USA > Iowa > Kossuth County > History of Kossuth County, Iowa > Part 50
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There has been no time since the county was organized when there were no doctors close at hand to assist the sick and the afflicted. The physicians have always ranked high among the professional men, and in the early days they wielded a strong influence in both business and political matters. Some of them were land speculators, because they could make much more money in buying and selling claims than in following their profession. When the good things came along their way they received their full share.
At the very first election ever held in the county, in August, 1855, Dr. Robt. Cogley was on hand for an office and received it by being chosen treasurer. His home was across the river, south of Algona, in a little log cabin that stood on the farm now owned by Mrs. Mary J. Clarke. He was a typical pioneer doctor of the old school. During the time of his practice here he had no occasion to cut out an appendix, but he did cut off the frozen leg of old Dutch Henry in accordance with the custom of that period.
Dr. Corydon Craw at that same first election grabbed for a much larger plum than did his brother Cogley. He marshaled his little force and undertook to cap- ture the office of county judge, the most important position in the county in those days. How nearly he succeeded is a well known fact in the county's early his- tory. Had he received one more vote the result would have made a tie between him and Asa C. Call, who was the opposing candidate.
These frontier doctors were always on hand for a county office, and when there were not enough to go around they did the next best thing-take a govern- ment position. After Buchanan became president in 1857, he learned of a democratic doctor living in Algona by the name of Amos S. Collins, and then commissioned him to oust the republican postmaster and take charge of the office himself.
When the voters in the fall of 1859 were casting around for suitable talent to advance the cause of education, they decided upon Dr. J. R. Armstrong, of Irvington, and elected him superintendent, and then two years later they chose him a member of the first board of supervisors. He came to Irvington late in the year of 1857 intending to practice dentistry, but he soon turned his attention to doctoring and acquired an extensive practice. With the exception of Dr. A. D Mason, who was located there for a few years previous to 1862, he was the only resident physician that community has ever had during all these years.
Dr. M. C. Lathrop came to the county in 1858 and during the next few years lived in several different places. In 1859 he was living on the farm now owned by LeRoy Bowen in Cresco. It was that fall that he was elected a member
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of the first board of supervisors to serve with Dr. Armstrong and Ambrose A. Call. He moved his family from the county when the rebellion began and became the chief of an army surgeon's corps.
Dr. Franklin McCoy had his turn in officially serving the county. His time came in the fall of 1860 when he was chosen clerk at the election. He came to the little county seat village in 1857 and remained there until 1866 when he moved to Indiana. A short time after he went away a doctor by the name of Davidson came up from Waterloo, and while looking after his land interests in the county practiced medicine whenever he had a chance to do so. He remained here for only a brief period. Several doctors came with the rush of land seekers, and after taking homesteads practiced in connection with their farming opera- tions. Dr. Fitch, who came in 1864, followed that plan in the Plum Creek country, and Dr. W. T. Bourne, who came a little later, did likewise upon the Black Cat in Union.
Dr. M. H. Hudson located his family in the county in 1865 and practiced in the settlements east and northeast of Algona, but in 1885 moved to town when too old to continue the work of his profession. He was a graduate from Berk- shire Medical College and was practicing in Brooklyn, N. Y., when he left in 1849 with the mad rush for the California gold fields. He sailed around the Horn and was four months on the voyage. He crossed the Isthmus on foot with a belt of golddust on his person on his way back, two years later. He died in Algona in December, 1903.
Dr. I .. K. Garfield came to the north end of the county in 1865 and settled in old Greenwood. He was one of the enthusiasts who attempted to have the county divided. Some time after that enterprise failed he moved to Algona, where he enjoyed a large practice. He had a bright mind, but was peculiar. He had pursued courses at several medical schools, and as a result was thor- oughly posted on the subject of medicine.
July 4, 1865, was the date when Dr: S. G. A. Read began his beneficial career as a physician in the county. He was a graduate from the Cleveland Medical College. His specialty was fever and ague diseases which he had learned to conquer while residing in Indiana. He had a liberal education and could read Greek and Hebrew with ease. Besides being a skilled physician he was active in promoting education and high morals.
All these disciples of Esculapius, above mentioned, have passed from our midst and over into the beyond.
