USA > Iowa > Warren County > History of Warren County, Iowa : from its earliest settlement to 1908; with biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county > Part 15
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY
A. Randolph's barn being unroofed; farther east on W. Cheshire's farm, a tenant house occupied by Delays, was blown down, and Mrs. Delays and son injured. North, the storm was severe in certain locations. A Mr. Swift, living near Churchville, had his back broken by his house falling on him; his daughter was also injured severely.
In Linn township the storm was severe. The bridge on North river, known as "Tear Down," is gone, as are a multitude of culverts and small bridges in the same vicinity, and indeed in all parts of the county. The amount of damage to our county can hardly be estimated. The growing crops, unless where over- flowed, have not suffered to any extent. Some of the largest corn was broken, but most of it is now growing finely, and presents a very promising appearance. Most of the growing apples in the line of the storm were blown off, and thou- sands of trees in a measure ruined. Small fruits suffered to some extent, but not so severely. Hundreds of miles of fence were blown down or terribly wrecked, even wire barbed fences were lain flat on the ground. Groves have been terribly broken, and in some cases almost destroyed. The number of buildings blown down or badly injured, foots up about one hundred and fifty, with barns and stables nearly double that number. Taking all these things and adding a reasonable amount for injuries, scarcely known, and of which no estimate has yet been made, we presume the total loss to our county will equal if not exceed eight hundred thousand dollars. This may be thought to be a high figure, but when we consider that scores of farmers lost from two thousand to ten thousand dollars each, and hundreds smaller sums, we think our estimate will not be considered much, if any, too high. The damage in town, compared with most parts of the county, is light. Bush's elevator is the most valuable property destroyed. The building used for pressing hay was also blown to pieces. The roof of Thayer & Whitney's and Perry & Shepherd's store rooms were blown off. Part of the Commercial block and Union schoolhouse were un- roofed. Union block was also slightly injured. Jones' livery stable suffered severely, and the west wall of the new hotel was blown down. Shade and apple trees suffered severely, and much of the fruit on the latter was blown off. Thayer & Whitney, and Perry & Shepherd suffered considerable from goods getting wet, not only on Tuesday night, but also on Sabbath forenoon. The damage in the vicinity of Hartford is told by a correspondent from that place, and the injury sustained by that part of the county lying east of a line drawn through our town, will be found in another part of this paper.
The storm was fearfully destructive north of Sandyville, and in the neigh- borhood of Pleasantville. Levi Reeves, two miles east of Sandyville, buildings badly racked; one house blown down. Franklin Reeves' dwelling blown to pieces ; he and his wife were carried with the house several rods. Mrs. Reeves was carried some distance in her bed; she was but little hurt. Mr. Reeves' foot was mashed, and a large gash eut in his head. Mr. Shuler's house was blown down. He and his wife were both in bed at the time. Mr. Smith's house was blown down. A dwelling on Jerry Sandy's place, and occupied by Montgomery McCormick, was blown to fragments, and his wife injured.
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The southern tier of townships in our county suffered but little from the storm of last week.
Among the sufferers by the late storm is Mr. John Laverty, north of town, whose home was blown entirely away.
Though the storm continued in many localities some twenty minutes, yet. at those points where there was the greatest destruction of life and property, it was all the work of a minute or of a few minutes, at most.
W. Curd's residence was struck by lightning on the 4th, and burned to the ground. Mr. S. Moody, three miles northeast of town, had his honse blown to pieces, and his wife considerably injured; the gable ends of John Peck's brick house were blown down, and a schoolhouse in that district scattered to pieces in all directions. Nunamaker's barn, west of town, was destroyed and his house unroofed; the house on Cress' place, in the same neighborhood, was nnroofed. W. Long's barn, northeast of town, is somewhat shattered. and Carpenter's saw- mill, east of town, destroyed. The house on W. Long's farm, northeast of town, was blown to pieces. and some of Mr. Johnston's family, who were in it. were eon- siderably injured. Mr. Johnston's loss is considerable in clothing and furniture. A young man living there had fifty dollars in a box, the box with the money was blown away, and so far only ten dollars of it has been found.
