USA > Iowa > Washington County > History of Washington County, Iowa from the first white settlements to 1908. Also biographical sketches of some prominent citizens of the county, Vol. I > Part 10
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A very interesting family was that of the elder Robertson ; the wife and mother was the keenest, merriest old lady in the county.
Seth D. Carris is one of the best heads and hearts in the township. Ile served two terms as county supervisor, and was a wise, just, honest official.
The Griffiths, Brinnings, Luers, Augustines, Crawfords, Luithlys, Blatt- ners, Hollingsworths rank high as desirable citizens.
ENGLISH RIVER.
It was settled early, there was plenty of brush and water, and folk eagerly sought the region, and settled before the land was surveyed, and there was a great deal of violence resulting from jumping claims. Cyrus Cox, Stephen and Jonathan Bunker came in '39, and by 1840 George O'Loughlin, Addison Williams, David Bunker, S. B. Cooper, B. Creswell, Paddy Connolly, Gideon
L
THOMAS B. DAWSON
Platted town of Richmond, 1840. Lived to be over one hundred years of age
DAVID BUNKER Member of Constitutional Convention of 1857
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Bear, Wm. Shaw, Daniel Bunker, John and Joel Tyler and Joshua Williams, Eli H. Adams, Pressley Figgins. Between 1840 and '46 there was a heavy consignment of settlers-Wm. Gwinn and his sisters, Mesdames Mary Bear. Martha Snyder, Elizabeth Adams, Absalom Bush, J. F. Hamilton, Ephraim Adams, John S. Mapel. Peter Sharp, the Bailey family, Wm. Britton, Michael Ween. John Schillig of Alsace, Brantley Bray and Austin, Madison Lauder, W. B. Kerr, J. P., one of the shrewdest men in the county history, a modest, quiet man with a keen sense of humor, full of dry fun and possessed of the liveliest appreciation of the odd people around. It may be truly said that in that first decade, every body had a distinct flavor of individuality ; no two persons suggested each other ; each was distinct, going it on his own judg- ment, not leaning on any one, or imitating any body. Good specimens of what I mean were Gideon Bear, Peter Sharp, and especially C. C. Hasty. He came when he was nineteen years young, one of ten children, breezy, vivacious, humorous. original. By the bye, his claim is still in the family. the only one in English River township, of which that may be said.
The civil township is larger than the congressional. There were territorial local officers before the civil ones had been electedi in April, 1840. So many came. and came so fast, organization was a necessity. In 1853 there were cast one hundred and forty-three votes, and in 1875: the population was one thousand four hundred and thirty-one. The township had outstripped Craw- ford and Brighton, and stood second to Washington.
Jonathan Bunker and Mary Randall were the first wedded pair, 'Squire Gillam tying the knot in '42, and the next candidates for bliss were Mr. Gil- crist and Cynthia Tyler. Rebecca Cox was born in '40 and Abe Bunker in '41.
As early as '40, Richmond was laid out by Thomas B. Dawson, and in '56 he made an addition, and John Bull a second.
Kalona stands on land owned by John G. Myers, and was laid out August 6. 1879. Nine days later S. E. Parker had up a stone building. There was a world of strife between Richmond and Kalona to secure the Muscatine West- ern railway. Kalona won, and the road ran through it in 1879.
Myers was a leading fine stock raiser, who loved a model steer as that English king loved the tall red deer. He loved to go out in the meadow of a Sunday, lie down on the grass and watch the fat cattle grazing around him, and inhale their fragrant clover breaths. He thought it beat any drug store.
Mr. Ramsey built the first grist mill, a small concern on a stream he con- trolled ; that was in '40, when Lewis Vanbuskirk. W. S. Britton, Eli and Ephraim Adams, Levi Randall came, and in '42 Jeremiah Snider. I. S. Ed- mondson and son L. E., and A. J. Rogers. The year before, the Bailey family
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came, and that most vivacious, delightful man, C. C. Hasty. No one like him-the Creator broke the mold when he was fashioned.
David Bunker, as miller and legislator, was a notable man. Nathan Littler and Captain Frank Critz were leading merchants in Richmond, and much in the public eye. Littler was an enthusiast on pioneer life, and for years served as secretary of the old settlers association, and nothing pleased him more on the anniversaries than to dress up in primitive style, half Indian, half pioneer, and kite around the grounds, living over the glorious days. Captain Critz served four years as county treasurer, and won the esteem of all.
Of the farmers, Sam Manatt was a very level-headed, candid, sensible man, a shrewd but fair trader, and he made a good estate. When he and Charley Hasty met, there was a talkfest like a Gatling gun in action.
