USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > History of O'Brien County, Iowa, from its organization to the present time > Part 13
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L. C. Green, and his father McAllen Green, settled on 26, in Highland at an early day. McAllen Green died some years ago, L. C. is now engaged in the banking business at Lake Park. Samuel Hibbs on section 8, John Harrington on 20, J. W. Hoyt on 22, Peter Hartman on 21, W. J. Hoare on 34, William Jacobs on 18, William King on 8, Jacob Klema on 14, Morris King on 22, E. Kinding on 21, Joseph Lefeber on 6, Asher Lyon on 10, and Martha Lynch on 20, were early set- tlers in Highland. Other early settlers in the township were F. D. Mitchell, on section 2, Eli Plopper, on 21, Wiber Redd- out on 6, B. F. Rolston on 10, John Richardson on 22, Horatio Stanley on 2, W. J. Stanley on 2; also Ed Shea on 10, Ed. Sanford on 30 and William M. Squire on 24:
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
W. W. Johnson, mentioned elsewhere as a prominent citizen of the county, settled on the northwest of 20, in Highland, at an early day in 1871, and R. W. Johnson on the northwest of 32, in 1870. That year (1870), in the spring, came George Johnson, father of W. W. Johnson, with another son, R. W., from Cedar county. George settled on the southeast of 32, and two of the boys as above stated. He now resides at Paul- lina, was known in the early days as a blunt, plain man, jovial and reliable. W. W. Johnson is prominently identified with the business interests of Sanborn, is one of the county com- missioners, and a man of judgment and in- tegrity. The sons of W. W. Johnson, John, Frank and Charles, promising young men, are in business with their father at Sanborn. James, another son of George, resides at Paullina, a tinner, and Robert resides on section 8, in High- land township, en- B.B. gaged in farming. The, Johnson boys are all sturdy, sub- MARGARET M. SHINSKI. stantial men.
W. A. Acer settled early on the southwest of section 6, in Highland township. He was a very quiet conscientious man and died several years ago at Primghar. His wife Henretta is well known in the county, is very literary in her tastes and profi- cient in music. She is now married to Hon. Daniel Campbell, a noted politician.
In Highland township there are several of the early home-
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steaders still residing in the township, and have passed through all the hardships of early pioneers, but are now comfortably fixed with nice farms. Among these is Geo. H. Hardin who settled on the northwest quarter of 14, A. M. Cleghorn on the northwest of 27, James Dewey on the northeast of 12, C. Harrington on the southwest of 20, Paul Lagoo on the southwest of 22, R. Salsbury on the southeast of 30, and William G. Virgil on the southeast of 28. These old settlers have seen Highland township from the town when the soil was first broken for cultivation, to its present beautiful and attrac- tive farms. Geo. Hakeman settled early also on the north- west of 21. He left the farm some years ago, resided in Paullina for awhile, and now resides in Sanborn. George is a thorough going business man, and one whose integrity has never been questioned.
Other early settlers in the township were D. F. Burk, on section 4, Willard Bascom on 12, B. E. Borden on 30, John Vaughn on 32, A. C. Bean on 34, W. E. Baldwin on 34, John Culbertson on 4, J. K. Cassion on 14, and on the same section E. Coffee. E. C. Dean was an early settler on the northeast of 4, and who now resides in Primghar one of the best men in the county. John Casey settled early on 32, Thomas Duley on 2, Catrina Dobricka on 22, Z. P. Freeman on 2, Freeburg House on 6, and E. F. Fanning on 18. James Fraser Sr., settled early on the northwest of 30, in Highland, and his son James on a part of the same quarter.
James Jr., still resides in the county, now in Liberty town- ship on the northwest quarter of section 8.
