USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 29
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well with other Butler county towns and as a trading point there is none better, when size and facilities are considered. The community is one of the wealthiest in the county as the highly improved farms and town residences plainly attest.
MUNICIPAL ELECTRIC LIGHT PLANT
Aplington stands well forward in the ranks of incorporated towns of its class, and is gradually acquiring the utilities found in her larger competitors. On the 26th day of July, 1913, the question of building an electric light plant and issuing $7,000 in bonds for the purpose was presented to the electorate at a special election, and was carried by a very generous majority of all the votes cast; in fact, the local sentiment was almost unanimous for the improvement. By the end of the year, this useful and con- venient utility was completed. A cement power house was erected, in which were installed a kerosene engine and large alter- Dating-current dynamos. The merchants erected ten five-globe electroliers and now the business houses and many of the resi- dences are supplied with the modern and mysterious lights pro- duced by electricity. This plant also supplies the current for the public and private lights at Austinville, about five miles west of Aplington, in Washington township, a village named in honor of Henry Austin, a pioneer of Butler county. Henry Austin and his brother located in Washington township in 1867, where from time to time they purchased tracts of land, until their holdings amounted to two thousand acres. Henry, while driving his auto- mobile on the 22d day of February, 1912, sustained injuries which caused his death. William is now retired and makes his home with a daughter, Mrs. Dick Voogd. He is now in his sixty-eighth year.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS
The forerunner of the Exchange Bank was a private bank- ing concern, established by A. M. Whaley in 1878. This pioneer merchant was one of Aplington's busy and energetic town build- ers, engaging in several lines of industry, notably a flax elevator. which he often filled to its capacity of seven thousand bushels. In 1896, Mr. Whaley sold his bank to N. H. Reints and H. J. De Buhr, who still conduct the business and have a large clien-
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tele. In 1902, they opened a bank in Kesley and placed Herman N. Reints, a son of N. H. Reints, in charge. The firm of Reints & De Buhr also maintain lumberyards at Aplington and Kesley and the homes of both banks are substantial brick structures of modern designs. The Aplington building was erected by Mr. Reints in 1900 and the Kesley building in 1909.
The Farmers Savings Bank was organized under the laws of lowa in 1906. The incorporators were Fred Weiss, A. Ontges, J. Jerdens, John Spicker, C. Primus, H. H. Dreyer and William Klingenborg. Capital stock, $15,000. First officials: A. Ontges, president; C. Primus, vice president; Diek Spieker, cashier. The latter resigned his position in 1909 and was succeeded by Albert Dreyer. The last statement of the bank shows the capital is $15,000; surplus and undivided profits, $7,500; deposits, $125,000. The bank's home is in the cast half of a large modern brick build- ing recently purchased, which was ereeted for P. Arends' hard- ware store.
CHURCHES THAT HAVE BEEN
The oldest church building in Aplington belonged to the Meth- odist society, the first religious organization to be established in the town. The forermer of this society was a series of meet- ings held at the home of R. R. Parriott in 1855 by Reverend Mr. Crippin, a circnit rider. Later meetings were held at the home of Thomas Nash on section 30. The society was formally organ- ized at the Parriott home and in 1860 the schoolhonse at Apling- ton was secured for holding regular services, Father John Connell presiding. In 1870 a church building was erected on lots donated by E. Y. Royce and dedicated by Elder Kendig, December 18, 1870. Reverend Platt was the first regular pastor. For many years this congregation held together, but in later years the German element became predominant in the community, acquiring the land and establishing churches of their own. As the Germans increased those of American birth decreased, the latter giving way to the newcomers and removing to other parts of the country. This militated against the Methodist organization to the extent that it was finally disbanded and the church property was sold.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The settlers affiliating with the Presbyterian elmirch effected an organization at Aplington July 25. 1869, and held their first
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NEW GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH, APLINGTON
TILE FACTORY, APLINGTON
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meetings at the schoolhouse and the Methodist church. Rev. R. Boag was the organizing minister and the first members were: George B. Smith, Eliza Smith, Lydia F. Smith, Margaret Stock- dale, James Stockdale, James S. Montgomery, Jane Montgomery, Mrs. T. Johnson, Mrs. Rachel Quinn, Alfred Burnham, Joseph Montgomery, Alexander McMullen.
