USA > Iowa > Jasper County > Past and present of Jasper County, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 28
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The schools and churches are mentioned at length in chapters especially on these topics for the whole county.
THE VILLAGE OF TURNER.
Turner is a little hamlet on the Rock Island railroad on the line of sec- tions 23 and 28 of Rock Creek township, fourteen miles east of Newton. It affords a good trading point, in a small way, for the adjacent community of farmers. The recent dealers there are: General merchandise, Lena Diehl; creamery, E. B. Elliott : postmaster, O. J. Turner ; live stock, coal and lum- ber. O. J. Turner.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
ELK CREEK TOWNSHIP.
Elk Creek township is situated on the south line of Jasper county and comprises almost forty sections of land, all in township 78, range 18 west, except about three sections which lie in range 19. of the same congressional township.
It is bounded on the north by Buena Vista and Palo Alto townships; on the east by Lynn Grove township: on the south by Mahaska county and Fairview township, Jasper county; on the west by Palo Alto and Fairview townships.
This civil township was organized May, 1846, as one of the original townships or precincts of the county of Jasper. For a description of its original boundaries the reader is referred to the chapter on County Or- ganization, elsewhere in this work.
The pioneer settlers who came in to this fair and fertile portion of Jasper county were men and women of sterling worth and possessed the true Western settler traits of character and indeed they "builded better than they knew."
Among the first to enter government land in this section of the county were : John J. Mudgett, the west fractional part of the southwest quarter of section 29. on December 16, 1856, and the same person on parts of section 30. September 4. 1847: James A. Tool, on the east half of the northwest quarter of section 34. September 4. 1847: the same in the southwest of sec- tion 27, on the same date. The lands were purchased from the general government at one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre and are now certain of being worth from sixty to one hundred and fifty dollars per acre. This shows the reader the base of much of Jasper county's wealth.
The first sermon ever preached within Elk Creek township was by Rev. Mr. Hitchcock, a Congregational missionary. at the house of M. D. Springer. in the early spring of 1846. Twenty or more persons were his attentive aud- ience. No attempt was made to forin a church there then.
The schools and churches of this township appear in their respective places in chapters on these subjects. It may be said, however, in passing,
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that in March, 1851, the record shows that the school fund apportionment for Elk Creek township amounted to the sum of twelve dollars and twenty- seven cents.
At the general election in 1852, when General Scott and Franklin Pierce were running for President of the United States, the vote in Elk Creek township stood, ten for Scott and three for Pierce.
In 1855 the question of prohibition of intoxicating liquors in Jasper county resulted at an election in which the vote in Elk Creek township was thirteen for the law and thirty against prohibition. It carried, however, in the county by thirty-five votes.
In 1878 the total amount of personal property assessed in Elk Creek township was $83,267. This included the items of 786 horses, 66 mules and asses, and 1,670 cattle.
As to the valuation and taxes on property of all kinds in this township in 1877, the books show that it amounted to $356.410, and that the taxes turned into the treasury were $5.073. The state census returns in 1905 fixed the population as being 909.
VILLAGE OF GALESBURG.
The village, or hamlet of Galesburg, on section 16 of this township, is five miles east of Reasoner. It was recorded of it in 1878 that it contained a good store which drew trade from a large farming section. It once had a postoffice, but after the establishment of rural delivery of mail in the county it was discontinued. A general store is conducted there by A. A. Alloway : also one by William C. DeBruyns and A. Graffs. The village blacksmith is C. Breen. At an early day there was hopes of this becoming a much larger place than it has attained to.
CHAPTER XXIV.
MARIPOSA TOWNSHIP.
Mariposa township is the second from the east and lies on the north line of the county, comprising congressional township No. 81, range 17 west. It is almost entirely a prairie township, having a few small streams. Its soil is fertile and its farms are among the most valuable and productive of any in the county. To its north is Marshall county; to its east is Hickory Grove township; to its south is Kellogg township and on its west is Malaka town- ship. Its population in 1905 was placed in the state enumeration reports as being six hundred and twelve.
Mariposa was organized in the month of February, 1857, by the county judge then in office. The record says, "Ordered that there be a new township formed by the name of Mariposa, bounded as follows: Commencing at the northeast corner of township 81. range 18; thence west to the northwest corner of said township; thence south to the range line to the southwest corner of section 19. in township 80, range 18: thence on the section line to the southeast corner of section 24 in said township and range; thence north on the range line to place of beginning."
