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 95

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 95

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Hiram Blake was born in Jackson

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county, Ohio, on the 19th of July, 1832, and is the son of John Blake, who moved to La Porte county, Indiana, with his wife and eleven children. When IIiram was about twenty-one years of age, his father gave him three hundred dollars, and he started for Michigan, where he remained two years, when he joined his father's family, who had moved to Bu- rean county, Illinois, and there made his home until 1867, excepting his time in the service, having enlisted in company H, Twelfth Illinois Infantry, and served about three months. In the spring of 1867, he came to Iowa, and settled in Marshall county, and was there engaged in farming. Mr. Blake was married in July, 1868, to Nancy Evans. They have three children-Jessie Blanche, Minerva M. and Verna May. Mr. Blake lived in Marshall county, until 1878, when he came to Cass county, and purchased one hundred and twenty acres of land on sec- tion 16, Massena township. He is presi- dent of the school board at the present time, and has taken great interest in the township affairs. He is the postmaster of Whitneyville, also music teacher.

Owen L. Smith, named after the old patriarch of abolitionism, was born on the sixth of May, 1842, and is the son of Eli and Clarissa Smith. His father died in August, 1871, and his mother still lives in Bureau county, Illinois. On her eight- ieth birthday, on October 5, 1884, there was a re-union of her children-Owen, Allen, Mary Ann, Henry and Eli, at her home. Owen was married in 1864 to Mary, a daughter of Samuel Wood. They have been blessed with seven children- George Walter, Clarissa V., Mattie M.,

Eli S., Wilbert K., Eva A. and Lucy A. Mr. Smith came to Cass county, Iowa, in March, 1873, and bought eighty acres on section 29, Massena township, where he now resides, having one of the best farms in the township. Mr. S. is a man of noble ability, and is greatly honored by his many friends and neighbors.

George P. Fish, a prominent farmer of Massena township, was born in St. Law- rence county, New York, on the 10th of March, 1848. He was married in Septem- ber, 1870, to Lydia E. Staplin, also a na- tive of St. Lawrence county, New York. They have had four children-Don H., Jesse W., who died in infancy; Grace I. and Marion I. Mr. Fish came to Cass county May 3, 1871, and located on the land where he has since improved a nice farm on section 2. He has since added two hundred acres to his farm, owning now one of the largest and best improved farms in the county. He has served on the board of trustees, and has been justice of the peace.

Dr. C. M. Dodge, one of the prominent citizens of Massena township, was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, on the 26th of March, 1836. He is the son of Josiah Dodge, who was also a native of that county. When about sixteen years of age, his parents moved to Warren county, Illi- nois, and remaining there until eighteen years of age, when he attended a school of medical science, and several years after he taught in a district school while he studied with some of the best physi- cians in this country. In 1854 he re- moved to Fulton county, Illinois and con- menced his practice, and a few years later he came to Dallas county, and there con -.

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tinued his practice, which he made a great success. In 1880 he went to Gra- ham county, Kansas, and there remained until 1882, when he came to Iowa, and settled in Griswold, Cass county, where he practiced one year, and then moved to his farm in Massena township. Mr. Dodge was united in marriage, in 1857, to Nancy J. Rose, a native of Brown county, Ohio. They have six children- Julius M., conductor on the Rock Island railroad; Elizabeth, wife of J. O. An- drews, an attorney in Dakota; Harriet, wife of Dr. A. C. Woodruff of Griswold; George, employed by the railroad com- pany; Ira, at home and Katie.

Benjamin F. Eastman is a native of On- ondaga county, New York, born on the 9th of June, 1839. He is the son of Neil and Amancy Eastman, his father being a farmer and a distiller of essential oils. Benjamin came to Cass county in 1873, and settled on land which was deeded to bim by his father, owning abont one hun- dred acres of land on section 30. He was married in Madison county, New York, on the 17th of May, 1871, to Adelia Agnes Rudd. Her parents dying when she was quite young, she was adopted by Benjamin Britt, of Madison county, New York. They have been blessed with six children-Jennie Blanche, died in infancy; B. Franklin, Herbert C., Clarence B. (de- ceased), Carroll M. and Florence I.

