USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. I > Part 34
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This first assembly was held on the fair grounds and lasted three weeks. The program created intense enthusiasm for miles around and the success of the undertaking far surpassed the anticipations of its most sanguine pro- moters. The sum of seven hundred and thirty dollars was cleared over and above all expenses, which was divided pro rata among the guarantors, and then with high hopes for the future, a permanent organization was at once consummated, with the following officers: L. W. Lewis, then vice president of the Page County State Bank, now of Seattle, Washington, was elected president ; and Rev. C. H. White, secretary. The society was incorporated under the title of The Clarinda Chautauqua Assembly and one hundred shares of stock, par value of fifty dollars per share, were sold and a ten per cent assessment of the amount of the stock subscribed and was at once paid in to the treasury. At the end of the following year the Assembly found itself one thousand dollars in debt and another assessment was levied, this time the amount being twenty per cent. But from this time on The Clarinda
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Chautauqua has been more than a success. It has gained notoriety in Chau- tauqua circles and it probably has no superior outside of the extended As- sembles, such as Winona and others.
In 1907 a movement was started for the securing of a permanent home and the erection of a pavilion. To this end a committee was appointed to investigate plans. Ground contiguous to the fair grounds was purchased for two thousand one hundred dollars, that would have cost ten thousand dollars for business purposes. A lease was secured from the city of four blocks of land and the intersecting streets thereto, which were enclosed with the fair grounds, and on the assembly grounds was erected a colossal round structure, one hundred and forty feet from eaves to eaves, thirty-seven feet high in the center, with a flag staff thirty feet in height. In this building were placed seventy tons of material in the foundation pillars and two car- loads of steel in the frame. The seating capacity is 3,500 and the magnifi- cent auditorium is brilliantly illuminated by electricity. The grounds and pavilion cost in round numbers twelve thousand dollars. The dedication took place in August, 1908. The presentation speech was made by William Orr and the acceptance was gracefully taken care of by the then president, Henry Loranz.
The present officers are : president, W. T. Fisher ; vice president, J. W. Abel ; secretary, F. A. Henderson ; treasurer, A. D. Loranz. Directors : A. F. Beal, Earl Peters, Ed F. Rose, J. M. Rumbaugh, William F. Stipe, F. V. Hensleigh, J. Ren Lee, and William Steeve.
CLARINDA PUBLIC LIBRARY.
In 1904 Rev. W. T. Fisher and Rev. R. M. Spurgeon, pastor of the Second United Presbyterian church, impressed themselves into the work of organiz- ing a Young Men's Christian Association at Clarinda and while endeavor- ing to complete a subscription list for funds to install a gymnasium in the proposed institution, Miss Mary E. Berry, then principal of the high school, hearing of the movement for a Y. M. C. A., suggested to the gentlemen above mentioned the desirability of having a library for the young men who would become members. The idea met the views of the reverend gentlemen and eventually the Y. M. C. A. proposition was relegated to the rear and efforts were put forth to build up a circulating library.
To Miss Berry is freely given the credit for the initial movement that has culminated in the present public library and the beautiful $15,000 struc- ture for its home, the generous gift of Andrew Carnegie. Through her ef- forts and others a called meeting was held in the Presbyterian church the latter part of 1905, at which meeting Mrs. Horace M. Towner, member of the State Library Commission, appeared and made an address pertinent to the object of the call. At this time an organizing board was selected for the purpose of creating a library by raising funds for the purchase of books, securing a suitable building, etc. That board consisted of the following : Mrs. A. B. Loranz; Mrs. O. H. Park; Mrs. T. E. Powers ; Rev. Fletcher Homan, then pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church ; F. V. Hensleigh,
PUBLIC LIBRARY
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PUBLIC LIBRARY, CLARINDA
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cashier of the Page County State Bank ; Hon. L. W. Lewis, now of Seattle ; J. N. Miller, president of the Page County State Bank; Rev. J. N. Mac- Lean, then pastor of the Presbyterian church ; and Rev. W. T. Fisher, pastor of the Christian church. From the board a resignation took place and Miss Mary E. Berry was selected to fill the vacancy. The officers of the board were: Rev. Fletcher Homan, president ; F. V. Hensleigh, vice pres- ident ; W. T. Fisher, secretary ; and Mrs. A. B. Loranz, treasurer.
