USA > Iowa > History of western Iowa, its settlement and growth. A comprehensive compilation of progressive events concerning the counties, cities, towns, and villages-biographical sketches of the pioneers and business men, with an authentic history of the state of Iowa > Part 32
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The general business of Mondamin, classified, is as follows: Three dry goods and grocery stores, two grocery and notion stores, one drug store, jewelry store, hotel, restaurant, two hardware and tin-shops, furniture store, blacksmith shop, wagon shop, two livery stables, shoe shop, stock shipper, three grain dealers, meat market, billiard hall and saloon, agricultural implement dealer, lumber yard, harness shop, carpenter shop, dealer in music books and sheet music. There is also a notary public and insurance agent. The bar has one representative here, and medicine three.
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETIES.
Mondamin Congregational Church Society .- This society was organized with about thirty members, in the early part of 1876, by Rev. C. N. Lyman, of Onawa. Mr. Lyman still ministers to the spiritual wants of the congregation, and holds services in the school house once in two weeks. Although somewhat at a dis- advantage for the present regarding a place of meeting, arrange. ments have been made for the erection of a suitable house of wor- ship the coming spring, and over $700 have already been sub- scribed for the purpose. The society, owing to the departure from the vicinity of a number of its original members, is now not quite as large as it was at the outset, and at present has but about twenty-five members. The society has also a Sabbath school in connection therewith, of which P. C. Spooner is superintendent. The average attendance is about forty-five, and services are held every Sunday morning in the school house.
Methodist .- Although there is no organized Methodist society, of any branch, in Mondamin, there are a number of adherents to the doctrines of the Methodist Episcopal Church, and for their benefit services are held in the school house once in two weeks by Rev. H. J. Smith, of Little Sioux.
Other Religious Sects .- Although there are numerous representa- tives of other religious sects in this vicinity, particularly Univer- salists, there is no other organized society beyond the one men- tioned. The sect particularized has occasionally been preached to by various itinerant brethren of their belief.
Mondamin Public Schools .- Although the town is incorporated, Mondamin, as yet, has not been made an independent school dis-
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trict, but the limits within the jurisdiction of the town school is known as Sub-District No. 1 of Morgan Township. It is believed. however, by those in a position to know, that the sub-district has sufficient population to warrant its admission as an independent district, and that this consummation will soon be attained. There are 100 pupils in the sub-district. The sub-district erected a one- room building, 30x40 feet in dimensions, in the fall of 1871. when the sub-district was first organized, but the increased attendance has necessitated the renting of another room. This difficulty, however, is soon to be met by a larger public edifice. The first sub-director was E. M. Harvey. The present one is E. J. Hager- man.
Mondamin Lodge No. 392, I. O. O. F .- This lodge was organ- ized May 22d, 1879, with charter members as follows: F. M. Du- pray, N. G .; E. Jones, V. G .; J. A. Yost, S .; A. W. Garrison, P. S .; F. W. Brooks, C. M. Gilmore, Byron Strode, Thomas Byers, B. J. Faylor, members. Six other members were also initiated the same evening, and of these several were immediately placed in officers' vacant chairs. The lodge was organized by D. G. M. J. C. Miliman, of Logan. The lodge at present contains thirty- four members, with the following officers: B. J. Faylor, N. G .; Benjamin Morrow, V. G .; J. A. Yost, S .; R. B. Hall, T .; F. M. Dupray, W .; B. Strode, C .; T. Morrow, R. S. N. G .; T. C. F. Brenneman, L. S. N. G .; C. Gilmore, O. G .; William Griffith, I. G .; A. Forrester, R. S. V. G .; E. Jones, L. S. V. G .; Anton Uhrig, R. S. S .; Z. T. Noyes, L. S. S. The lodge which is in a flourish- ing condition; meets in Noyes' hall every Saturday evening.
Mondamin Lyceum .- This society has just been organized with thirty members, and its history is yet to be made. The object is intellectual and social development. B. Strode is the President, and the Society holds its meetings in the schoolhouse on Friday night of each week.
Mondamin Chorus Choir .- This society consists of about fifteen members, and it is non-sectarian in character. The object is musi- cal cultivation . 4 The choir meets every week in the schoolhouse.
RIVER SIOUX.
