Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 150; Notable People Part 22; Sergeant John R. Rice

In August 1951 Sioux City became embroiled in a bitter controversy that erupted when officials at Memorial Park Cemetery refused to bury Sergeant John R. Rice, a decorated World War II veteran and Korean War casualty, because of his Native American ancestry. The event provoked public outrage both locally and nationally and eventually required the personal intervention of President Harry Truman. The treatment of Rice tarnished Sioux City's reputation with the stigma of racism and left a wound between the city and local Native American groups for the next fifty years. However, it also created the opportunity for reconciliation between the two sides five decades later and the long overdue redemption of Sergeant Rice and his family.

Rice's story had its beginnings on the battlefields of Korea where he was killed on September 6, 1950 while leading a squad of riflemen against an enemy assault near the village of Tabu-Dong . Nearly a year passed before his body was shipped home to Winnebago, Nebraska in August 1951. Thereafter, Evelyn, who was white, purchased a lot for her husband at Memorial Park Cemetery in Sioux City without incident. During the funeral on August 28 a cemetery official noticed the large number of Native Americans at the service and was subsequently informed that Rice was himself part Native American. At the conclusion of the service Evelyn and the rest of the Rice family were informed of the cemetery's "Caucasians only" policy and were forced to take his body back to Winnebago. Cemetery officials later defended their actions saying, "Private cemeteries have always had a right to be operated for a particular group such as Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, Negro, Chinese, etc., not because of any prejudice against any race, but because people, like animals, prefer to be with their own kind." They continued to assert that they had a legal obligation to deny Rice's burial or face prosecution from lot owners for breech of contract.

When the local media received word of what had transpired at Memorial Park, the news was quickly put out over the newswire and began making national headlines. Across the country people responded with a combination of disbelief and outrage that an American war hero and his family could be treated in such a fashion. Oliver LaFarge, spokesman for the Association of American Indian Affairs said, "This is horrible. The manifestation of such an inhuman and anti-American attitude brings disgrace upon our country." When President Harry Truman learned about the incident during a press conference the following day he rebuked both the cemetery officials and Sioux City's leaders. He also authorized his military aid Major General Harry Vaughn to send a telegram to Rice's family offering to bury him in Arlington National Cemetery .

In Sioux City the reaction was every bit as negative as it had been on the national level. The Sioux City metropolitan council of the United Packinghouse Workers of America adopted a resolution condemning the actions of the cemetery and declared that the flag should not be flown "in such an un-American place." Though the city council passed a resolution expressing regret for the incident and Mayor Dan Conley traveled to Winnebago and personally apologized at an American Legion meeting there, Evelyn Rice and her family rejected all offers to bury Sergeant Rice locally. He was finally laid to rest with full military honors on September 5, 1951 in Arlington National Cemetery .

The legacy of the Sergeant Rice affair is one of injustice, betrayal, and bitterness, but it is also one of redemption and hope. The event scarred Evelyn Rice and her family permanently and it severely damaged Sioux City's reputation. Yet, despite the damage it caused, Sergeant Rice"s ordeal also laid the groundwork for future progress. Memorial Park eventually abolished its race restriction and has been open to all races for years. The incident was a pivotal moment for the Native American civil rights movement because it illuminated the prejudice and injustice faced by Native Americans while emphasizing their positive roll in American society. It also began a process by which the people of Sioux City began to confront the less savory aspects of their past. At a memorial ceremony held in honor of Sergeant Rice and his family in August 2001, Native American rights activist Frank Lamere's read statement spoke poignantly of the Rice affair. He was quoted to have said "We have come far at the expense of Sergeant John Rice and the Gold Star family he left behind. Our respect for one another this day is their legacy and speaks to the possibilities. The bridges we can build tomorrow will be strong if we do not forget that the foundation was laid on a battlefield in Korea."

Sioux City History web site link;
Sergeant John R. Rice

There you have it. Some of the people who helped make Sioux City what it is today. If it was not for these pioneers in Sioux City's early history this community would not be what it is today. For this we owe them our thanks and gratitude

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 149; Notable People Part 21; Leo Kucinski

"Lets make music together." Leo Kucinski (1904-1998), long time Sioux City conductor, educator and musician often spoke those words in his efforts to bring the best possible music to the people of Sioux City. In his long career, he exposed thousands of school children to the finest music, nurtured a little orchestra into a superb symphony and brought extraordinary music to the community of Sioux City.

Leo Kucinski was born in Warsaw Poland on June 28, 1904. He was the oldest of eight children and the son of a pattern maker for steel companies. He started to study the violin at the Warsaw Conservatory of Music at the age of six. He studied with Edward Idzikowsk until his father decided there would be greater opportunities in the United States for his talented son.

