USA > Iowa > Franklin County > History of Franklin County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 32
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The history of the town of Sheffield includes that of Clinton town- ship, the territory of the town being coextensive with that of the town- ship.
Clinton township was originally a part of Washington township. It was divided in 1879, to make Ross township, leaving to Clinton that territory which is now under the jurisdiction of the town of Shef- field. Or, in other words, sections 3, 4, 9, 10 and a part of sections 5 and 8, which are within the corporate limits of Sheffield.
The first persons to settle on Clinton's rich prairies were L. W. Bailey, S. E. Baker, John Goldsberry and John Goldsberry, Jr.
L. W. Bailey, an Ohioan, located on section 9 in 1856. S. E. Baker, from Illinois, also took a part of section 9, in 1857, and made his home there until 1874, when he sold his interests in the land and moved from the county.
John Goldsberry and his son, John, settled on section 9, in 1857, but both left the county before the Civil war.
A. F. Crosby, of the Buckeye state, settled on the northwest quarter of section 9, in 1859, where he farmed and ran a blacksmith shop. He sold the land and moved into the main part of the vil- lage, where he opened a blacksmith shop in 1874. He died at Shef- field June 4, 1905. It should be noted that the pioneers, whose names have been mentioned, located on section 9. What is also worthy of note is the fact that section 9 is part of the town site of Sheffield.
Other early settlers in Clinton were H. D. Abrams, Joseph Per- rin, John H. Richer, B. R. Tilton, A. H. Bird, D. Loomis, J. Bender, James Green, Christopher Green and John L. James. D. Loomis was a native of New York. He came to Franklin county in 1870 and settled on section 16, West Fork township, and later moved to Sheffield. J. Bender, after living in Hampton two years, moved on
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to a farm in Clinton township in 1875. James Green came in 1876 and engaged in business at Sheffield. Christopher Green located in the township in 1879 and purchased a farm. John L. James came in 1881.
The village of Sheffield is located on section 4, in Clinton town- ship, and was laid out for Charles C. Gilman and platted by Al- bert G. Gilman in February, 1874. The plat was filed for record, March 2, 1874. Mr. Gilman was president of the Central Iowa Railway and lived at Marshalltown. He named the new village Sheffield in memory of a friend, who lived in Dubuque.
The railroad company started building operations in Sheffield by putting up a frame depot and soon thereafter, James Thompson erected a small frame house, in which he placed a small stock of merchandise.
In the spring of 1874 Elias Whitney added to the growth of the place by building a frame house, which became the initial hostelry of that trading point. A second hotel was built by John Bolton the same year and was conducted by him for many years. M. Linchrist was the first person to engage in the hardware business in Sheffield, opening a store in 1875. After a period of one year he sold his stock to Culver Brothers, who later disposed of their interests in the goods to W. B. Barney & Company. S. E. Spaulding was Sheffield's pioneer furniture dealer. Mr. Spaulding displayed a stock of goods to patrons in 1876 and continued in the trade until 1878, when he sold out to R. D. Churchhouse.
Joseph Perrin opened a blacksmith shop here in 1874. He was a veteran of the Civil war and settled in the township in 1870. A. F. Crosby started wagon making in 1874 and continued in the work a number of years.
Dr. J. M. Potter was the first physician to practice his profession in this section of the county, coming to Sheffield in 1875. He opened the first drug store in the town, in 1875, which he sold to the firm of Anderson & Nichols in 1880.
SHEFFIELD INCORPORATED
The town of Sheffield was incorporated in 1876 and on May 13 of that year an election was held for municipal officers. The result of the poll showed that W. S. Bowen was elected mayor; M. Craw- ford, recorder ; R. Wilde, H. K. Phelps, S. E. Spaulding. P. A. Pope, G. A. Culver, trustees.
