USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 32
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The school in sub-district No. 8 is known as Austinville school and stands a half mile south of the station. This building is the same one that was erected in 1876 and has outlived its usefulness. There is considerable agitation toward the establishment of a township high school at Austinville. Certainly some more satis- factory and adequate provision must be made for the accommo- dation of the school children of Anstinville and vicinity.
A new school building has been erected in sub-district No. 9 known as the Island Grove school, which stands almost exactly
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in the middle of section 32, at the southern edge of Island grove. The building, although small, is neat and satisfactorily serves the interests of the community to which it belongs. There is also a movement on foot looking seriously toward the consolidation of the schools of Washington township. Its situation as a purely rural township, with the larger towns of Ackley and Aplington on either side and at some distance, renders it peculiarly adapted for such a step. The friends of educational progress in the county will watch with interest the further development of this move- ment.
POPULATION
1863, 67; 1865, 134; 1867, 146; 1869, 296; 1870, 402; 1873, 456; 1875, 486; 1880, 765; 1890, 735; 1900, 925; 1910, 756.
CHAPTER XXIX
TOWNSHIP AND TOWN OF SHELL ROCK
Shell Rock was the scene of the earliest known settlements in the township. Here, as has been earlier recounted, about 1850 or 1851. a temporary settlement was made by Harrison and Volney Carpenter and D. C. Finch. These men were hunters and trappers and made their first sojourn in a log cabin which they erected near the banks of the Shell Rock on the present site of the town of Shell Rock. Later Volney Carpenter, who was a married man, brought his family to his new home and staked out a claim on section 1 of this township. This claim was later sold to Alexander Glenn, by whom the original entry was made in 1852.
The township constitutes No. 91 north, range 15 west. It is for the most part rolling prairie land but is traversed in the extreme northeastern part by the Shell Rock river, which follows a winding course from northwest to southeast through sections 2, 11, 12 and 13. The central portion of the township is drained by a creek known as Dry Run, which empties into the West Fork just a little below the southern line of the township. In the northeast- ern portion of the township and the strip along Dry Run in sec- tions 32 and 33, it is covered with natural timber. The rest of the township, however, was originally open prairie land. The Chicago Great Western & Rock Island railroads traverse the north- eastern part of the township.
Originally the greater part of the farms of the township were occupied by the owners. Of recent years, however, many of these have retired from their farms and moved to town, and as a result at the present time there is a large portion of land which is being farmed by renters. For this reason perhaps there are fewer modern farm homes in Shell Rock township than in some of the other townships where there is a larger portion of farm owners living upon their own land. There are, however, a large number of beautiful farm homes in this township, some of which are now
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. HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
occupied by a third generation. The soil of the township away from the river bottoms is a rich loam and produces erops of all the staple cereals that are surpassed by no section of this dis- tinctly agricultural county.
EARLY SETTLEMENT
The first entry of land in Shell Rock township was made by Michael Curry, on October 18, 1851, in section 2. The other earliest entries in order of date were Willoughby Flanagan, December 1, 1851, section 11; Letitia Wilkins, December 1, 1851, section 12; Jonathan Hook and John Reynolds, January 26, 1852, in section 2.
Other entries in 1852 were made by Frederick E. Bissell, Alex- ander Glenn, Joseph Thornsbrue, Henry P. Moore, George C. Moon, Asbury Leverich and W. J. Barney.
Among the early settlers of this township was Aaron Moore, known to all his friends and neighbors as "Uncle Aaron." It does not appear that Aaron Moore obtained any land by original entry nor has it been possible to establish definitely the date of his settlement in the township. There is little doubt, however, that he is to be numbered among the earliest actual settlers, as he is mentioned incidentally in connection with the accounts of a number of the pioneers, some of whom came to the county because of his glowing descriptions of the fertility of its soil and many of whom made his home their first stopping place. Among these may be mentioned the Wamsley brothers, who were pioneer set- tlers of Butler and Jackson townships. Aaron Moore early became, by the purchase of the claims of other settlers, one of the largest landowners in the county. He was a resident of the township for a number of years and died in the late '70s. Before passing away, Mr. Moore disposed of most of his property by distribution among his heirs.
