USA > Iowa > Hardin County > History of Hardin county, Iowa, together with sketches of its towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history; portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 55
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Blair, John,
King, J. A., Drain, James F., Smith, William H.,
Ellsworth, Orlando M., Stratton, Chauncey B., Graves, Hermon L., Wilson, Alfred R., Henthorn, G. M. D., Wilcox, Arista.
THIRD BATTERY IOWA LIGHT ARTILLERY.
Sergeants : William R. Baldwin, Samuel S. Wright, Sidney H. Wells.
NORTHERN BORDER BRIGADE.
COMPANY C. Second Lieutenant : Samuel M. Purcell.
Privates :
Bigelow, Orra L., Nott, Leroy J.,
Button, Joshua, Osborn, Lewis,
Guilliams, John, Purcell, Andrew L.,
Kinney, Clarke E., Schlegelmich, F.,
Taylor, George.
ROLL OF HONOR.
The following comprises the list of men from Hardin county who laid down their lives in defense of the Union. Over the grave of each, for the benefit of future generations, should be written : "It is sweet and honorable to die for one's country .: "
Lieutenant George W. Moir, killed in battle at Shiloh, April 6, 1862.
Lieutenant Lyman H. Merrill, died of fever, while prisoner of war, May 29, 1862, at Montgomery, Alabama. Austin, Nathan, died at Little Rock, Arkansas, September 27, 1863.
Boyd, Wilson, died at Brownsville, Arkansas, September 14, 1863. Beach, John M., died of pneumonia at Jefferson City, January 12, 1862.
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
Baldwin, Francis, killed in action May 28, 1864. Buckner, Edward C., killed at Fort Donelson, February 13, 1862.
Brown, John W., died in hospital at St. Louis, December 19, 1862.
Bachelor, W. M., died of acute diarrhea, at Memphis, Tennessee, July 21, 1863,
Black, Gustavus H., died at Memphis, Tenn., July 23, 1864.
Brochard, Jonathan, died November 9, 1862. Boyles, Daniel J., died of wounds, at Memphis, Tennessee, October 9, 1863.
Buckingham, Hamilton, killed at Kcnesaw Mountain, June 27, 1864.
Black, Gustavus H., died July 23, 1864, at mouth of White river, Arkansas, of wounds.
Basham, John, died September 19, 1863, at Little Rock, Arkansas.
Contant, William H., died June 18, 1864, at Mem- phis, Tennessee.
Cannon, Thomas M., died September 2, 1863, at Memphis, Tennessee.
Caraway, Joseph B., died of typhoid fever, May 9, 1862.
Cantonwine, Henry D., died at Brownsville, Arkansas, September 8, 1863.
Christian, Ira G., died at Little Rock, Arkansas, October 18, 1863.
Cantonwine, George D., died in hospital at St. Louis, January 4, 1862.
Collins, Nelson, died of typhoid fever, May 9, 1862.
Danger, Lewis, died March 5, 1863, at Cape Gir- ardeau, Missouri.
Estabrook, Charles E., died at St. Louis, Jan- uary 23, 1863. .
Estabrook, Andrew J., died at Memphis, Ten- nessee, May 22, 1864.
Edgerton, H. James, died at New Orleans, May 5, 1865.
Fairbanks, Whitcomb, killed in the battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862.
Garne, Leonard, died April 26, 1864, at Ander- sonville prison.
Hall, Israel, died at Weldon, North Carolina, October 14, 1862.
Harper, Thomas, died at Moscow, Tennessee, summer of 1862.
House, Jason H., died at Davenport, Iowa, in August, 1865.
Hughes, James H., died at St. Louis, December 21,1861.
Hall, Howard, dicd of pleurisy, at Fayetteville, Arkausas, December 8, 1862.
Hough, William F., killed in battle at Shiloh. Hoover, Samuel W., died of pneumonia, at Sa- vannah, March 20, 1862.
Johnson, Barton H., killed in the battle of Shi- loh.
Johnson, James, died September 20, 1863, at Annapolis, Maryland.
Johnson, Samuel, died of pneumonia, at Jeffer- son City, January 15, 1862.
Jones, Thomas, died at St. Louis, April 17, 1862. James, Eugene A , died at St. Louis, October 14, 1861.
King, Reuben G., killed in the battle of Shiloh. Kinuan, Sylvester, died at St. Louis, January 17, 1862.
Lockard, Philander, died December 8, 1861.
Latham, William H., died at Memphis, Ten- nessee, July 3, 1864.
Lockard, John, died of wound received at Shiloh, May 25, 1862.
