USA > Iowa > Sac County > History of Sac County, Iowa > Part 21
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The town was incorporated in 1911 with the following officers: G. B. Willhoite, mayor; C. Everett Lee, clerk; T. E. Corry, treasurer; C. S. Ferguson, assessor ; F. A. Ayers, Thomas Schmidt, David Wickersham, F. E. Pratt and Frank Brobeil, councilmen. Charles Nuehring was appointed first marshal. The present officers are: G. E. Larimer, mayor; C. S. Ferguson. clerk: C. F. Brobeil, G. B. Willhoite, David Wickersham, Gust Holm and H. H. Oestrich, councilmen; T. E. Corry, treasurer ; Frank Bro- beil, assessor ; A. MI. Buth, clerk.
The township is settled by a very thrifty class of German and Yankee farmers and farm lands have already reached the one hundred and fifty dol- lars per acre mark and are destined to go still higher.
It may be stated in addition to what has been said by Mr. Lee concerning this township, that the territory hereabouts has been wonderfully improved by the thrifty farmers who came in in later years from Illinois, who have really reclaimed the township, which was none of the best till a few years ago, when this class of new men insisted upon better roads and looked well to the drain- ing and tiling of the flat land. With such improvements, the township has come to be one of the finest, richest agricultural sections in all the county.
In 1910 the census reports gave this township eight hundred and seven- teen population.
DELAWARE TOWNSHIP.
On the north line of the county, and the second from the eastern line of Sac county, is Delaware township, formerly a part of Douglas township. Douglas township bounds it on the east, Buena Vista county on the north, Eden township on the west and Boyer Valley and Jackson township on the south. It is all of congressional township No. 89, range 36. The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad traverses the township from section 5 to section 36, almost
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in a direct line, with a station point in the center known as Nemaha. The Coon river flows through its eastern sections and the territory is drained by this stream with its numerous small tributaries. The land is excellent, and all is now well improved and valued at from one hundred and forty to two hun- dred dollars per acre. The present population of the township is about seven lnundred. The school and church history of the township is included in sep- arate chapters on these two topics in this work. Delaware was created in 1876.
The first settlers, as near as can be determined by pioneer homesteader Truman Tole, now past eighty years of age, were as follows:
In 1866, during the spring season, Mr. Tole immigrated from Boones- boro, Boone county, Iowa, and took up a homestead of land in the northwest quarter of section 34, township 89. range 36, consisting of a hundred and sixty acres. He remained there until 1903, when he retired to the village of Nemaha, where he now resides. He saw many hardships, in the settlement of this township and, being poor at the date of his settlement, he was compelled to drive oxen, and was only too glad to have that good a team. He kept a few milk cows and made butter, the surplus of which he took, by means of his faithful ox team, to Newell, on the Illinois Central railroad, in Buena Vista county, where he frequently disposed of the same at from six to seven cents per pound. From 1866 to 1873 there was but little money in the county and homesteaders had hard work to live and meet expenses. The only thing that saved them was the fact that they had no tax to pay on their claims until they had proved up and received a deed from the government at the end of five years. Grasshoppers invaded this township, with others of Sac county, in the seventies and injured the growing crops materially, though not totally. The eggs of the winged pests hatched out one spring and when large enough ate much of the spring wheat, as it shot through the soil.
When Mr. Tole (sometimes spelled Towle) first came in with his family, in the autumn of 1866, he thinks that in what is now known as Delaware town- ship ( then in Douglas) there were no other settlers. The same fall, however, came in, as homesteaders, Charles Manska, in the northeast quarter of section 28, who remained long after he had proved up on his claim, making a good and worthy citizen. Louis Moine also came to the township that fall, settling in the southeast quarter of section 28. George McGeorge located along the western line of this township, or possibly over the line, in Eden township. There were but few others to add to the settlement until after 1871, when they came in more rapidly, continuing until the free and cheap lands were, for the most part, all taken by actual settlers.
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The first schools for the township were the terms taught in the edge of Douglas township, along the river, where the timber lands had been settled for a number of years before this prairie portion of the county was utilized. It was not over three years, however, before a frame school house was erected in Delaware township. The law then permitted school districts to be organ- ized when there were but few scholars to attend, and in instances only two pupils attended a school in a regularly built school house. The non-residents were taxed for such improvements, and just and right this was, too, for the pioneer made the county worth something to the Eastern land-owner.
The first mail facilities were afforded by going to Sac City, but as early as 1870 Scohara postoffice was established, but was discontinued not many years later.
