USA > Iowa > Appanoose County > Past and present of Appanoose County, Iowa : a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Vol. I > Part 40
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Among the first settlers were Ira Daugherty, G. W. Moore, Andrew Morri- son. Levin Dean, Samuel W. Woods and Elijah Thompson, all of whom took part in the organization of the township in 1848.
The first land entry to be made by any person in Appanoose county was that of Andrew Trussell, who located the northwest quarter of section 1, town- ship To. range 10. in 1847. for which he paid cash, and received his patent from the government February 1, 1848.
In the year 1851 John D. MeKim left his home in Indiana and came to Appanoose county, settling in Union township, where he was the first school teacher of that locality.
Samuel and Elizabeth Horner, of Virginia, immigrated to the county in 1855 and located in Union township. In 1801 they removed to Taylor town- ship, lorating on section 7, where Mr. Horner died in 1873.
When a boy Z. F. Rodgers came to this county in 1849, with his father, Zephaniah Rodgers, who took up a claim in this township. He died in 1870. at the age of ninety-nine years. %. F. Rodgers married Martha A. Tate m 1858.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY
Nancy A. Vandeventer, who married Joseph Eaton, at Unionville, in iSốt, was a native of Tennessee and came to this county with her parents in 1853. The farm was on section 17.
J. G. Johnson was born in Tennessee. Ile took an overland trip to Cali- fornia in 1853, where he farmed until 1858. That year he settled in this locality.
Claudius B. Miller was an early settler of the township, coming to the county in 1848 from Tennessee. He was a member of the board of supervisors and represented Appanoose county in the state legislature.
A. F. Graham, when a lad, came to Union township in 1846, with his par- ents. J. W. and Margaret Graham. They were natives of Ohio.
A. W. Hunt was born in the state of New York. His wife, Elizabeth Stiles, was a daughter of John Stiles, who came to this county in 1852 and settled. In 1853 Mr. Ilunt came here and first engaged in milling. Later, in 1870. he settled on a farm in section 22.
G. W. Gilliland lived for many years on section 4, this township. He came with his parents to the county in 1854 and in 1867 married Malinda Cate, who was born in the county in 1850.
J. J. Gilliland was a settler of this locality in 1857. He married Susan Dudley in 1847 and her father, William Dudley, came to AAppanoose county in 1855.
J. II. Baldridge was born in Tennessee, February 4, 1850, and in April of the same year he was brought by his parents to this locality. His father improved three farms and, although he had only his land warrant- and fifty dollars in money at his death, which occurred in 1865, he left his family four hundred and twenty-five acres of land.
E. A. Buckmaster came to the county in 1852. He married Miss R. E. Stanley in 1867. He became proprietor of Union township's grist and sawmills.
Frank Wedmore settled in this township with his parents in 1850. coming from Davis county.
FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP
The township of Franklin was established March 1. 1858, with voting place at George Emerick's.
Franklin township lies in the southwestern corner of the county. Its west boundary line is Wayne county and south line, the state of Missouri. To the north is Lincoln township and on the east. Pleasant township. Along Shoal creek, in the north tier of sections, is considerable timber and sections 1. 2, 3, 4, 10. 11 and 12, 13. 14 and 15, where water abounds, are wooded. This is a good farming community and shows its prosperity by many comfortable homes, well-tilled fields, substantial fences and passable roads.
The first settler in this community is said to have been Joseph Jump, who made a claim in 1848. His entrance here was some time before the year just given, however. About this time arrived James Hibbs. Carter Troxell. Ben- jamin Barney and wife. George J. Emerick, at whose house the first election was held: 1. G. Parker and wife, Moses Kirkendall, Peter V. Burris and G. B. Greenwood. Other early settlers who deserve mention were :
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY
John Stamps, a native of Tennessee, came here in 1850 and endured many hardships until he got a start on the road to prosperity.
James Hibbs came to Appanoose county from Wapello county in 1849 and entered land in what was then Shoal Creek township. He helped to make the first election returns from that township. He remained on his farm until 1851. when he erected a building and stocked it with merchandise, becoming the first storekeeper of the community, which afterward became known as Hibbsville.
The year 1855 witnessed the coming of James M. Kelley to this township. Ile was a Tennesseean by birth. Mr. Kelley made the first entry of land on the south side of the road where he lived for many years.
Witham Condra came here in 1850 from Knox county, Illinois. He served in the war of the rebellion, was a farmer and a good citizen. Jacob Condra also settled here in 1850. He was the father of William and was a very sue- cessful farmer.
Wallace M. and Elijah E. Harvey, of Indiana, settled here in 1855. Eli- jah wa- a minister of the Christian denomination, while Wallace was a farmer and merchant. He served in the Union army during the Civil war.
