Biographical history of Page 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 of Page County, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families; and a concise history of the county, the cities, and the townships, Part 27

Author: Lewis and Dunbar, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis & Dunbar
Number of Pages: 946

USA > Iowa > Page County > Biographical history of Page 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 of Page County, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families; and a concise history of the county, the cities, and the townships > Part 27

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Membership tickets. $ 741 00

Day tickets. 739 00

Other tickets 57 00

Carriage tickets. 40 00

Tickets sold at gate. 177 00

Total.

$1,754 00

The total receipts did not, when all items were counted up, amount to much less than $2,800,-a great contrast, indeed, when com- pared with the first annual exhibition held in 1859.

The officers from 1880 to 1890 were: 1880, C. W. Foster, President, Jacob Butler, Secretary; 1881, same as for 1880; 1882, William Butler, President, W. M. Alexander, Secretary; 1883, same as for 1882; 1884, J. P. Burrows, President, T. B. Merrill, Secre- tary; 1885, same as 1884; 1886, J. C. Welch, President, T. B. Merrill, Secretary ; 1887, C. W. Foster, President, T. B. Merrill, Secretary; 1888, Lewis Aiken, President, T. B. Merrill, Secretary; 1889, Lewis Aiken, President, R. Loranz, Secretary; 1890, D. M. Thompson, President, W. L. Lundy, Secretary.

The fair of 1889, the thirty-first annual exhibition of the association, was by far the greatest of all, both in point of exhibit and financially. Over $2,000 were paid in pre- miums. The total receipts were $3,958, and the amount paid out $3,458, leaving a net balance of $499. The exhibition lasted five days.

288

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

*RAILROADS.K

CHAPTER XII.

THE FIRST RAILWAY.

HE citizens of Page County early con- ceived the importance of railroads, and projects of that nature were under ad- visement as early as 1856. In 1859 a move was made on the part of the citizens to secure what was to be known as the State Line Rail- road, the eastern terminus of which was Farmington, Van Buren County. If con- structed this line would liave run through the southern tier of townships of Page County, but it never was built.

March 23, 1860, a meeting was hield at Clarinda, and committeemen appointed to confer with railroad companies at St. Josephi, Missouri, and make known to tliem the many advantages offered by the resources of Page County, for a line up the Nodaway Valley. This project, as the one before mentioned, did not culminate in anything, and the good people of Page liad to get along as best they could without a railroad line until about 1871, during which year the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Company constructed its Nebraska City branch from Red Oak to the fornier named point on the Missouri River. It enters Page County on the township line between Pierce and Fremont townships, running through sections 1 and 12, and

diagonally across sections 13, 23, 24, 26, 27 and 34, entering Grant at the northeast cor- ner of section 4, running angling over sec- tions 4, 9, 8, 17, 18 and 19.

There are but two stations on this line in Page County,-Essex, in Pierce Township, and Shenandoah, in Grant Township. This road was constructed without aid from citizens of the townships through which it passes.

This is the only road in Page County that has not received aid from the citizens.

BROWNSVILLE & NODAWAY VALLEY ROAD.

In 1872 several of the more thoughtful and enterprising business men of Clarinda decided that the town had heen groping in darkness long enough. They had been running after various projects for years, all to no avail, and now that lines of railway were being built in all directions around the town, it behooved the citizens to be awake if they did not desire to be forever shut out from the world by good railroad facilities being extended to neighboring towns. In the month of February, 1872, a company was formed at home for the purpose of con- structing a road from Villisca to Browns- ville, Nebraska, via Clarinda. The road was to be known as the Brownsville & Nodaway -

289

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

Valley Railroad. The first set of directors were: H. C. Lett, John Barnett, D. Reinick, J. S. Cameron, John Fitzgerald, N. C. Ride- nour and Dr. N. L. Van Sandt. These gen- tlemen were also the incorporators of the company.

Notwithstanding the fact that Clarinda had long wanted a railway, some of the citi- zens strongly opposed this project when they learned that encouragement to it was to be taxed a few cents per dollar.

On June 1, 1872, the voters of Nodaway Township voted on the question of trans- ferring the five per cent. tax already voted to what was styled the Chillicothe Railroad, over to the Brownsville & Nodaway Valley line. In connection with thiis it was also necessary to raise $30,000, which after a great struggle they succeeded in accomplish- ing.

