USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 17
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DENISON HOSPITAL
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NORTHWESTERN FREIGHT YARDS, DENISON
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
The first depot of the Northwestern was located on what is now called the McHenry Farm. Mr. Denison, the agent of the land company, had felt secure that, as Denison was already established, the railroad would be obliged to rec- ognize the town and place its station within the town limits. The railroad com- pany, on the other hand, was accustomed to large concessions. It received from the government all the unoccupied lands within fifteen miles on either side of its right of way, and it refused to locate its station within the town of Denison without concessions being made. The station was accordingly placed south of town and a town site was projected in that locality. The land in this vicinity was owned by a Mr. Cochran. This land Mr. Denison hastened to buy and something of the story of this purchase is told us in a letter written by Mrs. Mary Denison Hooker, now of Spokane, Washington. "When the railroad came," says Mrs. Hooker, "the railroad officials had no time to give father concerning the location of the station until after he bought the Cochran land, which was situated on the bottom across the river from the town. Then he waited for them to come to him. They said afterward that they had had no trouble about town sites all the way across the state until they struck that Bap- tist minister at the county seat of Crawford county. I remember his hurried de- parture for Ohio to secure the land, and that when he returned he said that fifteen minutes after he had completed the transaction an agent of the railroad appeared at Mr. Cochran's door on the same errand."
The railroad persisted in its determination to have a town site of its own to the extent of putting in a temporary station and building a turn table. The first lumber yard was located on this proposed site for the town. Mr. Denison and the railroad company soon came to terms, however, the railroad receiving a large number of lots, in return for which they moved the station east about one mile to the foot of Locust street. Mr. F. H. Morgan was the first station agent.
We have before us a volume entitled, "Turner's Guide to the Rocky Moun- tains," published at South Bend, Indiana, in 1868. This was one of the many advertising books published to describe the advantages of the west and it tells of the country from Cleveland to Chicago, from Chicago to the Missouri, and from the Missouri to the Rocky Mountains. In the advertising pages we find the announcement of Morris McHenry & Company, general land agents, the firm being composed of M. McHenry, county treasurer and county sur- veyor, and W. A. McHenry, notary public. Among other things they state that they have four hundred thousand acres of choice prairie and timber land for sale at from one dollar and seventy-five cents to fifteen dollars per acre. There is also the advertisement of J. W. Denison, agent of the Providence Western Land Company and the American Emigrant Company. He offers "thirty thousand acres of choice prairie and timber lands in Crawford county" and states that they are situated along the line of the Chicago and Northwestern railway. "Upon the north and west sides they extend back in different local- ities from one to sixteen miles from Denison to Charter Oak, on the west bank of the East Soldier. They are rolling, well watered and healthy. The soil is a dark loam, with a due mixture of sand and clay, being adapted to the raising
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of stock or grain, and favored with a choice of markets, with flouring and saw mills near at hand, and woolen manufactories within twenty miles.
"Terms-Prairie from three dollars to ten dollars per acre, and timber from fifteen to twenty dollars, and on time to suit purchasers. In some cases longer time is given and no advance payment, but with annual interest. Ref- erences-Morris McHenry & Co., Denison, Iowa; Governor E. Dyer, Pres. Providence Western Land Company, Providence, R. I .; J. C. Savery, Gen. Supt. Am. Emigration Co., Des Moines, Iowa; General G. M. Dodge, Council Bluffs, Iowa."
We quote from the pages of "Turner's Guide" the following rather grandil- oquent account of the early wayfarer along the line of the Northwestern:
"From Carroll up-up, the rolling prairie, covered with luxuriant and wav- ing verdure, six miles to East Side station (now Maple River Junction), thence onward to Tip Top, (now Arcadia) the summit level between the two great rivers. The view is grand-magnificent; rolling, swelling in gentle undula- tions, the face of the country looks as though it had just been crystallized from the surges of 'Old ocean.' Now down the Missouri slope! The change is magical. The streams have changed their direction, and each ripple seems to be an echo of 'Westward, ho!' Descending we pass West Side, get a glimpse of the East Boyer, leave Vail behind and reach Denison, the beautiful seat of justice of Crawford county, sitting queenlike on an eminence between the East and Main Boyer, near their junction, four hundred and twenty-three miles from Chicago, Denison overlooks a delightful valley, through whose leafy groves the Boyer meanders for miles and miles away. The long trains of cars go 'marching on' under a receding cloud of smoke by day and radiant with fiery coruscations by night, animating the scene, and making prophecy of the 'good time coming,' when the hills and dales, and valleys shall be covered by an industrious and happy yeomanry, and plenty will fill the garner, while peace possesses the soul of the recipient of ten thousand bounties ! The town is chiefly settled by immigrants from glorious New England, which has sent out her millions of social and industrial missionaries, flanked on the one side by the pulpit, and on the other by the schoolhouse. That temple of the chivalry, the saloon with its poisoned shrine, is not here.
