USA > Iowa > Wright County > History of Wright County, Iowa, its peoples, industries and institutions > Part 27
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The only hamlets within Grant township are Solburg, in the southeast- ern part, and Cornelia, at the little lakelet of the same name, which is about in the center of the township, on the railroad line from Clarion to Mason City. There is one church in the southeastern part of the township, the history of which is set out in the chapter on churches.
Cornelia postoffice was established in Grant township, near the lake, on December 1, 1893, with J. C. Butterfield as postmaster, and following him came Peter Nelson, February 5, 1895; T. C. Johnson, April 29, 1806; Charles Thompson, March 26. 1904; Andrew Fryslie, November 24. 1905; Antony Wagner, September 16, 1909; A. M. Axen, January 28, 1910. This office was discontinued on November 30, 1912.
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THE LAKES OF GRANT.
Within the township are two lakes-Little Wall lake and Elm lake. The former is one of the famed "walled" lakes about which so much of poetry and slush has been written by those unacquainted with the facts con- nected therewith. Even Horace Greeley, in the sixties, carried a description of these walled lakes in his New York Tribune, which would lead one to think that some prehistoric race of men had, with hammers and trowels, laid up a fairly well-constructed wall. Such a description was based only on fancy and long-range imagination. The supposed "wall" of this, and the lake in the southern part of Wright county, known sometimes as Big Wall lake, are simply the result of "nigger-head" granite boulders having been conveyed thither by the ice in the long-ago glacial age. At the close of the Civil War, a fine natural grove adorned the east shore of this lake and the wall at that time extended around the south and east sides. In severe winters these lakes were frozen in many places to the bottom, the ice inclos- ing the rocks at the bottom, and the spring floods carried the ice-packed rocks to the shore, under the influence of heavy winds. Only in lakes of sandy bottoms did these peculiarities exist. In mud-bottomed lakes the ice drift of remote periods failed to drop the usual amount of these prairie boulders. hence these strange "walls" were not seen.
Since the pioneer eye first rested on these broad and fertile prairies and on this little prairie lake, known as Little Wall lake, the fine grove then present has disappeared; the "wall" has been hauled away to make founda- tions for buildings in the vicinity. The cultivation of the soil nearby has cut off the water supply, and the water line has receded farther, year by year, from the wall that once marked its limit. Rushes have sprung up in the lake, and what was once a clear body of pure water is rapidly becoming an unsightly pond. Ere long, unless conditions change materially, this lake will not be in existence.
Elm lake lies about a half mile to the south of Little Wall lake, and was formerly connected with the latter. This lake has changed more mate- rially than the other one. Originally it was much the larger of the two, but little of its former area is now covered, at any season, with water. It re- ceived its name from a stately elm tree that stood on its southeast shore, and which for many years was a landmark to the weary traveler. This tree was blown down during a high windstorm, about 1890. The only nat- ural timber in the township is that skirting the Iowa river in places.
CHAPTER XXVII.
IOWA TOWNSHIP.
Iowa civil township, comprising all of congressional township 92, range 23 west, was originally a part of Pleasant township. It is south of Pleas- ant, bounded on the east by Franklin county, on the south by Blaine town- ship, Wright county, and on the west by Grant township. The general topography of this township is similar to those at the north. The western half comprises the valley of the Jowa river, and all land long ago was "taken up" and developed into farms that now range in value from one hundred to one hundred and seventy-five dollars per acre-though few are offered for sale. The east portion of Iowa township is high land, with a strong clay subsoil, not so quick and warm as the lower land, but of great fertility and possessing enduring qualities surpassing all other lands in the township. Every part of the township is well adapted to agriculture, which is the chief industry of its thrifty, contented people. The population of the township in 1910, according to the United States census returns, was 878, including the town of Rowan, which at that date had a population of 256. In 1875 the entire township possessed only 288 people.
ORGANIZATION.
Iowa township was organized by an act of the board of county judges in 1856, as noted in the records of that year; but further action was not taken toward perfecting such township organization until in 1858, when there were thirteen voters within its borders. Robert Rowen, however, held the office of justice of the peace before 1858, having been elected while that section of the county was yet in Pleasant township, and continued to hold such office for many years afterward. He also served the township as supervisor. Following is the notation regarding the township organization taken from the county records :
"Now comes W. E. Rogers, V. A. Overacker and asks for a new town- ship to be formed according to the following boundaries: commencing at the southeast corner of section 13, in township 92, range 23 ; thence running south to the southeast corner of section 13, township 91, range 23: thence
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west to the west line of township 91, range 24; thence north to the north- west corner of section 19, township 92, range 24; thence cast to the place of beginning, said township to be called Iowa township.
