USA > Iowa > Story County > A history of Story county, Iowa: Carefully compiled, from the earliest settlement to the present, March 1, 1887. > Part 21
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The school houses are fair and all in their proper places, nine of them, so as to make each school district two miles square.
There are two church buildings in the township. One is at or near the southwest corner of the east half of the southwest quarter of section twenty-four, and is a comfortable structure. It is an Evangelical Lutheran church, and religious services are conducted by the Rev. J. A. M. Ziegler, of Nevada. The other church is a Methodist Episcopal church, built in 1885. It is fifty by twenty-
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
five feet, and twelve feet high. Has no bell. There are about thirty-seven members that meet there. The building stands in and near to the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of section 13, township 84, range 22. Rev. W. A. Welker is their pastor.
There are two cemeteries, perhaps more, in the township, one at the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section twenty-six; the other more recently laid off is in the west half of the northeast quarter of section thirteen.
SHERMAN TOWNSHIP.
A HISTORY OF SHERMAN TOWNSHIP FROM ITS EARLY SETTLEMENT, ORGANIZATION, ETC., TO MARCH 1887-CONTAINING, ALSO, A NOTICE OF MANY OF ITS CITIZENS.
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POPULATION 589.
It is believed its name, "Sherman," was given in honor of Gen- eral William Tecumseh Sherman, who did noble service in the Fed- eral Army during the Rebellion of the "Southern Confederacy." Sherman Township was organized 1867-all of township 84 north, range 21 west.
Wm. Smay is doing a big business in the molasses line; the cane pilled up around the mill reminds one of a southern sugar planta- tion; He employs from twelve to fifteen men and is making a good article of molasses .- (October 2, 1878.)
Our township is visited with the scourge of the hog disease, many of our farmers loosing nearly all of their hogs, seems to be a fever. ANON. -(October 2, 1878.)
The roads are smooth and dusty.
Wheat and oats all cut and stacking commenced.
Robert Hardin had the misfortune to lose one of his fine grey horses while cutting oats for Mr. Dayton.
Wm. Smay has built a nice cheese house. He still keeps improv- ing his creamery .- (August 23, 1882.)
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
A few weeks since we referred to the fact that a petition was about to be forwarded to Washington asking for the establishment of a post-office in Sherman Township. The prayer has been granted and on Monday last Wm. Smay forwarded his bond to Washington as postmaster of Smaysville, Story County, Iowa, and expects his commission soon. It is thought the office will be run- ning in thirty days. This however proved a failure .- (April 23, 1886.)
Smaysville is on the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 31. At this place is a good creamery and cheese factory, doing a good business. I know Mr. Smay well, and believe him to be a worthy citizen. More of the same sort would not hurt us.
Sherman is a township of prairie, not a native tree in it. It is however being pretty well dotted over with artificial groves such as are raised by cultivation. It has a quantity of flat land-some of it quite wet, but the soil is surely rich, and when well drained will be productive.
It has no streams-worth naming unless it be the Harvey Dye branch of East Indian Creek. It crosses out of the township near the southeast corner of section 32; then touches the south line of 32 at or near the corner, eighty or one hundred rods west of the southeast corner of said section 32. The school houses are not all in place yet in Sherman. There are some large tracts of land owned by a few men. J. W. Ambrose owns, or did own lately, about 1,240 acres, Seymour Hix 640 acres, and some other large land owners. Mr. Ambrose takes the premium for Sherman, beat- ing Seymour.
There are no cemeteries, it is believed, in Sherman.
There are no villages nor cities in the township.
Mr. Wm. Smay has made rather a profitable point at Smaysville, which is in the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 31-near two and a quarter or two and a half miles northwest from Colo. Mr. Smay means business and is doing a fair business, or I am mistaken in the man. But my acquaintance with him will not admit of any other interpretation from me. Among the first settlers of the township I will name Wm. McCain, on the south- east quarter of section 8, or southwest quarter of section 9; and Owen O'Neil on the west half of the southwest quarter of sec- tion 19. There were probably a few others that might be named as first settlers.
But must say something more of Wm. McCain. Mr. McCain in 1855-'6 was far from any house other than his own. It was a sal- vation or God-send to the traveler in those cold stormy winters of 1855-'56-'57-'58 and '59. It was a dangerous undertaking for those trying to get from Nevada to Clemmen's grove; or from the grove to Nevada. I think it probable that Mr. McCain's house was the means of saving some from freezing to death in these
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
frightful, horrid snow storms we then had to encounter. Then we did not have any thing between timbers to break the force of the storm, not even grass, for the prairie grass was all burnt off and left the bare ground which did not interfere with the storm. Now we have houses, barns, hedges, groves, fences and stock fields to check Mr. Storm to quite an extent.
