USA > Iowa > Louisa County > History of Louisa County, Iowa, from its earliest settlement to 1912, Volume I > Part 47
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SOME EARLY PREACHERS AND LATE CHURCH STATISTICS.
It is almost impossible to get anything accurate concerning the early ministers of the county. The main reason, perhaps, is that there were scarcely any of them located here in the early days. Those who came, preached a sermon or two and left ; they left little or no record behind them. Besides, it seems they were quite scarce among the pioneers. Reverend Reuben Gaylord, who was one of the early Congregational preachers in this territory, said in 1841: "The farmer, the me- amongst the army of pioneers.
One of the very earliest ministers in Lonisa county was James R. Ross, who married Benjamin Stoddard and Sarah Bevins on June 15, 1838, but we do not know whether or not Mr. Ross was located here for any length of time. He was an elder in the Church of God and came here from Kentucky, as will be seen by the paper recorded in the first record book of the county, which is given in chapter seven. The histories of Columbus City and Wapello and Grandview contain references to most of the pioneer preachers of whom we have any record. From the conference records of the Methodist church we get the names of the ministers of that denomination who were stationed at nearby points in early years. and it is probable that some or all of them at different times preached in this county. In 1840 these records show that Isaac S. Stewart was at Burlington, Thomas L. Kirkpatrick at Mt. Pleasant, Joseph L. Kirkpatrick at Crawfordsville, and Nathan Jewett at Bloomington ( Muscatine ) ; and that in 1841 Rev. Stewart was at Burlington, Daniel G. Cartwright and Moses F. Shinn were at Mt. Pleas- ant. John Hayden at Crawfordsville, and Joseph L. Kirkpatrick at Bloomington. In 1842 Joseph L. Kirkpatrick was at Grandview and John Hayden at Craw- fordsville. In 1843 Micajah Reeder was at Crawfordsville, Joseph L. Kirkpatrick at Yellow Springs, and Luther McVay at Grandview. In 1844 Reeder and Kirk- patrick had the same stations as in 1843, and Laban Case was at Grandview. In 1845 Robert Rice was at Wapello. Michael See at Yellow Springs, and Sidney Wood at Grandview. In 1846 Robert Rice was at Crawfordsville, and John H. Dennis at Grandview. The others, so far as we have any record of them, will be found in the history of the different localities. Another early preacher was George M. Hinkle, who had a ferry on the lowa river a few miles north of Wa- pello. Another was Hezekiah Johnson, who performed a number of marriage ceremonies in the early days here. Others, some of whose names appear else- where in this work, were Rev. Fisk, a Presbyterian minister and school teacher ; Solomon Cowles, Hiram Smith, George C. Vincent. Charles Burnham, Jackson Duff, Dan W. Ellidge, L. B. Dennis, F. R. S. Byrd, Josiah Vertrees, John Holmes. Alexander Blaikie, Elijah Lathrop. Then there was Jeremiah Smith, father of
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James R. Smith. Another was E. B. Tripp, better known as Benjamin Tripp, who afterwards went west and became a Mormon elder, attaining very high rank in the church.
At a somewhat later period Rev. G. N. Power, brother of Judge J. C. Power of Burlington, was stationed at Toolesboro for a while.
In this connection it may be of interest to give the statistics of the census of Louisa county taken in 1905. in regard to the religious belief of those over ten years of age: Advent. 14; Baptists, 151 : Catholic. 233; Christadelphians, 2; Christians, 278: Christian Science, 2 : Church of God, 159: Congregational, 185 : Disciples of Christ, 16: Dunkard, 11 : Episcopal, 21 : Evangelical, 136; Friend, 5 ; Holiness, 15: Jewish, 1: Latter Day Saints, I; Liberal, 2: Lutheran, 71: Menonites, 3: Methodists, 1,761 ; Orthodox, 1 : Plymouth Brethren, 2: Presby- terians, 1,272: Protestant, 54 : Reformed, 137; Salvation Army, 4; Spiritualist, IT : Unitarian, 1 ; United Brethren, 282: Universalist, 10. There were 7,793 for whom no returns were made.
The following church statistics for Louisa county are taken from the census of 1905 :
NUMBER OF CONGREGATIONS
Catholic, I ; Christian, 2; Congregational, 2: Free Methodist, I ; Methodist (Episcopal), II : Presbyterian, 5: United Brethren, 2; United Presbyterian, 2. Total, 26.