Two Scenes at the Plant of Sheffield Cement and Tile Block ( o. Main Street Methodist Episcopal Church
Public School
SCENES IN SHEFFIELD
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By this time the township and its principal town had grown slowly but substantially. Sheffield probably had reached a popula- tion of 175, but three years later the citizens had increased to about two hundred and fifty, according to L. B. Carhart, who set up his stakes in the town that year and who, recently, talked interestingly on the subject of his splendid little town, in an interview accorded the writer. He said :
"I came to Hampton in the spring of 1873, and with T. B. Tay- lor started a book and music store, afterwards purchasing Taylor's interests. I conducted the business there until the fall of 1877, then selling out, went to Grinnell, where I engaged in the lumber busi- ness with my father and brother for two years. In the latter part of December, 1879, I located in Sheffield, finding here a small town not very well developed. The business houses were frame build- ings, nearly all one story in height. There were, however, two or three two-story structures, the upper part of which were used as living rooms. The population at that time was about two hundred and fifty as near as I can judge. The business men who were here at that time as near as I can remember were about as follows: Gen- eral merchants, James Thompson, William Combellick and Thomas Brothers; a harness shop, conducted by J. W. Winship; two grain elevators, one controlled by Thomas Brothers & Mckenzie, and the other operated by S. B. Elder; Winchell Brothers, steam gristmill; one of the boys was named C. D. Their mill burned down a few years later and was never rebuilt. There were two blacksmith shops, one owned by Joseph Perrin and the other by Samuel Brugger. The postmaster was W. S. Bowen, who afterwards became proprietor of the Sheffield Press and later moved to Brookhaven, Mississippi. There were two frame hotel buildings. The landlord of one of the hotels was John Bolton, and the other was conducted by E. G. Schaeder. About this time F. P. Morgan started the Sheffield Press. One hardware store was then in existence and was run by Culver Brothers. There was also Doctor Potter, who kept a drug store. I remember of there being a furniture store but the proprietor left just after I came. Doctor Potter also left shortly after I located here. There was a restaurant, the name of the proprietor of which has escaped me. One Beatty kept a livery barn and A. F. Crosby had a wagon shop. The lumber and coal yard belonged to Richard Wilde. Incredible as it may now seem, there was a saloon in the town, which was closed shortly after my arrival.
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"There were no churches and the children gathered in an old frame schoolhouse for instruction. This building had two rooms, accommodating probably seventy-five pupils. When the people desired to meet for religious exercises, this schoolhouse served for church purposes until the summer of 1880, when the Baptists erected a house of worship, and the following summer the Methodists also built a church. I remember that when I came here Rev. F. M. Coleman, a Methodist Episcopal minister, held services, preaching once in two weeks at the schoolhouse.
"At the time of my coming to Sheffield, the best farms in the vicinity were selling at about twenty-five dollars per acre for im- proved lands, and unimproved land, at a little distance from town, could be had for from six to ten dollars, which today is quoted at from one hundred to one hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre.
"The town has had two very severe fires, burning out nearly all of the old original section. At one time twenty-three buildings were destroyed. The first conflagration occurred in 1889, and the second in 1894, the latter causing a loss of $60,000, and obliterating practi- cally the whole business part of Sheffield. The loss was about half covered by insurance."
After the last fire mentioned by Mr. Carhart, building began with energy and a determination to give Sheffield a class of busi- ness houses of a more substantial and better appearing character. The result shows plainly to the most casual observer. On the main street are buildings most pleasing to the eye. They are built of pressed brick and many of them are two stories in height. The stores are well stocked with a class of goods that express and meet the demands of their patrons. The school building, churches, elevator, creamery and hotel are all typical of a well put up little rural city. The lat- ter is especially to be noted, as it is a two-story pressed brick struc- ture, which cost Judge Vermilya, of Mason City, $9,000 to build, in 1899. This hotel was run by Thorne Vermilva, a son of the judge, for some years. Thomas Thomas, a pioneer merchant of Sheffield, has been the boniface for the past several vears.
