History of Cedar Rapids in Iowa скачать в хорошем качестве

History of Cedar Rapids in Iowa

The rapids were both a blessing and a challenge. They were too strong for smooth navigation but powerful enough to drive mills. That power would become the heartbeat of the settlement. The early settlers saw more than beauty in the river — they saw industry. In 1838, William Starke, a millwright from Indiana, built a small sawmill on its banks, cutting timber from the endless forest. A few years later, he was joined by Osgood Shepard and John P. Hamilton, who helped shape the settlement that would grow around the falls.