USA > Iowa > Shelby County > Past and present of Shelby County, Iowa, Vol. 2 > Part 2
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On June 20th the cornerstone was laid with pomp and ceremony, sur- rounded by a concourse of happy and delighted people. The feast of the Assumption. August 15th, being a holiday of obligation, the men started busily at work. When they were informed that they would not be allowed to work on that day they objected and when told that under no consideration would they be allowed to continue, they ad- journed to a nearby hall. celebrated. had some words and refused to resume , work for a few days, until the contractor came to straighten out matters. As the building was going up nicely and nearing completion, the ladies of the parish donated ten dollars each for a main altar, different families donated the cathedral glass windows, others the stations of the cross, communion rail. confessional and other necessaries. The Kenkel family donated the pulpit in memory of their parents. Whilst the scaffolding for plastering was still in also to Mathias Schnell for four hundred dollars. It was plainly stated in the specifications, that the brickwork called for red brick of an even color position, it was deemed a wise investment to let the frescoing and painting and that there were to be no charges for extras, unless they were made in writing. Both of these items caused some argument before a full and com-
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plete settlement was made, but since the specifications were so clear, the church was built and settled for without serious difficulty. All was in readi- ness and December 13, 1892, was the day on which it was happily dedicated under the patronage of St. Joseph.
A small reed organ was insufficient to fill the new church. The choir was anxious for a large pipe organ, so after a few years' rest the pastor again gathered subscriptions for this improvement. There were a very few who did hate to see the pastor coming for subscriptions, even as the devil hateth holy water, but after the improvement had been made and their subscription settled, they felt like a mother, who. "remembereth no longer the anguish. for joy that a man is born into the world." A pipe organ was purchased for one thousand and fifty dollars, which has given splendid satisfaction.
Fourteen years the good sisters had been living in the commodious apart- ments of the school house, and it was time something be done for their com- fort. The parsonage was small for gatherings on divers occasions, so the building committee agreed that the parsonage should be changed to a sisters' convent, and a new parsonage built on the west side of the church. The pastor again solicited the subscriptions and the contract for the present ele- gant building was let to home talent.
The Earling German Cornet Band was organized in the early days of the parish, under the direction of John Langenfeld. They have held splen- didly together and have at all times cheerfully lent their assistance for the temporal and spiritual uplift of the parish.
When the congregation was free of debt. the health of the pastor, which had been seriously impaired by hard work during his seminary course, broke down, so that he was unable to continue his parish duties : therefore, June 27, 1913, his bishop, the Rt. Rev. Austin Dowling. made the Rev. Joseph B. Hum- mert rector emeritus of his parish, and he is now spending his days in southern California, awaiting with pleasure the time when he shall be laid . to rest beside his children in St. Joseph's cemetery. Farling. Iowa.
ON THE PURPOSE OF THE KNIGHTS OF COLUMBUS AND FRATERNAL' SOCIETIES.
Rev. Father Hummert, during his long and very active pastorate in Shelby county, entered heartily into the social life of his people and was and is greatly beloved by them. In view of the fact that there has lately been established at Earling, Iowa, a local council of the Knights of Columbus, the following letter, written to and concerning members of this organiza-
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tion, by Rev. Father Hummert, is of much interest and throws much light upon the faith of this priest in democracy and in his church :
"Before joining the organization of the Knights of Columbus, I often reflected, and argued with friends, what might be the real purpose of this new order. After joining I was still in a quandary, and set about to study, what should be the purpose, and give what few ideas presented themselves for publication. Every organization that wishes to last must have some real live purpose, otherwise its members, after their curiosity has been satisfied, and the novelty worn off. will gradually drop, especially if there is much expense to the society.
"The church is a society and has been established by its Divine Founder to save souls. How well it has been true to its purpose, and the success it has achieved in its efforts, is clearly shown in its glorious history of the last nineteen centuries. Other societies are organized for fun and amusements, and others for business. Labor unions are organized to protect the various interests of the different classes of laboring men. Some societies are organ- ized to rule and govern the affairs of the world, and they generally keep all their doings very secret. They aim to rule and control the governments of the different countries, and to enable them to do so, they try to get control of the power of the daily press. When they have the power of the press. it becomes easy for them to manage the votes of the people, and to hold their representatives in office. They hold their members together, and manage to control one party.
