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CHAPTER XVIII.
SIOUX CITY-Continued.
INDUSTRIAL AND COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.
THE FIRST STORE--THE FIRST STEAMBOAT--THE "OMAHA"--PIONEER
MERCHANTS--MESSRS. JACKSON AND LIVINGSTON--CITY DIRECTORY OF 1866--AS
A RAILROAD CENTER--WHOLESALE AND JOBBING--MANUFACTURING PLANTS--PACKING-HOUSES
-- STOCK-YARDS-BANKING--MISCELLANEOUS INTERESTS--GAS AND ELECTRIC
LIGHTS-WATER-WORKS--RAPID TRANSIT LINES, ELEVATED RAILROAD, ETC.--THE
CITY'S WONDERFUL GROWTH--JOBBERS' ASSOCIATION, ETC.
To find the cause of the rapid growth of Sioux City needs no
mysterious unfolding of circumstances; it has grown because of
the marvelous richness of its farming vicinity; of its being the
center of the great corn belt, and because of its being in the
very heart of the
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country producing the greater portion of live stock raised in
the west other chapters have told how the site of this city came
to be selected, and before the present resources and future possibilities
are considered, the reader is asked to briefly retrace the years
of the city's history, and, if possible, learn who and what the
pioneer business men were, and what impress they left behind them,
as a perpetual legacy for all time to come.
The present city's magnificent retail establishments are in striking
contrast with the three or four rude frame and log cabin stores,
which were huddled together at the corner of Second and Pearl
streets in 1860. But few can realize the hardships seen by merchants
in those early days. There were no railroad trains, no steamboats
regularly coming and going and no stages or mail.
To James A. Jackson belongs the honor of establishing the first
real store at Sioux City. Dr. Cook, Mr. Jackson's father-in-law,
had surveyed much of the territory in this part of Iowa, and was
fully posted, and he selected this place in 1854 as a most propitious
site for a commercial center. He made known his opinion to Mr.
Jackson, who was then in partnership with Milton Tootle, the firm
having stores in Council Bluffs and Omaha. Tootle & Jackson
agreeing in the opinion of Dr. Cook, that Sioux City would become,
at no late date, a great distributing point, an agreement was
entered into where. by this firm was to open a branch store in
Sioux City the following spring. Dr. Cook then returned to Sioux
City, and purchased of Pioneer Leonais, the site of the town,
paying him $3,000 for it.
There being no means of transportation, other than wagons, Mr.
Jackson journeyed to St. Louis in June, 1856, where he chartered
the steamer "Omaha," paying the captain $24,000 for
the trip up to Sioux City. He then stocked the boat up with It
cargo valued at $70,000, consisting of a saw-mill, lumber, furniture,
dry goods, hardware, and all other goods found in the general
stores of those days. Two-thirds of the cargo were for Sioux City.
Dr. Cook, meanwhile, had built a log store on the corner of Second
and Pearl streets. Mr. Jackson arrived with the boat in June,
1856, and opened up the store, remained six weeks, and then left
the establishment in the hands of Samuel Holland. When the "Omaha"
landed at the wild banks of the turbulent Missouri, there were
only two houses to greet the eye of the pilot. The firm above
named, finding their business here was
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a success, had a frame store built in St. Loui8 and brought here
in sections. This was the first frame store in the embryo city.
It cost $800, and the cost of getting it up from St. Louis was
about the same amount. The building still stands between Second
and Third streets, on Pearl.
In 1857 Mr. Jackson purchased a steam ferry for the Sioux City
Land & Ferry Company, paying $6,000 for the same. Prior to
that, a flatboat was propelled across the river with oars and
poles.
Of the five small stores in Sioux City in 1860, it may be said
that their proprietors are all gone, and none any way connected
with them remains, except W. H. Livingston, who clerked for Jackson
& Tootle, and finally embarked in trade for himself. Of those
pioneer trading days Mr. Livingston says: "We had a population
of about 600 when I arrived in 1860. I was five days coming here
by stage from Missouri. On the way up, we passed through Council
Bluffs, which was then a dirty little place, and Omaha, of still
less consequence. I was only twenty years old then. The traders
then in business were as follows: H. D. Booge & Co., Milton
Tootle, L. D. Parmer, T. J. Kinkaid, general dealers, and D. T.
Hedges, a grocer. The enterprising merchant of that day carried
about everything: tobacco, shoes, sash, doors, whisky, etc. Jobbing
was a good percentage of Sioux City's trade, even at that early
day. The stores supplied the forts of the northwest, and then,
as now, the extent of the country dependent upon goods from Sioux
City was large."
