USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa. Containing a history from the earliest settlement to the present time biographical sketches; portraits of some of the early settlers, prominent men, etc. > Part 33
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE ( OUNTY.
the West, and his experience as a merchant · lawyer of Avoca, started into operation wagon is a well worthy example.
On April 10. 1870. Ainsworth & Water- man bought out the lumber stock of Gitchell & Tichenor. In 1881, Mr. Ainsworth, Sr .. retired from business, and his son, C. H. Ainsworth. stepped into his place in the firm. Their sales amount to about $30,000 per year. His father. C. R. Ainsworth, was in the lum- ber trade at Moline. being a stockholder there in a manufactory.
In May. 1882. John Ledwich, a successful
hubs, and has the establishment on a soun I basis and a prosperous footing. He came from Victor, Iowa, and practiced his profes- sion until he began his manufactory. He is a native of Canada, and his parents were both born in Ireland and came to America in 1829.
Messrs. Seiffert & Weise, lumber merchants' began in July, 1877. Mr. Seiffert has lived in the county since 1874. They have branch yards at Hancock, Minden and other points on the Rock Island road.
CHAPTER XXXIII .*
LAYTON TOWNSHIP-ORGANIZATION-NATURAL ADVANTAGES-BOUNDARY-FIRST SETTLERS RAPID IMPROVEMENT OF THE SETTLEMENT-ROADS AND BRIDGES-GOVERNMENT- POPULATION-MILLS- NEWSPAPERS-CHURCHIES-SCHOOLS-SECRET SOCIETIES.
J UNE 7, 1873, the petition of W. B. Cup- py, Thomas Ledwick, G. N. Robinson and forty other citizens of Knox Township was presented to the Board of Supervisors of Pottawattamie County, asking that honorable body to divide Knox Township into two civil townships, and, on motion, the following res- olution was adopted: " Be it ordered by the Board of Supervisors of Pottawattamie Coun- ty, that Township 76, Range 38, and Town- ship 77, Range 38. be and the same is hereby organized into a civil township. to be known as the township of Layton." The first elec- tion was ordered held in the town of Walnut, on October 14, 1873.
Layton Township was the last portion of Pottawattamie County to attract the land agent and the settler. Why this was the case seems difficult of explanation. It was perhaps be- cause that portion of the county was farthest from market. In the settlement of the new lands of Pottawattamie County, the two most important questions considered were fertility
of soil and facility of reaching market. None donbted the fertility of the soil of Layton Township, but it was a question of doubt as to whether the residents of that portion of the county would ever have the advantages of · a railroad. Layton Township is well adapted to agricultural pursuits, nearly the whole of the surface being a gently rolling prairie, of which but very little is untillable, yet. when the agents for Government lands had the choice of locating claims in almost any part of Pottawattamie or adjoining coun- ties, they ignored the natural advantages presented by Layton Township, and, in many instances, went seventy-five, and some- times even 100 miles distant from Council Bluffs to locate a claim in what they consid- ered a desirable locality. Could they but have foreseen the future prosperity and rapid development of the northeast corner of the county, how different would their plans have been! Could they have known that what seems to them but a few short years since
*By Frank M. Wright.
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LAYTON TOWNSHIP.
they soll thousands of acres of choice land at $5 or $6 per acre, woukl bring a ready mar ket for the same lands at $20 or $30 per acre, how quickly would they have taken the lands of Pottawattamie County which they then considered undesirable. The growth in pop- ulation and the development of the resources of Layton Township have been more rapid than in any township in Pottawattamie Coun- tv.
Important events have crowded one after another in quick succession since the organ- ization of the township. It has been said by an eminent writer that " in the earlier days of emigration westward. the people went West and the railroads followed them, but that in later years the custom has changed, and now the railroads open the wild lands for the pioneers." The lands of Layton Township were so late in attracting the at- tention of the land agent and the settler as to have almost verified this statement. It was not until after the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company had secured their land grant from the Government that the land of Layton Township found a ready sale.
Forming the northeastern corner of the coun- ty, Layton Township is bounded on the north by Shelby County, on the east by Cass Coun- ty. on the south by Lincoln Township and on the west by Knox Township. As will be seen by the original petition for the organization of Layton. it also included Lincoln Township, which has since been organized. and which now leaves Layton Township in the form of an exact square, containing an area of thirty- six square miles. The surface of the town- ship is but little broken, there being but one creek crossing it. This stream, known as Walnut Creek, has its source in Shelby County. and flows almost directly south across Layton Township. It enters the
county about on the line between Sections 2 and 3, from the north, and follows near the line between these two sections until it reaches Section 10, when it bends somewhat to the north, but turns again to the south be- fore leaving the section, which it crosses on the eastern line, near the corner. Its course from this point is across the southwest corner of Section 11. thence south through Sections 14. 23. 26. 35 and 34, crossing the south line of the latter about the southeast corner of the section, thence on its way southward through Lincoln Township.
