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 29
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 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82
John F. Beers, and his brother Jesse, came to this town in August. 1858, accompanied by their aged mother, a native of Belfast, Ireland, and a most capable and ambitious woman. John located on seetion 7, where he still lives ._ Jesse died here about 1865. The mother died here, also. Mr. Beers was the owner of the first mowing machine owned in the town of Kennebec.
Samuel Swanner, one of the Mormons who ac-
2×7
MONONA COUNTY.
cepted the later doctrines of Young, settled here in 1859, but a few years later removed to Salt Lake City, or Deseret.
Thomas R. Carritt, a native of England, who had been living in Walworth County, Wis., came here with his wife and family, in the fall of 1860. For about two years he farmed on the land of J. M. Kelsey, but at the end of that time pre-empted an eighty on section 26, where he still lives. After the passage of the homestead bill he changed his pre- emption to a homestead, his being the twenty- seventh claim of that character at the Council Bluffs Land Office, and under it acquired his title to the land.
Early in the year 1861 Edward Winegar came to this township, and took up a claim on section 28, where he now lives. He came through this county in 1854, with the surveying party, and was much pleased with its appearance. In the fall of 1857 he returned and made a settlement in what is now Bel- videre Township, where he remained until locating here.
In May, 1861, Socrates Smith came to Monona County from Montgomery County, Ala., and after a time settled on section 13. where he still lives.
John Wood, now of Turin, came to this county in 1861, and took up his residence in this town- ship. Two years later he removed to Belvidere.
Washington Dirst, in the spring of 1862, came to this section of the county, and made a settle- ment on the eastern part of section 24. Here he lived for some years when he sold out and removed to California.
Constant R. Searle come to this county in Octo- ber, 1863, and took up a homestead, where W. H. Waples now resides, in Kennebec Township. Some years later he removed to Sac County, this State, and later to Barton County, Kan. In the summer of 1889 he returned to Monona County, and is now in Onawa.
Oliver L. Davis came to the town of Kennebec in the year 1865, and remained a resident until 1880, when he removed to his present farm in Lake.
William S. Everett, now residing on section 35, came here from the eastern part of the State, in August, 1866, and that fall bought a farm of Dr.
W. W. Ordway, and has been a resident ever since.
Among the settlers of the year 1867 was L. D. Bearce, the present County Recorder, who located on a farm in Kennebec Township, where he remained until 1882, and then removed to Onawa, the county seat, his home at the present.
William T. Rawlings made a settlement where the village of Castana now stands. in 1868. Four years later he removed to Center Township, where he is now living. This claim was first taken in 1863 by Walter Pulsifer and by him sold to John Rawlings, and William worked for John.
Elbridge Wilber settled in this part of the county in 1867, and engaged in agricultural pursuits until 1882, when he removed to Onawa. In 1884 he re- moved to Mapleton where he now is living.
William Conyers came to Monona County from Little Sioux. Harrison County, where he was reared. in 1868, and located near Castana. In 1876 he re- moved to Spring Valley, where he now lives.
George Fischer came to this county in the fall of 1869, and after living on a piece of rented land for three years, settled on a farm of his own on section 30. 84, 43. There he resided until 1878. when he removed to his present home.
Perry Allen, at the present writing one of the prominent farmers of Franklin Township, came to Monona County in March, 1870, and for two years was a resident of this town. From here he re- moved to Onawa.
E. W. Copeland, in April, 1874, located on a farm on section 26, where he resided at the time of his deatlı.
Solomon Livengood located on section 34, in October, 1875, and still resides there.
William II. Waples, now in trade in Castana was among the settlers of this town in the year 1875. He rented land until 1881, when he settled on sec- tion 26.
In the spring of 1880, William F. Wiley, one of the prominent citizens of Kennebec, settled on sec- tion 36, where he still resides. He represented this district in the Twenty-first General Assembly of the State.
D. G. Huston settled on a farm in this town. renting land, March 25, 1884. He is now in Cas- tana in business.
258
MONONA COUNTY.
CASTANA MILL.
This well known establishment was commenced in the summer of 1861, by A. J. Hathaway. But little was done on it that season. The next year timbers were gotten out and some work done on the dam. In 1863, on account of not getting the lumber, work progressed but slowly. Ile had a lot of logs on the Missouri bottom which he had sawed into the requisite Iumber, but on going for the latter found that some one had been there ahead of him as no lumber 'could be found. Ile then de- cided to fix up a sawmill of his own which he did, the first sawing being done there in the fall of 1864. All his spare time was put in on the grist mill and he hired all the help his limited means would permit. Finally the gristmill was completed and January 8, 1866, he ground some corn, the first grist, and the meal he hauled to Sioux City and disposed of, but was unfortunate as to getting pay for it. the man beating him out of it.
