USA > Iowa > Wapello County > History of Wapello County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 34
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43
327
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
THE DEATH LIST
Of the Blakesburg "squad" who went into the Third Iowa Cavalry, Lient. A. H. Griswold was killed by the enemy in ambush at Village Creek, Arkansas, June 27, 1862; A. K. Ewing was killed in battle at La Grange, Arkansas, May 1, 1863; James Monroe Miller was killed in the assault on Columbus, Georgia, in the last battle of the war east of the Mississippi, April 18, 1865; William Austin and Thomas Bourman were captured at Ripley, Mississippi, June 11, 1864, carried to Andersonville, where they died of starvation. W. H. Blake returned home broken in health and died at his mother's home in Blakesburg shortly after the close of the war, as direct a victim of army service as any who died of battle wounds. Rob- ert Terrill died of pneumonia while at home on veteran furlough, in Feb- ruary, 1864.
OTHER ENLISTMENTS
During the summer of 1861, other Blakesburg boys went to the front as follows: William K. Litsey, Conrad Stocker, Watson Woodruff and Daniel Stocker as members of the Seventh Iowa Infantry; Daniel Ease- ley, Jr., Silas Adams, Lawson Carlton and R. W. Tuttle, First Iowa Cav- alry; Hiram Hull, Eighth Iowa Infantry; A. N. Stamm, Fourth Iowa Cavalry; George Rybolt, Seventeenth Iowa Infantry; the four Stocker brothers, Hiram, Henry, Isaac and Alvin, Thirtieth Iowa Infantry; Capt. D. L. Hardy and Joseph Shay of the First Colorado Cavalry. Of these William K. Litsey was killed at Layo Ferry, Atlanta campaign, May 15, 1864, and Watson Woodruff died in the hospital at Keokuk, of wounds received in the same engagement.
THE THIRTY-SIXTH IOWA
During the summer of 1862 the Thirty-sixth Iowa was organized. Blakesburg and its tributary neighborhoods furnished many men for this regiment, Company B being largely made up in Adams Township. These men were: Capt. S. A. Swiggett, B. F. Abegg, John W. Ayres, Lucius Bond, William Daniton, Nelson Derby, John R. Fent, Lacy Garlinghouse, Ashford Goode, Daniel Goode, Peter Goode, George Howard, Thomas Kendall, John W. McMahill, Amos J. McCormack, H. A. Pratt, Earl Barrows, Ben Carter, Orin A. Derby, Thomas Peters, S. J. Bader, C. W. Reeding, John H. Smith, P. R. S. Tinsley, David S. Turpin, John Wood, Jacob West, Levi West, John N. Belles, Isaac N. Belles, W. C. Derby, and Calvin Smith, all of Company B; Asa S. Baird, Marshal Law, Laurel Belles and John T. Riddle, all of Company A; Anderson Hopper, William H. Taylor and J. S. Robertson of Company K.
328
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
LONG LIST OF FATALITIES
Of the above, Isaac N. Belles, Banion O. Custer, Benjamin Carter and Isaac Belles were killed at Marks Mills, Arkansas, April 25, 1864. The following were wounded in the same engagement: Lucius Bond, James B. Fent, Levi Gates, Peter Goode, Thomas J. McCormack, Calvin H. Smith, Daniel Williams, David E. Williams, Albert Grimes, Thomas A. Carter. Those who have died were Earl Barrows, Henry R. Fent, J. H. Smith, David S. Turpin, John Wood, Samuel H. Terrell, W. H. Taylor and Joseph Robertson-
RECAPITULATION
Number of Blakesburg men in the Thirty-sixth Regiment, total, 44; killed, 4; wounded, 10; died, 8; total, 22. Fatalities and wounded being just one-half of the number enlisted. All those in the battle of Marks Mills who were able to travel were taken to Tyler, Texas, as prisoners of war.
