USA > Iowa > Fayette County > Past and present of Fayette County, Iowa, Volume I > Part 33
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FAYETTE COUNTY, IOWA.
P. G. Abbott, one of the very early settlers, organized a union Sunday school in Bethel during the summer of 1856, and his marriage to Emily Palmer, the same year, was the first wedding solemnized in the township.
During the fall of 1855 a disastrous prairie fire destroyed much property and was the cause of the death of two persons, Rev. Mr. Thompson and his son. Mr. Abbott, mentioned above, is one of the few survivors of the pioneer period in Bethel township. He still lives on his farm, and seems to be hale and hearty. The Finch family is also another of the prominent pioneer fam- ilies who still remain in the township and elsewhere throughout the county. In early days a controversy arose between Eden and "Richland" townships as to the possession of the northern tier of sections in the latter. This strife was evidently engendered before the completion of the government survey, else there could have been no such contest. It seems that the county judge was endowed with authority to decide such matters, and it is said that the judge acted favorably upon petitions from both sides of the controversy, thus transferring the territory several times.
Many prominent families settled in the northern part of Bethel township before the general development of the southern part of the township was com- menced. Some of those whose residences were north of, or near, the center were, in addition to those previously mentioned: J. T. and C. M. Gager, brothers, who still own their early acquired property in the township; A. M. Pitts, J. Burbank, A. Ives, Henry Y. Smith, the Bursees, the Innis family, A. and R. F. Rogers, Eph. Rogers, Ben. Woodard, E. M. Aiken, Henry Sauls- burry, Stephen Gardner, N. B. Searles, R. Hathaway, G. W. Chamberlain, Orson Ward, Elijah Ober, H. A. Bender and others.
Bethel township was surveyed by Guy H. Carlton in August, 1848, but the south, west and north township lines were established by John Ball a month later. The sub-dividing lines were established by John Parker, in November, 1848. James Austin entered the north half of the northwest quarter of sec- tion 2, of this township, on the 27th of January, 1851, and this was the first land entry in the township appearing of record.
The southern part of Bethel township has made wonderful development in the last quarter of a century, for, instead of being a part of "Cowan's herd- ing ground," associated with Banks township, without distinction as to town- ship lines, it is now fully developed as a farming community. Handsome homes and splendid barns dot the prairie, and there is no open or unimproved land in the township. This development has been gradual and the improve- ments have been made by actual settlers who came to make permanent homes. The bleak prairies are now beautified with artificial groves, some of which
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have been planted with a view to increasing the timber supply, as well as for protection from the unobstructed winds. In subduing the wild prairie grass, which was very strong and prolific, many of the early farmers resorted to growing flax on their new ground, a measure which was successful, both as a revenue-producer and "civilizer." The seed, only, was marketed, the fiber being discarded. The level prairie lands were also quite wet, and in many instances "sloughy," and it was found that flax would grow and mature with reasonable certainty, while other cereals would not. But the introduction of flax into the prairie townships also introduced some noxious weeds not pre- viously known here, and which were a source of considerable annoyance for a number of years after the cultivation of flax was abandoned. Much of the first seed used was transported from other states, and even from other coun- tries, and some of it was sold by dealers and contractors at fabulous prices. But this industry was the beginning of success with some of the poorer class of renters and "land-poor" farmers. With years of cultivation, the wet lands have been brought under subjection, and in many instances are the most fertile on the farms.
EDUCATIONAL.
The record of early schools in this township is somewhat obscure and it is not possible at this date to state when or where the first school was taught. There were three schools in the township in the spring of 1859, and the teach- ers were Anna Bursee, Mary Alexander and Helen Ward. The Bethel school house came into prominence in an early day, and so continues, in lesser degree, at the present. It was the rendezvous for itinerant preachers of all denom- inations for many years, as well as the location of all business meetings per- taining to township affairs. Later the Gager school house (being more cen- tral) was designated as the place for holding township meetings, elections, etc., and so continues to the present.
