History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 73

Author: Reed, Benjamin F
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 879

USA > Iowa > Kossuth County > History of Kossuth County, Iowa > Part 73

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).

1902-Mayor, E. E. Sayers ; treasurer, F. W. Converse ; assessor, J. W. Bates; solicitor, T. P. Harrington ; clerk, L. J. Dickinson ; marshal, John Switzer ; super- intendent of water works, W. B. Metcalf ; street commissioner, O. B. Kuhn; councilmen : First Ward, William Turner, R. B. Warren ; Second Ward, A. Hutch- ison, C. B. Hutchins; Third Ward, W. A. Dutton, G. F. Peek; Fourth Ward, M. B. Chapin, A. L. Rist.

1903-Mayor, W. K. Ferguson ; treasurer, M. P. Weaver; assessor, J. W. Bates ; solicitor, Geo. E. Clarke; clerk, I .. J. Dickinson ; marshal, John Switzer; superintendent of waterworks, W. B. Metcalf ; street commissioner, S. R. Roney ; councilmen : First Ward, T. H. Wadsworth; William Turner; Second Ward,

Dhizedby Google

550

HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY

C. R. Lewis, A. Hutchison; Third Ward, I. E. Dodge, W. A. Dutton; Fourth Ward, A. L. Rist, M. B. Chapin.

1904-Mayor, W. K. Ferguson; treasurer, M. P. Weaver ; assessor, J. W. Bates : solicitor, George E. Clarke ; clerk, L. J. Dickinson ; marshal, John Switzer ; superintendent of water works, W. B. Metcalf ; street commissioner, S. R. Roney ; councilmen : First Ward, T. H. Wadsworth, William Cleary; Second Ward, A. Hutchison, C. R. Lewis; Third Ward, Andrew Peterson, I. E. Dodge; Fourth Ward, M. J. Kenefick, A. L. Rist.

1905 --- Mayor, W. K. Ferguson ; treasurer, M. P. Weaver ; assessor, B. E. Nor- ton ; solicitor, George E. Clarke; clerk, L. J. Dickinson; marshal, John Switzer ; superintendent of water works, Trowbridge-Dudley; street commissioner, V. J. Schichtl; councilmen : First Ward, T. H. Wadsworth, William Cleary; Second Ward, C. R. Lewis, A. Hutchison ; Third Ward, J. H. Peterson, A. Peterson ; Fourth Ward, C. T. Chubb, M. J. Kenefick.

1906-Mayor, W. K. Ferguson ; treasurer, M. P. Weaver ; assessor, B. E. Nor- ton ; solicitor, George E. Clarke; clerk, L. J. Dickinson ; marshal, John Switzer ; superintendent of water works, Trowbridge-Dudley; street commissioner, V. J. Schicht1; councilmen : First Ward, William Cleary, T. H. Wadsworth; Second Ward, A. Hutchison, C. R. Lewis; Third Ward, A. Peterson, J. H. Peterson ; Fourth Ward, F. Nicoulin, M. J. Kenefick.

1907-Mayor, J. W. Wadsworth; treasurer, M. P. Weaver ; assessor. B. E. Norton ; solicitor, W. B. Quarton ; clerk, A. Bushnell-S. W. Crowel ; marshal, John Switzer ; superintendent of water works, C. C. Dudley ; street commissioner, V. J. Schichtl ; councilinen : First Ward, E. G. Bowyer, William Cleary ; Second Ward, A. L. Peterson, A. Hutchison ; Third Ward, J. H. Peterson, A. Peterson ; Fourth Ward, C. T. Chubb, F. Nicoulin.

1908-No election.

1909-Mayor, J. W. Wadsworth ; treasurer, W. H. Reed ; assessor, B. E. Nor- ton ; solicitor, J. L. Bonar ; clerk, S. W. Crowel ; marshal, George Hackman ; super- intendent of water works. C. C. Dudley ; street commissioner, M. Cady ; council- men : At large, William Cleary, A. Peterson; First Ward, E. G. Bowyer ; Second Ward. A. I .. Peterson ; Third Ward, J. O. Paxson ; Fourth Ward, T. P. Harrington.

1910-No election.

1911-Mayor, J. W. Wadsworth ; treasurer, William Cleary ; assessor, C. O. Simpson ; solicitor, J. L. Bonar ; clerk, S. W. Crowel; marshal, George Hackman ; superintendent of water works, J. W. Kelly ; street commissioner, M. Cady ; coun- cilmen : At Large, Leroy Barton, E. E. Conner ; First Ward, Roscoe Call, William Galbraith ; Third Ward, J. O. Paxson ; Fourth Ward, Al. Falkenhainer.

