USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 10
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
gentlemen already mentioned, were N. W. Garretson and John McLeod. Sr .. W. W. MeKnight, B. F. Roberts and J. J. Hutchings. The work of organiza- tion was soon finished and a convention was called, to meet in the Methodist Church, for the purpose of nominating a county ticket. At this convention MI. L .. McPherson was nominated for senator, B. F. Roberts for representative and H. J. B. Cummings for attorney. At the election the ticket was successful and in November Fremont carried the county over Buchanan by a majority of sixty-one. Many exciting campaigns have been fought out in Madison County, notably in the days of the greenback party, still vivid in the memory of many now living, but it is questioned if there ever was a more exciting campaign than this. The republican meetings in Winterset were mainly held in the old stone Christian Church. The democrats, on one occasion. tried to get the Methodist Church and the trustees, not giving their consent, they undertook to take possession anyway, and there resulted a great tumult at the doors, but through the great valor of one Mr. Shannon, who emulated "Horatius at the bridge," the crowd was kept out and had to seek other quarters. There was a spellbinder sent here by the State Republican Committee, whose name is for- gotten, but who is said to have been an orator of unusual ability, and through his eloquence converts were made by the score. Colonel Cummings and M. L. McPherson also stumped the county during the campaign.
In those days the spring elections were of about as much importance as the fall elections. The following editorial from the Jowa Pilot, the first paper pub- lished in Winterset, dated March 27, 1857. is pertinent :
"Our fellow citizens will bear in mind that next Monday week is the day for holding the spring elections. There are several important officers to be chosen, among which are one district judge, one superintendent of public instruc- tion, commissioner of Des Moines river improvement, register of state land office, county assessor, and the usual township officers. Below will be found the republican ticket. Let every republican be at the polls and cast his vote and influence for republican men and principles.
"Superintendent of public instruction, L. 11. Bugbee ; commissioner of Des Moines improvement, Edwin Manning ; register of land office, William H. Holmes ; district judge, William M. Stone; county assessor, E. S. MeCarty."
In the issue of the same paper, dated Angust 22, 1857. the following official directory from which it appears that a majority of republicans were elected, is noticed :
"County judge, John A. Pitzer; senator, M. L. MePherson; representative. B. F. Roberts; treasurer and recorder, 1. M. Tidrick; district clerk, William Pursell; prosecuting attorney, D. J. B. Cummings : sheriff. William Combs.'
The same issue of the Pilot stated :
"The city council are particularly lenient to hogs and dogs. From the official ordinance in another column it will be seen that they, that is the hogs and dogs. not the councilmen, have the freedom of the city extended till the first day of October. They should have a mass meeting on the public square and adopt a vote of thanks as an expression of their gratitude to their illustrious governors. In this prairie country dumb brutes have sense enough to keep in close quarter- when cold weather begins."
COLONEL II. I. B. CUMMINGS
Came to Madison County in 1856 and was one of the organizers of the republican party in the county in that year; colonel of the Thirty ninth Jowa Regiment; served in Congress, being elected in 1876; was connected with the Madisonian for a period of twenty years. Ile was the father of Mrs. Laura JJ. Miller, and passed away a few years ago.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
The campaign of 1858 seems to have been a very exciting one for an off year. In the issue of the Madisonian of September 4th there is a call for the formation of a republican club. The call is supplemented by an appeal to the republican voters to "jine," from which the following extract is taken :
"What say you republicans? Let us have an institution that will be an honor to the republican party of Madison County. Start the ball in motion and do not fear but that it can be kept rolling. Let the hypocrisy, treason, bribery, corrup- tion and profligacy of the sham democracy be exposed until they cry enough."
And again : "We hope the republicans of the various townships will do their duty in securing large audiences at the several places where Judge Stone and Prosecuting Attorney Cummings have appointments to speak."
The same paper has a call for the county convention to nominate a county ticket. The various townships, of which there were then thirteen, were entitled to forty-two delegates. The call was signed by Fred Mott, J. M. Browne, J. J. Hutchings, William Jones and H. J. B. Cummings as county central committee.
