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 40
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William G. Mefford came to Harrison county in July, 1850, settled at Elk Grove, remained until 1853, then purchased in section 29, of Douglas township. In the autumn of 1853 this township polled four votes at the general election.
Two more Mormon claims were taken in 1852, in section 18, by Sam- uel Farnsworth and his son, James H. Farnsworth. They bought as soon as land could be bought in the markets at the land office.
It was about 1854 when Daniel Howarth settled in the southwest quar- ter of section 18. He lived over in Crawford county some time, but died in Douglas township, this county, about 1881. His son, Edward, owns the old homestead entered by his father, but resides in Woodbine. The de- scendants of pioncer Howarth are many in this section of the county.
In 1856 there was quite a rush in the way of settlers to this township. The pioneers then entering the township included G. W. Pugsley, in sec- tion 28, which land was later owned by Robert Hall. Pugsley was from Ohio, and moved from this to Jefferson township, and, later still, became a resident of Woodbine, in which hamlet he traded for a hotel property. Subsequently he removed to Florida.
Nicolas Francis 'emigrated from Athens county, Ohio, in 1856. set- tling in section 16. By trade he was a mason. His daughter became the
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wife of Frank J. Porter and both now reside in Woodbine, where Mr. Por- ter is associated with the banking interests of the town, and a man beloved by all in the county.
Mathew Hall settled in Douglas township, in section 30, in the month of April, 1853. He purchased a claim of one hundred and sixty acres upon which there was a rude log cabin at the time he came. The first year he cleared four acres, upon which plot he managed to raise enough to subsist the following winter. He soon became numbered among the prosperous farmers, and, by 1881, possibly earlier, he had retired at Woodbine, where he took an active part in shaping the destiny of that town.
James Braden was a settler of 1857, in section 33; he died in Cass township about 1886.
Dr. David M. Hall settled in section 22, in 1856, and died in 1887. lis son, John Hall, is still living at Woodbine.
William Evans came to Douglas township in 1863, but had been a resi- dent of the county since 1855. when he settled at Twelve Mile grove. He served in the Fifteenth Iowa Infantry in time of the Civil War. In the fall of 1863 his wife died, and he went to Pennsylvania and remained two years, after which he settled in this township in section 18.
James Collins was also a settler of 1856, entering land in section 7 and section 18.
Joseph Cockley settled in section 26 and, in 1876, moved to Nebraska.
John Springer and family located here at the close of the Civil War in the northeast of section 22. In 1880 he sold and engaged in railroading.
Samuel De Cou came in from Winneshiek county in the autumn of 1864, and in June, 1865, went to section 7 and there remained until 1885, when he moved into Woodbine.
John B. Lowry came to Harrison county in the fall of 1866, settling on what was platted at an early day as "Olmstead," south of Dunlap. Ile was a Congregational minister and, on account of ill health, bought land in section 5. remained there until the fall of 1879, when he exchanged for a portion of section 9, owning land in both 9 and 16. He has been a resident of Woodbine many years.
Daniel Rock settled in Cass township, on the Pigeon, in 1869, and three years later in section 16, of Douglas township.
Theodore P. Kellogg måde a settlement in April, 1858, in sections 10 and 11, of Harrison township. He pre-empted land and subsequently bought (29)
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land in section 21, near old Olmstead villiage platting. Five years later he purchased in section 3. Douglas township.
"Mark" D. Crow settled in the northeast of section 16, about 1871, re- mained about eight years and moved to Mills county, lowa. Later he set- tled in Minnesota.
L. E. Eckleston came from Connecticut in 1871 and settled in the south- east of section 5. In 1880 he sold and located in another part of Harrison county. Later he settled at Dunlap. He also lived in section 10.
G. L. Chapman took wild land in section 5. in 1871, remained until 1880 and removed to section 8 of Harrison township.
S. W. Morton located on wild land in sections 2 and 3. in 1879. Jas- per county was the point from which he emigrated.
Karl Mickish came in 18;2. He is a Bohemian. He located in section 19, where he still resides.
E. Dougal bought a partly improved farm in section 13. in 1873.
Isaac De Cou came in at the close of the Civil War. He took land in section 5. He was the son of Samuel De Cou, a Canadian, above named. He (the father ) had a large family, but many of his children are now de- ceased and are buried. with the venerable father, in the Woodbine cemetery. The sons. Harry and Isaac, were engaged in grain, live-stock and imple- ment business at Woodbine and were also connected with the Woodbine Savings Bank.
