USA > Iowa > Monona County > History of Monona County, Iowa; containing full-page portraits and biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens of the county > Part 20
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E. R. MeNeill located on section 20, this town- ship, where he now lives, on coming to the county in August, 1868.
Fred. McCausland, who had been living in On- awa for some two years, came to this township in the spring of 1869, locating on a farm on sections 13 and 24. There he remained until 1879. 1n 1882 he removed to Whiting, where he now lives.
William Riggs came to this township in Novem- ber, 1869, and made his home here on rented land until 1881, when he removed to Lincoln.
John R. Murphy, a veteran of our Civil War, and a settler in the county of 1857, came to this township in January, 1870, and located on section 29, where he still lives.
Alexander F. Gray ma le his first appearance in the county in 1871, and located on section 28, where he now lives, in 1874.
Charles E. Ross made his appearance here about the same time, and lived on a rented farm for about a year, after which he removed to the town of Lincoln.
The settlement of James McNeill in this town- ship was made in 1872, and since that time he has made his home here.
George R. Chapman located here the same year. and made this his home until 1887, when he sold out and returned to New York City, where he is now living.
John Templeton, who settled on the farm on section 21, where he now lives, in May, 1883, came to Monona County in the year 1874, and for sev- eral years was engaged in school teaching.
W. C. Carmichael settled in this township in 1875, on section 32, and moved to his present resi- dence on section 22 in 1885.
The settlement of William A. Parks in this county was made in the fall of 1877.
In March, 1878, John R. Drummond came to this county, and after working on rented land for about five years settled where his present home is located on section 21.
James Martin located on the farm on section 22,
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where he now lives, in 1879, and has since that time made his home there.
W. . J. Rains settled in this town in March, 1887. .
FIRST ITEMS.
The first child born in the township, and in fact the county, was Molinda, the daughter of Isaac Ashton, whose birth took place June 11, 1852.
The first marriage was that of Gabriel Lang and Isabel Van Dorn, which took place Nov. 6, 1855, Judge Craig performing the ceremony.
The first mass or celebration of the religious ser- vices of the Roman Catholic Church was held at the residence of Patrick Dundon, on section 6, in August, 1883, the Rev. Father Barron, of Salix, being the celebrant.
The first school was that taught in the village of Astiton in the summer of 1856, by Miss Mary Neeley.
The first term of the District Court held in the county commenced its session on the 17th of No- vember, 1856, at Ashton, with Ilon. Samuel 11. Riddle on the bench. A grand jury was empan- nelled consisting of the following named gentle- men: Franklin Mosher. Rowland Cobb, Albert Clemmens, R. G. Fairehill, William A. Rigg, George Erb, William Bayliss, F. C. Case, Franklin A. Day, James II. Sharon. James Armstrong, Rob- ert Manett, John Sonthers, Robert Jamison and L. D .. Driggs. The record of the court does not show any indictments returned by this jury nor any im- portant action taken by it. R. G. Fairchild was the foreman.
VILLAGE OF ASIITON.
In the summer of 1354, the commissioners ap- pointed for the purpose, located the seat of justice in and for the county, at a point on sections 28 and 29, in this township, to which was given the name of Bloomfield. Shortly after, another place in the State bearing that name, it was changed to that of Ashton. Although the county seat was established here that season, still no efforts looking to the sur- vey of a town were made until the following spring. James D. Test, Enos Lowe, Joseph D. Bayliss, Addison Cochrane, Joseph H. Wagoner and Tru- man H. Ilinman, of Pottawattamie County, and Isaac Ashton, of this, the owners of the land in
question, on sections 28, 29. 32 and 33, in township 81. range 45, was laid ont and dedicated by deed, May 18, 1855. the plat of which was filed for record, with its several additions. July 10, 1856.
The proprietor of that portion of the town site. Mr. Ashton, for they seemed to have divided it at once, donated to Monona County, for Court House and other purposes. all of blocks 23 to 28 inclusive, and portions of blocks 3, 4, 5, 19, 20 and 21. Por- tions of these blocks were sold by the County Court, but when the seat of Government was trans- ferred to Onawa, by the unanimous vote of the people of the county, all the unsold lots were deeded back to Isaac Ashton, who turned the town site into a farm.
