USA > Iowa > Poweshiek County > History of Poweshiek County, Iowa: a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume 1 > Part 38
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The first marriage in Lincoln township was that of Samuel J. Robertson and Mary Jane McAllister, September 4. 1853, the ceremony being performed at the residence of her brothers, with whom she made her home.
The second marriage in the township was that of Milo Morgan, and Miss Susannah Robertson, July 31, 1856.
The first death in the township was that of a little child, George Robertson, who died September 4, 1853, aged ten months. This child was the first born in the township. The second birth was doubtless that of Edgar Hillman, son of Mr. and Mrs. James Hillman, June II, 1857.
Lucy, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Corydon Barker, was born June 28, 1857. Albion, son of Mr. and Mrs. Milo Morgan, was born June 30, 1857.
PLEASANT RIDGE M. E. CHURCH.
During the year 1869 a United Brethren church society was organized at Union Ridge school house, and Rev. Mr. Graves was the minister who officiated at the time. The charter members were: Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Swain, Mr. and Mrs. George Thompson, Mr. and Mrs. Alex Scoville, and two daughters, Mr. and Mrs. E. R. Richman, Mr. and Mrs. Edward Scoville, Mrs. Redman, James Wadsworth, and Richard Johnson.
Rev. Graves served the congregation two years. The following ministers served one year each: McVey, Rungan, Shifflett, McBride, DeMoss, Culloms, and Fisher. After the pastorate of Rev. Fisher the class disorganized and later associated with the new organization.
In 1877 Rev. George W. Robinson, a Protestant Methodist minister, organ- ized a class at the Union Ridge school house. The society was made up of many of the former members of the U. B. congregation, and continued under the pastorate of Rev. Robinson, who was succeeded by Rev. E. R. Cramer. Af- ter the departure of Rev. Cramer the society disorganized.
The Methodist Episcopal church of Pleasant Ridge was organized in 1882, under the pastorate of Rev. John Davis. Among the charter members of this congregation were: Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Swain, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Johnson, Mr. and Mrs. James Wadsworth, Mr. and Mrs. Richard Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Mulligan, Mr. and Mrs. William Johnston, Mr. and Mrs. Isaac Swain, George Thompson, and William Thompson. Rev. John Davis served as pastor two years, and was succeeded by Rev. Lewis. Other pastors were E. Cannon, and John Swanson. Rev. W. B. Marsh came and was followed in 1894 by Rev. Isaac Borts, who served two years. In 1896 Rev. D. Phillips took charge of the work. From the organization of the society all meetings were held in the school house until 1898. That year a church building, with a seating capacity of three hundred people, was erected, and dedicated free from debt on the 24th day of July. The cost of the building was $1,100.
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Rev. D. Phillips, the pastor of the church at this time, was born in Wales, and came to America in 1889, having been engaged in ministerial work seven years. His first pastorate in America was at Lynnville, in Jasper county.
GUERNSEY M. E. CHURCH.
The Methodist Episcopal church society of Guernsey, was first organized in the Griswold school house in Warren township. The first house of worship was erected on the north side of section 4 in Lincoln township, and known as the Sunset church.
The beginning of this organization was in 1872, when Rev. D. C. Smith and Rev. Francis, of Victor, prcached at the Dougherty school house. A class was organized in 1873. This class continued to meet in the school house in Warren township for six years. In 1879, under the pastorate of Rev. G. W. Story, the Sunset church was built, at a total cost of $1,640.00. The pastors of the church were Revs. J. E. Corley, Watters, Wright, D. C. Beven, and J. A. Sinclair.
After Guernsey was laid out in 1884, and built up, a majority of the mem- bers of the Sunset congregation desired the church located in the new town. This was accordingly done under the pastorate of Rev. W. H. Heppe. The Sun- set church was razed to the ground, and rebuilt in Guernsey. The main build- ing was reduced in size, and a class room added, all at a cost of $2,250.