The coming of the Milwaukee road caused several doctors to locate at the county seat. During the year 1869 Dr. James Barr and Dr. L. A. Sheetz made their appearance. Both had been soldiers in the army and both had studied medicine after their return. Dr. Barr soon formed a partnership with Dr. J. H. Leavitt, making the firm a successful one. After the junior partner left, Dr. Barr continued alone and was popular. He is now living near Los Angeles. Dr. Sheetz in 1870 built his brick drug store building and went out of general practice long before he died. He was a man of considerable native ability, and was a natural born critic.
Drs. McCoy and Whitney came in 1870, the former when the first train arrived. They established a drug store at the Milwaukee depot in connection with their practice. The junior partner did not remain long. Dr. H. C. McCoy
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had a good practice and was very successful. He had been an assistant army surgeon during the war, and was local surgeon for the Milwaukee road for many years. He, too, has passed away.
In the early 70's Dr. (Mrs.) M. E. Colby established herself in the practice and Dr. B. G. Forbush opened his Good Samaritan Drug Store. Then in 1871 came Dr. Geo. E. Jackson, who decided to attend the Congregational Church if Dr. Barr was to be the leader of the Methodist people. Then after a few years came the twin brothers, Drs. Alfred and Albert Richmond, and built their residence on State street with the first corner window ever seen in town. They kept the people guessing how the window was going to be finished on the out- side. In later years they made their home at Claremont, Cal. Drs. J. C. and Flora Gleason soon followed in making an attempt to work up a good practice, but they failed to succeed as well as they desired, and so they departed for some other location.
Along about 1885 Dr. Orlando Harran began practicing in Algona, but did not stay very long. He did not sustain the reputation of doing a very legitimate line of work. Dr. Chas. McCormick, who came about 1890 to the county seat, had the reputation of following on the same plan. Previous to that time he had been located, first, at Wesley and then at Burt. Dr. F. E. V. Shore entered the practice here in 1886 with high ambition, but after four or five years he left his large practice and went away to take a post graduate course, and when he returned he decided to locate at Des Moines to give special attention to the eye and ear.
Dr. W. E. H. Morse, who had been located at Bancroft, moved down to Algona in 1890 to succeed Dr. Shore. He was joined in the practice with Dr. J. M. Pride the next year. The latter had been the pioneer physician at Whittemore for several years previous to that date, and was held in high esteem by the entire community where he lived. He died in 1895. Dr. Morse was a genial fellow and was successful in his practice, but would have been more so had not his inventive mind taken his attention away from his practice. He filled in his spare time inventing electric bed warming devices or drawing car- toons. About the first time the name appendix was heard in this community was after he had performed an operation in Bancroft for the removal of that mysterious organ. Rock Rapids is his home at the present time.
Dr. G. T. West was one of the county seat practitioners at a little later date, but he had been doing that line of service at Bancroft for some time before. He finally returned to resume his practice at that place where he is still residing.
Dr. Loren E. Potter about that time moved to Algona to coninue the practice which he had built up while living on his farm in Cresco. He had settled out there in 1882 and devoted a portion of his time to his farming interests. He had been practicing for a long term of years, having attended the Kingsville Medical Institute when he was about twenty-five years old. He is numbered with those who were, but now who are no more.
Dr. Geo. W. Ingham, after completing the medical course at the University of Michigan, and before locating on the Pacific Coast, filed his certificate from the State Board of Medical Examiners in the auditor's office of his native county. He resides at Olympia, Wash., where he is enjoying a lucrative practice.
Dr. M. J. Kenefick has enjoyed an extensive practice ever since he located
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here in 1892. His reputation for being a successful surgeon extends far beyond the confines of the county. He is a graduate from Rush Medical College. The patronage of the Algona Hospital, which he fitted up in 1907, and of which he is the proprietor, is an evidence of the confidence the people repose in him as a physician.
Dr. F. L. Tribon came in 1893 to practice medicine according to the home- opathic methods. That line of practice was something new to most people in this vicinity at that time. Some predicted he would starve to death in a few years, but when they saw he was the first doctor in town to build a large house and put in a heating plant, they extended his lease of life for a quarter of a century. He graduated from the Homeopathic Medical Department of the State University of Iowa.
Dr. T. Hawkins Stull, a graduate from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Keokuk, was another of the profession to locate at the county seat in 1893. His practice was large and growing when ill health compelled him to retire from the active work.
Dr. Rankin, the first osteopath in Algona, located during the middle nineties. He was a cripple and worked hard to get a start. He opposed the theory that germs are the cause of disease, and as the result of such claim Dr. Morse chal- lenged him to a joint debate on the subject. Dr. Kenefick, being the mutual friend, arranged for the contest. It was to occur at the "Social Union" with Dr. McCoy as moderator, and with one layman supporting each opponent in the debate. Morse chose Harvey Ingham and Rankin, B. F. Reed. These four fought out the issue in a red-hot discussion and left the decision to the audience to be announced. After a few months Dr. Rankin moved to the Pacific Coast.
