History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 76

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

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The first school was taught by Dr. Armstrong in the northwest corner of the township in the early sixties, at the Wright schoolhouse. During the year 1866 Ella Sparks taught a term in the home dwelling of Henry Curran. In the new

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schoolhouse there the next year, Asa Story was the teacher who turned a barrel up side down over a mischievous boy in order to keep him still, while Superin- tendent John Reed was visiting the school. The building was but a rude shack, in which the teacher lived during the term, and was only about ten feet square.

The names of the township officers chosen in the fall of 1883 at the election organization suggests the changes that have ben made in the residents since that time. They are John Conner, John Brass and H. C. Parsons, trustees; D. D. Dodge, clerk; A. Rutherford, Jr., assessor ; Max Miller and D. D. Dodge, jus- tices ; Joseph Raney and W. G. Beardsley, constables; and Nick Marso and Alex Larimer, road supervisors.

RIVERDALE TOWNSHIP

Riverdale, the second township from the west in the south tier of townships, has more river frontage than any other in the county. It comprises 94-29 and that part of 95-29 lying south of the river, and was cut out of old Cresco township by the board of supervisors in June, 1885. It had been a part of the old township from March, 1858, until the board took that action. The first settler in the town- ship was John Robison who came during the summer of 1855 and built his log cabin on the edge of the timber, on the northeast quarter of section 1. In that cabin his family lived until about the beginning of 1859 when they moved away. This cabin was entered by some of Inkpadutah's band of Sioux, the first year it was built. It stands at present on its original site, and is well preserved as a reminder of pioneer days. O. J. Smith that year put up a claim cabin on section II, now known as the O'Rourke place.

Three substantial settlers located during the year 1856. They were Barnet Devine, who chose his location on section 24, on the east side of the river ; Addison Fisher, who settled by the river on the northern boundary of the township, and Grishington Jones, who selected a tract on the river on section 11. He built his cabin on the west side in the grove. The other two also had cabins for their fami- lies. Both Devine and Jones found claimants of the tracts ahead of them whom they had to satisfy with money before they (Devine and Jones) could get posse- sion. Mr. Devine still owns his tract, but those of the other two have passed into other hands. With the Jones family came several sons and George W. Blotten- burger, a son-in-law. Some of these took up claims and settled in the vicinity. The John Devine family located just south of Barnet Devine's and John Maher just across the river on the west side.

During the year 1857 the Elhenan Clark family located just south of John Devine's, and the Ben Clark family on the west side of the river, on the southwest quarter of section 23. A few other scattering settlers on the west side in that vicinity had claim cabins about that time. In the fall of 1860 the John M. Pat- terson family built their cabin on the ridge on the west side on the northwest quar- ter of section 1. The farm is now owned by the heirs of the first settler upon the tract. On the ridge farm now owned by Charles Worster, there stood in the early days a lonely house upon the hill where Mary Cornish had her home. It was a conspicuous object that could be seen for many miles in several directions. South of this place on the northern part of section 24 were the claims and shanties of Frank Harrison, R. M. Bessie and Thomas Whitehead. which later became the property of Barnet Devine. When Betsy Norton and her son-in-law, A. D.

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Barker, located on the eastern part of section 10 and established their families in comfortable homes, just after the war, they were farther away from the river than any one else had settled at that time in the township on the west side.

C. W. Parker, in 1865, lived in a frame house on the east bank of the Ox Bow It was there where Stephen Loss also lived for several months after Mr. Parker had moved away from that location. Blottenburger lived just west from that place on the hill during the winter of 1864-5, and was succeeded in the latter year in the location by Stratton Carr and Willson, his son-in-law. Hiram Howard settled the next year on the south line of the county, south of where St. Joe is now, but his house was over the line in Humboldt county. Dwight Hine came about that time and located on the southeast quarter of section 19, where he had purchased several hundred acres. After living on his purchase for a few years, he sold the place to Michael Heiderscheit and moved to Algona. Mrs. Collins, later Mrs. Mitchell, came a short time subsequently and located on the northwest corner of section 7. George Hendron also lived on that part of the section about that time.

