Photo: Tampico Town 1915

The first Board of Trustees were only elected for the term between the organization of the village and the time provided by the statute for holdng the annual election. This election took place on the third Tuesday of April, 1875, and resulted in the re-election of the first board of Trustees. J. W. Glassburn was elected President and B. F. Chase, Clerk; E C. Cain was appointed Street Commissioner, and C. H. Glassburn, Police Constable; Trustees J. H. Cain, D. McMillan and A. Smith were appointed a Committee on Salaries. The first two boards were in favor of licensing the sale of ardent spirits, and about $700 were realized from that source. The licenses were $240 each, per annum.

The second annual election was held on the 20th of April, 1876, and resulted in favor of the anti-license ticket, the following gentelmen being elected trustees: D. McMillan, John C. Aldrich, J. W. Hixon, J. F. Leonard, M. A. Myers Jr. and J. H. Cain. At the first meeting of the Board, D. McMillan, was elected President, and A. W. Bastian, Clerk. James Varian was appointed Street Commissioner; B. F. Chase, Police Magistrate; T. S. Beach, Treasurer and Fred Smith Police Constable. The first act of the Board was to repeal the license ordinance, and pass one that $300 be raised by general taxation. On the 2nd of May the Board of Trustees declared the office of Police Magistrate vacant, and on the 15th of June ordered a special election to fill the vacancy and also to elect a Trustee in place of J. H. Cain, resigned. The election was held on July 18th, 1876, and resulted in electin T. H. C. Dow, Police Magistrate, and H. L. Denison, Trustee.

At the third annual election D. McMillan, J. F. Leonard, J. W. Hixon, J. C. Aldrich, H. L. Denison and J. W. Glassburn were elected trustees, and S. W. Sheldon, Police Magistrate. This was also an anti-license Board. At the meeting on April 24th, 1877, D. McMillan was elected President, and A. W. Bastian, Clerk; Robert Collins was appointed Police Constatble; T. S. Beach, Treasurer; Owen Lloyd, Street Commissioner; T. O. Steadman, Pound Master. At the meeting on August 7, 1877, an ordinance was passed that $200 be raised for village expenses during the year, a decrease of $100 from the tax of the previous year.

TAMPICO VILLAGE PRESIDENTS

1875 -John W. Glassburn	1886 - W. H. Harrison	1899 -T. M. Wylie	1907 -John H. Daley	1926 -H. E. Rice	1955 -Leroy D. Stewart	1964 -Paul Nicely (acting)
1876 -D. McMillen	1887 -A. T. Glassburn	1900 -H. B. Boyer	1913 -R. F. Woods	1931 -M. H. Parent	1959 -Cjar;es B. Aldrich	1964 -Charles B. Aldrich
1881 -F. J. Richardson	1893 -Fred Smith	1901 - A. T. Glassburn	1917 -Fred W. Smith	1943 -R. C. Bollenback	1961 -Clayton Smith (acting)	1965 -H. W. Lee
1882 -A. T, Glassburn	1895 -L. J. Kendall	1902 - Geo. B. Jackson	1919 -J. W. Kelly	1949 -Fred V. Peter	1963 -Gerald M. Wood	1967 -Mervin Bradley
1885 -C. A. Stilson	1898 -Fred W. Smith	1905 -H. A. Kemp	1923 -John H. Cooley	1953 -Nim Gosney	1963 -Ralph Pratt (acting)	1973 -Howard A. Batten

TAMPICO VILLAGE CLERKS AND/OR TREASURERS

1875 -J. C. Mosshart	1882 -H. L. Sheldon	1892 -H. L. Gifford	1905 -Frank Nelson	1923 -H. E. Rice	1949 -Ethel Davis
1875 -B. F. Chase	1883 -F. H. Knox	1893 -L. W. Denison	1906 -L. W. Denison	1925 -J. M. Olsson	1973 -Linda Taets
1876 -A. W. Bastian	1885 -Herman Sheldon	1903 -Frank Linder	1908 -F. W. Linder	1931 -L. W. Denison
1881 -F. H. Knox	1886 -F. H. Knox	1904 -L. W. Denison	1911 -N. E. Denison	1939 -H. J. Kolb

TAMPICO - DOWNED, BUT NEVER OUT!
Tampico Centennial Year Book 1975
Pages 16 - 17

Tampico sounds like Mexico, and calls up suggestions of dates and palms, but it is not so far south, although on the southernmost tier of our townships. If you leave Sterling in the morning at seven on the Burlington, change at Denrock, and take the train on the Mendota branch, you will reach Tampico at nine.

