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Transcribed
by
Ann Selvig, from:
Allerton, Iowa Centennial,
TOWN
COUNCIL
Allerton, Iowa
Nov. 7, 1874
The first meeting of the Council of the
Incorporated Town of Allerton convened at the
Republican office – and was
called to order by the Major J. P. Hartman.
J. L. McKamy presented to be placed on
file, the official documents
relating to the legal incorporation of the Town
of Allerton.
The Official Bond of the Mayor was on
motion approved.
The oath of office as
subscribed to by each of the members of the
Council was placed on file -
On motion J. D. Coddington was appointed
Marshall and amount of bond fixed at Five
Hundred Dollars.
R. K. Hay was on motion appointed
Treasurer, and bond fixed at Five Hundred
dollars.
The Recorder was on motion required to
file a bond in the amount of Five Hundred
dollars.
On motion J. D. Coddington was appointed
Street Commissioner and required to give bond
for Three Hundred dollars.
Motion was adopted that W. H. H. Rogers
be
appointed Assessor for the Town of Allerton and
give bond of Three Hundred
dollars.
On motion the Council adjourned to meet
on
Friday evening the 13” incl –
J. P. Hartman
Mayor
W. H. H. Rogers
Recorder
Council members: M. S.
Lancaster; C. L. LeCompte; J. W.
Fletcher; C. R. Wright, Trustee and T. P.
Walden, Trustee.
The first meetings dealt with setting up
ordinances, which were Prohibition, sidewalks
and misdemeanors.
Taxes were levied. Streets
were named.
Councilmen were paid $1.00 per meeting.
In 1875 the street commissioner was paid
17 ½ cents per hour for his work – this included
maintaining of Public Square,
Park, sidewalks which were then made of common
pine, roads and the bridge work
by the south park.
Property owners were given 10 days to
build sidewalks in front of their properties.
If not done, the street commissioner
would put them down at the expense
of property owners.
Dead swine, cattle, horses, dog, etc.
were
removed from city limits for 50 cents each.
In 1876 the first street lamp was put up
at the NE corner of the bank (in front of
present hotel).
It cost $6.15. The
Night Watch was paid $5.00 per
month. Regular
meetings of the Town
Council were fixed on the First Tuesday of each
month.
Men who worked on the roads were paid
$1.25 per day and each man, team and wagon $2.50
per day. The
town purchased one plow and 4 scrapers
for the street commissioner’s use for the town
from Wright Bros. & Co. for
$79.10.
The first fire engine was purchased
for $375.00.
3 cisterns were built on
Central Avenue for the Fire Department’s use.
Cost of the cistern was $28.00 each.
These were built by Dakin and Elder.
In 1877 the cisterns were cemented, and
an
engine house was built. 4th
of July were big celebrations requiring the
hiring of extra police who received
$2.00 each for their services.
In 1878, an inventory was taken of town
property and listed as: 1
round table,
10 chairs, 1 stove, 2 joint pipes, 1 Mayor’s
docket, 1 ordinance journal, 1
docket book case, 1 fire engine and hose, 1 hose
cart, 1 stove in engine house,
1 engine house, 1 alarm bell. Property
in
hands of the Marshal – 1 calaboose, 1 stove and
pipe, 2 pair double blankets,
2 parts of blankets, 1 mattress, 1 water bucket
and cup, 1 fire shovel, 1
padlock, 1 chamber. Property
of street
commissioner:
4 road scrapers, 1 plow, 1
road leveler, 1 long handled shovel and 50 lbs.
of spikes.
Marshal was instructed to take up no
cattle running at large in the Town of Allerton
between Mar. 8 and Apr. 1,
1878.
Council meetings were moved to the most
suitable and convenient room in one of the
stores until the Town Hall was
built.
In 1879 the first public well, 40 ft.
deep
– walled with brick and cemented, was built half
way between DeSilva’s corners
and the flag pole and about 12 ft. from the
fence. The
pump cost $27.75.
(The flag pole was in the center of Hwy.
40
near the present drug store.) Hitching
posts
were installed on Central Avenue.
In 1880, councilmen who had to attend to
town business out of town, were furnished livery
service from Billingham and
Co. for $1.50.
A city attorney was
appointed.
Dr. F. W. Flower was appointed
first Town Health Physician and received $25.00
per year. J.
W. Gladman was given the contract to build
the Town Hall 28’ x 28’ for the sum of $778.00.
In 1900 the town extended the city
limits.
1910, an electric light system was
installed in Allerton for $12,000.
In 1913, Lineville Telephone Co. was
given
a franchise to erect and maintain the first
telephone system.
1915, the Iowa Southern Utilities plant
was in a brick building and was municipally
owned. It
contained 1 – 50 KW 2,300 volt AC
generator, 6’ Munzel producer and scrubber and
Munzel gas engine.
Wood street light regulator and
transformer.
There were 206 meters in
use and 14 transformers. No
street
lights were operated. Monthly
output was
3,500 kilowatt hours. No day
service was
supplied.
In 1916, the electric property at
Allerton
was sold by the city for $10,500 – the amount of
the electric light bonds – the
payment was consumed by Iowa Southern Utilities
Company. 213
meters were involved.
