USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 43
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West Branch society was organized in September, 1855, by Rev. W. C. Wil- liams, who delivered the first sermon at the home of Reverend Rawlins, a local preacher. The succeeding meeting of the society was held at the home of James Pearson, and the members continued to meet here the following four years, at the expiration of which the Pearson schoolhouse was requisitioned for the pur- pose and used until the church was built at Macksburg. This appointment was originally a part of the Afton ( Union County ) and Ringgold Mission and then became identified with the Afton circuit and remained therein until the formation of the Macksburg circuit in 1874.
Pleasant View society came into being in 1856, under the direction of Rev. Joel Mason. The initial leader was S. W. Mulligan and services were held at the home of Jerub Richmond until the year 1865. From here the society moved to the F. M. Walker schoolhouse, which later was purchased, remodeled and dedicated to all things sacred. The appointment originally was a part of Brook- lyn, or Ohio, circuit and remained as such until 1867, when it became part of the Winterset circuit and then, in 1878, was transferred to the Macksburg circuit.
When organized, Hebron was one of the appointments in the Macksburg cir- cuit and so remained until 1883, when the church was removed 21/2 miles south, to Union schoolhouse, No. 2. Rev. J. D. M. Buckner was in charge. Ilebron was annexed to Orient circuit in 1889.
Skunk Hollow appointment at the time of its organization was a part of the Macksburg circuit and later was consolidated with Pleasant Valley, in order the better to build Zion Church. The union of the two charges, however, was never satisfactory.
Pleasant Valley society was organized by Rev. W. C. Williams, who preached his first sermon to this charge in the Peters' schoolhouse, where services were held the succeeding six years and then the P'ragg schoolhouse was used and the society came to be known as the Pleasant Valley class. In 1881 it was con- solidated with the Skunk Hollow class and Zion Church was built by them in 1881-82.
Bethesda Baptist Church was organized May 5. 1855, at the home of Alexander Barnum, whe Together with his wife, was of the organizing members. The others were Hiram Pierce, the first pastor, and wife ; Dr. J. 11. Mack and wife. William Kivitt and wife, Ransom Moon, John 11. Bray and wife, Capt. E. G. Barker and wife, Robert and Catherine Wilson, John A. and Sarah N. Marley, Nancy A. Barker, Mary Moore, Elizabeth Rawlins. The first church was a small frame affair that was built the year of the organization, and stood on the hill one-half mile southwest of town. The present building, also a frame, was erected in 1874 and cost about two thousand dollars. Its predecessor was removed to a lot subsequently purchased by 1 .. C. Mckibben.
Rev. Iliram Pierce occupied this pulpit a number of years, but how many
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could not be learned and the early church records were burned in 1911. During the past four or five years the church has not been supplied with a regular pastor and the church membership, at one time quite large, has been decreasing steadily. through deaths, removals and other causes. It is now anticipated that soon a resident pastor will be secured. The present number of names on the church rolls is 32.
FRATERNAL ORDERS
Grand River Lodge, No. 406, I. O. O. F., was organized October 2, 1880. Macksburg Encampment, No. 186, was organized October 21, 1902, and Haw- thorne Chapter, No. 350, Daughters of Rebekah, was organized October 23, 1896.
At one time the Grand Army Post was able to muster at its meetings quite a large body of veterans. But what with the ravages of time and disease, the ranks of the post have so thinned out that the organization now can scarcely muster a corporal's guard. There is still a Woman's Relief Corps that meets occa- sionally.
Evergreen Camp, No. 4133, M. W. A., was organized August 12, 1896.
TIIE RAILROAD
Macksburg has a railroad. That fact is certainly worthy of mention before the closing of this chapter. Whether it always will have one or not is, as Rud- yard Kipling says, another story. Be that as it may, the Creston, Winterset & Des Moines Railroad, having a line of track twenty-one miles long and reaching from Creston to Macksburg, was built in 1912 and on the 31st of December of that year the first train of cars entered the town. The line has been in operation under many vicissitudes practically all its life, and it is said that unless the prop- erty is placed under different management Macksburg will be bereft of an improvement in which she took a great deal of pride.
CHAPTER XLV
OLHO TOWNSHIP
It is easy to see where this township got its name. As many of its first settlers came from the State of Ohio, it was but fair to attach the name of that great commonwealth to this community, so thereupon, when it was organized, March 7, 1857, the name by which the township is now known, was attached.
