Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

Excerpts of an article published in the Anamosa
Journal-Eureka and written by the then editor.
James A. Mayer. in which he interviewed the late Jim
Porter on his 85th birthday.
There's not many old friends left. Not many people
who were in business in Anamosa back before World
War I when he started to haul freight. or even when he
had a dray business with the first for-hire truck in the
city.
In the good old days he hauled coal — scooping it on
and off the wagon — for 25 cents a ton. Jim started
hauling freight in I908 for a dray firm here in town.
"One week I'd hitch up early to haul meat from Tyler
and Downing and bread from the bakery (that was
located on south side of Main where the liquor store is
in 1987). I'd meet the train at 6:30 a.m.. with the meat
and bread; the train went east." he calls. “That week
I'd haul till 6 p.m."
On altemating weeks he had the late shift.hitching
up at 7 a.m.. and hauling freight. etc.. until suppertime.
After supper. he'd have to take out a one-horse wagon
and deliver beer (in cases). and whiskey (in gallon jugs)
to homes until 10 p.m. He also had to meet the
Northwestem train when it came back from Clinton at
8:05 p.m.
There were four passenger trains on the Milwaukee
Road back in those days. and two on the Northwestern.
one each way on the latter. and two each way on the
Milwaukee. For a short time there also was the Chicago.
Anamosa and Northern railroad (CAN). which later
went broke.
“I worked for $9 a week in I908." Porter recalls. But.
he and his bride also rented half a house for $7 a month.
and three rings of ‘good’ bologna was only a quarter.
and he could get all the liver they could pile on a paper
meat dish for five cents.
One story Jim likes to tell is about his team. Doc and
Rowdy. Porter was on the Anamosa fire department for
22 years; with I0 of those as chief. “In those days. the
drayman who got to the fire station first with his team
got 81 for pulling the hook and ladder wagon." Jim
says.
There were seven draymen with teams in Anamosa.
and it was often a race to see who would get there
first—the hose wagon. was pulled by fireman. but the
hook and ladder wagon was deemed too heavy to pull
by manpower.
One day. while Porter was moving a family into an
apartment in the Conmey building (over Watkins
store). the fire bells rang.
When Porter got down the stairs to the team. the
teams had already taken off for the fire station and were
well up the street—without Porter.
The team. of course. knew the fire bell. and knew
what to do. and off they went—they couldn't help it if
their driver didn't make the ride.
Young people these days probably never heard of the
draymen. the men who hauled the freight to and from
the depots. who moved families and made deliveries.
“There were no trucks in the early days. and
everything had to come in by rail. and then be delivered
A Drayman’s Memories
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J. C. Porter with thefirst motor-driven commercial
vehicle. in front of the present Dr. Gerald F. Brown
office building and the A-I Steak House. (Photo
submitted by Marna Ketelsen)
by horse and wagon," Jim Porter explains. “Each
drayman had his own customers (stores). and hauled
their freight."
After Porter drove team for a dray company he got his
own business. At one time he had three teams and a
truck. the first to haul in Anamosa. It was a Model T
Ford with chain drive.
Things were booming in Cedar Rapids in those days.
and one day we had two trips to Cedar Rapids with the
truck. moving families there so the men could work in
the factories." he remembers.
The Anamosa business district was different back
then too. Porter remembers when R.W. Johnson ran a
grocery where Barron Motor supply is located. and Tom
McGuire was in the building next door. east. There was
a tinshop in the next building to that and on the corner
another grocery run by George Noble.
Nichols Drug store was in the Nick's shoe location.
and there was a hotel (where Larry's Barber Shop is
1987). Charlie Lazio ran a pool hall there in later years.
Porters's son-in-law. Red Chipman. ran a Maid-Rite
shop. and R.D. Gordon had a grocery in the Town-Crier
locationi I987).
Scott's Hardware was where Kouba's east store is.
and Tyler and Downing was located in Hank's former
location. Art Remley had a grocery where the former
Tyler & Downing was located on the north side of Main.
John Phillips ran the Rock Island Saloon where the
Graver store is now. and Bill Muck ran a saloon across
the street where Citizens Savings later built; this site
also being the former location for the Anamosa Journal.
Porter also remembers when Honest John Cartano
ran a saloon where the Napa store is now. and Elie
Kilgore had a saloon in what is now the Beckmann law
office. Charlie Scroggs had a saloon where now Moenk's
Real Estate building is located.
After operating the dray business. Porter ran a tavern
for 15 years where Dr. Fisher now has his office.
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