USA > Iowa > Clayton County > History of Clayton County, Iowa : from the earliest historical times down to the present : including a genealogical and biographical record of many representative families, prepared from data obtained from original sources of information, Volume I > Part 40
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Motor was platted in the south part of the township in 1875 by James O. Crosby and grew up about the large stone mill.
Sperry Township-John Paddelford must be accredited as the real founder of Sperry township. He first located in 1842 and made a permanent settlement in 1845 and for many years was the dominant force in the township. Among the other early settlers were Joseph Hewett, Asa Parks, James Lowe, F. G. Cummings, William Boots and Nichols, Taylor, Chilson and Silvers. The first school was at the resi- dence of F. G. Cummings and the first election was in 1847.
Volga City was established in 1851. S. Harvey, W. H. Gould, G. L. Tremain and Woodward and Lowe were among the early mer- chants. Long before the coming of the railroad Volga was a thriving community and Sperry was one of the most intensely Union townships of the county, the Volga Rifles being formed in response to the first call for troops. With the railroad Volga gained new right and importance and continued as a prosperous business center.
Volga Township was named after the river as was Volga City and the river, in turn, was named after the great river in Russia. W. W. Wayman was the first settler, but the first farmer, for Wayman was a trader and trapper, was Frederick Hartge, who located in 1842, at what is now Elkport. Asa Gifford and son George, Dennis Quigley, Michael Stence, Bishop and Robert Fuller, Hiram Walbridge, Dan Justice, Christian Sarver, Jacob Rounds and John Garber were pioneer settlers. The first school was taught in 1853 by Martin Garber and the first school house was built in Elkport in 1854. Elders Gifford and Bixby held the first religious services in 1848. The first grist mill was built on Elk Creek in 1860, this mill was afterwards owned by A. C. Tiede and was one of the most important in the county. The first election was held at Elkport in 1847.
Elkport was platted in 1855 by Frederick Hartge and wife, although it had been known as a village for a dozen years prior. Hartge built the first house in 1842 and worked as a blacksmith. He also built the first saw mill in 1843. The Garbers were the first merchants. Dr. Mccullough, in 1857, was the first physician and William Borton, in 1852 established the first hotel. The postoffice also was established in 1852 with John Garber as postmaster.
East Elkport, now known as Garber was surveyed in 1872 by John Garber, who was the first postmaster. It is now practically a part of Elkport.
Communia was the name given the location of the community colony. This was an interesting but fruitless experiment in com- munion. It was founded in St. Louis in 1847, the founders being Joseph Venus, Jacob Ponsar, Frederick Meister, Henry Babe, Fred-
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A CHAPTER OF BEGINNINGS
erick Lochsen, Carl Reger, Carl Hoen, John Hofstaedter, Frederick Koenig and Isaac Nagel, the latter of French descent. They were duly incorporated on a communistic basis and Joseph Venus was president. Anyone who wished to join after being elected, contributed all he had to the general fund, which he could withdraw when he left the society. These men were artisans and not farmers and to the ordinary pioneer hardships were added the mistakes of inexper- ience. Nevertheless they prospered on account of their industry and frugality. The original purchase consisted of 400 acres in sections 7, 8 and 18 of Volga and 13 and 14 of Cox Creek. The enterprise did not last long, as a community, the more industrious tiring of supporting the shirkers. Then, too, when it came to withdrawing it was found that it was no easy matter to divide an estate which had been bought in common. The matter went to the courts and there was long and expensive litigation before the community was finally divided. Those of the colonists who remained were among the best citizens of the county.