"The church derives its strength from the middle class. The laboring and small business men with their families fill the pews of our churches at divine service. The church is democratic. Its Founder was democratic, because He chose to be born in the stable of Bethlehem. He said, I sympa- thize with the multitude, they followed Him, and for them He performed various miracles. The kingdom of Heaven, He compared to a vineyard. whose laborers filled its realms. It was from the laboring class that the Divine Saviour selected His apostles, the pillars of His church. To the cap- tains of industry and trust magnates. He said, that it was easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle. than for them to enter the kingdom of Heaven. Every Christian should be a democrat, because Christ was demo- cratic.
"When our beloved country was in its infancy, most of its people be- lieved in democratic principles, and men, who believed in these principles, like Washington. Adams and Jefferson, were the leaders and rulers of our Union.
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"It is the power of the press that divides the middle class into different parties, like democrats, social democrats, populists, etc., and by dividing them they manage to keep their own party in power. Laboring and small business men, who are at their work, day after day, from morn to sunset, are easily misled by newspapers with wrong principles. Even the higherups in our churches and professional men, who are democratic in sympathy are often misled by continuous reading of an inimical press.
"What we need in this church today is newspapers, daily papers, that have at heart the interests of our Christian middle class, and will hold this class together in one party, and give them the daily news, that is for their interest and benefit. Official weeklies, that sail under the banner of faith, are more or less deficient, because every family wants a daily paper. There is hardly a doubt that most of our city dailies are in the hands of capitalists, and that they labor more for that party that is controlled by capitalists, and that most of them are owned and controlled by men, who are more in sym- pathy with societies, and themselves belong to societies, that are inimical to the society founded by our Divine Lord.
"Would it then not be a noble purpose for the Knights of Columbus or any fraternal society, to use all their efforts and power to have in every city. where there is a council, a daily newspaper, whose principal aim and ambi- tion it is to hold the middle class together in one party, so they would have strength to keep men in office, who would be good Christian men, and al- ways have the interests of the Christian laboring men at heart.
"This class of papers is sadly needed in our country today. If the Knights of Columbus, and every fraternal society, would take up this pur- pose, and drill it into their members at all their meetings, then the Knights of Columbus would have a purpose, and no doubt be able to do an immense amount of good. Would that every council in this, our glorious country, would take up this subject and debate it over from start to finish. What the Knights of Columbus need, as well as every fraternal society, is a real live purpose to work for. Do not be asleep, you are dying whilst you are sleeping.
"REV. JOSEPH B. HUMMERT.
"St. Joseph's Sanitarium, February, 1912."
CATHOLIC CHURCHI AT PORTSMOUTHI.
The first Catholic church to be erected in the vicinity of Portsmouth, was built in ISSI, two miles east of the town. This building was moved
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St. Joseph's Catholic Church and Parsonage, Earling. Catholic Parochial School, Westphalia.
Catholic Church, Panama.
St. Boniface's Catholic Church, Westphalia. Catholic Church, Portsmouth. Catholic Church, Defiauce.
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to Portsmouth in 1884. and the church established there in the same year. The dimensions of the present church building are ninety-five by forty-five feet. The height of the church spire is one hundred and twenty-five feet. The first priest of the parish was Father J. B. Hummert. The priests who succeeded him, in order, were: J. B. Wilhelm. H. Grothe, F. W. Hopp- mann, S. F. Wieland. . \. J. Dreseler, J. J. Moran, and Julius Failenschmid, who is the present priest of the parish. The church at present has a mem- bership of seven hundred two. A parochial school was established in 1894, a cut of the fine building in which it is conducted appearing elsewhere in this work. The present attendance of the parochial school is one hundred five. Its first teachers were the Franciscan Sisters of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The present teachers are the Benedictine Sisters of Atchison, Kansas. The parish of Portsmouth was formerly attended by the priests from Neola and Westphalia.
HARLAN.
The Catholic church at Harlan was established under the direction and care of Rev. P. Brommenschenkel. of Westphalia. The church at present has a membership including about thirty families, and is cared for as a mis- sion by Rev. H. Albers, stationed at Avoca. Among the families who have been members of this church for many years are those of E. M. Hertert. Jo- seph F. Beh, Charles Book. Henry Lamm, P. Heintz, and others. The con- gregation owns an adequate church building and a good parsonage. The first resident priest was Rev. Tyske. Other resident priests were Rev. Stalil and Rev. C. V. Burkheiser, now of Defiance. Other priests who have served the mission from Avoca, were Reverends McAllister and Hansen.
