USA > Iowa > Decatur County > History of Decatur County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 15
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"The best expedient generally was to cut down a log of some eight or nine feet long, and slitting it longitudinally, strip off its bark in two half cylinders. These, placed around the body of the deceased and bound firmly together with withes made of the alburnum, formed a rough sort of tubular coffin which surviving relations and friends, with a little show of black crape, could follow with its inclosure to the hole, a bit of ditch, dug to receive it in the wet grounds of the prairie. They grieved to lower it down so poorly clad, and in such an unheeded grave. It was hard-was it right, thus hurriedly to plunge it in one of the undistinguishable waves of the great land sea, and leave it behind them there, under the cold north rain, abandoned to be for- gotten? They had no tombstones: nor could they find rocks to pile the monumental cairn. So, when they had filled up the grave, and over it prayed a miserere prayer, and tried to sing a hopeful psalm, their last office was to seek out landmarks, or call in the surveyor to help them to determine the bearings of valley bends, headlands, or forks and angles of constant streams, by which its position should in the future, be remembered and recognized. The name of the be- loved person, his age, the date of his death, and these marks were all registered with care. The party was then ready to move on. Such graves mark all the line of the first year of the Mormon travel-dis- piriting milestones to failing stragglers in the rear.
"It is an error to estimate largely the number of Mormons dead of starvation, strictly speaking. Want developed disease, and made them sick under fatigue, and maladies that would otherwise have proved trifling. But only those died of it outright who fell in out-of- the-way places, that the hand of brotherhood could not reach. Among the rest no such thing as plenty was known, while any went an hungered. If but a part of a group was supplied with provision, the
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
only result was, that the whole went on the half or quarter ration, according to the sufficiency that there was among them: and this so ungrudgingly and contentedly, that, till some crisis of trial to their strength, they were themselves unaware that their health was sink- ing, and their vital force impaired. Hale young men gave up their own provided food and shelter to the old and helpless, and walked their way back to parts of the frontier states, chiefly Missouri and Iowa, where they were not recognized, and hired themselves out for wages, to purchase more. Others were sent there to exchange for meal and flour, or wheat and corn, the table and bed furniture. and other last resources of personal property which a few had still retained.
"In a kindred spirit of paternal forecast, others laid out great farms in the wilds, and planted in them the grain saved for their own bread, that there might be harvests for those who should follow them. Two of these, in the Sae and Fox country, and beyond it, Garden Grove and Mount Pisgah, included within their fences above two miles of land apiece, carefully planted in grain, with a hamlet of comfortable log cabins in the neighborhood of each.
"Through all this, the pioneers found redeeming comfort in the thought, that their own suffering was the price of humanity to their friends at home. But the arrival of spring proved this a delusion. Before the warm weather had made the earth dry enough for easy travel, messengers came in from Nauvoo to overtake the party, with fear-exaggerated tales of outrage, and to urge the chief men to hurry back to the city, that they might give counsel and assistance there. The enemy had only waited till the emigrants were supposed to be gone on their road too far to return to interfere with them, and then renewed their aggressions."
Notwithstanding this suffering, however, they seemed to have been cheerful and devoted to their convictions. Under date of April 5, Elder Pratt says :
"It being Sunday, a portion of our eamp met together, to offer up our sacrament to the Most High. After a few remarks by myself and Bishop Miller, we proceeded to break bread, and administer in the holy ordinance of the Lord's supper. At 6 o'clock in the evening we met with the captains of companies to make arrangements for sending twelve or fourteen miles to the settlements for corn to sus- tain our animals."
The next day, April 6th, his journal records the following:
"This morning, at the usual hour of prayer, we bowed before the Lord with thankful hearts, it being just sixteen years since the or-
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ganization of this church, and we were truly grateful for the many manifestations of the goodness of God towards us as a people."
On the same day they sent nine or ten wagons with four yoke of oxen on each wagon to the settlements to obtain corn. These teams were gone two days, returning on the 8th, most of them empty. Great difficulty was found in finding sustenance for teams as they moved slowly westward.