Wagner Township was named after John Wagner, Sr., who settled there in 1846. The township was organized in 1852 and other pioneers were A. E. Wanzer, Joseph Steiner, John Hopas, William Patterson and Phillip Walter. Early traders were Williams, Ebersoll and Redick. The first school was taught in Pony Hollow by Sarah J. Patterson. The township was later settled largely by Norwegians who largely controlled the destinies of the township after their com- ing. St. Olaf was established on the line of the Iowa Eastern in 1874, and before the railroad reached Elkader it was an important shipping point. H. H. Strum was the first postmaster in 1874. The Norwegian Lutheran church was established in 1854. Wagner postoffice was the pioneer postoffice of the township, being established in 1859. William Monlux, W. P. Eno and Milo P. Clark were some of the strong men of this township and James M. (Yankee) Hill was a well known character.
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CHAPTER XIV
PRESENT VIEW OF COUNTY-REVIEW OF COUNTY AND TOWNS WITH BRIEF HISTORY OF CHURCHES AND ORGANIZATIONS.
CLAYTON-EDGEWOOD-ELKADER-ELKPORT AND GARBER-FARMERS- BURG-GARNAVILLO-GIARD-GUTTENBERG-LITTLEPORT- MONONA M'GREGOR-NORTH M'GREGOR-OSTERDOCK-ST. OLAF-STRAWBERRY POINT-VOLGA CITY.
C LAYTON is one of the most beautiful of the ninety-nine counties of Iowa. On its eastern border wooded hills and bluffs arise abruptly from the Mississippi. These are dark with the green of dense woods with here and there the rugged outline of sheer granite cliffs, approaching in grandeur the palisades of the Hudson. From the heights the beautiful panorama of the Father of Waters is spread before the entranced vision. Nestled deep in the valleys are glimpses of prosperous and handsome villages, the tall church spires and substantial buildings giving evidence of the high development of their civilization. Back from the Mississippi the hills rise less abruptly, but from the ridges there are views of miles upon miles of broad, deep cut valleys through which run clear rapidly flow- ing rivers, and which present a scene of wonderful agricultural progress. Heavily wooded slopes, a bright gold of ripening grain, the emerald ranks of corn, stately farm homes with great barns which tell of the bounty of the harvest, pastures filled with rich long grasses and herds of sleek cattle which plainly show the strains of noble blood, all of these go to make up the picture of Clayton County as it is today.
It is not alone the villages with their air of comfort and of wealth which appeal to the visitor, but the many palatial homes which dot the prairies throughout the county ; the homes which contain every convenience and luxury of the most modern city home. Poverty, such as is seen in the large cities and in some of the rural districts of the United States is wholly unknown to Clayton county. Education is as widespread as the material prosperity, and the excellent roads, the many churches and the large number of social organizations give evidence of the high state of culture which obtains.
As has been seen throughout this history, Clayton county has been, as a rule, particularly fotunate in its county government. Few counties have received more nearly the worth of their money in their public im-
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MEMOIRS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
provements, all of which are substantial and well built. There are also evidences of the new spirit behind the road work of the county and the improvements now being made show system, careful planning and good execution. The county is represented in the senate of the state by Hon. Robert Quigley of McGregor, a son of one of the very earliest pioneers of the county, and in the house by Hon. William Becker of Elkader. The county officers are for the most part young and active and possessed of excellent clerical ability, and they seem to have been chosen for efficiency as well as for party service. The most important part of the government of an Iowa county is vested in the board of supervisors. E. W. Kregel, Charles Meder and George W. Pixler constitute the board for Clayton county. They are all practical men of affairs, considerable tax payers and men who have the interests of the county at heart. Other county officers are John Adam, auditor ; G. J. Graf, treasurer ; M. J. Hagensick, clerk ; E. Bergemeyer, sheriff ; Vina Katschkowsky, recorder ; and W. J. Beerman, coroner. Under the new non-partisan system Carl F. Becker is doing excellent work as county superintendent, unhampered by politics. The affairs of the fine hospital which the county has erected for its incurable insane are under the management of L. L. Hulverson as superintendent and Mrs. Hulver- son as matron ; and the county home which is another institution of which the county is justly proud is under the control of William H. Koehn as steward and Mrs. Koehn as matron. The soldiers' relief commission consists of M. W. Thein, Theodore Sherman and T. M. Davidson as secretary. During the year of 1915 the sum of $28,888.92 was expended by the county for road work and $71,960.35 was spent for bridges. Under the present excellent management the net cost for the maintenance of the county home for 1915 was but $3,905.23, and for the county hospital but $6,478.69. The value of county property, exclusive of highways and bridges, was $156,409. The total taxable value of the county, with all exemptions deducted, under the assessment of 1914 was $9,623,941, with moneys and credits in addition to the extent of $4,764,954, and this is one of the wealthiest counties in the state of Iowa.
