USA > Iowa > Cerro Gordo County > History of Franklin and Cerro Gordo counties, Iowa and biographies of representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races > Part 50
USA > Iowa > Franklin County > History of Franklin and Cerro Gordo counties, Iowa and biographies of representative citizens. History of Iowa, embracing accounts of the pre-historic races > Part 50
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
Emanuel H. Wohlford, son of John and Katharine (Kramer) Wohlford, was born Aug. 21, 1857, in Knox Co., Ohio, where he spent his youthful days until fourteen years old, when his parents moved to Stephenson Co., Ill., in 1865, and remained there until 1877, when they came to Franklin Co., Iowa, and purchased eighty acres of land on section 36, in Marion township, where he now resides. Mr. Wohlford was married May 7, 1877, to Adeline Bixter, by whom he has five chil- dren-Cora A., Afton N., C rrie B., Lucy L. and Arthur F. Mr. Wohlford was an auctioneer in Illinois, and has followed it a portion of the time since coming to lowa.
Ludwig F Grassley, son of Ludwig F. and Elizabeth (Bitz) Grassley, was born in Bernbuck, Germany, June 20, 1842. At the age of fifteen he came with his parents to America, they first making their home at Blue Island, Cook Co., Ill., where they lived nine years and then removed to Du Page Co., Ill., where they remained until 1877. Mr. Grassley married Louisa Gor- don, of French extraction, who was born in Canada East. They came to Franklin Co., Iowa, and bought 120 acres of land on section 14, Marion township. They are both members of the German Lutheran Church. Mr. Grassley is a democrat in politics.
Frederick Behn came to America in 1871, first locating in Cook Co., Ill. He remained there six years, then in 1877 came to Franklin Co., Iowa, bought 160 acres of land on section 11, Marion town- ship, where he now lives and gives his attention to farming. He was born in Hanover, Germany, March 7, 1841, and
was the son of Frederick and Maria (Pet- zohn) Behn, who had six children, Fred- eriek being the youngest. Mr. Behn mar- ried Dorothea Dreegmuller, May 19, 1867. They have four children - Doras, August, Wilhelm and Rudolph. Mr. Behn is a good, industrious farmer, and makes farm- ing a success.
Johann Fredericks, one of the settlers of 1878, is the seventh of ten children born to Heinrich F. and Dorothea (Fischer) Fredericks, in Hanover, Germany. He was born the 13th of December, 1840. At the age of fourteen he came to America with his parents, who first made their home in Du Page Co., Ill. In 1861 Jo- hann enlisted in the 105th Illinois In- fantry. He was in thirteen battles, served his country three years and was honora- bly discharged. He then returned to Du Page county and remained there until he came to Franklin county in 1878. He was married to Christina Drogemuller, Nov. 22, 1872, a native of Hanover, Ger- many. They have five children-Emma, Herrmann, Martha, Anna and Wilhelm. They are members of the Lutheran Church.
H. A. Clock, of the firm of Clock & Clock, general merchants, grain buyers and lumber dealers, was born in Lake Co., Ohio, in 1844. When eight years of age, his parents moved to Illinois, and settled in Jo Daviess county, where he grew to manhood and acquired a good busi- ness education. He came to Iowa to visit a brother who had been here some time previous, and enlisted in company H, 32d Iowa Volunteer Infantry, and served until the close of the war, participating in many of the bloody battles of the rebellion, but came out without a scratch. At the close
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
of the war he went to the mountains, where he engaged in mining and pros- pecting until 1870, when he returned to Iowa, and accepted a clerkship in his brother's store, in Geneva, where he re- mained eleven years, when he came to Latimer, and in company with his brother and nephew, under the firm name of Clock & Clock, are prosecuting a business which is proving most prosperous. He was mar- ried in 1872, to Miss S. M. Reeve, a daugh- ter of Judge Reeve.
