History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882, Part 82

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa.
Number of Pages: 980

USA > Iowa > Johnson County > History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882 > Part 82

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

James Robinson, near Lone Tree, also has some fine blooded Short- horns, but as yet [1882] has only seven head of the thoroughbred animals,

Andrew Crawford, on section 15, has a fine stock farm of 385 acres, and makes a specialty of raising thoroughbred horses, cattle, sheep and hogs. He has pure bred Clydesdale horses, imported from England and Canada, and claims that his are the only thoroughbreds of this stock now in the county [1882]. He has a herd of forty Short-horns, and over eighty head of imported Cotswold sheep. He also breeds Poland China hogs.

Stonebarger Brothers, at Lone Tree, deal in imported thoroughbred Clydesdale horses, and have taken several premiums at county and State fairs. Frank Stonebarger and his partner, B. H. Owens, formerly owned the following popular horses -- "Scotland Glory," " Prince Charlie," "Ossian," "Donald Dennis," -- all thoroughbreds; and they still own " Ossian." The Stonebarger Brothers breed and deal in half-bred and three-quarter-bred horses; also in thoroughbred Short-horns. They are all young men, but have a thorough knowledge of the stock-breeding business.

BEES.

David Smith, section 33, has about seventy-five stands of bees of the common variety. He says in a good season like the present one [1882], a good swarm will make sixty pounds of honey, besides enough to keep them through the winter. They get their honey mostly from white clover and buckwheat.

ACCIDENTS.

In 1849 J. B. Hollingsmith while threshing on the Kane farm, got his hand caught in the machinery and had it torn off.

James M. McReynolds in 1859, while threshing on the farm owned by P. A. King, in section 29, was taking away wheat from the thresher; the grain being damp, would not run out well, so he reached in his hand to help it out ; his hat blew off and while in the act of leaning foward his hair caught on the rod that runs the fans; his scalp was torn almost com- pletely off, only leaving a little hair at the lower part of the scalp. It took three years to heal up, and he could not endure much heat after- ward.

An Irishman named James Boyle was drowned while seining in the

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

Iowa river, in company with John, Henry and Joseph Drosbaugh, A. Rubelman and James Edmonds. He got into deep water and was drawn under by a whirl-pool, or as the people generally say, a "suck-hole."

In September, 1873, Mr. Samuel Welch, one of the old citizens of the county, fell dead from a load of wheat. He was building the load, while a son of James Magruder was pitching sheaves up to him. Mr. Welch suddenly threw up his hands and fell dead off the wagon, from apoplexy or some form of heart disease.

A DOUBLE WEDDING.

Married .- In Fremont township, Johnson county, Iowa, on March 11, 1875, by Rev. S. M. Osmond, Mr. Smith Felkner and Miss Lida Francis. At the same time, and by the same, Mr. Clinton Felkner and Miss Lizzie Francis. The marriage of two brother and two sisters is an event which occurs infrequently, and under any circumstances is interesting and worthy of remark, besides the unusualness of a double wedding.

Henry Walker reports eight ancient mounds on sections 12 and 13 of range 6, near the north part of Horse-shoe lake. [See chapter on "Mound- builders, Indians, etc."] There are perhaps a dozen small lakes or per- manent ponds in the township, this one being the largest; and it is now being drained, so as to bring into use the rich lands which it covers.

On section 7, of range 5, there is a very large, clear-flowing spring, the water of which is said to be stronger in mineral qualities than the mineral spring at Iowa City.

Along the river and on the farm of Charles Fernstrom, there have been found a number of cedar logs from 20 to 35 feet below the surface of the ground; they have been found a half mile from the river, covered with sand. A number are also found sticking out of the bank, from one and one-half to two and one-half feet in diameter and in a good state of preservation, showing that at one time there must have been a cedar forest here. The logs all lay from north to south, and are supposed to have been thrown down and covered by the sand and gravel floods of what is called the "drift period" in geology.

Mrs. Elizabeth Welsh is the oldest woman in Fremont township. She is now [August, 1882] about 95 years of age, and came from Maryland in 1839. [This item is given by Mr. James Magruder; but her place and date of birth are not given; neither when she came to Iowa, nor with whom she now resides.]-Historian.

The State Press of September 13, 1882, said: Mr. Michael O'Riley began work on the "Walker Ditch" in Fremont township, on Monday with a large force. The channel will be a mile and a half in length, and the estimated cost is $1800.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

GRAHAM TOWNSHIP.

