USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 10
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The opinion seems to be quite prevalent that coal is more liable to be present in the valleys or depressions than under the uplands. But it is to be remembered that the existing valleys and hollows were not formed until long after the beds of coal were accumulated, and there is therefore abso- lutely no relation between the configuration of the present surface and the underlying coal seams. The latter are just as likely to occur beneath the uplands and away from the streams as anywhere else, as has many times proved to be the case.
["That coal is more liable to be present in the valleys than under the uplands" in Iowa is not a fallacy, but has a basis in fact with reasons therefor. Coal was formed in depressions or swamps of the then surface. Through land subsidence the whole surface was then covered with water for a long period, during which time sedimentary deposits took place under water, which formed the sandstone, shales and clays that overlie the coal veins. As these deposits were comparatively uniform in thickness, it would follow that where former depressions existed, corresponding ones would occur in the new surface. When the waters receded through an elevation of the land, these depressions would become ponds or lakes, which would over- flow, cutting channels from one depression to another and, flowing in the direction of the general inclination of the surface, form the rivers and creeks.
With the exception of the Centerville thin vein, which belongs to the Missouri coal field, practically all the workable coal in Iowa is in the valleys of the Des Moines and Skunk rivers and their tributaries, the coal vein gen- erally thinning out in the direction of the prairies, under which it is seldom found .- Ed.]
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The coal in this county lies at no great depth below the surface. There is no mine that is over 130 feet deep, and most of them are less than 100 feet. In many places the seams outcrop along the sides of the valleys, as along the Des Moines River two miles below Cliffland Station and at various points along Sugar Creek. The lower beds of coal occur only a little above the Saint Louis limestone. In one instance the vein lies only twenty-five feet above the limestone, in another but three feet. As has already been stated, the maximum thickness of the coal measures in Wapello County is probably not over 250 feet, and over a considerable portion of the area their thickness is less than this. Beneath the uplands, therefore, where it would be necessary to go to the deepest before reaching the lower coal seams. if they were present, it might be necessary to go over 200 feet in order to strike them. To the thickness of the coal measures must also be added that of the drift, which averages about one hundred feet. It is not at all improbable that there are coal seams lying at considerable greater depths than those now worked, and that when the latter are exhausted the deeper ones will be prospected.
While the coal beds vary greatly in thickness, the large majority of those which are being worked now run from four to five and one-half feet thick. In a few instances seams two and three feet thick are being mined, but these are exceptional. It is reported that in the Happy Hollow mine and those just south of Kirkville the beds reached a thickness in places of six and one- half and seven feet. The coal seams are not continuous for any great dis- tance, but are more or less lenticular in shape and thin out toward the sides. No one vein extends over the entire county nor probably even over one township, but when followed for a few miles it is found to pinch out and disappear or to be replaced by another seam at the same or a different horizon. This comparatively rapid variation in the thickness of the beds and their thinning out toward the edges makes it necessary to put down a number of holes when prospecting for coal. A vein several feet in thickness may be struck at one point and in another hole only a few hundred feet distant the vein may be two or three inches thick or entirely absent.
In their mining equipment there is a wide difference in the mines. While the large ones are very well fitted in this respect, the smaller are provided with only the simplest contrivances. In nearly one-half the mines steam power is used for hoisting the coal and in most of the remainder the horse gin is employed. The room and pillar system of mining is the only one employed in the county, and the coal is shot from the solid without any undercutting. The Eldon Coal and Mining Company for several years tried the Jeffery mining machine, but its use was finally discontinued on account of the stony concretions in the coal, which injured the machine and caused much trouble. The coal is now mined entirely by hand. Ventilation is secured in about one-third of the mines by the use of fans and in the rest furnaces are used for this purpose. A majority of the mines are equipped
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with substantial and well-built tipples, in which stationary screens are the only ones used.
The companies operating mines in Wapello County in 1913 were: The Alpine, or Fowler & Wilson Coal Company, general offices, Ottumwa; Anchor Coal Company, W. R. Daum, general manager, Ottumwa; Morey Clay Products Company, D. F. Morey, general manager, Ottumwa; Phillips Coal Company, Henry Phillips, general manager, Ottumwa; the Star Coal Company, W. F. Metz, general manager, Ottumwa ; the Trio Coal Company, Howell Price, general manager, Ottumwa.
