USA > Iowa > Boone County > History of Boone County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 26
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and was much respected by them and by the settlers with whom he became acquainted. He was buried on a high point of land in Section 2 and his grave can still be seen there. There were some incidents related as having taken place at the death and burial of this man which, if true, were of a supernatural character.
The people of Marcy have, as a rule, been agreeable and law- abiding. But there were a few crimes committed within its borders which were much lamented by a large majority of the people. In 1872 a difficulty occurred between Jackson Williams and G. W. Hays, which resulted in the death of Williams. A public highway passed near Hays and there being a slough which made the road impassable, people were in the habit of laying down the fence and driving through the field. Hays objected to this and one evening he put up the fence, drove the stakes into the ground and weighted them down with heavy rails. Williams came along next morning with a team and not daring to venture through the slough tore down the fence and was in the act of driving through when Hays made his appearance and assaulted Williams with a knife, inflicted wounds from which he died. Hays was indicted and tried at the October term of court. The jury found him guilty of manslaughter and he was sentenced to a term of two years in the penitentiary and to pay a fine of $100.
April 20, 1877, a shocking murder and suicide occurred at Moin- gona. One George Merrington, of that place, had for a year or two been desperately in love with Mrs. Abbie B. Gronow, a young widow. Merrington was not encouraged in his advances of love making and he brooded over his terrible disappointment until he finally deter- mined upon killing both the object of his love and himself, which frightful determination was carried out at the time stated. No one was a witness of the affair. Pistol shots were heard at the residence of Mrs. Gronow, and a brother-in-law of the lady, Morgan by name, went to the house to see what was the matter. When near the house, about one rod from the front gate, he found Mrs. Gronow in a dying condition, with two bullet holes through her head. A few paces from where the woman lay, Merrington was found wallowing in his blood with a bullet hole through his head. Mrs. Gronow was about twenty- seven years old, an accomplished and intelligent lady, universally respected and admired by all who knew her.
In 1891 a family trouble which ended in murder occurred at the Phipps home in the south part of the township. It appears that Mr. Phipps, the head of the family, returned from town in a state
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of intoxication and while in this condition got into a quarrel with his wife. He was in the act of striking her when a sixteen-year-old son seized a gun which was in the room and discharged its contents into the person of his father, from the effects of which he died. The boy was sent to the reform school at Eldora.
In the spring of 1912 a shooting affair occurred at Moingona, which terminated in the death of a man named Martin. A week or so before the shooting occurred a man named Biggs was married to a young lady at or near Moingona. A small company of men and youths were organized to go and salute the young couple. Martin was made captain of this little company of men, and after the saluta- tions and congratulations were over, Biggs gave one of the party some money to buy refreshments with. Martin was much insulted because the money was not turned over to him. In a few days Martin and Biggs met in Boone. Martin being under the influence of liquor, began to abuse Biggs. Biggs kept out of the way of Martin while in Boone. That evening they took the train to Moingona, and on arriv- ing there Biggs started home, but Martin overtook him and became very abusive and aggressive. Biggs took from his pocket a revolver and fired, inflicting a wound upon Martin, from which he died in a short time. Biggs was indicted, tried, convicted and sent to prison for a number of years.
The following is the list of men who went from Marcy Township to the army during the Civil war: John McCall, W. D. Phipps, Samuel Williams, Jonathan Fruit, Levi Shaw, Zachariah McCall, William Shaw, William Lawton, Jesse Bennett, Oliver Holloway and Joshua Bennett.
The population of Marcy Township is given in the last census as 925. The township has perhaps gained considerable since then.
There is one church in the township which was not mentioned in the regular order. This was the last church organized in the town- ship. This organization and the erection of the church building was accomplished through the efforts of Reverend Crawford, of the Bible College of Boone. The building is but a short distance from the Methodist Episcopal Church Building, which is situated on the northeast corner of Section 35, Township 83, Range 27.
