USA > Iowa > Wright County > History of Wright County, Iowa, its peoples, industries and institutions > Part 22
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This little incident, however ludicrous it may appear now, had the effect of changing the monotony of the journey of the scouts, and of caus- ing them to pass over a considerable distance of the way in much shorter time than they otherwise would have done.
Scarcely, however, had they overcome the feelings of amusement that had taken possession of them on discovering the object of their chase, than they deseried a party of men coming up the river on an expedition similar to their own. Regardless of who or what their numbers were, the two scouts from Belmond set spurs to their horses, and pushed on to meet them. So sudden was their appearance that they filled the other party with surprise and alarm to such an extent that, on beholding them, they instantly wheeled and galloped off with a speed that rendered all efforts to overtake them unavailing. No other incident transpired on the way until they reached Webster City, where they found the two scouts that had preceded them and a greater portion of settlers from along the Boone. Next day, after inspir- ing new confidence in the hearts of those who had left their homes, the four
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scouts started on their return march to the mud fort. While this recon- naissance to the Boone was being made, however, the party at the fort had been reinforced by a company from Alden, some thirty miles down the river, in Hardin county. No information had reached the garrison in the mud fort since the first scouting party was dispatched and the greatest anx- iety was felt by all. They were determined, however, to remain steadfast, and, if the Indians did attack them, to defend themselves and their homes till the last. Fortunately, such an emergency did not take place, for, on the return of the scouts, they were informed that all danger from an Indian attack was over, and that, confidence being restored, the people generally were returning to their homes. On receipt of this information, the garrison was disbanded, each man returning to his own domicile to follow the peace- ful routine of everyday life, and thus ended the great Indian scare of 1857.
Notwithstanding the Indian panic, during 1857 a fine school house was erected and, a little later, the Western hotel was built by O. O. Kent, and a splendid brick residence by A. Dumond. In 1858, G. A. Amesbury built a saw- and grist-mill on the old site of the Cutler mill. A good brick school- house was built in 1858, which stood until 1863, when it was burned.
Doctor Cutler was fond of relating, in after years, how he stood in his door and counted as many as forty elk feeding on the prairie a short dis- tance from his house.
CHAPTER XXI.
BLAINE TOWNSHIP.
The history of Blaine township, as an organized division of this county, dates from October, 1879. It was cut out from lowa and Vernon town- ships and originally composed all of township 91, range 23, and sections 1, 12 and 13 of township 91, range 24, which three sections became a part of Lincoln township when that township was formed, leaving Blaine town- ship, named for the statesman, James G. Blaine, just six miles square. The first election was held in October, 1879. William Willix, Joseph Longley and B. F. Stockwell were appointed judges and H. H. Oberton and D. G. Patterson, clerks of election. Forty-eight votes were cast, and officers were elected as follow : Justices of the peace. William Willix, D. G. Patterson; trustees, James Rowen, A. S. Eskridge, E. W. Smith ; assessor, C. D. Fen- ton; constables, William Myers, A. Strong; clerk, B. F. Stockwell. The township was at once divided into four road districts, and by 1883 there had been districts formed to the number of six. The first election was held, after the organization took place, in May, 1880, for the special purpose of voting on a proposition to aid the Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad, and the forty-nine votes cast were all for the proposed road. Thus aided, the road reached Dows in the autumn of that year. The first election held in this township was at the Stearns school house, near the center of the town- ship, but after a few years the polling place was changed to Dows, where elections are now held. The Iowa river enters Blaine township in section 4, flows diagonally across it into Franklin county, two miles northeast of the corner, and re-enters the township half a mile north of that point, so that Blaine township contains some five or six miles of the beautiful Iowa valley.
FIRST SETTLEMENTS IN GROVES.
A goodly amount of native timber originally skirted the Iowa river, but it is fast disappearing before the rush of civilization. In these groves the first settlements were made. Otisville (present Dows) was the first section in which a settlement sprang up. Among the first settlers in what is now Blaine township must be noted A. S. Eskridge, who settled, at the close of
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the Civil War, entering a part of section 36, where Dows now stands. His son, known as "Stubbs," still resides in Dows. William Tutin, another set- tler in the southwest of section 25, had a small shack and conducted a store, living in the same structure, where the north half of Dows now stands, the residence portion of that town. N. N. Hiams located in 1858 in section 4 of Blaine township, and started a store about 1865 at Fryburg postoffice. The west and northern portions of the township were settled largely by homesteaders and many of the tracts are still in the family names of the original settlers. Many of the first settlers in the vicinity of Dows were those who located on the lowa river, but over the Franklin county line. Among the early settlers in the township was C. W. Burrows and family, in the northwest of section 36. Mrs. Eliza Inghram, a widow of a soldier of the War of 1812, received a pension in 1879 through the efforts of N. F. Weber, of Clarion, the same being for eight dollars per month, with two hundred dollars back pay.