Among the first to enter government land in this township were: Ben- jamin Springer, in the fractional half of the northwest quarter of section 7, on May 15, 1854; Almond Bird, in the southeast of section 33, July 1, 1854.
The settlement prospered and the lands became equally valuable to that of older and timbered portions of the county. In 1878 the records show that this township had a personal tax valuation amounting to $40.322, on which they paid into the treasury the sum of $700. In 1877 the total value of all taxable property, personal and real, was $218,239, which caused the taxpayers to deposit in the county funds the sum of $3.365.13.
This township has always kept abreast with the average township in Jasper county in the matter of roads, bridges and schools, the people being fully up-to-date and possessed of the true American spirit of "go-ahead." With the advent of the rural mail delivery and the telephone system in the county, Mariposa has been greatly benefited by these necessities, as viewed from a modern farmer's standpoint.
The schools, churches, etc., connected with this township are treated in general chapters on these topics, hence need not here be repeated.
CHAPTER XXV.
MALAKA TOWNSHIP.
This is the largest township within Jasper county. It is situated cen- trally east and west and is on the northern line of the county, bordering on Marshall county, with Mariposa and Kellogg townships at its east; Newton township on the south and Sherman and Independence on the west. It has forty-eight sections of land, and comprises township 81 and two tiers of sec- tion of township 80, range 19 west.
This township was organized in February, 1857, by the then county judge. The record of its formation is as follows: "Commencing on the northeast corner of township 81, range 19: thence west on the county line to the northwest corner of section 2, in township 81, range 20; thence south on the section line to the southeast corner of section 12, township 80, range 19: thence north on the range line to the place of beginning."
According to the census reports of 1905 taken by the state authorities, this township had a population at that date of six hundred and twenty-four.
Robert H. Snyder entered government land in the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 23, township 81, range 19, on November 16, 1852 ; Greenberry Bridges, the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 27, on the same date.
This is one of Jasper county's almost exclusive prairie townships and is now well developed into valuable, high-priced farms with a happy, prosperous and contented populace. However, it is without railroad or near-by town market places, depending upon the city of Newton largely for such accommodations.
This township became the seat of the famous Wittemberg Manual La- bor College, mentioned at length in the Educational chapter.
The taxes paid on the personal property in this township in 1878 amounted to $90,680, inclusive of the items of 849 head of horses : 51 head of mules and asses and 2.333 head of cattle over six months of age. The year prior to that ( 1877) the total tax of the township, personal and realty, amounted to $5.760, while the total valuation was placed at $370,400.
Several other items connected with the history of this township will be found under their proper headings in the general chapters, including the churches, schools, etc.
CHAPTER XXVL.
DES MOINES TOWNSHIP.
Des Moines is the extreme southwestern township of Jasper county. It is composed of township 78, range 21 west, and a part of range 22 of the same township. It is eight miles from east to west and six from north to south. The "correction line" runs on the north line of this township, hence there oc- curs a set-off, or jog, the townships to the north being set over to the west one mile on account of this correction line. The southern portion of this sub- division of Jasper county is quite well supplied with native timber, of excellent varieties. Numerous little streams course through the domain, making it one of rare beauty and fertility. To its east lies Fairview township; to its south is Marion county; to its west is Polk county; and on its north are Washington and Mound Prairie townships, Jasper county.
In 1905 its population was one thousand and eighty. For an account of its schools and churches, the reader is referred to the general chapters on these topics.
Of the organization of this township it should be stated that it was among the original townships set off in Jasper county and has a history dating back to May, 1846, when the county was organized into precincts. It was described by the record as comprising "a precinct laid off in the southwest corner of the county, to be called Des Moines, said precinct to contain all the territory west of the Indian boundary line, and all south of the territorial road leading from Oskaloosa to Fort Des Moines, within said Jasper county."
Among the first to enter government land in this township were: Na- than Brown, in the east half of the southwest quarter of section 26, on Sep- tember 26, 1848; George Anderson, on the west half of the northwest quar- ter of section 30, on the same date.
The school fund apportionment for 1851 was thirteen dollars and twenty- seven cents for Des Moines township.
In 1852, at the presidential election, this township cast seventeen votes for Gen. Winfield Scott and fifteen for Franklin Pierce for President of the United States.
