|
The following is an excerpt from
The History of Stacyville, Iowa: 1856-2006.*
No part may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into a retrieval system,
or transmitted in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical,
photocopying, recording or otherwise), without the prior written permission
of the author. Contact her at
cherylmu@netins.net
“It is now conceded that the only hope for small towns these days is a
factory of some kind. Little towns the size of Stacyville do not get the
larger factories. They are looking for the bigger towns and ask a big bonus
for locating. If we take the little factories, we will grow and later be in
a position to go after the larger ones.”
Those words appeared in a 1911 edition of The Stacyville Monitor but
could have been written in the 21st century. The citizens of
Stacyville were hopeful that a factory manufacturing silk neckties, cotton
gloves and mittens would start up as soon as “20 men in Stacyville who are
sufficiently interested in the welfare of the town” purchased $25 each in
stock. Total cost for the factory was $2,500; but as soon as the town raised
$500 in stocks, machinery would be installed. The intent was that the
factory would initially employ “mostly girls and women” and would eventually
branch into the manufacture of “men’s overalls and cheap work shirts.”
Interested parties were advised to stop by The Monitor office for
more information.
Stacyville never got that
factory, but the local business community continued to grow and change.
These businesses were flourishing in 1911: Frank Heimer & Co. Hardware; The
Stacyville Bank; Kinney’s Drug Store; Weber’s Meat Market; Falk & Weber
Furniture, Jewelry and Undertaking; Ben Adams Shoe Repair; Stehn’s Grocery;
Stacyville Lumber Co.; Kraus Sisters general store; J.N. Wolf Clothiers; G.F.
Gerk, agent for The Iowa Separator; J.B. Schmitz, realtor.
Crime was not unknown in Stacyville. Burglars occasionally struck at local
businesses. The Monitor reported that one night in March 1911 the
hardware store, the depot, and the lumber yard were all burglarized. A thief
broke a window in Frank Heimer’s hardware store and took razors and “six or
seven dollars from the cash register.” He used one of the new axes from a
rack in the store to smash the register. He was preparing to use a brace and
a drill to open the safe but left before accomplishing the task. Mrs. Andrew
Weber, who lived across the street from the store, reported she saw a man
moving around in the store about 1 a.m. He was “lighting matches and
moved behind the counter.”
The Methodist church was still active in Stacyville during the decade.
Evangelists held tent meetings in the park. Attendees were encouraged to
bring their dinner in a basket and eat under the trees. The meetings ended
abruptly after only three weeks because of poor attendance. The 43rd
annual convention of the Mitchell County Sunday School association was held
in Stacyville in September 1911. However, by 1917 the church parsonage,
“consisting of three lots and barn and a good well” was for sale.
Among the 48 children receiving the their first communion at St. Mary’s
Church in October 1911 were Alois Halfman, Joseph Meyerhofer, Raymond Mayer,
Joseph Michels, Ben Faas, Hubert Halfman, Paul Huemann, Sylvester Isaac,
Carl Theobald, Maria Bawek, Ermina Halbach, Alvina May, Anna Salz and Rosina
Faas.
A new doctor came to town in
1911. Dr. Harrington rented the rooms over Heimer & Co.’s hardware store for
a residence and rooms over the butcher shop for his offices. The doctor made
house calls using his horse and buggy. He charged about $28 to deliver a
baby at home. Although Dr. Harrington was kept busy delivering babies, it
wasn’t uncommon for midwives to take a little of his business.
In April 1912 there was talk of reviving the city band. The newspaper
editor, Mr. Murphy, ran an article calling all interested parties to a
meeting in the council rooms to discuss the formation of the band. It was
believed that “there is considerable talent” and “a number of the old band
boys” were still interested and “some young fellows willing to take hold and
learn.” It was proposed that the band would be a “great advertisement for
the town” and would “draw people to the town on hot summer evenings.”
In 1912 the building of a new dam was under consideration. The old dam had
been washed out in 1911 and the owner of the mill property, Peter Halbach,
proposed the building of a cement and stone dam that “will withstand any
floods.” He proposed that since the dam would benefit the town as a whole,
the city should consider contributing to the project. Mr. Halbach asked for
teams to haul the stone—500 to 600 loads.
