USA > Iowa > Dallas County > The History of Dallas County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 66
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The above order cut off from Union the four sections previously annexed for school purposes (May 9, 1859), and all the rest of said congressional township from Adel, and constituted the new township of Colfax at the same time that Van Meter and Adams townships were organized, and also cut Adel township down to its present form.
Among the first settlers in Colfax township were William Franks, Jack- son Franks, Willis Franks, William Loper, John Tyer, J. N. Ludington, and John Metz, all of whom came in at quite an early day, and with energy and perseverance have succeeded in making themselves comfortable homes, and greatly advancing the cultivation and improvement of their township.
There are two church organizations in the township. The M. E. Church has no building erected yet, but hold their meetings in the Tice school- house, and their membership now numbers thirty-four. They will probably build a house of worship soon. (See the account of this church as given by the pastor, Rev. David Shenton, under the history of the Adel M. E. church.)
The German Baptist Church is located on section 4, Colfax township, and is called the Panther Creek Church.
The association was organized in the fall of 1869, with Christian Long as Bishop. The members at that time were as follows: His wife, son and daughter, Henry Stitzel and wife, John B. Diehl and wife, Henry Miller and wife, Jacob Rowland and wife, Emanuel Couchenour and wife.
Their meetings were held regularly each Sunday at different places until the building of their church, which occurred in the spring of 1873. They have a commodious and well constructed edifice, capable of seating about 500 people. It was built at a cost of about $1,400.
Their present membership is from 70 to 75, and the church is in a flour- ishing condition.
In February, 1877, Mr. Robert Badger succeeded Mr. Long, which place he fills with credit to himself and satisfaction to his people.
The township has two good county bridges over the Panther creek, one near Mr. Ludington's and one near Mr. Foster's, besides several others of minor importance.
It also has one post-office, called Panther Creek post-office.
With this one within its bounds, and Adel and Redfield so near, all parts. are conveniently situated for receiving and sending mail matter.
538
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
The first election held in Colfax township was, perhaps, in the spring of 1869, soon after the order was issued for its organization; and the township officers elected at the last election, 1878, were:
Township Clerk-C. W. Sutherland. Assessor-C. H. W. Payne.
Trustees:
F. A. Kennedy, V. P. Gray, J. Ludington.
Justices :
James Snyder, L. D. Bullis.
Constables:
James Ackley, J. S. Fair, William Bales.
The township has nine good school-houses, and as many good schools.
LINCOLN.
This township is the second one from the north in the west tier of town- ships in Dallas county, and is known in the government surveys as congres- sional township 78, north of range 28, west of the 5th principal meridian.
It has no river passing through it, but is very well supplied with two running streams of considerable size, which afford plenty of water and drainage. The Mosquito flows full length of the township, north and south, down through the west half, and Panther creek nearly full length of the township from north to south through the east half, flowing out at the southeast corner into Colfax township, thus leaving a strip north and south of excellent agricultural land, from three to four miles in width lying be- tween these two streams, nicely rolling and well located, with another strip a little more than the width of one section full length of the west side of the township, on the west side of Musquito creek, and another on the east side of Panther creek nearly the full length of the township, about one or two miles wide; all of pretty much the same quality of farming land.
A large amount of the land in Lincoln township is not yet under culti- vation, as it was among the last townships settled and organized in the county, and the settlement before its organization was not very extensive, except in a few localities.
Much of the wild land in the township is held by speculators and cap- italists, who do not live here, and, as a consequence, not nearly the improve- ments have been made that would otherwise have been, though there are now a good many large and well-improved farms in the township, and during the past few years it has been making very encouraging progress in the line of settlement and cultivation. It has very little timber within its bounds, except what is found along the two streams above mentioned, and especially along Mosquito creek, which stream has in some places quite a strip of timber along its banks, consisting chiefly in soft maple, elm and
539
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
swamp ash; and formerly a good many white ash grew along its banks, but these have mostly all been cut off and used by the first settlers, so that few traces of them now remain.
This stream is also well supplied with fish of the small varieties, and plenty of coal is found all along it during its entire length through the township, rendering the coal abundant and convenient to the settlers in all parts of the township. There are also strong indications of coal occurring further up along this stream, but no veins of any importance have yet been opened above the township line. One surface vein within the bounds of Lincoln, on Musquito creek, has been opened a number of years since, and is being worked to some extent. It is from twenty inches to two feet thick where it has been opened, and yields unusually hard coal, not of the best quality, and rather difficult to be mined, as it is only done by stripping.