In April, 1855, at an election over the vexed question of selling or not selling intoxicating liquors in Jasper county, the vote stood in this township, twenty for and thirty against the measure of prohibition.
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JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
The records show that in 1878 the personal property in Des Moines township amounted to $85,609, including such articles as 865 horses, 133 mules and asses, and 1.933 head of cattle.
In 1877 the books show that this township had a total of $408,647 in all kinds of property, and on this paid taxes into the treasury to the amount of $6,268.13.
TOWNS AND VILLAGES.
In this township are the towns of Prairie City and Vandalia. The former is situated on the northern border line and is a station point on the first railroad in Jasper county, the old Des Moines Valley line, now owned and operated by the great Rock Island system. It was written of this enter- prising town as early as 1877 that it was one of the best of its size in all lowa and that Iowa towns were the best of any between the two great oceans. It was at first named Elliott, but changed in 1856 to Prairie City. The first settlement was effected here in the autumn of 1851 by William Means, soon followed by James H. Elliott in 1852, and he in turn succeeded by Anderson Boyd in 1853. The first building was erected by the owner of the plant and it was used as a blacksmith shop. William Robertson built the first dwelling and the pioneer store was a small building removed from Monroe on a wagon by Benjamin Adams, this being done before the town had been surveyed. George W. Bailey opened the next store. A school house was built in the summer of 1856, but the first school taught in this township was by Isaac Ilershman in a small building owned by James H. Elliott, this being in 1855. It stood until 1877, when it was torn down from its original site, which was lot No. 6. block No. 10, of Prairie City.
The first preaching here was by a Methodist preacher in the fall of 1853.
The first deaths were children of Anderson Boyd, who died of scarlet fever in the fall of 1854.
Prairie City grew rapidly from 1865 on for several years. The Des Moines Valley Railroad reached this point in 1866 and then came a genuine healthy boom. By 1878 its population had reached about nine hundred, which is probably in excess of its present population by a hundred or more. In 1878 it reported to a local historian that it possessed two good banks, a large flouring mill, two grain elevators, and the usual number of shops and stores.
Its location, geographically and topographically, make it one desirable to live in, as it stands on almost level table-lands separating the Des Moines from the Skunk rivers.
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To give the reader a faint glimpse of what this town was in public en- terprise and spirit in 1860, it may be well to describe the Fourth of July cele- bration of that year. It was celebrated in splendid style, by a procession form- ing on the public square at ten o'clock in the morning, officered by Isaiah Coombs, George Fugard, James F. Parker, Fletcher Minshall, J. H. Elliott and R. H. McConnell, headed by the Newton Brass Band. A. F. McConnell read the Declaration of Independence and addresses were made by H. S. Winslow, Judge Phillips, of Des Moines, Thomas S. Osborn, of Chicago, and Rev. Caleb Bundy. Six hundred people sat at dinner around a table heavily loaded with all that was palatable. the length of the improvised table being four hundred feet.
A later Independence Day celebration was of not so pleasing a character. It was that of 1869, when several young men were saluting by the firing of an anvil when some one mentioned the fact that the town afforded another anvil, which was brought forward, burst with the first shot or discharge. It proved to be a cast iron one. hence not safe. The bursting of this anvil instantly killed a Mr. Anderson, of Prairie City, a man sixty years old ; also Mr. Rockbold, of Vandalia, besides severely wounding several others in the crowd of by-standers.
Prairie City was incorporated and its first council met October 14. 1868, when Sidney Williams was mayor. In March, 1869, the work of sidewalk building engaged the attention of the people and the council. In July, the same year, a town jail or calaboose was erected for the unruly ones who chanced to be within the town's gates. The mayors from then on included D. M. Bartlett. 1869: C. Smith, in 1875 : D. G. Winchell, 1876; E. R. Ward, in 1877: A. H. Brous, 1881-83; L. A. Williams, 1883-85: G. J. Comman, 1885-89; M. Feathers, 1889-91 ; 1. W. Shriver. 1891-95 ; C. M. Baird, 1895- 97: F. J. Cowman, 1897-99: C. M. Baird, 1899-1901 : George K. Scott, 1901- 03 : D. H. Gill, 1903-07 : C. M. Baird, 1907-10; J. W. Hayes, 1910-12.