NUMBER OF CHURCHES
Catholic. I; Christian, 2; Congregational, 2: Free Methodist. 1; Methodist (Episcopal). II : Presbyterian, 5: United Brethren, 2: United Presbyterian, 2. Total, 26.
VALUE
Catholic, $1,000; Christian, $11,000; Congregational. $3,000 ; Free Methodist, $800; Methodist (Episcopal). $33,000 : Presbyterian, $28.700: United Brethren, $6,300 ; United Presbyterian, $15,000. Total, $98,800.
SEATING CAPACITY
Catholic 150 ; Christian, 850 ; Congregational, 360; Free Methodist, 250; Metli- odist (Episcopal). 3.600: Presbyterian. 1.590: United Brethren, 800: United Presbyterian. 760. Total. 8.360.
NUMBER OF MEMBERS
Catholic. 60 : Christian. 175 : Congregational. 145: Free Methodist. 29: Meth- odist (Episcopal). 1,070; Presbyterian, 550; United Brethren, 213; United Pres- byterian, 333. Total, 2,575.
NUMBER OF SUNDAY SCHOOL SCHOLARS
Catholic, 10; Christian, 70; Congregational, 155: Free Methodist, 30; Meth- odist (Episcopal). 850; Presbyterian. 440; United Brethren. 184; United Presby- terian, 195. Total. 1.934.
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NUMBER OF PARSONAGE.
Congregational, 2; Free Methodist, [ ; Methodist ( Episcopal ), 5; Presbyterian, 2; United Brethren, 2; United Presbyterian. 2. Total, 14.
VALUE OF PARSONAGES.
Congregational, $2,200; Free Methodist. $600; Methodist ( Episcopal ), $7,900; Presbyterian, $3.300: United Brethren, $2,000; United Presbyterian, $3,800. Total. $20,400.
VALUE OF CHURCH AND PARSONAGE.
Catholic, $1,000 ; Christian, $11,000; Congregational, $5,200; Free Methodist, $1,400; Methodist ( Episcopal ), $40,900 ; Presbyterian, $32,000 : United Brethren, $8,900 ; United Presbyterian, $18,800. Total, $119,200.
SCHOOLS.
Next to finding out something definite about the early ministers and their meetings, the most difficult problem we have met is to get satisfactory informa- tion concerning the early schools and school teachers. It is probable that John W. Ferguson taught the first school in the county, in Toolesboro, and there also was probably erected the first schoolhouse in the county. Professor Macy in discussing "Institutional beginnings," expresses the opinion that the public school system in this state was not really in operation until about 1855. This is a very interesting subject and one that ought to be near to the hearts of all who are interested in the general welfare, and we have therefore thought it best to give considerable attention to it.
The first superintendent of public instruction was in the territorial days, the office being filled by William Reynolds, and his first report is found in the appen- dix to the journal of the council of the fourth legislative assembly. According to that report, Des Moines county then had eight of its nine townships organized for school purposes, and seven of them had elected school inspectors, but none had made a report to the superintendent. It is stated, however, that there were several good schools in Des Moines county, which were liberally supported. Burlington alone had seven schools, one in which the higher branches of English education were taught and another devoted to the education of young ladies.
Of the thirteen townships in Lee county, four had reported. These four had been divided into school districts, most of which appeared to have been organized and were acting under the law. Denmark township had five districts, and it is of interest to know that district No. I had forty-five persons of school age and had voted to have four months of school in the winter and three in the summer, and had levied a tax of $103.21, $90 of which was for the support of a school and the balance for a library. We quote what the report says about Louisa county: "In Louisa county the townships have organized and there are several organized dis- tricts ; some acting under the law, I am informed, reported to the clerk of the court who, not having reported to this office, I can only speak from personal ob- servation of the schools. There have been several taught in the county during the past summer- some very good-and there are several in operation this win-
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ter. There appears no want of zeal. Want of schoolhouses and teachers, and the scattered situation of the inhabitants, pleads excuse."
We have made diligent search for the reports referred to by Superintendent Reynolds, both among the county archives and the state archives, but can find none of them. The earliest paper we have found is dated October 18, 1844, signed by John Gilliland, chairman of the board of inspectors for Wapello township, and is directed to the clerk of the district court, and states that the township has been divided into four school districts and that the board of directors of District No. 1 had reported as follows: "That the whole number of persons between the ages of five and twenty-one years in said district is [14. There has been no school taught during the time the district has been organized, under the cognizance of such directors, consequently no report of any teacher." The directors of District No. I also report that they had received no money for any purpose or from any source. Mr. Gilliland states that no report had been filed with the township clerk from any of the other districts in Wapello township.
