USA > Iowa > Hancock County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 12
USA > Iowa > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 12
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
The Legislature to which this message was submitted did nothing toward the establishment of civil townships, but on January 10, 1840, Governor Lucas approved an act providing for township organization. Under this act the question of forming a new township was to be sub- mitted to the voters residing within the territory it was proposed to include in said township, and if a majority expressed themselves in favor of the proposition the township should be organized. This sys- tem, with some supplementary legislation, continued in force until after the admission of the state in 1846. In the case of the counties created by the act of January 15, 1851, one of which was Winnebago, each was declared to be a single township until such time as the local authorities deemed it advisable to create others.
When the office of county judge was abolished by the act of Marchi 2, 1860, the township system assumed greater importance in Iowa than ever before. The act became effective on July 4, 1860, and required
110
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
the voters of each township in the county to elect one member of the county board of supervisors at the next general election, the supervis- ors so elected to take office on January 1, 1861, and to discharge all the duties formerly performed by the county judge. There were then but two civil townships in Winnebago County-Forest and Pleasant -- the former embracing the southern and the latter the northern half of the county. The first board of supervisors consisted of one member from each of these townships and a supervisor at large. In 1862 the supervisors were given power to create new townships and to regulate the number of members of the board of supervisors in the county.
FIRST TOWNSHIPS IN WINNEBAGO
Soon after the county was organized in the fall of 1857, it was divided into the two civil townships of Forest and Pleasant, as above noted. On June 6, 1864, the board of supervisors, then composed of Charles D. Smith, William Lackore and B. F. Wellman, divided the county into four townships as follows :
"Center Township to consist of and comprise from section 18 to 36 isclusive of township 99, range 26, and all of township 98, ranges 25 range 23, and sections, 1, 2, 3, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27 and 36 and that part of the east half of section 35 north of L Street and east of Fourth Street in Forest City in township 98, range 24.
"Forest Township to consist of and comprise from section 18 to 36 inclusive of township 99, range 26, and all of township 98, Ranges 25 and 26, and sections 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, and the west half of 35 south of L Street and west of Fourth Street in Forest City in township 98, range 34.
"Norway Township to contain or comprise from section 7 to sec- tion 30 inclusive of township 100, ranges 23, 24, 25 and 26.
"Pleasant Township to contain or comprise from section 31 to 36 inclusive of township 100, ranges 23, 24, 25 and 26; also sections 1 to 18 inclusive of township 99, ranges 23, 24, 25 and 26."
On June 3, 1868, the board of supervisors created Iowa Township, which included "sections 19 to 36 inclusive of township 99, range 23, sections 1 to 18 inclusive of township 98, range 23, and sections 19 to 30 inclusive of township 99, range 24."
No further change relating to townships was made until June 7, 1875, when the board adopted the following: "Resolved, that the township boundaries of the civil townships of Winnebago County be, and the same are hereby, so changed that there shall be but three civil townships instead of five as heretofore; and that Forest Township shall hereafter include all the congressional townships numbered 98,
111
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
of ranges 23, 24, 25 and 26; Center Township shall include all the con- gressional townships numbered 99, of ranges 23, 24, 25, and 26; and Norway Township shall include all the congressional townships num- bered 100, of ranges 23, 24, 25 and 26."
PRESENT DAY TOWNSHIPS
Since the adoption of the above resolution on June 7, 1875, various changes have been made in the matter of civil townships, until now each civil township corresponds to a congressional township and is therefore six miles square, except those forming the northern tier, in each of which sections 1 to 6 inelusive lie north of the state line and are in Minnesota. The twelve townships are: Buffalo, Center, Eden, Forest, Grant, King, Lincoln, Linden, Logan, Mount Valley, Newton and Norway. Following is a brief history of each township, and for the convenience of the reader they are presented in alphabetical order, without regard to the order in which they were established.
BUFFALO TOWNSHIP
Buffalo Township is the most western of the middle tier and em- braces congressional township 99, range 26. It was created by the board of supervisors on September 5, 1888, and the first election was ordered to be held at the Barnes schoolhouse. On the north it is bounded by Lincoln Township; on the east by King; on the south by Grant, and on the west by Kossuth County. It was a part of Center Township until the spring of 1881, when it was made a part of Newton. In January, 1886, it was made a part of King and so remained until established as a separate township in 1888.
