USA > Iowa > Allamakee County > Past and present of Allamakee county, Iowa. A record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 22
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Some have gone out from this church as ministers of the gospel, as Rev. C. W. C. Ericson and Rev. Hans Soudh ; one has acquired nation-wide reputa- tion, Rev. Dr. Frank Peterson, son of the first church secretary, now district secretary of the American Baptist Foreign Missionary Society ; and one mis- sionary to India, Miss Erica Bergman. Dr. Peterson when visiting his former home here in 1912, recalled with pleasure his early struggles for an education, fifty years before, when he attended Professor Loughran's school at Waukon and
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did any kind of chores he could find to do to pay his way, working early and late and studying as he could catch the time, and at night.
A Sunday school in connection with the church was organized in 1862, which has been faithfully kept up; a ladies' society in 1865; and a young people's society in 1885, which is now a B. Y. P. U. This little church in Center has weathered many storms, and stands as a lighthouse on a solid rock. The united hope is that its future may have in store still greater blessings than its past has brought.
The Norwegian Evangelical Lutheran Church of Fagri Prairie was incor- porated in November, 1869, the church officers at that time being: Gulbrand Hanson, president ; Hans H. Fagri, secretary; Johannes Rund, treasurer ; and these three constituted the board of trustees. They have a church building, but at present without regular weekly service.
GRISTMILLS
The mills of Village Creek were famous in their day. Among the earliest was the Whaley & Topliff Mill near the west line of Center township, on the southwest quarter of northwest quarter of section 19. Archa Whaley bought of Elias Topliff a half interest in this forty, in 1852, and put up a gristmill here. This was one of the contesting points in the triangular election for county seat in 1856, and received 314 votes. Mr. Whaley afterwards became the sole owner of this mill and continued to operate it for twenty-five or thirty years.
About the same time B. T. McMillan erected a gristmill on the west half of the northwest quarter of northeast quarter section 13, near the east line of the township, known as the Allamakee Grist Mill, and later sold to Jesse M. Rose and himself engaged in milling in the north part of the county. This mill came later into the possession of W. H. Otis, who sold it to C. L. McNamee about 1875, and he made it famous through the county as the Union Flouring Mills for many years. He finally sold it to A. C. Doehler in 1893. It is now owned and operated by Otto Mahlow, and we believe it is the only flouring mill now running in Allamakee county except those at Waukon, Forest Mills, and Dorchester.
What was known as the upper mill, or the Deremore Mill, was not started for several years later than the others mentioned. It came into the possession of Mr. A. Deremore about 1875, and his son J. A. Deremore bought it in 1881 and ran it for many years.
POSTOFFICES
The Elon postoffice and store, on northwest quarter of section 33, were kept for many years by Edward Roese. Mr. Roese but recently closed out his busi- ness and removed to the West. A store has just been opened here by the Roe brothers. Mail for this region is now supplied from Waterville. Dalby was another long-time postoffice, on northeast quarter of section 35. And another postoffice was Lyndale, kept by John Drake, northwest quarter of section 23.
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Center township officers are now : Clerk, Louis Drake ; trustees, D. R. Anderson, Iver Thorson, J. A. Moellerman; assessor, David Sjogren; justice of the peace, F. W. Ericson ; constable, J. E. Ericson.
The population of Center township in 1856 was 398; in 1910, it was 721.
FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP
This township has the most interesting history of any in the county, having been the first visited by white men, the French traders with the Indians. It was also the scene of the first industries in the county, engaged in by the lumbermen from Prairie du Chien with their sawmills; and the site of the old Indian mission, school, and farm, established in 1834. These subjects can be only touched upon here, being treated more fully elsewhere in these pages.
But again extracts from Judge Dean's interesting sketches written in 1880 find an appropriate place here, although a full chapter has been devoted to the Old Mission in the earlier pages of this volume.
"In 1834 the United States, through its military authorities at Prairie du Chien, built on what is now section 19, township 96, range 3, in Fairview town- ship, a mission school and farm. At this time Col. Zachary Taylor, afterwards President of the United States, commanded the post, and Jefferson Davis, since President of the so-called Southern Confederacy, was on duty there as Lieuten- ant. General Street was Indian Agent ; all the agents at that time being army officers, and the Indians being under the control of the Secretary of War. The mission was for the purpose of civilizing and Christianizing the Indians, and was opened in the spring of 1835 with the Rev. David Lowrey, a Presbyterian in faith, as school teacher, and Col. Thomas as farmer. But the effort to make good farmers, scholars or Christians out of these wandering tribes proved abortive, and poor 'Lo' remained as before, 'a child of nature,' content to dress in breech- clout and leggings, lay around the sloughs and streams, and make the squaws provide for the family.
