Untitled Document

Kirkwood

It's pleasantly located on the C., B. & Q. R. R. twenty one miles east of Burlington, Ia. In the year 1836 five families had located in this township, They are
as follows: Samuel Hanna, Z. M. Davis, James Gibson, R Tinkham, Benjamin Tompkins, after whom the township was named. Prior to the building of the railroad through this county, settlement was slowly made in this region, but upon the completion of the road, in 1855, new life was infused and business sprang up as if by magic. In the year 1854 David Irvine laid out the original village of Kirkwood to which two additions have been made, called Quinby's additions.

For many years a brisk trade has been carried on here, especially in grain, which has hardly been surpassed by any town on any railroad leading to Chicago. The village was incorporated in 1865, and the following were the first Trustees: O. Lanphere, J. L. Batcheler, J. K. Cummings, A. Carmichael and J. B. Sofield. The present board is, T. F. Lowther, Geo. Kellogg, A. C. Van Riper, L. Rapalle, Wm. McCoy, W. K. and J. H. Gilmore, Clerk.

The first store here was opened by Knowles, Ray & Chapin in 1855. The First National Bank is one of the most solid institutions of this county, and is abley managed by Dr. Henry Tubbs, President, and Willard C. Tubbs, Cashier. Chapin, Houlton & Davis have a large private banking business; also an extensive mercantile trade. There are at the present time five general stores, four grocery houses, four drug stores, two hardware stores and an agricultural implement, two boot and shoe stores, two bakeries, one bookstore and a news room, one jeweler, two blacksmith shops, two shoe shops, two wagon shops, one lumber yard and two elevators.

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