The new county, otlicers came to the infant village the summer of 1855, and took up their resi- dence. Andrew Jackson, Clerk of the Court; John Craig, County Judge; IIngh Lytle, Treasurer and Recorder; and Samuel Scott, Surveyor, were the principal ones. William Burton, now of Onawa, located here about the same time as did the others, putting up a dwelling, and the place began to seem as if it would grow to be a town of some importance. But alas for the dreams of its founders; the city that they. in future saw, with busy crowds, and large and palatial stores and manufacturing estab- lishments, has come to naught. The streets that were to be lined with stately structures. are cov- ered with nodding corn and golden grain, and in- stead of the hum of busy industry, re-echoes to the low of homing cattle, or the whistle of the cheery plow boy. But one store graced the place during its brief existence. In April, 1856, Robert G. Fairchild came here and commenced the erection of a building in which, on the 6th of June follow- ing, he opened a small stock of general merchan- (lise, suited to the wants of the pioneers. He con- tinued to represent the mercantile circles of the village, until the spring of 1858, when he removed, building, stock and all, to Onawa.
John Sauhers about the same time started a blacksmith shop and carried on that business until 1858, when he, too, removed to Onawa, whose rising glories, as the new county seat, overshadowed its late rival.
Jumes Armstrong, James H. Sharon, and a man
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by the name of Olmsted put up a steam saw-mill which was operated for about two years and then removed to Franklin Township on the river.
Timothy Elliott located here on first coming to the county in 1856. Ile had been to this place the previous year, and brought his family with him on his second trip and still resides in the county.
J. S. Merrill, now living near Whiting, settled here in 1865, also.
Among the others that settled here previous to the removal of the county seat, the most prominent were: T. Il. Hinman, J. D. Bayliss, J. H. Wagner, Leonard Sears, John Bustard, John Craig, William Craig, John A. Hittle, Philip Ashton, Thomas Driggs, Lorenzo D. Driggs. Henry Allen, Nicholas Murray, Andrew G. Jackson, Israel May, James A. Scott, 11. J. Hawley, Thomas Smith, L. B. Fletcher, W. L. Philips, W. S. Burke, Charles and George Atkins, George W. Oliver, C. II. Holbrook, Frank- lin Oliver, B. D. Ilolbrook, C. E. Whiting, J. E. Morrison, and many others, who, for a shorter or longer time, made their home in the little hamlet, but eventually moved away, the buildings either being torn down or removed to Onawa.
A good school house was built here the summer of 1856, the first session of school in which was taught by Miss Mary Neeley. This building, at a later date, was purchased by some of the citizens
of Onawa, and presented to the peoph of School District No. 1, Franklin, who removed it to their neighborhood, and used it for school purposes for several years.
A hotel was put up by Isaac Ashton in the newly started village in 1853 and run by him. He carried on the house until about 1862, when the building was cut into two pieces, and brought to Onawa, and still serves as dwelling houses. In this hotel, the Ashton Ilouse, was held the first religions services in the town or township, in the fall of 1856, by a Rev. Mr. Black, an itinerant Methodist clergyman.
A court house was started also. which was never completed, being neither plastered within or sheeted without, which, when the county seat was removed to Onawa, was given to Mr. Ashton, who used it for a dwelling house.
John A. Hittle put up a building and ran a gro- cery and saloon which he carried on for some time.
The first election in the western part of the county was held in the spring of 1853. at the tavern kept by Isaac Ashton, in what was the village of Ashton, at which there were present the following named: Isaac Ashton, Aaron Cook, John Brook- field Gard, Marion Owens and Mr. Bowles. Isaac Ashton was chairman of the meeting, and Aaron W. Cook, Clerk.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER IX.
IlIS forms one of Monona County's western tier of townships, and is bounded on the north by the towns of Fairview and Lake; on the east by Ashton and Franklin ; on the south by Sher- man and the State of Nebraska, the latter also bound- ing it on the west, from which it is separated by the Missouri River. It embraces the fraetional town- ships of 83 and 84, range 46, and the small fractional part of town 84, range 17. The surface is level and beautiful, and along the river and eovering a great part of its western territory, where not cleared by the hand of man, is clothed in heavy timber. In early days this part of the county was the paradise of sawmills and lumbermen, but although much has been cut off, still much remains. Part of Blue Lake is in this town, and with other smaller bodies of water, the great Missouri along its side. the fields of bending corn, or deeply green with indig- enous grasses, and the deep and shady forest make up a beauty of landscape, often sought but seldom found, and seem to be "but just touches of har- mony."
Lincoln has no railroad passing through it, but its elose proximity to Onawa and Whiting affords to all a ready market and excellent trading places. In 1867 it had a population of but 170, and in 1885 this had increased to 1,064, being the largest populated of any of the towns outside of the vil- lage of Onawa.
