USA > Iowa > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 35
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ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCHI
St. Joseph's Church was founded January 12, 1887. Before this, however, Father Lynch, located at Cascade, came here in the primitive days of the com- munity and said mass at the homes of his people. The church building, a neat frame structure, was built in 1887, chiefly through the efforts of Father Farley, and at the time there were but a few families in the parish. On the day men- tioned above the edifice was dedicated by Rt. Rev. Bishop Hennessey, of Dn- buque. High mass was celebrated by Rev. J. M. Farrell, assisted by Revs. T. Rowe. P. F. Farrelly and W. F. Pape. At the time were noticed in the sane- Vol. 1-20
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tuary Revs. P. H. Ryan, D. IFeelan, G. Ileer, W. Oberbreckling and H. Brick- man. The visiting pastor was Reverend Dunkel.
In January, 1912, the church was reorganized, at which time the families in the parish numbered about twenty-five, most of whom lived on the surround- ing farms. St. Joseph's never has had a resident priest, but up to 1912 priests attended the church from Manchester and Dyersville, holding services about once each month. Since then Father Theodore Warning, of the Dyersville par- ish, has sent his assistant, Father Dunkel, regularly every Sunday, and it is now anticipated that St. Joseph's will have its own pastor within a short period of time.
The German Lutheran Church was organized in June, 1873, by Rev. J. Christ, in Exchange Hall. The membership was about twelve families and Daniel Raforth, Henry Young, C. Klaus, were elected trustees. In the spring of 1875 a neat frame building, 22x40 feet, was erected for church purposes, under the dircetion of Rev. S. De Young, John Young and F. Werkmeister. The dedieatory services were presided over by Rev. John Bneka, who long remained as the pastor.
FRATERNAL BODIES
Square Lodge, No. 286, A. F. & A. M. was organized June 7, 1871. by C. F. Stevenson, J. Dilley and N. Clark, who were also the first principal officials. The lodge now has fifty members and is in a prosperous condition. Its perma- nent headquarters, after two or three removals, were set up in what is known as the Masonie Building.
In the year 1883 the Masonic Town Hall Company was organized by citi- zens of Earlville and vieinity, for the purpose of building a structure to be used by the town and for lodge purposes. The required amount of money, $5,000, was subseribed, Square Lodge of Masons taking $500. The building, a three-story brick, was at once erected, on the north side of the railroad and nearly opposite the depot. The temple was dedicated January 19, 1884. Grand Lodge was opened at Oneida Hall (I. O. O. F.), at 2 P. M. of that day. from which a procession was formed, headed by Nazareth Commandery of Man- chester, and marched to the new home of the lodge, which now owns $2.700 of the original $5,000 of stock issued for its erection.
Acacia Chapter, No. 140, Order Eastern Star, was organized October 29, 1896, by twenty-eight men and women. This is a strong and faithful auxiliary of the Masonic bodies and numbers eighty members.
INDEPENDENT ORDER ODD FELLOWSHIP
Oncida Lodge, No. 132, 1. O. O. F., was organized October 16, 1861, and now has about fifty members. The lodge owns a two-story frame building. the upper floor of which is arranged for lodge purposes and the lower is devoted to banquets, entertainments, ete. In its original form, a one-story structure, this building was erected by JJacob Moreland in 1866. Here he kept a general store for some time. In 1873 the Odd Fellows bought the property and added another story and an addition wide enough for a stairway.
ST. JOSEPH'S CATHOLIC CHURCH, EARLVILLE
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Christina Lodge, No. 290. Danghters of Rebekah, kindred to and an auxiliary of Oneida Lodge, was organized October 16, 1895, with thirty-seven members, which at the present time have been increased to fifty-five members.
Earlville Encampment, No. 99, was organized October 16, 1878, with eighteen members. The present number is forty-five.
MODERN WOODMEN OF AMERICA
Mistletoe Camp, No. 88, Modern Woodmen of America, came into being and was authorized to open a lodge December 21, 1899. There were twelve charter members. The lodge membership is now forty-five.
GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC
Charles Schubert Post, No. 462, G. A. R., was organized July 19, 1889, with the following charter members: E. A. Allen, S. Hoskins, C. L. Rundell, L. W. Winston, B. L. Delano, William Everton, G. II. Bush, E. H. Hall, D. W. Wordand, R. Aubrey, D. Stallard, E. A. Colyon, S. S. Spearing, W. G. Foster, William Hockaday, Il. Wische, J. S. Reed.
