USA > Iowa > Cherokee County > Biographical history of Cherokoe County, Iowa : Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each ; a condensed history of Iowa, with portraits and biographies of the governors of the state ; engravings of prominent citizens in Cherokee County, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the county, the cities, and townships > Part 26
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A. F. Meservey came from Fort Dodge, . Iowa, in 1880, and purchased the library and law business of the Eugene Cowles estate and practiced law and became a politician of some note. In 1887 he was State Senator from this district. He continued to practice until 1888, when he sought the quiet repose and real independence of farm life, and is now finely situated on a stock-farm just north of the city of Cherokee.
Mr. Galbriath practiced a year or two at Cherokee and in 1878 received the appoint- ment of Territorial Judge in Montana Terri- tory. He has since been suspended. .
Henry Luge, now a farmer of Grand Mea- dow Township, practiced (after a sort) for a short time and was somewhat of a newspaper man.
T. H. Chapman, once an attorney at Au- relia, is now at Storm Lake.
F. R. Willis, now of California, was at one time a law partner of A. R. Molyneaux.
Joseph H. Jones also belonged to the le- gal profession at Cherokee, but is now at Des Moines, Iowa.
I. L. Alberts was at one time a lawyer and journalist at Marcus, but removed to Iowa Falls, Iowa, in 1887.
D. W. McNeal was admitted to the bar in 1888, but is now in the lumber trade at Washta, Iowa.
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
THE PRESENT BAR.
The present legal fraternity of Cherokee County is made up of the following attorneys:
E. C. Herrick, a graduate of the law de- partment at Ann Arbor (Michigan), Univer- sity. He commenced his practice at Chero- kee in 1878 and is now looked upon as one of the most successful attorneys in his county. He formed a partnership with II. C. Kellogg, whichi continued until it was severed by the latter retiring from the bar, in 1886.
Another prominent attorney at Cherokee is M. Wakefield, who came next after Charles Goldsbury. He had at one time for a part- ner a man named Peter McAndrews, who after two years at Cherokee removed to Ne- braska. Mr. Wakefield is an excellent law- yer and a man of high standing in his pro- fession, as well as in all his public dealings. He served as mayor of Cherokee for seven years in succession and was also city solicitor for a time.
J. D. F. Smith is among the early attor- neys at Cherokee. He came abont 1872 and now enjoys a good share of the legal business and is a man well liked.
J. A. Metcalf, a graduate of the State Uni- versity of Iowa, bought the law business of A. F. Meservey before mentioned.
A. R. Molyneaux, the present county at- torney, is a graduate of the Iowa State Uni-
versity. He located in the law business at Cherokee, in 1882.
Thomas McCulla, another graduate from the State University at Iowa City, is among the legal lights of Cherokee County. He is a well-posted man in other matters as well as law. He is now editor of the Cherokee Times and also attends to legal business. He has served the city of Cherokee as its mayor for the past five years.
Boddy & Bloom practice at Cherokee; also James ()'Donnell.
Alva C. Hobert, who was a graduate of the State University at Iowa City, in the class of 1885, was admitted to the bar, before the Supreme Court, at the May term, 1889, and commenced the practice of law at his home town, Cherokee, June 1, the same year. He is a most estimable young man, who is well educated and has every element necessary to develop into a strong attorney. He is thoroughly reliable in every particular and is already gaining ground as a practitioner.
B. Radcliffe is the only legal representative at the town of Marcus. He does a good busi- ness botli in law and insurance. He suc- ceeded attorneys B. H. Wilmot and E. A. Houston, as well as I. L. Alberts, all of whom have removed from the field.
W. O. Striker is the only practicing attor- ney at the town of Aurelia.
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
MEDICAL PROFESSION,
CHAPTER XIII.
N health we care but little for doctors, and their formulas or prescriptions; but there is sure to come a time when the brow becomes feverish and when our vital organs refuse longer to do their office work- a time when life's frail thread seems bruised and almost broken. At such a time we seek after the best and most skillful medical man- we are anxious that the " good doctor " watch by onr bed-side, lest the grim messenger, Death, make his appearance and call us hence. In all ages of the world's history, among uncivilized as well as cultured and re- fined nationalities, the art of healing has been held in high esteem. Whether it be the learned professor, who, perchance, has studied all branches of the science of medi- cine, or the "Great Medicine Man " of the untutored savages, who, from actual expe- rience, has made discoveries of the healing powers of herbs and roots, honor awaits him upon every hand, while the life and death of all human beings is placed in his hand. The weary patient lying upon a bed of pain, and the no less anxious watchers by his side, wait for the coming of the doctor, and on his ar- rival, his every movement and expression of countenance is watched for a single ray of hope.