During the year 1868, George Stewart came and bought land on section 14 and 15 and R. Skilling also bought that year just south of him on section 23. Both waited until the next year before making residences. When they came John Speiser had been living on the southwest of section 7 for some time. H. A. Matson had come in 1868, but had lived for a couple of years on the O'Rourke place before locating on section 7. Mr. Muckey was also one of the settlers of that period, as was also John Goeders who bought the old Leland place on the southwest of 1I.

John and Nick Reding, Mike, Peter and Nick Thilges, Peter Erpelding, Byron Christianson, George Faber, John H. Knott, Alfred Evans, Abernathy and Fuhr- mann settled in various places in the township from 1870 to 1873. John Von Bank came about five years later and located on section 29, and David Roth on top of the hill on the southeast quarter section 21. James Young settled on section 3 a few years after the war, although he was in the county before the rebellion began. It was this farm in later years that he disposed of to Orrin Ingalsbe for a slight con- sideration. A. J. Jones spent much of the time in his young manhood on his father's farm on section 10 and 11, which was sold to Alex Fraser in 1880. It is now owned by Duncan Fraser, one of the sons. Mr. Jones later owned and lived for several years on a tract on sections 3 and 10. Jerome Finnegan and S. B. Mc- Clellan were considered quite early settlers when they located on section 7 about the year 1875. During the year 1872 when Rev. H. B. Butler bought all of sec- tion 17, and sent his two twin sons out from Monroe, Wisconsin, to manage the farm, the enterprise at that time seemed a wonder. Then again when David Gil- more and his sons, E. J. and R. D., occupied three of the quarters of section 18. about the year 1881, the neighbors wondered if there were any more Gilmores. The families of C. D. and S. H. Pettibone, who located in 1871, moved to Algona that fall.

On the southeast quarter of section 35 the little village of St. Joe was started in 1865, when Hiram Howard put up a building and used it as a kind of country hotel. In the year 1870 a general store was started by George Hollenbeck and was run for about five years, when he sold the stock to George Solvensky, who then rented the building for the business. After a couple of years the store again came into the possession of Mr. Hollenbeck who conducted it until 1879, when he left the management of the store to John Waldbillig. For the next two years it was

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run under this arrangement, at the end of which time the whole business was sold to Joe Schreiber, who operated it in connection with a saloon for one year, when he sold out to Mike Smith who abandoned the saloon feature. Since then various changes in the proprietors have been made from time to time, until it came into the possession of the present owner, Nick Gales.

The Catholic church was organized at that point in 1871 through the influence of Father Lenihan. The first members were John Devine, George Hollenbeck, Nick Brass, John Goeders, Peter Forman, John, Peter and Michael Erpelding, Nick and Peter Thilges, Barney Crowan, Michael Dunfrey, Michael Melaven, Patrick, Michael and John O'Neill and John Murphy. The church edifice cost about $18,000 and is 24 x 60 feet with a belfry forty-six feet high. The parsonage cost about $1,400 and was erected in 1876. During the year 1882 a large part of the Irish element withdrew and gave their support to the church at Livermore. Father Remely, the present local priest, has presided over the church for about seven years, and has been instrumental in building up a strong organization. Nearly twenty years ago the work of erecting more substantial and more commodious buildings began. A new school building, a new parsonage and a new church edifice replaced by degrees the ones first erected. They would do credit to a city of 20,000 inhabitants. Early day priests who came after Father Lenihan were Father J. J. Smith, Father Theodore Wegman and Father James B. Zigrang.

The Cooperative Creamery is managed by Buttermaker M. J. Donovan by direction of the board of which Nicholas Gale is the secretary. The company was incorporated in June, 1902, the board consisting of E. C. Clark, president ; Peter Klein, secretary; Joe Becker, John Cunningham, J. Kramer, P. L. Nelson and A. Brete.

Barnet Devine was called the cattle-king for a quarter of a century, on account of the size of his herds and the financial success he made of that line of enter- prise. His accumulation of land was another evidence of his good judgment and business qualities. Numerous other citizens who were not particularly gifted as money makers were held in high regard by the community for their sterling worth. Some of these came in the latter sixties. Among them were Abel Worster on the east side of the river, and George Stewart on the opposite. One has only to look at the tax list of this township to learn who are the wealthy land owners. Nearly all of the residents seem to come under that class.

