USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 24
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G. L. Mills purchased of the company the first lot sold in the embryo town and O. D. Barmim secured the second one. On the 22d day of September, 1871, G. L. Mills commeneed excavating a cellar, preparatory to erecting a business house. The first build- ing, however, that stood on the town site and was used for mercan- tile purposes, was a frame structure, which was moved from near distriet No. 1 schoolhouse in Lower grove. This was fitted up with shelves and counters and converted into a general store by the firm of Moss & Sturtz. Before all preliminaries had been completed by Moss & Sturtz, however, the firm of Thomas Broth- ers had gotten on display to patrons a stock of hardware, installed in an unfinished building, so that as a matter of fact the Thomas Brothers may be considered to have been the first merchants in Greene. The reader will have noticed that the distinction is finely drawn, as the interval between the opening of the two stores was a very short one.
The first store building erected for the purpose and finished was that of G. L. Mills, and shortly after the two initial stores had opened their doors, in fact, in the same month, a combined grocery and drug store was established here by the firm of Trim- ble & Spaulding. Also, on the first of the last month mentioned, a stock of groceries and dry goods was shipped from Waterloo to
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Greene for the McClure Brothers and in a week thereafter this concern had its doors open to the public and was selling goods over its counters. So, as a matter of fact, the month after the town had been platted, Greene was amply supplied with business establishments, when one considers that there were not fifty souls in the place.
The lumber for a grain elevator was hauled from Clarksville and on the ground before the completion of the railroad, and as soon as the railroad was running trains, C. T. Sampson had the elevator ready for grain. While waiting for the warehouse, the firm of Barnum & Case had bought considerable grain and stored it in a barn purchased of J. E. Eikenberry and were the first to engage in the traffic.
The first woman resident of Greene was the wife of A. H. Bell. The latter bought the Eikenberry residence from the rail- road and Mrs. Bell converted it into a boarding house.
The first lumberyard was established here by F. W. Smith in 1871 and that same year a wagon bridge was built over the Shell Rock river. This was a much needed improvement and was paid for by the county appropriating $5,000. The railroad contrib- uted an additional $1,000 and the citizens $1,000.
The Gault House was the successor to the "Travelers Home" and was ready for its guests about the time trains were running through the place. The doors of this hostelry were first opened by Bradley & Farrell. Later the name was changed to the DeGraw Hotel, which finally terminated its existence by going up in flames. At present Greene has two hotel buildings-the Commercial, a substantial frame, and the Kessler. To monop- olize the traffic the proprietor of the Kessler secured the Com- mercial property and closed its doors, so that the traveling public is compelled to patronize the former, willy nilly.
Shortly after traffic on the railroad had commenced a branch of a bank at Cedar Falls, known as the Bank of Greene, was estab- lished and continued in operation until 1875, when its doors were summarily closed and the institution went into liquidation. The cashier, J. L. Spaulding, left for parts unknown.
The opening of a harness shop by J. H. Cooksey is reckoned by the coming of the railroad; also a grocery and fruit store by the Baughman brothers: a blacksmith shop by one Gould ; a boot and shoe store by John Reed ; and a saloon by a man named Rob- erts. The character of the settlers not being libations or ribald,
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soon disgusted the run seller, and in a few short weeks Greene was purged of its infection and Roberts sought a more congenial sphere for his chosen vocation.
