Liberty County: Two cities, one metro area

[jacqulina 162]

great start and intro my friend,love the history and pics,great effects.

happy 2009

[Raysfan16 5]

Hey, good job again. It's cool to see lots of cities grow, not just Mission City/San Paso and Jefferson.

[N106 10]

Replies

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

jacquilina: Thank you

Raysfan16: Thank you

Update 9: Valleyview founded in 1876

In 1876, a Mormon leader in Liberty County named Valleyview.  Unlike Riverview, Valleyview was laid out on no particular pattern whatsoever.  The streets were laid out organically, a pattern that would prevail until about 1900.

This is the spot he chose for Valleyview (originally to be called Tulsa)

In 1878, a Mormon temple was built in town.

By 1880, downtown Valleyview was a few small shops.

By 1880, Valleyview had 156 residents.

Below is a map of Valleyview in 1880.

Next update: Mission City/San Paso in the 1870s.

[Raysfan16 5]

Well, that's interesting! I wonder how the traffic will be like during rush hour in Valleyview!

[panthersimcity4 162]

I love historical CJs like this one. Keep up the great work!

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you.  And trust me, it will be rush week, not rush hour.

panthersimcity4: Thank you.

Update 10: Mission City grows

In 1870, only 3,008 people lived in Mission City/San Paso.  The next decade would be one of growth, and the beginning of the village's transformation into the major city it is today.

In 1872, the decision was made to turn the village into an officially incorporated town.  The decision was made when the village idiot unforuntately died by accidentily walking off a cliff.

The name was still in doubt.  The local Hispanic population pushed for the name San Paso, while English-speaking residents were in favor of Mission City.  However, to ensure good relations, a Mexican man, named Jorge Peros (who had been pushing for the town's incorporation since 1852) as the first mayor.

The second influencing factor for the decision to incorporate the town was the construction of a new town hall in 1871.

Below is the newspaper article on the incorporation of Mission City on July 2, 1872.

Then here is a photo of the new town hall.

In 1850, the influence of protestents in the Liberty Valley was non-existant.  By 1880, the protestants were a major influencing factor.  They built their third church in Mission City in 1874.

Mission City was upgraded from a town to a city on December 12, 1877.

Also, this 1877 article began to mark the decline of the Courier's monopoly on the Liberty Valley.  By 1900, there would be 4 newspapers in the region.

In 1878, construction of a railroad began through Mission City.  The first train left from the new Mission City train depot in 1880.

And, here is a photo of the train depot itself.

The train depot in Mission City was the start of a major regionwide project to build a railroad.  By 1880, 6,881 people lived in Mission City.

[Raysfan16 5]

I like your train depot, and nice newspaper! Maybe I should start back up my Skagit County Picayune...

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you

Update 11: Fort Freedom grows

In 1870, Fort Freedom was the only incorporated town in the region, with only 744 residents, making it the second largest.

The sheriff's office was built in 1871, making Fort Freedom the safest town in the region.

Also, classes at the new schoolhouse started in 1875.

Many of the wealthier residents of Jefferson and Mission City built second homes in Fort Freedom.  One of them joked "if the Mexicans declare war again, then we can all hide in Fort Freedom, Riverview, and Valleyview.  Their soldiers will never find them one-horse towns"

Below is a map of Fort Freedom in 1880.

By 1880, 1,642 people lived in Fort Freedom.  Growth began to level off.  Throughout the 1880s, there would be little growth in the Liberty Valley.

[Tomasneto 20]

Nice newspaper, guy!! Great history...!!!

[SounderBruce 173]

Great updates! Where did you get the rail depot though?

-CG

[N106 10]

Replies

Tomasneto: Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you.  For the train stations, search rail station on the exchange, and look for the rural station

Update 12: Liberty County in the 1870s

In 1870, 6,162 people lived in Liberty County.  In the 1870s, the amount of towns in the region went from 2 to 5.  The new towns were Riverview, Valleyview, and, of course, Jefferson.

In Jefferson, many early entrepenuers built fairly large homes just northwest of downtown.  One of the entrepeneurs was William Smith, who founded a local store.  He would be the father of one of the members of the Big Three.