The first to settle within the limits of what is Lincoln Township and open up a farm therein was
a Mr. Ilayes, who located at the head of Blue Lake about 1860, and resided there until 1867.
In the spring of 1865, Benjamin Herring, a vet- eran of the late war, eame to Monona County and settled on section 20, this township. Here he lived until the spring of 1889, when he left the county on a long visit.
The same spring William Cook located on see- tion 28, 81, 46, where he now lives. Thomas Jep- son settled here about the same time.
In May of this year Elijah W. Brooks made a settlement on section 20, 84, 46. where he resided until 1876, at which time he removed to Maple Landing and purchased the store of George Case, who had opened the first store in the place. This he ran about a year and then returned to his farm where he now lives.
In the fall of 1866 Conrad Kramer and his son Henry eame from their home in Germany and set- tled on section 10, 83, 46, where they still make their home.
Lorenzo Grow came to Monona County in July. 1865, and after remaining in Onawa until the fall removed to a farm he had purchased on seetion 16. town 84, range 46. In 1869 he removed to Frank- lin Township, and in 1871 to Onawa. Ile made his home there for a time, and for a few years again 'in Lincoln, but is now in San Bernardino County. Cal. His son, Wallace, now resides on the old homestead on section 16.
Robert Moore, in 1865, came to this town from
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Springfield, 11., bringing with him the machinery for a sawmill, having a contract with the Union Pacific Railroad to saw ties for them from the cottonwood timber that abounds here, the company furnishing the raw material. Around the mill, which gave employment to a number of hands, grew up quite a settlement, which was known as Tieville. Most of the inhabitants were homestead- ers from Nebraska, who eked out their income by work a part of the year at the mill. The latter was run for about three years by Mr. Moore and then sold to a man by the name of Crewel, of De- catur, who ran it for a time but finally abandoned it and it rotted down. Mr. Moore engaged in the stock business here for twelve years, and then re- moved East, to the Atlantic Coast, where he died. At one time there were as many as forty families at Tieville, but now there is nothing; at one time there was a post-office here and William Bell had a store.
Jacob Robinet and a man by the name of Milligan and a boy, Lucien L. Garrett, came here about the same time. Mr. Garrett, a prominent farmer of Lincoln Township, is still living here.
Guilford Dudley and his son Alton made a set- tlement on section 9 in 1865, also.
John D. Robbins and his family located at what is called Tieville, in September, 1865. Two years later they removed to section 17, 84, 46, where Mr. and Mrs. Robbins died, the former Sept. 28, 1869. J. Wesley Robbins, his son, is still a resi- dent of the township.
W. T. Boyd settled at the head of Blue Lake, on what is now the Rablin farm, in 1866. Some time after he took up a homestead on the north half of the northwest quarter of section 28, which he sold to James English in 1884 and removed to Cass County, Neb.
James M. Jividen, now living on section 15, 83, 46, first settled in the town in May, 1866, and worked at the sawmill at Tieville for Mr. Moore for about three years. He then purchased a farm on section 18 where he now resides.
Augustus Christie came here in 1867, and ran a sawmill about a mile and a quarter southwest of Maple Landing. Ile is now living near Grant Cen- ter, this county.
About the same time C. A. Burnham, wow of Wymore. Neb., settled here and remained here un - til about 1882.
Daniel F. and Charles W. Cutler, came to Mo- nona County in August, 1866, on a prospecting tour. After looking around a short time, Daniel took a homestead on section 10, 84, 46, where he now lives. Ilis brother returned to Wisconsin the same fall.
John S. Eggleston, the merchant of Maple Land- ing, a war-worn veteran of the late Civil Conflict. made a settlement, May 12, the same year, in this town at Tieville, and found employment for a time in the mill run by Robert Moore.
Welcome Joslin and his son, George R., in the spring of 1868, made their appearance in this township, the elder Mr. Joslin settling upon section 16, 84, 46. George R., a member of the firm of Joslin, Eggleston & Son, is a resident of the vil- lage of Maple Landing, where he has lived some five years.
Tertius B. Skidmore and his brother, Horatio, in the fall of 1867 came to this county. T. B. pur- chased a farm on section 8, 84, 46, on which he re- moved the following spring, where he now resides. Horatio made his home in this town until 1874, when he removed to Lake Township where he died May 15, 1882.
In July, 1867, William Anderson took up a farm under the homestead act, on section 28, 84, 46, and there is living to this day.
