History of Page County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. : a biographical directory of many of its leading citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of Iowa and the Northwest, map of Page County, constitution of the state of Iowa, reminiscences, miscellaneous matters, etc, Part 57

Author: Iowa Historical Company
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines : Iowa Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 835

USA > Iowa > Page County > History of Page County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, etc. : a biographical directory of many of its leading citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men, history of Iowa and the Northwest, map of Page County, constitution of the state of Iowa, reminiscences, miscellaneous matters, etc > Part 57

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In 1866 it was concluded that it had reached such a point that it ought to be incorporated, which was done under the general law of the state. The following is the petition as presented to the county court, on the 10th day of October, 1866:

550

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

To the Hon. John R. Morledge, fudge of Page County, State of Iowa :

SIR-The undersigned, citizens of the town of Clarinda, in Page county, Iowa, respectfully petition to incorporate the following territory into an incorporated town, to be known as the town of Clarinda, to-wit:

The N. W. ¿ of section 31, township 69, range 36, on which is located the original town of Clarinda; and the N. E. ¿ of section 31, township 69, range 36, on which is located Frazer's addition to the town of Cla- rinda; and the S. W. ¿ of the S. W .¿ of section 30, township 69, range 36, on which is located Ribble's addition to the town of Clarinda; and the S. E. ¿ of the S. W. ¿ of section 30, township 69, range 36, on which is located Farrens' addition to the town of Clarinda; also a certain piece off the north side of the S. W. ¿ of section 31, township 68, range 36, com- mencing three hundred feet south of the northeast corner of said south- west quarter, thence north three hundred feet, thence west with the be- ginning of the section lines to the northwest corner of said S. W. ¿ of section 31; thence south three hundred feet; thence east to the place of beginning. And your petitioners hereby appoint N. B. Moore to act in their behalf in the further proceedings and prosecution hereof."

On the 8th of December, 1866 the county judge issued the following order relative to the above:

"The above petition of the qualified voters of the town of Clarinda Page county, Iowa, asking the incorporation of said town, having been presented and filed in my office as the law directs, and the incorporators having complied with all the requirements of the law in such cases made and provided, and having proven before me this day that under the law they are entitled to incorporate; now, therefore, I, John R. Morledge, judge of Page county, do hereby order the said incorporated town of Clarinda may be organized, and shall be known and designated as 'The town of Clarinda,' and the boundaries of the said incorporation shall be as set out in the above and foregoing petition.

Witness my hand and the seal of Page county hereunto affixed this 8th day of December, 1866.

[SEAL.]

JOHN R. MORLEDGE, County Judge.

The first election for town officers was held March, 1867. Since its organization the town has had the following officials:

1867.

Mayor-John R. Morledge. Recorder-A. B. Cramer. Street Com- missioner-N. J. Calhoon. Trustees-William Collins, A. S. Meek, J. A. Marley, W. R. Harrell, William Beach. July 3, Beach resigned and Henry Dorsey was elected to fill the vacancy.

551

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

1868.

Mayor-W. R. Harrell. Recorder-W. M. Alexander. Marshal-J. J. Round. Street Commissioner-S. M. Crooks. Trustees -- J. M. Pat- ten, W. W. Morsman, C. P. Osgood, Thomas Evans, John Wycoff.

1869.

Mayor -- F. L. Cramer. There being a tie between Mr. Cramer and W. R. Harrell for the office of mayor, the difficulty was decided by lot in favor of the former named. Recorder -- W. M. Alexander. Treasurer- Henry Dorsey. Marshal-John Crooks. Street Commissioner-J. J. Round. Trustees-Henry Hiatt, Thomas Coons, G. W. Maiden, George Ribble, W. A. Frazier.

1870.

Mayor-H. Hiatt. Recorder-D. J. DeLong. Treasurer-H. Dorsey. Marshal-F. E. Norton. Street Commissioner-R. C. Murphey. Trus- tees-G. W. Maiden, Thomas Evans, S. M. Crooks, S. S. Beam, G. W. Burns.