The medical fraternity of Cherokee County has, with a few exceptions, been an honor to the profession it has chosen and claims to be master of. The members have ever been ready to respond to the call of duty, mid summer heat and chilling frosts, and the severe winds of winter have never found them shirking-nothing has caused them to turn a deaf ear to the cry of pain and dis- tress. They have been compelled to cross the absolutely trackless prairies, to face blizzards from the northwest, often, too, with no hope of a fee for their reward, but only, if possi- ble, to relieve those who pleaded for their coming and their council. All these things have been encountered by the physicians of Cherokee County and that without a con- plaint. If the good deeds of this profession have not been remembered by those who have received aid, and often life, at their hands, a time will come when all shall be accounted for. When the names of the pio- neer physicians, as well as those of a more modern date, are mentioned in this connec- tion, it is hoped and believed that the hearts which perhaps now beat in robust health will be tonched, and that at least all of the old settlers of this county who forded the same unbridged streams by summer and
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plowed through the same snow drifts by winter, with these doctors, will heartily re- spond, " May God bless them!"
PHYSICIANS OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
The first man to practice medicine in this county was Dr. Levi Rogers, who located in Pilot Township in 1866. He was a Scotch- man and took up a homestead; he was un- married and lived alone. His brother is proprietor of Rogers' Mills. This pioneer doctor had many excellent traits of charac- ter; he was a well-informed man, and also preached to the early settlers. He was a Presbyterian in his faith. In some things the Doctor was not unfrequently eccentric, but in his death, which occurred about 1880, the community lost a good man and a fair practitioner.
The next to practice medicine in the county was Dr. M. S. Butler, a graduate of the Keokuk Medical College, who came in 1868 and took np a homestead of a quarter section about four miles west of Cherokee. The first winter he lived in the old court- house, then standing in Old Cherokee; he taught the public school that winter in the same building.
After living on his land five years and " proving up," he removed to the town of New Cherokee, bought a home and has since practiced here. He was elected State Rep- resentative in 18-, serving one term. About 1885 he formed a partnership with Dr. J. T. Sherman, with whom he is still associated.
The next gentleman to enter the medical fraternity in the county was Dr. Royal L. Cleaver, who came out of the army, paid his old New England home a visit, and in 1870 found his way over the trackless prairies from Cedar Rapids to Cherokee, where he at once commenced the practice of medicine. It was so new at Cherokee at the time of his
coming that he did not feel safe in building permanently, for fear the depot might not be located where it now stands. To be on the safe side the Doctor left every nail in the weather boarding out a half inch, so that should it be necessary to move, he conld easily pull his house apart. He is a gradu. ate of Harvard University and keeps well up in his profession by carefully reading the latest achievements in the science of medi- cine. He is looked upon as a leader among his professional brothers in Northwestern Iowa, where he has become popular, having practiced at Cherokee continually for the past twenty years. A personal sketch of the Doctor appears elsewhere in this work.
Dr. West located in 1871, remaining about two years. He was of the Eclectic School and a graduate of a St. Louis medical college. He moved to Primghar, Iowa, and finally abandoned the profession.
Dr. J. Failing was the next to enter the medical role in the county. He located at Marcus, where he still resides. He belongs to the regular school, but it is said is fairly successful in his practice. He came in 1872.
Dr. J. A. Sherman located at Cherokee in 1873; he is a graduate of Keokuk Medical College, and stands high in his profession. He still practices as a partner of Dr. M. S. Butler. He is a successful physician and one of the enterprising business inen of Cherokee.
Dr. M. F. Pritchard came in 1874. He is of the homeopathic school, and is a suc- cessful practitioner of to-day among that class who believe in his school of practice.
Dr. Quirk, who died in 1889, commenced the practice of medicine at Aurelia in 1877. He was a graduate of Rush Medical College, Chicago. He was a popular man and a suc- cessful physician ; he built up a large and lucra- tive practice, which was finally sold to Dr. Myers.
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
Dr. J. S. Hill and his wife, Dr. Anna Soules Hill, came to Cherokee in 1877. They were graduates of an Indianapolis homeopathic college. They practiced here for three years and then removed to Fargo, Dakota.