Ohio Township is bounded on the east by Warren County, on the south by Clarke County, on the west by Walnut Township and the north by South Town- ship. Its surface is drained by South River and a number of small streams, and the general topography and character of its confines is that of beautiful prairie land, finely adapted for agricultural purposes. Along the streams is a grove of timber, and back of them, high rolling prairie of the richest soil. Water is to be found in abundance and some of the springs that here abound never cease to How. The Keokuk & Western Railroad, which is part of the Burlington system, enters the township at the extreme northwestern corner of section 3, and taking a southerly direction, has a station at Truro. It leaves the township at section 24, first making a bend into section 26.
One of the first settlers in Ohio Township was James McNeeley, who was born August 16, 1816, in Tuscarawas County, Ohio, was married to Jane Delong in 1840, and came to Madison County, settling on Buckeye Prairie in Ohio Township in 1853. Ile died in Winterset, May 14. 1897. Mrs. Jane MeNeeley died February 19, 1913, and both are buried in the Rock City cemetery near Winterset, lowa. Mr. MeNeeley was a member of Company K, Tenth Iowa Infantry.
Solomon Delong, the father of Mrs. Jane MeNeeley, also came to Ohio Town- ship in 1853 with a large family, where they lived for many years.
Among the first settlers in this township were the Holmes, Cregers, Bradshaws. Youngs, Porters, Delongs, Martins and Farsons, all of whom came about the year 1854. Here is located the Oak Run meeting house of the famous Quaker settlement, where for many years worshipped the Moorman, Simmons, Painter, Mitchner and Ellis families. In more recent years there was a new invasion from Ohio, when the Worthing, Mitchell and Patterson families arrived, members of which made their influence felt on the politics of the county, more particularly G. W. Patterson and Richard Mitchell.
Charles H. Young, a local preacher of the Christian Church for many years. was one of the most characteristic specimens of old-time virtue, finding an abiding place here. He was a good farmer and an equally expert blacksmith and pulpit orator. Mr. Young left his Ohio home in the fall of 1853 and reached Eddyville, lowa, in November, remaining there until June of the following year, when he reached Madison County and entered a tract of land on section 14. in this township.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
With the Youngs when they left Ohio were Henry Creger and family, John Creger and family, John Porter and family, John Creger, son of Henry, and family, and Reuben Creger and family. Samuel Douglas, Brown Douglas, a Mr. Collier and family and Reverend Douglas, a Presbyterian clergyman, were here as early as the above mentioned settlers, but left the community at the begin- ning of the Civil war.
David Bradshaw was a Pennsylvanian by birth and removed with his parents to the State of Ohio when nine years of age. From there he immigrated to Iowa and after remaining a short time at Eddyville, he located in this township on sec- tion 4, in the fall of 1854. J. W. Bradshaw, who succeeded his father on the okdl homestead, was with the family at the time of its arrival.
S. M. Creger and R. A. Creger also located in Ohio Township, in April, 1854. R. J. Foster was from Tuscarawas County, Ohio. He immigrated to Iowa in the fall of 1853 and in the spring of 1855 located on section 12, Ohio Township. He was one of the frugal, industrious men of the community and made a good record as a soldier in the Civil war.
J. D. Hartman and family traveled by wagon from Indiana to this county in 1855, and in 1857 located on section 21.
Arch Holmes left Tuscarawas County, Ohio. in 1854, and spent two years in Wapello County, Iowa, from whence he came to Madison County and located on section 22, this township.
Isaac Holmes, also of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, left his home in the Buckeye State in 1854, when he came to Iowa with his parents and lived three years in Van Buren County and then located in Ohio Township. James Hull married Miss Jane Holmes in Tuscarawas County, in 1855, then came to this county and located in Ohio Township in 1857.
Valentine MePherson, of Tuscarawas County, Ohio, located here in May, 1857, and became one of the substantial farmers of the community.
John Mann was raised in West Virginia, where he remained until seventeen years of age and then came with his father to Madison County in 1855. settled in this township, and .in course of time was elected county superintendent of schools.
Jonathan Roby, of Jefferson County, Ohio, located on section 15, Ohio Town- ship, in 1856. His wife was Lucinda Creger, whom he married in 1854.
James D. Houlette was another quite carly settler of Ohio Township, coming in 1867, but in 1879 moving to South Township. Mr. Houlette was born Sep- tember 4, 1816, in Mercer County, Pennsylvania, and died July 27, 1909, in his ninety-third year. For sixty-five years there was not a death in his family of seven children.
