USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. I > Part 43
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EARLY SETTLEMENT.
The first white man to invade the prairie wilds of this goodly section of Page county, was a man named John Pelham, who came from the south and located on section 18, in 1850. He sold his claim four years later to John Rodman and removed to Arkansas. The same year, 1850, John Hadden effected a settlement. John Stafford located about that date at what is known as Stafford's Grove. Pelham operated a horse mill and thus sup- plied the few pioneer families. Another early comer was Mr. Martindale, who improved a small farm near Hadden's Grove. Henry Binns came from Pennsylvania in 1854 and entered the east half of the northwest quarter of section 3. It was soon after that Aaron Stafford moved in from Mont- gomery county and claimed land on section 6. In 1855 came Jonathan and George Binns, John Hall and Benjamin Davis.
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It should be remembered that at this time Fremont township was on the wild frontier and infested with wild beasts, against which the early set- tlers waged a successful warfare. In the single winter of 1855-56, William D. Chamberlain alone killed forty-six deer. The winter was a very severe one, the thermometer registering from twenty to thirty degrees below zero for fully six weeks.
The suffering among early settlers was indeed great. Clothing was scarce, the nearest store a long ways distant, the mill equally far, roads bad and consequently the store of provisions grew low. For many weeks the few pioneers had nothing upon which to subsist, save the corn which was ground in coffeemills. Men who could survive through such an ordeal are not the men who fail. What wonder then that the broad expanse of beau- tiful prairie lands have come to be so well developed and cultivated?
From 1870 the growth of the township was gradual but sure. It was during that year a new factor marked another era in this section of Page county, the advent of the Swedes. Aside from a small settlement in the south part of the county, there were no Swedes here. Among the first to settle in Fremont were P. J. Peterson, Isaac M. Johnson, C. J. Eckeroth, N. P. Larson, J. P. Nelson, John Anderson and C. A. Falk.
But now a new movement was set rolling. In the spring of 1871, at the house of P. Heglund, near New Windsor, Henry county, Illinois, a meet- ing of the Swedish settlers there was held and it was then determined to come to southwestern Iowa. A committee of C. A. Johnson, P. Heglund and C. J. Bjorkgren was appointed to obtain rates for transportation. As a re- sult of their labor thirty-three cars were chartered, in which three hundred persons with their effects were placed, when all embarked for the "Kingdom of Page." They nearly all became settlers of Fremont township. In 1880 there were over nine hundred Swedes in the township. With but a few ex- ceptions they were all poor people but by hard work and saving qualities most of them have come to be wealthy and all possess good comfortable homes, which are free of any mortgaged indebtedness.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first two settlers were John Pelham and John Hadden, who came in 1850. The first church was erected in 1871. The first physician to prac- tice was Dr. Brackner of Essex. The first male child born was Emil, son of John and Louisa Anderson, born October 12, 1870. The first female child born was Ella S., daughter of Isaac and Fredrika Johnson, born October 10, 1870.
RELIGIOUS.
The Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church was formed in 1870, by the following members: N. P. Larson and wife, C. A. Falk and wife, J. P. Nelson and wife. Rev. B. M. Halland was the first pastor. He was fol- lowed by Rev. A. G. Skeppstedt, who in turn was succeeded by Rev. N. G. Dahlstedt. In 1872 the congregation erected a frame church building,
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which soon proved too small for the rapidly growing attendance. In 1876 a more spacious and imposing structure was built, capable of seating six hundred people. The last structure is forty-four by eighty-eight feet, with a tower ninety-nine feet high. The cost of the building was eight thou- sand dollars. In 1880 there were about seven hundred members in the con- gregation. The church is one of the most prosperous in Page county and its influence is felt far and wide. The church property all told cost fourteen thousand, six hundred dollars. It consists of a frame edifice, provided with a pipe organ costing sixteen hundred dollars, a two-story parsonage, a resi- dence for the use of the organist and school teacher. The church supports two parochial schools, one by the church and one on section 17. The total attendance is one hundred and twenty.
A Methodist Episcopal society was formed many years ago in the north part of Fremont township, and a neat church built in the grove.
SCHOOLS.
Fremont township is populated for the most part at present by Scandi- navians, who have as finely improved farms and beautiful homes as almost any other part of Page county. The greater number are intelligent and take kindly to American institutions. The church of their choice seems preeminently the Lutheran and this detracts from the common public some- what. However, as a general rule these foreigners believe in educating in the English as well as their own tongue.
MORTON TOWNSHIP.
