USA > Iowa > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 24
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Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40
This township was one of the first to be settled. Henry Meyer was the first to take up a habitation here. He was a native of Illi- nois but when a boy removed with his parents to Wisconsin. In the fall of 1855 Mr. Meyer located on section 33 and by industry and thrift soon acquired other lands and became prosperous. He served in the war of the rebellion and always was considered one of the leading men of his community.
Leonard N. Lockwood was also one of the first settlers in the township of West Fork, coming in April, 1856, when he entered the northeast quarter of section 1. He was a native of New York and taught school in his younger days. Early in March, 1856, he made the acquaintance of Solomon Robinson at Iowa Falls and with him began to search for a location in the West. While on their way, they fell in with John O. Crapser and the trio investigated the ter- ritory now included in West Fork. Here Mr. Lockwood selected
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the northeast quarter of section 1. He afterwards bought fifteen acres of timber land in partnership with Robinson, at Allen's Grove. They were obliged to go to Cedar Falls for a plow and wait until it was made. Meanwhile they broke about thirty acres of land and lived in a tent until fall. During the winter they got out logs and in the spring of 1857 built a cabin on Mr. Robinson's claim and there Mr. Lockwood lived until his marriage. The pioneers had poor success with their crops, the first year harvesting only four bushels of wheat from fifty bushels of seed that was sown. However, by perseverance and industry he brought his farm up to a high degree of improvement and finally became one of the well known live stock farmers in the county. He built a modern home in 1865 and later erected a barn which for some time was the envy of his neighbors.
Solomon Robinson, already mentioned, was from Vermont. He came with L. N. Lockwood, and with him prospered. His claim was also on the southeast quarter of section 1, where he lived until 1880.
J. O. Crapser also accompanied Lockwood, broke forty acres of land and put up a log house 18x24, which cost him $300 in gold. The building was later moved over the Butler county line and used as a postoffice by John H. Lockwood. Mr. Crapser was a native of New York. He was a gold digger in California in 1851, and in 1856 selected the northwest quarter of section 2 in this township as his future home and place of activity. Mr. Crapser was a man of enterprise and always had an eye single to the best interests of his immediate community. He also laid out the first highways under his authority of road supervisor. Mr. Crapser once served on the county board of supervisors.
Aaron T. Little, with his wife and children, came west in 1856 and located in the southeastern part of West Fork township. In 1870 he removed to a larger farm about two miles west, in Ross township, where he remained until about 1890, in which year he took up his residence in Hampton. June 24, 1908, this old pioneer died at the home of a son, L. A. Little, at Winchester, Oklahoma, being in his seventy-third year.
The first blacksmith in the township was Richard Belt, who located and opened a shop on section 35, in 1856.
James Ray was born in Scotland. At the age of twenty-five he arrived in New York and eventually found himself in Iowa. In the early spring of 1859 he bought eighty acres of land of Richard
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Belt at Allen's Grove and by good judgment and industry gathered enough of this world's goods to make his mind easy as to the years before him. He held several local offices and was known for his public spirit and interest in the welfare of the community.
Thomas E. B. Hudson, after an honorable service of three years in the Civil war, emigrated from his Illinois home to Franklin county, and in 1867 purchased a farm of one hundred and seventy acres in West Fork township, where he located. Always progres- sive, he was one of the first to put up a large and capacious barn. This was built in 1879, having ground dimensions 40x50 feet, and cost $1,200. Mr. Hudson largely engaged in raising stock and was not only a successful farmer but one of the influential men of his community. For some time past his home has been at Hampton.
Thomas Hall, with his sons, Philo, Alonzo and John, and son- in-law, William Hartwell, located in West Fork in 1860, choosing the west half of section 3, where he built a residence, to which he later attached the first schoolhouse built in the township, which he acquired.
There were a number of others who came to the township in 1860. Among them were Hiram Morehouse, George Howard, James Birch, Loomis Benjamin, James Chambers, Ransom Knapp and William Jenkins.
Joseph G. Bushyager was a son of Henry Bushyager, a pioneer settler of Iowa. The latter was a native of Pennsylvania, and after working at his trade of carpentry in Bremer county two years, lo- cated on section 18 in this township, in 1860. Here he resided until his death in 1881. Mr. Bushyager was one of the first trustees of Ingham township, then including West Fork, and afterward served on the board of supervisors. Joseph Bushyager was a member of Company H, Thirty-second Iowa Infantry, which was recruited for the Civil war at Hampton. After the war, he became a prosperous farmer and a leading citizen of West Fork.