I will return to Mr. Smay and say his creamery and cheese factory are objects of value to that part of the county and should be encouraged.
Of those who engage in shipping live stock and grain from the township, a few will be named, viz: M. Hopkins, James Hopkins, John O'Neil and John Reaves.
The following are some of those of the township who engage in raising stock and grain, and other farmers and citizens who mani- fest energy and life in business, viz: David Danskin, Seymour Hix, John O'Niel, M. Hopkins, James Hopkins, John Reaves, I. Buffington, J. Shammo, E. Sparrow and J. H. McLain.
NEW ALBANY TOWNSHIP.
A HISTORY OF NEW ALBANY TOWNSHIP FROM ITS ORGANIZATION TO MARCH 1887 .- CONTAINING, ALSO, A NOTICE OF MANY OF ITS CITIZENS.
POPULATION, TOWNSHIP, 667; COLO, 264; TOTAL 931.
Elsewhere will be found a history of the first settlement of New Albany Township. The name, I presume, was a favorite for it. It was organized in 1858-comprising now only town- ship 83 north, range 21 west. Of the brief items a few were culled from our county papers.
COLO.
As the weather has been quite spring like the past week, the farmers being busy putting in their crops, it leaves our town unusually quiet .- (Colo, April 1, 1878.)
Rev. Long leaves this week for Conference, but returns to preach his farewell sermon, four weeks from last Sabbath. We are sorry to see him leave as he is one of our best men .- (April 4, 1879.)
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
Rev. Rosenberger has brought his meeting to a close in Collins Township, which has been a long and successful one .- (April 4, 1879.)
J. W. Kinsell is making preparations to move his old building, on Main street, to make room for a new store he is about to put up .- (April 4, 1879.)
Fred Norris has taken charge of the place known as the Jona- than Evans farm .- (April 4, 1879.)
Frank Brown, who has been northwest of Manitoba for the past eight months with a surveying party, returned last week. He re- ports that the thermometer at Winnepeg on the third of Novem- ber pointed to twenty degrees below zero .- (Dec. 13, 1882.)
Wednesday, W. A. Miller shipped a car of oats to Chicago, and will follow it with another right away.
William Cozens is building a barn thirty-two by eighteen feet high, just north of town.
Mr. John Handsaker is erecting a large corn and grain crib on his farm three miles north of town.
Mr. Rahfelt, of North Sherman, is building a large barn on his farm and making improvements generally.
George H. Richardson has the contract for building the new church at Johnson's Grove. It is to be of good size and finished in good style, and he does just that kind of work. P. W. Hopkins furnishes the lumber .- (1885.)
John R. McCoy has opened up his stock of groceries and is now ready to receive calls from those desiring such goods.
J. W. Kinsell is arranging to build an addition to his store building of twenty-four feet, and soon expects to have much more room.
Farmers are very busy and trade is inclined to be dull just at this time. Nights are cool, but no frosts are chronicled as among the things that are .- (Sept. 4, 1885.)
Humes Cumings has bought an interest in the store of J. W. Ambrose and will remain a citizen here. The firm will be Am- brose & Cumings.
Mrs. C. W. Gross returned here a few days since and is making arrangements to move to Pipestone, Minnesota .- (1885.)
Business is good.
C. V. Norris is fixing up his chicken ranch. He is intending to pay the highest market price for poultry this winter.
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
Our post-office will be changed the first of December. Mr. J. R. McCoy having been appointed by the Cleveland administration. John is a good one and deserves his good luck .- (November 18, 1885.)
Colo was burglarized to a considerable extent last Thursday night. The stores of Hulse Brothers, L. C. Adams & Co., and J. H. McCoy were broken into, a small amount of money taken, several valuable papers captured and some articles of merchandise appropriated. The papers referred to have been found. The burg- lars have not yet been apprehended .- (Nov. 25, 1885.)
Monday was the regular election of municipal officers. The fol- lowing were elected: Mayor, W. A. Miller; Street Commissioner, Mr. Lax; Treasurer, Mr. Heffly; Alderman, L. C. Adams and J. I. Hostetter .- Nevada Representative .- (1886.)
J. F. Loucks was in town Monday. He reports that prepara- tions are completed for the building of an United Brethren Church near the southwest corner of New Albany Township. The esti- mated cost is about twelve hundred dollars. The building com- mittee are Messrs Loucks, Rineheart, Torry, Martin and Sawtell, which is a pretty good guarantee that the work will be carefully looked after. The pastor of the society is the Rev. Mr. Lewis, of Toledo, Iowa .- Nevada Representative .- (March 3, 1886.)
