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 35
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John Sharpnack filed a swamp land claim in Clay township in 1854. Abraham Ritchison settled in section 13, in October, 1855. Hle first rented land of T. A. Dennis.
Thomas Duhig came to the county in 1854, worked in the saw-mill for Mr. Dennis, after which he settled in section 13.
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W. H. Bourne effected settlement in section 24. in 1855.
Jacob Antabus settled in section 14, in 1855, and was a member of the Twenty-ninth Jowa Infantry Regiment, and died for his country in the Civil War.
Thomas Whitcomb, an Englishman, stopped in Pennsylvania, after com- ing to America and from there came to Clay township, in 1856. He was an old railroad engineer. He followed mill work in this township for a time, then returned to England. later becoming a lieutenant in the Salvation Army in New York city. While in Clay township he built a wind-mill in section 14, with which power he ground feed. Later, he added steam power and ran a regular set of mill-stones.
In 1856 came Mike Wallace to section 7. He started a wood-yard and operated a steam saw-mill during the Civil War period. He died in 1890. It was after this man that "Sandy Point" took its name, his hair being of the color indicated.
Another settler in 1856 was Timothy Duhig, who went on to Califor- nia just prior to the Civil War.
Thomas Wallace, brother of "Mike" Wallace, came in 1856, from Pennsylvania, locating in section 7. He served in the Fourth Jowa Regiment and died in Libby Prison. Richmond, Virginia.
In 1857 came Isaac Tice from Illinois. He located on the east side of the township, where he died in the seventies.
Henry George, another Union soldier from Clay township, died in the service of his country.
Theodore Helman, of the Twenty-ninth Iowa Regiment, was an early settler here. He returned from war and married, but finally left his wife and died in the Soldier's Home at Leavenworth, Kansas.
Horatio Caywood came from Indiana to Mills county, Jowa, and in 1853 settled in Magnolia township. Later, he moved to section 15. Clay town- ship. Finally he moved to Arkansas where he died in 1888.
Enos Cole came from Wisconsin in 1858, and operated a saw-mill in Clay township.
Benjamin F. Alexander came to Harrison county in 1869, settling in section 14, Clay township.
Baker Butts and family came from Indiana in the spring of 1858. After the close of the Civil War he removed to Kansas, but again returned to this township.
Josiah Tuffley was another 1858 settler here. He remained ten years
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and then located in section 20 of Taylor township. Later he retired at the town of Modale.
In 1859 John Durmon settled in section 10. He was from Illinois. He first settled in Magnolia township. He died on his farm in the sixties.
Jacob Utzler purchased a part of section 16, in 1858, remained until 1880, then moved to Nebraska.
During the sixties came in to the township Jacob Killen from Utah, about 1862, settling in section 12. He remained a few years, sold and re- turned to Utah, locating at Salt Lake.
A soldier named James Alexander, served in an Ohio regiment, came to this township after the end of the war, settling in section 16. He died in 1868.
John Parsons, a Swede, came here from California in 1860, locating in section IO.
Just after the close of the Civil War, came Samuel Vittitoe, first locat- ing in Clay township, after which he bought land in Taylor, where he resided until 18SI, then sold and located in section 28, Clay township. He was a member of Company C, First Regiment of Volunteer Infantry of Kentucky, serving in the War with Mexico for one year in the late forties.
Sylvester J. Linn of section 12, came to this county in May, 1870. At first he settled in Taylor township. He was a millwright by trade and for a time worked at it in this county. Later he settled on a farm in Clay township.
Peter Hauger, a soldier of Civil War days, came to the county in 1871. Jonas O. Johnson, who in the nineties was engaged in farming and operated two saw-mills, resided in section 15. Clay township, dating his settlement in the section named in 1873.
Theodore Parshall came in during the war and located in section 25, township 79, range 45. He was from Ohio and died during the seventies.
James Skelley came from Pennsylvania in 1862. He was a railroad engineer, but turned his attention to farming in section 9, of this township He had been in Taylor township as early as 1856, but went on to Kansas.
EARLY AND FIRST EVENTS.
Amos S. Chase was the first man to locate in Clay township. coming in 1848.
The first marriage was that uniting Levi Motz and Elizabeth Burcham in April, 1855.
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The first birth in the township was that of Ruth Burcham, daughter of George Burcham and wife, born in May, 1856. She became Mrs. George Gunsolley, of Shelby county.
