USA > Iowa > Johnson County > Leading Events in Johnson County, Iowa, History > Part 14
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same year, a state which has furnished so many settlers to the eastern part of Iowa. Two came from Pennsylvania, J. B. McGrew in 1839, and A. W. Blain in 1840. In October, 1840, Hamilton H. Kerr and John West employed Cyrus Sanders to lay out in lots eighty acres of land in the township of Big Grove as it is today, and they named the plat "Solon." To the settlers who were then coming very rapidly they offered these lots for sale, but it was not possible to interest them in the lots of a town site when land was so cheap and one could purchase eighty acres for the price of a town lot. After wait- ing for two or three years for the lots to sell, the ground was broken up and put to wheat, which doubtless was more profit- able than dealing in town lots at that time in the history of the county.158 The town plat was recorded in November, 1840, and the record was later transferred by the recorder to the present books in August, 1841. The streets then named were, north and south, Iowa, Dubuque, and Cedar; east and west, Silver, Jefferson, Washington, Adams, and Water.
Henry MeDowell's name appears early upon the records of the old board of county commissioners, he having been chosen to that office in 1847. He came from Big Grove township, where he settled in 1842. He, too, was from Ohio, the state that sent so many to the Black Hawk Purchase.
The pioneer women of Iowa should have erected to them and to the homes over which they presided one of the monu- ments that seem not yet to have ever been suggested. True, they sometimes get credit for the share they took in the de- velopment of the new land, yet their story is yet to be written. Among those who must be counted in this number was Mar- garet Hayden MeDowell, the wife of Henry MeDowell, just mentioned above. They came, a young man and his earnest wife, to the vicinity of Solon in 1842, and for forty years she was one of this community, a type of that housewife who deems her work well done when home is kept and family trained that the generation to follow will always know what the name of "Mother" means.
The earliest settlements in Cedar township were made in 1838, from the same states as mentioned. Among these are James Buchanan, who came indirectly from Ohio by way of Ce- dar county; A. C. Sutliff, who ran the ferry so long in this
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township; Thomas Prague, from the Pennsylvania hills; Isaac Dennis; Joshua King; Jesse B. McGrew, who was the foreman of one of the earliest grand juries in the county ; and Matthew Cavanagh, all of whom came in 1838, if records are true. Thomas Prague did not live long after arriving, and his death was the first in the vicinity. E. A. Brown and Moses Adams came in 1839. A physician located here in 1840, but did not remain long, and thereafter the greater part of the care of the sick fell to the well known physician of Iowa City, Dr. Jesse Bowen. It is mentioned in connection with the organizations of the townships that the first election for officers of the local government was held at the house of Philo Haynes, in April, 1846. He was one of the pioneers of the county who came here in 1841, locating in Iowa City, but the following year began farming in Cedar township, where he lived for many years afterward, removing to a farm in Lucas township, where his home was at his death in 1884. For some time he managed a saw mill on Rapid creek, not far from Sylvanus Johnson's home. Later in his life he became interested in fine stock, and in this he succeeded as in his other business undertakings. He was one of that great number who came from Ohio to settle Iowa's prairies.
The "Big Bottom," or "North Bend" of the Iowa river was settled in 1838 by John Gaylor (or Gailor), and A. C. Dennison. Joseph and George Dennison soon followed. By the summer of 1840 there were many more in the settlement, including some families whose names are still found as land holders of the neighborhood, David Wray, Carson B. Wray, Geo. Wein, J. W. Alt, J. H. Alt, Joseph Alt, Adam Alt, Jackson Purdoo, Ira Pur- doo, Evan Dollarhide, Rev. Israel Clark, Martin Harless, Rob- ert Waterson, John Aslan, Hugh L. Napier, David Crozier, Gilbert and Frank Herington, and James Chamberlain. Wil- liam Dupont, who settled north of the river in Monroe town- ship, was the first man who came "through" the settlement on his way "west." 154 The township was named Penn in honor of the founder of Pennsylvania, the motion for that name hav- ing been made by Francis Bowman, and it may be well to men- tion here that it was Francis and Margaret Bowman, Patrick and Anna Murphy who held the title to the lands upon which North Liberty is platted. The village was laid out in October,
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1857, and is on the southeast quarter of section twelve in town- ship eighty, range seven, and the west end of the south one-half of the southwest quarter of section seven, range six, therefore the town lies in two congressional townships.155
The name of Green Hill might be misinterpreted if found in an ordinary description, but here it means the first settler in Scott township, if reports are true. He came to this part of the county in 1838, and was soon after followed by Charles Jones and John A. Street. In the next year John Parrott settled in the same neighborhood. In the years following closely after these, Isaac Bowen, Matthew Teneyk, also John Mathews, and William B. Snyder became citizens. All of these had a prominent part in the development of the county.
