USA > Iowa > Jones County > The history of Jones County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., biographical sketches of citizens history of the Northwest, history of Iowa > Part 50
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The first issue of the paper came out in August, 1856. After three issues. Lovejoy, not enjoying the hardships and labor connected with journalism on the border, and owing to siekness in his family, returned to his farm. leaving the entire affair on Crockwell's hands. The latter was a druggist, and had but little time or inclination to devote to editorial duties. He therefore asked Mr. Edmund Booth to contribute editorials to the young enterprise, which he did for some months. Matt Parrott, now State binder and publisher of the Iowa State Reporter at Waterloo. bought an interest in the paper in January. 1858. May 3 of the same year, found the journal, which was called the Eureka, under the ownership of Croekwell. Parrott & Booth. June 28. 1859, Crockwell retired, and December 12, 1862. Edmund Booth became sole owner of the paper. His son, T. E. Booth, was received into partnership October 10, 1867, and for the past twelve years the Eureka has had a pros- perons existence under the proprietorship of E. Booth & Son.
It was the original purpose to call the paper the Free Soiler, and sneh was the name in the first prospectus, that being the time of the Free-Soil move- ment. Crockwell, however, who delighted in oddities, gave it the name it still wears-Eureka (I have found it). The journal was first issued in the first brick building erected in Anamosa. being only one story high. fifteen feet square. built for a physician's office. It has since occupied quarters in the briek build- ings of S. T. Buxton, HI. C. Metcalf, and for the past nine years has found a home on the second floor of the building on the corner of Ford and Main streets. built by E. Booth & Son for the purpose.
The original size of the Eureka was a seven-column folio, which was enlarged to eight columns in October. 1866. at which time the office purchased a Hoe power-press. the first power-press for a country office in this part of the State. Edmund Booth continues political editor of the sheet. which has ever been Republican. T. E. Booth cares for the local page and attends to the business affairs connected with the office. The eirculation is now 1.500.
It may not be amiss to state in this connection that J. E. Lovejoy, the first proprietor of the Eureka. was brother to the celebrated Owen Lovejoy. of
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Illinois, and likewise brother of Elijah P. Lovejoy, who was killed by a mob at Alton, Ill., in 1838.
George HI. Walworth, a brother-in-law of Edmund Booth, was one of the defenders of Elijah P. Lovejoy, and was in the building when Lovejoy was shot. Mr. Walworth was elected to the Iowa Legislature in 1839, for Jones and Cedar Counties, and after Jones was entitled to a Representative, Walworth repre- sented the county for two or three terms. Ile afterward went South and was killed by an accident. Mr. Walworth was a man of fine abilities and remark- able personal attractions, and was noted for his energy and enterprise.
Anamosa Journal .- The organ of the Democratic party at the county seat of Jones, is a seven-column folio weekly paper, published every Thursday and entitled the Anamosa Journal. This paper was established in the year 1872, by one A. L. Smith as editor and proprietor. Under the management of Smith. the enterprise seems not to have proved a success, and, on the 1st of January. 1874, it passed into the hands of P. D. Swigart. On the 7th day of the same month, a half-interest was sold to J. M. Swigart. and the publication continued under the firm name of Swigart Bros., until the 29th of June, 1874, when J M. Swigart disposed of his interest to C. II. Monger, the firm changing to Monger & Swigart. On the 1st of August in the same year, J. A. Monger purchased the interest of Swigart and the firm changed to Monger Bros. J. A. Monger continued as one of the proprietors for a year, when the Journal passed into the hands of C. H. Monger, sole editor and proprietor from that time to the present.
The real prosperity of the Journal may be said to date from the time it passed under the management of C. H. Monger. The parties connected with the paper prior to that time were not educated to journalism and were not well calculated to succeed in such an enterprise. Mr. C. H. Monger had been some- what educated to the newspaper business before he came to Jones County, and his snecess is in a measure due to that fact.
The political complexion of the Journal, as has been indicated, has been throughout unhesitatingly Democratic. Mr. Monger, by birth and education, possesses the qualifications essential to the publication of a Democratie journal. Ile is not a Democrat from choice but by nature, and he engages in the work of his hand with all the ardor of his soul.
The policy of the Journal, under its present management, has been decid- edly aggressive and outspoken. No one can be at a loss to know on which side of all publie questions the Journal stands. What can be said of the independ- enee of the Journal on political questions, may likewise be said in reference to all social questions. Under the management of Mr. Monger, the Journal has steadily increased its patronage and has a large circulation.
EDUCATIONAL.
March 25, 1859, a petition, signed by ten voters of the town of Anamos i. was presented to the Town Council praying an election to be held in said town to decide whether the corporation and territory adjoining, which had previously been attached for school purposes, should become a separate and independent di-triet in accordance with certain powers conferred by the State Board of Education during the previous year.
