USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 32
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The first school in Auburn was taught by J. S. Pence during the winter of 1852-3. In 1854 the people of the town erected the most pretentious school house then existing in the county. For many years this served also as a house of worship, and was used, jointly, by the Methodist Episcopal and United Brethren congregations.
The people of Auburn have always been a patriotic people. They began to demonstrate this fact on the 4th of July, 1854, when they celebrated Inde- pendence Day in most becoming style, this being one of the first celebrations of this character in the county. During the Civil war they furnished to the Union army some of their best and most prominent citizens, in numbers as great as any similar locality. A rather humorous Indian scare is reported as occurring in 1855, and from which it would seem that there was then a military organization in Auburn. It seems that an outbreak was threatened, and Governor Hempstead ordered Captain Neff, of Auburn, to get his com- pany in readiness to march to Clear Lake to repel a threatened attack. After testing the mettle of the "boys," as to their readiness to go, the order was countermanded, and it is safe to assert that those who offered such plausible excuses why they should not die on the gory field have had ample time in which to modify them !
The Turkey river, as it passes through Auburn, is a treacherous and dangerous stream, and has been the scene of serious accidents in every town- ship which it traverses. It has been a deadly menace to the mills constructed along its margin ; but in April, 1866, both mills at Auburn were seriously
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crippled by a freshet exceeding in volume anything of the kind previously known there. The bridges were also washed away, and great damage was done to roads and lowlands along the stream. In August, of the same year, four persons were drowned at West Auburn in an attempt to cross the stream in a skiff. These were Charles Hathaway, Mrs. Elizabeth Lame and her two children.
CHURCHES AND LODGES.
There have been two church organizations at Auburn in past years, but with the removal of many of the inhabitants of the place, and the practical abandonment of village organization, the churches have suffered correspond- ingly. In 1866 the Methodist Episcopal church there was formally dedicated, and was prosperous for a number of years. We believe the building was finally sold for other purposes. In 1877 the United Brethren, under the pas- toral charge of Rev. A. W. Drury, erected a church in Auburn, and this was dedicated by Rev. E. B. Kephart, of Western College, on the 30th of Sep- tember, 1877, being then free from debt. The pastors of the United Brethren church at West Union supply this class and maintain the organization.
Auburn has a large and flourishing lodge of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It was instituted on the 29th of November, 1854, and has maintained its organization unbroken for fifty-six years. During its long period of existence its members have been radically changed by deaths, re- movals, withdrawals, etc., but the underlying principles of Friendship, Love and Truth still prevail in the councils of Odd Fellowship. The organization is known as Fayette Lodge No. 60, and the first officers were Dr. W. A. Chase, noble grand; J. A. Griffith, vice-grand; James Boale, recording secretary ; H. W. Earll, permanent secretary, and M. B. Earll, treasurer. The lodge owns its own two-story lodge room, the first floor of which is used by the order for banquet purposes and public meetings of the town, while the upper story is fitted up as a cozy lodge room.
A Good Templar lodge was organized in Auburn on the 28th of March, 1860, which organization was suffered to go down, and it was reorganized as River View Lodge No. 342, in January, 1878, by Rev. D. Sheffer, then pastor of the Methodist Episcopal church at West Union. But this organi- zation is also defunct.
ST. LUCAS.
The handsome little village now known as Saint Lucas was, in early days, known as Stottle Town, so named in honor of one of the early settlers
(22)
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in that locality. "Old Mission" was another pioneer village, intimately asso- ciated with the Winnebago Reservation near by. But this interesting point was across the line in Winneshiek county, and is spoken of in the depart- ment devoted to state history. Aside from being located in one of the richest farming sections in Fayette county, St. Lucas has but little history outside of the Catholic church and parochial school which make the village famous. The origin of the name is mentioned in the article on the Catholic church in Fayette county, by Mr. and Mrs. John Owens.
