USA > Iowa > Chickasaw County > History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa, Volume I > Part 40
USA > Iowa > Howard County > History of Chickasaw and Howard counties, Iowa, Volume I > Part 40
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
have been established in 1869. The minutes of the first school board were dated in December, 1871, and show that the board at this time was composed of Augustus Beadle, E. Gillett, W. R. Mead, S. A. Stone, and W. H. Patterson. The main part of the schoolhouse was built in the summer of 1869 and was subsequently enlarged by additions.
The first school in Forest City Township was taught by Miss Helen Van Leuvan in the year 1856 and the second was opened by James Morris in the winter of 1857-58.
In Saratoga Township the first school was established in 1858 and was taught by Miss Emma Seeley.
Paris Township first had a school in the winter of 1857-58, which was con- ducted by I. C. Chamberlain.
In Jamestown Township Miss Jane Chandler taught the first school in a barn located on section 27 during the year 1857. This was a private school. The first public schools, two of them, were opened during the summer of 1858, one taught by Miss Mary St. John and the other by Miss Cassety. It is thought that the first schoolhouse was built of logs and was situated in Round Grove in 1857. .
That schools were in session in 1857 in Howard Center Township is proved by the fact that when the hotel owned by J. F. Thayer was burned "a school was in session in the hall, taught by W. B. Stone." This fire occurred February 5, 1857.
The first school in Albion Township was opened in the latter part of 1856 and was taught by Dr. Lewis Reynolds.
The first school in Howard County was opened in New Oregon Township in 1854. Miss Harriett Cole was the teacher. The first school within the village was taught by Daniel Mills during the winter of 1856-57.
The first regular district school in Chester and Oakdale townships was taught by Salinda Burknap in the fall of 1857.
STATISTICS
It is of interest, in contrast to the present statistics relative to the schools of Howard County, to present some of the early figures showing the condition of the schools.
The report compiled in 1882 gives the number of 3,235 persons in the county between the ages of five and twenty-one years. The enrollment at the same time was 2,864. There were 78 frame, 3 brick and 3 stone schoolhouses in the county, with a total value of $58,630. There werc 46 male and 90 female teachers, employed at an average compensation of $38 per month for the males and $26 for the females. The independent districts then were those of Oakville, Liberty, Lincoln, Nichols, Darrow, Albion, Florenceville, Cresco, Lime Spring and Rice- ville. The township districts were Forest City, Oakdale, Jamestown, Saratoga, Howard Center, Chester, Howard, Afton, Vernon Springs, Paris and New Oregon.
The first normal institute held within the county, of which there is any record, occurred during the spring of 1876. This was conducted by J. C. Gilchrist of St. Paul, assisted by J. Breckenridge of Decorah and Miss Addie Bucklin. The normal institute was abolished in recent years by the state legislature and a form -
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
of county institute established, whereby each teacher may attend with a minimum loss of time in the class-room.
The first county superintendent of Howard County was C. E. Brown, who held the position prior to 1858. From this time until the present the superin- tendents have been :
C. E. Brown
1858-61
J. C. Webster 1887-91
Adam Fussell
1861-62
E. B. Champlin
1891-95
T. W. Lee
1862-69 F. A. McPherson 1895-99
C. F. Breckenridge 1869-73 Elsie E. Perry 1899-1903
O. N. Hoyt
1873-77
Helen L. Chapin
. 1903-06
WV. H. Brocksome
1877-79
Sarah E. Brown
. 1906-08
Fred C. Clark
1879-83
Emma Fallgatter 1908-12
J. C. Kellow 1883-87
Zina Fessenden
. 1912-
The present condition of the Howard County schools is best described by the statistics compiled by the county superintendent Miss Zina Fessenden. These follow :
Persons Between Five and Twenty-one Years of Age
Teachers
Male
Female
Male
Female
Enrollment
Attendance
Chester
I
2
53
43
80
58
Cresco
4
20
456
470
648
596
Elma
I
6
168
172
127
105
Lime Spring
I
7
87
II2
192
152
Total
7
35
764
797
1,047
9II
Afton
I
12
I21
127
170
IO7
Chester
9
57
43
IIO
63
Forest City
6
So
56
102
62
Howard
I5
205
164
232
I34
Howard Center
8
90
78
I55
IO3
Jamestown
II
93
89
144
99
New Oregon
14
179
152
198
136
Oakdale
8
89
78
I35
79
Paris
I2
176
160
180
104
Saratoga
8
105
92
191
IIO
Vernon Springs
II .