Dr. E. W. Parker, a graduate of Keokuk Medical College, commenced his practice about this time, perhaps a year earlier. Ile practiced for a short time at Cherokee, and then removed to his home in Spring Town- ship, where he is still practicing.
Miss Mary Hollister came to Cherokee in 1877, and entered the profession, remaining abont a year.
Dr. E. Hornibrook located at Cherokee in 1879. Hle is a graduate of Victoria College, Canada, and is classed among the highest in his profession. He is a thorough scholar and meets with much success as a skillful phy- sician and surgeon.
Dr. J. C. Edgar, a graduate of a regular medical college of Baltimore, Maryland, canie to Washta in 1880. He remained a few years and moved to Holstein, Ida County, Iowa.
Dr. J. H. Burlingame came to Cherokee and entered the practice of his chosen profes- sion in 1880. He is a graduate of Rush Medical College, Chicago. He is an excellent physician and surgeon, and lias a good prac- tice.
Dr. W. C. Maxey located at the village of Marcus in 1881. He graduated from a medi- cal college at Toronto, Canada.
Dr. Bunce located at Cherokee in 1881. He was of the homeopathic school.
Dr. Fowler located at Aurelia in 1882, but did not remain long.
Dr. J. L. La Renx located at Marcus in 1882. He graduated from the Iowa State University.
Dr. J. B. Ingels located at Meriden in 1883. He is a graduate of Belvue College, and enjoys a good practice.
Dr. S. Muller came to Marcus in 1884, and is still there doing a good practice.
Dr. J. G. Biller located at Washta in 1885. He is a graduate of the Detroit Medical College.
Dr. F. W. Myers located at Anrelia in 1884. He is a graduate of Rush Medical College, Chicago. He bought out the prac- tice established at that point by Dr. Quirk.
Dr. Alfred Raymond located at Marens in 1886. He belonged to the regular school; he remained two years and then sold to Dr. Prosser, and is now studying in Europe.
Dr. W. J. Ballah, a graduate of the Detroit Medical College, located at Washta in 1887.
Dr. G. P. Perley, a graduate of Bowden College, New York, and of the University of Pennsylvania, formed a partnership with Dr. Cleaves at Cherokee, in 1887. He is a skill- ful physician and enjoys his share of the large practice of the firm of Cleaves & Perley.
Dr. Milo Avery, of Rush College, located at Aurelia in 1887.
Dr. W. C. Bundy located at Washta in 1888. He graduated from Rush Medical Col- lege; he now practices at Anrelia.
Dr. C. A S. Prosser, a graduate of Belvue Hospital College, located at Marcus in 1888, where he now has a fine practice.
Dr. P. McGregor located at Quimby in 1889. He is a graduate of the Michigan University.
Among the physicians who have located, practiced for a short period and removed, and of whom bnt little is known, may be named: Drs. P. M. White, T. A. Bishop, H. J. Brink (now at Remsen, Iowa, enjoying a good prac- tice), Ed. Brice, W. R. Keeney and Dr. Simpson.
PHYSICIANS OF TO-DAY.
At Cherokee: Drs. Cleaves & Perley, Drs. Butler & Sherman, Dr. Hornibrook, Dr. Pritchard, Dr. Burlingame.
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
At Aurelia: Dr. Avery, Dr. Bundy. At Marcus: Dr. Prosser, Dr. Failing, Dr. Muller.
At Meriden: Dr. Ingels. At Larrabee: Dr. Parker. At Quimby: Dr. McGregor. At Washta: Dr. W. J. Ballah.
CHEROKEE COUNTY MEDICAL ASSOCIATION.
Soon after the completion of the railroad through this part of the State, the physicians at Cherokee were instrumental in organizing what was termed the " Northwestern Iowa Medical Association," which embraced sev- eral adjoining counties; but upon being in- formed by the State Society that there was another of the same name, this organization was disbanded; the taking away of its name caused all of its former glory to depart.
But the physicians of this county saw the necessity of some such organized body, and so in 1888 organized what is known as the Cherokee County Medical Association. At the first meeting, held May 2, there were eight physicians who assisted in the organi- zation. The first officers were: Dr. Myers, President; Dr. Prosser, Vice-President; Dr. Perley, Secretary. They are supposed to meet once in three months. The present officers are: Dr. Ingels, President; Dr. Avery, Vice-President; Dr. Perley, Secretary.
It should be said of the physicians of Cher- okee, that they have never owned or operated a drug store, in fact have always devoted their entire time to the prosecution of their chosen calling, and hence have become pro- ficient and skillful.
