USA > Iowa > Iowa County > The history of Iowa County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c. > Part 67
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
SCHONBORN, C. A .- Farmer, Sec. 33, P. O. Marengo. Was born in Hungary on the 18th of October, 1835, where he was raised and edu- cated. After finishing his education he became engaged in the mercantile business and continued it until April 24, 1857, when he emigrated to Amer- ica, landing in New York. From there he came to Oxford township, John- son county, Iowa, where he commenced farming August 22, 1857, but in the spring of 1865 came to his present location, having a farm of 280 acres well improved, with a good residence, situated three miles east of Marengo. Mr. S. was elected school director and secretary in 1869, and still holds the offices. Was also elected supervisor in 1874, and held that position for three years. He was married in Marengo September 28, 1863, by Hon. Judge Wallace, to Miss Elizabeth C., only daughter of Conrad and Anna E. Rieahl. She was born in Illinois, and remained there until thirteen years of age, being educated at Ottawa. She came to this county January 11, 1857, and for seven years kept house for her father, serving in this capacity at the time of her marriage. Mr. and Mrs. S. have had seven children, three of whom are living: Anna G., Eveline M. and Wallie I. Four are deceased: Ellen E., Carl A., Eddie R. and Arpat R.
551
MARENGO TOWNSHIP.
SCOTT, JOHN-Farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 32, P. O. Marengo. Was born in Ireland, in March, 1829, and was there raised and educated. In the spring of 1849 he emigrated to America, landing in Philadelphia, and from there went to Ohio, where he followed the trade of carpenter. This he continued until the spring of 1853, when he went to Davenport, Iowa, and there resumed his trade. In the spring of 1861 he came to this county and has since resided here, being engaged in farming and carpen- tering. Owns 255 acres of well improved land. Mr. Scott was married in Ohio, September 20, 1853, to Miss Martha Irvin. By this union they have ten children: Alexander, Sarah J., Elizabeth, Irvin, Annie D., James, John, Martha E., William R. and George W.
SPARROW, REGENT-Farmer, stock-dealer and raiser, Sec. 33, P. O. Marengo. Was born on the 8th of November, 1812, and is a native of England. Was there raised and after receiving his education commenced farming. This he continued there until the fall of 1850, when he emi- grated to America, landing in New York. From there he went to Illinois and in the spring of 1851 removed to Ohio, where he again carried on farming until 1855. Then came to this county and has since resided here, being the owner of over 193 acres of land. Has a good residence and barn, sit- uated three miles southeast of Marengo. Mr. S. deals largely in stock, making the raising of hogs a specialty; averages about one hundred head per season. Was married in Iowa county, Iowa, November 22, 1860, to Mrs. Eliza J. Critchfield. They had four children: Rachel A. and Grant living; two children, John W. and Josiah, deceased.
SWANEY, J. S .- Farmer and nurseryman, Sec. 36, P. O. Marengo. Was born in Ohio, March 11, 1820, where he was educated. Then com- menced farming and followed it there until August, 1854, when he came to this county. When he first came he settled in Hartford township, and there owned 260 acres of land. Is now the owner of 131 acres of well im- proved land. His nursery comprises about 10,000 trees, grafted. His res- idence is located one mile southwest of Marengo, and his farm is among the best of the township. Mr. S. was elected township trustee in 1879, and still holds that position. Has held that same office two terms before his last election. He was married in Seneca county, Ohio, February 11, 1840, to Miss Rachel Blair. By this union they had four children of whom three are living: Austin F., Stockton M. and Annie. One is deceased, Sarah R.
EETER, A. R .- Farmer and stock-raiser, Sec. 29, P. O. Marengo. T Was born in Indiana, April 25, 1845, and at six years of age came with his parents to this county and here has been raised and educated. After leaving school he engaged in farming and still follows the same. Is the owner of 141 acres of well improved land; has a good location for his residence, situated one inile east of Marengo. Mr. T. was married in Iowa county, Iowa, November 25, 1866, to Miss S. Fry, a native of Ohio. By this union they have three children: Ora G., Charles E. and Alta I.