Morton township was originally included in Tarkio, then in Lincoln, but is now described as congressional township 68, range 39 west. It is bounded on the north by Grant township, on the east by Lincoln. on the south by Washington township and on the west by Fremont county. The only stream of any considerable note is the West Tarkio river. It is one of Page county's most excellent and highly cultivated agricultural sections, where corn is king and farmers are prosperous Americans, who believe in good schools and good roads and the obeying of all wholesome laws.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
In tracing out the pioneers of a township or county one finds no easy task. Many have removed, many died and those yet remaining "this side the strand" have had their minds too full of life's realities to remember all those early happenings.
In 1853 Calvin Fletcher made the first settlement. He was shortly fol- lowed by Samuel Markham, from Kentucky. These both settled in the northwest corner of the township. The next settlement was made in 1867 on section 34, by H. A. Durbon.
In 1869 when S. R. Franks located in Morton township he gave the fol- lowing who were then residents or came during that year: Henry Pierce,
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section 35; H. A. Durbon, section 34; Jacob Ernst and son, A. L. Ernst, section 36; Cy Cleveland, and W. T. Jones, section 25; Evan Wilson, sec- tion 25; John M. Chambers, section 35; O. H. Frink, section 10, came in April, 1871 ; James Noble, section 9: Isaiah Beam, section 7; Henry Wagner, section 19; J. Roselie, who came in 1871, section 36. From that date on the township in common with all western Page county, settled very rapidly.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first settler was Calvin Fletcher in 1853.
The first child born was Fred W. Franks, son of S. R. Franks and wife. His birthday was. April 13, 1870.
Probably Mrs. J. M. Chambers was the first person to die in Morton township.
The first marriage was J. M. Chambers to his second wife, who bore the maiden name of Goode.
The first schools were taught in a building erected for that purpose in 1871, in Pleasant Ridge, No. 6, and White Cloud, No. 3. Phebe Ellis taught in the winter of 1871-2 at the Pleasant Ridge schoolhouse.
The first sermon was preached by Rev. James Lytle in the spring of 1872, at Pleasant Ridge schoolhouse.
The Methodist Episcopal people organized the first Sunday school in Morton township.
The first justices of the peace were J. M. Chambers and Squire Beams.
RELIGIOUS.
The people of Morton township attend services at Coin or Bingham. However, in the early part of 1872 both the Methodist Episcopal and Wes- leyan Methodists formed each a class and held regular services at Pleasant Ridge schoolhouse on section 36. Each was determined, all in good spirit, to gain the first organization and if possible, the first footing. Upon a certain Sunday morning during the time above mentioned, Rev. James Lytle, the Wesleyan Methodist minister, called his class together and preached for them on Sunday morning. He was aware that the Methodist preacher, Rev. L. W. Archer, was to preach in the evening, so he, Lytle, gave notice as follows: "I hereby notify this people that this society will hold services each Sunday forenoon throughout the year at this schoolhouse," expecting to head his brother off, but Rev. Archer covered this appoint- ment by giving out notice that he would preach "afternoon and evening" during the year. Hence that pioneer schoolhouse, around which so many fond recollections still cluster, was well supplied with "regular" services.
SCHOOLS.
As previously stated, the first two schoolhouses in Morton were erected the same season, 1871. In 1876 she supported six schools, having an enroll- ment of one hundred and sixty-eight pupils.
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LONE ROCK.
Before the reader passes from Morton township he is first invited to read concerning an object of natural curiosity, known as "Lone Rock," sit- uated on section 15, about one hundred rods southeast of Lone Rock school- house. This monster rock is of the boulder family, is about twenty feet long, ten or twelve feet wide, and stands about eight feet above the ground. How far it is embedded in the ground no one knows. It was discovered by Rev. William Rector, a Methodist minister, in 1851, while journeying from Fremont county to the Tarkio's country, and perhaps was the first white man to gaze upon its surface and query concerning its formation and original history. Whence did it come, from the north on an iceberg? Some mighty agency must have brought its hundreds of tons weight to this spot. Could we but hear its flinty tongue tell of this prehistoric journey, it would sur- prise and fill us with wonder sublime. Like the marks on the face of the aged person does this ancient landmark declare the newness of the soil on which it now rests; the great difference between youth and old age is here illustrated.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.