The surface of the township is gently undulating and in some places the ground was originally swampy. This probably accounts for the fact that the settlements in this part of the county were among the last to be established. The first settlements were made in Buffalo Town- ship while it was still a part of Newton. Within recent years two large drainage districts have been made to include the greater portion of this township, which improvement has reclaimed large tracts of land and has been the means of adding to the population. According to the state census for 1915 the population was 1,500, including the in- corporated town of Buffalo Center, only two townships-Forest and Center-showing a larger number of inhabitants.
The Rock Island Railroad runs east and west, almost in the exact center of the township, and the town of Buffalo Center is located on this railroad, about a mile from the Kossuth County line. In 1916 the
112
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
property of the township was valued for tax purposes at $537,156, these figures including the town of Buffalo Center.
CENTER TOWNSHIP
This township was first established on June 6, 1864, though several changes were subsequently made in its boundaries and it was reduced to its present dimensions in April, 1881. It now embraces congres- sional township 99, range 23, and has an area of thirty-six square miles, nearly all of which is capable of being cultivated. It is bounded on the north by Norway Township; on the east by Worth County; on the south by Mount Valley Township, and on the west by the Township of Newton. Lime Creek flows in a southerly direction through the northwestern part and the southeastern portion has been drained by ditching. The soil is fertile and some of the best farms in the county are in this township. The greater part of the township is prairie, though there are some groves of timber in the eastern and northeastern portions.
The first settler in Center was George Thomas, who came to the county in the spring of 1855 and made a claim about half way between the present town of Lake Mills and Rice Lake, where he lived until his death about three years later. His son, George W. Thomas, came at the same time and lived on the farm with his father until the latter's death, when he went to Colorado. In 1860 he returned to Winnebago County and the following year built a residence in Section 11 and be- came a permanent citizen.
John Anderson and a man named Tangue settled in the township in 1856 and the next year came the three Porter brothers and Joseph Burns. Charles D. Smith settled in the township in 1858 and pur- chased the claim of Joseph Burns. He served several terms as county supervisor and in 1866, in partnership with S. D. Wadsworth, built the steam flour mill and sawmill from which the town of Lake Mills de- rived its name. Later a shingle machine and a carding mill were added. He was the first mayor of Lake Mills when the town was incor- porated in 1881 and is still living in that town.
Another settler of 1858 was John B. Aulman, a native of France, who came to America in 1843, landing at New Orleans, but soon after- ward went to Philadelphia, where he lived until he settled in Winne- bago County. When he first came to the county in 1858 he selected 320 acres of land in sections S and 9, Center Township, and then returned to Philadelphia for his family. He raised the first crop on his farm in 1860.
Between the years 1860 and 1866 quite a number of people settled
1
COURTHOUSES, OLD AND NEW, FOREST CITY, 1996
113
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
in Center. Among them were Patrick Malone, John Johnson, J. J. Kleven, Elef Elefson, Charles Ruby, Thomas Thompson and E. D. Hin- man. The descendants of some of these men still live in the township.
The first schoolhouse was built on section 2 late in the year 1859, and the first school was taught by E. D. Hinman in 1860. There are now six public schools in the township, not including the school in the town of Lake Mills. The first sermon was preached in 1862 by a min- ister named Saxby.
Two lines of railroad traverse the northern half of the township. The Chicago & Northwestern enters Winnebago County from the east, about two miles south of the northeast corner of Center Township and runs northwest through the town of Lake Mills, where it crosses the Minneapolis & St. Louis, which runs in a southwesterly direction to Forest City and north to Albert Lea, Minnesota.
According to the state census of 1915, the population of Center Township was then 2,194, including the town of Lake Mills, showing it to be the second township of the county in the number of inhabitants. The property of the township, including that of Lake Mills, was assessed for taxation in 1916 at $606,583.
