Liberty County: Two cities, one metro area

[SounderBruce 173]

Wow, I missed a lot while I was gone!

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you

Tomasneto: Thank you

chrissc94: Thank you

metarvo: Thank you

aiumkastarkius: Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

Update 36: The Great Fire

It is July 26, 1910.  The summer is blistering hot, and the usual spring rains didn't come in 1910.  As a result, by July, it was very dry.  The Jefferson Fire department had posted up notices advising against the use of cigarrettes or anything that could start a fire.  However, the fire department in the entire Liberty Valley was busy, fighting a forest fire that could pose a potential threat to Plateau City.

By 8:00pm, people had finished working for the day and were returning to homes like the ones below.

In one of the homes, Lars Daniel was placing freshly purchased liquor bottles on the table, when a gas lantern fell from the ceiling and hit the bottles, causing them to explode.  A fire had started, and was burning in Lars kitchen/living room/bedroom/bathroom.  Lars gathered his stuff and climbed out the back window.

A fire was an exciting thing, and many brought whiskey and chairs to watch some homes burn.  At one point, some people were even heard to be playing musical instruments.  However, everybody grew bored after about an hour, and as everybody left, someone took this photograph.

The fire slowly spread, but most of the people who had been watching the fire were at downtown at 10:00pm.  The fire continued to spread, into a more wealthy neighborhood that was closer to downtown.

Meanwhile, in downtown, people were gathered at the Central-Columbia intersection, drinking and socializing.  Below is a photo of the intersection as of April 1910.

The fire began to spread faster around midnight, and burned down the Hotel Washington at around 1:00am.

A panic started, and people began to run and scream.  We'll get to the panic later, but first, we must know what happens to mayor Jacob Leland.

Leland was in his house sleeping until one of his butlers woke him up, and urged him and his family to evacuate.  Leland was reluctant until he saw the Hotel Washington in flames not too far.  Then, Leland hurried his family into their automobile, and drove to the northern side of Jefferson Creek.

The Jefferson Herald didn't burn down.  The building did catch on fire, and was damaged, but was still intact in the morning.  The fire had reached this spot around 2:30am.

Thousands panicked as the fire shot down Central and Columbia.  Many were trampled, and others burned to death.  The most deaths that night occured at the Central-Columbia intersection.

The fire also spread north, igniting the power plant, and causing an explosion around 4am.

The fire stopped before hitting the famous San Francisco Row, which was famous for its whiskey and restaraunts.

The fire died out around dawn, and an balloon passing over around noon got a photograph of the damage.  Most of the city was in ruins.  One of the two buildings in downtown that survived the blaze would last for more than a half-century more, while the other would be demolished within the decade.

The Mission City Courier and Jefferson Herald reacted in two different ways.  The Herald was in shock and horrified to see their city burned, while the Courier hailed the blaze as "the ultimate victory for Mission City"

Jacob Leland returned to the Leland Estate in the afternoon, and was in a quiet state of shock at the ruins of Jefferson.  The only thing he said was "my crazy old dad was right," recalling to the vision Joseph Leland had on his deathbed in 1903.  After that, Leland sat in a quiet state of shock for 2 weeks, then, finally, took action for the rebuilding of Jefferson, and the enhancement of the Liberty Valley.

[Wrightguy0 40]

Let me guess, readership of the Courier Dropped after that shockingly tasteless display of arrogance.

[Korot 6]

It's a sad thing that Jefferson largely burned down in that fire, but I hop that the city is like a phoenix, rising from it's ashes, becoming even bigger and better.

[Sternkrieg72 0]

Too bad about Jefferson. Looks great though N106.

[Raysfan16 5]

Aww....I saw it coming. Stupid Lars.

Looking forward to seeing Jefferson improving!

[N106 10]

Replies

Wrightguy0: The Great Fire was like a Titanic Disaster for the Courier.  Even though it would survive until 1962, the Courier would be forced to merge with a larger newspaper in 1931.  Readership had been cut in half by 1911.

Korot: Thank you, and some graduates from the Liberty Valley Engineering University have some plans...

Sternkrieg72: Thank you

Raysfan16: Thank you

Update 37: The Grand Plan

On day 15 after the fire, or August 10, 1910, Jacob Leland sprung into action.  First, legal action.  Jacob Leland, while a good mayor, was not flawless.  He was horribly elitist, and immediately took legal action against Lars for burning down Jefferson, just because Lars was poor and the people wanted a scapegoat.  The result was a 99 year long legal battle that ended with a bet over the superbowl.  By this time, Lars was dead, but his descendents and their lawyers made a bet against the descendents of Jacob Leland, ending the case of Lars vs. Leland when the Stealers won the 2009 Superbowl.  Ultimately, the case had 7,426 hung juries, 3 Supreme Court Hearing, 29 Court of Appeals Hearings, and 1 Tax court hearing.

