USA > Iowa > Boone County > History of Boone County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 28
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The settlement of the township was not very rapid until the close of the Civil war. In 1866, or about the time the Chicago & North- western Railroad was built into Boone, the settlement of the township was rapid and continued so until every acre of land was taken up and utilized. It will be impossible to mention all of the settlers and give the date at which each one located, nor can the good that each one has done in building up the township be given in detail in a write up of this kind. It will be but sufficient to say that the settlers of Colfax Township were good, energetic and industrious people and they have improved and built up a township which they have good reason to be proud of.
The first road in Colfax Township ran diagonally across it from southwest to northeast. This road was made in 1851 by G. B. Zenor, John Zenor and Jesse Hoosong. They cut down a tree at Belle Point and hitched six span of oxen to it and dragged this tree across the prairie from Belle Point to about where the Town of Ontario now stands. This made a trail to travel upon by the people passing from one side of the prairie to the other. It was called the Zenor trail and for a number of years was a much traveled road. But when the township was settled up, this pioneer trail had to give place to the roads upon the section lines. With one exception every section line in the township is now a public highway. There is no township in the county better equipped for roads than Colfax.
Among the prominent families who were of the early settlers and who did much in the improvement of the township may be men- tioned the Waits, the Bronsons, the Reichenbaughs, the Abrahams, the Luthers, the Mosses and the Gilletts, in the southwest part; the Boyds, the Welches and the Yeagers in the central part, and the Judges, the Jordans and the MeGraths in the eastern part.
Big Creek, which runs across the southwest part of Colfax Town- ship, is the most important stream within its borders. There are some very fine farms along the banks of this creek, which affords drainage facilities for them. A sketch of this creek will be found in an article elsewhere under the heading of The Small Streams of Boone County. There is another little creek which rises in the north-
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west corner of Colfax, runs southeast, crossing the county line into Washington Township of Story County, and empties into the Skunk River. It also drains many good farms.
There is a scrap of unwritten history connected with Colfax Township which few people have heard. There are still living some of the sons and daughters of the early settlers who located near Pea's Point, who have a distinct recollection of the event now for the first time to be recorded. They say that in the spring of 1854 but little of the land in what is now Colfax Township had passed from the Government and that any one could have choice of these lands at $1.25 per acre. About the middle of June of that year, George G. McKinley, a rich farmer of the State of Indiana, sent a man to Boone County, Iowa, to select land on which to make a model farm. He wanted not less than four sections of land situated in a square on which to make this model farm. After spending a week or more looking around, the man selected Sections 7, 8, 17 and 18 as the land on which this model farm was to be made. At the time the land was being looked up for this big farm there were many others coming into the country who were also looking for lands. Some time passed before Mr. McKinley's man reached the land office and when he did, to his great surprise he found that nearly one-half of the four sections of land he had selected had already been entered by other parties. This put an end to all further effort to locate the model farm that Mr. McKinley had in mind. If nothing had prevented the onward movement, a very historic farm would have been made on the four sections named in Colfax Township. This was another one of the times in which a little delay spoiled a great enterprise.
For many years Colfax Township had no railroad within its limits. During these years the farmers of the township took their products to such markets as suited them best. But in the years 1904 and 1905 the Newton & Northwest Railroad, commonly called the Interurban Line, was built and from that time has been in operation. It runs almost diagonally through the township and has established two stations within its borders-one in the northwest corner called Ericson, and the other down near the southeast corner called Napier. The station of Ericson has a grain elevator, some corn cribs and a little grain office, and this is all that has developed in the way of a town at that station. It was named in honor of C. J. A. Ericson, who was one of Boone County's most prosperous and historic men.
