The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 78

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 807

USA > Iowa > Clinton County > The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its. > Part 78

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

Elwood is a village on the S., A. & D. Railroad, where a post office was established in 1872, Mrs. O. H. Rythe, Postinistress. It is one of the most thriving places of its size in the county, owing to the rich country surrounding it, and the enterprise of Messrs. Claus C. Ruus and F. P. Wilcox, and the immense creameries of Messrs. Clark & Beard.

OLIVE TOWNSHIP.

Olive Township was organized in October, 1842. The boundaries as then designated have been previously given. Its present territory includes nearly all of fractional Townships 80 and 81 north, Range 2 east. It is bounded north by Berlin Township, west by Spring Rock Township, south by the Wapsie, which is the county line, and east by Orange Township.

Among the early settlers in this township were Hiram Brown, Charles Dut- ton, Sr., Lorenzo, Charles, Jr., Leroy and Jerome Dutton, his sons, Lyman Alger, Joseph Alger, E. F. Owen, William Scott, Bennett Warren, Mr. Edgar, D. C. Curtis, Josiah Hill, Abram Hendrickson and others.

The Dutton family came early into the township. Their total possessions were about $60 in cash and a few household effects. They purchased a pair of cattle, and the first season broke about ten acres of prairie and sowed white winter wheat. This crop was harvested and hauled to Davenport, through sloughs and mud-holes, the load having frequently to be unloaded to get out, and was sold for 30 cents per bushel, one half in store pay, and a part of the balance in cash articles, which meant groceries. The store pay was calico and similar dry goods. In 1849, they hauled pork to Dubuque and sold for $1.75, three-fourths store pay and the balance cash.

J. S. Stowrs, Esq., opened a law office in De Witt in 1844, building the first building for such an office erected there, a brick one, and he relates that his first fee was a load of pumpkins which were drawn to him by Mr. Names, and his second fee a load of wood drawn to him by Mr. James Kirtley. Find- ing it necessary to eke out his income, he resorted to school-teaching, and, in 1846, he says, he opened the first school in Olive Township. There was no schoolhouse, few school-books and those of every variety, such as had been brought by the settlers from their various starting-points. When he arrived at the place, he found the School Director making ready for his coming. The building was an old log-house and the Director was boring holes in slabs for seats and into the logs to drive pins, upon which a board was laid for the desk. A stone chimney in one end served for heating purposes. Being an attorney and having been Probate Judge in the county, Mr. Stowrs commanded munifi- cent wages, and he was paid $12 per month and boarded around. The chil- dren were eager to learn, and, despite these disadvantages, improved the time. He also organized a Sunday school, Rev. Mr. Emerson coming down and giv- ing it a start, but Mr. Stowrs says that the day school was the most successful, the Sunday school interfering with the fishing.

In 1839, there was a trail known as Boone's Trail, over which a man named Boone drove cattle from Missouri to Galena, by way of Maquoketa.

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His usual crossing-place on the Wapsie was on Section 5, Township 80 north, Range 2 east. The first ferryman was an old pioneer of the name of John Shook, who had a small flat-boat which would just take on one team and which was run by a rope. R. I. Jencks succeeded him, whether by purchase or by entry of the landings, is not certainly known. He named the ferry Buena Vista, after that celebrated battle had been fought. He also succeeded in securing a post office here, which was called Buena Vista, which has since been removed to Roth- stein's Mill, but still bears the same name. Jencks sold out the ferry franchise to George Atherton in 1849, and a few weeks later he sold out to Dr. Amos Witter, a gentleman who was emigrating to California overland, but when he had reached this point had wearied of his journey. He afterward died in the service as a Brigade Surgeon. Dr. Witter sold out to a man named Edgar, some time pre- vious to 1854. J. E. McArthur succeeded him and ran the ferry until 1858, when he sold to James Merritt, and, in the spring of 1859, he sold to Jerome Dutton, who continued to operate it until the spring of 1865, when the land on the Clinton County side was sold to J. W. S. Robinson and James Dumphy, Mr. Dutton still owning the lands on the Scott County side, and the ferry was dis- continued. This had been one of the most profitable ferries on the Wapsie for many years, and particularly during the Pike's Peak excitement in 1859, but the erection of the Rothstein bridge destroyed its value. Lyman Alger also had a ferry in this township for many years and is one of the first settlers of record to whom license was issued to keep a ferry across the Wapsie. The Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad also temporarily operated a ferry for the transfer of passengers on the stage-route until the railroad was completed across the river.

