USA > Iowa > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 13
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OLD COURT HOUSE Erected in 1866 -Torn Down in 1899
PRESENT COURT HOUSE
137
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
In 1892, a committee of citizens composed of E. S. Patterson, Henry Proctor, E. M. Funk, Frank Kratochvil and Dr. W. A. Rohlf, raised funds and purchased a 1600-pound bell and a clock for the courthouse tower. The names of this committee are in- scribed on the bell.
THE FRANKLIN COUNTY JAIL
For many years after the organization of Franklin county, there was no such an institution within her limits as a county jail. When a culprit got into the clutches of the law he was incarcerated in the bastile at Waterloo or in Butler county and when settling-up day arrived, Franklin paid the bill to her neighbors on the east of her. This way of caring for prisoners obtained in this county un- til 1880, when a county jail-the first and only one in the county- was built, D. W. Dow being the contractor. The structure is of brick, a neat and substantial building, having a residence-like ap- pearance, and cost $6,000, not considering the $4,000 expended for fitting up steel cells.
This building stands on Fifth street, just off Main, on a lot that cost the county $625. The residence part is 33×32 feet and two stories in height; to the rear and attached to the main part is the jail proper, 20x27 feet and of one high story.
THE COUNTY FARM
Franklin county has not been called upon to meet the necessi- ties of the helpless poor and indigent to any great extent. But "the poor ye have with you always" and this county has been no excep- tion to the rule. For years this class of people were "farmed" out by the authorities, but the system became unsatisfactory and in 1886 a change was made for the better. June 8, 1886, a tract of land was purchased of H. C. Clock, containing 233 acres and situated on sec- tion 30, Geneva township. A substantial and commodious two-story frame building was erected, barns were built and the few infirm and helplessly poor dependent on the public were given a permanent home. Other buildings have been put up in recent years, a hot-air heating system, waterworks system and gas plant installed so that the inmates have all the comforts they might well expect under their circumstances.
Vr1. 1-9
138
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
The Franklin county farm cost $5,828.50. At the time of its purchase much of the land was untillable, by reason of the many low, wet spots scattered here and there. By a system of drainage the land has all been reclaimed and today it is worth three times at least what it cost. While the farm is not self-sustaining, enough is produced from its fertile soil to bring the expenses down to a comparatively small sum. In 1912, the sale of cattle raised on the place brought in $765; hogs, $1,801.51 ; seed corn, $3.50; premiums, $17.10 or a total of $2,587.11. The expense account footed up $3,068.23, leaving the small balance against the county of $303.12. The farm and improvements are valued at $32,000, and with the stock, feed, implements and other chattels, the amount reaches $40,049.
FIRST TAX LEVY AND THE LAST
The first levy of taxes in Franklin county was made at the August term of the county court in 1856, by Judge J. B. Reeve. The entry of the court's order is in the following words: "At a regular session of the county court, held on the fourth Monday of August, A. D., 1856, for the levying of taxes upon the assessed value of taxable property in Franklin county. It is ordered for state, one and a quarter mills on the dollar; for county, five mills ; for schools, one and one-half mills; roads, two mills; and fifty cents for county revenue on each poll, and one dollar for road revenue on each poll."
What the receipts from taxes were in 1857 does not clearly appear from the record, but the reader can fairly determine that the county officials found little left in the treasury at the end of the year 1856. The record shows that the county judge got nothing for his valuable services during the last quarter; the treasurer fared better and had in his possession $38.40; the clerk had seventy cents. The moneys in the hands of the treasurer and clerk were divided between the three officials mentioned, which gave to each of them $13.03.
In the year 1858 the total valuation of all property in the county was $1,114,401 ; of which $48,692 was personalty. The total taxes collected for the year was $10,812.96. Compare these figures with the tabulated article below, and at the same time multiply the fig- ures at the bottom of the third column by four, to get the real wealth of Franklin county.
139
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
VALUATION AND TAXES FOR 1912
Total less
Districts
Real Est.
Personal
Exemptions
Total tax
Ackley
$
16,241
$ 15,283
$ 31,201
$ 1,751.14
Osceola
299,713
71, III
370,524
12,727.63
Grant
287,588
68,991
356,579
11,868.24
Lee
262,972
50,639
313,21I
13,464.36
Oakland
229,542
60,305
288,947
11,080.50
Popejoy
18,536
16,167
34,703
1,788.43
Prairie Hill
52,817
5,398
58,215
2,266.48
Valley
33,13I
3,522
36,653
1,152.90
Highland Grove. .
28,63 1
9,084
37,715
1,231.65
Geneva, O. C. . ...
