USA > Iowa > Wright County > History of Wright County, Iowa, its peoples, industries and institutions > Part 30
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The present ( 1915) officers of Belmond incorporation are: Walter Ramsay, mayor; G. J. Byers, clerk; M. Hanson, treasurer; W. E. ("Bert") McAlpine, marshal; G. F. McBirney, health officer. The council is com- posed of Messrs. E. E. Kinney, J. N. Johnson, John Berg, C. P. Luick and H. E. Enger, and the assessor is E. W. Luick.
Belmond has a fine system of municipal waterworks, installed in 1896. Water. purest of the pure, is obtained at a depth of five hundred feet and is pumped to a water tower by steam power, giving from forty to eighty feet pressure, as the demand may be. There are about five miles of water mains; a good street-sewer system, constructed in 1913. At this date there are water bonds floating to the amount of nineteen thousand five hundred dollars, sold to Davenport capitalists, which draw five and one-half per cent. The town has a handsome park, a full square in size, covered with a fine growth of planted trees including evergreens and common forest trees. Its center is beautified by a handsome fountain, flowing through all the summer months. Rustic seats and other improvements have been wisely made, so that it has become a delightful spot in midsummer. The streets are lighted with thirty-six modern electroliers with a cluster of five brilliant lights attached to each post. Outside these lights on the main street, are sixty other electric lights. The town hall is a frame building, really not in keeping with the remainder of the town's improvements. The light plant is owned by a Michigan company and is a private corporation, put in a few years since, but highly satisfactory to the people. The multiplied miles of cement- paved walks is a noticable feature of Belmond.
POSTOFFICE HISTORY.
A postoffice was established in Belmond in 1856 with Archer Dumond as its postmaster. It is now a third-class office, yet has the distinction of being one of the one hundred and twenty "village-carrier" departments in towns of its small size in the entire United States. This is the only such office in Iowa. It was established in June, 1913, and now serves three hun- dred and twenty families twice each day. There are also four rural free- delivery routes extending out from the postoffice to various country points.
CITY PARK FOU
CITY PARK, BELMOND.
HARAMIDRUGGIST
HIGH WATER
OLD MILL AT BELMOND, DURING FLOOD,
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The money-order and savings-deposit business of Belmond is quite exten- sive, especially in the foreign money-order department. The following have served as postmasters in this office from the time of its establishment, fifty-nine years ago: Archer Dumond, appointed on June 18, 1856; J. M. Elder, December 18, 1857; William E. Rogers, April 30, 1859; George A. Mckay, May 15, 1860; L. H. Cutler, April 6, 1861; George W. Dumond, January 12, 1863; J. C. Cowles, November 18, 1863; L. H. Cutler, Septem- ber 9, 1864; William H. Mitchell, January 27, 1873; John W. Adams, September 25, 1885; Samuel Adams, July 5, 1887; Lyna Whited, May 9, 1889; Robert M. Cameron, February 18, 1897; E. S. Hubbard, March 21, 1901; W. C. Ramsay, January 23, 1906; John L. McAlpine, February 2, 1914.
PRESENT COMMERCIAL INTERESTS.