Every resident of the territory tributary to St. Lucas is a German Catholic, whose children receive instruction in the public school of the village during a few months of the year, and the balance of their school life is spent under the tuition of the excellent teachers at the parochial school. There they are taught the language of the fatherland, church history, the elements of Catholicism, and also receive some industrial training. This school is under the direct supervision of Rev. Father Boeding, the pastor of the church, and the assumption is that they receive only such instruction as will be beneficial to them as the men and women of the future. Instruction in morals and manners, while a necessity in any school, receives more atten- tion in private schools under church domination than is possible in the ordi- nary public school. The church at St. Lucas is one of the largest and most valuable edifices in Fayette county, a full description of which appears in the article to which reference has been made. There are two or three fine stores in St. Lucas, devoted to the sale of such goods as the community de- mands, including farm machinery, vehicles, dry goods, groceries and pro- visions. A very extensive business is carried on, and the stocks of mercantile goods would compare favorably with those in stores in much larger towns. There is one hotel, kept by "mine host" Joseph Blong, where the hungry traveler may rest and refresh himself. This little village is surrounded by a class of thrifty German farmers who came here in early days, or are native born, and whose fine homes and splendid farms are largely the result of their own industry and frugality. For a fuller discussion of "German-American Citizenship," consult the topic just mentioned, which appears elsewhere in this work.
St. Lucas was incorporated as a town on the 6th day of March, 1900, and has since made rapid progress in building and in assuming "city airs." The people being all of the same nationality, of the same religious and po- litical faith, an air of peace and tranquility prevails which is not usually found in villages of a mixed population. The location is naturally beautiful, and the surrounding country one of the most fertile farming districts in the
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county, and of which advantages the frugal Germans have not been slow in showing their appreciation. While the German language is prevalent in every home, and is spoken in preference to any other, nearly all the elderly people can speak very good English, and all their children are educated in both German and English.
Auburn township was traversed in early days by one of the first public highways which connected Fayette county with the outside world. It was a main thoroughfare between Dubuque, Fort Atkinson and Minnesota points, and was early an incentive to settlement along its course. The township is mostly rolling land and was originally covered with an excellent quality of timber, much of which still remains, though the best has been sacrificed to accommodate the needs of the near-by prairie farmers. The rugged hills bordering on the Turkey river add a degree of permanence to the natural beauty of the locality which the home-sick wanderer longs to see, even after years of world wandering.
SCHOOLS.
This township is organized for school purposes under the district town- ship system, which embraces one sub-director for each school district, who, when properly organized, transact most of the business of the district town- ship. With the exception of voting school-house taxes, we believe the power of the boards of directors is absolute, within the limitations of the state school law. This authority is vested in the township electors; but if they neglect or decline to act in the matter of providing a school-house fund, the board of directors may then act; but ordinarily the directors are satisfied with the action of the electors in such matters and seldom interfere with their authority. Twelve of the twenty townships are organized under this system, the remaining eight townships being organized for school purposes under a system known as rural independent districts. This system was abolished some years ago, but districts then organized were not disturbed by the change of law relating to such organizations. Under either the district township system or the rural independent organization, the boards of directors are organized by electing from their own number a president, and from the district at large a secretary and treasurer. These are the executive officers of the board and are endowed with considerable official authority. In the independent districts three directors are elected-one each year, for a term of three years. They determine the duration of the school, the wages to be paid teachers and the secretary and treasurer of the board, etc., without regard to these conditions in adjoining districts in the same township. But
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in sub-districts under the district township organization, the duration of the school year and the teachers' wages are fixed on a uniform scale, and are not changed except in exceptional cases. Many objections were entered against the rural independent organization, some of which were well taken; and this led to the change in the law in reference to their organization, and, perhaps, had something to do in. eliminating existing evils in the districts that were not disturbed by the change in the law. But it would seem that the people residing in the independent districts were fully satisfied with that system of school organization, in that the law prohibiting further organiza- tions of that kind also provided means whereby such districts could return to the district township system, and none of them, in this county, at least, have ever taken advantage of this provision of law. We speak of this mat- ter thus fully at this time, and shall hereafter mention the school organiza- tion in other townships as "sub-districts" or "rural independent districts," without further explanation.
