USA > Iowa > Boone County > History of Boone County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 47
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W. C. CROOKS POST, NO. 329, G. A. R.
On the evening of June 6, 1884, a number of the old soldiers met in the Odd Fellows Hall in this city, for the purpose of organizing
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LINCOLN ARMORY, BOONE
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
a post of the Grand Army of the Republic. Those whose names ap- pear on the application for a charter were: W. H. Wright, A. J. Bacus, H. Ransom, C. Eastwood, G. S. Rhoads, W. W. Nixon, P. M. Samberg, S. S. Worley, J. F. Otis, S. D. Warner and John Ferguson.
Comrade Henry Wilson, Jr., of Ames, mustering officer, then mustered the following comrades, who applied for admission: John T. Newman, S. A. Ballou, H. A. Browning, D. M. Bass, L. W. Garrison, J. A. Brinton.
The rules were suspended and the following officers were elected by acclamation and duly installed : Commander, W. W. Nixon ; senior vice, George Ramsey ; junior vice, S. D. Warner ; adjutant, W. H. Wright; quartermaster, J. A. Brinton ; chaplain, A. J. Bacus ; offi- cer of the day, L. M. Briggs; officer of the guard, G. S. Rhoads ; sergeant major, J. F. Otis ; quartermaster sergeant, P. M. Samberg.
On motion of D. M. Bass, the post was named W. C. Crooks Post, in honor of a comrade of his company who was killed at Shiloh; and the number given it was 329.
William C. Crooks, for whom the post was named, was a brother of Hon. G. W. Crooks, of Boone. He was born in Clay County, In- diana, and removed with his parents to the Territory of Iowa in 1845. settling in Jefferson County, where they lived about a year and then came to Boone County. Here Crooks lived until the fall of 1861, when he enlisted in the Sixteenth lowa Infantry. He was a farmer boy until the last few years of his life, when he engaged in teaching school.
When the call came for volunteers he placed his name upon the rolls, bade farewell forever to his wife and three little boys and went to the front with Company K, Sixteenth Iowa Infantry, one of the grand old regiments of the "Hornets Nest Brigade." He was a true soldier, brave almost to rashness and always at his post when called.
At the Battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862, after his regiment had withstood the onslaught of an enemy flushed with victory, there came a charge that it seemed would sweep the old Sixteenth from the face of the earth. With the colors of the regiment in his hand he became the target of the rebel host and the colors went down only when W. C. Crooks fell mortally wounded. For two days and nights he lay unattended, when he was taken to the field hos- pital, where he died, and was buried upon the battlefield.
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
The members of the post are proud of the soldier boy whose name it bears and a large framed picture of the brave color bearer hangs upon the walls of their post room.
The records of the post show regular meetings every two weeks, and in the first few months of its existence the names of many well known comrades were added to the rolls.
On the evening of October 11, 1884, the ladies of the Relief Corps surprised the post by presenting it with a beautiful flag, the presenta- tion speech being made by Mrs. A. J. Bacus. It was responded to by Commander Nixon and a card of thanks was published in the daily papers.
The first inspection of the post was made by Comrade Charles A. Sherman of J. G. Miller Post, No. 67, on December 13, 1884. and the officers were installed by Comrade Sherman on January 24, 1885.
In February, 1885, the post, in partnership with J. G. Miller Post, put on the "Union Spy," which was the first play given in the opera house. The records show the receipts to have been $234.75.
On July 2, 1885, the Woman's Relief Corps met with the post and a beautiful banner was presented to the latter, the presentation being made by Miss Brinton. Commander Nixon responded, assur- ing the ladies that their gift was appreciated and that it would be preserved and treasured as long as the post should live.
On August 8, 1885, the post passed resolutions thanking all citi- zens who assisted in observing the funeral of the great commander and comrade, Gen. Ulysses S. Grant.
The funds of the post have varied in amounts considerably. The records show that at one time assessments of 50 cents were made upon each member in order to pay the rent, and at other times sev- eral hundred dollars accumulated. As the only means of obtaining money is by the small dues of the members able to pay them, it is remarkable that so much relief could have been extended to the more unfortunate comrades, but many an old soldier has had his burdens lightened by the relief fund of W. C. Crooks Post.
