USA > Iowa > Madison County > History of Madison County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 47
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49
The veterans may pass away, we may leave this earth, but lessons of patriotism and loyalty to home and country will ever be taught while the Woman's Relief Corps exists, for working under the motto of Fraternity, Charity and Loyalty, each member pledges at each meeting, allegiance to the flag. "One country, one language, one flag."
THE REPORTER.
-
The Reporter.
Job Printing
WHERE THE REPORTER WAS PRINTED FOR A NUMBER OF YEARS
CHAPTER XLIX
WINTERSET IN 1864-PIONEER MERCHANT
W. H. Lewis made his first entrance into Winterset in the early dawn of a September day, in the year 1864, being a passenger on one of Colonel Lothrop's stage coaches. He describes his first impressions and the appearance of Winterset as follows :
What I found on my arrival it will be my effort to relate in this paper. The public square had been enclosed in the early part of that year by a good strong fence, and a row of trees had been planted along the border of the square. The season was a very dry one and many of the trees were dead, but the enclosure was occupied by a very rank growth of weeds-many of them higher than the fence. The house on Court Avenue that marked the eastern limit of dwellings was on the corner just beyond the residence of Mr. Wolf, and was the home of William Forster and his daughter, Mrs. W. R. Shriver. Captain Shriver was on duty in the army. This house was at the crossing of Court Avenue and Walnut Street, and the eastern dwelling on Jefferson Street was a little house at the northeast corner of the same block. This house was far from neighbors on the west, the next building to it being the Methodist Church, standing on the present church site. The western dwelling on Court Avenue was on the lot next west of the residence of Mrs. Jones, at the crossing of Court Avenue and West Street. The western building on Jefferson Street stood nearly directly north of the western one on Court Avenue, at the corner of Jefferson and West streets, where the residence of Mrs. Hutchings now stands. The buildings just described as being eastern and western ones on Jefferson Street were both out of repair and unoccupied, and were owned by William Forster, the owner of the eastern house on Court Avenue. The house marking the northern limit on the street passing the square on the west was the one now occupied by L. O. Carey. The extreme limit of the residence part of the town on the south was the residence of Dr. G. M. Rutledge, until recently occupied by his widow. In stating these limits, it should be remembered that the other streets extending in the same direction were most of them without any houses upon them. The public buildings were very few. The first courthouse standing on the east lot of the Monumental Park was no longer used as a courthouse, and the county clerk had his office in an upper room on the west side of the square. The stone building at the north- west of the square, now known as the St. Nicholas, then called the Pitzer House, held in its western part a hotel kept by S. M. Holaday. The lower room of the east part had been occupied as a saloon, but was closed at that time. The second and third floors were reached by an outdoor stairway on the north side. The first room on the second floor was rented by this writer for a law office, and the south room was the office of the only newspaper, the Hawkeye Flag, now the
389
390
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Madisonian. On the third floor were two rooms; one was the office of the county judge, the other the office of the county treasurer and recorder. There were no safes in any of the county offices and the books and papers were kept in open cases and pigeon holes. The sheriff had no stated office, but made his stay in a lawyer's office on the north side of the square.
There was an okl two-story wooden schoolhouse on the lot now occupied by the South Ward schoolhouse, but the windows were broken, its floors unsafe, and it was no longer used as a schoolhouse, and there was no other. During the early summer of that year schools were held in a room on the west side of the square and I think in one of the churches. In the winter of 1864-65, no public schools were maintained in Winterset. This writer had a private school of forty pupils, in a little builling where the Stultz feed barn now stands. Captain Goshorn began another private school in a church that stood on the lot where Ben Bare's house now stands, but the building was so open it could not be kept warm and he had to abandon it.
The Methodist Church stood on the site of the present church, and C. C. Mabee was the pastor in charge. The Baptist Church was a stone building on the site now occupied by the armory. W. A. Eggleston was the pastor. The Old School Presbyterian Church stood on the site of the city hall. I think they had no preacher at that time. The New School Presbyterian Church was on the site of the present Church of Christ. They had no settled pastor at that time, but Rev. J. C. Ewing, who resided here, preached there most of the time. The Christian Church stood on its present site and N. C. Storrs was the pastor. The Disciples Church was a large wooden building on the site of the residence of Ben Bare. They had no pastor. The building was a poorly constructed one and was generally known by the name of "God's barn." This was where Goshorn froze out. The courts were held in the churches, mostly in the Christian and Old School Church. The writer remembers that the then famous Stone-Ballard case was tried in the Old School Church. The presiding judge was taken seriously ill during the trial and directed the writer to take his place for a part of the time. We sat in the pulpit.