In 1895 Rev. C. H. Montgomery, began his work which continued for three years. He was succeeded by Rev. C. R. Zimmerman. The Guernsey con- gregation has always been associated with the Victor charge, and had been in- cluded in the Muscatine district of the M. E. conference, but in 1898 the Victor charge was set off from the Muscatine district and annexed with the Oska- loosa district.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
Among the early settlers of Lincoln township who came from Ohio were a number of United Presbyterian families. These first identified themselves with the Presbyterian congregation at Dresden, in Deep River township. Those residing in Lincoln township withdrew and organized themselves into a sep- arate congregation. The following is the earliest entry in the session records :
"December 1, 1866, at a meeting previously announced at the Thomas Grier school house, after a sermon by Rev. J. K. Black, he in connection with Nathan Mckinney, an elder in the U. P. congregation at Millersburg, proceeded to organize a congregation. The following persons were received on certificate :
"George E. Sanders and wife, their daughter, Mary J., and sons, James E., and George E. Sanders, D. J. Wherry and wife, J. H. Wherry and wife, Obe- diah Wherry and wife, Joseph P. Wherry and wife. The congregation then proceeded to the election of ruling elders, which resulted in the call of George E. Sanders, and D. J. Wherry to the eldership."
On December 6th, the first communion was held at which time six more members were added to the church. From this time on preaching services were
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held in the Grier and Wolf school houses, and for a few years in a granary be- longing to J. D. Wolf. By 1870 the membership had so increased that it be- came necessary that a house of worship be built. A plat of land was given by J. D. Wolf, and here a church building was erected at a cost of $3,250.00. The house was built on the west side of the lot, and a cemetery, named and still known as the North English cemetery, was platted on the east half. No- vember 8, 1872 the new church was dedicated. Rev. John A. Burns was in- stalled as the first pastor at the time of the dedication. He was a young man and had been captain of his company in the war. He gave up his commis- sion and his sword, and took up the banner of his Savior. After three years service as pastor of the congregation, Rev. Burns, in 1875, located at Quincy, Mass., where his widow still resides. Rev. J. B. Goudy, now of Knoxville, succeeded Rev. Burns and remained six years.
In 1882, Rev. S. I. Lindsey was placed in charge of the work. Many changes took place during his pastorate. One was the separating of the con- gregation, in which those in the west part of the township organized them- selves into the Fairview congregation, and elected Benton Grier, John Angus, and James Henry as elders. A new preaching point was opened up at school house, No. 1, in Lincoln township, and this was known as Mission No. I. This opening was necessary owing to the fact that there had been a rapid increase of members on the north side of the river. In 1884, Mission No. I, was located in Ficht's Hall, in Guernsey, and in 1885 a parsonage was built. The old build- ing was torn down and used in building the present church edifice and on Feb- uary 7, 1886, the new building was dedicated by the pastor, S. I. Lindsey, as- sisted by Rev. W. G. M. Hays.
In the fall of 1886 Rev. Lindsey gave up his pastoral work here taking charge of the church, and also the college located at Garner, Iowa. He was succeeded by Rev. Joseph Petigrew, of Pittsburg, Penn., July 1, 1887, the Fair- view congregation asked for a pastor to give to them his full time and Rev. Petigrew became their pastor. Rev. John Lackey, of Washington, Iowa, was the next pastor. Rev. Lackey was not a stranger to the congregation. His first acquaintance with them dated back to November, 1870, at which time he made the trip from his home in Washington county to North English on horse back, and in those early days he had serious trouble in finding North English. His second visit to the congregation was soon after the first church was built, and during the pastorate of Rev. Burns. Then on April 1, 1890, Rev Lackey became the pastor of the congregation. He continued in charge five years.
At the time the church was re-located in Guernsey the name of the congre- gation was changed from North English to that of Guernsey, and has so re- mained. When Rev. Lackey took charge there were forty-two members, and at the close of his work they numbered sixty-one.
April 1, 1895, Rev. Lackey gave up his pastorate and retired from active ministerial work. Rev. Andrew McBride succeeded Rev. Lackey, but owing to serious illness of himself had to give up his work, and was succeeded by Rev. W. T. Cochran, the present pastor.
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The Sunday School work in connection with the church has been carried on since the congregation has been organized. Mrs. John Irwin was for many years a faithful superintendent.
CEMETERIES.
The first cemetery laid out in Lincoln township was on the west side of sec- tion 4. The first burial here was that of George Morrison, who died in 1858. This was the only graveyard in the township for a number of years. About twenty graves fill the small lot and the exact location of some of them has been lost.
MORAVIAN GRAVEYARD.
The cemetery in connection with the Moravian church was laid out in 1870. The land, one acre of ground, was deeded to the Moravian society by Christian D. Breniman. The first burial was that of Mrs. Abraham Fry, in 1869, who was buried before the lot was permanently laid out. The second burial was that of Nicholas Nussbaum. The cemetery is beautifully located on the knoll east of the church. It is kept in perfect order and contains some costly and beautiful monuments.
