USA > Iowa > Delaware County > The history of Delaware county, Iowa, containing a history of its county, its cities, towns &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers > Part 53
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In the Fall of 1867, Hon. F. B. Doolittle and Col. John H. Peters, of Delhi, consulted together in relation to the practicability of securing a railroad to Delhi. Of the necessity of such a road they had no doubt, and agreed that they ought to have a road. But could they get one ? The necessity was ad- mitted, but was it possible to secure it ? Single-handed and alone, and without experience in building or managing railroads, they determined to make an effort.
They arranged that Peters should open correspondence with railroad men and parties interested in the proposition to build a road from Clinton, or some other point on the Mississippi River, to some point in Fayette County. They succeeded in awakening an interest in the project, and at last, in January, 1868, concluded to call a meeting at Cascade, to which parties from Fayette, Straw- berry Point, Greeley, Delhi, Hopkinton, Maquoketa, Dewitt and other points were invited. At this meeting, the feasibility of constructing a railroad from Clinton northward was discussed, and the Iowa & Minnesota Grand Trunk Railroad Company was organized, temporarily, by choice of George W. Trum- bull, of Canton, Jackson County, President; J. M. King, of Cascade, Secre- tary; and C. M. Dunbar, of Maquoketa, Treasurer; and a committee was ap- pointed to draw up articles of incorporation.
In February, 1868, a meeting was held at Maquoketa, to consider the ques- tion of route-whether the proposed road should pass through Maquoketa to Clinton-but no decision was reached.
In April, another meeting was held, at Hopkinton. At this meeting, W. A. Heath and F. B. Doolittle reported articles of incorporation, which were adopted, and the company permanently organized. The articles of incorpora- tion were filed for record June 4, 1868, with the following corporators : F. B. Doolittle, H. S. Brunson, Richard Boon, Benjamin Burch, M. O. Barnes, G. C. Croston, Z. G. Allen and W. H. Finley.
But by this time, the prospects for a road from Clinton were not of the most encouraging character, and the projectors of the enterprise at Delhi began to feel a little blue, but relaxed no effort to attain their object. A combination was formed by which the people of Fayette, Strawberry Point, Delaware, Delhi and Hopkinton agreed to adhere to each other, come what would, and that neither town should be left out of the line of the road, if they should succeed ; and in May, Brunson, Boon, Barnes, Doolittle, Finley and others went to Davenport, with the object of interesting the railroad men of that city in the enterprise, proposing to them to make Davenport the terminus, and give them
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the control of the road if they would take hold. Several meetings were held ; the Davenport people became interested ; the name of the company was changed to the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad Company, and the following named persons elected Directors, viz .: Benjamin Burch and H. S. Brunson, Fayette ; G. Allen, of Brush Creek ; Richard Boon, Delaware; F. B. Doolittle, Delhi ; W. H. Finley, Hopkinton ; and John L. Davis and Michael Donahue, of Dav- enport ; and G. C. Croston, of Cascade.
Arrangements were made for obtaining subscriptions to the capital stock of
the company. Delaware County was expected to raise $100,000, apportioned as follows: Delhi, $40,000: Hopkinton, $30,000; Delaware, $15,000; Greeley, $10.000; Yankee Settlement, $5,000. The Delaware County books were placed in charge of Judge Doolittle, who prosecuted the work with such energy that a little more than $100,000 were subscribed in the county. In the meantime. E. Baldwin, Engineer, was employed to make a preliminary survey from Davenport to Fayette, the gentlemen above named making voluntary assessments upon themselves to pay expenses. Various towns along the line- voted a five per cent. tax in aid of the enterprise, and preparations for sub- stantial work began to be made. .