This township is mostly level and has considerable bog or swamp land, but drainage and cultivation is bringing nearly all of it into arable fields. Much of this land was held out of market as mineral lands until 1850 to 1855, as there were considerable deposits of bog-iron ore, but never found in paying quantities.

There are several good quarries in this township, and, on the farm of William V. Cruson, there was opened this year a limestone quarry which is producing a fine quality of lime.

There are several peat-beds in the township, and, in 1867, an attempt was made to manufacture peat on the farm of John A. Boyd. The quality of the peat made was excellent but the enterprise was not a financial success.

In 1860, the total vote polled in the township was 140, and before any draft was ordered seventy-nine men had volunteered into the service, mostly in the Second, Eighth and Twenty-sixth Infantry, and the First and Seventh Cavalry. This was conceded to be the banner township in the State.

After the close of the war, a Post of the G. A. R. was organized and maintained for a number of years.

A large representation in the present population is of Norwegians, an industrious and thriving people. They have a Lutheran Church in the south- eastern part of the township and have recently erected a very fine church edifice. They also have a parsonage and sustain a Pastor, who preaches to them in their native tongue.

About one or two miles south from the Norwegian Church, the German Lutherans also have a church edifice and parsonage. Their Pastor, in addition to his ministerial duties, also teaches a German school. The oldest church organization, however, in the township, is a Free-Will Baptist Church, which used to worship in the old log schoolhouse, mentioned before, and which

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now worships in the Alger Schoolhouse, and whose spiritual shepherd is Rev. D. C. Curtis.

A post office was established in 1858. Joseph D. Fegan was deputized to go there and establish the office. No one could suggest a name. Mr. Fegan said "Is there no creek or anything ?" "Yes, Calamus Creek." "Then let it be Calamus." The creek takes its name from the great quantities of "sweet flag" growing in it.

Probably no occurrence ever occasioned greater excitement throughout Olive Township, and, indeed, throughout the whole surrounding country, than that of the murder of Mrs. Esther Alger, the aged wife of Lyman Alger, both of whom were among the earliest settlers in the township as well as in the county. Mr. Alger had accumulated a large property, and was in the habit of loaning money to quite an extent, and frequently had quite considerable sums of money in the house. To obtain a large amount supposed to be in the house at the time of the crime, it is conjectured, was the object of its commission. Mrs. Alger was an aged lady of seventy-two years, and her husband a year her senior. They lived alone, except a grandson, Judson Curtis. On the evening of September 25, 1872, Mr. Alger had gone to the schoolhouse, a short distance away, to attend a prayer-meeting. Judson had gone over to his father's barn, about forty rods distant, and the old lady was left alone at home. . She was evidently busily engaged in some household duties about the door, having her sun-bonnet on. While thus engaged, she was shot down and, afterward beaten to death with some blunt instrument, supposedly an ax. Judson heard the shot fired, and, running to the house, found the dead body of his grandmother lying in the path near the door, the house opened, and the trunk where the money was kept rifled. He gave the alarm at the schoolhouse, and the people hurried to the scene to find that one of the most brutal of murders had been committed, almost in broad daylight. Between $1,000 and $1,500 were taken from the trunk.

Although some arrests were made, and diligent efforts put forth to discover the perpetrators of the crime, it is still an unsolved mystery.

CALAMUS.

Calamus, a post office and small village on the C. & N. W. Railway, was platted in 1860, by R. S. Dickinson, who owned the land on the north side of the railroad, and Milo Smith, who owned that on the south. It was replatted in 1865. James Keith opened the first store here, a small stock of groceries and notions. R. S. Dickinson and his son A. L., in 1861, built the first store of consequence, and opened a large and complete stock of general merchandise, and engaged in grain-buying. Two or three years later, R. E. Houck opened a small store, and has continued in trade there since, building up a successful business.

