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is continued by Hoyt & Hinman. The Weiser, Montgomery & Rudolph and Solberg's drug stores still compound medicines, while J. J. Klopp's drug store has been here long enough to be almost an "old residenter."

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Among prominent business men and firms of olden time Dr. J. M. Green, A. Howell, D. B. Ellsworth, Daniel Lawrence, R. F. Gibson, Henry Heivly, and C. E. Dickerman have residences on Upper Broadway, and S. W. Matteson, J. G. Morse and B. B. Green in that neighborhood. But we forbear further personal mention at this place. Names of old residents come up so rapidly, as do those of prominent firms now doing business here. Decorah has her share of professional men, and of more than average ability. As biographies of prominent men of this city are to appear later in this volume, we leave further personal mention to the writers of those sketches.

A quite prominent and successful institution in its day was the Mississippi Valley Insurance Company, located at Decorah. H. S. Weiser was its first president and after him Leonard Standring. J. C. Strong was secretary, and managed the business during most of its life, and to its close. It was organized in 1864, and closed up its business early in 1875. It was a fire and lightning insurance company, and paid all its losses promptly. When it went out of business it cancelled and paid back premiums, and paid to stockholders a dividend of 25 per cent.

WEST DECORAH.

West Decorah is properly a part of Decorah, and only separated from it by the river, over which are fine bridges, the whole forming a beautiful city of about four thousand inhabitants. Yet, West Decorah, which has some five hundred inhabitants is incorporated as a town. It is the site of Luther College, and the homes of several prominent Decorah business men. Among these residences are the elegant home of J. J. Marsh, an extensive dealer in agricultural machinery, and C. W. Burdick, of the real estate and abstract office. It was incorporated in 1879. The following are its present officers:

Mayor, G. W. G. Sawyer; Councilmen, C. W. Burdick, Fred Hencke, J. J. Marsh, J. H. Mackenstadt, N. P. Chase, Oren Hall; Treasurer, J. Bandeau; Recorder, J. Fannon; Marshal, Frank Betts.

The prominent store is that of Fred Hencke, who also has an extensive pop manufactory. Dan. Shaw is principal of its public schools.

FREEPORT.

This little village, so prominent in the county seat contest, described in County History, is on the Upper Iowa River in the eastern part of Decorah township, about two miles from Decorah in

a straight line, and three miles by road. It is on the grade of the proposed railroad extension from Waukon to Decorah, and on the daily stage route between these two places. It has a new Methodist Church with regular services, the paper mill of J. R. Booth, a postoffice and store kept by A. A. Snyder, and the county poor house and farm. It has also several other small business enterprises, and a population of about 150. When Freeport finally lost all hope of securing the county seat, most of Freeport's business came to Decorah, and soon after the families of the Burdicks, the Fannons, and B. O. Dahly, and others. It was a good site for a town, being in a broad and fertile valley, and having a good water power.

PRINTING ESTABLISHMENTS.

Various newspaper enterprises are mentioned in the previous pages of the history of the county. It would be difficult to give a complete record of the twenty-five that have had their existence in as many years, and we will not attempt to repeat it here; but briefly mention the printing establishments now in Decorah, and those of which they are the legitimate successors; and as the publishers are, in virtue of their offices, the recorders in their history of the newspapers of the county, we give a few personal facts in regard to them as a convenience for future reference:

In 1856, one Tracy issued the prospectus of the Decorah Chroniele, and in due time that paper appeared. Judge M. V. Burdick was for a time its anonymous editor. Its successor is the present Decorah Republican. It has had the names of Chronicle, Gazette Republic and Republican, there being sometimes, in early days, suspensions of publication, with exchanges of names of proprietors. It was the Decorah Republic when purchased in 1860 by Wesley Bailey & Son, who came here from New York, where they had been thoroughly educated in the newspaper business. In March, 1866 the name was changed to Decorah Republican; the proprietorship was also changed to A. K. Bailey & Bros., the father retiring, and now a resident of Decorah. A. K. Bailey, editor, is also postmaster, and his partner brother, A. S. Bailey, manager of the Western Union telegraph office, and assistant postmaster. Ansel K. Bailey was born at Wales, Erie Co., N. Y., Nov. 15, 1835. He removed to Utica, N. Y., in 1842, where he received a common school education. When between 12 and 13 years of age he entered his father's printing office. He gave his note for a newspaper office in Utica the day he became of age, and has been engaged in newspaper work ever since-a period of more than a quarter of a century. In March, 1860 he came to Decorah, having with his father bought the only newspaper office in the place, some two months before his removal. His father had been here in the September previous, and the purchase was made by correspondence. He was elected Treasurer of the county in 1863, and served one

