USA > Iowa > Cedar County > The history of Cedar County, Iowa : containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. : a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 62
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The next building was erected the following month, by Dr. E. B. Bills, for an office, on Lot 6, Block 2; and, although it was only 12x16, as soon as it was sided and roofed it was occupied by Mr. Asa Cunningham and family, which consisted of a wife and two children, and at once, much against his will, Mr. C. found himself running the only hotel in town, and having to provide for some fourteen to sixteen boarders. This house is still standing as the granary of Dr. Bills.
Mr. Cunningham now resides in a large house of his own, in the western part of the town, where he has more elbow room than in a 12x16-foot shanty.
The next buildings put up were the depot and hotel. The depot was the first building erected expressly for that purpose in the State; it was quite a large building and did service for a number of years, after which, it was taken down and removed to the city of Muscatine, where it does service as a depot at this time. Commodious depot grounds, 1,200x300 feet in size, were laid off.
The hotel was built by the proprietors of the town, Messrs. Cook & Sargent, of Davenport, and was occupied by H. S. Downs, of Boston, Mass., who was also the first Station Agent at this place.
Mr. Downs was a brother-in-law of Mr. Clark Loomis, and was instru- mental in inducing the settlers from Connecticut to locate there.
In the Fall of 1855, the Western Stage Company opened a stage route from this point to Tipton, the county seat, and continued it for three months, for which they received $500 from the proprietors of the town. The stables of the company were on the lot now occupied by the house of H. C. Loomis.
The next season, Lafayette Parker, an old settler living near, in company with a Mr. Thorpe, began the manufacture of brick, just at the south line of the town; but after a while, the railroad company refusing to deliver wood, their operations were brought to a close.
The railroad track was laid through Durant in the Fall of 1855, and several other buildings were erected, and more settlers coming in, Durant, in the Spring following, began to present the activity and bustle of an incipient Western town.
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY.
In the Spring of 1856, the post office, which was located at the west end of Center Grove, on the old Hanson place, was removed there, and John E. Whit- tlesey, a son of Rev. John S. Whittlesey, was the first Postmaster. He occu- pied what is now known as the old Ritterfield building.
Dr. Bills soon became Postmaster, followed by the father of Joseph Weaver, then H. C. Loomis, and the present Postmaster, D. Pingrey.
Mr. H. S. Downs, who was also Cook & Sargent's agent there, kept the first store, in a small house put up by him on Lot 6, Block 9. Cone & Loomis succeeded him, and opened the first regular store.
In 1857, Allen & Williams established a lumber yard in Durant, with Joseph Lane as Manager ; and' in the same year, that firm built the yellow " Butterfield building.
The first carpenters were Willard & Wemott, who built the Episcopal Church, and continued to reside there as carpenters.
The first butcher was Henry Allard, who lived in Durant until his death in December, 1877, at the age of 84 years.
The first physician was Dr. E. B. Bills, who came in September, 1855. He is a graduate of Yale College, and has continued in the medical practice in Durant for eighteen years. April 1, 1857, Dr. Bills was elected Justice of the Peace. A Justice had been elected before him, but on account of some inform- ality in the election, he never tried a case. Dr. Bills still has his first docket. As the village is situated in the corner of the county, trouble was experienced by culprits seeking refuge in either Scott or Muscatine Counties.
The first birth in the town is a matter of some controversy ; some think it to have been a child of Patrick Kilcoin, which afterward died, but the sketch of Durant, written by Dr. Bills, which has been used liberally in this article, says that the first birth occurred December 12, 1857-a daughter of Isaac N. Gilbert; of course, she was named Mary Durant, and received from the proprietors of the town, according to promise, a warranty deed of Lot 5 in Block 10. The building in which this child was born was purchased and taken down by Mr. T. C. Prescott a few years since, and from this lumber a coal house was con- structed, and now remains upon his premises. Mr. Gilbert removed to the city of New York, where he now resides. Mr. Bills received, several years ago, a photograph of Miss Gilbert, now a young lady.
