USA > Iowa > Delaware County > History of Delaware County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 38
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Edson Merrill was the first blacksmith. opening a shop in 1853. In 1855 Merrill moved to Manchester.
The building of a schoolhouse began in 1853 and was completed in 1854. Mrs. Riley was the teacher. Rev. B. M. Amsden held religious meetings in the crude structure before the opening of school. and his audiences sat on planks, obtained at the mill close by. Elder John Martindale, of Elk Township, also contributed spiritual admonitions and comfort to the settlers who gathered in the little cabin to hear him.
A. R. Loomis, who became a leading factor in business circles of Manchester. started a dry-goods store at Delaware Center in 1854. He only remained about a year and then began his business career in Manchester.
Dr. John Acers, founder of the village, earnest in his desire to build a town. Prected a Hlouring mill in 1854. Through inability. or disinclination, this worthy pioneer failed to accept a proposition of Judge Dyer's and Manchester was founded. This was a body blow to "The Center" and after a few gasps the village died out and is known no more as such.
MILLHEIM
On the 21st day of July. 1858. John Kaltenbach laid out the Town of Mill- heim, on section 3, giving it the name of his birthplace in Germany. Mr. Kaltenbach built a sawmill at this place in 1853. on Honey Creek, and a flouring mill in 1864, which passed into various hands. The first house was built by one Sherman. in 1858, and in 1868 a log school was erected near by. a community affair, in which school was kept and religious meetings were also held there. Among the ministers who held forth in the old building were Reverends Jenkins. Long and Whiting. In 1872. Chester Burgess started a tammery and glove factory, but after a three years' trial gave up the venture. As a trading point Millheim, or "Dutch Town." as it came to be known. is now a thing of the past.
CHAPTER XXXIII
MANCHESTER
The county seat of Delaware County is beautifully situated on the Maquoketa River, which affords valuable water power and also lends its placid surface to the lovers of aquatic sports. The town is essentially a charming, well built, cleanly kept residence place, having a population of about three thousand. It is an important station on the Illinois Central Railroad and is almost equadistant from Chicago and Omaha.
When the town was laid out the name chosen by which it should be called was Burrington, for the reason that part of the site had been donated by Levings Burrington, which he had seeured from Rev. B. M. Amsden. The history of the land composing the original confines of Burrington (Manchester) follows :
As already mentioned, a Norwegian, named Steiner Iverson, was the first person to settle here, coming to the place in the spring of 1850 and locating the southwest quarter of section 32, the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 32, the north half of the northwest quarter of section 33, and the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 33. On this land Iverson built a cabin-on the west side of the river-and "broke" a patch of ground. Removing to the east side, he put up a cabin and lived there a few months. But he was far from contented with the surroundings and when Allen Love ap- proached him on the 17th day of September, 1852, he readily sold his claim to Love and left the county; Love then moved his family into the eabin vacated by the Norwegian. At this time the new tenant of the pioneer hut had for his nearest neighbors the Fowlers, Henry Baker and Clement Coffin on the west. the Shaffers on the east, and the JJoel Baileys on the southeast.
April 19, 1853, Ozias P. Reeves bought of John C. Iligginson the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 29, and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 32. On this land he built a temporary "shack" and became the first actual settler on land that eventually was part of Man- chester ; the house stood on the northeast corner of Fayette and Tama streets. It was soon abandoned for a better residence Mr. Reeves built to the east. June 29. 1853, Mr. Reeves added to his holdings in this vicinity by entering the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of seetion 28, and through a transfer made by his father, Manassch Reeves, acquired the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 29, the northeast quarter of the southwest quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of seetion 29, that had been entered by George Acers in 1850. On April 1, 1854. O. P. Reeves conveyed by deed to Rev. B. M. Amsden the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 32, consisting of forty aeres, and a three-acre tract on the southeast corner of section 29.
