USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 37
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The Louisa County National Bank was opened in one of the store rooms of this building in July, 1872. Andrew Gamble was its first president and John W. True its first cashier. General James M. True also occupied one of the store rooms in this block and Sargent & Carter had a stock of general merchandise in another of the rooms.
The postoffice at Columbus Junction was opened in July, 1872, in the north store room of the Wortham House block, with Mrs. Gentzler as postmistress At that time the fixed salary of the office was $12 a year. In April, 1874, Charles M. Fulton became postmaster and shortly after this he moved the office to a frame building on Walnut street. In September, 1886. Mr. Fulton was succeeded in the postoffice by George P. Neal.
For the first two years the town grew rapidly and proceedings were then taken to incorporate it. C. M. Fulton, Marvel Wheelock, S. W. True, W. F. llall and William Todd were the commissioners appointed and on May 25th.
317
HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
1874, an election was hield on the question of incorporation, at which fifty-five votes were cast "for" and seventeen "against." The first officers elected were: Mayor, C. M. Fulton ; members of the council, George W. Merrill, O. E. Hobbie. Robert Foster, Theo. Crilly and A. T. Lewis ; recorder, W. F. Hall. James R. Smith was appointed marshal, but declined, and Augustus Darrow was named in his place. R. H. Hanna was the first town attorney. The present officers are as follows: Mayor, D. S. Buffington ; clerk. M. D. Hanft; marshall, J. M. Green ; assessor, J. D. Darrow ; councilmen, J. B. Johnson, J. J. Stapp, T. J. Bolenbeck, R. J. Reaney, and O. M. Cavin.
The first public school taught in Columbus Junction was in a small house built for that purpose a couple of years after the town was started. Before that, however, Miss Kitty Truesdell had taught a select school. Among the early school teachers were Miss Sarah White, Mr. Slater and A. W. Hall. At one time the building owned by Asa Merrill was used for school purposes. This was in 1874. Afterward the building which was erected for a court house was used for a few years for school purposes and in the fall of 1882 a fine school build- ing was erected on Front street. Professor Edwards was the first principal in the new building and afterwards Professor J. K. Pickett was principal, next Pro- fessor G. H. Mullen, who has been one of the noted educators of the state, but is now retired. The present superintendent of the Columbus Junction schools is Professor G. W. Weber and the schools use both the building once erected for a court house and the school building.
Beginning about 1872 there was considerable agitation in the north end of the county for a removal of the county seat from Wapello to Columbus Junction. A petition was finally circulated for an election and at the same time the citizens of the north end of the county subscribed a fund of about $25,000 and erected a fine two-story brick building suitable for a court house and placed the title in five trustees, namely : Francis Springer. N. M. Letts and F. A. Duncan, W. W. Garner and O. E. Hobbic.
A long and bitter contest ensued between Columbus Junction and Wapello, and much ill feeling was generated and many harsh and uncalled for things were said by people on each side about people on the other, but it would serve no use- ful purpose to recite them herc.
A number of elections were had, at various times. Some were authorized by law and some turned out not to be legal. Much litigation was indulged in on both sides. The election held on October 12th, 1875, was a lively one in every sense of the word ; it was attended by every legal voter in the county, and possibly a few more. Wapello was victorious at the election by twenty majority, which showed that the people of the county were pretty evenly divided. It was freely charged that the Columbus Junction folks had imported a lot of illegal voters especially for this election, but in view of the vote polled at the ensuing election, in 1876, impartial history must refute the charge. It appears that the total vote cast in Columbus City township at the county seat election in 1875 was 717, and the total vote there in the following year was 704. Had there been a very large illegal vote in 1875 the "shrinkage" in 1876 would have been much more than thirteen.
Following is the vote by townships on the county seat question in 1875. also the total vote of that year, and the total vote of each township at the presidential election in 1876:
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
VOTE AT THE COUNTY SEAT ELECTION, OCT. 12, 1875
Columbus Total vote
Total vote, 1876
Columbus City township
18
699
717
704
Concord township
5
172
177
173
Elm Grove township
10
I 37
147
115
Grandview township
158
185
343
330
Jefferson township
209
209
158
Marshall township
133
62
195
195
Morning Sun township
322
41
363
387
Oakland township
3
126
129
120
Port Louisa township
158
10
168
145
Union township
137
I37
146
Wapello township
506
13
519
416
TOUT
1584
3188
2966
Columbus City Lodge No. 107, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, was instituted under a dispensation of the Iowa Grand Lodge February 24. 1857. with W. D. Trebilcock, W. M .; J. F. Reiner, S. W .: William S. Allen, J. W. Meetings were first held in the hall over the store of Harrison & Barrett, in Columbus City. It next met in the second story of the drug store building of Clark & Coleman, and afterwards was established in the third story of the brick building erected by Harrison & Barrett. In 1876 at was removed to Columbus Junction, and secured a hall over the store then kept by Easton & Brown, where it has held its meetings ever since. Since its removal to Column- bus Junction the lodge has grown in numbers and strength and is recognized as one of the strongest Masonic institutions of the county.