The Kucinski family moved to Lorain, Ohio, where Leo began his study of music at the nearby Oberlin Conservatory of Music. When Kucinski was just fifteen years old, he conducted a festival grade school orchestra in Lorain. He later organized and played first violin in the Lorain String Quartet.

While at Oberlin, he studied with internationally known artist Charlotte Demuth Williams. Kucinski continued his studies at the Cleveland Institute under the guidance of the great Swiss violinist Andre de Ribeaupierre. He also received a fellowship in conducting at Juilliard Graduate School of Music. He later received a degree in music education from Morningside College in 1936, and he was awarded an honorary doctor of music degree from Morningside in 1958.

However, it was Kucinski's connection with Charlotte Williams that led him to Sioux City. While Williams was visiting Sioux City as a guest artist with the Civic Concert Course, she mentioned Kucinski to her host, Professor Paul MacCollin of the Morningside Conservatory. She praised Kucinski's abilities, and soon he had a job offer to teach violin at Morningside College.

When Leo Kucinski came to Sioux City in 1923, not long after graduating from Lorain High School, he immediately began to impact the music community, an influence that is still evident today. His incredible abilities and passion for good music inspired his students and others around him. He played his violin for concerts and recitals, and he established an excellent reputation as a gifted violinist.

In 1925, he took over leadership of the Morningside Orchestra. The small orchestra was originally organized to give students the opportunity for orchestra experience, but under his direction, the orchestra began to include musicians from the community and surrounding area. By 1929 the orchestra had grown to fifty members and was called the Sioux City Community Orchestra. That growth continued until the organization became the Sioux City Symphony orchestra in 1946. Kucinski conducted the Sioux City Symphony Orchestra until 1977. While director, he brought a national reputation to the orchestra, conducting many famous performers including Van Cliburn, Benny Goodman, and Meredith Wilson.

Kucinski was a perfectionist who demanded the best from those working under him. He was never satisfied until the results were as perfect as possible. Whether the piece was a light-hearted polka or difficult symphony, he treated each with respect. "All music worth playing at all is worth playing to the best of our abilities," he said.

Kucinski took on additional duties when in 1929 he became the director of the world famous Monahan Post American Legion Band. The band won many awards, including seven first place prizes at international competitions from San Francisco to Paris.

Kucinski was a leader in the effort to erect a band shell in Grandview Park. He felt the award-winning Monahan Post Band deserved a respectable place to play.

"At first we were crestfallen," Kucinski said in a 1936 Sioux City Journal interview, "when the opponents of the project obtained an injunction against the building of the band shell, saying that such an edifice would be an eyesore. We were downhearted then. But our sorrow soon turned to joy, and now, in place of a $15,000 band shell, we have a $60,000 pavilion that is famous nationally and even internationally."

Despite the fact that Kucinski rehearsed, trained and conducted the Monahan Post Band, he could never lead it during the competitions because he was not a member of the American Legion. The situation was remedied when at the age of thirty-eight Kucinski joined the United States Army in 1942. Members of the Monahan Post Band paraded from their headquarters to the Milwaukee railroad station, where Kucinski lead them in four selections before boarding his train.

He served as bandmaster in the Army Air Corps, spending time in the South Pacific during World War II. When he returned to the Monahan Post Band podium, Kucinski was an official card-carrying member of the American Legion.

The Monahan Post Band eventually became the Sioux City Municipal Band, and Kucinski remained its leader until 1980.

Leo Kucinski was convinced that good music was an important part of any community, and he worked tirelessly to develop the finest music programs for Sioux City. He also worked with Sioux City School Superintendent M.G. Clark to bring violin and orchestra instrumental classes to the music curriculum in the public schools.

As early as 1946, Kucinski introduced "pops concerts" designed to appeal to the young people of the city. "We want to expose these young people to good music presented briefly and in an attractive way," Kucinski said.

In his long and distinguished career, he also conducted the Lincoln, Nebraska Symphony for eight years and the Sioux Falls Symphony for fourteen years.

Sioux City History web site link;
Leo Kucinski

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 148; Notable People Part 20; Stella Sanford

Stella Sanford was born Stella Wolf in New York on November 10, 1900. She was educated in the Ethical Cultural Schools, experimental institutions based on Felix Adler's philosophy of "deed not creed". The schools began with a free kindergarten for children of the New York City slums and then grew to include high school and teacher training. The students all received scholarships from the sponsoring organization. When the schools enlarged to include the children of the sponsoring group, of which the Sanford family was a part, Stella attended. "Always, however, 40 percent of the pupils must be on scholarships," Sanford recalled.

