USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 35
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Bordner, and B. F. Stoddard is the present incumbent. The other officers at present are: C. M. Bright, treasurer; Monroe H. Houser, clerk; S. C. Walker, H. B. Ham, F. H. Lunnemacker. C. B. Ganiere and H. J. Werling, conncihnen.
In the election of March, 1881, the people voted to abolish saloons in the town and this decision has never been changed.
The water supply of the city was first established as a public utility in 1903. The water was at first pumped from wells by air pressure, but in Angust, 1911, this plant blew up. The city then constructed a tank tower, from which their water pressure is now obtained. The electric light plant of the city is owned by private individuals, Young and Frush. The plant was put in during the summer of 1913 and now is devoted to street lighting almost exclusively. Gaso- line gas is used more in the residences.
The Jesup State Bank was organized October 11, 1901, and all stock was subseribed and paid in by November 30th of that year. The capital stock was $25.000. The first board of directors was composed of Ed Mullaney, J. H. Carey, John T. Burrell, Z. A. Comfort, C. L. Bright and M. R. Considine. J. HI. Carey was the first president, Comfort the vice president, Bright the cashier. J. H. Carey passed to his death in September, 1905, and was suc- ceeded by Z. A. Comfort. John T. Burrell died in December, 1913, and was succeeded by M. R. Considine. The bank opened for business on January 28, 1902. Monroe H. Houser was employed as assistant cashier in November, 1905, and in January, 1913. C. R. Miller was employed as second assistant cashier. In 1912 the bank building was enlarged to suit the needs of the institution. The capital stock is the same now as at the beginning, the surplus is $18,000 and the deposits amount to $240,000.
The Farmers Bank of Jesup, of which the Farmers State Bank is the suc- cessor, was organized in 1879 as a private bank. Thomas Taylor was president ; J. A. Laird, vice president ; and George S. Murphy, cashier. On December 30, 1882, the affairs of the Farmers Bank of Jesup were cleared up and on the same date the First National Bank of Jesup, with $50,000 capital was organized by the Former owners of the Farmers Bank. The officers of the National Bank were the same. On April 15, 1886, the shareholders of the First National voted unanimously to go into voluntary liquidation and very soon thereafter the affairs of the bank were closed up, all indebtedness being paid. On April 15, 1886, the principal owners of the National Bank again engaged in the bank- ing business under the name of Farmers Bank, a copartnership, with the same officers as those of the old First National. The Farmers Bank continued the banking business in JJesup until June 24, 1903, when it was succeeded by the Farmers State Bank, a corporation with $25,000 capital, organized under the laws of Iowa. Thomas Taylor was president of the Farmers Bank until it dis- solved and J. A. Laird and Isaac Neely were the vice presidents. James Dalton was cashier from December, 1888, until 1903. James Dalton was elected presi- dent and L. S. Hovey, vice president. M. E. Dalton and A. M. Dalton were at subsequent dates elected cashier. In 1910. W. W. Blasier, the present cashier, was elected. L. S. Hovey, the vice president, died late in the year 1913 and M. G. Young was elected vice president to succeed him. James Dalton was elected president of the Farmers State Bank in 1903 and has held this position until the present time.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Another interesting topie in Jesup is the newspapers. There have been many, so many in fact that they are confusing. The first newspaper in the town was the Jesup Reeorder. This was started in the spring of 1869 by Cole and Shinner and continued for about a year, when it was removed to Earlville. In about 1874, W. HI. IIutton started another sheet called the Jesup Vindicator, which, in the spring of 1879, he moved to Independence and changed the name to the Buchanan County Messenger. This paper shortly died. George E. Roberts, now prominently connected with the treasury department of the United States, owned the Vindicator one year before he sold to Hutton. On October 10, 1879, A. II. Farwell established the Buchanan County Journal, which he conducted for several years, in 1881 moving the plant to Independence and joining the Bulletin, of that place.
Perhaps no paper in the country had quite so checkered a career as the sheet which started in the '80s under the name of the Jesup Times. It was begun by C. E. Phifer, who sold it to Carver and Losey, then Fred Cornish bought, and he sold Fred Kimball, who changed the name to The Critie, then Grout bonght, then to Frank Vierth, then to Hutton, then to W. If. Haines, then to L. W. Smith, then the paper was closed ont at sheriff's sale. Phifer and Diekinson then came into possession of the paper and they sold to Diekinson and Moore, then came Rudolph and D. W. Harmon, and then Harmon sold his interest to Mr. Stark. Stark was running the ill-fated paper in November, 1899, when Mr. F. R. Place started the Citizens Herald. Stark called his paper the Critic. It lasted two years more after the establishment of the Herald, then sunk into the depths. Mr. Place subsequently changed the name of his paper to the Jesup News and has run the paper very successfully ever since, publishing on Thursday of each week. The business conducted by the publisher is known as the Place Printing Company.
