USA > Iowa > Benton County > History of Benton County, Iowa. From materials in the public archives, the Iowa Historical society's collection, the newspapers, and data of personal interviews > Part 30
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When Mr. Whipple located permanently in Benton county (in 1854) he located on land adjoining Vinton and built a house
340
HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
costing about one thousand dollars. which was then considered quite a large sum to be expended on a residence. Mr. Whipple engaged in farming in 1860; bought land still nearer the town site, for which he paid fifty dollars an acre; and eventually he became the owner of nearly one thousand acres, much of it adjacent to Vinton and very valuable.
W. F. WILLIAMS, BANKER AND CITY PROMOTER.
W. F. Williams, one of the first bankers of Vinton and for years one of the most enterprising citizens of the place. settled in Benton county in 1856. He was born in Fairfield county, Ohio. May 22. 1830, and in 1849 went to California, via Panama, and for about seven years was a trader at Marysville and vicinity. In 1856 he located in Benton county. neai Vinton, entering 500 acres of land and improving his farin to some extent during the succeed-
ing summer and fall. Mr. Williams then returned to the Pacific coast. spending seventeen years in California and returning to Vinton in April. 1867. It was in that year that he engaged in the banking business as a member of the firm of Traer & Company, continuing alone both in that line and as a large dealer in both farming lands and city real estate. In the years of his greatest activity. no man in Vinton or Benton conuty made more property improvements than Mr. Williams. He married Miss Frances E. Fielding. a native of Lancaster. Ohio, born January 26, 1860, and they had four daughters -- Mae Ella. Lizzie. Mand and Jennie. The eldest has served for a number of years as librarian of the Vipton Public Library.
JOHN KNAPP AND HIS LUCKY NUMBER.
The title and abstract office of George R. Knapp. at Vinton, represents the oldest business house in uninterrupted activity in Benton county. It was established by his father, John Knapp. who became a resident of Vinton in the spring of 1857. at that time engaging both in farming and in making abstracts of title. Pos- sessed of the characteristic instinct of the Pennsylvanian, both a maker and a saver of money. the elder Mr. Knapp came to this community without a dollar in his pocket. Before his death he had not only built up a large abstract business, but become the owner of three hundred and forty five acres of farming lands in Cedar township. where he passed his last years.
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
Previous to coming to Iowa, John Knapp had had an inter- esting and remarkable experience. A native of Philadelphia, born September 9, 1829, he was wont to say that nine was his Incky number, as he was born on the ninth day of the ninth month of the twenty-ninth year of the nineteenth century. He lived in Phila- delphia until his fifteenth year, when he went to the south, residing in Tennessee and Mississippi until the outbreak of the Mexican war. He was therefore abont seventeen years of age when he en- listed in the First Mississippi Riffes, passing from that command to the Second Mississippi Rifles, and serving with credit throughout the entire war. HIe was in the battles of Monterey and Buena Vista, being wounded in the latter engagement and was discharged at Vicksburg, Mississippi, July 29. 1849.
As Mr. Knapp left the service with a fine record as a soldier, it may be inferred that the "nine." which again entered into the date of his discharge, continued to stand as his lucky number. In 1850 Mr. Knapp first came to lowa, but after remaining only a short time in the state, went to St. Paul, Minnesota, for the pur- pose of volunteering in the Indian war. After a few months' service against the Sioux and other unruly tribes in the northwest. he returned to Philadelphia and married an old acquaintance, Hannah Kimley, of Berks county. Pennsylvania. They resided in the City of Brotherly Love for about six years after their mar- riage; came overland to Iowa in 1856, and in the following spring made their home in Vinton. Besides making a fine record as a business man and farmer, John Knapp was repeatedly ealled to serve his neighbors and wider circles of citizens in various offices of public trust. He held the supervisorship of the county from 1865 to 1869, and from 1871 to 1875, and was honored with minor offices connected with the township and school board. lie was one of the first and most prominent members of the old Mt. Auburn Methodist church, and became the father of nine children (Incky number again) all but two of whom, daughters, reached maturity and acquitted themselves with the utmost credit as useful men and women.
