USA > Iowa > Fremont County > History of Fremont County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc., a biographical directory of many of its leading citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistic, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of Iowa and the Northwest, map of Fremont County, constitution of the state of Iowa, reminiscences, miscellaneous matters, etc > Part 63
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
which were the time required to obtain the consent of the owner of the soil and changes made in the village plat as at first presented. At a pub- lic meeting held in the school-house, on the evening of March 9, 1857, called primarily to attend to the fencing of the burying ground and other matters of general interest, it was decided that the unfinished business relative to the village plat "should be urged forward to completion with all possible dispatch."
The survey was reported completed by the committee at a meeting held Monday, September 21, 1857, but the report was not accepted, it having appeared that the plat presented was not in accordance with the one given the committee by which they were to work. At a meeting held the fol- lowing Monday, (September 28, 1857,) the report previously made was accepted; at the same meeting J. H. Smith was appointed a committee " to procure the written consent of Mrs. R. V. Webster, S. A. Matthews and I. Townsend to make Main street 80 feet wide for { mile north from the county line." This committee reported May 24, 1858 that the written consent of all had been obtained, except that of I. Townsend, " who is now absent in Ohio." The following document, however, would seem to indicate that Mr. Townsend had signed the permit in question, but his signature and that of his wife was doubtless added after his return from Ohio.
" MARCH 10, 1858.
" We hereby give our consent that the Main street of Tabor, Fremont county, Iowa, be continued one half a mile north of the county line, 80 feet in width.
" ISAAC TOWNSEND,
EMELINE C. TOWNSEND.
L. A. MATTHEWS, and C. R. MATTHEWS, his wife. R. V. WEBSTER."
Mr. Matthews' signature and that of his wife was affixed to the above document by D. P. Matthews, by virtue of the following power of an attorney.
" Know all men by these presents:
"That we, L. A. Matthews and C. B. Matthews, wife of the said L. A . Matthews, of Batemantown, Ohio, do hereby constitute and appoint D. P. Matthews, of Tabor, Iowa, our attorney to sign our names to the vil- lage plat of the town of Tabor in Fremont and Mills counties, Iowa: hereby confirming such signature by our attorney the same as if we were personally present and did the same.
In witness whereof our hand and seal.
L. A. MATTHEWS, [L. S.]
CLARA R. MATTHEWS." [L. s.]
In presence of L. T. Clark, Daniel Ayers. 61
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570
HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
THE STATE OF OHIO, Į ss.
KNOX COUNTY,
"Before me, Daniel Ayers, a justice of the peace in and for said county, appeared L. A. Matthews and C. B. Matthews, his wife, and she did acknowledge the signing to be her voluntary act this 26th day of January, 1858.
DANIEL AYERS, J. P."
Under the apprehension that the troubles in Kansas might extend into southwestern Iowa, there was a
MILITARY COMPANY ORGANIZED IN TABOR.
" Tabor, Tuesday Evening, July 29, 1856 .- In accordance with a pre- vious notice, those interested in forming a military company convened at the school house and organized themselves into a meeting for the trans- action of any business pertaining thereto, by electing Jonas Jones chair- man, and I. C. Lyman secretary. Prayer was then offered by Rev. John Todd. Remarks were then made by several individuals in regard to the objects of the meeting. Next a motion was made by J. Todd to organ- ize by electing officers immediately; afterwards withdrawn, and another substituted in its place, providing for enrolling the names of such persons present as were willing to join such an organization. A motion was then made by G. B. Gaston, that those who had enrolled their names proceed to elect officers; amended so as to have them elected by ballot. G. B. Gaston was elected captain; M. P. Clark first lieutenant. On motion of O. Cummings the election of second lieutenant was deferred until some future meeting of the company. Next voted to appoint G. B. Gaston, M. P. Clark and J. L. Smith, a comittee to make arrangements for pro- curing arms, and also to furnish musicians for the company. Adjourned until Friday evening, August 1st, at 7 P. M.
I. C. LYMAN, Secretary."
NAMES ENROLLED.
M. P. Clark,
E. S. Hill, James W. Clark,
C. Munsinger,
J. K. Gaston,
John Hallam,
O. Cummings,
Charles Lawrence,
Isaac Hollister,
James Vincent,
G. B. Gaston,
A. C. Gaston,
Wm. R. Shepherdson,
H. D. Ingraham,
B. F. Gardner,
J. L. Smith, Edwin Hill,
Daniel P. Matthews,
J. Munsinger,
Charles Webster,
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
Jonas Jones, I. C. Lyman, W. Wallace Madison, William Woodruff,
Francis Asman, L. E. Webb, Stephen L. Hardy, John Todd.