At the same meeting a committee was appointed to solicit a fund of one thousand dollars to be expended in the purchase of books and magazines be- fore anything else should be done. F. V. Hensleigh, William Orr and J. N. Miller were appointed to fill this committee and it was but a short time before the committee not only had one thousand dollars subscribed but also another one added to it. July 1, 1905, the first bill of books was ordered and September 5, 1905, a room was rented in the Brown block. The first new books arrived in November and amounted to one thousand dollars. The formal opening of the Clarinda Free Library took place December 5th, fol- lowing.
Mrs. Clara B. Willis was elected by the board librarian and has acted in that capacity up to the present time.
This library under the organization as given above, continued to run un- til April, 1906, when it was transferred to the city on consideration that the city levy a tax to perpetually maintain the institution. The tax, however, was not available until January, 1907, and in the meantime the conduct of the library remained in the hands of its progenitors.
As far back as 1902 a Carnegie library building had been talked of. Cor- respondence with Mr. Carnegie had been in progress and finally word was received from Mr. Carnegie for the authorities of Clarinda to state definitely its proposition to him. Mr. Carnegie in writing to Willam Orr stated he would give the city of Clarinda the sum of ten thousand dollars for a library building in consideration of the city obligating itself to contribute, through taxation, the sum of one thousand dollars yearly toward its maintenance. It was then learned that under the law the city was permitted to make a levy for library purposes to produce annually more than fifteen hundred dollars.
William Orr then again wrote Mr. Carnegie, of Clarinda's ability to con- tribute fifteen hundred dollars yearly toward the maintenance of a free pub- lic library and, at Mr. Orr's request, acting for the library board, the "Laird of Skibo Castle" increased his donation from ten thousand to fifteen thousand dollars and that is the cost of the present beautiful structure just recently erected, irrespective of the value of the lot, which is on the corner of Sixteenth and Chestnut streets.
The Carnegie Library building was finished and dedicated in the early summer of 1909, George E. McLean, president of the University of lowa, making a dedicatory speech.
In 1906 L. W. Lewis retired from the board and William Orr was chosen in his place. When the city took charge of the library the old board was reappointed by Mayor E. B. Westcott. On March 1, 1909, E. C. Lane,
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of the Clarinda Journal, was appointed to fill the vacancy occasioned by the retirement of Rev. J. N. MacLean.
The officers of the board are: F. V. Hensleigh, president ; William Orr, vice president; W. T. Fisher, secretary. When the library went into the control of the city there were two thousand books turned over. There are now about four thousand and from four hundred to six hundred volumes are being purchased each year. In January, February and March, 1909, there were one thousand books in circulation each month, and the average daily circulation for these months was forty-five. The old library was ordered closed April 1, 1909, and no books were loaned thereafter until the opening up of the new building.
It may be here stated that under the law and taking advantage of its provisions, Harlan, Nodaway, East River and Nebraska townships com- tribute to the library fund and by that reason enjoy all the privileges of the institution.
CLARINDA SCHOOLS.
In May, 1853, a certain quarter section of land was laid out into lots and furnished a site for the town of Clarinda. September following, there was a public sale of lots and a few men, heads of families, living near by, but outside of the town limits, believing that a school was the first and most important factor in the settlement and development of a new country, raised money enough among themselves and purchased the beautiful block of ground on which the South School building now stands. These same men, soon afterward, made preparations for the building of a school house and ere long, by their own united labor cottonwood logs were cut, hauled and put together on aforesaid block, forming the first school building in Clarinda. Time quickly passed, the town began to grow and the school block, at first owned by private individuals, became the property of the Independent District of Clarinda.
In the summer of 1860, the second school building was erected on the site occupied by the first building, the contractors being Judge Walker and Company. The contract price $2,675. This was a two story frame building 32 by 52 feet. On the first floor were a hall and two good school rooms. On the second floor were a hall, a large school room, and a recitation room and the citizens of Clarinda boasted of having the finest school building in southwestern lowa and for many miles to the west and south of Iowa. The lower rooms of this building were completed in November, 1860 and the upper ones at a later date. The school greatly prospered and during the Civil war, and years immediately following, gained an enviable reputa- tion. As a result there was quite an influx of students from adjoining Iowa counties and the state of Missouri, so that the frame building was entirely too small to accommodate pupils seeking admission to the school. and a frame building as large as the preceding one was added.
