USA > Iowa > Hancock County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 27
USA > Iowa > Winnebago County > History of Winnebago County and Hancock County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 27
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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
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and opening a farm. He remained here until his death on April 6, 1880. Other settlers who came into this township, or to land now within the township, during the early days were: Frank Wellnyer, M. Y. Moore, Henry Switzberg, John Mason and Fritz Griewe, the latter of these in 1875.
The township was organized in 1878 and the first election was held at the Linz schoolhouse on October 8 of the same year. The following officers were chosen at this time: F. Hartke, H. Terhufen, and Henry Stille, trustees; G. P. Mertin, clerk; H. Griewe, assessor; S. W. Mertin, justice; E. Steineke and H. Schwartzenberg, constables. The judges of this election were: Henry Terhufen, E. Linz and G. P. Mertin ; S. W. Mertin and F. Linz acted as clerks. Twenty-four votes were cast at the polls.
The first postoffice in the township was established in 1882 and Henry Terhufen was commissioned postmaster. This office was dis- continued shortly afterward.
MADISON TOWNSHIP
The civil township of Madison comprises the territory known as Congressional Township 97, Range 24 West. It is located in the north- ern tier of townships and is bounded as follows: On the north by Winnebago County, on the east by Ellington Township, on the south by Garfield Township and on the west by Crystal Township.
The first settlement in the township was made in September, 1855, by Jolin Maben. On the 27th of that month he located in the eastern edge of the present township, on Sections 12 and 13. Maben became one of the most prominent and influential citizens of Hancock County. In the late fall of 1855 James J. Barker and Samuel Jefford made their appearance in this township and settled, the former upon Section 2 and the latter on Section 11. Jefford died of consumption during the winter of 1859. Barker also died while a resident of this county.
In 1856 Eli Moon, Charles R. Wright and George Stroskopf came into Madison Township and effected a settlement. Moon located upon Section 1. Wright chose parts of Sections 12 and 13 and proceeded to open up a farm. He died in 1859 of lung fever contracted while surveying roads. Later settlers of prominence were James Lackore, Harrison Wheelock and Jacob Seibert.
The first birth in the township occurred in January, 1856, being that of a son of Thomas Bearse. The first marriage was that of James J. Barker and Harriet Dawson in 1860.
A cemetery was laid out as a public burial place in 1864 on Section 11. The first interment was that of Charles R. Wright. Wright was
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the first citizen of the township to die and was first buried at Forest City, but when the township cemetery was opened his remains were removed here.
The township of Madison, then comprising the north half of Han- cock County, was organized in June, 1858. The first election was held at the dwelling of James C. Bonar. The judges of the election were James C. Bonar, Jacob Ward and F. N. Colburn. G. R. Maben and Charles R. Wright were elected justices of the peace and John Jefford and H. H. Rice constables. The names of other officers chosen are not available due to the absence of the official records. The returns of this election, however, were sent to Winnebago County, where they were canvassed by Robert Clark, county judge of that county, and C. D. Stockton and C. W. Scott, justices there.
MAGOR TOWNSHIP
In the extreme southwestern portion of Hancock County lies the Congressional Township 94, Range 26. This is Magor Township, so named in honor of Henry Magor, one of its carly settlers and repre- sentative men. The territory formerly was a component part of Amsterdam Township, but in 1878 it was set apart and made a separate civil division. The first election was held in the fall of that year and resulted in the choice of the following officers for the township govern- ment : James Crane and Alvah Packard, trustees; William Magor, clerk ; Harrison Bailey, assessor; Thomas Magor, justice; M. Lang, con- stable; Henry Magor, road supervisor.
The pioneer settler in Magor Township was James Crane, a native of New York state, who located on Section 21 in the year 1866. He was the only settler in this waste of prairie grass until June, 1880, when he was killed. A neighbor named Samuel Bisel who was herding cattle on the range adjoining Crane's land allowed some of the stock to wander into the latter's preserve. Crane became angry and seizing a club started to drive them off. The two men quarreled over the affair and the herder struck Crane over the head twice with his gun. The last blow struck caused the gun-lock to penetrate the skull, death result- ing immediately. Bisel was tried, the jury disagreed and the case was carried by change of venue to Wright County, where the defendant was finally acquitted.
. The next settler in the township was Harrison Bailey, who located on Section 16 during the year 1869. He did not remain long, but moved into Minnesota. In the spring of 1878 Henry Magor came and located on Section 25. He came here from Wisconsin, although a native of England. He, in partnership with J. E. Corwith, the latter of Galena, Illinois, purchased about 1700 acres of land.