A PALACE BUILT OF COAL
The coal interests of this and adjacent counties and the vast deposits that were known to exist prompted the far-seeing business men of Ottumwa, in 1890, to advertise such facts to the world, which they did in this manner : They secured by subscriptions from Ottumwa people a sum amounting to over $20,000, with which they built a palace of coal. This does not imply that the structure was made of such a frail building material as bituminous coal, but the product was used in a judicious and artistic manner, so that coal seemed to be the predominating feature. It was built on the ground immediately north and west of the Union Depot, the property then of Col. P. G. Ballingall, and at last the palace was ready for the opening. The dimensions of the palace were as follows: 230x130 feet, two stories in height, with a tower 200 feet in height. The stories above ground were used for exhibits of various products, agricultural and mechanical. There was a museum attached that was of great interest. In the basement of the struc- ture there was the representation of a coal mine, which was quite realistic. The palace was opened to the public September 16, 1890, and was not closed until October IIth of the same year. Multitudes of people from Southern Iowa were present at the opening, and nearly every day thereafter the palace was crowded. There were days especially set apart for counties in Southern Iowa, as, for example: There was Van Buren County Day, Jef- ferson County Day, Monroe County Day, Davis County Day, Lucas County Day, and so on until each county manifesting an interest had its special day and special program.
Calvin Manning generally acted as manager, and made the announce- ments in a sonorous voice that reached to every part of the building. The Ottumwa Coal Palace Company was incorporated with the following named gentlemen as incorporators: P. G. Ballingall, Charles F. Blake, W. T. Harper, J. W. Garner, A. G. Harrow, R. H. Moore, W. R. Daum, J. C. Manchester, Henry Phillips, A. W. Johnson, Calvin Manning, W. B. Bonni- field, John C. Jordan, Samuel Mahon, F. W. Simmons, J. W. Edgerly, John S. Wolf, A. H. Hamilton, George Riley, A. W. Lee, J. G. Meek, W. B. Smith, Samuel A. Flagler, A. C. Leighton, J. E. Hawkins, W. T.
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COAL PALACE
Photo by Shaw
OTTUMWA COAL PALACE AND INDUSTRIAL EXHIBIT, OCTOBER, 1590-1991 Built of coal, containing practical coal mine and manufacturing and agricultural exhibits of state
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Fenton, Frank Fiedler and Thomas D. Foster. The articles provided that the company should begin business on the first Monday in April, 1800, and should endure twenty years from said date.
The following were the officers and directors of the Coal Palace Com- pany: P. G. Ballingall, president; Samuel A. Flagler, vice president ; Calvin Manning, secretary; W. T. Fenton, treasurer; directors, J. W. Garner, J. E. Hawkins, George Withall, J. G. Meek, Henry Phillips, W. T. Harper, Dr. W. B. Smith, A. W. Johnson and J. C. Manchester.
A list of the various committees with their personnel, follows: Execu- tive, Henry Phillips, George Withall. J. W. Garner; exhibits, Samuel A. Flagler, C. O. Taylor, F. Von Schrader, H. C. Nosler, F. W. Simmons; finance, J. G. Meek, A. W. Johnson, J. E. Hawkins; decorations, J. W. Garner, W. T. Harper, George Withall; building, George Withall. Henry Phillips, Dr. W. B. Smith ; privileges, A. W. Johnson, J. W. Garner, J. G. Meek ; printing, J. C. Manchester, Dr. W. B. Smith, A. W. Johnson ; enter- tainment, Dr. W. B. Smith, J. C. Manchester, Henry Phillips; reception, W. T. Harper, J. E. Hawkins, J. C. Manchester ; police, J E. Hawkins, J. G. Meek, W. T. Harper. Committee on counties-Marion County, Samuel A. Flagler; Monroe County, W. T. Fenton ; Appanoose County, J. E. Hawkins; Davis County, J. W. Garner; Mahaska County, P. G. Bal- lingall and Calvin Manning : Keokuk County, Henry Phillips ; Lucas County, J. G. Meek, F. W. Simmons and W. T. Harper; Jefferson County, A. W. Johnson and J. C. Manchester ; Van Buren County. Calvin Manning.
