Part III: The Railroad and Jewell: The earliest railroad effort in the area was in 1874 when a narrow guage rail line (3 feet between the rails) had been completed from Des Moines to Ames.  First known as the Iowa and Minnesota, then the Des Moines and Minnesota, the line met the standard gauged (4' 8.5" between the rails) east-west line in Ames.  Under the presidency of James Callanan, a prominent Des Moines banker and real estate agent, the narrow gauge was finally known as the Des Moines and Minneapolis Railroad and was headed for points north.  For any settlement that hoped for access to markets, a railroad became a necessity.  Callanan started his railroad north.

      Early in 1877, an election was held in Lafayette Township of Story County for a five percent tax to pull the Des Moines and Minneapolis to Story City.  By the spring of 1877, the four southeast townships of Hamilton County (Ellsworth, Lincoln, Lyon and Scott) did likewise, but the monies would have been made available only if the railroad had actually been constructed and operated to within a mile of those townships by December 1 of 1878.   Work began on the narrow gauge line toward a point that matched that location; a town was laid out on April 19, 1878 and humbly named Callanan.   But the future of Callanan lay not there, but to two new towns about to make their debut.

      As the railroad building fever reached a frenzy, the companies began to build extensions throughout the state.  The railroads wanted to capitalize on the investments, so about every seven miles, a depot would be erected, a siding laid down, and a town would materialize around the new hoped for connection to the outside world.   The railroads also built lines solely to claim an area and to discourage incursion by competitors.   The Cedar Rapids and Missouri, now the Chicago and North Western railroad, did just that.   Through a maze of interconnected directorships, new railroad companies came into existence and just as quickly, disappeared.   One new line, the Toledo and North Western Company of Tama, proposed building a line north and west of Tama into the yet unconnected Iowa lands toward Sioux City.   On May 22, 1880, the T&NW proposed building a line from Tama City to northwest Iowa and on into Minnesota if they, too, could win tax incentives and real estate bargains along the way.   With remarkable fervor, the T&NW completed an 80.39 mile line from Toledo to Webster City and ran its first passenger train between the two cities on December 6, 1880.   When the line was constructed, it passed west through newly developed Hubbard, Radcliffe, a new Ellsworth, and through David Jewell enticements of land for depots, shops and yards.   This rapid development in from the east brought a stirring of activity in little towns at the end of the narrow gauge.   It was clear the new railroad missed the existing town to the southeast, Callanan.   Big money could await those who rose to take advantage of this new town; John R. and Jane R. King of Callanan came to the area for profit.

      With money from his grain and saloon businesses in Callanan from 1878 until 1881, John R. King and his wife, Jane, bought up what property they believed would be the site of the new town along the Toledo and North Western.  With his money, he persuaded the railroad to build the depot on his land south of the tracks, applied for a post office to be in his part of town south of the tracks, and put his lots south of the tracks up for sale.   To make more money, King platted his lots at 22 feet in width and 120 feet in depth.   King's Main Street shrank to 80 feet wide, rather than maintain the 100 foot width in Jewell's town.   From the Jewell family account, there never was any animosity between the Jewells and the Kings.   The Kings made the money, but the name Jewell stuck as the new entity was labeled Jewell's Junction or Jewell Junction.   Once the railroad had arrived and businesses began to build on King's land, the original town began to move to the new Main Street, todays' north-south street through Jewell.   David Jewell and his wife were buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Jewell.   King's legacy ramains through a scholarship fund for local students known as the Jane R. King fund.

     The Toledo & North Western expects to commence running regular trains into Webster City next Monday, leaving here in the afternoon and arriving in Chicago next morning.   Connections will be made at Callanan with the Narrow Gauge to Des Moines by transfer -- thus giving us the much desired direct communication with the State Capital.

     About the hour of eight o'clock yesterday morning a head end collision occurred just west of the C. & N. W. depot at this place.   It seems, from what the Record man has observed, the engine No. 52 drawn by engineer Lowery, with a heavy train was standing on the main line of track, evidently waiting for the incoming of the double header from the east.   Soon engines No. 356 and No. 450 with about 50 cars, came in sight, and were running at a high speed.   The men on 52 thought nothing of this, as the supposition was that a slack in speed would be made by the time the water tank was reached.   However, the train kept up its speed, and as a result collided with the train standing on the main line.   The engineers, firemen, and conductors all jumped, and thus succeeded in escaping all injury.   No. 52 which was standing still at the time met, with very little disaster.   Only the cow-catcher being demolished.   It was Nos. 356 and 450 which were completely wrecked.   The back engine telescoped partly over the first one and then took a tumble to the north side.   It was the worst wreck of the engies; their being a good bell left the company will probably build a new engine around it.