Again in 1867 the frame buildings were entirely too small to accommodate the constantly growing number of pupils. They were removed and in their stead a large three story brick building was erected. This builling when
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first erected contained twelve large comer school rooms and as mamy cloak rooms, besides library room, offices, etc. Once more the citizens of Clarinda were big with pride-not without cause.
The population of the city continued to increase until in 1885. it was found necessary to erect an eight room two story brick building in the north part of the city, known as the North Ward building.
In the summer of 1905 another two story brick building was erected in the west part of the city and is known as the Lincoln building. The second story is not completed. It will, no doubt, be completed very soon. It is a fine building and as far as completed has all the modern appliances and conveniences. This building may soon be used for the high school in- stead of the three story building. When completed the building and grounds will have cost the city near $18,000.
The school grounds on which the school buildings are standing are among the finest, most desirable locations in the city and are well kept.
TEACHERS.
It would be interesting to speak of the many most excellent teachers who have acceptably filled positions in Clarinda schools, but, in this brief article we must confine ourself to the few who have had charge of the schools.
The schools taught in the primitive log cabin were subscription schools. The first pedagogue to preside over the destinies of the children in the cottonwood palace, was a man, who in later times, was for six years Page county's superintendent of schools, Mr. Elijah Miller. Mr. Miller was suc- ceeded by Mr. James Wilson, A Rev. Mr. Douthit and perhaps others also taught. The first principal employed in the new frame building was a Mr. Peck, who soon after the commencement of the Civil war, resigned his position and enlisted in the army. He was followed by a Mr. Randall who finished his term of service in the latter part of the winter of 1861 and 1862. The spring term of 1862 was a subscription school and was taught by James Wilson and J. A. Woods. In the fall of 1862 J. A. Woods was placed in charge of the school and given three assistants. He served until the close of the winter term in 1871. Miss M. L. Bennett then consented to take charge of the schools for three months. Superintendent Glenn of Monmouth, Illinois, succeeded and served six months. He was followed by Superintendent Porter who served one year. Superintendent J. A. Woods was then re-employed and began work in the fall of 1873 and left the schools at the end of the spring term. 1887. Superintendent A. W. Green followed, serving three years, closing in the spring of 1890. Super- intendent J. A. Woods re-entered and served five years. Superintendent G. W. Bell began work in September, 1895, closing 1898. Superintendent G. W. Fisher took charge September, 1898, and closed in spring of 1900. Superintendent H. E. Wheeler began work in fall of 1900 and finished in spring of 1903. Superintendent W. E. Salisbury succeeded and is just closing his sixth year of supervision and is employed for the seventh year. The present high school faculty consists of five teachers each a specialist. The whole number of teachers now employed is twenty-six. The whole
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number of children in the district of school age is near one thousand one hundred ; the number of pupils in attendance this year, about one thousand.
The people of Clarinda from the very beginning have been intensely in- terested in their schools. From time to time they have selected their best men as members of the Board of Education. These boards have been very careful in their selection of superintendents and teachers and have made but few poor choices.
From the commencement of the school it was thoroughly graded, but not until 1875 was there a class of students graduated. Prior to the adop- tion of a high school curriculum, some studies were pursued much farther than they have been since, and the students of those years were very fine pupils. Many of those students were foreign, many were teachers and came, so as to make better preparation for their work. Others came to prepare for other pursuits in life. They were in the main young men and women of mature years and placed a higher value on the advantages of school than most younger people are able to do now.
As stated the first class to graduate from the high school was the class of 1875. With one exception a class has been graduated each year since that time. Including the class of 1909, three hundred and eight graduates have been sent out from Clarinda high school and with the pupils of ear- lier years above spoken of, have exerted an influence for good that never can be computed.
This short history of Clarinda schools should not be closed without a tribute to the many, many faithful teachers who have worked in Clarinda schools. Many of them had and are having long terms of service. It will be a great pleasure to these teachers to know that they are living in the lives of the hundreds of pupils scattered all over the United States and even beyond.