EDEN TOWNSHIP
Situated in the northern tier, the second east of the western boun- dary of the county, is Eden Township. It was originally a part of Norway, but was established as a separate township on January 9, 1886, and then included township 100, ranges 25 and 26. It was re- duced to its present dimensions on November 12, 1889, when Lincoln Township was cut off, and now embraces congressional township 100, range 25. On the north it is bounded by the State of Minnesota; on the east by Logan Township; on the south by King Township, and on the west by the Township of Lincoln. It is one of the fractional town- ships and has an area of about thirty square miles. The surface is generally level or slightly rolling and the soil is fertile. There is no stream in the township, though much of the land has been drained by artificial methods.
The first settlements were made while the territory was still a part of Norway Township. Eden has no railroad. The most convenient railroad stations are Rake and Thompson, in Winnebago County, and Bricelyn, Minnesota. The township has six public schools and re- ported a population of 623 in 1915, when the state census was taken. In 1916 the property was valued for taxation at $259,843.
I-S
114
WINNEBAGO
AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
FOREST TOWNSHIP
This is one of the oldest townships in the county. It was estab- lished soon after the county was organized and originally embraced all the southern half of the county. Several changes were made in the boundaries between 1858 and 1880, when the erection of Linden Town- ship reduced Forest to its present extent. It now includes congres- sional township 98, range 24, and is bounded as follows: On the north by Newton Township; on the east by the Township of Mount Valley; on the south by Hancock County, and on the west by Linden Township.
The surface is rolling and in some places hilly. When the first set- tlers came to this part of the county they found about one-third of the area of the township covered with timber, which gave rise to the name. Lime Creek enters from the north near the northeast corner and flows in a southerly direction across the entire township. In the valley of this stream and the western part the soil is fertile and produces good crops of all the grain and vegetables adapted to the climate.
A man named Gray is credited with being the first settler. He came in 1855 and built a house in section 26, about a mile north of where Forest City is now located, but in the fall of that year he sold out to John Gilchrist and Jesse Bonar and went back to Hardin County. About the time that Gilchrist and Bonar bought Gray's claim, James Wreston settled in section 25, not far from where the cemetery is now situated. He came from the eastern part of the state and in the spring of 1856 went to Chickasaw County.
A number of immigrants came into the township in 1856. A man named Decker, with his four sons-in-law, settled along Lime Creek in the northeastern part, about where the town of Leland now stands. One of the sons-in-law afterward went farther south and made a claim in section 26. Charles Strong, a New Yorker, settled near the eastern boundary, about two miles northeast of Forest City. After a resi- dence of less than a year he sold out and went to Owen's Grove, Cerro Gordo County. Another settler of 1856 was Seneca Carrington, who came from Mason City and located in section 24. The next year he "pulled up stakes" and went to Missouri, and from there to Indiana. Abraham and William Foster selected claims in section 33 in 1856, but soon afterward went to Minnesota. John Lamm and his father, Wil- liam Lamm, also came in 1856. The former located in section 23 and the latter selected land in section 14, but went back to Ohio the follow- ing year. The early settlers about Forest City are mentioned in an- other chapter.
Forest was the first township in the county to be provided with offi- cers of justice. In the spring of 1857 C. W. Scott and A. T. Cole went
115
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
to Fort Dodge (Winnebago being then attached to Webster County), and were appointed justice of the peace and constable respectively. The returns of the first election in the fall of 1857 have not been pre- served, but it is known that Mr. Scott was continued in the office of jus- tice of the peace and that James J. Barker was elected township clerk. In 1859 Allen T. Cole and James Collier were elected trustees; James J. Barker, clerk; C. W. Scott, and A. K. Curtis, justices of the peace; John Lamm, assessor; William Lackore, road supervisor.
The first school was taught in 1858 by Miss Sarah Beadle, in a house built by Nathan Jeffords in Forest City. Exclusive of the schools at Forest City and Leland, there are now seven school districts in the county. According to the state census of 1915, the population of Forest Township was then 3,030, and in 1916 the property, not including For- est City, was valued for tax purposes at $373,881. By including For- est City the total valuation was $700,155.
Besides being the most populous and wealthiest township in the county, Forest is also the best provided with transportation facilities. Two lines of railroad pass through Forest City-the Minneapolis & St. Louis, and the Dows & Estherville division of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific. Leland, on the Minneapolis & St. Louis, in the north- east corner, and Neils, on the Rock Island, in the northwest corner. afford accommodations for travel and shipping better than those en- joyed by the average township of the state.