Mr. N. C. Ridenour, one of the incorpora- tors, was the editor of the Page County Democrat, and in the July 4, 1872, issue he remarked editorially as follows:

For the past few months our citizens have been working for a railroad, almost day and night, and we are glad to announce that tney have at last achieved the long-talked-of pro- ject, and on the 1st day of October, 1872, Clarinda will have railway connection with the outside world. In this work our citizens have done nobly; they have acquitted them- selves with credit, and we, with most of our citizens, rejoice that such liberality and enterprise was manifested in securing this road. It is true we have had many draw- backs, some of our would-be leading citizens making a display of what they called inde- pendence, which in our opinion will not be of any advantage to them in the future. * * *

* On Thursday last the contract for building the Brownsville & Nodaway Valley Railway was let to Messrs. Fitzgerald & Reinick.

We must be permitted to say that too

in uch praise cannot be bestowed upon George Gribble, William Butler, Moses Thompson, Allen Collins, J. S. McIntyre, and others, for their liberal donations, as well as many hard days' work in securing this railroad.

Work commenced the last days of July, 1872, and the last rail was spiked down at Clarinda, September 24, 1872,-about two mouths' time.

Upon the completion of the line, the editor of the Democrat rejoiced in the following strain :

* * * Ever since 1856 our people have been, year after year, agitating some railroad scheme, and when the present was inaugurated many of our most prominent citizens were disposed, not only to rough-lock the enter- prise, but attempted to laugh it out of exist- ence. But many of our people looked upon it as the only salvation of our town, and hence placed their shoulders to the wheel, and after a long pull accomplished what they had so long been waiting for, and we are to- day permitted to see a railroad in Clarinda. * *

* Now that we have what we all have been laboring for, we hope our business men will turn over a new leaf and go to work and regain what we have lost by being so long deprived of this blessing.

Soon after its completion this road passed into the hands of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy road (then thie Burlington & Missouri Company), although it has always been known as the Brownsville & Nodaway Valley Rail- road.

In 1873 the "Granger Railroad Law" was enacted, which act had a tendency to cripple for the time the further extension of rail- roads. Even for the next four years but little railroad building was carried on in Iowa. So it will be seen that Clarinda was not united by rail with the outside world any too soon.

By the year 1878 the building of railroads was again revived, the obnoxions embargo having been raised, or rather legislated out

290

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

of existence, and with prosperity in that re- spect came a general desire on the part of the citizens of Page County, and Clarinda in particular, for more and better railway facili- ties.

In 1879 the Brownsville & Nodaway line was extended to Burlington Junction, Mis. souri, thus giving the citizens of Clarinda a southern outlet.

ST. LOUIS AND COUNCIL BLUFFS (WABASH) LINE.

During the latter part of 1878 the business men of Clarinda began to look hopefully toward the sonth with a view of securing the St. Louis & Council Bluffs road. In October of 1878 the citizens of Nodaway Township voted on the proposition of levying a five per cent. tax in aid of said road, at which election there were cast 543 votes, 372 of which favored the project and 171 opposed it. But notwithstanding all the hard work done by Clarinda men, the route was established to the southwest and made Shenandoah the point, instead of Clarinda. However, Page County was greatly benefited by the road. The fol- lowing five townships voted aid toward the road: Colfax, Washington, Morton, Lincoln, and Grant.

The main line of this road, which subse- quently became a part of the great Wabash system, enters Page County at Blanchard, on section 29 of Colfax Township, runs across said township, enters Lincoln Township at the southwest corner, tlience across the north- east corner of Morton and enters Grant Town- ship at the southeast corner, traversing the same in a northwesterly direction. On this line, in Page County there are four stations, Blanchard, Coin, Bingham and Shenan- doah.

After losing the main line of this road, the business men at Clarinda concluded a half-

loaf better than none, set about inducing a branch to be constructed. After consulting with the officers they learned that it could be secured by voting a five per cent. tax in Nod- away, East River, Harlan and Buchanan townships, with subscriptions to bring the whole amount up to $100,000, the right of way and depot grounds complete at Clarinda. It was rather a large undertaking, but the case in point was a desperate one, so far as the capital of Page County was concerned. If it ever proposed to amount to anything in the future it was essential that the town should secure the road, and more especially now was the case, as since the main line had gone to Shenandoah, the citizens and news- papers of that live town had sprung the county-seat question. The proposition to vote a five per cent. tax in Nodaway Township was carried by a vote of 507 to 85. Buchanan Township had always persistently refused to vote a tax, but now came to the front with a vote of 112 to 42 in favor of the road. The vote in East River Township was 125 to 66,

for the road. Hence the line was built.

leaves the main line at Roseberry, Missouri, eleven miles from the Iowa line. It enters this county on, or near, the section line be- tween sections 29 and 30, Buchanan Town- ship, running up the east side of the Nodaway River, and touches parts of East River and Harlan townships, and on north to Clarinda. The stations in Page County on this line are Clarinda, Morseman and Crooks. This line continued to do business and prosper quite well for some years; but it seemed to go down and finally did not pay its running ex- penses. It went into the hands of a receiver, and after a hearing before the Railroad Com missioners that body did not see fit to compel them to operate trains any longer. So, De- cember, 1889, the last train was run and the road will be taken up at once.