POSTOFFICE
Shobe's Grove postoffice was established in 1861 and October 8. of that year, John Shobe was commissioned as the presiding officer. His successors were : Lorenzo Jones, February 6, 1864; John Shobe,
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April 24, 1865; C. R. Mckenzie, July 15, 1867; J. H. Richer, June 22, 1868; W. S. Bowen, March 15, 1871.
On March 27, 1874, the name of the office was changed to Shef- field and at the same time W. S. Bowen received his appointment as the first postmaster of the embryo village. N. J. Drown was the next postmaster, his commission being of date April 28, 1875. The names of subsequent appointees to this office follow: W. S. Bowen, April 20, 1877; Anthony Daily, December 3, 1884; W. S. Bowen, January 25, 1886; L. S. Bullard, May 9, 1889; E. E. Morehouse, July 13, 1893; L. S. Bullard, June 9, 1897; Josephine Bullard, June 26, 1902 ; John R. Bell, August 30, 1909.
SCHOOLS
In the winter of 1859-60, a young lady, Miss Hoit, taught the first school in Clinton township and the place where teacher and pupils met was a very primitive and, to say the least, not a very invit- ing one. The building was none else than an old log smoke house, which had been erected on section 1, by an early settler. However, Miss Hoit had but two pupils and these were transferred to a new school building, erected on section 9, the following spring. This building was eventually moved over into Ross township.
The first building erected in Sheffield for school purposes was built in 1875, which answered all requirements for some years. Pub- lic meetings, festivals and religious services were often held in this old building. The first instructor in this building was A. O. Hem- ming and many others have followed him. The present principal is C. B. Wahl, who began his duties in 1910.
The present school building has outlived its usefulness and is entirely inadequate for modern methods and ideas of convenience. However, a good heating and ventilating system has been installed, drinking fountains, laboratory, library and steel playground ap- paratus, the latter being placed in the summer of 1913, at a cost of $285.
Six teachers are employed, but another is sadly needed and will be supplied. One room is given over to the high-school course, in which thirty-seven pupils are enrolled. The total enrollment is J72.
Recently a Parents-Teachers' Association was organized, which has been very helpful to the school and its instructors. The mem-
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bers meet once a month, at which time discourses pertinent to the ad- vancement of children on educational lines and kindred subjects, are features of interesting programs. This society is now making strenuous efforts to create the requisite sentiment favoring the issu- ance of bonds for a Twentieth Century school building.
RELIGIOUS SOCIETIES First Baptist Church
On November 28, 1863, A. F. Little and wife, A. F. Crosby and wife, B. H. Gibbs, and wife, R. Knapp and Olive Gillett met with Elder T. H. Judson at the home of A. T. Little and organized the First Baptist Church of West Fork. The first meetings were held at the homes of the members and at schoolhouses. In 1864 the society was admitted into the Cedar Valley Association. Elder Judson served as pastor until 1866, when C. A. Smith became pastor and served for several years.
In January, 1878, the meeting place was changed to the school- house in Sheffield, and in February of the same year the name was changed to the First Baptist Church of Sheffield and the society was incorporated as such in September, 1880. Elder Button was at that time in charge and under his administration a church build- ing was erected in May, 1881, at a cost of $2,300. A parsonage was built and completed in 1888. After many years' service this build- ing was sold and the money held in trust until the fall of 1897, when lots were purchased and a new parsonage erected.
The church building was remodeled in 1909 and the society is now in a flourishing condition. It has a membership of 120, sixteen of whom are non-residents.