Drs. E. J. Gay and Margaret Coles came about the same time in 1897. Both practiced for a while and both have moved away. The former graduated from the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Des Moines and the latter from the Hahnemann Medical College of Chicago, it being a homeopathic institution.
Dr. J. S. Kroh established himself, about the year 1900, to practice osteopathy. He was a graduate from the Still Medical Institution at Des Moines. Although he was a bright young fellow, and appeared to have plenty to do in his profession, he did not seem to thrive financially, so he left to seek another location.
Dr. F. T. Seeley made his appearance at the county seat in 1900 after having practiced elsewhere for a long term of years. From the State University of Michigan he has received three degrees-B. S. in 1872, M. D. in 1874, and M. S. in 1875. In later years he has made some land investments that have brought him good returns.
Dr. C. D. Fellows came the next year and has continued until his practice has become satisfactorily remunerative. He began in a modest way, without blowing any horns to announce his arrival, and gradually won the confidence of a large number of people who now rely upon him for their family physician. He is a graduate from the Medical College at Keokuk.
Dr. C. H. Cretzmeyer, a graduate of the medical school connected with the State University of Iowa, located at Algona in 1902 and jumped into a paying practice from the very start. But few, if any, local physicians ever acquired so large a practice in so short a period as did Dr. Cretzmeyer. He had a repu- tation for being a skilled surgeon before he had been located three months.
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Dr. Stella Cleary Martinson began practicing here in 1902, being a graduate of the College of Physicians and Surgeons at Chicago. She is now located in the sunny South.
Dr. C. R. Sheetz located in 1903, after having taken a thorough course at the Rush Medical College. In connection with his practice he conducted the Corner Drug Store until the corner was sold to make room for the new First National Bank in 1912. He is at present living in retirement and having the respect of the many friends he had made while a resident of the county. Drs. Bertrand and Seibert also located about that time but soon moved elsewhere.
Dr. Walter Fraser graduated at the Marion Sims Medical College at St. Louis, and after locating elsewhere finally settled down to the practice of his profession in Algona in 1906. He first located at LuVerne in 1893, but went to Taylor county the next year and from there to Corwith in 1898. Among all the local members of the profession no one has acquired a reputation for being a better student, scholar and close observer than he. His philosophical mind has brought him recognized success in the diagnosis of diseases and in the treatment of the ailments.
Dr. Carrie A. Backus, a graduate of the Still Osteopathic College in Des Moines, began practicing at Algona in 1898, but only remained for a short time before locating elsewhere.
Dr. E. C. Hartman became a practitioner at the county seat in 1909 and is gratified with the demands that have been made in the meantime for his services. He is a medical graduate of the Northwestern University, and is a young man of promise who cannot fail to make good in his profession.
Dr. M. A. Hatch succeeded to the practice of Dr. Morse in 1909, at a very unfavorable time, when conditions were against his success. Sickness in his family prevented his getting the start which he had reason to expect when he located. After remaining but a short time he found a location elsewhere.
Dr. L. V. Andrews and his sister, Dr. Mabel E. Andrews, graduate osteo- paths-the former from the Still Institution and the latter from the college at Los Angeles-are the latest additions to the curative profession at Algona, having located in 1912. Being encouraged by the patronage they have received, they have reasons for being hopeful of their future success.
All of the parties named above in this article are, or have been, practitioners at the county seat. In the meantime the several villages of the county have had their share of resident physicians. Since these physicians are noticed historically in the concluding chapters of this work, in the narration of events pertaining to the respective towns in which they located, a bare outline will suffice in this chapter.
Irvington-Dr. J. R. Armstrong, 1857; gradually changed from dentistry to the practice of medicine ; deceased.
Wesley-Dr. Leonard, Dr. H. Alleyne, Dr. A. M. Tuttle, Dr. Chas. H. McCor- mick, Dr. J. E. Hill, who came in 1883 and remained twenty years; Dr. Scrib- ner, 1903; Dr. J. W. Kennedy, Dr. George Walters, who was there for fifteen years; Dr. Maguire, 1904; Dr. T. J. Carmody, 1907, and Dr. F. L. Adams, 1911, have been the local doctors. The latter two remain.