Lincoln is congressional township 68, of range 38 west, and is the sec- ond civil township east of the western border of Page county, and also second from the south. Tarkio is directly north, Harlan east, Colfax south and Morton west. The principal water course is the Tarkio river, which flows through the central and western portion, entering the township at section 4 and leaving from section 32. Until 1858 this subdivision of the county be- longed to Tarkio township but in that year what is now known as Lincoln and Morgan townships were organized as Lincoln. No finer section of farm- ing country can be found anywhere than the one of which we now write and to give the reader an idea of what rapid development it has made it will be best to go back and learn something concerning
THE EARLY SETTLEMENT.
Ex-County Judge S. F. Snider was the pioneer who first set his claim- stakes in what is now Lincoln township. That was in 1846 and the same year came William Lavering. Judge Snider finally sold out to Joshua Aikin and removed to Clarinda. He later removed to Colorado. Lavering first settled on land which was later known as the G. R. Davidson farm. No further settlement was effected until 1850, when John L. King came.
In 1851 came H. H. Lutzenburg, who settled on the claim taken by Lav- ering. William Loy settled on part of the Snider claim and Joshua Aikin on the remainder. Samuel Phifer and Samuel Peters came in I851 also, settling near the mouth of Snake creek, and were soon followed by Joshua Skinner. All of the above mentioned witnessed the government surveyors cut their portions of the unsurveyed territory.
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The next to come was James Haynes, who settled a half mile east, across the river, from Coin. From the early '50s on a goodly number came in and took up land, but no rapid growth was made until about 1870, when railways began to extend through this part of Iowa.
No positive data as to first events, including schools and religious ser- vices, can be procured. However, in 1880 the township had six more-than- ordinary schoolhouses, in which public schools were held, as well as the var- ious religious denominations which used them as places of worship.
In 1879 the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railway Company built the Denver Short Line branch from Clarinda to Northboro, Iowa, and imme- diately a new era was begun.
COIN.
Coin, the only village in Lincoln township, is located on section 32, town- ship 68, range 38, and about twelve miles southwest of Clarinda. It is a sta- tion at which the Wabash line crosses the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy- Denver Short Line. It was platted November 25, 1879, by the Western Improvement Company of Iowa. At the first sale of town lots, sixty-four were sold to persons who at once erected dwellings and business houses. The earliest attempt at business was by the putting in of a general stock of goods by S. M. Crooks & Company, in the fall of 1879.
The first hardware sold exclusively was that kept by W. A. Wood- worth.
The first hotel was opened by J. A. Delk, who was the second man to engage in business in Coin.
Wallace Brothers sold the first lumber at this point in 1879. The pio- neer furniture firm was Godfrey & Dowell, who embarked in business in 1883.
The first to handle agricultural implements was Elliott & Son. J. B. Dunmire was the first blacksmith and R. E. Switzer was the first harness and shoemaker of the village.
The first to enter the livery business was Samuel Clark & Son.
The first tinner was J. G. Burgett.
The butcher business was at first conducted by Rouse & Myers.
The pioneer druggist was Jacob Loy.
W. C. Chesney owned and operated the first wagon shop.
Mrs. A. E. Neeley opened the first stock of Millinery goods.
R. E. Switzer burned the first kiln of brick at Coin.
A banking house was opened by Webster Brothers & Company in 1880, later known as the Bank of Coin.
R. E. Martin was the first man to ship stock from Coin.
The Bank of Coin was opened in 1880 by W. E. Webster, who conducted it until his death in 1882. In June of that year L. Van Arsdol purchased the property.
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
SOCIETIES.
Coin Lodge, I. O. O. F., No. 455, was instituted in the winter of 1882 by about enough members to fill the elective offices, one having to be bor- rowed from another lodge.
Page Post, G. A. R., No. 65, was organized November 1, 1881, by eleven members. The first officers were : J. H. Palmer. Com .; M. Neeley, S. V .; T. R. Shaw, J. V .; A. T. Rice, surgeon ; Daniel Polsley, Q. M.
SCHOOLS.
The wide-awake populace of Coin has from the first sustained good pub- lic schools. In 1880 a comfortable schoolhouse was erected at a cost of twelve hundred dollars. Later an addition was built, making it a two-story structure, divided into four departments.
INCORPORATION.
Coin became an incorporated town July 30, 1881, by a vote which stood sixty-seven to twenty-five. The first election was held August 29, 1881, when the following officers were elected: Mayor, T. H. Baldwin ; recorder, Robert Wallace; assessor, A. P. Anderson; treasurer, A. T. Rice; street commissioner, B. F. Whitney; councilmen, W. J. Clark, A. H. King, W. A. Woodworth, J. G. Spender and Daniel Polsley.
POSTOFFICE.