291

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

HUMESTON & SHENANDOAH RAILROAD.

In 1880-'81, the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the Wabash Railway companies formed a joint company and built what is known as the Humneston & Shenandoah Rail- way. It enters this county in Nebraska Township and runs west to Clarinda and from there takes a westerly line to Shenan- doah, where it intersects the Wabash system. This line is about ninety miles long, Hume- ston being in Wayne County, Iowa. This road asked no aid from the people of Page County. It has twenty-seven miles of track in the county. The stations on this route, in Page County, are: Clarinda, Yorktown, Nor- wich and Shenandoah.

THE "DENVER SHORT LINE."

The above name is applied to a line owned by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy com- pany, under the corporation name of Clarinda, College Springs & Southwestern Railway, running from Clarinda, southwest to North-

barro, the southwest township of the county, where another section styled the Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs line commences and runs on out of the State. This was built in 1881-'82 and gives a fine southwestern outlet and connects at Clarinda with the Brownsville & Nodaway Valley road, giving an outlet to the main line of the "Q" at Villisca. On the " Denver Short Line " there are the stations of Page City, Coin and North- barro.

The following is the mileage of railroad in Page County, according to the assessment of recent date, including the " Wabash Plug," which is not now in operation:

MILES.

Brownville & Nodaway Valley line. 22

Chicago, Burlington & Quincy line. 11

Clarinda & St. Louis line. 11

Council Bluffs & St. Louis line. 19

Humeston & Shenandoah line. 27

Clarinda, College Springs & Southwestern line 15

Kansas City, St. Joseph & Council Bluffs line. 4

Total mileage. 109

292

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

THE BAR,

CHAPTER XIII.

N reviewing the history of the representa- tives of the legal profession, it should be borne in mind that the prosperity and well-being of a community depends upon the clear, well defined and wise interpretation of the laws; therefore it follows that a record of the attorneys of Page County have particular value in this work, which takes the wild, un- developed domain at its organization and brings it down to to-day, when it is conceded to be among the best governed and most happy and prosperous part of all this great commonwealth.

Again, change is seen on every hand, in the great human tide. The laws of yesterday do not meet with the necessities and require- ineuts of to-day, for it should be remembered that former relations do not now exist. New and satisfactory laws must needs be enacted and then enforced aud established to the full understanding of the masses, who otherwise might ignorantly violate them. The discov- eries in the arts aud sciences, the invention of novel contrivances for labor-saving, the enlargement of all our industrial pursuits, and the increase and development of com- merce, are without precedence, and the science of law must keep pace with them all; nay,

it must even forecast the event, and frame such laws as will most adequately subserve the wants of these new conditions. Hence we say the lawyer is a man purely of to-day. The exigencies he must encounter are peculiar alone to the age in which he lives. His cap- ital is his ability and pure individuality. The lawyer should love and prize his calling. He should value its past renown and cherish the memory of great inen whose gigantic shadows walk with us still. He should love it for its intrinsic worth and innate merit of the fundamental truths which adorn it.

The bar of Page County has enrolled among its members many who have been not only an honor to their profession at home, . but also have gained a national distinction. It may be true that we have come to enact too many laws, but so long as these enact- ments do exist, we have great need of learned, thinking, reading, hard- working lawyers to construe these laws to our common people, who have duties calling them in another direction-a work to perform in another sphere.

THE BAR OF THE PAST.

The bar of 1855-'60 in Page County is not a type of the present bar, by any means.

293

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

Every new country has more of the unlettered' nnenltivated class. These feel their inability in older settled communities, hence pnsh forward to new fields " to grow up" with the country and finally attain to a good degree of prominence among their fellows. There were attorneys in Page County-connty officers as well -- who could scarcely read and write, yet they managed to administer all the laws the people then seemed to care to have executed.

CLARINDA ATTORNEYS.