58,470 59,895
6,516
66,41 1
2,262.21
Spring Vale
40,816
4,791
45,607
1,531.07
Geneva Inc.
20,802
17,595
37,613
2,241.46
Mount Pleasant. . .
32,04I
21,831
53,272
1,772.30
Mckenzie
35,710
10,655
46,365
1,872.73
Glass
34,446
13,033
47,479
1,437.13
Franklin
30,079
13,598
43,077
1,529.52
Central
29,486
4,699
34,185
1,487.39
Reeve
28,348
4,608
32,656
1,288.86
Union
31,044
3,721
34,765
1,339.56
Maysville
29, 196
4,928
34, 124
1,319.87
Upper Maynes Grove
24,802
14,096
38,898
1,433.21
Ind. Hamilton
74,980
11,626
86,606
3,857.32
S. T. Hamilton.
157,117
22,21 I
178,728
9,022.27
Dows Inc.
13,853
7,604
21,457
1,699.78;
Dows, O. C.
10,76I
3,621
14,382
964.39
Morgan
245,805
37,883
283,324
11,672.47
Allen's Grove.
28,537
2, 151
30,688
1,063.26
Pleasant Ridge ...
32,015
4,257
36,272
1,347.42
North West.
33,230
3,389
36,619
1,337.94
Clark
31,031
12,594
43,625
1,541.75
Ingham Center ...
32,303
5,372
37,675
1,446.41
Union Ridge
32,840
7,507
40,347
1,305.15
Hartgraves
28,206
9,063
37,269
1,198.34
Hansell
33,07I
20,352
53,423
2, 1 27.32
Fairview
30,337
6,036
36,373
878.59
27,259
85,429
3,935.38
Four Mile Grove.
140
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
Pleasant Hill
34,695
5,120
39,515
1,321.96
Otter Creek.
34,706
17,527
52,233
1,648.44
Pleasant Valley ...
33,828
13,88 1
47,709
1,644.87
Greenwood .
38,308
14,309
52,617
1,700.25
Maple Grove ....
34,882
17,073
51,955
1,556.86
Washington Valley
33,116
4,078
36,894
1,287.09
Badger
34,032
14,790
48,522
1,675.61
Hampton, (Mott)
14,497
11,14I
25,638
1,403.46
Hampton, (Wash-
ington)
397,874
187,155
564,211
46,471.58
Marion
199,734
67,165
266,518
9,243.03
Latimer, O. C. Mar.
17,949
4,278
22,227
1,009.32
Latimer, I. C ...
45,512
26,104
71,240
4,004.14
Latimer, O. C.
Scott
10,368
3,076
13,444
3,860.64
Alexander
46,420
22,425
68,021
12,093.78
Scott
211,173
63,914
275,087
668.83
Coulter Inc.
43,71I
21,748
65,459
4,058.74
West Fork
239,368
38,704
277,956
10,854.26
Chapin
48,329
35,328
83,381
8,346.62
Ross
195,286
47,203
242,489
3,290.57
Sheffield
1 10,439
50,280
158,358
10,228.63
Richland
263,413
42,138
305,551
10,855.23
Wisner
226,722
26,671
253,393
777.15
Meservey
8,387
3,706
1 2,093
11,348.08
Totals
$4,759,618
$1,339,310
$6,098,928
$269,573.57
GROWTH OF FRANKLIN'S POPULATION
Before the expiration of the year 1856, Franklin county had a population of 800. A census taken in 1859 showed an increase of inhabitants to 1,159. Settlers continued to come in and in 1865 the population reached a total of 1,899. This was increased to 4,738 in 1870 and in 1880 the figures were 6,558. Below is given by town- ships the census of the county for the decades 1890, 1900 and 1910:
1910
1900
1890
Clinton township, coextensive with Sheffield
town
824
688
610
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
141
Geneva township, including Geneva town .. Geneva town
775
783
733
Grant township
612
699
694
Hamilton township, including part of Coul- ter town
588
615
591
, Coulter town (part of)
3
. .
. . .
Total for Coulter town in Hamilton and Marion townships
198
. . .
...
Ingham township
665
676
671
Lee township
562
660
586
Marion township, including Latimer town and part of Coulter town
1,176
920
612
Coulter town (part of)
195
. . .
. . .
Latimer town
378
. ..
. ..
Morgan township, including part of Dows town
1,076
1,139
820
Dows town (part of)
207
192
. . .
Total for Dows town in Morgan town-
ship, Franklin county, and Blaine township, Wright county
892
818
...
