Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa, Part 29

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Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 484

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shipment was 15 cars of live-stock and 20 cars of grain. During May, 1890, 450 cases of eggs and 38,000 pounds of butter were shipped.

P. W. Hopkins and H. Cumming are two pri- vate bankers; Gales & Reed's creamery does a good business; Stewart & Cody are large horse buyers, while C. F. Wiggins deals more in cat- tle and hogs; W. A. Miller and Vail & Brown handle grain and coal, and lumber is kept by G. H. Richardson. L. C. Adams, H. Cumming. J. W. Kinsell, Lax & Hefley, John Niland and others are the leading business firms. There are no brick buildings. Two hotels, the Commercial and Colo, are on Front Sreet. There have been no newspapers. The postmas- ters have been as follows: Oscar F. Gear, May 18, 1864; J. H. Vorhees, September 27, 1865,

The next organization was formed November ( 3, 1883, J. B. Steadman Post No. 238, G. A. R., named in honor of the distinguished gen- eral. Their first members and officers were John O'Niel, C .; P. W. Hopkins, S. V. C .; William Sapp, J. V. C .; I. S. French, O. of D .; J. T. Graves, O. of G .; A. M. Norris, Q .; S. Pontious, chaplain; J. Daugherty, S .; D. P. Wood, Adj .; A. Ladd, S. M .; H. C. French, J. B. Kindig, S. F. Griffin, Robert Hefley and John Reynolds. They have used successively the "Church of God," Masonic Hall and their own since 1888, and have about $300 in prop- erty. They now have twenty-two members. Their successive commanders are John O'Neil, 1883; I. S. French, 1884; O'Neil, 1885; John H. Shammo, 1886; J. C. Sawtell, 1887; W. W. Bruner, 1838; J. M. Elmore, 1889; and John

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

O'Neil, 1890. They have also organized a one on Lot 10; within a year J. N. Scott, of Woman's Relief Corps.

Sheldahl was the outgrowth of the Narrow Gauge railway that appeared from Des Moines in 1874, and of the desire of the Norwegian and Swede population of the southwest corner of the county to have a railway station; for it must be remembered that the Narrow Gauge, now the Des Moines & Minneapolis branch of the North-Western Railway, is a sort of dividing line between a Sweden on the west and a Nor- way on the east in that region. While Messrs. Polk & Hubble, of this railway, were locating stations, H. Sheldahl, the owner of land in the Story County corner, D. McGraw, the Polk County owner, and Mr. Hopkins, owner of the Boone County corner of this site, tried to get the station there. Hon. Oley Nelson, a leader among the Norwegian people, tried to secure the location farther north in one county to avoid school district inconvenience, which was certain to follow in a town located in three counties, and also because a site farther north was higher land. Mr. Sheldahl, who had secured the land since its entry February 1, 1856, by Dr. J. W. Morris, of Des Moines, offered twenty-five acres for the site and secured it, and the name of the. Sheldahl family was used. In August, 1874, an engineer, Mr. Pelton and Mr. Oley Nelson laid out the town. The Boone County line was named Fifth Street, and the street on the line between Story and Polk Counties was called County Avenue, and this proved to be the leading street, for the depot grounds were laid out just north of it in Story, and the first business was planted on it east of the depot. Hon. Oley Nelson built a warehouse on the depot grounds first, and was the postmaster from the first until 1882. Buildings went up at once in 1874 on County Avenue. Mr. Nelson put up the first store on Block 15; L. Soderland built

Cambridge, moved his drug store to Block 16; C. C. Holm built a shoe shop. Others came in during the next four years who were almost without exception Norwegian, until the pop- ulation reached probably 500. Business still kept to County Avenue east of the railway. C. J. Cassell built a grist-mill; and an elevator, recently burned, was erected by Evans Bros., of Ames. The residence portion was north- west, west and south of the business center.