The victims of the storm. five in number. Mrs. Martin and child, Mrs. Ogden and child. and Mr. Hardin's son. were buried in our cemetery on Thursday. Indianola has witnessed many funeral processions, but none more sad and mournful than these. Five persons killed in an instant, and five funerals in one day. is something seldom seen in our town. Bereaved friends and mourning ones have the sympathies of all in this hour of their affliction.
The rain Tuesday evening so injured the railroad track. that no train returned to our place with Indianola guests to Des Moines on the 4th. until Wednesday evening at one o'clock p. m. This was followed by a train on Thursday, after which the waters rose so high and damaged the track to such an extent that no train came in until Sunday morning at ten o'clock a. m. A train went from here to Des Moines Saturday evening.
MORE OF IT.
Charley Bailey, south of town two miles, barn partly unroofed, and fifty apple trees destroyed and corn badly damaged; schoolhouse one mile east of Bailey's blown off foundation. building damaged. Thomas Blackford's barn and fences blown down. A. Scott's barn and house injured. Elias Baysinger's honse blown to atoms. his family. eight in number, were in the house when the storm struck it. One boy badly injured.
At Palmyra, and on sonth for several miles, much damage was done by the storm. At Linn Grove, some three miles south of Palmyra, much damage was done. Mr. Haworth's. Sr., barn blown to pieces, and his home injured. The houses of two of his sons were destroyed.
Dan Van Pelt estimates his loss by the storm, at ten thousand dollars. He is the heaviest loser in the county. He says. however, he is thankful for what he has left, and that his family escaped unhurt.
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FROM HARTFORD.
Last night about ten o'clock a most terrific hurricane passed over this part of the county. doing an immense amount of damage to the growing crops, fences and buildings. laving waste and spreading desolation and ruin in its course. In the southeast portion of the township the storm seemed to be the hardest; in the neighborhood of Uriah Dodson's, it is distressing to behold; Mr. Dodson's twenty year old orchard is entirely destroyed, but one tree left stand- ing. J. Halterman's barn blown down, and his house badly injured, windows and doors blown entirely out. and much of their bed clothing and wearing apparel carried away. The house of Jacob Kirkhardt, containing eleven per- sons, was blown down and literally torn to pieces, and strange to say, none of the family were serionsly hurt, but all more or less bruised and scratched. Also the stable of Con. Reeves, torn to pieces, and his valuable orchard consisting of thirty old trees heavily laden with fruit, entirely destroyed. Hartford, July 5th, '76.
The above is from the INDIANOLA WEEKLY HERALD of Thursday, July 13. 1876. The people who were in this storm still have a vivid recollection of its terrible force, and the rapidity with which it wrought destruction. Many were injured in the storm, of whom no mention is made in the foregoing account. The great wonder is how one hundred and fifty houses could be blown down and some of them torn into shreds. and only five persons killed. The track of the storm in Warren county was from northwest to southeast, a distance of at least twenty-five miles, and ranging in width from one to five miles. People who have been in such storms are always afterward unnerved at the appearance of dark and ominons elouds. The impressions thus fixed upon the mind to be carried during the remainder of life, are not the least of the serious results of a cyclone.
TWO DROWNED IN CLANTON CREEK.
