The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 80

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 80

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).

A new school building is being erected to accommodate the increasing popu- lation, at a cost of $1,500.

LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.

Liberty Township comprises Congressional Township 82 north, Range 1 east, and is bounded, north by Sharon ; west by Cedar County ; south by Spring Rock, and east by Berlin.

The township was organized at the October session of the Board of Com. missioners in 1844, and the first election held at the house of R. Bagley.

Among the early settlers of this township were the Cortrights, Robert Smith, the first Justice of the Peace, R. Bagley, Whipple and Barnes, who broke prairie together, Alanson Dickerson, Burgoyne, the Shoemakers, G. W. Thorne, Jesse Stine, James Devitt, Mr. Rea, Mr. Priest, John R. Wolfe, James McAndrew, the Kanes, P. More, and others.

The main line of the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad passes through this township northwesterly, entering the southern boundary about midway, and, curving to the west, passes out of the township about midway on its western boundary.

The Wapsie runs diagonally through the township, running southeasterly. The surface along the Wapsie is somewhat broken, but after leaving the stream the land is fine rolling prairie.

The population of this township is largely Irish farmers, like Washington Township. The last of the Government lands in the county were in this town- ship, and were largely entered in and near 1850. The land is now mostly held in small farms of eighty to one hundred and sixty acres, there being but few large land-holders in this township, and almost every farmer is in comfortable circumstances. The largest land-owners are John R. Wolfe, who formerly owned 1,100 acres and who now holds 840 acres ; Morris Wolfe, who owns 640 acres, and James Devitt, who has 550 acres.

This township escaped the draft, having furnished its full quota by volun- teers.

There are good schoolhouses throughout the entire township, and all of them comparatively new ones.

The post office is Toronto, on the Wapsie, and also a station on the railroad. Toronto is an old settlement, and has been a smart business point. In 1848, George W. Thorne built a saw-mill at this point, and, in 1850, a grist-mill. In 1853, a carding-machine was put up, being run by the mill-power, by Jacob and Francis Ellis Mr. Thorne also kept a general stock of merchandise. In andisegIn Digitized by

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1852, Jesse Stine, Esq., now of Wheatland, entered the employ of Mr. Thorne, and, in 1854, became his partner, and continued in business with him until 1865. During this period, they used to sell $40,000 to $50,000 worth of goods per annum. Mr. Thorne still continues in business there, and is the Post- master, having succeeded Mr. Stine in 1862.

In 1854, the Cortright Brothers opened a store here, which they continued until 1869, when they sold out to Hoskin & Dickinson, who failed after about two years.

In 1856, B. A. E. Davidson opened a store here, but was unsuccessful, and, after about three years, failed.

In 1867, Hugh Forbes established himself here as a merchant, and is still in business here.

E. P. Simmons is a prominent man in this locality, and is the Justice of the Peace.

In 1853, John P. Ackerman opened a blacksmith-shop and has continued it until the present time. He also keeps a hotel and a livery stable, and does quite an extensive business.

A Mr. Jenks opened the first hotel in 1853, and continued it for a number of years, but sold out and the building is now occupied by Mr. Thorne for his store.

In 1860, the Catholics of this vicinity erected a neat frame church at Toronto, under the pastoral charge of Father Scallan. He was succeeded by Father Ezecle, Father Rice and Father Murphy, the present incumbent.

SHARON TOWNSHIP.

Sharon Township is the northeast township in the county, and comprises Congressional Township 83 north, Range 1 east, and is bounded on the north by Jackson County, west by Jones County, south by Liberty Township, and east by Brookfield Township. This township was organized in April, 1851, at which time it is ordered that this territory "be cut off from all or any townships to which it may have been attached," an unnecessary order, as it had, as yet, been nowhere attached. This would, however, save the officer the trouble of investigating that fact, and give a clear record. The first election was held at the house of Luther Teeple. The settlers did not locate in Sharon at so early a date as in many of the other townships, probably from the fact that in consequence of the absence of streams through this section, there was little or no timber except occasional oak openings. The land in the south and east is fine farming land, but the northwest part of the township is somewhat broken and rough.

Among the early settlers of this township are named David Smith, George Lillie, Arthur Lillie, Henry Armstrong, Luther Teeple, J. B. Current, John Wilcox, James H. Porter, the Gruvers, Jacob Burwell, George C. Read, D. D. Comstock, the Batchelders, Platt Armstrong, the Sandersons and others.

