Clinton - from Brown's Gazetteer - 1869
CLINTON, Clinton county, De Witt the county seat, is beautifully situated on teh west bank of the Mississippi River, on an eminence too great to be subject to inundation by high water. Distance to Chicago one hundred and thirty-eight miles. Du Buque is seventy miles above, and Davenport forty miles below.
At an early date certain leading and far seeing men from the east selected the present site of Clinton as the one where, with a great water privilege and a large scope of fertile lands, capital and emigration would center and, ultimately, make a city of great importance.
At that time railroads were unthought of here, and water transportation was the only outlet to any considerable market, St. Louis and other river towns.
At length a town was laid out, and called New York. Bein a little in advance of the times the project failed for a time. Meanwhile the country settled up, and in August, 1855, uncut cornfields waved their green blades and notted their tasseled heads where Clinton stands to-day. The building of the town was again resumed; a rapid growth immediately set in, and the young city has had an uninterrupted course of prosperity, until now now less than sex thousand five hundred busy souls find employment in this hive of industry. In 1857 one thousand five hundred votes were polled, and settlers occupied lands principally owned by the Iowa Land Company. About this period this point was fixed on as the terminus of the Dixon Air Line Railroad, running from Chicago to the Mississippi River. The successful carrying out of these projects, the extending of the road to the Missouri river, and the building of connecting links to the U. P. R. R., has given this place the main railroad bridge over which must pass the great and increasing traffic between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.
The Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad is now leased and operated by the C. & N. W. R'y Co., headquarters at Clinton.
(This is the road from Clinton to Council Bluffs, part and parcel of the C. & N. W. Railway.)
The following are the officers of this division:
I. B. Howe, Div. Supt.; J. B. Watkins, Master of transportation; S. J. Mills, Train Dispatcher, East Div.,; H. W. Somers, Master Mechanic; Wm. Campbell, Supt. Car Shops; E. A. Wadleigh, Station and Freight Agent.
Passenger and eating house, car shops, machine shops, engine houses, and other shops for the division at this point are erected of the most desirable and substantial material, such as brick, rough yellow lime stone and wood. These necessarily give employment to upwards of 500 workmen. The machine shop was built in 1864, at an expense of $65,000, occupying 80 by 250 feet of ground, the side walls being 22 feet in height. The engine house, a half circle of 330 feet and 63 feet deep, with stalls for 25 engines. The roof is slate, suported by iron trusses, and cost $60,000. The passenger and eating house, built of wood, is barely passable, and is to be replaced by a more comely one.
There is considerable timber growing about here, but the principal supply comes down the river in rafts, consequently a number of saw mills have been erected, and we believe W. J. Young & Co. have the ascendency, perhaps, over any other on the continent, at least within our knowledge. They employ from 100 to 200 men, and run three gangs, twenty saws each, and in all 80 or 100 saws, cutting 250,000 feet of lumber per day, and are capable of cutting over 300,000 feet per day.
Messrs. Lamb & Son's mill perhaps come next, and averages 100,000 per day. There are others of importance, of which we know too little to make mention.
The Clinton Paper Company, organized in December 1867, are erecting a paper mill at a cost of over $100,000.
Mr. A. R. Boynton has an extensive hoop skirt factory, employing over twenty-five females in manufacturing hoop skirts, corsets, etc.
With letting the above suffice to show the many advantages, resources, and the possession of such vim of enterprise, adding her success in every branch of trade, with the markets of the whole world, in outlets either by rail or water, we predict for her a prominence among the larger cities of our country.
A daily stage makes regular trips between here and Lyons. Distance two miles.
One newspaper, the Iowa Age, a very respectable sheet, issued daily. See "The Iowa Age" among the names.
Clinton Businesses
From Brown's Gazetteer 1869
| Adams, B. F., harness mkr., 5th ave | Adams, T., supt. 5th ave |
| Ayer & Co., grocers, 5th ave | Babcock & Conley, marble cutters, cor. 2d and 4th ave |
| Bailey, E. S., lawyer, 2d | Biley, J. R., restaurant, 5th ave |
| Baldwin, J., atty., 1 Union hall | Baldwin & Tinan, grocers, 2d |
| Baldwin & Son, boots and shoes | Bassett, E. E., justice of the peace, 2d |
| Beller, John, saloon, 2d | Benker, John, saloon, 5th ave |
| Bird, A., barber, under J. C. House | Blackhall, J., photographer, 5th ave |
| Blackman & Brown, barbers, 5th ave | Blanchard, David, blacksmith, 5th ave |