There were two banks. Albert West's bank was on the west side of the square and was the only one doing business after my advent. John Leonard had a bank in a building on the site of the present Tate hardware store, but its safe was blown open by burglars in the early part of 1864 and the entire banking capital stolen, and he went out of the business.
There was but one building on the east side of the square; that was at the corner now occupied by the Bare Building. It had at an earlier time been used as a hotel but was then occupied as a residence. Crossing to the south side of the street there was a small one-story building used by H. M. Porter as a harness shop, and passing some vacant spaces to the east one came to Sam Snyder's grocery. Returning westward and crossing the street stood a one-story building on the corner a grocery kept by Mr. and Mrs. William Ogden. Going west were some vacant spaces and the next building was a two-story stone structure-a general store by W. W. MeKnight. Next west was a vacant space and the next a one-story house in which C. Ayres & Company had a general store. Going still farther west were more vacant spaces, then a double front one-story structure. in the east room of which was J. H. Barker's jewelry store and the west one Dr.
1856- 190G
WINTERSET
THE MADISONIAN.
THE MADISONIAN BUILDING, WINTERSET
391
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
David Hutchinson's office. Next west was a one-story house in which W. T. Roland & Company had a stock of groceries and queensware. Next was a two- story building, in which was the general store of White, Munger & Company. Passing a narrow vacant space was the office and bank of John Leonard, a one- story house on the eastern corner. Crossing the street a little beyond the corner to the west was the one-story residence of Dr. D. H. Philbrick, the east room of which he used as a drug store. Returning to the corner and crossing the street to the south end of the west side was a row of three one-story buildings, with gable ends to the street. The one at the corner held Dr. J. Bartlett's drug store, and the others were unoccupied. The next building, on the site now occupied by H. N. Shaw, was a brick building. The first and second stories extended back to the alley as at present, and the third story about half way. The lower story held the general store of Dunkle & Company. The front room of the second story was reached by an outside stairway and was the office of the county clerk. The western part of the second story was in one large room, reached by an out- door stairway at the alley on the west. This room was known as Pitzer Hall. A public school was held there in the early summer, but in the autumn it was un- occupied, except for occasional dances or other special needs. The third floor was the Masonic Hall. Next was a two-story building occupied by the general store of Smith & Ballard, the residence of A. B. Smith on the second floor. Pass- ing a vacant space the next building was a double one-story structure, the south room containing the bank of Albert West, and the next one the harness shop of H. C. Carter.
Crossing the alley the building next to it was a wooden two-story structure. This was the postoffice and the postmaster was J. J. Davis, one of the kindest men I ever knew, always on the lookout to help any one who might need help. He kept books and stationery for sale. The upper room was the photograph gallery of John D. Holbrook. Next was the meat market of E. W. Evans, and its next neighbor the jewelry store of Moses Bailey. There was an open space and then one more one-story wooden building, but I cannot recall the name of its occupant, and the rest of the west side was vacant.
Westward from here to the northwest corner of the block stood the jail. It was built of logs, two stories high, the entrance being on the upper floor, reached by an outdoor stairway on the south side.
Crossing the street was the Pitzer House, already described. Crossing the street there was a wide space on the north side vacant, the first building being occupied by James P. Noel as a furniture shop. William R. Danforth's tin shop was the next and then was the two-story wooden building, the general store of Baxter & Kendig. A. J. Kendig was the agent of the United States Express Company and the office was in his store, and I think the Western Stage Company had its office there. Next east was a small one-story building occupied by S. G. Ruby as a law office, and the sheriff used it as a stopping place. The drug store of I. L. Tidrick was next and on the corner was the grocery of Andrew Crawford.
Crossing the street eastward and passing two vacant lots one came to a one- story building formerly used as the postoffice, but then vacant. Crossing to the south side of the street was the furniture shop and dwelling of John Young, and from there to the north end.of the east side of the square and on southward to the starting point was vacant.
