History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 83

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

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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).

The township was fully represented in the war, considering the few settlers it contained at the time. Levi Carey and John Eighinger in the spring of 1861 joined the Second Iowa Cavalry, and both sacrificed their lives by an attack of disease at St. Louis. W. H. Ingham was a resident of the township in the fall of 1862, when he was commissioned captain of Company A, Northern Border Brigade, to help resist the approach of the Sioux after the New Ulm massacre. Jacob Altwegg, Mike Smith and Peter Hegarty, his neighbors, joined the com- pany under him. In the fall of 1864 W. B. Carey also joined the Second Cavalry.

During the year 1861 Oliver Benschoter preempted the northwest quarter of 32, and a little lated moved upon the premises which is now the property of Robt. Kain. In 1863 Orrin Caulkins located upon his homestead on the north- east quarter of 27, east of the Smith brothers, and Peter Young and his father about that time began baching in the little log cabin on the northwest quarter of 23. Berrian at that period put up a cabin on 35 and made his home there. Jason Dunton also in 1863 moved to the county and located on 17, and soon became county surveyor.

In January, 1865, Daniel Rice came and located his family on the Ingham farm on 20, which he had purchased. The grove on the premises in the early days was one of the best in the township. In later years Mr. Rice became a member of the board of supervisors and then county treasurer. In the fall of 1864 Mose Godden came to the county with his parents and located on the southwest of 6, and was one of the earliest to locate in that corner. About the same time that fall Patrick Kain came with his family and settled on their Plum Creek farm on 14. Mr. Kain in time became the most successful cattle raiser, and one of the largest land holders in the township. David Hegarty came a little later with his sons, John and Peter, and other members of the family, and settled on the

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southeast of 30. Peter is all that is left of that family and lives on his farm on the east half of 15.

Among the 1865 settlers the Dr. M. H. Hudson family came in the spring and for awhile lived in the old Parrot log cabin on the northwest of 30, which they owned. Others arriving that year located on various sections-Thos, Gil- bride on 29, Leonard Hohn on 16, William Cleary on 26, G. W. Paine, who had come sometime previous, on 5 and 8, John and Dr. Fitch also on 8, O. E. McEnroe on 26, and C. M. Dickinson on the south part of 35.

Mr. Dickinson put up the largest and best frame house at that time in that vicinity. After the premises became the property of D. W. Lyons, the prairie fire burned all the buildings. The land now belongs to Lathrop & Weaver. Mr. Cleary had come to the county from the army on a furlough, the year be- fore, and after getting married to Mary Caulkins in his uniform, went back to the service, and then returned to his homestead in 1865. G. W. Paine located on the old Lindner-Bleakman farm which he had purchased through W. H. Ingham at a bargain of $4 per acre. Owen McEnroe prospered financially as but few in the township ever have, and had a large amount of land when he died.

The township received a few settlers in 1866, among whom were the R. J. Hunt family, who came in May and took possession of the Mike Smith farm, on 27, which Mr. Hunt had purchased the year before. He was a man of influence and a hard worker, and had a large following of personal friends. Albert Phil- lips that year came to the township and after a couple of years located on 34. Years later he moved to Washington, and while there chopping in the timber had his leg so crushed by a falling timber that amputation became necessary. He died a few years ago at Bellingham in that state. The W. K. Vickroy family came to the township that year and lived for a few months on Benschoter's farm. "Old Man Vogel" about that time built a sod house on the northwest corner of 28, where he farmed and made building contracts for the construction of houses and barns. The families of C. T. Holman and brother, James, were settlers also in 1866, locating upon section 20. Elijah Caulkins did not arrive and settle upon 26 until 1869, then numerous families soon followed.

During the early seventies the township received many substantial residents, John Gilbride on 32, Martin A. Owen on 4. H. J. Gilbert on 29, and John McGetchie on 2, being some of them. There was no better settler in the north half of the township than P. T. Ferguson on 9, but his days have been numbered. C. W. Hopkins and H. J. Bode own valuable farms on the east half of 20 that were sold in early days for a trifle; and G. W. Ziegler, on 32 and 33, was thought to have paid an exorbitant price, not many years ago, when he bought the prem- ises of W. H. Conner at $35 per acre. John Stein, on 34, has a farm that in 1869 was considered almost worthless.