In the establishment of the earliest schools in the township, little atten- tion was given to district boundaries, and the school houses were located where they would accommodate the most pupils. But as the settlements extended to the southward, this was found to be an error, and nearly every school house in the township had to be moved, entailing quite an expense.
There are now nine school houses in the township, organized under the district township system. During the last year (1909) there were two male teachers employed, at an average salary of thirty-five dollars and sixteen cents per month, and fourteen female teachers whose salary averaged thirty-four dollars and nine cents per month. Of two hundred eight pupils of school age,
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two hundred one were enrolled in the schools, with an average daily attend- ance of one hundred thirteen. The average cost of tuition per month for each pupil was two dollars and seventy-five cents. The school houses of the township are valued at four thousand five hundred and fifty dollars; value of school apparatus, three hundred eighty dollars, and number of volumes in the school libraries, four hundred forty-seven. The schools were taught seven and eight-tenths months during the year.
In 1857 a very successful religious revival was conducted in this town- ship (presumably at the Bethel school house) by Rev. Mr. Brooks, of the Methodist denomination. This resulted in the conversion of more than a hundred persons, who, in accordance with their belief, as propounded by the Primitive Methodists, discarded all fine clothing, jewelry and superfluous effects, and followed the "simple life" as taught by the Savior and His dis- ciples.
There is no church building in this township, but the Union church at Alpha, just across the north line, supplies the needs of the worshipers near by, while the several churches in Hawkeye afford reasonable facilities for those in the eastern half of the township. Religious services are still held oc- casionally in the school houses of the township.
CHAPTER XXI.
CENTER TOWNSHIP.
This township was organized on the 13th day of February, 1858, by proclamation of the county judge, Hon. J. W. Rogers. The organizing elec- tion was announced at the same time and by the same authority, to occur on the first Monday in April, following. The officers elected at that time held only until the next succeeding general election, which occurred in October. There were seventeen voters at the organizing election, and Elijah Hartsough, David Baer and John M. Proctor were chosen judges and James Orr and John Dunham, clerks of the election. They were sworn by C. A. Haywood, deputy sheriff of the county. Elijah Hartsough, David Baer and Thomas J. Llewellyn were elected trustees ; James Orr, clerk; Harvey S. Brunson, justice of the peace, and J. F. Lyman and S. Snyder, constables. These were the organizing officers, some of whom were re-elected at the general election in October. Eli Mulnix succeeded H. S. Brunson as justice of the peace, and was also elected township clerk, vice James Orr. A second justice of the peace was also chosen in the person of Harrison Augir. Elijah Hartsough, J. M. Proctor and David E. Snyder were elected township trustees. These were really the first officers of the township who served the full term of one year.
The settlement of this township began in 1850, but Thomas Woodle (later county judge) selected a location at Gamble's Grove in 1849. He was ac- companied by Thomas Douglass and Thomas B. Sturgis, who located near him. Woodle entered his land in section 13, on the 13th of January, 1850, and located on it the following spring. Philip Herzog entered land in this township soon after Woodle's entry was made, Thomas D. Robertson entered land here in 1851 ; J. C. Higginson, Robert Alexander and Harrison Augir, in 1852; John Miller, John T. Webb, David S. Wilson, Addison F. Stillwell, George S. Murray, William S. Murray, Reuben C. Hale, Jacob Snyder, Lyman Morgan, Allen Sparks, Hezekiah B. Bussey, George Clouse, Laurena E. Barber, Jacob D. Folmer, Owen Sykes, and a few others entered land in this township in 1853; Abraham Baer, Thomas J. Llewellyn, Caleb Potwin, James H. Proctor, Stephen D. Helms, Otis Baker, Alarson Hamlin,
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Robert S. Adams, William L. Coleman, Elijah Hartsough and some whose names cannot be secured, came in 1854; John and Christopher Baer, Cornelius Frye, Clark Roberts and Benjamin Sykes, were among those who took up residences here in 1855.
Thomas Woodle did not remain long in the township, though he secured the establishment of the postoffice at Gamble's Grove, and was the first post- master there. The office was established in September, 1851, and discon- tinued in May, 1852. At about the last named date, Mr. Woodle sold his home to Frederick Dunham, and removed from the township, never to return.
