USA > Iowa > Kossuth County > History of Kossuth County, Iowa > Part 87
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).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101
The territory of 97-30, after the fall of Darien, went back to Algona town- ship again and belonged to it until in April, 1873, when Fenton in its present size and form was created. This township has the distinction of being the first established in the county that comprised only a single congresisonal township- thirty-six square miles. The orderly arrangement of having the civil townships coincide with the congressional began when Fenton came into existence; for prior to that time the county judge, and later the supervisors, had set off civil town- ships that were large and often unwieldy.
At the organization election, April 7, 1873. M. L. Bush, Joachim Holtz and T. M. Clark were chosen the first trustees, and F. L. Ranney the clerk. It has been many years since any of these parties were residents of the township, and their places are filled officially at present by B. L. Hollister, W. H. Dreyer and John Helgens, trustees; and by Theodore Haase, clerk. C. F. C. Laage is also the present assessor.
The first settlers came into the township about the first of September, 1868, nine of them all at the same time. There was not a woman or child in the crowd. They were W. A. Waterhouse, his son Hugh Waterhouse, Edson Williams, Revo Williams, his brother, A. H. Stone, Everett Seaver, Andrew Shipman, Lew Car- ter and Warren Mayo. They had all driven with teams across the country from Darien, Wisconsin.
On arriving at Algona they began interviewing W. H. Ingham on the subject of getting a good location where all could take homesteads and be in the same community. If such a place could be found where the land was good and no
Dig zeday Google
660
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
other settlers in that township, so much the better. Mr. Ingham knew exactly where there was just such a location at no great distance from the county seat. So he piloted them up into 97-30, now Fenton township.
They landed upon section 26, and eight of them decided to homestead an eighty each, and thus secure the whole section. They camped at the little lake on the east half of the southeast quarter and began making hay, using the wagon boxes for sleeping chambers at night. Then they put up a long sod stable for their horses. Nearly all these men were married, but their wives had been left at their old home until suitable houses could be built. Along about the middle of October the women and children arrived at Boone, the end of the railroad. There these first comers to Fenton met their families and conveyed them by teams across the prairies to their new home. On arriving they partly camped in the wagon boxes and partly lived in one end of the long sod stable. This end had been con- verted into a "double decker" by laying a few boards overhead across the poles that tied the walls together. At night the women slept below, and the men, by climbing a little ladder, bunked on the upper deck.
Andy Shipman from boyhood had the habit of whistling all day long. He whistled at work, whistled at play, whistled out doors and whistled in the house. One night he went up the ladder to the upper deck to retire, and as usual went to whistling. After undressing he stepped so near the end of a short board that it tipped up and let him through between the boards. He went down to his arm pits, and there he hung dangling in the air and much to the consterna- tion of the women who were below. Some of the survivors still laugh as they recall the awful predicament in which Whistling Andy was placed.
As before stated eight of these men homesteaded an eighty each on 26.
Stone and W. A. Waterhouse located upon the southwest quarter, the latter being on the cast half. The southeast quarter was the home of Hugh Water- house and Mayo, the latter having the east half with the lake upon it .. Whistling Andy and Edson Williams chose the northwest quarter, the whistler taking for his land the west half. On the northeast quarter Seaver had the east half and Revo Williams the other.
There was no eighty in that section for Carter; for he did not want any there or at any other place in that whole locality. After swearing every day that he would live nowhere that whiskey could not be purchased, he soon left the set- tlement and never returned.
The sod house of W. A. Waterhouse was the largest and best of all. The Waterhouses, the Williamses and Stone all made their home in it for a while. Then Revo Williams put up a sod house for his family and Stone soon did the same.
While these people were building their houses R. I. Brayton, in the township adjoining on the north, went over to the C. O. Fish home and said: "We are going to have some neighbors, for I can see the sod houses they are building." That was a cheering thought to both of the families, for neighbors in that region in 1868 were scarce and far between.
The first death in the township occurred in this Darien settlement. About a week after the women and children had come up from Boone, Clara, the seven- year-old daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Revo Williams, died from hardships incidental to moving, and camping and living in the new sod structure. She was buried on
Doiized by Google
661
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
her father's homestead where now her body lies mingled with the soil on that northeast quarter. The heart-broken mother never again could see any beauty in the rolling lands of that region.
