History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 90

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

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The Catholic Order of Foresters, St. Anthony Court, No. 1503. was insti- tuted August 8, 1907, the first board consisting of P. A. Lonergan, N. J. Schultz, Anton Mayer, Joe Murray and C. E. Mclaughlin. At present Frank Hatten is C. R .; Frank Froehle, V. C. R .; Dr. Sartor, P. C .; L. F. Kennedy, F. S .; P. A. Lonergan, R. S. The present officers of the Women's Catholic Order of Foresters are Magdalena Schiltz, C. R .; Barbara Krapp, V. C. R .; Mary M. Sartor, R. S .; Anna E. Lonergan, F. S.

Bancroft's most destructive fire occurred December 13, 1893, when all the stores on the north side of the street between Morrison's office and the next street west were burned. The First National Bank building on the corner was also de- stroyed. Several old landmarks of the town disappeared at that time.

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A FAMILIAR SCENE AT SENECA

LOOKING SOUTH DOWN THE MAIN STREET OF SWEA CITY

MAIN STREET OF LEDYARD, KOSSUTH'S MOST NORTHERN VILLAGE

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Several residents are very early settlers of the county. Mrs. Elizabeth Reibhoff Winkel, Mrs. Mary Schenck Winter and Wilson Green came with their parents in 1856; G. W. Austin in 1865; and John A. Winkel and John Duck- manton in 1866.

Peter Matheis deserves notice on account of his having escaped death in a way that seems miraculous. On the 26th day of April, 1891, while working for Samuel Reed on his farm near Irvington, Peter went up the windmill ladder to adjust a portion of the machinery that prevented the mill from running. While on the platform he accidently set the fans to revolving, and they knocked him off in an instant. He fell 65 feet and struck the solid ground on his hip and shoulder, and landed between two piles of stone that were less than three feet apart. In a few minutes he got up and walked to the house, while a portion of his overalls were fluttering in the breeze on one of the fans as it went round.

The county officers elected from Bancroft have been W. E. Jordan, super- visor ; J. G. Graham, sheriff; S. J. Backus, superintendent; and Mrs. W. F. Laidley, recorder.

Many of the citizens of the town, like those in other parts of Greenwood township are heavily burdened with taxes that have been assessed against their land on account of the Mud creek county drain; one of the most expensive of the entire number that have been constructed.

SENECA TOWNSHIP

The township of Seneca, 98-30, lies in the old Bancroft-Crocker county territory and had an interesting class of settlers in the early days of its history. The first to locate came while what is now Seneca belonged to Algona township. It is generally regarded that there were no settlers until the year 1865, and there is no one now living who has any personal knowledge that any white people lived on this territory before that year.

It was the opinion of Ambrose A. Call, however, that two or three families located for a brief period on that territory before 1865. In an address delivered at Bancroft before the Old Settlers' meeting, January 23, 1901, he said in part : "The first permanent settlement in what was originally Bancroft county was made in 1863. During that year and 1864 a number of families took claims near the river, and after the close of the war the rich prairies were taken up. A couple of Scandinavians were the first to make claims in what was Bancroft county. They located on the west side of the river just south of the Emmet county line in 1860. The name has escaped me. They, however, moved away before any other settlers came."

Where these temporary settlers lived is puzzling to understand. If they were south of the Emmet county line they were certainly not in the territory of old Bancroft county. No one except Mr. Call appears to have had any knowl- edge of their living at that early date in that region. It is more likely that they had their place of abode in what is now Seneca, near the river and timber, than in Fenton.

There was a dilapidated shanty that stood on the southeast quarter of sec- tion 30 in Seneca when settlers in the early '70s arrived. It had the appearance of having been built a dozen or more years. As none of the settlers of that

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period seem to know who lived there first, that may have been the home of some of the people to whom Mr. Call referred. Peter Burt, son of an 1865 settler, however, says he never heard of anyone living in the township before his father came.

