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 54
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April 19, 1853, Ozias P. Reeves bought of John C. Higginson the south- east quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 29, and the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 32. Iligginson appears to have been a professional speculator in lands. O. P. Reeves was the first actual settler on the original plat of Burrington. He first lived in a little temporary shanty that stood a little west of the present Nix House, on the northeast corner of Fayette and Tama streets, but soon built and re- moved to a house farther cast, near the east line of Section 29. June 29, 1853, O. P. Reeves entered the southeast quarter of southwest quarter of Section 28.
The southeast quarter of the southwest quarter and the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of Section 29 was entered in the name of Manasseh Reeves, the father of O. P., who seems to have transferred them to his son. The northeast quarter of the southwest quarter and the north half of the southeast quarter of Section 29 were entered by Geo. Acers, 1850-51.
April 1, 1854. O. P. Reeves deeded to Rev. B. M. Amsden the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 32-40 acres-and a " heater piece," containing three acres, on the southeast corner of Section 29, to afford a building site on the old Delhi and West Union road, which ran "across lots " at this point.
During the Summer or Fall of 1854, James Dyer, the founder of Dyers- ville, a gentleman of great energy, who was largely interested in the then projected Dubuque & Pacific Railroad, with Mr. William Chesterman visited the new town of Delaware Center (Acersville) and endeavored to make arrange- ments with the proprietor, John Acers, by which that town should become a station on the line of the projected railroad. Delaware Center was a good site. There was a good mill privilege there and the river could be easily bridged. But Acers, taking it for granted that the road must come there, fixed his price for one-half interest in the town, it is said, at $6,000. Dyer and Chesterman, however, concluded that the price was much too high. They thought they could start a new town cheaper than that, and came down to Mr. Reeves to see what could be done. Reeves and L. Burrington had foresight enough to appreciate the advantages that might accrue, provided a town could be founded and the railroad secured. Mr. Burrington and Mr. Reeves entered heartily into the scheme. Mr. Reeves donated twenty acres and put in other lands, becoming co-proprietor with Dyer. It became necessary to obtain part or all of the land which Reeves had sold to Amsden. Consequently, Mr. Reeves was
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
authorized by Mr. Burrington to proceed to Belvidere, Ill., as his agent, to negotiate an exchange with Mr. Amsden for other land owned by Mr. Burring- ton. The mission was successful and Mr. Reeves returned with a conveyance from Mr. Amsden to Mr. Burrington of the north half of the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 32, and also secured the relinquishment of the "heater piece." Messrs. Dyer and Chesterman succeeded in purchasing four " forties," including the mill site, of Allen Love, for $10 an acre, and it was determined that the projected town should be called
BURRINGTON,
as Mr. Burrington had donated the land obtained from Mr. Amsden.
Soon after the preliminary arrangements had been made with Reeves, Bur- rington and Love, Dr. Acers, who had heard of the project, hurried to Dyers- ville with an offer to donate what he had the week previous asked $6,000 for, if Dyer would abandon the Burrington scheme and come to Delaware Center. But it was too late. Other arrangements had been made and James Dyer was not a man to " go back " on his promises.
December 8, 1854, Allen Love deeded to Dyer & Chesterman the north- west quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 32, the north half of the north- west quarter of Section 32, and the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 29. Dec. 21, 0: P. Reeves deeded to Dyer & Chesterman part of the south half of the southeast quarter of Section 29, and on the same day, L. Burrington deeded to Dyer the north half of the northeast quarter of the north- east quarter of Section 32 (the Amsden purchase).
A part of the work of surveying the town into blocks and marking the streets and alleys was done by Davis, Surveyor, in December, 1854, but work was suspended on account of the frost. The survey was finished and blocks divided into lots in the Spring of 1855, - - Davis, Surveyor, assisted by Charles C. Lewis and C. C. Peers, chainmen ; James Dyer and O. P. Reeves, proprietors. May 20, 1855, O. P. Reeves deeded to James Dyer the south half of the southeast quarter of the southwest quarter of Section 29. The original town of Burrington was laid out on the south half of the southeast quarter of Section 29, and north half of northeast quarter of Section 32.
During the last days of December, 1854, Mr. Dyer and Mr. Chesterman visited their new town of Burrington, accompanied by Francis Bethell, to make arrangements for building a store and mill dam, as the erection of a mill was a part of the programme. While here, Mr. Bethell selected two lots (142 and 143) on the northwest corner of Main and Franklin Streets, as a location for a hotel, paying $25 for one and securing the other as a donation, on condition that he should build on them immediately. Others were treated in the same way until several buildings were erected and the town began to grow. At this time the house of O P. Reeves was the only one on the town site. The party returned to Dyersville, arriving there January 1, 1855.
