History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 70

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1088

USA > Iowa > Tama County > History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens > Part 70

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Meanwhile, matters were growing worse. Toledo, two milesand a half from a railroad, could not hope to retain the county seat of Tama county. In 1868 and 1869, meetings were held in Toledo, at which the question of a branch road was extensively discussed, and in 1870, the ag- itation culminated in the organization of the Toledo & Northwestern Railroad Company. The first officers elected were as follows:

President, William II. Harrison. Vice-President, W. F. Johnston. Secretary, John G. Safely. Treasurer : 1I. Galley. General Superintendent : C. C. Whit- ten.

Directors : W. F. Johnston, Leander Clark, W. II. Harrison, HI. Galley, Stephen Foster, W. H. Stivers, and L. B. Nelson.

Work was commenced to secure funds to carry on the enterprise. Toledo town- ship voted a tax of nearly $20,000 ; dona- tions were made amounting to about ten thousand dollars and stock was issued 10 the amount of about five thousand dollars. Those who subscribed donations could wait until the road was completed before paying ; while those who took stock were obliged to pay in their money at once. Ilowever, after the road was nearly finish- ed the books of the company were opened and all who had subscribed donations were permitted to take stock to the amount of their donation. Many did so, and the stock was thereby raised to about eleven thousand dollars. The sums all fell a little short upon collection. Contracts were let, the very best of iron was pro- cured at a cost of eighteen thousand dol- lars, and laid upon a finely graded bed. On the first day of January, 1872, the first iron horse steamed into Toledo, the county seat of Tama county. During the whole of that day an excursion train was run carrying everybody free of charge. The depot and stock yards were soon built, and in completing these the company ran a little in debt, having expended all the money that had been raised in preparing the roadbed and laying iron. C. C. Whit- ten was appointed General Superintend- ent. The company rented an engine of the Chicago & Northwestern R. R., and got the use of a coach by keeping it in repair. The Toledo company paid for fuel, hands and all other expenses.

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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.

The road was about three miles in length and the trains ran to the depot in Tama City upon the main line track.

For nearly nine years the branch con- tinued under the management of the Toledo company. It was a great aceom- modation to the citizens, much greater than the through trains of the present day. Six daily trains were usually run, and an extra could be put on the road when occasion demanded, without fear of collision.

In the fall of 1879, the Toledo & North- western Railroad was sold to the Chicago & Northwestern Railroad Company. As soon as the sale was completed, the latter company began pushing the line north- west, and by the fall of 1880, it had reached Hubbard, in Hardin county. In 1881, it was pushed still farther northwest and the "end is not yet." In Tama county there are four stations on this line, Tama City, Toledo, Garwin and Glad- brook. The road bears almost directly north after leaving Tama City for about five miles and then bears northwest.

William H. Ilarrison only acted as President of the Toledo & Northwestern Company for one, year. Succeeding him, W. F. Johnston was elected and served as President of the company until the road was sold. The principal stockholders in the company at the time of sale were: W. F. Johnston, Leander Clark, C. C. Whit- ten, Colonel John Connell, David D. Appelgate and L. B. Nelson.

PRESIDENTS OF THE COMPANY.

The first President of the Toledo and Northwestern R. R. Company, was W. 11. Harrison, who served for about one year.

William Henry Harrison was born near Caldwell, Essex county, New Jersey, Feb- ruary 5, 1819. ITis father, Joseph Ilarri- son, was born near the same place, Feb- ruary 8, 1793, and his mother, Mary B. Crane, daughter of William Henry Crane, was born at Mont Clair, Essex county, New Jersey, November 5, 1790. Joseph Harrison, grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was born near Caldwell, same county and State as mentioned above. December 19, 1747, he being a descendant of Richard Harrison, senior, who died at Branford, Connecticut, October 25, 1653, and whose son, Richard, established the New Jersey branch of the IIarrison family. The reasons for their removal to New Jersey are set forth in the following para- graph quoted from the family records:

"Having become dissatisfied because the Connecticut people had become so lax as to permit other than professing christians to vote at elections."

