USA > Iowa > Poweshiek County > The History of Poweshiek County, Iowa : containing a history of the County, its cities, towns, &c.,. > Part 50
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The teacher who taught in this typical school-house located in a neigh- boring county to the southeast before the Indian title to the lands in this county was extinguished, and was a typical teacher. He still resides near the scene of his early trials and triumphs, and delights to talk of his schools, where there were achieved results of which he may well be proud. We quote his own language in narrating to the writer the circumstances which impelled or rather compelled him to teach school:
" I left Indiana in 1841, in company with two persons who were neigh- bors; had about two hundred dollars when I started, and we had one team in which we had each an equal interest. While crossing the State of Illi- nois I became sick and was compelled to stop at the house of a former acquaintance. My two companions went on, locating in the southeastern part of this State. I did not recover for some time, being sick during the entire summer. When I did recover, my money was nearly all gone. So I set out on foot and walked nearly the entire distance from central Illinois to Keokuk county, Iowa, where I arrived early in the summer. I imme- diately took a claim and set about improving it. I had no team, no money, and, what was worse than all, was again sick. I did not succeed in accom- plishing much; my money was all gone, and my neighbors fearing I would become an object of public charity, proposed that I teach school for them. I had not had any experience in teaching, and my qualifications were very limited. They, however, insisted, and I complied. My first school was regarded as quite a success, and during the winter seasons I taught school for many years after. There were no public school funds and scarcely any private funds, and I took for my pay anything, such as potatoes, corn, rails and flax. The following was the article of agreement entered into between the people of the neighborhood and myself for the first school which I taught:
"'Article of agreement made and entered into this 9th day of January, 1846, between R. F. Weller, of the Territory of Iowa, and the undersigned,
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HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
witnesseth that the said Weller agrees to teach a common school for the term of three months, viz .: spelling, reading, writing and arithmetic.
"'The undersigned citizens of the said county agree to pay said Weller one dollar and fifty cents per scholar; also, to furnish a suitable house and fire-wood, and board said Weller; the above amount may be paid in mak- ing rails at the customary price, one-third to be paid on or before the expiration of each month. School to commence when twenty scholars are signed.' "
The first schools of the county were established in the south part of the county, and on Bear Creek, in the east part. They were of course sub- scription schools, and were held in buildings hastily improvised for the occasion. The sites of these first school-houses cannot now be definitely located, neither can we give the names of the first teachers of all of these schools. These were deemed to be matters of not sufficient importance to be preserved, and only such can now be mentioned as are remembered by the old settlers still living in the vicinity of the schools. In so far as we can determine, after diligent and careful investigation, the facts relating to the first schools in the various parts of the county will be given in connec- tion with the history of the township in which each is located.
There was no County Superintendent of Schools till the year 1858, and although teachers were responsible to certain authorities, there was no effective system of supervision; examinations were very unsatisfactory; there was no inducement for any one to prepare himself for the work of teaching, and if there were some wlio excelled in their work it was because of the love they had for the occupation, and not because of a spirit of emu- lation and a desire to excel.
The new school law, which went into effect in 1858, threw protection around the school fund and shut out of the business of teaching much incompetence and ignorance. While it is a fact that the present high standing of the schools has been reached gradually, and not by sudden movement, yet it is likewise true that the most perceptible change for the better was between the years of 1858 and 1860.
The application of the law of rotation in office, making the tenure of office brief and necessitating frequent change of superintendents, has done much to impair the efficiency of the office; neither have the persons filling this office always been professional teachers, and not always persons of cul- ture and education. This office, as is too frequently the case with other county offices, has at times been bestowed as a reward for party service to men not in sympathy with the public school system, and whose training had fitted them for managing a caucus or packing a convention rather than prepared them for organizing schools and stimulating teachers to energetic
443
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
and thorough work in the school-room. The public schools of Poweshiek county, however, have not suffered more in this particular than the schools of other counties. There have been inany superintendents to watch over the educational interest of the county who were men of fine culture, and whose whole active lives have been in sympathy with the cause of popular education. If there have been poor superintendents, there have also been some very good ones, and, as a result, the schools of the county are fully up with the times, and will compare favorably with those of other counties.