The commanders who have served the post from the beginning to the present time are: 1884, W. W. Nixon; 1885, W. W. Nixon ; 1886, A. J. Bacus; 1887, James Franks; 1888, A. J. Bacus; 1889, G. W. Barrett; 1890, L. M. Briggs; 1891, W. W. Nixon; 1892, W. H. Sprague ; 1893, D. M. Young ; 1894, W. B. King; 1895, G. F. Brech- tel; 1896, R. D. Royster; 1897, R. D. Royster; 1898, Lewis Young ; 1899. J. H. Hill; 1900. P. D. Swick; 1901, G. D. Rowe; 1902, G.
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SCENE AT THE LEDGES VALLEY, BOONE
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THE CITY PARK. BOONE
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F. Brechtel; 1903, L. W. Garrison; 1904, G. F. Brechtel; 1905, J. H. Hill; 1906, J. H. Hill; 1907, Peter D. Swick; 1908, J. F. Otis ; 1909, I. N. Force; 1910, Everett Booth; 1911, J. F. Otis; 1912, R. D. Royster; 1913, I. N. Stotts; 1914, A. M. Shaeffer.
In each one of these loyal and patriotic associations is an auxil- iary society kown as the Woman's Relief Corps, made up of the wives, widows, mothers and daughters of the veterans. The J. G. Miller Woman's Relief Corps, No. 12, long has been in existence, as has its sister organization, the W. C. Crooks Corps, No. 18, W. R. C. The members of both have given of their time and energies in the effort to serve the remnant of the Grand Army and in many ways have they made the Woman's Relief Corps widely known and universally honored.
COMPANY I, IOWA NATIONAL GUARDS
A company of militia long has been resident in Boone and many of her best citizens have been members. The unit was organized at Boonesboro (now the Fifth Ward) in 1876, by Brig .- Gen. Rush A. Lincoln, now director of military tactics at Ames College. The company was mustered into the state service as Company I, Ffty- second Regiment Iowa National Guards, which was changed to the Fifty-sixth Regiment in 1903. The first commanding officer was Rush A. Lincoln, and since his retirement there have been quite a number at the head of the organization.
In 1898, when the United States practically was forced to declare war against Spain, owing to that nation's barbarous treatment of Cuba, Company I responded to President McKinley's call for troops and in April entrained for Des Moines, where it joined its regiment and went into camp. On the 26th day of April, 1898, the company was mustered into the United States service as Company I, Fifty- second Regiment Iowa Volunteer Infantry. From the camp at Des Moines the regiment entrained for Chickamauga, Tennessee, and there took up the duties of preparing for war with the Dons and at the same time experienced all the vicissitudes, irksomeness, tempta- tions and diseases always to be encountered in a soldier's life. Four months were frittered away in the camp and much bitterness of spirit was engendered in the hearts of the soldier boys when they learned their destiny was not to include Cuba or Porto Rico and a brush with the Spaniard. Once more they boarded cars, went into
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
camp at Des Moines and then, after a short furlough, were mustered out of "Uncle Sam's" army.
Lincoln Armory was erected by the Boone Armory Company in the fall of 1907. The need of a suitable drill hall for Com- pany 1, Fifty-sixth Infantry, I. N. G., and also the additional need of an auditorium of sufficient size to accommodate all gen- eral public meetings, had long been recognized, and after the City of Boone had expressed a willingness to furnish the neces- sary site, a stock company was formed and the building erected and furnished. The building is 106 feet long by 60 feet in width and the drill hall or main auditorium is 85 feet by 60 feet. There are officers' rooms, club rooms, check rooms and locker rooms, and in the basement, toilet and bath rooms. The total cost of the build- ing and equipment was about fifteen thousand dollars, raised by public subscription among the citizens of Boone to which the mem- bers of Company I contributed liberally.
On the main floor is the drill hall or auditorium, 85x60 feet, an assembly room, the captain's office and a ladies' retiring room. On the second floor are the locker rooms, the Co. I club rooms, and above this is a huge garret used for storeroom purposes. In the basement is the furnace room, fuel room and the bath and toilet rooms. A portion of the basement has been taken by E. H. Samuel- son to be used in his cement manufacturing business.
