USA > Iowa > Crawford County > History of Crawford County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 47
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1, 1910, A. Lagerquist; and in January, 1911, the present pastor, Rev. Anton A. Anderson took charge of the parishioners. They now have one hundred and twenty-two members, with an excellent attendance and a bright outlook for the future. The present church was erected in 1908 at a cost of ten thousand, seven hundred, sixty-five dollars and fifty-four cents. The dedicatory exercises were held on December 5, 1908, at which time a large and appreciative congregation was present.
The Kiron fire department was organized September 4, 1903, with the mayor, F. A. Burrows, as chairman and W. J. Sandberg, as secretary. There were eighteen charter members. A Page chemical engine was bought at a cost of $500, but this was sold upon the installation of water works in 1907. The fire pressure is excellent and the company is now equipped with hose cart and 600 feet of hose, and a hook and ladder cart. Since the organization of the fire department there have been but three fires and these have done but little damage. The Kiron fire department has membership in the Maple Valley Fire- mens' Association, and the present membership is now twenty-two. The pres- ent officers are : W. A. Garner, chairman; H. L. Ward, secretary ; Wm. Paul- son, treasurer ; A. C. Hanson, steward; R. L. Anderson, foreman Hose Com- pany No. 1; A. E. Benson, foreman Hook and Ladder Company No. 2; C. A. Dolk, chief; J. E. Hoaglund, assistant chief.
CHAPTER XXXIX.
NISHNABOTNY AND MANILLA.
Speaking of the severe winter of 1855-6 a correspondent to the Denison Re- view furnishes us with this reference to settlement in Nishnabotny township. The correspondent says: "Henry Custar had just finished a small cabin on the Nishnabotny when the cold commenced. His harvest consisted of some twelve bushels of buckwheat and a few bushels of corn. He was so situated that he could not get to the mill and had it not been for his wife's ingenuity, the family would hardly have lived through the winter. The corn she converted into hom- iny, and the buckwheat she ground in the coffee mill and by stinting the family a little she made the stock last until the close of the winter. This was the winter preceding the winter of the deep snow." Such seems to have been the humble and precarious beginning of what is now one of the most beautiful and best settled of our townships. The township is well watered by a branch of the Nishnabotny river and by numerous small streams. The name of the township is its only legacy from the Indian tribes. Nishnabotny is a corruption of the Otoe Indian name "Ni-sna-ba-te-na," which means "Creek where they make boats." Ni-sna-, creeks, ba-te, boats, na, usually or frequently. It would appear that the Otoes in their annual hunting expeditions usually found these streams flooded and were obliged to make skin boats to cross over. It was from this that the river received its name.
Nishnabotny was first a part of Milford township, which embraced the en- tire county. Next it was a part of Union township. In 1870 the new township of Washington was formed and Nishnabotny was a part of this.
It was not until June, 1872, that the township was named, but it remained a part of Washington township. It was about this time that a resident of the southern part of the county advertised in a Denison paper offering pasturage for stock and, as an evidence that the cattle would not be disturbed by settlers, said that the day before he had shot an elk and could do so almost at any time. In September, 1873, Nishnabotny was created as an independent township. The first election was held in the John Theobald schoolhouse and the money belonging to the township was turned over to the township officers. Robert Theobald and family, Henry Walker and family and John Slater and family were among the earliest residents of the township. They drove overland from Middlesbury, Wisconsin, arriving at Denison about June 1, 1871. Ten days later they moved
4 23
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to the Nishnabotny, where they had purchased land. Upon their arrival they found two families in that part of the county : Dave Crusat and Jacob Weak- line. There were four families living just over the line in Shelby county. These were the C. Barr, Morgan, Brown and Fish families. Robert Theobald located where Astor now stands, Henry Walker located in section 23 and Walkertown, an addition to Manilla was so platted from this farm. John Slater located on section 35, the house being located one-half mile south of Manilla, where it now stands. John Theobald came in the fall of '71 locating on what is now known as the Fred Saunders farm.
The first schoolhouse stood almost in the center of section 34, about one-half mile east of the present site of Astor.
In 1873 this schoolhouse was moved to the present site of James McCracken's home. The first election was held in October, 1873, and it was said that during the progress of this poll, all hands were forced to turn out and fight a prairie fire which was supposed to have been started by some hunter. This fire burned over many thousand acres, destroying grain and hay and much other property, but no homes or lives were lost. The fire was not checked until it reached the vicinity of Harlan.