IIO
103
136
96
Albion Township-
Albion
I
IO
I3
16
IO
Darrow
I
I3
6
24
14
Florenceville
I
12
14
14
IO
Liberty
I
22
18
34
19
Nichols
I
15
19
. .
20
Oakley
.
I
II
9
II
9
Total
I
I 20
1,444
1.285
1,852
1,175
Grand Total . .
8
I55
2,208
2,082
2,899
2,086
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
Chester has I building valued at $2,500; Cresco, 4 buildings valued at $55,000 ; Elma, I building worth $6,000; Lime Spring, I building valued at $18,000 ; Afton, 12 buildings, $6,000; Chester Township, 5 buildings, $2,900; Forest City, 5 buildings, $3,800 ; Howard. 12 buildings, $5,775; Howard Center, 7 buildings, $2,800 ; Jamestown, 8 buildings, $7,550; New Oregon, 12 buildings, $4,500; Oak- dale, 6 buildings. $4,500 ; Paris, 9 buildings, $3,050; Saratoga, 8 buildings, $4,900 ; Vernon Springs, 10 buildings, $4,255; Albion, I building, $1,200; Darrow, I building, $500; Florenceville, I building, $400; Liberty, I building, $800; Lincoln, I building, $700; Nichols, I building, $400 ; Oakley, I building, $350. This makes a total of 108 buildings in the county, with a combined value of $135,880.
There are five denominational, or Catholic, schools in the county at the present time. The St. Joseph's School of Cresco was founded in 1901, has three profes- sors, one instructor and an enrollment of 108. The School of the Assumption in Cresco was founded in 1876, has 2 professors and 7 instructors, with an enrollment of 170. Our Lady of Lourdes School at Lourdes, started in 1908, has 5 instructors and an enrollment of 100. The Holy Trinity School at Protivin was established in 1896. There is also the Immaculate Conception Academy at Elma.
The average monthly wages in the Howard County schools for 1917 is : Males, $101.81 and females, $52.75.
Manual training was introduced into the Cresco schools in 1906 and sewing in 1907.
ORIGIN OF NEWSPAPERS
The publication known as the newspaper was preceded many centuries by the manuscript publications of Rome-written on wax tablets with the stylus- which records were posted in conspicuous places to inform the people of the events happening and the political trend of the times. These were known as Acta Diurna, but their issue was very irregular and without sequence and often entirely sus- pended in times of scarcity of news.
But little advancement was made from this early prototype of the press until 1622. the date of the birth of the first publication worthy of the name newspaper. For years prior to this time the mental appetite of medieval and modern Europe had subsisted upon periodical manuscript literature. In England the written news- letter, supplied only at such fabulous prices that only the rich could afford it was, for a long time, in vogue. The news pamphlet was the nearest approach to the newspaper that had obtained until 1622; when the first regular series of news- papers was born. In that year the Weekly News from Italie and Germanie made its salutatory to the London public. It was printed upon a mechanical contrivance, perfected by Nathaniel Butler, who might be termed the progenitor of the news- paper proper. This contrivance spoken of by contemporary writers by that name only, is supposed to have been the forerunner of the present intricate presses. The first attempt at a newspaper was crude and weak and no attention was paid to political events until 1641, when the parliamentary reports were inserted in the paper. Then the career of the newspaper as we know it may be said to have commenced. The first advertisement occupied a place in the columns in 1648, and was in verse form, setting forth the virtues of the fashionable tailor of Belgravia.
