Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

By June 3rd, those reading the papers learned,
"Metcalfs frame was given a rest of a week or so, and
now is on the way back again. It will be switched in on
Ford Street adjoining J.G. Cudworth's tinshop. The
building has been hauled and twisted about so much
that it is in a rather demoralized condition." He adds.
"Elias Curttright has the contract of moving it this
time, and his little ‘machine‘ takes the cumbersome
thing right along."
The building eventually nearing a permanent spot.
almost became nonexistent one evening, when some
miscreant attempted to fire the structure, by stuffing a
keg with kerosene-saturated rags and placing the keg
beneath the frame. However, this dastardly deed was
discovered in time to save it and the J.V. Lewis
Lumber Co.. and other buildings which were located
between North Ford and Garnaviilo streets.
Finally. in August of that year. "after all of the tortuous
journeyings of Metcalf’s frame building up and down
Main Street, and across lots, it has been dismantled and
removed from its supposedly last resting place opposite
the Lewis lumber yard."
Mr. Lewis had purchased the lot right out from under
it.
Bear with me, there is more. In the March 1881 term
of District Court, the jury failed to reach an agreement
as to whether Mr. Metcalf should recover $500
damages, (based on rental value where the oak frame
stood before its distastrous pilgrimmages).
Who did Mr. Metcalf sue? The City‘?, Mr. McGreevy?,
Mr. Schoonover? The editor? None of them. He brought
suit against J .A. Bell, who first attempted to move the
frame.
Another example of the many uses a solid oak frame
building received was the frame which would be
replaced by a brick building in 1881, west of the Shaw.
Schoonover Bank.
This wooden building was erected in 1841. on what is
today Park Avenue, by a milwright employed at the
Walworth Mills. It was afterward purchased by Stephen
Hester.
In June 1847, F.W. Gillette [pronounced with soft g)
and Linus Osborn came here from Tipton looking for a
place to open a store. They stopped at the G.H. Ford
tavem. Finding no suitable building, they were about to
return to Tipton, when Ford, anxious to see a new
business established in the struggling village, promised
to secure a building by the middle ofJuly.
Ford and Hester settled the ownership of the building
"in trade". Ford than gave notice for the surrounding
area farmers to bring their ox teams for a "gathering"
for the moving of the building. The frontiersmen and
Moving the Old Courthouse
their wives. and the young ladies and their beaus knew
that a "grand ball" would follow.
The building was dragged to the east side of Main
street (this being one half mile west of the present
business section of town) and the boys had their dance
in regular western style with the usual "etcetras‘.
By the next time Gillette and Osborn came to mill at
Walworths August 13, the storeroom was ready for
them. They eventually purchased the building from
Ford, who took his pay in merchandise. Eventually,
carpenter Marshall Turley built an addition.
In 1849 the building was sold to Joseph Secrest and
William Sterling. A year or so later the business and
building was sold to C.L.D. Crockwell who started, and
named, the Anamosa Eureka newspaper. "Charley"
used this building for a drugstore and conducted quite
an extensive business until the spring of 1859.
The drugstore was occupied by various parties until
it fell into the hands of a man by the name of Abernath.
He took the building apart and moved it uptown and set
it up again. This was about 1861. Mr. Hubbell
afterwards became the owner and finally Colonel Wm.
T. Shaw bought the building and lot.
The building sitting on the lot where the new Opera
House would be located has a shorter tale to tell.
According to the newspapers in the summer of 1889, it
went like this. "Charley Niles (Cliff Niles’ father)
bought the big red barn last week and thought he
owned it. Col Shaw was suffering a lull in his real estate
operations and having nothing of his own to sell, he
sold the red barn to Jack Watters. just for luck. Jack
having no grounds of his own for a barn told Jerry
Curttright to move it to George Watters lot on
Garnaviilo street. He did so.
"Charley and George have appointed a committee to
inquire how those things are thus."
In 1871, when Main Street was being graded and was
to be macadamized for the first time, buildings were
"shoved back". These stores were in frame buildings
and extended from Garnaviilo Street westward.
E. Moss, shoe dealer, Sherman's Grocery, Watters
Bros. first meat market all moved back and Needham
and Burritt, "shoved back" their livery stable nearly 20
feet. J.S. Belknap harness shop also took his garden
fence and walk and followed suit. H. Wurzbacher on the
south side of the street also moved his shop.
Thus. there was an unobstructed view from the
Fisher House to the west turn of Elm Street and
"rejoicing" that the "ugly jog" on Main Street was set
to right. The surplus dirt was drawn east towards the
depot to fill up that low spot.
In June 1847, with the county population less than
2,000 souls, by popular vote, the county seat was
located in Lexington; the village officially named
Anamosa, 15 months later. G.H. Ford, John Crockwell
and H. Mahan donated 40 acres to the county and these
were laid out in lots and sold at auction at the next
session of the county commissioners, at prices ranging
from 810 to S30 per lot. The sale bought $800 in notes
— written promises to pay. Money was as scarce as land
was abundant.
Every man was hoarding every bit of silver he could
come by, to make sure he had the money for his
farmland and log cabin. These early frontiersmen were
still feeling the effects of the 1837 financial crash.
These $800 in notes were turned over to the threeman
county board of commissioners. Gideon Ford and
the local plasterers and carpenters were hired to build
a courthouse. He was given specifications and a time
frame. The building was completed in January 1848.
In 1857 a small brick building to house the clerk,
treasurer, recorder, was built at a cost of $1,100, a little
to the northwest of the courthouse. Long used as a
private home, it stands forlorn and forgotten — waiting.
In 1864, amid a great deal of controversy. the county
records were moved uptown. into the second floor of
the newly constructed bnck building, which now
houses Larry's Barber Shop.
The wooden courthouse, used for 15 years. was sold
to Williams & Alderman for $250. In the summer of