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known. The branch was completed to Decorah in September, 1869, in accordance with the agreement made by the company with the citizens of Decorah. The event was one of great importance to the capital city of the county. A day of celebration and rejoicing was given in honor of the event. Large crowds of people thronged to the city, and many availed themselves of the opportunity offered and made excursion trips to Conover and back. Hon. E. E. Cooley delivered an address, in which he ably set forth the great value the new railroad would be to Decorah and the surounding country.

Several attempts have been made within the past few years to secure additional railroad facilities, the principal object being to secure competing lines, so as to obtain lower freights.

On the 8th of August, 1879, the township of Decorah voted a four per cent. tax, to induce the river road from Clinton and Dubuque to LaCrosse, which was leased to and connected with the Chicago & Northwestern Railway-to extend its Waukon narrow guage branch to Decorah. The townships of Frankville and Glenwood refused to vote the tax. But the railroad was graded to Decorah, and the laying of iron out of Waukon was commenced, when the river road was bought out by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul company, and the enterprise stopped. There are indications that the latter company is about to widen the gauge of the Waukon branch to the regular standard, and perhaps extend it to Decorah, to give an easier grade to the river and accommodate the immense trade of its branches that meet at CalAs the road was not built as stipulated, Decorah escaped the payment of the tax, which had been voted.

mar.

The above project for a connection with the Northwestern, having failed, another was attempted. On the 9th of November, 1881, the township of Decorah voted a five per cent. tax on condition that a railroad be built to the Mississippi river, at or about Lansing, Iowa. But a hoped for connection not having been secured, the upper Iowa and Mississippi railway company as the above company was called-had the proposed tax cancelled to give a choice for the enterprise mentioned below.

This last enterprise was the proposed building of a railroad to connect with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway, at or near West Union or Clermont, This giving another southern and eastern connection by way of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific road (the backers of the B. C. R. & N). On the 4th day of April, 1882, Decorah Township voted a five per cent. tax for the continuation of this road, on condition that it he built by Sept., 1883, assurances being made that there was ample capital to construct the road. It cannot be told at the time of this writing whether the road will be built or not, as it could be done if necessary, if not actively commenced till the spring of 1883. A tax for this road was voted down in Military Township.

Meanwhile there are prospects of a road being built across the northern part of the county. This proposed road is called the Minnesota, Iowa & Southwestern, and is intended to run from La Crosse, Wis., via Charles City, to Western Iowa. Taxes were voted for the proposed road in the fall of 1881, by Hesper, Burr Oak and Bluffton Townships, and the right-of-way is now being purchased (in the fall of 1882) over some portions of the line in this county. It was alleged that there was a technicality in the manner of ordering the vote in Bluffton Township which made it illegal, and a new election was ordered early in 1882, in which the project met with defeat. The tax has been ordered by the County Supervisors in accordance with the old vote in Bluffton; it may be left to the courts to decide whether it shall be collected. Decorah will probably have another railroad connection before long, but just how soon is not yet determined.

The continuation of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway from Conover, north to Ridgway and St. Paul, when Conover lost the "boom which had made it a busy, bustling little city; the continuation of the Iowa & Dakota division from Calmar westward to Fort Atkinson and beyond in 1869, and the recent completion of the line between Calmar and Davenport, are matters to be referred to elsewhere, more especially in the sketches of the towns named.

OUR PRODUCTS.

Since the county became settled, until the last five years, wheat has been the principal product, and though the larger portion of the wheat has been shipped in bulk, there are now in this county six mills devoted wholly or in part to the manufacture of flour for eastern markets, while sixteen more are devoted to custom work. The fine water powers with which the county abounds, give ample facilities for these and other manufactories.

Within the past two or three years more attention has been given to dairying and stock raising, and this county promises to become, as it is well adapted to be, one of the finest in the country for this purpose. Already its stock farms and its creameries

have become famous.

Of these and various other industries, the woolen mill, scale factory, paper mill, extensive stone quarries, etc., further mention will be found in our sketch of Decorah and other townships in the county.

EDUCATIONAL AND LITERARY.

In educational progress this county has kept well in the front. Besides the excellent public schools, there are private ones, prominent among which is the Decorah Institute, under the excellent management of Prof. Breckenridge, attracting a large attendance of pupils from abroad. This, as well as the Norwegian Lutheran

College, located at Decorah, with its fine, large building costing $100,000, its nine professors, and its regular attendance of nearly two hundred students, are more particularly described in a following chapter giving the history of Decorah.

