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 31
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David French. another pioneer. came here about 1859 and put up a house in "Old Mapleton." having purchased four lots in that village. Although he entered land in Cooper Township he resided here, working for W. H. Wilsey. In 1860 he removed to Colorado, but later returned to lowa, and while a resident of the eastern part of
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the State enlisted in the army and fell a victim to the deadly bullet in 1865.
Among the early settlers of this portion of Mo- non County, was Alexander J. Trego. Being in the einploy of Martin & Davis of Panora, Guthrie County, contractors for the carrying of mail through various parts of the country, he came to Mapleton to live, in June, 1859, this being the most convenient point on the route he had given to him, viz: that from Dennison to Sioux City. Here he remained until the outbreak of the rebel- lion when he enlisted. About 1868, he returned here and taking up his residence has made this his home ever since.
About 1859, Jesse Melton, one of the earliest settlers of Center, removed across the line into what is now Maple Township. For about three years be made his home in the village of Mapleton. and then removed to his farm in the south part of the town. There be resided until 1875, when he went to California.
In 1860, Andrew Smith, the son of Seth Smith, made a settlement in this town on section 32, com- ing from Kennebec. where he had been living. He was farmer, gunsmith, blacksmith. surveyor and general mechanic. Ile married Miss Sarah Porter, and died here in the spring of 1875.
Joseph Muckey made a settlement in Maple Town- ship, in the fall of 1862, on section 24, where his widow still lives, he dying here October 15, 1869.
Calvin Metcalf with his family came here in 1865, and put up the first mill in the town. Ile remained a resident of this part of the county until December, 1888, when he paid the debt of nature. Thomas Hathaway, now living upon section 14, a native of this county, and the step-son of Mr. Met- calf, was brought here by him at the time of his settlement, and has been a resident ever since.
William Turner, who came to this county in 1865, purchased a farm on section 6, now the Priester place, and here resided until 1868, when be removed to Colorado.
Quincy A. Wooster made his appearance in the county in the spring of 1865, and took a claim on Government land on section 6, Cooper Township. Two years later he removed to this town and settled on a farm on section 12, upon which he is still living.
He has always been prominently identified with the growth and development of the county and a leader in all the political movements in the commu- nity, having been the candidate of this district sev - eral times for legislative honors, and has served as a member of the county board.
John C. Priester now living on section 12, where he is engaged in farming, came to this locality in the fall of 1866, and purchased the claim of Wil- liam Turner to a homestead on that place, has lived on it ever since with the exception of a year spent in Mapleton.
N. B. Butler and his family, came here in 1867, from Des Moines, and settled upon a farm on sec- tion 10. There they resided until 1883, when the father died. N. B: Butler, Jr., the previous year had removed to Clarion, Wright County, this State, where he is engaged in the jewelry business. Green Butler, another son, went to Oregon in 1884.
About the same time William Kegge located here on section 10, where he still lives.
Frank O'Niell, now of Mapleton, located in this town in 1867.
M. J. P. Jenness entered a homestead on a part of section 6, in 1868, and resided upon it until 1880, when the farm was bought by Frank Hills, when he removed to Smithland and assists his son in getting up the newspaper at that point.
John Marsh, now a resident of the township came to this locality in 1870, and commenced opening up a farm and improving it on section 18.
About the same time D. R. Frary made a settle- nent on the same section. Ile was engaged here in the cultivation of the soil until some four or five years ago when he removed from the county.
Simon E. Lewis, a veteran of the late war, and a resident of the town at the present located here the same year.
Charles II. Simmons came to Monona County in the early spring of 1871, and settled on the farm on section 14, where he now lives. He has been connected with the mercantile circles of Old Maple- ton and the present village and filled the office of postmaster from 1874 until the close of 1881.
Joseph Earnst put in an appearance in this town
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for the first time, September, 1, 1871, and is now living on section 4.
Joseph Uhl, still a resident of the town located therein about the same time.
In April, 1872, ITiram Hollister took a home- stead on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 18, where he lived for several years. In 1876 he sold out and removed to Woodbury County, but in March, 1879, returned and here died November 4, 1886.
Casper Uhl cast in his lot with the citizens of Maple, in March, 1872, and locating on section 8, remained here until taken away by death, Decemn- ber 1, 1886. Ile was a native of Germany who had come to this country a few years previous, and was a highly respected member of the community.
