Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. I, Part 3

Author: Peck, John Licinius Everett, 1852-; Montzheimer, Otto Hillock, 1867-; Miller, William J., 1844-1914
Publication date: 1914
Publisher: Indianapolis, Ind. : B. F. Bowen & company, inc.
Number of Pages: 774

USA > Iowa > O'Brien County > Past and present of O'Brien and Osceola counties, Iowa, Vol. I > Part 3

Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).

Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67

1 I 1 I 1 1 Section 18 552

1 Section 20 552 1 1 1 I

Section 21 1

Section 7 551

Section 8 551 1 1 I

Section 10 551 I 1

Section 12 551 1 1

Settlement 549

Section

1

549

Section

2

549

Section

4

550

Section 5 550

Section 6 550

1

1

1

1

1

1

Fairview Township 555

1

E

East Holman Township 549

Section 14 1

1

1

1

HISTORICAL INDEX.

Gilman Township-Continued.

Section 34

561

Churches 620

Immigration of 1883-5

571

Schools

572, 670

Section 8 570

Section 10

570

Section 12

570

Section 14 1

570

Section

4

562

Section 18

570

Section 6 1 1 1

562

Section 20 1 I 570 1

Section 22 570 1 1 1

Section 10

563

Section 12

564

1 1 1 Section 26 570

1 Section 28 570 1 1

571

Section 16 564

564

Section 19

564

Section 20

565

Section 22

565

Section 23

566

Section 24

566

Section 26 566

Section 28 566

Section 30

567

Section 32

567

Section 34

567

Section 36

567

Grafters, Influx of 539

Grand Army of the Republic. 652

Grand Jury, First 541

Grasshopper Scourge

678

Groen, George, Shooting of 663

H

Harris 598

Business Interests 1

1

1 599

Churches I

1 610

E I 1 Officers, First 599

1 1 1 Officers, Present 600 1 1

Organization 599 1 1

568

1 Agriculture 568 1

Land Speculators 1

568

Mennonites 568

Schools 1 1

671

1 Settlers, Early 568

Speculators, Land

568

Murder of Peter Johnson

660

1

Jenney, J. B. 588

Johnson Murder

660

Jury, First Grand

541

L

Land Values

542

Legal Fraternity

647

Looting of County Treasury

539

M

Medical History

628

Melvin

604

Churches 608

Methodist Episcopal Churches 606

Mileage, Railroad 542

Military History

652

Miscellaneous

670

1

1

1

571

Human Pincushion

I

643

I

Increase in Land Values

542

Iowa Land Company

673

Ireland Post, G. A. R.

652

564

Section 14

564

Section 30

1

1

1 1 Section 32 571 I 1

1 Section 34 571

1

Section 36

1

1

1

1 I

1

I

1

I

1

1

1

Section 8

563

1

1

1

1

1

561

Section 2

1 1

557

Usurious Interest 1

557

Goewey Township

561

671

Schools

Section 1 561 1

Section 24 570 E 1 1 1 1 1

1

Section 13

Section 18

1

1

1

Harrison Township

1 1

Horton Township 569

Settlement

J

HISTORICAL INDEX.

N

Naming of Osceola County 536

Natural Features 535

Neill, Dr. H. 636

Nominating Convention, First 538

R

Railroad Land Taxation 542

Railroad Mileage 542

Railroads

678

Record Setting off County 537

Recorders, County

540

Religious History

606

Roster of County Officials

1

540

Rush Lake

535

1

S

Schools, First 670

Schools, Superintendent of 540

Sheriffs 540

Shooting of George Groen 663

Sibley

537, 593

Business Interests 593

Churches

606, 612, 615, 616, 617, 626

Hospital

596

1 Section 10 573

Section 12

574

Section 13

574

1 1 1 1 Section 14 574

Section 18 574 1

1 1

I 1 1 Section 20 574

Section 22 574 1 1

1 Section 24 574

1 Section 25 576

Section 26 576 1

Section 28 1

576

Section 30 576 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 Section 32 576 1 1 1

576

Soil

1

1

1

572

Ode to Osceola

689

Officials, County 540

Old Soldiers in the County 652

Organization Election 538

Organization of County 536

Osceola County, How Named. 536

Osceola County Set Off

537

P

Physicians, Early

629

Pioneer Letters

682

(2)

