USA > Iowa > Allamakee County > Past and present of Allamakee county, Iowa. A record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 26
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A postoffice was established at Columbus in the latter part of 1851. And there was here at a later date two stores, a good sized hotel, and a steam sawmill.
North Capoli-Lies half a mile to the north and west of Columbus, and adjoins the south line of South Lansing, both now within the corporate limits of the city of Lansing. The latter was platted by John Haney and H. H. Hough- ton, February 22, 1858. And North Capoli was platted April 16, 1860, by Elias Topliff and J. M. Rose, as trustees of the Columbus Land Company No. 1.
Church-This place has never been platted as a town, but is a thriving little village which has grown up in recent years, on the northwest quarter of north east quarter of section 32, near the southwest corner of the township, seven miles from Lansing. Isaac Bechtel was the owner of the forty, and has sold off building lots for stores and dwellings from time to time as the growing settle- ment required. Geo. C. Coppersmith started a store here in 1898, and was appointed postmaster. He sold out in 1903 to Benjamin Decker, who continues to do a thriving business, and is now postmaster. Mrs. Wm. Buege keeps con- fectionery and notions ; and Win. Lenz is the blacksmith. The Calhoun Creamery Company is located here, and has proven a permanent and prosperous institution. This was incorporated March 7. 1896, with a capital of $3,000 with right to increase to $4,000. Its first officers were : President. Frank Stirn ; vice president, A. J. Williams; secretary, A. J. McCafferty : treasurer. Peter N. Smedsrud; directors, Chas. P. Nierling, George Rice and J. M. Thomson.
CHURCHES
The German Evangelical Congregational Society of Lansing Ridge was in- corporated October 19, 1868, with the following named trustees : Frederick Lenz, John Engelhorn, and Isaac Bechtel; and other incorporators were Rudolph Bau- mann, Conrad Engel and Jacob Blumer. In 1909 a reincorporation was effected, the trustees being Isaac Bechtel, Henry Marti, and Frederick Schweinfurth.
Emanuel Methodist Episcopal church in Lansing township was incorporated January 4, 1882, by Henry Lenz, Alexander Fischer, and G. Michael Wirth, as
HARPER SCHOOL, HARPERS FERRY
STREET SCENE, HARPERS FERRY
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trustees, appointed by the quarterly conference in Lansing township, of the North Western German Conference.
The Methodist church on May's Prairie, section 20, erected a stone house of worship many years ago. This church became incorporated in June, 1874, by a meeting held at the stone church, Christopher Schultz, chairman, and John Spicker, secretary and the following named were appointed as incorporators : Ernst Gramlich, George Murray, Peter Hirth, Gottlieb Staak, Andrew Leppert, Frederick Reiser, and Christian Manderscheidt. Rev. A. C. Panzlan serves this church and the M. E. church at Dorchester, we believe.
The Salem's church of the German Evangelical Association, also May's Prairie, was organized July 15, 1903, by J. M. Krafft, representing the Evangeli- cal Association of North America in Allamakee county, and duly incorporated with the following named trustees, viz: Julius Feuerhelm, Wilhelm Worm, and Chas. Dee. We believe the same pastor serves this and the churches of the same faith at Lansing and Thompson's Corners, Rev. A. Raecker, until quite recently at least.
LINTON TOWNSHIP
This originally included all of Post, Franklin and Fairview at the time of organization in 1851, as before stated. Its present area conforms to that of congressional township 96-4, except that portion in the southeast corner set off to Fairview as shown in the chapter on that township. The name of Bunker Hill was first considered for this township, but Linton was finally adopted in honor of the Lintons, Dr. John Linton, manager of the Old Mission, and Thos. C. Linton, the organizing sheriff of Allamakee county. There was another brother, Wm. C. Linton, who came from Kentucky and located with his brothers in this township, but removed to Clayton county in '44, later to Mitchell county, and in his old age made his home at Pasadena, California, where he died January 21, 1899, aged ninety-four years. He was a soldier in the Mexican war.
Ion-The first village in Linton, was first called Bunker Hill, but when it was platted into town lots, January 1, 1855, an opposition developed to this name, and the original proprietors agreed to select the name by lot, each writing his choice on a slip of paper and drawing from a hat. Our long-time county surveyor, H. B. Minor, is authority for the statement, that Sewell Goodridge, one of the proprietors, having recently read a novel in which he had admired a character by name of Ion, and nothing more suitable occurring to him at the time, wrote that name on his slip, which was the one drawn, thus establishing the name of the village. The survey and plat were made by D. W. Adams, for the owners, Sewell Goodridge, Chas. W. Cutter, and Abram J. Kennison, and Ton postoffice was established about this time, with Sewell Goodridge postmaster, it is believed. Down to 1860, Ion was in Linton township, but by the setting off of section 24 in that year it was placed within the jurisdiction of Fairview, of which township it has ever since formed a part. The postoffice has continued here without interruption, we believe, until superseded by the rural delivery. Andrew Kean, postmaster in 1892, died in the summer of 1913. This vicinity is now served from Waterville. A postoffice called Egan was in existence in sec- tion 2, Linton township, for several years prior to the rural service, with James Egan postmaster.