In the northwestern portion of the township at an early day, a large num- ber of Swedenborgians located, known as the Church of the New Jerusalem. They are ministered to spiritually by Rev. Prof. Stephen Wood. Their former place of worship was at Burgess.

In the northeastern portion of the township, many German Dunkards, a Baptist sect, settled. They are a most worthy, industrious and peaceful people,

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having some marked peculiarities in custom, dress and religious rites, but are thriving and successful farmers.

There are two post offices in the township. Burgess, situated in Section 17, where also is a store, blacksmith-shop, etc., and where, for a time, there prom- ised to be a business point, but the opening of the Sabula, Ackley & Dakota Railroad which passes through the town from east to west along the southern part, has transferred the business point to Lost Nation, a station in the south- east, and where quite a thriving little village has sprung up. The legend is that its name is acquired in this wise : A German named Balm was searching for some relatives near this point, while the country all about him was an unbroken prairie, and the prairie grass was man and horse high. He was asked whe e he was going, and in reply, said he was looking for the "Lost Nation."

Lost Nation is fast growing to be an important station on the S., A. & D. Railroad. It has a population of about three hundred, and, being surrounded by a class of able farmers, does a large business in handling grain, cattle, hogs, butter, etc.

There are two church organizations, both occupying the Union Sabbath School Church, in which a union Sabbath school is held each Sabbath. The Methodists occupy the church two Sabbaths in each month, and the Church of the New Jerusalem (Swedenborgian) has services once a month.

Comstock & Wood are a leading firm, carrying a general stock. The senior member is D. D. Comstock, who formerly was established at Burgess, and who removed here after the opening of the railroad. He is well known throughout the county, having represented Sharon for years in the Board of Supervisors. Mr. Wood is the Postmaster.

Beckon & Page also carry a general stock of merchandise. The following are the principal business establishments at Lost Nation :

Clark & Skiff, general merchandise ; E. P. Gillette, hardware ; E. R. Dutt, cattle and grain dealer ; J. E. Gable, lumber and coal dealer; Dr. J. R. Boyd, druggist and physician ; Mrs. M. H. Boyd, millinery ; Ludwig Balster, furni- ture; H. Steiniger, Garden City House ; P. J. & J. D. Jenkins, house and sign painters ; Robert Appleton, butcher ; J. G. Stettler, dentist ; C. C. Rug- gles, agricultural implements ; C. F. Hedager, Simon Johnson and J. W. Cramer, harness work ; H. Hagadorn, shoemaker; J. Jorgensen, builder ; Buck & Weldon, W. J. Martin, blacksmiths and carriage shops ; L. H. Peck, restaurant; Scott & Tufts, Lost Nation Hotel ; Myers & Mewes, grain-dealers.

BERLIN TOWNSHIP.

Berlin was formerly included in the township of Olive, and was erected into a new township in February, 1856. The first election was held on the first Monday in April, 1856, in Spark's Schoolhouse.

Berlin comprises Congressional Township 82 north, Range 2 east, and is bounded on the north by Brookfield Township, west by Liberty Township, south by Olive and Orange Townships and east by Welton Township. In the northeastern portion of the township are edges of groves, extending in from Brookfield Township on the north and Welton Township on the east. The northern portion of the township is prairie land, some of which, however, has more or less of sand hills. The eastern portion of the township is high prairie land and is very fine, but as the township slopes to the southwest, the land becomes lower and has some wet lands. In this portion of the township are

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some of the heaviest ditches made by the county, which greatly improved the 'character of the land and reclaimed a large area of swamp lands.