Perry Lodge No. 158, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized at Jesup on January 21, 1868, with five charter members, namely: F. C. Merrill, Charles A. Wattles, Jonathan Richmond, R. S. Smith, and G. Harding. The lodge was instituted by Sanford Wells, assisted by members from the Waterloo lodge. Eleven people were initiated on the first night. The first officers were: H. C. Merrill, noble grand; Charles Wattles, vice grand; S. W. Kenyon, secre- tary ; R. L. Smith, treasurer; E. B. Cook, permanent secretary. This lodge is still in flourishing condition and has about one hundred and sixty members. There is also a lodge of Rebekahs in the city.
Parkersburgh Encampment No. 62 was organized at Parkersburgh, Butler County, October 2, 1873. In the spring of 1880, having obtained a dispensation from the chief patriarch, it was removed to Jesup.
The Ancient Free and Accepted Masons came into existence in Jesup in 1866. Among the early members were: J. M. Hovey, J. N. Hovey, R. O. Laird, R. F. Williams, J. R. Jones, A. N. George, C. M. Newton, W. R. Harding, C. H. Kenyon, A. Strong, and R. S. Searls. The membership is now 150.
There is also now a lodge of Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America, Modern Brotherhood of America, Mystic Toilers, and the Yeomen here. All have the ladies' auxiliary.
John A. Davis Post, Grand Army of the Republie, was organized at Jesup in August, 1881, and named after Colonel Davis of the Seventy-sixth linois
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Infantry. The first members of this post were: C. C. Smith, C. W. Baldwin, T. J. Shane, J. J. Randall, II. Bordener, M. Cone, II. S. Rich, J. A. Ross, A. F. Thnks, J. Elliott. D. Clubine, D. Casnar, W. II. Dobell, W. Mosher, G. B. Thayer, and II. P. Rice.
LITTLETON
The year 1856 was the first year of the existence of this village. This year ushered in a store, hotel, blacksmith shop, saw and grist mill. Mention has been made of these features in the early settlement description of the township. At one time early in her career Littleton was known by the name Chatham.
Littleton was on the boom in 1864-their weekly package of mail contained some two hundred and seventy-five papers, and new business concerns were opening up. The mill property had passed exclusively into the hands of II. J. White & Stout and they proposed immediately to improve the mill and to carry on an extensive business in sawing and grinding. Pleasant Grove Seminary was situated in the suburbs of Littleton, under the proficient management of Professor Caldwell, and it was predicted in the paper that Littleton was destined to be a star of the first magnitude in the galaxy of cities in the great Northwest.
Littleton seemed to have possessed the first threshing machine or the first one receiving publie notice. It was owned by E. B. Cook and G. Hovey of Perry Township. In 1864 Charles Reynolds was appointed as postmaster to fill the vacancy occasioned by Martha Mosher having resigned. In 1910 the post- office was discontinued and Littleton is now served by two rural routes, one from Jesup and one from Independence.
The growth of Littleton has been directly contrary to the great plans made in the early days. There is a very substantial class of people living in the village and vicinity, but the town as a town has not much of which to boast. Littleton and Otterville are very similar. Mention of the churches is made in the history of the township churches.
A Methodist Episcopal society was organized in Perry Township at the home of John Cameron in 1853. There were five members, John Cameron, Rachel Cameron, Thomas T. and Elizabeth Cameron and Lucinda Anderson. The first man to preach to this small congregation was Reverend Asheouch. After a few years the church was transferred to Littleton, where the church exists at the present time.
A Methodist society was organized at Jesup in 1860 and held their first services in a hall and in a convenient schoolhouse. In the year 1869 they constructed a frame house of worship, valued at $4,000. and later a commodions parsonage was built. The early members of the Jesup church were: John Cameron and wife, John Cooper, Fannie Cooper. R. L. Smith and wife, Bertha Smith, Charles Campbell, and Naney Campbell. Among some of the early pastors to this society were : J. Hankins, Moore, Thomas, Eberhart, Myers, Hardy, Castor. Brennan, Gedwiek. Reverend Elwick is the present pastor. A house of worship was con- structed in 1900 and also a parsonage. The congregation numbers about one hundred and seventy-five.