The following persons represent the present business interests of Calamus : H. Brezee, boots and shoes ; S. Brehm, meat market ; Buck & Martin, wagon- makers ; James Brown, harness-shop; Leroy Cushman, barber ; Damon Brothers, general store; Robert Daschler, general store ; R. E. Houck, gen- eral store; John Hand, Northern House ; Mrs. Hoover, Farmers' Home ; J. W. Libler, groceries and lumber; M. W. McCartha, hardware ; George Mor- gan, blacksmith ; D. Merritt, livery ; E. F. Owen, Justice ; F. H. Richards, blacksmith ; Mrs. E. Smith, millinery ; William Scott, hardware; Chester Stroud, boots and shoes ; S. B. Walker, Postmaster, drugs and furniture.

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Calamus was incorporated in 1876, and E. F. Owens was elected the first Mayor. His successors have been F. Buck, in 1877, and J. C. Bowman, in 1878 and 1879.

The United Workmen have a flourishing Lodge here of forty-five members, known as Loyalty Lodge, No. 76.

The Methodist Episcopal denomination Las a neat church edifice at Calamus. The society was organized January 1, 1868, and, soon after, erected their church-building. They are supplied jointly with Grand Mound.

For audaciousness and recklessness, the financial operations of John W. S. Robinson, of Olive, stand pre-eminent in the county. Robinson came to the county in 1865, and purchased the old Dutton farm at the Buena Vista Ferry. He commenced improving it, rapidly bringing it under cultivation, cutting off and marketing the timber, laboring industriously himself. He soon began to preach, calling himself a Disciple. During the campaign of 1868, he was an active Republican, and made many speeches in different parts of the county. He was of fine presence, a ready speaker and a companionable man. He became very popular, through the section where he lived, with all classes, par- ticularly with the poor, to whom he furnished employment at liberal wages, and had made an extensive acquaintance throughout the county. He soon began to enlarge his sphere of operations, made additional purchases of land, and also rented land quite largely, having at one time nearly one thousand acres of corn, besides other crops. He purchased a section or more of wild land near State Center, broke it all and sold out in smaller farms with crops on. He was reputed to have cleared nicely by this transaction. "No pent-up Utica con- fined his powers." He bought property at Calamus, erected a fine residence, and was the great power there, a leader in finance, politics and society. He purchased real estate in Clinton, which he announced was for the site of a resi- dence at no distant day. The area of his operations rapidly increased until his name was a familiar one in business circles throughout the county, and he had the unlimited confidence of all, for his paper was always backed with "ample real estate security." He became an extensive purchaser of real estate, buying farm after farm, as well as large tracts of timber land. One of the latter pur- chases was made of William Scott, of Buena Vista, for some $500. He told Scott that he was going to Clinton, and would take the deed down to have it recorded, and would bring the money back with him. This he did, but it developed at last that the $500 was raised upon a note with the forged signature of Scott, and indorsed by Robinson. He would borrow money in sums of $50, $100 and $200, for a few days, which were always paid with great promptness, fre- quently being returned the following day. These transactions were, doubtless, for the purpose of gaining a reputation for promptness and integrity. But the final movement was the forgery of titles and other documents of record. By obtaining access to notarial seals, he had obtained impressions of them upon various needed blanks, and he then forged satisfaction pieces to mortgages upon farms he had owned, and made new loans, and then forged deeds to property of which he held possession by lease, and even carried his transactions to such a bold extent as to forge deeds to farms upon which the owners resided; and it is stated that he made a loan from Lyman Alger, secured by a mortgage upon a farm of which he (Alger) himself was the owner. With his abstracts of titles and his mortgages, he effected loans to a large amount, it is said, aggregating more than $50,000, in various parts of the county, mostly in De Witt, Clinton and Lyons, the shrewdest financial institutions and individuals being the victims of his villainy. But his chef d'œuvre was a loan of $30,000, for which

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he had completed arrangements, and was just about to grasp when the bubble burst. The agent for the capitalist, in company with John C. Polley, Esq., then of De Witt, was at Calamus to make investigation of the property to which he claimed title, and of which he had perfect abstracts, being nearly all the land south of Calamus to the Wapsie. He drove with his visitors over the country, pointing out to them his possessions, and satisfying them fully of the sufficiency of his security. Arrangements were therefore made for Robinson to accompany the gentleman to Chicago, and there transfer his securities and receive his money.

