USA > Iowa > Calhoun County > Past and present of Calhoun County, Iowa, a record of settlement, organization, progress, and achievement, Volume I > Part 31
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
explained this difference to the young lady, who hesitated about breaking home ties, and he released her from her promise to become his wife. But, whatever the cause, he was never the same after he returned to his little home on the lowa prairie.
Arthur W. Boyce died on February 19, 1909, from pneumonia brought on by exposure while caring for his live stock. His physician had him taken to the hospital at Fort Dodge, where the day after his arrival death ensued. After his death it was discovered that he had money on deposit in the banks of Manson and Rockwell City, and that he owned several farms in Iowa and Minnesota. His estate was valued at about seventy-five thousand dollars.
GRASSHOPPER PLAGUE OF 1868
There was one event in the early history of Calhoun County that left a lasting impression upon the memory of those who were resi- dents of the county at the time. About the 1st of July, 1868, the wheat was nearly as high as a man's shoulders and the settlers were congratulating themselves on the prospects for an abundant yield. When the people started to church one Sunday morning a few days later, there was no indication of the disaster that was to come to them in the next few hours. A few grasshoppers had been notiecd before that day, but not in sufficient numbers to cause any alarm for the safety of the erops.
Toward noon on that fateful Sunday the "hoppers" came in a swarm dense enough to cast a shadow over the fields on whose destruc- tion they were bent. When the people returned from church they found their wheat, upon which they were building high hopes, flat upon the ground with every green blade destroyed by the voracious insects. In the gardens not a vestige of vegetation of any kind remained. In the low places the grasshoppers were piled up several inches deep and it was almost impossible to walk without treading upon the pests.
Thus, in an ineredibly short time, the hope of the pioneers was changed to despair. Out upon the frontier, far away from market centers, without means of quiek transportation, and withont money to buy even if they had been within easy reach of markets, many of them abandoned their homesteads and went to the homes of their friends in the older settlements of lowa and some went to other states. A few were so disheartened that they never returned, but a majority of them came back to their farms the next year, took fresh
314 PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
courage and went to work with renewed energy to reeover their losses. That they succeeded is seen in the conditions of the county at the present time. There were a number of grasshoppers eame along in the '70s and did some damage, but nothing to compare with the visitation of 1868.
CHAPTER XX STATISTICAL REVIEW
POPULATION AS SHOWN BY THE UNITED STATES CENSUS-WEALTH AND PROGRESS-LIST OF COUNTY OFFICERS SINCE 1855-CHRONOLOGY- SUMMARY OF PRINCIPAL EVENTS CONNECTED WITH THE HISTORY OF CALHOUN COUNTY-POSTSCRIPT.
In April, 1914, threescore years had passed since Ebenezer Con- stoek came to Calhoun County and built his cabin in what is now the eastern part of Jackson Township. He and the members of his family were then the only inhabitants of the county. Others soon came, however, and the work of building up a civilization has gone steadily forward until Calhoun in 1915 stood fifty-eighth of the ninety-nine counties in the state in population. This is certainly a favorable showing when it is remembered that fifty-one counties had a population of three thousand or more at the time the first white man located in Calhoun, and of these fifty-one counties ten had a popu- lation of ten thousand or upward and nine others were close to the ten thousand mark. The growth in population, as shown by the United States census since 1860, the first official census taken after the county was organized, is seen in the following table:
1860
147
1870
1,602
1880
5,595
1890
13,107
1900
18,569
1910
17,090
By a brief study of these figures it will be noticed that the greatest proportionate growth during any decade was from 1860 to 1870, when the rate of increase was more than 1,000 per cent. And the greater part of this inerease came during the last half of the decade. The
315
316
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
state census of 1865 gave Calhoun a population of only 400, but in the years immediately following the close of the Civil war there was a large immigration to lowa and Calhoun received her share of the newcomers. The next decade shows an increase of over 300 per cent, but since then the growth has been gradually less proportionately, and the census of 1910 shows an actual decrease of 1,479 from the popu- lation in 1900. Part of this deerease may be accounted for by errors made in taking the enumeration, but it is quite probable that more of it can be accounted for through the opening of new lands in other parts of the country, which presented opportunities to men of mod- erate means to acquire homes and farms with a smaller outlay of capital. The decrease applies to all parts of the county about alike, only three townships and two of the incorporated towns showing an increase during the ten years preceding 1910. This is seen in a com- parison of the last three official census reports relating to the popula- tion by townships, to-wit:
Township
1890
1900
1910
Butler
1,044
1,674
1,514
Calhoun
1,862
498
467
Cedar
744
860
936
Center
752
755
835
Elm Grove
555
713
670
Garfield
482
722
705
Greenfield
593
1,020
923
Jackson
692
677
555
Lake Creek
488
726
555
Lincoln
1,478
2,119
1,835
Logan
544
687
618
Reading
807
1,014
954
Sherman
692
737
733
Twin Lakes
836
1,769
1,954
Union
982
1,184
1,184
Williams
556
711
589
The great deerease in Calhoun Township-as shown in the above table-between the year 1890 and 1900 is due to the fact that in the former year the population of Lake City was included in the figures given for the entire township, while in subsequent census reports the town was listed separately. In the above table the Town of Manson
317
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
is included in the figures for Lineoln Township. The population of the incorporated towns since 1890 is shown in the following table:
Town
1890
1900
1910
Farnhamville
137
348
332
Jolley
266
250
Knierim
220
Lake City
1,160
2,703
2,043
Lohrville
436
597
674
Manson
8:22
1,424
1,236
Pomeroy
481
910
744
Roekwell City
516
1,222
1,528
Somers
. ..