1871.

Mayor-Henry Hiatt. Recorder-S. F. Thompson. Treasurer- Henry Dorsey. Marshal-B. F. Shoemaker. Street Commissioner-R. C. Murphey. Trustees-G. W. Burns. G. W. Maiden, Thomas Evans, S. M. Crooks, S. S. Beam.

1872.

Mayor-Henry Hiatt. Treasurer-Henry Loranz. Recorder-W. M. Alexander. Marshal-J. H. Dunn. Street Commissioner-Luke Bryan. Trustees-D. C. Chamberlain, S. M. Crooks, A. L. Clement, H. J. Ad- ams, O. A. Kimball.

1873.

Mayor-John R. Morledge. Recorder-S. F. Thompson. Treasurer -Henry Loranz. Street Commissioner-R. P. Patch. Trustees-O. A. Kimball, D. C. Chamberlain, A. J. Adams, John Calhoon, J. H. Dunlap.

1874.

Mayor-J. M. Briggs. Recorder-W. M. Alexander. Treasurer- Henry Loranz. Street Commissioner-R. P. Patch. Assessor-James Maiden. Trustees-John Calhoon, J. H. Dunlap, O. A. Kimball, A. J. Ad- ams, D. C. Chamberlain.

552

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

1875.

Mayor-Henry Hiatt. Recorder-A. B. Cramer. Treasurer-H. Loranz. Street Commissioner-R. P. Patch. Assessor-James Maiden. Trustees-S. M. Crooks, F. A. McDonald, O. A. Kimball, Thomas Ev- ans, John Calhoon.

1876. .

Mayor-Henry Hiatt. Recorder-W. M. Alexander. Treasurer- Henry Loranz. Street Commissioner-R. P. Patch. Marshal-Luke Bryan. Trustees-W. E. Webster, D. W. Ridenour, J. H. Dunlap, P. W. Lewellen, S. Brewer.

1877.

Mayor-J. M. Briggs. Recorder-Jacob Butler. Treasurer-Henry Loranz. Street Commissioner-W. W. Watkins. Assessor-A. B. Cra- mer. Trustees-P. W. Lewellen, W. E. Webster, H. Z. Henderson, W. I. Thompson, J. H. Dunlap.

1878.

Mayor-Henry Hiatt. Recorder-Ed. Henshaw. Treasurer-Thomas Evans. Street Commissioner-A. B. Brown. Marshal-J. J. Round. As- sessor-L. F. Talbott. Trustees -- Thomas B. Chamberlain, W. E. Web- ster, J. R. Hinchman. There being a tie in the votes cast for P. W. Lew- ellen, C. P. Osgood and W. W. Morsman, it was decided by lot in favor of the two former named persons.

1879.

Mayor-Thomas Evans. Recorder-T. B. Merrill. Treasurer-H. H. Crooks. Street Commissioner-James Clark. Assessor-R. B. Hite. Trustees-J. H. Dunlap, F. M. Berry, C. P. Osgood, D. W. Ridenour, M. Enfield, L. F. Abbott.

1880.

Mayor-Thomas Evans. Recorder-L. B. Merrill. Treasurer-H. H. Crooks. Assessor-R, B. Hite. Street Commissioner-R. P. Patch. Marshal-J. J. Round. Trustees-D. W. Ridenour, M. Enfield.

The finances of the town of Clarinda have been judiciously managed, and the town is free from debt, with money in the treasury. The receipts for the year 1879, from all sources, were $3,647.56; disbursements, $2,- 236.58; leaving a balance in the treasury of $912.77.

552

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

PUBLIC SCHOOLS.