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Now comes one James Dyer, who established the flourishing town on the east bearing his name in Dubuque County. He was a man of means, great energy, and had been one of the salient figures in promoting the building of the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad. In company of William Chesterman, Dyer visited Acersville, in the fall of 1854, and made overtures to John Acers, which, if acquieseed in, would have made Delaware Center a station on the line of the proposed railroad. But Aeers and his visitors failed to agree. He was self- assured that the road would be built into his town any way, and fixed a large price for a half interest in the town site of Delaware Center (near Quaker Mill). This was refused and Dyer and Chesterman then visited Reeves and Burring- ton, who were more compliant and readily entered into the scheme proposed by their visitors to lay out a town on their hollings. Thereupon Reeves put in a traet of land, as did also Burrington. On December 8, 1854, Allen Love deeded to Dyer and Chesterman the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 32. the north half of the northwest quarter of section 32 and the south- west quarter of the southwest quarter of section 29. December 21, following. O. P. Reeves deeded to the same persons part of the south half of the southeast quarter of section 29. and on the same day L. Burrington conveyed to Dyer the north half of the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 32.
The original Town of Burrington was laid out on the south half of the southeast (marter of section 29, and the north half of the northeast quarter of section 32. A part of the surveying was done by 1. N. Iligbee in the fall of 1854, and the work completed in the following spring. The proprietors were James Dyer and O. P. Reeves.
While on a visit to their new enterprise, in December. 1854, Judge Dyer and William Chesterman had in their company Francis Bethell. While here Bethell selected two lots-Nos. 142 and 143, situate on the northwest corner of Main and Franklin streets. For one of these lots he paid $25; the other was donated, with the proviso that a hotel should be built on the two, and in 1855 the first Clarence House was built on the corner mentioned. Other lots were disposed of in this way, which acted as an inducement to settlers to locate in the town and build.
In the winter of 1854-5 Judge Dver put up a building on the southwest corner of Main and Franklin streets. As soon as completed it was stocked with general merchandise and placed in charge of George E. Toogood and W. 11. Board.
Associating himself with Thomas Toogood, Francis Bethell. in March, 1855, began the erection of a building on his corner lots. The structure was a frame. 60 by 44 feet and 216 stories. In the fall of the year Toogood & Bethell opened the house as the Clarence Hotel. This primitive hostelry had in connection a livery stable, the first in Manchester, and the two enterprises were generously favored by the public. In 1875. the present three-story briek hotel building replaced the old one, at a cost of $20,000. Recently, the property was purchased by Howard T. Smith, who eondnets it as Manchester's first class hotel. lle is a son of Henry C. Smith, born in Richland Township in 1858; the latter a son of W. B. Smith, a pioneer.
John Brownell settled where Iverson built his first cabin, on the west side of the river, about 1853. About a mile northwest of him George Aeers had
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settled in 1851. Soon after Allen Love arrived Acers sold his property to Levings Burrington, who took up his residence there.
In the spring of 1855 A. R. Loomis, who had turned his back on Delaware Center, built a store on part of lot 147, on the south side of Main, east of Franklin Street, and moved his stoek of goods into it. The building remained standing until it gave way in 1877 to the Riddell briek business structure. About the time Loomis established himself in business here he also erected a house on the south side of Fayette Street near Bremer.
Edson Merrill put up a house in 1855 near the Loomis home, and Marshall llancock built on the same street during the summer.
The first physician to locate in Manchester was Dr. Joseph W. Robbins, who came here in May, 1855. During that summer Dr. Samuel L. Hamlet moved his house from Delaware to Manchester and placed it on the northeast corner of Fayette and Bremer streets. Doctor Hamlet was the second physician in the village.
Dyer and Chesterman, founders of the town, completed a dam across the Maquoketa. about ten yards above the present one at the bridge, in August, 1855, building a bridge over it, the supporting timbers of which were imbedded in the masonry of the dam. The dam was made of small stones laid in cement, but gave way a couple years afterward. In 1856 a sawmill was partially built here under the direction of William Chesterman, but the work was never completed. although some of the machinery had been placed.
The first child born in Manchester was Marvin Reeves, who came into the world in 1855. The first death was that of Charles E. Reeves, a son of O. P. Reeves, who died July 9, 1855, at the age of three years.