William J. Bennington came to Frank- lin county in the spring of 1880, and set- tled on a good farm in Marion township, farmed until the spring of 1883, when, he removed to the village of i atimer and , engaged in business, and is doing well, selling farm machinery. He was born in Marshall Co., Ill., in 1858, where he grew to manhood, and received a common school education. He was married June 17, 1883, to Myra Myers, of Hampton, Iowa.
Henri Muhlenbruch, the second of four children, and son of Wilhelm and Dora- thea Muhlenbruch, was born April 1836, at Hanover, Germany. and in 1863, married Wilhelmine Meyer. They lived in their native land until 1873, when they came to America, settling first in Waterloo, Iowa, but in the fall of 1882, they settled in Franklin county, Marion township, on section 35, They have eight children : Henry, Carl, Wilhelm, Fred, Lena, Anna, Deitrich and Wilhelmine. They belong to the Lutheran Church, and in politics, Mr. Muhlenbruch is a democrat.
Eugene Clock, the son of Alonzo and Rose Ann (Lynch) Clock, and the oldest of seven children, was born at Warren,
Jo Daviess Co., Ill., Aug. 12, 1854. Here he spent his childhood, received a common school education, and at the age of twenty_ one came to Towa, living in different parts of the State until he settled permanently at Latimer, Marion township, Franklin county. He is at present interested in the firm of Clock & Clock, consisting of H. A. Clock, C. L. Clock and Engene Clock.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first marriage in Marion township was that of Albert Taylor and Minnie Segar.
The first child born was Amel Men- ning.
The first death was that of Charlie Neff, a son of John and Mary Neff.
ORGANIC.
Marion township was organized in the spring of 1874. The first election was held at the house of John Neff, in October of that year. The following were the first officers elected: Trustees, John Men- ning, George Shaver and James Riddle; assessor, G. R. Minor; clerk, G. R. Mi- nor.
The officers for 1883 were: Trustees, J. W. Steenblock, J. M. Menning and H. Missman; assessor, Frederick Rodemeyer; clerk, T. H. Hacker.
EDUCATIONAL.
The first school was taught by George Minor in a building erected for that pur- pose in 1874 or 1875, on sec ion 1. The next school building was that erected on section 13, in 1877. In 1883, there were seven school houses in the township, with 156 scholars enrolled.
466
HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
RELIGIOUS.
The first sermon preached in Marion township was by Rev. McCord, in the school house on section 1. Soon after, Rev. Schmidt preached in German. In 1883, there were no church buildings, but services were held at various school houses.
VILLAGE OF LATIMER.
Latimer was laid out, in 1883, by C. L. Clock, on section 19.
The first business house in the place was a general store opened by Clock & Clock, in 1882.
In 1883, there was one store, run by Clock & Clock, a grain elevator and lum- ber yard, a blacksmith shop opened by Peter Damm; a school house, 22x40 feet, was being finished in July, of that year, in which a term of school was to be taught by Miss L. Jeffers, of Hampton.
A postoffice was established in Septem- ber, 1882, with H. A. Clock as postmaster.
CHAPTER XXVI.
MORGAN TOWNSHIP.
Morgan township is on the west side of the county, the second tier from the southern boundary, with Wright county on the west, Scott township on the north, Hamilton on the east and Oakland on the south. It is composed of congressional township 91, range 22. It derived its name from one of its earliest settlers, Lewis H. Morgan, who now lives in Ore- gon. The Iowa river runs through the southwest corner of the township, forming a semi-circle through sections 30 and 31. There is considerable heavy timber along the Iowa, but none elsewhere, except the beautiful artificial groves planted by the pioneers. The soil is a dark, productive loam on the prairies and a more sandy loam along the river, which produces the finest crops of corn, grain and grasses of any in the far famed Iowa valley. The surface is generally rolling, with rich val-
ley or bot om lands that seldom overflow to do much damage to crops.
SETTLEMENT.
