USA > Iowa > Pottawattamie County > History of Pottawattamie County, Iowa, from the earliest historic times to 1907, Vol. I > Part 22
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A Masonic lodge and Eastern Star were organized simultaneously in 1900, and a lodge of Modern Brotherhood in 1898, also a lodge of Modern Woodmen at Armour Grange in 1904.
No community, however well ordered, seems to be exempt from trouble.
It appears that a young man named John Emerine had married a daugh- ter of Mr. W. K. Eames. Emerine became so dissipated that his wife obtained a divorce and returned to her father's home. They had one child and Emerine would insist on coming to see the child, and on being ordered away by the father, shot hini but only wounded him slightly. On coming again young Eames shot him, only wounding him, after which he left, and was gone some time and again returned. and being seen around the premises a younger son of Mr. Eames shot him again, this time proving fatal. There was no indietment.
The present township officers are: J. M. Underwood, Eugene Steepfell and F. B. Chambers, township trustees and M. W. Davis, clerk; A. F. Mam- men and A. K. Chambers, justices of the peace; J. O. Chambers, constable and H. R. Smith, assessor.
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The present board of education is composed as follows: President, J. W. Wild; secretary, J. A. Price; treasurer, George Quick.
JAMES TOWNSHIP.
James township is bounded on the north by Pleasant, east by Valley, south by Belknap and west by York townships.
The west half is drained by Big Silver and its tributaries and the east half by the West Botna and its tributaries. The soil is of the best and a crop has never failed since the settlement. It is named in honor of Stephen James, a brother of Judge W. C. James, both of whom are now deceased. It is destitute of natural groves of timber, but the early settlers went to work to remedy this defect by planting artificial groves, which have made such growth that the whole face of the country has been changed.
The first road in the township was the old Ballard road, which ran north- easterly from Council Bluffs past the eight mile grove and through Newtown and to the southern part of Audubon county, where Dr. Ballard had large tracts of land.
Although it has no town of its own it is in close touch with Hancock, Oakland, Minden or Avoca. There has been since its carly settlement a large German element in its population and the first church was that of the German Methodist, who as early as 1873, had a flourishing organization, including a large Sunday school, and at that day had erected a parsonage at a cost of $3,500. Since then another church has been established.
The nearest railroad is the Carson branch of the Rock Island at either Hancock or Oakland, while it is not a long haul to Avoca, Minden or Neola.
The following is a list of the present township officers: Trustees, H. O. Bain, Henry Nicolai, and G. S. Cutehall; clerk. C. C. Smith; justices of the peace, S. W. Rounds and Otto Zoeller ; constable, Charles Butterbaugh ; assessor, Titus Fehr.
The school board is composed of the following named citizens: President, S. D. Blakely ; secretary, M. F. Brown ; treasurer, A. G. Simon.
According to the state census of 1905 there were two hundred and sixty persons of school age, of which one hundred and thirty-four were males and one hundred and twenty-five were females.
The salaries of teachers: $40 for first and $35 for second class.
Another prominent citizen is Henry Brandes, for years president of the board of supervisors.
KEG CREEK TOWNSHIP.
The general history of this township is that of Silver Creek up to 1873, when it was cut out of that township. This was done by order of the board of supervisors, made October 14, 1873, and it was also ordered that the first election should be held at the schoolhouse known as the Keg ereek school- house, near what is known as the Dick Hardin farm. This is one of the sons of the Davis Hardin that came in '38 to look after the interests of the Pot- tawattamies.
The name of Hardin has been made very popular. One son (Mart, as he
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was always called) having held public offices of various kinds for years and now his son Will is the present assessor of the city, and has been for many years and likely to be many years more, being one of these democrats that can always catch a lot of republican votes.
This township was named after its principal stream. This stream derives its name from the circumstance that some early emigrants found several kegs of whiskey that had been hidden in the willows on its bank.
Among the carly settlers who have become prominent and contributed largely to the development of this township were: Wooster Fay, A. W. Wyman, S. G. Underwood and Col. Wm. Orr. Of these only Mr. Underwood is living. He has one of the finest and well stocked farms in the county.
The first officers of the township were: A. W. Wyman, Wooster Fay and Fredrick Miller, trustees and George Kirby, justice of the peace.
The first road laid out was what is known as the state road, established by Judge J. P. Casady in 1860, and was known as the Council Bluffs and Lewis road, and for many years it was the only road in the township.
