USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 53
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Meetings are held onee a month except at times of special stress.
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
LADIES' AID SOCIETY
The number of people in Independence, who, by reason of the prevailing financial stringency and constant failure to get work, or from either eause, were actually suffering for the existence of life was unusually large in 1884. Some- thing like sixty families had applied for public relief and the stories of distress and suffering told by people who had visited some of these families were well calculated to excite the interest and claim the attention of the humane. In view of this suffering, a number of ladies met at the residence of Edward Ross, Esq., on the west side of the river, on Saturday afternoon, January 11, 1884, and proceeded to effeet an organization under the name of the Ladies' Relief Association, whose object was to raise money by dime socials, entertainments, and other means, to be expended in relieving the immediate wants of the un- fortunates and destitute.
The officers of this association were as follows: President, Mrs. Edward Ross ; vice presidents, Mrs. G. W. Bemis, Mrs. D. F. Bisbee and Mrs. Jed Lake; secretary, Mrs. Thomas Blamer; and treasurer, Mrs. William Toman. There was also a visiting committee of three ladies in each ward, who entered upon their duties with untiring zeal.
The first sociable was held at the residence of William Toman on the next Tuesday afternoon and was a pronounced success, the attendance on short notice being about seventy-five and the contribution, $15.25. Other gatherings of like character and with similar objects were held from time to time. Musical and literary programs formed a feature of their entertainments and sometimes light refreshments were served. A canvass of the city was made for the collec- tion of wearing apparel.
HOME AID SOCIETY
The Home Aid Society was started in November, 1863, by the ladies of Independence in behalf of home objects. The following officers were elected : Mrs. Warne, president ; Mrs. R. Campbell, vice president; Miss Nettie Smith, secretary ; Miss Annie Kinsley, treasurer.
The immediate object was the improvement of the cemetery, which was in a terrible condition. This cemetery was situated north of the Illinois Central depot. The Aid Society contemplated buying all the remaining unsold lots.
In November, 1871, another aid society was organized and the following officers were elected : Mrs. E. B. Older, president; Mrs. G. W. Bemis, vice presi- dent ; Mrs. E. C. Lillie, secretary, and Mrs. H. P. Henshaw, treasurer. This like the former after a time died out.
TEMPERANCE SOCIETIES
In the earliest issues of the two county papers, we find notices of temperance lectures, and discussions on the merits and demerits of prohibition were con- ducted in the schoolhouses previous to the vote to be taken on May 24, 1857, for prohibition or for license-and license carried by a vote of 432 to 295. At the first meeting P. A. Brooks was chosen president and W. G. Donnan,
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secretary, and resolutions endorsing the prohibition law were passed, and although this measure lost the agitation on temperance still continued unabated and increased in vigor until nearly every township in the county had a temper- ance society. Evidently there was need of reform, for numerous newspaper articles refer to public carousals indulged in, and during the war every union victory at the front and at the polls was the occasion of a public jollification, with lager and toddies flowing freely. Often a keg of beer was opened in the postoffice, where the expected crowd was assembled anxiously waiting for war news or election returns. And frequently items appeared in the papers referring in a jocular manner to some of the prominent citizens of the town becoming hilarious, and accounts of drunken brawls were numerous. But the first tem- perance society that we read of was organized some years previous, at a meeting of the citizens of Independence and vicinity, held at the brick schoolhouse on the west side of the river, in 1858, and known as "The Sons and Daughters of Temperance." How long this society existed we could not determine, but the next year a "Good Templars Lodge" was organized and soon had between forty and fifty members, and every meeting there were many applications for membership. There was a general desire among all the better class of citizens in Independence to advance the cause of temperance. This was a radical change, because matters had been very lax, and such laws as there were had not been enforced. The country people were said to be shunning Independence on account of the great temptations in the way of drinking and gambling. The merchants were very materially affected and the community in general seriously injured both materially and morally. (This quoted from a paper of 186I.) Suits were brought against the proprietors of groggeries and fines imposed.
