USA > Iowa > Marion County > Pella > Souvenir history of Pella, Iowa : contains a concise story of the founding and life of Pella, Iowa > Part 18
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Twenty years ago Mr. Van Gorp was practically without means, but now be- sides his holdings in banks and other concerns, he owns over one thousand acres of good Iowa land and a dozen city properties.
He is a stockholder, director and vice president of the Farmers National Bank of Pella, a stockholder and director of the Des Moines Life & Annuity Com- pany, and is interested in a score of other enterprises. He is a public spirited man, always in the forefront of any movement for the betterment of the commu- nity, was fuel administrator during the war, has served on the city council, and is one of the leaders in the Chamber of Commerce.
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
G. A. STOUT, THE PUBLISHER
Mr. Stout is not a native son, but since coming to Pella he has been so closely identified with every important movement and project that had to do with the modernizing and upbuilding of the city that the community has adopted George into full and complete membership in the family circle.
Real, one hundred per cent boosters are born, not made; and we do not hesitate to place G. A. at the head of the list of those who for thirty years have boosted, worked and sacrificed in order to make Pella what she is today-a clean, beautiful, modern city of homes, where each succeeding year the citizens take an increasing pride in making their town a desirable place to live.
Mr. Stout started in the newspaper business in 1892, when he commenced to publish the Adver- tiser. He sold this publication in 1893, to A. P. Heald, who conducted the paper for two years. In 1904 G. A. engaged in the job printing business, and in the same year purchased the Weekblad and the Pella Blade, consolidating the latter with the Chronicle, which he had launched at about the same time. In 1905 he sold the Chronicle to Rev. R. R. Sadler. In the winter of 1907 he started the Booster Press and has steadily built up this paper G. A. STOUT until it has the largest circulation of any in Marion county. During the years of his residence here he has been the direct cause of initiating some of the most important improvements made in the city. He inaugurated the campaign for replacing the old board walks with modern and permanent cement walks. There was considerable opposition at first, but no one will now question that G. A. had the right idea.
He carried on an extensive propaganda in favor of paving, municipal water and light, and was one of the leaders in the work of securing the location here of the canning factory. In fact there has been no proposilion for the betterment of the community that he has not enthusiastically supported.
He not only conceived the project of publishing this book, but he was prob- ably the only citizen in Pella possessed of the courage and initiative to finance a proposition that required a considerable outlay of capital and involved an im- mense amount of labor. In this he was not actuated by a desire for financial gain, but rather to show his appreciation of the many years of residence here, during which he has come to look upon Pella as his permanent home, and her citizens as his personal friends.
While the brief time which it was possible to give to the work of compihng the history did not permit of any altempt at literary excellence, yet we feel that when it is in the hands of those who love Pella and take a pride in her worthy past, the judgment will be that this is the crowning work of all the many things that Editor Stout has accomplished for her. THE HISTORIAN.
There were many photographs of former Pella citizens That were brought to us too late to secure any definite data of the lives of the subjects. Some of these were of men and women who filled an important place in the life of our com- munity. While it was impossible to give exact facts in these cases, we have given a general account of their activities during the years they lived in Pella or vicinity.
BIOGRAPHIES
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REV. H. P. SCHOLTE AND MRS. SCHOLTE
CHARLES NIEUWERF AND WIFE
JAN VAN MAREN AND WIFE
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
DEACON SMITH
MRS. SMITH
GRADUS HAGENS
MRS. GRADUS HAGENS
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BIOGRAPHIES
MR. AND MRS. JOHN VAN STEENWYK
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
A. E. D. BOUSQUET, SR
HERMAN F. BOUSQUET
JOHN J. BOUSQUET
HENRY BOUSQUET
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BIOGRAPHIES
MR. AND MRS. OSTERLING
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PETER JOHNSON
DAVID HUBER
H. H. GEELHOED
L. STEGEMAN
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
MRS. JACOB TODD (See page 30.)
H. F. JOHNSON
F. R. STUBENRAUCH "Smilin' Through"
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BIOGRAPHIES
DR. GUTHRIE
A. P. VANDER MEIDEN
P. H. STUBENRAUCH
D. W. VAN SITTERT
C. VERRIPS
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
H. VANDEN OEVER
W. C. VER PLOEG
THOMAS HOUCK
JACOB DE GORTER AND WIFE
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THE HOME OF THE FARMERS NATIONAL BANK PELLA, IOWA "The Bank for All the People"
R. VAN DER PLOEG 1837-1920
Founder of the FARMERS NATIONAL BANK and a resident of this com- munity for sixty-five years.