1

1

1 572

Schools

671

Section 2 572 1 1

1

I Section 3 573

Section 1 573 1

573

Section

573

Officers

597

Public

Utilities

596

Schools 672 1

1

536

Soldiers, Old, in the County

652

Streams

535

Suhm, Josef von Willemoes 682

Superintendent of Schools 1 540

Supervisors, Boards of 1

541

Supervisors, First 540 1 1 1 1 1

Surgical Cases

1

1 1

1

1 1 536

Surveyors, County

T

Taxation of Railroad Land 542

Topography

535

Tower, Joseph P. 574

Town, the First 537

Towns 593

Trails, Early 537 1

Transportation

677

1

Treasurers, County

540

Treasury, Looting of County 539

1 1

1

1

1

1

1

601

Location

1 601

Officers

603

Ocheyedan Township F

572

1

1 1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I I

1

1

1

1

I

1 1

1

1 630

Survey by Jefferson Davis 1

540

1

I

Improvements

611,

615

Churches I 1

601

Business Concerns 1 1

O

Ocheyedan 601

Beginning 601

1

Drainage

Section

6

1

L

Sioux City Attorneys 650 1 1

Soil

1

I

Section 34

1

1

Preaching Service, First

606

Presbyterian Churches

616

V

Veterans of the Civil War

Viola Township

Churches

Schools

Section

Section 10

Section 12

Section 14

Section 20 Section 18

Section 22

Section 24

Section 26

Section 28

Section 29

Section 30

Section 32

Section 33

Section 34

Section 36

580

622

580

580

581

581

582

582

582

582

582

583

652

576

621

670

576

576

576

577

577

577

577

578

578

578

578

579

579

579

579

579

580

West Holman Township

Churches

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section

Section 10

Section 11

1

2

4

5

6

7

8

9

1

1

L

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

J

1

1 1

1 I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

W

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

J

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

Section 36

Wilson Township

Schools

Section

Section 10

Section 12

Section 14

Section 18

Section 20

Section 22

Section 24

Section 26

Section 28

Section 30

Section 32

Section 34

Section 36

Section 13 Section 12

Section 14

Section 15

Section 16

Section 18

Section 19

Section 20

Section 22

Section 23

Section 24

Section 26

Section 28

Section 29

Section 30

Section 31

Section 32

Section 34

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

L

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

I

I

I

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

590

590

590

590

590

590

590

591

591

591

591

591

591

583

584

584

584

585

585

585

585

586

586

586

587

587

587

587

587

587

588

588

589

589 592, 670

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

IT

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

J

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

I

1

8

Settlement

580,

HISTORICAL INDEX.

West Holman Township-Continued.

1

1

1

1

1

/

I

8

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX

A

Adams, Lincoln 1194

Adkins, John V. 837

Agar, Albert H. 1047 1 1

Brahan, William

977

Braig, Anthony J.

1001

Brandt, Jacob, Jr.

1185

Briggs, Charles W. 822

Briggs, James C.

1052

Briggs, William 1 721 I 1 1 I

Brock, Andrew J.

1243

Brock, Walter R., M. D. 1

I 867

Broders, Ernest F. 789 1 1 1 1

1 Brosh, James 1082 1 1 1 1

1 Brown, William H. 773 1 1 1

1 1 1 1 Brundage, John R. 1314 1 1

1022

Bunce, Wayland M. 1086

Bunker, Ernest A. 1234

Burlet, Willard A. 792

Burley, Victor A.

1235

Burns, Charles

883

Burns, John H.

938

Byers, David

941

Bysom, Daniel

1096

C

Cain, William 1106

Cajacob, Platcy A. 890

Callenius, Otto 1108

1 Campbell, James S. 826

Cannon, Charles C. 1004

Clark, Charles S. 1116

Clarksean, Charlie 945

Claussen, Ernst J. 1226

Cleaveland, Ezra D. 1219

Clements, Isaac 784

Closson, Richard 1237

Boyce, Samuel 1

1042

Boyd, Richard M. 860

Boyd, Robert W. 980

Brackney, Herman J., M. D. 869

Bradrick, Sidney I. 1193

Brady, Albert V. 986

Brady, Ezra M. 986

Alexander, Thomas

J

1241

1

Aldinger, John

732

1

Aldinger, Lester T.

