History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa, Part 47

Author: Alexander, W. E
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Decorah, Ia. : Western Publishing Company
Number of Pages: 584


USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa > Part 47
USA > Iowa > Howard County > History of Chickasaw and Howard Counties, Iowa > Part 47


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John Bronner, farmer, section 16, P. O. Florenceville; owns 160 acres of land, valued at $30 per acre; was born in Germany, in 1837, is the second son of Andrew and Mary Bronner. When he was eighteen years of age he came to America, and settled in this county; he was married to Mary Dempewolf, and they have eleven children, Sam, Dan, Frank, Caroline, Mary, Lizzie, Katie, Annie,


-


.


576


HOWARD COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.


Crole, Edward and Andrew A. Mr. B. and wife, are members of the M. E. church.


James Oakley, farmer, sections 11 and 15, P. O. Florenceville; owns 880 acres of land, valued at $30 per acre; was born in West- chester county, N. Y., in 1827, and is the fifth son of Jacob and Susan Oakley. When he was twenty-two years of age he went to New York city, and was in charge of a ware house for a period of six years. In 1855 he went to Kane county, Ill., remaining a short time, and in 1856, he came to Howard county. In 1874 Mr Oakley was elected as a member of the board of supervisors, and has been chairman of the same since that time. He was married in 1856 to Mary A. Baird, a native of Schoharie county, N. Y.


Roger H. Owen, farmer, section 17, P. O. Lime Springs, owns 240 acres of land, valued at $30 per acre; was born in Columbia county, Wisconsin, in 1856, and is the second son of David and Jane Owen. He came to Howard county in 1878, and located on the farm he now owns; was married in 1880 to Nellie H. Roberts, they have one child, Edith J. Mr. O. has been town clerk four years, school director three years, and is a member of the Calven- istic church.


John F. Dempewolf, farmer, section 17, P. O. Florenceville; owns 110 acres of land, valued at $35 per acre; was born in Can- ada, in 1850, and is the eldest son of Frederick and Gertina Dem- pewolf. When he was seven years of age his parents came to this county, and he has been a resident ever since. He was married in 1874, to Mena Walter, a native of Germany, and they have two children, Herman B. and Anna M. They are members of the Evangelical association.


577


HOWARD COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.


JAMESTOWN TOWNSHIP.


Thos McCook, farmer, section 30, P. O. Riceville; owns 630 acres of land, valued at $20 per acre; was born in County Derry, Ire- land, in 1828, is the third son of Thomas and Hannah McCook. When of age he came to the United States, locating in Philadel- phia; in 1856 he came to this county ; was married in 1849 to Euphema Brown, and they have seven children, Thomas J., John, Bessie, Mathew, Edward, Robert, Nelson and James. Mr. McCook has been justice of the peace two terms, and one term on the county board of supervisors.


C. D. Cutting, farmer, section 29, P. O. Riceville; owns 360 acres of land, ualued at $20 per acre; was born in New Hampshire in 1833, is the fourth son of Abijah and Permelia Cutting, when twenty years of age he came to Scott county, Iowa, remaining one year; in 1855 he came to this county; was married in 1865, to


578


HOWARD COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.


Mary St. John, of New York, she died in 1871. They had one child, William C .; in 1872 he married again to Annie Bourne, a native of Massachusetts, they have three children, Frankie H., Charles B. and Theodore A. Mr. C. has been town trustee five years. He and wife are both members of the Congregational church.


,


.


579


HOWARD COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.


.


.


MISCELLANEOUS BIOGRAPHIES.


Isaac Gregory, produce and provision merchant P. O. Cresco; was born in Windsor county, Vermont, 1814, and is the third son of Amasa and Lydia Gregory. In '52 he located at Stoughton, Wisconsin, and was engaged in the produce business until '66, when he came to Cresco, and established business; he has been mayor of the city four years, and councilman a number of years. He was married to Lodena Woodward, a native of Vermont, she died in '64, leaving two children, Herbert M. and Henry-W. He afterwards married Annie Burdick, a native of New York, and they have one child-Maurice C.


John Jackson, Sr., Cresco; was born in Ireland, March, 1813, is the second of son Robert and Elizabeth Jackson; when he was twenty-four years of age, he left Ireland, and came to America, settling in Canada, where he stayed five years, then came to the .


