USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 37
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John Mclaughlin and family in 1854. John came from Wisconsin and was the father of Michael MeLaughlin, of Lee, and John, of Winterset. He has been dead many years.
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John Ryan and family, brothers and sisters, in 1855, from Wisconsin. Mr. Ryan has been dead many years. He was the father of John and William Ryan of this place. The son, John, is now dead but his family lives here.
John Fallon and family came from Pennsylvania in 1855, I believe. John died here many years ago and his family moved west.
John Cunningham and family came from Wisconsin in 1855. Mr. Cunning- ham died a few years ago ; father of Joseph and P. J. of this place.
Tom, James and John Finan, brothers, came in 1855, from Wisconsin ; owned a sawmill north of North River ; also farmed; sold out and moved west. Each of the Finans had families.
John Connor and family came in 1855 from Wisconsin, I think. After a few years he sold out and moved away.
John Manion and wife came from Wisconsin in 1856; sold farm and moved to Des Moines.
John Roddy and family about 1856; sold out and went to Des Moines after a few years.
John Monaghan and family from Wisconsin in 1855; Mr. Monaghan is dead and his family moved away.
We now come to the Irish who lived in Crawford Township south of North River :
Darby Gill and family in 1855 from Canada, I think. Mr. Gill is dead; some of his family have died : some live in Warren County and some in Polk.
Michael Donohue and family in 1855. He is dead and family moved away.
James Gallagher and family in 1855 from Canada; he is dead. His son, James F., lives in Des Moines ; his son Dominick's family live on the old farm.
Pat Swift came in 1855: he is dead and his family is gone.
Frank Cassidy and family came in 1855 from New York City ; he is dead and two of his sons went West. Mrs. M. Mclaughlin, of Lee Township, is his daughter, and two other daughters live in Des Moines.
Patrick Smith and family came from New York City. Mr. Smith came in 1855 and bought his farm, and his wife and children came in 1856. Mr. and Mrs. Smith are dead; they were the parents of Luke A. Smith of this place, and John H. Smith, of Winterset.
Thomas McGarr came from New York City in 1855; remained three or four years, then went to California, where it is believed he died, unmarried. James Gillaspie came here from New York City in the spring of 1856, accom- panied by his wife and other relatives; he is still living on the old home farm.
Charles Walls and family came in 1856; bought and sold four or five farms; lived here until 1874, then returned to New York City. He is long in his grave.
John Harrington and family came in 1856 from New York City. After living here about thirty-five years he traded his farm for Des Moines property. He is dead ; his son, Matthew Harrington, is living in Des Moines.
John Crawley and family came from New York City in 1856; lived on a farm for several years and died. His family sold the farm and moved to Cass County, where some of them are still living.
Michael Loftus and family came here from Canada in 1857. Mr. Loftus died several years ago; his son Mike and several of his daughters are still resi- dents of this place.
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Michael MeGlone and family came from Canada in 1857 ; he is dead and his widow and son Martin still live on the farm.
James Kirby and family came here in 1856 from Pennsylvania; Mr. and Mrs. Kirby are dead: their son, John F., and daughter, Maggie, live on the old farm; William and James, two other sons, live near on farms of their own. Since writing the foregoing William has died.
Patrick Reilly and family came here in 1855 from Canada. He is dead. The farm was sold a few years ago. Ilis son, Patrick, and two daughters, all married. live in Des Moines, and another son, John, lives in Iowa, east of Des Moines. Later, John and family moved to Des Moines.
Darby Carr and family came in 1855: he died : the family after several years moved to Des Moines.
Thomas O'Toole and family came here in 1860 from Des Moines; sold his farm a few years ago and removed to Omaha, Nebraska. Now deceased.
Thomas Durigan and family came here in 1858; lived here for several years. then moved across the line into Warren County, where he died. Some of the Durigan family are still living in Iowa but not on the old farm.