During the Winter and Spring, Dyer built a store on the southwest corner of Main and Franklin streets, commencing it in February. This store, to which additions were afterward built, is still standing, and is called "The Long Store." As soon as it was completed, a stock of goods was put in, in charge of George E. Toogood and W. H. Board.
In March, 1855, Thomas Toogood and Francis Bethell commenced build- ing a house on the lots located by Mr. Bethell in December previous. This house was a frame structure, sixty-five by forty-four feet, two and a half stories high, and was finished and opened as a hotel in the Fall of the same year. It
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
was named the Clarence House by the proprietors, in honor of Lord Clarence, of England. In the Spring and early Summer, A. R. Loomis built a store on the middle third of Lot 147, on the south side of Main, east of Franklin street, and moved his goods from his old store at Delaware Center. This store remained until it was removed to make way for Riddell Bros'. brick block, in 1877. Mr. Loomis also built a house on the south side of Fayette street, near Bremer. Edson Merrill erected another near Loomis', on the same street, and Marshall Hancock built a house on the north side of the same street, two blocks west of the others, during the same Summer. Hancock was the first to build a house after Toogood & Bethell.
Joseph W. Robbins, M. D., was the first physician to locate in the new town, in May, 1855. Soon after, during the Summer, Dr. Samuel L. Hamlet moved his house from Delaware Center, and located it on the northeast corner of Fayette and Bremer streets.
In August, 1855, Dyer & Chesterman completed a dam across the Maquo- keta, about ten rods above the present dam and bridge, and built a bridge over it, the timbers supporting the bridge being imbedded in the masonry of the dam. The next year, a saw-mill was partially built. The machinery was put in, but the roof was never put on. This work was done under the superintend- ence of Mr. William Chesterman. The dam was built of small stones laid in cement, and went out a year or two after it was built.
THE FIRST ELECTION.
Until February 7, 1855, Coffin's Grove had been a part of Delaware Town- ship, and the polling place was at Delaware Center, or Acersville. But at that date Coffin's Grove Township was established by the County Court. There is no record of the April election in Delaware Township, but the poll-book of the general election held August 6, 1855, at the house (store) of A. R. Loomis, in Burrington, shows that H. L. Ryan was one of the Township Trustees, and Joseph C. Skinner, Township Clerk. At that election, H. L. Ryan, Watson Roe and Levi Washburn were the Judges, and J. C. Skinner and Allen Mead, Clerks of the election. The officers voted for were County Judge, Sheriff, Recorder, Surveyor, Draining Commissioner and Coroner. For County Judge, F. B. Doolittle had 28 votes, and Charles W. Hobbs, 12. For Sheriff, C. T. Peets had 43; John W. Penn, 21. For Recorder, George Watson, 27; D. E. Coon, 14 ; William Price, 1. For Surveyor, W. P. Cunningham, 29; Charles F. Hobbs. 13. For Draining Commissioner, John Hefner, 27; Franklin Emerson, 15. For Coroner, J. M. Noble, 27; Stephen Reynolds, 18. The poll-book of that election is preserved in the office of Mayor Sanborn, and con- tains the names of forty-five voters who exercised the right of suffrage on that day, viz. : Albert Thompson, O. P. Reeves, James Penrod, Sidney S. Law- rence. A. R. Loomis, Watson Roe, Allen Mead, Levi Washburn, Henry Ryan, J. C. Skinner, S. L. Hamlet, Joseph Strawson, Frank Adle, Samuel Sweet, Elijah Cheney, Marshal Hancock, Reuben Davis, Charles Trenchard, William Davis, Hiram Caster, Thomas Brown, Andrew Scribner, William McIntosh, Allen Love, Samuel Scribner, Milton E. Mead, J. D. Scott, George Acers, Benjamin F. Smith, Albert Raymond, Lyman Wright, Henry Acers, Thomas Toogood. W. HI. Board, George W. Boyd, John Brownell, L. Burrington, John II. Taber, Gideon C. Hempstead, John Hempstead, J. C. Hosier, Levi Beyh- mer, George E. Toogood, Vernon Burrington, John Acers, Frank Bothell.
