USA > Iowa > Taylor County > History of Taylor County, Iowa; from the earliest historic times to 1910, biographical sketches of some prominent citizens > Part 3
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County Court, October Term, 1854.
Ordered, that Benton township be divided by the township line between townships 67 and 68, east and west, and bounded on the south by the state line, on the west by the west fork of the One Hundred and Two river, and on the east by range lines thirty-three and thirty-four, and said township shall be known as Ross township, and the place of voting shall be at the house of John Lambert, in said township.
The population of the county, was rapidly increasing at this time, and the new comers began petitioning for townships, and in most cases the petitions were granted as the increasing legal business of the county made it necessary.
It was a toilsome trip to some of the residents to come to the county seat, when they needed the services of a justice of the peace, and this many were com- pelled to do, as their own justice was frequently far removed from them and the limits of his jurisdiction great. The southern and western portions of the county grew in population more rapidly than other sections, and in this part the next change occurred as follows :
March Term, County Court, 1855.
It is ordered that the lines of Polk, Benton and Jackson townships be so changed as to form a township bounded as follows: beginning on the county line between Page and Taylor counties, on the line dividing townships 68 and 69, thence east along said line to the range line dividing ranges 33 and 34, thence with said range to the township line between townships 69 and 70, thence east along said line to range 32 and 33; then with said range line north to the northern boundary of Taylor county ; thence west with said county line to Page county ; thence south with said line to the place of beginning ; and to be known as Wash- ington township. The first election shall be held at the house of William Seabolt, in said township.
The next change was made by the county court, June 10, 1857.
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
Ordered, that sections 28, 29, 30, 31, 32 and 33 in township 68, range 33, and all of township 68, range 34, to extend westward on township 68, range 35, as far as the west fork of. the One hundred and Two river, shall compose the town- ship of Benton, for all township purposes, and all other orders concerning the boundaries of said township are hereby annulled. The next action taken in reference to this matter bears the date of February 20, 1858.
It consisted in re-townshiping the entire county, changing the boundaries that already existed, and instituting new political divisions.
Herewith is given the entire action of the county court :
February 20, 1858 .- It is hereby ordered by the county court that the county of Taylor be, and the same is hereby altered, changed and divided into municipal townships and election precincts as follows: to-wit, townships 67 and 68 north, of range 32, west, shall constitute one civil township, and shall be known as Jefferson township.
September 25, 1858 .- It is hereby ordered by the county court of Taylor county that section I and the north half of section 12, township 67, range 33, are hereby added to Jefferson township.
Townships 69 and 70, north of range 32 west, shall constitute one civil town- ship, and shall be known as Platte township, and the first election shall be held at the house of Mr. Coplinger, said election to be held on the first Monday in April, 1858. North half of section 6, township 68, range 32 and the east half of sec- tion 25, township 69, range 33, is hereby added to Platte township for all civil purposes.
Township 67 north, range 34 west, shall form and constitute one civil town- ship, and be known as Ross township, with the addition of sections 36, 25, 24 and 13, of township 67, range 35.
Township 67 north, range 35 west, shall constitute one civil township, and be known as Polk township, with the exception of sections 36, 25, 24 and 13.
Township 68 north, range 35 west, shall constitute one civil township, and be known as Mason township, and the first election shall be held at the house of Elisha Gladden, to be held on the 5th day of April, 1858.
Township 69 north, range 35 west, shall constitute one civil township and shall be known as Dallas township.
Township 70 north, range 35 west, shall constitute one civil township and shall be known as Nodaway township, and the first election shall be held at the house of James R. Foster, on the first Monday in April, 1858.
It is hereby ordered by the county court of Taylor county, that, township 68 north, range 33 west, shall constitute one civil township and shall be known as Clayton township, May 25, 1858. It is hereby ordered by the county court of Taylor county, that township 69, range 33 and township 70, range 33, shall con- stitute one civil township, and shall be known as Marshall township, and the first election shall be held at the house of Josiah Littier, May 25, 1858.
It is hereby ordered by the county court of Taylor county, Iowa, that town- ship 67, range 33, and the northeast quarter of section I, township 67, range 34 (except section I and the north half of section 12, township 67, range 33), shall constitute one civil township, and be known and designated as Jackson township. March 3, 1860.