In 1863, J. C. Barrows, George Reed and Charles C. Ross entered the Eighth Iowa Cavalry, and W. S. Coen and Frank Perrin joined the Fifth Iowa Cavalry as recruits.
THE "OLD BOYS"
Blakesburg furnished a contingent of "old boys" who went into the Thirty-seventh Iowa Infantry known as the Grey Beards. They were Theophilus Blake, Sr., Thomas Lottridge, Benjamin Asbury, Joseph Berk- eyson, Charles W. Derby, William Fent, Isaac Hornbaker, Silas Reynolds and Frederick Schroyer .. . While these old boys were not intended for active field duty they were quite as valuable to the service as the younger and more active regiments in guarding prisoners and doing post and garri- son work.
Of the above, Theophilus Blake, Sr., returned home on sick furlough, in 1864, and died shortly afterward. All these are now dead except C. W. Derby, now in his eighty-eighth year, and who lives with his son, Nelson, near Blakesburg.
Thus I have briefly gone over the part taken by Blakesburg people in the great slaveholders' rebellion. The subject is worthy of better treat- ment than I have given it. I think I am correct as far as I have gone, but I fear there are some omissions.
In conclusion I will call your attention to the fact, that in no campaign west of the Alleghenies, but in some part a Blakesburg soldier could be found. Blakesburg soldiers were at Belmont, Donelson, Shiloh, Corinth, Iuka, Pea Ridge, Moors Mills, Hartville, Helena, Vicksburg, Jenkins Ferry,
329
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
Marks Mills, Little Rock, Missionary Ridge, Lookout Mountain, Sher- man's campaigns of a dozen battles before Atlanta. Some were fighting Indians and guarding emigrant trains. Some of them were with "Sher- man's dashing Yankee boys" that went "marching through Georgia." They were in the great cavalry raid in 1864, that annihilated Price's army in the states of Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas; some of them were in that great- est cavalry movement ever made, that left Gravelly Springs, Mississippi, in February, 1865, and in three columns rode over Mississippi, Alabama and Georgia, and fought in the last battle of the war at Columbus, Georgia, April 18, 1865. Some of them were in the chase to catch Jefferson Davis and his cabinet, but a Michigan cavalry regiment had the good luck to make the capture. Blakesburg boys were all right in the Civil war, and made a good record. None were better.
CHAPTER XXXI
PLEASANT TOWNSHIP
In the eastern part of the county is located Pleasant Township, which has for its northern boundary Competine Township, western boundary Dahlonega and Agency townships; on the south is Washington Township, and on the east, Jefferson County. It is composed of all of congressional township 72, range 12, except sections 19, 30 and 31. The township was organized June 3, 1844. The first election was held at the house of John McDowell, Sr. The judges of election were Charles Colman, John Clarke and John McDowell.
The prairie land composing Pleasant is equal to any in the county. It is drained by Cedar, Jordan, Bush and Buckeye creeks. There are about nineteen thousand, one hundred and sixty acres of farm land, which pro- duce fine crops of corn, oats, wheat, hay, potatoes, apples and other fruits. The raising of stock is also an important industry. The Chicago, Bur- lington and Quincy Railroad enters the township on section 6, and running due west, leaves it on section 32.
Among the early settlers were George Harman, John Henderson, James Hill, John Murray, John Huffstetter, James T. Colman, Lewis F. Temple, Thomas Larwood, Samuel McGee, Thomas Brumsley, Manley Blanchard, John Phillips, Calvin Carson, Hiram Fisher, John McDowell, Templin McDowell, John Clarke, Thomas Bedwell, Hugh Conley, Moses Luther, Abel Marsh, John O'Bryant, J. A. Hartman, Thomas Nelson, Thomas C. Carman, Nathaniel Sands, W. F. Parker, Jacob Dailey, Jacob Myers, James Burbage and L. Z. Rupe.