Four county officers have been chosen from the township-Ben Clark, Addi- son Fisher and Mike O'Rourke, supervisors; and O. F. Hale, surveyor.

The first couple to be married were George P. Steele and Mary S. Clark, in April, 1860.

The first elk chased in the county by white men were discovered in that town- ship by W. H. Ingham and D. E. Stine, November 27, 1854. A large lynx was also killed by "One-arm Jones" in May, 1867.

At the present time the officers having control of the affairs of the township are J. P. Kirsch, clerk ; John Kelner, John Frideres and Matt Faber, trustees ; and Matt Frideres, assessor. The board looking after the interests of the various schools is composed of J. N. Zellar, president; George Levertz, secretary; Nick Gales, treasurer; William Fox, O. M. Barker, J. H. Fraser, C. Gales, Peter Reding, John Kramer, George Faber and G. Hauselmann.

Vol. 1-37

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GARFIELD TOWNSHIP

Congressional township 94-30, in the extreme southwest corner of the county, was named in honor of the second martyred president-Garfield. It was twenty years after the close of the war when the board of supervisors established the township in its present form. The action of the board in this regard occurred at its June, 1885, session. At the organization election which followed, Philip Dorweiler, M. Hays and Peter Harberger were the judges. All the territory in that part of the county was organized into old Cresco township in 1858, and it was a part of it until Garfield was created on the above named date. For nine- teen years the settlers had been gradually arriving and dotting the prairie with their newly-made farms. The first to locate, and many of those who came later, were Prussians, and of the independent political faith. The result of the Gar- field vote at elections is always awaited with anxiety until the returns are made known. Sometimes candidates on both tickets are surprised, for the electors do not always vote on straight party lines, but generally go democratic.

The management of the township affairs has also been as good as in the neighboring townships. At present H. F. Andregg is the clerk ; F. J. Fuchsen, C. J. Bonstetter and Phil Dorweiler, trustees; and J. B. Mertz, assessor. The township will not suffer with such men as those directing its financial affairs. The school directors are men of good judgment and interested in the education of the youth. The board is composed of the followig well-known citizens . Henry Dorweiler, president ; H. F. Andregg, secretary ; J. G. Struthers, treasurer ; C. Anlicher, C. Gengerich, C. Bonstetter, N. Zemmet, J. B. Wagner, H. Saund- ers and L. Schneider.

Lotts creek runs diagonally across the township, entering on the north line of section 5, and after running southeasterly passes into Riverdale on the eastern boundary of section 36. In some years, during the early-settlement days, this creek was very troublesome to cross, and more than one loaded wagon stuck in its treacherous bottom. The more elevated portions of the land have always been productive, and the bottom lands also when well drained. For years one had to know just how to cross the township or one met with a surprise when impassable sloughs, ponds and lakes came into view. Roads did not always fol- low section lines, and all do not do so now. When it was contemplated to run the road on the line between sections 27 and 34 the project had to be abandoned. The same is true about the road on the lines between 9 and 16 where it crosses the creek. The Burlington road's passing across the southwest corner of Garfield, and the tax received from the company on that account, helps materially in defraying expenses. The line passes diagonally through the sections 18, 19, 29 and 33.

Many of the residents adhere to the Catholic faith and attend church at either West Bend or Whittemore. A religious organization, called by its mem- bers the Apostolic church, has had an existence for more than thirty years. It is somewhat patterned after the Dunkard order. in that the members refrain from expensive attire, and from many of the privileges exercised by the members of other churches. In the eighties the followers of that faith in the southwestern portion of the township were quite numerous, but the number is much less at the present time. In 1882 they put up a plain unpretentious house of worship 20x32

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feet, on the southeast corner of section 7. There John Anliker, the first elder of the church, conducted the services. From the habit of bringing their dinners and having lunch at the church, the organization is generally referred to as the coffee chuuch. Rev. Fehr comes over from Palo Alto county and conducts the services at present.

The town of West Bend in Palo Alto county is located just west of section 18. Along the west line of this section, G. S. Wright platted four blocks as an addi- tion to the town in March 1892. It is at this village where the farmers do most of their trading.