John McDonnell and family came in 1860 from Wisconsin. Mr. McDonnell sold his farm a few years ago and moved to Nebraska, where he died. Ilis son. Dennis, lives in Crawford Township and Thomas in Des Moines.
John Cutler, an early settler in Warren County, settled in this township in the early '50s with his family.
William Kennedy and family came here in 1856 from Philadelphia and after living here for many years moved to California where he died. Mrs. Robert Smith, of South Township, is one of his daughters.
Anderson MeLees and family came here in 1856 from Philadelphia. He died a few years ago in Winterset. John McLees, his son, lives in Lincoln Township : William McLees lives in North Dakota.
Robert McMichael came from Pennsylvania in 1855 or 1856. He died a few years later. His brother, William, came on the farm.
PATTERSON
Patterson lies on the southwest quarter of section 20. Crawford Township. and was laid out by A. W. Wilkinson, surveyor, for Alexander Pattison, March 5. 1872. The intent of the owner was to name the town Pattison, but the name was misspelled when the plat was filed for record and that accounts for it being as it is. The town lies something over seven miles east of Winterset on the Des Moines branch of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and has a popula- tion of about 150. About the year 1800 it had grown in population to the number of 133 and at the next census, in 1900, there were 163 in the town; so that. by the last enumeration, it can be seen that the town has not progressed in the number of its inhabitants. However that may be, it is a good trading point and ships large numbers of cattle and hogs annually.
The first lot in the town was bought in April, 1872, by L. C. Doane. S. B. Catterlin built the first house and a short time thereafter erected a store building, installed a stock of goods, bought in Winterset, and became the pioneer merchant of the place. He kept a general store and for a while conducted a large business. Some time later he took into partnership Henry Griffin.
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As soon as the town had been laid out, H. H. Bass opened a lumber yard and shortly thereafter John W. Ellis had a drug store in operation. Then came Doctor Dorman, who practiced his profession here for some time. It was not long before W. C. Henry put up an elevator, which was later destroyed by fire. Then came Robert McDowell and his son, Newton, who were the first carpenters in the town, and about the same time A. C. Dutton opened up a blacksmith shop.
John Stiffler opened a hardware store about 1873.
In 1877 the Eureka Flour Mill was erected by Alexander Pattison and Thomas Fox. It was a two-story frame, with basement, had four run of stone, with a patent process, and cost about $6,000. The mill was later operated by Pattison & Bell, and in ISSo was destroyed by fire.
The first agent for the railroad company was H. II. Bass. He was succeeded by Alexander Pattison, and for the past twenty-six years T. H. Debord has been in charge of the company's affairs at this point.
The first schoolhouse was built about 1874. It is a frame structure with two rooms and was taught by Thomas J. Ross, principal, and Byrum Bird. Some years later. as the town grew and more space became necessary, an addition was built to the structure so as to provide for three rooms and the same number of teachers. The school is now graded and is an independent district.
The Methodist Episcopal Church organization was an appointment on the St. Charles Circuit until about 1907. The building, a frame, was erected in 1872 at a cost of $1,600. This gave way to a new frame house of worship in the winter of 1914, which was built at a cost of $4,000. It was dedicated early in the year 1915. The pastors of this church since the change from the St. Charles Circuit have been Rev. E. Durant, who served one year; Reverend Rusk, one year ; Arthur Eastman, two years, and the present pastor, Rev. F. V. Warner, who has been in charge the past three years.
Somewhere in the '8os a Christian Church was established here. A house of worship was erected and for some time the society had quite a large membership, but the original members mostly are all gone and no regular pastor has been engaged for some time. Occasionally, services are held in the church by a min- ister from Winterset.
The Baptists were established here and built a church at about the same time as the Methodists. They had a large congregation which has dwindled away until the society is no longer locally intact. Some time ago the building was sold to the lodge of Modern Woodmen, which was organized about the year 1885. The Odd Fellows also have a lodge here and owned their own building, which was burned down about 1902. They now meet in the Woodmen Hall.