The highest point of the cut is about 24 feet. The outcrop of coal was first discovered by George Martin and Lem. Southerland while passing along the stream and the vein was afterward opened. There is evidently much more and better coal to be found at no great depth under this, but no special efforts have yet been made to discover it.
The township now has eight good school-houses within its bounds, in all of which good schools are kept during the average school months each year; and for a while the township had strong prospects of a narrow gauge rail- road passing through its northern portion, the proposed Des Moines & West- ern R. R., before mentioned. (See railroads.)
It has no town within its bounds, but has one post-office, called Brough P. O., on section 9.
By the general division of the county into precincts in 1850, the present territory of Lincoln township formed part of Buena Vista precinct, and by the general division of the county again into townships February 2, 1857, Lincoln became part of Iowa township. It remained as the north half of Iowa township for a little more than a year, when, March 2, 1858, it was made part of Washington township, and thus it remained until June 3, 1867, when it was cut off from Washington and constituted as a township of itself by the following action of the board of supervisors, as appears on the minutes under the above date:
Petition presented by Powell and others asking that a new township be formed of the west part of the present Washington township, to-wit: Township No. (80) eighty, range No. (29) twenty-nine.
By motion the township was organized; to be called Lincoln township.
Resolved, That the clerk of the board be, and he is hereby, directed to issue a warrant as contemplated by chapter thirty of the Revision of 1860, for the organization of the township of Lincoln, Dallas county, Iowa, and that said warrant be directed to J. R. Powell, to carry into effect this resolution; and that by said warrant said election be ordered to be held at the school-house of district No. 3, in said township, on the regular election day in October, A. D. 1867.
The above action settled Lincoln in its present form, bounded by the congressional township lines, and no record appears of any important change in its boundary lines having occurred since that date.
J. R. Powell, now of Panora, Guthrie county, was, perhaps, the first set- tler in Lincoln township, who settled at an early day on section 18, near the west side of the township and county, and who was instrumental in getting the organization completed when it was.
:
540
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
It appears from the order that the first election in the township was held in October, 1867, and we understand that there were only about the required number of voters then living in the township-about seven or eight, all told. For a long time after Mr. Powell settled there he was about the only occupant of that part of the county, but was afterward joined by others, whose names we have been unable to ascertain; and it has now grown to be quite a settlement in different parts of the township.
It has now eight school-houses, only lacking one of the allotted number to each township; and before many years, doubtless, the increasing popula- tion will require the ninth.
The township officers elected at the last election, 1878, were:
Township clerk-John Hoyt. Assessor-E. M. Jones.
Trustees :
R. Hollingsworth, R. Walton, James McNeal.
Justices :
E. Davis,
I. V. Smith.
Constables :
G. W. Rote, D. Miller.
GRANT.
This township is the second from the north in the east tier of townships in Dallas county, and is known in the government surveys as congressional township 80, north of range 26, west of the 5th principal meridian.
The territory it now includes formed parts, of different precincts, and passed through various changes in boundary and division lines, until the general division of the county into townships in February, 1857, when it was made to constitute the north half of Walnut, and was finally organized into a separate township, with its present boundary lines, September 7, 1868, as shown by the following order, which appears on the record under that date, as made by the board of supervisors:
Petition presented by J. D. Whitman and others asking for the organization of a new town- ship, formed of parts of Walnut and Des Moines townships, to-wit: Township 80, range 26. Ordered, That the petition be received, and the township organized as petioned for. September 8, 1868.
Ordered, That the township organized of congressional township 80, range 26, be called Grant township, and that B. W. Thomas be appointed to organize said township in pursu- ance of law.
Warrant issued to B. W. Thomas, September 14, 1868.
This township has no river passing through it, but has one running stream of considerable size. The Beaver creek flows across the northeast part of it, entering at the north side about midway and following a very crooked course to the southeast through the township, passes out at the east side about midway, flowing on into Polk county, and emptying into the Des Moines river.