Washington township was settled first in 1839, and all that part of the county was included at one time in Old Man's Creek precinct as one settlement. Among those who came in the year mentioned were the four Frys, John, Jacob, William, and T. R. Fry, Henry Rogers, Robert Roup, John Graham, and James Shaff. Smiley H. Bonham came a little later, as well as E. R. Carson. Much of the history of this section is included in that of the Amish people. Two postoffices were established in this township at different times, Amish and Frank Pierce, but like other rural offices, they have been abandoned.
Probably the first town actually surveyed or platted and named was in Fremont township near the present site of River Junction, as it is often referred to by those who have left ac- counts of the earliest settlements or reminiscences of the days of the Indians, the name being of Indian origin, See-pee-nah- mo, or as also found Sepanamo. Like many others, it was only on paper, and the name is forgotten. When the township was surveyed, according to legend or according to truth, the sur- veyors took for a landmark the "lone tree" that stood on the line between sections ten and fifteen. Here afterwards, when the railroad came through, the town of Lone Tree was laid ont. The old tree is still standing in the yard of William Zim- merman, of the firm of William Zimmerman & Sons, of the steel plant located there. This town was laid out by John W. Jayne, who was a resident of the place until very recent years. He incorporated in the deeds that he made in his part of the town, that no intoxicating liquors could be sold on the premises.
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Other additions have been made, however, in which this re- striction is not included. The condition on which the railroad received a grant in a portion of the town was made such that no other station should be located east of the Iowa river. This condition having been violated by the establishing of a ship -. ping point at River Junction, the company lost the interest in the plat of Lone Tree so far as Mr. Jayne was in authority.
Situated in one of the richest sections of farming country found in the county, the town of Lone Tree today has a re- markable number of business houses compared to its popula- tion, which carry stocks of goods equal to many found in cities. The farmer has not moved to town, but has become able to support the town in better things through his heavier pat- ronage. This makes it appear that the proportion of business to the population is out of the ordinary, when the town alone is considered.
Lone Tree was platted in October, 1872, on the south half of section nine, in Fremont township, or township seventy-seven north, range five west, by W. H. Jayne, Eliza A. Jayne, and John W. Jayne. River Junction was made a town about one year later, or in September, 1873, by John and Louisa Porter.156
In some of the townships the church and school history covers so much of the really pioneer record, and in other in- stances the later progress that it is not advisable to add special topics here. However, there are a few villages that must be mentioned. At least thirty-five postoffices were established at different times in the history of the county, but not all of these have a town history. The government has refused to under- take the labor of furnishing the names of all the postmasters, although willing to give some worker an opportunity to find this information.
The village of Windham was originally on the claim of Asbury and Nancy Packard, and was platted in October, 1854, the record showing that it was filed November 1, 1854. It is on section thirty-four in Hardin township, and the survey pro- vided for twelve blocks. The street on the south was called Railroad street, perhaps in the expectation of a line from east to west in the near future.
Williamstown was named for C. N. and Sarah N. Williams, and was located when platted in 1854 on the southeast quarter
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of section eleven, township seventy-eight north, range eight west, which put it in Washington township.
