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 27
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In 1886 a Methodist class was formed as a part of the Magnolia Circuit. Ser- vices were held at the school house known as "Centre" on section 15. In 1891 a Sabbath-school was organized on Mud Creek where all denominations attend.
242
HARRISON COUNTY.
RAGLAN TOWNSHIP
CHAPTER XXIX.
R AGLAN Township was constituted in 1857. It was named after Lord Raglan of Crimean War fame, then a conspicuous person and greatly admired by Capt. John A. Danielson, who named the township. This township is bounded on the North by Jackson, on the East by Magnolia, on the South by Taylor and on the West by Morgan and a portion of Little Sioux. It comprises all of township 80, range 44, except sections 3, 4 and 5 and sections 6, 7, 18, 19, 30 and 31. It is a diversified territory, having streams, prairie and forest. Here one finds about two thousand acres of timber- land. The Soldier River courses its way through the western tier of sections while Steer Creek runs through the central- eastern part. The largest body of timber is found in the southeastern portion and is known as Raglan Grove.
The state census of 1885 gave Raglan Township a population of 432. The 1890 United States census places it at 565.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Orvil M. Allen became a settler in 1849. He came from Pottawattamie County, Iowa, took his claim and returned to Pot-
tawattamie County and lived there until the early spring of 1849. This claim was . located near Magnolia (village) on what was afterward named Allen Creek in honor of him. He remained in the township until 1851 and then went to Salt Lake City, Utah. His family consisted of a wife and seven children.
A family named Atwood was perhaps the next to effect a settlement. They lived where Frank Garner now lives. The old log cabin in which Atwood sold whisky to any and all, still stands. He was a Vermonter. He went to Salt Lake and there died. His sons were Dwight, Seeley and Danforth.
In 1851 came the following: Artemus W. Lockling, who remained a year and then moved into Magnolia Township and died there June 13, 1889. Charles Gil- more, who came to the county in 1850, lo- cated in Magnolia Township, remained one year and then moved to section 27, Raglan, where he still resides. Morton Streeter, of section 23, came from Vermont in 1851. He died in the township in 1886. Lorenzo and Rudolph Pate were among the pio- neers of the county. James Gamet came in 1851 and claimed land on the northeast
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HARRISON COUNTY.
of section 1, where he made improve- ments and sold prior to the war, to spec- ulators from Ohio, and they sold to Donald Maule. L. A. Niles came early in the '50s and claimed land now occupied by T. McCabe. "Spanky" Chase settled near Garner's in 1851. Men named Cooper and Bowman came at the same time, remained a short time and then left the county. Bonaparte Alexander set- tled on section 12 early in the '50s. He came from Vermont and remained here until his death in 1877.
An Allen family (no connection of O. M. Allen,) settled near Garner's in the Grove abont 1856. The father froze his feet severely. The family removed to Nebraska. John Forsythe settled on sec- tion 22 in 1854, remained five years and sold to H. Lawrance and moved to Cres- cent City, where he came from. Lloyd Jenkins was among the pioneers of the township; he located on section 22. Donald Manle purchased the land in 1876.
Donald Maule of section 22, came to the county in 1851 and settled on Allen Creek in Taylor Township. He remained there three years and then removed to Raglan, where he now lives. See his personal sketch for many interesting events; he and his family saw as much of pioneer hardship, sickness and Indian annoyances as any other settler in Raglan.
Jacob Mintun (a sketch of whom ap- pears) came in 1854 and is still a resident. He settled on section 25.
Anster Pate settled on section 23, in 1854. He died after the Civil War closed. Jacob Pate came at the same time and finally moved to "Sandy Point," where he died in the '80s.
Nelson Follett came to section 14 in 1853. He subsequently died in the insane asylum.
E. W. Lamb came in from Indiana in 1854 and located on section 25. Jacob Mintun married his daughter. He re- mained until 1860 and went to Ohio and died. The family returned to Raglan Township. The mother died at Grinnell, Iowa, and the son, Charles W., still lives in the township.
John Ingerson and father with the fam- ily were among the pioneers of the early '50s. They settled on section 35. He was frozen to death during the hard win- ter of 1856-57.
Capt. Chester Hamilton came to the county in 1852 and helped establish the county seat. He located in Raglan in 1854. He was the first Sheriff of the connty. He settled where Jacob Mintun later lived on section 25. He now lives in Taylor Township.
George Main effected a settlement in 1856, enlisted in the Union Army and after the war moved to Magnolia.
William Morrow and his father, Patrick Morrow, came in 1856. The son lives on section 16 and the father on section 20.
