History of Butler and Bremer counties, Iowa, Part 75

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1316

USA > Iowa > Butler County > History of Butler and Bremer counties, Iowa > Part 75
USA > Iowa > Bremer County > History of Butler and Bremer counties, Iowa > Part 75

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

John P. Arends settled in Butler county in 1870. He is a native of Germany, born June 1, 1853. When fourteen years of age he came to America with his parents. They settled in Stephenson county, Illinois. In 1870 they moved to Iowa, settling in Monroe township, on section 34. He en- gaged in farming in this neighborhood till 1875, when he went to Ackley, and engaged in selling farm machinery. In 1876 he came to Aplington, and engaged with Jolm Rays in the same business. In 1878 they added a stock of hardware to their business. In January, 1883, they dissolved, and Mr. Arends now runs the business. He mar- ried, in October, 1878, Miss Greetje, They have two children-Arend, and Gertie. Mr. Arends is a member of the present board of trustees, and is village assessor.

Henry W. Reints, of the firm of H. Reints & Company, was born in Germany, May 31, 1851. His early life was spent in ac- quiring an education. Iu 1868 he came to America, and settled in Illinois, where he was employed in farming until January,

1872, when he started back to Germany. The September following he returned to America with his parents. They came to lowa, and settled in Butler county, Wash- ington township. Two years later, he entered Monee College, at Will county, Illinois. After six months of study he was examined, received a teacher's cer -- tificate, and commenced teaching in the . schools of Grundy county. He went to Nebraska and taught two terms. In 1880 he came to Aplington, and engaged in mer- cantile business, as a member of the firm of H. Reints & Co.

William R. Cotton, one of the early set- tlers of Butler county, was born in Onon- dago county, New York, May 13, 1813. His father was a blacksmith, and he early learned that trade, of which he was a master. In 1853, he came west to seek a home, and took a claim in Black Hawk county. He brought his family in the fall of 1854. In 1855, he went to Janesville, Bremer county, where he worked at his trade one year In 1856, he went to Wil- loughby, in Butler county, where he bought a farm, which he traded the next year for property in Shell Rock, where he engaged in keeping hotel and in the mercantile busi- ness until 1861, when he sold out and went to Waverly. After this he engaged in farming in Jefferson awhile, then came to Butler Center and engaged at his trade three years. He then went to Albion and tried farming. again. In 1873, he moved his shop from Butler Center to Aplington, and there worked at his trade until 1875, when he bought out a hardware store here and carried on the business until the time of his death, which occurred July 12, 1881. He was married at Port Gibson, New York,

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

November 4, 1835, to Miss Aurelia Harris, of Wayne county. Mr. Cotton filled offices of trust in the county, and was the last county assessor. Mrs. Cotton now makes her home with her son, Charles, at Apling- ton. Charles M. was born in Niagara county, New York, May 11, 1838. His younger days were spent acquiring an edu- cation, after which he engaged in teaching. In 1854, he came west with his parents. In 1861, he enlisted under Captain M. M. Trumbull, in Company I, the first company organized in Butler county; joined the Third Iowa, and was with Grant in his Tennessee Campaign, and at Vicksburg; was with Sherman on his Meridian Raid; in Banks' Red River Expedition; joined the Seventeenth Corps under McPherson at Memphis; was in the Atlanta Campaign, and with Sherman in his March to the Sea; thence to Washington, and was honorably discharged the 26th of May, 1865. He re- turned to Iowa and engaged in farming. He married December 25,1865, Miss Louise, daughter of Lorenzo Perry, one of the early settlers of Albion. They had one child, which died in infancy. In 1882, he came to Aplington, where he succeeded his father in the hardware business.

George Lafaver was born in Ontario, Canada, January 26, 1843. When but a boy he was employed in blacksmithing, and followed that trade seven years, but his eyes failed him, and he went to Illi- nois, where he engaged to learn the wa- gon-maker's trade, at Oregon, Ogle county, working there two and one-half years, when he returned to Canada, and there en- gaged in farming two years. He then re- sumed his trade, at Gananoque, two and one-half years, when he went to Brook-

ville, and engaged in a car-shop one year, then worked in an agricultural implement factory one year, after which he again tried farming. In the spring of 1877, he came to Iowa, and stopped in Butler Center. In the following December, he came to Aplington, where he opened the wagon shop which he now runs. In 1878 he bought land in the east part of the vil- lage, and built a house; living there awhile, he sold the land, and moved his house nearer to the business portion of the town. In 1882 he bought a house and four lots, on Nash street, his present home. He married, in 1870, Miss Lucy A. Cochrane. They have four children-Harvey M., Herby F., Hiram W., and George R.

