BARKER AND SPILMAN

BARKER AND SPILMAN. In 1854 the company of Barker and Spilman was the first to receive a Dubuque gas franchise. (1) First valued only for its ability to provide light, gas was introduced to the city on July 18, 1855 from a plant constructed at the corner of Dodge and Bluff. (2)

The company faced many disputes with city officials over gas street lights and consumer rates but survived to construct a larger plant across the street. The main office at 57 Main Street was opened in 1863 for customer convenience. This later moved to Fifth Street between Main and Iowa. The company's ownership was taken over by M. Moberly, F. S. Jessup and Company, J. L. Langworthy and Brothers, W. J. Barney and Company and Cincinnati parties. (3)

Caleb H. BOOTH, William CARTER and Julius K. GRAVES became the company owners and leased the plant to HOWARD & MCARTHUR. In 1867, the works were rebuilt at the corner of Bluff and Dodge streets with improvements costing $250,000. (4) The purifying building was made of brick, 60x24 feet, containing four purifiers about eight feet square, connecting with pipes to a center " seal," divided into compartments. From this the gas passed into other purifiers, was condensed by a jet of cold water, which removed the carbonic acid gas and other impurities and left the gas ready for use. The meter manufactured by the American Company, of Philadelphia, accurately measured the quantity of gas produced and consumed each day. (5)

The controversy over gas rates reached a peak in 1876. The Dubuque Herald in February carried a lengthy article related to the subject including research done by the Chicago Times. Gas meters shared some blame for high costs. Unless they were adjusted properly, the consumer might be overcharged. The article also suggested that some gas companies were reaping excessive profits. This was illustrated by Chicago residents seeing their price for gas drop from $3.00 by fifty cents--a price, the paper contended, which still allowed the company to be successful. In Pittsburgh, the president of a consolidated gas company, claimed the price of gas to the gas company was actually just below 32 cents per thousand feet while it was being sold for $1.00. In Dubuque, people were charged $3.00 per 1,000 feet of gas, $2.50 if they paid by the 12th of the month, and less if they were large consumers. The Dubuque Herald concluded that this suggested the cost of gas in Dubuque could be $1.43 with the company still making a profit. (6)

The KEY CITY GAS COMPANY assumed the franchise and properties in 1880.

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Source:

1. Oldt, Franklin T. History of Dubuque County, Iowa, Online: https://books.google.com/books?id=u9xDAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA464&lpg=PA464&dq=Burton%27s+Furnace+%28dubuque+history%29&source=bl&ots=0CkCGLFR0v&sig=a0Ou1vN3ew6nQUYoq2aOJsXF9Mg&hl=en&sa=X&ei=j3HVT5XALaP42QXVp9iFDw&ved=0CGgQ6AEwBQ#v=onepage&q=Burton%27s%20Furnace%20%28dubuque%20history%29&f=false, p. 662

2. Ibid.

3. "Gas Introduced to Dubuquers Just One Hundred Years Ago," Telegraph Herald, Oct. 24, 1954, p. 20

4. Oldt, p. 662

5. Ibid., p. 665

6. "The Gas Question," Dubuque Herald, February 24, 1876, p. 4. Online: https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=uh8FjILnQOkC&dat=18760224&printsec=frontpage&hl=en