DEFIANCE.
. The Catholic church at Defiance. under the present pastorate of Rev. C. V. Burkheiser, has a large congregation and is in a prosperous condition. The early history of this church is set forth in other articles appearing else- where in this work, dealing with the various Catholic missions and churches of Shelby county.
WESTPHALIA.
The history of the parent Catholic church at Westphalia has been well set forth in the article and the reminiscences of Rev. P. Brommenschenkel, the present pioneer priest of the parish, which recollections appear elsewhere herein.
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CHAPTER XVIII.
EDUCATION.
EARLIEST SCHOOL HOUSES IN SHELBY COUNTY.
A reference to the public land records in the office of the recorder reveals the fact that on May 16, 1859. A. Rubendall, of Cuppy's Grove, con- veyed to the district township of Rounds, for school purposes, a tract of one- half acre of land lying forty rods north of the southeast corner of the south- west quarter of the southeast quarter of section 7, in what is now Monroe township. This land lay on the south side of Cuppy's Grove. Tradition records that, at a very early date, probably immediately following this deed, a brick school house was erected on the Rubendall land in the south part of the grove. It was known as the Rubendall school house. It stood perhaps about forty rods north of where the present Danish Baptist church stands. So far as the records show, this was the earliest conveyance in Shelby county for the purpose of furnishing a school house site.
It was not until many years later that the north side of Cuppy's Grove had a school house. On September 12, 1865, however. Adam Cuppy leased to W. J. Johnston. sub-director of district No. I, for twenty years or as long as used for school purposes, eighty square rods of land in the northeast corner of section 7. in what was then Fairview township, but is now Monroe. The first school house built on this site was of brick, but was followed by a frame school house, which yet stands on the site north of the old Johnston home, now occupied by Mrs. Jesse Scott, formerly Mrs. L. N. Rogers.
The next earliest conveyance of this character was a deed by James M. Long, conveying to the district township of Rounds, November 21, 1859, lots 5 and 6 in block 44 of Long's First Addition to Harlan, Iowa. This location was on the south side of what is now Market street, on the corner opposite the creamery building, and was where the house of Jacob Brodersen now stands. On this site. probably shortly following the date of the above conveyance, there was erected a brick school house, which served its purpose until the fall of 1872, when a new frame school building was erected on lots I to 5 in block 43 in Long's Addition to Harlan. This conveyance was dated
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October 21, 1872. These lots lay not quite a block east of the first school house site on Market street and on the north side of the street north of the site occupied by the first Methodist Episcopal church in Harlan, which stood where Chris Michaelson now resides. The school house was in the same block with the Methodist church and almost due north.
The settlement at Bowman's Grove had two school houses, one on the south side of the grove and one on the north side, neither of which now remains. On April 27, 1861, James H. Adams leased to the district town- ship of Jackson. for a period of twenty years, a tract of land containing eighty-one square rods, lying in the southwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 6. township 79, range 37, lying twenty-eight rods due east of the southwest corner of this forty. The lease provided that Mr. Adams should be paid at the end of the twenty-year period an annual rent of fifty cents for the term of the lease. This school house stood on land almost opposite the present residence of William Barkman and across the public highway, the land to the east of it being now owned by George Walters, and earlier by Eliab Myers. The other school house was erected during the summer of 1863 on land leased to the district township of Jackson by P. H. Longcor. Mr. Longcor resided on the premises subsequently known as the Caldwell farm, near the farm first owned by Bowman and later by David Barkman. The description of the land is somewhat indefinite, the tract of one-half acre lying "forty rods north of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 7 in Jackson township." It would appear from this description that the school house was not far from the public highway. and probably somewhat south of the edge of the timber, although this author does not know just how far the timber extended at that date. The lease provided for a yearly rent of one cent, payable at the expiration of twenty years, the term covered by the lease.
On May 5, 1860, Henry Custer and Elizabeth Custer, his wife, con- veyed to the district township of Rounds, for school purposes, one acre of land lying forty-five and seventy-eight one hundredths chains west of the east quarter post of section 3. in what is now Fairview township. On this site was erected one of the earliest school houses of the county. This was in the vicinity of the former home of B. C. Custer, and not far from the residence of J. W. McKeig.
