USA > Iowa > Harrison County > History of Harrison County, Iowa : its people, industries and institutions, with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families > Part 29
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MILLING AT WOODBINE.
Today, Woodbine has no flouring-mill, time and the changes in the manufacture of this useful product, together with the great drainage ditch that was cut down the Boyer valley a few years since, having destroyed what was once a big industry for this vicinity. The old Woodbine mills stand, as it were, on an island, the water-power forever gone. A few years ago the proprietors of these mills issued a harvest booklet to their cus- tomers in which we find the following concerning the mill :
"This mill has been connected with the growth and early history of
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Woodbine, keeping up with the improvements and new inventions in the milling business, making the changes step by step from the crude methods of a half century ago to the modern mill of today, having the necessary appliances, a thorough system and complete outfit of machinery of the kind needed for doing high-grade work.
"To interest the younger generation and to bring up old memories of the past among the early settlers, we herewith give a short history of the mill. From the old history of Harrison county, published in Magnolia in IS6S, we learn that Mr. L. D. Butler was the second permanent settler in Boyer township, coming to Council Bluffs in 1849, when this portion of the country was a vast wilderness, inhabited only by wild deer, elk, wolves. etc. In an excursion northward Mr. Butler was struck by the beauty and fertility of the land in the neighborhood of what is now Woodbine, and in 1853 he came and located about a mile from what is now the town site, and two years later ( 1855) he built the mill. This was one of the first mills built in western lowa.
"Mr. Butler was one of the most energetic and enterprising men of the early settlers. He kept the first postoffice and opened the first store in the township; and Woodbine became a business point. In the summer of 1865 he sold the mill and its privileges to Clark & Dally, who erected close to the mill a woolen factory, costing twenty-seven thousand dollars, and opened a first-class store. Mr. Butler also kept his store with an increase of stock. Reuben Veisley succeeded Clark as Mr. Dally's partner, from 1874 to 1881, when Mr. Dally bought him out. The factory ran two hun- dred spindles, manufacturing six hundred yards of cloth per week. Mr. Dally made the factory very profitable to himself, and a blessing to the country. When these improvements were going on the people of Boyer township thought they got pretty near the top of improvement, but the rail- road continued down the Boyer valley, through the township, and in the fall of 1866 the people about Woodbine found the cars among them. The rail- road company laid out the town of Woodbine near the mill (a mile to the southwest).
"As time passed Mr. Dally added many improvements to the old mill. He changed it to a roller process mill, and some time in the eighties sold a half interest to L. M. Kellogg, of Missouri Valley. About IS90 the mill was sold to W. H. McHenry, who operated it for several years. He sold it to J. T. Rawlings, who in turn disposed of it to the present owner, who has lately put in the most advanced machinery and perfect methods for manufacturing flour of unsurpassed excellence, has added steam power and
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placed this historic mill in the very front rank, an institution of which not only Woodbine, but all Harrison county is justly proud."
The history as above narrated brought it down to the date when Rog- ers Brothers owned and ran it. They sold to the Woodbine Milling Co., which was made up of several Woodbine men, who operated it successfully until the water power was shut off by the construction of the Boyer valley drainage ditch, above mentioned, since which time they have not been able to successfully operate it.
The mill is a frame structure, and near its race stands the good two- story frame building built for a residence many years ago. Near it stood the old woolen factory. The whole surroundings bespeak a busy beehive of industry in the years long since passed. Today the "Lincoln Highway" passes within a few rods of the old mill and crosses the time-honored race which conducted the waters of the Boyer to the water wheel, which is now embedded in sand and rusting out.
Near this mill in the winter of 1856-57 there were seen many deer and elk. On one occasion Mr. Butler and his men succeeded in capturing eleven elk, which nimble-footed animals came in from the southeast. The snow was crusted and the animals were easily run down and killed, for. when they broke through the crusted snow, they usually broke one or more of their legs.
TORNADOES VISIT WOODBINE.
Among many tornadoes in western Iowa, since the settlement of the county, two struck the town of Woodbine with great fury. The first dam- aging storm was in the summer of 1885. when there were but few houses in town that escaped having their chimneys blown away, or suffering other damage. This was in no true sense a cyclone, but a violent tornado. At the home of J. S. Van Scoy, the barn was literally torn to pieces, and a stick of dimension stuff was hurled through the roof of his residence and landed on a bed, where a moment before had been sleeping the baby son, Allen Van Scoy, who had been taken to the cellar.