The first school of which there is any record was taught in 1856 in an old log cabin that had been moved out of Moffat's grove to thic edge of the prairie, and taught by Miss Catharine Buffington. The winter of '56 was so cold that they did without school.
It seems but proper that we should retain and hand down the names of the sturdy, patient men that first opened up this most glorious country, and we take pleasure in doing so especially as there are few now remaining with us, and we even wonder if we have their equals with us to-day, and we will mention a few more that came in the carly times. Thomas Moffatt came in 1856 and a Mr. Breckinridge the same year, Mr. Grierson came in 1855 and Henry Kams opened a farm at the same date. Mr. Grierson died in the fall of the same year that he came. Mr. McNay and Wm. Campbell also came in an early day and have been some of our best citizens.
The present township officers are: F. Heuwinkel, H. Kirchoff and A. L. Ingram, trustees; Henry Heuwinkel. clerk : F. C. Frohardt and F. W. Basch, justices of the peace. No constable qualified, which leaves a vacancy, but so law-abiding are the people that the election of justices and constables is only a form.
The school board consists of R. McKinzie, president; F. C. Frohardt, sec- retary and H. F. Saar, treasurer. The township has nine schoolhouses and according to the state census of 1905, there were two hundred and eighty- eight persons of school age in the township, of which one hundred and forty- five were males and one hundred and forty-three females to fill them.
The township has two churches, that of the Methodists on section 19, and German Lutheran on section 2.
No country in the world can raise better erops or people than this town- ship.
KANE TOWNSHIP.
This, the once most important township. has been nearly absorbed by the city of Council Bluffs. It still has an existence and is famous for its vine-
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
yards and pretty suburban homes. At one time its eastern boundary was for some miles the Mosquito creek, the citizens having been anxious to have the benefit of the public schools. In an early day a brick schoolhouse was built in that neighborhood and a school maintained by the city called the Clark school, but getting tired of paying city taxes, petitioned to be set off, and accordingly the eity boundary was drawn in for one mile in section 19, Gar- ner township, to a few rods in section 5 in Lewis township. so that it at present consists of some fragments left after constituting the city of Council Bluffs, containing about ninety adult persons and half as many children of school age.
Small and well ordered as it usually is, it was once the scene of the most foul murder ever committed in this county, an account of which is given in another part of this history.
The township officers are as follows: Trustees, J. E. Butler, John IIaile and H. J. Smith; clerk. A. Fellentreter: justices of the peace, J. K. Cooper and S. A. Green ; constables, J. C. Baker and D. Maltby.
KNOX TOWNSHIP AND AVOCA.
This is the most important township in the county after Kane, from the fact that it contains the largest town after the city of Council Bluffs. It con- sists of a full congressional township. a large part of it in the Nishnabotna valley, one of the most fertile regions of the earth.
The first settler was Washington Lewin, who came in 1851 and settled by a grove of timber about a mile and a half east of where Avoca now stands, and although he left it and moved away long ago, the grove retains his name until this day. William Henderson was the next settler. He was a bachelor and located in the grove in the fall of the same year, cleared a small piece in the timber, lived on this land several years, was married there, and later died in the township and his widow moved to Shelby county. Joshua Headler and his two sons came in 1852 and settled near Newtown. This was a little village about two miles from Avoca and consisted of a few dwellings, a store, ete. Joseph Headlee arrived in the fall of 1852. but afterwards moved to Valley township.
George Headlee settled on the Sinclair farm near Avoca, and his death in 1854 was the first in Knox township.
Ira Baker and Thomas E. Davis arrived and made a settlement in 1853. Baker discharged the duties of justice of the peace and also township clerk. Josiah True, for a long time one of the leading citizens of the county, and a candidate for the legislature, settled where Avoca is in November, 1857. Cyrus True came during the same month. Jonathan IIall settled in Lewin grove about the same time. He became justice of the peace and also prac- ticed medicine. He later moved to Woodbury county.
John Krutzinger bought the Joshua Headlee claim and built a saw mill on the west branch of the Nishnabotna. This was the first improvement of the kind made in Knox township, and he later added a small grist mill to it. He was killed in Glenwood, Mills county, in the fall of 1856, but history does not say under what circumstances.
THE RIVER AND MIDDLE BRIDGE FROM CANAL BRIDGE.
PUBLIC LIBRAI
ASTOR, LENOX AND TILD. N FOUNDATIONS.