John D. Dooley, who was township clerk and justice of the peace in Cen- ter township for many years, is authority for some of the following state- ments : "The first white child born in the township was D. Marion Hart- sough, born October 28, 1854. The first wedding was that of Eli Mulnix and Desdemonia Dunham, in 1853. The first death was Mary, daughter of Mar- tin Dunham, in 1852. The first school house was built in District No. I, about 1859, and has always been known as the Dunham's Grove School House." The first and only church outside of the village of Randalia was built by the Methodists in the south part of the township, and is known as the Fairview church. It was built in 1877, and though it was erected to ac- commodate the members of the Methodist Episcopal faith, it has never been restricted entirely to their use. All religious denominations have access to it, and it has been one of the few long-continuing country churches. Rev. H. S. Brunson delivered the first gospel sermon in the township.
This township is traversed by two railroads, the Decorah branch of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific passing through it north and south, and the Davenport and St. Paul branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul passes diagonally across the northeast corner. The first mentioned takes a due north and south course, cutting off the east two sections until it reaches Randalia, where the line assumes a northeasterly direction, passing out of the township on section 2. These railroads (built in the seventies) had much to do with the early development of Center township. Previous to their coming there was much unimproved land in the township, portions of which was considered as unavailable for general farming purposes. The prairie land is quite level, and was wet and sloughy, and, though affording excellent pasturage, there was not then enough demand for such to render it profitable. But since the advent of the railroads and their stimulating influence, Center township has taken an upward trend, vacant lands have been settled upon and improved, and farms then partially improved and cultivated have been brought to a high state of improvement. The sloughs have dried up, and the once boggy wet land has
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been reclaimed and rendered the most fertile of corn land, and that, too, with- out adopting a general system of tiling or ditching, but through gradual en- croachment as the adjacent fields were cultivated. There are many fine farms in Center township which equal in value, acre for acre and situation considered, any farms in the county.
This "prairie" township, like all the others, is not entirely devoid of timber, though it could not boast of the quality. Four sections along the Volga, and a few scattering natural groves at other points, comprise the tim- ber land of the township. The southeastern corner, extending over into Westfield township, has some good timber, but the greater part of it is scrubby and not of the best varieties.
COUNTY-SEAT MATTERS.
In early times there was much controversy over the location of the county- seat, West Union being always successful in the contests with other towns. But the defeated candidates, after giving up their own contests, decided that in fairness to all, the seat of justice should be located at the geographical cen- ter of the county. This point being in Center township, or to be exact, on the line between Center and Westfield townships, an effort was made in 1852 to locate the county-seat at "the geographical center," and legislative assist- ance was sought to bring the matter to a focus. But owing to the very strong opposition to this procedure, the original purpose had to be abandoned, and the General Assembly appointed three commissioners from as many different adjoining counties, who located the county-seat on the southwest quarter of section 17, Westfield township, subject to the approval of the voters at the next general election. The proposition was rejected by a majority of ninety- five, hence the aspirations of the "Center" were not realized.
THE SCHOOLS.
The schools of Center township are organized on the rural independent district plan, that is, each school is a corporate body and the board of three directors has entire control of all school matters within their districts. There are eight schools thus organized in the township, and one independent town district at Randalia. Of the eight districts, four had nine months' school during the last year, two had eight and a half months and one had eight. Teachers' wages ranged from thirty-two dollars and twenty-two cents (the lowest) to forty dollars per month. One male teacher was employed at
(23)
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thirty-five dollars per month, the balance of the teaching force being females. Of two hundred twenty-four pupils of school age in the eight districts, one hundred fifty-four were enrolled in the schools, with an average attendance of nearly thirteen in each district. The smallest school in the township is No. 4, with eight pupils between the ages of five and twenty-one years. No. 2 is the largest, with a school population of forty-six, and an average daily attendance of twenty-four. The school houses in these districts are valued at four thousand six hundred ninety dollars, with school apparatus valued at four hundred fifty-eight dollars, and five hundred twenty-two volumes in the district libraries.
