History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history, Part 101

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918

USA > Iowa > Cass County > History of Cass County, Iowa; together with sketches of its towns, villages, and townships; educational, civil, military, and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of old settlers and representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races, and a brief review of its civil, political, and military history > Part 101

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Atlantic township is fast settling up with a remarkably intelligent class of people, who are thorough agriculturists, as the high state of cultivation to which their land is already brought, betrays. The improvements are, as a general thing, fine, and the observer is surprised to find such handsome, commodious dwellings, snch comfortable outbuilding, or so finely decorated places in a country whose years are so few. To the individual seeking a home in this great State, the county of Cass, and Atlantic township must present advantages above the common.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

But it was not always so; everything must have a beginning, and less than thirty-five years ago, where now the city of Atlantic stands ; where now are these fine farms, was a desert wilderness, and uninhabited. The honor of being the first white men to make a permanent settlement within the borders of what is now Atlantic township, belongs to R. D. McGeehon, Morris Hoblitt and George Shannon, who had come from Logan county, Illinois, crossing the State of Mis- souri, from Hannibal to St. Joseph by

team, camping out on the way, and look- ing around for a proper location. They came into the county on the 12th of June, 1852. Looking around for some time, they selected their claims near Turkey Grove.

As soon as Mr. McGeehon had located his claim, he set about the erection of a home on it, which was the first house in Atlan- tic township. It was built by R. D. Mc- Geehon with the assistance of Morris Hoblitt and George Shannon, on section 14. It was 18x24 feet, one and a half stories high, built of hewed logs. The floor was made of split puncheons. The timber to make the door was black walnut, bought at Glenwood, Mills county, about sixty miles southwest as the road then run. It had the first twelve-light window it it that was in the county. It was raised about the middle of August, 1852, and is standing yet and used for a stable. Adam Vinnage, John Brannen, George Reeves, Jesse Marshall and his two sons, Miles and James, helped raise it.

Robert D. McGeehon, son of William and Margaret (Geary) McGeehon, was born in Lawrence county, Pennsylvania, December 23, 1827. His mother was born in Ireland, but came to America when two years of age. His father was a native of Pennsylvania and died in Lawrence county, May 12, 1829, and his mother's. demise occurred September 23, 1844. His grandfather emigrated at an early day from Scotland, settling in Eastern Penn- sylvania, and served for five years in the Revolutionary war. When eighteen years of age he had attained the position of captain of Light Horse Cavalry and served as body guard to Washington at Valley Forge. He lost a part of the toes of one

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY,

foot from freezing and died young in consequence of exposure and suffering in the service. Grandmother McGeehon lived to the advanced age of ninety-five years, dying in Washington county Penn- sylvania. Robert D. spent his early life on a farm, being brought up to hard labor and was the youngest of a family of four children. When eighteen years of age he left home and learned the blacksmith trade in Seneca county, Ohio, at which he worked about nine years. After travel- ing in ten different States, he stopped in Logan county, Illinois for two years. From there he set out to find a place to locate for life, his intention being to go to Mis- souri. His route from Logan county, Illi- nois was through Missouri, crossing the Mis- sissippi river at Hannibal and from there across the State of Missouri to St. Joe, going to Indiantown, Cass county, and thence to Glenwood. From there he went to Turkey Grove and settled on section 14, Atlantic township, July 13, 1852, in company with George Shannon and Mor- ris Hoblitt, all single men. Mr. McGee- hon erected a log cabin and put up ten acres of hay, and in September, of that year, returned to Bloomington, Illinois, where he was married to Mary J. Hoblitt, on the 26th of September, a sister of Morris. They immediately returned to the new home he had selected in Iowa. They made their home with Mr. Vinnage, at Indiantown, until he had completed his house, where they spent a very hard win- ter comfortably together. At one time Mr. McGeehon owned a thousand acres of land. They lived on this farm until 1862, when they removed to Grove City and in 1869 moved to Atlantic. In August, 1872,

he engaged in the mill and elevator busi- ness, which was afterward burned. They have one daughter-Nellie, the wife of Ira M. Needles. Mr. McGeehon is a dea- con of the Congregational church. Heis now helping his son-in-law (Ira M. Needles) run the Spring Brook small fruit farm and nursery, located one mile east of public square.