580


HOWARD COUNTY BIOGRAPHIES.


United States, and spent one year in the south, then went back to Canada, and remainingseven years, afterwards went to New York, and lived in different parts of the state untill '63, when he came west and settled in Fayette county, remaining two years; in '66 he removed to Howard county, and settled at Cresco, and with the exception of three years, spent in Colorado, he has been a resident of this place since; was married in '51, to Catherine McCraigh, a native of Canada, and has three children, John E., George H. and Mary J. He enlisted in '37, in the British service in Canada, and participated in the rebellion of that time, served six months in- the ranks, and then was detailed as baker for six months.


Chester Township Library, established June 16, 1874. The to- tal expenditure for books, to present writing, has reached the sum of $271.75, which amount was raised by taxation. Mr. A. C. Blair was chosen librarian at its inception and continues in the same , position.


581


CONTENTS.


CONTENTS.


HISTORY OF IOWA.


PAGE.


Discovery and occupation


9


The original owners.


18


Pike's expidetion 21


Indian wars.


23


Indian Purchaser, Reserves and Treates.


32


The Spanish Grants.


37


The Half-Breed Tract.


39


Early settlement 41


Territoral History


49


The Boundary Question


54


State Organization.


59


Growth and Progress.


65


Public Instiutions


66


Agricultural College and Farm


66


State University


67


State Historical Society 73


The Penitentiary


73


PUBLIC INSTITUTIONS.


Additional Penitentiaries 74


Iowa Hospital for the Insane. 74


Hospital for the Insane. 75


Iowa College for the Blind .. 76


Institution for the Deaf and Dumb 77


Soldiers' Orphans' Home


77


State Normal School. 79


Asylum for Feeble-minded Children 79


The Reform School. 80


582


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Fish Hatching Establishment.


81


The Public Lands


82


The Public Schools.


100


Political Record.


105


Territorial and State Officers 105


The Judiciary. 107


Congressional Representation. 108


War Record.


110


HISTORY OF CHICKASAW COUNTY. CHAPTER I.


Introductory 119


A contest between the time of the first settlement and the pres-


ent time. 119


Location 121


Geography 121


Principal Products 123


Mineral Resources. (


123


Railroad Facilities


124


CHAPTER II.


Organization. 125


Original Order for Same. 125


First Election 126


First Officers. 126


Township Organizations. 127


Succeeding elections.


128


CHAPTER III.


First Settlers. 135


Frst Births 136


First Sermons 136


First store


136


First Court. 136


First Marriage License. 136


First Road. 137


First Tax Leavy 137


583


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


First Naturalization Paper


138


First Treasurer's Report. 139


Two Licenses, but no Marriage. 140


First Board of Supervisors. 140


Records from Board of Supervisor's minutes 141


CHAPTER IV.


County Seat Contests 149


First Contest. 150


Indignation meeting 156


"Battle of Bailey's Lane"


160


County Seat Contest of 1880


162


CHAPTER V.


Journalism. 165


The Printer 167


The First Newspaper. 167


Railroads


172


The First Railroad


173


CHAPTER VI.


Educational 175


The First School 176


Primitive School Report. 179


First Teachers' Institute. 180


Compensation of Teachers 181


No. and Value of School Houses 182


No. of Schools in Sub-districts.


183


Report of County Superintendent for 1882 184


CHAPTER VII.


Census of Various Dates 187


Abstract of Assessment Roll 188


Value of Property


189


CHAPTER VIII.


Bradford Township.


191


584


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Bradford village.


193


Early Settlers 193


First Court House 193


First Sermon 193


"The Little Brown Church in the Vail" 1


193


First Store 195


First Saw Mill 195


First Hotel. 195


An Original Oath 196


Nashua Township 197


First Settlers 198


First Store. 198


First Carpenter, Minister and Shoemaker 199


Incorporation of the Town of Nashua.


199


First Bank, Grist Mill, Agricultural Society and School


200


Gongregational Church 201


Methodist, Roman Catholic and Episcopal. 202


School 202


Societies


203


CHAPTER IX.