"July term, 1857. (Signed) DAVID DEAN, Court Judge."
THIE FLOWING WELL BELT.
Iowa township is fortunate, indeed, in being within the celebrated flow- ing or artesian well belt of Iowa. In its eastern half especially, flowing wells were reported in 1890 as numerous and to be secured at the depth of from sixty to one hundred feet, and at a cost not exceeding the common well. The flow of water is of the most excellent quality, free from all dis- agreeable odor or taste. On account of this natural advantage, there are many large, profitable and attractive stock farms in the township.
PIONEER SETTLEMENT.
The first settlements in Iowa township were made along the Iowa river, the pioneer buildings generally being erected in the shelter of the groves. Most of the old buildings that did duty in those early times have been re- placed by more spacious and modern structures, and the farms are the pride of this section of Iowa.
The first persons to become really permanent settlers in Iowa township were Robert Rowen, Edwin Ballon and Horace Riley, who came in the spring of 1855, and soon following them came in Robert Duffy and James Riley. Mr. Rowen bought the claim of one of the first who entered the township, a squatter. It appears that here, as in other parts of this county, the first settlers, so called, were simply hunters and trappers and not in any true sense actual farmers or real settlers. Some of them had been attracted by the fine locations to be had and had entered what was styled "claims," under the pre-emption and other settlement laws. Soon they wanted to move on to better hunting fields and hence sold their claims for mere songs to persons of wider vision, who could see the great future that awaited the man who held lands in this beautiful garden spot of the Iowa Valley. Of this "squatter" or "claim" class, without doubt Messrs. Ford, Hill and Mur- dock had filed such claims in the summer or fall of 1854, but were frightened away by reports of trouble soon to come from an Indian invasion, which, in fact, never did materialize. The only thing they left was a poor old horse, left by government surveyors, which sought shelter in the timber of the
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township during the winter after their departure. Rowen, Ballou and Duffy built houses in the grove and their places became well known as excellent points at which to stop, for at least twenty years afterward. It was in the autunm of 1857. that \. D. Hiams arrived with his brother, Mortimer, and they opened the era of frame buildings in this section of the country. They were carpenters and the year after they came, they erected houses for Robert Rowen and George Bingham at the grove, and a Miss Wheeler, later Mrs. Hill, at Ontario, north of the grove, which at that time was a platted town, whose inhabitants once hoped to have made the seat of justice of Wright county. Miss Cornelia Eastman, daughter of R. K. Eastman and sister of Oliver K. Eastman, who became Mrs. Hancock and now resides in California, taught the first school in what .is now lowa township in the summer of 1859. The first death was that of John Meeker, who died in the fall of 1858. A little later in that same autumn, Mrs. R. K. Eastman died, and in the spring of 1859 Mrs. Eastman's brother, a Mr. McNeal, died. All three pioneers were buried in the Horse Grove cemetery.
BEGINNINGS OF THE SOCIAL ORDER.
A postoffice was established at Ilorse Grove in 1856, under the name of Fryeburg, and Doctor Hurd, one of the first settlers, was appointed post- master. Horse Grove probably derived its name from the fact that one of the squatters (or possibly a surveyor ), who fled from the grove on account of the Indian scare, had left a horse to roam at will in the timber- and pick its living from the leaves, brush and dry grass it chanced to find.
There was a saw-mill at Horse Grove, probably the first in the county, and it did considerable work, but evidently was not a financial success. The owner was from Maine and his name was Warren. He laid out a town plat at the head of the grove, giving it his name, and that was all there was to his town-it never materialized. At Fryeburg there was a store at the postoffice for many years, but there was no town, proper, until the building of the old Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad and the laying out of Rowan, which place was started in 1883, at which time Fryeburg postoffice was moved to Rowan.
The religious society in the township was that of the Baptists, of which Joel Kent was one of the leaders. It was organized in 1861, with Reverend Stilson as pastor. Later other denominations formed societies and held meetings in accordance with their own creed and faith, but no church build- ings were erected until 1890, in which year the first church edifice in lowa
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township was erected. That year the Methodists and the Congregational- ists each erected good, roomy frame churches at the village of Rowan.