There were no signs of civilization in what is now Garfield township in 1865 or previous years. There had been settlements cast of that region over on the river, but Garfield was too far out of the world to invite the immigrants of that period.

The first settlements were made during the year 1866, principally by the Dorweiler families from Guttenberg, Iowa. At the head of this colony were J. J. Dorweiler and his wife, Margaret, both well along in years and too feeble to do much hard work. This aged man took up a homestead on the northwest quarter of section 4, and the house built thereon was the first in the township. His son Philip was married and had a family, so they located on their homestead near by on the northwest quarter of section 6. The second son, Paul, who was unmarried, took for his homestead the southwest quarter of section 4, just south of his father's. Henry, the third son, made his home with his parents and at their death came into the possession of the home. With the Dorweilers came Michael Bonstetter, a married relative, with his family and located on the south- west quarter of section 6, and Henry Buetchenbach, who homesteaded the south- west quarter of section 8, the premises known in later years as the old Banwart place.

These were the first settlers of Garfield, and all were 1866 residents. The township at that time of course belonged to Cresco and did until many lears later. The first home built, as above stated, for the J. J. Dorweiler family, was erected under trying circumstances. The dimension timber was sawed at the Blackford mill at Algona and was hauled from that place; but the other lumber was drawn from Boonesboro, Iowa, and Faribault, Minnesota. While the teams were away getting the material, and during the time the home was being built, the family lived in very temporary quarters. Henry later procured land on the east half of that section and moved over to his present location. He also moved that first house over and it is still in existence and doing service as an engine house.

The Dorweilers not only took up quarter section homesteads when they came, but secured on most favorable terms 240 acres of college land, thus making 400 acres for each. These parties later procured more land and became wealthy as the result. They soon erected better buildings and had comfortable homes. They raised their families and educated them while enjoying their possessions and surroundings. Philip and Paul and their families are living retired lives at West Bend, but Henry remains on his farm with his family and is contented. He cannot remember that any new settlers came in 1867. William and John Andregg came as early as 1868 and located on section 10, and Fred Minger on section 9, the year following. J. Banwart and Henry Rhinhart soon appeared with their families and located in the township. There were several who settled in the

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vicinity in 1870, among them being Peter Fuchsen, who procured land on sections 7 and 13 and Henry Lange who settled on the north half of section 5.

In 1871 Herman Strucker settled on section 17 and Marshal Hays secured land on section 3, but did not locate there until the next year. After raising his family he died in 1911, the owner of several hundred acres of valuable soil. William Rabe, John Haines, Henry Bell, Christ Moser and John Isch are among those who came early and became identified with the growth of Garfield.

The settlers have mostly been farmers and have done well. Occasionally some of them have had side lines. Fred Minger loved to hear the hum of the threshing machine, and followed it; and now H. F. Andregg loves the excitement of autioneering and does his full share of that line of work.

Only one county officer has been chosen from Garfield and that was Phil Dorweiler who was elected on the board of supervisors in 1875, and who held the place for six years with entire satisfaction. The first marriage ceremony in the township was conducted by him during the long period while he was justice of the peace. That was when he cemented the union of Jacob Moser and Miss Rosa Banwart, July 17, 1877.

J. J. Dorweiler donated one acre of his land for the Dorweiler cemetery, and Justina, the infant daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Phil Dorweiler, was the first to be buried on the lot. The first death in the township, however, was Ida Wichman, whose remains at first were buried on the William Miller farm and then later exhumed and interred in the cemetery.

Garfield has produced some good teachers that have won their way to recog- nized success, prominent among them being Miss Margaret Dorweiler, now at the head of Fenton schools.

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CHAPTER XXX TOWNSHIP NINETY-FIVE

PRAIRIE TOWNSHIP AND ST. BENEDICT

The township of Prairie takes its name from the creek that passes through it on its way from the north to the Boone river which has for its western branch this same prairie stream. The main stream enters the township on section 4, and a branch of it enters on each of the following sections: 2, 3. 7 and 13. These branches so converge that there are only two when on the south line of. section 32 Prairie creek leaves the township. A short distance below that line these two join into one stream.