392
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
The men then in business were: Dry goods and general merchandise, W. W. McKnight, Smith & Ballard. Baxter & Kendig. White, Munger & Company, C. Ayres & Company, W. T. Roland & Company, and John Dunkle : grocers, Sam Snyder, .1. Crawford and William Ogden ; druggists, D. H. Philbrick, I. L. Tid- rick and J. Bartlett ; meat market, E. W. Evans : jewelers. J. H. Barker and Moses Bailey ; hardware and tin shop, W. R. Danforth ; shoemaker, John S. White ; phy- sicians. 1 .. M. Tidrick. G. M. Rutledge, D. D. Davisson, David Hutchinson and S. B. Cherry ; attorneys, John Leonard, V. Wainwright. B. F. Murray. S. G. Ruby and Lewis Mayo. There were others whose homes were here but they were away on duty in the army. Col. C. B. Lothrop and John Acklin were stage agents. John D. Holbrook was the photographer and Albert West the only banker doing business. The furniture makers were John Young and James P. Noel : wagon makers, William Eberle and Samuel Betts ; blacksmiths. Harry Bond. Nat Ander- son and John 11. Bishir ; harness makers, Hl. M. Porter and H. E. Carter : printer, H. M. Ewing. In these callings, not counting employes, fifty-one men were engaged.
There were no sidewalks in Winterset then except those next the square and but very few people wore overshoes then, and the woman who was hostess in muddy weather had a job of cleaning her floors and carpets.
There were two pianos in Winterset then, one organ in the Baptist Church and one in a private house, and one melodeon, and I am very confident there was not one other such instrument elsewhere in Madison County. As to violins and other minor musical instruments this writer sayeth not.
There were at that time very few shade trees in Winterset. Nearly every tree in Winterset or on the open prairie in Madison County has been planted since 1864.
PIONEER MERCHANT AND STORE
The records of the Commissioners' Court indicate that to William Compton was issued the first license to conduct a grocery in Winterset. But it appears he was not first in the field in the sale of merchandise at this place, as will be seen by the following article prepared by Mr. Hoisington. It is well known that Enos Berger came to Winterset in the spring of 1849 and at once completed a log cabin, that had been partially erected the preceding fall, at the southeast corner of the (present ) square. In this he lived and replenished the stock of merchan- dise left by his predecessor and partner, one Porter.
The first house or building of any kind on what is now the platted portion of Winterset was begun about the 15th of November, 1848, by Porter Roberts. In Savannah, Missouri, long resided Porter Roberts, a young man, and Enos Berger. Both proposed going to the "Three River country" in Iowa. An agreement was made between them, by which Roberts was to go to Madison County, where several families from about Savannah had settled, and get a claim as near as he thought the county seat might be located and start a grocery, and made a deal with a man to haul a load of groceries for them. The township lines having just been run, the exact center of the county was known. so Roberts took the southeast quarter of section 36 in ( now) Winterset, the east half of which the very next year became the west half of the original plat of the town. He went to work
393
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
vigorously and with help got up an unhewn log house 16 by 16, but it remained uncovered until the next spring. This was intended for a living house for Berger. But Roberts hurried the completion of an addition, or lean-to, and this was 12 by 16 feet. He got this covered and enclosed, chinked and daubed, and his groceries in about December Ist. He boarded with Joshua Casebier, who lived a short dis- tance southwest of the (afterward) Bevington home. He had but a small supply of groceries and no whiskey, so that the sales were very light during the winter and he was altogether disgusted with business in Madison County. When Berger arrived in the early spring Roberts lost no time in getting away. He turned over the remnants of his stock and the incomplete building to Berger, and as Berger had furnished the capital there was little settlement to make. Berger finished the building, moved in, replenished the stock (had brought with him a barrel of whiskey), and with his jolly disposition and German thrift prospered from the first. He soon had all he could do. The county had been organized January I, 1849, and the county seat was located in June and platted in July. Of course he gave without a word the cast eighty of his claim to the county and with equal liberality to himself kept the west eighty. The second term of the County Com- missioners' Court was held in April (before the location of the county seat) in the grocery room of this building and some following terms. That year was held the first term of the District Court of Madison in the same grocery room. Judge MeKay was much opposed to the whole liquor business and was a dignified and very proper young man, but he had to hold court in this room and did use the whiskey barrel for his judicial seat. Of course no whiskey was sold over the counter during sessions of the court. Berger had other arrangements on the side to satisfy the unquenchable thirst of the needy ones. He sold most of a barrel- ful of the stuff that term of court and the term was very short at that.