With John Kain living on his father's old homestead, Peter Hegarty on the Hegarty farm, the Gardner brothers on their grandfather's old place he pur- chased in 1866, W. H. Gilbride with brother and sister on the old farm of their parents, and George Miller and wife upon the valuable tract of land which in the long ago became the home of John Henry, her father, it seems that the old landmark-farms are slow to become the property of strangers. John Reibhoff, in the northwest corner of the township, is the son of one of the 1856 pioneers who located a few rods too far west to be in Plum Creek. W. B. Pratt was get-

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ting to be an old settler when he moved to Burt, and Ellis McWhorter is getting in the same class.

The name of the stream-Plum Creek- was first given to it by Ingham and Seeley on account of the abundance of plums that were growing in the timber through which it flows. The geographers, in placing the name upon the map, made it everlasting.

Frank Thompson, at the Plum Creek station, is the agent and is doing effec- tive service as manager of the elevator, and making good. There was once a neat little depot there, but since the fire devoured it a box car is made to answer the purpose.

All the history made in the early days in the township is not fully known, and some of it is shrouded in mystery. At the mouth of Plum Creek rare old coins have been found by several persons. During the year 1894 George D. Peck found at that spot a silver half dollar made in 1815. Years before that time Dell Ferguson found a half dollar made at an equally old date, and R. M. Gard- ner found one before that time bearing the date of 1793. Harrison Warner later found more of these silver half dollars than the others combined. The questions naturally arise How did that silver come there? Why were all the pieces half dollars? Were they hidden in the bank long ago by someone who never lived to return? Were they in the pockets of some adventurous trapper, whose body was washed down the creek? or were they money the Indians had received from the government or other sources?

So far as known the only battle ground in the county is in this township, and that is near the western edge of the timber on the northwest quarter of section 8. While a party of Sioux in the spring of 1852 were camping upon a little knoll, they were surprised and attacked by a band of Musquakies, who slaughtered them, and left their bodies unburied upon the field. The first white man to discover the bones was W. H. Ingham, in the spring of 1855. All that is known of the battle will be found among the stories of "Interesting Historical Events."

The Co-operative Creamery Company was incorporated in February, 1899, and the business has been fairly prosperous since that time. The first directors were P. T. Ferguson, John Reibhoff, Wm. Gilbride, Geo. Zeigler and C. W. Hop- kins. The present officers of the directors are: H. C. Klamp, president; and H. J. Bode, secretary. The buttermaker and local manager is M. J. Bobo.

The German Lutheran church edifice, located on the southeast quarter of section 8, is standing upon a three-acre tract transferred to the church by Fred Miller, September 18, 1890. The grantor and Gottleib Bohn were among the number who were prominent in having a church established at that point. Almost every one in the vicinity, who was interested in the project at the time, has disappeared by death or by removal from the county. Several pas- tors have come and gone, but the spiritual wants of the members at present are attended to by the present pastor, Rev. C. K. Treskow, who came three years ago.

The present township officers are E. L. Gilbert, clerk; J. H. Reibhoff, J. R. Mawdsley and H. J. Bode, trustees; and Elmer Zeigler, assessor. The school officers are J. R. Mawdsley, president; H. A. Bates, secretary ; E. M. Sparks, treasurer ; J. P. Larson, J. H. Reibhoff, A. W. Klamp, C. B. Albright,

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W. A. Lehman, C. J. Miller and Ernest Gilbert. The teachers doing service in the schools are Clara Johnson, Nina Ogg, Jeanette Reibhoff, Myrtle Turn- baugh, Effie C. Henning, Marie Lamuth and Mabel Peterson.

The frightful cyclone, which on the night of September 21, 1894, passed from west to east across the county, made its track through Plum Creek town- ship and left destruction along its trail. For a full account of this storm in the county the reader is referred to a presentation of the facts on that subject in the chapter "Interesting Historic Events."

Among the many who have dairy herds in Plum Creek and patronize the Algona creamery, the largest amount of cash paid during the year 1912 went to H. C. Adams-$1,215.33. This was realized from the milk of his Guernsey herd. He has started the business on scientific principles and is succeeding as the result.