1912-No election.

Dgiized by Google

CHAPTER XXVII SOME EVIDENCES OF PROGRESS

The gradual progress of the county is manifested in many ways. By compar- ing former conditions with those of the present, the evidence of the progress clearly appears. There was a time when almost every person knew all the others, but that time passed away long ago. Furthermore, in that period each knew where the others lived, knew what they were doing, and knew their peculiarities. To know these facts about our entire population now, it is needless to say, would be an impossibility. It would be difficult now for one to name all the families living in an adjoining township, but there was a period of several years when the people of this county were personally acquainted with a score or more of those living in Humboldt county. They knew all about the movements of the Hands, the Cuseys, the Johnsons, the Bonds, Eber Stone, Thomas Scurlock, Herman Munson, Dad Fleming, George Hart and a number more. All of the states and many of the countries of the old world have sent us citizens. Some of these states like Illi- nois and Wisconsin must have sent thousands. In the year 1856 there were thirty- eight people here from Illinois, the largest number from any one state. Then in order came Ohio, thirty-two; Iowa, thirty-one; Indiana, twenty-nine; Pennsyl- vania, twenty-five; Massachusetts, twenty-three; New York, twenty-one; Ver- mont, twelve; New Hampshire, nine; Germany, eight ; Scotland, Ireland and Eng- land each, seven ; Kentucky and Michigan, each, four ; Canada, three; Rhode Is- land and North Carolina, each, two; Wisconsin, Missouri, Switzerland, Conecti- cut and Virginia, each, one.

The census returns tell what progress the county has made in securing inhabi- tants since the early days. There were 416 in 1860; 3,351 in 1870; 6,178 in 1880; 13,120 in 1890; 22.720 in 1900; and 21,971 in 1910. During the year 1912 there were 172 couples joined in marriage. Before and during the war such events were so seldom that when they did occur every one knew all about the bride and groom, knew where they were going to keep house, and knew what prospects the couple had for making a living. The first ceremony occurred April 22, 1857, when William Moore and Sarah Wright, of Irvington, were joined in wedlock. Other marriages that year were Hurlbut Lake and Jane Eggers in July ; Charles Harvey and Minerva Wright, T. J. Foster and Jane Lane, and Lewis H. Smith and Abbie M. Rist in October ; Theodore J. Smith and Roxa Fleming, and R. M. Bessie and Mary E. Lane in November; and William D. Eaton and Nancy H. Kellogg in December. August Zahlten and Margaret Reibhoff were united in marriage January, 1858; Amos Otis and Almira E. Heckart in March; W. A. Wilson and Chloe Lawrence in May ; J. E. Hall and Susan Hall, and George M. Wiltfong and Martha A. Clark in July ; S. S. Rist and Mary A. Millen in August ; and Marcena

551

Dytized by Google

552

HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY

Harriet and Caroline Lattimore in September. Swan Linquest and Hannah Peter- son became husband and wife in January, 1859, as did also J. R. Armstrong and Jane Fife ; and George W. Mann and Laura M. Bellows were married in August of that year. April 12, 1860, two couples were married at the same ceremony by Father Taylor. These were J. E. Stacy and Harriette E. Taylor, and George P. Steele and Mary S. Clark. Oscar Stephens and Jane Magoon, and Christian Hack- man and Elizabeth Clark were united in marriage in May, 1860. A. L. Seeley and Alice Benschoter, and Richard Colburn and Elmira Heckart were all married in May, 1861, and Elias Weaver and Polly Benschoter in December of that year. During the year 1862 there were only two marriages. In 1872 there were thirty- eight ; in 1882 there were sixty-seven, and thirty years later, in 1912, there were as above stated, 172.

The valuation of all kinds of real estate and personal property in the county, as returned by the various assessors during the past fifty years. has steadily in- creased. In 1860. it was $86.768.00; in 1870, $838,171.00; in 1880, $1,797.806.00 ; in 1890, $3,392.951.00 ; in 1900, $6,310,340.00; and 1912, $32,662,532.00. While these figures indicate the rate of the rise during this period, they do not properly indicate the real value in any of the years named from the fact that property is never assessed at its full value. That being the case, the real value of all property in the county in 1912 would no doubt reach the forty million mark.

