USA > Iowa > Jefferson County > The history of Jefferson County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of citizens, war records of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 56
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The town site was held by pre-emption by the County Commissioners until the land in the New Purchase came into market in 1842. The entry was made on the 13th day of May of that year. The county was so poor that it was necessary to borrow $200 to make the entry. The money was borrowed of Ebenezer S. Gage, with interest at the rate of 20 per cent per annum. When the note became due, the Commissioners were again forced to borrow to pay
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Gage. Each time of borrowing, a mortgage was given on lots in the western part of the city to secure the payment thereof.
Building commenced soon after the county seat stake was planted. Will- iam Hueston built the first house, a log structure, 10x12 feet. It was erectd on Lot 8, Block 8, in April, 1839. The first stock of goods ever exposed to. sale in Fairfield was opened out in this building.
Thomas Dickey built the second house. It was also a log structure 10x12 feet, and was built on Lot 1, Block 7, and in which he opened the first hotel ever known in Fairfield.
The first frame dwelling was built by Dr. William Waugh, in the spring of 1840.
The growth of Fairfield was not as rapid as has been the growth of many other Iowa towns, or towns farther west, but was solid and substantial. Settlers came in rather slowly, and, as building material was rather scarce, building did not progress very rapidly for several years.
J. W. Culbertson and his family came to Fairfield as permanent residents in February. 1840. On their arrival, they found Dr. John F. Moberly, Gilbert Fox, Willard Stone, Henry B. Notson, a single man, Thomas Gray, John R. Pitzer and family, James Clark and family, Ellis (a wheelwright), John. Ratliff, Joseph Cole, E. S. Gage, Dick Irwin, Dr. Waugh, Samuel Moore, Samuel Peebler and Keefer, a tailor. Joseph Cole, E. S. Gage and Dick Irwin were selling dry goods, and John Ratliff had established the first store for groceries exclusively. Mr. Culbertson had been out in June previous and purchased the claim where he now resides. The claim was located by Haw- kins Taylor, then a resident of Lee County, but, since 1863, of Washington, D. C. Mr. Culbertson relates that in July, 1839, while on his return for his family, he saw camped by the wayside, near Burlington, a family who seemed to be returning East. On inquiring the cause for such an extraordinary proceeding, he replied that he had been out to the "New Purchase " (now part of Jefferson County), but the land was all taken up and there was no room for him.
Mr. Culbertson completed the first house with two rooms, into which he moved in the latter part of February, 1840. As were all houses in those days, it was covered with clapboards, and without a ceiling. Scarcely had they ensconced themselves in their new domicile, when, in the night-time, there came a furious snowstorm. Mrs. Culbertson was awakened by the falling element, and aroused her husband with the information that rain or snow was coming into the house. Startled from a deep slumber, Mr. Culbertson sprang out upon the floor, and the shock of surprise when his bare feet landed in the two inches of snow with which the floor was covered, elicited a yell that would have put to. shame the best lung-efforts of a Missouri bushwhacker, and which is still viv- idly remembered by the family.
EARLY INCIDENTS .- ROBBERY OF ONE OF THE FIRST MERCHANTS.
In the fall of 1842, E. S. Gage, who had opened a dry goods store in Fair- field three years previous, started to St. Louis to replenish his stock, taking with him about $600 in cash. In those days, there were no public conveyances and it was rarely that private teams made the trip to Fort Madison, the nearest point on the Mississippi River to the new settlement. Mr. Gage decided to make the journey on foot. Scarcely had he left town, when three men, strangers to the place, appeared at the hotel, and stating that they were about to start for the river, asked if any one from Fairfield was going, as they desired company. They were informed that Mr. Gage, the merchant, had just started to St. Louis
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to buy goods, and was but a short distance on the road. They followed on, overtook Mr. Gage some seven or eight miles from town, represented that they were going to Fort Madison and the four proceeded in company. The new- comers seemed sociable, clever fellows and Mr. Gage was not averse to their companionship. In the evening of the second day, just after nightfall, they had approached within two miles of their destination, and while passing through a stretch of woods, Mr. Gage, entirely unconscious of the contemplated attack, was suddenly struck a powerful blow from behind by one of the men and he fell senseless to the earth. Hastily dragging him to the bottom of a ravine near the. road, they robbed him of his money by cutting off the tail of his coat, in the pocket of which it was deposited, leaving untouched his silver watch, and covering his body with some underbrush and casting aside the heavy cane with which he had been felled, the robbers passed on into town with the belief, no doubt, that their victim would never come to life.
