Plain Talk about Anamosa
Another season for business and improvement is now approaching, and we shall take the liberty of saying a few words about Anamosa, which will have the merit of being plain spoken at least.
Anamosa, if properly looked after, can be made an important point in the State. The nearest place east is Canton, which is 25 miles by road. Cascade is 26 miles northeast; Quasqueton about 24 miles northwest; Marion and Cedar Rapids, 20 and 26 miles west; and Rome, in this county, about 12 miles southeast. It will be seen from this that we have the natural custom of a section of country about 20 miles in length and breadth. This strip of country will support a large town, and we can have a large town as anything else. All that is wanted is energy, enterprise and unanimity.
One of the first things wanted is to get our town incorporated, so as to enable the authorities to establish uniformity of width and condition of streets, as well as other regulations about drains, removal of obstructions, etc.
The next thing most wanted is the erection of a large number of dwelling houses and stores. Not less than 50 good dwellings and 6 large stores are now wanted in Anamosa. Some of our old shells ought to be torn down, and others built upon their sites.
We want a large number of thorough going mechanics, such as carpenters, masons, etc. We want men, who when they commence a job, will carry it through, and not drop it every few days to have a spree, or to hunt and fish. No place can ever be built up by such mechanics. We want men whose pride will drive them to put up convenient and tasteful buildings for themselves as well as others. We want mechanics who will come and settle down among us, and not mere floating journeymen who stay with us just long enough to get well in debt, and then leave. We have had enough of these and want no more.
From: Daily Miners' Express, Dubuque, Iowa, March 30, 1854
Submitted by: Ken WrightHorse Thief Arrested
A woman horse thief was arrested in Maquoketa the other day, who registered at the hotel as Mrs. Johnson, from Freeport. The team of horses she had in her possession were from Wyoming, Jones County. She was arrested, taken back to the latter place and placed in the “cooler,” where she will remain until legal action is pronounced upon her case. Very likely she is another candidate for Anamosa.
From: May 17, 1887
Submitted by: Ken Wright
Calkins–Briggs Marriage
MARRIED—At the home of the bride’s parents in Wyoming on December 26, 1890, Miss Elva Calkins to William E. Briggs of Centerville, South Dakota, the Rev. George R. Carroll officiating. The bride, Miss Elva Calkins, daughter of Dr. M. H. Calkins, is too well known to our people to need words commendatory from us. She is a graduate of Mt. Carroll, Illinois Female Seminary and has taught in the public schools of Wyoming and Maquoketa meeting with admirable success. Her life up to her marriage was mostly spent in Wyoming and was one of usefulness. Her kindly and effective efforts in keeping up a literary organization for the culture and education of our young people have been productive of much good and she will in this circle be especially missed. Mr. Briggs is the son of Moore Briggs, Des Moines, formerly of Wyoming and the marriage the consummation of an attachment of long standing between the young people. Mr. Briggs is a banker at Centerville, South Dakota, and is highly spoken of as a leading business in that place. The Journal extends the warmest and most hearty of congratulations, wishing the couple a long and useful life.
From: Wyoming Journal, reprinted in the Jackson Sentinel, January 9, 1890
Submitted by: Ken Wright
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Election Contest Decided
The long deferred and anxiously awaited trial of the election contest between James A. Voorhees and Hiram Arnold in Jones County was held beginning Saturday last. Tuesday afternoon Gid Ellis received a telephone call from his brother-in-law, Mr. Arnold, that the contest had been decided in his favor, he being elected by four votes.
From: Maquoketa Excelsior, April 14, 1898
Submitted by: Ken Wright
Fishway
Fish and game warden, George Delavan was in the city Tuesday, and in the company with County Attorney Herrick, R. P. Smith and E. E. Hicks drove down to Canton to view the dam at that place, with a prospect of putting in a fishway there. This dam has for years deprived the Maquoketa River above that point of the fish which would otherwise have found their way up from the Mississippi, and in consequence the stream has become almost depopulated of good fish. A short time ago about 50 feet of the dam went out and when it is rebuilt our nimrods all want to see this fishway put in, so Mr. Delavan was at once notified and he came to look the situation over. If this fishway is put in the fishing in the Maquoketa River in this vicinity will become as good as it was a number of years ago when the dam went out and remained out til summer. Arrangements have been made with the owners of the dam to maintain a permanent way for fish to go through the dam, so that Mr. Delavan's visit here will be of great benefit.
From: Jones County Times, reprinted in the Maquoketa Excelsior, April 18, 1898
Submitted by: Ken Wright
Plank Road From Bellevue To Canton
Plank Road Meeting–
The citizens of Jackson County are hereby notified that a public meeting of the citizens of Bellevue was held in the Court House on the evening of the 8th inst., to advise and consult upon the propriety of calling a Plank Road Meeting to take measures for the early commencement of the plank road from Bellevue to Canton. After transacting some preliminary business and a free interchange of views, it was unanimously agreed to call a mass meeting of the citizens of Jackson County to be held at the Court House in Bellevue, on Tuesday, the 22nd day of March, 1853.
The citizens of adjoining counties, who are interested in the construction of the road are invited to be present.
By request of the meeting.