Claudius Tifft, now a resident of Sanborn, was one of the early settlers of the county. He came from St. Paul in October, 1871, as far as Windom, and from this point went by stage to old O'Brien. There was then a stage line from Windom to Cherokee, with several country offices on the line. His brother Robert Tifft was then a settler in Center township, and Claudius after reaching old O'Brien, inquired of Clark Green where Robert lived. As C. F. Albright
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was about leaving for his claim, Mr. Tifft rode as far as Paine's store, but as the proprietor of this dispensary of canned goods and codfish, was unable to keep our incoming settler over night, Mr. Tifft started out in the darkness under the direction of Mr. Paine, to go a mile north and a half mile west. He went the mile north, and in going west, passed as he supposed some stacks, but after going nearly a mile west, concluded to return and sleep in one of the stacks. When he reached what he supposed were the stacks, it being dark, it turned out that they were buildings on his brother Robert's claim. Robert was not at home, being in Cherokee, but he re- - turned the next morn- ing. Mr. Tifft se- lected and filed on the northwest quarter of section 2, in Center township. After his filing he returned to St. Paul, came again FIRST HOTEL IN HARTLEY. with his family in the spring of 1872, and lived there until Sanborn started, when he moved to that town and has been a resident there since. Claudius Tifft is a veteran of two wars. Was in the regular army at the time of the Mexican war five years, and took an active part in that struggle. Was also in the war of the rebellion, and is surely entitled to all the honors of a patriotic citizen.
An early settler in Center township, was D. C. Chapman, who settled on a part of section 32, and now resides in Prim- ghar.
Daniel Bysom with very fine improvements still lives on section 30, in Center township, on the southwest quarter. He was quite an early settler. Mr. Bysom is one of the prominent
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men, and is justice of the peace. Among the other early set- tlers in Center was Ira Boat on section 6, Minor Blossom on section 8 who still lives in the township, William H. Brown on the same section who also still lives in the township. A. L. Creamer settled on section 20 at an early day, also S. R. Charlton on section 4, J. P. Blood on section 12, Joel Bresee on section 26, S. C. Coleman on section 6, Charles Chandler on section 32, David Culbertson on section 34, John and Fran- cis Duffy on section 22. R. M. De Witt who settled on sec- tion 30 in Center at an early day, now resides at Sanborn. Oliver Evans settled on section 24 in 1869, and still resides in the county, a substantial farmer and a prominent citizen.
Among other early settlers in Center, are John Evans on section 24, William Flood on section 22, Peter Farley on section 22, J. R. H. Gibbs on section 4, Daniel Griffith on section 8, H. A. Gardner on section 16, D. M. Gano on section 2, Samuel Alexander and Heman Gibbs on section 34, Mark Hannon on section 10, J. E. Halliday on section 26. J. M. Hicks settled early on section 36 and now resides at Suther- land. D. Ingraham was an early settler on section 12, Robert Jones on section 24, Abe Keepher on 6, Charles Moore on section 6, John Murray on section 22, J. J. Miller on section 26, A. McClaren on section 30, and J. H. Morton on section 32. Fabian Matott settled early on section 10, Francis Matott on the same section, J. M. Royer on section 20, William Robinson on section 22, and Thomas Scott and E. Scott on section 28. In Center township also David Palen settled early on section 12. Mr. Palen is well known in the county, was in business for several years at Sanborn, and now resides at Hartley. Geo. A. Sanford an early settler on section 6, J. A. Smith on section 28, J. P. Skipworth on section 30, and Julia Stevens on section 14.
Ezra, Charles and Erastus Smith, settled early on section 18, Robt. Sanford also settled early on the same section. Mr. Sanford has lived in the county since its early settlement, and in 1895 at Primghar was accidently killed by a fall. Among
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other earlier settlers in Center township, and who still reside in the county, are John Weist, who settled on section 26, Byron Wooster on 22, Calvin Waggoner on 34, and Henry D. Year on 26. These men are substantial farmers, and have been in the county since their settlement. O. M. Whitman settled early on 14, M. C. Wilkins on 18, and William Zeigler on 36.
In July, 1870, E. C. Foskett landed in O'Brien county from the state of Connecticut, that land of slandered reputation, as to wooden nutmegs, and basswood hams. Foskett was raised in Massachusetts, and in the days of his young and growing manhood, listened to a speech from Horace Greely, that nestor of American Journalism. Horace portrayed the advantages of the great and growing west, which induced young Foskett to buckle on the armor of an emigrant, and be- come a pioneer, which he did. He preempted the southeast quarter of section 20, in what is now Center township, and after final proof 1. MANE & CO. took a homestead on E. F. HARRINGTON. the northwest quarter of section 32, in the same township. On this homestead he has lived continuously since, has raised his family there, and through the shades of hardships and adversity has reached an era of prosperity, which he now enjoys. He is a thrifty, well-to-do farmer, was the first clerk in Center township, has been on the township board, or clerk since, and is a man you can depend upon every hour of the day.
