USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, from the earliest historic times to 1907, Vol. I > Part 20
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Compensation, first-grade teachers, $40; second-grade, $35.
Township trustees: R. H. Carse, Clark Fickel and E. P. Denton. Township clerk, F. A. Nash. Justices of the peace, W. C. Davis and W. B. Butler. Constables, J. E. Forsythe and W. D. Ball. Assessor, M. H. Parks.
BOOMER TOWNSHIP.
The order to constitute Boomer was made June 8, 1858. It formerly was a part of Rockford. It is a full congressional township, being bounded on the north by Harrison county, east by Neola, south by Hazel Dell, and west by Rockford townships.
The first election under the new organization was held on the 12th of October, 1869, at the house of Samuel Bateman, and township officers were chosen. There were nineteen votes cast, of which eighteen were democratic and one republican. This one was that of Z. Remmington, referred to in part of history of Neola.
The first township officers chosen were Samuel Diggle, Wm. Fouts and Joseph Mohat, as trustees; Henry Gittings, clerk, and Samuel Bateman, Sr., and Joseph Bardsley, justices of the peace. There is no record of constables having been elected.
The first settler was Lee Bybee, a Mormon, who, with a number of fam- ilies, established a camp and built cabins as was their custom during their temporary sojourn while enroute from Nauvoo to Salt Lake. In two or three
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years these moved on and their camping ground was later included in the farms of L. S. Axtell and George Drake.
The names of the first births and deaths are not known, but the first wedding was a double one, the parties in one being William MeKeown and Miss Eliza Jane Hall, and in the other, Ezekiel Cheeny and Miss Lucy Hardy. This was in 1848. The latter couple subsequently went on to Utah and were lost sight of.
The first school opened was in Bybee's camp in the winter of 1847-8. , J. L. Deforest was the teacher, who afterward died in Harrison county.
The persons most active in securing the organization were Judge Hall and I. M. Sigler. The latter being the strongest kind of a democratic and something of a wag proposed the name of Bloomer as a joke on D. C. Bloomer, who was equally as strong a republican. But Judge Sherman spoiled the fun by leaving out the "]," making it Boomer, which was adopted.
The first highway laid out was what is known as the Harris Grove and Council Bluffs road, laid out by Edward Latham. as commissioner, in 1853, and the first bridge a wooden one across the North Pigeon near William MeKeown's. Nearly all the first settlers were English and accustomed to reaping with the sickle. Ike Sigler had the only grain cradle, which was as much a wonder to them as the McCormick reaper to us a half century ago.
The first fanning mill was owned by Robert Kent and he charged his neighbors toll for using it. I. M. Sigler was for many years a prominent citizen. He died about 1888 in Nebraska from the effects of a fall, and his remains were brought home for interment. He was a soldier of the Mexican war and a native of Indiana.
Mr. L. S. Axtell has always been a highly useful ciitzen, was a school teacher in Council Bluffs in the early days, where he married a Miss Wade; has represented Pottawattamie county in the legislature and was for several years county superintendent of schools.
Boomer has been at a disadvantage compared with her neighbors in having neither a railroad nor town. It has as good soil. however, as the sun shines upon, well adapted to grain or stock raising. It also has groves of native timber that have been a wonderful help to the settlers.
The township officer, at this writing (1907) are C. M. Axtell, J HI. Page and G. H. Darrington, trustees: and Nels Christianson, clerk; J. M. Axtell and Geo. H. Darrington, justices of the peace; C. L. Thomas. assessor; and G. F. Page and Wm. Wright, constables.
The school board consisted of Joseph Mackland, president; secretary, Geo. II. Darrington : treasurer, Lewis Peters. Pay of teachers. first grade, $40; second, $35 per month, respectively.
According to state census of 1905 there were four hundred of school age in the township, of which two hundred and twenty were males and one hundred and eighty were females.
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CRESCENT TOWNSHIP.
From February 12, 1853. Crescent township formed a part of Rockford. At the latter date a petition, signed by A. J. Williams and thirty-seven other citizens of the territory comprising Crescent township, asking that the terri- tory be set off as a new township, and it was granted. This territory consisted of congressional township 76, range 42, and township 76, range 43, also a fractional part of township 76, range 44. This included its present territory as well as that of Hazel Dell and part of Norwalk. It was also ordered that an election for township officers be held at Crescent City in April, 1857.