At a meeting in Delhi, in August, 1868, Trumbull, President, and King, Secretary, having resigned, William HI. Holmes, of Davenport, was elected Presi- dent. and W. A. Heath, of Delhi, appointed Secretary. At the annual meet- ing in Davenport, in January, 1869, Mr. Holmes was re-elected President ; M. O. Barnes, Vice President ; W. A. Heath, Secretary ; and R. Eddy, Treas- urer. The required amount of stock having been subscribed, it was expected that work would be commenced early in the following Spring, but, before it was begun, the Supreme Court decided that the law allowing towns to vote a tax to aid in the construction of railroads was unconstitutional, and by this deci sion the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad Company's assets were reduced nearly one- half. It was a heavy blow to those who had labored so earnestly for a road, coming when they felt so sure of success.
In April, 1869, a meeting was called at Davenport to consider the situation and devise means for going forward with the work, and at this meeting Daven- port " threw up the sponge ; " they had become discouraged, and felt that it- was useless to try longer. Delhi and the other Delaware county towns, how- ever. were not disposed to give it up, and assured their Davenport friends that they were determined to have a railroad. If Davenport did not want the- terminus enough to aid in the enterprise, they would find some other point. After several meetings and much hard labor, Davenport finally concluded that it was best to continue, and that Summer was spent in obtaining the additional subscriptions rendered necessary by the decision of the court. In the Winter of 1869-70 (?), the Legislature re-enacted the law authorizing towns to vote five per cent. tax. Several towns voted aid, and in the Spring of 1870, active prepar- ations were made for commencing work. Judge Doolittle was appointed Assist- ant Treasurer and Right of Way Agent. Assessments were made on capital stock. In June, 1870, the contracts were let for grading, bridging and tieing the whole length of the road from Davenport to Fayette. Work was com- inenced in Delaware County in September, 1870, under the management of Judge Doolittle, who arranged for stockholders, who desired it, to pay their stock subscriptions in labor and supplies. Messrs. Peters & Heath, of Delhi, were the attorneys of the company. So energetically was the work prosecuted that the road was completed in the Fall of 1872, the cars running to Delhi in September, and through the county in October of that year. The depot at.
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Delhi was built in September, 1872, and S. S. Summers was first station agent at that point.
The enterprise encountered vigorous and determined opposition from the start, and that it was successfully consummated is due to the indomitable energy and perseverance of Judge Doolittle, Col. Peters and a few other citizens of Delaware County, and they may well feel proud of their success.
THE PRESS.
The Delhi Argus .- The first newspaper printed in Delaware County was The Delhi Argus, started by Datus E. Coon, editor and publisher, in 1853. J. L. Noble, then a small boy, but since Captain in the volunteer service, rolled the first form. After running it about a year, Coon sold it to G. W. Field. When the civil war commenced, Coon entered the army, rose to the rank of Brigadier General ; and at the close of the war, settled in Alabama. Mr. Field managed the paper with energy and ability until the Fall of 1856, when he retired, and Charles F. Hobbs became proprietor. Mr. Field subse- quently removed to Anamosa ; engaged in the practice of law, and became the. author of several legal treatises. About the time Hobbs purchased the office, it was partially destroyed by fire, it is said because Joe Thompson, then " devil," construed literally the foreman's order to " take up the ashes in the stove and put them in a box." The press was seriously damaged and many fonts of type rendered useless. Mr. L. L. Ayers, in his interesting sketches of "Early Times in Delaware County," says that " a day or two after the fire, Mr. David More- land, of Colesburg, was at Delhi, and was informed of the fire. 'Did it burn the paper stock ?' sympathietically asked Mr. Moreland. 'Yes,' replied his informant. 'What a pity !' exclamed Mr. Moreland, who asked, 'Did it burn the type ?' 'Yes, most of it,' was the answer. "What a pity !' he again exclaimed, and then asked, 'Did it burn the editor?' O no, he is all right.' ' What a pity ! what a pity !' was again the old gentleman's reply." Appar- ently he did not sympathize very deeply over the loss. Under Mr. Hobbs' management, about 1858, the name of the paper was changed to
The Delhi Democrat, and enlarged it to a seven-column folio, and the office had a flourishing business. After Hobbs, C. L. Hayes and Hayes & Corbett owned the concern for a while, and valued it at $2,000. It was afterward pur- chased by Rev. L. S. Ashbough. Dr. James Wright, then County Clerk, had an interest in the paper for a time. Then J. L. McCreery purchased an interest ; the size was reduced to six columns and name changed to
The Delaware Journal. January 1, 1859, Mr. Ashbaugh disposed of his interest to James L. Noble, who soon after relinquished the entire control of the paper to McCreory, when he again changed the name to Delaware County Journal, and continued its publication until January 1, 1864, when it died from starvation. MeCreery locked up the material and departed for Dubuque, where he became city editor of the Dubuque Times. In March following, the material was purchased by Edward Burnside, moved to Manchester and became the office of The Delaware County Union.