In 1889 the church edifice was erected and on the last Sabbath day in December of that year the dedicatory exercises and sermon were discussed by a large assemblage of members and visitors. The parsonage was built during the administration of Reverend Beebe and since the beginning the church has prospered and now has a membership of sixty. Names of its pastors are given below :
Miles Smith, J. W. Van Emman, C. H. Gravenstein, W. A. McMin, G. M. Tourtellot, David F. Williams, George Earhart, Wilson Ardale, L. M. Beebe, T. N. Buchanan, Elmer Ankerman, H. W. Stillman, S. F. Rederus, George Ballinger and T. N. Buchanan.
GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH
The membership of the Baptist faith of German nationality organized the German Baptist church at the schoolhouse in dis- trict No. 3, Washington township, in 1874. under the guidance of Elder Schroeder. In a little while the society began attending the church at Pleasant valley, but in the year 1884, or thereabouts, a church building was erected in Aplington by the society, which prospered and grew so rapidly that in 1904 a larger building became necessary. To this end a handsome structure was built in the last mentioned year at a cost of $7,000, which was destroyed by fire in 1912. This was replaced by a larger and handsomer edifice which cost $9,000.
The first members of the local German Baptist church were H. Dreyer, Sr., and family, Henry Dallman, David Mever, Lubert Luberts, Garbrand Roos, Amos Beckhoff. Herman Reints. O. Althoff, J. Muntinga and several others. Rev. J. Engelmann was the first pastor. He was succeeded by William Paul, C. Tietge, William Pheiffer, Louis Wiesle and the present pastor, Detmar Koester. The membership is one hundred and seventy.
THE GERMAN REFORMED CHURCH
The Reformed church was organized at Aplington April 23. 1908, with the following charter members: Mr. and Mrs. K.
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Brouwer, Mr. and Mrs. A. Bengen, Mr. and Mrs. J. Haan, Mrs. HI. O. Muller, C. Groninga, Mr. and Mrs. T. Busemann, Miss R. Busemann, Mrs. R. Busemann, Mr. and Mrs. H. Ebens, Jacob Busemann, Mr. and Mrs. J. Gersema, C. M. Janssen, Miss F. Janssen, J. Tjabrings, Mr. and Mrs. Klingenborg, Ecko Mennen, Mrs. E. Mennen, Rieke Busemann, Mrs. R. Busemann, Mrs. A. Jurgena.
The first services were held in the Methodist Episcopal church and in October, 1910, this society bought the property and placed some needed improvements. There has been but one pastor, Rev. G. Zindler, who is still attending to the spiritual needs of a pros- perous and worthy congregation.
CHAPTER XXVII
PITTSFORD TOWNSHIP AND TOWN OF DUMONT
Pittsford township consists of what is known as township 92 north, range 18 west. It is situated in the west central part of the county, being bordered on the west by Franklin county. Its surface is rolling prairie, varied by the presence of the valleys of several streams, most of which are bordered by some natural timber. The valleys of these streams are none of them of great width but are of sufficient depth to render the surface of some portions of the township rather irregular. The main branch of the West Fork traverses the township from northwest to south- east, entering on the west near the line between sections 17 and 18 and flowing out into Madison township near the southern end of the line joining sections 34 and 35. Boylan's creek flows through the township from north to south, principally in the eastern part of the township. This stream west of Bristow is bordered by lime stone bluffs which were formerly quarried and the stone burned for lime in several kilns which have now been abandoned.
Two lines of railroad pass through the township-the Chicago Great Western and the Minnesota division of the Northwestern. These roads cross at Dumont, which is the most important trad- ing point of the township. Bristow is situated on the border between Pittsford and West Point townships.
The farm land of the township is all in a high state of cultiva- tion. The farms for the most part are occupied by resident land- owners and the improvements are such as to make this township rank as one of the best farming regions of the state.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS
The township was first settled in the fall of 1852 when the families of John Boylan and James M. Parks came from Bureau county, Illinois, and settled on portions of sections 13 and 24.
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
The next settler was Samuel Moots, who came with his family and settled in the eastern part of the township, some time in the winter of 1852-3.
