Jewell Junction was a railroad
town.

The
earliest railroad effort in the area was in 1874 when a narrow gauge (3
feet between rails) rail line had been completed from Des Moines to Ames.
First known as the Iowa and Minnesota, and then the Des Moines
and Minnesota, the line came north to meet the standard guage (4 feet
and 8 and one half inches between rails) east-west rail line in Ames.
Under the railroad president 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 to be built for points north.
For any settlement that hoped for access to markets, a railroad became
a necessity. Callanan started his railroad construction
north. Gilbert Station was reached. 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 Railroad
to Story City.
Randall was reached next.
About the Narrow Gauge Railroad
By the
spring of 1877, it was determined that if the people in four townships
in the southeast part Hamilton County (Ellsworth township, Lincoln Township,
Lyon and Scott) taxed themselves 5%, they might successfully invite the
railroad company to build north to this area, 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 1978.
Although this settlement was originally planned to have the name Lakin,
for an early pioneer of that part of the county, they discovered that a
Mr. Callanan was the primary investor of the railroad. They
became convinced if they would adopt "Callanan" to be their community's
name, the railroad would come there. A town was laid out and
was platted as Callanan on April 19, 1878. This was the first platted
town in Southeast Hamilton County.
About Callanan

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 that new connection
to the outside world. The railroads also constructed lines
soley to claim an area and to discourage incursion by competitors.
The Cedar Rapids and Missouri, now know as the Chicago and North
Western Railroad, did just that. Through a maze of interconnected
directorships, new railroad companies came into existance 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 towards
Sioux City. On May 22, 1880, the Toledo and North Western
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
Toledo and North Western
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, the new town of Ellsworth, and to David Jewell's enticement
of offering land for depots, shops and yards. The Jewell family household
was north of the coming east-west track.
Jewell Junction can be seen on
this portion of the 1881 Iowa Railroad Map seen below.
(You may click to enlarge this map.)
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This
news article published April 18, 1895 on the front page of the Record
News is the Hamilton County Board of Supervisor's report on both the
amount and the value of the railroad extent in each Hamilton County Township
and town.
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1899 Locomotive Collision in
Jewell Junction
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Friday, June 30, 1899:
HEAD END COLLISION
Two Well-Loaded Freight Trains
Meet in the Yards Thursday Morning.
TWO ENGINES DEMOLISHED
NO ONE HURT.
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.
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This news article was published on
June 8, 1908:
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DEPOT BURNED LAST FRIDAY
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. |
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This following news article was published
in the Freeman-Tribune on October 15, 1908:
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The people of Jewell are not mourning the loss of the Chicago & Northwestern
depot to any very great extent. They now expect the railroad company
to erect a station that will be a credit, rather than a disgrace, to the
town. And Jewell is one of the most important points on the
Northwestern line in this state, so far as passenger service is concerned,
and the company ought to build a depot in keeping with this fact. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on October 22, 1908:
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Mr. Peter Mortenson has requested the Record to express through its columns
his most hearty and sincere thanks to the kind people of Jewell for their
neighborly and friendly action in raising a purse to aid him in erecting
a new barn recently to take the place of the one burned in the depot fire.
Mr. Mortenson was not aware that the purse was being raised until Mr. Ole
Hanson, who circulated the paper, brought him the money $43.75.
Such courtesy and kindness is certainly greatly appreciated by Mr. Mortenson. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on October 29, 1908;
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NEW DEPOT SITUATION
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. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on December 30, 1908:
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The C. & N. W. Ry. is building an addition to the depot in the way
of a baggage room to the east of the waiting room in the temporary structure
that is doing service this winter. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on April 1, 1909:
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The first signs of work towards Jewell's new depot began Monday when a
force of men started erecting a temporary platform for unloading freight.
The temporary platform is just west of main street along the main line
Sioux City track. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on April 15, 1909:
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S. A. Hoon has a big force of men at work excavating for the new depot. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on March 18, 1909:
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CONTRACT LET FOR NEW DEPOT
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 norh 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. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on May 6, 1909:
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The workmen on the new depot are pushing the work rapidly and the building
is now entirely enclosed. The interior work and plumbing and
putting on the tile roof will probably require most of this month and it
is anticipated that the building will be ready for occupancy by June 1st.
The men who are grading for the new arrangement of tracks and those who
are digging drain ditches are pushing their work rapidly and will probably
have the yards in readiness in a month. It is expected that
arrangements will be made to continue the well that is being dug six or
eight hundred feet further if necessary to get sufficient water.
The work is now stopped temorarily at about a depth of 375 feet. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on May 20, 1909:
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EXTRA TRAINS GALORE LAST SATURDAY
Last Saturday this town of
Jewell was a great realroad 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 trins made quite
a big play for Jewell. |
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This news article was published in
The Jewell Record on June 10, 1909:
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Friday the folks down at the depot moved into their new headquarters and
now traveling public and railroad employees alike have most excellent accomodations.
Work is not completed by any means in the
rearrangement of tracks and freight depot, but enough
is done so the public now appreciates the excellence of the new deal here. |

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 located to the southeast, Callanan.
Big money could await those who rose to take advantage of the possiblity
of a new town and now two area families would make that effort.
John R. and Jane R. King of Callanan came to this area for the profit.

With
money from his grain and saloon businesses in Callanan from 1878 until
1881, John 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 a depot on his land south
of the tracks and applied for a post office to be in his part of town and
offered for sale lots south of the tracks. 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 David Jewell's proposed 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 of Jewell stuck, as the new entity
was labeled Jewell's Junction or Jewell Junction.

Once
the railroad had arrived and buisinesses began to build on King's land,
the original town began to move to the new Main Street, today's north-south
street through Jewell. David Jewell and his wife were eventually
buried in Evergreen Cemetery in Jewell. The King family legacy
remains through a scholarship fund for local students known as the Jane
R. King fund.
Early map showing railroads in
Hamilton County
Don't be confused by the names (all caps) of Hamilton
County townships on this map.
(Learn more . . . . about
townships.)
Some places like Randall and Kamrar (and Gilbert Station)
are not located on a state highway,
but those towns prospered because they were on the
railway.
to Page 2 of Railroads in Jewell
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