Then, Leland began the damage clearance, while simultaneously creating the Liberty Valley Planning Commission, or the LVPC, to rebuild Jefferson and impove the valley.

By November of 1910, the rubble was cleared, only helping to emphasize the destruction caused by the fire with a big gap where most of Jefferson used to be.

The LVPC drafted a plan for not only the rebuilding of Jefferson, but for the enhancement of the entire Liberty Valley.  The plan was completed and approved in the spring of 1911.

Red is water to be filled in as land.  Blue is railroad.  Black is avenue.  Green is parkland.

Work on the plan started in Jefferson and Mission City.  In Jefferson, Columbia and Central Avenues were paved, a county capitol complex began construction after more than 20 years of anticipation, and new roads were built. By the end of 1911, several flimsy low wealth businesses have set up shop in downtown Jefferson.

In 1911, the Liberty Valley saw its first paved roads in Jefferson.  2 years later, Main Street was paved in Mission City.

Back in Jefferson, the County Building was completed in 1913, and was the center of the Jefferson Street network.  It would serve as the county's administrative building until about 1980.

Also, a medium sized suspension bridge was built across the Liberty River- a surprising move, considering the area had a fairly low population density and was made up of farmland.  The bridge was completed in 1916, after 2 years construction.

Around 1917, construction began on a civic plaza in Jefferson.  Construction would be slow, and often delayed by strikes, but would finally be completed by Public Works around 1935.

Meanwhile, the Grand Plan addressed a very important issue in Mission City- the potential for Mission Island.  There were large lakes in the center of the island that blocked the island's commercial potential.

However, in 1912, the island was filled in.

However, the plan did not have in mind an agricultural fate for the island.  By 1915, the process of turning the island into a seaport had begun, with the new Mission City Union Station.

The Mission Island Bridge was built in 1917.

This only licks the surface of what the Grand Plan has done for the valley.  The rest of what the Grand Plan did will be covered in later updates.

[Raysfan16 5]

It's like Groundhog Day after following Jefferson!

I see you took the map of Portland, and the civic plaza looks great!

[Korot 6]

I like that plan from those graduates. I also have a request: could you please show a region map/shots with the names of the cities/towns shown, so that I have I better idea of what lays where?

[SounderBruce 173]

good plan so far

[chrissc94 1]

Nice plan for the city, it's like you can tell it's going to be a metropolis soon enough...

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you

Korot: I'll think about it.  Thank you

ComputerGuy890100: Thank you

chrissc94: Thank you

Update 38a: Mission City as an 

 

industrial center

In 1910, 13,021 people lived in Mission City.  The city was in a crisis.  There was unemployment caused by a lack of agricultural skill or commercial demand for the new, middle class residents.

In 1911, the old city hall was demolished, and a new one was built.  Downtown became increasingly griddy as the original organic patterns were straightened out.  The new city hall opened in 1912.

By 1914, the train depot and an avenue had been completed onto the new part of Mission Island.  The industrial district was launched in the fall of 1914, as World War 1 spread across Europe.

The industrial district quickly developed.  By the time the US entered World War 1 in 1917, the industrial district had developed into the regional industrial center of the Liberty Valley.

A neighborhood of workers developed just west of the district by 1918.

Even though jobs were no longer a problem, pollution in the San Paso River was a growing problem.

Meanwhile, on the south side of the river, a small train station was built for the little town and the university.

2 blocks of abandoned and poor neighborhoods were cleared in 1916 for the creation of San Paso Park, which is Mission City's City park.

Alright, this is only part one of Mission City in the 1910s.  The next part is coming tonight or tommorrow.

[Sternkrieg72 0]

Sounds like a fun city. I really like the industrial boom during 1917 like it really would have been. Looks like a fun city to live in, can't wait to see more.

[Raysfan16 5]

Another good update, I like your Mission City park but really hope I don't have to drink out of the San Paso River!

Btw, about the 'underrated' thing, just keep in mind that if you build it, they will come. Translated to CJ speak, if you keep making high-quality updates, you will get more replies and views.