The first school building of any note in Clarinda was erected in the summer of 1860, Judge Walker & Co. being the contractors. It was a frame building 32x52 feet, two stories high, the contract price being $2,- 675. It contained four school rooms and a library room. The lower rooms of the building were completed in November, 1860. At the time of its completion the building was considered an immense affair, and the citizens of Clarinda and adjacent country prided themselves upon having the finest school building in southwestern Iowa. Little then did they im- agine that in the course of fifteen years their pride would be looked upon with disfavor. But, nevertheless, such was the case, and accordingly, in 1876, steps were taken to displace the old with a new, more substantial, comfortable and pretentious structure. Of the new building we briefly give a succinct account, taken from the Clarinda Democrat, of March 14, 1878.

" For several years past the building of a school house in Clarinda, one that would be a credit and honor to the town ; one that would accommo- date the children and make them comfortable, had been discussed. The board had from time to time debated the feasibility of submitting a propo- sition to the people to say whether they wanted such a building, and in the spring of 1876 a proposition was drawn up, laid before the board, dis- cussed, and laid over for another year. The year passed and the people as well as the board saw that something must be done and that at once. Every one had a plan of their own ; the board had their plan and were all in harmony. The following persons at that time constituted the board : N. C. Ridenour, president ; T. B. Chamberlain, G. W. Burns, James Sham- baugh, A. T. Clements, W. W. Morsman, secretary, W. M. Alexander ; treasurer, Henry Loranz. A special meeting of the board was called to meet in the secretary's office on the 20th of January, 1877. At that meet- ing the following resolution was adopted :

" Resolved, That there be submitted to the qualified voters of the inde- pendent school district of Clarinda, a proposition to borrow the sum of $20,000 for the purpose of erecting a school house for said independent district. Said money to be borrowed by issuing negotiable bonds of the independent district.

" The resolution was unanimously adopted, and an order made for an election to be held on the 8th day of February, and the necessary notices ordered published, which was done during the time between the 20th of January and the 8th of February, 1877. The proposition was discussed pro and con ; but the day of election came and there were three hundred and four votes cast for and against it. For the proposition to issue bonds

554

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

there were two hundred and forty-four votes ; against the proposition fifty-nine votes-which went to show that our people were in favor of building a new school house by a large majority. The proposition having carried, the next thing was to get plans and specifications for said build- ing. A correspondence was opened up, by the board, with several archi- tects, and at a special meeting called by the president, the plans and speci- fications of the present building which were gotten up by C. F. Driscoll, of Omaha, were adopted, and the secretary ordered to publish notices for sealed proposals, to be opened on the 9th day of April, 1877. .

"At the regular meeting of the citizens February 12, 1877, W. W. Morsman and N. C. Ridenour were again elected to the vacanies caused by the expiration of their terms, without opposition. At the regular meet- ing of the board on the 19th day of February, the meeting was called to order by the secretary, and W. W. Morsman and N. C. Ridenour were sworn in as directors, and on motion, W. W. Morsman was elected presi- dent, and the same board organized to complete the work they had com- menced. According to previous notice the board met in the court house hall on the 9th day of April. There were nine bids, ranging from $16,- 900 to $23,340. The lowest bidder was J. E. Parkins, $16,900, but he failed to give bonds and the contract was awarded to N. A. Olston & Co., for $17,000, they being the next lowest bidders, who commenced the work on the 1st of June by breaking ground. . He secured the brick of J. Crabill, who burnt the same one mile east of town. The brick work was sub-contracted by Howe & Stevenson, who put them in the wall. The stone was furnished by the Sagetown stone and lime company of Il- linois.

" The size of the building is seventy-five feet four inches by sixty-seven feet four inches on the ground; the foundation is concrete, made from hard-burned brick, broke to about a two.inch cube, eight parts coarsest local sand, three parts best cement, and one best quick lime. The founda- tion is put below frost, and the top of the first floor joists are four feet above the established grade. Water tables are all cut white limestone. The first story joists are all two by fourteen inches and are put down six- teen inches from center to center.