Sanford went on to business college for a semester and then to Massachusetts Institute of Technology (M.I.T) to join a cousin who had enrolled there. There were only 50 women out of a total enrollment of 3000. She majored in biology and public health. Her family's involvement with the Hudson Guild settlement house in New York encouraged a sense of community service, and Stella developed an interest in social work.

It was her marriage to Arthur Sanford that brought Stella to Iowa, and she and her husband arrived in Sioux City in 1921. She was lonely at first, until one day she was stopped on a street corner and asked to give a donation to the Community House. That peaked her curiosity and she decided to investigate. She immediately became involved with the Community House as a volunteer teacher and counselor for a child who could not speak. Before long, she taught a women's class in English and became a member of the board of directors. When the time came to erect the new Community House building on Morgan Street, she was the chairman of the building committee.

At the same time, Sanford became involved in the efforts of Elzona Trosper as she worked with the Booker T. Washington Center on the city's west side. The Booker T. Washington Center was founded in 1933 for Sioux City's black population, though both black and white people in the neighborhood used it.

As the programs of the Booker T. Washington Center continued to grow, Mrs. Sanford saw the need for expanded facilities. She and her husband decided to make a gift from their Stellart Charitable Foundation for the benefit of the Booker T. Washington Center. Stellart Foundation was a fund started by Arthur and Stella Sanford for civic projects of a welfare nature. Their $100,000 gift made the new community center a reality and the Booker T. Washington Center's board of directors unanimously voted to name the new building "The Sanford Center" in honor of the donors. The Sanford Center, constructed at 1700 Geneva Street, was dedicated on June 17, 1951.

The plaque near the entrance of the building is inscribed:
"Given to the people of Sioux City by Stella and Arthur Sanford to further interracial understanding and better community living. The building was inspired by the ideals and work of Mary J. Treglia, administrator, and Elzona B. Trosper, director."

Sanford remained active in the programs for the Community House and the Sanford Center. When the Community House honored Stella for serving 50 years on the board, the director Mabel Hoyt said: "Her intelligence, her compassion, her concern for people, her quiet and gracious personality, have done much for this agency. She has devoted many years of service to the Community House and has been a friend to everyone with whom she worked."

Sanford served for six years on the Sioux City Board of Education. Her husband, Arthur, was a builder who built the Sioux Apartment, the Orpheum Electric Building, Warrior Hotel, Bellevue Apartments, Frances Building, Davidson Building and Insurance Exchange Building.

Sanford and her husband also donated $25,000 to the Mary Treglia Community Center in 1965 to expand the center and create a playground area. Their foundation also donated the funds to create the Stella Sanford Day Care Center and gave the Eppley Auditorium organ to Morningside College.

Sioux City History web site link;
Stella Sanford

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 147; Notable People Part 19; M. G. Clark

One of the most respected and popular educators in Sioux City throughout the years has been M. G. Clark. Doctor Clark served as superintendent of Sioux City Schools for twenty years.

Mel Clark was born in Belleville, NY, in March of 1868. He graduated from the University of Chicago in 1898. He served as superintendent of schools in several towns in Illinois before accepting the job in Sioux City. When he took over the schools, the district was in very bad shape. The buildings were old and rundown. Over the years he was able to build new schools and improve the ones the district already had.

His most important contribution to education was in the field of instruction. Doctor Clark had very specific ideas in regard to textbooks. When he could not find textbooks available that he felt met his standards, he wrote his own. He wrote MOTIVATED LANGUAGE and HABITUATED ARITHMETIC in 1919. APPLIED ENGLISH was published in 1924 and LANGUAGE IN USE, books I, II, III, in 1926. He also wrote a book based on his idea of a "spiritualized citizenship", that children should learn from the study of our history. He called this book PROGRESS AND PATRIOTISM. Many districts throughout the country used the books he wrote
Clark was also very active in the community and educational organizations as well. He served as the first President of the Iowa State Education Association and served on both state and national committees. He served as a leader of the Men's Bible Class at First Presbyterian Church, was a leader in the Rotary Club and was president of the Sons of the American Revolution.

When Doctor Clark had a heart attack and died while still working as superintendent, the whole school district was closed down in mourning. Praise for this great educator arrived from all over the United States. The faculty of Sioux City Schools wrote the following:

"Two decades ago, the school system of Sioux City had disintegrated to such a degree that the term "system", as applied to it was a misnomer. A crisis in the educational development of the city had come, and someone to meet the challenge was called, a man forceful, dynamic, of tireless energy, of indefatigable industry. Gifted with unusual constructive ability and extraordinary foresight, he soon succeeded in reducing to order the educational chaos which existed when he came. This man had in him something of the spirit of the adventurer, yet he Comprehend his trust and to the same Kept faithful with a singleness of aim."