Lewis H. Morgan and R. E. Train were among the first to settle in Morgan town- ship, coming in 1856.
Lewis H. Morgan, from whom the town- ship took it name, was born near Lexing- ton Ky .. about 1809. He was educated in the common schools and being a great reader he became an intelligent man. He is a staunch republican in politics. He at- tended school with Abraham Lincoln in Illinois, and heard him make his first plea at the bar. He was married in Blooming- ton, Ill., to Miss Mason of, that State. In 1883, he was living in Oregon.
Robert E. Train, who was the postmas- ter at Dows in 1883, was born in Sandusky, Ohio, in 1834, but was reared in Licking and Knox counties, receiving his educa-
C
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
tion at Antioch College under the in struction of Horace Mann, after which he followed teaching, and in May 22, 1856, come to Morgan township, where he has since lived with the exception of ten years spent in Wright county, where he held the office of town clerk six years, also county superintendent of schools, also member of the board of county supervi- sors. After returning to Morgan township he was supervisor one year, town clerk six consecutive years, then assessor two years. In 1880 he engaged in the real estate busi- ness, when he received the appointment of postmaster of Dows, which office he now holds. He was married April 27, 1861, to Hulda J. Morgan, a danghter of the oldest settler of the township, after whom it was named. They have five chil- dren, three of whom are living-Francis E., Orrin B. and Robert E. Mr. Train is a member of the Congregational Church, also a member of the Masonic lodge of Dows, of which he is secretary.
Frank White, Frank Walters, Lewis Osborne, Frank Mitchell, Jesse R. Dodd and E. A. Howland were among the early settlers of the township, the exact date of their coming, except Mr. Howland who came in the winter of 1857-8, is unknown. Jesse R. Dodd remained only a few months and removed to Oakland. E. A. Howland started the first cheese factory in this part of Iowa, in 1858, and continued the business several years. He was elected a State Senator from this district and was county supervisor for many years. He finally sold out and removed to Belmond, Wright county, and engaged in the mer- cantile business. He afterwards engaged in the hotel business at that place. Mr.
Howland is a prominent man and known by all the settlers along the Iowa river. A good joke is told on him by Col. S. J. Mendell, one of his most intimate associ- ates. Col. Mendell had just come to the county from New York, and was much amused at hearing Mr. Howland tell how he had revolutionized things in his neigh- borhood, and among other things he spoke of getting the farmers in the habit of weighing corn and other farm products in- stead of selling by measurement, as they had all been in the habit of doing. This occurred in 1866, and the following year was a cold, backward one, and the corn crop did not ripen well, consequently was very light weight, and one day after the crop had been harvested, Mr. Howland was measuring out a bushel of his soft corn, weighing about forty-five pounds, he had sold, when Col. Mendell remarked: "I thought you said you made a law here that farmers should sell by weight." Mr. Howland looked up in his cunning manner and replied: "I did, but I have been compelled to enact a new law this year." An interesting reminiscence from the pen of Mr. Howland appears in the Reminis- cence chapter, which gives a good ac- count of early times along the Iowa valley.
Samnel Parkinson came to Franklin Co., Iowa, in 1861, and settled on land which he had formerly bought in Morgan township. He owns 300 acres of land, forty acres of which are timber. He has made improvements on his land, erected valuable buildings and makes this his present home. He was born in Yorkshire, England, in 1825. After he became of age, he learned the carpenter trade, and
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
in 1851, left his native land and came to America, spent one year in Pickaway Co., Ohio, then came to Iowa and lived two years in Muscatine and Cedar Rapids. In 1854, he settled at Iowa Falls where he engaged in mercantile business, remain- ing there until he came to his present home. He was married, February 19, 1855, to Elmira Stevens, of Illinois, by whom he has had six children ; Anna R., George F., William S., Florence M., Alice M. and Edith M.