In 1859, Jacob Weaver put up, on the west end of the depot ground, a flour- ing and grist-mill which he ran for a few months, but the machinery being of a new pattern it proved to be inferior, and was removed and the building sold to Messrs. Loomis & Orcutt, who moved it to the eastern end of the depot grade, and remodeled it into a grain elevator; the well, at the western side of the railroad grounds, is a memento of the old mill. Mr. Loomis, of the firm above men- tioned, has served one term as Representative in the State Legislature, and is one of Durant's solid citizens.
In 1867, a spacious elevator, with all the modern improvements, operated by steam, of a capacity of 50,000 bushels, was put up by Messrs. Henry Orcutt and J. H. Pingrey, and is now owned and operated by A. D. Crooks. It is the largest elevator between Davenport and Des Moines, and Durant is conse- quently a great shipping point. The following statistics are furnished by Mr. B. W. Brown, who has been station agent, express agent and telegraph operator during the past fifteen years. Mr. Brown came to Durant in 1854, and farmed for several years.
The firm of O. Cone & H. C. Loomis was succeeded by Clinton Orcutt and H. C. Loomis : this firm built a new store which was set on fire and blown up
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY.
by powder. The store was then rebuilt and continued for some time, when the business was transferred to Crooks & Furst, then to A. D. Crooks, and is now under the proprietorship of Schroeder & Bohstedt.
In 1868, the hotel having passed into the hands of Mr. Allen Nesbitt, he reinodeled and made large additions to it, and, now surrounded by the shady maple, it presents a very home-like appearance, and has become the resort of many a time-honored bachelor in which they seek to while away " the Winter of their discontent." Mr. Nesbitt died in January, 1874 ; he was highly esteemed by Durant's citizens, and his loss was regretted by all. The hotel is now con- tinued by R. Riddle.
T. C. Prescott came to Cedar County, from New Hampshire in March, 1865, and, with Rufus Clark, opened a general store in Durant, September, 1867, at their present location. The firm was Prescott & Foss, in 1868; T. C. Prescott, in 1869, and Prescott & Pingrey since 1870. Mr. Prescott is now Clerk District and Circuit Courts. W. C. Butterfield was in business there in 1865. M. Beuthien has been in business since about 1869. Ross & Latshaw established the drug business there, and were succeeded by the present drug- gist, Dr. H. T. Eineis.
The present business interests are represented by the following firms : General Merchandise-Prescott & Pingrey (including lumber), M. Beuthien (including grain), Schroeder & Rohstedt, C. Blunck ; Hardware-J. G. Braugh & Bro .; Druggist-H. T. Emeis, M. D .; Physician-E. B. Bills, M. D. ; Sash, Blinds, Paints and Oils-Boldt Bros .; Harness Shop -- P. Stoltenburg; Black- smiths-J. Rohlfs, W. Wulf; Wagon Shops-J. H. Horst, Wm. Bierkamp ; Coal, Flour and Feed-B. W. Brown ; Hotel-R. Riddle; Real Estate Dealer -- C. Orcutt ; Grain Dealers-Boatwright & Fernald.
SCHOOLS.
