USA > Iowa > Story County > Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa > Part 10
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Forty-ninth Congress - 1885-87. - First District, B. J. Hall; Second District, J. H. Murphy; Third District, David B. Henderson ; Fourth District, William E. Fuller; Fifth District, B. F. Frederick; Sixth District, J. B. Weaver; Seventh District, H. Y. Smith ( to fill vacancy occasioned by resignation of J. A. Kasson)-E. H. Conger (elected) ; Eighth District, W. P. Hepburn; Ninth District, Joseph H. Lyman; Tenth District, Adoniram J. Holmes; Eleventh District, Isaac S. Struble-
Fiftieth Congress-1887-89 .- First District, John H. Gear; Second District, Walter I. Hayes; Third District, D. B. Henderson; Fourth District, William E. Fuller; Fifth District, Daniel Kerr; Sixth District, J. B. Weaver; Seventh District, E. H. Conger; Eighth District, A. R. Anderson; Ninth District, Joseph Lyman; Tenth District, A. T. Holmes; Eleventh District, I. S. Struble.
Fifty-first Congress-1889-91 .- First Dis- trict, John H. Gear; Second District, Walter I. Hayes; Third District, D. B. Henderson ; Fourth District, J. H. Sweney; Fifth District, Daniel Kerr; Sixth District, John F. Lacey; Seventh District, Edwin H. Conger; Eighth District, James P. Flick; Ninth District, Joseph R. Reed; Tenth District, J. P. Dolliver; Eleventh District, Isaac S. Struble.
A glance at the assessment rolls of 1870 and 1889 reveals a decided increase in the amount and value of personal property. In 1870 the assessment showed 867,904 cattle, worth $11,-
170.564; 449,328 horses, worth $19,172,050; 44,636 mules, worth $1,719,873; 860,717 sheep, worth $539,872; 689,382 swine, over six months old, worth $2,133,000. In 1889 there were 3,110,936 cattle, worth $23,970,341; 966,455 horses, worth $26,679,110; 41,134 mules, worth $1,274,476; 256,166 sheep, worth $272,656; 2,237,359 swine, worth $4,604,694. In 1880 the materials manufactured were worth $48,- 704,311, and the products $71,045,926, and capital invested in the same $33,987,886.
The following coal output of Iowa is by tons :
COUNTIES.
1881.
1884.
1887.
Adams
3,708
3,981
19,851
Appanoose
107,348
158,986
160,351
Boone
337,724
473,073
167,068
Dallas.
47,884
37,185
40,420
Davis
489
₱ 1,207
1,800
Greene. .
81,530
96,327
105,894
Guthrie.
5,187
18,305
Hamilton
1,787
1,878
6,669
Hardin.
1 317
1.075
450
Jasper.
42,435
46,335
142.039
Jefferson
39,124
8,172
10,397
Keokuk
463,010
430,940
399,007
Lucas.
458,274
410.729
472,998
Mahaska.
917,495
932,714
895,548
Marion.
93,997
97,085
212,695
Marshall.
200
Monroe
98,143
98,427
183,505
Muscatine.
685
1,009
1;780
Polk
473.893
619,921
305,097
Scott
3,804
3,821
8,634
Story
2,000
Taylor.
87
127
12,180
Van Buren
987
1,778
26,331
Wapello
131,815
240,720
272,073
Warren
12,989
13,727
24,796
Wayne.
72
4,947
28,084
Webster.
184,300
214,014
146,221
100
Page.
The following lands were granted to the State by the United States: July 20, 1840, the university grant, consisting of 45, 928.84 acres ; September 4,1841, the 500,000-acre tract, con- sisting of 535,473.54 acres; March 3, 1845, sixteenth sections, amounting to 1,013,014.21 acres, and the same date five sections in Jas- per County for a State capital, 3,200 acres; August 8, 1846, the Des Moines River grant
0
73
HISTORY OF IOWA.
of 592,760.57 acres; September 28, 1850, swamp land (in place) 877,639.26; May 27, 1852, saline land, 46,202.53 acres; March 2, 1855, indemnity swamp land, 324,331.18 acres, and on the same date swamp land for which indemnity in cash was allowed, 373,998.74; May 15, 1886, the four following grants were made: Burlington & Missouri River Railroad 292,806.41 acres; Mississippi & Missouri Rail- road (now Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific), 482,374.36 acres; Iowa Central Air Line Rail-
road (now Cedar Rapids & Missouri River), 783,096.53 acres; Dubuque & Sioux City, Iowa Falls & Sioux City and Tete des Nortes Branch Railroads, 1,233,481.70 acres; July 2, 1862, Agricultural College, 204,309.30 acres; July 12, 1862, Des Moines River, 513,207.48 acres ; May 12, 1864, McGregor & Missouri River, and Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroads, 321,595.16 acres; and the same date Sioux City & St. Paul Railroad, 407,879.31 acres. - Grand total, 8,051,930.02 acres.