An elementary school on the north side of Sioux City is named in his honor.

Sioux City History web site link;
M. G. Clark

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 146; Notable People Part 18; Mary Treglia and the Mary Treglia Community House

A devoted friend to Sioux City immigrants and their families, Mary Treglia (1897-1959) dedicated her life to helping those in need. For over 33 years, she served the immigrant population of Sioux City as director of the Community House.

Mary Treglia was born in Sioux City on October 7, 1897, the only child of Italian immigrants Rose and Anthony Treglia. Her parents left Italy in the 1880's and came to Sioux City where they opened a fruit stand at 415 Pierce. The family lived upstairs. Sadly, Mary's father died when she was just 22 months old, leaving Rose as the only provider for her little girl. Rose supported herself and her daughter with a confectionary and fruit store located at Sixth and Douglas. She sold candy, fruits, canned goods and her famous boiled ham.

As Mary grew up, she attended public schools in Sioux City and graduated from Central High School. She developed an incredible ability to play baseball and soon discovered that she could throw a baseball farther than most boys in her neighborhood. Sometimes she worked as an umpire for men's baseball games. Occasionally, she accompanied well-known umpire Bobbie Blank as he traveled across the district where he officiated. Mary gave pre-game exhibitions and amazed the crowds with her ability to catch high balls and throw the ball farther than most men.

In 1919, Mary's mother's health began to fail and she longed for the sunny warmth of her native Italy. Mary used her baseball earning to take her mother to the warmer climate of California. There, Mary was asked to play with the "Bloomer Girls" women's baseball team. While playing baseball in California, Mary also had a chance to act in several silent movies. At first she worked as an extra for $3 a day. Eventually, she even received a few bit parts. Later in her life, she recalled that while she enjoyed acting, she liked the technical aspects of movie-making the best.

In 1921, Mary's mother wanted to go home to Sioux City. Soon after their return, Mary attended the opening of the Community House, located on the second floor of a building at 1604 East Fourth Street. She volunteered to organize a club there that she called Alpha Sigma, for working girls of many nationalities. "I saw so much maladjustment," she would later say. "So many square pegs in round holes." Mary volunteered for a while, and then she was hired as an assistant to the Community House director, Dorothy Anderson.

Mary Treglia was sensitive to the needs and traditional values of the immigrant population. At a time when most settlement house workers were well-educated, middle class women, Mary brought a unique perspective to her job. She intimately understood the poverty, troubles and problems of the immigrant population. Her knowledge didn't come from books. She lived it every day.

In the 1920's, settlement house workers were expected to be educated professionals and Mary realized that she lacked the necessary education. She began to resolve that situation by taking special courses at the University of Minnesota. She also completed fieldwork at the New York School of Social Work and received experience at Ellis Island. She worked for a year at United Charities in Chicago and started classes at Morningside College in 1925.

Mary's studies at Morningside were interrupted when she was named executive director of the Community House in 1925. Faced with ever-increasing duties there, she still managed to finish her degree in 1933.

The Community House opened in 1921, sponsored by the YWCA. At that time, people of over 20 nationalities lived on the city's east side, sometimes referred to as "the bottoms". A survey conducted by the YWCA found that immigrant families lived in isolated little groups with others of their own nationality. Also, their children did not have the opportunity to learn English before they started school. A community house would provide a gathering place for immigrants where they could find help, companionship and education. The original purpose was to bring immigrants together, "Americanize" them, and prepare them for citizenship.

Community houses often used clubs to bring people together. The clubs gathered people of similar ages or interests in a comfortable informal setting. Sometimes the clubs lasted only a season, and sometimes they lasted for years. The "Women of All Nations Club" lasted for decades, serving the mothers of the neighborhood. Rose Treglia, Mary's mother, showed great interest in the club and spent many hours visiting homes in the neighborhood, encouraging mothers to participate.

Under Mary's direction, the Community House offered "Americanization classes". The classes, held day and night, taught English reading, writing, conversation, current events and citizenship. Workers helped immigrants complete their naturalization papers. They helped fill out forms and assisted with interpreting.

The services of the Community House Interpreting Bureau reflected the diversity of the immigrant population. They offered services for the following languages, free of charge: Armenian, Bohemian, Chinese, Danish, French, German, Greek, Italian, Jewish, Bulgarian, Lithuanian, Spanish, Norwegian, Persian, Polish, Russian, Romanian, Syrian and Swedish.