Near Jefferson was the Jefferson Creek.  A bridge was built across it in 1879 by a local engineer.

Johnathan Miller built Miller's Mill in 1875.

In 1877, the protestants built a small chapel in Jefferson.

By 1880, Jefferson had a small downtown of shops, centered around Central and Columbia Avenue.

Below is a map of Jefferson in 1880.

Meanwhile, near Mission City, things were pretty active, with the gold rush and all.  A ferry service was established for the town, with a new farming village growing on the other side of the San Paso River.

A village grew on the south shore terminal.  It was small, nameless, and officially part of Mission City.

Every week, a cargo boat crossed the river with the week's cargo from the village.  2 times a week, a ferry would take on passengers and sail between Mission City and the village.

Below is a map of the village in 1880.

By 1880, Mission City was still the largest city in the region, and was virtually uncontested in that.  Below is the downtown in 1880.

You might be able to spot the schoolhouse, town hall, the fort, the mission, and the wealthy district.

Then, there is a map of Mission City in 1880.

By 1880, the entire Liberty Valley had 17,138 residents.  2,505 lived in Jefferson, 6,881 in Mission City, 1,642 in Fort Freedom, 364 in Riverview or Valleyview, and the rest were scattered about on random farms near Jefferson or Mission City.

[N106 10]

I need to take a poll.  This will decide the future of the region.

Which city should be the county capital?

Mission City

Pros	Cons
established	unpopular
accessible	lack of space

Jefferson

Pros	Cons
plenty of space	hard to access
popular	unsafe

Fort Freedom

Pros	Cons
plenty of space	undersized
accessible	unpopular

The choice is yours.

[Benedict 3,119]

Nice slow development - great to see something from the beginning. My vote is for Jefferson, however you could consider building a new administrative city as county seat....

[Retrodude818 0]

I should really like the idea of Fort Freedom becoming a major city and ultimately becoming the capital of the region; however, I should also think there would be a name change once the city gets larger---Fort Freedom is kind of a hoaky name for a big city. Or Fort Freedom could be the county seat for a long time and then New London could be chosen to be the capital. Great CJ so far! It's really swell. I love all the photoshopping.

[Retrodude818 0]

I should really like the idea of Fort Freedom becoming a major city and ultimately becoming the capital of the region; however, I should also think there would be a name change once the city gets larger---Fort Freedom is kind of a hoaky name for a big city. Or Fort Freedom could be the county seat for a long time and then New London could be chosen to be the capital. Great CJ so far! It's really swell. I love all the photoshopping.

[panthersimcity4 162]

Mission City looks like it might become a nice coastal city in the future.

[chrissc94 1]

I love the history in this region- I vote for Mission City, it would make the best capital.

[N106 10]

Replies

Benedict: Thank you

Retrodude818: Thank you

panthersimcity4: Thank you

Update 13: Mission City in Depression

The 1880s was ultimately hard times for Mission City (at first).  In 1881, the Freeman mine ran out of gold, and its owner, Thomas Freeman, was killed in a hate crime.  Mission City's gold rush was over, and many of the 6,881 residents left.  Throughout most of the decade, it was hard times.

Below is the Freeman mine around 1885.

And, a newspaper article from the time.

The economy was so bad in the early 1880s that the Mission City Courier couldn't even get advertisements.

Meanwhile, the railroad project had hit a roadblock, or more, a waterblock.  The massive San Paso River stood in the way of the railroad reaching Fort Freedom.  The solution would be a rail ferry, which took passengers to a train waiting in Fort Freedom.  The ferry was completed in 1884.

In 1883, a waterworks was established, providing water to the entire city.

In 1886, San Paso Highshool opened.  Up until 1936, it was the only highschool in Mission City.

Before 1890, most of the rich people lived just northwest of downtown.

In 1887, things began to pick up in Mission City again.  The commercial properties in the area were amazing.  As a result, word got out throughout California and even Oregon, and hundreds of wealthier people moved in, displacing the minorities that used to call the area home.