541
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
This stream, through the territory of Grant township, has considerable timber along its borders, and numerous other smaller streams flowing into it from different directions, which afford the northern part of the township a sufficient supply of surface water and drainage, while the southern part of the township has not so many running streams, but has small ponds of surface water in various places which partly supply the demand for surface water for stock use.
There is still a great deal of vacant prairie land in this township that has not yet been cultivated, affording fine opportunities for opening valuable farms in a desirable location, within a short distance of the State Capital. There are numerous large and well improved farms, however, in the town- ship, and some extensive stock-raisers and dealers, both in blooded herds and in feeding and shipping for market.
J. D. Whitman has an extensive and valuable herd of thoroughbred Short- horns and high-grade blooded cattle, with which he has taken much pains in improving, and deserves great credit for the increasing interest thus awak- ened in the township and surrounding country, in improved stock-raising, by his pains and energy in the advancement of this branch of business so im- portant and profitable in the West. There are others, also, in the township, who are taking great interest in this work, and are getting fine herds of high-grade stock around them, already giving the township quite a desirable reputation in that line, though it is yet young as an organized township, compared with others around it.
It has also a number of extensive stock-feeders and shippers, among whom may be mentioned Hooker & Gillett, who deal quite largely each year, not only in raising, but in purchasing and then herding, feeding and shipping during summer and winter seasons, thus creating a home market for stock cattle, when those having a small number do not desire to feed, and also gaining for the community a reputation as a stock township. The township has no railroad in its limits, but the Des Moines & Ft. Dodge R. R. passes just west of it, leaving the lively thriving town of Dallas Cen- ter within a inile of the southwest corner of Grant township, and thus fur- nishing excellent facilities for shipping either north or south, and thence east over two main roads to Chicago. Being situated so near Des Moines, also makes Grant a good feeding and shipping point. It has no town or post-office within its limits, but Dallas Center being so near, and Minburn and Waukee not far distant, the facilities for trading and market are com- paratively convenient, and these three post-offices, together with Snyder, P. O., so near the north line, in Des Moines township, all parts of the town- ship can easily get and send mail matter.
Mr. Humphrey was the first settler in Grant township. He settled on section 22, in 1849.
Mr. L. Morgan was among the first settlers in Grant township. In 1855 he located on section 22, where he still lives, in old age, comfortably situ- ated.
J. D. Whitman was among the first settlers of the township, coming in and settling on section 30, in 1857, where he still lives, carrying on his large stock business.
L. W. Briggs, on section 35, and A. Huff also came at an early day, and for several years this township settled up rather slowly, being for a long time quite unsettled as a separate township organization, but during later
34
542
HISTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
years it has been progressing finely and making good improvements in preparation for fruit-growing, stock-raising, and general agricultural pur- suits. The township has nine school-houses in its bounds, and as many sub-districts. The first election in the township was, perhaps, held in the fall of 1868.
The township officers elected at the last election, 1878, were:
Township clerk-D. Manning. Assessor-John McCormick.
Trustees :
S. Darling, D. H. Stoner, C. E. Rice.
Justices :
C. F. Ellerman,
S. W. Briggs.
Constable:
T. T. Wilson.
BIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY.
ADEL.
A NDREWS, JOS.
Adams, L. W., teamster.
Adams, Wm., laborer.
Allen & Coapman, grocers and hard- ware.
Alpaugh, J. E., book-keeper. Andrews, H., retired.
ASHTON, THOMAS, superintend- ent D. M. Adel & W. R. R .; born in England, February 8, 1834; came to America in 1842, and to this State in 1856, locating in Adel November 20, 1856, and engaged in the livery business, and was the first one engaged in this business in the city; in 1862 he enlisted in Co. C, 39th Infantry, and served three years as postmaster of the regiment; he was taken prisoner at the battle of Parker's Cross Roads, and paroled; after he was mustered out he returned and en- gaged in the livery business and farming; he owns 136 acres of land; he married Miss Sarah Wis- ner, July 4, 1861; she was born in Michigan; has three children : Ed- die, Iva and Ray; lost one; he was appointed superintendent of the narrow gauge railroad in May, 1878.
B AILEY, R. R., laborer.
Barr, R. S., attorney.
Barker, G. W., collecting agent.
