People's Pilot, Volume 2, Number 45, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 28 April 1893 — Renssclacr. [ARTICLE]

Rensselaer.

In every direction the sound of the hammer is heard; on every street new houses are building, hnd old houses are being repaired. Thrift, push and improvement have taken complete control of our town. On every -hand we are constantly hearing both strangers and old timers asking, '•what is giving Rensselaer such a boom this spring?” It is not at all a boom we are having, but just merely the natural growth of the place. Rensselaer can-

not help growing. It is situated in the midst of a good and constantly improving farming country. It is not crowded and hampered by other towns. It is the county seat of the third largest county (in territory) in the state, a county that under the improved methods of drainage will in the next ten years double the northern half of its population. In such a county as ours its capital of necessity will grow. Besides the impetus given to the growth of the town by the phenomenal growth of the county, Rensselaer has elements of growth within itself, independent of the county, has attractions that are bound to draw many people here. For location and immediate attractive and convenient surroundings, no town in the state excels this. Here we have as good and pure water as the world affords, desirable sites for dwellings, grounds adapted to fruitful gardens and beautiful lawns; homes in this town can be made as nice, healthful and comfortable as they can be made in any town. Another and the most important recommendation for this place is its people. The character of our people adds more to the attractiveness and real worth of our town, as “a town of homes,” than any of its splendid natural advantages. We do not say it boastingly, but simply as a matter of fact, that for sociability, generosity, intelligence, and downright square dealing and doing, our people, with a few exceptions, are far above the average. As an evidence of the intellectual, social and moral worth of our town we point to our schools, colleges, churches, societies, etc. These are institutions that cannot fail to keep the town alive and growing. A man in search of a place to live, a place in which to found a permanent home, should never pass Rensselaer. Recently new additions have been added to the town where, for a comparatively small amount, ample grounds for convenient and roomy town homes can be had. Rensselaer will never make a city, unless factories locate within its borders, but it will always be a pleasant, healthy place to live, always be alive and holding its own.