Napier is located on the farm of James Judge, one of the leading farmers and stockmen of the township. The station should have been
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the deep-toned crowing of the prairie chickens and the doleful song of the sandhill cranes. When they reached the west line of the pres- ent Township of Colfax they could see the timber on some tributaries of the Square Fork. It did not seem to be very far away, so they concluded to walk over there. They were on the line one mile south of the line between Jackson and Colfax, as now established, and there was not the sign of a road to travel on. About noon they reached the timber on the other side, about a mile east of the Story County line, both tired and hungry. Here they found a house and a small farm, owned and occupied by a man named Thomas Vest. On mak- ing inquiry it was found that not one of the four boys had a cent of money. They made this fact known to Mr. Vest, who assured them that they should have their dinners, money or no money. Mr. Vest was a very social man, and among other things he stated that he was a Kentuckian by birth and that in his boyhood days he was a school- mate of John C. Breckenridge of that state. The dinner was very good and the boys enjoyed it. When they took their departure they shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Vest, assuring them they would some day pay them for their kindness. The afternoon of that day was very warm and when the boys had arrived at about the center of Colfax Township, east and west on the line above referred to, they came to a very large pond, with high grass around the edges and tall rushes and flags in the center. The boys were now very thirsty and they concluded to wade in to the center of the pond, which was full of water, in order to find enough of it sufficiently clean to wet their throats. Before going half the distance a wonderful plunging, which made a loud noise, commenced among the rushes in the center of the pond, where the water was deepest. At first the boys were much puz- zled to know what this could mean, but suddenly there came from among the rushes a dozen deer and they ran with great speed to the west with the two dogs, bellowing to the boys in hot pursuit. As they ran they made a nice sight to look at, but they soon disappeared over the hill and were never seen by any of the boys again. The dogs did not return home till some time during the night. This herd of deer while passing from one side of the prairie to the other had gone into the water of the pond to cool themselves and drink. How near the dogs were to them at any time during the chase will never be known. But the people of Colfax may know that as many as twelve wild deer in one herd were seen in the borders of their town-
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ship as late as June, 1854. At that date there was not a house or a fence or a plowed acre in the township.
The only volunteer to enter the army from what is now Colfax Township during the Civil war was John Francis. After the war he became a resident of the State of Illinois.
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the deep-toned crowing of the prairie chickens and the doleful song of the sandhill cranes. When they reached the west line of the pres- ent Township of Colfax they could see the timber on some tributaries of the Square Fork. It did not seem to be very far away, so they concluded to walk over there. They were on the line one mile south of the line between Jackson and Colfax, as now established, and there was not the sign of a road to travel on. About noon they reached the timber on the other side, about a mile east of the Story County line, both tired and hungry. Here they found a house and a small farm, owned and occupied by a man named Thomas Vest. On mak- ing inquiry it was found that not one of the four boys had a cent of money. They made this fact known to Mr. Vest, who assured them that they should have their dinners, money or no money. Mr. Vest was a very social man, and among other things he stated that he was a Kentuckian by birth and that in his boyhood days he was a school- mate of John C. Breckenridge of that state. The dinner was very good and the boys enjoyed it. When they took their departure they shook hands with Mr. and Mrs. Vest, assuring them they would some day pay them for their kindness. The afternoon of that day was very warm and when the boys had arrived at about the center of Colfax Township, east and west on the line above referred to, they came to a very large pond, with high grass around the edges and tall rushes and flags in the center. The boys were now very thirsty and they concluded to wade in to the center of the pond, which was full of water, in order to find enough of it sufficiently clean to wet their throats. Before going half the distance a wonderful plunging, which made a loud noise, commenced among the rushes in the center of the pond, where the water was deepest. At first the boys were much puz- zled to know what this could mean, but suddenly there came from among the rushes a dozen deer and they ran with great speed to the west with the two dogs, bellowing to the boys in hot pursuit. As they ran they made a nice sight to look at, but they soon disappeared over the hill and were never seen by any of the boys again. The dogs did not return home till some time during the night. This herd of deer while passing from one side of the prairie to the other had gone into the water of the pond to cool themselves and drink. How near the dogs were to them at any time during the chase will never be known. But the people of Colfax may know that as many as twelve wild deer in one herd were seen in the borders of their town-
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ship as late as June, 1854. At that date there was not a house or a fence or a plowed acre in the township.
The only volunteer to enter the army from what is now Colfax Township during the Civil war was John Francis. After the war he became a resident of the State of Illinois.