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Ion was another of the good milling points on Yellow river in the early times. Indeed, it was at one time the most important in the valley. Girts and Colgrove in 1874. built a new flouring mill, which they put into operation January 1. 1875. There is now a general store at lon kept by Olive G. Grady ; and Geo. M. Hulse is the shoemaker. Mr. . \. E. Colegrove, miller and farmer, came here in 1860, but served in the Civil war, which service cost him his eyesight, and when his sight entirely failed he removed to Waukon, where he resided for many years, until his death in 1902.
Buckland- Was the site of Buckland Mills, also on Yellow river, near the center of the township. It was laid out April 28. 1858, by Austin and Harriet L. Smith, John and Lucy Davis, and Asa and Cordelia Candee, and plat acknowl- edged before James H. Stafford, justice of the peace. The town plat was vacated May 10, 1881. There was a postoffice here in 1892. E. L. Cahoon, postmaster.
Staudinger's Mill on Suttle creek was running to its full capacity in 1868. in the west part of Linton township. In the spring and summer of 1872, Wm. Staudinger built a 40 x 50, two and a half story flouring mill on the west branch of Suttle creek, a tributary of the Yellow river, about a mile further up than the old mill. This was on the route of the proposed narrow gauge railroad from Monona to Waukon, which was then being surveyed. An old map published early in '59 shows a mill located on Suttle creek, in section 30, known as Knabb's Mill. Also Newcomb's Mill, situated on a creek in section 6, two miles north of Yellow river. The Staudinger Mill is now used as a barn.
The following named early settlers were among those who came in 1854 or sooner and took land from the Government, or the state, viz: Jacob Welliver, Samuel Denning, Robert Elliot, Lawrence Byrne, Marshall S. J. Newcomb, Thomas Dunn, James Adams, Thomas Crawford. Mathew Glynn, John Kelly, Lawrence Maloney, John Denning, Seth N. Stafford, John B. Sutter, Selden Candec, Charles Miner. Chas. Reidel. Henry Wiethorn, John Plank. Lewis Renzihausen, John G. Rupp, Anthony Gass, Samuel W. M. Moody, Allen Scott, Jacob Sawvel. Of these, but a very few are still living in the township.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of the Yellow river and Clayton Mission in Linton township, was incorporated. August 11. 1859. John Plank, Jr., Geo. Koch, Henry Peitzman, and Bartheld Liebenstein, being the incorporators.
About the year 1860 and following there was an active Baptist church organ- ization at lon, served a part of the time by Elder Poole, of Rossville. They bought a small building at Ion for a house of worship, which they sold to George Hulse when the organization was broken up.
The First Methodist Episcopal Church of Ion was incorporated December 28. 1868, the trustees being at that time, S. C. Hulse, 11. B. Miner and Charles Miner. J. H. Gile was also one of the incorporators.
Ion, Volney, Monona, and McGregor at one time composed the "Ion Circuit." served by such later well-known preachers as J. F. Hestwood and Nathaniel Pye. The latter resided at lon for a number of years.
The population of Linton township in 1854 was 225, and in 1910 it was 581. At the first enumeration it had a much larger area than now.
Linton township officers in 1913: Clerk. E. Pufahl ; trustees, John Huffman, Chas. Topel, Mike Peters: assessor. Jas. Egan, Jr.
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LUDLOW TOWNSHIP
The commissioner to organize this township was Ezra Reed, a pioneer of 1850, on section 1, and the organizing election was held on Monday, April I, 1852. The population in 1854 was 208; in 1910 it was 777. No villages have ever been laid out in this township, but it has the reputation of being the wealthiest agricultural township in the county, having the largest area of tillable land. being mostly prairie. A postoffice called Ludlow was kept at the house of H. G. Grattan, postmaster, on the Waukon and Postville road, in section 10. for about twelve years, being discontinued prior to 1882. The township is fully cov- ered by free delivery now. It is noted for its churches and schools, creameries, and a local store has generally been kept in one part of the township or another. At present the only one is located on the southeast corner of section 8, owned and managed by John E. Meier. There is but one creamery now operating, the Lud- low Cooperative Creamery Company, incorporated April 11. 1894, with a capi- tal stock of $5,000, the first officers being A. I. Steffen, president ; J. E. Baxter. vice president ; A. G. Winter, secretary and treasurer. It is situated on the south line of section 9, a quarter of a mile east of the store. On early maps of Iowa published in 1857 a little village called Grantville is laid down in the south- eastern part of Ludlow, but we have been unable to ascertain that there ever was a settlement or postoffice of that name in the vicinity.