Charles H. Young, Henry Creger and John Creger built the first houses in Ohio Township. Charles H. Young established a blacksmith shop in which he worked at St. Charles from 1855 until 1860. His first wife died in 1854, which was the first death among the Ohioans in the township. Mr. Young's second wife was called away by death in 1893, and both were buried in the Young cemetery, where there are over one hundred graves.
The Oak Grove Church of Friends was organized May 18, 1871, with the following original members: T. C. Moorman, R. A. Moorman, Mary Hiatt, E. Hiatt, David Ellis, M. E. Ellis, Calvin Ellis, E. Ellis, William Woodward, E.
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Woodward. J. Simmons, E. J. Simmons, W. II. Bishop, M. Bishop, Q. Pierce and Virginia Pierce. The first church building, which had formerly been a school- house, was purchased by the Friends of the district and was dedicated for religious purposes in 1877.
TRURO
Truro is a thriving little village of about 325 inhabitants, situated on the summit of the divide between Clanton Creek and South River, overlooking a most beau- tiful, fertile and well improved farming district. It stands on section 15 and near the center of Ohio Township, on the line of the Des Moines & Kansas City ( Chicago Great Western) Railroad, and was laid off and platted August 3, ISSI. for the owner, James Ilull, by R. A. Patterson, surveyor. In 1902 the town was incorporated and the first mayor was W. W. Atkinson.
This stirring and progressing little trading point was first named Ego, but that seemed too bombastic or egotistical ( no pun intended ), and the change was made within a short time to the present name. As in the township, the village has splendid schools, taught in a modern two-story brick building; church soci- eties, whose places of worship are neat in appearance and commodious, and all well attended. As a trading point the town stands high and with good railroad facilities has established a reputation as a shipping point for grain and live stock.
The first postoffice was established February 10, 1862, but was located near the west line, in Walnut Township, in the vicinity of Ebenezer Church. The office at this point was discontinued in 1880. J. W. Smith and S. M. Walker per- formed the duties of the office, in the store of the place, nearly twenty years, and when the office was abolished Fred Beeler had been the postmaster eight years.
An office was established in 188t at the southeast corner of the northeast quar- ter of section 21, and named Reed. Isaac Iloles was appointed postmaster. Ju 1882 the office was moved to Ego, and the name became Truro in 1884. Isaac Holmes remained in the office for some time after the change. Then followed G. N. Skinner, George Patton, J. D. Hillman, Ella Earl, J. W. Smith and others, among whom were the early business men of the town.
Probably the first person to engage in business at Truro was J. W. Smith. He settled in Walnut Township with his parents, John and Rebecca Smith, in 1854 coming from Illinois that year. He married Belle C. Walker in 1870 and for a number of years was a teacher in the public schools. Mr. Smith was elected county treasurer in 1001 and served five years, and afterwards engaged in the grocery business. He died in 1914 at East Pern, and was buried in the Ebenezer Cemetery.
The Truro Savings Bank is one of the institutions of the town that has se- cured a firm footing in the confidence of the community. It is an outgrowth of the Truro Bank, established in the spring of 1800 by J. W. Likens and W. M. Steer, who began business in a one-story brick building erected for the pur- pose. Here the business was continued as a private bank until April 10, 1911. on which date the Truro Savings Bank was organized by J. W. Likens, W. M. Steer, W. O. Creger, J. T. Creger. J. C. Reed. C. N. Reed and Benton Jones, with a capital of $20.000. The first officials were: President, W. M. Steer; vice presi- dent. J. W. Likens ; cashier. J. E. Walker. In January, 1913, J. W. Likens suc-
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, TRURO
CHRISTIAN CHURCH, TRURO
TRURO HIGH SCHOOL
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HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
ceeded W. M. Steer as president and J. C. Reed was elected vice president. Mr. Reed died May 31, 1914, and was followed in the vice presidency by Benton Jones. The present official list is made up by J. W. Likens, president ; Benton Jones, vice president ; J. E. Walker, cashier ; A. C. Holmes, assistant cashier. The capital stock is $20,000; surplus, $10,000 ; deposits, $105,000.
