USA > Iowa > Poweshiek County > History of Poweshiek County, Iowa: a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume 1 > Part 37
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William Sherman bought a farm there before he saw it, and when he did see it, he liked it so well that he added a thousand acres to his assets from Uncle Sam's dollar and a quarter territory. He was a live Yankee with three lusty boys, and every one of them born to be a man and to make a capital farmer in Chester. A grandson, Ralph Sherman, then unborn, was predes- tined to be our state representative in this year of grace.
About eight years ago William Sherman's granddaughter, Mrs. Fannie Sherman Rutherford, read an interesting sketch of Chester before the Grin- nell Old Settlers' Association, in which we notice Mrs. Rutherford's compli- ment to the Hays family. It is richly deserved, for the Shermans and the Hays families were so numerous and so worthy that the high character of Chester was, in the pioneer days, but the character of those two families "writ large." The Hays family, or families, came from Maryland and were more numerous than the Shermans. They were mainly Methodists, while the Shermans were Congregationalists, but they pulled steadily and together for the things that were best in politics, (as they saw them) in morals and in busi- ness, and the results have been clearly given by Mrs. Rutherford. Some will wonder how they could agree in politics when slavery was so central in po- litical policies at that time, and, especially, when the Hays family brought with them a live Maryland slave, the only one (with a single exception) who was ever brought to our county. But that was easy, for no warmer anti-slavery men ever settled here. Their old slave was brought to give him a good home in his old age. He highly appreciated the kindness he received.
Joseph Sherman took the southwest quarter of section 5. John T. Hays, Samuel Hays and Darius Thomas, one of the family, came to Illinois in 1854. There was no doubt about titles there. They came, liked and bought. They bought land in township 81, range 16. John T. chose the southwest quarter and the east half of section 4; "Debby" the southwest quarter of section 3; Samuel Hays, the northeast quarter of section 10; Abram Hays, the northwest quarter of section 10; M. Hays, the northwest quarter of section 9; D. Thomas, the northeast of section 17 and east half of section 3.
The township is so near Grinnell that no large business has been intro- duced, and farming is almost the exclusive industry of its people. It was a part of Grinnell township from 1855 to 1860.
The first family would have organized a church the first year if there had been adults enough in the township, and a school the first quarter if there had been children enough.
Rev. Job Cushman is to be remembered as a real "son" of Plymouth Rock and he was always glad to have it known he would never be accused of forget-
FIRST HOUSE IN CHESTER TOWNSHIP
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ting that he was human. If any one who ever heard him conduct a religious service on Sunday morning recalls him, he is sure to remember one trisyllable that always crept into his long prayer. "We re-cog-nize," etc. He owned land there and came occasionally to look after his interests, and gave a liberal share of it to Iowa College before his death.
THE CONGREGATIONAL CHURCH.
The Congregational church was organized June 25, 1865, with sixteen mem- bers: William Sherman and Mahala, his wife, Jason W. Sherman and his wife, Mrs. Laura J. Sherman, Henry Sherman and wife, Mrs. Almira D. Sherman, Wilson Sherman and his wife, Mrs. Sophronia A. Sherman, William A. Carter and his wife, Mrs. Martha M. Carter, Miss Carrie A. Carter, John Lightner and his wife, Mrs. Cynthia M. Lightner, Mrs. Cynthia M. Wheelock, Edward Fisher and his wife, Mrs. Mary E. Fisher. Its building was erected in 1868, at a cost of $2,500. This church enjoyed the pastoral service of Professor S. J. Buck, President G. F. Magoun, Professor C. W. Clapp and G. H. White before 1886. Rev. L. C. Rouse served the community in 1863-64 before the church was organized. The congregation increased rapidly, and compelled them to erect a larger building in 1868. The non-residence of the college preachers im- paired their usefulness, and the residence of Mr. White enabled him to be within easy reach at all times. This was very agreeable. Mr. White had been a mis- sionary at Marash, Eastern Turkey, until he was forced to return to this coun- try by broken health. He remained fourteen years, attracting all classes and was a benediction to all. Some said they owed more to him than to any human being, excepting only the mother. His health again failed and he retired to Grinnell to suffer more or less during twenty-four years in a long decline. Other good men followed.
