D. Smith and son J. C. Smith became the millers until the Fall of 1877, when the former died and the latter continued as miller. Adam, Perry and James Speck have recently purchased the mill and are operating it.

The religious views of the United Brethren in Christ denomination are entertained by a majority of the citizens, since the College is an institution of that sect. As soon as the College was organized, a United Brethren Society was formed and preaching held in the College chapel by the various Presidents and other ministers. As the chapel answers all required purposes, a church building has never been erected, though a new and commodious chapel will soon be erected in connection with the College. Rev. M. S. Drury, who has been a liberal patron of the College, is the present regular pastor, though there are twelve pastors of that denomination living in Western.

About 1864, a Methodist Episcopal society was organized by the energetic efforts of D. W. Henderson and others. A frame church building was soon after built on Main street, and occupied regularly by that denomination for several years; but more recently a portion of its members have removed, and the congregation has become unable to support a pastor. The church is not used except occasionally by pastors of various denominations.

THE PRESS.

Rev. S. Weaver and W. H. Shuey, as editors and proprietors, issued the Western College Advocate, a monthly magazine, in July, 1856. After one year its publication was continued by the Board of Trustees until 1859, when a press was purchased and the semi-monthly Western College Reporter appeared in quarto form; with several changes of form and frequency of issue, it continued until 1874, when it was discontinued.

In the following year, W. I. Beatty, a young man at that time a student of the college, became interested in the subject, and, with Mr. Ralph Shatto as publisher, and Mr. Beatty as editor, the Western Gazette was issued. In less than a year the paper passed to the entire control of Mr. Shatto, and has been continued by him as the Western Light. It is a seven-column weekly folio.

BUSINESS INTERESTS.

The early business of Western has been referred to. At present, there two general stores, one hardware, one drug store, one blacksmith and one wagon shop, two groceries, one clothing and dry goods, one hotel, one mill, two shoe shops, one printing office, one carpenter shop and one barber.

MUNICIPAL.

June 1, 1867, a petition was circulated praying for an election to decide. upon the propriety of incorporating Western, and received thirty-two signers. Accordingly, an election was held, and October 28, 1867, their petition was granted. Officers were elected. The first recorded meeting of the Council was held February 12, 1868: Mayor, W. B. Wagner; Recorder, Wm. Langham; Trustees, D. D. Weiner, A. C. Gilmore, J. E. Rider, R. Davis and Ď. Manning; Treasurer, A. C. Gilmore; Marshal, D. F. Palmer.

No buildings have been erected by the incorporated town, but careful attention has been given to the sidewalks and other improvements. No bonds have been issued, and no debt overhangs the city.

The present officers are: Mayor, J. G. Brown; Recorder, R. Shatto; Trustees, A. Perry, Lewis Bookwalter, T. Harrison, J. G. Snyder, S. Anderson; Treasurer, J. G. Snyder; Marshal, Joseph Kaufman.

BERTRAM.

(Bertram Township.)

Among the earliest settlers in this vicinity now residing there, are James and John Hunter, 1838; Perry and Everett Oxley, Thomas W. Campbell, 1838; Jacob Lebo, 1838; Albert, Henry and Israel Mitchell, at Westport; Peter D. Harmon came soon after.

The village was an outgrowth of the railroad. When the railroad was prospected through that locality, in 1856, the site of Bertram was a wheat field, with but one house on the site an old log one, which is still standing at the corner of Third and Angle streets, and which was built by Manier, but

was then empty.

Angle & Ely operated a saw-mill one-half mile northeast, and in the Fall of 1856 they purchased the 150 acres of Mr. Manier, and in January sold onefourth of this to Hon. George Greene and John Weare and one-half to the Iowa & Nebraska Land Company.

April 1, 1857, R. W. Knowles came to the site of Bertram as the agent of the proprietors of the town.

Ashbel Hale built a storehouse, in September, 1857, near the southwest corner of Bertram and Ely streets; but as he died, no store was opened there until the next Spring, when C. B. Cook and Nelson Reed opened a store. The proprietors of the town furnished lumber and lots on time.

April 19, 1858, Bertram was laid out on the southeast quarter of Section 34, Township 83 north, Range 6, with depot grounds 912x250 feet in size.

In the Fall of 1857, Hubbard Randall built the house standing on Second, between Angle and Ely streets, 24x24 feet in size, for a hotel. Mr. H. A. Berry, now operates the only hotel that has since been in Bertram. Soon after, houses were erected by Dr. Patterson, the first physician, on Bertram street, between Bever and Ely; by James Berry, which is still standing at the corner of Bertram and Bever streets; by S. P. Lyons, opposite; by James Hunter, 1858; a blacksmith shop, by James E. Knapp.

