COUNTY JAIL.

     For a long time the county had no jail, which would indicate, at least, that there was not any very great demand for one-not boarders enough furnished by the county to properly support such an institution. Whether this was because of a scarcity of lawless characters to be found here, or a failure on the part of the authorities to bring such to justice is not recorded; but, at all events, the county did without that important institution until about the year 1872, taking their jail-birds to Des Moines for safe keeping.

     On the county records, under date of June, 1861, the following order appears, which shows that an attempt was made at that early date on the part of some to erect a jail, but it failed:

     Ordered, That the question of building a jail in Dallas county be submitted to the voters of said county at the next general election to be holden in October next.

     The election returns of October 8, 1861, show that this proposition was voted on by the people at that time and received two hundred and six (206) votes for, to four hundred and twenty-seven (427) votes against. So the jail was not built at that time and the county did without one and made no special effort again in that direction until ten more years had passed, when the question was again agitated, and in June, 1871, a committee consisting of the board of supervisors and Charles Rodenbaugh, was appointed to examine the court-house and ascertain whether a jail can be built on the second story of the court-house, and ascertain also the probable cost of the same.

     This committee, it seems, reported unfavorably, and the jail matter rested again until September, 1871, under which date the following order of the board of supervisors appears:

     Ordered, That the board of supervisors appropriate the sum of five thousand dollars, or so much thereof as may be necessary to build a county jail on lot No.6, in block No.8, in the town of Adel, Dallas county, Iowa, and that the board of supervisors be authorized to receive bids therefor and let the contract for the building of said jail.

     This step decided the jail matter and the work went forward resulting, soon afterward in the two-story brick structure which is now used for the county jail. This building was perhaps erected during the following summer, and, though not very commodious, it is a substantial and comfortable structure.

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STOCK-RAISING.

     Considerable interest is being manifested during late years in the county in the department of stock-raising, and in many parts of the county is found a high grade of blooded stock of various kinds, principally cattle and hogs.

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     At an early day, among the fancy breeders of hogs, the preference was given to Chester Whites, but more recently the Poland China and Berkshire have almost entirely taken their place, while among the thorough-bred and graded stock of cattle now raised here, the short-horn Durham blood prevails, and a number of good herds of high grade are now owned in the county, each of which would make a creditable showing at any stock fair in the State, and the owners have given their special attention and devoted their energies to the raising of fine cattle and hogs.

     H. C. Swallows, W. Z. Swallows, D. M. Flinn, and others, on their large and well cultivated farms in Boone township, have each large and valuable stocks of thorough-bred and high-grade cattle and hogs, which for years they have taken great pains and delight in improving.

     J. D. Whitman, Hooker & Gillette, and others in Grant township, E. A. Barnett, Peter Marshall, and others of Union township, and numerous large farmers and stock dealers in various townships, have extensive stocks of thorough-bred and high-grade short-horn cattle, and Berkshire and Poland China hogs, which show a decided and increasing interest in the county in the line of general improvements in blooded stock.

     A good many blooded horses and fine flocks of Merino and Cotswold sheep are also found in various parts of the county, which make a very interesting display on exhibition at the county fair.

     Considering the age and population of Danas county, a great many hogs and cattle are fattened and shipped yearly from it, especially during the past few years. There are a number of extensive stock dealers. The Van Meters raise and feed large stocks of cattle each season, herding them during the good grass season on the unimproved prairie land, then feeding and shipping during fall and winter.

     Peter Fish, of De Soto, has the credit of being the largest shipper of stock in the county, and among the largest in all this part of the country. He brings his average shipments up to the rate of one car-load per day the year round, and keeps the market up to a very close margin.

     The stock and grain from this locality is shipped to market principally by way of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, but the county is conveniently located to the two main lines, and by means of the convenient and important connecting link of the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad, the shippers here are privileged to choose their route and ship East over either the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. or the Chicago & Northwestern, giving them excellent accommodations and facilities.