No town in Butler county grew so rapidly from the beginning as did Greene. The town hardly had been platted before material was on the ground for buildings and within thirty days after the town site was platted there were four business concerns selling goods to the farmers of the surrounding country, which has no superior, from an agricultural viewpoint, in the state of Iowa. And Greene continued to advance in its building operations, increase of mercantile establishments and population, until, in 1873, two years after its birth, the Butler County Press. estab- lished at Greene in the month of August of that year, was led to publish the following interesting facts: In 1873 Greene has a population of 500, one church, a good schoolhouse, one drug store, one shoe store, one planing mill, one wagon factory, four dry goods and grocery stores, two harness shops, two hotels, two mil- linery stores, two banks, two agricultural warehouses, two black- smith shops, three grain warehouses, two lumberyards, two saloons and one restaurant, a town library. The Press apparently was well patronized in 1874, as the following advertisers indicate: Physicians, C. C. Huckins. V. C. Birney and W. H. Nichols; A. Hardman, drayman ; R. F. Graupner, barber; John Collins, boots and shoes : J. L. Cole, druggist : Charles Northfoss, door and sash manufacturer: C. H. Baughman, architect; E. Wilson, county recorder; Theodore Coley, blacksmith: Henry Fevereisen, Dubnque Hotel; Mrs. M. Ball, millinery; William M. Foote. lawyer; J. W. Gilger, lawyer; George W. Long, New Hotel; A. Bradley. Gault House : S. W. Soesbe. real estate; J. M. Wegand, painter: E. W. Soesbe, machines; S. T. Hotchkiss, general mer- chandise : Morris Ball, hardware: Bank of Greene, J. L. Spauld- ing, cashier; Barnum, Case & Company, Inmber: Young & Pope, furniture: A. W. Collins, architeet : W. R. McClure, general mer- chandise; J. Pennock, boots and shoes: S. Thomas & Company, hardware; L. A. Boller & Brother, jewelry; N. W. Thomas & Company, agricultural warehouse: Johnston & Hill, wagon and carriage works; Trimble & Stranahan, drugs; D. E. Shook, machinery ; C. Snyder, harness ; F. D. Mabee, restaurant ; Trim- ble & Barney, livery ; Charles V. McClure, land office ; E. Jordan. real estate; George L. Mills, general merchandise; T. F. Heery. lumber; F. M. Root & Company, general merchandise.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
POSTOFFICE
The settlers of Coldwater township secured a distributing and receiving point for their mail in the year 1855, which was called Elm Springs postoffice and John Miller, who kept the office at his residence, just south of the town which was later named Greene, was appointed postmaster, and retained the position until in the '60s, when Samuel Earnest was made his successor; the office was then moved to Mr. Earnest's home, which stood south of the old roundhouse. There have been several worthy citizens incumbents of this office, but their names are not ready to hand. However, W. A. MeClure is the present Federal official and the postoffice is in commodious rooms on Main street.
THE WANATAH MILL
In the autumn of 1874 the frame of the mill which stood on the east bank of the Shell Rock river at the entrance to the bridge was raised and in 1875 the structure was completed by the owner, E. Hiller, and the machinery started. The original building was 40x50 feet with an office 20x20. With the stone basement it was two stories in height. The mill was equipped with four run of stone and had a grinding capacity of 100 barrels a day. The cost was $18,000. By repeated disasters, occasioned by continued washing away of the dam, Mr. Hiller lost the property. George W. Dellinger, of Ripon, Wisconsin, was the next owner. The dam was reinforced and the Dellingers-P. N. and Buurt-sons of the purchaser. managed the industry for many years and up to the time it was destroyed by fire. In 1884 the property came into the hands of the Greene Water Power & Mill Company, composed of John Earnest, S. W. Soesbe, Henry Fevereisen, Dr. J. Nevins. R. Miner and others, who built the present mill. About 1890 the Greene Manufacturing Company became the owners and operated the mill until 1908, when it passed into the hands of the present owners, the Greene Electric Light & Power Company.
TOWN OF GREENE INCORPORATED
The town of Greene was incorporated in 1879 and had a pop- ulation at the time of 700. The district court had granted articles of incorporation on a generously signed petition of the citizens.
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and soon thereafter an election was held, at which the following municipal officers were chosen: Mayor, C. T. Lamson; trustees, J. L. Cole, S. W. Soesbe, G. L. Mills, Henry Feyereisen, W. Il. Rupert, R. Miner. On the 20th of September. and immediately following the election, the officials met in their first regular ses- sion and qualified under oath administered by Justice Riner. Upon completion of the council's organization, on motion, O. D. Barnum was appointed recorder; C. Crocker, marshal and street commissioner. G. L. Mills acted as clerk and took the minutes of the proceedings. At the second meeting of council, William Soesbe was selected as treasurer and C. W. Gilger, solicitor.
At a meeting of conneil held in October, 1879, The Butler County Press volunteered to publish the proceedings of the coun- cil free of charge and all ordinances at fifty cents per square ineh. The offer was accepted. In the same month Councilmen Riner, Mills and Fevereisen comprised a committee which built the city "lockup." The building was a frame and had two cells. A front room was used as the council chamber. This sufficed for a while and then another was built on the site of the present eity hall.
A DIMINUTIVE FERRY
It may not be generally known that Greene at one time main- tained a ferry, for the convenience of the citizens who desired to cross from one bank of the usually placid Shell Rock river to the other, while the bridge was in course of erection across that stream. It is true, however, that a committee of council was appointed January 8, 1880, composed of Mayor C. T. Lamson, and Councilmen Mills and Rupert, to build a ferry boat, to be used in crossing the river, and while the records are not explicit on the point, it is to be presumed that the ferry was built and operated during the emergency period herein mentioned. These improvements all took place under the administration of Mayor C. T. Lamson. The names of his successors in the office of chief executive, and that of the clerks follow in their order: Mayors-V. C. Birney, H. H. Barnett. C. T. Lamson, C. W. Soesbe, Andrew Glodery, Charles Gates, A. Glodery, Oliver McGee, L. K. Reid, Edwin Morrill, W. H. Buchholz, Edwin Mor- rill, Paul Deveraux, William F. Nolteriek, H. H. Barnett, E. W. Parno, John Hessalroad; clerks-O. C. Barnum, C. W. Lyford, M. Hartness, Dan Carney, C. E. Mabee, R. L. Doore, F. L. Stober. LeRoy Niles.