Patterson was incorporated October 27, 1877, and at its first election placed the following named persons in office : C. E. Sampson, mayor ; J. W. Ellis, clerk and treasurer; John Stewart. marshal; Alexander Pattison, A. B. Wilder, H. Gratner, James M. Lee, Henry Brown and G. V: Wright, councilmen.
BEVINGTON
Bevington is also a business point in Crawford Township and a part is in Warren County. It has a population of about one hundred and twenty-five. It is twelve miles east of Winterset, on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, and Vol. 1-20
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is located on the south part of the east half of the northeast quarter of section 25. It was laid out on the 19th day of March, 1872. by .A. W. Wilkinson, surveyor, for John Williamson, owner of the land, and was named in honor of Dr. C. D. Bev- ington, one of the leading citizens of Winterset. The first house built in the town was erected by C. Haight in 1872. It afterwards became known as the Bevington llouse. That same fall Felix McManus erected a building and opened a gen- eral merchandise store.
The town is an independent school district, has one teacher and a good frame school building.
Shortly after the town was established the Methodists organized a society and erected a frame church building, but for some years past the organization has not flourished and the church has remained idle for religious purposes.
The Bevington Bank, a private concern, was organized in 1897, by James Watt, L. J. Klemm. J. C. O'Donnell, Jerry Sullivan and Dr. T. F. Kelleher. The officials were: James Watt, president ; 1. J. Klemm, vice president ; J. C. O'Don- nell, cashier ; J. O. Stamen, assistant cashier. J. P. Laughlin has been manager of the bank since July, 1909.
Middle River Camp, No. 680, M. W. A., was instituted March 26, 1891. First officers : T. J. Jones, V. C .; M. Armstrong, W. A. : J. G. Huglin. B .; Zach Turpin, clerk.
CHAPTER XXXVII
WALNUT TOWNSHIP
Walnut Township was formed out of a part of South in 1851 and as originally constituted included the territory of Monroe, Grand River and parts of Webster, Lincoln, Ohio and Scott townships. The township is bounded on the north by Scott, on the south by Clarke County and on the east and west by Ohio and Monroe townships respectively. This region is thoroughly well drained by the two branches of Clanton Creek, which unite within its limits. There is plenty of timber along the streams and an abundant supply of limestone. The surface is rough and uneven in places but the first and second bottoms of Clanton Creek furnish unsurpassed farming land. The soil is a rich dark loam and yields large crops of corn, wheat, oats, hay, potatoes and other products indigenous to this latitude. On Clanton Creek, about a mile and a half east of l'eru, is a peculiarly shaped high ridge of ground known as "Hog's Back," which is some- what similar to the "Devil's Backbone," mentioned in another chapter. It is a steep bluff about one hundred and twenty-five feet high and three-fourths of a mile long. Clanton Creek courses along one side of the ridge and a small stream on the other. This high formation is composed mostly of limestone rock and a peculiar reddish clay, which is often spoken of as "paint clay."
From data now at hand it is determined that the first persons to settle in Walnut Township were John Mars and Tom Carr, who it is said furnished meat to settlers who came later, from hogs running wild at that time, which was probably about the early part of 1848. These hogs, it is presumed, strayed away from the herds of Mormon emigrants passing through Union County on their way to Salt Lake.
The first permanent settlers were the Jams families. Moses Ianis located in the township in 1848 and William Guthrie came the same year. Hugh and Jasper Iams came in 1849; Michael in 1852; Isaac and M. Iams settled on the prairie southwest of Brooklyn in the latter year. They knew the Guibersons in Holmes County, Ohio. William Davis, who came to be known as "Black Hawk" Davis, was a brother-in-law of Moses Iams.
John Guiberson settled south of the Clanton in 1849 and laid out the town of Brooklyn. Isaac Bird, a native of Virginia, married Susanna Williams in the State of Ohio and in 1851 came here and entered 150 acres of land from the Government.