John Theobald was the first school director and John Slater succeeded him. James Dunham arrived in the fall of 1871, and in the spring of 1873 Patrick McGrath arrived and settled on the present site of Manilla, for which he paid $8 per acre. Denison was the trading point, Deer were common and elk were frequently seen, while the country abounded with black and gray wolves.
The first death recorded was that of a blacksmith named Holverson. He was an acquaintance of the Slater's and Walker's. Meeting them when they were in Denison trading, he was persuaded to move on to the Nishnabotny with them. Almost the first day of his arrival he was taken sick and died the same day. He was buried at Denison. The first landowner who died was Mr. James Dunham. He died in the fall of 1874 and was buried in the Astor cemetery.
Wm. Flint, Jr., came from Wisconsin in 1873, locating on section 13, and his parents came out in 1875. Church services were held in the schoolhouse on section 35, the preacher being an itinerant Methodist, affectionately known to the old settlers as "old Uncle Billy McGinnis." He was a typical circuit rider and old timers will remember gleefully that one of his hobbies was to pull off his coat and throw it in the corner while preaching. They will tell you that he was a very strong preacher and could be heard for miles around.
Other of the early families were those of G. D. Brokaw, Thomas Graham,
Dunn, - Southwick, Rockley Barber, - Schwartz, Charles Wenzel, Dunbar, Charles Campbell.
The writer of this history assisted his brother in taking the census of Nish- nabotny township in 1880 and he remembers with pleasure the hospitable homes of the Swan's, Bidlack's, Saunder's, Theobald's, Barber's and others. The cen- sus of 1872 gives the total population of Nishnabotny township as 68, thirty of whom were males, and thirteen were voters. The acreage of improved lands is given as 597. The yield of wheat was 992 bushels, of corn 7,840 bushels. 'A' Nishnabotny correspondent giving the neighborhood news in March, 1874, men- tions H. H. Bachert, J. H. Walker, G. W. Thompson as having been elected
MAIN STREET SCENE, MANILLA
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school directors. Among others mentioned are Jim Skirving who was said to be recovering from an accident in which three of his ribs were broken, Prof. Slagg, Mr. John Slater and Mr. and Mrs. Charles Schwartz, who are facetiously said to be entertaining a young lady visitor who expects to stay for sometime. In June, '74, the following description is given of Nishnabotny.
"A few miles southeast of Denison lies a very large body of most excellent slightly rolling land through which the Nishnabotny runs. But a few years ago-only about four-there were but very few farms opened. About this time Mr. Lyon commenced opening his farm and there was not another house within a number of miles. He was the pioneer of that neighborhood and today he is surrounded by many fine farms and among the number are some of the best in the country. Mr. Inman has a farm of 320 acres, all of which with the ex- ception of a few acres is under cultivation. On his place are fine buildings, an excellent windmill and pump for raising water for his stock, all the modern improvements necessary for the cultivation of such a large farm. North of him on as handsome a piece of land as is to be found anywhere, is the farm and commodious residence of George W. Heston, and it gave us pleasure to notice that his crops appear to be growing finely and that weeds were scarce. Near at hand is the farm of A. Dempster, Esq., and under an excellent state of cultiva- tion. Also noticed the thrifty farms of Messrs. Woodward, McCormick, Bid- lack, Zimmerman and many others with whose owners we were not acquainted. In a visit of only an hour or two it is naturally impossible to glean all the inter- esting data connected with a neighborhood and in this sketch we are perfectly well aware that not even half justice has been done to this thriving neighbor- hood."
The township officers in 1874 were: Clerk, J. Skirving ; trustees, C. Schwartz, W. G. Thompson, Henry Walker; assessor, Dan McGrath; justices, John Theo- bald and Rockley Barber; constables, H. H. Bachert and Ad Thompson; road supervisors, Thomas Graham and Ad Thompson.
In 1875 Assessor McGrath found the population to be: males, 44; females, 54 ; total, 98. Number of voters, 25. This township had the distinction of being the only one wherein the females exceeded the males. At this time the popula- tion of the county was 5,229; the number of voters being 1,068.
That the people were patriotic is shown by the fact that in June, 1875, a meeting was called to order by Mr. Robert Theobald for the purpose of plan- ning a celebration which was duly enjoyed the fourth of July.
