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 34
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HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA.
PERSIA SWEPT BY FIRE.
One of the greatest fires in western Iowa, in a small town, was that at Persia, April 19. 1905, when alnost all the business portion of the town was burned, causing a loss of about fifty thousand dollars, of which only seventeen thousand dollars was covered by insurance. The rate had been placed so high, on account of not having a proper water works system, that few carried much insurance at the date of the disastrous conflagration. It was believed that the fire was set by designing hands, though there was never any proof of such act. The persons who were heaviest in the losses are the following: William Smith, building and stock, loss $1,000, insurance $300; HI. Testroet, building and stock, loss $575, insurance $600; Willard Brothers, building and stock, loss $9,000, insurance, $3,500; John Swarner, building and stock, loss $2,500, insurance $1,000; J. G. Becker. building and stock, loss $2.500. insurance $500; G. A. Green, building and stock, loss $1,000, insurance $500; P. Mewry, building and stock, loss $1,- 200; M. Martin, building and stock, loss $2,000; M. Martin's residence, loss $500: \. H. Miller, loss $2,000, insurance $1,000; Joseph Seddon, loss $7,000, insurance $3,000; F. L. Ater, stock, loss Soo; Mrs. Kirkpatrick, stock, loss $400; . \. P. Lathrop, stock, loss $600; R. Pieper building, loss $600; C. W. Harris, stock, loss $2,000, insurance $1.200; Odd Fellows building, loss $1,200, insurance $500; Medill Bros., drug store, loss $1,250, insurance none; J. N. Medill, residence, loss $800; William Timmerman, loss $100; C. B. McColm, drug store. loss $6.000, insurance $3.400.
VILLAGE OF YORKSHIRE.
This village was platted on the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad, in section 28, township 78, range 41, June 8, 1882, by the railroad company. But the present platting was made by Edward Howard, May 16, 1887, in section 89, township 78, range 41. A postoffice was established at Yorkshire in 1885, with James Abbott as postmaster. He was followed by the following men: A. C. Deupree, appointed March 16, 1887; Eli Vickery, October 18, 1889; 1. B. Atkins, February 7, 1894; J. W. Martin, September 28, 1898; Isaac S. Newman, August 2. 1899; F. W. Bean, October 25. 1902; John E. Fulner, March 11, 1913.
In the autumn prior to the laying out of Yorkshire, James Abbott and WV. B. Wood engaged in business at this point. They built a store-room
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and sold the first goods. The firm was known as Wood & Abbott. Wood finally bought out Abbott and conducted the business for three years, when he sold it to Eli Vickory, who, a year later, sold it to I. B. Atkins.
The second to embark in trade here was the "village smithy," the blacksmith, Oren Densmore, sold in six months to E. C. Copeland, who stood by the glowing forge and wielded the hammer at his anvil manys years.
Charles and Fred Eggers built their store in the summer of 1886, the style of the firm being Eggers Brothers. They carried a good general stock and rented the store building to Deupree & Atkins, after one year, but a year afterward they purchased the property.
H. C. Vanduzer, in the fall of ISS4, opened up in the grain and lumber business, but only remained one season.
The first grain warehouse erected was by the farmers, in the fall of 1885. After the third year the property went to the hands of C. D. Dillin. of Neola, who used it until it was blown down during a heavy storm in June, 1890.
Remington Brothers erected a grain warehouse at Yorkshire in 1887. In the spring of 1888 the Milwaukee Railroad Company erected an ele- vator in the village, which later was conducted by Remington Brothers. A second elevator was built in the fall of 1890 by the St. Paul & Kansas City Grain Company.
The first beer saloon was started by John Dolan in ISS6. After two years the building was torn down. In 1890 John Dahlheimer opened an- other saloon, ran it six months and "quit." .
On account of numerous elevator fires and some uncertainties con- cerning the removal of the railroad from this to another point, the town has not grown much. It has a general store, postoffice and a few shops.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
Union township comprises all of congressional township 78. range 42, hence is six miles square with whatever variations in the survey occur at this part of the state. It contains twenty-three thousand and forty acres of land. It was organized in 1858 by County Judge D. E. Brainard. It had a population in 1885 of six hundred and twenty-four; in 1890 it had nine hundred and forty-seven, and the last federal census gives it nine hun- dred and seven.