January 5, 1857, Ordered, That there be and is hereby established in the county of Johnson, Iowa, a new civil township, to be bounded as fol- lows: Commencing at the southeast corner of township 80 north, range 5 west; thence north on the county line to the northeast corner of said congressional township; thence west to the northwest corner of section 5, in said township; thence south on the section line to the southwest corner of section 32, in township 80 north, range 5 west; thence on the township line to the place of beginning; and that the first election held therein be at the house of M. K. Lewis, on the 6th day of April, 1857.

In 1882, when nearly every township was out of old corn, Graham township contained over 25,000 bushels. It was originally a part of Newport township. It is bounded on the north by Cedar township, on the east by Cedar county, on the south by Scott township, on the west by Newport township. The most of the farmers in this township own tim- ber lots in Newport township, along the Iowa river. Wm. Jaynes was the first man to settle in this township, in 1840. Next came E. K. Morse, S. H. Hemstead, S. E. Morse, Fred. Hemstead, Nathaniel Morse, John Graham, and James Nolan, and shortly after came many others, until now it is thickly settled. It was named after John Graham, father of A. H. Graham.

The township is six miles long north and south, and five miles in width east and west. The B. C. R. & N. railroad passes through this township, and they have three stations on this line of railroad, Morse, the Junction, and Oasis. The following named churches are located in this township with cemeteries connected with each church. The Fairview Church, sit- uated on section 34; Zion Chapel, at Oasis, on section 25; and the Chris- tian Church at Morse station. This township has nine school districts, David Lyons, president of district No. 1; J. K. Strawbridge, of No. 2. John Parsons, of No. 3; August Ernest, No. 4; J. M. Hoffman, No. 5; J; P. Coulter, No. 6; D. M. Dixon, No. 7; H. Lumpa, No. S; John Connell, No. 9. The levy for teachers' fund for 1882 was $1,450, school-house fund $280, contingent fund $205.

The Methodist Episcopal Church at Oasis (first called Graham Church, was organized in 1864. The church building is a frame, erected in 1864) at a cost of $1,600, and was dedicated the same year by A. K. Johnson. Trustees: C. Thompson, John Thompson, John, Barnes, M. A. Graham, and C. Carver. [No other particulars furnished.]

Graham township has two post-offices-Morse, with M. E. Freeman as postmaster; and Oasis, with D. E. McClellan, postmaster. Both places are stations on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad.

The Christian Church at Morse .- The dedication of this church occurred Sunday, January 25, 1880. The Rev. J. B. Vawter, state evan- gelist of the Christian Church, preached the dedication sermon. The Rev. W. B. Craig took charge of the financial part of the services. The building

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY

without furniture cost $2,600, and of this amount $1,000 was lacking on the day of dedication, but the funds were raised on that day and the church was made free from debt. The building is gothic in style, with recesses, vestibule, and belfry; a brick building, with stone-capped but- tresses and trimmings of Anamosa stone. The seating capacity is for 250 persons. Graham township is well supplied with churches. Morse sta- tion is in the center of a wealthy portion of the township, and they have erected one of the handsomest country churches in the county, 32x46. The building committee consisted of Thos. Metcalf, Orrin Andrews, and Will Andrews. The Christian Church of Iowa City presented this church with a fine silver communion service.

A JOKE ON MR. POLAND.

James Eason had a blacksmith shop in Graham township, and one day during the winter of 1857-58, there was a crowd gathered at the shop waiting for work, among them being Hamilton Poland, Mr. Norris, and a young man who boarded at Eason's. Slavery was the staple topic of discussion in those days, and Mr. Poland being a strong anti-slavery man, waxed warm and eloquent in expressing his sympathy for the oppressed negroes. The young man conceived the idea of giving his sincerity a practical test; so he slipped out and went over to Mr. Eason's house; there he blacked himself and put on some old clothes, then went out back "across lots" into the road out of sight of the shop, and there started on a weary limping walk toward the shop. He was soon observed, and from this point the young joker tells the story himself. He says:

Near the shop Mr. Eason had a cattle shed, and when I reached it I crawled in and laid down in the manger. The crowd came down upon me as did the proverbial Assyrian. Mr. Poland at their head. When he reached me, he said:

" Well, my friend, where are you from?"

" Massa, I'm trabling," I answered.

" Well, tell us all about your case. We are republicans, and friends."

I then proceeded to tell him a story of imaginary difficulties which I had encountered in making my way from slavery to freedom. So warmly did I appeal to his sympathies by the doleful story I related, that he promised to take me home with him, and all arrangements were completed for me to accompany him to his house, when he remembered that 'peculiar circumstances' then pending in his family would not admit of it, and it was arranged that Mr. Norris was to take me to a Mr. Painter's where I would be safe. He then bade me good-bye, and returned to the shop.