Four miles north of Rowan there was platted the town known as "Ontario," also wanting to be counted in as the county seat, when it should be finally settled where the local center of government should be located. Lumber was sawed and a building erected for county purposes. An elec- tion was held on the east side of the county, at the same date on which an election was held on the Boone river side, for county organization purposes. but on account of some illegal voting the election was decided illegal throughout, and hence the westsiders won out and located the county seat at Liberty ( now Goldfield).
It should be stated that the man, Ford, mentioned as being one of the three original "squatters" in this township, was a professional townsite and claim-selling character. It was he who first located at Iowa City, took a claim and sawed lumber from which lowa's first state house was erected ; then sold out and moved on up the Iowa river to Hardin county, where he again "squatted," improved his claim a little and sold out to others. Ile made his next stand in Wright county as above mentioned, and finally sold his claim, mostly all timber, to Robert Rowen for three hundred dollars, moving to Minnesota, where he again engaged in the same business. It was he who first settled at Ilorse Grove.
The first frame house in the township was the one erected for a court house, about 1858. But the seat of justice went to Liberty, instead. The first person born in the township was O. E. Ballou, in 1856. The first school was taught by Miss Cornelia Eastman in about 1859. The machinery for the first saw-mill built by Hurd & MeNeal, in 1856, was brought from Dummque by teams and Edwin Ballon was the sawyer.
At the time Robert Rowen came to the county, in May, 1855, he was accompanied by Edwin Ballon and Horace Riley, so well known in more ways than one, in the upbuilding of Wright county.
It was in 1886, that E. S. Ellsworth opened up his eight-hundred-acre ranch, to which he later added much more, making it one of the largest stock farms in this section of the state.
What was known at an early date as Fryeburg postoffice, in this town- ship, was established in 1856, and was the first postoffice in Wright county. Its first postmaster was William C. Hard, appointed on March 14, 1856. Ile was succeeded by D. F. Ellsworth, July 14, 1857: R. K. Eastman, August 19. 1858; William Rowen, April 16, 1860; J. H. Rowen, March 26,
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1868; N. N. Hainis, March 14, 1871, and A. D. Hainis, March 2, 1882. The office was discontinued on June 22, 1886.
THE TOWN OF ROWAN.
Rowan, the only town within Iowa township, is situated in section 34, township 92, range 23 west, and is a station point on the Rock Island and the Chicago Great Western railways. It is just to the east of the lowa river, where the Rowen family settled at an early day. A postoffice was established there, as the Rowen settlement, long before railway days, and the petition sent to Washington for a postoffice asked that it be called Rowen, but on account of a postoffice in Iowa named Bowen, the depart- ment changed the e to an a and named the postoffice "Rowan." This will explain why the name is not spelled like that of Senator John Rowen.
The old Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern railroad, constructed through the Rowan town site in 1884-5, is now known as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railroad. A few years later, in 1902, the old Dubuque & Dakota railroad was extended west from Hampton through Rowan to Clarion, and is now a branch of the great Chicago Great Western system.
The first man to commence business at Rowan was the present worthy postmaster, R. R. Duffy, a Connecticut Yankee, who at the time, lived on his homestead nearby, and was induced by the grain and coal firms of Finch & Hayward, to manage their business for them at Rowan. Ile built the first house on the plat, which was recorded on August 26, 1885. The first general store was opened by Fred Smalley. Mr. Duffy continued in the employ of Finch & Hayward for more than eight years, during which time, though almost a total stranger to the men, he was entrusted with the handling of thousands of dollars of their money, in the buying and shipping of grain and coal at that point. The Hayward here mentioned afterward served the state of lowa as its secretary of state for a number of years.
One of the oldest settlers in the Rowan vicinity, now living at an advanced age, is the pioneer "Uncle" Edwin Ballou, who settled near the present town about 1854, and has thus witnessed the county's wonderful development from the very earliest days thereof.
ROWAN'S BUSINESS INTERESTS.
The present ( 1915) business interests in Rowan are as follow : Agri- cultural implements, S. A. Ferguson, who also handles automobiles; black-
OLD SCHOOL BUILDING AT ROWAN.