1. E. Carson left his native county of Rockingham, Virginia, at the age of fifteen, in 1825, with $10.50 in his pocket and a heart glowing with courage and determination. He arrived in l'ennsylvania, where he derked in a store and taught school. He was an academy pupil and a graduate from college and afterward taught school, He married Ruth B. Greggs in 1842. In 1845 his wife and three children died. Ile married Eliza Biddle, daughter of J. T. Biddle. in 1853, and came to Appanoose county in 1857, and became the pos- sessor of several hundred acres of land. He was a member of the board of supervisors
Dr. Thomas Wilkinson came to this county in 1850, with his bride, whose maiden name was An Murphy, and located on a farm near Cincinnati, in Franklin township. He lived to be ninety-one years of age and died in mynt. His wife died the previous year at the age of eighty-five years. Hugh E. a son, came to the county with his parents.
Henry Stevenson came to this township from Ohio in 1850 and became a successil farmer He died at the age of eighty-seven years.
T. W. Hutaker, a farmer, came to Appanoose county in 1850. He mar- ried Nancy MeClure in 1850. He was a veteran of the Civil war.
J. Melon emigrated from the Buckeye state in 1854 and first located in Washington county, lowa In 1855 he arrived in this community and acquired valuable farms.
One of the successful men of Franklin township was 1. G. Parker why came here with his father in-law. Benjamin Barney, in 1853 and entered a see- tion of land. He had been an educator of more than ordinary ability. Dur- ing the year 1858-4 he edited the Appanoose Republican, the first republican paper published in the county. He served in the Union army in the war between the states and was mustered out with the rank of captain. After the war, in connection with farming, he became interested in coal mining and owned the Livingston mine ..
( \ D) Shead was born in Richmond, Virginia. He came to Appanouse
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY
county in 1858 with his mother and step-father, James Inman. He was in the Civil war.
Peter II. Callen, a native of Tennessee, and his wife, who was Susan F. Willett, of Virginia, settled in Appanoose county about 1852. They located on a farm in Franklin township and then removed to Orleans, where he engaged in merchandising for a couple of years, after which he removed to Moulton and carried on business there for a period of twenty-one years.
E. W. Inman, at the age of five years, in 1849, was brought to this town- ship from Ohio, by his father, Nathaniel Inman, where they located on a farm. E. W. Inman married Mary J. Lowry, daughter of J. Lowry, She was born in Appanoose county and her father was one of the early settlers of this locality.
The first religious body formed in Franklin was the Baptist society, organ- ized in 1855, by Benjamin Barney and wife. A. E. Stevens and wife and Levi Wafford and wife. The first meetings were held at the home of I .. G. Parker. Elder Blackburn was the preacher and had for his successors among others, Elders John Osborne, Bolster. Benton, Burkholder, Turton, Parker and Archer. Later, the society met at the Livingston schoolhouse and finally built a house of worship on a two-acre tract of land donated by E. O. Smith.
The earliest marriage in the township, of which there is a record. was that of Benjamin Joiner to a niece of Absalom Foster, in 1854.
A postoffice was established at Livingston in 1858 and in the same year E. (). Smith erected a sawmill; later, a flour mill.
In the month of April, 1859. a school district was organized and the first teacher was a Mr. Goodenough. A room at the home of E. O. Smith was used for the school room until 1865. when a schoolhouse was built.
The Methodists organized a society in the township as soon as the number of families in the neighborhood warranted, and meetings were held at the homes of the members and then at the Wilson schoolhouse until a church could be built. In the early days of the township was a society of Dunkards, with Elder William Strickler as pastor; also a society of the Church of God. or "Weinbamarians." similar to the Dunkards, both of whom held meetings at the Wilson and Valley schoolhouses. Elder Richardson was pastor of the lat- ter society for some time.
HIBDSVILLE
The hamlet of llibbsville is situated on the northeast quarter of section 35. Franklin township, and was surveyed for James and Pleasant Hibbs. Septem- ber 15, 1862. The plat lies near the northeast corner of the township. A postoffice was established here in 1853 and several families moved to the neigh- borhood. In 1854. a schoolhouse was built, which was of frame and proba- bly the first schoolhouse of its kind in the county.
James llibbs, proprietor of the settlement, built a store in 1851 and started a sawmill in 1853. In 1855, the town's facilities for doing business were largely increased by the building of a flour mill, which had in connection machinery for carding wool for the settlers, many of whom made linsey-woolsey, which was the principal material used in the clothing of those days. The town flour- ished for a while, but the railroad-building age had come, and the Chicago &'
HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY
Southwestern making its appearance, but not close enough to Hibb-ville, left that mart high and dry on the shoals, stopping its growth and making inevita- ble it- future decline.