John Frink settled in the northwest of section 8, in 1872. He was from Connecticut and purchased land in section 13, lived there for a time, and then sold to William Sullivan and returned to New England.
In 1878 Aaron D. Hoyer located in section 8.
J. N. Chapman located in the northwest of section 5, in 1870. He bought out Mr. Bumert and remained until some time in the eighties, when he moved to Dunlap.
James H. Tuttle came to section 17 in the spring of 1879.
Lewis J. Deuel came from New York in March, 1872, and settled on wild land in section S.
George E. Reiff. a Pennsylvanian, came in 1878 and claimed land he bought in section 8. He came with the following: A. D. Hoyer, W. S. Ermold and II. J. Reiff. They all exchanged city property in Reading, Pennsylvania, for lands here.
Alexander J. Pitts came in 1871. He was a native of Orange county, New York, and settled in section II.
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John Shields, section 26, came in 1879. He was an Irishman, and emi- grated when ten years of age.
Thomas F. Jordan came in July, 1870, and the next year purchased forty acres of wild prairie land in section 3. In ISgr he owned an even thousand acres of land, and was accounted a thorough man of affairs.
John M. Peters, of section 2, came in March, 1877, but bought land here prior to that date.
Another son of the Emerald Isle, John Griffin, came from New York in 1874. After leasing land three years, he bought in section 23 and be- came a well-to-do farmer of this township.
Libbieus D. Harris came in the spring of 1878 and located in section 32, where he farmed many years. He was a book-binder by trade, but never followed it in the west. He also ran a pioneer hotel at Council Bluffs. He died many years ago. His widow still survives him.
In 1874 came John M. Tracy to section 17.
Martin Kinnie settled in a portion of section 11, in 1870. He bought land of Mr. Bumert.
William H. De Cou, a settler of 1870, located in section 7.
Joseph Esychcek came to the county in 1871, as a railroad hand, but two years later bought land in section 16, and, in 1883, more land was pur- chased by him in section 27.
Harrison Yount. of section 5, came to Harrison county in 1869. Wil- liam R. Kirkham came in 1876 to the township. The settlement of l'eter Croghan was effected in 1873.
William H. Burkholder ( "Billie"), dates his settlement from February 7. 1862. He still owns his farm, but resides in Woodbine. He was a sol- dier from llarrison county during the Civil War.
Samuel Mefford ranked among the pioneer vanguard. He came in 1850 and was at the time only seven years of age, coming with his parents. Section 30 was his selection in this township. They first located in Jeffer- son township, where they lived until 1853.
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CHAPTER XXXVIIL.
CALHOUN TOWNSHIP.
The smallest sub-division in Harrison county is what is known as Cal- honn township, organized in 1856-57, and named indirectly from the great American statesman, John C. Calhoun, but directly from the pioneer village in Harrison county, and possibly from Fort Calhoun on the west bank of the Missouri in Nebraska. As it is now constituted, it is south of Magno- lia and Taylor townships, west of Jefferson, north of St. Johns township and east of Taylor township. It has nineteen sections of land within its borders. Parts of Brown's grove, and Spencer's grove make up the largest amount of timber growing in the township. A good-sized grove may also be seen in the castern portion of the territory, in all amounting to about three thou- sand acres, considerable of which. at this date, is, of course. second growth, the largest forest trees having long since been cut down and used for fenc- ing and fuel.
The main stream of this township is Willow river, flowing from the northeast to the southwest, with several lesser streams uniting with it from the north side. In the southeastern part of the township is Hog creek, which takes its rise in Magnolia township. The only railroad mileage in the town- ship is that of the Chicago & Northwestern line that cuts off about a half of section 34, the southeastern section. Old village of Calhoun, the pioneer town in the county mentioned elsewhere, is the only hamlet that has ever materialized in the township, and that has long since gone into decay.