Mrs. J. A. Stewart and her brother-in-law, R. N. Stewart, were drowned in Clanton creek, Jefferson township, June 30. 1869. The following letter from J. A. Stewart, the husband of the drowned woman, explains the circumstances :
Dear Sir :- In the spring of 1869, Mr. Rufus Breekinridge and myself left Mercer county, Illinois, to seek homes in Iowa. We were both young married men, but we left our wives in Illinois. We were accompanied by my brother, R. N. Stewart (unmarried). Mr. Breckinridge settled on the north side of Clanton creek. Brother R. N. stopped at Indianola. I had my house bnilded, and on the 15th day of June, 1869, moved into it. My wife in the meantime had come from Illinois. My brother came from Indianola, and on the morning of June 30th. suggested that he and Mrs. Stewart would make a visit to Mr. and Mrs. Breckinridge, about five miles distant, to which suggestion she readily assented. The summer of 1869 was very wet. and all ereeks were high at times. In going to Mr. B.'s they went some two miles out of their way and crossed Clanton at Small's mill on a bridge. But Mr. B. told them it was unnecessary to go out of their way so far, but to go to the MeGinnis ford near the home of Alex. McGinnis. The water was not knee deep when he had crossed it in the
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evening before. There had been no rain with us after he had crossed it, so they took his suggestion. They had never been to the ford before, and plunged right into it. There was twelve feet of water. They screamed for help, and were heard by a party of men who were working the road a short distance from the ford. They ran to the ford, knowing that some one was in distress, and needing help. James Kirk undressed as he ran, as much as he could, and then stopped on the bank long enough to finish. Mrs. Stewart and the baby (fourteen months old) were floating, but on the opposite side of the creek. Mr. Kirk swam across and rescued the boy. Mr. Alex. MeGinnis attempted to swim the stream without undressing, but found the current too strong, and was compelled to return to undress, but in the meantime she had gone down, and her clothing became en- tangled in a treetop and her body was not recovered until the next day. R. N. was not seen by any one until the next day, when his body was recovered. The boy, Frank W., is now a man of forty years, and is a dealer in autos in Chi- cago, Illinois.
This happened on June 30, 1869; their bodies recovered July 1st; the funerals were July 2nd. They were buried in the St. Charles cemetery, but were drowned in Warren county.
Salisbury, Mo .. April 30, 1908.
J. A. STEWART.
TELEPHONE.
Among the great inventions of the nineteenth century, none has been more generally adopted and none has proven more universally beneficial than the telephone. The telephone and the rural mail have revolutionized country life until urbanites are heading toward the farms. The country women can hold levees by two starting a conversation and then all along the line the full text of the interview can be eanght up by those who desire to hear the news of the morning. By means of the telephone, man has learned how to beat distance; truly the world is coming elose together. It would be interesting to have some mathematician compute how much time and money the telephone saves the world in one day, so that we all might see the real commercial value of this late invention. Considered as an industry. the material employed in its construction including wires and poles, and the great army of men and women employed in building and maintaining it, the telephone is one of the marvels of the ages. It has curtailed no other industry, unless it be the telegraph. As a saver of time. money and labor. the telephone is without a rival, and is certainly the most valuable invention that has greeted humanity in the last thousand years. The idea was flitting around in the minds of inventors for many years, but it was left for Alexander Graham Bell to perfeet the machine and fit it for commercial purposes.
Alexander Graham Bell was born in Edinburg. Scotland. in 1847, studied at Edinburg and London Universities. removed to Canada in 1870. in 1873 became Professor of Vocal Physiology in Boston University. Later he accepted the position of Principal of the school for Deaf Mutes. For some time, he was
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engaged in preparing a class of young women to teach Deaf Mutes how to articulate. This led him to study the philosophy of sound, how to reach the human ear, how to eliminate distance. Mr. Bell received his first patent on the telephone March 7th, 1876. He had given the instrument much thought, but had never put it on exhibition. Two ladies were starting to the Centennial exhibition at Philadelphia, and he accompanied them to the train. They insisted on him going with them to the Centennial, and when he declined the younger of the two ladies burst into tears. This was too much for Mr. Bell, so he boarded the train and went with the ladies. A friend sent his instrument to him and when he decided to put it on exhibition, it was accepted hesitatingly and was the subject of much ridicule. It was taken to the judges, but one of them refused to put the receiver to his ear and another made slighting remarks of the instrument, calling it a "talking toy." All of this treatment weighed heavily upon Mr. Bell's heart, and he felt much discouraged and decided to go back to Boston. Dom Pedro, the Emperor of Brazil, happened to see the
instrument. He had seen Mr. Bell at Boston some time before. After having looked at the instrument and testing it somewhat he spoke of it in the highest terms and made some favorable predictions as to the outcome of the invention and the effects it would finally produce in the civilized world. Lord Kelvin looked at it and exclaimed with much enthusiasm "It is the wonder of wonders."