169
Yetter
. . .
107
.
. . .
The Town of Jolley does not appear in the report for 1890 for the reason that it was not incorporated at that time, and for the same reason the towns of Knierim, Somers and Yetter appear only in the report of the last eensus. Prior to their incorporation the population of these towns is included in that of the township in which they are located.
Notwithstanding the slight decrease in the number of inhabitants between the years 1900 and 1910, the wealth and material resources of the county have not fallen off in the least. Statisties touehing upon the condition of the various industries indicate a steady advanee in the amount of eapital invested; the value of farm lands and the products of the farms have not depreciated, and the banks show larger deposits than at any previous time in the county's history. The year 1914 was one of general prosperity in Calhoun County, more money being expended for the support of the schools and for public improve- ments than in any one year sinee the county was organized. This statement ineludes, however, the new courthouse, bonds for which were ordered in the year 1913, but the building was not completed until the next year.
OFFICIAL, ROSTER
The following list of county officers has been compiled from the public records as far as praetieable and, where the publie records were not available, from newspaper files and other sources of information regarded as anthentie. It is believed to be as correct as such a list ean be made and shows who have been entrusted with the public busi-
318
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
ness since the first election of county officers in August, 1855. Most of the time the officers were elected for terms of two years. The list shows the year of election, or when the official entered upon the dis- charge of his duties, and where a period of several years elapsed between the election of one officer and that of his successor one or more re-elections are indicated.
Clerks- Joel Golden, 1855; John Lumpkin, 1857: H. H. Hutch- inson, 1859; H. C. Crawford, 1861; S. H. Richardson, 1864; W. H. Fitch, 1868: H. II. Hutchinson, 1872; Moses Freeman, 1880; J. M. Rothrock, 1882; T. C. Gregg, 1884; George B. Brown, 1892; Fred Russell, 1896; Ross Vontrees, 1902; R. C. Gray, 1908; S. E. Stan- field, 1914.
Recorders-Christian Smith, 1855 (resigned January 7, 1856, and Eli Van Horne appointed) ; Charles Amy, 1857; J. W. Hollen- beck, 1868: H. H. Hutchinson, 1870; S. T. Hutchison, 1872; W. T. Smith, 1876; J. H. Bradt, 1880; C. E. Offenback, 1884; A. J. Scott, 1888; Charles A. Clark, 1894: Samuel A. Smith, 1898; Edgar Vaughan, 1904; J. S. Buttner, 1910: Nelle M. Roberts, 1912; Frances A. Snow, 1914.
Treasurers-From 1855 to 1867 the duties of county treasurer were performed by the recorder-or in other words, the same official acted as both recorder and treasurer. During that period the treas- urers were Christian Smith. Eli Van Horne and Charles Amy. as above noted in the list of recorders. Since then the treasurers have been as follows: S. T. Hutchison, 1867: W. T. Smith, 1871; T. P. Gregg, 1875; E. J. Price, 1879; Rollin Burch, 1881; George R. Alli- son, 1885; M. B. Kelley, 1889 (Mr. Kelley served only a few months, when he was killed in a railroad wreck, and George R. Allison was appointed to the vacancy) ; William N. Brown, 1891 (elected three times, but died before the expiration of his third term, and George R. Allison appointed to the vacancy) : B. E. Sebern, 1897 (resigned before the expiration of his third term and T. W. Mccrary ap: pointed) : T. W. MeCrary, 1903; C. W. Beckwith, 1908: George B. Lemen, 1914.