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
THE CIVIL WAR.º
CHAPTER XIV.
CHEROKEE COUNTY'S PART IN THE CIVIL WAR. ARLY in the campaign of 1860, when Abraham Lincoln was the candidate of the Republican party, Stephen A. Douglas of the National Democratic party, John C. Breckenridge of the pro-slavery party, and John Bell at the head of the Union party, there were threats of secession and dis- union, in case Mr. Lincoln should be success- fnl in his election as President of the United States; but the people were so accustomed to such Sonthern bravado that little heed was given to the bluster.
On December 20, 1860, South Carolina, by a convention of delegates, declared " That the union now existing between South Caro- lina and the other States of North America is dissolved, and that the State of South Carolina has resumed her position among the nations of the earth as a free, sovereign and independent State, with full power to levy war, and conclude peace, contract alliances, establish commerce and do all otlier acts and things which independent States may of right do."
On the 24th Governor Pickens issued a
formal proclamation to the effect of the above sentiment.
However, Mr. Lincoln was elected and took the Presidential chair March 4, 1861, by which time several other States had seceded from the Union and traitors' hands were busy plotting against the flag of the Nation. On April 12, Major Anderson was obliged to surrender his possession of Fort Sumter, with his little garrison of sixty effective men.
From that very day doom and failure were written (though invisibly) on the wicked and disloyal plans of the Southern States. Every- where north of " Mason and Dixon's line," was heard the voice of Providence:
Draw forth your million blades as one; Complete the battle now begun;
God fights with you, and overhead Floats the dear banner of your dead.
They, and the glories of the past,
The future dawning dim and vast,
And all the holiest hopes of man, Are beaming triumphant in your van.
President Lincoln's first call for 75,000 troops was quickly responded to, as was each successive call for men and money.
Looking at Cherokee County to-day, a
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
quarter of a century after the "fall of Rich- mond," one can scarcely realize that when the great Rebellion burst upon this nation, array- ing more than a million of men in arms and making our ship of State reel and stagger as if smitten by thunderbolts and dashed upon the rocks, that this county had only been in- habited by a civilized people but five years prior to the first act of that terrible war. But notwithstanding there were only fifty-six men, women and children in the county in 1860-the year before the war-yet of what she had, she gave, indeed freely. Out of eighteen male adults there were found to be fifteen able bodied men qualified to serve as soldiers and all but four of these able bodied men entered the army, wore the Union blue and did noble service in the defence of that grand old emblem of liberty and Union-the " Stars and Stripes," which floats so proudly to-day over the "land of the free and the home of the brave!"
As no regular company was organized in this county, owing to the small handful of
settlers then living here, the Adjutant Gen- eral's reports do not give, in detail, much concerning those who went under the various calls from the county and were mustered into different commands. However, this much has been gleaned from the official re- ports, together with information given by comrades of the Grand Army Post. The following is supposed to be a complete list of those who served their country from Cherokee County. And here it should be added that these names form a " roll of honor " such as no other Iowa County, perhaps no other in the Union, can truthfully boast of, when one considers the few souls who were here on a wild bleak prairie land at the time the war broke out.
CHEROKEE COUNTY SOLDIERS.
Ezra Wilcox, Joel Davenport, Frank Mead Silas B. Parkhurst, N. Rodgers, George W. Lebourveau, Walter Burgess, George Banis- ter, William Banister, Luther Phipps, Albert Phipps, Levi Scurlock, Newton Scurlock, Jasper Scurlock.
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
NEWSPAPERS.
CHAPTER XV.
THE NEWSPAPER PRESS.
HEROKEE COUNTY has had an abun- dant opportunity to test the educational as well as the business or commercial value of newspapers, as aids in building up and making better known its resources to the great world at large, while its civilizing in- fluence has been almost unlimited; and as a general thing its citizens have always mani- fested a liberal spirit of purpose toward the various journalistic enterprises that have been inaugurated in their midst. It must be truthfully said that in dispensing their patronage to the press they have been toler- ant and magnanimous, as they have been reasonably generous, to journals of all par- ties. Especially is this true of those that have worked for the common good and the upbuilding of the county with its numerons towns and hamlets.