The Ottumwa, Cedar Falls & St. Paul railroad having been surveyed, the railroad built, with the depot and all buildings completed on the part of the railroad company the laying off of a town was begun. The name selected for the town was Guernsey. A large number of the settlers of Lincoln township were Ohio people, and many of them were from Guernsey county, of that state. From the old home county they selected the name.
The town being laid out in 1884, during the presidential campaign, the streets were named for the candidates of that year. The one named for John P. St. John, the prohibition candidate, was the one next to the river so that the St. Johnites might have plenty of their favorite beverage. The street named for Grover Cleveland, the successful candidate of that year for the presidency, was located in what became the main business street of the town. Blaine street was located up on the brow of the hill, high and dry, the way Blaine was left when the ballots were counted. Butler street, named for Benjamin Butler, runs par- allel with the railroad, while Lockwood street is at the foot of the hill, as was Miss Belva Lockwood at the foot of the presidential race.
SCHOOLS.
The first meeting in reference to school matters held after Lincoln township was organized was on April 12, 1862. John Morrisey was president, and A. W. Morrison secretary. At that time there were two sub-districts in the township, the north half being district No. 1, and the south half being district No. 2. There were two school houses in the township, the Bramer school house which stood on section 4, and the Morgan school house which stood in the southeast part of the township.
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The summer of 1862 Miss Anna Drake taught the school at No. I, and Miss Elizabeth Swearinger taught at No. 2. The winter of 1862-3 Cyrus Gris- wold taught at No. I. These first teachers were allowed ten dollars for the sum- mer and twenty-five dollars for the winter terms. The fall term of 1863 at No. I was taught by Susan M. Welch, and at No. 2, by Charlotte M. Hall. Cyrus Griswold again taught at No. I for the winter of 1863-4. Teachers for the summer term of 1864 were, No. I, Susan Welch; No. 2, Charlotte Hall; No. 3, Mazilla Couch. Teachers for the summer term of 1866 were, No. I, Jane Mor- ris ; No. 2, Jane Lane; No. 3, Fanny Correll. In 1867 a school house was built on section 23. This house was built by J. T. Harper, for $690.00, from plans approved by county superintendent, S. J. Buck. Teachers for the summer term of 1867 were, No. I, Anna Pierce; No. 2, Joanna Bailey ; No. 3, Mattie E. Sanders.
Beginning with 1868, there were five sub-districts, and the first board under the new arrangement was: J. A. Daugherty, John Wherry, John W. Irwin, John Atherton, and W. A. Ferrell. In September, 1869, seven sub-districts were created, and that year three new school houses were built, one known as No. 2, on section II, No. 6 on section 7, and No. 7, on section 29. No. 2 was built by J. L. Forney for $517.00; No. 6 was built by Uriah Jones for $573.00; No. 7 was built by Barker Smith for $588.00. Sub-district No. 8 was created in 1869, out of sections 15, 16, 21 and 22, and in 1870 the house was built by Uriah Jones for $493.50. A new house was built in No. I the same year, Mr. Jones putting up the structure for $489.00. In 1876 sub-district No. 9, later No. 4, was cre- ated and a new house built. No. 6 was moved north to its proper location, now No. 3. About 1890 the school house numbers were arranged in regular order.
DISTRICT NO. I.
The Fairview school house was built in 1867, the first teacher being Joanna E. Bailey. Among the early teachers were A. E. Osburn; Mrs. M. F. Morton taught several terms. The present school house was built in 1882. J. W. Bramer, a Lincoln township boy, was among the first teachers in the new house.
DISTRICT NO. 2.
The first school house in Lincoln township was built in district No. 2, and for many years this house was known as No. I. The first school house built was in 1859 and was known as the Bramer school house. It was located on the west side of section 4. Miss Emma Chapman was the first teacher, and Edward Dee the second one. This house served the people of northwest Lin- coln for school purposes for several years. It was then made into a residence. The second school house in district No. 2, was built in 1869. The winter term of 1870-I was taught by Clara Jordon.
DISTRICT NO. 3.
The school house in district No. 3, was first built on the south side of section Residents of the district at that time were Andrew Layton, who served as 7.
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the first director, Frederic Kerston, John Cullom, Owen Mulhern, Nicholas Grider, Reuben Breniman, Christian Breniman, Patrick Gallagher, and Daniel Roarty. The first teacher in the new house was Miss Emma McCormick, and during the term forty pupils were enrolled.
DISTRICT NO. 4.