"After their removal, the Government having no further use for the mission, put it on the market and sold it to Thomas C. Linton, who occupied it as a farm a few years and sold it to Ira Perry, and on the death of Mr. Perry in 1868, it became the property of his son, Eugene Perry, the present owner. The build- ing is a large two-story stone house, the chimney of which was taken for a 'wit- ness tree' when the government survey of public lands was made. *
"This house has become historic in many repects. It is one of the very prominent landmarks in the history of the development of Allamakee county, and we earnestly hope its owners will let it stand as long as grass grows or water runs, and thus preserve to those who may come after us at least one thing that may be considered venerable."
[Since 1880 the mission property has changed hands many times, and for the past year has been owned by Stephen and Michael Walsh. Several years ago the then owners demolished this fine old landmark, to utilize the stone and other building material in the construction of more useful buildings for the present day farmer.]
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"It is a very difficult matter for us who live in Allamakee county today to con- ceive of the condition of things in the Mississippi valley when this old mission was built, in. 1834, and it is still more difficult for the writer to convey a clear idea of it.
"There was at that time no Allamakee county, no Clayton county, no Winni- shiek county, and in fact no territory organization, but simply a wilderness waste. * * The Indian tribes roamed over this whole region, and Jefferson Bar- racks, a military post about eight miles below St. Louis, was headquarters for the military operations of the Mississippi valley. Just think of it! This valley knew no railroads, no telegraphs, and a very large per cent of its present inhabitants were not then born. The military post at Prairie du Chien had been established, and when they wanted to utilize the resources of this wild region about them, they detailed soldiers for the work, and in 1828, being in want of lumber, they sent a part of the garrison over to Yellow river and built a saw mill about two miles below what is now the old mission house, the remains of which was burned down in 1839.
"In 1840 one Jesse Dandley built a sawmill on the river about one mile below the mission, but the floods came and took the dam away, and the proprietor meet- ing with one mishap after another, finally abandoned it, and in time it was torn down. [Probably the Jesse Dandley whose house was made the voting place of a Clayton county precinct in 1838, described on a preceding page.]
"In 1839 Hiram Francis and family came from Prairie du Chien to the old mission in the employ of the government, and remained there until it ceased to be a mission, and from him we learn that his duties were to issue daily rations to such Indians as were fed at that place, and that in November, 1840 [1842], the last of them were removed to the Turkey river, and this school closed."
Fairview township was set off from Linton, March 5, 1855, but who gave it its appropriate name is not recorded. At its first enumeration, in 1856, the population was 177. In 1910, 321. January 14, 1858, the township of Fairview obtained from that of Taylor all of sections 3 and 4, township 96, range 3. On July 4, 1860, it received another accession, being sections 24, 25, 26, 35, and 36, from Linton ; but on January 10, 1867, the west half of section 26 was returned to Linton, leaving the boundary between these townships as at present existing. In January, 1873, sections 3. 4 and 5 were set off to Taylor ; and in June, 1874, sections 1 and 2 were also set off to Taylor township; since which last date the boundaries of Fairview have remained unchanged.
In 1858 there was a mill on the north side of Yellow river, in the southwest one-quarter of section 19, known as Maloney's Mill.
Johnsonsport .- Situated south of the mouth of Paint Creek, was an early steamboat landing, and supposed to be the place of the next permanent settle- ment after that at the Old Mission. Judge Dean is the authority for the state- ment that it was named after a soldier who had served out his time at Prairie du Chien, and was paid off and discharged in 1837. He took several Indian wives. living among the tribes or at the post, and finally settled on the river bank. Some of the older residents remembered him as "Squaw Johnson." The landing which was given his name was an important point at one time, but few houses were ever erected there. Armstrong Glover was the prominent settler
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here when the land was placed upon the market, and became postmaster when the first postoffice was established near this point in 1850, called "Tom Corwin." The town plat of Johnsonsport was laid out on the north front half of section 15, township 96, range 3, April 3, 1856, by Henry and Mary Johnson, Armstrong and Emily Glover, Geo. L. and Ann Miller, Wm. F. and S. I. Ross, Michael and Mary Clark, and Michael Rafter. Surveyed by Joel Dayton, county surveyor. Geo. L. Miller was justice of the peace.