In the mean time, some suspicion had been aroused in the Recorder's office by the vastness of his operations and the rapidity of his purchases, and the facility he seemed to have in effecting loans, and the apparent ease with which he paid them. Among other deeds filed for record, was one from the Keublers, which bore nine forged signatures, part of them females. J. D. Fegan, the Recorder, being acquainted with the Keublers, called the attention of J. E. McArthur, then an attorney at Calamus, to the fact of this deed being on record, and requested him to confer with the Keublers. McArthur neglected to do so, and the matter passed along for some weeks, until Mr. Fegan, in passing Calamus on a railroad train, again called McArthur's attention to the fact confidentially, and told him that if he could not afford to go out to Keubler's, he would pay him for doing so. McArthur immediately went out, and one of the Keubler boys came back to Calamus with him.

This was the day on which the two gentlemen mentioned above were exam- ining the property precedent to effecting the $30,000 loan. As Robinson reached town from the tour with them, he learned that Mr. Keubler was waiting for the train to go to Clinton to investigate the matter. Sending his guests to his house in company with his Superintendent, he found Keubler and went on the train with him to Clinton. On Keubler's return, he reported matters all right. What explanation he made to him to convince him of this is not known. Robinson returned at about 6 o'clock in the evening, and while seeing his guests off on a later train, two interested parties from Clinton arrived, and, taking him aside, informed him of their suspicions, and insisted upon other security for their loan. Robinson saw that the game was up, settled with them as best he could, and when daylight came, he had disappeared. In 1877, his whereabouts was discovered in Georgia ; a requisition was obtained, and one who had been a a heavy loser by him was deputized to go and make the arrest. This he did, and brought him as far as Nashville where, as he reports, he escaped from him.

The criminal career of Robinson, so far as is known, began the first of April, 1870, and ended about the middle of August, following; and during this brief period, he had forged paper of various kinds to the amount of about $90,000. Of these forgeries, twelve were forged deeds, ten were forged satisfaction pieces. In addition to these, were a large number of forged notes, being a series of notes which he had taken for the purchase of the Marshall County property, and which he had duplicated. In an article written soon after the explosion, by a gentleman whose business made him familiar with the facts, the amount of money realized by Robinson upon these notes was said to be about $65,000, $11,000 being, however, genuine notes, leaving the balance in forged paper $54,000. His estate was thrown into bankruptcy, and paid the victims about 20 per cent. It is not believed that he carried away much money, his failure to secure the $30,000 loan having made his largest real estate forgeries unpro- ductive, and large sums having been squandered in wild financial transactions, and in extravagant living.

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EDEN TOWNSHIP.

Eden Township first formed a part of Camanche Precinct. In 1856, it was organized as a separate township. This is one of the finest farming town- ships in the county. It is well watered, its southern boundary being the Wapsie, and it is traversed from north to south near its center by Brophy's Creek. Much attention is given to stock-raising, and some of the finest farms and largest herds of cattle to be found in the county are in Eden Township. Its population, according to the last census, is about one thousand.

This township is less than a Congressional township in area, and includes portions of Townships 80 north, Range 5 east, and 81 north, Ranges 4 and 5 east, the principal area being in 81 north, Range 5 east.

Among the early settlers were James D. Bourne, Robert C. Bourne, John and Thomas Brophy, William Shelden (on the old Abbey place), J. D. and William A. Davidson, who entered the Cherrywood farm ; Jonathan Waterbury, who lives on southwest quarter Section 4, Township 80 north, Range 5 east ; William Simpson, who settled on the place now owned by the Payne Brothers; William Ten Eyck, who lived on the place now owned by Thomas McCone; John Maxson, who was a surveyor, and located on the place now owned by R. J. Dannatt ; William Cope, who still resides on his claim.

In 1851, the English settlers came into this township and vicinity, among whom were Samuel Dannatt and his sons Benjamin, Thomas, Samuel and John, John Bower and his sons Thomas and Humphrey, George Hardy, George Hill and his son Thomas, George Pearson and his two sons Henry and George; and afterward came Thomas B. Dannatt, John B. Dannatt and C. B. Dannatt, John Tate and his sons William, Thomas and Charles, William Canty, George Houston, William Richardson and his sons William, Thomas and Amos. These nearly all came from the village of Killingholme in Lincoln- shire, England, and, bringing capital with them, they bought out the original claim-takers and engaged in successful farming. They are thrifty and enter- prising, largely engaged in stock-raising and feeding, and their broad fields, fine farm-houses and outbuildings make Eden Township a model one.

