Liberty County: Two cities, one metro area

[Hawkeye9 0]

Wow, your last couple updates have been great!!!

Keep it up and ill be back for more!!!

 Welcome to Page 5!!!!!

[SounderBruce 173]

Great work!

[N106 10]

Replies

chrissc94: Thank you

Hawkeye9: Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

Update 28: Mission City and the New Century

Before we get started with the actual update, lets see a couple of news articles...

Here's one from 1902.

Then, an article from 1907.

Now, for an overview of Mission City politics in the first decade of the 20th century.

The mayor from 1900-1910 was Iam Anonymous Jr.  Anonymous promoted the idea of individual privacy- and even asked the regional courts to stop issuing search warrants at one point.

Oh, and some good news.  Earlier, I said that the census data accidentily caught on fire and burned.  Well, I discovered that it was actually toilet paper that burned.  I discovered it when I was in the restroom.  When I reached to grab toilet paper, I found the census data.  Unfortunately, I actually used the census data as toilet paper, so the data from the 1890s, and in Jefferson up to the 1910s was kinda covered in my poo.  So, it seems that we have limited access to the census data.

Alright, now onto the story.

Terraces turned out to be a blessing rather than a curse.  They made developing on the slopes easier.  Neighborhoods like the one below were far cheaper to build then they would have been without the terrace farming.

In 1902, the Liberty Valley Engineering University opened.

Due to the tightening competition between Jefferson and Mission City, Jefferson cut off a 15-year old power deal with Mission City in 1902.  After 4 years without electricity, Mission City finished a coal power plant.

In 1905, the famous Mayan Hotel opened in Mission City.  It would hold a brief 6-year reign as the most luxurious hotel in the Liberty Valley.

In 1907, the Mission City opera house opened for business.

By 1910, Mission City had grown from about 7,500 residents to 13,021 residents.

Next update is about Jefferson.

[Raysfan16 5]

Whoa, isn't that snazzy, a whole new opera house!

[De Ja Vu 117]

Nice photoshoping! You've done a good job on the newspaper! Looking forward to seeing more!

[SounderBruce 173]

Fantastic update!

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you

De Ja Vu: Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

Jefferson and the last decade of the olden days

In 1899, after the Benson impeachment, Joseph Leland became mayor for a second term.  Nobody is sure how Leland- who was now old and senile, became the mayor of Jefferson.  In 1903, Leland fell ill.  On his deathbed, he had a horrible vision.

"Fire, starting in the slums of Jefferson, shall spread.  The downtown area will be laid to rubble.  Many neighborhoods shall be turned into ashes.  The fires will spread into the farms, burning our winter crops."

The rumor that ended up spreading was that Leland was crazy.

After Joseph Leland's death in 1903, Jacob Leland become mayor of Jefferson.  Jacob Leland was the most famous person to ever be mayor of Jefferson- and would be mayor until 1915.  In the first decade of the 20th century, though, his job was easy, for Jefferson was a prosperous town.

In 1902, a pier was built for the farmers to get their goods shipped out.  By this time, farmers were ignoring the county's warning to stay out of the low-lying areas.  When the area flooded in 1904, construction on a dam upriver began.

In 1906, a massive department store was built in downtown Jefferson.  It was the biggest building built before the Great Fire of 1910.

Before World War 2, people went to public pools for leisure.  Here is a photo of one such pool around 1910.

In 1908, the Carnegie Library opened in Jefferson.  It was a fine building, and survives to this day.

By 1910, 11,000 people lived in Jefferson.

Oh, and

BUSH IS NO LONGER PRESIDENT!!!!  YAY!!!!

[chrissc94 1]

Could've done without the last part, Good update though.

[SounderBruce 173]

Nice update and...

...YESSS!!!! NO BUSH!!!

[N106 10]

Well, I will not have the update for another couple of hours, so here's a newspaper clip to keep the suspense up.

[N106 10]

Replies

chrissc94: Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

Update 30: The Fort Freedom we know is born

In July of 1900, there was a drought throughout the Liberty Valley, and a major heat wave.  Cases of fire were occuring in Mission City, Fort Freedom, and Jefferson.  However, on July 26, there was only 1 fire horsecart in Fort Freedom which was putting out a barn fire.  Around 1:40pm, a firebox was struck just northeast of downtown.  A fire had broken out at a local house.

The flames quickly spread to neighboring houses towards downtown.  The fire was spreading quickly, for the bottom picture was only 5 minutes later.

The fire burned businesses and burnt Drunkard Row and downtown.  The entire downtown had burnt by 2:30.

The fire ended after burning down the train depot around 1:45pm.

The fire ended around 3:00, after having burned for about an hour and a half.  There was 19 dead and 36 injured, along with 300 homeless.  The damage was all around downtown Fort Freedom.

Unlike what would happen in Jefferson 10 years later, rebuilding and damage clearance began immediately.  Within a month, there was no rubble left.