During this campaign there was a heated contest between William Pursell, for the office of county clerk, and Doctor Bevington, his democratic competitor. One Saturday, just prior to the election, Doctor Bevington learned that the records in Pursell's office were considerably behind and made arrangements to take a man with him to examine them the following Monday. Colonel Cummings, who was out at Big Grove that day making a political speech, did not get home till after night and found Pursell anxiously awaiting his return. He had been informed by a particular friend of the intended raid on his office and did not know what to do. Cummings was a strict Presbyterian, who put great stress on the observ- ance of the Sabbath day, but he was also an ardent republican and wanted to see his party succeed. After deliberating over the matter for some time he decided to help save his party, although at the expense of his religious principles. So he agreed to lock himself in the clerk's office on Sunday, and help Pursell straighten out the records. The two put in a twelve-hour day on those records, and on the following Monday, when Doctor Bevington and his committee arrived, they found the records all correct and up-to-date. Doctor Bevington was elected, but always thought some one had lied on Pursell.
From 1860 till the present time Madison County has been republican, and much credit for this condition is due to the energetic manner in which the party was organized and managed during the first few years of its existence.
CHAPTER IX
EDUCATIONAL
The first school taught in Madison County was in that part of it allotted to Union Township, in 1847-8. The school was, of course and by necessity, main- tained by subscription, the county being not yet organized. Mrs. Polly Case, wife of Amos Case, was the first teacher. Elsewhere some information is given con- cerning this family. The school term was three months, and the compensation agreed upon was St per month, per scholar. The log buikling in which the school was held was one of two cabins, built near each other in the heavy timber by Case and his father-in-law, Hinkle, in the fall of 1846. During the fall of 1847 these pioneers built another cabin for Hinkle, some distance north, into which he moved. It was in the cabin vacated by linkle that Mrs. Case taught school. In size the structure was twelve feet square and was built of unhewn oak logs, with "chink" and clay mortar between. There was the regulation "stick chimney" and fireplace. The roof was of universal "A" design, having clap- boards and heavy pole weights to hold them in place. Other details were a puncheon floor, a puncheon door fastened with a string; it had a wooden latch and was hung by wooden hinges. There were three long puncheon seats, sup- ported by legs of two-inch saplings. One of the seats was used for the recitations. The teacher had no desk or seat. A short puncheon writing desk was supported by two pins driven into holes bored into one of the logs. A window having six panes of 8x10 glass furnished a moiety of light. By having a good fire, the door was left open, or partly open, and by this arrangement the pupils could see their books. Being surrounded by heavy timber. there was no wind to bother ; besides, the winter was a mild one.
The term began the first Monday in December. 1847, and continued twelve weeks, during which time, spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic were taught. A home-made ink was used, made out of wild berries, hulls of walnuts, or the bark of trees. Lunches mostly consisted of corn bread ( there was no flour in the country at all), or fried mush, sometimes cold potatoes, wild fruits, cold pork and venison, plenty of wild honey and maple syrup. Those seemingly half wild children of the forest and prairie had great abundance of appetite and food. Theirs was the "simple life" we read about ; theirs were health and great endurance.
No specially important event marked the history of this school. During the noon hour the children roamed about and through the woods they knew so well, and frequently the larger boys were tardy when "called to books." But this was no serious offense unless they were out too long. In such cases they might be kept in their seats during the afternoon recess. "Calling books" was done by the teacher pounding on the door, or casing, with a short stick.
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NORTHE WARD SCHOOL, WINTERSET
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
The names of the pupils attending this initial school were: Francis Marion, Samuel Houston, Mary and Elizabeth Guye, David Reece, Daniel, Levi and Mary Bowman, Nancy and Hiram Beedle, a daughter of a Mr. Brownfield, Moses Hinkle, Lorena Harris. They were children respectively of Samuel Guye, Leonard Bowman and John R. Beedle. Concerning the others, Brownfield's first name nor the name of his daughter have been obtained; Moses Hinkle was a brother of the teacher. Lorena Harris was an adopted daughter of Mrs. Case and later became the wife of George W. Guye.
SOME EARLY SCHOOL LAWS
The act of January 15, 1849, concerning school officers and examination of teachers, which was in effect the first year of the organization of Madison County and remained in effect the next few years, provided as follows :
"In each organized school district there shall be elected on the first Monday in May of each year one president, one secretary and one treasurer, who shall constitute a board of directors.
"The board shall employ all teachers, shall not overdraw the teachers' fund but if it be short of enough to pay amount due the teacher at the agreed upon rate per month, the balance shall be paid by the persons sending pupils in such manner as agreed upon by the teacher and the board.
"Before employing any teacher the board shall examine or cause to be ex- amined such person in spelling, reading, writing, arithmetic, geography, history of the United States and English grammar, and if found qualified, may employ him."-Iowa Code, 1850.
The county school fund commissioner was invested with power to divide unorganized territory into school districts or to change boundaries of existing districts upon petition of two-thirds of the legal voters of the territory in interest. -Iowa Code, 1850.