CORNELIU'S ELLIS, PIONEER LUMBERMAN.
Cornelius Ellis, who died at Vinton June 3. 1909, came from his father's farm near Indianapolis in 1856. being then twenty- nine years of age. With his brother, A. H. Ellis, he established the Ellis lumber yard in 1864. It is claimed this is the oldest
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
concern of the kind in the county. The elder Mr. Ellis developed many other business and financial enterprises, his successor in these various interests, as well as his most active assistant during life, being W. C. Ellis. The latter controls several banks and is vice president of the Iowa Canning Company, the largest corn-canning establishment in the world.
PAUL CORRELL, OLD-TIME MERCHANT.
Paul Correll, of late years president of the State Bank of Vinton, is also one of the substantial citizens and Fremont Repub- licans of the county seat. When thirty-two years of age he came to Vinton from Chicago, where he had been living for seven years as an employee in Potter Palmer's store. His first business ex- perience was obtained in his native state of Pennsylvania. Mr. Correll conducted a general store in Vinton, farmed extensively in Big Grove and Taylor townships, and finally, as stated, largely centered his interests in the banking business at Vinton.
GEORGE HORRIDGE, LEADING BANKER.
George Horridge, one of the old and prominent bankers and citizens of Vinton, has been a resident of the county seat since 1858. As a hardware merchant, a banker, a generous supporter of the public library and a citizen of public spirit. Mr. Horridge's person- ality is fully set forth elsewhere in this work. He is one of the oldest Republicans in Jowa, voting for Fremont in 1856, and it is said that nothing has been able to keep him away from an election since.
C. O. HARRINGTON, EARLY BANKER.
(. O. Harrington, who has been identified with the banking of Vinton for nearly forty years, has been one of the best friends who have been devoted to the College for the Blind. He was a teacher in that institution for two years and a trustee for sixteen.
FIRST TO MARRY IN VINTON.
M. D. L. Webb. a Kentuckian who lived in Franklin, Indiana. from the time he was fifteen until he was twenty-six years of age. came to Vinton with his father's family October 10, 1851. being
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
therefore among the real pioneers of that place. He engaged in farming, stock-raising and mercantile pursuits, but his chief elaim to local distinction was the fact that when he married Miss Mary J. Neckett, April 5, 1853, he enrolled himself as the first husband to assume the proverbial "bonds" in Vinton. Evidently Mr. Webb was fairly well satisfied with his change in life, or else he was not of a roving disposition, for the local annals have it that after he had commenced housekeeping he continued to reside in the same place about a quarter of a century. Mr. Webb's chief business associates in the early days were Dr. Traer and Russell Jones. The story goes that they had such a monopoly of business in the town that they could easily gather together all the money in Vinton in twenty minutes.
J. J. LOIZEUX, SETTLER OF '54. .
The late J. J. Loizeaux, father of Leon S. Loizeaux (president of the Cedar Valley Land and Investment Company), was a native of France who entered land in Jackson township, west of Vinton, in 1854 and lived upon his homestead until his death in 1887.
ROBERT A. HARPER, ALSO '54.
Robert A. Harper is a retired farmer of Vinton, who was brought by his parents from Indiana in 1854, being then three years old. His father, John Harper, was born in Scotland, and in that year entered a quarter section of land in Polk township upon which he located the family homestead. A brother, J. Wilson, lives on his faim in Harrison township, and has also re- tired in prosperous circumstances.
THE YOUNGS OF '55.
Thomas and John Young settled in Canton township in 1855, coming from La Porte county, Indiana. In the following year the brothers were joined by their parents, Thomas having brought them from the old New York home. All became widely known. At the time of his death, in 1893, Thomas Young was the owner of 2300 acres in Benton and Linn counties. John Young retired from farming during that year, moved to Vinton, and has been president of the People's Savings Bank since 1901.