term, from 1864 to 1865, declining a re-election. Four years later the appointment as postmaster was made by President Grant, which office he has held without contest ever since. Editorial and official position, and acquaintance with the people of the county, have made him a serviceable agent of his party, and more than half the time he has been the chairman of the Republican central committee serving in that capacity in each of the last four Presidential campaigns. In this position he has been subject to sharp criticism, which, however, has neither damaged his character nor soured a temper that is usually equable and genial. His opponents have frequently been warm personal friends and the contests have usually ended with the close of a campaign. No one probably, has less desire than he to be a political boss. In social and religious life he has been active and prominent, and a useful and exemplary member of society.

For fifteen years he was superintendent of the Congregational Sabbath School, and is now serving the 18th and 19th years in that capacity. He was married at Utica, N. Y., in 1859, to Miss Sarah Higham. They have had five children, four of which are living. Their residence is on Vernon street, about one square west of the public school building. The Republican has steam power and a well-equipped job printing office, and occupies the second floor of the new postoffice building on Winnebago street. It recently showed its enterprise by printing a daily during the County Fair in Decorah.

A. S. Bailey, of the above paper and telegraph manager, has been the main stand-by of the popular Decorah Amateurs. He has decided dramatic ability, excelling especially in comedy. He was married several years ago at Cleveland, Ohio, to Miss Mary The next oldest paper in Decorah is the present Decorah JourWolcott, a deservedly popular favorite in Decorah society. nal, counting it as identical with its legitimate predecessor. The Winneshiek Register was founded by G. W. Haislet in 1866; in November the office was destroyed by fire. A new office was purchased on time, and in the spring of 1869 the paper was compelled to suspend. August 25, 1869, he re-issued his paper under the name of Register & Ventilator, afterwards dropping the first half of the name. Several years later W. N. Burdick became a partner with Haislet, and soon bought him out entirely, and in 1874 was sole proprietor, and changed the name Ventilator to Winneshiek Register. In November, 1874, Mr. Burdick sold out to A. A. Aiken and Henry Woodruff. C. H. Fullerton soon after becoming a member of the firm for a time. Mr. Burdick is now publisher the Postville Review. Early in February, 1875 the Saturday Bee was issued as an extra from the office of the Register, and during the February snow blockade, and on other special occasions-the Bee was issued daily, or as often as occurences demanded. In the latter part of 1875 the Register establishment

