USA > Iowa > Winneshiek County > Past and present of Winneshiek county, Iowa; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 24
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The first store was kept by David Bennett. While the flouring business failed with the wheat failure, the mill at Kendallville now owned by W. E. Reuter was doing a large feed grinding business, at times having a steady run night and day .*
At the present time Kendallville has two stores, a blacksmith shop and a creamery. Betsy Peterson keeps a general stock and is postmistress ; J. C. Young carries a stock of cigars, candies, etc., and does a restaurant business; Peter Ellingson is the village smith, and A. J. Hoiness is the creamery man.
Plymouth Rock is no more. Its name clings to the spot where once the mill did a good business, but the town is only a memory.
* Charles Smith now runs the mill. renting from Mr. Reuter.
THE NEW WINNESIHER HOTEL, DECORAH
WATER STREET. DECOR.VI
CHAPTER XXXIV
BURR OAK TOWNSHIP
WV. H. Reed in "Anderson & Goodwin's Atlas." 1905
In 1851 Samuel Belding and his half-brother Wheeler erected the first log hotel, which they soon sold to John Wagoner, and also put up the first black- smith shop with Mr. Belding as our first blacksmith.
This hotel, located just north of the present Central Hotel. was purchased by E. Blackmarr and H. O. Benedict in March. 1856, during which year they built on the south side what is now the office to the Central Hotel, Benjamin Ward and Warner Matteson doing the carpenter work. John Wagoner again came into possession in 1857 and continued the hotel business for a number of years.
Hiram Manning, Sr., built the log house north of the village, later known as the Relihan House, in 1853.
Hiram Willsie and his nephew. John Bigelow, opened the first store, across the street from this hotel, in 1851. Mr. Tinkham soon after opened another, and William Henry Willsie later bought out Wilisie & Bigelow and built the store just south of the Burr Oak Hotel.
The postoffice was established September 6, 1853, with Marshal B. Sherwin postmaster, and Cal. Ferguson the first mail carrier.
In this year we find the names of the families John Stead. George Walker, William Crissie, Clark Wicks, Robert Thompson. Charles Barker. James Fosberg, James Sharp and probably others added to our settlers' list.
It became necessary during this year to select that place in our young village which has become a sacred spot to so many of us, and this site for our beautiful cemetery was furnished by William H. Willsie. Here was first placed at rest the wife of Warren Hardin, who died October 25. 1853. followed a few days later by Suzana Jane, daughter of John and Mary Stead.
In June. 1852. John Cassel. I. Allan Dufield and Harrison Turner came with their families. G. V. Puntney, now living in Cresco at the age of eighty-five, came to this county in 1851. He built the sawmill for Cutler & Beard on the Canoe four miles north of Decorah in what is now Canoe township, completing same in July, 1852. In April of this year he made a claim on what proved to be sections
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31 and 32 in Burr Oak township, when it was surveyed. The state line between Iowa and Minnesota was surveyed and the township run off into sections during this year and the land came into market in 1853. . In 1854 Mr. Puntney built his sawmill on the southeast quarter of 31. securing water power by damming Coldwater creek, which gushes from beneath a high cliff a half mile above the mill, the largest and most picturesque spring in the county.
The first schoolhouse in the western half of the township was built in 1856 ( Mike Gaul now lives in the building ), and although better known as the Cold- water school, was District No. 53 under the old lowa school laws.
Looking backward we often wonder why these early settlers first chose this rough land while the more level prairie was taken later. The reason is that locations near water were very desirable before well drilling machinery and wind- mills were introduced, and an acre of timber land was then considered worth at least five acres of prairie land, for all buildings were then hewed or sawed from local timber, and each field as prepared for crop must be protected with a "stake and rider" fence of rails gotten out in winter à la Lincoln. Even the shingles were of oak. rived out and shaved to shape, and many a young person today would take down the dictionary on hearing the words "froe" or "slathers."
In the spring of 1854 Joseph Metcalf located on the southwest quarter of 18, being the first settler in the northwest quarter of the township. In September of this year he was followed by three more families, viz., E. Webster on the northeast quarter of 19, where his son C. A. Webster still resides, Charles Ilitch- cock, wife and three sons (all of whom have crossed the silent river), located on the northwest quarter of 18, and John 11. Pierce on the northeast quarter of 18.
The early blacksmiths in the village were Neri Taylor, John Miller and J. 11. Hardin, with John Heckle and Joe Lavalley to take their places. Ira Johnson was our first wagonmaker and John Feyler our first shoemaker.