The temperance societies, of which there were several in Independence and vicinity, were very active, numerous lectures, suppers, musicales, literary and dramatie entertainments were given, whereby to raise funds to further the good canse. There were the "Unity Lodge." the "Temperance Citizens, " and the Temperance Union, an auxiliary to the American Temperance Union and with the same pledge. This last named society was organized in Independence in April, 1865. "Unity Lodge of Good Templars" had over two hundred members. The Good Templars was of national scope, but Iowa had more lodges than any other state. At a state meeting held at lowa City in 1861, Miss Mary W. Chandler of Independence was elected grand W. D. M., a merited honor. Lodges were organized at Fairbank, Hazleton, Jesup, Win- throp, Quasqueton, Coy Town, and other places. The lodge at Hazleton had one hundred members and was intensely active. Twenty-eight women members made an onslaught on a saloon which had but recently commenced operations, wrecked the place and spilled all the liquid refreshments into the road. Another saloon keeper saved his stock by threatening to shoot, while the third and only other establishment of the kind was allowed three days of grace in which to move himself and his stock out of town. Upon his refusal, he was arrested. The first dealer brought suit against the women and their husbands. There was great excitement, many witnesses and much stirring and eloquent argument in the case; but the "gallant" jury inside of ten minutes brought in a verdict of "not guilty," and this ended the saloon business in Hazleton for
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many years. Coy Town, a little town northeast of Hazleton, had a flourishing. lodge of seventy-three members. In 1886 the Good Templars in Winthrop published a temperance paper called the Winthrop Rooter. In February, 1865, a new venture was inaugurated by the Templar societies of Independence. They circulated a paper for signatures which pledged the signers "to abstain themselves and sustain any judicious efforts to discourage the use and traffic of intoxicating drinks." About two hundred and eighty of the influential eiti- zens signed, but this created much adverse feeling and dissension.
Their efforts continued with more or less activity and results for many years. In 1870 Unity Lodge of Good Templars fitted up a hall for their use in Burr's Block, bought an organ, furniture and fixtures and dedicated it in November with an appropriate and entertaining program.
Unity Lodge had been organized seven years, and at this time had ninety- three members. This event marked its reorganization and a renewal of its pledge to further the cause of temperance, morality and social order.
These temperance organizations have existed in more or less flourishing condition as the conditions demanded up to the present time.
In November, 1895, the Christian Citizenship League was organized in this county. and while it lasted was a power for good in the purifieation of the social and political atmosphere. It was thoroughly non-partisan and non- political, and was not for the purpose of creating a new society, but to bring together in a united effort the various existing organizations of whatever name which have as their object the betterment of the people, the purity of society and the respect and obedience to the laws of our Government. This was sort of an auxiliary to the National Citizens' League, which published a very inter- esting paper, The Christian Citizen, and a great deal of other literature. E. M. Thompson of Independence was appointed vice-president of the national league for lowa, with power to organize local leagues throughout the state, also a member of the lecture bureau. Soon a league was started in Independence, and this leagne did most effective work in getting out injunctions and warrants and in fighting the liquor element at every turn.
The women had a similar organization known as the Women's Home Pro- tective League of Buchanan County. Each township had a president and held meetings and union meetings at Independence. In July, 1896, the league at its annual meeting voted to cooperate with the W. C. T. U. As all of its members were also members of the W. C. T. U. and the work the same they thought that they could accomplish more with a national society than one which included only one county.
In 1899 the Citizens' League was vigorously agitating the injunetion pro- ceedings on account of the fraudulency of the Belknap census report in Inde- pendence. A committee composed of Messrs. D. F. Bisbee and A. G. Beatty examined carefully this census at the auditor's office and found 1,016 fraudu- lent names, many of them fictitious and of people who never lived here and others taken from the tombstones in the cemeteries; but as the report had been sent in to the state auditor previous to this examination, he had acknowledged their right to continue the business, and saloons opened, but injunctions were filed against them, and again they were closed and the temperance battle over this eensus waged for several years with various degrees of success and failure.