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
Five years now elapsed before further action was taken. At the June ses- sion of the board of supervisors 1863, it was reported that: The committee on organization report in favor of setting apart township 70, range 34, as a civil township, to be known as Holt township, as asked for in the petition, and that the first election be held at the house of A. S. Davis, in said township, and that the clerk of the board give notice of the organization of said township, as required by law.
No other changes were made until 1869, when the following entry appears : September session of the board of supervisors, 1869-Supervisor Flick presented a petition from citizens of congressional township 68, range 32, asking that the civil township of Jefferson be divided, and township 68, range 32, be created a civil township, to be called Gay township, and that Gay street schoolhouse be the place of holding elections, which was adopted.
September session of the board of supervisors, 1869-Supervisor Robinson presented a petition for the division of Platte township. On motion the prayer of the petitioners was granted, organizing township 68, range 32, into a new town- ship under the name of Grant.
In the year 1870, we find the following: September session of the board of supervisors, 1870-A petition was presented from the citizens of township 70, range 33, for a separate township organization, and that the name of the town- ship be Grove, and that Edwin Houck be appointed commissioner to give notice of election, etc., and that the elections be held at the residence of Edwin Houck, which was adopted.
At the January session of the board of supervisors in 1880, the township of Benton was so divided that all territory within the corporate limits of the city of Bedford, should compose a township organization, and be known as Bed- ford township. The boundaries of this township were subsequently amended to read as follows: Bedford township shall be comprised of the east 3/4 of sections 22, 27 and 34, all of section 23, 25, 26, 35, and 36, and the south 12 of section 24, township 68 north, range 34 west.
This was the last township to be created, and only minor changes in boun- daries have been made since.
FIRST LAND ENTRIES.
Prior to the opening of the general land office, at Council Bluffs, which origin- ally embraced within its jurisdiction fourteen counties in southwestern Iowa, the settler held the land by right of preemption and claim laws. This precarious right of claim was the sole tenure, and was precarious because mere occupany of gov- ernment land, without compliance with certain legal formalities, gave no certain property in the land occupied.
Preemptions were different and gave the settler the right to hold one hundred and sixty acres and, when it was surveyed and brought into market, the privilege of buying it at the minimum rate of one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre. But though three hundred and twenty acres, or even more, might be claimed, it was liable to be sold to the highest bidder, at the sales, according to the usual laws effecting the sale of government lands, and those who held claims, merely,
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
were uneasy, since they might lose their lands and the improvements they had made, by being ousted at the sales. Much of the land was worth a great deal more than the minimum price, especially that adjoining timber, or in the vicinity of towns, or such as was new or contained valuable deposits of stone or coal. Specu- lators took advantage of these facts, noted the most valuable portions of the county and were ready to give high prices for them. This abuse could not be prevented by the government, whose duty it was to sell the land to the best ad- vantage, as if a private landholder. This rapacity on the part of speculators led to the organization among the real settlers of protective associations and such vigorous measures were often taken that finally the rights of the settlers came to be respected.
The entering of land was a circumstance, to which the settler looked forward to with hope; then he would be assured of the right to own and enjoy the land he may have cultivated for years, though in fact, it was not his own. How- ever, once it was entered in his own name and the purchase price paid, then his title was held secure and lasting.
Following we give a list of some of the earliest land entries, made at the general land office at Council Bluffs ; the reader will note that most of them were in territory now comprised in the townships of Ross, Polk, Benton, Mason and Dallas: May 24, 1853-southwest of southwest section 29, township 68, range 35, forty acres, James M. Stockton. May 24, 1853-southeast of southeast sec- tion 30, township 68, range 35, forty acres, James M. Stockton. May 24, 1853 -- northeast of northeast section 31, township 68, range 35, forty acres, James M. Stockton. May 24, 1853-northwest of northwest section 32, township 68, range 35, forty acres, James M. Stockton.
May 24, 1853-East half of southeast section 31, township 68, range 35, eighty acres, Thomas Holland.
