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 71
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Tama City, 1.03 miles, assessed at
$2,183.
Indian Village township, 3.42 miles, as- sessed at $7,250.
Highland township, 2.9 miles, assessed at $6,148.
This makes a total of twenty-six and thirty-two one-hundredths miles in the county, on which the assessed value is $55,798.
WISCONSIN, IOWA AND NEBRASKA RAIL- ROAD.
The company organized for the purpose of building this road was the Iowa Im- provement Company, and came into exist- enee in 1880, with C. C. Gilman as Presi- dent. The intention was to construct a railway line from Kansas City to MeGre- gor, diagonally across the State. Work was commenced in 1881, and up to May, 1883, the company had completed and in operation forty-five miles of road, extend- ing from Marshalltown to HIndson. It passes through the northwestern part of Tama county, crossing the Toledo & Northwestern railroad at Gladbrook. The only town of importance on the line in 'Ta- ma county is Gladbrook.
This road is usually known under the name of " The Diagonal."
PROJECTED RAILROADS.
The first railroad which was projected to run through Tama county was the Iowa Central Air Line. It has already re- ceived duc attention.
The lowa Central Railroad was the next scheme for a railroad that failed. The company was organized in 1864 at Oskaloosa, which place was to be head- quarters. The object was to construct a road from Albia to Cedar Falls, by way of Oskaloosa and Toledo. The project met with decided favor. A good deal of private subscription was secured in Tama and the county voted an appropriation of $40,000 to aid in the construction of the road through the county. The company commenced collecting private subserip- tions at once and began grading. From Toledo to the north line of the county a grade was almost finished, costing about $35,000. At the January session of the Board of Supervisors of the county, in 1866 it was decided that the appropriation which had been voted the company should be paid in three equal yearly installments. It had been anticipated that an injune- tion would be asked to restrain the col- leetion of the taxes or payment of the bonus, and the bonds and orders had barely been issued when, in March, 1866, the injunction was granted restraining all payment of taxes, bonds or orders. In the meantime, as soon as the bonds and orders had been issued by the county, the railroad company began disposing of them. As an inducement for the citizens to pur- chase, it was offered that every one who would purchase a county order or warrant should have, in addition to such warrant or order, a like amount of railroad stock. This took like wild fire and the warrants were mostly taken up by citizens. Those who at once went to the county treasury and had them cashed were lucky, for it was but a short time until the injunction
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
restrained the redemption of them as stated. The injunction was granted npon the grounds that the county had no right to levy such tax. After this the com- pany was somewhat crippled and struggled to get along, but failed. Finally in about 1867, President Gilman, of the Central lowa Railroad Company began negotia- tions with this company and purchased the road bed and right of way of this line in Poweshiek county and south to Oskaloosa and Albia. This cut the line in two, and the Central Iowa Railroad laid their track on the old line as far north as Grinnell, when it turned westward and passed north, through Marshall county. Thus ended Tama county's hope for the Iowa Central.
A few years later a company was or- ganized at Grinnell, as the Grinnell, Cedar Falls and Winona Railroad Company, for the purpose of constructing and operating a line of railway from Grinnell over the grading of the old Iowa Central road to Cedar Falls, and from there to Winona,
Minnesota. A good deal of work was done to get taxes voted, and with some success; but the aid and backing which they expected from the Central of lowa Company was not forthcoming, and the project died a natural death, In Tama county the townships of Iloward, Crystal and Perry voted aid to the company, and when the scheme fell through Perry town- ship transferred her bounty to the Burling- ton, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad, while the others allowed their proposed bonus to "outlaw."
In 1873 a corporation was formed for building the Peoples' Narrow Gauge Railroad of Iowa. The survey com- menced in May, of the year named. In Tama county the proposed line was to run from near the centre on the west line of Spring Creek township, to, or near Union Grove, from there east along or near the south line of Crystal, Perry and Clark townships. The project soon fell through.
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
CHAPTER XX.
BUCKINGHAM TOWNSHIP.