Mr. Gage recovered consciousness in about an hour afterward, and a farmer passing by with his team, he was able to make himself and his condition known. This good Samaritan brought him to town, where friends of the Masonic fra- ternity cared for him with such good results that after a delay of a few days he was able to continue his journey to St. Louis. Mr. Gage was ever on the look- out for the parties who committed the dastardly outrage, and shortly after his- arrival in that city, he recognized one of the robbers while passing along the street. Calling an officer, the fellow was taken into custody and by a systematic course of questioning and playing upon his fears, the whereabouts of his com- rades in crime was revealed and they, too, were soon in the hands of the law. A considerable portion of the money was recovered. The three were returned to Fort Madison, tried, convicted and sentenced to the penitentiary for five, eleven and twenty-one years, in accordance with their several degrees of guilt. At that time the State's prison at Fort Madison was not completed, and convicts confined by ball and chain sometimes escaped. The subject of the twenty-one- year sentence sojourned with the Warden just twenty-one days, when, without leave of absence, he took his departure. The eleven-year man followed soon after, and the third, who was believed to be the tool of more hardened criminals, was pardoned before the expiration of his sentence.
Mrs. Gage, now living in Fairfield, still has in her possession the heavy cane which felled her husband to the earth, the effects of which he felt to the day of his death, which occurred in 1859.
WILLIS CHEEK.
In 1840, when Fairfield was little more than a field, there was some pretty hard drinking with some of the inhabitants who were in a hurry to become accli- mated. The log building in the rear of the lot now occupied by Richard Gaines' stove store and the Ledger office, was the grocery in which the bibu- lously inclined were wont to meet and discuss the news and bad whisky.
There was one old fellow of the name of Willis Cheek, upon whom whisky appeared to have no effect. The "boys" one day put something into Cheek's whisky that made him sick, and he swore not to take another drop of whisky or go near the grocery for three months. One evening soon afterward, he was persuaded to drop in to hear the news, but still refused to drink. The " boys" (the men were all boys then) threw him down and, having procured a funnel, they succeeded in making a pretty good whisky barrel of him. He became so. drunk that he could scarcely move, but occasionally mumbled out : " I (hic). musn't forget (hic) my oath (hic), but funnel (hic) me again, boys !"
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A TIMID BEAU.
Boys, in those days, obeyed their parents even after they were big enough to wear store-clothes. It is related of a certain young man (1854) who, in escort- ing his dulcinea home from a party, had to pass his father's house, and when near by, heard the old gentleman's voice calling him. "Oh ?" he cried, in doleful accents, " dad's calling me, and if I don't go home he'll whip me," and off he started, leaving his fair one to find her way home as best she could.
MISCELLANEOUS FIRSTLINGS.
The first post office was in Thomas Dickey's hat, and Dickey was the first Postmaster. It is not known whether Dickey was regularly appointed by the Department or not, or whether he was the Postmaster by sufferance of the settlers; however, it is certain it was from him the first citizens of Fairfield obtained their letters, at the moderate price of 25 cents each. [There are now in the county eighteen offices, to wit. : Fairfield, in Fairfield Township ; Salina, Four Corners and Glendale, in Lockridge Township; Wooster, in Cedar Township; Glasgow and Vega, in Round Prairie Township; Libertyville, in Liberty Township; Perlee and Pleasant Plain, in Penn Township; German- ville and Merrimac, in Walnut Township ; Baker, in Black Hawk Township; Batavia and Brookville, in Locust Grove Township; Abingdon, in Polk Town- ship, and County Line, in Des Moines Township. Fairfield and Batavia are money-order offices. ]
The first hotel was kept by Thomas Dickey, in 1839.
Dickey's house was a one-story log building, with but one room, 10x12 feet square, and in one end of this room the M. E. Church, of Fairfield, was organ- ized, March 22, 1840. It has been heretofore stated in print that Thomas Dickey was a coarse, irreligious character. The only surviving member of the organization, Mrs. J. W. Culbertson, gives Mr. Dickey a record for being a good kind of a man, having a kind heart and generous impulses hidden beneath a rough exterior.
The first brick house erected on the original town plat was built by George Craine, in 1843. The house is still standing, at the corner of First South and Second East streets, and occupied as a dwelling by David Eckert. The brick were made by Luke Owen, a little east of town, near the present residence of Mrs. John Wells.
