USA > Iowa > Marion County > History of Marion County, Iowa, and its people, Volume I > Part 31
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HISTORY OF MARION COUNTY
son, C. C. Shinnick, B. C. Bellamy, J. W. Mitchell and W. A. Ardery, Knoxville; E. H. Keables, George Allen and A. Guthrie, Pella; P. M. Johnson and J. A. Schrader, Red Rock; J. W. Finarty and J. H. Auld, Dallas; E. R. Wright and J. T. Hendershott, Otley; B. R. Prather and Eli Whitlatch, Columbia; A. L. Yocum, New- bern; C. E. James, Swan; S. V. Duncan, Pleasantville; L. E. Park, Tracy; S. C. Bell, Attica; J. G. Lampier, Hamilton, and a few others.
It is to be regretted that so many of the old-time doctors passed from the scene of their earthly labors without leaving more of their history behind them. Doctor Finarty was a native of West Virginia, but came to Pella with his parents when only two years of age. From November, 1863, to the close of the war he was in the commissary department of the Fifteenth Army Corps. In 1871-72 he attended his first course of lectures and began practice at Dallas. In Feb- ruary, 1877, he received his degree. Some years later he removed to Knoxville, where he still resides. Doctor James, who settled at Swan in the year 1880, later removed to the Village of Durham, where he still resides. Doctor Duncan graduated at the Eclectic Medical College of Cincinnati in 1866, but had been a resident of Marion County for six years prior to that date. Doctor Bell, a native of Pennsylvania, graduated at the Iowa State University in 1875 and soon after located at Attica, where he built up a lucrative practice. Dr. C. E. Wright, of Knoxville, and Dr. E. R. Wright, of Otley, were both natives of Indiana and successful physicians.
MEDICAL, SOCIETIES
On January 8, 1872, eight physicians met at the office of Dr. Norman R. Cornell and organized the Marion County Medical Society. They were A. D. Wetherell, Norman R. Cornell, S. V. Duncan, Elias Williams, H. J. Scoles, W. E. Wright, J. W. Mit- chell and W. T. Baird. A committee was appointed to draw up articles of incorporation and another meeting was held on January 25, 1872, when the articles-copied from the Johnson County Med- ical Society were approved and the following officers elected : Dr. A. D. Wetherell, president; Dr. N. R. Cornell, vice president; Dr. W. E. Wright, secretary. The secretary was instructed to file the articles of incorporation with the county recorder and also with the secretary of state at Des Moines, the society to exist as a corporate body for twenty years.
The old constitution and by-laws of this society show that during its existence it had twenty-four members, some of whom are still
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living and practicing in the county. Of these twenty-four, ten were from Knoxville; two from each of the towns of Columbia, Dallas, Pleasantville and Newbern; and one each from Swan, Marysville, Tracy, Otley, Attica and Gosport.
On March 4, 1872, the first regular meeting was held at Doctor Cornell's office, when the code of ethics of the American Medical Association was adopted. A motion to adopt a fee bill was laid on the table and remained there.
In September, 1872, a committee was appointed to procure a room for dissecting purposes and material for dissection. The com- mittee subsequently reported that a room had been engaged, but that it was impossible to obtain human bodies for dissection.
At the September meeting in 1881 the society adopted a resolu- tion to the effect "That we, the members of the Marion County Med- ical Society. hereby pledge our support to such men for the office of state legislator as will support the bill introduced in the last Legisla- ture, or a similar one, for the 'Regulation of the practice of Medicine and Surgery in the State of Iowa.'"
It was further resolved that the members of the society would use their best efforts to secure the election of such men, "regardless of their or our own party affiliations," and that a copy of the resolutions be given the various newspapers for publication. A committee was also appointed to confer with the several candidates and ascertain their views regarding the enactment of such a law. This committee reported at the October meeting and in the campaign that followed the doctors proved that they understood the game of politics. The minutes of the October meeting show that the committee was dis- charged, after which a motion was made that certain "informal poli- tics" was to be regarded as a "professional secret and not made a matter of record." The result was that the candidate who agreed to support the bill was elected to the General Assembly.