"Old Mr. Wilcox" settled on section 14 in 1860. He finally sold to T. McCabe. John T. Coffman came in 1865 and located on section 9. He met with an accident from a corn sheller in February, 1890, and had to have his hand amputated. Blood poisoning set in and caused his death. His son, Don B., now a resident of the township, came with his parents.
Terence McCabe settled on section 14, in 1866 on one hundred and twenty acres of partly improved land. He was born in Ireland and came to America when two years of age. See sketch.
Edward Collins came to the county in 1857, worked by the month until 1866 and then bought land on section 16. He now has two hundred acres.
244
HARRISON COUNTY.
Samuel D. Johnson, of section 29, came to the county with his parents in 1848 or 1849. He moved to his present home in 1868.
Joseph Erixon, of section 23, came to section 14 in 1876. See sketch elsewhere.
David Morrow, son of Patrick Morrow, came to the county in company with his parents in the spring of 1856. In the autumn of that year James McCauley came to the county and located in Little Sioux Township. His possessions at that time were $9.75, twenty-five cents of which was soon paid for the "Cure All" Pain Killer.
Joseph W. Niles also became a resident in the fall of 1856. He was not so fortu- nate as McCauley for he did not possess one dollar, and the first morning went without his breakfast, being too proud to ask for it.
In 1858 George F. Tufly came to the county, locating in Clay Township where his parents settled, and remained at home until he became of age.
William Maule dates his settlement from April 27, 1860, at which time he was born. He is the son of Donald Maule, a pioneer of 1851.
William F. Garner came with his par- ents in the spring of 1861. His father, Henry Garner, is one of the prosperous farmers of the county and resides on sec- tion 34.
Pleasant Coffman and family located in the county in the autumn of 1856. His son, George W., now a practical farmer, was then seven years of age.
In the spring of 1869 Thomas D. Tovey became identified with the history of the county. He accompanied his parents to the county. His father was a blacksmith and located at Magnolia.
George W. Small, who located here in
the autumn of 1879, is one of the many men who have seen the ups and downs of pioneer life.
In the spring of 1881 Cantine R. Will- iams became a resident of the county, first renting land near Logan for two years, after which he purchased his pres- ent farm.
William R. Simmons, of section 10, Raglan, came to the county in the spring of 1884.
Harvey H. Champney located on sec- tion 35, in Raglan in April, 1867. In Jan- uary, 1868, he moved to Magnolia, where he has lived ever since.
Pleasant B. Coffman located on section 10, Raglan, in the autumn of 1866.
Jacob Mintun found his way to Harri- son county on New Year's Day 1854, coming from Pottawattamie County, He had come from Salt Lake to that county in 1852.
Oliver F. Nelson came to the county in the fall of 1869 and a few years later bought eighty acres of land on section 33, where he still lives.
William H. Collins, of section 9, came to the county in the fall of 1878, settled near Woodbine, rented land four years and then purchased his present farm. See sketch.
RAGLAN POST-OFFICE.
In 1864, a post-office with the above name was established on section 25, with Jacob Mintun as postmaster. It continued for three years and on account of better mail facilities throughout the county, the building of railroads, etc., this office was abolished. · It was on a route from Mag- nolia to Little Sioux.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
The first schoolhouse was built about
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HARRISON COUNTY.
1858. It was of logs and stood on section 23, west of where Mr. Barnes now lives. Early teachers were : Paulina Hillis, Miss Riley (now Mrs. Arbaugh). Anna Pate (now the wife of Henry Alexander,) prob- ably taught the first term of school in Raglan Township. Other teachers were : Mrs. John Pratt, Mrs. Yiesley (then Eva Scofield), Amanda Hetherington (now the wife of George Musgrave, of Logan), and Mary McWilliams (now Mrs. Eugene Scofield. At present the township is pro- vided with four schoolhouses. The total average attendance is about 144.
The earliest religious services were held
by the Mormons or Latter Day Saints in 1851-52. There are no regular organized churches that have buildings in Raglan Township. The Roman Catholic people attend at Magnolia and the Christian (Disciples) hold services at the school house on Steer Creek.
GENERAL.
The wife of Chester Hamilton was the first adult to die in Raglan Township.
A saw mill was in operation near where Jacob Mintun now resides just before the Civil War. It was run by a Mr. Wallace.
16
246
HARRISON COUNTY.
LA GRANGE TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XXX.