The official roster of Ludlow township in 1913 is : Clerk, Paul Hager ; trustees, A. I. Steffen, F. H. Depping, Chas. E. Regan; assessor, Ed Ludeking ; justice of the peace, J. H. Simmons.
Of the early settlers in Ludlow township the following came in 1851 or before: Ezra Reed, Luther Howes, Reading Woodward and Benj. Woodward, Wm. Trotter. Win. Dunn, Charles Ragan, James Shaff, Wm. Rankin, David J. Miller ( 1850). Daniel Jaquis; also Schenck, Beard and Cutler, who made their homes on the Winneshiek side of the line, and C. J. F. Newell, who sold his claim and took another in Makee township. Others who followed in rapid succession were : L. W. Goodrich, John Letchford. James Vile, Absalom Thorn- burg, S. L. Cochran, Jacob Overholt, D. A. Sackett, John A. Taggart (these two latter identified with Waukon). J. W. Granger, N. E. Hubbell, David and James Rankin, Nicholas Wettlofer, Frederick Hager, P. G. Wright, Moses Shaff, Stephen Meriau, Francis Bryant, and others. Warner Howard, who died in Ludlow in 1880, is said to have located here the year the Indians were removed, which was in 1848, but whether in this township we have no definite information.
The German Presbyterian church of Ludlow, situated on the north side of Section 9, is an outgrowth of the church of the same name organized in Waukon, in the year 1856. During the pastorate of Rev. John Renskers in 1864, the church divided, and those living in this vicinity in 1865 erected a church building here, under the administration of Rev. S. Elliker, who soon resigned, and was succeeded by C. H. Schoepfle, and he by Wm. Shover, in the summer of 1868, who served until January 29, 1871. Rev. Henry Knell was then called, who preached his first sermon here. February 12, 1871. Under his pastorate a new church edifice was erected, and the old building was thenceforth used as a schoolhouse. His resignation took place November 5, 1877, and he died a few years later. He was succeeded by Helmer Smidt, who remained only eleven months. After him
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Rev. E. Schuette was called. first preaching January 26, 1879. The church was organized with very few members-among the most active being Simon, Conrad and August Helming-but increased very rapidly, its active members numbering 233 in 1882. In 1895, March 13th, the church was reincorporated as the Zalmona German Presbyterian Reformed church. The then pastor was Rev. J. H. Stark, and at the present time Rev. Ferdinand Zissler serves this church.
The Reformed Salem church of Ludlow was organized February 11, 1895, and incorporated June ist, with the following named constituting the board of trustees : Henry Kiesau, Henry Ludeking, Simon Stuckmann, and Herman Schnittger. Others prominent in effecting the organization were: Simon Kiesau, Fred Krumme, and George, Simon, Fred and Herman Becker, and others. Dr. H. A. Muehhmeyer. president of the Reformed Seminary at Sheboygan, Wisconsin, effected the organization, by request of members of the Presbyterian Zalmona church who lived two, three, and as far as five miles west and southwest of that church. The Reformed church is a sister church to the Presbyterian church, the former originating in Switzerland and Germany, the latter in Scotland, both from the efforts of the reformer Calvin and others in the sixteenth century. The charter members, nearly all from the reformed province Lippe, in Germany, in organizing, preferred to connect themselves with the Reformed church in the United States of German origin. The congregation in harmony and peace soon bought grounds for a church and parsonage site of Henry Ludeking, on which the buildings were erected in the northwest corner of section 17. and for a school and a cemetery of George Becker in the southeast quarter of section 7. A picture of the church accompanies this article. The first pastor called from the seminary at Sheboygan, was Rev. L. C. Kunst, serving the congregation from July, 1895, to May, 1903. The second pastor was Rev. Julius Gaenge, serving from July, 1903, to June, 1908. The third was called in Sept. 1908, and served them till this date, March, 1913. The congregation flourished from the time of its beginning. and has a bright future. It now numbers 190 communicant mem- bers, and contributes freely toward all missionary and benevolent purposes. Already their present church edifice is becoming too small for them, and there is talk of erecting a more appropriate building for their needs in the future. (We are indebted to the retiring pastor, Rev. Edward Vornholt, now about leav- ing for a new field, for the data regarding this church. )
The Bethlehem church of Ludlow township ( Presbyterian), filed its articles of incorporation on November 4. 1898, the trustees then being August Klein, Simon Nagel, and Edward Bechtel, and a church was built on the north line of section 27. Rev. F. F. Sinning is the pastor of this church.