According to the records, the last meeting of this society was held on September 6, 1886. Marion County was then without an active medical society until May 9, 1900, when a number of physi- cians of the county met in the Odd Fellows' Hall at Knoxville, pur- suant to a call signed by Drs. C. W. Cornell, W. E. Wright, H. F. Keables and some others, for the purpose of organizing a county medical society. Dr. W. E. Wright was called to the chair and Dr. H. F. Keables was chosen temporary secretary. Dr. J. V. Brann, Dr. C. W. Cornell and Doctor Reynolds were appointed to revise the constitution and by-laws of the old society, after which the fol- lowing officers were elected: Dr. W. E. Wright, president; Dr.
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W. W. Kimmell, first vice president; Dr. L. E. Park, second vice president; Dr. Miles Duncan, third vice president; Dr. H. F. Kea- bles, secretary; Dr. J. V. Brann, treasurer; Drs. A. J. Nossaman, C. E. James and C. W. Cornell, censors.
Thirty-seven members were enrolled in the new organization. From a paper read before the society recently by the secretary, Dr. C. W. Cornell, the following extracts are taken :
"At the semi-annual meeting held on November 12, 1903, the records show that a new constitution and by-laws were adopted that would conform to that of the Iowa State Medical Society. This constitution and by-laws are now in force. The roll of member- ship admitted since this revision of 1903 numbers fifty-one.
"There are forty physicians in the county eligible for member- ship, as follows: Knoxville, 13; Pella, 10; Pleasantville, 4; Dallas, 3; Bussey, 2; Columbia, 2; Attica, 1; Hamilton, 1; Harvey, I; Everist, 1 ; Durham, 1 ; Newbern, I. Our membership is now twenty- nine."
The officers of the society at the beginning of the year 1915 were as follows: Dr. Carl Aschenbrenner, president; Dr. Carl Mulky, vice president; Dr. C. W. Cornell, secretary and treasurer; Drs. C. N. Bos, E. R. Ames and L. E. Park, censors; Dr. E. C. McClure, delegate; Dr. J. V. Brann, alternate.
CHAPTER XIX
SOCIETIES AND FRATERNITIES
AGRICULTURAL SOCIETIES-OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION-MASONIC FRATERNITY-INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS-KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS-IMPROVED ORDER OF RED MEN-GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC-MISCELLANEOUS SOCIETIES.
As the early settlers of Marion County were practically all farmers, or persons interested in agriculture, one of the first societies ever organized in the county was the Marion County Agricultural Society, which had its beginning in 1855. Following is the con- stitution :
"Article 1. The style of this society shall be the Marion County Agricultural Association.
"Article 2. Its object shall be the fostering of agricultural, hor- ticultural, mechanical and household products.
"Article 3. The officers of this society shall consist of a presi- dent, vice president, secretary, treasurer, chief marshal and a board of eleven directors, who together, or a majority of those present, when regularly convened, shall constitute a quorum for the trans- action of business connected with the association.
"Article 4. It shall be the duty of the president and vice presi- dent to discharge the duties usually devolving upon such officers of such societies. The secretary will keep the minutes, books and papers of the society, and report annually, as required by law, and perform such other duties as from time to time may be required of him by the by-laws of the society.
"Article 5. The treasurer shall keep the funds of the society and disburse the same on the order of the secretary, countersigned by the president, and report annually to the directors the financial condition of the society.
"Article 6. The board shall hold annual fairs, determine the premium list and rules of exhibition, and publish the same by the Ist day of May annually.
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"Article 7. The officers shall be elected annually on the evening of the second day of the fair, by ballot. Each member of the society shall be entitled to vote at said election.
"Article 8. The board, when regularly convened, shall have power to make by-laws and regulations and alter the same by vote of a majority of the members present, and shall have power to fill any vacancy that may occur in their own body, which appointment shall extend to the next annual meeting of the board.
"Article 9. The officers of this society shall be entitled to a vote with the directors in all business transactions or meetings of the society.
"Article 10. This constitution may be altered or amended at any annual meeting of the officers and directors by a majority vote of the members present."
Unfortunately the records of this society have been lost or de- stroyed, so that little can be learned of its early history. Among those who were actively connected with the affairs of the society at different periods of its existence were Claiborne Hall, Green T. Clark, P. K. Bonebrake, J. H. Cloe, M. D. Woodruff, H. T. Cun- ningham, H. J. Scoles, T. R. Brown, S. K. Bellamy, Daniel Smith, F. J. Brobst, A. M. Brobst, George Harsin, A. J. Briggs, A. W. Col- lins and John Robinson.
According to Donnel, the first fair held by the society was at Knoxville in October, 1856, on the public square. Says he: "Only a few animals were exhibited, and, consequently, but few premiums were awarded. For the want of any other room for the purpose, the old courtroom was used as a floral hall."