I
STREET SCENE IN ROWAN.
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smith shop, R. H. Keith ; barber shop, L. W. McCullum; bank, the State Savings Bank; the creamery is not operated now, but was once a successful industry of the town : drugs. J. J. Guernsey ; dray line, Fletcher & Vennom ; elevators, Virdon & Pritchett, Azeltine Brothers: furniture, D. A. French; general dealers, Thomas Hensen, Emerson & Whitten ; harness and buggies, J. A. Whitten; hardware, Whitten & Huber; lumber, Virden & Pritchett ; livery, S. B. Heath; meat market, L. W. Stevenson ; mills, the Rowan roller mills, L. A. MeCullum; physician, Dr. W. E. Gordon; restaurant. Mrs. E. I. Kinkaid: stock dealers, Utz & Drury; veterinary surgeon, Thomas Thompson.
The history of the churches, lodges and schools is set out in chapters devoted to such topics presented elsewhere in this volume, but it may be added here that the Methodist Episcopal and Congregational denominations have good churches at Rowan, while the lodge interest is confined solely to that of the Modern Woodmen of America.
The present population of Rowan is about three hundred. The town is surrounded by a wonderfully rich agricultural section and has a prom- ising future. The original postoffice for this part of the township was named Fryeburg, and will be recalled only by the very oldest settlers of the county. The following served as postmasters at Rowan : H. H. Barker, appointed in 1884; L. C. Dalrymple, 1884; F. A. Schmalle, 1886; D. R. Pierce, 1887; William Wessenburg, 1888; A. B. Hiams, 1890; WV. M. Brooks, 1894: C. A. Emerson, 1896; A. E. Emerson, 1898; J. S. Farran, 1905; R. R. Duffy, 1907.
In 1907 the office was robbed of three hundred dollars in stamps and sixty dollars in cash. The safe that was blown up was the personal prop- erty of Postmaster Duffy.
INCORPORATION HISTORY.
Rowan was incorporated in 1901, and was finally legally counted a corporate place in lowa, by action of the courts, on February 25, 1902. The first officers of the town were: J. D. Pritchett, mayor; S. B. Heath, C. W. Fowler, F. M. Utter. C. L. Bingham, J. B. Mckinstry, councilmen; R. R. Duffy, clerk.
The following have served as mayors and clerks to date: Mayors, J. D. Pritchett, Edgar Bingham, F. B. Sheldon and * * * J. R. Braden, -Sheldon, having served three terms at different periods; Clerks, R. R. (20)
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Duffy, 1901-02; F. E. Whitney, 1902-04; J. S. Farran and E. V. Camp- bell, 1904-06; W. H. Whitten, 1906-12; O. H. Polley, 1912 to 1910.
The town is provided with a privately-owned electric light system, by a special election granting a franchise in December, 1912, to J. L. Sin- clair, who established the plant, and operated the same for about one year, at the end of which time he sold his franchise to L. A. McCallum, who now operates it. The town purchases street lights at two dollars per month per kilowatt, or its equivalent in smaller lights. Residences are furnished lights at fifteen cents per kilowatt hour, with a minimum of one dollar per month.
ROWAN'S "LIBERTY BELL."
From the Rowan Record ( 1905) .- "One of the features of the Fourth of July celebration here this year will be the float carrying the old Liberty bell that Belmond gave as a reward for the largest township delegation attending the celebration at Belmond some forty years ago. At that time Edwin Ballou headed the delegation which captured the prize. Outside of this fact there are other reasons why the old bell is of more than passing interest. It was placed on the old school house and for more than a quar- ter of a century it called the little children, now men and women grown, and having families of their own, to the daily tasks; sometimes beneath the old bell there were gathered sorrowing ones to bid a long farewell to departed friends; then too, on Sundays it called the people together to worship, regardless of creed or sect, race or color; again it rang forth at "early candle light" while old and young alike answered its summons to attend some form of recreation or entertainment. Such in brief is the history of the old cracked bell. Had it a voice what a tale it could unfold."
CHAPTER XXVIII.
LAKE TOWNSHIP.
Lake township is the second civil division from the north and west lines of Wright county, and comprises congressional township 92, range 25, except some fractional sections at the southeastern corner, which were made a part of Clarion township a few years ago. These include all of sections 35, 30, 25, and the southeast quarter of section 26. It was organ- ized in 1879, and was originally a part of Liberty township. In 1880 its population was 144; in 1905 the state census gave it 230 population, while the United States census for 1910 gave it 556. Its largest population was in 1900, when it had reached 646.