The first daily morning newspaper was the London Courant, published in
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
1709, and which consisted of only one page of two columns, each about five paragraphs long, being made up from translations from foreign journals, many of them a month old. The press now made rapid strides and had so gained in popularity and prestige that before 1760 over 7,000,000 papers were sold annually in England alone.
FIRST PAPERS IN THE UNITED STATES
The first newspaper, as such, in the United States was the Boston Public Occurrences in 1690. It was a small quarto sheet with one blank page, and was afterwards suppressed by the Massachusetts government. Then came the Boston News-Letter in 1704, first conducted by John Campbell, the postmaster. The Boston Gazette was established in 1719, then changed to the Massachusetts Gazette. This paper and the News-Letter were organs of the British rule until the evacuation of Boston. In 1721 James Franklin began the New England Courant, which suspended in 1727. Two years later, Benjamin Franklin, who had worked for James Franklin, established at Philadelphia the Pennsylvania Gazette, which he conducted as a weekly until 1765. Then it was merged with the North American. The Boston Evening Post ran from 1735 until 1775. The Massa- chusetts Spy began in 1770 and continued until 1848; the Philadelphia Advertiser was started in 1784; the New York Advertiser in 1785. The Evening Post of New York City was founded in 1801 and is still published.
FIRST HOWARD COUNTY NEWSPAPER
The first paper established and published within the borders of Howard County was the Howard County Sentinel. This pioneer sheet was started at the village of New Oregon in 1858 and the first number issued February. 18th. The proprietors were members of a company known as the Howard County Printing Association, the officers of which were: S. M. Cole, president; D. D. Sabin, vice president ; M. M. Moon, treasurer ; W. R. Mead, secretary ; James G. Upton, J. F. Mitchell, J. S. Lawver, E. W. Allen, George W. Schofield, C. M. Munson, J. J. Clemmer, directors. J. Howard Field, afterward prominent among the Chicago journalists, was the first editor of the Sentinel. The paper was issued weekly and was a seven-column folio. The Sentinel, however, was not destined for long life, as a destructive fire in 1859 destroyed both the plant and the existence of the publication.
The second paper in the county was called the North Iowa Gazette and was published at Vernon Springs Village. The first issue came from the press March 26th of the year mentioned. This seven-column newspaper, of democratic views, was published for just one year by the firm of Harrison & Peck.
THE PLAIN DEALER
After the burning of the Howard County Sentinel at New Oregon W. R. Mead and H. Lick started the New Oregon Plain Dealer, the foriner acting as publisher and the latter as editor. Shortly after this Lick's interest was purchased by F. J. Mead. The Meads operated the Plain Dealer at New Oregon until May 26, 1867, when the plant was moved to the new Village of Cresco. Here the
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
Plain Dealer has been published continuously until the present day, always remain- ing in the hands of the Mead family. The paper is issued on Friday of each week and is democratic in politics. W. R. Mead, now deceased, was the pioneer newspaper man of Howard County and won for himself an excellent reputation in both social and business life. He first came to Iowa in 1854 and worked on the Daily Northwest at Dubuque. In 1857 he came to Howard County with the intention of practicing law, but instead his energies were turned into journal- istic channels, which meant much for the newspaper profession of the county.