HIGH SCHOOL, GREENE
BIRD'S-EYE VIEW OF GREENE
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THE SCHOOLS
The schools at Greene were identified and set apart in 1866 as comprising district No. 4, but in 1873 the territory was reor- ganized as an independent district. Prior to this, however, the district had two frame schoolhouses, which accommodated the one hundred and fifty pupils. But the number of children of school age increased quite rapidly and by 1877 ontgrew the capacities of the buildings. Hence, in the year just mentioned, a large frame structure was erected on the hill overlooking the town and on the site of the present high school building. This was of frame, veneered with brick, two stories in height and cost $6,000, and continued in use until 1896, when it was destroyed by fire. A new and more modern structure immediately took its place. It is of brick material, contains six rooms and an assembly room, the latter having a capacity of one hundred pupils. The grades num- ber twelve, with a high school having an accredited rating. This school is presided over by six teachers, exclusive of the city super- intendent, and all concerned are now provided with most of the conveniences to be found in the schools of modern times. The building and equipment cost about $15,000 when first crected. In 1911 an addition to the building brought the cost up to $20,000. On the west side of the town is another school building, a brick- veneered frame, having four rooms and erected at a cost of prob- ably $8,000. There are four teachers who preside over the elementary educational destinies of the children in that locality.
GREENE LIBRARY
Early in February, 1873, when Greene was still in short dresses, so to speak, a library association was formed by certain of the village's progressive men and women. The name and title of the organization is the "Library Association of Greene, But- ler County, Iowa," and by means of contributions of books and receipts from entertainments a sum was gathered which formed a fund for the purchase of books, which became the nucleus of the present library. Further, through the beneficence of Judge George Greene, an endowment fund of $1.200 was secured for the purchase of books, the interest from the fund only being avail- able for that purpose. As the years have gone by the association has kept its course in a conservative manner and today has a
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valuable and splendid collection of books which now numbers about 2,500 volumes, 500 volumes of which were selected for juvenile readers and their possible edification. The first president of the association was C. T. Lamson, and C. S. Stranahan assumed the duties of secretary. The personnel of the present official list follows: President, Benjamin Boardman: vice president, Mrs. F. D. Mabee; treasurer, O. C. Perrin; secretary, F. L. Stober; librarian, Miss Marion Hodgdon.
For years the library's headquarters were first in one law office and then in another. But when the new city hall was com- pleted and occupied pressure was brought to bear upon the council and that body was prevailed upon to give the library a permanent home. Hence, since 1910, the library has been com- fortably and conveniently located on the second floor of the city hall.
THE CITY HALL
While comparisons are more or less obnoxious, still it will not be going too far to say that Greene has the best and most pre- tentions municipal building in Butler county. This utility was made possible by an appropriation of council in 1910 and before the year had expired a handsome two-story brick structure was built on Second street, at a cost of $3,600. The first floor is de- voted to the fire department and apparatus : also the rear part of it contains the steel cages of the city bastile. The upper floor is given over to the council, mayor, city clerk and library. .
WATERWORKS
Feeling the need of a sufficient supply of water for public and domestic uses, a movement gained headway in 1900, for the estab- lishment of a system of municipal waterworks. The question of building waterworks and issuing $9,500 in bonds for their con- struction, was submitted to the electorate of Greene on the 23d of July, 1900, and was carried by a generous majority. Work was at once commenced on the construction of the improvement. One well, five feet in diameter and twenty-five feet in depth, was drilled and an excellent quality of aqua pura obtained. Mains were laid throughout the main thoroughfares and a steel tower. upon which rests a wooden tank with a capacity of 50.000 gal-
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lons, was erected, and today Greene has a splendid waterworks system, obtained at an original cost of $12,000. By an arrange- ment with the electric light company, power for pumping the water was secured.
SEWERAGE SYSTEM
No town of the importance and size of Greene can consider itself safe, from a sanitary standpoint, and have a completed system of waterworks without sewerage. This proposition has been realized as being the only tenable one in the premises, by the leading minds of the place and at this writing preliminary proceedings of the town council have reached a stage which make it a certainty that in the spring of the present year a system of sewerage will be inaugurated.
