C.W. Williams began building the first Postville creamery in 1881. In the latter part of 1882 the creamery was making over 1200 pounds of butter per day, and the Postville people were happy. He also built the first horse track in the north part of town and held races there for several years. Postville Review editor Burdick said ... ole Charlie Williams is a good man for progressive Postville.

In 1884 he was compelled to run cream routes a long distance and in 1885 he finally sold the creamery. Shortly thereafter he moved to Independence, Iowa where he built a kite-shaped race track. He owned famous trotters, Axtell and Allerton, who won him fame and fortune .... and then poverty.

In the 1890's it was not unusual to have 25,000 to 30,000 people attending his races. All the Postville people had to do was get on the Burlington railraod and "ride the rails" to the horse races. Williams also built an electric street railway and a $75,000 hotel and an opera house in Independence. Around 1896 Charlie started having large financial troubles and then lost everything.

The Postville Review:

1880, Editor W.N. Burdick wrote that he'd seen C.W. Williams in town and that Charlie was a good businessman, and that he'd arranged to open up a creamery at Ossian ...."The beauty of it is, he did not ask any bonus. Sometime, perhaps, that kind of a man may come to progressive Postville."

1881: How about that Creamery enterprise? Has it frozen out? Well, we have lots of creamery talk, but we have no Creamery and are not likely to have any. almost every little town around us has one, such as Hardin, Luana, etc. and while Postville is by far the most eligible point of any for such an institution we have none.

1881, several months later: New CREAMERY - We have leased a tract of land, half mile south of Postville, for creamery purposes. The creamery will be ready for business early in the spring. We advise the farmers in this vicinity to make arrangements to keep every cow they possibly can, as you can do nothing that will pay you as well. You need stock to bring your land where it was, when you commenced raising wheat. C.W. Williams & Co.

More news items:

Postville has its race course nearly completed and C.W. Williams has recently purchased two or three full blooded horses. Quite a number of swift horses are now owned in the vicinity.

C.W. Williams & Co. have begun work on their new Postville Creamery where they will have an excellent spring, and a good situation generally. The new creamery will be a two story frame, 22X48 with an engine house 12X28. Hurrah for Charley Williams!!

The first creamery paid 18 cents for cream while butter was quoted only 15 cents. Buttermilk could be had at the creamery, every day and at all hours, at 25 cents per barrel.

Our sincere thanks to friend C.W. Williams for a pair of plump prairie chickens he harvested this week. They will be eaten this Sunday dinner. Thanks Charlie!

One of the hands who works at Williams Creamery left the faucet of the waste pipe open and run $25 worth of cream down the crooked creek. How ridiculous!

1883:

We shall continue to buy poultry, rabbits and other game at Postville during January, February and March. C.W. Williams & Co.

Over 1200 pounds of good butter are made every day.

C.W. Williams, the big creamery man, has built the largest hog-pen or hog-house in the State of Iowa, at Ossian. It is 240 feet long, with appropriate width and stone basement. We understand it cost about $4,000. Such men as Charlie Williams are a big bonanza to any town.

A dance was held at the Postville Creamery last Thursday eve, it was attended by a number of our young folks, and a good time is reported.

1884:

While at Ossian last Sunday we went down and went through C.W. Williams mammoth hog pen. It is one of the finest arrangements for breeding hogs that we have ever seen. It will pay to go up there to witness it.

Postville Review
March 22, 1884
Editor, Review - Dear Sirs:
When the farmers in the vicinity of Postville see fit to patronize the creamery there, it will be opened again for business. The investment has been a poor one for me, having lost money every day since it started, and I am one of the many creamery men in Iowa that are becoming disgusted with the business. I will sell the Postville Creamery for less than cost.
Truly Yours,
C.W. Williams

...And Editor Burdick added:
It has seemed to us all the time passing strange that our people should all the time give preference to outside creameries, instead of patronizing their home creamery, thus compelling Mr. Williams to run cream routes a long distance and into the natural territory of other creameries in order to get enough cream to run at all, and then compel him to pay more than others paid, to get it at all. This is a very strange way to "protect home industries." It is a direct damage to progressive Postville to have it closed.

1885:

C.W. Williams Ossican Creamery burned down on Wednesday night. This will temporarily throw a lot of cream gatherers out of employment. Why not utilize the Postville Creamery now, Charlie?

C.W. Williams, the creamery man, informed us that he shall continue the creamery here in Postville, at least long enough to demonstrate whether it will pay or not. It is will pay it will be continued permanently. So mote it be! Hurrah for Charley Williams!!