GRANT TOWNSHIP
Grant Township occupies the southwest corner of the county and embraces congressional township 98, range 26. On the north it is bounded by Buffalo Township; on the east by Linden; on the south by Hancock County, and on the west by the County of Kossuth. The sur- face is gently undulating and the only natural drainage is a small stream which rises in Buffalo Township and flows across the northwest corner of Grant into Kossuth County. This stream has been widened and deepened and now forms part of Drainage District No. 3.
Originally, this township was a part of Forest. It was made a part of Linden in the spring of 1880 and remained so until in April, 1886, when it was erected into a separate civil township and named in honor of Gen. U. S. Grant, the eighteenth President of the United States. Complete returns of the first election cannot be found, but H. H. Swin- gen was elected assessor: Peter H. Swingen, elerk; and G. O. Hanna, constable. These men were among the early settlers and located their farms before the township was established.
Grant has neither railroad nor village within its borders. It is di-
116
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
vided into nine public school districts, in each of which is a good school- house. In 1915 the population was 666, and the valuation of property for tax purposes in 1916 was $357,790.
KING TOWNSHIP
When Newton Township was established in April, 1881, it included the present townships of King and Buffalo. On January 9, 1886, the board of supervisors, in response to a petition signed by numerous taxpayers, ordered that "congressional township 99, ranges 25 and 26, shall hereafter constitute a eivil township to be known and designated as King Township." As thus defined it included the present Town- ship of Buffalo, which was cut off two years later. On the north it is bounded by Eden Township; on the east by Newton; on the south by Linden, and on the west by Buffalo.
The surface is comparatively level and in its natural state a large part of the land was swampy. Drainage districts No. 1 and No. 3 have reclaimed the greater portion of the swamp lands and some of the most productive farms in the county are now in King Township. The first settlements were made while the territory was still included in Newton Township. After the Dows & Estherville division of the Rock Island railway system was built through the township the settlement was more rapid and in 1915 the population was 1,183, King being the fourth township of the county in the number of inhabitants. Located on the railroad, a little southeast of the center of the township, is the incorporated town of Thompson, a history of which is given in another chapter.
There are eight public schools in King, exclusive of the independent school district of Thompson, and in 1916 the property was appraised for taxation at $379,665, not including the appraisement of property in the town of Thompson. In this respect the township is one of the largest taxpaying districts of the county.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP
The first mention of Lincoln Township in the supervisors' records is in the minutes of the meeting on November 12, 1889, when the sum of $1,800 was appropriated to defray the expenses of holding the gen- eral election in the township on the second Tuesday of the preceding month. It is therefore the youngest civil township in Winnebago County. From the time Norway was created in 1875 until January, 1886, the territory now comprising Lincoln was included in that town- ship. Then Eden Township was established and included within its boundaries the present Township of Lincoln until 1889.
-
---
VIEW OF MAIN STREET, LOOKING NORTH, RAKE
117
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
Lincoln Township embraces that part of congressional township 100, range 26, that lies in the State of Iowa and has an area of about thirty square miles. It is the northwestern township of the county; is bounded on the north by the State of Minnesota; on the east by Eden Township; on the south by the Township of Buffalo, and on the west by Kossuth County. The surface is level or gently rolling and the soil is fertile, though considerable ditching has been done to reclaim the swampy portions and render the land fit for cultivation.
The railroad now known as the Estherville & Albert Lea division of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific was built through the township in the early '90s and the station of Rake was established a little northwest of the center. Rake is now an incorporated town, the history of which is given in another chapter of this work.
Lincoln is divided into six independent school districts, each of which is provided with a good schoolhouse. In 1915 the population was 719, including the town of Rake, and in 1916 the valuation of all property for tax purposes was $339,067.
LINDEN TOWNSHIP
This township is one of the southern tier-the third from the east line of the county. It was cut off from Forest Townsihp on April 7, 1880, and as at first established included the present Township of Grant. Six years later it was reduced to its present extent, and now embraces township 98 north, range 25 west, with an area of thirty-six square miles. The surface is a beautiful undulating prairie, somewhat elevated, the Boone and Iowa rivers having their sources in this town- ship. The soil is far above the average in fertility. The township is bounded on the north by King; on the east by Forest; on the south by Hancock County, and on the west by the Township of Grant.