School age was between five and twenty-one years, as now. But persons of any color other than white were wholly excluded from the public school system. On the other hand, no person other than white was taxed for public school purposes.
FIRST SCHOOL DISTRICTS CREATED IN THE COUNTY
In 1849 the county was divided into three townships, Union, Center and South ; the former on the north, and the other two as their names indicate. The townships were divided into school districts during the first half of the year 1849 and the districts were numbered from one upward. September 15th of that year there were four school districts in Union, five in Center and four in South. Enumeration of all white persons was required in each district between Sep- tember 15th and October Ist. Colored persons then were excluded and even exempt from paying taxes in support of schools. From the reports that remain on file, have been gathered the following information concerning the schools of the county on the ist day of October, 1849, and the names of those within school age (boundary lines do not appear). Each school district had a board of
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
directors, the secretary of which made an annual report to the school fund commissioner, who was .A. D. Jones.
In District No. 1, Union (now ) Township, the board was composed of James Brown, who then lived on section 36, in what is now Jefferson Town- ship: David Cracraft, on the northeast of section 9, in Union; Major Farris. who lived on the southwest part of section 10. Union Township, was secretary of the board and as such certified the enumeration. Names of those of school age were: Nancy, Hiram and Abraham Beedle; Emeline, Eli, Reuben, Milton. Rosa, Mary and Julia Ann Cracraft ; Harriet and Lewis Wilhoit : Wesley Monroe Moore ; Joseph, Samuel, Sarah, Thomas, John, William and James Riley Brown : James Clemmons. This district included the east half of Union, north of Cedar. and all the county east and north.
In District No. 2, Union Township. Leonard Bowman was president of the board and lived on the southwest part of section 5; Thomas M. Boyles, secretary lived on the southwest part of section 17; and William Sturman, treasurer, on the northeast part of section 9, all in Union Township. The secretary filed 110 list, but certified there were twenty-six persons of school age in No. 2. It is presumed this district embraced the west half of Union and all the county north of it.
District No. 3 had for its president of the board Claiborne Pitzer, who lived on section 16: William Combs, secretary, on section 14: and Jacob Combs, treas- urer, west and south of William Forbes, all in what is now Douglas Township. The names of those within school age were: Elizabeth, Matilda, Nancy. Lititia, Lucy Ann and Lucinda Brinson; Leander, Asbury, Martitia, Nancy and Craw- ford McCarty; Hiram, Amanda, Perry M., Noah S., Aaron V. and Rebecca Barns; Henry F., Fletcher B., Emory W., Sarah P., Newton B. and Samuel C. Pitzer; Hiram and George W. Baum; Barbara. Benjamin, Lucinda and Sarah Jane Combs.
In District No. 4 William Hinshaw was president and AAlfred Rice was seere- tary. His home was on the edge of Madison Township, where Jake Trester afterward located. Nimrod Taylor, the treasurer, lived near the Rice place. Those of school age were: Silas and Rebecca R. Hinshaw; William, John, Elizabeth and David Taylor : Eliza Jane, Samuel J., John, David and Elam Rice : Stepton Brewer.
The school board of Center Township. District No. 1, was composed of Charles Wright, president, who lived on Middle River, a little southwest of Winterset ; William Harmon, secretary, and David Vancil, treasurer, both of whom lived near the "Backbone." The children within school age were: Mary, Francis and Martha Wright; Joseph, William, Lewis, Louisa and Marinda Ellen Thornburg: Francis M. Moore: Julian, Margaret and Martha Ansley : Sarah Ellen and Francis A. Skidmore: Charles, Isaac. Elizabeth and Lydia Vancil: Lorenzo, George 1 ... Amanda Caroline, Lineville M., John H., Nancy Jane and Tilman G. Harmon.
In District No. 2 the board's members were: Enos Berger, president, who lived in Winterset ; Samuel B. Casebier, secretary. He lived near Winterset on the east; and Daniel Chenoweth, who lived about a mile south of Winterset.
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HIGH SCHOOL, ST. CHARLES Erected in 1913
1
PUBLIC SCHOOL BUILDING, ST. CHARLES Building used for a school from 1877 until 1913. Rear wing built in 1877; front wing built in 1886. Torn away in 1913
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
The enumeration list for this district is missing, the one of all greatly to be desired. This district included Winterset and territory around it.
In District No. 3 were J. C. Casebier, president, who lived next north of the Theo Cox farm; John Butler, secretary, with residence on section 29 in (now) Union ; and David D. Henry, treasurer, who lived on section 20, in (now ) Union. The secretary certified there were fifty-three children of school age. This district probably embraced the territory between Cedar and Middle River, in (now ) Union, from a mile east of Winterset, to Tileville.