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
OCTOGENARIANS IN RETIREMENT.
Samuel E. Keith, now in his eighty-third year, is one of the pioneers of breadth and energy who have founded Vinton on a solid basis. Direct from his Pennsylvania home, while investi- gating the new western country in the spring of 1856. he stopped at Iowa City, then the terminus of Iowa's first railroad. Falling in with Harvey Gay. William Loree, Silas Osgood and John A. MeDaniel, he joined the party of young men bound for Vintor. They all labored and won substantial places there, but Mr. Keith alone survives of that little ambitious band of 1856.
Walter B. Van Ilorn, now in his eighty-first year. has been a retired business man of Vinton for thirty years or more. He :, a settler of 1856 and conducted a combined hardware and drug business for nearly a quarter of a century. A native of New York he came to Vinton from Cedar Rapids, where he had been engaged in business for three years.
LEVI S. MILLER, VETERAN BUSINESS MAN.
Among the early business men of Vinton well remembered by its pioneer citizens was Levi S. Miller, long the junior member of the firm of Tinkham & Miller, grocers. He was a merchant tailo: in his early years, following the trade in Ohio and thenre coming to Marysville. Benton county. After elerking in a store there a short time, he located at Vinton in 1858. Besides being a tailor. insurance man and grocer. Mr. Miller had varied experiences in local political life. being town clerk, city assessor. township asse- sor, and mayor of Vinton.
PALMER BROTHERS, OLD DRUGGISTS.
Two of the old-time draggists, whose names will be recalled with pleasure by early settlers of Vinton. were T. S. and H. N. Palmer. They were brothers, both natives of Richland connts. Ohio. T. S. lived at home until he was of age, when after travel- ing for a time in the south. in April, 1848, located at Burlington. Towa. In the following spring he joined the tide of migration toward the Pacific coast. After two years of experience amony the California gold-diggers. he was ready to return to civilization and to the Buckeye state. Hle remained two months at home. and came west again; located at Vinton in April. 1852, and engag 2
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
in the drug business in 1855. H. N. Palmer, the younger brother, came to Vinton in 1854, when he was only twelve years of age, and engaged in the drug, book and stationery business in 1866.
JOHN O. BILLS, PIONEER JEWELER.
John O. Bills, one of the pioneer citizens of Vinton, and among its first jewelers, came to that city September 10, 1856, and at once engaged in the business which he had pursued since his early boyhood. He is a Vermonter, born at Montpelier, February 20, 1831. He lived in the Green Mountain state until he was twenty years of age, when he located at Lowell, Massachusetts. and learned the jewelry business, being employed subsequently in the famous Waltham Watch factory at Roxbury and Waltham, Massa- chusetts. In May, 1861, after having established himself as a jeweler at Vintou, he became very popular among its citizens, and was appointed postmaster of the place, holding that office for four- teen years, from 1861 to 1875.
OLDEST ACTIVE DRUGGIST.
Joseph S. Brubaker, of Vinton, is the oldest active druggist in Benton county. having established his business at that place in 1869.
DEAN OF INSURANCE MEN.
John E. Marietta is the dean of insurance men in Benton county, having established himself at Vinton in that line of busi- ness in 1875. He is also a man of municipal affairs; is one of the founders of the public library and water works, and one of the leading Methodists in the state.
"RALYEA" STANDS FOR "HOTEL."
For nearly half a century the name "Ralyea" has been asso- ciated in the minds of Vintonites with the hotel business. The pio- neer of the family. L. Ralyea, lived in his native state of New York for twenty-five years, engaged u the dairy and railroad business. In 1854 he became a resident of Vinton, and for a number of years en- gaged in buying and shipping grain, produce and game. In 1862 he founded the Tremont Honse, was then in the livery business for a
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
number of years, and in 1874 built the Ralyea House, then the largest and most complete hotel in Benton county. The Ralyea House is still run as a first class hotel by the son, Frank R., who is now a middle-aged man.