The first meetings of a religious nature were held by the Presbyterians. The first Sunday school was formed by Mrs. Truman Tole. The only churches in Delaware township now are the two at Nemaha, the Methodist and Presby- terian ..
TOWN OF NEMAHA.
Nemaha was platted October 2, 1899, by the Milwaukee Land Company in section 22, township 89, range 36. Among the first business men was a Mr. Smith, who conducted a general store for a time. Before that date many of the settlers went to Early and Sac City to do some of their trading, but for a number of years the larger transactions were had at Sioux City. The name Nemaha is from the Indian dialect. A postoffice was established with the construction of the railroad, and the postmasters have included Messrs. C. A. Lowe, Charles Howe, Addison Domino and the present incumbent, Fred Mack. A union school house for the whole township was dedicated early in 1914, the same being located in Nemaha, and cost about ten thousand dollars. (see Educational chapter).
The business of Nemaha in February, 1914, was in the hands of the fol- lowing persons and firms :.
Banks-The Nemaha State Bank.
Barbers-Harvey Ferguson.
Blacksmiths-J. E. Van Vleet.
Drugs-A. B. Patterson.
General Stores-C. C. Keeney, Fred Mack, Nemaha Co-operative Com- pany.
Grain Dealers-Farmers' Elevator Company and a "line" grain company.
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Lumber Dealers-A "line" company.
Physicians-Dr. Boherns.
Veterinary-Dr. Ed. Hann, V. S.
Lodges-Yoeman and Woodmen.
Furniture-The Nemaha Co-operative Company.
Feed Store-F. J. Mabie.
Cream Stations-Two in number.
Livery and Auto Companies-Mr. Bell, Clyde McDermaid and M. Aber- nathy.
Meat Market-Fred Mack.
Hotel-The "Lidsey."
Restaurant-Mrs. Wilcox.
Hardware and Farm Implements-Harter, Wilson. Brownell & Com- pany.
Postmaster-Fred Mack.
Depot Agent-G. S. Ferguson, for past fifteen years.
Stock Dealer-Ed. Burner.
Insurance-The Farmers Mutual Hail Storm Company, with the eight Rutledge brothers as proprietors. They are represented in every township in the state of Iowa, and carry millions of dollars worth of insurance on growing crops. Nemaha is the home town of this company.
The population of Nemaha is less than two hundred.
CLINTON TOWNSHIP.
Clinton township comprises all of congressional township 87, range 37 west, and is bounded on the north by Boyer Valley, on the east by Wall Lake, on the south by Levey and on the west by Richland township. It was organ- ized in 1874. and in 1880 had a population of five hundred and twenty-two. Its population, as given by the federal census of 1910, was five hundred and one. It was at one date inclusive of the territory now embraced in Richland township. It is a beautiful and fertile section of the county. It is in the far- famed Boyer Valley section. This stream courses down from the north, enter- ing the township in section 4 and runs a little east of south, leaving the town- ship from section 35 over into Levey township and finally finds its way into the Missouri river just north of Council Bluffs.
This township takes its name from Clinton county, Iowa, where so many of the early settlers in this portion of Sac county emigrated from.
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When the petition was up before the supervisors to have Clinton created as a separate township, the county auditor suggested that the oldest man of the township name the same, and hence it was that Marshall D. Fox, one of the petitioners, named it Clinton. It then included Richland and was six by twelve miles in extent of territory. The first election was held in the Petersmeyer school house, and M. D. Fox was elected first trustee, and N. B. Umbarger the first assessor in Clinton.
The third residence in this township was erected by M. D. Fox, in the spring of 1874, Mr. Martin having erected the second house, and the first was built by Jacob Brown in the autumn of 1873. Other early settlers were Charles and George Martin, Oscar and John Draper, Charles Sherwood and Archibald Ray.
In this township was one of the best flouring mills in the county. It was the property of Henry Reinhart, and was burned in May, 1884, causing a loss of ten thousand dollars, on which there was an insurance of four thousand five hundred dollars collected. The newspaper account of the fire reads as fol- lows: "Henry Reinhart's flouring mill in Clinton township was totally de- stroyed by fire Saturday night. A fire was discovered in the roof, which probably caught from the smoke stack. It was promptly extinguished and a watch set for the night, and it was supposed all was safe. But at one o'clock A. M. Mr. Reinhart awoke to find the building again in flames, too far gone to save anything. Total loss was ten thousand dollars, covered by four thou- sand five hundred dollars insurance. Unless we get a railroad here in the county the mill will not be rebuilt, although the people at Odebolt are trying to get Mr. Reinhart to build a flouring mill at their town."