The first settlers of the townshp were E. B. Hinckley and family. Oscar Lodge, Leander Lodge, Albert Lodge and Henry Orcutt, all of whom are still residents of the township except Leander Lodge, who now resides at Neola. Mr. E. B. Hinckley was perhaps the most enterprising. He was the first to take active steps toward the settlement of the town- ship. In this. however, he may have been actuated by pecuniary motives, as, in the sale of the lands belonging to the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Company, for which he was agent, he established a bus- iness which proved a source of profit to him- self, as well as to create a rapid improvement of the wild lands of Layton Township. His success financially has not diminished, and to-day he is the wealthiest citizen of the township. The rest of the early settlers mentioned have also been very successful, be- sides many others who arrived at a later date. The little cabin erected by Mr. Hinckley to be used as a land office soon became a lively place of business. The settlers came from all directions, and soon the cabins, and oc- casionally a nicely built frame residence. dotted the prairie at every point of view from the lonely little land office. The settlement grew very rapidly, and soon there was evi- dence of traveled wagon roads from place to
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
place. Much of the travel during the first settlement was done on horseback. but soon supplies were needed to build homes, and implements required to till the soil, and these had to be transported in wagons. The roads at first were very crooked, winding around the base of hills and crossing the streams at the easiest points for fording. As the town- ship increased in population, and the owners of property began building fences, the origi- nal lines of the roads were in a number of places changed. The first main road laid out across the township is now known as the Old Territorial road, and it ran almost due east and west near the center of the town- ship. Nearly all the roads in the township now follow the section lines, they having been changed from time to time, on the presenta- tion of petitions, signed by a number of the citizens, to the Board of Supervisors of the county. There are three wooden bridges spanning Walnut Creek in Layton Township, and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail- road has one bridge crossing the same stream.
Layton Township has a sprinkling of many nationalities among her citizens, the Ger- mans and Americans predominating. The former are mainly engaged in farming. They are among the best farmers of the town- ship, and are ready supporters of the district schools.
Fine stock is not bred to any extent in the township. Mr. E. R. Hinckley has been the most progressive in this respect, he having introduced some fine Norman horses, Short- Horn cattle and Cotswold sheep. These breeds of stock are rapidly taking the place of the more inferior grades among the better class of farmers.
The original town plat of the city of Wal- nut was surveyed and laid out by what was known as the Allen Land Company. Several
additions have been made to the original plat by E. R. Hinckley and others. The first set . tlers in the town were Dr. Phinny, Mr. D. Holcomb, D. Hison and E. R. Hinckley.
The first store was opened by Leander Lodge, and the first Postmaster was E. R. Hinckley, and the present Postmaster is S. R. Baker.
In October, 1877, Walnut received her charter as a city, and the first election re- sulted in placing the city government in the hands of the following officers: Mayor, W. H. Linfor; Recorder, J. B. Johnson; Mar- shal, Robert Gilbreath; City Council, J. H. Henry, O. M. Bruce, Charles Lebeck, I. T. Spangler, William Hill and J. B. Johnson. The present officers of the city are: Mayor, R. L. Craig; Recorder, W. F. Moreshell: Marshal, A. S. Burns; City Council, W. F. Burke, Charles Lebeck, J. B. Johnson, F. H. Green, Jerry Longnecker and W. F. More- shell.
The population of the city is now about one thousand, and the following shows the strength of the business represented: Four dry goods stores, five groceries, seven saloons, three drug stores, one jewelry store, one fur- niture store, two millinery stores, one bank, three elevators, three agricultural implement stores, two blacksmith shops, one harness shop, two carriage shops, two hotels, one barber shop, three lumber yards, two shoe shops, two lawyers and three doctors. There is one flouring-mill in Walnut, known as the Walnut Mill property. This is the only mill in the township, and it was built'in 1872, by Moses Shuns & Co. In 1880, Messrs. Eroe & Peatt purchased the property of G. W. Borley, and are the present owners and operators. This mill is 30x60 feet, and has four run of buhrs, and a manufacturing ca- pacity of fifty barrels of flour per day. Prior to the building of this mill, the citizens of
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Walnut Township hauled their grain to : only school building in the township in Hunt's Mill, six miles south of Avoca.