The Baptist society in Jesup was organized in September, 1866. Their first services were held in Fuller's Hall and afterward, for the purpose of larger
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, LITTLETON
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH. LITTLETON
FORKS OF BIG AND LITTLE WAPSIPINICON RIVERS, LITTLETON
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
quarters, moved to the public schoolhouse. John Fullerton is aceredited as being the first preacher for this society. The composition of this society was made up of part of the Barelay church, which had disbanded, and the Jesup people of the faith. A splendid house of worship was dedicated on February 19, 1871. Among the earlier members of the church were: Mr. Abbott and wife, Jacob Wolfe and wife, William Smith and wife, Mrs. E. Parker, and T. S. Stone and wife. The church is now in charge of Reverend Eastman and the con- gregation numbers 150 people. The church building has been remodeled several times and a parsonage built.
The first Presbyterian society in Jesup was organized June 4, 1853, in the northeast part of the township and was named the Pleasant Grove church. James S. Fullerton was the first preacher. The first members of this church were: Alexander Stevenson and wife, Robert Wroten and wife, Martin Depoy and wife, and Mrs. Susan Slaughter. This society was transferred to Littleton in the fall of 1856, at a time when there were but twelve members. Rev. J. D. Caldwell was the first preacher and he served many years, until -. The first house of worship was constructed in 1865 at a cost of $1,000. The second and present house of worship was ereeted in 1899 and has been improved onee. Reverend Knapp has a congregation of 150 people and the church is prosperous. The usual societies are active in the work of the society.
The second Presbyterian society at Jesup was established April 20, 1856. This society was composed largely of former members of the Barclay church. J. D. Caldwell was the first preacher and a house of worship was built soon after the organization which cost approximately four thousand dollars. This church has been merged with the First Presbyterian, the union occurring some time in the '90s.
The history of the St. Athanasins Catholic Church at Jesup dates back many years, or to 1863, when Rev. G. Gosker made occasional visits to Jesup and celebrated mass in private houses. Rev. J. Shields later eame. In 1878 Rev. P. Burk succeeded Father Gosker as pastor of the church at Independence, with Jesup as a mission, and it was during this time, in 1880, that a Catholic church building was erected. In 1881 Father P. O'Dowd was appointed to the charge. Rev. J. J. Horsfield was next and is the present pastor. In 1895 a parsonage was erected and in 1898 a new church building was constructed.
The first preaching services held in Perry Township were held in Alex- ander's log house. This was in the year 1852. Rev. David Gill, of Independence. was the preacher. The Presbyterian society was organized in the log school- house in the north part of the township on June 4, 1853, by Rev. JJames S. Fullerton and Elder Vaughn. The charter members were: Alexander and Mary A. Stevenson, Robert Wroten, Nancy Wroten, Martin L. Depoy, Sarah Depoy, and Susannah Slaughter. The first meeting was held on June 5, 1853. Until the fall of 1856 the meetings were held in the log schoolhouse, but in this year they were transferred to Littleton, to the stone schoolhouse. The church building at present in use was erected in 1865 at a cost of $1,000. Numerons times have improvements been made on this building until now it is comfortable and adequate in size for the congregation. The supplies of the church have been : Reverends David Gill, James S. Fullerton, J. D. Caldwell, John M. Boggs, E. C. Bennett, J. C: Melrose, Garlock, E. G. Beyer, Daniel Russell, F. C. MeKean,
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
F. Y. Nichols, W. B. Phelps, and L. Knapp. The congregation numbers seventy- five people. The church is known as the Pleasant Grove Presbyterian.
SUMNER TOWNSHIP
Sumner Township was set apart as a separate township on March 7, 1857. The order of the court reads as follows: "And now, to-wit, March 7, 1857, it is ordered by the court that township 88, range 9, excepting sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 12, Nos. 14 and 3814, section 13, and No. 1/2, section 11, together with sections 30, 31 and 32 in township 88, range 8, and sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of town- ship 87, range 9, and section 6 of township 87, range 8, be set apart and organized into a separate precinct, to be called Sumner; and that an election be holden in said precinct on the first Monday in April next, at the honse of John Ginther in said township, for the election of township officers, county assessor and district judge, and such other officers as are by law to be selected at that time; and that a warrant for such election issue to Norman A. Bassett, constable. Signed, O. II. P. Roszell, county judge."