Livengood, Thomas M., died at LaGrange, Ten- nessee, August 5, 1864.
Myers, John R., killed at Bayou DuGlaizc, Louisiana, May 18, 1864.
McKensey, Neal, died in hospital at St. Louis, December 30, 1861.
Macy, Isaac H., died at Camp Franklin, Novem- ber 30, 1862.
Millslagle, Robert, died at Nashville, Tennessee, December 17, 1864.
Miller, Annanias, died at Jefferson City, October 28,1861.
Moon, Havilach B., dicd November, 1862, at Keokuk.
Nutt, William, died at Memphis, Tennessee, January 25, 1864.
Osborn, Robert H., killed in action at Dallas, Georgia, May 18, 1864.
446
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
Payne, Charles J., killed at Shiloh, April, 6, 1862.
Potts, John M., killed in action at Dallas, Georgia, May 28, 1864.
Quivey, Roswell, F., died at Macon, Georgia. Ripley, Jacob, killed at Corinth, October 4, 1862. Royal, James, killed in battle at Pleasant Hill, April 9, 1864.
Rutan, John, killed in action near Atlanta, Georgia, August 14, 1864.
Reed, George, wounded at Shiloh, and died of wounds at St. Louis, April 30, 1862.
Ripley, Lewis, died in hospital at St. Louis, April 6, 1862.
Race, Joseph, died in hospital at St. Louis, Jan- uary 10, 1862.
Stotser, William, killed in battle of Shiloh.
Sawin, David H., died at St. Louis, December 22, 1861.
Smith, Henry, died at Tyler, Texas, October 12, 1864.
Sawyer, Ozro, died at.St. Louis, November 28, 1861.
Surles, Anthony W., died of wound received at Dallas, Georgia, at Chattanooga, Tennessee, June 7, 1864.
Spurlin, George, died at St. Louis, of pneumonia, February, 1863.
Shultz, Jesse, died at Little Rock, Arkansas, October 14, 1863.
Sayre, Calvin M., died at Little Rock, Arkansas, October 21, 1863.
Sayre, John L., died at Little Rock, Arkansas, December 23, 1863.
Travis, Joseph W., died July 17, 1864, of wounds, at Marietta, Georgia.
Treat, Charles D., died at St. Louis, February 5, 1862.
Vandervort, G. C., killed in battle of Shiloh, April 6, 1862.
Woodruff, Jackson, killed in battle of Shiloh.
1
CHAPTER XV.
IOWA. REFORM SCHOOL.
Among the notable institutions in Har- din county, is that of the Iowa Reform School . The General Assembly, at its session held in 1868, passed an act to establish and organize a State Reform School for juvenile offenders. The act was approved March 31, 1868.
On the 29th day of April, 1868, the trustees met on the place designated in sec. 22 of said act, as White's Iowa Manual
Labor Institute, and proceeded by lot to determine the length of time that each trustee was to serve. M. A. Dashiell and J. D. Ladd, drew for the short term of two years; I. T. Gibson and E. O. Cole- man, drew the term for four years; and J. A. Parvin and W. J. Moir, drew the long term, for six years. The Board appointed J. A. Parvin, President; M. A. Dashiell, Secretary, and I. T. Gibson, Treasurer.
447
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
By-laws and rules were enacted for the regulation of the Board and the institution, and the Board leased from the trustees of "White's Iowa Manual Labor Institute," the tract of land owned by them, with the appurtenances, for a term of ten years, but to be declared null and void at any time, when the trustees of the Reform School shall elect so to do.
The property leased, consisted of about 1,400 acres of land, part of which was improved with several small tenements for farmers, and the Institute building with the walls up and roof on. The trustees appointed a committee to advertise for bid- ders, and to contract with one to finish the house. The contractors made such pro- gress with the work, that on the 21st day of September, 1868, the board of trustees gave the required notice that the Reform School was ready for boys, and on the 7th of October, from Jasper county was received the first boy committed to the institution .
The trustees, at their July meeting, appointed Joseph McCarty and wife as Seperintendent and Matron, at a salary of $1,300 per annum for both, their salary to commence on the 10th of August.
The appropriation made by the Legisla- ture, was found to be inadequate to meet the necessities of the institution, and an in- debtedness of $4,689 was incurred by the trustees. During the year there were forty- five boys and one girl taken into the school. Five boys escaped, and succeeded in elud- ing the vigilance of the officers,and one was discharged. The cost of the institution the first year, was $26,8 62.90.