No entries of government land were made at this time in the township, as the land here was under the control of the Des Moines land office and most of the settlers had come from the eastern states and considered a journey to Des Moines too difficult to make at that time. Instead, most of them took up what was called "settlers' claims," which were made generally by laying the foundation for a cabin, constructed of four logs, with some- times an addition of the claimant's name cut in a tree. A num- ber of such claims were made soon after the arrival of Boylan and Parks but they were made by men who were merely tran- sients and who made no later attempt to render the basis of their claims permanent by entry in the government land office.
Reference has been made elsewhere to the large number of buffalo, deer and elk that were found in the township at the time of this first settlement and also to the conditions which led to the practical extermination of wild game.
These three families-the Boylans, Parks and Moots-were all of them interrelated by marriage, James M. Parks being mar- ried to Eliza Boylan, a sister of John Boylan, and a daughter of Samuel Moots having married JJames W. Boylan. Another of the Boylan family, Isaac, came with his family and settled in the township in the summer of 1853. This family was prominently identified with the history of the eastern portion of this township throughout the early period and a number of descendants are still residing in the township. The first settlement to be given a name was Boylan's Grove, later known by the imeuphonious name of Pilltown, situated in the center of sections 14 and 23, abont a mile and a half west of Bristow. A schoolhouse and cemetery still mark the site of this village.
W. R. Jamison and family came to the township in the sum- mer of 1853, seeking a location for a home. They came first to Boylan's grove, a tract of timber land containing at that time abont a thousand acres. Mr. Jamison was anxious to secure some of this timber land and knew that inasmuch as no legal entries of land had been made he was privileged to select any site which he chose. However, he recognized the fact that the settlers already on the ground would consider it a decided intrusion if he should fail to recognize the validity of their settlers' claims.
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Being anxious to avoid any trouble with his future neighbors, Mr. Jamison took Mr. Boylan's advice, and under his guidance set out to look at a grove of timber near by. This grove, which was later known as Jamison's grove, was situated in sections 19 and 20. Being satisfied with the location and the quality of the land which he found. Mr. Jamison selected three hundred and twenty acres, one hundred and twenty in section 19, and two hun- dred aeres in section 20. On the 11th day of August, 1853, Mr. Jamison made entry of this half section of land in the land office at Des Moines. lowa, thus making the first original entry of land in the township. and so far as the records show, the first in the western half of the county.
To this new home Mr. Jamison brought his family in Septem- ber. 1853, bringing them from Buchanan county, where they had been living. Mr. Jamison brought into the township the first span of horses and covered carriage that was known in the town- ship. He also brought with him a fine herd of Berkshire hogs. The other early settlers were rather inclined to ridicule him for taking the trouble to bring hogs into this new country on the ground that meat was so much more easily procured from the wild game, which was still plentiful. However, during the win- ter of 1853-4 the deer and elk began to be less numerous than they had been and it was not long before the wisdom of Mr. Jamison. in providing a somewhat more stable supply of meat for the future, became very evident. This first year Mr. Jamison sold his carriage and traded his span of horses for several yoke of oxen and in the following spring he broke the first prairie sod for a crop.
The other settlers followed Mr. Jamison's example in making proper entry of their land. On May 2, 1854, Alexander Frazer, John Boylan. H. A. Early and Seth Strong are recorded as having made entries on claims which they had previously taken up, and on the 11th day of May, 1854. James and Ephraim MeKinney also entered land in this township. These constitute the first land entries as shown by the records of the general land office.
Other settlers who located in the township in 1854 were the Rev. Richard Merrill and his brother, Joseph; James Woods, two Germans by the name of Kniphals and Peterson, Comfort Williams, James W., William H. and Asa Boylan and Thomas Dumont.
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Rev. Richard Merrill, a Presbyterian minister, preached the first sermon in the township at the house of John Boylan.
A German, Kniphals, was the first blacksmith in the town- ship. Comfort Williams has been mentioned in connection with one of the earliest marriage ceremonies celebrated in the county. The marriage of his daughter to Greenbury Luck is the first in order recorded on the records of the county court, although two other marriage licenses bear earlier dates than this.