Among others who came in 1864, was William Whipple, who settled on section 17, where he still lives. He was born in Chenango Co., New York, August 24, 1819. He lived in his native county until he was eighteen years of age, then re- moved to Rochester, N. Y., remaining there three years, and thence to Ak- ron, Ohio. In 1842 he removed to Wis- consin, and located in Green Lake county. On March 20, 1862, he enlisted in the 38th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry. Whilst doing detached service at White House landing, Va., he received serious inju- ries from which he never fully recov- ered, and is now drawing a pension. He was honorably discharged after serving six months, and then returned to Wiscon- sın, and the following spring came to his present home in Morgan township. He was married in 1843, to Almira Root, who was born in Ohio, 1829. They are the parents of three children-Emma R., Oscar W. and George W. Mrs. Whipple died Sept. 12, 1873. Mr. Whipple is a republican in politics, and has held the office of justice of peace for several years. They were both members of the M. E. Church.
In addition to those already mentioned, as being settlers of 1864, were the Guil- ams, Parkison, and Harrison Fletcher. During 1865 August Quansdorf and Sam- uel W. Bangs came to the township for settlement.
August Quasdorf is a native of Germany. He came with his parents to the United States in 1855, when he was thirteen years of age, and came to Iowa in 1864. He lived one year at Alden and then moved to Franklin county, bought wild land in Morgan township, erected a board shanty and immediately commenced to make improvements on his land. He came here with very little means, but by good management, hard work and econo- my, he has become one of our most suc- cessful farmers. Ile owns 274 acres of well improved land, on which he has erected a commodious frame house in which he now lives ; and besides his im- proved land, he has forty-five acres of timber. He was born Nov. 12, 1841, and when his parents came to America, they settled in Dodge Co., Wis., where the father died in 1860, at the age of fifty- four years, and the mother, March 14, 1877. August was the youngest of six children, and since coming here, has taken an active interest in township mat- ters and has filled the offices of trustee and assessor. He was married, Aug. 29, 1859, to Miss Luhm, a native of Germany, born Jan. 16, 1842. Their union has been blessed with nine children, seven of whom are now living-Carl A., George F., Emma A., Edward A. and Henrietta L. J. They are members of the Lutheran Evangelical church. Mr. Quasdorf's mother
August Quandong.
THE NEW YORK PUBLIC LIBRARY Astor, Lenox and Tildan Foundations.
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
471
is now living with him, being eighty- eight years of age.
Alonzo A. Bangs came with his parents to Franklin county, in 1865, and settled in Morgan township, where the family still remain. He is the son of Samuel and Melissa (Morrison) Bangs, and was born Sept. 15, 1849, in Van Buren Co., Mich., and in 1861, moved with his parents to Wisconsin, and settled in Iowa county, where they remained three years, and then came and located at their present home on section 19 Alonzo A. received a liberal education in the common schools and remained with his parents until De- cember, 1879, when he was married to Josephine Mabboth, who was born in Wisconsin, in 1855. They have one child -Clifford. Mr. Bangs lives on a farm adjoining his father's, where he has erected a good house and is extensively engaged in sheep raising.
Another prominent citizen, who located on section 30, in 1865, was A. J. North- rop, a Congregational minister of New York, who remained in the township until the time of his death, in 1880. His wife died the following year.
Among the settlers of 1866, were Col. S J. Mendell and William H. Weaver.
