USA > Iowa > Union County > Biographical and historical record of Ringgold and Union counties, Iowa, vol. 2 > Part 10
USA > Iowa > Ringgold County > Biographical and historical record of Ringgold and Union counties, Iowa, vol. 2 > Part 10
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The number of males between five and twenty-one years of age is 2,493 : females, 2,424 ; enrollment in public school. 1,616; average attendance, 1,082 ; average cost of tuition per month, per pupil, $1.82: valuc of school-houses, $55.9So. The amount paid for school-houses and sites during the year was $2.478.77; paid for teachers, $29.515.
The school fund loaned in Ringgold County amounts to $33,843.70. This is loaned to farmers on mortgage, at cight per cent. There have been no losses of conse- quence since 1874. In.that year the losses reported were $1.221.62, and the previous
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MISCELLANEOUS.
year $446.37 waslost. The fund amounted, ! are not wanting who say that this is to " become entirely a stock country. That in 1874, to $25.285.10, and the county then had unsold, 240 acres of land. It now has ; certainly seems to be the tendency, and the 120 acres. The greater part of theincrease in the fund is due to transfers from other counties, which have been made as fol- lows:
Tama County, $1,000, June 1, 18So; Mahaska County, $1,000, August 16, 1880; Cass County, $1,000. December 23, 1881 : Linn County, $1,000, March 16, 1882; Cass County, $1,000, May 30, 1882; Black Hawk County, $2,000, November 29, ISS2. Total, $7,000. The natural increase of the fund, from sales of lands, escheated estates, etc., is very slow.
AGRICULTURAL.
No ponds of stagnant water or wet, marshy land are found in Ringgold County, and it is particularly well adapted to agri- cultural purposes. The soil is the common deep, rich, drift soil characteristic of South- ern Iowa, capable of producing abundant crops of all products adapted to the climate of that latitude, of corn especially. The native grasses formerly yielded large crops, but as population increased have been gradually superseded, to a large extent, by the tame grasses which are propagated casily and thrive abundantly. Timothy, clover and blue grass are extensively culti- vated. This has become a prosperous and prominent stock-raising county, including cattle, horses, mules, sheep and hogs. Of late years considerable attention has been given to fruit-growing, with excellent suc- cess. Apples, pears, cherries and all the small fruits thrive with proper cultivation. Grapes may be produced in great abun- dance.
small farms are disappearing before the large stock-growers. The population will , not increase if this continues to be the rule. The following statistics are from the State census, prepared in 1885, and apply to the year 1884:
Average size of farm, 125 acres ; acres im- proved land, 206,391 ; acres in cultivation, 135.873 : acres unimproved land, 82.834; acres of pasture, 55,267: rods of hedge, 224.794; rods of barbed-wire fence, 667,052 ; rods of other fence, 187, 1St ; farms man- aged by owner, 1,492; farms under man- ager, 19; farms rented for share of crop. 103; farms rented for money, 302 ; acres of corn, 63,641 ; bushels of corn, 2,212,060; acres of wheat, 6So; bushels of wheat, 6,252 ; acres of oats, 30,812 ; bushels of oats, 667,515 ; tons of straw. 13,953 ; acres of rye, 120; bushels of rye, 11,754; tons of straw, 798 : acres of barley, 27 ; bushels of barley, 228; acres of buckwheat, 457; bushels of buckwheat, 5,170; acres of sorghum, 671 ; gallons of sorghum syrup, 45,192 ; acres of potatoes, 910 ; bushels of potatoes, 80,771 ; acres of planted timber, 1,015 ; acres of natural timber, 19,627 ; cords of wood cut in 1884, 10.828 ; apple trees, bearing, Go,- 458 ; bushels of apples, 47,704 ; other trees, bearing, 12,628; bushels of other fruit, 2,499: trees not bearing, 68.0446; acres in timothy, 46,526; tons of hay, 44,986; bush- els of secd, 5,858 ; tons of hay from wild grass, 8,240; acres in other cultivated grasses, 3.730: tons of hay, 6,871 ; bushels of seed, 4,8.44 ; acres of flax, 1,SSo; bushels of seed, 8,720; thorough-bred cattle, 288 ; graded, 1,431 ; work oxen, 3; milch cows, 8,196; other cattle. 20.285 : horses, 8,507; "mules and asses, 596; hogs, 36,679; sheep, 3,649: pounds of wool, 16,186; common
The great rural industry, however, is stock-raising. There is no finer region for stock anywhere, and more and more atten- : chickens, 86,818; improved chickens 10,- tion is given to it every year. Prophets . 082; average value of farms. $4,135.