After 1878 everything was at a standstill until the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Rail- way came into the county a little to the north of them in 1881. As trade had been done largely with Des Moines, it was at once felt that the new trunk line would offer such ad- vantages to shippers to the Chicago market, that some town would arise to destroy Shel- dahl, unless the road could be persuaded to come to it. An attempt was made, but of no avail, and the railway in 1881 took the course it has now. Then there was a general desire to get over on the trunk line, at Madrid, Shel- dahl Crossing, or Cambridge. Every one wanted to dispose of his property, and the de- preciation in price was wonderful. Some went to one town and some to another. A large mass remained in suspense, not knowing what to do, nntil 1887, when a general meeting of citizens was held, and it was voted to move bodily to Sheldahl Crossing-houses, business, homes and all. This was done at once, and further notice will be taken of it in the sketch of Slater. From that time on, Sheldahl has been dwindling to a station and corners-a "deserted village" in fact. On the Story County side there is but one grocery, while a general store, grocery and furniture, hardware, post-office and feed-mill are the extent of its business center, with a population of less than 100. It is a good shipping point, the charges

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on freight received for May, 1890, being $147 .- 22, and for forwarding $2,002.19, the latter being about twice that of an average month.

They have two churches, but no newspapers, banks, or secret societies. They have held to their old incorporation. The grain shipment keeps the town in existence; nearly $2,000 in charges for forwarding being on grain alone.

In her palmy days Sheldahl had two news- papers at different times. The Sheldahl Journal came out in a new dress, May 7, 1880, and with seven columns in folio. The editor, W. G. Cambridge, avowed his Republican in- tentions, and all went well until January 7, 1881, Charles H. Lee secured it, and for a time had a partner - Rash. A. L. Rowen succeeded Lee in December, 1881, but the spring flowers of 1882 bloomed over its grave, and a juvenile effort, called the Iowa Cyclone, ran long enough to celebrate both its own and the Journal's funeral.

Kelley is a little clump of elevator, depot, store, tile and brick works, all compactly set in around the depot of the Des Moines & Minne- apolis Branch of the Chicago & North-Western Railway, between Slater and Ames, and with a population of about eighty persons. This site was entered July 20, 1855, by Thomas E. Judd, and it lay idle until the arrival of the Narrow Gauge Railway in 1874; then Bardwell & Bardwell opened a store, and laid out the town in August, 1875, on both sides of the township line. They afterward sold out to Shields & Cook, and later Mr. A. Wortman secured it, and with the creamery is the leader of the place; this together with the fine tile works of J. M. Stark makes the leading business of the place. The grain shipment is large, and with the creamery business and tile interests the town leads a busy life. The postmasters have been as follows: H. R. Bardwell, June 8, 1875; W. Peckard, January 31, 1876; M. C. Stevens,

April 3, 1876; J. McCoy, June 7, 1880; J. M. Tanner, April 19, 1887; A. Wortman, April 8, 1889.

Collins boasts of 275 people, and a goodly number of these are retired farmers. The lit- tle plat lying north of the St. Paul tracks and grounds and Railroad Street spreads its bus- iness along Main Street to the north, and pre- sents a thriving appearance, as the capital of Collins Township should. Its comely elevators and depot, too, look business-like; and the aver- age monthly charges on received freight, $355.17, and $1,082.65 on that forwarded, with $119.04 for ticket sales, show that it does not belie its appearance. This is not bad for a St. Paul eight-year-old.

Collins began really about a mile to the northeast, about 1875, in the store of James Plumb. This was afterward secured by James Chapman, who obtained the establishment of Collins Center post-office January 20, 1879. Then, almost three years later, the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway line concluded to have a station on the present site. This had been entered September 25, 1855, by J. S. Easley and Edgar Beardsley; but by this time Henry and John Angelo had secured the land, and the former sold it to the railway company, i. e., an east and west forty acres. The east forty acres has since been vacated, although both were platted and recorded in February, 1882. Before it was platted Riley Hampton built a hotel, and the plat placed him on the back end of his lot, and he had to move. The second house was erected by C. W. Eatherton. About third was the Hidy Bros.' store, the first on Main and Railroad Streets, and now used as a warehouse. Very soon James Chapman and the post-office came in, and the name changed on December 9, 1881. Mr. Woods, the Brad- shaw Bros., the Ozmun Bros. and others also built in the spring following. Business sprang

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

up very much, as at present, within two years. The only perceptible growth since has been in the residence portion, which is chiefly west of Main Street. Brick buildings have not ap- peared yet. The Exchange Bank, Charles Mead, president, and James Hanson, cashier, was established in 1889. There are two large elevators, one of which uses steam.

