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 38
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292
HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
arrived in 1848. At that date there was no house between Afton and Council Bluffs, a distance of 110 miles, and nothing but a trail over the prairie and through the timber.
C. G. McIntosh, a native of Tennessee, came in the fall of 1850, and John McIntosh came the same year, but now lives in Shelby County.
In 1852, William A. Reel came into the county, and bought a mill which stood near
the site of what is called the Pigeon Creek Mill. It had been called Cooley's, and in operation four years. That mill, after a time, was removed. Mr. Reel built a saw. mill by the side of it, and this was afterward converted into a grist-mill, and is the pres- ent one conducted by Mr. Paris. Perry Reel, who was Sheriff of the county, and its Treas. urer, is a son of William Reel, and resides in the township, on his farm.
CHAPTER XL .*
HAZEL DELL TOWNSHIP-SEPARATION FROM CRESCENT TOWNSHIP-SCHOOLS-ORGANIZATION AND OFFICERS.
M ENTION has already been made of the | ers who came in about the same time were division of Crescent Township so as to constitute Hazel Dell Township. The first schoolhouse was the log one built by the Mormons, and mentioned in the sketch of Crescent Township. There are nine neat schoolhouses now in the township, with as many prosperous schools. The first township officers after the new township was organized were J. P. Boulden and James Osborn, Trust- ees. Mr. Boulden came into the country at a very early day, and became one of the orig- inal settlers in the old township of Cres- cent. He was a Republican in politics, and served several terms as a member of the County Board of Supervisors. Among oth-
Benjamin McGinnis and W. H. McGinnis. both of whom are still there, and both of whom served in the Union army during the whole period of the civil war. The present officers of the township are Joseph Butler. Reuben Dunkle and J. P. Boulden; Charles Murphy is Township Clerk; Morris Morrison and J. P. Boulden are Justices of the Peace: and Alexander Johnson and Andrew O'Don- nell are the Constables. Riley'Hough, an old settler, came to the township in 1848, and has lived there ever since. A. Hall and John Roberts came nearly as soon as Boren and Hough. Mr. Hall died some years ago. One of his daughters is married to Davenport Magruder, of Rockbridge County, Va.
*By Col. John H. Keatley.
NORWALK TOWNSHIP.
293
CHAPTER XLI .*
NORWALK TOWNSHIP- INTRODUCTORY -NATURAL ADVANTAGES - BOUNDARIES-DRAINAGE- EARLY SETTLERS-MILLS-ROADS AND BRIDGES-SCHOOLS-DOWNSVILLE-UNDERWOOD.
W E may conceive of a time when men subsisted on the spontaneous produc- tions of the earth and the easy gains of the chase; on fruits, vegetables and animals, all of which were obtained with little exertion in sufficient quantities to support a limited pop- ulation in the temperate and beautiful re- gions, where the human race is supposed to have originated. But all must be left to con- jecture and vague surmise previous to the first record, in which Cain appears as a "til- ler of the ground," and Abel as a " feeder " or "keeper of sheep," offering the " firstlings of his flock." Here we find the two grand divisions of agriculture-the tilling of the soil, requiring the active labor of head and hand: and the raising of animals, or the more passive watchfulness of shepherd life-and it is reasonable to suppose that these divis- ions continued as the human family increased. The change from a state of nature, in which the first of the race must have lived, to the pastoral, or to any higher mode of living. must have been gradual -- the work, perhaps, of ages. Experience and observation, on which improvements in the modes of life usu- ally depend, are gained only by slow degrees. Reliance on the spontaneous fruits of the earth was found to furnish only a precarious subsistence. The race was doomed to toil, and necessity soon sharpened the power of invention. An old theory of political econo- my. taught in the days of Louis XV. was " that only those who cultivate the earth, or
otherwise bring into use the natural powers of the vegetable or animal kingdom, can be regarded as really increasing the wealth of the community." According to this theory, artisans, merchants, scholars, public officials and professional men are unproductive per- sons. At the same time, they are necessary to the occupation of the farmer, herdsman. miner or hunter, and are therefore useful. The description of a feast given by a rich man during the thirteenth century, as found in "Treasurie of Ancient and Moderne," published in 1613, is as follows: "The meate served into the Table, was alwaies in great chargers, filled with pease and Bacon: Gam- mons of Bacon; huge neat's toungs salted; great pieces of Beefe. boyled Poultry with Pottage about-them; boyled Mutton, Veal, and other grosse food. They gorged in these victuals so long as they could cram any more into their bellies. Afterward, they brought in other meates, answerable to the former, but wasted and'larded, oftentimes with unsavory lard, but it would go for Pigs and Hares. After this second service had stood awhile on the Table well neere to no effect, then came in more dainty neates and Foules, as Mal- lards, wild Ducks, Ringdoves, young Pigeons, Partridges, Woodcocks, Quails, Plovers, Tur- tles, and others of like kinds, which are car- ried away like the second service, almost never toucht, for they (good men) had filled their stomackes with the first course of meates, feeding hungerly on them, and drink. ing sower wines, such as summer marreth, so
*By Frank MI. Wright.
