USA > Iowa > Allamakee County > Past and present of Allamakee county, Iowa. A record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 27
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55
Mr. Bryson located on section 17 and 18, where Thomas and Robert Moore and John Graham had made claims about nine months previous, while the Indians were yet camped there for their winter's hunt, this being a favorite hunting and camping place for them. They were gone when the Bryson family came in, but the skeletons of their wigwams remained, and the brands and ashes of their campfires showed that the new settlers occupied as they departed.
Five of the wigwams, or teepees stood close by the finest spring on Paint creek, this spring was covered with a blanket of moss from two to six inches thick, showing that it had been a camping spot for a long time, and the wild deer dare not come to eat the moss, but they did the winter following. We cleared the most of this off the head of the springs, and the water boiled up
278
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
from ten to twelve inches, flowing over the beautiful green moss as clear as crystal, and as cold as if it came through a mountain of ice.
We found here many flint arrow heads, two tomahawks or hatchets, one dead Indian pony, and many buffalo and elk horns.
The Indians had for years dug up the wild sod in the valley in patches, and raised a crop of what might be called "squaw corn," but we broke the first sod on what is now Paint creek on the 15th of May, 1850.
We broke patches.on each claim to secure them. Settlers came in fast on our trail all summer. We put up a log house 14 by 18, a store-house 8 by 12, and a pit in the hillside for potatoes, but it was too late for other crops. There was plenty of game, some fish, and wild deer were very plentiful. There were wolves, bears, and even panthers.
The Government put the land into market at $1.25 per acre about the first of October following, and found us with more claimed than we had money to pay for, but Mr. Wm. H. Morrison, who lived near the mouth of the creek, having been appointed agent to select a portion of the 500,000 acres granted by the general government to lowa for school purposes, came around and we entered our claim as school land; this helped us as well as many more poor settlers by giving us time to get the money and make our payments without submitting to the extortion of the land sharks, as the settlers called those who speculated in land and reaped a rich harvest, at the expense of the hard-working pioneer.
In the summer of 1850, a large number of Norwegians came in from Wiscon- sin and settled on the prairie north of the creek, among whom were Swen Ender- son Hesla, Ole O. Storla, Ole Grimsgaard, Thomas Anderson, Lars Knudtson, Nels Tollefson, Ole Severson, Bennett Hermanson, who lived in their canvas covered wagons until they could build something to get into, and the most of these families are well-to-do farmers in Paint Creek today.
Theodore and William Moose and William McCoy came in about the same time. James R. Conway, Reuben Sencebaugh, and others came in very soon after and settled on the south side of the creek. In the summer of 1850, a family named Ellis from Linn county, lowa, came in and selected mill sites on the creek at what is now Beumer's mill, and one of them, Riley Ellis, located a mill site just around the bend, below Waterville, known as Peter Iverson's mill, where he put a pair of two foot French buhr millstone on a few logs built over the creck, which were kept running all winter, cracking corn for all who came. The buhrs stood out of doors all winter, and the next spring-1852- they were inclosed, and a small bolt made of book muslin, was attached for making buckwheat flour. Then we lived sumptuously, substituting buckwheat cakes and wild honey for our former diet of pork and corn dodger, and people came from all quarters with their little grists, and in all sorts of conveyances, some from what is now Wankon, some from the lowa river. It was here I first met Scott Shattuck, late from California, and when I first saw him he held in one hand a piece of raw pickled pork and corn dodger, and in the other hand a large knife with which he was cutting alternate slices of cach for his luncheon. This was the first gristmill ever built in the county, if it had capacity enough to be called a mill. ] ran this mill the most of the time the first eight months. Not long after this Nathaniel Beebe commenced getting out timber for what is now known as the Waterville mill, and later Colonel Spooner and Mr. Carpenter came in and
GENERAL VIEW OF WATERVILLE
-
GENERAL VIEW OF DORCHESTER
281
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
joined him, and the mill was built and started in the winter of 1854 and 1855. They also opened a store in the spring of 1855 near the mill. In the spring of 1851, Thomas B. Twiford, of county seat notoriety, and Wm. McCoy built the Thomas Ellis sawmill above where Beumer's mill now stands, and it did a good business until 1860.
By this time many settlers had come in, the Norwegians generally settling on the north side of the creek, the Irish on the south side, with a few Americans and other nationalities sprinkled in and among them, but the large per cent. of settlers were of foreign birth.
