HARRIS MILL

The first mill on this site was a sawmill, built by Wesley Camp in 1855 or 1856. Camp sold to Hiram Bennett, who began at once the construction of a grist mill. The timbers of this mill were of black walnut and the “raising” of the mill was an event which many settlers still remember. Irving Worthington and J. D. Sketchley were there and perhaps others are still living. William McFerren was the mechanic; William Cooper, father of Mrs. L. L. Treat, also Lyman G. Perry helped construct the mill. This mill did a considerable business also and was generally prosperous. Averill bought the mill of Bennett. then in a year or so the property reverted to Bennett, who finally disposed of it to Levi Harris. While Bennett owned the mill it had two run of burrs propelled by a turbine wheel. Among those who have been millers in this mill are found the names of Christie, Averill, Ross Harris, Bradenburg, La Barr and Atherton. Copying from a Webster City Freeman: "It was at this mill that occurred a frightful accident, by which Mr. Mauler lost his life. It was in the winter and while waiting about the mill for a grist he was strolling about on the second floor of the mill near some gearing into which he was drawn by a long coat he wore. He was badly mangled and only lived a few hours. This was the only serious accident about this mill, except broken limbs, which are not uncommon about mills of any kind."

Levi Harris in time shut down the mill and it was rented later for a slaughter house by a local meat market.

STEAM MILLS

In 1859 a stock company, of which W. C. and Sumler Willson were members, erected a brick steam saw and grist mill. This was built on the east bank of the ravine that ran north parallel to Funk street, and was on what is now called Third'street. The bricks used in the erection of the mill were produced by Ira Hilliard from clay which was dug underneath the mill yard. The mills were known as "Eagle Mills," and for a time put out an immense amount of flour. The upper half of this mill was occupied by the miller's family and some still remember going to parties in the old mill.

The mill was partially destroyed by fire at one time and rebuilt, only to be again destroyed by fire in 1883, when owned by Moore and Fenton. The machinery for the mill was said to have been brought by ox wagons from Dubuque. Michael Sweeney was at one time the engineer here and it was while engaged in this work that he suffered the accident by which he lost his hand.

THE MODEL MILLS

C. T. Fenton, Jacob Funk, S. B. Rosencrans and J. M. Jones were the stock company which brought here a steam sawmill in the spring of 1856. It was erected east of the present Chicago & North-Western Railroad tracks, south of the flowing well. This was run strictly as a sawmill until 1860. At this time it was sold to Thomas Richards, who moved it to Batch Grove near the north county line. It is impossible to ascertain the exact date of its removal to Second street, but it was brought here and disposed of to Edward Mabbot. Mabbot

a

up in 8:

struction

installed machinery for grinding flour and feed and added a planing mill. The firm name at this time was Mabbot & Son. They did a large feed business and were very prosperous. Mr. Mabbot owned six business lots about where the "raising armory now stands and his buildings, known as the "Model Mills," occupied Work these. The mills were modern in equipment at this period and contained three Willia run of burrs run by a twenty-five horse power engine. Edward Mabbot sold these mills to Charles Closz in the '80s and he disposed of them to the Biernatzki Brothers.

.. Treat

iderati
I of Be

fisposed

irrs pri

ill are

r and

THE TEN EYCK MILL

Hamp Dixon built a sawmill on the Ten Eyck farm one and a half miles north of Stratford, in about 1867. H. A. Crandall helped to build this mill. Vradenburg was at one time the miller. This mill was run about two years and then burned to the ground. It never was rebuilt for it was in a poor location to draw trade. One by one the water mills were forced out of business by the noisy steam roller mill and of the many millwrights operating on Boone river few made a fortune or were even prosperous in the last year they ran their mill.

Songs will always be written and sung of the water mill and the miller. Poems will be read and articles written, but the miller at the water mill long since has hung up his dusty coat and "shut down" the water gates. The busy water wheel is stilled, but the music of it still lingers and the miller who "ground his wheat with joy" still hears. But the road that leads to the mill is grass grown and the door is shut.