L. J. Tisdale came to Monona County in the spring of 1874, and lived here for a short time when he went to Kansas. Two years later he re- turned here and purchased a farm in company with his brother, William E., on section 26, upon which he is still living.
S. E. Blades, now residing in the township came here and took up his residence in 1875, and has followed farming ever since.
Allen Clingenpeel, who two years before had lo- cated in Cooper Township, came to Maple in 1876, and settled on section 26, where he lived un- til 1881. In the summer of the latter year he re- moved to Danbury, Woodbury County, where he still lives. With him came his son John, now the owner of the Mapleton gristmill. George Clin- genpeel, another son, now living on section 35, settled in this town two years before his father came here. He has spent some years in Nebraska but returned here in 1889.
Frederick W. Elmore came to this township in 1878, and has here made his home ever since.
Frank L. Hills purchased the Jenness land on section 6, and located there in 1880.
Ezra De Wolf and John C. Nolen both made settlements in the town in the year 1882, and are still residents.
Soren Jensen, another well-known citizen of the township located here, on the farm where he now lives in the fall of 1882. He had been in the
county since the spring of 1879, and had been liv- ing in Center Township.
Abijah Lamb came to Maple Township in 1882, and took up his residence and is here still. Clar- ence L. Chapman dates his settlement from the same year. Sidney S. Scott located where he now lives about the same time.
EDUCATIONAL.
The first school meeting of district No. 1, was held January 9, 1858. This was a special session and T. D. Kellogg was appointed Chairman and James A. Scott, Secretary, and the business of elect- ing the officers of the new school district com- menced. William II. Wilsey was chosen President; I. A. Scott, Secretary; and David Harris, Treas- urer. At the same time it was voted to levy a tax of one per cent, on all property in the district for the purpose of building a schoolhouse. A school was taught previous to the building of this struc- ture, in the summer of 1858, in a small cabin at St. George, by Miss Martha Foote. The next term was taught ;by Miss Sarah Porter, at the house of J. C. Melton, at Mapleton, in the summer of 1859.
The next school in the township was conducted by Amasa Briggs, in the winter of 1858-59, in a log cabin that stood on section 14. The attend- ance of scholars was quite large. The district was at that time unorganized, but became afterwards district No. 1.
The first schoolhouse in the above district was erected on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 14, in the summer of 1859. It was a frame building, 16x24 feet in size, and was put up by W. HI. Wilsey out of native lumber, That gentleman drew the logs to Smithland where he had them sawed into plank, boards, studding, siding and flooring and put up a good, substantial building, for which he received $215. This was used for educational purposes until the following winter when it was accidentally destroyed by fire. 'The first term of school herein was taught by Amasa Briggs, but was not finished in that build- ing. The country being new, and matches, as well as other necessaries scarce, Nelson A. Wilsey, then a boy, in order to build a fire in the schoolhouse
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would carry a shovelful of coals from his father's house, but a short distance away, and probably dropped one of the flaming embers into the straw and stuff with which it was banked up, thus setting it afire.
The building was replaced the next spring by another the same size which was in use until the formation of the independent school district of Mapleton, when it was sold and now forms a part of the farm residence of Christian Steinman, on section 14.
The first religions services were hell at the house of W. 1]. Wilsey, by Elder Clark and another elergyman, abont 1858 or 1859. A Sabbath-school and class were formed at that time which were car- ried on for some time.
The next sermon was preached in the township in 1865 by the Rev. Mr. Havens, a Methodist clergyman, who assisted at the organization of a class of that denomination. In 1866 the Maple Valley Baptist Church was organized through the efforts of Rev. James Patrick, with seven mem- bers. The first baptism was that of L. N. Castle.
The first Sabbath-school was organized in 1869. at the residence of James Scott, with Mrs. Briggs as Superintendent.
The first bridge in the township was erected in 1858 across the Maple River, William II. Wilsey building the same, and was paid $230 out of the Swamp Land Fund years afterward.
The first wheat was sown by William MeCleery in 1856, but the crop proved a failure on account of the dry season.
FIRST ITEMS.
The first birth was that of a son of Esom and Elizabeth Lee, who was born in January, 1857.