| Boyington, A. R., hoop skirt factory, 2d | Breithing, John, bakery, 5th ave |
| Brewer, I. P., gain dealer [sic], 1st | Brooks, Rodgers & Co., heavy hardware mers., 1st |
| Brooks, N. E., grocer | Brown, C. M., hardware mer., 5th ave |
| Browning, W. H., queensware, 5th ave | Bucher, J. C., grocer, 2d |
| Bucher, J. C., agt. N. L. steamers, W. U. L. steamers and wood and coal mer., First | Buell, H. E., fruit store, 2d |
| Byant, Geo., blacksmith, 2d | Carter, John, grocer, 5th ave |
| Chase & Stevens, attys., 4 toll blk | Childs, B. F., propr. Iowa Central House, cor. 1st and 4th ave |
| Chuscher, J. H., book store, 2d | Clark, Peter, grocer, cor. 2d and 3d ave |
| Clark & Pool, dry goods, 5th ave, w. s. | Clegg & Hughes, milliners, 2d |
| Clinton Nat'l Bank, W. F. Coan, pres; Mils Smith, vice pres; cor. 5th ave and 1st | Clinton Co. Saving Institution, W. J. Young, pres; C. Lamb, vice pres; W. F. Coan, treas; Hayer, W., atty |
| Clinton Lumber Mills, 1st | Cook, John, recorder, 2d |
| Conant & Co., farmers mills, 1st | Craig, R., shoe mkr, 5th ave |
| Crozer, J. G. grocer, 2d | Curtis & Bro., sash factory, 1st |
| Cutler, W., M. D., dentist, 2d | Doyle, John, shoe mkr, 2d |
| Duffin & Nelson, billiard hall, 5th ave | Eaton, E., livery stable, 5th ave |
| Ewing & Young, grocer, 2d | Eyne, Geo., saloon, 5th ave |
| Farnsworth, P. J., M. D., (h) 8 Toll blk | Flanigan & Furgason, carriage mkrs, 4th ave |
| Franklin & Train, mer. tailors, 2d | Gerhard, Henry, propr. Gerhard House, cor 1st and 6th ave |
| Gode, Henry, grocer, 5th ave | Goldstein & Co., dry goods, 5th ave |
| Gottlob & Miller, cigar mkrs, 2d | Gray, Dan'l, atty., 2 Union hall |
| Harrington, G. H., grocer, 5th ave and 2d | Harring, W. H., gen'l opr., N. W. road, depot |
| Harvey, J. T. druggist, 2d | Hetton, E., clothing mer., 2d |
| Holway, B. F., asst. P. M. | Holway, Emory, atty and ins agt, 4 Union hall |
| Holway, F. N., P. M. | Housman, F., bakery, 2d |
| Howard, Sischo & Co., painters, 1st | Hyatt & McLoine, attys, 11 Toll blk |
| Iowa Age, newspaper and job printing office, Clinton, Iowa, Edward H. Thayer, editor. Prompt attention given to orders by mail. | Iowa Land Co's office, J. Van Deventer, gen'l agt, 1st |
| Irwin, J. G., justice of the peace, 3 Toll blk | Janesen & Struve, cabinet mkrs, 2d |
| Joadwine & Co., wagon mkrs, 5th ave | Keim, E. T., ex. agt, 5th ave |
| Ketter & Co., hardware, 5th ave | King, E. H., M. D. (h) 2 Hosfords blk |
| Kingsley, Mrs. E. P., dress mkr, 2d | Knox, T. R., tel. opr. of Mississippi, 2d |
| Krebs, C., bakery, 2d | Lee, Francis, druggist, w-s and ret., cor 5th ave and 2d |
| Leslie & Co., groceries and dry goods, 5th ave | Leslie, McAllaster & Co., steam job printers |
| Mauzy, H. C., furniture dealer, 2d | Mathews, J. F., boots and shoes, 5th ave |
| Adams, B. F., harness maker, 5th ave | McCormic & Co., druggists, 2d |
| McKinley, A. S., livery stable, 4th ave | Memler, Chris, meat mkt, 2d |
| Miller & Co., barbers, 5th ave | Moore & Hopkins, dentists, 4 Hosford's blk |
| Muller, Chris, saloon, 5th ave | Murphy, H., boarding house, 2d |
| Neff, Chas., photographer | North, Harvey, jeweler and musical mdse, 5th ave |
| Ogandoblar, J., city marshal | Pardey & Bro., restaurant, 5th ave |
| Paxson, W. C., surgeon, 2d | Pipping, Gottlob & Co., meat mkt, 88 2d |
| Potter, G. S., billiard hall, 2d | Ramsey, S., gunsmith, 5th ave |
| Ray, P. L., saloon, 2d | Raymond, H. W., gen'l ins agt, 2 Hosford's blk |
| Rexroad, D., boarding house, 5th ave | Reynolds, J., M. D., 1 Hosford's blk |
| Richardson & Hess, barber, 2d | Richardson, J. G., (h) 6 Hosford's blk |
| Rightmire, Mrs., dress mkr, 2d | Robins, W. R., hardware dealer, 1st |
| Rockwell & Terrel, lawyers, 3 Toll blk | Rumery, Mrs., milliner, 2d |
| Schmitz, J. H., hardware dealer | Schwirtz, N., saloon, Gerhard House, cor 1srt and 6th ave |
| Seaman & Co., dry goods, 2d | Sexton & McRea, barbers, 2d |
| Sharp & Son, Oriental mills, 1st ave | Spaulding & Bemis, bankers, cor. 2d and 5th ave |
| Spencer, Geo., hardware, 2d | Springer, T. G., druggist, cor 1st and 5th ave |
| Sposman, Chas., restaurant, 2d | Southerland, tailor, 2d |
| Southerland, H. B., jeweler, 5th ave | Stauber, A., tailor, 5th ave |
| Stengle, C., saloon, 2d | Stevens, James, broom factory, 7th ave |
| Stoll, S., barber, 2d | Stratton, J. S., grocer, 5th |
| Stuart & Santee, stationers, 2d | Taylor, C. S., jeweler, 2d |
| Ten Brook, E. P., founder, cor 11th ave and 2d | Toll, S. T. & Co., com. mers, 2d |
| Towle & Co., dry goods, 2d | Tracy & Starr, meat mkt, 2d |
| Traver, John, restaurant, 5th ave | Van Valkenburg, W., restaurant, 5th ave |
| Voneiff, John, grocer, 2d | Waldo, W., saloon, 2d |
| Weil, M. S., clothing mer, 2d | Wheeler, J., cigar mkr., 2d |
| Wilcox, F. P., ins agt, 6 Toll blk | Wilmeroth & Raymond, dress makers, 3 Hosford's blk |
| Witzigman, F., saloon, 2d | Wood & Stilwell, gen'l ins agts, 2 Hosford's blk |
| Woodworth, F., real estate agt, 11 Toll blk | Young, C. M., hardware dealer, 5th ave |