Auditors-The office of auditor as a separate position was not established in Calhoun County until 1869. The list since that time is as follows: H. W. Sprague, 1869: A. N. Jack. 1875: S. H. Rich- ardson, 1881; W. E. Fuller, 1885; N. R. Hutchinson, 1889; E. M. Gregg. 1896 (resigned and B. E. Stonebraker appointed for the unex- pired term) : Clayton C. Riley, 1898: B. E. Stonebraker, 1902; C. O. Dixon, 1908; R. B. Dixon, 1914.
319
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
Sheriff's-William Oxenford, 1855; Pleasant Hull, 1857; James Reynolds, 1859; William Oxenford, 1861; William Miles, 1867; A. T. Bowers, 1869; J. M. Scott, 1873; L. H. Chase, 1875; B. F. Free- burger, 1881; James Dixon, 1883; J. M. Stewart, 1887; Thomas Miller, 1893; R. A. White, 1895; A. L. Riseley, 1899; Jet Dawson, 1906; D. L. Wheeler, 1910 (eleeted for the third time in 1914).
Surveyors-Allen McCoy, 1856; David Reed, 1857; Charles Amy, 1858; H. C. Crawford, 1861; S. II. Richardson, 1867; A. N. Jack, 1869; S. H. Richardson, 1873; H. J. Griswold, 1875; James MeClure, 1879; Richard Timmons, 1881; James MeClure, 1883; W. L. Thompson, 1889; S. F. Moeller, 1897; W. E. MeClure, 1906. By the act of April 22, 1913, the office of county engineer was created to take the place of county surveyor and W. E. MeChuire was ap- pointed to the office by the board of supervisors.
Coroners-Joshua MeCoy, 1856; William Townsend, 1857; W. W. Ripley, 1861; E. V. Blaehley, 1869; T. E. HIosman, 1875; Nelson Bacon, 1877: H. Baldwin. 1881; D. M. Johnson, 1885; W. W. Me- Mackin, 1889; D. J. Townsend, 1893; J. R. Thompson, 1895; L. E. Esliek. 1899; A. C. Norton, 1903; B. F. Troup, 1912 (re-elected in 1914).
County Judges-When the County of Calhoun was first organ- ized the greater part of the publie business was transacted by an offi- cial called a county judge. Peter Smith was elected to this office on August 6, 1855, and served until August, 1857, when he was sue- eeeded by Jonathan H. Manlove. In January, 1860, Judge Man- love was succeeded by Cyreno W. Thompson, who served until the office was abolished by the aet of March 2, 1860.
Supervisors-The aet of March 2, 1860, which abolished the office of county judge, ereated a board of supervisors in each county of the state, to consist of one member from each civil township. The first supervisors were elected at the general election in 1860 and assumed office on January 1, 1861. At that time the entire County of Calhoun constituted but one eivil township and the board had but one member. Several changes in the law have been made, the board sometimes being composed of three members and sometimes of five. The list of supervisors in Calhoun County follows:
1861-L. C. Morey.
1862-Peter Smith.
1863-Peter Smith, David Reynolds and Cyreno W. Thompson.
1864-David Reynolds, Cyreno W. Thompson and Henry Sifford.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
1865-L. C. Morey, Henry Sifford and Cyreno W. Thompson. 1866-Same as 1865.
1867-L. C. Morey, Henry Sifford and Robert Shideler. 1868-Robert Shideler, Joseph Yates and A. W. Zane.
1869-Jonathan Bishop, Joseph Yates and William Oxenford.
1870-Jonathan Bishop, Daniel Lowe and H. F. Jaeobs.
1871-T. P. Gregg, Joseph Yates and Cornelius Poeoek. 1872-Same as 1871.
1873-Joseph Yates, T. P. Gregg and Byron Ellis.
1874-T. P. Gregg, Byron Ellis and Horaee Love.
1875-Byron Ellis, Horaee Love and E. S. Clow.
1876-Iloraee Love, E. S. Clow and Thomas Miller.