Walnut has one newspaper, the Walnut News. It was established in 1878, by,A. O. Cramer, who is also editor and proprietor of the Avoea Herald. The News has a circula- tion of 600, and is edited by Dan Cramer, who is a brother of the proprietor.
Walnut has grown and prospered in her re- ligious and educational undortakings as in everything else. The enterprise of her citi- zens in this respect is of the same determined character that has built one of the most pros- perous and business-like little cities in the county. They have two churches-one Pres- byterian and one Catholic. The Presbyte- rian Church was built in 1876, and cost $2,- 400. The main structure is 34x50 feet, in addition to which there is a lecture room 10 x12 feet. It is located on Center street. Rev. George Lodge was the first pastor of this church, and Rev. Kennedy is the pres. ent one. There are seventy-five active mem- bers of the organization, and they maintain a Sabbath school, with a regular attendance of about fifty pupils. The Catholic Church was erected at a greater cost of the two, $3.500 being requited to complete it. Its dimen- sions are 32x60 feet, and, at present, has 200 members. The membership in 1873, the date of the building of the church, was but twenty-five. They have no resident priest. There are members of other churches, resi- dents of Walnut, but, as yet, have orected no building in which to worship. The first Sab- bath sehool ever held in Layton Township was at the depot of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad in Walnut, in 1873. This was conducted under the auspices of the Campbellites.
In 1875, at a cost of $5,000. there was ereeted in Walnut a handsome two-story pub- lic school building. This is the largest and
which a graded school has been organized. The building is 78x51 feet, and twenty eight feet high. At the opening of the school, there were twenty five pupils in attendance, who wero under the charge of Miss Kate Williams. It was opened as a district school, but in the fall of the same year it was made a graded school, and put under the manage- ment of a Principal and assistants. There are at present enrolled 230 pupils, with an average daily attendance of 120. The Su- perintendent of the schools is Prof. William Hubbard, who has three assistants. There are four departments. The first, or primary department, is taught by Miss C. E. Johnson; the first intermediate department, by Miss G. A. Orcutt; the second intermediate depart- ment, by Miss F. Perrigo; and the grammar department is taught by and is under the im- mediate charge of Prof. Hubbard. This school is conducted independent of the laws by which the district schools of the township are governed. As a graded school it has proved a success, and the benefits derived are well worthy the increased efforts of the citi- zens of Walnut.
The statistics for the year 1881 show the following in regard to the schools of Layton Township:
Number of subdistriets, 8; number of un- graded schools, 8; average number of months taught, 9; number of teachers employed --- male, 2; female, 13; total, 15; number of pupils between the ages of five and twenty- one years-males, 102; females, 90; total, 192; average cost of tuition per month for each pupil, $2.72; number of school- houses, 8; value of schoolhouses. $4.800; value of apparatus, $5.
Three secret societies afford a goodly num- ber of the citizens of Walnut an excellent ex- cuse for spending their evenings down town
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
at stated intervals. Walnut Lodge, No. 122, | Legion of Honor, organized and charter granted November 17, 1871, was the first to impose the obligation of brotherhood upon the following citizens, who were the char- ter members: W. H. Linfor, W. H. Bow- man, J. C. Spangler. W. F. Moreshell, J. H. Henry, J. B. S. Case, J. W. Hubbard, J. W. Gardiner, G. H. Myers. O. M. Bruce, F. Moreshell, M. Peatt, F. Hanna, P. Koll, H. Christiansen, E. M. Mirth. L. H. Broughton, G. W. Eroe, J. Watters, G. Frahm. A. L. Louless, J. N. Manifee, C. A. Rossman, H. D. C. Lenset, John Frahm, J. G. Hass, J. Green, H. W. Beyer, J. Longnecker. Hemy Koll and A. Peterson. The first officers of the lodge were: W. H. Linfor, President; W. H. Bowman, Vice President; J. C. Span- gler, Recording Secretary : J. H. Henry, Foreman; W. F. Moreshell, Financier; J. B. S. Case, Chaplain; and W. Gardiner, Door- keeper.
The second secret society organized was Moriah Lodge, No. 327. I. O. O. F .. on Sep- tember 25, 1875. The charter members were J. W. Snyder. C. W. Merrill, G. C. Hunt, O. M Bruce, W. H. Brundridge, J. M. Turner, W. E. Turner and G. T. Mix. The first officers were: Noble Grand, J. W. Snyder; Vice Grand, G. T. Mix; Recording.