On the eastern side of the county there are a number of vil- lages : South Liberty, platted in July, 1857, and placed on file the same day, by Vincent Gross; Hills, May 12, 1900, by G. W. Koontz, proprietor; Morfordsville, platted in February, 1855, by John Morford, with one main street, four blocks, or eighty rods long. Oasis is in section twenty-six of Graham township, and Morse, founded by A. W., A. M., E. K., and Mary A. Morse, and Orrin and Sarah Andrews, in March 1871, is in section nine of Graham township.157
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CHAPTER X The First Roads
A LMOST the first problem that came before the county commissioners throughout the new country lying in the recent government purchases, and one that never has been settled to the present day, was the construction of roads. It is not remarkable that this was a prime subject when one con- siders the distance to mills and markets, and the almost im- passable sloughs and streams at certain times in the year. The method pursued in determining upon the direction and ex- tent of the highway was not invented by the local authorities, but came with them through the adaptation of previous laws and customs passed on from territory to territory, from state to state, as they were carved out of the new lands, so that the terms and agents employed, while strange to the present gen- eration, were, however, when the first authority was exercised in the county, perfectly familiar to the settlers, since chain- men, axemen, and all, understood their duties in the laying out of roads.
Road order number one is found on page fifteen of the com- missioners record for the sixth day of March, 1840. This is the beginning of volumes of records upon this particular sub- ject. From mere description, instructions, and orders, the road history passes into elaborate survey and plats, probably the most complete records of the road history of any county in the state, since all roads led to the first capital of the state.
The first order made provided for a road running in a north- westerly direction ten miles, after crossing Clear creek. John Eagan, Warren Stiles, and Jonathan Harris were appointed commissioners to locate the road. They were required to meet on the seventh day of April and make their return immediate- ly to the county commissioners through the clerk of that body.158
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As one learns in following the proceedings of the county commissioners in another county, the view of a road meant its construction usually, and construction meant survey and mark- ing by furrow or stakes its general direction, and if through timber, which happened very often in the beginning, an axe- man was employed to cut away the undergrowth and to blaze trees. The bills presented after the establishment of a road indicate better than any other way the persons concerned. Frequently on questioning the advisability of a location, re- viewers were appointed who might make an adverse decision on the location. Section lines were not then a matter for con- sideration, since land had not been entered in sufficient quan- tity to make observance of lines necessary or desirable. It was the "short cut" idea and the avoidance of sloughs by keeping on the upland as much as possible that concerned the surveyor.
Roads may be classified into three groups: County, terri- torial and state, while the county was concerned with all three, so far as the road lay within its borders, and it came be- fore the commissioners for adjustment. Naturally the first territorial road came from and went toward the first capital of the territory, Burlington, and is called "The Territorial Road from Iowa City to Burlington." This came before the county commissioners in the form of a report at their July meeting in 1840.159
That the form of report for all the roads of this class may be understood, the one given here is quoted generally: "We, the undersigned, a majority of the commissioners appointed by act of the legislature of the territory of Iowa, approved Jan. 14, 1840, respectfully beg leave to report that they have in accordance to said act and the laws in such cases made and provided, viewed, surveyed, located, and established a terri- torial road, commencing at the north side of Iowa avenue in the center of Dubuque street in Iowa City and terminating at the south [east] corner of the southwest quarter of section twenty- three in township seventy-one, range three west, and intersect- ing the Territorial Road running from Farmington to Du- buque at that point, with the field notes of that part appertain- ing to the county of Johnson annexed; likewise the draft showing the portion of road in said county as furnished by
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Michael Ritner, Esq., the surveyor employed to survey said road."
Signed J. LORTON LUKE DOUGLASS Commissioners.160
Iowa City, Ia., July 4, 1840.
The termination given above in township seventy-one, range three, would bring it on the southern line of Louisa county as now bounded, and here then occurred the intersec- tion of the two territorial roads mentioned above.
