USA > Iowa > Humboldt County > History of Kossuth and Humbolt counties, Iowa : together with sketches of their cities, villages, and townships, educational, civil, military, and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 106
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L. H. Brink, real estate dealer, collector and justice of the peace, built his office in the village, in the fall of 1882. He has held the last named office, in the township, for fifteen years, and is a man trusted and respected by all.
The furniture business was established during the winter of 1882, by Peter Louis Griebel, who came from Davenport, that fall. Ile erected a store building 22x40 feet, the lower part of which he uses as a sales room, and as a dwelling for himself and family; the second story as a public hall, and as a lodge room of the Sons of Temperance.
Peter Louis Griebel was born in Busam, Schleswig, Holstein, July 26, 1845. At the age of sixteen he commenced to learn the cabinet maker's trade, which he fol-
lowed until 1870 in that country, then came to America, settled in Davenport, Iowa, and worked at his trade in the furniture factory of Knosman & Peterson, and other places, until 1882, when he came with his family to Renwick, Humboldt county, and and during the winter of 1882-3 erected his present store building. He put in his first stock of goods during the spring of 1883, and carries a full line of goods. His parents were Claus and Christine Griebel, who now reside in Scott Co., Iowa. He was married July 5, 1882, to Mrs. Charlotte Lutje, daughter of Henry and Maria Goch, residents of Davenport. She was born Aug. 17, 1853, and was mar- ried to her fir-t husband, Peter Lutje, Nov 9, 1871. Mr. Lutje was an engraver by trade, which he learned in Carla-hutte, in Holstein, and came to America in 1869, and worked about ten years for the United States government. He died Sept. 21, 1881. Mrs. Griebel has four children liv- ing, by her first husband-Clara, Alvina, Dora and Elsie. Mr. and Mrs. Griebel are members of the Lutheran Church. He votes the republican ticket, and is a pro- hibitionist.
Among the other businesses represented in the village are the following:
A. B. Richardson, dry goods and gro- ceries, which was established in 1892
John Swartzenburger, shoe shop.
A. K. Martin, Renwick Hotel, built in 1883.
The first child born in Renwick was a daughter of F. J. and O. M. Stoddard, the date of whose birth was March 8, 1882.
The first death was the infant child of James Murphy, who died in the fall of 1882.
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VILLAGE OF VERNON.
The following was published in the Dakota City Independent about the time that Vernon was started, and probably was a true history of the place at that time. "At first the town grew quite rapidly, but its life was soon drowned by Luverne, and now there are only a few dwellings to mark what was once thought to be the site of a promising burg.
" The new town and station of Vernon is situated upon the northwest quarter of section 6, in Vernon township, Humboldt Co., Iowa, and upon the west half of the quarter, upon the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway. It was surveyed and platted in September of this year by George W. Cooley, of Minneapolis, for the proprie- tors, M. P. Hawkins, anditor of the Min- neapolis Road, and Mr. L. D. Lovell, the recent so'e proprietor of the land.
."It is five and one-half miles from Liv- ermore station northeast, and is about three-fourths of a mile southwest of the crossing of the Toledo & Northwestern Railway, and is expected to be part of the junction town. .
"The depot is already completed, and is of the same size as the building at Liver- more and Humboldt. Asiding of 1,500 feet has been put in, and everything made con- venient for all the demands of trade at the point.
"The town is situated upon rolling prairie, and has feasible approaches from every direction, and with proper manage- ment cannot fail of being a very impor- tant point on the two railroads crossing there.
" The town is laid out to front the rail- road track, which brings it angling with
the section lines. The first street running parallel with the depot grounds is called Broadway, upon which all the business lots are fronted. The next street is Min- neapolis avenue, the next Humboldt ave- nue, and the next Des Moines avenue. The cross streets are numbered from first to fifth, and run in a southeast direction from the railroad. The plat contains fif- teen blocks at present. The business lots are held at $75 for corners, and $50 for inside lots. The dwelling lots are held from $45 down to $15, according to loca- tion, and parties who desire to put up per- manent business buildings are very liber- ally dealt with.
" A firm from Mason City, Messrs. Gal- lagher & McLean, are laying a foundation for a store on Broadway, opposite the de- pot, and Norder & Kincade are building a boarding house on the lot next to it.
"Goddard & Tillson will open a lumber yard as soon as their stock comes, and a coal yard will at once be put in.
