USA > Iowa > Winneshiek County > Past and present of Winneshiek county, Iowa; a record of settlement, organization, progress and achievement, Volume I > Part 9
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CORONERS
John Howard served from 1860 to 1862: Cyrus Mckay. 1862 to 1872: F. W. Knox, 1872 to 1874: A. C. Ferren, 1874 to 1876; A. H. Fannon, 1876 to 1878: E. Mather, 1878 to 1882; Dr. W. F. Coleman, 1882 to 1888; W. R. Toye, 1888 to 1890: A. C. Ferren, 1890 to 1892; E. Mather, 1892 to 1893; Dr. E. M. Heflen, 1893 to 1894: R. E. Gibson, 1894 to 1900; Dr. P. M. Jewell. 1900 to 1907: Dr. . A. J. Swezey. 1907 to 1913; Dr. M. D. Jewell, 1913-serving his first term.
COUNTY SUPERVISORS
Under an act of Legislature in 1860 the affairs of the county were placed under the management of a Board of Supervisors consisting of one member from cach township. This system proved cumbersome, but in spite of that fact it held sway until 1870 when what is known as the County Commission System was inaugurated with. the county divided into districts. During the first two years there were three districts in Winneshiek, but in 1872 they were increased to five districts comprised as follows :
First District-Bloomfield. Military, Springfield, Frankville.
Second District-Washington, Jackson, Sumner, Calmar.
Third District-Lincoln, Bluffton, Orleans, Burr Oak. Fremont.
Fourth District-Pleasant, Canoe. Highland, Hesper. Glenwood. Fifth District-Decorah, Madison.
M. S. Drury, George C. Winship and A. Arneson comprised the first board. Their terms were arranged to expire at different times so as to avoid the possi- bility of an inexperienced set of men being chosen to assume the management of county affairs.
As stated above, the Board was increased to five members by the election of 1872. M. S. Drury was re-elected and Florenzo G. Hale and Charles Sydow were chosen as the new members. Since that year the several districts have been served in order by the following men :
COUNTY FARM, NEAR DECORAH
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PAST AND PRESENT OF WINNESHIEK COUNTY
FIRST DISTRICT
Turner Callendar, elected in 1875; George Merrill, elected in 1878; E. S. Lambert, elected in 1880; O. T. Lommen, elected in 1881; E. Schoonmaker, elected in 1884, re-elected in 1887; A. M. Anderson, elected in 1890; Geo. Allen elected in 1893, re-elected in 1896; M. J. Nicholson, elected in 1899, re-elected in 1902; George J. Cooper, elected in 1906, re-elected in 1908; Peter F. Meyer, clected in 1910, began serving January 1, 1912.
SECOND DISTRICT
C. Meyers, elected in 1874; H. Giesen, elected in 1876; A. W. Brownell, elected in 1877, re-elected in 1880 and 1883; Peter Jacobs, elected in 1886; J. A. Giesen, elected in 1889. re-elected in 1892; J. J. Hang, elected in 1895, re-elected in 1898: M. A. Kubish, elected in 1901. re-elected in 1904; G. A. Meyer, elected in 1906, re-elected in 1910, term expires January 1, 1914; J. P. Kuhn, elected in 1912, term begins January 1, 1914.
TIIIRD DISTRICT
F. Brittain, elected in 1873; P. Morton, elected in 1875; S. G. Kendall, elected in 1878; A. Rice, elected in 1880; R. Barnes, elected in 1881 ; D. N. Hoyt, elected in 1884; George Johnson, elected in 1886; H. W. Masters, elected in 1887, re-elected in 1890; M. S. Lemon, elected in 1893; S. Magnus, elected in 1896; R. S. Wolfenberger, elected in 1899, re-elected in 1902; Martin Jones, clected in 1906, re-elected in 1908; Claude Morton, elected in 1910.