In the month of May, 1915, the following had charge of the various lines of business and profession in Belmond: Attorneys, Berry & Hill, Will E. Bullard; agricultural implements, Val Griesy, Johnson & Johnson; auto- mobile dealers, Martin Lewis, Martin Thoe, G. E. Menzie, A. W. Hill; brick, tile and cement, H. J. Klemme, manager of company owning it; banks, First National, Belmond Savings Bank, State Bank of Belmond; barber shops, William Galligher, Brady & Dietz, W. Sands; bottling works, shops, Peter Stacy, Jess Underkolfer, R. Thompson; creamery, Farmers Co-operative Company; cement blocks, Belmond Lumber Company; cloth- ing, exclusive, Charles McGuire; drug stores, Schultz Drug Company, James Adams; dentists, Doctor Goudy, Doctor Goodsell; dray lines, Kimbles, Bishops, Ike Earhart and Smith's transfer lines; elevators, The Great- Western elevator, Johnson-Rosencrans Company, Farmers Co-operative Company ; furniture, Belmond Furniture Company, H. J. Klemme Furniture Company ; feed barn, William Reese; general merchandise, C. B. Johnson, Joseph Boning, W. A Shaffer, Oscar Jacobs, W. W. Goetz; grocery, ex- clusive, Benjamin Fetrow; hotels, The Case and the Home; harness shops, Cecil Jones, E. E. Scales; hardware, Val Greisy, Charles Reese, Johnson & Johnson ; jewelry, L. Mallery, H. M. Hill, Harry Scholtz; lumber, Ahmann- Bock Lumber Company, H. J. Klemme Lumber Company, Belmond Lumber Company ; livery, M. R. Case ; laundry, Elmer Pierce ; meat markets, Andrew Bullis, A. E. Hass; millinery, Berry Sisters, Ide Tyrell; mills, Steam Roller Mills; newspaper, The Herald-Press, by the Herald-Press Printing Com- pany, Ramsay & Ramsay; physicians, Doctors Steele, Frank Stevens, Mc- Burney, Myers; produce houses, Morse Brothers, Ed Lathrop; photograph-
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er, Martin Thoe ; "pantatorium," J. A. Jones ; plumbers, M. A. Holtzbauer, Thomas Finn; racket store, Mr. Niering; restaurants, Cy Packard, E. L. Kinney, Jack Neal, John Campbelwell, J. A. Jones; stock dealers, Col. T. D. Rankin, Thomas Tyrell, L. Collins; shoemakers, August Foss, John Bro- dell: telephone exchange, Belmond Mutual Telephone Company; theater, Belmond opera house; "Velvet" ice-cream factory, George Goelz; veterin- ary surgeons, R. G. Brown, Russell; wagon shop, Richard Thompson.
SPECIAL INDUSTRIES.
While Belmond depends largely on her rich farming country for its support, it also has a large transient railway trade and the following in- dustries which bring in much money during the year: The brick and File Company, established in 1905, does an extensive trade in the making of brick, tile and cement products, which find ready sale near at home, for this country is fast being tiled and drained. These extensive works run summer and winter, the product being sold in central Iowa. The majority of the product of the plant consist of the larger grades of tile and building Blocks and from fifteen to twenty men are constantly employed. The sand comes from the company's own sand-pit and the company also owns its own elec- tric light and water plants. Since 1907 the entire output has been all sold in advance of producing the same. These works are owned solely by 11. 1. Klemme. June, 1908, Mr. Klemme patented what is known as the "miracle hollow block," a wonderful machine that makes three thousand tile daily -- running from four inches to one foot in diameter. Window caps, columns, sidewalk blocks, cement brick and a score or more similar articles are there produced from cement.
The creamery, established in 1911, by the Farmers Co-Operative Com- pany, is doing an excellent business. The Belmond roller flouring-mill is doing a thriving business as a merchant mill, where the best of modern machinery is in motion the year around, in the production of an excellent grade of family flour. The "Velvet" ice-cream plant is rapidly forging to the front, as are also the two produce houses. It goes without saying that the country surrounding Belmond is rich, for three banking houses are . required to care for the business.
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DROWNING OF FIVE MEN AT BELMOND.
The drowning of five men at Belmond and the violent death in the mill of another, all in one week, in 1870, was described by a graphic writer at the time of its occurrence, in the following language :
"At Belmond a bridge used to span the lowa river, but on the ice going out in the spring of 1870, it was carried away, from which sprung up a lamentable occurrence, which canses now to be written the saddest page in all the history of Wright county.
"At the east end of the bridge, or rather where it stood, is the Belmond mills, consequently the mill dam was a very short distance above the bridge.
"Shortly after the bridge was carried away by the ice, a party of five men undertook to cross from the west to the east side of the river in a boat in the vicinity of the dam, but who, when once embarked were destined to never set foot on land again. The particulars of this most sad event so far as we could learn, were about as follow: On the afternoon of Saturday the 9th of April, 1870, William Rowen, George W. Royce and Dudley Gillman, of Belmond, in company with R. P. Rowley, of Horse Grove, and S. F. Ainsley, of Clarion, ventured to take passage across the river in a boat that had been used for the same purpose by other parties. If we are cor- rectly informed they made the venture with no other propelling power than a pole and to this may be attributed the sad results that followed. As already intimated, the point of embarkation was but a short distance from the dam, and much nearer the dangerous eddy than they had thought of. Before they had reached half way across the river, they discovered to their great dismay that the boat was fast being drawn into the whirlpool, or chasm, caused by the great rush of water flowing over the dam, and which seethed and frothed in all its fury when it came in contact with the water below. Every effort was put forth to avoid the threatening danger, every nerve was strained to keep the boat clear of the yawning gulf. But all was in vain. Out on the deep water they discovered that the pole on which they depended to guide themselves across is too short to reach the bottom and each moment draws them nearer and nearer the fearful doom that awaited them. Terror stricken, the people on shore behold their terrible situation, and every effort that human effort could invent, whereby they might be saved, was put forth, but all to no purpose. The surging and turbulent water roared loud its defiance and seemed to claim them as its victims. Finding effort fruitless to avoid the impending gloom that too surely awaited them,
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one of the five, William Rowen, jumped from the boat, as a last resort. Fatal leap! For no sooner had he touched the water than he was drawn beneath the surface and borne away beneath the waves out of sight. On seeing him take the leap, one wild cry arose from the spectators, who, how- ever willing, were unable to extend any aid to avert his lamentable fate.