This thriving place is located on the Sioux City & Pacific Rail- way, at or very near the junction of the Missouri and Little Sioux Rivers, on the south side of the latter stream. It contains a pop- ulation of 225. The town, although unincorporated and small, is delightfully situated in the midst of heavy timber, of various kinds, and is one of the most progressive business places in the county. The town owes its origin to the advent of the Sioux City & Pacific Railroad, the authorities of which platted it in October, 1868. The original town site was a few hundred yards north of the pres- ent one, on the north side of the Little Sioux River. This loca- tion, however, was found to be too low for a town site, as it was
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subject to inundation, and the town was accordingly removed to its present location. This transfer was made in the summer of 1876. The new location showed the wisdom of those who chose it, as it is the highest point of land on the railway south of Ser- geant's Bluffs. On the original town site there were but three settlers, Reuben Newton, depot agent, S. Chase, who lived there prior to the advent of the railroad, and E. J. Davis.
The land to which the town site was finally transferred was owned by Henry Herring, E. J. Davis and James Crabb and the undivided half of eighty acres, was by them given to the railway company with the understanding that the town should be removed thereto.
As before stated, the business of Little Sioux, in proportion to population and number of establishments, is quite large. The fol- lowing are the various kinds of business, ennumerated: Two gen- eral merchandise stores, drug and grocery store, drug store, hard- ware store, three saloons, hotel, lumber yard, two saw-mills, black- smith and wagon shop, grain and stock dealer, butcher shop.
The professions are represented in River Sioux by two physi- cians, two lawyers and one civil engineer.
As River Sioux is situated in the midst of a productive country, which is rapidly increasing in population, the shipments of various kinds of produce are necessarily quite large, and they are rapidly increasing in amount and value. At present they will aggregate from two to three car loads per day. The business of the station is ably handled by the agent, R. Newton, who is at present the oldest settler on the town site, he having removed thereto with the transfer of the town site. Although River Sioux cannot properly be described as a port of call for Missouri River steamers, vessels of this description have in previous years come up the Sioux as far as the town, and it is thought that a systematic course of dredging and widening of the channel would make it possible for this de- scription of craft to come up at all stages of water. In justice to dissenting opinion, however, it must be stated that there are those who regard such a scheme as chimerical to the highest degree.
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETIES.
Methodist Episcopal Church Society .- This society has no church building, but is composed of about thirty members. The congrega- tion meets in the town hall. The society has been in existence only since the organization of the Little Sioux Circuit in 1876, and has no resident pastor, and it is now one of the appointments of the Little Sioux Circuit, of which Rev. H. J. Smith, of Lit- tle Sioux, is the minister. The erection of a church at no distant future is being discussed. Outside of the members of the society, there is a good attendance of non-members, and there is more than a probability that the society will soon see a church of its own. Be-
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sides this society, there is no other organized religious body in River Sioux, although occasional services have been held in the place by the clergymen of other denominations.
Odd Fellows .- There is a lodge of Odd Fellows at River Sioux. The lodge contains twenty-three members, and was organized in January, 1879. The following is the list of elective officers first installed: N. G., J. Simmons; V. G., J. Bowie; S., C. A. Demun; T., S. Demmon. The present elective officers are: John Whiting, N. G .; Henry Herring, V. G .; James Harmon, S .; John Henry, W.
Good Templars .- Although there is no temperance organization in River Sioux, an effort is making looking towards the organiza- tion of a subordinate lodge of the Independent Order of Good Templars.
Public Schools .- The school district, of which Sub-District No. 6 (River Sioux) is a part, is Little Sioux Township District, which was organized in April, 1857. Sub-District No. 6 was organized September 21, 1874, and Charles McEvers was elected the following spring as sub-director. The present officers of the school town- ship are: Samuel Ellis, President; Samuel Dewell, Secretary; Charles Smith, Gilbert Smith, S. A. Page, Samuel Taylor and George W. Rock. Sub-District No. 6, has at present a neat little school-house 26x40 feet in dimensions, but as there are ninety children of school age in the Sub-District, the space is inadequate to its wants, and the coming season a larger structure will be erected at a cost of $3,000. The school is under the supervision of E. A. Baldwin, of Little Sioux, and is in a flourishing condition. Although containing but one room, two departments have been maintained until recently, but lack of space necessitated the dis- continuance of one department. This state of affairs is to be remedied hereafter. Upon the completion of the new school- house, the District will be made Independent.
WOODBINE.