May 27, 1853-Southwest fractional quarter section 6, township 67, range 35, one hundred fifty-three and seventy one-hundredths acres, William B. Warmsly.
May 27, 1853-Southwest quarter section 5, township 67, range 35, one hun- dred and sixty acres, Elias Bridgewater.
June 1, 1853-West half of northwest section 14, township 68, range 35, eighty acres, James Mason.
June 1, 1853-Northwest fractional quarter section 31, township 67, range 35, one hundred sixty-six and twenty-eight one-hundredth acres, Krout.
June 3, 1853-Northeast fractional quarter section 6, township 67, range 35, one hundred fifty-four and twenty-eight one-hundredeths acres, William H. Ferguson.
July 8, 1853-West half and southeast of northwest and northeast of south- west section 8, township 67, range 34, one hundred sixty acres, John L. Stephens.
July 8, 1853-Southwest quarter northwest section 18, township 67, range 34, thirty-three and nineteen one-hundredths acres, Jacob Miller.
July 22, 1853-Northwest fractional quarter of southwest section 18, town- ship 69, range 35, thirty-nine and eighteen one-hundredths acres, Joseph Buck- ingham.
July 25, 1853-Southeast of southeast section 14, township 67, range 35, thirty-nine and thirty-four one-hundredths acres, Joshua Brown.
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
September 9, 1853-Southwest of southwest section 33, township 69, range 35, forty acres, James Scarlett.
September 9, 1853-East half of northeast section 32, township 68, range 34, eighty acres, Abner N. Dougherty.
September 9, 1853-East half of northwest section 29, township 68, range 35, eighty acres, Samuel Weininger.
September 9, 1853-Southwest of northwest section 18, township 68, range 35, thirty-five and eighty-seven one-hundredths acres, W. W. Scarlett.
September 9, 1853-North half of northwest section 18, township 68, range 35, seventy-five and thirty one-hundredths acres, Samuel Scarlett.
December 9, 1853-East half of northwest quarter section 5, township 67, range 34, eighty-one and twelve one-hundredths acres, James Ross.
December 9, 1853-Southwest of southeast section 5, township 67, range 34, forty acres, John Lambert.
December 9, 1853 -- Northwest of northeast section 8, township 67, range 34, forty acres, John Lambert.
December 9, 1853-Southwest of northeast section 18, township 67, range 34; forty acres, Henry Baker.
December 9, 1853-Northeast of northwest section 18, township 67, range 35, forty acres, Henry Baker.
December 13, 1853-Southeast of southeast section 14, township 67, range 35, thirty-nine and thirty-four and one-hundredths acres, Joshua Brown.
December 13, 1853-East half of southwest section 10, township 68, range 35, eighty acres, James Mason.
December 13, 1853-Northeast of northeast section 15, township 68, range 35, forty acres, James Mason.
December 13, 1853-North half of northwest section 30, township 69, range 35, forty acres, Henry McAlpin.
The above list is but a few of the very earliest entries and does not contain the names of the earliest settlers, such as the Hinchmans, Parkers, Derricksons, Lowe, Ross and others, who were here at the organization of the county, but were slower in making their entries, no doubt owing to the difficulty in making the trip to Council Bluffs. Subsequently, a land office was opened at Chariton, Lucas county and most of the settlers entering land in this county, went to that point. In connection with the early land entries, it may be of interest to give the following unique document, which is found among the early records.
STATEMENT OF ADAM VINNEDGE.
Taylor County, Iowa, February 5, 1855.
I take great pleasure in stating the following facts: I, Adam Vinnedge, came to the above named county in the month of July, 1854, and stopped at the resi- dence of Judge John Lowe, and informed him that I intended to purchase a claim, meaning that I wanted to purchase an improvement on public land, and the above named John Lowe replied to me that his daughter, Elizabeth M. Miller, had a claim to sell and I immediately called on the said Elizabeth M. Miller, and bought the claim on condition that the land was not entered, and paid her five
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
dollars in hand to close the bargain; and I went to the land office at Council Bluffs as soon as I could conveniently do so and entered the said claim subject to the said Elizabeth M. Miller's preemption, after which I paid her, the said Elizabeth M. Miller, two hundred and ninety-five dollars.