Lnma W. Stone, born in St. Lawrence county, New York, on the 3rd of April, 1841, was the son of Earl and Lydia Stone. He enlisted in 1861, in company B, Fifteenth Massachusetts Volunteers, and serving about one year, when he was im- prisoned in the Libby prison, and remain-

ed there that winter, when he was dis- charged on account of lung disease. He regained his strength and enlisted in the Fourth Massachusetts Infantry, and so served until the close of the war. He was one of the bravest soldiers in our coun- try's cause, and his services will long be remembered. Mr. Stone came to Cass county in 1870, and settled in what is now Massena township. He owns one hundred and twenty acres of good land on section 2, which is a beautiful and pro- ductive place. He should be greatly honored in this township, for the great interest he has taken in the developement of the county. He assisted in organizing the township, and gave it the name of Massena, after his birth place in St. Lawrence county. In 1866, his health began failing so fast, he visited Wyoming, where he remained about four years, when he returned home. He was married in February, 1871, to Mrs. Isabella H. Hill, the widow of Charles H. Hill, who gave his life to the cause of the Union. Their only child, Frederick E., died in Wyom- ing Territory, and now the child of Mrs. Stone, by her first marriage resides with them. Mr. Stone was one of the first trustees in the township.

T. C. Danforth, a native of Union coun- ty, Ohio, was born on the 14th of Sept- ember, 1849, and is the son of J. M. and Mary Ann (Smith) Danforth. His father was a farmer, and owned a great deal of land in Union county. Thomas came to Cass county in June, 1876, and lived the first year with Henry McEllish in Massena township, and also with Allen Smith. He remained there until 1882, when he went to Anita and was there employed in

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

the bank until the 24th of June, the same year, when he started for Chicago in charge of live stock, and was injured in a railroad accident, being thrown about sixty-three feet, and his nervous system was so shocked that be has never recov- ered, and since that time has never been able to do manual labor. He owns two hundred acres of land on section 26, nearly all under cultivation. Mr. Dan- forth was united in marriage in April, 1884, to Lotta Langworthy, a daughter of C. G. and M. E. Langworthy, now resid- ing in Audubon county, Iowa.

Among the prominent citizens of Mas- sena township, we will mention John H. Yarger, who was born in Center county, Pennsylvania, on the 12th day of August, 1843. When about thirteen years of age he went to Monroe, Wisconsin, and was there engaged in clerking in the store of Whitney and Treat, and there remaining about three years, when he went to Cali- fornia and remained there about one year. He again worked in the establishment of Whitney and Treat until 1862. when he went into partnership with A. Perrine, in the grocery business. He continued his business until 1868, when he went to Texas and began raising stock, and so continued two summers, when he went to the frontier, and was there engaged in raising cattle. IIe wandered through the Indian Territory several times, and until 1875, when he came to Cass county, Iowa, and purchased four hundred acres of land and has cultivated a nice farm. He is a member of the board of trustees, and is justice of the peace, of Massena town- ship. Mr. Yarger was married in Febru- ary, 1880, to Clara L. Denham. They

have been blessed with two children- Ida May and Orlando.

Lewis Dressler was born in Schuylkill county, Pennsylvania, on the 6th of April, 1853. His father, Elias Dressler, left Pennsylvania, when Lewis was about two years of age and settled in Indiana, where he remained until 1882, when be settled in Cass county, Iowa. Lewis settled in Massena township, Cass county, in 1879, and bought eighty acres of land on section 11, where he now resides. In 1876, Lewis went with his father and family to Colorado, and remaining there about two years, his father re- turned to Muscatine county, Iowa, and Lewis went to Maliaska county, where he was working by the month. He was mar- ried in 1879, to Lueinda E. Coffin, a na- tive of Indiana. About one week after his marriage he came to Cass county, to look for a home, and finally bought one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 11, Massena township. He returned for his wife to Indiana, and about the lat- ter part of October lie settled on his farm. He has since added to his land eighty acres, which is nicely improved and af- fords good crops of corn, and is an excel- lent stock farm. Mr. and Mrs. Dressler have three children-Gertrude I., Isabella Rose and Charles C.

Charles W. Huff, one of the prominent men of this township, enlisted in 1862, in the Nineteenth Iowa Infantry, and was made first lieutenant of company G. He fought bravely at Prairie Grove, and was in the siege of Vicksburg, and in all of the principal engagements of the army. Ile was promoted to a captaincy on the 15th of April, 1864, and was known as

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

one of Iowa's best officers. Captain Huff received an honorable discharge at Davenport, in 1865. He was married in October, 1865, to Margaret A. Winder, a native of Knox county, Ohio. Mr. Huff was born in Wayne county, Ohio, on the 6th of January, 1836. After his marriage he moved to Madison, and there remained two years, when he came to Cass county, settling in Grant township, near Anita, and there remained until the spring of 1883, when he sold his real estate in that township, and bought two hundred and forty acres on section 13, Massena town- ship, where he owns a fine and productive farm. Mr. and Mrs. Huff have been blessed with seven children-Rowena Ruth, died in infancy; Theodore, Charles, Blanche, Delpha, Laura and Frances.