The population, in 1885, of Calhoun township, was four hundred and fifty-one; in 1890 it was listed as four hundred and seventy, while the last United States census gives it a population of five hundred and twenty-six.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Prior 10 1847, the last year of the war with Mexico, it is believed that there had never been a white settler within this township, or in Harrison county. During that year, however, two came in for actual settlement, Dan- iel Brown, who had also been a pioneer in Illinois, and left that State at the time of the Mormon exodus, he being of that religious faith himself. Hle
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came from Florence, Nebraska (winter quarters), where the Omaha water works are now located. He came to this township in the autumn of 1846, just prior to lowa being admitted into the Union as a state. He came over on a hunting expedition and, finding the land suitable for settlement, came back the next January and located where later stood the village of Calhoun. He built a cabin and split out rails with which to enclose a part of his land, but owing to illness in his family, had to return to Florence, being notified by William Litz. He brought his family to the township and county, as first settlers, in the early days of April, 1847. This date was verified by one of Mr. Brown's daughters a few years since, and this, with records, puts the date beyond any doubt.
In 1853 he platted Calhoun village and resided there until his death in 1875. The aged wife lived until 1890 and died in Utah.
Closely following on the trail of Brown and family came, in the month of May, 1847, William Litz and four other families to swell Harrison coun- ty's population. The others were Messrs. J. Vincent, O. M. Allen, G. Cleve- land and Eleazer Davis. The following autumn brought to this little hand- ful of settlers a bountiful harvest of just the things desired to make glad the hearts of the pioneer and supply the larder for the following winter. When they had any produce to spare, it found a ready sale among the nu- merous Indian traders going and coming through the country. Money was seldom ever seen during the first few years, except as it came to the settler through the cash left by these traders. To get money with which to purchase clothing, pay taxes and postage bills was a problem hard to solve.
1 sufficient number of settlers had come in by 1852 to warrant the organization of the county. Committees were sent to Council Bluffs to bid on claims and protect the working citizens from the heartless speculator. These committees were instructed to bid one dollar and a quarter per acre and to carry death to any one who should bid against them.
Daniel Brown bought the first land sold in Ilarrison county, the eighty- acre tract where Calhoun was platted soon after.
The next settlers in Calhoun township. after Mr. Brown, were William Litz and his father; Ezra Vincent, O. M. Allen, E. T. Hardin and Ira Per- jue. The Wills family came in 1849, Jesse, Charles, Silas, William H., John and Erastus: also George W. Bingham, an early teacher, possibly the second in the county.
Peter R. Shupe, of section 17, came to the county in January, 1851, lo- cating in section 22 of Raglan township, but he soon sold and moved to land pre-empted in Calhoun township.
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James Hardy came in from Mills county, in 1853, and settled in Mag- nolia, where he platted an addition to that village. He also bought a quarter section in Calhoun township, in section 15. He built one of the first mills in Harrison county. He served as an early county judge, and remained at Magnolia .. then the county seat, until 1864, when he moved to his farm in Calhoun township, on the Willow, where he died.
William Kennedy came to Magnolia in 1854 and to section 20, of Cal- houn, in 1863.
William McDonald came in 1854 with his mother, who was of the Mor- mon faith. She went to Utah. but he refused to go. lle remained in Cal- houn township and lived a single life ever afterwards. He accumulated over fifty thousand dollars worth of property. He died in 1886 and his estate was sold at auction.
Henry Henneman, Jr., came with his parents in 1855. They settled in Magnolia township first.
Harrison D. Meech, a Vermonter, accompanied his parents to this county in 1855. They settled in Calhoun township and engaged in merchan- dising in the village. Harrison D. finally located on a farm in section 17.
Matilda P. Ratliff. of section 35, came in the spring of 1855 and took a claim and improved and operated the same. Her husband died in Jefferson county. fowa. before her removal to this county.
Nelson C. Boynton, of section 29, arrived in this county in 1856. He. in company with Isaac P. Day, put in a general store at Calhoun. which they operated until 1857, when he began improving his land. During the Civil War he served in Company II. Fifteenth lowa Infantry.
In 1857 came George Niece, in September, and improved land in sec- tion 21.
James Kemedy came to the county in 1857 and botight an eighty-acre tract in section 16.
William Wakefield came to Harrison county in 1859 and took one hundred and twenty acres in Raglan township. He sold and moved to Clay township and, in company with Arthur Wakefield, built and operated a grist- mill, which later was sold to Theodore Mahoney. . Wakefield also built a mill at Calhoun and remained there until his death.
Daniel Mickey, of section 29, arrived in the county in March. 1865. and rented land in section 16 of Taylor. In 1872 he sold out and purchased land in section 29 of Calhoun township.