The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in the northeast part of the township, at Sonora, by Rev. Dennis Murphy, March 18, 1867. Among those connected with its organization were such persons as Daniel F. Hays, Salvador Hays, Joseph Hays, Thomas Hays, B. F. Brownell, E. E. Honn, Edwin Parish, Asbury Parish, Mrs. Jane Cotton and U. Granville.
They met .in the schoolhouse or in private houses during their first seven years, when they erected the second church building in the township, at a cost of $3,000 or more. It will seat 250 persons. Rev. Dennis Murphy was active in promoting the building and a diligent pastor, and his wife is remembered most gratefully, as one who gave them most excellent sermons occasionally.
"CAPE COD BOYS" AND OTHERS.
In 1854 John Hays broke some ground and planted a number of locust trees and that same spring Henry Lawrence erected a "shack," 16x18 feet, for the accommodation of men employed to plow the land contiguous thereto. This was the first house built in Chester township. In 1856 this house was occupied by two men from Cape Cod, Massachusetts, Atwood and Rich by name, but
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designated by the settlers as the "Cape Cod boys." They raised the first crop of corn in the township.
In the summer of 1856 a small habitation was erected by a man named Camp- bell, of Poughkeepsie, New York. That winter it was occupied by George Farnham and his mother.
About September, 1856, Jason W. Sherman and wife located in Chester and made their abode in the first "shanty" until a more suitable house could be constructed. That fall the little home gave shelter to the Jason, Newton and Henry Sherman families, Harrison Wheelock, and visitors at times.
In 1857 Henry Sherman married and built a home.
Acquisitions to the settlement in the spring of 1858 were made by the ap- pearance of Joseph and John Hays and families from Maryland. The next generation of these families, Daniel F., Joseph F., Thomas, William M. and Joseph B., have become worthy citizens of this prairie country.
In 1859 Cornelius Skiff, Abram Hays, Wilson Sherman and Edward Fisher became settlers in Chester. The year 1861 brought John Lightner and the year 1862 the Stockwells, Albert Williams, the Wheelocks, Rutherfords, Rickards, Fullers, Shackleys and Bigelows. In later years came the Parishes, the Sanders brothers, A. R. Heald, William Sherman and R. W. Clark.
METHODIST CHURCH.
George N. Roth, a native of Germany, came to the United States in 1843 and settled in Pennsylvania. In 1857 he located in this township. The lumber for his house was brought by wagon from Davenport. Mr. Roth proved a valuable acquisition to the young community and organized the first Sunday school in the township. He also drew the first load of stone for the Methodist church building.
A FATAL CHARIVARI.
The horrid discord of tin pans, horse fiddles, rattling drums, squeaking fifes and every other instrument that can aid in producing a noise, when played to- gether by wild boys or wilder men, which most nearly resembles the tones of mules that have taken a severe cold, constitute the musical part of the charivari. What may be added to the music will depend on the spur of the moment in a crowd of excited youth who have met in the darkness of the night to give a newly married couple a good send off.
The charivari may have been originated as a rebuke to an aged widow for accepting a second husband. In this country it has become a welcome quite as much as an insult, probably more, and is a greeting for a young couple perhaps more frequently than for the old.
At all events, the young people in Chester had indulged in the sport, and it usually ended in a treat of cake and coffee, or of apples, or whatever was at hand, with a brief social, and with a cordial "good evening."
On one occasion a few years ago the discords of the charivari were well under way. The evening was bright. All were well known. No special injury was done. There was some bantering between parties in the house and those
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on the lawn. However, the actors outside were asked to withdraw. They failed to do so. A young woman in the house caught a gun, thrust the muzzle through the open door and pulled the trigger at random. The cap did not explode.
"Try it again, Sissie," some one called out. She tried again; no aim was taken. A charge of buckshot filled a young man's face. He died in a few hours. The young lady was horrified, offered to care for him and was anxious to do so.
An indictment followed. The petit jury failed to convict. There was no malice. The deadly possibility of such a sport was illustrated. The wisdom of non-indulgence in it was manifest. The natural effect followed in Ches- ter, perhaps more widely. It horrified. The "sport" ceased to be popular.
AND STILL THEY COME.