1926, the town purchased a road grader
for
$1298.37 – 14 ft. blade for tractor, $90.00.
Street commissioner was paid 55 cents per
hour for running the grader.
In 1927, the town appointed a Board for
the Library – President Roxy Troster, Secretary
Nellie Galford, Chairman of
Book Committee Eva Burnet, Anna Bullis, Nora
Shelton, Mayme Rogers and Meda
Bracewell.
The Town Hall was painted and
the cupalo was removed from the top and the roof
repaired.
1929, the Allerton sign was placed at the
3 mile corner.
1930, J. E. Parsons and Holly Duncan,
their successors and assigns were given a 25
year franchise to erect and
maintain a telephone exchange, Incorporated
Telephone Co.
The rate was $5.00 per year.
1931, Dennis Staples was given a permit
to
put in a Bowling Alley. The
Iowa State
Highway Commission had Allerton remove the Band
Stand and flag pole from
Highway 40 – Central Avenue.
1932, Middle State Utilities Co. was
given
a franchise to operate in Allerton.
Phone $1.00 a month – 2 party 50 cents, 1
party 75 cents.
Call 13 towns free.
In 1935 – started using shale on the
streets.
In 1938, Hall Engineering Co. of
Centerville received the contract for
waterworks.
Bonds 26,400, Grant 21,600 – total cost
$48,000. White
Phillips Co. for the
sewer at a cost of $15,000. Completed
in
August 1938.
Pittsburg – Des Moines
Steel Co. put up the water tower and fire
hydrants. A.
B. Cobb was appointed Water Supt., Clerk
and Street Commissioner. Water
rate was
40 cents per 1000 gal. for each 1000 gal.
consumed.
1939, Fall Festivals began. This
celebration as continued since, usually
on the 2nd Saturday in September.
It was changed to Dairy Day, then
Maid-Rite Day and now is called
Appreciation Day.
1941, the town had “Hobo Cave” fixed
up. This
was a cave located near the
coal chutes that the town furnished as a refuge
for hobos.
In 1944, the town installed fountains on
the street corners – Central Avenue.
1946, the town made plans to rock the
streets of Allerton.
In 1948, center street parking on Central
Avenue became permissible.
1949, ISU put up incandescent lumen
street
lights mounted on cedar poles and overhead
wiring to burn from dusk to dawn.
In 1953, the Young Construction Co. of
St.
Joseph, Mo. built the Sewage Treatment plant.
Bonds, 35,000 – grant, 20,000 – total
cost $50,994.80.
Allerton bought the water rights from CRI
& P Railroad Co. for $15,000.00. The
town started house to house garbage pick-up,
Mastin of Corydon.
In 1954, Elm street was the first street
to be blacktopped at the cost of $1500.
Joseph L. Pohl the contractor.
In 1956 the new Dial Telephones went into
affect – Grand River Mutual Telephone Corp. of
Princeton, Mo.
The last switchboard operators: Alta
Pray, Mary Smith and Coy Davis. Phone
booths were installed on Central
Avenue. Hy-Lan
Milk Co. of Des Moines
started a door to door milk route.
At one time Allerton had two telephone
systems which caused quite a stir among the
citizens. They
were the Incorporated Telephone Co. and
Middle States.
Middle States built the
small building behind the hotel and the other
offices were at one time over the
old Bank Building, then in the back of the
upstairs where the I.O.O.F. Lodge is
and then the house which is now the Howard Boyce
home.
1959, the town started sponsoring the new
Little League Ball Club at Burnet Field.
Natural Gas was installed and is operated
by the Allerton Gas Co.
1964, Daylight savings time was adopted
in
Allerton from April to October. New
sidewalks were laid on Central Avenue.
1967, the Councilmen voted to serve 4
years instead of 2 years and stagger the years
in office. 1968,
new Mercury Vapor lights were installed
– 70-100 MV lights plus 5-175 MV lights.
1969, twelve read-o-water Remote Controls
for water meters were installed. C. A.
Rumph was granted permission to operate the pool
tables on Sundays, starting at
1 p.m.
1970, Allerton purchased road equipment
of
oiling streets, $1100.
1971, the town signed for Rural Water
Survey.
In 1972, the Sanitary Sewer System was
approved. The
new Civic Center opened
for use of the Firemen’s meetings and rental for
public affairs.
ISU installed transformers at Athletic
(Burnet) Field.
1973, the local government has been
re-classified by the State and our town is now
called “City of Allerton”
instead of “Town of Allerton.”
1973, Mayor, Wm. Rayburn-Councilmen: Milford
Lewis, Ron Johns, George Hemenway,
Gerald Sheehan and Carl Ruark. Clerk,
Mildred Ruark.
Treas., Bill Goodyear. Marshal,
Harold Bennett.
Water Commissioner, Alan Ellwanger. Water
Plant Supervisor, Don McGee. Street
Commissioners, Wayne Housley and
Harold Bennett.
Librarian, Edith
Snodgrass.
Town Attorney, Wm. Miles. |