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444
HISTORY OF RINGGOLD COUNTY.
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
As carly as 1859, Ringgold County or- ganized an agricultural society. On the 18th of June of that year a formal organiza- tion was completed, with the following board of officers: I. W. Keller, President ; E. Sheldon, Vice-President ; A. Z. Huggins. Sceretary ; and J. C. Hagans, Treasurer. Eight directors were also elected. The first annual fair was held October 14, IS59. The society purchased a beautiful forty- acre tract of land about one mile north- east of Mt. Ayr, on which they located their fair grounds, and have made good improvements. The property is valued at $1,500, and the society is in debt just about that amount. For the last five years the society has paid its premiums in full, with- out reference to the ratio of receipts to ex- penses. The hall, 24 x 130 feet, is usually crowded with machinery, produce, etc. The customary races and other features usually found at county fairs are sustained.
The constitution of the society is as fol- lows :
ARTICLE I. This society shall be known as the Ringgold County Farmers' and Me- chanics' Agricultural Society, having for its object the dissemination of all useful knowledge applicable to agriculture, horticulture, mechanism, the arts, rural and domestic economy, and all industrial pursuits connected therewith.
ART. II. The officers of this society shall consist of a president, secretary, corre sponding secretary, treasurer, and execu- tive committee of three members, and a board of five directors-three of whom shall constitute a quorum for the transac- tion of business.
be filled by the Board of Directors until the next regular election.
ART. IV. The officers elected as above shall assume their duties on the first Mon- day of January following, and it shall be incumbent on the retiring Board to settle up the business of the year, and shall have the time above specified to perform that duty.
ART. V. The duties of the president and vice-president shall be such as are usually attached to such offices.
ART. VI. The secretary shall keep a faithful record of all the proceedings of the society and the Board of Directors, and shall attend, with all his records and papers at all regular meetings of the society and its annual fairs.
ART. VII. It shall be the duty of the treasurer to receive all moneys due the so- ciety, and pay them out on the order of the president, countersigned by the secretary, and he shall execute a bond to be approved by the Board of Directors, for the faithful performance of his duties, and to pay over all moneys, property and effects in his hands at the expiration of his term of office. Ile shall keep a regular account current with the secretary, and render an abstract thereof to the executive committee, and report the financial condition of the society at its annual meeting. He shall also attend all regular meetings of the society and its annual fairs.
ART. VIIl. It shall be the duty of the corresponding secretary to respond to all letters of inquiry concerning the society, and render such assistance to the Secretary as may be required.
ART. IX. The president, secretary and treasurer shall be ex-officio members of the Board of Directors, and said board shall have power to make all necessary prudential rules and regulations for the government of this society, to all its prac-
ART. 111. The annual meeting for the election of officers, who shall serve for one : year, shall be held in Mt. Ayr, lowa. on the last Saturday in December of each year. Any vacancy that may occur, may | tical and beneficial operations; to call spe-
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MISCELLANEOUS.
cial meetings of the society and board ; to designate premiums to be awarded at the fairs, and to appoint committees-not appointed by the society at its annual meeting-necessary to carry out the objects of the society, and shall perform such other duties as properly belong to such bodies.
ART. X. It shall be the duty of the ex- ecutive committee to carry out the orders of the Board of Directors, and to have the general supervision of the society's grounds.
ART. XI. The principal place of busi- ness shall be in Mt. Ayr, lowa, and no cap- ital shall be required other than the amount received from the State and county and the proceeds of the annual fair, which can only be invested in grounds and fixtures neces- sary to the accommodation of the society, the payment of premiums and the usual expenses of the society.