There is some early history pertaining to the township, which antedates the first settlements. How W. H. Ingham, John James and W. S. Campbell in Feb- ruary, 1857, rescued the Johnson family from the clutches of death while the latter were snowbound on the river, at or near the farm later owned by R. I. Brayton, has been told in Chapter XVI. It is sufficient here to merely state that the family were moving from Tuttle lake, and after their ox team had floundered through the snow drifts for six days they had reached the river in Seneca. As the oxen were exhausted and provisions about gone, Johnson left his family in the covered sled between two feather ticks and went on foot to the Black Cat settlement for relief. Three children, including an infant, were chilled into insensibilty when found by the above named rescuing party, and the mother was but little more than half alive. Fortunately all the members of the family were kept from freezing by the timely aid of these parties.

The road leading from Algona to Fort Schuyler, at Iowa lake in Emmet county, passed quartering through what is now Seneca during the time the Border Brigade was stationed there and in Estherville, where Fort De- fiance was erected. Although the writer drove one of the teams that conveyed arms, ammunition and provisions to the soldiers in the fall of 1862, he is unable to locate the spot where the road crossed the river; but it evidently was in the vicinity of the old Peter Ekholm farm.

Joseph Burt will ever be regarded as having been the first permanent settler in what is now Seneca township. He came in June, 1865, and homesteaded the northwest quarter of section 6, and in the fall moved his family to that location. His son, Peter, now an influential citizen of Armstrong, was eighteen years old when the family came and was old enough to well remember the order in which the first settlers of that vicinity arrived. He says that if there were any set- tlers before his father came, they left no traces whatever in the township of their ever having lived there.

Mr. Burt located where wood and water were plentiful and had an ideal stock farm. That was his home as long as he lived, and that was the place where he enjoyed frontier life with his family and the neighbors who subse- quently came.

Richard Dundas located a little later in the year 1865 on the quarter just east of Mr. Burt, and relatives of his settled that year just north of the line in what is now Swea township. These latter parties will be noticed when noting the early settlers of that township.

Robt. I. Brayton located upon the southeast quarter of 8 on the river. where he, too, had a bountiful supply of wood and water. He moved to the place in November, 1865. There has been some dispute as to whether he came that year or the year following. Mr. Brayton's daughter, now Mrs. Ed Van Dorson of Armstrong, corroborates Peter H. Burt in the statement that No- vember. 1865, is the correct date beyond dispute. Opposed to this is the state- ment of Henry Warner, who says that Brayton told him that it was in 1866 when he came.

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Henry Hallet was another of the 1865 settlers. He located upon the south- west quarter of 9, just east of the Brayton place. His brother came with him but only remained for a short time. The latter had a horse team but Henry drove and owned an ox team. For this reason they were distinguished as Horse Hallet and Ox Hallet. They came first to Algona, where they lived for awhile, and where they first caused these frontier names to be given them.

During the year 1866 two families at least located in the township. On the quarter adjoining Brayton's on the north Edwin Woodworth drove his stakes and built his cabin. After living there for a while he took up his place of abode at the county seat.

The other 1866 family that located was Geo. W. Kinney's, who settled upon the southeast quarter of 15. The tract in later years has been known as the Matt Freilinger place. This family together with those previously mentioned made up the frontier settlement of that period in the township.

During the next two years several families came and located, among them being Charles Gray and Sylvanus Moore on 18, Warren Coffin on 9 and J. T. Morgan on 30.

The C. O. Fish family came in September, 1868, and began making their home in the sod house on the southwest quarter of 8. There Mr. Fish resided until his children were raised and until his death in 1909. Several members of his family became school teachers and were prominent in educational circles. The home farm has not been disposed of and on it Mrs. Fish makes her home a part of the time, the remainder being spent at her residence in Algona.

During this period Capt. S. B. Califf homesteaded a quarter on Io which he sold in 1869 to Victor Eckholm. J. C. Heckart took a homestead joining Kinney's, and David Clay located on 31 a little later.

Wm. Ormiston came with his family during the year 1869 and settled upon the southeast quarter of 6. He was a man prominent in township affairs and had three daughters who became well known school teachers. Mrs. Ormiston held the office of county superintendent, by appointment, of Crocker county during the short period of the life of that county.

Rev. and Mrs. O. Littlefield became residents also in 1869, locating on the northwest quarter of 16. They were refined and educated people and were known throughout the county for their uplifting influence. They organized a little Congregational church where Rev. Littlefield conducted the services about four years. He died in December, 1883, and his wife several years later.

