Mail Came Overland; Hens; First Train ~ 1868 & 1869

MORRISON, BROWN, DECKER, SANBORN, ALEXANDER

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 11/18/2014 at 12:04:08

The Globe Gazette
Mason City, Cerro Gordo County, Iowa
Monday, June 01, 1953
Mason City Centennial Edition, Section 3

MAIL CAME OVERLAND

[Section 3, Page 12] In old times, before the building of the Iowa Central Railroad, there used to be an overland mail route from Mason City to Lin Grove, afterward called Rockwell. In 1864 H. B. Morrison, who settled in the township that year, got a postoffice established and himself appointed postmaster.

* * * * *

HENS FOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

[Section 3, Page 12] Early day editors of Mason City - of which there were many - were accustomed to accepting poultry in lieu of subscriptions for their paper.

* * * * *

1869: BROWN PILOTED FIRST TRAIN TO TOWN

[Section 3, Page 12] One of the important dates in Mason City's first 100 years is 1869. That was the year the own voted to become an incorporated village and the date on which the first bank was organized.

Most important of all it was in 1869 that Seneca F. Brown piloted the first train into Mason City.

Being a locomotive engineer in those days took resourcefulness and stamina, particularly in the winter when trains battled giant snow drifts with light, primitive equipment.

Brown was the great grandson of Oliver Brown, a minute man in the Revolutionary War, a drummer boy who in the heat of the battle threw away his drum and picked up a musket. One of the prized possessions of the Mason Cityan was an iron melting pot used by his great grandfather to melt the leaden bullets.

Brown, who was born in Lancaster, Mass., in 1847, started supporting himself at 8 years. After the experience of fireman on a steamer between Buffalo and Chicago, he got a job as fireman on the Milwaukee running west of McGregor.

Went to Rescue

As an example of what engineers had to contend with in those days, Brown, who was the father of Mrs. Jay Decker of Mason City, once told of how he went to the rescue of a marooned train in December, 1871.

"It was in along the last of December in 1871 that the most terrible storm of the winter broke and blocked the line badly between Mason City and Algona," he said. "In this storm an eastbound passenger train was caught in a drift about one and a half miles west of Garner. Supt. G. W. Sanborn of this division organized an expedition to go to their relief. As the two towns between here and Algona were but way-stations, we carried our own commissary department.

"We left there Sunday at 6 a. m., little thinking that we would be out a week - for we did not get back to Mason City until 2 the next Sunday afternoon. Our snow fighting outfit consisted of an old-fashioned 'double-winded' snow plow, attached to the end of a box car, backed by three engines, a baggage car and coach."

Picked Up Crew

"The local station agent, F. Alexander, acted as commissary on the trip, the baggage car being the commissary department. We stared out with 20 men, picked up section crews as we went along and called out every man available. Meanwhile the passengers of the imprisoned train had been taken to the neighboring farm houses and cared for.

"We began bucking snow when we were but 10 yards from the depot and it was a bitter fight all the way to Garner, where the imprisoned train was finally dug out and its engine pressed into service. We then started out with four engines to open up the line to Algona.

"Before leaving Garner the storm closed up the line behind us as bad as it was before. We made our way to Algona, turned our engines around and started to plow our way back.

Snow Plow Jumps Track

"We were moving along slowly but steadily when we came to a flat stretch of country between Wesley and Britt. All of a sudden, with no warning, the snow plow tired of following the rails and jumped the track. When this occurred, the engine following was ditched on the opposite side of the track and engine No 2 came up between and stretched itself cross-wise on the rails.

"By means of ropes and cables we were able to clear engine No. 2 off the track and proceeded on our way minus a snow plow and two engines. This left us handicapped as we now only had two light engines, and an engine pilot for a snow plow. We were now beginning to run short of fuel and we began to utilize the fence posts and anything we could find that would make fire and melted snow for boiler water.

"By this time we had about sixty men in our crew and a great deal was accomplished by the use of hand shovels.

"My memory fails me on the distance made per day but I do remember that we reached Garner on the following Saturday morning - almost a week from the time we started. Our supplies were exhausted and the whole crew ditto, with the superintendent making frantic appeals to the department at Milwaukee for assistance.

"But succor came at last for a snow plow and two engines met us near the place where Ventura is now and the line was then clear through to Mason City. We arrived at 2 Sunday."

* * * * *

Transcriptions by Sharon R. Becker, November of 2014