POLICE AND FIRE DEPARTMENTS
There are no saloons in Butler county, consequently no nui- sance of the kind has an abiding place in Greene. This prefatory remark serves to bolster the assertion that the people of this place are quiet and orderly in their daily walks and have but little use for a police force. The office of marshal is a creation of law, however. and the authorities following the mandates of the law, at regular intervals make provisions for the selection of a compe- tent and eligible man to fill the position. Practically, he is a mere figurehead and his duties chiefly consist in parading the streets and drawing a monthly salary. The fire department is of the volunteer order. But when an alarm of fire shatters the nor- mal placidity of the citizens every one becomes a member of the department and, if possible, will be found at the scene of con- flagration, doing a neighborly turn, by working valiantly and oft- times furiously, in subduing and annihilating the fiery foe. The city is well equipped with 1,500 feet of hose, two hose carts, a hook and ladder wagon and twenty-one fire hydrants.
LIGHTING SYSTEM
The lighting system in Greene belongs to a private corpora- tion, known as the Greene Electric Light & Power Company, whose officers are: President, W. H. Buchholz; vice president, Vol. 1-19
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M. Blumer; secretary, R. Miner; treasurer, F. L. Stober. The company was incorporated July 1, 1906, and has two separate plants, one on the west side, the motive power of which is steam, and the other on the east side, which is run by water power. The first named plant was built by Charles Callender. Eventually, he sold the property to his father, John Callender, and T. B. Bowman, both deceased. The latter had disposed of their inter- ests in the utility to F. J. Fiffner, who sold out to the present proprietors. This plant is used only in cases of emergency. The East Side plant was started in 1909, by the Greene Electric Light & Power Company, who also own the mill property and dam. South of and adjoining the mill the power house, constructed of concrete, was built, and equipped with machinery to serve a direct current to its patrons.
FINANCIAL
The early history of banking in Greene probably should remain untold, as the end of the first institution of the kind established here, was in the nature of a disaster. The Bank of Greene, a branch of a Cedar Falls concern, opened its doors for business in the latter part of 1871 or early in 1872. But in 1875 the bank collapsed : the cashier, J. L. Spaulding, left under a clond.
The First State Bank was organized December 15, 1887. with a capital stock of $50,000. This institution is the ontgrowth of the Shell Rock Valley Bank. which began business the 20th day of January, 1875, with a capital stock of $50,000. The promoters of the enterprise were N. B. Ridgeway, A. Slimmer, Joe Rosen- baum, M. B. Wamsley and Jeremiah Perrin. A reorganization took place December 11, 1883, and under a charter secured under the national banking act the institution continued operations as the First National Bank, capitalized at $55,000. A. Slimmer. C. H. Wilcox, Jeremiah Perrin, Andrew Glodery. Lewis Forthun. Samuel McRoberts, Sr. and N. B. Ridgeway were the incorpora- tors. The management continued under the Federal jurisdiction three years and on November 8. 1886. reorganized as the State Bank. reducing the capital stock to $50,000. December 15, 1887. the name and title were changed to the First State Bank, having for its list of officials the following named persons: President. Jeremiah Perrin : vice president, A. Glodery ; cashier, M. Hart- ness. In January, 1892. upon the resignation of Mr. Hartness.
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O. C. Perrin was elected to fill the vacancy, and retained the position until January 13, 1903. From that time to the present the following officers have served the bank: O. C. Perrin, presi- dent; M. J. Perrin, vice president; F. L. Stober, cashier; D. H. Ellis and G. R. Watterson, assistants. The home of the bank is in a two-story brick building, which it erected in 1887. Capi- tal, $50,000; surplus and undivided profits, $100,000; deposits, $544,000.
There is no record of any other bank in Greene until 1883, when E. W. Soesbe, S. W. Soesbe and J. B. Shepardson started a private banking house. In 1892, S. W. Soesbe died, but the business continued on under the direction of E. W. Soesbe and J. B. Shepardson until 1903. In the year last named, E. W. Soesbe, J. B. Shepardson, C. H. Williams, W. W. Thorpe and Edwin Morrill incorporated the Merchants National Bank, with a capital stock of $50,000. The board of directors elected the fol- lowing officers: President, E. W. Soesbe; vice president, J. B. Shepardson; cashier, C. W. Soesbe. In 1904, E. W. Soesbe passed away and J. B. Shepardson was elected his successor to the presi- dency. For two years Edwin Morrill filled the office of vice president and retired in 1908, C. W. Soesbe succeeding him. D. H. Ellis followed Soesbe in the cashier's office and remained in the position two years, when he was followed by B. N. Mead. Mr. Mead served in this capacity two years and then gave way to the present cashier, G. A. Carney. The home of the bank was built by the Soesbes in 1883. Capital, $50,000; surplus, $10,000; deposits $225,000.
