2022 is the year the town of Ely celebrates its 150th year. To help celebrate this sesquicentennial year, we will be posting a number of historical articles so that the people of Ely can learn more about the town's beginnings. The first of these is a transcription from a full page article about Ely from the year of 1923.
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The Cedar Rapids Evening Gazette, Page 5, August 4, 1923
ELY … ITS COMMUNITY ONE OF THE OLDEST IN THE COUNTY
J.C. Dvorak, Active in Civic Affairs, Gained Fame as
“Barefoot Mayor” When in Office Ten Years Ago
Ten years ago or more, Ely attracted not a little attention as the town with the barefooted mayor. That man is J.C. Dvorak, one of Ely's prominent citizens, one of the younger "pioneers," who has been instrumental in the town's affairs, who is known as on of the best of good-fellows and who, I found, is well versed in the history of the town, in which he has lived for thirty-four years.
The writer found Mr. Dvorak barefooted at his store, one of the largest in town.
He has gone barefooted in the summer-time for years, except of course on special occasions, when he does work that requires shoes or when he goes to Cedar Rapids, Iowa City or some other place away from home.
Comfort is given by Mr. Dvorak as his reason, for not wearing shoes more of the time,. He can not be comfortable in heavy shoes and socks, so he leaves them off keeping a pair of loose slippers at the store and house when he wants footwear to protect his feet.
Mr. Dvorak was born in Bohemia sixty-three years ago, and came to this country in 1855 with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Albert Dvorak, who live at 727 F avenue west, Cedar Rapids, where they moved from their farm near here twenty-four years ago.
When Mr. Dvorak came to Ely there were only a few store buildings and dwellings here. He entered the hardware and implement business and soon built up a large trade. Twenty-one years ago he built the two story building, occupied by his store, with lodge rooms on the second floor, and about the same time put up his residence.
He was instrumental in getting the town incorporated, was mayor of Ely from 1910 to 1916 and during his administration gave much of his time to building up the town, putting in cement sidewalks and grading the streets.
Mr. Dvorak is one of the prominent Odd Fellows in Linn county. He was one of the organizers and the first noble grand of Ely lodge No. 582 which was formed June 1, 1893, and in the succeeding years has held every office in the lodge and was its financial secretary for fifteen years. He has twice been a member of the grand lodge of the order. Mr. Dvorak is also an active member of the Z. C. B. J. lodge.
Mr. Dvorak has probably lived in Ely continuously as long as any other and so is well versed in the history of the town. He recalls when the town site was all timber and brush, when there was little thought of the town until the railroad came through and the grounds was purchased by the company from Andrew Fuhrmeister, father of Luther Fuhrmeister of Cedar Rapids. John Holler, reported to have been the first owner of the land on which the town is built, sold to Alex Gilmore who transferred to William Harms, A Quaker, from who it was purchased in 1867 by Mr. Fuhrmeister.
But long before the town was laid out, William Cooper built the first building on the site, a little structure placed in a clearing of the scrubby timber, and in which he opened a general store. The store changed hands, but the building is still standing it is said, having been altered and improved somewhat to be used as a residence.
Town Laid Out In 1872
Ely was platted in June 1872, the survey being made by T.M. Johnson, under the direction of John F. Ely. Ely, one of the pioneers of Linn county, a prominent railroad builder in the early days and one of the officers and stockholders of the B. C. R. and N. [Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad] The town was named for him.
After the railroad, buildings were erected more rapidly and the place soon took on the aspects of an active town. The railroad station, a warehouse by Andrew Fuhrmeister, a store building by Jerry Smith, then a saloon, a drug store and hardware store were built in the order named, dwellings going up as the business houses were built and folk moved to town.
Mr. Dvorak remembers many of the first business men of Ely. James Moorhead now of Marion, was the first druggist; Wesley Svacha, the first harness maker; Anton Horak, the first blacksmth; Dr. E. H. Brumbaugh, the first physician; John Hanus was the first cabinet maker and Joseph Jonas, who is still living, was the fist shoe maker to ply his trade in the town.
John Lorenc of Cedar Rapids, was the first man to open a hardware store here and L.M. Healy, now dead, was the first butcher.
There were four saloons in the town at one time, it is said.
