Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

V
Getting Organized!
Since Anamosa was incorporated as a town. March
19. 1856. with William T. Shaw as the first elected
mayor. Anamosa has had over 50 men serving in this
capacity.
In 1854 the village leaders presented a petition to the
Jones county judge. Joseph Mann. requesting that an
election be held to determine whether or not the
settlement should become a town. The request granted.
the sparsely populated village voted in favor of
incorportion and becoming known as the Town of
Anamosa.
On the 27th of May. an election was held to select a
committee to prepare a town charter. Elected to this
duty were C.L.D Crockwell. David Kinert. Pratt R.
Skinner. S.T. Pierce and Joseph Dimmitt. It took two
years. but the charter was submitted and adopted.
March 19. 1856. allowing the first town election to be
held with Shaw as the first mayor.
The second mayor was Robert Dott. elected in 1857.
Following Dott were: Amos H. Peaslee. 1858: Dr. N.G.
Sales. 1860 to 1862; J.H. Benjamin. 1863: Israel
Fisher. I864-65; J.S. Stacey. 1866; J.C. Dietz. 1867:
Davis McCarn. 1868; Dietz again. 1869: E. Blakeslee.
1870; Charles Cline. 1871; and G.W. Field in 1872.
The townspeople believing that incorporating as a
city would be to their benefit. in that sidewalks could be
ordered built. for one thing. voted to become
Prior to January 1900. Anamosa had no library
building. and various educational organizations rented
rooms around town. with books to be read by the
public. Upon the death. in Minnesota. of a former
Anamosa businessman. it was learned that he had left
the city a good sum of money for the purpose of having
a separate building for a libra.ry. providing the city
would share in the financing of such a venture.
Walter S. Benton. a one-time lumberman in
Anamosa. left $10,000 for the purchase of books. A
copy of the will was presented to the city council
February 5. 1900. The council. always thinking ahead
for the benefit of the city and for saving tax dollars.
asked the Benton estate if a building to house the
library could also contain a hose house for the flre
department. with a library on the second floor. This
idea was quickly nipped in the bud.
Fortunately. Miss Lou Shaw. the old Colonel's
daughter. came to the fore. Representing the D.A.R. she
acknowledged her public mindedness and took hold of
the project with a ferver equal to her predecessor. After
appearing before the council. who had met as a board of
review. she outlined her plans. This was on April 9.
1900. The library committee's proposed ordinance
recommended that an ordinance be prepared governing
Mayors of Anamosa
Public Library
by Margaret Tonne and Bertha Finn
1 74
incorporated as the City of Anamosa. on March 5. 1872.
The first mayor to serve as city mayor was the second
mayor to have served under the town's organization;
Robert Dott who was mayor for four more terms.
Following him was N.S. Noble. 1877: Dr. A.V. Eaton.
1878-79; N.S. Noble again. 1880; and Dr. Eaton was
again elected in 1881. followed by Noble again in 1882.
A.E. Martin was elected in 1883: W.M. Brown in 1884
and served until 1888: E.M. Harvey. 1889-90: Pat
Washington. 1891 through 1895; W.M. Brown again in
1896: W.D. Sheean. 1897-1900; W.O. Jackells. 1901:
B.1-I. Miller. 1902: Dr. M.P. Sigworth. 1903-04: L.W.
Ellis. 1905-06; J .P. Scroggs. 1907-08; Robert Johnson.
1909-10; W.D. Sheean again 1911-15: J.E. Tyler. 1915-
1919: C.A. Beaman 1919; C.M. Beems. 1920-22; C.W.
McMahon. 1923; Frank Ireland. 1924; R.E. Finnigan.
1925-26: J.G. Fegan. 1927; C.E. Joslin. 1930-31: J.W.
Goodman. 1932-35: H.J. Peterson. 1936. he moved
away in 1937. and John McNamara was made mayor
pro tem. John served until July of 1938. when he
resigned and George Zeuch was appointed; G.W.
Beaman. 1939-40: Earl Pulver. 1940-49: Marion
Platner. 1950-53: Earl Pulver. 1955-57: Julius
Westphal. 1958-59; Henry Furino. 1960-68; Ray
Parsons. 1968-69; Henry Furino. 1970-71; Joe Legg.
1971-78: Gerhard Kray, 1978-79; and Alan Schnieder.
1980 to the present. (
the relation between the city. the subscribers to the
building fund. and the D.A.R.. in which provision
should be made for three directors representing D.A.R..
three representing the subscribers to the building fund.
and three others; thus making up the board of nine
trustees. or directors. as provided by the statute. This
was approved by the council June 4. 1900.
The Daughters of the American Revolution. led by
Miss Shaw. raised $5.800 by subscription: $1.700 by
entertainments; and other groups raised $80. Mrs.
Benton. seeing that a serious effort was being made.
donated $3.000.
The proposed site for the building was kicked around
by the citizens. in and out of weekly papers. for some
time before the Booth property. on the corner of First
and Ford streets. was selected. In her efforts to secure
public support and money. Miss Shaw wrote articles
published in the Anamosa newspapers. One of which is
quoted in part. "It is not our intention to be
unreasonable in our demands of anyone: neither is the
library a rival to either church or sewer (a city project).
as some seem to assume. As has been before stated. we
have now an opportunity to secure a library. which we
shall probably never have again. Very surely if you do
not accept this chance. other men with money will be