USA > Iowa > Carroll County > History of Carroll County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 9
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June 20-A church board was elected by the members of the Presby- terian church on June 20, consisting of the following persons : M. A. Hoyt, J. E. Griffith, Wm. Hunter, and E. R. Hastings.
July 5-The southwest portion of the county was visited by the most severe hail storm since the settlement of that district. In Eden township crops were cut to pieces and practically ruined. Windows suffered se- verely. Mr. Bennett had twenty-four panes of glass broken out of the windows of his house. He picked up a hailstone that measured eleven and a half inches at its largest part and eight and a half at the smallest part.
August 27-Information from farmers from every portion of the county is favorable in the matter of the crop situation. The yield of wheat is stated from fifteen to twenty-five bushels per acre and running as high as thirty bushels. No individual who has ten acres of wheat who is willing to bet that his yield will be less than four hundred bushels.
September 3-The Chicago & North Western Railroad company has issued a new rate schedule. A substantial reduction has been made on all classes of freight. On the old schedule the wheat rate to Chicago was 231/4c, and under the new schedule the rate is reduced to 19c. A liberal reduction is also made on agricultural implements, lumber and general merchandise. The concession is made in deference to the Granger senti- ment which is spreading among the farmers in all sections of the state.
September 10-Grady's great three-tent show, balloon ascension and great arenic display was Carroll's first circus. The Cardeff giant was a great fraud, but the circus performance was fully as good as the rule and many of the gymnastic performers first class. The balloon did not ascend very far and was not in the air over three minutes. Crowds of people were in from the country. They were thrown into a condition of excite- ment by a shooting affray in which Ira Ames, acting as town marshal, involved himself with one of the circus people. The impression was cur- rent that the marshal had acted imprudently in shooting the showman. especially as Ames disappeared after it occurred. Ames has returned to Carroll and says that on the authority of a dispatch from Fort Dodge he had arrested and committed to jail one of the followers of the circus. After this he went to the Carroll house barn where two showmen set in to abuse him and one of them struck him with a pair of brass knuckles. He drew his revolver and the other struck at him with a sling shot, which hit the revolver, causing it to go off, and thus the first shot was fired.
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
He followed the showman to another stable where he attempted to put the man under arrest, when one of the men struck him on the hand, and Ames then drew his revolver and fired, the shot striking the man in the fleshy part of the thigh, inflicting a slight wound. The circus people got into a disturbance at Denison where two of the men were shot and one mortally wounded.
September 12-The board of supervisors at their June session formed a new township to be known as Pleasant Valley and provided that town- ship officers should be elected at the regular election in October. The new township is a portion of Newton township. The board also made a divi- sion of Kniest township at the September session, separating the west half from Kniest township and giving it the name of Wheatland township. It is also provided that township officers are to be elected at the next general election.
September 14-The enumeration of the independent school disrtict of Carroll of persons between the age of five and twenty-one resulted in a total of one hundred and sixty-five, of which sixty are males and one hun- dred and five females. The enumeration taken in the spring showed but one hundred and five. The number between the ages of seven and four- teen is seventy-six.
September 17-The Republican Representative convention of the forty- second district met at Glidden September 17 and nominated on the twenty- third ballot James N. Miller of Sac county to be representative in the legislature. The district is composed of Carroll, Sac, Calhoun and Greene county. Mr. Miller was not a candidate, and his name was sprung after it was apparent that the convention would not nominate any of the numer- ous candidates who figured in the early balloting.
October I-The failure of J. Cook & Co. of Philadelphia, which pre- cipitated the panic about two weeks ago, the injury of which has been felt from ocean to ocean, as effecting the Carroll banking situation through the failure of the Franklin Bank of Chicago, O. H. Manning who has that bank for his correspondent visited Chicago and looked into its con- dition and is satisfied that the bank is safe and will be able to meet its liabilities. Griffith & Deal have for their New York correspondent Henry Cless & Co., but their balance in the East is not very large and that bank will not be affected. The banks of the town are in a hearty condition and feel no embarrassment from the situation, which is so difficult in the East.
October II-Last spring young Kendall, living in Kendrick township, Greene county, was murdered while on a round visiting his traps along the Coon. Suspicion was directed against one Locy Chambers, who was arrested and a confession forced from him by a mob which had assembled to lynch him, in which he charged his brother Alva Chambers with the crime, admitting himself to have been an accessory. The grand jury of Greene county indicted Locy for murder and a change of venue removed the trial to Denison. During the trial a sensation was created by the ap- pearance of Alva Chambers, who said he had been in Montana and had heard nothing of the murder and arrest of his brother until he met a man
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
from Jefferson who told him about it. Alva says that at the time of the murder he was at work on a railroad south of Council Bluffs. The trial of Locy lasted a week and the jury returned a verdict of murder in the first degree. He was sentenced to imprisonment for life.