We find another paper of the date October 19, 1845, signed by Mr. Gilliland. being a report similar to the last, in which he states the number of school dis- tricts in the township to be four and that only one had been organized, being District No. 1, and that the whole number of scholars between five and twenty- one were eighty-six, number attending school seventy-four. time school had been taught nine months, and that $100 had been raised in the district for the purpose of building a schoolhouse. The books used in the school were MeGuffey's first. second, third and fourth readers, Smith & Kirkham's grammar and "divers other books."
Under date of February 27. 1847. James Helverson, township clerk, reports for Florence township that the whole township had been organized into Districts Nos. 1. 3. 5, 6, 7 and 9. This report gives the names of the officers as follows :
No. I-David Donaldson, moderator ; William H. Creighton, director ; Frank S. Burt, assessor.
No. 3-David Craig. moderator; Samuel Smith, director ; William McClure, assessor.
No. 5-Garrett B. Garrison, moderator ; Merit Jamison, director ; Joseph Ogle, assessor.
No. 6-John Davenport. director : other officers not reported.
No. 7-Charles Hunt, moderator ; Samuel Grubb, director ; John R. Mickey, assessor.
No. 9-John Wilson, moderator : James Helverson, director; David Lee, as- sessor.
Florence township had also elected school inspectors, they being John Wil- son, Cicero Hamilton and James Helverson.
We find a report made by James Helverson to Oliver Benton, school fund commissioner of the county, which seems to have been made in January. 1848, and gives in detail the number of persons of school age in the districts of Flor- ence township, Nos. 1, 3. 5, 7 and 9 aggregating 255. He reports that he had re- ceived $110.34 for school purposes and had paid to W. R. Scott, a qualified teacher who taught in District No. 9 in the fall and winter of 1846-7, $20.80. The num- ber of persons of school age in District No. 9 was given at 59.
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HISTORY OF LOUISA COUNTY
It appears from a report made by Lewis Kinsey, township clerk, in October, 1846, that District No. 1 in Wapello township had been organized and that $304 had been raised in the district for the purpose of purchasing lots, erecting a schoolhouse, furnishing the same, etc.
We find the following report from the school inspector of Wapello township for 1847: "Number of persons between the ages of five and twenty-one as shown by the reports of school directors: District No. 1. 1TO; District No. 2, 57; Dis- trict No. 3. 40; District No. 4. 31. Total, 238.
"District No. 5 has been attached. a part of it, to School District No. 6, and the remainder to District No. 7 in Florence township.
"District No. I has sustained a school by subscription for the last six months. Average number in attendance say thirty-five ; perhaps forty.
"From the other districts I have no information touching their statistics. There is no school money in my hands.
"FRANCIS SPRINGER, "School Inspector Wapello Township.
"To Oliver Benton, Esq., Fund Commissioner Louisa County, Iowa."
Another interesting paper is one entitled. "Account of Election Held in School District No. 5. Wapello Township. Louisa County, lowa." signed by Jesse Vanhorn, clerk. It appears from this paper that Jesse Vanhorn, John N. Baldridge and John H. Nichols requested O. Benton, moderator of the board of directors, to call a meeting of the voters in District No. 5, to take a vote whether or not a tax should be levied for the purpose of building a schoolhouse in said district, and that in accordance with that request the moderator caused advertise- ments to be put up, one on the schoolhouse. one at Robert Nichols, and one on the Washington road, stating that such vote should be taken at the house of Robert Nichols on February 12, at five o'clock p. m.
It also appears that on that date in accordance with a notice a meeting was held, attended by Robert Nichols, John H. Nichols, John N. Baldridge, Jesse Vanhorn, Robert Coulter, James Colter, James Davison, Joseph S. Benton and Oliver Benton, and that it was unanimously voted to levy a schoolhouse tax of $250.
On October Ist. 1848, George W. McCleary, school inspector of Wapello township, reported to the fund commissioner. His report shows that school liad been taught in each of the five districts. Figures for No. I are as follows : Persons of school age, 125; time school has been taught, fifteen months; num- ber of pupils. 177 : aggregate cost. $429. all paid by voluntary subscription.
The figures for No. 5 are as follows: Persons of school age, 30; time school had been taught, one and a half months; number of pupils, 28; aggregate cost, $9. all of which had been raised by voluntary subscription.
The figures for Nos. 2. 3 and 4 do not vary a great deal from those of No. 5. except that in each of those three districts the amount paid was greater and there seem to have been more schools.