Rev. II. N. Gates. Rev. Mr. Graves and Elder Bixby preached in Burring- tou in 1855-6.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
FIRST BIRTHS, MARRIAGES AND DEATH.
Although the interesting circumstance did not take place on the town plat itself, still, being at the residence of Allen Love, it is an item of Manchester his- tory itself. In 1855, at the residence of the bride's parents, Jane, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Love, was married to William McIntosh, Rev. Daniel Smith, a Meth- odist minister, officiating. In the same year, Marvin Reeves was born to O. P. and Mrs. Reeves, undoubtedly the first white child born on the town site of Burrington or Manchester. The second marriage in the township, and the first in Manchester, was Lyman Wright to Sarah Lockwood. The first death appears to have been that of Charles E., son of O. P. Reeves, who died July 9, 1855, aged 3 years.
In the Spring of 1856, the people petitioned for the establishment of a post office at Burrington, but the Post Office Department declined to establish it by that name, as it was too nearly like Burlington. Judge Dyer was a native of England, and when the answer was returned, Mr. Peers states that he heard Dyer say : "There's a Manchester in England, and we'll call this Manches- ter." The name was returned to the Post Office Department for approval, and April 8, 1856, the Post Office of Manchester was established at Burrington, as the town was usually called until about the time the railroad was completed.
The town plat of Burrington, although made by Dyer & Reeves, in 1854-5, was not recorded until March 13, 1856, when the proprietors dedicated the streets and alleys to public use. About this time, the Iowa Land Company was organized, or at least its organization became pubicly known. To this company Dyer sold the town of Dyersville, and included Burrington in the transaction.
THE RAILROADS.
In 1855, the work of constructing the Dubuque & Pacific Railroad, between Dubuque and Dyersville, was commenced, and it was nearly completed to the latter point in December, 1856, but trains did not begin to run regularly until the Spring of 1857. R. B. Mason & Co. were the contractors, who sub-let the work in sections. Many of the sub-contractors failed, and a considerable portion of the work was done by Magill, Denton & Co. The firm consisted of Hugh Magill, N. Denton, Henry Magill and William Magill. the latter being the sons of the senior member of the firm.
During the Summer of 1856, the Chief Engineer of the Railroad Company, B. B. Provost, surveyed two lines across Delaware County for Dyersville ; one the shortest and cheapest route, running by way of Delaware Center and Coffin's Grove, the other passing through just south of Burrington. The Iowa Land Company employed Samuel Bethell to make a careful survey of the Burrington route, and estimate its cost. It was found that the expense of the road by this route would be something over $13,000 more than it would cost to build the road via Delaware Center. This difference the Iowa Land Company agreed to pay, and thus secured the final location of the road to and through Burrington.
AN INCIDENT OF EARLY TIMES.
Soon after the village of Burrington sprang into existence, one rainy after- noon in the Fall of 1856, when everybody was indoors and other amusements had failed, two prominent gentlemen, Ex-Sheriff Penn and Mr. Burrington, for whom the village was named, bantered each other for a foot race from the corner of Main and Franklin streets up Franklin street to the next street. The mud was six or eight inches deep, there was no sidewalks, and it was
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
raining in torrents, but something must be done to raise a breeze and get rid of the ennui of a rainy day. A wager of five dollars was put up, and Penn and Burrington, barefooted and bareheaded, with trousers legs rolled up, took their places in front of the Clarence House ready for the start. Both were large heavy men. but when the word was given they made a good start. The mud was deep, however, and they were soon winded ; and as they puffed and blowed slowly along, the unique sight of a foot race in a rain storm in mud eight inches deep was greeted with roars of laughter from the bystanders, who will never forget the fun of that occasion. It is said that Burrington came out a "leetle" ahead.
Jan. 24, 1857. Neil McCormick, residing about a mile and a half east of Manchester, went to Delhi with a load of wheat to mill. He was accompanied by his son James, then a lad of six years. He started from Delhi about 4 o'clock P. M., in a severe snow storm. The snow was deep, the night was cold and the wind blew a gale. When within about a mile and a half from home, the team lost the track, McCormick became bewildered, wandered about all night, traveled once in a circle around his house within a quarter of a mile of it, but the storm was so severe that it could not be seen. About 3 o'clock in the morning, the horses became exhausted, and Mr. McCormick went on about three rods, sat down on the snow completely chilled. James was curled down in the sled box asleep. His father called him ; he awoke and went to him and asked his father what he wanted, but received no definite reply. James says that it was not two minutes after he reached him before his father laid back in the snow, groaned and died. The little fellow, only six years old, finding his father was dead, unhitched the horses, climbed on to the near one, started them off, laid down clinging to the hames and went to sleep. When he awoke, the horses were standing in front of Mr. Mitchell's house, a mile and a half from home. This was only a quarter of a mile from where his father lay dead in the snow. James was badly chilled, but recovered in a few weeks, but his escape from freezing in that terrible storm is but little short of miraculous.