The present township officers are as follows: Trustees, Ernest Hedstrom, Adil Treloar and C. O. Anderson ; clerk. A. A. Nystrom; assessor, C. J. Lydon ; justice of the peace, Phillip Livingston.
CHAPTER XXIII
BEAVER TOWNSHIP
Long before Beaver Township had received its present boundaries and its present name, it made up a part of other divisions of the county. Everything has a beginning and if its beginnings are not given in detail, its history will be incomplete.
Like Marcy, Worth and Colfax townships, the south one-third of Beaver was included in Pleasant Township and at the same time the north two-thirds were contained in Boone Township. This division continued from August 6, 1849, until March 8, 1852. At this last named date Berry Township was established and named. It con- tained the south two-thirds of the present Township of Beaver, while the north one-third was still contained in the Township of Boone. This division continued until April 5, 1858, at which time Marcy Township was organized and all of the present Township of Beaver was contained within its borders. This division continued until 1871, at which time Marcy Township was reduced to its present boundaries and the Township of Beaver was established and named. The beau- tiful creek that runs through it from north to south was named Beaver long before the township was named. So many of the little animals of that name were trapped along this stream by the trappers that they named it Beaver Creek.
The Indian name for Beaver is Amaqua. The English name of the creek was given to Beaver Township and the Indian name of it to Amaqua Township. Beaver Creek is the only stream in Beaver Township. A sketch of this creek will be found in another part of this work under the heading of The Small Streams of Boone County.
The first settlement in Beaver Township was made in May, 1867. It will be seen from this that the pioneer hardships of the county had passed by before the first settlement in Beaver Township was made. By that time we had good mills, good mail facilities, plenty of mer- chants and stores and a railroad crossing the county from east to west. The Civil war had just closed and homeseckers came in large numbers
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and Beaver Township settled up with surprising rapidity. The thrilling history of the pioneer days does not and cannot attach to Beaver Township as it does to the earlier settled townships of the county. But for rapidity of settlement and quick development, it is in advance of any of them.
The first settlers of Beaver Township were Patrick Vaughan, John Vaughan and Patrick Cronin. They settled on Section 10, in May, 1867. The next year Patrick Mahoney, John T. S. Williams and numerous others settled in the township.
The first board of trustees of the township were Enos Barrett, Patrick Mahoney and John Garlie. The first official meeting of this board was held at the house of John T. S. Williams, who was the first township clerk.
The first marriage was that of Dennis Vaughan to Mary Ma- honey, which occurred April 28, 1869.
The first male child born in the township was William Vaughan, on the 15th of September, 1869. He died August 25, 1870, being the first death in the township.
There were a few native groves of timber along the Beaver in the south part of the township, which is all there were in its borders. The hunters and trappers in the early times were in the habit of camping on the Beaver and remaining for weeks at a time to hunt, fish and trap.
The soil of Beaver Township is very fertile. From an area of unbroken prairie sod in 1867, it has changed to a solid block of farms like a vast checker board. Beaver is strictly an agricultural township, without a town or a postoffice within its borders. It pro- duces abundant crops of all kinds and every year its farmers ship many fat cattle and hogs to the markets. These things speak well for the industry, enterprise and intelligence of the farmers of Beaver Township.
There are some large landholders in Beaver Township, but a large per cent of its surface is liberally divided up among the citizens. As time passes on, the large farms will be cut up into smaller ones, which will be better for the citizens and will place the land in a higher state of cultivation.
The first schoolhouse built in Beaver Township was located near the northwest corner of Section 10. It was built in 1871, at a cost of $800. The first school in the township was taught by Patrick Coil, who moved to California. The township now has eight school dis-
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tricts and eight schoolhouses, all of which are said to be kept in good repair. The schools are among the best country schools in the county.
The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad runs across the southeast corner of the township. The length of the line in Beaver Township is about six miles, but there is no station in its borders. Ogden, in Yell Township, is about a mile from where the line of this railroad enters Beaver Township and just over the south line in Union Town- ship is the Town of Berkley. At each of the places named there is a station and this is the reason there is no station in Beaver Township.
