In May, 1855, the conference of the Lutheran Church decided to locate and establish a denominational school at or near Des Moines, to be known as Iowa Central College. A board of trustees was elected, of whom F. R. West was president; J. G. Shaffer, secretary; and R. W. Sypher, treasurer. A site was selected and purchased. The school was started in a rented building in town, but was soon after suspended. In 1856 was laid the corner-stone of the college edifice and that year the walls were completed, and the next year the roof was added when work was suspended for want of funds. In 1865 the property was transferred to the Baptist denomination, and work was resumed to complete the building. In April, 1866, was begun the first term of the University of Des Moines, which has since grown to be an institution of prominence in the State. It is located in one of the loveliest spots to be found in the West.

In 1875 a Law Department of Simpson Centenary College was established at Des Moines, known as Iowa Law College, with Rev. Alexander Burns as president, and Hon. C. C. Cole, Hon. Wm. E. Miller, J. B. Bissell, J. S. Runnels, Hon. Galusha A. Parsons and P. N. Bowman as professors.

In the fall of 1879 a beginning was made for the establishment of a school for the higher education of girls and the preparation of boys for college. During the present year the original plan has culminated in Callanan College, so called in honor of James Callanan who secured the object sought, by his liberal donations. The beautiful property of J. B. Stewart, on Pleasant street was purchased and elegant buildings are being erected which will accommodate 250 pupils. It is more specially designed as a boarding school for young ladies, of the highest order of excellence. The president is Rev. C. R. Pomeroy, D. D., assisted by an able corps of professors.

The first board of trustees consists of James Callanan, Samuel Merrill, J. J. Williams, C. C. Nourse, C. H. Rawson, J. S. Polk, J. S. Clarkson, C. H. Gatch, J. N. Dewey, C. H. Getchell, J. Ankeny, John Wyman, Wesley Redhead. The following are the officers of the board: James Callanan, president; J. N. Dewey, vice-president; J. J. Williams, secretary; Samuel Merrill, treasurer.

The East Side schools were organized in the spring of 1858, and for some time were held in rented rooms. The first school-house was built by a few public-spirited citizens, consisting of Judge M. D. McHenry, Homer Lyon, M. L. Devin, G. W. Connor, Alexander Shaw, S. Goodell, and I. Brandt. The building was located on lot twelve, block three, of H. Lyon's Addition.

The first school board consisted of James L. Scott, Dr. T. K. Brooks, and

A. D. McHenry was elected treasurer and Dr. Alex. Shaw, secretary. The schools were designated by wards until 1879, when they were given definite names, as on the West Side. They are located as follows:

Bryant School, corner of Sycamore street and Pennsylvania Avenue. This building was erected in 1866, at a cost of thirty-two thousand dollars, and will accommodate some six hundred pupils. It has four primary, four intermediate, and two grammar departments.

Webster School, corner of East Twelfth and Lyon streets, was built in 1877, at an expense of forty thousand dollars, and has a seating capacity for seven hundred pupils.

Lucas School, corner of Sixteenth and Locust streets, cost six thousand dollars, and provides school privileges for two hundred and fifty.

Curtis School, corner of Sixth and Raccoon streets, furnishes accommodations for two hundred and fifty, and cost six thousand dollars.

Burns School is near the packing-houses, and is held in a room rented for that purpose.

We are unable to give a complete record of the East Side schools because the records cannot be found.

NEWSPAPERS.

Simultaneous with the church and school the printing press was set up in Des Moines, thus completing the means of laying the foundation for a progressive, intelligent people. Late in the year 1848 a prospectus was issued by a gentleman named Blair, who announced his intention to establish a newspaper at the "Fort." It was to be Democratic in politics, the majority of politics at that time being of that kind, and to be christened The Star. The material was ordered, but next spring Mr. Blair was carried off by a sudden and severe attack of California fever, leaving Barlow Granger to carry out his enterprise. But the whole project failed. The next winter Judge Curtis Bates furnished the money, and Mr. Granger purchased an outfit at Iowa City, and Jonathan Rathbun and Charles Winkley were employed to transport it to the Fort. With much difficulty the material arrived, and the first paper appeared June 26th, 1849, with Barlow Granger & Co. as publishers. The first paper printed was taken by Lewis Jones. The first money received was from Thomas Mitchell, a Free Soil Whig. The office was located in one of the barrack buildings, near 'Coon Point. The event was a notable one in the little hamlet. Barlow, as he was familiarly called, being exceedingly popular and active in various enterprises of the day, whether of business, law, or politics, his pioneer paper received the hearty support of every citizen, on paper. Politics were high-the Wilmot Proviso and Tom Benton were before the people. Barlow went in for Benton. But his little Star twinkled out in August, the teamster having been floored with the "shakes" while en route from Keokuk with paper.

There was no occupation for a local reporter in those days. Everybody knew each other's business and what was going on. News from abroad was received at long intervals. Advertisements of that day show that stages run from the Fort to Keokuk three times a week, but if they got through once a week they did well. Stages were also advertised from the Fort to Kanesville, now Council Bluffs.

