USA > Iowa > Webster County > Fort Dodge > History of Fort Dodge and Webster County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 35
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Of the first advertisers. Wm. Poulson seems to have been the only one who has kept continuously at his occupation of that time, although most of the leading firms have really remained in business under one management or another until the present time. Among the leading advertisers of the first issue, besides R. Poulson, are Prindle & Hutchinson, proprietors of the Lion drug store; E. S. Geyer, hardware; Peterson & Nelson, general merchandise; Burnquist & Bros., merchandise ; John Lundien, merchant tailor ; Larson & Houskin, boots and shoes ; P. W. Brundien, meat market; D. H. Morton, wagons and carriages; S. J. Lindholm, blacksmithing : F. S. Bowman, painter ; Mrs. P. W. Goltry, millinery; Mrs. A. W. Garlock, millinery: Miss Hattie Vosburgh, hair dresser. Among
280
HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
the professional cards are John A. Lindberg, attorney at law; Dr. C. L. Warner, and Dr. A. W. Garlock.
The following prices are taken from that first market report: Butter, &c; eggs, 6c ; hides. 5c; tallow, 5c : beans, $2.00 per bushel ; peas, $2.00 per bushel; flour, $2.40; wool, 25c to 35c; corn, 16c; oats, I3c; lumber, $16 to $20; posts, 6c to 7c : sorghum, 40c to 50c ; potatoes, 30€.
DUNCOMBE
The town of Ducombe derived its name from Hon. John F. Duncombe, who was the owner of the town site. The first residence in the city was erected by Isaac Jaques in the spring of 1866. The first grain elevator was built by W. K. Harding and S. Reckard in 1867. The first school was taught by Miss Anna Parel.
In the spring of 1893 the town was incorporated with Johnson Latta as first mayor. Will T. Lundy was chosen clerk, and C. H. Nelson assessor. The city council consisted of John Wagner, P. S. Porter. R. M. Palmer and John Thompson. The city officials for the year 1912-13 are: D. Maricle, mayor; R. F. Buggy, clerk; J. W. Nichols, assessor ; and P. T. Flynn, Peter Mallinger, J. J. Clausen, Robert Collins and James Toohey, councilmen.
The city owns its city hall and waterworks plant, and also has a city park. The upper floor of the city hall is used as a lodge hall and the first floor for city purposes. The city has a volunteer fire company of ten members and a chief and two fire marshals. The waterworks plant was installed in 1900 at a cost of $10,000.00. There are fifteen blocks of four inch main, and thirteen fire hydrants.
The town has two elevators, both owned by the Farmers Cooperative Elevator Company. This company was organized September 1908. and Mr. J. J. Clausen has been manager since its organization. There are two banks, the Duncombe Savings Bank and the Farmers Savings Bank. Mr. T. P. Flynn is cashier of the former, and Mr. T. F. Sims of the latter. During the year of 1912 the Duncombe Savings Bank built a fine modern building for their use. The Duncombe Trib- une, a weekly paper, of which C. A. Bonenkamp is now owner and publisher, was originally started as the "Sun" by "Sunrise Bill" Stebbens. Its early publi- cation was very irregular and it appeared under different names. The Dun- combe Telephone Company has a plant valued at $12,000.00. The chief industry of the town is tht of the Duncombe Cement Tile Company.
There are three churches in the town, St. Joseph's Catholic, Father James Kelly, pastor ; Methodist Episcopal, Rev. Bourn pastor ; and Norwegian Lutheran, supplied by Rev. P. C. Danieison of Fort Dodge. The Methodist Episcopal church was built in 1890, and the parsonage in 1902. The first pastor was Rev. Charles Bartlett. There are three fraternal orders in the town, M. W. A .. R. N. A., and B. A. Y.
The Twentieth Century Club is a woman's literary and social club organized in October, 1912. Meetings are held every two weeks on Thursday afternoon. It was organized chiefly through the efforts of Mrs. H. M. Downer and Mrs. R. Round. It has a membership of twelve.