SELF DEFENSE MEETING.
In consequence of a "liability to have their dwellings and premises forcibly and illegally searched for fugitive slaves," as had been done at Civil bend, a meeting of the citizens at Tabor was hastily called on the evening of December 4, 1858, at the new school-house, to devise means of mutual defense.
D. E. Wood was called to the chair. After prayer the object of the meeting was stated by G. B. Gaston; whereupon it was
Voted, That each able bodied man among us be authorized to take in charge and keep in order a rifle or musket, (of those now stored here belonging to the Kansas Aid Society) with at least 12 rounds of cartridges always ready.
Voted, That each person taking a rifle or musket as authorized above, sign a written receipt acknowledging the same and promising to return it in good condition when called for, to Jonas Jones as agent of the Kansas aid committee.
Voted, That the military organization of 1856 be considered defunct.
Voted, That G. B. Gaston be leader, and E. S. Hill first-substitute, and Marcus Pearse, second-substitute.
Voted, That the foregoing leaders be requested to take the cannon in care and keep it in readiness for use.
Voted, That J. Jones be requested to write to Mr. Hurd, of Chicago, and procure, if practicable, through him, a supply of revolvers for the cause.
Voted, That the officers fix upon some pass-word or sign to call the people together, if they see fit. They proposed "Watchman."
Meeting adjourned sine die.
But the citizens of Tabor were not unmindful of those things which enter into permanent and substantial growth. They had left their eastern homes to found a college and a town on this western prairie and to that task they addressed all their energies. From the time the town site was platted and the first residence built, until the incorporation of the town, December 10, 1868, their sole object seemed to be to make the town a permanent one. The buildings were not hastily and rudely constructed, but put up for long continued use. The organization of the following company shows the scope and direction of their enterprise.
572
HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
STONE QUARRY COMPANY.
During the winter of 1853 and 1854, several of the citizens of Tabor, in order to secure to the community the benefit of a stone quarry lying on Plum creek, three or four miles southwest of Tabor, combined together to purchase the right of the quarry. The following paper, transferring the property, was recorded at Sidney, August 24, 1854, in book A, page 298:
" For and in consideration of the sum of forty-five dollars, the receipt of which I hereby acknowledge, I do bargain, sell, and convey to G. B. Gaston, O. Cummings, J. L. Smith, W. J. Gate, S. R. Pearse, J. West, John Hallam, D. P. Matthews, and J. Todd, their heirs and assigns sev- erally and equally shares with each other and with myself, my heirs and assigns to all the stone or rock on or beneath the surface of the s. e. } of the s. w. ¿ of section 17 in township 70, north of range 42 west; and I hereby secure to them the right of way necessary to obtain the same; provided that no one of the aforesaid persons shall sell or dispose of their right and title to said property without the consent of two-thirds of all concerned.
"Tabor, March 30, 1854. WILLIAM L. CLARK."
In presence of Joseph Munsinger, Cordelia G. Smith.
There were taken from the quarry the first year of its opertion one hundred and nineteen loads of building stone.
Permanency to the town and its recognition as a body corporate was insured in 1868. A meeting of the citizens of Tabor was held on Monday evening, April 27, 1868, for the purpose of taking measures to become incorporated as a town. The following petition was prepared and pre- sented to the county judge, Alexander Wilson:
PETITION.
" To the honorable county judge of Fremont county, state of Iowa:
" We, the undersigned legal voters, residing within the proper bound- aries, wishing to become an incorporated town by the name of Tabor, do petition to have commissioners appointed, according to chapter 61, of the ! acts of the twelfth general assemby, to hold an election in said town to vote for or against said incorporation. The territory to be embraced in said town shall consist of the west half of section three (3), east half of section four (4), township seventy (70), north of range forty-two (42) west, all in Fremont county, state of Iowa.
JOHN TODD, WM. M. BROOKS, JOHNSON WRIGHT, G. B. GASTON, M. L. CARPENTER, and twenty-seven others."
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
In response the following official paper was received:
" Tò G. B. Gaston, J. L. Smith, John Todd, S. H. Adams, M L. Car- penter :
" Gentlemen : You are hereby appointed commissioners for the purpose of holding an election in the village of Tabor, Fremont county, Iowa, for the purpose of voting for incorporation, for or against incorporating the village of Tabor; and report your doings in the matter to this court.
" Given under my hand and official seal this 31st day of August, A. D., 1868.
ALEXANDER. WILSON, County fudge."