734

Algyer, David 1290

Appleton, Charles E. 1144

Archer, John H. 1260

Armstrong, Hon. William S. 874

Attig, Christ

1176

Attig, Fred

1195

Aupperle, Dr. George A. 1061 I 1

Avery, Milo, M. D. 760 1 1

B

Babcock, Charles A. 1270

Ballou, Nathaniel 1262

Bangert, Henry L. 1200

Bark, Tom B. 1159 1 1 1

1 1 Beebe, William W. 1114 1 1 J 1

1 Beers, Bessie J. 889 1

1 Berne, Thomas 919 1

Bidwell, Francis L. 1202 1 1

1 Billingsly, James J. 743 I 1

1 E Bishop, John F. 901 1

Blaesser, Walter A. 1000

Blahauvietz, John 1

982

1 Blake, George G. 808 1

Bloes, Nick 904 1 I 1 1

Bobzine, John 1

1053

Bock, Adolplı

1 I 995

Boies, Hon. William D. 1

I 1 1 1 1 746

Bonderman, Warner W. 1

1

1 I

1 1 1

1127

1 Bonner, William 1

881

Boor, Nicholas 1 1

946

Bossert, John P.

1016

1

1

Coleman, George 788

Conn, James 1252

Cooper, Jolın 1162

Cooper, Rev. Leonard J. 1010

I I

1

I

1

1 1 1

1

1

Brundage, Selonious

1

1

I

I

1

1 1

1

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Corns, Thomas M. 937

Cowan, John 998

Cram, Frederick W., M. D. 1 1 1

848

Cronin, Dennis E. 1

1168

Crum, Roy R.

1024

Culver, Andrew 1

806

I Cutsinger, James I I 1

1 1066

Gardner, John 1112

Gaster, Ed

742

Geister, Albert G. 1079

Geister, Henry W. 777

Geister. Joseph

1118

Gere, Capt. Francis A. 770

Gilkinson, Alexander 1198

Gill, Joseph

780

Glover, John F. 954

Gole, Menno S. 1201

Gosch, Adolph

1056

Grant, Alexander 961

Graves, William 1184

Green, William C. 1245

Grending, Frederick

1124

Guhl, Fred

1039

H

Hain, Foster 1034

Hakeman, George

972

Hamilton, George 1232

Hand, William C., M. D. 1018

Hanon, John C. 841

Harding. Orlando B. 753

Harker, William 1253

Harris, George W. 1248

Harvey, Mahlon 1148

Hass, Henry C. 1197

Hastings, John A. 1014

Heatherington, Rev. M. J. 1300

Helmer, E. L. 922

Henderson, Humphrey 1205

Hendrick, Harry H. 1068

Herrick, Frank L.

733

Hickey, Martin

1 975

Hickey, Peter

1 1318 1

L 1 1 I Hickok, J. W. 839 A

Hill, Reuben W. 1311

Hinman, Hon. John F. 1

1

1

800

Hinman, Ralph T. 1

1 726

Hinz, Fritz 1 I 812

1 Hodapp, Michael 1111 I

Hoeven, Andrew

1

1

952

1

1

D

Daly, James H. 864

Day, Harley 1240

Dean, Herbert E. 1221 1 1

Delan, John J. 987

Den Beste, Josephi

1134

Denny, Michael

959

1 1 1 Derby, Frank N. 1017

Dewey, James T. 804

834

1 Doolittle, Hezekiah G. 853 1 1 1

Dougherty, Patrick J. 973 !

Dornbusch, Ina 1021

Downing, William H.

778

Draper, Merriett S. 1077

Dries, Anton 1175

Dummett, William H. 1090

Dunkelmann, Henry 1191

E

Egdorf, William 1057

Eichner, Julius F. 923

Elliott, William B. 947

Ely, Willianı E., M. D. 1216

Emery, A. J. W. 1088

Engelke, John 1308 1 1

Epping, Henry 1 1 1

1242

Evans, Oliver

935

Ewoldt, Hugo

1 925

F

Farnsworth, Thomas 1074

Farquharson, Charles 1170

Fillenwarth, Arthur T. 1 1

850

Finch, Mellville D. I 1

1136

1 Fiinder, Samuel C. 1

1071

Fogle, John H. 957 1 1 I

Foote, Charles E. 1

818

Foskett, Elmer C. 1

1132

1

I

1

1 Frey, Otto J. 1231

Friedrichsen, William

1092

Frisbee, Frank 832

Frisbee, Fred 1140 1

Fruhling, Rohlf

1

I

1

1209

1

1

1

1

1 1 1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1

1 1 1

1

3

1

1

1

1

Diamond, Tobias E. 1

G

1

1

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Hoffmann, Rev. John P. 761

Hoke, Joseph 1295

Horton, Frank W., M. D. 866

Hough, Frank S., M. D. 749

Hughes, N. I. 1256

Hulser, Frank W. 1154

I

Ihle, Charles E.