The Iowa News was established at Delhi in 1860, by Charles .L. Hayes. It lingered about a year, was discontinued and the material removed to Anamosa.
Delaware County Recorder .- March 24, 1870, Mr. J. A. Cole started the Earlville Sun, at Earlville, February 1, 1871. Hon. C. Sanborn purchased it, and in June following, removed it to Delhi, changing the name to the Dela-
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ware County Recorder, and continued it until August 22, 1872, when he sold it to Mr. J. B. Swinburne, who immediately changed its title to
The Delhi Monitor, which is still published, and is still conducted by Mr. Swinburne with ability and judgment. Republican in politics.
Delaware County Union .- In the Winter of 1863-4, the Delaware County Journal, at Delhi, had suspended. The enterprising citizens of Manchester determined that Manchester should have a newspaper, and raised, by subscrip- tion. $300 as a bonus, which was given to Edward Burnside to aid him in purchasing the material of the Journal, which he did, removing it to Manches- ter. and the first number of the Delaware County Union was issued March 25, 1864.
Mr. Burnside conducted the paper with ability and success until his death, in December, 1866, when it passed into the hands of L. L. Ayers, who had been connected with it from the commencement. Under Mr. Ayers' manage- ment it was enlarged to a seven-column paper ; grew in popular favor ; was the organ of the Republican party, and was very successful until hard times began to pinch, when it died "for want of financial breath," December 31, 1872. The subscription list was divided between Mr. Rann, of the Manchester Press, and Mr. Swinburne, of the Delhi Monitor.
The Manchester Press .- The first number of this paper was issued June 16. 1871, by H. L. Rann, Esq., editor and proprietor. When the Union sus- pended, in December, 1872, Mr. Rann purchased its subscription list and good will. July 1, 1873, Mr. Rann sold to Hon. C. Sanborn, who conducted it until January 1, 1875, when L. H. Fisk became associate editor and publisher. July 1, 1875, Sanborn & Fisk retired, and Mr. Rann again assumed the management and control of the paper, and is its present proprietor. The Press is a large seven-column quarto sheet, ably edited and neatly printed, and flies the Republican flag. The office is supplied with a large Potter power press and a Gordon job press, with the machinery, type etc., and is the best appointed job printing office in the county.
The Manchester Democrat was established and its first number was issued Jan. 20, 1875, by F. B. Gregg, proprietor and publisher, L. L. Ayers, editor. Democratie politically. After a few months, Mr. Gregg retired, and the paper passed into the hands of a stock company. L. L. Ayers remained as editor and publisher until April, 1878, when he was succeeded by E. M. Carr and Charles E. Bronson, as editors and proprietors.
The Nottingham Observer was started at Nottingham (Earlville), by Ed. Stanton, in the Spring of 1859; suspended in the Fall of the same year.
The Earlville Sun, started at Earlville March 24, 1870, by Mr. J. A. Cole. February 1, 1871, Hon. C. Sanborn purchased the office, and in March changed its name to the Earlville Record. In June, 1871, he removed the paper to Delhi, and again changed its name.
