USA > Iowa > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Iowa. Containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county. Together with portraits and biographies of all the governors of Iowa, and of the presidents of the United States > Part 19
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and wife, Josiah Crom and wife, Mrs. D. Young and perhaps a few whose names have been forgotten with the coming and going of the years. During the pastorate of Rev. Mr. Adair in the winter of 1864-65, the church had a great revival and many were added to the number. Following this out-pouring a subscription was circulated for the building of a church edifice.$2,000 was pledged and J. Fulton commenced the structure, under contract, but the money was not forthcoming. He finally completed the house in the spring of 1868. It was 32x50 feet and well planned. At that time the church numbered about fifty. Among the pastors well remembered are the Revs. Tarkington, Rusk, Scott and Rand. About 1878 the society purchased the old courthouse (the county seat hav- ing been moved to Logan in 1876) in which they still worship.
The German Evangelical church was formed at this point in the early part of 1858. the first membership being as fol- lows: Fred W. Hauff, J. R. Hauff and wife, Casper Hauff, Henry Hanneman and wife, George Nilce and wife, Peter Smith and wife, Henry Lorantz and wife, George Reinhard and family, George Leonard and family and others. For about seven years this devout people worshiped as best they could without a building of their own, but in 1867 they erected a commodious church at Magnolia, at a cost of $1,200. From that time to this the society has made a rapid growth and is to-day one of Har- rison County's strongest churches. Dur- ing the first year of their organization Rev. J. F. Schreiber was pastor; in 1861 came Rev H. Kleinsorge; in 1863 Rev. J. F. Beener. In 1865 came Rev. H. Bunse; in 1866 Rev. Anton Huelster; in 1867, Rev. H. Bunse; in 1870. Rev. L. Scheurer; in 1871, Rev. Otto Rall; in
1872, Rev. H. Kohl; in 1873, Rev. M. Gruener; in 1874, Rev. H. Stellerecht; in 1876, Rev. H. Wittie; in 1878, Rev. H. Stellerecht; in 1881, Rev. J. Pflaum; in 1883, Rev. H. Buente; in 1886, Rev. J. M. Zellhoefer; in 1889, Gustave Koehn; then Rev. L. Reeps and the present pas- tor, Rev. H. Raecker.
A good parsonage was provided in 1870. This society is a strong one and a great factor for good in central Harrison County. The present membership is ninety.
The Roman Catholic people held very early services in this part of the county and in 1865 the following formed a church : William Kennedy and family, James Ken- nedy and family, William Ferguson and family, Patrick Morrow and family, Will- iam Morrow and family, Timothy O'Con- nor and family and a few others. They at once erected the first Catholic Church of the county, at Magnolia, at a cost of $1,300. Father Kelley was the first Priest. He was succeeded by Father Dixiker ; then came Father Hayes.
The Latter Day Saints (re-organized) was formed at Magnolia March 17, 1870. The present membership is one hundred and eighty-nine. The first services were held at schoolhouses. The church was erected in 1874. It is a frame structure 32x58 feet. It was dedicated by President Joseph Smith. The Presidents of this branch of the church have been : Phineas Cadwell, who served thirteen years; Charles Derry, Donald Maule, one year, and the present incumbent, A. M. Fyrando, who was chosen in 1888.
At one time this church numbered two hundred and ninety-three, but owing to removals and the formation of churches at Woodbine and Logan, many were taken away. The present avarage of Sabbath- school attendance is forty five. A. M.
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Fyrando is Superintendent. Most of the members of this branch live in the county within Raglan and Magnolia Township.
The Zion Lutheran Church at Mag- nolia was formed in 1875 by a minister from Des Moines. Rev. Mr. Harr was first pastor, then came Wilhelm Mollon, who served eight years. In 1886 came Fred Nuoffer from Will County, Ill., who is the present pastor.
At first preaching was held at private houses and schoolhouses, but finally the so- ciety purchased two acres of land in the south-west part of town and in 1884 built a frame church, seating two hundred per- sons. This is provided with a fine organ and altogether the property cost several thousand dollars. At this writing (1891) there are twenty-five voting members and a congregation of fifteen families. A par- ochial school is maintained one day in the week, having about twenty-five in attend- ance.
SCHOOLS.
Schools and churches have always been a chief feature of Magnolia ; aside from the county seat they have been the most po- tent factors toward the upbuilding of the place. The early schools were kept in private houses, as will be seen by reading the township's history.
In 1858 the first schoolbuilding was provided at this point. It was a poor "shack" of a house, two stories high, de- signed for a graded school; it was used for school purposes until 1866.