When the Harrison's eame from Eng- land and settled in Connecticut, they adopted the following resolutions: "Re- solved, That the earth belongs to the Lord and his Saints. Resolved, That we are his Saints. Resolred, That we take possession of the earth." Both grandfathers fought in the Revolutionary war and belonged to the militia. All of Mr. Harrison's anees- tors on both sides of the house were mem- bers of the Presbyterian church of Cald- well, New Jersey, and at this church where the family had worshiped for generations, Mr. Harrison was baptized in infancy. The father of the subject of this sketch was married on the 10th of February 1813 to Charlotte Gould, who died in June 1814, leaving a daughter, Charlotte, seven

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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.

months old, now the 'widow Alden,' a resi- dent of Toledo, Iowa, since August 20, 1855. June 15, 1815, he was again married to Mary B. Crane, by whom he had five children. The eldest, Abbie Louisa, wife of L. D. Mozier, of Edison, Morrow county, Ohio, was born May 7, 1816, and with her husband recently celebrated their golden wedding. The subject of this sketch was the second child. Harvey Durand, the third child, was born December 14, 1820; died February 11, 1860, in Missouri. Sarah Jane, wife of Enoch Peasley, a minister of the Friend's denomination, was born De- cember 29, 1822; died near Muscatine, Iowa, in February, 1861. The four child- ren just mentioned were born in New Jersey; Lydia Maria, the youngest, was born in Ohio, July 11, 1825; died in June, 1836. The mother of these children, died in Ohio, August 5, 1826, and May 8, 1828, the father was again married, choosing for a help-mate the widow Blinn nee Beard, of Knox county. By this union there were four children, Joseph, Aaron D., Rhoda, and Lydia; all married and living save the eldest. In 1825, the father moved with his family to Ohio, making that State his home for fifty-three years until his death, which occurred August 25, 1878, being eighty-five years old. He was engaged in the mercantile business for over twenty years, and for a number of years was a Justice of the Peace. The subject of this sketch was reared on a farm receiving a common school education. At the age of eighteen years he was converted and joined the M. E. Church. At twenty, he and his brother Durand engaged in running a saw- mill and clearing a farm of one hundred aeres. After working together for three

years, William Harrison took the farm, and his brother the saw-mill.

May 17, 1843, Mr. Harrison was married to Sallie Ballard, of Sparta, Knox county, Ohio, born October 19, 1818, in Wilmont, Hillsboro county, New Hampshire. Her parents were Frederick and Achsah (Ever- ett) Ballard, both natives of New Hamp- shire. Her father died in Sparta, Ohio, in October, 1868, aged eighty-eight years; the mother died at the same place, Novem- ber 4, 1857, at about seventy-three years of age. Mrs. Harrison's grandfather, Pennell Everett, was a soldier of the revolutionary war, serving for seven years. Ile was born in Massachusetts, September 3, 1758, died in New London, New Hampshire, February 5, 1813. His father, Jeremy Everett, was born in Dedham, Massa- chusetts, in February, 1714. After their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Harrison, lived on the farm, and in January, 1848, sold and moved to Pagetown, Morrow county, Ohio, where Mr. Morrison engaged in the mer- cantile business. In October of the same year, he removed to Mt. Gilead, county seat of Morrow county, and engaged in the same business. In April, 1852, he sold and moved to Mt. Vernon, same State; six weeks later went to Washington .

county where he owned some property, and engaged in the mercantile business. He remained there until March, 1855, when he sold and came west by way of the Ohio and Mississippi river steamers, landing at Muscatine, Iowa, April 16, 1855. After visiting with relatives and looking about the country for a time, he came with his family and effects, to Tole- do, Tama county, lowa, arriving May 13, 1855. Soon after his arrival he purchased

HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY. 601

a saw-mill, containing a lath mill and one run of stone for grinding corn, being then the only place for doing such work nearer than Cedar Rapids and Iowa City. In the following June the mill was destroyed by fire. This was a serious loss to the country and to Mr. Harrison, financially ; however, he did not lose courage but went to work to rebuild. He refused prof- fered aid, and forming a partnership, soon had his mill in running order, and also erected a store building in the south part of town, where he had purchased land and laid out Harrison's addi- tion. In August he went to New York City, bought a stock of goods, and return_ ing, engaged in the general mercantile business. After a few months he took in Ira Taylor, as a partner ; they erected a store building east of the present site of the court house, moved their goods into it and continued in business until 1870. In 1871, Mr. Harrison, who was a large stock holder in the First National Bank of Tama City, engaged in the banking business in Toledo, under the firm name of Harrison, Hall & Warren, their institu- tion being known as the Tama County Bank. This partnership was continued until January 1, 1876, when Messrs. Yeiser & Sterrett, land and loan agents, became his partners, under firm name of Harrison, Yieser & Company. During that year they built the Toledo House and moved their business into the rooms now occupied by the Toledo City Bank, where they con- tinued until the death of Mr. Yeiser, in December, 1877. The remaining partners closed up the business, paying off all the depositors, and the following spring sold the building to A. Phillips, and the bank-