The second biennial reports of the trus- tees and of the Superintendent were made in November, 1871. For the two years they
received ninety-one; and forty discharged; three boys escaped; two died, and one was pardoned by the Governor. The total cost of running the school in the same time, $22,066.
The General Assembly at its session in 1871, appointed the trustees a Board of Commissioners to select a place for the permanent location of the Reform School, and appropriated $45,000 for the erection of suitable buildings for that institution. They were also authorized and instructed to organize a school for girls in the build- ing where the boys were then kept, and made an appropriation of $5,000 for that purpose.
In compliance with the instruction of the Assembly, the trustees at their regular meeting in April, 1872, gave pnb- lic notice that they would receive offers from any city or county that desired the location in their vicinity. A number of communications were received, and offers made to the State, of lands, etc., as an inducement to have the location made at the different places. The trustees con- sidered the donations in connection with the places as to convenience for fuel, build- ing material, the health, eligibility and centrality of the situation. After visiting DesMoines, Ottumwa, Oskaloosa, Musca- tine and Eldora, and personally inspecting the lands offered, and the convenience and. sites forthe building, the trustees selected Eldora as the best location, all things con- sidered.
In his biennial report for 1873, the Superintendent says: "In order to secure the location of the school at this point, the citizens of Eldora and vicinity, at a cost of abont $15,000, donated to the State, for
448
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
this purpose, four hundred and forty acres of most excellent land. The tract on which the buildings are located consists of three hundred and twenty acres of land, one mile long from east to west, and half a mile wide. Across each end of this tract runs à never failing stream of water. From these two brooks the ground gently rises to near the central plot, where it ter- minates in a broad ridge, gently sloping to the south, as well as to the east and west, affording one of the most beautiful build- ing spots in the State. It seems that nature has done everything to make this one of the most lovely sites for such an institution. This tract is all under fence, and the most of it under cultivation. It has been divided as follows: Forty acres have been appropriated for garden pur- poses; twenty-five acres to building-plat; seventy acres to pasture grounds and feed lots; about one hundred and fifty acres to farm lands, and about twenty-five acres of rich bottom-lands, too wet to plow until drained, have been left for mowing pur- poses. Half a mile north of this main tract we have eighty acres of good farm land, which is under fence, but has not yet been broken. About three miles south- east of the main tract we have forty acres of timber land; the timber is yet small, but the land lies well and is of good quality."
The deeds for the land were legally executed and recorded.
After the selection of the site, a com- inittee of three of the trustees were then appointed to visit the Reform Schools in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, to inspect the buildings, see their styles, convenience, etc. Immediately on the report of said
committee, a plan was adopted for the buildings, and notice given, according to law, for sealed proposals for their erection. The advertisement was for two buildings, one 40 by 100 feet, for manufacturing pur- poses, dining-hall, school-room, etc., the other a family building 37 by 56 feet, two stories and an attic, with mansard roof, and a basement story. Both of the build- ings to be built of good rock to the top of the basement, and the rest of the walls of good brick. The contract for the first named building was awarded to Smith & Foster, the other to S. G. Mowen, all of El- dora. Both were finished to the satisfaction of the trustees-the former at a cost of $11,500, the other at a cost of $11,000. Another family building, to be finished in all respects like the former one, was, in December, awarded to Mr. Mowen, for the same price as the first one, but, owing to extra expenses in the foundation, it cost $13,196.31. None of the buildings could be finished in the fall of 1872; but, being anxious to raise a crop in 1873, and make improvements on the new premises as early in the spring as possible, the trustees rented some improved land, and removed the school to the new Home the first week in April, although neither of the houses was then finished.
Mr. Entriken, one of the officers of the school, with five of the boys, removed from the school in Lee county to Eldora, a month or more before the Superintendent and rest of the school followed, and although 150 miles from the Home, not one of these boys violated the trust reposed in him, but labored faithfully as directed, and be- haved so circumspectly as to attract the
.
449
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
notice and receive the admiration of strangers .
From the Superintendent's report, it is learned there were received in.the two years from date of last report, boys, 122; girls, 13; total, 135. There were 54 boys and 2 girls discharged, 5 boys escaped, and 2 boys died .
During the next two years, 166 boys and 30 girls were admitted to the school; 146 boys were released, 29 escaped, and 2 died; 11 girls were released, leaving in the school, October 31, 1875, 135 boys and 30 girls.