Mott township
534
547
499
Oakland township, including Popejoy town. .
827
840
7II
Popejoy town
200
Osceola township
748
779
859
Reeve township
626
659
704
Richland township
596
613
55I
Ross township
694
687
685
Scott township, including Alexander town ..
803
770
515
Alexander town
262
. . .
. ..
Washington township,
coextensive with
2,617
2,727
2,067
Hampton city :
Ward I
539
. . .
. .
Ward 2
681
. ..
. ..
Ward 3
712
. . .
...
Ward 4.
685
.
West Fork township
532
650
653
Wisner township
525
544
310
Total number of inhabitants in county. . . . 14,780
14,996
12,871
199
. .
Hampton city
142
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
FRANKLIN COUNTY AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY
As long ago as 1859 farmers of Franklin county held a fair at Hampton. The exhibition was held on the public square, and the courthouse was used as the fine arts gallery. There was a good dis- play of everything and the meet was well attended. No admission was charged and the premiums consisted almost wholly of certificates and ribbons. The officers of this improvised fair were : J. M. Soper, president; J. T. McCormick, secretary. Among others who assisted very materially in making the fair a success should be mentioned George W. Hansell, David Church and Chauncey Gillett.
In October, 1860, the Franklin County Agricultural Society was organized. Samuel Carbaugh was elected president; Chauncey Gil- lett, secretary, and Lewis H. Morgan, treasurer. The directors were E. H. Wing, Clinton township ; J. R. Hartgrave, Ingham town- ship; J. M. Soper, Reeve township; W. Ward, Geneva township; W. Richardson, Osceola township; E. A. Howland, Morgan town- ship; A. Gillett, Washington township.
This society had many ups and downs; had its fat years and its lean years, and more than one reorganization has taken place.
In 1894, a reorganization took place. That year a big fair was held and $2,600 was dispensed in purses. The association has held regular annual fairs for many years past, in commodious grounds located in the western part of the city.
CHAPTER IX
CIVIL WAR-PRESIDENT LINCOLN CALLS FOR SEVENTY-FIVE THOUSAND MEN TO PUT DOWN REBELLION-FRANKLIN COUNTY PATRIOTIC AND SENDS MANY OF HER SONS TO BATTLE-NAMES OF THE HEROES -PATRIOTIC SOCIETIES-SOLDIERS' MEMORIAL TEMPLE-SOLDIERS' MONUMENT.
John Brown, who declared and honestly believed himself chosen of the Lord to strike the shackles from the Southern slave, was hanged on the gallows at Charlestown, near Harper's Ferry, Vir- ginia, on the 2d day of December, 1859, as a penalty for his mis- guided attempt to cause an uprising of the blacks in the vicinity of Harper's Ferry, where he and his small band of followers had forcibly taken possession of the United States arsenal. This event caused a furore of excitement in the South, and events that made for internecine strife and the bloodiest civil war on record were hastened at a furious speed toward Fort Sumter, where the shot was fired that echoed its baleful significance throughout the hills and vales of Christendom. The walls of Fort Sumter were battered by the rebel guns at Charleston, South Carolina, by the would-be assassins of the Union on the morning of April 12, 1861, and in twenty-four hours thereafter news of the world's momentous action had reached every accessible corner of the United States. In the South the por- tentous message was generally received with boisterous demonstra- tions of joy and the belief on the part of the masses that the day would soon come for their deliverance from the "Northern yoke" and that their "peculiar institution" was to be perpetuated under the constitution and laws of a new confederacy of states. In the North a different feeling possessed the people. The firing on Fort Sumter was looked upon with anger and sadness, and the determina- tion was at once formed to uphold the integrity of the Union and the perpetuity of its institutions. It was then that Abraham Lincoln began his great work of preserving the Union.
. 143
144
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
THE CALL FOR TROOPS
On the 16th of April, four days following the assault on Fort Sumter, Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood, of Iowa, received the following telegram from Simon Cameron, Secretary of War:
"Call made on you by tonight's mail for one regiment of militia for immediate service."
That very day the Governor proclaimed to the people of Iowa that the nation was imperiled and invoked the aid of every loyal citi- zen in the state. The telegram above alluded to was received at Davenport. The Governor was then residing at Iowa City but there was no telegraphic communication in those days between the two cities.
It was important that the dispatch should reach the eyes of the Governor at once, and General Vandever, then a civilian, volun- teered to take the message to Iowa City. The Governor was found on his farm outside the city by the self-appointed messenger, dressed in homespun and working in the field. Reading the dispatch, Gov- ernor Kirkwood expressed extreme surprise and exclaimed : "Why, the President wants a whole regiment of men! Do you suppose I can raise so many as that, Mr. Vandever?" When ten Iowa regi- ments were offered a few days later the question was answered.