New Hampton Township 205


Organization. 205


First, and Succeeding Elections 206


Town of New Hampton 209


Incorporation 209


First Place of Public Entertainment. 210


First Election. of Officers for the Incorporation 212


Succeeding elections. 212


Losing of Miss Hannah Runion 215


First Schoo! 216.


Business of New Hampton. 217


Banks 220 Attorneys. 220


Physicians, Surgeons and Dentists 221


First Congregational Church 222


Methodist and Catholic Churches 224


German Evangelical Luthern St. Paul Congregation 225


1


585


CONTENTS.


.


German Congregational and Episcopal


226-


County Poor Farm


228


Cemetery Association


229


Court House Building.


229


Chickasaw County Agricultural Societies. 233


Officers of the Society from year to year. '41


Life Members of the Society 242


1


CHAPTER X.


Fredericksburg Township 245


First Marriage, Birth, Cemetery and School House 247


Village of Fredericksburg. 248


First House, Store, Mill, Factory, Creamery, Brick Yard and Schools.


248


Names of Successive Principals of Schools


249


First Sermon.


249


First Churces 249;


Societies


251


Cornet Band .. 252


Post Office 254


Fire Record.


254.


CHAPTER XI.


Stapleton Township 256.


First Settlement. 256


Organization. 257


Town of Lawler. 257


First Buildings 258. First Merchants 258;


First School. 259 260 Incorporation.


First Mayor. 260


Subsequent Elections. 261


Churches . 263


First Lawyers.


264


First Post Office 265


PAGE. Societies.


226


586


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Circulating Library 265


Societies. 266


Military 266


Fires


267


Newspapers


271


CHAPTER XII.


Chickasaw Township 272


First Election 275


First Judge. 275


Coon Hunting. 275


First Postmaster


276


Saw Mill.


276


First School 276


First Ministers.


277


First Settlers in Township.


277


First Child.


278


Dayton Township 278


First Settlers.


278


"Hunters Home" 278


First Soil Tilled 278


Organization. 279


Washington Township 280


Location. 280


Timber, Soil, etc.


280


First Settler 280


Organization .. 281


Richland Township. 281


Early Settlement 281


Forest City 281


282


Church


282


Educational.


282


Deerfield 'Township


283


Location.


283


: Soil. . 283


Wild Animals 283


Skeletons


. 283


First Brick Edifice.


CONTENTS. 587


PAGE.


First Permanent Settlement


284


Organization


285


First Office


Jacksonville. 285


286


Location.


286


Early Settlement


286


First House


286


First School


287


First Preacher


287


Utica Township 288


288


First Settler. 289


289


Location. . 289


"Little Brown Church' 290


294


Political


CHAPTER XIII.


War Record. 295


Action of Board of Supervisors. 296


Care of Soldiers' Families


Seventh Infantry 297


301


Thirty-eighth Iowa Infantry 307


310


Fourth Iowa Cavalry


310


Roster of Volunteers from Chickasaw County


CHAPTER XIV.


Chronological Record of Events


.316


HISTORY OF HOWARD COUNTY.


CHAPTER I.


Introdoctory 327


Location, 328


Surface 328


Natural Resources 329


First White Man in the County 329


Other Settlers


330


-


Location.


Dresden Township.


588


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


"Oregon Grove" 331


The Finances. 332


Soil .332


The Climate. .333


Public School System 333


First Store 334


First School Teacher. 334


First Church. 335


First Post Gffice 335


First Male Child Born in the County 335


First Marriage. . 335


First Term of Court. 336


First Hotel. 336


336


First Newspaper.


CHAPTER II. 1


Organization 337


First Election 338


First Laid Out Road 339


Proclamation. 340


First Tax Rate.


341


First Circus. 341


The Finances. 346 Indian Scares 347


Treasurer's Report .. .348


County Officies Removed to Vernon Springs 349


Cresco.


350


Indebtedness of the county 351


Poor Farm


351


Burglary of the Treasurer's Office. .351


Arboriculture


353


The Auditor Trouble. .356


County Seat Question 356 Court House Burned . .357 Drowning of Frank Kite. 358


Action of the Board of Supervisors. 363


Opening the County Safe. 363


Settling With Kite's Bondsmen 364


589


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Court House Association


365


Tending the Sick Poor 365


-


CHAPTER III. Election Returns in the County from the Time of its Organiza- tion to the Present Time. .367


CHAPTER IV.