The soil of the county is a deep and extremely fertile deposit with a clay subsoil which enables it to withstand conditions either of draught or of excessive moisture. Comparison of the farming communities of the different sections of the county, as a whole, would be invidious. The drainage is excellent and, considering the hilly nature of the country, there is remarkably little waste land, for while the hills which line the valleys are steep and precipitous, they lead back to broad table- lands, nearly all of which are under cultivation. In the present view, however, it is necessary to speak more particularly of the towns of the county, their present progress and their institutions. All the various organizations have been invited to furnish data for this history, and those which have responded are included in this account of the county as it appears today. The Catholic churches have been treated in a separate chapter.
CLAYTON
Clayton is now a village of 141 inhabitants. While it has lost that commercial importance which it held in the early days, both on
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PRESENT VIEW OF COUNTY
account of changed trade conditions and the great fire which left but one business house standing, it is still the home of a prosperous and contented people. E. C. Larson is mayor and James McGuire clerk of the village. There are excellent schools in charge of Minnie M. Pieper. Religious worship is held in the Catholic church, served by Rev. Father Raedler, of Garnavillo, and in the Methodist church, served by Rev. H. E. Smith, of Guttenberg. The Ladies' Aid Society of the M. E. church, with Mrs. J. E. Kernahan as president, and the Ladies' Social Circle, of which Mrs. A. M. Smasal is president, provide for the social life among the ladies, and the Modern Woodmen of America and the Brotherhood of Yeomen are the men's fraternities. There are good general stores and the town is prosperous.
EDGEWOOD
Edgewood is a beautiful little town situated on the southern line of the county, part of the village being in Delaware county. It is the home of much wealth, business blocks are substantial, many of the residences are beautiful and all of them are comfortable. G. W. Fleming is mayor and E. B. Shaffer clerk of the city, and W. E. Richards post- master. There are an excellent water system, good roads and an electric light plant, owned by the city, worth about $12,000. In the heart of a rich dairying country, the creamery industry is the largest in the city, and it pays in the vicinity of $200,000 a year to the farmers of the vicinity. There is a fine brick school building of twelve grades. The school consists of nine rooms, with a corps of eight teachers, with W. F. W. Jones as superintendent and Miss Elsie Hatch as principal. There is a twelve-year course of study, which includes agriculture, domestic science and manual training. The high school has recently been made one of the accredited schools of the state. C. B. Madison is president of the school board and G. E. Gates is clerk. The Edge- wood Journal is a very live local paper, having a circulation in the two counties, and is edited by Floyd A. Peet. It was founded by Lacy F. Schaffer in 1888, and later was published by Ernest Q. Lain and printed in Strawberry Point, with R. J. Bixley as local editor. It was then known as the Hawkeye Siftings. B. W. Sheppard and C. A. Newman were later owners. In 1901 F. A. Peet purchased the business and has since been the editor. He was burned out in 1908 in the disas- trous fire which swept the city. Church interests are represented by the Methodists, Congregationalists and Catholics. The latter have no church building, but have plans under way for the erection of a church in the near future.
CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
The Congregational church of Edgewood was organized January 23, 1848. Rev. E. V. Turner was chairman of the first meeing, and among the first members were H. B. Brockway, Samuel and Charlotte Mulliken, Emily Brockway and Mrs. Lucy Noble. The organization was completed in March of the same year. Rev. H. M. Gates was the first regular pastor in 1853, and in October of that year it was decided to build a church. The congregation was incorporated November 16,
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MEMOIRS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
1854, as the First Congregational Church of York, Iowa, by Henry Brockway, Thomas Haskell, Seymour Platt and Charles Robinson. Among the pastors have been Rev. Graves, 1854; Rev. L. P. Mathews, 1862-1873; Rev. B. M. Amsden, 1873-1875; Rev. Chas. Hancock, 1875. The church was without a pastor for several years, and other pastors were as follows: Gorton, Kidd, Marsh, Kay, Aikman, Styles, Elser, Gorton, Beaty, H. A. Benton, 1889; H. A. Richardson, 1902; M. J. P. Thing, 1904-1907. The church was again without a pastor until 1914, when Mrs. C. W. Smith was placed in charge. She has done excellent work, and there is now an active Sunday school, Christian Endeavor and Junior Endeavor societies. The Sunday school has been maintained at all times. Eva Minkler is superintendent, and a feature is the large brotherhood class of fifty members conducted by R. J. Bixbey. The name of the church was changed from that of York to Yankee Settle- ment and later to Edgewood. A new church was built in 1881 under the supervision of Rev. Aikman and the parsonage in 1899 under Rev. H. A. Benton.
METHODIST CHURCH
The Methodist church of Edgewood was organized in 1845 by Rev. Joel Taylor. The first members were F. C. Madison, Isaac Preston and wife and Nathaniel Purdy and wife. Rev. Taylor was the first pastor, and the first church was built in 1847 at a cost of $800. It was 24 by 40 feet in size. The second church was built in 1881 at a cost of $2,500, and the size was 30 by 50 feet. The third church was built in 1915 at a cost of $7,000, and is 54 by 54 feet in size. The present pastor is G. L. Heiserman, and the membership is about 180.
Among the lodges there are the following :
WOMEN'S RELIEF CORPS
Hiram Steele Relief Corps, organized Aug. 27, 1892, with fifteen charter members. The first officers were president, Mrs. E. R. Kinzie; S. V., Ellen J. Burgin ; J. V., Effie Maxson ; secretary, Hattie Garretson ; treasurer, Cynthia Robinson ; chaplain, Emily Lane; conductress, Ellen Hoosier; guard, Tillie Garretson. The present membership is forty- three, and meetings are held the first and third Saturdays of each month at M. W. A. hall. Hiram Steele post, to which this corps was auxiliary, has been disbanded by death, and it is the sad duty of the corps to decorate each year the forty graves of the veterans whose bodies lie in Edgewood cemetery.
PYTHIAN SISTERS
Purity Temple, No. 45, was organized Dec. 8, 1893, with twenty- two charter members. The first officers were: Chief, Mary Cole; senior, Ella Carrier ; junior, Abbie Miller ; manager, Ida Noble; secre- tary, Laura Whipple; treasurer, Alvira Newman; protector, Sada Whipple; guard, Effie Maxson; past chief, Belle Whipple; trustees, Mrs. Ida Elliott, Ida Mellen and Mrs. Wilcox. Marie Todd is the present chief. The membership is forty-two, and meetings are held on the second and fourth Fridays of each month. The deceased mem-
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PRESENT VIEW OF COUNTY
bers are: Rose Sheppard, Thursa Bowers, Jennie Richards, Ed Miller, Dr. M. M. Newman, M. F. Moine, S. T. Richards, Floy Farmer, John Haggerman, Eva Maxson.
BROTHERHOOD OF AMERICAN YEOMEN
Opal Homestead, No. 831, was organized Dec. 21, 1901. The first officers were : Foreman, Puss Davis ; M. of C., Frieda Smith ; cor- respondent, Eda Reed ; chaplain, E. C. Noble ; M. of A., Dr. M. M. New- man; overseer, Wm. Sactett; guard, Fred Smith; watchman, W. J. Alcorn; sentinel, Geo. Troup; Rowena, Ida Noble; Rebecca, Clara Haggerman. The deceased members are Mrs. Emma Fenstermann and Dr. M. M. Newman. Rowland Steefer is the present foreman. The homestead meets in the K. of P. hall on the second and last Thursdays of each month. The membership is seventy-eight.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Edgewood Lodge No. 358, Knights of Pythias, was organized by special dispensation December 29, 1892. Charter was obtained August 10th, 1893.