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No other settlements were made in this township until the found- ing of the town of Corwith in 1880. Several men owned land in the township prior to this time, but did not make their residence here.
The first death in Magor Township was that of James Crane. The first birth was that of a daughter of Mr. Crane. The first marriage was that of O. H. Stilson and Lida Olmsted on October 2, 1881.
ORTHEL TOWNSHIP
Until the 7th of November, 1882, this township was a component part of Boone, having been set off from the latter at the June session of the board of supervisors during that year. The first election for town- ship officers occurred November 7, 1882. At that time J. J. Donahue, J. M. Orthel and Albert Dyke were judges and F. Heal clerk of the election. The following gentlemen were chosen to fill the various offices, namely: H. C. Potter, J. M. Orthel and Joseph Lans, trustees; Frank Heal, town clerk; J. J. Donahme, assessor; H. C. Potter and A. Dyke, justices of the peace; Fred Schwartz and Jacob Schmidt, constables: H. C. Potter, road supervisor.
The first settler within the limits of the present township was JJohn B. Daggett, who, in the year 1870, opened up his farm on Section 21. Here he erected his house in 1871 and on March 26, 1872, brought his family from Algona, Kossuth County. They traveled on sleds across the prairie. Mr. Daggett was the pioneer in developing the dairy resources of northwestern Iowa. He built a cheese factory and made cheese from the milk of fifty cows in the summer. In the fall and winter he converted his factory into a creamery and manufactured butter. Daggett was a native of Maine. He lived here until his death on March 12, 1879.
The next pioneer was a Mr. Sprague, a New Yorker, who settled about the year 1873. He stayed here about four years, then moved to Kansas. In 1876 Henry C. Potter located upon Section 15. He was from Illinois originally. Alfred Dyke made a settlement within the township in 1878, choosing land in Section 16. Afterward he returned to Wisconsin. Frank Heal was another arrival in 1878.
The first birth in the township was that of Eliphalet Clark Daggett, son of John B. and C. D. Daggett, on June 13, 1873. On the 10th of June, 1874, this same child died, which was the first death here. The first couple to be united in wedlock was August M. Moncelle and Eliza - beth Orthel, the license being issued on May 24, 1883.
TWIN LAKE TOWNSHIP
All that portion of Hancock County contained in Congressional Township 94 North, Range 24 West, is known as Twin Lake Township.
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Most of the early settlers in this township were preemptors, locating only for the sake of selling out their claims to others. The first man, however, to make a bona fide settlement was William Arnett, an Eng- lishman, who, with his son and son-in-law, Thomas Summerill, took up claims in the year 1855. They constructed a log cabin for shelter. Arnett was subsequently caught in a blizzard and frozen to death.
Henry Overacker and L. A. Loomis settled in this territory in 1856 and remained for several years. In 1858 Abner Stamp, a native of Pennsylvania, settled on Section 30. He did not stay on the frontier long, however, but returned to his native state. John A. Bailey and wife, with two sons, Lambert B. and Rolla E., E. C. Packard and wife, the latter a daughter of John A. Bailey, were the next permanent settlers in Twin Lake Township. All of them came from Waupaca County, Wisconsin. Here they took up elaims upon Sections 6 and 7 in 1864.
For three years these were the only settlers of the township, the settlement being very slow on account of the land being in the hands of speculators and other emigrants going farther westward where cheap land could be procured from the government.
Packard remained on his farm until the fall of 1883, when he moved to Belmond, Wright County. The next settler to take up land in this township was Jonathan Butterfield, who located on Section 14 in 1864. He died in 1880.
The first birth in the township was that of Bertha M., daughter of E. C. and C. N. Packard, on May 28, 1866. The first death was that of Mrs. Henry Langfelt, in October, 1869. She was buried in the Belmond cemetery. The first marriage was contracted between Lambert B. Bailey and F. A. O'Cain, in November, 1864.
The township of Twin Lake was set off during the summer of 1882 and was organized at the general election of October 7th following, when the following named officers were chosen: James Wilson, J. D. Bailey and Levi Gartin, trustees; Eugene Gartin, clerk; E. C. Packard and J. D. Barnham, justices ; S. D. Rathburn, assessor; Joseph Brown, constable.
The first postoffice in the township was called Bailey's and was established in April, 1879, with E. C. Packard as postmaster. The office was located at Packard's house on Section 6. N. D. Welch suc- ceeded Packard in this position in September, 1883. Four weekly mails were brought here.
