USA > Iowa > Wayne County > Biographical and historical record of Wayne and Appanoose counties, Iowa, containing a condensed history of the state of Iowa; portraits and biographies of the governors of the territory and state; engravings of prominent citizens in Wayne and Appanoose counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of Wayne and Appanoose counties > Part 77
USA > Iowa > Appanoose County > Biographical and historical record of Wayne and Appanoose counties, Iowa, containing a condensed history of the state of Iowa; portraits and biographies of the governors of the territory and state; engravings of prominent citizens in Wayne and Appanoose counties, with personal histories of many of the leading families, and a concise history of Wayne and Appanoose counties > Part 77
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DEMOCRATIC JOURNALISM.
The first effort to establish a Democratic newspaper was by John Gharkey, who came to Centerville in the spring of 1865, with the material of the Fayette County Pioneer, a paper he had established in 1853. John is an eccentric newspaper man, and his politics during the war did not fit the community in which he lived, though he had one gleam of good luck, May 25, 1863. Seven returned soldiers broke into his office that night, pied a lot of type, and in- jured his press. The next afternoon the angry Democracy of Fayette County held
a meeting at the court-house in West Union which lasted until late in the even- ing. Resolutions were adopted denuncia- tory of the lawless act, and a big contribu- tion made to repair the damage, and, says one who attended, " I never saw money offered so freely in my life." But Gharkey found, after nearly two years, that he could not maintain his " grip " in Fayette Coun- ty, and so came here. His paper was called the South Iowa Times, and was continued nearly a year, when he removed to Mem- phis, Mo., which has ever since been his home. The Centerville Clipper was estab- lished in 1870 by the Hickman Brothers, who continued its publication about a year, when they sold to a Mr. Holcomb, in whose hands it suspended toward the end of 1872. In 1874 H. S. Ehrman restored the paper to life, and continued its publication quite successfully till 1877, when he sold to J. L. Harvey, the present owner, who changed the name of the paper to the
JOURNAL,
and who is now enjoying a fine business.
In ° 1876, D. A. Spooner purchased the material of a defunct newspaper at Cory- don, removed it to Centerville, and began the publication of the Times. A year later he sold to Madison M. Walden. The latter went to New York and purchased an en- tirely new printing outfit, with which he issued the Tribune for a time. Becoming tired of the business, he sold to M. Davi- son, who made it a Greenback paper and changed its name again to the Blade. This was short lived, for in a year B. S. Spooner became owner and renamed it the Times. In 1881 the Times was bought by J. C. Bar- rows, who, in 1882, consolidated with the Citizen and sold the machinery to parties at other points.
THE APPANOOSE IOWEGIAN
was established April 1, 1883, by C. E. Vrooman, who has since been sole editor
717
THE PRESS.
and proprietor. It is a six-column quarto, issued on Thursdays. at $1.25 per year. At first it was run as a Greenback and Anti-monopoly paper, but since December 1, 1884, it has been Repub- lican in politics. During the campaign of 1884, by special arrangement with political managers, Mr. Vrooman printed 13,000 copies of each of six issues of his paper, for use through the State. He employed twelve persons in his office at that time.
MOULTON PAPERS.
The Moulton Independent was started in the spring of 1869 by J. B. King, who continued its publication, with reasonable success, for about three years, when he sold it to Edwards & Porter, who held the helm for one year, calling it the Record. It then passed into the hands of C. W. Bolster for another year, who in turn transferred it to Post & Atkinson. Under their manage- ment it was published until 1877, when Dr. Atkinson packed up the material and re- moved it to Kansas. Moulton was then without a local paper until S. J. C. Eby started the Ensign. In the spring of 1884 he sold to S. J. Graves, of Browning, Mis- souri, who, in October, 1885, disposed of the office to W. D. Powell, of Clarence,
Missouri, the present editor and proprietor. The Tribune is a seven-column folio, inde- pendent in politics.
CINCINNATI LOCAL.
This paper first appeared February 1, 1877, and was the venture of W. W. Yar- ham. It was a neat, newsy little sheet, and the Cincinnati people were much pleased with it. Yarham remained until June following, when he took a trip for his health and did not return. The paper was kept going for two or three months after- ward, the last few issues being printed at Moulton. This arrangement did not suit the Cincinnati people, who withdrew their support, and the Local evaporated.
MORAVIA MESSENGER.
Some time in 1869 a man named Sava- cool thought he saw a possibility of main- taining a newspaper at Iconium, and estab- lished the Vidette at that place. This stood sentry over the destinies of that town for a matter of six months, when Savacool re- moved his headquarters to Moravia, and changed the name to the Messenger. This was published for a year or so, and then suspended, the editor having trouble that caused him to leave these parts.