Martin Tucker, who signed his name with an X, until he gained the title of Martin X Tucker, advertised his hotel as "having run an avenue through it, and having put up a condition to it, he would be able to detain the public in a more hostile manner. Also Stabling at Right Angles for quantity, and abundance of provender for horses, and plenty to eat," which pronunciamento called out a rejoinder from a hotel-keeper down at Avon, who declared he would beat Martin X Tucker, "who treated his guests in a hostile manner and put a condition to his house."

At the end of a year Mr. Granger retired, satisfied with his hebdomadal glory and resumed the practice of law, February 22, 1850. The paper passed into the possession of Judge Curtis Bates, who associated with him Luther Johnson of Iowa City, who, in May, died from small pox. In

August, 1851, Dr. A. Y. Hull, a wide-awake, business, bustling speculative gentleman, joined Mr. Bates, and remained with the paper until May, 1851, when he retired. In June, 1854, Judge Bates was nominated for governor on the Democratic ticket (he died in 1879), and as that would necessitate field work, Dan. O. Finch became associate editor. Dan. was in his heyday of life, alert, energetic, and a politician of no mean pretensions. The Star dropped out of sight and under the new regime, the title was, changed to Argus. Newspaper editing was not Dan's forte, and he retired the paper going into the hands of Tomlinson & Farner, who re-christened it as the Statesman. In, February, 1857 its name was again changed to Iowa State Journal, and Will Porter, Robert Hedge and H. C. Rippey were editors and publishers. In 1858 it passed to Stilson Hutchins and Geo. M. Todd, who re-christened it The Iowa Statesman, and waged war against abolitionists and Republicans. The name was changed to the Des Moines Times, but it turned up its toes after an ephemeral existence, in the summer of 1860. Prior to the decease of the Times, Mr. Hutchins went to St. Louis and started the St. Louis Times. In 1860 A. J. Stevens and W. H. Hoxie started an independent paper which they named the Commonwealth. The following year the paper was sold to J. B. Bausman and S. W. Russell, the venerable "Esquire," who is still working at the case with Mills & Co. In 1862 Col. W. H. Merritt purchased the material of the Times and also of the Commonwealth which had also suspended, and revived the Democratic paper and called it the Statesman. Three years after Col. Merritt disposed of the paper to Staub & Jenkins, who soon after transferred it to G. W. Snow, who died Sept. 20, 1870. Up to this time the paper had eked out a precarious existence. In 1870 the material of the office passed to Barnhart Bros. and W. W. Witmer, who changed the title to State Leader, which in 1872 passed to the control of Mr. Witmer. In 1875 a stock company was formed of which Mr. Witmer was made president and general manager. Since then he has been in control of the paper, its editor and manager; a portion of the stock being held by other prominent Democrats in Des Moines. It is issued as an eight-column folio, daily, and ten page, six columns to page, weeklyboth editions having a general circulation throughout the State, and the business of the office is in a prosperous condition, keeping pace with the growth of the city. The editorial staff consists of H. J. Philpot, associate editor; Charles H. Painter, city editor; George F. McCracken, reporter. Thus it will be seen the Leader was the direct lineal political descendant of the Star, though its genealogical thread was slightly disjointed in 1860. Soon after the Star began to shine, the Whigs set about to eclipse it with an organ of their own. L. P. Sherman, brother of Hoyt, Gen. William Tecumseh, John and Charles, was induced to remove hither. He had been employed in the Cincinnati Gazette office where he was twelve years. He was an excellent printer and possessed the ability to make a good paper. He brought with him the entire outfit for the enterprise which was placed in one of the barrack buildings opposite the Star office, which was in the second story of a building next to Given's plow factory, corner of Third and Market. Mr. Sherman, familiarly known as "Lamp." named his paper the Fort Des Moines Gazette. The first number was is sued Jan. 1, 1850. It was a seven-column sheet and shows the typograph ical skill and taste of a good printer. Lamp. says they got along very well except when the snow flew, then it would blow through the cracks of the

log walls and fill the type cases with snow and freeze up the ink and presses. By setting kettles of live coals about under the press they managed to keep it thawed out so as to get out the paper. But over at the Star office they preferred to sit around grocery fires and swap yarns to keeping their own office running, and when publication day came they would come over and borrow the Gazette forms, take off the heading, put on that of the Star, and print their paper. Lamp. entered into his work with energy, and poured hot shot into the camp of the Locofocos, as he styled the Democrats, with great briskness. After working six months, paying expenses without recompense, Lamp. concluded he must have help. A citizens' meeting was called, at which it was agreed to assume one-half the liabilities of the office and furnish an assistant editor and outside business man. The assistant editor was Judge W. W. Williamson; the business man was Peter Myers, and Feb. 28, 1851, the name of the paper was changed to the Iowa State Journal, Peter Myers & Co. publishers. Aug. 26, 1852, when Winfield Scott was running for President, the paper petered out, and Lamp. retired permanently from the newspaper business.