The first schoolhouse in the township was a log structure built in 1849, and stood upon the farm now occupied by Peter Hill in the Union district, which comprised in its limits then nearly the whole township. There are now nine school districts in the township, all being provided with neat and commodious school-buildings.

There are but two churches in the township-the Methodist Church at Low Moor and a chapel at Malone, which was erected under the auspices of the Baptist Church at De Witt. Low Moor is a post village, and is situated on Section 22, Township 81, Range 51, in Eden Township.

Low Moor is an outgrowth of the Chicago & North-Western Railway, and is a station on that road. It was surveyed and platted in the spring of 1858. the original proprietors being J. Tong, Wilson Mudgett and Milo Smith. The first house was built by William Gulick ; the second, by Richard Wagner, and the third by Roswell B. Millard, who was the first station agent and Post- master. The post office was established in August, 1857, on the opening of the railroad and before the platting, but the town had been projected and its name selected. George Weston, P. J. Schuyler, Charles. Seward and John M. Haskill have succeeded to the honors and emoluments of the postmastership,

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the latter being the present incumbent. The population is about two hundred. A neat frame school-building, with commodious grounds in a beautiful maple grove, accommodates its " Young Americas," the attendance at which is about seventy.

The Methodist Church is a small, but very tasty frame building, in the Gothic style, and seats about four hundred. It was erected in 1869, at a cost of about $3,600.

Religious services were held in the " Jones " Schoolhouse in the early days. It was then in Camanche, in what is now District No. 1, in Eden. All denominations held their meetings here. In 1858, a class was organized, and, at this date, the organization of the Low Moor Methodist Church can be prop- erly reckoned. When the railroad was opened and a population began to gather there, this was thought to be a more central point, and at first the meet- ings were held in the depot until the schoolhouse was erected in 1867, which was occupied for religious services until the completion of the church. The Church now numbers about fifty members. It is at present attached to Caman- che, and the Pastor is Rev. W. E. McCormac.

A stock company own and operate a steam grist-mill. The building was formerly a grain warehouse. The machinery was put in in the spring of 1878. It has two runs of stones.

Mr. Dannatt, in erecting a fine store-building, provided the people of Low Moor with a commodious public hall on the second floor.

DIRECTORY.

Crone & Manley, general merchandise; Haskill & Son, general merchan- dise ; J. L. Haskill, Postmaster ; John Hoffmire, blacksmith ; Thomas Rowe, wagon-maker ; Henry Etter, shoemaker ; Charles Collins, watchmaker ; S. C. Bauder, grain and agricultural implements ; R. J. Hart, physician and drug- gist ; E. L, Penfield, attorney ; S. W. Brazell, agricultural implements ; G. E. Mudgett, hotel ; Thomas Fetchett, saloon ; Chris. Bristley, saloon.

MURDERS.

In the fall of 1848, a murder was committed in Center Township. John Foley, an Irishman, was murdered by a neighbor known as Yankee Grable. Grable had borrowed a yoke of oxen from Foley. The latter sent a boy for the cattle, and Grable, for some reason, refused to return them. Foley then went to Grable's and demanded his cattle. An altercation took place between them, during which Foley made some demonstration of a threatening character, upon which Grable seized a stake from a hay-rack and with one blow killed him on the spot. Grable was arrested, indicted and tried, but was cleared. He then left the State and lived a number of years in Missouri, but finally returned to this county, where he lived in Olive Township until his death a few years since. Hiram Brown was the Sheriff at the time, and, after his indict- ment, he permitted him to go at large upon his honor. The man was worthy of his confidence and appeared at Court at the proper time for his trial.

Ten years later, or in 1858, another murder took place in this township. It occurred at the stone schoolhouse on election day. A young man named Quick had a difficulty with Thomas Kelly at a saloon at Ramessa, and, on the day of election came to the voting-place and an altercation ensued ; after a few words, Kelly drew a dirk-knife and stabbed Quick to the heart, killing him instantly. He fled but was pursued by citizens and captured by Mr. Garrett Davenpeck and others. He was indicted, tried and brought in "not guilty."le

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The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 78

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company Publication date: 1879 Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co. Number of Pages: 807

Author: Western Historical Co , Western Historical Company
Publication date: 1879
Publisher: Chicago : Western Historical Co.
Number of Pages: 807