The first resident member of the Page County bar was William L. Burge, who lived in a log cabin on an eighty-acre tract, just west of the present town site. It was before Clarinda had been platted. He was prose- enting attorney and ex officio county judge, and as such superintended the survey of the original plat. In August, 1853, he sold liis " eighty " to Claiborne McBee for $150. No one in the county now knows from whence he came or where he went from here. His practice must have been, indeed, limited, as his name only appears as in connection with but one case.

At the September term of the district court for 1853, Jolin Wilson was admitted to the bar on examination. Law practice was very meagre in those early days and Wil- son's was only incidental to his other occu- pations as trader, farmer and merchandiser. He was prosecuting attorney for one or two terms, and served as county judge for one term. In 1861 he left Page County and went to St. Joe, Missouri, where lie was a inerchiant.

At the March term of court, 1855, R. L. Dodge, a member of the Wisconsin bar, was admitted upon his certificate. He located at Clarinda. He was a cultured gentleman and a good lawyer, but did not remain long. He was depnty postmaster for a few months dur-

ing the summer of 1855. The records fail to show that he had an active practice in Page County conrts.

In the summer of 1855 J. J. Barwick, of Oshkosh, Wisconsin, settled at Clarinda, en- tering upon his chosen profession. He had a good English education, supplemented by considerable general reading; had a good un- derstanding of law, but never loved his call- ing. His choice, when young, was to become a physician, but he was thwarted by the judgment of his parents, who wanted him to study law. He had a fair share of the legal business of the county np to the breaking out of the war. He was never popular as a man or an attorney and did not have the in- fluence that his knowledge of law should have given him. He was a sharp trader and made inore money outside than he did in his profession. His wife was a noble woman, cultured, refined and good, and it was through her that he enjoyed the friends he did liave,

During the winter of 1856-'57, Dr. A. H. East, a well-read and successful physician, who came to the county three or four years before, was admitted to the bar in Mills County and at once opened an office in Clarinda. He was appointed prosecuting at- torney and held that position until the abolish- inent of that office. He was a man of good judgment, possessing good logic and naturally of a judicial mind, and had he commenced early in life would have been an eminent lawyer. He forgot (if lie ever knew) that " Law is a jealous mistress and will not be content with a divided affection." His clients had more faith in him as a physician thian as a legal adviser. Upon the coming on of tlie rebellion Mr. East was appointed a surgeon in the Federal army, and upon his return home he re entered the medical profession, having a good practice until his deatlı, Sep- tember, 19, 1872.

294

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

J. R. Morledge, who was adınitted to the bar in 1843, was of English birth, but grew to manhood in Ohio, and there received his education. He commenced reading law in 1840. He came to Clarinda in 1857, and opened an office. In 1858 he formed a part- nership with J. T. Chittenden at Clarinda, and George W. Friedly at Bedford, Iowa, un- der the firm name of Morledge & Chittenden, at Clarinda, and Morledge, Friedly & Co., at Bedford. They did a large business till the civil war broke out in 1861, when he was chosen Colonel of the State militia. In 1863 he served (by appointment under Lincoln) as Commissary of Subsistence. He resigned and again entered the legal profession. He had a good knowledge of the law, and was successful, and always counted upright and professional in his dealings. He died April 19, 1882.

James T. Chittenden, a native of Indiana, was educated at the United Brethren College of that State. He studied law with J. R. Morledge, and was admitted to the bar at Clarinda, in open court, in September, 1858. He formed a partnership with Mr. Morledge. He was a well-read attorney, and a constant student. He was a thorough gentleman. He became Lieutenant of a company in the Fourth Iowa Infantry, in 1861; he at once went to the front and was on the march from Rolla to Pea Ridge. At the last-named place he was wounded, March 7, 1862, and died April 29 the same year. He was a noble and truly brave officer, and had his life been spared would have been an ornament to the legal profession.

N. B. Moore, a native of Ohio, was edu- cated at the Wesleyan University of that State. He entered into commercial life early, coming to Iowa in 1855. He read law at Eddyville with Holines & Ives, and was ad- mitted to the bar in June, 1857, at Albia,

Iowa. He then located at Bedford, Iowa. In the autumn of 1860 he settled at Clarinda, and soon had a large practice. He opened the pioneer bank of Clarinda, and was largely engaged in real estate and stock-farming. He became involved in domestic and financial troubles, which swept from him a liandsome property. In 1888 he closed np matters at Clarinda and removed to Fort Worth, Texas, where, by his industry and business tact, he has again accumulated considerable property, and is an honored citizen of the " Lone Star State."