Auburn township has seven sub-districts, besides the independent · dis- tricts of Auburn and St. Lucas. The latter are organized under the pro- visions of law authorizing the formaton of independent districts in towns and villages having the required population (two hundred now, but formerly three hundred were the minimum population required for such organiza- tion). There are fifteen independent town districts in Fayette county, all of which, except Fairbanks, are located wholly within the county. A few sections in Oran township contribute to the support of the Fairbanks school, which is located just across the line in Buchanan county. Of course the children residing upon the land so contributing have access to the Fairbanks schools.
For the year 1909, the latest official report, the seven rural districts in Auburn township employed eight female teachers, at an average compen- sation of thirty-six dollars and ninety-two cents per month. The average duration of school was five and one-half months, with a total average daily attendance of fifty-five. The total enrollment was eighty-one, from a school population of ninety-three males and ninety-two females, between the ages of five and twenty-one years. The average cost of tuition per month for each pupil was three dollars and ninety-seven cents. The financial con- dition of the district township at the present time is first-class, there being on hand, of all funds, about two thousand dollars in the district treasury. There are two hundred and fifty volumes in the school libraries of the town- ship
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INDEPENDENT DISTRICTS OF AUBURN AND ST. LUCAS.
As intimated at the beginning of this article, the village of Auburn opened her first school during the winter of 1852-3, and a year later had the most valuable school building then to be found in Fayette county. For many years the little town took a special interest in maintaining its high standing in educational affairs, and had an excellent school of two departments, em- ploying the best talent to be secured. But for a number of years past the school has been reduced to one department, and its curriculum is only on a par with country schools in adjoining territory. During the year ending with July 1, 1909, there were seven and one-half months of school in the district, taught by three female teachers, at an average monthly salary of thirty-seven dollars. The number of persons of school age (five to twenty- one years) now in the district are: Males, twenty-four, and females, seven- teen. Of these an average daily attendance of twenty-two was attained for the school year, at an average cost of tuition per month for each pupil, of two dollars and eighty-five cents.
ST. LUCAS PUBLIC SCHOOL.
By a combination of circumstances this village was enabled to sustain a school of ten months' duration during the past year. The total enrollment was forty-three, with an average daily attendance of thirty. The school was taught by one female teacher at an average compensation of forty-four dol- lars per month. Since the assessment value of the property in the proposed new independent district is greater than that of any other sub-district in the township, it is a fair presumption to assume that the board of directors of the district township of Auburn willingly paid for the excess of time taught and the increase of salary in the St. Lucas district. Having no official report on this subject, we are obliged to dispose of the subject in the manner here stated.
NATURAL FEATURES.
The Turkey valley in Auburn township, with its adjacent commanding bluffs, is picturesquely beautiful, and a source of admiration with all who visit the locality. Falling Springs, situated near the line between this town- ship and Windsor, is one of the natural features of adornment to which the ingenuity of man has added with a view to making it a resort for those seek- ing rest and recreation during the summer time. The place has been fitted
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up by the owner, Martin Felz, with electric lights, proper seating, etc., until it is even more attractive by night than by day. See personal sketch of Mr. Felz for fuller description.
McCreary's Cave, a short distance east of Falling Springs, is another of nature's curious adornments, and which draws its share of sightseers who desire to witness this unadorned and undisturbed freak of nature.
CHAPTER XIX.