These Darien people remained on the section until the middle of November, when winter came on in earnest. They were without crops or feed, and no pro- vision could be had nearer than Algona. As there was no obstruction to stop the drifting snow and as there was no assurance that a road could be kept open to town, they all decided to spend the winter in Algona.
In the spring they did considerable breaking and put in crops, but when the next winter came on W. A. Waterhouse and family were the only ones who pre- ferred to stay, the others leaving and not returning. Mr. Waterhouse was the only one who proved up on a claim. His sod house was shingled and was one of the best ever built in the county. Not one of all that crowd is in the county to-day except Revo Williams and F. W. Waterhouse. Most of these claims were traded off for almost nothing. Mayo came to town and ran the old log hotel and called it the Wisconsin House.
Among those who came in 1869 were Lyman Hawkins on 24, J. L. Davis and T. M. Clark on 22, H. H. Bailey and others on 10, and J. C. Christenson on 14.
The 1870 arrivals were quite numerous, among them being W. E. Ranney on 26, J. L. Blunt on 26, and the families of the Holtz settlement on 20. William Dau was really the first of that colony to locate. During the year 1868 he came and homesteaded the north half of the southwest quarter, then after spending the winter elsewhere, returned in the spring of 1869, built a sod stable and did some breaking. and moved there in the spring of 1870, as did also several other families who constituted the Holtz colony. These were the families of Joachim Holtz, Harvey Wiltzen, Joe Bors, Fred Kluse, William Holtofer and Fred Mulso. All these located on section 20, and Henry Wilson about that time located in the vicinity. The Holtz, Wiltzen and Dau families spent the fall and winter of 1869 in the Irvington vicinity where they settled temporarily while choosing a location. Section 18 received several settlers in 1870, John Dau, Fred Stamer and John Reno being some of them. William Ziemer, a little later, made his home on the same section. On section 30 that year there settled John Sabin, William Soltow, John Meyer, Jacob Bickelmann and a man by the name of Knox.
During the year 1875 William Dau sold his homestead and located at his present home in Lotts Creek. Later John Haase settled upon the northeast quar- ter of 20 and became a member of the settlement.
The Holtz settlement became as well known as the Dorweiler settlement in Garfield. Joachim Holtz was the leader of the community, and was a man of influence and good judgment. He began cattle raising and feeding, and became wealthy. He served as a member of the board of supervisors and held other posi- tions of trust and honor.
Several sod schoolhouses were built before better ones could be provided. On section II one of these sod buildings was made in 1870, and Josephine Win- ters was the teacher in it who first did service. The next year one was made in the Holtz settlement, on the northwest quarter of 20, and A. A. Brunson was the first teacher.
J. L. Edmonds in 1871, located on the north half of the southwest quarter of 36 and Julius Ranney on the east half of the southwest of 23. Two years later,
Digimed by Google
662
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
on the 7th day of January, 1873, the latter was caught in a raging blizzard and frozen to death near the north line of Lotts Creek while on his way home from the Black Cat with a load of wood. An account of his death is presented in Chapter XXV.
About the time that Julius Ranney and J. L. Edmonds located, M. L. Bush and John Fields did the same. Legenhausen had arrived and settled prior to that date as had several others. In the early 70's Barney Pfaff and John Stigman located on the southeast quarter of 8, the latter being on the south half. John Richter about that time also located on the south half of the southeast quarter of 17.
In 1872 three families located that became well known throughout the county. These were the families of William Peck who bought land on 26, and F. L. Ranney and A. J. Bush on 35. Of these Mr. and Mrs. Ranney live at Algona and Mrs. Peck at Burt.
The John Newel family came in 1874 and settled on the southwest quarter of 9, and Peter and Jacob Weisbrod the next year arrived and located upon the southeast quarter of 19. Jacob Weisbrod, the father of Peter and Jacob, came in 1876 with his other son, Michael, and located upon the quarter adjoining on the north.
E. W. Dreyer on 21, Jacob Light on 31, Isaac Pettit on 22, O. C. Tibbetts on 23. August Krause on 26, J. M. Moore on 15, Edward Chrischilles on 8 and Henry Dreyer on 35 have been among the number who settled in the early years of the township and aided in making Fenton township what it is at the present time. C. E. Heise continues to hold his section 5, and has made a fortune in doing so. The east half of sections 9 and 16, which Mrs. D. A. Buell owned, has increased equally in value for the benefit of her heirs.