Peter Eckholm came to the county in a box car on the first train that came into Algona in the fall of 1870. Soon after he located on the old Califf home- stead on the southeast quarter of 10 which his son, Peter V., had purchased. His death occurred during the year 1900 after having lived a model life.

Among those who located during the year 1871 was Peter W. Jensen who set- tled upon the southwest quarter of 21. He now resides at Ringsted but his son, Edward, is living on the old homestead, and Fred upon the northeast quar- ter of 20. Albert Jacobson also became a resident that year on section 19.

Abijah Batterson was one of the several that located in 1875, having come in October of that year. He settled on the southeast quarter of 14 and re- mained there with his family until the time of his tragic death by freezing which is told in detail in another chapter. P. E. Ringholm was also an 1875 settler.

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During the early '&os the township filled up quite rapidly with settlers, thus closing what might be termed the early settlement days. Many changes have taken place since the settlers of the '80s came. Henry Warner, who located in 1882 on the northeast quarter of 32, and who is now living in retirement at Fenton with his family, says that the only ones owning their farms and living upon them when he came who are on them now are Carl Olson, Albert Jacob- son and Wm. and John Klein.

The Seneca postoffice was established during the year 1870 with Edwin Wood- worth as first postmaster. Then came S. B. Califf, William Ormison, Charles Gray, W. W. Alcorn, Mrs. Littlefield and others before the office was abolished.

Before 98-30 constituted Seneca it had been a small part of Algona township. In January, 1869, it was made to form the southwest corner of Greenwood, which was twelve miles wide and seventeen long. In September, 1870, the board of supervisors created Seneca to include 98-30 and the present Swea and Eagle. Failing to organize, the board after a lapse of fourteen years re-created it with the same territory in September, 1884. R. I. Brayton, William Ormiston and Nils Martin were the judges at the organization election held that fall at the Kinney schoolhouse.

The Co-operative Creamery, located on the southeast corner of section 16, became an incorporated institution in January, 1891, the first directors having been J. B. Carr, C. O. Fish, William Ormiston, Albert Jacobson, Geo. D. Fuller, Wil- liam Klein, W. W. Alcorn and P. W. Jensen. Twenty years later, in 1911, the charter was renewed and extended while William Kerr was the president and M. Jensen the secretary. These officers are still serving and M. F. Flynn is the vice- president. The other directors are H. M. Jensen, William Osborne and J. E. Scully.

As the creamery had a large patronage it soon became a central meeting place for the farmers. About the time it started, a co-operative merchandise company was organized to conduct a general store. It was incorporated and the articles were filed on record March 27, 1894, the first directors named being William Klein, M. Crandall, John Engesser, Peter Christensen and P. W. Jensen.

The store was started on the creamery site as a private enterprise in 1890 by D. C. Adams, who, after a run of four years, sold to the Merchandise Company. The company had in turn several managers and met with varied success. Fred Anderson tried it for a while, then Berlin, then W. J. Brunson and finally John C. Jenson. The enterprise failing, the store was sold to D. C. Adams again, who in turn sold to the Hodges Bros. Albert Jacobson was the next proprietor, but he has recently disposed of the stock to the Bollig Bros.

When John C. Jenson retired as manager he crossed over to the south side of the road and opened up a new store. These buildings and the creamery to- gether with the residences gave the place the appearance of a little country village. The community is a prosperous one and is composed of a good class of citizens.

The Norwegian Lutheran church, located on the northeast quarter of 20. was organized in the latter 'zos in the neighboring schoolhouse, where the ser- vices were held until about a dozen years ago, when the edifice was built. On the southwest corner of section 12, there existed for several years Pleasant Valley Presbyterian church. It was incorporated in January, 1895, the first trustees being Robt. Campbell, John Warner. J. C. Frisbie, Mrs. N. A. Batterson and

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Electa White. After a neat edifice had been erected and services held in it for a while they were suspended for want of proper support to make the church prosper.

Of the seven deaths in the county caused by freezing, Seneca had two of the victims for residents. The first was Manning Kinney, the fourteen-year-old son of an 1865 settler, who was living upon section 15. The lad while off on an errand through the Black Cat settlement to have their little grinding mill repaired, lost his life on an intensely cold day during the winter of 1867-8. The other victim was Abijah Batterson, the mail carrier, whose team drifted from the road with the wind during a raging blizzard on the 31st day of December, 1884, thus carrying him out into John Klein's field, where the body was found two days later.