Abner Waltz had his residence, near Colo, burned this week. The loss is about eight hundred dollars .- Nevada Watchman .- (March 12, 1886.)
Samuel McClure, of New Albany Township, was adjuged insane last Wednesday and was taken to Independence by Sheriff Banks · the same night .- (March 31, 1886.)
Colo post-office, it is said, was so named because a dog by that name was run over by a train of cars prior to the survey of the town. John I. Blair gave this incident as the cause of the town being thus named.
Colo was incorporated March 2, 1876, and it was laid out as a town May, 1865.
The town of New Albany (now of the past) was laid out in October, 1855, on the west half of the southeast quarter section 18 and the east half of the southwest quarter section 18, township 83, range 21.
The township, "New Albany" took its name, it is presumed, from the town that had been surveyed three years prior to the organization of the township. It is a township of good soil, yet it has its wet and flat lands is several parts of the township.
Its first settlers probably were William McGuire, Harvey Dye, John Brouhard, John Waltz, John See, Al. Dalton, etc.
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
I am of the opinion that the La Rue House was built and occu- pied in 1856, by James and Kid La Rue. It was a log house, one and one-half or two stories high, and stood on the northwest quar- ter of section 4, near the north line.
William McGuire was living in December, 1854, on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 19-so I believe, as I was there in December, 1854. Harvey Dye, about this time, lived on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 12, and John Brouhard on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 18. W. H. Richardson and George H. Richardson were also among the first settlers of New Albany Township. The town was laid out in 1855, and several families settled in and around it in 1855 and '56. The west part of the township seemed to be the attraction. The town, however, got its growth by 1857 or '58. It is now one of the things of the past. As early settlers add John McBarnes and Joshua Cooper.
Ten years after New Albany was laid out, Colo came up. Its history is given elsewhere in New Albany Township.
The first passenger train reached Colo late in 1863 or early in '64. It was the first railroad post-office in the county, and the first point to ship from. Stock and grain were shipped from Colo in the latter part of 1863. The station is meant, for Colo was not yet laid off; but in June, 1864, the post-office was called Colo.
This C. R. & M. R., as it then was called, enters the county in the northeast quarter of section 12. The road now is the Chicago & Northwestern Railway and runs parallel to the section line, cut- ting off just one hundred feet of the south side of the north tier of the forties of sections 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12, through which the road runs. Mr. W. W. Walker, the Chief Engineer of the road, said he done so, so as to have only half as many to settle with for the right-of-way and damages, as if the center of the road were placed on the line between the forties.
We now find Colo a brisk, live town. For its business and busi- ness men, see "Directories" in Index. Population in 1880 of Colo was two hundred and ninety-six. The township nine hundred. At this date, 1886, the population will be greater.
It has one of the best railroads (Chicago & Northwestern,) in the western states, and shipped stock from this point in 1863; and there being then no hotel at Colo, people went to Mr. Joshua Cooper's to stay over night and get something to eat.
There is but little native timber in this township-a little in the west quarter of section 18, and a few trees near and around the the west quarter section corner of section 19.
There are two or three small streams running through the town- ship. The Harvey Dye branch runs through sections 5 and 7-
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
touching section 6 near its southeast corner and at the south quar- ter section corner of section 6. A branch runs through sections 17 and 18, and empties into the Harvey Dye branch. Another branch passing very near the south quarter section corner of sec- tion 19-then runs northwesterly and leaves section 19 near its west quarter section corner. Also a branch of Clear Creek run- ning from section 10 and through sections 15, 24 and 25-touch- ing sections 14 and 23-leaving the county a little north of the southeast corner of section 25. And yet another branch passing from section 16 through sections 21, 22, 27 and 35-cutting off the southwest corner of section 26, and leaving the township in the southeast quarter of section 35 and flowing into and forming an extensive flat, wet land in section 1, township 82, range 21.
The township has its school houses all in place except No. 3.
Colo has three or more church buildings-one a Methodist Epis- copal Church, costing about $2,000, and a membership of thirty. The M. Protestant Church organization is not very large in mem- bership. They have a church building. The Catholic Church cost $1,100 and was built in 1883. The membership for Colo and Nevada, (or the whole county,) is claimed to be three hundred.
Four miles south of Colo there is a United Brethren Church, built in 1886, at which Methodists and United Brethren meet to worship. This church is in the southeast corner of section 30, township 83, range 21, costing $1,200.