ART. XII. This society shall hold an annual fair at such a time as the Board of Directors may determine.
ART. XIII. Any person may become a member of this society by paying the an- nual sum of $1.oo to the society, which entitles him to a vote at the annual meet- ing in the election of officers.
ART. XIV. The Board of Directors shall annually-prior to the ist of May- establish a list of premiums to be award- ed at the next fair. and adopt rules and regulations for its government, which shall be published as provided by law.
ART. XV. At the election of officers, any member receiving a majority of all votes cast for any office, shall be declared elected.
ART. XVI. Voting by this society for the election of officers shall be by ballot, and in all other cases may be by "aye" or "nay."
-three members shall constitute a quorum for transaction of business.
ART. XVIII. This constitution and by- laws of this society may be altered at any regular meeting thereof, by a vote of the majority of the members present.
The payment of $1.00 annually entitles a person to membership and a family ticket. In 1885 over 600 tickets were sold. In IS8G the experiment of charging $2.00 for a membership and family ticket was tried, and but eighty-three tickets were taken. Single admission tickets are 25 cents.
The officers of the society for 1886are : I. A. Palmer, President ; John Beaty, Vice-Prosi- dent ; Henry Todd, Secretary ; J. W. Scott, Joseph Robinson, D. C. Tidrick, I. M. Long and Daniel Huffman, Directors ; J. M. McGorsuch, L. O. Imus and James W. Spencer, Executive Committee.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
In the spring of 1856 the county judge caused the erection of a hewed-log house, at Mt. Ayr, for the use of the county officers. It was fourteen feet square, and fur- nished with two tables, two desks or book- cases, and a small rough-board box or safe for the public revenue. It was occupied by the county judge, clerk, treasurer and recorder, surveyor, and one physician, as regular occupants. This first court-house was blown down by a high wind, and the records scattered far and wide. Some papers were never recovered. Pieces of money were found two weeks afterward. The ruined building was superseded in 1859 by a frame one crected on the east side of and fronting the public square, two stories high, with four office rooms in the first, and court and jury rooms in the sec- ond story. It cost $3,500, which was paid from the proceeds of the sales of town . lots. This old building is yet standing, and
ART. XVII. In all cases of adjourned meetings or special incetings of the society -- provided five days' notice has been given ! is used for mercantile purposes.
446
HISTORY OF RINGGOLD COUNTY.
Though the need for a better place to keep the valuable documents and accum- ulating records, and more suitable accom- modations for the county offices, and the terms of court was felt for many years, it was not until ISSr that the matter was taken up, and a petition presented to the Board of Supervisors, asking that an elec- tion be called for the purpose of voting on the question of issuing bonds to build a house, within a limit of $30,000. The election was called, but the proposition was defeated by a large majority. The matter was again brought before the Board in 1882, and another special election was called for June, which resulted as before, but the majority against the proposition was very small. It was again submitted at the regular election in the autumn of that year, and this time the vote was favor- able. The limit was placed at $40,000.
During the remainder of 1882 the work of selling the bonds, looking up plans, etc., was done. The contract was let to R. K. Allen, of St. Joseph, Missouri, for $35,445, under the plans and specifications of Eckel & Mann, in March, 1883. As the Board had sold the bonds at a premium, there was $40,527 in their hands, leaving a bal- ance of over $5,000. Out of this it was determined to expend sufficient to put in steam-heating apparatus, a large clock, a gas machine, and other improvements.