Ferdinand E. Dahn, a native of Ger- many, was born August 15, 1845. At fif- teen years of age he was apprenticed to a harness-maker to learn the trade, and served three years. When twenty years old he joined the German army; was in the war between Germany and Austria; participated in several battles, serving three years, and then resumed his trade. In 1870 he came to America; located in Stephenson county, Illinois, where his brother was living, and there engaged in farming. In the spring of 1875 he came to Aplington and worked at his trade. In 1876 he worked at Ackley. In March, 1877, he returned to Aplington and started a harness shop in the building first used in this town for a store, where he still car- ries on a successful business. In 1878 he bought property on the town site; built a barn in 1879, and in 1882 erected the neat frame house where he now lives. In 1877 he married Mrs. Minnie Lichtenburg. They have two children-Cora and Frank.

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

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Charles S. Root, deputy sheriff of But- ler county, was born in Orleans county, New York, January 27, 1827. In the fall of 1858 he moved to Marquette county, Wisconsin, taking government land. In 1854 he sold. out, and the following year came to Butler county, Iowa, and bought · 1,080 acres of land on sections 10, 11 and 12 of Albion township. In 1857 he moved to the east end of Beaver Grove, where he bought 360 acres of land, which he still owns. In 1858 he was elected town clerk

of Beaver. He was appointed enrolling clerk to enroll the State Militia, in June, 1862, and in the fall of that year was ap- pointed deputy provost marshal for North- western Iowa, with Fort Dodge as headquar- ters. In 1864 he returned to his farm. He was appointed deputy sheriff in Jan., 1880, and is now serving his fourth year. In 1851 . he married Miss Mary Burgess. They have three children-George W., Emma J. and Katie E. Mr. Root now lives in Parkersburg.

CHAPTER

XXIX.

PITTSFORD TOWNSHIP.

The first settlers in what now constitutes Pittsford township were John Boylan and James Matterson Park, who, together with their families, settled on portions of sec- tions 13, and 24. Both families were for- mer residents of Bureau county, Illinois. They located here in the fall of 1852.

The next settlers were Samuel Moots and family, who settled, and built a cabin in the eastern part of the township, some time in the winter of 1852-3. At that time there had been no entries made of government lands in the township, and the probability is that no entries had then been made in the west half of the county; but at the same time there were what was called settlers' claims, which were generally made by laying

a foundation, constructed of four logs, and sometimes, in addition, the claimant's name cut on a tree. There were some such claims made soon after Boylan and Parks settled, but mostly by transient men, who soon re- turned to the haunts of civilization, and the bosoms of their families, perhaps never to return.

The first prairie broken was in 1853, on land now owned by James Logan, on sec- tion 13. Some time in 1853, a man by the name of Maxwell settled in the township, making his home with Mr. Parks and fam- ily, who, it is believed, entered forty acres of land on section 24, in the spring of 1854. Maxwell left for other parts, and has never returned.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

During the winter of 1852-3, there were large numbers of buffalo and elk in and about what is called Upper, and Lower Boylan's Grove. Boylan and Parks em- braced the opportunity to kill large num- bers of both, and, so far as meat was con- cerned, fared sumptuously every day. Buffalo and elk never were so plenty afterward, and, since the winter of 1856-7, none are known to have been in the town- ship. Up to that time, elk were tolerably numerous and deer very plenty; but dur- ing that winter snow fell until it was something over three feet deep on the level, and a crust on the top strong enough to bear up a man on foot, but not suffi- ciently strong to carry a horse.

The condition. of the snow, and the crust upon it, was such that a deer or elk, endeavoring to run on the snow, would break through the snow crust, which at once impeded their progress, and made them fall an easy prey to hunters, dogs and wolves. Consequently, nearly all the deer were destroyed that winter. There was, by actual count, thirty-two deer killed at what is known as Jamieson Grove, within the space of two miles up and down the West Fork of the Cedar. The elk were also fearfully slaughtered, not being able to run on account of the snow, one man being enabled to kill one with a hatchet, without the aid of dogs or gun. Since that time but very few deer, and no elk, have been seen in the township. Wolves, said to be plenty wherever deer are, have not been so numerous since the extermination of the deer and elk. It may be mentioned here that in addition to the destruction of the deer and elk, there was another cause for a decrease of the

