidated. Wartburg college was opened. |
| 1898 | Clinton county send Company L to Forty-Ninth regiment for Spanish-American war duty. |
| 1902 | Post office building completed. |
| 1904 | Clinton public library occupies present quarters. |
| 1906 | Clinton Sugar Refining Co. (now the Clinton Corn Company) begins operations here. |
| 1907 | Clinton post office raised to first class rating June 1. |
| 1909 | First train operated on new North Western bridge over Mississippi river, Feb. 22. |
| 1910 | North Western railroad opens East Clinton, Ill., roundhouse, the largest in the world. |
| 1913 | North Western opens new Camanche avenue shops. |
| 1916 | Battery A, Iowa National Guard, answered call of President Wilson, June 30, for service on Mexican border; released Dec. 24, 1916. |
| 1917 | Battery A, Iowa National Guard, reported for World war duty at call of President Wilson, June 18. Hundreds of Clinton and Clinton county men answer call to arms. |
| 1918 | Nov. 11 Clinton stages greatest celebration in its history as Armistice with Germany and her allies is signed. |
| 1919 | Battery A, 126th field artillery, discharged from federal service on Jan. 20. |
| 1920 | New North Western passenger station completed. |
| 1921 | First paving laid on Lincoln Highway in Clinton county. |
| 1922 | Construction of subways completed by North Western railroad. New Clinton High school building completed. North Western shopmen join nation-wide strike July 1. New No. 2 fire station built. |
| 1923 | Clinton give great and reverent tribute to memory of President Warren G. Harding when funeral train stopped here. |
| 1925 | Eagle Point Park acquired as part of Clinton park system. |
| 1926 | Murray gang of payrool robbers broke jail Feb. 9, recaptured near Chadwick, Ill., and one killed in gun battle. |
| 1927 | New streets named and number changed Feb. 1. Plans for Union station announced March 15. St. Mary's High school dedicated Oct. 26. Tri-City and Northwestern Bell telephone companies merge Nov. 21. |
| 1928 | The Clinton Herald purchases Clinton Advertiser Feb. 29 |
| 1929 | Riverview park swimming pool opened. |
| 1930 | B. M. Jacobsen elected to congress as "Democratic trail blazer from Iowa." |
| 1931 | New municipal incinerator completed. |
| 1932 | City National bank held up March 15 by four bandits and robbed of $105,000. Bandits captured and sentenced to life imprisonment. |
| 1932-1933 | Sporadic outbursts of violence and near-violence by farmers protesting low prices for farm products. |
| 1933 | City banks, successfully weather crisis of national banking holiday proclaimed by President Roosevelt. |
| 1934 | New Washington Junior High school completed and opened to pupils early in October. |
| 1935 | Preliminary work on construction of Lock and Dam No. 13 begun June 22. |
| 1936 | Rep. B. M. Jacobsen, Clinton, Second Iowa district congressman dies. W. S. Jacobsen, his son, chosen to fill vacancy on democratic ticket and wins election. |
| 1937 | New central fire station completed and occupied. E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Co., announce plans June 5 to locate new cellophane plant at Clinton. New Riverview park stadium completed. |
| 1938 | Voters in special election Sept. 26 favor creation of public docks commission. |
Source: The Clinton Herald, 26 Oct 1938