1877-E. S. Clow, Thomas Miller and John Somerville. 1878-Thomas Miller, John Somerville and W. HI. Fiteh.
1879-This year, for the first time, the board of supervisors in Calhoun County was constituted of five members, viz .: John Somer- ville, Thomas Miller, W. H. Fitch, Rollin Bureh and S. T. Huteh- ison.
1880-W. H. Fiteh, Thomas Miller, Rollin Bureh, John Somer- ville and D. M. Brown.
1881-Same as 1880.
1882-John Somerville, W. H. Fiteh, A. M. Boyles, Jacob Fos- ter and J. D. MeVay.
1883-Jaeob Foster, A. M. Boyles, A. W. Eshbaugh, George R. Allison and J. D. MeVay.
1884-George R. Allison. Jacob Foster, A. W. Eshbaugh, Jasper Clark and O. C. Riddle.
1885-A. W. Eshbangh, George R. Allison, Jasper Clark, D. J. Townsend and H. W. Heston.
1886-D. J. Townsend, A. W. Eshbaugh, H. W. Heston, Jasper Clark and W. J. Cooper.
1887-Jasper Clark, W. J. Cooper, D. J. Townsend. H. W. Heston and A. F. Stonebraker.
1888-A. F. Stonebraker, W. J. Cooper, D. J. Townsend, Jasper Clark and H. W. Heston.
1889-Jasper Clark, A. F. Stonebraker, H. W. Heston, R. A. Horton and D. J. Townsend. In the organization of this board, J. G. Robinson claimed to have been elected in the distriet repre- sented by Dr. D. J. Townsend. The board recognized Townsend, but upon appeal the seat was given to Mr. Robinson.
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY 321
1890-Jasper Clark, R. A. Horton, H. W. Heston, A. F. Stone- braker and J. G. Robinson.
1891-A. F. Stonebraker, Jasper Clark, R. A. Horton, J. G. Robinson and Jacob Foster.
1892-Same as 1891.
1893-R. A. Horton, Jacob Foster, J. G. Robinson, G. W. Reeves and F. B. Ramige.
1894-G. W. Reeves, R. A. Horton, F. B. Ramige, J. G. Rob- inson and D. L. Jones.
1895-J. G. Robinson, D. L. Jones, F. B. Ramige, G. W. Reeves and R. A. Smith.
1896-F. B. Ramige, R. A. Smith, D. L. Jones, J. G. Robinson and James A. Kelley.
1897-R. A. Smith, F. B. Ramige, James A. Kelley, H. C. Wetter and S. L. Kent.
1898-Same as 1897.
1899-R. A. Smith, George W. Reeves, S. L. Kent, Arthur L. Johnson and H. C. Wetter.
1900-H. C. Wetter, Arthur L. Johnson, S. L. Kent, R. A. Smith and George W. Reeves.
1901-S. L. Kent, H. C. Wetter, George W. Reeves, Arthur L. Johnson and J. J. Coady.
1902-J. J. Coady, S. L. Kent, J. F. Fouts, Charles L. Drom- mer and H. C. Wetter.
1903-Charles L. Drommer, J. J. Coady, J. F. Fouts, S. L. Kent and Charles H. Wise.
1904-Same as 1903.
1905-Same as 1903 and 1904, except that Charles H. Wise died before the expiration of his term and Thomas Parsons was appointed to the vaeaney.
1906-J. J. Coady, Charles L. Drommer, John F. Fonts, S. L. Kent and Thomas Parsons.
1907-Charles L. Drommer, John F. Fouts, J. J. Coady, Thomas Parsons and Henry Luebke.
1908-Thomas Parsons, J. J. Coady, Charles L. Drommer, Henry Luebke and S. A. Stewart.
1909-J. J. Coady, Thomas Parsons, S. A. Stewart, Charles L. Drommer and John Kenning.
1910-Same as 1909.
1911-J. J. Coady, John Kenning, Thomas Parsons, S. A. Stew- art and John Baker.
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PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
1912-John Baker, J. J. Coady, John Kenning, S. A. Stewart and W. H. Lotspeich.
1913-Same as 1912.
1914-In this year the board was again reduced to three mem- bers, viz .: J. J. Coady, John Kenning and W. H. Lotspeich.
1915-J. H. Baker, J. J. Coady and W. H. Lotspeich.