The School District was organized in the depot, on the evening of June 30, 1856. Erastus B. Bills was appointed to petition the School Fund Commis- sioner to locate the boundaries of the School District of Township 79, Sections 35, 36, and the south half of 25 and 26. December 19, 1856, Joseph K. Snyder, School Fund Commissioner, formed this territory into School District No. 2, and authorized a meeting January 3, 1857, to elect officers. This was held in the depot and the following officers elected : President, E. B. Bills ; Secretary, W. W. Clark; Treasurer, H. S. Downes. The new school laws were adopted, and the following were the first Trustees elected : Lewis Knowles, E. B. Bills and John S. Whittlesey. In 1857, a tax of 1} mills was voted to build a school house .. During the Winter of 1857, school was taught in a room of the hotel by Lafayette Parker, at $3.00 per month. January 11, 1858, it was voted to build a school house, not to exceed $800 in cost. Cook & Sargent gave the fractional block north of the west public square, and a school house, 26x32 feet in size, was built thereon in the Spring of 1858. $500 was borrowed for this purpose of H. L. Bullen, and subsequently repaid. A new school house was built in 1869, at a cost of $3,500, of which $2,850 was raised by issuing bonds, all of which have since been canceled. The building is of two stories, 36x60 feet in size, having a library, recitation room and large liall above. The teachers at present are R. J. Young, Principal ; Miss Jessie Frater, Assistant.
RELIGIOUS.
The first religious service was held at the depot in May, 1856, by the Diocesan of the State, the Right Rev. H. W. Lee, at which time a parish was
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY.
organized under the title of St. Paul's, after St. Paul's of New Haven, Conn., from whom they afterward received a donation of $75.00. The hastily con- structed desk, or pulpit, for the occasion, consisted of a couple of boxes found in the building, the upper one from which the Bishop delivered his discourse being a box of champagne. On Saturday, the 21st of June following, the corner stone of St. Paul's Church was laid by the Bishop with appropriate ceremonies, and consecrated in November, 1856.
The first child baptized in the township was'a daughter of Joseph Weaver, by Rt. Rev. Bishop Lee.
Among the Rectors of this congregation have been Rev. Geo. C. Street, the- first Rector ; Revs. Campbell, Johnson, Wm. Curry, James Allen, then of Tip- ton ; Kaapea and Rev. Stroh.
The second sermon was preached by Hon. Geo. F. Magoun, now President of Iowa Collegc.
May 25, 1856, the Rev. John S. Whittlesey arrived from New Britain, Conn., and a Congregational Society was organized, and, although the Episco- palians used due diligence in putting up their building, the Congregationalists- raised theirs May 14th, and occupied it some weeks before the other was com- pleted. There were eleven male and eight female members at the time of organization. Officers, I. N. Gilbert and J. B. Hitchcock.
During the war, Mr. Whittlesey was appointed Chaplain of the Eleventh Iowa Infantry, with which regiment he remained until the battle of Shiloh, where, from exposure and change of climate, he contracted a disease of which he died a few months after, at his home in this place. He was succeeded in the pastorate of the church by Rev. E. Ripley, in December, 1859. Rev. H. L. Bullen assumed charge May 29, 1860. Then followed, in 1868, Rev. R. Webber ; in 1872, Rev. E. B. Whiting ; May 3, 1875, Rev. J. Gilbert ; in 1876, Rev. R. Douglass ; in 1878, Rev. E. P. Smith, the present Pastor. There are at present fifty-seven members. Thirty-six letters have been granted since organization.
The first Sunday school was organized on the union plan, in the depot, March 16, 1856; Kingsley A. Burnell, who was then a resident of this place, now celebrated as a lay preacher, was elected as Superintendent.
In 1869, the Rev. Mr. Morey, of the Methodist denomination, was located at this place, and during the second year of his ministry, they erected one of the neatest and most tasty church buildings in this section of country.
Pastors since Mr. Morey have been Rev. Messrs. Rankin, Gortner and. Jenisen. They have no regular Pastor at present.
In 1872, the Christians organized and put up a building in which services. were regularly held for several years, by the Rev. Mr. Lane.
In December, 1871, a division of the Sons of Temperance was formed and continued for several years, to the great benefit of Durant.
MISCELLANEOUS.
April 25, 1867, forty resident legal voters of Durant petitioned the County Court to appoint Commissioners to call an election for the purpose of voting upon the propriety of incorporating Durant as a town.
The Clerk of the Court accordingly issued a warrant, July 5, 1867, to that effect, and as result, the town was incorporated. Allen Nesbitt was first elected Mayor.