William Murdock, Andrew D. Stephens, and John Eagan were appointed as viewers of a road from Iowa City up Clear creek for the distance of twelve miles, on the sixteenth of July, 1840. These commissioners reported favorably on this road in the following : "Your viewers proceeded to discharge their duty and after examination and survey of said proposed road, we believe that said road will be of great utility to the citizens of this county, and to persons who should wish to travel in that direction; its passing near Moore and Drury's Mill will give to the citizens much greater facilities than they at present pos- sess. Oct. 12, 1840."
A. D. STEPHENS WILLIAM MURDOCK pr. A. D. STEPHENS JOHN EAGAN 161
viewers.
The plat of the road mentioned above accompanies the field notes, and it is certified to by Cyrus Sanders, surveyor, on September 1, 1840.
The county was arranged into four road districts at the July session, 1840, and over each a supervisor was placed. These are given definite instructions as to the bounds of the districts, and as the records are followed and additional roads are provided for it becomes necessary to sub-divide the large divisions found in these four districts. One must understand that the management of roads then involved no such plan as now, since bridge and grade construction had not been plan- ned at any point. The chief duty at first was the maintaining of sufficient marks to identify the route and make it possible for a stranger to find his way without becoming confused as
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to which direction he should go to avoid the impassable places common on the Iowa prairies.
A road still important, and probably established for all time is named in 1841 as "The Iowa River Road North." Peti- tion, it may be mentioned, was made by sundry citizens for its opening, and the usual number of commissioners were ap- pointed for its view and location - John Eagan, James Ca- vanagh, and Charles Foster. They made a favorable report in February, 1841, and found some heavy work in putting it in passable shape. They found the distance to be "twenty-seven miles and three-fourths and twenty-six poles." 162 Wm. Mc- Cormick was surveyor of this road. Roads joining centers of population became fixed very early, and these remain upon the county map. All changes made in them required time and con- siderable effort, and where they were changed the purpose was plainly evident. That they interefered with section lines in later years made little difference, so we find on the county map these winding highways that give something to relieve the checker-board plan of the later surveys.
At the east end of Iowa avenue in Iowa City a turn is made to the southeast, the beginning of the old road known as the one leading to Bloomington (Muscatine). This is only one . instance, for Dodge street, or the Military Road, or Dubuque Road is another, and the beginnings of these roads are in most cases determined by the old capitol building, as will be seen by reading the full description at the places mentioned in the references.
An old road cuts Washington township almost diagonally from southwest to northeast, and this was first petitioned for in 1841 at the January session of the county commissioners.163 Wm. McCormick was the surveyor, and on the plat with field notes attached one may trace the footsteps of these chain carriers, axemen, and assistants employed in locating "Old Man's Creek Road," or as known by another name, "Mc- Clure's Road." "This road began originally" at an oak tree on the boundary line near the claim of James McGruder, thence east to McCrea's, thence north about three-fourths of a mile crossing "Old Man's Creek" near John Wycliffe's house, thence east to the north branch of "Old Man's Creek," cross- ing the same about one-half mile from its mouth, east to James
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Seahorn's, and continuing in the same direction to the Iowa river at the point where the Dubuque Road crosses the same. Hiram Watts, Matthew Brown, and James Lee were the viewers who made the report and laid out the road under the survey of Wm. McCormick. This was filed March 13, 1841.
The next road asked for came from the northeastern part of the county near the Cedar river and ran west through Solon, meeting the road running north along the river to the county boundary. A. C. Sutliff, James Buchanan, and Uriah Ferree were the duly appointed commissioners or viewers of this road, petitioned for by Hamilton Kerr.