Other settlers came later and were welcome, like one who, on inquiring for a good farm, was told, "If you want the best farm, in the best township, of the best county in Iowa, go to Chester," or the Forehands, so named, perhaps, because they are always "forehanded," or the Dempsters, whose leader came from the state legislature to his farm here, or Charlie Booknau, who gets a good idea in his head and knows how to cherish it, but rarely knows when he ought to stop work.
The first marriage ceremony to be performed in this township was between Frank Burleigh and Mary Thompson, daughter of William Thompson, in 1863.
The birth of Sarah Sherman, in November, 1857, was the first in the town- ship. The child was a daughter of Jason W. Sherman and died at the age of six. Fannie Sherman, daughter of Henry Sherman, was the second person born in Chester township. The birth occurred in June, 1859.
The first death to take place in the township was that of Deborah, daughter of Joseph Hays. The young lady died at the age of twenty and her body was interred in the Grinnell burial grounds.
Miss Jennie Howard was the first school mistress of the community. She taught the first school here in the spring of 1861, at the home of Samuel Hays, on section 10. The following year a building was erected for school pur- poses, most of the work being done gratis-by the neighbors. This building stood for many years and within its four walls many of the children of early Chester received training in the three R's, and became the bulwark of the community.
The first election held in Chester after its organization, October 22, 1860, took place in the home of Henry Sherman the following November. At that election thirteen persons voted: J. W. Sherman, J. Hays, Cornelius Skiff, J. A. Hays, S. G. Page, D. F. Hays, A. W. Hays, J. T. Hays, Wilson Sherman, Henry Sherman, Samuel Hays, W. M. Hays and H. P. Strain. The officers elected were: Clerk, Cornelius Skiff ; assessor, William M. Hays; justices of the peace, Joseph Hays and Salvador Hays ; trustees, Wilson Sherman, Daniel Hays, J. Hays; constables, John J. Hays, Abram W. Hays; road supervisor, Henry Sherman.
The Chester burial ground is on section 9, almost in the center of it, and the first burial there was that of Harry Stockwell, four years of age, who met an
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untimely death by falling under the wheels of a wagon. The grounds have long since been turned over to a board of trustees.
Chester has not been slow in adopting improvements. Soon after the town- ship was organized it was made one road district, and two or three men were hired to work the roads with graders, beginning where most needed. The roads were materially improved at once.
A town hall was built early, used for a school for a time, another story was added, and it is now devoted entirely to township purposes.
The town library has been noticed. It is rare that rural districts can main- tain one.
The farmers have taken advantage of the improvement in methods and in implements. Silos are now cooking cattle feed for grateful herds, hogs are fur- nishing best of pork on the best of fare, and the young men of today are not appreciating how far they are removed from the methods of their fathers, when they began independent lives toward the Paradise of farming. They began as mere "farmers," only that and nothing more. Now they are gentlemen "agricul- turists." They ride where their fathers walked and drive machines where their fathers used to flail, and roll away to town in their autos, or go farther, where their ancestors were glad to have a nag to ride.
But enough of this. It is so common in all townships, yet we cannot forget the early days of the Shermans and the Hays, in Chester, the Fishers and the Fullers, the Stockwells and the Sanders.
ESTABLISH A LIBRARY.
Chester organized a library association in 1877. It was just like Rev. George H. White to be active in such a movement, and it was just like Chester to de- vote itself to providing books for the young. The difficulty attending the case of a public library in a rural district can be readily appreciated, and those who maintain one should be the more cordially honored.
THE HAPPY SLAVE AND HIS MASTER'S FAMILY.
By William M. Hays.
The earliest record we have of the Hays family is of one Jonathan, who came from England to America some time during the reign of Queen Anne, and set- tled in what afterwards became the state of Maryland. May 8, 1854, three fami- lies, chiefly his descendants, left that state for Schuyler county, Illinois. The first family consisted of John T. Hays, his wife, their three sons, J. A., W. M. and J. B., and their two daughters, Martha and Mary; the second was composed of Deborah and Mary J. Hays, sisters of John T., with his nephews, Abram and Lemuel, and niece, Catharine; and Edward Delaney, an old slave who had been in the Hays family from childhood. The third family was made up of Darius Thomas and his wife, their daughter and mother.
They went by the great national road, commencing at Hagerstown, Maryland, and ending at Terre Haute, Indiana. It is needless to say that they noticed the
HOME OF E. W. FISHER. CHESTER TOWNSHIP
N8.