Beginning with the first record now in existence, we give a synopsis of the various educational associations of the county, teachers' institutes and normal schools. We begin by giving the constitution of the first associa- tion of which there is any record:
ARTICLE I. This society shall be called the Poweshiek County Teachers' Association.
ARTICLE II. Its object shall be to promote popular education by the elevation of common schools, and by the improvement of common school teachers.
ARTICLE III. Its officers shall be a president, three vice-presidents, sec- retary and treasurer. These officers shall constitute an executive commit- tee of the association. Their term of office shall be one year, or until their successors are appointed.
ARTICLE IV. Any individual may become a member of the association by signing the constitution and paying twenty-five cents. Absence from two meetings of the association shall be deemed a withdrawal from it.
ARTICLE V. Meetings of the association shall be held according to ad- journment, or at the call of the executive committee.
ARTICLE VI. Constitution may be amended by a vote of two-thirds of the members.
Teachers of the county from time to time became members, till the membership amounted to about two hundred.
From the minutes of the association it appears that the first meeting was held at Grinnell, October 22, 1860. Prof. L. F. Parker was called to the chair. The following permanent officers were elected:
President, S. H. Herrick; Vice-Presidents, Joseph Lyman, Mr. Owens, S. Draper; Secretary and Treasurer, John Camey.
The sessions of this association lasted six days. The association then adjourned, with a recommendation that the executive committee call the next meeting in October of following year.
A special meeting of the association was, however, held on September 28
444
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
27, 1861. The object of this meeting was to determine what disposition should be made of the funds of the association. A committee of four was appointed to make settlement with the treasurer, and apportion the money among the paying members of the society.
The regular session of the association for 1861 began on the twenty- eighth of October. The meetings were held in the College Chapel, at Grinnell, and continued through the week.
Lectures were delivered by L. F. Parker, J. A. Reed, and S. S. Herrick, and various class exercises were conducted by members of the associa- tion.
Before adjourning, the following resolutions were adopted:
Resolved, That every teacher should have access to some good educational periodical, and should peruse it thoughtfully and regularly.
Resolved, That the elevation of our profession depends not on words, but deeds; not upon the elevation of our claims, but the elevation of ourselves.
Resolved, That we, whether in honor or dishonor, will strive to render our schools worthy the highest place among public interests.
Resolved, That when we adjourn, we will adjourn to meet during the first week in September.
Resolved, That we will send an abstract of our proceedings to the Montezuma Republican and the Iowa Instructor for publication.
The next meeting of the association was held in the Methodist church, at Montezuma, beginning October 6, 1862, and continuing throughout one week.
During this meeting of the association, there was made the following financial report:
Received during present session of association $ 4.00
From State 50.00
Total in treasury . $54.00
The following appropriations were made:
L. F. Parker $10.00
S. S. Herrick. 5.00
J. A. Reed 5.00
Rev. Mr. Farrar 3.00
Total $23.00
The next meeting was held at Brooklyn, beginning December 29, 1863, and continuing throughout the week.
The meeting of the association for 1864 was held in the College chapel,
445
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
at Grinnell, beginning September 26, and lasting throughout the week. The name of the society had, by some means, in the meantime, been changed from that of the Poweshiek County Association to Poweshiek County Institute, and the first record on the minutes is to the effect that the institute was called to order by Professor von Coelln.
From the financial report made at this meeting of the institute, it ap- pears that there was in the treasury the sum of $58.00, and out of this sum were paid to
Mr. Kissell $17.00
Prof. Wells 16.00
Stationery .25
Church. 5.50
Coal.
.50
Total $39.25
Leaving balance of $18.75. This balance was in part disposed of as follows:
R. M. Haines, teacher
$10.00
J. P. Lyman, teacher 5.00
Total $15.00
Leaving balance of $3.75.
The next institute was held in the school-house, in Montezuma, begin- ning on the twentieth of November, 1865, and closing on the twenty-fifth. The assets of the institute at this meeting amounted to $90.75.
Amount on hand. $90.75
Amount paid out 83.90
Leaving balance $6.85
In 1866 the institute was held in the College chapel, at Grinnell, be- ginning November 26, and continuing throughout the week. This insti- tute was under the management of that veteran teacher and institute in- structor, Prof. J. Piper, and was of more than usual interest.