The Legislature-From 1846 to 1906 the General Assembly met in December of the even numbered years. At the general election in 1904 the people ratified an amendment to the state constitution abol- ishing the elections in the odd numbered years and making all elec- tions biennial, beginning in the year 1906. The Thirty-first Gen- eral Assembly met in Deeember, 1906, and the Thirty-second in 1907, owing to the constitutional amendment. With this exception ses- sions of the Legislature have been held biennially. The eonstitu- tional amendment of 1904 further provided that "the terms of office of all elective state, county and township officers whose terms of office would expire in January in the year 1906, and members of the Gen- eral Assembly whose sueeessors would otherwise be ehosen at the general election in the year 1905, are hereby extended one year." Under this provision the county offieers elected in 1903 had their terms of office extended one year. The first Legislature in which Calhoun County was represented was the Sixth General Assembly, which met in December, 1856. Calhoun was part of a senatorial distriet composed of twelve counties, and of a representative district composed of sixteen counties. Since then the county has been repre- sented in the Legislature as follows:
Senators-James D. Test, of Pottawattomie County, 1856; W. H. M. Pusey, of Pottawattomie, 1858; George W. Bassett, of Web- ster, 1864; Theodore Hawley, of Webster, 1868; William H. Fiteh, of Calhoun, 1872; E. J. Hartshorn, of Palo Alto, 1876; John J. Russell, of Greene, 1880; J. K. Deal, of Carroll, 1886 (during Sen- ator Deal's terin the state was redistrieted, Calhoun and Webster counties being made the Twenty-seventh Distriet ) ; Josiah D. MeVay, of Calhoun, 1888; O. M. Oleson, of Webster, 1892; Thomas D. Healy, of Webster, 1896; Henry Young, of Calhoun, 1904; Frederie Larrabee, of Webster, 1908 (re-elected in 1912).
Representatives-N. G. Wyatt, residence not known, 1856; Cyrus C. Carpenter, of Webster County, 1858; Samuel Rees, of Webster, 1860; George S. Walton, of Greene, 1862; Addison Oliver, of Monona, 1864; Azor R. Mills, of Greene, 1866; Samuel Rees, of Webster, 1868; G. S. Toliver, of Greene, 1870; Robert Struthers,
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY 323
of Pocahontas. 1872; James N. Miller, of Sae, 1874; O. Il. Man- ning, of Carroll, 1876 (re-elected) ; S. T. Hutchison, of Calhoun, 1880; Loriston F. Danforth, of Calhoun, 1882: Josiah D. MeVay, of Calhoun, 1884; J. J. Bruce, of Pocahontas, 1886. The Twenty- first General Assembly made Calhoun County the Sixty-first Repre- sentative District, which has been represented by Edgar L. Hobbs, 1888; Henry Young, 1892; J. F. Lavender, 1896; D. J. Townsend, 1900; J. H. Lowrey, 1904; John W. Jacobs, 1908: Ross C. Gray, 1914.
CHRONOLOGY
In the foregoing chapters the aim has been to show the general progress of Calhoun County along industrial, educational, professional and religious lines of development, as well as the part taken by the county in military and political affairs. As a fitting conclusion to this work the following list of events has been compiled for ready refer- ence. At a glance, some of these events may seem remotely connected with the county's history, but from the first one mentioned each wielded some influence in shaping the destinies of Calhoun. Those occurring since the organization of the county in 1855 have a direct bearing upon its development and welfare.
June 21, 1673. Marquette and Joliet landed in what is now Lee County on their voyage down the Mississippi River. They were the first white men to set foot on Iowa soil.
April 9, 1682. La Salle claimed all the territory drained by the Mississippi and its tributaries in the name of France, calling it Louisi- ana. lowa thus became a French possession.
February 10, 1763. Treaty of Paris, which terminated the French and Indian war and ceded all that part of Louisiana lying west of the Mississippi River to Spain. Iowa was a part of the ceded territory.
April 30, 1803. A treaty coneluded at Paris by which Louisiana was sold to the United States and Iowa became a part of the terri- tory of the American Republic.
December 20, 1803. The United States takes formal possession of Louisiana.
October 1. 1804. Louisiana divided into the Territory of Orleans and the District of Louisiana. Iowa was included in the latter, which was placed under the jurisdiction of Indiana Territory.
-, 1807. Iowa attached to the Territory of Illinois. -
324
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALIIOUN COUNTY
-, 1812. Territory of Missouri created and ineluded the pres- ent State of Iowa.