Snow Hill postoffice was established in Lincoln township on a "star route." in 1875. Mails were carried tri-weekly between Clarinda and this point, which is about a mile from where Coin now stands. Upon the com- pletion of the railway and the establishment of Coin, the office was trans- ferred to the new village and in the fall of 1879 A. G. Bacon was made post- master. He served until October, 1885, and was succeeded by C. E. Kile, who held it until he resigned in favor of his daughter. who continued as post- mistress until October, 1880, when Mr. Bacon was reappointed. It was made a money order office August 15, 1881. The first order was sent by J. F. Reid, to an insurance company ; amount, nine dollars.
CHURCHES.
The Methodist Episcopal church at Coin was formed at Snow Hill school- house about 1870 by Rev. W. J. Beck, and Chancy Carpenter classicader. A church was erected at Coin in 1880, at a cost of two thousand dollars. In 1889 a parsonage was erected at a cost of fifteen hundred dollars.
The United Presbyterian church was formed June 12, 1880. The first meetings were held two miles northeast of Coin at the Monzingo school-
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house, Rev. William Johnston officiating. It had a membership of twenty- eight. The first elders were John Monzingo and S. A. Godfrey, and the trustees were R. B. Wallace, T. M. Monzingo and J. M. McKee. The first pastor was Rev. R. M. Sherwood, who entered upon his work in November 1880, and continued until May, 1884. The society held meetings in the Methodist Episcopal church until 1881, when they erected a church thirty- four by fifty-four feet, at a cost of three thousand dollars.
SNOW HILL (DEFUNCT).
This was not a regularly platted village but it was a small collection of houses and a postoffice called Snow Hill. There was at one time, before Coin existed, a flouring mill on the Tarkio river ; a store operated by Crooks and Ausbach and a blacksmith shop. The location was about a mile north of where Coin now stands. A foundry was built in 1882 by Austin & Son.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
Washington is the southwestern corner township of Page county. It is east of Fremont county, south of Morton township, west of Colfax and north of the Missouri state line. It is, strictly speaking, congressional town- ship 67, range 39 west. The West Tarkio river is the only stream of any consequence. The soil of this section of Page county is rich of the richest and from it is produced all kinds of grain, grasses, vegetables and fruits common to this climate. In 1858 the records of this township show that this township embraced all of congressional township 67, range 39 west, and a part of range 38, but subsequently it was cut down to the six-mile-square rule.
EARLY SETTLEMENTS.
The first settlement was made in 1856 by B. C. Freeman, of Missouri, J. B. Van Sandt, of Philadelphia, and Alexander Van Sandt. Shortly af- terward came Messrs. Mawhinney, J. S. Johnson, the Webb family, Charles Wilkinson, Mullen and a few others who "staked out" claims and at once began to build homes for themselves.
In 1862, when David Peck came into the township and effected settle- ment on section 21, he found living in the township: B. C. Freeman, on section 32 : Father Clauser, section 32 ; John and Alexander Van Sandt, sec- tion 28; Harvey, Edgar and Leonard Webb, A. J. Mawhinney, section 26; Dr. James Hull, section 26; and a man named Ridgeway, on section 20. During the next four or five years there came Richard Dupray, Thomas Peter, P. S. Hunter, Sylvester Johnson, Isaiah Martin, Jack Dugan, S. Scram, E. W. Comfort, Jack and Henry Wiar, John Lee, J. M. Darbee and T. J. Gibson.
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OLD MILL AT BRADDYVILLE
Built in 1855 by William and James Braddy, founders of the village. Still in opera- tion, being owned by Mrs. Mary J. Thompson.
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
From the time the railroad was built through Essex and Shenandoah in 1870, settlement was made very rapidly.
FIRST EVENTS.
The first schoolhouse erected in Washington township was the one at Union Grove in 1861.
Miss Eineline Dupray taught the first school.
The first sermon was preached by Rev. Stephen Blanchard about 1862. The first person to weave cloth in the township was Mrs. B. C. Freeman.
The first marriage was that of J. M. Kine to Miss Kate Hull, July 5, 1860.
The first male child born was to Mr. and Mrs. B. C. Freeman, in Septem- ber, 1856.
The first female child was Mary, daughter of Alexander and Susan Van Sandt, born in 1857.
The first cemetery was platted on section 21. It contained three acres and was on Mr. Peck's land.
The first persons buried there were: George Peck, in 1865; Ida M. Peck and Clara Peck, in 1866.
RELIGIOUS.