On April 16th they arrived at a grove, which is described by Elder Pratt as "a very pleasant grove which we called Paradise; and about a mile to the south found the grass very good." Here they stopped several days and recruited their teams. Resuming their journey on the 22d they arrived at their temporary resting place on April 24, 1846. Under that date Elder Pratt records the following:
"Yesterday we traveled about eight miles, today six miles. We came to a place which we named Garden Grove. At this point we determined to form a small settlement and open farms for the benefit of the poor, and such as were unable, for the present, to pursue their journey farther, and also for the benefit of the poor who were yet behind."
On the 27th he records that at the sound of the horn they gathered together to organize for labor. One hundred men were appointed for cutting trees, splitting rails, and making fence; forty-eight to cut logs for the building of log houses; several were appointed to build a bridge; a number more for the digging of wells; some to make wood for plows; and several more to watch the flocks and keep them from straying; while others were sent several days' journey into the Mis- souri settlements to exchange horses, feather beds, and other prop- erty, for cows, provisions, etc.
On May 10th Elder Pratt's journal records the following:
"A large amount of labor has been done since arriving in this grove; indeed the whole camp are very industrious. Many houses have been built, wells dug, extensive farms fenced, and the whole place assumed the appearance of having been occupied for years, and clearly shows what can be accomplished by union, industry, and perseverance."
The recognized leader of this movement was Brigham Young; but Elder Orson Pratt, and his brother Parley P. Pratt, seemed to come more clearly into the limelight of history during the movement than did Elder Young. They were apparently the leading spirits. Elder Orson Pratt was a scholar of no mean attainments; and dur- ing their travels from Nauvoo to Garden Grove, frequently took ob-
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servations from the sun by the use of instruments in his possession by which he ascertained the latitude of their camp and corrected their time. He ascertained that Garden Grove was in latitude forty degrees and fifty-two minutes. How nearly this agrees with later observations we are not able to say, but it is approximately correct.
Among the leading spirits was also Bishop George Miller, who was not always in harmony with others of the leaders, in consequence of which he finally left them at Winter Quarters on Missouri River.
Their meeting-house was located on what is now the northeast one quarter of the northeast one quarter of section 33, 70, 24, now a part of the farm of William Waters, and within the present cor- porate limits of the Town of Garden Grove.
Two farms were fenced and cultivated with an area respectively of 1,500 acres; a mill was erected for grinding corn on the south line of section 28, midway of the section.
The cemetery was located in the southeast part of the southeast quarter of section 28. There are now more than one hundred owners of the realty that was originally contained within the confines of these two fields mentioned above.
The leading men remained at Garden Grove but a short time, resuming their journey on May 11th, to pursue their western pilgrim- age and form other settlements for like purposes at what they called Mount Pisgah, in Union County, and at Kanesville (Council Bluffs), Ia. Such were the people, and such were the circumstances under which the first town was founded in Decatur County. Leav- ing this place these leading men left behind them a sufficient company to cultivate these fields and raise grain for the sustenance of other parties who were to follow them in the exodus.
The colony was maintained until the spring of 1852, some going and others coming from time to time, and it is estimated that at times there were as many as 300 families at Garden Grove.
Finally they all disappeared, leaving their temporary homes to be occupied by the later emigrants who came to that fruitful land, until now there is no vestige left of the early settlement except the name Garden Grove, which is appropriately perpetuated. During the time of the settlement Garden Grove was a recruiting station for emi- grants coming from Europe and the eastern states en route for Utah.
CHAPTER XIV DECATUR COUNTY TOWNS
DAVIS CITY
The Town of Davis City is located on the west bank of Grand River, on section 33, Burrell Township. The town was laid out in 1855 by W. H. Cheever. The autumn before, however, William Davis had constructed a log residence and a sawmill, the latter ope- rated by water power. In the spring of 1855 he built a frame dwell- ing and in the autumn of 1856 he erected the first store in the town. In this store the first stock of goods was placed on sale by G. W. Jenre, who later sold out to Arnold & Davis, which firm was in turn succeeded by Davis & Bowman. Henry Bowman built a hardware store in 1872, the same year in which J. R. Frisbie put up the second store building in the town. At this time there were no more than fifty people in Davis City. Oscar Severe's harness shop was opened soon after, and then came Archibald Rankin's drug store, Young & Wren's "Chicago Store" and Morris & Clark's store, the latter being the first brick structure here.