CHAPTER V
TOWNS AND VILLAGES
THE CITY OF GARNER-PLATTING-FIRST STORES-INCORPORATION-A RAIL- ROAD PROMOTION-BANKS-POSTOFFICE-LIBRARY-EARLY LODGES-CITY OF BRITT-PLATTING-THE FIRST GLIMPSE-FIRST BUILDING-INCORPORA- TION - FIRST MERCIIANT-BANKS- MUNICIPAL IMPROVEMENTS - FIRST LODGES - LIBRARY - CORWITHI - FIRST BUSINESS-BANKS-KANAWIIA- KLEMME - GOODELL - HAYFIELD - MILLER-CRYSTAL LAKE-WODEN- STILSON-HUTCHINS-DUNCAN-OTHER TOWNS NOW DEFUNCT.
THE CITY OF GARNER
PLATTING
In the summer of 1870 John Maben, in conjunction with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Company, laid out a town plat on the southwest quarter of Section 30, in Township 96 North, Range 23 West, and filed the official plat in the county courthouse on August 23d of the same year. This plat gives the information that the land was sur- veyed and laid out into blocks commencing July 19, 1870, and completed July 30, 1870, by C. F. Vincent, surveyor. F. J. Bush, H. H. Bush, S. H. Jimmerson, S. R. Kelley and Henry Marshall assisted Vincent in this task of platting the town, laying out lots and designating streets. Shortly after the filing of the plat for record interests in the new town were purchased by H. N. Brockway and the firm of Bush & Allen. The early settlers gave the new town the name of Garner, in honor of one of the railroad officials.
Since the original plat there have been many additions surveyed and filed, owing to the increase of population and necessity for more build- ing room. Some of the more important of these additions, with the date of filing in the auditor's office, follow: Tallman's Addition to Garner, September 28, 1875; Park Addition, May 7, 1889; Driving Park Addition to Garner, March 31, 1893; West Side Addition, April 25, 1896; Second Driving Park Addition, July, 3, 1899; Sunset View Addition.
The town owes its existence to the advent of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad in 1870. Like many other small towns along the route, this was intended by the railroad as a shipping point. Some of
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the towns died and others reached a substantial size. Garner belongs in the latter class and business, building and settlement quickly began after the first locomotive steamed into the town.
FIRST STORES
The first merchant to open a store in Garner was Royal Lovell. He erected the first store building and, in fact, the first structure of any kind except the depot, in 1870. As soon as he had completed the erection of his building he opened a general merchandise business, carrying about everything which a frontier family would want. He continued without competition for some time, finally moving to more commodious quarters when increased business demanded it. In Jan- uary, 1881, Mr. Schuler was admitted as a partner and the firm became known as Lovell & Schuler. It is said that they carried fully $8,000 worth of goods, a truly great stock for a cross-roads store in those days. A. B. Elliott & Company, C. Borman and Hubbard Brothers came into the field within ten years after Lovell began.
The first hotel was constructed by John Davidson of Galesburg, Illi- nois, in the spring of 1871. He operated it about a year and then it passed into the hands of William Finch, who shortly afterwards con- verted it into a dwelling house. The next hotel was built by Robert Elder during the year 1873. This was opened as the Elder House, under the management of Robert Elder, later deputy treasurer of the county. The house was later known as the Fehly House. The Cassill House was erected by Mr. Cassill in 1876. The New Victoria Hotel is the principal hostelry of Garner at the present time.
The first furniture store in Garner was established in 1871 by Kemp & Christie. In 1880 William Yoter purchased the business.
The first jewelry store was opened in 1876 by P. S. Dow. At first, owing to lack of capital, Dow rented a portion of the Borman store and there displayed his meager stock. Business increase later per- mitted him to occupy larger quarters.
The first boot and shoe store was established by G. A. Haes in 1871. The first drug store was established by Funk & Hawley during the year 1871. William Finch afterwards purchased their business. The first hardware store was started in 1870 by Sweeney & Schell, but after running with intermittent success for two years they disposed of their stock to William Finch. He operated it alone until 1875, when he admitted as a partner his brother, T. F. Finch, who in turn the next year purchased William's share.
The lumber business owes its inception in Garner to J. M. Elder, W. C. Wells and T. Woodford, who started a yard in 1870.
FIRST NATIONAL BANK BUILDING, GARNER Built in 1892. Destroyed by fire January 1, 1902.