The first officers were: J. B. Morey, Past Chancellor; M. M. Newman, Chancellor Commander; W. C. Miller, Vice Chancellor ; E. G. Shepard, Prelate; A. L. Carrier, Keeper of Records and Seal; R. S. Huntington, Master of Finance; E. E. Farwell, Master of Exchequer ; E. R. Derby, Inner Guard ; J. W. Garretson, Outer Guard; C. B. Madison, Master at Arms.
The deceased members are as follows: M. M. Newman, Myron Mellon, Alex Hammond, John Hageman, S. T. Richards, John King, W. D. Robinson, H. E. Willard, Geo. Woolridge, W. K. Pollard, S. W. Robinson, G. F. Ludwick, G. W. Lynde, Ira Bowers, G. D. Culbertson.
The present membership of the society is 59. This organization has a nice up-to-date lodge room.
MASONIC FRATERNITY
Avalon Lodge No. 606, A. F. & A. M., was chartered March 20, 1909. The first meeting was held March 29th, 1909. Each regular meeting is held on or before the full moon in each month.
The first officers were as follows: L. B. Blanchard, Worshipful Master ; C. S. Todd, Senior Warden; C. B. Madison, Junior Warden ; F. H. Hatch, Treasurer ; G. W. Pilkington, Secretary ; M. M. Newman, Senior Deacon; F. L. Weyant, Junior Deacon; George Hobbs, Tyler.
The names of the deceased members are as follows: Ira Bower, A. O. Seward, M. M. Newman, Mark Hamlett.
The present executive officers are as follows : F. L. Weyant, Wor- shipful Master ; E. T. Hamlett, Secretary. The organization has at present a membership of 67. The society has a well equipped lodge room and everything necessary for putting on the work in an interest- ing and creditable manner.
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MEMOIRS OF CLAYTON COUNTY
MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA
Maple Leaf Camp No. 2655 was chartered January 2, 1895, with eighteen charter members. The first officers were Consul L. S. Fisher, Adviser Frank Densmore, Clerk J. B. Morey, Escort D. A. Sherman, Physician W. C. Miller, Managers L. D. Zahrndt and M. H. Bower. Other charter members were T. H. Baeby, J. H. Foster, Anton Funk, I. P. Gates, A. H. Glazier, C. S. Jones, Cyrus McKinnis, Ira F. Noble, James O'Rourke, E. G. Platt, W. S. and F. I. Wolldridge and R. C Wheeler. Deceased members are John Funk, W. D. Robinson, John Hageman, Joseph Willard, H. O. Stone, H. Hesner, L. J. Avery, Mark Hamlett, Emil Winkler and Anton Funk. All records of the lodge were lost by fire in 1908. The present executive officers are Arthur Weterlen, V. C. and C. S. Todd, clerk. There are 158 members and the degree team is considered one of the best in northern Iowa. Meet- ings first and third Wednesdays.
ELKADER
Elkader, the county seat of Clayton county, lies in the hollow of God's hand. Surrounded on every side by high, majestic hills, with the river winding through it, singing merrily at work and play, with giant shade trees lining its streets, gifts of the forethought of the pio- neers, with its hundreds of happy homes and handsome residences, it may surely come up to the ideal of the Peaceful Valley in many ways. Secure from storms on account of the encircling hills and secure from the stress of adversity by the great store-house of wealth of which it is the center, Elkader has little to fear from nature or from man.