We find a report from Columbus City township made by John Cleaves, school inspector, marked 1847. in which he gives the number of school children in the township at 443; those who have attended school at 191 ; and states that $101.30
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of the public funds had been expended and that $116.37 had been raised by vol- untary subscription.
In a small book kept by Oliver Benton, school fund commissioner, we find a copy of a report made by Samuel Townsend, collector and treasurer of the county, dated February 15, 1848, made to Mr. Benton, showing the amount of money collected "up to February 15, 1848, for school purposes," as follows: On taxes, 1846. $23.67; on taxes, 1847, $168.85; proceeds of estrays, $18; proceeds fines from justices of the peace, $20; total, $230.52, less commission one per cent, $2.30 ; balance, $228.22.
Next we find recorded the disposition of this money as made by the school fund commissioner. His book shows that there were in the six districts of Columbus City township, 443 persons over five and under twenty-one; in Flor- ence township, 285 ; in Wapello township in four districts, 238; in Jefferson town- ship, 192, in four districts; in Grandview township, 169 in three districts; in Fredonia township, So in two districts, making a total of 1,407 scholars. Be- fore distributing this money, the fund commissioner deducted his two per cent, leaving $223.66 to distribute. This amounted to a trifle less than sixteen cents for each scholar and was apportioned among the different townships accordingly, Columbus City township getting $70.43. Fredonia township, $12.72, and the others in proportion.
It appears that this distribution was examined into and approved by E. Jones, inspector of Grandview township, G. L. Coe, inspector of Jefferson township. and J. Helverson, inspector of Florence township.
On February 21, 1849. Treasurer Samuel Townsend reports to School Fund Commissioner Benton the following school money collected : On tax lists, $277.50: fines, $7.50, a total of $285, and deducting one per cent leaves a balance of $282.15.
The school fund commissioner's book shows that at the time of his appor- tionment in 1849 the reports of the inspectors of the several townships, made the total number of persons of school age in the county 1.588, and here are the items showing the money which he apportioned. From interest on permanent fund apportioned to Louisa county, $238.20; from Louisa county, being amount im- properly paid into county funds and belonging to the school fund, $148.53: re- ceived from the county treasurer, $282.15; total, $668.88, and this was divided among the various townships as follows :
Columbus City, 455 persons $191.62
Florence, 281 persons 118.32
Wapello, 258 persons 108.66
Grandview, 236 persons 99.40
Jefferson, 217 persons 91.40
Fredonia, 141 persons 59.48
The apportionment for March, 1850, was made on the reports from various townships, showing 1,735 persons of school age and the amount to be appor- tioned was $891.58, $589.90 of which was from the interest on the permanent school fund. The remainder was mostly. from taxes. At the time of the appor- tionment in 1848 there were twenty-four organized districts in the county ; when
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the apportionment was made in 1849 there were thirty-four such districts, and in 1850 there were forty-four.
In the same book from which the foregoing items have been taken is recorded the report of Dennis Williams, county treasurer, of school moneys collected during the year ending February 15, 1851, showing $485.46. about $65 of which seems to have come from estrays and fines, and the balance from taxes levied in 1840. 1847. 1849, 1850, much the greater part of it coming from the taxes of the year 1850. It appears from this book that before the time for making the apportionment for 1851 other fines had been collected, some by the prosecuting attorney and some by the treasurer, and that the total amount to be opportioned was $1,405.16, and that there were forty-six school districts organized, having 1.932 persons of school age.
In March, 1852, there were forty-seven organized districts in the county, having 2,310 persons of school age. and the amount to be distributed was $1,251.67. The amount received from taxes this year was $575-75. being the largest amount thus far received from taxes in any one year, but the fines collected for this year fell much short of those for the previous year.
At the time of the apportionment in 1853, the report showed forty-eight or- ganized districts, with 2.379 persons of school age, and $1.786 to be apportioned among them. The amount received from the county treasurer for taxes collected this year was $681.75. An examination of the reports made by the secretaries of the various school districts for the year 1852 shows that there were forty-nine school districts organized and that there had been thirty-six school houses built. In forty-three districts school had been taught. In districts where there was no schoolhouse it was the custom for the teacher to contract to do the teaching and furnish room and fuel for a certain specified amount. In one or two cases this fact is reported by the secretary. but it has been learned from other sources that this was the case in several organized districts which had no schoolhouse.
