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Transcribed
by
Ann Selvig, from:
Allerton, Iowa Centennial,
PLATS
When the railroad went through here in
1870, the Chicago and Southwestern Railway Co.
bought 160 acres of land and a
plat for the original town of Allerton was made
and recorded in 1871.
Allerton, from that time began to grow
and
prosper because of the railroad and Corydon had
no railroad.
Everyone started talking of moving the
county
seat from Corydon to Allerton. Two
elections were held but on Oct. 13, 1874, the
election returns showed Corydon
to win by 540 votes. Returns
were: Corydon
1,467 votes and Allerton 927 votes.
Allerton was incorporated in July 1874
and
a plan of Allerton including the first addition,
was platted and recorded. This
plan had been set up before the election
of the county seat and showed the Public Square. Directly
across the Avenue was called the
Park – block 29.
It was first intended
the greater part of town would be north of the
tracks with Central Ave. running
north and south between the Public Square and
the Park, and Main Street running
east and west on the south. However,
the
main business district was to be left in the
Original Town of Allerton south of
the tracks on the “levee.” Today,
we
refer to the levee as only the first block south
of the tracks on Central
Avenue.
It was the street commissioner’s duty to
keep the Public Square plowed and seeded in
clover and maintain the Park. It was
kept this way until around 1887, when
the Public Square land was sold to Ira and
Deliah King.
Ira then built the house which is one of
Allerton’s landmarks today. It is
presently owned by Carl and Pearl Duncan.
The Park across the street as seeded with
grass, trees planted and board walks were
maintained by the street
commissioner.
It later was called Court
Square, then Public Square in the late 1800’s
and later called the North Park
until it as sold.
The plat of 1897 shows a growing town
with
2 hotels, 5 churches, school, lumber yard, stock
yard, mill, 3 livery barns,
post office, bank, 26 other businesses, opera
house, city hall, creamery and
approximately 180 homes. |