In the spring of 1869-70, a High School building was erected at Magnolia, costing $8,000. In the autumn of 1870 a Mr. Carr taught therein and the following
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spring S. I. King, now an attorney at Logan, commenced teaching and contin- ued until the fall of 1872 when Prof. J. D. Hornby assumed charge remaining until the spring of 1878. These teachers re- ceived from $800 to $1,000 per year, of ten months.
In 1873 a measure was brought before the people by which it was designed to do- nate the building to the county for a county school, but the measure was lost.
Among those who have gone out into life's battle, as students of this institution may be named the following : attorneys at law: Thomas Arthur, Charles Bolter, John Engleman, W. Hayward, John Kine. Law P. Smith and Charles Wood. The following doctors attended this school: Frank Brainard, W. J. Brownrigg, Edgar Giddings, Thomas Hill, John Huff, New- ton Rice, Fred Robbins, Frank Stevens and Newton Silsby. The subjoined re- ligious workers also attest to the value of the school: Newill Hillis, George Main, Walter Mills, John Newlin, Frank Mintun,; as missionaries, Mrs. Myra Case, nee Rice, Miss Nellie Prescott and Laura Harding. In the active business circles may be named students as follows : Thomas Arthur, Willis Stern and Will- iam Wood, county officers; Charles Adair, Harry Giddings and Gilbert Pey- ton, druggists; S. Berkley, Homer Crane, Mortimer Dally, Eli Houghton, George Kellogg, Edmond Maule, David Maule, Charles Roberts and Herbert Taylor, gen- eral merchants ; also Almor Stern, David Main and Leslie Sherman, loan agents, to- gether with nearly fifty representative. farmers of this county.
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JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XVII.
EFFERSON, one of Harrison County's banner townships and next to the largest in extent of area, is the second from the eastern as well as second from the southern townships in the county. It comprises all of township 79, range 42, and six sections of range 43, making forty-two sections in all, or an area of 26,880 acres. It is geographically bounded by Boyer and Magnolia on the north ; Union and La Grange on the south and Calhoun and Magnolia Townships on the west.
It was constituted in 1854, deriving its name from President Jefferson. In 1885, the population of the township was 2,341, including the city of Logan. The United States federal census of 1890, places the population at 2,022. The greater part of this territory is prairie land; yet there is much natural timber in different parts, including Elk Grove, Six-Mile Grove, Harris Grove, Reel's Grove and that which skirts the banks of the picturesque Boyer River, the principal stream of the township and county.
The Boyer River flows from section 4 on the northern line, to section 35 on the southwestern corner, where it takes its leave for La Grange and St. John's Town- ships. Six-Mile Creek and Harris Creek,
with small tributaries, constitute the water courses of the township.
The line of the Chicago & North-West- ern. Railway follows the Boyer Valley through the domain of Jefferson Town- ship, having the beautifully located town of Logan for a station point.
The rural landscape, as well as Nature's own handiwork in this goodly locality, is ever a feast to the eye. The large, well cultivated farms, the fine farm- houses, barns, wind-mills and bearing or- chards-the thousands of acres of corn and grain and grasses, together with the feeding of cattle and horses and swine, all go toward making up a scene rich and re- plete for the hand of the artist.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
To have been the first settler in what is now known as Jefferson Township, was to become a pioneer, indeed. Such honor belongs to Jason Z. Hunt, who left the state of New York in 1850, and landed in this county during the month of May of the same year. He located on section 13, remained ten years and moved to section 12, where he erected the second brick house in the county. He owned nearly three hundred acres of excellent land. He was a brother-in-law of Stephen King.
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He died in September, 1891. See per- sonal sketch in this work.
James McCurley settled in La Grange Township in 1851 and in Jefferson early in the '50s, on the land now owned by A. Longman.
B. F. La Porte settled in 1851 and has followed the blacksmith's trade most of the time, in the county ever since. His wife's maiden name was Sylvia Harris, who was one of the earliest teachers in the county. They now reside at Logan.
S. E. Dow became a settler in 1851, on land now owned by John Williams. Dow went to Crawford County about 1858 and founded Dow City, where he still lives.
John W. Stocker, a wide-awake busi- ness man of Logan, is one of the number who came to Harrison County when al- most a wilderness. He came to the county in March, 1857, locating at Little Sioux, where he engaged as a carpenter and saw-mill hand. He labored in that vicinity until the breaking out of the Civil War and August, 1862, enlisted in Com- pany C, Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry, and served until August 10, 1865. On being discharged he returned to the county and has been prominently identified with the political as well as business interests since that date.