Through disease and wounds, concomitants of camp life, battles with the enemy and other strenuous duties of warfare, the ranks of this post have not . only been decimated, but almost obliterated by the mighty and inexorable hand of Death. A corporal's guard of the old veterans now cannot be mustered or even a quorum, consequently no regular meetings are held and the post may truly be said to have practically gone out of existence.
TIIE VILLAGE OF DELAWARE
Delaware lies on parts of seetions 32 and 33, in Oneida Township and was laid out in March, 1860, by F. B. Doolittle, James Ball, John Hefner and George Watson, owners of the land. The Davenport & St. Paul, now part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system of railroads, crosses the Dubuque and Pacific ( Illinois Central) at this point, both having depots.
The first persons to locate in this vicinity were James P. Ball, John Hefner, W. M. Hefner, John P. Fear, D. M. Smith, George Watson and families, all coming in 1853. or near that time. There were then three families between this point and Delhi: Ephraim Cummings and four children; - Seroggins and family, and John W. Penn and family.
The railroad company established a station in 1859, which was a great accommodation for Delhi, then the county seat, a town largely visited and of comparatively large importance at that period. The people interested furnished the ground and built a depot and then the town began to grow.
The first station agent in Delaware was W. M. Hefner, who kept a little store in the depot building in 1860; he was the first merchant. One of the Hefners and James Ball built the first house on the town plat, in the winter of 1860, in which Mr. Ball opened a hotel, called the Delaware Center House. The building is still standing and doing duty as a hostelry. How many times its
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name has been changed no one living can tell. It is now ealled the Knowles House.
An elevator was built here in 1864, with a capacity of 4,000 bushels. F. B. Doolittle and R. Boon were the owners. In 1870 Mr. Boon built another, whose capacity was 8,000 bushels.
In 1866 the Delaware Cheese Company was organized by W. M. Hefner, A. A. Enos, J. A. Garfield and K. W. Kingsley. A building was erected for the proposed creamery and cheese was made here until 1871. The company ex- changed the property for a farm and then after it ran one year James Ball, the owner, sold the building to J. S. Knowles, who made of it a stable. In .July, 1866, another industry was started, by the Delaware Manufacturing Com- pany, of which L. E. Beebe, J. S. Knowles and R. Boon were the ruling spirits. A planing mill was built by the company and conducted until 1870, when failure was acknowledged and the property was converted into a creamery.
The Delaware Improvement Company, organized in 1874 with local capital, for the purpose of developing the town's interests, built a two-story brick busi- ness building, with hall on second floor. On the first floor was the Grange store. The building still remains.
Mercantile establishments of various kinds flourished a number of years and then business waned and the town ceased to grow. A reason for this was found in the fact that the place was too close to Manchester on the west, and Earlville, on the east, to have much chance to expand. In the '70s the Delaware County Grange Company had a large general store; Stringham & Carlin, drugs and sundries; B. M. Gardner, shoe shop ; Moore & Sessions, creamery; C. S. Austin and Moses Benson, livery stables. Other merchants who at one time were in business here were Al Thorpe, JJ. Dieley, I. E. Eldridge and R. Phelps. At the present time there is a creamery. There is but one general store, an implement establishment, blacksmith shop, garage and telephone exchange. The popula- tion is about one hundred.
POSTOFFICE
The postoffice was established in Delaware in 1859 and on the 19th day of December, James P. Ball was commissioned postmaster. He kept the office at his place of business, the Delaware Center Hotel. Those who succeeded Mr. Ball in the mail service are the following named persons: William M. Hefner, May 8, 1861; David Greaves, October 21, 1865; B. M. Gardner, October 19, 1870; C. J. Simons, September 13, 1881 ; Charles T. White, JJanuary 27, 1882; Horace Davey, March 26, 1883; Clara Hefner, November 23, 1885; Clara Mar- shall, May 26, 1887; Martha Kingsley, March 27, 1889; J. S. Knowles, April 10, 1894; M. F. Hunt, March 26, 1898; Lucia K. Hunt, December 14, 1898; A. E. Larson, September 10, 1904; E. R. Leamon, March 30, 1906: C. H1. Maack. June 9, 1910; E. F. Ortberg, March 9, 1912; J. F. Dawson, November 8, 1913.
SCHIOOLS
Delaware has a good graded school that was established in 1863, when a frame building for the purpose was erected on lots 307 and 317. A few years
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later the present two-story frame building was put up on the west side of town. in which three teachers are employed.