The gentlemen named immediately took the requisite legal measures, and posted election notices for the 22d day of September, 1868. At this election, so general was the desire to incorporate that not a single vote was cast in opposition, the entire vote cast, thirty-three, being for incorporation. The final steps in the matter were taken December 10, 1868.
At an election held at the school house in Tabor, on Thursday, Novem- ber 12, 1868, an election was held for the following officers, to which, by the act of incorporation, the town was entitled:
Mayor-G. B. Gaston.
Recorder-E. S. Hill.
Trustees-John Todd, M. L. Carpenter, D. B. Speers, H. D. Ingraham, J. F. Sanborn.
The first charter election proper was held March 1, 1869, with the fol- lowing result:
G. B. Gaston, mayor; H. D. Ingraham, recorder, and M. L. Carpenter, E. S. Hill, D. B. Speers, John Todd, J. F. Sanborn, trustees.
In the March election of 1880, the following officials received the major- ity suffrage:
M. L. Carpenter, mayor; P. B. Clark, assessor; E. Avery, recorder; J. N. Barfour, treasurer, and trustees: J. Lateratt, J. E. Todd, B. F. Ladd, J. D. Tipple, Charles Will, L. S. Brown and C. S. Harrison.
CHURCHES.
FIRST BAPTIST CHURCH OF TABOR.
This society was organized October 21, 1865, with the following origi- nal members: Rev. R. Hanley, Mrs. M. B. Hanley, M. D. Gregory, M. Gregory, Eunice Wallace, H. R. Ivery and wife, and Dr. Landon. It occupies a frame building erected at a cost of $1250.00, which was dedi- cated by the Rev. J. G. Otis. The present membership is fifty-two. The church has been under the pastorate of Dr. B. Hanley, Rev. John Davies, and G. E. Skaggs.
574
HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
HISTORY OF TABOR CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
BY REV. JOHN TODD, PASTOR.
"Thou shalt remember the way in which the Lord thy God led thee."-Deut. 8: 2.
The past, when remembered, forms a basis for progress in the future. Hence Jehovah required Israel, when on the borders of Canaan, to remember all the way in which God led them in the wilderness. That Mosaic record of God's dealings with Israel affords, to this day, the clearest illustration of the divine character, and the fullest commentary on the principles which regulate his moral government. But the Creator has not forsaken the world. He is even now directing the events of his providence unerringly to the accomplishment of his purposes and plans of mercy toward man- kind. It is pertinent then at all times, but especially on an occasion like the present, to note all the way in which the Lord our God has led us.
In attempting to chronicle the past, it is difficult always to distinguish between the important and unimportant facts-the interesting and the uninteresting. Some things, of much interest to one, may be very dry details to another. Most persons are interested in the recital of scenes and acts, in which they have been participators. I ask, then, your indul- gence as I attempt to present the history of this church the twenty-five years of its existence.
In presenting its history, it seems proper to speak of the causes and influences to which it owes its origin. George Belcher Gaston, the origi- nator, and for more than twenty-five years the chief promoter of the object of which this church forms a prominent part, was born in Danby, N. Y., November 8, 1814, and when twenty years old moved with his parents, Dea. Alexander Gaston and Lydia Belcher Gaston and family, to the vicinity of Oberlin, Ohio, in the fall of 1834. In opening up a new farm in that heavily timbered country, he found ample scope for vigorous mus- cular exercise, and thus became skilled in, and acquired a love for pioneer- ing. He had not the advantages of a liberal education, but beyond the facilities afforded by the public schools of that early day, he enjoyed the benefits of a single term at Huron Institute, located at Milan, Huron county, Ohio. He was converted and united with the church at Danby, when thirteen or fourteen years of age. On February 22, 1837, he was married to Miss Maria Cummings, daughter of Dea. Isaac Cummings and Anna Farwell Cummings.
In 1840, he, with his family and others in the employ of the A. B. C. F. M., went on a mission to the Pawnee Indians on the Loupe fork of the Platte river. There he acted as government farmer for the Pawnees for four or five years, when, on account of the health of his family, he
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
returned to Ohio, and continued his agricultural pursuits on a farm about two miles west of Oberlin.
Brother Gaston, constitutionally sympathetic, and also moved by chris- tian kindness, had his compassions deeply stirred toward the Pawnees, when he beheld their degradation and saw their need of the gospel, and when compelled to relinquish his labors among them, he gave the chief the parting hand, it was with flowing tears and faltering voice that he expressed his deep regret that he had not been able to accomplish for their good what he had fondly hoped to do. His interest in the Pawnees never ceased, and the establishing of a school in southwestern Iowa, he ardently hoped might in some way become a blessing to them. This object was never forgotten in projecting the enterprise of which the establishment of this church is a part.