Meeting Mr. Norris next morning, he asked him if it was all right; he replied that it was, whereupon Mr. Poland said:

"I knew it; yes, sir, he is safe there."

Coming into the shop where I was, I told him of the deception, as Mrs. Eason was afraid he would be angry if the joke was carried further. He admitted being sold, and said he had never missed me, as the shop was full of men at the time.

The Mr. Painter referred to was one of the Pedee Quakers in Cedar county, where old John Brown made his headquarters in Iowa.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

HARDIN TOWNSHIP.

January 4, 1858, Wm. Hardin filed the petition of citizens of township 79 north, range 8 west, of the 5 P. M., for the organization thereof as a civil township to be called Hardin township, and the court being fully advised in the premises; therefore,

It is hereby ordered by the court, that township 79 north, of range 8 west, of the 5th P. M., be and the same is hereby organized and formed into a new civil township, to be called Hardin township, and that the first township election to be holden on the day of the annual township elec- tions, on the first Monday in April, 1858, at the school house in Wind- ham in said township, for the election of township officers therein.

Hardin was originally included in Washington township. It has now one post-office, called Windham, of which Owen Slater is postmaster. Hardin township was so named from William Hardin, who lived on sec- tion 32 at the time the township was organized. The first settlers were as follows: A. D. Packard, from Ohio; came in June, 1838, and settled on section 34. Mr. Baxter came in the spring of 1840, from Indiana, and settled on section 33. Alanson P. Rich came from near Alton, Ill., to Iowa, in spring of 1841, and to this township in 1843. John Burns and Michael Duffy came here in spring of 1841, from Illinois, but they were natives of Ireland. G. H. Packard came in fall of 1840, from Trum- bull county, Ohio, and settled on section 34. John and Samuel Wykoff came in 1841, from Illinois, and settled on section 31.

Mr. A. D. Packard says, the first marriage was that of Margaret Burns to Michael Duffy, some time in 1842, by the Catholic priest in Iowa City. The first doctor was J. J. Morgan from Muscatine county, formerly from Ohio; he came to this township in the fall of 18 56, and went to Nebraska in 1870. The first preaching was by Rev. Dr. Wood, of Iowa City, a Presbyterian; he held services in a school house on section 34, in 1846. The first school was taught in a log cabin on section 35, by Miss Margaret Montgomery, now Mrs. Roop, of Washington township; she received $1.50 per week and "boarded 'round" with the pupils. The first school house was a frame, built on section 34; it cost about $125, which was raised by subscription. Mr. Packard is now using the same building for a wood house. Mrs. Rich did the first weaving. The settlers had to get their supplies from Muscatine.

The first sawmill in the township was built in the fall of 1845, by Asby D. Packard. It was a water mill on Old Man's creek, and could saw about 1,500 feet of lumber in twenty-four hours. In 1855 he built a steam mill, on section 34, and the following year added a flouring mill, both being run by the same engine, and the whole property worth about $10,- 000. Oct. 10, 1864, the mills were burned down by an incendiary, and were a total loss, being without insurance.

In 1854 the town of Windham was laid out by Mr. Packard, and the

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

only post-office in the township was established here in the fall of 1855 Orville Barrows being the first postmaster.

There is, at Windham, a graveyard containing a half acre of ground, in section 34. The first person buried there was L. Prince.

Nathaniel Crow, on section 31, has been for five years making a spe- cialty of breeding thoroughbred Short-horn cattle.

CHURCHES.

St. Peter's Church (Catholic), at Windham, was organized about 1860. The original members were: Felix Bradley, J. J. Bradley, C. Bradley, J. H. Bradley, James McGillen, James Wollen, James Molloy, Michael Brierton, James Burns, Edmond McCabe, Bartholomew McCabe, Oscar McCabe, Barney McCabe, Dan McCabe, Lawrence Cusick, John Cusick, Jacob Robert, Adam Robert, Neo Robert, Peter Robert, James Welch, Conrad Deckerman, Michael Murphy, Lawrence Mungervan, Thomas Corcoran, John Corcoran, John Bevrens, Philip Mulcahey, and others. Five acres of land, on section 35, was donated by Thomas Clark, of St. Louis, for the church and cemetery, and in 1859-60 the present frame building was erected. It has a membership of seventy families. P. J. Sullivan, Father Dunn, James Davis and James Quinn, the present incum- bent, have been its pastors.