Among the oldest settlers of this township may be named Thomas Flathers, the oldest settler, who resides in the northeastern part of the township. Mr. Flathers has been County Surveyor and has represented the township in the Board of Supervisors. Michael Hughes and his sons Richard and Michael L., Joseph Russell, Matthias Hoffman, who was recently killed by the overturning of his wagon while returning to his home from Maquoketa, Charles L. Sherwood, who filled the important office of Drainage Commissioner for one or more terms and did much for the township in the way of county ditches. He has removed to Sac County, Iowa. W. Hiersche and his son Rudolph, G M. Gohlmann, the largest resident land owner in the township, having entered and now owning Section 13. An amusing story is told of the trip to Iowa City, where this entry was made. Mr. Gohlmann and Mr. Henningsen, the present County Treasurer, left Sabula for Iowa City to enter land, and the strife was who should first reach the land office. The Gohlmanns had a crack team, while our county official had a poor plug of a horse. Before reaching Tipton, the Gohl- manns were far in advance and stopped for the night, thinking the race was won. Mr. Henningsen, however, nothing daunted, pushed on through the night, and when the Gohlmanns reached the land office they met their com- petitor coming away from the office, having secured his entry. It is pleasantly told further that Mr. Henningsen, knowing the section they desired to enter, made choice for his friend of another section, having the pleasure of beating them in the race without prejudice to them.

There were Mr. Correll and his sons Abraham and Daniel, the latter of whom lost his arm at Arkansas Post, and who has been County Recorder for the last two terms; James R. Risley, who has represented the county in the Board of Supervisors ; John Hyde, Governor Nowels, and others.

The lands are now mostly owned in small farms, and are occupied by an intelligent and thriving community of farmers. The market place of this town- ship has been divided between Maquoketa and De Witt, although now Grand Mound comes in for a portion.

The schoolhouses in this township are excellent, and much attention, given to the education of their children. Indeed, this has become a stereotyped state- ment in writing of the townships and cities of Clinton County, where, as one man expressed it, after having made a tour of the South, he would " bet that there were more square feet of floor-room to educate children on in Clinton County than in the whole State of Georgia."

HAMPSHIRE TOWNSHIP.

When the early settlers began to locate in this county they passed over Hampshire and sought, as they then supposed, more desirable localities. This, probably, arose from a comparative scarcity of timber and water. But future developments show the error into which they were led, for to-day there is not a township of finer farming land within the limits of the county than Hampshire. The land is all, or nearly so, fine rolling prairie, without waste, and is all under cultivation, there being only 2,692 acres of unimproved land reported by the census returns of 1875, and which number has been largely reduced since that time.

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HISTORY OF CLINTON COUNTY.

Hampshire Township was organized on the 20th of February, 1857, and the first election thereafter was held at the Hess Schoolhouse on the first Mon- day in April, 1857.

Hampshire comprises Congressional Township 82 north, Range 6 east, except the south half of the southern tier of sections which are included in Clinton and Lincoln Townships. It is bounded north by Elk River Township, west by Center Township, south by Lincoln and Clinton Townships, and east by Lyons Township.

Among the first settlers of Hampshire may be named Robert Horner, Charles Finch, J. J. Determan, Henry Determan, John Hamilton, B. Mclaughlin, Mr. Lillie, G. W. Creveling, George Pearce, E. Albright, A. J. Albright, Samuel Albright, Albert Hammond, Asa Hammond, Mr. Blessington and his four sons, the Mannings, Mr. Bouck, the Keelers, Mr. Ryder, the Diercks, Nicholas Schwartz, the Stuedemans, George and Chester Baker, James Dolan, Martin Dolan, James Rogan, Mr. Kessler and others.

This township would have been bisected by a railway had not the old "Calico " road failed ; but-having no railway through its territory, nor mill sites, and being contiguous to Lyons and Clinton, which are its market towns- no villages have sprung up within its limits. On Section 17, at the residence of Mr. J. C. Teitjens, is a hamlet, and some manufacturing of wagons, etc., is carried on. Ennis & Patton's extensive nurseries are also in this township in the southeastern part.

The township is largely settled by German and Irish farmers, and, with few exceptions, the farms are moderate in area, and are under an excellent state of cultivation.

The schools are numerous, and school buildings good.

In the northeastern part of the township on Section 7, the Catholics have a neat church called the " Prairie Church," which is under the pastoral care of Father Gaffney, who also is in charge of Center Grove Church.

Old Mr. Blessington, whose name is mentioned among the early settlers in Hampshire, used to relate of himself that he commenced the world for himself in Wisconsin, where he purchased 40 acres of land, and borrowed the money to pay for it at 40 per cent interest. In three years, he had extinguished the debt. He then sold out for $800, and came to this township and entered a half- section.

MISCELLANEOUS.