Life in Nishnabotny pursued the wonted way of the rest of the county, meet- ing the difficulties of cultivation, growing in wealth and population with every year. The next important event was the building of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway through the southern part of the county in 1880. The first survey was made in the dead of winter and before the snow was off in the spring the permanent survey was made, and in June the actual work of grading commenced. The road was finished in the spring of 1881 and trains were run- ning on regular schedules by fall. This road established two towns in Crawford county. One at Aspinwall in Iowa township, and one at Astor, in Nishnabotny. At an old settler's picnic some years ago Mr. Morris McHenry contributed the following valuable bit of history concerning the location of Manilla.
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"I do not suppose many are aware that the chief engineer of the Panama canal once walked through Crawford county at the head of a corps of engineers hunting a route for the Sioux City branch of the Milwaukee Railroad and that we are indebted to him for several miles more of railroad and for the town of Manilla with its round house and the many employes that are needed at the junction of a great continental line as the Sioux City branch is coming to be- Manilla ought to place a life-size statue of Mr. Stevens on the top of her round house. The Sioux City branch was called the Defiance line all along during the preliminary work. The company had run several lines from Defiance to Sioux City and had Mr. Stevens running the locating line and putting in the curves for the permanent line with Defiance as the junction point. The change to Ma- nilla came about in this way-I met the surveying party as they were coming down the Paradise creek on Andy Bell's farm, and had quite a lengthy visit with Mr. Stevens, in which he told me of having his boys in the water for hours at a time nearly up to their arms on the Missouri bottom. Finally we got to talk- ing about his line to Defiance. I told him I thought I could make him out a practicable line that would strike the main line some nine or ten miles east of Defiance and make him a much shorter line to Chicago. He said he wished I would do so. We also talked of saving about one-half mile of line at the mouth of the Paradise creek. Their preliminary lines had all been run around by George Bell's house one-half mile south of Robert Bell's. I told him I thought he could make the turn at Robert Bell's and run in front of Thomas Rae's and easily get down to a grade crossing over the Northwestern. This was Saturday evening. Mr. Stevens and party stayed over Sunday at Dow City. I stayed at my farm and Monday morning as I came up to Denison, I met Stevens and party just as they had finished a preliminary over the branch. He was well pleased with his line and went back and ran the locating line where the road is built today. I gave him my map of the Manilla line. He located the line to Defiance and having communicated with the head officials got orders to run a line to Manilla or rather to the place where Manilla is now. He camped with his party in Buck Grove by the house of Al Harkness, where fuel was plenty. Harkness came to Denison and told me that Stevens was about done. I of course was curious to see what kind of a line they had got. So I drew another map showing all the sections covering his Defiance and the new Manilla line. I sent it to Stevens with a letter and said: 'I dare you to mark both of your lines on this map and return it to me, if you do I will speak a good word for you to your best girl.' In a day or so I got my map back with both lines care- fully marked on it and a letter to me saying 'that he was just like he was when a boy and would never take a dare and as for the best girl, he had already got her.' Stevens ran a preliminary line through Denison and near Battle Creek, but found the Sioux City end of it impracticable, as he afterwards told me."
The town of Astor started under very promising conditions and bade fair to become a lively village. Numerous lines of trade were opened and the town was of such importance that Denison recognized its value by establishing what was known as the "Astor short cut" road. The people of Astor had just about de- cided to incorporate when the Sioux City branch of the Milwaukee was surveyed and it was determined to start the extension from a point about two miles north-
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east of Astor and the new town was named Manilla. The people of Astor ac- cepted the inevitable and a larger part of the town was moved to the new loca- tion.
MANILLA.
The first ordinance fixing the boundaries of Manilla was passed November 21, 1887, a few days after the first election was held. The first mayor was I. W. Collamore, and the first clerk C. G. Heifner. Those who have held the office of mayor, in their order, are the following, I. W. Collamore, J. L. Bidlack, M. J. Collins, C. V. Campbell, W. J. Campbell, P. C. Gray, M. J. McNertney, J. H. Tryon, Frank A. Brown, C. S. Dempster. Mr. C. A. Sykes has been clerk for a number of years. The present council consists of G. H. Baker, C. L. Wilhite, E. M. Smith, J. H. Tryon, R. Rasmussen, Edw. Theobald is treas- urer and Cicero Morgan assessor.
