USA > Iowa > Marion County > History of Marion County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 18
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
HARVEY
Harvey is situated near the eastern boundary of the county, just south of English Creek a short distance above its mouth, on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroads. It was laid out by M. F. Marshall, deputy county surveyor, on December 12, 1876, for James Harvey and Mrs. J. H. Mitchell, between the two railroads above named. The original plat shows eighty-six lots of various sizes. Since it was filed some additions have been made to the town, the most important of which are Rietveld & Emmel's and the Factory Site additions, both of which were laid out in 1901. The last named consists of twenty-two large lots, suitable for manufacturing purposes, east of the old town.
Forty-one residents of Harvey united in a petition to the District Court at the September term in 1903, asking that the town be in- corporated according to law. Judge J. H. Applegate appointed W. R. Dickey, W. E. Lemmon, A. A. Sandy, Edward Mahoney and William McLaughlin commissioners to hold an election for the purpose of ascertaining the sentiment of the voters. At the election, November 17, 1903, thirty-eight votes were cast in favor of incor- poration and twenty-three against it, five ballots being spoiled by
LEE ---
VIEW OF HARVEY BEFORE THE FIRE OF FEBRUARY, 1914
171
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
the voters and not counted. The commissioners then reported to the court that the proposition had been carried, and an election for municipal officers was ordered for December 10, 1903. Wynant van der Kamp was elected the first mayor; G. J. de Haas, clerk; J. B. Roovaart, treasurer; W. R. Dickey, J. M. Olive, William Mc- Laughlin, A. A. Sandy, W. D. Woods and Edward Mahoney, coun- cilmen.
Harvey is the largest town in Clay Township. It has a national bank, a large brick and tile manufactory, two churches, a public school that employs four teachers, telegraph and express offices, a telephone exchange, two large general stores, an agricultural imple- ment house, a hotel and a number of smaller shops. The population in 1910 was 346, and in 1913 the property of the municipality was assessed at $ 1 56,492.
HOWELL
On April 4, 1882, T. E. House laid out the town of Howell for the Union Land Company, in the northeast quarter of section 19, township 76, range 18, and the plat was filed on the 6th of the follow- ing July. Two streets numbered First and Second run east and west, and the north and south streets are Stone, Main and Pond. The original plat shows eighty lots. Howell is a station on the Wabash Railroad in the southwestern part of Lake Prairie Township. Its principal business concern is a general store that supplies the sur- rounding country. Mail is delivered by rural carrier from Pella.
IOLA
Strictly speaking, lola was not a town. In 1854 the settlers in the northern part of Clay Township petitioned for a postoffice, and one was established at the house of Joseph Clark, in section 31, town- ship 76, range 18, with Mr. Clark as postmaster. To this postoffice was given the name of Iola. Mr. Clark was succeeded in 1856 by David T. Durham, who held the position until the office was dis- continued, the one at Durham taking its place in supplying mail to that part of the county.
LEERDAMI
The extinct town of Leerdam (also spelled Leersdam and Lear- dam) was surveyed by Henry W. Dyer, surveyor of Marion County, on New Year's day, 1858, for A. and J. Klein, H. Verhoef and I.
172
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
van der Meer. The plat, which was filed on February 1, 1858, shows fifty lots, a public square, Pella and Newton streets running north and south and Buchanan, Bluff and South streets running east and west. Leerdam was located in the northeast quarter of section 23, township 77, range 18, on the south side of the Skunk River, and about four miles north of Pella. The town never had any existence, except on paper, and many of the inhabitants of Marion County at the present time know nothing of such a town ever having been projected. It was named for a place in the Netherlands, the pro- prietors all being natives of that country.
LUCAS GROVE
This place was similar in character to Iola. Sometime in the 'sos a postoffice was established in the northwestern part of Knox- ville Township, in section 21, township 76, range 20, about two and a half miles north of the present railway station of Donley, but the name of the postmaster cannot be ascertained. After a few years the office was discontinued and the history of Lucas Grove has been forgotten.