THE PRESIDENT'S PROCLAMATION
President Lincoln announced, April 15, 1861, that the execu- tion of the laws of the Union had been obstructed in South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas by "combinations too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings, or by the powers vested in the marshals by law." He called out the militia to the number of 75,000. Seeing that the insurgents had not dispersed in the states named and that the inhabitants of Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennes- see had joined them, he issued this proclamation, August 16, 1861 :
"Whereas, on the 15th day of April, 1861, the President of the United States, in view of an insurrection against laws, Constitution and Government of the United States, which has broken out within the States of South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, Florida, Missis- sippi, Louisiana and Texas, and in pursuance of the provisions of the act entitled, 'An act to provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the Union, suppress insurrections and repel
145
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
invasions, and to repeal the act now in force for that purpose,' ap- proved February 28, 1795, did call forth the militia to suppress said insurrection and cause the laws of the Union to be duly executed and the insurgents having failed to disperse by the time directed by the President; and whereas, such insurrection has since broken out and yet exists within the States of Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee and Arkansas; and whereas, the insurgents in all the said states claim to act under the authority thereof, and such claim is not dis- claimed or repudiated by the persons exercising the functions of gov- ernment in such state or states, or in the part or parts thereof in which combinations exist, nor has any such insurrection been sup- pressed by said states :
"Now, therefore; I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in pursuance of an Act of Congress approved July 13, 1861, do hereby declare that the inhabitants of the said States of Georgia, South Carolina, Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi and Florida (except the inhabitants of that part of Virginia lying west of the Allegheny Mountains, and of such other parts of that state and the other states hereinbefore named as may maintain a loyal adhesion to the Union and Constitution or may be from time to time occupied and con- trolled by the forces of the United States engaged in the dispersion of said insurgents), are in a state of insurrection against the United States; and that all commercial intercourse between the same and the inhabitants thereof, with the exceptions aforesaid, and the citi- zens of other states and other parts of the United States, is unlaw- ful, and will remain unlawful until such insurrection shall cease or has been suppressed; that all goods and chattels, wares and mer- chandise, coming from any of said states with the exception afore- said, into other parts of the United States, without the special license and permission of the President, through the Secretary of the Treas- ury, or proceeding to any said states, with the exceptions aforesaid, by land or water, together with the vessel or vehicle conveying the same or conveying persons to or from said states, with said excep- tions, will be forfeited to the United States; and that from and after fifteen days from the issuing of this proclamation, all ships and ves- sels belonging in whole or in part to any citizen or inhabitant of any of said states with said exceptions found at sea or in any port of the United States will be forfeited to the United States, and I hereby en- join upon all district attorneys, marshals and officers of the revenue and of the military and naval forces of the United States to be vigi-
146
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
lant in the execution of said act, and in the enforcement of the pen- alties and forfeitures imposed or declared by it; leaving any party who may think himself aggrieved thereby to his application to the Secretary of the Treasury for the remission of any penalty of for- feiture, which the said secretary is authorized by law to grant if, in his judgment, the special circumstances in any case shall require such remission.
"In witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the seal of the United States to be affixed.
"Done at the city of Washington, this sixteenth day of August in the year of our Lord, one thousand eight hundred and sixty-one, and of the independence of the United States of America the eighty- sixth year.
"ABRAHAM LINCOLN."
IOWA RALLIES TO THE COLORS
"Whether in the promptitude of her responses to the calls made on her by the general government, in the courage and constancy of her soldiery in the field," said Col. A. P. Wood, of Dubuque, upon one occasion, "or in the wisdom and efficiency with which her civil administration was conducted during the trying period covered by the War of the Rebellion, Iowa proved herself the peer of any loyal state. The proclamation of her Governor, Samuel J. Kirk- wood, responsive to that of the President calling for volunteers to compose her first regiment, was issued on the fourth day after the fall of Sumter. At the end of only a single week men enough were reported to be in quarters (mostly in the vicinity of their own homes) to fill the regiment. These, however, were hardly more than a tithe of the number who had been offered by company commanders for acceptance under the President's call. So urgent were these offers that the Governor requested on the 24th of April permission to or- ganize an additional regiment. While awaiting the answer to this request he conditionally accepted a sufficient number of companies to compose two additional regiments. In a short time he was noti- fied that both of these would be accepted. Soon after the completion of the second and third regiments, which was near the close of May, the Adjutant-General of the state reported that upward of one hundred and seventy companies had been tendered to the Gov- ernor to serve against the enemies of the Union.