The names of the ministers who have served this charge follow : C. A. Smith, who remained several years; Elder Button, 1879-82; T. J. Bryant, 1882-85; Elder Hunt, 1885-87; Reverend Carey, March, 1888-September, 1888; Elder Houghton, November, 1888- November, 1890; Elder Shadwick, May, 1891-April, 1892; Elder Lewis, 1892-94; Elder Tucker, December, 1894-October, 1895; Elder Williams, May, 1896-1899; Elder Sloan, August, 1899-Feb- ruary, 1901 ; then for several years there was no regular pastor, but in 1907 P. C. Nelson became pastor, serving for one year, when in 1908 he was succeeded by Reverend Jacobs, who remained from the fall of 1908 until August, 1910. Elder Longson had charge from
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1910 until the fall of 1913, and on the 25th of October of the latter year, Rev. J. M. Whisler took charge.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
It appears from the records that this church first belonged to the Rockwell charge, which was cut off from what was called Union Ridge circuit in 1870. It was first supplied by Rev. Gideon Lyman, who had five appointments: Rockwell, Lyman's schoolhouse, Old Chapin, Owen's Grove and Shobe's Grove, now Mckenzie. The name of Union Ridge first appears in the minutes of 1869 and was supplied by J. Darwin. In 1871 it was supplied by William Gough, and when the Northwest Iowa Conference was organized, all that part of Rockwell that lay within the bounds of that conference was cut off and the circuit then consisted of Rockwell, Sheffield, Chapin and a schoolhouse east of Chapin. In 1888 Sheffield and Chapin were taken from Rockwell and the charges were changed that year to Sheffield but they were not divided until 1891.
Sheffield Methodist Episcopal Church had been organized in November, 1880, with a membership of forty. In 1882 a house of worship was erected at a cost of $2,250, and in November of that year was dedicated. The first regular pastor in charge was Rev. F. M. Coleman.
An addition to the east part of the church was built during Rev- erend Bishop's administration and the church was rededicated Janu- ary 27, 1907, by Rev. W. F. Pitner, presiding elder. At that time he raised over $4,000 and freed the society from debt. In the winter of 1913 a beautiful residence for the pastor, of stucco construction, was built at a cost of $4,000. It stands on the lot west of the church. The old parsonage was sold, which stands on the north side of the church.
The present membership is now about two hundred. There is a Sunday school, Ladies' Aid Society, Woman's Foreign Missionary Society, Woman's Home Missionary Society, Epworth League and Ladies' Guild, as auxiliaries to this church.
The pastor preaches at Chapin every Sunday afternoon, where there is a membership of about fifty. Here the society has a small frame church building.
The names of the pastors who have served this charge are as fol- lows: W. S. Darwin, 1869-70; William Gough and G. C. Lyman,
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY
1870-71; W. H. Miller, 1871-72; Ed Hoskyn, 1872-73; A. J. Gris- wold, 1873-74; G. B. Crinklaw, 1874-76; M. W. Robinson, 1876-77; O. H. Sproul, 1877-78; F. M. Coleman, 1878-80; E. A. Hawn, 1880-81 ; C. H. Gramly, 1881-82; E. Will, 1882-84; J. N. Fawcett, 1884-86; J. H. Hayward, 1886-91; Adam Holm, 1891-92; C. A. Hawn, 1892-95; Henry E. Wilcox, 1895-97; J. R. A. Hammer, 1897- 1900; H. J. Bowder, 1900-04; A. T. Bishop, 1904-06; F. C. Witzig- man, 1906-09; J. S. Delong, 1909-10; Thomas Carson, 1910-13; A. B. Soule, the present pastor, since September, 1913.
GERMAN BAPTIST CHURCH
The German people of the Baptist faith established a church organization in Sheffield in 1896, having at the time eighteen mem- bers. Rev. Jacob Jordan was the first pastor. Services were first held in the schoolhouse and occasionally in other churches, but in 1900 a commodious church building was erected. The membership now numbers seventy souls. The pastors who have been in charge are as follows : Revs. Jacob Jordan, F. Jerger, William Paul and C. F. Dallmus. The latter came in 1907.