THE HOWARD COUNTY TIMES
The Howard County Times is the republican newspaper of Cresco and is issued on Tuesday of each week. This paper was established at Cresco January 20, 1867, by F. C. Wood and Frank Mix, as a seven-column folio. In August, 1867, Mr. Wood sold his interest to his partner. Mr. Mix died soon after, but the paper remained in the possession of his estate. The publication was managed by C. F. Breckenridge until the plant was bought by I. A. Hoxie, who owned it a short time. W. N. Burdick was the next owner and in April, 1873, he sold to WV. M. Fogo and W. W. White. Fogo sold out to L. E. Smith and a little later White also disposed of his share to Smith. L. E. Smith conducted the paper until the early 'gos, when James C. and Mrs. Irene G. Adams became the owners and publishers. This firm continued until Mr. Adams' death in 1903. whereupon Mrs. Adams assumed the whole task of issuing the paper. Ill health compelled her to give up the work shortly afterward and the Times passed to the ownership, of J. G. McCormick and L. P. Barth. In August, 1904, Mr. Barth bought out McCormick and has remained the editor and publisher until the present time.
OTHER COUNTY PAPERS
All of the successful and valuable newspapers of Howard County are not confined to Cresco alone. The New Era of Elma was established in 1894 and is published every Thursday by McCook & Howard. The New Era is an inde- pendent newspaper. The Lime Spring Sun-Herald was started in the year 1887. The Riceville Recorder was established by W. S. Dinsmore in 1884 and is now published by H. A. Yager, with a circulation in both Howard and Mitchell counties.
DEFUNCT PAPERS
In the past there have been several newspapers established in Howard County. which quickly ran their course and were abandoned. In 1858 George W. Haislet started a six-column folio at Howard Center Village called the Northern Light, but this publication lasted but a short time. In the early part of 1858 a paper was started at New Oregon by T. J. Gilmore and Fitz James McKay, and called the Star of the West. The paper had an existence of just eleven weeks. Other papers were the Peoples Representative at Cresco, started in 1873 by George F. Crouch, and several at Lime Spring.
CHAPTER VII
HOWARD COUNTY BANKS
ORIGIN OF MODERN BANKING-IOWA BANKING LAWS-CRESCO BANKS-LIME SPRING BANKS-CHESTER BANKS- ELMA BANKS-PROTIVIN BANK.
ORIGIN OF MODERN BANKING
Modern banking systems date back to the Bank of Venice, which was founded in 1587, though private individuals in Venice had been receiving deposits of money for nearly two centuries before the establishment of the bank by authority of the Venetian government. In 1619 the Bank of Amsterdam, which was modeled to a great extent after the Bank of Venice, was opened for business. After a short time it introduced the innovation of accepting bullion for deposit and issuing receipts therefor, the receipts circulating as so much currency. This was the origin of the financial theory that a paper currency must be redeemable in specie or bullion. When the Bank of England was founded in 1694 it adopted the custom of the Bank of Amsterdam, and a little later the system was extended in the authority granted to the bank to issue notes.
Toward the close of the Revolutionary War the continental paper currency issued by the American colonies became so depreciated in value that some financial legislation was necessary. Consequently, on the last day of the year 1781 the Continental Congress passed an act granting a charter to the Bank of North America, which was given the right to issue notes under a plan similar to that of the Bank of England. The states of New York and Massachusetts granted charters to state banks in 1784. but with the adoption of the Federal Constitution both the state banks and the Bank of North America surrendered their charters and, on February 25, 1794, Congress incorporated the Bank of the United States. In July, 1832, President Andrew Jackson vetoed the bill renewing the bank's charter, and a little later the public funds in the bank were withdrawn by executive order. The bank continued in business, however, until the expiration of the time for which it was chartered, when it wound up its affairs and passed out of existence.
With the closing up of the Bank of the United States, the several states began the policy of issuing charters to state banks. under authority conferred by
439
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
acts of Congress. The next decade witnessed a rapid development of the country's natural resources, with the consequent demand for a larger volume of currency, and in the early '40s was inaugurated the era of what is known in American history as "wild-cat banks." Under this system individuals could establish a bank and "issue notes against their assets." They were not subject to Government supervision or inspection and unscrupulous persons took advantage of the system by issuing notes far in excess of their assets. It is estimated that at one time there were more than six hundred of these irresponsible banks scattered through- out the country. The panic of 1857 drove many of the wild-cat banks out of existence, but the business continued until after the beginning of the Civil war in 1861. So many people had suffered loss through worthless bank notes that a prejudice was created in their minds against any banking system.