The original Town of Davis City contained just four blocks, each 60 by 124 feet, and about the year 1870 Clark's Addition was laid out. Other additions have since been made. The postoffice was first at the house of W. F. Craig, the first postmaster. Henry Bowman, James Teale, Carter Scott were other early incumbents. The railroad was constructed through the town in 1879.
The first school was taught in 1857 by Mrs. J. S. Warner. A brick schoolhouse, with three rooms, was constructed soon after, cost- ing $2.200.
A church was constructed in 1878 by John Clark at a cost of $4,500. The Methodists and United Brethren held alternate meet- ings in this building, and it was occasionally used by the Latter Day Saints, Christians, Baptists and Adventists.
15-4
VIEW IN THE PARK. DAVIS CITY
EARLE CLOTH LADIES
MAIN STREET LOOKING SOUTH. DAVIS CITY
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HISTORY OF DECATUR COUNTY
LODGES
Davis City Post No. 306, Grand Army of the Republic, was organized March 31, 1884, with twenty-two members, and was mus- tered in by Hugh White, of Mt. Ayr, under the direction of the department mustering officer, W. T. Wilkinson. In the spring of 1885 the post purchased a building for meeting purposes.
Davis City Lodge No. 375, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, was organized in 1874. Davis City Lodge No. 314, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized in 1876 and William Asbach was the first noble grand. Davis City Lodge No. 89, I. O. G. T., was organized in December, 1885, with fourteen members.
BANKS
The Citizens Bank was established here in 1879 by the Decatur County Banking Association.
The Farmers Bank, a private institution, was established first in 1894 with S. Radnich as president, and A. C. Dorn as cashier. The bank commenced business under the present name August 1, 1902. J. A. Frazier is president; O. L. Frazier is cashier. The capital stock is $10,000 and the deposits amount to $94,000.
The Valley Bank began business May 15, 1900. J. N. Gates is president and owner. It is a private bank. The capital is $10,000 and the deposits amount to $90,000.
NEWSPAPERS
The first paper to be started at Davis City was the Clipper and was started in 1876 by D. Frank Knapp. Its life expired after eighteen months. J. C. Stockton started the Commercial in 1879 and sold to C. W. Lillie. The last proprietor was C. C. Bartlett. He moved away and the paper was taken to Kansas. The Press was established in March, 1884, by J. W. Mather and discontinued in June, 1885. The office material was taken to Weldon and used by the Hornet at that place. The Tidings was established in October, 1885, by Adams Brothers, as an independent paper. The Davis City News, the present weekly paper published here, was started in 1910 by Grant Mallory. The paper has a good circulation and is a four page, five column sheet.
The location of Davis City has many natural advantages. Good building stone can be found in abundance, lumber in plenty. one of the finest water powers in the county, plenty of good limestone water under the town, sand in abundance, brick clay, and excellent farming
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and grazing country surrounding. It is thought that the wheat lands on the bottom lands near and south of the city are as good as any in the state; they are also splendid for corn.
The town is situated on what is called and known as the second bottom land, partly level and partly undulating, and above the high water mark of Grand River by twenty or thirty feet.
Near the western limits of the city there was once located a famous spring, where in the early days the Indians came from all directions, claiming for it great medical properties. In later days the spring was neglected, and the surrounding timber having been burnt and scarred to a great extent, while sand has covered all traces of the spring. The water then issued forth from under the edge of a limestone rock and it is now over a half century since the Indian trails led to this place from every direction.
Another legend is that about three miles southeast of Davis City, on section 13, township 67, range 26, stood an oak tree, near ten feet in circumference at the surface of the ground and not more than thirty feet to the topmost limbs, and spreading out fully twenty-five feet each way, while a person could step from the ground up the limbs like stair steps. This tree stood out alone, with no forest nor brush near. It has been said that the Indians claimed this as their sacred tree and brought the sick for many miles, hanging them in hammocks at the top of this tree and claiming that they would not die while in the tree. Some of the old settlers have claimed to have visited the sick in this tree.