Early in the history of Hamilton county, there came to Webster City two men whose memory will ever be cherished by a grateful people. These were Kendall Young and Jacob M. Funk. They were both capitalists and men of financial genius but both were retiring and modest in general conduct. Kendall Young had no children and Jacob Funk had neither wife nor children. In many respects they were opposite from each other. Kendall Young was a republican, Jacob Funk was a democrat. Kendall Young was a "down town" man, while Jacob Funk was an "up town" man. Kendall Young was a banker and conducted his business in a most orderly and systematic manner. Jacob Funk was a farmer, builder, landlord and man of many diversified interests and usually kept his accounts "in his head." Both agreed, however, in a good opinion of the city in which they lived and of its people, their neighbors and friends. Kendall Young established the Kendall Young Library. Jacob Funk founded Mercy Hospital. Both were public benefactors in a large and unusual degree.

Mr. E. D. Burgess, the librarian of Kendall Young Library, has prepared for this work a description of the Kendall Young gift, which is here presented:

HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THE

KENDALL YOUNG LIBRARY

WEBSTER CITY, IOWA
By E. D. Burgess.

The KENDALL YOUNG LIBRARY of Webster City, Iowa, together with an ample endowment for its perpetual support, is the gift of Mr. Kendall Young, for many years a widely known and honored resident of the city.

Some years before his death, Mr. Young, recognizing the great benefits resulting from the establishment in a community of a public library, determined to secure and perpetuate to the people such a library as would meet every need of the present and of the future; and in a spirit of the broadest and wisest philanthropy, he devoted his entire fortune to that end.

On the 9th day of March, 1894, he made his will, whereby the residue of his estate remaining after providing during her life time for the care and support

of his widow, an invalid for many years before her death, should be devoted to the establishment and maintenance of a free public library in Webster City, to be called the KENDALL YOUNG LIBRARY. At this date (1912) the endowment thus created for the support of the library, exclusive of the library building, its books and furnishings and its site, exceeds $200,000.00 in value. And it was characteristic of the man that his purpose to make this magnificent gift to his fellow citizens, was not by him made known during his life time.

Mr. Young died June 30, 1896. On the second day of July, following, his will was opened and the people then first learned that their city was the beneficiary of the largest gift of the kind ever made by a citizen of Iowa; a gift that can be fully appreciated only with the lapse of years; a gift reaching to every home, and to every inmate therein, not only of the present, but of generations to come.

In his will, he named Mr. J. W. Young executor of his estate, and appointed F. D. Young, J. W. Young, Samuel Baxter, W. J. Covil, and E. D. Burgess trustees for life of the said library. They constitute the present library board, and the will provides that their successors shall be elected by the people at the regular municipal election for the term of five years.

The will was admitted to probate September 28, 1896. The executor named and the library trustees filed their acceptance of their respective trusts, and Mrs. Jane Young, the widow, elected to take under and assist in carrying out the provisions of the will in lieu of her statutory rights. A copy of the will was filed with the city clerk of Webster City, and November 16, 1896, an ordinance was passed by the city council accepting the gift, with and subject to all its terms and conditions.

It soon became apparent to Mrs. Young that the annual income derived from the estate was more than she desired for her own use and she generously offered to give the use for library purposes, of the commodious Kendall Young residence, beautifully situated, and surrounded by spacious, ornamental grounds, together with its furnishings. She also proposed that the surplus income from the estate should be used for the immediate establishment and maintenance of the library; and, upon the joint application of Mrs. Young and the executor to the district court it was ordered at the February, 1898, term, that the executor annually turn over to the trustees the surplus income from the estate, to be by them used for library purposes.

In pursuance of this order about 1,100 books were purchased and the library was opened to public use July 27, 1898, and was thus maintained until after the death of Mrs. Young in September, 1903, when, under the will, the entire estate became available for library purposes; and the board of trustees proceeded to the erection of a library building.

Mr. Young in his will appropriated the sum of $25,000.00 for the erection of a library building, and $10,000.00 for its equipment. After investigating the cost of building, the trustees decided that, in view of the increase in cost of labor and material since the making of the will, a suitable memorial building to Kendall Young could not be erected for that amount; and they determined that, if the funds therefor could be procured, his memory should be honored by the erection of a building more in keeping with his gift to the community.

To that end, the income from the estate was, as far as possible, accumulated