This is a full congressional township, comprising township 86, north range 14, west of the fifth principal meridian. It is located in the northern tier of townships, and is bounded on the north by Black llawk county, on the west by Grant town- ship, on the south by Perry and on the east Geneseo. The surface is rolling. The soil is of a good productive quality and many of the farmers are turning their attention to stock raising. It is well watered by numerous small streams. Twelve Mile Creek, a " remarkably crook- ed stream, " enters from Grant by way of section 30, flows east across the town- ship and leaves after crossing section 24. Rock Creek enters the township from the north in two streams which unite on section 2, then flowing through sections 11 and 14, makes confluence with Twelve Mile Creek on section 23. Wolf Creek enters from Perry township on the south, and flowing through sections 35 and 36, makes exit toward the east, on 25. There is some timber along these streams, and in the eastern part-of the township there is quite a large grove called "The Forks." There is a small grove on see tion 28, called "Jaqua's Grove." Some of the very best of farms with most sub- stantial improvements are found here,
and as a stock raising township it ranks among the best.
SETTLEMENT.
The early development of a township depends much npon the character of its first settlers. As a rule in new countries, the first settlers are not the men to subdue any great part of the soil, or make much advance toward permanent improvement. They seem in many instances to only open the way for men of more energy and enterprise. Buckingham township seems to be an exception to this rule, for most of her earliest settlers although some of them made a bad record, were men of industry, energy and perseverance, and consequently it flourished from the begin- ning, and its settlement was rapid and substantial.
The first man to cast his lot here was Norman L. Osborn, who came in January, 1852, and claimed the southeast quarter of section 26. After a few months he sold this claim to Mr. Dunkle, and removing to what is now Perry township claimed the northeast quarter of section 10. In 1853, he sold that claim to Giles and Ira Taylor and entered the northwest quarter of the same section, where the broke several acres and built a log house. Here he remained about two years, then
Hh Hh Hhannisme
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
sold out to Stephen Klingaman and again sought a new field for speculation. He was in Missouri at last accounts. The same year David Dean and family came to the county and claimed the southwest quarter of section 27. His son Ira, entered the southeast quarter of section 28, and the other son, Lude, the northeast of section 33. They all sold out in 1855 and went west. One of the sons is now at Goldfield, Wright county, where he keeps a grocery store and meat market.
John Connelly, a native of Ireland, came here in 1852, and entered the north- east quarter of the northeast quarter of section 36. Ile afterwards murdered his wife, was arrested, but finally escaped and has not been heard of since. The details of this murder may be found in the chapter on "Events of Interest."
Patrick Casey, a native of Ireland, came this same year and settled on section 25. In 1854, he sold his farm and went to Geneseo, where he lived a few years, thien removed to Kansas and enlisted in the army. Ile was discharged on account of disability, and returned to Kansas where he was employed by the Govern- ment to guard military stores. While in the discharge of these duties he was shot by a guerilla, who was taken by the crowd and hung to a tree. Mr. Casey's family now live in Kansas.
Otto Story came with the Deans and made a claim on section 33. He did not prove up his land, but sold out in 1854, and went to Wright county.
Mr. Sprigmire came in 1852, and claimed the southwest quarter of section 26 where he remained a short time and then went to Cedar county.
Alonzo Helm, who came here with the IIelm family, claimed the southeast quar- ter of section 36 and remained a few years when he sold out and left.
Alfred Wood came here in the fall of 1853 and entered land, after which he re- turned to Illinois and spent the winter. In the following spring he started on his return with his family in a wagon drawn by two yoke of oxen, crossing the Missis- sippi river at Port Byron. They were nine days on the road.