The first death in the township was a two-year-old child of George Burcham, in January, 1855. It was buried in the Magnolia cemetery.
During the pioneer days in this locality there was an abundance of wild fruit, and many varieties of the wild grapes which were taken from the large, woody vines actually wagon loads of grapes, some of which were eaten raw, some cooked and some preserved, while others found their way into the wine cask and jug. Wild turkeys, wolves, deer and elk were a common sight.
Of the two tribes of Indians, the Omahas and Winnebagoes, nothing evil could truthfully be recorded, other than that they would steal.
For many years this township was divided by an imaginary line, on the one side of which lived the river settlers and tiniber dwellers, while on the other side were the prairie dwellers, between which there arose many diffi- culties. Those living in the timber-river district were not of the highest type of mankind and womankind, while the residents farther out were of a more refined, chaste and intelligent character. But at election the vote of the river men was just as potent as the prairie fellows, hence there was constant rivalry, disputes and suits at law. But with the more complete settlement of the township, and the change of times generally, this faded away, and now one knows no such distinction; the township has excellent people and happy homes everywhere.
A ferry boat was started in 1855, plying the waters of the Missouri river, opposite Clay township. A mail route was established from Cum- ming City, Nebraska, to Magnolia and the mail was transferred over this ferry linc. It was operated by a Mr. Ellis.
About 1886 "Jap" Hester and William Samples undertook to operate a steam ferry-boat, from section 30, but their engine was too powerful for the size of their boat, hence the project was abandoned, and the engine utilized for running a feed-mill.
MILLING INTERESTS.
Clay township's first milling project was in 1855, fifty-nine years ago, when Dennis & Hester started an upright sash saw-mill on the southeast quarter of section 22. This mill was burned in 1856, and in 1857 they put in a circular saw-mill. After the close of the Civil War this inill was sold and moved from the township.
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"Mike" Wallace built the next mill in section 7, in 1861.
The Union Pacific Railroad Company operated, at one time, four port- able saw-mills, sawing ties for the construction of their road.
Other mill-owners were Messrs. Motz, Caywood. Frederick, Morrill, Johnson, Powell. Cole and Whipple. But all of these mills had been re- moved or abandoned entirely before 1889.
The general chapters on schools, churches, etc .. are treated in detail under their several topic headings, and include those of this township. (See index. )
CHAPTER XXX.
CINCINNATI TOWNSHIP.
This, the southeastern township in Harrison county, is bounded on the west by the Missouri river, on the north by Clay and Taylor townships, on the east by St. Johns township and on the south by Pottawattamie county. It is the most irregularly shaped sub-division of any within Harrison county. It was organized in 1856, and took its name from the fact that a large num- ber of its settlers came from Cincinnati, Ohio. A colony from there was headed by Jacob S. Fountain. The township is made up of all that portion of congressional township 78, range 45. that lies east of the Missouri river. This township now has no regular rivers or creeks, but originally there were several lakes, some large and many smaller ones. Among these may be named Minnewashta lake, Fish lake (the waters of which connect and min- gle with the Willow river). Noble's lake and Balls lake. As might be ex- pected, there were hundreds and possibly thousands of acres of land of the swampy type, along the western borders of the township, near the Missouri river, whose channel is here this year but may be at another, far distant point next year. In recent years the great systems of drainage, the big dredge ditches, or canals, have materially changed conditions in this respect. The land, when drained, is of the most fertile and productive, as well as most valuable of any in the county, save some of the fertile valleys, such as the inland townships possess, the Boyer and Willow for examples. The only timber in the township, when it was first looked upon by white men, were the large tracts of cottonwood growing along the banks of the Missouri river.
The township is cut up by railroads, the lines being the Sioux City and Pacific division of the Northwestern; and the Fremont, Elkhorn & Mis- souri Valley division of the same road.
California (formerly known as California Junction) is the only village in this township. Several others were platted and are treated in the mis- cellaneous chapter under head of "village plats." In 1885 Cincinnati town- ship had a population of six hundred and sixty-one, and in ISgo it was listed as six hundred and sixty-four, while the last United States census reports give it as having five hundred and seventeen.