The first settlers were Mormons that came with the great exodus that halted at Council Bluffs and overflowed into the adjacent territory.
Some of these renounced allegiance to Brigham Young though still adhering to the faith as expounded by Joseph Smith. These remained here and have proved to be some of our best citizens.
Among the number were David Wilding, an Englishman, William Strong, Robert Kirkwood, Scotch. H. 1. Terry. S. M. Hough and Joseph McCoid were natives of New York.
No citizen is better known that H. A. Terry. For years he has devoted his time to demonstrating that fruit of all kinds adapted to this parallel of latitude could be profitably grown here, and he has succeeded in proving it, and in his old age is reaping the benefit of his earlier labors. He was among the first to organize the first agricultural society of which 1 .. M. Kline was president ; D. S. Jackson, vice-president : J. E. Johnson, treasurer: and H. A. Terry, secretary. This was in 1856. For many years his seed business ex- tended from St. Joseph, Mo .. to Fort Pierre, Dakota.
Mr. Kirkwood was a plain farmer and desired no office, but the people insisted on his representing them on the county board of supervisors, to which they elected him a number of terms, and, further. his party wished to send him to the legislature, but he declined the honor.
The first highway opened was the road from Crescent City to Council Bluffs through the valley of the Little Pigeon, and in the crossing of that stream the first bridge was built.
The first schools were probably kept by the Mormons and taught at some of the residences.
In September. 1855. Reuben Barton, David Dunkle. Wm. MeMullen. Henry MeMullen and Solomon MeMullen met and organized the school town- ship of Little Pigeon, district No. 7.
L. J. Goddard was elected president of the board, David Dunkle, secre- tary, and Reuben Barton. treasurer. L. J. Goddard was employed by the other members to teach at $30 per month until a schoolhouse could be built.
A log schoolhouse was soon built and fitted up near the line between Crescent and Hazel Dell townships. The floor was of puncheons, smoothed by an adz, with earth roof. The seats were slabs with flat side up. with holes bored and pins put in for legs.
These are the germs from which the great universities, with their be-
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quests of millions, have grown, and the foundation upon which the greatest nation of earth was laid.
The next summer Miss Sophronia E. Whitcomb, now the venerable wife of Rev. Henry DeLong, was the teacher, and the house was crowded. For several years this was the only school within a radius of seven miles.
The second building was erected on Pigeon creek, near the site of the Parish mill. From this time on the interest increased with that of the popu- lation until before the division by detaching Hazel Dell, Crescent contained eleven subdistricts, all with comfortable houses.
In the division Crescent retained five of the houses, to which two had been added previous to 1880. At this date ten teachers were employed, four male and six female.
The first postoffice was at Ellisdale farm, two miles south of what was destined to be Crescent City. This was in April, '56, and the first post- master was L. J. Goddard. On Crescent City coming into being it was moved to that place. It will be remembered that Crescent City is older than the township, it having been organized in the spring of 1856.
The original proprietors were Joseph E. Johnson, H. A. Terry, S. M. Ilough, Samuel Eggleston, L. O. Littlefield, L. J. Goddard, O. H. Dutrow, D. S. Jackson and R. W. Steele. Joseph E. Johnson erected the first business house in 1856, and Mr. Johnson opened a general store the same year in that building. Samuel Eggleston soon followed with another. The third was built by a Mr. Piper, who built a large one but a short distance from the other two. Business not requiring so large a building, it was converted into a town hall. In 1857 few towns away from railroads presented greater activity than Crescent City.
A little newspaper was started called the Rock Bottom, but was short lived. Its principal business was to urge the bridging of the Missouri river between this place and Florence on the west side, five miles above Omaha. The dream that haunted the people of both these towns was that there being rock bottom here, it would be the only practical place to locate a bridge; that the first railroad would come down the Pigeon valley, and that Crescent would supersede Council Bluffs and Florence should do likewise to Omaha.
Crescent was laid out, platted, the streets named. a newspaper started called the Crescent City Oracle. It was quite ably edited by Joseph E. John- son.
Florence also made great strides. A newspaper was started there, and also a bank, and for quite a while it looked as if there was something in it, but in the fall of '57, when the great crash came, only the strongest of the young cities (there were no towns or villages) survived.