ing business to Messrs. Wilder & Wieting. Since 1866, Mr. Harrison has devoted more or less of his time to fire and life insurance, and since quitting the banking business, has given his attention wholly to insurance, having worked various com- panies, and originated the lowa Mutual Benefit Association which has its home office in Toledo, Iowa, and is working very successfully. He is also the originator of the Mutual Endowment Association of Toledo, Iowa, and is its Actury and one of the Trustees.

This association is based upon the plan differing entirely from anything hereto- fore known. It is now in its infaney, but bids fair to become one of the most success- ful companies of its kind in the State. Mr. and Mrs. Ilarrison have been blessed with four children: Elvira, born in Delaware county, Ohio, February 14, 1844; married at Toledo, lowa, October 19, 1876, to James A. Harrigan, born in Kingston, Canada, June 6, 1848, and who died of typhoid pneumonia, at Toledo, Iowa, Feb- ruary 15, 1879, leaving a son, James Cor- neal, born July 19, 1878; Louisa and Leander, twins, born December 14, 1848; the latter dying February 15, 1849; and William Henry, jr., born March 15, 1854, now engaged in business, at Toledo, Iowa. Mr. and Mrs. Harrison are members of the United Brethren church, having joined that denomination in 1874, by letter, from the M. E. church, of which they had long been members. Ile has been deeply in- terested in all things of a religious char- acter, and has given most liberally of his means for the furtherance of the cause, and was for a number of years trustee and

HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.

class leader of the M. E. church. He gave largely toward the building of that church, probably in all about $1,000. Since his connection with the United Brethren church, he has assisted that denomination to the extent of about $1,200. Hle gave largely toward the court house, which was built mostly by the citizens of the town. . This connection with the Toledo & North- western railroad shows marked persever- ance, he having advocated the project when other substantial citizens Toledo held back. Mr. Harrison was for several years Deputy United States Revenue Collector for Tama and Benton counties, serving with full satisfaction to all present concerned. Ile has always been a temperate man and a warm advo- cate of temperance principles. He was formerly a Whig; has voted with the Republican party since its organization. Mr. Harrison's life has not been the smoothest, by far ; often has he met with severe financial reverses that would have palled most men ; friends have deccived him and those in whom he trusted have shown themselves unworthy of confidence; but through it all, Mr. Harrison has re- mained true to his manhood, has forgiven where injustice was done, and has pursued the tenor of his way determined to make the best of whatever came.

W. F. Johnston was the second Presi- dent of the Toledo & Northwestern Rail- road Company, and acted in that capacity during the time the company was in ac- tive operation. A great deal of the suc- cess of the company was due to his man- agement and efforts. He was born on the 20th day of April, 1833, in Westmore- landI county, Pennsylvania. His father is

U. S. Johnston, an honored citizen of Toledo; his mother, Mary Keister, was a woman of most sterling qualities and a devoted Christian. She died in Toledo, March 5, 1878. U. S. Johnston and wife were the parents of three sons and six daughters. W. F. Johnston, subject of this sketch, when fourteen years of age, engaged to work as a laborer on a farm through the summer and attending school in the winter. IIe worked in this way to assist his parents, who were in limited circumstances, for three years, when he apprenticed out to learn the trade of car- penter and joiner, following the same for five years. In 1852, in company with his father, he came west and spent the sum- mer in viewing the country, stopping at different points and working at his trade to defray expenses. The following fall he returned to Pennsylvania, where he got employment as clerk in his uncle's store with no understanding as to what his wages should be. Upon quitting this position some time afterward, his uncle offered to furnish him money with which to come west and purchase land, the land or the proceeds to be divided equally; but the offer was not accepted. In the sun- mer of 1856, in company with J. A. Keis- ter, now Probate Judge of Blue Earth County, Minnesota, and G. R. Kemp, he went to Portage City, Wisconsin, where he remained until the following October, then went to Iowa City, working for a time at his trade and afterwards as clerk in a store. In March, 1858, he came to Toledo and purchased a stock of goods in company with H. Galley. They con- tinned in partnership until the spring of 1868, when Mr. Galley sold his interest