Ground was broken early in 1883, but the continuous wet weather prevented them from making brick, and no work was done on the building until the middle of August. The work progressed sufficiently to enclose it by the time extreme cold weather set in, and the inside work was done during the winter and spring. The building was occupied in April, though not entirely finished that soon.
the top of the roof is about fifty feet. It is 102 feet to the top of the tower. The foundation walls are seven feet below the surface of the ground, and are five feet thick at the base. The basement story is a net-work of heavy, intersecting walls, forming a large number of small rooms. Several of these are arranged for the steam-heating apparatus. On the first
COURT-HOUSE, MT. AYR.
floor are the rooms used by the clerk, treasurer, recorder, grand jury, grand jury witnesses, sheriff, superintendent of schools, Board of Supervisors and auditor, besides five vaults and a weil-equipped wash-room and water-closet. A tessellated or checkered marble floor is laid in the halls. The grand stairways are located on both sides of the castern entrance. There is also a smaller single stairway in the western part of the building. The first
The court-house is seventy-seven and one-half feet wide, north and south, and ninety-cight feet long, east and west, and to : story is fourteen feet high inside.
6.4.0.
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MISCELLANEOUS.
On the second floor is the court-room, clerk's room and vault, and rooms for the prosecuting-attorney, jury, surveyor and coroner. The court-room is 40 x 68 feet, and capable of seating about 300 persons. The clerk's upper and lower rooms are connected by an elevator or dummy. by which books and documents may be trans- ferred quickly and easily. A winding stair leads up inside the tower, from which one can get a commanding view of the surrounding country for a distance of twenty miles.
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The building is located in the center of a square 280 x 2So feet, filled with trees. It is a matter of great pride to the citizens to have so fine a building, honestly con- structed and well arranged. It is large enough to answer all purposes during the lives of all present residents of Ringgold County.
The county has never had but one jail. The Board of Supervisors in June, 1876, appointed E. G. Martin and Charles Arndt to draft specifications. The con- tract for building the jail, was awarded August 12, 1876, to Charles Arndt, for $1,258. It is south of the southeast corner of the square, is 18 x 20 feet in size, and ten feet high. It is built of square timbers, with an iron roof, and contains four rooms. The two cells are constructed of half-inch boiler iron.
The county farm is 240 acres in size, and includes the south half of the southwest quarter of section 17, the east half of the northwest quarter of section 20, and the west half of the northeast quarter of sec- tion 20, township 69 north. range 29 west. The farm was bought of John A. Under- hill, October 6, 1882, for $5,000. The county put up a building the next spring, at a cost of over $2,000, and other improve- ments have cost another St.ooo. There are now seventeen inmates of the county house.
RAILROADS.
The county was without these wonder. ful aids to development until 1879. In that year the Leon. Mt. Ayr & Southwest- ern Railroad Company was organized, and a road built from Bethany Junction, De- catur County, to Mt. Ayr, 23.1 miles. The townships crossed voted from two to five per cent. taxes, and contributed $48,000 and the right of way. They received stock for this amount, but the stock was absolutely worthless. In isSo, the branch was extended to Grant City, 22.3 miles from Mt. Ayr. The line is officially known as the Chariton & Grant City branch, and is 45.4 miles long. The stations in this county, with distances from Bethany Junction are: Kellerton, cleven ; Lesan. sixteen: Mount Ayr, twenty-three; Del- phos, twenty-eight; Redding, thirty-four. One mixed train a day runs from Grant City to Bethany Junction and return.
The Humeston & Shenandoah Railroad. in the northern part of the county, crosses the northern tier of townships cast and west, and also Grant and Monroe Town- ships. It was built in 18So, by the Burling- ton & Wabash Companies, in partnership, and extends from Humeston to Shenandoah, a little over 100 miles. The stations in this county, and distances from Hume- ston, are : Beaconsfield, thirty-three; Wirt, thirty-seven : Tingley, forty-two; Kow, forty-eight ; Goshen, fifty-three. Twotrains a day are run in each direction.
STATISTICS OF POPULATION.
The population of Ringgold County has been, at the dates given, as follows: 1854. 128; 1856, 1.172 : 1859, 2.507; 1860, 2,923 : 1863, 3.038 ; 1865, 3.089; 186;, 3,888 ; 1869, 5,029: 18;0, 5,601 : 1873, 6,850 ; 1875. 7,546; ISSO. 12.085 : 1$$5. 12.730.
Below is given the population by town ships in 1860. 1870. 1880 and 1885 :
L
448
HISTORY OF RINGGOLD COUNTY.