THOMPSON, A. L .- Farmer, Sec. 29, P. O. Marengo. The subject of this sketch was born in Scotland, April 17, 1821, and there was raised. After finishing his education he learned the stone cutter's trade and fol- lowed the same until March, 1843, when he emigrated to America. He continued his trade in New York City and after leaving there went to Ohio, resumed his former occupation, and in 1846 removed to Detroit, Michigan. In December of that year he came to Davenport, this State, and after re-
552
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
maining there until December, 1866, took up his abode in this place. He is now the owner of 288 acres of well improved land. Mr. T. was married in Scott county, Iowa, April 24, 1856, to Miss Agnes Burns, a native of Western Canada, born November 30, 1834. She was there raised and ed- ucated. Mr. and Mrs. T. have had nine children, six of whom are living: William, Annie, Sarah, Bettie, Robert and Philip. Have lost three: Mag- gie, James and Eddie.
TOMPKINS, B. F .- Farmer . and stock-raiser, Sec. 33, P. O. Ma, rengo. Is a native of Michigan and was born January 2, 1840. Was there partly educated, and when thirteen years of age came with his parents to Tama county, this State, where he completed his schooling. Then com- menced farming, which he continued until the spring of 1863, when he came to this county, remaining until the spring of 1865. Then returned to Tama county, and in the spring of 1877 came again to Iowa county, where he has since resided. Owns a fine farm of 309 acres, improved. Mr. T. deals very extensively in stock. He was married in Iowa county, Iowa, on the 18th of April, 1860, to Miss Jennette Johnson, a native of Indiana. By this union they have six children: James G., Harriet, Edgar, Ethel, Elsia and Harry.
W ARNER, J. P .- Farmer and stock-raiser, Secs. 31 and 36, P. O. Marengo. Is a native of Vermont, and was born October 1, 1819, and there was raised. After finishing his education he commenced farming, which he continued there until the spring of 1846, when he went to Wisconsin, and again engaged in farming, and in the spring of 1851 went to New Orleans. There he commenced the ice business, continuing it until the spring of 1874, when he came to this county and has since re- sided here. Owns a fine farm of 162 acres of well improved land fenced with wire, boards and rails. His nice residence is situated one mile south of Marengo. Mr. W. was married in Vermont September 18, 1844, to Miss Nancy P. Flint. They have three children: Francis E. James M. and Wil- lis A. Francis E. Warner is a professor of music and is teaching in Ma- rengo. He is a young man of fine musical talent.
CHAPTER III.
HARTFORD TOWNSHIP.
Introduction-Physical Features-Early Settlers-Organization-Public Schools-Town of Victor -- Location-Railroad-Laid Out-Incorporation-City Officers-Churches-Schools -- Victor Herald-Secret Societies-Post-office -- Depot -- Business Directory-Ladora- General Observations -- Incorporation - Churches -- Presbyterian -Methodist-Schools- Post-office-Depot-Masonic -- Business Directory-Biographical.
INTRODUCTION.
IN this brief history of Hartford township we shall endeavor to give the reader such facts as we have been able to collect, in a plain and unassum- ing style, without imagination or poesy; deeming it the province of the poet and novelist to rely largely upon the inventive faculties of the mind, while he who records history should deal mostly with facts, their rela- to one another, their causes and effects. History, or what is supposed to be history, forms the great bulk of our literature.
553
HARTFORD TOWNSHIP.
We have in our libraries and educational text-books numerous volumes of ancient and modern national history, and at the same time very little that is personal or even devoted to our immediate vicinity and neighbor- hood.
The universal history of the world, the particular history of foreign nations and of the United States should claim attention, but no person can be considered well informed unless he knows the preliminary history of his own State, county and township. Nothing affords an old person more pleasure and satisfaction than recalling the early incidents and scenes where he has spent so many of his active days. Much, doubtless, in relation to Hartford township, the town of Victor, Ladora and the biographical sketches of early and prominent citizens will remain unwritten, but it is our aim to carefully and impartially present all the facts we could collect.
If errors occur, and no reasonable mind will expect the compilation of a work like this without them, it will be admitted that in the main care has been observed, and stores of information have been collected that will increase in value as they grow old. No two old settlers will take the same view of their early experiences and pioneer history, and hence what might be pleasing to one would seem scarcely without foundation to another.
Hartford township is bounded north by Honey Creek, east by Sumner, south by Lincoln, and west by Warren township of Poweshiek county. It is technically described as township number 80 north, range 12 west of the fifth principal meridian. Its area is exactly thirty-six square miles, and its population in 1880, fifteen hundred and ninety-four. The number of votes cast for president and vice-president on the second day of November of the same year was 334.