CHAPTER XXVIII
HARRISON TOWNSHIP
Harrison Township has not undergone as many changes and divi- sions as some of the other townships of the county. From the organi- zation of the county, August 6, 1849, to March 8, 1852, it was entirely included in Boone River Township. At the last named date Boone River Township was discontinued and Dodge Township established and named by S. B. McCall, county judge. The present Township of Harrison was at that date included in Dodge Township. Harrison continued to be a part of Dodge Township until 1857, in which year Jackson Township was organized and named. At this last named date the present Township of Harrison was included in Jackson Township. It continued to be a part of Jackson until 1871, when it was organized and named as a separate township. It was named in honor of Gen. William H. Harrison.
Harrison Township is bounded on the west by Des Moines Town- ship; on the south by Jackson Township; on the east by Story County and on the north by Hamilton County. The surface of Harrison is generally level except along the Squaw Creek, where it is somewhat broken. The soil is very fertile and produces bounteous crops every year. The farmers of Harrison are energetic and industrious and they have made nice farms and built beautiful homes, of which they have good reason to be proud. From an unhabited prairie of fifty years ago, Harrison Township has been changed to a solid block of nice farms, placing on the markets a vast amount of grain and stock every year.
The only streams of this township are Squaw Creek and Mont- gomery's Creek. A sketch of these is given in another article in this work. Squaw Creek affords a fine drainage for the whole township. This little stream runs almost diagonally through the township from northwest to southeast. The drainage of Harrison and Jackson town- ships passes to the east into the Skunk River, while the drainage of all of the other townships of the county goes into the Des Moines
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River. The name given to the Squaw Creek, as it appears on the map published by Lieut. Albert MI. Lea, is called Gaston's Range. This map was published in 1836 and the material for making it was mostly gathered up during the expedition of the three companies of Dragoons through the Territory of Iowa in 1835. Mention of this expedition is made in the article on organization in this work. C. W. Gaston was a member of Company I and on account of the illness of Capt. Jesse B. Browne, Lieut. Albert M. Lea commanded it on the expedition across lowa Territory in 1835. The three companies of B, H and I left old Fort Des Moines in Lee County on the 7th of June, 1835. These three companies were under command of Col. Steven W. Kearney. According to the map above referred to, the encampment on the 21st day of June, 1835, was in Dodge Township, Boone County, lowa, and near the west line of Harrison Township. It was only a short distance to the east of the camp to Squaw Fork, the trend of which was outlined by the trees that stood along its banks. Of course Lieutenant Lea wanted the little stream located and named in order to place it on his map. Mr. Gaston and a few of his comrades were sent out on the morning of the 22d to get an idea of the size and source of the stream. As a reward for his work the stream was named Gaston's Range. He also named Cario Lake, "Swan Lake," and the Skunk River was named "Chicaqua River." But none of these names is retained upon the maps of the present time.
The wording of the journal kept of this expedition of the Dragoons, so far as it relates to the encampment in Boone County, is as follows :
"Sunday, June 21, 1835. Marched twenty-one miles over hand- some rolling prairie. The weather cold even for this season in a northern latitude. We expect to reach the Raccoon Fork tomorrow."
The march of the Dragoons was on the divide between the Des Moines River and its tributaries and the Skunk River and its tribu- taries.
The next note of the journal is as follows:
"Monday, June 22, 1835. Came only twelve miles. It is sup- posed we have passed the Raccoon Fork and come forty or fifty miles out of the direction. What course our Colonel Kearney will pursue is uncertain."
From the above it appears that the half-breed guide and inter- preter, Frank Labashure, had mistaken the Boone Fork of the Des Moines River for the Raccoon Fork. The encampment on the
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evening of the 22d was near the mouth of the Boone Fork and about fifty miles north of the Raccoon Fork. The line of march on Lieuten- ant Lea's map shows that the Dragoons went from the mouth of Boone River the most direct course to Wabasha's village, which was located on the present site of the City of Winona, in Minnesota.