William Guthrie, already mentioned, left Madison County, Ohio, in 1849, and spent the winter in Mahaska County, Iowa. Hc located in this township in the following spring and took up a claim on section 34, where he lived many years and became one of the stanch citizens of the community.
Isaac Reager immigrated from Indiana in 1847 and while at Burlington, lowa,
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married Mary Sutherland. In 1853 he moved to Madison County and located on section 5, in Walnut Township.
Samuel Walker was one of the early settlers of this township, coming in the winter of 1852-3. At the time he had for his neighbors Allen MeClure, John Guiberson, William Rhyno and Joseph Burdick. Mr. Walker has been wont to relate that when he arrived in the township, the few settlers that were here held church at each others homes, and at times were gratified by the expounding of the gospel according to one Rev. Swearengen. John Guiberson was a local preacher and often held forth at the homes of his neighbors.
The Smiths, of whom there were quite a number, became residents of Walnut Township in 1854. There was J. W. Smith with his parents, John and Rebecca Smith : also O. F. Smith, T. P. Smith, J. H. Smith, N. M. Smith, W. C. Smith and a girl, M. E. Smith.
At the time of the advent of the Smith family to this community, there were then living here Allen McClure, John Guiberson, a Mr. Painter, Joseph Burdick. Doc MeGuire and Job Smith and uncle, John Smith, who lived with him during the winter of 1854-55. There was also S. M. Walker. These families are all that lived east and south of the Clanton.
With Isaac Reager, when he came in 1853, were Daniel Baker, wife and two children and John Baker and wife, Margaret. They settled on the homestead now owned by the Baker estate.
Aaron IJiatt, who founded old Peru, a North Carolinian, left his Indiana farm in the spring of 1851 and settled in Oskaloosa, where he married his second wife. In October of that year, Mr. Hiatt with his bride, located on section 3 in this township. He passed away a few years ago at the age of eighty-eight.
Benjamin F. Brown was one of the early settlers, coming in 1851. In 1853 he started with Aaron Hiatt in the management of a sawmill near Peru. A few years later he turned his attention to farming on his place adjoining old Peru. In 1873 he removed to Redfield, Jowa, where he erected a large touring mill which is still in operation and later went to Camas, Washington, where he ended his days.
Nathaniel Foster, of the Buckeye State, located on section 6, in 1854.
Lewis Mease settled in the township in the spring of 1857, and Marsha Cor- nelison in 1858. Nicholas Schoenenberger was here as early as 1855.
Other early settlers who came in the '50s were Jacob Brown, brother of Benjamin F. Brown, James Emerson, the Marshalls, John Emerson, the McClures, Drakes, Burdicks, Alexander Lorimor, who built the first steam sawmill in the township ; the Hiltons, Fivecoats, Flanigans, Paul Jones, Tiltons and Fowlers.
In May, 1855, William ( Black Hawk) Davis, county surveyor, platted the Town of Brooklyn, on section 14, for John Guiberson, and soon thereafter Gui- berson opened a general store at the place. A man by the name of Mills from Indianola also had a small store there for a while. Leo Nunn set up a black- sinith shop in the hamlet. ( See article on postoffices. )
Of Methodism in Walnut Township, Isaac Reager, one of the founders of the society in this locality, prepared in 1905 the following interesting details :
"In the spring of 1855 my wife and self, with Ransom Bishop and wife, arranged to have meetings on Sundays every two weeks, at our homes turn about. Meetings were conducted most of the time by exhorters. The preacher in charge
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CHRISTIAN CHURCH, EAST PERU
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, EAST PERU
SCENE IN PERU
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of the Winterset mission, Rev. Richard Swearengen, preached occasionally. In the latter part of August, 1855, Reverend Swearengen formally organized the society into a class. According to the records, sixteen members united with the church on that day, of which the following are the names of those now living : Mrs. Jane Gregory, of Bethel; Mrs. Fanny Baker, of Winterset ; Mrs. Polina Vorse, of Ringgold County; Mrs. Rachel Reager, of Norcatur, Kansas, and myself. Those that have died are as follows: Joseph Quinn and wife, Mary Quinn. James Quinn, William Quinn, Elizabeth Bishop. Andrew Reager and wife, Joseph Reager, Hamilton Reager and Abram Compton. All these lived Christian lives, died in the faith and we have no doubt are now among the redeemed. The society was known as the Reager society, or class, with Isaac Reager as classleader. Since that time it has gone through many changes of names and location. When organized it was in the Winterset mission. That fall at the Iowa Conference two circuits were formed out of the mission-the Winterset and the Brooklyn circuit-with Joel Mason as preacher in charge.
