USA > Iowa > Shelby County > Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon counties, Iowa. Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each; portraits and biographies of the governors of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Shelby and Audubon counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the counties, and the cities and townships > Part 21
USA > Iowa > Audubon County > Biographical history of Shelby and Audubon counties, Iowa. Containing portraits of all the presidents of the United States from Washington to Harrison, with accompanying biographies of each; portraits and biographies of the governors of the state; engravings of prominent citizens in Shelby and Audubon counties, with personal histories of many of the early settlers and leading families. A concise history of the counties, and the cities and townships > Part 21
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
spanned by any sort of a bridge. Every few weeks some one or more of the settlers at the " Grove" would go to Kanesville, becoming a sort of " common carrier" for the whole settlement, some sending for a jug of syrup, some for a jug of whisky! and others for the real necessities of life-meat, flour and groceries; and they were lastly cantioned to " be sure and see if we have any mail there!"
During Mr. MeIntosh's ministry among the Latter Day Saints, he organized ten or a dozen branch societies. Not until old age had made such inroads on his strength and health that he was unable to get about, did he give up his work preaching the gospel, according to his conviction.
Among the earlier settlers of the eastern portion of the county and within what was known as Round Township, was Jefferson Tague, the first white man to locate in Round Township; he settled at what was called Watson's Grove. Then came William Hack and his two sons, John B. Hoffman, W. Ing- ham, Mansel Wicks, L. D. Sunderland, Messrs. Heath, Hutchison, Stanton, William McGinnes, Dwight Tirrell, Lon Sweat, Henry Adams, Leonard Bowman, Colonel Dalton, W. W. Lyons, James McConnell, Henry Snider, Samuel Blake, Cyrus Luen, Nelson Ward, Messrs. Roland, Rubendall, Phiefer, Leonker, Miller, Lloyd Jinkins, Adam Cuppy, Dr. Johnston, and a blind man named Barlan.
Those who settled in eastern Shelby County had farther to go to market and mill than those at Galland's Grove, and for a number of years saw great hardships, and only sur- vived by having a good degree of pluck and energy. During the hard winter of 1856-'57 the snow was very deep, filling the ravines and valleys to a level and obstructing travel everywhere in the State. At this time Shelby County saw great suffering. The wife of
Nelson Ward, the first settler at Kibbey's Grove, ground buckwheat in a common coffee-mill, to the amount of sixteen bushels, from December on until the snows had melted sufficient to allow her husband to go to mill. On the 18th of March, 1857, the snow meas- nred four feet on the level. A pioneer named George Merrill started from the Grove bear- ing his name, to go across to Galland's Grove, some twenty miles, but owing to a blinding storm he songht refuge within a deserted log- cabin built by Isaac Cuppy. For four days he attempted to make his way across to the Grove, but each time failing he returned to the lonely cabin to spend the night; he had no food during these long days and nights.
Another incident, connected with that never to be forgotten winter of " fifty-six and seven," will suffice to illustrate what our pioneers had to endure, that the wilderness might finally blossom like the rose! Levi Yeoman came from Council Bluffs late in the autumn of 1853 and purchased the claims and cabin of Mr. Cuppy, moving his family to the same. He then returned to his former home and engaged at chopping wood, by which to earn a little ready money to buy the actual necessities of life. He had told his family that he would be home at a given time, but did not come, and as the weather was blustry and getting quite severe, it then being early in December, the wife and mother became alarmed. A son less than eleven years old, named Allen J., seeming to take the whole situation in, started, unbeknown to his mother, in search of a lost father, as he supposed. The distance between their place and where his father was working was abont thirty-two miles; the brave son traversed this long, lonesome ronte alone, facing the cold wind and snow, in an almost miraculous manner; he arrived within three miles of the objective | point, when night overtook him. He became
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
confused and lost for the time, and believing all would end well with one who sought only to do his duty, he crawled into a hollow log and there remained until morning, when he resumed his journey and fortunately met his father, loaded down with provisions purchased for the family. This young lad, Allen J., grew to be a man, enlisted into the army and served as Captain of an Indiana company during the Rebellion. IIis mother, who died in the fall of 1854, was a sister of L. D. Sun- derland.
COUNTY GOVERNMENT.