The sawmill industry was thriving in this vicinity in the early days. About 1875 the Flack brothers were operating a stave-mill, employing ten or twelve men.
Allamakee-Lay to the north of and adjoining Johnsonsport, on fractional lots 5 and 6, section 10, and was platted in February, 1858, Wm. W. Hunger- ford, county surveyor. The plat fails to show the names of the proprietors. At a later date a post office called "Allamakee" was established some two miles further down the river. It was in 1857 that the Prairie du Chien & Mankato Railroad Company was organized, for the purpose of bringing about an extension of the Milwaukee road which had just been opened to the Prairie, up the valley of Paint Creek to Waukon and westward; and this platting of the Johnsonsport and Allamakee townsites was doubtless in conjunction with this project. Mr. Hungerford was a proficient civil engineer, and ran the line through for this proposed extension. He became quite prominent in this profession in later years. After the failure of this project these villages were lost sight of ; and when twenty years later the narrow gauge railroad was built up Paint Creek valley, the station was established on the north side of that stream, and is now Waukon Junction, just outside of the Fairview boundary.
Nezeka-Was another of Fairview's paper towns, whose existence is forgot- ten by most of our people. It is a pity that more care had not been taken in the early days to preserve some record of the origin of the names of streams and villages, when in many instances, like this, it would have been easily ascer- tained. This townsite was laid out December 12, 1856, on government lots 3 and 4, section 34, by Chester N. Case, I. N. Bull, Lawrence Case, F. I. Miller, H. L. Dousman, B. W. Brisbois, Preston Lodwick and F. C. Miller ; names which were later widely known. Its location was at the mouth of Yellow river, on the south side. in the extreme southeast corner of the county, and was doubt- less the spot where the white man first put foot on Allamakee soil. This river is mentioned by name, by Capt. Jonathan Carver in his travels in 1766, one hundred and forty-seven years ago, when he put ashore here with some French traders ; and how much earlier they had traded with the Indians here is only a matter of conjecture. It is not at all improbable that Radisson and Groiselliers may have visited this spot a hundred years earlier than Carver. even, it was so noticeable and accessible in passing up from the Wisconsin where they entered the Mississippi. (See opening chapter.) And it is possible this was the site of one of the trading posts established by the indefatigable Perrot in or about 1683.
Nezeka was surveyed by Ira B. Brunson of Prairie du Chien, December 12, 1856. It was a postoffice in 1861, but did not so continue long. The site of this village is now owned by J. M. Collins, of Waukon. For nearly a century the lower Yellow river valley has been drawn upon for lumber, and it is still yielding. Vol 1-12
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Mr. J. G. Laird is the present lumber man who is operating a sawmill in here, on quite an extensive scale.
In the later fifties Mr. J. F. Liebhardt bought hundreds of acres of govern- ment lands along the Yellow river with the intention of raising grapes on the bluffsides for the making of wines on an extensive scale, but the venture was never developed.
Red House Landing-Was situated in the south part of section 22, Fairview township. At the September. 1853, term, of the County court a license was granted to W. C. Thompson to operate a ferry line across the Mississippi, between this point and the east side at or near Prairie du Chien.
As an illustration of the importance attached to this locality in the days of carly railroading, and the possibility at one time of this point becoming a station on a transcontinental line, it is interesting to note a project of vast magnitude for those days which was launched in 1856, as shown by our county records, being the incorporation of the Mississippi & South Pass Railroad Company. The articles of incorporation were dated October 10, 1856, filed for record January 12, 1857, and provided for a capital of $30,000,000, with privilege to increase to $50,000,000, divided into shares of $100 each, "for the purpose of surveying, locating, constructing, owning, maintaining and operating a railroad with single or double track, from the Mississippi river at or near the mouth of Yellow river in Allamakee county, state of Iowa, or at any other place in Alla- makee or Clayton counties that the directors may determine, through the ter- ritories of Minnesota and Nebraska to the South Pass, at or near forty-three degrees north latitude." The instrument was executed by the following named men of more or less national reputation in financial circles, viz: Joseph Vander- pool, Jr., Samuel J. Beals, Geo. W. Matsell, Benjamin P. Fairchild, Frederick S. Vanderpool, William MacKaller. Henry R. Conklin, Allan McKeachim, and K. L. Hays, of the city of New York ; and Gilbert T. Sutton, of Peekskill, New York, Mathew P. Bemis of Chautauqua county, New York, Isaac Marsh Denman of Newark, New Jersey, and Pratt R. Skinner, Henry C. Matsell and Mathew D. Finn of the state of lowa. This was but one of the numerous projects which followed the construction of the Milwaukee road to Prairie du Chien in 1856. Within the next decade the Pacific railroad scheme was consummated by the Union Pacific from Omaha.