The water courses in this sub-division of Harrison county are the Pigeon creek and Potato creek, with a few smaller streams that flow into these streams. \ portion of Union and Harris groves supply the timber of a native growth. Union grove is found in the eastern part, while a small portion of Harris grove is still standing in the northwest part of the township. The township, being void of any towns or railroads, its people are all engaged in either farming, stock-raising, horticulture or dairy- ing. They are a prosperous people, bounded on the north by Jefferson and Cass townships, on the east by Washington township, on the south by Pottawattamie county, and on the west by La Grange township.
ORGANIZATION STEPS.
The date, as seen by record, of the organization of the township was September 6, 1858, under authority of County Judge D. E. Brainard. The first election was held at the house of "Uncle" Samuel Wood, on the sec- ond Tuesday of October, 1858, when Mr. Wood was duly elected clerk and assessor.
EARLY EVENTS IN HISTORY.
Thomas Dobson was the first settler. He came with his family about 1849, settling in section 24. Later he moved to Crawford county, where he died.
The first marriage in this township was that of Alonzo Hunt and Miss Margaret Dobson, carly in the fifties.
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The first school was taught in 1857, at Samuel Wood's cabin home, by Mrs. Howard S. Smith.
The first adult to die in the township was Mrs. Thomas Sellers. She was buried in section 14, in a neighborhood cemetery.
PIONEER BAND-EARLY SETTLEMENT.
It is probable that before the year 1849 no white man had ever in- vaded this portion of Iowa. During that year came Thomas Dobson and Riley Ilough. The latter located where Unionburg, a little hamlet, later sprung up, at the point of the grove. He remained about three years and moved to Pottawattamie county, where he was living in the nineties.
Samuel Wood ("Uncle Sammy") made settlement in section 23. As were many of the pioneers here, Mr. Wood was of the Latter-Day Saints faith. lle only had five dollars when he came to the county, but before many years rolled by he was a man of much property, including almost three hundred acres of excellent Harrison county land, a fortune of itself.
In 1853 William Tucker came in from Illinois, locating in sections 5 and 6, where he remained until 1891, when he sold and removed to Mis- souri Valley.
Alfred Brimm settled in section 13, in 1853 or 1854, but soon went on toward the setting sun.
H. S. Smith arrived in 1853 and died in the winter of 1858-59.
Richard Dickinson, of section 6, came in October, 1863. and "swapped" farms as they used to say, "sight unseen." One-half of the land he traded for was timbered.
Alfred Sellers "squatted" in section 21 in 1853. at Union grove.
HIarvey V. Armstrong came in June, 1854. entering land in Six Mile grove. He went to Illinois, but returned in 1856.
Albert B. Pugh, in section 6. came in April, 1858, located in La Grange township for a year, and then bought land in Union.
Frank M. Irvin, a carpenter, came in 1863. He served in the third Iowa battery in Civil War days. He took land in section 17.
James Chapman, in section 1, came in the spring of 1864, in com- pany with his parents. At first they rented land of Lindsey Evans, and worked in a saw-mill.
Daniel Kommish came, when a youth, with his parents in 1865. They settled in section 27.
In 1865, among others, came Samuel Diggle, Thomas Thomas, Nophi
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Chapman and James H. Graham. In 1867 came Joseph C. Hazzard, who paid five dollars an acre for his land in section 13. In 1868 came John G. Redinbaugh, of section 20; also Ashcraft Parker. Allen Stoker came in 1869. to section 27. David Williams came in 1871. Albert Gunnett and miother arrived in 1874. Joseph H. Murphy, of section 21, came in 1875. Lee Dakan, of section 17, came in 1876. Lehigh Dakan came in 1876. He was a soldier of the Civil War, from Ohio. Francis M. Howard came the last named year.
The churches and schools of the township will be fully treated in gen- eral chapters in this work.
FORMER POSTOFFICES.
Before the days of rural free delivery of mail, there were numerous postoffices established, which have long since been discontinued. This is true of Union township. For the sake of preserving some definite record of the old-time postoffices, the writer of this chapter has thought best to give the following concerning such offices in this township, as there appear to be several interesting features connected therewith.