Columbus Junction has a Woodman Lodge, an Odd Fellow's Lodge, and a K. of P. Lodge, but we have not the particulars as to their organization or officers. The K. of P. Lodge is named Liberty Lodge, No. 22, and was first organized at Columbus City. It was reorganized at Columbus Junction in 1880. One of the members of this lodge-Hon. F. M. Molsberry-was Grand Chan- cellor of the state a few years ago.
The newspapers now published at the Junction are the Safeguard and the Gazette; the former was started by R. H. Moore at Columbus City, but later removed to the Junction. Paul Maclean and J. B. Hungerford, both prominent newspaper men of Iowa today, were at one time connected with the Safeguard. The Gazette was started by O. I. Jamison, and it was in this office that Hon. W. D. Jamison, now of the Shenandoah World, began his career as a journalist.
Some years ago the Columbus Junction Herald was published there. Samuel Crocker. J. G. Sehorn, and, we believe. W. S. Jarboe, were connected with it.
Columbus Junction also has its full share of churches, the Methodist, Presby- terian and Evangelical being the best represented there.
One of the institutions in which the people of Columbus Junction and the surrounding country take great pride, is the Columbus Junction Chautauqua.
Wapello
Junction
82
77
Elliott township
82
. . .
Rock Island Bridge
Looking North on Main Street
Iligh School
Methodist Episcopal Church
GILBERT- HOUSE.
1
Gilbert House
Rock Island Bridge
COLUMBUS JUNCTION VIEWS
1
1
R
319
HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
This is one of the pioneers in this line of work in southeastern Iowa, and has been a marked success, both as a source of entertainment, and as a means of promoting the moral and intellectual development of the community. The association owns a beautiful grove covering some twenty acres, which is recog- nized as an ideal location.
The population of Columbus Junction, as shown by recent enumerations, has been as follows: 1885-965: 1890-953: 1895-1,048 : 1900-1,099; 1905- 1,127.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
This was so long a part of Columbus City township that it has very little early history not already given. In addition to the early settlers named, this township has furnished a number of men well known in the county. The Colton family first settled in Union township and so did Andrew Gamble. During the ten years that we had a supervisor from each township, Union township was rep- resented by Robert A. White, James Harmon. Robert Carson and S. N. Spurgeon. Peter Rinely was for many years a justice of the peace, and so was John Het- field. Others whose names are associated with Union township affairs, are Wm. T. Blair, Nelson Alloway, Joshua Lucky, Adam Crim, Thomas Ogier, Geo. W. Duncan, Asher Dennis, Josiah Orr, Mathew Edmundson.
The only town ever platted in Union township is Gladwin, situated in the central part of the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 28, 76-5. on the south side of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad. It was laid out by W. I. Blanchard and J. L. Giesler, Sept. 18, 1903.
OAKVILLE.
was laid out by Abe and Harry T. Parsons, December 11, 1891, on the north- west quarter of the northwest quarter of section 25, township 73 north, range 2 west, south of the lowa Central railroad. The original town consisting of three blocks, containing in all thirty-five lots. Since then additions to Oakville have been laid out as follows: Downey's addition, by John and Elizabeth Downey, May 6, 1895; Elrick's addition, laid out by James W. Elrick, December 19, 1895: Elrick's second addition laid out by James W. Elrick, May 28, 1897; Brader's addition laid out by John H. Brader, May 7. 1898; and Downey's sec- ond addition laid out by John and Elizabeth Downey, October 21, 1898; Parson's addition to Oakville laid out by Abe Parsons, June 18, 1901 : Waterhouse's ad- dition to Oakville laid out by Alice M. Waterhouse, June 29. 1901 ; Roderick's addition to Oakville laid out by John L. Roderick, May 9, 1902; Carter's ad- dition to Oakville laid May 4. 1911 ; and Williams' addition to Oakville laid out by W. B. Williams, September 4, 1911.