MARYSVILLE
The Town of Marysville, in the southwestern part of Liberty Township, was surveyed by James A. Rousseau, county surveyor, for Joseph Brobst, on February 11, 1851, and the plat was filed on March 4,1851. It shows twenty-six lots with a public square in the center equal in size to four lots. In March, 1854, this public square was conveyed by the proprietor to Mathias Ulsh, who laid it out in lots under the name of Ulsh's addition. Since that time Ulsh & Metz's addition, H. J. Ulsh's addition, and High & Gortner's addi- tion have been added to Marysville, so that the original town has been increased in area more than a hundred-fold.
Marysville is situated in section 29, township 74, range 18, on the north bank of Cedar Creek, fifteen miles southeast of Knoxville. The town was so named from the number of women in the Brobst family who bore the name of Mary, no less than five of them bearing that appellation.
The first house in the town was built by Jonathan Wilder. The second was erected by Jacob Stambach and was long known as the "old tavern stand." Andrew Kerr was the first merchant, and Peter Klein was the first postmaster. The postoffice was at first called Ely, or Ely's, after one of the prominent families living in that locality.
WAGON BRIDGE OVER ENGLISH CREEK NEAR HARVEY
-
173
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
In February, 1871, a weekly newspaper called the Marysville Miner was started by a company with J. W. Ragsdale as editor, and in 1872 Welch & Company erected a large building for a woolen fac- tory. The opening of the coal mines about this time also added to the importance of Marysville, and in the latter 'zos the town was incorporated under the laws of the state. A Methodist Church was established in 1867 and a little later Masonic and Odd Fellows lodges were instituted.
The Marysville of the present day has three general stores, a postoffice, telephone connections with the surrounding towns, a pub- lic school that employs four teachers, and important coal mining interests. In 1910 the population was 319, and in 1913 the property of the town was assessed for taxation at $66,188.
MELCHER
In the spring of 1912 R. E. Cotton surveyed the Town of Melcher for Thomas J. Newkirk, a resident of Chicago, Illinois. Melcher is located in section 11, township 74, range 21, immediately south of and adjoining the Town of Dallas. The plat, which was filed in the recorder's office on May 17, 1912, shows 600 lots and a public park.
At the February term of the District Court in 1913 a petition signed by thirty-three residents of the new town was presented, ask- ing for the incorporation of Melcher. After hearing the petition Judge Lorin N. Hays appointed Frank McAllister, Arby Bucklew, W. T. Newkirk, John Oldham and J. D. Croy commissioners to hold an election and submit the question to the legal voters residing within the territory it was proposed to include in the corporation. The vote was unanimous in favor of incorporation, and on May 14, 1913, was held the first election for town officers. J. D. Croy was elected mayor; C. V. Brumley, clerk; William Nolte, treasurer ; John Oldham, Leopold Gafleazzi, C. A. Hollingsworth, W. E. Bledsoe and Walter Feight, councilmen.
Welcher is the outgrowth of the building of the branch line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway system through that section of the county. Although one of the youngest towns in the county, it is a healthy infant and is one of the thriving towns in the White Breast Valley. It is situated on a high ridge, three miles from the creek, and bids fair to become one of the leading coal towns of the county. A public school building was erected in the summer of 1914, and in November of that year a telephone exchange was opened. Melcher has two banks, the usual number of mercantile
1
174
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
establishments for a town of its size, important coal mining interests, and a number of minor business enterprises.
MORGAN VALLEY
In the western part of Perry Township, on the north side of the Des Moines River and the Wabash Railroad, is the little village of Morgan Valley. A spur of the railroad runs north from the town to a coal mine about half a mile distant, in which a number of the people living in the vicinity are employed. A postoffice was once located here, but it was discontinued some years ago and mail is now received by rural delivery from Percy. Morgan Valley has some shipping interests and a local trade.
NEWBERN
The Town of Newbern was surveyed by F. M. Frush on Sep- tember 9, 1851, for Ransom Davis, who gave it the name of the town in Indiana from which he had emigrated. It is located in the north- east corner of section 31, township 74, range 21, in the extreme south- west corner of the county. The plat was filed in the office of the county recorder by Mr. Davis on April 9, 1852. It shows twenty- four blocks of four lots each. Beginning at the east side of the town, the north and south streets are numbered from First to Sixth, in- clusive, and the streets running east and west are North, Water, Poplar, Main, Washington and South. In the center is a public square.