It is perhaps interesting to name some points in this sur- vey: It began at a post placed in the prairie on the west line of Cedar county, township eighty-one north, range four west, section thirty, and as they proceeded mile posts were placed in the prairie sod, as in all these surveys where no other means was available. At certain points they enter timber, and then emerge into the "barrens." They set a two-mile post because no tree was near. They crossed Fall creek, fifteen links wide, setting the three-mile post "from which a black oak six inches in diameter bears west seventy-five links." .. Six mile stakes were set before reaching Washington street, Solon. At the eighth mile post a burr oak fifteen inches in diameter was marked, and near this they crossed Smith's creek. At the ten-mile post a white elm eighteen inches in diameter was noted. This Kerr road intersected the Iowa City road to the boundary line at the sixteen-mile tree on that road. Cyrus Sanders was the surveyor in charge. This was ordered to accommodate the people of the northeastern part of the county, and especially those in Big Grove, which then was a true name for that part of the county.
As a continuation of the road along Old Man's creek and connecting the same with a road from Washington we find Fry's road viewed and platted during 1841, the report having been made at the May session of the commissioners by the viewers, Nathaniel McClure and S. C. Trowbridge. It began at the south line of the county where the road from Washing- ton crossed the south boundary and ran according to the de- scription asked for in the petition and returned by the sur- veyor, Wm. McCormick, "by way of Jacob Fry's, Gallaten
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Hartsock's, crossing Old Man's Creek at James Seahorn's to intersect a road leading from the boundary line to Iowa City."
At the April session, 1841, a report was made on the road to Rochester past Jesse Bowen's, and being objected to on the part of Bowen because of illegal survey and location was de- clared null and void by the board. Nevertheless the plat ap- pears on page forty-seven and a half of the Road Record Book I. From this time the development of the roads required more supervision to keep them open and passable, making an in- crease in the number of supervisor districts necessary. There- fore, the number was increased to seven at the April session, 1841.164
The mill industry led to the opening of roads from various directions, and one of the first was called the J. H. Frost road "from the mouth of Clear Creek near W. Butler's mill to the intersection of the road leading from Marion, the county seat of Linn county." On this road Allen Stroud, Alexander Abel, and Chauncy Ward were the viewers, and Cyrus Sanders the surveyor, whose report was in favor of its location. The same individuals were to view and lay out a road called "Eagan's," which began at the public square in Iowa City and ran on the "nearest and best route past John Eagan's house, through the Gaylor Settlement, to intersect a road from Iowa City to the boundary line, at the most suitable point between William Alt's house and William Dupont's."
Nathaniel McClure's road began at a place called "Indian Lookout," on the Dubuque road, and near the house of John Gardner, then took a southwesterly direction "in the most convenient and direct route to the house of McClure" and finally reaching the Washington county line "in the direction of Cooper's Ford on English River." The viewers in this case were Smiley Bonham, James Trimble, and Wm. C. Massey.165
In each case of view and survey many bills came before the commissioners for services, and these included the pay of team and driver to carry the stakes and other equipment, the chain carriers, axe men, and possibly an ox team to pull a plow. These roads were marked often with a furrow as in the case of the Dubuque and Rochester roads.
The Prairie du Chien road was established by the territory, and that portion lying in Johnson county was under the super-
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vision of Israel Mitchell and Samuel W. Strong, as commis- sioners appointed by the legislature to locate and establish such a road. This is described as running from Iowa City by the county seats of Linn and Delaware and the mouth of Elk or Turkey river to the landing in Clayton county opposite to Prairie du Chien. This road began at the east door of the capitol, and from thence seventeen chains and fifty links, to where the military road from Dubuque enters the avenue. The four pages of field notes recorded in the road book (I, 25) indi- cate that the terminus of the section belonging to this county was sixteen miles from the east door of the old capitol and near the Linn county line. It may be traced definitely on a sectional map of the county.166
The Bellview (Bellevue) territorial road field notes contain some interesting data, since the record gives a full account of the movements from the first stake out from the town on the Mississippi river to Dodge street in Iowa City, or the Dubuque road, as then known. Most of the way they encountered noth- ing but rolling prairie, yet it is probable that the capitals used in abbreviation, as "W. O." and "B. O.," must stand for white oak and black oak respectively. The commissioners on this road were not residents of the county, and in making al- lowance for the expense in this county there was some question of the legality of the claim, and it was rejected.167
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