Alexander Glenn became a resident of the township in 1852. He, too, purchased a considerable amount of land in the north- eastern part of the township. Another settler during this period was Daniel Myers, who in 1852 purchased Harrison Carpenter's claim on section 1. Myers remained a resident of the township for a number of years. He is mentioned in connection with the first lawsuit in Butler county, a writ of injunction having been issued against him by one Solomon W. Ingham, restraining him
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from selling a portion of his holdings in section 2, Shell Rock township. A full account of this is given in connection with the county court.
In the spring of 1853 George W. Adair, founder of the town of Shell Rock, and one of the most prominent of the early citi- zens of the county, purchased Alexander Glenn's forty acres in section 11, through which the rivers runs diagonally. This tract of land at that time was heavily timbered. As soon as possible, Mr. Adair brought his family to his new home, moving into their log cabin on the east side of the river the 1st day of June, 1853, thus becoming the first permanent settlers of the town site of Shell Rock. Here, soon after, Mr. Adair began the erection of a saw- mill and in 1854 he laid out the village of Shell Rock upon the land which he had purchased. This town plat was not filed for record until the 29th of March, 1855. In the entry on the minute book of the county court, George W. Adair and Elizabeth Adair, his wife, are given as the sole owners of the town site. Mr. Adair was one of those pioneers who clearly foresaw the magnificent possibilities of the future and he labored to lay the foundations broadly and deeply for a community which would be an honor to him and to the state and county. In this he was successful. He lived to see the town of Shell Rock thoroughly established as one of the leading communities of the county. He died on the 4th day of September, 1879, leaving a large family of children, of whom George Adair is noted at length in the biographical volume of this work.
In the fall of 1853 Heman D. Hunt came to Shell Rock and commenced working in the Adair sawmill. Later Mr. Hunt pur- chased several hundred acres of land in Butler township, upon which he lived until his death in 1912. Several of Mr. Hunt's children have been prominent citizens of the county, William J. being at present editor of the Butler County Tribune at Allison ; John H., former county recorder and postmaster at Allison; and Charles, a resident of Clarksville.
About the same time with other settlers there arrived Messrs. Walters, Hawker, Compton, Dewey and Smith, and two brothers, Charles and Henry Sweitzer. In 1854 Hiram Ross, who is still a resident of Shell Rock. came and began work in the planing mill. In 1855 the Newcomb brothers came. All these gentlemen settled in and around Shell Rock. During the same years the country to the west and south gradually filled up. Among the
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pioneers in this part of the township were Michael Hollenbeck, D. White, R. L. Town, D. Shannon, T. Marslin and Lyman Nor- ton. Shannon became converted to Mormonism through the efforts of a Mormon preacher who stopped for some time at his house. He proposed to build a Mormon tabernacle in the county but before his plans were completed his wife eloped with the preacher to Salt Lake City and it is supposed that he was awak- ened rather rudely from his delusion.
Among the representative settlers of the township without particular regard to the order of their settlement, the following may be mentioned: Amos Ressler, who came to Butler county in 1856, first working in the steam mill at Butler Center and later purchasing a farm in Shell Roek township, upon which he lived for a number of years; Sylvester Rice, who was for many years a resident of Shell Rock, coming to this place from Waverly, in the spring of 1861 ; L. W. Howard, who settled on a farm in sec- tion 14, Shell Rock township in 1865, and who was the father of Frank E. Howard, former county superintendent of schools of Butler county, and Samuel W. Howard, now a resident farmer of the township. Mr. Howard died at an advanced age in 1912.
John Bowen located in the township in 1866. Col. Huston Green settled in the township in 1873. Washington Tharp came to Iowa in 1853, locating first in Bremer county. After serving with honor as a member of the Eighth Iowa Cavalry in the Civil war, he settled in the fall of 1866 on a farm in section 13. Shell Rock township. John Christy became a resident of Butler county, settling on section 7, in Shell Rock township, in 1868. John H. Mead, in May, 1870, came to Butler county, first settling on sec- tion 18 and later moving to section 8. Several of his children are still residents of the county.
Among other later residents of the township may be men- tioned A. P. Dilger, W. H. Dryer, W. R. and G. E. Stanley, Judson Lake, J. F. Auner, F. B. Miner, G. P. Soash and J. W. Wheat.