The voting place at the general election of August 6. 1855, was at A. R. Loomis' store. H. L. Ryan, Watson Roe and Levi Washburn were the judges, and J. C. Skinner and Allen Mead, clerks. The poll book of the election showed the names of forty-five electors, namely : Albert Thompson, O. P. Reeves, James Penrod, Sidney S. Lawrence, A. R. Loomis. Watson Roe, Allen Mead, Levi Washburn, Henry Ryan, J. C. Skinner. S. L. Hamlet. Joseph Strawson, Frank Adle, Samuel Sweet. Elijah Cheney, Marshal Hancock, Reuben Davis, Charles Trenehard, William Davis, Hiram Caster, Thomas Brown, Andrew Scribner, William Melntosh, Allen Love, Samuel Seribner, Milton E. Mead, J. D. Seott, George Acers, Benjamin F. Smith, Albert Raymond, Lyman Wright, Henry Acers, Thomas Toogood. W. II. Board, George W. Boyd, John Brownell, L. Burrington, John II. Taber, Gideon C. Hempstead, John Hempstead, J. C. Ilosier. Levi Beyhmer, George E. Toogood. Vernon Burrington, John Acers and Frank Bethell.
In the spring of 1856 a petition was sent to Washington, asking for the establishment of a postoffice at Burrington. The authorities refused the name but not the office and on the suggestion of Judge Dyer the office was called Manchester, and a commission as postmaster was issued to O. P. Reeves.
About the year 1856 the Iowa Land Company began operations and to this corporation the town sites of Dyersville and Burrington were sold. Work had progressed on the construction of the Dubuque & Pacifie ( Illinois) Railroad in 1855 and completed from Dubuque to Dyersville in December, 1856. During the summer of the latter year the chief engineer of the road surveyed two lines Vol. f -22
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
for its extension across Delaware County. The cheapest route in view ran by way of Delaware Center and Coffin's Grove: the other passed just south of Burrington. Over the latter course it was determined the cost would exceed the other by $13,000. The lowa Land Company promised to pay this excess and thus it was that Manchester secured the road and eventually the county seat. The coming of the railroad made a great difference in the hopes and prospects of the people of Manchester and the town took on vigorous strides toward reaching its ambitions.
In the spring of 1856, II. M. and E. R. Congar started from Whitewater, Wisconsin, with a team and buggy, to look up a location for their future activi- ties. They arrived at Burrington on Sunday morning and H. M. Congar, upon strolling out to his dinner, saw a man sitting in front of one of the two stores. He stopped to converse with him and told of his mission to the West : that he was looking for a good location to open a general store. Congar's new acquaintance proved to be A. R. Loomis, one of Burrington's merchants, and that gentleman suggested that Congar should buy him out, as he was not a dry-goods man and wanted to dispose of his stock of goods. The next day found the firm name over the Loomis store changed to Congar Brothers, as a sale had been consummated. Adolphus M. Sherwood had lived at Whitewater and came here for the purpose. in 1856. of clerking for the Congars and entered their employ in that capacity. In 1857, A. R. Loomis traded a farm in Illinois for a stock of hardware which he shipped to Burrington. This he placed in his old store and formed a partner- ship with the Congar brothers, the firm name changing to Loomis & Congar Brothers. The building then occupied by the new firm stood on the lot now occupied by the Drew Dry Goods Store, on Main Street, and was a 116-story frame, the upper story of which was used for sleeping rooms and storage of goods.
In 1857 George Toogood and William Board erected a building on the lot next east of Congars', and on the lot east of Toogood's, I. P. Adams and I. C. Butler put up a building. They were near the corner of Main and Franklin streets, and were two-story frame structures. The Judge Dyer Building, south- west corner of Main and Franklin, has had several alterations, but the solid oak timbers are still intaet and doing duty as of vore. The Snodgress Clothing Company occupies this old land mark.
The Hulbert Building was erected in 1857 and stood on the west side of Franklin Street on the site of the present Lewis Jewelry Store. Hulbert kept a general store.
The next business building was erected by C. Il. Carpenter, in 1857. This is a two-story brick structure, put up for mercantile and office purposes. It stands on the corner south of Doctor Bradley's office and is now occupied by Mrs. Marguerite Barr, widow of James. There also was a small hall over this building.
The first livery stable in Manchester was run by Toogood & Bethell in cou- nection with the Clarence Hotel. Thomas Robinson bought the business in the '50s and he was the first liveryman, so-called, in the town.
What is now the old Nix House was built by the Baldwins in 1857 and called the Baldwin House.