" As we have before remarked, a spirit of liberality on the part of the proprie- tors, and well directed work and enter- prise, will make this new town of Vernon a place of much importance in the future, and we are pleased to congratulate our friends, Hawkins and Lovell, upon the auspicious outlook, and the prospect that they may realize a hundred fold upon their investments."
The promise made by the beginning of this little village has never borne fruit. The opening of the rival town of Luverne in close proximity to it, has put a damper upon its future, and but little progress has been made toward prosperity. Per- haps in after years these two towns, both
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joined in one, will realize the expectations of the friends of each.
William H. Potter, son of F. and Eliza- beth Potter, was born on the 23d of Octo- ber, 1840, in Ypsilanti, Washtenaw Co, Mich. His father is a native of Coopers- town, N. Y. He died in 1842. His mother is a native of Steuben Co., N. Y. After his father's death, he and his mother removed to McHenry Co., Ill., where they remained until 1852, then removed to Winneshiek Co., Iowa. In the fall of the same year they removed back to Illinois, remaining there until 1855, when they again removed to Winneshick county and purchased a farm. He was married Sept. 29, 1854, to Cordelia M. Brink, daughter of Leman H. and Harriet Brink, natives of New York. The result of this union was eight children, six of whom are living- Nellie, Fred W., Bertha E., Alta B., Hat- tie A. and F. E. In 1868 he removed to Humboldt county and took a homestead on section 28, township 93, range 27, Ver- non township. He has a good frame house on his farm, and has about fifty acres under cultivation. He is a demo- crat politically, and has held the office of township trustee for the past eight years.
Mrs. Laura Metcalf was born in Spring- water Valley, Livingston Co., N. Y., June 23,1818, and is the daughter of David and Nancy (Day) Goff. The former was a native of Vermont, born in August, 1783, and died in August, 1849. The latter is a native of Connecticut, born in October, 1782, and died in August, 1838. The sub- ject of this sketch was married to Robert Metcalf, March 16, 1842, in McHenry Co., Ill., where they remained until 1855. They then removed to Winneshiek Co., Iowa,
and lived twelve years; thence to Buchan- an county, in 1867, and in 1869 to Hum- boldt county, locating on the southwest quarter of section 36, township 93, range 27, Vernon township,- where she now re- sides with her oldest son, James. Her husband died of heart disease March 20, 1883, at the advanced age of seventy-one years and five months. They have two children-James and Henry. The former was born Aug. 7, 1844, and was the first child born in Woodstock, Mcllenry Co., Ill., and has always remained at home, and is at present the support of his aged mother. They have 140 acres of land in Vernon township, joining the town site of Renwick, about 100 acres of which is under cultivation and en- closed with a good wire fence; they al- ready have a comfortable house, but will soon erect a better one. James is by trade a blacksmith, at which he works when not employed on the farm. They have twice been visited by a torna- do. The first one in 1877 damaged the house and demolished the stables and out- buildings. Three years later they were again similarly unfortunate. Henry was married in 1869 to Libbie Davis, and lives in Renwick. The family have always been democrats politically.
Frank Stone was born in Williamstown, Oswego Co., N. Y., Sept. 16, 1847. His parents were William E. and Emily C. (Fifield) Stone. The father is a native of New York, where he still resides. Ilis ancestors in turn were natives of Wales. The mother is a native of New Hamp- shire. She died Nov. 18, 1876. The sub- ject of this sketch, in the spring of 1869, went to Kewanee, Henry Co., Ill., where
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he worked on a farm until the fall of 1871, when he returned to New York and engaged in the same occupation until 1878, when he removed with his family to Humboldt Co., Iowa. He purchased land on section 8, in Vernon township, upon which he resided nutil the summer of 1881, when he removed into the then new town of Vernon, and engaged in the hardware trade; but finding the confine- ment destructive to his health, he turned his attention again to farming, which he has followed since. Upon the death of his father-in-law he came into possession of the farm upon which he now resides on section 6, township 93, range 27. The farm is finely situated adjoining the thriving town of Luverne, just across
the line in Kossuth county, and is under good cultivation and good improvements, and has a thriving young grove of wil- low and maple trees. He was married March 5, 1872 to Martha A. Godfrey. daughter of William J. and Rachel God- frey. She was born Dec. 15, 1850, in Williamstown, Oswego Co., N. Y. They have five children-Burt O., Julia E., William W., George E. and Elmer (. Mrs. Stone's mother resides with them. Her father died Oct. 4, 1882. Mr. and Mrs. Stone are members of the M. E. Church. He has held the office of justice of the peace for two terms, beside other minor township offices. In politics he is independent, locally, but votes the State and national republican tieket.