At the first public sale of lots nine were sold at prices ranging from $4 to $8 cach. Mr. Davis built the first house-a hewed log dwelling-in the north part of the town; Jesse Moon was the first merchant, but was succeeded after a short time by Fletcher Kane, and Joseph Howard was the first postmaster. Rufus Murry built a large log house and opened the first hotel. Thirty years later the town boasted two general stores, a church, a blacksmith shop, a hotel, a steam mill, a drug store and an agricultural implement and hardware house. At that time Newbern was at its zenith. The post- office has since been discontinued, and the village is now a neighbor- hood trading point for the surrounding farming community.
NEW CHICAGO
In 1867 Christopher Anderly opened a store in the northeast quarter of section 17, township 74, range 21, a little northeast of the
175
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
present village of Bauer, and in a jocular spirit gave the place the name of Chicago. When the postoffice was established there a little later it was called New Chicago. No town was ever regularly laid out here, but several people bought lots and erected dwellings, and ' in time another store was established. After several years a decline set in, the postoffice was discontinued, and about all that remains of New Chicago is a pleasant memory.
OAK
An old map of Marion County shows a rural postoffice called Oak, located in the northeast corner of section 18, in the western part of Red Rock Township. No town was ever laid out, but a store was established by the postmaster for the accommodation of the people living in the vicinity.
OTLEY
On August 14-15, 1867, J. A. Carruthers, at that time county surveyor, laid out a town in sections 15 and 22, township 77, range 19, for Columbus Long, J. F. Baldwin and G. W. Johnston. Prior to that time a station had been located there by a Mr. Otley, engineer of the Des Moines Valley Railroad, and the town was named in his honor. The proprietors of the town filed their plat with the county recorder on November 2, 1867. It shows sixty-seven lots, all on the southwest side of the railroad. Next to the railroad is Chestnut Street, then come Ewing and Johnston streets. The cross streets are Washington, Jefferson, Keystone, Elm, Walnut, Baldwin and Sum- mit. The space bounded by Chestnut, Keystone, Ewing and Bald- win streets was not subdivided into lots, but was left for a public square or park. Since the town was first laid out, Hammond's addi- tion of forty-two lots, on the northeast side of the railroad, was sur- veyed in June, 1869, and Johnston's addition of sixteen blocks, only two of which were subdivided into lots, was made in January, 1871.
The first house in the town was built by Alexander Jolly. Soon afterward a Mr. Weaver erected a store building, which was leased to Isaac N. Crum, who was the first merchant. The postoffice was established in the spring of 1868, with J. W. Honnold as the first postmaster. At one time there were five general stores in Otley, but Polk's Gazetteer for 1914 gives the number as two. The town has two churches, a telephone exchange, a public school that employs
176
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
three teachers, some minor business shops, and does considerable shipping. A bank was organized late in the year 1914.
PERCY
In the eastern part of Perry Township, about a mile north of the Des Moines River, is a station on the Wabash Railroad called Percy. The town was surveyed by T. E. House, for the Union Land Company on April 4, 1882. Of the ninety-four lots in the original survey, eleven lay south of the railroad, and eighty-three were on the north side. On October 30, 1884, a portion of the plat was vacated upon petition of Christopher Wagner, owner of the land. Percy has never attained the prominence hoped for by its founders. The population does not exceed 100, and a general store is the principal business enterprise. A bank was opened in the town in 1891, but it has recently passed out of existence.
PERRYVILLE
On June 24, 1848, Stanford Doud, county surveyor, laid out the town of Perryville for Hezekiah Jay and the plat was filed two days later. It shows ninety-two lots and a large block, probably intended for a public square. The town was located in the northern part of section 9, township 77, range 21, on the north side of the Des Moines River, a short distance east of where Morgan Valley is now situated. Donnel says that the proprietor endeavored to forestall Baker and Gregory, who laid out the Town of Bennington in the same section the following August. Perryville never prospered and in time the plat was vacated.
PLEASANTVILLE
Pleasantville is the third largest town in Marion County, being exceeded in population only by Knoxville and Pella. It was laid out on August 1, 1849, by Stanford Doud for Wesley Jordan, and the plat was duly filed on the 7th of September following. That original plat shows nine blocks, eight of which are divided into eight lots each, one block being left in the center of the town for a public square. Since the original survey was made the town has been in- creased in size by Ramsay's addition and six additions made at dif- ferent times by Mr. Jordan. The streets running east and west in the original plat were North, Jackson, Monroe and South, and those
PLEASANTVILLE HIGH SCHOOL
1 ?