William H. Kreamer was born in Cen- ter county, Pennsylvania, on the 20th of May, 1841. His father, William Kreamer, was one of the early settlers of Stephen- son county, Illinois, and is now a resident of Atlantic township, Cass county, Wil- liam H. enlisted in company B, Twenty- sixth Illinois Infantry, and was in the en- gagements at Corinth, Iuka, siege of Vicksburg, Jackson, Missionary Ridge, Atlanta, and with Sherman on his March to the Sea. He was discharged at Butler in 1865, and returned home to his many friends and aged parents. He was mar- ried on the 18th of March, 1866, to Mary M. Long, a native of Stephenson county, Illinois. They have had eight children, one of whom is now dead-Jennie M., Elizabeth, Laura, died at the age of seven years; Ida, Ella, Francis D., Mamie and Blanche. Mr. Kreamer came to Cass county, Iowa, in 1875, and located on sec-

tion 18, Massena township, where he now owns one hundred and sixty acres of fine land, all being under cultivation. He is one of the trusted men of the township, having been assessor, school director, and is now chairman of the board of trustees.

EDUCATIONAL.

The following composed the first school board of Massena township; J. Q. A. McCormick, president ; S. M. Holladay, secretary : S. T. McCormick, treasurer ; William Holaday, Nathan Poole, J. Q. A. McCormick, directors. At the last elec- tion the following officers were elected : Hiram Blake, president ; S. M. Holaday, treasurer ; W. S. Whitney, secretary ; E. A. Harris, M. M. Smith, Lee Prall, Corne- lius Denham, Hiram Blake, C. C. Huff, Alfred Willis, Henry McElfish and John Watson, directors.

School district No. 1 is composed of sec- tions 1, 2, 11 and 12. The school house is situated on the south west corner of sec- tion 1, which was completed July 12, 1878, at a cost of $335, and is 18x28 feet in size. J. N. Porter was the pioneer teacher of this district. E. A. Harris is the pres- ent director.

School district No. 2 comprises sections 3, 4, 9 and 10. The school house is situa- ted on the northeast corner of section 9, - and was completed July 15, 1874, at a cost of $525, and is 18x28 feet in size. Alice Kellogg was the first teacher in the building. The present director of this district is M. M. Smith.

School district No. 3 embraces sections 5, 6, 7 and 8. The first school house in this district was erected on section 8, and was also the first in the township. It was used for school purposes some time, after

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

which it was occupied as a residence, and later used for a granary. In May, 1871, it was removed to its present location, 011 section 7, and rebuilt. S. M. IIoladay, was the first teacher in the new building. Lee Prall is the present director of the district.

School district No. 4 comprises sections 17, 18, 19 and 20. The school house was erected on the southwest corner of sec- tion 17, in the summer of 1884. It is 22x32 feet in size, and cost $575. A.Miss Jameson taught the first term of school, in the fall of that year. The director at present is Cornelius Denham.

School district No. 5 has a school house which was built in the summer of 1884, at a cost of $575, on the southeast corner of section 16, and which is 22x32 feet in size. The district embraces the territory contained in sections 15, 16, 21 and 22, and is presided over by Hiram Blake, di- rector.

School district No. 6 comprises sections 13, 14, 23 and 24, and has a school house ou the southeast corner of section 14, which was erected in the summer of 1884, at a cost of $575, and is 22x32 feet in size. C. C. Huff is the director.

School district No. 7 has a school house on the southwest corner of section 25, erected in the summer of 1872, at a cost of $430, which is 18x28 feet in size. The first teacher in this building was George Fish. The present director of this dis- trict is Alfred Willis. The district em- braces the territory contained in sections 25, 26, 35 and 36.

School district No. 8, embraces sections 27, 28, 33 and 34. It has a school house, 18x28 feet in dimension, situated on the

southeast corner of section 28, erected in September, 1873, at a cost of $465. The pioneer teacher in this building was Ira Shoudy. The director of this district is Henry McElfish.

School district No. 9 embrace sections 29, 30, 31, and 32, and has a school build- ing on the southwest corner of section 29. It was erected in the summer of 1875, at a cost of $524, and is 18x28 feet in size. The first teacher in this building was S. E. Morrison. Prior to the erection of this building, school was taught in the district in a house belonging to Cornelius Denham, on section 20, by Pauline Hola- day.

CEMETERY.