UNION TOWNSHIP

During the many years in which the territory comprised in 96-29, now Union, was a part of Algona township, no move was made to make it become a part of any other civil township until in October, 1869. At that time the colony from Darien, Wis., that had settled in 97-30 (Fenton) being ambitious for distinction, succeeded in having a township set off with the name of Darien. The territory in this new township comprised all of the present Lotts Creek, Fenton, Burt and Union; but the board in September, 1870, repenting of its action, annulled its proceedings of the previous year.

When Farmer's township was established by the board in June, 1882, it comprised all of the present Burt and the north mile and one-half of the present Union. It did not last long for in the following September the board blotted it out of existence. Then Union township was created first in Feb- ruary, 1883, and was made to embrace the territory it now has and all the territory south of it for one mile and a half, except the part covered by the town site of Algona. The board by that time had become so accustomed to taking things back that it rescinded the order in September following.

Union in its present size and form was established in January, 1884, after having once belonged to Algona and then to Darien, and a part of it later to Farmer's. The election . of its first officers was held at the Frink schoolhouse, W. F. Hofius, W. T. Bourne and M. B. Chapin being the judges.

The Black Cat is the principal creek that drains the township. It enters near the northwest corner of 6, and in a general southerly course flows through, or partly through, ten sections before joining the Des Moines on 24. This is the creek that Captain W. H. Ingham found dammed by the beavers in many places when he came in 1855. He named the creek Black Cat as a re- minder of one of that name where he formerly lived, in his younger days, in the state of New York.

The first settlement in the township was in and near the grove on section 24. C. Byson now owns the farm on which the very first cabin was built. D. E. Stine, of Cedar Rapids, came and claimed all the grove on that section, Novem- ber 25, 1854, and W. H. Ingham was with him at the time. Both returned to Cedar Rapids and after arriving there Mrs. Stine refused to move from her comfortable home to the wild wilderness of Kossuth. Mr. Stine then trans-

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ferred his interest in the claim to Mr. Ingham. The latter, on January 15th, came back to the claim in company with A. L. Seeley' for a companion. They put up a cabin and moved in to occupy it February 17, 1855. A few stones from the foundation of the old chimney are still to be seen, a few rods south of the Byson residence, on the spot where the cabin stood. Ingham and Seeley lived alone in the cabin that winter, but were joined the next summer by Charles E. Putnam and Thos. C. Covel, making four from Cedar Rapids in their cabin. They had no neighbors west of the river during the winter of 1855-56.

June 4th, the Horace Schenck family came and located on the southeast quarter of 23, adjoining the grove of which he secured about forty acres. In a few weeks there came three other families to make up the settlement. The remainder of Mr. Ingham's claim was sold to them. W. B. Moore took the quarter upon which stood the cabin, his brother Robert bought the quarter where Frank Thompson is living, and Michael Riebhoff chose the quarter where his son Frank resides with his family. These four families with women and children made an interesting settlement. After these sales were made, Mr. Ingham vacated his cabin and moved over to the east side of the river in Plum Creek.

Other settlers came during the year 1856, among them being John James, who located on the southwest of 13, Alpheus Lawrence, who settled upon the west half of the southwest quarter of 11, and Rev. D. S. McComb, who moved his family to what is known as the F. M. Taylor farm on 14. This claim he bought of Putnam, who had been holding it since about the time he came. Jona- than Callender came into the settlement about that time and made two claims and sold them, one being on 14. John S. Love also appeared at that period and claimed the southwest of 10, later the A. B. Frink place.

The principal settlers of the year 1857 were the members of the M. D. Blanchard family. They located upon the northwest quarter of 26. The house, still upon the premises, he erected in later years after he had served both as county superintendent and treasurer.

Eli Ferris made his appearance in the Black Cat settlement in 1858 and claimed a portion of 14. He and Jonathan Callender bached together while holding down their claims, but Ferris soon went away and did not return to his claim for several years with his family.

During the year 1859 W. F. Hofius selected for his claim on 25 the well known farm upon which he afterward lived. After living on the Bullis farm in Irvington for a year or two, the family moved upon their claim, but during the Indian scare in 1862 they left and lived with the Joe Thompson family, east of Algona, on what is now known as the old Lund farm. The next spring they returned to their farm and became identified with the prosperity of the township.