5
74
HISTORY OF IOWA.
CHAPTER VIII.
RELIGIOUS DENOMINATIONS OF THE STATE-THE SPANISH AND THE FRENCH CATHOLICS-MOVEMENTS OF THE PRO- TESTANT DENOMINATIONS-THE ORGANIZATION INTO CHURCH GROUPS-FIRST MASS IN IOWA-FIRST CHURCH-THE YOUNG MEN'S CHRISTIAN ASSOCIATION-NUMBER OF CONGREGATIONS- WEALTH, CHARACTER, MEMBERSHIP AND STANDING OF THE VARIOUS DENOM- INATIONS REPRESENTED IN IOWA - RELIGIOUS EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS -CRIMINAL STATISTICS.
God never had a house of prayer But Satan had a chapel there .- De Foe.
N viewing the West as a mission field, it is well to distinguish three periods in its develop- ment. The first may be known as its discovery and occupation by the Spanish and French Catholics from 1541 to 1803, nearly three cen- turies. This would be also char- acterized by their work among the Indians. The second period, fol- lowing the purchase of the trans- Mississippi region in 1803, may be characterized by the settlement of Protestant denominations as its predominant feature. This may extend to about 1865, when the close of the war allowed the western railway movement to resume an impetus it had checked somewhat. From 1865 to the present, the stupendons spread of western railways and the nineteenth century "migration of races"-far more mar- velous than that of the fifth century-may be
called the period of organization and assimila- tion, for the most characteristic element of this period is the gathering together into churches the settlers from various parts of the world into convenient church groups. It is organization and assimilation, too, in another sense, namely, the rise of inter-denominational, religious and reformatory movements, such as the Young Men's Christian Association, the Sunday-school Association, the Woman's Christian Temper- ance Union, etc. If these distinctions are borne in mind they form an explanatory thread which is somewhat of a guide through the mazy, shifting and gigantic changes in our western empire.
Iowa has passed through all of these periods, but with certain striking modifications, caused by her later settlement and her peculiarly rapid growth, arising from her location on the great trans-continental highway of trunk-line rail- ways, together with her ready-made prairie gardens that lay waiting for occupants. There is another essential cause, however, in some degree more important than any of the above,
75
HISTORY OF IOWA.
and that is the character of her settlers; these have been people whose great pride was churches and schools, so positively so that less fortunate States have sneeringly spoken of "fanatical Iowa." But so long as Iowa fur- nishes such examples of literary, reformatory measures, patriotism and wealth as she does, she can well bear the taunt of envious sisters. It will be seen that Iowa has been most re- markable in the last two periods, and espe- cially the last, that of organization. This will be the more realized when it is remembered that over a million people have poured into Iowa since 1865, and that in 1836 the whole terri- tory of the State had but 10,531, or less than one-fifth the population of the single city of Des Moines. It will be still further apparent when it is recalled that the whole State has been open to white occupation since 1842 only.
The earliest Christian work was no doubt done by the Catholics at the various river points and among the Indians, but that pioneer denomination, the Methodist Episcopal Church, brushed very close to them in society organi- zation. In the fall of 1833, the same year that the first Iowa post-office was established,* the first Roman Catholic mass in the Territory was celebrated at the house of Patrick Quigley at Dubuque, among the miners of the settlement. In March of the following spring (1834) the first church bell was brought into the Territory. On the 18th of the following May the first Methodist society in the Territory was formed at Dubuque, and the first class meeting held on the 1st day of June. This society at once proceeded to erect the first church building in the Territory, and during that summer the first Sabbath-school was organized. The Baptists also claim almost if not quite as early organi- zation. It was three years later that the Pres- byterians began at West Point, on June 24,
1837, and as the population of the State had reached 43,112, or more than quadrupled by the close of this decade, 1840, it is probable that most of the denominations, if not all, in existence at that time had their representatives within the boundaries of Iowa Territory, and the rest reached Iowa no doubt as fast as they arose, for every shade of thought has found lodgment here, from the most free-thinking to the most superstitious or erratic of religionists or religio-philosophers. Iowa is as cosmopoli- tan in this respect as in its nativities, although, like its population, which comes in the greatest numbers from its own soil, Illinois and Ohio, so its greatest proportions follow in name those of the three great pioneers, followed by the Baptists, Congregationalists, Lutherans, etc. In distribution some followed the general course of population while others were confined to districts, the latter being especially true of foreign societies, the large element of which may be best understood by reference to statis- tics of their population. Another feature of this growth has been its changefulness previ- ous to 1865 and even later, due to the removal farther west of many of its inhabitants, tempted to it by the streams of migration that flow through its iron arteries to the west. In order to keep in view its relation to population, three census points are here taken-the earliest made, that of 1836, giving 10,531; that of 1865 giv- ing 754,699, a growth of about thirty years; and that of 1885, the latest obtainable at this writing, giving 1,753,980, an increase of a million in twenty years. This shows a marvel- ous increase in simple population, but general national statistics of various denominations show that under the impetus of the religious activities of this last half century, represented by the D. L. Moody movement, the Young Men's Christian Association, the Christian Temperance Union, the Society of Christian
* Dubuque.