     In short, Dallas county gives excellent promise of being one of the finest stock-raising counties in the West. From the earliest the citizens have displayed a deep interest in this important work and have generally directed their energies and efforts to make it a success, using all due precaution to guard the rights and advance the highest interest of each individual in protecting against trespass of stock upon each others premises, as witness the following

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SHEEP AND HOG LAW.

     At an election holden in Dallas county, Iowa, on the fourth day of November, A. D. 1856, on the following proposition, to-wit:

     WHEREAS, Petitions have been to me praying to have the question, whether hogs and sheep shall be permitted to run at large, submitted to a vote of the people of Dallas county; now, therefore, I, Lloyd D. Burns, Judge of the County of Dallas in the State of Iowa, do

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hereby notify the qualified electors of the county of Dallas, to assemble in their respective townships, at the usual places of holding elections, on Tuesday, being the fourth day of November, A. D. 1856, and then and there to decide for or against the following

PROPOSITION:

     1. That every owner of sheep or swine, in the county of Dallas, shall restrain their sheep and hogs from running at large in said county; and in the event of a failure so to do, shall be liable to any damage done by said sheep or swine, to be recovered by an action of trespass by the party injured.

     2. That any person may take possession of any sheep and swine found running at large in said county, who shall thereupon notify any constable in said county, who shall have power, and it is hereby made his duty, to sell any such sheep or swine, at public auction, to the highest bidder, for cash, upon giving ten days' notice of the time and place of such sale, by posting the same in writing in three public places in the township, where such sheep or swine are found at large. The proceeds of such sale, after the payment of costs and charges of keeping, shall be paid into the county treasury, to be applied to the use of the county until legal proof be made to the county judge of said county, by the person or persons claiming such property to be his or theirs, whereupon, the county judge shall order said amount to be paid out of any moneys in the hands of the treasurer not otherwise appropriated: Provided, that the owner, or any person for him, shall on or before the day of such sale, pay the cost and charges thus far made, the constable is hereby required to release said sheep and swine to the persons making such application, upon satisfactory proof being made of the ownership.

     This proposition to take effect and be in force from and after its adoption. The vote shall be by ballot, and those voting for this proposition, shall have written or printed on their tickets the words: "For the sheep and hog law"; and those voting against this proposition, shall have written or printed on their tickets, the words:

     "Against the sheep and hog law."
     The returns shall be made as in ordinary cases.

     In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand, and affixed the seal of the county of [L. S.] Dallas, State of Iowa, this third day of October, A. D. 1856.

LLOYD D. BURNS, County Judge.

     There were six hundred and forty-nine (649) votes cast for and against said proposition, of which there were three hundred and sixty-nine (369) votes cast for the sheep and hog law, and two hundred and eighty (280) votes cast against the sheep and hog law, being a majority of eighty-nine (89) votes in favor of the sheep and hog law.
     Recorded this eleventh day of November, A. D. 1856.

L. D. BURNS, County Judge.

     The above, together with other stock acts and herd and fence laws, enacted at different times by county and State, have enabled people to understand how far the limit of privilege extends before crossing the line of trespass, and what the penalty of violation must be-a most important and valuable lesson to be learned in every stock-raising community.

     We give a description of one of the large stock farms in Dal1as county, as found in the Dexter Herald, of January 3, 1879, this being only a specimen of many similar ones in the county:

     "In order to give our foreign readers some idea of the improvements in this country, and show them that Iowa is "not a howling wilderness, we will reproduce a description of the farm of Pete Marshall, which appeared in the Herald, September 29, 1877:

     "Mr. Marshall's farm begins just three-quarters of a mile north of the corporation of Dexter, and extends north one mile, and west one-half mile, and, therefore, contains three hundred and twenty acres of as good land as any person need care to see. It is a high, rolling prairie, and all under cultivation. He bought the farm twenty-three years ago for one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, and at a time that all these beautiful prairies were wild, and when the people told him he was wild himself for buying it, as it was then said that this country would never be settled up, at least away from the timber along the rivers. However he was not the kind of

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a man to get discouraged at trifles, as he saw, in his mind's eye, the time that this country would be the garden of the world.