FOURTH DISTRICT
O. W. Ellingson, elected in 1876; Nels Larsen, elected in 1879, re-elected in 1882; C. O. Maltby, elected in 1885, re-elected in 1888; A. T. Holton, elected in 1891, re-elected in 1894; O. L. Wennes, elected in 1897, re-elected in 1900; Edwin Hoover, elected in 1903; O. M. Selnes, elected in 1906, re-elected in 1908; A. P. Pfister, elected in 1912, began serving January 1. 1913.
FIFTH DISTRICT
G. C. Winship, elected in 1874; Jacob Jewell, elected in 1877: G. L. Wend- ling. elected in 1880; Jacob Jewell, elected in 1883, re-elected in 1886; D. N. Hoyt, elected in 1889, re-elected in 1892; John Greer, elected in 1895; C. O. Moore, elected in 1898, re-elected in 1901 ; B. E. Jewell, elected in 1904, re- elected in 1906; K. W. Knutson, elected in 1910, term expires January 1, 1914 : John S. Williams, elected in 1912, term begins January 1, 1914.
THE COURTS
Heretofore we have referred to the office of County Judge. As already explained, up to 1860 this office combined the functions of supervisor, county
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auditor, and the handling of probate matters. Superior to this office, and having charge of all classes of litigation in civil and criminal lines, was the District Court. One judge was required to do all the work, holling terms alternately in each county of the district. Winneshick county was at first a part of the Second District, which embraced a large part of the state.
As far as we are able to ascertain, the first term of District Court for Winne- shick county convened in Decorah on July o. 1852, with Hon. Thomas S. Wilson presiding.
In 1854 Winneshick county had become a part of the Fifth district, com- posed of Allamakee. Clayton, Chickasaw, Fayette, Howard and Winneshick and Samuel S. Murdock of Clayton county was elected in the fall of that year. Judge Murdock was followed in 1859 by Judge Elias A. Williams, also of Clay- ton, who served until 186 ;. Milo MeGlathery of Fayette county followed Judge Williams for two terms. Hle proved most unpopular because of the peculiarity of some of his sentences in criminal matters, and in the election of :874 when he was opposed by Ruben Noble, a staunch Clayton county democrat. he was easily defeated. Judge Noble served from 1875 until late in Isto. when he resigned, and E. E. Cooley of Decorah was appointed by Governor John 11. Gear to fill the vacancy. Judge Cooley assumed his duties in December, 1879. and was elected in 188o to succeed himself. In the election of 1882 he was opposed by L. O. Hatch of MeGregor who was elected, and in 18So and in 1800 Mr. Hatch was re-elected. With the abolishment of the Circuit Court in 1887 an increase in the number of districts made this the Thirteenth District. Judge tiranger, who had been the presiding officer in the Circuit Court, became the associate of Judge Hatch on the District Court bench. In 1888 he was nominated by the republicans as a candidate for Judge of the Supreme Court, and as nom- mation was equivalent to election he resigned. L. E. Fellows of Lansing was chosen to fill the vacancy, but in the election of isso he was defeated by Il. . 1. Hoyt of Fayette. Five years later (1804) Judge Fellows was again nominated by the republicans and Hon. A. N. Hobson of West Union was chosen as his running mate. They proved a popular pair and were re-elected. For term after term thereafter they were the choice of the electors, much of the time without opposition.
In the early part of 1912 while holding court at Decorah, Judge Fellows contracted a severe cold which resulted in pneumonia. Although a man of advanced years, his rugged constitution enabled him to survive the attack, but while in a convalescent stage his heart showed symptoms of weakness and on July 17th he passed away, full of years, honored and revered by all who knew him.
Attorney W. J. Springer of New Hampton was appointed by Governor Carroll to till the vacancy until after election, and in the election of last fall he defeated D. J. Murphy of Waukon who opposed him. His term, and the term of Judge Hobson, will expire January 1. 1915.