George Shannon and Morris Hoblitt lo- cated claims on sections 13 and 14, but did not build on them. Mr. Shannon afterwards went to Iranistan, at which place he was the first blacksmith.

Morris Hoblitt traded his land with John R. Kirk for a tract near Wiota, which he afterwards sold to Mr. Finch. Morris Hoblitt was born in Logan county, Illinois, in the spring of 1832, and was the son of Timothy B. and Barbara (Bickel) Hoblitt. He received a common school education in Logan county, and then commenced the study of medicine. He attended medical lectures at Rush Medical college, Chicago, in 1861 and 1862 and graduated at that institution. When R. D. McGeehon and George Shannon came out to Cass county to lo- cate in 1852, Mr. Hoblitt came with them. He first located on section 14, but after- wards traded this land with John R. Kirk, for a farm in Franklin township. He went back to Illinois to study medi- cine, receiving his medical education as before stated. After graduation at Rush Medical college, he returned to Grove City, and commenced the practice of his profession. He soon came into prominence there through his skill, and gained the reputation of being one of the most successful practitioners in the

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

county. He was married in 1855 to Jose- phine Haughey, a native of Ohio. They had one child-Effie, who is now living in Hardin county. He died May 17, 1864, and his wife died a short time previously. Mr. Hoblitt was a brother-in-law of John R. Kirk and R. D. McGeehon, then and now prominent citizens of this township and county.

Jesse Marshall took up a claim on sec- tion 22, about two and one-half miles from McGeehon's house, on section 27, in July, 1852, and settled on it. From some of the early settlers, who knew Marshall, the following account of him and his family is taken: He had a wife and ten children, the two oldest being young men. The family lived in their wagon until winter, by which time they had finished the shell of a log house, into which they moved. Mr. Marshall was the only one of the family who could either read or write, and that was about his only accom- plishment. He was a fair type of the backwoodsman, and when he had his cabin completed, he remarked that it was only the seventy-fifth that he had built He had dwelt in the backwoods portions of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri and various portions of Iowa, and each of these local- ities he had left before the wolves and deer had ceased to make them their haunts. During the fall of 1853, he took his ox team and went to Rockport, Mis- souri, for provisions, of which the family had run short. He was gone about one month, and during his absence the family maintained life on pumpkins and slippery elm bark. It is said that if he could get a jug of sod-corn whiskey, a plug of dog- tail tobacco, a little corn meal, and a

saddle of venison, he was supremely happy, and cared for nothing else while this lasted; and this was characteristic of the whole family. In January, 1854, he had been in Indiantown on a drunken debauch, and on his return, went to bed sick, and died in a few days. Some days after his death occurred, T. J. Byrd was riding past the place, and seeing one of the boys out not far from the house, asked him how the family were getting along. The young man answered: "Oh, all right except Dad, he's dead." Mr. Byrd went into the house, and found Mrs. Marshall sitting by the smouldering fire, her face buried in her hands. He asked her how they were prospering, to which she replied, "All right but the old man-he is dead." Mr. Byrd stepped to the corner of the room, and found the old man covered up with some blankets, stark and cold in death. On asking why the deceased had not been buried, Mr. Byrd was informed that Geo. Reeves had been sent to Iranis- tan for a coffin, but that, although he had been gone five days he had not yet re- turned. Reeves, however, soon afterward returned, with a rude coffin, into which the lifeless body of Jesse Marshall was placed, and a grave having been dug near the house, he was put away for his long sleep beneath the winter's snows. It should be said here, for the benefit of the generous-hearted settlers of the vicinity, who were noted for their hospitality, that they did not know, nor had they any means of knowing, that Marshall was lying neglected in his house, for Reeves had gotten under the influence of liquor immediately after going to Iranistan, and hence had neglected to make known his

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

mission; nor did the family of the old man see fit to inform any one of what had occurred. And thus it happened that other settlers in the vicinity, who would have been only too glad to have done all in their power in caring for the dead, were left in total ignorance of the affair till after Mr. Byrd chanced to pass along. Marshall's death was the first in Atlantic township. His family lived here until the spring of 1860, when they went away, going to Missouri or Kansas, it is not known which. Jesse Marshall sold his claim in section 34, to Clayborn Marion, in 1853, and took up a claim and built a cabin on section 29, where he died in Jan- uary, 1854.

During the latter part of May, 1853, G. W. W. Wakefield and Albert Wakefield settled on the south part of section 24, broke prairie, and built a house.

