City of Maquoketa.

Maquoketa, or " Timber City, " the county seat of Jackson County, situated near the southern boundary and on the river of the same name, is the northern terminus of the Davenport & North-Western Railway (Maquoketa Branch) , midway between Davenport and Dubuque, the two principal cities of Iowa.

In 1838, Mr. John E. Goodenow emigrated from Warren County, New York, crossed the Mississippi at Sabula, then called Charleston, and found a family located there ofthe name of Wood, with a son-in-law named Steen. In the spring of the same year Mr. Goodenow moved west until he came to the Forks of the Maquoketa, where the unusual fertility of the soil, as well as its many other natural advantages, induced him to choose this spot for his future residence.

Between here and Davenport there was only one family, named Wheeler, located at DeWitt, and Mr. Goodenow, in companywith an acquaintance named Bates, who was living with him, desiring to go to Davenport, had to drag a load of brush to break down the grass, and thus leave a trail by which to return. At this time there was only one family between Maquoketa and Dubuque a widow Mullin and her boys, and an old hermit-like fellow named Dixon, and only one tavern in Dubuque, and that built of logs, and two or three stores at which trading was done.

In 1842 the land excitement came to fever heat, and many towns sprang into existence (on paper) , among others Bridge port, laid out by Col. Cox, about two miles and half from where Maquoketa now stands. Another named Lowell, but it was not until 1844, when Mr. Goodenow induced a man named Marr to open a general store, that this became the center around which congregated several families, who formed the neuclus of the future city of Maquoketa. In 1842, the first school house was erected of brick, manufactured for the purpose by Mr. Goodenow. In 1846 he also erected another large building, which became known as Goodenow's Hotel, or half-way house between Daven port and Dubuque.

The first attempt at a school was in an old building, formerly used as a blacksmith shop, which by patching up with sods and mud, was rendered habitable. This was used until 1846, when Mr. Goodenow, having dedicated one of the most beauti ful squares of ground in the city, a large and commodious brick building was erected and called " The Academy. " Dr. Lake, at present an honored resident of the city, was the first teacher.

One of the early settlers was John Shaw, who purchased a claim of eighty acres in 1837, cornering where the Stephens stone block now stands, and who settled on it in 1841. He was one of the most active and energetic men of the place, and died in 1853. His family still reside in Maquoketa, and his son is editor of the Excelsior, one of the leading newspapers.

The first white child born within the corporate limits of the town was Wesley Nims, his birth occurring in 1840.

The Rev. M. Salter was the first minister who preached, and his first discourse was delivered in 1839.

We herewith present a sketch written by Russell Perham, a worthy and esteemed citizen of Maquoketa, who has long been a resident of the place :

"In March 1838, or forty years ago the coming March, Mr. John E. Goodenow and Lyman Bates, of Warren county, New York, made the first permanent settlement in Maquoketa. They found a Mr. Phillips on a claim one mile north of town, on land now owned by the Sears Brothers, and S. Burleson, William Vosburgh, and Calvin Teeple, on claims six miles west of town , they having come in the year before, or in 1837. Of the latter, Mr. Burleson and Mr. Teeple still live on the lands then select ed. Mr. Goodenow made a claim on the south-east corner of Main and Platt streets, and Mr. Bates of the land on which he now lives one and one-half miles south. Mr. Goodenow built a log cabin on the north-west corner of his claim, upon the ground on which Cohn's store now stands. This he resolved was to be the future home of himself and prospective family. Here he remained, making that home as comfortable as possible under the circumstances, until the latter part of the summer of 1839, when he returned to New York, and in September following married Miss Eliza Wright, and with her and Thomas Wright and wife, and Amasa Nims and wife, returned to this, the wild western home of his choice. About this time John Clark and Jonas, his brother, together with Z. Livermore, John Shaw, Charles, Wil liam and Achilus Gordon, and A. Spaulding came into the neighborhood. Mr. Livermore made a claim on what is now the north- east corner of Main and Platte streets, Mr. Spaulding on the north-west corner, Mr. Shaw on the south-west corner, Mr. Goodenow already having the south- east corner. Each built their temporary home on their claims. John Clarke built a log house in the timber in the south- east portion, known as the Arnold place. Charles Gordon built a blacksmith shop on Mr. Livermore's claim, where the postoffice now stands, and a man by the name of Ab. Montgomery had made a claim and was living on the place now owned by J. Trout in the extreme south western part of town. Thomas Wright took a claim three miles west of the town, and A. Nims located about four miles south. J. Pangborn had also located on the land where he now lives, on the corner of Main and West Summit streets. There were now eight or nine houses within a radius of two miles and a few more further out. A postoffice was established here in 1840, which was called after the name of the place, Springfield ; but after Harrison's election to the Presidency, it was removed to Bridgeport, and there remained for about two years.