For the business men of Colo (see Directory). Henry Yager is ticket agent.
It has a cemetery in the north part of the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 9, and is a nice place for it. It was regularly blocked and lotted by survey, and is a short distance east of Colo. For further information, (see "Cemetery" in Index).
Colo has had eight Mayors since its incorporation, viz: S. L. Bailey, first one, succeeded by P. E. Granger, L. Wilkins, I. S. French, W. S. Morgan, P. E. Granger, A. T. Bartlett and W. A. Miller, the present Mayor. Its first postmaster was J. H. Voorhies; its present one is J. R. McCoy. The post-office was established in June, 1864. The town was named in accord with the post-office-Colo.
Among the shippers of stock and grain from Colo are E. A. Dayton, John Stewart, - Hawley, C. Mead, C. Fish, W. A. Miller, C. V. Norris.
Those who raise stock and feed for sale are Nelson Perry, Henry Trites, E. B. Carver, C. Mead, C. Gearhart, T. Coil, J. Keily, M. O'Donnell, P. Mulcahy, J. Mulcahy, L. Cummings, J. Pekin, Joshua Cooper, George McGibbon, J. T. Graves, P. W. Hopkins,
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
W. W. Lincoln, J. Coleman, J. Croker, M. Carmody, J. Reynolds, J. Byers, S. S. Fawcett, S. P. Rhinehart, F. Norris, J. Barr, Geo. H. Richardson, Peter Thornton, M. J. Hopkins and H. S. Converse.
CHRISTMAS.
Christmas Eve was celebrated, by having a Christmas tree in the M. P. Church, under the auspices of the Union Sunday School. Rev. W. A. Welker delivered a very appropriate address; excellent music was furnished by the choir, with Miss Mary Coady as the capable organist. Revs. Welker and Gilchrist were each very ap- propriately and kindly remembered by their friends; and each re- quests that due acknowledgments be made for him of his full ap- preciation .- Colo .- (1886.)
The new M. E. Church was dedicated last Sunday. The sermon was delivered by Rev. W. F. Harneld, of New Jefferson, and there was music furnished by the choir.
A Methodist Episcopal Sunday School will be organized next Sunday at ten A. M.
COLO FIRE.
Friday evening December 24, just after people had returned home from the Christmas tree, and were admiring the gifts they had received, a fire broke out in the back room occupied by D. Gumbiner, and owned by Abbott & Kinsely, of Marshalltown. The fire spread very rapidly and destroyed the following property: The building owned by Abbott & Kinsely and occupied by L. C. Adams & Co., General Merchandise, the second story being used for a dancing hall. The next store was used by D. Gumbiner, who was selling bankrupt clothing; next was the building owned by H. Cummings and occupied by W. G. Spratt, restaurant. Then fol- lowed J. M. McArthur's meat market, R. Corvan's shoe shop was tore down but not burned. This completed that part of the block which was not burned two years ago. The stock, of which about half was saved, was partly insured. Some of the buildings were not insured. The losses as nearly as can be learned are as follows: L. C. Adams & Co., on stock $2,500, insurance $2,000; H. Cum- mings, building, $400, no insurance; W. G. Spratt, stock and fix- tures, $100, full insurance; J. M. McArthur, $400, insurance $300; R. Corvan's shoe shop torn down to save J. W. Kinsell's store, $50, no insurance. J. W. Kinsell got quite a severe cut on the fore- head, but is getting along nicely .- (1886.)
Mr. T. Coil on section 17, built a barn in 1886, about forty-five by sixty-four feet, and it is presumed to be a good one.
Mr. C. Gearhart on section 28, also built a fine barn. Mr. J. Pekin on section 23, built a very good barn. These are new barns;
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
and there are several other good ones in the township that are not old.
In the way of tiling a great deal has been done lately in New Albany Township.
There are several of the citizens who engage in raising fine hogs and other good stock.
As a township, mark New Albany one of the good ones.
NEVADA TOWNSHIP.
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A HISTORY OF NEVADA TOWNSHIP FROM 1853 TO MARCH, 1887. CONTAINING, ALSO, A NOTICE OF MANY OF ITS CITIZENS.
POPULATION IN 1884-TOWNSHIP 637, NEVADA 1,540-2,177.
Elsewhere will be found, also, a history of its early settlements. It received its name, " Nevada" because of its being a favorite name taken from the range of mountains in California called " Sierra Nevada." The township was first organized in 1853, comprising now only township 83 north, range 22 west. Nevada (town or city) was incorporated in November, 1869.