The first schoolhouse built within the boundaries of this district was in 1877. That year a re-location of the schoolhouses on the west side of the township was made and a new schoolhouse built in district No. 4. This house was known as Ivy Green, the first teacher being William Sergeant. The house built at that time served for school purposes for twenty years. The present temple of knowledge in district No. 4 was built about 1898.
DISTRICT NO. 5.
The center schoolhouse, then known as No. 5, was built in 1870. The first term of school in the new house was taught by Anna Binson. The school at No. 5 was for many years the largest in Poweshiek county, it being the district in which the town of Guernsey was located. In 1890 an addition to the house was built. After the schoolhouse was built in Guernsey, the enrollment at No. 5 decreased.
DISTRICT NO. 6.
This district in early school affairs was known as No. 4. The first rec- ord for the district gives Hannah Griffith as the teacher for the winter term of 1867-68. Jane Johnson summer of 1868. The winter term of 1869-70 was taught by Lottie M. Hall. The first settlers within the bounds of No. 6, were James and Samuel Robertson, who came there in July, 1852.
FIRST LAND ENTRIES.
The first entry of land in congressional township, No. 79, and range No. 15 west, in what is now Lincoln township, was made by William Harklerode, No- vember 5, 1849, in section 21. The second entry was by Vincent Wilder of forty acres in section 21, December 2, 1850. Robert Neal, on October 27, 1851, entered one hundred and sixty acres in section 30, and the same day S. W. Brady entered one hundred and sixty acres in section 31. J. G. Berryhill entered forty acres in section 25, December 12, 1851, and forty acres on section 21, on August 30, 1852. Morgan Reno entered three different tracts in December, 1852, forty acres in section 28, eighty acres in section 22, and one hundred and sixty acres in section 20. J. C. Culberton entered forty acres in section 21, October 19, 1852. These entries were all made prior to any settlement, and but few of these men ever located in the township.
William Davis and Henry Gifford entered together three hundred and twenty acres in section 2, December 3, 1853. The three following entries were made on October 24, 1853: James Stockdale two hundred acres in section 27, and two Vol. I-22
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hundred acres in section 28; Albert Sherwood three hundred and twenty acres in section 29, and Ethan Michael three hundred and twenty acres in section 32. James Johnson four hundred and eighty acres in section 19, and four hundred acres in section 20, April 19, 1854. D. B. Updegraff two hundred and forty acres in section 12, April 22, 1854. George E. Sanders, three hundred and twenty acres in section 23, April 22, 1854. James Robinson three hundred and twenty acres in section 20, June 2, 1854. A. F. Hastings three hundred and twenty acres in section 34, and three hundred and twenty acres in section 35, on June 2, 1854. George L. Bramer two hundred and eighty acres in section 9, June 15, 1854. W. T. Forby all of section 26, June 22, 1854. James Stockdale three hundred and twenty acres in section 22, October 18, 1854." The three following entries were made October 19, 1854: James Wherry three hundred and twenty acres in section 13, and three hundred and twenty acres in section 14; Thomas Grier two hundred and eighty acres in section 15; Morris Morton three hundred and twenty acres in section 15. October 21, 1854, Henry Chittenden and W. S. Sears three hundred and twenty acres in section 17. June 3, 1855. Hugh Cannon two hun- dred and forty acres in section 18. Many of these men who made large entries in 1853 and 1854, became permanent citizens, and they and their direct descend- ants are still residents of the township and all have taken an active part in public affairs.
FIRST LOG HOUSES.
The first log houses in Lincoln township were built on sections 21 and 28. The date of building is not known. One of these log houses was put up by Will- iam Harklerode in 1849, in the grove which still bears his name. It was occupied temporarily by several families who came later. The early settlers say that there were three graves near the Harklerode cabin. Who made the graves, or whose re- mains rested there was never learned. In the disposition of land in later years when inquiries were made for said William Harklerode it was learned that he died somewhere on the western plains.
A log house stood on section 28, not far from the Harklerode house and was known as the Huston cabin. John Huston and William Harklerode came to this country from Tennessee, Huston being a relative of Governor Sam Houston of Texas. He was a "squatter" on the land and emigrated elsewhere prior to 1855.
THE FIRST PERMANENT SETTLER.