The Windham Evangelical Church was organized in 1867; the origi- nal members were: Abraham Deihl and family, Noah Diehl and wife, Noah Foster and wife, Jacob Foster and wife, George Miller and wife, Robert Roup and G. Kretzer. They have a frame church building, on section 22, township 78, range 7, which was built in 1870, and cost about $1,500. It was dedicated by Rev. H. Lageshutte. The successive pas- tors have been Revs. J. Bussard, C. H. Egge, J. Wagoner, C. W. Anthony, E. F. Mell, Wm. Kleinfelter, I. N. Yaggy, A. J. Gramby, J. E. Stauffacher, and the present pastor, D. W. Fink (1882). The present membership is thirty-seven.

JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.

On the 6th day of March, 1854, Wm. A. Howard presented a petition to the county court for the organization of a new civil township, which petition is in the words following, to-wit:

To the Honorable, the Fudge of the County Court of Johnson, Iowa:

We the undersigned, qualified voters of Monroe township, hereby peti- tion your honor to divide Monroe township by the line between ranges seven and eight west, so as to make two townships of said Monroe town- ship; the eastern division to be called Jefferson and the western division to retain the name of Monroe.

August 1, A. D. 1853. Signed by Ebenezer Bivins, P. P. Cardwell, Wm. A. Howard and thirty-seven others.

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

And thereupon the county court being satisfied that the convenience of the citizens petitioned aforesaid, requires the establishment of a new town- ship, do hereby order and direct that all that part of congressional town- ship No. 81, range 7 west, which lies north of the Iowa river, be and the same is hereby formed and set apart as a civil township, to be called Jef- ferson township. And it is further ordered, that there shall be an election held in said township, on Monday, April 3, A. D., 1854, at the house of Walter F. Lloyd, for the purpose of electing one township assessor, three township trustees, one clerk, two constables and two justices of the peace, for said township.

See history of Monroe township. Also Chapter I, Part 2 of the county history, giving the earliest civil subdivisions.

Jefferson township has in 1882, one post-office; name, Shueyville; post- master, John W. Deen.

Benjamin Swisher furnishes the following sketch:

The first settlement was made by James McAllister and W. M. Stew- art. This was in 1839; they came from Ohio. McAllister erected the first cabin. In 1841, Benjamin Swisher, Wilson Blain, William Winter- steen and Nicholas Wintersteen came 'and settled in this township; also Mrs. Elizabeth Whitmore. These were all formerly from Ohio.

The first marriage was celebrated between Benjamin Swisher and Mrs. Elizabeth Whitmore. This occurred on the 16th day of May, 1841, at the residence of Wm. Dupont; Rev. Israel Clark, officiating.

Wilson Swisher was the first male child born; son of Benjamin and Elizabeth Swisher; we was born in July, 1843, and died when one year old.

The first death was a child of W. M. Stewart, in 1839; it was buried in section twenty-one.

The first physician was William Bryant, from Ohio. From here he went west.

The first religious service was held at the residence of W. M. Stewart, by Rev. Bowman, or else a man by the name of Wood.

The first school was taught in a house owned by Wilson Blain, Sen., by Miss Elizabeth Wintersteen, who afterwards married Rev. Stephen R. Henderson, and now resides in Nebraska.

Mrs. Polly Hudson did the first weaving of cloth and carpet; she and her husband were among the first settlers. Mr. Hudson died in 1855. Mrs. Hudson is now living in Shueyville with her children. She says the first marriage in her neighborhood was James Campbell to Miss Nancy Hall, in 1851; the ceremony was performed by Elder M. Bowman. She says the first male child born was Andrew, a son of Addison and Susan Chapman. The last heard of him he was in Oregon.

The first female child was Mary, daughter of Jefferson and Eliza Chapman, born in 1851, now dead, being the first death in the neighbor- hood.

Dr. Crosswait was the first physician. His sympathies being with the

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

South when the war broke out, he went south, where, if living, he still resides.

The first school was taught in a house owned by James Smith, by Miss Jane O'Brien; she afterwards married Mr. Ford, and lives now in the town of Oxford.

On the third day of July, 1856, William Cashner was killed while work- ing at a saw mill for Mr. Fuirmaster. He, with other hands, was rolling logs to the saw, when by some means he fell, the log rolling over him, and killing him almost instantly.

The Shueyville cemetery was laid out by W. H. Shuey in 1855. The first person buried there was a child of W. S. Goodhue. Two acres are inclosed.

James E. Bowersock and Abel Evans cast the first republican votes in the township, they being the only ones who voted that ticket at that time.