147
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
"Much difficulty and considerable delay occurred in fitting these regiments for the field. For the First Infantry a complete outfit- not uniform-of clothing was extemporized, principally by the vol- unteered labor of loyal women in the different towns, from material of various colors and qualities obtained within the limits of the state. The same was done in part for the Second Infantry. Meantime, an extra session of the General Assembly had been called by the Gov- ernor to convene on May 15th. With but little delay that body authorized a loan of $800,000 to meet the extraordinary expenses incurred and to be incurred by the executive department in conse- quence of the new emergency. A wealthy merchant of the state --- ex-Governor Merrill, then a resident of McGregor-immediately took from the Governor a contract to supply a complete outfit of clothing for the three regiments organized, agreeing to receive, should the Governor so elect, his pay therefor in state bonds at par. This contract he executed to the letter, and a portion of the clothing which was manufactured in Boston to his order was delivered at Keokuk, the place at which the troops had rendezvoused, in exactly one month from the day on which the contract had been entered into. The remainder arrived only a few days later. This clothing was de- livered to the regiments but was subsequently condemned by the Government for the reason that its color was gray, and blue had been adopted as the color to be worn by national troops.
IOWA'S BORDERS THREATENED
"The state, while engaged in efforts to discharge her duty in connection with the common emergency, was compelled to make separate and large provision for the security of her own borders. On the south she was threatened with invasion by the secessionists of Missouri, while on the west and northwest there was danger of incursions by bands of hostile Indians now freed from the usual re- straint imposed by garrisons of regular troops at the frontier posts. For border defense the Governor was authorized to raise two regi- ments of infantry, a squadron-not less than five companies-of cavalry, and a battalion-not less than three companies-of artillery. Only mounted troops were enlisted, however, for this service; but in times of special danger, or when calls were made by the Unionists of Northern Missouri against their disloyal enemies, large numbers of militia on foot turned out (often) and remained in the field until the necessity for their services had passed.
148
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
"The first order for the Iowa volunteers to move to the field was received June 13th. It was issued by General Lyon, then com- manding the United States forces in Missouri. The First and Sec- ond Infantry immediately embarked in steamboats and moved to Hannibal. Some two weeks later the Third Infantry was ordered to the same point. These three, together with many others of the earlier organized Iowa regiments, rendered their first field service in Missouri. The First Infantry formed a part of the little army with which General Lyon moved on Springfield and fought the bloody battle of Wilson's Creek. It received unqualified praise for its gallant bearing on the field. In the following month (Septem- ber) the Third Iowa with very slight support fought with honor the sanguinary engagement of Blue Mills Landing; and in November the Seventh Iowa, as a part of a force commanded by General Grant, greatly distinguished itself in the battle of Belmont, where it poured out its blood like water, losing more than half of the men it took into action. The initial operations in which the battles referred to took place, were followed by the more important movements led by Gen- eral Curtis of this state and other commanders, which resulted in defeating the armies defending the chief strategic lines held by the Confederates in Kentucky, Missouri, Tennessee and Arkansas, and compelling their withdrawal from much of the territory previously controlled by them in those states. In these and many other move- ments down to the grand culminating campaign by which Vicksburg was captured and the Confederacy permanently severed on the line of the Mississippi river, Iowa troops took a part in steadily increas- ing numbers. In the investment and siege of Vicksburg the state was represented by thirty regiments and two batteries, in addition to which eight regiments and one battery were employed on the out- posts of the besieging army. The brilliancy of their exploits on the many fields where they served won for them the highest meed of praise both in military and civil circles. Multiplied were the terms in which expression was given to this sentiment but these words of one of the journals of a neighboring state-'The Iowa troops have been heroes among heroes'-embodies the spirit of all.
IOWA TROOPS REENLISTED
"In the veteran reenlistments that distinguished the closing months of 1863 above all other periods of reenlistments for the national armies, the Iowa three years' men who were relatively more
149
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
numerous than those of any other state, were prompt to set the ex- ample of volunteering for another of equal length thereby adding many thousands to the great army of those who gave this renewed and practical assurance that the cause of the Union should not be left without defenders. In all the important movements of 1864 and 1865 by which the Confederacy was penetrated in every quarter and its military power finally overthrown, the Iowa troops took part. Their drumbeat was heard on the banks of every great river of the South, from the Potomac to the Rio Grande, and everywhere they rendered the same faithful and devoted service, maintaining on all occasions their wonted reputation for valor in the field and endurance on the march.
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