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The Belknap census referred to was taken in 1895 by Harry Belknap, an itinerant publisher of city directories. The general dissatisfaction with the census taken by the assessor of Independence and the question of its accuracy prompted a petition from the citizens, signed by six members of the city conncil and addressed to the county anditor, begging a new enumeration to be made. Belknap was engaged for the sum of $100, which sum was raised by sub- scription among a number of business men, the money to be paid when it was certified to by the county 'auditor and secretary of state. By this census Inde- pendence was credited with 5,142 population, whereas the assessor had but 3,808.
By this increased population the city was brought into the class that would, under the mulet law, permit the opening of saloons if a petition of consent could be seenred. It was evident that the census was padded for a purpose, and Belknap injudicionsly told his assistant that the census must reach 5,000 or he would receive no pay, and if it exceeded 5,000 that the saloon men would pay him $500, and as the greatest possible number obtainable was 4,200, hence the fraudulent names.
The case eame into court, and the defense was overruled and injunctions were granted whereby the saloons were closed for one year, but an amendment to the mulet law, which was to go into effect October 1st. which made it possible for saloons to be opened in eities of 2,500 population by securing 80 per eent of the voters on a petition of consent. This was not legitimately secured, but nevertheless in May, 1896, the saloons opened in defiance to the eternal vigilance of the temperance societies and the guardians of the law, and continued their unlawful business. In 1897 the question of legalizing the Belknap census was again brought before the people, with the same result as in 1895, and the injunction prevailed.
On June 7, 1905, injunctions were granted by Judge Blair whereby all saloons were elosed in Buchanan County. This seriously affected six saloons in Independence which had been operating in defiance of the mulet law, but by a tacit agreement had paid into the city treasury $500 per year and into the county treasurer $300. The cases against the saloons were prosecuted by a Mr. Abrams, hailing from Des Moines, and an attorney named Aeres trom Decorah. Mr. Abrams had been actively engaged in the temperance cause throughout the state and been for some time working in this eounty. He was not working under the direction of any temperance organization or society ; his methods were according to his own personal views, and many seriously objeeted to his interference. At Jesup, some months previous, a mob threatened him violence if he did not desist from his malicious talk.
Sinee the adoption of prohibition some twenty years before (in 1885 or 1886) there had been attempts more or less strenuous to enforce the law, but all ultimately failed in towns the size of Independence. A great deal of time, money and energy have been expended fruitlessly to overcome this evil, when it was merely a proposition of enforcing the laws through the medium of the offieers who represent the people and lack of cooperation and responsibility on the part of the people. In less than two months mulet petitions of consent were circulated and signed by 80 per cent of the resident voters of Independ- ence ; 721 signed the petitions and only 718 were required, and after a thorough" canvass by the board of supervisors, who met in special session for the purpose,
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and found the lists to be correct, the city council met and granted licenses to six applicants desirons of operating saloons. They were opened and for the first time in twenty-five years saloons operated under sanction of the law. Abrams threatened to get out new injunetions, but time elapsed and any further proceedings failed to materialize.
WOMAN'S CHRISTIAN TEMPERANCE UNION
An organization of this name was formed in Independence in the early days, the exact date not being obtainable owing to there having been so many temper- ance organizations, and this was but an outgrowth of a former society.
Then on September 2, 1889, in response to a eall to the Christian women of Independence, a few women met at the home of Mrs. E. S. Grimwood for the purpose of reorganizing the Woman's Christian Temperance Union. Mrs. Ephraim Leach was chosen chairman of the meeting and Mrs. E. S. Grimwood, secretary. The object of the meeting was stated and the election of officers followed, which resulted in Mrs. Grimwood being elected president, and eleven vice-presidents, one from each church organization, were elected; Mrs. W. G. Donnan, treasurer; and Mrs. E. Leach, secretary. There were sixteen charter members, as follows: Mrs. E. M. S. Grimwood, Mrs. E. Leach, Mrs. W. G. Donnan, Mrs. E. A. Blamer, Mrs. H. E. Palmer, Mrs. A. L. Palmer, Mrs. II. W. Holman, Mrs. M. E. Fording, Mrs. H. C. Markham, Mrs. Ella C. Higgins, Mrs. E. R. Higgins, Mrs. J. B. Jones, Mrs. G. H. Hill, Mrs. J. L. Smeallie, Mrs. W. S. Potwin and Mrs. N. T. Bemis. A membership in this organization means a signing of the constitution and total abstinence pledge. It was voted to adopt the constitution and by-laws recommended by the state union, and thus become an auxiliary to the Iowa W. C. T. U.