Many houses in Florence were moved to Omaha and out onto farms, and from Crescent, both business houses and dwellings were moved to the Bluffs as well as sold to farmers. Among these was that of G. F. Smith, the father of Hon. Walter I. Smith. present member of congress. He had a neat dwelling in Crescent which he brought down to Council Bluffs, and after living in it some years, sold it to the late Colonel W. F. Sapp, who finally died in it. So that little house had the honor of housing two mem-
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
bers of congress, and still at this writing is standing on Oakland avenue, but it was while yet in Crescent City that the Hon. Walter I. Smith was born in it.
It is a long reach from 1856 to 1907, during which time great cities have risen and some of the embryo cities disappeared. In the meantime, however. the little hamlet backed by the township has maintained its individ- nality and, in fact, grown with the township, of which it is a part. At this writing (1907) it has a graded school of four rooms, a neat two-story frame, with Miss Mary Schrot as principal, with Margaret Johnson and Nettie Hutchison. assistants. The members of the board of education are J. R. Lapworth, president; J. A. Pratt, secretary; and Warren Hough, treasurer.
The Latter Day Saints have a neat church building; also the Methodists. Rev. Mr. Baldwin is pastor of the latter.
The Odd Fellows have a lodge of over seventy members, of which Dr. A. A. Robertson is noble grand. The Modern Woodmen also have a lodge with G. B. Hampton as head consul.
Crescent City has two stores of general merchandise, two hotels, a lum- ber yard, livery stable, and, besides the nursery of H. A. Terry, previously mentioned, is an extensive one known as the Crescent City Nursery, owned and operated by a joint stock company, of which T. G. Turner is president ; E. D. Menary, vice-president ; R. D. M. Turner, secretary ; and F. W. Menary, treasurer. It has extensive salesrooms in Council Bluffs, with office at 3101 Avenne A.
It is interesting to a person who saw this beautiful country a half een- tury ago and revisits it to note the difference. In place of the rude cabin and its equally rude outbuildings we see the comfortable house of the prosperous farmer, with the box for reception of his daily mail at his front gate, and, on entering, find the piano or organ, while the telephone is waiting your bidding.
Occasionally we meet those whose life has spanned the long interval that reaches from the little log schoolhouse nearly hid in the grove down to the present time with all our modern conveniences and comforts.
An interesting ease of this kind is to meet the following named per- sons, now past middle age, viz .: J. A. Boren, Mrs. H. A. Terry, Warren Hough and C. L. Barret and hear them tell of the time when. as little kids, they were pupils of Miss Whitcomb, now Mrs. DeLong. in the little log school- house a half century ago, and we wonder if the next will show as much progress. The little boys and girls must answer this, as we shall not be here.
The township officers at this writing (1907) are: Trustees, James R. Lapworth, Fred Miller and P. J. Moran; Walter Hough, clerk; justices of the peace, J. A. Pratt and L. S. Jones; constable, James Kinney; assessor, H. W. Miller; school board, president, J. R. Lapworth ; secretary, J. A. Pratt; treasurer, Warren Hough.
According to the state census there are three hundred and eighteen children between five and twenty-one, being one hundred and fifty-nine of each sex.
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
CARSON TOWNSHIP.
The early history of Carson township is identical with that of Macedonia. of which it was a part. The egg from which both the township and town was hatched was Loshe's mill. With the opening up of the branch roads from Hastings and Avoca both township and town rapidly gained importance. The township is small, having but twenty-four sections, twelve of which were detached from Macedonia and as many from Belknap. Both are named in honor of a prominent railroad official. The township is of the same quality that obtains all along the Botna valley, than which the world has no better. The farmers are largely engaged in stock raising and becoming wealthy, while the town is assuming the dignity of a city, although it has been twice tried by fire.
The town was incorporated in 1881, and the first mayor was W. W. Gardner, and the first council consisted of the following persons: Dr. F. S. Thomas, Wm. H. Graff, A. J. Anderson. Isaac Culberson, James Ellis and S. P. Hardenbrook. The present city government is as follows: Mayor, E. T. Osler; marshal, J. C. Bradley; recorder, Frank Galloway; city council, F. A. Bigalow, W. M. Holtze, W. D. Landon, E. W. Rowe and Wm. B. Bodyfeldt.