[chrissc94 1]

To get rid of that underrated-ness of the CJ, keep your updates longer with at least 6-7 pictures each. You've been doing this the last couple updates, so just keep it up, and you'll get more views/comments.

[N106 10]

Replies

Sternkrieg72: Thank you

Raysfan16: Thank you

chrissc94: Thank you

I guess I was just a bit upset that I wasn't even a runner-up for a trixie.  But then, I thought to myself- hey, your expectations are waaaay to high.  You should be glad you were nominated, and you should be glad that you have a city journal that is more than a month old and that you haven't quit on it.  Also, I realized that there are more people commenting on my CJ nowadays than ever before.  As a result, I felt much better.  Everybody who has commented- thank you for going to the trouble of writing out a comment on this CJ giving me advice or a positive statement.

Update 38b: Transition into the

 

1920s: Mission City

In my last update, I fogot a couple of newspaper articles.  So, here we go...

And, another article.

Now, for the update...

In 1916, a new part of the Liberty Valley Engineering University was completed.  The university had gained large grants for the graduates' good job at making the Grand Plan.  As a result, the campus was expanded to include dormitories, and several new classes.

The harbor at Mission Island we know today wasn't started until 1922.  In 1918, the industrial district was isolated on the island.

The industrial district had expanded to encompass the entire center of Mission Island.  The pollution created the first ever smog in the Liberty Valley, which first settled down on Mission City on February 21, 1918, and every morning since until 1986.

In the nearby neighborhoods, all schools in the Liberty Valley were being segregated.  As much as I would love for the Liberty Valley to be the "home of tolerance and diversity in a racist world"- lets face it.  One, there is already so many historic CJs that do that, and two, this is something that I want to be believably real.  So, anyways, thats besides the point.

By 1920, the only city with non-segregated schools was Plateau City.  Below is a school for minorities.

In 1919, a new middle class subdivision opened on the western end of Mission Island- known as Parkland (after one of my favorite CJs), and was planned by some of the drafters of the Grand Plan.

Business was booming in Mission City, and as the city expanded, homes near downtown were destroyed for the purpose of small business (Wal-Mart didn't come around until the 1960s, and the small businesses it destroyed had to come from somewhere)

Near the new city hall, the famous "Government Row" began to develop.  Even though very few of the buildings of Government Row had anything to do with government, many were famous office buildings, or even homes to bootleg alcohol during Prohibition.

By 1920, downtown had grown significantly.  As roads were being paved and new businesses opened, America entered an age of economic expansion unparralled until after World War 2.

By 1920, 20,196 people lived in Mission City.  However, Mission City was no longer the biggest city in the region- for, a younger city had become bigger.  Its name was Jefferson.

TO BE CONTINUED... next update

[830point35 8]

these really are great... I wanted to do something like this for the longest time but my kid won't let me!

[Wrightguy0 40]

Nice updates, I can't wait to see the valley get it's first skyscraper.

[Korot 6]

Now I'm really looking forward to see Jefferson.

[Raysfan16 5]

Nice update again, I like the correlation with WW1.

About your Trixie comments, you were right that your expectations were too high for a (I'll count it as first even though you had one before) first CJ by a new member. That's why even after all of my efforts, I wasn't disappointed that Skagit County (RIP) didn't win anything.

[Retrodude818 0]

You're CJ is incredible! I like to read it over and over--fascinating.

[N106 10]

Replies

830point35: Thank you

Wrightguy0: Thank you

Korot: Thank you

Raysfan16: Thank you

Retrodude818: Thank you

Wow!  I've never gotten so many replies before!  I think people are beginning to notice me!

Update 39a: Rebuilding

As you all know, Jefferson was devastated in 1910 by a fire that swept through the city.  Hundreds were killed, and thousands were homeless.  In the first month after the fire, 5,000 people left Jefferson, placing the population at somewhere around 6,000.  The streetcars were out of service.  But, on August 29, 1910, a small wooden shack set up across from the Clinton Building. A sign was posted on the front of the shack saying Smith's Insurance.

This was the first time any of the Big Three dominated business.  During the 1910s, three people would rise to build an entire business district in the 1920s.  All skyscrapers built before World War 2 were built by the Big Three- not just in Jefferson, but in Mission City.

But, here, we focus on the rebuilding of Jefferson and the rise of the Big Three- not their summit.

Thomas Smith managed to build a sturdier brick building in late 1911, and became rich enough to buy the Clinton Building with the clock tower across the street- and made that Smith Insurance.  He built a mansion for himself in the thriving neighborhoods nearby in 1914.