1272

Irvine, John H. 1104

J

Jackson, W. C. 1229

Jacobson, Jacob 1277 1 1

Jepsen, John W. 966 1 1 1 I

Jinkinson, William 903 I F 1

Johnson, John A. 754 1 1 1 1

Jones, Benjamin 1210 I 1

1 Jones, George L. 1030

1 Jones, Martin 1303

Jones, Robert P.

962

Jossem, John T. 1009

K

Kas, Thomas D., M. D. 769

Kelley, Patrick 872

Kenderdine, Dr. William H. 1028

Kennedy, Frank E. 844

Killmer, Henry J.

942

King, Roy H. 896

Kirchhof, Otto T

989

Knaack, G. E. 1002

Kopp, August 1100

Kundel, John 1186

L

Lange, John 1307

Lemke, William 912

Lewis, C. W. 811

Lighter, Omer L.

967

I Linsday, James B. 882

Linquist, Sam

908

Locke, Roscoe J.

842

Logan, Scott

1301

Loger, William

1161

Longshore, Channing, M. D.

1164

Mc

McBride, Arthur W.

997

McCallum, A. W.

776

McCandless, John 718

McClellan, Elbert 1139

McCormack, Rev. James 906

McCracken, Edwin W. 992

McDougall, Charles M. 1181

McElwain, Lee 1129

McFarland, Mrs. Addie C. 1083

McFarland, Elmer 991

McKenna, George

1255

McNeill, J. H.

870

M

Macomb, John, Jr. 1276

Mann, Edward 1054 t

1 1

Mann, Thomas E. 1075 I

1 I

928

1 Martin, Alexander L. 1103 1 1 1 1

Martin, Scott 1150 1 1 1

Mateer, Robert A. 1143 1

Mathern, John W. I

1

1 1278 1

May, Harry C.

724

Mayne, Edward A. 873

Maytum, Dr. Burlington J

1

1126

Meier, Ernst 1317 1

I Meltvedt, Chris 1006 I 1 1

Messer, Edwin P. 1258 1

Metcalf, Wilbert C. 1

1122

Metz, Oliver A.

815

Meyer, Albert H. 1130 1

Meyer, C. F. 1130

Miller, Sumner F. 1073 1 t

Miller, William J.

730

Montzheimer, Otto H.

I

722

1

1

Moorhead, Robert J.

1029

I

1

Morton, Alfred

830

1

1

Mullin, Michael P.

1

1046

Murphy, James B.

1035

N

Nelson, George W. 828

Neuman, John J. 976

Noehren, W. H. 1250

Nott, Fred

1049

Noyes, William H. 1

1

1

1023

0

O'Donnell, John J.

907

O'Donnell, John F.

1043

1

1

1 1

Mansmith, John C. 1

1

1

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Olson, Ben 930

Olson, Ole F. 968

Osgood, Wilbur J. 1178

Overholser, Willis W. 795

Ruther, H. Theodore

1008

Ruwe, Louis

1032

S

Sands, John A. 1174

Saupe, Bruno

1085

Saupe, Otto

894

Schaap, Clarence C.

909

Schaefer, Louis B. 1286 1 1

Schneider, Arthur H. 1218 1 I

Schnurr, Berth 1206

Schoelerman, William H. 1

1

1050

Schubert, Lorenz 951

Schuknecht, Fred 1297 1 1 1

Schultz, Albert H. 1156

1 Scott, Henry P. 1064 1

1 Shea, Mart 1225

1 Shearer, Archibald 1093 1

Shearer, Mrs. Sarah 1

I

1

1

I

1033

Putnam, Denison C. 1

1

Q

Quilleash, Thomas A.

1171

R

Ralston, Weston D. 1011

Randall, Andrew V. S. 1267

Raymond, Ross L. 1060

Reader, George I .. 1183

949

Redmond, Patrick

813

Smith, John J. 1153

Smith, William M. 1281

Snider, John 1098

791

Remibe, Fred 1238 1

745

Solon, Anthony W.