ZION EVANGELICAL CHURCH
This is a mission and was founded in 1889, consisting of the fol- lowing appointments : Sheffield, West Fork and Steinblock's. Before this time Sheffield and Steinblock's belonged to Belmond Mission and West Fork to Hampton. H. S. Butz was the pastor in Sheffield and his successor was F. Belzer. The church in Sheffield was built in 1888, when D. S. Staebler served the work from Belmond, and the following year he built the parsonage. H. Sassman served this charge from 1892 until 1893. In the latter year thirty-three souls were converted and the church at West Fork erected. In 1894 Reverend Sassman and P. Held served this charge. In 1895 Rev. G. Youngblood came, and in 1896 M. Knoll was appointed, serving two years. In 1899 B. R. Wiener was sent to Sheffield and served four years. H. C. Schluter came in 1902, remaining four years, and his successor, in 1906, was J. M. Krafft. He was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. David Lang, who is now serving his third year, having taken charge in the spring of 1911. ' The present member- ship is fifty-three.
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Reverend Lang also preaches at Salem Church, located in West Fork, every Sunday alternating the morning and evening services with the church at Sheffield. Here there is also a membership of fifty-three.
FRATERNAL SOCIETIES
Grand Army of the Republic
Mulligan Post, No. 102, Grand Army of the Republic, was or- ganized Oct. 20, 1882, the charter members being mustered in by Capt. R. S. Benson and other members of Mckenzie Post at Hamp- ton. The name given the organization was that of Col. James R. Mulligan, of the Twenty-third Illinois Regiment, who was shot down at the head of his command at the battle before Winchester, which took place on July 24, 1864. The first officials were: J. S. Barney, commander; C. D. Johns, senior vice commander; R. J. Churchhouse, junior vice commander; G. R. Miner, adjutant; John Richer, chaplain; William Combellick, quartermaster; Joseph Per- rin, officer of the day; Samuel Esslinger, officer of the guard; I. I. Thompson, sergeant major; B. R. Tilton, quartermaster.
The charter members were B. R. Tilton, H. R. Floyd, James D. Abrams, C. D. Johns, Joseph Perrin, I. I. Thompson, D. F. Ross, Ed Esslinger, Emanuel Esslinger, Samuel Esslinger, Hiram Chase, C. Webster, William Parks, Asa Bailey, R. J. Churchhouse, Jonathan Bender, G. R. Miner, William Combellick, F. W. Kim- ball, R. Cook, J. S. Barney, R. Wilde.
The membership of Mulligan Post had reached forty at one time but fourteen of the original members have answered the last roll call, five have moved away and only two, Samuel Esslinger and C. Webster, remain. The present membership has dwindled down to eight.
In the great fire of 1894 the headquarters of the post were burned and the records destroyed. Shortly thereafter. by various means, the post secured sufficient funds to purchase a lot, upon which a tastefully built frame structure was erected. This is the Grand Army Memorial Hall, where the remnant of the old guard meets. It is also the meet- ing place of the Masonic and Odd Fellow lodges.
MULLIGAN RELIEF CORPS
Mulligan Relief Corps, No. 303, was organized February 20, 1895, with twelve charter members. This organization meets in G. A. R. hall.
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ODD FELLOWS
Sheffield Lodge, No. 422, I. O. O. F., was established October 20, 1881. In the fire of 1894 its charter was destroyed and if a dupli- cate has been issued, it is hidden away, as it is not hanging upon the walls of the Odd Fellows hall. It has a membership, however, of about fifty, and the present officials are : N. G., Butler Throssel; P. G., Albert Leider ; secretary, W. P. Ormrod; treasurer, D. E. Run- ton.
White Lily Lodge, No. 137, Daughters of Rebekah, was estab- lished October 22, 1897. This is an auxiliary society to the Odd Fellows.
MASONS
Sheffield Lodge, A. F. & A. M., was organized in 1880. The charter officers were : W. M., T. Winchell; S. W., William Thomas; J. W., A. A. Allen; secretary, J. M. Potter; treasurer, Joseph Per- rin ; S. D., Thomas Thomas ; J. D., A. Bally.