The first winter we boys learned to split rails, William, James, and I and for three winters between 1853 and '56 we fenced in forty acres each winter. It took two thousand two hui dred and fifty rails and six hundred and fifty stakes. We raised hogs and chickens and got good prices the first three years. In the fall, winter and spring of '52-3 I worked out six months for ten dollars per month, and then four months at twelve dollars. My object was to get one hun- dred dollars to go to Dubuque and enter eighty acres of land, but before I got my money the land was taken. Just then a man came along with forty sheep and a lamb, trying to peddle them, but no one had money. He asked from four to five dollars each for them. I offered him my hundred dollars for them and in a few days he took my offer. The next spring I had a flock of eighty sheep and lambs and had sold eight at six dollars each. The Norwegian women came to buy wool, offering thirty to forty cents for it. They took large quantities to spin into stocking yarn on shares. I sold the yarn at one dollar per pound. The next year I had sixty-five lambs. I now sold enough wool and sheep to raise three hundred dollars which I paid to Sturm on my land, and had plenty of sheep left * He made me a deed for the land, and we all felt relieved and rejoiced for we had accomplished our purpose of each getting a farm. Our market to the new comers was about gone, and we had to seek a market for shipments.
The county records fail to show when the township was organized by the election of township officers, but there is an entry in them dated December term, 1853, as follows: "Paint Creek township was organized so as to conform to the congressional township of town 97, range 4." The trustees gave the town- ship its present name, and the township records show the first election to be held in Riley Ellis' mill, where the corn cracker was, August, 1852, James Bryson, George Watkins and Reuben Sencebaugh being judges of election, and William McCoy and Thomas G. Ellis were the clerks. The trustees appointed William McCoy township clerk. These are the earliest dates our records show.
The next election was held on the first Tuesday in November, 1852, and was the presidential election. The third election was on the fourth of April. 1853, and is the first record I find of the election of township officers, being for trustees: James Bryson, Andrew Mitchell and Reuben Sencebaugh; for township clerk, William McCoy; for assessor, James Bryson; for constables, John Bryson and John Stull; for justices of the peace, James Bryson and Reu- ben Sencebaugh. At this election there were cast for county seat fifty-eight votes, of which Columbus had forty-nine and Waukon nine. The trustees held two meetings in the winter of 1852-3, one to appraise and divide section 16, and the
282
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
other to divide the township into road districts, doing this work so well that the districts remain the same to this date.
In 1856 Mr. James Beebe built a large frame hotel in Waterville, capable of accommodating all the guests that a town of one thousand inhabitants would furnish, but it failed for want of patronage, and its builder is now in New Mexico (1880). In 1857 was organized in this hotel the Prairie du Chien & Mankato Railroad Company, with the Hon. John T. Clark, now of Postville, for president. The object of this company was to build a railroad from the Missis- sippi at Johnsonsport, connecting there with the railroad from Prairie du Chien, and running up the creek to Waukon, thence west to Calmar, and on to Austin and Mankato, Minnesota. Engineer Wm. W. Hungerford was the active man in the enterprise and devoted considerable time to it, making surveys and locat- ing the line from the starting point on the river to the state line in Howard county. Most of the resident right-of-way on the entire line was secured, and about forty thousand dollars in subscriptions and donations to the capital stock, the design being to donate this to the railroad company running into Prairie du Chien if they would extend their line across the river and over the route. The enterprise failed, the extension being made via Bloody Run and Monona, in Clayton county.
In the spring of 1857, Spooner and Beebe started at Waterville the first tannery ever built in the county. They purchased a recipe for tanning with: japonica, using it with hot liquor, thus tanning the hides in a few days so that they could put them on the market and get returns very much quicker than by the old way of tanbark and cold water. They ran their business about two years, but not proving profitable they abandoned it.
To return to the family experiences :
By 1860 we had actually made and put up six miles of fence, fourteen rails to the rod and four stakes. During these years William, James and myself did most all of this work. Father generally took us to our work early in the morn- ing and took a load of rails home. We had our dinner with us, warming our coffee at a big fire. We walked home in the evening, about four miles ; mother always had a good supper waiting for us and we had good appetites for it. As soon as supper was over mother cleared the table of dishes and put on the Bible, newspapers and magazines, and we took turns reading aloud. While one was reading the others were patching boots, fixing ax handles, churning, or doing other little jobs, but all listening. Rossville had a postoffice and mail was received two or three times a week. By reading so much we were posted on the questions that then stirred the country, the slavery question, mormonism, and temperance. Father and I voted for John C. Fremont in 1856, and for Abraham Lincoln in 1860 # * At this time the people were greatly excited over attempts to open all new territory to slavery, the Mason and Dixon's line, squatter sovereignty, the Nebraska bill. the Kansas border ruffian war, the Douglas and Lincoln canvass and the election of Lincoln in 1860.