V
ECE IH
DUNCOMBE HIGH SCHOOL
ST. JOSEPH'S CHURCH, DUNCOMBE
THE NEW YORK' PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
WEST FORT DODGE
West Fort Dodge, or as first called Riverside, is that part of Fort Dodge ly- ing on the west side of the Des Moines river. The first permanent resident was Alexander Colburn. He was soon followed by Chris Osmunson, O. H. Larson, Gust Alstrand, and August Nelson, in 1869. Mr. Larson built the first frame resi- dence, the lumber being shipped from Dubuque. Ile also built the first store building, and in partnership with Andrew Moe conducted in it a grocery and provision business. In 1884 Mr. Moe retired from the building, and erecting the second store building, engaged in the same kind of business. The Riverside school was built in 1897 at a cost of $8,000.00.
The Methodist Episcopals have a church and parsonage, as has also the Swedish Evangelical Mission. Rev. C. E. Litzell is pastor of the former, and Rev. C. J. Andrews of the latter. There is a sub-station of the Fort Dodge postoffice in charge of Michael Michaelson. The erection of the Bennett Viaduct in 191I materially helped this part of Fort Dodge, eliminating the danger of the Farley street crossing.
KALO-OTHO
The Otho postoffice as originally established was on section 28, at C. B. Andrew's house. The stage line crossed Prairie creek at the southwest corner of the Andrews farm. With the building of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Rail- road, the station of Otho was established on the railroad. At about the same time, the development of the coal fields started the town of Kalo at Hart's Ford. The Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad built a spur from their line at Craigs' Hollow to the Kalo mines. At the junction, the company built a depot which they called Kalo.
During the coal mining days there was a considerable settlement along the river and at both Craigs' Hollow and Kalo. The store building at old Otho was moved to Kalo, and Hart and Fuller conducted the first store. Later T. B. Apland conducted a blacksmith shop and general store, until his death. The first post- master at Kalo was N. 11. Hart. At the present time Kalo is but a small village. The coal business is practically at an end. The chief industry at the present time is the manufacturing of clay products, brick, tile, and hollow block by the plants at Craigs' Hollow and Clayworks. The first plant was a small tile factory begun in 1890 by S. C. and August Johnson, who had formerly operated a plant at Dayton. In 1895 the plant was sold to Schnurr Brothers, who have since oper- ated it. The chief product has been drain tile, and at the present time they have nineteen kilns, being one of the largest drain tile manufacturing plants in Iowa. They employ about eighty men, and have an annual output of $120,000.00.
As Kalo has decreased in population Otho has increased. The first postmaster . was James Mills. The first regular station agent was Darwin Green, who also first had charge of the depot at Kalo Junction. By the close of the year 1912, Otho had become a good business town. The town had two general stores, a lum- ber yard, barber shop, butcher shop, cooperative elevator, hotel, photograph gal- lery, Methodist Episcopal church, and a brick bank building to be occupied by the Otho Savings Bank was completed. December 28, 1912, fire destroyed the general store owned by Dawson & Green, the butcher shop, and hotel.
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
The Otho Mercantile Company have a fine brick building, which they use for a general store, meat market, and postoffice. The upper floor is used as a lodge hall.
JUDD
Judd was named in honor of Norman P. Judd, one of the board of directors of the Illinois Central. It has a postoffice and general store conducted by E. E. Ford, and a grain elevator owned by the Western Elevator Company.
SLIFER, INDUSTRY AND ROELYN
Slifer, Industry, and Roelyn are small stations. Industry and Roelyn are situated upon the Chicago & Great Western Railroad, the former in Cooper, and the latter in Fulton township. Roelyn is a postoffice, while the other two are not. Slifer is situated upon the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. It received its name from a former official of the road. Industry was platted by P. O'Conner, who conducts a general store at this place.