CHURCHES
The Baptist Church was organized in January, 1865, at the house of David Greaves, by Rev. J. Carrington. The first members were Capt. David Greaves and wife, James Ball and wife. Deacon Jasper Hunt, wife and mother-in-law, Catherine White, Richard Boon and wife, W. M. Ilefner and wife, Jury Hefner and wife, W. P. Fear and wife, Francis Robinson, Joseph Long, George Cham- berlin, Merey Chamberlin, Clarissa Wood, Mary Phillips and D. M. Root. The first meetings were held at "Hoosier Point," or Penn's Grove and at Delhi, in the courthouse.
Joseph S. Ilunt and Richard Boon were elected deacons and in 1866 R. Phillips, David Greaves and George Chamberlin were appointed a committee on building. By their efforts, ably assisted by other members, a house of wor- ship was erected and dedicated before the close of the following year. Rev. Milton Whitehead was the minister in charge.
For a number of years the Baptist Church flourished at this place and kept on its rolls from forty to fifty members. But through deaths, removals and other causes not to be avoided, the membership waned and about two years ago services were discontinued. The society, however, yet owns a good church build- ing and parsonage.
The Methodists organized a class of seven members, in the sehoolhouse in 1866. Reverend Thompson was the presiding minister on that occasion and the first class leader was R. Goukl. In 1876 a building for church purposes was ereeted and dedicated. March 18, 1877, by Rev. D. Sheffer. Before securing a church of their own, this people worshiped in the Baptist Church and then in a hall. There has been no resident pastor for several years.
The Swedish Lutheran Church was organized in Delaware, in 1895, in the German Lutheran Church building, by Peter Malnigren, Peter Nelson, John Ortberg, Nels Nelson, Olof Nicholson, Peter Pearson and others. . Bernhard Nodin was the first pastor and services were held in the German Lutheran Church. About three years later a church was built eosting about fifteen hun- dred dollars. The Swedish Lutherans are served with a pastor from Cedar Rapids. The membership is about fifty.
St. Paul's Evangelical Lutheran Church was organized about the year 1888, by John Yelden, William Maurer, Fred Voelschow, Fred Voelker, Carl Zirtz- man, William Zirtzman, Henry Meyer, Christian Klaus and others. The corner stone of the house of worship, a frame building, was laid September 6, 1903, and the parsonage was built in 1912. The parochial school is held in a small frame building, which was the first place in which the people of this church worshiped. The church has a membership of forty-five.
FINANCIAL INSTITUTION
The Delaware Savings Bank is the first and only institution of its kind to establish itself at this place. It was organized in 1914 and received a charter
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to conduct a banking business under the state law, May 7, 1914, with a capital stock of $10,000. At onee a home was built for the bank, a neat one-story brick building, in which operations began in the fall. The officers are: President, W. II. Norris, of Manchester; vice president, James P. Ball, of Delaware; cashier, G. L. Baker, of Greeley.
INCORPORATED VILLAGE OF ONEIDA
The Village of Oneida lies on section 6 in this township, and is quite a little railroad point, as the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul and the Chicago Great Western railroads cross here, and each has a depot. The Manchester & Oneida has its northern terminus at this place and by a certain arrangement is asso- ciated with the other roads and uses the tracks at both depots for the conven ience of travelers.
Oneida was laid out October 8, 1896, by D. O. Potter, surveyor, for Eliza- beth Hloag Barr and the Oneida Building and Improvement Company, by F. M. Burbridge, president, L. G. Clute, secretary. Of the first merchants, men- tion should be made of Jesse Ruhlin, who kept a general store. William Bundy also had a general store and was the second postmaster.
Early in the village's career a stock company was organized, in which the railroad company took an interest. A store was opened, in which a large stoek of goods of a general character was kept.
Shell Tuttle was also one of the first men to engage in business here; he had a general store.
About the year 1902 a cooperative company put up a creamery. The build- ing burned to the ground three years afterwards, but was rebuilt and operated some time. A Dubuque creamery company now has a depot here, from which cream is shipped to the home plant.
EDUCATIONAL
About ten years ago a school was established and a small frame structure built for the purpose. The first instructress is said to have been Miss Anna Lien, of Manchester. Within a very short time the necessity will have come for a larger building, to meet an increasing demand for more space.