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At about the same time Mr. Foskett settled, there also set- tled J. H. Ober, Hugh Scott, E. Scott and Thomas Scott, elsewhere mentioned. Mr. Ober still resides in the county, at Primghar, having kept hotel there for some time, he is now however, out of the business. Thomas and Ephram Scott moved from the county some years ago.
C. J. Clark, settled on the southwest quarter of section 20, in Center township, in 1870. He came from Linn county here, but originally from the state of Ohio. A son, George J., grown to manhood, in O'Brien county, has just retired as post- master of Primghar, which office he held four years. Other children reside in Primghar, Florence, Violet, Ruby and Ros- zelle. C. J. Clark moved to Medford, Oregon, in 1889, where he still resides; his wife died there in April, 1897.
CHAPTER XI.
In 1873, a hue and cry was made that in the under soil of a part of O'Brien county, there was a strata of coal. Men are apt to believe that which they want to believe, and while many took no stock in the coal find, there were others who argued the point to a scientific certainty.
Why not coal here, as well as in other parts of the state, was asked with the positive assurance that there was no answer, only, that there was no reason why not. People in some parts of the country gathered together, talked, argued and resolved, and of course among such people there is always one at least, who has lived in a coal country and worked in a mine, and with the wisdom of Solomon and none of his secretiveness, gives the significant squint of his eye and that facial expression which simply says, that he knows all the indications of coal, and it is right here.
The feeling in favor of coal was brought to bear upon the board of supervisors, who did in January, 1874, offer a reward of $1,000 to any one who would discover coal in any part of the county. As this resolution has never been rescinded, it is in order yet for anyone with the proper ambition and the tools to work with, to go to work, and in addition to the wealth that would pour in upon him, there would be no end to glory.
The coal fever did not abate; some actually went to work investigating the bowels of the earth in O'Brien county, and feeling that every foot further of research in the hidden depths of the soil, would bring about the discovery. The wind of en- thusiasm, so as to speak, kept blowing in upon the board of su- pervisors, and as such feverish questions are contagious, the
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board did it at its June meeting in 1874, resolve again, that for the purpose of encouraging the prospecting for coal in O'Brien county, they would in behalf of said county, pay $25.00 per ton for one hundred tons mined in the county, and delivered at the court house within two years. This was certainly a very generous offer, and it was felt by some, that before another blizzard in the coming winter of 1874, that there would be a strife of speed as to who would get their hundred tons of coal at the court house first, but the coal never materialized. The coal question after repeated efforts, was soon lost sight of, and now has passed into utter forgetfulness. The fuel question however became one of importance during the few years fol- · lowing the year 1874, and especially during the first years of the grasshoppers.
Money was scarce, fuel must be had, and if their were not funds in the pocket book with which to buy coal, then some- thing else must supply its place. If ever the mind of man is prolific with suggestions and theories, it is when necessity de- mands it. In casting about for something that would take the place of coal, there seemed to be nothing in sight but the prairie grass which was produced right here from the soil, and es- pecially in sloughs, up to six feet in height. This discovery of available fuel at our very doors went over the country like wild fire, and soon the horny hand of many a struggling homesteader was straining its muscles twisting the prairie grass into a com- pact form, so that it could be placed in the stove and answer all the purposes of fuel.
The hay it was true, did considerable heating, but the twist- ing and firing up took about all the time one man could spare, and as women could not do the twisting, the head of the house- hold had to practice, and perhaps improve upon the art with devoted industry. Ingenious ones entered the field of invention and the brain of many an ambitious settler was racked with devices for twisting the "dod burned stuff" as Capt. Edwards called it, until the patent office at Washington was crowded with models, which each one furnishing them believed would revo-
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lutionize the heating forces of the world. One fellow's inven- tion consisted of two upright pieces of wood, of sufficient height, manipulated the hay by hooks, and then a crank, which carried a roller catching the hay and winding it, until it was a solid stick of proper size for using.