994

Rerick, Isaac L.

736

Solon, Will A. 858

Soop, Ira 879

Stage, Theodore J. 845

Stamp, Joseph B. 762

Stearns, Mrs. Evelyn (Pease) 766

Stearns, Dr. Pleasant S. 1040

Steelsmith, Daniel C., M. D. 1188

Steinbeck, John 955

Stoelting, Alfred A. 1138

Strampe, Fred 1313

Roth, W. M.

1274

1 Strampe, Henry 1 1289

Royce. ('larence }].

753

Strampe, William 1283

Runyan, Harmon H.

1215

Str it, John

751

1

970

Silverthorn, Isaac M.

931

Sims, William A.

1 911

Sleeper, William H. 859 I 1

Slick & McFarland 990

1 Slick, John N. 990

Smith, Daniel A. 1109

Smith, George W.

1263

Redmond, Thomas S.

786

Reifsteck, Charles F.

1037

Reifsteck, George

1037

Sokol, George F.

Sollitt, J. E. 1172

Rhodes, Rev. Bert J. 1285

Richards, Prof. Edward E. 836

Richards, Homer E. 765

Richter, Conrad 1296

Robertson, Robert J.

1180

Roland, Edward E. 1

1288

Romey, Albert

738

Romey, George A.

1207

Roth, Joseph

1

1

1 1

1

1 1

1304

1

1

1 Protextor, John 984 1 1 1

943

Sheldon, Joseph O. 1

1

1

933

1 1 Shell, Levi 914

Shinski, Joseph 802 1 1

Shumway, David F. 1094

Shuttleworth, W. D.

1 1093 1

Sheldon, Daniel M. 1

1

1

715

Peisley, Patrick L. 978

Peters, Charles F. 863 1 L 1

Peters, Edo

1316

Phelps, Spencer A.

1

1

1 1 1

882

Philby, Enoch

1

1 1 1

1190

Phinney, George F. I I

1

1

740

1 1 Pingel, Adolph 1166

Protextor, George W. 1

1293

P

Patch, Frank 887

Patch, Freeman R. 797

Peck, J. L. E.

1

Rector, George E.

Rerick, Henry

BIOGRAPHICAL INDEX.

Sweeney, James F.

1305

Weal, John 1025

Webster, Benjamin F. 1291

Webster, James S. 917

Weinke, Albert H. 983

Whitney, David. 1265

Tagge, Albert 921

Taylor, E. M. 820 1 1 1

Thatcher, William J. E. 1 1

757

Thietje, John

1045

Tierney, Frank W. 1151 1 1 1

Tow, Severt L. 1280 1 1

Townsend, James E. 1

728

Trainer, Dr. M. M. 798 1 1 1

Turnbull, William W. 1 I 1

816

V

Van Epps, Cornelius V. 824

Vogel, William C.

927

Vos, Garrett 1310

Voss, William T. F. K.

1062

Y

Young, Ruben W.

1146

Youngers, Louis

856

Yungbluth, Michael

1070

Z

Zahn, Henry

1065

Waterhouse, George W.

1080

Zimmerman, Theodore

878

1

1

1

1222

Woods, William H. I

I

1

1

1

1 1222

Wright, Edgar

1

1

I

1

969

W

Wagner, William 958

Walter, George W. 1058

Ward, George W. 794

Ward, John C. 1227

Wassman, Herman 1299

1 1 1

1 1

1 1

Winkler, Frank P., M. D. 810

Winterfield, A. C. 851

Wolf, Henry 1158

Wolf, Jacob H.

898

Wolf, John

1101

Wollenberg, Louis

1019

Woodman, Lewis 1026 I I I

Woods, Paul C. 885 E 1 1

Woods, Mrs. Roma W. 1

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Swensen, Peter

892

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Wiechner, Theodore 1013

Wilkinson, Noah C. 1120

Williams, Henry L. 781

Wilson, Lyman F. 964

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HISTORY OF O'BRIEN COUNTY

CHAPTER I.

THE PIONEER OF O'BRIEN COUNTY.

He came, he saw, he toughed it through, He roamed the prairie wild, He plucked the wild sweet williams rare, This early roving child.

He broke the sod, he twisted hay, He lingered through those years; Grasshoppers were the reapers then, His children oft in tears.