OFFICIAL ORGANIZATION
When the county was first divided into townships Shell Rock township was included in the township of Beaver, which was then made up of the four congressional townships in the south- eastern quarter of the county. In March, 1856, Shell Rock town-
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ship was set off from Beaver and made to include together with its present limits the township of Jefferson as well. In March, 1857, Jefferson township was given a separate organization and set off from Shell Rock. Thereafter the township had the same limits as at present.
THE MILLS
In the summer of 1853, George W. Adair erected a sawmill and built the first dam at Shell Rock. Hiram Ross was his mill- wright. The sawmill was kept busy by the settlers for many years and served its purposes faithfully and well until the year 1878, when it was torn down, being unfit for further use. The dam was partially washed out by a freshet in 1855, when a new and better dam took its place, built by George W. and William Adair.
George W. Adair erected the first grist mill, on the west side of the river, in 1856, and had it running early in 1857. This became known as the Shell Rock mill and is still in operation, although it has long since ceased to make flour, only corn meal and ground feed for cattle now being the product. This struc- ture was built at a cost of $10,000. Its original dimensions were 30x40 feet, and three stories in height. The property was trans- ferred to John F. Wright in 1857 through purchase and shortly thereafter Mr. Wright sold a one-third interest to the Overman brothers; another one-third was bought by Sheldon Fox. Sev- eral changes later took place in the ownership of the mill, Mr. Wright always retaining his interest until 1891, when W. F. Brown, the present owner and a nephew of Wright, came into full possession.
The Rockland, or east side mill, was built by George W. Adair and Emanuel Metzger in the winter of 1867-8, at a cost of $18,000. This originally was a two-run mill, four stories in height and propelled by water power. The property was sold to Robert McDonald in 1872 and in 1879 Haynes brothers were the owners. In 1903, W. F. Brown bought the mill of T. W. McInroy and is now running both industrial concerns, being steadily and profit- ably employed grinding feed for the farmers living within a wide and contiguous territory.
Vol. 1-25
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
EDUCATIONAL
In common with other townships of the county, the schools of Shell Rock township were originally organized as sub-districts of the school township. There were in the beginning eight of these sub-districts, corresponding in general in their boundaries to the present sub-divisions. As the town of Shell Rock devel- oped, it was set off as an independent district, maintaining for a number of years two schools-one on either side of the river. The rest of the township continued the sub-district organization until late in the '70s, when by vote of the electors the sub-district plan was abandoned and an independent district form of organ- ization adopted. There are at present seven independent dis- triets in the township-Norton's Corners, Dryer, Salem, Central Valley, Excelsior, Prairie Mound and Christy. For the most part the school buildings in these districts are somewhat above the average in character and equipment. Probably the best of the rural school buildings is that in the Dryer school district. The Norton's Corners school has the largest enrollment of any school in the township and has for a number of years been in the hands of exceptionally well equipped and well trained teach- ers. There is considerable agitation toward the erection of a new building to accommodate the children of this district and doubt- less within a comparatively short time this step will be taken and the Norton's Corners district will be equipped with a school building which will correspond in its appointments with the excel- lence of the school in other ways.
The patrons and taxpayers of the schools in Shell Rock town- ship have never been niggardly in their expenditures for school purposes. As a result they have a corps of teachers whose ability and efficiency is of a high degree. The records of the school town- ship of Shell Rock have disappeared and the limits of this work do not allow us to go into detail as to the history of the individual districts. There is no doubt that if the people of this township continue to maintain their schools npon the same plane that they have in the past and to show the same progressive spirit in dealing with the problems that have confronted them, the future of the schools in this township will assuredly be a brilliant one.
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POPULATION
1856, 373; 1860, 438; 1863, 523; 1865, 626; 1867, 952; 1869, 1,063; 1870, 1,142; 1873, 1,358; 1875, 1,408; 1880, 1,524; 1890, 1,482; 1900, 1,547; 1910, 1,461.
TOWN OF SHELL ROCK
The land originally platted for the town of Shell Roek con- sisted of forty acres, which was purchased of Alexander Glenn by George W. Adair in the spring of 1853. Early in the year 1855 Adair caused the land to be platted into town lots, which made up twelve blocks. The plat was filed in the recorder's office and reads as follows, to-wit :
"March 29, A. D., 1855.