The valuation of real estate, outside the town of Victor, is $215,000; in Victor, $38,000; personalty outside town of Victor, $62,000; in Victor, $34,000.
PHYSICAL FEATURES.
Big Bear or Bear Creek as it is usually called, is the principal stream of water, running in an easterly direction through the township. It has its source in the western part of Poweshiek county, and enters this township in section 18, and continuing east, passes through sections 17, 16, 15, 11 and 12, and thence through the northern part of Sumner and Marengo townships and empties into Iowa River one mile northwest of Marengo. Little Bear rises in section 32, near the south line of the township, and flows northeast and empties into Bear Creek two miles east of Ladora. There is a small run flowing into Bear Creek from the north, rising in Honey Creek township, and mingling its waters with Bear in section 11. There is not much tim- ber in Hartford township, sections 23 and 24 containing more than is found elsewhere. The southern portion is gently rolling and somewhat more level than that which borders on or near Bear Creek. Hickory Grove, in the northwest corner, covers several acres and furnishes material for use on the farms in the vicinity. There is no waste land, and farmers can here find a soil that is unsurpassed for fertility, and capable of producing all crops and fruits which will grow in this climate. The township, though well settled, as above census report shows, will sustain a much larger pop- ulation, and good, enterprising farmers and business men will be welcomed among those already living here. With the two enterprising towns of Victor and Ladora, the former on the western and the latter on the eastern
554
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
limits, the Rock Island Railroad running through the midst, furnishing good and convenient markets and trading points, the township of Hartford may be considered as most favorably located and blessed.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Among the early settlers we might mention James and John Manatt, Jesse Gwin, William Scott, Samuel Drummond, Uncle Johnny Gwin, Chas. Comstock, William Rosecrans, Daniel and William Negley, George W. Wilson. All these persons had settled previous to the year 1854, and had erected for themselves reasonably comfortable homes, and were making the " wilderness to blossom as the rose." In the fall of 1854 Mr. G. W. Wil- son erected a dwelling-house on the south part of his purchase, and during the spring of 1855 broke some eighty acres of prairie, part of which is the present site of Victor. Said improvements were for a number of years rented to Samuel Gaumer. Conrad Dunn and John Keller. The latter named gentleman afterward resided northwest of Victor. The first two named have paid the inevitable debt of nature and have been gathered to their fathers and their reward. They were both honest and exemplary men, and their remains fill honored graves. Some of their descend- ants still reside in the immediate vicinity of Victor. Samuel Drum- mond and William A. Negley, at the time of which we speak, resided in small log houses on or near the sites of their afterward fine and stately farm residences. The character of the early settlers of Hartford township was that of the honest and indomitable spirit so necessary and so worthy an ex- ample for later settlers and their children to cherish. The first land en- tries were by Alexander Reynolds and J. A. Rosenberger. Mr. Reynolds entered ne qr of se qr and se qr of ne qr section 23, and w hf of sw qr sec- tion 24, August 14. 1848. Mr. L. Shedenhelm now owns a portion of the above described land. Mr. John A. Rosenberger entered government land described as follows: nw qr and n hf of ne qr section 24, and nw qr and sw qr of section 13, October 22, 1849. Mr. R. A. Rosenberger now owns a portion of the above described land.
ORGANIZATION OF HARTFORD TOWNSHIP.
There seems to be some contradiction in the dates of the organization and first election of the township. The record at the court-house in Ma- rengo places the date of the order from the court, April 2, 1854, and the election to be held on the first Monday of April the same year, which of course could not be, and the records in the hands of the township clerk give date of the order by Judge Wallace, March 5, 1855, and the first election was held April 7, 1855, when the following officers were elected: Isaac Chineweth, James B. Long and Anthony Rosenberger, trustees; J. S. Watson and Benjamin Shim, justices of the peace; Levi Shedenhelm. clerk; John Swaney, assessor; and Fred Barlow, constable. Probably the first school in the township taught in a school-house, was on section 23, in about the year 1858. It was a frame house and cost $500. This was called the " Shedenhelm school." During the early times poor church and school advantages were offered to the settlers. They were financially poor. They were compelled to travel a long distance to market and to obtain sup- plies. They worked hard and received little for their labor. When they
555
HARTFORD TOWNSHIP.
raised crops of corn or wheat, it would cost nearly their entire value to take them to market. The wild prairie grass could be stacked in great quantities, but most of it was burned, when dried, on the field. While putting up hay Mr. John Bear, a highly respected man, living on the Des Moines road in the east part of the township, fell from a stack, September 30, 1857, and broke his spine, besides receiving other injuries.