The ceremony that united Miss Elizabeth May- nard and Ilenry Heisler was the first event of that character that was solemnized within the limits of the township. The next marriage was that of Miss ('larissa Wilsey and John A. Heisler, which took place June 16, 1861, and the third that of John Q. Adams and Miss Eliza J. McCleery, which occurred August 14, the same year.
terred in the pasture of N. A. Wilsey, where it still lies.
Metcalf's flouring-mill, the first in the township, was located on section 14, on Wilsey's Creek, was built about 1865 by Calvin Metcalf, with one set of bubrs. That gentlemen operated it until 1870, when he sold a half interest in the business to Benjamin Taylor. Milton Pinkney some time thereafter bought Mr. Metcalf's remaining interest, and the firm of Pinkney & Taylor carried on the business until they met with financial embarass- ment, when the building eame under the hands of the sheriff, who sold it to W. II. Wilsey, who hekdl a judgment against Taylor, who was drowned in the Missouri. The buhrs and most of the machinery were stolen out of the mill and were found some time afterwards off on the Missouri River bottoms.
The Mapleton mill, on the northeast corner of section 31, on the Maple River, was erected in the fall of 1876 by T. B. JJones and Monroe Updyke. They operated it but a short time in company, Mr. Jones buying his partner's interest. The lat- ter gentleman carried on business until March, 1881, when it was purchased by George D. Moad. who ran the mill until the spring of 1886, when he disposed of it to John Clingenpeel, the present proprietor and operator. The building is a frame one, 22×48 feet in size, two stories high, with a I basement beneath, and contains three run of buhrs and other necessary machinery. The motive power is furnished by the river.
ORGANIC.
The town of Maple, that then embraced consid- erable more territory than now. was organized in the fall of 1856. the first election taking place in November of that year. At that time there were but twelve votes cast, and the following were elected officers of the new township:
James Scott, Justice of the Peace; W. H. Wilsey, Assessor; Ilart Warren, Clerk; B. Davis, D. Harris and J. C. Melton, Trustees; and William H. Wil- sey, Road Supervisor. The latter was also the first Supervisor on the county board from this town after its organization.
The first death was that of Adelbert, the son of Bushrod Warren, who died in the winter of 1856, In April, 1866, on a new subdivision of the when about six years of age. The body was in- | county, town 85, ranges 42 and 43, was reorgan.
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ized as Maple Township, and so remained nntil June 3, 1879, when town 85, range 12, was sepa- rated from it and formed into the present town of Cooper.
MAPLETON.
"Old Mapleton," as it is usually ealled to dis- tinguish it from its younger and more successful rival, was laid out in 1857 by W. II. Wilsey, with the hope that it might become a town of consider- able size. The situation was most eligible and beautiful, and everything was in its favor, but the stringent times consequent upon the financial erisis of 1857 and the Civil War. nipped it in the bud. Before it could rise again the railroads came into the western part of the county and until there was one located and built in the eastern portion, no village there would grow up, and when the Maple Valley branch of the Northwestern Railroad located its depot where East Mapleton is now situ- ated, the older village was doomed.
The pioneer store was opened in 1866 by Ira Price. who put in a small stock of dry-goods, drugs and groceries in his house, on section 14, and car- ried on the business at that point until 1868, when 1 he removed the stock to Smithland. From that time until the spring of 1870 there was nothing in the way of a mercantile establishment here, but on the latter date R. L. Ingles put a stock of goods into a log building on the hill and again was the store opened for business. After three years he closed out the business and is now a resident of Cooper Township whither be removed. In the fall of 1874 W. HI. Wilsey and L. H. Mouroe put in a stock of general merchandise and carried on the business for about two years. At the end of | that time Mr. Wilsey sold out his interest to C. II. Simmons. and the new firm of Monroe and Sim- mons ran the store about a year when another change took place, Mr. Wilsey purchasing the in- terest of Mr. Monroe. Under the firm name and style of Wilsey & Simmons, the business was con- tined until the summer of 1877, during which N. A. Wilsey bought ont W. H. Wilsey, and carried on the store until the fall of the same year when 1 they removed the stock to Mapleton.
The pioneer blacksmith was J. E. Baxter, who !
carried on the business in the oldl shanty where the school was taught, commencing in 1868.