EDEN TOWNSHIP.
On the north line of the county and second from the western line, is Eden civil township, which comprises all of congressional township 89, range 37 west, this tier being the first north of the "correction line" of the state. It is six miles square and a very fertile portion of Sac county-well named by the pioneers. The Moville branch of the Northwestern railroad runs through sections 33. 34, 35. 28, 29 and 30. The nearest station points are Early, in Boyer Valley township, and Schaller, in Eureka township. The headwaters of the Boyer river are found in the northern portion of this township and the southern part of Buena Vista county. There are numerous smaller streams, all forming junction with this principal stream. For general farming, this part
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of the county is not surpassed. Eden, which was constituted in 1871, had four hundred and eighty population in 1880.
The oldest settler still living in the township is Christian Schaeffer, who came into the territory now known as Eden township on May 7, 1870. Others of about that date, or a little later, were Christ Lucke, Fred Hahne and Adolph Martin, who all crossed the Boyer river and became settlers in this township. These all emigrated from Alamakee county, lowa, in the autumn of 1870. Fred Hahne and Mr. Lucke came on in advance and took up land for the entire party. Before this settlement there were only two others within the town- ship, Messrs. Hobner and Walter Toll, neither of whom remained to make a permanent settlement.
Eden and Delaware townships both originally belonged to the territory of Douglas township, but in the seventies a division was made and separate civil governments were formed of these two townships.
Of the schools and churches in this township, other general chapters will treat at considerable length. The population of the township, according to the latest (1910) United States census, is five hundred and eighteen.
Owing to the richness of the soil and the location, lands have steadily advanced in this section of Sac county, until today it is hard to find a man who cares to sell for less than one hundred and twenty-five to one hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre. From this township have come several of the county supervisors and other officials of the county, all having the best inter- ests of the county at heart while serving in an official capacity.
EUREKA TOWNSHIP.
Eureka (signifying "I have found it") was organized as a separate sub- division of Sac county in 1875. The first election was held by seven resident voters. The father of Joseph and Charles King, now residents of this town- ship, was elected clerk at the first regular township election. He came to the township in 1871 and purchased a full section of prairie land of this township and was an honored citizen here many years, having much to do with the final development of this section of the county. In 1880 the township had three hundred and sixty population. In 1910 it had one thousand one hundred and sixty-six, with the town of Schaller, which had six hundred and forty-six.
Eureka is the extreme northwestern township in the county, being con- gressional township 89, range 38, and is bounded on the north by Buena Vista county, on the east by Eden township, on the south by Cook township and Ida
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county ( the north tier of townships being on the correction line of the state, making a set-off or jog of three miles to the west) and on the west by Ida county. It is six miles square. The Sioux City and Wall Lake branch of the Chicago & Northwestern railway runs through sections 25, 26, 22, 28, 29. 30 and 19, with the incorporated town of Schaller as its only town.
It is no wonder that the pioneers who settled here named it "Eureka," for they certainly found what they had been seeking-an excellent domain of fertile, even, all-good land, which at that day was bought very cheap, from four dollars upward to about ten dollars. Today the average land sells readily at one hundred and fifty dollars and much as high as two hundred dollars per acre. The population is a mixture of German and American of the higher, more intelligent class of both nationalities. Its population in 1905 was six hundred and forty-two, exclusive of the town of Schaller, and with it the population was one thousand two hundred and eighty-one. Of this number, only one hundred and seventeen were foreign born.
By drainage, good cultivation and general scientific farming, this has come to be one of the banner agricultural districts in the county.
TOWN OF SCHALLER.
This is one of Sac county's enterprising towns, an honor to any com- munity. Its well-kept streets, its internal improvements, its charming park, shade trees, and first-class business houses, with churches and schools, all bespeak a high type of citizenship. The people of Schaller are for the most part prosperous and contented. Living as they do in the heart of one of the finest agricultural sections in this part of the state, their interests are naturally with those of the farming community. As a grain, stcok and poultry market, the county affords no better place at which to do trading-both selling and buying.