THE CIRCUIT COURT
Work in District Court had so increased that during the session of the Twelfth General Assembly (in 1808) the Circuit Court was created. This court ever- cised jurisdiction concurrent with the District Court in all civil and special pro-
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ceedings, and was the court of appeal from the findings of inferior courts, tribunals and officers in civil matters, as well as handling probate matters. The act of . legislature was signed April 3. 1868, and the Circuit Court became operative Janu- ary 1, 1869.
M. V. Burdick, then one of the most prominent members of the Winneshiek county bar, was elected as Judge of Circuit Court, serving for four years. He was succeeded in 1873 by C. T. Granger of Waukon, who was re-elected in 1876. 1880, 1884. and again in 1886. In 1887 the Circuit Court was abolished and the jurisdiction in all classes of cases-criminal, civil, and probate-as well as appeals from inferior tribunals, was assumed by the District Court.
DISTRICT AND COUNTY ATTORNEYS
An adjunct of the District Court was the office of District Attorney. Orlando J. Clark and Cyrus Wellington, both well known attorneys of Decorah, served in this capacity, the former from 1874 to 1878, and the latter from 1879 to 1889. when the office was abolished and the office of county attorney was substituted.
COUNTY ATTORNEYS
John B. Kaye of Calmar was the first to serve under this title. He was elected in the fall of 1886 and re-elected in 1888. In the election of 1890 he was defeated by M. J. Carter of Ossian, who held the office one term. The order of succession since 1802 has been as follows: E. P. Johnson, 1893 to 1899; N. Willett, 1899 to 1905; W. M. Strand, 1905 to 1909: N. Willett, 1909 to 1913. C. N. Houck was elected in November, 1912, and entered upon his duties January 1, 1913.
CONGRESSIONAL REPRESENTATION
Any history of lowa will tell the reader that up to 1863 the state had not acquired sufficient population to entitle us to more than two representatives in Congress.
From the time the county was organized in 1851 up to 1863, Winneshick was a part of the Second Congressional district, which was represented as follows :
1851 to 1853-Lincoln Clark ( democrat ) of Dubuque.
1853 to 1855-John P. Cook ( democrat ) of Davenport.
1855 to 1857-James Thornington ( republican ) of Davenport.
1857 to 1859-Timothy Davis ( American ) of Dubuque.
1859 to 1863-William Vandever (democrat ) of Dubuque.
From 1863 to 1881 Winneshiek county was a portion of the Third district. William B. Allison, of Dubuque, was representative from 1863 to 1871, when he was elected United States Senator.
At this time the Third district was composed of the counties of Allamakec, Buchanan, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, and Winneshiek.
W. G. Donnan of Independence (Buchanan county ) succeeded Mr. Allison and was elected to the Forty-second and Forty-third congresses-1871 to 1875.
L. L. Ainsworth of West Union was elected over C. T. Granger of Waukon to the Forty-fourth Congress-1875 to 1877.
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The campaign of 1876 was a memorable one in this district. At the Con- gressional convention at McGregor on September 6. Theodore W. Burdick of Decorah was nominated by the republicans. Opposed to him on the democratic ticket was J. M. Griffith of Dubuque, a man of considerable wealth as well as popularity, particularly in his home county, which normally gave and has since given a large democratic majority. The contest that ensued was one of the hot- test ever waged in Iowa. In every community and school room that was worth visiting meetings were held, the district was polled and repolled. checked and rechecked and the figures were so carefully tabulated that practically every voter was accounted for. At that time James E. Simpson was United States Revenue Collector at Dubuque, and. as a friend and co-worker with Mr. Burdick in the early days of Decorah and Winneshiek county, he took an active interest in the contest. On the morning of election he appeared in Dubuque after devoting con- siderable time to a personal canvass of Winneshiek county and a visit to all parts of the district.
"What will Winneshiek do for Burdick?" he was asked.
"Winneshiek county will give Theodore Burdick twelve hundred majority." replied Mr. Simpson.
The Democrats gazed at him with wonder and incredulity, and when the full import of his statement began to sink in there was a panic in the Griffith camp. Every effort was made to secure some contradictory evidence with which to bolster up the democratic hope, but when the returns were all in it was shown that Mr. Burdick had been elected by a majority of 1267 in the district, his majority in Winneshiek county being 1265. Mr. Burdick served with credit during the Forty-fifth Congress, but refused to consider a renomination.