TAYLOR TOWNSHIP
Taylor township was established November 5, 1849, and the election was held at the home of Edward Callen in April, 1850. Reuben Denny. Preston Underwood and Edward Callen were the judges.
The township lies in the northern tier, being on the Monroe county line. On the east of it is Union, south, Douglas, and west. Chariton township. The land is generally fertile and is watered by North and South Soap creeks and branches of Buck creek. Naturally, the streams harbor considerable timber and if there are any coal deposits, it has not been mined to any appreciable extent. Some of the finest farms and country homes in the county are to be found here. and the barns and silos are conspicuous by their size and attractive appearance.
Lewis Hliatt and his wife. Rachel, both of North Carolina, settled in this township in 1845, having at the time, one child. O. AA. Hiatt. The elder Hliatt passed away in 1887, but his widow before her death had lived on the farm he had improved, about sixty years.
William Coulson, a native of Tennessee, with his wife, Margaret, arrived in Appanoose county in 1849, and settled on a farm in Taylor township. Mr. Coulson eventually became the owner of several hundred acres of land and was one of the heaviest tax-payers in the county.
Aaron Taylor was another pioneer of the township, coming here in 1849 from Van Buren county, where he had lived since 1840. He located on sec- tion 17, where he lived a contented, prosperous life many years.
James M. LaCroix and bride settled in this township in 1840. Joseph Stauber. Theophilus Vierle and Ephraim Conrad emigrated with their families from North Carolina in 18449, and stayed in Jefferson county that winter. In the spring of 1850 they came to this township, where Mr. Stauber bought a claim of a Mormon, which later became the site of the village of Moravia.
James Madison Creech, of Tennessee, settled on a farm in Taylor township. on the 24th of April, 1857, and lived thereon for over fifty years. He mar- ried Eliza Clancy, a daughter of John Wesley Clancy, who was one of the first settlers of the county, having arrived here in 184.3.
Varon Luse was one of the pioneer settlers of Taylor township, coming here in 1851. He secured a tract of government land where he raised a fam- ily of eight children, among them being William J. and Jackson.
Levin Dean came to Appanosse county in 1846 from Missouri but was a native of Kentucky. With him were his wife and son George W., then a lad of seven years.
Daniel Pence and Jane, his wife, arrived in Appanoose county in 1855. vet- tling on a farm of one hundred and sixty acres in Taylor township. On the land was a rude log cabin and about twenty-five acres of ground had been broken for cultivation. Here be raised a family of children and the Fences prospered.
IHISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY
Joseph Stauber, one of the founders of Moravia, was a native of Penn- sylvania and came to Appanoose county with his young wife in the spring of 1850, locating in this township, where he became one of the influential men of the community.
Daniel Cummins settled in this township in 1851. He was preceded by his son in 1849. The latter married Maria Theresa Stauber in 1853. She was a daughter of Joseph Stauber, who founded the town of Moravia.
S. M. Andrews was born in Tennessee and married Nancy L. Woods, whose father died in this county in 1863. Mr. Andrews removed to this county with his family in 1851 and located on section 21, Taylor township. He invested all his money in land, erected a log cabin, without windows or door casings, through force of necessity, and as the years went by improved seven hundred acres of land, which became a heritage to his children. This hardy pioneer was an important personage of the community and represented the township on the board of supervisors.
Ezekiel Wallace with his wife, Nancy, settled on section 16, Taylor town- ship, in 1854, and added to his possessions from time to time. Ile became one of the prominent men of the township.
J. S. Hutton settled on section 18 in 1858.
From 1851 to 1864 Dr. R. Cummins practiced medicine at Moravia, kept a general store there and also at Iconium. After several years' absence in Cali- fornia, he returned to Moravia in 1878, and resumed his practice there.
Reed W. Dodd, a West Virginian, settled in the county in 1850. He was an energetic farmer and became one of the substantial citizens of Taylor township.
E. Cummins came to Moravia with his parents in 1849 and they were among tlie earliest settlers of this locality. Mr. Cummins was one of the first mer- chants of the village, opening a general store in 1856. When the Civil war broke out he formed a company of volunteers and went with them to the front as captain of Company FF, Eighth lowa Volunteer Infantry. At the close of the war he resumed business in Moravia. He became a prosperous merchant and was postmaster of the village a number of years.
William M. Biddle, who married Eunice Patterson, a native of Pennsylvania, in 1853. emigrated from the Keystone state the year of his marriage and, taking a westward course, entered the state of lowa. He located on section 5, this township, became prosperous and served the county as a member of the board of supervisors. He also held important township offices.