Of the early settlers of Fairview who took lands of the government or of the school fund of the state, in the early fifties, the following names appear to have been prominent: Wm. H. Morrison in section 3 (Paint Rock, now in Taylor township), J. H. Beckwith in section 8 (sold to Daniel Gibbs), Mathew Johnson, Michael Carpenter, Henry Johnson, Armstrong Glover, John Boswell, Peter Rider ( section 16), Jacob Worth (met his death by drowning in the Mis- sissippi river, September 24. 1883). John Walsh, Lawrence Maloney, Jacob F. Liebhardt, James McCaffery, Wm. Dennison ( northwest one-half section 28), George Baker. Fielding True, Peter O'Maley, John Kelly (section 30), Louis Carding, Geo. Branshos ( Nezeka ), Baptiste LaPoint (section 32).
The Fairview township officers in 1913 are as follows: Clerk, T. E. Wilkins ; trustees, Robert F. Aird, James Brennan, P. B. Luce ; assessor, J. J. Broderick ; justices, Pat Cahalan and A. M. L. Brainard; constables, Wm. Nicholson and Ed. McAndrews.
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FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
In December, 1853, the boundaries of Franklin township were established by the County court, with the east and west sides two miles further east than they now are; but on March 28, 1855, the west one-third of township 96, range 5, was taken from Post and added to Franklin; and on February 4, 1856, the west one-third of township 96, range 4, was set off to Linton, making the boun- daries conform to the congressional township lines. In 1854 the enumeration showed the population of Franklin to be 321. In 1910 it was 825.
Among the early comers into this township are found the names of the fol- lowing who entered their claims and took title directly from the government, or from the state in the case of school lands: all of these as early as 1854 or prior to that year, viz: In section 1-John Thomas, Moses A. Ross, John B. Pettit, J. L. Holman ; section 2-Nathaniel Mitchell, C. B. Churchill, Samuel Pettit ; section 3-Ed. Stanley, Henry Coffman, John D. Demerre, W. F. Ross, John D. Koontz; section 4-Peter Moore, M. B. Lyons, Cyrus Lyons, Josiah Mitchell; section 5-Isaac Arnold, Wm. Wehrhan, P. M. Gilson, A. W. Hoag; section 6-Alexander Dawson, southeast one-quarter; section 7-Theodore Saucer ; section 8-Wm. Smith, Stephen Merriau, Cyrus F. Miller ; section 9 --- David Clark; section 10-Job D. Halsey, Alanson Coon; section II-Michael Miller, John S. Clark; section 12-Robert Crawford, Samuel S. Holmes. James Palmer, John Briscoe; section 13-Geo. A. Clark, Wm. Mastin, Samuel Biggs. A. F. Newcomb, Austin and Harriet Smith; section 14-John S. Clark. B. C. Clark (and section 15), M. B. Henthorn; section 15-James McGarigill; section 16-James Smith, Wm. M. Smith ; section 17-Selden Candee ; section 18-James Latham, Wm. McIntosh, John Fulton, S. P. Hicks; section 20-Francis and Vine Dunning : section 21-L. Van Valkenberg (sold Oscar Collins) ; section 23 -James Vaughn ; section 24-James C. Smith (all east one-half section), Samuel Candee ; section 26-Alex Falconer, James Davis ; section 27-Samuel A. and John Gregg, John Ferguson, Mary McAndrews, Alex. Gilchrist; section 28 -- John Rowe; section 29-C. C. Sawyer and Jas. P. Sawyer, John Taggart (Lam- born farm) ; section 30-Henry D. Evans (and section 33), Jas. M. Sumner ; section 31-L. B. Hodges, L. R. Herrick, J. C. Beedy; section 32-Joseph Collins; section 33 and 34-J. S. Smith; section 35-Thos. F. Sargent, James Carnaw (Canoe) ; section 36-Patrick Cummins.
Wm. B. Smith came to Franklin township in 1850, where he has ever since resided with the exception of one year in Howard county, lately living with his daughter. Mrs. Ida Douglass in Waukon. He celebrated his 85th birthday anni- versary April 20, 1913.