Mary Treglia counseled troubled children and helped those involved with the courts. She helped neighbors solve disputes, mediated quarrels, distributed clothing, helped with medical problems, made funeral arrangements, and encouraged pre-natal care. The Sioux City Journal in 1931 noted, "It has not been unusual to have mothers come to the house with problems of the husbands or their children or a father, a foreigner who was unable to adjust himself to the new world." Because of the language barrier, many immigrants made the Community House their first stop when they had a problem. Workers tried to solve the difficulty or refer them to the needed agencies.

Mary served immigrants in need in many other ways. In the aftermath of the Swift Explosion in 1949, the Journal reported, "Miss Mary Treglia, director of the Community House, helped identify the bodies. Many of the Swift employees were those with whom she worked at the Community House, she explained."

She also helped immigrants find jobs. In 1931, she began a campaign to find jobs for the unemployed workers in the neighborhood. Her "Help Fight Hard Luck" campaign received the cooperation of industrial plants and businesses. Treglia started files that detailed workers' needs and skills. She convinced the newspaper to publish the case histories and advertise the workers' abilities. The plan was successful, and from August 1931 to April 1932, 782 unemployed workers found jobs though the Community House effort.

Treglia objected to the east side neighborhood being referred to as "the bottoms". "Law abiding citizens who have lived in this district for two decades or more and newcomers as well, many of whom are home owners, resent having their neighborhood referred to as "the bottoms", she stated. "It is time for home, church, school, social agencies and law enforcement groups to unite to make for good citizens in all parts of the city without discrimination."

In 1933, the building that housed the Community House was condemned and Treglia went to work raising money for a new building. Although it was during the Depression, plans for a new house were made. Treglia started a "buy-a-brick" campaign that was well received in the business community. She found funding with government agencies and asked for donations of building materials from demolished buildings. With the help of workmen who contributed their time, a new building at 513 Morgan Street was erected in 1933.

The excitement of moving into a new building was dimmed, however, when the Floyd River rose out of its channel and flooded the gymnasium. Floods were a fact of life for that neighborhood and Treglia worked to find solutions to the problem. She organized the neighborhood residents and campaigned for flood control. Over a period of 2 years, Treglia chaired 215 meetings on flood control.

"Their homes mean just as much to them as more pretentious homes in other residence districts mean to their occupants'.Yet under present conditions, every spring they have to worry about the possibility of flood."

In November of 1956, a testimonial dinner was held in honor of Mary Treglia. At the dinner, a plaque was presented, officially changing the name of the Sioux City Community House to the Mary J. Treglia Community House.

In 1959, Mary learned that the Floyd River flood control project would mean that the river would be rechanneled through the very east side neighborhoods she served. The Community House she worked so hard to build would have to be razed along with many homes in the area. She began to search for ways to preserve the neighborhood, but she died October 10, 1959.

Much of the area that Mary Treglia served so courageously is gone now. The frame homes of the immigrants were sacrificed to create space for the new Floyd River Channel. In 1963, the Mary Treglia Community House moved to 900 Jennings Street, where it remains today.

Sioux City History web site link;
Mary Treglia and the Mary Treglia Community House

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 145; Notable People Part 17; Dr. Agnes Eichelberger

Sioux City's first woman doctor, Dr. Agnes Eichelberger (1864-1923) devoted her life to the care of women, children and infants. Known for her generous heart and great kindness, the pioneering Dr. Eichelberger brought quality maternity care to all women of Sioux City, regardless of financial status.

Born in Lewiston, Illinois in 1864, Eichelberger's first job was as a clerk in her father's department store. She dreamed, however, of becoming a medical missionary, a career that her father opposed. With her mother's encouragement, she attended Hartman and Oberlin Colleges. Next, she enrolled in Northwestern University in Chicago and obtained experience in the Women's Division of Cook County Hospital. She graduated with honors in 1888 and received an internship at Cook County, where she acted as house surgeon in 1889.

While in Chicago, Dr. Eichelberger met Mr. and Mrs. W. P. Manley of Sioux City. They influenced her to locate in Sioux City and she opened her office here in 1890. For the first year, her residence was in the Manley home.

Dr. Eichelberger practiced general medicine with an emphasis in children's diseases. Her strong humanitarian spirit and love of children led her to found the Women's and Babies Home in 1898 which was located in a large home at 29th and Jones. In 1903, the Women's and Babies Home was merged into the Florence Crittenton chain of homes.

