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 84
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The Coraville plaining mill was built in 1869; and in 1871 the saw mill was added to it. Planing mill cost $800 and saw mill $700. Machine shop and mills $2,200. The power is rented by Mr. John Davis from M. T. Close & Sons.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
MADISON TOWNSHIP.
This township was originally included in the territory of Clear Creek precinct, as established April 8, 1841. On February 10, 1846, Penn township was formed, and it then included Madison township. On Oct. 15, 1860, Madison township was formed; but the county records of that year are lost, and hence the official order defining its boundaries could not be found. For an account of the "Lost Record," see Chapter III, Part 3, of this county history.
The clerk of Madison township, Wm. Shimp, furnishes the following report: The records show that the township was organized October 15, 1860, by order of the council. The first board of trustees were John Green, Jacob Lininger and H. S. Gould; constables, L. W. Chamberlain, W. Roberts and A. Hildabrand; clerk, H. C. Nichols, now in Kansas; assessor, O. G. Babcock; justices of the peace, James Chamberlain and Adam Snyder. The first official meetings were held in the old log school house called Swan Lake school house. The first school house was built by L. Babcock, on O. G. Babcock's premises, section 32. The cemetery was located at Chase P. O., and is still in use, and the only one in the town- ship. The township constitutes one district school township, and is divided into six sub-districts. The school tax in 1881 was, for teachers fund, $900; contingent, $350; total, $1,250. The equalized value of real estate in 1881 was, $137,970; personalty, $48,275. The township is divided into four road districts; the levied rate of road tax in 1881 was three and one- half mills; the total amount of road tax was $661.81. The whole amount of tax for all purposes was, $1,931.81. The present township officers are: Trustees, O. G. Babcock, John Snavely and John Sherman; clerk, Wm. Shimp; assessor, Dr. Miller Young ; justice of the peace, A. J. Roup; constable, G. W. Hansen.
Madison township now (1882) has only one post-office; it is called Chase, and O. G. Babcock is the postmaster. The old post-office, called Green Castle, was discontinued some years ago.
FARMER'S MUTUAL INSURANCE COMPANY.
Madison township has the honor of being headquarters of the only Farmer's Insurance Company in the county. The company has been in operation for some years, on the plan that the property insured constitutes the capital of the company, and the insurees are the sole members of the company. They insure only farm buildings and property, and insure that against fire or lightning; but they will not pay a loss by fire originating from the smoking of a pipe or cigar in or about a barn, granary, or stock yard, or from using a steam threshing machine. The company does no business outside of Johnson county. Their place of meeting for the annual election of officers, etc., is fixed at "Cross Roads School House," in Madi-
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
son township. This company has been doing business for nearly fifteen years. Its business was conducted in terms of five years each. During this time it has carried risks of $54,000 to $135,000, and has paid all losses and other expenses on two and a half to three months per term. The assessments were all made at the close of each term.
During this fifteen year period it was so limited as to be practically little more than a business firm carrying its own insurance risks; but last win- ter they decided to enlarge their operations, and therefore filed articles of incorporation, as the following document shows: STATE OF IOWA, JOHNSON COUNTY, SS:
Personally appeared before me the undersigned, clerk of the district court in and for said county, Jacob Zeller, James Chamberlin, L. E. Chamberlin, A. J. Roup, Jacob Lininger, J. M. Files, and Isaac Meyers, incorporators of the Northwestern Farmer's Mutual Fire Insurance Com- pany, of Johnson county, Iowa, who are all personally known to me to be the identical persons who have subscribed their names to the forego- ing articles of incorporation of said company, and who acknowledged that they had signed the said articles to which their several names are attached, freely and voluntarily for the use and purposes therein set forth.
Witness my hand and the seal of the district court of said county hereto affixed, this 6th day of February, 1882.
STEPHEN BRADLEY,
Clerk of the District Court, Johnson County, Iowa.
Filed for record, February 11, 1882, at 1 P. M. Recorded in book 52, page 197, of deeds.
A. L. SORTER, Recorder.
W. D. WHEDON, Deputy Recorder.
Also recorded in office of Secretary of State.
The corporation is to run thirty years. Every one who insures is a full member of the company. "It shall never become a stock company."