     "At the time he came here he had to come by stage from Keokuk, where he first struck the State. At that time the capital of Iowa was at Iowa City, and Des Moines only a fort. There were a few settlers along the streams, but nobody had thought of pushing off on the prairies. As fill' as the eye could reach to the east, the west and the south, no habitation could be seen, yet here he concluded to set his stakes and await the coming of the emigrants, that he knew must, in time, come to till these rich prairies. To the north of him along the river settlers came in one by one, but it required the iron horse, that great civilizer, to develop the prairie country about him, and to the south and east. With the laying of that great 'iron trail,' the Rock Island railroad, came the settlers from the far East, eager to put a shoulder to the wheel, the hand to the plow, and help to build up a civilization equal to any in the world, for certainly this country is fortunate in having such a superior set of men for its pioneers. After the coming of the railroad the country settled up very rapidly, houses and towns springing up as if some magician had touched the country with his magic wand.

     "Soon Pete had plenty of neighbors and a good market at his very door, and then he realized the fulfillment of his dreams. He found himself with one of the finest farms in the country, and right in market, and in a community noted for its morality and intelligence.

     "Let us now see what his farm is to-day. Estimating it at a low figure it is worth fifty dollars per acre, against one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre, which he gave for' it. He now has a fine orchard coming on, and would have had an old one, but for the fact that for many years it was supposed that fruit could not be successfully grown in Iowa, and then it took many more years of experimenting to discover what varieties could be successfully grown in this climate. Happily those days are now gone by, and Iowa stands to-day in the front rank with such States as New York, Ohio, Michigan, and Illinois, as a fruit growing State. He has on his place a one maple grove, and a grove of seedling apple trees, which answer the double purpose of windbreak for the rest of his orchard and for bearing fruit, as there is some fine fruit in the grove.

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"THE BUILDINGS.

     "His house is a large, double, two story, frame house, with a cellar equal to another story, in fact his cellar is the finest we have seen any place. He has a complete set of water works for furnishing his house and feed lots with pure water. He has constructed a set of water works on the following plan, viz: He had a large well, nine feet in diameter, dug, and placed in it a force pump, to be run by wind power, and put a large wind-mill for that purpose. From this well he has pipes about five feet under ground, so as to be below the freezing point, running to his house, his stables, and his feed lots. The main pipe runs through the cellar, and is so arranged that it can be tapped at any point and water forced up into any part of the house, In this way he has fresh water in the house at all times. There are also pipes extending to the barn and feed lots, giving stock all abundance of fresh water at all times, without the labor of giving it to them; thus making it much better for both man and beast. His barn is a large frame, with stone

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basement, partitioned off with walls and gates, so as to be convenient for cattle in cold weather. There is a corn-crib in connection with the barn, and an the modern conveniences for keeping and feeding stock. His feed lots are large and his pens commodious, giving ample room for stock to roam about. The great beauty of his feed lots, however, is the three hundred or more as fine hogs as can be found anywhere. Hog raising is his specialty, and he is very successful in his business."

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AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.

     The first decisive steps toward organizing an Agricultural Society in Dallas county were taken at a meeting held for that purpose, Dec. 31, 1855, with Archibald Crowl as chairman, and Benjamin Greene as secretary. At that meeting a committee was appointed to prepare proper articles of incorporation, and at a meeting held April 9, 1856, the said committee reported, their report was received, and the articles of incorporation were adopted, and the society duly organized.

     The first executive committee of this society were as follows:

     John Wilson, of Penoach township; Calvin Marshal1, Union township; Isaac Robins, Des Moines township.; L. L. Collins, Sugar Grove township; Hooper Morain, Dallas township; Daniel M. Flinn, Boone township.

     The first officers of the society were:

     President, W. W. Payne; Vice President, J. T. Alexander; Secretary, Benjamin Greene; Treasurer, James D. Ferguson; Marshal, Cole Noel.