In answer to this petition. the Mayor, by order of the Council, prochain.ed an election, to be held on the second Monday of April following, to decide the matter. In this election an unanimous vote of seventy ballots was cast in favor of a separate district.
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
The first Board was elected April 19, 1859, and was composed of William T. Shaw, President ; J. S. Dimmitt, Vice President ; J. J. Dickenson, Seere- tary ; Israel Fisher, R. S. Hadley, R. Crane and David Graham, Directors.
There were at that time five teachers employed in the district. During the summer of 1859, school was kept in what was known as the " Brick School- house " and the United Brethren Church-two teachers in each. The schools were kept in session forty-four weeks out of fifty-two, and the school year was divided into a summer and winter term of twenty-two weeks each.
The old schoolhouse, in what was known as the Belknap District, was at once sold by the new Board to Adam Snyder for 8130. In the winter of 1859- 60, the M. E. Church was rented for school purposes. In the summer of 1861, St. Marks' Episcopal and the Congregational Churches were rented by the district. In these buildings and other rented rooms the public schools were kept until the erection of the present school building The site of this structure, which is commonly called the Graded School. was purchased in the spring of 1861 of Burton Peet, being two and a half acres of the northeast corner of Sec- tion 10, in Fairview Township. In April. 1861, bids were received for the erection of a building in accordance with the specifications and plans already prepared. Two bids were presented only-E. C. Holt, $4,600, and Alonzo Spaulding 84,475. The latter was awarded the contract, and in June a tax of five mills was levied toward meeting the wants of the building fund. The house was not completed until the winter of 1862-63, and, when plastered and furnished, cost almost double the original bid.
An addition was made to the building in 1872, to defray the expenses of which bonds of the district were voted to the amount of 85,000, being five $1,000 bonds due in one, two, three, four and five years. The addition was not built by single contract.
To accommodate pupils in that portion of the district, a schoolhouse was erected in the summer of 1867, in the direction of the stone-quarry. This was burned in 1871 by a fire originating from a locomotive, and sweeping through the timber in which the schoolhouse was located. A new building was imme- diately erected at a cost of 81,000.
In April, 1877, that portion of the Independent District south of the Wap- sipinicon was set off to the Fairview D.strict, the river being declared a legal obstruction, preventing the attendance of children from the opposite side.
April 8, 1872, the Independent District of Strawberry Hill was separated from the Independent District of Anamosa by a vote of the electors of the for- mer corporation. The vote stood 23 to 2 in favor of a district organization.
A course of study was formally adopted in 1874, arranging for a high school department of three years. At that time, there was an indebtedness of $6,500 hanging over the district, which has all been since removed.
The present schools of Anamosa comprise the Quarry School. which is not graded, and is in every respect a country school, save that it is under city gov. erninent, and the Graded School, which includes seven departments. This two- story brick building occupies a conspicuous location, and is a comfortable habitation for the rising generation of the city. The school year now com- prises nine months, usually beginning in September.
The report for the term ending June 20, 1879, shows: Total enrollment. 367; average attendance, 254 : per cent of attendance. 92. The teachers elect with their salaries are: Principal. Park Hill. 800 per year ; Assistant Principal. Mrs. L. M. Noble, $40 per month : Room 2. Miss M. Scroggs, $30 per month ; Room 3, Miss S. L. Cunningham, $30 per month; Room 4, Miss
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
Julia Foos, $30 per month : Room 5, Miss Ella Foos, 830 per month ; Room 6, Miss J. Chapman. $30 per month : Room 7. Miss Abbie Porter, $30 per month ; Quarry School, Miss Nellie Beardsley. $30 per month.
The present Board of Directors : I. II. Brasted, President ; J. C. Dietz, Secretary ; T. W. Shapley, Treasurer : L. J. Adair, J. S. Stacy, B. Huggins, James Lister, Linus Pitcher.
CHURCHES.
First Congregational Church of Anamosa .- About the year 1840, Rev. Thomas Emerson commenced special Christian labor in what was then known as " Big Woods," which included the whole of Fairview Township and also Greenfield and Rome Townships. His labors, though brief, were attended with some success, and after his departure to another State (Missouri), Rev. Mr. Rankin secured the names of a few persons with a view of organizing a Christian Church, but finding the project beset with many difficulties, he left it unaccom- plished. Soon after this, about the year 1844, Rev. E. Alden, Jr., succeeded in gathering and organizing a small Congregational Church in Rome, which is thought to be the first Church organizetion in the county. But it was of brief duration. Discordant elements began to work, and the Church was dissolved early in 1846. In the spring of that year. Rev. Alfred Wright visited Big Woods as a missionary, and, in September following, removed to Anamosa. or to what was then known as Lexington. He labored here to impress upon the scattered Christians the need of a church organization, and, on the 14th of November, 1846, Samuel Hillis and wife, Solomon Hester and wife, Mrs. Mar- garet Hester and Mrs. L. C. Wright met to consider the importance of such a step.