During the summer of 1875, the Reform School has passed through one of the most severe ordeals that any State institution ever endured. Charges were made against the Superintendent and his management of the school, and the trustees determined to investigate the whole subject. Governor Carpenter was solicited by the trustees to appoint some persons to unite with them as an investigating committee, and, at their request, he appointed Hon. A. C. Dodge, of Burlington, and W. H. Leas, Esq., and Mrs. Deborah Cattell, of Des Moines, who, with the trustees, met at Eldora on the 28th day of April and organ- ized as a joint committee by appointing Mr. Dodge as chairman and W. L. Vestal, one of the trustees, as secretary, and, with a few short recesses, remained in session until the 27th day of August. Between one hundred and fifty and two hundred witnesses were examined. Much of the evidence was hearsay testimony. The committee made two reports-a majority and a minority.
During the investigation, Mr. McCarty was suspended from the superintendency
of the school, and, when all the evidence had been received, he was reinstated. Im- mediately after being reinstated, he sent his resignation to the trustees, which was accepted, and the school remained under the charge of the Assistant Superintendent, H. S. Rogers, M D., until September 29, at which time the trustees appointed Charles Johnson, of Michigan, Superintendent, and his wife, E. A. Johnson, Matron.
Joseph McCarty, the first Superintendent of the Reform School, was born in Morgan county, Ohio, February 3, 1826. He was raised on a farm, where he labored until his nineteenth year, making a full hand in the harvest field. Over exertion at this time brought on hip disease, which con- fined him to his room for three years, and resulted in crippling him for life. At the age of twenty-two he could read and write and had some knowledge of arithmetic. He began study at a graded school, attend- ing about half the time, the other half be- ing engaged in teaching. He then resolved to prepare himself for teaching a higher grade of schools. Accordingly he entered Allegheny College, at Meadeville, in 1851, and graduated in 1854. For one year he taught in the graded schools of Marietta, Ohio. In 1855 he moved to Iowa, and for seven years was engaged in teaching the public schools of Davis county. For three years he was Superintendent of the graded schools of Oskaloosa, Iowa, when he was elected Professor of Theory and Practice of Teaching in Wesleyan University, Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. In 1868 he was called to take charge of the Reform School. Mr. McCarty was married in 1856 to Mary B. Lockman, a native of Indiana.
450
HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
In the two years ending October, 1877, there were 147 boys and 37 girls admitted to the Institution, and 138 boys and 14 girls released by discharge or in other ways. Some improvements were made in the time, and from the report of the trus- tees the following extract is taken:
"The last General Assembly appropri- ated $40,000.00 to erect a main building so that the house now used for that pur- pose might be occupied for manufacturing purposes, as it was originally designed. The amount appropriated not being suf- ficient to complete such a house as was deemed necessary, the trustees wished to build as large as they could with that sum; but in no case did they intend to commence a building that could not be finished with the money at their disposal. They adver- tised for plans, estimates and proposals. After examining all submitted to them, they preferred the plan prepared by B. J. Bartlett, Architect. He assured the trus- tees, that the building, as he proposed, could be finished for a less amount than the appropriation. With this assurance his plan was adopted, and Mr. Bartlett employed to superintend the erection of the house, the trustees having decided not to contract with any person for the whole building. We believe Mr. Bartlett a good architect and skillful in his business, but he missed the amount in his estimate, for the appropriation has been expended and the building is not finished. It will cost about $15,000.00 to complete it, and we ask an appropriation for that amount. The house is of good material, and substantial in every part.
"At the time the estimate was made it was supposed that the same kind of stone
could be used that is in the basement of the other buildings, and which is found plentifully near Eldora; but on trial it was found insufficient to support the weight of the new house, consequently we were com- pelled to procure rock from near Marshall- town at some more expense. Some other small changes were made, but with little difference in the expense of the building."
