USA > Iowa > Allamakee County > Past and present of Allamakee county, Iowa. A record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 23
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The business of the village today consists of a grocery store by Chas. Boll- man, and a blacksmith shop by Chas. Rose.
The Volney M. E. church was incorporated March 22, 1890 (this organized at a very early date), with the following named trustees: J. P. Emerson, F. W. Tangeman, H. A. Burnham, A. J. Campbell, and W. H. Adams. It has been supplied recently, we believe, by Rev. James B. Bird, from Monona.
Manchester-Or, usually called Manchester Mills, was in section 6, close to the Post township line and the sister city of Cleveland, so that the mills here were called by either name indiscriminately. All these villages were located along Yellow river at the numerous places where this stream offered available waterpower for milling purposes, which in the early days was of the utmost importance ; and each one of them at one time or another gave promise of healthy village growth, until the decline of the milling industry.
Peter M. and Judith Gilson were the proprietors of the Manchester plat, which bears date May 10, 1859, from the suvey made by Joel Dayton in 1856. Trumbull Granger was the justice of the peace who took their acknowledgment.
Forest Mills-Was at first known as Werhan's Mill, but received the later name of Forest Mills when a postoffice was established there, in 18 -. William Werhan came to this spot in 1851, and in company with P. M. Gilson built a sawmill in 1854. In a later year Mr. Werhan bought out Mr. Gilson, who then took hold of the Manchester mill, two miles further up the river. In 1865 Mr. Werhan built a much larger and better mill, and this flouring mill has continued to do a good business to this day. In 1877 he was doing a large business in both sawmill and flouring mill. About this time the flouring industry was being rather overdone throughout the county, there being at the beginning of 1878 between twenty-five and thirty mills in the county ; and soon a good portion of them had to drop out because of decreasing business in this line. A postoffice was established here of which Mr. Werhan was commissioned postmaster, and so continued for many years. He was also justice of the peace. His death occurred December 23, 1901. A store has been kept in this vicinity for a long
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time, under different managements, and at present is conducted by Frank Russell.
A church of the United Brethren in Christ was incorporated near Forest Mills in December, 1897 (though earlier organized), of which the trustees were J. H. Hendrickson, C. W. Bender, Abe Evans, Henry Werhan, and L. H. McGhee. It continues to flourish, served by Rev. A. E. Hursh, together with the Bethel church in Post township.
In 1913 the Franklin township official roster is : Clerk, J. H. Palmer ; trustees, Geo. Decker, Wm. Biggs, Herman Peglow ; assessor, J. H. McShane; justices, Frank Russell and J. P. Gilson; constable, F. J. Beuge.
On a map published in 1859 the mills in Franklin township are shown as follows: Werhan's mill, in the east part of section 5, and Gilson's mill, near the center of same section; Dawson's mill, on section 6, and a gristmill near by ; Deucher's mill, on section 9, at the month of Williams Run ; Blain's mill, on sec- tion 14. near west line: and the Hardin mills, on section 31, probably the Burn- ham mill, later removed to Myron.
"SODOM AND GOMORRAH"
While not occurring within the limits of Franklin township, the incidents here narrated took place close to its southern border, and tradition kept the cir- cumstances in the minds of early settlers in this region. The story has been variously told, but from a comparison of different versions the facts seem to be as follows :
In the summer of 1840 when P. P. Olmsted and his brother, David, became the first settlers in Monona township, Clayton county, near the present site of the town of that name, there was a large Winnebago village some two miles north- west of their location whose chief was Whirling Thunder. The band was removed to near Fort Atkinson in 1841 or '42, but the site of their village, supposedly on Hickory creek near the county line, was later occupied by smaller bands of Indians until their final removal in 1848. The line of reservation, or formerly neutral ground, crossed the government road from Fort Crawford to Fort Atkin- son at or about the present village of Luana, and conscienceless liquor traders established their resorts on this road as near to the reservation line as they dared, being forbidden over the line. One of these places was kept by Taffy Jones, a reckless character who hailed from Fort Crawford, and the passing troops between the two posts gave it the name of "Sodom." A genius named Graham Thorn started a similar resort not far away, and not to be outdone in wickedness dubbed his place "Gomorrah."