" The first floor is divided up into four school rooms, twenty-five feet four inches by thirty feet, with a ceiling fourteen feet. There are four windows and three doors to each room, and each is finished inside with wainscoating two feet six inches high from the floor, and above this four feet six inches is a blackboard extending around each room, which is made of lamp black on the hard brick, which makes blackboard enough to put all the scholars in any room up to a board to solve a problem at once. Besides these four commodious school rooms on this floor there is a teachers' room twelve feet eight inches by seventeen feet; there is also

555

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

a cloak room to each of the school rooms, six feet two inches by fourteen feet. In each one of these rooms there are hooks for each child to hang their coat or hat when they go to school. These rooms are con- venient, and save the children the trouble of a scramble to get their hats and cloaks when school is out. These cloak rooms are wainscoated seven feet high, which insures them to stand without damage for all time. There is on this floor a wash-room five by nine feet with three porcelain wash bowls, arranged with cocks by which means water can be procured for the children to wash from a large tank over head, and just under the stairway that goes up from the east door. The halls are twelve feet eight inches wide, and form a cross, so as to make three grand entrances to the building, -one from the east, one from the north and one from the west. These halls are well finished and wainscoated two feet six inches high, which protects them from the wear and tear that would be brought about by the numerous children who will grow to be great men and women there for years to come.

" From this floor we go to the next, by three flights of wide and commo- dious stairways that can be ascended from the entrance of each door. Thus in case of a rush to get out of the building it can be emptied with- out any jam or injury to any one. Now that we have taken a bird's-eye view of the foundation and first floor, let us walk up the grand flight of stairs that faces us when we enter from the north door. Here we are on the second floor, but before entering any of the school rooms we will take a walk through the halls ; here we find the same wide halls as we had on the first floor, twelve feet eight inches in width. We go to the west win- dow of the hall running east and west, and here we find two large cloak rooms, with sixty hooks in each room, and on each hook a hat or cap, a water proof or an overcoat, which says that the school rooms are full of children who are hard at study. We retrace our steps to the east win- dow and here we find two more cloak rooms, and each arranged for the students to put their clothes away in safety, as above described in the west rooms. We now return to the head of the stairs and open a door on the south side of the hall and step into the library room, which is twelve feet eight inches by thirty-one feet. This is a very nice and commodious room, and in future years when there is a good library put into it, it will be a very pleasant place to go and while away a few hours and gain valu- able information from the numerous books that will be placed upon the shelves. We now leave this and step into the school room in the south- west corner, where we find teachers and pupils all busily engaged in a room twenty-five feet four inches by thirty feet. It is wainscoated all around and then a wide blackboard encircles the room also, and the pu- pils are all happy and contented. We step out of this and cross the hall to enter another room, just the same in every respect to the one we have

556

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

just left, and continue our round until we arrive at the southwest room ; this and the one we have come out of are arranged just the same, there being seats enough for sixty pupils in each room. The joists that support this floor are two by fourteen inches and are put down sixteen inches from center to center, and are well braced. Then there is a floor of rough boards laid upon them, then a two by two inch strip laid over each joist, then there is one inch of common mortar put upon this and then the floor- ing laid upon that, the flooring being the best quality of dry yellow pine, tongued and grooved, well nailed at every joist, and all rough and un- even places smoothed off.

" The first floor is just the same as this, only it has no deadening under it. We are now at the foot of the stairs that lead to the third floor. As you ascend just take a view of the wide and roomy stairway, and how well the whole is finished. We are now on the third floor, in the halls that are twelve feet and eight inches wide; we take a view of the situation and are well pleased. We go north, open a door and go into the principal's private room, which is twelve feet eight inches by fourteen feet. It is a nice, cosy room. We retrace our steps south and open another door and enter a room twelve feet eight inches by thirty-one feet. This room is in- tended for the board of education to hold their meetings in, and is a good one for the purpose. We now come outside of this room into the hall that runs east and west, and at each end we find two of those convenient cloak rooms that so well please the children. They are all well finished with wainscoating seven feet high, and are the same size as those on the first floor, and each contains sixty hooks for the accommodation of the pupils who are in each room, filling their minds with useful information to help them through life in the future, when they are thrown upon their own resources. There are four commodious school rooms upon this floor, but they are not quite so large as the ones below, on account of the offset for the Mansard roof, which makes them about two feet smaller; but they are all large enough and are wainscoated and good blackboards extend around each and every one. The floor is put down the same as the sec- ond one, and no sound can penetrate from one room to the other. The heighth of ceiling is fourteen feet. This makes all the rooms pleasant and comfortable. Because there are small children upon the first floor, the ceilings are not made low, but are made higher; which, of course, will add to the comfort and health of the children.