However, utilities had been knocked out by the fire.  The water tower had been burnt.  Work began within a couple of weeks on a new pumping station.  The pumping station was completed in 1901.

Also, rail services had to be restored.  By the end of the week, the rubble was cleared off of the tracks, and a wooden platform was completed a month later to help load and unload trains.  In 1901, construction began on a large new rail depot.  The new train station was completed in 1905.

After about a month, people who had left in the days after the fire and businesses that had burnt down were making a comeback.  At first, it was shanty-styled businesses made out of rubble.  But, in 1901, the first permanent building was completed.  By 1903, it was clear that Fort Freedom was in the biggest building boom that they'd ever seen.  In the below 1907 photo of Drunkard Row, there are many buildings that are recognizable from our modern era.

By 1910, it was hard to tell that the area was rubble a decade ago.  Businesses had opened all over, and downtown was bigger and better than ever.

By 1910, 4,798 people lived in Fort Freedom.  Population growth began to curb a bit for a few decades.

[GreekMan 246]

wow some great stuff happening here!

keep it up boss!

[SounderBruce 173]

Liberty County comes back!

[Raysfan16 5]

Grrr... I've missed a few updates. Anyways, I like them, and keep them up. I like Drunkard Row-it adds personality to the city.

[N106 10]

Replies

GreekMan: Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

Raysfan16: Thank you

Valleyview: Going from a Mormon village to a wealthy boomtown

In 1900, Valleyview was, for all intensive purposes, a Mormon village.  Of the 700 residents, about 699 were Mormon, and the other resident was a protestant thinking of becoming Mormon.  However, Valleyview was a nice place to get away from the stresses of life in Jefferson, Mission City, and Fort Freedom.

By 1905, hundreds of catholics and protestants had moved into the former Mormon haven.  In 1906, a catholic church was built for the 9 catholics who lived in the town at the time.  By 1910, several wealthy protestants and catholics had moved in, bumping up the catholic population to over 60.

In 1903, the mayors mansion in Valleyview was rebuilt of brick, and trees were planted nearby.

Gregory Insurance was built in 1903, and offered horse-and-buggy insurance.   The company failed in 1918, due to the rising popularity of automobile insurance.

Henry P. Lay founded Lay Architects in 1907, and completed the headquarters in Valleyview in 1909.  Lay Architects designed homes and businesses in the Liberty Valley until it failed in 2008 because everybody stopped buying homes, and an arsonist burned down his home, blamed it on the design of the house, and sued Lay Architects.

By 1910, downtown Valleyview had grown to the 4th largest business district in the region, with dozens of shops and an abundance of wealth.

Below is a map of Valleyview in 1910.

By 1910, 1,774 people lived in Valleyview.

[Hawkeye9 0]

Nice update like always!!!

Lookin forward to more!!!

[jacqulina 162]

great looking pics there my friend,wonderfull work

[N106 10]

Replies

Hawkeye9: Thank you

jacqulina: Thank you

Update 32: Riverview and the identity of "Little Jefferson"

If you asked a person in the Liberty Valley what Riverview's nickname was, they'd laugh and tell you "little Jefferson"  Riverview's history in the 20th and 21st century resembles Jefferson's, and Riverview follows the same kind of architectural styles.  The time when the nickname of Little Jefferson became widespread was the first decade of the 20th century, when a building boom caused the creation of many buildings resembling those in Jefferson.  Here's the northern end of downtown around 1908.

About 5 years before, catholics built a church in Riverview.  It was a sign of growth and importance of the town.  In 1890, Riverview was an unimportant village of about 500.  20 years later, the population and commercial appeal of the area had grown.

By 1910, downtown had grown significantly.

Looking at a map of Riverview as of 1910, one can see that the original plan from 1870 was no longer in affect, as the town grew beyond its original borders.

By 1910, there was 1,483 people living in Riverview.

[Raysfan16 5]

Wow, that's a lot of Mormons in Valleyview.

Looking forward to seeing them expand, Enn Wonosix!

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you

Update 33:  Plateau City and the

 

railroad

In 1900, Plateau City had about 200 residents, and was the only populated area in the Liberty Valley in complete disconnect with civilization.

In 1902, education finally arrived to Plateau City, with the construction of the first schoolhouse.

In 1906, the rail line that started south of Jefferson in 1890, extended to Valleyview about a decade before, finally reached Plateau City.

The downtown of Plateau City had every single lot developed by 1910.

Below is a map of Plateau City in 1910.  The only real change is the railroad.

By 1910, 388 people lived in Plateau City.

[Tomasneto 20]

Nice update, guy!!!

[N106 10]

Replies

Tomasneto: Thank you

Update 34: New London: 

 

Becoming important

By 1900, New London was a town that was about 6 years old.  All of the buildings were made of wood, and there really wasn't anything that great about the town.  However, during the next decade, New London would grow to be able to compete with Valleyview and Riverside in the commercial, residential, and industrial markets.

In 1902, the Railroad Hotel was completed just across the street from the train depot.