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The real estate business at first became very profitable, on account of the large amount of land for sale and the number of incoming settlers who wished to purchase. This business has always been maintained as one of the principal ones in Garner. Brockway & Elder, with offices at Concord, and A. C. Ripley, located in Garner, were the first to engage in real estate transactions for this vicinity.
In the spring of 1880 John Burnside and A. R. Barnes established the B. B. Creamery at Garner. They erected a building twenty-four by thirty-six feet, also an ice house twenty-four feet square. With an eight horsepower engine they equipped a plant worth fully $2,500. They secured the milk from about one thousand cows and reached a daily output of eight hundred pounds of butter. New York City was the marketing place for the butter manufactured here.
The first grain warehouse was erected by Royal Lovell in 1871 and here the first grain was handled in Garner. During the first year of his business in Garner Lovell purchased about 25,000 bushels of grain and in the next year bought fully 45,000. William Finch and Dwight Putnam afterwards constructed elevators.
The first blacksmith in Garner was William Dickson, who opened up in the first year of the town's existence. R. W. Noble and Charles Krouse succeeded him after he forsook the farrier's trade for the plow. Hay-pressing, described in the history of Britt, was also one of the leading occupations of early Garner. H. F. Fiegenbaum, John Burn- side and Charles Kluckhohn engaged in this business in the early days.
In 1875 John Burnside started a meat market in Garner, which was the first in Hancock County. Charles Valliket was the first to start in the livery business. Kemp & Christie had the first wagon shop, which was opened at the same time they began in the furniture business. The first hall for entertainments was erected in the autumn of 1883 by James and W. C. Moak. It was opened on the evening of November 29, 1883, which was Thanksgiving Day, with an exhibition by the Garner Dramatic Club, entitled "The Hidden Hand."
INCORPORATION
Garner was incorporated as a town of the fourth class in 1881 and C. S. Terwilliger was chosen mayor. Since this time the town has gained slowly in municipal improvements, but has added features of benefit to the city as fast as finances would permit. The Enterprise Electric Light, Heating and Power Company was incorporated Febru- ary 5, 1901. The Garner Commercial Club, an organization for the promotion of everything tending to benefit the city, was incorporated October 23, 1911, and the articles of incorporation were signed by the
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following citizens: F. E. Blackstone, president; Isaac Sweigard, vice president ; J. F. W. Vrba, secretary; C. R. Sweigard, treasurer; F. M. Hanson, H. M. Hoag, C. J. Schneider, C. J. Bracher and J. C. Grobatz, directors.
A RAILROAD PROMOTION
In 1898 a railroad company was promoted by Garner citizens, partly to boost the cause of the town in the fight for the county seat. This road was named the Cedar Rapids, Garner & Northwestern Railway Com- pany and articles of incorporation were filed April 25, 1898, and signed by A. C. Ripley, J. N. Sprole, H. N. Brockway, C. S. Terwilliger, J. E. Wichman, E. P. Fox, M. A. Fell, William Shattuck, E. C. Abbey, H. H. Bush, J. J. Upton, William Schneider, H. M. Hoag, W. C. Schuler, Fred Katler, L. D. Byers, S. Sturgeon, and others. As stated in the articles of incorporation "the object of this road shall be to locate, construct, maintain and operate a railway, with all necessary branches, ware- houses, elevators and such other appendages as may be deemed neces- sary for the convenient use and profitable management of the same from a connection with the Cedar Rapids, Iowa Falls & Northwestern Railway near the village of Hayfield by way of Crystal Lake to some point in the state of Iowa not yet determined."
BANKS
The Hancock County Bank was organized in December, 1874, by 1 J. M. Elder and H. N. Brockway and was the first institution of the kind in Hancock County. At the first meeting J. M. Elder was elected president; H. N. Brockway, vice president; and William McBride, cashier. A. R. Barnes later became the cashier. The First National Bank of Garner is the outgrowth of this institution. This latter insti- tution is now officered by the following: F. M. Hanson, president; J. E. Wichman, vice president; J. F. W. Vrba, cashier. The capital stock of the First National Bank is $50,000; the surplus and undivided profits $15,000; and the deposits amount to about a half million dollars.