At the time of the Indian scare, in the summer of 1854, the panie caused by fear of an Indian outbreak reached the settlers of this township, and all of them, except the families of W. R. Jamison and James Wood, fled for refuge to Janesville, in Bremer county, where a fort was erected for the protection of the settlers. When it was learned that there was no cause for alarm, the refu- gees gradually returned to their homes. They were delayed, however, for some days from the fact that the water in Shell Rock river had risen to such a height that it could not be forded. As there were no bridges in this section of the country at that time, these people had to wait until the waters had subsided sufficiently to enable them to cross the stream and return to their abandoned homes.
With these settlers, as they returned to the township, came Orson Rice, who made several entries of land in the township, on one of which he built a cabin and lived for a short time before going to Clarksville and taking up the profession of law. Mr. Rice was a native of Ohio. He was very illiterate and at the time he commenced to practice had absolutely no knowledge whatsoever of the law. He depended entirely upon his energy and a rude sort of eloquence, which consisted chiefly of verbosity. It is said that his murdering of "the King's English," his utter disregard of the rules of grammar and his total ignorance of the correct forms of speech often made him a laughing stock. How- ever, in spite of these handicaps, he remained in the county as a practicing lawyer for ten or twelve years, later removing to Spirit Lake, where he practiced his profession, served one term as district attorney and came very near being selected as district judge. A number of rather langhable incidents connected with Mr. Rice are told by those who were conversant with his actions before the early county courts.
The MeKinney brothers came to the county from Indiana. They were natives of the state of Ohio. They located land in
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sections 11, 13 and 14, some of which still remains in possession of the family. The family is of Irish descent. The grandfather of the brothers is said to have assisted in building the first house where Cincinnati, Ohio, now stands. He was a soldier in the War of 1812.
The Boylans and De Mosses were related by marriage and all of them settled in the vicinity of Boylan's Grove.
Henry A. Early was a native of Kentucky, who located on land near where the village of Bristow now stands. A son, T. M. Early, who came to the county at that time, has served as county sheriff and county auditor and is still a resident of the county, now liv- ing in the town of Allison.
Other settlers who came in the latter part of 1854 and early part of 1855 are David Rush, Thomas Jackson, a Mr. Calkins, and Hiram Brotherton. In 1855 George W. Parker and family, Les- ter and Abisha Wickham, Charles L. Kleever, John M. Nichols, B. C. Needham, John Harlan, Sr., and S. R. De Armonn are given as among those who settled in the township. Among the more prominent settlers who came in 1855 were Ancel Durand and M. D. L. Niere. Both of these gentlemen held county offices, Mr. Durand having been elected to the office of county judge, and Mr. Niece that of county superintendent and county surveyor.
Other settlers who came in during an early day were Silas Needham, Henry Ahrens, James Logan, Albert Austin, S. W. Ferris, Samuel Overturf and William P. Woodworth, mentioned in connection with Bennezette township: S. B. Dumont, H. C. Brown and Philip Pfaltzgraff. These latter three gentlemen are noted more at length in connection with the history of Dumont.
OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION
Pittsford township was a part of Ripley according to the first division of the county into townships made by Judge Palmer in February, 1855. W. R. Jamison was appointed to call an election to organize Ripley township. This was done in April of that year, the election being held at the house of Henry A. Early. In 1858 the township was finally given a separate organization of the name of Pittsford by order of Judge Converse, the name being sug- gested by Azariah Needham and other Vermonters, in commem- oration of a town of the same name in their native state. A complete list of the township officers chosen at this election is
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not available at the present time but it is known that Henry R. Early and W. R. Jamison were the first justices of the peace of this township, and Isaac Boylan, constable.
EDUCATIONAL
The first schools in Pittsford township were provided for by the formation of two sub-districts, made through the provision of the school fund commissioner of Butler and Franklin counties, and consisting of the east half of Pittsford township and the west half of West Point township, called sub-distriet No. 1; and the east half of Ingham township in Franklin county, and the west half of Pittsford township in Butler county, called sub-district No. 2. Log schoolhouses were erected in these sub-districts in the spring of 1856. Martha J. Niece was the first teacher in No. 1 and Melissa M. Overturf in district No. 2. The exact location of these schoolhionses is at present unknown.