L A GRANGE is the center town- ship east and west and on the south line of the county. It is south of Jefferson, west of Union, north of Potta- wattomie County and east of St. John Township and comprises all of township 78, range 43, except the western tier of sections, which is included in St. Johns' Township. Its area is thirty square miles or nineteen thousand and two hundred acres. Its surfaceis rolling, fertile prairie land, except in the northeast part, where Harris Grove is found, which covers sev- eral sections. The streams flowing through the township are numerous and small. The larger of these are Harris Grove Creek, Honey Creek and Timber Creek.
The population in 1885 was five hun- dred and thirty. The 1890 numerator fixed it at six hundred and thirty.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
In 1848, when the western part of Iowa was yet comparatively little known, and generally considered a worthless plain, the Latter Day Saints, or Mormons, being in trouble with the people of Illinois and Missouri, owing to their own peculiar re- ligious teachings, left the bounds of civil- ization, seeking homes in the "far west." Under guidance of divers leaders they
became scattered and confused, both in religion and destitution. Most of them stopped in Western Iowa and it was some of their men who commenced improve- ments in what is now La Grange Town- ship, of which this chapter is written. They denounced Brigham Young as a false leader who taught but the teachings of a man-devil. Suffice to say that they were a floating population, and only com- menced to improve for those who were soon to come after them as settlers ofthe county. So in the compiling of this "early settlement" paragraph, many names may be omitted from the pioneer band-their sojourn being so short.
During the spring of 1848, John Harris, one of the Mormon band, located at what was in honor of him named "Harris Grove." His location was the northeast of section 12, now owned by J. D. McKin- ney. Harris sold to Robert Wiemer and and he to J. D. McKenney in the fall of 1851. Among about one hundred and thirty people of the mormon faith, who wintered and summered in and near the grove, the names of the following are re- called. The entire party consisted of thirty-three families. The names referred to are: Harris, Wiemer, Austin, Powell, Noyes, Sufelt, Twitchell, Hodges, Com-
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HARRISON COUNTY.
fort, Mecham, Thornton and Mikesell. These all built cabins and remained until the spring of 1852 and then went to the "promised land" Salt Lake City, Utah. Asa Earl, who settled on the farm after- ward owned by Jacob Stern, was the only one who remained, not being an adherent of Polygamy. During the stay of the Mormon band, they built and ran two sawmills, one at each end of the grove. They were whip-saws and did good ser- vice for the sojourners. They also had two wagon shops. At that time the wild turkeys were very numerous and their "Quit" "Quit" "Quit" might have been heard throughout the wild forest.
In the fall of 1851 Michael McKenney, John McKenney and the father of Mich- ael, Thomas McKenney, and family came in from Cass County, Mich. Thomas died June 12, 1852. John settled in Jefferson Township and died December 26, 1880. James D. and C. T. McKenney, then small boys are now prosperous farmers of the township. At the time of their com- ing to the county they found as settlers, Thomas Reeder, William Howard, Asa Earl, and a man named Orinder. In 1852 came Daniel Jewell, who settled where J. S. Vanderhoof now lives. Jewell moved to Missouri in 1856 and from there to Kan- sas, where he died. Thomas Vanderhoof came in from Michigan with the Jewells and settled in Magnolia Township, but soon left the country.
George W. White came in the fall of 1852, as did John Rogers and family from West Virginia. They settled on the west side of the grove where he died about 1880. His son J. D. Rogers came in 1854: Mi- chael Rogers came in 1852. In the spring of 1851 came William Dakan, a Mexican soldier, who located on the Joseph Culver farm in St. John Township.
The above comprised most of the settle- ment up to 1853. But the fertility of the soil, purity of the water gushing forth from numerous springs, together with a mix- ture of good timber and excellent prairie land, with wild fruits in abundance, also game and wild honey, made the section look verily like a paradise to the weary home-seeker and so it was that settlements rapidly increased. Chief among those who came in prior to 1880 and who may be properly called early settlers may be named the following :
Benjamin A. Divelbess of section 4, came to the county in the spring of 1853, and settled at Bigler's Grove. He came with Charles Carvelho. He went West,. crossed the plains, returned in 1871, rented of A. Longman one year and in December, 1872, moved to section 4. See personal sketch.
Jacob S. Vanderhoof of section 3, came in the autumn of 1854 (see sketch) and in 1856 boughtone hundred and twenty acres on section 11, La Grange Township. He remained there three years and bought on section 5. Later he sold to J. Long- man and bought on section 3.
James Rogers came in April, 1854, and entered one hundred and sixty acres at Government price. He erected a log house with a mud chimney, and set out one of the very finest orchards in the county.
William F. Vore accompanied his par- ents to the county in the fall of 1855, set- tling in Harris Grove, where the father bought two hundred and forty acres. The father was Pierson Vore, now deceased. See family sketch.