Oneida was incorporated in the spring of 1912, upon the petition of S. T. Knox, F. M. Burbridge, G. B. Cox, J. B. Dunham, W. F. Miller, C. W. Ferris, J. B. Howe, F. H. Dunham. C. H. Kimber, M. Joslin, D. A. Leahie, Joseph Beckel, J. D. Bushnell, W. C. Bushnell, George A. Ott, W. A. Connell, James Hood, William Boardman, Henry Miller, F. R. Burbridge, David Hankins. Walter Bowman and others, twenty-seven in all. A committee of three was appointed by the court to eall an election, composed of S. T. Knox, W. F. Miller, and J. B. Howe. The election returned for office the following named persons : Mayor, S. T. Knox; clerk, George A. Ott; treasurer, C. M. Kimber; council, J. B. Howe, J. B. Dunham, C. W. Ferris, W. F. Miller, J. D. Bushnell.
As a trading point, with splendid transportation facilities, Oneida is grow- ing in importanee steadily. There is now a population of about two hundred. The village has two or three general stores, a drug store, implement establish-
PUBLIC SCHOOL, ONEIDA
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, ONEIDA
N
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IHISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
ment, produce and poultry market, blacksmith shop, bank, church, school and a good hotel. The bank was incorporated in 1909, under the name of the Oneida State Savings Bank, with a capital of $10,000. The incorporators included J. D. Chase, J. C. Odell, F. M. Burbridge, J. U. Rector, Greeley ; G. L. Baker, A. N. Stearns, W. II. Norris, Manchester; D. IT. Clements, West Union. Officials : W. H. Norris, president : G. L. Baker, cashier.
. The postoffice was established in 1887, and Adolph Zumhof received his commission as its head on the 18th day of May. The names of his successors follow : William R. Bundy, July 29. 1891 ; William G. Thomas, March 31, 1902; Samuel T. Knox, October 18, 1904.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
There are few who appreciate the schools and churches of a community. It is only after years of development and growth of community enterprises that a sympathetic research reveals the predominant influence of the church. In this limited review of the development of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Oneida, we are inspired by a new conception of her usefulness. When we speak of the history of Methodism in Oneida we do not mean just the hamlet but rather the whole community. Consequently we shall give the history of the present society of Methodist people since their first organization.
The present society of Methodist people is of great age. It has been forty years since its organization. It commenced its long and tried career one-half mile east of where the church now stands. Its location was known as Hickory Grove. Jonathan Unkinbill. Henry Nietert and George Goodhile were some of the leading characters at that time. For many years the church stood at Hickory Grove. Year after year she invited the loyalty, inspired the minds and sweetened the hearts of men, women and children of those early times. Not until the faces of twenty years ago are made to shine in the light of the Church above will the accomplishments of the Hickory Grove church be known.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Panl and Chicago Great Western railways were built through the little cluster of buildings which were afterwards ealled Oneida. Finally a little village grew up about the junction of the two railways. the church was moved to the site that it now occupies and was remodeled at a cost of $3,500. With this more advantageous place as a center of activities the church commenced a new epoch of usefulness. For many years she has reached ont to grasp some program more comprehensive than the one that she was invit- ing the people to adopt. She realized her inability to minister to all the needs of the community. Consequently the ehange has come.
The congregation has no regular pastor, but the pulpit is often filled by visiting clergymen. 1
ALMORAL
Rev. J. H. Kasson, of Baraboo, Wisconsin, about the year 1854 left the place mentioned, with the intention of joining a colony of homeseekers at Grinnell, lowa. Upon reaching Delaware County he had grown tired and disspirited and being pleased with the location of section 11, in Oneida Township, pur- chased the southwest quarter, on which he built a frame house. This tract of
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land eventually became the site of Almoral. In the spring of 1856 a group of men, styled the Stafford Emigration Company, of Amherst, Massachusetts, sent delegates to lowa in search of a place to locate a colony. The men composing the delegation, upon inspection of the country, did not see enough to interest them and returned east without making a selection, but did report unfavorably to the company of their investigations. At the time the organization was ef- fected in Massachusetts, Rev. HI. N. Gates and D. S. Noble were living at the Yankee Settlement; L. O. Stevens at Hopkinton; and Joseph Dunham, F. W. Dunham and J. B. Dunham, at Bowen's Prairie. These persons, with their families, had joined the colony and expected to become members of the colony. After the failure of the delegation to select land for the proposed scheme of colonization, F. W. Dunham, Rev. II. N. Gates, L. O. Stevens and D. B. Noble took up the investigation of the country through Western and Northwestern Jowa, and finally came upon the present site of Almoral, where they camped and met Rev. J. H. Kasson, who had by this time secured a neighbor in the person of John A. G. Cattron, who had built a home on the northwest quarter of section 11. Mr. Kasson was induced to dispose of his holdings. Adjoining land was purchased by the quartette of homeseekers, making in all six hundred and forty aeres, which was intended as a nucleus of a settlement whose people should build up the Congregational Church and an institution for the educa- tion of their children. One-fifth of the land thus seeured was donated as a permanent endowment for an academy or high school.