Albert Wakefield was born in Somerset county, Maine, on the 1st of January, 1828, his parents being John and Emma (Downing) Wakefield. He received his education in Maine, and when eighteen years of age he commenced the occupa- tion of school teaching in his native State. He remained there until 1850, when he went to New Jersey, and there taught one term, three months, when he went to Cincinnati, and in the spring of 1851, he came to Davis county, Iowa, and was there engaged in teaching two years; or until 1853, when he came to Cass county, and has since made it his home. On his arrival at his new home he found Judge Bradshaw, the first Judge of Cass county, keeping postoffice at Indiantown, and Lewis had just been lo- cated, while the county seat was placed

there. Mr. Wakefield located on sections 13 and 24, in Atlantic township, where he owned six hundred acres of fine land, por- tions of which he sold to each of twenty- five different persons. In the summer of 1855 he built a saw mill on Turkey Creek, and began its operation the spring follow- ing, while his older brother became mill- wright. Before many months the brother sold his interest to A. G. McQueen, after- ward a Brigadier General in the civil war. Albert Wakefield sold his interest in the spring of 1865, and in the summer of that year weut to farming. He had gone to California in 1862, and taught school un- til the summer of 1865. He went to Mis- souri in the spring of 1866, and taught school near St. Joe, for one term, and then he took a trip through Kansas, with a view of locating, but not liking the coun- try, he came to Cass county, and purchased the lots of Grove City, where he has since lived. He was married on the 1st of January, 1858, to Ella Northgraves, a native of Covington, Kentucky, who, when quite young moved to Ohio, where she was reared. In the spring of 1856, she taught the first school in Audubon county, at Hamlin's Grove, and in the fall of that year, taught the first school in Franklin township, Cass county, a half mile north- west of the present site of Wiota. She afterwards taught the first school of Tur- key Grove, Atlantic township, two terms in 1866-7. Mr. and Mrs. Wakefield have three children-Emma, Carrie and Clara (twins). Emma was married January 1, 1884, to Fred Schain, and now lives four miles south of Atlantic. Mr. Wakefield owns eighty acres of land in Grove City. At the second election in the county, in

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

1855, Mr. W. was elected County Clerk, and served one term. He was notary public about eight years, and has held the' office of township treasurer for fourteen consecutive terms. He also held the office of county surveyor four years, be- ginning in 1866 or 1868, (one term by election and one by appointment). His farm is one of the finest in the county, and his orchard is the largest in this part of the country, containing about one thousand apple trees, one hundred cherry trees, and a large number of plum trees, also has a fine vineyard of over two hun- dred bearing vines.

Among the more prominent and sub- stantial class of citizens we do not fail to mention A. M. Wakefield, who is a native of Newport, Kentucky, and was born on the 24th of July, 1851. The family came to Cass county in 1853, and located in Atlantic township. He was reared and educated on a farm in Franklin town- ship, and remained at home until he had reached the age of twenty-three years, when he purchased a farm in Union town- ship, and broke the land and commenced the stock business. His business has in- creased, until it attained proportions, which placed him among the foremost stockmen in western Iowa. He ships stock to all parts of the country, and has shipped for the part year most of his stock to Chicago and Nebraska. Mr. Wakefield has three hundred and eighty acres of good cultivated land, most of which is in pasture. His farm has an orchard attached, and he has commenced the improvements of his place, and in the course of a few years his farm will be one of the best in the county. Mr. Wake-

field was married in January, 1884, to Harriet Cook, a native of Obio. Mr. W. is a member of the I. O. O. F., being In- side Guard of that lodge.

The next settler in this township was John R. Kirk, who was born in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania, July 19, 1830. His father, Timothy Kirk, died in July, 1863, in Indiana. His mother, Ann (Bailey) Kirk, died in the same State in April, 1841. John R. Kirk removed, with his parents, to Lorain county, Ohio, in 1835, and in the fall of the same year, to San- dusky county, near Port Clinton, where they engaged in farming until the fall of 1837. They then removed to Kosciusko county, Indiana, where John R. received his education. In the spring of 1849, he (John R.) went to Logan county, Illi- nois, where he located on a farm, and February 27, 1851, was married to Meli- cent Hoblitt, a daughter of Timothy B. and Barbara (Bickel) Hoblitt. She be- longs to a family which is, to this day, one of the most prominent in Logan county. Mr. and Mrs. Kirk removed to Cass county in the spring of 1854, locat- ing then, upon section 14, of Atlantic township, where they have since resided. They are pioneers of Cass county, and, in fact, of Western Iowa. At the time of their arrival, there were only fifteen or twenty houses in the county. The first school in Atlantic township was taught in his log cabin, by Mary Curry, of Ohio. They have five children living- Jennie A., George Scott, Albert M., Sel- don H. and Effie H. (adopted.) They have lost four children. Mr. Kirk owns five hundred and fifty acres of fine, well im- proved land, and is engaged in stock-rais-

