Page:History of Iowa From the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth Century Volume 1.djvu/399



of a new era of prosperity for Iowa. For the first time the State was in direct daily communication with the eastern world, and in the near future the railroad extension would build up inland cities, distribute coal, lumber and goods, stimulate immigration, carry farm products to eastern markets at all seasons of the year and greatly increase the value of farms and their products. The first line of railroad having now reached the Mississippi River on its way to the Pacific coast, the necessity for a bridge across the river became apparent.

On the 17th of January, 1853, the Legislature of Illinois had incorporated “The Railroad Bridge Company” to build a bridge across the Mississippi River at or near Rock Island. Powerful opposition on part of river cities and steamboat interests was now organized. The construction of a bridge across this great waterway was opposed on the ground that it would be an obstruction to navigation. But the courts decided in favor of the bridge and the work was begun in the fall of 1853 and completed in April, 1856.

The railroad was completed to Iowa City on the 1st of January, 1856, with a branch to Muscatine, which was opened in July.

The census of 1852 had shown a population of 229,929. In the beginning of 1854 it had increased to 324,401, a gain of 94,472. Capital in a much larger ratio was also coming in to develop industries, build up towns and cities and promote public enterprises. The slow progress of river improvements, the great cost of canals, the closing of water navigation for several months of each year by freezing and low water, had finally convinced all classes of people that the country must rely largely upon railroads for transportation. The prairie States were sparsely settled, their people had no surplus capital to invest in railroad building. There were millions of acres of government land unsalable for lack of home markets, or means of transporting crops to distant markets. If