About the same time, Durant became an independent School District.
The same year, the town park was planted with shade trees, and in a few. years it will be just the place for picnics and 4th of July celebrations.
526
HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY.
During the Spring of 1873, the citizens of the town and the vicinity organ- ized a company for the manufacture of cheese, of which Mr. C. Orcutt was President; under his superintendence, the company put up a two-story building 32x50, with all the modern improvements, where a practical cheese maker from Elgin, Ill., was engaged in the manufacture of cheese of the first quality.
The surrounding country is well settled, and many of the farms are adorned with fine dwellings and large out-buildings surrounded with thrifty shade trees ; the soil is deep and fertile making it one of the best farming sections in the State or Union, while the facilities for either an eastern. southern or western market make it very desirable for agricultural or stock purposes ; consequently many farms change hands at advanced rates.
A narrow guage railroad from Davenport to the Northwest via Cedar Rapids was projected in 1873, and surveys made via Durant, but nothing further was heard of it.
At a depth of thirty-five or forty feet in coarse gravel, an unfailing supply of excellent water is obtained, and with its two capacious tanks and wind mill Durant is the best water station on the road.
The present population is about five hundred. The population of Durant has changed two or three times. It was at the first composed chiefly of settlers from Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Maine and Connecticut. Germans have now almost entirely supplanted them.
NEWSPAPERS.
In 1873, William Cotes published Volume 1, No. 1, of the Durant News, but no further news of that coat appeared.
The Embryo, Volume 1, No. 1, was published in March, 1878; it is a small six-page monthly paper, containing local items and advertisements, by H. T. Emeis, M. D. Subscription, twenty-five cents per annum. The second issue, just received, contains the following among other items :
The recent municipal election resulted as follows : For Mayor, Charles Trunkey ; For Assess- or, D. Pingrey ; for Clerk, H. T. Emeis ; for Councilmen, A. R. Cunningham, B. W. Brown, C. Orcutt, J. Branch and M. Benthien.
IMPROVEMENTS .- The building season has not yet opened, but we learn that a number of build- ings and additions are in contemplation.
Since our last issue, the street lamps have arrived and been placed in position in the most public places. They give our village quite a city-like appearance, and are generally admitted to be the right thing in the right place.
That disgraceful land mark, or water mark, the pond on Block 2, is being drained. This has long been a disgrace to our town.
DEBATTE zwischen Herren C. R. Stroh, und G. Schutz, in Toll's Halle, Sontag Abend, den 28sten April. THEMA : Das Heil der Volker wird gefordert durch die Religion.
ROCHESTER.
Rochester, the city of sand, is of considerable historic interest in connection with Cedar County, being the first village established by the pioneers who came to inhabit the land of Lo !
In June, 1856, Stephen Toney and George McCoy, brothers-in-law, came West, and about the 1st of July, the latter settled on the site of Rochester and built the first cabin near the river bank, where he operated the first ferry. He soon after induced Stephen Toney to locate near him, and the latter built a double log cabin, on a sand hill just north of the present village.
The trading point at this time was " the Mouth of Pine," a creek which empties into the Mississippi ten miles above Muscatine, and twenty-five miles from Rochester. Here Ben Nye operated a store and grist-mill on the lower side
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY.
of the creek, while William Gordon, or " Wicked Bill," as he was called, lived on the upper side. The latter was a surveyor, and, at the request of Toney and McCoy, came over and laid off Rochester as a village in August, 1836, taking a share of the lots in payment for his services. On account of the mill power, the town was named after Rochester, New York.