Kalona is a lively stock shipping point, crowding West Chester closely. The country all around it is unsurpassed. In the season farmers gather in to the enormous barn and buy and sell stock. Market day is as lively as any thing in that line in a big city in Ireland. The town is incorporated, and in every respect it is up to date. A big fire, that at the time seemed calamity pure and simple, turned out to be a blessing in disguise. It is now well built, beautifully built, and an enormous volume of business is done there.
In the old days the stock amusement was chasing wolves on horseback, the men using Roosevelt big sticks. It was more exciting than pony polo.
In the southern belt the settlers are largely Bohemians, who have a pas- sion for land, and are hard workers and saving, and all are getting rich. In the northern part is a large settlement of Ahmish or Mennonites, excellent people and admirable farmers. They are peculiar in dress, plain as Quakers. indeed being Quakers modified by habitat. The young women are frequently very pretty in their demure costume. In time, these fine people will slough that uniform and pass just as Americans, and no better anywhere.
FRANKLIN.
It was originally included in Cedar township, but in '54 Cedar was shoved farther north, and out of that part south of township lines 75 and 76 was organized a township called Franklin. Because it was prairie it was not settled till 1852-56. From '50 to '56 came Joe P., John and William McAnul- ty, Alex. and Cornelius Houck, George Statler, Andrew Cochran, Bill Clarke, David Anderson, D. P. McConnaughy, Amos Miksch and Mike Schilling.
The Sigourney road ran through this township, and it was beaded with taverns or stopping places, to accommodate people trailing to California.
a
JOHN THOMPSON ANDERSON
SARAHI BAXTER ANDERSON
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Cochran kept one, Wells another, and they probably coined more gold than the gold-seekers themselves.
Grace Hill was laid out many years ago, but lacked yeast and did not rise. It has a Moravian church, the only one in Iowa.
West Chester got on the map in December, '72, located on the Knox - ville branch of railway, and from it an enormous amount of live stock is shipped by such active men as Dave Munro and Dick Fisher. They for many years have made it an exceedingly lively burg. The passing of the Milwaukee road created a hamlet, Titus, in a corn field. Uncle Jimmy Stev- enson would be astonished to see a small metropolis on his farm, and would suspect black art and magic.
For many years A. G. Leet and sons have run a prosperous creamery and cheese factory at Chester.
Among the solid farmers in this township are A. and John and Wm. Libe, W. A. Anderson, Wm. Sutherland, George Hayes, John W. Ingham, late county auditor, John E. Griffith; H. F. Miller .! The Enoch Winter estate is large in this township as in Cedar. Here used to live that incorrigible humorist Uncle Billy Dodds. Fun has carried him way into the nineties, that and tobacco.
For several years John G. Stewart kept a short-horn breeding farm here, and did excellent missionary work along those lines. He moved to this city, and served well four years as county treasurer.
HIGHLAND.
It was organized and known as a part of Iowa township, in October, '40, and kept on that lay till '54 when it was really organized. The first settlement was made in '40 by John Clark, with his three sons and three daughters. He died in '65 at the age of eighty years. The next comer was Ahira D. Liming, in '50. John Forbes, Isaac McGruder, Wm. Wallace, Moses Lane, John A. and Amos Bower, Sol. Albaugh, came before '45. The first marriage was that of John Parks and Elizabeth Wallace-why so many Elizabeths in the county ? as if Queen Bess were still alive and popular. The next wedding, Eli Wallace and Margaret McGruder, in '45, Rev. John Hayden getting the fee, amount not stated, and we'd like to know prices way back there.
The first settlers here cuddled as near timber as possible ; the prairie was held by non-residents till 1850, unsettled.
Johnie Tompkins was the first birth.
Harrisburg was laid out by John Burris in '55, on section 14. He bought lots of land thereabouts, sold lots, built one hundred houses, some of theni
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quite ambitious, then he failed and all collapsed. There are several of these aborted towns.
The solid men are Sidney Coon, Samuel Anderson, once county super- visor, Wilbur Gardner, Sam Miller, W. R. Jeffrey, the Wallaces, Captain and Sherd Wilson, Harry White, J. G. Fordyce, the Havels, Benns, J. R. Me- Creedy, Horace Steele, C. W. Busby, and so many Bohemians have come in that the political complexion of the township has been changed.
IOWA.
There were few settlements on English river before '40. In that year the first civil officers were elected, C. D. Gillam and L. W. Bay, justices of the peace ; John Traft and A. W. Davis, constables ; A. H. Haskell, territorial J. P.