CEMETERY.
Besides the cemetery at Victor, there is one located near the Protestant Methodist church in the southeast corner of section 25. It covers about three acres of ground and contains about 200 graves. There are many neat and appropriate marble slabs and monuments to mark the resting of the departed.
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
The township of Hartford may well be proud of her schools, not only in Victor, but also the ungraded country schools. We shall hereafter spea more particularly of graded schools of Victor. There are eight school sub- districts and these are known by numbers. The average number of months of school during the year ending September, 1880, was eight, seven male and eleven female teachers employed, the males receiving an average com- pensation of $30 per month, while the female teachers received $20 per month. There were 431 persons of school age, but the average daily at- tendance was only 175. The average cost of tuition per month was $1.65 for each pupil. The school-houses are valued at $5,700, and have $450 worth of apparatus. The present teachers are: No. 1, Anna Selby; No. 2, John McGuire; No. 3, Laura Mckinstry; No. 4, Charles Reichart; No. 5. Jesse Shelby; No. 6, Mattie Craven; No. 7, Laura A. King. Most of these are educated and experienced teachers, and they give good satisfaction.
The roads and bridges are kept in reasonably good condition. The tax for roads last year was five mills and amounted to about $2,000.
TOWNSHIP OFFICERS.
The present list of officers of the township is:
Trustees-W. A. Patrick, C. H. Bartlett, David Andrews.
Justices-E. P. Hall and J. H. Gray. Assessor-J. N. Shedenhelm.
Clerk-C. F. Cadle.
Constables-William Cushin, O. F. Williams.
THE TOWN OF VICTOR.
The town is beautifully located on the extreme west side of Iowa county in Hartford township, on the main line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pa- cific Railway, ninety-seven miles west of Davenport, and 283 west of Chicago, and surrounded by as good agricultural region as can be found in the State. The population, according to the United States census of 1880, was 691. The stores, business houses and dwellings are neat and substan- tial; many of the business blocks are constructed of brick. The country round about the town, by those who have lived there for the last quarter of
556
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
a century, is said to never fail in crops. In all those years of the past, Providence has indeed favored the efforts and industry of the husbandman, and if the horn of plenty and abundance has not been emptied on this land each year of the time specified, yet have they all had sufficient to supply home demands and a surplus left to send to those who depend on the great West for their bread and meat.
Another thing the writer might state here is, that during the last quarter of a century the people have had no devasting storms, neither of flood, wind nor fire to lay waste their fair inheritance, and at the same time have escaped the ravages of the insects incident to the other portions of our land. A little over a fourth of a century ago the deer and the wolf, with their scarcely no less tamed ally, the Indian, roamed undisturbed over these wide prairies which are now dotted over with evidences of civiliza- tion, and show the handiwork of the husbandman. About the year 1852 the lands in this section were surveyed by general government and opened up for entry. The land office for the lands in this district was located at Iowa City, Penn Clark being the receiver and Gill Folsom the register thereof. On the 12th day of April, 1854, Geo. W. Wilson purchased the land from the United States which now includes the site of Victor. This was some years before the iron horse had stepped upon Iowa soil, and be- fore the Indian had left these vast domains.
THE RAILROAD.