Mr. Hathaway had purchased the buhrs Septem- ber 7, 1861, and commenced grinding wheat some time in April. 1866. These stones eost $224, and the furrowing was done by Mr. Hathaway and the same buhrs are still in use on feed. During the winter of 1886-87, roller machinery was substituted for the old- fashioned stones, purifiers, etc .. having been added to the equipment of the mill in 1879. Mr. Hathaway carried on the mill until 1881, when he removed to Florida, and rented the same to Frank E. Cheever, who had been his miller for two years. In the fall of 1884, Mr. Hathaway returned and again assumed his old place in the mill and run it for four years. In the fall of 1888, he leased it to F. HI. Turner and E. M. Jones, who ran it until October, 1889, when E. M. Jones became sole les- see. The sawmill ran for several years after the pletion of the gristmill.
The first cabin built in Kennebec Township was by one Morgan at the Blackburn mill site where was located the ford used in the early days by voyageurs. As nearly as can be learned this cabin was built in the fall of 1853, as Morgan and his wife and two small children were scared out by the Indians in the early winter of 1853 or 1854, leaving in the morning and footing it through the snow to Preparation, which place they reached about the
middle of the afternoon well nigh exhausted. Mor- gan was a trapper and bee hunter making no im- provements. A man by name of Blankenship was in the cabin in 1855 and W. N. Hathaway occupied the place in 1856. It was in this cabin that the latter's little girl set fire to her dress and was burned to death. John S. Blackburn bought the place and added to the cabin making it his home for years.
OLD CASTANA.
In the summer of 1866 A. G. Hammond, of llart- ford, Conn., purchased two hundred acres of land, on sections 23 and 21, of James M. Kelsey, and en- gaged J. B. P. Day to build thereon a store build- ing and a hotel in the following spring. During the winter, however, he died and Messrs. Day & Co. (F. A. & .I. B. P.) purchased the land and lum- ber, and in the summer of 1867 built the store and dwelling combined which was the old Castana headquarters. The building was well nigh com- pleted by July 1, and a big crowd gathered there and had a glorious time on that day. A first-class violinist traveling west in company with S. C. Hoadley could play the tune of the " Arkansas Traveler," or anything else and the party held out until morning. The same day Frank L. Day opened some of his new stock of goods and began a trade that reached out all over the country and proved a bonanza in his hands.
The Castana post-office was established Septem- ber 11, 1865, with A. JJ. Hathaway as Postmaster It was moved to the store in 1867 and F. L. Day appointed Postmaster, who was succeeded in 1869 by F. A. Day. In 1872 there were at the old place a blacksmith-shop, two stores, one carried on by Penn Bros. & Co., an agricultural implement depot run by the last mentioned firm and a Methodist parsonage with llathaway's mill close by. The first base ball club was organized here by Geo. W. Penn in 1872. On July 4, 1873, the " Grange" had a big gathering here. A six-pound cannon was bought for the occasion and the day opened big but a heavy shower about 1 o'clock broke up the meeting.
In connection with the A. G. Hammond pur- chase, the American Emigrant Company had made
2×9
MONONA COUNTY.
a donation to the county of $2,000 for school pur- poses and the board of supervisors selected the bench on section 23, as a site for an academy, and a beautiful one it was.
This movement at this point awoke the jealousy of parties interested in Belvidere and other points and the result was the abandonment of the whole matter and the funds diverted to other objects.
CASTANA.
The beautiful village of Castana, one of the com- ing cities of this part of the county was laid out on the north half of the southeast quarter of section 24, township 84, range 44, on land purchased by the Chicago and Northwestern Railroad Company by the Western Town Lot Company in the early summer of 1886, the survey being completed by July 15, the deed of dedication and the plat bear- ing date of July 24, and were filed for record July 29,1886.
The first building erected was the warehouse of Day & Co., which stands just back of their store. This was put up in July, 1886, being completed by the 28th of that month. It is located on the rear of lot 1, block 6, and was put up by J. B. P. Day. The railroad track was laid past the depot grounds April 12.
In the fall of 1886, the firm of W. T. Day & Co., dealers in general merchandise, at what is called Old Castana, put up a building in the new village, com- mencing the foundation August 12, and on its com- pletion moved thither their stock which they largely increased to meet the wants of a growing trade, and are still carrying on the business in the same place.