FIRST STEAM MILL
William Wallace was with Berger a short time during the fall of 1849. In the spring of 1855, as Mr. Wallace remembers, he formed a partnership with Berger for the purpose of erecting and conducting a sawmill. That spring the firm bought machinery, boiler and engine at Burlington, and hauled it from that place to Winterset, on a wagon made in Indiana and drawn by four horses, without any mishap other than the breakage of an axle and the tongue. After crossing Middle River at Compton's Mill with his heavy load, Wallace pulled across the branch to the east ridge north of the river, and unloaded as close to the stream as pos- sible. The mill was put together and the nine-horse power engine set up. While sawing out boards for a mill shed, two suspicious persons, presumably "land sneaks," were noticed in the brush dodging about, in an effort to avoid discovery of their presence and object. Wallace was up to their game and immediately went into Winterset, where he offered John A. Pitzer $20 an acre for the 10-acre tract on which the mill stood, which was readily and gladly accepted, as the sum offered was a big one for that day. However, "Berger like to have swallowed a big cud of tobacco in a fit over the price, but he was quieted when I offered to take the land for myself, and Berger's share in the mill." Soon after, Berger & Wallace made the whole price of the land out of four trees that stood on it, and as the ten acres were heavily timbered the speculation was a profitable one.
394
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Wallace managed the mill the summer of 1855 day and night, with two shifts of men, and cut as high as 8,000 feet each twenty-four hours. He made a splendid "run" on shingles and lath, doing this kind of work mostly at night. At the time, there was a great demand for lumber, as log houses were rapidly being replaced by frame buildings here and throughout the county. Wallace, it is said, counted the day lost that he failed to clear $25 at the mill.
JOHNNY MCKIBBEN AND MIKE DAVIS
Two familiar figures on the streets of Winterset thirty years ago. Johnny Mc Kibben was 36 inches high and Mike Davis, 6 feet 10 inches in height. It has been told that while traveling with a show they repre- senteil themselves as twin brothers.
-
1.
CHAPTER L
MISCELLANEOUS
THE GERMAN SETTLEMENT IN PENN TOWNSIIIP By Chas. F. Koehler, of Hollywood, California
On or about the 16th day of March, 1868, I in company with Henry Holder- baum and J. M. Hochstetler, put foot on Madison County soil, having walked from Des Moines to Redfield, and thence to Penn Township. Having thoroughly inspected it, we concluded to settle there. Holderbaum returned east to his home. Hostetler and I purchased a farm each. I worked for David Stanton until the deed for my land was returned from Indiana. In the meantime, I wrote a letter home (Holmes County, Ohio) to my brother what I concluded to do, and gave a pretty thorough account of the land, its productive qualities and advantages and probable result in the near future, etc. That letter was read by dozens of old friends of mine, many who sold out and settled in Penn, some without ever coming out to see it beforehand. My brother, William L. Koehler, made arrange- ments to move, and while so doing, Mr. Nicholas Schlarb and family concluded to come also. They chartered a car and loaded it. While so doing, an uncle of Mr. Schlarb with his family and one nephew arrived fresh from Germany, and when they found that Nick, as he was familiarly called, was moving to Iowa, they put their effects in the same car and all arrived in due time in Des Moines, Iowa, the latter part of March or the first of April, of the same year. I think though that it was in the month of April.
In the fall of 1868 John and David Lenocker, sons of Christian Lenocker, bought land and settled here. The following spring their parents and balance of family arrived. Then came Fred Imboden and family. In March, 1869, G. F. Lenocker and family arrived from Illinois. The same month Eli Snyder and family arrived from Ohio; also Henry Holderbaum and family from Indiana. The next year, 1870, Michael Holderbaum, Sr., and family arrived from Ohio, and Mr. P. Fett and family, Mr. Shumacher and family, Mr. Michael Holderbaum, Jr., and family, Jacob Lenocker and family from Illinois. The next year, 1871, Wm. Bast and family from Ohio; Wm. Weitrich and family, Indiana; Isaac Piper and family, Ohio; also Philip Lenocker and family. In that year the Ger- mans of Penn and Dexter, Dallas County, and other contiguous territory, or- ganized a German Lutheran Church. The minister that was called was Reverend Horn and family from Ohio, who lived a short time in Penn and then moved to Dexter. There were a few more families added to the year 1875-6; among them were Ed Scarr and K. J. Kaufman. There may have been a few others, but I cannot now recall them. All these settled on farms and were recognized among the best farmers and citizens of that township. Some of these original settlers
396
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
have passed into the beyond, and many are still living on their farms ; a few have moved to other climes.