AAfter the organization of the township several sub-districts were formed in accordance with the changing needs of the peo- ple, and in September, 1866, P. O. Needham and W. R. Jamison were appointed a committee to report a plat and plan for redis- trieting the township, which they did, and the board immediately confirmed and adopted the report. By this report they divided the township into five sub-districts. This form of organization remained in effect with only one change for approximately twenty years. One change made was the formation of a sub-district known as No. 6, ont of territory formerly attached to No. 2. In March of 1875 the board voted to form two new sub-districts, to be known as Nos. 7 and 8; No. 8 to be formed from sub-districts 2, 3 and 5, and No. 7 from territory taken from 1, 2, 4 and 6 .
W. R. Jamison filed formal protest against this action of the board with the county superintendent, John W. Stewart, who, after due consideration, made his decision reversing the action of the board. This decision of the county superintendent was based in part upon the fact that the formation of these new sub- distriets would leave certain of the older districts withont a suffi- cient school population to maintain a good school. In part, also, his decision was based upon the facts contained in the following notation from the record of appeal:
"The evidence also shows that a considerable portion of the lands in said sub-districts are what is known as wet lands, and for
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that reason cannot become very densely populated. But it is claimed by the appellees that there is a town platted on section 28, within the boundaries of said sub-district No. 7 on the line of the lowa Pacific Railroad, which road is now graded and ready for the ties and iron, and for that reason said sub-district should be formed. But as the building up of said town depends on the completion of said railroad and as a number of the pupils, taken to form the fifteen pupils in said district No. 7, can as well be, if not better, accommodated in the sub-districts from which they were taken, we are forced to the conclusion that the board erred in forming said sub-district No. 7 at the present time. It is exceed- ingly unpleasant for us to set aside the action of the board, but in this case the law requires it to be done. Therefore, the decision of the board in changing the sub-district boundaries and in form- ing sub-districts Nos. 7 and 8 in the district township of Pittsford is hereby reversed. Dated March 23, 1875. John W. Stewart, County Superintendent."
AA further notation on the case is as follows: "The above case was taken on appeal to the state superintendent, who affirmed the decision. "
The latter basis of this decision, that of the probability that there would never be a very dense population on the "wet lands" of these proposed sub-districts, is rather interesting at the present time, as these lands referred to now form some of the best farming land in the township. At a later date the change contemplated by this action of the board was actually made and the town- ship was redistricted in nine school districts, district No. 1 having a school house located near the southeast corner of section 1; No. 2 in section 9: No. 3 in section 5; No. 4 in section 20; No. 5 in sec- tion 16; No. 6 in section 14; No. 7 in section 26; No. 8, now the independent district of Dumont ; and No. 9 on section 31.
EARLY POSTOFFICES
At the time of the first settlement of Pittsford township most of the settlers received their mail in Janesville, in Bremer county. Later, as the settlers had more business at Cedar Falls than at Janesville, most of them had their mail sent to Cedar Falls, which was about thirty-five or thirty-six miles distant. Even after the establishment of a postoffice at Coon's Grove, later Clarksville, the settlers at Pittsford township continmed to receive their mail Vol. I-23
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from Cedar Falls, as the mail at Clarksville was only received once a week, when received at all-and there were two streams to cross in order to get there-a consideration which was decidedly dis- advantageous in those days of no bridges and no roads.
About 1856, through the influence of George A. Richmond, of Butler Center, who had some influence with the postoffice depart- ment at Washington, Henry A. Early was appointed the first postmaster in Pittsford township. Mr. Early resided, as has already been stated, in the extreme eastern part of the township near Bristow, which was then called West Point. As there was already one postoffice in the state called West Point, W. R. Jami- son suggested that the new postoffice be called Boylan's Grove. This was agreed to and Mr. Early acted as postmaster here for some time. Later the location of this postoffice was changed to Bristow.
Shortly after the appointment of Mr. Early as postmaster in the eastern part of the township, Isaac Stover, a resident of the castern edge of Franklin county, applied through the same George A. Richmond to the postoffice department and succeeded in secur- ing the establishment of a postoffice at a town named Union Ridge. This was located about four miles northwest of Dumont. The Union Ridge postoffice was not located on any mail ronte, so the postmaster was obliged to carry the mail himself, sometinies on foot, and other times the patrons of the office would hire some one to carry the mail onee a week. The Union Ridge office was supplied from the village of Geneva, in Franklin county.
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