76
HISTORY OF IOWA.
Endeavor, and such movements, the religious increase has considerably surpassed that of population in rate. There are several ways in which this increase is true beside that of mem- bership; there is that of perfected organization; that of increased pastorate both in persons and remuneration; that of increased number and quality of buildings; that of increased support to mission enterprises; that of increased activ- ity in general reformatory measures and edu- cation; that of college and academic school founding; and especially that of earnestness and spirituality of personal life. It is difficult and even impossible to represent growth in some of these lines; they can not be put in figures and pen pictures. They are powerful, but intangible. They are inter-dependent though, and a statement of one line may be somewhat indicative of others. Even in mem- bership, could that be accurately known of all societies, the comparison is difficult because of various standards of what constitutes member- ship.
Probably the most reliable and accessible estimate of all denominations-although not unobjectionable by any means-would be the census of 1885, almost an exact half-century after the erection of that modest little Meth- odist Church in Dubuque, which gives 3,762 as the total number of organizations or con- gregations within the State of Iowa. This would be an average of almost thirty-eight or- ganizations to the county, or between two and three to a township. Of this large number only 386 do not own property, and are com- pelled to rent. These and but two others re- port no valuation of property, but the 3,406 societies who do own property reported its to- tal value to the State at $11,911,966 in 1885, and churches have been going up every year since. Think of the people of one State giving nearly $12,000,000, a low estimate to the
single item of property, not to mention its other large and numerous disbursements. About one-fifth* of these 3,762 organizations neglected to report any seating capacity to their buildings, but the remaining four-fifths report an ability to seat 821,838 people, or about half the entire population, while the re- mainder would probably seat nearly one-fifth as many more.
All this is distributed chiefly among four- teen general denominations in the following order, although many others have a good show- ing: The Roman Catholic, the Methodist Episcopal, the Presbyterian in its two branches, the Baptists of all classes, the Congregational, the various Lutheran Churches, the Unitarian, the Episcopal, the Christian or Disciple, the Evangelical Association, the United Brethren, the Universalist, the Friends and Adventists.
The Roman Catholic Church leads with property valued at $2,865,168, and affording a seating capacity of 104,516. They are scat- tered among all the counties but eight, and are organized under two dioscesan bishops, namely of Dubuque and Davenport. These include the various nationalities. It will be seen that the property of this denomination is almost one-fourth of the entire church wealth of the State, while the Protestant Churches cover over three-fourths.
The Methodist Episcopal Church. follows very closely the wealth of the Catholics, and but one county in the State reported no organ- ization in 1885. Their property is given at $2,575,349, with a seating capacity of 223, 718, the largest of any denomination by far, and over double that of the Romam Catholic Churches. They are divided into four con- ferences.
The Presbyterian Churches, including the Cumberland branch, which is the less numer-
*760.
77
HISTORY OF IOWA.
ous in Iowa, have given about half the wealth in edifices of the two above, $1,337,290, but the seating capacity does not fall far below the Catholic. This is given at 98,682 in the cen- sus of 1885. About fifteen of the ninety-nine counties reported no Presbyterian organiza- tions in 1885. The larger society has a synod of eight presbyteries.
The Baptist Churches are scattered over all but thirteen counties, with property valued at $929, 035, and a reported seating capacity of 81,835, in proportions not dissimilar to that of their Presbyterian friends.