William Jenkins came with his father, James Jenkins, to West Fork township, in 1860, and made a permanent settlement.
John Knesel settled in this township in 1866 and for a year lived on the Horton place. He then bought eighty acres of land and before the '8os was the possessor of two hundred and twenty acres. He was a good farmer and with industrious habits soon became one of the leaders in this splendid farming community.
Vol. 1-17
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William Thornberry arrived in West Fork township in 1867 and purchased a farm, whereon he took up his permanent residence. He became well known in the community and was held in high esteem.
Another early settler of this township was Garrett Van Riper. He was a native of the State of New York, served in the Civil war, and came to Franklin county in 1867, choosing a farm in West Fork township for a home and means of livelihood. By energetic per- severance, he accumulated a substantial property.
A well known farmer of West Fork was Joseph Slade, who set- tled in the township in 1867, locating on section 5, where he first bought forty acres. He was a soldier of the Civil war.
In the early ' 6os, William M. Wolf, Jacob Klinefelter, the Kuegler, Keifer and Nolte families, all of Dane county, Wisconsin, settled in West Fork township.
Edward, Emanuel and Samuel Esslinger arrived in West Fork township from Milwaukee, about 1869. Soon thereafter came the Marks, Horstman, Hopes and Faerber families and a number of others.
Hiram Morehouse had a habitation on a part of the east half of section 3. He came with the Halls and was a brother of Mrs. Hall.
William Garber had located on a part of section 4, and L. Ben- jamin and his son-in-law, George Falsom, on section 5.
The Hartman and Jenkins families, Levi Culver and the Rud- loffs lived down near the north side on the west fork of the Cedar river, and Henry Bushyager, and his son Joseph and G. H. Horton lived just across the river on the south side on sections 18 and 19. Down the river on a part of section 29 was Lewis Sumner, and a little farther down was A. T. Little. Bevond him was the home of Henry Meyer and family. James Ray lived across the river on a part of sections 35 and 36. The Bushvagers, Hortons, Sumners, Littles and Henry Meyer lived on the south side of the river. No one lived on the east side except Lockwood and Robinson, as before stated.
In 1866 came Volney Kellogg, T. P. Treadwell, L. John, Henry Bowton and H. D. Caldwell. The last four families located on sec- tion 16. About this time James Chambers settled here and improved and lived on the west half of the northeast quarter of section 2. Chambers became the first postmaser at Coldwater.
Alonzo Hall and Lucy Lill were married by Rev. Loomis Ben- jamin in 1862. This was the first ceremony of the kind to take place in the township.
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The birth of John O. Crapser, on September 19, 1856, was the first to occur in the community. The child was a son of Julian H. Crapser.
The first death, or deaths, to occur in the township were long to be remembered. A man by the name of Hogan lived in a log house at the grove and was stricken with paralysis. His wife left him in the cabin with two children, while she went to a neighbor's for assistance. While absent, the little ones going too near the open fireplace, soon found their clothing enveloped in flames, which communicated to the bed on which the invalid lay unconscious. The mother on her return was horrified to find the house in flames and the two children fatally burned. The father lived but a few days and the triple burial occurred at Janesville, Bremer county.
A postoffice was established in the township called Ingham and was located on the northwest quarter of section 16. L. T. John was appointed postmaster about the year 1858 and at about the same time L. N. Lockwood petitioned for a postoffice to be located on or near section 2, of what is now West Fork township. The petition was granted and the office called Coldwater. James M. Chambers was postmaster. After a few years the office was removed across the line into Butler county, and in 1879 Ingham postoffice was abandoned and the settlers were required to go to Sheffield for their mail.
Rev. Loomis Benjamin, who settled on the Slade farm, preached the first sermon in. West Fork township, in the year 1860, at the home of J. O. Crapser, on section 2. The minister's audience con- sisted of about twelve persons. For some time thereafter this worthy man held meetings regularly.