Yatton was a post-office in '41, N. P. Cooper the Nasby, mail being brought once a week on horseback. In '42 Mrs. Catherine Marling was weaving carpet, jeans and linen. In '44 Nathaniel McClure got a divorce. Things were doing. In '56 Yatton was quite a place. J. F. VanDyke had laid it out in July, and N. McClure had a flouring mill humming, and it was a stirring trading point, but it began to climb the stairs when the Muscatine Western railway passed through Riverside in 1870. Riverside was laid out that year. The stub road to Iowa city hurts her trade-shoppers will climb aboard and spend their money with the Montgomery Wards and Sears & Roebucks in the university town.
The year 1851 was an exceptional one, so wet, and visited by myriads of passenger pigeons. The flocks darkened the sun and their wings roared like a gale in woods. Boys would catch them in corn eribs before the mob could fly out. The Dautremonts came that year, and the sights made a vivid im- pression on them. They brought a novelty there, a cooking stove. Log and brick fireplaces were the rule, and these were built on the outside of the houses. Cranes with hooks and pots were used by the women in cooking, and also Dutch ovens, a sort of skillet with a cover, and it was set in live coals and coals were heaped upon its lid of a head for more than biblical effect. The incessant rain so raised the streams that mills could not grind, and folks lived on hominy till it became as tedious as quail on toast every day for weeks on end. But they also had game a-plenty, pork, fish, but no bread or vegetables. Deer would come in herds close to cabins. Rattlesnakes were plentiful on the wonderfully flower-decked prairie. It may be said that flowers were so omni- present out in the open, that women did not cultivate them in their houses or grounds. Nature was the gardener.
JESSE BOYD Pioneer Miller near Yatton
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Why not here describe the breaking plows in use? The beam was ten to twelve feet long. hauled by four to six yoke of oxen. It took two men to handle the big thing and the teams. The plow was held level by trucks near the forward end with a small wheel on the land side, and the depth of the furrow could be regulated by a lever. A squad could turn one-half to two and a half acres a day, and the price was three dollars per acre or six dollars a day for the outfit. I never heard of more than one man, handling oxen, in all the county, who did not swear like a pirate. Oxen are more provocative of profanity than mules. They are cunning brutes, lolling out a foot of very red tongue as if melting, just to play on one's sympathies in order to stop. The mournful eye the hypocrites would throw on the driver was like the eyes of a love-sick girl, writing po'try to her lover. And it was next to impos- sible to find the wretches in the morning-they would wander, or hide in bushes, and the one that wore a bell would sneak and lie still and watch the movements of the searchers like an Indian in ambush. If within a mile of water, the oxen would smell it and make a break for it, and snake in plow and all, and drink, or pretend to drink, from June to eternity. I assert flatly, and defy successful contradiction, that no man or youth can drive oxen half a day and not break all the commandments, and would break 'em all if there were fifty more than there are. No ox-driver can lead a consistent Christian life-I know-I have been there. It was a sheer impossibility for me to join the Congregationalists and walk in and out before the congregation in an humble manner, and not be a stumbling block, till we had got rid of the oxen. They caused more wickedness than all other things on the farm. The men folk in any family that kept oxen gave the recording angel a swifter chase for his wages than any other and all other "critters" on the farm, not ex- cepting hogs you are trying to drive, and that run in every direction, to all the points of the compass, except the one way you want them to go. A bas, oxen ! The only work on a farm that can begin to compete with oxen as a stimulus to profanity is, to teach a calf to drink milk. One generally loses four or five finger nails in that tuition, and gets his feet split by hooves, and has milk spurted all over him, and not even patient Moses and Job could stand all that without using language, I guess not.
The fall and spring job was splitting rails for stake and rider fences. And rail pens were made as granaries of wheat, corn and oats. Small grain was cut with cradles, and bound by hand, threshed by cylinder machines, or worked out by oxen or horses treading the straw on the ground. There were no fanning mills or straw carriers-grain, straw and chaff were dumped into pens to be cleaned somewhat later by flinging it into the air, and giving the idle wind something to do besides loafing. It was handy.
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Everybody but republicans loves lowa township-she does roll up the biggest sockdolager of a democratic vote-the fellow fetching in the returns always moves like a healthy avalanche in Colorado. The main crop up that way seems to be democrats. .
The costliest church in the county is there, a forty-five thousand dollar af- fair, and a real piece of architecture, and Father Jacobsmeir, a splendid Amer- ican, has a ten thousand dollar parsonage that takes the gilding and solar shine off from any like concern in this part of the state.
JACKSON.