October 12-Craton C. Colclo undertook to clean a large pinion upon which a cog wheel was running in Col. Cooke's elevator, when his hand was caught and mangled in a terrible manner. Craton bore his suffering, which was terrible at the time, with much more fortitude than many another in his position would have displayed.
October 14-Glidden has arisen to the dignity of an incorporated town and an election of officers has been held with the following result: Mayor, J. O. Havens; recorder, W. H. Stiles. Councilmen, Samuel Campbell, George Ferguson, O. H. Hankins, Daniel Smith and N. D. Thurman. The council has already adopted several ordinances, among others, one imposing a fine of $4.00 a month on saloons. Two saloons pay the license.
October 15-For more than a month smallpox has existed in the German settlement north of Carroll. The cases first reported were from eight to twelve miles distant, but now there is a case which is pronounced genuine smallpox within three and one-half miles, Henry Hockisen being the victim. The case had a fatal end. Several other deaths occurred in Kniest township.
Prairie fires are running in all parts of the county. The people in the north part of Sheridan township were compelled for two days and nights recently, in order to save their property, to fight the fires. Mr. Van Radden had 200 bushels of wheat burned recently and Mr. Cooper, a neighbor, 1500 bushels destroyed.
October 22-The decline in the live stock market in the last few days has been heavy. Great difficulty has been experienced in selling even at the lowest rates which have ruled and large numbers remain unsold in the pens at Chicago at the end of each day.
October 27-The republican county convention met on the 27th of October and nominated: Treasurer, Wm. L. Culbertson; auditor, Wm. Sturgeon ; sheriff, H. C. Stevens ; superintendent of schools, W. F. Steiger- walt; coroner, D. Wayne ; surveyor, C. L. Bailey ; supervisor, A. J. Cop- pedge.
October 27-The democratic convention nominated the following ticket : Treasurer, W. H. Price ; auditor, A. E. Smith ; sheriff, F. J. Beers ; super- intendent of schools, D. Hildebrand ; surveyor, W. H. Bohnenkaup ; coroner, D. F. Gifford ; supervisor, H. Olerich.
November 3-Married, Sunday, October 25th, by Rev. M. Collins, Hor- ace Squires to Miss Etta Livingston. Married, Clinton, Iowa, November 3, 1873, by Rev. Cowden, S. C. Martin, of Carroll county, and Miss L. C. Ryder.
November 6-The entire republican county ticket was elected.
November 26-The sale of land in this county does not appear to have been seriously affected by the panic. The Iowa Railroad Land company report that the sales this month are larger than ever before at this season
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
of the year and will equal the sales of some months of last spring and sum- mer. The influx of newcomers is steady and promises to be heavy in the spring.
December 1-At the first tax sale in Carroll county this fall but a small portion of the property was disposed of. Since then two adjourned sales have been held and nearly all of the delinquent property sold, except that belonging to residents. This has been offered, but only a few pieces have been taken. Either the tax sale purchasers sympathize with the unfortu- nate residents who have been unable to redeem their property or do not wish to put them to the expense of redeeming, or some other influence has restrained them.
December 2-Some time since the Carroll town authorities began negotiations for the purchase of a fire engine and hook and ladder truck, but owing to the inability of the town to pay the sum of $500.00 in cash on the delivery of the engine and truck the negotiations came to an end.
December 7-On this day the first Carroll Protestant church building was dedicated to the service of God by the Congregational society. The society was organized on the 26th day of November, 1872, with the follow- ing members: Charles L. Bailey, Mrs. Delia L. Bailey, Mrs. E. O. Price, Mrs. H. Look, Geo. W. Paine, and Mrs. F. B. Paine, six in all. Since then its membership has increased between twenty and thirty. Work on the foundation of the church was commenced June 23d, and the plastering was completed October 25th, since which date the building has been finished off and seated. The dimensions of the room are 26x40, with sixteen-foot ceiling, and will accommodate an audience of from two to three hundred. The carpenter work was under the supervision of C. L. Bailey and S. P. Hart, and the total cost of the building was $1,977.12. The weather for the dedication was beautiful. The following persons assisted in the ceremony : Revs. DeForest, Pickett, Phillips, Hastings, Smith and White. The choir was under the training of Mrs. E. O. Price. After the music followed a prayer by Mr. Pickett. The dedicatory sermon was delivered by Mr. De- Forest, of Council Bluffs ; the dedicatory prayer was offered by Rev. Mr. White, of Boonesboro. Rev. R. Hastings pronounced the benediction.