Sometime in the winter of 1847 a band of Winnebagoes, then encamped on Hickory creek, collected in the neighborhood of these cabins for a spree, and one of their number, an old man, traded all his belongings, including his blanket, for whisky, and his dead body was found the next day by his son, where he had died from exposure and intoxication, doubtless, though perhaps he had been maltreated. At any rate, the son being filled with the desire for revenge crawled up to one of the whisky dens, in the evening, and fired his gun through the win- dow with the intention of killing Jones, or Thorn, but unfortunately mistook his man and killed an inoffensive customer named Patrick Riley. The young
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Indian was captured by a detachment of troops and brought to trial, found guilty of manslaughter, fined $500 and sentenced to ten days' imprisonment. He was defended by Samuel Murdock, the pioneer lawyer of Clayton county. It is said that he was confined in the Fort Atkinson guardhouse from whence he escaped with the connivance of a friendly white man, and was never recaptured.
Jones lived but a short time after this occurrence. Dr. Andros, a pioneer physician, was present at his death, having been called in as he was passing from Fort Atkinson to Prairie du Chien. He found Jones on his bed in a miserable condition, dying from chronic alchoholism, his one desire being for more whisky. Thorn left the country, but returned after the Indians were removed to Minnesota.
There has been more or less dispute over the location of the Sodom and Gomorrah cabins-as was the case in the originals of Bible times-and in July, 1907, Capt. John Tapper of Monona, an old government teamster of those days, drove some iron pegs to designate the respective spots as he remembered them. From the Monona Leader, of a date in July, 1907, these quotations are made :
"Capt. John Tapper first set foot on Monona soil in 1840 and in the fall of 1841 and a part of the year of 1842 was a teamster in the employ of the govern- ment between Prairie du Chien and Fort Atkinson, transporting military supplies, so that he became familiar with the locality and well acquainted with the people along his route of travel over the old military road. He was for many years a resident of Monona township, conducting a farm two miles east of Monona. As he was familiar with Minneapolis, St. Paul, St. Anthony Falls and Minnehaha Falls all through their early period in the '40s, so he became familiar with this . section in its earliest pioneer days, and in relating the story of the settlement of the country has proven time and again the accuracy of his statements, in the naming of persons who took an active part in the destiny of this great west coun- try, and in locating prominent points of material interest to historians. For a man of his age, now past eighty-eight years, he is still robust, healthy, active and energetic, and if put to the test, would no doubt run a foot race, leap the hurdle, or wrestle with his even weight, and be the victor in each bout. From Captain Tapper we gain the information for this article, locating to a certainty the two rival saloons, named Sodom and Gomorrah.
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"The Military road, as laid out by the government, and in use until the con- struction of the railroad between Monona and Luana, followed the ridge from near the Snell farm along the present line of the railroad, passing through Main street from where the depot in Luana is now located, northwest, thence directly west. The wagon road now is north of the railroad track and the original line of the Military road. The object in following the ridge was to avoid the sags, deep gullies and ravines, through which it was impossible to haul heavy loads of merchandise. All government wagons then in use were hauled by six mules, driven by one line, the driver riding on the nigh mule and with a six foot black snake whip could make the mules get-up-and-get and pull for dear life, and by the resound of the crack of the whip give notice of the coming to the loungers at Sodom and Gomorrah."
Then follows a detailed description of the locations of the respective cabins at Luana, and the contentions over the water supply for same. The two places
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were rivals for trade, and every means was resorted to for controlling the patronage. Continuing the quotation :
"Taff Jones was proprietor of the cabin called Sodom. He was of Irish- Welsh descent, his father from Ireland and his mother from Wales. Taff was a pugilist by nature and practice. He was always ready for a scrap and brooked no threats in his hearing. His fighting qualities were tested on every possible occasion and he had many an encounter with the soldiers and the rough and ready fellows who were hoofing it through the country in search of homes. Notwith- standing the brutal part of the man there was a kindness of heart in Taff Jones. To a friend he was a friend indeed. While the exterior of the man was of the brutish type, the inner man gave demonstrations of a worthy character. There were two sides to the man, the good and the bad. He could fit a case to either as his emotions seemed to dictate. After three or four years he left the country and Sodom became a thing of the past.
[Note the discrepancy : Dr. Andros said he died there.]
"Graham Thorn was the proprietor of the Gomorrah cabin. He was a dis- charged soldier-Hospital Steward-from Fort Crawford, having served two enlistments in the regular army. He came into this country in the latter part of 1840, following in the wake of the moving Winnebago Indians, bringing with him a few dentist tools and a case of medicine, and to some extent administered to the sick and needy.