The members of the board in District No. 4 were Henry McKinzie, president, who lived on the northwest quarter of section 16, now Scott Township; David Bishop, secretary, on the northwest quarter of section 22, now Scott Township; 110 treasurer given. Those of school age were: Miles N. Casebier, Louisa Sim- mons, Elizabeth E., Daniel, Thomas, Aaron, Ann, Emeline, Mahala and Caroline McKinzie; Anna, James and Mary Crawford; Louisa, Rebecca, Joseph and Pelina Thornburg: Thomas M., Mary Margaret, David J., William Sidney, John, Matilda Ellen and Daniel Wilkinson ; John, William, Washington, Edward, James and Nancy Jane Iliggins; Henry McJohnson; Jesse N., Mary Jane and Nancy Caroline Fleener. This district seems to have embraced all of (now) Scott Township, west of Fleener's Branch.
The board in District No. 5: Daniel Newberry, president ; lived south and east of McClellan's on the bottom; George W. Mcclellan, secretary ; and Calvin Randall, treasurer. Those of school age were: Samuel, William, Elias G., Katy Jane and Joseph Mendenhall : Mary Katharine Steward. Probably this district included the territory comprising Union Township east of Tileville, between Cedar and Middle River.
South Township, District No. 1 : Levi Bishop, president ; John Vanhouten, secretary, who lived on section 34 in (now ) Union Township; and Nathan Viney. Those of school age were: Lewis, Linza, Sally, Jane and Verlina Graves; Mary and Edward Carl: James Berchert ; Minerva, Robert and Louisa Viney ; Josiah, John, Bertha and Sarepta Bishop; Joseph B. and Mary A. Whited ; James Irving, William, Hulda and Sarilda Ann Harbert; Hester Ann, Winnie, Benjamin and Emeline Bishop; David, Peter and John J. Vanhouten. This dis- trict included all of (now) Scott Township, east of Fleener's Branch to (now) South Township.
District No. 2: David S. Smith, president; Seth Adamson, secretary ; and William Smith, treasurer. Those of school age were: Huldah, Mary J., Aaron M., Solomon W. and Sarah E. Adamson ; James T., John J., Eleanor, Thomas T., Joshua, Colista, William T. and Permelia E. Cason ; John S. A., Barton W. S., Permelia A. U., James S. M., Benjamin P. B. and Elizabeth D. E. Essley ; John W., George W., Mary M. and Benjamin A. Worley; Milton M., Lorenzo W., William T. and Armelda A. Smith.
District No. 3: President not given : Norval S. Allcock, secretary ; lived where the Town of Hanly now is; treasurer, not given. Those of school age were : Margaret S., John J., Lorenzo W., Frances E. and James H. Allcock; John W., James H., Jacob H., Eveline E. and Elvina M. Simmerman : Joel, Nancy, Wil- liam, Isaac W., Moses E., George, Thomas N., William W., Charles F., John C., Lucinda, Sarah M. and Rachel Clanton ; Louisa J., Rachel C., Sarah E., Nancy E. Vol 1- 6
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
and Cynthia Ann Clark ; George W., Granville .A., Lucinda, William C., Mary J., Lucy Ann, Sarah L. and Elizabeth R. Smith ; Lucinda E., Orlema J. and Jesse M. Hail: Wily, Henry A., Martin S., Frederick, Sarah E., Marvinda and Heze- kiah Stagerwalt. This district about included (now ) South Township, and Ohio except along Jones Creek.
District No. 4: Iliram llurst, president ; Mathew W. Jones, secretary ; and Nathan Bass, treasurer. The school election was held at the house of Andrew Hart, who was chairman of the meeting, and Mathew W. Jones, secretary. Four voters were present-Hart, Hurst, Jones and Bass. Hurst and Bass had each four votes and Jones three. The secretary was careful to report "no opposition to the candidates." Those of school age were: Leroy, Ambrose P' .. Thomas J., Norman, Michael and Nancy E. Nunn; John M. Hurst ; John, Caleb and Mary E. Rollins; Andrew Jackson and William Hart; Francis and Mary E. Stark ; William J. Dority ; Lemuel, William and Wilson Dorrell; George Head; Gillam. Mary, Henry and Nancy J. Peters ; William, Elizabeth, Emeline and John Jones ; Joseph, Elisha, William, Christopher, Elizabeth and John Trimble.