The present township clerk, Mr. J. W. Graham, could not furnish any particulars of the township's early history; but gives the followingg sta- tistics: For school purposes there is one district township, with six sub- districts. The school tax last year (1881) was for teachers' fund, 3} mills; school-house fund, 1 mill; contingent fund, 1} mills; total, 6 mills on the dollar valuation, The equalized value of real estate in the township was $132,980; and of personal property, $34,551. There are five road dis- tricts. Road tax levy, 5 mills; 4 in labor and 1 in money; total amount of road tax, $837.65; total tax levy for all purposes, 20} mills ; total amount of tax for all purposes, $2,251.72.

The present township officers are Frank Pudil and George C. Ander- son, justices; Martin Anderson and Joseph Horah, constables; J. W. Graham, clerk; Joseph Buresh, P. A. Korab and J. S. Bowersock, trustees.

The inhabitants of this township are very largely of Bohemian nation- ality, and the township has the honor of being the birthplace of Mr. Bohumil Shimek, whose valuable studies of the natural history and zoology of Johnson county will be found in Chapter IX, Part 3.

W. R. Roberts related that Charles Kalos was drowned in July, 1881, by jumping off the iron bridge into the Iowa river, at what is known as Roberts' ferry. Four days after he was found by W. R. Roberts and D. Von Stein, about three miles below lodged on a birch bush. Rev. Shiflet saw him make the fatal leap. He was a hard working Bohemian. Cause unknown.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.

February 10, 1846, Ordered, that all that part of Johnson county con- tained in the following bounds, to-wit: Commencing at the south line of the county on the west bank of the Iowa river, thence up the river to the south line of township 79 north, range 6 west, thence west to the south-

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

west corner of said township, thence north to the center of the west line of said township, thence west to the center of township 79, range 7, thence south to the county line, thence east to the place of beginning, be and the same is hereby set apart as a civil township, and shall be called and known as Liberty Township, and the first election shall be held at the house of John Smith."

The above boundaries iucluded all of the present Liberty township, besides the southeast one-fourth of Union township, and the east half of Sharon township. (See history of those townships.) Union was formed by itself, March 6, 1854; and Sharon, Feb. 1, 1858.

The earliest township record in existence is 1852. The first clerk was Jacob Keppler; they have six sub-school districts; taxable property in 1882 was in land, $133,410; personal, $37,665; road tax, four mills on all taxable property. This township has in 1882 one post-office, named Bon Accord, of which Joseph Hirt is postmaster.

Liberty township has a small stream called "Dirty-face creek," because a family by the name of Morris lived upon it, and had so many children with frightfully dirty faces. The old man died from drinking too much "Wahoo bitters." The farm upon which Morris lived is now owned by Mr. Guffin, on section 19, in Sharon township.

Picayune creek got its name from a business transaction. A certain man on that creek charged his neighbor a picayune [6] cents] for salting his calf; the man was old Squire Figg, who paid the price, and out of revenge called the creek upon which the family lived "Picayune creek."

Fessler creek, so-called because Jack Fessler was the first settler on that stream.

Mellow grave-yard in Liberty township, is the first one dedicated to the public, and contains about one-quarter acre. Henry Earhart's grave- yard contains about one-half acre, and is situated on his farm. The Over- holster grave-yard contains about three-fourths of an acre, and is on their farm.

The Dunkards have a congregation in Hartman's settlement. The United Brethren had a congregation, but Hon. John W. Porter, of Iowa City, took the building for debt, and the congregation is broken up.

The first school teacher was Michael Cline, he died in Washington county.

SOUTH LIBERTY.

It is situated on section 17, in Liberty township. The name of the post- office is Bon Accord. This little village was laid out in 1856, by Vincent Gross. It had a blacksmith shop, a saddle and harness shop and one store. Charles Wrede kept the first store and was the first postmaster he died in July, 1880, and his wife died in August, 1881.

The first physician in this township was Dr. Sabin, who settled there in 1864; he died in Pleasant Valley township, in 1878.

The first school was on Picayune creek, in a cooper shop. The town-

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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.

ship election was first held in this building. The first school house was built on Jacob Oberholtzer's land, on what is called "Hog Back Ridge." It got this name from 'Squire Figg, who was mad at the people on that side because they kept a bad lot of hogs.

There is a grave-yard near South Liberty, established in 1860, on John Mentzer's farm. Mary Gross, daughter of T. Sebault and wife of George Gross, was the first person buried there.

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History of Johnson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, and its townships, cities and villages from 1836 to 1882, Part 82

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog] Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa. Number of Pages: 980

Author: Johnson Co., Ia. History. [from old catalog]
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Iowa City, Iowa.
Number of Pages: 980