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
Joseph Lash came to the township in 1854. Jumped a elaim where Avoca now stands and built a cabin, but soon left, going down the river and building Lash's mill.
Buck Townsend arrived in the fall of 1855 and laid out the town of Woester in section 21 in the winter of 1855-56, and opened a store on the town site. Samuel Perrin of Council Bluffs was the surveyor who laid off the town of Wooster for Townsend.
The original proprietors were Townsend, Samuel Knepper and Dr. S. M. Ballard of Council Bluffs, none of whom are now living.
John Krutzinger laid a town just across the seetion line, and called the site Newtown. This became the center of business for Knox township until the advent of the railroad and consequent building of Avoca, when it surrendered te the inevitable.
The first marriage in Knox township was between George White and Miss Mary Townsend, daughter of Buck, who laid out Wooster.
The first birth was a son to Joseph Headlec and wife in 1853. The first preaching was by Rev. Moses Shinn of the Methodist church, in a log cabin. The second mill built was on the main branch of the Botna by Seth HIunt and sons. This was the first regular flouring mill, but the machinery was afterward taken out and made a part of the Centennial mills of Aveca.
Dr. S. M. Ballard laid out a state road from Iowa City to Council Bluffs that passed through Newtown, and for many years it was known as the Ballard state road.
The first wheat sown was in the spring of 1855, and the first threshed by machine in the harvest of 1856.
In the present age, events move so rapidly that only those that have a marked effect can be recorded in a work of this kind, and much as we regret to leave our old friends we are compelled to, even as actors on the stage, hav- ing played their part, retire to allow the others to perform their parts, and as Knox township includes Aveca we must give some attention to this city.
It, like thousands of other young and thriving cities, towns and villages, owe their origin to railroads. It is not necessary to demonstrate this fact as all are aware of it.
The original town plat of Avoca was made in 1869, when the railroad reached that point. It was laid off by a town company consisting of John P. Cook, his brother Ebenezer Cook, John F. Tracy of the Rock Island Rail- road Company and B. F. Allen, banker of Des Moines.
The first building erected was by Julius Priester in the winter of 1868-69.
The old settlers called the town Pacific. In April, '69, it was changed to Botna. But an excursion party was viewing the site from a hill overlook- ing the valley, when the name immortalized by Tom Moore was suggested, and it seemed so poetical and appropriate that it was adopted.
The first general store opened in the place was by Norton and Jones in July, 1869, and after a while located on the northwest corner of Elm and High streets. A man by the name of Beedle started a meat market, but was bought out by Abram Harris, who kept the first regular meat market in the place. He was from Ottawa, Illinois; a democrat in 1844 and voted for Polk
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and Dallas, afterward the whig and republican and finally became a leading greenbacker.
John Acker, the oldest settler, came in March, '69, before the track was finished to Council Bluffs. There was not lumber to be had here to build him a house, so he had it shipped from Atlantic, and as soon as his building could be completed, he went into the general hardware trade, his being the first business house on Elm street.
The first mayor after the town was incorporated was Milo H. Adams. Capt. C. V. Gardner and Thomas Ledwick opened the first lumber yard. Gard- ner also commenced the publication of the Avoca Delta in 1870.
Shortly after the railroad commenced running regular trains, Stephen Caldwell began buying and shipping grain. When the postoffice was estab- lished Thomas Ledwiek was made postmaster. Clarence M. Peterson was the first child born where the city now is, on March 4, 1869. The first public school building of the independent school district of Avoca, was a two-story brick, thirty-six by eighty, in 1876. In addition of the same material and height was added in 1880. The first meeting of the city council was held March 15, 1875. Milo Adams was mayor; G. Diedrich, recorder and H. O. Leiffert, J. M. Jones, C. HI. Norton. W. T. Mead and Stephen Jackson, trustees; Orin E. Beswick, marshal; E. W. Davis, treasurer, and John Cool, street commissioner.
In 1870 a schoolhouse was built by Byron Bunnell, in which he taught school until the new brick was completed. And all religious services includ- ing Sunday school were held there until churches were built for that purpose. In 1877 a frame school building, twenty-four by forty feet was erected on the south side of the railroad, for the use of the people of that part of the town, and this was enlarged in 1882 by a two-story addition twenty-four by sixty feet.
In 1876 a three-story brick building was put up by Consigny and Wath, with the capacity of 7.000 bushels for a steam flouring mill, and later an addition was made as a warehouse, making the capacity 12,000 bushels. This is known as the Centennial mill, it having been built during centennial year.