The relative importance of various lines of business has been estimated as follows, mak- ing a very liberal allowance for the single item of the tendency of retired farmers to settle. Grain and stock leads, followed by general merchandise; banking, of course, is large for this sized place; lumber has been a large ele- ment from the first opening of the depot, while machinery and furniture would be mentioned next. Other businesses naturally depend on these.

The mail has been handled since Mr. Chap- man's time by the following persons: S. J. Shearer, November 19, 1883; A. P. Edgar, December 7, 1885; C. E. Campbell, March 2, 1886; James B. Hanson, December 4, 1889.

The Odd Fellows, Good Templars and Ma- sons have gained a footing here. Collins Lodge No. 191, I. O. G. T., was organized May, 1889, with Albert Jones, C. T., and has increased to a flourishing membership of eighty-three persons. Amity Lodge No. 361, I. O. O. F., was formed August #, 1889, with J. P. Wells, J. W. Ozmun, J. C. Patton, I. Ozmun, C. C. Shackleford and S. W. Poorbaugh as charter members. Mr. Wells was the first noble grand, and has been succeded by W. H. Thompson. They now have thirty-nine members, and about $350 in property. The Masons have not yet organized.

prairie in a beautiful part of the county. Zear- ing is robust, too, in its business as a shipping point, and as bright as robust. Still more, it is growing, and has been from the first in both extent and activity. Main Street, with its rows of business houses lying parallel to and above the railway, seems formed purposely to gather stock, grain and produce, and roll it down into the ever greedy mouth of the freight car. No town in the county feeds the monster much better. It is but nine years old, and has about 300 inhabitants.

A non-resident, Chester B. Clark, entered the land August 20, 1855, and then years passed, 1865, 1875, and one day late in 1881, the owner, E. G. Richardson, received a prop- osition from the new railway to locate a town, if he would give the right of way, five acres and land for switches, with half of the lots of a twenty-acre plat. It was done, and in Novem- ber, 1881, the town was a reality. The rail- way tried to name it Ashurst, but Mr. Rich- ardson named it after a Mr. Zearing, of Chicago, who promised some pecuniary aid. Mr. Rich- ardson's home was the first house on the plat, and was a log one. Very soon several busi- ness houses arose on Main, near Center Street, the first being those of "Gus" Tuttle and James Williams. Others sprang up rapidly on , the north side of the street on two blocks: William Calhoun, in agricultural implements; Patton & Johnson, in hardware; W. Brooks, with a general store; A. W. Squires, as post- master; Gordon Wood, as grocer; the Willits drug store; Joseph Ingram, with groceries; Burkhart & Hix, with lumber; John Rodgers, as blacksmith; J. Golly, in the hotel line; Dr. S. F. Newton, as a physician, and so on. The south side of the street soon built up, and with- as it is at present, as far as business rooms are

Zearing is the child of the Central Iowa & North-Western Railway-the first born in Story , in a year or so business was determined much County, and withal a comely one, as it rests on the side of a long and gentle declivity of concerned. There has been no "boom " since,

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but the steady growth has been most marked in home improvements.

The sinews of the town are the grain and coal trade, headed by Ira Barnes, for the St. Paul & Kansas City Grain Company; N. R. Clift, for the Brackett & Stoddard Company ; E. G. Richardson, in the cattle and hog busi- ness; in general merchandise, Smith Brothers and McConnell & Thatcher; with hardware, F. Wohlheter and J. Tisdale; J. C. Burkhart, in lumber; A. D. Hix, W. Smith and C. A. Burk- hart, in groceries, while among others may be mentioned such firms as the Welton drug store, the Harter furniture store, two meat markets, two millinery stores, two repair shops, Clift & Fry's implement store, a job printing office and others. The Flowing Well Creamery, by D. O. Fenton, is a considerable institution. Two ele- vators were built about 1882-83, the Barnes having a capacity of 80,000 bushels, to facili- tate the heavy shipments of oats and corn.