The Star was alone in its effulgent glory until February, 1856, when Thomas H. Shepherd and A. J. Stephens, a banker, started a paper named the Iowa Citizen. In February, of the next year, Mr. Shepherd retired, and was succeeded by W. H. Farner, who had politically flopped over to the Free Soilers, and J. M. Dixon, the well-known now "blind editor," was associated with him. In August of that year the paper passed into the control of James C. Savery, and Mr. Farner retired, leaving Mr. Dixon sole editor, until December 7. John Teesdale purchased the establishment, and Mr. Dixon was retained as associate editor. February 15, 1860, the name of the paper was changed to Iowa State Register, and May 8th of that year Mr. Teesdale published his valedictory, and was succeeded by Frank W. Palmer. Two years later, January 13, 1862, the first number of the daily was issued. In 1866 Mr. Palmer sold the paper to Mills & Co., who retained Palmer and Dixon as editors. The latter, however, became blind, and was compelled to vacate his chair at the old round table, which he had occupied with much ability for eleven years. December 6th, 1870, the paper passed into the possession of R. P. and J. S.Clarkson (" Ret"), who have since controlled it and made it one of the leading papers of the West. Its staff is "Ret," editor in chief, D. C. O'Reagan, night editor, A. R. Kimball, city editor, R. P. Clarkson, business manager.

Marvelous in comparison are copies of the Gazette of January 1, 1850, and the State Register of to-day. Then mails were few and far between. News from Washington forty days on the way. Four columns made up the compliment of advertisements, paid for in truck and dicker, and gutta percha promises, never fulfilled. Railroads and telegraph were in the far off future. To-day the Register reflects the news from the ends of the earth. Its broad pages and long columns furnish news and miscellany each day equal to a book of large size. Thirty compositors are busy putting in tppe the daily news of the busy, bustling world. The old hand press of 1850, with its capacity of 240 sheets an hour, is superseded by a Hoe double cylinder, throwing off six thousand sheets each hour, and sixty-five persons complete the working force of the establishment. The Clarkson boys are evidently to "the manner" born. By close application, push and pluck, they have advanced their business to extensive and profitable proportions, complete in all its departments.

March 11, 1869, R. G. Orwig established the Bulletin as a daily an weekly. It was Republican in politics, pungent, lively, and smart. In 1870 it was sold to Mills & Co.

December 31, 1870, the Review was started as an hebdomadal sheet, by Stewart, Waterman & Speed.

In 1872 a corporation was formed, with George W. Edwards, president, George A. Stewart, secretary, known as the Republican Printing Company, and May 18th of that year the Review was sold to this company and the Daily Republican started. In January, 1873, a new corporation, known as the State Printing Company, was formed for the purpose of printing auxiliary or "patent insides" for other papers throughout the State. In October, 1873, the Republican passed into the control of this company, and the title of the paper was changed to the State Journal. In April, 1874, the paper passed into the hands of G. W. Edwards, and on October 25th, of the same year, it was sold to J. E. Williams, John G. Blair, and R. G. Pierson, who continued the daily until October 23, 1875, when it was suspended. August 10th, following, the paper passed into the hands of Mr. Blair, who has since continued its weekly issue.

In September, 1876, The People was started, J. F. Thompson, editor, as the advocate of Peter Cooper for President. It was issued as a daily several months, and in 1879, turned up its toes, a victim of many vicissitudes, in which the redoubtable Porte C. Welch took a losing hand, and was succeeded by the State Tribune, December 17, 1879, a weekly paper started by a stock company as the organ of the Greenback party, with P. P. Ingalls as editor.

In the winter of 1858-9 Wm. Duane Wilson removed the Iowa Farmer, a monthly publication, from Mt. Pleasant to Des Moines, and changed it to a weekly. A few months after it was sold to Hiram Torrey, who changed the name to Pioneer Farmer, and in a few months it was again sold to W. Simmons, who soon tired of paying expenses without income, and sold to Mark Miller, the veteran pomologist, at that time the Western editor of Downing's Agriculturalist. Mr. Miller changed the title to the Iowa. Homestead, and soon after sold to H. W. Pettitt, a versatile genius, who made it an attractive sheet. He died in 1866, when the paper passed into the possession of Mills & Co., who soon after sold to Mr. Wilson, and he again became the possessor. In September, 1873, it was purchased by Dr. George W. Sprague, who changed the title to Homestead and Western Farm Journal, who conducted it until July of the present year, when it was sold to Ex-Lieutenant-Governor B. F. Gue.

In January, 1866, W. S. Peterson removed the Temperance Platform from Dubuque to Des Moines. It was a weekly issue, devoted to total abstinence and prohibition. In 1868 it was sold to the Grand Lodge of Good Templars, and the title changed to Temperance Standard, with S. M. Holt, W. H. Fleming, editors. The next year it was sold to Mr. Holt and removed to Marshalltown.

. In 1875 the Iowa State Record was started by Fuller, Heartwell & Orwig, as a weekly paper, "to supply a long-felt need," which, in a few months, joined the innumerable caravan of disappointed hopes and unrealized expectations. The material was sold to the State Journal office. The press was a notable one, as being the identical press set up by Hon. Schuyler Colfax for his South Bend Register, and was the first set up in that city. It is in good condition to-day.