Many distinguished men of the nation were brought here as guests and speakers during the exhibition. Judge George G. Wright spoke on Sep- tember 18th. Governor Boies was present October 9th, and met President Benjamin Harrison ; the governor and the president each addressed the vast assemblage. This was the big day of the exhibition. Visitors were present from all parts of the state. Wapello County Day was conspicuous in the calendar ; on that occasion 1,000 school children were in line. The fraternal organizations had a day set apart, as did also the traveling men.
The exhibition of the first year was not only successful in drawing large numbers of visitors and gratifying them with the entertainments that were offered, but it was a business success and paid dividends to the stockholders, but nearly all these profits were donated for the next year's exhibition, held in 1801. Calvin Manning was made president of the association, II. S. Kneedler secretary and J. G. Meek treasurer. Carter Ilarrison, the elder, made the opening address on September 15th; Gen. Russell .\. Alger was here on the 17th ; William Mckinley addressed an immense assemblage on September 23d. In company with Mckinley were Senators James F. Wilson and W. B. Allison, Hon. John HI. Gear, Congressman Lacey and other distinguished men. The vast crowds could not all be seated in the palace, and Mr. Mckinley spoke in the open air from a stand erected at the corner of Court and Third streets, near the public park, or courthouse lawn.
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Those who subscribed to the project and made the coal palace possible numbered 395 men and women, the shares being $5 each. T. D. Foster started the list with $1,000, and Peter G. Ballingall subscribed $700. Eleven went in for $500 apiece, and then came in the list of subscriptions of $300, and from that on down to $5.
The above article was prepared and published in the History of Wapello County, by S. B. Evans, 1901. The details are so faithfully related that their reproduction here seemed to be imperative.
CHAPTER VIH
WAPELLO COUNTY ORGANIZED.
The territorial legislature of Iowa passed an act, approved February 13, 1844, creating the County of Wapello. The organizing officers designated in the act were the clerk of the District Court and sheriff. The clerk's duty was to appoint the judges and clerks of election, fix the places of voting, receive, open and canvass the returns, declare the result and issue certificates of election. That clerk was Judge H. B. Hendershott, whose residence at the time was at Burlington. Upon the sheriff, James M. Peck, devolved the duty of posting notices of the time and places of holding the election, deliv- ering to the judges and clerks the poll books, etc. Hereto is appended the organization act :
AN ACT TO ORGANIZE THE COUNTY OF WAPELLO
SECTION I. Be it enacted by the Council and House of Representatives of the Territory of Iowa, That the County of Wapello be and the same is hereby organized from and after the Ist day of March next; and the inhab- itants of said county shall be entitled to all the privileges to which, by law, the inhabitants of other organized counties of this territory are entitled; and the said county shall constitute a part of the First Judicial District of this territory.
SEC. 2. That, for the purpose of organizing said county, it is hereby made the duty of the clerk of the District Court of said county, and in case there should be no such clerk appointed and qualified, or, from any cause, said office should become vacant on or before the 10th day of March next, then it shall be the duty of the sheriff of said county to proceed immediately after the 10th day of March to order a special election in said county, for the purpose of electing three county commissioners, one judge of probate, one county treasurer, one clerk of the board of county commissioners, one county surveyor, one county assessor, one sheriff, one coroner, one county recorder, and such number of justices of the peace and constables as may be directed by the officers ordering said election, the officer having due regard to the convenience of the people, which special election shall be held on the first Monday in the month of April next ; and that the officer ordering said election shall appoint as many places of holding elections in said county as the convenience of the people may require; and shall appoint three judges
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of election for each place of holding election in said county, and issue cer- tificates to said judges of their appointment; and the officer ordering said election shall give at least ten days' notice of the time and place of holding said election, by at least three printed or written advertisements, which shall be posted up at three or more of the most public places in the neighborhood where each.of the polls shall be opened as aforesaid.
SEC. 3. That the officer ordering each of the elections aforesaid shall receive and canvass the polls, and grant certificates to the persons elected to fill the several offices mentioned in this act; and in all cases not provided for by this act, the officer ordering each of said elections shall discharge the duties of clerk of the board of county commissioners until there shall be a clerk of the board of county commissioners elected and qualified for said county, under the provisions of this act.
SEC. 4. Said election shall, in all cases not provided for by this act, be conducted according to the laws of this territory regulating general elections.
SEC. 5. The officers elected under the provisions of this act shall hold their offices until the next general election, and until their successors are elected and qualified.
SEC. 6. The officer ordering the election in said county shall return all the books and papers which may come into his hands by virtue of this act to the clerk of the board of county commissioners of said county, forth- with, after said clerk shall be elected and qualified.