absorbed the Independent (which was started by Ed. Wood and S. S. Haislet in the summer of 1874), the combined paper taking the name Independent-Register. In January, 1876, Mr. Aiken sold out his interest, Henry Woodruff becoming editor and manager of the Bee, which continued without change till January, 1879, Ed. Wood taking the Independent Register, and soon dropping the word Register from the name. About the first of June, 1876, Mr. Wood sold out and gave place to J. F. Meagher, who, in the latter part of July, "stepped down and out," the present proprietors of the Decorah Journal becoming its purchaser, and its subscription list was united with that of the Bee. In January, 1879, the regular publication of the weekly Decora Journal commenced, it being virtually the successor of the old Register and Independent, and the Bee office soon dropped its separate character and became part of the Journal establishment. Henry Woodruff, the editor and publisher, was born at Vienna, Trumbull County, Ohio, October 20, 1836. He learned the printer's trade, commencing at he age of 15, in the office of the Anti-Slavery Bugle, at Salem, Ohio, then a center of western abolitionists, of which the Bugle was the organ, Abby Kelley and S. C. Foster, Wm. Loyd Garrison, Parker Pillsbury,the Burleighs and the venerable and quaint colored female lecturer, Sojourner Truth, who is still living, often making that town their western headquarters, and lecturing there. He afterwards worked at his trade at Warren Ohio, and graduated at the High School there, having lived for a time at Talmadge, Ohio, and from there he went to Western Reserve College, at Hudson, Ohio, since removed to Cleveland and known as Western Reserve University, from which he graduated in 1865, being meanwhile four months in the Union army, and was married in Hudson, September 17, 1865, to Miss Cordelia Kilbourne. He lived for a short time at Geneseo, N. Y., and also at Cleveland, O., and in July, 1867, went to St. Paul, Minn., where he at once became editorially connected with the Daily Press. He was one of the prize speakers and the poet of his class, but has since made no effort in the way of rhyming, except to accept the invitation in 1873, to deliver the Alumni poem at Western Reserve College commencement, at Hudson, in June, on the occasion of the late President Garfield's address to the college societies, and to twice read the annual poems before the Minnesota State Editorial Association. He remained at his editorial work at St. Paul, excepting an interval of a year and a half, as editor of a paper in Stillwater, until he came to Decorah with his family about December 1, 1874. Their residence is on the northwest corner of Broadway and Grove Streets. They have three children. The Journal office is now situated on the first floor of the brick building on the east side of Winnebago Street, near Main, vacated by the postoffice in 1881. It made arrangements some two years ago with the Luther College Publishing House, just across Main Street, to run its Cylinder

Press by steam, and has since had its newspaper Press work done there. It has a job office, press, etc, in its own office, from which is also issued the monthly Home Journal. which has a large circulation.

The other English printing office in Decorah is that of the Decorah Pantagraph, successor to the Decorah Radical. Geo. W. Haislet, after leaving the Register office, went to Cresco, where he published a paper for a time, and in August, 1875, came back to Decorah and started another Ventilator, but soon suspended publication and went to Dubuque, where he continued in the newspaper business. In the fall of 1876 he came back to Decorah, and on October 10th commenced the publication of the Decorah Radical, which he continued till his death, March 6, 1881. The Radical was continued by Mrs. Haislet, Judge M. V. Burdick conducting it for a time. It was purchased April, 1882, by C. H. Craig, who changed its name to the Decorah Pantagraph, and is its present publisher. It does not run a job office and has its newspaper press work done at the Posten office which is near at hand. Mr. Craig was born in Albany, N. Y., November 20, 1856, and received his education in the public schools there. He came west to Sioux Falls, Dakota, in April, 1878; became connected with the newspapers, and remained there until he came to Decorah in April. of the present year. He is at present unmarried, but the deservedly happy lot of a Benedict is predicted for him by his friends.

The Decorah Posten is the only Norwegian paper in Iowa. B. Annundsen, the publisher, came to Decorah in 1867 and started a printing office. He established the Posten in September, 1874; it was then a small four page sheet, 18x24 inches; subscription price 50c. a year. The first month the subscription list grew to 1,200. In 1875 the paper was enlarged to 22x32 inches, subscription price $1.10. In 1876 its size was 24x36; in 1877, 24x38; and in 1878 it was enlarged to its present size, 29x40, being in large four-page form; price, $1.10. Its present circulation is over 7,000. It is independent in all things and owns to be a purely literary and family newspaper. B. Annundsen, the persevering and energetic proprietor, was born at Skien, Norway, in 1814. He came to America in 1864, and to Decorah in 1867, as already stated. He has a family, and his residence is on east Main street.

The publishing house of the Norwegian Lutheran Synod has grown to be a very important one. Besides printing the several Norwegian newspapers and magazines, it does a large book-pubFishing business and has complete book-binding and stereotyping departments. Its regular periodicals are the Kirketidende, a church weekly, and the Opbyggelsesblad, a church monthly, and Fer Hjemmet, a semi-monthly for the family. It is now engaged in printing from its stereotype plates a large edition of the New Testament in the Norwegian language. It is also extensively engaged in the publication of Norwegian religious and school books,

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