It seems that hard work was the lot of the clerks and' proprietors.
in those days, and Mr. Livingston, now the biggest dealer in the
city, tells of how be was kept busy handling sash, doors, salt,
pork and other heavy articles, until, some days, he well nigh
gave out. In 1863 he left the store of Tootle & Charles, and
opened the first exclusive drygoods house in the place, under
the firm name of W. H. Livingston & Co., the "Co."
being his old employers.
City Directory of 1866.-To show what Sioux City was twenty-four
years ago, the following has been carefully copied from a local
paper published at that date:
Merchants-L. D. Parmer, Tootle & Charles, T. J. Kinkaid,
H. D. Booge & Co., D. T. Hedges, G. H. Shuster & Co.,
E. R. Kirk & Co., Appleton & Westcott, W. F. Faulkner,
J. H. Morf, A. Groninger.
Jeweler-D. H. Collamer.
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Boots and Shoes-Mat. Gaugran, Sam. Krumann.
News Depot-John Pinkney.
Drugs and Medicines-C. Kent, C. K. Howard.
Meat Shops-S. W. Haviland, J. P. Webster.
Tinware and Stoves-Charles R. Smith & Co.
Bank- Weare & Allison.
Churches-Episcopal, Methodist Episcopal, Congregational,
Catholic, Baptist, Presbyterian.
As a Railroad Center Sioux City stands in the fore rank
of Iowa cities, the following roads having been built to its borders:
Chicago & Northwestern; Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul,
and two branches into South Dakota; Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis
and Omaha. and three branches into Nebraska; Fremont, Elkhorn
& Missouri Valley; Illinois Central; Sioux City & Pacific;
Sioux City & Northern; Union Pacific, making a total of eight
trunk lines and five distinct branches. Sixty passenger trains
go in and out of Sioux City daily over these roads. During the
year 1889 the railroads received 52,910 car loads of freight for
Sioux City, and forwarded 24,095 car loads, exclusive of freight
passing through.
The Sioux City Terminal Railroad & Warehouse Company was
organized, during the past summer, for the purpose of developing
property for terminal purposes, including passenger depot and
three immense freight warehouses. The official composition of
the company is as follows: President, A. S. Garretson; vice-president,
T. P. Gere; acting secretary, D. E. Paulin.
Wholesale and Jobbing Trade.-Since Sioux City first engaged
in the jobbing trade, great changes have taken place in the west.
Twenty years ago-1870-the Mississippi river towns in Iowa dominated.
Later on, some interior cities developed ambition to take the
lead, and worked their territory with a laudable enterprise. But
Sioux City held its own, and as the great domain north and west
settled up, its jobbers pushed vigorously on to the front, distancing
all competitors, and for several years it has been the leading
wholesale point in Iowa, and now aspires to be second to none
in the whole Missouri valley.
Sioux City is the center of the finest farming section in the
west--where crops never totally fail. She has as good railroad
facilities as Omaha or Kansas City, and her own business men work
as one
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man, to encourage and build up these wholesale and jobbing houses.
The men of means in Sioux City build railroads to the territory
they wish to capture, and finally, commercially supply. She built
the Sioux City & Northern, and is now about to build into
the Black Hills country, all of which means an immense increase
in the wholesale business of Sioux City.
The foundation of the jobbing trade was laid long before the
day of railroads, when the great Missouri river was the means
of transportation to this place and points beyond. This was the
result of geographical relations and the inherent advantages of
the site which had been selected for Sioux City. From British
Columbia, in the north, to the Gulf of Mexico, in the south, there
could be found no point more valuable for the upbuilding of a
vast metropolis. The great rivers seem to have entered into a
league, hundreds of years ago, to prepare the way for the commercial
interests of Sioux City. The vast Missouri, nearly 200 miles in
Dakota, changes from its course to the south, and for that distance
runs nearly east to Sioux City, then bends backward to the south
as it passes on to the Gulf of Mexico, as if its mission was to
inspire this city with its presence and the burden of its commerce,
and to bring here the millions of wealth represented in the thousands
of square miles of fertile lands upon its banks.
Space here forbids going into detail, more than to outline the
wholesale interests, by enumerating a few of the leading firms
doing business at the commencement of 1890, when there were forty-five
jobbing houses in Sioux City, all doing a thriving business, using
all the capital at their command. Their sales for 1889 were about
nine and one-half million dollars, and were represented among
the following lines: Furniture-Number of traveling men, 4; number
of men employed, 10; annual sales, $200,000.