Lafayette Crank made his appearance in the township in 1865, coming here with Mr. Moore. but did not remain permanently. In 1867 he re- turned here and settled. le worked for years in the sawmills and other works, but in 1871 en- gaged in farming, a business he has followed ever since.
Among several other families who resided at Tic- ville in its earlier days the best remembered were the Kanes, Kings, Weidners, Waldrons and the Hart brothers.
Jacob R. Folwell, now of West Fork Township, came here in June 1868, and made this his home until the spring of 1870.
George H. Brooks, who had been here in the fall of 1865 and purchased a farm on section 9, came
1
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MONONA COUNTY.
here and permanently located November 14, 1868. He now lives on seetion 7.
Jaspar B. Walworth, who resides on section 16, settled on that spot March 29, 1868.
Alfred P. Thorp, still a resident of the town, set- tled where he now lives on section 5, 84, 46, in August, 1869.
Elverton Bigelow was, also, a settler of the same year. locating in September, on seetion 9, 84, 16. where his home still is.
Thomas Orr, now living on section 16, 83, 16, made his settlement in the town in the fall of 1869.
Thomas H. Peabody came to Monona County in the fall of 1870, riding horseback from Oshkosh, Wis., his family following by rail, and in the fall of the following year settled down on his farm on section 16, 84, 46, which has been his home ever since. He was one of the earliest postmasters in the township.
George A. Harkness, one of the farming com - munity of the township at the present, dates his set- tlement from the same year, 1870.
James R. and George F. Anderson came to the county and settled in this township in the spring of 1870, and are here yet.
George R. Boulden located in this township on coming to the county in June, 1871, and this has been his home since. John JJennewein, another settler of the same year, bought his land and settled with his family the following spring on sec- tion 17, where he may be found at the present writ- ing.
James M. McClain, now a prosperous farmer of Lake Township, came here in the spring of 1872, and until 1876 made this his home.
Ferdinand C. Ross settled on section 1, this township in 1872, where he still makes his home.
Thomas M. Crawford, moved to this county from Clinton County, this State, in the fall of 1872, and settled on sections 4, 84 and 16, where he now lives.
Among the settlers of the year 1873, in this township was JJames P. Utterback, Sr., now of the town of Lake, who made his home here for some two years.
Thomas W. Griffin, located upon a farm on se(-
tion 17, in October, 1873, and there remained until 1878, when he removed to Nebraska. One year later he returned here but is now a resident of Whiting and runs a livery barn.
Jacob Keller came to this county in October, 1874, and after working in the sawmill all winter moved to the farm he had bought on section 10, 84, and 46, where he still lives.
Milton Jividen came to the county in 1868, but worked at various businesses, chiefly railroad see- tion work until about 1871, when he moved to this town, his present home.
Samuel Harrison settled on the farm on section 4, on which he now lives. Jan. 28, 1875, at that time entirely unimproved, but he has brought it under a Ligh state of culture.
E. N. Delashimutt settled on section 22, where. he now lives in November, 1875. He had been here, off and on, from 1870, living here part of the time and part of it in Mills County.
William II. Bigelow made his settlement on sec- tion 17, in the spring of 1876, and has lived there ever since.
Charles Smith purchased a farm on seetion 10, on which was an unfinished house, in December, 1876, and moved into it, completing it afterwards. Seven years he resided on this spot, moving to Whiting at the end of that time.
Patrick H. Rodgers came here from Indiana and settled on seetion 5, 84 and 46, in the autumn of 1877, and has live:l here since that date.
John G. Taylor, proprietor of the livery stable at Onawa was a settler here of 1879, locating on section 28. IFere he remained until the fall of 1881.
John P. Nelson, also settled in the town the same year, where he now lives.
Albert Cummings, now living on section 5, 84, 16, settled there in 1880, after being a resident of the county since the spring of 1872.
William Riggs, who had been a resident of the county since the fall of 1869, removed to this town in March, 1881, settling on section 5, 83, 46, where he now lives.
Frank Stephenson, now living on section 11, 81, 46, settled on his farm in the fall of 1881.
In December, 1881, Edward Collison, who had
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MONONA COUNTY.
been living in Fairview, removed to this town, where he now lives.
Stephen Seward settled on section 12, in Febru- ary, 1882, he having been here and purchased the farm the year before. In 1889 he removed to Whiting, where he now lives.
The same year Rollin Austin came to this town- ship, where he has since resided. Samuel I. Kes- terson, another citizen of the town made a settle- ment the same year, on section 9, 84, 46.
Charles E. Ross first came to Lincoln Township in 1883. Ile is now living on section 9, 84, 46.