"On this day George W. Adair and Elizabeth Adair presented the plat of the town of Shell Roek, in the county of Butler, situ- ated on the northwest quarter of section 11, in township 91, range 15, west of the fifthi principal meridian, and having acknowledged the same as required by law, it was ordered that the whole be recorded as the law directs.
"JOHN PALMER, County Judge."
When George W. Adair set up his little log cabin on the "Forty" now comprising the principal part of the town of Shell Roek, the land was covered by an almost impenetrable growth of timber and underbrush. But the irrepressible pioneer and home- seeker with axe and torch made all this disappear in a compara- tively short space of time and as the years passed rapidly by, where once stood the giant oak, a settler's residence or merehant's store building took its place, and gave evidence of the march of civilization, that was inevitable in a country magnificently endowed with fertile soil, abundance of clear, running water and other resources, the gift of kind Nature, ready for the many seek- ing them.
The first settlers in this beautiful locality were Harrison and Volney Carpenter, as already mentioned. They came in 1851. The following year Alexander Glenn appeared, also Daniel Myers. George W. Adair, founder of the town of Shell Rock, arrived in the settlement in the spring of 1853. Not long thereafter came the Newcombs, the Sweitzers, Cram, Eastman, Hitchcock, Hiram Ross, John Leveridge and John L. Stewart. The latter was an
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Illinoisan by birth and removed with his parents to Iowa in 1839, finally locating in JJohnson county. Mr. Stewart remained here until 1848, when he removed to Linn county. The year 1853 found him in Shell Rock, working in the Adair sawmill, where he con- tinned employed until 1870. In the latter year Mr. Stewart opened a wagon shop, in which his activities continued for many years.
O. L. Eastman, above referred to, was born in the State of New York and moved with his parents to Will county, Illinois, in 1838, where he became apprenticed to a blacksmith. In October, 1855, he removed to Cedar Falls, Iowa, and in the spring of 1856 to Shell Rock. Here Mr. Eastman as soon as possible took up the tools of his trade and probably opened the first blacksmith shop in the ambitious and growing little town. In 1867 he added a stock of farm implements to his growing business and became one of the prosperous and influential men of the community.
The first hotel erected in Shell Rock was put up by a man named R. D. Cram, who not only entertained the traveler, but also kept a stock of merchandise. He should, therefore, be considered as the first merchant in Shell Rock.
It is highly probable that O. S. Newcomb was the next settler who elected to go into business at Shell Rock. He in an early day had on display a stock of goods in a building on the east side of the river which he erected in October, 1855. Mr. Newcomb con- dueted a general store in this building until the spring of 1859, when he removed to the west side of the river and opened a general store in a log schoolhouse. In the fall of the same year he moved into more commodious quarters and had for a partner T. G. Cope- land umtil 1860, when J. H. Carter purchased the Copeland inter ests and the business was then and for many years afterward conducted under the firm name of Newcomb & Carter.
EARLY EVENTS
George W. Adair built the first house-a log cabin-the first dam and the first mill in Shell Rock. Elias Walter erected the first frame building in the town.
R. D. Cram was Shell Rock's first merchant, opening a general store in the fall of 1855. Frank Walter, son of Elias Walter, was the first white child born in Shell Rock. The event took place in January, 1855.
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PORTION OF MAIN STREET, SHELL ROCK
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
The first marriage was that of Elias Walter and Miss Rachel Billheimer.
John L. Stewart was the first wagon maker. He opened a shop in 1854.
John S. Robbins located in Shell Rock in the fall of 1854 and opened the first blacksmith shop. He sold out to George Hawker in 1855. The latter died in 1863. T. G. Copeland is given credit for being Shell Rock's premier shoemaker. He commenced work at his trade in Newcomb & Copeland's store in 1859, remaining one year. Mr. Copeland then removed to Willoughby, a hamlet in Butler county.
L. F. Bristow established the first furniture store in Shell Rock and the first drug store was opened by Dr. E. L. Thorp. The first hardware store in Shell Rock was opened by Philip Bemler. Mr. Bemler remained here two years and then removed to Cedar Falls.
The growing town was without a photograph gallery until 1875, when Henry Apfel set up a gallery here and established a good business. He became an important personage in the town's list of citizens.