July 16th of the same year, James McCormick, above mentioned, and his brother Neil, fourteen months younger, went bathing in a little run at the head of Spring Branch, in Delaware Township, about half a mile from where their father froze to death. They had been there before, but a recent freshet had made a deep gully that they were not aware of. Neil got beyond his depth and was drowned before the men from a neighboring quarry, alarmed by the shouts of James, could reach the spot. James came near drowning himself.
In 1857, I. U. Butler and Wm. H. Board & Co. built and opened stores. In July. 1857, there were twelve or fifteen dwellings in the new town, and a 4th of July ball was given in Butler's unfinished store, which was hastily floored for the occasion. The siding was not all completed, and there was no roof on the building, but these were minor matters. "The young people were hound to have a good time, and they had it," says Mr. Butler, who was a spectator on that occasion.
In December, 1857, Messrs. Magill & Co. completed the road to Nottingham, known as Earlville, and did the most of the grading between that point and Manchester, but the great financial crash of that year compelled them to suspend operations, and they ceased work in October. In July, 1859, work was resumed by Magill & Co., Henry Magill having retired. and C. H. Carpenter having become a member of the firm, and the road was completed to Manchester early in October of that year. The depot was built on the west side of the river.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
MANCHESTER.
By act of the General Assemby of Iowa, approved Jan. 23, 1857, the name of the town of Burrington was changed to Manchester ; and during the following Summer the town of Manchester, including the old town of Burring- ton, with large additions, was surveyed by Samuel Bethell. The plat was filed for record by the Iowa Land Company, R. B. Mason, President, March 20, 1858. The railroad was now a certainty, and the new town grew rapidly in population and business importance.
The first case tried before O. P. Reeves, J. P., was that in which Marcellus Netheway was plaintiff and Levings Burrington defendant. The witnesses were the plaintiff, Oliver Cronk, Edward Manning, Augustus Manning and A. R. Loomis. Burrington was not present. Judgment was given plaintiff for $15, and the costs were $4.25. The cause was heard and determined June 9, 1857.
JEALOUSY AND DEATH.
In 1858, William Brown, a young man who was at work on the railroad, lived with his sister, a mile and a half east of town, in a railroad shanty. Young Brown was paying his addresses to Kate Gill, an amiable and comely Irish lass who had been employed as table girl at the Clarence House. It is said that the young couple were " engaged," but Brown's sister was bitterly opposed to the match. Just north of the railroad bridge there was a Connery family with several daughters ; one, Mary, had married Joseph Coughlan, another, Honora, 16 years old, was in the matrimonial market, and there were two younger ones, Bridget and Anna. Mrs. Connery and Mrs. Coughlan visited Brown's cabin one afternoon, and, aided by his sister, besought him to leave Kate and take Honora Connery. He had never seen the damsel, but her mother and sister and his sister said so much that he finally yielded and told them they might send for her at Rockville, where she was at work. She came, saw and conquered. Poor Kate was forgotten, for the time at least; the next day after they first met, the pair, accompanied by friends, went to Delhi and were married. It seems, however, that the youthful benedict soon repented of his hasty marriage, at least he appears to have continued his attention to Kate, accompanying her to dances, etc., and the fearful passion of jealousy entered the heart of the wife, who considered herself neglected ; friendly relations, however, were apparently maintained among the parties.
Under these circumstances, on Thursday, August 5, Kate had been helping the Connery family do their washing, and in the afternoon, Mrs. Coughlan, Mrs. Brown, Bridget and Anna and Kate went to the river about eighty rods below the railroad bridge to bathe. This was the last seen of Kate, alive. While the party was absent, a workman in that vicinity heard a woman scream, but thought nothing of it at the time. When the party returned, Kate was not with them, and, in reply to queries, the Connery family said that Kate had gone beyond her depth, was swept off and was drowned. Kate's friends asserted that she was a good swimmer and suspected foul play.