Manilla is a well built town with a number of exceptionally fine business blocks, good churches and public buildings, very pretty residences, good cement walks and extensive railroad yards. It is now the second town in Crawford county as to population and volume of business, while the promise of the future can barely be said to be second to that of Denison. Not only is it surrounded by a very rich agricultural country affording good trade, but it is a place of constantly increasing importance as a railroad point. As the head of the Sioux City division of the Milwaukee, it has been the home of a large number of rail- road men and their families, there being at this time upwards of one hundred railroad employes living in the city. A round house of twelve stalls has been located in Manilla for many years together with car repair shops, coaling sta- tion, eating house, night and day switch engines and other adjuncts of a rail- road center. The extension of the Milwaukee line to the coast means much to this Crawford county city, as nearly all of this vast business will pass through its gates. This will mean more train crews and more workmen of different kinds. The increase of traffic will doubtless in the near future necessitate the double tracking of the Milwaukee from Chicago to Manilla, and it is a question of but a few years before a southeastern line will be built connecting the Mil- waukee at Manilla with St. Louis and Kansas City. Manilla occupies an im- portant strategic position on the Milwaukee and if these improvements are made, as already planned, there is every reason to believe that in the next ten years Manilla will be a thriving city of from three to five thousand inhabitants.
Whether this much to be desired consummation shall be reached or not, the citizens of Manilla have shown their grasp of the situation by doing thoroughly and well those things which help to build a city. There is a flourishing commer- cial club, which has already done much good for the town, and which has many more things in prospect. A city hall was erected in 1894 at a cost of three thou- sand dollars. The water works were commenced in 1892 and have been ex- tended from time to time as necessary, until at present more than fifteen thou- sand dollars has been expended. A gas plant for city lighting was installed in 1902 at an expense of seven thousand dollars. The school building is adequate
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and well built. There are several miles of brick and cement walks. Main street is equipped with cement gutters and every crossing in the town is of cement. The enterprise of the city has been shown in the numerous successful public ex- hibitions and entertainments which it has carried out and this year the city plans a great home-coming week to celebrate its twenty-fifth birthday.
During the early days of Manilla's history there was something of that law- lessness which usually accompanies the influx of a large floating population. Since that time Manilla has become an orderly and law-abiding community, of which its citizens are justly proud. During all the course of its history the only exceptional matter on its criminal docket was that of a daring express robbery which occurred in 1901, when a small express safe was stolen bodily from the station platform and something like $2,500 in money and valuables was lost. At this time the town was thrown into a state of great excitement, bloodhounds were placed on the trail, but no conviction resulted. We cannot speak too highly of the enterprise of Manilla people, and of the very flattering prospect which seems certain to open to them as a railroad center.
Manilla has a well patronized and a well built telephone exchange, owned by local capital. Among its business houses are the following: Four general stores, two meat markets, three restaurants, one variety store, one furniture store, one implement house, two hardware stores, one harness shop, one saloon, two drug stores, two livery barns, three eating houses, three hotels, three lumber yards, one flour mill, cement block factory, two garages, two blacksmiths, tailor, photo- grapher, two millinery stores, two firms of stock buyers, moving picture show, three physicians, one dentist and one lawyer. The city is about to vote upon a franchise for an electric light and power plant, and this needed improvement, the city will doubtless have in the near future.
The Post Office at Manilla was established at the time of the opening of the town. Prior to that time the farming community had received its mail from Astor, Aspinwall, Denison and Vail. The first postmaster was Mr. G. D. Bro- kaw, who had the office in the then newly-built drug store, occupied by Allen and Hammond. He was followed by John McCraken, who moved the office to the present site of the Sykes hardware store. Under the Cleveland aministra- tion Theo. Kuhl was postmaster, and he erected for the use of the office, a building on the present site of Carnahan's restaurant. After four years Mr. Kuhl was succeeded by W. B. Barstow and the office was removed to the loca- tion in the rear of the First National Bank, where it remained until Jan., 1909, when the present fine brick edifice was erected especially for Post Office purposes.
Manilla can now boast of as fine a Post Office and equipment as can be found in any town of its size in the state. The office is roomy and finely fur- nished, and well fitted both for the convenience of the public and the working force.
On April 1, 1905, Mr. Barstow was succeeded by Roscoe C. Saunders, the present efficient postmaster, who is now serving his second term. The receipts for the year closing March 31, 1911, were $3,942.50, an excellent volume of business for a city of its size. The receipts for the year ending in 1905 were $2,313.86, showing a substantial increase.
MANILLA HIGH SCHOOL
MAIN STREET, MANILLA
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THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS.