CHAPTER XXXI.
WACOUSTA TOWNSHIP.
Congressional township 93 north, range | 30 west, lying in the extreme north- western corner of Humboldt county, ix known as Waconsta. It contains thirty- six sections, or 23,040 acres, of some of the best arable land in the county. The surface is a beautiful, gently undulating prairie, spreading, on every hand, like an emerald sea, whose billows at the word of Omnipotence have stood still. A warm rich soil covers the land, that, acted on by the quickening heat of the kindly sun, brings forth rich fruits for the harvest. The peculiar adaptability of this ground
for wheat is one of the marked features of this township, and statistics prove that a larger number of bushels of that great cereal can be raised, per acre, here, than in any other sub-division of the county. The West Fork of the Des Moines enters Wacousta on the west line of section 6, and, making a loop, passes ont into Poca- hontas county again, on section 7. Besides this main river, Bloody Run, a consider- able stream, takes its rise on section 23, and flowing in a gentle easterly course, intersects section 24 on its way to join its waters with those of the East Fork of the
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Des Moines. Trellinger's creek rises on section 2 and also flows east into Lott's creek.
Edward Mcknight was probably the first white man who came to this portion of the county, except the few hunters and trappers that precede civilization and set- tlement. He was not an actual settler, but in 1854 he located here for the pur- pose of trading with the Indians. He located at MeKnight's Point and staid here a portion of that year, engaged in that business, but afterwards located at Dakota, where he lived some years.
The first steps, however, toward the de- velopment of the agricultural resources of Waconsta, were undoubtedly made by Hiram Evans, who located on section 6 in 1856, and was the first actual settler. He came here from his native State, Pennsyl- vania, and built a double log cabin, into which he moved with his family. In this he lived until he was overtaken by death, in 1858. His remains were buried on the farm he originally located upon, but later on they were exhumed and re-interred at West Bend. His family are now in Montana.
Seth G. Sharpe came from Washington Co., N. Y., in 1857, and locating on the northwest quarter of section 30, has lived here ever since.
Seth G. Sharpe settled upon his present farm in June, 1857. He is located on the northwest quarter of section 30, Wacousta township, and is engaged in mixed farm- ing. He was born Nov. 19, 1816, in Essex Co., N. Y. His parents, Peter and Huldah (Smith) Sharpe are dead, and buried at Buskirk's Bridge, Essex county. About 1819 Seth removed with his par-
ents to Washington Co., N. Y., and thir- teen years later to Columbus, Ohio, where they remained twelve years. He learned the tailor's trade of his father, and when twenty-four years old went to work at that business for himself at Hartford, Washington Co., N. Y. He was married in 1844 to Matilda B. Straight, daughter of Elisha and Lydia (Manning) Straight, formerly residents of New York city, but living at that time upon a farm in Wash- ington county. Shortly after marriage he moved to Whitewater, Walworth Co., Wis., remaining there one and a half years, working a part of the time at his trade. He then removed to Humboldt county. They have two children-Milan E. and Ella. Mr. Sharpe is a deacon of the Baptist Church at Bradgate. He has done much to promote the welfare of the Church and of the community in general. He is a republican politically, and a good citizen in every respect.
Abial Hoag, in October, 1857, came to this township, and pre-empted the north- east quarter of section 30, where he still resides.
Abial Hoag was one of the earliest set- thers of the county, having come here in 1857, and settled at that time, upon the northeast quarter of section 30, Wacousta township, where he built a log house, 14x16 feet, in which he lived six years. He then erected the house in which he now lives, a handsome and commodions resi- dence, which is surrounded by a fine grove of cultivated trees. He was born in War- ren Co., N. Y., May 28, 1834. His parents were John and Lucy (Frost) Hoag, both of whom are now deceased and buried in Warrensburg, N. Y. In 1860 he went to
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the Rocky mountains, to engage in min. ing. He also engaged, there, in the mer- cantile business, and run a freight train of horses, from Denver City to California Gulch. He then prospected in New Mex- ico and San Juan mountains, after which, he returned to California Gulch and be- gan mercantile business. He returned to his home in 1863, and was married De- cember 24, of that year, to Sophronia Conlee, daughter of Josiah and Priscilla (Crawford) Conlee, of Fort Dodge. They have four children-Minnie E., Nellie D., William C. and Blanche P. Mr. Hoag votes with the democratic party, and has held the offices of trustce and treasurer, ten years, assessor two years, and other positions of trust.