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difference after leaving this magnificent "turnpike" and plunging into the mud of the Wabash bottom. On arriving at their destination in Illinois, they found the price of land much higher than they had expected, so they delegated three of their number-John T. and Samuel Hays, and Darius Thomas-to go to town and prospect, and if thought advisable, to enter land for the whole com- pany. At Iowa City they were told of the "Yankee Colony" at Grinnell, and concluded to try their fortunes there. When they arrived at Grinnell they were piloted by Henry Lawrence to what is now Chester township, where they located about 1,400 acres. So great was the rush of immigration at that time that they found it prudent to take the numbers of about twice as much land as they wanted, lest some should be taken before they got back to the land office at Iowa City. On returning to Illinois all decided to betake themselves once more to their square-rigged "schooners" and start for their new home in what was then the far west. They arrived at Grinnell late in October and were warmly welcomed by the citizens. There were no houses to rent (there being only about a half dozen in the town), they were obliged to camp in their moving outfit during the fall and a part of the winter. Pine lumber had to be hauled from Muscatine at that time, and all other building material was brought over bridgeless roads, or tracks, a day or two's journey away. Mr. Thomas succeeded in getting a home ready to move into about the middle of the winter. John Hays bought an old log cabin at Hickory Grove and hauled it to town to make a shelter for the winter. In order to get boards to enclose the gables, he went to the grove on Bear creek, cut a saw log and hauled it to Montezuma to a horse power mill to be sawed. In this-the only log house ever built in Grinnell-the family and "Aunt Debby" spent the winter and the next summer. "Aunt Mary" taught school at Sugar Grove, Samuel and Catharine Hays and "Old Uncle Ned" finding shelter with Mr. Thomas for the winter. John Hays started a blacksmith shop in a part of "the old town," as it was called-the first blacksmith in the place.
In 1856 the Hayses were reinforced by the arrival of the family of Joseph Hays, consisting of himself and his three sons-D. F., Joseph T., Thomas H., a daughter, Deborah, and a widowed sister, Elizabeth Hann, or "Aunt Betsy," as we all called her. D. F. and Samuel Hays owned and operated a blacksmith shop for a couple of years, just about opposite where the old Manitou House, on Main street, now stands. In the spring of 1857 the family of John T. Hays removed to the farm of Mr. Sutherland, near where Gilman now is, and in the following spring he and Joseph Hays removed to their land in Chester, where both resided until their deaths, John T. in 1881, and Joseph in 1899. D. F. and Joseph T., sons of the latter, and Joseph B., son of John T., still reside in Ches- ter. In 1861, at the breaking out of the war, W. M. Hays enlisted in the Fourth Iowa Cavalry and served until the close of the war. D. F. Hays enlisted in the same company in 1862, and served his term-two years-being debarred from reenlisting because he had not served long enough at the time.
The Hays family were originally whigs, "after the most straitest sect," but, at the beginning of the free-soil movement, joined that party and voted for John P. Hale in 1852, Joseph and John Hays and Darius Thomas casting the only free- soil votes in their respective districts. Although residing in a slave state and owning one or two negroes themselves, they were bitterly opposed to slavery.
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John T. Hays bought a colored woman from a neighbor, because she was said to be abused by her owner, and finally sold her to her own mother. She was very unwilling to leave the Hays family even to go with her own mother, and could hardly be induced to do so without using force.
"Old Uncle Ned" was quite a character in grandfather's family, being treated in nearly all respects as one of the family, and was trusted to go to Baltimore and to York, to Pennsylvania, sometimes, with a considerable sum of money, and was always true to his trust, even though advised sometimes in Pennsylvania to sell the team and take the money and "skip." Sometimes in his later years he would get a little "riled" at something and would say he would "be hanged to death" if he wouldn't run off, and accordingly would pack up some of his be- longings and strike out, none of the family making any objections. In a few days he would return, feeling very much ashamed, and would go on as if nothing had happened. When the family concluded to remove west it was decided Ned should go along as a matter of course, as it would almost have broken his heart to have been left by "Debby or Mary" to the care of others. He jokingly said before we started that when we crossed the Ohio river he would jump up and crack his heels together and be a free man, so when we got into Ohio some of the boys held him up and let him do so. He was kindly cared for by "Aunt Debby" and "Aunt Mary" until his death, and is buried in Hazelwood on the same lot with "Aunt Debby" and Deborah Hays, sister of Daniel F.