The rural delivery and telephone communication now enjoyed by all the country townships make country life very pleasant. Through the rural delivery lines they have daily mails and the telephone places them in communication with all the surrounding country at any hour.
Back midway in the 'sos there was a furrow plowed through the southeast part of Beaver Township, which was the first prairie sod turned in its present boundaries.
About the time above referred to there was a congregation of Predestinarian Baptists located at Pea's Ford, on the Des Moines River, near where the Boone viaduct spans it. The minister of this congregation was an aged man who lived in the northeast corner of Guthrie County. He owned a gentle horse and a good buggy and he was very willing to preach for them, but his eyes were growing dim and he sometimes became lost on the open prairie and would fail to arrive on time. So the members of this little church plowed a furrow from the residence of John A. Crawley, who lived on Section 10, Marcy Township, diagonally across the country to the vicinity of Rippey, where there was a road which led to the home of Rev. John Shanks, the minister. After this the good old minister had no trouble in finding the way to the home of John A. Crawley, who was a mem- ber of his congregation. This furrow finally became a temporary highway for people to travel on. But the improvement of the country has entirely effaced this road, and it is doubtful if there is a citizen in Beaver Township who has any knowledge of the sacred trail, over which the grand old minister passed in the discharge of his minis- terial duties.
No coal mines have been developed in Beaver Township and if any coal is ever found under its surface it will be of lower vein quality.
The people of this township have a good record for law-abiding citizens. There is no record of any crimes of a serious character to be found in any of our criminal court proceedings. Nor does it
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appear that any considerable number of the citizens of this township have been aspirants for county offices. They have been satisfied in attending to their own business, leaving the office seekers to take care of the county business. The only man who has been honored with a county office while a citizen of Beaver Township was John T. S. Williams, who in 1879 was elected county treasurer. But few town- ships in the state can show a record of political modesty the equal of this.
There is but one church in Beaver Township. It is of the Baptist denomination and the church building is situated on the southwest corner of Section 20, Township 83, Range 28. It has a fairly good membership with regular service, and a Sunday school. The reason there is but one church in the township is because there are so many towns near the borders of Beaver. There are the towns of Ogden, Berkley, Grand Junction and Beaver, where there are places of wor- ship and where most of the people of Beaver Township attend.
In a trip made through the township the writer did not have the pleasure of meeting any of the township officers except James Mc- Elroy, who is a gentleman of social and friendly qualities and who is well informed in respect to the local history of Beaver Township. He was among the early settlers of that part of the county.
The present township officers are as follows: Trustees, James McElroy, Lewis Savits, John Hanbaker; clerk, Emet Gonder; asses- sor, Anton Shelberg; justices, John Gimmel and Albert Barnes.
CHAPTER XXIV
GRANT TOWNSHIP
At the time of the organization of Boone County, August 6, 1849, the county was divided into three voting precincts or townships. Each of these townships contained one-third of the territory of the county. That is, the south one-third was called Pleasant Township; the central one-third was called Boone Township, and the north onc- third was called Boone River Township. The present territory of Grant Township was all contained in Boone River Township. This division continued from August 6, 1849, to March 8, 1852- a period of little less than three years. At this last-named date Boone River Township was discontinued and Dodge and Yell townships were organized in its stead. In this division all that part of Boone River Township which was situated west of the Des Moines River was contained in Yell Township, which included all of the present Town- ship of Grant. This division continued until September, 1858, a period of about six years and a half, when Pilot Mound Township was established and named. In this last division Pilot Mound Town- ship contained all of its present territory and all of the present terri- tory of Grant Township. This division continued from September, 1856, to January, 1871, a period of over fourteen years. At the last named date Grant Township was organized and named. It contains a full congressional township. It is bounded on the cast by Pilot Mound Township, on the north by Webster County, on the west by Greene County, and on the south by Amaqua Township.