The Christian Church was organized in the winter of 1856, by A. D. Kellison, at the home of Ephraim Delong, about two miles south of the present Town of Truro. For some time the meetings were held at private houses. Later, after schoolhouses were built, the meetings were held in the Banner schoolhouse, two miles northeast of the center of Ohio Township. Later, in the early '70s, the meet- ings were moved to a schoolhouse one mile south of the center of the township, known as the Hartman schoolhouse. In 1875-6 the society erected a church build- ing 30x40 feet, three-fourths of a mile south of the center of the township and about 1884 the building was moved to Truro and was remodeled in 1893. In June, 1898, the building was struck by lightning and burned. The society re- ceived $1,000 insurance and the same year a new church was erected and dedicated. in the spring of 1899. The value of the property at that time was about two thou- sand two hundred dollars. In 1911 the church was remodeled at a cost of about one thousand two hundred dollars. The present value of the property is about three thousand two hundred dollars. Among the charter members of the first organization were Ephraim Delong, Hannah Delong, Jesse Delong, Betsy Delong, R. A. Creger, Mary A. Creger, Jane McNealy, Rhoda Delong, John Creger, Mahala Creger and Risby Creger.
Those who have served as pastors of the church are: Revs. A. D. Kellison, William Deal, J. Z. Bishop, J. H. Creger, R. A. Creger, Joseph Anshultz, C. C. Rowley, A. Bradfield, A. H. Chase, S. O. Calvin, W. C. Smith, W. B. Golden, J. L. Towner, J. O. Elwell, E. Fitzgerald, Lamb, P. W. Jellison, John Reed, O. E. Brown, A. Thomas, William Bagley, A. C. Burnham, D. W. Thompson, A. W. Ricker, R. C. Helfenstein, D. Powell, E. E. Bennett and F. W. Hagen.
Truro has not yet given itself over to the organization of fraternal societies to any great extent. However, it has two or three which may be mentioned. There is Ivy Lodge, No. 483, A. F. & A. M., which was organized on the 8th of June, 1887, by S. M. Creger, who was the worshipful master ; G. W. Patterson, senior warden, and J. E. Worthing, junior warden. Truro Lodge, No. 330, K. P., was organized on the IIth of August, 1898, by C. W. Young, B. R. Rankin, J. W. Likens and twenty-two others. The Woodmen of the World is also established here in Truro Camp, No. 9823.
CHAPTER XLVI
MONROE TOWNSHIP
Monroe Township lies in the southern tier of townships and was organized in the year 1860. It is bounded on the south by Union County, on the west by Grand River Township, on the north by Lincoln Township and on the east by Walnut Township. Clanton Creek passes through the township near the center from west to east and there is a large body of heavy timber on the stream, es- pecially at Big Grove, also an abundance of limestone of considerable value. The surface of the country is quite rolling and in many places rough, much more so than any other township in the county. As found originally it had large tracts of waste land, many acres of which have been reclaimed by modern methods of drainage and clearing of fiells, and today the farms in Monroe Township give every evidence of fruitfulness and having been under the diligent hand of good husbandmen. There are many small rivulets and valuable streams in Monroe and abundance of good range for stock, which makes the locality very desirable for those engaged in stock-raising, to which many farmers resident here have given a great deal of attention, especially to the better grade of animals. When one considers the many farms which are splendidly improved, the fairly good roads, and the twentieth century conveniences of the telephone, daily rural free deliv- ery of mails and generous use of automobiles, one can feel well assured that the Monroe Township farmer is living pretty much on a par with his neighbors in the other townships of the county, or anywhere else for that matter. Monroe has neither a trading point nor postoffice within her borders, nor a railroad, with the exception of a short piece of the Great Western which cuts across its extreme southeast corner on section 36. On this transportation line to the north and but five miles from Monroe is East Peru. The Winterset-Lorimor thoroughfare runs north through the center of the township to Winterset six miles away from the north township line and to the west is Macksburg, so that those living within the township have market places on all four sides of it.
son of the Emerald Isle named Malone is credited with being the first set- tler in Monroe Township, coming here as early as 1852. James Brittain and Isaac Nichols were also here that early, but this claim to priority has been disputed in favor of Seth Barrow and his father; Micajah Martin, Alfred and Pleasant Brit- tain. A. H. Bertholf and one Boher and Hicks, who it is said came in 1851.
A man by the name of Shipley located in the township in 1852 and bought the claims of Hicks and Boher.
In the year 1854 the population of the township was increased by William Boling, John Bancroft. Lewis and George Linton, Philip and John Moore, Wil- liam Claim, William Berry and John Berry. Soon thereafter came Frank Bos- worth, Samuel Hamilton, N. Clark and I1. Harris.
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John Bancroft immigrated from England to the United States in 1847 and set- tled in Indiana, where he remained until the year 1853 and came to this state and county, settling in Monroe Township. Mrs. Chenoweth, whom he married in 1859, was his second wife. Mr. Bancroft became one of the substantial farmers and citizens of the township and held various of the township offices.