In 1854 came Charles Ward and family, whose sons, Benjamin and John, have built more than their share of the buildings in this and adjoining townships. Other prominent settlers of the early '50s were David Jewel, James Ervin. Richard Smith, Albert Sage, William Peacock, Levi Moore. Jared Ferguson, and John Ackerson, followed by Thomas Willsie in 1854. Alpha Manning in 1857. and Asa Wingate in 1858, while Nicholas Snyder, who settled on the south- east quarter of 18 in 1855 was the pioneer of the numerous Snyder and Goss- man families who followed him from Ohio a few years later. And we can read many interesting things between the lines in the story told of how Joseph Met- calf went on foot all the way to Dubuque to file on this piece of land, to find on teaching the land office that Snyder had made entry for the land a day or two before.
The American Hotel was built during the summer of 1856 and the old stone schoolhouse in the burr oak grove in the north part of the village, long known as the Relihan grove, and for which the village was named, was also erected that summer and the first school in the village was taught that winter by Moses Brace. There had been a term or two taught in a log building down the creek southwest of town, previous to this time.
During the summer of 1850 William Beard and Lewis Ferguson ran a steam sawmill near the creek, where Hanson Bridge later manufactured brick.
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During 1853 and 1854 the township filled up rapidly and many others soon became residents whose names I have missed or have no accurate account of.
Burr Oak today is a prosperous village. It is one of the smallest towns in Iowa possessing a bank. Einar Kippe is its cashier. It has two general stores -The Burr Oak Mercantile Company and Thompson & Kippe's. E. M. Reed sells farm implements : C. A. Reed conducts a general repair shop : Dr. W. H. Emmons handles drugs in connection with his medical practice; John Bergsrud runs the butcher shop and feed mill ; Ward & Son conduct a novelty store ; Her- bert Ward is the village barber and postmaster ; Fred Koenig and Fred Pahl are the blacksmiths; Madding's Hotel cares for the travelers; Johnson's pool hall furnishes amusement for those who enjoy table games, and Silver Creek Creamery makes butter that sells at good prices on the eastern market.
CHAPTER XXXV
ORLEANS TOWNSHIP
This record of Orleans township is the composite work of C. C. Brown, H. F. McBride and the late Elmer Gager, published in 1905 in "Anderson & Goodwin's Atlas of Winneshiek County."
So far as can now be learned the first settler in Orleans township was Nelson Gager, who arrived here from Upper Canada in the fall of 1853. After making a short stay on several different pieces of land, and selling his "squatter's rights" to them, finally located in 1854 on the northeast quarter of section 9. The next year, 1855, he built a log house, where he kept bachelor's hall until 1859. when he married Mary Gager. Here Mr. Gager still lives with one of his children, his wife having passed away to that better land September, 1904.
During the year 1854 a number of families came, among them Wm. Rowlee. This family with Norris Humphrey left Johnstown Center, Ohio, with teams September 14, 1854, and crossed the Mississippi river at Bellevue, Illinois, October 6th. Leaving the women and children at Bellevue the men proceeded on a voyage of discovery. Traveling by way of Dubuque, Elkader, Postville and Burr Oak Springs, they finally settled on the northwest quarter of section 28, Orleans town- ship, the place where they wished to build their home. This decision made, they returned to Bellevue for the family, and again reached their claim October 30th, and lived in their covered wagons while the house was being built. Mr. Rowlee's picture appears in the atlas, but both himself and wife have passed away. The old home, however, is still owned and occupied by his son, John Q. Rowlec.
Coming in 1854 Charles McCartney settled on section 10. The following year twin girls were born to them, who are supposed to be the first children born in this township. One of them died in infancy, the other is still living. Shortly afterward, January 24, 1856, a boy. Wm. Lewis, was born to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Lewis, whose home had been just across the line in Howard county, but who built a log house in this township in the fall of 1855 and lived there during the winters of 1855 and 1856 for the purpose of holding a claim, and moved back into Howard county in the spring. Thomas Farrel came that year, bought land, built a log house on section 14, which is still standing, and is the oldest house in the township. Here a large family was reached, some of whom are still living among 11s. Mr. and Mrs. Farrel died years ago. Other arrivals in 1854 were
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Amasa Owen, Mr. Stanton, Seth Murray, Mr. Robbins, and a man by the name of Morgan Howard, from whom Morgan school district received its name. The house built by Mr. Howard, on the farm now owned by J. P. Helmer, was probably the first house built in the township. At this time the postoffice. where the settlers received their mail, was at Decorah, soon afterward at New Oregon. Still later a postoffice was established at Seth Murray's house. also one at Mor- gan Howard's called Morgan postoffice.