Timothy C. Case, in section 26, Calhoun, came to Harrison county in 1855, first locating in St. Johns township. Being a poor man, he was com-
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pelled to work by the month for the first twelve years after coming to the county. Hle then purchased land in section 26.
Thomas Cody came to Harrison county in 1869. He was in the em- ploy of the Northwestern railroad, but later was the owner of an excellent farm home in Calhoun township.
S. L. Frazier, of section 22, came to this county in 1855. . John Fra- zier. the father, settled in St. Johns township, where he lived the remainder of his life.
Ilenry, Michael and Dennis Fitzgibon, brothers, prominent farmers of the township in 1890, came to the county in 1882.
J. M. Latta became a resident soon after the close of the Civil War, in which conflict he took an active part as a brave soldier.
Amasa L. Merchant came to the county with his parents in 1850, being only six years of age at that date. The father located in Magnolia town- ship, while the son, when he reached manhood, secured a farm home in Calhoun township.
Fritz Mandelelko. in section 33. Calhoun township, located in the county in June. 1867. For two years he resided in Missouri Valley and was en- gaged at bridge-building for the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Com- pany. Later he owned farms both in St. Johns and Calhoun townships.
Frederick Schwertley had been in Harrison county since June, 1857. being located near Magnolia. He then located in section 24 of Calhoun township.
FIRST EVENTS OF THE TOWNSINIP.
Daniel Brown was the first to settle in the township, as well as in Har- rison county.
The first death was that of Williamn Brown, son of Daniel Brown and wife. He died in 1854.
The first school was taught in 1849-50, in a log house built for that purpose at Calhoun village. Mrs. Jennie Cummings, wife of a Mormon missionary, was the teacher.
The first saw- and grist-mill was erected in 1854.
The first goods were sold from a store in Calhoun in 1854.
Jerome Brown. son of Daniel Brown and wife, was the first child born, the date being October, 1848.
The carliest marriage was that of William Brown, in either 1849 or 1850.
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The schools and churches are mentioned at length in special chapters on these topics, and hence will not be enlarged upon here.
TROUBLE WITH THE INDIANS.
No other township in Harrison county had more trouble and petty an- noyance with the Indian tribes than Calhoun township. From the very be- ginning the red men bothered this section of the county. They were never. war-like and blood-thirsty, but gave the settlers great difficulty in that they pilfered, killed stock, and stole everything they thought they could use. It will not be wondered that these Indians disliked very much to give up such beautiful valleys as the Boyer and Soklier and Willow rivers afforded. A writer in a former history of Harrison county has this concerning Indians in this township :
"In the summer of 1847, when pioneer Brown was away on a trip to Missouri, to procure some provisions and do work in harvest down there, the Indians came to his house and began to plunder, destroying all that could be found. At last, lifting away a quilt from the wall of the cabin ( placed for concealment ) Lo espied a half dozen guns hanging one above another. One look and, with a familiar "Ugh," the others repeatedly raised the quilt and peeped behind, whereupon, all supposing there was a man secreted for each gin, they left the cabin. But enough had already been taken to place the family in a starving condition ere the return of Mr. Brown.
"An another time a heavy skirmish occurred on the banks of the Boyer between twelve whites and thirty Indians. A dozen or more rounds were fired pro and con, when most of the red-skins were captured and given a French leave to cross the Missouri river in a hurry.
"Again six 'dusky devils' stole two horses from William Litz; four of the Indians already being mounted they were all rightly rigged out for a lively march. The thieves were found out, however, immediately and six men (all at the time in this part of the county) started in pursuit. A few shots were exchanged at the outset, but no person on either side was injured. It was now getting dark and Mr. Brown and his nephew mounted the only two horses remaining and started in hasty pursuit. They followed closely on the rascals around through where now stands Magnolia and, on crossing the Soldier river. while the water was yet muddy from tracks made by the horses for which they were in pursuit, they followed on to the Little Sioux river and still the fresh horse tracks indicated that the wily crew had passed. It was useless for two men to search through an Indian country,
.
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so they started homeward, arriving at midnight, having been absent thirty hours and not a little out of sorts.
"This state of affairs continued until the county was subsequently set- tled for protection. The principal trouble growing out of the pilfering habits of the Indians."
PIONEER MILLS.