Col. S. J. Mendell came to Franklin county, in the fall of 1866, and settled on section 30, in Morgan township, where he still resides. He is a native of Ellisburg, Jefferson Co., N. Y., born February, 1821 He grew to manhood in his native county, received an academical education, attend- ing, at different times, Union Academy at Belleville, Clinton Liberal Institute, at Clinton, and also Black River Institute, at Watertown. At twenty years of age, he
went to Hopkinsville, Christian Co., Ky., and taught school. In 1844, he returned to his native place, and remained there until 1851, when he moved to Adams, N. Y., and engaged in merchandise, and dealt largely in agricultural implements, which business he followed until April, 1861, at which time he enlisted in the army. He served till the close of the war and made a good record. After the war he returned to New York, traveled through Minnesota and other States, and came here in 1866. IIe is a thorough republican, and has held local offices at home. He was married in 1845, to Mary J. Porter, a native of New York, born in 1824 They have had twelve children, eight now living : Estelle B., Jennie L., S. Herbert, William P., Henry S, Robert L., Gracie L. and Annie H. His parents were natives of Vermont and were mar- ried in New York, where they died. They had six children, Col. Mendell being the second.
William H. Weaver, located on section 8, in 1866, where he still lives. He was born in Oxford Co., Canada, June 28, 1840, receiving a common school education. In Canada he was engaged in farming and Inmbering. When he came to Iowa, he had no means save his strong arms and a determined disposition. Upon ariving at Dubuque, he lacked five cents of having enough to pay for his breakfast, after paying for his railroad ticket to Ackley. Upon arriving at Ackley he engaged on a farm for five months, and then worked at the carpenter's trade on the Hampton court house, a few months. He worked at vari- ous kinds of business until March, 1868, when he moved to his farm. He im-
36
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
ported a fine stallion from Canada, which he afterward sold for $1,000. Mr. Weaver is a genius in many respects ; he does his own carpenter and blacksmith work. Be- ing a natural mechanic, he can construct almost anything out of wood or iron. In 1883 he was well surrounded, owning 320 acres of well improved land and a beauti- ful home. In politics he is a republican, and has filled many places of trust, as a local office holder. He was married Sept. 18, 1869, to Mrs. Amelia Ray, who was born in Ohio, in 1842 Mr. Weaver is an active member of the Masonic fraternity, at Dows.
Samuel W. Bangs settled on section 19, in Morgan township, where he has a fine farm of 250 acres, fifty acres of which is heavy timber land. He being a thorough practical farmer, his farm is under an ex- cellent state of cultivation, with a fine house and barn. He was born in Ohio, Dec. 29, 1820. When quite young his parents moved to Vermont, and from there to Monroe Co., N. Y., and again to Michigan in 1835, being one of the first settlers in Paw Paw, Van Buren county. He was raised on a farm, having the advan- tages of the common school. He was mar- ried in 1842 to Melissa Morrison, a native of Vermont, who was born in 1823. They cleared off and improved a farm of 160 acres in the heavy timber near PawPaw, Mich., but owing to ill health and the poor soil of their farm, they sold out and removed to Jones Co., Wis., where they lived until 1866, when they moved to Franklin Co., Iowa. They are the par- ents of six children-Orisson, Hattie, Alonzo, Byron, Daniel and Frank. He is
a republican in politics, and has filled numerous offices of trust in his township.
James K. Frazer settled in Maysville, Franklin Co., in 1870, living there one year. Since that time he has been a res- ident of Morgan township. He is a na- tive of York, Livingston Co., N. Y., born Nov. 8, 1845. He removed with his par- ents when six months of age to Waukesha Co., Wis. Here he spent his younger days in the common school and on the farm until he came to this county. On the 27th of July, 1867, he was wedded to Alice M. Stickney, a native of Waukesha Co, Wis., born August 28, 1844. Her father is a native of New Hampshire and her mother of Vermont, both now living in Waukesha Co., Wis. Mr. and Mrs. Frazer are the parents of four children --- Nettie A., Viola E., Elva B. and Allen J. The parents both belong to the I. O. G. T. lodge. Mr. Frazer is a republican in poli- tics, and has filled many local offices. In his experience in this country he has gone across the wild prairies when he had to trust to his faithful team to take him through the blinding snow storms to his family, when it blew so hard that he could not possibly see the road ahead of his horses.