Secretary, W. E. Turner; Permanent Secre- tary. James Ledwick; and Treasurer, F. H. Green. The present officers are : Noble Grand, J. E. Margeson; Vice Grand, C. A. Brown; Recording Secretary, C. I. Eroe; Permanent Secretary, J. Hector; and Treas- urer, W. F. Moreshell. This lodge is in a flourishing condition, the strength of the or- der in Walnut being forty six active members.
The third and last secret society to organ- ize a lodge in Walnut was the A. O. U. W. Walnut Lodge, No. 194, A. O. U. W., was organized by charter granted June 25, 1879. The charter members were W. H. Linfor, Master Workman; W. L. Williams, Fore- man; F. M. MeGunsey. Receiver; J. L. Spangler. Financier; J. C. Spangler. Over- seer; J. B. Johnson, Past Master Workman; O. M. Bruce, Guide; L. Carpenter, Inside Watelman; J. B. Stephens, Outside Watch- man; J. C. Stephens, Seeretary. This lodge now has a membership of forty-two, and the present officers are: W. L. Williams, Mas- ter Workman; William Woodring, Foreman; A. S. Aury, Receiver ; William Gardiner, Financier; Henry Ott, Overseer; W. O. Hub- bard, Past Master Workman; Robert Boot, Guide: W. R. Spencer, Inside Watchman; J. C. Spangler, Outside Watchman; and H. A. Cummings, Secretary.
CHAPTER XXXIV .*
PLEASANT TOWNSHIP-BOUNDARIES-ORGANIZATION-FINE SOIL-TIMBER-FRUIT-STREAMS- OLD SETTLERS-SCHOOLS-TOWNSHIP OFFICERS-MURDER, SUICIDE AND ACCIDENTS.
DLEASANT TOWNSHIP is bounded on the north by Shelby County, on the east by Knox Township, on the south by James Township, and on the west by Minden Town- ship. The township was organized by an *By Col. John 11. Keatley.
order made April 7, 1873, on the petition of L. G. Bennett, Hiram Stewart, S. T. Bender and forty-one others, asking that a new civil township be created out of Congressional Township 77, Range 40. In soil this town- ship is peculiarly favored, the land sloping
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PLEASANT TOWNSHIP.
gently to the south and southwest. It is a gently rolling prairie, and without doubt is as fine an agricultural township as there is in the State. It is stated by competent ob- servers that not ten acres of untillable soil ex- ists within the bounds of the entire organi- zation. On the east side, where the surface inclines toward the West, Nishnabotna River, the land is the roughest, bat none too rough for cultivation. The township had no groves of native timber; when the first settlers came into it it was treeless, but since then large numbers of groves have been planted and cultivated, until the whole surface of the township has been changed and improved in that and other respects. Oak, walnut, cot- tonwood and maples have been cultivated with ease and success, and add much to the value and protection to the land. Not only have groves of ordinary timber been planted and sprung into thriftiness, but orchards have engaged the attention of the settlers, and been made an absolute success. The principal success in that respect has been with apple orchards, and the Ben Davis, Willow Twig and other hardy varieties thrive most, indicating the capability of soil and climate to make comfortable homes.
Two streams of water flow through the township, one called the Big Silver, through the center; and the Middle Silver, in the southwest part. The county has constructed nine bridges, making access to all parts easy and convenient. These streams of water are bright and limpid. That fact occasions their names.
Among the old settlers are the following: Jacob and Franz Haas came from Sank County, Wis., July 12, 1872; Joseph Frum emigrated from Monongalia County, W. Va .. and settled February 25, 1872. He still owns and occupies the farm first opened out by him. He has had eight children, five of
whom are living in the township. His chil- dren are Samuel B., Joseph E. and John N., who are twins, and Anna and George D. A. M. Scott is another pioneer in the township, who came and bought land and be- gan to make a farm in 1869. He went into partnership with P. S. McCandless in open- ing up the farm. When they married they dissolved the farming partnership, and each went his own way in improving his land, and a division was made. Mr. McCandless came out into the country with Mr. Scott; both went to Colorado in 1875, but returned the same year. They were together for some years. T. Goodwalter came into the township in 1872. The first road was the Ballard State road, referred to in the annals of other townships, crossed the southeast part. Another was located in 1870, from north to south, in the west part, and called the A. C. Bennett road. Another was laid out. from east to west, and named the Hiram Stewart.