In 1855 came Hugh Me Bride and James Murtha. They located on adjoining pieces of land.
There also came in 1855 D. W. C. Towne. Amos Rugg, Mr. Johnson, Ezra Bourne, and others whose names we are unable to give. In 1856 came the great rush of settlers, the Government land remaining unsold being nearly or quite all taken that year.
It seems to have been about the first impulse of the American pioneer wherever located to provide a place where his children could attend school, and the settlers of Orleans were no exception to the rule. While the public schools were not organized until 1858, some five years after the first settlement, the children were taught in private schools two years earlier. During the summer of 1856 a school was taught in the abandoned log house before mentioned as built by Thomas Lewis. The teacher was Miss Maria M. Murray, now Mrs. Fenton of Lime Springs. A school was also held during the same summer at the house of O. E. Green in the southeastern part of the township, Mrs. Green (afterward Mrs. Enoch Robinson ) being the teacher. The next winter a school was hekl in the Quaker meeting house near the center of the township. Thomas Johnson teacher. The only record we have of the carly history of the public school interests is found in the proceedings of the school board kept by Ebenezer Rice, the first secretary. The first school meeting was held at the house of Gates M. Forbes on the third day of May. 1858. At this meeting Enos George was elected pres- ident. Wm. Stephenson vice-president. Ebenezer Rice secretary and W. B. Chamberlain treasurer. The first board of directors was elected at a meeting Feld at what was called the Quaker schoolhouse, April 7. 1860, and consisted of the following persons: Sub-district No. 1, Ezra Bourne; No. 2, Parley K. Foote: No. 3. James Brown; No. 4. Joshua Brooks; No. 5, Robert Metcalf ; No. 6. W. B. Chamberlain.
The first school in No. i was held in Ezra Bourne's house and taught by Miss Emily Miller in the summer of 1860. Miss A. Libbey taught the school in No. 6 the same summer in part of W. B. Chamberlain's house, and Miss Minerva Hill taught in No. 2, but in what house we cannot determine.
J. S. Neff taught the first school we have any record of in No. 4, though there was undoubtedly a school taught the winter before by Philo Thatcher. The school taught by Neff was held in a part of the house owned by a Mr. Hansel Becker in the winter of 1860 and 1861. The schoolhouse in sub-district No. 4 was built in the summer of 1861. Gilbert T. Watros taught the first school the following winter.
In 1856 came some ten or twelve families of the Society of Friends, or Quak- crs, and to them must be given the credit of organizing the first religious society and building the first church in the township. The founders of this church were the families of Enos George, Levi Middleton, Ellis George, Isaac Jay. John
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIER COUNTY
Hanson, L. Easterling. Mary Carson, Jeremiah Barker, Mr. Pearson and Mr. Lamb. The church was a small, one-story building about twenty by thirty feet, and was located on the southeast quarter of section 20, on what was known as the Eli Carson farm, now owned by C. J. Watros. The building was destroyed by fire in 1864 and never rebuilt. Shortly after the organizers moved away and there are probably none of them left in the township at the present time. A large per cent of the present population of the township are of Norwegian descent, and these citizens were organized as the Norwegian Evangelical Lu- theran congregation of Orleans township, and in 1874 built a church which was dedicated June 6, 1875, by Rev. J. Moses, pastor, assisted by Rev. V. Koren, Prof. L. Larson, Reverend Reque and Reverend Larson .* This church is still a good building and a large congregation regularly worship there. In our his- tory, as in that of a great part of the West, the itinerant Methodist preacher closely followed the pioneer and held services in the schoolhouses at an early day.
Several societies have been organized in what is known as Ridgeway circuit, but only two exist in the township at the present time. The one known as the Morgan class, under the leadership of Rev. Thos. Oliver ( preacher in charge ). built a church in 1885, and the one known as the Morton class in 1890, Rev. John Gammons preacher in charge. These are both good buildings and are regularly used for religious purposes.
Early in 1855 a township meeting was held for the purpose of organizing a civil township and choosing a name for the same. There were proposed as names Pilot Grove, Orleans and Pleasant Prairie. The township was called Pilot Grove for two or three years, but in 1858 had become Orleans, by what means or at. exactly what date there seems to be no record to show.
