Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

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The first stop sign was installed in Anamosa in
1924. This scene isfrom the good old days. when you
had to be optimistic.
and were almost non-existant. One lady told the editor
she had to hire a boy to hold her horse while she
shopped. after she had ridden her horse from one end of
town to the other.
In 1924. a city ordiance required cars to stop at the
side streets before turning onto Main St. In 1925, after
gently jogging the minds of motorists to no avail. Mayor
R. Finnigan stated that it was necessary to take them to
Mayor's Court where they would be required to pay
$4.85 in fines and costs.
On the highways. it was learned that gravel worked
better than the cities‘ paving projects. although by
1927 farmers were still coming to town with their
teams. This caused a letter to the editor to be written.
signed by 'Farmerette‘. which was published in the
Anamosa Journal. after that paper criticized the
farmers for buying stoves from a catalog. The farm-wife
explained. "One thing for certain, no farmer could find
a place to tie a team in Anamosa long enough to look at
stoves in local stores. We will say that if better
accommodations for tying teams are not provided for
soon. farmers will be sending for more than stoves.“
For many years after the advent of the automobile.
teams, or horses were still used for transportation. until
the roads were put into passable condition. Those were
the years when the ‘city slickers‘ would be mired down.
West Main Street, Anamosa, showing
macadamizing work being done. (Submitted by
Anamosa Historical Society)
and would hear the phrase, ‘get a horse‘.
In 1928. highway 117 came into Anamosa from the
east and turned onto Linn St. and then down First to
Scott St. This was changed in 1934 when the viaduct
and highway was built at its present location. In 1928.
it was reported that on one Saturday, at the
intersection of Ford and Main, by actual count, there
were 4 auto smash-ups. The editor of the paper said.
“The savings in the cost of new fenders would
evenually pay for a traffic signal“.
In 1933. Leonard Norton. city marshal. was
commended for enforcing the traffic ordinace regarding
crossings for school children. The local editor reported,
“He is making one of the best police officials the city
has had for some time."
In August 1935. a first permanent state-wide
highway patrol was systemized. Fifty men in khaki
uniforms took to the roads. During the first week of
August, 20 cars and 10 motorcycles were utilized.
In November 1925, a needed service was furnished
by Lee Beebe. He opened the West End Feed barn and
stated he "would also do auto and horse livery and auto
storage". Since the Landis barn was moved to the
country, the Main St. barn became essential to many
hundreds of farmers who had to drive teams during the
winter mud blockade.
Temperance vs. Saloons
by Bertha Finn
In the early 1850s a party of ladies, tired of the
goings-on of the wild west frontier settlement of
Anamosa. with its numerous saloons. earnestly worked
to physically remove the source of the problems. The
wives of Henry Hall, Peter R. Skinner, C.L.D.
Crockwell. S.T. Buxton and others not named, armed
with axes, hatchets. and other implements of
aggression and warfare on their shoulders. and the fire
of resolution in their eyes. marched down the main
street (located in west Anamosa) to a popular saloon.
They began demolishing whisky barrels. decanters.
and other paraphemalia that drunken ones were fond
of hugging to their bosoms. This action, which required
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a great deal of nerve in those days, did not alleviate the
condition, which continued to mushroom. but it did
leave the ‘boys’ wondering what the brave ladies would
do next time around.
During the county elections in 1857. the following
was found in the Eureka, “We wish to warn all our
friends to watch and work on the day of election.
“We assure you the very Devil will be to pay that day.
The Democrats are prepared to do anything to service
the election. We heard one say they intended to have a
barrel of whiskey in Washington township. Another
said that pint flasks of whiskey would be out in the
brush here, to secure votes.