Falls was covered with beautiful forest trees which gradually disappeared.
The county remained unorganized until the summer of 1853 when the first election was held for county officers with the following result: J. R. Pratt was chosen county judge; Aaron Dow, treasurer; John H. Brooks, clerk, and John Virden, sheriff. The county-seat was located at Cedar Falls. The first term of district court was held in June, 1854, at which Judge Thomas S. Wilson presided. On the 11th of July, 1853, W. H. McClure and S. H. Packard established the first newspaper in the county at Cedar Falls with A. F. Brown as editor.
In June, 1846, James Virden and Charles Mullan located claims on the west side of the river about seven miles below Cedar Falls at a point known as Prairie Rapids and erected a cabin. In the fall they with G. W. Hanna and J. H. Brooks laid out a town which they named Waterloo. The first store was opened by Nelson Francher in his log cabin and a public house by Seth Lake in another cabin. Charles Mullan was the first postmaster and in 1853 Eliza May taught the first school.
In 1854 James Eggers built a dam across the river at Waterloo and erected a sawmill. In 1856 George W. Couch built a flouring-mill. The spring and summer of 1858 were noted for heavy rains which raised the streams to flood height and a small steamer at Cedar Rapids came up to Waterloo loaded with freight afterward making several trips. In 1855 a movement was inaugurated to remove the county-seat from Cedar Falls to Waterloo. At an election held for that purpose three hundred eighty-eight votes were cast for Waterloo and two hundred sixty for Cedar Falls. The removal was delayed several months by legal proceedings. A newspaper was established at Waterloo in December, 1855, by William Haddock named the Iowa State Register. After the close of the Civil War a home for soldiers' orphans was established at Cedar Falls.