Rev. Martin Baker and his son, William, came to the county in the Sum- mer of 1836. He made a claim near the mouth of Crooked Creek, and, leaving his son William in charge, returned to La Porte County, Indiana, to bring the rest of his family, which consisted of his wife, his sons, Nathaniel, John and Martin, the daughter, Elizabeth, and two grandchildren, Josias and Catherine Reeves. Nathaniel has been dead a number of years; Martin is a resident of California; William resides near the old homestead and John about one and a half miles away. The family settled on the claim in October or November, 1836, and where the father continued to live until his death, in 1846. Mr. Baker was a prominent character among the early settlers, and held the first religious meeting (a prayer meeting in his cabin soon after his arrival) in Cedar County. Of him, Asa Gregg, an early settler of West Liberty, Muscatine County, says, in his " Personal Reminiscences :"
The first# sermon was preached by Elder Martin Baker, a well and favorably known minis" ter of the Christian order or denomination, who lived and died below Rochester. Mr. Baker was a good and true man, and very much respected by the early settlers; he 1. cked the polish of the more highly educated ministers ; his dress was plain ; to some he seemed rough, yet he was as tender hearted as a child, and many a kind act of his has gladdened the lonely cabin of the poor and needy settler, when sickness was upon him and stared him in the face, and his greatest hour of need had come.
July 6, 1836, Henry Hardman settled on the farm he still occupies, three miles east of Rochester. His son, Cordis Hardman, operated the ferry at Rochester for many years. He died and was buried with high Masonic honors, in 1876.
April 24, 1837, Mr. H. D. Brown came to Rochester, and built a house for Stephen Toney, on the block where the Ilardman House now stands. This was the first shingled house erected in Cedar County. After a few years, Mr. Brown moved to Tipton, where he still resides, engaged as cabinet maker and undertaker.
June 6, 1837, Duncan McLaren came to Cedar County and made a claim north of the mouth of Rock Creek. He was in the tornado of 1844, and after- ward moved to Rochester, where he is now its oldest resident.
The first mill in Cedar County was the " Little Savior," established in 1836, by Aaron Porter. He first had a hand grist-mill, made of two " nigger-head " stones, as they were called, but soon built a small mill on Crooked Creek, two miles east of Rochester. This was not erected as a source of profit, as no charge was made to the settlers for its use. Jacob Louderman and family settled on Mr. Porter's claim October 15, 1839.
In 1837, Walter Freeman began his grist-mill on Sugar Creek, seven miles east of Rochester, but as he cut a race through solid stone, it was not in opera- tion until 1838. Near him at that time lived Elisha Edwards, now of Moscow, who settled there in 1836.
In May, 1837, Stephen Toney sold his mill site to William Green, who then built the first saw-mill in Cedar County, on the creek near the road to Tipton, a half mile north of Rochester. This was used for many years, and stood until it was torn down, a few years since, by Mr. Glasscock.
Wm. Green came from Licking County, Ohio, settled at Rochester May 19, 1837, with his wife, son Noah (deceased), daughters, Louisa, who became Mrs.
*This is disputed, being claimed for Rev. Daniel Cartwright (1837).
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY.
William McNaughton ; Mary, who became Mrs. John Welch, and Martha, who became Mrs. James W. Bagley.
Mr. Green was one of those energetic, public-spirited men who did much in aiding the settlers in sustaining the privations of frontier life. His mcat- barrel and flour-chest always held in store the needed substantials, and were never closed against the destitute. He died November 26, 1855, aged 57 years.
In 1837, Christian Holderman, who came in May, 1837, built a saw-mill on Rock Creek, three miles north of Rochester, and soon added to it a grist- mill. It has since been replaced by the Beltz Mill.