"In 1856 a schoolhouse was built and a Sabbath school organized and the place of meeting moved there and called the Pleasant Grove class, thus relieving Sisters Bishop and Reager of the responsibility of having it in their homes, which they had done for a year without a complaint, doing all they could for the cause of God. In 1881 we purchased the Adventist Church in Peru and moved the society into it, and changed the name to Peru class. In 1885 we built a new church and the railroad soon after came along and built the Town of East Peru. In 1894 the church was moved to East Peru, where it now stands, and the name of the society was changed to East Peru. The annex of the building was added in 1898. During this time many changes have been made in the circuit. As before stated, it was organized as the Brooklyn circuit. with Joel Mason as pastor and J. B. Hardy as presiding elder. Brother Hardy is still living and is an honored superannuated minister of the Jowa Conference. In 1867 the name was changed to Ohio circuit. In the fall of 1885 it was changed to Peru. In the fall of 1894 it was changed to Truro and in 1895 to East Peru. The East Peru class now numbers 130 members.
"The names of the pastors in their regular order are as follows: Joel Mason, Thomas Dixon, J. B. Rawls, John M. Baker. M. Sheets, Charles Wolsey, William Abraham, Israel Mershon, A. A. Powers, E. A. Winning, D. B. Clarg. S. W. Milligan, R. J. Davis, J. R. Ferguson, B. F. Shetterly, J. G. Bourne, S. N. Mathena, S. W. Milligan (second time), J. D. Funk, H. J. Smith, B. F. Shetterly (second time). D. B. Clarg (second time), G. W. Patterson, W. F. Hestwood, H. C. Preston, Simpson Guire, G. W. Patterson (second time), G. L. MeDougal, W. C. Smith, A. V. Nepper, J. M. O'Fling. R. R. Grantham, Paul Gardiner, Ed. Nolte, John Branson, William M. Blood, Charles C. Wilkins, W. W. Williams. This makes about thirty-eight pastors we have had: there have been nineteen presiding elders since our organization, four of these while we were yet in the Iowa Conference."
EAST PERU
The old Town of Peru* was laid out on the 18th day of April, 1855, by Sim- mons Rutty, surveyor, for Aaron Hiatt, and for some time was quite a busy
* See Chapter on "Lost and Forgotten Towns."
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little trading point, having a couple of general stores, a blacksmith shop and school and church close by. Nothing now remains but the schoolhouse and a few dwellings, as the hamlet was forsaken, for business purposes, when the railroad was built a mile south of it and the new town of East Peru was founded.
East Peru was laid out December 6. 1887. by R. A. Patterson, surveyor, for William H. See, owner of the land, and is located on the north half of section 11, in Walnut Township. It stands on the north bank of Clanton Creek, on the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City ( Chicago Great Western) Railroad, and to the north is a stretch of superb farming lands, under a high state of cultivation. Peru is one of the best shipping points in the county, and has a good graded school and two churches. Close by, to which a spur of the railroad extends, is a splendid quarry, equipped with machinery and appliances of the latest devices. from which is taken vast quantities of stones for building and other purposes. The town has several general stores, hardware, furniture, drug and meat estab- lishments, a blacksmith shop, livery stable, hotel, garage, cement and tile works, implement and harness stores, telephone exchange, restaurant, elevator, lumber- yard and a very neat and comfortable depot.
