Captain Snouffer was born in Maryland February 24, 1825, and though he was a loyal citizen of Iowa he never ceased to love his native state, nor did he ever forget its history, its traditions, and its people. He entered the Mexican war where he was wounded in the head on the field of battle on November 9, 1847. This wound troubled him all the remaining days of his life. At the time he was wounded he was first sergeant of a company of dragoons, and on several occasions had commanded a company.
As a member of the firm of W. D. Watrous & Company he was closely identified with the milling industry of Cedar Rapids. He superintended the erection of "the brick mill" in 1875. With J. J. Child he was the joint author of the city's charter. He took an active part in the building of the Iowa & Nebraska Railroad, now the Northwestern. He was a prime mover in establishing the water works, and was one of those who gave the city its first street railway. At various times he was a member of the city government both as alderman and mayor. He was a skilled parliamentarian, and an honest man in every sense of the word.
CEDAR RAPIDS TODAY
W. I. Endicott, in The Saturday Record, July 10, 1909:
Cedar Rapids has had a civic existence since January 15, 1849, on which date a town charter was adopted and town officers elected. In 1856, a new city charter was granted by the legislature and under that charter the affairs of the city were conducted until April 6, 1908, when the charter was abandoned and the city went under what is known as the "Commission Plan." Under the provisions of this law all ward lines and divisions were abolished and five men—a mayor and four councilmen or commissioners are elected at large. In the hands of these five men is placed all responsibility for the appointment of the entire city official staff and the management of city affairs.
The new plan is working in a most satisfactory manner in Cedar Rapids and many things are being accomplished under it that were impossible of accomplishment under the old ward system. The improvements under way are all planned with a view to actual necessity and the harmonious building up of the city in all its sections. Modern business methods are in use in the conduct of the city's affairs and unwise or extravagant expenditure of the public money is not permitted. The council meets nearly every day and the citizen who has business to transact with the council is given instant hearing and attention.
Under the law, the mayor is paid a salary of $2,500 and each of the councilmen $1,800 annually, and they devote full time and attention to the work of the city. The city's business is divided into departments and each man is in charge of and responsible for a certain department. The mayor is head of the department of Public Affairs and as such, exercises a general supervision over all phases of the city business. Then there are the departments of Accounts and Finances, the department of Public Safety, the department of Streets and Public Improvements, and the department of Parks and Public Property. The men elected have first to be successful in a wide open primary and then in the regular city election secure a majority of all the votes cast. In the election of 1908 there were 48 candidates for councilman and nine candidates for mayor on the primary ballot. From these names the two who received the highest number of votes for mayor and the eight who received the highest number of votes for councilman were declared the nominees and their names appeared on the ballot at the regular election, the names appearing in alphabetical order on both the primary and regular election ballots, and without any party or other designation.
In 1908 the council accomplished the sale of the old city hall site and the purchase of May's Island for park and public buildings purposes. This island has an area of about six acres, and lying in the Cedar river in the very center of the city, forms an ideal place for a civic center. The city offices are now occupying temporary quarters on the island and as rapidly as possible the low places are being filled with dirt from the various excavations for business buildings, and from other sources, so that what was once a municipal disgrace, is being rapidly transformed into a place of beauty, to say nothing of forever setting at rest any possibility of divisive strife between the two sides of the river.