Lisbon-1859

PFAUTZ, SWEET, HOGENDOBLER, MILLER, COLEMAN, BOAG, WETHERELL, HAMMER, ARMSTRONG, DORWART, FLOYD, WEST, WEAVER

Posted By: Anne Hermann (email)
Date: 10/7/2008 at 23:37:36

Gleanings From The Notebook of The Itinerating Editor
Dubuque Weekly Times
June 2, 1859

Lisbon, May 25, 1859

One mile west of the line of Cedar county, and in the southern township of Linn county, is Lisbon, a village laid out seven years ago, and now thought to contain one thousand people. It is a prairie town, though bounded on the south by Yankee Grove, a beautiful growth of young timber. Three miles north is Linn Grove, which stretches westward almost to the beautiful town of Marion. Here, as at Tipton and other towns in Cedar county, just visited, we find many emigrants from Pennsylvania and Ohio, with a sprinkling of Knickerbockers and “Downeasters.” From Wayne, Stark, Holmes and other counties in Ohio, where we have often seen large and rank fields of wheat, we see farmers here on still larger and more luxuriant wheat fields. They left a fertile country – as did the emigrants from “old Lancaster,” whom we meet here in Lisbon – for one still more fertile. – No part of Northern Iowa, we believe, has a better soil than this part of Linn Co. – We speak deliberately, after having visited every well settled county in the Northern part of the State.

Lisbon is not growing much just now, but every house, we are told, has a tenant, and some houses more too! The steam flouring mill is temporarily idle, like some men’s character, sadly needing repairs. The indications in the grain fields are that there will be business enough for the mill in two or three months.

The business houses of Lisbon are Ravenau & Pfautz, David Dorwart, Kurtz & Armstrong, Archer & Mitchell, and Martin Floyd, general merchants; C. H. West, and J. F. Weaver, grocers; and Armstrong & Shanklin, druggists. There are one tinsmith, two harness makers, two blacksmiths, two tailors, two milliners, two cabinet makers, and five shoe makers. Jacob Pfautz and A. A. Sweet have each a brickyard near the village. Ravenau & Pfautz have a new warehouse at the railroad depot. The hotels are the New York House, Goodrich & Son, proprietors – a very neat and comfortable house – and the Union Hotel, helped by John Hogendobler.

Lisbon has no public schools just now, but two select ones are being taught. The churches are, United Brethren, Geo. Miller, pastor; Methodist, supplied by Mr. Coleman of Mt. Vernon; Presbyterian, Robert Boag, residing at Mechanicsville, pastor, and the “all Brights.” The United Brethren have a house of worship, and the Lutherans are building one.

Lisbon has three physicians, Isaac Hammer, G. W. Wetherell and James M. Armstrong. Dr. Armstrong is the Postmaster. The place has no limb of the law. Whenever a lawyer is needed, he is extemporized from such local talent as can be brought into requisition. We believe Dr. Hammer is a universal genius, and sometimes hammers any knotty legal question.

Lisbon is on the line of the Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad, only two miles east of Mount Vernon, in the same township. – The latter town, situated on an eminence, with its college building towering over all others, is beautiful to behold at this distance, and doubly beautiful, at this hour, with the rays of the setting sun falling upon it, like the benediction of the departing day. We must have a nearer view of Mount Vernon soon. We shall have it, for the evening train from the East is due; even now the whistle is heard, and – we are off.