CAMPBELL, THE CONTRACTOR.
Samuel M. Campbell, still a well known street contractor of Vinton, although be is sixty-nine years of age, has been a resident of the county seat since 1954.
W. W. MIDANS, OLD CITY MARSHAL.
Among the best known in connection with the city's activities at Vinton was W. W. Means, who served about a dozen terms as city marshal. He was one of its early settlers, being a native of Portage county, Ohio, and learning the trade of the carpenter and joiner while a resident of Indiana. He came to lowa by wagon. being five weeks of the way, and upon his arrival at Vinton. July, 1855, went to work at his trade. De was in the ranks of the Twenty-eighth lowa Infantry Regiment, Company D, and soon; after his return to Vinton commenced his long service as city marshal.
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History of L'ounding and !herr ing of City Given Dy F. C Hutton, Son of Founder.
Some en2 years ago when pla wie being protected in bold semi-centennial celebration of founding of Pelle Binine, an off ve made in a certain dostaly Maine but the effort was cron 7 with indiferent sui cars.
for more than fit; yo 'ra It. uc; busirres in Belle Plsinh, and any the few early settlers yet Hring. teirsted himself in the matter. T correspondence whb MI. J. O. 3 ton, son of Presley Hutton, theid der of the town now living at Ho wood, alifornia. It developed thet Hutton had a very chair recolher of the matter. At the inquest of Lawrence, Mr. Hutton was proVa upon to write an account of founding end the story as writes My. Ruttor ann. read before the tary Club of Its noonday mi vini Tuesday, 1: previted beromlt2.
The ardele is quite complete ly toll and for a valuable addition 1: sily history of Belle Plaine al should be preserved in the ard' of the city for the benefit of po
In the fall of High ren Hundre Sixty One. a gentleman by the chad hy horse into )
- LA. LE DAID
History of Founding and Lom-
ing of City Given By J. Q. Hutton, Son of Founder.
Some ex & years ago when plans war . bring partecord to hold the
seini-ten'enmai celebration of The founding of Felle Maire, ar effort w. male to acertar doinitaly the
Plan but the effort was crowned wil Indifferent success.
for more tian fidy jeits In actifs busir''s in Belle Plaine, and among the few early withers yet Hring, in- tere ted himself in the matter. Tbrt correspondence wib 3h. J. O. Hut- ton, son of Presley Hutton, the foun- der of the town now living at holly- wood, alifornia, it developtri that Mr. . Hatod had a very clear recollection of the nintter. At the cequert of Sfr. LaFrence, Mr. Hutton was prevailed upon to write an account o? the
tounding and the glory as written by My. Muito- ant verd betere the Ro- Hary Club, at its noonday nering on Tuesday, la presented berewn3.
The ardele is quite comp et in de- tall and In p valuable addition to the ently history of Belle Plaine and it should i preserved in the archives of the enty for the benefit of poster-
In the fall of Eighteen Hundred and Sity One, a gentleman by the name of Debter read by horse into Irving
and made ingniry as whether thrie were any one who would be in- terested in purcha ing a farm in that virintty. The man forided in love '1 .. and had become the offer of a inin known as the Bill Pay mai Figured about one hel mil
.I. My father was recommended cials said: "it is impossible to even
.deresto tim any other
a station on your farm, Mr. Hutton, leider." It was certainly very
Alt: title my father owned an in in prov.d farm on Buckere, and, in avion , as the farm offered for sal bora located and then, the 1. . Birbir arres under there were sane building upon it, i plow, and drawback, is, the steep grade from Salt Creek to the top of the hill, It bring ajwird to try rather as desirable would be very expensive to
the trains to a stop on a shle hill."