In the Winter of 1836-7, about 500 Sac and Fox Indians of the tribe called Musquakees, with Powesheik as Chief, camped above the mouth of Rock Creek in the fork between that and Cedar River. Being at war with the Sioux, they fortified their camp by clearing off the heavy timber and building a stock- ade from the creek to the river. Toney had a barrel of whisky and sold them "fire-water," for which he received $30 in cash, nineteen new Mackinaw blank- ets, five rifles (almost new), and a saddle and bridle worth from fifteen to twenty dollars. He so diluted the whisky with Cedar River water that after all these sales he had from ten to fifteen gallons of good whisky left. The Chief, Powcsheik, learning how Toney had taken advantage of the Indians, giving some of them one bottle of whisky for a blanket, to others two bottles, and to some others more, he camc over from the camp to "interview" the "trader," to whom he said : "To some of the Indians you give one bottle, to some you give two bottles, to others you give more bottles "fire-water" for a blanket. Now me take all," and turning to his Indian aids-de-camp, he ordered them to cut down the door behind which the remainder of the whisky was sccreted, but seeing that the door was hung on wooden hinges, they lifted it down, rolled out the barrel, loaded it on a hand sled and hauled it away. when they "all got drunk again," squaws and all, except three, who were left on guard. They promised to pay Toney for the whisky they carried away, by giving him a horse, saddle and bridle in full settlement, but white men had taught them to break promises, and they didn't do it.
In the Spring of 1837, after the Indians had left, H. D. Brown went to the old camping ground to get out timber for Green's mill, and a number of dogs' carcasses hung up in the trees. The custom was for each family to kill two dogs on leaving the camp ; to eat one and tie the other to a tree. This was a sacrifice to the Great Spirit.
In 1838, Mr. Brown built for Stephen Toney a hotel, the old house after- ward owned by Cordis Hardman. In 1837, Charles Swetland came, and in 1839, Nelson Hastings. The former built a house, was Constable, and after- ward figured prominently in the business interests of Tipton. The latter opened a general store in a one-story frame building opposite the hotel building. George McCoy had opened a small store in his house in 1837. He was soon after appointed Justice of the Peace, and was afterward County Sheriff. In 1851, McCoy went to California, leaving his wife and children in Tipton with but little provision for their sustenance, and her father, Ben. Nye, took them home to his house. Two years later, Mr. McCoy returned and in a quarrel with Mr. Nye about the children, McCoy killed him in Muscatine County, with a butcher knife, and subsequently returned to California.
The first death was that of Mrs. Jonathan Morgan, who was buried about fifty rods southeast of Mr. Agnew's house, under a burr oak tree, then in " Cen- treville." The next was a daughter of George Train. As the town had not
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HISTORY OF CEDAR COUNTY.
had a legal survey, it was again laid out November 12, 1840, by John J. Tom- linson, Surveyor, under the proprietorship of Stephen Toney, Walter Freeman and John Fulwider, on the southeast quarter of Section 2, Township 79, Range 3 West, 5tl Principal Meridian, being on the east side of the river. Tipton had in the meantime been laid out, but Rochester was at that time the largest village in the county. The controversy regarding the location of the county seat is referred to at length in the general history.
Among other early settlers in the vicinity of Rochester were S. A. Bissell, afterward of Tipton; James W. and Jesse P. Potts, who settled adjoining Martin Baker, and lived there until 1854, when they removed to Dallas County ; E. E. Edwards settled near Rochester in the Fall of 1836, and he now resides at Moscow, Muscatine County ; Jolin Holiday and family came in 1836, and settled on the farm where the Whittlesey Mills-now Sugar Creek Mills-were built ; Samuel Hullick settled on the Robert Sterrett farm in June, 1836; William and Emanuel Young settled in May, 1837, three miles south- east of Rochester ; in the same montli, William Phelps settled in Iowa Town- ship (afterward Rochester Township), four miles southeast of Rochester ; Robert Davis settled three miles east of Rochester in the Fall of 1837; October, 1838, Andrew, Seth, John and Robert Arnett settled near Hector Sterrett ; Aretus Crane, his wife and two children, settled one mile east of Rochester, in the Spring of 1839; Wm. N. McNaughten settled in Rochester in March, 1839; April 28, 1839, John Ridgeway and family consisting of wife and one child, settled in the county with Daniel Hare until August 1, when he moved to Rochester and continued the tailoring business, which he had started in June. This was the first tailor shop in the county. His first job was a coat for Charley Swetland.
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