Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

flrst wife. Helen A. Crane. The other ‘Crane girls‘, as
these popular and talented young women were called.
married respectively. Israel Fisher, Calvin Holmes.
Archie Cox, C.T. Lampson and Alio Peet. There was
one son, Leroy Crane.
“Alderman Street is named for Captain E.B.
Alderman, a brother of Mrs. Dexterr Cunningham, both
of whom came to Anamosa from Castle Creek, N.Y.,
although Springield, Mass., was their birthplace.
“The Alderman house was the one now owned by Joe
Soper on West Main and South Alderman streets. On
the day he left with his company (Co. E. 31st. Iowa Inf.)
in October 1862, the posts of the little front porch were
draped with bunting and flags were mounted on the
front stone wall. Here the company formed to march to
the depot to entrain for the seat of Civil conflict. The
majority of Co. E's men enlisted from Cass. Fairview.
Monticello and Rome townships, Captain and Mrs.
Alderman were charter members of the Baptist Church
of Anamosa.
"Mrs. Alderman was a sister of Linus and David
Osborne and Mrs. Frank Gillette. Mrs. Alfred Remley is
a granddaughter of Linus Osborne; and Mrs. Arthur
Braun is the only grandchild of David Osborne.
"Sales Street is named for Dr. N.G. Sales, whose
home and office were first a log house on the east side of
Elm Street near Main Street.
“He was elected to the Iowa Legislature in 1848
where he served several years; first, in the lower house
and then as Senator representing Jones, Jackson and
Cedar counties.
“He was always an ardent Democrat. He served a
term as Postmaster, and was three times elected mayor
of Anamosa by his party. Mrs. Tirzah Perfect. Mrs.
Josephine Howard, H. James Holt and Mrs. Clifford
Niles are the living grandchildren of Dr. and Mrs. Sales.
“Ford and Booth Streets were named after Gideon H.
Ford, and Edmund Booth. Gideon H. Ford was the first
blacksmith and ran the inn where the Indian maiden,
Anamosa, stopped one day in about 1842. Edmund
Booth owned the land within the limits of Main and
First streets and South Ford and Booth streets. He
came to Anamosa in 1839 and with his son Thomas E.
Booth was editor and publisher of the Anamosa Eureka
for 61 years.
“Davis Street was named for Timothy Davis of
Dubuque. He was a partner in the early Walworth Mills
and a U.S. Congressman for Iowa and was also an early
day attorney.
"Scott Street was named for Cunningham R. Scott,
Anamosa attorney.
"Cleveland Street received its name from Sgt. D.W.
Cleveland who enlisted in the Civil War on August I 1.
1862, and died at Young's Point, La., later that year.
“Huber Street was named for Judge J.J. Huber.
County Judge from 1857-60. He later moved to Tipton.
Iowa.
“Williams Street was named for James H. Williams, a
member of a prominent family that came to Anamosa
from Newark, New Jersey, in 1859. Mr. Williams owned
a dry goods and grocery store. He was the first fire chief
after the organization of the fire department.
“Pratt Street was named for Pratt R. Skinner.
prominent early citizen who established a land agency
here in 1850.
“Carroll, Webster and Jackson streets. Tradition has
it that these were named for counties where residents
had moved from‘ '.
HARRIET CUNNINGHAM WRITES ABOUT ANAMOSA
TREES. 1941
"The red oak blown down in the school yard this
spring had stood 105 years, we learned by counting the
rings. The yard had been filled in with heavy rock.
[West Middle School, 1987, playground) and the layer
of top soil was too shallow to hold the tree in place.
“At the time of the building of the Jones County
Courthouse, some fine old burr oaks were cut down.
though two of them were far enough away from the
building to have remained. Their presence would have
served only to enhance the beauty and dignity of this
structure of which we are all so proud.
"We counted the rings in one of these oaks ancl found
its life had its beginning one hundred and twenty-five
years before. It was sound to the core and would
probably have lived several centuries more.
The historic elm at the northwest corner of the school
yard (West Middle School 1987) was set out by Mr.
Myers, then president of the Board of Education, in the
early 70s. It was badly damaged by the recent tomado.
It was stoutly and skillfully repaired by Emil Pillard and
should round out a century's growth, at least. L.A.
Downing‘s remark is significant: ‘While it cost
considerable to save, it couldn't be replaced for onethousand
dollars.‘
"There are other historic trees in the school yard. The
row of white, or soft, maples, was set out by Isaac C.
Lusk. principal in 1870.
"The most recent additions to these historic trees
were set with appropriate ceremonies in 1938, the
Centennial year of Anamosa‘s founding.
“The Board of Education bought the trees: Junior
High teachers and pupils planted them.
“The white pine is the Col. Wm. T. Shaw tree. He was
the first president of the Board of Education when it
was organized in 1858. This species was chosen
because Col. Shaw was a native of Maine, the pine tree
state.
“The other four trees. planted in front of the
Auditorium, are red and white cedars and are named
for the other four founders of Anamosa: Gideon Ford,
Edmund Booth, Joseph Fisher and C.L.D. Crockwell."
Recollections of Warren J . Rees
It is difficult for me to realize that I have become one
of the most ‘senior’ of Anamosa‘s senior citizens, and
that I am being looked to for recollections and
reminiscences of and about our old town.
I was born in Anamosa in 1908 in the house on North
Ford Street two doors south of the E.J. Buresh
residence. I have no recollection of the town until 1914
as my parents moved to Leavenworth. Kansas, in 1910.
by Warren J . Rees
127
My father had been on the guard force at Anamosa, and
was a guard at the Federal Penitentiary in Leavenworth
from I910 until 1914. when we moved back to
Anamosa and Dad was again employed as a guard at
the Reformatory.
I started to school in the first grade. Miss Mary
Spellman's room, in January, 1915 in the present West
School. The building was brand new and had been