He fought with debts, chewed rosin gum; His wife built chicken coops, And from the tumble weeds she made Those dainty ox-tail soups.

The homestead shanty was his home, For beast a grass-thatched barn, And yet to him 'twas "Home, Sweet Home," Where wife his socks did darn.

He had no coal, he had no wood, For fuel he burned hay, And when the hay gave out he burned Machine notes he did pay.

The skies cleared off and land went up, The sun shone on this spot; When the discovery was made, 'Twas Eden's garden lot.

The railroad engine screeched and blew, And yelled, "Where is that town?" That town sprang up while it passed through And held that railroad down.

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O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

The elm, and ash, and maple twigs, They grew, and grew, and grew,

For wind breaks, groves, and park and shade, When wind it blew and blew.

The modern house and barn were built, The auto hove in sight, And then the pioneer was glad He'd fit that scrappy fight.

Now when, at last, at heaven's gate, You seek that heavenly rest,

Of all that's good and great and grand, Iowa boasts the best.

When for this best the state you roam, 'Mong Iowa's ninety and nine, Just keep your eyes a squintin', 'cause O'Brien's down the line.

Four townships long, four townships wide, On smooth and level land, Just four and twenty miles each way, You'll see a sight that's grand.

THE CREATIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE PERIODS.

The creative becomes historic. The administrative becomes merely com- monplace. God created the world. It was historic. It was creative. It was distinctly pioneer. The pioneer makes history. The tilling of the soil is merely administrative.

Columbus crossed the ocean and discovered America. That was historic. In thousands we cross the ocean as the administrative part of business and tourist life. The building of the Panama canal is creative. The thousands of ships will pass through its channel as part of the world's administrative progress. Whitney constructing his cotton gin and Fulton building his steam- boat were events, but we continue to spin cotton with a million spindles and run our ships in daily commonplace.

When the Legislature of Iowa, in 1850, enacted the word "O'Brien" into a statute, by naming this particular twenty-four miles square "O'Brien," it wrote down an historic event for this county. The officials in the court house will continue to write the same name for the years to come into the records as mere administrative business. The United States issues its patent to a tract of land to the old homesteader. It is only done once. It is a creative event to that title. The mere deeds and sales and use of that land thereafter is but the formal administrative handing down of the original historic title.

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O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

The platting of a town on the record, or the vote by the people for its incor- poration, is done but once. It is creative. The later living in or sale of parts of lots in that town belongs to the usual every-day item. The building of a railroad is usually done but once. The daily train traffic thereon for the years is but the daily ordeal of travel. The time of our birth, our birth day. is our creative period. The date is historic to us. The birth of a county is in its beginning. Then it was created. The later people administer upon its effects. The selling of our school lands by its first county auditor's certifi- cates, or contracts, was creative. The loaning of the proceeds of these lands on school loans is administrative. The first laying out or establishment of our highways on the wild prairie was creative. We continue to ride in automo- biles over these roads, in grim defiance and certain risk of our lives at fifty miles per hour as merely administrative, when in truth the administrator is called in. When the squatter squatted his squat, he got title by jumping first into possession. It was a decisive first historic act. The living on the land by himself and his children, though enjoyable, becomes the daily routine. The pioneer broke the first unsubdued prairie sod. It needed to be done but once. It was among the first things. It created the wild prairie into a farm. Later on in years it became simply spring plowing. Our public parks are laid out by the pioneer. We plant a tree or a grove. This is creative. We sit beneath its shade. That is but the administrative part of our laziness. The condemnation of the acre for the school site belonged to the pioneer in the main. It was historic in the community. Thereafter the children simply came to school at nine o'clock in the morning. The building of the old home- stead shanty and proving up marked a period, as likewise the building of the new modern house, but the living in same was for the every day.

The original building of the Big Four mills at Sheldon was historic. The people will continue to consume the thousands of barrels of flour ( "Prairie Queen") as administrative, "Give us this day our daily bread." The erection of the round house and shops at Sanborn was an important event both for the town and county. Its engines and trains are sent out in dispatch as daily oc- currences. The putting up of the soldiers' monument at Hartley in 1891 was itself historic, as likewise was it representative of a great national historic drama. Its people will continue to learn the daily administrative lesson of patriotism and reverence for that which is brave and heroic each day as the years go by. The first establishment of the county fair at Sutherland was creative and historic. Under the statute providing for it there can be but one association. Its annual fairs, however. will be but administrative. The en-

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O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, IOWA.

dowment of the public library at Paullina by Frederick G. Frothingham and the construction of its electroliers and electric plant were historic events in the town. The reading of those library books by the light from those electric lights will be a part of the routine of town life.