In 1861 the firing on Fort Sumter aroused the Nation, and James and Alex- ander both decided to enlist. James, in company with Dr. Barnes raised a com- pany of 130 men. Not being accepted the company was disbanded in June. James reported to Governor Kirkwood and was commissioned in the State ser- vice and remained in that service until mustered into the United States service
283
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
with Company I, 27th Iowa Volunteer Infantry, in August 1862. Alexander had a bad accident to his leg, from which he never fully recovered, but he followed his regiment to Vicksburg, was sent back to Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis, and discharged. I was then unfit for service not having got over my long sickness, but during these years I did what I could to encourage the boys and care for a few of their families. James served to the end of the war, and the history of the 27th Regiment is his war record * * * My father James Bryson died November 30, 1889, at the age of eighty-seven years and three months. (The biography of John S. Bryson, the writer of this sketch, will be found in volume of biographies .- Editor. )
Other settlers who took government or school land in the early fifties were: James Fort, in sections 12 and 26; Lewis Sturm; Chas. Beumer, sections 17, 18 and 33; Lawrence Byrne section 17; Patrick and Edward McGuire, 19; Edward, Patrick and Mathew McCaffrey, 19; Reuben Sencebaugh in 1850, in sections 30, 31 and 32: George Watkins in 1850, in section 30; John and Chas. Connery ; Charles McKaighney in section 20; Francis McGeough section 28; Thos. Ryan section 28; Peter Cosgrove section 25 ; N. A., Jeptha and James Beebe, in northeast quarter section 22, present site of Waterville; Wm. R. Ellis, in 22 and 23 ; James Kavanaugh in 29; Willard Green in 33 ; also Barney McGeough, David Martin, Ole Smeby and three sons, G. C. Lyse (settled at Columbus in '52 and here in '54), John and Robert Elliott. Also William Dunn in section 32. A daughter of S. E. Hesla, who settled on section 10 in 1850, was the first girl born in Paint Creek township: she married S. O. Leikvold, and died in January 1902.
WATERVILLE
This is the sixth town in the county, in size, as well as in order of incorpora- tion. It has grown by force of circumstances, never having been laid out on paper prior to settlement, for speculative purposes. Therefore it does not show the regularity of a premeditated plat, and is not subdivided into blocks. The lots were sold off by the owners one at a time, to prospective builders as needed, and were platted as land lots instead of town lots, and of varying size and irregu- lar shape, according to the requirements of the purchasers and the contour of the land.
The beginnings of Waterville were in the building of the Riley Ellis grist mill, or corn cracker, a half mile below the present post office, in 1850. In 1853 Mr. Jeptha Beebe bought out this rude mill and improved it, and put in a saw- mill the same year. The next year, 1854, Nathaniel Beebe built a grist mill for flour, since known as the Waterville Mill, in the present village, in which Jeptha Beebe took an interest, but sold his interest the same year to Col. Jeduthan Spooner, continuing himself to run the saw mill. The three forties covering the site of Waterville were bought of the school fund by Nathaniel A., James and Jeptha Beebe, being the northeast of the northeast, the northwest of the northeast, and the southwest of the northeast, respectively, of section 22, and they sold an interest to Colonel Spooner and D. P. Carpenter, who made arrangements for open- ing a store. Colonel Spooner returned to the east in the fall, but in May, '55, came on again with a stock of goods, which he opened up in partnership with Carpen- ter.
284
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
In 1856 James Beebe erected a large frame hotel. the prospect at that time being very promising for the future growth of the town, possessing three good water powers, and there being a strong probability of the early construction of a railroad along the Paint Creek valley, which was not realized however until twenty years later. A post office was established here in 1856. The store and mill of Messrs. Spooner, Beebe and Carpenter made this village for a time one of the most active places in the county, until the collapse of the railroad project and the growth of Waukon, where a steam mill was built, as well as the building of a steam mill at Rossville, combined to detract from its importance. In 1857 Spooner and Beebe started a tannery here, also. Soon after this Mr. Spooner's sou, who assisted him in his varied business, died, and Colonel Spooner removed to Lansing. and later to Waukon, where he resided until his death, which occurred March 10, 1867. He was an able and influential man, highly respected by all who knew him.
