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THE VILLAGE OF CRESCO

The Village of Cresco, so named from the the Latin word meaning " I Grow, " came into actual existence as a village in April, 1866,  when Augustus Beadle bought the land comprised in the city from M. L. Shook. Nine years prior to this date, Shook, had purchased the land from Horace Barber. The later had entered the area at the general land office in September, 1856, and held it until October, 1857, when he made the sale mentioned. Consequently, Augustus Beadle may be considered the founder of Cresco proper. He was born in Poughkeepsie, N. Y., October 7, 1820 and died in Cresco, March 1, 1898.  His early education was received at Rutgers College, where he received the Master of Arts degree, and for a time he was president of Kingston Academy, at Kingston, N. Y.  In June, 1847, he married Eliza M. Parker, of Hyde Park, N. Y. In 1855 he came to Iowa and located on a farm in Afton Township, Howard County. Here he remained until 1866, when he moved to the eastern part of the county, to Vernon Springs Township, and founded Cresco.  He later sold a part interest in the land to W. B. Strong and B. H. Edgerton. The three immediately had the site surveyed, platted, and laid out into blocks and lots and streets. The plat was officially filed for record, June 12, 1866.  The railroad, the Chicago,  Milwaukee & St. Paul, on the I. & M. division of which Cresco is situated,  provided a strong incentive for speed growth and Cresco was not slow in taking advantage of the same. Her population from 1885 until 1915 was as follows:

1885 - - 1,888    1890 - - 2,018   1895 - - 2,520  1900 - - 2,800   1905 - - 2,931   1910 - - 2,658 1915 - - 3,190

FIRST MERCHANTS

Strother & Kirkpatrick --- general merchants

Bones & White --- dry goods

J. J. Clemmer --- drugs, paints and oils

B. Chapin  ---- stoves and hardware

G. A. Purdy -- stoves

Burdick & Clouse -- general merchants

Price & Lowry --- drugs and medicines

W. H. Alleman -- boots and shoes

Perry & Conklin -- agricultural machinery

Mrs. J. T. Donahugh -- millinery

B. Isaacs -- manufacturer of buggies and wagons

Parnell & Myers -- blacksmiths

D. Beam and F. Miller -- harness makers

Mrs. F. H. Jewett -- photographer

Mrs. Knowles & Company -- millinery

E. B. Sloan - - tailor

Empire House -- J. De Noyelles, proprietor

Durham House

The first hotel in Cresco was known as the Mansfield House also as the DeNoyelles House. This was burned and the Strother House erected on the site. This latter hotel was erected in 1876 by W. Strother and opened for business New York's night, 1877, under the management of Priest & Shaw. The Strother Hotel is still the active hostelry in Cresco,  after forty-one years of service.

The Webster House was established early by J. F. Webster and occupied the public library site.

The Dilworth House was started in 1870 by John Dilworth.

The Van Slyke House was another early hostelry.

The Empire House and Durham House have been mentioned before.

That Cresco has grown is proved by a glance at the list of  merchants and business firms now doing business in the city. Manufacturing has been introduced to a certain extent in the city, examples of which are the grubbing machine and stump puller works, flour mills, brick and tile works,  carriage and wagon works, foundry, machine shop, furniture factory and  creamery. The number of business concerns here in 1918 is seven times greater than is shown in list of first merchants.

Ref: History of Chickasaw and Howard County, Part Three Howard Co, Chapter 5. pages 415 to 419, transcribed by Lookup Person,  Leonard Granger