In 1915 the township had a population of 1.445, including 685 in that portion of the town of Dows in Wright county. Its schools and churches have all been treated under separate, general chapters in this volume.
HORSE GROVE.
One of the prominent natural features in the township is Horse Grove, a beautiful body of timber, located in the northern tier of sections, originally containing seven hundred acres. According to traditions handed down from hunters, surveyors of the government and the earliest band of "squatters." it derived its name from the following incident :
Sometime in the early fifties, before real settlement was effected, a party of engineers and surveyors were employed in "sectionizing" over in Hardin county, when a horse belonging to a Mr. Shaw, one of the party, strayed away and wandered up to this grove. All that winter the horse kept wandering through the grove, solitary and alone, living as best he could until spring, when the poor animal died of starvation. Besides the wild animals, this was the only animal seen by the trappers and squatters during that winter. And thus, ever since that date, the place has been known as Horse Grove. Two creeks, heading in Franklin county, course through Blaine township and enter the Iowa river near Horse Grove.
It was at Horse Grove where Robert Rowen resided and where he con- ducted a country tavern which in its day had few equals, and where the traveler, weary and footsore, was ever welcome.
MAIN STREET, SOUTH SIDE, DOWS.
MAIN STREET, NORTH SIDE, DOWS.
HOTEL EUROPEAN
ROCK ISLAND YARDS AND OLD TILE FACTORY SITE, DOWS.
WRIGHT COUNTY, IOW.A.
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DOWS.
This town, one of Wright county's incorporated places, was platted by the railroad town-lot company, on September 28, 1880, in the northwest quarter of section 36, township 91, range 23, a part of the platting extend- ing over to the east into Franklin county-all east of the railroad tracks. It was named in honor of one of the officers of the old Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway (now owned by the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Company ). Additions have been made over into section 25 of Blaine township, this county. It is situated in one of the most picturesque spots in this part of lowa, the meanderings of the lowa river gracing the eastern borders, while sloping hills recede to the west of the town site. Ilere one secures a wonderful panorama of the great lowa Valley country, which has been ever noted for both beauty and fertility of soil. To fully appre- ciate the environments here one should visit the town in midsummer and then in the winter, each season giving different impressions and viewpoints.
The two railway lines at Dows are the lowa Falls division of the Rock Island system and the Belmond branch of the same road. These lines were originally built in 1880, and were known as the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern. The site of the present town was originally known as Otis- ville postoffice, around which still lingers many a fond memory of the brave, enduring little band of hardy, intelligent pioneers who laid well the founda- tion stones of the present enterprising place. Most of these pioneers have long since departed this life, but their names and good deeds will not be for- gotten while men read and treasure historical facts.
The first to engage in business there were II. W. Wilson, William Wel- don. John Jenkins, general merchandise. The first hotel was operated by .A. I. Troth. In 1882-83 the hotel was conducted by Mrs. R. L. Kent ; a newspaper, the Dowes Tribune, was established in 1881 by l. C. Phifer ; the first to handle grain were George Alexander and G. H. Richardson. Mr. Alexander built an elevator in the fall of 1880, near the county line. This elevator was thirty-two by forty feet, and had a capacity of fifteen thousand bushels. In January. 1883, a patent, portable grist-mill was put in, which did a large business. E. B. Willix established the first lumber yard in 1880. and the next year a yard was put in by Cole & Davis, but this failed, and in 1883 the trade in lumber was solely in the hands of Willix & Graham, Mr. Graham came to Dows in 1881 and engaged in the lumber and banking busi- ness. The first real general store in Dows was started in 1881 by Wilson
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& Jenkins; the second was by Wild & Leekly, and soon afterward one was opened by Wilson & Bushnell. The first grocery store was opened by Will- iams & Barber in 1881, and it was destroyed by fire in the following Jan- uary. O. R. Johnson was next in the grocery trade. H. J. Miller established the first hardware store of Dows in 1881, and in 1883 it was bought by H. J. Miller and H. L. Asemissen. H. E. Shultz started the first drug store in November, 1880. Two wagon shops were started in 1881-one by Ward & Hill, and the other by John Morgan. Wright & Collins had the first blacksmith shop, and were soon followed by E. Caldwell, O. H. Hanson and A. Quarsdorf. The harness trade was first represented by D. W. Campbell in 1881; the same season a shoe shop being opened by D. O. Wilson. Mrs. R. Hopkins started the first millinery store in 1882. John F. Kent was in the farm-implement trade in 1882, also about that date were G. C. Gibson and Palmer Brothers. Ward & Hill had the first implement house in Dows, and were followed by Hill & Barnes. A creamery was established in the spring of 1881 by Bushnell & Wilson, which creamery, in 1883, was using the milk from six hundred cows, producing four hundred pounds of butter daily. The pioneer meat shop of Dows was that opened in 1881 by C. B. Flindt, who, in 1883, sold to H. S. Cole. The first to engage in the livery business was Silas Palmer. The first physicians were Doctors Frisbee, Shep- pard and Mulnix.