"Charles Johnson was removed from the office of Superintendent shortly after mak- ing his biennial report, and E. H. Winans appointed in his stead. He took charge February 1, 1878. The trustees, in their report, October, 1879, say: "The career of the school under his superintendency, has been gratifying to the Board, satisfactory to the community where the school is located, and has secured the commenda- tion of the press, and people who are acquainted with the affairs of the school under its present management." In his first report, Superintendent Winans said:
"A State's prison is a necessity of organ- ized society; a reform school is equally so. The prison's main design is to protect society against adult law-breakers; a re- form school has the double design of pro- tecting society and reclaiming the lawless. How else may society be shielded from the depredations of a thousand homeless, friendless, vagrant criminals, from eight to sixteen years of age? Stealing is the in- stinctive crime of neglected childhood; it is the natural expression of want; it sends to us nineteen-twentieths of all our in- mates. Society will endure obscenity, lying, swearing, Sabbath-breaking and dis- obedience-almost any crime a child may commit, but when property rights are invaded by theft, it will invoke the law's
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
protection. The prison is not suited to the restraint of even criminal youth. Its speechless silence may be an appropriate discipline for men, but it would be cruelty to children. A boy needs the unrestrained activity of voice and limb to unfold his physical manhood. Walls and bars are not needed to restrain children; a watchful eye and personal influence can take the place of these and avoid the gloom and disgrace of a prison. Many are reckless and bad simply because they are boys. Maturity is all the reformation they need. The reform school ought to furnish happy surroundings while this maturity is coming on. The best estate of childhood is a Christian home. Surely to an institution that most nearly resembles this, the waifs of society and the wards of the State can be more safely intrusted than to a prison. We proceed by the law of selection, keep- ing the bad and sifting out the good; if it were our plan to reverse this process, by discharging the bad and retaining the good, our school might soon become a model for the outer world. The career and destiny of boys who go out will be as varied as that of other boys who never come in; some will go to State's prison, and it may be to a worse place; others will take rank with the industrious, useful citizen, and become honest and noble men. Two who were formerly inmates are now among the best officers of the school, be- loved and respected by the whole institu- tion. We are constantly in receipt of testimonials as to the good conduct of boys sent out."
In the two years there were 124 boys admitted to the institution.
The seventh biennial report of the Trustees and of the Superintendent was made September 30, 1881. From the re- ports several extracts are here taken. The trustees say :
"On the 7th day of October, 1868, the doors of the Iowa Reform School were first opened for the reception of juvenile offenders, on leased land in Lee county. The first boy came from Jasper county.
"In the spring of 1873 the boys were removed from Lee county to Eldora, where the school was permanently located, and whose citizens had donated 440 acres of land to the State for that purpose.
"Immediately after the boys were re- moved from the old location, the trustees organized a school for girls, with six in- mates. The girls' department is now per- manently located at Mitchellville, has 62 ininates, and is now under the kind care and able management of Mrs. L. D. Lewelling.
"The buildings there consist of a large brick building 40 by 80, two stories high and basement, a barn and laundry, and has 40 acres of good tillable land. It is a fine site. The grounds are tastefully arranged and surrounded by shade trees.
"The boys' department has now 760 acres of good land, 40 acres of which is timber.
"The buildings are all situated on high rolling prairie, the location is extremely healthy, and the scenery and surroundings beautiful.
"The buildings consist of a main build- ing of brick and stone, 60 by 140 feet, with front projection, three stories, mansard story and basement. Three family build-
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HISTORY OF HARDIN COUNTY.
ings, each 37 by 56 feet, with projection of 30 by 16 feet, two stories, with mansard roof and basement. A brick workshop, 40 by 100 feet, with front projection, two stories and basement. A barn, 60 by 120 feet, with basement for stock. A wooden workshop, two stories high, brick engine- house and laundry, ice-house, wood-shed, etc., etc.
"The boys number 201; are divided at present into three families, and are imme- diately cared for by a Family Manager, Assistant Manager and Teacher.
"No high fence, stone walls or prison cells are used to restrain the boys or pre- vent them from escaping
"By kind treatment and judicious man- agement, it is not long before many of the boys can be trusted to go to any part of the farm, or to town on business, without supervision or danger of their escaping."
The first ill-luck or misfortune of any kind experienced for some time by the institution, was on the night of September 29, 1881, in the shape of a cyclone that tore off the roof of the west wing of the main building, and sent a portion of the brick work of the mansard story crashing from one story to another to the floor of the basement. Among all the two hun- dred and twenty-five officers and inmates, in and around that building, not one was injured. In response to a telegram, Gov. Gear and Messrs Finkbine and Conger visited the school, and in conformity with their advice, the trustees went immediately to work to repair the damage.
In reference to the change of Superin- tendents, the trustees say:
"In the month of July, 1879, Rev. E H. Winans. tendered his resignation as
Superintendent. and B. J. Miles, who had been connected with the school a greater portion of the time since its organization, was by us at once appointed in his place, and his estimable wife, who had been a teacher in the girl's department, was selected Matron, and D. M. Crouse for Assistant Superintendent, and after the many seasons of prosperity and adversity that the Iowa Reform School has experi- enced, we can truly say that under the faithful, humane, and skillful management of B: J. Miles and wife, assisted by the other officers and employes, our boy's de- partment has attained a standing and degree of public confidence and respect that has caused it to stand unrivalled as a reformatory institution in this or any other land. And if the Legislature of Iowa will do its duty, and second our efforts, we will endeavor to make the Reform School what it was intended by its founders to be-a blessing to the erring, and a credit to the State."
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