History of Cherokee County |
History of Cherokee County |
| Only
about one fourth of the county is actually settled, though there is not
a foot of government land in it. The unoccupied lands belong
principally to the railroad company and speculators, all of which is
offered for sale. Prices vary according to distance from the railroad, and other advantages; averaging from $5 to $10 per acre. The company sells on four years time, with six percent interest, payable in annual installments. Speculators sell on equally easy terms and in many cases longer time. The surface of the soil varies so little that the lands to settle are generally as good as those settled upon. Except in the matter of locating on some creek or stream there is but little choice the quality of the soil is so uniform and the advantages so equal. Parties opening correspondence with any of the land agents represented in these columns, can be supplied with full particulars, circulars and such other information as may be required. If the people of the eastern and more thickly settled western states only knew the great advantages Cherokee County offers there would not be an acre of unoccupied lands here in one year from this day, but it seems too often to strike them as "too good to be true" when the actual facts are told and even if anything underestimated. The states of Kansas, Nebraska and Texas have been so profuse in their lying deceptions that eastern people naturally feel suspicious of any description of western lands. |
| Cherokee
County has a number of valuable water powers, along the Little Sioux
and Mill Creek, of which four are already improved, and utilized in
propelling the machinery of flouring mills. Three on the Little Sioux
and one on Mill Creek. These mills have unitedly a capacity for ten run
of stone and not only do all the gristing within the radius of 25
miles, but export large quantities of flour to the east. The oldest
mill in the county is that of R. Rogers, six miles south of the county
seat, it has been operated since the year 1868, and as a pioneer
institution done valiant services. There was also a saw mill in
connection with it, but home lumber has been almost entirely displaced
by the better kind shipped in. The second mill was erected in 1871, one mile north of Cherokee village. It is a large construction with a capacity of four burrs. It is owned and operated by P. Miller, and valued at $20,000. This mill was supplied the past season by a new and substantial dam. The third grist mill was built in 1872 and is situated on Mill Creek, a rapid stream, a few miles north of the county seat. This mill is the property of S. W. Hayward, of Millford, Massachusetts and operated by G. H. Pull, who besides doing a general gristing business ships flour to the eastern market. The fourth mill was built in 1875, and is owned and operated by H. Weise, it is situated four miles south of town, on the Little Sioux river. This mill also does a large business, and ships flour to the eastern market in addition to its gristing business. The advantage of these mills to the county cannot be estimated, and men looking p a new location should weigh these important times carefully in making a selection. Besides the privileges improved there are several others, said to be equally valuable,and in coming years as the country develops, we may expect to see the river lined with mills, grinding, spinning and weaving the immense products of this fertile valley. |
| As
yet but one railroad, crosses the county, though two other lines are
continuous. The Iowa division of the Illinois Central was completed in
1870, running across the county from east to west, making in the county
29 miles. The company operates the road in first class fashion,
connecting the Cherokee with Chicago in 23 hours, two express trains
daily each way, with a large number of freight trains. The fare from
Chicago is $14.00, and the freight is as correspondingly low. It costs
about 90 cents per hundred to carry live stock to Chicago, and they are
run through on a fast stock express. Passenger fare in Iowa on first
class lines is only three cents a mile, a regulation operating severely
on the roads in sparsely settled parts of the country, but has given
the people a cheap means of inter-course. Immigrant rates are even
lower. Parties coming west with household goods or stock can always get
good rates from the company, who have a great interest in the
development of the country. |
Return to Home Page