It was one of the last townships to be settled, though its land is the best, unless Seventy-six be declared the successful rival. The reason, of course, was the superstition about timber. Here was no brush, or fish, or frogs. There were but few settlers before '52. Mr. Lemon came in '43, locating on Goose creek. The "pioneers" there were Wm. Rownd, H. Berdo, Henry Rathmell, W. J. Steadman, George Zeck, David Donaldson, Jos. and Samuel Meek, Samuel Mathers, S. Erwin, M. S. Curtis, the Glasgows, Gallaghers, Wrights, Helwicks, Van Sickles, Gibsons, Caniers, Pearsons, Lytles and others.
The township is well watered ; Goose creek drains east, Long creek south. Davis creek southeast, Camp creek northeast ; the soil is deep, rich, grows everything : clover and blue grass thrive ; few trees to begin with, but groves of maple, ash, walnut, pine, and orchards grow while you wait-just a little while.
A good many of the folk are tinctured with Scotch blood, and the thrifty. industrions Bohemians make the whole countryside a garden. And yet a large number of families left that Paradise to come to town. ] can think of but a few-three Babcock families, Beamers, Rownds, Benns, Reynolds, Van Sickles. Smeltzers, Gibsons, Caniers, Glasgows, Lytles, and Hon. A. Pear- son sold out at a big figure, but very soon got scared and repentant, home- sick, restless and despondent, and bought back his wonderful farm. In 1896, 'Squire Rownd, being sick and without help, sold his farm at forty-five dollars an acre, only to realize how ridiculous he was, and when the late John Smeltzer sold his place for seventy dollars an acre, everybody went straight up in the air looking at the dizzy height of real estate, but that same farm would now sell for, probably one hundred and fifty dollars an acre. So many came in here from Jackson that they were called "The Jackson Colony," and they met as a club and had oysters and oratory and high jinks.
Three oldest kittlens
August 1836
William Moore
Amos Moore Simpson Goble
THREE OF OLDEST SETTLERS OF COUNTY
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Robert Glasgow and Abram Pearson sat in the legislature for this town- ship, J. A. Cunningham was clerk of the courts three terms, and John M. Lytle served as auditor and then as post-master in this city. Honors are easy. Possibly the best posted man in economics and politics in the county is Hon. A. Pearson. When he goes on the stump and talks tariff and what not, he is no dude, he hitches up his pants like a sailor, but look out for that speaker. With his facts, arguments and logic, he is as dangerous as the cars at cross- roads.
This beautiful region was ravaged by a cyclone in June, 1873, destroying the houses of Gilcrist, Caldwell, Tom Waters, Alex. Gibson, Pleasant Plain school house, Henry Waters, David Canier, J. P. Babcock, J. M. Davidson, killing Davidson, L. Housel, Mary Rathmell, Rebecca Gardner, Mrs. Thomas Waters, and injuring many. The financial loss was put at seventy-five thou- sand dollars.
LIME CREEK
It is the biggest township in the county, containing one and a half congres- sional townships, and is six miles north and south and nine miles east and west. The first settlers are named in previous chapters. Mills have abounded since 1840. Musquaqua Indians camped at the mill every year, to get corn ground. Under the treaty, they had no right to be there. At one time soldiers from Iowa city ordered the band away. The chief said they would go as soon as their grist was ready. The chesty Lieutenant insisted that they stand not on the order of their going, but go at once. Then D. W. McFarland grabbed a red blanket from a squaw, put it on, rushed at the soldier, giving the Indian war-whoop, and the way those valiant troopers put spurs to their horses was amusing. At the third annual camp a funny incident occurred. Word got abroad that the Indians had a white girl as prisoner. Philanthropists worked themselves into a lather of sentiment, and Washington sent a company there to investigate, and liberate the maiden if detained against her will. Indeed. they ordered the chief to loose her. He said she might go with them if she preferred. Then these patriots got the lass into a tent and traversed a catechism with her. She used good language, thanked the whites for their interest in her, but she would stay with the reds, they had been kind to her ! Chivalry instantly oozed and leaked, and humiliation set in-the bare idea that she would stay with red men when she could have her pick of the whites ! It was like the courtier Carlyle tells about at a time when their costumes were breeches enormously inflated at the seat with bran-as a swell fellow at pre- sentation to majesty stumbled, fell into a chair that had a nail in it, well, the
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bran ran out and the courtier collapsed. In such plight were the Washington braves, repulsed by a girl.