The office of the secretary must be located in Madison township. The first officers of the old company were, James Chamberlin, president; Adam Snyder, secretary; Jacob Zeller, treasurer; D. R. Wolfe, general agent. The first officers of the new incorporation were, and are yet, president, Jacob Zeller; vice-president, James Chamberlin; secretary, L. E. Chamberlin; treasurer, A. J. Roup; directors, Jacob Lininger, J. M. Files and Isaac Meyers.
The following points will be of interest to all farmers:
The property, real and personal, of each member of this company, shall be liable for the assessment made upon it.
There shall be no more than $2,000 taken in any one risk until the amount of property insured exceeds $150,000, and not over $3,500 on any risk; and in no case to exceed two-thirds the cash value, including the insurance of other companies. In case of double insurance, this com- pany will pay only its proportionate share of two-thirds of the value of the property.
When any person wishes to join this company, he or she may apply
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
to the secretary, who must make a personal survey of the premises, as to the safety of the risk, and if satisfied with the risk, will be permitted to charge a membership fee of fifty cents and one dollar policy fee, with two and one-half mills on the dollar for contingent expenses; all moneys to be cash or pledges. No notes will be taken by this company.
This company shall insure by terms not to exceed five years, when all policies will expire at the same time, unless otherwise ordered, and shall not insure on the continual plan.
All insurance will take effect on the day the application is approved, at 12 M., unless otherwise ordered.
MRS. MARY MYERS,
one of the old settlers of this township, has twice given birth to twins. The following is a sketch of her life: Mary Green was born September 3, 1820, in Newton township, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, embraced religion in 1841 and united with the Disciples Church in that county. February 5, 1846, she was married to Moses Stover, and the same year they emigrated to Iowa; started from West Hill, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, and traveled by wagon, across the Blue Ridge mountains, to Newport, then by canal and railroad to Pittsburg, and from there down the Ohio river and up the Mississippi to St. Louis on the steamboat " Robert Fulton;" from St. Louis up to Bloomington (now Muscatine) on the steamboat "St. Croix," and from there to Iowa City by wagon; lived in Iowa City awhile and then settled in " North Bend," as this settlement was then called. She bore three children to Mr. Stover; two of them, a boy and a girl, being twins; the boy died in infancy; the other children, Anna E. and Mary E., grew up. September 8, 1850, her husband, Moses Stover, died, and was buried in the North Bend cemetery, the third burial there. In 1851 she united with the Church of God, at North Liberty; and in the same year she was married to Valentine Myers. In this mar- riage she bore six children, four sons and two daughters; one son died in infancy; and two of the Myers children were twins, as two of the Stover had been before. In 1849 her father and mother, David and Mary Green, came to Jowa. David Green died, May 6, 1867, aged 71 years. Mary Green, his wife, died July 5, 1872, aged S1 years.
MONROE TOWNSHIP.
October 5, 1842, it was Ordered, that the 5th election precinct in this county be hereafter called and known as Monroe precinct.
This was also called "Dupont's precinct," in the newspapers, because Wm. Dupont kept a whisky cabin here, and that was the way-mark by which this particular settlement was most generally known. See Chap- ter I, Part 2, for "Earliest Civil Sub-divisions." Also, see Chapter II, Part 2, for further items in regard to Wm. Dupont.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
February 10, 1846, Ordered, that all that part of Johnson county known as congressional township number 81, in range number 7 west, and all that part of congressional township number 81, in range number 8 west of the 5th principal meridian, which lies north of the Iowa river, be and the same is hereby set apart as a civil township to be known as "Monroe Town- ship," and that the first election shall be held at the house of William Dupont in said township.
It will be seen that the above included also what is now Jefferson town- ship. Monroe township has now (1882) two post offices-Gregg and Danforth. David Simington, postmaster at Gregg, and B. Beyer at Dan- forth.
The earliest records of this township in the hands of Graham Thorn, the present clerk, begin in 1862. This township has seven school dis- tricts, $1,600 tax for school purposes, (teachers fund and contingent fund), in 1882. Road tax, $600. Graham Thorn and Joseph Zebourstsky, are the justices of the peace.
NEWPORT TOWNSHIP.
February 10, 1846.
Ordered, That all that part of township 80 north, range 6 west, which lies east of Iowa river, and all of congressional township No. 80 north, range 5 west of the 5th P. M., shall constitute one civil township in John- son county, and shall be known as "Newport township," and the first election shall be held at the house of Cornelius Lancaster in said township.