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EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The year 1854 saw the first actual settler in this township. He was R. S. Gurley. The township was organized by Squire Messenger, of Cal- houn, in 1856. The organizing committee was made up of J. S. Fountain and J. H. Waggoner. The town of Cincinnati, or "Parrish city," was laid out; and its promising situation soon gathered around it a goodly number of settlers. Thirty-nine votes were polled at the first township election. Then came on the hard times and Civil War period. from 1857 to 1865. during which years the population decreased, rather than increased. The follow- ing comprised most of the pioneer settlers in Cincinnati township :
Russell Whipple settled in section 36, in 1856; subsequently going to the Black hills.
George Richardson came in July, 1857, became one of the county's best citizens and represented the county in the legislature.
Charles House, of section 2, came with his parents in 1856. The fa- ther, James House, was the first to locate in this part of the township.
William Boyd and family came from Illinois in 1856 and settled in sec- tion 3. His wife died in 1874, and two years later he passed from earth.
Perry Boyd, son of William Boyd, came with the family. He served in the Union army from Harrison county and died of a cancer in the seventies.
Reuben Gurley settled in section 3. in 1856. He emigrated from Illi- nois and purchased a quarter section upon which he resided for eighteen years, then sold to George Richardson and removed to Kansas, in which state he died in the eighties, from an accident. He fell from a load of hay and broke his neck. His wife died of a cancer in the stomach.
. James House, long since deceased, came in 1857, locating in section I. His two sons, Alien and William, each took up a quarter section of land. They used to tell of the wild grass being higher than a man's head, when they first came to Cincinnati township. James House died in May, 1887.
Jacob S. Fountain became a permanent settler in July, 1857, and later became a merchant and continued long in trade at California Junction. He settled in section 14, after living for a time at old Calhoun. The farm he finally located on included old "Parrish City," an account of which will be found in the "miscellaneous events" chapter.
Jonathan West came to Harrison county in the spring of 1857 and set- tled in the village of Cincinnati. That antum he took land on swamp land . script and was still a thrifty farmer in the nineties.
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James Pounds, another man who emigrated from Indiana to Iowa in 1858, located in section 1. Later he sold to William House and settled on the Soldier river, in this county.
John Drum came in from Illinois, locating in a part of section 36, in 1858. He died in Kansas in 1876.
Jesse Bowman came to section HI about 1858. Thirty years later he was leading a retired life at the village of Modale.
Asberry Ball came from Ohio in 1859 and settled in section 10 and re- mained until 1885, when he sold and moved to Nebraska.
Corville Granger became a settler in Harrison county in 1858. He re- mained at Calhoun until the spring of 1859, then settled in section II, of Cincinnati township. He bought a house that was erected in 1850 at old St. Johns village. Ile died in 1883 and his wife moved to Missouri Valley.
George Coulthard came here from Canada in the autumn of 1860 and . made his home with his brother-in-law, George H. Richardson. He had pur- chased land in 1858, in section 3.
James Coulthard came to this county in the spring of 1866, rented land two years and then purchased land in section I.
Iliram Blackburn, in section 23. came to the county in the spring of - 1862, first locating in section 16, where he remained until 1872. He was originally from Ohio.
David Coulthard came from Canada in 1875, locating in section I. John Coulthard located in section 10, in 1876.
Thomas Andrews, another Canadian settler, came here in the early seventies, locating in section 1 and remaining until 1876, when he moved to Nebraska.
In the spring of 1877 came Robert L. Coulthard, settling in section II, where he purchased a partly improved farm.
Fred Becker came to Harrison county in 1877, worked by the month until 1882, when he purchased land in section 13.
George Madison came in from Illinois after the Civil War had com- menced. JIe was an early county surveyor and died at the village of Mag- nolia. ITis family removed to Kansas.
William Coulthard, of Canada, came here after the close of the Civil War, locating in section 10.
James N. McManamie, of section 4, came to old St. Johns, with his mother and grandfather in the spring of 1855. The grandfather was James G. Davis. Mr. McManamie served in the Fifteenth Iowa Regiment, and after the close of the war located in Cincinnati township.
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HARRISON COUNTY, IOW.A.
Sylvester McCain came from Illinois in 1856 and in company with W. V. Mason started a steam saw-mill, at a point now within the channel of the ever-changing Missouri river. This mill was operated three years and then sold to Isaac Parrish who later sold it to J. S. Fountain.