The committee were affected by the comments of these two distinguished men, and gave the instrument a more serious consideration, yet it was called the "talking toy." This strange instrument, which astonished the famous British electrician was indeed a startling novelty. To scientists, it was a bewilderment; to ignorant people, an amazing toy. Lord Kelvin asked Mr. Bell if his wife might enjoy a test of the instrument on some other day. Mr. Bell replied that the instrument was at the disposal of the judges and that they might experiment to their heart's content, but that he must be in Boston on Monday in order to take care of the class examination. To him, the school was of far more importance than the"'scientific toy" he had been chafed about for months. He left for Boston that evening and never returned to the Centennial. The instru- ment became one of the most amazing things in all the exhibits of The Great Centennial. Indeed it became the "star exhibit." In one year after the telephone was put on exhibition in Philadelphia, it became a public utility and was sought after by business men in various parts of the country. The first long distance, in 1877, was from Boston to Salem, sixteen miles. Now, the long distance is from Portland, Maine, to Omaha, seventeen hundred miles. The advance of telephone communication far exceeded Mr. Bell's expectation. "Hello Central" was first heard in 1878. The Bell company now employs 87,000 persons and means the support of more than 200,000 people. The number of telephones now in use by the Bell company is 5,698,000. The number of miles traversed by telephone wires is over six million. The first message from New York to Chicago, was in October, 1892, so that the New York and Chicago line was ready for use in 1893 at the World's Fair, seventeen years after the "Centennial." In 1905 there were sent forty-one times as many messages by 'phone as by telegraph. The American people are seekers of speed, accuracy
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and directness, much more so than any other people in the world. In Europe, the phone sends only ten times as many messages as the telegraph. The Europeans look upon the phone as more of a convenience, while the Americans regard it as an absolute necessity. Many minds have been working on the tele- phone in the last thirty years, trying to improve the instrument and to make a fortune for themselves. Up to December, 1905, the U. S. Patent Office had issued seven thousand one hundred fifty-four patents, relating to the telephone and its apparatus. Mr. Bell had a hard time to get the telephone introduced and to induce capitalists to take hold of it. Ile offered a one half interest to Chauncey Depew if he would loan him ten thousand dollars, but Chauncey shook his head and turned away, calling it a "toy." Now it is estimated to be worth fifty million dollars. Other noted men who had plenty of money treated Mr. Bell with contempt. Don Cameron drove the telephone from his door. Many capitalists regret their failure to invest in the Bell company's stock, when it was first placed on the market. The speed with which it spread out over the civilized world is the greatest marvel of the age. It is not confined to Christen- dom, but has already invaded Pagandom. It is indispensable to business 01 almost every kind, as well as one of the greatest conveniences of our time. At first telephone poles were eighty feet high, now they have been reduced to thirty, and in the rural districts to a less height than that. At first there were forty to the mile, now a less number will do. At first, chestnut, cedar, juniper and yellow pine were the principal woods, now almost any kind of wood is used that will bear the weight. The Bell company alone uses a million poles annually.
New York City has one phone to every twelve families. Boston has one for every six families. San Francisco had, in January, 1906, one for every four families. The expansion of any kind of business now means an increased telephone-age. Telephones aid business, which may be seen in department stores, riee swamps, wheat ranches, mines of Colorado and Pennsylvania, and in the lumber camps in the primeval forests. The telephone has opened up a new avenue of employment for women. The first woman to have charge of a switch board was at Bridgeport, Connecticut, prior to 1878. The manager of a New York company found it difficult to obtain help. He heard of this woman at Bridgeport and caught the idea. Ilence, he called women to his assistance. Now the Bell company, alone, employs twenty thousand women. Mr. Bell once said "Had I known more about electricity and less about sound I should never have invented the telephone." Some of the foregoing items were obtained from an article by John Vaughn in Scribner 1906. The first telephone installed in Indianola, was about 1881. The Hawkeye Telephone Company now has in Warren county no less than fourteen hundred telephones. They connect with as many more phones in the county which are owned by farmers and independent companies. The company employs regularly fifteen persons, besides those at switches on farm lines. The estimated gross earning of the telephones of this company is $19,600. The Iowa Bell Telephone Company has in Warren county five hundred and fifty phones and employs fourteen persons. There are independent companies in different parts of the county which will be noted in the history of their townships. There is no data by which we could estimate the
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amount of money invested in the telephone business in Warren county. There is no other industry that has grown so rapidly in the last twenty-five years as the telephone; and there is no probability that it will ever become less popular than it is today. The people are infatuated with it as a convenience and find it a necessity in business. The slight cost of a phone brings it within reach of the average family. Mr. Bell resides in a mansion in Washington City, reaping the reward of his great invention that has made his name a household word through- out the entire country.