Counties, like State and national common- wealths, are only successful and prosperous to the exact degree in which they have pru- dent, progressive government. The early history of every county in the "wild West" shows a lack of means with which to do business, as well as none too good educational qualifications for transacting business in an official capacity. Much experience had to be gained at the expense of the illy prepared tax payers, who in those early days did not find money cropping out upon the side of every budding tree and bush! Prior to 1860 the State itself had imperfect laws. The present code is as good as can be found in any State of the Union, but it is the crystallized methods of all the earlier settled States, with an occa- sional amendment and improvement over any and all of them; but necessarily this state of perfection could not well be obtained at first. The one-man power of the old county judge system prevailed in all of its imperfection until 1860, when it was changed tothe present (or similar) system of county supervisorship. Prior to that date Shelby County had issued warrants for many thou- sand dollars, which found a market in the money changers' hands of New York, and were bought up, many of them, for one-fourth
their face value. Ten thousand dollars' worth of these bonds were purchased by a party in Keokuk, Iowa, who finally, during the Rebell- ion, brought suit and obtained judgment against the county for that amount. This worked a great hardship to the citizens, who more than had their hands full in taking eare of their unruly neighbors at the South and trying to keep the wolf of starvation from their own doors.
The first board of county supervisors met in a regular session January 7, 1861. The first board was constituted as follows: F. G. Clark, of Jackson Township (elected for one year); C. F. H. Forbes, of Harlan Township (elected for two years); John B. Swain, of Grove Township (elected for one year), and Abraham Rubendall, of Fairview Township (elected for two years). C. F. H. Forbes acted as chairman of the first board. It is useless to trace the different citizens who have served in the capacity of supervisor, but suffice to say that the people have always ehosen good men from out their numbers to represent them in county matters.
In 1862, during the great Indian scare, when the border counties were endangered, Mansel Wicks and A. Roundy, members of the county board, were appointed as a com- mittec to go to Crawford and other border counties for the purpose of finding out the real state of the Indian troubles. They were to investigate the matter and report the same to the board, and alsoto the Governor of Iowa. Nothing eame of a serious nature, however.
Among the questions the supervisors had to deal withi, in time of the Rebellion, was that of raising funds with which to aid in filling up the war quota for soldiers. A peti- tion was presented to them, calling for a levy to be raised sufficient to pay the amount of $300 to any who might be drafted into the service, $500 to all old veterans, $800 to
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
any who should volunteer to make up the quota of 1865, $1,000 to those who should enlist for two years, and $1,200 to those enlisting for three years. This petition was signed quite extensively, but the "county dads" rejected the demand, believing it poor policy to pay men to defend their country. Hence the county stood two drafts. It may be said to their credit, however, that they did appropriate $220 to be distributed among dependent soldiers' families.
As has already been stated, the first records of Shelby County were illy kept, both cleri- cally and also as regards the stationery used. The old style of blue paper, with invisible rulings, together with poor quality of ink, made very poor county records. This was especially noticeable in the record of deeds, consequently the supervisors ordered, in 1871, that the recorder transeribe the original records of his office into a new styled book, which was done, thus preserving intact records of conveyance which otherwise, within a few years, would have been almost illegible.
As an index that the supervisors (the voice of the people) have been progressing and seeking to keep pace with advanced civiliza- tion, it may be stated that in 1871 they offered a reward of $300 to the person who should discover a three-foot strata of coal within Shelby County.
As a measure of protective prudence a reward of $250 was offered for the capture and final convietion of any horse-thief com- mitting depredations within the county.
As one views the present county govern- inent with its good system, and knows that the county is out of debt, he is made to believe that the early settlers were prudent in the foundation they laid for the future of Shelby County. The county is now sub- divided into sixteen townships, each six miles square, and is provided with one hun-
dred and thirty-six public school buildings, excellent wagon bridges, with the best of roads. The assessed valuation of taxable property in 1854 was $20,600, as against $4,163,266 in 1887. The first assessor assessed the whole county in four days, and received $1.50 per day for the same. The tax levied in 1885 was one mill and a quarter county tax, six mills for school purposes, one-half mill for roads.
The first bill of stationery audited called for $760. The county judge, clerk, recorder and treasurer each received 850 per year as their salary, with their respective fees.
ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS.