Alfred Wood is a native of Massachu- setts, born at Ashfield, in Franklin county, February 26, 1814. He lived on a farm until seventeen years of age, when he re- moved to North Adams and worked in the print mills of that place. In 1834, he started west, making the long and tedious journey to Cook county, Illinois, before stopping. He remained a short time in Chicago, which place at that date con- tained little else than a grocery store and the barracks where the United States sol- diers were quartered, and then went on to the DuPage river, where he engaged in farming until the summer of 1835, when he removed to Rock River. There he was engaged until the following spring in driving a supply wagon for an Indian trading post from that place to Chicago, a distance of one hundred and thirty miles, after which he engaged in farming until 1841. During that year he, in company with his brother Dexter, erected a mill on Rock creek, near where Fenton Station on the C., B. & Q. railroad now stands. They operated the mill nine years, then sold it and Alfred removed to Erie, Illinois, where he entered two hundred and forty acres of land and began tilling the soil
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
once more. During the second year of his settlement there his land was flooded and his crops lost. In 1853, he sold that property and came to Iowa for the pur- pose of settlement. He selected land in this county, in what is now section 30, Buckingham township. After making his selection he returned to Illinois, and in the spring of 1854 removed with his family to this county, but lived for one year in Perry township before settling on his present place in Buckingham township. Upon his arrival here, Mr. Wood moved into a log cabin owned by John Connell, in Perry township, and there lived until the fall of that year, when he erected the first frame house in Perry township and moved his family into it. Subsequently he had the same house placed on his land in Buckingham township. In 1855, he erected the house in which he now re- sides. December 18, 1844, he was joined in wedlock with Miss Betsey A. Moore- honse, of Pen Yan, New York. She bore him four children, of whom one, Charles, is now living, and died July 20, 1855. June 11, 1857, he was married to Sevena Bevan, a native of England. They have been blessed with nine children, seven of whom are now living: John A., Lorenzo E., W. T. Sherman, Albert G., Arthur, Sevena B. and Frederick. Their son Franklin was born October 23, 1862, and died July 4, 1876. lle was struck by lightning and in- stantly killed ; his father, who was with him, was prostrated by the same stroke, but soon recovered to find his son lying on the ground near by, dead. Theodore was born September 22, 1877, and died January 15, 1881.
J. T. Ames became a settler of Buek-
ingham township in 1854, purchasing and entering land on sections 13 and 23, where he has since made his home. lle is one of the largest farmers in this part of the county and is a prominent and respected citizen.
Leander and Theodore Clark came here from Huron county, Ohio, in May 1854, traveling on the cars as far as Davenport, which was then the terminus of the road, there they purchased horses and came from that point on horseback. Leander bought eighty acres of land in township 86, range 14, which is now within the limits of Buckingham, and the west half of the south-east quarter of section 25. Twenty acres of this land was improved prairie and the balance timber. After making this purchase he went to Wiscon- sin and bought three yoke of oxen, a wagon and a breaking plow, and returned to Tama county. 3 lle then bought and entered about a thousand acres of land in the neighborhood of his first purchase, a part of which was in township 86, range 13, now Geneseo township, and commenced breaking in that township on section 30. In 1855, he built a saw-mill on Wolf Creek on the land first purchased In 1857, he was elected County Judge and moved to Toledo. In 1860, he returned to his farm, and in 1861 was elected to the Legislature. In August, 1862, he enlisted in the 24th regiment, lowa Volunteers and was mustered in as Captain, afterward he was promoted to the rank of Major. IIe has made his home at Toledo since the close of the war.
Theodore returned to Ohio without buy- ing any land, but returned in the fall and entered land on section 31, in towship 86
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IIISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
north, range 13 west, now known as Geneseo. In 1857, he purchased a half interest in his brothers' mill, and in the spring of 1858, returned to Ohio and was married, after which he again returned and moved into a house he had previously commenced near the mill. In the fall of that year he moved his house to his land in Geneseo, where he made his home until November, 1877. He then went to Texas on account of his health, and returning the following spring bought land in Traer and erected a house, where he lives at the present time.
Dr. W. A. Daniel who came with the Woods brothers in 1852, and had made his home with them, came to this town- ship in 1855, with his brothers llenry and Jacob and settled on section 33. Henry is now in the furniture trade at Waterloo, where he is doing a good busness. Jacob is in Denver, Colorado, where he is keep- ing the Columbia Hotel.
Fred Church, a native of York State, settled on section 32. He sold out in 1856 and went to Wisconsin. He was after- ward a member of the Legislature of that State, and is now dead.
Varnum Helm was another of the early settlers. He was a native of Rhode Island. At quite an early day he left his native State and pushed to the frontier. He re- mained but a short time in one place, for as soon as the country commenced to settle he would sell out and seek another home farther west. He came from Benton county in 1853, and settled on section 36, in this township. After remai"- ing a few years, although an old man, he became restless and dissatisfied, settlers coming in made him again desirous of
seeking another home in the western wilds, and consequently, he concluded to again sell out and journey toward the set- ting sun. But his wife refused to make another move in that direction, having had all the experience in pioneer life desirable. Not being able to persuade her to accom- pany him he divided the property and journeyed on alone, but soon returned and lived here with his family for a time, then exchanged his land for a farm in Black Ilawk county, to which place he moved and was living at last accounts.