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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY:

and the company of W. F. Johnston & Co. was formed, consisting of W. F. John- ston, Wesley Johnston and C. C. Guilford. The firm continued in business until 1879, when W. F. Johnston purchased the entire stock and immediately sold out to W. S. Johnston and John A. Owens. Mr. Johnston has a wife and one child, his marriage oceurring on this 21st day of Sep- tember, 1858. Ilis wife was Miss Maria J. Newcomber, of Westmoreland county, Pennsylvania. She is a member of the Methodist Church where all of the family worship. Mr. Johnston came to the county in limited circumstances, but by close attention to business and skillful management has accumulated a large estate, and is to-day the largest land owner in the county, his accumulated land prop- erty in the county amounting to over seven thousand aeres. In 1881, he built a fine residence in the suburbs of Toledo at a cost of $12,000; his barn is twenty-nine by thirty-four feet and cost $2,000. Mr. Johnston was originally a Whig, but since the organization of the Republican party he has been one of its warm supporters. In 1862 he was elected to the State Legis- lature to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Major L. Clark, who desired to enter the U. S. service. Mr. Johnston was one of the incorporators of the Toledo Savings Bank and owner of the largest amount of stock until the fall of 1881. At the organization of the above institution he was elected Vice-President and has held the same ever since, being the present incumbent. He was also one of the incorporators and stockholders, and one of the board of directors of the First National Bank of Tama City. Mr. John-

ston was elected president of the Toledo and Northwestern rail road at the regular annual cleetion in 1872, and held the position until 1879, at which time Mr. Albert Keep, of the Chicago & North- western Railway, was elected to take his place, Mr. Johnston being retained on the Board of Directors one year longer. Soon after the organization of the T. & N. W. Railway, he was elected by the board as a special committee to negotiate and pur- chase the iron and other supplies for building the road, and also, to make rates for the rolling stock, and later, to con- tract with the Chicago & Northwestern Company for connection, and such other operating or running arrangements as he might deem wise or advantageous to his own company. Mr. Johnston was very successful in these negotiations, and so skillful was the management of the road, that from the day it commeneed running until the change of proprietors in the fall of 1879, it paid a ten per cent. annual div- idend, and never incurred any indebted- ness but that it could readily pay, and did pay. Mr. Johnston was very active in his connection with the road, and probably no one is entitled to more credit for working up the extension of the Toledo & Northwest- ern Railway than Mr. Johnston, he having persistently pushed the matter for several years, making trip after trip to Chicago to talk the matter up with prominent rail- road officials. And possibly, through his and Major Clark's efforts alone, the pub- lie now receives the benefit of this great railroad ; not that they built it, but that they they were the means of getting those interested who did. Another fact notice- able in this connection is, that the mil-

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· HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.

lions at present invested in the Toledo & Northwestern Railway are under the same constitution and regulations that were adopted by the original company, with the exception that now the propric- tors have the right to build, operate and maintain branches running east and west, as well as north and south. In educational enterprises no one in the county has taken more interest, nor given more of time and money than W. F. Johnston. In 1871, he was elected a member of the Board of Trustees of Cornell College, Mt. Vernon, lowa, now one of the best, if not the lead- ing college in the State. In 1877, he was elected one of the executive committee of the same college, and in 1880, VicePresi- dent of the Board of Trustees, all of which positions he now holds. Since his election to a position on the executive committee, Mr. Johnston has been closely identified with the management and interests of the college, and has donated over five thousand dollars to the institution, and also owns a five hundred dollar scholarship for the benefit of worthy indigent students. Mr. Johnston is also deeply interested in the success of Western College, Toledo, lowa, being a member of the building and execu- tive committees of that institution. Mr. Johnston has also given largely to the sup- port of this college, being anxious to assist in making it one of the best and strongest institutions of learning in the State. He was, and is still, President of the Toledo Court-House Association, which built a good substantial court-house, at a cost of thirty thousand dollars, and donated it to the county. Mr. Johnston was the first May- or of Toledo, Iowa ; was for several years one of the County Supervisors, and for