The financial annals of the county and the cities within its borders are essentially the same as of the Northwest. Three periods are tolerably well defined. The first was one of slow, steady and rather crude development, by the arrival and settlement of pioneers, poor in nothing but financial resources. For some years, they were too few to inaugurate any scheme for public improve- ments. Though, as previously noted, the necessities of life were abundant, money, for almost indispensable luxuries, were lacking. Then in the later forties and earlier fifties, began the period of activity, based partly on capital and more largely on credit and discounting a rather indefinite but rosy future.

In 1850-53, the recent discovery of gold in California filled even the pru- dent with visions of riches, and affected every county in the same stage of growth as Clinton at that time. Into her limits there came companies of railroad and land speculators, together with substantial settlers, who were destined to become the real authors of its wealth. As observed in the detailed chronicle of railroad

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and land enterprises, for a season all went prosperously till it crumbled before the panic of '57 like the baseless fabric of a dream.

A digression is necessary to explain to the younger generation of readers how certain sections of the country could then have been brought to such a permanent standstill, and for them to appreciate the severity of the storm their sires had to weather, and to afford them useful lessons for the future.

The crisis of '57 was due partly to excessive importation of foreign goods and partly to the too rapid construction of railways with borrowed capital- just such enterprises as the projected L. & I. C. A partial crop failure dimin- ished the capacity of the country to pay for its imports in produce and com- pelled heavy coin exports. Confidence was disturbed by the failure of indi- viduals and corporations. It became impossible to negotiate paper. As in 1837, a struggle was inaugurated between banks and merchants, which ended as such struggles must, in the suspension of both. In October, the New York City banks suspended specie payments, and the example was followed through- out the country. Merchants and railway companies generally failed. The failure of a highly esteemed corporation, the Ohio Life and Trust Company, has generally been considered the starting-point of the panic. But the elements of a radical revulsion, in the shape of unduly expanded bank credits, excessive conversion of floating capital into fixed capital, the construction of an extensive railway system, with capital borrowed on call, chiefly from abroad, and last of all a partial crop failure, had been present for some time, and the result had been foreseen and predicted. Prices fell 50 per cent in a few days. Money was so stringent that bankers were actually unable to borrow currency on gold bullion.

The Michigan Southern sold a guaranteed 10 per cent stock at 50 cents, and the Michigan Central an 8 per cent mortgage bond at the same price.

When the banks suspended in monetary centers relief came. Confidence gradually returned, money flowed into Wall street, prices improved, and many banks resumed in December. Many who had lost fortunes during the depres- sion recovered at least a part of them during the winter and spring. But it was several years before the commercial classes recovered from the blow and the West and South remained poor quite as long.

The stringency of commercial and financial matters, and the dullness of times during the months immediately following the break-up of 1857, cannot be understood except by those who went through those troublous days. Not only was the country without money, but it was also poor in commodities- not as in 1873, overloaded with products, and with merely the machinery of trade and business deranged. Those who remember only the latter panic, have no adequate conception of the earlier disaster. An incident connected with the lumber trade will show how Lyons, previously so prosperous and confident as to the future. was utterly prostrated.

Hosford & Miller, had, in the spring of 1857, begun their mill at Lyons, and in the summer started the saws. Mr. Hosford had bought two rafts of a Galena banker, paying $1,000 advance. On the timber being delivered, Mr. Hosford declined to take it, the financial storm having darkened the whole horizon, offering to resign his advance, and preferring not to risk working up the logs, or risk wintering them in the swift current of that year's high water. But upon the seller insisting upon sharing the risk, the rafts were delivered, as much lumber as possible cut therefrom before the early and severe winter that added so much to the gloom and distress of that time set in, and the rest of the logs hauled high on the bank by main force of the "bull-wheel." Discouraged by the outlook, Messrs. Hosford and Miller, like many other firms, busied

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themselves temporarily elsewhere, leaving the Lyons interests in the hands of an agent, and the severity of the pinch can be perhaps appreciated, by the fact that in a place of about one thousand people, with a large back country, the agent did not transact business enough to pay his expenses, and had to be supplied with funds to live upon, In the spring, Mr. Hosford thinking that greater energy might revive trade, gave his personal attention to the yard ; but though they sawed up great piles of lumber, it was impossible to dispose of any worth mentioning. Then Miller, thinking that he could, perhaps, stir up some trade, endeavored to work off some lumber; but so torpid was the market, and so utterly depressed and inactive every building interest, that he only succeeded after many weeks in selling on credit one bill of about $80, to help build a small house owned by Peter Dick, just east of the present Riverside Institute, for- merly the Randall House, which was built by Ben Lake in '57.

