Early Years: Shamrock in 1912

Early Years: Shamrock in 1912. . Shamrock has its official beginning with the arrival of the Chicago, Rock Island and Gulf Railway in the summer of 1902. After opening under other names and at other sites, the present Shamrock post office was established in 1903 at the present town site. In that same year, a school opened, followed by a newspaper in 1906 as well as two banks and a cotton mill in 1908. , Even before incorporation in 1911, city leaders envisioned a community that would go beyond its 600 current citizens. Knowing that providing a reliable and consistent source of water was vital for further community development, Mayor E.L. Woodley and the city council put a water works project into motion by issuing bonds in 1912. , Captions , . Top left: Shamrock's Main Street view in 1912 shortly after incorporation. (Photo courtesy of Rody Lummus). , . Top right: Shamrock City Council minutes from April 19, 1912, indicate that, after the canvassing of the votes in that year's mayoral election, city leaders scheduled a May bond election to authorize the sale of $12,000 of bonds to finance a city water works. , . Bottom right: In a July 4, 1912, city council meeting, Howard Trigg is employed to draw plans and specifications for the city water works system. , This panel is made possible through the generosity of Rodney and Martha Barker