wolves in the township, which was, that in the latter part of the winter of 1856-7, or in the beginning of the winter of 1857-8, two men, Jacob Yost and Joseph Riddle, killed a large number of them by the use of strychnine, which depleted their numbers very much, but still they were not entirely annihilated, and now the prairie wolves are becoming more numerous than is desirable. It is not cer- tain that any of the species of the wolf called timber wolves have ever been seen in the township. Among other wild game found here at an early day was bear, lynx, gray foxes, wild cats, gray and black tim- ber squirrels, pocket gophers, gray and striped gophers, ground hogs, chipmunks, rabbits, weasels, raccoons, otter, beaver, muskrats, minks, prairie chickens, pheas- ants, partridges, wild turkeys, geese and ducks, together with numerous other beasts and fowls. Bear, elk, deer and otter seem to be almost extinct, but the other wild game, both beast and fowl, remain in greater or less numbers.

But to return to the first settlers, John Boylan, one of the first settlers named, was a midde aged man of some energy, and quite a good talker. He was married to Miss Haunk Demoss, and raised quite a numerous family, who as they became old enough, all in turn married. On the death of his wife, some years subsequent to his first settlement here, he re-married with a widow Haskins, which proved to be rather an unhappy marriage, when after a short time they separated, and he and his sons and sons-in-law, together with their fam- ilies, all removed to Kansas.

James M. Park was married to Eliza Boylan, an only sister of John Boylan.

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

659

Park was a very quiet, civil, inoffensive, good citizen, who also raised a large family, sold out his farm, and all removed to Kansas.

Samuel Moots and family were from Indiana. Moots married Miss Molly Ox- ford, a sister of Eliss Oxford, and Mrs. Betsy Rush, both lately deceased. The Moots family were very civil, quiet citizens. The oldest daughter, Sarah Ann, married Jonathan Armstrong. This probably was the first marriage in the township, as it must have taken place in the fall or winter of 1853. John Moots, the oldest son inter-married with a daughter of Thomas Hewitt, and resides near Bristow, in West Point township, and is the oldest settler that now remains. Marion, the second son, is somewhere in Iowa, and is still unmarried. The second daughter, Martha M. Moots, married James W. Boy- lan, is the mother of a large family, and has also the honor of being the oldest set- tler now residing in Pittsford township.

The next settler was Isaac Boylan, who came, together with his family, sometime during July or August, 1853.

With Isaac Boylan's family came Jonas Demoss, a brother of Mrs. Boylan. He was a single man, has never been mar- ried, and is still a member of the family. Isaac Boylan's three daughters, by his first marriage, were all married; one to John Wilkes, one to Isaac Neal, and the youngest, Hannah, to Serling Gibson; all of the daughters are now dead. The oldest son, William, married a daughter of Barnet Neal, and now resides in Kansas.

W. R. Jamison and family were the next to settle in the township. His family consisted of a wife and five children, four

boys and one girl; which has since increased by the birth of three girls and one boy. One of the girls died when a few weeks of age. He has five boys and three girls now living, and all married, leaving him and his wife where they first started, without family, under the disadvantage of being older. Early in July, 1853, Mr. Jamison, in company with two other gentlemen seeking location, came to Boy- lan's Grove, which is a tract of timber con- taining, at that time, about one thousand acres, and a smaller grove about one mile north, located in Pittsford township. At that time there had been no entries of land made in Pittsford, and probably not in the west half of Butler county. It is true that all the land in both groves, and, in fact, all the land in the township, was open to entry, not even a homestead or pre-emptton having been made, but as the settlers then in both groves had, as they said, claims for themselves, and also claims for all their relatives and friends, botlı present and absent. The settlers were then expected, before making entries, to buy the claims, either real or imaginary, before making an entry, under pain of an unpleasant reception into the little com- munity. Mr. Jamison was not anxious to seize either horn of the dilemma, and be- ing informed by John Boylan that he knew of a grove of good timber near by, where there were no claims or homesteads, he con- cluded to investigate the matter. So, in company with Mr. Boylan, and the two other land lookers mentioned, he set out to view the grove referred to, which was afterward called Jamison's Grove. The day proved to be wet and disagreeable, but still they persevered.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