TILDEN
177
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
running north and south were East, Washington, Jefferson and West. On June 7, 1852, North, South, East and West streets were vacated, pursuant to an election previously held.
In the spring of 1872 a petition was filed in the District Court asking for the incorporation of the town. An election was ordered to ascertain the sentiment of the citizens on the question, when forty- six votes were cast in favor of incorporating and sixteen against it. The court then ordered an election for town officers, to be held on July 16, 1872, at which time William H. Miner was elected mayor; T. J. West, clerk; Miles Jordan, David Hockert, Elias Williams, Christian Pentz and Solomon L. Hart, councilmen.
Wesley Jordan built the first house in Pleasantville. He was also the first merchant and the first postmaster, the postoffice being kept in his store. Milton T. Glenn was the first child born in the town, the date of his birth having been December 19, 1851. The first hotel was kept by William H. H. Alley.
For several years the growth of Pleasantville was "slow but sure," but with the completion of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad in 1879 the town took on new life. Although the place has never experienced a pronounced boom, the growth has been of a healthy character and the town is one of the active business centers of the county. It has two banks, a number of mercantile concerns handling drygoods, groceries, clothing, hardware, furniture, drugs, etc., grain elevators, a flour mill, lumber and coal yards, a weekly newspaper, a cornet band, Methodist and Christian churches, a public school that employs eight teachers, and a number of cozy homes. It is the principal shipping point between Knoxville and Des Moines.
Pleasantville is so named on account of the pleasant surroundings, being located upon a beautiful prairie, and the highest point of land in Marion County is within the limits of the town. The population in 1910 was 691, and the property was assessed for taxation in 1913 at $524.272.
RED ROCK
The town of Red Rock, in the southeastern part of the township of the same name, was surveyed for John D. Bedell in August, 1845. It takes its name from the deposits of red sandstone near by. At the time it was first laid out the government survey had not been com- pleted in that part of the county, and on April 3, 1847, it was re- surveyed by Claiborne Hall, then county surveyor, for the firm of Bedell, Drouillard & Harp. John Jordan and a man named Shaw had established trading houses in the vicinity before the town was Vol. 1-12
178
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
laid out, but the first house built in the town proper was a log cabin erected by James Harp, in 1845. It stood a short distance from the river bank and consisted of two rooms, one of which was used as bachelor quarters by the owner and the other was occupied by Ezra H. Baker as a store room. Subsequently Mr. Baker removed his stock of goods to Bennington, about twelve miles farther up the Des Moines River.
During the years 1847 and 1848 quite a number of people settled in Red Rock, but the town received a blow with the great flood of 1851 from which it never recovered. This flood occurred in June and the sudden rise in the river came in the night while the people were asleep. They awoke to find their beds surrounded by water, and those who were fortunate enough to live in two-story houses hurried upstairs. Every canoe and skiff within reach were pressed into service to rescue the people from their deluged homes, and even rafts were constructed for the purpose. Several houses were com- pletely destroyed by the flood and those that were left had to be thor- oughly renovated before they were fit for occupation as dwelling places. Scarcely had this been done and the people reestablished in their homes, when the river again rose and compelled them to undergo another two weeks' exile. To add to their discomfort the supply of breadstuffs became exhausted, the nearest mills were on the opposite side of the river, and to cross that raging torrent was out of the question. There was plenty of corn, but how was it to be ground into meal. David B. Worth, living about two miles north of the town, was the possessor of a small hand mill, which was kept going day and night to supply the demand. Some of the people crushed the corn with an ax or an iron wedge and then ground the broken grains in a coffee mill. The corn that had been planted on the bottom lands before the flood was either washed out or covered with mud, and some of it was replanted as late as the 4th of July. For- tunately a favorable season enabled the farmers to secure a fair crop to tide them over the winter.
