History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 80

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574

USA > Iowa > Buchanan County > History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches > Part 80

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Mr. McCoristin was married in this city, April 5, 1869, to Miss Anna Collins, a native of Ireland. They have one child, John D., now nine years of age.

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

Of Mr. McCoristin we are pleased to say we find him a very pleasant and straightforward business man, and well calculated to succeed in the business he has chosen, being a man of energy and well acquainted with the means of securing patronage.

C. B. KANDY

was born in Syracuse, New York, April 20, 1829. He made his home with his father, John F. Kandy, till he was twenty-one years of age, save three years he spent in Woonsocket, Rhode Island, when he learned the ma- chinist's trade. In the year 1850, he accompanied his father to Belvidere, Illinois, where his father built a woollen mill and run it about one year. While the father and son were putting in and adjusting new shafts, Mr. John F. Kandy was caught by one of the revolving shafts and killed. This happened in 1851. After the event, Mr. C. B. Kandy engaged in clerking, which he followed until the spring of 1859, when in company with several others he made an overland trip to Pike's Peak, occupying over thirty days in the trip. Not find- ing matters very encouraging there, he returned in No- vember, stopping at Independence on his way, to visit his brother-in-law, Robert Plane, who was in the hard- ware business, and for whom Mr. Kandy engaged as clerk one year. The year following, he engaged in the dry goods business with a partner. In the spring of 1862 he was appointed sutler in the Twenty-seventh Iowa infantry, and held the position until the close of the war. Returning to Independence, he engaged as clerk in the hardware store of King & Kenyon, and was in their employ about three years, when he again en- gaged with Mr. Plane for about two years.

In the year IS70, he was elected by his fellow towns- men as city marshal, which position he occupied three and a half years. At the expiration of this time, he was elected to the office of constable, which trust he still holds in connection with the position of city mar- shal, which appointment he received in 1877.

Mr. Kandy married his wife in Independence in 1875, her maiden name being Anna C. Whait.

Mr. Kandy, by his strict attention to business, and by doing whatever law and duty demands regardless of friend or foe, has won for himself the highest respect of all who know him. He has been a citizen of this place since its earliest development, and takes a laudable pride in the rapid strides made by the county, and in the present condition of the county seat. In addition, we have the pleasure of stating that he is a good, sound Republican,

JOHN KLOTZBACH

was born in Germany in 1843. He came to America in 1863, locating in Independence, Iowa. His first two or three years were spent in the manufacturing of wagons, but was afterwards engaged in the grocery busi- ness about one year. In September, 1872, he built a livery barn on the river bank, where he is still to be found in the same business. In the year 1876 he had the misfortune to have his barn and all his livery stock except his horses burned to ashes. He commenced at once to rebuild, and in less than six weeks he had a new barn and was again doing a flourishing business. He is one of the good horsemen of the city, and, being a judge of good horses and fine rigs, can always suit those who patronize him. Mr. Klotzbach is attentive and accom- modating, and does his share of business along with other competitors for patronage. Mr. Klotzbach was married in the city of Independence in 1865 to Miss Mary Steimetz, a native of Germany. He has a family of three children-John, Charles and August.

Mr. Klotzbach's qualities as a business man have al- ready given him a position in the estimation of his adopted countrymen which is certain to secure for him a large success.

JACOB WACKERBARTH

was born in Germany May 30, 1855. He came to America at the age of sixteen, locating at Independence. He first engaged in the wagon making business, which he followed about one year, at the expiration of which time he went to Chicago and worked in a sash and door factory nearly one year, when he returned to Indepen- dence and engaged in the manufacture of carriages, which he followed about two years. In the month of July, 1876, he returned to the old country, where he remained about four months, settling up his father's estate. Im- mediately after his return he went into the boot and shoe business, in which he is still engaged. He was married Christmas day, 1880, in this city, to Miss Pau- line Zinn, who was born in Independence January 26, 1857; daughter of E. Zinn, a prominent citizen and busi- ness man of this place. Mr. Wackerbarth owns a fine store and complete stock. Through the reputation he has won for himself as a shrewd buyer and his live and let live principles in selling, he has secured an amount of trade which promises success for himself and satisfaction to the community. Few young men occupy so enviable a position, He has a splendid business and a beautiful home.

WASHINGTON.