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718
HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
APPANOOSE COUNTY BAR,
BY JUDGE H. TANNEHILL.
N the biographical de- partment of this vol- ume nearly all the members of the pres- ent Appanoose Coun- ty bar are given space. In this place it is deemed appropriate to speak of the more prominent of the at- torneys who have resided in the county in the past, but are not living, or have removed to other localities.
AMOS HARRIS was the first attorney permanently located in Appanoose County. He was born in Madison County, Ohio, in the year 1822. He studied law in his native State. In 1847 he married Miss Mary E. Elrick, and with his wife emigrated to Iowa in the same year, and located in Appa- noosc County, at Centerville, the county scat, and commenced the practice of the law. He was elected prosecuting attorney in Appanoose County in 1849, and was re- elected in 1851. In 1852 he was elected a member of the Lower House of the Fourth General Assembly. In the year 1855 he was elected a delegate to the constitutional convention to revise the constitution of the
State of Iowa. In. 1858 he was elected district attorney for the Second Judicial District of Iowa, composed of the counties of Van Buren, Davis, Appanoose, Wayne, Lucas, Monroe and Wapello, for the term of four years, and was re-elected at the end of his first term. He reared three sons, and in the year 1875 he and his entire family emigrated to the State of Kansas, and located at the city of Wichita, and there, with his second son, opened a law office under the firm name of Harris & Harris. Since his removal to Kansas he has been appointed judge of the Circuit Court by the Governor of Kansas, to fill a vacancy.
THOMAS G. MANSON entered the prac- tice of the law at Centerville, in the year 1852. He was the oldest son of Rev. Will- iam S. Manson, who came to the county from the State of Tennessee about the year 1848 with his family. He studied law with Amos Harris. He held the office of post- master.at Centerville for some time before engaging in the practice of law. He was married to Miss Elizabeth Swearngin in 1851, and died in 1853.
JOHN J. CUMMINGS was a native of Bel- mont County, Ohio. He studied law with Judge Kennon, of Ohio, and located at
APPANOOSE COUNTY BAR.
719 ·
Centerville in January, 1857, and became associated with H. Tannehill in the prac- tice of the law. In 1862 he married a daugh- ter of Dr. Steele, of Fairfield, Iowa, to which place he removed in the next year. He filled the office of mayor of Fairfield for a number of terms.
REUBEN RIGGS came to the county soon after Amos Harris, and entered upon the practice of the law. He was a rough-hewn frontiersman, with but little education, but was possessed of an unusual amount of na- tive common sense, and had a gocd legal mind. He was one of God's noblemen and was generous to a fault. In 1857 he was elected county judge in Appanoose Coun- ty, for the term of four years, being the first county judge under the code of 1851. At the termination of his office as county judge he removed to Union County, Iowa, whence he removed to the State of Kan- sas, where he froze to death in a storm in crossing a large unsettled prairie.
JAMES B. BEALL came from Guernsey County, Ohio, in 1858, taught school at Centerville a year or two, studied law in the office of Tannehill & Cummings, and commenced the practice of the law at Cen- terville. He married Miss Mary E. Mow- bray, of Centerville. He died in the fall of 1862.
LEWIS MECHEM, an attorney from Bel- mont County, Ohio, located at Centerville in the spring of 1858, and commenced the practice of law, but his health failing, he re- turned to Ohio, where he died in a few months.
JAMES GALBRAITH, attorney at law, came to Centerville, from the central portion of Ohio, about 1854, and became a law partner of Amos Harris, under the firm name of Harris & Galbraith. The firm continued till 1863, when he emigrated to California. He was once elected a repre- sentative in the Legislature, and was after- ward elected county judge.
5
720
HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION
HE physician's calling is one involving the gravest responsibili- ties, and is one to which only those of high qualifications should aspire. Itistoo true, however, that many are given diplomas and li- cense to practice who have not the requisite knowl- edge or ability. In the ab- sence of legal protection from "quacks," the people must exercise great care in entrusting to physicians of unknown skill the health of relatives and friends. Appanoose County has had its share of these irresponsible prac- titioners, and yet it has had, and still has, a number of physicians far above the average in knowledge and skill. In the biographi- cal department of this work are given sketches of most of those now in practice. Here, however, it is proposed to mention the leading and best remembered physi- cians of the past.
Appanoose County was exceptionally well provided, at a very early day, with those who professed a knowledge of the art of healing. William S. Manson had ac- quired some knowledge of medicine in Tennessee, and usually traveled with pill-
bags behind his saddle. He was a man of good judgment, and, in ordinary ailments, was of considerable help.