The first schoolhouse was built in 1871, called the No. 2, and is known as the Fruum Schoolhouse. The first school was taught by Alonzo Bartnett. No. 6 was the next one erected in 1874, and the first teacher Miss Maggie Clark. No. 4 was also built in 1874, and John K. Cooper, the present County Superintendent, was the first teacher. No. 3 was erected in 1875, and Mrs. Nellie Parker the first teacher. No. 1 was established in 1876, and Mr. Cooper opened a school as the first teacher. He was a resident of Jamas Township when he was first nominated on the Democratic ticket, in 1879, for County Superintendent, and elected by a handsome majority, although the Republicans carried the county by 300 majority on their Stato ticket. In 1881, Mr. Cooper was again nomi- nated by the same party, and elected by about seven hundred majority, the Republican State ticket having a majority of over three hun-
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
dred, his competitor being Miss Ingeletta Smith, now Mrs. Weare, of Council Bluffs. Mr. Cooper is a native of Maryland, and served in the Union army, in Lockwood's brigade, in the Twelfth Army Corps, at the battle of Gettysburg, in July, 1863.
No. 5 Schoolhouse was erected in 1877, and Miss Mary J. Trotter became the first teacher. No. 7 the same year, with Miss Plumer the first teacher, and No. 8, in 1880, Fremont Benjamin, now a successful Avoca lawyer, the teacher.
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P. W. Bennett, an old settler and pioneer, was born in Boston, Mass., in 1812, and came to the township in 1866 and bought eighty acres, which he improved. He built a house and set out a grove. His nearest trading point was either Atlantic or Council Bluffs, and it was many miles to his nearest neigh- bor. He was the third man that made the township his home. He was the first school Director, and in 1869 he had a hay-shed built, in which he had a school taught by William Baker. In 1880, he sold his farm to Franz Haas, and moved to Missouri.
G. W. Davis was born in Fayette County, Penn., February 14, 1819, and came to a farm near Iowa City in 1851. In 1861, he removed to Pleasant Township, and bought 360 acres of land, for which he had traded his eighty acre Johnson County improved farm. His nearest neighbors, when he first made his settlement, were from three to ten miles distant. The year he came, he erected his present residence, a frame story and a half, and in 1868 added to it of native tim- ber. When he came, in 1861, the Omahas from beyond the Missouri River roamed at will over the prairies in his vicinity, hunt- ing and trapping. Mr. Davis died October 7, 1871. His widow bought 180 acres of land, and also died December 8, 1881. Mr. and Mrs. Davis left eight children, three sons
and five daughters. Joshua, the youngest of the sons, occupies the old homestead. Mr. Davis was the first settler in Pleasant Town- ship He and his wife were members of the Dunkard religious society, or German Bap- tists, as they are sometimes called. He was married, December 27, 1841, in Pennsylva- nia, to Miss Mary Gibson. In politics, he always voted with the Republican party.
Hiram Stewart was born in Athens Coun- ty, Ohio, December 24, 1834, and came to Iowa, to Lee County, in 1840. In 1849, he moved to Henry County, and in 1850, back to Ohio, and back again to Henry County, Iowa. In 1856, he went to Clark County, and after several other changes, moved into Pleasant Township, where he has ever since lived. He took a school claim of forty acres, and lived in a hut the first summer, but being burnt out with a prairie fire, he and his family spent the winter at Big Grove. Since then he has worked industriously, until he is the owner of a fine farm of 160 acres. Mr. Stew- art's father came to Iowa as a settler in 1840, a year before the first session of the Terri- torial Legislature was held.
William Simpson was born in New York, in 1821, settled first in Clinton County, and then in Pleasant Township, in September, 1870, where he purchased 480 acres of prairie land. and commenced to open up one of the finest farms in the county. He has three ex- cellent houses and other proper buildings, two of which are for the use of tenants culti- vating the land. The nearest mill to him when he came into the county was that of the Hunts', on the Nishnabotna, and which is mentioned in the history of Knox Town- ship.
A. C. Bergman was born August 24, 1833, in Wehrden, in the Kingdom of Prussia. He ' came to America by the way of New Orleans, in 1855. and seeing the method in which the
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colored people of the South were treated by their owners and masters, he at once espoused radical Republican principles, and an intense hatred of the institution of slavery. He lived in Illinois seventeen years, where he married Miss Katie Johnson, who was born in 1841, and came to Pleasant Township to make that his home in 1871. He there bought 120 acres of raw prairie and made it into a farm. In 1881. he built a fine resi- dence, which is surrounded by several thou- sand shade trees of his own cultivation, and by one of the most thrifty orchards in the State. Having received an excellent educa- tion in his native country. he has been appre- ciated here, and has always taken a lively and earnest interest in the advancement of the home of his adoption.
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