Mr. Jeptha Beebe sold his interests here to his brother. N. A. Beebe, in 1857, and purchased a farm two miles and a half west of Rossville. Soon after he engaged as contractor of a stage line from Prairie du Chien, Wisconsin, to Chatfield, Minnesota. The route being discontinued in 1858 by order of James Buchanan, through the postmaster general. left him with a large amount of stage property on his hands, which he then took to Kansas, and securing another stage line soon after traded his interest for a steam saw mill some fifteen miles south from Topeka, which took fire and was burned in 1860 with quite an amount of lumber and logs, all being a total loss. He rebuilt the mill and sold to other parties, and came back to Allamakee county and rented the saw mill at Waterville one year. then rented a farm near Rossville for one year, and then bought a saw mill on Yellow river, which he ran till 1867. then sold out and turned his attention to farming. In the spring of 1869 he purchased a farm near Waukon, where he continued to reside until about 1905, when he went to Cali- fornia, where he died January 13. 1907. Mr. Beebe was a leader of the Green- back party in the county during the activity of that party.
Daniel P. Carpenter, the associate of Colonel Spooner in the business at Water- ville, continued to live in Allamakee county a number of years, but eventually removed to Missouri, where his death occurred in 1882, at the age of eighty- two. Ilis son. W. W. Carpenter, was an assistant of his father and Colonel Spooner in the fifties. lle enlisted in 1861 in Dr. Barnes' Co. K, First Iowa Cav- alry, and served through the war, being promoted first lieutenant. He is now, at eighty, still an active citizen of Ashland, Oregon. His son and namesake, W. W., is a long time and well known resident of Waukon.
The Waterville Mill changed hands many times, and had its periods of alter- nating prosperity and discouragement. Mr. John Thomas operated it in 1872, and later A. J. Diesen, who leased it to Ed Neudeck in 1877. It passed into the possession of V. H. Stevens later, and was finally run as a saw mill only.
RAILROAD
With the construction of the Waukon & Mississippi Railroad in 1877 Water- ville took on new life. Mr. Vic H. Stevens, in company with Mr. J. H. Hale of Waukon, erected a large store and dwelling which became the railroad sta-
285
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
tion, express and telegraph office combined, and has so continued until this time. For many years Mr. Stevens was the agent, as well as postmaster, and handled a variety of other business enterprises successfully. In course of time he bought out Mr. Hale's interest, and acquired considerable of the land in and about the village. He became interested in telephones, inaugurated a local system, and was the prime mover in organizing the Standard Telephone Co., now operating throughout this corner of the state and in Southeastern Minnesota. Eventually he branched out further and became president of the Interstate Telephone Co., and took up his residence in Dubuque. He retained his business interests in Waterville, however, with Mr. G. Pederson as a partner, who has for many years conducted the affairs of the store, railroad and postoffice with great popularity and success. (Mr. J. O. Jeglum was postmaster for a time about 1892.) Mr. Stevens a few years ago started a new town called Gregory, in South Dakota, and continued to prosper until his sudden death within the past year.
With the advent of the railroad a grain warehouse was built and operated by Mr. McMichael of Lansing, and immediately commanded a large business. Other business establishments soon followed, and the village thrived generally. Of recent years M. J. Hart has taken a leading part in the local affairs, engaged in handling grain and other produce, and live stock. Others now in business here comprise the following :
Waterville Bottling Works.
Waterville Savings Bank.
Farmers Cooperative Creamery Co.
John Anderson, blacksmith. 1 Asleson & Anderson, implements.
J. T. Bjerke, feed mill.
A. J. Cole, restaurant.
A. J. Ellefson, hardware.
A. M. Fellows (of Lansing), lumber
S. K. Kolsrud, general merchandise.
Gabriel Pederson & Co., clothing, etc.
Henry Sieg, furniture and undertaking. Herman Sorenson, furniture.
Spinner Brothers, general merchandise.
Postmaster, Gabriel Pederson. (Rural routes to Elon and Ion.)