Dr. Eichelberger became the physician in charge of the Florence Crittenton home. Friends recalled, "Dr. Eichelberger gave scientific care to each unfortunate girl with no thought of recompense." Dr. Eichelberger also cared for and found good homes for orphaned children and worked to help abused and neglected children.

Dr. Eichelberger was instrumental in the decision to erect a new building for the Florence Crittenton Home. That structure was erected in 1906 at 28th and Court.

Her strong belief that woman and babies should be separated from other hospital patients led to the building of a maternity hospital next to the Florence Crittenton Home. She worked within the medical community to make sure the hospital was sustained by all of the physicians of the city, so the work would be continued beyond the life of any one of them. Dr. James F. Taylor, one her colleagues, recalled, "She was a wonderful organizer and the Maternity Hospital--founded and fostered by her--will stand as a glorious memorial." The maternity hospital, however, only operated until 1928, when other Sioux City hospitals began to provide separate wings for maternity patients. The building was sold to the Methodist Hospital for use as a nurses' residence.

Dr. Eichelberger continually worked to further her education. She spent the summers of 1899 and 1902 in studying in Europe, attending clinics in London, Paris and Berlin. She worked to bring the best medical advances to her patients in Sioux City.

After her death, a friend recalled, "She came to Sioux City at a time when but a few women had entered the medical profession, but she soon became fused with the life of the people here. Her heart was so generous and her sympathies so broad and her mind so tolerant that she belonged to no one group, but to us all."

Sioux City History web site link;
Dr. Agnes Eichelberger

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 144; Notable People Part 16; Reverend George Haddock

It was a dark and stormy night. Reverend George Haddock was returning the carriage and horses to the Jerry Merrill Livery stable at the corner of Third and Water Street when he noticed a group of men standing watching him. The time was 10:15 p.m.. Reverend Haddock and a fellow minister had been visiting Greenville, a town 2 miles east of Sioux City. They had been looking to see if the town was violating the state liquor law.

Never a person to back away from a confrontation, Rev. Haddock started across the muddy, rain soaked street. With a rope attached to an iron wheel in his hand and he walked toward the men. Two men started to walk toward him. One put his hands in front of his face and the other walked behind him. A single shot rang out and Rev. Haddock dropped to the muddy ground in the middle of the street. He got to his feet and stumbled to the sidewalk, falling again. He never got up. He died on the sidewalk that night.

How did a murder like this happen in a small Midwestern city? Sioux City had 11 public schools and 18 churches at this time (1886). It also had 75 saloons, 2 breweries, and several licensed gambling houses. The city's population was swelling from 20,00 1880 to over 38,000 in 1890. A police department was established in 1885 to deal with the increases in lawlessness affecting this frontier town.

In 1882 the voters in Iowa passed an amendment to the state constitution making liquor illegal in all of Iowa. Called the "Clark Law" for Senator Talton Clark who was the primary advocate of this law. The city of Sioux City ignored the law. With all the saloons and breweries, Sioux City officials fought to keep the liquor flowing. They passed a law requiring bars and breweries to pay a fine or fee of between $25 and $100 a month to stay in business. This raised a lot of money for the city.

In the summer of 1886 2 murders took place in gambling houses. Both these murders involved people who had been drinking. The city was in an uproar. Haddock gave strong sermons expressing his beliefs that alcohol and gambling should be eliminated in accordance with the Iowa law.

First Methodist Church sought help in the form of Reverend Haddock. The Reverend had been fighting for prohibition all over the Midwest for over ten years. He was only five feet seven inches tall, but he weighed two hundred pounds and was often referred to as a fighting preacher. Haddock gave rousing sermons and testified against saloons in court. Other ministers who agreed with him were threatened and some left town. Rev. Haddock stayed, he knew the risks but thought his cause to be that important.

After the murder, people were interviewed and several men were identified as being responsible. The man who pulled the trigger killing Rev. Haddock was identified as John Arensdorf, the foreman of a local brewing company. He and the others were tracked down and Arensdorf went to trial accused of murder. Even though the prosecutor had eyewitnesses who saw the murder take place, Arensdorf was found not guilty at his second trial. The picture below shows Arensdorf and the members of the jury that set him free out drinking in the town the day of his acquittal. Arensdorf is in the bottom row in the middle with his arms crossed.

After his death and the acquittal of his murderer, Haddock accomplished what he could not while he was alive: liquor and gambling were made illegal and forced out of Sioux City. All the saloons and gambling houses moved across the river to what is now South Sioux City, Nebraska. Five years later the law was repealed outlawing liquor.