Jacob Dailey, an Ohioan, slipped over the line and into Wapello County, the night before May 1, 1843, the time set for the opening of the "New Purchase," and staked a claim in sections 15 and 22, in the future Town- ship of Pleasant-not, however, before he and others had been driven back by dragoons, or border patrols. Mr. Dailey had his family with him, and built a log house. One side was left open, before which a fire was kept burning to frighten animals and discourage mosquitoes. The first night the women and children were left alone, while the men were on picket duty some distance from them. When disturbed from their sleep by the barking of dogs, the women were greatly alarmed upon discover- ing a number of snapping, snarling wolves, which were prevented from doing any damage by the presence of the camp fires and the dogs. Jacob
331
332
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
Dailey, Jr., was at this time about sixteen years of age. He married Ange- line Wright, daughter of Thomas Wright, who entered a quarter section of land in sections 15 and 22, at the same time as the Daileys. Representa- tives of these two old families are living in the county at the present time.
John H. McDowell was a pioneer of 1843, coming to Pleasant from Indiana, and taking a claim on section 17, which he entered in 1845. Mr. McDowell was a good farmer and lived on the homestead over sixty years, and reared a large family of children.
B. J. Harman was an early settler. Coming from Ohio to Jefferson County in 1842, it was but a step into Wapello, which he made in 1843, at the time his father entered a tract of land in Pleasant Township, part of which afterwards came into his possession.
John Murray, a Virginian, married Catherine Whitmore and in 1841 moved to Iowa. In the spring of 1843, at the opening of the "New Pur- chase," they entered a farm on section 10, Pleasant Township. Mr. Mur- ray became a substantial citizen of this community. He died in 1878.
Jacob Myers settled here in June, 1843, and P. C. Shaw came the same year.
Samuel Marsh was born in Tennessee and became a settler in Wapello County in 1844.
In the year 1840, James Burbage left his native "Albion" and landed in New Orleans. Four years thereafter he was a citizen of Wapello County, having located in Pleasant Township. Here he carried on farming for a period of twenty-three years, when he removed to a smaller farm west of Agency.
William Sands was a settler of 1845.
L. Z. Rupe, a native of Ohio, settled in Keokuk Township in 1845, and engaged in farming. He was justice of the peace over a quarter of a cen- tury, and also held other offices. His son, John M., and other members of his family, were born on the homestead in section 27.
Edward Carman, of New Jersey, came to Iowa in 1846, and upon seeing the land in Pleasant Township, his fancy was pleased and he at once settled on section 27. He lived on the farm until his death, which occurred in 1875. Mr. Carman was no small factor in the development of this section of Wapello County. He was a good man behind a gun, and when a squatter attempted to jump his claim, the Carman keen black eye and unerring rifle immediately induced the intruder to peacefully leave the claim unmolested.
S. B. McClung was a resident here in 1847.
Benjamin Alverson was a native of Kentucky. He located here in 1848, and was justice of the peace a number of years.
H. Creamer left Ohio in 1838, and lived in Illinois until 1848, when he located on section 34, Pleasant Township.
333
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
John O'Bryant came from Ohio in 1849, and settled in this township on section 20.
Joseph G. Hannah came from Indiana to Wapello County in 1849, and located on section 18, Pleasant Township. His death occurred in 1900.
William Shumaker became one of Wapello County's prosperous farm- ers. He was a pioneer of 1850, locating that year in Pleasant Township, on a farm of 160 acres. In 1861 Mr. Shumaker removed to Agency Town- ship, but returned to Pleasant in 1891, taking up his residence on section II.
Washington J. Warren resided in Ohio until twenty-one years of age, and moved to this township in 1850. This was his home one year, after which period he became a citizen of Washington Township, where he pur- chased a farm on section 10. Mr. Warren served his country in the Civil war, after which he returned to his farm and made a success of his under- takings.
William H. Dillon came here in 1850, and Mason Fling in 1853. G. R. Hanna was also here in 1850; J. T. McMinn, in 1857; T. J. Nelson, in 1851; Lyman Perry, in 1851; M. C. Warder, in 1852; Norman Reno, in 1855. He married for his first wife, Mary E. Gillis, born in Wapello County in 1845; for his second wife he took Matilda Smith, born in this county in 1852.