July 15, 1830. The Sae and Fox Indians ceded to the United States a large traet of land in Iowa, a little of which was in what is now Calhoun County.
August 2, 1832. Battle of Bad Axe, which ended the Black Hawk war.
September 21, 1832. Treaty of Davenport, by which the Sacs and Foxes ceded to the United States a strip forty miles wide in Eastern lowa known as the Black Hawk Purchase.
June 28, 1834. President Jackson approved the act attaching Iowa to the Territory of Michigan.
September, 1834. The Michigan Legislature created two coun- ties-Dubuque and Des Moines-in what is now the State of Iowa. Calhoun was a part of Dubuque.
April 20, 1836. President Jackson approved the act establishing the Territory of Wisconsin, including Iowa.
May. 1836. First census in Iowa taken by order of Governor Dodge. Population, 10,351.
October 3, 1836. First eleetion in Iowa for members of the Ter- ritorial Legislature of Wisconsin.
November 6, 1837. Convention at Burlington adopted a memorial to Congress asking for the establishment of a new territory west of the Mississippi.
June 12, 1838. President Van Buren approved the act establish- ing the Territory of Iowa.
October 11, 1842. Treaty with the Sacs and Foxes by which those Indians ceded to the United States all their lands in Iowa.
May, 1843. Fort Des Moines established by the Government where the City of Des Moines now stands.
October 7, 1844. First constitutional convention in Iowa assem- bled at Iowa City.
August 3, 1845. Constitution rejected by the people.
May 4, 1846. Second constitutional convention met at Iowa City. This constitution approved by the people at an election on August 3, 1846.
December 28, 1846. President Polk approved the aet of Con- gress admitting Iowa into the Union as a state.
September 28, 1850. Congress passed an act giving to the sev- eral states certain swamp lands lying within their borders.
325
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
January 15, 1851. Gov. Stephen Hempstead approved the act creating Fox (now Calhoun) County.
January 12, 1853. The name of Fox County changed to Cal- houn by act of the Legislature.
March, 1853. Land offices opened at Des Moines and Council Bluff's.
April, 1854. Ebenezer Comstock, the first white ,settler in Cal- houn County, located near the present Town of Lake City.
August 6, 1855. First eleetion of county officers in Calhoun County.
October 10, 1855. Judge Cave J. McFarland appointed com- missioners to locate the county seat of Calhoun County.
November 5, 1855. Land office opened at Fort Dodge. Calhoun County was included in the new land distriet.
November 9, 1855. Commissioners to locate the county seat made their report in favor of a site in Lake Creek Township and named the town Brooklyn.
Mareh 3, 1856. All of Calhoum County erected into one civil township called Calhoun.
April 7, 1856. The people vote unanimously to remove the county seat to Lake City.
May 10, 1856. Charles Amy employed to lay out the Town of Lake City-the first town to be platted in Calhoun County.
May 13, 1856. Alford White and Peter Smith and their wives deed to the county the land on which a portion of Lake City now stands.
July 1. 1856. First publie sale of lots in Lake City.
-, 1856. In the fall of this year the first school ever taught in Calhoun County was taught near Lake City by David Reed.
January 13, 1857. Third constitutional convention met at Iowa City. A district composed of the twenty-three northwestern coun- ties, ineluding Calhoun, was represented by Daniel W. Price.
March 27, 1837. Contract for the first courthouse in the county let to Charles Amy and Moses Sherman for $1,100.
August 3, 1857. Constitution ratified by the people by a vote of 40,311 to 38,681.
June, 1859. First term of the District Court held in Calhoun County, Judge A. W. Hubbard presiding.
March 2, 1860. Office of county judge abolished by aet of the Legislature. Population of Calhoun County according to the United States census this year was 147.
326
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
January 19, 1861. First meeting of the board of supervisors in Calhoun County.
April 12, 1861. Fort Sumter fired upon by the Confederates.
April 17, 1861. Gov. Samuel J. Kirkwood issues his proclama- tion ealling for one regiment of volunteer infantry.
September 6, 1861. First soldiers from Calhoun County mus- tered into the United States service in Company H, Tenth Iowa Infantry.
December 12, 1861. The swamp lands of Calhoun County sold to the American Emigrant Company by the board of supervisors.
August 18, 1862. The board of supervisors offered a bounty of $25 to every man enlisting in Calhoun County.