The Congregational Churches make a show- ing very close to this in several respects. Their seating capacity is stated at 56,495, and the property valued at $806,600, with a distribu- tion over all but fifteen counties.
The Lutheran Churches are greatly divided by sect and nationality, but they aggregate very nearly the same showing as their Congrega- tional brethren, namely, $787,524 in property, and a seating capacity of 61,433, although twenty-five, or one-fourth of all the counties, have no organizations in them. This latter is due to the large foreign element, there being until recently (June, 1890), besides the Eng- lish Church, the Swedish Augustana synod, several Norwegian sects-recently almost all united-the Northwestern Danish synod, the German synod of Iowa, and the German Mis- souri synod.
The Unitarian Churches are here mentioned because their churches are estimated next in value, at $690,000, although their seating ca- pacity falls to but 1,450, which would make it fall below all the other fourteen denominations.
The Protestant Episcopal Churches likewise come next in the estimated value of their prop- erty, namely, $427,850, while their seating ca- pacity of but 14,529 would rate them below several that follow.
The Christian or Disciple Churches rank next to the Congregational in seating capacity at 45,515, although their churches, valued at $334,850, follow the Episcopalian.
The Evangelical Association follows the Dis- ciple society in both features, their seating ca- pacity being 24,754, and the estimated value of property at $261,900.
The United Brethren report about half this amount of property, $135,750, but give a seat- ing capacity of 17,092.
The Universalist Churches have almost the same value in property, $132,800, but fall to 6,250 seating capacity.
The Friends or Quakers have churches that can seat as many as the United Brethren (17,055), but their property falls below that of the Universalists to $97,200.
The Adventists, who have their services on Saturday, can seat as many as the Universalists (6,398), but their church buildings are re- ported at almost one-third in value, or $48,350.
There are buildings aside from the above which are owned jointly by two or more socie- ties. These represent a seating capacity of 10,491, and a value a little above that of the Ad- ventists ($56,750). But besides these there are numerous lesser denominations than any of the above, whose buildings are capable, in the aggregate, of seating 18,138 people, and rep- resent an estimated wealth of $740,000. These are the estimates of 1885, the latest accessible, and they take no account of the rapid devel- opment of the last five years.
This review would be very unjust, if the vari- ous educational institutions were overlooked. Of the whole number of non-state educational in- stitutions in Iowa in 1885, there were thirty-one colleges and universities, nine seminaries, and 175 other private schools. It is probable that all of the thirty-one colleges and universities are denominationally sustained and directed. As
G
78
HISTORY OF IOWA.
to the seminaries, most of them would also be included, while probably less than half of the other schools may be so classed. The influence of these institutions is beyond computation, but these numbers are loaded with significance.
But there are other bodies which are of large religious importance to Iowa, distinguished from, yet dependent on the churches, and chief among these are the Young Men's Christian Association, which has grown to such pro- portions that it has thirteen paid general sec- retary offices in the State; the Woman's Chris- tian Temperance Union, with societies to the number of 307 and 4,462 members, and that vigorous young people's association-the So- ciety of Christian Endeavor. The Temperance Union has been a powerful factor in Iowa's pro- hibitory movement, and her vigorous stand for the entire separation of the temperance issue from politics, led by Mrs. Ellen J. Foster, against
1
the national organization recently, has been an event of national note. There are other reform- atory movements of various kinds.
This view may very properly close with the relative criminal condition of the State. In 1885 out of the entire population of 1,753,980, the total number of convicts in prisons were but 530, or a proportion of but thirty-three to the 100,000 persons, while the proportion of Ne- vada and California ran up to 228 and 182, re- spectively, and Illinois and Indiana were nearly double her proportion. Her rank in respect of total number in prison among the States is twenty-two, but in proportion of prisoners to population is thirty-seven. Iowa is tenth in population. This means that there are thirty- six of the sisterhood of States that have a worse criminal showing than Iowa, who heads them all in the proportion of persons over ten years of age able to read.
79
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HISTORY OF IOWA.
1
CHAPTER IX.
THE PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM OF THE STATE-FIRST SCHOOLS TAUGHT IN DIFFERENT PORTIONS OF IOWA-A SUM- MARY OF THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE SCHOOL LAWS-ORIGIN OF THE EDUCATIONAL FUNDS-VALU-
ABLE COMPARATIVE STATISTICS-THE AMOUNT OF SCHOOL FUND FOR THE SEVERAL COUNTIES-OTHER IMPORTANT MATTER.
To breed up the son to common sense Is evermore the parent's least expense .- Dryden.