The Farmers Bank of Zearing, private, was founded in 1887, by B. A. Armstrong. Very soon it was sold to N. R. Clift and the capital made $10,000. Their correspondents are the First National Bank of Chicago and the first National Bank of Marshalltown.

The place was incorporated in 1883 with A. M. Williams as the first mayor. His succes- sors have been: Joseph Johnson, 1884-85; C. Burgess, 1886; J. H. V. Willits, 1887; N. R. Clift, 1888-89, and J. S. Smith, 1890. Little has been done outside of routine business, ex- cept the establishment of a good system of sidewalks. They have also prompted the or- ganization of a local company which will soon lay out an addition.

The post-office has been occupied by the following servants of "Uncle Sam:" A. W. Squires, December 20, 1881; John C. Burk- hart, May 8, 1882; A. D. Hix, October 28, 1885; William H. Schafer, May 13, 1889.

Several modest newspaper efforts have been made. The Zearing Register, a diminutive paper edited by A. W. Lewis, began January 26, 1883, and lasted about a year. The Cruci- ble, by Morton Kuhn, ran from October, 1885, for a time. The Branch, by H. B. Miller, ran from August, 1887, to about October, 1889. All of these were small folios.

Four societies have had their birth in Zear- ing, the Masonic, the Odd Fellows, the Good Templars and the Grand Army of the Repub- lic. Electric Lodge No. 333, I. O. O. F., was chartered on October 18, 1883, by H. O. Nor- ton, N. G .; E. A. Allen, V. G. ; A. M. Williams, secretary; E. G. Richardson, treasurer; J. M. Ingram, G. D. Williams, F. S. Newton and J. M. Allen. Their membership has since in- creased to twenty-three persons, with E. G. Richardson as the last noble grand. About two years later, on June 4, 1885, Pacific Lodge No. 469, A. F. & A. M., received a charter with the following officers: H. N. Rogers, W. M .; E. C. Wallace, S. W .; M. M. Dunham, J. W .; Edwin Gross, treasurer; W. H. Brooks, secretary; George Barnard, S. D .; E. G. Richardson, J. D .; Joseph Rogers, tyler; D. D. Dunham, S. S. ; and H. T. Dimmitt, J. S., with five other members. They have reached as high as forty-two members, but now enroll but thirty-one. The successive worshipful mas- ters have been: Messrs. H. N. Rogers, E. C. Wallace, H. N. Rogers, George Barnard and J. S. Smith. It was not until October 18, 1887, that the Good Templar lodge was formed, with nineteen members, by A. M. Allen and Rev. Yerger, of Story City. They now have twenty-eight enrolled. Their chief templars have been: J. Q. Burgess, F. S. Newton, J. F. Reed, Mrs. Clift, J. F. Reed, N. R. Clift and Sidney Clift. A post of the Grand Army of the Republic is also in operation-Andrew Patton Post No. 239, G. A. R., named in honor

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

of Dr. Andrew Patton, deceased, of Nevada. It was organized October 16, 1883, by C. H. Brock, of Marshalltown, with the following officers: J. C. Burkhart, C .; Ira Barnes, S. V. C .; S. R. Davis, O. D .; D. E. Weatherly, Q. M .; H. F. Dimmit, O. G .; Gordon Wood, J. V. C .; T. E. Delaney, adjutant; M. Hamilton, S. at A., and I. F. Oldenburg, Q. M. S. Very soon the post was presented a choice steel en- graving of Dr. Patton mounted on his war- horse; it was the gift of Mrs. Patton, and is highly valued by the post. Their membership has grown to twenty-six, and their headquar- ters are the Odd Fellows' hall. The succes- sive commanders are: J. C. Burkhart, 1883- -85; M. V. Bump, 1886; J. C. Burkhart, 1887; Ira Barnes, 1888-89, and W. H. Shafer, 1890.

The railroad business of the place is illus- trated by the following figures for an average month: Charges for forwarded matter, $1,386 .- 88; for receipts, $788.64.