Ferdinand Schulz was born at Schwie- bus, Germany, June 17, 1849. He came to Franklin Co., Iowa, in 1876, and at once located in Morgan township, where he has since resided. He received his ed- ucation in his native land, where he lived until 1872, when he came to the United States, settling first in Livingston Co., Ill. There he remained four years, working first as a farm hand, but after acquiring a sufficient knowledge of the English lan-
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
guage, he engaged in teaching. During the time of the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, he was employed by the German commissioners in their depart- ment. Since coming to Iowa he has also been engaged as teacher in the public schools of this vicinity the greater part of his time. He was elected township clerk in 1879, and has held that office, nearly ever since. In 1878 he was mar- ried to Mary C. Wesenberg, who was born in Fond du Lac, Wis , Feb. 3, 1858. They have three children-Daniel E., Carl W. and an infant.
Albert R. Wood purchased his present home, which consists of 160 acres, in 1876. Ilis occupation is farming. He was born in Columbiana Co., Ohio, Feb. 3, 1840. When an infant his parents re- moved to Wood Co., Ohio, where his father died when he was four years old, and when eleven years old his mother again married. He received a common school education and worked on the Miami Canal until 1855, then farmed until he enlisted Ang. 18, 1861, in company A, 2d Cavalry, Indiana Volunteers, serving until disabled from a gunshot wound at the battle of Resaca, Ga., May 14, 1864, from the effects of which he now draws a pension. On receiving his discharge he went to Indiana Oct. 4, 1864, then to Clin- ton Co., Iowa, then to Clarke county, thence to Missouri, where he remained until 1869, when he came to Franklin county where he has since lived. He was married in 1873 to Mary C. Quinn, born in Indiana Sept. 22, 1849 They have four children-Nellie E., Nora A., Lonis A., (deceased) and Orland R. In politics he is a republican. He is also a Mason,
and a member of the present board of township trustees.
ORGANIC.
Morgan was one of the three original townships of Franklin county, and eni- braced nearly one-third of the territory of the county. The first election was held at the house of J. I. Popejoy, who lived in what is now Oakland township, in the fall of 1856, when the following officers were elected: Justice of the peace, Lewis Morgan; clerk, Jesse R. Dodd; assessor, John I. Popejoy.
In 1883, the township officers were: Trustees, P. Pierce, A. R. Woods and Henry W. Schultz ;- clerk, Ferdinand Schulz; justices of the peace, S. J. Men- dell and A. H. Hackberth; constables, C. B. Flint and S. J. Capellen; assessor, Au- gust Quasdorf.
SCHOOLS.
The first school in the township was taught at Otisville, in 1856, by R. E. Train This school house served for the whole township until 1867, when Jennie Men- dell taught in a log house. The same year a frame house was erected on section 30, and Col. S. J. Mendell took charge of the school and taught for five consecutive terms, "to keep himself from starving to death," he says. In 1883, there were sev- en school houses in the township. At this time there were 215 scholars in the township.
CEMETERIES.
The oldest cemetery was located on sec- tion 30, where about thirty bodies are in- terred. In August, 1883, preparations were being made to remove these bodies to the new cemetery on section 19, which contains eleven and a half acres of land
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HISTORY OF FRANKLIN COUNTY.
and has been given the name of Mount Hope cemetery. An association was formed, in 1883, which was to have charge of the grounds. Another cemetery was started in 1879-80, on section 23, and was owned by the township.
VILLAGE OF DOWS.
This place is situated on the Burling- ton, Cedar Rapids & Northern railway, on sections 30 and 31, of Morgan town- ship, in Franklin county, and sections 25 and 36, of township 91, range 23, of Wright county, at what was formerly known as Otisville. It was platted in the spring of 1881 by the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Falls & Northwestern Land and Town Seat Company and named after S. L. Dows, a railroad contractor of Cedar Rap- ids. The Iowa river flows just to the east of the town and is provided with two bridges, one from the north and the other from the southeast.
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