Francis T. Hill came in the spring of 1857, settled at the Grove. In 1858 he bought forty acres of wild land, improved, sold and bought on section 16, in 1866.
248
HARRISON COUNTY.
He was in the Twenty-ninth Iowa Infan- try during the Civil War period.
George W. Smith, of section 23,came in the spring of 1858 and purchased wild land on section 16. He first lived in a "dug-out" in the hillside.
Jacob T. Stern and family came from Pennsylvania in 1857 and established the "Linnwood Farm." He now lives at Lo- gan. Read his biography.
David B. Vanderhoof, deceased, came in the fall of 1864, settled where his widow now lives on section 2, known as "Hickory Heights." He died in September, 1885.
William Elliott, of section 10, came to the county in the spring of 1862, and lo- cated where he now lives. He built him a rude log cabin which he covered with buckwheat straw and poles. He is now a well-situated farmer. See personal sketch.
John A. Orr, deceased, came to the county with his parents in 1861 and in 1872 moved back to the north part of Pot- tawattamie County. In 1876 he bought two hundred acres of land on sections 5, 6 and 8, of this township. At the time of his death he owned one thousand forty acres of land. He died in October, 1882. His father was Col. William Orr.
William Pett of section 11, came to the countyin May, 1867. He wasa mason by trade.
In November, 1854, John Vore came to the county with two teams, and located in Twelve-Mile Grove in Douglas Town- ship. In 1855 he traded for land in Craw- ford County and lived in that county until March, 1867, when he moved to his pres- ent farm in L. Grange.
Wilson Doty came to the county when a young man in company with his parents, the date of which was in the autumn of 1866, settling at that time in Taylor Town-
ship, three years later to St. John's Town- ship and in 1872 to La Grange.
Henry R. Coleman was born in Harri- son County in 1860. His father, Erastus Coleman, was a pioneer of 1852, coming from Ohio.
J. H. Fensler is a blacksmith by trade ; he came to the county in 1870 and for some time worked at his trade in Missouri Valley. His sons ran a farm in St. John's Township until 1882, when the house was burned. He then sold the place and moved to La Grange. In the autumn of 1874 Peter R. Mullen settled on the farm he now occupies.
Albert T. McElderry settled on his farm in 1879.
J. P. Yarrington commenced farming in La Grange in the spring of 1881, com- ing from Kansas. He engaged at mer- chandising in Beebeetown in August, 1888.
In 1882 W. C. Stodgel came to the county, settling on his present farm on section 8, La Grange.
Edward Fagan, a native of Ireland, born in 1809, came to Harrison County in 1883 accompanied by his family. His sons, Patrick and Peter, are still residents, car- rying on the farm on which they settled. Edward Fagan died in the Roman Cath- olic faith, July 17, 1890.
John G. Brundige of section 8, came in the spring of 1868; he settled at St. John's worked out by the month, and 1870 rented land. In 1873 he obtained his present farm. See sketch.
Arthur J. Gilmore, present County Su- pervisor, came in 1869 and bought a hun- dred acres of wild land. His family moved out from Dubuque in 1872 and they lo- cated on section 28. See personal sketch.
Nephi Yocom came in 1870 and settled where he now lives.
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HARRISON COUNTY.
Michael Sarvey of section 28, came in 1871, bought one hundred and sixty acres of wild land. At one time he owned six hundred and eighty acres. He came from Dubuque, Iowa.
Frederick F. Beebee, of section 35, came in March, 1871, and settled on section 26, with his father, who had entered land in 1856. See sketch of the family.
Peter R. Mullin, of section 15, came in the fall of 1874.
James P. O'Rourke, of section 29, came with his father, John, from Dubuque County in 1873.
John Bradshaw, of section 34, came in the spring of 1877 and located where he now lives.
In 1878 Harry Adams settled on section 28, where he purchased eighty acres of improved land.
ORGANIC.
In the fall of 1853, the first election was held in La Grange Township and it was organized.
M. I. McKenney, who had been ap- pointed the organizing Sheriff, of Harri- son County, by virtue of such office. called an election to be held in the various vot- ing precincts. But, owning to a dissatisfac- tion growing out of the county-seat loca- tion at Magnolia, some of the precincts re- fused to vote, hoping thereby to defeat the organization of the county and get a re-location of the seat of Justice. La Grange was opposed to the county-seat's location, but refused to assist in thwart- ing the plans of organization of a county government. At such an election, Mich- ael Rogers and William Dakan were elected Justices of the Peace for La Grange Township.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first settlers were Mormons-the first of whom was John Harris in 1848.