County Seat Controversy. 386


Removal of County Seat to Howard Center 388


"Pike's Peak" Gets the County Seat .389


County Seat Removed to Cresco 391


.


CHBPTER V.


Railroad.


394


Proclamation. 394


No. Miles of Track in the County 396


Journalism.


395


First Newspaper


400


An Historical Press


401


Howard County Times


402


CHAPTER VI.


Poor Fram


404


County Building


408


The Jail.


410


CHAPTER VII.


Eucational


413


Census


418


CHAPTER VIII.


Vernon Springs Township 421


Vernon Springs Town


422


Churches.


422


590


CONTENTS.


PAGE


Cresco.


423


Incorporation. 424


Schools 425


Independent School District. 425


Salaries of Teachers 427


Teachers


427


Report of Treasurer of Independent School Districts 429


Course study 432


Religious Denominations 435


Societies


438


Cresco Driving Park Association 441


Banks 441


Elevators.


441


Hotels .


441


Shipments


442


CHAPTER IX.


Forest City Township 444


First School 445


First Post Office. 445


Old Town of Lime Springs 445


Frist Mill. 446


Lime Springs Station 447


First Merchants. 447


First Post Office 447


Churches, 447 School Building. 447


Incorporation of the Town of Lime Springs Station 449


First Officers 449


Societies


450


CHAPTER X.


Saratoga Tomnship 453


Paris Township. 454


-


Afton Township 454


Howard Township 455


Jamestown Township


455


First Settlers


456


1


CONTENTS. 593


PAGE.


First Birth and Mariage


457


First Election


457


First School.


Early Church Matter 457


457


First Post Office 458


Howard Center Township.


458


First Settlement 458


Burning of Thayer's Hotel. 460


First Post Office. 460


460


First Tax Leavy


460


First Sunday School


461


First Newspaper


461


First Marriage 461


Firist Child Born 461


Albion Township 461


First Church, and Other Societies 462


First school. 463


First Post Office


463


First Death.


463


New Oregon Township


463


First Settlement


464


First School.


464


First Church . 464


The Old Log Church 465


Other Churches. 466


Chester and Oakdale Townships. 466


Village of Chester 468


CHAPTER XI.


Taking it Cooly. .469


Squatter Government 470


A Novel Justice. 470


"Live On No Evil" 471


CHAPTER XII.


War Record


473


Action of the Board of Supervisors.


475


Organization of Howard Center Township


594


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Third Iowa Infantry


477


Ninth Iowa Infantry 477


Thirty-Eighth Iowa Infantry 478


Third Iowa Battery of Light Artillery.


479


List of Commissioned Officers. 487


Roster of Volunteers. 488


CHAPTER XIII.


Chronological Events.


.492


595


CONTENTS.


BIOGRAPHIES.


VERNON SPRINGS.


PAGE.


Archer, Joseph .518


Barnes, A. B. .507


Batterham, Joseph 507


Barnes, Sylvester 508


Barker, W. K. 509


Bertrand, E. E. 513


Baeker, E. I.


.516


Baumgartner, A. F


515


Byrnes, Charles


517


Bishop, Horace


518


Brierley, Wm


519


Bentz, C. L. 519


Barnes, James


519


Clemmer, J. J


521


Davies, T. P


508


Dilworth, J. A


510


Doan, J. G


522


Evringham, B. D


508


Eddy, A. A.


522


Field, J. M.


509


Farnsworth, John.


520


Halstead, G. W


509


Hoyt, O. N. 512


509


Kimball, Aaron


528


Kellow, Sr., Wm


Lowry, J. J. 510


Marsh, G. E 510


Miller, Fred. 511


.


596


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Meverden, G.


511


Mason, J. J.


512


McCoy, J. M. 513


McCook, John


520


McHugh, R. J.


521


Morse, George


522


McNamara, John. 522


Mead, W. R. 525


McHugh, John 526


Norton, - A


520


Peck, John E.


514


Patterson, W. H


514


Richards, J


517


Roche, W. H.