Furs and hides-Number of traveling men, 5; number of men employed,
15; annual sales, $500,000.
Oils-Number of traveling men, 5; number of men employed, 25;
annual sales, $500,000.
Confectionery-Number of traveling men, 11; number of men employed,
69; annual sales, $290,000.
Agricultural implements-Number of traveling men, 6; number of
men employed, 25; annual sales, $360,000.
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Dry-goods notions-Number of traveling men, 9; number of men employed,
24; annual sales, $575,000.
Commission merchants-Number of traveling men, 15; number of men
employed, 60; annual sales, $1,414,000.
Drugs-Number of traveling men, 10; number of men employed, 42;
annual sales, $1,200,000.
Groceries-Number of traveling men, 23; number of men employed,
44; annual sales, $2,750,000.
Clothing-Number of traveling men, 2; number of men employed,
4; annual sales, $100,000.
Stationery- Number of traveling men, 3; number of men employed,
10; annual sales, $115,000.
Queensware-Number of traveling men, 5; number of men employed,
12; annual sales, $150,000.
Hardware-Number of traveling men, 7; number of men employed,
25; annual sales, $600,000.
Boots and shoes-Number of traveling men, 3; number of men employed,
7; annual sales, $150,000.
Saddlery hardware-Number of traveling men, 6; number of men employed,
19; annual sales, $250,000.
Cigars-Number of traveling men, 7; number of men employed, 23;
annual sales, $303,000.
Total for 1889-Number of traveling men, 179; number of men employed,
414; annual sales, $9,457,000.
(click for larger size)

Among the large dealers are Tollerton & Stetson Co., C.
Shenkberg & Co., Donnan & Fowler Co., William Tackaberry
& Co., whole. sale grocers; J. H. Griffin & Co., Iowa
Candy Co., Sioux City Cracker & Candy Co., confectioners;
Jandt & Thompkins, Palmer, Noyes & Willey, dry goods;
Hornick Drug Co., F. Hansen, drugs; Baker & Bissell, Knapp
& Spalding Co., hardware; Peavey & Stephens, George H.
Howell, furniture; Strange Bros., hides, etc.; W. E. Higman &
Co., boots and shoes; I. Feldenheimer, clothing; J. K. Prugh &
Co., queensware; Sioux City Plow Co., Weisz & Moll Co., agricultural
implements; Northwestern Spice Co., coffee, cigars and spices.
The saddlery hardware business of L. Humbert was started in a
small way in 1870. Later on, the hide trade was added, and the
combined business has constantly grown. A commercial salesman
is now employed, and the full force engaged in the business of
manufacturing and selling is twenty.
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C. H. Martin's music business was established in 1886, and has
come to be a big trade, extending over a large territory. The
highest grades of musical instruments extant are handled in large
quantities.
Crowell & Martin, wholesale dealers in fruit, now doing an
extensive business, commenced their operations in 1880, by shipping
one carload of oranges and lemons, and later the first car of
bananas ever shipped to Sioux City. At that date it was looked
upon as a foolish piece of business venture, and it took some
time to work these goods off, but they have steadily increased,
with the growth of the city, and now handle several cars each
week, of the above mentioned goods.
The Independent Lumber Company, located here within the past
year, consists of S. Barrow and J. H. Vallean, who sell in car
lots all grades of lumber, coming from the forests of Wisconsin
and Minnesota. Although a newly organized firm, these gentlemen
have already secured a large trade among builders and contractors.
A jobbers' and manufacturers' association was organized December
5, 1885, which has been of great value to the city, in carrying
out her many gigantic business enterprises, including the several
corn palaces. The present officers are James F. Peavey, president;
John Hornick, first vice-president; E. H. Stone, treasurer; James
V. Mahoney, acting secretary; Messrs. Tollerton, Hornick and Gere,
committee on transportation.
Manufacturing.-Not until recently has Sioux City laid
claim to being much of a manufacturing point, aside from that
branch to which the packing industry belongs. But of late years,
with the additional railway facilities, and the rapidly developing
farming section to the north and west, an effort has been carried
to a successful issue, in the inducement of manufacturers to locate
here. Eastern and western surplus money has found a paying investment
in these gigantic plants. Aside from the pork-packing business
mentioned elsewhere, the leading manufacturing plants are the
two great brick and tile works, the largest in Iowa; the Sioux
City engine works at Leeds; the linseed oil mills, the largest
in America; the pottery, soap, vinegar and woodworking factories;
agricultural implement works, lithographing, blank book and auxiliary
printing houses. Also the Daniel Paris stove works (at Leeds),
which are now being erected, and will employ 400 workmen. It is
the largest west of Cleveland, Ohio. The milling interests of
Sioux City have come to be of great magnitude. During
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the present year, 1890, the second largest flouring-mill in Iowa,
a roller plant, has been built at Leeds, at which place It shoe
factory is also being built.