BAUGH, M. H., attorney, firm of Baugh, Smith & Sweeley; born
in Brown county, Ohio, April 19, 1833, and was raised there un- til sixteen years of age, when he came with his mother to Iowa; they located in Mahaska county, near Oskaloosa, in 1849; he com- pleted his education and studied law with Judge Loughridge, and was admitted to the bar under ex- amination by Judge Lecompte, of Leavenworth City; he was en- gaged in teaching in St. Joseph, Missouri, for a time; then re- turned to Oskaloosa and practiced law with his brother, George H. of that city; he came to Dallas county in 1870, and since then has practiced his profession here; he held office of city recorder in Os- kaloosa, and other town and school offices; married Miss Margaret Thompson, in Oskaloosa; she was a native of Indiana; they have seven children: five sons and two daughters.
Beardsley, H. C., janitor High School.
BLY, JOHN W., sheriff of Dallas county; born in Montgomery county, New York, December 10, 1839; he was brought up and lived there until February, 1861, when he married Miss Mary M. Miller, from Montgomery county, New York; came to Iowa and lo- cated in Dallas county in June, 1864; she died in 1873, leaving three children: Omar, Josie and
544
DIRECTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
Motie; Mr. Bly was elected sheriff of Dallas county October, 1877; he has held office of justice of the peace, assessor and town clerk and other town and school offices; he married Eliza A. Miller, from In- diana.
BOAK, T. J., dealer in groceries and provisions; born in Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, in 1823; he was brought up in Wayne county, Ohio; he went to California in 1852 and remained there seven years, and came to Iowa and lo- cated in this county in May, 1859, and engaged in farming and buy- ing and shipping stock until 1871; then came to Adel and en- gaged in mercantile business; he still owns a farm of over 300 acres in Van Meter township; he has held school and road offices; he married Mary A. Burns, from Rochester, New York, in 1845; they have five children: Crosby, Clara Belle, Arvilia, Carrie and Matie.
Brenton, A. G., drug clerk.
BRENTON, Dr. J. B., physician; born in Henry county, Kentucky, March 15, 1815; he was raised in and near Indianapolis, Indiana, coming there when only nine years of age, in 1824; he received his education there and studied medicine; he practiced medicine in Indiana until 1853, when he came by wagon to Iowa, and was about six weeks on the way, and arrived in this county October 13, 1853, one of the early set- tlers; he engaged in practice of medicine, his practice extending to five different counties. In the early settlement of a new country the life of a physician is one of constant exposure, being obliged to go in all kinds of weather; he has made it an invariable rule never to let the weather prevent him from answering the calls of suffering humanity, let it be ever
so cold and stormy, or the night ever so dark; he rode from here to New Jefferson the coldest day he ever knew, with the thermom- eter thirty-nine deg. below zero; the snow was deep, and no track made across the prairie; he came out here on account of his health, and has only been sick one day and two nights in twenty-five years; he has practiced medicine over forty-four years, and is still in the prime of life; he has been twice married; his first wife was Eliza St. John, from Indiana; she died in 1840; in July, 1842, he married Elizabeth Glen; she was born in Kentucky and raised in Indiana; they have six children: William H., Dallas Center; Arch- ibald G., drug trade, here; Clar- inda J .; Andrew T., physician, Adel; Leone A., teacher in High School; James M. F., engaged in teaching; William H. was in the army; Archibald was in 4th Reg- iment Iowa Infantry, Co. I, and was transferred to the 2d Iowa Battery; he was discharged on ac- count of disability, and re-enlisted in the 46th Regiment Iowa Infan- try, Co. C.
BROCKWAY, WM. F., watch- Inaker and jeweler, and postmaster at Adel; born in Wayne county, New York, February 5, 1851; when five years of age he came with his parents to Buchanan county, Iowa; he was brought up there; he served apprenticeship in watch-making and jewelry trade there and in Des Moines for five years, and came to Adel May 15, 1871, and engaged in his present business; he married Miss Iris Byers, from this town, April 1, 1872; they have three children: Leta, Charlie and Della.
Buckman, S. T., hardware dealer.
Burch, -, carpenter.
Byers, J. M., retired.
545
ADEL.