The rate of increase in the production of corn is not easily determined, because of the great quantity raised each year that is not marketed, and because in the early days no account of the number of bushels raised was ascertained. In 1866, however, it is well remembered when one man cornered the market by purchas- ing from the neighboring farmers their surplus of a few hundred bushels. A man would have to have a fat bank account if he succeeded today in controlling all the corn in the county, for about 3,800,000 bushels were evidently raised during 1912. No record has been kept of the number of bushels of small grain that were threshed prior to the close of the war, although Samuel Reed began running his new machine in 1861. In 1865 he still owned the only machine in the county, and threshed that year 5,202 bushels of wheat, 12,104 of oats and forty of barley. Haggard, Sparks and Robison came into the field the next year with a new ma- chine, and Brown & Godden brought in another during the year following. In 1868, Matson & Fisher, and Miller & Co. began with two more.' That year the total amount threshed by all the machines was about 110,000 bushels. The total number of bushels of oats, wheat, barley and rye raised in 1911, as reported by the assessors, amounted to 2,189,147. In these modern days when the threshing is done with great separators driven by powerful steam engines, and the outfits containing self feeders and self stackers, as much can be threshed in an hour as was usually done during the war in a whole day, with an eight horse power and small separator. When the big steamers came, then the old-fashioned band cut- ter, with his ever dangerous knife, had to get down from his barrel and seek some other job. War-time prices were four cents for oats and six for wheat. When they dropped down to "three and five," a year or two later, the threshermen did not get rich at these rates; but now such prices would make them wealthy.

Some estimate of the growth of the volume of general business done may be formed by noting the fact that in the early years of the county a record book would last for several years before being filled. The condition is far different

Tigiized by Google

553

HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY

now, when several of such books are filled each year. During the year 1912 Re- corder Henderson copied into the books 3,917 instruments. When the old court- house was built in 1866 it was proclaimed to be "good enough to answer the pur- pose for twenty-five years." The people soon saw their mistake and six years later began erecting the present edifice. This structure in turn, which was built to "meet the requirements for all time to come," has been inadequate for ten years. The offices of the clerk, auditor and recorder are none too large to be used for vaults alone. The present vaults are over-flowing with records until there seems no place for another book. The treasurer's office is also in need of more room for such a purpose.

For fifteen years after the county first began to settle, it was supposed to be too close to the north pole for fruit raising purposes. But it has been demonstrated for forty years that any one can raise all the apples one desires by using good judgment and a little energy. A good illustration of what can be done in this line is seen on the farm of M. D. L. Parsons, in Cresco. He not only has a thrifty bearing orchard of thirty-five acres, but for seven successive years at the state fair took first premiums on fruit grown in the northern district of the state. More- over at the world's fair at St. Louis, in 1904, he won the silver medal on a barrel of his apples. Many others are also raising fruit, but none on so large a scale, or with such pronounced success as he. The apple industry has evolved from days of small beginnings, and has been one of slow growth. About the time the war came to a close, a few farmers, and a few in Algona, set out some small trees in their door-yards, but most of them soon died out. About that time Thomas Robi- son at Irvington set out the first orchard the writer knew of in the county. This did not prove much of a success. Samuel Reed then followed on a much more ex- tensive scale, and ample reward soon crowned his efforts. After a lapse of sev- eral years he set out a new orchard on the north side of the grove, and that one was of much greater benefit than the other. From it apples by the wagon-load have been sold every year since the trees began bearing. While many in all parts of the county are raising apples on a small scale, those who are without them have no one but themselves to blame. One has only to attend the county fairs to be- come convinced that many other fruits, besides apples, are raised of a superior quality. In place of the widl fruit once exhibited, the most improved varieties are to be seen.

Progress in the line of county bridge building has taken rapid strides. The first bridges, at county cost, were put up in the fall of 1861, one being built across the river at Algona and the other at Irvington. In the winter of 1864-5 the third one was put up across the river at Devine's. The timbers in all the early bridges were hewn, and the long mud sills were hauled many miles with ox teams. The digging of the mud-sill trenches, often waist deep in water, was a job that com- manded ten dollars a day, and sometimes went begging for takers even at that price. The raising was always attended by a large crowd, and was closed with a bountiful supper. Later when piles were driven to support the bridges the old plan of building was abandoned. Then followed the era of constructing them with iron and steel, an era that still continues. Across the river at almost every desired posi- tion, these steel bridges are standing. Besides these, hundreds of bridges are span- ning creeks, open ditches and marshes, all of which are county bridges and have been made by the direction of the board of supervisors. Many of them of later

Dignized by Google

554

HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY

years have been constructed of cement, and are proving satisfactory. At a late meeting of the board, the members counted about fifty of these cement bridges which they had put in during the past three years. They also counted twenty-seven steel bridges that are spanning the river. The total number of county bridges may be judged from the reports of two of the members. In district No. 2 Super- visor C. E. Heise names thirty-five in the two townships, Union and Plum Creek, and Supervisor F. C. Newel in district No. 4, names 109 in the townships of Lotts Creek, Fenton, Seneca, Swea, Greenwood and Burt. Although no reports have been received from three of the supervisors, it seems evident that nearly 500 county bridges must be in existence.