James W. English located on the place where he now lives, on section 28, in January, 1885.
The spring of 1886 W. H. Davidson came to this town, and has made it his home ever since.
FIRST ITEMS.
The first marriage in the township is believed to have heen that of D. T. Cutler and Miss Myra T. Dudley, which took place January 1, 1867.
The first death was most probably that of J. D. Robbins, which occurred in 1869.
The first birth was that of Rhoda Fagenbush, who was born in 1856, in the cabin on the shore of Silver Lake.
The first mill in this part of the county was that erected by Robert Moore, in 1865, at Tieville.
The first school in the town was taught at Tie- ville, in 1866, a simple slab house being erected by the voluntary subscription of the people there. The first term of three months it was taught by Miss Mattie Fiscus, and the second by Miss Jane Herriek.
The first school house in town 84, range 46, was erected in the spring of 1897, on the southwest corner of section 16, and the first school was taught therein in the summer of that year by Miss Ella Jepson. This building was used for school and church purposes until the spring of 1871, when it was destroyed by fire.
The first district school in township 83, range 46, was taught during the winter of 1872-3 by Miss Carrie Robbins, the building having been erected during the summer of 1872, on section 15.
The first church erected in the county, outside of the villages, was put up on the northwest corner of
section 21, town 81, 46, in the summer of 1876. by the Methodist denomination, and is still used by them. The first religious services in the town were held in 1868 by Rev. Mr. Rust.
MAPLE LANDING.
A little post hamlet of but thirty or forty inhab- itants, lying on the line between sections 17 and 18. in township 81, range 46, has been christened by the euphonious name of Maple Landing. It is not regularly platted as a village, but has seemed to have sprung up out of the necessity of having a trading place in the vicinity,and the location of the post-office at this point.
The first store building here was erected in 1870. and in it George Case opened a stock of general merchandise. He carried on the trade here until 1876, when he disposed of it to Elijah Brooks. One year later the latter gentleman sold out to Porter Mckinstry, who carried on business here until about seven or eight years ago, when he died, when the stock was closed out. The building has since that date been used as a dwelling house.
In the fall of 1874, a second building was put up and occupied as a store by Frederick Greno. Several years later he sold out to the Ingham Bros .. but in 1880, L. E. Christie purchased the in- terest of F. E. Ingham. and in company with the remaining partner, E. D. Ingham, formed the firm of Ingham & Christie. They carried on the busi- ness for three years, at the expiration of which time, George R. Joslin buying the interest of Mr. Ing- ham, the firm became Christie & Joslin. In Feb- ruary, 1885, John S. Eggleston became a member of the firm acquiring the interest of Mr. Christie, and by the admission of Charles F. Eggleston, the present firm of Joslin, Eggleston & Son was formed.
The blacksmith shop was built in 1875, by An- drew Dailey. He continued to carry on this busi- ness until 1881, when he sold out and was succeeded by John Horr. F. E. Ingham was the next to ply the trade in this place, and continued at the forge and anvil until the spring of 1884, when George R. Joslin, the present proprietor, bought the shop and business.
The post-office was first established in 1869, at
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MONONA COUNTY.
the house of Charles Cutler, on section 16, 81, 46, with that gentleman as postmaster. The salary, which was placed at the insignificant sum of $12 per year, was not sufficient inducement for bim to hold it. and on going to California he turned over the post-office to Thomas II. Peabody. This was in April 1871. For seven or eight years the latter held the office until, growing tired of it in turn, he resigned it in favor of Frederick Greno, who removed it to his store in what is now Maple Landing. He was succeeded by E. D. Ingham, who remained in charge of the same until 1884, when he was succeeded by the present postmaster, George R. Joslin.
ORGANIC ..
The town of Lineoln was organized in aceor- dance with an order of the Board of County Super- visors, made April 3, 1866, the election being held
at the school house on section 16, township 84, range 16. Thomas Jepson, Benjamin Herring and Alonzo Grow were the Judges of Eleetion,and Cyrus Fuller and Lorenzo Grow, Clerks. The first officers chosen were: Benjamin Ilerring, Supervisor; M. D. Clark, William Hendrickson and W. A. Grow, Trustees; S. L. Grow, Clerk; F. B. Smith, Assessor ; S. W. Jepson, Road Supervisor; J. A. Vail and N. S. Grow, Justices. This election was held Oet. 9, 1866. M. D. Clark removing from the town and William Hendrickson failing to qualify, the vacan- cies were filled by W. T. Boyd and J. C. Jepson.
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