The first religious services were held in July, 1869, when the Rev. Charles W. Blodgett of the Methodist Episcopal circuit of Big Grove and Harlan, preached in the temporary depot of the Rock Island road.
In the same year a Methodist Episcopal Sunday school was established with Mr. Fitch as superintendent.
The Rev. George Carroll of the Presbyterian church, preached at Avoca on the 24th of July, 1870. and organized a society at that date.
The first pastor was Rev. D. M. Hughes, who also had charge of the church at Atlantic and preached alternate Sundays at the latter place and Avoca. In 1871 a building committee, consisting of Rev. Mr. Hughes, F. Waterman. Thomas Ledwiek. J. M. Halsted and C. V. Gardener, was appointed. The church begun the same year, finished and dedicated in July, 1872. The dedicatory sermon was preached by the Rev. Dr. Thompson of Jamestown, New York.
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The Catholic church of Avoca was organized by the Rev. Father McMen- omy of Council Bluffs in 1876. It soon passed into the charge of Father Edward Gault of Atlantic.
At the organizing of the church there were but six Catholic families in the town, but by 1882 there were about three hundred persons in Avoca and surrounding country receiving its ministrations.
The first Congregational church was organized June 12, 1870. This was the first church organized in the place, with Rev. C. D. Wright the first min- ister. A church was built in 1874-75 and dedicated May 23, 1875, and a comfortable parsonage bought in 1880.
A union Sunday school was organized on the south side of the railroad on the 16th of September, 1877; the first superintendent was J. T. Hazen. It was organized under the auspices of J. S. Love, missionary of the American Sunday School Union. In 1882 it had a class of ninety members, with J. T. Nelson as superintendent.
Mount Nebo Masonic lodge was organized June 7, 1871, with P. B. Hunt as master; Josiah True, senior warden; John Cool, junior warden; Daniel Hunt, secretary and R. G. Barlow, treasurer.
There was also a Royal Arch chapter and an Eastern Star. The latter was organized January 29, 1879, under the title of Queen Esther chapter, No. 50, with F. Waterman, W. P .; Mrs. D. Hunt, W. M. and Mrs. A. M. Gardner, A.
Delta lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows was organized March 8, 1878. J. M. Jones was the first N. G .; J. C. Hetzel, V. G .; M. B. Nelson, P. S .; F. M. Hoops, R. S. and H. O. Seiffert, treasurer.
Avoca lodge of the same order was instituted April 19, 1871, where the work was conducted in English. Its place of meeting was the same as that of Delta lodge. A. W. Coffman was the first N. G .; Steven Jackson, the first V. G .; Dr. O. H. P. Shoemaker, the first secretary and J. H. Arnold, the first treasurer.
The Avoca Delta, a republican weekly, was established by Thomas Led- wick and C. V. Gardner, the first number appearing January 1, 1870. One side was printed in Chicago and the other at the office of the Harlan Herald at Harlan, Iowa.
August 1, 1870, it changed hands, becoming the property of J. C. Adams, who fitted the office with new material and press. In 1873 the office was destroyed by fire, but the citizens at once raised $550 and donated it to Mr. Adams to enable him to resume the publication of his paper.
The paper was also enlarged from a six to a seven column folio, and in fourteen days from the day of the fire it reappeared.
In January, 1882, it was again enlarged to a seven column quarto. It continued republican in political matters, but made the interest and welfare of the town its principal mission.
The Avoca Herald, a democratic weekly, nine column, neatly printed journal, was established by A. P. Cramer in August, 1880, and like the Delta it devoted itself to the interests of Avoca with commendable tenacity.
The society of the V. A. S. was organized on the 24th of May, 1880,
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
with ten charter members. The first were O. B. Nelson, rector ; Charles Uhden, vice rector ; Dr. F. K. Dabney, scribe ; H. B. Crofts, speculator and Rev. George D. Wright, questor.
In November, 1880, a German musical society was formed with a mem- bership of twenty persons and called the Avoca Mannerchor. Mayor Deidrich was president, Charles Uhden, secretary and H. Hebbelm, treasurer.
A fire department was established, consisting of fifty-four members, called the Red Jackets and having a good hand engine.
The Avoca brewery was established by Jacob Kampf in 1874, with a capacity of eight hundred barrels per year. The cost of building and machin- ery was $20,000.