The others were Dr. Shafer, a German, Dr. Sales and Dr. Pewther. The first two made considerable pretense to erudition in their calling ; the latter was a botanic prac- titioner. And here Mr. Stratton should not be forgotten, who had been familiar with malarial diseases and fevers for many years, and had been employed three months in a hospital in the war of 1812. This gentleman administered medicine when- ever called upon, and exhausted the sup- ply he had brought from Missouri.
The first regular physician to settle in the county was Dr. J. H. Worthington, who came in 1846, and died in the autumn of 1885.
Judge Tannehill says that when he came here in 1851 he found four physicians at Centerville-Drs. W. W. Cottell, Hugh Mc- Coy, Amos Patterson and Brower. Dr. Cottell was a bachelor, and came from Ohio. In 1855 he left Appanoose County and removed to Jefferson County, where he married. He afterward removed to Fairfield, where he died about 1883. He stood very well in his profession. Dr. Mc- Coy had a fair standing, but was never well off. He went on a farm in Walnut Township in 1868, and some years later re- moved to Seymour, Wayne County, where
721
THE MEDICAL PROFESSION.
he now resides. Dr. Patterson now resides on a farm a mile and a half south of Center- ville, whither he removed a number of years ago. He is practically retired. Dr. Brower practiced here several years, and then removed to Wayne County, where he died.
Dr. E. Mechem came here before the war and practiced some time. He then went to Decatur County, where he died. Dr. Walker was here a short time and then re- turned to his previous location in Van Bu- ren County. Dr. R. Stephenson, Sr., came from Ohio and located here during the war. He practiced at Centerville most of the time until his death, about 1880, and was considered an excellent physician. He was engaged in dentistry to some extent. For some years, also, he wasin the Method- ist ministry.
Dr. Nathan Udell, of Unionville, in early times, located at Centerville before the war, and resided here until he removed to Kan- sas, in the autumn of 1885. He was an able physician, and was also a prominent citizen, serving for some years in the State Senate. Dr. Sawyers, of Unionville, studied with Dr. Udell, and commenced an exten- sive practice in 1851 or '2, which he has re- tained ever since.
Dr. Beebe lived and practiced for many years in Franklin Township, in the south- western corner of the county, afterward returning to Illinois. Dr. Sturdevant, now of Centerville, practiced for a long time at Cincinnati. Dr. G. S. Stansberry, of Dean, has devoted himself principally to farming, but has also practiced medicine somewhat for the past thirty-five years. He has been a pronmment physician, and served as coun- ty treasurer for one term. Drs. Bradley and Harvey were for some years physi- cians at Moravia, and both died there. Dr. Morlan, now deceased, practiced for a long time in the western part of the county.
The physicians now in practice at Cen- terville are: Drs. R. Stephenson, J. L. Saw- yers, E. M. Reynolds, William M. Scott, N. L. Price, C. H. Bishop, J. M. Sturde- vant, H. D. Shontz, J. C. Whitney and G. A. Henry.
The first physician to practice at Moul- ton was Dr. M. V. B. Howell, and the old- est now residing there is Dr. James P. Smith. W. F. S. Murdy has a very exten- sive and lucrative practice over a wide extent of country. Dr. J. D. Handkins was the last to locate at Moulton, in the spring of 1884.
722
HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
MISCELLANEOUS
EDUCATIONAL.
HAT people which has the best schools is the best people; if it is not so to-day, it will be so to-morrow." Thus wrote the cele- brated Frenchman, Jules Simon. The chief glory of Iowa is that while she is tenth in population, she is fifth in whole num- ber of public schools and whole number of school- houses, and first in the pro- portion of persons over ten years of age who are able to read, and also first in the proportion of white male population be- tween the ages of fifteen and twenty years who are able to write.
The following statistics of Appanoose County for 1884 are official, and speak for themselves more fully than general asser- tions :
There are thirteen district townships, twenty-nine independent districts, and eigh- ty-six sub-districts. There are II I ungraded schools and twenty-four rooms in graded schools, and the average duration of school is six and two-tenths months. During the year sixty-four males and 169 females were employed as teachers
at an average compensation for the former of $36.25 per month, and for the latter of $25.37 per month. The last school census reports 3,204 males and 3,056 females of school age. Of this total, 5,422 were en- rolled in the public schools, and the aver- age attendance was 3,482. The average cost of tuition per month was $1.55. The school-houses are classified as follows : Frame, 120; brick, five. Their total value is $85, 185.