The acquittal of Arensdorf drew the attention of newspapers all over the nation. The Logan Observer wrote: "The Arensdorf trial at Sioux City is turning out to be a regular farce. The prosecutions proved clearly by several witnesses that Arensdorf killed Haddock." The Chicago News wrote: "Even should the spirit of Dr. Haddock himself enter the room and point to Arensdorf and say 'Thou art the man,' the jury would still not convict the accused." The Dakotian newspaper asked, "Does god rule, or the devil, in Sioux City?" The Davenport Democrat stated, "If cities were punished for their wickedness in these times, a disastrous earthquake might be predicted for the vicinity of Sioux City."

Sioux City History web site link;
Reverend George Haddock

Previous posts about Reverend George Haddock;
Sioux City History & Culture by Bicycle Part 23: George C. Haddock Memorial Marker

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 143; Notable People Part 15; William Gordon

William Gordon (1857-1933) was an enthusiastic Sioux City promoter who made his fortune during the boom years of the city's growth. Nearly wiped out by the disastrous floods of 1892 and the Financial Panic of 1893, he rebuilt his business and remained a staunch Sioux City supporter until his death in 1933.

Gordon was born in Ireland in 1857. He was educated in Irish schools until he went to work for William Gregg and Son, iron merchants in Belfast, when he was fourteen years old. His next job was with a building materials company in Liverpool and London. Then, in 1882, Gordon decided to venture to Australia, by way of the United States.

Gordon landed in New York, and quickly found a job with Cambria Steel Works in Philadelphia. Before long, however, he left that job for a position with the Russell and Erwinn Hardware Company of New York City. He didn't stay there for long either, and soon Gordon was headed west to seek his fortune.

He stopped in Chicago, where he became acquainted with George Fowler, who owned a meat packing business. Fowler sent the young Gordon to Kansas City, then on to New Mexico. Then, Gordon headed back northeast across Oklahoma and Kansas, traveling by horseback. Upon his return to Chicago, the president of the Illinois Central Railroad asked Gordon to inspect rail lines in northwest Iowa and visit the little town of Sioux City. Thus, William Gordon arrived in Sioux City, Iowa on May 25, 1883, and he made the town his home for the next fifty years.

Gordon found a job with Davis and Wann, grain merchants and became active in the business community. He left the city for a short time to take the job of bookkeeper for F. H. Peavey and Company of Minneapolis, but soon returned to Sioux City. He helped establish Security National Bank and became its first bookkeeper. However, Gordon's true interest was in real estate, and he plunged into development, business and speculation.

Gordon was instrumental in bringing the Fowler Packing Company to the Stockyards. In 1888, he erected the Iowa Building at Fifth and Pierce, and in 1889 he built the Gordon Building at the corner of Fourth and Iowa. Also in 1889, Gordon formed the Boston Investment Company, which spent over a million dollars to finance the Massachusetts Building, the Plymouth Block and the Boston Block. His company built the Sioux City Engine Works, Paris Stove Works, a large shoe factory, and other industries. He began industrial development in Leeds, and he became a director in the Sioux City Northern and the Nebraska and Western railroads.

Gordon was a dreamer and an innovator. He was instrumental in the development of the Sioux City Rapid Transit Company, which built the Sioux City elevated railway. A supporter of the Sioux City Corn Palaces, he chartered a train from Boston and brought back a group of eastern investors to see the second corn palace. An article in the Sioux City Journal quotes him as saying, "It cost me $4,000, but I made $30,000 out of it."

Throughout his entire life, Gordon remained a supporter of riverfront development. After a particularly disastrous flood in 1888, Gordon was instrumental in obtaining $250,000 in federal funds to stabilize the Missouri riverfront and put the river back in its channel. In its tribute to William Gordon at the time of his death, the Sioux City Journal noted, "Downtown Sioux City owes its present existence to the work of Mr. Gordon."

The big Floyd River Flood of 1892, combined with the national Financial Panic of 1893, brought an end to the boom years of Sioux City. It also wiped out the fortunes of William Gordon and his fellow speculators. Gordon left for California for a brief while, but returned to re-establish his real estate business in Sioux City. The 1894-95 edition of R.L. Polk and Company Sioux City Directory lists William Gordon's profession as Real Estate and his home as 2719 Jackson Street. He remained a successful and respected businessman, with a special interest in riverfront and railroad development. He was instrumental in the development of major railroad yards in the suburb of Riverside. Because of his great interest in riverfront development, the road along the riverfront was named Gordon Drive in his honor. He called Sioux City his home until his death in 1933.

At the time of his death the Sioux City Journal reflected: "In the boom days Mr. Gordon was younger than other men active in development enterprises and he may not have been equipped to do business in such large figures as some of his colleagues, but he dreamed the same dreams that the Hedges and Garretsons and the Peirces dreamed, and he had the same confidence that these men had in the future greatness of Sioux City. In faith, hope and enthusiasm, he never could be outdone by any man.