RANDALIA AND DONNAN.
These prosperous villages are the outgrowth of the coming of the rail- roads, the former being situated on the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and the latter at the junction of this road with the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul.
Randalia is located on the east half of the southeast quarter of section 15, which was entered by Frederick Boyes April 12, 1855. It became the prop- erty of J. N. B. Elliott in 1868, and on the 6th of June, 1872, he deeded the right-of-way to the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Minnesota Railroad Com- pany, and sold the remainder to Randall Brothers in the fall of 1873. The village plat was surveyed by P. F. Randall, and was filed for record Decem- ber 9, 1874. A. J. F. Randall commenced the erection of a two-story build- ing in July, 1874, this being designed as a business place and dwelling on sec- ond floor. This was the first building erected on the town plat, and it has been continuously occupied as a store building and postoffice since the latter was established. The first stock of goods placed in this building was owned by C. Hurlbut of Fayette, opened in the spring of 1875. But the name of Randall is inseparably connected with the town, and A. J. F. Randall has been a continuous business man there longer than any other person. The second building was the Randalia Hotel, erected by N. B. Underwood, who was also a merchant in the town. This was opened as a hotel in the late fall of 1874. It has had a continuous existence as such, under several different proprietors.
In the days of almost universal wheat growing among the farmers, Randalia was an excellent market place, as being intermediate between the larger towns, and also because of having several buyers there who believed that "competition is the life of trade." There were at one time four ware- houses operated by different firms of produce dealers, and their traffic extended to almost everything raised on the farms. The town is still a good market
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point, and some good stores of general merchandise, stocks of farm machinery, mechanical shops, etc., are maintained by progressive business men. Every- thing usually found in towns of this size can be found in the thriving village of Randalia. The railroad was completed to this point, from the north, in August, 1873. The postoffice was established in October, 1874, with A. J. F. Randall as the first postmaster, a position which he held for many years.
RANDALIA CHURCHES.
The first religious services in the new town were conducted at the school house, by Rev. Moulton, in 1876, the school house having just been com- pleted. This building served for a public meeting house for some years. The Methodist Episcopal church, which had been dormant for some time, was re- organized in the autumn of 1877, with seventeen members, and services were conducted for a number of years by Rev. Lyman Hull, who met the people once in two weeks at the school house. This organization has been main- tained and quite regular services are held, often under the preaching of stu- dents from the Upper Iowa University, but in later years by regular pastors appointed to the circuit. The history of this church and its membership ap- pears more fully in the history of the Methodist Episcopal church of Fayette county, by Hon. C. B. Hughes, elsewhere in this work.
A Baptist church was incorporated February 1, 1878, and an effort was made to build a house of worship the same year. The membership was quite strong for a few years, being served by the pastor of the church at West Union. This also is more fully treated in the article on the Baptist church of Fayette county, by F. Y. Whitmore.
RANDALIA SCHOOL.
When the town was incorporated the limits of its school district coin- cided with the corporate limits, thus creating a small independent town dis- trict upon which the burdens of proper school facilities were liable to exceed the limit of taxation established by law. But the adjacent territory belonged in rural independent districts, the taxpayers in which guarded their territory with jealous eyes. The patrons of these adjacent schools also objected to distorting their districts into irregular shapes to accommodate the town, and considerable controversy arose, the matter being finally settled in the courts, and the boundaries of the Randalia district enlarged and established as at present. The record of the final proceedings in this matter, and the final
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establishment of the school district, was filed with the county auditor on the 18th of December, 1897. A school of ten grades was established, and an additional room provided for the teaching of the sixty-three children in the district. The school house is valued at one thousand five hundred dollars ; the average compensation of the two female teachers during the last year was forty-seven dollars and fifty cents, and the duration of the school, nine months. A regular system of graduation is installed, and the school is fully on a par with other schools of like conditions.