CALLENDER
The town of Callender was platted and recorded by Agnes and James Callender, June 15, 1875. The Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad established a depot at this point in 1869, and erected a house twenty by sixty. There being but little business here, a track was laid under the building, which was then loaded on flat cars and taken to Tara, and the station was abandoned until the fall of 1875, when a depot was again built. In 1892, Mr. Callender gave the city a tract of ground to be used as a town park. The town was originally called Kesho, but was changed to Callender in honor of the founders of the town. The first mayor was Peter L. Dustrude.
BADGER
The first settler in Badger was W. S. Fleming, who in 1882 erected a building that was used as a store and dwelling. The first grain buyers were Thomas Chantland and Chris Knudson, who bought grain on a spur track on the Minne- apolis & St. Louis Railroad. The first grain elevator was built by Hill and Ottoson. The first postmaster was M. S. Fleming, who was installed shortly after his taking up a residence. The first child born in the town was Josie Flem- ing, on September 4. 1882.
CLARE
The town of Clare was platted in the summer of 1882. So far as is known the first resident was Andrew Montgomery. The first residence was built by Dan O'Hern, and the first merchants were Waller and Taber. The first priest to look after the religious welfare of the community was Father Norton. The first mayor was Thomas Barrett. The first marshal was Luke McKernan.
The name Clare is taken in honor of Clare, Ireland. The name was sug- gested by Father Brazil, who was asked by the officials of the railroad to christen the city. The Rock Island Railroad was built through the present town site in
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILD N FOUNDATIONS.
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F.H.I. CÓ.
ST. OLAF'S NORWEGIAN LUTHERAN CHURCH, FORT DODGE Built in 1894
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH, FORT DODGE Built in 1876 on site of Wahkonsa Hotel
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
1883, a year after the town started. The waterworks system was constructed in 1898 at a cost of $5,000.00. The same year the opera house was built. In 1912, two fires burned out practically all the business section of the town.
VINCENT
The town of Vincent was laid out by Hamilton Browne the well known rail- road promoter, and was named after Mr. Webb Vincent. The first building was crected by N. P. Hill, and was used as a grain elevator. The first house and store was erected by W. K. Harding. The first child born in the town was Vernon Frudenberg. The first school was presided over by Miss Ella Brennan. The first postmaster was J. M. O'Brien. W. K. Harding was the first mayor of the town, which was incorporated in March, 1898. The bank of Vincent was organized by Anderson Brothers in 1892.
MOORLAND
S. M. Pollock, was, you might say, the father of Moorland. He bought the townsite where Moorland now is, and laid out the town. He was the first station agent. being station agent for years and was also interested in the grain business and hog business. Other pioneers were Councilman & Company, and T. M. Chase & Company, who were engaged in the grain business. J. W. Van Epps, C. A. French, and J. F. Gunsaul were the first merchants in town, running a general store under the firm name of Van Epps & Company. William Ryan, now of Missouri, was the first blacksmith. Otto Blunk, now of Weather, Okla- homa, was the first hardware man. Richard Gilder was one of the early resi- dents, being village shoemaker. C. A. French was the first postmaster, hold- ing the position for seventeen years. Other early settlers were, J. B. Gill, now of Fort Dodge, H. O'Brien and John Koberg.
Moorland has two churches, the Catholic, with Father Carey as priest, and the Congregational, with Rev. Simpson, of Fort Dodge, as pastor.
CROOKS, LUNDGREN, ROBERTS, AND SHADY OAKS
Crooks, Lundgren, Roberts, and Shady Oaks are all stations on the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern, Interurban, and are new towns. Crooks has a general store and elevator, and at Lundgren there is an elevator, church, and small store. At Shady Oaks is situated the plant of the Vincent Clay Products Company. At Roberts is a cooperative elevator.
CLAYWORKS
Clayworks is a postoffice, and has a general store conducted by John Johnson. It is situated on the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad. The town owes its beginning to its only industry, that of Johnston Brothers, manufacturers, who have a large plant here for the manufacture of hollow building block and other clay products. Large and valuable clay deposits are found at this point. The Central Brick & Tile Company plant is but a short distance from the station. There is also considerable coal mined here. Craig & Dawson operate a mine, and Johnston Brothers have a mine of cannel coal.