The general forward movement, to reclaim the wet lands of the county and to make them tillable and productive, has resulted in the promotion of a series of gi- gantic enterprises, involving a greater expense than any other series of projects ever concocted for the benefit of parties directly interested, or the county generally. Thousands and thousands of acres, of what the early settlers called swamp land, have been compelled to shed their water and become fertile, grain yielding fields. This has been done by the system of public drains which the supervisors have or- dered, directed, supervised and followed through to completion. In some parts of the county, especially in the northwest, the area is cut with a net work of drains, and some of them are of immense dimensions. Steam dredges and other powerful ditching devices were used to roll out the great mass of dirt, and heave it upon the sides of the drains. Hundreds of car-loads of ponderous tiling have been used in the construction, and assessments have been levied against the land owners until they trembled with fright. They pay for the benefit the ditches will be to them, less what damages they can prove they have sustained as the result of their being made.

Every drain passes through an established drainage district, and the land owners of each have to foot the bill in proportion to the benefits they are adjudged to re- ceive. It is a costly proposition. The assessment commissioners, the contractor who does the work and furnishes the material, the engineers, the attorney, the off- cers serving the notices, and the printers publishing them and others connected with the enterprise all have to be paid. Up to the date of the November, 1912, meet- ing of the board, eighty drains had been considered. Twenty-three had flashed in the pan, and assessments had been levied on fifty. Six have not reached the stage to determine what the assessment will be. The levies for the fifty amounted to the snug little sum of $1.535,571.00. To this amount must be added about $150,000.00 for the construction of the six yet to be completed. This total, of $1.685.571.00. to be expended by the land owners for improvements, makes the enterprise one of the most stupendous in the whole history of the county. The most costly of all these drains was No. 4, or what is better known as Mud Creek drain, the assess- ment amounting to $520,000.00. It started in Eagle Lake in Eagle township, and then following the creek runs in a southeasterly course through Swea, Harrison and Greenwood, and then circling around Bancroft, ends at the river in section one in Burt township. Engineer A. J. Lilly filed his estimate report October 11, 1906, and from it the following are taken: "Number of open miles of open ditch, 25.2 ; number of miles of drain, 122.5; number of acres to be drained, about 45.000." The assessments for this drain amounted to $513,686.91. Starting at the mouth, the open ditch was to be twenty-four feet in the bottom but to grow gradually less as it neared the head. Some of the tiling in the laterals was as large as thirty-six

Digitized by Google

555

HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY

inches. One lateral has 6,000 feet of it, another 3,410, and another 2,900. A large amount of the thirty-two, thirty and twenty-eight size was used. A vast quantity of tile ranging in size from fifteen to twenty-eight was placed in the laterals. Some changes were made after these estimates were reported, but the above indicates the immensity of the drain. The construction of these many public-drains has been the most important work ever done by the board of supervisors. In order to have the work done according to law, they have had the advice for several years of Attorney T. P. Harrington, who has made that line a special study.

The purebred cattle and the high grades which are seen in the yards and fields of so many farmers in every township of the county, present gratifying scenes unknown to the early settlers. The log-house period and sod-house era had passed and gone before any thoroughbred cattle were brought to the county. The year 1877 is a memorable one, for it was then that something bet- ter than the old long-horned, lion-backed breed of cattle made its appearance. One of the most beneficial acts Judge Call ever did for the county was in May, 1877, when he bought the Lawrence short-horn herd and shipped them here. It was then one of the best herds of that breed in northwestern Iowa. The cows he sold to numerous parties in small lots and they formed the nucleus for many fine herds which were seen at the homes of these families in later years. It was a strange coincidence that J. B. Jones, during that same month, bought of Judge Fairfield of Charles City a thorough-bred short-horn head for his herd, and brought him to the county. He was a three-year-old, but weighed 2.150 pounds. From that time on the herds in every direction began to improve in appearance and quality. Such an interest was awakened in the subject that during the following February fifty prominent farmers formed an association "for the mutual advantage and advancement of the interests of those engaged in stock raising and dairying." J. B. Jones was elected president, A. M. Horton secretary, Pitt Cravath corresponding secretary and D. H. Hutchins treasurer. Other members of the association were Geo. E. Boyle, C. C. Chubb, W. B. Carey, L. M. Bush, Geo. W. Mann, John Wallace, R. I. Brayton and Wm. Ward. The latter was active in the cause and later was chosen the president. Although a variety of breeds characterizes the many herds of grades and pure- bred cattle, the short-horn type is still the most prevalent.