But the requirements of modern civilization demand a currency of some char- acter as a quick and convenient medium of effecting exchanges. Added to this demand were the conditions growing out of the Civil war, which made an extension of the national credit imperative. In February, 1863, Congress passed the first act for the establishment of national banks, with authority to issue notes based upon Government bonds as security for their redemption. The act proved to be defective in a number of important particulars and on June 3, 1864, Presi- dent Lincoln approved another national banking act, which, with subsequent amendments, constitutes the authority under which nearly eight thousand national banks were operating in the United States in 1915. The national banks are the only ones in this country that have power to issue notes, all other banks being merely institutions of discount and deposit.
IOWA BANKING LAWS
The prejudice against wild-cat banks already referred to was so great in Iowa at the time the state was admitted to the Union in 1846 that the first state constitution contained a provision that no bank should ever be established by state authority. The present constitution, which became effective in 1857, is more liberal in this respect than its predecessor, though it contains stringent provisions regarding the creation and regulation of banking institutions. Section 5, article 8, provides that :
"No act of the General Assembly, authorizing or creating corporations with banking powers, shall take effect. or in any manner be in force, until the same shall have been submitted, separately, to the people, at a general or special election, as provided by law, to be held not less than three months after the passage of the act, and shall have a majority of all the electors voting for or against it at such elections."
Sections 6, 7 and 8 of the same article prescribe the manner in which state banks may be established and what features may be incorporated in a general banking law. Section 9 reads as follows :
"Every stockholder in a banking corporation or institution shall be individually responsible and liable for its creditors, over and above the amount of stock by him or her held, to an amount equal to his or her respective shares so held, for all its liabilities accruing-while he or she remains such stockholder."
Each state has its own laws for the creation, regulation and control of banks
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
established under state authority, but the banks of Iowa and Howard County are operated under the constitutional provisions above mentioned and the laws enacted in pursuance thereof. In addition to this, every Iowa state bank is subject to examination by the auditor of state, under whom there is a chief bank examiner and five assistants, whose duty it is to investigate the conditions and methods of any bank whenever ordered by the auditor to make such examination. The result of this system is that there have been very few disastrous failures of state banks in Iowa.
CRESCO BANKS
The first banking business in Cresco was started in 1869, when Aaron Kimball and John Farnsworth established a banking house under the firm name of Kimball & Farnsworth. This firm continued business under this style from May 12, 1869, until the year 1884, when it became the Bank of Cresco, still a private institution. In 1913 it was incorporated as the Cresco State Bank by John Farnsworth, H. W. Young, E. P. Farnsworth and A. A. Farnsworth. The officers now are: John Farnsworth, president; E. P. Farnsworth, vice president; H. W. Young, cashier ; A. A. Farnsworth, assistant cashier. The above named, with C. E. Farnsworth, form the board of directors. When the bank started in 1869 the capital stock was just $20,000 and in 1884 was raised to $60,000. The Cresco State Bank, when organized and incorporated, placed the capital at $75,000, the present figure. There is a surplus of $9,000 and undivided profits of $15,000. The banking insti- tution erected a two-story brick building in 1884 at a cost of $8,000. This organization is the oldest of its kind in Howard County and has maintained a place of high honor and popularity through the half-century of its existence. John Farnsworth, one of the original organizers, is still in active control of the business of this bank.
The First National Bank of Cresco was opened for business June 1, 1893, the articles of association having been signed on April Ist of the same year. The incorporators were: S. A. Converse, O. G. Wanless, B. F. Davis, Jacob. H. Woelstein, and C. A. Crawford. The first officers consisted of S. A. Converse, president ; O. G. Wanless, vice president; and C. A. Crawford, cashier. The present officers are : S. A. Converse, president ; Ole Natvig, vice president ; E. J. Thomes. cashier; A. B. Converse and John Kakac, assistant cashiers. S. A. Converse, Ole Natvig, B. F. Davis, George H. Owens and C. C. Burgess com- prise the board of directors. H. C. Burgess, who died in the spring of 1917, was for many years a director and vice president of this bank. The capital stock of the First National Bank has always been $50,000.