OFFICERS AND DIRECTORS OF THE FARMERS NATIONAL BANK
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1. P. H. Van Gorp, Vice President. 2. A. C. Van Houweling. Vice President. 3. G. H. Wormhoudt. Director. 4. W. G. Vanderploeg. Director. 5. H. D. Van Gorp. Director. 6. W. H. Vanderploeg. Cashier. 7. Anna VanSpanckeren, Vice President. N. J. H. Cochrane. President.
The FARMERS NATIONAL BANK believes that it owes an obligation to this community. as well a> to its shareholders. During the recent financial stringency, the shareholders voted unanimously to maintain a six per cent rate to its customers. when practically every other bank in the state had raised their rates to seven and eight per cent. This action saved the people of Pella and vicinity thousands of dollars in interest paid.
The officers and directors of this bank have always been interested in every movement for the welfare of this community and have given liberally of their time and means to the up- building of Pella and vicinity. The directors. being safe. conservative. successful business men. are giving to the affairs of this bank. the same careful attention that has made their own business a success. They pledge present and prospective customer> every accommodation consistent with sound banking principles.
Developments from 1870-1922
It was our original intention to give an unbroken account of the commercial and industrial development of Pella from the beginning in 1847 up to the present time. But the fact that no newspaper files or other recorded history from 1870 to 1911 were available, we were compelled to forego our first intention, and to cover that period by a brief narrative in which we have tried to give the most important events from memory, and from information furnished by some of our older resi- dents.
One of the most important business buildings erected in the earlier years was the three-story business block at the corner of Main and Franklin streets. Part of this was recently torn down and replaced by the new Farmers' National bank building. For many years this was known as Fisher's Block, it having been built in 1866 by Wm. Fisher, better known to old residents as "Squire Fisher."
On the 18th day of April, 1871, a destructive fire occurred which totally de- stroyed the large warehouse of Snow & Huber in South Pella. The same year was marked by one of the most severe storms that ever visited Pella. This occurred on Sunday evening, June 18, 1871. Tom Wray at that time lived at the corner of Liberty and East First street, in the house now occupied by Nick Van Haaften. He had just built a new barn where Arie Weelard's garage was recently destroyed by fire. This new building was blown to kindling wood. Many other buildings were more or less damaged and great havoc wrought to shade trees, fences, etc. A few miles east of town a dwelling was lifted from its foundation and set down in a nearby cornfield.
In January, 1872, a destructive fire totally destroyed all the frame business buildings on Franklin street, from the C. Rhynsburger store to the present location of the Farmers' National Bank. The fire started in the building just west of Rhyns- burger's, where H. H. Klinne had a general store. Others who lost their property and business in this fire were: C. Bongers, H. Holst, H. Van Vliet, Stubenrauch & Gaass, Ads. Gerritson, H. Synhorst, and G. Vander Zyl.
An early scene on East Franklin Street now occupied by fine brick structures. The young man standing against the post, is P. G. Gaass.
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
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Another and Later View Looking South from Geelhoed's Corner
Showing a Portion of the East End of East Franklin Street Between Main and East First Streets
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DEVELOPMENTS FROM 1870-1922
Owing to the location of the depot in the extreme part of what is now the Fourth Ward, South Pella had been built up rapidly and the citizens petitioned the Pella Council that the South Addition be incorporated in the city proper. This was submitted to a vote of the people on the 12th day of September, 1870, and car- ried. Hence the Famous Fourth Ward came into existence on that date.
The year 1871 was also marked by several serious accidents, two of which had fatal consequences. On July 21 Willem Van den Oever-father of our townsman, Henry Van den Oever-was so severely injured in a runaway that he died two days later.
On the 17th day of September, Hugo Synhorst and his brother Fred were driving a team that became unmanageable and in the runaway that resulted, the youngest child of Hugo Synhorst was instantly killed.
In the spring of 1872 the business of Beurkens & Co. had grown to such pro- portions that their wagons were shipped in carload lots to various parts of the country. The first carload was shipped from Pella to the west on the 24th day of February. In the week following two carloads were shipped north and one south. At the same time Snow & Huber placed orders for the entire output over and above the demand of the outside market.