many years was connected with the School Board of Toledo. During the late war, he was appointed Draft Commissioner for Tama county. The enrollment and exami- nations were made, but the delinquent townships make their quota by furnish- ing men and the draft was unnecessary. At the Upper Iowa Conference of the M. E. Church held at Davenport, this State, in 1879, Mr. Johnston was elected one of the lay delegates to attend the General Conference of that church, held at Cin- cinnati, Ohio, in 1880. During the session of that conference, Mr. Johnston was a member of two standing committees- Educational and State of the Church, and was also a member of the special commit- tee on the centennial of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he has been a member since the fall of 1856. Mr. John- ston is kind and considerate to all classes, is indulgent to a faalt, and has sustained thereby many heavy financial losses. Hle is generous, giving freely and liberally to educational, benevolent, Christian and public enterprises. Mr. Johnston owns the farmer's elevator and was one of the builders of the Toledo elevator, being part owner of the last named. He was also one of the original owners of the town sites of Garwin and Gladbrook.

C. C. Whitten, who was General Super- intendent of the T. & N. W. R. R., was born in Iluron county, Ohio, on the 28th day of November, 1833. Ilis parents were Alvin Whitten and Loa ( Snow ) Whitten, who emigrated to Huron county, Ohio, in about 1830. When C. C. was eighteen years of age he went to New York, where he was engaged in various occupations. In 1868, he came to Tama

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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.

county, and at the time of the construc- tion of the Toledo and Northwestern R. R , he took an active part, and was elected by the stockholders as agent and superin- tendent, which position he filled until the road was purchased by the Northwestern company. He was immediately appointed by that company as right-of-way agent, which office he has filled with complete satisfaction to the company and credit to himself. Mr. Whitten since coming to the county has accumulated a competency, now owning one thousand acres of valua_ ble land in Spring Creek township, besides considerable town property along the Toledo & Northwestern line of railroad. He was married, December 25, 1860, to Miss Elizabeth Stacy. Mr. and Mrs. Whitten have been blessed with three children-Emma, Minnie and Loa.

BURLINGTON, CEDAR RAPIDS & NORTHERN

R. R.

The Pacific division of this railroad, or as it is usually called, the " Vinton Branch " was constructed from Vinton to Traer, in Tama county, in 1873. Traer remained the terminus of the road until 1881, when it was built westward through Hardin county and Northwestern Iowa. The road enters Tama county by way of section 13, of Clark township, bears to the north of west, crosses the townships of Clark, Perry, Buckingham, Grant, and enters Grundy county.

According to the statement of the Secretary of State for the year 1883, the length and assessed value of the Pacific division of the B. C. R. & N. R. R. in Tama county, showed 18.05 miles, valued at $57,360. This is divided among the townships as follows:

In Clark township, outside of the ineor- porated town of Dysart, there are five miles assessed at $16,000.

Town of Dysart, 1 mile, assessed at $3200.

Perry township, exclusive of Traer, 3.8 miles, assessed at $12,160.

Town of Traer, 1.15 miles, assessed at $3,680.

Buckingham township, 2.5 miles, asses- sed at $8,000.

Grant township, 4.6 miles, assessed at $4,720.

There are two stations on the line in Tama county, Dysart, and Traer.

CHICAGO, MILWAUKEE AND ST. PAUL RAIL .-

WAY.

This is one of the leading railway thor- oughfares of the United States, and its lines reach back and forth over the whole Northwest in a network of iron, having the greatest number of miles owned by any . one corporation in the world. The "Coun- cil Bluffs Line" of this road was construct- ed through Tama county in 1881. It was completed to Elberon in October, 1881. It was speedily pushed on sonthwest, through Tama City, Manning and to Council Bluffs.

I his road enters Tama county by way of section 13, in York township, crosses York, Otter Creek, Tama, the southeast- ern part of Indian Village, the northeast- ern part of Highland and enters Marshall county. There are five stations on the line in Tama county-Elberon, Vining, Gladstone, Tama City and Potter.

The number of miles and assessed value of this road for the year 1883, in the vari- ous townships, was as follows:

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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.

In York township, 6.86 miles, assessed at $14,543.

In Otter Creek, 7.08 miles, assessed at $15,009.

In Tama township, outside of Tama ('ity, 5,03 miles, assessed at $10,663.

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History of Tama County, Iowa, together with sketches of their towns, villages and townships, educational, civil, military and political history, portraits of prominent persons, and biographies of representative citizens, Part 70

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub Publication date: 1883 Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company Number of Pages: 1088

Author: Union publishing company, Springfield, Ill., pub
Publication date: 1883
Publisher: Springfield, Ill., Union publishing company
Number of Pages: 1088