In 1878 Thomas Updegraff of McGregor was elected to the Forty-sixth Con- gress, and was re-elected to the Forty-seventh Congress in 1882.
In 1881 the Legislature redistricted the state and Winneshick became a por- tion of the Fourth Congressional district, the other units being Allamakee. Chick- asaw. Clayton. Fayette. Floyd. Howard, and Mitchell.
In 1884 Mr. Updegraff was opposed by Luman H. Weller of Nashua. Mr. Weller had been a greenbacker and the democrats fused with the members of the party in his nomination. Ile was generally considered so erratic that his candidacy was looked upon as somewhat of a joke. However, Weller was undis- mayed. and while the republicans were laughing at him he was quietly making a house-to-house campaign that resulted in his election. He served only one term- during the Forty-eight Congress ( 1885 to 188; )-being defeated in 1886 for the Forty-ninth Congress by William F. Fuller of West Union, who was re-elected to the Fiftieth session also.
Joseph Sweney of Osage was the successful candidate in the election of 1888. He had for his opponent Professor Lars S. Reque, then as now a member of Luther College Faculty. Decorah. It was Mr. Sweney's misfortune to come into office with a change of administration. Grover Cleveland had been defeated by Benjamin Harrison and the distribution of political plums was the cause of Mr. Sweney's undoing, for two years later he was defeated by Walter H. Butler of Fayette county, who served during the Fifty-second Congress.
In 18)2 Thomas Updegraff again aspired to the republican nomination, se- cured it and was elected. He served in the Fifty-third. Fifty-fourth, and Fifty-
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fifth Congresses. In 1898 a contest arose between Mr. Updegraff and James E. Blythe of Mason City for the nomination. In the nominating convention Gilbert N. Haugen of Northwood appeared with the support of his own ( Worth) and Winneshiek counties, holding the balance of power. After a lengthy struggle the Updegraff forces finally threw their strength to Mr. Haugen and he received the nomination. He has been successively elected to the Fifty-sixth, Fifty-seventh, Fifty-eighth, Fifty-ninth, Sixtieth, Sixty-first and is now serving in the Sixty- second Congress. Winneshiek may justly claim some share in this representation because aside from the support he has received from our votes, Mr. Haugen was in his early manhood a resident of Madison township for several years.
It is noteworthy that between 1863 and the present time this district has been represented by democrats in but three Congresses-the Forty-fourth by L. L. Ainsworth, the Forty-eighth by L. H. Weller, and the Fifty-second by Walt H. Butler. Mr. Weller comes under the democratic classification only because the members of that party endorsed his candidacy and helped elect him. He was a greenbacker or nationalist.
LEGISLATIVE REPRESENTATION
The First Constitutional convention of Iowa met in the fall of 1844 and was in session from October 7 to November 1. Their labors did not prove effective. the people rejecting the constitution adopted.
The Second Constitutional convention was held in May. 1846, and was in session from the 4th to the 19th. The Constitution then adopted received ? majority of 456 in a total poll of 18.528 votes. The election was held August 3d. 1846, and Jowa was admitted as a state on December 28. 1846.
The Official Register of Iowa credits Winneshiek county with representa- tion in the Third Constitutional convention which convened on January 19, 1857. at Iowa City (then the state capital), and adjourned March 5. 1857. We were then a portion of the Forty-third district, which included Fayette, Bremer, Butler. Franklin, Grundy, Hardin, Wright, Webster, Boone, Story, Green, Allamakee. Winneshiek and Humboldt counties. Sheldon W. Winchester was the representa- tive from this district.
Prior to this convention Winneshiek county had acquired representation in the Legislature through the organization of the county. The most authoritative record of members from this district is found in the Official Register of Jowa.