The township was named for the famous Massachusetts senator, Charles Sumner.
Several changes have been made in the boundary line of the township since the original planning. Several sections have been taken from it and added to the original congressional townships from which they came. In 1878 the county board of supervisors ordered that the grounds for the Independence State IIos- pital for the Insane be separated from Sumner Township and annexed to Wash- ington Township.
The first election in the township was held as planned in March, 1857, and the following officers elected : John Ginther, Jube Day, and William Boyack, trustees ; B. W. Ogden, justice ; and Norman A. Bassett, clerk. At this election there were only twelve votes cast.
SETTLEMENT
The first settler in the township was Michael Ginther. He settled here in the spring of 1847. He made the first entry of land in the township and con- nected with this occurrence there is a story. He was an uneducated man and when he made his entry he was at loss as to how to describe it. Not wishing to be wrong in his deseription he carried the corner stake to Dubuque, going there on foot for the purpose. The climax comes when it was found afterward that the entire placing of the entry was wrong, the land being on the wrong section entirely. He had intended to buy the land on which he had settled and on which is the famous spring known as the Ginther Spring, about half way between Quasqueton and Independence, on the west side of the river; and when he found the entry he had really made was one mile west, and out on the prairie, he was completely discouraged. being a poor man and believing that land so far out would never be any good whatever. Mr. Ginther voted at the first election in the county.
John Ginther, a brother of Michael, settled here in the year 1854 on a traet of land in the south part of the township, where he lived his entire life. John
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.
--
Jacob Slaughter
Martin L. Depoy Hester Melrose
Sarah Depoy Susan Slaughter
Charles Melrose Nancy Wroten
Mary A. Stevenson Robert Wroten
Alex. Stevenson
CHARTER MEMBERS OF PLEASANT GROVE PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH, ORGANIZED JUNE 4, 1853, NEAR LITTLETON
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Ginther was of German descent. He was one of the original organizers of the township, and it was at his house that the first election was held, also the first religious services.
B. W. Ogden settled in the northern part of the township in 1853, coming here from the State of Ohio. He was a native of Frederick County, Virginia. He had been a school teacher prior to his eoming to Iowa and when he got here he resumed his old oceupation. He taught the first school in the township in his own log cabin. He was one of the men instrumental in building the first regular schoolhouse in the township and also taught the first term of school there.
Jube Day settled in the western part of the township in 1855 and was one of the first in that section. He was a native of Massachusetts. His residence in this township extended only to 1869, when he removed to Westburgh Town- ship. When he came to Sumner Township his neighbors were all four miles or over from his home, with the exception of R. R. Beach, who settled here with Day. Beach in later years moved to Minnesota.
Orlando Cobb settled here in 1853, about a quarter mile south of Independence He developed a splendid farm on this spot, a farm which is still known as one of the best in the county.
William Boyaek, a Scotchman, eame here in 1854 from the State of Illinois.
.J. W. Wheeler settled in the township in 1856 and for many years lived on the farm which he settled.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES
The first school in the township, as before stated, was taught in the winter of 1853, in the north part of the township, by B. W. Ogden. There were twelve scholars, many of them adults, studying primary courses. This was entirely a subseription school. The next winter there was a school at Michael Ginther's, also conducted by Ogden. In 1858 a schoolhouse was constructed in the northern part of the township, under the supervision of Ogden, who taught the first class at this place. Soon after another house was built in the Ginther district. Charles Lewis, later judge of the Eleventh Judicial District, Ida Shutliff, Amelia Miller and Mrs. Sueler, were other first teachers in this community. Mrs. Sueler had her school in her own home.
There have been no regularly organized religions societies in this township, but in the early days meetings were held in the schoolhouses and at private homes, conducted by some eireuit rider.
MISCELLANEOUS
The first wedding in the township was that of James Palmer and Charlotte Ginther in 1856 and nearly the same time Francis Metcalf was married to Maria Palmer. B. W. Ogden performed both of these ceremonies.
The first wheat raised in the township was by the hand of Michael Ginther. It is said that the first white child born here was Anstin W. Ogden, on February 11, 1854.
The first death was that of Mrs. William Applegate, in the winter of 1854. Exposure to the hardships of the season undermined her health.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
THE KING'S DAUGHTERS
In 1886 a few Christian women met together in a neighborhood circle, in the City of New York, and because they felt the need of a bond of fellowship, not then existing between the denominations, the thought in the mind of each was to form an organization that should "develop spiritual life and stimulate Christian activities."