     The first premium list of the society was adopted September 11, 1856, and the first county fair was held October, 1856. On this occasion the first premiums were all donated to the society, except $9.75, which was duly paid.

     The society held fairs regularly during the next four years, with quite a good attendance and considerable interest.

     But after 1860 it was allowed to go down and no more county fairs were held until the 3d of April, 1867, when the society was again caned together, a fun list of officers were elected for that year, and everything was put in running order for a county fair the coming fall.

     At that meeting (April 3, 1867) the following officers were duly elected:

     President, J. R. Reed; Vice President, T. J. Boak; 8eCl'etary, T. R. North; Treasurer, Larkin Thornburgh; Marshal, E. F. Frush.

     Mr. Reed, however, refused to serve as president, and Ezra Van Fossen was elected in his place, who presided during that term.

     During the year 1867 the society procured and fenced the fair grounds; and the society having very little funds with which to defray necessary expenses, they were unable to purchase grounds, and therefore decided to lease grounds and proceed on the safe basis. The grounds were leased from Judge Byron Rice, of Des Moines, some 23 or 24 acres lying just north of Adel, adjoining the Slough cut-off, where the county fairs have been held annually ever since.

     The lease is now run out, however, and the society has now a committee appointed to procure grounds for the coming year. The society is free from debt, and will most likely purchase lands soon and establish and fit .up a permanent fair ground for the county.

     The last fair was held September 19, 20 and 21, 1878, and the next one is appointed for August 27, 28 and 29, 1879.

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     The present officers of the society are:

     President, T. J. Caldwell; Vice President, A. J. Lyon; Secretary, T. R. North; Treasurer, W. S. Rudrow; Directors, E. F. Frush, Z. W. Swallow, J. J. Clark, Cole Noel; Marshal, A. G. Marsh.

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RAILROADS.

     Dallas county has very good railroad facilities, having two main line roads passing- through it, one east and west opening direct communication with Chicago and eastern cities, as also with the west; and another north and south road passing- diagonally through the east part of the county and opening communication north and south as well as making- connection with the two main east and west line, passing north and south of it.

THE CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND AND PACIFIC RAILROAD

     Passes through the south tier of townships, giving all the south half of the county excellent market privileges, with direct communication east and west on one of the best railroads in the State. This one was also the first railroad established in the State of Iowa, under the title of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad. Its construction was commenced at Davenport in May, 1854, and during that year it was completed as far as Iowa City, a distance of about 54 1/2 miles, which place remained as the terminus for several years. (For particulars see first of book, page 172, History of Iowa-Railroads.)

     The extension of this road westward then progressed slowly for many years, and it was not until 1868-9 that it reached and passed through Dal1as county and hurried on to the Missouri slope. It has four stations in Dal1as county-Boone, Van Meter, De Soto, and Dexter.

THE DES MOINES AND FORT DODGE RAILROAD

     Enters Dallas county near the southeast corner in Boone township and extends in a northwesterly direction between Beaver creek and the North Raccoon river, passing through a fertile prairie country, and leaving the county about eight miles east of the northwest corner, a few miles above the town of Perry. This road was also built through Dal1as county about 1869-1870; and having four thriving towns along its line in the county—Waukee, Dal1as Center, Minburn, and Perry—it affords excellent market privileges for all the east and north parts of the county. (For particulars of its origin, see page 173, History of Iowa-Railroads.)

     Various surveys for east and west roads through the county have been made at different times and some grading has been done, but none have met with any considerable degree of success until during the last year by indomitable energy and unflinching pluck of the enterprising citizens and leading men of Adel a narrow gauge railroad has been constructed and put in running order from Waukee to Adel, which is destined before many years to traverse the county and connect Des Moines and Panora by a narrow gauge railroad, giving new life and energy to all the towns along its line, and perfecting the railroad conveniences of Dallas county by a central railroad through its county seat.

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THE DES MOINES, ADEL AND WESTERN RAILROAD-NARROW GAUGE.