From $25,000 to $30,000 are annually paid to teachers, while the school-house and contingent expenses amount to half as much.
The office of county superintendent has been in existence for twenty-eight years, and the several incumbents, with year of assumption of office, have been :
J. J. Cummins, 1858 ; Rev. James Shields, 1859; Henry Hakes. 1863; Thomas M. Fee, 1865 ; Madison M. Walden, 1866; L. N. Judd, 1867; Matthew Berrington, 1867 ; Thomas Wentworth, 1868 ; D. T. Monroe, 1870; G. C. Goodenough, 1872; G. W. Taylor, 1874; J. W. Carey, 1876; D. R. Guernsey, 1878; C. J. Brower, 1880; Elon G. Ashby, 1886.
RAILROADS.
Although Appanoose County lies within a hundred miles of two of the large Iowa
723
MISCELLANEOUS.
cities, and although it was among the first of the interior counties to be settled by white men, its railroad system was inaugu- rated at a comparatively late period. In fact, four great lines had spanned the State from east to west, and another had pro- gressed far up the river Des Moines from Keokuk, before Appanoose and a county or two lying west had been thought of asa field for railway investment, except by the inhabitants themselves. But the roads alluded to above were the " land grant" lines, backed by subsidies of land from the General Government, amply worth the cost of constructing the roads.
ST. LOUIS, KANSAS CITY & NORTHERN.
This is the successor to the bankrupt North Missouri Company, which, in 1867, and the following year, was engaged in ex- tending the railroad system of Missouri. Tempting overtures having been made by the people of Ottumwa and other commu- nities in lowa to extend the stem from Ma- con northward, the work of construction began. It was at first supposed by the peo- ple of Centerville that they would obtain this line, but they were outbid by the peo- ple of Davis County. The North Missouri people, however, ran their line into Appa- noose County two miles, in 1869, establish- ing the town of Moulton. The line then took a long curve eastward to Bloomfield, in Davis County, and thence to Ottumwa, hoping to reach Cedar Rapids without much delay ; but in this they were disap- pointed, for the company became bank- rupt, and Ottumwa is still its terminus. The road has for the last few years formed part of the Wabash system, and trains now run through Moulton between Des Moines and St. Louis.
CHICAGO, ROCK ISLAND & PACIFIC.
This route, as surveyed, was to pass through Moulton and thence through the
southern townships of the county. But the people of Centerville and the central por- tion of the county, by a vigorous effort, which included a contribution of $125,000 and a donation of the right of way, secured a diversion of the route by way of Union- ville, Centerville and Numa. Pending the effort to secure this change, there was some bad feeling between the people repre- senting the rival routes, which passed away, however, very soon after the change was effected. The road was known as the Chi- cago & Southwestern until it was com- pleted. Backed, as this company was, by the great Rock Island corporation, it is not strange that the construction was very rapid. The road was completed to Center- ville, February 16, 1871, and, noting its rapid construction westward, the people felt that, although they had paid a large price, yet they had secured a line that must, in the very nature of things, prove to be an important one.
The effect of this road on the growth of Centerville has been very marked. The business of the town has quadrupled, and its population has already more than tre- bled. Besides affording the needed con- nection with Chicago for the transporta- tion of grain and stock, the road is a heavy consumer of Appanoose County coal and stone, and, in addition, carries large quan- tities of coal to other towns along the line, thus bringing additional profits to the county.
MISSOURI, IOWA & NEBRASKA.
This road was mainly secured by the efforts of people living along its line in Missouri and in Appanoose County, the contributions and local aid amounting to about $700,000. The company was organ- ized March 26, 1870, and the road built in the following year from Keokuk to Center- ville. This company was really the out- growth of the "Iowa Southern Company,"
724
HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY.
which was organized August 3, 1866, with the following as incorporators: F. M. Drake, James Jordan, S. W. McAtee, An- drew Colliver, William McK. Findley, H. H. Trimble, J. B. Glenn, William Bradley, T. J. Rogers, Jacob Shaw, N. Udell J. D. Baker, B. Bowen, H. Tannehill, R. N. · Glenn.
The object, as stated in the article, was to build a road with two branches to Bloom- field, thence west via Centerville to the Missouri River. One of said branches to commence at a point on the Des Moines Valley Railroad, running thence to Bloom- field, Iowa; the other branch to commence at a point on the State line of Missouri and Iowa, where the Alexandria & Bloomfield railroad terminates, running thence to Bloomfield, Iowa, there forming a junction with the branch first above named, running thence west (with a single track) via Cen- terville, through the southern tier of coun- ties in Iowa, to a point on the Missouri River. The Bloomfield programme was abandoned after a time, and a consolida- tion having been effected with a company at Alexandria, the road was built as above stated, by way of Memphis and Glenwood to Centerville.