ORGANIZATION.

This township was given a separate and independent organization, by order of the court, as early as 1848, and it then included the congressional townships of Washington, Hazleton, Perry and Fairbank. In course of time the townships settled up, and each one was granted a separate organization as they now are. In 1848 an election was ordered for Washington. as above set forth, and Isaac Hathaway, John Scott and John Obenchain were appointed judges of the election, but no record of that election was kept, or at least, we were unable to find any. Since that order was made, various changes have taken place in the boundaries of the town- ship. It now consists of congressional township 89.9, and sections 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 of township 88.9, also the north half and southeast fourth of section 12, the northeast quarter of northeast quarter of section 13, the north half of northwest quarter of section 7, and the grounds for the asylum of the insane, containing three hundred and twenty acres.

The present township officers are: John Hollett, D. D. Holdridge and F. W. Gifford, justices; L. M. Pratt, assessor; George Kiefer, sr., David Gill and James Saunders, trustees; C. B. Kandy and H. H. Bruce, con- stables, and John Hollett, clerk.

SETTLEMENTS PREVIOUS TO 1847.

Isaac Hathaway settled in the territory that is now Washington township, about two miles east of Indepen- dence, in September, 1845. He entered the land, upon which he settled. The farm of Elzy Wilson is a part of the original Hathaway entry.

When he came, there was a hut made mostly of poles, that had been placed there by some unknown individual, which, with some repairs, served him and his family for a home that winter.

During the winters of 1845 and 1846 they went to Centre Point for corn, which they purchased at twenty- five cents per bushel. They called the place, where they purchased this corn, Egypt.

When Mr. Hathaway settled here, there were no set- tlers north of him in the county, nor west in the town- ship; his nearest neighbors were Henry Baker, in Byron, east of him three miles, and E. G. Allen, Joseph Collier, and Gamaliel Walker, in Liberty township, five miles south. Early in the spring of 1846, he made a log house which was much more convenient and comfortable than his former residence. The first years they were here, they obtained their supplies from Du- buque mostly; there was, however, one store at Quasque-

ton, and a mill, where they ground corn only, owned by Davis & Thompson. At the time they first settled, game was plenty, such as deer and turkeys. Alexander Hath- away being then a lad of twelve years of age, but a good shot, kept the family in venison. That first winter the snow was deep, but the weather mild and pleasant for winter; and it was with considerable difficulty that they made their way to Centre Point for corn.

The next spring, in addition to building a house, he fenced eighty acres of land with rails that had been split out the winter before, by a man that Hathaway brought along with him for that purpose, from Illinois; and that year they raised a little corn, but did a large amount of breaking; for he had a large number of teams, both horses and oxen. The first years of Mr. Hathaway's res- idence here, the county was full of Indians, who made their home in the timber along the Wapsie river; they were quite friendly, but did, however, steal one of Mr. Hathaway's horses, which, after some weeks, he re- covered.

In the summer of 1847, Mr. Hathaway raised a fine crop of wheat, nearly forty bushels per acre, cut by cradles, and threshed by being trodden out by horses. Some of this wheat they drew to Dubuque, but there was no demand there for it; he, however, disposed of his surplus crops to new settlers that were continually coming. Isaac Hathaway was born in New York in 1801 ; immigrated to Ohio when quite young, and married there ; and from Ohio he went to Michigan; thence to Wiscon- sin, where he remained a number of years, and then moved to McHenry county, Illinois, while the country was quite new. From Illinois he came here with his family in 1845. He lived on the place where he first settled for about twelve years; then sold out and went again to Ohio; where, having remained a short time, he returned to this State; bought a farm near Greeley's grove; and there remained about five years, when once again the spirit of adventure came upon him, and he sold his farm and went to Cedar county, where he lived up to the day of his death, which occurred in 1872. He had but five children, all of whom are now living. Alexander Hathaway, the eldest son, is married, lives in Independence, and is a blacksmith; he has seven children, six boys and one girl. John, married to Katie Smyzer, the daughter of another old settler, lives in Wright county, and has two children, botlı girls. Hulda, married to John Hines, a wealthy stock dealer, lives in Cedar county, Iowa. Mary, married to William Paige, a dry goods and grocery dealer, lives at Mechanicsville, Cedar county. Hattie married to a Mr. Schuyler, now

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

lives at St. Louis, Missouri ; Mrs. Schuyler is the only one of the children that was born in Iowa, she having first seen the light in the log house in 1849. While Mr. Hathaway lived in Washington he was at one time the owner of four hundred acres of good land that is now very valuable. He died in very comfortable pecuniary circumstances. The first school taught in the township was in the winter of 1846-7, in Hathaway's log house and at his own private expense, by William Thompson, of Liberty township.