RIVER REMINISCENCES.

Without reference to the great river that washes its eastern border, any his- tory of Clinton County would be decidedly incomplete. Not only has the Mississippi been one of the principal factors in the material development of the county, but, by its providing natural and ample drainage, has exercised a decided influence upon the health of the community, to say nothing of the magnificence that the rolling flood, whether tawny with melted snow, or glow- ing in the summer sun, lends to the landscape. For thirty years, the river steamer, except the crawling wagon or stage, was the only means of public transit or transportation. Without steamboats to stem the rushing current of the river, the full settlement of the Northwest, and especially of Eastern Iowa. would have been delayed, at least, a decade or two. While no town in Clinton County became so exclusively interested in navigation as several further down the river, yet, during their early days, the arrival of the steamer was the prin- cipal event in their somewhat monotonous life. The irregularity of their move- ments naturally stimulated the public interest. " As uncertain as a steamboat," was a popular expression that testifies to their erratic time-tables. However, in those days, travel on Mississippi crafts was more delightful, in some respects, than it has ever since been. The stream was, compared with its present pollu- tion by the wash from fields and town debris and sewage, clear and trans- lucent, the bluffs had not been shorn by the ax, the prairies stretched like a carpet down to the water's edge, or heaved their " soundless breakers " of vivid green against the horizon. Nor was there any lack of life, either, on board the boat crowded with the diverse elements that flock to a new country.

There was a freshness and fascination in the river trip, now departed from these waters. The sloughs and bayous during the season swarmed with wild fowl that, sometimes scared by the steamer's whistle, rose into the air in a whirring cloud. Deer standing on the bluffs, or cautiously stealing from one covert to another, occasionally added grace to the picture. A voyage up the Mississippi by steamer, in those days, was an enchanting journey. Even at a comparatively late day, so extensive a traveler as that great lover of Nature as well as Science, Prof. Louis Agassiz, could scarcely express his enthusiastic delight at the beauty as well as the fertility of the country along the grand river. Noble and beautiful as was the stream when the pioneers first beheld it, and, as related elsewhere, concluded to pitch their tents within sight of its waters, the imagination cannot help picturing what it must have been at a previous and Digitized by e

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not very distant day in geologic time, when the expanse of waters spread across the present bottom, when the present bluffs were merely the banks, when such valleys as the trough in which Goose Lake lies, and the wide plain between the Fulton and the back bluffs, were the beds of the parallel bayous and through the broad channel poured the floods fed by the outlets of the whole southern system of British American Lakes, when the Red River of the North flowed southward, and the Minnesota, instead of being a mere tributary, was really the Upper Mississippi.

Without steamboats, the traffic on the river would have been small. Though the flat-boat and keel-boat might have furnished available transport down stream. the current would have prevented schooners being profitably employed, and made towing up stream too tedious and slow. For many years, boats ran independently of each other, though by tacit agreement, they often adopted a sort of system that brought them along at tolerably regular intervals. Fuel was at first, fortunately, very cheap. Squatters established yards at every available point along the river and their axes rapidly denuded much Government land of its most valuable timber, and many settlers quickly stripped their own timber claims to furnish the steamers with fuel, which could be consumed in the clumsy and wasteful engines in quantities that would make an English or Continental engineer faint. Though snags and sawyers were more numerous than now, low water was not so annoying nor did bars shift so rapidly as since the land has been plowed and the woods extensively cut down. Considering the craziness of some of the primitive craft, it is surprising that accidents were so rare. However, many were very stanchly built. Racing was not so prevalent as in the lower river, between the rival St. Louis and New Orleans packets, but there are traditions of many lively brushes between opposition boats, though it is doubtful whether any in the old time equalled some of the late trials of speed between the Keokuk Northern side-wheel and the Diamond Jo stern-wheel craft, notably the race in 1878, between the Alex. Mitchell and the Josie.

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The History of Clinton County, Iowa: Containing a History of the County, Its., Part 80

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