Vol. I-19
284
HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
COALVILLE
Coalville was originally a coal mining town that sprung up with the opening of the mines in Pleasant Valley township. At that time it was considerable of a town, but as the mines were gradually worked out, the population of the town decreased, and the cheap company houses built by the miners were torn down or moved away. Today the town has a general store, a two-room school house and three churches. But one mine is operated at the present time.
BARNUM AND TARA
Barnum was laid out and platted February 2, 1875, by the Iowa Falls & Sioux City Railroad Company. At the present time it is a thriving country town. It has a grain elevator, bank, two general stores, and two churches.
Tara Junction is at the junction of the Illinois Central and Minneapolis & St. Louis railroads in Douglas township. At one time the town promised to be a railroad suburb of Fort Dodge, but the plans of the Illinois Central to estab- lish shops here were never carried out. The town was originally begun by the Des Moines & Fort Dodge Railroad Company, who operated a "stub" train on a spur from this point on their main line to Fort Dodge.
BURNSIDE
Burnside, although the only town in the township of the same name, has shown a decrease in population for several years. The town, however, has still several good stores, grain elevator, and three churches. The town was originally known as Hesperian.
LINNBURG, LANYON AND LENA
Linnburg, Lanyon and Lena are small stations. All three are postoffices. Linnburg, in Dayton township, is situated on the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad. At one time considerable coal was mined in the vicinity and several sawmills have been located here at different times.
Lanyon is a new town on the Rockwell City branch of the Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern, having been started as a station on the Newton & North- western, before that road was taken over by the Interurban and electrified.
Lena is near the county line of Greene county and is situated on the Minne- apolis & St. Louis.
HARCOURT
Harcourt is the chief town in Lost Grove township. It is at the junction of the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad and Fort Dodge, Des Moines & South- ern Interurban. Since the building of the latter road the town has shown a marked increase in business and population. The town has four stores, a bank, a school, two churches, and a telephone exchange.
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WEBSTER COUNTY INDUSTRIES (1897)
Lehigh Brick, Tile and Manufacturing Company; Fort Dodge Clay Works; Towa Plaster Company's Gypsum Mill, No. 1; Webster County Coal Mines; Towa Plaster Company's Gypsum Mill, No. 2.
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
FLUGSTAD
Flugstad is situated on the Webster and Hamilton county line. It consists of a postoffice and general store conducted by Martin Olson, and an elevator. The elevator is in Hamilton county. It was built by George W. Post & Son in 1902, but was sold in 1911 to the Farmers Grain Company, a then newly organized cooperative company.
BRUSHY
Brushy has a general store, blacksmith shop, and a grain elevator, but no postoffice. The Methodist Episcopals have a church here, services being con- ducted by the pastor from Duncombe.
EVANSTON
Evanston has a school, elevator, general store and blacksmith shop. The Methodist Episcopals have an organization, and are supplied by the Duncombe pastor.
GYPSUM
Gypsum is located at the junction of the Illinois Central and the Lehigh branch of the Chicago & Great Western Railroads. The village consists of a few houses, the depot and a general store. Its importance is due to the fact of its being a transfer station between the two railroads. Its nearness to the gypsum mills and coal mines make it a heavy shipping point. The station was formerly called Carbon Junction, and the "Y."
SOME NEARLY FORGOTTEN TOWNS
Vesper, formerly Tyson's Mills, was located on the west bank of the Des Moines river, on section 12, township 87, range 28. The first settlement was made in 1855. when Messrs. Reed & Wright erected the first steam sawmill. The town site and mill property later became the property of Oliver Tyson, who in 1858, added thereto a flouring-mill and did an extensive business as miller, merchant, miner and farmer, until the fall of 1875, when he sold out to Messrs. Bond & Post. The town later became part of Lehigh.