"Upon the reservation Thorn built his first log cabin, about five rods west of the corner store, which he named Gomorrah. While Thorn was absent at Prairie du Chien, purchasing a supply of liquors and groceries, the U. S. Dragoons came along and finding Thorn's cabin on the reservation set fire to it and it was burned to the ground. Only a pile of ashes were left for Thorn to view on his return. Nothing daunted, however, Thorn proceeded to rebuild, this time locating his cabin on the south side of the main traveled road as pre- viously described.
"Sodom and Gomorrah, as now located, were about an eighth of a mile apart, in view of each other. Thorn remained selling liquors and nicknacks until he got into trouble with a roving band of Indians and in a fight killed one of the braves. Becoming alarmed and fearing the vengeance of the Winnebagoes, Thorn skipped the country. His cabin was burned to the ground, supposedly by Indians. On removal of the Winnebagoes to another and distant reservation, Thorn returned and again built a log cabin, this time on the Andrew Walch farm, in the field near the junction of the Monona and McNeil roads, about where the bunch of evergreens appear, in the neighborhood of five rods west from center of north road. Here Thorn resided for several years. He was here in 1852, since which time no trace is had of him. Perhaps someone of the '5os can throw light on his future movements.
"Both of the cabins were in size about 12x14 and while they answered the purpose for which they were erected there were times when their capacity was fully tested. Drunken brawls were of frequent occurrence in both places and many hot encounters between the proprietors, soldiers and roving Indians are remembered. The U. S. Dragoons were constantly on the trail between Prairie du Chien and Fort Atkinson, made necessary by the scattering members of the Indian tribes and the constant travel of homeseekers who began pouring into the
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country. Up to 1844 there was only a scattering of settlers' cabins to be seen on this broad prairie, and while there were earlier selections of homesteads their occupancy was delayed until the government began the movement of the Indians further north, sixty miles above St. Paul. H. M. Rice had the contract with the government for the removal of the Red Men from this immediate vicinity."
FRENCH CREEK TOWNSHIP
This township was officially organized March 3. 1856, being taken from the township of Union City as originally organized, and comprises all of the con- gressional township 99, range 5, with the exception of the north half of sections 4, 5 and 6, which owing to the meandering of the Oneota river was left in the jurisdiction of Union City. It was mostly settled in 1854, the population in '56 being 278.
Alton was the only village platted in this township, and it was a paper town, laid out Jannary 5, 1858, by W. W. and Nancy Woodmansee. It was situated on section I, near where French Creek flows into the Oneota, or Upper Iowa river. The plat was placed on record, and perhaps some few lots sold, but it soon became unknown and but few now remember that there ever was such a place on the map.
French Creek Postoffice was established in 1859, with Porter Bellows as postmaster, commissioned by President Buchanan. His wife, Mrs. A. M. Bellows, succeeded him at his death in 1879, serving until her death which occurred in January, 1894, when Mrs. M. A. R. Bellows served until the family removed to Waukon in January, 1903, when the office was discontinued after an existence of forty-three years.
This township took the name of the creek flowing through it, called French Creek from a man by the name of French, who lived near the head of that stream when the first permanent settlers located in its valley.
One of the first settlers in French Creek township was Porter Bellows, coming in the spring of 1851, from Rockton, Illinois, and settling on the Iowa river just south of Union City. Many tepee poles were standing near the bend of the river, opposite the mouth of Clear creek, where the Indian thicket bore plenty of grapes, plums, gooseberries and crab apples; and just above on the side hill was the Indian burying ground. Mr. Bellows drove several hundred sheep from Illinois by way of Mineral Point, Wisconsin, crossing the Mississippi on a ferry below McGregor. There were no made roads leading to the new home in the Iowa river valley. Ravines were without a break, smooth and grassy. During the first winter supplies were brought from Monona, to a point on the high ridge nearest the house, and drawn down the hill on hand sleds. Mr. Bellows built one of the first gristmills in the county, near the mouth of French Creek, at the foot of a high lone bluff rivaling Mount Hope on the opposite side of the river and valley, which they named "Owl's Head." This was so named because of a large stone or boulder which stood out on the flat summit of the front crags. Some years later it was struck by lightning and knocked into the valley. To this mill came settlers with their grists from the surrounding country and from points far distant in Minnesota.