While swinging his cradle in the harvest field in the summer of 1847, the idea of founding an institution of learning in the west was first sug- gested to his mind. He had become acquainted with the Missouri valley in passing to and from the Pawnees; he had seen the blessed influence of Oberlin College, and longed to see it repeated on the western frontier. Religion and education, the church and the college, were regarded as mutual complements, neither of which could be complete without the other. The suggestion appeared to be from God, and the Spirit seemed to say, as did Nathan to David, "Go, do all that is in thine heart; for the Lord is with thee." Believing, too, that reason was given to man for use, Brother Gaston conferred with others. Quite an impetus was given to the interest on this subject, in and around Oberlin, by an address by Les- ter W. Pratt, at Oberlin, in the fall of 1847, who, with his estimable wife, a sister of Brother Gaston, was then in Ohio visiting their friends. A meeting for prayer and consultation was called, which resulted in the establishment of a weekly prayer-meeting, which continued until trans- ferred to Fremont county by the removal of Brother Gaston and family, Brother Adams and wife, and Darius P. Matthews to the Civil Bend neighborhood in the autumn of 1848, when Deacon Josiah B. Hall and Rev. John Todd accompanied them for the purpose of selecting a location for a settlement which might foster and sustain a literary institution. That little company met daily on the way, in Brother Gaston's state-room on the boat, to pray for divine guidance in the prosecution of our enterprise.
The journey was made by railroad from Belleview, O., to Cincinnati; hence by steamer on the Ohio, Mississippi and Missouri rivers to St. Joseph, Mo. Then Brother Gaston bought a span of horses which he soon attached to a wagon, which he had brought along, and Brother Hall and myself each purchased a horse, with bridle and saddle, and thus we were soon equipped for travel westward to Iowa, On about the third day, toward evening, in the month of October, we reached the cabin of Lester
576
HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
W. Platt and family, where we were most cordially received and feasted on the fat of the land. After weeks of boating on western rivers, and days of frontier travel, it was refreshing to find a generous welcome among congenial spirits. Brother Platt and wife had been connected with the Pawnee Indian Mission and were but recently located at this point. We found among their neighbors Dr. Ira D. Blanchard and family, including Miss Abbie Walton, who had been connected with the Baptist mission among the Kaw Indians in Kansas. There were a number of families also in the neighborhood from West Virginia, Kentucky and Mis- souri. All the settlers were but squatters, as the land had not yet been surveyed, and could not be bought. L. W. Platt, G. B. Gaston, S. H. Adams, D. P. Matthews, Dea. J. B. Hall, I. D. Blanchard, and myself scoured the country on horseback, for about a fortnight, in search of an eligible site for our settlement. We visited the bluffs and ranged back and forth across the bottom, visited Rev. William Rector, a local preacher of the M. E. church, who lived at the foot of the bluffs, southwest of where Sidney now is, and was known as Father Rector. We examined the timber in the bend of the river-went up to where Wilson's stone quarry now is-entered the bluffs at the Wahbonsie hollow, and crossed over to the Wahbonsie agency's log house, near where Ezekiel Lambert since lived and died. We there attended a political meeting, which peti- tioned the legislature for the organization of a county in southwestern. Iowa. We went north to Trader's Point-there crossed the river and visited the Presbyterian mission, then under charge of Mr. Mckinney From Trader's Point we took the Mormon trail over Silver creek. There we lodged together at Dr. Dalrymple's (?) and in the morning sep- arated. Dea. Hall and myself set out for our homes in Ohio, and the rest returned to the bend. We parted with the understanding that unless we, in our journey across the state, should find a more eligible site, we would conclude to locate on the Missouri bottom, near where Percival now is. We, i. e., Dea. Hall and myself, spent the first Sabbath on our way, with Elder York, in a Mormon settlement at Pisgah, now in Union county. I proposed that from there we visit the "three river country," in the region of Des Moines, but Dea. Hall would not hear to it, saying - "The Lord would never have sent us around by the Missouri river, if he had wanted us to go to the " three river country "
THE UNION CHURCH OF CIVIL BEND
was organized in the winter of 1848-9, embracing Brother Gaston and wife, Brother Platt and wife, Bro. Adams and wife, Dr. Blanchard and wife, D. P. Matthews, Abbie Walton and Cephas Case. A Bible-class and Sunday-school and weekly prayer meeting were regularly maintained. , Others were added to this church by letter and profession, (among whom
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
were Dea. Hall and family, John W. Smith and family, J. Todd and family, and Miss Rachel Tucker-our first teacher-all of whom came in 1850), until the spring of 1852 it numbered about thirty members.