Josiah Noble, a native of Missouri, came to Harrison county in the spring of 1857, first locating in Cincinnati township, in section 36, where he died September 10, 1889.
James T. Sprick came to this county in the spring of 1864. for a time renting land in St. Johns township. In 1877 he went to Kansas, but re- turned to Harrison county two years later.
Reuben Oblinger, in the fall of 1868, settled in St. John's township, but in 1883 purchased his home in Cincinnati township.
Thomas Dray became a resident in 1871, first locating in St. Johns township, in section 6. He was a native of Ohio and settled in this town- ship in iSgr, in section 36.
Jacob A. Minor, who was for some time a section hand on the North- western railroad, first purchased land in 1863. but later bought other land upon which he located permanently in 1885.
David Farquhar, of section 13, came to Harrison county in 1876, be- coming a permanent settler in Cincinnati township.
John Dickinson was a settler of 188.2.
For many years one of the thoroughgoing business men of Cincinnati township was Alcide Bessire, who located in the county in 1884. when he took charge of F. H. Ludwig's ranch in Clay township. Later he was asso- ciated with Boner & Sims, of Missouri Valley, having charge of almost three thousand acres of land.
The earliest birth in Cincinnati township was Mary Ann Richardson, born October 11, 1858. John Boyd is thought to be the second child born in the township.
VILLAGE OF CALIFORNIA.
Originally this postoffice was known as California Junetion, but several years ago the word "Junction" was dropped by the department. This place is the junction of the Sioux City division of the Northwestern rail- road with the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley line. It is about six miles west from Missouri Valley city, in section 15. township 78, range 45. It was platted by the Missouri Valley Land Company. September 9. 1880. In reality it is the result of the odds and ends of beginnings and endings of the now defunct villages of Cincinnati and Parrish City, both of
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which succumbed when the railroad took the route which it did. It is situ- ated in one of the richest garden spots of earth. The soil is of that deep, black loam which has accumulated for thousands of years. The country is well improved and farm houses and outbuildings everywhere attest to the prosperity and contentment of the people who are fortunate enough to be landowners here.
Palmer & Jones opened up the first stock of merchandise in this village. after they had come from Ohio in 1867. Jones died and David Fletcher bought his store and later sold it to Ed. Cook. The next store passed into the hands of John Cook, who sold it to W. A. Smith. James Ball also owned it and moved the stock to Nebraska. H. Word then rented the Smith store building and put in a general stock. He, in turn, sold to II. R. Coul- thard in the spring of I891.
In 1876, J. W. Cokeley built a store-room and put in a stock of mer- chandise, ran two or three years and in some manner was burned out, all sorts of reports being current at the time. He went from here to Kansas.
In September, 1883, Fountain Brothers erected a frame building and commenced merchandising at this point, and was from that time on the chief merchant firm of the village.
THE POSTOFFICE HISTORY.
"Yazoo postoffice" was established in 1859, with J. S. Fountain as postmaster. He held the office until 1870. After the days of railroading commenced the office was removed to California Junction, and years later changed to "California," on account of confusion with Columbia Junction mail. The list of postmasters at California office, as given the author by the department at Washington in May, 1914, is as follows: Office estab- lished July 22, 1878, with John W. Cook as postmaster; W. A. Smith, ap- pointed May 29, 1882; name changed from California Junction to Cali- fornia, June 18, 1883; W. A. Smith, appointed June 18, 1883; A. N. Foun- tain, April 9, 1884; James H. Ward, September 21, 1886; H. R. Coulthard, April 25, 1891 ; George W. Hawkins, May 17, 1893; H. R. Coulthard, Janu- ary 18, 1894; J. A. Wise, May 7, 1895; Idla B. Wise, February 20, 1902; James P. Egan, August 26, 1903: William J. Stavely, June 18, 1904; W. O. Smith, May 7, 1907; C. A. Hoag, January 12, 1909; J. F. Simpson, August 31, IgIO: L. G. Uchling. September 28, 1911; Isaac N. Warrack, June 27; 1912; Fred Averill, March 25, 1914.
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A creamery was erected in 1888 by a home company, but was not oper- ated long.
In 18go the township built a public town hall at this point, at a cost of one thousand six hundred dollars. It was a frame structure two stories in height and twenty-eight by seventy feet.