Meanwhile, near city hall, rebuilding began on the destroyed Hotel Washington.  Halfway through rebuilding, though, the owner went broke, and sold the Hotel Washington to Harold Leland, Jacob Leland's cousin.  Leland became rich when the hotel was finished- for it was the finest in the entire Liberty Valley, and would maintain that reputation until 1926.

After the Hotel Washington was purchased, and renamed the Washington Hotel when completed in 1911, Leland moved to start on his own projects with his vast wealth.  The Liberty Valley was seeing its first plutocrats- and it was liking what it saw.

By 1914, Leland owned 3 businesses, including the Washington Hotel, and bought an empty lot on the north end of downtown.  He began construction on a large building, which was completed in 1915 as the region's first hi-rise (not a skyscraper) as the Leland Hotel.

After the Leland Hotel, Harold Leland remained inactive in the big-building league for almost a decade, instead setting his sights on buying out all of the smaller businesses in Jefferson, and to some extent, Mission City and Fort Freedom.

In 1914, Thomas Smith began the aggressive buying out of downtown businesses in competition with Harold Leland.  In 1915, he built the Smith Building by city hall.  This 5-story behemoth served as a department store, offices, and a boarding house.

In 1917, Thomas Smith bought several acres of land on the edge of Jefferson, and began work on a baseball stadium.  It was completed in 1919 as the Municipal Stadium, and at the time was the largest baseball stadium in the Liberty Valley, and would remain so until the Liberty League in the 1950s.

The rebuilding of downtown Jefferson began to pick up in early 1912.  Wooden shanty businesses that had been built were being replaced by sturdier, larger brick buildings.  Entrepenuers were everywhere at first, before the Big Three bought everything.

By 1915, downtown Jefferson was mostly rebuilt.  While a full recovery was years away, business and homes were no longer staying away.  The Big Three (one of them hasn't been introduced) have helped speed up the process.

Also, neighborhoods had more than rebuilt.  Starting around 1912, a building boom of residences occured, in which many homes were built in the area burned down by the fire.

By 1915, the area that first burned down that night in 1910 was the richest neighborhood in Jefferson.

Now to introduce the final member of the Big Three.  Edward Johnson was the founder of the Jefferson Herald in 1884.  He went on to have a son, named Charlie Johnson, who was born in 1886.  In 1910, Edward Johnson fought to save the Herald Building as the fire raged on.  He burned to death as the fire raged on.  The 24-year-old Charlie Johnson immediately inherited the Herald.

Charlie did not refurbish the Herald Building in a cost-saving measure, but instead began to built the shanty Johnson Insurance, Johnson General Store, and the Johnson Inn.  By 1913, Charlie Johnson was one of the richest people in the valley, and began to buy businesses nearby.  He bought businesses  on the west end of downtown, where the oldest survivng buildings- built in the 1890s, are.

What he did next is in a later update.

In 1910, the schoolhouse was destroyed by the fire.  Two years later, Handley Elementary School was opened, with the ribbon cut by school board superintendent

Franklin Handley.

In 1917, construction began to replace the aging makeshift highschool in order to replace it with the massive Central Highschool, which was completed in 1920.

In 1916, the civic plaza gained progress, as the area around the school board building and the capitol building were paved.

In 1918, Capitol Park was built in one of the blocks of the civic plaza.

By 1915, Jefferson was growing, and was clearly as big or bigger than Mission City.  Also, all businesses were being bought out by the rising Big Three.  However, there was more to come in that decade.

[Raysfan16 5]

Wow, nice update! I like the parks. Good history of the Big Three, they sound familiar!

Leland must be a penny pincher, avoiding that high real estate price in downtown Jefferson so putting it by the coal plant. Just imagine the prices in downtown Jefferson today!

[N106 10]

Replies

Raysfan16: Thank you

Update 39b: The first skyscraper

By 1915, Jefferson had recovered from a massive catastrophe, and was growing quickly.  However, 2 years later, global events would influence its growth.

In 1917, the US entered World War 1.  The demand for agriculture and industry skyrocketed.  Demand was so high that an industrial district was built in Jefferson.

As Jefferson expanded in all directions, demand was created for another elementary school.  On the south end of town, Washington Elementary was built- completed in 1916.

The Liberty Valley Bank was quick to return to Jefferson.  The new, 5-story building was completed on the west end of downtown in 1917, and was a secondary headquarters.

Vladimir Koybalanski built the famous Koybalanski Building in 1916, which would become a major home to bootleggers in the 1920s, and exists today as a popular bar.