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The first manufacturing plant on French Creek was a sawmill operated by Barney Hunt below where the Leppert schoolhouse is located. Farther down the valley at the confluence of a large spring with the creek one Gordon had a shingle mill for a time. These were very early structures. George Wild built a sawinill above the mouth of Silver Creek about the year 1861 ; but a few years later built the second grist mill on French Creek, selling later to Henry Ilirt, who sold to J. W. Hartley and the building was removed.
The first schoolhouse in the township, probably, was built on the Bellows farm in 1861, although several terms of school had been taught in the district in a vacant dwelling house.
Mr. Bellows served as justice of the peace during his life, and was one of the county supervisors for a time, besides filling other township offices and that of postmaster as before referred to. At the top of the high hill just west of his place were the families of John Stone and J. T. Beetem, coming in 1854; the last a tall Kentuckian with a family of boys, two of whom, Charles and J. T., served in the army and later opened up farms near by, but after the death of the father in the late sixties sold out to Germans and all emigrated to Nebraska and South Dakota, where they prospered. Other early settlers were the Schusters, and J. Asbacher and Geo. Wild, young men. In the valley were Wm. Yeoman, Geo. Kibby ( '51). Clark, and Daniel Lahey.
Among others the following took land of the government in other parts of the township: John A. Wakefield in the extreme south, on Lansing Ridge, 1850; Geo. W. Spence, '51; N. Till, Benedict Troendle, and A. G. Howard, in '52; Edward Mahoney and John O'Brien, '53; and in '53 or '54 and closely follow ing were, Geo. Munz, Martin Engelhorn, Patrick McCormick. James O'Donnell, Michael O'Brien, Win. Collins, James Harkins, James Deviny, Michael Kelleher. Terence Brushnahan, J. M. Lisher, Tim and Phil Meagher, John Ronan, Pat MeCauley, Thos. Howes, Andrew Collins, Cornelius Casey, Andrew Leppert, Jas. Sweeney, Martin Devit. and James Dougherty.
The only church organization possessing a house of worship in French Creek township, we believe, is the German Methodist church located on the south line of section 10, where services are sustained at more or less regular intervals, conducted, we believe, by Rev. John F. Daacke.
The present township officers of French Creek are: Clerk, P. J. McCauley ; trustees, Joe Zoll, James Howes, J. T. Welsh : assessor. J. C. Ebner. The pop- ulation of the township in 1856 was 278; and by the census of 1910, it was 498.
HANNOVER TOWNSHIP
At the March 5, 1855, term of the County court the boundaries of this town- ship were defined, comprising the congressional township of 99-6, taken from Union City township, and a warrant was issued to Marshall Cass to organize same. As in the case of most of the townships no record is found of the elec- tion of the first officials. The population in 1856 was 211. Among the early settlers were: Michael Halvorson in 1852; Wm. Reed, in '53, at what was after- wards known as Reed's Corners ; Dan Carr, about '55, a well known and popular character and good judge of a horse, went to California in 1892 on account of ill health, and died there the following spring; Hans Simenson; Wm. Mc-
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Laughlin ; John C. Barr, a fine old Scotchman ; Lars Peterson, Marshall Cass, Ole Simenson, Maurice Brushnahan and others, James Delaney, the Larsons, Jeffrey McGrath, Hans Hanson, Christopher McNutt (who started the first gristmill in the early fifties, on the Iowa river in section 30), John Cunningham, Michael Stack, Peter and William Fitzgerald, Andrew Jacobson.
The first postoffice in Hanover was at New Galena, prior to 1861. Reed's Ridge postoffice established July, 1873, eight miles north of Waukon, on the Galena road, Wm. H. Reed, postmaster. Hanover postoffice established at Ferris Mills on the Oneota river, February, 1875, O. F. Ferris, postmaster. This was later removed to section 29, where John Ward conducted the office for many years. He died December 9, 1893. Ferris Mills (formerly McNutt's Mills), was for many years the best known in this part of the county, and was a frequent resort for Waukon fishermen and picnic parties. The dam was almost completely destroyed by the flood of June, 1875; and in the July storm, 1882, the race was so badly damaged that, considering the failure of wheat raising, it was not thought best to make repairs again.
Cavins' Ford, in the fifties, was the Iowa river crossing in the northeast quarter of section 8; and prior to 1859 a gristmill was in operation on Bear creek in the northeast part of section 4.
