THE PENITENTIARY - 1872

HEISEY, URE, DOWNING, MCKEAN, TASKER, SHAW, LULL, SALES, SHAPLEY, HOLT, FIELD, MCCLURE, ELLIS, FOWLER

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 8/31/2017 at 22:47:34

Thursday, May 9, 1872, Anamosa Eureka (Anamosa, Iowa) Page: 3

THE PENITENTIARY

Meeting of the Commissioners’ -Inspection of the Site-

Yesterday forenoon the Penitentiary Commissioners, Messrs. Martin Heisey, formerly warden of the State Prison in Ft. Madison, Wm. Ure, of Linn Co., Maj. F. L. Downing, Oskaloosa, Mahaska Co., inspected several sites talked of for the location of the Anamosa Penitentiary building. The Commissioners were accompanied by Messrs. John McKean, John Tasker, B. F. Shaw, C. H. Lull, Dr. N. G. Sales, T. W. Shapley, E. C. Holt, G. W. Field, Jon. J. S. McClure, Representative from Linn Co., and a reporter for the EUREKA. A couple of smart livery teams soon transported the party to one of the proposed sites across Buffalo Creek, about a half mile from the main portion of town. The party disembarked and, notwithstanding several smart showers, made a pretty thorough exploration of an eighty acre tract, the north line of which is in the vicinity of forty rods north of the old road running up the “Forks;” the east line just across the brow of the hill this side of the railroad bridge; the south line about thirty or forty rods south of the bridge, and running directly west, and the west line that of the fence on the east side of Mr. Lucian Ellis’ field. This tract is the south half of the south-west corner of Section 3, and belongs to Dr. Sales, except ten acres owned by R. N. Fowler. Having looked over the ground pretty thoroughly the party returned by way of the thirteen acre tract which has sometimes have been talked of for County Fair Grounds, lying just in the northwestern limits of the corporation. This was examined briefly, after which the party returned to the Fisher House. Of course the Commissioner will keep their own counsel in the matter until the proper time, but they seemed pleased with the general situation.

This is only a partial excerpt from an very long article.