HE germ of the free pub- lic school system of Iowa, which now ranks second to none in the United States, was planted by the first settlers. They had emigrated to "The Beau- tiful Land" from other and older States, where the com- mon-school system had been tested by many years' experi- ence, bringing with them some knowlege of its advantages, which they determined should be enjoyed by the children of the land of their adoption. The system thus planted was expanded and improved in the broad fields of the West, until now it is justly considered one of the most complete, comprehensive and liberal in the country.
In the lead mining regions of the State, the first to be occupied by the white race, the hardy pioneers provided the means for the education of their children even before they had comfortable dwellings for their families.
School teachers were among the first immi- grants to Iowa. Wherever a little settlement was made, the school-house was the first united public act of the settlers; and the rude, primi- tive structures of the early time only disap- peared when the communities had increased in population and wealth, and were able to re- place them with more commodious and com- fortable buildings. Perhaps in no single instance has the magnificent progress of the State of Iowa been more marked and rapid than in her common-school system and in her school-houses, which long since superseded the log cabins of the first settlers. To-day, the school-houses which everywhere dot the broad and fertile prairies of Iowa are unsur- passed by those of any other State in the great Union. More especially is this true in all her cities and villages, where liberal and lavish appropriations have been voted, by a gener- ous people, for the erection of large, commo- dious and elegant buildings, furnished with all the modern improvements, and costing from $10,000 to $60,000 each. The people of the State have expended more than $1,500,000 for the erection of public school buildings.
80
HISTORY OF IOWA.
The first school-house erected in Iowa was a log cabin at Dubuque, built by James L. Langworthy and a few other miners, in the autumn of 1833. When it was completed, George Cabbage was employed as teacher during the winter of 1833-34, and thirty-five pupils attended his school. Barrett Whitte- more taught the second term with twenty-five pupils in attendance. Mrs. Caroline Dexter commenced teaching in Dubuque in March, 1836. She was the first female teacher there, and probably the first in Iowa. In 1839 Thomas H. Benton, Jr., afterward for ten years superintendent of public instruction, opened an English and classical school in Du- buque. The first tax for the support of schools at Dubuque was levied in 1840.
Among the first buildings erected at Bur- lington was a commodious log school-house in 1834, in which Mr. Johnson Pierson taught the first school in the winter of 1834-35.
The first school in Muscatine County was taught by George Bumgardner, in the spring of 1837, and in 1839 a log school-house was erected in Muscatine, which served for a long time for school-house, church and public hall. The first school in Davenport was taught in 1838. In Fairfield, Miss Clarissa Sawyer, James F. Chambers and Mrs. Reed taught school in 1839.
When the site of Iowa City was selected as the capital of the Territory of Iowa, in May, 1839, it was a perfect wilderness. The first sale of lots took place August 18, 1839, and before January 1, 1840, about twenty families had settled within the limits of the town; and during the same year Mr. Jesse Berry opened a school in a small frame building he had erected on what is now College Street.
The first settlement in Monroe County was made in 1843, by Mr. John R. Gray, about two miles from the present site of Eddyville;
and in the summer of 1844 a log school-house was built by Gray, William V. Beedle, C. Renfro, Joseph McMullen and Willoughby Randolph, and the first school was opened by Miss Urania Adams. The building was occupied for school purposes for nearly. ten years. About a year after the first cabin was built at Oskaloosa a log school-house was built, in which school was opened by Samuel W. Caldwell in 1844.
At Fort Des Moines, now the capital of the State, the first school was taught by Lewis Whitten, clerk of the district court, in the winter of 1846-47, in one of the rooms on "Coon Row," built for barracks.
The first school in Pottawattamie County was opened by George Green, a Mormon, at Council Point, prior to 1849; and until about 1854, nearly, if not quite, all the teachers in that vicinity were Mormons.
The first school in Decorah was taught in 1853, by T. W. Burdick, then a young man of seventeen. In Osceola, the first school was opened by Mr. D. W. Scoville. The first school at Fort Dodge was taught in 1855 by Cyrus C. Carpenter, since governor of the State. In Crawford County, the first school- house was built in Mason's Grove, in 1856, and Morris McHenry first occupied it as teacher.
During the first twenty years of the history of Iowa the log school-house prevailed, and in 1861 there were 893 of these primitive struct- ures in use for school purposes in the State. Since that time they have been gradually dis- appearing. In 1852 there were 471; in 1860, 876; in 1865, 796; in 1870, 356; in 1875, 121; in 1880, 67; in 1885, 40, and in 1889, 30.
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