Just prior to the war a few others made claims to certain tracts, but most of them were only temporary residents and hardly worth noting. F. P. Schaad, however, lived for several months on 35, and Pat McClarney had a shanty on 2, as had also M. M. Thayer on 36. Immigration practically ceased to the township during the years from 1859 to 1864.

Three or four new settlements started during the year 1864. There was a

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thrifty one in the southwest corner of the township on 31 where Uriah Heath located on the east half of the southeast quarter, and E. B. Chase on the quarter west of him, Mrs. Chase being a daughter of Mr. Heath's. The community included the Withams, Taylors and Pearces, and later the Rickards, all of whom were just south of the line and in what is now Cresco. Chase's daugh- ter Hattie later became the wife of F. A. Witham and lives across the line in Whittemore near her father's old place. Later the S. H. Pettibone family lived just west of the Chase farm, but in Lotts Creek township. Thus it happened that many of the early settlements later became parts of four newly created civil townships.

The Uriah Heath farm in Union became the home of the A. D. White family, and later it was owned by Agnes Gilbert. The Thos. Gilbert family lived there for several years during the eighties.

Other settlers of the 1864 period were Judson C. Chapin on the southeast of 29, Arthur Gilmour on the southeast of 17, and Israel Schryver on an eighty on 11. Another settlement started that year in the northeast corner of the township. In the spring Albert Wheeler came and homesteaded the northeast quarter of 12, and Mose Godden did the same on 6, across the line in Plum Creek. Each did some breaking and prepared to open up the farms. That fall John Brown arrived and built for Mr. Wheeler a sod house, the first in the county. Mr. Brown, however, located across the line in Burt, and never was a settler in Union. Mose Godden began that same fall working with the Samuel Reed threshing crew, and Brown became one of the crew the next year.

The 1865 settlers were quite numerous in the township. The families of Tom Burt and Tom McArthur camped for some time near the Blackford bridge and then located upon their homesteads, the Burts on the northeast quarter of 18, and the McArthurs on the quarter adjoining on the west. While doing their breaking and building their sod houses they camped in their wagon boxes for several weeks. That winter Mr. McArthur was caught in a storm and had his feet so badly frozen that he lost eight of his toes. During that year of 1865 the David Pollard family located on the southwest quarter of I. Furthermore, some men, who had come and taken homesteads the year before, waited until this year before bringing their families.

Among those procuring homes in 1866 were Norman Hartwell and Peter Martin on 8, and the parents of C. P. Stow on a timber tract near M. Reibhoff's on 24. About that time the widow Burges and her father located just north of Albert Wheeler's, and Wm. Pollard settled on the northeast of 2. Later the Burges tract was sold to Mose Godden's father. About that time also Mr. Knight located on what had been the Wm. Pollard claim, and still later J. Wheeler came into possession of the southeast quarter of section 2. On that same section Myndret Gardner had his home for some time before leaving the county. N. C. Kuhn bought his farm that year but did not settle upon it until several years later.

Dr. W. T. Bourne located on the southeast of 6 during the year 1867 and Horace Wheeler homesteaded on the northwest of 8, but it was several months before he began living on the land. When Dr. Bourne came he had for his neighbors Joseph Martin in a cave on the west half of the southeast quarter of 6, and Peter Martin on 8. The eighty just east of the Martin's was later occu-

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pied by "Devil" King, a southern man who had been living for some time in the Irvington vicinity.

It was in 1868 that the Joe Thompson family began making their home on their farm on section 24. They had come to the county in 1856, but had made their home most of the time on their claim, a couple of miles east of Algona. In 1864 Mr. Thompson left for the gold fields of Idaho, and for a few years shared the hard lot of a miner's experience. On his return he sold his farm for $40 per acre and then moved to section 24, where he lived until his death.

Another prominent settler of 1868 was A. B. Frink, who had purchased the southwest quarter of 10, and several hundred acres in the vicinity. Pre- vious to that time Samuel Reed of Irvington had also secured title to some land on 10, which he gave to his sons. John had the west half of the northeast and his homestead on the east of it and lived there for several years. Albert had the north half of the southeast and the writer the eighty west of his brother John's. South of Albert's on the creek Mr. Butterfield and Dave Wade had their homes about that period. John Love and his father had their cabin homes up the creek on 9.