Not only did Beurkens & Co. do a large business at that time, but by the year 1872 Henry Van Maren was doing an extensive business in farm implements and other machinery.
One of the leading mercantile firms of Pella in the seventies was that of Kruidenier Bros. For a number of years they were located on the north side, immediately west of the Pella National Bank. Here they carried on a very suc- cessful business until 1881, when they moved into a new building they had erected on the southwest corner, where the Star garage is now located. In this location they continued the business until January 23, 1897, when their building and stock was destroyed by fire.
mr.
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West Side of Garden Square
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
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Buildings on Franklin Street in the early history of Pella. The center building is the old Franklin Hotel which was conducted by the Cox family, afterward destroyed by fire.
A scene from the square locking south on Main Street from where Geelhoed's store now stands. This was fifty-six years ago.
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DEVELOPMENTS FROM 1870-1922
TWO DESTRUCTIVE FIRES
In February, 1880, a fire destroyed every building from the corner building, now occupied by the Geelhoed store, south to the alley. At that time A. H. Viersen had both the Postoffice and his residence in the building on the corner, and this was saved. We could not secure a complete list of those who were doing business in the district destroyed, but from memory we believe that the principal losers were Banner G. Bowen. merchant; Van der Zyl Bros., meat market; Wm. DeBruin, saloon, and John R. Johnson, blacksmith shop.
In April, 1881, the East side was swept by a fire that totally destroyed all the buildings from the three-story building on the corner of Main and Franklin streets, north to the Van der Meulen alley. The merchants whose business was destroyed, counting from the north, were: H. Bomgaars, shoe shop; L. Bakker, bakery and groceries; H. Roeloefsz, bakery and groceries; L. Bach, drygoods and clothing; Van Der Meulen Bros., hardware.
The drug store of F. W. Brinkhoff, across the alley north from Van Der Meulen's, was also seriously damaged when the north wall of the Van Der Meulen building, in falling, knocked a hole in the south wall of the drug store, that to the best of our recollection was not less than twenty feet wide.
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Showing the West End of Franklin Street, South Side the Square
IMPORTANT MERCANTILE ESTABLISHMENTS OF PELLA WHO HELPED BUILD UP THE CITY
Snow & Huber, Schermerhorn & Rhynsburger, Voorhees & Bousquet, H. De Booy, Overkamp & Wormhoudt, Wm. Slob, C. Rhynsburger, J. D. Gaass, B. H. Van Spanckeren, John Dykstra, F. W. Brinkhoff, B. F. Keables, H. Van de Ven, P. Kruidenier, G. Wormhoudt & Co., U. A. Van Der Meulen & Co., A. N. Van der Linden, Kruidenier Bros., Slob Bros., Ver Steeg Bros., Kuyper & Son, Aikins &
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
HENRY HOSPERS
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DEVELOPMENTS FROM 1870-1922
Stegeman, Ten Hagen Bros., Dekker & Klein, C. Boat, H. Jaarsma, F. & I. Lecocq, Y. T. Van Neeuwaal, D. Van der Pol & Son, Allen & Steubenrauch, Van der Waal & De Boer, Sybenga's Bakery, Van Vliet & Rhynsburger, John Van der Ploeg, M. D. Vries, A. Van der Zee, Cole's Seed Store, Van den Oever & Van den Berg, Stege- man & Gosselink, Lecocq & Bruinekool, Van der Linden's Bazar, F. C. Warner, L. Popma, Faassen & Den Adel, H. D. Wormhoudt, H. H. Geelhoed, Van Gorp & Klyn, Plette & Van der Linden, John Ulrich, Langerak Bros., Beard & Scholte.
COLONIZATION MOVEMENT FROM PELLA TO SIOUX COUNTY
After the railroad came to Pella in 1866 the price of land in this vicinity became so high that some of the more enterprising Hollanders commenced to inquire as to the possibility of finding a location to start a second colonization movement
As early as 1867-68 Jelle Pelmulder entered into correspondence with land officers and in other ways secured much valuable information in regard to lands in Iowa that were still available for colonization purposes. He was an energetic man and entered into the emigration plan with great zeal. Because of this he has been called the originator of the plan to purchase land for a colony in north- western Iowa.