Milo Morgan was the first permanent settler in Lincoln township. In De- cember, 1851, Mr. Morgan, in company with his brother-in-law, John Hillman, came west from Iowa City to look for land. They got as far as the east line of Poweshiek county, and then returned to the land office at Iowa City, where they entered one hundred and sixty acres. Three forty-acre tracts of this entry were in Iowa county, and one forty acre tract in section 25, Lincoln township. In the spring of 1852 they came to the land which they had previously entered and broke prairie, a few acres being in Poweshiek county. Leaving their possessions and the cabin they had built, they went east during the summer. In November both returned, Mr. Hillman bringing his family. Mr. Morgan lived with his
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brother-in-law. Late in the fall of 1852 Morgan entered eighty acres in section 36. Part of the land was timber. At this time he was a young man and in the winters of 1852 and 1853 he split rails, in the timber east of Brooklyn for Thomas Gwin, to get corn to feed his oxen.
George L. Bramer (now deceased), perhaps was one of the most useful and influential men of Lincoln township. Always alert to the best interest of the township, he was an ardent promoter of public matters, especially that per- taining to education. In politics always a Republican. He died Nov. 5, 1900, at his home in Lincoln township. at the advanced age of 81 years, and was laid at rest in the cemetery at Brooklyn. Mr. Bramer was born in Orange county, New York, Dec. 8, 1819. Was married to Miss Almyra Jones Oct. 6, 1846. Six years after he moved west and lived two years at Pilot Knob, Mo. June, 1854, found him in Poweshiek where he entered 240 acres of prairie land in sec- tion 13. He and his family lived the first year in a log house on the south side of Harklerode's grove (afterwards owned by Robt. McWilliams), while he was building a log house on his land in the fall of '55. It is said he hauled his first grist of wheat to Iowa City, where it was ground at Parks Mills, at one time the property of ex-Gov. Kirkwood. Mr. Bramer was one of the first at the organization of the township, served as one of the judges of election, was elected to the office of trustee, and probably served the township more con- tinuously as an officer than any other man. The old buildings on the homestead have long since given place to modern and more substantial ones, the family of children are somewhat scattered, yet Mrs. Bramer still has her home (at this writing April, 1906) in the homestead with her eldest daughter, Mrs. Stryker.
Robert McWilliams and his amiable wife at whose home the first public election was held, were both of Scotch descent, were born and grew up in Scot- land, and on coming to this country first settled in Ohio, and later came to Iowa. Mr. McWilliams came to Poweshiek county in 1855 and bought land, partly improved, in section 28, 79, 13, on south side of Harklerode's grove. In the spring of 1857, with his wife and family, he settled permanently here. Mrs. McWilliams declares that on arriving she was a very homesick woman. There were only two improved farms within a radius of three miles of her. The clapboard shingles were partly off of their cabin and one of the windows was gone entirely. Worst of all, the woods were full of Indians. But against all these things there stood out the prospects of a home in a new land; so improvements began, difficulties were overcome, and with the free use of the ax, the plow, and the blacksmith hammer, they succeeded admirably, as the sturdy Scotchman usu- ally does. The McWilliams' raised a large family, added more land to the farm, the log cabin gave place to a good, substantial farm house, two barns, granaries and other buildings, so that in the midst of plenty and surrounded with good neighbors, they enjoy life at the age of four score years or more.
SCOTT TOWNSHIP.
Scott was taken from Bear Creek and organized as an independent township, June 6, 1861. The hero of Lundy's Lane at twenty-eight and a major-general, was about to retire from the command of the federal army at seventy-five when
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the new township was organized. To name it for him was a gracious and a patriotic act. Washington and Lincoln had been appropriated, and Sheridan had not become the hero of the Shenandoah. No military man then deserved the honor more than Winfield Scott, son of the old Dominion, who acknowledged supreme allegiance to his nation and not to his state.
A prairie township, among the later settled, before railroads could bring us coal, it was a forbidding region for the farmer or any one else, but now with the Grinnell & Montezuma railroad crossing one corner of it, fuel and market are within easy reach of the men who are growing rich there from their herds of cattle and their masses of fat swine. There are few, if any, more prosperous than those on "Irish Ridge" as a body.
The somewhat unique record of the organization of that township, as left by the clerk, was as follows:
"This is to certify that Scott township, Poweshiek county, Iowa, was organ- ized October the 8th, A. D., 1861. Whereas, Melvin Wigton was appointed chairman; Eli Shook, Addison Bone, W. B. Harden, judges; L. V. Torrey, J. K. Rayburn, clerks of election. The following township officers were elected : Assessor, Addison Bone; clerk, L. V. Torrey; supervisor, N. B. Tilton; justice of the peace, Melvin Wigton; trustees, Dennis Bryan, Eli Shook, John Early."
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