294
HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
they left the best and daintiest meates, in- deede, for their varlets and base servants to feede on."
1
How little we realize the changes that have been made, and how slow we are to believe that the farmer of to-day may depend only upon the products of his own farm, and en- joy a greater feast than the nobleman of three centuries ago! Neither Indian corn, carrots cabbage or turnips were known in England till after the beginning of the sixteenth cen- tury. To-day, the Indian corn is the great staple crop of the West, and, notwithstand- ing the immense amount already produced, the resources of the West have just begun to be developed as they are destined to be here. after; for thousands of miles of virgin prai- rie still stretch away beyond the line of civ- ilization, waiting only the hand of the farm- er to contribute their abundant stores for the support of man. Western Iowa has al- ready proved beyond the question of experi- ment her ability to produce a supply far in excess of her home consumption. No more honorable task can be given the historian than to leave upon record the trials, struggles and privations of any community, however small, which has added to the wealth of our nation by developing the resources of the soil.
Norwalk Township may be considered one among the first agricultural townships of Pot- tawattamie County. The surface is but little broken by bluffs or ravines, and the soil is of that rich, mucky nature so productive along the valley of the Missouri River. Farming has been carried on in some parts of the town- ship for the past thirty years, and still there seems to be no fertilizing agencies required. The soil in many places is several feet in depth. That part of the soil which is solu- ble in the water of rain represents its avail- able plant food.
Assuming, then. that the soil is physically adapted for a cultivated vegetation. its fer- tility depends upon its furnishing the grow- ing plant with continuous and abundant sup- plies of nutrition. The quantity of ash in- gredients that the heaviest crops of corn are estimated to remove from the soil in one year is small, compared with the whole weight of the soil taken to such a depth as is penetrat- ed by the roots of the plants. Those por- tions which are removed from the field as the more valuable part of the crops do not carry off more than 600 pounds of ash ingredients per acre yearly, while the soil taken to the depth of one foot, weighs from 3,000,000 to 4,000,000 pounds per acre.
Possessing such natural advantages, it is only a question of time and industry until the farmers of Norwalk Township can rest from their labors, retire with a competency. and leave a handsome legacy to their chil- dren.
Norwalk Township was organized June 6, 1873, and was named Norwalk by Mr. R. Foote, in honor of Norwalk, Conn., where he formerly resided. It is bounded on the north by Neola Township, on the west by Hazel Dell Township, on the south by Hardin Township, and on the east by York Township. The central portion of the township is drained by Mosquito Creek, which enters the town- ship about the center of the north line of Section 2. and flows in a southwesterly di- rection, through Sections 2, 3, 10, 9, 16. 21, 20, 29 and 31, crossing the west line of the latter section just south of the line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad. There are numerous tributaries to Mosquito Creek, arising in Norwalk Township, besides two which rise outside of the township, but empty into the main stream within the town- ship boundaries. The largest is, perhaps, three miles from source to mouth. Mosquito
295
NORWALK TOWNSHIP.
Creek received its name from the early set- tlers, on account of the millions of insects by that name which were found in swarms along its banks. Keg Creek, the name of which was derived from an incident related in the history of Hardin Township, crosses the southern corner of Norwalk Township, enter-
ing the township from the east about the southeast corner of Section 24; it flows a lit- tle south of west, and crosses the western line of the township near the southwest cor- ner of Section 36, the whole distance of the channel in Norwalk Township being a little over two miles.