East Peru was duly incorporated and now has a population of about 400. When it was laid out there were three houses on the site. It is said that James Harwood was the first one to engage in business, having a stock of general mer- chandise. H. C. Wright opened a general store soon after. The school building -a frame-was erected about the year 1900. The school is graded and employs three teachers. The history of the churches is given elsewhere.
For a new town East Peru is quite advanced. In the summer of 1913, F. . 1. Herwehe established and built an electric light plant, which he sold to L. F. Clifton in October, 1914. This utility was a small affair, costing about $1,500, and built as an experiment. The present owner is convinced the improvement can be made permanent and profitable, and with this view in mind has made expensive additions and alterations to the machinery.
The Peru Savings Bank is a solid financial institution, which came into being when the Bank of East Peru, a private concern, was established in 1899, by Wil- liam Fennimore, J. S. Emerson and William Painter. About 1900 Painter sold his interest to the remaining partners and a year later, or two or three years later, Fennimore sold to Emerson, who continued operations until December 1, 1910, when the Peru Savings Bank was organized and established under the laws of the State of lowa, by William Deardorff, E. C. Zimmerman, F. M. Beeler, W. A. Harwood, J. L. Harwood, John Schoenenberger, Edgar Harrell, N. W. Oglesbee and R. E. Phillips. The officials are : President, W. H. Deardorff ; vice president. J. L. Harwood ; cashier, E. C. Zimmerman ; assistant cashier, L. M. Delaplain. Capital, $10,000; undivided profits, $4,500; deposits, $82.275.
tlazel Lodge, No. 573. A. F. & A. M., was organized June 6, 1901, with R. A. Greene, worshipful master; J. F. Deardorff, senior warden; A. C. Creger, junior warden. Maple Leaf Lodge, No. 577. Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was organized in October, 1903, by Henry Smith, P. S. Todhunter, W. P. Benge, G. W. Finley. J. J. Spurgin, who were also the first officials. Modern Woodmen, Walnut Camp, No. 2691, was established on the 19th of January, 1895, with fifteen members, and the Woodmen of the World, East Peru Camp, No. 380, was organized January 6, 1911, with eleven members. An
STONE AND CEMENT. COMPANY'S PLANT AT EAST PERU, WALNUT TOWNSHIP
STONE QUARRY AT EAST PERU, WALNUT TOWNSHIP
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
auxiliary lodge, the Woodmen Circle, Walnut Grove, No. III, was organized July 7, 1911, by Emma L. Foster, Hattie M. Lilley, Cora Inez Dowler, Augusta L. Thomsen, Ila Hiatt, Martha Ergenbright, Anna Gillian, Velma M. White, Anna White, Lena Garst, Josie Johnson and John W. Carver.
REMINISCENT
By Fred Beeler, in 1908
Of the old settlers, a few of them are still living in Walnut Township in the enjoyment of well earned fortunes they founded in the early times, but the greater part of them have passed away, and others, in the nature of things, will not long survive. Several are in the South and West, where they are all playing the part of pioneers. But wherever they may be, and whatever fate may betide them, it is but truth to say that they were excellent men and women as a class, and have left deep and enduring impression on Walnut Township and Madison County. They built better than they knew ; they were men and women of energy and activity, invariably poor, but brave-hearted, and few long remained poor, doubtless owing to the fact they lived within their means, however limited, and the result was prosperity and contentment. With always a cordial welcome to their fireside and table for the stranger, yet for several years these pioneers lived under great privations and discouragement. In years gone it was noticeable with what affection the pioneers spoke of their log cabins, and it may be doubted whether palaces ever sheltered happier hearts than those lonely cabins. They were made of logs, notched together at the corners, ribbed with poles and covered with clapboards. A puncheon floor was then laid down, a hole cut in the end of the structure and a stick chimney run up. A clapboard door was built and a window was made by cutting a hole in the side or end, about sixteen or eighteen inches square and finished without glass. Logs were then chinked with mud made of top soil.
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