The next great storm, by many styled a cyclone, struck the place on Sunday evening, March 23, 1913, Easter Sunday, which occurred that year earlier than it had for hundreds of years before. These two facts, the early Easter and the violent, destructive storm, have impressed all of the citizens then living in Woodbine in a manner never to be erased from their minds. It was estimated that nearly half a million dollars' worth of property was destroyed, but. strange to relate, no lives were sacrificed, and less than a
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dozen persons were injured. One lady was pinned beneath a cook stove, but was finally released without serious bodily injury.
This was a continuation of what is termed the great Omaha cyclone, where hundreds of persons were killed and millions of dollars' worth of property destroyed in the western residence districts. The storm crossed the Missouri river and followed on up the Boyer valley, striking Woodbine about six-thirty o'clock in the evening. The atmosphere was murky and op- pressive all the afternoon, and by evening the signs of a strange and terrible storm were in the sky. As evening drew near, what scientists call (for lack of a better name) "volcano dust" appeared in the heavens. Many took shelter in storm-caves, some of which had been constructed many years pre- vious. Five minutes more passed and the story of the great wind-storm --- tornado or cyclone-had been told, and one despatch went forth to the Asso- ciated Press to the effect that "half a dozen were killed and the town wiped from the map." On account of the wires of phones and telegraph being out of commission and mail trains irregular cast and west for many days, people in the East could hear nothing further from friends in Woodbine. But such was not the fate of the town. Great relief came when it was known that the storm had not been the means of such an awful destruction of life and property, although it was bad enough as it was. The storm struck the town from the southwest. in the residence district. and mowed a pathway about two blocks in width. The south end of the business district was struck hardest. A dozen or more business places, mostly good brick structures, were either demolished entirely or badly wrecked. But, strange to relate, no lives were lost, which probably would not have been true had the storm occurred on a week-day evening, when people were sure to have been on the streets and in places of business.
Among the heavy losses were those sustained by the two railroad depots, the old brick building owned by the Mathews Lumber & Coal Company, for offices, and the opera house on its second floor, all of which were totally wrecked. There was no insurance, and the loss amounted to about twenty thousand dollars. Young & Kibler's hardware block, the best structure in town, was damaged to the extent of six thousand dollars. The Beebe de- partment store and Siebel's department store, with many more, came in for their share of loss. - The Illinois Central railroad agent's house was badly wrecked, and the depot destroyed, parts of its slate roof being picked up many blocks distant.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
MAGNOLIA TOWNSHIP.
The oldest township, as well as the most central and largest civil town- ship in Harrison county, is named Magnolia, after that beautiful tree found growing in so many of the southern states of this union. It was constituted with the organization of the county in 1853. It has met with numerous changes in the way of the extent of its territory, but, as now constituted, comprises all of township No. So, range 43, and one-third of township 79, range 43. It has forty-eight sections. It was named by the Iowa Legisla- ture when it was made into a separate county organization. It is bounded on the north by Allen township, on the east by Boyer and Jefferson town- ships, on the south by Jefferson and Calhoun townships and on the west by Raglan and Taylor townships.
The Jowa census reports of 1885, gave it a population of one thousand two hundred and seven, while the United States census report for 1890 gave it one thousand two hundred and thirty-two. The last census, which was taken by authority of the government, lists it as having one thousand three hundred and forty-five, including the old village of Magnolia, which is placed at three hundred and eleven.
No township in the entire county can boast of so many beautiful streams and springs, which at an earlier date were found gushing forth from many a hillside and valley. In 1890 it was carefully estimated that the township contained fully twenty-six hundred acres of natural forest land. The Willow is the chief stream, and meanders through the south and castern portions of the territory, with lesser streams coming in here and there as tributaries. The creeks of the township include Allen, Thompson's. Huff- man's, Steer, Hog. Elk and Bloomer creeks. The largest native groves are Magnolia. Spink's and Bigler's. Practically speaking, the original settlement in the county was effected in this township.