The Oakvillian who promised a history of that flourishing and enterprising town, has failed us. The first postoffice in that vicinity was Palo Alto. Oakville was incorporated by the District Court on petition of Geo. L. Seevers and 29 others, filed Sept. 5th, 1902. The court appointed M. P. Cook, E. J. McFadden, H. T. Parsons, E. M. Bell and J. C. Thomson, commissioners, and they held an election on Sept. 30 on the question of incorporation. The vote was 45 for to 28 against. The first election for officers was held on Oct. 21, 1902, at which
320
HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
the following were chosen : Mayor, H. T. Parsons; clerk, E. M. Bell; treasurer, E. J. McFadden ; council, W. E. Lynn, W. D. Carter, J. A. Duncan, D. D. Mar- shall, W. T. Waterhouse, Bert Gawthrop.
Oakville has two railroads, two banks, good schools, good churches, and is a splendid trading point, whether one wants to buy or sell, and its people, and the people of the country around it, average up with the best in the county.
The population of Oakville in 1895 was given at 87. in 1905, at 317, and in 1910, at 389.
Two other towns have been laid out in Eliot township, as follows :
ELRICK,
laid out by Jacob W. Elrick, October 3, 1891, on the west half of the southwest quarter of section 28, and the east half of the southeast quarter of section 29. all in township 73-2. The greater part of this town has since been vacated. This town of Elrick was laid out immediately east of Smith creek where the lowa Central railway crosses it, and
Elrick Junction, laid out by H. O. Weaver, March 7, 1899. It is in the north half of the northwest quarter of section 29. 73-2, north of the Iowa Central railway track.
The town of Elrick is practically abandoned; Elrick Junction is located at the place where the M. N. & S. Ry. connects with Iowa Central, and has a good general store, and a hotel.
Other towns, not already referred to, are:
CANNONSBURGH.
laid out by R. B. Cannon on the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of section 28, township 74 north, range 5 west, surveyed by John Huston, April 2. 1856. This was an "Air Line" town. J. E. Nesbit had a store here, but the "town" has long since passed away.
MARSIL,
laid out by Moses Chilson, December 10, 1884, situated on the northeast quarter of section 30. 73-4, and it adjoins the Iowa Central railway right of way on the north.
NEWPORT.
laid out by Harriet H. Briggs, December 23, 1885, on the northwest part of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 27, 73-3.
WYMAN,
laid out by T. W. Barhydt, trustee, in the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter and the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 30, 74-5.
Wyman is the only town in Elm Grove township, and is a good trading point, especially since the establishment of the new bank there.
321
HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
BURRIS CITY.
To write the story of the rise and fall of Burris City seems almost like delv- ing into the musty archives of ancient or medieval history and tracing the growth and decline of a Babylon or Ninevah. But Burris City was a real and pretentious city of more than a thousand souls, but little more than a half century ago ; now, the casual visitor finds only here and there a broken fragment of stone or pottery, a slight mound or depression to mark the spot where once stood this thriving village. Seldom, indeed, has so short a time witnessed so complete an obliteration of so extensive and costly a monument of man's ambi- tion.
Burris City was laid out and platted in 1855, and in the two following years the most of the building was done.
In 1857 Burris City was at the zenith of its glory ; there were five or six good stores, a large warehouse, a drug store owned by Dr. B. G. Neal. The Ellsworth Hotel, a brick structure two stories high, was the best hotel building at that time in the county. All the products of the surrounding country found here a ready market; several hundred men engaged in grading the Air Line Railroad were quartered here, many with their families. A sawmill was cutting the native timber into building and bridge material, and the town was humming with industry.
On April 6, 1855, a city election was held and the following officers elected : Lysander Wicks, mayor; J. F. Howard, marshal; Martin Mason, recorder : Chas. S. McLane, treasurer ; aldermen, first ward, A. M. Steward; Henry M. Debolt, Jay Martin ; aldermen, second ward, Frederick Gruber. C. P. Norton, and S. L. Hauk ; aldermen, third ward, A. Moon, J. Moon, and M. Norris.
July 24, 1857, the Burris City Hotel Company was incorporated, with an authorized capital stock of not exceeding forty thousand dollars. Incorporators were: N. W. Burris, J. M. Bloomfield, A. Key, J. T. Burris, B. G. Neal. A. Millen, John Eichelberger, Lysander Wicks, J. M. Albert, R. W. Wilson, and Franklin Bras.