The business interests here in 1914 were the grain elevator, a general store, blacksmith shop, post office, station (junction point ) of the Fremont, Elkhorn & Missouri Valley and the Sioux City branch of the Northwestern railways, also a lumber yard, two church buildings and a two-story frame school house.
CHAPTER XXXI.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP.
Jackson is the second township from the west line of Harrison county, and is on the northern line, adjoining Monona county. At its east is Allen township, at its south Raglan and on its west is Little Sioux township. It comprises a part of congressional township So, range 44, as well as three sections of the northwest corner of township 80, range 44. It contains in all thirty-one sections of land, or nineteen thousand two hundred acres. This township was originally organized in 1856, and reorganized in 1860. It was named for the soldier-statesman Andrew Jackson. The Soldier river is its principal stream, along which in early days there was a large amount of timber, but time and the careless woodman's axe have leveled many a fine old forest king. Until the recent building of the Mondamin branch of the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, which goes through the township from southwest to northeast, with Pisgah and Orson as station points, there were no railroads in the township.
The population in 1885 was four hundred and seventy-nine; in 1890 it was given five hundred and twenty-five and in 1910 the United States census reports gave it as having seven hundred and sixty-nine, including Pisgah, which, having grown materially since that date, makes a much larger population at this time.
FIRST SETTLERS.
Beginning with the "fifties," the most prominent settlers of this goodly township came in about the following order. No name is omitted unless overlooked, but with the passing of a half century it should be understood that the account, once familiar to the pioneer band, may have lost many of its interesting details. Death and removal have thinned the ranks until there are but few left to give the story of settlement first handed.
As in most places in Harrison county, the Mormons were first to oc- cupy the field, having abandoned the church on account of President Brig- ham Young's teachings concerning polygamy. Here they sought out homes
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and reorganized the church, which is now the "Reorganized Church of Jesuis Christ of Latter-Day Saint -. "
Among the earliest of this sect to settle in Jackson township, as now constituted, va Flijah Cobb, who settled in section 12, on the east side of the Soldier river in 1856. S. C. Bartholomew owned this particular farm in the nineties. Mr. Cobb's brother, Elisha, settled in the same section, the same year.
A year previous to this, or in 1855. it is related that Alfred and Isaac Whitney, incre yeah at the time, came with their mother, who was an English lady. The former settled in section o, and the latter in section 16.
William B. M.William- settled in section 35. where he bought a hun- dred and twenty acres in the spring of 1856, for which land he paid four dollars per acre.
Thomas B. MeWilliams, son of the above William B., accompanie l hi- parent- to the way -hip ar I remained with them until twenty-three years vi age, when le bought land in section 26. This tract was a half section for which five dollars per acre was paid.
Another early setter should here find place in this connection. We refer to Ephraim Elfis, of section 27. Later this land was owned by Will- jam Arthur. Mr. Eilis went back to Ohio and entered the Union army and there lost his life.
In 1857 came J. A. Morrill to section 5. town-hip 80, range 44. He moved to Little Sioux.
Lewis E Tolle, of section 22, purchased a large tract of land in 1857. He was a soldier in the Civil War.
In 1859 John John-on came to this township. By trale he was a weaver. He finally located in section 28, where he died in 1883.
George Harriet and wife. Leah. and three children, settled in the south- ern portion of the township in 1857, but in 1963 returned to Ohio from which state they had emigrated.
Harrison C. Smith, in section 35, also was numbered among the 1857 immigrants. He purchased a quarter section, paying the government price which was then one d Har and twenty-five cert- per acre. This land today is worth more than a hundred dollars per acre. He was fortunate in hold- ing a land warrant, so his land really cost him caly one dollar an acre. He went on to Colora lo, remained six years, and returned to improve hi, land. making it his future home.
James Robert- came from Colorado in 1865, purchasing lail in sec- (25)
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HARRISON COUNTY, IOW.1.
tion 4. Albert M. Jones came in 1865 and bought land in section 23. Ile became a large land-owner and died about 186 ;.
William Shaw and family settled in section 3. township So, range 44. in 1865. This man proved faithless, for he deserted his wife, about 1875. and went to Idaho. taking another woman along with him. His brother, Benjamin, came at the same time, but soon left Harrison county for other parts.
Allen Stuart came in in 1866, first locating in Lincoln township, where he rented land for ten years and then moved to Jackson township. to sec- tion 9. The year following came Orson P. Edwards, who located in sec- tion 5.
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