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July 31, Recorder Charles A. Steen, who was wounded at Gettysburg, died in Decorah, aged 40 years, 11 months, and 1 day. Cyrus McKey was appointed to fill the vacancy until the next election.

Oct., Fair held at Hesper.

Oct. 18, a fire at Calmar burned four business houses, including McMullin's drug store, a shoe store, restaurant and saloon. Nov. 3, Charles Hartsing, of Castalia, one of the first settlers of Winneshiek County died, aged 65 years.

Nov. 29, Adams' block, Decorah, burned, burning out Ben Bears' clothing store, Coleman & Toye's drug store, J. C. Meuser's jewelry store, Newton's grocery, and some other tenants.

Decorah had a lecture course the following winter with General Kilpatrick, Henry Watterson, Mrs. Livermore, and Will Carle

ton.

1878.

Jan. 28, work on the artesian well, Decorah, stopped, it having reached a depth of 1,200 feet, and the water being 30 feet from the top.

April 4, the Board of Supervisors having this spring provided for the construction of a new jail, contracted for Pauley's steel cells.

April 11, plans for the new jail adopted, the site of which is located on the southeast corner of the court house grounds.

July 1, contract awarded for building a new county jail, which was erected the same year.

Sept, 17, 18, 19, fair at Hesper.

Oct. 10, Harvey Benedict fell from the house of his brother, A. A. Benedict, and was killed.

Nov. 21, the body of H. A. Hegg, of Decorah, was found in the creek at the railroad bridge, near Standring's cut. The coroner's jury found that his death was caused by strychnine, and that it occurred before he fell into the water. The mystery of his death is not yet solved.

1879.

February 15, Blue Ribbon movement organized by John W. Drew, in Decorah, and reform club established.

May 17, Norwegian celebration; orations by Professors Sander, Veflen, and others.

May 30, Decoration Day in Decorah; oration by H. B. Woodworth.

June 22, twenty-fifth anniversary of the Congregational Church of Decorah observed.

July 4, celebration in Decorah, John T. Stoneman, orator. Celebrated at Ossian, Rev. Sherin, orator.

Aug. 7, Decorah township voted a 4 per cent tax to induce the Waukon narrow guage railroad, which was then leased to the Northwestern, to come to Decorah. The road bed was graded, but the Milwaukee company bought it up-it did not come-and Decorah saved its tax.

Sept., Fair at Hesper this year.

Nov. 12, Jannauschek, the actress, appeared at Decorah.

Dec. 1, Judge E. E. Cooley appointed to fill a vacancy caused by the resignation of Judge Reuben Noble.

June 13, the railroad depot at Conover burned.

July 4, celebration at Hesper, Rev. H. B. Woodworth, orator. Ossian also celebrated.

July 23, at the Peter Coogan school-house, three miles north of Decorah, Willard Van Pelt shot George Rastetler through the side, the latter having been abusing and threatening Van Pelt. Both were young men. Van Pelt was arrested and held for trial, when he was finally fined $20 and costs. Rastetler's wound was at 'first thought to be dangerous, but he recovered.

Aug. 19, Thomas Updegraff was unanimously re-nominated for Congress by the Republican Convention at McGregor, and was re-elected.

Sept. 12, Henry Diers was stabbed by Mike Wholehan, whom he had ordered away from Addicken's brewery on Sunday. Diers' wound was thought to be fatal, but he recovered. Wholehan was held in $5,000 bail, and on trial was sentenced to one year and six months in the penitentiary.

Sept. 15, 16 and 17, fair at Hesper.

1881.

Feb. 13, Remenyi gave a concert in Decorah.

Feb. 18, meetings held in Decorah to organize Citizens' Association, which organization was afterwards effected.

March 6, George W. Haislet, an old newspaper man and editor of the Decorah Radical, died. The publication of the Radical was continued for about one year by Mrs. Haislet, and in the spring of 1882 was purchased by C. H. Craig, who changed its name to the Decorah Pantagraph.

March 11, Wm. Telford, an old settler of Decorah, 51 years of age, fell dead at a fire at the foot of Pleasant Hill.

March 28, James McConnell, an old resident of Bluffton, was killed by being thrown from his wagon on his way home from Decorah.

March 29, Chicago, Decorah & Minnesota Railroad Company incorporated.

April 1, Prof. Jacobson, of Luther College, died.

May 11, the City Council of Decorah voted to build water works, which were completed that year.

May 30, Decoration day, Decorah. F. B. Daniels, of Dubuque, delivering the oration. F. E. Brush, pastor of the M. E. church, Decorah, delivered the address at the cemetery.

June 10, observance at Frankville of the 100th anniversary of Father Cutler's birthday. An account of the celebration will be found in our sketch of Frankville.

August, contract let for water works in Decorah.

August 12, Decorah post office moved into its new building.
September 20, 21 and 22, County Fair at Decorah.

November 9, Decorah Township voted a five per cent. tax to the Upper Iowa & Mississippi Railroad Company, conditioned on its building a railroad to the Mississippi, at or about Lansing. The road was not built and the tax was forfeited. It is now stated that the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, who are widening the gauge to Waukon will continue the work to Decorah, thus giving them another outlet, via Calmar from the west, rather than to build a double track from Calmar to McGregor.

Hesper, Burr Oak and Bluffton townships also voted taxes to a road running through them to be built from LaCrosse to the southwest through Charles City, and the right-of-way for the road is being secured.