The railroad was completed in June, 1859; and the blacksmith shop moved for a depot by the agent, R. W. Knowles, who was also appointed Postmaster in 1860. Mr. Knowles still resides in Bertram, as its Postmaster.

In 1859, James E. White & Sons (John R. and William) built the flouringmill near the site of the saw-mill, a three-story frame building, which was purchased before it was completed by Jeremiah Daniels, who fitted it with good machinery, and has operated it to the present time. He has experienced considerable difficulty by the dam washing out.

A depot was built in 1860, which burned down about 1872, and was replaced by the present one. Samuel Daniels, now County Auditor, succeeded as Station Agent; and, after various changes, Mr. John W. Robinson has now had charge for many years.

The next store was by S. W. Campbell, about 1863. Franklin Allen succeeded him. H. A. Berry succeeded Cook & Reed. Then came Fetter & Mann with a store, now George W. Fetter, with a saloon. A blacksmith shop, afterward a grocery, was kept by Joseph Cox, then William Clymer. Then the saloon of Jake Camean, which is now in existence.

A brick district school house was built in 1856, three-quarters of a mile northwest, which was used by the town pupils until about 1868, when a frame

school house was built in town. This is now taught by Miss Kate Wilson, of Mount Vernon, with about forty pupils.

Spear T. Harmon succeeded in the store of H. A. Berry for three years. The second blacksmith was William Davidson, then William Thorp, now Otto Nack.

The first religious services were held by Hubbard Randall, of the Free Will Baptist denomination, which has since had occasional Pastors. The society was organized about 1873, by Elder Amos Davis, followed by Dr. Walter Crew. Services are held in the Independent Methodist Church.

The Methodist society have an independent organization at Bertram. It was first organized under the Marion circuit. They have a good church building and an interesting society.

ELY.

(Putnam Township.)

The village of Ely is a new one, which sprung up at the old settlement at Hoosier Grove on the occasion of the advent of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad.

This is one of the earliest settled points in the county. Six or more persons are believed to have located in the vicinity in 1838. Elisha Cox and Isham Holler settled on the Bassitt farm-the former where the farm house now stands, and the latter on the creek. John Holler located on the town site, and lived where Andrew Fahrmeister now resides. One mile west, Isaac Cox, and one and a half miles west, Joseph Cox, settled. Abner Cox located on the Frank Lawrence farm. Albert Blaylock settled near there soon after. October 4, 1843, Christopher V. Fahrmeister, now deceased, with his sons, settled one and a half miles south, in Johnson County. Some of the sons have occupied the original farm to the present time.

John Holler, who was killed by his son, sold the town site to Alexander Gilmore, who transferred it to William Harris, a Quaker, from whom it was purchased, in 1867, by Andrew Fahrmeister. The latter sold sixty acres to the

railroad company.

Ely was laid out June 5, 1872, by T. M. Johnson, Surveyor, on parts of Sections 30 and 31, Township 82 north, Range 6, under the proprietorship of John F. Ely.

The first building was erected before the town was laid off, and before the railroad had been completed, by William S. Cooper, on the southwest corner of Dows and Main streets. Here Mr. Cooper opened a general store, which was sold to John Hoffman, and afterward to Joseph Woitishek, the present proprietor. The next buildings were, the depot, a warehouse by Andrew Fahrmeister, then a store building by Jerry Smith, occupied by the store of Smith & Healy. Next, a saloon was opened by J. C. Dolezal; then a drug and hardware store by Thomas Bassitt, occupied by J. L. Hurd.

A number of good dwellings followed, and gave Ely the appearance of an active village. James G. Smith next established a grocery store. The drug

and hardware stock was divided, James Moorhead taking the former and adding to it groceries, while John Lorene continues the hardware business.

The first shoe-shop was that of Joseph Jonas. Frank Naibert has since established in that business. The first and only harness shop is that of Wesley Swacha.

A lumber yard was established by Fahrmeister & Woitishek, sold to J. W. Emerson, thence to John Janko.

An agricultural implement store was first operated by J. G. Smith, who sold to J. E. Dolezal. The first and only livery stable is that of L. M. Healy, who also established the first hotel about 1873.

The first blacksmith shop was established by Anton Horak. More recently, Joseph Stepanek has engaged in that trade. The first and only cabinet shop of the village is that of Hanus & Sons.

E. H. Brumbaugh first located as a physician. He was followed by N. F. Terry, who has given place to the present physician, Dr. G. W. Stansberry. The first Station Agent was J. L. Devault, who was succeeded by the present agent, W. J. Henry. The post office has passed successively through the charge of S. A. Stream, N. Brumbaugh, G. W. Davault and James Moorman, the present officer.

was

A second grain warehouse was erected by an Eastern company; operated by B. Orcutt, J. W. Emerson, and then purchased by Farhmeister & Woitishek. There are four saloons. The town has been settled by Bohemians to the extent of more than one-half the population, which is about two hundred and fifty.