Among the early settlers of Grant Township were John L. Good, Henry Bierman, Gustaf Johnson, Alex Lobeck, Philip Meyer, James E. Robertson and A. P. Sniggs.
The first house built in the township was the residence of A. P. Sniggs. It was built in 1868. From this date the township settled up very rapidly. From the date of the first settlement in 1868 to 1875, the population had increased to 411.
The first township officers elected were: Justice of the peace, Frank Barrot; clerk, Peter Johnson; trustec, James E. Robertson.
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The only stream in the township is the Beaver, which rises near the north line of the township and runs south through its entire length from north to south. It is a fine little stream and furnishes good drainage for the whole township. With the exception of a clump of willows here and there along the Beaver, there is no native timber in the township. Since the lands of the township have been drained it has become one of the best agricultural localities in the county. The soil is very fertile, which is evidenced by the bounteous crops which are produced from year to year. The farmers of Grant Town- ship are fully up with any in the county in their industry and energy, which their farms and homes abundantly prove.
There are no statistics to show where the first school in the town- ship was taught, nor who taught it, nor in what year it was taught, but we may rightly conclude that all these things were attended to by the people of the township when it became necessary. The authori- ties of the township have established nine school districts in the township and have built nine good schoolhouses, which are kept in good repair. The schools are well regulated and competent teachers are employed.
According to the census of 1910 the population of Grant Town- ship was 982. With the exception of Des Moines and Dodge town- ships, Grant leads all of the other townships of the county in population.
Grant Township has one railroad line that runs almost diagonally through the township from southeast to northwest. This is the New- ton & Northwestern, commonly known as the Interurban Line. Box- holm is the only station in the township.
The present officers of the township are: Justice of the peace, F. A. Snyder; constable, Theodore Freil; clerk, Joseph E. Reutter; assessor, J. N. Nichols; trustees, Gust Brod, W. A. Swanson and F. A. Hall.
In the year 1912 the township trustees paid out for road and drainage purposes $2,012.34 and had a balance of $991.09.
The lay of the land in Grant Township is very level. It took much drainage to make dry farms and good roads. Much of this has been accomplished, but there is still more to do. In the begin- ning of the settlement of the township there were seven very large ponds within its borders. Some of these partook of the nature of lakes, but nearly all of them were near enough to Beaver Creek to make their drainage easy. Some of these ponds or small lakes were originally three miles long and from one to three miles in width.
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These ponds are traced on the map of the county made by the Union Historical Association, in 1879, just as they appeared in their natural state. With all these natural difficulties to encounter the people of Grant Township have made good roads and have placed under good cultivation hundreds of acres of land which were formerly under water a part of each year. These lands are now the richest in the world. With proper care they will last for all time to come. The township contains 23,040 acres of land. If this were equally divided between the citizens of the township at the present time there would be a fraction over twenty-three acres for each one of them.
There are three cemeteries in the township-one in Section 30, one in Section 35 and one in Section 15.
There is but one postoffice in the township. This is located at Boxholm near the central part of the township. The other parts are supplied by rural delivery, giving the citizens a daily mail.
BOXHOLM
Boxholm, the only town in Grant Township, was laid out April 21, 1900. It is located in Section 15, Township 85, Range 28, and is on the line of the Newton & Northwestern Railroad. Years before Boxholm was laid out, John B. Anderson kept a small store on the present site of the town. He also kept a postoffice in the little store, which he was instrumental in having established by the Government. He was the first postmaster. It was his request that the town be named Boxholm, the name of a town in Sweden, in which he was born and raised. This request was granted, as it should have been.
Boxholm has two general stores, two implement stores, two hard- ware stores, two garages, one drug store, one lumber-yard, one black- smith shop, two grain elevators and two banks. One of these is the Farmers Savings Bank, the other the Farmers State Bank. J. E. Reutter is the president of the Farmers State Bank and A. Hender- son is cashier .. J. H. Roberts is president of the Farmers Savings Bank and A. Westeen is cashier.