With the Haley Iron Works and the Scraper Works, together with
foundries here and there over the city, no trouble is experienced
in getting heavy castings of all kinds.
A stock company with a capital of $2,000,000 was formed in 1889,
to assist in the establishment of manufactories. The members are
all heavy capitalists, who have abundant faith in building up
great manufacturing interests at Sioux City. Among the flourishing
manufacturing plants who have furnished the writer with data are
the following:
The Sioux City engine works were first established in 1871, and
incorporated in 1884. C. M. Giddings is president and manager,
with H. J. Westover as superintendent. They build high-grade engines,
including the automatic, their own invention. This plant was located
in the city up to 1889, at which time they removed to Leeds, where
their works now cover four acres. They have the capacity for turning
out 150 engines per annum. Their specialty in engine work is the
Sioux City Corliss, which finds ready sale in all parts of the
country. They make them from 100 to 200 horse power. During the
last year they have sold them in California; St. Paul, Minn.;
Des Moines, Iowa; Chillicothe, Mo.; Omaha, Neb.; St. Joseph, Mo.,
and many smaller points.
The Sioux City Brick & Tile Works, with office and works
at Springdale, were incorporated November 12, 1886, by C. F. Hoyt,
Thomas Green, H. Huerth, C. R. Marks and W. M. Stevens. The present
officers are C. F. Hoyt, president; C. R. Marks, secretary; Thomas
Green, superintendent and treasurer. The capital stock is $60,000.
The output of the plant is never less than 1,000,000 a month,
the year through. The quality of brick made is very superior;
they were used in the foundation of the United Bank block, instead
of stone. The supply of clay is inexhaustible at their plant,
and in the Sioux valley. They also possess fine builder's sand
and glass sand. $50,000 has been invested in improvements, and
the plant is fully equipped with all sorts of modern machinery.
The Sergeant's Bluff & Sioux City Terra Cotta, Tile &
Brick Works began operations in 1887, their first year's output
being 4,000,
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000. The attention of the company was turned toward paving brick,
in the fall of 1889, and early in the spring of 1890, they constructed
new kilns and added new machinery for such purpose. Their clay
is of a superior quality for this work, being a hard blue shale,
which in paving, makes the hardest and most lasting brick known.
Their 1890 output was 7,000,000. The officers of this company
are Aaron Halseth, president; George A. Mead, vice-president;
M. L. Sloan, secretary; George H. Brown, treasurer. The works
are situated at Sergeant's Bluff, while their office is at Sioux
City.
Prominent among Sioux City's gigantic business enterprises may
be mentioned one of the largest linseed oil-mills in the United
States. This plant is located on the north side of Second street,
with a frontage of 150 feet each, on Court and Iowa streets. The
plant is a model of modern skill, and ranks second to none in
the world in amount of oil produced. The works were built by Messrs.
R. D. Hubbard, of Mankato, Minn., and T. P. Gere, of St. Paul,
the location being influenced by the fact that Sioux City was
in the center o£ the flax-growing belt. The construction
of these works was commenced in August, 1883, the first crushing
being done for' the crop o£ 1884. Five hundred thousand
bushels of flax seed are consumed annually by these mills. The
product is linseed oil and oil cake. The name of the incorporated
company owing and operating these works, is the National Linseed
Oil Company, and its paid-up capital is $18,000,000. The resident
manager is Thomas P. Gere.
In the line of novelty goods, made at this point, should be mentioned
the Martin piano truck, which was invented by C. H. Martin, of
Sioux City, in 1889. Business was commenced at once upon receipt
of the letters patent. The firm became C. H. Martin & Co.
(C. H. Martin and E. H. Stone). During the first year they sold
$12,000 worth of trucks in all parts of the union. They own and
conduct a large factory, and the business is constantly increasing.
The Sioux City Butter Tub Factory commenced operation in 1881,
with a capacity of 15,000 butter tubs; but the plant has grown,
and in 1889 it turned out 50,000 tubs, 5,000 lard barrels, 2,000
pork barrels, 2,000 half barrels. The proprietors are W. F. Baker
& Son, and the factory is located in the rear of 107 West
Third street.
Fletcher & Case Co., with an authorized capital of $100,000,
was established in March, 1882, with an original capital of only
$9,000,
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