THE THEATRE
The town of Greene has a theatre building that is certainly no discredit to the community. The structure was erected on Traer street in 1913 by Frank Phillips, of Clarksville, at a cost of $8,500. The front shows an arched entresol and the interior has a stage and opera chairs elevated from front to rear of the room. The place is given over to the "Movies," or picture shows, which are selected and conducted upon a high moral plane. The town also has an opera house, where a good class of traveling thespians often display their talents to admiring audiences.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
Rev. S. W. Ingham, in the early territorial days of Towa, was a Methodist circuit rider and while traversing his district of
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something near four hundred miles, he arrived on horseback at the home of James Griffith, in Coldwater township, on the 18th day of June, 1853. He stopped over-night at the hospitable cabin home and for breakfast the next morning he feasted on deliciously cooked venison, corn cakes and coffee. The informa- tion that he was a clergyman gladdened the hearts of his hosts and immediately they called in a few neighbors and to them the man of God preached the Gospel, which was the first sermon ever heard in Coldwater township. The visit of Rev. Ingham and his sermon was an incentive to his auditor's to form a Methodist class and this might be considered the nucleus of the Methodist church in Greene. In 1854. Rev. William Gough was a preacher on this circuit. He was followed in 1855 by Rev. William P. Hol- brook and meetings were held at irregular periods in the homes of the settlers and in schoolhouses until in the spring of 1872, when Rev. Philip W. Gould formally organized "the Class of Greene" with the following named members: James Griffith and wife. Mrs. Ella Soesbe, Mrs. Mary Spaulding and Mrs. Court- right and daughter. J. H. Cooksey, class leader: James Griffith, steward. The year succeeding Rev. Z. R. Ward was in charge. Rev. James II. Gilruth ministered to the spiritual needs com- mencing his labors in 1874. Since then men of worth and sound intellect have followed in the footsteps of the early pastors. Their names follow: Revs. Enoch Holland, 1875-6-7: George B. Shoe- maker, 1878-9: David E. Skinner, who soon resigned on account of ill health and was succeeded by John A. Brown, who was fol- lowed by B. A. Wright. T. M. Anderson, W. A. Gibbons, P. J. Leonard, T. E. Taylor. C. R. Alderson, R. D. Black. George E. Shearer. C. S. Cole. F. Bindenberger, B. W. Soper. R. H. Puckett and L. S. Lockard, now in charge.
The Methodists built a church in 1877. which cost them $3.000. It was dedicated by a son of the circuit rider, Rev. S. W. Ingham. twenty-four years after his father preached to a small gathering of pioneers in the humble cabin home of James Griffith. In 1897 a wing was added to each side of the church and with interior decorations the sum of $1,500 was expended to cover the cost of improvements. Interior decorations in 1912 cost $1.000. A Sun- day school was established in 1877. with forty members: the attendance has grown to two hundred. The membership of the church is two hundred and ten.
LUTHERAN CHURCH, GREENE
BRETHREN CHURCH, GREENE
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PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
Rev. Richard Morrill organized the Presbyterian church in June, 1863, at the Hart schoolhouse on section 13. The charter members were Solomon Sturtz, Rebecca Sturtz, Henry McNabb, John Sturtz, Emanuel Leidig, Susan Sturtz, Elizabeth Sturtz, Anna E. McNabb, Rebecca Leidig, Sarah C. Sturtz and John Mc- Nabb. The society reorganized in 1872, as the First Presbyterian Church of Greene, through the offices of a committee from Water- loo, consisting of Revs. George Graham and W. R. Smith; Elders A. D. Barnum and Seman Armstrong. The charter members were Henry McNabb, Solomon Sturtz, Mrs. Rebecca Earnest, Mrs. Sarah C. Hart, Mrs. Ellen Paulsey, Emanuel Leidig, Mrs. Rebecca Leidig, Mrs. Jennie Bentley. The organization took place at the Moore schoolhouse and the first pastor was Rev. George Graham, of Clarksville, who presided at Greene alternate Sun- days for five years. His successors follow : Revs. David James, September, 1877-September, 1878; C. Gaston, intervals from November, 1878-May, 1881; W. H. McKee, May, 1881-Janu- ary, 1882; E. J. Marshall, May, 1882-August, 1882; J. F. Curtis, February, 1883-February, 1886; D. A. Murray, May, 1887 --
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