The first death among the "Gentiles " was Thomas McKenney, June 12, 1852. Two Mormons had died prior to that date.
The first marriage in La Grange Town- ship was M. Rogers to Hope Reeder.
The first birth (aside from among the Mormons) was Frank McKenney, March 26, 1852.
The first land improved was that on the J. D. McKenney farm.
The first regular saw-mill was built in 1857, by James McCoid. Large quantities of lumber were sawed, some of which went to Europe.
The first school in this township, as now bounded, was in the summer of 1853, taught by Susan Comfort in a log cabin left by the Mormons, on the northwest of section 13. It was a subscription school.
SCHOOLS AND CHURCHES.
It was early in the fifties, when schools and religious services were first instituted in La Grange Township. The first school attended, however, was kept in a rude log hovel, left by the Mormons over on sec- tion 6, of Union Township and the first teacher was James McCurley, now resid- ing at Logan. It was in the McKenney neighborhood and was taught in the winter of 1851-52. The building was so seated that the soft (?) side of a puncheon was turned uppermost and rested upon five pin-legs-two at each end and one in the center. Heat was supplied by a big fire-place as well as an occasional "warm- ing" from the hickory whip wielded for discipline, more than for cultivating good disposition up'n the part of the pupils. Writing-desks were made by bass-wood · boards being fastened to the wall. It is related by Joe H. Smith, a local historian, that "moral suasion" was not employed to the degree, that "hickory suasion" was in those early-day schools.
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HARRISON COUNTY.
The first public school building was erected in 1858 and known as the "Dakan School." The first to teach there was a man named Stone. At this time the township is supplied with four good school buildings and there are 180 pupils enrolled.
Early religious services-probably the first, were held by Rev. Mr. Rice (brother of Dr. Rice, of Magnolia) a Congregational minister, who preached in 1852. The next in the field were the Methodist people, who assembled at Mr. Peterson's house, near the present James McKenney farm. Rev. Moses F. Shinn officiated. As soon as school-houses were provided, they also served as "meetin' houses." A union build- ing was erected in 1890, on section 14, which is used for a general public hall and also for funeral and church services.
Methodist services are held and a class kept up at the Beebeetown school-house.
HARRIS GROVE FARMERS' CLUB.
[We take the liberty to quote the fol- lowing from Joe H. Smith's History of Harrison County.]
Farmers' Clubs had their origin, here- abouts, through the instrumentality of Mr. and Mrs. Jacob Stern. This old patriarch and his good wife of Quaker origin hailed from the State of Pennsyl- vania. "They settled in Harris Grove in 1857, bringing with them some of the good old customs of the "Keystone State."
In the fall of 1864, Mr. Stern called a meeting of a few of the citizens of La Grange Township, for the purpose of ob- taining valuable seeds from Washington then being sent out by the Patent Office Department. At the time these were re- ceived Mr. Stern, William Elliott, F. T. Hill and David Rogers, who were of the first organization, called the farmers of the townships named together, and distri-
buted to each, pro rata, anticipating that all would give the same a good cultiva- tion, and when the same had ripened, was gathered, etc. to again meet and compare notes as to the crop, way of cultivating, etc. Some little jealousy at the time springing up, the day of the meeting came, and they, who were instrumental in pro- curing seeds, were legislated out of office and new men elected wlio, in return, let the organization die for want of attention.
On the 5th of March, 1866, a few neigh- bors having called and dined with Mr. and Mrs. Stern, the "Harris Grove Farmers' Club" was organized, being composed of the following members: Jacob T. Stern and wife, Henry S. Milliman and wife, J. S. Vanderhoof and wife, E. W. Milliman and wife, David R. Rogers and wife, Will- iam Elliott and wife, F. T. Hill and wife, Thomas McKenney, and soon included the names of James D. Rogers and wife, J. F. Hull and wife and D. B. Vanderhoof and wife.
Constitution and by-laws were perfected setting the last Saturday of each month as a meeting time.
· The following is a list of all belonging up to 1888: J. L. Beebee, R. W. Beebee, F. F. Beebee, F. T. Hill, William Elliott, C. T. Loveland, D. B. Vanderhoof, J. D. McKenney, L. P. Vanderhoof, Almor Stern, J. F. Hull, George H. White, H. H. McKenney, William Riddle, William Dakan, William F. Vore, J. D. Rogers, D. R. Rogers, J. S. Vanderhoof, George Bobbitt, Ambrose Milliman, J. T. Stern, A. B. Sherwood, Abel and John H. Fen- sler and C. T. Mc Kenney and wife.
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