In every community there are shriveled souls whose participation in the benefits of enterprises is greater than their own efforts to promote publie welfare. These are the men who will never subscribe for a news- paper, but will ever be on the alert to receive gratuitously the first perusal of their next door neighbor's paper. These persons are
the chronic croakers, who predict evil and see disaster in every public undertaking. But with few exceptions the press of this region has never been over-cursed with such drones and dead-heads. On the contrary, the patrons of the Cherokee County papers have estab- lished a good name. As records of enrrent history, the newspapers, especially of the local press, should be highly prized and care- fully preserved. These papers are a reposi- tory wherein are stored away the facts and the events, the deeds and the sayings, the undertakings and final accomplishments, that go to make up history. One by one these things are gathered and placed in type; one by one these papers are issued and bound into volumes of local, general and individual history. to be laid away imperishable. The volumes thus collected are sifted by future historians, and the result is a forthcoming and almost invaluable record ready for the library.
As a general rule not enough attention is paid to keeping complete files, even at the publisher's office; still by diligent research and mneh inquiry enough data have been gleaned to supply a tolerably accurate record of the press in this connty; but should any
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
inaccuracies or omissions occur in this chap- ter, they must be charged to the lack of com- plete files of the varions journals from time to time issued in this county.
The first attempt in the field of journalism in Cherokee County was the founding of
The Cherokee Chief, by J. F. Ford, an employe of the Boone Standard, who landed in Cherokee with a six-column hand-press in Jannary. 1870. He had a few fonts of type, and at once set up business. He secured a room in the court-house, then sitnated in Old Cherokee, the court-house being the only building at the county seat, and no farm- house was within a half-mile of it. It was not a promising field for gathering news or disseminating it. The postoffice was almost a mile distant, near the present home of Albert Phipps. The Chief was a six-column folio, one side printed at home. Although inexperienced, Mr. Ford was a writer of con- siderable force, but his editorials for a few months were chiefly the State Laws, which he dished up in eloquent style at 333 cents per "square." Had he not digressed from this theme he might have retained his popn- larity. But in an article he referred to the lack of schools, and unfortunately remarked that "the children of the settlers grew up like the dnsky savages around them." This gave offense, and the luckless editor was looked upon as a public enemy. The county auditor served legal notice to vacate the court-house with his printing office.
The Cherokee Times .- In September of . the same year (1870) Robert Buchanan. editor of the Marquette (Michigan) Plaindealer, formerly of the Appleton (Wisconsin) Post, paid Ford 8300 to leave the connty and give him the field, subscription list and good will. This amount was raised upon the part of the people, and in October Buchanan moved in an eight-column outfit, with a small job
office, having an eighth medium Gordon press. On the 20th day of October the first number of the Cherokee Times appeared as a seven-column folio, half home print. The office was located in a frame building, on the present site of the Allison Block. Its circu- lation grew rapidly, reaching 500 home subscribers during the first year. Its sub- scription price was then $2 per annum. Robert Buchanan, its editor, was one of Iowa's most forcible writers, both politically and as a local paragrapher. His writings were never stolen or dull, but brim full of wit, humor and good sense. Again, he was a fearless writer; first espousing the proper cause, as his best of judgments dictated, and then allowing none to "scare or make him afraid" to vindicate his chosen standard of public good. He was a man of truly noble impulses, benevolent. charitable, and ready to hasten on a more exalted state of political economy, as well as to foster the general, social and religious elements of society. There were but few, perhaps but two, local journals at that date in Northern Iowa that were more ably conducted than the Times while under his management and control.
In October, 1871, after he had edited the paper a year, he changed the motto at his heading, which was first adopted by the Chief-" With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right." to, " Home first -- The world afterward."
To display something of his style of a man, his salutatory is here subjoined:
" In introducing ourselves to the public we will not follow the usual practice of making large and extravagant promises. which are too frequently never fulfilled, but will briefly state that the TIMES will be essentially a local paper, and in no wise pretend any thing met- ropolitan. It will be our aim to write np the local interests of the county in general; to
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HISTORY OF CHEROKEE COUNTY.
particularize, when possible, each locality; to encourage immigration; to stimulate public and private enterprises; to reflect public sen- timent correctly at home and represent it truthfully abroad.
" We hold ourselves independent of all cliques, rings or · corners,' in politics. as in all other matters, and while our influence will always be both as a private citizen and a public journalist, given to the Republican party, so long as it continues the party of progressive and enlightened ideas, we shall treat with dne consideration the views of the Democratic party and expose corruption as readily in the one as in the other, though shielded by the golden insignia of office, the sanctity of time, or the prestige of majorities.
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