Mr. Boylan, not being able to read or write, could give no information in rela- tion to numbers or description of the land. Mr. Jamison was obliged to find the traces of the lines as blazed through the tim- ber, by which means he was enabled to find the lay of the land and also the cor- ner-post at the northeast corner of section 19. This corner-post being recently plac- ed he was enabled to get the numbers in a satisfactory manner, of all the land he wished to locate at that time, being 320 acres-120 acres in section 19, and 200 acres in section 20. The land selected proved to be nearly all good timber, there being, perhaps, corners of prairie land on it amounting to 20 acres. Mr. Boylan seemed somewhat anxious to have Mr. Jamison not locate on Boylan's Grove un- less he would purchase claims, and was happy to have him make his selections where he did, which was perhaps a fortunate circumstance for both parties, as the tim- ber on the premises proved to be quite valuable. On the 11th day of August, föl- lowing, (1853,) Mr. Jamison made entry of the half section of land above mention- ed, at the land office at Des Moines, Iowa, being the first original entry of land in the township, and probably in the west half of the county, the dividing line between the Dubuque and Des Moines land dis- tricts being on the range line between ranges 16 and 17, and it is believed that all entries made in the county had been made in the Dubuque land office. About the first of September, 1853, W. R. Jami- son, with his family, moved from Buchan- an county, Iowa, into this township, and stopped in a log cabin on the land now owned by M. D. L. Niece, where he re-

mained until the next March, when he re- moved into a log cabin which he had built on section 19; he afterward sold it to John Harlan, Sr., in 1855.

When Mr. Jamison came into the township he brought the first span of horses and two-horse buggy, harness, and also the first two-horse covered carriage that was brought into the township. He likewise brought a fine stock of Berkshire hogs with him. Some of the earlier set- tlers fairly hooted at him for bringing hogs, as there was so much wild meat which could be so easily obtained that he would not need any pork. No doubt they had a vivid recollection of the large number of elk, buffalo and venison so easily obtained the previous winter. It so happened, however, that the buffalo and elk stayed away, and even the deer were rather scarce that winter, so that those settlers who hooted at their being any necessity for the use of pork had to be satisfied most of the time to feed on oppos- sum, raccoon and such small game as they could obtain. During the winter Mr. Jamison sold his covered carriage for cash and traded his span of horses for two yoke of oxen. In the spring he had a man by the name of Hitchcock to make him a breaking plow, and with his oxen and plow he broke 65 acres of prairie ready for the crops the next spring.

In the spring of 1854, Rev. Richard Merrill, his brother Joseph, Ephriam and James W. Mckinney, Henry A. Early and Seth Strong all came into the township and entered land. They all moved their families in at once, except the Merrills. While here at that time Rev. Richard Merrill, being a Presbyterian minister,

661

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

preached at the house of John Boylan the first sermon ever preached in the town- ship. All either bought or built cabins as soon as possible after stopping.

About the month of May, 1854, James Woods and family moved in, from Straw- berry Point, in this State. Mr. Woods camped out until he broke prairie and planted corn. He then went to work, and built a log cabin. After having resided in the township several years-raising a large family of boys and girls-and after all the daughters had married and left the home- stead, Mr. Woods and his wife, by mutual agreement seperated, he keeping the prop- erty, and paying her a certain amount in money. In the course of a year Mr. Woods sold the farm to a Mr. Griffin, and finally went to Kansas, where he soon after died. The widow and her two sons, neither of whom are married, still live in the town- ship, respected members of society.

· About the month of May, or June, 1854, a German, by the name of Kniphals, came into the township, and entered a quarter section of land. His family consisted of one daughter, Catherine, and one son, Henry. He worked at smithing; built a cabin, and improved his land. In 1855, he sold his land to Mr. Ahrens, who moved on it with his family. Mr. Kniphals entered another 160 acres of land, which he im- proved some, and then sold it to R. W. Butler, and removed to Kansas, where he soon after died.

In the winter of 1854-5 a German named Peterson, with his wife, moved into the township, but in about a year they removed to Cedar Falls.

About July, 1854, Comfort Williams and a woman he lived with came from about

Cedar Rapids and settled in the township. Williams had some children that came with him, among whom was a grown-up daughter. A few months after Williams came Greenbury Luck, also from Cedar Rapids, who soon after married Miss Wil- liams. The wedding took place at Clarks- ville, and the marriage license was the second one issued in the county. Mr. Williams and the lady that lived with him were guests at the wedding, and perhaps thinking it altogether proper and right, procured a license and were joined in mar- riage the same day. These were the first and second marriages of persons living in the township. Williams and his wife soon after removed to Cedar Falls. Luck and his wife still reside in the southern part of Butler county.