"Scarcely had the form of Mr. Rowen disappeared beneath the waves, than the treacherous boat capsized and the other four occupants were pre- cipitated in the boiling, seething flood. One wild and heart-rending shriek from the lookers-on, burst upon the air which terminated in one long-con- tinned wail of grief. Gloom sat depicted on every countenance and the women gave way to paroxysms of utter and wild despair.
"All was now bustle and confusion. Men ran to and fro in quest of something to go in search of the bodies, while the women gathered in groups and, mid wringing of hands and lamentations of woe, mingled their tears of grief together, as they gushed forth in an irresistible stream of sorrow. On the necessary preparation being made, search was immediately instituted to recover the bodies, and that same evening those of Mr. Rowen and Mr. Gillman were found, about a quarter of a mile below the scene of the disaster.
"A few days after, two more were recovered, but notwithstanding search being made day and night, a week nearly elapsed before the body of the fifth was found. This sad catastrophe threw the whole community into the deepest state of gloom, and in fact on the painful news being sent abroad, the entire people of Wright and adjoining counties received a severe shock; for the victims of the agonizing calamity were well known far from home as being industrious, energetic and enterprising men.
"To add still more to this deplorable accident, each of the five left families behind to mourn their untimely end. It was a long time before the people of Belmond recovered from the terrible shock received by this dis- astrous event; and while yet in the depth of grief over the loss of five of their neighbors, a sixth was added to the list, in the person of Mr. Fulton, who a week or so after, was caught in the machinery of the mill and was crushed and mangled to death.
"These two sad calamities following each other so closely, brought sad- ness and sorrow around every hearth throughout the whole community. Death-however gently and silently it comes to claim its victim, when it steals over the form of the innocent child, sleeping in its cradle to waft it away to mingle its sweet, plaintive voice with those sweet little cherubs around the throne of grace; or when it sweeps slowly but surely on, sum-
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moning the aged and wayworn pilgrim to that longed-for abode of rest : the grave, where all earthly toils and troubles cease; or it matters not in what form it comes, however mild-is sure to cast a shadow over the soul and cause a shudder to creep through the heart. But when it comes shrouded in a terrible cloud of wrath, either in the surging flood or the devouring flame, sweeping with one fell stroke six of our immediate friends and neighbors from our very midst, who but an hour ago commingled with us, full of life, strength, youth and vigor, then indeed death is terrible and gives rise to serious contemplation. But, consoling thought-sweet medita- tion-blissful hope! We shall meet again beyond the grave."
P.VLSVILLE.
Palsville is a small station on the Fort Dodge & Mason City branch of the Chicago Great Western railroad, in the extreme northeastern part of Pleasant township and of the county. A postoffice was established there on February 11, 1898, with A. W. Finch as first postmaster ; he was succeeded by John Jacobs on April 27, 1900, and the office was discontinued on July 31, 1902. The hamlet has a store and a few business interests, quite limited. however.
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CHAPTER XXXIII.
TROY TOWNSHIP.