About a week afterward, her naked body was found about half a mile below, lodged against some driftwood. Her clothes were also found buried in the sand and rubbish on the river bank near where the party had been. The remains were brought to town and a Coroner's inquest held. When found, the poor girl's tongue was protruding from her mouth, and it is said that there were bruises and marks of violence on her neck, but Dr. Morse, who made a post mortem examination, " found no marks of violence on the body." The jury brought in
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
a verdict in accordance with the facts. Mrs. Brown and Mrs. Coughlan were arrested and brought before O. P. Reeves, Justice of the Peace, for examination. The Court was held in E. Hamblin's wagon shop. S. G. Van Anda, Esq., then of Delhi. appeared on behalf of the people, and E. O. Clemans and H. L. Ryan for the prisoners. The following extract from the Justice's docket shows the result of the preliminary examination :
After hearing the evidence of all the witnesses and statements of the defendants, as above, it is considered by the Court that the defendants, Honorah Brown and Mary Coughlan, are guilty of murdering Catharine Gill, alias Devano -. It is therefore ordered by the Court that the defendants be held for their appearance at the next term of the District Court of Delaware County, Iowa, and that Ann Connery and Bridget Connery be held on the sum of one hundred dollars to appear at said Court to testify before the Grand Jury, and in default, to be committed to the custody of the proper officer. OZIAS P. REEVES,
August 17, 1858.
Justice of the Peace.
They were committed to jail, but the Grand Jury failed to find a true bill, it is said because instructed by the prosecuting officer that there was not suffi- cient evidence to convict them. The evidence was purely circumstantial, and the eye witnesses of the closing scene of Kate's life declared that she had been drowned accidentally and becoming frightened lest they might be accused of the murder, they had buried her clothes. They were discharged and soon after dis- appeared. Public opinion was strongly prejudiced against them, and the general belief of this community is and has been that while bathing they fell into a quarrel and Kate was seized and held under water to punish her, perhaps not with the design of drowning her, but her maddened assailants held her under too long.
JUDGE LYNCH MAKES A MISTAKE.
Brief mention has been made in the general history of a lynching affair in Manchester, in 1859, that is somewhat incorrect. In May, of that year, Thomas W. Robinson had a horse stolen. About a week afterward, a span of horses, belonging to A. Campbell, strayed away. Campbell. supposing they had been stolen, offered a reward for their recovery. Robert Carl, a resident of Manchester, saw the horses feeding on the bottom below town, came and asked Campbell what he would give him to find the horses. " Five dollars," replied Campbell. " Give me a halter," said Carl. The halter was given him and in about an hour he returned, leading the estrays.
Several impulsive citizens jumped to the conclusion that the horses had been stolen, and suspected a man named Peters. But Peters was not an easy man to handle, and they thought that they might be able to make Carl confess. Accordingly they went to his house, called him out, seized him and carried him to Allen Love's Grove, tied a rope around his neck, threw the other end over a limb and " strung him up " twice to make him confess. He stoutly affirmed his innocence, and they just run him up a third time when they became alarmed by the approach of a party of citizens who had been summoned by Mrs. Carl, when her husband was forcibly abducted, and the cowardly lynchers suddenly fled, leaving their victim hanging. Two of them, however, more thoughtful than the rest, returned, cut him down and had barely time to escape before the citizens reached the scene and cared for the nearly strangled Carl. He had been roughly and cruelly treated, and the act was one that has no palliation, no excuse, and, doubtless. those engaged in it will not regret that their names are omitted in this sketch.
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HISTORY OF DELAWARE COUNTY.
A BLACK SUNDAY.
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One Sunday, March 3, 1860, the water in the Maquoketa was very high. The ice had just broken in the river and was running out and the bottoms were overflowed. About 1 o'clock P. M., on that day, three boys, Bartholomew O'Rourke, Duncan McCormick and " Batty" Harrigan, aged 19, 15 and 12 respectively, thought it would be fine sport to have a boat ride, although they had been warned of the danger of the undertaking. They unmoored the canoe and embarked with only two sticks for paddles. The frail bark was soon caught in the rushing current and was swept resistlessly down the river into a flooded grove about three-quarters of a mile below the bridge. Here the boat was dashed, broadside on, against a small tree and was upset. The two younger lads fortunately reached the tree and climbed into it, while O'Rourke sought refuge in another one near by. The now thoroughly frightened boys discussed the feasibility of attempting to swim ashore for some time, but the current was rapid, the ice running pretty thick, and they finally concluded that it was too hazardous and they began to yell lustily for help. Allen Love, Jr., and
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