REPORT OF THE POOR FARM. For The Year 1907.
By the Board of Supervisors of Warren county, Iowa.
The Board met January 7, 1908, to appraise and inspect the County Farm, together with buildings, erops, stock, tools, machinery, etc.
Schedule of the property as we find it.
Farm of 320 acres at $60 per acre. $ 19200 00
Timber land consisting of 30 acres at $25 per acre
750 00
6 head of work horses and 1 spring colt. 775 00
72 head of cattle
1512 00
73 head of hogs.
411 00
Poultry
70 00
Grain, hay and straw
1464 60
Harness
100 00
Farm Implements
300 00
Pantry stores, Vegetables, etc.
208 35
Household Goods, Furniture, etc.
468 00
Miscellaneous
275 00
Total $ 25533 95
Value of Property and Farm January, 1908. $ 26133 10
Receipts during the year 1907 for stock, board, etc. 2067 07
Expense during the year 1907 for salaries, extra help, etc. 3029 51
Improvements, New Buildings, Heating, ete 4688 59
Repairing old buildings, gasoline engine, etc. 421 00
During the year the following erops were raised and harvested on the farm and appraised as follows :
80 acres of corn-32 bushels at 50 cents per bushel $ 1600 00
70 acres of hay-85 tons at $6 per ton. 510 00
40 acres of oats-800 bushels at 44 cents per bushel 352 00
Total $ 2462 00
Respectfully submitted, COY CRAIG, GEORGE FRIDLEY, L. E. HIATT.
County Board of Supervisors.
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REPORT OF INMATES AT FARM.
Total number of persons at Poor Farm January 7, 1907 13
Committed during year 1907. 3
Total number died during year 1907. 1
Total number discharged during year 1907. 1
Total number at Poor Farm January 1, 1908. 14
More than fifty years ago Warren county came into the possession of a tract of one hundred and twenty aeres, six miles northeast of Indianola, which was used as a poor farm for fifteen years. Just what the contract was with the owner of the land does not seem to be recorded, at any rate, the records show that the deed to the land was not made to the county until March 31, 1869. The transfer being made from James Nichols of Jackson, Missouri, to Warren county, Iowa, in consideration of $1940.00. There were several indigent persons in the county between 1854 and 1869, but they seemed to have been boarded out. The records are so meager that it has been impossible to obtain information concerning the methods of that time. At the meeting of the Board of Supervisors, held April 3, 1869, the minutes show that the land was ordered sold. The minutes show about November 6, 1869, that the one hundred and twenty acres had been disposed of for five thousand dollars. The Board then purchased a track of three hundred and twenty acres, five miles southwest of Indianola for ten dollars per acre, which has been kept for a poor farm until the present. No people have taken greater pains to care for their poor than the inhabitants of Warren county. The oldest settlers say that there never has been any serious complaint against the stewards of the poor farm. It has always been understood that the poor have been kindly treated and amply provided for in every sense of the word. The records show that twenty-nine years ago, there were more inmates at the poor farm than now. This is accounted for in two ways: first, the county is more prosperous and there are fewer indigent persons; second, at present more temporary assistance is given to the poor in the township, to aid them in taking care of themselves. Many people have objected to this plan and have urged that the poor be taken to the poor farm, but this would work a serious hardship. In many cases it might be a saving of money, because most of the poor feel it a disgrace to be taken to the poor farm and resent it to the very last. Temporary help sometimes tides a poor person over a difficult place after which such a one is able to get along without public assistance.
In quality the poor farm is about an average in the neighborhood where it is situated. The reason for a county owning and operating a poor farm is apparent. It gives the poor the advantages of country life, it furnishes them an opportunity for suitable employment, as well as enabling them to do some- thing toward their own support. In looking back over the history of this farm, there has been no great change in its management or in its products, further than farm methods have undergone changes in the last few years. The farmers of Warren county are giving more attention to stock raising and less attention to
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