Two very early school houses were erected in what is now Center town- ship, one at Simoda, and another on the hill immediately south of the old home of L. D. Sunderland. The author has been told that both of these school houses were of brick.
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By deed dated May 14, 1860, Milton Heath and wife conveyed to the district township of Rounds lot 3 in block 32 of Simoda, for school purposes. The author has been told by one of the pioneers that this school building stood east of the old residence of II. Banghin, and slightly north in what is now a part of the public highway at the turn running east.
The old Latter-Day Saints' log church at Galland's Grove was undoubt- edly the first buikling used for school purposes in Shelby county. since it was erected about 1855. and was at once used. not only for church services. but as a school house. One of the earliest schools in the county was located on lot 7 of block 6 in the village of Manteno. in Grove township, the site having been conveyed to the district township of Galland's Grove by William W. Reed on January 5, 1861. Very early school houses in Fairview town- ship were built on land conveyed to the district township of Fairview by Joseph A. Bunnell. December 19, 1863. and on land conveyed by B. and T. J. Tague to the same township October 25, 1865.
Another early Grove township school was erected on the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of section 28 in this township. the site therefor being conveyed by Willson Keairnes Novem- ber 10, 1865.
SCHOOLS AND SCHOOL TEACHERS.
Almost as soon as the pioneers had established humble homes for them- selves, they began to consider the establishment of schools for their children and the building of school houses. The first school maintained was undoubt- edly that in the Latter-Day Saints' church, which was built in Galland's Grove about 1855. The first school house was probably the Rubendall school house at Cuppy's Grove. In other parts of the county school houses were erected and sometimes schools were maintained for a few months in private homes. For instance, the first school in Shelby township was taught in the residence of C. J. MeLaughlin. one of the very earliest pioneers of the township. This school was taught by a son of Mr. MeLaughlin. The first school taught in the southwest part of Jackson township was in the residence of J. D. Lorent- zen about 1878 by 1. W. Beems, now a resident of Harlan.
For many years following 1870, and. of course, to some extent prior to that time, a majority of the schools were taught by young men, many of whom took this means of maintaining themselves while paying for raw land which they had bought. or for the purpose of etsablishing themselves in somne line of business. or preparatory to the pursuit of either the profession of law or that of medicine. but there were also many young women who had
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the endurance and courage to make long walks during the rigorous winters to teach country schools. The pluck and determination of these young women, and the faithful work done by them in the school rooms of which they had charge, might well form an interesting chapter in the history of Shelby county education.
In the Manteno items of the Ilarlan Herald, under date of March 15. 1877, it appears that a young lady named Miss Flora McGarvey was then teaching in Grove township and had ideas much in advance of her time. She seems to have encouraged manual training with very successful results. I quote: "Miss McGarvey's industrial exposition was held at her school house last Thursday instead of Wednesday, as we stated in our last issue. While the dinner was being arranged, we examined the contributions-such a variety of carved work, all with cards attached giving the name of the makers: thinking that it would not be amiss. we jotted down a few: John Benjamin, sword, butcher-knife, potato masher; Robert Benjamin. sled ; Frank Tierney, house and barn: Charles Hinkle, house : Frances Roundy. patch work; Austin Burk, butter ladle and ax; Ida McIntosh, doll; Carrie Buck, pin cushion : Jennette and Ida Banghman, work boxes ; Mary Cheney, patch work, picture frames: Sophia Roundy, patch work, pin cushion; Cora McGarvey, pen wiper, pin cushion, doll; Rose Hinkle, pin cushion: Elva Lyons, old man and fiddle. We noticed also a beautiful card basket by Miss McGarvey, artificial flowers by Mrs. Nancy Benjamin. We understand that to Miss McGarvey belongs the honor of holding the first industrial exposition in Shelby county." Certainly this bright young woman had ambition and brains.