The first brick house erected within what is now the corporate limits of Fairfield stood east of the present brick schoolhouse. At the time it was built, the city limits did not extend out that far by thirty or forty yards. The house was built for Samuel Shuffleton.
John T. Moberly was the first physician, in 1839.
Samuel Shuffleton was the first lawyer, in 1839.
Rev. Reuben Gaylord, Congregationalist, preached the first sermon, in 1839.
A son was born to a Mr. Shepherd in the fall of 1839, the first on the town quarter.
Eliphalet B. Fitch, first death in the town, 1839; shortly after, William Winn died.
Farnham Whitcomb and Nancy Fox were the first couple married, 1840.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
GROWTH AND PROSPERITY.
In the centennial year, 1876, a pamphlet history of Jefferson County was published by authority of the Board of Supervisors, and under the direction of a committee of citizens consisting of S. M. Boling, C. W. Slagle, W. W. Junkin, J. F. Wilson, Charles Negus and I. D. Jones, which included a state- ment of the business of Fairfield at that time. Since then, there have been no material changes in the business status of the city, and we transfer to these pages the following paragraphs :
In 1840, the town of Fairfield had a population of 110. In October, 1847, it had increased to 141 families and 651 inhabitants. In 1847, the business of Fairfield was done by six dry goods, three grocery and two drug stores; two hotels, two livery-stables, eight cabinet and wheelwright shops, three black- smith, two shoemaker, two harness, three tailor, two chairmaker, two cooper, one gunsmith and one tin shop, employing about fifty persons. The sales aggre- gated about $100,000. There was one carding machine, four church organiza- tions, two church edifices, three ministers, seven, lawyers, the United States and the State land officers.
In 1876, the city presents greater proportions, showing a healthy growth in twenty-nine years. There are thirteen grocery stores, doing a business of over $200,000; one wholesale grocery house, $60,000; two restaurants, $25,000 ; two general stores, $100,000 ; seven dry goods stores, $150,000 ; four clothing stores, $37,000 ; three boot and shoe stores, $50,000 ; two hat and cap stores, $25,000 ; three jewelers, $25,000; five drug stores, $70,000 ; three book stores, $30,000 ; four meat markets, $50,000; six millinery stores, $75,000; ten saloons, $100,000; three stove and tinware stores, $60,000; two foundries, $40,000; one woolen-factory and one woolen goods stores, $30,000; two flour- ing-mills, $50,000 ; two butter and egg depots, $40,000; two hardware stores, $50,000; four grain houses, $150,000; two furniture stores, $40,000; three harness, six tailor, five wagon, ten boot and shoe maker, seven blacksmith, one gunsmith and four barber shops, doing a business of $100,000; three lumber- yards, $125,000 ; one furniture-factory, $50,000; three livery-stables, two bus lines, one broom factory, $75,000; and in addition to these, there are three banks, nineteen lawyers, fourteen doctors, four dentists, one taxidermist, six insurance agencies, one pension agency, two Justices of the Peace, three tele- graph offices, two railroad depots, one patent medicine manufactory, four private schools, one union school, four hotels, one opera-house, three public halls, two musical instrument dealers, three newspapers, three coal dealers, one public library with 4,620 volumes, ten church organizations, nine church edifices, one Masonic hall, one Odd Fellows hall, one Zetagathian hall, one Knights of Pythias hall, and one Ancient Order of Workingmen hall.
The total business of Fairfield approximates $3,000,000, about thirty times as much business as was done in 1847. In 1847, the money at interest was $6,000; in 1876, $300,000.
UNITED STATES LAND OFFICE.
The United States Land Office was removed from Burlington to Fairfield in 1842. William Ross, Arthur Bridgeman, Bernhart Henn, George Wilson, Francis Springer and James Thompson were Registers, and John Hawkins, V. P. Van Antwerp, W. H. Wallace and J. W. Culbertson were Receivers.
In 1856, the office was removed to Chariton, in Lucas County.
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HISTORY OF JEFFERSON COUNTY.
BANKING INTERESTS.
The first bank in Fairfield was opened January 1, 1851, by Bernhart Henn, Jesse Williams, George D. and Edward A. Temple, under the firm name of Henn, Williams & Co. Edward A. Temple retired in 1853, and went West. In 1857, George D. went out, and, soon after, L. E. and C. A. James became members, the style of the firm being changed to Bernhart Henn & Co. They were succeeded, in 1862, by Samuel C. Farmer whose business was merged into the First National Bank, organized in 1865, Mr. Farmer becoming Cash- ier. In 1874, he retired, and, December 1, 1875, opened the present banking bouse of Samuel C. Farmer & Sons.