The Coldwater Baptist Church was organized in the fall of 1879 at the house of John Lockwood, just across the Butler county line. A. R. Butler, of Osage, presided at the first meeting. The names of most of the first members follow: L. N. Lockwood, Emeline Lock- wood, John H. and Maria Lockwood, Andrew J. and Sarah Lock- wood, Edward A. Lockwood, Emily Lockwood, Lizzie C. Lockwood, Dora E. Lockwood, Ida M. Lockwood and Solomon Robinson. The first pastor was Rev. A. R. Button. L. N. Lockwood having donated a site on the southeast quarter of section I, a church edifice was erected in 1881 at a cost of $1,200. In 1882 the society was incorporated, and the first services in the church were held in July of that year .. Reverend Button resigned and Rev. J. F. Bryant was placed in charge.
A German Baptist society had been organized sometime in the:
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'70s and in the year 1883 this church put up a fine house of worship on section 5.
A schoolhouse, the first one to be built in the township, was erected on section 2, in 1861, by John O. Crapser. This is the build- ing that became part of the residence of Thomas Hall, in 1883. The first term of school held in the house was taught by Louis Parker.
A cemetery was located near James Ray's place soon after the first settlement. Years later another burial place was opened near Hall's schoolhouse.
T. E. B. Hudson was one of the early settlers in West Fork town- ship and after years of industry on the farm, came to Hampton to reside in 1889 and at the same time take up the duties of auditor, to which office he had been elected. A few years later he was per- suaded by the late Editor Raymond to write the following article for his paper :
"I arrived in Franklin county, August 2, 1865. I first came into what is now West Fork township, but what was then a part of Ingham township. How did I happen to come to Franklin county and West Fork township? I attended country school and lived in the same neighborhood in Winnebago county, Illinois, with the Hall boys, who had moved to Iowa in 1860. At that time (August 2, 1865) the Dubuque & Sioux City Railroad, now the Illinois Cen- tral, was in operation only as far as Cedar Falls and we walked from there into Franklin county. I will give you the condition of West Fork township at that time, so far as it relates to actual set- tlers. L. N. Lockwood and Solomon Robinson lived on the east half of section 1. They, with John O. Crapser, came there in 1856 from New York state. John O. Crapser lived in a log house on the northwest quarter of section 2, and James Birch on the south half of the northwest quarter of section 2. Hiram Morehouse lived on a part of the east half of section 3. He came with the Halls and was a brother of Thomas Hall's wife. Thomas Hall and his three boys-Philo, Alonzo and John -and his son-in-law, William Hart- well, owned together the west half of section 3 and lived there. Wil- liam Garber was living on a part of section 4, and L. Benjamin and his son-in-law, George Folsom, lived on section 5. The Hartmans, old Mr. Jenkins and family, Levi Culver and the Rudloffs lived down near the north side on the west fork of the Cedar river and Henry Bushyager and his son Joseph, and G. H. Horton lived just across the river on the south side, on sections 18 and 19. Down the river on a part of section 29 was Lewis Sumner, and a little farther
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down the river lived Henry Meyer and family, who was the father of our townsman, Adolph Meyer and Mrs. Peter Carlson. Across the river, on the north side, on a part of sections 35 and 36 lived James Ray. The Bushyagers, Hortons, Sumners, Littles and Henry Meyer all lived on the south side of the river. I think there was a man by the name of Squires living in a small house on what was afterwards a part of the farm of Volney Kellogg, on the southeast quarter of section 11. You will notice that there were few settlers along the northwest and south sides of the township and no one living on the east side except Lockwood and Robinson, as before stated, on section
All the balance of the township was a vast wilderness of prairie I.
grass.
"In 1866 came Volney Kellogg, T. P. Treadwell, L. John, Henry Boughton and H. D. Caldwell. The last four named located on sec- tion 16. About this time James Chambers came and improved and lived upon the west half of the northeast quarter of section 2, and by the way, when the Coldwater postoffice was established, Chambers was the first postmaster.
"What was then Ingham township was divided in 1868, and the first election in the new township of West Fork was held November 3d of that year, in what was known at that time as the Rudloff school- house. Isaac Patterson was elected a member of the board of super- visors and I was elected township clerk.
"In 1865 the nearest market was Waverly ; however, some farmers were still hauling their produce to Cedar Falls."
OSCEOLA TOWNSHIP
Osceola township was carved out of Reeve in 1857 and made a separate organization, but since then it lost considerable of its ter- ritory, which was taken to form other townships, and its present boundary lines are as follows: Geneva township on the north; on the east is Butler county, on the south Hardin county, and on the west, Grant township. Its location is in the southeast corner of Franklin county.