1874.
January 11-Rev. E. P. Vail and Rev. R. Hastings, of Carroll, with Mr. Coder, of Sheridan township, left Gee settlement this morning for Carroll with a double-seated, two-horse buggy. While descending a slight elevation near Storm creek, three miles from town, a part of the harness gave way and the horses became unmanageable. The pole dropped from the neck yoke and, striking the frozen ground, vaulted the buggy into the air and the occupants were thrown out. Mr. Coder was stunned : Mr. Vail received several, but not dangerous, injuries ; Mr. Hastings was found lying in the snow, which was blood stained, with a deep gash in the top of his head. He was lifeless and no aid could be given him there, and so he was placed in a wagon, which was following, and in this condition was brought to rela-
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
tives in Carroll. He died at two o'clock, living only two hours after receiv- ing the blow.
February 18-The brewery recently erected at Mt. Carmel by Mr. A. L. Gnam is completed and an excellent quality of lager beer is being manu- factured. A large quantity of this beer is being consumed in Carroll county.
March 4-At the Carroll city election D. Wayne was elected mayor ; Wm. Lynch, recorder; I. W. Collomore, treasurer; A. D. White, marshal; Wm. J. Lundy, street commissioner ; Charles H. Dunham, assessor. One hundred and thirty-one votes were cast for the head of the ticket. Members of the council: Wm. H. Price, W. L. Culbertson, Wm. Arts, H. C. Stevens, WVm. Gilley. At a city election at Glidden the following were elected : Mayor, F. J. Beers; recorder, C. I. Hinman; treasurer, John Waldron ; trustees, W. H. Platner, John Moran, James Cornell, Isaac A. Price, Sam- uel Campbell.
March 28-Carroll county convention of Grangers met March 28th and proceeded to elect officers as follows: C. Poccock, master ; R. L. Wolfe, overseer ; J. L. Mereness, secretary ; E. H. Cole, treasurer ; R. Stevens, stewart; C. B. Dockstader, gatekeeper. A committee was appointed to complete arrangements for Grange elevators, to be located at Carroll and Glidden. The prospect is that by the coming fall at least one elevator, if not two, under the control of the order, will be in operation.
April 23-Former County Treasurer Price has been found short in his accounts between $5,000 and $6,000. The shortage in the various funds is $11,813. Since the deficit was first found he has paid over to his suc- cessor the sum of $5,038. The total amount yet due from him is $5,774, secured by a bond of $75,000, signed by F. J. Beers and about twenty-five others. Mr. Price was not a speculator, nor had he met with any financial misfortune which would account for such a deficiency. His accounts of his living expenses show that the money could not have been used in that way. He is unable to account for the shortage and no one can explain it, save on the theory of lost or misplaced vouchers.
May 6-Dr. S. C. Dunkle located at Glidden at the beginning of the year and is already enjoying a good practice. The Glidden ladies have presented a petition to the town council, signed by every woman of the town, asking that body to pass an ordinance prohibiting the sale of beer and wine.
May 13-The prospectus of Der Carroll Democrat has been issued and the first number will appear in two weeks. T. L. Bowman, of Carroll, and John Burkhardt, formerly of Omaha, are the publishers.
May 27-Arcadia, the youngest town in Carroll county, stands where four years ago was unbroken prairie from Carroll as far west as Denison. The first settlers of the new town were Messrs. Voris, Lamson and Car- penter. Mr. Voris had laid out his town, but the railroad company was not pleased with this and platted another one adjoining it and named it Tip Top. For a time there was something of a rivalry between the own- ers of the two sites, but all the difficulties were adjusted and the railroad purchased Mr. Voris' share of the land, paying him $175 per acre for land
THEODORE ROOSEVELT AT CARROLL
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
that he had some time before purchased for $to. During the carly part of 1870 and spring of 1871 the population of the town increased slowly and at the first fall election in 1871 eighteen votes were cast. A year later this had increased to twenty-one and last year the vote polled was fifty- three. Last year from fifteen to twenty buildings were erected. The pioneer merchant of the place was Henry Carpenter. Others were John Bowdish, J. D. Peters, L. S. Stale, J. D. McDougall, James Carroll and J. Smutney.