Much space has been given to the events of Elkader's history and the present status is given here but briefly. W. W. Davidson is mayor and L. L. Hulverson, John Bahr, James P. Hyde, Henry Lenth and E. C. Fitzpatrick are the councilmen. The city is progressive and owns a fine system of waterworks, keeps its streets well cleaned and oiled and is preparing to pave in the near future. There is a gas plant incor- porated in 1906 of which Ross Richardson is manager and an electric light plant, the latter owned by Schmidt Bros. The county offices bring much business to the town and make it the meeting place for all the people of the county. All lines of retail business are well represented, a fine opera house and an excellent moving picture theatre. It has one garage, as fine and complete as any in the state and another is to be built during the coming year. The business houses are of brick or stone and are most substantial. The stone arch bridge and the Catho- lic church are among the finest pieces of architecture in Iowa, while the great stone mill rises impressively above the rock-lined walls of the river, and the massive concrete dam is not only useful but pictur- esque and affords fine boating above and excellent fishing below.
The schools are Elkader's special pride and they are among the finest in the state for a town of the size, the high school being included in the list of the most select of Iowa. The school buildings are sub- stantial and adequate. Not only is there a regular high school course but special departments for manual training, domestic science and com-
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PRESENT VIEW OF COUNTY
mercial and stenographic studies. The present system was established in 1873, prior to which there were grade schools only. Since 1873 the superintendents have been James Thompson, S. N. Bixby, P. W. McClelland, J. F. Thompson, J. E. Webb, C. J. Blymer, Robert Reinow, A. E. Stuelke, Otto S. von Krog and J. P. Street.
The press is represented by three strong weekly papers, all of which have great influence throughout the county. The oldest is the Nord Iowa Herold, established by Joseph Eiboeck in 1868. It was the first German newspaper in Iowa north of Dubuque. The present venerable and capable editor is Carl Reinecke and the paper is now printed both in German and English. It is democratic in politics. The Register and Argus was established in 1878 by George H. Otis, as the Register, the Argus being absorbed later. This paper has also, from time to time absorbed other papers throughout the county. The firm name is D. G. Griffith & Son, although the senior member of the firm is dead and the "Son" continues the business and maintains the high standard and efficiency of the paper. This office boasts the only mono- type in the county and its other equipment, together with contemplated improvements, will make it rank as one of the best printing offices in northern Iowa. The' Clayton County Democrat was established in 1893 by the present editor, H. C. Bishop. Mr. Bishop is a forceful edi- torial writer and brings to his successful newspaper work his experi- ence both as county superintendent and state senator.
FIRST CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH
Was organized March 12, 1855, with the following charter mem- bers : William and Philedin Keys and Mrs. Channey, E. V., Mary, H. and Harriett H. Carter. What was long known as the "round church" was built in 1857 at a cost of $2,000, but later the membership became so reduced in numbers that the building was sold to the Universalists for $1,500. Rev. J. G. Hill of Garnavillo was the first Congregational preacher to hold regular services at Elkader, and Rev. L. P. Mathews was the first regular preacher.
Mrs. Mary Carter donated a lot for the purpose of a church building and a foundation was laid, but the work later abandoned. For a number of years there was no church organization, although the Sunday school was maintained, as a union school, during this period. In 1894 Rev. B. Y. Childs came as a missionary and through his zeal the church was re-organized. At this time Mrs. Mary Carter was the only surviving charter member of the first organization. The society was re-incorporated, January 22, 1895, with 15 charter members. The trustees were H. H. Barnard, J. M. Branch, Mrs. Jack, John Everall, Jr., and H. W. Wilke. A lot was purchased for $350, in April, 1896, and a church building commenced which was completed and dedicated June 20, 1897, during the pastorate of Rev. Franklin L. Fisk. The following is the list of pastors: Reverends B. V. Childs, 1894; F. L. Fisk, 1894-9; G. M. Baxter, 1899-1905; A. S. Hock, 1906-7; J. G. Dickey, 1907-9; M. L. Stimson, 1909-11 ; R. G. Hodden, 1911-14; Isaac Cassell, present pastor.
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