SEC. 7. That James M. Peck be and he is hereby appointed to discharge the duties and functions of the office of sheriff of said county, who shall exercise the duties and functions of said office until the first Monday in the month of April next, and until there shall be a sheriff elected and qualified for said county ; and the said James M. Peck shall give bond and security, and shall take the same oath of office that is required to be taken by sheriffs, which bond shall be approved, and the necessary oath of office administered by the clerk of the District Court of said county; and in case there should be no clerk of the District Court of said county on the first day of March next, then it shall be the duty of the clerk of the District Court of Jefferson County to approve the bond and administer the oath required by this act. And the said sheriff shall be allowed the same fees for services rendered by him under the provisions of this act that are allowed by law for similar services performed by the sheriffs in similar cases.
SEC. 8. That the clerk of the District Court for the' said County of Wapello may be appointed by the judge of said district and qualified at any time after the passage of this act; but shall not enter upon the discharge of the duties of said office prior to the first day of March.
SEC. 9. That all actions at law in the District Court for the County of Jefferson, commenced prior to the organization of the said County of Wapello, where the parties, or either of them, reside in said County of
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Wapello, shall be prosecuted to final judgment, order or decree, as fully and effectually as if this act had not been passed.
SEC. 10. That it shall be the duty of all justices of the peace residing within said county to return all books and papers in their hands appertaining to said office to the next nearest justice of the peace which may be elected and qualified for said county under the provisions of this act ; and all suits at law, or other official business which may be in the hands of such justices of the peace, and unfinished, shall be completed or prosecuted to final judg- ment by the justices of the peace to whom such business or papers may have been returned as aforesaid.
SEC. 11. That the county assessors elected under the provisions of this act for said county shall assess the said county in the same manner, and be under the same obligations and liabilities as is now or may hereafter be provided by law in relation to township assessors.
SEC. 12. That Joseph B. Davis, of Washington County; John H. Ran- clolph, of the County of Henry, and Solomon Jackson, of the County of Lee, be and they are hereby appointed commissioners to locate and establish the seat of justice of said County of Wapello. Said commissioners, or any two of them, shall meet at the house of George Wilson, Esq., near the old Indian agency, in said county, on the first Monday in May next or at such time within the month of May as a majority of said commissioners shall agree upon, in pursuance of their duties under this act.
SEC. 13. Said commissioners shall first take and subscribe the following oath, to wit: "We do solemnly swear ( or affirm) that we (or either of us) have no personal interest either directly or indirectly in the location of the seat of justice for Wapello County, and that we will faithfully and impar- tially examine the situation of said county, taking into consideration the future as well as the present population of said county ; also to pay strict regard to the geographical center of said county, and locate the seat of justice as near the center as an eligible situation can be obtained;" which oath shall be administered by the clerk of the District Court or justice of the peace of said County of Wapello; and the officer administering the same shall certify and file the same in the office of the clerk of the board of county commissioners of said county, whose duty it shall be to record the same.
SEC. 14. Said commissioners, when met and qualified under the provisions of this act, shall proceed to locate the seat of justice of said county, and as soon as they shall have come to a determination they shall commit to writing the place so selected. with a particular description thereof, signed by the said commissioners, and filed with the clerk of the board of county commissioners in which such seat of justice is located ; whose duty it shall be to record the same, and forever keep it on file in his office : and the place thus designated shall be the seat of justice of said county.
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SEC. 15. Said commissioners shall each receive the sum of $2 per day while necessarily employed in the duties enjoined upon them by this act, which shall be paid by the county out of the first funds arising from the sales of town lots in said seat of justice.
SEC. 16. That the County of Kishkekosh and the territory west of said county be and the same is hereby attached to the County of Wapello for election, revenue and judicial purposes.
SEC. 17. This act to take effect and be in force from and after its passage.
Approved February 13, 1844.