A creamery was put in operation by a joint stock company in 1882, which colleeted milk from a district of fifteen miles in extent.
The Harlan branch of the Rock Island road was built in 1878, and the Carson branch south was put in operation in 1879.
The leading merchants np to 1882 carrying general stocks were: B. Deidrich, O. B. Nelson, Charles Uhden and II. Stevens. Drugs, P. Weis and Maxwell and True: agricultral implement dealers, Hart and Co .. T. O. Meridith and W. H. Van Brunt; huuber, Ainsworth & Waterman and Seif- fert & Weis; hardware, H. C. Norton and harness, Wilson.
In 1870 the Rock Island Railroad Company built a large hotel and dining hall at their station, which was managed by John Jones, formerly of the Pacific House in Council Bluffs, until the company adopted the dining car system.
Biographical sketches of all the men and women that have helped to build up this beautiful young city would make this volume too large, but we will endeavor to continue to record the most prominent names and events as they have transpired.
When a city grows up within a township it naturally concentrates all the business within itself, and as Avoca has outgrown Knox township it will require more extended notice than the balance.
If some Rip Van Winkle should come along that used to travel the old Ballard road. he would be surprised to see a full fledged city of two thousand inhabitants organized as follows: Mayor, John Fletcher; city attorney, A. L. Preston ; clerk. Nels C. Nelson ; aldermen, Charles D. Schmidt. Albert Meitzen, Charles Eckhart. Win. Neumann, John H. Jenks and John Marxen. The city marshal and his deputy constitute the only police force. the former serv- ing on day and the latter on night duty.
On looking around he would find two banks, two newspaper offices, seven churches of the following denominations: Methodist, Congregationalist, Eng- lish, also one German of same denomination. one Presbyterian, German Lutheran, Catholic and United Brethren.
The fraternal organizations are represented by one Masonic lodge, one Odd Fellows, one Rebecca lodge and encampment, one of Knights of Pythias, one of Modern Woodmen, one of Woodmen of the World. one of the Mac- cabees, Society of Danish Brotherhood, U. S. Grant post of G. A. R. There are two general stores, one department store, two hardware and three drug
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HISTORY OF POTTAWATTAMIE COUNTY
stores, one of clothing and shoes exclusively, one exclusive grocery store, two bakeries and restaurants, four hotels, two livery stables, one foundry and machine shop, one planing mill, one canning works, two blacksmith shops, Centennial mill and elevator, one elevator and implement house, Fred Tankey, manager, and one implement house exclusively, C. H. Norton, manager.
The city has its waterworks supplied from wells with standpipe pressure, electric light plant, public library, courthouse and jail. There are also two German singing societies, public graded school with superintendent and six teachers. There is also an independent fire company, two lumber vards earry- ing heavy stock, three barber shops, four doctors, three lawyers and five saloons. It also had a brass band of twenty-one pieces. In the city, according to cen- sus of 1905, there were of school age, five hundred and forty-seven, of which two hundred and sixty were males and two hundred and eighty-seven females. In Knox township outside of city there were two hundred and forty-two, being one hundred and twenty-one of each sex. The board consists of HI. P. Lassen, president; H. V. Roek, secretary and Martin Plahn, treasurer. Compensation of teachers, $40 and $35 for first and second grade teachers respectively.
The township officers are as follows: trustees, Henry Weis, Hugh Pritch- ard and James Wilson; clerk, J. B. Grimson; justice of the peace, Theodore Rohlfs; constables, Jas. Trobaugh and Rickliff Plahn; assessor, L. C. Ward.
We take pleasure in making special mention of Mr. J. B. Blake, per- sonally known to the author for a half century. He was a pioneer merchant in the town of Crescent at its birth. In early life he was married to a Miss Bennet, one of Pottawattamie's most lively daughters, and later came to Coun- cil Bluffs, where he was universally respected. That his declining years may be as peaceful as his earlier were honorable is the wish of the author.
LEWIS TOWNSHIP.
The earliest history of Lewis township is identical with that of Kanc, the latter for many years having ineluded the former and also Garner town- ship.
In 1875 Kane was subdivided, bringing the three to their present shape. The present boundary is north by city of Council Bluffs and Garner town- ship, east by Keg Creek township, south by Mills county and west by the Missouri river. It is the largest township in the county. The east half is high rolling prairie, and breaking into steep bluffs from two hundred to two hundred and fifty feet high, where they meet the Missouri bottom, and flat from there until it meets that stream.
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