Whittemore-Dr. J M. Pride, 1879; Dr. Phelps, Dr. T. J. Felling, Dr. C. B. Paul, Dr. Will Bowen, Dr. Leonard, Dr. W. C. Heinen, Dr. C. M. Hutchison,
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Dr. J. W. McCreery, who located in 1900 and who is the only physician now at that place, have all practiced there.
LuVerne-Dr. Dunlap began with the town,' and he was followed in turn by Dr. L. R. Baker, Dr. Geo. Lacey, Dr. Sowles, Dr. Walter Fraser, 1893; Dr. C. S. Bliss, Dr. P. V. Janse, 1903; Dr. Baldwin and Dr. A. L. Spooner, 1910. The latter and Dr. Janse are the only ones now practicing there.
Bancroft-Dr. C. B. Lake, 1881 ; Dr. A. W. Berryman, 1882; Dr. G. T. West, 1884; Dr. W. E. H. Morse, Dr. E. A. Howe, Dr. F. H. Cutler, Dr. C. M. C. Walters, Dr. Geo. Walters, Dr. A. H. Vorwerk, Dr. Pierre B. Sartor, 1901 ; Dr. R. A. Bushby, Dr. Julius Plonske, Dr. W. C. Gulde and Dr. J. A. Devine. They practiced there but all are gone except Drs. Sartor and Devine.
Burt-Dr. C. H. McCormick, Dr. A. A. Beane, 1891 ; Dr. W. T. Peters, 1894; Dr. C. B. Greear, Dr. B. M. Rinehardt, Dr. H. R. Blay and Dr. J. G. Clapsaddle, 1912, completes the list, but now Drs. Peters and Clapsaddle have the field to themselves.
Fenton-Edgar I. Bradley, 1899; Dr. A. R. Bennett, and then Dr. F. W. Logan, 1901, have been the only physicians. Dr. Logan now has no competition in his large field.
Lone Rock-The only doctors have been H. Rayner and F. H. Rodemeyer and now both are gone.
Titonka-Dr. V. G. Treat, 1899; Dr. C. W. Packard and finally Dr. R. M. Wallace, 1906, who is now the only physician, have been the three local doctors.
Ledyard-Dr. E. F. Dunlap began with the town; then came Dr. Russ, and following him came Dr. John W. Logan. Dr. Judson Laughlin, the only local physician, came in 1901.
Germania-Dr. Lewis Fry, Dr. Johnson, Dr. O. C. Lohr, Dr. T. S. Waud, Dr. Bernhard, Dr. Oldag, Dr. F. L. Senska. Dr. Edgar Zinn and Dr. E. L. Wurtez have in order located at that point. The only ones remaining are Dr. Waud, who came in December, 1897, and Dr. Wurtez, who came during the winter of 1912-13.
Swea City-Dr. Heflin, Dr. Saunders, Dr. Mutcheer, Dr. I .. E. Klinefelter, Dr. C. W. Packard. Dr. Garringer, Dr. W. F. Clemasha, Dr. Howard Mosier. Dr. Ed Mosier, Dr. C. R. Van Voorheis, Dr. C. A. Lundquist and Dr. C. W. Mattison have been resident physicians, but all have disappeared except Dr. Mat- tison, who became established in 1904, and Dr. Lundquist, who came here four years later.
The Kossuth County Medical Society was organized at Dr. L. K. Karfield's office during the year 1894, Dr. H. C. McCoy being elected president and Dr. M. J. Kenefick secretary. In July, 1903, the constitution was adopted, and on April 13, 1909, it was revised and re-adopted. The 1912 officers are Dr. Judson Laugh- lin, president ; Dr. M. J. Kenefick, vice president ; Dr. E. E. Hartman, secretary and treasurer, and Drs. T. S. Waud, Walter Fraser and M. J. Kenefick, censors. The object of the society is "to bring into one organization the physicians of the county so that by frequent meetings, and full and frank interchange of views, they may secure such intelligent unity and harmony in every phase of their labor as will elevate and make effective the opinions of the profession in all scientific, public health and national and social affairs."
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CHAPTER XXI EDITORS AND THEIR PAPERS
The first paper for the dissemination of news that was published in the county and sent to subscribers, was Ambrose A. Call's Pioneer Press which was estab- lished in the spring of 1861. Before giving an account of that enterprise the career of two other papers antedating that publication, demands notice as an appropriate introduction to this chapter.
