Walter C. Willson did more to create Webster City than any man has before and since. He, with his brother, Sumler, came to Newcastle in 1855. The liked the potential here and purchased the entire town plot from he founder, Wilson Brewer for $22,000.

Walter was the planner and builder. Sumler operated the things that Walter built. First on their agenda was to build a sawmill on the Boone River at east end of Ohio Street. He sawed the first boards used in this town. Next he added a corn-cracker to his mill to grind corn. The pioneers used this ground corn to make "Johnny Cake", a cornbread, and "Samp", a corn meal mush.

At the point where the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad tracks cross Second Street he built his first of four hotels. It was a log cabin hotel. Willson's wife, Calista, ran this hotel. One reason for Willson's interest was that he thought that the railroad from Dubuque would soon arrive.

Our mail was delivered to Homer, where it was kept until a rider could go there and retrieve it. In later 1855, Willson decided that a new route to Fort Dodge should pass through Newcastle. He met with T. J. McChesney and persuaded him to route the mail through Newcastle instead of Bach Grove. A friend of Willson, S. B. Rosenkrans, wrote that McChesney drove away with a nice pair of black horses. At the same time, Willson changed the name of the post office to Webster City. The name of the town was still Newcastle, but Willson had designs to change that two years later. The stagecoach stopped at Willson's second hotel, called the Willson House, located at the southwest corner of Seneca and Bank Streets.

The next year, 1856, Willson got himself elected as a state senator for Webster County. He traveled to the capitol in Iowa City with the express purpose of presenting an act to divide the very large Webster County into two separate counties. The western county was to retain the name Webster and have its county seat in Fort Dodge. The east half was to be named Sharon County and have as its county seat Webster City. This was a name change from Newcastle. To enlist the aid in preparing the act, Willson contacted the president of the Senate, William W. Hamilton. To honor his assistance, Willson changed the name from Sharon County to Hamilton County. The act passed the legislature and became law on January 1, 1857.

In March of 1857, a band of renegade Sioux Indians raided Spirit Lake killing all of the settlers there. A company of men was formed in Webster City to join companies from Fort Dodge to form a Spirit Lake Expedition. They were organized as Company C and marched with Companies A and B under the leadership of Major Williams. Fearing more Indian attacks, those remaining in he area were put under martial law. Willson was appointed Captain of the Home Guard. Willson arranged for a wagonload of salt pork, flour, meal and other provisions to be sent to use for their return journey. This he did at his own expense.

Willson grew discouraged since the railroad, the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad got bogged down at Cedar Falls. He left for Chicago where he worked for seven years in a commission house dealing in lumber. In 1858, he learned that the railroad had reached Iowa Falls. He returned and contacted John I. Blair, engineer for the railroad, to see what could be done to get the line extended to Webster City. Blair contracted with Willsoln to build the line from Alden to Webster City. The first train arrived in 1869. The residents were unhappy to learn that Willson built the depot at Des Moines Street instead of Seneca Street, which they expected. Willson had other plans.

Blair persuaded Willson to continue the line to Fort Dodge. He laid that track in just 30 days, the fastest anyone had ever laid track before in the state. Blair met Willson in Fort Dodge and persuaded him to continue the line to Storm Lake. When Willson arrived in Storm Lake Blair once again appeared and asked that he continue the line to Sioux City. This time Willson declined, saying that he intended to return home and built a new hotel at the corner of Des Moines and Second Street. This was a two story hotel, reported in the Freeman Journal as "the finest hotel in northwest Iowa."

In 1870, Willson built the Willson Opera House at the northeast corner of Des Moines and Second Street. The first floor house the Webster City Savings Bank and Crary's Hardware. The second floor housed the opera house.

Willson was joined by Jacob M. Funk in constructing many business buildings on Second Street. This took away the prominence of Seneca Street. Those businessmen called the Second Street construction as "Willson town." Soon Willson's new hotel burned to the ground. He immediately set about constructing a new three-story hotel on the same site.

The water power for the Willson Mill proved to be unreliable in the fall and winter seasons so Willson built two other mills, both steam powered, in Webster City. In all he built 133 buildings, the opera house, three mills, and one railroad, called the Iowa Falls and Sioux City Railroad. It became the Illinios Central RR at a later time.

In 1876, Willson saw the need for a better supply of coal for the new town. He also realized the need for good clay for a new tile factory located at the north end of Seneca. Later, another factory was built in the western part of town. He opened the Crooked Creek Coal Company near Lehigh and set about mining coal. To get the coal to market he built a narrow gauge line from Lehigh directly north to intersect with the Iowa Falls and Sioux City RR line. The settlement of Judd was located at that end of the line. To get the coal and clay into Webster City, he build another line, officially called the Webster City and Southwestern RR from Lehigh to Border Plains, Flugstad, and Webster City. The locals all referred to this line as the Crooked Creek RR.

Willson also wanted another railroad to pass through Webster City from the north and south. He contacted his old friend, Blair, and persuaded him to extend the line from Ames, through Jewell Junction, then Kamrar, and into Webster City continuing on to Eagle Grove. This was the Chicago & Northwestern RR, first called the Toledo & Northwestern RR. This was the third railroad into Webster City in which he had a part, but he did not build this line.

Willson served as President of the Crooked Creek Coal Company and Crooked Creek Railroad. It was his custom each evening to meet his train as it returned to Webster City, loaded with slag from the mining operation. He used the slag to fill in a large hole at the north end of Funk Street. As he was superintending the unloading operation on August 19, 1900, the car toppled over and crushed him resulting in his death.

His funeral was held at his First Street home and was presided over by Rev. B. F. Snook. It was the largest crowd for any funeral ever held in Webster City. Over 500 residents came from Lehigh. Three special trains carried Fort Dodge people who appreciated so much his role in building the railroad to their city. Our city council passed a resolution honoring his service to Webster City. They all attended the service as a body. The Honorable John. F. Duncombe, his best friend from Fort Dodge, gave the graveside eulogy.

Walter C. Willson, and his brother, Sumler, prepared our town for the new century, and passed from the scene just 8 months into the 20^th century. We all need to be aware of what this one man did to make our city what it has become as we enter the 21^st century.