About the year 1832 this point became known as the Falls of Grand River, and for many years was a noted point. During this time the falls became famous, an enterprising citizen of Missouri, one of the Jackson County Mormons, under the laws of Missouri, having pre-empted the Grand River Falls by commencing to improve the same for mill power. This power was held until the state boundary line question was settled, and when the line passed south of the falls several miles, the pre-emption and claim became void and the claimant never appeared again in the vicinity. Allen Scott, seeing immediately the value of this water power, at once pre- empted the same under the territorial laws of Iowa, and held the same, entering the adjoining land with the expectation of improving the power at some future time. In the year 1855 William Davis heard of the falls and their value and, wishing to erect a mill, came from the East, examined the property and entered into a partner- ship with Scott in erecting a mill. This was in the spring of 1856
PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING. DAVIS CITY
RESIDENCE STREET SCENE, DAVIS CITY
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and within three months the mill was running. Davis purchased Scott's interest in the mill, also eighty acres of land, and at once laid out four blocks of lots, with the intention of bettering the prospects of those who would work for him.
A GERMAN VILLAGE
In the early days of the town and vicinity a colony of German immigrants settled on land about one mile northwest of Davis City. The colony contained mechanics, merehants, physicians and laborers. They seemed to be in a flourishing condition for a time, but the change of climate and manner of living soon had a disastrous effect. Fevers broke out among them. The physicians did not understand the nature of the disease and nearly all of those attacked died. Their remains were buried in a grove near the site of the community. The few sur- vivors became scattered and the very location of the village lost.
GARDEN GROVE
Newspapers published in 1869 have this to say of Garden Grove:
This is a handsome village, located in the township of the same name, in the northeast part of the county, and on the road from Chariton to Leon. It is on a fine, rolling prairie, adjacent to a splen- did grove of timber, on the Weldon Fork of Grand River. It was first settled by the Mormons in the spring of 1848, but the town plat was not recorded until within the last year (1868). The land was sold off in parcels by metes and bounds. Many of the early Mormon settlers remained until 1851. The place now contains two general stores, one drug store, two hotels, one harness shop, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, one flouring mill and four physicians. There are flourishing lodges of Masons and Odd Fellows here.
A minute and interesting account of the Mormon settlement at Garden Grove may be read in the article by G. P. Arnold, entitled "Early Days," to be found elsewhere in this volume.
Among the early and actual settlers in this town were Enos Davis. O. N. Kellogg, William Davis, Amasa J. Davis and probably a few others. Prior to 1856 there also came to this town the following: S. F. Baker, C. R. Lampman, Ben Wooley, G. W. Piper. Hiram Chase, Edward Dawes, R. D. Kellogg, D. Stearn, A. B. Stearn. J. R. Cary. Hugh Brown, J. H. Woodbury, Thomas Chamberlin. Nathaniel Shaw, Dan Bowen. Sylvanus Arnold. J. D. Burns, S.
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Metier, Hiram Chase, Thomas Lilliard, John Vail, S. P. McNeil, Robert McBroom. A number of these men brought their families.
The village never had a sudden growth and, in fact, did not appear at all promising until the construction of the railroad in 1871. The first shipping into this town by railroad occurred on January 10, 1872. By the year 1885 the population had increased to 625. G. W. Piper was the first postmaster, and A. B. Stearn was the second. Other early men in this office were J. S. Brown, Hiram Chase, F. D. C. Shaw, J. W. Boyle, J. O. Parrish and John D. Burns.
Garden Grove was incorporated in the fall of 1879 and John D. Burns was the first mayor.
SCHOOLS
The first school in Decatur County was taught here in the winter of 1848-49. No building for school purposes was erected for several years. A frame structure was then built and was soon after de- stroved by fire. In 1856 a brick building was put up and was then considered the finest school in Southern Iowa. In 1873 a new frame building was erected, costing $7,000.
The Garden Grove Normal School was started in 1881, under Prof. R. A. Harkness, with two assistants. A building, costing $5,000, was erected on grounds west of the depot. The school had good attendance from this and surrounding counties until Harkness was called to the professorship in Parsons College, Fairfield, Ia., and then the school was discontinued.