THE BEE
Under the sub-head of Algona in Pioneer Times, in the chapter "The Two Rival Villages," an account has already been given of The Bee, a paper which the members of the Algona Reading Club wrote and read before that organization. A brief notice of that paper at this time is consequently all that is necessary. This manuscript journal was the first attempt in the county to chronicle the events for the benefit of others. The numbers appeared at intervals from Decem- ber 27, 1857, to March 8, 1859. Almost every man and woman in Algona belonged to the club and in turn had a hand in editing the paper. Harriette E. Taylor (Stacy), edited the first number. It contained, among other interesting items and contributions, an article from her father, Rev. Chauncey Taylor, describ- ing as an introductory to the establishment of the paper, the various kinds of bees, the closing declaration of which was "but lest this Bee should be a promis- cious bee ready to sting every one who offers it a little affront, it may be the best policy for me to let it be just such a Bee as it pleases to be."
In all, twenty-one numbers of the paper have been preserved and are in safe keeping among the pioneer relics of the county at the State Historical Building. They have been tastily bound into one volume which bears the printed inscrip- tion on its cover: "The Bee-1857-1859; Algona, Kossuth county, Iowa; pre- sented to the Historical Department of Iowa by Harvey Ingham, Esq., of Des Moines." The scattered numbers were collected by the secretary after the club dissolved and then turned over to the district library March 12, 1864. Later they came into the possession of Mr. Ingham, who had them in his office for years before he presented them to the Historical Department of the state. This little volume gives a good idea of frontier conditions in the county before the days of newspapers. Besides the items that were written for the amusement they would afford, there are many other items of historical importance. One, for instance, settles forever that old disputed question, over which old settlers fought in angry discussion in later years, as to whether the first fair was held in the fall of 1858 or 1859. The Bee is the best authority, and it names the date as
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being October 8, 1858. It fixes the period in which that crude, side-hill school- house on the Black Cat was known as "Gopher College," and the dates when many interesting events occurred. Little did those who contributed to that pioneer paper dream that their productions more than half a century later would be scanned for data to be used in writing a history of the county. Of the members of that reading club which brought The Bee into existence only a few are now residents of the county. Mrs. Harriette E. Stacy, Mrs. Ambrose A. Call, Lewis H. Smith and H. F. Watson of Algona, Mrs. Alice Seeley, of Plum Creek, and Sylvester Rist, of Irvington, are all that now remain.
THE KOSSUTH COUNTY PRESS
The first paper to be printed and circulated was the Kossuth County Press, which was begun about the first of August, 1860, by the joint proprietors- Asa C. Call and his brother, Ambrose. It was not a newspaper in fact, and was at no time intended as such. There was no subscription list and no revenue from those who read the contents of the paper. There were two objects in starting that publication : One, to capture the printing of the delinquent tax lists of this and neighboring counties that had no newspapers, and the other, to direct the attention of other sections of the state to Algona. The law that went into force on July 4, 1860, made provisions for those counties having no newspapers to have the delinquent tax lists published elsewhere. In such cases each treas- urer was required to have the lists published in the newspaper in the state that was "nearest the county seat of said county." The compensation allowed for doing the work was thirty cents for each description, or twenty cents per line. As there were no papers printed in this region at that time and the compensation offered was alluring, the Call brothers saw a favorable opportunity to make a good investment by starting a publication for that particular purpose.
At that time the delinquent tax lists were large, because many had over- loaded themselves with land which they could not dispose of at a profit after the excitement of land speculation had died away. This was particularly true of eastern speculators, who, failing to respond with their required taxes, allowed much of their land to become advertised for the delinquent taxes. The prestige Algona would gain by having a paper established was duly considered. It was certain that it would be a good advertisement for the county. To procure a press with the necessary type and stock and a printer was the next consideration. An old second hand Washington press was purchased from Stilson Hutchins of Des Moines for the sum of $475. Orange Minkler, an 1856 settler, went after the outfit and hauled it through the mud and water. With him came also John Summers, the printer, whom Stilson Hutchins had recommended to the Calls as being "able to sling more type and make dirtier copy that any other printer in Des Moines." John set up the lists in type when they came in, but not having matter enough to fill both sides of the paper he printed the lists twice in every issue. That was before the days of patent insides and circulating stereotyped plates or he would not have been compelled to resort to that method of filling space. If the paper had any political policy it must have been neutral or very complicated at that time, for the judge was a democrat while Ambrose always af- filiated with the republican party. This publication existed for about three months
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