     When a Record reporter reached the scene of disaster the engines were piled up as if they intended to "jump their job" and steam was escaping from breaks in the boiler of one of the engines, and the scene was one of ruin and loss.   The wrecking crew at Eagle were immediately telegraphed for, and before an hour and a half had passed, arrived and began clearing away the debris and at the hour of six o'clock in the evening, there was othing visible of the wreck.   No blame has been attached to anyone, as the engineers on the double header claim the air brakes would not work, and hence, the train could not stop.   The train on the main line was entitles to the track, and therefore no blame can be attached to the parties conducting it.   It was a serious wreck for the company and the aggregate loss will be nearly $25,000.   It was a very lucky accident inasmuch as no one was in the least injured.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

     Friday afternoon, October 2nd, is a date that will be remembered in Jewell.   On that date the depot that was erected when the C. &. N. W. Ry. first built into Jewell some twenty-seven or eight years ago, burned to the ground.   The fire had gained great headway four o'clock and there was no chance to save even a part of the building from the flames.   Everything was dry as kindle and but for the gale that blowed from the south it is only probable that the fire loss would have extended south along the business street indefinitely.   As it was even against the wind the men fighting the flames had hard work to prevent the Kleaveland lumber yard from igniting.   A barn owned by Peter Mortenson and located 60 or 70 rods north of the depot was ignited by flying brands and with its contents burned to the ground.
     The fire originated doubtless from a spark from a passing engine and began burning beneath the high wooden platform used in unloading freight from cars.   The fire burned along beneath the platform the full length of the long platform and was not discovered until the whole was in flames.   When it broke out and was discovered it was merely a matter of minutes until the entire wooden structure was a mass of flames.   The depot men succeeded in saving the tickets and bills and records of the freight, passenger and express departments and a few telegraph instruments from the office, the end of the depot furtherest removed from the place where the blaze originated.   Not a thing was saved from the baggage and freight and express rooms and even a truck load of seven sample trunks belonging to a representative of Marshall Field & Co. and standing near the depot was burned to the ground.   The fire burned rapidly and it was not long until the depot was burned to the ground, including most of the platforms about it.
     Without the loss of any time the railroad men cut three dispatchers lines into the pump house and established the instruments there and business along the line was interrupted for but a marvelously short time.   Freight cars were pulled up to use for freight and baggage rooms, a passenger car was used for a passenger waiting room, and the room south of Kleaveland's lumber office was secured for a ticket office.   Men were early on the ground clearing away the ruins.   The thing seemed almost impossible, but within forty-eight hours after the fire broke out the ruins were cleared away, a platform of cinders and cruched stone was put in, and work was nearly completed upon a temporary depot.   Everything was moving in formal fashion by Monday noon and the depot men were occupying their new quarters.
     The thing that is now occupying the minds of everyone is what will the railroad company do about a new depot.   Everyone thinks Jewell should have a fine new structure of brick with brick or cement walks and platforms, and the general opinion is that if built on the old site, the freight depot should be a separate building located somewhere else, perhaps farther west.   What will be done nobody knows.   But conversation with those in authority appears to give a good deal of satisfaction to everyone concerned.
     The Northwestern is not in the habit of being niggardly in its building operations and works with an eye upon the future.   As long as the old building stood it served for present needs after a fashion.   But confronted with the necessity for rebuilding, the chances are that Jewell will be given a splendid and modern structure.   Supt. Smith of this division speaks very encouragingly along this line.   He can give no positive information for he is not possessed of any.   But he seems to favor giving Jewell an up-to-date structure and the wishes of the men on the ground will of course have its share of effect.   From the Chicago offices will come definite information when the matter is disposed of.   And there is not apt to be much delay in the matter, only long enough to make a careful study of the situation.   What really will be done here will be significant of the road's future policy regarding the town.   It might be within the possibilities to build with the idea of making Jewell a more important junction point than it new is.   Whatever is done will be done with no greater delay than necessary and Jewell will undoubtedly ..see work under way on a new and permanent depot early this fall.