Wassonville has a considerable history. She was very prosperous from '49 to '60. Gold-seekers .passed that way and left money for supplies. In '56 Jim Lane and company spent a Sunday there, en route to Kansas, and John Brown, before his soul began to march on, halted there three weeks to rest a lame mule, and left two boxes of clothing with a friend, to be called for later, but it was never redeemed. The town was laid out in '40 by Wasson and Waters, Dayton in '54 by Jesse Longwell, and Wellman in '79. Dayton eclipsed Wassonville when the railroad passed that way.
The first marriage was in '41, Philip Hines and Elizabeth McDowell (still another Elizabeth ) ; the first birth, Elijah McDowell. The population of the township in '75 was one thousand three hundred and eighty-three.
Wassonville was another station on the underground railroad, George D. Woodin superintendent in '56. Its people were in earnest about making Kan- sas a free state, the local aid company being Isaac Farley, Myron Fisher and Dr. N. G. Fields. A great many slaves passed that way.
H. H. Willson and his grandson of the same name, and Daniel W. McFar- land and Marcus Hull have represented the township in the legislature, J. S. Mapel served as surveyor, James Waters and S. A. Waters as coroners, Wn1. Allen, Joel Farley, V. W. Carris, Jesse Longwell as supervisors, Tom J. Allen as county recorder, Eardley Bell as county-attorney, and Ellery F. Foster as clerk of the courts.
Among the strong men, besides those named, have been E. W. H. Ashby, Henry Foster, Harry Moore, Charles F. Shaffer, M. C. Struble, J. H. Ihrig, F. E. Rickey, J. R. King, A. L. White, A. K. Stoutner, John Desing, S. Gingerich, R. G. Cherry, the Romines, Shavers, Downings, Palmers, Bulls, Deukers, Yoders, Whetstines, Bradfords, Joneses.
The war record was good. Philip Haynes served in the Mexican war and one hundred and thirty-eight in the civil war, serving three years in twenty-two regiments.
MARION.
This was one of the earliest settlements, dating from '37. Holcomb's saw mill started that year and his grist mill in '39. He died in '42, and the mill finally became the Van Doren mill. Holcomb was the first sheriff. In 39 Jos. Griffith came, and in '47 he and E. R. Barton made beef and pork barrels for Friend, the Brighton packer. In '50, they, with E. R. Johnston, built and operated for several years a steam saw mill. Wm. J. Williams
COPPOCK MILL
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BRIGHTON MILL
THESE MILLS WERE HOT BEDS OF PIONEER POLITICS
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bought the machinery and added wool carding, and ran it in Washington as a woolen factory in Tom McClean's present machine shop, and finally John Graham took it, and tried to run it, hut, though he was about a half brother to a sheep, he found it awkward business.
Isaac Edwards came in '38, and 'Squire Moore annexed him to Miss Annie Custer at John Epley's house, the first wedding, date not given.
The first murder in the county was committed here in '48, and detailed in chapter on crimes and accidents. And in '45 there had been a kidnapping case-see same chapter.
The population in '75 was one thousand and eighty-two.
Eureka was laid out in April, '57, by Jacob Z. Bowman, and was once a rather lively trading place. Another hamlet is Noble, in the southeast cor- ner, named for E. C. Noble who once owned a farm of seven hundred and twenty-five acres. A creamery was successfully operated here several years.
This is the only township in the county that owns a township house for elections, and meetings of all sorts.
The longest, steepest hills in the county are here ; splendid coasting in win- ter. They belie the name "prairie."
This was the nucleus of the Mennonites-see chapter on religion, churches, etc.
The prominent families were the Essleys, Cochlins, Kepharts. Leepers, Grays, Bighams, Beenblossoms, Cliftons, Kauffmans, Hessletines, Carmich- aels, Eichers, Millers, Davisons, Putnams, Hebels, Conrads, Sommers et al.
The Cliftons, a very important family, came in '39. The two-room log house after the surveys stood partly in Marion, Washington county, and partly in Jefferson township, Henry county. The front door and part of the front room were in Henry, while the kitchen and part of the rear room were in Washington county, and they slept in both counties, and consequently had more air than most folks. They used to go to Augusta to mill ; it took a week or two with ox motors ; had to go to mill twice a year, and when meal and flour gave out, graters and coffee mills were used, grating and worrying corn into meal, sifting through bobinet and turning it into corn bread. It was tedious, tiresome work to grate so much meal, and as a sort of tobacco filler they used stewed pumpkin. It helped out lots, and was not half bad. But it wasn't fair to cheat themselves so. They served buckwheat the same way, and the cakes were prime. It was impossible to buy a sieve or a wash tub or board. Miss Jane Clifton's wash tub was a trough hewed out of a log, and her washboard was made of a piece of board cut in ridges with a jack knife. And yet people were contented and happy, and believed they lived in a land of plenty.
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