The contrast between the prices received now for the best quality of cattle and those received at times in the past is a striking one, and indicative of the advancement in stock values. One Irvington farmer in the fall of 1861 drove thirteen cows all the way to Iowa City and then sold them for $10 apiece. Had he received as much for them as has been paid for the highest selling cow during the past year he would have come home with $9.100 in his pocket instead of $130. How well it pays to raise purebred cattle was evidenced when Judge W. B. Quarton, president of the State Dairymen's Association, in the summer of 1912 sold from his Guernsey herd. in Cresco township. his cow-Pretor's Jessie-for the sum of $700. That sale, while a record breaker in price, is not the only one that has been made at high rates. Only a few weeks ago a man came up from Glenwood, Iowa, and paid Judge Quarton $200 for a yearling calf from the $700 cow he had previously sold, and also paid him $250 for a two-year-old heifer. The same man purchased from A. J. Brown a cow of the same breed for $175. the herd being also in Cresco. Furthermore, from

Dig zedby Google

556

HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY

the herd of H. C. Adams in Plum Creek he bought four high-grade heifers at $75 each. These grades were also of the Guernsey breed. T. J. Julian's Hol- stein herd is in Irvington, where he has also been making some good sales at fancy prices. He reports that within two months he sold a calf at $150, two heifers and a calf at $400, a bull and a heifer at $275, a heifer at $150, two heifers and a calf at $425, and two "little things" at $200. He is president of the lowa Holstein Association and owns a large herd. W. K. Ferguson pins his faith to the Red Poll type and is constantly making sales at prices that are very satisfactory to him, as may be judged from the fact that he has already sold calves from the same cow to the amount of $1,240. Myron Schenck in Union, raising the same breed, also makes a fine showing. His sales at high prices occur so frequently that he cannot increase the size of his herd. J. B. Hofius and Frank Jenkinson of the same township stick by the shorthorns and take no back seat in making money from cattle raising. They carry on their work quietly and with no display, shipping carload after carload of purebred stock for which they receive golden returns. Wm. Galbraith raises the Aber- deen Angus type and has demonstrated that he has made no mistake in choos- ing that breed for quick sales and satisfactory profits. Every township has farmers raising high-grade cattle, and many of them have purebreds, which cost no more to fit for market than the ordinary scrub stock that some still persist in having upon their premises.

The progress of the butter and cream industry has been as marked as in any other line of enterprise. According to the 1911 report, the eighteen creameries in the county received the cream from 12.158 cows owned by the 1,545 patrons and 1,809,335 pounds of butter had been made. When one considers what the price of butter has been for the past few years one can easily determine what a boon these creameries are to the citizens of the county. Although about thirty-seven years have elapsed since dairying began, it was not until quite recently that the work began to demonstrate its possibilities in the county. The first step in this direction was the procuring of purebred animals of the type that has a world-wide reputation for being specially adapted for dairy purposes. Just now the owners of the Guernseys and those of the Holsteins are crossing swords, both endeavoring to convince the public of the superiority of their favorite herds. Several in the vicinity of Algona have made systematic tests of the butter-fat producing qualities of their cows, but the results have not been made public. There is no law compelling them to make such tests or to make them publicly known when made. Judge Quarton, however, is an exception, for he has told the public the result of his experiments with some of his Guernsey cows. One, which he calls Grace Yeksa Q., held the fifteenth place in the Iowa cow contest with over 150 cows, from all over the state, com- peting for the prize. She was a four-year-old and produced 8,619 pounds of milk and 437 pounds of butter-fat in 365 consecutive days. Another. a two- year-old, in the same period gave 7,6561/2 pounds of milk which produced 371.81 pounds of butter-fat. He had other cows that made an equally good showing in the test. From the fact that the tests were made under the control of the government station at Ames, and away from the influence of the owners, this showing of Judge Quarton's cows is remarkable. While we regret that a report of the tests made of the cows of other owners in the county are not available

Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.

History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 73

Author: Reed, Benjamin F Publication date: 1913 Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co. Number of Pages: 879

Author: Reed, Benjamin F
Publication date: 1913
Publisher: Chicago : S. J. Clarke Pub. Co.
Number of Pages: 879