A few of the early settlers of Norwalk Township were Mormons, but in the emigra- tion of that people to Utah, they followed their leaders. But one lonely cabin is left as a momento of that historic people. It was originally standing on the claim purchased by Asa Downs, in 1851, and was used by him as a dwelling for a time. It has since been moved, and is now standing near and to the east of Down's bridge. The principal early settlers of the township were Joseph Holman, Ezekiel Downs, Asa Downs, William Cox, William Hendrix, Johnson Lane and Will- iam Yocum. They all arrived and settled in Norwalk Township, from 1845 to 1850. Jo- seph Holmau still resides at the place of his original settlement. He came from Missouri to this county. Ezekiel Downs was among the prominent early settlers; he came about the year 1845, and settled on Mosquito Creek at the point subsequently known as Down's mill. He remained a resident of this county until his death. Asa Downs, son of Ezekiel Downs, was a native of Indiana; went to Il- linois with his people when a child, where the early part of his life was spent, and came from that State to Iowa. He settled in the grove on Mosquito Creek, where the post office by the name of Downsville has been
established. Mr. Downs has been dead for a number of years. His widow, six sons and four daughters, still reside in Pottawattamie County. William Cox came from Illinois in 1850, and located on land owned by Asa Downs, in 1851. Mr. Cox now resides in Union Grove, Harrison Co., Iowa. Mr. Hendrix came from Illinois and settled on the farm now owned by Mr. G. T. Ward. He continued to reside in Norwalk Township until his death. Johnson Lane came from Illinois and settled on land which now forms a part of Mr. G. T. Ward's farm, where he spent the remainder of his life. William Yocum, also one of the early settlers, came to the county, but a sad wreck physically. He had been a resident of Missouri, and while there he joined a mob at Horn's Mill against the Mormons. During the fight, he received seven bullets in his body, from the effects of which he never recovered, but remained a cripple until his death, which occurred in Pottawattamie County. He lived for a num- ber of years on a part of Mr. G. T. Ward's farm. A Mrs. Kelly, of Downsville, is the daughter of Mr. Yocum, and the only one left of that family in Norwalk Township, so far as could be ascertained.
Pioneer life has many hardships and pri- vations; at times, the early settler would suffer for the necessaries of life, but for the common humanity which leads a fellow-being to divide with a more needy neighbor. But for this kindly assistance granted in times of need, the pioneers must, many of them, turned their faces toward the old home and made their way back as best they could. The loss of a horse meant the loss of crops, and actual want, if not starvation, would be the result, if the new settler could not borrow of his neighbor. But the pioneers always welcomed every new-comer who could satisfy them of his honesty and inclination to " do the square
296
HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
thing." Little trouble, however. was taken to discover who or what the new settler may have been. It was very evident that he was possessed of energy and determination, or he never would have braved the dangers of pio- neer life. They counted, also, that he was willing to work, and. consequently, must be honest, and in this conclusion they were usually correct, for it is not in the nature of a dishonest man to seek a home in a new and undeveloped country, where only hard work and an abundance of it awaits him. It was not uncommon for them to borrow and lend tea, coffee, sugar and flour.
Going to mill meant crossing sloughs and fording the unbridged streams, and. though it was a day or two of change from the mo- notony of the routine of farm life. yet there were difficulties and obstacles to be overcome to insure a safe return to the anxious ones at home.
The early settlers of Norwalk were more fortunate than the settlers of many other parts of the county. As early as 1847, Eze- kiel Downs and Mr. A. Smith built a saw- mill and flouring-mill on Mosquito Creek. which stood about fifty yards below where the mill owned by Mr. Fleck now stands. The flouring, or grist-mill. as it was usually called, was a two-story building. erected of hewed logs. Both mills were run by water- power furnished by a dam built in Mosquito Creek. The completion of this mill was an important epoch in the history of Norwalk Township. It gave a new impetus to grain. raising, and was the means of attracting many new settlers to the vicinity. Both mills continued to do a good business until the flood of Mosquito Creek in June of 1852. The flouring-mill, though a very substantial structure, was too much exposed to the rush- ing flood of water that came with great force against it, and at last gave way, and in a few
minutes was in utter ruins, and the timbers, many of them, floating down stream. The dam was badly injured, though not beyond repair. The saw mill was left standing, and with very little repairing was in condition to be run. Asa Downs had purchased Mr. Smith's interest in the mills about one year before the flood. After the destruction of so much of their property, the Downses, sold their entire milling interests to Mr. William Gar- ner. Mr. Garner repaired the dam, and kept the saw-mill running for several years. The citizens were again without the advantages of a flouring-mill until the present mill was built. This mill was begun by Joseph Su- buary, but before he completed it sold out to James Golden, who finished and operated the mill about two years, when he sold it to the present owner, Mr. C. Fleck.
