This is just the beginning! Our collection holds over 300 years of history, including rare newspapers, obituaries, marriage records, birth records, and so much more—most of which you won’t find anywhere else!
Eighty Years Ago Cedar Rapids Welcomed First Train
Cedar Rapids celebrated the arrival of its first train on June 15, 1859 with a 13 gun salute using anvils. Residents gathered for a depot stop near present Wilson and Co. and a big crowd later danced at Daniels hall. The event marked Cedar Rapids’ claim to a spot on America’s first transcontinental route via the Chicago Iowa and Nebraska line and the Cedar Rapids and Missouri River route.
MENTIONED IN THIS ARTICLE
Cedar Rapids
Obody
Fourth Street
Jefferson Street
Anvil
Tama
Iron Horse
America
Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska Railroad
Clinton
Wapsie River
Clarence
Lisbon
Virgin Prairie
Linn County
Cedar
Wilson and Company
Quaker Oats
C. I. and
John Weare
John F. Ely
Missouri River
C. I
C. R
Missouri
Marshalltown
W. W. Walker
State Center
Nevada
Boone
Union Pacific
Omaha
Iowa
North Western
Chicago, Iowa and Nebraska