Magnolia, the former county seat, is the only town within the borders of the township. It remained the seat of justice from 1853 to 1876. when the county seat was voted to Logan. The bounties of nature seem lavishly be- stowed throughout this goodly section of the county.
At first the land was taken up by squatter's claims and later purchased
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at government price, one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. The history of the township seems to be naturally divided into at least three periods- before the Civil War, during that conflict, and since the war closed.
EARLY SETTLEMENT NOTES.
From the best obtainable evidence, the first man to locate within Mag- nolia township, as now constituted, was George Blackman, who located land in 1850, in section 29, where he resided until a few years ago.
To or near the village of Magnolia, very soon came James Hardy and family. The year of his settlement was 1853. Later he removed to Cal- houn township. He was an industrious man and operated one of the first mills in Harrison county. (Sce account elsewhere. )
Lucius Merchant became a settler as carly as 1851. Ile appears to have arrived in the spring of that year. locating in section 8, township 79, range 43, at which place he claimed a half section of land, on which stood a cabin, and where a small garden patch had been broken.
Isaac Bedsaul settled in section 8, township 79, range 43. He came in company with his father's family. The father conducted the second store in Magnolia village. He finally sold the store and purchased land in section 33. township So, range 43. Isaac Bedsaul was a member of Company C, Twenty-ninth lowa infantry.
In 1855 Silas Rice came, during the month of June. The first year he resided in the village and then purchased a farm in section 4, where he built a log house in the spring of 1856. He was a brother of Dr. J. H. Rice, an immigrant of 1854. At the death of Silas Rice, in March, 1874, he owned over four hundred acres of valuable land.
D. E. Brainard came in 1855. Ile became county judge and was a man of much influence and importance in his day and generation.
C. I. Cutler came in 1853, settling in section 7. He died in 1855.
Isaac George came at about the same date, settling in the southern part of the township, where he died in 1855.
Solomon Barnett came with the few who entered this domain in 1853, taking land in section 5. He died in Union township in 1888.
A. W. Lockling and his family came in 1851, locating in section 7, township 79, range 43. He had two sons, Il. Il. and O. W. Lockling.
Another pioneer of pioneers was the late Judge Jonas Chatburn, who came in from Mills county. He was English and came to America about 1850. He was of the Latter-Day Saints religious faith. He held the office
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of county judge. He it was, with a partner, who built and operated the first mill in Harrison county. During the later years of his life the judge resided at Harlan, Shelby county. He also erected and conducted the first mill in each of the counties of Mills and Sheby.
Peter Smith came to Magnolia township before the Civil War and met his death by a runaway team. He bought land in section 5, township 79, range 44.
Thomas Vanderhoof, of Michigan, claimed land in section 7, township 79, range 43, but only remained a short time.
A. I .. Harvey came from New York state to Newton, lowa. in June, 1856. He settled in the village of Magnolia, engaged in merchandising and later became a real estate dealer, and finally located in Logan. where he followed banking for many years. He retired from active life and died in Logan a few years since. When he came here he was a single man, but soon married and reared a family that became an honor to his name. He stayed at Magnolia until it could not longer hold the county seat ; then, with many more of the locality removed to the new railroad town of Logan.
Joseph Bence came to this part of the county in 1856, settling in sec- tion 1, township 79, range 43.
Frederick Huff, Sr., located in section 8, township 79. range 43. in the spring of 1857, and in 1869 removed to section 14.
Frederick W. Hauff, Jr., settled at Bigler's Grove in 1861, but had been there in 1857. In 1866 he removed to section 27, where he purchased a hundred and twenty acre farm.
Henry Henneman, Sr., an immigrant from Indiana, came in with a horse team in the month of October, 1855. He was a thrifty German and took land in section 8, township 79, range 43.
Speaking of the truly prominent pioneer families the name of Stephen Mahoney should not be forgotten. He had a wife and cleven children. They came with a hundred and thirty other persons. They were Latter- Day Saints, who emigrated from Maryland. They came to Council Bluffs in April, 1851, and to Magnolia township in 1852. Mr. Mahoney entered land in section 33, township 80, range 43. He died in February, 1888, leaving his widow the most of the landed estate. He and Judge Jonas Chapman operated the first saw and shingle-cutting mill in Harrison county, continuing in that industry for sixteen years. He paid forty per cent for the money with which he entered his land.