This burning of hay for awhile was universal throughout the county among the farmers, all using it with but few exceptions, and these who were able to buy coal. One fellow who run for office in 1875 was nearly slaughtered in his election, be- cause he was charged with be- ing so "stuck up" that he would not burn hay. During those winters the shack with only room enough to live in it, would be so filled with twist- ed hay, the inmates could hardly get RESIDENCE OF W. A. ELLIOTT, HARTLEY. around them- selves, and the stranger who entered it would see no room for him. The first hay twister in the county was manufac- tured by J. E. Daniels formerly of Paullina, but after him, in devices and construction there was a multitude. But still, hay placed in proper compact form and size, is not after all such poor fuel, and when necessity demanded it, was an admirable substitute for something better when it could not be had.
From the Primghar Bell office, there was issued an elabor- ate Christmas edition at Christmas time in 1896, which con- tained several letters from different parties, of much interest to old settlers. We reprint one of these the first from F. T. Piper of the Sheldon Mail, and the other from J. H. Wolf of the Pioneer :
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY, IOWA.
" Cheerfully responding to the Bell's request for a short contribution to its contents at this joyous Christmas time con- cerning my recollections of the first Christmas dinner I ate in O'Brien county, I am pleased to say at the outset that such recollections as I have of that old time holiday are agreeable ones, as most remembrances of the gladsome holiday season usually are.
" If my memory serves me aright, I ate my first Christmas dinner in O'Brien county in 1873. I had arrived in the county some months previous. I was then in the employ of D. A. W. Perkins who was at that time publishing The Mail.
" That was before Mr. Perkins had abandoned the life of bachelor to become a benedict. He held forth in all his glory on his homestead, now the place occupied by F. E. Wyman and situated just within the extreme outer limits of the city, east. He kept a ' batchelor's hall' and I became ' star boarder.'
" My friend Perkins did the cooking, but I assisted in other housekeeping duties, and we got along sumptuously, though the variety of the food was so limited and consisted of such a monotonous sameness, that we occasionally dined out. For Christmas day we arranged for an unusual spread. Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Butterfield, the former of whom long since sank to rest by his friends' wishes blest, were then living on their homestead, now the Ed. McFarland place, in Carroll town- ship. They were invited to join hands and provisions with ours and did so. Mrs. Butterfield brightened the bacheloric quarters with a display of snowy white table linen, and roasted the first turkey that had ever been basted in our home. Mr. Perkins cooked oysters, and saw to the baking of a mess of beans. When the combined product of the several cooks was served, it was a feast fit for the gods. There may have been Christmas dinners in the county that year of more studied and elaborate elegance, but there could have been none more richly enjoyed.
"Aside from the edibles, all who were members of that company enjoyed a day of rare sociability, such as is altogether
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too rare in these later days when we should have evoluted to vastly greater social pleasures.
" Our guests were Mr. and Mrs. W. C. Butterfield, C. F., (' Cush,') and George Butterfield, and Miss Anna Butterfield. Of this number death has since claimed two-Father Butter- field and his eldest son, Cushing. George Butterfield, then the youngest son, is now the head of a family of his own, and is teaching the Indians at Rosebud Agency in South Dakota. The then Miss Butterfield, is now the widow of S. C. Nash, and resides with her two children in Sheldon. Charley Butter- field and his now aged mother reside in Sheldon.
" What a flood of happy and unhappy recollections the recounting of these few reminiscences call out.
Carly
" There has been a mar- velous shifting of scenes dur- ing the twenty-three years METHODIST CHURCHI, PRIMGHAR. that have intervened between those days of Auld Lang Syne and these. The country has de- veloped prosperously. Many who were pioneers have remained, and now bask in the sunshine of the success that has followed the trials and misfortunes of those former times. Others have sought other localities." The following from J. H. Wolf :
" It is gratifying to have tarried here, and to have mingled with those good people who were the beginners on these broad and fertile acres.
" Old times were good times, and Old friends are the best friends."
" A few words on Christmas, 1873, may not be amiss to your readers:
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" Franklin township, now one of the most populous, and rich, second to Floyd only, in fact, was one of the last to be organized as a separate township, being attached to Floyd.
" Wm. H. Dummit, of section eight with his family, being the first residents, locating as a homesteader on the northwest of 8 in 1871 or 1872. The family had some sad experiences, like most other frontier people. During the blizzard in Jan- uary, 1873, a child died and was three days in the house after death, the storm being too bad to venture out to inform the neighbors. Mr. Dummit, by strict attention to business, in- dustry and economy, has raised his family well, and now owns a fine half section, 320 acres, paid for, and well improved and well stocked. Such men always make farming pay.