Representative James D. MeKay was our first member of the House of Repre- sentatives, serving during the fifth session. The record does not disclose who served during the sixth session, hence we can only infer that Mr. McKay was re-elected. In this respect the record is incomplete. Beginning with the Seventh session the representation was as follows: Ezekiel E. Cooley, 7th ; Amos Hoag, 8th : William H. Baker, 9th ; Ole Nelson, 9th, 10th ; James H. Brown, 10th, 1Ith ; Horace B. Williams, 11th, 12th. 13th ; Jeremiah T. Atkins, 12th ; Anders O. Lom- men, 13th; Knut E. Bergh, 14th; Warren Danforth, 14th, 15th, 16th; John H. DeCou, 15th; Martin N. Johnson, 16th; Hiram C. Manning, 17th ; Henry A. Baker, 17th, 18th ; Levi M. Hubbell, 18th, 19th ; Drengman O. Aaker, 19th, 20th ; Nels Larson, 21st, 22d; Jacob Jewell, 23d, 24th ; William H. Klemme, 25th, 26th, 27th : James S. Roome, 28th, 29th ; Abraham Jacobson, 30th, 31st ; Philo M. Jewell. 32d, 33d; Lauritz M. Enger, 34th, 35th.
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A sketch of Representative Enger will be found in the biographical volume of this work.
SENATORS
As stated in a previous place in this chapter, Jeremiah T. Atkins was the first direct senatorial representative that Winneshick county had in the Legislature. He was elected in 1856 and served in the sixth and seventh sessions. George W. Gray of Lansing was the Senator from this district in the eighth session, but thereafter until 1885 Winneshiek county constituted a senatorial district, separate and distinct from all other counties. Since the eighth session the succession has been as follows: Marvin V. Burdick, 9th and 10th; Henry C. Bulis, 11th, 12th and 13th : G. R. Willett, 14th, 15th and 16th : Martin N. Johnson, 17th and 18th ; Henry AN. Baker, 19th and 20th: Theodore W. Burdick, 21st ; * Samuel .A. Con- verse, 22d; Ansel K. Bailey, 23d and 24th; * C. C. Upton, 25th and 26th ; * D. A. Lyons, 27th, 28th, 29th, 30th and 31st ; * Henry C. Burgess, 32d and 33d : Philo M. Jewell. 34th and 35th.
Since 1885 Howard county has been linked with Winneshiek in the Forty- second senatorial district. Those marked (*) were resident of Howard county.
Dr. P. M. Jewell the present incumbent of the State Senatorship was born in Mount Vernon, Knox county, Ohio, January 1, 1848. His parents, who were of English and German descent, moved with their family to Carroll county, Illi- nois, in 1856. He grew to manhood on a farm and secured his education as a pupil in the Mount Carroll Seminary, a private institution of learning, and later attended the Mount Carroll high school for a few terms. He began the study of medicine in 1870 in the medical department of the University of Michigan, from which institution he graduated in March, 1873. 1le has been continuously engaged in the practice of medicine and surgery ever since: for over six years in White- side county, Illinois, and since November, 1880, in Winneshiek county, Iowa. Hle was married to Nama Livingston in 1875. They have three children, two daughters and a son. He has taken an active interest in politics for many years and was appointed a member of the United States Pension Board for Winneshiek county in 1897, which position he still fills. Senator Jewell is a republican in politics.
The present corps of officials of the county are as follows: County Auditor. W. R. Shea of Decorah; Deputy. E. C. Meyer of Calmar; County Treasurer, G. Jorgeson of Springfield; Deputy. L. C. Christen of Decorah; County Clerk, Olai Kallevang of Glenwood : Deputy, Samuel Moore of Fremont ; County AAttorney, C. N. Houck of Decorah ; County Recorder, Allen Wise of Pleasant ; Sheriff. L. R. Fleming : Deputy, A. M. Morrison, both of Decorah ; County Superintendent, H. E. Miller of Calmar ; Deputy, Karen Brandt of Decorah; County Engineer, Will M. Lee : Deputy. Frank Arneson, both of Decorah.
BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
First district, Peter F. Meyer of Military: Second district, G. A. Meyer of Calmar (chairman ) : Third district, Claude Morton of Orleans: Fourth district, Alwin P. Pfister of Pleasant. Fifth district, K. W. Knutson of Decorah.
CHAPTER VII
THE COMING OF THE RAILROADS
The railroad history of Winneshiek county is confined largely to the operation of one company, though there have been a number of projects which did not get beyond the paper stage. Old settlers will tell you many interesting incidents of the days prior to 1870, when the larger part of their crops had to be hauled by ox team or horses to Lansing and McGregor. These are often referred to as "the good old days." If a man were fortunate the trip might be made in three days. During a part of that time, at least, he could consider himself exceedingly lucky if the money in which he was paid would pass current the day following for the amount it represented. Private bank bills were largely the medium of exchange until the passage of the National Bank Act in 1863 and it was an excep- tional bank whose strength enabled it to redeem its bills at face value.
If one wished to go on a journey he had the alternative of three varieties of transportation, viz : by foot, by ox cart, or on stage coaches. The stage lines ran from McGregor and followed the military road established by teamsters plying between Fort Crawford at Prairie du Chien and Fort Atkinson. The Decorah road branched off this side of Joel Post's ( where Postville now stands) and came up through Frankville township. From Decorah one road went west over Hog's Back (the north line of the farm of E. I .. Beard & Son, a mile west of town), and was the thoroughfare to New Oregon and west toward Osage and Otranto. Another road led out of town to the northeast, crossing the river between the Ice Cave mill and the twin bridges and passed on up the ravine to what is now known as Clay Hill. This was the thoroughfare to St. Paul and such intermediate points as then existed. It can readily be inferred that of these there were a very small number and the hospitable log house of some settler was usually the hotel in which the weary traveler found shelter. Lucky indeed was he to be provided with a board floor for a bed and his coat for a pillow.
The early settler is ever impatient for improved conditions and the people who came to Winneshiek county were no exception to the rule. They wanted transportation facilities, and their efforts to secure them were characteristic of the times. A glimpse of their efforts is disclosed in the chapter on railroad build- ing in Spark's History of Winneshiek County, as follows:
In 1856 everything was booming. The abundant resources of a new country had reached a high state of development, money was plenty, and the prospects for the future bright. One thing alone seemed lacking to make the people perfectly
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satisfied with their condition -- better facilities for transportation. The time had passed when the products of the county could be transported sixty miles to mar- ket by ox teams without suffering much inconvenience and loss. The time had come when a railroad was a necessity. The railroad fever was raging throughout the West, and far-seeing ones realized the immense value that would sweep in on iron rails, drawn by the iron horse. After a due amount of talk and agitation. the Northwestern Railroad Company was formed. Decorah was its headquarters. but they took in prominent citizens of Clinton. John Thompson, of Clermont. became president ; O. C. Lee, a banker at McGregor, secretary : W. F. Kimball. of Decorah, treasurer ; Eb. Baldwin, chief engineer, and E. F. Cooley, attorney. With a mighty faith in the future, business men put down their names for stock by the thousand dollars' worth, and $80,000 of the capital was actually subscribed. Whether it all could have been paid for is another matter. With such a start as this, the company felt it could appeal to the public spirit of the people, and the county was asked to bond itself to the amount of $100,000. Strange as it may seem to later comers, who worked and toiled to gather together the few thousands which the railroad actually cost when it did come. the people enthusiastically came forward and voted aye. The bonds were printed after some delay, and were all ready to be formally signed, sealed and delivered, when the Supreme Court stamped the law under which the bonds were being put out, with the word "uncon- stitutional." The scheme collapsed. and the county was saved a burden of debt. which might have retarded its progress for all the years past, as well as scores to come. It is worthy of note that when the railroad did come to us it followed the line marked out by those pioneers, and proved that their plans were wise and far- sighted, if they were a dozen years ahead of the times.
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