The Eurlville Gazette was started at Earlville, Dec. 31, 1875, by W. A. Hutton, who sold shortly afterward to N. Rose & Son. Rose changed the name to the Commercial, issuing the first number May 26, 1876. The last number of the Commercial was issued April 13, 1877.
Earlville Record .- Dee. 19, 1877, Messrs. J. V. & J. A. Matthews issued the first number of a new paper at Earlville, called the Earlville Record. It is a six column quarto paper, devoted to local matters, but giving considerable space to temperance matters and the greenback question.
The Hopkinton Messenger, the first number of which was published May 10, 1878, is owned by D. B. Sherwood, formerly from Michigan. The people
A. B. Sombune
EDITOR & PROPRIETOR OF THE DELHI MONITOR.
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of that thrifty town manifest a disposition to give the new venture all the business in their power to bestow.
DELAWARE COUNTY MEDICAL SOCIETY.
March 3, 1856, the following " Regular Physicians of Delaware County," viz., John Acers, Albert E. Smith, Albert Boomer, John F. Stout, Joshua Doran, E. C. Taylor and James Wright, met at Delhi for the purpose of organ- izing a county association. Dr. John Acers was chosen Chairman, and Dr. Boomer, Secretary.
On motion of Dr. J. F. Stout, a Constitution and code of By-laws were adopted, for the "Delaware County Medical Society." The Constitution is signed by the physicians above named and by J. B. Ames, J. H. Shout, Z. S. Ward and Thomas C. McGee. After the adoption of the Constitution, the fol- lowing officers were elected:
President, Albert E. Smith; Vice Presidents, John Acers and J. Doran ; Recording Secretary, Albert Boomer ; Corresponding Secretary, J. F. Stout ; Censors, Drs. Smith, Stout and Doran ; Essayists, Drs. Stout and Doran. In the evening, the society assembled at the Court House, and was addressed by Drs. Smith, Doran, Acers and Wright.
At the first annual meeting, March 17, 1857, the first fee-bill was adopted.
At the annual meeting in March, 1857, the following officers were elected, viz .: Albert E. Smith, President ; J. Doran and J. H. Shout, Vice Presidents ; Albert Boomer, Recording Secretary ; J. B. Ames, Corresponding Secretary ; James Wright, Treasurer ; Drs. Acers, Shout and Doran, Censors.
Several meetings were held in 1857, and no others appear of record until February 10, 1866, when the society met at Delhi, Dr. John Acers, " the former President," in the chair. This appears to have been a meeting for re- organization, as the " old Constitution and By-laws of the former Medical Society " were adopted. At this meeting, the following gentlemen signed the Constitution and paid the fee of $1.00 each, viz .: John Acers, J. W. Robbins, W. H. Finley, W. A. Morse, J. M. Lanning, A. A. Noyes and Albert Boomer. The following officers were elected : Joseph W. Robbins, President ; W. H. Finley, Vice President ; W. H. Finley, Secretary and Treasurer.
August 4, 1869, the society was again re-organized at Manchester, at a meeting of the physicians of the county. C. H. Rawson was called to the chair, and Lyman J. Adair, appointed Secretary. Drs. Bradley, Lanning and Stannard were appointed a committee to draft a Constitution and By laws for the Delaware County Medical Society, who reported the Constitution and By- laws of the Linn County Society, with suitable alterations. This was adopted and signed by Drs. C. H. Rawson, David LeRoy, J. Meek Lanning, W. D. Stannard, Charles C. Bradley and John Acers. C. H. Rawson was elected President ; C. C. Bradley, Vice President; J. M. Lanning, Secretary ; D. LeRoy, Treasurer, and Drs. Lanning, Bradley and Stannard, Censors. After which, upon examination by the Board of Censors, L. H. Keyes, Alexander Wiltse, B. H. Reynolds, L. J. Adair and W. B. Sherman were admitted to membership. The fee-bill of the " old society " was adopted. In November, Lewis Blanchard and George H. Fuller became members, and in February, 1870, Albert Boomer was admitted.