M. M. Callen, a Tennesseean, settled here in 1849 and became a scientific breeder of and dealer in Italian queen bees.
Samuel Cate, Jr., of southern birth, settled here in 1849 and in 1852 mar- ried Lucinda Wicker, daughter of James Wicker, an early settler of this county. The young couple removed to Missouri in 1854, but returned in 1864 and took up their residence on section 22.
William L. Chambers came to this county with his father, John C. Cham- bers, in 1850 and in 1857 married Adeline C., daughter of Henry C. Callen. who settled in this township in 1846. In 1801, Mr. Chambers purchased a farm on section 20.
Priscilla R., widow of Alexander Hayes, came to Appanoose county from
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High School Methodist Episcopal Church East Street
North Side of Square United Brethren Church Christian Church
SCENES IN MORAVIA
HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY :- 5
Tennessee with her six children in the spring of 1853, and settled on a farm in Taylor township. Samuel A. Hayes, who became a merchant at Moravia. and Amos A., on the home farm, were her son -.
George W. Taylor, a Tennesseean, located on a farm four miles south of Moravia in 1850, with his bride, who was Anna J. Hiatt, of North Carolina. In the winter of 1850 he taught school at Unionville. He taught a num- ber of term- there. He was county surveyor and assessor of Taylor township.
Willard 1. Turner early settled in this township. He was born in North Carolina and m 1850 married Jemima E. Parsons. In 1855 Mr. Turner located on section 28 and made a success of farming and the raising of stock. He had a family of eleven children.
Presley W. Sears removed from Zanesville, Ohio, to this community in 1850, and entered three hundred and twenty acres of land three miles west of Moravia. In 1870 he left the farm for a life of retirement in Moravia.
VILLAGE OF MORAVIA
Moravia was laid out and platted June 27, 1851, by Joseph Stauber. The- ophilus Vierle and Ephraim Conrad. The original site was situated on the northeast quarter of section 4, and the plat recorded July 15, 1851.
The town drew to its confines many families and was not slow in attaining a healthy and satisfactory growth. The first store was opened in 1851, by Solomon Long, and soon thereafter a postoffice was established, with Ed Reich in charge. The mail was carried from Unionville once a week, by Joshua Summer.
Henry Mccoy is given credit for having been the pioneer pédagogue of this neighborhood, as he taught a school in the winter of 1850-1, in a log cabin one mile southeast of the village, which was attended by children of Seward Summer. E. Conrad, Damel Cummins, J. Conrad and others.
The marriage of Captain E. Cummins to Miss Stauber was the first to occur in the township, and the death of Isabel Summer, which took place at about the same time, was the first visitation of the grim reaper in the community.
A schoolhouse was created in the village in 1853, by members of the Mora- vian charel, and was destroyed by fire three years afterwards. In its place was built a commodious two-story structure in 1807, which stood in the public square until the present modern building superseded it.
In 1877, a four mill, long needed, was built, and was first run by wind power, which some time later gave way to steam and more modern machinery.
The Moravian Society long held -way in the town built by its members The church dates its origin from about the time of the settlement of Joseph Stauber and has companions. These men dedicated forty acres of land for church purposes in the fall of 1852. The church flourished for a number of years and then became dormant.
CIMARLAND PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
The Presbyterians organized a church December 17, 1853. the principal promover of the movement being Res. Mr. Lawrence, and the constituent mem 1 1 25
.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY
bers, T. W. Patrick, Jane Patrick, Jonathan Davenport, W. M. Biddle, Eunice B. Biddle, James Beatty, Robert Patterson, Nancy 1 .. Andrews, Priscilla R. Hayes, Lementine A. Hayes, Rosetta A. Hayes, Charlotte Cook, Lucinda Daven- port and Rebecca Cuppy. The early pastors besides Rev. Lawrence were: Revs. Wheeler Hawks, George S. Adams, Levi Hewitt and Smith McCall. In 1874 the building of a church was started, which cost $1,500. It was dedicated in 1877 by Rev. W. F. Baird, of Burlington. At that time there were sixty mem- bers but since then the church has long since discontinued its meetings.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH
The Methodist Episcopal church was organized in 1853, the class being composed of William Elswick and wife, Mr. Shinn and wife and a few others. The early pastors were: William S. Manson, a pioneer of the county; Revs. Delay, Clark, Morrison, Thorne, Morton, Ashbaugh, McFadden, Carrier, K. I'. Morrison and John Orr. The present pastor is Rev. P. M. Conant, who presides in a church built in 1896. The first church building was erected in 1867, at a cost of $1,500.