The city has five churches, Methodist, Christian, Presbyterian, Catho- lic and Latter Day Saints. It also has a graded school with prin- cipal and five teachers, three general store- carrying heavy stocks, two of hardware and furniture, one lumber yard, two drug stores, two livery stables, ono flouring mill. part of which is the old Loshe to which an addition has been made and steam power applied thereby furnishing power for the electric light plant in addition to the manufacture of flour. It also furnishes power for the water service in the business part of the city. It has also two barber shops, four physicians. two lawyers, one machine shop, one blacksmith shop employing a number of hands, a printing office with weekly newspaper, the Carson Critic, with F. G. Weck editor and publisher; State Savings Bank, J. R. Chaloupka. cashier and manager.
The fraternal orders are represented by one Masonic lodge, with Eastern Star, one of Modern Woodmen, with Royal Neighbors.
During 1889 the town was visited by a destructive fire that swept the entire north side of Main street, and again in 1894 a second made a clean sweep of the south side, which was followed by rebuilding with brick as had already been done on the north side. The people here have been to great pains and expense in constructing good cement walks that add much to the appearance and to the comfort of the public.
In addition to the railroads the wagon roads of this part of the county are in splendid condition, the road drag being much in evidence.
On coming here after years of absence one misses the kindly faces of the old pioneers, both fathers and mothers, but their work is done. They have opened up one of the most lovely spots on earth and are now resting in a pretty little city of granite and marble on a lovely spot overlooking the Botna valley, about a mile from town.
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
The township officers are as follows: Trustees, Claus Hartz, C. H. Coyl and A. F. Stone; clerk, F. G. Weeks; assessor, T. W. Dungan; justices of the peace, D. MeMillan and Z. F. Linville; constables, A. A. Faley and Thos. Brack.
According to the state census of 1905 there were in Carson township, exclusive of city, one hundred and ninety-one persons of school age, of which ninety-two were males and ninety-nine females. In town of Carson there were one hundred and eighty-one, of which eighty were males and one hundred and one females.
The school board consists of J. H. Galloway, president; C. Hartz, secre- tary and P. F. Schoening, treasurer.
Pay of teachers, $40 and $35 for first and second grades respectively.
CENTER TOWNSHIP.
Center is a full congressional township, bounded on the north by Valley, east by Wright, south by Grove and west by Belknap and Carson townships. The main streams are Second, or Graybill, creek and Jordan. The earliest settlers who came were Joshua C. Layton, who arrived April 2, 1852; Reuben Maines came in 1855; Joseph Layton, Jacob Rust and Joseph Darnell in 1854; Louis Huff, Benjamin Palmer, Charles S. Robinson, Thomas Ephraim and Wm. McKee in 1856.
Joshua C., or Captain Layton, as his friends called him, was born in Clark county, Ohio, August 27, 1807.
The first justice of the peace in Center township was Jacob Rust. The first birth was in the family of Joseph Darnell and his wife and the child died. The first marriage was between James Morris and Lavinia Layton, daughter of Joshua C. Layton, on the first day of July, 1856. Mr. Layton was also the first assessor and made the assessment of the township in three days. The first school was taught in a log cabin in the northeast quarter of section 7. This was in the winter of 1858-9 and taught by Martin Luther Ingoldsby.
The first mill established in the township was on Jordan creek for grind- ing corn. It was simply a large coffee mill with a sack attached to receive the meal. Its capacity was about one bushel per day. It was run by a Mormon named Jordan, from whom the creek derived its name.
In 1856 three brothers named McKee brought a portable sawmill into the settlement and afterward sold it to Joseph Layton and Joseph Darnell, who moved and set it up near the Botna bridge at Big Grove, and while in use the boiler burst and totally destroyed it.
The first Fourth of July celebration ever held in this vicinity was in 1857 at a paper town laid out on the dividing line between Center and Valley townships and named Iola. This was on the faith of a railroad being built through here. The people came from all around and had a basket picnic, but the railroad failed to come that way and the three houses constituting the town were moved and Iola became a memory.