In all new countries the clank of the anvil and the whir of the mill that grinds the corn and wheat for the settler's bread, are about the first things in way of improvement sought for. It was in 1854 when E. T. Hardin and Jesse Will built a saw-mill in Calhoun township. It was located in section 19. They operated together four years, then Hardin sold to William Meech, and still later the property passed to the hands of John Mathews and Ezra Vincent. It did not prove to be a money-maker and was finally allowed to go into decay, parts being washed down the Willow, which stream furnished its propelling power
This mill-site was sold to Albert Wakefield, who built a small saw-mill and operated it a year, when his father, William Wakefield, purchased an interest with him, and they commenced the building of a flour-mill. It stood just over the line in section 30. Before its final completion it was taken over by the father, who soon placed in running order one run of burrs. This was about 1871. He sold a half interest to George Hardy and a fourth interest to James Wakefield, his son, which firm operated the mill a number of years. Hardy sold his share to Henry Earnest, the new firm continuing until 1880. when Earnest sold to M. L. Wakefield. In August, 18So, William Wake- field died and in April, 1888, James sold to M. L., who owned the plant in the nineties. The plant was rebuilt into a roller process, having a daily ca- pacity of twenty-five barrels. In the early nineties steam power was sup- plemented to water, and both were employed as power.
The "Hardy mill" was a grist-mill erected on the banks of the Willow, in section 15. by James Hardy, Sr., and Jacob Huffman, in Calhoun town- ship. It was one of Harrison county's first mills for grinding corn. It was erected in 1854. The burrs were obtained from P. G. Cooper, on the Cap- tain Bacon farm, near Magnolia. This mill did grinding for a territory, or radius, of seventy-five miles. Hardy & Huffman operated it until 1863. when Huffman soll to Hardy, who continued until 1880. Mr. Hardy, be- coming blind, the property was not well cared for and the water was allowed to wash around the supports and the frame fell into the stream. It was never rebuilt, but the lumber in the building was utilized for various local pur-
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poses. For long years, possibly today, traces of the old mill machinery were in sight of the passer-by, reminders of the early-day mills. Indeed. could the waters of the Willow but speak, what a story they could tell.
DEFUNCT VILLAGE OF CALHOUN.
Daniel Brown, the county's first settler, platted this village, as shown by the records, August 19, 1853. Its location was the east half of the south- west quarter of section 19, township 79, range 43. A postoffice was estab- lished here in 1856. Among the persons in charge were W. S. Meech, Charles Nelson, Dick Ilall and a Mrs. Crawford. The office was discontin- ned in the eighties. The first to engage in business in Calhoun was I. G. Gates in 1854. Hle put in a stock of merchandise, operated a while and sold to W. S. Mecch.
S. W. Babbitt and Jud Daily conducted a store from 1857 10 1862. They sold their business house to H. D. Meech, who removed it to the south- cast corner of section 25. where it was converted into a barn.
Boyton & Day erected a large building and placed on sale a stock of general merchandise, continuing as partners until the spring of 1857, when Boyton sold to his partner.
The pioneer blacksmith was Patrick Levi, who came from Ireland in 1855. and built a shop, remaining at his forge for about five years. He was an expert blacksmith. but was addicted to strong drink and periodically he would take what money he had saved up by hard work and drink until all was gone, then commence over again, only to repeat the same thing. Ilence . it was he left and, in leaving, the community had recollections of a good blacksmith and a drunkard as well.
Nelson Messenger started a shop in 1856, operated seven years and removed to Illinois.
From the best possible authority it is believed that the following com- pleted about all of the list who dealt, in any way, in business at Calhoun, in her days of prosperity and high hopes: E. T. Hardin, who had one of the earliest general merchandise stores, W. S. & E. W. Meech, were heavy dealers. H. D. Meech finally became sole owner and ran it until 1870. In 1868 W. W. Rose conducted a saloon known as "Castle Thunder." At that date the village contained twenty-one dwellings, two stores, a school house and one shop. Its proprietor, pioneer Brown, expected it to become the county seat of Harrison county, but alas, how frequently men are mistaken in their conchisjons in business affairs. It was once quite a lively little ham-
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let. but with the first mad dash of the Northwestern locomotive down the Boyer valled in 1866, and the founding of Logan and Missouri Valley, this town began to decline and finally every branch of trade had to suspend in what has for a third of a century been referred to as "Old Calhoun." In ISOI the only business house, in fact, was the store conducted by D. H. Reedy, who came to the place in 1889.
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