John Obenchain became a permanent settler here in the spring of 1846, building his shanty two miles north of the city of Independence, on what is now called "Oben- chain's creek." He was Hathaway's first neighbor in the township, yet nearly three miles from him. Having built a rude shanty, he then commenced breaking prairie with ox and horse teams, of which he had a large number and plenty of help ; for he had a large family of grown boys. He obtained money to pay for his land by raising pork and then drawing it to Dubuque, a distance of seventy miles, and selling it for two dollars and twenty-five cents per hundred. They were natives of Virginia, born and raised among its mountains. He remained here until 1850, when he went overland to California, but came back again in 1853, and lived here until 1860; when, finding neighbors too many and near to be endured, he started for the wilds of Oregon, with his cattle and savage bear dogs, his hair long and white; "a patriarch as rough and rugged and intractable, honest and sincere as the mountains which surround him and, with their friendly frown, scare back intruders." He is now a resident of Oregon, and is past eighty-five years of age. In the early years his house was ever open to the wanderer who had lost his way out on the pathless prairie. Many are still living in the county who can attest to the generous hos- pitality of the Virginian whose integrity and honesty were as true as the north star. He was also quite a hunter, always keeping a pack of hounds to track the deer, lynx, wildcat and catamount. After he had remained here a few years, he built a fine, large log house, and the same was used as a dwelling up to about 1880, when it acci- dentally caught fire and burned down ; and there is now a large and commodious farm-house, that has been erected by the present owner. He had seven children, six sons and one daughter, whose names are as follows: Bartlett, married to Nancy Morse, and living in Jackson, Oregon ; Davis, married, and moved to Kansas, then returned to Iowa, where he died, leaving a wife and one child; Mary Ann, married to Jacob Gritton, and living in Liberty township, and having a large family; James, married to Mary Jane Ship, and living in Denver, Colorado, and now keeping hotel there; Washington, married to Hannah Seely, and living in Oregon, with his father, his wife hav- ing died; John, in Oregon, engaged in herding cattle; Madison is also engaged in the sheep business.

Oscar Wickham settled in the north part of the town- ship some time in the spring of 1846, and built a shanty on the land now owned by the S. Curtis es- tate. He was a native of Ohio. After about one year's residence, he became dissatisfied, and moved

to Linn county, where the country was more thickly settled ; but remained there only a short time, and then settled in the timber along the Turkey river in Fayette county. The last heard of him was that he was a pioneer in Kansas. We could learn nothing of his family.

Michael Ginther became a settler at the same time that Wickham did, and they lived together in the same house. But in 1850 he moved into Sumner, and was the very first settler there. A history of him is given in that of Sumner township, to which we direct the at- tention of the reader.

Thomas Barr is one of the pioneers of this township, and became a settler here on the eighteenth day of No- vember, 1846, building his shanty in the north part of the township, upon land which he afterwards entered and to which he kept adding, until he is now the proud and happy owner of an excellent farm of eight hundred and forty acres. In speaking of the early times, he says "that it was much easier to raise the money to pay for land that, in later years he bought for twenty dollars per acre than it was to get the money to pay for Government land at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre." Thomas Barr was one of the eighty-one resident tax payers of this county in 1847. Of the settlers of 1845 and 1846 he is the only remaining one in the township. Hathaway, Boone and Ginther are dead, Obenchain and Wickham have moved away ; but Barr still lives on the very spot where he first settled ; the primitive house has given way to a large and commodious one. He has had four children, three of whom are now living, whose names are as follows : Joseph N., who is now in Cali- fornia, and is by profession a school teacher : John W., married and has two children, living in Hazelton town- ship ; Melissa, the daughter, is married to William Rogers, and lives in Oelwein, Fayette county, and is by profession a school teacher.

