Kingston also boasted of two blacksmith shops, one boarding house, three hotels, several grocers, wagon makers, lumber dealers, etc. The population of Kingston as given by this directory was 300.
LINN COUNTY STATISTICS FOR 1856
General Figures—Number of dwelling houses, 2,518; number of families, 2,612; number of males, 7,911; number of females, 6,791; colored, 6; married, 5,110; widowed, 307; native voters, 2,946; naturalized voters, 236; aliens, 215; militia, 2,795; deaf and dumb, none; blind, 1; insane, 1; idiotic, 14; owners of land, 1,824; paupers, 3; total population of county, 14,792.
Agricultural Statistics—Acres of land improved, 66,132; acres of land unimproved, 155,991; acres of meadow, 3,871; tons of hay, 8,551; bushels of grass seed, 306; acres spring wheat, 14,739; bushels harvested, 212,573; acres winter wheat, 249; bushels harvested, 1,532; acres oats, 5,854; bushels harvested, 180,674; acres corn, 24,251; bushels harvested, 1,025,375.
Live Stock Figures—Number hogs sold, 16,905; value of hogs sold, $127,942; number of cattle sold, 3,284; value of cattle sold, $79,273.
Farm Products—Pounds butter made, 153,646; pounds of wool sold, 14,143; pounds of cheese sold, 25,506; value of domestic manufactures, $7,269; value of general manufactures, $212,795.
Nativity of population—Ohio, 3,758; Indiana, 1,320; Pennsylvania, 1,914; Iowa, 2,770; New York, 1,209; Maine, 111; New Hampshire, 83; Vermont, 189; Massachusetts, 188; Connecticut, 124; Rhode Island, 7; Virginia, 436; Kentucky, 242; Illinois, 453; Michigan, 87; Alabama, 1; Louisiana, 2; Mississippi, 4; North Carolina, 59; South Carolina, 23; Tennessee, 55; Missouri, 40; Georgia, 2; Maryland, 208; New Jersey, 178; Wisconsin, 51; Delaware, 10; England, 166; Ireland, 204; Wales, 4; Scotland, 72; Germany, 278; France, 11; Austria, 36; Russia, 0; Prussia, 5; Norway, 16; Sweden, 2; Holland, 2; on the ocean, 1; Canada, 161; New Brunswick, 11; Switzerland, 6; Denmark, 1; West Indies, 2; Bohemia, 139; Nova Scotia, 52; Prince Edward Island, 8; District of Columbia, 4; Poland, 1; Moravia, 6; Hungary, 5; Unknown, 1.
From "Historical Sketch of the City," in the Cedar Rapids Directory for 1870-71, we cull the following:
"During the year 1838 the first land claim was made by a certain Wm. Stone on what constituted the present site of Cedar Rapids. This was not the first claim made, however, as John Mann, Esq., had the honor of being the first settler in the county, having located at Pine Grove in the early part of the same year.
"The attention of the early pioneers being drawn to the manufacturing resources of the county, the present site was early chosen as most suitable for a city, as the swift current of the river at this place would afford, in all probability, a valuable and extensive water-power. In 1841 the town was laid out, and within a short time thereafter the improvement of the water-power was commenced. The land lying along the margin of the river and commanding the water privileges was soon purchased by Messrs. N. B. Brown, George Greene, H. W. Gray, and others, who early commenced the construction of the dam and the building of those mills and manufactories which have since been the pride of the city and which have contributed so much to its permanent growth and development.