CALDWELL, TIMOTHY J., CALLVERT, JUDGE S. A.,
M. D., physician and surgeon, was born in Vermillion county, Indiana, July 21, 1837; his father was William Caldwell; his grand- father was a prominent Baptist minister; he participated in some of the skirmishes with the Indians in Ohio, and built what is known in history as the Caldwell Block- house, located in Preble county. The subject of this sketch attended school and completed his literary education at the Newport Semin- ary, in his native county; he came with his parents to Iowa and located in Dallas county, in Sep- tember, 1853; after working on the farm, helping his father for three years, he commenced reading medicine, and attended lectures in the medical department of the State University at Keokuk, now called the College of Physicians and Surgeons, and graduated from this institution in February, 1861; he located in Adel and practiced his profession there until 1864, when he was commissioned Assist- ant Surgeon of the 23d Regiment Iowa Infantry, and served in that position until the close of the war, returning to Adel in 1865; after practicing a few months he spent the following winter at Jefferson Medical College, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; since then lias reaped the benefit of a thorough review of medical and surgical science; he spent the winter of 1877-8 in the city of New York, reviewing his profession; he went through the whole course at Belle- view Medical College and Univer- sity; he obtained all his medical education by zealous and untiring efforts at his own expense, and now stands at the head of his pro- fession; he married Miss Melissa V. Maulsby, of Dallas county, Sep. 30, 1869; she is a native of Indiana.
was born in Albany, Whiteside county, Illinois, February 12, 1843. When twelve years of age he moved with his parents to Lucas county, Iowa, where they remained but a short time, then removed to Ringgold county, and there spent three years of his early life, attending preparatory school; in 1858 he again removed with his parents to Washington county, Iowa, and entered Washington College, where he received his classical education; during the winter of 1864-5, he attended the University at Ann Arbor, Michi- gan, and soon afterward entered the office of Judge Miller, of Iowa City, under whose able instruction he pursued the study of law until he was admitted to the bar before Judge Conklin, October 18, 1865; he then went to Marble Hill, Mis- souri, and practiced his profession until 1870, when he returned to Iowa and located in Nevada, Story county, where he continued his practice successfully for more than a year; but not yet feeling fully satisfied as to his place of perma- nent settlement, and more encour- aging prospects opening elsewhere, one more move brought him to Adel, Dallas county, in September, 1871, where the paved pathway to profit and promotion soon began to appear; he pursued his calling here diligently for more than six years, gaining a good practice and grow- ing in favor with the people, until in March, 1878, he was honored with the appointment of Judge of the Second Circuit of the Fifth Judicial District, and in October, 1878, he was elected to the same position by the people, which he now fills so acceptably, with credit to himself and honor to his con- stituents. On the 22d of June, 1868, he married Miss Rachel B.
546
DIRECTORY OF DALLAS COUNTY.
Berger, of Iowa City; they now have a family of three children living and one dead, their young- est darling, Mary Josephine, was called away on the 10th of last December. During the war he served in Co. H, 2d Iowa In- fantry.
Campbell, G. W., tailor.
Carnahan. J., livery stable.
Caselman, L. A., carpenter.
Chapman, A., grocer and artist.
Clarkson, Jas. L., farmer.
Cole, M. B., merchant.
CONGER, MAJOR E. H., county treasurer ; the subject of this sketch was born in Knox county, Ill., near Galesburg, March 7, 1843; he resided there with his parents until 1868, where he re- ceived his education, being a grad- uate of Lombard University, Galesburg; he also is a graduate of the law school, at Albany, New York, and was admitted to the bar in 1866; in 1868 he removed to Madison county, Iowa, and located one-half mile south of Dexter, where he engaged in farming and stock business; five years later, in 1873, he engaged in the banking business in Dexter, as a successor to his father, deceased, and moved his family to Dexter in 1874; he sold an interest in his bank to G. G. Pierce, in 1875, and the firm name was changed to Conger & Pierce; after selling an interest to Mr. Pierce in the bank at Dexter, he, with his brother, purchased the exchange bank at Stuart, the oldest bank in the place, which they are successfully operating; in 1862 he enlisted as a private in Co. I, 102 Ill. Infantry, and served three years; in 1864 he was com- missioned Captain, and at the close of the war was breveted Major; he was engaged in the battles of Resaca, Georgia, Kenesaw Moun- tain, Peachtree Creek, and num- erous skirmishes; in the fall of
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