-
T
THE OLD COURTHOUSE, NOW THE G. A. R. HALL, MANCHESTER
CHEAP CASH STORE
LCOTIS, CONGAF & ENG
SCENE IN MANCHESTER IN 1857
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Before the advent of the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad everything from a distance was transported by wagons from Dubuque. When the railroad reached Dyersville, goods were hauled from there, then from Earlville in 1857 until 1858, when the road was operated to this place and further west.
The dwellings standing in 1857. as Mr. Sherwood remembers them were : The cabin of Levings Barrington, on the east side of Franklin Street : William White's. where the handsome new Tirrill residence now stands; Dr. J. W. Roh- bins. on the north side of Howard Street, at the head of Potter Street. Edson Merrill lived one door east of the J. A. Strickland home; Harvey Houghton. father of William Houghton, had a residence on the site of the Strickland house : 1. R. Loomis' home was the house now occupied by Daniel Young: O. P. Reeves lived on the corner of Potter and Butler streets: Fred. Samuel and D. R. Young and their father. Daniel Young, lived in a house they built, now known as the old Mills house.
The first hall in Manchester was over Hulbert's store and was used for religious, political and various kinds of meetings.
The first schoolhouse was a little frame building, which stood on the site of the present structure, opposite the Methodist Church, on East Butler Street.
By act of the General Assembly, approved January 23, 1857, the name of the town was changed from Burrington to Manchester, and in the following summer a survey was made of the place, including additions. Samuel Bethell made the survey for the lowa Land Company and R. B. Mason, president of the company, filed the plat for record March 20. 1858.
By the year 1861, the poorly constructed bridge put up by Dyer & Chester- man. in 1855. had ontlived its usefulness. It was practically worthless and the citizens, after long suffering, raised a sum of money, to which was added $600. contributed by the board of supervisors, and built a new and better one. But the rains poured and a freshet threatened in June, 1865. As a precautionary measure, Thomas Toogood and A. M. Sherwood seenred the bridge to a tree with a heavy cable and the following morning gave every evidence that their fears of losing the structure were justified, as it was found floating on the turbid waters of the Maquoketa. With the timbers and planks saved, another bridge was laid, which stood until the spring of 1868, when it lost its identity in a jam of ice. In the summer of that year the county and municipality put up a structure costing about twelve thousand dollars, which lasted until 1877. In that year the present iron bridge was built.
One of the original old settlers of Manchester was AAllen Love, who located on part of the present site of the county seat in 1852. Ile was a native of Scotland and came to America in the same year of his location in Delaware County. Mr. Love purchased a tract of land consisting of 320 acres, part of which formed the town site of Manchester. He bought the property of Steiner Iverson, and locating on it, set about in an industrious way to make for himself a home. The place which he bought had on it a log cabin 12 by 16 feet. which stood for many years and was the original building in the vicinity. In the spring of 1853 Manchester was projected and Mr. Love sold half of his home- stead to James Dyer, who laid out the new town and conducted it through the first steps of its growth. Mr. Love early became identified with interests of the new town. bore an active and conspicuous part in building it up, selling the
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
town site in the first instance for a small consideration and helping by his own personal efforts, to secure immigration and different industries for its improve- ment, and as his means would allow he improved his own real estate in the new town, building homes for those who sought homes here, thus adding also to the publie convenience and public revenue. In the promotion of school and church interests he accomplished all that could be expected of a good citizen. A daughter, Jane, became the wife of William McIntosh and is now living in widowhood at her home on East Main Street.
One of the hardy and courageous men who came out of the East into the wild and uncultured West, was Benjamin M. Amsden. He was a native of New York Stato, entered Western Reserve College (Ohio) and graduated in 1846. He became tutor in a Louisiana family, attended the Theological Seminary at Oberlin, Ohio, and was ordained for the ministry in the Congregational faith. He came to Delaware County in 1854 and bought forty acres of land, where a part of Manchester now stands.
llenry Lister, a native of England, removed from Canada to Delaware County in 1855, and settled in Manchester. Ilis son George worked at black- smithing three years and later became the junior member of the hardware firm of Lawrence & Lister.
David R. Lewis opened the first jewelry establishment in Manchester. He settled in the county in 1855, coming here from the State of New York. He was later senior member of the jewelry firm of David R. Lewis & Brother. The business is still condueted under the old name by two younger members of the family.