Edward Hammond, a native of Warren Co., N. Y., made his appearance in 1857, and settled upon section 18, and built a cabin. After he was comfortably fixed it was found that a man by the name of Lynn had a claim upon the land, so Ham- mond, after a year's stay, removed to Po- cahontas county, where he still resides. In this connection it may be well to say that this land was sold by Lynn to Alex- ander Younie, now of Algona, and by him to James Dean, its present owner.
James Dean is of Scotch descent, but born at Londonderry in the north of Ire- land, in 1824. His parents, James and Betty (Ramsey) Dean, are buried in county Donegal, Ireland. He came to America in 1851, landed at Philadelphia, where he remained until 1857, working at the carpenter's trade which he had learned in his native country. He was married in 1855, to Sally Tood, also of Scotch descent. They removed to Fort Dodge, Iowa, in
1857, where he worked at his trade one year, and in 1858 came to llumboldt county. He is pleasantly located. His farm contains 300 acres of choice land, and forty acres of timber. It is watered by the Des Moines river. Mr. and Mrs. Dean have one son, James T., who is a young man of good ability. 'He has studied law, and is now collecting agent for the Gilpin Plow Co. Mr. Dean is a member of the republican party, and has been township trustee, and anNessor two years. He belongs to the Presbyterian Church.
John McNelly, in 1858, located a claim on the southwest quarter of section 6, acros the river. After a short stay he went back to Wisconsin, from whence he had come to this place.
Alexander Coffin, in the spring of 1858, made a settlement on section 32. He pre- empted the northeast quarter, and has lived here ever since
Alexander N. Coffin was born in Wash- ington Co., N. Y., March 30, 1834. His parents were Elisha and Ruth (Kenyon) Coffin, both of whom are now deceased, and buried in Washington county. In 1858 he came to Humboldt county and selected 160 acres of fine land on section 32, of Wacousta township. He also owns 160 acres on section 29, and ninety acres in Pocahontas county, and is engaged in raising grain and stock, making a specialty of fine cattle of the Durham breed. He was married Dec. 9, 1857, to Mary C. Allen, of Washington Co., N. Y., dangh- ter of Benjamin and Sarah (Cornell) Allen. They have three children living-Allen A., Ruth C. and Albert B .; and one dead, and buried in Rolfe Cemetery. Mr. Cof- fin was drafted, in 1864, and was in the
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service eight months. He was mustered in at Davenport, and out at the same place. He participated in the battles of Nash- ville and Kingston. Mr. and Mrs. Coffin are members of the Baptist Church. He is a republican, politically, and has held the offices of justice of the peace, coroner, constable, trustee, county supervisor and township clerk, and township treasurer. HIe is a popular and much respected citi- zen. He was the first postmaster in Wa- cousta township, and held the office about twenty-one years. He also had the first, and now has the finest orchard in the township.
James Struthers came from Canada in 1859 and taking up a claim on sections 7 and 18, has made it his residence ever since.
James Struthers, son of Andrew and Helen (Watson) Struthers, was born Dec 14, 1831, in Canada East. His father Andrew Struthers, was a son of Robert Struthers, of Lanarkshire, North Brit- ain, born in April, 1791. His mother was born in 1802. They are both buried in Canada. At the age of twenty, James Struthers left Canada and went to Ans- tralia to dig gold. He remained there seven years making good wages all the time. Ile made the journey both ways in a sailing vessel, and was nine months on board ship. He returned to Canada by way of England and New York, and six weeks later, came to Humboldt county, to visit his brother. Concluding to re- main, he pre-empted the southwest quarter of section 7, and the northwest quarter of 18, of Waconsta township. Ile now owns, in all, 508 acres of choice and valuable land, of which 170 acres are under culti- vation. Ile is engaged in stock raising
and owns a herd of fine, part Durham, cat- tle. He was married May 19, 1862, to Margaret Kilyour, of Canada, and they have seven children-George J., Margaret D., Andrew J., Barbara E., Robert W., Frederick H. and Anna B. Mr. and Mrs Struthers are members of the Presbyterian Church. He was county supervisor three years and township trustee.
FIRST THINGS.
The first birth in Wacousta township was that of a daughter of John McNelly, who was born in September or October, 1858.
The second birth was that of Allen, son of Alexander Coffin, who was born upon the 21st of August, 1860. He still resides with his parents in this township.
The first marriage of residents of this township occurred in the year 1866, be- tween Charles Emerson and Mrs. Mary E. (Webb) Emerson, which took place, how- ever, outside of the limits of Waconsta.