The land in Osceola township is principally rolling prairie, re- lieving the monotony of a broad expanse of territory by three groves of natural timber. The land is well watered by Beaver creek and its branches. The soil is a dark rich loam, producing plenteous yields of corn, oats, rye, potatoes and other cereals. The surface of the land is quite rolling for a prairie country, and of 23,040 acres it
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contains, there is practically no waste land in the entire township. The Iowa Central Railway passes through Osceola, entering the town- ship at section 35, and after running in a northwesterly direction, makes its exit from section 25. Faulkner is a railroad station situated in the northwest corner of section 15. The township was early set- tled and developed rapidly and substantially until today its farms are as well improved and cultivated as any in the county.
Dr. L. H. Arledge, whose name has frequently been mentioned in this work, Thomas Downs and a Mr. McCormick are said to have been the first settlers in this part of the county. They came in 1853.
Being induced to visit this part of the country by the general government throwing open for settlement a large amount of land that had been set apart for the endowment of the State University, Richard T. Blake, Luther Butterfield and Patrick McCann left their homes in Cook county, Illinois, in 1854, and with ox teams slowly made their way across the Mississippi at Dubuque, and after many hardships they arrived at Downs Grove, about the 15th of August, where they met Thomas Downs and family just returned to their home after an absence caused by Indian troubles. Near the Downs home was McCormick's cabin.
Blake was pleased with the surroundings and bought McCor- mick's claim, on which he had at the time about ten acres plowed. McCormick then left the country and ended up in Wright county. Richard T. Blake was probably the first permanent settler in Os- ceola township. He was born in Ireland and followed the sea for many years. He was the father of twelve children, one of whom married Walter Shroyer, a son of Lewis Shroyer, and is still making her home three miles south of Hampton.
The Blake home, purchased of McCormick, was just north of Beaver creek and south of the Fahey place. Mr. Blake died in 1896.
Orson Reeve remembers an incident which shows the primitive way of doing things in pioneer days. He says he thinks there is a tax receipt in existence that Robert Piatt gave to Richard Blake. When Blake came to pay his taxes, Piatt was out in the field, where Blake found him back of the woods. Mr. Blake made tender of his taxes ; Piatt sat down on a stump, took off his plug hat, and making a desk of it, wrote a tax receipt on a common piece of paper and handed it to him. The validity of the receipt never was questioned.
Patrick McCann, who came to the township with Blake, entered land close by, improved it and made it his home for many years. He
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was also a son of old Erin and emigrated to America when fifteen years of age. He married Margaret McCarle, at Cedar Falls, in 1856, and to them were born in Osceola township seven children : Mary Ann, Margaret, James, Catherine, Henry, Florence and Elizabeth.
Luther Butterfield was a frontiersman, his parents being resi- dents of Illinois at the time of the Black Hawk war, when Luther was born. He settled in the township the same time as his compan- ions. His health was greatly impaired, however, through exposure and hardships, and on January 9, 1857, he passed away at the age of thirty-two years.
From this time on until the fall of 1855 there were but five fam- ilies in Osceola township: Thomas Downs, Richard T. Blake, Luther Butterfield, the Seiffermans and J. Koppas. The two latter had located on claims previously taken up in 1854.
Theodore Miller, a pioneer, became one of the leading citizens of Osceola township. He was formerly a resident of Freeport, Illi- nois, and located about one mile northwest of McCormick's Grove, in the fall of 1855. Richard Blake sold to him the old McCormick log cabin, to which J. Koppas put up a claim, the cabin having stood near the line of the Koppas and Blake places. The matter went before 'Squire Leggett, who lived on the Andrews place in Reeve township, and the verdict was given for the defendant. Koppas shortly thereafter sold out his place to John Fahey, who came from Ohio in 1858. He was regarded as an excellent citizen, and among other offices in which he served faithfully and well was that of board of supervisors, on which he was a member six years. Seiffer- man lived on his place until 1867, when he sold out and went to Missouri.
James Whiteside was a settler in the township in 1859. He pur- chased land upon which he lived until 1893, and made it one of the finest farms in Franklin county. In the year last mentioned Mr. Whiteside moved to California, where he died March 1, 1908.
Among the few who came here in 1866 was Martin Cooney, a native of Ireland. He emigrated to the United States in 1847 and the year 1855 found him in Dubuque county, Iowa.
