Fifth Street, looking west |
Main Street |
Carroll Iowa Feb. 1, 1891: F. W. Stilwill
Editor, I would be almost impossible for a person, who had lived
his whole life in the old log settled communities of the east,
to conceive it to be possible that 30 years ago the ground upon
which the splendid town of Carroll now stands, was a bare
prairie, with scarcely a sign of civilization in sight. That
where these massive brick block's stand, the sod had not even
been turned by the pioneer's breaking plow. Such is,
nevertheless, a fact, and one that the citizens of this
progressive city need not hesitate to feel proud of.
Carroll is located on the North Western railroad 90 miles
northwest of Des Moines. and about, the same distance northeast
of Council Bluffs. It is located within a mile and a ball of the
center of Carroll county, on the Coon river, is the county seat
and has a population of about 3300 made up of bright
enterprising business men.
Carroll county is one of the best counties in the state. The
soil is best suited to the growth of corn, yet a line quality of
oats, wheat, and other cereals can be grown. and a yield
received sufficient to make it profitable.
Stock raising is becoming one of the leading occupations of
Carroll county and the city of Carroll has become quite a stock
market.
The land is rolling enough to admit of good drainage without
being rough. The farms are all well improved, the buildings
commodious and well kept. A stranger driving through the country
realizes that he is in a community of thrifty, intelligent and
progressive farmers.
Carroll being located in the midst of a county composed of this
class of people is in a position that offers encouragement to
enterprising business men. and they are taking advantage of it.
The town of Carroll was laid out in August 1867 by the railroad
company who were then building the Northwestern road. It was
evident to men who were accustomed to close, useful observation
that Carroll would be the leading town in Carroll county, and
therefore this was the class who settled here and laid the
foundation for her present prosperity.
In 1868 the question of moving the county seat from Carrollton
to Carroll began to be agitated and in May was decided in favor
of the change, by a vote of 88 to 33. This gave the confidence
in the future of the town that went far towards the success.
The first man to go into business in the new town was A. L.
Kidder who started a general store in the fall of 1868. In a few
months others followed and by the close of the year 1869 the
population of the county seat of Carroll county numbered 384.
From that time up to the present, every year was seen a gradual
but steady growth. In the last ten years the increase has been
heavier than before, and it is not hard to imagine this as a
city of twice its present size by the beginning' of the next
century. The following figures will bear ns out in this
prediction: Population of 1870—384, 1875-812, 1880—1382,
1885--1885, 1890— 2400, 1897—3300.
Carroll was first incorporated in 1869. The first officers were,
mayor, I. N. Griffith: recorder, B. B. Berry: trustees, John W.
King, D. Wayne, L. C. Bailey, F. E. Bennett. and Wm. T. Booth:
attorney, O. H. Manning.
In 1879 Carroll was visited by a very disastrous fire. It seems
to be either the fortune or misfortune of every new town to have
an experience of this kind sometime during its early history,
and we sometimes think it is a necessary thing, for it is seldom
that a start is made towards substantial brick buildings until
after the merchants have been taught that it was necessary as a
protection to their property. In the above mentioned year the
town was nearly all frame buildings and so provisions had been
made for fire protection. As a result, a fire that need not have
extended further than the building in which it originated,
spread like a prairie fire and the best portion of the business
part of town was entirely destroyed. The loss was about
$200,000, with insurance amounting to less than $35,000. Of
course the old story of “locking the barn door after the horse
was stolen” was repeated, only in this case better “horses” in
the way of good brick buildings were put up. The city government
at once took measures to prevent the repetition of the late
disaster. A well was sunk in the north part of town and a large
windmill and tank erected. Water mains were laid over the town
and 12 hydrants were put in, a fire engine purchased and a
sufficient amount of hose to make quite a complete fire
apartment. About $11,000 was spent in the plant. This supplied
the town till 1882, when an experiment was tried, at an expense
of $9,000. A steam pump was purchased and an attempt made to
pump water from the Coon river. There were also some extensions
made in the water mains. After two years trial of this, it was
found unsatisfactory and in 1894 two deep wells were sunk and
two steam pumps put in which have furnished an abundant supply
of excellent water. The water works now represent an expenditure
of about $30,000.
There are about five miles of water mains, 26 hydrants, 2 deep
wells fitted with high grade steam pumps and a horizontal pump
for forcing the water through the mains. During the next year it
is expected that a stand pipe will be built and then Carroll
will have a system of water works as fine as there is in any
town of its size in the state.
The splendid railroad facilities of Carroll soon made it
apparent that it would eventually become an excellent
distributing point and in 1889 the Lett-Fletcher Wholesale
Company of Marshalltown decided to establish a branch at this
point. This has developed into one of the best business
enterprises of the kind in the western part of the state and
Carroll is very proud of it. As a wholesale distributing point
for liquor it has taken quite a prominent place there being four
wholesale liquor establishments all in flourishing condition at
present. During the year of 1892 the city had the greatest
growth in its history in way of the public and private
improvements. The aggregate of value of these improvements
amounting to $300,550.
The buildings were: A normal college, tow new hotels, two
categories, two machine shops, two public school building, one
electric light plant, heat and power plant, four new business
blocks, an extension of the water works and one hundred and ten
new dwelling houses.
Like every other town within the borders of this country,
Carroll felt the effects of the severe panic of 1893. Many of
her most important industries ere still in their infancy and
were not firmly enough established to withstand the continued
depression hence the shoe factory and knitting factory were
compelled to close their doors. But it is a remarkable fact that
they were the only business firm of any importance that were
forced to the wall. This of itself is as good a recommendation
as any town needs as to the stability of its business
enterprises. There is one thing that is sure to impress itself
upon the stranger who pays his first visit to Carroll. That is
the solid substantial manner in which all the latest buildings
are constructed and the large number of fine residences in
proportion to the size of the town. It tells him at once that
these people have confidence in the city and that they have come
here to stay. It also shows that the business men need have no
fear of their rating by the commercial agencies.
The city has always been blessed with banking facilities that
are thoroughly responsible and conducted by men who had the
interest of the town at heart and Carroll has never been visited
by that terribly paralyzing disaster-- a bank failure.
In the spring of 1892 the people voted to change the city from
one of the third class to one of the second class and it is now
under a charter of that grade. In the matter of educational
facilities Carroll is in the front rank. Care has always been
taken to keep the schools up to date in methods and teachers
employed who were fully qualified for the positions they were
expected to fill. There are two fine school buildings, one in
the south part and the other in the north part. The north
building has nine rooms and the south has five. They are both
built of brick and fitted with all the latest appliances of heat
etc.
There are six religious denominations represented in Carroll.
The Methodist, Baptist, German Lutheran, Church of God,
Presbyterian and Catholic. The Catholics have two churches, the
St. Joseph and St. Peter and Paul. The St. Joseph church is one
of the finest buildings in his part of the state. It is built
entirely of stone and is indeed an imposing edifice.
~ This sketch transcribed by: Sandra
Carter IAGenWeb volunteer |
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