Huxley is a young Norwegian station, with a clump of houses between a church and the depot, and two or three stores at the east side, and all north of the railway track. The site was owned by Mr. Oleson, who claimed such damages that the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Land Company bought him out, and laid out the town in February, 1882. Oleson & Mickelson had the first store. There is now not more than three stores and a popu- lation of fifty to seventy-five Norwegians. The land was entered by Rebecca McDaniel in May, 1855. The postmasters are Jacob Steen- son, June 1, 1882, and Ole L. Hatteberg, since April 22, 1890. It is a considerable Nor- wegian shipping point.

Maxwell and Iowa Center are really part- ners who control the rolling, wooded banks of the Indian Creek, there securing a footing by which to attract the trade of many miles of prairie. It is laid out on the edge of the

prairie with a background of native forest; it seems built to attract the keen, bustling Yankee business man; at least that is what it has done, and Maxwell's reputation for a live class of business men is acknowledged wher- ever known. Maxwell is feverish, congested; her hands are full; she needs more houses and more men to do the business to be done. She is clean-ent and intelligent, the brightest, busiest, cleanest of the St. Paul's numerous progeny in Story County. And all this with about 600 people-live people though, and scarcely more than eight years old at that. Her trade is extensive, too-her market prices seem to have a power of gravitation for the country producer, that reaches out a long dis- tance. Her most vital lines of business are stock shipment and general merchandise, the latter especially represented by Baldwin & Maxwell and J. G. Wells & Co. and others. These two lines of business stock and merchan- dise, stand pre-eminently above all others, and furnish the sinew of the town. Next to this would probably come grain, with that of butter, eggs and poultry next. Following this it would be difficult to distinguish between bank- ing and lumber and coal, while the tile and brick interests might at one time come next, although the R. R. Thompson & Co.'s factory, established several years since, with a trade that warranted the planting of a side-track to their works, are not running at present.

But how did it all come about? Did John G. Wood, as he entered this site on May 10, 1853, imagine that a town would arise on it? Probably not, and 1863 came, then 1873 passed, and almost 1883 came before there was any thought of it, meanwhile Iowa Center held its own, as has been already indicated. Mr. Daniel Brubaker owned the land. The St. Paul Railway will not go to Iowa Center, so " Mo- hammed goes to the mountain," and Baldwin

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& Maxwell secure the land, give the railway one-half the plat and right-of-way, and the railway lays it out. This is recorded in De- cember, 1881. The plat was very regular, and all lay north of the track. J. O. French opened his lumber yard as the first business. Early in the spring of 1882 Albert H. McNall built the first store-room on the corner of First and Main Streets, and the sigual was given for business to begin to line Main Street. Bald- win & Maxwell, the latter of whose name the town bears, moved to their present quarters, which became their main store, and other "Center" people moved in. Charles Heitchin next built a hardware on the southwest corner of Main aud First Streets, and was soon fol- lowed in the same line by Ed. Raft on the northeast corner of Broad and Main. Near by arose a grocery for N. B. Wilcox, of Iowa Center. The hotel at the corner of Railroad Avenue and Main followed, and Bowen's Hotel arose on the corner of Main aud Second Streets. The building occupied by Dickey & Hill came about next, and King & Starr's creamery also. King, Starr & Co. erected the first brick block, and Cooper & Co. opened a furniture store. Mr. Roe's store and the drug store of George Benedict were about all erected in 1882. That was a year of boom. Since then the growth has been more steady, but continuous, while the amount of business has surpassed the growth. The growth is now marked in the line of residences. Maxwell has hardly passed the robust youth state yet. Her manufacture is represented by the creamery and tile and brick factory, the former now operated by the Co-operative Farmers' Association. Of two elevators, one has a capacity of about 12,000 bushels, the other being smaller and containing a steam feed mill. The Bauk of Maxwell, es- tablished by E. D. Dorn, in 1884, and after- ward bought by H. A. Church, has been owned

by Clark Mclain since August, 1889. Its correspondents are the Union National and the First National Banks of Chicago and Nevada, respectively. And this is how it all came about.