The citizens have always taken an interest in having good schools. Some of the early-day teachers were Mrs. C. O. Fish, Mrs. Wm. Ormiston, Mrs. Gray and Mrs. Littlefield. E. V. Swetting also was the pedagogue at the Fish school for a while, and his sister Kate taught several terms in the township. The pres- ent school officers are: A. L. Anderson, president ; Robt. Campbell, J. E. Scully, J. J. Drainan, P. E. Keepers, Andrew Hoeck, Wm. O'Donnell, H. M. Jensen, and Henry Eimers. The following are the names of the present teachers doing service in the township: Marion Bronson, Julia and Gladys Kennedy, Frances Fish, Gertrude Stagg. John Nyman, Laura Sandschulte, Josephine Leibfreid and Minnie Jensen.

The officers of the township are A. Jacobsen, A. L. Anderson and Wm. Kerr, trustees ; Peter Thorson, clerk ; and James Carey, assessor.

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CHURCH STREET, LEDYARD

BANK BUILDING BLOCK ON NORTH SIDE OF STREET, LEDYARD

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CHAPTER XXXIV TOWNSHIP NINETY-NINE

LINCOLN TOWNSHIP

What is now the township of Lincoln (99-27) was a small part of the un- inhabited wilderness of prairie for many years after the first settlers came to the southern portion of the county. It was the grazing ground for elk and deer and also buffaloes in the ante-war period. It was not because the soil was not fertile that the settlements were retarded. Neither was it because the lands cost more to locate upon than in Irvington, Cresco, Union, Plum Creek and Portland. The homesteads were just as free and just as plentiful, and the grass was just as nutritious for the raising of herds and flocks. Moreover, the east branch of the Blue Earth river, which flowed through the township, offered fine advantages for stock raising.

Being a prairie region and remote from large bodies of timber which the first settlers claimed and speedily appropriated, Lincoln had to wait for settlers to locate upon her prairies. In the early days when the settlements did not ex- tend far from the region of the county seat, it was a hazardous risk for families to locate away out on the open prairie.

Lincoln today is well filled with farmers who are well-to-do and are living in comfortable homes, and enjoying the luxuries they desire. Since Lincoln is so well populated there must have been a time when the first settler arrived and began making his home.

Caleb Pearce was the pioneer settler, and with him came the members of his family. He selected the southeast quarter of 19 for his home, and after turning over the sod he erected his primitive hut from that material. Necessity in that in- stance was truly the mother of invention. The home was made as comfortable as circumstances would permit, and in it the family lived for seven years.

The land did not cost them $100 per acre as it would now, but they sacrificed many comforts of life to obtain their homestead on the conditions they did It was seven miles down to Norman Collar's, his nearest neighbors, and about twenty-five to the Algona mill.

The grim angel of death invaded the home in 1880, and bore away Mrs. Pearce, and then returned during the following year and chose Caleb Pearce for its victim.

The son Frank remained on the old homestead for a long period of years and raised his family. When he was united in wedlock to Miss Mary Wolfe, January 9, 1877, the first marriage in the township occurred. They are now residents of the Pacific coast country.

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The township did not become Lincoln until long after the Pearces located. The territory, 99-27, after belonging to Algona was made a part of Collar in September, 1870, but it soon went back to Algona again. In June, 1872, it was set off by the board as a part of the long township of Wesley. By the next move the west half of 99-27 was yoked in with Ramsey, which was almost an empire in size. The last half of what is now Lincoln was added to the big township in April, 1882. Out of this township Lincoln was carved in September, 1893, since which time no changes in its boundary have been made.

The organization election that fall was held at the Pearce schoolhouse, Jas. Warburton. C. K. Rippentrop and Peter Koppen being the judges, and J. M. Stewart and Frank Pearce the clerks. John Stewart, A. E. Cole and Pearce were elected trustees; Sam Warburton, clerk ; and James Warburton, assessor.