It may be interesting to know how the amounts raised by voluntary subscrip- tion compared in the year 1852 with the amount received under the apportion- nient. The items we give are from the reports for 1852. In District No. I. Wapello township, two schools were taught, one by a male teacher and the other by a female teacher, whose names are not given. The male teacher re- ceived $30 per month and taught one hundred and seventy days. The female teacher received $15 per month and taught one hundred days. The amount paid out of the teachers' fund was $40, and from voluntary subscription, $305. In this district there was a frame schoolhouse that cost $400. In District No. 2, in Wapello township. Harrison Robinson taught sixty-five days at $16 per month, and Adela Williams taught fifty-seven days at $13.75 per month. The amount paid from the teacher's fund was $53-331 3 and from voluntary subscription, $36.662/3. In the six organized districts of Wapello township there were six male and six female teachers, each teaching on an average of about sixty days. There were 506 persons of school age, and the average attendance is given at 192. The amount paid from teachers' fund was $241.95 and from voluntary subscrip- tion. $538.71 ; average wages of male teachers $20.22 per month, of the female teachers, $8.84 per month.
In eleven organized districts of Columbus City township this same year the reports show 602 persons of school age, the average attendance, 255, the amount paid from teachers' fund. $397.26 and from voluntary subscription. $368.81.
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Most of the reports show the kind and cost of the schoolhouses and the ma- jority reported this year were either log or frame, but Jefferson No. I reports a brick schoolhouse, costing $572, and Florence No. 4 reports a brick schoolhouse, costing $275. Very few of the reports show any contingent expenses. Colonel W. W. Garner, secretary of District No. 3, in Columbus City township, under the head of contingent expenses reports that the officers worked free and paid all expenses. In his report of 1854 Colonel Garner says on the subject of con- tingent expenses "officers worked free of charge and paid contingent expenses. in the bargain, for the honor of the office."
In the report of State Superintendent Thomas H. Benton for the year 1850, we find the following list giving the names of the school teachers reported in Louisa county for that year, with the ages of those who seem to have been willing to give that information : J. N. Sellers, age 21 ; J. T. Hall, 38; W. N. Toundrow, 30 ; Riley Case. 33; John Cleaves, 35; William Taylor, 25; E. W. Ellsworth, 47; M. E. Blue ; J. Wilson, 65; S. P. Devenport, 23; D. P. Curran, 22; C. Herrick, 42: T. B. Brown, 27; S. Mosby 18; J. B. Grubb, 33; M. Red, 18; J. Paschal, 20 : E. Jacobs ; J. F. McClellan ; J. Sprague, 31 ; J. Keeler, 26; E. Doder, 18; V. Willoughby ; S. A. Demott; S. Creighton; O. B. Donaldson ; S. McBride, 26; M. Gibson, 18.
According to this same report there was paid to teachers in the state during the year ending October Ist, 1850, from the teachers' fund, $20,009.16, and from vol- untary subscription, $16,805.02, making a total in the state of $36,814.18. In Louisa county' the amount paid from teachers' fund was $637.53, and from voluntary subscription, $546.68, making a total of $1,184.21. It appears also that there was raised in the state during this year by taxation about $34,000 for school purposes, chiefly for the building of schoolhouses, and that the amount raised in Louisa county was $1,090.
It may be interesting to know that the library in the office of the state superin- tendent of public instruction had its beginning in 1848, with three books con- tributed by three different individuals, and that Colonel W. W. Garner of this county was one of the number, and contributed "The Revised School Laws of Ohio."
It is perhaps not generally known that we once had a contested election case in reference to the office of county superintendent. At the election in April, 1858, J. B. Brigham and Rev. W. R. Woodruff were the opposing candidates for this office but for some reason, which does not appear in the returns, the vote of Columbus City township was thrown out. .
Mr. Woodruff had carried Columbus City township by good majority but by throwing this out Brigham had five majority in the county. Mr. Woodruff con- tested the election, the judges being Joseph L. Derbin, county judge, Dr. Wil- liam S. Robertson, chosen by Mr. Woodruff, and Dr. H. T. Cleaver chosen by Mr. Brigham. We find among the old papers the decision of the judges, which is as follows :
"We, the undersigned judges in the case of \V. R. Woodruff vs. J. B. Brigham contesting the election for county superintendent of schools at the April election, 1858, do find from the evidence that the returns of said election were not only irregular and defective in form but that the county board erred in returning
Vol. 1-26
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those poll books for correction,-as we conceive without authority of law and therefore give it as our judgment that the election for county superintendent of public instruction should be set aside.
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