The first postal facilities here were in 1864, when Unionburg post- office was established. R. Smith was appointed first postmaster. The office was kept in section 23, township 78, range 42. Following him came William Smith, who was followed by William Brown, after which came Samuel Wood, who received the office at the hands of Judge D. M. Harris, a Demo- crat, who had the say in those times as to who should be appointed in this district-a political custom. In writing to Wood, Judge Harris remarked : "I am a Democrat, you are a Republican. I have been acquainted with you for thirty years, and if there is anything in it, an old settler should have it." To this "Uncle Sammy" Wood made speedy answer: "Regarding politics, my first wife was named Mary, but for short we called her "Polly," conse- quently my politics are nine-seven girls and two boys." Harris never all- swered the letter, but in due course of time "Uncle Sammy's" appointment as postmaster was made, and he held it until 1888, when he was only too glad to be relieved of his duties. H. B. Peckenpaugh was postmaster there after Mr. Wood. Mail was received three times each week from a route running from Persia.
At this point there was a store put in by William Brown, in 1884. It was erected on Mr. Wood's land. Brown failed in business, and Wood succeeded him, as Brown was in debt to Wood. Wood was a merchant,
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farmer and postmaster, all at the same time. He closed out the stock in two years and erected a dance-hall, which for years was used for public gatherings.
Valley View postoffice, located in section 2, in 1870, had for its first postmaster Manning Allee. Ile also handled a few goods for the grange of the neighborhood. ( This was a society of farmers who sought to do away with middle-men in trade.) He was succeeded in the office, as well as in the store, by William Chapman, whose wife attended to the duties of the postoffice. Charles Kemmish, Claude Day and Joseph Shields, also a Mr. Griffin, James Jeffries and Mr. Grossgene cach had the office for a time, until Persia, the railroad town, sprang into existence, at which time the post- office here was abolished.
Union grove, in the eastern-central portion of the township, was named as follows: It was an old-time custom, both East and West, when a barn or mill was to be "raised" to invite in the neighbors and set up liquor. Also, when all was ready, the boss carpenter would go to the ridge-pole, and, while on the highest point, give a name to the building, after which he would throw a jug or bottle of whiskey down to the assembled workmen. Pio- neer Dobson's log house was erected in the fall of 1850, on the suggestion of Dobson, who said he had never lived in a community where so much of unity existed among the people. Samuel Wood then mounted the house and, being minus the whiskey, threw a gourd full of nails, with all the strength he possessed, at the same time crying aloud "Union grove."
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
RAGLAN TOWNSHIP.
Raglan township was formed in 1857, and named after Lord Raglan, who was conspicuous in the Crimean War, and a person greatly admired by Captain John A. Danielson, who named the township. This township is in the western portion of Harrison county, with Jackson township at the north, Magnolia to the cast, Taylor at the south and Morgan to the west. It comprises all of township 80, range 44, except sections 3. 4 and 5 and sections 6, 7, 18. 19. 30 and 31. It has all kinds of land, the forest and prairie land diversified, with streams running through it. A third of a cen- tury ago there were about two thousand acres of natural timber in this township. The Soldier river runs through the territory in the western sec- tions, with Steer creek in the central-eastern portion. Raglan grove is the most extensive grove within Raglan township.
This township had a population in 1855 of four hundred and thirty- two; in 1890 it had five hundred and sixty-five; in 1910 the United States census reports gave it a population of five hundred and sixty-seven. Like many other townships in Iowa, this one has suffered loss in population in the last thirty years, by reason of the emigration out of Iowa to other por- tions of the country. This is now purely an agricultural district without towns or villages within its borders.
EARLY SETTLERS.
The start was made here in 1849 by Orvil M. Allen, who came over from Pottawattamie, county, took a claim and returned to that county, re- mained during that winter and then located in this township. This claim was located near Magnolia, and there Mr. Allen remained until 1851, when he went to Salt Lake, Utah. He had a wife and seven children. Allen creek was named in honor of him.
Perhaps the Atwood family were the next to establish themselves in the township. They lived where later resided Frank Garner. The old log cabin from which Atwood sold whiskey to whoever had the price, was standing twenty years ago. He was a Vermonter, and went on to Salt Lake, where he died. His sons were named Dwight. Seeley and Danforth.
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HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA.
Artemus W. Lockling came in 1851, remained one year, and moved to Magnolia township, where he died, June 13, 1889.
Charles Gilmore, who had been a resident of Harrison county since 1850, located in Magnolia township, remained a year, and removed to sec- tion 27, Raglan township.
Vermont sent forth another pioneer here, Morton Streeter, of section 23, who came in 1851. He died in this township in 1886.
James Gamet claimed land here in 1851, taking the northeast quarter of section 1, where he made good improvements and sold, before the Civil War came on, to speculators from Ohio. They sold it to Daniel Maule.
