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The town site was first surveyed by Sanford Doud, in May, 1848, and re-surveyed by a man named Clemons in 1849.

The original town site was part of the north half of section 10, and the south half of the south half of section 3, all in tp 76, r 18.

Some ten additions have been laid out since then, as follows:

Southeast Pella, October 11, 1854; n part e hf of e hf, ne qr section 10, tp 76, r 18, and the w hf of the sw qr section 11, tp 76, r 18, by Isaac Over kamp and G. H. Overkamp.

South Pella, November 30, 1854.

North Pella, September 9, 1854; n hf se qr, ne qr sw qr, section 3, tp 76, r 18.

West Pella, November 7, 1854.

Addition to South Pella, August 16, 1856.

Out-lots by Hospers, June 25, 1858.

Addition to South Pella, September 3, 1856.

Overkamp's R. R. Addition, October 6, 1864.

Scarff's Addition to South Pella, November 3, 1874.

The first house for the entertainment of the public in Pella was kept by the widow of M. J. Post.

The first post-office was the one originally established on Lake Prairie and moved to Pella in 1848. The first postmaster was Henry Peter Scholte, the founder of the Holland settlement.

Walters & Smith carried on the first business, a store of general merchandise, in a small building about one mile from the center of the city, as it now is.

E. F. Grafe carried on the second business house in the town.

In 1855, one year after the incorporation of Knoxville, the people of Pella took measures to have their town incorporated. The following are copies of the official records, relating to the matter: "On the twenty-eighth day of June comes and makes due returns of the votes cast at Pella, Marion county, Iowa, for and against incorporating the town of Pella into a city. Whereupon examination of said returns, it appears that there were 157 votes cast, of which 135 were cast in favor of incorporation and twenty-two were cast in opposition. Which, from said return, it was found that there was a majority of 113 votes in favor.of incorporating the said town of Pella into a city.

"Whereupon the county judge fixed upon the ninth day of July, 1855, as the time, and the said town of Pella as the place of holding an election to choose persons to prepare a charter, or articles of incorporation for the said city or town of Pella. The court also fixed upon three persons as the number to be elected to prepare said charter.

"On the tenth day of July, 1855, comes Hugo Kuyper and makes a due return of the number of votes cast for persons elected to prepare a charter for the city of Pella.

"Whereupon it appears from said return that there were seventy-six votes cast, of which H. C. Huntsman received seventy-two, Isaac Overkamp received seventy, and P. Pravendright received sixty-four. Which appearing from said return that the persons named were duly elected.

"Whereupon the said H. C. Huntsman, Isaac Överkamp and P. Pravendright were duly notified of their election, and the twentieth day of Au

gust was fixed upon as the day to submit a charter for the said town of Pella, to the legal voters of the said town, and that E. F. Grafe, W. J. Ellis and A. van Stigt be appointed judges, and H. Hospers and Isaac Overkamp clerks of said election."

The charter was adopted, and the tenth day of September, 1855, was the time fixed for electing officers for the corporation.

The first election was held on the day named and resulted in the election of the following officers:

Mayor, W. J. Ellis; marshal, A. Stoutenburg; recorder, G. Boekenoongen; treasurer, I. Overkamp; aldermen, T. Rosborough, M. A. Clark, J. E. Streng, H. Hospers, O. McDowell, J. Berkhout. The present officers of the city are as follows:

Mayor-H. M. McCully.
Treasurer-I. Overkamp.
Clerk-J. H. Stubenrauch.
Assessor-E. Sterrenberg.
Marshal-A. Synhorst.

Street Commissioner-L. v. d. Sluis.

Solicitor-E. Shaw.

Aldermen-First ward, J. B. Sexton, W. D. Forsythe; Second ward, S. v. d. Zyl, H. Kuyper; Third ward, H. de Booy, F. W. Brinkhoff; Fourth ward, Jonas Liter, Geo. Brown.

The officers of the city from the time it was incorporated until the present, are as follows:

1855.

Mayor-W. J. Ellis. Recorder--G. Boekenoogen, H. Kuyper. Treasurer -Isaac Overkamp. Marshal--A. Stoutenburg, J. F. van Nahuis, D. C. Campbell.

1856.

Mayor-W. J. Ellis. Recorder-H. Kuyper. Treasurer-Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-D. C. Campbell, O. H. Parish.

1857.

Mayor R. G. Hamilton. Recorder-P. Barendregt. Treasurer-Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-O. H. Parish.

1858.

Mayor-Isaac Overkamp. Recorder--P. Barendregt. Treasurer-A. H. Viersen. Marshal-Thomas Rosborough.