S. L. Willetts, who had been carrying on the blacksmith's trade in old Castana, put up a smithy in the new town during the summer, and about the 15th of October, 1886, moved to the place. Since then he has been adding to his shop until he has now a smithy 20x60 feet in size, a wagon and paint shop 16x24 feet, and furnishes employment for two men besides himself.
The same fall John C. Carritt, who was living south of old Castana, came to the rising village and began the ereetion of a store building. Early in December he opened therein a grocery stock and
is carrying on the same at the present writing. Ile was appointed Postmaster May 18, 1886, and took possession of the office June 10. The ollice was at that time located on his father's farm a mile south of the old village. but on the springing up of the New Castana, he removed it to that village, where he still remains custodian of the mails.
In the fall of 1886, A. J. Lynch came to the vil- lage and commenced the erection of a suitable store- building, 22x50 feet in size. Before this was en- tirely completed, about December 1, he commenced the hardware business which he now carries on. During that winter, the first snow storms were blown through the still untinished building, filling up corners and nooks, and it was a very uncomfor- table place to transact business in. All this is changed now. Mr. Lynch carries a general line of hardware and farm machinery.
In the same autumn R. II. Loueks put up a building and in it opened a drug store. This he continued to carry on until May 1, 1888, when the building, stock and business were purchased by the present proprietor, Dr. J. II. Talboy, who came here from Belvidere Township. Dr. Talboy is, also, a practicing physician and surgeon.
Shortly after this a small building, now occupied by Mrs. Bigelow, as a millinery establishment, was built by Colis S. Penor, and occupied by him as a barber shop and billiard hall. In the spring of 1889 he removed into the building where he now is. The latter was built by Deman Bros., of Modale. in the spring of 1887, who carried on the gen- eral merchandise trade therein until that fall. Sell- ing the building to R. D. Silsby, he put in a stock of furniture and a photograph gallery, remaining therein until the spring of 1889, when he rented the building to C. S. Penor, as before stated.
Among the first business places in the new vil- lage were the lumber yards. August 16, the ground was leased for yards by the Green Bay Lumber Co., north of the track, and the lot south of the track by the S. II. Bowman. Both of these yards were soon after opened, the former under the management of F. W. Iloyt and the latter in charge of George Hollandsworth.
In the following December the firm of Waples & Copeland, composed of William II. Waples and
290
MONONA COUNTY.
E. W. Copeland, put up a building on the west side of the track, and opened up a depot for the sale of agricultural implements. They carried on the busi- ness until October 3, 1887, when Mr. Waples pur- chased the interest of his partner,and has continued in the same line of trade ever since. In June, 1888, he removed the building to the east side of the track, making some additions shortly after.
The Castana house was erected and fitted up as a hotel by Jane Winstanley, in September and Oct- tober, 1886, and was under her control until May 12, 1888, when she disposed of it to the present proprietors, Mrs. W. H. and Julia C. Dryden.
In December, 1886, John R. Oldis built a livery barn 28x60 feet on the ground, with 12-foot posts and an annex 16x20, in which he, in company with Julius T. Cutter, opened a livery stable. About a month latter Mr. Oklis purchased the interest of his partner and carried it on until September, 1887, when Julius T. Cutter again became the proprietor and is engaged in that line at the present.
The building now occupied by A. A. Davis & Co., as a grocery store and meat market, was erected in the winter of 1886, by F. M. Dove, and was then but fourteen feet square. The latter ran a butcher shop therein for some time and then sold it to MeMaster & Dryden, and on the dissolution of that firm the stock passed into the hands of the present proprietors. The building has been added to from time to time until it is now 25x40 feet in size.
In the spring of 1887, J. A. Evans erected a store building in which, in September, 1888, the firm of McMaster & Dryden, composed of I. C. McMaster, and Will H. Dryden, opened a stock of dry goods. About three months later they closed out. In Feb- ruary, 1889, C. W. Ostrander rented this building and March 31, 1889, placed in it part of his stock, which he brought from Prinsghar, O'Brien County, this State, and opened up for business about the 10th of April, following. He carries a full line of dry goods, boots and shoes, etc.
D. G. Huston in the spring of 1888, came to Castana, and putting up a building commenced the 1
trade of harness-making, and has successfully car ried on the business ever since.
The bank commenced business here September
4, 1888. George P. Wiley came to this place and began the erection of the building in July, pre- vions, and carries ou a general banking and insur- ance business.