The first school house in this vicinity was erected in 1850. It was a little cabin, made of lynn poles, and school was first taught there by Israel Clark. Another, one-quarter of a mile east of town, afterward known as the Ely school house, was built in the Fall of 1854, and first taught by R. Rowe. This wa moved nearer to the town plat when the latter was laid off. A new frame school house of one room was built in Ely in the Fall of 1876, where school was first taught by Isaac Heller, who was afterward drowned in the Cedar River. Al. Weaver taught the next Winter.

Israel Clark was probably the first one to preach in this neighborhood. No religious society was organized until after the town was laid out. In the Winter of 1871-2, a Methodist class was formed, and a church building, 28x36 feet in size, moved into town from three miles east, where it was erected in 1859. The Pastors, successively, were Revs. W. T. Moore, J. H. Hoskyn, S. A. Goodsell, and the present Pastor, Rev. W. H. Miller. The church has a membership of about fifty, and a Sabbath school is regularly held at the church.

A Presbyterian organization was effected two or three years since, though they have as yet had a regular Pastor-Rev. Mr. King, of Vinton-only during one year, 1877. They occupy the Methodist Church.

There is a Bohemian church two miles west.

PALO.

(Fayette Township.)

To Joseph Strawn is due the honor of first crossing Cedar River to locate in Fayette Township. He located three and one-half miles northwest of the site of Palo, in March, 1839, and was joined on the following day by Thomas Lewis, who settled five miles north of the same site. Mr. Strawn still resides on the old farm.

Dyer, Hiram and Henry Usher, with their father, settled soon after, two miles southeast.

John Hollenbeck was the first settler in the immediate vicinity of the village site. The exact date of his location could not be ascertained. He

was a prominent man of that locality until his death, in 1877. He lived adjoining the town on the east, and made an addition to the town plat on the north.

John Cue, now living one mile north of town, settled there soon after Mr. Hollenbeck came, and is probably the oldest settler in the vicinity.

George C. McKorkle came in 1845, then a young man, and lived with his stepfather, Mr. Hollenbeck. His brother, B. McKorkle, came about the same time, and both still reside near town.

P. B. Yates and family located in March, 1846, three miles southeast, on the opposite side of Cedar River. He came over in 1850, and settled adjoining the village site on the southeast. Mrs. Yates and her sons now live in the village.

Among other early settlers in the vicinity were John Mills, one-half mile southwest, who died about 1870; Peter McVey, one mile northwest, who died within a few years; William Wheeler adjoined him on the east, but afterward moved further West; Samuel and W. J. Whiting, three-quarters of a mile south; Nathaniel Chipman settled one and a quarter miles west about 1848, where he has since died; James McArthur and Joseph McNannis, who still reside on their farms, about one mile south; Stephen Morris bought land of Andrew Hollenbeck, in the Fall of 1854, adjoining Mr. Cue's farm on the south, where he died two years later. These are but a few of those who had settled in the vicinity before the town was laid off.

Some time before that event, John Hollenbeck had kept a tavern and post office in his house, now known as the old tavern stand; and his son Andrew had established a store opposite the town, which was operated by his brother David.

John G. Cole lived in Cedar Rapids about ten years; then, in 1854, went to Mr. Hollenbeck's neighborhood, purchased a farm of Mr. Pierce, and lived south

of the creek.

June 10, 1854, Mr. Cole had the village site surveyed by John McArthur, on the northeast quarter of Section 29, Township 84 north, Range 8.

Mr. Hollenbeck made an addition in December, 1857, on the north. The first building was a shanty, erected in 1854, by Charles Perry, but was soon torn down.

In the following Spring, John McCray erected the first log cabin, on the site of the saw-mill, where he lived for one and a half years, when he was killed by the caving of a well which he was digging. The cabin was afterward torn down.

In the same Spring, and about the same time, John Stratford built the second log house, on Lot 1, Block 8, which is still standing as a wagon shop. Mr. Stratford established a boot and shoe business, which he continued for twenty years, having given up the bench for the past three years.

The store building of Andrew Hollenbeck passed into the ownership of William Greene in 1855, and the business was discontinued for a brief period, being re-established by Fleek & McAfee, in 1856, who sold to N. F. Miller.

The first blacksmith shop was operated by P. B. Yates, east of town, who was succeeded by his son Ezekiel, in 1851. Thomas J. McConaly established the next blacksmith shop, soon after the town was formed, and has continued hammering to the present time. Another shop has been established by James Lawson. Norman Root has made boots and shoes there for the past twenty years. A. Roider's shop is more recent. David Johnson has done carpenter

work there since 1856.