Alfred Longman, Sr., whose history is identified with Harrison County since 1853, is now living a retired life at Logan.
Hon. Stephen King, of Logan came to the county in May, 1852, first locating in Cass Township, later moved to Jefferson, where he carried on farming quite exten- sively for many years, doing good for him- self and for many a new settler. In travel- ing over the county and asking the younger settlers what they did the first year, they almost invariably say "worked for Judge King." He was the first County Judge.
Probably no man in the county was bet- ter adapted for pioneer life than was Hon. L. R. Bolter, who came to the county in 1863 and located in Jefferson Township. He is a man that has possessed an iron constitution; he went across the plains when a boy in 1852 to California, enduring many hardships, a detailed account of which is found in his personal sketch which cannot help being interesting.
During 1852, additions were made to the settlement in this township by the advent of the following: Peter Brady who came in the autumn of that year and bought a claim on sections 22 and 27, at Elk Grove, consisting of three hundred acres. He built the first regular Yankee barn in Harrison County. Seventy-five men were present at that "raising" and a ball play followed. Men came from Council Bluffs to enjoy the sport and be helpers in the erection of the barn frame.
Wickliffe B. Copeland came in Novem- ber, 1852, and stopped in St. . John's Township two years and then bought land and moved to section 24-79-43. He drove ox-teams through from Indiana. See sketch elsewhere.
Thomas Vanderhoof landed at Harris Grove, May 16, 1852 and bought a claim, remained two years and moved to Mag- nolia, remained three years and then re- moved to section 30, of Jefferson Town- ship, where he now owns two hundred and forty acres of fine farm land.
James Dungan came from Indiana in 1852 or 1853 and settled near the Brady farm, where he remained until early in the 80s and then removed to California. His son is now the president of Drake Uni- versity at Des Moines.
In 1853, came Jacob Kirk, who claimed ยท land near which Logan now stands. He remained there until 1855 and went to
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Nebraska. He roamed about, living in many localities until he finally settled on section 3, where he still resides. He was a soldier in the Union army. See per- sonal sketch.
John W. Henderson came in April, 1853 and bought a Mormon claim and hut on sections 24 and 25. He now resides on section 25.
Samuel McGavren came to the town- ship in February, 1853 and claimed land, where he now lives, on section 21. See sketch.
The Reel family, "Uncle Henry" also came during 1853. Henry Reel bought and improved the water power at the point where Logan now stands. See sketch.
George Thorpe was another pioneer of the 1853 settlement. He located at Jeddo and made the first improvements at that point. He placed in operation a saw mill and corn-cracker. In time of the Civil War he went to the mountains, subse- quently returned and died.
The principal settlers of 1854 were: Phineas Cadwell, who came in October and settled on section . 36, of Magnolia Township. He took three hundred and sixty acres of land and at one time owned seventeen hundred acres in the county. He did not live in Jefferson Township un- til 1881, when he moved to his place on section 13. See sketch of his eventful life.
Shedrick B. Card came in May of 1854 and with his family settled at Six-Mile Grove, Cass Township, on section 20. He remained there thirteen years, then leased land near the village of Whitesboro and in 1874, purchased land on section 10, where he still lives. See personal notice.
James Haner came the same year, in company with his father, William Haner.
Mr. Haner first located on section 3, of La Grange Township. In 1859, he traded for one hundred and twenty acres on sec- tion 26, of Jefferson. The father died in October, 1859. See family sketch.
David Little (deceased) and family set- tled at Harris Grove, remained six years and moved to Whitesboro, where he died in March, 1863. See personal family notice elsewhere.
Lowry Wilson came in April, 1854, claimed land on section 13-79-42. He remained three years and built a small house, near where the railroad now runs. He worked in Henry Reel's mill at Logan and was in the Union army. See personal mention in biographical department.
Elijah R. Peckenpaugh (deceased) was a cooper by trade. He came to the county in June, 1854. He settled on section 25 and in 1867, went to another part of the township. He was killed by a run-away team, in 1884, near Woodbine.
Two brothers, William and Ezra Perry came to the township in 1854 from Virgi- nia. They settled on section 31. Ezra died several years ago.
Thomas Richardson and family came from Indiana in 1854 and located near present site of Logan on land now owned by John Fisher. He had two sons- James and Marion, who soon settled in the township. Most of the family are dead. Thesemen served in the Civil War.