CENSUS OF 1860.
Athens, 241 ; East Fork, 357; Lott's Creek, 476: Middle Fork, 191: Mt. Ayr, 386; Platte, 182; Sand Creek, 221; Wash- ington, 614; West Fork, 354.
CENSUS OF 1870.
Athens, 502; Benton, 367; Clinton. 341 : Grant, 290; Jefferson, 527; Liberty, 243: Lincoln, 205 : Lott's Creek, 709: Middle Fork, 457; Monroe, 268; Mt. Ayr, 827; Tingley, 112; Union, 325: Washington, 518.
CENSUS OF ISSO.
Athens, 834 : Benton, 760; Clinton, 831 ; Grant, 655; Jefferson, 833; Liberty, 574 ; Lincoln, 815; Lott's Creek, 779; Middle Fork, 704; Monroe, 545 ; Mt. Ayr, 1,275 : Poc, 552 ; Rice, 566; Riley, 404; Tingley, 516; Union, 625 : Washington, 817.
CENSUS OF 1885.
Athens, 712 : Benton, 649: Clinton, 653 ; Grant, 843; Jefferson, 734: Liberty, 642 : Lincoln, 654 ; Lott's Creek, 718; Middle Fork, 661 ; Monroe, 680 ; MIt. Ayr, 1,274; Poe, 536: Rice, 675 ; Riley, 370 : Tingley, 619; Union, 844 ; Washington, 784.
MISCELLANEOUS.
Number of dwellings, 2,524. Number of families, 2,550; males, 6,685 ; females,
6,045 ; native-born, 12,207 ; foreign-born, 523.
NATIVE POPULATION, BY STATES.
Arkansas, 5 : California, 5; Colorado, 3 ; Connecticut, 20; Delaware, 5 ; Florida, 3 ; Georgia, I; Illinois, 1,387; Indiana, 826; Iowa, 6,307 ; Kansas, 81; Kentucky, 146; Louisiana, 2; Maine, 40; Maryland, 23 ; Massachusetts. 23; Michigan, 35; Minne- sota, 23 : Mississippi, 3 ; Missouri, 351 ; Ne- braska, 21; Nevada, 4 ; New Hampshire, 5: New Jersey, 40; New York, 236; North Carolina, 82 ; Ohio, 1,533; Oregon, 2; Pennsylvania, 633; Rhode Island, 4; South Carolina, 1; Tennessee, 55; Texas, 2; Vermont, 20: Virginia, 141; West Vir- ginia, 38: Wisconsin, 86; Dakota, 6 ; Utah, 6: Washington, 3.
FOREIGN POPULATION, BY COUNTRIES.
England, 94; Scotland, 16; Ireland, ISI ; Wales, I; Canada, 62; Sweden, 11; France, 18; Germany, 62; Bohemia, 36; Denmark, 1; other countries, 41.
POSTOFFICES.
There are in Ringgold County twenty postoffices, as follows: Beaconsfield, Blackmore, Caledonia, Clipper, Delphos, Eugene, Goshen, Ingart, Kellerton, Kew, Lesan, Maloy, Mortimer, Mt. Ayr, Red- ding, Riley, Ringgold, Thomas, Tingley and Wirt.
449
MOUNT AFR.
MOUNTAYR.
HIS place is pleasantly ; in April, 1855, are narrated in full under situated on a high, the head of Early History. The southwest quarter of section 6, township 68 north, range 29 west, was selected, John S. Shel- ler, the owner, conveying the cast half to the county, and agreeing to sustain the expense of the surveying. The county and Mr. Sheller were thereby made half owners of the original town, the division line run- ning through the center of the public square. William McCormick, of Chariton, was employed to survey the town, which he did in the latter part of June, 1855. His report to Judge Hagans was made July 3, 1855, in the following words : rolling prairie, near the head of the Mid- dle Grand River, three-quarters of a mile south of the geo- graphical center of the coun- ty, and within a mile and a quarter of Walnut Creek. The nearest timber is about one mile distant. The site of the town commands an extensive view of the sur- rounding country, in differ- ent directions.