A large number of settlers located in 1869 and the early seventies, among them being Fred Pompe, E. A. Spear, Joseph Zanke, Geo. Simpkins, Fred and John Koepke, Ed Donovan, Jas. McMahon, S. D. Patterson, the McDonalds and Thos. Hanna. The latter, however, while owning land in 6, built his house over on the Burt side, where he owned more land. Later in the sev- enties came R. Hartman, Joe Osterbauer, Christian Dau, Conrad Herman, John Kargleder and others. Other settlers of a quite early period who have taken an active part in building up the reputation Union sustains have been G. L. Carroll, Wm. Dodds, S. H. McNutt, Henry Reid, W. W. Annis, H. H. Turn- baugh, Clark Peck, Stephen Tjaden, the Sarchetts, Aug. Doering, W. T. Taylor, D. D. Kinyon, Jacob Winkel, W. H. Bailey, C. E. Walker, and a score or two of others who are more recent settlers. Some of these have retired, but all have had a voice in helping to make Union what it is today.

In the line of pure-bred swine numerous farmers have gone into the business quite extensively, and some have embarked in the line of pure-bred horses. P. A. McArthur began raising the Percheron breed about five years ago from well selected stock, and P. C. Hartgreaves is beginning in that line on the old farm west of Algona, formerly owned by the Wadsworth Bros., who dealt extensively in horses for several years.

Raising pure-bred cattle is an occupation to which several in the township are directing their attention. Frank Jenkinson on 27 has a herd of shorthorns of which he feels proud. He has been in the business for several years and has sold carload after carload at fancy prices. He has found that he can raise such cattle with as little expense as some do their inferior grades.

J. B. Hofius on 35 also has a fine shorthorn herd and desires no other type of cattle, either for beef or for milk producers. He left the stumps and clay hills of Pennsylvania in 1876, came west, got acquainted with Mary Thompson, married her, went back to the old stamping ground, stayed five years and then returned in May, 1882, and has been since then living on the farm which in- cludes the pioneer premises of the Schaad place. He has made farming pay because he is a student along all lines of farm industry.

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Myron Schenck resides upon his father's original claim, taken in 1856 and has given it the very appropriate name of "The Old Homestead Farm." He began over twenty years ago breeding and raising the Red Polled type, and from his herd he has the stock from which other herds started in several other states. His sales have been so frequent that at times he finds it difficult to meet the demands. He is one among the influential citizens of the township.

C. D. Ward on 32 lives in an elegant country home and enjoys farm life as few know how to do. With M. Schenck, his brother-in-law, he owns a traction engine gang plow that does the work for both places in a short time. He is one of the progressive farmers that the township contains.

It is doubtful if there is a farm home in the township with more up-to-date conveniences than can be found on the premises of George W. Boevers on 23. It seems to be his delight to install improved contrivances to save labor and make life more enjoyable.

The sons of some of the old-time settlers have done exceedingly well by re- maining in the township. The Herman sons and those of Christian Dau are among the number. Max Dau's Belgard Farm is yielding him rich returns under his good management.

Frank Harrison came to the county in 1856 and has been a resident since that time, though not of Union until more recent years. He is spending his remaining years with his son Will on the dairy farm on 36. He put up the first frame hotel in Algona in 1864.

One of the soldiers that went from the township to the war was John Reib- hoff, who became a member of the Second Iowa Cavalry in the spring of 1861. He died at St. Louis and his body was sent home, the funeral services being con- ducted by Rev. McComb at the schoolhouse erected nearby the year before. He went from the home on the spot where Frank Reibhoff, his brother, is now living. At that same home his mother fed a detachment of Major Williams' sol- diers while on their way from Fort Dodge to Iowa Lake to erect barracks as a protection against the Indians in the fall of 1862. Horace Schenck in the fall of 1864 also joined the Second Cavalry, but returned at the expiration of the enlist- ment period.

Among the ladies of the war-time period Mrs. Horace Schenck ranked second to none in devotion to the flag, and in sympathy for the sick and wounded sol- diers. It was by such sacrifices as she made from her own purse and from her larder that the prize flag was presented to the county by the Sanitary Fair at Dubuque, in the summer of 1864, for contributing more supplies and money for the sick and wounded soldiers, in proportion to the population, than any other county in the state.

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History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 83

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