Joseph Hutchinson. who became a capitalist and influential business man of Manchester. settled here in 1856.
.John Otis, a pioneer harness maker, settled in Manchester in 1856 and commenced business under the firm name of Otis & Son.
Benjamin H. Keller was a pioneer dealer in and maker of shoes in Man- chester, coming from New York and engaging in business in 1856.
Enos Hamblin was one of the early artisans locating in Manchester. He came here after a few months' stay in Delhi and Dyersville in 1856, and became a member of the firm of Whitman, Hamblin & Company, blacksmiths and wagon manufacturers.
Nixon Denton was a railroad contractor and settled in Manchester in 1856. When the town was incorporated he was elected a member of the council. That year, in connection with J. E. Ainsworth, of Dubuque, he incorporated the Manchester Manufacturing Company, and three years later became sole owner. He transferred the property in 1877 to the Delaware County Manufacturing Company. Mr. Denton was a fancier of blooded stock, which he raised on his Oak Grove Farm. situated just west of Manchester. He was again a member of the council in 1875 and when a Silsby fire engine was purchased that year. it was named the N. Denton in his honor. A volunteer fire company was organ- ized at the same time and given the name of the Denton Fire Company. Mr. Denton died at Denison. Texas, in January, 1878. as the result of a railroad accident.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY
Ansen Sheldon was an early settler in this county, coming with his parents, who located in Honey Creek Township. Within a year they came to Manchester and Mr. Sheldon later engaged in the livery business.
John Tierney was a native of Ireland, who came to the State of New York in 1839. From there he removed to Delaware County with his family and located in Manchester, where for a number of years he was engaged in the mercantile business. Ile died in 1864.
J. W. Martin, who long was proprietor of the Martin House near the Illinois Central depot, arrived in this county from Illinois in the fall of 1842, first settling in Eads' Grove with an unele and stepmother. A few years later he removed to Manchester and became one of its business men.
O. A. Dunham was two years old when brought by his father, Ferdinand Dunham, to Manchester. He grew to manhood and married Florence S. Rea, a daughter of George W. Rea, of Colony Township. He eventually became a dentist at the county seat.
Ira U. Butler was one of Manchester's pioneer hardware merehants. He was a native of New York but eame to Delaware County from Dubuque; this was on June 7. 1857. In August, 1859, Mr. Butler married Hattie M. Lowell.
Edward M. Carr, a leading member of the bar, eame to Delaware County in 1857. See chapter on Bench and Bar.
Ira P. Adams was one of the first merchants in Manchester and the pioneer in the hardware trade. Mr. Adams came from New York and cast his lot with the infant trading point known as Burrington, which was later to become the county seat under the name of Manchester. His arrival was on the 7th day of June, 1857. At the time there were two or three general stores, a frame hotel, a mill dam and about a dozen dwelling houses. He opened a small hardware store, having for an associate Ira U. Butler, and the firm name was Adams & Butler. At the same time he built an elevator, the first in Manchester, and handled grain. In 1865 he formed a partnership with his brother, Lucius W., who had been in his employ since 1862. The firm name then became Adams Brothers.
Charles Paxson was a native of Pennsylvania. He formed a partnership with his brother Lewis and brother-in-law, W. S. Thompson, and W. H. Seeds, under the firm name of Paxson. Thompson & Seeds, and in 1856 removed to Dubuque. In that city they also started a lumberyard and in the fall of 1857 opened a branch lumber business at Manchester. In the following spring Mr. Paxson removed to this city, where he engaged in the mercantile business. He retired from the lumber business and in 1867 secured a half interest in the Acers Mills. After completing a new building he named it the Quaker Mill. This property was destroyed by fire in 1869, after which he purchased the interest of Mr. Acers and rebuilt the mill. Mr. Paxson was an influential, energetie business man of this city and for a number of years was president of the school board. He was a member of the first town council and one of the original organizers of the Delaware County Bank, serving as its vice president a long period. Ile was also a suceessful farmer.
Noble Ruggles took up his residence in Manchester in 1857, coming from Pennsylvania. In the fall of 1858 he commeneed building fanning mills and in the spring of 1859 sold a Kirby reaper and mower to A. R. Loomis, the first
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