Prairie, the second township from the south in range 27, was in the early setttlement days the home of many deer and some elk. The bottoms along the creek afforded fine range for these animals, and made that region a favorite hunting ground for those old pioneers and their sons who loved the excitement of the chase. More of that kind of sport occurred on the Prairie Creek flat than, perhaps, in any other region of the county.

It was over this flat that the last elk seen in the county was chased, in the fall of 1867, and finally killed over on the Boone river by John G. Smith, Abram Hill and A. K. Kennedy. Antlers in the latter fifties and early sixties were fre- quently found along the creek bottoms, but no one seemed to consider them of enough value to take care of them. The writer has the antlers of a deer with the bullet still half imbedded in one horn. This is a ball that was fired by his father in one of the most exciting deer chases that ever occurred in that region.

This township, comprising 95-27, was formerly a part of two civil town- ships. The south three and one-half miles were on the northeast corner of old Irvington, which was established to include all the southeast corner of the county in the spring of 1857. The north two and one-half miles at first were a part of the great Algona township that extended up to the Minnesota line and westward to Palo Alto county. Later this strip became a part of Wesley township.

While the territory comprised in 95-27 thus belonged to Irvington and Wesley townships, the board of supervisors in September, 1882, established Prairie township with its present boundaries. The election was held at the Pelton school house in October, when the first officers were chosen. They were August Studer, Martin Rahm and John Taylor, trustees; Matthew Studer, clerk ; David Arbuckle, assessor; Joe Rahm, constable, and A. J. Pelton and Geo. Elfrich, justices.

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Thirty years have elapsed since the organization occurred, and many changes of settlers have taken place in the meantime. At present M. C. Matern, Frank Cink and O. M. Huber are trustees, and John Huschka, assessor. The directors and secretaries of the school board are Ed Hauptman, president; G. B. Ludwig and G. G. Studer, secretaries; Geo. Cink, Herman Kutchara, Joseph Rahm, Jr., Lorentz Wingert, Ras Unger and Chas. Stuflick.

The first settlers in what is now Prairie township, were evidently Fred, Pete and Mary Dormoy, who located on their homesteads on the northeast quarter of section 6, in the spring of 1867. They were comfortably situated and had been living there for some time when the track of the Milwaukee road was graded through their farm in the fall of 1869. Silas Stevens, a little later that year, settled with his family on the quarter just west of them, but they had come to the county in 1866. Next in order, in 1871, David Arbuckle home- steaded the north half of the northwest quarter of section 30, and John Hanna the south half of the northeast quarter of the same section. About that time also the E. B. Pelton family located on the northeast quarter of section 23, and the John Burtis family on the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 30. John Ray was also a settler of about that period over on section 24. on the east side of the township. The Fish and Stewart families were neighbors later of Ray's and all lost much of their crops by the deer that came by night and after taking their fill departed before daylight. A little later still the Hardin family settled on the flat in that vicinity.

In the fall of 1869 Silas Stevens was caught on the tumbling rod of a threshing machine and killed. That event was a sad one for his family and his neighbors, an event that is still remembered with a shudder.

During the year 1873 there came as settlers on the Ridge the Martin Rahm family, who located a little too far west to be in what is now Prairie township, but in Irvington. They made a home by purchasing the two eighties belonging to Fulton Fill and Milton Haupt. Four sons belonged to this German family- Alois, Anton, Martin, Jr., and Joseph. The father died in 1897 and the first two named of the sons did not remain long enough to become permanent set- tlers; but Martin and Joe have for a long period of years been identified with the growth and prosperity of Prairie township. For over thirty years Martin was one of the trustees.

Martin, Jr., came to the county in 1870 with Geo. Fogel, and after working on the track of the Milwaukee road and then helping to harvest for Samuel Reed and others on the Ridge, he went to Minnesota, then back here again the next year, and then went to Wisconsin and got married, coming back with his bride in 1872 and settling on the land he had purchased the year before. His house was on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 19, in the present Prairie township. When he located in 1872 there were then living in the township the Pettengill family on the northeast of section 17, the John Burtis family, David Arbuckle, Phillips on the northeast corner of section 22, the Dormoy family on section 6, and at least the Pelton family on the flat. Besides these it is very probable that John Ray was living with his family on section 24 at the time.

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History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 76

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