The county, soon after its organization, was divided into two eivil townships-" Galland's Grove " and " Round " being the names of such divisions. From time to time these divisions have been sub-divided and re- bounded nntil about 1875, when they as- sumed the uniforin shape and size in which they are at present, these changes always being necessary in the settlement of any new county, owing to the fact that the settlement is usually made near the streamns and within easy access to groves, etc .; but upon final development, roads, school-houses, etc., are needed in a more uniform manner, hence these equal and square sub-divisions of most of the eonnties in Iowa.
CASS Township is bounded on the north by Washington, on the east by Lincoln, on the south by Shelby Township and Pottawattamie County, and on the west by Harrison County. It was constituted June 7, 1869, at which time it had a population of 120 people.
CLAY Township comprises township 78, range 37, west, and is south of Jackson Town- ship and Andubon County, west of Audubon County, north of Cass County, and east of Monroe Township of Shelby County. It was
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
constituted a civil organization September 16, 1867, when it contained a population of 80 people.
DOUGLAS Township is bounded by Greeley Township on the north, Polk on the east, Harlan on the south, and Westphalia on the west. It was constituted April 3, 1871, with a population of 164.
FAIRVIEW Township is south of Lincoln and Harlan townships, west of Monroe, north of Pottawattamie County, and east of Shelby Township. It was constituted September 3, 1860, with a population of 130.
GREELEY Township is bounded north by Crawford County, east by Jefferson Town- ship, south by Douglas and west by Union townships. Its organization dates from June 2, 1874, when it contained a popula- tion of 70.
GROVE, which is one of the two original townships of Shelby County, was organized with its present boundaries in 1854, with a population of 174 people, most of whom were what the Utah Mormons term " Apos- tate Mormons," as they were of that class of Mormon believers who left the sect on ac- count of the practice of polygamy, and settled in the western part of Iowa, refusing to go further than Kanesville (now Council Bluff's) with President Brigham Young. It is now bounded on the north by Crawford County, on the east by Union Township, on the south by Washington Township, and on the west by Harrison County. It is the northwest corner township of Shelby County, was the first one settled, and now comprises congres- sional township 81, range 40, west.
HARLAN Township is congressional town- ship 79, range 38, west, and was first consti- tuted September 3, 1860. The county-seat is within the township at Harlan, an incor- porated town. It is bounded on the north by Douglas, on the east by Jackson, on the
south by Fairview and Monroe, and on the west by Lincoln townships.
JACKSON Township, which is south of Polk Township, west of Audubon County, north of Clay and Monroe townships, and east of Harlan Township, was constituted September 3, 1860, and now comprises congressional township 79, range 37, west. When organ- ized its population was less than 30 people.
JEFFERSON Township is bounded on its north by Crawford County, on the east by Audubon County, on the south by Polk Township, and west by Greeley Township. It comprises congressional township 81, range 37, west, and was constituted April 3, 1871, at which date it had a population of 117.
LINCOLN Township comprises congressional subdivision 79, range 39, west, and was con- stituted April 3, 1871, with a population of 129. It is now bounded on the north by Westphalia Township, on the east by Harlan Township, on the south by Shelby and Fair- view townships, and on the west by Cass Township.
MONROE Township, bounded on the north by Jackson and Harlan townships, on the east by Clay Township, on the south by Cass County, and on the west by Fairview Town- ship, was constituted January 7, 1873, with a population of about 550 people. It is inade of all of township 78, range 38, west.
POLK Township is south from Jefferson, west of the Audubon County line, north from Jackson Township, and east from Doug- las Township. It was constituted April 3, 1871, and now comprises township 80, range 37, west, having, when first organized, about 120 people within its border.
SHELBY Township is bounded, north by Cass and Lincoln townships, east by Fairview Township, south by the Pottawattamie County line, and west by Harrison County. It was
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
constituted September 6, 1870, and comprises at present congressional township 78, range 40, west. It had abont 190 population in 1870.
UNION Township is south of Crawford County, west of Greeley Township, north of Westphalia Township, east of Washington Township. It was constituted September 4, 1871, with a population of 87. Its present limits embrace all of township 81, range 39, west.
WASHINGTON Township is bounded, north by Grove Township, cast by Westphalia Township, south by Cass Township, and on the west by Harrison County. Its organiza- tion dates from April 3, 1871, and its present territory embraces all of congressional town- ship 80, range 40, west. At the time it was constituted its population was 163.