     The great bulk of expense in constructing this road thus far and putting it in running order from Waukee to Adel has been borne by the citizens in and around Adel, for which enterprise they deserve great credit. The description of this road is quite fully given in an article which we quote from the State Register, of December 11, 1878:

     "Recently it has been our good fortune to secure some valuable items in reference to the Des Moines, Adel and Waukee Railroad, a narrow gauge road now in process of construction from Waukee, on the line of the D. M. & Ft. D. R. R. fifteen miles west of our own city, to Panora, by way of Adel and Redfield. For this information, which we are now presenting to the reader, we are indebted to Mr. Hotchkiss, secretary of the Narrow Gauge Company, and the popular clerk, also, of the district and circuit courts for Dallas county.

     "The Des Moines, Adel and Western Railroad Company was incorporated April 12, 1878. The present officers are: President, T. J. Caldwell; Vice President, J. W. Russell; Treasurer, L. Lambert; Secretary, A. O. Hotchkiss; Directors, T. J. Caldwell, J. O. Risser, L. Lambert, D. A. Blanchard, A. O. Hotchkiss, J. W. Russell, and Thos. Ashton.

     "It is a noticeable fact that these officers are citizens of Adel, and are numbered among the most solid and enterprising gentlemen in Dallas county. What they undertake to do will be accomplished in good time.

     "This new road, of which we are writing, is already completed and in good running order from Waukee to Adel, a distance of six and a half miles. The present western terminus is a quarter of a mile east of Adel. The great need now is the construction of a bridge over North 'Coon at that place, and we are assured that this structure will be completed at a very early period, most probably within the next two or three months. North 'Coon is the most serious objection in the way, and when the proposed bridge is erected the road will be rapidly pushed on to Panora. The greater part of the grading has been done for some time. The road west of Adel will pass through the townships of Colfax, Union, and Linn, in Dallas, and Cass, in Guthrie county, the general direction being northwest, and the distance from Adel to Panora being twenty-two miles.

     "It is to be remarked that the region through which the road passes is drained and fertilized, in great part, by the three 'Coon rivers, and is celebrated for the richness of its soil, and for the enterprise of its rapidly increasing population.

     "Adel, the county seat of Dallas, despite the disadvantages under which it has been laboring in the absence of railroads, has maintained a steady and solid growth, and now numbers a population of 1,200, whose dark nights are beginning to be enlightened by street lamps, and whose bright days are made lively by the bustle of prosperous business.

     "Redfield, with its Indiana House, and its genial landlord, Mr. Browning, is a well-preserved and well-to-do village in the heart of a very rich country.

     "On the Middle 'Coon, a short distance from this place and near the line of the new railroad, are productive coal mines, adding materially to the great natural resources of this region.

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     "The cost of the new road, thus far, has been about $50,000, which is paid by the citizens of Adel, and $30,000 of which has been raised this year.

     "The subsidies to continue the road have mostly been pledged.

     "That part of it already completed is paying well, and when finished through the entire route will richly compensate those friends who have made investments in it."

     Since the above account was written, the required amount has been raised by the Narrow Gauge Company, the contract has been let and the new railroad bridge is now under process of erection, which virtually settles the question of the further continuance of the road at a very early day. (For the particulars of this contract see previous article on bridges.)

     Several years ago a proposed narrow gauge railroad was surveyed through the northern part of the county, under the title of the Des Moines & Western Midland Railroad. The survey entered Dallas county somewhere along the east line of Grant township, passing on to Minburn, and running from thence nearly west until it entered Lincoln township 40 rods north of the southeast corner of section 12; thence south of west to the center of section 11; thence west to the southwest corner of section 10; thence northwest direct to the northwest corner of section 5, and passing out of the county at the west side, about the northeast corner of section 31, Dallas township.

     This road, however, has not made much progress beyond the prospect survey, and perhaps never will be completed since the present narrow gauge south of it is proving a success.

     Other surveys may have been made through the county of which we have received no information.

     The number of miles and estimate of taxation is shown by the following report of the county Auditor in 1877:

Click on image for larger size      G. G. Pierce

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