Manilla lodge, number 179, Knights of Pythias, was organized October 6, 1887. The following is the first roster of the lodge, A. L. Barrett, P. C .; J. W. Lindsay, C. C .; C. G. Heifner, V. C .; A. M. Reiter, P .; W. H. Humphrey, M. of F .; C. V. Campbell, M. of E .; L. Green, M. of A .; T. W. Hoyt, K. of R. & S .; C. E. Yates, I. G .; C. M. Hammon, O. G .; M. M. Blake, Evan Davis, J. L. SinClair, Trustees. Members, H. J. Coppock, K. E. McCracken, Geo. Mills, J. J. Rouchert, H. H. Plumb, Jerry Anderson, James Horton, C. A. Saun- ders, Robert Ropp, H. E. Farquar, Eral Franklin, Albert Readout, F. A. Ben- nett, J. B. Gardner and E. A Packett. This is the oldest order in Manilla and is in a most prosperous condition. It has been faithful to its obligations to care for the sick and needy and its castle hall has been the scene of many of Manilla's most memorable merry makers and social gatherings. The lodge has lost the following members by death, D. W. Shaw, G. W. Saunders, C. J.Ferry, A. C. Beers, Thomas Graham. Among the prominent members who have taken active part in the lodge work may be mentioned C. A. Sykes, J. Hird, F. L. VanSlyke, P. C. Gray, A. J. Barrow, E. C. Baker, W. S. Moore and A. H. Willis. The castle hall is located in the Gardner block and has the finest lodge rooms in the city. The present officers are Clarence Krough, C. C .; C. H. Lef- ferts, V. C .; Frank Brown, P .; P. C. Gray, M. of W .; A. H. Willis, K. of R. & S .; R. C. Jackson, M. of E .; W. S. Moore, M. of F .; A. J. Barrow, M. at A .; E. C. Baker, I. G.
Closely identified with the Pythian lodge is the organization of the Rathbone sisters and nearly all the Knights belong to this local order which has proven an important adjunct to the Pythian lodge. The Manilla lodge has always been represented at the Grand Lodge with the exception of one year. Among those who have represented Manilla in the Grand lodges are F. L. VanSlyke, George Hird, W. S. Moore, I. Hird, C. V. Campbell, T. E. Dyson, J. L. Bidlack, Luther Green, I. B. Alfred, C. A. Sykes, J. C. Ruby, D. W. Shaw, and Edward Schran.
KENWORTHY TEMPLE, NO. 25, PYTHIAN SISTERS, MANILLA.
By Abbie Cook, Secretary.
Kenworthy Temple, No. 25, P. S., was organized June 16, 1892, by G. C. Carrie Kenworthy, of Perry, Iowa, with the following charter members: Abbie Cook, M. E. C .; Mrs. N. Brown, E. S .; Mrs. J. L. Bidlack, E. J .; Mrs. Carrie Franklin, M .; Miss Arza Brown, M. of R. & C .; Mrs. C. H. Lefferts, M. of F .; Mrs. Effie Gardner, P. of T .; Mrs. Jas. Plank, G. of O. F .; Mrs. Mary Hird, P. C .; Carrie Barber, Mrs. Willis, Mrs. Ferry, Mrs. A. A. Packard, Mrs. Reiter, Mrs. Barrett, Mrs. Dutt.
Since being organized we have initiated 63 Sisters and 56 Knights, of whom we have now in full membership 34 Sisters and 21 Knights. Death has claimed one Sister, Mrs. Debbie Sykes and one Knight, D. W. Shaw.
Since our organization we have had many hard places to pass over, also many, many happy times together. Our K.'s of P. have been to us brothers
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in the true meaning of the word, and we have tried to show our great apprecia- tion of their help in every possible way. Never in our 20 years of existence have we had a cent of rent, janitor fee, lights, fuel or any such expenses to meet. All having been furnished by the K.'s of P., to whom we owe a lasting debt of gratitude.
We are a "band of sisters united by the holy ties of sisterly love."
The two yearly occasions where we put forth every effort to do our best is at our Annual Banquet to our Knights, and at our Memorial Service.
The following list includes our present officers: Mrs. Lolo Morgan, M. E. C .; Mrs. Carrie Brown, E. S .; Mrs. Mary Hird, E. J .; Mrs. Lizzie Lefferts, M .; Mrs. Cassie Baker, M. of F .; Miss Abbie Cook, M. of R. & C .; Mrs. Effie Smith. P. of T .; Mrs. Mattie Willis, G. of O. T .; Mrs. Mildred Alfred, P. C.
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