The second fair was held in September, 1857, on the common in the western part of Knoxville, where tables were set in the open air for the display of vegetables, etc. This fair was much better attended than the one of the preceding year and aroused considerable interest in the subject of agriculture. Thus encouraged, the society took steps to acquire a permanent fair ground and make such improve- ments thercon as might be necessary for holding successful exhibi- tions. In 1858 a joint stock company was formed for this purpose. Eight acres of ground were purchased from Drewry Overton and two acres from Thomas Clark, located in the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 1, township 75, range 20, in the north- ern part of the present city limits of Knoxville. The grounds were inclosed by a high board fence, pens and stalls built for the accommo- dation of live stock, a well was sunk on the grounds and a supply of good water obtained, a commodious hall was erected and a very suc-
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cessful fair was held on the new grounds in the fall of that year. In 1870 the joint stock company deeded the grounds to the society. Fairs were held annually until about the beginning of the present century, when the society was disbanded.
LAKE PRAIRIE DISTRICT FAIR
The Lake Prairie District Agricultural Society was organized at Pella in 1888. It was incorporated with a capital stock of $6,000 and a provision was inserted in the articles of association that the indebtedness should never exceed one-half of that amount. Twenty- two and a half acres of ground near the city were purchased and fitted up for a fair ground and annual exhibitions were given by the society until 1914. The fair of that year was held on September 8th, 9th and 10th, but owing to bad weather was not well attended and the secretary, Charles Porter, reported that the deficit thus caused would increase the debt to more than the amount permitted by the articles of association.
Under these conditions it was decided by the board of directors to sell the fair grounds. Some of the stockholders were not in favor of this movement and formed an association to purchase the grounds, which were sold on October 31, 1914. Among those in the new asso- ciation were R. A. Awtry, A. W. DeBruyn, A. T. Grandia, George J. Thomassen, A. VanderWaal, Herman VanZante, James Ver- Ploegh and B. H. Van Spanckeren. The bidder for these gentlemen was A. Waechter, to whom the grounds were sold for $8,050, or more than two thousand dollars over the capital stock of the society.
On Monday evening, November 9, 1914, a mass meeting was held in the Pella City Hall, at which a large number of farmers in the immediate vicinity were present. J. H. Stubenrauch was chosen chairman and gave a brief historical sketch of the society, showing how it was the outgrowth of a farmers' picnic that had been held an- nually for a few years prior to 1888 in a grove southeast of the city. Quite a number of those present expressed themselves in favor of a reorganization and 297 shares of the old stock were pledged to the new association. In addition to this 103 shares of new stock were subscribed and an executive committee, consisting of R. A. Awtry, A. W. DeBruyn and A. T. Grandia, was appointed to supervise a general canvass for the purpose of inducing old stockholders to join the new association and to canvass for new stock. A. VanderWaal, H. D. VanZante and George J. Thomassen were appointed a com-
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mittee to draft articles of incorporation. At this time the indications are that Pella will have a fair in 1915 under a new management.
OLD SETTLERS' ASSOCIATION
Among the first settlers in a new country there is a bond of sym- pathy that those of subsequent generation can hardly understand or appreciate. This friendship is the outgrowth of the trials and hard- ships that the pioneer and his family are called upon to undergo, and the common need in every frontier settlement. When the first white men came to Marion County they brought with them none of the conveniences of modern civilization and were dependent in a measure upon each other. They borrowed freely from one another, ground their coffee in the same mill, pounded their corn in the same hominy block, protected the claims of every settler, and in many other ways assisted each other to "get a start." When a newcomer arrived those who had preceded him were generally prompt to call upon him, "just to see if there was anything they could do," and if he was the right kind of man he was received into the social life of the settle- ment with open arms. As the years pass and some of these pioneers join the silent majority, this bond of friendship becomes stronger among the survivors, who find the greatest pleasure of their lives in meeting together and rehearsing incidents and reminiscences of by- gone days. In course of time these informal meetings develop into a permanent organization.
On New Year's day in 1868 a meeting was held at the Lutheran Church in Knoxville, pursuant to a notice previously given, for the purpose of organizing an Old Settlers' Association. Those present at that meeting were David T. Durham, Conrad Walters, G. W. Harsin, B. F. Williams, F. A. Barker, R. R. Watts and C. H. Dur- ham. David T. Durham was called to the chair and F. A. Barker was chosen secretary. After some discussion it was decided to organize a permanent society and the following constitution was adopted :
"Article 1. This association shall be known as the Old Settlers' Association of Marion County ; its objects shall be the cultivation of social intercourse with one another, and to collect and perpetuate the early history of the county.