In 1857 Wells F. Walker came to this county, in the month of May. He followed carpentering in Magnolia until 1861, then went west to the
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Rocky mountain country, returning in 1867, when he bought wild land in section 16, where he was still residing in the early nineties.
Jerome Seeley came in the fall of 1858, locating at Magnolia. For a time he drove stage, but later took land in section 7.
Henry Geith came to the township before the Civil War and made a permanent settlement. About the same date came Henry Lorantz, who set- tled in section 6, township 79, range 43.
"Capt." William M. Hill settled at Magnolia in 1855. He emigrated from Virginia and became prominent in the county's affairs, but on account of his sentiments, he got into difficulty with the general government and finally went insane and died, really as a result of the rebellion. His life here was a checkered one. He died about 1885. He made this county an efficient county clerk for a number of terms, and was an excellent man.
In either 1856 or 1857, John and William Raymond settled in sec- tion 18.
P. G. and William Cooper were in the county before its organization. coming as they did in 1851 or 1852. They were both among the first county officials-see election returns. They finally moved West, but in 1891 Will- iam was residing in Mondamin.
Among other characters whose names will long stand in the annals of Harrison county, was Chester M. Hamilton, who came early in the fifties. His experience with thieving Indians, showed the true character of this once well-known and famous oddity of a pioneer settler. Joe HT. Smith treated him in a former county historical work, under the caption of "Hamilton's Defeat." He was sheriff of Harrison county at an early day. He moved to Nebraska, but finally re-located in Harrison county.
James W. Bates settled at Magnolia in 1853, remained ten years and went to Colorado. Joel H. Patch became a settler in 1853 in section 14, township 80. range 43. Ile died in 1874.
Michael Doyle set his stakes in Magnolia in the spring of 1855, and followed day labor until 1861, when he purchased eighty acres of wild land in section 10. township 70, range 43. Ile served as a member of company C, Twenty-ninth lowa Infantry, during the Civil War.
William T. Fallon became a settler in this township in 1857. For a number of years he found freighting across the western plains profitable. He also conducted the "Raymond Hotel' at Magnolia for some time, but in 1876. after the county seat left Magnolia, he moved back to his farm. After a number of years there he returned to the village of Magnolia. He was
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born in Maryland, and was accompanied by his brother, Joseph, and sister, Hattie.
Alvin Seeley, of section 21, came in 1866.
George Main, who had resided in Raglan township since 1856, went to the Civil War and in 1863 the family removed to the village of Magnolia. After the war ended Mr. Main returned, but had landed interests in other sections of the county.
Henry Champney came in 1867, to Raglan township, but the next year moved to Magnolia township. William C. Cutler, who came to Harrison county in the spring of 1853 with his parents, in 1864 bought land in sec- tion 8, where, in 1890, he owned a half section of land.
Samuel Purcell came to this county in 1855, remained a short time, and removed to Pottawattamie county, where he remained until 1864, where he bought land in section 14 of Magnolia township, but in 1866 he moved to section II.
Captain George S. Bacon of the big orchard fame, was captain of Company C, Twenty-ninth lowa Infantry. He arrived in this township in 1855 and remained a resident until 1883, when he removed to Des Moines, but still held his interests in this township.
William Hlefford, of section 14, came to Harrison county in 1856. He worked at the carpentering trade in the village of Magnolia until 1870. then bought wild land in section 23. remained until 1876 and bought the farm in this township, where he remained so many years.
H. Caywood was a settler of the early fifties. He became an honored citizen. Later he removed to Clay township, remained until the death of his wife, and then moved from the county.
In 1856 S. E. Hillis, father of Rev. Dr. Dwight Newell Ilillis, of Beecher's old Plymouth church of Brooklyn, New York, settled in the southwest quarter of section 9. township So. range 43. About 1890 he re- moved to Woodbine, where both he and his estimable wife died several years ago.
David D. Young established himself in section 12, township 80, range 43. in June, 1857. Ile platted what was known as Eldorado, but no village ever sprung up to amount to anything.
Zeno C. Spinks settled in a part of section II, township 80, range 43. in 1856. "Spinks grove" was named for him.