" At the time of which we write, Iowa was a Territory of the Government of the United States. Its lands were not in market and were not put on sale until 1845, the year prior to its admis sion as a State. This district, subject to entry at Dubuque, had been surveyed, and the settlers made their claims from this original survey under the auspices of a claim society composed of the first permanent settlers of Dubuque, Jackson and Clinton counties. The object of this society was to protect its members in a peaceable possession and enjoyment of their respective claims, against those who might come at a later date, covet and seek to deprive them by unfair means of their chosen homes. Each member, by the rules of the society, was allowed to claim and hold until the lands came into market, three hundred and twenty acres in a homestead.

" This society in its day was of great benefit to its members, inasmuch as its rules and regulations were the only law known, except the Territorial, which at that time was of but little ben efit, for the reason that its executors were so remote and inac cessible. Many an industrious and enterprising pioneer was compelled to appeal to it for protection against the encroach ments of a worthless class of squatters, whose sole business was the securing and sale of the choice claims of the county. This society when appealed to through its officers would gather en masse, organize a court from its own members, hear the evidence in the case, notify the intruder of its findings, and unless its de cision was voluntarily complied with, it was carried into effect by brave hearts and stout hands. This was the only security of the people at this time, and many of this worthless class of vagabonds were compelled to seek new trampinggrounds or suffer the righteous indignation of the injured settlers.

"Under such circumstances was the first permanent settle ment made here, and year after year new accessions were made to their numbers. About this time, 1840, it becoming apparent that a little business place must spring up in this vicinity, quite a rivalry was manifested as to its location. Some were in favor of Springfield , some of Bridgeport, and others of the place on which the Rockville mills now stand. The postoffice having been removed to Bridgeport that seemed to be the favored locality, and Jonas Clark got timber on the ground preparatory to the erection of a small store building at that point. At the same time Thomas Wright and Z. Livermore built a saw mill on the present site of the Rockville mills, where afterwards Mr. Wright built a wool-carding and cloth-dressing mill. Mr. Clark, changing his views as to location, removed his material, built the house now occupied by Mrs. S. D. Tubbs, and opened a store at that point, in which he did business for about two years. In the mean time Mr. Goodenow finding his little corn-cracker under his shed adjoining his cabin, and run by horse- power, was inadequate to the wants of the people, secured the claim on which McCloy's mill now stands, of Ab. Montgomery, at an ex pense of $25, threw a dam across the stream, a portion of which is still standing, and built a mill, putting in his own corn- crack ers . There being no bolts the people were obliged to use their flour, bran and all, unless they sifted it out by a mill seive. At this time there was no mill where bolted flour could be obtained, nearer than Sage's mill, on the little Maquoketa, six miles north of Dubuque.

" As an illustration of the rustic manner in which many of the first settlers were obliged to live, we will mention the name of John Riggs, who located three miles south of town. He put up the body of a log house, covered it with poles laid crosswise, and piled prairie grass on top of these for a roof. He moved into this rude tenement and set up his stove, but where was his chimney to carry away the sinoke ? It would not do to build one through the grass covered roof for fear of fire. But a happy thought struck him—he would cut a hole through each of the four sides of his cabin and run the pipe out through these, chang ing it from one to the other as the wind changed. This is not an isolated case, for very many of the early settlers occupied homes of no greater pretensions, and their diet was as simple as their homes were cheerless.