September 16, 1857. The Burris Manufacturing Company filed articles of incorporation, with authorized capital stock of two hundred thousand dollars; shares, five hundred dollars each, with a provision that said company could commence operation after twenty-five shares were taken by as many individuals. Among the stockholders whose names are recorded are James Harlan, Francis Springer. Alfred T. Burris, G. A. Ellsworth, Wm. Baker, Frank Bras, Wm. L. Toole, J. L. Grubb, Jno. R. Sisson, C. R. Dugdale.
The assessment of lots owned by N. W. Burris in Burris City as certified to by J. M. Bloomfield, consists of two thousand, eight hundred and forty-eight . lots, ranging in value from three hundred dollars to four hundred and fifty dollars each, and amounting to the aggregate sum of one million, one hundred and fifty-eight thousand, one hundred dollars. On the tax books for 1859 the greater part of these lots were assessed to "unknown owners," at from twenty- five dollars to fifty dollars each.
Certificates to the 1855 assessment are as follows :
"I, J. M. Bloomfield, of the City of Burris, Louisa County, Iowa, hereby certify that the foregoing is a true copy of the assessments of the lots in said Vol. I-21
322
HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
city belonging to N. W. Burris as it appears by record and which was assessed by me. Witness my hand this 27th of May, 1857.
J. M. BLOOMFIELD, Assessor."
"I, L. Wicks, mayor of the city of Burris. Louisa Co., Iowa, hereby cer- tify that J. MI. Bloomfield, which name appears on the foregoing certificate and who with the same as assessor of said city of Burris, was duly elected and qualified and is now assessor and his acts as such is entitled to true credit. I also certify that the signature purporting to be his is Jenuwine. Witness my hand this 27th day of May, 1857.
Attest : M. MASON, Recorder."
L. WICKS, Mayor.
State of Iowa, Louisa County, ss.
"I, John Ilale, Clerk of the District Court of said county, do hereby certify that L. Wicks, and J. M. Bloomfield, whose names are subscribed to the foregoing certificate as mayor and assessor of the city of Burris, were on the 6th day of April, A. D. 1857, elected to said office as appears of record in my office. In testi- mony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed the seal of said Court at Wapello, this 4th day of June, 1857.
JOHN HALE, Clerk Dist. Court, Louisa County, Iowa."
A map of Louisa County, issued by C. R. Dugdale in 1858, shows the Air Line railroad running through the county, also the Keokuk, Mt. Pleasant and Musca- tine Railroad running north through Marshall township, just west of the old W. A. Helmick place, to Columbus City ; this was said to be under contract and partly completed.
Many persons still living in the county and their descendants have cause to remember this costly "mirage" which they followed as many had done before, and many have done since. to disaster and ruin.
In justice to the promoters of the Burris City enterprise it may be truly said that they all went down together ; not one, so far as the records show, but came out of the speculation a loser.
Burris, as it was originally called, was laid out by N. W. Burris in 1855, and contained over five thousand lots. It was incorporated by a special act of the Legislature, approved January 28, 1857, and after this it was known as Burris City.
But for the fatal defect of nature's creation-the lack of sufficient elevation- the location of Burris City was geographically ideal: situated midway between the cities of Burlington and Muscatine, on the bank of the great Mississippi river, and at the mouth of the Iowa river, its riparian advantages were equalled by but few, and surpassed by no inland city in the United States.
But the much vaunted strength of Burris City proved its weakness in the end ; the melting snows from thousands of square miles of rolling prairies, joined
323
HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
with the abundant spring rains, brought the annual overflow and Burris City, sub-aqueous, aquatic Burris City, like the securities issued by its founder, failed from a superabundance of water.
The exodus of the settlers of Burris City in 1858 and 1859 was as rapid as had been their incoming. The failure of the Air Line railroad, and the overflow of the waters disheartened the promoters and created a veritable panic among the inhabitants ; many forsook their houses and in many cases, penniless, fled to more favored locations. Some of the frame buildings were sold to the farmers and others and were cut in sections and hauled away to all parts of the county. The abandoned town site, once valued more than a million dollars, was picked up by piece meal at tax sales, and is now used for grazing purposes.
Sic transit gloria mundi.
[The foregoing article on Burris City was written by Mr. J. R. Smith, who, as a boy, often visited it and traded at its stores.]