Randalia has one bank, an Odd Fellows lodge, Grand Army of the Republic post and Women's Relief Corps, besides several fraternal insurance organizations, and is the present headquarters of the Fayette County Farmers' Mutual Fire Association, that being the home of the secretary, J. E. Holmes.
The business men of the town are progressive, public-spirited citizens who have an abiding faith in the future of the town.
DONNAN JUNCTION.
With the building of the Davenport and St. Paul branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad to the crossing of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern at this point, a depot and transfer switch was established, and a man placed in charge. This was in 1878, and the depot was the only house in "Donnan" for several years, if we except one or two near-by farm houses. But within comparatively recent years there has been quite a building boom at this ideal location, and several residences, stores and a hotel are the out- growth, and the little hamlet has found a prominent place on the map of Fayette county. Some well-to-do retired farmers have taken an interest in the development of the town, with gratifying results. The future of Donnan, at the crossing of the two railroads which traverse the county from southeast to northwest, and from southwest to northeast, may easily be predicted ; and it is not too much to say that it will eventually outstrip its near-by rivals in the race for trade and transportation. The village is situated in a splendid farming community, with no rival town, except Randalia, nearer than six or seven miles.
CHAPTER XXII.
CLERMONT TOWNSHIP.
This township was established by the county commissioners in 1850, though there had been quite a settlement within its boundaries for two years previously, and the name of the township was fixed by them, though the spell- ing was then "Claremont."
Tradition establishes Andrew Moats as the first settler of the territory now embraced in Clermont township, though the time of his coming and what he accomplished is somewhat obscure. It is understood, however, that a man named Delaplaine laid a claim to lands where the town of Clermont now stands, in 1848, and built a cabin thereon. A year later a firm of mill oper- ators came from Elkader and purchased the claim of Delaplaine and let the contract to have a saw-mill erected. C. D. Carlton (one of the owners) and Charles Sawyer took the contract, and moved to Clermont in June, 1849. Sawyer brought his family, but Carlton delayed the removal until later. These parties built two log houses in what is now the town of Clermont, these, except the rude cabin of Delaplaine, being the first houses in the township. John Thompson, whose name is inseparable from the early history of this locality, was the partner of Mr. Carlton. The building and operation of the mill, and the later developments in that line, necessitated the presence of mechanical shops, and these came as needed. This was the principal industry in Clermont until the failure of the spring wheat product rendered the business less profitable, and the property was gradually merged into other lines.
A large and well manned cooper shop was one of the principal industries in Clermont for many years. This supplied the flour-barrels to the mill, and to other mills less favored, along the Turkey and Otter creek. It also turned out pork barrels and butter tubs, until the industry was crippled by the intro- duction of the machine-made products. The Clermont mill proper (the flouring mills, with which so many of the present-day citizens and pioneers are acquainted) was put in operation by John Thompson, who came and com- menced his work in 1853, and in 1854 laid the foundation and corner stone for the present brick structure, the brick being burned by Christian Miller's father. Grinding at this flouring mill was commenced in the autumn of 1855.
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At first there were three run of stones. In 1856 Mr. Thompson sold a share in his milling property to William Larrabee. Later Mr. Larrabee had two partners, whom he bought out in 1859, and operated the mill alone until 1872. He then sold to S. M. Leach, and he in turn to J. G. Botsford, who finally let the property go back to Mr. Larrabee, and he operated it until he sold to Christian Miller in 1901, who, since the purchase, has conducted it in com- pany with his sons, and is at this writing converting it into a combined electric power plant and mill. (See biography of Mr. Miller for full details regard- ing this industry.) Mr. Larrabee doubled the capacity of his mill, and was able to grind fifteen hundred barrels of flour per week. The dam washed out in 1860 or 1861, and again in 1902. In all the years of this mill's history there has never been any serious accidents happening about the property, such as loss of life or limb. These mills are now styled the Brick City Mills and Electric Power Plant, owned and operated by Hon. Christian Miller & Sons. They furnish the power to operate their mammoth brick and tile factories at Clermont, and electric lights for that town, and Elgin, four miles south. This feature of their work is to be enlarged to include towns at more distant points.
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