September 1, 1862. Bounty increased to $50.
October 19, 1863. Supervisors offered a bounty of $250 to each married man and $200 to each single man who would volunteer from Calhoun County.
-- , 1870. Dubuque & Sioux City (sometimes called the Iowa Falls & Sioux City) Railroad completed to Pomeroy in the spring of this year-the first railroad in the county.
January, 1871. First railroad across the State of Iowa completed to Couneil Bluffs.
June, 1871. The Calhoun County Pioneer, the first newspaper in the county, started at Lake City by B. F. Gue, with E. W. Wood in charge.
January 6, 1872. Board of supervisors adopted a resolution to establish a poor farn.
June 17, 1876. A committee of citizens appointed to select a new location for the county seat. Site of Roekwell City selected.
November 7, 1876. At the general election a majority of the votes cast were in favor of removing the county seat to Rockwell City.
September 3, 1877. First courthouse at Rockwell City accepted by the board of supervisors.
April 21, 1878. A destructive tornado erossed Williams Town- ship, doing considerable damage.
-, 1879. The first bank in Calhoun County opened at Manson by E. A. Richards.
-, 1881. Late in the year the Toledo & Northwestern (now the Chicago & Northwestern) Railroad was completed to Lake City.
January, 1882. Freight and ticket office opened by the railroad company at Lake City.
August 7, 1882. First train on the Des Moines, Northern &
327
PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
Western (now the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul) Railroad arrived at Rockwell City.
September 18, 1884. Courthouse at Rockwell City destroyed by fire.
September 28. 1886. The Calhoun County Agricultural Associ- ation incorporated-the first agricultural society in the county.
January 7, 1888. The board of supervisors passed the order for draining Shipman Slough and Hell Slough. This was the begin- ning of the drainage system.
July 6. 1893. The Town of Pomeroy destroyed by a tornado.
September 27, 1897. Fred Quade shot and killed at his home in Greenfield Township. The murderer was never apprehended.
April 23, 1898. President Mckinley issued a proclamation eall- ing for 125,000 volunteers for the war with Spain.
May 30, 1898. Fifty-first Iowa Infantry mustered into the United States serviee. Several Calhoun County men were in this regiment.
September 25, 1899. First train on the Illinois Central Railroad arrived at Roekwell City.
April 11, 1900. The present poor farm bought by the board of supervisors.
April 30, 1900. A. J. Wilcox shot and killed by his son Henry.
July 1, 1902. Six rural mail routes begin operations from the Roekwell City postoffice-the first rural free delivery of mail in Calhoun County.
-, 1902. During the summer and fall of this year the Chicago - Great Western Railroad was built through the southeastern part of Calhoun County.
August 29, 1908. J. M. Brown killed his daughter-in-law, Mrs. George G. Brown, at Manson.
June 6, 1909. The publie library at Rockwell City opened.
May, 1910. Carnegie Library at Lake City opened to the public.
November 5, 1912. Presidential election; Roosevelt, 1,324; Wil- son, 1,182; Taft, 963.
July 17, 1913. Corner-stone of the present courthouse laid. The building was completed and accepted by the supervisors on May 16, 1914.
POSTSCRIPT-IN LIEU OF A PREFACE
To feel an interest in those who came before us and paved the way for modern progress; to profit by their mistakes; to keep alive
328 PAST AND PRESENT OF CALHOUN COUNTY
the memory of the good and true in their achievements, is a duty that every citizen owes to a common humanity. In the performance of that duty is found the motive for the publication of this history.
In presenting this work to the people of Calhoun County, the editor and publishers desire to state that no effort has been spared to give to them an authentic and comprehensive history of the county. Authentie, because so far as possible the public records have been relied upon as a source of information ; and comprehensive, because it is believed no important event in the county's history has been neglected.
The work has been one involving great eare and labor, and at times no little difficulty has been encountered. The first settlement in the county was made in 1854 and the first newspaper was started in 1871. No record was kept of many of the events occurring during those seventeen intervening years, and much eredit is due to old resi- dents for their ready and willing co-operation in the collection of data eoneerning the things that happened during that period.
In bidding the reader good-by, the editor and his assistants take the opportunity to express their obligations to the county officials and their deputies; the editors of the various county newspapers, who generously permitted the use of their files; and the librarians of the publie libraries at Roekwell City and Lake City for their uniform courtesies while this work was in course of preparation.
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