Samuel Tarkington located in section 13 in the spring of 1857.
Samuel Schwertley purchased and settled in the southeast of the north-
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west of section 17, township 80, range 43, in June, 1857. Subsequently, he moved to Taylor township.
David M. Gamet came in 1854, to section 20, township So, range 43. but later became a resident of Little Sioux.
Thomas F. Stewart settled in the last section named in 1853.
In 1857 Charles Child located in the northeast of section 21, township 80, range 43-
Benjamin Abram- settled in 1854 in section 24. He has long since been deceased.
Lewis Coon became a resident of section 1, township 79, range 43 in 1855. remained a number of years and finally removed to Missouri.
Jeremiah Motz settled in 1853, in section 6, township 79, range 43. In 1891 he was a resident of the town of Modale.
William Kennedy also came in 1854, settling on the northwest of sec- tion 8, township 79. range 43, but later moved to Calhoun township.
Joseph Buffington located in section 3, township 80, range 43, in 1855. David Imlay settled in the northeast of section 3, in 1855.
Jacob Fulton came in either 1856 or 1857, locating in section 2, town- ship So, range 43. Joseph Young came about the last date named, and lo- cated in the same section.
In 1854 came Johnson Bentley, to section 19, township So, range 43.
Hon. Phineas Cadwell came in from New York state in the autumn of 1854. purchasing land in section 36, which he nicely improved and there resided many years. Later in life he removed to Logan where he spent the remainder of his days. Ile was strong in the Latter-Day Saint church faith, was member of the Jowa Legislature many years ago, and was a greatly honored citizen.
John and Jacob Krauskoop settled in section 28, about 1855. They were both Germans and both died in this township.
"Doc" Younger (ague doctor) came about 1851, remained near where Magnolia village now stands, until 1857. He was a singular character.
Robert Ilall came before the Civil War and located on Allen creek. He was very early-in the fifties. He died after the close of the Civil War. On section 14, the Purcell family located in the fifties. The father died in this township, and many of the family still remain in Harrison county.
Josiah Crom settled a mile or two south of the village of Magnolia, in section 29, early in 1855. He died at that place.
John Chatburn came to the county in 1863, coming directly from Eng- land, his uncle. Jonas W. Chatburn, was a resident from 1852.
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Jasper MeCrillis, an extensive Poland-China hog raiser, a quarter of a century ago, dated his settlement from 1870.
John C. Michael came to the county with his parents in 1868. He was a native of Germany, where he was born in 1863.
Charles F. Plath made his settlement with his father's family in 1857; he was a German and born in 1856.
Charles Wheelock, who wore the loyal blne in Civil War days, settled in this county in 1866. His army career was exceptional.
Others, whose names appear on record here and there, as having set- tled in this township were :
D. A. Stewart, section 8, 1871 ; Frank Bolch, in section 4, 1878; Henry Lenz came in 1866; Hugh Stewart, section 8, in 1870; William Ganzhorn, 1870; Fred Ehlert, section .22, 1871; William Furgeson, section 20, in 1866; John Steffon, section 16, in 1867; Henry Umach, section 8, 1871; John Donner, section 33, 1871, and to Magnolia in 1880; Charles Ploth, section 23, came to the county in 1870, first locating in section 27. In the fall of 1875 he sold and rented land and later purchased another farm in this town- ship. George Lennert, of section 32, came to the county in 1867 and to Magnolia township in 1872. Philo M. Richardson, in section 19. came in the spring of 1874. worked by the month on a farm and taught school for two years, but later became a landowner in this township.
INDIAN TROUBLES.
The last difficulty had with Indians in this part of the country was in 1885, when a band of about three hundred were in the habit of crossing the Missouri river into Harrison county. They were quite friendly, but annoyed the citizens very much by pilfering stock and poultry. To put a stop to this the whites, twenty in number, assembled and met the band when they had crossed the river. The twenty whites captured the three hundred Indians, loaded their bows and arrows into wagons and took them over the county line at Honey Creek, Pottawattamie county. The Indians were half starved, and the humane white people gathered together and raised a fund with which a steer was bought and given the Indians, who seemed to greatly appreciate the act of kindness. After the feast, the day following, they went over the river to their homes in eastern Nebraska.
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