The first marriage that took place in the township was that which united the desti- nies of James Jolliffe and Ella Sharpe, which occurred at the residence of the father of the bride, S. G. Sharpe, on the 11th of March, 1877; the ceremony being performed by Rev. William MeCrady, a M. E. clergyman of Rolfe, Pocahontas county.
The first death was that of Hiram Evans, in 1858, as detailed elsewhere. His re- mains now repose in the cemetery at West Bend.
The first religions services were held at the house of Seth G. Sharpe, in 1860, and were conducted by Rev. L. D. McComb.
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Alexander Coffin was the first post- master, being commissioned as such in 1863.
'The first ground was broken, in the sum- mer of 1856, by Hiram Evans. On this he raised the first crop, buckwheat, in the following year.
The first wheat sown was in the spring of 1859, by Alexander Coffin and Seth G. Sharpe. The latter sowed five aeres of wheat, and when it was harvested, had to thresh by treading it with his horses and then scraping it off the ground.
The first corn planted in the township was in 1858, by Hiram Evans, Seth G. Sharpe and Alexander Coffin.
The first sorghum cane was put into the ground in 1858, by Messrs. Hoag and Ilammond.
The first log house was erected in 1856, by Hiram Evans, on section 6.
The first frame house was erected on section 32, in 1858, by Alexander Coffin. The lumber for this was drawn from Reed & Thurston's mill, twelve miles below Fort Dodge. It was an edifice 16x20 feet, and is standing yet,a monument of pioneer days. The same oak shingles that cov- ered its roof when first built, cover it yet.
The first artificial grove in the township was planted by Seth G. Sharpe, in 1860, and is among the handsomest in Wacousta. Mr. Sharpe, in 1868, received the first pre- mnium of the agricultural society for the best grove in in the county, on this.
Wacousta township was organized in 1858, the first election taking place in the fall of that year. The first trustees then elected were Seth O. Sharpe, Hiram, Ben- jamin and Alexander N. Coffin. The present officers are the following named:
James Struthers, Samuel Boyden and Charles Emerson, trustees; James Joliffe, clerk.
The pioneer school was taught at the residence of Seth G. Sharpe, in the sum- mer of 1863, by Sophronia Conlee, now the wife of Abial Hoag. Mr. Sharpe got up this school, organized the district, and was largely instrumental in the election of the officers. But three children were enrolled in the school, and their names are preserved upon the tablet of history as the pioneer scholars of Wacousta town- ship. These were Ella and Freddie Sharpe and Loretta Coffin, and were the only children in the vicinity. The first school house was built in 1869, on section 7.
In 1868, a postoffice was established, and called Wacousta, of which Alexan- der N. Coffin was commissioned post- master. This position he held until the summer of 1883, when the office was dis- continued. There is now a postoffice in the township, known as McKnight's. Of which Dr. Nickson, now of Ilumboldt, was the first postmaster. Joseph Nickson is the present incumbent of the office.
The pioneer religious services were held by Rev. L. D. McComb, at the house of Seth G. Sharpe, abont 1860. Mr. Mc- Comb was at that time a resident of Al- goua, but now dwells in Palo Alto county. Services after this were held many times, at the house of Mr. Sharpe and others. A little later, Rev. Chauncey Taylor, a Con- gregational minister at Algona, for many years, held services at the school house in district No. 2.
There is one cemetery in the township, located on the southeast corner of section 17. This contains about one acre and a
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half of land and was laid out on the 6th of May, 1882, on the brow of a beautiful hill, by George W. Welch, the county sur- veyor. But one sleeper rests in this hal- lowed spot, a child of William Jones.
Wacousta Creamery is situated upon the northwest quarter of section 9. The grounds which comprise about a half acre, were donated for the purpose by J. W. Saddler, and the building is a good frame one, 16x24 feet upon the ground, two stories high with a basement cellar. This building cost about 8400. The creamery is operated on the co-operative system, the patrons being the stockholders. The creamery is surrounded by some of the finest agricultural lands in the State and will no doubt achieve a success, but as it was initiated early in the year 1884, it is too soon to hazard a guess as to its future.
A Farmers Alliance, was formed re cently at McKnights Point, which is known by that name. The object of this is for the mutual protection of the agri- enlturists of the district, who may be members. The following is a list of the officers: John Nickson, president; Perry Nowlan, of Palo Alto county, vice-presi- dent; J. J. Jolliffe, secretary; Lonis Howell, treasurer.
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