On November 23, 1857, James 11. Kasson laid out the town of Almoral on seetion 11, being part of a traet of land he had retained. F. W. Dunham was the surveyor. Here Rev. H. N. Gates had built a house in the previous fall. the first one in the village. The structure was removed to Earlville about the year 1860.
A school was opened in Almoral in the summer of 1857 by Abbie E. Dun- ham, in a log cabin, which stood on the northwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 11.
In September, 1858, the progenitors of the settlement, which was first des- ignated as the Stafford Colony, incorporated the Almoral Institute under the laws of the State of Iowa. The incorporators were J. IL. Kasson, L. O. Stevens, Joseph Dunham, William G. Strickland, H. N. Gates, Elijah Gates, J. A. G. Cattron and David Roland. These worthy men were also the first trustees. Building operations were eommeneed immediately and a frame structure, 24x30 feet, was erected on lot 1, block 10, in which the first term of the Ahnoral Institute opened December 1, 1857, under the charge of Rev. H. N. Gates. There were about twenty pupils. Before the institution closed its doors, Rev. H. N. Gates, L. O. Stevens, R. M. Marvin and F. W. Dunham taught here and a distriet school was conducted in connection with the institute until its elose in 1860.
After the close of the institute this property reverted to the donors, who transferred it to the Almoral Congregational Church, together with other prop- erty. The church had been organized in 1857. Rev. II. N. Gates was the first pastor, and W. G. Strickland, deacon.
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The postoffice was established here March 24, 1857, and F. W. Dunham was placed in charge. At first mail was received weekly. The first arrived at this office in April, 1857. The office has long since been discontinued.
Almoral has the distinction of having organized the first brass band in Delaware County. It came into existence in 1858. J. B. Dunham was its leader. This musical organization appeared in different parts of the county at political meetings during the national campaign of 1860, and when a number of its members enlisted for the Civil war, the band beeame extinct.
A commodions schoolhouse to replace the log cabin was built in 1864 in Almoral, at a cost of about one thousand dollars, and when it was completed it was one of the best buildings of its character in Delaware County.
Almoral became quite a bustling little trading point and remained so a few years. A ereamery was started early in 1876, by William G. Striekland, J. B. Dunham, J. A. G. Cattron, William Ilockaday, and others, and was operated snecessfully a long time.
John Cruise later established a ereamery on section 12, near Almoral. The town itself has been wiped off the map.
HISTORY OF ALMORAL CONGREGATIONAL CHURCHI
By Mrs. J. B. Dunham (1907)
In the fall of 1856 a small colony of eastern people came to Almoral, which was then a wild prairie country, to make homes and build up religious insti- tntions. During that winter Sabbath services were held at the home of Rev. James II. Kasson.
In the spring of 1857, March 26th, a meeting was held at the home of H. N. Gates. and the Almoral church was organized, consisting of the following thir- teen members: Messrs. and Mesdames II. N. Gates, L. O. Stevens, Joseph Dun- ham. Francis Dunham, W. G. Strickland and James Kasson, and Miss Sarah Lease.
Of this number only five are living : Mrs. Mary Kasson, of Des Moines, Iowa ; Mrs. Jeannette Stevens, of Blair, Nebraska; Mrs. A. M. Sanborn and Mrs. Eunice Strickland, of Almoral, the latter being in too feeble health to attend the celebration of this semi-centennial.
Rev. H. N. Gates was the first pastor. May 16, 1857, the church voted to approve the action of Rev. Mr. Gates in requesting the admission of the church into the Dubuque association, at its meeting at Maqnoketa. During that smm- mer services were held in a log house near the creek, on the place now occupied by Anstin Slick.
A high school building was completed that season and services were held in it. In the fall of 1871 this building was repaired and reseated as a church, and divine services were maintained there until the first church was erected.
In 1872 arrangements were made that the Methodists should ocenpy the church every alternate Sabbath. Reverend Platt was the first Methodist minister. A union Sabbath school was maintained and the associations were very pleasant. Everything was in perfect harmony for many years until the Methodist society beeame so small, on account of removals and losses by death, that those remain-
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