During the years 1855 and 1856 came these: Thomas J. Acrea in November, 1855. He lived the first winter at St. Johns. His father, William Acrea, bought land on section 24 and built a log house, which still stands and is used by F. J. Copeland. It was erected in 1856 and has been boarded over and remodeld since then.
Henry Knauss effected settlement in the spring of 1855, on section 26, where he
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still resides. He owned, at one time, a full section of land but now has but two hundred and ten acres. See biography.
Isaac Chiles settled on section 2, but now resides on section 22.
L. J. Porter settled on section 11 in 1855 and removed to Lincoln, Neb. in 1868. He is now deceased.
James L. Armstrong came in the fall of 1856. He had visited the county in 1854. He located on section 25, but in 1858 moved to section 23. He was a soldier in the Twenty-ninth Iowa Infantry and was formerly from Indiana. See personal sketch.
Ed. E. Ervin came to the township in 1856 and bought two hundred and forty acres on section 36. In 1862, he moved to his present home on section 35. His brother, James, came in June, 1857-set- tled in La Grange Township, lived at Reeder's Mill and other points but now resides on section 30.
James McCoid, of the "Roller Mills" at Logan was a merchant at Jeddo in 1856. In 1855, he bought a farm on section 23, and in 1868, purchased Henry Reel's flour- ing mill.
Amasey Beedle, of section 12, is a step- son of Alex. McCoy. He came to Jeddo in August, 1856.
Charles G. Scofield came in October, 1856 and lived at S.x-Mile Grove until 1861, when he entered the Union army, serving three years. He has been blind for sixteen years. See personal sketch.
John A. Weston came to the county in November, 1857 and took eighty acres of his present farm on section 6, where he now lives.
Anson Smith came in April, 1857, to Olmstead, south of present Dunlap City, but in 1869, bought on section 6, of Jeffer- son Township.
Hon. L. R. Bolter settled on section 12, in October, 1863. See biography.
Later settlers in Jefferson Township were S: L. Case in 1863. He settled at St. Johns in 1855.
John M. Kennedy settled on section 3, in the spring of 1868 and now lives on sec- tion 4, owning six hundred acres of land. See sketch.
William J. Logan came in 1873 and im- proved a half section of land which he bought in 1872. He is still residing there. See biography.
William Aiston, from Massachusetts, settled on section 18 in 1877.
John H. L. Boustead (son of John Boustead), of English birth, came from England to this county in 1868, settling at Twelve-Mile Grove-remained seven years and in 1876, moved to section 1, where he still resides. See personal sketch.
J. Peterson came in November, 1863. He worked by the month a year and then bought forty acres of land, to which he moved in the fall of 1865, and still lives there.
Thomas V. Cowan came in November, 1877 and bought his present farm on sec- tion 25. See sketch.
Jo. H. M. Edwards, proprietor of the County-seat Nursery, settled in the spring of 1878. He located on section 17 and planted a nursery with F. W. Hart; oper- ated two years and sold to Hart and planted his present nursery out on section 19. See biography.
Jacob Black, a resident of Jefferson Township, has been a resident of Harrison County since September, 1882. He is a native of Pennsylvania and first came to Iowa in 1872.
Casper N. Cadwell, a prominent citizen of Jefferson Township, came to the county
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in March, 1867, locating in Magnolia Township.
J. H. Fischer dates his settlement from 1883. He was born in Prussia, Germany and is considered a substantial farmer. He has two hundred and forty acres of well-improved land in Jefferson Township.
John D. Frock has been a resident since 1876 except a few months spent in Harlan, Shelby County, as proprietor of a hotel.
M. H. Greenfield came June 19, 1858. In the spring of 1859, he started for Pike's Peak, but only went as far as Fremont, Neb., and soon returned.
Archy Johnson and family made settle- ment in 1859. His son, Claborn, was then three years old; he reared a family of interesting children, now among Harrison County's enterprising citizens.
William McEuen, of section 1, Jeffer- son Township, though not an early settler is considered one of the county's most substantial citizens. He owns three hun- dred and ten acres in Jefferson and Boyer Townships, and dates his settlement from 1880.
One of the most worthy blacksmiths in the county is N. H. Vanarsdale, of Reed- er's Mills, who has been a resident since February 1, 1866. He has seen many of the ups and downs of Harrison County and has the date that each grasshopper lit in the county.
The "Pleasant View" stock farm is owned by John Williams, who came to the county, March 19, 1871.
SCHOOLS.