BANKS TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the new townships, so far as settlement and improvement of the land are concerned. Until within comparatively recent years a large por- tion of the territory was "wild prairie," over-run by herds of cattle driven for herding purposes, from the more thickly settled portions of the county. Quite a good business was built up by Benjamin Cowan, an early settler in Banks, who for a number of years devoted his time almost entirely to gathering up cattle, driving them to the open prairies in Banks township, and herding them there during the pasturing season. To facilitate his work, he had built a large stockade or corrall on his own land, where the cattle were kept from wandering away during the night, and from which they started out on their wandering in the morning. The herd was quite a menace to growing crops on adjacent lands, as the writer can assert from experience. The smooth wire fences then in vogue were no protection against the depreda- tions of unruly cattle, and many of them were sent to the herd because they were lawless at home. The "barbarism"(?) of dehorning had not then taken its place among the "modern improvements" in stock-raising, and all the stock came in full equipment for warfare. But as pieces of land here and there over the prairie began to be occupied by actual settlers, and the best fence that could then be made was no protection against the encroachments of unruly stock, the herding business became unpopular, as well as unprofita- ble, and was gradually driven out.
But it must not be assumed from the foregoing recital that there were no early settlers in Banks, for such is not the case. The vicinity of Wilson's Grove, on the boundary between Fayette and Bremer counties, was occupied by actual settlers nearly as early as any other portion of the county north of the center. Theodore Wilson is credited with being the first settler in that locality. He entered all the land then embraced within the limits of the "Grove," a strip a mile and a half wide, east and west, by about three miles long, the greater portion of which was in Fayette county, but it also extended over the line into Bremer county. Wilson's Grove was named in honor of this pioneer, who located in the county in 1851, and entered the land from the
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Dubuque land office soon after. Robert Armstrong came to the township in 1852, and the year following Oliver T. Fox purchased a part of Wilson's holdings at the north end of the Grove, and soon located his family upon it. George Linn and William and Peter Robertson located in the vicinity of Wilson's Grove during the year 1853. In May, 1854, William T. Wade and Levi Williams came from New Jersey to visit the Fox family and view the country. They found but four families in the township (not then organized), and all about them was the treeless, trackless prairie. There were but two or three houses between Wilson's Grove and West Union, some twenty miles. They were somewhat discouraged with the apparent barrenness of the coun- try and returned to their eastern home. Mr. Wade returned to the township in May, 1855, and became one of the useful pioneers of the county. He lived to a ripe old age, and always maintained his home near Wilson's Grove. · Two churches were organized at his house, the Free-Will Baptist church, in 1856, and a Presbyterian organization in 1859. His home was also a preaching point for all the early pioneer ministers, and he was elected justice of the peace at the first township election, and held that office for many years. He was also the first postmaster at Wilson's Grove, the office being established in 1861, and held that office until it was abandoned. Mr. Wade was the last survivor of the six voters who cast their ballots at the first elec- tion held in the township. These were David Linn, Sr., and David Linn, Jr., George Linn, Oliver T. Fox, Levi Williams and William T. Wade. It re- quired all the electors of the township to fill the offices, and Mr. Wade was elected to two offices, those of justice of the peace and township clerk. David Linn, Sr., Levi Williams and Oliver T. Fox were elected township trustees, and George Linn was chosen township assessor. This election was held at the house of George Linn, April 7, 1856, two months after the creation of the civil township of Banks by order of the county court. The township was named in honor of the distinguished statesman of Massachusetts, Hon. N. P. Banks.
CHURCHES.
There have been five church organizations in Banks township, the. Methodist Episcopal, United Brethren and German Evangelical, in addition to those mentioned as organized at the home of William T. Wade. The last named organization built a church edifice near the southeast corner of the township, on section 35, where it accommodates people of that faith in the adjacent territory of Fremont, Harlan and Center townships, as well as the populous German settlement in southern Banks. This is the only religious
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body having a church building in the township, but the near-by towns of Sumner, on the west, Hawkeye, on the northeast, and Randalia, to the eastward, accommodate the people without serious inconvenience. These are also the market towns most conveniently accessible, though Westgate, in Fremont, and Maynard, in Harlan, draw considerable trade from Banks township. As may be inferred from the above recital, this is distinctively an agricultural township, and does not at present have a postoffice or "cross- roads store" within its boundaries.