John H. Carter settled in Wapello County from Indiana, in 1852. He married Martha Harman, who came to the county with her parents in 1843. Mr. Carter acquired several hundred acres of land in this township.
John Reno, of Pennsylvania, engaged in farming in this township in 1854, and at the time his son, Norman, was seven years of age. Both became substantial citizens and Norman made a good record as a soldier in the * Civil war.
William Campbell was a Pennsylvanian, who settled here in 1855 with his family. Mr. Campbell represented the county in the State Legislature.
The first schoolhouse was a log building and fashioned like the others described in this volume. The children of Thomas Brumsley, Hugh Con- ley, Thomas Bedwell, James Kennedy, Thomas Larwood and others, were taught the rudiments of an education in this primitive school. Who taught it and when it was established has not been determined even by the most diligent research.
Julia Brumsley, who became the wife of Warren Riffle, died in the residence which her husband had built on the school site after it came into his possession.
The society of the Christian Church built the first house of worship in the township at Bladensburg, in an early day, and among the early min- isters were Revs. Uriah Long, William Spurlock, and G. T. Johnson.
George Harman was one of the first wagonmakers in Pleasant Town- ship, building his shop on sections 5 and 8. At one time a sawmill and
334
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
grist mill was owned and run by Elijah Eggers and David Bedwell. The old industry is a thing of the past.
Bladensburg is an unincorporated village, which was laid out on parts of sections 9 and 16, on the 18th day of March, 1853, by George D. Hack- worth, for Artemus Cockran and William Wright. The place never grew to be of any great importance as a trading point, and now has but a few inhabitants. It has a church and near the village is a schoolhouse.
W. F. Parker ran the first store.
CHAPTER XXXII
COMPETINE TOWNSHIP
Competine Township is the extreme northeastern township in Wapello County. Keokuk County is to the north of it and Jefferson on the east. Pleasant Township forms the southern boundary line and Highland is on the west. Its territory is composed of Congressional Township 73, range 12. This is one of the best townships in the county. Its prairie land is very productive. 22,004 acres are under cultivation. There is some lime- stone of commercial value and coal in this part of the county. The land is drained by Competine and Wolf creeks.
Competine Township was organized June 3, 1844. The first election was held at the house of Mahlon Wright, and the first judges were Joseph Leigh- ton, W. H. McGuire and Mahlon Wright. Its fine lands attracted some of the first families venturing into the "New Purchase" immediately after the opening. Among them may be mentioned the family of Joseph Leighton, Mahlon Wright, Jesse Scott, Dr. Lewis, Alexander Smith, W. H. McGuire, Doctor Troxel, William Payne and others.
Joseph Leighton, with his wife and son, Alvin C., became settlers here at the opening, in 1843. Joseph took up a claim and followed farming until 1846. In the fall of 1847, the family moved to Ottumwa. For an extended sketch of the Leightons, see second volume.
A. Durbin was an Ohioan, who came to Wapello County in 1843. He was a successful farmer.
Thomas M. Dickens came from Ohio in 1845, and settled on section 32,. Competine Township. G. W., Harvey and M. A. Dickens settled here in 1846. G. W. is still a resident.
G. W. Rabout was born in Wapello County in 1847, and for many years was one of the industrious and energetic farmers of Competine Township.
Solomon McReynolds became a resident of Competine Township in 1849, and with his family, was a son, M. L. McReynolds. The family became prominent in the community.
Benjamin B. Phelps, of Ohio, located in this township in 1852, and died in 1875, while on a visit to his son, living in Franklin County, Iowa. Another son, Anselum B. Phelps, also came in 1852.
J. C. Ives came in the fall of 1850; John Phelps in 1852; R. T. Haw- thorne and P. M. Warder in 1853; E. C. Thompson in 1855; and David Siceloff in 1856.