July 8-The Carroll County Democrat, with the names of H. L. Mc- Man and F. F. Kelly as publishers, has appeared, and has a neat and creditable appearance. Clouds of grasshoppers have been seen passing over the county and the gravest apprehensions are entertained regarding the coming harvest, upon which depends the financial success or failure of a majority of the farms. After alighting, the hoppers have delayed but a short time before mounting into the air and passing on. They have in- flicted but little damage. William Trowbridge is running a hack from Car- roll, making two trips to Mt. Carmel on Sundays for the purpose of carry- ing those who attend Catholic services at that point. The fare is $1.00 for the round trip. Carroll lodge, No. 274, I. O. O. F., has installed the fol- lowing officers: J. N. King, N. G .; J. W. Hatton, V. G .; W. L. Culbert- son, secretary; H. E. Cole, treasurer, and W. F. Steigerwalt, secretary. The lodge was organized three months since and has grown to have a membership of thirty-six.
July 22-The tax suits between Carroll county and the Iowa Railroad Land company have been decided by the supreme court. Wm. Cook, tax- paying agent for the land company, has turned over to Treasurer Culbert- son the amount held to be due under the decision, the exact sum being $41,214.47. Of this Judge Grant received for his services $10,303. This is the largest fee ever paid in a case arising in this county. It does not come out of the county treasury, however, but out of the treasury of the corporation which has so long fought the county. The amount owing the county is disputed, but the state fund, county and township fund and the general fund have been replenished to the amount of $7,731.
August 5 -- County Attorney J. C. Kelly has just received information from the clerk of the supreme court informing him of a decision just handed down in seven of the cases of the county against the Iowa Railroad Land company, which will give additional inflation to the county treasury of about $27,000.
August 19-The attendance at the Normal Institute is not as large as it has been at times in the past. Regular recitations are conducted by Prof. Van Coolen and Superintendent Steigerwalt. Thirty-six teachers are in attendance.
August 27-The brick making experiment of Kruger Bros., at Carroll, turned out successfully. The brick are hard, of good quality and have the ring which is the best test of their quality. Kruger estimates that he can make from fifteen to twenty thousand brick per week, and expects to have his kiln ready for its first use very shortly.
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
October 14-For more than three years the Methodists have had the question of building a church at Carroll under consideration. The work of gathering subscriptions was carried on under many discouragements, but a sufficient amount was finally pledged. Accordingly in the latter part of the summer of 1873 work was commenced. The building was enclosed before winter, and resumed the next spring, and prosecuted as rapidly as possible without involving it too deeply in debt. The carpenter work was done under the direction of J. W. King. The building is situated on the lot north of the courthouse square. The building as completed is thirty by forty feet with sixteen feet ceiling. The house is finely seated and the pulpit very neat and tasteful. On Sunday the IIth inst., was the day of the dedication, with the following ministers present and assisting in the ceremonies: Rev. J. M. Phillips, of the Presbyterian church; Rev. N. D. Porter, of the Congregational church; and Rev. D. M. Collins, E. W. Brady, Joseph Manning, and W. C. Smith, of the Methodist church. The sermon was preached by Rev. M. D. Collins, who took for his text the tenth verse of the eleventh chapter of Isaiah, "And in that day there shall be a root of Jesse, which shall stand for an ensign of the people; to it shall the Gentiles seek; and his rest shall be glorious." At this time a debt of $700 rested over the building, and although the outlook was not good to raise this amount in a short effort, it was announced at the close of the meeting that $820 had been pledged, so that the church is now out of debt.
October 28-Kruger Bros. have turned out their first kiln of brick and shipped a carload to Arcadia. They retail brick in any quantity desired at $10.00 per thousand.
November 22-Sabbath, November 22, the Presbyterian church of Glidden was set apart by appropriate services to the service of God. Rev. B. C. Smith read the scripture lesson and Rev. J. S. Dunning preached from Psalms, eighty-fourth chapter and the first verse. Rev. Geo. R. Car- roll of Cedar Rapids, who organized the church, gave a historical sketch. Rev. J. M. Phills offered the dedicatory prayer. Rev. Thomas A. Shover pronounced the benediction. The building is a new frame structure, 28 x 46 with 14-foot ceiling, and will seat two hundred and fifty persons. The house cost $1,695.00, all of which is paid.
November 25-Dan Cooper of Jasper township, sold eighty head of hogs to Cook & Jones for $6.25 per hundred, the sale aggregating him something over $1,600.