The Berrys came from Indiana but were natives of Kentucky. Their names are closely identified with the early history of the township.
J. J. Berry settled in the county in March, 1854. With his father, William, came Charles Boling to the township. He married Mollie Bivins in 1878. E. L. Boling settled here in 1856, held township offices and in 1863 married Elizabeth Williams. William Boling for many years lived on section 2.
Simeon Hamblin was a native of Pennsylvania. He removed to Ohio in 1831 and from there immigrated to the Prairie State of Iowa in 1854 and took up his permanent residence in this township. He held various offices of the com- munity and died January 10, 1874, leaving seven children, one of whom was a son, Christopher C., who enlisted in the Civil war and died from disease in Mis- sissippi.
Another early settler was M. Bullock. He came from Indiana in 1855 and for many years lived on section 22. He was a member of the Forty-seventh Iowa Infantry and in 1870 married Sarah Alexander.
J. C. Foster, an Ohioan, also located in this township in 1855. With his brother, D. F. Foster, he for many years conducted a large grocery business. He married Harriet Lake in 1857.
John Lewis located here in 1855, coming from the State of Ohio.
John Cornelison was born in Butler County, Ohio, in 1814. He removed to Indiana, from whence he emigrated to Iowa in 1857. In 1859 he located in Mon- roe Township.
The Brittains lived in Buchanan County, Missouri, before coming to Madison County, Iowa. They arrived here in March, 1852. Pleasant Brittain enlisted in Company A, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry, and was mustered out in June, 1865. Returning to his home in Douglas Township, he married Sarah Cox and settled on section 32, Jefferson Township.
Of Monroe Township and its people, E. R. Zeller lately had the following to say: "The Bolings have lived in Monroe Township from way back. The ir- repressible Samuel will soon move to Lorimor. Some of the others have moved away and others have been called to their final account. The Berrys also are mostly all gone and so are the Bancrofts and Littons. Of the Sheldons, Charles re- mains, while M. R. Sheldon, who lived in Winterset, died a few years ago. The above mentioned, together with the Bullocks, Bivins, Edwards, Kilgores, J. V. Kirk, Hugh Alexander, D. M. Tomlinson, the Fosters and Palmers, Wesley Wilson, P. M. Rhodes and V. L. Callison, constituted the men chiefly active dur- ing the formative period of the county. Time has made great changes and the men who helped most to make Monroe Township are mostly gone. Mr. Cal- lison and Mr. Kirk remain, both having served the country as volunteers in the Grand Army, the former from Illinois and the latter from Ohio and at the conclusion of their service came to a new country to conquer homes in a new land. Both became remarkably successful in business and long will be remembered for the part they took in the affairs of the county. Monroe Township has furnished
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three members of the board of supervisors-Charles Polk, H. H. Kilgore and M. O. Brady. H. C. Leasman, a native of Germany, settled here at an early day and has done much toward the development of the material resources of the county. George Frederickson, now of Winterset, put in many an eighteen-hour day on a farm in Monroe Township."
There are two well attended churches in Monroe Township-the Methodist Episcopal, located on section S, and one on section 22.
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CHAPTER XLVII
THE CITY OF WINTERSET
Winterset lies in Center Township and practically covers that subdivision of the county. The township is an oblong tract of land, the north three-fourths of which in equal proportions lie in the southeast and southwest corners of Douglas and Union Townships, respectively ; and the remaining quantity in the north- east corner of Lincoln and northwest corner of Scott townships. The boundaries of Center Township were determined under an order of the County Court, June 4, 1860.
All preliminaries relating to the location of Winterset as the county seat, its survey into lots, the naming of the seat of justice and sale of lots, have been de- scribed in a former chapter. However, it may be interesting at this day to note the prices set by the Commissioners' Court for the lots and the names of a few of the first purchasers. A comparison between the value of town lots in Winterset in 1849 and 1914 makes very good reading for the one of an analytical turn of mind.
The records show that Winterset, the original site of which was owned by John Culbertson, consisted of 175 acres of land, which Culbertson conveyed by deed to the County of Madison for the insignificant ( now ) sum of $194.50. The town was laid off and platted by A. D. Jones, county surveyor, who was assisted by Philip M. Boyles and Enos Berger. The lots were 132 feet, north and south, and 66 feet, east and west. A public square was located in the center of the plat and is four chains wide east and west, the same width north and south, and con- tains 1.7 acres. In the center of this tract of land stands the courthouse.
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