For years before any village was established in the township, the postoffice was in turn at the home of several farmers. J. L. Blunt was appointed first but on his refusal to accept the position W. E. Ranney handled the mail for about two years and then J. L. Edmonds performed the service until Frank Pompe, a few miles south in the other township, consented to become the postmaster.
The village of Fenton came into existence as the result of the Fox Lake branch of the Northwestern's being run through the township in 1899. April 21 of that year the Western Town Lot Company filed the plat on record of the site of seven blocks, which had been surveyed on the southeast quarter of the northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 18.
Immediately lots began being sold, and buildings made their appearance like magic. The first building erected was the Queal lumber office on the north side of the track. Then in order appeared the little building for the Fenton Drug Com- pany, J. R. Jones' Wigwam for the sale of farm implements; the Ormsby land office ; the Fenton State Bank; the Stahle barber shop; the residence of S. N. Harris; the Farmers' Savings Bank ; the Bailey & Klingelhofer store; the store for the Rindy hardware; the store for the Hirsch Bros., hardware; the George Smith hotel; the building for G. J. Hauschen's general merchandise; Henry Funk's restaurant ; A. A. Bakka's general merchandise store; J. P. Howe's brick building for a general store ; and the new building for the Fenton Drug Company. During the winter of 1899-1900 the Brown hotel, Kellar's building for August Stahl's hardware, and the livery barn made their appearance.
Digimed by Google
663
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
Fenton, having sprung up like a mushroom in 1899, has no old dilapidated buildings. It is a clean, bright little village and having a good class of citizens and energetic business men.
The Farmers Fenton Savings Bank was organized in 1899 with A. H. Keller as president ; E. B. Soper, vice president, and H. C. Meier, cashier. A change occurred in 1901 when Gardner Cowles became president; E. J. Murtagh, vice. president, and C. C. Chubb one of the directors Mr. Meier, however, was retained as cashier. The latter remained in that position until in 1902 when he was succeeded by H. G. Davison. March 30, 1904, W. M. Jacobson accepted the position and held it until June 15, 1909, when R. S. Blossom, the present incum- bent, became the cashier, with F. C. Bailey as assistant. E. J. Murtagh has been the president since the change was made in 1904 and H. J. Huskamp the vice president.
The bank is one of the prosperous institutions of the village and is well man- aged by Cashier Blossom and the board of directors. The bank building, put up soon after the first lots were sold in 1899, is cozy and adapted for the purpose.
The Fenton State Bank, organized in 1899, has for its president Michael Weis- brod, who has held that position since the organization ; for its vice president E. J. Murtagh, who has held the place for the same length of time; and for its cashier G. W. Newel, who accepted the position in 1902. Fred Bailey is the efficient bookkeeper. S. N. Harris was the first cashier and remained in that capacity until succeeded by G. W. Newel. Other directors at the time of organi- zation besides the first officers were Fred Wegener, C. C. Chubb, T. F. Cooke and J. M. Moore.
The bank has a good patronage and Cashier Newel appears to be the right man in the right place for that community.
The German Lutheran church was organized about the time the edifice was built in 1901. The pastor, Rev. Friedrich, lives at Fairville and comes over to conduct the services and to attend to the other demands of the congregation. Paul Nemitz is one of the trustees and a leading member of the church, and Mrs. Will Stamer is president of the ladies' aid. August Krause was one of the prin- cipal promoters of the church.
The Methodist church is composed of the former members of the German M. E. church and the English M. E. church who formed a union in October, 1912, as neither organization was strong enough to be maintained satisfactorily. Both had erected church edifices, but now the united forces are worshipping in the one the German organization had built. Rev. A. H. Meyer, now of Burt, conducts the services a portion of the time in English and a portion in German. This is proving a very satisfactory arrangement. The English M. E. church was organ- ized in May, 1901, and had for its first trustees S. H. Sorenson, C. F. Rusk, John Klingelhofer, H. E. Miner, D. A. Beck, George Newel and I. M. Lyman. The German Methodists organized in 1875 and the first member received was John Weisbrod, now deceased. Jacob Weisbrod, Barney Pfaff and Joachim Holtz were the first trustees. Those at present are M. Weisbrod, John Weisbrod, John Light, Will Kohlstedt and Peter Hayenga. The president of the missionary soci- ety is Mrs. Phil Weisbrod (German), and of the ladies' aid, Mrs. W. B. Rich- ards (English), and the Sunday school superintendent is Lewis Weisbrod.