On September, 1854, I received from her, the said Elizabeth M. Miller, through the hands of her father, one hundred and fifty dollars in trust to enter land at the land office at Bluff City, Iowa. The money was counted to me by her father, who at the same time, gave me the following numbers of land, towit : The north- west fourth of the southwest quarter of section 29, and the south half of the northwest quarter of section 29, township 68, range 34; and I further state that her father gave me verbal instructions to enter the above named land in the name of Elizabeth M. Miller, and her heirs; and I further state that the said Eliza- beth M. Miller's father-in-law, towit: Jacob Miller, recognized the said claim as being hers, the user, Elizabeth M. Miller's, and seemed perfectly willing that she should receive the money and use it as her own. This statement made in the presence of
MICHAEL HOUSE, MARK MURPHY.
The Elizabeth M. Miller, mentioned in this remarkable document, intended to be very explicit and binding, is the widow of Dr. Luther Bent, and she is still living at this writing and resides with her youngest son, Curtis Bent, in North- west Bedford.
SURFACE FEATURES AND DRAINAGE.
The county is situated on the western slope of the great divide between the Missouri and the Mississippi rivers, and though so near the former, it has still a much higher elevation than the counties along the Mississippi-the difference being two hundred and sixty-three feet above the level of low water in the last named river. The general dip of the surface of the county, averaging two feet to the mile, is west of south and consequently, all the larger streams flow in that direction, and its surface waters find their way to the Missouri.
The largest stream within the limits of the county is the west branch of the One Hundred and Two river, which is formed by two considerable streams, uniting near the north line of Mason township. The extreme northwestern part is drained by the East Nodaway, which enters the county from Adams on section 6, Nodaway township, and leaves it to enter Page county on section 6, Dallas township. A few minor streams of the county flow into the Nodaway, but it drains a very small territory. The west branch of the One Hundred and Two enters from Adams county on section I, Nodaway township and after flowing in a nearly southern direction through Nodaway (first touching the northwest corner of Holt township), Dallas, Mason and Polk townships, finally leaves the county and the state on section 27 of Polk township. Shortly after its exit, it is joined by the middle and east forks of the One Hundred and Two and their conjoined waters flow on to the Missouri.
The middle fork is the smallest of the three, and takes its rise in Washington and Marshall townships, the former being almost entirely drained by the middle
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
fork. The east fork of this river takes its rise in numerous small streams in Platte township, leaving it by two main branches on section 3 which unite on section I of Marshall township; thence it flows southwest, through Marshall, across the corners of Clayton and Benton, and almost diagonally through Ross to enter the State of Missouri.
East of the east fork of the One Hundred and Two river is the small stream, Honey creek, which really rises in Ringgold county, near Clearfield. It flows in a southwesterly direction across Clayton and Grant to Jackson, where it turns to the south and continues that course until it leaves the state. The south- eastern portion of the county is drained by West Grand, Platte and Platte Branch rivers.
Taken all together these streams afford the most perfect system of drainage imaginable ; so perfect in fact, that there is not an acre of land in the county that may be called a swamp. On the streams of the west and southern sections, is where the wooded regions are found; the northeastern portion being almost devoid of timber. The northeastern part of the county is comparatively level ; the southern part a succession of ridges, none of which deserve to be called hills. The prairie occupies the whole of the higher portion of the county, while the timber areas are found on the bottom lands, along the streams; the most com- mon trees being the elm, linden, black walnut, black-oak, burr-oak, poplar and ash. The breadth of the bottoms is variable, being in some places from two to four miles wide, in others little more than wide enough for the stream to pass between the low bluffs.
The wealth of Taylor county is due to the prevalence of the deposit known as "drift," which covers its entire surface. The origin and nature of this material may be fully learned from the geological history of the county. It forms, how- ever, one of the richest of the rich soils for which Iowa is so famous. Analy- sis of its composition shows it to have a very small percentage of clay, and a large percentage of purely silicious material. The county is peculiarly adapted to the growth of those grains and fruits that contribute most largely to the mainte- nance of man. Its fertility is sufficiently well indicated by the rank luxuriant growth of prairie grass and the strength of most of the common wild plants. For centuries the earth has been giving of its substance to the nourishment of plant life, but the return it has gleaned only adds to its powers. The humus- soil containing the remains of vegetation-seems almost endowed, not only with the life-sustaining, but the life producing principle.