The influence the schools have had upon the city of Clarinda should be noted.
As soon as the town was located and a school established good families, seeking a home in the far west, were attracted to Clarinda by her schools and induced to make Clarinda their home. These families were generally of high moral tone and had their influence in bringing other good families, so that the schools have been a larger factor in securing our superior class of citizens than we can fully realize.
Adjoining cities now have excellent schools and a few are larger, but none surpass Clarinda schools in excellence.
CLARINDA COMMERCIAL CLUB.
A number of business men of Clarinda met at the City Hall in answer to a call, on the evening of April 4, 1901, and there and then organized the Clarinda Improvement Association. Those who had the interest of the beau- tiful and progressive little city at heart almost to a man put his name down as a member. In 1904 the name was changed to that of The Clarinda Com- mercial Club. The chief promoters of the organization and the prime movers thereof were: J. H. Dunlap, William Orr, F. J. Tallant, F. W. Par-
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rish, J. N. Miller, W. T. S. White, Valentine Graff, A. F. Beal, W. L. Peder- sen, 11. E. Parslow, Perry Byerly, G. William Richardson, I. Weil, L. W. Lewis, H. H. Scott, David Tharp, C. A. Lisle, W. B. Shoemaker and others. The first officers were : J. H. Dunlap, president ; William Orr, vice president ; F. J. Tallant, secretary. The membership now numbers one hundred and · twenty-five.
The Commercial Club has been a booster for Clarinda ever since its in- ception and it is a quantity to be reckoned with when there is a chance for Clarinda to be benefited. Through its instrumentality street paving came into vogne in Clarinda; a beautiful new brick depot was gotten from the Burlington Railroad officials and new and better train service. The club is now engaging its attention and efforts to the end that another railroad shall enter Clarinda. This road has already been incorporated under the title of the lowa & Southwestern Railroad and the work of the preliminary survey is already accomplished. The present officials of the club are as follows : C. A. Lisle, president ; H. H. Scott, vice president : Orville C. Greene, secretary. Executive committee : William Orr, J. N. Miller, C. A. Lisle, H. H. Scott, A. F. Galloway, H. E. Parslow, G. William Richard, Ed F. Rose, E. R. Bailey, J. M. Rumbaugh, Orville Greene, David Tharp and J. E. Annan.
AN OLD PIONEER OF CLARINDA.
According to the history of Page county, published in 1880, Pike Dav- idson settled in Page county in 1854, and was followed by Jacob Botenfelt. This statement is true but it was nine years later.
In 1853 T. J. Bracken and Botenfelt were working at the same time and on the same farm in Indiana. They both intended to come west the fol- lowing spring, which they did, Bracken going to northern Iowa, and Boten- felt to bleeding Kansas. Without any prearrangement or understanding be- tween them, in the spring of 1854 Jefferson walked from the place where he was to Page county, and Jacob hoofed it in from the Sunflower state to Buchanan township. They both arrived within a week or two of each other. The following winter, according to Mr. Bracken, they between times made thirteen thousand, five hundred rails, which wasn't much of a job for two young Indianians, even if timber was scarce.
In the "good old times" there were but two townships in the county, Buchanan, including the land drained by the creek of that name and run- ning up the divide, and Nodaway, which embraced the balance of the county. Buchanan in those days contained the larger portion of the population and included in its number some men of "rare humor and infinite jest." Between 1860 and 1865, they had abundant room and plenty of opportunities to ex- ercise their inclinations and nourish their infirmities, for between those years there was an increase of but nine people in the population of the county.
The early settlers located their claims up and down Buchanan creek, and along and about the forks of the Nodaway and were composed princi- pally of Indianians, Tennesseans, Kentuckians, Virginians and Missourians, but Jacob, with that eccentricity peculiar to genius, must be different from his neighbors, and was born in Ohio.
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Among the neighbors of Jacob may be included the following families: Davidsoms, Thompsons, Nashs, Scotts, Frienmonths, McCurdys, Berkeys, Bebouts, Smodgrasses and Groves. Al these families at a later time com- tanned one or more members of the Masonic fraternity, belonging to this or adjacent lodges. According to the legends and traditions of that day, in the vicinity mentioned, in all its griefs, joys, jokes and sonrows of that time, Mr. Botenfelt was oft time the hero and frequently the victim. Such a man is invariably liked and it goes far to justify the reputation he had for being a good man, a true man and a square man.