In 1904, the mayor's house was completed.

The most important commercial building in New London's early history was the Zilber Building.  It was built by James P. Zilber, who was the son of a German immigrant.  Zilber would at first stick to the smaller towns before becoming one of the Big Three by the 1920s.  The Zilber Building was completed in 1909.

Larger homes for richer people were built in the first decade of the 20th century.  Towards the top of the below picture, you can see the home of James P Zilber, who built his mansion in New  London in 1907.  Zilber would live there regularly until 1917, when it would become his summer home until Zilber's death in 1929.

By 1910, downtown New London had grown to an area that had commercial ability. 

Below is a map of New London in 1910.

By 1910, 1,129 people lived in New London.

[jacqulina 162]

wonderfull update my friend,growing well.i love the way your doing your pics.

[Sternkrieg72 0]

Love this. Can't wait to see what you do for WWI and the Roaring Twenties. Great Job, N.

[N106 10]

Replies

jacqulina: Thank you

Update 35: The last decade of 

the Old

A history of suburbs

This is to prevent a surge of replies about the two new subdivisions I've built.  A person who knows very little of the history of suburbia would say that the first suburb was built in 1947 at Levittown.  The truth is, the first suburb was more than a century earlier.  It was Brooklyn Heights, across the Hudson from Manhattan, in the 1830s.  After Brooklyn Heights, three kinds of suburbs existed.

Suburban plats was the first kind of suburb, which was merely expanding upon the street grid.  It was used everywhere until the late 19th century, and in small towns until the mid 20th century.

The second kind is the kind I'll feature, the subdivision.  This came around due to advances in transportation from the industrial revolution.  Neighborhoods could be planned away from the city due to streetcars and railroads.  The subdivision was born under the minds of people like Olmstead around 1860-1870, and was the most commonly used in larger cities until the mid 20th century.

The third kind is the kind used today, the cluster community.  The goal of the cluster commmunity is to fit as many people as possible into as little space as possible.  The first cluster community was in 1927, at Radburn, New Jersey, and became popular two decades later with Levittown, New York, and is used everywhere.

Liberty Valley in the 1900s

In 1900, about 35,000 people lived in the Liberty Valley.  However, there was quite a bit of growth during the decade, as new farms were built and the first two subdivisions were established.  The subdivisions were Ampton and Wahkiakum.  Also, the village of Skagittown grew by Skagit Lake north of Mission City, and the railroad town dubbed Massopax grew at the Jefferson station.  Yes, I am making references to CJs of people who've supported me in this CJ.

We'll start with Skagittown, about 4 miles north of Mission City, built by Skagit Lake, a long, thin lake that was used for fishing and later boating throughout the 20th century.  Skagittown grew by a pier built in 1901 for fishing.

By 1910, a few hundred people lived in Skagittown, which was a fishing village.

Meanwhile, about 2.5 miles north of Mission City, in the farmland, planning had begun for a subdivision along the streetcar line between Mission City and Skagittown.  Below is the spot chosen for the subdivision, to be named Wahkiakum, in 1904.

Construction began in 1905, and Wahkiakum was completed by 1906, and was the only neighborhood in the area until the 1950s.

Below is a view of the Mission City area in 1910, in which 13,021 people lived in Mission City, and about 23,000 people in the area.

Meanwhile, in the Jefferson area, the Presbyterian Center opened across the Liberty River, and it had a graveyard and a religious school.

Before Jefferson grew to engulf the train station, there was a small railroad town that grew that would be called Massopax.  A few hundred people lived there, and there were some stores because of the train depot.

About 4 miles south of Jefferson, near a railroad intersection, the subdivision of Ampton grew.  Ampton was larger than Wahkiakum, but was designed by the same people.

By 1910, downtown Jefferson hadn't grown much, but had more commercial and office space than Mission City.  The stage was set for the biggest event in the history of the Liberty Valley, but that's another update.

By 1910, there was about 11,000 people in Jefferson, and 35,000 people in or near Jefferson.

And, a newspaper article from the Herald, which is now this City Journal's official newspaper, from 1906.

By 1910, 57,838 people lived in the Liberty Valley.  However, in 1910, the biggest event in history would happen to the valley, which would end the way things used to be and begin the Liberty Valley we know today.

[Raysfan16 5]

Lol....just lol at Skagittown. Once my new CJ comes out you better have a new town ready. (Hint: it starts with an L)

Anyways, nice overview of the last decade. I like your foreshadowing in the newspaper, and Skagittown does look very good and portrays my late CJ very well.

[Tomasneto 20]

Another great update!!! Your CJ is awesome!!!

[chrissc94 1]

Excellent update! Can't wait for the next one!

[metarvo 711]

It's nice to see a CJ with a history this detailed.  The dirt roads really do add to the "early 1900's" feel, and the story about the fire was well-written.  I also enjoyed reading the newspapers.  Good work, N106. 

[aiumkastarkius 0]

GO MISSION CITY!!!!!!!!!!!