1859.

Mayor-Isaac Overkamp. Recorder-P. Barendregt. Treasurer-J, Nollen. Marshal-B. ten Broek.

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Mayor-John Nollen. Recorder-H. Neyenesch. Treasurer-Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-O. H. Parish, N. P. Earp.

1862.

Mayor-John Nollen. Recorder-H. Neyenesch. Overkamp. Marshal-N. P. Earp.

Treasurer-Isase

1863.

Mayor-J. Nollen. Recorder-H. Neyenesch. Treasurer-I. Overkamp. Marshal-N. P. Earp, H. Van Vliet.

1864.

Mayor-Wm. Fisher. Recorder-H. Neyenesch. Treasurer-I. Overkamp. Marshal--John Von Driel.

1865.

Mayor-Wm. Fisher. Recorder-H. Neyenesch. Treasuer-I. Overkamp. Marshal-William Holbrook.

1866.

Mayor-William Fisher. Recorder-H. Neyenesch. Treasurer-Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-H. Kraai.

1867.

Mayor-H. Hospers. Recorder - H. Neyenesch. Overkamp. Marshal-H. Kraai.

Treasuer-Isaac

1868.

Mayor-H. Hospers.

Recorder- H. Neyenesch.

Treasurer - Isaac

Overkamp. Marshal-H. Kraai, H. Synhorst.

Mayor-H. Hospers. Recorder-H. Neyenesch. Treasurer

1869.

Treasurer-Isaac

Overkamp. Marshal-A. Lee.

1870.

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The city abandons its old charter and is organized under the general law. The officer heretofore called recorder is hereafter called clerk.

Mayor-H. Hospers, H. Neyenesch. Clerk-H. Neyenesch, W. D. Forsythe. Treasurer-Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-A. Lee.

1871.

Mayor-H. M. McCully. Clerk-W. D. Forsythe. Treasurer-Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-A. Lee.

1872.

Mayor-H. M. McCully. Clerk-A. H. Viersen. Treasurer-Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-A. Lee.

1873.

Mayor-H. M. McCully. Clerk--H. F. Bousquet. Treasurer—Isaac Overkamp. Marshal-A. Lee.

1874.

Mayor-H. Neyenesch. Clerk-H. F. Bousquet. Treasurer-I. Overkamp. Marshal A. Lee.

1875.

Mayor-E. F. Grafe. Clerk-H. F. Bousquet. Treasurer--I. Overkamp. Marshal-P. H. Kennedy.

1876.

Mayor-H. Neyenesch. Clerk--P. C. Lankelma. Treasurer--I. Overkamp. Marshal--W. W. Brown.

1877.

Mayor-H. Neyenesch. Clerk-P. C. Lankelma. Treasurer--I. Overkamp. Marshal--A. Lee.

1878.

Mayor-H. M. McCully. Clerk-P. C. Lankelma. Treasurer-I. Overkamp. Marshal--A. Lee.

1879.

Mayor-H. M. McCully. Clerk--J. H. Stubenrauch. Treasurer — I. Overkamp. Marshal-A. Synhorst.

1880.

Mayor-H. M. McCully. Clerk--J. H. Stubenrauch. Treasurer--L Overkamp. Marshal—A. Synhorst.

GROWTH OF BUSINESS AND POPULATION.

It has already been seen that the first town plat of Pella had been surveyed, a few buildings had been erected, a post-office established and one or two business houses located there prior to 1850; that in 1855 the town was incorporated and there were seventy-six votes cast. After the incor portion of the town its growth was continuous and rapid, but its growth and prosperity have been most marked since the completion of the Des Moines Valley Railroad, which fortunately for Pella passed through that town before any of its rivals had any road, and by reason of which it became the only shipping point in Marion county, and in a few years became the chief trading point for a large and productive region of country. The Des Moines Valley Railroad was completed to Eddyville at the county line between Wapello and Mahaska counties in 1861 where the terminus of the road continued to be until 1866 when it was completed to Des Moines. From 1866 till 1875 Pella enjoyed remarkable advantages which were improved to the fullest extent. "By the completion of two other lines of railroad through Marion county, Pella has lost a portion of its trade and as a shipping point is not a place of as much importance as formerly. Though still a place of great business activity it will be seen that it has fallen off somewhat, during the past five years in population. According to the census of 1875 it then had a population of 2,536, while in 1880 it was but 2,435. By comparing the amount of shipments for the year 1873 with the shipments during the last six months of the year 1879, it will be seen that there has been a falling off.

Business done by railroad at Pella during the year 1873, pounds:

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