From the fact of their being but ten of them and because of the idea pre- sented in the "ten times one is ten" series by Edward Everett Hale, then popular, the suggestion that they call themselves "The King's Daughters," was made and the order was founded.
The badge of the order is the Silver Maltese Cross, with the initial letters of the watchword of the order, "In His Name," and the word "Seal" on one side and the date 1886 on the other, worn with or without the purple ribbon.
The motto of the order is:
"Look up, not down Look ont, not in, Look forward, not back And lend a helping hand."
Three of the young women of Sumner Township, visiting in neighboring states in 1892, first learned of the order, and out of this grew a circle that has grown as did the original one, out of all proportion to the thought of those who started the suggestion.
The Silver Cross Cirele of the King's Daughters was organized in June, 1893, with the following charter members: Ley Tidd (Straw), deceased; Alına Rosmer (Palmer), Alice Warburton (Meythaler), Margaret Meythaler (Hood), Mary lintz ( Van Eman), Garden City, Kansas; Minnie Chapman, and Carrie Warburton (Harter).
Gertrude Cornwell, Julia Gates, deceased; Bertha and Edith Bolton, were also among those who joined in the first few months.
The cirele now has a membership of thirty-five, with former members in Washington, Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. Its members have been instrumental in forming cireles in Kansas and Illinois and several points in Iowa, and from one of these latter members grew the first Greek letter organization of the University of Iowa.
The circle aims to live up to its watchward and motto and so has been able to help those in need, not so much by financial assistance as by sympathy and the helping hand.
LINCOLN LITERARY CIRCLE OF SUMNER TOWNSIHP
Feeling the lack of knowledge of many country neighborhoods in current events and a review of the life and works of our popular authors and writers, a few of the women of Sumner Township met at the home of Mrs. W. II. Warburton, February 12, 1903, to talk up an organization of some kind.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
The result was the L. L. C .- Lincoln Literary Cirele-so called from the fact of the first meeting being on Lincoln's birthday (February 12th). The motto of the circle is, "With Malice Toward None, with Charity for All."
The first officers were: Mrs. Mary Oglesbee, president; Mrs. Anna Hintz, vice president ; Mrs. Alice Meythaler, secretary and treasurer.
The charter members were: Mrs. Ogleshee, Mrs. Funk, Sarah Cornwell, Mrs. Cates, Mrs. Wilson, Mrs. Van Eman, Mrs. Hintz, Mrs. Alice Meythaler, Cora Cornwell, Misses Minnie Chapman, Gertrude Cornwell, Carrie Warburton (Harter).
Meetings are held monthly, on the second Thursday, at the homes of the members and during the years of its organization the circle has reviewed the lives of many of the men and women of our country prominent in all walks of life, aiming to always keep uppermost our motto. Once or twice a year musical programs are given. During the four winter months the cirele holds all-day sessions, a pienie dinner, the families of the members being present.
The present officers are Mrs. C. B. Webb, president ; Mrs. E. W. Johnson, vice president ; and Mrs. Chas. Randall, secretary and treasurer.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP
The first organization of Washington Township by order of the courts was as early as the year 1848. It then included the congressional townships of Wash- ington, Hazleton, Perry and Fairbank. In the above mentioned year, an elec- tion was held for Washington Township, and Isaac Hathaway, John Scott and John Obenchain were appointed judges of the election. No record of this elec- tion was kept, however, and the result has been lost as a consequence.
Perhaps the first settlement made in territory now comprised in Washing- ton Township was made by Isaac Hathaway in September, 1845, about two miles east of Independence. He entered the land upon which he settled. When Hathaway first came he found a rude hut constructed of poles hewn from the nearby timber, but as to who constructed the crude dwelling he had no knowl- edge, nor did he ever learn. During the winters of 1845 and 1846 they came to Centre Point for corn, paying twenty-five cents a bushel for it. They called this place Egypt. When Mr. Hathaway settled here there were no settlers north of him in the county, nor west in the township. His nearest neighbors at this time were Henry Baker in Byron Township, three miles east, E. G. Allen, Joseph Collier and Gamaliel Walker in Liberty Township, five miles south. Early in the spring of 1846 Hathaway constructed a log house for the better accommodation of his family. Supplies came mostly from Dubuque at this time, with the exception of those brought from the one little store at Quasque- ton and a mill owned by Davis & Thompson, where they ground corn. The abundance of game, however, kept their table well supplied with meat during the months when travel was difficult.
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