The first settlements were made in Linden in the spring of 1871, when George Johnson, Christian Larson, Hans Mattison and a man named Mikkelson came about the same time and entered land in the township. A little later in the same year came Christian Hanson and Martin Lund. All these early settlers were Norwegians. George Johnson plowed the first land and was the first to plant a crop. Hans Mattison taught the first school and the first sermon in the township was preached at his house by Rev. P. Lasness, a Lutheran minister. The first child born in the township was a daughter of Christian and Ellen Larson, who was born soon after the arrival of the family in 1871 and died in Jannary, 1872. Her death was the first in the town- ship.
The first election record obtainable is that of October 3, 1881, when
118
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
Christian Larson, I. J. Kessey and Stener Stenerson were elected trus- tees ; Hans Mattison, Clerk; Robert Olson, justice of the peace; J. M. Anderson, constable; and A. A. Peterson, assessor.
There are nine public school districts in Linden Township, and in 1915 the population was 599. In 1916 the assessed valuation of the property was $349,564. There is no railroad in the township, the nearest stations being Thompson, Forest City, and Crystal Lake, in Hancock County.
LOGAN TOWNSHIP
When Logan Township was cut off from Norway on April 5, 1881, by order of the board of supervisors of Winnebago County, it included the present townships of Eden and Lincoln. It was reduced to its pres- ent dimensions on January 9, 1886, and now includes only that part of congressional township 100, range 24, lying within the State of Iowa. Its area is about thirty square miles. On the north it is bounded by the State of Minnesota ; on the east by Norway Township; on the south by Newton Township, and on the west by the Township of Eden.
The settlement of this township was retarded because of the fact that a large proportion of the land became the property of landsharks and speculators in early days, and they held the land at such prices as to be almost prohibitive to settlers of moderate means. The first actual settler was Ole P. Jordal, who settled near the present town of Scarville in 1867. The next year Christian Ingebretson settled near Jordal and in 1869 Ole Oleson located on the southeast quarter of sec- tion 24. In 1870 A. K. Winge, Ole J. Synve and a man named Larson joined the colony, which was further augmented in 1871 by the arrival of Stephen Knudson and his father, with their families. Other early settlers were H. P. Moe, Erick Gullickson, Ole Drogsvold and E. D. Skinner.
At the first township election Stephen Knudson, A. K. Winge and Stephen Floe were chosen trustees; T. J. Falken, clerk; E. D. Skinner and J. T. Seeley, justices of the peace; Harry Larson and Stephen Severson, constables ; Nels Nelson, assessor. J. T. Seeley and Stephen Severson failed to qualify for their respective offices and the township and but one justice and one constable until the fall of 1883.
The Chicago & Northwestern Railroad crosses the northeast corner of the township and the station of Scarville is partly in Logan and partly in Norway Township. Three miles west of Scarville was once a postoffice called Vinje, but with the introduction of free rural de- livery it was discontinued.
In 1915 the population of Logan was 676, and in 1916 the property
119
WINNEBAGO AND HANCOCK COUNTIES
valuation was $273,941. There are six public schools, exclusive of the schools in the Scarville independent district.
MOUNT VALLEY TOWNSHIP
In the spring of 1879 the board of supervisors ordered that con- gressional township 98 north, range 23 west, be erected into a new civil township to be known as "Mount Valley," that name having been suggested by Peter Hanson, who was one of the early settlers. The name was no doubt selected because of the character of the surface, which is generally uneven and in some places rough and hilly. Two small creeks-Bear and Beaver-flow through the township, affording good natural drainage and water for stock. The former rises near the central part and takes a southwesterly course, crossing the west- ern boundary near the southwest corner. Beaver Creek enters in sec- tion 1, makes a bend to the west, and leaves the county about a mile and a half north of the southeast corner. About two-thirds of the area was originally covered with timber, but about all of this that was suit- able for lumber has been cut off and only small trees remain. The township is bounded on the north by Center Township; on the east by Worth County; on the south by Hancock County, and on the west by Forest Township.
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.