The depot was erected in the fall of 1886, and the first station agent was C. W. Gould, who was succeeded by Ben. Smythe, the present incumbent. Castana people feel that they have been fortunate in having such gentlemanly agents.
The first and only attorney in the town hung out his shingle here in what was the office of the Green Bay Lumber Co., about October 1, 1889. Ilis name is W. S. Morton.
The fine, large school building is the property of J. P. B. Day, who built it in the fall of 1888. Down stairs is used as school rooms and the sec- ond story as a hall.
RELIGIOUS.
Scarcely was the town laid out before church matters came up, and the same fall and winter the Congregational society put up the first church edi- fice in the village, on lot 9, block 16, which was dedicated to the worship of the Master, in January, 1887, by Rev. C. N. Lyman. This was ereeted at a cost of about $1,200 and is a credit to the town. It has a seating capacity of between two and three hundred. In the spring of 1888, the first perma- nent pastor in the church, Rev. S. D. Horine, took charge.
In the fall of 1887 the Adventists put up a church, both neat and tasty, which was dedicated February 12, 1888. the Rev. J. H. Morrison of Knoxville, Iowa, having charge of the services on that day.
BUSINESS MEN'S ASSOCIATION.
In July, 1889, the business men of Castana or- ganized a local branch of the State Business Men's Association of Fowa, electing the following officers for the ensuing year: W. H. Waples, President; A. J. Lynch and C. W. Ostrander Vice Presidents; W. T. Day, Secretary ; A. A. Davis, Treasurer; and J. 11. Talboy, W. H. Waples, J. B. P. Day, A. J. Lynch and W. T. Day, Executive Committee. At the first monthly meeting, held the last Tuesday of the same month, the following committees were ap- pointed : On Legislation-G. P. Wiley. J. Il. Tal-
201
MONONA COUNTY.
boy and J. C. Carritt; On Trade Interests-A. J. Lynch, C. W. Ostrander and G. P. Wiley; On Mem- bership-W. H. Waples, 1I. G. Davis and J. B. P' Day.
CASTANA CREAMERY.
In the summer of 1889 J. M. Brent. with J. M. Brent & Co., came to Castana and assisted in the organiza- tion of a co-operative company, known as theCastana Creamery Company, which started with the follow- ing members and stockholders: W. T. Day & Co., S. L. Willits, A. J. Lynch, J. H. Talboy, J. C. Car- ritt, W. H. Waples, George"P. Wiley, J. T. Cutter, Moses Archer, Thomas Cook, J. R. Riddle, L. W. Perkins, F. F. Roe, T. T. Bouslaugh, Thomas Ilun- ter, W. T. Rawlings, W. L. Wiley, A. McCleery, George Fischer, C. A. II. Fischer, J. N. Sooy, H. R. Walter. Edward Winegar, D. O. Newinan, Carl Olson, J.EW. Kassing, Daniel Beaton, M. M. Cope- land, J. O. Johnson, William Moss, William Craik, C. F. Gray, J. M. Ilathaway, James Hurst, Green Bay Lumber Co., W. H. Payne, Il. G. Davis, W. T. Wiley, George Diddy, A. M. Morrison, Robert Carroll. Bennett Bros., E. J. Norcross, C. C. Brewer, Wilham Harris, C. W. Bisbee, M. F. Cook, F. M. Dorward, Charles Smith, L. B. Howe, Charles
Struble, J. II. Cork. W. D. Rounds, J. A. Evans. J. Rac. R. B. Mcfirew. W. F. Ertel. Ellen Smith. W. A. Dryden. C. S. Penor. K. Sorensen. Howe & Winegar, C. W. Ostrander, A. Hawthorne, R. H. McCall, H. E. Neff, W. II. Wiley, Aaron Stein- berg and W. II. Struble. At the first election the following officers were chosen for the ensuing year : .1. II. Talboy, President; J. M. Hathaway. Secre- tary ; C. W. Bisbee, W. L. Wiley and John Rae. Directors.
A contract was closed with J. M. Brent & Co., to erect and equip a model creamery and cheese factory, which was executed July 22, and the building was put up and ready for business, Sep- tember 16, following. It was opened September 24, 1889, and is taking in now (November, 1889,) about three thousand five hundred pounds of milk daily. The structure is 30x52, two stories high with an engine room annex sixteen feet square, twelve feet high, and contains seven rooms -- receiv- ing room, office, manufacturing room, ice room, cold storage apartment, cheese curing room and a store room. The machineryfconsists of a twelve horse power engine, centrifugal separator, cheese and milk vats, churn, cheese press, seales, etc., and the entire plant cost $6,600.