The first permanent settler in the vicinity of Woodbine was Richard Musgrave, who arrived in 1852, from Council Bluffs. Mr. Musgrave settled in the Twelve-mile Grove, two miles south of town, where he still resides, engaged in farming. Mr. Musgrave was one of a number of monogamous Mormons who came to west- ern Iowa and located at the time of the migration of the original church from Illinois and Missouri.
L. D. Butler was the second permanent settler in the vicinity. He has never resided in the town proper, but has been in business there most of the time since his arrival. Mr. Butler came to Council Bluffs in 1849. At that time, this portion of Harrison County was a wilderness, inhabited only by wild deer, elk, wolves, etc. The only settlements that had been made anywhere near were by the Mormons aforesaid, of whom Mr. Butler was one at
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the time. In a stray excursion northward, Mr. Butler was struck by the beauty and fertility of the land in the neighborhood of what is now Woodbine, and in 1853 he came here and located near the town-site, occupying one of a number of abandoned Mormon dwellings until he could erect a suitable building. The building he put up was situated about one and one-half miles east of the present town. He then commenced farming. Mr. Butler built a grist and saw-mill at the point mentioned in the year 1855. This was the first mill erected in Harrison County.
Among other old settlers are Jacob Harshbarger, David Selleck, Dr. Cole, Henry Hushaw, G. W. Pugsley, John Jeffries, Matthew Hall and others whose names could not be readily obtained. These came between the years 1853-5.
The town was platted in the fall of 1866, by the Blair Town Lot and Land Company. This was the year of the completion of the Chicago and Northwestern Railway to this point. The Land Company purchased 1,200 acres of land for the use of the town, though but a comparatively small portion of it has been platted. The parties selling this tract to the Land Company were Matthew Winters, David E. Barnum, Hiram Wisener, W. F. Clark, G. M. Brown, I. McAtee, John Johnson and M. Kiger.
The town was incorporated in the latter part of 1877, and the first meeting of the town council was held on December 7th, 1877. The following was the composition of the first council: A. W. Curtiss, Mayor; C. C. Matter, Recorder; Joseph Clizbe, J. W. Vinacke, G. H. Kibler, C. W. Jeffries, C. D. Stevens, Trustees. The present officers are: J. V. Mallery, Mayor; Frank Folts, Re- corder; Frank A. Butler, T. L, Canfield, J. C. McLain, H. B. Kling, S. L. Winter, O. D. Smith Trustees.
The money-order postoffice at Woodbine is a legitimate successor of an office established in 1858, eight years before the town was platted. The original office was located at the grist-mill of Mr. Butler, previously mentioned, some distance from the town-site. The intention of the settlers was to name the office Harrison City Postoffice; but the department at Washington did not care to is- sue papers with that name as there were already several Harrisons in Iowa, and it was tnought an additional one would lead to confu- sion. The name Woodbine was finally suggested by Mrs. Butler, and it was accepted. The name was taken from the cottage in which Mrs. Butler resided, as a girl, in England. The first post- master was Mr. Butler, who held the office for about ten years and for some time after its removal to its present site. The present postmaster is Lysander Crane, who has been in office about a year. The postoffice name was applied to the town by the platters of the same.
The first building erected on the town-site was Gallagher & Bros. saloon, which was built just before the railroad was graded to this point. The first residence was put up in 1866, by William A. Jones.
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The next building erected was in 1866 by J. P. Moore. The house, the Woodbine House, is still standing, with additions, and was the first hotel in the place. Among other buildings erected about this time, were the residence and the hardware store of A. Cad- well, Sleight & Williams' agricultural implement warehouse, C. D. Stevens' grocery store, L. D. Buttler's general merchandise store, (the first in the place), McAtee's grocery store, Dr. Cole's drug store and several other smaller concerns.
Woodbine Lodge, No. 405, I. O. O. F., was instituted in April, 1880. Charter members: F. J. Porter, S. L. Winter, W. J. Callender, A. P. Lathrop, W. C. Sampson, George Musgrave, and others. First officers: F. J. Porter, N. G .; S. L. Winter, V. G .; W. J. Callender, Secretary; W. C. Sampson, Treasurer. Present officers: A. P. Lathrop, N. G .; George Musgrave, V. G .; H. B. Kling, R. S .; J. V. Mallory, P. S .; S. L. Winters, Treasurer. The Lodge has about forty members. Meetings are held in Odd Fel- lows' Hall Wednesday evenings of each week. The Lodge is in excellent working condition, and its membership is of as equally excellent a standard.