O. L. Eastman, one of the early blacksmiths, established an agricultural implement concern in 1867. A harness shop was opened here in 1868 by T. S. Walter. Fairfield & Phillips opened a lumber yard in 1871, and the same year erected an elevator, with a capacity of 10,000 bushels of grain. In 1872 J. P. Bement went into the market and bought grain. W. E. Eastman opened a boot and shoe shop in 1872 and soon became one of the leading mer- chants of the town. D. J. Gould commenced making and repair- ing shoes in a little shop in September, 1874. That same year J. R. Clawson entered the hardware trade and his business soon grew to large dimensions. A drug store was opened in 1875 by E. H. Dudley and A. G. Sheaker under the firm name of Dudley & Sheaker. In 1876 J. H. Carson opened a general store and event- ually became one of the town's leading merchants. C. W. Bishop's jewelry store came into existence in 1876, and in the spring of 1878 Mrs. H. Apfel opened a millinery store. J. H. Palcy's boot and shoe store was opened in 1878, and in 1880 J. E. Patten began making harness for the trade. That same year Graham and Jero- laman formed a partnership and began buying live stock. In 1881 E. J. Young's furniture store was opened, also J. B. Kelsey's grocery store. The following year J. M. Longfellow had a hard-
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ware store here and Graham & Jones a general merchandise estab- lishment, also W. F. Stoddard.
The Hawkeye Creamery was built and began operations in the winter of 1878 by W. W. Murray and Charles Austin, under the firm name of Murray & Austin. In July, 1881, Austin retired from the firm but came back in November of the same year, hav- ing serured W. W. Murray's interests therein. In April, 1882, Sammel Kenedy purchased a half interest and the firm became Austin & Kennedy. This creamery was run for many years, then came a new one in its place, which was built in 1896 by a stock company, of which George Adair is president, Robert Hunter vice president, Ed Holland, secretary, and Frank Rice, treasurer. The capital stock is $3,000. This concern manufactures butter alone and during the year ending December 21, 1913, 4,017,478 pounds of milk, and 10,000 pounds of cream were received. The concern is on a paying basis and absorbs the dairy products of the farmers of a territory comprising several miles.
Shell Rock has had several hotels. The first was built by R. D. Cram in the spring of 1856 and conducted by him in connec- tion with his store. The property later went into the hands of W. R. Cotton, who called the hostelry the Butler House. George W. Adair opened the second hotel in 1867 and named it the Shell Rock House. He was the host to many travelers for about thir- teen years, when health failing him, he went to Kansas, where he died in the early 'S0s.
The Central House was erected in 1878 by Boomer Brothers & J. W. Phillips. Phillips finally became sole owner, and sold to John Speaker. The latter was the landlord for many years.
The Wabeek, a low two-story brick, standing on a prominent corner of Main street on the east side, has gained considerable favorable notoriety in the past two years through its excellent cuisine and luxurious beds. The landlord is a Swiss, John Hohl by name.
Shell Rock as early as 1855 had its lawyer in the person of Orson Rice, who remained about five years. Soon after his departure came William Norville, and since his advent there have been intermittently lawyers who have located in the town. For a number of years past George A. MeIntyre has been a member of the Butler county bar located here. Mr. MeIntyre is the pres- ent chief executive of Shell Rock.
ABEEK
THE WABEEK, SHELL ROCK
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PUBLIC SCHOOL, SHELL ROCK
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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY
Dr. John Scoby is the first person mentioned in the History of Butler County, published in 1883, as having located in Shell Rock. According to that publication he came in May, 1856, and practiced here until 1875, when he retired from all business activities. Hle has had a number of successors in the field of medicine.
THE SCHOOLS
The town of Shell Rock has always had good schools. The first was taught by Mrs. Nancy McAllister, in a room at the home of Ebenezer Walter, in the summer of 1855. The children to receive instruction afterwards assembled in the Methodist church, where Ozro R. Newcomb taught them the elements of an educa- tion. In 1899 a new and modern school building of brick and stone material was erected, at a cost of $15,000. The structure is three stories and basement, and has every appointment to be found in a modern building of this character. The high school and grammar rooms are on the third floor. On the fourth are the laboratory, domestic science and manual training rooms. On the second floor are located the primary and intermediate depart- ments and on the first, the primary department and toilet rooms.
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