To Sylvia Harris, now Mrs. B. F. La Porte, of Logan, belongs the honor of teach- ing the first school in Jefferson township. It was on section 22, in a log cabin owned by Peter Brady, and was taught in the autumn of 1853. She came with Mr.
Brady from the East in 1852. This pioneer school building was used on the spot where it was built, for three years and then removed about one hundred rods to the southwest, where it served as a school house for some years.
Other early teachers were Lindley M. Evans and a Miss Vore-the last named taught at a private house in 1857. The building is now owned by H. V. Arm- strong, but at that date by C. Goss.
At the present time the school system has greatly changed from what it was in those early years. The township now has five commodious school houses and an enrollment of pupils amounting to two hundred and three. The above relates to the territory outside of the Independent District of Logan.
RELIGIOUS.
Perhaps the earliest religious services held in the township were at the home of James Dungan, a Campbellite minister, in 1853.
A Methodist class was formed at an early day at Six Mile Grove. Rev. Mr. Scott was the first Methodist minister sent out by the conference to preach for this part of the country. He came in 1855.
At present most of the church going populace of the township attend church at Logan. The Methodists hold regular service at Reeder's Mills, being supplied from Logan charge.
VILLAGE OF JEDDO (DEFUNCT.)
Jeddo was the name of a village platted on section 12-79-42, January 12, 1856, by Jesse Denison (of Denison, Iowa) and George Thorpe, Denison, acting as attor- ney in fact for Anson Briggs and wife. At one time this point bid fair to become a place of much importance, but time's
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changes ordered differently and to-day the town site is cultivated as farm land, by Senator L. R. Bolter, who purchased the town lots and moved the buildings.
But Jeddo has its history, so we hasten to make its record in this connection : The first store was opened by Alexander McCoy, who also erected the first dwell- ing in the embryo town. The store was a part of the dwelling and the first display of goods was made in August, 1856. He carried a general stock of merchandise for about three years and then sold to James McCoid, who conducted the store for three years longer, sold nearly all the goods and removed the remainder to Ree- der's Mills ("Hard Scratch").
From 1858 to 1860 a store was operated at Jeddo by George Shepherd. A hotel was built by pioneer Alexander McCoy in 1856 or 1857; it stood on the site of the present school building. It was finally purchased by L. R. Bolter and sold to L. Crane, who moved to his farm in Boyer township and changed it into a dwelling house.
A blacksmith shop was started by Charles Baker, who operated it two years and was then succeeded by Jackson Dougherty, who ran the same from 1860 to 1865.
A post-office was established in 1856, with Owen Thorpe as postmaster. He came from Indiana, in 1853. He was a well educated man and was known as "Judge Thorpe." He owned 120 acres of land, which he finally sold to L. R. Bolter ; he had built a good farm house on the place. After selling out to Mr. Bolter, Mr. Thorpe went to Michigan, afterward returned to the county and died at the home of L. Crane in 1886. He was a man possessed of more than ordinary ability
and was foremost in all public affairs dur- ing his stay in this county.
A saw mill was constructed on Six Mile Creek, in 1854, by George Thorpe; it was near Jeddo. This mill was burned and another was built at the same point during the Civil War by Post & Chase, who operated it two years and sold to John Vanarsdale and he, in turn, to Mc- Coid & Beedle, in about 1870. They ran it for three years and abandoned it and it was finally torn down.
Jeddo (notwithstanding it had a rival town on section 10, known as "Buena Vista") became a good trading point and had at one time nearly a hundred inha- bitants with a dozen or more dwellings; but no trace of a town can now be found only in the plat books of the county, for the spot. is now covered with growing crops and rural scenes charm the passer- by, who would scarce believe that here was once a small, but very busy little trading mart. .
WHITESBORO (DEFUNCT.)
This place was platted as 'Buena Vista," July 14, 1856, on section 10-79-42, but owing to another post-office in Iowa by the same name, the place was called Whites- boro, after one of the proprietors-George H. White. This was a rival point, and only three miles from Jeddo. The gentlemen who platted the place were: George H. White, Thomas Reeder, Stephen King, Levi Reeder and H. F. Shinn. It led off with several small stores, two hotels, shops, etc., but with the building of the Northwestern railway in 1866-67 the village was left friendless, save by its fond pro- jectors, who were compelled to succumb to the inevitable and hence "Buena Vista" (Whitesboro) was no more !
In its palmy days George H. White
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conducted what was known to pioneers as the "White House." He also kept a small store, furnishing such articles of house- hold necessity as his somewhat limited trade and more limited means allowed him to carry.
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