"Article 2. The officers of the association shall consist of a presi- dent, vice president, secretary, treasurer and executive committee of three members. The duties of these officers shall be such as usually assigned to officers of this kind."
The membership fee was fixed at 25 cents and it was resolved to hold a festival at Knoxville on January 1, 1869, but when
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that date arrived the festival was postponed until the following May. No record of the May meeting can be found, but it was evidently the means of arousing interest in the work of the association, as a number of new members were received at the annual meeting held at the courthouse on January 2, 1871. William M. Donnel, who was then engaged in writing his "Pioneers of Marion County," was made an honorary member of the association. The minutes of this meeting contain the following :
"On motion of F. C. Barker, it was resolved that an old settlers' celebration and festival be held at Knoxville by the association on the first day of May next-the twenty-eighth anniversary of the set- tlement of Marion County; that a hearty invitation be extended to all persons, together with their families, who have for twenty years been residents of the county ; and that a committee, consisting of one member from each township and one additional from each of the townships of Knoxville and Lake Prairie, be appointed as a general committee of arrangements."
Whereupon David T. Durham, president of the association, appointed the following members of the committee : Clay Township. H. F. Durham; Dallas, Thomas Curtin, Jr .; Franklin, W. B. Ritchie; Indiana, D. F. Sherwood; Knoxville, John Conrey and A. G. Young; Lake Prairie, Wellington Nossaman and P. H. Bous- quet ; Liberty, William Brobst; Perry, J. M. Brous; Pleasant Grove, Dr. L. Williams; Polk, M. S. Reynolds; Red Rock, J. D. Bedell; Summit, William M. Donnel; Swan, Daniel Hunt; Union, Samuel Teter; Washington, Daniel Sampson.
Joseph Brobst, A. C. Cunningham and H. L. Bousquet were ap- pointed as a special committee of arrangements, to look after the details, and the newspapers of the county were requested to publish the proceedings of the meetings. The celebration of May 1, 1871, was the first old settlers' meeting in which general interest was awakened and it was decided to hold such a celebration every year, but after a few years the interest waned and the association went down.
In 1880 the organization was revived, or rather a new one was formed, at a meeting held in the law office of J. D. Gamble on Sat- urday, the 24th of July. Dr. H. J. Scoles presided and it was decided to hold an old settlers' picnic and basket dinner on the fair grounds at Knoxville on Wednesday, August 11, 1880. The call for the pic- nic was signed by Dr. H. J. Scoles, Dr. J. T. French, Dr. Hugh Thompson, James Welch, S. L. Collins, W. W. Craddick, Dr. W. B. Young, J. S. Cunningham, Larkin Wright, D. C. Ely, J. D. Gamble,
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William Black, J. H. Cloe, A. B. Miller, C. G. Brobst, A. M. Clark, F. M. Frush, A. M. Brobst and Joseph Johnson.
The picnic came off at the appointed time and was largely at- tended. At this meeting a permanent organization was effected and the following constitution was adopted :
"Article 1. This organization shall be known as the Old Settlers' Association of Marion County.
"Article 2. The officers of this association shall consist of a presi- dent, secretary and treasurer, and one vice president and one assistant secretary in each township in the county.
"Article 3. The officers shall perform the duties usually re- quired of such officers, and in case of vacancy in the office of presi- dent, the secretary shall designate one of the vice presidents to act.
"Article 4. Any person who has been a resident of the county since the first of August, 1860, or a resident of the state since August 1, 1855, shall be eligible to membership.
"Article 5. The president, secretary and vice presidents shall constitute an executive committee fixing the time and programme for annual meetings.
"Article 6. This constitution may be amended at any annual meeting of the association."
James Welch was elected president of the association and the fol- lowing were chosen vice presidents for the several townships: Clay, David T. Durham; Dallas, Henry Horsman; Franklin, Daniel Wagoner; Indiana, M. M. Mark; Knoxville, Larkin Wright; Lake Prairie, Green T. Clark; Liberty, Jacob Metz; Perry, James Brous, Pleasant Grove, Wesley Jordan; Polk, John Everett; Red Rock, John D. Bedell; Summit, John A. Scott; Swan, Daniel Hunt; Union, E. B. Ruckman; Washington, Hugh Smith.