Other new things will occur as time moves. The pioneer will continue his work in new fields. For instance, perhaps we will yet do the further historic acts of building during the hundred years to come what will be equal to the cement highway, the Roman or Appian Way, if you please, for the automobile across the country and O'Brien county. All else will follow suit.

Let us continue the work of the pioneer, and make our bow, and take off our hat in reverence both to the past and coming pioneer. Let us honor the historic and creative, that we may the better enjoy the administrative. It is the creative and historic which keeps active the memory cells in our brains.

"We linger still in memorie's cell.

Engraven on our hearts."

NAMING OF COUNTY AFTER WILLIAM SMITH O'BRIEN.

The Iowa state Legislature, at its session of 1850, in one law, in a sort of husking bee as it were, named fifty of the ninety-nine counties in one enact- ment. O'Brien county was christened with good Irish water from the River Boyne itself. At least that was the sentiment. It was the argument in the Legislature to have represented in these names as many different ideas and nationalities as possible, from the Indian names of Winneshiek. Poweshiek and Sac, to the patriotic names of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Clay, Webster and Polk, to the final awarding of three names of the sons of Erin, to that prince of Irish orators, Robert Emmett, to John Mitchell and then to our own Irishman, William Smith O'Brien, after whom the county was named.

William Smith O'Brien was born in 1803 and died in 1864, and was an educated man as well as a man of ability. He was an Irish politician. He was educated at Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, in England. He entered the English Parliament in 1828. In 1835 he was returned from the county of Limerick and for several years strongly advocated the claims of Ireland to a strictly equal justice with England, in legislative as well as in executive measures. Professing his inability to effect this in the United Legislature, and having been committed to prison for refusing to serve on committees by the speaker's orders. he withdrew from attendance in Parlia-

O'BRIEN AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES, 10WA.

ment in 1841, and joined that great Irish patriot, Daniel O'Connell, in the agitation for the repeal of the legislative union between England and Ireland. In the progress of that agitation our William Smith O'Brien sided with the party known as "Young Ireland." In other words, he was one of the "Young Turks," or incorrigibles or unconquered. In 1848, when that excitement re- sulted in a call to arms, he took part in an attempted rebellion in the south of Ireland. He was arrested, convicted and sentenced to death. The sentence, however, was commuted to transportation for life. He, with other political offenders, was exiled to Tasmania, an obscure English colony, but years later was allowed to return.

It can thus be seen that Irishman William Smith O'Brien was no small man, a man worthy of a cause championed by the great Daniel O'Connell and found fighting side by side with such men as Robert Emmett and John Mit- chell. The citizens of the county have no reason to be ashamed of William Smith O'Brien or of the name. He was considered by the editors of the "International Cyclopaedia" of sufficient world-wide celebrity to entitle him to a half column write-up in that great compendium of the world's great men and events.

IN THE BEGINNING.

In the beginning, while northwestern Iowa was still nine-tenths raw prairie, with scarcely a tree; with angling roads, running with the ridges of land; with waving prairie grass from ten inches to four feet in height, and with all surrounding things apparently without form and void, O'Brien county was created or rather carved out of Woodbury. Woodbury county, or Wah- kaw county, as it was first called, was thus the mother hive from which swarmed eleven counties, Woodbury, Ida, Sac, Buena Vista, Cherokee, Ply- mouth, Sioux, Osceola, Lyon, Buncomb ( name later changed ) and O'Brien. Woodbury county, thus included, was first named Wahkaw county, as re- corded in chapter nine, section twenty-seven, proceedings of the third Gen- eral Assembly of Iowa, in 1851. The following. or fourth, General Assem- bly (chapter eight), by an act approved January 12, 1853, which was en- titled "An Act Organizing Counties therein named," in its fourteenth section provided that those eleven districts should be known as Wahkaw county for the purpose of collecting taxes and holding elections and courts and ordering that the then organizing sheriff could call elections at Sargent's Bluffs and such other places as he might designate. This same fourth General Assembly (chapter twelve) passed another act entitled "An Act in Relation to New Counties," on the same date, January 12, 1853, providing a method whereby

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