Lake township is to the south of Norway township, to the west of Grant township, to the north of Dayton township, and to the east of Lib- erty township.
The only natural water courses in the township are Otter creek, which runs through the extreme northwestern section of the township, and the headwaters of Eagle creek. There are two large drainage ditches, or canals, crossing the territory from north to south. The only town or village in the township is Holmes, situated in section 31, on either side of the track of the Chicago & Rock Island railroad.
The several schools of this township are fully up to the Wright county standard. These have been considered in the chapter on education pre- sented elsewhere in this work.
Lake township is a prairie with a very rich soil, and while its gen- eral surface is somewhat flat, it is fast being drained by a fine system of large open ditches, and many miles of under-ground tiling. Here one sees many beautiful farm homes and a happy, contented people.
The Rock Island system of railroad runs through parts of sections 31. 32, 33 and 34, with Holmes as the station point.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Among the first to locate in Lake township were P. R. Henry, Philip Doctor and Thomas Ellison. One account given the writer by E. S. Cleve-
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land, a former resident of both Liberty and Lake townships, runs as fol- lows: "When this township was organized, having been set off from Lib- erty in 1879, the settlers then living within what is now Lake township were: A Mr. Hinton, the first actual settler, but who did not remain long- he located in the northwest quarter of section 32, on land where now stands the Holmes school house. John Mowers and Louis Goodsell, located in the south half of section 31, and remained till sometime after the building of the railroad. Thomas Ellison came to the township in 1870. He died many years ago and his wife survived him till about 1915. Mr. Ellison settled in the northwest of section 28, and had a one-hundred and twenty- acre tract, also four acres of timber on the Boone river, from which he cut timber and had sawed black walnut and oak lumber with which to erect his buildings. His house was sided with pure black walnut lumber, and the frame was of oak, all sawed at the Goldfield steam saw-mill."
Other settlers in the township were: Ed Nichols, in section 1 ; Philip Doctor settled in section 13, where he remained some years, at the end of which time he sold and moved to Clarion, where he died about 1912, and his son John now owns the farm he first located on. Pembleton Henry located in the north half of section 13 and owns it yet. Frank L. Dow settled in section 1, sold and moved to Clarion; his wife died and he removed to California. Marvin Fox, now a resident of Des Moines, was a pioneer here, coming in 1872, settling in the southeast quarter of section 14. Ile traded his land for other land in Dayton township. M. N. Vanhorn settled in section 29 and L. E. Hulburd in section 20.
The first officers of the township inchided the following: Clerk, F. L. Dows; assessor, E. S. Cleveland; trustees, Philip Doctor, P. Henry and Will Dawson.
VILLAGE OF HOLMES.
Holmes, the only hamlet within Lake township, was platted on March 11, 1895, in the northeast quarter of section 31, township 92, range 25, west, by J. Fraser and wife. Here one finds a small trading point on the Rock Island railroad. In the spring of 1915 the commercial interests of the place are about as follow : General dealer, Anfin Weeks, who purchased the business of Oscar Ulstad, prior to whom the dealer in general merchan- dise was M. W. Jones, who succeeded John Langseth, who succeeded Andrew MeLeish, who purchased the stock of Spangler & Stroup, before which time the dealer was L. C. Spangler, the pioneer dealer of Holmes, whose business was established about 1889. The first business of the town
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was established by Charles Councilmen & Company, of Chicago, who erected the first elevator. The grain and lumber business is now conducted by the Farmers Elevator Company. The hardware trade is in the hands of Andrew Anderson, who also handles harness goods. The village blacksmith is E. . E. Wolf, and Martin Bronleewe is the village barber. The postmaster is Anfin Weeks. The Bank of Holmes was established in 1900. ( See chap- ter on banking. ) Arthur Wampler is proprietor of a restaurant established in the autumn of 1914. The town also supports a small garage for auto- mobile business. There are two churches in Holmes-the Baptist and Luth- eran denominations. (See chapter on churches for particulars. ) There was a camp of the Modern Woodmen of America at Holmes a few years ago, but it was removed to Goldfield. For many years Holmes only had a store and postoffice.
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