IMPERFECT BOUNDARY LINES
When Wapello County was erected by the legislature its boundaries were defined in the following words and figures, to wit: "Beginning at the northwest corner of Jefferson County, between ranges (11) eleven and (12) twelve west, thence west on township line between (73) seventy-three and (74) seventy-four to range line dividing ranges (15) fifteen and (16) six- teen ; thence south on said line, to the northwest corner of Davis County; thence east, to the southwest corner of Jefferson County; thence north, on the range line dividing ranges (11) eleven and (12) twelve to the place of beginning." From this quotation it is seen that the boundaries of Wapello County were defined in reference to those of Jefferson County. The latter county had been established in 1839. Its western boundary was the western line of the Sac and Fox cession of October 21, 1837. This line ran, not from north to south, but from northeast to southwest. Since the boundaries of Jefferson County had never been altered in the meantime, this northeast and southwest line was still in the western boundary of Jefferson in 1843 when Wapello was created. The eastern boundary of Wapello was, there- fore, defective. "Beginning at the northwest corner of Jefferson County" would not be beginning on the line between ranges eleven and twelve, as the law implies. And, similarly, the eastern boundary could not run north, from the southwest corner of Jefferson County, on the line between ranges eleven and twelve. Even if it did, it would not arrive at "the place of begin- ning" mentioned above. It seems too much to imply that the peculiar wording of the definition of the boundaries of Wapello County as quoted above was enough to alter legally the location of the western boundary of Jefferson County. The boundaries of Wapello County have never been altered, but remain defective today. Technically there exists a triangular strip of land between Wapello and Jefferson counties which is icluded within neither.
FIRST ELECTION
The first election in Wapello County was held April 1, 1844. The judges were David P. Smith, Peter Barnett, Jacob Daily, Alvin Lewis, Nason
.
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Roberts, Lewis Cobler, James T. Coleman, John Huffstetter, James Acton, William Miller, Willoughby Randolph, William R. Ross, Jonathan Davis, William C. Mclntire, John W. Caldwell, J. P. Eddy, James Weir, Jefferson Redman, Daniel Dennison, James Broherd, Josiah C. Boggs, Nelson West- cott, N. B. Preston, John Miller, William Kendrick, Robert II. Ivers, James F. Adams, Gamaliel Belknap, Lawson Bradley, Reuben Meyers, Demps Grigsby, Mahlon Wright, Alexander B. Smith, Joseph Leighton. The clerks were: William A. Houghland. A. C. Logan, James R. Fisher, James Hilton, Thomas Wright, N. D. Earl, William S. Campbell, Hiram Lambert, Thomas J. Limard, William B. Street, William Newell, George Wilson, Samuel J. Warden, Lewis Kenney, David F. Parrott, George H. Gow, James P. Bradley, Thomas Ping, R. V. Holcomb, Joseph Myers, Jonathan Hodson, Curtis Knight.
The election resulted in the return of the following officials, the first to serve the county in its governmental affairs: Commissioners, James M. Montgomery, Lewis F. Temple and Charles F. Harrow; commissioners' clerk, Charles Overman; judge of probate, Paul C. Jeffries ; sheriff, Joseph Hayne; assessor, James Caldwell; treasurer, Thomas Foster; recorder, Milton J. Spurlock ; surveyor, Hugh George.
FIRST COMMISSIONERS' COURT
The board of county commissioners held its first meeting May 20, 1844. The members, Lewis F. Temple, James Montgomery and Charles F. Harrow, were all present. These with the other officials qualified and the government of Wapello County was inaugurated.
The first transactions of the board consisted in the granting of a license to David Glass to keep a grocery in Ottumwa. This does not appear con- sistent when it is shown by the commissioners' minute book that the meeting of the board was held at "Louisville," the name first given the county seat, by the locating commissioners.
On May 20, 1844, Washington Township was erected, and at the June meeting of the court, Pleasant, Competine, Columbia, Center, Dahlonega, Richland and Adams townships were created. Provisions were made for elections in these new entities as follows : Washington, the election was to be held at the house of Thomas Ping; judges, Reuben Meyers, Robert Wright and - Garrettson. Pleasant, at the house of John McDowell, Sr .; judges, Charles Coleman, John Clark, John McDowell. Competine, at the house of Mahlon Wright; judges, Joseph Leighton, W. H. McGuire, Mahlon Wright. Richland, at the house of Thomas Pollock ; judges, Jacob C. Mosin, Sidney H. Saylor, Cyrus Spurlock. Columbia, at house of David Meigs ; judges, Walter Clement, John Miller, Jacob Burgett. Green, at the house of - Jackson ; judges, Jackson, David Glass, Benjamin Hammett. Center, at Louisville in August ; judges, John Fuller, D. F. Ballard, Nason
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