Troy township was one of the first two organized in this county- Liberty and Troy having been organized in the spring of 1850, while Pleas- ant and Vernon were formed in the following July. Troy township com- prised, principally, a large portion of the southern territory of Wright county, but it is now confined to congressional township 90, range 26, west ; bounded on the west by Webster county, on the north by Eagle Grove town- ship, on the east by Woodstock township and on the south by Hamilton county. The Chicago North Western railway traverses the northeastern portion and in the extreme northwestern part is found the line of the Chicago & Great Western railroad. Nuel, in section 7, is the only hamlet in the township. The Boone river courses from section 5, on the northern line of the town- ship, to section 34, from which it flows into Hamilton county. Bach grove, formerly a body of three thousand acres of excellent timber, is within Troy township, and while much of the larger timber has been cut up and sawed into lumber, there still remains a goodly amount of second growth. The Boone valley affords a fine farming section and the community there is in a prosperous, contented condition, the inhabitants having seen their full share of pioneer day hardships. The first settlers are nearly all gone from the scenes of earthly toil-the Strykers ( first to settle in the county), the Middletons, Sells, Wilcoxes, Allens and many others, having long since died, their sons and daughters now owning many of the old, first-settled places by the township. The population of Troy township in 1910 was placed by the United States census report as 554. Bach Grove postoffice was estab- lished on June 19, 1858, with J. D. Sells as the first postmaster. He was followed by W. R. Middleton, in July, 1861; I. R. Middleton, September, · 1861; J. L. Middleton, April, 1865, and Elmore Middleton, April, 1875. The office was discontinued on August 22, 1881.
"CENTENNIAL" HISTORY.
Perhaps no better account of the earlier years of the history of Troy township can be given than that found in the Belmond Herald, in 1876-
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Centennial year,-when President Grant asked that the history of all town- ships be written up to that date. That vigorous pioneer, Elmore Middleton, one of the early settlers of Troy township, did his part faithfully and well, as will be seen by the following historical account :
"Before the year 1854 the only white men who had ever been in the territory now known as Troy township were the surveying parties sent out by the government, and perhaps a few hunters and trappers who chanced to pass there, seeking pleasure or profit in the capture of the wild game that then inhabited the vast prairies and beautiful groves.
"On the 5th day of July, 1854, William Stryker drove his team into the township on the northwest quarter of section 35, township 90, range 26, thus becoming the first settler in the territory now known as Wright county, then attached to Webster county for judicial and revenue purposes. In the evening of the same day, Stephen Wilcox, Spencer Stryker and Thomas Stryker and families came to the township and settled near Will- iam Stryker. Later in the same year their number was increased by the arrival of Jose R. Middleton, David Cosort and Hardy Williams. These settlers did but little more the first season than to erect their cabins and sheds before winter set in. Stephen Wilcox did some breaking during that season, it being the first virgin soil turned in the township. Fortunately for the settlers, the winter following was unusually mild. During the fall of this year the Reverend Mr. Clegg, of the Methodist Episcopal church, came and preached the first sermon in a log cabin in section 35. belonging to William Stryker.
"During the summer of 1855, six additional families came into the township. O. C. (Ozias) Allen settled in section 36; John Adams, in section 32; William Dewell, in section 31; N. A. Bixby, in section 14; Fred Oden- heimer, in section 16, and J. L. Middleton, in section 21.
"During the summer as much breaking was done as the limited means of the settlers would permit and 'sod corn' was planted by a majority of the settlers. Stephen Wilcox raised the first corn this year on old cultivated land-one year old.
TOWNSHIP ORGANIZATION.
"Their number now being sufficient to meet the requirements of the law, the settlers proceeded to organize a township for political purposes. Their first efforts were a failure, owing to some defect in the papers issued by the frontier judge and the organization of the township was not effected until March, 1856. The name Troy was derived from a town plat of that
.
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name laid out in an early day by O. C. MeIntosh and others a half mile northwest of the center of the township, on the west side of Boone river.
"The first election was held in an old log cabin that stood where Elmore Middleton's house now stands, in section 21. The first officers elected were: J. L. Middleton, clerk; Alfred Games, justice of the peace; Samuel Poor, constable; William Stryker, Jose R. Middleton, and Stephen Wilcox, trus- tees ; Jose R. Middleton, assessor; William Stryker, road supervisor.
"On May 14, 1855, Charlotte Stryker was born, she being the first white child born in Troy township. During that year J. L. Middleton erected the first blacksmith shop, which proved a great convenience to the settlers. The winter of 1855-56 was very severe. Snow fell to the depth of eighteen inches and it was carried by the winds unto drifts of immense size. Stables and sheds were rudely constructed and would not properly protect stock. Cattle, hogs and other stock were frozen to death and some of the settlers lost all of their poultry. Reports were frequently brought to the settlement of persons having been frozen to death on the prairies in other locations near by. The winter was so severe that the deer and elk were either frozen to death or driven out of the country, thus depriving the settlers of their usual supply of meat.