Buchanan was laid out, platted and recorded as a town site June 16, 1856, on the southeast quarter of section 16, township 87, range 28. The original proprietors, George Wilson and Lew Davis, had great hope that their town would eventually become the county seat of the county. After several unsuc- cessful attempts to have the county seat removed, and with its final permanent location at Fort Dodge, the original proprietors in 1859 sold their town site and moved to Colorado. In 1876, the town consisted of a schoolhouse, post- office, and three dwellings. Afterwards the town was called Hesperian. With the building of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad the town of Burnside was laid out on practically the same site.
286
HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
Border Plains was laid out, platted and recorded as a town, in September, 1857, by Abraham Ingles, on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter and the southwest quarter of section 30, township 88, range 27, and at that time was a place of some importance. The improvements consisted of a large steam saw-mill, two stores, blacksmith shops, and several dwellings. Being centrally located in the county, the public gatherings and conventions of the county were generally held in the Border Plains schoolhouse. During the war of the rebellion the town became almost depopulated, and gradually passed out of existence as a town.
Lackawana was laid out and platted July, 1876, by the Webster City & Crooked Creek Railroad & Coal Company. It received its name on account of the coal mines, which were just opened up by this company. It was located on the east bank of the Des Moines river, opposite the town of Vesper, and now forms East Lehigh.
West Dayton was the name originally given to the present town of Dayton to distinguish it from Dayton, Ohio.
Kesho was the name originally given to the postoffice in Roland township.
Otho, as first known was located on section 28, along the public highway north from the district No. I school. With the advent of the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railroad and the development of the coal mines, the town was abandoned, and the new towns of Otho and Kalo were established.
Haskalia was a proposed town on the Illinois Central near the present sta- tion of Judd.
GROWTH OF POPULATION IN WEBSTER COUNTY
The growth of population in Webster county as shown by the census figures from the year 1852 to 1910 is as follows: (1852)-243; (1854)-907; (1856)- 3,088; (1860)-2,504; (1863)-2,857; (1865)-3,772; (1867)-5,631 ; (1870)- 10,484; (1875)-13,114: (1880)-15,951; (1885)-19,987; (1890)-21,582; (1895)-26,945; (1900)-31,775; (1905)-33,425 : (1910)-34,629.
The population of the minor civil divisions of the county for the years 1890, 1900, 1910 is as follows :
1910
1900
1890
Badger township, including Badger town
890
911
8.49
Badger town
212
240
Burnside township
681
659
581
Clay township
628
739
619
Colfax township, including Duncombe town (part of )
570
670
541
Duncombe town (part of)
32
27
.
Total for Duncombe town in Colfax and Washing- ton townships
418
350
....
Cooper township
1265
803
579
Dayton township, including Dayton town
1678
1814
1694
Dayton town
717
753
669
Deer Creek township
574
603
588
Douglas township
643
663
650
Elkhorn township
681
793
652
VILLAGE OF KALO AND DES MOINES RIVER
PUBLIC LIBRARY
ASTOR, LENOX ÅND TILDEN FOUNDATIONS.
287
Fulton township, including Moorland town
682
789
589
Moorland town
137
Gowrie township, including Gowrie town
1318
1261
1076
*Gowrie town (part of)
795
68I
526
Total for Gowrie town in Gowrie and Lost Grove townships
820
681
526
Hardin township
350
306
370
Jackson township, including Clare town
839
992
636
Clare town
299
374
Johnson township including Barnum town
698
708
Barnum town
I54
175
·
Lost Grove township, including Harcourt town and
part of Gowrie town
979
876
763
*Gowrie town ( part of )
34
192
682
Newark township, including Vincent town Vincent town
215
163
Otho township
1096
946
904
Pleasant Valley township
of9
870
529
Roland township, including Callender town
976
115I
748
Callender town
321
399
Sumner township, including Lehigh town (part of ) Lehigh town (part of)
972
828
75I
684
555
514
Total for Lehigh town in Sumner and Webster townships
9.28
806
870
Wahkonsa township, coextensive with Fort Dodge city 15543
I2162
4871
Fort Dodge city :
Ward I
3625
Ward 2
427I
Ward 3
3987
Ward 4
3660
Washington township, including Duncombe town
(part of )
I262
I302
960
Duncombe town (part of)
386
323
Webster township, including Lehigh town (part of) Lehigh town (part of)
211
25I
356
Yell township
320
360
405
The population of the incorporated towns of the county according to the census of 1910 is as follows : Badger, 212; Barnum, 154; Callender, 321 ; Clare, 299; Dayton, 717; Duncombe, 418; Fort Dodge, 15.543; Gowrie, 829; Har- court, 247 ; Lehigh, 928; Moorland, 137 ; Vincent, 215.