So strong was the emigration spirit among our pioneers that an association was formed scarcely more than twenty years after the first colonists had left Holland in 1847. A committee of three was appointed to visit Texas, while a second association took steps to form a colony and locate in Kansas. The three committeemen who were sent to investigate conditions in Texas fell into the hands of a sharper in New Orleans and were relieved of all their money. They came back with nothing to show for their trip, and nothing to relate except a tale of woe and trouble. A few families invested their money in the dry part of Kansas, but most of these were glad to return to good old Iowa, having learned that which hundreds have learned since, that from an agricultural standpoint, Iowa is the "Seek no further state." Others went to Nebraska and Oregon with the same result.
Henry John van der Waa had in the meantime been in correspondence with land agents at Storm Lake, and having learned that there were enough homesteads for himself and a number of his friends, decided to sell his property here. When this came to the knowledge of Henry Hospers, at that time editor of Pella's Week- blad, he became interested and took up correspondence with the same agent at Storm Lake. Upon receipt of a favorable reply Hospers and van der Waa called a meeting a few weeks later for the purpose of organizing a colony.
Through the columns of his paper Hospers soon succeeded in arousing great interest in the new project and at the fourth meeting held in Pella a resolution was passed to the effect that immediate steps should be inaugurated to find a suitable location.
On Monday, April 26, 1889, four men, Sjoerd Aukes Sipma, Jelle Pclmulder, Hubert Muilenburg, Sr., and Henry John van der Waa, having fitted up a "prairie schooner," started for the northwestern part of the state. The route traveled by the committee was by the way of Newton, Iowa Center, Story City and Webster City. At that place they joined a long train of cmigrant wagons following the line of the Illinois Central Railroad to Fort Dodge. A few days spent in Fort Dodge convinced the committee that the land in that locality was unfit for the purpose of a Holland colony. Their original intention had been to go to Emmet, Palo Alto and Kossuth counties; but learning that homesteads were scarce and the country devoid of timber, they went westward to Storm Lake through Calhoun and Pocahontas countics, then only very sparsely scttled.
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
Almost the entire stretch of country from Fort Dodge to Storm Lake was virgin land without roads and with a few scattering settlers. Finding the land north of Storm Lake of excellent quality but already taken by homesteaders, they proceeded to Cherokee by way of an old government road. This part of their trip was through an expanse of treeless prairie land, practically without inhabit- ants. The whole population of Cherokee county at that time numbered only four hundred and fifty-nine people, and the city of Cherokee consisted of one store, a group of small, primitive houses and a stockade where soldiers had been sta- tioned. The storekeeper was very friendly and hospitable to the Hollanders, and they soon discovered that he, like most people they met, was also a land agent.
From Cherokee to Melbourne in Plymouth county the party passed through a stretch of beautiful prairie country for about forty miles. In that entire distance they did not see one homestead or house. Having carefully examined the soil, drainage and water west of Cherokee, and finding everything satisfactory, they decided to report on this as the best site for a colony, provided that one or more townships of land could be obtained.
On Sunday, the 9th day of May, the committee rested near Melbourne, in the midst of a prosperous farming community of about one hundred and eighty per- sons in the Floyd river valley. Here they attended services in a German church, but being Hollanders they did not understand the sermon to which they listened.
Two weeks from the time they left Pella the landseekers arrived at the boom- ing western town of Sioux City, which already in that early day gave promise of becoming one of the prominent commercial centers of the northwest. Without loss of time they inquired about the land situation, but the throng of landseekers was so great that it was at least three hours before the great crowd at the doors gave them a chance to speak with the officers in charge of the land office. In the desire to be first in applying for choice homesteads, there were many exciting foot races and fights were of frequent occurrence.
When the purpose of the committee to find a location for a large colonization project became known, special arrangements were made whereby they entered the land office by way of a back door. The men in charge were greatly interested and did all in their power to influence the committee to choose a location in the neighborhood of Sioux City; but they were not authorized to make a definite decision, and having secured all the available and necessary information, they started back to Pella, where they arrived after a wagon journey of nearly five hundred and fifty miles.