"The following spring opened out about the middle of April, being cold and very wet. A circumstance occurred this spring which caused much suffering in the settlement. The seed corn that was planted proved worth- less. Not one grain in fifty germinated. This seed corn was brought from one of the southern counties in lowa and was sold at $2.50 per bushel. The season was late for re-planting and frost came about September I and cut all that had grown. Corn being the principal crop at that time the destitu- tion consequent to the loss was indeed very great.
"William Stryker raised the first wheat that year that was ever pro- duced in Troy township and Stephen Wilcox raised the first oats.
"To meet the demand of the settlement, J. L .. Middleton erected a shingle mill or "machine," as 'twas called, and for a time supplied the set- tlers with shingles.
HARDSHIPS OF PIONEERS.
"During the winter of 1856-57 the snow fell to the depth of two feet on the level and was in many places badly drifted. The settlers were com- pelled to haul provisions and feed a distance of one hundred miles. Supplies were largely procured at lowa City, one hundred and eighty miles distant,
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some going as far as Muscatine for their supplies, a distance of two hun- dred miles.
"In April of 1857 the settlement was thrown into great excitement by the arrival of the panic-stricken company of about one hundred and fifty settlers from the east side of the De Moines river and the upper Boone coun- try, fleeing, as they supposed, from a tribe of hostile Indians. All but two or three families of the settlement joined this company and fled southeast to Webster City. It was afterward found that the excitement was caused by a very trivial circumstance.
"On February 14, 1857, death for the first time entered the settlement. Abishai Middleton, son of Hutchinson and Achsah Middleton, died at the age of nineteen years of consumption.
"On the 15th day of October, 1857, a church composed of eleven members, was organized by David Day, a Methodist preacher, with J. K. Middleton as leader. It was organized in an old log cabin in section 21, belonging to Jose R. Middleton.
"During the season of this year, 11. Middleton sowed the first timothy and clover seed. The crops that season, though not sufficient for the demand of home consumption, were the best raised by the settlers up to that time. But they were not permitted to enjoy the fruits of their labors. The fall and winter proved to be very wet. The corn all rotted in the cribs. Much of the wheat being kept in pens and boxes spoiled, the rains going through the straw and hay coverings. The first threshing-machine and hand-rake reaping-machine were used in this settlement that year.
"The season of 1858 is known to all old settlers as the 'wet season.' The streams were full and overflowing the greater part of the year. There being no bridges at that time, communication was cut off between this and older settlements. The nearest mill was about twenty-one miles distant, south of Webster City. Many of the settlers were compelled frequently to subsist for weeks at a time upon hominy and corn meal, grated or ground in a hand coffee-mill. It was during that season that the first sorghum was grown by James Barton. During that year the first Sunday school was organized, with William Middleton as superintendent.
"The crops bid fair during the season of 1859, but the first of August a hail storm passed over the central part of the township, utterly destroying the crops on some farms and injuring a greater part of all in the township. It was that season that O. C. Allen sheared the first wool from sheep in the county.
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DISCOURAGED SETTLERS LEAVE.
"In 1860 the first school house in the township was erected in section 33. Up to that time the settlers had seen little but adversity. The soil was different from that which they had been used to in other places and re- quired different cultivation in some respects. And their plows were inferior in quality, and as a consequence, crops were not successfully raised. The people were poor and discontented.
"During the year 1861 nine families left the township, seeking older settlements. Some of them had sold their all and had to be assisted in removing by their more fortunate neighbors, who had teams.
"Troy furnished her quota of soldiers during the War of the Rebellion. We deem it a just tribute to their memory to record the names of those, who, in the time of their country's need, promptly responded to the call and went forth, a part of them never to return. Those who returned were Jolın Stryker, R. Brewer and Hudson Barton, but George Merrill and Sol. Orcutt laid their lives on the altar of their country. Both were far from home and friends and all who knew and loved them; alone in a southern hospital, they died. Let their names never be forgotten.
"About this time the settlers began to enjoy more prosperous times. 1861-62 were fruitful seasons. Prices of farm produce increased and im- provements steadily went forward. In 1862, the first marriage was solemn- ized by William Stryker, Esq. The parties were John Downing and Martha J. Boring.
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