The schools have been well managed in the past and are now under the direction of a good board consisting of C. K. Rippentrop, president ; M. S. Juli- vus, Wm. Baum, J. Mosel. P. Kupper, H. Pink, J. Bosma, Wm. Noble. M. Christ and C. K. Rippentrop. The last named is also secretary and A. L. Smith the treasurer. The present teachers in the schools are Ethel Rickard, Myrtle Lackore. Grace Gillette, Rose Steinberg, Starr Pritchard, Kathryn Bruhns and Gertrude Westwood.

The township officers are: John Mosel, clerk ; David Pink, August Melz and W. C. Olthoff, trustees; and C. K. Rippentrop, assessor.

The Pearce family did not have any neighbors in what is now Lincoin for about ten years after they located. In fact, the next family to make a permanent settlement was when the Koppens came in 1881. In the meantime several had arrived and taken claims, but having become discouraged moved away before making any improvements.

Engelbert Koppen chose for his home the southwest quarter of 20 and soon added to his possessions the southwest quarter of 29 and the northeast quarter of 30. The tract on 29 later became the home property of his son Jacob. His son Ferdinand made his home on the southeast quarter of 30, and his son Peter on the south half of the southwest quarter of 21. This German family made such noticeable improvements that others soon came and located in the vicinity.

Before the close of the middle '8os numerous parties had built their houses and founded their homes. Coort Rippentrop located upon the southeast quar- ter of 29. August Christ on the northeast quarter of 29, Michael Christ on the southeast of 20, Foster on the northeast of 27, Wm. Landman on the northeast of 13, Henry Carstens on the southeast of 9. A. C. Jacobs on the southwest of 6. Ed Rosenau on the southeast of 7, John Deege on the northeast of 20, and Wm. Warburton on the east half of the west half of section 19. This latter tract is now the home property of Jas. Warburton, and his brother. Wesley, owns the northwest quarter of 20.

It was during that period when Barnet Devine used that region of prairie for his herding ground. His well-remembered herd shanty that stood on the north- east corner of school section 16, was a conspicuous object in those days. Some Bremer county cattle men invaded that territory with a large herd and placed them under the care and control of Robt. Pringle. A dispute soon arose over the right of possession to the grazing lands. Each claimed the right to the grass because the other could not show any title in himself. The herds mixed, and

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charges of theft were made and some court procedure was begun. Pringle had his shanty on the northeast quarter of 7. He is still living in the township, his home being on the east half of the southeast quarter of 10. The old herd shanties have long since disappeared, and much of the land where the cattle grazed in summer is now in wealth-producing farms in a prosperous community.

Adjusting locations for the schoolhouses, in the early history of all new townships, caused much bitterness of feeling and often a feud to arise over the matter. Lincoln had her full share of that kind of excitement. There are numerous parties now who smile when they tell how David Pink's schoolhouse suddenly left the southwest corner of his land on 23. and slipped northeasterly across 23 and landed on the southeast corner of 14. much to the disgust of Mr. Pink and much to the delight of John Stewart on the southeast quarter of 15, and of A. E. Cole, who was living in those days over on the northeast corner of 13.

When the Pearces in 1869, and the Warburtons in 1886, settled upon sec- tion 19, little did they realize that the time would come when the cars would pass through the section and a depot became established on the section adjoining on the west. Caleb Pearce and wife did not live to see these things happen, but their son, Frank, did after having lived here for about twenty-three years.

LEDYARD TOWNSHIP, VILLAGE AND GERMANIA

The township of Ledyard was christened by the board of supervisors when they established it in September, 1891. By the time this act was done the age for making new civil townships was nearly over. As the years went by and the population in the county increased, the board gradually created the new town- ships smaller. It was the desire of that body to make these new townships coincide with the congressional as rapidly as possible. Ledyard was set off to comprise 99-28 and no more; but if the township had been established a dozen years before it very probably would have been as large as Ramsey was at one time, and contained as much as 103 section instead of thirty-six.

It was only about twenty-two years before there was a Ledyard township that the territory it contains was made a part of Portland, which had an area of one hundred and seventy-four sections. One had about as much honor in being road boss in those days as in being a member of the legislature.

What is now Ledyard was made to form a portion of Greenwood in Sep- tember, 1870, and then in June, 1879, the east third of it was set off into Ramsey. Since September, 1891, when Ledyard was created, the boundary has not been changed.

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History of Kossuth County, Iowa, Part 90

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