"The population of Denison is not large. It is a new town and numbers not much over three hundred people. The business of the place is represented by three dry goods and grocery stores, one hardware store, one furniture store, one drug store, two saddle and harness shops, two boot and shoe shops, two hotels, one blacksmith shop, one wagon shop, one saw mill and one flouring mill. One physician and two lawyers, all highly ornamental but not extremely useful, grace the town. Artisans and workers of all kinds are needed and will be warmly greeted. There is considerable water power, yet unimproved. Here the railroad makes an elbow and runs southwesterly to the Missouri valley. and to Council Bluffs, sixty-seven miles away. A large breadth of territory can easily be made tributary to this locality. The fecund prairie awaits the plow, from whose furrows shall spring plenty. The pleasant groves invite set- tlers to joyous homes, and altogether give promise of the coveted : dvantages
.
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
of a highly civilized condition. Several railroad connections are anticipated here.
"The future of Denison is regarded with much interest by shrewd business men and persons seeking homes and fortunes. Strangers desiring to satisfy themselves in relation to it, will receive the most gentlemanly attention from the founder of the town, Mr. J. W. Denison, on the spot, or by applying to Morris McHenry & Company, dealers in real estate there.
"Crawford county is threaded with rivers and branches with their rich valleys. The Boyer runs southwesterly through the county, diagonally; East Boyer flows into the main stream a short distance from Denison. The eastern sections are washed by the Otter, the Paradise and the Nishnabotny, while the Middle and East Soldier meander in the western part of the county. Along all of these streams are found fine farming lands, interspersed with timber, aggregating about eight thousand acres. Some of the uplands are rough, but much the largest portion of the county is susceptible of easy cultivation, and is very healthy. The Chicago & Northwestern railway, the great artery of cen- tral ·Iowa, enters the county at a point nearly due west from Chicago, and at the center turns sharply to the left and winds down the valley of the Boyer on its way to the Missouri and the Rocky Mountains.
"The population of the county is not far from two thousand, a circum- stance, perhaps, favorable to those who are in pursuit of cheap lands that are sure immediately to rise in value. Immigration is flowing in quite rapidly. There are some fifteen organized school districts and as many schoolhouses, with a disposition to build more as they are needed. Besides Denison there are three railroad stations, namely : West Side, Vail and Crawford, (now Dow City) all of which promise to become towns of some importance at no very distant day. There are also several young towns in the county of more or less pretension. These are Deloit, seven miles above Denison, with two flour- ing and two saw mills, two stores, several mechanics' shops and a brick school- house ; Swedeboy, four miles above Deloit, with a steady and industrious class of citizens who are already arranging for a meeting and a schoolhouse; Baker- town, six miles from the county seat, and Charter Oak, sixteen miles west of Denison, where the American Emigrant Company have commenced a very promising settlement, and have some fifteen thousand acres of first class farming lands for building up the town. These lands are selling for from three to five dollars per acre, on long time to actual settlers, thus giving persons of very moderate means opportunities to secure homes. This town is located on the west bank of East Soldier river, and on the direct road from Denison to Onawa, and is about equi-distant from Dunlap on the Boyer and Mapleton on the Maple. Crawford is ten miles from Denison and eight miles further on is the new town of Dunlap, in Harrison county."