In 1842 the postoffice at Bridgeport was re-located at Spring field, J. E. Goodenow, postmaster, and the name of the office and place changed to Maquoketa, an Indian name, signifying ' Bear River. ' Mr. John Shaw had finished off a room in his block house, located on the present site of Mrs. Shaw's brick dwelling house, and put in a small stock of goods. Maquoketa was now triumphant. She had a mill, a store, a postoffice and a blacksmith shop. Rockville and Bridgeport surrendered, and Jonas Clark, after a severe skirmish with his partner, over the question of removing their stock of goods to Maquoketa, in which revolvers were drawn, finally became master of the situa tion and established himself on the corner of Main and Platt streets. Mr. Platt Smith about this time, bought the mill erect ed by Mr. Goodenow, put in bolts, made bolted flour, and the wants of the people seemed almost satisfied. Thus matters moved on, new settlers came in, older ones broke their prairie, fenced their improvements and replaced their old cabins by new and more commodious ones built of hard wood.

" In 1847 David Sears and Pierce Mitchell came in with a stock of goods and opened their store in the building until re cently occupied by Chas. E. Northrop as a cabinet wareroom. Mr. Sears had been here a year or so prior to this and had bought for the firm of Sears & Munson quite a large tract of land just north of town. He now built a dam across the South Fork of the Maquoketa River about one mile north of the crossing of Main and Platt streets, and built a saw mill. He had platted and laid out a town at this point which he called Lowell, and brought on from Cincinnati fine lithograph maps of the projected town. Several of these lots were sold and afterwards built upon. He built for himself quite a fine brick dwelling and commenced the erection of a brick flouring mill, which was completed in the fall of 1849, and called the Lowell Merchant Mills. Thomas Wright removed his cloth-dressing establishment to this place, and between this and the two mills this became quite a place of business. But in a few years this treacherous stream cut across lots above his mill, leaving it high and dry and in a dilapidated condition, when all the machinery was finally removed and the whole went to decay. Mr. Sears now had additional cause for damning the stream more essentially than ever before, for it had floated away his visions of wealth in his mills and projected town. A wag having passed the place a short time after the mill was demolished, remarked to a friend he met in regard to the general appearance of the place, said he saw a dam by a mill site, but saw no mill by a damn'd sight. '

"From 1849 to 1854 nothing of special interest occurred . The remaining Government lands in the vicinity, were mostly entered and undergoing improvements by permanent settlers of some means, and the town, keeping pace with the country trib utary, increased in business importance. At this time the pro ducts of the farm, which was chiefly wheat, found no ready market here, and farmers were compelled to go to Davenport, Camanche, Bellevue or Dubuque with it, and as a general thing, realized only about fifty cents per bushel for it, after spending two days in getting thirty to market.

" In the summer of 1854 the Iowa Central Air Line R. R. Co. , was organized and received its charter, with S. S. Jones, of St. Charles, Ill. , as its President, and John E. Goodenow as our resident Director. Its eastern connections were located at Sabula, Lyons and Clinton, on the Mississippi River, to run thence westerly to Hauntown, forming a junction, and from there to Maquoketa. This project gave a new impetus and im portance to us as a business point, and its improvement became more rapid and of a more substantial character. In 1856 the company received from Congress a grant of $ 12,000,000 worth of Government lands, on condition that the company complete the road to Maquoketa by January 1st, 1858. In September, 1857, the road bed was in such a state of forwardness as to com mence laying the iron, and the parties who were to furnish it, were telegraphed to forward it. But at this inopportune moment the Ohio Trust Company, through whose credit it was to be fur nished, failed, and the result was, the iron manufacturers re fused to fill their contract and the whole scheme was defeated.