VILLAGES
Hardin-In the early fifties this was the most important and flourishing inland town in northeastern Iowa. Located on the Clayton county line ( now), in the extreme southwestern corner of Franklin township, it was but a couple of miles north of the reservation line, south of which the region had previously been settled by scattering farmers for eight or ten years. Lying on an old Indian trail from their village near Luana to the Decorah village, which route
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was also an early mail route and shown on early maps as the direct route between Dubuque and St. Paul, by way of Monona, Hardin, Lybrand, Granville (or Grantville), Frankville, Trout river, Decorah, Burr Oak, Elliota (Minn.), Cari- mona, and Rochester, it began to be settled as soon as the Indians were removed, in 1848, and there was a postoffice here January Ist, 1851, L. B. Hodges, post- master. This was one of the four only in Allamakee county at that date, the others being Postville, Lansing, and Tom Corwin (later Johnsonsport, in Fair- view ) ; but the fifth was established the latter part of that year at Lybrand. Thus it was a natural "port of entry" to the newly opened reservation, and sev- eral professional men who located here at first soon after removed to new towns as they began to promise better ; instances being : Lawyers Ransom and Powers to Postville: also Dr. John S. Green; and L. B. Hodges, clerk of the District court, went to Columbus from here. James M. Sumner, one of the first county commissioners, and we believe Joseph W. Holmes, another, were from this vicin- ity. County Surveyors S. P. Hicks, Joel Dayton and H. O. Dayton, began their duties from this point ; and if we mistake not our veteran attorney Hon. Henry Dayton, of Waukon, entered the county by this gateway, teaching the Hardin school in the winter of 1857-8.
The first store in Hardin is said to have been opened by A. D. Frazier, one of the original proprietors, in 1851, and in the following spring R. T. Burnham brought in a stock of goods. In 1855 there were five general stores, and other lines of trade well represented. On the Clayton side of the line there was at one time a large steam gristmill; and the widely known "Collins Tavern," kept by one of the town proprietors. The first school was kept by L. B. Hodges in a log schoolhouse built in the fall of 1849, in the west part of the village, barely west of the present township line. The first religious services were held in this log house, Rev. Bishop, Methodist, officiating. In 1858 and '59 a Baptist church or- ganization existed at Hardin, ministered unto by Rev. James Schofield as mis- sionary. This church ceased to exist about 1863.
Hardin was platted in January, 1854. by Leonard B. Hodges, the owner of the land in Allamakee county, and Joseph Collins, owner of that on the Clayton side of the line. Additions were platted in 1856, Hardin Center, and in 1857, East Hardin : but the lots have been mostly vacated. The name adopted was in honor of Colonel Hardin, of Illinois.
Smithfield-Located on the northwest quarter of northwest quarter section 24, was platted into village lots February 11, 1854, by Wm. M. and Sarah Smith, and Austin and Harriet Smith, proprietors, John R. Wilson being the justice of the peace before whom acknowledgment was made. Austin Smith established in this vicinity one of the very early sawmills on Yellow river, per- haps the earliest in this township, from which was obtained much of the lumber used in the first frame buildings in Waukon, in 1853 and '54. There was splendid waterpower here, and one of the largest flouring mills on Yellow river was later erected at this place. In 1877 it was owned by Koontz & Clark, who were operating three run of burrs, and were obliged to often run for twenty hours out of the twenty-four to keep up with their custom. This was in the prime milling days, when there were not less than six flouring mills in operation along the valley and another in course of construction at Sixteen, a few miles below. It was not long after this that wheat growing was given up.
STREET SCENE, NEW ALBIN
A RELIC OF THE OLDEN DAYS, NEW ALBIN
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Volney-Laid out on the northeast quarter of southeast quarter section 13, hardly a mile down the river from Smithfield, by Samuel and Margaret Biggs, February 12, 1856, according to a survey made in October previous. Plat ac- knowledged before Thos. Crawford, justice of the peace. There had been a settlement here for some years prior to this, and a postoffice was established in February, 1852, which was kept up until a few years ago, the vicinity now being supplied by rural delivery from Monona. The Volney mills were widely known and patronized from a very early day. It would be interesting to note the changes in ownership and management of these mills in detail, but the facts are not at hand. And, indeed, a volume might be written on the mills of Yellow river valley which have finally ceased to exist. In 1869 the mill here was known as Gurney's mill, but later in the same year D. Tangeman became part owner. In 1872 the Tangeman Brothers were in command, and both saw and flouring mill were in full blast, and they were putting up a wood-working fac- tory. In 1877 the Tangemans were running the Volney flouring and gristmills to their full capacity, day and night ; also the sawmill, and a cooperage business. August Tangenian later became the sole owner and operated the flouring mill for many years.
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