Robert Granger, another settler of 1854, a native of England, came here from Lake county, Illinois, and entered the west half of the southeast quarter of section 36, and the southeast quarter of the north- west quarter of the same section. He im- proved his land and lived there nntil 1874, when he bought a residence in Traer, moved there and yet remains, having rented his farm.
Another native of England, John G. Scott, came in 1854, and settled on section 34. He deserted his family a few years later and went to California. His wife married again and now lives in Mis. sonri.
T. Shiner, formerly from Virginia, came from Illinois, and located on section 34, where he lived until 1868, when he sold out and went to Missouri.
William Gordon, a native of Paisley, Scotland, came from Connecticut to Buck- ingham township in 1854, with his family, and settled on section 33. He remained there until 1878, when he removed to Traer, where he died in 1881. His wife died in 1864. Four of his children, Wil- liam, Janet, Jane and Allen came to Iowa
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
with him. William died February 27. 1859; Allen died December 18, 1877 ; Janet is the wife of Dr. Wesley A. Daniel, of Buckingham. and Jane is the wife of Robert MeCormack.
Another Englishman, John Byworth, came here in 1854, and entered the west half of the northwest quarter of section 34. He received an injury while help- ing to build a bridge on the southwest quarter of section 34, from which he never fully recovered. In 1868, he sold out and removed to Missouri, where he now lives.
George Lyman of New York, was a settler of 1854, and selected the east half of the southeast quarter of section 33. In 1855, he sold to W. A. Daniel and went to Franklin county.
Henry Van Vliet, a Vermonter, came to this township in 1854, and entered the east half of the southwest quarter of see- tion 36. In 1859, he moved to Perry township, where he now lives.
Eli Eldridge came the year following- 1855-and bought land on section 25, where he lived a few years and removed to Grant township. Ile enlisted in the army and died at Jefferson barracks, Missouri, in 1863.
Gamaliel Jaqua, a native of Ohio, arrived in the fall of 1855 in company with four others. They came with team and wagon, crossing the river at Rock Island, and bought land on sections 28 and 33, then he returned to Ohio, came back in 1856, and the spring of 1857, built a house and moved in with his family. He is an in- tluential man, has filled both township and county offices, and at the present time is editing a newspaper in Traer. His father-
ir-law, L. H. Thomas, came in the fall of 1856, and settled on Mr. Jaqua's place, where he still lives.
J. T. Ames, formerly from Massachu- setts, came here from Wisconsin in 1854, and selected land on sections 14 and 23, and the following spring moved here with his family, and now lives on section 23. He is among the largest farmers in the county. William C. Reed came with him and bought land on section 24. In 1866, he sold his farm and removed to Grinnell. lle now lives in Caldwell county, Mis- souri.
George Klingamon, formerly from Pennsylvania, came here with his family in 1855, and finally settled on section 30, where he died in 1879. llis widow now occupies the old homestead.
George Klingamon was born in Colum- bia county, Pennsylvania, October 13, 1824. He was the son of a carpenter and when quite young learned that trade. In 1842 he removed to Ohio, settling on a farm in Auglaize county, and subsequent- ly was married to Miss Mary Tam, a na- tive of Fairfield county, Ohio. They were blessed with two children. In 1854, he made a short trip to Iowa, and during the spring of 1855, removed with his family to this State. He purchased land on seo- tion 30, Buckingham township, Tama county, but did not settle on it until two years later. They spent the first year with Alfred Wood, and the next year lived on Leander Clark's farm. In 1857, they settled on their own place, where the wife and daughter remained, while the following year Mr. Klingamon went to California to seek his fortune. Ile worked in the mines and quartz mills of
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
that State two years, and then returned to his home where he remained until 1863, when he again went west, but this time chose the territory of Montana as the field of his labor. There he followed mining three years, after which he re- turned to Buckingham township and de- voted the rest of his life to farming. He died June 12, 1879, deeply mourned by a large circle of friends and acquaintances. Their daughter Mary died in infancy, and Lizzie, who was born in Ohio, January 28, 1846, died January. 80, 1876. Before her marriage to B. F. Noll, January 5, 1865, she had been a teacher. At her death she left three children-George T., Mary E. and Celia T. Mary E. lives with her grandmother, while the others are with their father in Nebraska.