About 1876 the speculators' lands began to be absorbed by actual set- tlers, largely of the German nationality, many of whom own large tracts of this fine prairie land, and have improved it almost to the point of perfection. An unfenced piece of land in Banks township is now a rare exception, and school houses and beautiful homes dot the prairie everywhere.
EDUCATION.
The first school in Banks township was taught by Jane Spears, in the house of David Linn, Jr., in the summer of 1857. George Linn was also an early teacher in the township. The first school house was erected in 1865, and this was the nucleus to the present well-organized system of public schools. This is a district township organization, and there are nine sub- districts and nine school houses in the township. Schools were taught in these by sixteen female teachers, at an average monthly salary of thirty-five dollars during the past year. Of two hundred and fifty-seven pupils of school age, two hundred and forty were enrolled in the schools, with a total average daily attendance of two hundred and six. The average cost of tuition per month for each pupil was one dollar and fifty-three cents. The school property is valued at five thousand one hundred and twenty-five dollars. Value of school apparatus, three hundred and eighty dollars; and there are eight hundred and ten volumes in the school libraries. Banks township expends annually over three thousand dollars in support of schools, which, of course, does not include the home sacrifices on the same account.
The Saint Paul branch of the Chicago Great Western Railroad passes diagonally through the southwest corner of Banks township, having two and one-third miles of track accessible in that township. In the early seventies the Iowa & Pacific Railroad Company graded through this township from east to west, but the project was abandoned, and no railroad touches the township except as mentioned.
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In the early days when thousands of acres of tall prairie grass died on the ground where it grew, there was great danger to the inhabitants on account of prairie fires, and a number of the early settlers were burned out, losing not only their houses and stabling, but gathered feed for their stock, and in some instances people were seriously burned in trying to save their property or lives from this ruthless destroyer. Great suffering was also endured in crossing the trackless prairies in the blinding snow storms which were more prevalent in early days than now. A night on the open prairie when lost in a blizzard is not a comforting reflection, even at this distance!
CHAPTER XX.
BETHEL TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the prairie townships, which, like its neighbor, Banks, on the south, was slow in its early settlement and development. The congres- sional system of surveys being followed in this county, and there being no river boundaries, all the townships are complete, with thirty-six sections of land, numbered consecutively from the northeast corner to the southeast, section 6 being in the northwest corner and section 7 adjoining on the south, etc. These are sub-divided into quarter sections and "forties," hence the terms "quarters" and "forties" are very generally understood in this locality, though it is not so in other districts where private surveys were in vogue during the settlement period. With the exception of land bordering on township and county boundaries, all quarter sections contain exactly one hundred and sixty acres, but certain of the boundary lines over-run, or fall short, according to the variation of the electric needle of the surveyor's com- pass and the distance from base lines and correction lines. These remarks apply to all townships in the county, and though irrelevant to the matter under consideration, may not be considered inappropriate in this connection.
The settlement of Bethel township began along Crane creek, in the northern part of the township, that section being supplied with some timber, and it must not be forgotten that all the early settlers used wood for fuel and fencing purposes and nearly all houses were built of logs. Mrs. Samantha Finch is credited with being the first settler in Bethel township, though others came the same year (1852), and established homes in both Bethel and Eden townships, in some cases on adjoining farms. The township was first named "Richland," in recognition of the fertility of the soil, this name being be- stowed by Mr. McCall, one of the early settlers, and whose posterity still live in the vicinity of the old pioneer home of the family. There was a "Richland" postoffice established in the west-central part of the township, and continued for many years. It was finally abandoned and Bethel postoffice established, but this has given place to the rural free delivery system, and was consolidated with the postoffice at the village of Alpha. The township name was changed to Bethel January 3, 1870, about the time the Bethel postoffice was established.
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