The march on the 23d of June shows that the Dragoons passed on the south side of Swan Lake (now Cario Lake) between it and the present site of Jewell Junction. These Dragoons were the first white men to set foot upon the soil of Boone County. The people of Har- rison Township may rest assured that C. W. Gaston rode along the banks of the little stream that runs diagonally across their township over ten years before he became the first settler of Boone County. The journal of the three companies of United States Dragoons from Old Fort Des Moines, in Lee County, Iowa, across the Iowa Terri- tory to Wabasha's village and back again during the summer of 1835, is now in possession of the Madrid Historical Society. It is a very valuable and interesting document.
The first permanent settler of the township was S. Mackey, who located at what has since been called Mackey's Grove, where he improved a farm of over four hundred acres and for a number of years was the leading farmer of the township. He came from Piatt County, Illinois, in 1856. About the same time Mr. Madden located in the same part of the township and in time became a prominent farmer. Some other families settled along the Squaw Fork late in the 'sos, and these were about all the settlers in the township until after the close of the Civil war.
From 1866 the township settled up so rapidly that by the year 1880 the township was all under the plow and in a high state of cul- tivation. One of the chief hindrances to the early settlers of this township was the bad roads leading to the markets over which their produce had to be hauled. But now under a better system of road making this trouble is much reduced.
The first board of trustees elected in the township was as follows: M. Mackey, S. Ritter and E. Starr. Their first official meeting was held in the Mackey Schoolhouse in January, 1872.
No coal mines have yet been developed in Harrison Township. As there is no railroad within the borders of the township, fuel has to be hauled from railroad stations of other parts.
According to the census of 1910 the population of Harrison Town- ship was 747. The number of acres of land in the township is 23,040.
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This is an average of a fraction over thirty acres of land for every inhabitant of the township.
The Union Historical Company says: "The first schoolhouse erected in the township was located in Section 5 and was known as the Smith Schoolhouse." Nothing is said as to the date of its erection. Late in the 'sos a schoolhouse was built at Mackey's Grove, which served the people for many years. Meetings of all kinds were held within its walls, from the township caucus to religious services. in those pioneer days the schoolhouses were open and free for all meet- ings. Harrison Township now has nine school districts of four sec- tions of land each , and nine schoolhouses, kept in good repair. They have well regulated schools and competent teachers, making their schools the equal of any in the county.
In the first settlement of Harrison Township the nearest postoffice was Boonesboro, a distance of fourteen miles. Under the circum- stances it was not often that the settlers received their mail oftener than once a week. When we think of the present facilities of getting mail every day, and the telephone system which places the people in all the rural districts in communication with all other parts of the country, the contrast between this and the pioneer days is indeed wonderful. The people of the rural districts get their mail about as early as the people of the towns and cities. This adds much to the pleasure of the country homes and country life.
The Union Historical Company tells of a very serious experience which fell to the lot of two hunters and trappers, whose hunting camp was located in Harrison Township near the mouth of Montgomery's Creek :
"In the early times and before there was any settlement in the northeast part of the county two men went out there for the purpose of hunting and trapping. The name of one was Holton and of the other Merkle. Holton went away from the camp one evening and during his absence a terrible storm set in. He lost his way and before he could find his way back was terribly frozen. So badly had he been affected by the cold that some of his fingers and toes became useless and had to be amputated. Holton was unable to help himself for some time and, having no money and no relatives, was sent to Des Moines, where he was cared for by public charity. After he recov- ered sufficiently to get around he returned East, where he came from."
Such incidents as this frequently occurred among the hunters and trappers of the early times.
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There are two churches in Harrison Township, one at Mackey and the other on Section 18, Township 85, Range 25. The church at Mackey is of the Methodist Episcopal denomination. It has a fairly good number of members and a good Sunday school. The minister of this church resides at Pilot Mound. The church in Section 18 is a German Lutheran. It is said to have a fair-sized membership and a well attended Sunday school. It is situated in the midst of a beau- tiful farming country and the people around are quiet, industrious and devoted.