In 1886, the Valley Trust Bank was established.  It immediately began construction on a vast headquarters that would be the biggest building in Mission City for years.  Later, a plaza would be added around it.

By 1890, Mission City had shrunk to only 5,042 residents, but was re-emerging as the civilized regional cultural center it is today.

The Mission City Courier over-reacted to the rise of the wealthy in the area.

When Mission City was incorporated as a city in 1877, mayor Jorge Peros could no longer be mayor- he was ineligible because he wasn't native born (the city council was just racist)  The second mayor was Edward O'Leary, who  was mayor until 1885.  Then, somehow, Tom Cruise went back in time, and became mayor from 1885 until 1890.

The vote for which city will by county capitol is still in progress.  The vote will be taken once the 1880s are over.  So far, it is a three way tie between Mission City, Fort Freedom, and Jefferson.  Vote now, folks!

[Mike the Mayor 51]

A nice nostalgic sort of cj and the newspapers are great! Well done.

[newyorkrunaway1 110]

nice update! cant wait for more!

[Raysfan16 5]

Lol! I noticed the "scientology(not to be confused with science)". That was funny.

[N106 10]

Replies

chrissc94: Thank you

Mike the Mayor: Thank you

newyorkrunaway1: Thank you

Raysfan16: Thank you

Update 14: Jefferson grows

Joseph Leland decided not to run for re-election as mayor in 1875.  As a result, Thomas Philips became the second mayor of Jefferson.  He was mayor until 1880, when James Morgan rigged the election against him.  James Morgan did a horrible job, and, in 1881, the people decided that they'd had enough.

Morgan was tarred, feathered, then run out of town by an angry mob.  After that, the decision was made to have some laws, and a constitution was drafted for the town.  Joseph Leland read over it, and was clearly dissatisfied.

"We cannot have the mayor appointed by the county.  The county currently represents the interests of San Francisco, not the interests of Jefferson.  We need democracy!  WE NEED REPRESENTATION!!!"

And so the constitution was remade, sent to Leland for approval, and Thomas Philips became mayor again, until 1890.

The original post office was a small wooden building, built in 1870.  In 1882, it was replaced by a nicer building, built of stone.

Also, the Woodsman Hotel became the first hotel in Jefferson when it was built in 1879.  Neighboring the hotel was the Falers and Sebalds building, which held two stores and some apartments.

In 1883, the city marketplace was built.

The Jefferson Herald was established upon construction of the original Herald Building in 1884.

Below is the first ever article of the Jefferson Herald, on May 29, 1884.

In 1886, Edward Johnson became so rich off of the Jefferson Herald that he built the first mansion in Jefferson.

The massive Scotland Pub was built in 1886.  The bottom floor was a massive pub, and the upper 3 floors were boardinghouse accomodations.

The Jefferson Engineering Depot was built in 1885, and taken over by the Liberty Valley Engineering Company in 1889.

The Goodrich Brothers Ltd. Building was built on the Columbia-Central intersection in 1887.

The first fire station was built in 1886.

That same year, the first power plant in the region was built.

In 1887, the railroad that had started construction in 1878 finally reached Jefferson, with the construction of the Leland Rail Depot in 1887.

In 1888, the Clinton Building was built.  It would be a trademark of downtown Jefferson until its destruction in the 1970s.

In 1889, Jefferson was incorporated as a city, and the new city hall opened.

By 1890, Jefferson had 3,152 residents.

Everybody, remember to vote on which city should be the county capitol: Jefferson, Mission City, or Fort Freedom.

[Raysfan16 5]

Hey, nice job incorporating more history, and I'm voting for Jefferson as county seat.

[SounderBruce 173]

Great updates! I vote for...

JEFFERSON for county seat

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

Update 15: The New Years Update

December 31, 1879...

It is a quiet night in Valleyview, and 157 of 158 residents are asleep.  The night would have gone un-noticed... except

Some jerk was riding around on his horse, bursting open the doors of every house, blowing on a trumphet, and screaming "happy new year"

As of January 1, 1880, 157 residents were awake (the priest somehow slept through the blaring of the horn, but kept everyone else in town awake for the rest of the night with his snoring)

The same incident happened in Valleyview every year until 1889, when the jerk with the horn was hung for his crimes against humanity.