The above included what is now Graham township, which was organ- ized by itself on January 5, 1857.
Newport township is located on the east bank of the Iowa river; bounded on the north by Big Grove township, on the east by Graham township, on the south by Scott and Lucas townships, on the west by Iowa river. It is composed of six sections from the west side of the con- gressional township that is called Graham township, and eighteen sections and a few fractions of a congressional township east of the Iowa river. The remaining fragments of township 80, range 6, lie on the west side of the river, in Penn township.
Newport is not as good an agricultural township as Graham, but it is nearly all covered with timber of fine growth, and so lends as great a value to the county at large as any other township in the county. The first lumber sawed in the county was from a mill erected by Henry Felk- ner, who was the first settler in the township, and erected a saw-mill on Rapid creek.
The township is well watered, the principal streams being Rapid creek, Silver creek and Turkey creek, all named by Col. Trowbridge, while on his rounds assessing, in 1837, '38, '39.
In May, 1838, Henry G. Reddout, [this name was pronounced Riddoe] built a log cabin near the big spring on section 26, in Newport township, which formed an important tributary to Rapid creek. At the rock ledge
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
or falls of Rapid creek, in section 36, Henry Felkner had a saw mill; and somebody else had one a little below where the big spring brook emptied into the creek. In 1849 the U. S. geologist, D. D. Owen, visited Felk- ner's mill, to examine the out-crop of rocks there, and mentions it in his report. Reddout's cabin and the big spring were for many years a well known landmark in the settlement, and the spring had a stone curbing, and a neat log house over it; but now the mills, the cabin, the spring house, and the people are all gone; scarcely a vistage remains to show that they had ever been there as a center of eventful and busy life. The spring still bubbles up its clear, cool water, but only to be trodden and poached by the grazing beasts of a cow-pasture. It seems a great pity that so fine a natural spring should run to waste, instead of being utilized for a gilt-edge creamery, for which it would furnish a natural advantage not often met with.
There is no post-office in Newport township. The people go mostly to Iowa City for mail and trade; though some go to Morse station and post-office, over in Graham township, occasionally; and other some go up to Solon, in Big Grove township.
For 1882 the school tax levys was $600 for teachers fund; nothing for school house fund; and $250 for contingent fund. William Merhring is the president of the school board.
This township is largely settled by Bohemians, and they are a steady, hard working class of citizens. They have plenty of good stock, and it is not much behind the average township of the county in valuable farm products. C. S. Roessler makes a specialty in grape culture and manu- factures wine from grapes of his own raising.
Among the first settlers in this township, were Messrs. Lancaster, Glessinger, Smith, Taylor, Douglass, Thorp and Albrecht. It is one of the most thickly settled townships in the county.
OXFORD TOWNSHIP, INCLUDING THE TOWN OF OXFORD.
OXFORD TOWNSHIP.
On the 3d day of March, 1856, John Cook presented a petition to the county court, praying the organization of a new civil township, which petition is in words and figures as follows, to-wit:
We, the undersigned citizens of Clear Creek township, Johnson county, petition your honor to take such measures as may be necessary to divide the present township, by setting off the westerly part known as township 80 north, range 8, together with the fractional part of township 81, lying on the south side of Iowa river, and forming a new town of the town- ship 8, and that part of 81 lying on the south side of the river, to be named and known as the township of Oxford; signed by W. H. Cotter, Luther Doty, Hiram B. McMicken, and forty-one others, residents of Clear Creek township, Johnson county, Iowa.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY
And thereupon the county court, being fully satisfied that the conven- ience of citizens, petitioners aforesaid, requires the establishment of a new township, do hereby order and direct that all that part of congres- sional township 80 north, range 8, together with the fractional part of congressional township 81 lying on the south side of Iowa river, be and the same is hereby formed and set apart as a civil township, to be called and known as Oxford township. And it is further
Ordered, that there shall be an election held in said township on Mon- day, April 7, 1856, at the house of John L. Hartwell, for the purpose of electing two justices of the peace, two constables, one assessor, three township trustees, and one township clerk, for said township, and also to vote for a school fund commisioner for said county of Johnson, also for or against a new court-house, and for or against swamp lands.