John Boone settled in the township in November, 1846, entered his land, and built a log cabin where the county poor-house now is. After living here about one year he sold to I. F. Hathaway, and he sold the place subsequently to the county. He then moved about one mile away, but in the same township ; purchased two hundred acres of land, built a log house, and began making improvements. After building a house, the next thing thought of was a school for his children. He and Isaac Hathaway built a log house, and hired a teacher in the winter of 1847 and 1848. Mr. Boone, like his brave heroic ancestry, was quite a hunter, and kept his family well supplied with good venison ; he also, like Hathaway, went to Centre Point, Linn county, the Egypt of these early settlers, for his supply of corn. He lived in this township, upon the place where he last settled, up to the time of his death, which occurred May 22, 1881, at seventy-four years of age. He died respect- ed by his fellow-citizens, living a peaceful, quiet life, and leaving behind him the record of a life well spent. His wife survives him, and still lives on the old homestead. He had ten children, who are as follows: Nelson J. Boone, married to Catharine Sult ; he is a carpenter,

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

and lives in Vinton, and has one boy ; William is married and lives in Kansas ; Susan, married to Crawford Wil- son, and lives in Kansas ; Daniel, married, and in Min- nesota ; Morgan, married to Olive King, the daughter of an old settler in the county, and lives in Byron town- ship ; Jane, married to Emanuel Wardell, and lives in Byron ; John, married and lives in Byron ; Charles is married, and lives in Nebraska ; Benjamin, married, and lives at the old home in this township; Hellen lives at home with her mother. The four last-named children were born here. John Boone, the father, was born in Preble county, Ohio, May 15, 1807. In 1829 he im- migrated to Cass county, Michigan, with his brother, George Boone, and, while living there, was married to Mary Sutton, October 1, 1829. In the spring of 1835 they immigrated to McHenry county, Illinois, the county was then new, and but sparsely settled. And in the fall of 1846 he immigrated to this township, having heard of Iowa's fertile prairies, beautiful streams and springs.

SURFACE, SOIL, PRODUCTION, ETC.

In all these Washington is so similar to the other Wapsie river townships, whose peculiarities are sufficient- ly described elsewhere, that we do not deem it necessary to occupy time and space with their description here.

OTTERVILLE.

The only village in Washington township is a pleasant little hamlet, situated on Otter creek, about half a mile from its junction with the Wapsie. It was platted about the year 1857 by Robert T. Young, who owned the ground. There is an excellent water-power at that point, and a saw-mill was built there in 1854, by James Dyer, and three years later, a grist-mill. The former was abandoned in 1878. The latter, since March, 1875, has been owned and operated by V. F. Wieser. It has two run of stone for flour, and one for feed. While the county was producing plenty of wheat, it did custom work alone. Since the failure of the wheat crop it has become so far a merchant mill that its owner purchases wheat from Minnesota, or wherever he can obtain it at best advantage -- manufactures the flour, and sells it only to the surrounding inhabitants. There is water enough, most of the time, for constant grinding. During a dry time the stones run about fourteen hours a day. The dam has a fall of ten feet; and the mill a capacity of about twelve to fifteen bushels of grain per hour. A black- smith shop was started here the next year after the saw- mill by Homer Sanders. A wagon shop, in 1859, by Enoch and Zachariah Hall. This is now owned and carried on by G. R. Addis, who has been its proprietor since 1869. At first he made a good many wagons-the last being three years ago-but now he keeps a repair shop only. We thought we detected a little sarcasm in Mr. Addis' tone and manner when he informed us that he finds the repairing of city-made wagons quite as prof- itable as the making of new ones.

A post office was established here about the year 1860, the first postmaster being George I .. Wilcox. His suc- cessors have been a Mr Ostrander, S. H. Stanard,

George Sprague and J. T. Anderson, the present incum- bent, appointed in 1872.

The first store was established in the village, in the winter of 1861 and 1862, mostly groceries and "notions." Mr. Anderson, the postmaster, now has a store (in which the postoffice is kept) well filled with groceries and dry- goods.

A hotel was opened here in 1863 by a Mr. Robertson, which was kept up by various parties till 1875. Since then there has been no regular hotel ; but we found Reuben Bardine and his obliging wife ready to act the host and hostess by giving shelter from the rain to our- selves and our horse ; and by furnishing entertainment for both, of an excellent quality, and at a reasonable price. We were pleased to learn that drinking saloons have been only an occasional nuisance here; and that there has been none at all for the past two or three years.