PRESENT BAR AT CLARINDA.

Judge Thomas R. Stockton, the present county attorney, was among the early settlers. His father, Rev. - - Stockton, a Cumber- land Presbyterian minister, was a pioneer of Taylor and Page counties, and Thomas R. was about eighteen years of age when his people moved to this section of Iowa. His sketch appears elsewhere in this work. He helped to open up a frontier farm, and taught school in winter until 1859, when he com - menced reading law. In 1860 he came to Clarinda, entering the law office of J. J. Barwick as a student. He was admitted to the bar in May, 1861, under Judge Sears. In January, 1862, he opened his office at Clar- inda and commenced practice. In 1862 he took the editorial charge of the Clarinda IIerald, and continued until November, 1863. At the fall election of 1863 he was elected to the office of County Judge, serving for two years, practicing law at the same time. In May, 1866, he removed to Sidney, Iowa. In the fall of 1872 he was elected Circuit Judge of the Thirteenth District. In 1879 he was elected as representative from Fremont County. In 1883 he moved to Shenandoah, and practiced law until 1886, when he was elected as the first County Attorney, under

295

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

the new law creating such an office. He tlien removed to Clarinda. He was re-elected in 1888.

He is a man who makes friends wherever he goes. He is educated and refined, yet plain and unassuming. His legal opinions are seldom reversed, and among the members of the bar he is a favorite. He is a natural lawyer, loving the profession; he takes pride in keeping pace with all that belongs to it, and seeks, in his present official capacity to mete out justice according to " law and evi- dence," regardless of fear or favor.

T. E. Clark, one of the leading lights of the fraternity at Clarinda to-day, is a self- made lawyer. He studied with Hepburn & Morseman, commencing in the fall of 1867, reading two years. He was admitted to the bar under Judge James G. Day, and com- menced practice as a partner of Captain Morse- man; has had other partners, but to-day is associated with J. G. Hill. In the fall of 1881 he was elected as Senator from the Seventh District, and was father of the noted "Clark Liquor Law." Notwithstanding his early career was cast in other lines, foreign to the legal calling, yet by hard study and close application has he distinguished him- self as a most excellent attorney, as well as a far-seeing political engineer, with his efforts aimed morally high. (See sketch.)

J. E. Hill (of Clark & Hill), who had pre- viously been a soldier, farmned in Page County, and had been clerk of the courts for several years, finally studied law, and was ad- initted to the bar in 1884, under Judge D. D. Gregory. He opened an office in 1885, and has been a successful attorney ever since. He formed a partnership with Hon. T. E. Clark in 1887, which still exists. (See per- sonal sketch elsewhere.)

John R. Good, attorney and ex-mayor of Clarinda, was admitted to the bar in March, 24

1881, under Judge R. C. Henry, and moved to Lyons, Kansas, where he began practice. After six months he returned to Clarinda, associating himself with Judge N. B. Moore for six months, then opened up an office alone He has been, and is now, a successful at- torney, and also a heavy dealer in real estate and insurance. (See his sketch.)

H. E. Parslow, a native of Ontario, Can- ada. He came to Clarinda in 1875, and clerked for several years. In the fall of 1878 he entered the law department of the State University, at Iowa City, Iowa, finishing his course June, 1879. He then entered the law office of T. E. Clark, at Clarinda, and soon became a partner. This continued for two years, and in October, 1881, he opened an office of his own, and continued alone until January, 1884, when a new partnership was formed with his former partner, T. E. Clark. This existed until 1887: since then lie lias practiced alone. He was city attorney in 1882-'83. (See sketch.)

Raymond Loranz, one of the leading mem - bers of the bar in Clarinda, was reared in Page County. When eighteen years of age he commenced the study of law with T. E. Clark, and was admitted to the bar in Sep- tember, 1873. In 1875 he formed a partner- ship with T. E. Clark, the same lasting one year. He practiced alone till 1884, when he forined a partnership with his brother Henry. They carried on an extensive business in law, loan and real estate. This partnership still exists and is the best known firm in the county. Raymond Loranz is a prominent figure in his profession, and has been mayor of Clarinda, together with other local po- sitions of trust and honor.

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Author: Lewis and Dunbar, Chicago, pub Publication date: 1890 Publisher: Chicago : Lewis & Dunbar Number of Pages: 946

Author: Lewis and Dunbar, Chicago, pub
Publication date: 1890
Publisher: Chicago : Lewis & Dunbar
Number of Pages: 946