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

ing. He has two orchards with five hun- dred bearing trees, also a fine vineyard. The family are members of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Kirk was steward for twenty years, and for the last ten years has been a local preacher of that denom- ination. He was a class leader for several years, and was ordained a deacon by Bishop Andrews, at the annual conference of the Methodist Episcopal church at Red Oak, on Sunday, September 14, 1884. He was converted in Logan county, Illinois, in 1851, under the pastorate of Rev. Mason, of the Baptist church, and united with the Methodist Episcopal church in this county. He is the leader of the church in this section. He has been an active worker in the Sabbath School, either as class leader or superintendent, for twenty years. He has held local offices, but has no political ambition. In politics he is a strong Republican. He enlisted in July, 1861, in the Fourth Iowa Infantry, under command of Colonel (afterward General) Dodge, and served one year, when he was discharged for disability, contracted while in the service.

In the summer of 1853, Clayborn Marion bought a claim of Jesse Marshall on section 34, where he built a cabin and made some improvements. After living there something over a year, he sold liis farm and removed to section 24, where he resided until the gold excitement took so many from the county, when he went with the rush to Colorado. He was much re- spected while here, and bore a good name. He and his wife both died in Colorado.

At an early day, William, John and Joseph Scofield owued the land whereon the town of Atlantic now stands, and broke

the ground, planted it with corn and raised a crop. They afterward removed from this county, and are now living near Wal- nut, Pottawattamie county.

R. D. McGeehon and Morris Hoblitt broke ten acres of ground on the north- west quarter of section 8, now in the city of Atlantic, in 1853.

Peter Kanawyer settled on section 1, Atlantic township, in the spring of 1854. He commenced improving his claim, but sold it in 1855, to Henry Michael, and settled about two miles east of the pres ent site of Wiota, where he resided till the spring of 1860, when he emigrated to California. He is now living in that State, at Grangeville, Tulare county.

In 1856 Casper Schon was added to the list of settlers. He located on section 21, and now lives not far from his first place of settlement.

Casper Schon is a native of Germany, born on the 14th of April, 1823, and is the son of George and Mary Schon. He came to America in 1852, and located in Highland county, Ohio, and there re- mained until 1854, when he came to Cass county, and located in Cass township. He was married in 1847, to Mary Bodd, also a native of Germany. They have been blessed with four children-Lizzie, now living in Atlantic township, and the wife of Casper Beekman; Fred, married to Em- ma Wakefield; Mary, and a son who is now- living in California. When Mr. Schon came to Cass county, the land was wild. His farm which was located in Atlantic township, was one of the best in the county, but in 1882, he sold it and re- moved to section 28. Ile raises cattle of the finest grade, Poland China hogs and

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

Cotswold sheep, and has some of the finest stock in the county .. He has two full-blooded Norman horses, and a num- ber of minor valuation. He has eighty acres of fine cultivated land, having deeded his son Fred one hundred and sixty acres of his original farm. An in- cident in Mr. Schou's life appears in the reminiscence chapter.

George Conrad came to Cass county in 1854, and located near the site of Grove City. In 1860, he opened the first regular store in that embryoic city, on the very small capital of thirty-five dollars. His counter was a walnut slab, and the first sale was that of a paper of saleratus, for which he received the sum of fifteen cents. During the year, his stock slowly increased, and in later years, he added dry goods and notions to his grocery stock. He removed to Atlantic on the founding of that city, in 1868, where he entered into the dry goods business. In this he achieved a competency, and has now retired from the active pursuits of life, and lives in retirement, employing his time in looking after his large prop- erty. He is a native of Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and was born September 16, 1829, near the village of Middletown, not far from Harrisburg. He is the son of George and Mary (Singer) Conrad, who were both natives of the "Keystone State," of Dutch descent. In early life, Mr. Conrad removed with his parents to Wooster county, Ohio, where he was reared. IIe, while there, engaged in nearly all kinds of business, principally staging and running on the cars. He was married in Cass county, on the 20th of June, 1858, to Elizabeth Donner, a daugh-

ter of one of the early settlers of Pymosa township, by whom he has two children.

