140 years ago

july 4, 1879

The very heavy rains of last week came very near culminating in a flood on Friday. The Cottonwood river and Muddy creek seemed to have caught the spirit of the town and were fairly booming, lacking only a few feet of overflowing.

These two streams have not been on such a “high” for a long time. It was just the thing needed, though, for sanitary purposes, thoroughly cleaning of the streams of impurities which had accumulated there during the prolonged dry spell and low water.

Maj. T.W. Bown’s handsome stone residence on the hill will soon be completed. The stone work is about done.

We rode out, Tuesday, on the line of the M. & M. railroad grade to the “cut” near Funk’s mill, a mile and a half south of town, and were surprised to find the job so extensive.

The “cut” is nearly a half mile long and in some places twenty-six feet deep, through stone.

Good judges now put the time at which the cars will run into Marion Centre about the 20th of this month.

Will Bates will have a refreshment stand near the entrance to the Park, adjoining Lockwood’s hardware store, to-day, and will also serve ice cream as usual at the Pea-Nut Stand.