For many years after the first settlers of Norwalk Township had established them- selves in their new homes, they traveled over the prairie from point to point, regardless of farm or section lines. Gradually the roads were changed and began to assume the ap- pearance of public highways as the owners of property began building fences, and began to be traveled in direct lines east and west or north and south. There are still some diag- onal roads in the township. though but few in comparison with the many of early days. During the spring and fall seasons, when hard and continued storms were prevalent. the crossing of the streams became very diffi- cult with a loaded wagon, by reason of the banks on either side of the streams becoming soft and muddy. It was not infrequent for the original crossing to become extended tive or six rods both up and down the stream, as each driver would think his chances better for crossing the slough -- as the small streams were usually termed -- if he should drive his team just a little above. or if he went down
John Kelly
299
NORWALK TOWNSHIP.
the stream to cross, just a little below where the last team crossed. In this way a road over the higher ground that seemed almost untraveled presented the appearance at the crossing of a " slough " of having been just traveled by a freight train of a hundred wag- ons. Rude bridges of logs and poles were constructed then by the settlers, the expense usually being borne by a half-dozen or more of them who were directly interested. Their plan was to meet at the ford at the appointed time. with teams and implements, and in one day's time build good strong crossing of logs, covered with a few strong poles, and over these a layer of brush, and over the whole a thick covering of earth. A bridge constructed in this way would last many years. As the county grew in wealth with increased population, bridges were built over Mosquito Creek at the expense of the county.
Martin Luther said, in his efforts to organ- ize a free school system in Germany: "It is a grave and serious thing, affecting the in- terests of the Kingdom of Christ, and of all the world, that we apply ourselves to the work of aiding and instructing the young." Have we not the proof on every hand that he was right? Nothing is more necessary than the training of those who are to come after us and bear rule. The Puritan settlers of New England were fully convinced of the necessity of universal education. They came here with no intention of founding a colony of semi-barbarians, like the natives of South Africa, and, accordingly, we find that as soon aa they had provided temporary shelter for themselves, they reared, in humble guise in- deed, yet with willing hands, the church and the schoolhouse. They emigrated in search of religious liberty, and founded a colony only after the most grievous agitation of these questions. How well has their example been
emulated. As the tide of emigration set westward, though hundreds of years after- ward, each little community reared its hum- ble log cabin and established in their midst a common school. The settlers of Norwalk Township did not prove an exception to this rule. For a time, it is true, their children attended a school taught by a man named Bayliss Hough, in a little log cabin on the farm of a Mr. Gatrost, in Hardin Township. In the winter of 1863-64, the first school was taught in Norwalk Township. The building erected by the farmers for school purposes was of the usual log cabin style, and was lo- cated near the present residence of G. T. Ward. The first teacher was Miss Jane Da- vis. Year by year since that little school- honse was built, improvements have gone steadily forward, until the statistics for the year 1881, of the schools of Norwalk Town- ship, show the following:
Number of subdistricts, 6; number un- graded schools, 5; average number of months taught, 7. Teachers -- number employed, males, 6; females, 5; total, 11; average com- pensation per month, males, $32.41; females, $26.07. Pupils-number of persons between the ages of five and twenty-one years-males, 173; females, 138; number enrolled in dis- trict, 218; total average attendance in whole district, 71}; average cost of tuition per month for each pupil, $1.77. Schoolhouses -number of frame, 6. Total cost of school- houses, $3,350. Value of apparatus, $5.40.