Maxwell was an incorporated town after De- cember, 1883, and the election of January 21, 1884, gave the following council: Mayor, J. W. Maxwell; councilmen, J. O. French, Will- iam Starr, W. G. Dickey, G. W. Olinger, S. E. Cooper and T. B. Schmeltzer, with J. F. Allen as recorder. Aside of the establishment of a good system of sidewalks, and a town well in 1884, little else has been done outside of the regular routine of council work. Other things will be cared for in the future. The successive mayors are: J. W. Maxwell, 1884; S. T. Goodman, 1885; J. O. French, 1886-87; W. M. Starr, 1888-89; and J. G. Wells, 1890.

The newspaper has had as vigorous a career as the town that supports it. The first issue of a paper began November 30, 1882. It was the Maxwell Times, edited by W. D. McTavish, and in form was a five-column folio, of Republican tone. This was removed a few months later, and the present Maxwell Tribune, of the same size, started out on December 28, 1883, as an Independent- Republican news-gatherer, and ed- ited by L. R. Shepherd. J. F. Allen became partner in 1884, and sole proprietor in 1885, but Mr. Shepherd soon re-secured it, as a seven- column folio. The office uses steam-power, and does stereotyping, aud besides its own paper, issues the Garland, of Cambridge.

Two well-known fraternities were Maxwell's Pioneers, in 1883, and the Good Templars and Grand Army organized in the following year. Social Lodge No. 463, I. O. O. F., was organ- ized April 3, 1883, by D. McKim, D. D. G. M., with T. B. Schmeltzer, N. G .; F. A. Jackson, V. G .; J. O. French, Secy. ; R. W. Roe, Treas .; and D. M. Ruth, W. H. Bair, as charter mem- bers and officers. The lodge has grown pros-

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HISTORY OF IOWA.

perous and increased to sixty members, with several hundred dollars of loaned money out. Their noble grands have been: T. B. Smeltzer, 1883-84; F. A. Jackson, 1884; S. E. Cooper, 1885; J. G. Wells, 1885; J. W. Maxwell, 1886; J. P. Wells, 1886; George Benedict, 1887; F. W. Hill, 1887 ; J. G. Wells, 1888; T. B. Schmelt- zer, 1889; W. J. Venemon, 1889; George F. Berlin, 1890, and F. M. McClure, 1890. On September 24 following the Odd Fellows es- tablishment, Herald Lodge No. 455, A. F. & A. M., was formed under dispensation to J. W. Maxwell, W. M .; S. T. Goodman, S. W .; James H. Schuyler, J. W .; R. R. Thompson, C. A. Wood, John Thompson, Henry Funk, W. W. Carr, D. F. Shope, C. H. Dickey, M. M. Ran- dall, W. G. Dickey, A. Laughery, F. H. Hig- ley and John Clevesly. A charter was granted the following June, and the society has grown until it now owns its hall and other property, valued at $1,000. Its membership is sixty-four. Mr. Maxwell's successors as worshipful master are: S. T. Goodman, 1887-88; C. M. Morse, 1889, and J. H. Schuyler, 1890. Maxwell Lodge, I. O. G. T., existed from March, 1884, to De- cember, 1886, when a fire destroyed their hall and its contents. James H. Ewing Post No. 305, organized March 20, 1884, has fared bet- ter. They began with twenty-eight charter members, and have increased to forty-two, although their property was destroyed by the same fire, and also erected in 1887 a hall, with property valued at $600. Their first officers were: C. H. Dickey, C .; W. M. Starr, S. V. C .; J. Bowen, J. V. C .; John Cole, Q. M .; W. J. Venemon, O. D .; Giles Randlett, D .; John Doty, C .; H. Dick, O. G .; C. M. Morse, Adjt .; D. H. Sacia, S. M .; George Hardenbrook, Q. M. S. The successive commanders have been W. M. Starr, Jesse R. Wood, C. M. Morse, W. M. Starr and Jesse Bowen. The post was named in honor of James H. Ewing, of Com-

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Biographical and historical memoirs of Story County, Iowa, Part 29

Author: Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Goodspeed Number of Pages: 484

Author:
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Goodspeed
Number of Pages: 484