" We now go into the principal's private room and ascend a ladder into the tower, then go up until your head begins to get light, step out upon the roof and take a look up and down the Nodaway valley, and you will see a country much more seductive than the one the devil offered the Saviour of mankind if he would bow down and worship him. In this tower is what is called the tower room, clock room and bell room. In

557

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

the bell room there is now a five hundred pound bell, made to order at Cincinnati, out of pure bell metal, and each morning it calls out in a clear, loud voice to five hundred children to come and commence their daily la- bors. The coming fall the board will place in the clock room a bell that will give to all the time of day, and each hour strike. it off for the benefit of all who cannot see the figures and hands from a distance. [The clock here referred to was purchased the fall of 1878, at an expense of $500, and has proven a useful and expedient investment.] When you get into the bell room and look down, you of course give up the idea of going to the better land in your present state and retrace your steps. Above this a spire and lightning rod goes on until it reaches about one hundred and forty feet from the base.

"The house is located on South Promenade, in fact it fronts on it to the north. The lot upon which it is built is three hundred feet square, and nature has made it one of the nicest pieces of ground that the eye of man ever beheld for the purpose for which it is used, and there is not a man, woman or child in the town of Clarinda who does not look at the building with a natural pride, and rejoice that the town has such a monument of education in which to educate the eight hundred of our city's children.

"Not the least attractive feature of this splendid improvement is the heating and ventilating apparatus. The entire building from cellar to garret, embracing some sixteen rooms, besides its broad and spacious halls, is warmed by steam. Two large radiators placed on the first floor, with radiating surface about equal to eight large stoves, warms the halls, while each school room has two radiators, with a radiating surface equal to four large stoves, all so nicely adjusted that less than five pounds of presure at the boilers fills every pipe with steam. The steam is generated in two boilers located in the basement of the building, so arranged that either may be used separately, or each in connection with the other, as the out- side temperature may require. Each boiler has its own fire, so that when the weather will pemit it, the use of but one boiler will make a great sav- ing of fuel. The apparatus, from its size and vast system of pipes con- veying the steam to, and returning the water of condensation from, the various parts of the building, imposes upon a novice the idea that it is complex and difficult of management. But a few minute's explanation re- moves the delusion, and one cannot help being charmed at the simplicity and efficiency of its operation and the care with which it is managed. Compared to a 'base burning' coal stove it is simplicity itself. Each boiler has on its front a cunning device called an 'automatic draft regula- tor,' which, when set for the number of pounds of steam pressure required kindly closes the draft under the fire box when the desired pressure is reached, and opens it again when the pressure is diminished below the de-

558

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

sired point. Each radiator has a steam valve attached to it, by which the teacher can at any time increase or diminish the quantity of steam passing through the radiator, and thus control the temperature of the room. The whole expense of the apparatus was $2,500, and was fully guaranteed by the manufacturers; and so far as the trial already given it as a test, it appears to be all it was represented to be.

" Now, of course, some one is ready to ask what this educational monu- ment cost, and the stranger may think he could not live here on account of high taxes. Well, such is not the case. Our taxes are really low, for the educational advantages we enjoy, and the cost of the building as it stands to-day is $22,449.32. Such another building we do not believe is in Iowa to-day that did not cost more money than this one.

" There are now in this commodious school building ten rooms occu- pied with schools, which are flourishing, and give our city a reputation far and near that must add greatly to our population. The teachers and the number of pupils in each department are as follows:

DEPARTMENT.