The grove was located in the extreme southern part of the township on the main road to McGregor, which was traveled by settlers and teamsters living a long distance west, and was a prominent landmark. Seth Murray's house was also on this road, about a mile northwest of the grove, and it was his custom to keep lighted candles in the windows at night as a guide for travelers. The grove was a pilot by day and the candles by night. Thus the name Pilot Grove.
The first election was held in November, 1855, at the house of Wm. Rowlee, but no record of this election remains. It is said, however, by the old settlers, that there were not enough available voters to fill all the offices.
The first record we have of legal proceedings in Pilot Grove township ( now Orleans ) is from the justice docket of Edwin M. Farnsworth, first justice of the peace in Orleans. at that time Pilot Grove. On June 12, 1856, one Nancy Sharp brought suit against Thomas Wanless to collect pay for some pine logs.
Some of the settlers in the eastern half of Pilot Grove township in 1856 were Chas. Curtis, Smith Broadway, James Stitt, Dan Gates, James Murtha, Hugh MeBridge. Calvin Farnsworth and his son Edwin M., mentioned as justice. Ebenezer and Almon Rice came in 1856, secured land and moved their families here in 1857.
Alexander's History refers to the fact that Orleans township was in the carly 'Sos the home of several herds of full blooded cattle, the notable ones being
* This church was torn down and a new one built during the year 1913.
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the Shorthorns of L. R. Brown and W. B. Goocher and the Holsteins of Charles Crapser. The latter, one year, captured all of the best premiums at the Min- nesota State Fair. Today Orleans township is one of the most prosperous in the county. Its population in 1910 was 550.
CHAPTER XXXVI PLEASANT TOWNSHIP
From Sparks' History, revised by Edwin Hover
Pleasant township took its name and place in 1856. It is the eastern one of the second tier. Locust postoffice is near the extreme northwestern corner. In the year 1850 two Germans from Pennsylvania, John Klontz and William Vale, pitched their tents in the northwest corner of the township. Vale chose for his homestead what has since been known as the Locust Lane farm, deriving its name from the locust trees that were planted on each side of the road immediately after the land was fenced in. John Klontz took up his ranch on the south of Vale, and both went to work. They made money, as everything they had to sell brought them good prices. Mr. Vale at one time enjoyed the privilege of holding all the township offices, except constable, at one and the same time. He was the first justice of the peace, the first assessor, and the first clerk the township ever had. He also built the first brick dwelling in Winneshiek county. Klontz and Vale have both since sold their farms and moved to Missouri. In the following year the first influx of Norwegians commenced. They were Hover Evenson, Ole Magneson and Erick Erickson, who came here from Cambridge, Dane county, Wisconsin. Hover Evenson was the first blacksmith in the northern part of the county. He took up his ranch on the east of Vale and ran a blacksmith shop in connection with farming.
Peter K. Langland, Lewis Peterson, Knudt K. Liquen and K. Erickson came from Illinois. Ole Magneson and E. Erickson settled in the northeastern part of the township. Erickson built a house which has become somewhat noted from the fact that it was entirely built from one pine tree. The walls are a solid plank six inches thick, and only three such planks from the floor to the ceiling in the first story, and two above. The floors, roof-boards, windows and door casings are from the same tree. It was all sawed up with a handsaw, as the logs could not be moved from the place where the tree grew on Pine creek. Ole Magneson introduced the first reaper into the neighborhood, and was also the owner of the first threshing machine in the township.
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In the year 1853 there was another influx from Dane county, Wisconsin, prominent among whom were Bottolf Olson, Magne Langland, H. Hendrickson, Sven Olson, Ole Thorson, and others. In 1858 Ole B. Olson was one of the first settlers of Dakota territory, and was elected the first judge of the territory, which position he occupied until his death in 1875. Erick B. Olson, the younger brother, was one of the first four men who climbed the mountains of Colorado in search of gold in 1859.
The first schoolhouse was built at Locust Lane in 1854, and it served also as a church for every denomination. The second schoolhouse that was built was known as the Ellingson schoolhouse. This was built of logs quite large, and intended to serve as a church for the Lutheran congregation that was then organ- ized in connection with Highland and Spring Grove. It was built mostly by private funds ; every farmer would bring so many logs and work so many days. This district consisted of portions of four townships, viz. : Pleasant and Highland, in Winneshick county, and Waterloo and Hanover. in Allamakee. The first school was taught by James Lennon, of Frankville township.