" In 1860 a project for navigating the Maquoketa river was started, and a steamboat was built expressly for that purpose ; but this, too, failed, and we were again disappointed . " On September 3d, 1870, the Davenport & St. Paul R. R. was completed from Davenport to this place, and the Iowa Mid land from Clinton to Delmar, and on that day trains on each of these roads ran into Maquoketa for the first time : that on the Midland running in from Delmar on the Davenport track. This was a proud day for our citizens. What they had been so long striving for was at last accomplished, and Maquoketa from that day became the leading market place for a large section of country.

"The Davenport & North-Western Railway is now doing a vast and increasing business, under the efficient management of John E. Henry, Esq. , and the thoroughly popular and gentle manly General Ticket Agent, Mr. J. L. Kellogg. The passenger train is conducted under the supervision of that genial king of punchers, Mr. Charles Mitchell, whose attention to patrons and fidelity to the interests of the Company has popularized him with all.

" In 1873 the county seat of Jackson County was located here by the popular vote of the county, and this gave increased importance to the place, and from that day it has been the lead. ing business point in the county. Situated as it is, on the Maquoketa river, midway between five excellent water powers ; having to the north, and extending many miles east and west, as heavy a body of as fine timber as grows in any country, con sisting principally of white, red, yellow and black oak, maple, hickory, black walnut, butternut, basswood and cottonwood, with several other varieties ; while on the south, east and west, and extending for twenty miles or more, lies a prairie country as beautiful to look upon, and of as fine a quality of soil as the sun ever shone upon, and all under a good state of cultivation . With no competing business place within twenty miles, there is no reason why, under a just and liberal business policy by our business men, it should not maintain its supremacy in the future as it has in the past, and continue to be the center of trade for this rich and flourishing section of Iowa. "

INCORPORATION.
On January 27th, 1857, Maquoketa was incorporated as a city, by a special act of the Legislature. The charter was published March 31st, 1857 and adopted on the 26th of April following. On the 4th day of May the first city officials were elected, and the city government was inaugurated three days afterwards, with John E. Goodenow, as Mayor ; John Pope, Recorder ; Z. Liv ermore, Daniel Rhodes, A. Hall, J. N. Viall and P. Mitchell, Aldermen.

POPULATION, ETC.
The population of Maquoketa has been variously stated. The State Census compiled in 1873-4, gives it a population of 2,112, but the great increase in the progress and prosperity of the place since that time, as well as a very careful estimate from the resources at our command, warrant us in claiming for the city of Maquoketa a population of 3,000.

MUNICIPAL DEBT.
The city at present has an indebtedness of $5,000 , incurred by the erection of the Court House, which was presented by the city of Maquoketa to the county of Jackson.

EDUCATIONAL FACILITIES.
Maquoketa has a graded school system, which embraces every public school in the city. Well may Maquoketa be proud of her high school, one of the handsomest and stately edifices in the State. It stands on a rising eminence in a beautiful square, commanding a magnificent view of the city and surrounding country. It was erected in 1876, at a cost of $23,000. This school is divided into six grades or rooms, each with a competent teacher ; the whole being under the immediate su pervision of the efficient superintendent, Prof. C. C. Dudley.

There are four other primary schools, one in each ward.

BANKING FACILITIES.
There are two well conducted banking institutions : the Exchange Bank of Maquoketa, and the First National ; both doing
a safe and extensive business.

BUILDING IMPROVEMENTS.
The business houses and residences are all of a substantial and generally handsome order, several being especially noticeable for their beauty of design and architecture, such as the Harris Opera House ; Centennial Hall and Block, erected in 1876 by Messrs. Field & Sutherland ; Exchange Block, corner of Main and Pleasant streets ; Union Block occupied by S. Williams ; T. E. Cannell's Building erected in 1872, at a cost of $3,500 ; Excelsior Block and Merchants Block. During the year 1877 it is estimated that over $75,000 was expended in building.