Unfortunately the Boyer Valley Record, commenced in 1860 under the · supervision of Mr. Denison and edited by Mr. Crowell, has belied its name and left almost no record. This deprives us of one of the best and most au- thentic sources of history. The memory of man is incomplete and inaccurate after such a lapse of time. The years telescope themselves together so that it is difficult to tell whether an event happened in 1860 or in 1863, or even at
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a later date. This absence of newspapers and of permanent records makes the period from 1860 to 1869 a most difficult one for the historian. From the record of the board of supervisors we find that in January of 1860 the court- house square was surveyed; that there were three townships in the county ; that during the year the exciting episode of the Yeomen horse-stealing case interested the people. From the diary of Mr. Bond we have a picture of the life of the countryside, with interesting side lights upon Denison. On Thurs- day, January 19th, Mr. Bond made a visit to Denison which he describes very briefly in this language: "This morning went into Mr. Laub's school; I en- joyed the visit very much. I got my dinner at Mr. Acker's; visited Mrs. Mel- ville and ate supper at Mr. Persons'. Went to prayer meeting, then came home." The next week he visited Denison, took dinner with Mr. Purdy, and later "went to debate." Mr. Bond has told us something of the early lyceums. They were held in log school houses either at Mason's Grove or at Denison. The subject for the next debate would be announced at each meeting and sides would be chosen. At the opening of the meeting judges would be selected, and there was always quite a large crowd of men and women and boys and girls in attendance. From all this we get the idea of a happy, contented coun- tryside, primitive, but fairly sufficient unto itself. Denison we see more as a little country trading point than as a village with distinctively village interests. There were no wells and the water was hauled from the rivers and creeks and springs. The coming of a letter, and even of a paper, was an event to be noted in the old settler's diary. There was plenty to eat and sufficient clothes to wear, but luxuries were few and riches out of the question. It was a com- munity of poor men, working and struggling together, every flour bin open to the borrowing neighbor and every latch string out. The only thing that differentiated Denison from the rest of the county was the fact that it had the county seat and the infrequent sessions of the court, together with the pres- ence of the county officers attracted nearly all of the people of the county to Denison at some time in the year. It was a time of hard labor. The mer- chant taught school; the county officers plowed and cut timber; the farmer plastered and laid brick. In other words, the trades and occupations had not become differentiated and each man did the work that came to hand. The groves furnished an abundance of timber for the few settlers, the prairie lands being for the most part unoccupied. Work in the woods at cutting logs for homes and stables, splitting rails for fences, and preparing firewood for the long winters, occupied a considerable portion of the pioneer's time. In June of 1860 a certain Mr. Crooks took the census of the county, a portion of the results of which we have already given. Among the Methodists the infre- quent and miscalled "quarterly meetings" were great events of the year. Mr. S. E. Dow was the most prominent figure in the western part of the county, just as Mr. Denison and Mr. Laub were at the county seat. In October, 1860, the county had become sufficiently settled and sufficiently imbued with county pride so that the first agricultural fair was held. The exhibit was in front of the courthouse square. The races were held in the street and Mr. Bond tells us that "there was a pretty good crowd and display of everything that the country produced at that time-vegetables, grain, and cattle tied around."
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HISTORY OF CRAWFORD COUNTY
Mr. Bond was secretary of the association at that time and a society was formed which purchased the grounds west of Denison, for so many years known as the "fair grounds." The society led a precarious existence, there being far more lean years than fat ones. Aid was given by the county from time to time to assist in building fences and buildings, and a small appropriation was received from the state. The indebtedness of the society increased from year to year, however, until it finally amounted to more than the capital stock. This led to the society being disbanded and the grounds being sold-a short-sighted policy from which Denison has since suffered. In later years the society has been reorganized with headquarters and grounds at Arion. These later day fairs have been successful and the institution promises to become a permanent feature in our county life.
The year 1861 furnished two sensations. The commencement of the war seems to have caused hardly a ripple, but the two great events of the year were the revival of the Indian scares and the unfortunate killing of Isaac Allen by H. H. Crowell. We have no desire to exploit the darker pages of our county history. Violent outbursts of human passions are not confined to any country or to any clime. It is a fact, however, that the early settlers, working hard, living close to nature, with much simpler wants than we have today, were, by force of circumstances and by inclination, a law abiding people. Thus what must have been even then an every day occurrence in the congested districts of the larger cities became in this community a great and shocking event. The death of Mr. Allen occurred in a little printing office located on Main street after an altercation between himself and the editor of the Record, Mr. Crowell. Death resulted from a blow on the skull by some heavy, blunt instrument. Mr. Allen was rendered unconscious and died in a few hours. Crowell was immediately arrested, waived preliminary hearing, and was taken to Sioux City for trial, where he was acquitted on the ground of self defense. The witnesses to the tragedy were few and these were not all present at the trial. The merits of the case it is not our province to discuss.