In May, 1870, a new board of officers were elected, as follows: A. Boomer, President; L. H. Keyes, Vice President ; C. C. Bradley, Secretary ; D. Le Roy, Treasurer ; Drs. Lanning, Bradley and Adair, Censors.
I
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
In May, 1871, John Acers, President; J. M. Lanning, Vice President, and J. T. Acers, Secretary.
The next meeting was June 16, 1873, when W. H. Finley was elected President ; J. M. Lanning, Vice President ; G. H. Fuller, Secretary and Treas- urer ; Drs. Bradley and Paquin, Censors.
Another meeting was held September 1, 1873, and the next of record was May 25, 1876, when officers were elected as follows : C. C. Bradley, President ; L. H. Keyes, Vice President ; C. O. Paquin, Secretary and Treasurer; Drs. Reynolds, Pierce and Cummings, Censors.
June 4. 1877, officers elected, C. C. Bradley, President ; Milo Blodgett, Vice President ; C. O. Paquin, Secretary and Treasurer ; Drs. Reynolds, Pierce and Cummings, Censors.
December 17, 1877, Dr. B. H. Reynolds was elected Secretary and Treas- urer, in place of Paquin, removed from the county.
The officers for 1878 are B. H. Reynolds, of Manchester, President; W. B. Sherman, Manchester, Vice President; George H. Fuller, Delhi, Secretary and Treasurer, C. C. Bradley, Manchester, I. W. Ghrist, Manchester, and S. Haskins, Earlville, Censors.
DELAWARE COUNTY MUSICAL ASSOCIATION.
February 3, 1872, a meeting was held at Delaware, at which it was decided to organize the Delaware County Musical Association, and to hold a convention at Delaware the 20th and 21st of the same month. A committee of arrange- ments was chosen, and the programme was fixed by them. The convention was held as announced, and among those who sang or played for the meeting were Allie Parker, Mrs. Martin, Mrs. Clark, Mrs. J. H. Peters, Frank Martindale, Edith V. Rann. Dr. J. T. Abbott was elected President, and A. J. Brown, Secretary.
The Society met again at Greeley, Nov. 5, 1874, with Dr. Abbott as Presi- dent and L. O. Stevens as Secretary. Prof. Arthur Baker, of Independence, was Conductor, and the convention closed on the 6th with a crowded concert.
A convention was held at Hopkinton, beginning March 11, 1874. At this session, " Gloria," from Mozart's Twelfth Mass, was sung in excellent taste by Hopkinton singers.
The next and last convention was held at Manchester, beginning Nov. 17, 1874, under the leadership of Prof. L. O. Emerson, of Boston, assisted by John G. Parkhurst, the noted concert singer, and Prof. Keeler, of Osage. Among the visitors from other towns who had places in the exercises were Mrs. L. A. Nichols, of Dubuque ; Miss Noyes, of Delhi; Prof. Burns, of Cornell Univer- sity ; Misses Dunlap and Kilpatrick, of Hopkinton ; and Miss Annie Smith, Mrs. Robinson, Mrs. Sherman, Mrs. Burdick and Miss Clark, of Monticello. The Anamosa Eureka said of the convention that "the attendance was large, consisting of delegations from Dubuque, Farley, Earlville, Independence, Cedar Falls, Osage, Vinton, Greeley, Delhi, Hopkinton, Monticello, Sand Spring, Almoral and the entire musical talent of Manchester. The people of that city opened their doors for the free entertainment of delegates, and the entire pro- ceedings were marked with the kindest feelings and a laudable desire to improve in the divine art. Two public concerts were given, the receipts of which, with the membership fee, covered the expenses, which were about five hundred dollars. The exercises were varied with church music, social glees, anthems, choruses and solos, with voice culture, articulation, emphasis and the general reading of
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music. A score of good village singing schools should result from this conven-
tion." Dr. J. T. Abbott was continued as President, and Col. G. A. Day was chosen Secretary at this meeting.