December 2-Cook & Jones disbursed $13.000 for hogs and grain for the week ending November 20th. They increased this, however, to such an extent that during the following week they paid out over $30,000 in their business at Carroll, Glidden, Scranton and Arcadia.
December 16-Volumes of smoke were seen pouring out of the upper part of the building occupied by D. B. Horton & Co., The building adjoined the large storehouse of L. Kniest. Ladders and buckets were procured and the hose attached to the railroad water tank, and also several Babcock
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY
extinguishers arrived, and did good service. The fire was confined to the upper story of the Horton building and the damage resulting was small. The Wetherill & Hoyt hardware store was threatened at one time.
1875.
September 5-A portion of Carroll county was visited on the 5th inst., by a terrific hail storm. the worst ever known in this part of the country. About 2 o'clock in the forenoon a massive black cloud after a hot day appeared in the northwest and moved towards the southeast. The wind also commenced to blow violently. As soon as the edge of the cloud came over the town a few hailstones came. an indication of what was behin.l. In a few moments hail began to fall more rapidly and soon covered the ground several inches deep. The stones were from the size of a walnut to the size of a man's head. The storm continued about twenty minutes. The damage in Carroll was considerable, but not very serious. A great many lights of glass were broken on the north side of buildings, and sky- lights stood no chance at all. The front of the Carroll County bank was battered in, and the lights in Guthrie & Bowman's office were knocked out. At Hillsdale the damage was terrible. A strip of country two miles wide and four miles long was utterly devastated. The next day, twenty hours after the storm, the hail lay in heaps upon the ground. Immediately after it was over the country around Hillsdale presented the appearance of be- ing entirely under water, so deep did the hail lay. A' large quantity of wheat was still standing in the shock, and this was threshed out, and rendered entirely worthless. Fields of corn, sometimes of one hundred acres each, were actually beaten to the ground and destroyed. Over one hundred and fifty head of hogs were killed outright by the hail and many were crippled. Jos. James had ninety acres of fine corn and fifty acres of wheat entirely wiped out. lanoz Dangle had his entire crop ruined, twelve hogs killed and his house broken up and badly damaged. Jos. Buckheit, one hundred and forty hogs killed. J. Todd, Barney Lordeman, Bhuss- mann and many others lost their entire corn crops besides considerable of their wheat, and a number of their hogs. The crops of J. W. English were injured but not destroyed. All the fruit and forest trees in Hillsdale were either killed entirely or broken. The damage will reach far up into the thousands.
July 28-The assessors in the various townships made a census report last winter. Their figures were sent up to the auditor who condensed them into a report, the recapitulation of which is as follows:
Dwellings 1,262
Population 5.076
Females 2.671
Families
1,175
Males
3.087
Number over 16 years of age who cannot read ... 12
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HISTORY OF CARROLL COUNTY -
Voters
1,197
Foreigners not naturalized
170
Acres of improved land
58,065
Acres of unimproved land
309,694
Rods of fences
45,772
Acres of Wheat
26,756
Acres of Corn
16,007
Acres of Rye
9
Acres of Oats
3,238
Acres of Barley
414
Acres of Flax
289
Acres of Sorghum
561/4
Acres Tame Hay
II2
Acres planted to timber
7II
Trees in bearing
1,448
Fruit trees in bearing
18,702
Horses
2,808
Mules
192
Milch Cows
1,975
Oxen
II7
All other cattle
3,604
Hogs
10,638
Dogs
1,034
Value of products of farm.
$451,365
Garden
1,266
Orchard
570
Herd
74,170
Forest
12,483
Total value of products
$552,008
CHAPTER VII.
THE REFORM MOVEMENT OF THE SEVENTIES-O. H. MANNING-E. R. HAST- INGS-OTHERS ACTIVE IN THE TURNING DOWN OF THE "RING"- THE REMOVAL OF THE COUNTY SEAT TO CARROLL-GLIDDEN A CANDIDATE- BALLOT BOX STUFFING SUSPECTED-GERMANS DISAFFECTED TOWARD THE REPUBLICAN PARTY BECAUSE OF PROHIBITION-THE CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT AND ITS REJECTION BY THE SUPREME COURT-CARROLL COUNTY'S FIRST REPRESENTATIVE-OTHERS PROMINENT IN POLITICS-AT- TITUDE OF THIE COUNTY ON THE LIQUOR QUESTION-ABSENCE OF PAUPERS AND UNIMPORTANT CRIMINAL HISTORY-ATTEMPTS AT ENFORCEMENT- PRESENT "WET" AND "DRY" TERRITORY.
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