The following, from another eye witness, was printed in the Humming Bird, a small monthly paper published in Muscatine. The issue we quote from is dated June, 1874.
"RECOLLECTIONS OF BURRIS CITY-THE CITY AS IT WAS IN 1857-8-ITS GROWTH, PROSPERITY, DECLINE AND ENTIRE DISAPPEARANCE-BY N. QUAD
"A passenger on one of our Mississippi packets will see nothing to indicate that a few short years ago a lively and prosperous town of 600 to 700 inliabitants and supporting a city charter with Mayor (Lysander Weeks) and other metro- politan officials, occupied the broad, flat, marshy region embracing about a sec- tion of land bounded by a high bluff on the west, on the east by the Mississippi river and by the Iowa on the south, in Louisa County, this State. The most reck- less speculator would not for a moment entertain the thought of locating a town there now. Even 'Coal Oil Johnny' could not be induced to purchase the land if it were offered at Sio per acre. Yet we know parties who paid $10 per foot ( front) for desirable lots on Second street, and refused an advance on the pur- chase price. At this time (in 1857-'8) there was considerable excitement in Burris City in anticipation of the 'early completion of the Great American Central Rail- way,' which was partially graded and on which Burris was to be an important point. Maps were printed and distributed all over the country at an immense ex- pense, showing the city as a second New York in size and importance. It is need- less to say that the map was slightly overdrawn. It is said that a drunken man sees 'double.' Taking this to be true. we conclude that fifteen or twenty engravers, all drunk, had each a hand in preparing the stone upon which the map was printed.
"Mr. Nathan Burris, proprietor of the town, was a young man of probably 36 to 40 years, very active, large hearted, and above all, honest in his dealings with his fellow men. He was firmly impressed with the belief that he had 'struck oil'-that the place would of necessity be one of the largest and most prosperous in the Mississippi Valley, and for a time many others were of the same opinion. Vain hope! The town with its large brick hotels, general stores, drug stores, its mill, its printing office, furniture store, carpenter shops and numerous other estab-
32-
HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
lishments, where are they now? Where are the lawyers, and doctors, the me- chanics and laborers, and their wives, sons and daughters? They are scattered like chaff in a gale. They may be found in all parts of the workl. But there are many whom we will never meet again on earth. They have gone to a City whose corner lots will never depreciate, whose streets are never muddy and whose skies are ever bright ! Among these are the good wife of Nathan Burris, who departed this life in 1858. Our readers must pardon us for the belief that her death was the death of the town whose obituary we feel called upon to write. Her husband's loss weighed heavily upon him. His ambition was gone, his energy had departed, and he walked the streets, not as the active business man, not with the elastic step, the pleasant smile and bow and ready hand for the friends he met, but with a broken down, dejected air, paying little or no attention to those whom he met. He remained at Burris City only a short time after his wife died. After disposing of the greater portion of his property and settling up his business, he went west in the hope of recuperating his health and former physical strength rather than filling his depleted exchequer. From the day of his departure, the town seemed to be on a down grade, and it had grown beautifully less by degrees until in 1868 (I think) the last building-an old warehouse-was removed, leaving nothing to mark the spot where a few years ago were heard the click of type, the ring of the anvil, the blowing of steam whistles, the hum of business in all its branches, and the hurried tread of the crowd that thronged the sidewalk. The locality has no attractions now save for the rattlesnake, crawfish and bullfrog, whose right and title to the place is undisputed, and whose musical accomplishments, so varied and yet so charmingly blended, render it a most inviting spot to those who are haunted by melancholy and desire to commit suicide.
"A levee thrown up at great expense along the bank of the Iowa river to pre- vent the overflow of the low lands upon which the town was built was washed away by the high waters, and skiffs and flatboats were the fashionable vehicles of the denizens for several weeks, when the waters receded, leaving numerous beds of the finny tribe in the pools on every hand. The Stafford House, built of brick, was kept in good style by Charles W. Stafford, and had one time during the winter of 1857-'58. eighty-four regular boarders. About forty of these were wood choppers, who worked in the large timber a short distance below town.
"A Guernsey press was purchased by Mr. Burris for Edward Stafford, who had proposed to publish a paper in Burris City, but failed to remove his office from New Boston before a mortgage sale removed it to the type foundry. The press stood in the old warehouse until it was purchased by John Mahin and brought to Muscatine. The Journal was printed upon this press until 1870.
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