335
336
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
John Lanz was a native of Germany, who came to Wapello County to carve out for himself and family a home in a land free from vassalage and military despotism. He selected Competine Township for his pur- pose in 1854, and located on section 6, where a son, William J. Lanz, was born in 1856.
Notwithstanding strenuous and persistent efforts were made to secure material pertinent to the history of Competine Township, but little was dis- covered relating to the main points of interest. A few families who early settled in this locality still remain but their memories of early events, while given in a general way, fail them in recalling names and dates, hence their recollections are not so clear as to warrant the writer of history to place dependence on the declarations to the extent of transcribing them to these pages. This explanation might also be made in relation to most, if not all, the townships in the county. Unfortunately, too much time has been per- mitted to pass before the important work of collecting data was begun. The men and women who came here, entered land, opened farms and built up the various community interests of the county, are either dead and gone to their final reward, or moved to distant places. But few remain who can tell the story of the early days and the majority of them can only tell the story in a general way, not being able to recall the date of an impor- tant occurrence or the locality where such a one settled, or where the first church or schoolhouse had been built. This handicaps the historian and leaves him with only one recourse-that is an explanation of the situation.
However, it is learned that within a few months after a few habita- tions had been put up by the pioneers, a school was opened for the chil- dren and soon thereafter a log schoolhouse was built and was called the Laurel schoolhouse. The building was also used for religious meetings and entertainments gotten up by the neighbors. One of the first teachers was Nancy Lemmons, who subsequently married John Weaver. Among the children who attended the school were John and Peter Payne, children of William Payne. One of the Payne boys is now a member of the law firm of Payne & Goodson, at Bloomfield, Iowa ; James and Thomas Dickens, long since deceased; Catherine, Henry, Elizabeth, G. W. and Scott Dickens, children of F. M. Dickens. G. W. Dickens is president of the Farson Savings Bank.
A Dunkard church was organized when the township was still young, and the first meetings were held at the house of George Harman. A Methodist church was organized at Pleasant Hill soon after. Among the first members of the latter society were the Shearers, McVeys, Hayes, Slay- ters and McCougers.
Solomon McReynolds built a grist mill and sawmill, which was run by horse-power. Here the settlers took their grist, and also logs, to be con- verted into lumber for the erection of homes and outbuildings.
337
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
FARSON
Farson is a little town-a station on the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, which was laid out for the Milwaukee Land Company, by Burton Hanson, vice president, on section 16, August 1, 1902. It contains about two hundred inhabitants, who maintain a church and school, sup- port three or four general stores and a bank.
The Farson Savings Bank was established in 1905 under the laws of the State of Iowa, with a capital of $10,000. G. W. Dickens is president ; A. G. Harrow, vice president; F. L. Warder, cashier. The institution, while comparatively young and in a small community, is well supported. The last report of the bank showed a surplus of $5,000, and deposits of $85,000.
Vol. 1-22
CHAPTER XXXIII
GREEN TOWNSHIP
Green Township was organized June 4, 1844. The first election was held at the home of Richard Jackson. The judges were David Glass, Ben- jamin Hammitt and Richard Jackson. The township is composed of all of congressional township 71, range 14. It is bounded on the north by Cen- ter, on the west by Adams and on the east by Keokuk townships. Its southern boundary is Davis County. The land is drained by Little Soap, Brush and Village creeks, and is very fertile in the bottoms. Grasses grow in luxuriance and corn is practically a certain crop. The township con- tains about sixteen thousand five hundred acres of tillable soil, from which were produced in 1913, 87.500 bushels of corn; 25,600 bushels of oats; 5,540 bushels of wheat ; 2,870 tons of hay; 1,000 bushels of potatoes ; 2,500 bushels of apples, and there were also raised here 1,540 head of hogs ยท and 1,355 head of cattle.