He was succeeded by Levi Monroe, and he by Charles Penn. Later on Mr. Monroe again car- ried it on, and in 1877 removed it to Mapleton, sell- ing the building to N. A. Wilsey who uses it as a barn, having moved it to his place.
A brickyard was opened in 1859 by James A. Scott, who was succeeded by John Holiday. haac Billings, David Beck and John B. Wehb were each engaged in the same business at a later date, the lat- ter making the brick of which the Methodist Church at East Mapleton is constructed. The business was afterwards conducted by L. H. Monroe and N. A. Wilsey, and these gentlemen burned the brick of which the Mapleton bank building is built. N. A. Tyler was another who ran the business and at various times quite an extensive manfacture was carried on. The business is now in the hands of William Earlewine.
Mapleton post-office was established in 1857 with Bushrod Warren as Postmaster. That gentle- man hekdl the position, having the office at his resi- dence on section 14, until his death, which occurred in the fall of 1864. Ile was succeeded by James A. Scott. On the latter leaving in the spring of 1866 the office was carried on for a time by his .deputy, Mr. Siebold, and later by Q. A. Wooster. In the winter of 1866-7 W. Il. Wilsey was ap- pointed Postmaster and held the commission for several years. In 1874 he was succeded by Charles Simmons, who was still Postmaster when he re- moved with the office to the new village of Ma- pleton, a history of which appears elsewhere.
ST. GEORGE.
As has been already mentioned, the village with the above name was laid out by Theodore D. Kel- logg in July, 1857, the plat and deed of the same being filed for record upon the 27th of that month. About the same time a store building was erected and a stock of goods opened therein by George Massett, a relative of the town proprietor. In June, 1858, a cyclone tore the building to pieces and scattered the goods all over ten miles of country. Ilowever. the store was rebuilt and business resumed, but on the expiration of the in-
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cipient village the stock was closed out by Mr. Massett, who removed from this vicinity. This was the only business in the place, except the car- penter shop of Benjamin Davis. September 4, 1865, by deed the town plat of St. George was
vacated by the owner, W. II. Wilsey, and its site turned into a cornfield. The store building was hauled away by Q. A. Wooster, to his place in Cooper Township about 1865, and there stood until 1884, when it was destroyed by fire.
COOPER TOWNSHIP,
CHAPTER XXV.
Le YING in the extreme northeastern corner of Monona County lies the civil subdivision known as Cooper Township. It is bounded on the north by Woodbury County ; on the east by Crawford County; on the south by the town of St. Clair; while Maple Township forms its western bonndary. It embraces all of Congressional Town- ship 85, range 42, and contains about 23,040 acres of land. The surface is a high, rolling prairie for the most part, although a portion in the north- western part lies in the famed Maple Valley. The soil is the rich, warm loam of the bluff deposit, so noted the State over for its wonderful fertility and ease of culture. It is amply watered by the west fork of the Soldier River in the southeastern portion; by the Maple River in the northwestern part; and by their tributaries, Rush, Heisler, Mucky, Skunk, and other creeks, which afford most excellent drainage. It is noted for its many progressive citizens and fine soil, and will one day lead in stock-raising, for which, it seems peculiarly well fitted. The Maple River branch of the Chi- cago & Northwestern Railroad traverses the north. eastern eorner, crossing sections 5, 7 and 18, on a diagonal line, but there is no station within its limits, the country being, for the most part, tribu- tary to Mapleton and Ute.
Samuel Heisler made a settlement on the south- west quarter of seetion 18, this township, in the fall of 1856, and since that time has been a constant
resident and one fully identified with its growth and development.
In October, of the same year, William L. Ring made his appearance in this section of the county, and on the 10th of that month located on section 6. where he pre-empted one hundred and sixty acres of land. lle became one of the county's most prominent citizens and served for two years in the office of County Treasurer and as County Superintendent of schools and Supervisor, and is to-day still a citizen of Cooper.
Henry Carter, who also came to this region the same fall, did the first breaking on his farm upon section 18. His brother, Albert, died at Old Ma- pleton shortly after this, as shown in the annals of the town of Maple.
