Note: Today, the town of Clermont, Iowa is known as “Brick City.” Clermont earns that name from a widely-held reputation for brick production, peaking in the early 1900s. Clermont has been home to a number of brick making foundries, and kilns over the years. This historical evidence is seen in the high number of brick buildings present in the town today.
An Early History of the Town of Clermont
Clermont is a small town in northeast Iowa located in the valley on the banks of the Turkey River, overlooked by Montauk, home of the late Ex-Governor Larrabee.
Tradition establishes Andrew Moates as the first settler, although the time of his coming is somewhat obscure; and it is understood that a man by the name of Delaplaine laid claim to lands where the town of Clermont now stands, and in 1848 built a cabin there. A year later Carlton and Thompson, a mill firm at Elkader, came to the Turkey at the same point and bought the claim from Delaplaine and erected a saw mill there. Carlton and Thompson let the building contract to Carlton and Sawyer, who moved here in June 1849 and built two log cabins on what is now block 24 in Clermont, located about 20 rods east of the first saw mill.
These were the first houses in Clermont after Delaplaine’s rude claim cabin, located near the mouth of the Dibble creek. Mr. Carlton opened the first stock of goods in the fall of 1849.
The township was established by county commissioners in 1850; and the name was fixed by them, although the spelling was then “Claremont.” In 1850, Edwin Stedman, John Hendershott, and Chancy Leverich with their families, J.B. Hough and Andrew Martin settled in the vicinity of Clermont.
In 1851 the town of Clermont was laid out by John Thompson and C.D. Carlton, proprietors; and here beside the waters of the Turkey River came the Yankees, the Swiss, the Irish, the Swedes, and the Norwegians to settle and cultivate the opulent land.
Taken from Historic Clermont – First Edition 1968 – A book compiled and written by the Clermont Historical Society
Timeline of Clermont, Iowa History | |
| 100 BC – 1492 | Red Ochre and Hopewell Indians settled the area followed by the Effigy Mound builders. |
| 1492-1848 | Sioux, Algonquin, Illini, Sac, Fox and Winnebago Indians lived in the region. |
| 1846 | Iowa statehood. |
| ? | Andrew Moates first settler. |
| 1848 | A man named Delaplaine lays claim to lands of present-day Clermont – builds cabin. |
| 1849 | Carlton & Thompson (mill firm at Elkader) buy claim from Delaplaine and erect sawmill on Turkey River. |
| June 1849 | Sawmill contracted to Carlton & Thompson. Two log cabins built (first houses in Clermont after Delaplaine’s rude cabin claim). |
| Fall 1849 | Mr. Carlton opens first stock of goods . |
| 1850 | Township established, originally spelled “Claremont.” |
| 1850 | Edwin Stedman, John Hendershott, Chancy Leverich, J.B. Hough, and Andrew Martin families settle in vicinity. |
| 1851 | Town of Clermont laid out by John Thompson & C.D. Carlton, proprietors. Yankees, Swiss, Irish, Swedes, and Norwegians settle in the area. |
| Log workshop converted to school building and public meeting place by Edwin Stedman with wife as teacher. | |
| 1851 | Rev H.S. Brunson delivers first sermon. Mr. Brunson came to Clermont to build hotel, but after completing only about half of what was later known as the “Clermont or Browns’s House,” he left. Hotel was completed by the mill company and opened to the public by C.D. Carlton. |
| 1851 | First Elections held. |
| 1854 | Thompson & Carlton begin construction of the Clermont flour mill. The same year they also opened the White store. |
| 1855 | Merchandising was carried on by Thompson & Carlton and blacksmithing by William Davis. This same year the Dibble brickyard was in operation. Since barrels for the flour mill were needed, a cooper shop was started that also supplied barrels for pork and tubs for butter. |
| 1855 | *Although the town of Clermont was laid out by John Thompson and C.D. Carlton, the plat was not laid recorded until 1855. Mr. Thompson later purchased his partner’s interest and decided to call the town “Norway.” |
| 1856 | Residents objected to the name of “Norway” and it was decided to call the town the original name of “Claremont.” When recorded by legislature July 15, 1856, it was spelled as “Clermont.” |
| 1875 | Clermont was incorporated as a town on August 16, 1875. First mayor was S.G. Clark; John Crowe and Alex McKinley were among the first councilmen. |
| Jul 4, 1859 | First celebration held at Clermont. A celebration of Independence Day fed 500 people (8 years earlier only nine voters participated in the first election). |
| 1886 | Clermont native William Larrabee becomes 12th governor of Iowa serving two terms. (Mr. Larrabee held interest in the Clermont Mill, eventually owning it, started a private bank in Clermont, served as a representative for Fayette County in the State Senate for 18 years, wrote the valued work entitled, “The Railroad Question.” and donated the Larrabee School to the town of Clermont to name just a few of his accomplishments/donations). |
| 1909 | Mill converted to an electric power plant. The plant furnished power and light to the towns of Clermont and Elgin , and later expanded to Central States Power and Light, servicing a major part of northeast Iowa. (This was the nucleus that later became of what is now the Interstate Power Company). |
| 1909 | Height of Clermont brick-making. Large brick yards in the Clermont area employed many people and supplied brick to surrounding states. The name “Brick City” has stuck to Clermont from early days, probably because brick was made there in pioneer times and continued without intermission for about 75 years. |
This amazing little town packs a large historical punch. Nowhere in any other surrounding town will you find the treasures that Clermont has to offer. This is in large part due to the philanthropy of the town’s most well-known residents, the Larrabee family. William Larrabee was the 12th governor of Iowa from 1886-1890. Along with his wife, Anna, and their seven children, they have left a legacy of monuments and historic buildings. The grandest of which is his own residence, Montauk, which overlooks the town.
Another factor that makes the town so unusual is its high number of brick buildings. Clermont enjoyed a thriving brickmaking industry in the second half of the nineteenth century. They were so famous for their brick, the town earned the name the “Brick City.”