W. J. Lull is proprietor of the Hotel Restaurant, and is deserving of the
Dlg med by Google
664
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
good patronage the house is receiving, for the accomodations are satisfactory to the traveling public. He helped to erect the first buildings in town and Mrs. Lull has been feeding the hungry since that time at the restaurant.
The Fenton Drug Company was organized by F. H. Vesper, Lincoln Hall and F. H. Eigler, April 29, 1899. Eigler & Stoeber are now the proprietors and have been since June, 1912. The store is a good one and is well patronized.
August Krause, one of the old-time settlers of the township, with his son, is the proprietor of a general merchandise store and has a large and well selected stock. E. C. Weisbrod & Co. have a large store of the same character that has also a good patronage.
The Fenton Hardware Company has an immense stock and does a large busi- ness in dealing not only in hardware but in furniture and automobiles, besides doing embalming. The officers of the company are H. J. Newel, president ; H. C. Lindsey, vice president ; J. F. Newel, secretary, and G. W. Newel, treasurer. The firm five years ago succeeded Howe Brothers, who had bought the business of Hirsch Brothers & Company, who started the enterprise. Their competing firm in the auto line is Krause & Zumach.
In the Herman Krause cement building G. F. Shott runs the pool hall in the north room, and Fred Weisbrod the harness shop in the south while the basement is used for a cement block factory.
The Weisbrod Implement Company has for its local manager F. E. Weisbrod. The business was started about ten years ago by the Newels and was sold to the present proprietors nearly two years ago.
August Ohm runs the meat market in his own building; S. J. Stehle has been doing the barbering for thirteen years and also owns his building ; August Zumach for two years has been selling hardware; and F. L. Wilson has been the proprietor of the Ideal Cafe for a couple of years, and Larson & Nemitz are the iron workers at the forge.
Two "line elevators" were established when the village started and there are two still but not of the line organization. The one that was managed by G. W. Newel was bought by the Farmers' Elevator Company, that was organized in July, 1907. with E. O. Helgason as president; F. C. Newel, vice president ; E. A. Huskamp, secretary; and G. W. Newel, treasurer. The same secretary is still holding the position, but F. C. Newel is the president and M. Weisbrod is the manager. The other elevator is owned by the Western Elevator Company, a foreign corporation, and O. L. Shively is the manager.
The Queal Lumber Company has been doing business in Fenton since that town started. In fact the office was the first building erected on the site. H. E. Reimers has been with the firm for thirteen years, and is just the man to man- age the local affairs satisfactorily.
J. Van Buskirk is the station agent who has been at that post since January, 1910, and is one of the best natured men in town.
The first physician to locate was Dr. E. I. Bradley, who came in the fall of 1800. A few weeks later that fall there came Dr. A. A. Bennett. Dr. Bradley finally located elsewhere, and while Dr. Bennett was still on hand, Dr. F. W. Logan made his appearance in the spring of 1901 and is still practicing and having an extensive patronage. When Dr. Bennett moved away it left a clear field for Dr. Logan, which he ably covers with entire satisfaction.
Digimedby Google
-
665
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
The Fenton schools are in a flourishing condition and in charge of an efficient teaching corps composed of Margaret Dorweiler, principal; Florence Philpot, grammar ; Nina Masters, intermediate, and Nina Laage, primary. This is Miss Dorweiler's ninth year in doing service in the school. That she has held her posi- tion for that period with growing satisfaction is an evidence of her fitness for the head of the school.
The building was erected during the winter of 1901-2, as the district became independent in the previous spring. The first board consisted of Frank Bailey, president ; G. W. Newel, secretary ; S. N. Harris, treasurer ; Lewis Olson, H. W. Patterson, H. C. Meier and M. Weisbrod. The first meeting of this board was held July 9, 1901.
The opera house is controlled by a board of directors of the stock com- pany, J. H. Newel being the president and R. S. Blossom the secretary. The first stock was issued in June, 1910, after the building had been erected. M. Weisbrod was the first president of the company and G. W. Newel the secretary.