John A. Ileisler and Peter W. Ilerman came to this county, in company, from Pottawattamie County, where they had been engaged in farming, reaching this township in the latter part of Oeto- ber. 1856. They took up a claim of one hundred and sixty acres each of land under the pre-emption laws, Mr. Heisler the southeast quarter of seetion 7, this town, and Mr. Herman the northeast quar- ter of section 18, and the same winter spent their time in Mills County, whither they went from here. In the spring they returned here and made some improvements, and in the fall of 1857 took up a permanent residence here. Mr. Heisler has opened one of the finest farms in the township, and
MONONA COUNTY.
has attained a lagh jegition in the estimation of his fellow-citizens.
llenry lleisler made a settlement in Cooper Township, then a part of Maple, in the fall of 1858, on section 7, and on it made his home until July, 1885, when he removed to section 12, Maple Township, where he now lives, one of the county's leading citizens.
William Berry came to Monona County in 1860 with his young wife, and settled on section 7. There he was engaged in farming until March, 1888, when he sold out and removed to Benton County, this State, where he makes his liome at pres- ent. Mr. Berry, who was a native of New York, came to this county in 1856 and pre-empted the tract of land he picked out. The next year he went to Missouri, where he married, and at the end of three years came here and made a settlement, as above stated.
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Samuel Lee, now a resident of Mapleton, in 1861 took up his claim in this township, and threw in his lot with its earliest pioneers. Ile opened a fine farm here, and made this his home for many years.
Barnes Dowd took up a claim in September, 186t, in this township. He owned a claim on the Soldier River, in Crawford County, but, coming over to view this territory, camped on Heisler Creek, and being charmed with the country. re- moved here.
Moses and John Q. Adams came to this town in 1864, and about July took up one of the finest homestead claims in the township. John Q. Adams, a veteran of the late Civil War, is living in the village of Mapleton, where he is engaged in the drayage and transfer business.
About the same time William and Benjamin Smith and G. W. Johns came to this county in search of homesteads. In this town they found what they sought, and filing their claims, settled down to the improvement of their farms. Benja- min Smith removed to Oregon in 1889, but the others still remain here. Adam Trieber, another resident of the town, came here in those early days.
Lewis Iddings came to Monona County, Sep- tember 1, 1865. and settled on the north half of the northeast quarter of section 6, in what is now
Cooper Township, where he has since made his home.
About 1866, Lewis Castle enme to this town- ship, and locating upon a portion of section 4, connnenced the development of his farm. Here he remained a resident until his death, which took place in October. 1870, while coming home from Dunlap with a load of shingles. Getting out of the road, or trail, and meeting some obstruction, he tipped over his wagon, and a bunch of shingles falling from the load, striking him, broke his neck.
Samuel T. Cameron, now residing on seetion 4, came here in the fall of 1867 and took up a home- stead, the nuclens of his present large and fertile farm, and has remained here ever since.
David Chapman, one of the old settlers of this township, lived here for many years, accumulating some of this world's gear, and making many friends. Far away Washington, on the great Pa- eific Slope, finally drew him away, and in that in- fant State he now makes his home.
George Castle, now of Maple Township, was also one of the early settlers of this part of the county.
Joshua G. Williamson settled in this township in 1873, but a short time after removed to the town of Lake, where he now lives.
R. L. Ingles, who had been running a store at Old Mapleton, came to this township in 1873, and made a settlement on a farm on section 6, where he is still living.
Allen Clingenpeel settled in this township, on coming to the county, in 1874. Two years later he removed to Maple Township.
Charles and Edward Carpenter Jocated here about the same time on section 8. The former committed suicide here, and the latter is living in California.
George Quigley came here about 1879, and opened up a farm. A few years later he removed to Crawford County, where he is at present living.
Prof. White, a very talented man, from Peoria. Ill., having injured his health by over-attention to study, in 1880 came to this locality and commenced farm life. In 1882, his declining health receiving no benefit, he returned to Illinois, and shortly afterward died.
W. D. Crow, the present Chairman of the board
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of county supervisors, and one of the township's leading citizens, came to Monona County in the spring of 1882, and settled on a farm in this township, where he made his home until 1887. He then removed to the village of Mapleton, in which place he has continued to make his home ever since.
J. R. Iloman. now residing on the southwest quarter of section 14, came to this county in Oeto- ber, 1882, from Tama County, this State. He has remained here ever since, and has made here a handsome and valuable home, opening up one of tho best farms in the township.
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