145 years ago

aug. 1, 1879

A water tank is being erected near the Muddy Creek crossing.

Prof. Worrall of Topeka will be here Monday morning to superintend the construction of the stone arch bridge. The mayor of the city has appointed 36 extra policemen to assist the marshal in keeping order next Tuesday.

It is not known by many residents that there is in the county a basket manufacturer. Charles Piper, living five miles southwest of Marion Centre, does quite an extensive business making baskets of all kinds and bottoming chairs.

The railroad was completed to Marion Centre, and a construction train entered town Wednesday morning for the first time.

We understand that Messrs. Brickley and Lockwood of Florence have made arrangements to come to Marion Centre and engage in the grain buying business.

After 50 days of hard work, in which several hundred men altogether took a hand, the railroad cut a couple of miles south of town was completed Monday. It was a hard job, but with T.H. Keller as superintendent of the work, assisted by experienced and industrious squad bosses such as John McCarty, the work was pushed forward with remarkable rapidity. Three hundred kegs of powder were used in the blasting.