The Armory Company is in excellent shape financially, the debt contracted for the erection of the building being practically wiped out. The auditorium is popular and its universal use for large gath- erings, balls, etc., insures a good per cent on the investment.
AMUSEMENT PLACES AND PLEASURE GROUNDS
The Boone citizen need not be at a loss for a place where he may spend an hour or two in recreation. The Arie Opera House is of recent construction and caters to a high grade of entertainments. Then there are the Lyric, Princess and Virginia, motion picture and vaudeville houses, that have a very generous patronage. A beau- tiful little park in the center of the city, and Oak and Pilcher's park, beautifully wooded tracts of land, are easily accessible by the aid of the trolley.
THE FAMOUS LEDGES VALLEY
One of the famed resorts of Central lowa is the Ledges Valley nestling along the beautiful Des Moines River seven miles south of
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HONEY CREEK, EAST LINWOOD
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
the city. Here amidst the giant rocks, hanging seemingly hundreds of feet in the air, with settings of huge trees and green vines, is a favorite picnic and camping spot. The Ledges are on both sides of the river, but the most picturesque spots are found along the famous Ledges Creek, which flows at the foot of the porch of Beulah Home. This home is a refuge for the tired mothers and children of Des Moines during the summer time and here they are brought by the score to rest and rebuild their tired and worn systems. The valley at the lower end seems guarded by one huge rock, Table or Pulpit Rock, which stands out as a sentinel. A slow, tortuous path leads up to this rock, but once there, the view is well worth the effort. A trolley line may in time be constructed to this increasingly popular resort and a summer colony established on the banks of the Des Moines.
THE COUNTRY CLUB
The Country Club is a social organization, having a member- ship of about two hundred, made up of the best known people of the City of Boone, and of Ames, which came into being a number of years ago. It was formed for purely social and amusement purposes and in all the years of its existence the members have fully met with their expectations in this regard. The club has ideal grounds and a splendidly appointed and commodius club house and golf links, located on South Marshall Street, easy of access even for pedestrians. This club affords to its members athletic recreation in the way of baseball, tennis, golf, croquet, card parties, dancing and other harm- less diversions. The president is F. W. Fitch; secretary and treas- urer, J. C. Walker.
BEAUTIFUL LINWOOD CEMETERY
A place of burial for the dead was laid out in April, 1869, by an association organized for the purpose. A tract of land was secured at the southern limits of the city and named Linwood Cemetery. Here many of the hallowed dead of Boone and vicinity found in- terment, but as the years rolled round space within the enclosure became scarcer and scarcer until it became necessary to add more land to that already occupied. To this end, a piece of ground was secured adjoining and to the east of the old cemetery, containing about forty acres. This was carefully and artistically laid out by
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HISTORY OF BOONE COUNTY
a landscape gardener and is today one of the most beautiful bury- ing spots in the land, and will be more so when the foliage and trees reach maturity.
This part of the cemetery has been named East Linwood, and has its entrance at the foot of Greene Street, which has been paved almost to that point. The cemetery borders on a grove of natural woods, which furnish as pretty a piece of scenery as can be found in lowa and adds wonderfully to the effect produced by the artificially made landscape. Lining that part of the grounds facing the en- trance and extending on each side of it some distance is a beautiful row of wild olive trees, the beauty and symmetry of which are un- surpassed. Chaste and expensive monuments of modern design are numerous in all parts of the ground, and are shaded by maple, spruce, oak, elm and evergreen trees. A ravine runs between the old and new cemetery. This is crossed by a picturesque foot bridge. To the south of this a short distance, has been constructed a cement dam, which gives rise to a miniature lake, and adds in a degree to the general pleasing effect.
The Linwood Cemetery Company was organized in 1895, through the efforts of C. T. T. Mason, who has ever since taken a great pride in the adornment and beautifying of this lovely "silent city of the dead." The association is governed by a board of six directors, whose duties are performed without remuneration. J. J. Snell is the secre- tary and has occupied that position ever since the association was formed. Lewis A. Enlow is the sexton.
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