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Atlantic, the county seat of Cass County, is located on the main line of the Rock Island railroad, eighty miles west of Des Moines and sixty east of Omaha. A branch of the Rock Island road runs north from Atlantic to Audubon, the county seat of Audubon County, and another branch runs south to Griswold, in the southwestern part of Cass County. The Northwestern railroad has a branch into Audubon from Manning, and the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy has a branch into Griswold from Red Rock. A study of the railroad situation therefore will show that Atlantic has exceptional railroad service and that it is splendidly located from jobbing and manufacturing establishments. Atlantic was laid out in October, 1868, the site of the city at that time being the property of F.H. WHITNEY, B.F. ALLEN , John P. COOK and others, and the town plat was filed for record a short time thereafter. Additions were made to the town by WHITNEY, DICKERSON, KEYES, ALLEN , CRAWFORD and MERRIMAN, Job WALKER and others. The town was first called "Avoca" that being the name given it by the railroad civil engineer, and it was called "Avoca" for some days, but Mr. WHITNEY went to Des Moines and interviewed the powers that were and the name was changed to Atlantic. The town was incorporated in 1870 and the first town officers were: D.F. HAWKS, Mayor; A.S. CHURCHILL, Recorder; S.A. MARTIN, W.U. PARKER, John R. REYNOLDS, S.W.W. STRAIGHT, and J.C. YETZER, Trustees. I.N. DICKERSON was treasurer and I.N. WHITTAM, Corporation Counsel.

From the straggling, yet industrious town Atlantic was in 1870, it has grown to be a city of about 5,500 inhabitants, and the cheap homes and temporary business houses have been largely replaced by modern residences and substantial brick business blocks . The schools have kept pace with the growth of the city and there are now three large school houses, know as the East Side, the West Side , ant the Grant, which, together with the High School and the Atlantic Commercial College in the center of the city, are sufficient to accommodate the entire school population of the city. In school matters Atlantic has never been niggardly, and the best of teachers , all under the supervision of carefully chosen superintendents and principals, have placed the Atlantic schools in the first rank of the schools of the state. The religious advantages have not been neglected in the growth of the city, as in evidenced by its splendid houses of worship, and the support they receive. All leading denominations are represented . Catholic, Methodist, Congregational, Presbyterian , Baptist, Episcopal, United Presbyterian , Christian, German Evangelical, German Lutheran , and the Seventh Day Adventists. Benevolent societies have thrived also and strong organizations of Masonic, Odd Fellows, Elks, Knights of Pythias, Woodmen, United Workmen, Red Men, Danish Brotherhood, German Aid Society, Ancient Order of Hibernians, Grand Army of the Republic, together with the sisterhood of the Rebekah and Rathbone Sisters, constitute a benevolent force equaled by few cities of Atlantic's population and excelled by none. The Masons own their own temple, the Odd Fellows their own building, these being the largest buildings in the city, and the Elks have bought lots on Poplar street adjoining the public library and will build a home in the near future. The Y.M.C.A. is also a thrifty organization and has money enough on hand to build a home of its own and will do so in the near future.

In public building Atlantic has the Court House, Erected at a cost of about $65,000 , the Carnegie library, built in 1903 at a cost of $12,000, a prospective government building for postoffice purposes to cost $35,00, and for which the grounds have already been secured and cleared of the building that were on them. The building will commence next year and will be pushed to completion. The Rock Island railroad has a handsome depot at the foot of Chestnut street and the city owns its own buildings and Firemen's hall.

The city owns its own electric light and power plant and will have paid the last dollar on the purchase price of its water plant in a short time. The electric light represents an expenditure of about $50,000 and the water works about $75,000. Additions to the electric light plant involving the pumping of water at the water works by electrical power are now pending and will be accomplished next year. A city heating plant will probably be installed as soon as the electric power plant has been remodeled, the agitation of the matter having met with a favorable response from the property owners in the business district. Sewerage is now being installed and will soon be an accomplished fact, and the paving of the business district will come next.

Atlantic offers an inviting field to the smaller class of manufactures. Experience has proven that manufacturing can be successfully carried on here in competition with the outside world. The packing houses and the alcohol and starch works were paying propositions in earlier days, but they were wiped out of existence by the trusts buying and closing them. The Atlantic canning factory, the largest corn canning factory in the world , has been in operation for twenty-two years and is a paying proposition, its annual output now running up to 5,000,000 cans of corn, and this year to 625,000 cans of peas. The carriage factory of J.H. NEEDLES & Son has been in existence for years and has made thousands of jobs during that time which a ready market was obtained. In recent years this firm has made and sold thousands of scoop-boards in all sections of the country. The Atlantic Iron works is a successful manufacturing institution and produces iron bridges , iron and steel culvert and drain pipe, and other products of like nature. It has been in existence for several years and is constantly englaring the field of its operations.

The Atlantic Mill & Elevator Company has doubled its machinery and increased the size of its buildings and its capacity for flour making recently. It finds a market wherever its goods are introduced. The cigar factories find ready sales for all goods they can manufacture and are constantly adding to the number of people employed. The Atlantic Bottling Works does a widely extended business and will increase its capacity next year. The two poultry and butter depots located here are doing an enormous business and they pay out hundreds of thousands of dollars each year to the farmers of this section. The JONES EVENER, invented by an Atlantic citizen and manufactured here, finds purchasers all over the United States and Canada, and the Atlantic branch of the Stark Bros. Nurseries is known all over the west. Recently Atlantic parties have purchased the Glenwood Neck-Yoke business, together with patents and contracts, and have removed the manufacture of the Neck-Yokes to this city, while other additions to the manufacturing interests are under way and will be secured in time. All these give employment to labor at good wages and this money is in turn spent with Atlantic merchants, quickening the business pulse and adding largely to the prosperity of the city.

Within the past few years many of Cass County's thrifty farmers have removed from their farms to Atlantic in order to secure its exceptional educational and religious advantages, and many of them have built comfortable homes and aided in the general improvement of the city. No other one thing proves so clearly the superior character of country and city. The country has made them well-to-do and the city has attracted them to its citizenship. Others have come from other Counties and States to school their children and enjoy the advantages, while a number of traveling men make Atlantic their home and easily reach all parts of their territory.

Financially Atlantic is as sound as dollar. With two bank failures during the panics of 1894-5-6, one for $500,000 and the other for a lesser amount, and the former paying scarcely nothing to its creditors, not a single business institution failed. And there have been but few failures here since the town was first organized. The banks ,of which there are three in Atlantic, the Iowa Trust and Savings Bank, the Atlantic National Bank, and the Citizens' Savings Bank, with an aggregate capitalization of $225,000, are the best barometers of financial conditions.

Recently there has been organized in this city the Merchants' Association of Atlantic, and it is proving a powerful force in public affairs and in creating a sentiment in favor of a greater and better Atlantic. Already it has gotten in touch with manufacturers seeking locations and with men interested in an electric railroad line through Atlantic from the north, and has created a unity of purpose and effort that is bound to result in much permanent good. Its officers are J.H. MARSHALL, President , and E.H. NEBE, Secretary, and if there is anything the reader of this souvenir wishes to know about Atlantic not explained herein they will gladly furnish it. They invite correspondence from all those looking for an ideal place in which to live and from those looking for a location for manufacturing plants. To all such Atlantic will give a most generous welcome and will extend any reasonable aid desired.


From: Exposition Souvenir Album, published by Democrat Publishing Company, Atlantic, Iowa, 1904. Transcribed by Brenda Magee, March, 2010.