The Fenton waterworks had its beginning when the well was drilled 240 feet deep in the fall of 1910. The elevated tank was installed the next year. The fire company has all the water at its command that is necessary in case of fire. A hose cart with 700 feet of hose and a company with Jack Demsey as chief are ready for business.
The town was incorporated June 6, 1903, every vote being cast for the meas- ure. The first officers were D. J. O'Dell, mayor; H. G. Davison, clerk; August Stahl, treasurer: J. P. Howe. G. W. Newel, H. Krause, A. A. Ridder, H. E. Reimers and F. H. Eigler, councilmen. Other mayors since then have been W. M. Jacobson and J. F. Newel. The present councilmen are M. Weisbrod, August Krause, H. C. Lindsey, J. T. Weight and F. C. Newel.
Frank Bailey is the postmaster and was the first to have that position. He began in 1899, and after handling the mail for about ten years T. M. Bilsborough succeeded him for two years, then Mr. Bailey was appointed again. While the office previous to the starting of the town was on E. W. Dreyer's farm, Mr. Bailey was the postmaster for six years. Before that time John L. Reed and others held the position.
The Fenton Reporter is owned and published by J. A. Schwartz, who is a faith- ful recorder of all the local events of the locality. He has his office in the same room where the postoffice is and receives much news on that account. He attends strictly to business and is making a success of his enterprise. The Reporter was started with the town by H. B. Hallock, who printed the paper at Burt in 1899. That same fall he sold to W. O. Hodgson, who ran the paper until July, 1900, and then disposed of it to Dewel & Bilsborough. In April, 1901, after the dissolu- tion of the firm, the junior partner, T. M. Bilsborough, became the sole owner. He sold to the present proprietor, Mr. Schwartz, in February, 1911.
Frank Bailey, having come to the county in 1869, has lived more years in the county than any other man in the village. Hats off to Frank !
Among the old settlers who have retired from their farms and are making their homes in the village is Henry Warner, a settler in Seneca in 1882, but in another part of the county in 1877. He has made his home in Fenton for about ten years, and spends much of his time recalling the events of the war with which he is very familiar.
Dig izedby Google
666
HISTORY OF KOSSUTH COUNTY
As the village of Lone Rock is located in the township of Burt as well as in Fenton, an account of the rise and present condition of the village has been pre- sented in the write-up of the former township.
Digized by Google
1
CHAPTER XXXIII TOWNSHIP NINETY-EIGHT
GERMAN TOWNSHIP
The name of this township indicates the nationality of the greater portion of the inhabitants. They are truly Germans and of a hardy, industrious class, and are peaceable and law-abiding. While it is true that when the first settlements were made there was considerable wet land, the higher portions have always been as productive as the land in any other townships. Some of these Germans who could look ahead into the future long ago, have accumulated large bodies of land that are worth a fortune. The little sod houses and straw sheds that were once to be seen on many premises have given place to commodious residences, large red barns and other buildings.
In no part of the county will one find more hospitable homes or be greeted with a more generous welcome than when traveling through this locality of Ger- man homes.
The township is not one connected with important historic events. No set- tlers were on its territory during or previous to the war. No volunteers could enter the ranks from the township, and no residents could kill the large game that used that region for a grazing ground.
German township never had any larger territory than 98-27, its present size, although that territory belonged in turn to Algona, Collar and Wesley townships, and one-fourth of it to Buffalo before it became a township of its present name. While the territory belonged to Algona in September, 1870, it was made a part of Collar, which contained 103 sections. Then in June, 1872, the board made it a part of Wesley, which extended up range 27 to Minnesota. Then in June, 1879, the board made the north half and the southwest quarter of 98-27 a part of Ram- sey, leaving the southeast quarter to remain with Wesley. When Buffalo was created in September, 1884, this southeast fourth went to that township. It re- mained with Buffalo until German was set off in September, 1887, to comprise 98-27. Thus Ramsey lost three-fourths of this territory and Buffalo the other fourth.
Case Wiltse has the credit for having been the first settler on the soil of Ger- man, though at the time it belonged to Algona township. He came in the spring of 1871 and selected for his homestead the extreme southwest quarter section in the township on 31. He had Joseph Cunningham and J. P. Gray break up twenty acres for him at once, and then returned to Black Hawk county where he had left his family. During the following fall he arrived with his family, but having no
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.