WESTPHALIA Township comprises all of township 80, range 39, west, and was organ- ized June 2, 1874, with a population of 207 people. It is bounded, north by Union, cast by Douglas, south by Lincoln, and west by Washington townships.
FIRST EVENTS.
Much interest and no little curiosity attaches itself to the first events of the sct- tlement of any county, and along with it comes a great amount of controversy which not unfrequently baffles the best efforts of the gatherer of local history to establish fully; but after inuch rescarch in various parts of the county it seems the following are the first events within the limits of the county :
The first settlement made within the county was effected at Galland's Grove, in the northwest part of the county, in 1848, by Abraham Galland, who came in the fall of 1848 and erected a log cabin, which his son-in-law, William Jordan, with his family, occupied the coming winter-being the
winter of 1848-'49. The next to locate were Joseph Hancock and his two brothers.
The first justice of the peace was Uriah Roundy.
The first birth is usually spoken of as Granville Cuppy, but this is a mistake, as he was born in April, 1854, and there were quite a number of children born in Galland's Grove among the Mormon settlers long prior to this. Mr. Cuppy was probably the first one born in the eastern portion of the county, however.
The first death occurred at Galland's Grove in 1850, it being an unnamed infant. The first marriage was that of John Rudd to Sereldue Jordan, in 1853.
The first school taught at the expense of public fund was in the winter of 1857-'58, on section 10 of Donglas Township. The teacher, E. W. Holbrook, was engaged by William McGinnis, who, with a few other families, constituted the school patrons. The attendance was twenty two pupils, who were housed within a rude log cabin for- merly used as a residence. Owing to the fact that School Fund Commissioner Reed had the school money stolen from a trunk in his own house, the director, William McGin- nis, to make good his word of honor to the teacher, had to pay the amount himself, which after a long time was refunded to him.
The first physician was a Dr. J. W. John- ston, who lived near Harlan until about 1873, when he died while cutting np potatoes in a " cave."
The first attorney was James Butler, of whom many good stories are told by pio- neers-among others the one regarding his application to the court for admission to the legal bar. Butler was asked by his honor how many kinds of property there were? He answered three, viz .: Real, personal and mixed. The judge asked him what he des.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
ignated as mixed, wherenpon he promptly replied-" Mules and Niggers." It may be added he was pronounced a full-fledged attorney!
The first goods were sold by Solomon Hancock, at Galland's Grove, in 1853.
The first Fourth of July celebration in the connty was held in 1855 at the place of Nelson Ward, in what is now Douglas Township. The families present were Wards, Sunderlands, Jinkens and Stantons. It was at what is now styled Kibbey's Grove. The principal features were a ten-gallon keg of " Old Rye " and a flag made from strips of red and white underwear, hung upon the bushes!
The first newspaper published in the county was called the New Idea, printed at Simoda in 1858-'59.
The first election was held in April, 1854, and an old pioneer remarks that " there was 400 times the interest and excitement over the election of a school officer then than over the attempt to elect Grover Cleveland the second time for President of the United States!"
The first religious organization effected, aside from the semi-organization among the Latter Day Saints, was that formed by the Methodist Episcopalians in 1858 in Douglas Township, by Rev. Baker, who formed a church of the families of William McGinnis and his neighbor Jinkens.
The first orthodox sermon preached, was delivered by Judge Tarkington, who was somewhat of a Methodist preacher, and would usually dispense the truth of the gospel Sun- days, after having presided as judge through the preceding week. The date of this first sermon was in October, 1854, the same being delivered from the open doorway of Mr. Bowman's log house in Bowman's Grove. The congregation was the few neighbors who
gathered in and were seated upon rails and " shakes " placed about the yard beneath the forest trees-" God's first temple."
The first mill is always hailed in every new country with delight; they have ever gone as vanguards of true civilization and are of great necessity. At an early day-prior to 1860- the pioneers of Shelby and its adjoining counties were greatly burdened with the question, " Where would we better go to ınill?"