F. SCARBOROUGH
Secretary
From: Jackson Press, Bellevue, Jackson County, Iowa, March 16, 1853
Submitted by: Ken Wright
Midland Railway
The belt railroads of our State are rapidly multiplying. Already we have three completed, and in operation from river to river; two more are fast nearing the Missouri, and three more are projected, with good prospects of success. The last of these was organized in Maquoketa yesterday, at a meeting of citizens representing the counties from Clinton northwesterly to Hardin. It organized with the name of “The Iowa Midland Railway Company.” The initial point is Clinton, the line from there to take a northwesterly course through Maquoketa, Anamosa, Vinton and Grundy Centre, to Eldora, these to the Missouri by a route yet to be chosen.
Colonel Shaw, of Anamosa, was chosen as the President of the Company; Hon. John Porter of Eldora, Vice-President; William F. Coan, of Clinton, Treasurer; Mr. Spence, of Clinton, Secretary.
From: Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, March 17, 1870
Submitted by: Ken Wright
W.C.T.U. Meeting in Wyoming
From the Wyoming Journal's report of the W.C.T.U. convention held in that city last week we clip: Rev. Millikan of Anamosa delivered the address of the evening. He is a fine talker, but the kernel of his theme was that temperance was the result of education and breeding; that so long as corn grew, intoxicating liquors would be manufactured and by some people used as a beverage. However, he believed in the educational work of temperance beginning in the fathers and mothers, running through the nursery, kindergarten, public schools, churches and life of the individual, line upon line, precept upon precept, to the attainment of that perfection possible on earth prior to the chaining down of Satan, but his lecture gave little hope, if any, of absolute prohibition this side of the Millenium.
From: Maquoketa Excelsior, May 10, 1895
Submitted by: Ken Wright
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State Asks For Death Penalty For Olin Slayers
Mrs. Tilda Miner and her 64 year old paramour, Albert Hartwig of Olin are facing the death penalty for the alleged slaying of the former's husband last Tuesday. County Attorney C. B. Paul of Jones County filed information against the pair last week, who were arraigned before the district judge yesterday and who will be tried in the March term of court which opens this week. Since the arrest of Hartwig and Mrs. Miner, authorities have been weaving a web about the pair and have succeeded in obtaining sufficient evidence to convict them, according to persons in the neighborhood. Fred Fortney, a friend of the poisoned victim, by posing as a friend of Hartwig, learned through him what he, Hartwig, had done with the poison that he had purchased at the Olin Drug Store, claiming that he wanted to kill rats. The poison was traced to the Miner home, and after considerable grilling, Mrs. Miner confessed that she had filled the capsules with the poison and mixed them with the medicine capsules her husband was taking for his illness. Many Olin residents believe that the crime had been planned for some time and that the poison could be given, which would result in his doing away with Mr. Miner, and that owing to his ill health his death would be attributed to suicide. After her arrest Mrs. Miner attempted suicide by taking three of the poison capsules, but the fact that she took an overdose together with prompt medical treatment, her death was frustrated.
From: Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, March 4, 1930
Submitted by: Ken WrightNarrowly Escapes Death
Tuesday as a bus carrying school children was returning from the Onslow school, it was struck by a train—an express—and three children of the William Wilcox family were taken to Anamosa for treatment. Mr. Wilcox lives on the creek road west of town.
From: Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, October 30, 1914
Submitted by: Ken Wright
Canton Dam
The ice went out of the Canton mill pond on Wednesday, March 9, 1898, between 11 and 12 o’clock in the forenoon, doing considerable damage. The ice, which had not broken up in the pond since the first cold weather in the fall was hard crystal ice 20 inches thick. However the melting snows on Tuesday and Wednesday raised the water above five feet and tore the ice away from the shores and banks and set the mass in motion. It first formed a gorge at the head of the island, which for half an hour practically dammed back all the water, but when the gorge gave way, big floes of ice standing on the edge, tree tops and bridge plank mixed in together presented a scene of wild confusion not soon to be forgotten. The current forced its way through on the east shore of the pond, tearing out about 40 feet of the east end of the Canton dam. The balance of the dam, 170 feet, is not damaged. The part of the dam destroyed is known as the old part and has been in about 50 years. The rest of the dam was built new about a dozen years ago.
The mill of J. L. Hudson, which was one of the landmarks of the country, is also a ruin. When the dam gave way the ice seemed to knock out some of the posts and the foundation from the west end of the mill. At the same time a 48 inch turbine wheel was seen to topple over into the current and a few hours after the whole west end of the mill collapsed. A felloe saw costing quite a sum of money, among other things, went down the stream. We have heard no talk about rebuilding the mill, but the dam will be repaired as soon as the weather permits. In fact the lumber is now sawed and partly on the ground.
When the dam broke the water in the pond settled very fast and left thousands of fish stranded among the cakes of ice. One lady, who happened to live near the river, got 19 fine fish with a garden rake. The stranded fish were of all varieties and sizes, though mostly large fish. William Keister obtained a 10 pound “Red horse” and we saw two men each carrying off a 50 pound string of channel cat. A few bass were caught, but not many. It is a safe guess that over 1,000 pounds of fish were picked up within two days.
From: Jackson Sentinel, Maquoketa, Iowa, March 24, 1898
Submitted by: Ken Wright
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