Mr. E. D. Jones, clerk of Oxford township for this year (1882); fur- nishes the following statistics: The township was organized in 1856, and its first board of trustees were John Cook, John L. Hartwell, and Louis Doty. The first assessor was Wm. Cotter. The first official meetings of the board were held at John L. Hartwell's residence. The first school- house was built by Ben Williams in 1854, on section 5, west of Hon. L. R. Wolfe's residence, and was called Edgewood School house. The first cemetery in the township was laid out in 1875, west of Oxford (town), on Wm. Cotter's land, section 17
The township constitutes one independent school district, with eleven district townships. The school-tax in 1881 for all purposes, teachers' fund, contingent, and schooi-house, was $1,000. The equalized value of the real estate in the township in 1881 was, $384,833; personalty, $74,827. The township is divided into two road districts. The levied rate of road tax in 1881 was five mills; the total amount of road tax, $2,348.35. The aggre- gate levy in the township was five mills. The present officers of the township are: Justices, Joel Linkhart and George Lenk; assessor, C. W. Staley; trustees, Thomas Sherlock, Dennis Mahony, and James Hardy; clerk, E. D. Jones.
EARLY INCIDENTS.
Mr. John E. Douglass furnishes the data for the following sketch of early events in the Oxford township settlement. John N. Headley and Samuel Huston came in March, 1839, and settled one mile east of the pre- sent site of Tiffin, in Clear creek township. They were from Ohio. Jas. Douglass and family arrived April 1, 1839; and on the 10th of the same month came Ebenezer Douglass and family; Charles Marvin and wife; William and Henry, and Branson Brown-all from Richland county, Ohio-and settled on section 24, township 80, range 8, now in Oxford township. Others followed soon after and all along.
The first marriage in this neighborhood was Orley Hull to Miss Mary Clark, in May, 1840, at a house about two miles west of where Tiffin is now. They were married by John L. Hartwell, justice of the peace, who now resides in Oxford village. The second marriage was of Wm.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
Spicer to Miss Delilah Sprague, and Russell Spicer to Miss Mary Hart- well-a double wedding. The ceremony was performed by Elder Israel L. Clark, a minister of the Disciples denomination.
The first baby born in the settlement was Huldah Marvin, born Dec. 2, 1840; child of Charles and Elizabeth Marvin. The first boy was James H. Douglass, born Feb. 5, 18+1, son of James and Fanny Douglass.
The first death was that of Brunson Brown, who was drowned in attempting to cross Old Man's creek, in the spring of 1840. The Indian name for Old Man's creek was " Push-i-to-nock See-po."
The first physician was Dr. Wm. Crawford, from Indiana, who came in 1841.
The first minister was Elder Israel L. Clark, of the Disciples or "Christ- ian" denominatiou. He preached from time to time in the neighbor's houses until there was a school house to hold meetings in.
The first school was kept in a little log cabin belonging to James Doug- lass, in 1841. The teacher was Miss Mary Berry, who received $1.50 per week of five and one-half days, which was made by teaching on alter- nate Saturdays.
The first weaving was done in 1840, by Susan Dennison. But in 1841, Fanny Douglass, Sarah Douglass and Mrs. Eliza Douglass Marvin (three sisters), all using the same loom, made from flax of their own growing, a supply of linen cloth, which they made up into shirts, pants, towels, table cloths, sheets, etc. In 1843 they carded and spun by hand wool, then mixed it with cotton warp in the weaving, and made jeans and linsey cloth. Of such goods were the best "Sunday-go-to-meeting suits" of the time, for it was only an occasional youth who was fortunate enough to procure from the Indians a nice pair of buckskin breeches, or a "Mackinaw blanket," for special "dress-up" occasions.
There were no roads, and we either forded the streams or went around them-"headed" them as it was called-following the "divide," or high ridge between streams. We went to the Mississippi river for meal, flour, groceries, and other necessary supplies, with ox-teams-slow, but sure. Some time in 1841 it began to be that we could get corn ground down at Wapsienonok (now West Liberty), in Muscatine county, at a horse mill, by hitching in our own oxen to do the work. And after toll, and feed on the trip, we would get home with about half as much as we started with. At home we ground buckwheat in a coffee mill and bolted it with a com- mon meal seive.
FIRST POST-OFFICE.
The first post-office in Oxford township was kept by James Douglass on section 24. It was called Copi post-office. There is no post-office now, 1882, except the one in Oxford village, and J. M. Templeman is the postmaster.