The Masonic fraternity is as well represented by men of stand- Ing and thorough-going qualities. Charter Oak Lodge, No. 401, A. F. & A. M., was instituted in 1880. Its charter members were: R. Yeisley, H. C. Harshbarger, F. J. Porter. J. R. Burkholder, C. D. Stevens, W. H. DeCou, Lysander Crane, P. A. DeCou, R. Jacobson, L. D. Butler, I. A. DeCou, J. S. Hall, G. Smith Stanton. First officers: Reuben Yeisley, W. M .; H. C. Harshbarger, S. W .; F. J. Porter, J. W .; G. Smith Stanton, Secretary. C. D. Stevens, Treasurer. Present Officers: Reuben Yeisley, W. M .; F. J. Porter, S. W .; H. H. Rathbun, J. W .; H. C. Harsh barger, Secretary; C. D. Stevens, Treasurer; J. R. Burkholder, S. D .; C. W. Mendenhall, J. D .; N. E. Cowles, Tyler. The membership is twenty-five. Meetings are held Saturday evenings on or before the foll moon.
Woodbine has a circulating library of about 800 volumes. This library is owned and conducted by Geo. Musgrave, proprietor of the Twiner, at his office.
There are three church buildings, the Presbyterian, Methodist, Episcopal and Baptist. The religious interests of Woodbine are zealously cared for.
There is every advantage offered in an educational way. The school building is a handsome and roomv structure of four depart- ments. C. C. Matter is the principal; Miss Hester Hillas teaches the Intermediate Department; Miss Etta Boies, the Second Prim- ary; Miss Harriet Elkins, the First Primary. One hundred and fifty pupils are enrolled. The building was built in 1880, is of brick, two stories in hight, and cost about $5,000.
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MODALE.
The location of this place is on the Sioux City & Pacific Rail- way, sixty-five miles south of Sioux City, and a little less than thirty-two miles north of Council Bluffs. Modale contains about 200 inhabitants, most of whom are native Americans. The village is not incorporated.
Modale was laid off by Benjamin Martin in 1872, under the the name of Martinsville, which is still the legal name of the place, in all deeds of town property it being thus designated. The name Modale, however, is the older name, and seems to be prefer- red by the citizens. The name had a somewhat singular origin. In the year 1858, the few settlers then living in the vicinity were desirous of securing a postoffice, and a petition was drawn up and sent to Washington asking that one be established. T. A. Den- nis, who forwarded the document, also sent recommendations as to name and location. The name suggested was "Missouri Dale;" but the writing being somewhat illegible and the word "Missouri" being abbreviated to "Mo .. " the postoffice authorities could make nothing of it but "Modale" and with that name the papers were filled out. This postoffice was located two miles and a half north- west of the present town. The postmaster was Stephen Hester. The office was shifted according to population several times before it reached its present location. The last move was in 1873. C. J. Cutler, the present postmaster, the oldest living settler on the town-site was the first postmaster. The name Modale was further fixed by the building of an addition called "Modale addition" after the town was platted. and by the railway company's giving the station the name of Modale.
At the time of the building of the railway through here, in the fall of 1868, the intention of the company was to make no regular station, but simply a station. This idea was carried out, and it was a number of years after before any but flagged trains stopped at Modale. But in course of time, as population and products in- creased, a station was found necessary and one was made, the en- terprise of Mr. Martin and others providing the town site. The original plat, as laid out by Mr. Martin, contained but ten acres, but a year afterward thirty acres more were platted by that gen- tleman. About the same time Alonzo Beebe platted the Modale addition of six acres, which made the total number of acres in the town site forty-six. No more additions have been made since.
The oldest building on the town site is the old school house, which though still standing, is deserted and dilapidated. This building, size 26x30 feet, was the second school house in the dis- trict, and was erected in 1866. The first building erected after the town site was platted was the residence of A. M. Snyder, which was erected in 1874, and in which Mr. Snyder still lives. A num- ber of other small residences were erected shortly afterward.