The sons and daughters of Joseph and John Hays are still living, except De- borah, daughter of Joseph, who died in Chester soon after the family moved there. Some are in Chester, some in Grinnell, and some in other states.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.
"Lincoln township was taken equally from Warren and Deep River, or, per- haps, the south half of 80, 13, was previously transferred from Deep River to Warren, in which case Lincoln came entirely from Warren," says a state publi- cation that ought to be exactly right. It was organized January 4, 1861, and re- ceived its name from the modern "Abraham" whose name adorns so many states.
It was settled very largely, at first, by families from Ohio, New York and Illinois. Milo Morgan began work here when it was in Bear Creek township in 1853, became a Union soldier and is now spending his riper days in Grinnell. William Harklerode had preceded him to the present township in the grove that bears his name-in the western part of it-and built a house there about 1850. J. B. Robertson came from Ohio in 1854, James Barker followed him from the same state the next year and settled on section 35. J. B. Forby came from Al- bany, New York, in 1855. George L. Bramer, from New York, came the same year, found a fine farm in section 9 and there "he stuck." Captain Phillips fol- lowed from New York in 1856.
The first marriage was solemnized in this township in 1856, by which Milo Morgan and Susan Robinson became one.
The first death was that of John Morrison in 1858.
The township was organized January 4, 1861, just after the election of what the south called a "sectional candidate," and while Lincoln was pondering over
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that wonderful inaugural of his which 'he closed two months later, with refer- ence to the north and the south, in the words which will be golden through all our national history :
"We are not enemies but friends. We must not be enemies. Though pas- sion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic cords of memory, stretching from every battlefield and patriotic grave, to every living heart and hearthstone, all over this broad land, will yet swell the chorus of the Union, when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature."
That township will never be ashamed of its name. Its name commemorates its noblest sympathies. It was just like the Forbys and the Bramers, the Wher- rys and others to choose it. The township was brimful of patriotism-
Four Forby brothers left Hull, England, for this country in 1804. George was only eight years old then, and became the ancestor of the Forbys who came with him to this county, about April 5, 1855, after spending many years in Al- bany, New York. Then the railroad ended at the Mississippi. A team was pur- chased. They came to Lincoln overland, rented twenty-five acres on the Harkle- rode place where a house, barn, etc., were ready for them. They put in their own grain, broke on their own place and got out material for a house on it. The autumn gave them a house-raising of the pioneer style, for which the mother prepared a city dinner, and all went merry as a marriage bell, the house-raisers enjoying the rare dinner which only Mrs. Forby (of German origin) could pre- pare, and the Forbys as happy as larks among their kind neighbors, their prairie activities and prairie novelties.
The Indians came and lingered and one of them talked for all, exchanging game for food from their table-always very friendly. They were the Mus- squakies.
The Forby daughter, Mary, lingered in Albany a little when the family left, to graduate from a female seminary. She soon learned in Lincoln to do pioneer work and to tramp five miles-ten in all-to the postoffice and back, to hear from the older world. Her basketful of mail was as pleasant as the droves of deer, the flocks of prairie chickens and the timid quail coming about to supply their table. Her memories of Iowa and her people are very delightful. She is now Mrs. John W. Irwin, a widow in New Sharon. Mr. Irwin was a jeweler and a gentleman.
THE FIRST SETTLERS.
In 1852 Milo Morgan became the first permanent settler in Lincoln, and others coming in prior to the organization of the township in 1861 were Joseph B. Robertson, Andrew Layton, George L. Bramer, James Barker, Corydon Barker, James Hillman, Patrick Gallagher, Cyrenus Rice, Charley Phillips, Rob- ert McWilliams, D. J. Wherry, John W. Wherry, Hugh Cannon, James Cannon, and Nicholas Grider.
Hon. John Moore was the one who suggested the name "Lincoln" for the township. In accordance with the notice issued by the clerk of the court, the first election was held at the house of Robert McWilliams, on the second Tues- day of October, 1861, and on that day the resident voters of congressional town-
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ship. No. 79, and range No. 13 west, cast their ballots at the house of Robert Mc Williams, there being twenty-seven in all.
EARLY MARRIAGES, BIRTHS, AND DEATHS.
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