The institute for 1867 was also held at Grinnell, beginning November 25. In 1868 the place of meeting was again at Grinnell. In 1869 the institute met at Brooklyn.
There are no minutes of any meetings in 1870, 1871 and 1872, but in 1873 the institute met at Grinnell, and the minutes, which are very full, and well written, give a good idea of the proceedings of this, the last of
446
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
the county institutes under the old State law. We give the following synopsis of the proceedings:
The institute convened at the public school building in Grinnell, August, 8th, at 2 o'clock P. M. Prof. Piper, the conductor of the institute, was present, and took charge of the same.
The proceedings commenced with a lesson on the sounds of letters, after which the conductor delivered a lecture on the duties of teachers.
Second day, exercise in physiology, and lesson on orthography and or- thoepy. Afternoon session, exercise in reading, conducted by Prof. Macy, and exercise in arithmetic, by Prof. Piper.
On the third day there was an election of officers, which resulted as fol -. lows:
President, D. G. Edmundson; Vice-President, J. A. Griffith; Secretary, H. N. Funk; Treasurer, G. W. Cutting; Committee, A. L. Shattuck, Miss- A. J. Mills, D. G. Edmundson.
On the afternoon of the same day, Prof. Piper delivered a lecture on the examination of teachers, after which there was an address delivered by Prof. L. F. Parker.
A vote of thanks was passed by the institute, thanking Prof. Piper for his voluntary work in the institute.
The committee on resolutions was appointed, which reported four reso- lutions. The first acknowledged grateful thanks to Almighty God for the preservation of the health of the teachers. The second was a statement of the duties of parents and patrons to the schools and teachers. The third was an acknowledgment of thanks to J. B. Grinnell, for a hospitable entertainment. The fourth was a statement of the determination of the teachers to hold township teachers' institutes.
The new law providing for the holding of normal schools in each county for from one to four weeks each year went into effect in 1874, at which time the first normal school was held in this county. A session of four weeks was held each year until 1878, when the normal school was held at Grinnell, beginning August 5th and continuing four weeks. W. R. Akers was superintendent at that time, and he was assisted in conducting the school by A. C. Hart, A. T. Free, W. M. Cross, Susie J. Whitcomb, A. C. Osborne and G. H. Needham. There were enrolled at this normal two hundred and four pupils, of whom seventy-five were males, and one hund- red and twenty-nine females. There was expended at this normal $452.10, of which $423 was for instruction, and $32 for the payment of incidental expenses.
In 1879 a normal was held at Brooklyn, beginning August 4th and last-
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HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
ing four weeks. N. W. Boyes was conductor; he was assisted by C. G. Kretschmer, G. A. Brownson, T. M. Irish and W. J. Shoup. Lectures were delivered by D. R. Fox, H. H. Ragan, W. J. Shoup, D. W. Poor, R. S. Collier and Miss C. Wilder. There were a hundred and seventy-seven en- rolled, of whom fifty-five were males, and a hundred and twenty-two females. There was expended $411.10, of which $347 was for instruction and $63.10 for incidentals.
In 1880 the normal was held at Montezuma, beginning August 2d, and continuing four weeks.
A. L. Shattuck, County Superintendent; H. K. Edson, conductor; O. J. Laylander, secretary. Instructors: H. K. Edson, didactics and grammar; A. T. Free, history and language; A. Grundy, arithmetic; O. J. Laylander, physiology and orthography; Miss Jennie Shrader, orthography and read- ing; Miss R. E. Southard, geography and drawing.
Lectures were delivered as follows:
W. R. Akers; subject: Sherman's March to the Sea. Mrs. T. M. Curry; subject: Home Life Among the Colonies. H. K. Edson; subject: Rome. County Superintendent's Address, by A. L. Shattuck. The pupils were divided into three divisions, each division having eight recitations a day.
STATISTICS.
The following statistics will show the condition of the schools of the county :
Number of district townships
14
" independent townships.
24
" subdistricts 116
" ungraded schools 135
" graded " 25
Average duration in months 7.70
Number of male teachers employed
97
66 " female
187
Average monthly compensation, males
·
32.78
66 66 females $
27.16
Number of male persons between 5 and 21.