On the 27th day of October, 1877, the trustees of Massena township purchased four acres of land on section 16 at twelve and a half dollars per acre, and laid it out for cemetery purposes. The first in- terment in this cemetery occurred on August 29, 1878. The deceased was a child, Maggie M. Moore, whose age at the time of her death, was one year, ten months and eleven days. The funeral ceremony was conducted by Rev. Isaac Brown. The cemetery lot was fenced in April, 1880.

WHITNEYVILLE POSTOFFICE.

This office was established at an early day, on section 8, with Frank H. Whitney as postmaster. It was afterward discon- tinued, but in 1866 was re-established, with W. S. Whitney as postmaster, who continued in the office for about thirteen years. Mr. Whitney received for his thirteen years of labor as postmaster, the sum of $197.36, eight years of which time he was obliged to get up every night to

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

make up mail for a stage line. In July, 1879, the office was removed to the resi- dence of V. C. Whip, who had possession of it but a short time, when he disposed of his property and removed to Ringgold county, where he now resides. The office was then removed to the dwelling of F. B. Nichols on section 6, and afterward removed to to its present location, on sec- tion 16, at the residence of Hiram Blake, who is still postmaster.

ORGANIC.

Massena township was constituted June 11, 1870, with S. M. Holaday as organizer, and contains the territory technically known as township 75, range 34. At the

fall election of that year, officers were chosen as follows: W. S. Whitney, clerk; S. M. Holaday, justice of the peace and assessor; S. T. McCormick and William Holaday, constables; S. T. McCormick, L. W. Stone and William Holaday, trust- ees. The present township officers are: S. M. Holaday, clerk; A. H. Willis, assessor; J. H. Yarger and S. M. Holaday, justices of the peace; O. L. Smith and George Culp, constables; J. H. Yarger, John Watson and William Kreamer, trustees; Rhinehold Schwenke, William Porter, Martin Hodge, O. L. Smith William Mccluskey and Charles Willis, road su- pervisors.

CHAPTER XXXII.

FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP.

The sub-division of Cass county that is known as the civil township of Franklin, embraces all of congressional township 76 north, range 35 west of the fifth prin- cipal meridian. It lies in the second tier of townships from the north line of the county, and is the second from the east line. It is bounded on the north by Ben- ton, on the east by Lincoln, on the south by Union, and on the west by Atlantic. It is intersected by Turkey creek and sev- eral of its affluents. The main stream enters the township on the north line of

section 2, and crosses that and sections 3, 9, 8, 7 and 18, on its southwesterly course, and makes its exit on the west line of the latter section. The Eller branch takes its rise in the eastern part of the township, and flowing almost due west, crosses sections 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18, in the northwest of the latter making a confluence with the parent stream. Jimn branch flows through sections 25, 26, 27, 21, 22, 20 and 19, leaving the township on the latter. These streams, with countless small tributaries, drain and water the

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

.entire township, spreading like threads throughout its entire surface, to such a degree that not a section is without run- ning water upon it.

The surface of, the township is beauti- fully diversified, hill and valley, level and rolling prairie, plain and timber, that de- lights the eye seeking the picturesque, and the heart of the intelligent agricul- turist seeking a home. While some parts of it are hilly and somewhat rougli, still but a small portion of it is unavailable for tillage or pasture, and much of it is already in a high state of cultivation, although a newly settled part of the county, comparatively speaking. The soil is the same dark, uctuous loam that is the characteristic of the soil of this portion of Iowa, and has a wonderful fertility. Wheat and oats do exceedingly well, while corn, the great staple of the coun- ty, is magnificent in its growth and won- derful in its yield. The rich, succulent grasses, both on wild lands and cultivated pastures, run riot in a wild luxuriance, and the cattle fed in this vicinity manifest by their sleek hides and rounded forms the nutritious nature of the herbage.

The township is traversed by the main line of the Chicago, Rock Island and Pa- cific railroad, which enters Franklin on the northeast quarter of section 2, and crosses that section, and sections 3, 4, 9, 7 and 8, leaving the township on the west line of the latter. The town of Wiota, lying within the limits of Franklin town- ship, is the principal shipping point.

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first to make a settlement was Jesse Eller, who, early in the spring of 1854,

took up a claim on section 18, and com- menced to open up a farm. He broke forty or fifty acres, and put up a round log house. He lived on this place until about 1874, when he removed to Mills county, and from thence to Pottawattamie county, where he died, June 18, 1884. He was born in Wilkes county, North Caro- lina, and was of German extraction, although he was reared in Indiana. He was quite a hunter and trapper during the winter, but when spring had come, the gun was laid by. and the implements of husbandry were taken hold of with a will, and in a few years he had a good farm opened on the northeast corner of Turkey Grove. During the civil war, times were very hard, money scarce, and the comforts of life very high. Mr. Eller made more money than any other man in the vicinity, trapping and hunting mink, otter, wolves and other fur animals. A good mink skin was worth from three to five dollars, and other furs in proportion.