INCORPORATION
Early in 1912 the leading citizens of Waterville desiring to obtain for their community the advantages of an incorporated town, presented to the District court a petition April 2, 1912, asking for the incorporation of a tract described as follows : commencing at a point 20 chains east of the common corner of sections, 15, 16, 21 and 22, township 97, range 4; thence east 20 chains to quarter corner, north 10 chains on quarter line, east 20 chains to eighth line, south 24 chains on eighth line, east 20 chains to section line, south on section line 36 chains, west 20 chains to eighth line, north on eighth line 20 chains, west 40 chains to eighth line. north on eighth line 30 chains to place of beginning ; containing 212 acres, and a
286
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
population of 130. The court appointed the following commissioners to hold an election, viz : A. C. Grimsgard, A. J. Ellefson, G. Pederson, J. A. Anderson and M. J. Hart. The election was held in Harmony Hall May 4, 1912, resulting in 31 votes for incorporation and 5 votes against the proposition. An election was then held, June 8, 1912, for town officers, the following being elected : Mayor, M. J. Hart ; Clerk, Joe Bjerke; Treasurer, Peter Arneson ; Assessor, A. Asleson ; Councilmen, J. A. Anderson, B. J. Dillon, A. J. Ellefson, Ole Hanson and O. G. Kolsrud.
The court, Judge A. N. Hobson, thereupon decreed the town duly incorporated and election of officers confirmed.
The first assessment of the corporation, in 1913, showed a valuation for pur- poses of taxation of $78.559, of which $33.584 was real estate. The town mar- shal of Waterville is A. C. Grimsgard.
The Paint Creek township officers this year are: Clerk, H. A. Hendrickson ; Assessor, E. C. Dahil; Trustees, K. T. Gronna. M. T. Jacobson, P. G. Hagen; Justices of the Peace, H. A. Hendrickson and C. A. Robey; Constable, A. C. Grimsgard.
WATERVILLE SAVINGS BANK
This institution was incorporated June 16, 1902, for a term of fifty years, with a capital of $1,000, and the following first officials, viz: O. J. Hager, Presi- dent ; M. J. Hart, Vice President; W. F. Nierling, Cashier; these three and A. T. Vierling and H. F. Opfer, Directors. The present officers are the same, with the exception of cashier, that position now being occupied by Peter Arneson, and the directors are now O. J. Hager, M. J. Hart, A. T. Nierling, H. A. Hen- drickson and K. T. Gronna. On February 4, 1913, the capital was increased to $10,000. The report of this bank to the auditor of state April 17. 1913, shows : capital paid up, $20,000 ; profits on hand, $1,905.78 ; total deposits, $140,- 734.57; total assets, $162,640.35.
TELEPHONE COMPANY
The Paint Creek Farmers Telephone Company was incorporated March 22, 1904, with a capital of $15,000, and officers as follows: President, Wm. Rood; Vice President, J. A. Drogset; Secretary and Treasurer, H. A. Hendrickson; Directors, T. G. Fagrie, P. G. Ilagen, E. E. Bakkum, H. G. Hagen and Julius Gruber. The principal officers are now : President, Oliver Dahl; Vice President, Frank Kelleher: Secretary, H. G. Hagen; Treasurer, Peter Arneson.
CREAMERY COMPANY
The Farmers Cooperative Creamery Company of Waterville is a corpora- tion dating from February 14, 1891, the original officers being : President, John .. Drogset ; Vice President, 11. Larson; Secretary, J. F. Tracy; Treasurer, A. T. Anderson. The company renewed its articles of incorporation February II, 1911, with capital the same as at first, $10,000. At present the officers are :
287
PAST AND PRESENT OF ALLAMAKEE COUNTY
President, H. C. Megorden; Vice President, Iver Thorsen; Treasurer, O. S. Hesla; Secretary, J. T. Bjerke; Directors, Arne Grangaard, Theo. Pladsen and Geo. A. Lease.
PAINT CREEK CHURCHES
Lutheran-What is now known as the "Old East Paint Creek Norwegian Lutheran Congregation of the United Norwegian Lutheran Church in America" is the parent organization from which have sprung the several other congrega- tions of the Lutheran denomination in this locality as well as in Lansing and Waterville. This congregation was organized in the year 1850 with the follow- ing voting members: J. L. Möller. O. Larson, Arne Knudson, Lars Knudson, Halvor Ellefson. Aslag Solverson, Ole Syverson, Osten Pederson, Ole Olson, Ole O. Kaasin, A. O. Bothum, Ole Helgeson, Syver O. Vold, Thomas Anderson, Ole Storlag, Erik Kittelson, Ole Arneson, Nils Botolfson, A. Knudtson, Hans Nilson, Bjorn Hermunson, Kitel Olson, K. K. Hunstad, Syver Hermundson, Nels T. Roe, Ole Knudson, Ole Ellefson, Lars Arneson, Aslag Gulbrandson, Vik Sven Endreson, Sven Olson, Embret Knudson, Nils Nilson, Ole K. Hunstad, Iver Aslagson, Helge Halvorsen.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.