THE DELAWARE COUNTY BIBLE SOCIETY.
The County Bible Society, a branch of the American Society, was organ- ized at Delhi in 1850, and Z. A. Wellman was Treasurer and Depositary for many years. He was succeeded by William Cattron in the Summer of 1864, who removed the depository to Manchester. The subsequent depositaries have been Morell Cotton, John C. Bremner and D. G. Eldridge. The present officers are Ira P. Adams, President ; A. L. Baldwin, Vice President ; C. W. Keagy, Secretary ; Frank J. Atwater, Treasurer and Depositary ; B. H. Keller, B. S. Barnard, Wm. Cattron, Directors.
MANCHESTER. (Delaware Township.)
The first settlements made in Delaware Township (89, Range 5) were made in 1839-40. Robert B. Hutson, who came to the county in 1840, settled in the southern edge of Eads' Grove, probably on Section 2. "At least," says Judge Bailey, " he was very near the township line, if he was not in this town- ship." In 1840, the Paddelford family and the Rexfords settled near the mouth of Honey Creek, about two miles northwest of the present town of Manchester. Joel Pike settled about half a mile west of Hutson, in 1840, near the present site of Millheim, or " Dutchtown."
The first settler to enter or locate any of the lands now embraced within the limits of Manchester was Steiner Eiversen, a Norwegian, who, in the Spring of 1850, entered the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 29, the north half of the northwest quarter of Section 32, the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of Section 32, the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 32, the north half of the northwest quarter of Section 33, and the northwest quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 33. Eiverson built his cabin on the west side of the river, near the present residence of T. Crosby, Esq., and, it is said, did some breaking there; but, becoming dis- satisfied after living there one Winter, he thought it would be warmer nearer the river, and moved his cabin accordingly. This did not suit him, owing to the ague and mosquitoes, and he moved to the east side and built another and larger cabin, on Section 33, which is still standing, a part of the residence of Allen Love. Eiversen soon became dissatisfied and discontented. His wife could not speak the English language, and, hearing that some of his country- men had settled in the northern part of the State, he was anxious to join them. September 17, 1852, he sold his claim and the lands above mentioned to Mr. Allen Love and removed, Mr. Love thinks, to the vicinity of Clermont. Mr. Love immediately moved into the house vacated by Eiverson.
Mr. Love and wife had a bitter experience on the first day's travel out from Dubuque. Their son Robert, while getting some bread from a box in the back part of the wagon, fell to the ground and was picked up insensible. A German family lived near by, and thither they conveyed the child. A doctor was sum- moned from Dubuque, but the child was dead before he arrived. Mr. Love then went to Dubuque and procured a coffin, in which the corpse was placed, and with their dead child they arrived at Eiverson's cabin. They dug a grave just
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
southeast of the house, in which they interred the lad, and the next year his brother Allen planted an evergreen to mark the spot, which is now growing green and thrifty on the bank above the railroad track.
John Brownell afterward settled where Eiverson first built his cabin, on the west side of the river, and was living there in 1854.
George Acres, who had settled in 1851, lived about a mile northwest of Eiverson : but a few weeks after Mr. Love came, Acres sold to Mr. Levings Bur- rington, who settled there in the Fall of 1852.
Mr. Love states that their nearest neighbors, in 1852, were Mr. Fowler, Henry Baker and Clement Coffin, on the west, Mr. Shaffer, on the east, and Joel Bailey on the southeast. Mr. Love also says that the nearest flouring-mill was Benson's, and that it sometimes took a week to get a grist. His surplus products were sold to immigrants-flour at the rate of $1.25 a hundred, bacon at two and one-half cents a pound, and eggs at three cents a dozen. In 1854, Allen Love, Jr., went to school at Acresville.
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