A nine-thousand-dollar water works plant was voted in 1904 and it is now doing service. The present city clerk is Frank C. Turner, who is capable for his duties.
The lodges and churches of this place will be treated in their respective chapters elsewhere in this work.
The postoffice history of this place begins with its establishment in about 1855. It is now situated on the north side of the square. The first rural route was established from this point in July. 1902, and there are now two routes leading to the surrounding country. The amount of business trans- acted during the year 1910 at this postoffice was three hundred and fifty dol-
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lars. Five mails are received here daily. On the night of April 21, 1909. the safe of this postoffice was blown open by two burglars, and stamps, etc., to the amount of eight hundred dollars and postal funds to the amount of about one hundred and seventy-five dollars was taken out. No clue has ever been obtained to the robbery.
The following have served as postmasters at Prairie City: James Elliott. J. Irely, John Butters, Caleb Bundy. D. M. Bartlett. Dennis Win- chell. John Lyons, A. H. Brous, T. J. Cowman, John Selby, W. H. Price, Jacob Mummert and the present incumbent. T. W. Nixon.
The town is provided with a handsome park, a full square, in which are now growing a large number of artificial trees, which, with the band-stand in the center, makes an attractive place.
The Knights of Pythias. Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Masons have lodges-see chapter on Lodges in this volume.
The churches here represented are the Christian. Methodist Episcopal. Congregational, Christian Reformed (Dutch).
BUSINESS DIRECTORY IN 19II.
Banking-The First National and the State Bank.
Prairie City Milling Company-Peter Wagman, miller.
Dowden Manufacturing Co .- Makers of end-gates and potato diggers. Prairie City Grain and Live Stock Company-George Vanderz, manager. General Dealers-F. J. Christie, George Cross, - Illias.
Hardware Dealers-Little & Gill Company, Jenks & Son.
Drugs-N. D. Riddle. J. F. Freeman.
Harness-E. C. Wilson.
Restaurant-E. K. Ballogh, A. A. Jones.
Hotels-The Main and the Feathers.
Furniture-W. A. Thomas.
Novelty Store-M. Feathers.
Postmaster-T. W. Nixon.
Millinery-Carrie White. Meats-Verhaalen & Verdught.
Railroad Agent-Frank Joy.
Blacksmiths-Randall & Son. Renfro & Bowen.
Dentist-Dr. D. M. Hemminger.
Billiard Hall-F. E. Davis.
Auctioneer-Col. John T. Graham.
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Shoes and Clothing-D. Kramer & Co.
Barbers-Walter Hugen, Alex. Ray.
Newspaper-The Prairie City News. General Insurance-Frank L. Woodard.
Stationery-Leonard May.
Books and Confectionary-H. C. Cowman.
Livery-William Dutley.
Lumber-McKleven & Co.
Physicians-Drs. J. F. Hary. W. B. Chase, W. D. McCormaughey.
Attorneys-A. A. Arnold, A. H. Brous.
Opera House-The Union Hall, W. S. Parker, proprietor.
VANDALIA VILLAGE.
Vandalia was laid out in 1851. John Q. Deakin and family were the life of early Vandalia. The first store in the place was opened by Henry Shearer, Mr. Deakin's father-in-law.
A school house was provided in 1856, and by a few years more the place had outgrown the most sanguine expectations of its founder. In 1861 it was a better town than Monroe and kept on holding its enterprise until 1865, when it had a population of about five hundred. There were four general stores, two mills, two hotels. three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops and a good plow factory. Before that date had been formed both a Christian and Presbyterian church society.
The Des Moines Valley road had planned to take in this village on its southeastern route, but finding that they could legally avail themselves of every other section of valuable land, even if they did go in a very crooked and extended course through the domain of the state, they decided to go farther out and leave Vandalia out in the rural district in which she had been so long located. It was the old Des Moines Navigation Company back of the building of this railroad, and its litigation was the thorn in the side of every Congress until finally adjusted, about 1885. Many of the original settlers all along the river, as far north as Fort Dodge, lost all they had put on their lands in way of twenty years improvements.
EARLY DAYS IN THE VILLAGE.
At Vandalia, the first claim was taken by John Q. Deakin, in 1845, while Iowa was yet a territory. He removed from Henry county. Iowa, in the following year, and not long after his settlement he was joined by his wife's parents, Henry Shearer and wife. and George Anderson and wife.