Early in the fifties, L. A. Niles claimed land, later occupied by Terence McCabe. "Spanky" Chase settled near Garner's in 1851. Messrs. Cooper and Bowman came in at the same time, remained but a short time and went to other parts of the country. Bonapart Alexander located in section 12 early in the fifties. He was a genuine Vermont Yankee and died in the township in 1877.
About 1856 there was another Allen family (no relation to the first to enter the township), and they settled near the grove, near the Frank Garner place, already mentioned. The father's feet were badly frozen. Later, this Allen family moved to Nebraska.
John Forsythe settled in section 22, in 1854, remained five years, sold to H. Lawrence, and moved to Crescent City, Iowa, from which place he emigrated.
Lloyd Jenkins was among the pioneers here. He settled in section 22. Donald Maule bought this place in later years, about 1876.
Donald Maule, of section 22, came to Harrison county in 1851 and settled in Taylor township on Allen creek. After a residence there of three years he moved to Raglan township. This family saw their full share of carly-day hardships and trouble and petty annoyances on account of the roving bands of Indians.
Jacob Mintun came in 1854, settling in section 25. He originally came from Pennsylvania, then lived in Ohio, and Lee county, Iowa, then in Jei- ferson county, where he remained three years and settled in Pottawattamie county. After a year he removed to Raglan township.
Anster Pate located in section 23 in 1854. He died at the close of the Civil War. Jacob Pate came the same time and finally moved to Sandy Point, where he died in the eighties.
(25)
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HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA.
Nelson Follett came to section 14 in 1853. Later, he went insane, and died at the asylum.
E. W. Lamb came from Indiana in 1854, locating in section 25. Jacob Mintun married his daughter. He remained until 1860 and went to Ohio, where he died. The family returned to Raglan township. The mother died at Grinnell, Iowa.
John Ingerson and father, with the family, were among the pioneers here. They arrived early in the fifties, and settled in section 35. During the hard winter of 1856-57 he was frozen to death.
Captain Chester Hamilton arrived in Harrison county in 1854. He was the first sheriff in Harrison county. He located where later lived Jacob Mintun, in section 25. Later he moved to Taylor township.
George Main effected his settlement in 1856. He enlisted in the Union army during the civil strife, and, after the war ended, located in Magnolia. He is now deceased.
William Morrow and father, Patrick Morrow, also came in 1856. The son finally located in section 16 and the father in section 20.
"Old Mr. Wilcox" settled in 1860 in section 14. He sold to T. McCabe.
John T. Coffman came in 1865, locating in section 9. In February, 1890, he met with an accident from a corn-sheller and lost his hand thereby. Blood poisoning set in and caused his death.
Terence McCabe settled in section 14, in 1866, on a one-hundred-and- twenty-acre tract of land, partly improved. He was born in Ireland and came to America when two years of age.
Edward Collins came to Harrison county in 1857, was employed by the month until 1866, then purchased a farm in section 16, where later he owned two hundred acres.
Samuel D. Johnson, in section 29, accompanied his parents to this county in 1848 or 1849. He moved to his home in this township in 1868.
Joseph Erixon, of section 23, settled in the township in 1876.
David Morrow, son of Patrick Morrow, came with his father's family to this county in the spring of 1856. In the fall of that year James Mc- Cauley came to the county, located in Little Sioux township, when he only possessed nine dollars and seventy-five cents, from which capital, he related years later, he bought a twenty-five-cent bottle of "Cure-All." It was sup- posed to be a certain pain killer.
Joseph W. Niles became a resident in the autumn of 1856. He was so
George F. Tufly located in Clay township and remained there until he reached manhood, then moved to Raglan township.
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HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA.
poor that he did not have a cent with which to buy his breakfast, and, being proud, he went without his morning meal the first day he was here.
William Maule came in 1860. He was born that year in this town- ship, a son of Donald Maule, a pioneer of 1851.
Pleasant Coffman and family located in this county in the autumn of 1856. Thomas D. Tovey came in the spring of 1869. His father was a blacksmith in Magnolia.
In 1879 George W. Small came to the township and saw much of hardship and discouragement the first ten years he lived here.
Harvey H. Champney located in section 35, Raglan township, in April, 1867. In January, 1868, he moved to Magnolia.
Oliver F. Nelson came to Harrison county in the fall of 1869, and within a few years purchased land in section 33.
William H. Collins settled in the county in IS78, rented land near Woodbine four years, then bought in section 9.
The schools and churches of this, as of all other townships, are treated in the general chapters on such topics.