On examining the map of Pottawattamie County, the words "Downsville Post Office" will be seen plainly marked in the southwest corner of Norwalk Township. Its name- Downsville-is in honor of the village which bears that name. Mr. James Golden was the first government official to take charge of this office, and Mr. C. Fleck is present Postmas. ter. The village of Downsville is but a
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY.
small cluster of residence buildings. The post office and Fleck's mill are the principal attractions of the place. The village was so called after the family of Downs, who, as re- lated, were the first settlers in that part of the township. Though there are two lines of railroad crossing the township-the Chi- cago, Rock Island & Pacific, and Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul, both of which follow the valley of Mosquito Creek, there are no stations as yet within its boundaries. On the 18th of June, 1882, however, through the en- terprise of Messrs. H. G. Fisher and B. Graybill, a contract was entered into between these gentlemen and the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad Company, by the con- dition of which during the summer of 1882, the railroad company has obligated itself to
build a station honse, erect a water-tank and lay a switch. These improvements are to be made on Section 16, where Messrs. Fisher & Graybill are preparing to have a portion of their farms surveyed and divided into town lots. The name of this new town is to be Underwood.
In March, 1882, under the auspices of Rev. Lewis and William Smith, at Down's Schoolhouse, there was organized a Society of Friends. Following is a list of the origi- nal members: George F. Ward and his wife, Jane Ward, Archibald N. Ward, Mary Fleck, Catharine Whitney, her son, William Whit- ney, A. Mott, his wife, Martha Mott, Ada Mott, George Mott, Lena Vezy, Albert Shaw, Lizzie Vezy, Druscilla Downs, Minerva Downs and Joseph Whitney.
CHAPTER XLII .*
YORK TOWNSHIP - DESCRIPTION - FIRST SETTLERS - EARLY INDUSTRIES - FIRST SCHOOLS
AND TEACHERS.
TT is no uncommon occurrence to those whose duty and pleasure it is to collect material for these pages to meet with those who, forming the connecting link between that day and this, have no appreciation for the enterprise of which this volume is the outgrowth. The stern experience of pioneer trials has come too near their lives to make the record novel or interesting. But the early days, so full of toil and privation, have passed beyond the hopes and fears of those of a later generation, and, gilded by tradi- tion, they reflect back to us the "mellow glow of a novelty that is akin to romance." But a higher motive for perpetuating the history of those who ventured upon the trackless prairie is that we are thus able, approxi-
mately, to measure the value of what has been wrought in the last quarter of a cent- ury. It was a noble spirit of self-sacrifice that animated the pioneers of this land, and "bowed their strong manhood to the humble plow." Forgetful of their own ease, at a time of life when years of toil could reason- ably have demanded repose for their declin- ing days, they braved the untried difficulties of the frontier, that their children might achieve that greatness which their patriotic faith pictured in the future. The rapidly increasing population in a country devoid of manufactories left to the pioneer one alter- native -- ease at the expense of their chil- dren's future, or a wider scope of cheaper lands, bought with a life of toil. that found rest only beyond the grave. The broad
By Frank M. Wright.
301
YORK TOWNSHIP.
lands, waving with the green plumage of the springing grain ; the thousand homes adorned with the comforts and luxuries of an ad- vanced civilization; the vast resources that command a nation's homage, are the grand memorials that set forth the virtue and wis- dom of their choice. The journey from their homes in the East was made by wagons, over the old overland route to California, or by the more circuitous route of the Ohio, Missis- sippi and Missouri Rivers. To day, they may be visited by friends from their old home who have the choice of four trunk lines of railroad which center at Council Bluffs
York Township is bounded on the north by Minden Township, on the east by James Township, on the south by Washington Township and on the west by Norwalk Town- ship. The surface of the township is com- paratively smooth. There are some places, however, too rough and broken to be valuable as farm lands. Its location, according to the United States Survey, is Township 76 north, in Range 41 west. The western portion of the township is drained by Keg Creek and its tributaries, and the eastern portion of Middle Silver Creek. The former enters the town- ship at the northeast corner of Section 4, and flows in a southwesterly direction through Sections 5, 8, 18 and 19, leaving the town- ship at the southwest corner of the last-named section, where it enters Norwalk Township. The origin of the name of this stream will be found in the history of Hardin Township. There are five tributaries to this stream aris- ing in York Township, the largest of which is Coon Tail Creek, and the only one which has thus far been honored with a name. It rises in Section 29, flowing south west through Sectious 29 and 31, leaving the township on the west line, near the northwest corner of Section 31, and entering the main stream in Hardin Township. There are two small trib-
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