When that goodly land was first settled, land was bought very cheap. In the year 1868 we bought it for $6.50 per acre. When the settlers commenced to come in, the agents advanced it to Sio, $12 and even $15 inside of a year and a half. This of course was for raw prairie, as no improved land was for sale-what little there was improved. That year of 1868 there were but seven improved farms on the Penn Center Road, and west one-half of township but one single house. The extreme cast was then settled by Quakers, to the number of a dozen families.
I'll never forget the first 4th of July (1868) that we celebrated. Word was sent out in every direction for ten miles radius that the settlers would have a grand basket picnic at Francis Grove on the 4th of July. The morning came, a beautiful day, and with it came between fifty and sixty, old and young. all get- ting acquainted easily, no stiff formalities like unto the present time. All happy and full of life and enthusiasm. The meeting in due time was called to order by the president of the day, Dan Francis. The invocation was pronounced by Rev- erend Armstrong. The declaration was read by William Ross. The main orator of the day was Reverend Armstrong. After that others were called on, among them the writer, who reminded them of the peculiar conditions then existing in this celebration. The fact was this: Philipp Schlarb was a skilled accordion player. He had brought his instrument with him, and having no other kind of musical instrument, we pressed him into service.
The marshal of the day formed the whole crowd, men, women and children. into a line two by two, with the flag and the accordion player at the head, marched around the grove several times to Dutch tunes, mostly waltzes and schottisches. Ile being a recent arrival from Germany, knew no American tunes, but we marched just as enthusiastically after "Zu Lauterbach hab' ich mein Strumpf ver- loren" and "Ich bin der Doctor Isenbarth willi willi ba bump" as if it had been the "Star-Spangled Banner" or the "Union Forever."
He was a great player, and he regaled the crowd all day with his music, be- tween speeches-another Dutch tune and still more Dutch music-until late in the evening. Among the many Fourth of July celebrations that 1 participated in while in lowa, there is none that looms up so pronounced and has left such an indelible impression on my mind as this first one.
All the people were neighbors-though ten miles apart. They were friends, although strangers. They were hospitality to the limit.
SOME REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY SETTLEMENT OF MADISON COUNTY, JOW.\
By Rev. J. G. Bishop, D. D., of Dayton, Ohio
On the 19th day of June, 1847, my father, David Bishop, George MeClellan. Doc Whited and Bud Whited, with their families, landed in Madison County, coming in their ox wagons, by the way of Des Moines, up the divide between the North and Middle rivers, striking camp on the narrows about six miles a little north of east from where Winterset now stands. The writer was at that time about fourteen years of age, had walked all the way from Burlington on the
397
HISTORY OF MADISON COUNTY
Mississippi, helping to drive the loose cattle-and has some very vivid recollec- tions of those early times.
George McClellan settled on the narrows where the party first struck camp. David Bishop's mind seemed drawn to see what was on the south side of the Middle River. So, with gun and ax in hand, he started alone on an exploring expedition, felling a tree on which to cross the river. The only enemy encoun- tered was a big rattlesnake; this enemy was conquered by the first shot from the rifle. After two days' explorings, father decided to locate on the south side. But how to get across the river? Drove westward along the skirts of the bluffs ; found a place where we could get the wagon down the bluffs; crossed the river at a ford near where the bridge now stands on the road leading from Winterset to St. Charles ; wound up the ridge and out on the prairie, which father christened "Hoosier Prairie," his being the first Hoosier family that had come to seek a home on its beautiful and attractive borders. But of course we must get at the edge of or near the timber, for the prairies could never be settled more than one or two miles out from the timber ( ?). And so, striking an Indian trail running through the high grass, we proceeded eastward, stopping where what was after- ward known as the Runkle farm is located, the family living in a tent, and out doors, until we could put up a log cabin, which we did, riving out the boards with a frow with which to cover it, by Saturday evening. Sunday morning father cut a hole in one side for a door and the family moved in. The cutting out that door was about the only Sunday work I ever saw my father do.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.