INCORPORATION OF PELLA

At a called election held June 27, 1855, for the purpose of deciding on
the question of incorporating the city of Pella, the result was as
follows: For, 135; against, 22. Thereupon the county judge set the 9th
day of July, 1855, as the time when an election should be held to elect
a commission of three men to draw up a charter (articles of
incorporation) of the city of Pella. The election was held with the
following results:

H. C. Huntsman received 72 votes.
Isaac Overkamp, 70 votes.
Pieter Barendreght, 64 votes.
August 20th the charter drawn up by this commission was submitted to the
voters. The judges and clerks who officiated at the election were:
Judges: E. F. Grafe, W. J. Ellis, A. Van Stigt.
Clerks: Isaac Overkamp, H. Hospers.

The charter was adopted and the 10th day of September designated as the
time to hold an election of the first city administration. The following
officers were elected:

For mayor, W. J. Ellis; recorder, G. Boekenoogen; treasurer, Isaac
Overkamp; marshal, A. Stoutenberg; aldermen first ward, T. Rosborough,
Mozes A. Clark; aldermen second ward, J. E. Streng, H. Hospers; aldermen
third ward, O McDowell, J. Berkhout.

On August 20, 1847, the first colonists from Holland arrived at the
present location of Pella, and in 1855, only eight years later, the
little settlement had developed into a prosperous and growing town, and
one of the important business and trading points of central Iowa.
Considering that the nearest railroad and shipping point was at Keokuk,
distant 116 miles, it is not too much to say that this rapid growth was
another evidence that our fathers had come here filled with the
determination to hew out from the wilderness a permanent home for
themselves and their posterity, that would be a credit to their name and
a valuable addition to the new country which they loved.

COMMERCIAL ESTABLISHMENTS OF PELLA IN 1855

GENERAL

E. F. Grafe
H. Van Dam
H. De Booy
J. Berkhout
Caldwell & Jenkins
Bousquet & Botsford
James Muntingh
J. Thomassen & Son
D.Earl & Co.
G. F. Stegeman
J. H. H. Van Spankeren

HARDWARE

D.W. Van Sittert

STOVES AND TINWARE

George Henckler

DRUG STORES

J. H.Wolters
B. F. Keables