MAKEE TOWNSHIP
The formal organization of this township was accomplished on the first day of April, 1852, but we are as much in the dark as to the officers elected here as in the other townships. We quote from Judge Dean :
"At the March term, 1852. of the County Court, held at Columbus, the legal voters in Township 98. Range 5. petitioned for organization as a civil township under the name of Makee. The Court granted the prayer of the petitioners and appointed Israel Divine as commissioner to call an election for purposes of or-
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ganization, which he did. The election was held in April following, in the log house on the C. J. White farm, and resulted in the election of a full set of town officers; but in consequence of scanty records and the faulty memory of the participants we are left to guess who they were. We only know that John A. Wakefield was chosen constable, and in consequence of his refusing to serve Sanford C. Marsh was appointed to fill the office.
"Makee Ridge, as it was afterwards called, had among her early settlers a large per cent from Maine, and being shrewd, prudent and enterprising Yankees they soon grubbed out, fenced in, broke up, and cultivated farms, built them- selves frame houses which they painted white, made a turnpike road through the village one mile in length and were so far ahead of the surrounding country in style and improvements that they soon were dubbed by the settlers who came in from Hoosierdom, with the sobriquet of Nobscotters, and the ridge with the name of Penobscot, and this name like the lingering fragrance of the faded rose hangs round them still."
It has been established that Thos. A. Minard and C. J. White were the first justices of the peace in the township.
The first log cabin in Makee township was built by Patrick Keenan in 1848, where the county farm now is (southeast quarter of section 8), as related in the chapter on the pioneers. The second a mile and a half east of Waukon by Prosser Whaley in '49; and the third, or about the same time, the Shattuck cabin on the site of the future Waukon.
The first school was taught by L. W. Hersey in the fall of 1853, in the log cabin built by Azel Pratt for a dwelling in the fall of 1850, he meanwhile having built a frame dwelling in '53. Mr. Hersey was followed by F. M. Clark, in the same house, with such pupils as Hersey and John Pratt, Lib Bearce and others. Mr. Clark was the eldest son of John T. Clark, the pioneer lawyer, and lie was engaged in business in Waukon later, and in other towns, finally estab- lishing himself in a banking business at Lime Springs, where he died but a few years ago. About the time of this school Mr. D. D. Doe taught for a while in a log hut east of Waukon. He was later a prominent business man in Waukon, where he built the fine residence in the east part of town that was in later years the home of G. W. Hays for a long time. Mr. Doe then went to Lansing where he resided until his death. His daughter married Mr. Dick Haney, of Lansing, who went to South Dakota and was until quite recently a member of the Supreme Bench of that state.
In the summer of 1854 the Makee schoolhouse was built, the first one in the township; but before it was fully enclosed came the great hail storm and tornado which moved it a few feet from its foundation; and we may add, entirely de- stroyed the crops which had been put in, in that vicinity. This was a good sized frame building, with a steeple. It served its purpose for half a century, until replaced by the present brick schoolhouse erected in 1905. The first school in this old house was taught by Eugene K. Bartlett, in the winter of 1854-5.
The Makee postoffice established in 1852 on the opposite side of the road, to the west of this schoolhouse, was discontinued sometime in the sixties ; and about that time a postoffice was established in the northeast corner of the township called Lycurgus. This was discontinued in January, 1868, but was reopened two years later at the house of C. O. Howard, on section 8. Later it was removed Vol. 1-14
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to its former location, about 1872, in charge of Chas. Nees, in connection with his store and hotel. Since his death Mrs. Nees has continued the business at the old homestead, and kept the postoffice until the introduction of the rural delivery system a few years ago.
C. O. Howard and his brother Alvin G., with their aged father Azel, camc to the ridge in the early fifties. The father died many years ago. C. O. built the first elevator in Waukon upon the advent of the railroad in 1877, and con- tinned a prominent business man here until his death in 1904. A. G. went to Nebraska, in 1883, and after 1905 made his home with his son, Willis, at Clarks - ton, Washington, where his wife died, but he remains well-preserved in his eighty-ninth year.