C.W. Williams sold the Postville Creamery to the Postville Butter Package Manufacturing Company. Their main object in the purchase was to get the butter to ship in their packages. We are glad to have a Postville firm get hold of this property. Farewell friend Charley!!

1889:

Independence, Ia. June 1, 1889
Editor Review, Postville, Iowa
Esteemed Sir:
Accept with my compliments, the enclosed courtesies for our great meeting July 4th. I shall feel greatly honored by your presence on that day and will endeavor by every means in my power to make your visit productive of pleasure. I have arranged a series of exhibitions of trotting for the afternoon of the 4th, that cannot fail to be enjoyable. Some $2,000 are hung up in purses, and a number of the grandest horses to be found in Iowa or the northwest will be shown. From my own stables, Axtell, the wonderful three-year-old, who trotted a mile last year, when two years old, in 2:23, and Allerton, another stallion of the same age, almost, if not quite as fast, will be driven a fast mile to pole and separately. These colts have already a reputation as wide as the continent, and this will probably be the only opportunity to see them exhibited in public this season in northern Iowa. There will be other equally great attractions well worthy of your presence. The citizens of Independence have prepared an elaborate and unique program of general exercises, and have made special arrangements to accommodate a large crowd. I shall be gratified for any notice of this event which you may choose to make, and again heartily solicit your presence. If you choose to make any mention of the occasion, will you kindly state that 25 cents admission will be charged to the races, that on one may be deceived.
Very Truly Yours,
C.W. Williams

1890:

The great horse, Axtell, owned by C.W. Williams, has been sold to Col. Conley, of Chicago for $105,000. He reduced his record to 2:12 and was immediately sold. The purchaser was immediately offered $15,000 for his bargan. This is the highest price ever paid for a horse in the world!

1895:

It seems that C.W. Williams, of Independence, has practically gone by the board, financially, having sold all his real estate property, including rush Park, the electric railway, the Gedney House and Opera House to the bank of which he borrowed $100,000. In other words he has turned over all his property to cover the debt, and all he has left is Allerton and some other horses. this is just the outcome we expected from the outset. He made too much money too quick and too easy and it turned his head. No sane man would have invested it in a street railway in a town like Independence, or built a hotel and opera house. If he had put the price of Axtel into government bonds or other good securities and let speculation alone, he would have been a rich man. But that is not the way of the world. Come easy, go easy is the rule. So mote it be. How sad for our friend Charlie!!

1906:

The Great Axtell Dead!! The great horse which seventeen years ago won fame and fortune for its owner, C.W. williams is no more. The following press dispatch from Terre Haute, Indiana reloates: Axtell, the trotting stallion, today was placed in his grave at the door of the private stable at Warren Park which has been his home since that day when he was sold. He was a kindly fellow and all who came in contact with him, liked him. Axtell was taken suddenly ill with apasmodic colic and died ten hours later. With him were busied some of his stall articles and his blankets were wrapped about him. He was just a 3 year old the day that Mr. Ijams of Terre Haute, Colonel Conley of Chicago, Frank Moran of Detroit and Budd Dobie bought him. Inside of two years his stud fees aggregated more than the purchase price and the best information is that he has earned a half-million in the 17 years he has been at Warren Park. Mr. Ijams says he will have a suitable monument erected.

1910:

(Axtell's friend Allerton) .... died at the farm of his owner, H.E. Cooper, near Indianola, Iowa. He was 24 years old. His record of 2:09 1/2 was never beaten with the old high wheeled sulky in which he performed. allerton was one of the three greatest standard sires that the world has ever known. He was sold to C.W. Williams twenty-four years ago for something like $75 or $100. He had a sensational career as long as he was on the turf, winning race after race.

1914:

(Editor W.N. Burdick) .... went down to Independence to hear my old friend C.W. Williams, who has become an evangelist. He is exhorting the people of this sin-cursed world to flee from the kite-shaped track and get into the straight and narrow way. In the morning the Congregational Church was filled to overflowing, and in the evening he spoke in the Gedney Opera House, which was built by him soon after he sold Axtell. A great many were turned away, unable to gain entrance. Charley does things differently than other folks would do, and refuses to receive free will offerings or financial assistance of any kind. "The good Lord has abundantly paid me", he told the people. "I ask no contributions for my work nor for the services of my soul-saving party of five." Mr. Williams in recent years has acquired a large tract of land in Canada, which is operated by his sons. they are reported to be wealthy. Hurray for friend Charley!

C.W. Williams is at present sincerely soaking the sinners of Cedar Rapids. So mote it be!!

- published on the Allamakee co. IAGenWeb with the generous permission of Stan Schroeder
- original transcripts provided by Stan Schroeder & transcribed by Sharyl Ferrall

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