CHURCHES
The Presbyterian Church was organized July 9, 1856, at Stephen Carrither's, six miles west of Garden Grove, by a committee ap- pointed by the Des Moines presbytery, consisting of Rev. J. M. Batchelor and Elder Wills. Calvin Johnson and Thomas Cham- . berlin were chosen elders. The first members were Calvin and Sarah Johnson, Thomas and Elizabeth Chamberlin, James and Sarah J. Irven, Joseph and Eliza Johnson, Maria L. Brengle, Anna A. Moore, Elizabeth Carrithers, Harriet Brown and Mary Burns. This was then called the Leon Church and preaching was by turns at Leon, Calvin Johnson's place, Prairie City and Garden Grove. Afterward the name was changed to the Garden Grove Church. The pastors have been Revs. James P. Brengle, Craig Van Emmon,
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, DAVIS CITY
UNION CHURCH, DAVIS CITY
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Reuben Hahn, Fred Rea, George Ensley, Robert Beer. During the war a frame church was built at a cost of $1,300. A fine brick church was constructed in 1882 and cost $4,000.
The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized at an early day in the house of Sylvanus Arnold, a mile west of the village. Reverend Carey formed the first class. among the members being Arnold, his wife and daughter, and Carey and wife. Charlotte Shaw and her father were received soon after. Until 1868 the society held their meetings in the Presbyterian house of worship. In the spring of that year plans were made for the erection of a church of their own. and the cornerstone was laid on July 26th. . The property cost $4,000.
LODGES
Temple Lodge No. 170, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons. was chartered June 7, 1865, with B. W. Richards as the first worship- ful master, E. H. Alexander as senior warden, and A. Culver as junior warden. A hall was built in 1869 which cost the lodge the sum of $1,600.
An order of Independent Order of Odd Fellows was maintained from 1864 to 1872 and then removed to Humeston.
Henry Walton Post No. 312, Grand Army of the Republic, was mustered April 8, 1883, with about twelve members. Bryson Bruce, S. L. Wood, W. H. Kehler, C. D. Wheeland. V. L. Chester, Willis Hine, C. R. Hall, C. E. Mater and Michael Sullivan held the first offices.
BANKS
The Garden Grove Bank was established in July, 1880, by the Decatur County Banking Association (D. and A. B. Stearns and L. P. Sigler). G. J. Woodbury was the cashier. C. S. Stearns & Brothers began in the banking business in November. 1883. The Stearns family were probably the most influential people in the de- velopment of Garden Grove. The elder members of the family. D. and A. B., came here in 1854 from Ohio and in July of that year A. B. was hired to G. W. Piper, the only merchant in the town, Sylvanus Arnold making the contract in favor of Mr. Stearns. At that time whiskey was freely sold and Sunday was the big day for disposing of the liquor. Mr. Arnold stipulated that Stearns woulid not sell whiskey on Sunday, an agreement which Piper accepted. This had the effect of breaking up the Sunday whiskey traffic. Dan
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Stearns at this time was breaking prairie for the wage of $12 per month. In two months A. B. Stearns bought out Piper's store and the two brothers went into partnership.
In 1900 the First National Bank was established with C. S. Stearns as president and F. E. Stearns as vice president. This bank has been merged into the institution now known as the C. S. Stearns Commercial Bank, with C. S. Stearns as president; H. J. Culver, vice president. The capital stock is $25,000; and the deposits are $200,000.
NOTES
William Davis is said to have bought the entire Mormon claim for $400. The Mormons also sold 400 head of sheep to the settlers at an average price of 45 cents per head.
About two hundred Pottawattomie Indians encamped on the creek west of Young's farm in the winter of 1851-52.
The first trees planted in the village were two willows. They were cut in Davis County, Ia., by Tom Knapp and O. N. Kellogg and after being used for more than three days for riding switches they were planted.
The nearest settlement to Garden Grove in 1850 was at Didge's Point, now in Appanoose County, forty miles away.
The first meadow of tame grass cut in the county was a twenty acre lot of which Professor Harkness' home later occupied the south- west corner.
Josephine Kellogg, daughter of O. N. Kellogg, was the first child born in the village.
In the winter of 1848-49 the nearest postoffice was at Priceton, Mo., and for three months there was no communication between the settlers and the outside world. At the end of these three months a couple of strangers passed through from Princeton and A. J. Davis and John Brown took advantage of their tracks in the snow and vis- ited the postoffice, forty miles distant.
The first sawmill was drawn from Keokuk by Tom Knapp with an outfit of sixteen yoke of cattle, a pair of horses and two wagons built in Keokuk for the purpose. The mill was set on the banks of the Weldon, west of town, and the freight bill paid by Knapp was $560.
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