Eaton, Joel

EATON

Posted By: Joyce Hickman (email)
Date: 12/16/2008 at 14:04:38

Joel Eaton

(From the 1883 History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, by J. H. Keatley, p.20, Council Bluffs)
Joel Eaton, Secretary and part proprietor of Council Bluffs Gas Company, Council Bluffs, was born near Boston, Mass., and received his education there. He is of English descent, his ancestors coming to America in 1630. In the spring of 1870, franchise was granted, and the construction of gas works for the city of Council Bluffs was immediately begun. Soon after this, however, articles of incorporation were filed with the Secretary of State organizing a stock company with a capital of $150,000. The company has at present one main building 112 feet in length, where the gas is manufactured from the best Pennsylvania coal, and one gasometer with a capacity of 60,000 cubic feet. Five men are employed in the manufacture of the gas. The company's office is located at 28 Pearl street, where they have a plumbing and gas-fitting establishment. In this latter department four men are employed, including the book-keeper and plumbers. The company has a contract with the city for furnishing the gas and lighting the street lamps of the city. Two lamp-lighters are employed by the company, and sometimes as high as twenty-five men are employed in laying mains, etc. Mr. Eaton is at present secretary of this company, and part proprietor of the same.