The Catholic church in Hanover was early established, but we have no in- formation of the date. It was incorporated November 20, 1911, as St. Mary's church of Hanover, Most Rev. James J. Keane, archbishop, ex-officio president ; who, with Vicar General Roger Ryan, and the pastor, Rev. F. Mccullough, ex-officio vice president, and laymen, Lawrence Byrnes and Michael Tierney, constituted the board of directors.
New Galena, so named for its lead mines, was the only village ever platted in this township, but the plat was never recorded. It was situated on the north side of the Oneota, in section 1, below the mouth of Waterloo creek and nearly opposite the mouth of Mineral creek in the valley of which was the principal lead deposit.
In 1856 one A. C. Tichenor discovered what he supposed to be paying quan- tities of lead, in the valley of Mineral creek, and not having sufficient means of his own to carry out his plans, went to New York city to get men of capital in- terested, stopping in Indiana to see Phineas Weston, the owner of the land, with whom it is supposed he made satisfactory arrangements for opening a mine. In New York he succeeded almost immediately in interesting one Jas. T. Moul- ton, who laid the matter before another party of some means, Aug. F. Lee, and together they proceeded to act in the matter. Mr. Lee came on with Tichenor, looked over the ground, procured specimens of the ore and had it tested, and everything proving satisfactory, Moulton and his son Arthur came on with all the necessary materials and laborers and proceeded to erect buildings. Among others, they built a large store, which was filled with a huge stock of goods pur- chased in New York by F. M. Clark, who had accompanied Tichenor east for that purpose, and who clerked for Moulton & Lee until the following January. At one time the company had as many as a hundred men in their employ. The village site was laid off into lots and streets, and some of the lots were sold at good round prices. The village at its best comprised some eight or ten houses, but they have disappeared, and at this time the land where the town stood is one
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of the best farms in the Iowa valley, and is owned by Levi Green. Some of the buildings were moved off, and others left to fall to pieces. Among the latter was a large stone barn which stood until about 1880, a monument of the New Galena folly.
The company penetrated the side of the bluffs on Mineral creek and took out ore in such quantities that they felt warranted in erecting a smelting furnace, which was done some fifteen rods south of the bridge which was built at a later day, and smelted a considerable quantity or ore, but it did not pay. The ore was mostly in the shape of floats, but they kept on, hoping to strike a paying "lead." In this they were disappointed, however, as no well defined lead was developed, and the store part of the venture was the only thing about it that paid. It was not long before Tichenor had run through what little means he had invested in the concern, and Moulton and Lee, disappointed in their bright expectations, were inclined to blame him for the result of the enterprise, and so cast him off. The elder Moulton took to drink ; and sometime in the course of a year the whole thing collapsed under the stress of circumstances. The creditors got what they could out of the property, and we believe Moulton and Lee returned to the east. Tichenor, it seems, could not give up the idea of getting riches out of a mine, and sought the mines of the west. Twenty odd years later he was heard of in connection with a fraudulent mining concern, shares of stock in which he had sold to the extent of $20,000 or $30,000.
Among our county records we find the "Articles of Association of the New Galena Lead Mining and Real Estate Company," entered into on the 18th day of August, 1857.
James Thorington, James T. Moulton, J. Arthur Moulton, Aug. F. Lee, Wm. L. Easton, Leonard Standring. Warren Ballou, James I. Gilbert, Grant Telford, Milo C. Fuller, Alanson H. Barnes, D. B. Defendorf, L. B. Defendorf, S. H. Kerfoot, James L. McLean, Robt. L. McClelland, Horatio Hill, Solomon Good- rich, E. E. Cooley formed themselves into a body corporate under the name and style above mentioned, "for the purpose," the document goes on to say. "of min- ing, smelting, and manufacturing, lead, and for the purpose of acquiring, by pur- chase or otherwise, any lands in the state of Iowa, or any other state or territory in the United States ; and for lying out such lands into towns or villages, addi- tions to town or villages, and disposing of the same at private or public sale; and also for engaging in interal improvements, manufactures, agriculture and commerce, and in any or all financial or monied operations not inconsistent with the laws of the State of Iowa." etc. "The document further provides that the capital stock shall consist of $200,000, of $20 a share, with power to increase to not exceed $500,000. The principal place of business was to be the village of New Galena, and the directors shall cause semi-annual dividends to be de- clared out of the profits of the company." About how many dividends were declared may be readily imagined. We believe this company did continue to operate the diggings for a time, but they were finally abandoned entirely.
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