Valleyview Mormon School was established in 1881, and was a school for all ages.  It was the only school in Valleyview until the mid 20th century.

Some trees were also planted around the village's Mormon temple some time in the early 1880s.

Businessmen from throughout the region liked to have second homes in the villages of Valleyview and Riverview.  The three homes below were built in the early 1880s.

Two of those homes were destroyed in 1888 so that some rich San Francisco businessman could build a second home in Valleyview.

Three important buildings developed in the 1880s.  The one to the left in the photo is the Plaza Place.  It was built in 1889 by a local architect, with a pub on the bottom floor and boardinghouse accomodations on the top floor.

The building in the middle is the Telegraph offices.  The telegraph offices were built in 1880.  It is where some Marconi telegraphs have been set up for communication with the rest of the region.

The building to the right is the barber shop.  It was built in 1885.  The top  two stories hold all of the village's government functions.

By 1890, Valleyview had grown to have 355 residents.  Below is downtown Valleyview in 1890.

Now, for the election progress

So far, Jefferson is leading as the next county capitol, with 3 votes in favor of Jefferson.  Mission City is runner up with 2 votes, and there is only one vote for Fort Freedom.  Vote everybody.  It will be decided as soon as I post the "Liberty County in the 1880s" update.

Happy New Year!

[dfnva 34]

Nice, interesting to see how this area is developing!

Happy New Year,

Dan

[Vegetarian-Dracula 3]

Originally posted by: N106

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They had some very modern transportation it seems...   but hey, i love the concept.

[N106 10]

Replies

dfnva: Thank you

Vegetarian-Dracula: Thank you, and I could not find a mod to put in older transportation.

Update 16: Riverview: Becoming "little Jefferson"

Riverview is commonly known by the nickname "little Jefferson"  As early as the 1880s, architects from Jefferson designed similar looking buildings in Riverview.  Even though that trend stopped in the 1920s, the name stuck.

By 1880, Riverview was a village of 206 residents.  The first important commercial building in Riverview was the Pegasus Horse Supplies building.

In 1882, Joseph Leland moved out of Jefferson, and lived in a mansion in Riverview until 1896.

The first important commercial buildings in Riverview were built in the early 1880s and made of wood.  One was Bill's Saloon, and neighboring it was Frank's Pool Hall.  Nearby was George's General store.

Bill and George built two fairly large wooden houses in the late 1880s, funding it with the wealth earned by their business.

The first schoolhouse in Riverview was based off of a similar one in Jefferson, and was built in 1883.

The building that earned Riverview the name "little Jefferson" was built in 1889, and it was the Corner Building.  The bottom story held stores, and the top two stories were boardinghouse accomodations.

In 1888, the Rural Times Building was built.  It would house the Rural Times on the top floor, and the bottom floor was a general room for public events.

The first article of the Rural times appeared on January 1, 1889.

The terrain began to change in 1880, and finished changing sometime in the 20th century.  Scientists still aren't sure how the climate changed so fast.  Here is a photo of the change, circa 1890.

By 1890, Riverview had grown to hold 562 people.  Below is a map as of 1890.

Election progress: The election is currently not bending at all, with Jefferson still in the lead at 3 votes.  Mission City is following close behind at 2 votes, while Fort Freedom is still stuck at 1 vote.

VOTE EVERYBODY!!!!  Who will be the county seat.... Jefferson, Mission City, or Fort Freedom.  Only you can decide.

[Raysfan16 5]

Hey, good update-but I hope you realize that crimes against humanity is what the Nazis did, not what a drunk on a horse making noise would do.

[Korot 6]

@Raysfan16: Well, I wouldn't be happy with an idiot waking me up at midnight, but you are right about the 'crimes against humanity' thing. It was only considered a crime after WWII, with the crimes committed by the Nazis rated as crimes against humanity, in fact, the Nazis had the questionable honer of being the first people who committed these crimes.

As for the CJ, it looks nice, and will hopefully last for more than 4 pages, as you said the previous one did. My vote for county seat goes to Jefferson