"J. H. Wolf and family were the second to locate in the township, settling on section 14, in April, 1873. Their near- est neighbors were more than four miles away. . The first winter they lived on the farm, they were snowed in for eleven weeks, from January 8th to March 28th, not seeing anyone, the snow being too deep for travel. Mr. Wolf threshed their first crop, several hundred bushels, with the flail, his wife turning the fanning mill to clean it up.
" Rev. Ira Brashears, the same spring, that of 1873, had some breaking done, built a shanty, and lived a short time on the land now occupied by E. T. Parker, adjoining Sanborn. And several hundred acres were broken up by, or for, a man named Buck, on section 31. About the same time some land was broken up on section 12, but not farmed, the land being broken up on the wrong section. B. F. McCormack can tell the particulars.
" Isaac Daniels broke land on section 14 in 1874, and built a house and moved his family thereto soon after.
" Thomas Burns and family located on section 31, we think in 1874 or 1875, and John Neese and Charles Sechman lo- cated on sections 28 and 29 in 1876. In 1878 there were voters enough, ten, to organize the township, which was done. J. H. Wolf and Isaac Daniels were appointed to locate the
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roads. The first election was held in the fall of 1878, at the house on section 30, then occupied by Mr. Gavin, twenty- one votes being cast, six or eight of them by men working on the railroad, legal voters.
" The town of Sanborn was started in 1878, or early in 1879, and made a very rapid growth."
H. C. Robeson settled early, in 1871, in Caledonia township, and he was the first settler there. This township was not government land that could be settled upon, but the settlers there acquired title by purchase from the owners. Mr. Robe- son is a graduate of Yale college, very much of a gentleman, and did farming on quite a scale. He tired of this several years ago and now resides at Marcus.
A few years after that Henry Herman, John Schweback, Thomas Barry and others followed. Mr. Schwebach came in 1872, the next settler to Robeson. This township was mostly settled by Germans who are thrifty and progressive farmers, and the township is one of the most prosperous in the county. In 1883 the people there united together and on section 14, built a German Lutheran church. They acquired ten acres by pur- chase for church and cemetery ground, and erected a building at a cost of $7,000. The build- ing is used for a double purpose of church and school, the school being intended as a sort of a preliminary to the public school, J. D. LONG. and there are taught both English and German. There has also been built a very fine parsonage, and a residence for the German teacher. The German people believe in education, and their native country is noted for the pride it takes in the education of its children. This church is at what is called
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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN; COUNTY, IOWA.
· Germantown, where also there is a creamery run by a stock company, who also have a store there.
In Union township there is quite a settlement of Norwegians, and also in Dale. The first to settle here was O. S. and C. R. West, accompanied by their mother and S. J. Norland, all from Marshall county. They came in the spring of 1883, located on section 13 about 212 miles south of Paullina.
In the fall of 1883, O. P. Tjossem and L. Goodmanson of Marshall county, Seyert L. Tow, A. L. Tow, O. K. Tow and H. Graden of Benton county, and J. P. Tjossem of Ida county, purchased all of section 26 in Dale township. In the spring of 1884, they located on the land, and at once com- menced to make improvements of a temporary character, followed in the summer by neat and substantial dwellings. O. P. Tjossem feeling confident that land in O'Brien county was a good investment, added 160 acres to his domain, by the purchase of the southwest quarter of section 24 in Dale.
Severt L. Tow also branched out by the addition of 80 acres of section 35, to his farm. J. T. Johnson of Benton county hearing his friends speak in glowing terms of O'Brien county, concluded to come and see for himself, and the result was, that he located on an eighty on section 30 in Highland township. He was soon followed by J. P. Norland also of Benton county, who purchased for his sons a 160 acres adjoining Mr. Johnson's. Hardin county was represented in the person of C. Thompson, who bought the southeast quarter of section 35 in Dale township in the fall of 1884, and commenced im- provements in the spring of 1885. Mr. Thompson was ac- companied by his cousin, Iver Goodmanson, who purchased 80 acres in the same section in August. There are others, although not of the same nationality, who should be mentioned by reason of their locality. Among them is Mr. Crosbie, of Cedar county, formerly of Glasgow, Scotland. Having an acquaintance with some of the Norwegians, he concluded to make his residence here, and therefore bought a 160 acres of improved land in section 24, Union township. Mr. Crosbie is
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