Among the early settlers in this township whose names can now be recalled were: J. A. Parker, Lee J. Michael, J. W. Hollingsworth, D. H. Michael, once sheriff of the county and member of the board of supervisors ; Benjamin Baum, William C. Thompson, Ezekiel Rush, Benjamin Powell, Isham Higdon, A. J. Redenbaugh, Fred Harness, Levi Orman, A. K. Houk, David Hughey, James Plunkett, Benjamin Hammitt and David Glass, some of whom came in 1843 when the "New Purchase" was opened. Others came in 1844 and later on.
J. A. Parker, a native of Maryland, was in Wapello County as a set- tler in 1843, locating on a farm in section 7, Green Township. He after- wards dug for gold in California, worked at teaming in Ottumwa, and then farmed for many years. He married Pherryba Wellman, daughter of Madison Wellman, a pioneer of 1843, who permanently settled in Adams Township. Mr. Parker died on his farm in 1890.
Lee J. Michael was born in Indiana. He came to Iowa and settled in Wapello County in 1843, engaged in farming in Green Township, served in the Civil war, and was mustered out with the rank of captain. He also served as sheriff of the county from 1888 to 1890.
J. W. Hollingsworth settled in Green Township in 1844, and engaged in farming and milling.
D. H. Michael settled in Green Township in 1845, and located on sec- tion I. He was sheriff from 1853 to 1854; supervisor several years, and held various township offices.
339
340
HISTORY OF WAPELLO COUNTY
William C. Thompson was born in Ohio. He came to Green Town- ship with his parents in 1848, and engaged in farming and teaching until 1873, when he removed to Ottumwa and was identified with the Ottumwa Business College. Served as county clerk from 1879 to 1885.
Samuel Spangler was a native of Ohio. He came to Wapello County in 1853, and located on section 30, in Green Township, purchasing the farm which was thickly covered with brush. Soon the land was cleared, good buildings appeared and prosperity came in due time. A son, Louis, took the home farm, on which he was born, upon the death of his father in 1877.
Daniel Neil came from Ohio to Wapello County in 1856; purchased land and farmed in Green Township; sold the land and moved to Ottumwa, where he operated a flouring mill and a transfer line for several years, and then returned to farming, this time in Keokuk Township.
The first schoolhouse, a log structure, was built about one mile west of Ormanville, in 1857 or 1858. It was taught by one of the Redenbaughs. The pupils were John Henry, Gideon and Mary Ann Harness, Jim and Will Hendricks, Elnora and Alice Goldsberry, Eliza McKee, Mary, M. L. and Lizzie Reed. Mary, daughter of James Hendricks; the other Hend- ricks children are of the L. Hendricks family ; Willoughby, Mary and Mar- tin Orman, Ferdinand, Margaret and Starling Owens, Pauline and Cath- erine Terry ; children of the A. K. Houk family ; George and Elisha, mem- bers of the Adam Houk family; George and Eli Hughey. These were the first children who attended school in Green Township.
The only industry Green Township has ever had was a flour mill-a frame structure, 120x40 feet, and three stories, built about 1855, by Levi Orman, who was also the miller and did grinding for the settlers living within a radius of fifteen miles. Mr. Orman also owned a sawmill, which he built out of native timber.
There were no roads in this township to speak of until about 1865, and the beasts of burden were principally oxen. The first road, however, surveyed in the township was in 1855. Ten years later bridges were built by driving piles into the mud. These were washed away by the first rain of any proportions.
Reverend Polk, a United Brethren clergyman, is said to have been the first one to deliver a sermon in this township, and when Sarah Overman died from scarlet fever, he attended the funeral and preached the first ser- mon of that character. The deceased was buried in the Ormanville Ceme- tery, which was laid out by Levi Orman.
The first marriage to take place in Green Township was performed by . Rev. George Holliday, at the home of Levi Orman. The couple united was James Plunkett and Anna Owens.
The town of Ormanville was laid out by David Orman on section 33 and at one time was quite a bustling little business point, but now there is
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.