Sheffield Chapter, No. 87, Order Eastern Star, was established October 23, 1895.
KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS
Argyle Lodge, No. 182, K. P., was organized August 15, 1895, with the following charter members: H. D. Hocking, W. C. Hock- ing, W. H. Thompson, William Nettleton, C. S. Barney, A. B. Car- ter, B. Throssel, A. W. Knesel, F. I. Aborn, H. G. Newhouse, F. M. Mansfield, A. H. Ellitt, F. A. Woodford, George Wilde, E. J. Heffner, R. F. Sullivan, W. D. Brotcher, J. T. Wilde, C. J. Alder- son, W. E. Nichols, R. S. Shanks, G. C. Barney, C. P. Francisco, A. C. Whitney.
SHEFFIELD PRESS
The Sheffield Press was established in 1880 by F. P. Morgan, a brilliant newspaper man, who soon turned the office over to a suc- cessor. The paper, a six-column quarto, is now edited by Chester E. Yelland. A more extended sketch of the press will be found in a chapter devoted to that subject.
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HOTELS
The first hotel was built and conducted by Elias Whitney, in 1874, and a second hotel was built by John Bolton in the same year and conducted by him for many years. A third hotel was opened in 1880 by E. C. Schaeder, which was called the Galena House, and in 1883 William Hartswell was running a hotel here. The first building put up on real hotel lines was built about 1899 by Judge Vermilya, of Mason City, for his son, Thorne Vermilya, who was its landlord a number of years. He was succeeded by the present proprietor, Thomas Thomas, one of the pioneer merchants of Shef- field. The hostelry is now called the Thomas House. It is a modern two-story building with its two sides facing the streets, of pressed brick, and it contains sixteen bedrooms. The hotel is on the corner of Railroad and Gilman streets.
ELECTRIC LIGHTS
Among the public utilities enjoyed by Sheffield is a town hall, and fire engine house, where is installed apparatus and appurtenances for an energetic fire company which has long been organized. The streets and many of the business houses and residences are furnished lights by the Sheffield Electric Light & Power Company, organized by H. L. and C. C. Carhart, in 1909. At that time they put in a dynamo at their brick and tile factory, erected poles and strung wires throughout the town and have been giving the citizens prac- tically a continuous service. This company has also made connec- tion with Rockwell, a town of 850 people, seven miles north in Cerro Gordo, and is furnishing its lights. The franchise for this purpose was secured in 1913. It might be also mentioned that a number of farm residences are using lights furnished by the Car- hart Company. Some time since H. L. Carhart retired from the electric light company and that concern is now in full control and under the management of C. C. Carhart.
To guard against fire the town authorities some years ago dug several wells which are depended upon for a sufficient supply of water in case of fire. The only means the volunteer company has of elevating the water is by a hand pump. This safeguard, however, is not sufficient for the growing needs and dangers of the town and Vol. I-23
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it will not be a great while before Sheffield will have a modern sys- tem of waterworks.
FINANCIAL
The first bank to be established in Sheffield was the Sheffield Bank, a private financial institution, which began business January I, 1880. This was a partnership affair, the members being T. B. Tay- lor, and W. D. Evans, of Hampton, and L. B. Carhart, Mr. Car- hart assuming full management. In 1898 Mr. Carhart secured control of his partners' interests and has been carrying on the concern to the present day. About 1902, H. L. Carhart, a son, came into the bank as assistant cashier and still retains that position.
The Sheffield Bank not only does a general banking business but also has an insurance, real-estate and loan department. In 1890 a home for the bank was erected on the corner of Gilman and Second streets. It is a two-story brick structure, the first building to be made of brick in the town. It is the most attractive business block in Sheffield. The bank is capitalized at $25,000, and in December, 1913, had deposits amounting to $200,000.
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