Before the location of the county seat by the commissioners appointed by the General Assembly, the residents of Ringgold County had discussed the ques- tion. and in a sort of caucus or conference had fixed on a site on the land of Jesse Thompson, four miles south, and a little east of the present Mt. Avr. That place was to be called Avon. Most of the first residents were in the southern part of the county, hence they desired to have the seat of justice as near to them as possible,
The circumstances of the location of the county seat upon the land of John S. Shel- ler. and the naming of the same Mi. Ayr,
"], William McCormick, surveyor, ap- pointed by the county judge, of Ringgold County, Iowa, hereby certify that the an- nexed plat of the town of Mt. Ayr. in said county, corresponds with and is a true plat of the survey of said town, as surveyed by me on and after the 22d day of June, 1855, by order of the county judge of said county and Edward A. Temple, who is part proprietor on the southwest fractional quarter of section 6, township 68 north, range 29 west. That I planted a stone in the center and one at each corner of the town plat, and a stone at the southeast corner of each block. Border streets are thirty- three feet wide; all other streets are sixty-
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HISTORY OF RINGGOLD COUNTY.
six feet wide. All alleys are sixteen and a ' row of buildings on the south side, were half feet wide. Lots fronting on the public , burned. The Hook and Ladder Company square are forty-four feet front by 132 feet , of Mt. Ayr was organized in 1880, and two deep ; all other lots sixty-six feet front by years later was provided with suitable apparatus -- ladders, buckets, axes, etc. Thomas Leisure is chief. 132 feet deep, except those on the outer tier, which are fractional, and are marked on the plat as such."
The first settlement was made in 1855, by David Edwards, Oran Gore, Chester Standcliff, B. B. Dunning and A. G. Beall. In the spring of 1856 the county judge, clerk and treasurer made their homes in Mt. Ayr, and about the same time Henry Crabb, a merchant, and Dr. E. Keith, set- tled in the place, being respectively the first merchant and physician. Other pio- neers were E. G. Martin, a blacksmith. John Romans, Samuel Dickey, Isaac W. Keller and D. C. Kinsell. By 1860 the village is said to have reached a population of about 250. During the wai it was about sta- tionary, but from 1865 to 1870 it grew steadily, and in 1870 there were 422 in- habitants. The growth was very light then until the railroad was projected to this place, when it grew rapidly for a couple of years. In 1880 the Federal census gave the town 1,275, and at that figure it has since remained. The State census in 1885, showed 1,274.
FIRES AND FIRE DEPARTMENT.
The first serious fire occurred in 1879, when four firms were burned out, at the northeast corner of the square. Sellards & Ross were the principal sufferers. In 1881 a building was destroyed at the southeast corner of the square, near the postoffice. In the autumn of 1885 the Crawford House and Mrs. Allaway's boarding-house, north- cast of the court-house were burned. The most serious fire of all occurred October 30, 1885, when James Askren & Co.'s grocery, Stewart Berkey's book store, Offenhauser's grocery, I. Frank & Co.'s clothing cstab- lishment and F. F. Leather's law office, a
INCORPORATION.
The incorporated town of Mt. Ayr dates from 1875. The first meeting of the coun- cil was held July 5, of that year, at the office of the mayor, E. G. Martin. The officers elected that and subsequent years have been as follows :
1875 .- Mayor, E. G. Martin ; Councilmen, Isaac W. Keller, Thomas Ross, A. Ingram, J. D. Miller and N. W. Clark; Recorder, R. F. Askren, resigned and succeeded by A. J. Johnson, and he by J. C. Askren ; Marshal, J. B. Elliott, resigned, and D. B. Marshall appointed ; Street Commissioner, John Romans; Treasurer. Walter Dun- ning.
1876 .- Mayor, E. G. Martin ; Council- men, N. W. Clark, J. D. Miller, John Cur- rie, Charles Arndt and W. H. Alexander ; Recorder, J. C. Askren ; Treasurer, Ilenry Todd: Street Commissioner and Marshal, D. B. Marshall ; Attorney, J. F. Mount.
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