In the presidential election of 1912 Stacyville voters favored Woodrow
Wilson with 157 votes; Teddy Roosevelt, 34; William Howard Taft, 17; and the
Prohibition candidate, Eugene Wilder Chafin, 4 votes. In 1912 women’s
suffrage was a hot political topic throughout the country. Stacyville was no
exception. An article in The Stacyville Monitor asked women to hold a
primary to express their wishes regarding the issue. The Monitor
offered to print and furnish all the ballots free of charge.
The fact that Stacyville did not have an organized fire department or
equipment to fight fires was a constant source of concern for the residents
and businesspeople. Businesses paid higher insurance premiums as a result of
the lack of fire protection, at an annual rate of $2 per $100 of coverage.
According to the newspaper, this was about 80 cents higher than it would be
if the town had fire protection. In August 1913 a fire caused minor damage
to the Heimer & May hardware store when some oily rags combusted. The fire
renewed discussion about a fire department.
Prior to 1915 the street lights in Stacyville were kerosene lamps which had
to be lit each night. The street lighter-- sometimes the town marshal-- lit
the lights and hung them from a hook on the light pole. Every morning he
gathered all the lights up. The matter of electric lights for
Stacyville was under discussion in 1915. It must have been a memorable day
when a “dynamo” was installed at the rendering works and the current wired
over the river to the town.
For the most part, at least two generations of Stacyville residents lived
their lives isolated from the outside world—as did most residents of small
Midwestern towns at the time. But that changed dramatically when the United
States entered World War I. The war hit home in Stacyville when in May 1917
men between the ages of 21 and 30 were reminded in a front-page headline in
The Monitor that they must register with the United States government
for military service. Ninety-six Stacyville men complied.
By August 1917 many Stacyville men had been called up for military service:
Henry Adams, C.F. Sobolik, E.W. Dumire, John A. Frein, Wm. J. Wolf, Matt
Durben, Joseph W. Bawek, Anton J. Hemann, Joseph J. Mayer, Philip Merten,
Fred E. Hartnell, Michael M. Mayer, Lewis A. May, Arthur Mayer, George
Junger, Frederick M. Steiger, Hubert Miller, Aloysious May, Ralph A. Decker,
and Conrad Isaac.
While the prospects for world peace seemed unlikely in 1917, there was the
promise of good fishing for Stacyville’s residents. In November a special
car was hauled into town by the Illinois Central Clipper. The car
held fish from the state fish hatchery at Spirit Lake. The fish were placed
in the river just east of the depot, and it was expected that within a few
years the people of Stacyville would enjoy good fishing.
The women of Stacyville did
their share for the war effort. A War-Savings Society was organized and the
first meeting held at the Methodist Church. The group was called “The
War-Savings Society of Stacyville” and was affiliated with the National
War-Savings Committee. There were 11 charter members. Children could also
join as “active members.” Adult members were known as “associate members.”
The purpose of the organization was “to unify and clarify the patriotic
ideals of the people of our Great American Democracy and foster habits of
Thrift among them.”
On November 14, 1918 The Stacyville Monitor carried two war stories
on the front page. One headline read “Hale Fuller Dead; Died in France.” The
other: “War Over. Big Time Here All Day Monday.” It must have been a
bittersweet day for the citizens of Stacyville as they cheered the end of
the war and mourned for their “Stacyville boy” who “made the Supreme
Sacrifice for his Country.”
On November 11, when news reached Stacyville that the war was over, the
town went “wild with joy.” All day long citizens celebrated. Early in the
morning flags and banners were “hoisted about the streets.” The
newspaper stated that the “youngsters kept the town red hot during the day.”
That night a big bon fire was started on the street near the hotel.
According to the paper, “It was a grand and glorious celebration.”
The years between 1911 and 1920 were eventful times for Stacyville. The
first generation of residents was now elderly; many were gone. The next
generation had stepped up to run businesses, work farms, manage the city
government, raise children, support the churches and schools, build bridges
and roads, and continue traditions. But world events intruded on the lives
of the residents of Stacyville in 1917, and for the first time in the town’s
history, events far removed from Stacyville left a mark on the community.
By 1920 life had returned to normal with weekly band concerts, performances
at the Opera House, ice cream socials, school commencements, fishing and
baseball.
_________________________________________________________
**The History of Stacyville, Iowa: 1856-2006
is available for purchase:
http://www.stacyville.com/order_form.htm |