"Throughout the 40 years that have passed since the collapse of the boom, Mr. Gordon kept that same faith, hope, and enthusiasm. He was an optimist when others have felt down in the mouth. Sioux City will miss him with a definiteness with which it would miss few others, because he belonged to an almost extinct type of community booster- a class of loyalists of whom Shakespeare might have said "We shall not see their like again."

Sioux City History web site link;
William Gordon

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 142; Notable People Part 14; Andrew G. Anderson

Andrew G. Anderson was born in Sweden in 1854. At the age of nineteen he immigrated to the United States and arrived in Sioux City. He was hired to work in a government warehouse. He could speak no English at this time. He soon got a job working on a ferry that carried people across the Missouri River to Nebraska. During this time, it is said that he rescued several people from the waters of the Missouri.

In 1876, at the age of 22, he served on the first steamship to make the trip up the Yellowstone River in Montana. He returned to Sioux City, and three years later married Margaret DeSmet. They lived in the Prospect Hill area and had three children, two girls and one boy. Their children all died within three weeks of each other during the diphtheria epidemic.

The Andersons moved to the Springdale area and had three more children. Andrew was a hard worker and very thrifty person. He purchased several pieces of property including two houses and two store buildings. He got a job as a stationary engineer at the Green brickyards in Springdale. While he was an experienced riverman, he would never swim in the Floyd River because of the swiftness of its current.

On May 18, 1892 one of the greatest disasters in the city's history struck. A wall of water swept through the Floyd river, destroying everything in its path. Hardest hit were the Leeds and Springdale areas of town directly bordering the river. With little or no warning, the flood struck with savage fury. Many climbed to the roofs of their houses to escape the torrent. Anderson, thirty-eight years old at the time, is credited with saving 27 people from the swirling waters before he drowned.

Three times during the day his friends forced him to leave his boat because of the great danger. Three times he fought to go out again. "How can anyone rest when people are drowning?" he asked. While trying to rescue the Frank T. Henderson family, the husband, wife and infant daughter, Andrew died when his boat was struck by a log. The family had been trapped in their attic and after three attempts, Anderson had been able to reach their house and break a hole in the roof for them to escape. He was able to get them in his boat in spite of the six foot waves ripping through the area. When the boat capsized, Henderson tried to hold his wife and daughter. A log rolled over the family and all three were drowned.

Hundred of people attended Anderson's funeral at Trinity Lutheran Church. He was buried in Logan Park Cemetery, which is located on the way to Stone State Park. Sixteen years later a monument in his honor was placed in the cemetery by the Knight of Pythias lodge. The monument was made of granite mined in Sweden, approximately forty miles from the town where he was born.

In 1921, through the efforts of August Williges, a park was established in his memory. While there were many discussions as to placing a plaque or monument, nothing was ever done. By the 1950's the park had fallen into disrepair.

Sioux City History web site link;
Andrew G. Anderson

Sioux City History and Culture by Bicycle Part 141; Notable People Part 13; Arthur Garretson

Arthur Garretson was a Sioux City banker, businessman and promoter. Born in Ohio on November 7, 1851, he arrived in Sioux City in 1874 at the age of 23. In 1876, he accepted a position as teller at First National Bank. He stayed there until 1880, when he organized the Sioux National Bank and become its cashier.

Garretson was known for recognizing opportunities. He had a reputation for tireless energy, honesty and business genius. He had a keen understanding of business conditions and possibilities, and soon he became involved in many business ventures. He was one of the five men who built the Sioux City and Northern Railway. He was associated with five others who established the Union Stock Yards in 1887. He was also one of the organizers of the Boston Investment Company, which invested over two million dollars in Sioux City. He had a hand in most large ventures in the city, including the Corn Palaces, Peavey Grand Opera House and elevated railway.

Garretson assisted in the construction of the Garretson Hotel (which stood at the northeast corner of Fifth and Pierce streets). He was also a promoter of Morningside College and the City Library Building.

In 1870, Garretson married Belle Smith, daughter of O.A. Smith. Together, they had eight children.

The Garretsons built a mansion near Peters' Park in Morningside. They lived in the home until 1906, when it was purchased by Morningside College. The Sioux City Public Library bought the home in 1931, remodeled it and turned it into the Morningside Branch Library. In a storm of controversy, the Library Board voted to tear down the old mansion in 1967 and build a new branch library on the site.

Sioux City History web site link;
Arthur Garretson