The nearest real market in 1861 was still at Council Bluffs. We cannot for- bear from giving from Mr. Bond's diary the brief notes of a market trip, which will tell our present day farmers better than anything else could do, the difficulties under which their predecessors labored. Mr. Bond says, under date of Monday, January 14, 1861 :
"Prepared to start to the Bluffs with pork. Went as far as Mr. Purdy's, where I stayed all night. Mr. and Mrs. Plimpton were there."
Tuesday, January 15th: "This morning joined Ellis and Brogden going to the Bluffs. Got our dinner at Dow's. I broke my sled and borrowed Mr. Dow's. Mr. Brogden broke his sled and fixed mine for use."
Wednesday, January 16th: "Went within ten miles of the Bluffs today."
Thursday, January 17th: "Arrived at the Bluffs about noon today. Sold my pork to R. P. Snow at four and five dollars per hundred weight, all weigh- ing over one hundred and fifty pounds, five dollars; all weighing less than one hundred and fifty pounds, four dollars. Took store pay and one dollar in money."
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Friday, January 18th : "Left the Bluffs this morning ; stayed at Harris Grove over night."
Saturday, January 19th: "Returned from the Bluffs tonight."
In 1861 Council Bluffs was a very small place. Omaha was called Florence at that time. It was still smaller, and did not amount to much. Harris Grove was just this side of the Bluffs. In driving to that point travelers kept back from the Boyer river, crossing the prairies. There was no settlement at Dunlap. Joseph Brogden was the only expert blacksmith in the county and he proved a great drawing card for Denison. The second blacksmith was Mr. John Kelly, whose death occurred recently.
In June, 1861, Mr. Bond tells us that he joined a military company for home protection. This company was organized to defend the settlement from the raids of the Sioux warriors to the north. James Butler was captain of the company and H. C. Laub first lieutenant and quartermaster. There were from fifteen to twenty members of this company, not all of whom were called upon for duty. A portion, however, went north to Cherokee, where a stockade, or fortification, was erected and where they were joined by men from Woodbury and other of the neighboring counties. There were one or two skirmishes with the Indians and in the vicinity of Sioux City depredations were committed and several settlers were killed, but the Indian maraudings in this county partook more of the nature of sneak thievery than of warlike demonstrations.
There were in the county at this time one hundred and sixty-eight persons of school age; this would undoubtedly mean about two-fifths of the total popu- lation, making a probable total in the vicinity of four hundred. The settlers paid great attention to the schools. Districts were organized and teachers were employed. We find record of the employment of teachers at the munificent salary of three dollars per week.
We have previously stated something of postal facilities. Through the kind- ness of Mrs. Margaret DeWolf of Washington, D. C. who obtained access to the records of the post office department, we are able to give the following au- thentic data concerning the Denison office. The first post master was Jacob Whitinger, who was commissioned October 27th, 1856. He kept the office in his residence near the Swain and Reynolds mill. The office was first supplied on a star route from Fort Dodge, by the county seats of Calhoun and Carroll counties, Denison, Shelbyville, Jeddo City to Council Bluffs. The route was 200 miles long and the trip was made once a week. J. W. Ellis, was contractor receiving $1,600.00, per annum. The carrier was scheduled to leave Fort Dodge Wednesday at 8 A. M., arriving at Council Bluffs the following Tuesday at noon. He left Council Bluffs at 8 A. M. Wednesday reaching Fort Dodge the next Tuesday. John G. Downs was contractor on the same route, at a com- pensation of $2,462.00, from 1858 to 1866. James Billings was contractor at $2,000.00 per annum for twice a week service during term from 1862 to 1866. A route from Denison to Onawa City was established about August 1860. Wm. F. Lockwood was contractor at $520.00 per annum. During this same period a route from Marietta via Denison to Decatur, Nebr., 175 miles, once a week, was established. From 1862 to 1866, once a week service was maintained on
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this route. This later became a 3 times a week service. There was also tri- weekly service between New Jefferson and Denison.