The St. Mary's Catholic church at Lycurgus was established at an carly time, and was presided over for many years by Father M. K. Norton, now in charge of the Waukon parish. They have a very fine property, but the edifice, which was of stone, had became insufficient for the needs of the community, and has this spring of 1913 been razed to make place for a fine new structure which which has been contracted at a cost of some $20,000. The plans call for a building of mission design, with a superstructure of hollow tile and pebble dash, a tile roof and trimmings of copper. This church organization became duly in- corporated December 11, 1911, with Rev. T. R. Campbell pastor, and Peter Plein and Patrick Whalen lay directors, associated with Archbishop Keane and Vicar General Roger Ryan composing the board. Rev. Father McNamara is the pres- ent pastor.
Of the earliest settlers in this township the following took government land in 1850 and 1851, possibly some of them in 1849, viz: John A. Wakefield, north part of section 2, whose biography appears on another page. Hugh Norton later owned this farm. The stone schoolhouse on this farm was built in 1868. Wm. M. Dibble took the northeast northwest section 19, in 1850, but soon sold to W. R. Pottle and he to Alvin G. Howard, who lived there many years. It is now the Kasser home. Abram L. Bush, southwest quarter section 20, 1850; Gunder Hanson, northeast quarter section 22, 1850; Charles Krieger and An- drew Kosbau, sections 32 and 33; C. J. White, section 20; Knudt Knudtson, section 15; Landolin Haas, Section 3: A. J. Hersey, section 7. 1851 ; Geo. \\'. Randall, section 9; Moses D. Bush, northeast southwest and Richard B. Charles northwest southwest section 19: Uriah Whaley, section 27; Thos. A. Minard, sections 29 and 32; Samuel M. Stevens, northeast quarter section 29; David Whaley, sections 19 and 30, north of fair grounds, a little log house he built was standing until a few years ago ; Wm. Niblock, section 33.
The following took school lands, in or previous to 1854, and the date of set- tlement is difficult to ascertain. Some of them were here in 1851. Jacob Marti. sections 1 and 2; Allen and Job Blanchard, C. J. White, Halvor Peterson, Jehial Johnson, Halvor Oleson, Chas. Paulk, Jas. B. Conway, Enoch Jones, Wm. Escher, Henry Ruegemeier ; also Chas. Drawis, L. J. Nichols, Win. and Joseph Burton. bought lands.
The very earliest settlers, including Prosser and Archa Whaley. the Pratts and Herseys and others, are mentioned more particularly in another chapter. Jackson Gould settled what has recently been the Fourt farm, northwest north- west section 19.
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The iron lands on section 17 were entered from the government by Frost Gerry, in June, 1852, and were sold to A. H. Hersey in the January following. The main portion of them composed the "Stoddard farm," from '56 to '62 owned by N. Taylor and G. W. Stoddard. Dinah Randall owned this a short time, then Geo. W. Hays for three years, who sold to Geo. Griswold, and he to John M. Barthell in 1875, who owned it during the prospecting and development of the mines.
The population of Makee township was 470 at the first enumeration in 1854. It was SHI exclusive of the city of Waukon, by the 1910 census.
The township officers in 1913 are : Clerk, F. E. Kelley ; trustees, Chas. John- son, Robert Connor, and W. H. Ebendorf; assessor, Fred Hansmeier; justices, T. T. Ericson and P. J. Quillan ; constables, D. R. Walker and Scott Jones.
PAINT CREEK TOWNSHIP
The township was organized under an order of the County court in April, 1852, Mr. James Bryson, Sr., being appointed commissioner ; but not until the December 1853 term were its boundaries officially designated, it being taken from Taylor township. Two elections had been held prior to this, however. It was rapidly settled up in the meantime, so that by the enumeration in 1854 its population is given at 414. The census of 1910 shows 881. By action of the court its name was on May 7, 1855, changed to Waterville, but two years later, March 2, 1857, the first name was restored. The following account of its set- tlement is copied from an article prepared by John S. Bryson in 1880, with addi- tional matter from a family history he later wrote, which was printed in a booklet for private distribution in 1901.
On the morning of the 8th of May, 1850, James Bryson and family arrived at what was then called McGregor's landing, now the city of McGregor, with teams and baggage, and at once started for Garnavillo, the county seat of Clay- ton county, seeking a home. After resting here two days, they, in company with part of Robert Moore's family, who had made a claim on Paint creek, started for Allamakee county, following the trail via what is now Monona, then called Sodom (in consequence of its whiskey trade with the Indians), then down Hickory creek to Clark's ford on the Yellow river, then north to the "old stake" in Jefferson township, now the farm owned by Elias Pettit, and a short distance east of his house, and down on to Paint creek, where they camped May 11, 1850.
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