However great the temptations of the early settlers might have been to forget their early training in sacred things, they did not yield, for we find that among the first enterprises they undertook was the providing of schools and church societies, the latter of which held services at private homes and at schoolhouses. The first sermon was preached in Washington township by Rev. Stephen Blanchard, Wesleyan Methodist, in 1861 or 1862, at the Union Grove schoolhouse.
The Methodist people gained early footing in these parts as well as in nearly all western sections. What was known as Union Grove charge, was for years a stronghold of Methodism. Another point where this sect were in early days was at West Point, near the county line.
The Christian church was formed in 1887 with twenty-three members. They held services in the Union Grove schoolhouse two miles west of the village of Northboro. The first pastor was Rev. W. W. Hallem, and the first deacons were D. W. Flickinger and Isaac Speakman, while the elder was H. H. Whitney.
A Baptist church was formed in January, 1876, with C. P. Green and wife, G. E. Morrill and wife, R. F. Freeman and wife and Charles Cox. They worshipped at schoolhouses but when Northboro village started, the church was changed to that point.
SCHOOLS.
The pioneer schoolhouse of Washington township was erected in 1861 and has since been known as Union Grove. Miss Dupray taught the first term of school here. As the years have passed and the country has de- veloped, the people have kept fully up to the standard of Page county's school system and is now provided with several excellent buildings.
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
POSTOFFICE.
The postoffice within the township is located at Northboro, on the rail- road.
VILLAGE OF NORTHBORO.
This is a small station on the Denver Short Line railroad, on section 23 of Washington township. It was platted by the town lot company, Sep- tember, 1881. It is finely located on a hill and overlooks a magnificent rural district, where all is thrift and prosperity.
The first attempt at business at this point was in the autumn of 1881, as soon as the railway was built through. R. J. Mason put in a stock of gro- ceries as the first store. Hill & Scott Brothers soon opened up a general merchandise stock. The following located here in the fall and early winter of 1881 : Henderson & Bunting, hardware: Blanchard & Peck, groceries and queensware ; A. D. Kerr, groceries ; R. J. Mason, blacksmith shop ; ho- tel by McPherson, who soon sold to Mrs. McGinness ; real estate, J. R. Mon- tague ; lumber yard, George Palmer & Company.
The first to deal in grain at Northboro was G. E. Morrill; first in the livery business. E. Benedict ; first in the harness business, W. L. Dunmire : first in boot and shoe repair shop. S. Fields ; first in millinery goods. C. M. Dupray : first to deal in drugs. J. H. Word : first agricultural goods, Fergu- son Brothers & Wood.
RELIGIOUS.
The denominations represented at Northboro are the Methodist Epis- copal and Baptist and each have church edifices.
The Methodist society was the first to worship. Prior to 1882 there was a class at Union Grove schoolhouse, but upon the platting of North- boro, a church was formed. S. D. Blanchard, J. S. Wolf and H. A. Max- well were the committee to arrange for building. They raised funds and had a frame edifice nearly completed when the terrible cyclone,-wind and hail storm-of July 13, 1883, demolished it. The following year, 1884, they built on the same foundation, a structure thirty-two by fifty feet, at a cost of two thousand dollars. A parsonage was soon after bought in the country and removed to the church lots. .
The Baptist church was formed by fifteen members in the winter of 1886-87. They built a new frame church, twenty-eight by forty-four feet, with an alcove and vestibule, at a cost of seventeen hundred dollars. This was dedicated on the 23d of February, 1890.
Gettysburg Post, No. 241. G. A. R., was organized in Northboro, in the fall of 1882, by sixteen members. The first commander was George E. Mor- rill. They own their own hall.
Sons of Veterans, Shiloh Camp, No. 119, was organized July 1, 1887, by seventeen charter members. The first captain was W. W. Creal; first lieutenant, F. M. Jump ; second lieutenant, O. W. Holcomb.
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HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY
COLFAX TOWNSHIP.
Colfax, named in honor of Hon. Schuyler Colfax, former vice president of the United States, is in the southern tier of townships of Page county. It is east of Washington, south of Lincoln, west of Amity township and bounded on the south by the state line beween Iowa and Missouri. It com- prises congressional township 67, range 38 west, hence is six miles square, except what it lacks of full sections along the state line. At an early day all the southern portion of Page county was claimed by and paid revenue to the state of Missouri. Colfax was at one time a part of Washington township. The Tarkio courses its way through this township from section 5 on the north line to section 31 on the south. Along this beautiful stream one finds considerable valuable timber land, in which the first settlers lived.
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