The new Decker House, now about completed, built by James Decker, formerly of Watertown, N. Y. , is one of the finest hotel buildings in this part of the State. Its dimensions are 45x140 feet, three stories high, besides basement and attic ; well and substantially built of brick, and on a heavy and permanent stone foundation, and will cost when finished, about $30,000. The basement is 10 feet in the clear, the first story 14, the second 13, the third 10, and the attic 7. The house contains 100 rooms and all finished after the modern style.

Few if any cities of its size in the State can boast of as good school buildings, churches, taken all together, court house, stores, hotels, when the new Decker House is completed and opened, and none can compare in the amount of good sidewalks. In a few years more, when the fruits of the spirit of enterprise which now animates our citizens shall have time to be realized, we believe a place containing more pleasant and attractive resi dences can not be found. That the spirit to accomplish this is already at work in our midst, can be seen by all who will take a walk around our streets. In the list given below we have only attempted to give the amount of the new buildings and additions of some importance, erected. Aside from this there has been a large amount expended in repairing dwellings, other buildings and for other purposes of which we have taken no ac count, that would make the total run still larger.

The figures given are the actual amount expended as given by parties owning buildings, and are not fancy figures made for the occasion to swell the total. In our visits we have found that already many are making preparations for building next year, which shows that the work has not yet been so much overdone this year as to cause a standstill next year.

James Decker, finishing off and completing Decker House, commenced last year	$15,000
Barnes Bro's extension to machine shop on East Platt street	4,000
A. S. Carter, house on Pleasant street	7,000
Wm. Elsner, saloon, corner of Platt and Second streets	5,000
Field & Sutherland, store on Main street, occupied by Tinker Bros.	3,000
Wm. Speith, saloon on West Platt street	3,000
Austin Munger, house on Maple street	2,500
E. D. Shinkle, house on Prospect street	2,500
Lee Shrigley, house on Otto street	1,800
Dexter Field, finishing house on West Pleasant street	1,500
J. E. Goodenow, store on East Platt street, now used as a saloon	1,500
Evangelical Society, remodeling building on East Platt street into church and parsonage	1,300
Wm. Gurius, house on Eliza street	1,100
J. Whitfield & Son, addition to woolen factory	1,000
J. T. Sargent, addition to house on East Maple street	1,000
James Culverwell, house	800
H. Taubman, remodeling house on South Main street	600
Smith Warren, house on Niagara street	500
Hugh Cravens, repairing and building addition to house on East Pleasant street	500
Geo. Earle, addition to house on South Main street	500
C. M. Dunbar, repairing house on Main Street	500
Same, new house on Decker street	300
Same, addition to house on East Platt street	200
Tom Berkley, house on Vermont street	450
D. M. Hubbell, repairing house on East Pleasant street	450
Jacob Becker, addition to hotel on West Platt street	450
Paul edinger, barn on East Platt street	400
James Wolff, upright part to house, Eddy's addition	400
Dostal & Hoffmann, ice house at brewery	400
James Ralston, house on Second street	350
D. C. Clary, remodeling school house into dwelling	300
D. & St. P. R. R., new engine house	300
H. A. Warren, barn	300
E. C. Warren, barn	300
Wm. Hancock, house on Eddy street	300
Louis Anderson, house on East Maple street	300
Mr. Henry, house	300
G. W. Wise, addition to house	250
A. J. House, addition to house on Mattison avenue	250
C. C. Young, barn on Eddy street	250
S. W. Hazard, foundation for house on Niagara street	250
John Billups, addition to house on Eddy street	200
King Steear, barn on Summit street	200
Mr. Mosher, barn	175
Alfred Rowe, foundation on Eddy street	175
A. G. Hess, barn	150
Andrew Clement, house on Otto street	150
James O'Carr, addition to house on Summit street	100
Dalzell & Culverwell, buildings on East Platt street	100
Nathan Hatfield, wood-shed	75
J. W. Fleming, barn	100
Frank Miller, barn on North Main street	100
D. H. Anderson, addition to house	75
F. Amos, barn	75
A. G. Hess, ice house	75
John Odgers, addition to house	75
Alex. Miller, addition to house	50
Miss Hoyt, addition to house on East Platt street	50
Geo. Isbell, addition to harness shop	50
Roger Bros., blacksmith shop, Pleasant street	40
Alex. Organ, buggy house	35