The following is a list of Denison post masters with date of appointment. Jacob Whittinger, October 27, 1856, T. B. Aldrich, January 10, 1858, S. J. Comfort, March 23, 1860, Thomas G. Connor, May 31, 1861, E. S. Plimpton, October 30, 1862, A. F. Bond, May 5, 1863, Elmer Howe, November 30, 1865, Reuben Hefflefinger, November, 2, 1868, J. Fred Meyers, April 11, 1877, Geo. L. Wright, July 17, 1886, Reuben Hefflefinger, May 14, 1889, M. M. McAlpin, December 14, 1893, David L. Boynton, October 8, 1897, Frederick W. Meyers, January 20, 1902.
From the records of the department we give the following table of postal receipts showing the growth of the office by 10 year periods. 1860 receipts $24.29,. 1870 receipts $975.77, 1880 receipts $3,443.55, 1890 receipts $4,854.53, 1900 receipts $8,159.81, 1910 receipts $11,681.75. The receipts for the year end- ing March 31, 19II were $12,200.
While we have given the official list of post masters, there were numerous deputies who in the olden times were practically the post masters. At one time we find the office located in Mr. Laub's store, with Mr. Laub as deputy. At another time in the courthouse with Morris McHenry as acting postmaster. Yet again we find it in the bed room of Mr. Bond's home and later, when he became the hotel keeper, it was located in the old Highland house. Mr. Elmer Howe kept the office in his store on main street. This building was burned to the ground in 1865, it being the first "Big Fire" that the county knew. Under R. Hefflefinger the post office was located in the rear of his hardware store which was on the present site of the Crawford County State bank. In 1877 the office was removed by Mr. J. Fred Meyers to the Review corner where it remained until 1885. Mr. G. L. Wright removed the office to the former loca- tion back of the Hefflefinger bank. During the 2nd term of Pres. Cleveland, M. M. McAlpin was appointed and it was during his administration that the post office was moved to its present location on Main street, directly opposite the court house square.
During the Congressional term of Hon. J. P. Conner, who was a member of the Public Buildings Committee of the House of Representatives an appro- priation of $10,000.00 was secured for the purchase of a site for a Federal building, and the site of the Germania Opera House was selected and purchased by the government. Later, through the influence of Mr. Conner, a public build- ing, to be erected at the cost of $60,000, was authorized by congress, but as yet the appropriation has not been made available and no preliminary steps have been taken for the erection of the building. It is probable that several years will elapse before this great public convenience is given to the people. During the administration of postmaster D. L. Boynton rural free delivery was established, four of these routes being provided for Denison. Since that time the number of rural routes has been increased to seven. In 1908, city carrier service was established, there being at this time three city carriers. The Postal Savings system was ordered established in Denison, July 17, 191I.
In the fall of 1861 the county was again stirred by the operation of horse thieves, and we have record that Messrs. McHenry, Appleman, McKim and
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Bond formed a posse who searched for guilty parties in the vicinity of Sac City for several days, but without success.
The second annual fair was successfully held in October, 1861. Later in the year high winds prevailed and the settlers had to put forth strenuous efforts to save their property from prairie fires.
The year 1862 was notable for the continuation of the scare concerning the redskins and the formation of a company of Indian scouts. In this year, also, more of the war spirit was shown. The winter was severe with heavy falls of snow, but nothing to equal the famous winter of 1856-57. By the springtime pro- visions were scarce. Mr. Bond tells in his diary that he "could not borrow any flour, but Mr. Denison let him have a few pounds of corn meal." The day after, however, he "secured fifteen pounds of flour from Mr. Plimpton." This was evidently one of the hardest years for the settlers. In this year we have the first mention of a Fourth of July celebration in Denison, although doubtless the nation's birthday had been celebrated in some form before. In this year Mr. Coburn built the mill near the site of the old Northwestern station and neighbors all around gathered to the raising, making this a notable event. It was in 1862 also that the Methodist people built their parsonage, the members of the congregation con- tributing largely in work, hauling the logs for the foundation, gathering to the raising, and providing, from native timber, all except the finishing lumber. This house was built upon the site of the present Baptist church and preceded the erec- tion of the Methodist church itself by several years.
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