The old time song n "That Father Grimes wore a long tailed coat all buttomed down before." Jacob mever wore his in that style. It was usually umbuttomed and flaring, meither was it of many colors, like the coat the saint he was mamed after gave to his son Joseph, yet it bore the singes, stains amd fading of many winters. The thing that impressed itself upon the youth of that day was the trousers that he wore on state occasions and when he came to town. They were made of corduroy, of hudkskin tint, and were open on the outer side of the limb, from the pocket to the instep and were fastened with a row of bright, flat, shiny brass buttons all the way dłowi. They were fashioned I imagine on the plan of the directoire gow, for I have seen them in use when unbuttoned and open to even above the Ikmees. Picture in your mind's eye, a man some five feet, ten inches im height, weighing some hundred and eighty pounds, rather stooped shoulders, a well developed head covered with black or dark brown hair, with a full beard of the same color, with dark brown kindly eyes, wearing a slouch Ihatt either black or white, with a heavy pair of stogy boots on his feet and am old fashioned pair of saddle bags on his anm, and you will have a fair conception of Jacob Botenfelt.
During the Civil war the country in strictly a military sense was deprived of Mr. Botentelt's services except simply in the direction of raising conn and supplies for the ammies. This was mott by reason of any lack of physical courage on his part, for on more than one occasion it has been related of him tthatt lhis pugilistic prowess was suffficient to clean out the crowd he was imn. He simply declared att the beginning of the war and consistently maintained his position to the end, that he was mot going south to be shot att, or to shoot, butt thatt lhe could and would lidk any member of the Confederacy who was interested enough in the problem to call on him. None who knew him dloutbtted for a moment butt he would make good if opportunity presented
Mir. Bottenfelt was odd and quint in lhis ways and Ihad more than oudin- any ttallent iin the direction of quer sayings, witty expressions and humorous suggestions, many of which are remembered and quoted by those with whom Ihe was acquainted. He possessed the confidence and good will of his meigh- bons and associates and many are the ffunny iinstances that are related of him amd his inttimttes. Pages would be written of their exploits. It is difficult tto nesiist the temptation to mevond some of them but the truth is that many of the events with whidh lhe was connected iin the ffun making line, would att this dinstatt day give am enomeaus iimpression of the man. The fact is that
JOHN BEAM'S HOTEL IN THE EARLY TOS. CLARINDA
CLARINDA HIGH SCHOOL, 1876
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the men of the present scarcely appreciate the lonesomeness and want of entertainment that beset the pioneer. Their neighbors were remote, their friends necessarily few, their labors arduous and thir life to a great extent one of drudgery. In shaping their character they had no criterion but their own innate sense of right and wrong, and no example to profit by except such as was set by rough and uncultured men, who were aggressive in their determination and combative in their tendencies. Even the dissemination of the teachings of Holy Writ were confined to the exhortations of itinerant preachers, whose visits, like angels, were few and far between, funeral sermons in many instances being delivered months after the interment of the deceased.
In considering this sketch of Mr. Botenfelt it should not be taken as making light of the character and life of the subject. Outside of the ques- tion of his real worth and merits as a man, he was selected for the reason that he was more than a fair representative of his day and vicinity. Many years ago through an accumulation of ill fortune of various kinds, Mr. Bot- enfelt became financially involved and had to dispose of his holdings in this county. He moved with his family into what was then known as the cattle country, skirting the Platte river valley in Nebraska, and died there a few years since.
Jacob Botenfelt was elected to initiation in this lodge on the evening of March 2. 1860. James S. Scott, a near neighbor, was also elected that night. They practically took their degrees as near as possible together and were the first from that neighborhood which afterwards afforded many mem- bers to this institution. They were friends and of a kindred spirit. In the vernacular of the day, in the events of that time they were a "full team." Scott went from here to Colorado, where he afterwards developed into the position of road master and master mechanic of a railroad. When last heard from he was conducting a bee farm in California. Both these gentlemen, while members of this lodge, considering the distance and roads they had to travel, were more than average attendants.
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