The broad acres of Taylor county were not subject to the wonderful changes which have passed over their face without a purpose, and that purpose is suffi- ciently clear and needs no comment. For ages, the earth has brought its increase, and for ages more the process of growth and decay may go on, without destroy- ing the fertility of this wonderful soil.
The nature of the soils of a given district is sufficiently distinct to admit of a kind of rude classification, which serves the double purpose of nomenclature, and indicates their value. To two of the three classes into which they are usually divided ; namely, drift, bluff and alluvial-the soil of Taylor county belongs to the first and last named. As has been said, the drift deposit or soil covers the sur- face of the entire county to a depth varying from five feet to sixty feet. In the
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
"bottom lands." however, is to be found the so-called "alluvial," a soil which, . from the nature of its origin, is probably the very richest known. This latter is the residue or fine sedimentary matter left by the waters of a stream when at highest flood. Rushing down declivities, the waters of both the ancient and mod- ern streams wore away their soft embankments, carrying the material thus de- rived to the lower lands, depositing them at all points where the waters were com- paratively at rest. These constitute the "flat" or "bottom land"-the present flood plains of the county's rivers. Not only will the physical peculiarities of these two formations serve to distinguish them, but the different characters of their vege- tations make an excellent criterion.
The flora of the deeply wooded valleys will be found to differ in many es- sential points from that of the prairies, each of which is characteristic. This feat- ure is a most noticeable one in Taylor county, especially on its western side, which is infinitely diversified with hills and valleys, strangely and confusedly mingled together.
Riding from Bedford in any direction many valleys are crossed and hills sur- mounted-valleys and hills that were formed by great streams that raged through these narrow passes ages ago-and the wonderful and rapid changes in vegeta- tion, from a prairie to a woodland flora was before the prairie had been plowed, a sufficiently plain indication of the changes in the formations on which they flourish.
This remarkable adaptability to certain plants in particular regions, whereas in others their very existence is critical, has induced a vast amount of specula- tion and experiment as to the adaptability of Iowa soils for the growth of forest trees. What is true of this great state as a whole, is true of the county of Taylor.
Dr. White for many years state geologist, gave an admirable summary of dis- cussions on this much mooted point and demonstrated that, notwithstanding the fact that the distance from the northern to the southern limits of the state, is more than three degrees of latitude, in consequence of the slight difference in surface elevation, and the great degree of uniformity in the character of the soil, there is a striking uniformity in the character of the native vegetation; for the same reasons also, there is an equal uniformity in the adaptability of the soil and climate to the production of cultivated crops. There are, indeed, many , species of indigenous plants restricted to certain parts of the state, and others that are found only in habitats rendered congenial by moisture, dryness, barren- ness, unusual fertility, etc., as the case may be; yet these are only exceptions to the general uniformity throughout the state of all indigenous vegetation, includ- ing the forest trees.
The subject of the distribution of indigenous vegetation is a very suggestive and interesting one in all its bearings, but especially when applied to the growth of forest trees, it becomes one of unusual practical importance to every citizen of Iowa. The great importance which attaches to this part of the subject, is apparent from the fact that the wood of forest trees for fuel no less than for other purposes, is an indispensable element in the prosperity, and even the habitation of any country, not to mention the beneficial effects of forest upon the climate,
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HISTORY OF TAYLOR COUNTY
the beautifying and adornment of its landscapes, and the shading and sheltering of its homes.
Dr. White continues: "If there is really an unfitness of prairie soil for the growth of forest trees, then at least one third of our state is worthless indeed. But this is not the case, for personal observation in all parts of the state, extend- ing through a long period of years, has established a knowledge of the fact that all varieties of our indigenous forest trees will grow thriftily upon all varieties of our soils; even those whose most congenial habitat is upon the alluvial soil of our river valleys, or upon the rugged slopes of the valley sides."
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