In 1879 the Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska was extended west through Corydon and Humeston to Van Wert, in Decatur County, and about the same time the Humeston & Shenandoah line was con- structed, thus making a natural and direct line from Keokuk to Council Bluffs, over 250 miles in length. It is expected that sooner or later this system will be consoli- dated by some great Chicago corporation, like the Burlington company. At present the Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska is equipped with entirely new rolling stock, and is do- ing an excellent business. Both morning and evening trains come in from three di- rections, and within an hour depart. The third direction is north, the line to Albia
being built in 1880 and 1881, as the Center- ville, Moravia & Albia. For two years the Missouri, Iowa & Nebraska system was a part of the Wabash, from which it was separated in 1885.
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & KANSAS CITY.
This road was completed across Appa- noose County in 1874. From Bloomfield to Moulton it uses the track of the St. Louis, Kansas City & Northern, and runs from Moulton, by way of Cincinnati, to LaClede, Missouri. Having been constructed so soon after the panic of 1873, this line was for a time operated under somewhat dis- couraging circumstances. Being a part of the immense " Burlington " system, it now does an excellent business. The people of Cincinnati and vicinity contributed about $25,000 to assist in the construction of this route.
CHICAGO, BURLINGTON & QUINCY.
This company built a line from Albia to Moravia at the same time the Centerville, Moravia & Albia was laid. Regular trains are not run, but considerable stock is ship- ped from Moravia by this route, a freight train coming down from Albia once or twice a week.
CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE & ST. PAUL.
This company is in the spring of 1886 surveying a Kansas City line through Appanoose County, across Union, Tay- lor, Walnut, Bellair and Lincoln town- ships. It will doubtless be constructed this season.
OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION.
The preliminary meeting to organize this society was held September 10, 1875. A brief constitution was adopted, stating the object of the association to be the per- petuation of the history of Appanoose County, and the cultivation of social and friendly relations among the members. All
725
MISCELLANEOUS.
persons who had resided in the county twenty years were declared eligible to membership. J. F. Stratton was chosen President ; W. S. Manson, Vice-President ; James S. Wakefield, Secretary ; W. S. Main, Dr. N. Udell, J. H. Gaugh, Daniel McDonald and L. Dean, Executive Com- mittee.
An amusing address was made by Elder J. C. Sevey at this meeting, who related some of his experiences in 1850. He stated that he was a visitor at the District Court in the fall of that year, and that the lawyers boarded with "Limekiln" Wright, whose good wife, being unable to keep up with her boarders' voracious appetites for pumpkin, ran out to the pile in the lot and set a raw one on the table.
The Elder described Judge Tannehill as a tall, lank, freckled, and green-appearing fellow, who would blush whenever spoken to, but added that he soon outgrew his bashfulness, and proceeded to pass a high eulogium upon his long official services and character.
An adjourned meeting of the society was held October 6, when J. C. Sevey was elected. President ; James Hughes, Vice- President; J. S. Wakefield, Secretary. Several ancient documents were handed around for inspection, after which the so- ciety adjourned till the first Saturday in September, 1876. The meeting does not appear to have been held, owing, probably, to the fierce political contest then raging.
Nothing farther was done until 1884, when the society was reorganized and a good meeting was held. Judge Tannehill was elected president. The secretary's book was lost, however, the members for- got who were officers, and no meeting has since been held.
APPANOOSE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY.
The first record of this society has un- doubtedly lain several years in the vault
of the county recorder, entirely forgotten by the present officers of the society. The first minutes are in the back part of the book, and show that the preliminary meet- ing was held on the fourth Monday in April, 1855. A. S. Stone, President, and A. Harris was Secretary. It was resolved that the township assessors present should inform the citizens of their respective townships of the formation of the society, and solicit their attendance at the adjourned meeting, to be held on the first Saturday in June. F. A. Stevens, W. W. Cottle, Reuben Riggs, James Galbraith and Amos Harris were chosen to prepare articles of incorporation, after which the meeting ad- journed.
The next meeting was held as designated. A constitution was presented and adopted, after which the following paid the mem- bership fee: Elias Conger, William Mon- roe, Asa Dudley, Harvey Tannehill, James McKehan, John Wilmington, Michael Cald- well, J. P. Anderson, James Wells, F. A. Stevens, J. G. Brown, W. S. Henderson, Amos Harris, Hiram Summers, Solomon Walker, B. S. Packard, J. H. Parker, James Childers, James Galbraith, D. T. Stevens.
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