On the first day of June they made their report to a meeting attended by some two hundred enthusiastic Hollanders who listened eagerly to the glowing reports on the beauty of the lands in northwestern Iowa. At another meeting later in the month of June, many prospective homesteaders made their first declaration before the county clerk and signed applications for homesteads. They authorized the distribution of homesteads by lot and subscribed for sixty ten-dollar shares in a townsite. It was decided to call the proposed new town "New Holland," and to allow Henry Hospers one-third of the land on the townsite. It was decided to send a second committee to the site of the proposed settlement and to pay Henry John van der Waa $2.50 per day for the use of his mule team. Eighty-six farmers signified their desire to obtain homesteads and thirteen others were pre- pared to buy from eighty to four hundred and eighty acres of land outright. Several thousand acres were subscribed for at this meeting.
The second committee, which was appointed late in the month of June, 1869, consisted of the following men: Leen van der Meer, Dirk van den Bos, Henry John van der Waa and Henry Hospers. The three first mentioned made the trip to Sioux City with mule team and Hospers went by rail by way of Des Moines
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DEVELOPMENTS FROM 1870-1922
and Council Bluffs in order to secure all the necessary information at the land offices. He wrote that his "train was loaded with emigrants thirsting for land, land, land."
On their arrival at Sioux City they learned, much to their disappointment, that the land west of Cherokee had all been gobbled up by speculators, with the hope of selling it to the Hollanders at a handsome profit. As the Hollanders de- sired a large area of land exclusively for themselves at government prices, they decided to pass up the speculators and examine the lands in Sioux and Lyons counties.
They at once engaged the services of a surveyor, loaded up with provisions to last for about three weeks, and set out to explore the northwest counties. They passed through Junction City (now called Le Mars). Here they found only one sinall store building. They followed the banks of the Floyd river for about fifteen niiles, which took them to the southern boundary of Sioux county. With the exception of three or four pioneer cabins, they saw no other signs of settlement, only a succession of gently rolling prairie, beautiful in its wealth of waving grass and wild flowers.
So impressed were they with the appearance of Sioux county early in the month of July, that, unanimously and without hesitation, they declared here is the place. A decision, the wisdom of which has been justified by the wonderful growth, development and prosperity of the colony in later years.
Corner stakes were immediately sought, two townships measured off and a townsite selected six miles north of the Plymouth county line. The name of "Holland" was given to the locality and they took possession of thirty-eight sections of land. Returning to Sioux City they apportioned the land among the prospective colonists in the following manner: Section numbers and names of homesteaders were written on slips of paper and placed in separate boxes; for each section number a name was drawn, and the drawer became entitled to the northwest quarter of the section and also to the choice of relatives whom he wished to have settle on the adjoining quarter sections. After this the three members of the committee returned to Pella, while Henry Hospers remained at Sioux City to make sure that the necessary papers were prepared and legally filed.
According to the homestead law of that day a duly qualified person could obtain either eighty or one hundred and sixty acres of government land according as it lay within or without a railroad land grant. Who would have thought or even dreamed that this land which was at that time free to those who would qualify by five years' residence, would within fifty years sell as high as five hundred dollars per acre? In fact, during the boom period of 1919, much higher prices than this were paid; and in a few cases as high as $1,000.00 per acre was paid for small farms of exceptional location.
Shortly after the committee had returned to Pella and reported, the emigrants prepared to make a preliminary visit to their homesteads in the northwest. Early in September, 1869, seventy-five men in eighteen wagons, with three surveyors and sufficient provisions, made the three hundred mile trip to their future farms. There they spent a few weeks in surveying, plowing and otherwise complying with the requirements of the homestead law, and then returned to their homes to prepare for a permanent move in the following spring.
It is not the purpose of this book to give a detailed history of the Sioux County Colony, but as it was the direct outgrowth of the original movement of our forebears from Holland to Pella in 1847, and because of the intimate and friendly relationship that has always existed and that is maintained today, be- tween the mother colony of Pella and her oldest daughter colony in Sioux county, we deem it fitting to give as much space to this important and far-reaching event, as the scope of this publication permits.
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SOUVENIR HISTORY OF PELLA, IOWA
Below we give the names of those who, with their families, left Pella for their new home in Sioux county. Most of them left here in April or May of the year 1870:
Beyer, Gerrit
Jong, de K. Kz.
Bos, van den Dirk
Steenwyk, van Abraham
Boersma, H.
Sipma. J.
Brinks, J.
Sinnema, J.
Dieleman, Pieter
Verheul, Maarten
Groen, Jan
Waa, van der H. J.
Haan, de Wopke
Werkhoven, Arie
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