Altre the officials had gone and the fly to detail many things th
peed by the beautiful city of Belle next time Mr. Walker came the lo- for at rest to the pioneers. Fisine) hocalle the property of lu stration question, of course came In dent as to whether or not And Mr. Walker expressed deep re-h i would in oget al . At this jan fabre had not from : dr's ml . for a talland is there is ,ot in the decision made by the af- The discussion these files aionDahl Framed to be to the effect that furth-
um. However, there has
lowna arvey made thru Irvin- andjer rifort should be made and he (Me. i Hes !dalo been in south of the Walker), would at his earliest con- I verinner take the matter up and ser . Cut Cora'son in arriving at the if certain offers of land would in. liv
decision alread ,
a part pest of the proposed rallro. . I ale, I will not go into the cats Sol
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Futher, WPL hfs fhm !! require ?
Session in the early .prins p ...
1852, Almost imm . lately wir VA and ontofre f mm, a Min. wir me
NAMING THE TOW
Much roll h aid ar thi- wwHver. I fear at this laur d.
would fan of interest so We si. . of for the most'er To the actuar : blirsalves and prerested che: -. Patly elated over our st. Walker sarmed to rejoler
found at an wrly ap
fint name >
. . L pd to by-
i: the ram und 0 :
und as usual : topped for dinner. pooth mother had a Arterd'i
for them. The wulfset wrich on the mini o. everyone which we call the town? Yi
that live in as brontial a i
as the sun rier shown on.
00% an appellation serund I think. should be thart:r! derision med that brantifn! Bon phong June in the year 18/2
After diun -.
one Careord the ter'y seemed to Er move around. They stood
. King and thep 2! wer ( !1
ut of our hour At tad tit
Troniun on which our house was sit -... med. . gave an wark ++
tuc lowa River
Vibe west and in fact, The vi
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4. 6 maine to
"Bell ..
, HA ha! ehi pain. I. "
to the Inverter that I am;' There Were IN DER
work, I will state -the railroad Off, gerning to By Black- and
of the party said. "1 0 :
Dater as more likely to la consider such a request as to locate dies should have the night ...
for the very good reason that stations at this time have already
Lirel'ary and they gladly . v! that "Belle Plaine" should ! noin0. Thus for all time, that for Iwill I belleve, pluss. Furto it Seemed an in jaration v. ibi tem verloman who viewed lhe i the of the valley before him .. ]
um when I thinke is ser) Mary to all.
Bà tạo Ith Was 1.115
' 11.00 To forth. . nichtin
vou, as to the railroad. I will ay a' this point, that the line had bron ta .. I Trecollect) lueated, and work W: - fast bring dove as far west as the vicinity of the present bastion 115
MBhurstown, hi the carly ummer I made a trip to the ring of the Just to get a look " on in ine n train of rats (th:
it) The track I thi 1, at that WB- in the neighbor.pod of Futur
four miles east of the point elected. fer t'y towasight of Trol.tr Pro- ple on the Buckeye siue of the B.g Hill wire elated and made the pre- diction that Buckeye was the point' for a big town and indeed, there was every reason for that b. hef. I shall show later on that my father worked under a big disadvantage in his ef- fort to draw the coveted price: name- ly -- a station located on his farm. Smith and Wolf secured the contract to do the grading from a point just west of Buckeye which included the bir rut and as far as a point just west of Salt Creek. D. W. Rerd, whom wany remier.ber. had the contract Just east of this. In a short time the hill east of Belle Plaine was Just
covered with workmen, and the work hashed very rapidly.
W. W. Walker, chief engineer for the railroad company, fortunately for my father's project, made it conveni- ent to make our home a place at which to stop At this point I will state that, the first effort my father made when the officials were taking dianer at our home, did not augur, 1? Fry hoped for, and caused der mine, s'the Hutin family. To" explain at that point, the bi handi- cap under which my father had to
Jeg tin drato kheit ot
nowe the deal was made a. ?