In 1863, George A. Wells opened a private bank which he conducted until 1876, when G. A. Garrettson, of Muscatine, was admitted into partner- ship, and the firm name changed to Wells & Garrettson.
The First National Bank commenced business August 1, 1865, with James F. Wilson, President, and Samuel C. Farmer, Cashier. Present officers, James F. Wilson, President; George D. Temple, Cashier ; Directors, J. F. Wilson, President of the Board, George Acheson, R. H. Hufford, Sumner M. Bickford and Godfrey Eichhorn. Capital, $100,000. Place of business, southeast cor- ner of the square.
The banking house of Samuel C. Farmer & Sons is composed of Samuel C. Farmer, Samuel C. Farmer, Jr. and Jo. F. Farmer. Capital, $30,000. Place of business, south side of the square.
Wells & Garretson, east side of square. Capital, $30,000.
GAS-LIGHT COMPANY.
This company was organized October 17, 1876, with the following-named gentlemen as the original incorporators : James F. Wilson, John DeGalleford, William Horigan, C. W. Slagle, C. C. Ziegler, M. A. McCoid, W. B. Murray, A. S. Jordan, J. E. Roth, Joseph R. McCrackin, John A. Spielman, Thomas Bell and Robert McElhinny. The capital stock of the company is $30,000, in shares of $100 each, of which $6,500 was taken by the above-named incor- porators-five shares each, the remainder of the stock to be held by the cor- poration for the extinguishment of such debts as may arise from time to time, and in all subsequent issues of stock, the original shareholders have a prior right in the purchase of the same. The corporation is to continue twenty years, and the indebtedness is limited to $20,000.
The contract for the erection of the works was made October 30, 1876, with J. DeGalleford & Co., who were to complete the same in ninety days, but owing to the inclement winter and other unavoidable causes, they were not finished until September 5, 1877, on which day the first gas-jet in the city of Fairfield was lighted. The works are located near the western boundary of the city, at the crossing of First South and Seventh West streets, and contain two benches of two retorts each, which can be increased to three, and one bench of one retort, with a gas-holder of 12,000 cubic feet capacity. Four miles of wrought- iron mains have been laid, the largest size four inches in diameter, with forty- six lamp posts in operation, and over ninety private consumers supplied at $3 per 1,000 cubic feet. The works are complete in all their appointments, and no city in the State can boast of a better quality of gas or the article supplied at so low a price.
The present officers are: J. F. Wilson, President ; A. S. Jordan, Vice President; W. W. McCrackin, Treasurer, and Joseph R. McCrackin, Secre-
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tary. But one change has been made in the Board of officers since the organ- ization, W. W. McCrackin succeeding W. B. Murray as Treasurer at the last annual meeting for the election of officers.
MILLS.
The first flouring-mill built at Fairfield was erected by Rahman McGinley, in 1855-56, half a mile south of the square-a large three-story mill with four runs of buhrs. Three years afterward, it was transformed into an elevator, which was destroyed by fire in 1870.
The second mill was a three-story, with three runs of buhrs, erected in 1857 by F. B. Huntzinger, at a cost of $20,000. It stood on ground adjoining the present Lutheran Church. Six months after completion, it burned down, and Mr. Huntzinger having no insurance, his investment was a total loss. The next year, however, he built the City Mills, now owned by J. R. & J. W. Mills- paugh, having three runs of four-foot stone.
In 1875, Mr. Huntzinger built the Globe City Mills, which he still owns and operates, with three runs of buhrs. These mills are all operated by steam power.
ELEVATORS.
To accommodate the grain trade of Fairfield, three elevators have been erected, two on the track of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad and one on the Chicago & Rock Island Railroad. On the first-named road one has been owned and operated by J. P. Manatry since 1876 ; capacity, 75,000 bushels. His heaviest business is in grass-seed, 100 cars of which were shipped out in 1877. The present year (1878) will show an increased business.
The elevator built by D. W. Templeton, in 1875, was purchased by Jordan Bros. & Co., in the summer of 1878, and is still operated by them ; capacity, 56,000 bushels.
The Rock Island elevator is small and not now in operation.
CITY GOVERNMENT.