In 1855 and 1856, almost all the land had been taken up, and what was not was bought up by speculators while the land office was in Decorah.
Our present county supervisor in District No. 4, Edwin Hover, is a son of llover Evenson, was born in Norway February 5, 1845, came with his parents to America in 1848, and in 1852 came to lowa and settled on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 5. township 99, north range 7, west of the 5th prin- cipal meridian, where he still resides.
REMINISCENCES OF 1852-54. BV SAM WISE (Anderson & Goodwin's Atlas )
Pleasant township being a wooded township, especially along the Canoe creek, made it necessary in the early days for the settlers to build sawmills to transform their huge logs into building material. The first one of these mills in the township was built on the Canoe creek in 1852 by John Brandt, who later sold out to David Womeldorf. Conrad Brandt and his nephews Eli and Joe Brandt, Robert Lyons . and Wm. Basset, also built mills on the Canoe.
Among the first settlers were Wilson and George Daubney, Jacob Fie. James Morehead, Win. French, Henry Hendrickson, Butler Oleson. Peter Langland. 11. and Ole llalstenson.
The schools ( of which the township is proud ; have grown from the little schoolhouse in the northwest corner, and the old log schoolhouse in the northeast corner, to eight fine buildings, four of which are brick, one frame, and three of blue limestone, of which stone the township has several fine quarries in abund- ance to build great cities. All of these schools have slate blackboards and modern improvements.
Our churches have grown from the old schoolhouse to three fine churches, one being of brick and two of frame. The brick is the Norwegian Lutheran. while those of frame are German Lutheran and Norwegian Methodist .*
Since The foregoing was written another Norwegian Lutheran church has been built in the southern part of the township in the D. H. Musser neighborhood, and is supplied by Rev. S. A. Scarvie of Glenwood township.
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Some of the settlers of 1855 and 1856 were Nels Thompson, Andrew and Nels Nelson, Lars Gjetley, Christian Christianson, S. Wise, Sr., Philip Pfister, Simon Broghammer. Adam Kern, Diebold Mikel, Diebold Stoskopf, Valentine Barth, Sr., and many others.
Pleasant township has furnished her share of county officers and school teachers. One good feature of the township is its law-abiding citizens. A justice of the peace or constable cannot make his salt out of the fees.
To the foregoing should be added the fact that since an early date the town of Locust has been the mail distributing point for a considerable territory. In these days when the rural free delivery has and continues to cut off many post- offices, Locust holds her own and is the starting point of Locust Route 1.
CHAPTER XXXVII
JACKSON TOWNSHIP
The early history of Jackson may be said to have been so closely linked to that of Washington township as to be one and the same. Whatever impetus it received at that time as a place of abode arose through the visits of early travelers, bound for Fort Atkinson. Located in the extreme southwestern corner of the county, it was not until the railroad was pushed west from Calmar that it began to be largely settled. Up to 1862 it was a portion of Washington township. Who the first settlers were we have no means of knowing, as no record seems to have been made. For as long as this writer can recall the names of the Jack family, Joseph Holmes and the Lawrence family were associated with the township. Lee Jack, one of the sons, remains. Like Sumner township, the Bohemians have acquired large holdings of lands and have won prosperity from the soil. When the Cal- inar and Davenport branch of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad was built, Jackson Junction came into existence. Nothing has ever happened to cause it to grow beyond hamlet size. Some years ago the town was incorporated. At the time enough territory was included within the corporate limits to permit the building of a town of 1,000 souls. Its population in 1910 was 160.
Vol. 1-16
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CHAPTER XXXVIII
SUMNER TOWNSHIP
Up to 1862 Sumner and Lincoln townships were linked together as a voting precinct. In that year they were separated and given the names by which they have since been known. Early in Sumner's existence a settlement of Norwegians was established on the Turkey river in the northeastern part of the township. The Germans occupied the eastern section. The Bohemians were the third of the for- eign born residents to occupy land in this township and they have remained to gradually acquire a large portion of the township. Alva Tracy, who was a resi- dent of Decorah for many years prior to his death, was the first man to settle on the open prairie. This was in 1858. The Turkey river flows southeast through the northeastern part of the township, its banks being wooded with heavy timber. The land in this section is rolling, but as a whole the township is rich in the fer- tility of its soil. Its population in 1910 was 748, a loss of sixty-two in twenty years.
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