The meetings were held the third Thursday of every month at the homes of the members or at places suiting the convenience and pleasure of the society. The objects of the society, besides the furtherance of the temperance cause, have always been both educational and philanthropic.
The first meetings were very enthusiastic, often as many as sixty women being present, and the meetings still keep up their interest, although the mem- bership is not as large as formerly.
A reporter to furnish temperance items for the local papers and the temper- ance periodicals is a feature of their work.
On October 31, 1889, an industrial school was established with Mrs. Nar- eissa Bemis as superintendent. The first meetings were held in the old High School Building. The purpose of this sehool 'was to teach the indigent children of the city how to sew and make garments, and, furthermore, to furnish the material and give them the completed garments. For ten years the W. C. T. U. women nobly carried on this charitable work, and from a very small beginning the work grew to such proportions that it was impossible for them to continue it alone, so they united with the Woman's Relief Society and for ten years more assisted in the maintenance of this school, when they withdrew their snp- port as a society, but helped as individuals.
One of the first, if not the very first contributions given to the society for this charitable work and which deserves special mention, was a gift of $5 by
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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY
Perry Munson, who afterwards built the fine building called by his name for the purpose of an industrial school. No publie contributions were solicited, but spontaneous gifts were gratefully received.
Other philanthropie work which the Independence union did for many years was to hold religious services at the poor farm every month and once every year carry flowers, delicacies, often a fine dinner, reading matter and personal gifts to the inmates. On their annual Flower Mission Day, June 9th, they send flowers to the sick and afflicted, and besides distributing temperance literature, they have been active in circulating petitions, and in their endeavors to have the laws pertaining to temperance and morality enforced, they also contribute to the Benediet Home at Des Moines and sneh work as may in any way advance social purity and the temperance cause. They have bought books for the library, pictures for the public schools, given books and pictures to the city hospitals, flowers and magazines to the jails and prisons, literature to sokliers on duty, made wreaths for soldiers' graves. To mention all of their benevolences would require too much space.
The Independence W. C. T. I. has always kept closely in touch with the state and national sorieties, has sent delegates to conventions, contributed liberally to the different state and national organizations' interests, had union temperance meetings at the churches, lectures and entertainments and for years has contributed a column to the weekly county papers, and is now contemplating temperance work in the public schools as suggested by the state organization. This consists of offering money prizes for the best composition on temperance subjects submitted by the pupils and the work correlates with the regular English course in school.
BUCHANAN COUNTY SUNDAY SCHOOL ASSOCIATION
On the 27th of May, 1868. a convention was held in the Baptist Church, at Independence. participated in by Rev. J. M. Boggs. Rev. John Fulton, Rev. S. A. Lee, Rev. A. K. Sanford (a visitor in the city at the time), and other local pastors and laymen.
A county Sunday school association was organized by the election of Rev. J. M. Boggs, president : (. G. Woodruff. J. Irwin and D. B. Sanford, vice presi- dents ; (. D. Jones, secretary ; and L. A. Main, treasurer. Collections were taken amounting to $15.78; $5.50 of which was appropriated to the state association, the balance used for local expenses, except 57 cents, which was passed over to the succeeding treasurer, some eleven years later. Nothing of importance seems to have been accomplished by this organization.
At a district Sunday school convention, held in the Methodist Episcopal Church, at Independener, December 17 to 19. 1878, the county association was reorganized by the election of George B. Warne, president ; II. P. Benton, vice president ; and D. B. Sanford, secretary and treasurer, with an executive commit- ter composed of W. H1. Hosmer, Mrs. C. S. Knight, Mrs. T. Kittredge and W. E. Kellogg. These officers were reelected in 1880. 1881, 1882, 1883 and 1884.
For the first few years, a Sunday school column was published in the Buchanan County Bulletin, under the editorship of President Warne. During their sev-
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eral terms, twenty-seven township conventions were held, and nine of the sixteen townships of the county more or less thoroughly organized.