The town was named in honor of that most popular and well-known pioneer German character, Phil Schaller, who died only a few years since as a resident of Sac City, where he prospered as an able business man and leader in Grand Army circles, he having been an Iowa soldier during the great Civil War. As a faithful, unflinching and highly honorable county official, no man stood higher than this man for whom the town was named. Schaller was platted in October, 1882, by the Blair Town Lot and Land Company, on sec- tion 26, township 89, range 38, and the year before the platting was executed the entire land upon which the present town stands was an immense field of
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growing flax. Vast has been the transformation in these thirty-two years! It is within Eureka township and an important station point on the Chicago & Northwestern railway line, the second station north and west from Sac City. Among the modern improvements of the town may be named the magnificent two-story brick school building, the Methodist and Catholic church edifices, both recently erected on modern, up-to-date plans. When the town was orig- inally platted by the railroad land company, the town site proprietors donated a full square, centrally located, to be forever used for public park purposes. The ground is now shaded and sheltered by hundreds of thrifty trees, tower- ing heavenward twenty and thirty feet high. There are rustic seats, a band stand and other improvements. Space has been reserved for tents for public gatherings, lectures and chautauqua entertainments, etc. Schaller was legally incorporated as a town in 1883. The following facts appear of record in the court house at Sac City concerning this incorporation :
Having a population of over two hundred and fifty, in the month of March, 1883. Schaller citizens petitioned the court to be legally incorporated as a town, under the laws of the state of Iowa. The petitioners were as follows : C. W. Woodke, O. W. Woodke, Chrales L. Early, J. S. Hudson, J. H. Walker, F. D. Beckel, Thomas A. O'Laney, A. P. Searle, B. D. Jones, S. A. Cobb, H. Keeney, H. J. Hahne, Will Terrie, R. D. Murray, I. S. Hunter, F. G. Butler, F. F. Hall, Herman Hahne, R. L. Crosby, E. W. Walker, William McFarland, C. Meier, H. D. Quinn, W. Adamson, T. H. Hahne, M. C. Craven, Dr. S. C. Meyers, G. F. Chandler, James Waddicor, I. C. Hudson, T. J. Andre, M. D., D. D. Burman.
The circuit court of Sac county appointed the following commissioners to attend to the calling and holding of an election to determine whether the citizens wanted the place incorporated or not. Such persons were appointed, served and the election was held May 25, 1883, at which all of the fifty-two votes cast were for incorporation. The clerks of election were A. P. Searle, Charles Early. The judges were William F. Waddke, H. J. Hahne and I. S. Hudson. The election returns were certified to by J. S. Hudson. Thus the town of Schaller started on its journey, and has continued as a town ever since.
The first mayor of Schaller was Thomas Rey, who died while in office. The present (January, 1914) town officers are as follows: Mayor, H. I. Strahn; recorder, H. N. Snell; treasurer, Samuel Hahne; marshal, W. W. Allen ; councilmen, C. B. Murray, M. Strom, J. B. Dakin, C. Walker and U. L. Requarette.
The following have served as mayors of Schaller: Charles L. Early,
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1883: J. S. Hudson, 1884-85; Thomas Ray, 1886; J. M. Sears, 1887: J. S. Hudson, 1888-89; J. F. Butler, 1890; George S. Crandall, 1891-92-93 ; Alexan- der Wells, 1894: A. C. Gordon, 1895-96-97-98-99: J. F. Butler, 1900-01- 02-03; George J. Speaker, 1904-05: Perry Rubendall, 1906-07; George J. Speaker, 1908-09: H. I. Strahn, 1910-11-12-13.
A system of water works was installed about twenty years ago. costing at the time about six thousand dollars. Water of the purest quality is obtained from two surface wells within the town incorporation. A stand-pipe and tank furnish the reserve water, which is forced by gravity to all portions of the town. A volunteer fire company gives ample protection to the property owners of the place. Hook and ladder, extinguishers, plenty of good hose and other apparatus aid the willing firemen in battling the flames, whenever they appear. The town has its own building or hall, in which the council meets and where is stored the fire apparatus.
In the fall of 1913 the town commenced the laying of an excellent system of earthware pipes for sewerage, which is to be in six streets. Before winter shut the work off, four streets had been completed and the remainder was laid in the early spring of 1914. The expense is taxed to the lot owners, except the cost of outlets and street crossings, which is paid from a direct gen- eral municipal tax.
The streets of the little city are lighted brightly by a gas plant of private ownership, known as the Schaller Gas and Fuel Company. This corporation commenced business about 1906 and now gives good service and general satis- faction. The churches, stores, halls and private dwellings all employ this lighting system.
Good cement sidewalks are in evidence throughout the town.
BUSINESS INTERESTS IN 1914.