In the early settlement of the township the Winnebago Indians frequently passed through Boylan's and Jamieson's groves in going to and from James Newell's, on the Cedar river, to Hewitt's, at Clear Lake, in Cerro Gordo county, both Newell and Hewitt being great favorites with the In- dians at that time. Next came the Sioux Indians, who traveled through on about the same routes. Of late years they have not put in an appearance. The Misquaka tribe, who have a reservation in Tama county, generally come through about once a year, hunting, fishing and begging. The Indians mentioned have always been civil and inoffensive when in and passing through the county.

About the first of July, 1854, some ill feeling existing between the Winnebago and Sioux Indians, one of the Sioux shot and killed a boy belonging to the Winne- bago tribe, at Clear Lake, in Cerro Gordo

662

HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

county, Iowa; the boy was on horseback and dropped off dead, which appears to have ended the trouble. Nothing further occurred between the tribes, only that thereafter, the Winnebagos seem to have abandoned their former haunts and routes to the Sioux, who since, seem also to liave quit this section of the country. The kill- ing of the boy at Clear Lake got up an ex- citement which soon created a panic, the citizens of this township not escaping. When taking counsel of their fears, they banded together and moved in a body to Janesville, Bremer county, where defen- sive works were immediately erected by way of a slab stockade. W. R. Jamieson and family and the family of James Woods only remained in the township, Woods at the time being away at mill. It was soon ascertained that the scare was groundless, but in the meantime the water had risen in the Shell Rock river so that it could not be forded, there being no bridges across the stream at that time; conse- quently the refugees were obliged to wait several days for the water to subside in the river, so that they could return to their abandoned homes. During the stay of our worthy absentees at Janesville, Orson Rice, mentioned in the general history of this county as a lawyer, first made his ap- pearance among them and interested them by bragging on his rifle and other things, and shooting at a mark at eighty rods, hav- ing a dry goods box for a target. Rice came into the township with the returning absentees. On coming here he either pre- empted or entered eiglity acres of land, which Nat. G. Niece afterward owned and on which he lived and died. Parting with that land, Rice entered another eighty

acres and built a cabin on it and lived there for a short time, when he went to Clarksville and read law with M. M. Trumbull. [See bar history.]

During the latter part of 1854 several other parties settled in the township, among whom were David and Elizabeth Rush. Mrs. Rush entered a considerable amount of the public domain. Her husband also made some entries of land. Previous to her death Mrs. Rush had accumulated quite an estate. David Rush was a good citizen. He has been dead several years.

Thomas Jackson, who married a sister of Janes W., and E. Mckinney, came into the county in 1854. He was something of a nimrod, and made the principal part of his living by hunting, trapping and fishing. They had no children. In the course of a year or two she died, and he left. There also was a family named Frazier came in, but only remained a short time. A family by the name of Calkins moved in. Mr. Calkins soon died, and the family left .~ The death of Mr. Calkins was the first to occur in the township. Perhaps the death of Mrs. Jackson, above named, was the third.

During this year, James W. Boylan, Wm. H. Boylan, Asa Boylan, and Thomas and Nelsoir Demon, came into the township. James W. Boylan still remains in the town- ship. William H. Boylan volunteered, and died in the military service. Asa Boylan, with his family, has removed to Kansas. Thomas Demon married, and still remains, one of the good citizens of the township. Nelson Demon came in 1853, at the time Isaac Boylan and family came. He mar- ried Miss Surfus, and lives in West Point township.

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HISTORY OF BUTLER COUNTY.

It is believed that George W. Parker and his family came here in the summer of 1855. His family consisted of himself and wife, four grown sons, three grown daughters, one or more younger daughters and a minor son named Greene. They came from Ohio. The old gentleman built a house and resided where Samuel K. Hazlett now lives, bordering on Pill Town (Boylan's Grove). His oldest son, Dan, was married when he came here; the next son, Asakel, married Achsah Need- ham; Iva, the fourth son, married Miss Caroline Brotherton, from whom he was afterward divorced; George, the third son, never married; Mary E., the second daugh- ter, married O. C. Smith, and has since died; Aurilda, the third daughter, married one Levi Cronkhite, and is now dead. They all sold their property, except Mary E., who remained here. She died while on a visit to Kansas. All the others moved to Kansas, where the father and two daughters died.

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History of Butler and Bremer counties, Iowa, Part 75

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1316

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1316