Prior to this flood, the people of Red Rock had entertained hopes of securing the county seat. These hopes were now abandoned and several families left the town. Those who remained still had one hope left. If slack-water navigation could be established in the Des Moines River, or a railroad company could be induced to build a road to the town, Red Rock might yet come into its own. But the slack-water project, about which there had been so much talk, was soon abandoned and the Des Moines Valley Railroad missed the town by several miles, passing over the prairie on the east and north.
1
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH, PLEASANTVILLE
179
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
For years after this the growth of Red Rock was hardly notice- able, the population remaining about stationary. Then the Des Moines & St. Louis (now the Wabash) Railroad was built nearer the river and the company ran a spur to the sandstone quarries on the west side of the town. This was followed by a revival of busi- ness and a moderate increase in the population.
Concerning the early history of Red Rock, Donnel says: "From first to last Red Rock possessed a notoriety not enjoyed by any other village in the county. Situated on a much-frequented Indian trail, and at the border of the United States territory, it early became a place of resort for the savages for the purpose of trading and obtain- ing whisky at the trading houses. It is said that even the squaw's would sometimes come, obtain a supply of the baneful beverage, and then lie about in a state of beastly intoxication, their infants (those that had them) crying with starvation. In pity for these suffering innocents, the sober squaws would feed them with the soft pulp scraped from the inside of elm or linwood bark, which they would devour with evident relish. Some of these squaws appeared to be desperate under the influence of liquor, and were tied to the fences to prevent them from running over the river bank.
"The place also became the frequent rendezvous of the rougher portion of the settlers, and others whose character classed them with adventurers and desperadoes ; and as a natural result of such a fusion of spirits, inspired more or less by the ardent, fights were of frequent occurrence. It is a fact worthy of note that Red Rock, though a comparatively small place, has been the scene of several assassina- tions, shooting and stabbing affrays and lawless carousals, the details of which are not pertinent to this history."
But all this has changed. The Indian, the unscrupulous trader, the adventurer and the desperado have all disappeared. No longer is whisky one of the chief articles to be found in the trading house, the general stores of the village dealing in the commodities intended to supply the wants of a civilized community. The public school, employing three teachers, is to be seen instead of drunken squaws tied to the fence, and Red Rock is a typical modern town.
REEDVILLE
On November 1, 1855, William Kent, surveyor of Marion County, laid out the Town of Reedville, which was named for the proprietor, J. C. Reed, with whom was associated Christian House- man. The plat, which was filed in the recorder's office on February
180
HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
11, 1856, shows Center Street running east and west, and Jefferson, Marion and Des Moines streets running north and south. Reedville was situated north of the Des Moines River, in section 8, township 77, range 20, and not far from Prairie Creek. Of the seventy-two lots surveyed a few were sold, but the town never grew to any con- siderable proportions, and where it was projected is now a farm.
ROUSSEAU
When the scheme of improving the navigation of the Des Moines River by a series of locks and dams was proposed, one of the dams was to be located a short distance above the mouth of the White Breast Creek. On April 25, 1850, James A. Rousseau laid out a town of ninety-nine lots immediately south of the river, in the west side of section 9, township 76, range 19, for William Kent. On June 20, 1850, Mr. Kent filed his plat in the office of the county recorder, giving the proposed town the name of Rousseau, in honor of the sur- veyor. A postoffice was established at an early date and Rousseau promised to become a town of some consequence. But the dam and locks were not built, the postoffice was discontinued, business re- moved to other towns on the railroad lines, and Rousseau exists only in name. Fifield is the nearest railroad station, and the few inhabit- ants of Rousseau and its environs receive mail by rural delivery from the postoffice at Knoxville.
STAR
This was a rural postoffice located in section 14, township 75, range 21, a little northeast of the center of Franklin Township. E. L. Wines was one of the early postmasters. No town ever grew up about the postoffice, which was discontinued in time, and the name does not appear on modern maps of the county.
SWAN
Swan is an incorporated town on the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad, sixteen miles northwest of Knoxville and in the northwest corner of Swan Township. Soon after the railroad was completed the company bought forty acres of land in the southwest quarter of section 17, township 77, range 21, from John Shook, with the view of founding a town and establishing a station. In Septem- ber, 1879, Anselmo B. Smith, a civil engineer, laid out a town of seventy-two small lots and two large outlots for C. E. Perkins, trustee, and the plat was filed on the 13th of the following Novem-
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.