S. A. French arrived in the township at about the same time as Mr. Cooney. Among later settlers may be mentioned the following : M. K. Donovan, Edward O'Brien, Moses Myers, Michael Hol- loran, Isaiah Wagner, Michael Burns and John T. Trumbower.
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Michael Burns settled in the township in 1868. He was a native of Ireland. James Treanor was born in Ireland and located on sec- tion 17, in 1869. He became a valued neighbor and citizen and held offices of importance in the township.
M. K. Donovan in 1837 purchased the northeast quarter of sec- tion 10 and located there with his family, remaining until 1882, when his home was burned to the ground. He then built a modern resi- dence on section II and owned one of the finest farms in the town- ship. During Mr. Donovan's residence here by his superb leader- ship he kept the township in the democratic ranks, but met defeat in 1896, the German element leaving the party that year on the issue of bimetallism. Then we formed the gold standard. Donovan moved to Eagle Grove, in Wright county, about 1903, and was elected mayor of the town.
Edward O'Brien arrived in Franklin county in 1868, bought land and located in Marion township, where he farmed until 1872, at which time he settled in Osceola township. Mr. O'Brien was a democrat and held several local offices.
Moses Myers located on section 16, in 1869. Michael Holloran was born in Ireland and emigrated to the United States in 1857. He farmed in Illinois and in 1870 settled on section 30, Osceola township, and in course of time accumulated several hundred acres of land.
Isaiah Wagner became one of the solid, reliable men of Frank- lin county. Mr. Wagner located on section 9, Osceola township, in 1868. He had served three years in the Thirty-fourth Illinois Vol- unteers.
The first birth in Osceola township was that of Bennie J. But- terfield, December 8, 1854. He died about a year later.
The first marriage ceremony performed was between Samuel Burke and Jane Herman, in June, 1856.
Luther L. Butterfield died January 9, 1857. This was the first death in the township. The body was laid to rest on the farm a half mile north of where the village of Ackley now stands.
The first school taught in Osceola township was presided over by Mrs. Luther Butterfield in the winter of 1857-8. The log school building stood in what was known as the Whiteside district. The first schoolhouse built by public funds in the township was in 1864.
At the home of William Richardson, Reverend Connell, a Metho- dist minister, preached the first sermon in the township, in 1858. He also held meetings at the home of Mrs. Butterfield.
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A public cemetery was laid out in Osceola township, just north of Ackley, in 1862. Prior to this, burials had been made near the earthly home of the deceased. Another cemetery was platted in 1863, two and a half miles north of Ackley, called Franklin Street Cemetery. The first person to be buried here was Mrs. Ingham, a daughter of William Richardson, one of the pioneers of the town- ship.
FAULKNER
On section 15, Osceola township, was laid out and platted, in 1878, the town of Faulkner. It is a station on the Iowa Central railroad, one, however, that has not grown to notable dimensions. It has never been incorporated and for that reason the census bureau has not given the number of inhabitants. The township itself has 748. There is a small depot here, however, a grain elevator, a gen- eral store, blacksmith shop and other conveniences. The postoffice was established in 1871. The first grain buyers were of the firm of White & Austin, and the first merchants, the firm of McLain & Son.
INGHAM TOWNSHIP
Ingham is a township whose population in 1910 numbered 665. It was detached from Washington township in 1858 and given a separate organization. An election was ordered by Judge Reeve to be held at the house of Simon Selix, April 5, 1858. The presi- dent of that meeting was Henry Meyer; judges, J. H. Ingham, Lemuel Armstrong and J. H. Allen; clerks, Isaac Stover and J. A. Staley. The officers chosen at this election were Lemuel Arm- strong, Simon Selix, J. H. Allen, trustees ; Isaac Stover, clerk; Henry Meyer and J. A. Staley, justices of the peace; Simon Selix and L. H. Cooley, constables. On May 17th the trustees held their first meeting and divided the town into two road districts.
Ingham township, named for George H. Ingham, an Ohioan, and one of the first settlers here, contains something over 23,040 acres, little of which was considered as waste land. Its territory is well supplied with water, the west fork of the Cedar river running diag- onally to the southeast across the northeast corner of the township. The south fork of the Cedar river having three branches, which form a junction at the southwest corner of section 28, waters the greater portion of the township. There are also a number of live springs of
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