The Farmers National Bank was established in 1891 as the Farmers Savings Bank and the articles of incorporation filed June 26, 1891, and signed by G. R. Maben, E. C. Abbey, William C. Wells, John Burnside, Joseph Barth, with a capital stock of $15,000. The bank was conducted under state laws until 1906, then was organized as a national bank, with C. K. Moe as president. The present officers of this institution are: Isaac Sweigard, president; F. E. Blackstone, vice president; C. R. Sweigard, cashier; E. C. Ford, assistant cashier. The capital stock is $25,000; the surplus and undivided profits $32,000; and the
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deposits about $400,000. The bank has just completed a new $20,000 building for its own use. The building is modern and equipped with the latest in bank fixtures and conveniences.
POSTOFFICE
The post office at Garner was established in 1870 and Royal Lovell was commissioned the first postmaster. He continued to hold his posi- tion for about a year and a half, when he was succeeded by George Lanning. W. C. Haywood and H. H. Bush succeeded Lanning.
LIBRARY
The Garner Ladies' Library Association was organized in 1873 by thirteen of the women of the town. These were Mesdames: Robert Elder, Royal Lovell, H. H. Bush, William Finch, W. C. Wells, 1. Haes, S. A. Howe, H. C. Knappen, C. E. Holland, N. Mitchell, Walter Dickson, A. B. Cassill, J. F. Veits, A. B. Elliott and D. Gould. The first money procured by this association was earned by socials and entertainments promoted by the ladies named. Their initial fund amounted to only $60, but from this meager beginning quite a large library was accumu- lated. In 1882 a $500 building was erected for the accommodation of the library. The first board of directors consisted of Mesdames: R. Lovell, A. Haes and Walter Dickson. Mrs. H. H. Bush was the first sec- retary and Mrs. Robert Elder the first treasurer.
In 1915 there was erected in Garner a Carnegie library, costing about $10,000, the culmination of months of effort upon the part of the library board and the citizens of the town. The finished building is a handsome piece of work and contains all the conveniences of the modern library, as well as a choice collection of books.
EARLY LODGES
The first lodge to be organized in Garner was the Masonic. Bethel Lodge, No. 319, Ancient Free and Accepted Masons, was instituted by dispensation July 27, 1872, by O. P. Waters, of Burlington, Iowa, grand master of the order. There were only eight or ten members at first and the first officers were: J. M. Elder, worshipful master ; C. C. Doolittle, senior warden; C. C. Howland, junior warden; J. W. Elder, treasurer; Albert Howe, secretary; L. B. Bailey, senior deacon; Robert Elder, junior deacon ; and John Veits, tyler.
Garner Lodge, No. 692, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, was incorporated March 23, 1908.
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BRITT
THE FIRST GLIMPSE
Prior to the year 1870 the site of Britt was nothing but a blank space of prairie and mire, inhabited by various animals of this terri- tory and crossed occasionally by travelers. E. N. Bailey wrote a para- graph in the Tribune at one time, in which he says: "The first time the writer was ever on the ground where Britt now stands was in June, 1874, when hunting curlews. There was a little grocery store just opened up by someone and we succeeded in getting in from the prairie south by dismounting from our horse and wading through water that was 'boot top' deep right on ground that now contains some of the finest gardens and residences in Britt." This experience of "wading" into Britt actively describes the appearance of the village then. How- ever, from this humble and discouraging start Britt has grown to be the largest town in the county and the center of a large trading and farm- ing district, a town of prosperous and modern stores, strong financial institutions and civic excellence.
PLATTING
The plat of the village of Britt was filed for record at the county seat on June 20, 1878, by John T. Stoneman and William H. Lorimier, proprietors. John T. Stoneman surveyed the ground and named the site of the village as : the south fifty-five acres of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter and the south half of the southwest quarter of Section 28, Township 96 North, Range 25 West, all of the said tracts lying south of the Calmer branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway. Several additions have been filed since, which have added territory to the original plat. The more important of these follow : Anderson's second addition, January 14, 1879; Lattimore's addition, June 10, 1880; Stubbin's addition, January 3, 1881 ; Maple Hill addition, December 8, 1885; MeGraw & Fish addition, December 25, 1886; Stubbin's second addition, March 13, 1886; Brown & Treganza addition, January 6, 1892; Brown & Hill addition, February 18, 1892; Stubbin's third addition, September 24, 1892; Stubbin's fourth addition, same date; Castle's addition, August 31, 1895; Grace Fisk addition, January 27, 1897; Way's westside addition, November 17, 1897; Brown's addi- tion, May 8, 1902.
FIRST BUILDING
It is said that the first building erected upon the site of Britt was the depot of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, which was put up in 1870. The second was a section house, or shack, about sixty rods east of the depot.
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