President Park was the first of the three parks called for by the Grand Plan.  It was completed in 1917.

Thomas Smith built a lavish mansion near downtown in 1918.

Edward Johnson built the Johnson Estate in 1918.

In 1919, one of the few independent downtown businesses remaining was the Farley Building.  It was the only independent office building in downtown, and was built by Howard Farley in 1919.

In 1918, the original Herald Building was demolished.  Edward Johnson had the Herald temporarily stationed in a neighboring building.  The new Herald Building was completed in 1920, was 8 stories high, and the first skyscraper in the Liberty Valley.

By 1920, nobody could tell that downtown had burned down a decade earlier.  It was thriving, growing, and on the verge of the biggest building boom the Liberty Valley had ever seen.

Below is a map of Jefferson in 1920.

I forgot to include a map of Mission City in an earlier update, so here's Mission City in 1920.

In 1920, Jefferson had become the largest city in the Liberty Valley.  Mission City had 20,196 people in 1920, but Jefferson had 29,476 people.  This only tightened competition between the two cities.

[Tomasneto 20]

Great update guy!!! Another nice work!!!

[chrissc94 1]

Jefferson's really growing rapidly! Really great job on planning!

[Korot 6]

Wow, that looks nice, I can see that Jefferson recovered quickly from that fire. I suggest however, that you chance that hospital to a more rural one, without a helicopter, as they didn't have chopper in the 1910's.

[GMT 389]

It's growing and it's griddy...

guess that makes the deal

I like what I see

waiting for more!

[N106 10]

Replies

Tomasneto: Thank you
chrissc94: Thank you
Korot: Thank you, and that is very sound advice.  I was thinking the same myself.  The problem is that I can't find any good old-styled hospitals on the STEX
GMT: Thank you

Update 40: Modernizing Fort Freedom

In 1910, the growth of Fort Freedom slowed to almost stopping.  The city entered an age of stability that would last until after World War 2.  In 1910, there were two schools in the region.
Handley Elementary- formerly Handley Highschool, was rebuilt as an elementary school in 1903.  It still exists today.

Also, there was Lincoln Highschool (today its an elementary school) which was built in 1909 and is now 100 years old.

In 1914, one of the Big Three gave Fort Freedom money to build an elementary school in his name.  The small school opened in 1916 as Johnson Elementary School.

In 1919, sports fanatic Harold Leland built a park about 1 mile away from Fort Freedom complete with a baseball field, a soccer field, and three tennis courts, along with some grass.

Due to the Grand Plan creating a direct railroad connection from Mission City to New London, the ferry terminal in Fort Freedom was no longer needed.  The city decided to keep it as a relic of the past.  Today, the terminal, the actual fort, and the historic downtown of Fort Freedom attract thousands monthly.

In 1915, Main Street was paved as an avenue- directly connected to Jefferson.

As downtown expanded, 1st street became a vital part of the growing business district.

In 1917, Thomas Smith built the Smith Theatre in Fort Freedom.  The Smith Theatre would be the only theatre in Fort Freedom until the 1960s.

By 1920, downtown Fort Freedom had grown.  Fort Freedom was still the 3rd largest city in the Liberty Valley, even if the margin between 2nd and 3rd was growing.  As a result, its business district was still an important part of the regional economy.

Below is a map of Fort Freedom in 1920.

By 1920, 5,051 people lived in Fort Freedom.

[N106 10]

Replies

Normally, I'd be slightly annoyed about the lack of replies after an update's been sitting for about 12 hours.  However, because Simtropolis was unavailable (at least for a few hours), I'll forgive my fans.  Read and enjoy the next update, folks!

Update 41: Valleyview grows

By the 1910s, Valleyview was a very quickly growing city.  World War 1 was what helped Valleyview- with the rise in agricultural demand.  But, the framework for this boom was set up in the years before- with the Grand Plan bringing a paved avenue through the heart of Valleyview in 1916.

A stone bridge was built across the small river, and initiated the development of nearby farmland.

World War 1 caused local agricultural growth.  Soon, the farms opposite of Valleyview were thriving.

Valleyview was growing quickly.  By 1917, a couple of blocks had grown south of the train depot.

Due to booming business in downtown, many became rich, and built mansions north of downtown.

By 1920, downtown Valleyview had grown to meet the needs of the growing town.

Below is a map of Valleyview in 1920.

By 1920, 3,002 people lived in Valleyview- making it the 4th largest city in the Liberty Valley.