George Kober settled in Buckingham, in 1855, and remained until the time of his death. Ile was born in Ger- many, March 17, 1830, and died at his home in this county, April 28, 1873. He was an upright and honest man, and his untimely death was deeply deplored by all who had known him. Mr. Kober re- ceived a good education in his native country, where he lived until he was twenty- two years of age. He then came to the United States and settled in South Britain, Connecticut, where he was employed in farming until 1855, when he came to Iowa and settled in Buckingham township of this county. He rented land until 1859, at which time he purchased a farm on section 34. His marriage with Miss Elizabeth J., daughter of Robert Granger, occurred in November of that year. They were blessed with seven chil- dren, six of whom are now living : HIattie
A., Mary E., Elias F., John G .. Sarah J., and Emma A. After marriage, Mr. Kober settled on his farm, and there lived until 1861, when he sold it, and purchased the south east quarter of the same section, upon which he lived until the time of his death.
His brother, John Kober, was born in Germany, June 6, 1843. During 1857 he came to America and settled in the State of Connecticut, where, for some years, he farmed through the summer and attended school winters. In 1862 he came to Tama county, Iowa, and in May of 1874, married his brothers' widow. They have three children : Theodore, Amelia and Frank.
Joseph Keeler, a native of the State of New York, arrived in 1855 and purchased the south half of section 11, and the north half of section 14, for which he paid $2 per acre. In 1859, he sold to the Cum- mings brothers and removed to Kansas.
Daniel C. Ladd was a settler of 1855. He is a son of John and Nancy Ladd, and was born in Delaware county, New York, Angust 21, 1828. His youth was spent in school and on his father's farm. He continued to live with his parents until 1853, when he was married, March 24, to Miss Jeannette George, of that county. During 1855 he came to this State for the purpose of finding a good location for a future home. The summer of that year was spent with J. T. Ames, of Bueking- ham township, and before returning to New York that fall, he had entered a quarter section of land in that township. In the spring of 1856, he removed with his family to this county and spent the first year with Mr. Ames. The following spring he purchased land on section 13,
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HISTORY OF TAMA COUNTY.
where he has since made his home Mr. Ladd has ereeted on his place good farm buildings and in every way has made it a comfortable home for himself and family. Ile is engaged in stock raising and dairying, and we must add that his wife has the reputation of being one of the best butter:makers in the State. At the fair held in Milwaukee by the Union Dairy Association, in Deeem- ber of 1882, she received first premium for the best tub of June butter; also, the first premium for the best butter made in lowa, and the second premium for the second best tub of August butter. They have three children: JohnT., William J. and George D.
George MeKelvey came here in 1856, and made his selection on the north half of the southwest quarter of section 2, where he broke some land, built a board shanty with a bark roof in which he lived until 1859, when he caught the gold fever and started for Pike's Peak. He now lives in Kansas City, Missouri.
Joshua C. Wood settled in Tama county in 1852, and became a settler of Bucking- ham township in 1856, by locating on see- tion 33, where he still lives. Ile is a son of Lyman and Naney (Heekathorn) Wood, and was born in Fairfield county, Ohio, February 1, 1827. Two years after his birth his parents removed to Hocking county, where his father died in 1839. In 1813 they located in Mereer county, re- maining there until 1852, when they came to Tama county, Iowa. They settled in township 85, range 14, (now called Perry township), and there lived to- gether until 1856. October 6th, of that year, the subject of this sketch was married
to Miss Elizabeth Kyle, and immediately came to Buckingham township and settled on seetion 33, where he has since resided. Mr. Wood has improved his land and erected a good set of farm buildings. His wife died in 1857, and the following year he was united in marriage with Miss Hannah MeKune. They have one son living, Francis W., and have an adopted daughter, Olive May. Mr. Wood is a man who possesses many warm friends and has held a number of the township offices.
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