In 1853 or 1854 a prominent member, (Dr. I. D. Blanchard) of the Union Church of Civil Bend was disciplined, and by a small majority vote sus- pended. The majority having good reason, as they thought, to believe that the minority intended by preferring charges against a sufficient num- ber of the majority, and thereby depriving them of the right of voting, to enable the minority to rule, and thus to reverse the action of the church, and occasion prolonged contention. to avoid such a result, the majority called a meeting without taking pains to notify the minority, at which they all voted each other letters, and so left the church, which never manifested any vitality afterwards. Thus that church died.
On account of high water in the summer of 1,851, several, viz: G. B. Gaston and family, S. H. Adams and family, J. Todd and family, removed to the vicinity of Tabor. Brother Gaston bought the claim of Mr. Beeler, and located temporarily in the edge of the timber about three-fourths of a mile southwest of Tabor, and Mr. Adams shared the premises with him. J. Todd bought Frederick Argyle's claim and located in the timber about two miles southwest of the village of Tabor, where he lived about sixteen months, when, in August, 1853, he removed into his present residence. During the summer of 1852, meetings and Sunday-school were held in the grove near the minister's log-cabin in fair weather, and in his cabin in unpleasant weather. Preaching was had when the minister could be at home, but as he divided his time with Civil Bend, Sidney, Florence, (a point opposite the mouth of the Platte river, where a small church was organized in the fallor winter of 1850), and other points, he was frequently away on the Sabbath. The Wednesday evening prayer-meeting was always maintained at the residence of Brother Gaston until the comple- tion, in the autumn of 1854, of the first school-house -that which has just been moved from the southwest corner of the church lot.
In the fall of 1852, Brother O. Cumings of Amherst, Ohio, visited us, having made the journey most of the distance across the state on foot, because there was then no public conveyance. While he was here, on the 11th of October, 1852, in the minister's cabin, the Congregational Church of Tabor was organized. At the preparatory meeting of October 10, the ¡pastor preached from Ps. 84:4, "Blessed are they that dwell in thy house; they will be still praising thee." On Sabbath, October 11, Rev. Geo. G. Rice of Kanesville, (now Council Bluffs), and missionary of the A. H. M. society was present and preached from 1 Cor., 2:5. "That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." Eight persons then formally assented to the articles of faith, and
17
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HISTORY OF FREMONT COUNTY.
took upon themselves the binding obligations of the church covenant, whose names are as follows: G. B. Gaston and Maria C. Gaston, his wife, with their sons Alexander C. Gaston and Alonzo M. Gaston; Sam- uel H. Adams and Caroline M. Adams, his wife; John Todd and Martha A. Todd, his wife; only five of whom remain.
Jacob Dawson and wife, who lived near by, and claimed to have been Presbyterians in western Pennsylvania, whence they came, talked of join- ing in the organization, but Mr. Dawson had bought out the Frontier Guardsman, a paper then published at Kanesville, (now Council Bluffs), and was wont to ride back and forth on the Sabbath, and not being will- ing to change his course in that respect, it was not thought best they should unite:
The first accession to the members of the church occurred June 11, 1853, when the following persons were received: Origen Cumings, Han- nah Cumings, Abbie Cumings, Jesse West, Lucinda West, W. J. Gates, Emily P. Gates, by letter, and Salome R. Shepherdson, the first to unite by profession. Jessie West and Salome R. Shepherdson were baptized by immersion in a basin, or " buffalo wallow," washed out in the hollow in S. Jones' cornfield, and about midway down from his residence to Plum | creek. October 1, 1853, James L. Smith, and Cordelia G. Smith, his wife, from the church at Oberlin, and Darius P. Matthews and his wife, from the Union church at Civil Bend, were received into membership.
To show the postion of the church at that day on the subject of reforms I make the following quotation from the church records:
" September 2, 1853, J. Todd, Jesse West, and W. J. Gates were ap- pointed a committee to prepare an expression of sentiment in relation to slavery, temperance, and mission boards. The report of that committee was amended and adopted at the first annual meeting, October 5, 1853, as follows :
I. Believing that the gospel breathes ' peace on earth and good-will to men,' and that 'there is no respect of persons with God,' we regard Ameri- can slavery as essentially hostile to the principles of christianity, and all who in any way uphold it as so far occupying a position inconsistent with christian benevolence.
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