Pres. Geo. B. Warne resigned, July 5, 1884, and during the following year, Viee Pres. H. P. Benton removed from the state. Nothing further was accom- plished until April 8 and 9, 1889, when a county convention was called, and held at the Congregational Church in Independence, under the direction of state organizer, H. M. Morgan, at which the following officers were elected : President, E. M. Thompson ; secretary, Mrs. G. M. Orvis; treasurer, J. E. Cook, with a vice president from each township.
From 1889, to the present time, annual county conventions have been held ; some of the brightest and best of our state workers have been before our people; much has been accomplished in the years that have gone-much is yet to be done. In the words of one of our state workers, "we must go over and over our work, because people forget and get careless, and then there are always new people coming up to be trained."
Every township has been organized and reorganized, again and again. Many of them are doing excellent work, some of our township conventions rivaling many county conventions.
That the work has grown is evidenced by the fact that whereas in the early days $15 was raised and $5 paid for state work, we now raise $150 to $175 and pay to state work $100. Where there were then a few hundred in Sunday school, our report in June, 1914, gave 3,500 members in our Sunday school. Surely our responsibility should be the greater.
E. M. Thompson was president from 1889 to 1897, exeept one year, when Mr. John Thompson, of Winthrop, was president. Since then the presidents have been: J. A. Wells, 1897-1903; M. L. Webster, 1903-1912; M. J. Potwin, 1912- 1913; M. O. Fonts, 1913.
Mrs. Carrie Warburton Harter was elected secretary in 1901, which office she still holds, a period of thirteen years.
THE BUCHANAN COUNTY MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATION
The Buchanan County Ministerial Association, of Independence and vicin- ity, was organized at the Methodist parsonage, on Mareh 18, 1895, with the fol- lowing pastors present: Rev. J. W. Horner, D. W. Fahs, W. W. Carlton, A. L. Candee, of Independence, E. J. Beyer, of Hazleton, W. H. Ensign, of Jessup. Rev. J. W. Ilorner was elected president; Rev. W. W. Carlton, secretary and treasurer.
The object of the association is for the free and mutual exchange of thought, and to promote Christian fellowship among its members and the churches to which they ministered, and by conference and co-partnership, to increase the efficiency of their work for God and fellow man.
Their programs consist of papers and discussion on religions and practical Christian topics, and the meetings still continue to exert a deep and beneficent influence in broadening and uniting the different denominations for the common good of all.
A similar organization has been maintained in the City of Independence for many years. Discussions on religious and other subjects, pertinent to the
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general social and moral welfare of the community, constitute the interesting and uplifting programs of this society.
BUCHANAN COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY
This association, an auxiliary to the American Bible Society, was organized July 26, 1857. The meeting called for this purpose was held in the Presby- terian Church, Independence. A representative of the American society was pres- ent and addressed the meeting. A constitution and the above name was adopted. The object of the society, as stated in its constitution, was to promote the circulation of the "Holy Scriptures without note or comment," and in English, those of the commonly received version. All persons contributing $1.00 to its funds were entitled to one common 40-cent Bible, or its equivalent in Testa- ments for gratis distribution, and those contributing $5.00, became members for life, and were entitled to one common Bible each year, for the purpose of dis- tribution. After the adoption of the constitution, the following officers were alerted : Rev. J. L. Kelley, president : Mr. Newman Curtis and Mr. C. C. Cad- well, vice presidents; Rev. John M. Boggs, secretary; Mr. William C. Morris, treasurer : Mr. JJ. L. Loomis and Mr. A. C. Blakeley, additional managers. Up to 1881, but seventeen annual meetings were held, but through the wise pro- vision of the constitution, requiring the officers previously elected to hold over in such cases, the society maintained its existence for many years. When Bibles became so plentiful and cheap, the actual need of the society no longer existed, so it ceased to be.
During the years when it was active, the books of the treasurer and depositary show that on an average, $160 worth of Bibles were purchased of the parent society, and distributed throughout the county each year sneceeding 1857.
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