VARIOUS INTERESTS AT DOWS.
The commercial and other interests of Dows in 1915 are represented by the following: Attorneys, W. N. Brackley and R. W. Birdsall; auto deal- ers, Drury Auto Company, Jameson Auto Company, W. . \. Loos; agricul- tural implements, A. Banwell; banks, Farmers State Bank, State Bank of Dows; barber shops, H1. W. McComas, E. B. Sawdey; blacksmith shops, G. F. Quasdorf, John Heuer, S. K. Bach; creamery, Farmers Co-operative Company; cement works, Dows Tile and Cement Company; dentists, Dr. E. G. Lotts, W. E. Schaff; drugs, Mulnix Brothers, G. W. Finn; dray lines, O. F. Westenburg & Son, J. Welch; elevators, Farmers Co-operative Com- pany, grain and lumber ; furniture, O. Bellman, C. Hammond; general deal- ers, J. J. Johnson & Co., E. G. Westerman, M. S. Gunderson, Ole Houg, Dows Mercantile Company, Dows Variety and Grocery Company; hotels, Hotel Dows, Charles Whittenburg, proprietor; European, A. E. Fryslie; harness, L. L. Hoffman & Company, Frank Broden; jewelers, Charles F.
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Peterson, C. C. Hill; lumber, The Lampert Lumber Company, Dows Lum- ber Company; meat markets, G. W. Schmitt, O. T. Nolte; millinery stores, Miss Nellie Bernhart, Mrs. E. C. Hill, newspaper, the Dowes Advocate, F. D. Fillmore, proprietor; photographer, A. L. Shager; physicians, Drs. J. A. Mulnix, Joseph George, O. A. Kellogg, G. E. Schung; restaurants, M. B. Severson, Chuck Cafe, R. P. Cobbles; stock dealers, George F. Meyer, H. S. Cole; shoe store, William Meister ; veterinary surgeon, J. M. Rowan, F. D. Pierce.
The churches of Dows are the Methodist Episcopal, Presbyterian and United Lutheran-the Norwegian church. (See Church chapter. ) The lodges are the Masonic, Odd Fellows, Knights of Pythias, Modern Wood- men of America, Woodmen of the World, and until recently the Grand Army of the Republic. These are all treated in a chapter on the lodges of the county presented elsewhere in this work.
WORK OF THE FIRE FIEND.
Dows has been unfortunate in having two or three very destructive fires within its limits. The first, which was on New Year's night, 1883, broke out in the rear of the Barber & Williams grocery store and consumed the same, with the business houses of Wilson & Jenkins, dry goods; Fisher & Miller, hardware, and other branches of business. Then again, on Sep- tember 4, 1894, the "dry year," another fire destroyed the better part of the town. The fire departments from Clarion and Iowa Falls were called to aid in extinguishing this fire. The department from Clarion made the run by special train, covering the fifteen miles in seventeen minutes, but the engine did not work properly and water was scarce, hence the fire could not be extinguished in time to avert the heavy loss that was sustained. Thirty-five individuals and firms were crippled by the loss met with on that occasion, but, Phoenix-like, Dows was rebuilt and in a better, safer manner than before the fire. Better fire protection was secured and since then only small conflagrations have visited the town. The postoffice, with part of its contents, was burned by the fire just mentioned.
In 1913 Dows commenced to oil its streets with crude oil, the Standard Oil Company sending an expert there to do the work. Nearly twenty thou- sand gallons of oil was put on the main streets of the town, since which there has been little dust. So far the plan has worked satisfactorily.
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DOWS TILE AND CEMENT COMPANY.