1882.

February 22, Decorah water works trial, parade and celebration. April 14, Decorah Township voted a five per cent. tax to a railroad to connect with the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern, to be completed before September, 1883. Grading has been commenced.

June 4, murder in Glenwood Township. Peter Peterson Krogsund was shot and killed by Hans Hansen Skjerdahl. Particulars given in a preceding chapter.

June 22, Decorah Drum Corps wins first prize at the State Military Encampment at Waterloo. The Decorah Light Guards also took a prize.

June 27, prohibitory amendment adopted in Iowa. Vote of Winneshiek County was 1,411 for, 1,696 against the amendment.

July 4, celebrated in Decorah, with oration by F. E. Brush, of Davenport. At Ossian, oration by T. J. Sullivan.

also observed at Fort Atkinson.

It was

July 8, Turner Callender, an old resident of Frankville, died. He came to the county in 1849.

Aug. 29, the Decorah Drum Corps wins a victory at the InterState Military Encampment at Dubuque, being victors over the Chicago Drum Corps, and winning the first prize of $500.

Sept. 1, Decorah Drum Corps welcomed home with a grand reception at the Opera House. Address by E. E. Cooley.

Sept. 12, 13, 14 and 15, County Fair in Decorah. A grand success; pronounced the best in this section of the country; and equal to many State Fairs. A magnificent display of cattle and other blooded stock. Receipts, $3,173.79.

Measures are being taken to largely develop the extensive stone quarries around Decorah, and also to bring into market profitably its wonderful fossil limestone for which there is a large demand for ornamental purposes.

CHAPTER IX.

DECORAH.

Decorah, the county seat of Winneshiek county, the beautiful and famous gem city of northeastern Iowa, naturally comes first in importance in mentioning the towns of the county. It is romantically located in the valley of the Upper Iowa River, and about two miles from the exact geographical center of the county. The Upper Iowa River, being supplied by large, never failing springs all along its course, has a continuous water-power as it traverses a valley of great fertility, and romantic and varied beauty. Into the river at Decorah and its suburbs, flow streams from both sides generally of cool, spring water. The city is sheltered from the storms of winter and summer by high, wooded hills, usually sloping up from the valley, but in some places standing out in precipices and rocky bluffs, which rise in tower-like masses, adding variety and charm to the picture. Though the hills surrounding Decorah are at their summits from 200 to 260 feet high-one of them thus giving a powerful head to Decorah's water works--the country about is reached by easy grades up the valleys by which the city is surrounded, and yet which are so circling, that the broad valley in which Decorah is located is fully protected, and seems surrounded by hills.

From some of the caves in these hills issue streams of water large enough to operate flour mills with two run of stones.

The most remarkable of these caves is known as Ice Cave. Its entrance is through an opening in a rocky bluff, overlooking the river and facing the city, about half a mile north of its business streets. In this cave ice forms in summer and melts away in winter, and many have been the theories and discussions by scientific men on the subject. As you enter the cave you go several rods through its successive chambers, down steep slopes, and at the lower depths of the cave is found the chilly atmosphere from the rocks which, it may be, have during the winter accumulated so much frigidity that they retain it till well through the summer, and freeze the water that comes down through the crevices from

the hills above; but by the end of summer generally lose their coldness so that the ice melts away as winter comes, before a new store of freezing .chilliness can be garnered up. However this may be the cave is a great wonder to multitudes of people.

Another great wonder which has been more particularly developed within a very few years, is the rich deposit of a fossiliferous rock, from which are obtained specimens of surpassing beauty. This region is a delight to geologists, who pronounce it one of the most wonderful in the country.

Add to these and other attractions to be seen on every hand, the charming and romantic drives that lead out from Decorah, and the magnificent views that reward those who climb the hills, and it is no wonder that the new-comer is delighted. The changeful scenes are so variedly beautiful that even the old resident never becomes tired of them. A visitor to Decorah a few years ago, in writing to an eastern periodical, thus expresses his or her appreciation:

"We know of no locality where the picturesque, the romantic, the curious and the rural are so happily blended with the refinements, the elegancies, and amenities of city life, as in Decorah; nor do we know of any place where persons suffering from overtaxed physical and mental energies, or from billious or pulmonary complaints, can find a more delightful locality for recuperation, recreation, and restoration to a vigorous health; nor are we surprised to learn that many from the east and south are beginning to make Decorah a place of resort. The healthfulness of the climate of northern Iowa, and the peculiar freedom of Decorah from all malarial elements, makes her one of the best possible resorts for persons afflicted with the billious complaints of the south and the pulmonary diseases of the

east.

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The continuous fall of the river as it seeks the Mississippi, in the valley hundreds of feet below, not only makes frequent water powers, but prevents ponds and sloughs, with their malarious influences, and the water of the large and small streams are unusually pure and sparkling.

The principal part of Decorah is on one side of the Iowa River. A broad tongue of elevated land reaches out into the valley, and yet low enough to be protected by the surrounding hills. On the most elevated ridge of this tongue is Broadway with the Court House and most of the churches, and on Broadway and the streets that cross it and are parallel to it are numerous pleasant residences. Slightly elevated plateaus in other parts of the city also furnish sites for many delightful homes and grounds.

Across the river is the very pleasant suburb known as West Decorah. Quite a number of Decorah's thriving business men have their residences there. On an elevated plateau, overlooking

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