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Among the early settlers of Modale are C. J. Cutler, before mentioned; B. F. Martin, son of the founder of the town, and A. M. Snyder, also previously mentioned. These all came about the time the town was platted. There were others, some of whom are dead, who were also early settlers of the immediate vicinity. Among the extreme old settlers of the vicinity, though not a resi- dent of the town proper, is J. J. Anderson. He, however, is sepa- rated from the town by but a narrow lane. His house had been built for many years prior to the platting of the town. Mr. An- derson came to the township some time in the early '50's. Other old settlers in the township are Joseph Haskins and Joseph Bross, who both came to Taylor Township nearly thirty years ago. The priority of settlement was not ascertained.
The business of Modale, though not varied, is large in propor- tion to its population, and is constantly improving. The exports consist principally of corn, hogs, cattle and wood. The latter, regarding which no exact figures could be obtained, is shipped across the river into Nebraska. Modale has a large corn-cribbing capacity-at least 100,000 bushels, but double that amount of this cereal was shipped during 18-1. Besides, a large quantity was purchased for home consumption. The shipments of cattle and hogs amounted to several hundred car loads of each, but as the cars in which the animals were shipped were sometimes partially filled at towns above before reaching Modale, it is not possible to give the exact number.
The situation of Modale is a beautiful one, and it was high enough to escape the heavy overflow of the Missouri in 1881. There is heavy timber near the town, and a number of citizens find profitable employment in clearing it. The people, like most of the people on the valley, are wholesouled and generous, and the vicinity presents many advantages to prospective settlers. The merchants carry stocks of goods far heavier than the town would at first sight seem to warrant, yet all seem to be thriving and do- ing good business.
Modale is not yet incorporated, though the subject of incorpora- has received considerable attention.
The business of Modale, classified, is as follows: Two general merchandise stores, grocery store, hardware store, furniture store, millinery store, drug store, saloon, two hotels, butcher shop, two blacksmith shops, carpenter and wagon shop, weigh scales, two stock dealers, lumber and agricultural implement dealer, wood yard, lumber yard. harness and shoe-maker, and livery stable. Two physicians comprise the practicing professional men of the place.
CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETIES.
With these Modale is but moderately well supplied-in fact, of secret societies she has none, though there are a number of members of various orders in the vicinity. She has no church building be-
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yond a Union church, built by a stock company at five dollars per share, and in this the societies which exist in Modale hold their servi- ces. It is open to all denominations. This church was built in 1875 and it is 28x46 feet in dimensions. The cost was $1,200. Below are given the church and other societies of Modale:
Methodist Church Society .- This society was organized in 1866, by Rev. A. J. Andres, the society at that time containing but six or eight members. The first services were held in the school house. The society now numbers nearly fifty members, and the services are held every other week in the Union Church. The pastor is Rev. H. J. Smith, of the Little Sioux Circuit. This church has a Sabbath School of sixty members, of which W. W. Morton is the Superintendent. The school was established in 1876.
Christian Church Society .-- This society has had a number of ups and downs. It was first organized in 1861 by Rev. D. R. Dun can, with twelve or fifteen members; but since then it has several times fallen into a condition of decay, and has as many times been reorganized. It now has between thirty and forty members and seems to be in a flourishing condition. The services are held in the Union Church. The present pastor is Rev. D. G. Mullis.
Modale Public School .- This school is not independent, but is the school of Sub-District No. 3, Taylor Township. Aselsewhere announced, it was organized twenty years ago, when there were but four families in the district. The first sub-director was James Mackintosh. The growing demands of the community have caused larger buildings to be erected twice, and the present building is the third one erected by the Sub-District. The present building was erected in the summer of 1881. It is a two-story frame structure, 30x50 feet, and has two rooms, each of which constitutes a department. The higher department is taught by J. A. Bradley, and the lower by Miss Clara Vanderhoof. There are 104 pupils in the Sub-District. Several unsuccessful moves have been made in the direction of rendering the Sub-District in- dependent.
Modale Band of Hope .- This is an independent body, which was organized November 6th, 1881. Arrangements are now in progress to secure for it a charter from the State Band of Hope, thereby making it a subordinate band of that institution. The of- ficers are: J. A. Bradley, Superintendent; W. W. Morton, Assis- tant Superintendent; Eva Martin, Secretary; Bessie Silsby, Treas- urer; Eva Martin, Chorister; Pamelia Taylor, Organist. The band meets every Sunday at 3 P. M. There are seventy members.
Modale Literary Society :- This society has just been organized with J. A. Bradley as President. Meetings are to be held weekly in the school-house. There are but a few members as yet.
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