One of the biggest industries in Blaine township is that of making cement blocks and tile, by the Dows Tile and Cement Company. This plant was established in 1905 by Mr. Bangs. It now produces one hundred thou- sand tile of all sizes up to fourteen inch ; also makes ten thousand cement blocks yearly, from two to seven men being constantly employed. The power by which the heavy machinery is propelled is steam. The gravel comes from a nearby gravel pit, and the goods are mostly sold in Wright and Franklin counties. It is a highly successful factory, managed by Nels Munson. It is the general opinion that the coming material for building and constructing drain tile, silos, road culverts, bridges, and even buildings. is cement, and the owners of this factory see a great future before them.
FARMERS CO-OPERATIVE CREAMERY.
This is one of the leading industries of the town of Dows. It was established in 1897 and is situated in that part of the town which lies in Franklin county. The present building was erected in 1905, at a cost, to- gether with the fixtures, of seven thousand dollars. Over a million and a quarter pounds of superior grade butter was handled in 1914. representing in value almost a half million dollars. The cream is brought in by farmers mostly within a radius of six miles, but a few customers live as far as eleven miles out from Dows. Steam power is employed to run the machin- ery for buttermaking. The engine is a sixteen-horse-power engine. with a twenty-five-horse-power boiler, the machinery all being modern and fully meeting the requirements of an up-to-date creamery plant. The president of the company is W. P. Mendell ; vice-president, W. A. Burrows ; secretary. Il. J. Iverson; treasurer. C. A. Nicholson ; F. L. Larson, buttermaker.
FAIRVIEW CEMETERY.
Among the pretty cemeteries found in the famous lowa valley, perhaps no town has a more beautiful site for its "Silent City" than has Dows. Fairview cemetery is situated on the crest of a very high elevation, over- looking the lowa river and the town of Dows, where one may behold the country for nearly twenty miles-at least to the center of both Wright and Franklin counties. This cemetery was laid out in tool and was added to in 1913. Its improvements are fine and its monuments are exceptionally at-
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tractive. The grounds are all nicely enclosed by a wrought-iron fence, and are kept exceptionally clean and attractive, with here and there an artificial shade and ornamental tree. . \ good cement walk leads the entire distance from the town to the sacred enclosure. The care shown the departed dead always is a good index to the character of the people of any given com- munity.
INCORPORATION HISTORY.
Dows, now having a population of 1,300, became an incorporated town in 1891. Unfortunately, the sweeping fire of September, 1894, destroyed all municipal records, but it is known that the following is about a true list of the mayors who have served the town from its organization: Chris Klemme, D. 11. Fillmore, John J. Johnson, C. Klemme, .A. W. Seargent. Andrew Risse, A. A. Smith, T. P .. Joslin, J. R. Huntington, C. Hughes. The present ( 1915) officers are: C. Hughes, mayor; W. F. Wedekin, clerk ; J. 11. Jameson, W. H. Meister, George Meyers, J. S. Capellen, F. L. Larson, councilmen ; treasurer, B. Mulinix, and marshal and street commis- sioner, J. M. Little. The clerks who have served the town are as follow : 1. C. Finnegan, C. O. Lewis, U. H. Rummel and W. F. Wedekin.
A waterworks plant was installed in 1895-96, after the terrible con- flagration which swept the better part of the business district in the autumn of 1894. At first an eighty-foot well was drilled, and this gave sufficient water supply until four years ago, when a well was sunk to the depth of four hundred feet, which gives ample water for all purposes in the town. Direct pressure is obtained by means of an eighty-foot stand-pipe, sur- mounted by a twenty-two-foot tank.
Dows is nicely illuminated by electric lights furnished by a private com- pany, the capital of which belongs in Michigan. The same company also operates a similar plant at Belmond. Lights were first turned on at Dows on Christmas Eve, 1914. The service extends over both day and night hours and gives excellent satisfaction.
The telephone cuts a large figure in all up-to-date towns in the county, including Dows, where the Jameson Telephone Company operates-all home capital. This company, organized in 1902 and operating in Wright and Franklin counties, now has about six hundred and forty patrons. Four persons are employed by the company, whose president is G. H. Jameson. with F. H. Peterson as secretary and manager. The system connects with four country lines, one of which has forty-two miles of poles. Connections
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are made readily with all Bell telephone lines, and it has been said that one may talk with persons in any town in Iowa at Dows.
POSTOFFICE.