3,629
" female persons between ages of 5 and 21 3,315
" pupils enrolled in schools. 5,260
3,300
Number of frame school-houses
140
Total average attendance
" brick
0
448
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
Value of school-houses $ 91,205.00
" apparatus. 1,262.00
Number of volumes in libraries
108
SCHOOL-HOUSE FUND.
On hand at last report. $ 3,061.81
Received from district tax
4,087.40
66 other sources 72.22
Total debit $ 7,221.43
Paid for school-houses and sites $ 2,629.75
library and apparatus. 38.50
נו וב bonds and interests. 400.00
other purposes. 885.93
On hand.
3,237.25
SCHOOL-HOUSE FUND.
()n hand at last report. $ 8,315.94
Received from district tax 10,894.15
other sources 1,188.19.
Total debit. $ 20,398.28
Paid for rent and repairs
$ 5,416.35
" fuel
2,625.52
secretaries and treasurers
1,088.26,
records, etc.
663.15
" insurance
270.24
" janitors.
763.60
" " for other purposes
2,953.83
TEACHERS' FUND.
On hand at last report. $ 26,103.41
Received from district tax
34,095.48.
66
annual apportionment. 7,455.83
66 other sources 1,340.46
Total debit. $ 68,995.18
Paid teachers
40,140.36
Paid for other purposes
164.25
On hand
$ 28,690.57
449
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
The foregoing statistics are for the year 1879, and the reader will observe that in giving the number of teachers we include all those who are em- ployed during the year. During the year 1879 there were two hundred and thirty-five applicants for teacher's certificates. Out of this number twenty-five were rejected; ninety-four received first-grade certificates; one hundred and ninety-two received second-class certificates. No third-grade certificates are issued in this county, as a supply of teachers holding first and second-grade certificates is sufficient for the demand.
CHAPTER IX.
CRIMES.
The Fox and Long Gang-Adventures of Jonas Carsner-The Cumquick Case-The Murder of Claiborne Showers-Other Crimes.
HE who records the deeds of his fellow-men must reproduce the bad along with the good, and while it is his privilege to submit as models the record of the wise and the upright, it is likewise his duty to not wholly ignore the record made by the foolish, the dishonest and the depraved, who, by deeds both daring and cowardly, have appropriated to their own use the property of others, and, in the prosecution of their greedy aimns, have not scrupled to imbue their hands in the blood of fellow-man. Then, too, will there necessarily be some reference to those who have been driven by anger and malice to the commission of heinous crimnes, and the still more pathetic reader will be called upon to contemplate the deed of at least one unfortunate individual, who, bereft of reason, committed the almost incredible crime of inatricide. The tourist, if his journeys be at all extended, beholds not only grand mountains, magnificent forests and luxuriant vegetation-at times he must plunge into miasmatic swamps, and cross dreary deserts, and mingled with the glad sound of joy will come wafted to his ear the wail of woe. Thus it is with one who journeys back through the records of the past; he will find there the records of those who were proof against all temptation, and who regarded a " good name rather to be chosen than great riches," and again, like the tourist, will he find such shocking instances of avarice and cruelty that he dreads to reproduce the story.
It is not our intention to impress the reader with the thought that Poweshiek county has been peculiarly unfortunate in this particular, for such has not been the case. Its fate has been the common fate of all, and the number of its inhabitants who by their crimes have made their names immortal, and to a certain extent brought the good name of the entire people into reproach, is probably not as great as in many other counties of
450
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
the State. It will be observed that at least two of the most shocking mur- ders which have occurred in the county were committed by persons who did not properly belong in the county, and were simply sojourning within its limits at the time the deed of violence was committed.
THE FOX AND LONG GANG.
The fact has already been stated that at the time the first settlement was made in Poweshiek county there was an old cabin discovered in a grove a few miles north of the present site of Montezuma. A number of strangers were accustomed in those early days to occasionally visit the cabin, and, from the character of certain things which were afterward found in the ruins of the cabin, the early settlers were led to believe that it was originally the resort of a number of desperadoes known as the Fox and Long gang of counterfeiters and horse thieves. This supposition was confirmed by Mr. Snook, a blacksmith who early lived on Bear Creek, and who was frequently called upon by members of the gang to shoe their horses and repair certain tools for them.