A. D. Jones, school fund commissioner of the county, summarizes the school enumeration of the county, as of date October 1, 1849, being the first school enumeration of the county, as follows :
Union Township, District No. 1-21; No. 2-26; No. 3 -- 29; No. 4-12; total, 88.
Center, No. 1-25; No. 2-29; No. 3-53: No. 4-34; No. 5-6; total, 147. South, No. 1-28; No. 2-27; No. 3-46; No. 4-32 (33) : total, 133 (134). Grand total of children in the county of school age, October 1, 1849, 368.
Nothing remains in the records to show there were any schools taught in the county during the summer of 1849. Up to this time but one house had been built in the county for school purposes, and that one stood some distance north- east of the present "Buffalo" schoolhouse in Scott Township, elsewhere de- scribed. It was erected by volunteer labor in the early summer of 1848. Existing conditions were not conducive to school attendance. Children old enough to go considerable distances, necessary in sparsely settled communities, were large enough to fight weeds in the fields.
The records show no report for the year 1850.
There appears to have been no enumeration of children of school age in the several districts of the county filed with the school fund commissioner, but instead, a certified report of the number was made by the secretary of each district to that officer for the year ending October 1, 1851. From these reports, which agree in form only in that each gives the total number of those of school age and all but one or two written on small scraps of foolscap paper, the following is quoted :
Union Township, District No. 1: The secretary failed to sign his name. He gave the heads of families and the number of children in cach family of school age as follows: James Farris 3. James Brown 7, Charles Farris 1. Vincent Brown 1, Lewis Adams 1, Anderson Moore 2, Abraham Mitchell 1, Samuel Folwell 3, John R. Beedle 3. John B. Sturman t, Greenbery Ridinour 1, David Barrow 4: total, 28. This report is excellently written and it is supposed there- fore that David Barrow wrote it, for he was by far the best penman in that
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
portion of the county for years. No. 2, Secretary N. W. Guiberson reports 50. No. 3. Secretary W. Hopkins reports 44. No. 4 of last year became a part of a new township.
Center Township, District No. 1: Secretary William Harmon reports 44. No. 2, Secretary J. K. Evans reports 76 and one (subscription ) school taught. No. 3. Secretary John Butler reports 61 and further says: A 3-months school taught by John C. Bird, aged 20 years, born in Ohio, average cost per day 61/2 cents (per scholar), $22 paid out of school funds and $23 by those sending to said school; branches taught were spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic; books used were Webster's Elementary Spelling Book, McGuffy's First Reader. Third and Fourth Eclectic Readers, Briggs Penmanship and Davis Arithmetic. No. 4. Secretary Daniel Campbell reports 83, one school taught 42 days, at $16 per month, and 20 pupils enrolled. The teacher was Abner Bell, whose age was 27. He was born in Ohio; paid $16 out of teachers' fund and $16 by volun- teer subscription. No. 5, Secretary W. R. King reports 10.
South Township, District No. I: Secretary Royal Uran reports 43. No school in district; no schoolhouse; $10.50 teachers' fund on hand; no school tax. No. 2: Secretary Thomas Cason reports 37; no school taught ; "no aggre- gate amount paid teachers;" "no library nor volumes ;" $22.06 school money on hand; one schoolhouse "and it was built by the citizens"; no school tax levied. No. 3: Secretary David Fife reports 61 ; one school taught by Oliver H. Perry, aged 21, born in Ohio. Thirty-nine pupils in attendance; 1 wood (log) school- house ; average attendance during school term was 141/2; books used in school were United States Primer, Webster's Elementary Spelling Book; McGuffy's First, Second and Third Readers, Goodrich's First Reader, Child's Easy Reader, "Young Man Away From Home," "Life of General Marion ;" Ray's Mental and 2d Part Arithmetic, Kirkham's Grammar, Olney's and also Morse's Geography. The secretary's report is on blue unruled paper 12x30 inches, elaborately ruled. No. 4: Secretary Millen Hunt reports 26 pupils and $27.05 teachers' funds on hand.
Madison Township, District No. 1: Secretary Jacob Fry reports 17, and their names as follows: Henry, Fletcher, Emory, Samuel and Newton Pitzer ; Thomas Anderson; John, Samuel, Edwin and Voorhes Fry ; Sarah and Embery Pitzer; Ann, Mary, Jane, Amanda and Rody Fry ; John Kellum.
Walnut Township, District No. 1: Secretary J. W. Guiberson reports 21. September 13th, a district meeting at which a site was selected on which to build a schoolhouse. Adjourned to meet again October 4th, to arrange for its building.
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