The Citizens' Savings Bank of Cresco was organized May 17, 1909, as a state savings bank. S. A. Converse, B. F. Davis, W. L. Converse and Ole Natvig were the incorporators, also first directors and the first officers were: S. A. Converse, president ; H. C. Burgess, vice president ; and John Kakac, cashier. The present officers are the same, with the exception of Ole Natvig, vice president, and A. B. Converse, assistant cashier. The capital stock is $25,000. The bank owns a building into which it will eventually move, but at the present time is a tenant.
The Cresco Union Savings Bank, one of the strongest banking institutions of Howard County and northeastern Iowa, was incorporated on March 9. 1888, by
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CHICKASAW AND HOWARD COUNTIES
J. J. Lowry, Robert Thomson, C. K. Berg, C. F. Stremel, C. D. Nichols, R. J. McHugh and William Theophilus, with a capital stock of $100,000. The institu- tion has enjoyed an uninterrupted life of prosperity and is now governed by the following officials: Robert Thomson, president; W. H. Tillson and J. J. Lowry, vice presidents ; A. J. Thomson, cashier ; and J. P. Thomson, assistant cashier. The capital stock is $100,000; the surplus and undivided profits, $80,000 and the deposits, $1,450,000.
In 1873 A. D. Wright established a banking house, but this did not continue in business for any length of time. In October, 1877, the Howard County Bank, owned and operated by the firm of Kerby & McHugh, was started. In July, 1880, John McHugh bought out D. R. Kerby. This institution has passed out of existence.
LIME SPRING BANKS
The Exchange State Bank of Lime Spring was organized in 1882 by F. M. Clark, who was the sole owner. The bank was then called the Exchange Bank. The bank remained a private institution until April 1, 1907, when it was incor- porated under the state laws by A. J. Cray, M. M. Clark, F. W. Clark, C. P. Nash and Robert Thomson. The capital stock has been $25,000 from the start. The present officers are: A. J. Cray, president; W. W. Cray, vice president ; J. B. Cray, cashier ; L. W. Johnson, assistant cashier ; A. J., W. W. and J. A. Cray, H. E. Jones and Robert Thomson, directors. The two-story, brick bank building was erected in 1892. The Modern Woodmen of America lodge occupies the hall above the bank.
The First National Bank of Lime Spring was organized in 1903 as a national bank. The original incorporators were: Evan R. Morris, Rinard W. Anderson, William W. Williams, Gunder F. Gunderson, John A. Williams, John W. Davis, C. M. Anderson and D. H. Thomas. E. R. Morris was the first president ; W. W. Williams, vice president ; D. H. Thomas, cashier ; and C. W. Lee, assistant cashier. The officers in 1917 were : D. W. Davis, president ; J. A. Williams, vice president ; D. H. Thomas, cashier; and C. E. Anderson, assistant cashier. The capital stock is $25,000. The one-story, brick bank building was erected in 1890 and was the first regular bank structure in Lime Spring. The First National Bank succeeded the Bank of Lime Spring, organized in 1890 by Meyer, Carter, Figge & Flagler of Ossian, Iowa. C. N. Flagler became the first cashier. In 1897 the bank passed to the control of Flagler Brothers (C. N. and Ira N.). . After the death of the former in 1899 the bank went into the ownership of R. W. Anderson of Ossian, Iowa, and C. M. Anderson, of Dawson, Minnesota. The latter became its cashier and manager. The above named men, with several Lime Spring citizens, were the incorporators of the First National Bank in 1903. D. H. Thomas, the present cashier, has been connected with the institution since October, 1 899.
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