On account of the supposition that the aforesaid cabin was the resort of counterfeiters and thieves the grove was named Bogus Grove by the settlers, and it went by that name for many years. From the fact that this gang undoubtedly had its headquarters in the county a local interest attaches to the history of these noted desperadoes. The members of the gang were the persons who murdered Colonel Davenport; they were afterward hunted down by a man named Bonney. We give the following brief account of the band:
For a number of years after the first settlement of Iowa the country on both sides of the Mississippi River was infested by a lawless gang of free- booters. Their main headquarters were at Nauvoo, in Illinois, and they had occasional places of rendezvous in Cedar, Linn and Poweshiek counties.
The fugitives from justice in the older States had fled to the western wilds for protection, and organized themselves into regular bands for coun- terfeiting, horse stealing, murder and robbery. They at length advanced so far in their grand schemes for crime and escape, that in some places jus- tices of the peace and other officers of the county were elected to office by their intrigues, and many men of good standing became associated with them.
At this stage of affairs a grand mass meeting was held and it was resolved by the people to rid the community of these desperadoes. One of the ring- leaders and his three sons were taken, tried by a self-constituted jury, con- demned and shot the same day. Another member of the gang was shot and the rest fled from the country.
451
HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
The murder of Col. Davenport in daylight and in full view of the citizens of Rock Island and Davenport sent a thrill of terror to every heart and made all honest and well-disposed citizens fear for their lives and property. So foul a crime, attended by such appalling circumstances, aroused the energies of every one to assist in discovering the murderers. Public meet- ings were called and companies of horsemen sent in every direction but no trace of the guilty men could be found. A reward of fifteen hundred dol- lars was offered by George L. Davenport and the Governor of Illinois offered a reward of one thousand dollars. It was subsequently ascertained that the robbers had for days been secreted in the bluffs previous to the attack on Davenport and selected the 4th of July, when all the family except the Colonel was away.
Mr. Davenport lived long enough to relate the circumstances attending the robbery. He had been fearful of robbers and noticed some suspicious looking persons around the town, and he had taken the precaution to fasten the doors and have arms in readiness. He had but a few moments prior to the attack been to the well for water and on his return fastened the door behind him. He was seated in an arm-chair in his sitting-room when he heard a noise in the back part of his house, and opening a door that led there was confronted by three men, one of whom exclaimed, " Seize him, Chunkey!" At the same instant he received a flesh wound from a pistol in the hand of one of the robbers. He endeavored to reach his pistols, which lay on the mantle, but was laid hold of and bound and blindfolded. The robbers, after many ineffectual attempts to get into the safe, led Col. Daven- port up stairs and compelled him to unlock the safe. This he did and the robbers, after obtaining about six hundred dollars, fled. Davenport soon afterward died from the effect of the wound and other injuries inflicted upon him.
All attempts to capture the robbers were for some time ineffectual; at length Edward Bonney, of Lee county, Iowa, undertook to ferret out the place of their concealment. He entered upon the enterprise about the mid- dle of August, 1845, a month and a half after the killing of Davenport. He finally got trace of the robbers by representing himself as one of the gang. On the 8th of September he arrested Fox at Centerville, in Appanoose county, and committed him to jail there. On the 19th of the same month he arrested Long and Birch at Sandusky, in Ohio. Several other arrests followed. Birch and Fox escaped from jail after having been tried and convicted. John Long, with one or two others, was hanged at Rock Island. Before suffering upon the gallows Long made a confession revealing the facts in the case of Davenport's murder and many other crimes which up to that time had been unheard of.
-
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HISTORY OF POWESHIEK COUNTY.
These prompt and energetic measures to bring the ruffians to justice gave. to the western banditti such a shock that the country was for many years free from their depredations.
THE ADVENTURES OF JONAS CARSNER.
Among the disreputable characters who at an early time infested the set- tlements of central Iowa, and whose name appears among the first upon the criminal records of Poweshiek county, was Jonas Carsner. Although he was frequently arrested, he could not be convicted, and although the people were morally certain of his guilt, he could always bring into court a cloud of witnesses who would swear that he had been elsewhere at the certain time when a crime had been committed.
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