" Uncle Billy " McGinnis says he has gone to mill from Dubuque to Council Bluffs ! His explanation, however, is, that he has been a pioneer at three different points in Iowa, and has always been obliged to go a long distance in each location to mill, the last time going from a point near Harlan to Council Bluffs. IIe describes one of these milling trips about as follows: He loaded a few bushels of grain upon his wagon, and started with his ox team for a mill in Mills County-about sixty miles from his home- but upon arriving there found they were two weeks behind in grinding for others, so he went on to " Haymaker's Mills," at the junction of the Nishnabotna branches. Upon entering the mill (where he had frequently been before) the owner told him he was far behind already, and as he was accustomed to doing so, he would better go on to Pacific City, eight miles away, and that if he failed there to come back. The miller in charge went out and on the sly told him that the proprietor was cranky and did not like his politics-the proprietor being of the class who a few years thereafter were known as rebels. He further advised " Uncle Billy " to go off down in the woods and camp out for a day or two, allowing time enough to go and come to the mill already directed, and then come to the mill as though he had been to Pacific City and failed to get his grinding
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
done. He said then Haymaker would grind for him. This course was followed out, and after a couple of days he drove his load up in front of the mill, when the proprietor hailed him: " Well, Billy, I knew you would finally come back to me." But Mr. McGinnis was only too glad to get his flour and go home-the trip taking nine days travel over a rough, hilly country, which at that day had no bridges. The writer asked him what the millman took such a course for, and the reply was, "Inborn cussed- ness !"
Such were the obstacles to overcome in going to a mill at an early time, and it is not to be wondered at that the home flouring mill was highly prized by the early settlers of western Iowa.
The first flour mill in Shelby County was built at Harlan, on the Nishnabotna River. It was constructed by J. W. Chatburn, who was the pioneer miller of Harrison County, Iowa, as well. He came to Harlan in An- gust, 1867, commencing at once to build his mill. He had the mill completed and ready for grinding early in January, 1868. There was no other mill within a great distance, and it was no uncommon occurrence for farmers to come thirty and forty miles to get their wheat floured at this mill. At first it was a common burr-stone mill, but in 1885 the interior was refitted, all the old machin- ery thrown out, and the modern mill appli- ances, including the roller system, were placed instead. The present plant is a ten- roller mill, having a daily capacity of fifty barrels of flour. The power which drives this mill is a seven-foot head of water from
the west branch of the Nishnabotna River, which affords a sufficient power to run the mill throughout the entire year. The mill does both custom and merchant milling. In the early history of this mill the proprietor, Mr. Chatburn, paid $1.25 a bushel for wheat which was hauled many miles, and after being ground into flour was hanled to Dun- lap and there marketed. The owner of this mill has followed the business for forty years, and has the honor of constructing the first mill in Harrison County, as well as in Shelby County.
The first saw-mill was hailed with nearly as much delight as the flour-mill, because it was almost useless to try to improve and provide suitable buildings without it. The first saw-mill in Shelby County was built on Mill Creek by W. W. Reed, at Galland's Grove, at a very early date, but in the east part of the county the first mill was built by Jonathan Wyland in 1857, and was operated by his son Washington, in company with Isaac Plum. The machinery, including the cast-iron water-wheel, was brought from Iowa City by teams. This mill was situated at Bowman's Grove, and was propelled by the waters of Nishnabotna River. It was the old-time sash saw, and while its up and down motion was somewhat slow, it sliced off many a thousand boards which went toward the building of the first houses in Simoda and Ilarlan. This property was in the hands and operated by many different persons, inelnding T. J. Stauley, C. J. and T. J. Wyland and Elias Monroe. It was oper- ated until about 1877, when it had ontgrown its usefulness and was taken down.
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HISTORY OF SHELBY COUNTY.
CHAPTER III.
OFFICIAL VOTE OF SHELBY COUNTY.
PRESIDENT.
1856-James Buchanan (Democratic) 62
John C. Fremont (Republican). 19
1860 -- Abraham Lincoln (Republican) 100
Stephen A. Douglas (Democratic). 64
1864 -- Abraham Lincoln (Republican). 78
George B. McClellan (Democratic). 80
1868-U. S. Grant (Republican) . 151
Iforatio Seymour (Democratic). 124
1872-U. S. Grant (Republican). 350
Horace Greeley (Liberal). 145
1876-Rutherford B. Hayes (Republican) 876
Samuel J. Tilden (Democratic). 631
1880 -- James A. Garfield (Republican). 1,499
W. S. Hancock (Democratic). 963
James B. Weaver (Greenback)
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