In the year 1858 the county of Iowa, with several others, voted to aid in the construction of Mississippi and Missouri Railroad (now called C., R. I. & P.) between the two objective points, Davenport and Council Bluffs, it having already large grants of land from the general Congress to aid also in its construction. This county voted the credit of the county to the amount of $100,000, and the county judge, W. H. Wallace, by the au- thority vested in him, issued the bonds to the amount of the sum stated, the validity and good faith of which were indorsed by the then acting Governor of the State. They were placed on the New York market and sold. After a lapse of a few years the citizens of the county becoming dissatisfied with the slow and protracted progress which the managers of said road manifested in the construction of said enterprise, undertook, through their several supervisors, to avoid payment of the yearly interest on said bonds, and in the end repudiated the payment of the bonds, which were to run twenty years from date of issue. In consequence of the non- payment of said interest, suit was instituted and after a protracted struggle in the courts, the people were beaten, hence the bonds, with accrued in- terest and the cost of litigation, cost the county about three hundred thou- sand dollars. This is probably, the reader may think, a digression from the subject, but the history of Victor and Hartford township is so inti- inately connected with the railroad, that it seems necessary to explain. In order to secure the land appropriated by Congress to aid in the building of the M. & M. Railroad, it was necessary that the company complete and have in running order one hundred miles of the same west of Davenport by the first of January, 1862. During the summer and fall of 1861 Mr. Wilson received frequent communications from parties interested in the road, having reference to a station at or near the west line of Iowa county, Wilson being the owner of the lands on either side of said line at the point
557
HARTFORD TOWNSHIP.
where the road intersects the same. In October, 1861, Wilson, who had resided in Ohio, came to Iowa and shortly after entered into negotiations with Dr. F. C. Durant, of New York City, he being one of the officers of the road, the object of the negotiations being the grant of the right of way through Wilson's lands, the giving of a certain amount of land for switch yard and station purposes, and the erection of a depot building. The pre- liminaries having been satisfactorily determined upon by the contracting parties, Wilson made preparations for fulfilling his part of the contract .. The building of the present depot was commenced on the 15th day of No- vember, 1861, and was completed on the 24th day of December following. The freight department of the building was filled full of freight shipped from the west by teams sometime before the house was completed. The materials for the construction of the building were obtained partially from timber land belonging to Wilson, and situated about three miles southwest of Victor, and the plank, flooring, barn boards, shingles, etc., were pur- chased of Messrs. French and Davis, of Davenport, whilst the nails, bolts, fastenings and sash were obtained of P. S. Meserole & Co., of Iowa City. Samuel Howard, who now resides in Marengo, was the foreman of the job, he having hewn every stick in the frame of the building and laid the same out for framing. Jesse Gwin, Sampson Gwin, Rufus W. Rosenber- ger and George W. Wilson performed most of the labor in felling the trees and scoring the same ready for the hewer. R. W. Rosenberger, of Sum- ner township, and Samuel Welsh, who afterward removed to Marengo, hauled the major part of the frame timbers and ground structure from the place where obtained to the site of the building. This was the first build- ing on what is now the town plat of Victor, and the writer has thus given particulars in relation to the railroad and station-house because this was the very germ and nucleus about which the town of Victor has grown to its present importance.
In February, 1862, W. L. Hunt, a gentleman possessing a commendable amount of public spirit and enterprise, established a store in this place. His place of business was on the corner directly south of the depot. He was also the first to establish a lumber yard.
VICTOR LAID OUT.
May 5, 1863, Joseph A. Blackburn completed the legal steps necessary for making "Wilson," as Victor was then called, in honor of George W. Wilson, the man who entered the land, and who has since taken such an active interest in all that was calculated to improve the place.
Mr. Blackburn caused to be laid out the northwest quarter of the north- west quarter of section nineteen, township eighty, range twelve. Another addition was made June 19, 1866, and still another December 20, 1867. The original plat, together with its several additions, is now called Victor. No town in Iowa county has grown so rapidly, and very few towns of its size in the State do a livelier business. In the fall of 1865 Mr. Hunt erected the grain elevator, now owned and run by J. P. Hunt, Esq.
In the fall of 1864 R. C. Boughton made his advent among us. A short time after his arrival he established a meat market, and afterward went into the grocery business, which he very successfully carried on for several years.
In the fall of 1865 John H. Funk, having erected a building, established
558
HISTORY OF IOWA COUNTY.
himself in the mercantile business. Mr. Funk, having sold out his busi- ness, in company with J. W. Garrett engaged in the milling business.
Seneca Townsend was the first resident physician in Victor. He was soon followed by Dr. W. W. Orris. Dr. I. M. Huston established himself in business about the year 1866. Dr. George Douglass, who afterward went to Sioux City, associated himself in business with Dr. Orris in the spring of 1868.
I. S. Richards, a native of eastern Virginia, with his family, emigrated to this section of the country in about the year 1865. He taught school in the vicinity of Victor for several terms, and about the year 1866 estab- lished himself in the land agency business in this place. Mr. R., as a business man in his line, has had but few superiors.
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.