The first man to erect a business place on the town plat of Schaller was pioneer J. S. Hudson, who still survives, and is the only remaining charter member of the Christian church of the town. He embarked in the general hardware business and carried other goods. He sold to the first settlers both in and out of his town. He has lived to see the following dealers now engaged in the various branches of trade :
Agricultural Implements-W. J. Howard & Son.
Banks-The State Bank of Schaller ; The Schaller Savings Bank .
Blacksmith Shops-J. F. Ady, Andrew Anderson.
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Barber Shop-Fred L. Gilbert.
Clothing-J. P. Rauch, G. W. Murray & Son.
Cement Block, etc .- Aden Merkly.
Drugs-Smith Brothers, C. C. Cowser. Dentist-J. E. O'Grady, D. D. S.
Dray Lines-Rose Brothers, A. Potter.
Elevators-Schaller Produce Company, J. B. Adams, Kuntz Elevator Company.
Furniture-W. F. Mclaughlin.
Feed Store and Poultry-Rose & Potter.
The "Fair Store"-John Gentry.
General Stores-J. B. Dakin, J. A. Murray & Son, Lemke & Lemke.
Garages-C. H. Reuber, G. B. Gould, A. D. & E A. Woodke.
Hardware-R. A. Skinner, James G. Fiar.
Harness-E. R. Forney, August Christensen.
Hotel-"Palace." by L. A. Seiling.
Jewelry-John Hicks.
Livery-Challman Brothers.
Lumber-Gray & Crowley, Schaller Lumber Company (incorporated), by William J. A. Cizek and Henry Gloe.
Millinery-Mrs. Ellen Broderick, Mrs. W. H. Mckinney.
Plumbers-George A. Higgins.
Physicians-Drs. T. J. Andre, F. H. McCrey.
Restaurants-R. H. Benson.
Real Estate Dealers-H. 1. Strahn, A. B. Challman.
Stock Dealers-Fred Sewald. Meat Market-H. O. O'Daniels & Son.
Newspaper-The Herald, by W. K. Whiteside.
Opera House-"The Schaller," by J. I. Murray. Veterinary Surgeon-E. G. Martin.
Wagon Repair-H. Swanson & Son.
Among the small manufacturing plants of Schaller may be named that of the Higgins Manufacturing Company, which concern makes a patented device for extinguishing street gas and gasoline lights automatically from the central station, by means of reducing the pressure, when instantly all street lights are put out, saving the expense of keeping a man for this purpose. These machines are sold in hundreds of small towns within the adjoining states and the busi-
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ness is rapidly increasing. The proprietors of this company patented this in- vention several years ago.
The church organizations of Schaller are the Catholic, Methodist Epis- copal, the Christian, Presbyterian and German Evangelical Lutheran denom- inations. (See Church chapter for details. )
The lodges here represented are the Masonic and Odd Fellows, the his- tory of which will be found under the head of Lodges of the county.
Schaller was unfortunate in having three large grain elevators burned within five years, the last being destroyed in 1912, causing a loss of more than fifteen thousand dollars, besides six thousand four hundred dollars worth of grain stored therein.
BOYER VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
One of the four central townships in Sac county is known as Boyer Valley, deriving its name from the beautiful valley of the famous Boyer river, which courses from north to south through this section of the county. taking its rise in Buena Vista county. It has numerous branches forking both to the east and west of the main stream. Boyer Valley is a civil subdivision of the county and comprises all of congressional township 88, range 37, west of the meridian line. The Chicago & Northwestern railway passes through sections 5, 4, 10, II and 12, en route from the towns of Schaller and Early, the latter place being within Boyer Valley township and the former in Eureka town- ship. At first what is now styled Cook township was also included in Boyer Valley. Boyer Valley township was organized in 1871. Among the pioneer settlers of the township were the families of J. E. Sanburn, William Cory, Charles Prentice, James Shelmerdine, Samuel Prentice, Elias M. Powers, Dr. Warren A. Mason, H. A. Wilson, Joseph Dick, Messrs. Hiram Sweet and Hayes. In about 1876 Cook township was set off and constituted a sep- arate township in the county. The earliest school house within Boyer Valley township was the old Prentice school, built very early, and was followed by the new building in 1872. It is believed that the first person to settle in Boyer Valley township was William Cory, in 1868, as a homesteader. The second settler was James Shelmerdine, who effected his settlement the same year, but a little later in the season. Charles Prentice was probably the third man to claim land in the township.
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