The committee on arrangements was composed of Wm. H. Merritt, H. G. Angle, R. R. Taylor, W. B. Mack, D. M. McIntosh, Lawson Daniels, Edward J. Smith, Hon. Geo. Greene, S. D. Carpenter, Wm. Greene, John G. Graves, T. Z. Cook, H. B. Stibbs, T. S. McIntosh, Wm. Berkley.
In '69 and '70 there was a fine course of lectures by Bayard Taylor, Henry Ward Beecher, Barnum, J. G. Saxe and other noted lecturers. The money raised was used to fit up a small public library which was in circulation for a number of years.
Judge Greene built a fine opera house and always gave the use of it for entertainments for charity and the ladies gave a great many affairs. It was not unusual for them to make one thousand dollars at one entertainment, for everything was donated and people attended entertainments of that sort better then than they do at the present day. Years ago towns in the vicinity of twenty miles returned social courtesies. In the winter of '68 Iowa City and Cedar Rapids got very friendly. A party of young people were invited to a ball given at the Kirkwood in Iowa City. The weather was cold, the snow deep; but bob sleds were rigged up with buffalo robes. This party started out early, but owing to the deep snow and an upset or two, it was late when they arrived. But they had a pleasant time and returned late next day.
Marion and Cedar Rapids were very cordial to each other. When the homes of I. N. Preston, Mr. Twogood, and Preston Daniels were opened with social events a number of Cedar Rapids people were invited and these families gave beautiful parties.
[CHAPTER XXXII]
Southern Influence
In every frontier community we gauge the settlement by the influences which predominate. Thus we have the Buckeye, the Hoosier, and New England elements in certain states and communities, making these local influences more or less marked traits of character, according to the size of the settlements, and also the temperaments of the settlers. In an early day there arrived in Linn county a number of people from South Carolina, who located here and influenced the social side of this frontier settlement in a marked degree. These families settled here in 1849: The Legare, Bryan, McIntosh, Stoney, and other families. The Legare family came from John's Island, about ten miles from Charleston, where they had lived for several centuries, being of an old French Huguenot family, which had removed to England and from there emigrated to America. It was here, or rather in Charleston, that Hugh Swinton Legare was born in 1789, the mother being of Scotch descent and related to Sir Walter Scott. Hugh Legare first obtained a private education from a Catholic priest, later graduating from the University of South Carolina. He embarked in 1818 for France, later taking up studies in Edinburgh and on the continent. After a stay of two years he returned to America to take charge of his mother's plantation. Not until 1822 did he begin the practice of law in Charleston; he also edited the Southern Review, and in this journal advocated views opposed to nullification. His attitude on this question brought him into prominence, and he was elected attorney general of the state. While in Washington he met Livingstone, then secretary of state, who offered him a position as minister to Belgium, which he accepted. After his return to America he was elected to congress in 1836, but was defeated for re-election in 1840 on account of his opposition to the sub-treasury bill. He was rewarded by President Tyler with a place in the cabinet as attorney general, and for a time acted as secretary of state. He died in 1843, one of the best known public men of his time.
His sister, Margaret Swinton Legare, who had been her brother's travelling companion and most intimate friend, in 1849 brought a fortune to Cedar Rapids. She was accompanied by her nephews, B. S. Bryan, Hugh L. Bryan, and Michael Bryan. It is said that nearly $80,000 in cash were at one time invested in property in this county by this family alone. A large part of this amount was invested in lands and in a woolen mill, which was located near what is now known as the Cooper mills.
Michael Bryan was married to a Miss Dwight, a distant relative of General Marion. She was also wealthy in her own name. A bank was started by the Bryans and the Wards in the early fifties known as Ward, Bryan & Co.'s Bank. This bank failed in the panic of 1857, Colonel I. M. Preston becoming receiver.