  As you alight at the station, the first object that catches the eye is the soldiers' monument on a small triangular plaza in Spanish. It is made of granite, seventeen feet to the head of the infantry soldier on the summit. On each of the four sides, these stirring names, Pea Ridge, Resaca, Atlanta, Gettysburg. Below, El Caney, Guayama, of the Spanish-American War. Also the inscription. "This stone is a reminder of the cost and value of the Union of the States, 1861 - 1865." Erected by the G.A.R., W.R.C., and loyal citizens. It cost about $700. A handsome ornament, and in a place where it appeals to the traveler to pause and think. click here for more history from the Tampico Tornado Newspaper

Tampico was named after the Tampico Indians, the same tribe which once resided in Florida, and found the swampy lands around the town similar to their native haunts after they had been driven westward. (transcriber's note: This is the only place I have seen this reference to the Tampico name being after an Indian Tribe)

It is the birthplace of the actor, Ronald Reagan, and also of the late Admiral J. M. Reeves, who commanded all U. S. naval forces after World War I. Also the home town of Hugh Downs's wife, Ruth Shaheen, who now resides in Arizona.

In 1906, patriotic citizens decided to erect a memorial to the men who served in the Civil and Spanish-American Wars. The Grand Army of the Republic, Samuel Steadman Post No. 491, and the Women's Relief Corps supported the project. Interested persons made contributions. The memorial was placed in Railroad Park which was donated by John W. Glassburn, Thomas Burden, and Charles Burden. Dedication ceremonies were held on Sept., 1907, and included a parade and singing by a quartet.

  Prior to the unveiling, the Civil War Cannon, which was in the Tampico cemetery, was moved to a concrete platform in the park. Elbert E. Weelock, who helped form the G.A.R. post, had been most responsible for its presence in the village.

Probably no village of its age, since the foundation of the world ever suffered so much from the elements, as Tampico, and it is certain that no village ever displayed such energy and promptness in rehabilitating itself and starting again in business. The ashes from her fires had hardly got cold, and the winds of her tornado hardly died away, before the plane, the hammer and trowel were at work. Yesterday as it were she was in ruins; today beautiful stores and residences cover hthe space, and obliterate every mark of the destroyer. Too much credit cannot be given to the people of Tampico for the courage and enterprise exhibited under the most trying circumstances. The blow that would have struck many  others to the earth in a helpless condition, only staggered them for an instant. The next moment they recovered, and went on with their business avocations as though fire and tempest never had raged within their borders.

In the Greek fable the phoenix was a bird that burned itself to death, and from the ashes a young bird arose. This is Tampico. Like a plucky pugilist coming up smilng after a desperate round. In 1872 the frame hotel of  Maurice Firzgerald, and part of Cain's store were destroyed. In 1874 High's grocery and dry goods, Burke's grocery and residence, Case and Davis, Clothiers, and Conroy's dry goods and grocery, were burned out. This was in January, and by the following June the site was built up. Then came the fearful tornado of June 6, 1874, which fell upon the devoted village on the evening of Saturday. The worst since 1860. The warehouse and elevator of Glassburn & Bryant, T. S. Beach's elevator, stores, shops, dozens of dwellings, the Methodist church, were wrecked by the tempest, and all the dreadful ruin in a few seconds. No lives were lost, but many persons moire or less injured. The storm came from the southwest. A committee appointed to receive aid for the sufferers met a generous response. But the cup of calamity was not yet full. In 1876, eaarly on Wednesday, May 17, a fire was discovered between  the stores of Burke and High, and six buildings were consumed before the flames were under control. The grocery and residence of James Conroy, Nelson-Maxson's store, Peter Burke's grocery, HIgh's store, the Tornado Office, Paice's residence and butcher shop, Case & Adams' Billiard Hall. Many of these were at once rebuilt. The courage of the citizens always rose to the occation.

The Tampico Tornado was the village newpaper. It was established May 4, 1876 and was burned out 13 days later. The first owners were Charles F. Gifford and A. D. Hill. During the first year the paper was printed at Prophetstown, and at  its close the partnership was dissolved. Mr. Gifford becoming the entire owner. He at once purchased a new press, new type, etc., and since that time has both published and printed the paper at Tampico. At the time the paper was started it was thought  to be considerable of an undertaking, but Mr.Gifford being a practical printer of long experience, and a gentleman of tact and energy, the enterprise was pushed forward until it has now reached a firm footing. Its ciruclation is 350 and it is receiving a good support, both in its advertising and jobbing departments, from the people of Tampico and vicinity. Mr. Gifford is adding new material to his office as his demands require.

Mr. Charles F. Gifford managed the newspaper until April, 1901. In 1900, a rival paper, the Tampico News, was issued for a short time by W. J. Turner. In the latter part of 1905 The Tampico Progress was issued. It suspended in November, 1906.

Mr. and Mrs. Newton E. Denison purchased the Tornado in 1919 and in 1921, Henry Kolb started to work in the shop. In December, 1931, Mr. and Mrs. Henry Kolb bought the newspaper. They operated it until December 31, 1966, when they retired. Unable to find a purchaser, they sold the equipment and placed the newspaper filed in the library of the Tampico High School. Foir many years the paper had a slogan: "You get wind of everything in the Tornado." Tampico's new is published in the neighboring papers "The Echo" and "The Daily Gazette."

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