Raglan postoffice was established in 1864, in section 25, with Jacob Mintun as postmaster. It was on the route from Magnolia to Little Sioux, and, as the county was settled up, and new towns sprung up, this office, use- ful though it was, once, was discontinued.
A saw-mill was operated by a Mr. Wallace near the Jacob Mintun place of later years, just prior to the Civil War.
The transformation in the general appearance of this township since ISSo is indeed a marked one. Then all was new and wild and the buildings werebadly built, and today would be thought unfit to live in. In their stead, have risen fine farm houses and barns, with all that tends to make life on the farm worth living.
CHAPTER XXIX.
CLAY TOWNSHIP.
Clay township, which was constituted in 1856, as a civil sub-division of Harrison county, is on the western line of the county, with the change- able shores of the Missouri river at its west, Morgan township at the north, Taylor at the cast and Cincinnati township and the state of Nebraska at the south. It comprises that much of township 79, range 45, as is east of the right bank of the Missouri river. It has about thirty sections of land, equal to nineteen thousand, two hundred acres. This was one of the few town- ships in the county which, originally, were well covered with native timber. considerable of which is still standing. Soldier river, the only stream in the territory of this township, enters from section 13, flows on, and finally unites with the Missouri, a short distance after leaving the township
In the central-southern part of the township is what is known as Horse- Shoe lake, on account of its shape. At an early date there was much more water here than at the present time. This is one of the few townships in the county without a railroad or a village. "
In 1885 the population was five hundred and fifty-seven, and in 1890, the United States census gave the population as being seven hundred and six, while that of 1910 gives it as four hundred and sixty-seven. The trad- ing from the farm districts here are about equally divided between Modale, Mondamin and Missouri Valley.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The earliest attempt at settlement in this township was in the autumn of 1848, when Amos S. Chase came in, with the intention of making per- manent settlement. Ile drove in a large herd of cattle, which he herded on the rush beds during the winter. But as the spring floods in the Missouri drove him out, he concluded to re-locate in Little Sioux township, and did so. ITis claim was utilized in about 1853 by Seth Chase, in those days al- ways referred to as "Spanky" Chase.
Stephen A. Hester and family came in from Jones county, Iowa, orig-
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HARRISON COUNTY, IOWA.
inally from Kentucky, in 1853. settling in section 22, on Horse-Shoe lake. Chambers Hester, a son of Stephen A., was living in section 15 in 1890.
That excellent type of pioneer manhood, Job Ross, and his father's family, came in and settled in section 25. For many years he lived a retired life at the village of Modale, dying January 12, 1892.
John Sharpnack and T. A. Dennis also came to the township in 1854, and at once began to make homes for themselves. In 1856 they organized the township. under Judge James Hardy's administration. It is always necessary that there be enterprising leaders in every community, men who for the sake of the future, must forget for the time being all hardships and sacrifices, that the corner-stones and foundation of counties and states may be well formed. These thoughtful men were usually full of manly vigor, and went forth to accomplish, though often thwarted in some of their plans.
It was the Thomas .A. Dennis, above mentioned, who, in company with Stephen Hester, constructed a saw-mill in section 27, where they did an ex- tensive business, but finally lost most of their property by a defective title to the lands they claimed as theirs. Mr. Dennis sawed immense quantities of railroad ties for the Missouri Pacific railroad. He died a poor man, in 1880. He was a brother-in-law of the noted railroad man, John I. Blair, of New Jersey, in which state he was born.
George Burcham came from Magnolia township in the fall of 1854, settling in section 12 of Clay township. He moved to Morgan township during the days of the great Civil War. He died in 1870.
Dr. Libbius T. Coon and family settled near the mouth of the Soldier river, in section 13, in 1854. His was indeed a peculiar character. He pre- pared and put on the market an ague cure known as "Bog-Hay," and some- time in the sixties sold out his holdings here and moved West, locating at Salt Lake City. Dr. Patton purchased his old farm.
Levi Motz, a single man at the time, settled in 1854 in section 12. He married and remained in the township until 1886, then moved to Montana. It was claimed for Mr. Motz that he killed more wild turkeys than any other man in Harrison county. His brother, Jerry Motz, came to Harrison county in 1853, locating at a point in Magnolia township, where he resided until 1862, and removed to Taylor township, and, in 1863, to Clay town- ship. His last selection of land was in section 13 of this township, where he come to be a well-to-do farmer and highly respected citizen.
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