SHERMAN TOWNSHIP.
CHAPTER XXIII.
HIE subdivision of the county that bears the honored name of the matchless general that led our victorious hosts from Atlanta to the sea, through the heart of the so called con- federacy, embra ces all of Congressional Township 82, range 45, and the fractional parts of sections 13. 24, 25 and 36, of township 82, range 46, that lie along the eastern bank of the Missouri River that washes the western boundary of the township. It is bounded on the north by Franklin Township, on the east by Sioux and on the south by the county of Harrison, and is located in the south- western extremity of the county. Lying in the far-famed Missouri bottoms it contains some 24,000 acres of a rich sandy loam that is susceptible of the highest culture in most instances, while that por- tion that is not yet brought under subjection af- fords most succulent and nutricious pasturage for numerous herds of sleek and well rounded cattle. In 1885 the township contained a population of six hundred and nineteen inhabitants, since which time it has increased largely.
Sherman Township has a fair amount of native timber, the bank of the Missouri for a couple of miles in width being covered with a thick growth, a large part of which is valuable black walnut. In addition to this the settlers have, with admirable foresight and taste, set out numbers of groves and plantations of trees that have throve and grown
with the years and now form spots of leafy beauty dotting the landscape.
The Sioux City & Pacific Railroad crosses the township from north to south, traversing sections 1, 9, 16. 21, 22, 27 and 34, while the village of Blencoe, on section 9, a station on this road, af- fords ample facilities for shipping and marketing the produce of the town.
The first settlement was made in this township in 1855, by Aaron W. Cook and his family, among whom was his son James, then a young man of seventeen years. Mr. Cook and his son, with Josiah Summer, were the first white settlers within the limits of Monona County, coming here in the fall of 1851, and settling in what is now Franklin, as detailed in the history of that part of the county. There Mr. Cook and his son resided until the date above given, when they removed to Sherman Township, locating on section 7. The elder Mr. Cook remained on this latter place engaged in getting out wood to sell to passing steamboats on the river, until January 1, 1856, when he died of liver complaint. His son, James Cook, is now living on the old homestead and is the oldest liv- ing settler.
The second pioneer to make a settlement within what is now Sherman Township, was Robert Lind- ley, Sr., who, in 1855, came to this county with Messrs. Holbrook, Whiting and others, and entered
29:
MONONA COUNTY.
large quantities of land. He took up his residence here building the second log cabin herein and opened up a splendid farm, and died here in 1886. His family are still residents of the county.
James R. Thurston came to Sherman Township in February, 1861, and bought a farm on section 8 On this piece of land he erected the third building in the town, a rough hewed log cabin, the only one between Gard Lake and Little Sioux. This was used as a stage station and as an eating house.
The same year witnessed the arrival and settle- ment of N. B. Morris and his family. They are still residents of the county where they pitched their tents twenty-eight years ago.
John Barcus and his son Samuel, and their fami- lies came from Ohio in April, 1863, in search of a home, and found in this township, on section 8. the long looked for location. Ilere they commenced to open up a farm, and here still lives the younger Mr. Bareus, his father dying about the latter part of 1888. With them came Mrs. Mary Kelly and her son Jackson, who, also, found here a home. Mrs. Kelly was called away from earth in the sum- mer of 1864 but her son has continued to reside here ever since.
Shortly after this, in 1864, William Stevens came here and took up a claim upon section 7, which he commeneed to develop. In 1868 he gave it up and removed to Fremont County, Iowa.
Lorenzo Pate, about the same time made a set tlement here but only remained some two years, removing to Harrison County.
Peter Reily settled in Sherman Township, on section 8, March 25. 1865. coming from Webster City, Hamilton Co., Iowa. Ile is, at the present, a resident and prominent merchant of the village of Blencoe, and one of the county's leading citizens. With Mr. Reily came his father Patrick Reily, who died here in 1866; Alva Jones and family, who re moved to Oregon in 1879; John Martin, who went to Kansas in 1870; DeWitt Wilson, who emigrated to the Southern States about the year 1879; and Orlin Wright, who has been a resident of the State of Washington since 1877.
Lewis Teeters came to this locality from Ohio in February. 1865 . and settled upon section 4, 82,
45, where he resided until the year 1872, at which dlate he emigrated to Missouri.
Thomas Reily in 1865, settled in Monona County engaging in railroad work, farming, rafting on the river. etc., making his home here. lle has been farming in Sherman Township on seetion 5, since 1877, and is one of the leading agriculturists of that section of the State.
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.