* Returned in Gowrie township only in 1900.
644
722
905
Harcourt town
247
688
829
...
HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY
1
A D", INOX AND TI DOU FOUNDATIONS
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CHAPTER XXV
LEGISLATIVE, JUDICIAL, AND CONGRESSIONAL HISTORY
MEMBERS OF GENERAL ASSEMBLY REPRESENTING WEBSTER COUNTY-FIRST COURT-
"TIMBER WOODS"-JUDGES WHO HAVE HELD COURT IN WEBSTER COUNTY-FIRST MURDER TRIAL-IN THE HALLS OF CONGRESS-POMEROY, CARPENTER, AND DOLLIVER.
LEGISLATIVE HISTORY
Webster county was first represented in the Iowa legislature during the sessions of the fourth general assembly. At that time the legislative district included a large part of the territory lying west of the Des Moines river. In the eighth and ninth general assembly Webster county formed a part of the Thirty- second Senatorial District. The next session it became a part of the Forty-third. In 1875 it formed a part of the Forty-seventh Senatorial District, which included the counties of Dickinson, Emmet, Clay, Palo Alto, Buena Vista, Pocahontas, Ida, Sac, Calhoun and Webster. In 1877, Webster county became a part of the Forty-eightli Senatorial District; and in 1885, formed a part of the Thirty- first. In 1887, Webster and Calhoun counties were formed into the present Twenty-seventh Senatorial District.
Since its formation Webster county has been represented in the different sessions of the state legislature as follows :
Fourth general assembly-1852-3: Senate, Andrew Y. Hull; House, J. H. Rice, Joseph C. Goodson, Benjamin Green.
Fifth general assembly-1845-5, and special, 1856: Senate, Theophilus Bryan and James C. Jordan ; House, Samuel B. McCall.
Sixth general assembly-1856-57: Senate, Aaron Brown; House, Walter C. Willson.
Third constitutional convention. Convened Iowa City, January 19, 1857, adjourned March 5, 1857: Member, Sheldon G. Winchester.
Seventh general assembly-1858: Senate, Aaron Brown; House, Cyrus C. Carpenter.
Eighth general assembly-1860: Extra session, 1861; Senate, John F. Dun- combe; House, Samuel Rees.
Ninth general assembly-1862. Extra session, 1862: Senate, John F. Dun- combe ; House, Lewis H. Cutler.
Tenth general assembly-1864: Senate, George W. Bassett; House, James
W. Logan.
Eleventh general assembly-1866: Senate, George W. Bassett; House, Rob- ert Alcorn.
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HISTORY OF WEBSTER COUNTY
Twelfth general assembly-1868: Senate, Theodore Hawley ; House, Sam- uel Rees.
Thirteenth general assembly-1870: Senate, Theodore Hawley; House, Galusha Parsons.
Fourteenth general assembly-1872-73: Senate, William H. Fitch ; House, John F. Duncombe.
Fifteenth general assembly-1874: Senate, William H. Fitch; House, Silas Corey.
Sixteenth general assembly-1876: Senate, Eldin J. Hartshorn ; House, Sam- uel Rees.
Seventeenth general assembly-1878: Senate, John J. Russell; House, Oliver Tyson.
Eighteenth general assembly-1880: Senate, John J. Russell; House, John F. Duncombe.
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