Dr. E. G. Johnson is the practicing physician of the place. There is an Odd Fellows lodge of fifty members and the lodge is in good working order.
The town has a good school building of two departments, and an enrollment of eighty scholars. The principal for the coming term is Delia Wilson. The other teachers have not been elected.
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The town has two churches-one a Swedish Lutheran, with a membership of 190 and good Sunday school, and the other, a Metho- dist Episcopal, with a membership of 150 and a live Sunday school.
The town has a population of 200, and at the spring election there were fifty-seven votes cast. The present officers of the town of Boxholm are as follows: Mayor, N. G. Wilson ; councilmen, A. T. Johnson, J. A. Anderson, H. C. Steen, P. A. Stark and A. S. Thorn- gren.
Boxholm is situated on a little elevation of land which makes one think it was destined for the location of a town. On Monday, July 20, 1914, the people of the town will vote upon two propositions. One of these is the building of a town hall and the other the granting of a franchise for electric lights. It is the consensus of public opinion that both propositions will carry.
Boxholm is in the midst of a very rich farming country and the outlook is that a large volume of business will be transacted here from year to year.
The people of Grant Township have been very law-abiding and peaceful, and for this reason no crimes of a serious nature have been laid against them.
No coal mines have been developed within the borders of the township. It may not be long, however, until discoveries of coal will be made. For the present all the fuel used in the township has to be shipped from other parts.
There is one church in Grant Township, situated on the bank of the Beaver, in Section 29, Township 85, Range 28. It is of the Evan- gelical denomination and it is said to have a fair sized body of faith- ful workers.
Among the citizens of the township who have been honored with county offices may be mentioned John L. Good, who served as a member of the board of supervisors and as a member of the lower house of the Iowa Legislature in the twenty-sixth and twenty-seventh General Assemblies, and A. Henderson, who served the unexpired term of F. M. Lorenzen, of Ogden, who resigned the office of county treasurer, after serving six months. Mr. Henderson was then elected for the term following. Swan Johnson was a member of the county board of supervisors in the early 'gos, and G. F. Frie is the present member of that body from the west side of the Des Moines River.
CHAPTER XXV
AMAQUA TOWNSHIP
At the time of the first election in Boone County, held August 6, 1849, the present Township of Amaqua was divided as follows: The north two-thirds of it were included in Boone River Township, and the south one-third was in Boone Township. This division continued until March 8, 1852, at which date Boone River Township was dis- continued, the boundaries of Boone Township were changed and Yell Township was laid out and named. At that date Yell Township contained all of the present Township of Amaqua, except the south tier of sections, which were still contained in Boone Township. This division continued until March, 1858, the date in which Boone Town- ship passed from the map of the county and Des Moines, Marcy and other townships were established. At this last-named date the south tier of sections of the present Township of Amaqua were included in Marcy Township. This division continued until 1871, when Amaqua Township was established within its present boundaries and named.
The Indian name of the beautiful little creek that runs through this township from north to south is Amaqua. As the township south of this one received the English name of the creek, this one was given the Indian name-Amaqua. It contains a full congressional town- ship. Amaqua is bounded on the east by Yell Township, on the north by Grant Township, on the west by Greene County and on the south by Beaver Township.
Among the first settlers may be mentioned John Smyth, M. K. Beck. Capt. G. W. Leonard, David Van Pelt, A. T. Shadle, J. R. Doran, Hans Hagge, Daniel Powers, who, along with many others, settled in the township about the time it was organized.
The first board of trustees elected in the township were: George Wood, D. M. Girard and D. B. Carrey. John Smyth was the first township clerk, and Gilbert H. Pardell was the first assessor.
It must be borne in mind that but little of the history of the pioneer times can apply to Amaqua Township. The first settlers of the Vol. 1-19
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county located in and along the belt of timber situated along the Des Moines River. This they had to do in order to get fuel to supply their wants and logs to build their cabins. There was no fuel in those days in the county but wood.
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