Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/335



The Iowa Territorial Gazette, a Democratic journal, published by Thurston & Tizzard; the Burlington Hawkeye, owned by Edwards & Broadwell, a Whig paper. Among the merchants were W. F. Coolbaugh, J. G. Lauman, J. G. Foote and Silas A. Hudson. There were five hotels and five churches; a historical society, of which David Rorer was president, and a public library. Among the lawyers were James W. Grimes, J. C. Hall, L. D. Stockton and E. W. Eastman. The mayor was J. L. Corse, and the postmaster, Levi Hager. Dubuque had at this time eighteen mercantile establishments, and among the merchants were Thomas H. Benton, Jr. There were six hotels and five churches and one printing office. The only paper was the Miners’ Express, of which George Greene was editor and publisher. A. P. Wood was just about to establish another. There were five flouring mills in the city and vicinity and one steam saw mill. There were six private schools. Six smelting establishments were turning out 4,000,000 pounds of lead annually. John King was postmaster, J. K. O'Farrall mayor of the city.

The following are some of the prices prevailing at this time: “horses, from $50 to $60; oxen, from $40 to $60 a pair; farm wagon, $75; plows from $8 to $20; sugar, 10 cents; coffee, 10 cents; tea, 75 cents to $1 per pound; flour, $4 a barrel; unbleached cotton sheeting, 18 cents, and calico from 10 to 20 cents per yard. Good board was furnished at $1.50 or $2 per week. The wages of common labor were from 75 cents to $1 per day. Government land sold at $1.25 per acre, and an ordinary log house cost from $50 to $75.” There were no canals, railroads or telegraph; few stage lines, and no daily mails, or daily papers. The weekly mail was carried on horseback. There were no banks and very little money in circulation. There were few buyers of farm products who paid cash. Exchange was the common method of dealing.

Such, in brief, is a view of Iowa as it was in 1846, when the State government was organized with a population of