NEWSPAPERS.
The Jackson Sentinel was established in 1854 by W. C. Swigart, who continued to conduct it consecutively till the Fall of 1862. At that time, Mr. Henderson, who was the printer in the office, went into the army, leaving an edition partly set up, which remained in that condition for about two years. Several attempts were made about that time to revive the Sentinel, but they were unsuccessful, and it was finally sold to G. W. Hunt, who removed it to Le Claire, Scott County, in 1866.

Through the encouragement and patronage of the Democratic party, Mr. Swigart re-established the Jackson Sentinel in the Spring of 1868, under the designation of a "new series, " and has since conducted it successfully as a Democratic organ of the county.

The Sentinel is a well- conducted and ably-edited weekly in quarto form, and has a good circulation.

The Maquoketa Excelsior, Republican in politics, was estab lished in March, 1856, by Peter Moriarty. In the Spring of 1869, Colonel Woods, the then proprietor, sold to W. S. Bel don, who retained possession until the 1st of March, 1876, when his interest was bought by Messrs. Shaw & Matthews, the present editors and proprietors.

The Excelsior has always been a Republican paper. It is an ably-conducted six-column quarto, and enjoys a good patronage.

The Maquoketa Clipper, P. R. Bailey editor and proprietor, is a live, spicy little sheet, recently removed from Preston, where it was long known as " Bailey's Clipper. " The Clipper is sharp, pungent, newsy, and withal " independent as a hog on ice. "

PRESENT ASPECT OF THE CITY.

We herewith present a list of the various business establishments of the city:

6 Dry Goods Stores	10 Grocery Stores	4 Drug Stores	3 Hardware Stores
4 Holiday Goods & Notions	4 Clothing Stores	4 Book Stores	3 Boot & Shoe Stores
1 Music Store	6 Milliner Shops	2 Dentists' Rooms	2 Agricultural Implement Houses
4 Art Galleries	3 Printing Offices	2 Banks	8 Law Offices & Firms
6 Physicians	1 Bakery & Restaurant	4 Watchmakers	3 Cabinet Shops
2 Butter Packers	5 Shoe Shops	11 Blacksmith Shops	2 Pump Factories
7 Wagon & Carriage Shops	2 Foundry & Machine Shops	1 Marble Shop	4 Harness Shops
1 Woolen Mill	2 Cooper Shops	3 Livery Stables	3 Lumbers Yards
4 Flouring Mills	3 Saw Mills	4 Butcher Stalls	2 Brick Yards
1 Gunsmith	3 Barber Shops

And there may be other branches of business overlooked.

In public buildings we have

5 Churches	4 School Buildings	1 Court House	2 Public Halls
	5 Hotels	12 Saloons

Maquoketa is a surprise to all visitors, as the casual observer cannot but notice, that business is the order of the day in the place, situated away from all the thoroughfares or through lines. of railroads, and without any outside aid, it has grown.to be the business centre of a large circle of surrounding country. As the country has developed the city has grown in wealth, business, population and commercial standing, and the merchants, as a class, are noted for their liberality and wide range of thought in everything pertaining to the future' prosperity of their city. The surrounding country is peopled by an intelligent community of farmers and stock raisers who have in a few years attained com parative wealth and affluence. Right here, within a radius of a few blocks, is transacted more business than is generally done in many cities of double the size and of older settlement.

We can offer to the newcomer a location in a live and wealthy western city, with a light debt and low taxes.

We can offer him real estate at low figures, and pledge him a cordial welcome from a liberal people, and all the social, educational and religious advantages to be desired .