In 1861 a military organization was effected and called the Home Guards,
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and J. C. Layton was made its captain. Its first duty was to go under General Dodge to the southern border to repel a threatened invasion of lowa by Missouri rebels, but on arriving at the border they found the frontier already prepared for defense by volunteers from the border counties and accordingly returned to Council Bluffs, but were soon called upon to go to Sioux City, as the Indians were becoming troublesome on the northern frontier, but, after remaining there with a detachment of infantry and a battery of artillery and the Indians becoming quiet, the alarm subsided and the expedition again returned to the Bluffs and were disbanded.
There was no more loyal community during the time that tried men's souls than that of Center township, of which Mr. Layton was an acknowledged leader and in recognition of which a township has been named in his honor. The people of this township have continued ever since to maintain their character as a progressive, upright and industrious community, and while it has no town of its own its interests seem identical with those of its next neighbor, Belknap.
There are many names of the old pioneers that should be remembered, among which are Jacob Rust, Joseph Darnell, Louis Huff, Benjamin Palmer, and the noble women who braved the hardships and privations that have resulted in transforming an uninhabited waste to one of the fairest spots on earth.
The affairs of the township at the present time are entrusted to the following named officers: Trustees, G. W. Gage. T. R. Strong and W. Storts; clerk, George HI. Nash ; assessor, Paul Beezley; justices of the peace, Arthur Putnam: constable, Ashur Heckman.
The following named persons constitute the school board: President, J. A. Goehring: secretary. F. D. Gould: treasurer, T. R. Strong.
According to the state census of 1905 there were two hundred and eight- een persons of school age, of which one hundred and eight were males and one hundred and ten were females.
Compensation of teachers is $40 and $35 for first and second class respectively.
GARNER TOWNSHIP.
Garner township was settled by the Mormons at the same time that Kane, Rockford and Crescent were. What made this point particularly inviting was the abundance of timber for building their cabins and fuel, but even more was the little old Indian mill, which had been built by the govern- ment for the benefit of the Pottawattamies ten years before, and was run by S. E. Wicks. Ile was the last government 'agent to run it, and when that tribe removed the old mill was left and Mr. Wicks remained and became in full possession, making excellent flour to as late as 1860. He had married a squaw and they reared quite a large family, but they became scattered after the death of their parents.
Among the first settlers were Wm. Garner. Adam Ritter, J. D. Hay- wood, in 1846. followed a little later by M. B. Follet, J. B. Dingman. George and Simeon Graybill, George Scofield, John Child, J. J. Johnson and Wm. Child.
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These all remained after the great body moved on to Utah and became some of the most prosperous farmers in the county, but at this writing only one or two are living. The township is named in honor of the first named, who was known far and near as Unele Billy Garner. He became wealthy, seeured a large quantity of land mostly in the Mosquito valley, and as fast as one of his numerous family became of age or married, he would deed them land for a farm. Although of limited education his judgment in nearly all matters was considered infallible.
This township is of irregular shape, a large piece being reserved by Kane from the southwest part, but this has been more than made up by a pan- handle extending to the river along the south line of both Crescent and Hazel Dell, making the north line nine miles long, so that it is bounded on the north by Crescent and Hazel Dell, east by Hardin, south by Lewis and Kane, and west by Kane and the Missouri river. The principal streams besides the Missouri river are the Big and Little Mosquito and Indian creeks. It is strictly agricultural, there being no manufactories at present. Mr. Gar- ner built a woolen factory many years ago, but it was abandoned after a trial of a few years. It is erossed by five railroads, the Rock Island and the Milwaukee passing diagonally through the center, and the Great Western cutting through the southeastern, while the Northwestern and also the Illinois Central pass through the panhandle on the extreme west. Probably half of it is timber land. Up to this writing, although a large and wealthy town- ship, it has never had a railroad station or store. It had, however, for many years a large hall, built by the Grange, where meetings, both political and . religious, were held, as well as elections, balls and all kinds of social gath- erings.
Long before this wa- built, however, the little schoolhouse had crept into the edges of the groves and were used for social neighborhood meetings.
In contemplating the habits of these early settlers, their industry, fru- gality and honesty, one is tempted to ask whether civilization may not be carried too far. If there was no church here, neither was there a saloon. and their wants were simple; their industry provided all of the substantials and from the moment of their coming their eondition was being improved.
The second mill built in the township was located about three miles above the Wieks mill on the same stream. It was ereeted by Wm. Garner in 1858, but after running a few years beeame unprofitable and was aban- doned.
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