Of the brief items a few were culled from our county papers.
A CARD .- The W. C. T. U. will open a reading room on Monday evening, December 3, in the front room of the building occupied by Mrs. Foster. Gentlemen residing in Nevada and those stopping over night or only for a few hours are cordially invited to spend their evenings at our reading rooms. Respectfully,
(Nov. 26, 1879.) W. C. T. U. of Nevada.
Miss Julia Prouty met with almost a fatal accident last week by falling upon a butcher knife in her own hands. The knife entered over the heart, striking a rib it glanced upward, missing her heart, thereby saving her life. Rumor says it was an attempt at suicide. Doctor Farrar is in attendance with hopes of a speedy recovery. -(Oct. 2, 1878.)
The first daily mail for Nevada commenced soon after the fifteenth of February, 1884. The first passenger train came to
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
Nevada from the east, July 4, 1864. The first telegraph office at Nevada was about the third of August, 1864. The first American Express office at Nevada was about December 30, 1863. Was incorporated November, 1869.
THE BOARDMAN BUILDING.
In the late fall, Boardman Brothers decided to put up a building adapted to and commensurate with their extensive and constantly increasing business. With their characteristic energy the struc- ture has been pushed to rapid completion, and in sixty days from the time the excavations for the foundations were begun, the last brick was laid.
The building is a substantial brick and makes a fine appearance. It has a frontage of fifty feet, a depth of one hundred, and a total height from foundation to top of cornice of over fifty feet. The basement is divided into two rooms longitudinally. The north half is again divided transversely into two rooms twenty-five by fifty feet each. This part of the basement is also made into a complete refrigerator in the following manner: Eight feet from the ground. floor is laid a water-tight iron floor. The compartment thus formed between this floor and the floor of the first story constitutes an ice chamber. By an ingenious yet simple arrangement air is made to pass over ice placed in this chamber and then throughout the rooms beneath it, making not only the ice compartment, but the whole north half of the basement a perfect refrigerator. This part of the basement is to be used for pickling or liming eggs. The vats in which the pickling is to be done are of brick and altogether will have a capacity for 300,000 dozens of eggs.
The south half of the basement is divided into three rooms. The front one, twenty-five by forty feet, is to be used as the butter room. The middle room, twenty-five by twenty, with side door, is the receiving room. The rear room, twenty-five by forty, is the freezing room for poultry. This is the room where the patent freezers-capable of freezing poultry in any weather, are to be put in operation.
On the first floor, which is well up from the walk, in the southwest corner, is located the office room, twenty by twenty. Back of the office with side doors are two rooms, one for receiving and the other for handling and candling eggs. The north side of the first floor is used for storage of return butter barrels, egg cases, and for salt which is bought by the car-load. And at this point it might be well to add that Boardman Brothers use, and are agents for Ashton's celebrated dairy salt, of which there is none better in the markets of the world.
The second floor is in one room fifty by one hundred, and is intended for general storage of butter tubs, egg cases, etc., used for shipping purposes, and also for a work room where knocked down egg cases and poultry boxes, received by car-loads, are put together. An ice house, thirty by sixty, with an elevation of twenty feet, and
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HISTORY OF STORY COUNTY, IOWA.
with a capacity of six hundred tons of ice has just been constructed in the rear of the main building. The cost of grounds and build- ings will not fall much short of $10.000. The town and county as well as the Messrs. Boardman are to be congratulated on the successful completion of this building enterprise.
But we must look beyond even this manifestation of thrift and energy in order to get a just idea of the wide range of business car- ried on by the comparatively young men composing this firm. They have $5,000 creameries at Roland and Cambridge, with facili- ties for manufacturing, at each, 2,500 pounds of butter per day. A large number of hogs are also fattened at the creameries. Last year they handled 700,000 pounds of ladled or reworked butter at an average cost of sixteen cents per pound, and manufactured 125,000 pounds of creamery butter at a cost of twenty-five cents a pound. Their egg purchases footed up 200,000 dozens at an aver- age cost of fifteen cents, and their poultry 228,000 pounds, or ten car-loads at a total cost of $25,000; while their disbursements for corn amounted to about $70,000. They furnish steady employ- ment in their butter, egg and creamery business to thirty men, and during the poultry season to twenty-five more. They are now pre- pared for a live poultry campaign, and already are dressing turkeys, chickens, ducks, and geese at Nevada, Roland, Story City, Carroll and Union, and are buying at all the principal central Iowa stations on the North western and Milwaukee railroads .- (Nevada Representative, Dec. 13, 1882.)
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