The first newspaper in the county has already been mentioned. Decorah has had fully a score of them, and now has several Engglish and one Norwegian newspaper, besides the religious and literary periodicals issued by the Norwegian College publishing house. Calmar and Ossian have had successive ones which have failed, but they now have one each. These newspaper ventures will be mentioned more particularly in the sketches of the several towns.

GRATIFYING SHOWING.

The following from the Decorah Republican gives a comprehensive view of the growth and prosperity of the county, financially, educationally and otherwise:

The growth of Winneshiek County in wealth and evidences of material prosperity, has been steady and rapid.

In 1852, the assessment of the county only represented an actual value in both real and personal property of $81,000, while our present assessments represents an actual value in round numbers of $15,500,000. In this are included 18,270 cattle over six months old, representing a cash value of $310,000; 11,188 horses, representing a cash value of $884,000; and 23,567 swine, representing an actual value of $20,000.

The total tax levied for the year 1880, for all purposes including State, County, School and Municipal, was $104,745.95 of which $36,456.28 was for the support of schools alone. The last annual report of the County Superintendent of Public Schools showed that there was in the hands of different district treasurers in the county, school money to defray current expenses aggregating nearly $30,000

The financial management of the county has always been conservative. Such a thing as a bonded debt has never been permitted, and at no time in the history of the county has the floating debt been so large but that it was easily paid by ordinary financiering. There is now no debt whatever against the county, and settlers are not sought as a financial relief. On the contrary, we invite them to a home where all the early wants have been met and supplied.

With no debt existing, the county possesses such requisities in the shape of public buildings and property as these: A substantial Court House, ample for the needs of the next twenty years; a good Poor House and farm for the support of its needy; and a jail-one of the best and safest in the state-for the restraint of the criminal class. For the education of its children, there are already built 92 frame, 30 brick, and 14 stone school houses, ranging in

value from a few hundred dollars up to $20,000. By an appraisement made last year, the total worth of these houses was estimated at $117,150. Of the original log structures, erected by the pioneers, but two remain.

The streams of the county are spanned by bridges of all kinds, representing an actual outlay of nearly a quarter-million dollars. Thirty-eight of these are iron bridges, fourteen are stone-arch, four of combined iron and wood, and the remainder are substantial wooden superstructures upon solid stone abutments.

Of private buildings for public use an even better record can be made. The church buildings number nearly two score, or one to every 650 of population. Those of the Methodist denomination are most numerous, being a round dozen in number; but those of the Norwegian Lutherans (eight in number) are the largest and most costly. The Catholics have six structures, all large and fine buildings. The remainder are divided among the different sects, representing the Congregationalists, Friends, Episcopalians, Adventists and Universalists. In a few cases, and only a few, a church debt exists, but of a trivial amount.

This is the work of but little more than a quarter of a century. It is no longer a pioneer region. The foundations are all laidand well laid-for a broad and intelligent civilization, and the full enjoyments of all the comforts and few of the deprivations of life in a land which, if not "flowing with milk and honey," is rich in all the elements of agricultural wealth.

POPULATION.

This review is fittingly supplemented with the following from the United States Census of Winneshiek county, for 1880:

Bloomfield Township, including village of Castalia....

1,010

*Castalia village..

108

Bluffton township, including village of Bluffton...

807

*Bluffton village..

102

Burr Oak Township, including village of Burr Oak.

826

*Burr Oak village..

199

Calmar Township, including the following places.

2,043

*Conover village..

168

Calmar town..

617

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The War for the Union; Prompt Response to Calls; the First Company and its Glorious Record; Battle of Shiloh; Surrender of Vicksburg; Battle of Atlanta; Our Heroic Dead and Wounded; Other Companies from Winneshiek County; the March to the Sea; Gallant Deeds to the Final Battle of the War; the Wounded Living and the Martyred Dead.

Winneshiek County may well remember with pride the patriotism of her devoted sons in the war for the Union. Immediately on the report of the attack of the rebels on Fort Sumter, men stood ready to respond to the call of the Government for troops, and within a week steps were taken, at a public meeting held at the Court House, to organize and offer a military company to the Government. That the people as well as officials of the county were prompt to encourage those who should step forward for their country's service, and care for the families they left behind, is shown by the following resolutions which were passed at the time by the County Board of Supervisors, and which were fully carried out:

"Resolved, That under the present aspect of national affairs it is the duty of every community to do its share toward the defense of our common country.

"Resolved, That it is the duty of the county to drill and cause to be equipped at least one company of men; that in order to do so an appropriation by the county, enabling every person to aid in his due proportion in the common defense, is most just and equitable; that the men who risk their lives and spend their time should be provided with the means to be of service as soldiers, and that an appropriation made in pursuance hereof should have precedence of all other claims; therefore,

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