Dows postoffice at an early day was a country office styled Otisville. It was established in 1858 and was changed to Dows when the town was platted and had its first railway line. Through the kindness of the postoffice department at Washington, the following list of postmasters is here fur- nished, especially for this work: R. F. Train, December 23. 1880: J. F. Kent, September 16, 1885; John Jenkins, December 8, 1800; J. F. Kent, April 10, 1893; H. E. Smith, November 12, 1897; C. E. Hammond, Septem- ber 16, 1902; T. P. Watson, February 20, 1915. The office at Dows is now a third-class office, with four rural free delivery routes extending into the surrounding country. The fire of September, 1894, totally destroyed the postoffice and its contents, including interesting early records. In 1914, the office was entered at night and the safe was "cracked," but, fortunately, only a small amount of change was taken. The thieves were never caught.
TOWN OF GALT.
This little town is a station on the Rock Island railway in section 18, township 91, range 23. It was platted as "Norwich" on January 4. 1881, by the railroad town-lot company. It has never had a boom, but has year by year added to its business interests, and today has the following lines repre- sented: General store, known as the Pascoe Mercantile Company, W. A. Pascoe & Son; I. B. Sanders, general dealer; Galt Drug Company, .A. H. Bosworth; James Parsons, furniture and repairs; lumber, coal and cement, Shull Brothers; general hardware, Fred Christainson ; general blacksmith- ing. 1 .. L. Broeffle; harness maker, N. J. Poncin; meat market, F. L. Ber- nard: Galt hotel. A. L. Kellogg; grain, stock and seeds, the P. A. Axen Grain Company, S. C. Milnes, manager ; the Burt Grain Company, George Christensen, manager; State Savings Bank, J. J. Axen, cashier ; automobile garage, Burt Brothers; confectionery and toilet goods, C. J. Howard; bar- ber shop, the "Tip-Top," by H. G. Firkins ; physician and surgeon, Dr. Wil- liam Potter ; postmaster, C. J. Howard ; hotel and restaurant, by Mrs. N. J. Poncin, known as the "Galt." The drainage engineer is John Boyington, who is also town clerk and is a very painstaking and efficient one.
Galt was incorporated on January 6, 1913. with the following town
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officers: Mayor, C. J. Howard; clerk, J. E. Patterson ; councilmen, J. J. Axen, P. Ackerman, F. N. Tibbits, O. E. Ogden and W. R. Burt; marshal, W. E. Bisher; treasurer, P. A. Axen; assessor, John Boyington. On July 7, 1913, J. E. Patterson tendered his resignation as clerk, which was ac- cepted, and John Boyington was appointed to fill that vacancy, which office he holds at present ( 1915) in an acceptable manner. On September 7, 1914, Mayor C. J. Howard tendered his resignation to the council, which was accepted, and 1. L. Cundall was appointed to fill that vacancy. The present (1915) town officers are: Mayor, I. L. Cundall; clerk. John Boyington; treasurer, P. A. Axen ; assessor, John Boyington.
A postoffice was established in January, 1882, known as Galtville, with R. B. Hanlin, postmaster; succeeded by Frank Hanlin on November 16, 1885; J. H. Birdsall, March 14, 1888. The name was changed to Galt on April 18, 1888, and the postmasters have been : J. H. Birdsall, April 18. 1888; C. I .. Marsh, December 26, 1800; Arthur Richards, May 5, 1892; J. H. Birdsall, December 11, 1893; C. H. Walton, August 21, 1895; C. D. Williams, January 14. 1897; Arthur Richards, July 11, 1900; J. A. Green, October 23, 1902; William R. Burt, January 23, 1908; C. J. Howard, Sep- tember 2, 1914.
CHAPTER XXII.
BOONE TOWNSHIP.
The northwestern sub-division of Wright county, known as Boone civil township, comprises, at present date, congressional township No. 93. range 26, west. At its north is Hancock county ; at the east, Norway town- ship; at the south, Liberty township, and at the west, Humboldt county. The Boone river courses through the central western portion, entering the county and township in section 2, and leaving the township from section 31. The soil is a rich, black, very productive composition on the prairies and a sandy loam along the Boone river valley. Nature has done much in the way of supplying water, by means of flowing wells, which are to be had at a very shallow depth. The population of Boone township in 1910 was 504. being about equally divided among American and foreign people. The lands are all well improved and land values are up to the present prices in other sections of the county. There are no towns or villages within this township, Renwick, in Humboldt county, and Clarion, in Wright county. being the principal trading places for the farming communities of Boone township.
ORGANIC.
Boone was attached to Liberty township until about 1858, when it was set off as an independent precinct. The election for organization was held! at the house of Charles H. Packard, and resulted in the election of Peter Groeshong, clerk; W. Il. Gillespie and C. H. Packard, justices of the peace: C. H. Packard, school director : C. H. Packard, road supervisor, and (. IT. Packard, W. H. Gillespie and Fred Zimmerman, trustees.
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