UNITED BRETHREN CHURCH
The United Brethren church at Moravia is the outgrowth of a society which was formerly a country charge, but on account of so many of the mem- bers having moved to the village a class was organized by Rev. Frederick E. Brook, in the old Presbyterian church, in 1895. This class was revised March 22, 1896, having thirty-nine members, and the same year the building of a neat brick church was commenced but it was not completed and dedicated until November, 1897. The society also owns a parsonage and the value of the church property is $7,200. The present membership of the church is 105, while the membership of the Sunday school numbers 110. There is an Aid Society, Missionary Society, Young People's Christian Endeavor and a Junior Society.
The pastors who have served the church from its organization to the pres- ent time are as follows: Rev. Frederick E. Brook, 1895-98; William Bovey. 1898-1900; Arthur Kephart, part of the year 1901; S. S. Wyand, 1901-02; WV. N. Roush, 1903-07: 11. O. Ross. 1907-09; C. S. Hanson, who came in 1909 and remained a year and a half ; J. W. Bonnell, nine months; W. O. Smith, three months ; D. Winfield Thompson, the present pastor, came in October, 1911.
MORAVIA STATE SAVINGS BANK
This financial institution was established May 15, 1906, J. A. Bradley, of Centerville, having purchased the private bank of W. H. Trussell at that time. Mr. Trussell had conducted the bank about eight years, having purchased it of George Sturdivant, who first established the bank in 1890. The present officials of the bank are: President, J. A. Bradley ; vice president, R. MeDanel ; cashier, Ned MeCauley. The capital stock is $25,000; surplus and undivided profits, $12,000; deposits, $147,000. The bank building, a one-story structure, was built in 1900 by Trussell & Jay.
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HISTORY OF APPANOOSE COUNTY
THE FARMERS AND MERCHANTS BANK
was established November 20. 1900, with a capital of $15,000. The officers are: J. J. U'llem, president ; J. E. Callen, vice president ; J. B. Sneed, cashier ; C. A. Turner, secretary. Trustees, J. J. U'llem, T. J. Turner, II. S. Turner, W. L. Hicks, B. E. Turner, C. F. Turner, J. A. Callen. Capital stock, $1 5,000 ; surplu- and undivided profits, $3.000; deposits, $80,000.
ANTIQUITY LODGE, NO. 152, N. F. & .A. M.
was chartered December 10. 1808, and organized June 2, 1800. The charter members were Pinckney Tarr, F. M. Sharp and J. B. Anderson, who were the chief officials in the order given.
The present officers are: W. M .. C. M. MeFatridge; S. W., J. W. Hicks; J. W., Austin Jay; Treas., C. D. Whiton; Sec., R. MeDanel; S. D., George M. Reisch : J. D., Charles E. Stauber ; S. S., F. S. Sharp; J. S., Il. HI. Pabst.
The membership of Antiquity Lodge is now 115. The lodge about 1898 built the upper story to a building owned by 1 .. F. Pabst, which cost them about $1,800. The lodge is in good condition financially and free of debt.
MORAVIA CHAPTER, NO. 94, EASTERN STAR
This is an auxiliary lodge to the Masonic and was organized September 10, 1891. The charter members were: Mesdames Lydia McFatridge, E. J. Nowles, Cora Sharp, J. H. MeCauley, 11. M. Graham, Eliza Goodrich, 3I. E. Harn, J. W. Ilall, Misses Mary Fuller, Lilly Sharp, Libby Sharp, Messrs. J. S. Gra- ham, G. T. Harn. B. F. Hackett, F. M. Sharp, J. F. Lilley, F. S. Sharp. Will- son Sharp, V. Fuller, John Nowles, A. M. Cox, Isaac Goodrich, W. E. Sharp, J. 11. MeCauley, J. F. Harn. J. W. Hall, Miss Gracie Wills. The present worthy matron is Mrs. J. W. Sutherland.
MORAVIA LODGE, NO. 510, 1. 0. 0. F.
The Odd Fellows organized their local lodge October 23, 1890. The char- ter members were Henry C. Duvall, E. T. Maiken, Henry W. Hobert. J. J. Coulson, W. M. Hackett and A. D. Maiken.
There are at present 112 members. The lodge owns the second story of a building which was built at a cost of $3,500. The present officials are : Robert Tarr. N. G. ; John Winsler, V. G .; Newton Wyckoff, Sec. ; John Rice, Treas.
There was a lodge of Odd Fellows in Moravia long before the present one, but for some reason it surrendered its charter in 1875.
DAUGHTERS OF REBEKAH LODGE, NO. 404
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