TEACHERS.

NO. PUPILS.

First.

Miss Blanch Carpenter ..

Second

Miss Cora Butler ..

Third

Miss Anna Patterson.

Fourth

Miss Laura C. Hutton.

Fifth.

Miss Lottie E. Wolf

Sixth.

Miss A. P. Reed.

Seventh.

Miss E. M. Allison

Eighth

Miss M. A. Simpson

Ninth .

Miss M. L. Bennett.

Tenth.

Prof. J. A. Woods.

Total number of pupils-484.

The members of the school board are: J. P. Burrows, president; W. M. Alexander, secretary; Henry Loranz, treasurer; J. H. Dunlap, W. E. Webster, E. Miller, James Shambaugh, T. B. Chamberlain, directors; J. A. Woods, superintendent.

The general financial management and condition of the schools is shown by the following statement of receipts and disbursements of the indepen- dent district of Clarinda, for the year ending September 20, 1880:

SCHOOL HOUSE FUND, DR.

On hand at last report

$ 833 70

Received from district tax. 2899 65

Received from other sources (sale of bonds) 12110 00

Total debit . 1

$ 15943 35

559

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

SCHOOL HOUSE FUND, CR.

Paid on bonds and interest 13522 60

On hand .

2320 75

Total credit $ 15843 35

CONTINGENT FUND, DR.

On hand at last report

2050 11

Received from district tax

2540 63

Received from other sources

426 32

Total debit.

$ 5017 12

CONTINGENT FUND, CR.

Paid for rent and repairs on school house

123 79

Paid for fuel.

447 60

Paid secretary and treasurer

150 00

Paid for records, etc.

87 40

Paid for insurance and janitor

375 00

Paid for supplies

83 83

Paid for other purposes

2526 17

On hand.

1223 33

Total credit

$ 5017 12

TEACHERS' FUND, DR.

On hand at last report

4026 61

Received from district tax.

2451 41"

Received from semi-annual apportionment.

991 35

Total debit.

$ 7469 37

TEACHERS' FUND, CR.

Paid teachers since last report

4409 83

On hand. 3069 54

Total credit $ 7469 37

The schools are to-day in excellent condition. The grading is thor- ough and high. The pupils are distributed among twelve departments, as follows:

560

HISTORY OF PAGE COUNTY.

DEPARTMENT NUMBER.

TEACHERS.

MALES.

FEMALES.

TOTAL.

Miss Knecht.

Miss Calhoun . .

Miss Carpenter ..

Miss Clement

Miss Kittle.

Miss Peterson

Miss Hutton .

Miss Sovrin ..

Miss Allison

10 ..

Miss Simpson

11 (Grammar)

Miss Bennett . .

12 (High)

Prof. Woods

Grand total

12 Teachers.

223

254

477

Two of these teachers, Prof. Woods and Miss Bennett, have enjoyed a long period of service in the Clarinda schools, and to them much of the success attained is due. Finely disciplined and filled with bright faces and earnest hearts, the schools are second to none in southwestern Iowa. .

CIVIC SOCIETIES OF CLARINDA.

INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS.

Clarinda Lodge, No. 109, I. O. O. F. was instituted October 15, 1858 ; with the following named charter members : C. Creal, J. R. Hinch- man, William Butler , Jacob Simonton, and one other-name lost. Cla- rinda Lodge has had the usual ups and downs incident to organizations of its kind, and to-day has reached a status second to no other in southwestern Iowa. From a membership of five in 1858, the lodge has grown to sixty-nine, counting among its members some af the most stable business men of Clarinda. The lodge is in an excellent financial condition -owning its hall -- a large and commodious room in the second story of the Universalist church, while the total funds in the treasury amount to over $2,000.

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Author: Iowa Historical Company Publication date: 1880 Publisher: Des Moines : Iowa Historical Co. Number of Pages: 835

Author: Iowa Historical Company
Publication date: 1880
Publisher: Des Moines : Iowa Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 835