I'm acte farmi (destined to be occu
CHAPTER XVIII.
BELLE PLAINE.
BUSINESS START -- THE RAILROAD PLAT- BAD BUSINESS OUT- COME-EARLY GROWTH OF BELLE PLAINE-FIRST FOUNDRIES- CHICAGO AND NORTHWESTERN PLANTS-CORPORATION OF BELLE PLAINE -- THE FIRE DEPARTMENT -THE GREAT FIRE OF 1894-LIGHT AND POWER PLANT-ARTESIAN WATER WORKS -- THE TELEPHONE SERVICE-PUBLIC LIBRARY- - THE BELLE PLAINE OPERA HOUSE- HERRING COTTAGE -- THE BAILEY HOUSE-FOUR LEADING ESTABLISHI- MENTS-MASONRY IN BELLE PLAINE-ODD FELLOWSHIP IN BELLE PLAINE-KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAAS-THE "GRAND ARMY" POST-LE- GION OF HONOR-MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA -- IMPROVED ORDER OF RED MEN -BOHEMIAN SOCIETIES-RAILROAD UNIONS -- WOOD- MEN OF THE WORLD --- MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA -- HIGHLAND NOBLES AND C. C. C.
Belle Plaine is to the southern part of Benton county-the old Southern Slope-what Vinton is to the northern portion, minus only the dignity which attaches, more or less to the city which is the seat of justice and politics. The site of Belle Plaine was laid out in 1860 by Presley Hutton, the original plat being made shortly before the completion of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad to this point. Its site on the northern bank of the Iowa river is not unlike that of Vinton on the southwestern shores of the Red Cedar, and the population of the cities is not far apart. Toward the southwest the country gradually rises from an eleva- tion of more than eight hundred feet toward a more hilly region. It is considered one of the charming stretches of interior Iowa, and may well account for the "beautiful plain" by which the town is known.
BUSINESS START.
Shortly before and shortly after Mr. Hutton had platted the town, William White and I. N. Isham erected stores upon the site
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
of Belle Plaine, and a Mr. Crider and H. Il. Smith arranged their little stocks of goods therein. They were its first merchants. About the same time George bowe completed a grain warehouse, but did not put anything into it, as there was a wrangle between the Construction Company and the Railroad Company over the best location for the town. The latter wanted it at Belle Plaine; the Construction Company insisted the best location was three miles east, and there they laid some switch tracks and called their
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MAIN BUSINESS STREET, BELLE PLAINE.
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child Buckeye. The fight went on for several years, and it was not until 1867 that Buckeye went really out of existenec in favor of Luzerne, the station midway between Belle Plaine and Blairstown.
THE RAILROAD PLAT.
The certainty that the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Com- pany was solidly behind Belle Plaine gave it an early prestige and inspired confidence, and there appears to have been a second plat- ting of the town in March, 1862, by John I. Blair (the capitalist and Chicago & Northwestern railway magnate). Mr. White, who had built a store in the previous fall, erected the first dwelling house on the new site, and D. C. Forbes, Mr. Crider's clerk, fol- lowed his example. Shortly afterward a house was removed from
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HISTORY OF BENTON COUNTY
the old town site of Guinnville (platted in 1856 and now ineluded in Belle Plaine) and several dwellings were erected in the summer and fall of 1862 ; so that, with the two stores. Belle Plaine was mak- ing quite a showing as a settlement. In July, of that year, the postoffice was also moved from Guinnville to Belle Plaine and Mr. Forbes appointed first master of the mails.
BAD BUSINESS OUTCOME.
From the fact that Elder Holland preached Belle Plaine's first sermon. some time in the fall of 1862, in "Crider's vacant store," it is self-evident that there was not business enough for two at this particular time. In fact, to make a sad story short, Mr. Crider's creditors took possession of his business in 1863 and sold his goods at anetion.
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