The city was first incoporated in 1847. Since then the office of Mayor has been filled in succession by the following-named gentlemen : Barnet Ristine, Samuel J. Finney, A. H. Brown, W. K. Alexander, T. D. Evans, William E. Groff, George Acheson, D. P. Stubbs, R. F. Ratcliff, William Long, Charles David, David R. McCrackin, J. J. Cummings, I. D. Jones. J. J. Cummings is the present Mayor.
EDUCATIONAL INTERESTS .- FIRST SCHOOLS.
In the winter of 1839-40, the population of Fairfield was represented by about fifteen adults. Some of these were heads of families, with children. Dr. Waugh, a representative pioneer, had several children old enough and big enough to " go to school." There was no school money, but Dr. Waugh determined to have a school, cost what it might. He had an unfinished room in his not very large family residence, which he set apart as a schoolroom, and employed Miss Clarissa Sawyer, a young lady of Denmark, Lee County, as teacher. W. B. Culbertson, Cranmore Gage and William Stone were admitted as pupils at a stipulated tuition fee per head. These lads and Dr. Waugh's children made up the school.
Miss Sawyer, after her "school was out," returned to Lee County and was married to George W. Burkholder. Subsequently, she and her husband removed to Fairfield, where they resided for a number of years. Mr. Burkholder died
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at Cairo (during the war) in 1863. His widow returned to Lee County, where- she died in the same fall (1863).
" Bent " Culbertson, grew to manhood and became a successful lawyer in Fairfield. Cranmore Gage amassed wealth as a farmer, and added largely to. his fortune by making an extensive addition to the town.
The next school was taught in 1840, by James Chambers. It was a sub- scription school, the tuition fee being $1 per scholar for the term of three months.
Miss Polly Loomis was the next teacher in the summer of 1843. This school was a subscription school, also, and much larger than either of those- which preceded it. The number of resident families had considerably increased and, of course, there was a corresponding increase of school-children. Polly Loomis' school was the " biggest school " in the county.
In 1859, the school population had so increased that there was a demand for increased facilities and a better system of education. At a meeting of the. City Council, held on the 3d of March, in that year, a petition was presented asking that the city of Fairfield and the territory immediately adjacent thereto be organized as a separate district for school purposes, as provided by law, etc. The petition was granted, and the Recorder was directed to give notice for an election of officers for the new organization to be held in the April following, from which time dates the history of the School District of the city of Fairfield as a separate and independent school organization. [The boundaries of the Dis- trict are now identical with the city limits of the city of Fairfield.] The first officers elected were Dr. C. S. Clarke, President; Robert McElhinny, Vice- President ; William Long, Secretary, and E. C. Hampton, Treasurer. The three Directors chosen were, John T. Huey, C. W. Slagle and J. F. Wilson.
Four teachers were employed under the new dispensation ; two male teachers, who were to receive respectively $40 and $35 per month, and two lady teachers,. who were to be paid $25 per month each. Rev. John Williams was employed as Principal, taking direct charge of the Fourth, or highest, grade classes of the school. Thomas Parkinson had the Third grade, while Miss Juliet Wells was assigned to No. 2, and Miss Annie Perry was made mistress of No. 1. Miss Wells had taught a separate private school, and the room which she had occupied up to this time was secured for one of the public schools.
The schools flourished in this manner for about two months, when it became obvious that the school accommodations were not extensive enough, and that the formation of another grade was advisable. Accordingly, on the 23d day of the ensuing May, a fifth department-a primary school-was established, and the pupils of this grade assembled in one of the rooms of Mungo Ramsey's house, which the School Board leased for school purposes. School opened here on the 5th of May, with Mrs. Jane Parkinson installed as teacher, at a salary of $20 per month.
A diversity of opinion arose between these teachers and the School Board as to the time when their contract should expire. The teachers contended that by the terms of their several contracts, they were only to hold their positions until the 5th of the following August, while the Board held that the terms of their contracts bound them to continue their term until the 16th of that month. The pedagogues, however, were " game," and dismissed their schools for the term on the 5th of August. They were ordered by the Board to re-open, which they peremptorily refused to do, and an agreed case was submitted to the Dis- trict Court at its next session, to determine the right construction of the terms of the contract. The decision of the Court was averse to the teachers, and
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they were paid in accordance therewith. To show the ideas of economy enter- tained by the School Board of that day, when school again opened, which was on the 3d of January, 1860, resolutions were passed requiring that teachers should kindle fires and keep the schoolhouses clean at their own expense.
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