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
ORGANIZATION AND NAMING OF OXFORD.
SKETCHED BY M. W. COOK.
Previous to the year 1856, the territory now included in Oxford town- ship formed part of Clear Creek township. Disputes having arisen from time to time in regard to the voting place, road districts, and other mat- ters, steps were taken for a separation, and at the general election in August, 1855, a petition was circulated and received the signatures of all the voters in the proposed new township asking that a new township be formed.
The law, then as now, required that the boundaries of new townships should be made to conform to the boundaries of congressional or survey, or's townships, except, where a good reason existed for ignoring such rule Accordingly the boundaries of the new township were so arranged except on the north, where the lowa river was made the boundary. The dimen- sions of the township under that arrangement was six miles east and west, and about seven miles north and south, having an area of more than forty square miles. The territory included is described as being all of township 80 north, range 8 west, and that part of township 81 north, range 8 west. lying on the south side of Iowa river.
The remainder of 81 north, 8 west, was formed into a township about the same time and called Monroe.
The petition was presented to his honor, Judge Lee, as all matters pertaining to a change of township boundaries came before the county judge, under the old law, and as there were no remonstrance it was once decreed that henceforward the people of the territory above named should manage their own domestic concerns, a responsibility they felt fully prepared to shoulder. It was also decreed that at the time of. the annual election of township officers, which came in March, the election for the new township should be held at the residence of J. L. Hartwell, then known as the Erie House.
The following is the list of officers elected at that election: Justices, Luther Doty and Walter Camp; trustees, J. L. Hartwell, John Cook and Lewis Doty; assessor, [W. H. Cotter; township clerk, Luther Doty; constables, Thos. Heifner and " Bob " Carpenter.
Oxford is an old name, being the name of the capital of England in early times, or leastwise the residence of the rulers, and the seat of the University of England, the greatest institution of learning in the world. But our Oxford gets its name only indirectly from Oxford, England, being named from a town in Chenango county, New York. And this is how it came about. The petition had been drawn with a blank space for name and had been signed without filling the blank. W. H. Cotter had been charged with the matter of presenting the petition, and had it at his house; he mentioned the fact of the blank to his wife, who suggested filling it with Oxford, which was the name of the township where she had spent her
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HISTORY OF JOHNSON COUNTY.
childhood and youth. This was not at once accepted, but several names were suggested and finally written on slips of paper and little "Fred," then three years of age, was called upon to choose the name, and to the joy of his mother, it was Oxford; and thus the name was selected and the blank filled. Little Fred and his mother both have slept for years beneath the sod, and to the writer it seems as if the name Oxford was a lasting monument to their memories.
CEMETERIES.
The first burying ground in Oxford township was one acre given by Thomas Heifner, on section 5, in 1852. The first person buried there was Martin Mason.
The present cemetery is on section 17, one mile northwest of Oxford village, on high sandy ground. It contains four acres, and was laid out in June, 1875, by Wm. H. Cotter. The first person buried there was J. H. McFarland, January 11, 1875-several months before the ground was laid out. January 26, 1875, Mrs. Sies was buried there-the second burial.
In 1876 the Catholic people laid out a cemetery of one acre, on land adjoining the above on the south.
VINEYARD.
The only large vineyard in the township is on section 8, and is owned by Joseph Schonborn. He has found the Concord grape the most pro- lific, hardy and profitable variety to cultivate here. He imported several choice varieties from Hungary, at great cost, but they would not stand the climate. In 1864 he imported from Bavaria four varieties of mulberry seed, such as the Bavarian silk-worm feeders use. The trees grew, and bore fruit the fourth year from the seed; but soon died-wouldn't stand this climate.
Mr. Schonborn also raises large crops of blackberries, raspberries, and strawberries. He has made a good deal of wine, and had about 3,000 gallons in his cellar in July, 1882.
THE COLORED SETTLERS.
The census of 1869 shows that Oxford township had 153 dwellings and a population of 891, of whom nine were of the "colored persuasion." The number of voters was 180, an increase of twenty per cent in two years, and this is about the average of increase in farm productions, etc., during the same period. The nine colored persons above mentioned were the "horde of barbarians" which it was predicted would be turned loose amongst us, to subjugate and finally annihilate the Caucasian race. They remained a year or two, and then folded their tents and departed; and except one individual they are the only representatives of their race who have ever made their home in Oxford township.
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