     There really are no new developments in the situation regarding the new depot to be built at Jewell  by the Northwestern road.   There have been rumors and reports in plenty along the line of the probability of work beginning at once, and there have been stories about $25,000 plans that have been drawn up and later changed.   So far as this paper has been able to ascertain to date from the officials, there is really nothing that has as yet been definitely decided upon.

     There is one thing that is very certain.   There will be no work done on a new depot until next spring.   If final plans are determined upon soon opening work in the way of excavating putting in foundations may be started, but that even is very unlikely.   Arrangements have already been made for putting the temporary depot in shape for use during the winter.   The building is to be doubled and ceiled up inside so as to be warmer for use throughout the winter.   It can be confidently predicted that the present temporary structure will serve this winter and that in the spring the work will be started upon a permanent depot that will be a credit alike to the town and to the road.

     The contract has been given by the C. & N. W. Ry. for the promised new depot at Jewell, and the certainty of a new depot is now a real and tangible thing.   J. J. Jobat, of Peoria, Ill. has the contract for the structure and was on the ground the first of this week looking over the local situation.   Jewell will have the pleasure of seeing actual construction work under way the first of April.

     In round figures about $20,000 will be spent in Jewell.   This will include the new depot, freight depot, and rearrangement of the yard tracks.   The new depot will be a standard frame structure with a slate roof, 104 feet long and 20 feet wide for the main structure, with a 5 foot extension south for the length of the office a a longer wing north from the office to accomodate toilet and rest rooms for men and women.   There will be a ladies' waiting room east of the office and men's waiting room west of the office, with connecting passage north of the office, and toilet rooms opening from this passage to the north.   Baggage and express rooms will be in the west end of the building.   On the north of the structure will be the platform built of brick, and the tracks will be rearranged so that all passenger trains will come in north of the new depot.  The building, extending east and west, will be located about on the site of the burned depot, just south and closely adjacent to the present temporary structure.  The west bound passenger tracks will run in north of the depot and further west will swing back south to the main line Sioux City tracks.   The only trackage south of the depot will be the main line Sioux City tracks, all freight yard tracks for switching south of the depot being west of Main street and the freight depot west of Main street.

     By the new arrangement passengers at the depot will not have to cross freight switch tracks to reach the depot, nor to go from one train to another when transferring.   Nor will freight and passenger train service interfere with each other.   The new arrangement will therefore not only be more convenient for the rail road, but will be by far more convenient and safer for the traveling public.   The building while not of brick as had been hoped, will be, it is promised, not a plain barn-like affair, but will be a tasty and handsome structure.   With the new track arrangement, double tracks east to the switch, new well and a new stand pipe, brick platform and the new depot, the local officials are all sanguine that the people of Jewell and the traveling public will be well satisfied with what the company will do at Jewell.

     Work will begin promptly.   April first will mark the beginning of operations when excavation and building will be begun.   The contractors are giving local dealers and workmen their chance on the building.   So far as possible cement and lumber, etc. will be bought of local dealers.   Local contractors may have an opportunity to do the excavating.   In this regard the contractor, Mr. Jobst, appears to be emiently fair and generous in dealing with the local people.

     Last Saturday this town of Jewell was a great railroad center so far as the number of passenger trains run through here by the Northwestern was concerned.   In addition to the usual good passenger service Jewell had nineteen extra trains between midnight Friday night and midnight Saturday night.   The speculation as to the cause of it all was various, running all the way from a guess that the Northwestern was running specials here to show the public our new depot, to guesses to the effect that a mistaken idea was abroad that the Jewell-Ellsworth baseball game was to be played Saturday instead of Monday, the the specials were run to accommodate the fans from all over the universe and Missouri that wanted to see the game.

     The cause of the extra trains was the fact that a bridge at a Quarry just east of Marshalltown was washed out by the heavy floods of Friday southeast of here.   While the bridge was being rebuilt all main line passenger trains of the Northwestern line were run through Jewell.   West bound trains left the main line at Tama coming to Jewell and down to Ames, east bound main line trains came up from Ames and east from Jewell to Tama.  The result as that Jewell for a day had an average of about one passenger train an hour, counting the regular train.   The main line through fast trains made quite a big play for Jewell.