About the same time came Tipton Ma- rion, who located on section 19, in or near a part of Turkey Grove, where he built him a cabin. He came from the vicinity of Fairfield, Iowa. He continued to live here for about two years, when he remov- ed to Nebraska.

In the fall of 1854, Peter Kanawyer, settled in Franklin township on the north- west quarter of section 3, where he opened up a farm. He resided here until in 1862, when he emigrated to that far away land of gold, California, where he still is liv- ing.

Zadoc Stewart entered land on a portion of section 9, in the fall of 1854, at what is called "Middle Turkey Grove," where he

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built a cabin, and in the spring and sum- mer of 1855, broke a little piece of ground and put in a crop. He had a family of one son and four or five daughters unmarried, all of the latter being young ladies, ex- cept the youngest. Lie was a native of Indiana, and remained here until 1865, when he sold out and removed to Fre- mont county, this State, where he died.

John Eller, a son of David Eller and a brother of Jesse, came to this vicinity in March, 1855, and pre-empted a farm on section 20, where he now. lives. He is the descendent of Peter Eller, a Hessian soldier, who came to this country during the Revolutionary War, in the service of Great Britain, and who soon left that ser- vice and settled in North Carolina. John was born in Indiana, where his parents had removed some years before, in 1832, and moved with his parents in 1837, to Jefferson county, Iowa. He came to this county and remained until 1857, when he returned to Jefferson county, where he enlisted, in 1862, in Company II, Thirtieth Iowa Infantry, and served with that regi- ment until the close of the war. He was at the siege of Vicksburg, battle of Jackson, Mississippi, siege of Atlanta, and was with Sherman in his march to the sea After the war, he returned to Jefferson county, where he remained until Septem- ber, 1866, when he returned to his farm in this township. His wife was a Mary Jane Parnell, who was born in Wayne county, North Carolina, in 1834.

On the 4th of May, 1855, R. L. and W. W. Jameson, and D. D. Morris came to Franklin township and located upon the west half of section 7, entering govern- ment land. D. D. Morris lived here until

1868, when he removed to the vicinity of Grove City, where he is still residing. R. L. Jameson remained on his farm until his decease in 1873; his family still occupy the homestead. W. W. Jameson is still a resident of the township, and still resides upon the land that he first entered on coming to the county.

W. W. Jameson located upon his pres- ent farm in section 7, May 4, 1855. He came west in company with his brother, R. L. Jameson, and .D. D. Morris. They all settled on the west half of section 7, entering their land from Government. Mr. Morris lived where he first settled until 1868. He now lives at Grove City, Atlantic township. R. L. Jameson resided here until his decease in 1873. W. W. Jam- eson and his brother were born in Ohio. The former was born in the city of Col- umbus in 1826, and removed with his par- ents when a child, to Marion county. When he was seven years old the family removed to Allen county of the same State where they lived twenty years. In 1853 the family all removed to Polk county, Iowa. The family at that time consisted of the parents, John and Sarah A. Jameson, and seven children, six sons and one daughter. In 1854, the parents moved to Dallas county where they lived until their decease. The mother died in April 1867, and the father in 1882, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. One son, James II., now owns and occupies the homestead in Dallas county. Two of the sons, Reed and Edward, enlisted in Com -- pany HI, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry, in 1862. The former was taken prisoner at Corinth, Mississippi, and imprisoned at Belle Island, where he died November 14,

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HISTORY OF CASS COUNTY.

1864. The latter served out his time and now lives with his brother, W. W. A brother-in-law of Mr. Jameson, John Combs, enlisted in the same company at the same time and died at Corinth, in the spring of 1863. W. W. Jameson removed from Polk county to Dallas county, in November 1853, coming here from the latter county at the time above mentioned. He was married in Allen county, Ohio, to Deborah Watt, a native of that county, born September 20, 1827. Her parents were Samuel L., and Olive Watt. The latter died when Mrs. Jameson was twelve years old. Her father again married and removed to Sac county in this State where he died. Mr. Jameson has nine children, all living-Alonzo C., John L., Alice J., wife of Silas Martin; Sarah A., wife of Edwin Burke; Adelaide, wife of D. D. Hunt; Samuel L., James W., Robert R. and Olive. All of the family are living in this township except Alice, who lives in Benton township.

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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