A tri-weekly mail comes to the village from Indepen- dence-Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.

The first bridge across the Otter was built in 1868. The fine iron structure which spans it now was built by the county in 1877.

The only shoeshop in the village is kept by Reuben Fisher.

The Methodist Church is the only religious organiza- tion, established about 1861 or 1862. The present preacher is the Rev. Hiram Bailey, for whom the society furnishes a comfortable parsonage. They have no church edifice, but hold their services in the school-house. This station is on a circuit having four other preaching places connected with it.

CEMETERIES OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP, INCLUDING INDEPENDENCE.

In 1859 a cemetery was laid out north of the Illinois Central railroad by Dr. R. W. Wright, and called Inde- pendence cemetery. It is not used now for burial pur- poses, and many of the remains have been taken up and placed in other cemeteries; yet there are some graves here, their places marked by the tombstones. We are also informed that at a very early date they buried just north of Independence, in what is now called Scarcliff's addition.

In 1850 one was laid out in the southwestern part of the city of Independence by Norman Bassit, and was used for that purpose until of late years. There are quite large number of graves there. It is now the property of a T. J. Burr, with the exception of the lots that have been sold to different parties.

A cemetery was laid out in the southeast part of the township by E. Wilson in 1852. Afterwards a cemetery association was formed, who now own the property, and the trustees are E. Miller, Thomas Ozias, and Clinton Wilson. It covers two acres of land, and nearly one- half is occupied with graves.

James Saunders, about 1871, purchased two acres of land in the north part of the township, and near the vil- lage of Otterville, in section seventeen, and laid it out in a cemetery. There are quite a large number of graves there. Mrs. Saunders, wife of James Saunders, was the first person buried there.

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HISTORY OF BUCHANAN COUNTY, IOWA.

St. John's Catholic burying place, just north of the city of Independence, about one-fourth of a mile, was laid out and set apart as a burying place in September, 1863. It contains four acres of land, and full two-thirds of it is occupied. There are some fine monuments, and many beautiful and expensive tombstones.

Richard Campbell and E. Ross, in June, 1864, laid out a cemetery south of the city of Independence, and within the city limits, on the banks of the Wapsie, con- sisting of eight acres, but in June, 1877, an addition of five acres was made thereto. There are here a large number of graves and some very fine monuments, and the place will eventually be one of great beauty. The owners of lots, who have relatives buried there, have taken pains to beautify and ornament them by putting around their lots tasteful fences, and setting out orna- mental trees. This and the Catholic burying place are the principal ones for those living in or near the city of Independence. The founders gave it the name of Oak Wood, by which name it has been known ever since.

Sampson George was born in Yorkshire, England, September 13, 1825. He came to America with his father, Sampson George, sr., in the autumn of 1836, who located in Rockford, Illinois. Here he purchased a farm, and expected to make it his home, but in five weeks afterwards was stricken down by death. He left a family of five children, Sampson being the oldest son. They were a lonely family in a strange land, but, in spite of all these disappointments, they kept together as one family till his oldest sister was married, which happened five years afterwards. Sampson remained at home till he arrived at the age of twenty-one, when his next younger brother took charge of the farm, and he started out to face life alone. His first enterprise was the pur- chase of forty acres of land on time. This he had about paid for when he sold it to his brother and came to Bu- chanan county in the year 1852. His first year was spent with Mr. Gamaliel Walker, who is still a resident of Perry township. His first entry of land was in 1851, in sections twenty-seven and twenty-eight, in Fairbank township. This he sold the following year, and pur- chased one hundred and twenty acres in the same township in sections fifteen and twenty-one. In the fall he added forty acres to it, and moved on to it the first of November, and erected a log house. Here he made his home for twenty-six years, reared all his family, and added to his possessions until he became the owner of six hundred and twenty acres.

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History of Buchanan County, Iowa, with illustrations and biographical sketches, Part 80

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902 Publication date: 1881 Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers Number of Pages: 574

Author: Williams bros., Cleveland, pub. [from old catalog]; Riddle, A. G. (Albert Gallatin), 1816-1902
Publication date: 1881
Publisher: Cleveland, Williams brothers
Number of Pages: 574