Robert M. Kirk located on section 18, in June, 1854. He was a native of Lan- caster county, Pennsylvania, but came here from Indiana, He made a few im- provements and built a cabin, of the usual pattern in all new countries. He remained in this township about two years, when he removed out of the county, but is now a resident of Noble township.

Henry Michaels came in the summer of 1855, and located on the northeast quarter of section 1, on the Kanawyer farm. He built a house, which was afterward occu- pied by Clark Byrd. Mr. Michaels left the county, going to Nebraska, where he still resides.

D. A. Barnett came in 1855, and en- tered land in various portions of the township. He lived in the township until his death, before which event, be was honored with high official positions by his fellow-citizens.

Philip Berg came in 1855, and located on section 12, where he now resides.

Jeremiah Balding came in the fall of 1855, and entered land on sections 2 and 10. He did not build there, but purchased a home in Grove City, where he lived. He died in the State. His widow, Mrs. Lucy Balding, is now living on section 10, this township.

Jeremiah Balding was born in Con- necticut, in 1820, and was a son of Jere- miah and Martha Balding. He went to Illinois when quite yonng, and a part of his boyhood days were spent in Warren county, that State. He afterward went to Cayuga county, New York, and there, August 21, 1855, was married to Lucy

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

Bell, daughter of Samuel and Mary Bell. They had two children-Finley, who is now married to Della Conover and living two miles from his mother's home; and Emma. Mr. Balding died September 19, 1876, at the age of sixty-six years. Mr. and Mrs. Balding came to this county in 1855, when there was but one house between their place and Lewis. They were obliged to obtain their provisions in Council Bluffs. They returned to Illinois in 1857. From there they went to Cali- fornia, where they remained three years, returning by the Isthmus of Panama to Illinois. They lived in that State until they came back to Iowa, in 1872. Mrs. Balding owns one hundred and twenty acres of good land, all under cultivation, and is a member of the Methodist Epis- copal church. Her parents are now living in California, also two brothers and two sisters. IIer father, Samuel Bell, was for several terms a member of the New York Legislature, representing Cayuga county. He is a native of New York State.

Charles MeGee came in the fall of 1855, and settled at Grove City. He came from Ohio, where he had been engaged in farming. He remained about two years, then went to Franklin town- ship and erected a cabin near the present site of Wiota. He also improved a farm. He afterward left the county, going to Kansas.

Thomas Sprall, a young man from Ohio, took up a claim on section 28, in 1855, where Casper Beekman now lives. He afterward went West, since which no tidings have been heard from him in this vicinity.

Lewis Beason's first settlement in Cass county was made in the spring of 1856, on section 21. Hle rented of J. R. Kirk one year and then entered land on section 21. Ile remained about two years and then removed to Grant township. At present he is a resident of Benton town- ship, and is noticed at length in the chap- ter of that sub-division.

William McQueen, a brother of Alex- ander McQueen, came in the spring of 1857, from Ohio, and located near Grove City. He remained about two years and then returned to the East. While there, being a patriotic young man, he entered the service of the United States in the civil war, and served valiantly in the cause.

William H. Strater located in Atlantic township, on section 12, in 1856. Ile was a native of Germany, born in January,, 1833. He was the son of J. P. and Mar- garet Strater, and came to this country in early life and located in Richland county, Ohio. He was united in marriage with Catherine IInmerick, in the month of February, 1854, at Mansfield, in that county. She was, like himself, a native of Germany. He and his family came to Cass county and located as above, where he resided until April 12, 1880, when he died. His widow still resides upon the old homestead.

Frederick Both came in the winter of 1856, from Ohio, and settled at Grove City. His wife died a couple of years after their arrival. He has lived in divers and varions places in the county, and is now a resident of Lewis.

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Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill Publication date: 1884 Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co. Number of Pages: 918

Author: Continental Historical Company, Springfield, Ill
Publication date: 1884
Publisher: Springfield, Ill. : Continental Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 918