None of the citizens of the township has ventured upon locating a town within its borders. As no railroad has ever entered the town- ship, there has been no hope of building up a prosperous town. The little Village of Mackey came into existence by force of circum- stances. The people needed a postoffice, a store, a blacksmith shop and a harness shop. Mackey is located in the geographical center of the township. The scenery around there is charming. The little belt of timber along the Squaw Creek adds much to the beauty of the country. Both the grove and the name of the village were given in honor of Sebastian Mackey, the first settler of the township and a man held in high esteem by all his acquaintances. Mackey has a store, a blacksmith and woodwork shop, a harness and repair shop, a church and a schoolhouse. On account of being supplied by rural delivery the postoffice at Mackey was discontinued about a year ago. Mackey was never platted as a town.
The people of Harrison Township have been very law-abiding, and but very few criminal prosecutions have been instituted against any of them, from first to last. Nor have there been many aspirants for county offices among them. Harrison is strictly an agricultural township and its people are an agricultural people.
There are two cemeteries in the township, one at Mackey and one on Section 25.
The present township officers are: Justice of the peace, Charles Scholmeyer; clerk, Albert Whalen; assessor, Anthony McCoy; trus- tces, Henry Ahrens, George Keller and S. J. Wheeler.
CHAPTER XXIX
GARDEN TOWNSHIP
From 1849 to 1858 Garden Township was a part of Pleasant Township. From 1858 to 1871 it was a part of Douglas Township. In the last named year Garden Township was organized and its pres- ent boundaries established. The first entry of land in Garden Town- ship was made in December, 1848, by Jacob C. Overly, who entered about nine hundred acres in Sections 22, 25 and 28, Township 82, Range 25, which included that beautiful body of timber known as Hat Grove and the prairie adjoining it on the south and west. Hat Grove and the scenery thereabout in pioneer times were very attrac- tive. The grove and a part of the prairie adjoining it passed into the hands of John A. McFarland in 1850, and in 1851 or about that time he built a small log house in the edge of the timber. McFarland held out the idea that he intended to move to Hat Grove and would make his home there. He placed a good number of acres under cultivation, but he never moved there. He remained in Boonesboro and became its first banker. The house Mr. McFarland built at Hat Grove was the first one erected in Garden Township. From the time it was built in 1851 it was occupied by various parties, who leased it from time to time, but none of them became permanent settlers of the town- ship. The Hat Grove farm was well known before any other part of the township was placed under cultivation. The grove is situated on the banks of Big Creek, the only stream in the township. A sketch of this stream will be found in an article under the heading of The Small Streams of Boone County.
How Hat Grove received its name is among the unknown things. Some people claim it was because the grove was round like a hat that the name was applied to it. Others say that a hat which was blown from the head of some explorer lodged there and was found by the government surveyors and from this the name originated. Be this as it may, the name still clings to the grove and no one has suggested a change of name.
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Among those who lived on the Hat Grove farm in the early days was a Swede named Peterson. One winter during his stay there a nice lot of shoats owned by him strayed from the grove and went east. He soon missed them and taking his dog followed their tracks made in the snow. The day was cloudy and dark and a snow storm set in, which in a short time covered the tracks of the shoats. The storm so increased that the man was lost in its blinding fury and did not know what direction to go, for the prairie was open, unfenced and uninhabited. He wandered around with nothing to guide him until the darkness of the coming night set in and from exhaustion he sank down upon the snow in a daze and stupor. It was now cold, and before the coming of dawn the poor man was no more. His faithful dog remained with him until about midway in the forenoon of that fatal morning, when he wended his way home and by his whines and actions indicated that something dreadful had happened. Two men arrived at the grove about that time and they followed the dog as he returned on the trail made as he came home; after going about three miles the dog suddenly ran at full speed about a hundred rods, when he reached the spot where his master lay. The poor animal would rub his head against the cold face of his master and then howl piteously. But alas! he was beyond the reach of remedy-stiff and still in the embrace of the piercing frost and deaf to the fond caresses of his faithful dog. It was a sad circumstance and a mourn- ful one for the bereaved wife and children.
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