One of the earliest school teachers in Shelby county was W. J. Davis. who walked from Harrison county into Shelby county in the sixties, shortly afterwards securing a position as teacher in the newly established school at Simoda. Another early teacher at Simoda was B. I. Kinsey. Another was A. W. Barton, who also taught in the old brick school house near the early home of L. D. Sunderland. Joseph Stiles taught at a very early date in Grove township. Other early teachers were J. H. Louis, Mrs. J. H. Louis, L. S. Tayior, J. V. Brazie, J. W. White, I. W. Beems, J. W. Carter, Rev. J. C. Carter. J. W. Kime of Grove township, W. K. Colburn, J. D. Dunlavy, D. T. Dunlavy, C. F. Swift, Ami Gibbs, John L. Newby. G. E. McMullen. J. C. Kelly, L. O. Hawley, W. J. Wicks, J. W. Miller. J. J. Shepard, Miss Carrie Tonnesen, W. E. Cooper, .\. G. Wolfenbarger, Miss Capitola Will- iams, George Chatburn, O. P. Wyland, H. W. Byers, James R. Hanna, Miss Jessie Cobb, Mrs. C. F. Swift ( Miss Tina Koolbeck ). A. P. Leech, Albert
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Newton, Edward Johnston, Jolin Swenning, Tugene Sullivan, Frank S. Carroll and others.
Among the young women teaching in 1874 in the townships of Clay. Grove, Greeley. Monroe, Washington, Douglas and Jefferson were Laura Lynch. Essie Muck, Adda L. Fraser. Estella Hart, Amanda T. Blaine, Kate Robinson, Adda Hall.
Speaking of the subsequent careers of school teachers, one finds that several of them became county superintendents. That was a rea- sonable and natural promotion. One of the pioneer teachers was A. N. Buckman, afterwards county superintendent, and at present a resident of Wyoming, a former president of the Iowa State Mutual Insurance Com- pany. Another was Hon. J. H. Louis, who afterwards represented Shelby county in the General Assembly. Hon. O. P. Wyland, another state repre- sentative, taught school in Shelby in the late seventies. Hon. H. W. Byers, later speaker of the Iowa House. is another who taught. also George D. Ross, later clerk of the district court. Most of our past county officers were at one time country school teachers, were wielders of the willow. the slippery elin twig. hazel brush and the hitching strap. Several of the young men who taught school in the county became physicians. Perhaps the best known of these is Dr. J. W. Kime. of Fort Dodge, Iowa, formerly of Grove town- ship. a man who has done a great work in educating the people of our state in the proper care and cure of consumptives. Other teachers who became phy- sicians were John M. Wyland. E. A. Moore, Herman Smith, Colfax Smith. Mary Heilesen, F. A. Malick, and perhaps others. Some turned toward the law in later days, and we find in the list Fremont Benjamin, of Council Bluffs; Guy Martin, of Sand Point. Idaho: L. J. Neff. of Walnut; J. B. Shorett. of Seattle, Washington : George A. Luxford, of Denver, Colorado; A. G. Wolfenbarger. of Lincoln. Nebraska : Frank Carroll. of North Dakota ; J. B. Whitney, of Harlan ; also C. H. Whitney, his brother : T. R. Mockler, of Bismarck, North Dakota: Hon. H. W. Byers, and perhaps others. And there are preachers, Rev. Alva W. Taylor, of Columbia, Missouri : Rev. W. P. Canine, of St. Paul, Minnesota : Rev. J. B. Mather, of Denver, Colorado, and others.
COUNTY SUPERINTENDENTS.
Fortunate, too, has the county been in the personnel and practical native ability of the persons who have held the office of county superintendent of schools. Most of the persons who have held the office were equipped with much practical experience in life and were successful, either before assuming
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the superintendeney, or subsequently, in other vocations. Viewed in the strictness of present standards of education, this might be interpreted as an element of weakness, but this author is inclined to view it in connection with the demands of the times as a decided element of strength. Without excep- tion, so far as the author now recalls, incumbents of the office in Shelby county had experience in teaching several terms or years before entering upon the discharge of the duties of county superintendent and were persons of a practical turn of mind. P. C. Truman was one of the earliest bee keepers in Shelby county and carried on the industry very successfully. One of the early county papers contains a series of articles written by him, treating fully of the care of bees. Caleb Smith, formerly of Fairview township, who was appointed county superintendent in the spring of 1871, and elected to the office in the fall of that year for a term of two years, was a native of Snyder county. Pennsylvania, and received his education at the Freebury Academy of that county and at the Union Seminary of Union county, Pennsylvania. He began teaching school at the age of seventeen years. Mr. Smith was subsequently a very successful farmer and stock feeder of Fairview town- ship. At present he is a resident of Avoca and is mayor of that town.
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