C. G. Brobst, of Knoxville, was elected secretary and J. S. Cun- ningham, treasurer. The township assistant secretaries chosen were as follows : Clay, C. H. Durham; Dallas, Joel Campbell; Franklin, Abial Niles; Indiana, I. P. Dixon; Lake Prairie, J. H. Stubenrauch ; Liberty, Charles Harlow; Perry, William Hughes; Pleasant Grove, Elias Williams; Polk, Amos Teter; Red Rock, William Clark; Summit, I. N. Crum; Swan, Elisha Hardin; Union, Albert Rey- nolds; Washington, W. A. Whitlatch.
At the picnic on the 11th of August D. O. Collins delivered the principal address, in which he reviewed the events connected with the settlement of the county and the customs of frontier life. Short talks were made by David T. Durham, Dr. J. T. French, S. F. Prouty, Larkin Wright and several others. Annual picnics were
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then held at different places in the county until about the beginning of the present century, when they were discontinued, much to the regret of many old residents, and the Old Settlers' Association came to an end without formal proceedings.
MASONIC FRATERNITY
In point of seniority the Masonic Fraternity stands first among the secret orders. A Masonic tradition says that the order was intro- duced in England by Prince Edwin about 926 A. D., and there are Masonic documents dated back to 1390. In 1599 Northern Kilwin- ning Lodge in Scotland was organized and has been in continuous existence since that time, being the oldest known Masonic organiza- tion in the world. The Grand Lodge of England was organized in June, 1717, and is the mother of all Masonic bodies throughout the English speaking countries of the globe.
The order was introduced in America in 1730, when Daniel Coxe of New Jersey was appointed by the English Grand Lodge "Pro- vincial Grand Master of the Provinces of New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania in America." About the same time a provincial grand master was appointed for the New England colonies. Before the close of the year 1730 a lodge was established in New Hampshire and one at Philadelphia, each of which claims the honor of being the first Masonic lodge in the Western Hemisphere.
Masonry was introduced into the Territory of Iowa under the authority of the Grand Lodge of Missouri. The first lodge was insti- tuted at Burlington under dispensation on November 20, 1840. As immigration continued westward the fraternity went along and new lodges were established. The first lodge in Marion County is Pella Lodge, No. 55, which was instituted in 1852. It is still in existence and according to the last report of the lowa Grand Lodge numbered sixty-one members in 1914, with William Butts, worshipful master and H. Westerhoff, secretary. R. W. Jenkins, one of the earliest members initiated in this lodge, attained to the thirty-third degree, the highest rank in the fraternity.
Oriental Lodge, No. 61, located at Knoxville, was organized under a charter dated June 6, 1855. On the 5th of March following the records and furniture of the lodge were destroyed by fire and its early history was lost. The lodge owns the upper story of the building on the northwest corner of Main and Second streets, where regular meetings are held on the second Friday of each month. In 1914 the lodge numbered 186 members, with K. L. Bush as worship- ful master and Walter Kester, secretary.
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The next lodge to be organized in the county was Pleasant Lodge, No. 128, which was organized at Pleasantville in June, 1858. A. D. Wetherell was the first worshipful master; William Covington, senior warden; and Harrison Jordan, junior warden. In 1914 this lodge reported a membership of sixty-nine. P. B. Woods was at that time worshipful master and W. H. Merritt was secretary. Regu- lar meetings are held on Saturday evening on or before the full moon in each month.
Since the organization of these early lodges the fraternity has spread to all parts of the county and lodges have been established at Tracy, Columbia, Attica, Swan, Dallas and Bussey in the order named.
In 1914 Bellefontaine Lodge, No. 163, at Tracy, numbered forty members with C. C. Cullen as worshipful master and J. B. Lyman as secretary. The regular meetings of this lodge are held on Satur- day evening on or before each full moon.
Tyre Lodge, No. 185, situated at Columbia, is the smallest lodge in the county, reporting but twenty-four members. It is in a healthy condition, however, and holds meetings regularly on Tuesday even- ings on or before the full moon in each month. In 1914 W. H. Allen was worshipful master and E. Whitlatch was secretary.
Gavel Lodge, No. 229, is located at Attica and numbered forty- two members in 1914. Charles Brown was then worshipful master and C. J. Sween was secretary. The regular meetings of Gavel Lodge are held on Thursday evening on or before the full moon.
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