517


Rivers, A.


517


Rumsey, Wm 518


Swensen, L.


511


Steinman, John. 515


Sturgis, John I 516


Stradley, John G 517


Sayre, Frank. 519


Stevens, J. B 524


Salesbury, J.


524


Smith, L. E 524


Thompson and Johnson Bros.


520


Upton, J. G.


516


Wentworth Bros,.


512


Wi.braham, Wm


513


Webster, C. F.


513


Woodcock, L. T. 521


Willman, S. M. 523


524


Webber, C. J.


521


FOREST CITY AND HOWARD CENTER.


Anderberg, O. A. .532


Brown, J. D ..


.531


Borthwick, J. F. 542


Baldwin, J. R


.547


-


White, Ransom


597


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Chesebro. Oscar


541


Conery, Denis.


542


Daniels, W. F 534


Daws, Thos.


542


Dell, J. W


542


Daws, W. G. .542


Drake, George R 551


Eldridge, Ira 543


Ferrie, Geo. J 543


532


Grellier, Thos.


.543


Glass, Leo


543


Garver, D. C.


543


Gates, Thos. 549


531


Hurley, L .. .


533


Hewett, A. P


534


Hewett, C. C.


550


Hawkins, H, C.


537


Halsveg, Wm. .551


Isaac, Richard


536


Jones, W. R.


538


Kelley, Thos.


551


Knowlton, A


540


Licktieg, John


552


Lathrop, Nelson 552


Marsh, H. P


533


McNally M. L


.533


McGregor Jas.


531


Moulton, N. B.


540


Miller, S. A .


536


Marande, H. E. 545


.538


Marsh, A. E


Marsh, M. N. . .550


Milward, Joseph 552


Mackay, John S 552


Miller, John G 552


Milz, Katherine 552


Gorst, Chas.


Howe, P. C.


598


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Nash, C. P


554


Owns, J. W


553


Offen, B. .546


Parkhurst, A. N


.547


Roberts, R. J.


541


Rowlee, N. S


546


Smith, W. A. 546


546


Shumway, H. R


538


Sanborn, P. C.


537


Tibbals, Geo. 553


546


Thompson N.


532


VanNieman, L. H.


530


Van Leuven, A. M


539


Van Leuven, Geo. M


547


Van Leuven Jr., Geo. M.


548


White Bros 539


White, Mrs. Irene G 544


Woodard, Eli


544


Wanless, O. G


.545


Wood, Patrick. 545


Woodard, J. W .545


Wanless, P. A 545


Wells, H. H.


553


Williams, J. B.


537


ALBION. .


Ashley, C. B. .572


Bronner, John 575


Bigalk, John. 572


DeLang, P. I.


575


Dempewolf, J. F 576


Oakley, James 576


Owen, R. H.


576


Wells, J. E.


575


JAMESTOWN.


Cutting, C. D, . .577


Shields, Lawrence


Thayer, Wm. H.


599


CONTENTS.


McCook, Thomas


PAGE. : .577


OAKDALE.


Blither, H. H 559


How, G. H 558


How, E. D :558


Lincoln, F


558


Thomson, S. L


.557


NEW OREGON.


Booth, M.


563


Blackburn, John. 563


Converse, S. A 563


Durgin, N. S. 562


Hess, J. G. 562


Miller, John 562


Novak, Thomas. 561


Pecinovsky J. T 561


Shafer, F 561


560


Wollstein, J.cob


560


CHESTER


Blair, A. G.


567


Cray, Joseph 566


Eaton. L. E 566


565


Loomis, George E


566


Plummer, George M.


565


PARIS.


Dell, John. 569


.569


Holster, Geo. W


Isbell, E. I. 569


568


Merry, Mrs. Esther P


.568


Wessel, John.


569


Watters, Samuel


SARATOGA.


Groat, Edgar .. 570


Henning, William 570


Miller, Mrs. Elizabeth 571


Sovereign F. C


Hubbard, A. G.


600


CONTENTS.


PAGE.


Mc Kay, Newton


.571


Weislock Tobias 570


MISCELLANEOUS.


Chester Township Library


580


Gregory, Isaac. . 579


Jackson, Sr., John. 579


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