[CHAPTER XXX]
Some of the First Things in Cedar Rapids and Linn County
The first log cabin was erected on the site of what became Cedar Rapids, by Osgood Shepherd or Wilbert Stone in 1838. The first frame house was erected by John Vardy in 1842, and the first brick building was erected by Porter W. Earle at the corner of First avenue and Second street in 1844.
P. J. Upton, of the Star Wagon Company, received a carload of freight on the first freight train that ever came to Cedar Rapids; this was in 1859. W. B. Mack received the first cargo of salt on the steamboat "Cedar Rapids" in 1855, bringing down the price of salt from $10.00 to $5.00 a barrel.
The first steamboat company, incorporated for $20,000.00, was organized in 1855, some of the incorporators being Alex. Ely, Dr. S. D. Carpenter, the Greenes, and other business men of Cedar Rapids.
The first grist mill was built by N. B. Brown in 1843. Isaac Cook was the first lawyer locating in Cedar Rapids; John Shearer was the first justice of the peace, and James Lewis was the first constable. The first general store was opened by George and Joseph Greene in 1842. Judge George Greene taught one of the first schools near Ivanhoe in 1839 and 1840. Alexander Ely, George Greene, and N. B. Brown, with others, erected the first school house in 1847 in Cedar Rapids, later selling it to the school district.
Joseph Greene was the first postmaster in Cedar Rapids and carried the mail in his plug hat and distributed the same as he happened to meet the people to whom the letters were addressed.
Dr. S. H. Tryon was the first physician in Linn county. Dr. E. L. Mansfield was one of the first physicians locating in Cedar Rapids, in 1847. H. W. Gray was the first sheriff of Linn county, being appointed by Governor Lucas in 1838. The first county fair was held in October, 1855. The first hotel was built in 1847, called the Union House, James Dyer being landlord; this building was destroyed by fire in 1865.
In 1855 W. D. Watrous, W. W. Smith, and J. J. Snouffer built the steamer "Blackhawk" for the purpose of navigating the Cedar river. It ran between Cedar Rapids and Waterloo for two years. It was later purchased by the government and used for a supply boat on the lower Mississippi. In the '40s and '50s Mississippi steamboats made regular trips to Cedar Rapids. The first railroad reached Cedar Rapids in 1859; it is now known as the Chicago & Northwestern.