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JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
During his first year's sojourn, Mr. Deakin believed he had located in Polk county, and he cast his vote in that county in the fall of 1846. He also served as a grand juryman from Polk county.
The first birth in the village was that of a child of Mr. and Mrs. An- derson in the fall of 1849.
The first death was that of a child of Mr. and Mrs. Deakin, which oc- curred in 1848.
The first school house was erected in 1850, but a school had been taught by George Reese, the previous winter. The patrons of this first school were inclusive of these : Elias Prunty. Abner Ray, George Anderson, Alexander Black and J. Q. Deakin.
In 1848 Mr. Deakin built a saw mill on Camp creek, near the west line of the county. He cut large quantities of native lumber and patrons to his mill came for many miles distant with logs. Two years later he commenced the building of a flouring mill and carding machine, where Vandalia now stands. In digging a well for his carding factory, he struck a vein of soft coal about twenty feet below the surface. It was found to be four feet thick, and was used for heating his buildings during the winter.
With the construction of the old Des Moines Valley railroad, the present Rock Island route, Vandalia began to go down, it being an inland town. Today many know not of its former history. Its present business is con- fined to a general store conducted by John Cavatt.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
KELLOGG TOWNSHIP.
Second from the north and the same from the east, in Jasper county, is Kellogg township, which is all of congressional township No. 80, range 18 west. It is for the most part a fertile prairie section of the county. Its beautiful streams are quite numerous, and these include Alloway, Burr Oak and Coon creeks. In the central part of the township is found a good sized body of natural timber land. The Rock Island & Pacific railroad traverses the territory from east to west, bearing diagonally from southeast to north- west through a larger part of its course. The only town within this town- ship is Kellogg, situated on section 23.
The township's population in 1905. as per state reports, was six hun- dred and eight, plus that of Kellogg town, five hundred and ninety-two, mak- ing a total of one thousand two hundred.
In 1878 it had a personal tax valuation of $64.207, including 571 head of horses; 30 mules: 1,407 cattle.
In 1877 the township paid a tax"on all its property assessment into the county treasury amounting to $4.986, which had been levied on a valuation of all property, personal and real, amounting to $329.586.
Here one finds a thrifty set of settlers who have wonderfully trans- formed the appearance and real value of the six-mile-square tract of Jasper county land.
This township was organized in 1868 by the board of county super- visors and had previously been attached to other territory.
THE TOWN OF KELLOGG.
Kellogg was laid out by Messrs. Enos Blair and Abraham W. Adair on September 12, 1865, which was a few months before the first passenger ser- vice was perfected on what is now the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific rail- road, then known as the Mississippi & Missouri railway, to this point in Jasper county. It 'stands (original platting) on section 23, township 80, range 18 west.
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JASPER COUNTY, IOWA.
Soon after the platting had been executed a postoffice was established, known as Kimball, the name of the plat having been recorded as "Jasper City." The railroad, however, had named the station at this point Kellogg. hence the place had, for a short time, three names. The track of the rail- road being laid from east to west, headed for the Missouri river, reached Kellogg in the spring of 1866, and soon freight and passenger service was maintained. The terminus of the road was here for about a year. None were sure what the company proposed to do in way of extension, or improve- ments. hence most all the buildings were little other than mere board shanties, aside from one building owned by a Mr. Downing, which later became the Methodist parsonage.
During the summer and autumn of 1866 a tavern was started by Ben- jamin Manning : Blair & Adair, town site proprietors, opened up stores and Samuel Rich a blacksmith shop. Mr. Rich, aside from pounding at the glowing forge, was also the "Nasby" of the town, for he held the office of postmaster and it is related for a truth that he delivered mail from his hat around the embryo village. The beer saloon was early in the field here, for during the year last mentioned two were started by Messrs. A. J. Fish and Dick Wood.
Besides those already referred to, there were residing in Kellogg during the winter of 1866-7: William Vaughan, Robert Ludwick, J. W. Maynard, Samuel Rich, an attorney named Cooney, Lewis Clark, Fred C. Downing. John Matthews, the pioneer butcher, George Laird, W. R. Reynolds, E. L. Keagy, James McCully. Thad Woods. Captain Atwater, Barney Curtis, Patrick McGuire and a few more, all, or nearly all, men of families.
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