After prayer and due deliberation, it was unanimously decided that a Con- gregational organization should be effected.
Samuel E. Ellis was then elected Deacon, and, on the following Sabbath, the members adopted the Articles of Faith as drawn up and adopted by the Gen- eral Association of Iowa. together with a church covenant chosen for the occa- sion, and Brother Samnel E. Ellis was set apart by prayer and consecration to the office of Deacon. Mr. Wright continued his labors here until the fall of 1853, a period of about seven and a half years, his Church then numbering eighty-two members.
In 1851, a frame house of worship was erected a little outside and east of what was then the business portion of the town. The building is now used as a tin-shop, and stands on the north side. and just in the angle of Main street. in the western part of the town. This church edifice was probably the first erected in the county. It was neatly painted white, and comfortably seated with solid oak pews. In the latter part of 1×53, or early in 1854, Father Wright removed to Quasqueton, Buchanan County.
In 1853, the naine of the church was changed to the "First Congrega- tional Church of Anamosa." Mr. Wright was succeeded in the spring of 1854, by Rev. E. O. Bennett, who remained here but six months. Ile was followed by Rev. H. W. Strong, who began his labors on the 1st of January, 1855, and continued the same length of time. On the 1st of June, 1855, Rev. S. P. La Dou commenced labor here and remained one year.
December 1, 1856, Rev. Samuel A. Benton entered upon the field and ministered to the Church during a period of five years, at the close of which he left, and was appointed Chaplain in the Fourteenth Iowa Volunteers, under
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Col. W. T. Shaw. Mr. Benton served but six months. when his health failed. and he returned to his home. During his last year as Pastor (1861), the present house of worship, then the most commodious in the town, was built. and during his ministry forty-nine were added to the Church.
June 1, 1862, Rev. O. W. Merrill was called to the pastorate of the Church, and continued his labors for four years as stated supply. On the 20th of June, 1866, he was installed as settled Pastor, and continued this relation until June, 1870, when, by his own request, and by advice of Couneil. he was dismissed to act as Superintendent of Missions for Nebraska ; a position to which he was called by the American Home Missionary Society. During his ministry, a debt of over $700 was paid. the house seated at a cost of $500. a spire erected and a bell purchased at a cost of 8700, an organ purchased and the house carpeted. From dependence on the Home Missionary Society for aid in supporting the pulpit. the Church became self-sustaining. In the eight years of his ministry, eighty-five were added to the Church. The working ability of the Church was more than doubled, as was also its average Sabbath congregation.
Rev. O. W. Merrill died at Lincoln, Neb., in the month of March, 1874. He was much beloved for his genial character as a friend, and for the higher qualities of a noble manhood and a consistent Christian.
In June, 1870, Rev. William Patton was chosen to fill the pulpit as stated supply, and preached during a period of three months.
In 1871, Rev. R. M. Sawyer began his ministerial labors, and remained with the Church one year.
September 1, 1872, Rev. J. B. Fiske commenced his ministerial labors, and still continues, to the full satisfaction of his parishioners.
M. E. Church .- When Iowa was still a wilderness. the Methodists com- meneed promulgating their doctrines, and the Iowa Conference established what was known as the Anamosa Circuit in the year 1849, and the Rev. Mr. Vail was sent to sow the good seed. Mr. Vail was succeeded by the Rev. Harvey Taylor in the fall of 1850. The population of the eireuit at that time was small, but a class of ten persons was formed at Anamosa in the year 1851. and in February of the same year a church society was organized. For four or five years, the regular services of the Church were held in the Court House. After that the public schoolhouse was occupied for a time. and then the church edifice of the United Brethren. In the year 1865. it was determined by the society to build a church of their own. The necessary funds were sub- scribed. when a difficulty arose in regard to the location of the church builling. which resulted in the withdrawal of about a third of the subscriptions and sev- eral of the members. Those who withdrew formed themselves into a society called the Protestant Methodist Church, which organization lasted but for a short time, dying for lack of support.
The building of the ehnreh progressed, however, and at the time of the ded- ication, in December. 1865. there was a debt of $2.500. This debt has since been paid, and the society now owns its own parsonage, and is in a very pros- perous condition, having a debt of less than $200. The society owns other landed estate to the amount of about 8400.
The first attempt at building a church was in 1851, but the money was finally expended in building a parsonage. A debt of some $200 was incurredl. which ran along for a number of years. when the society was obliged to sell the parsonage. After paying the debts of the society, a balance of about $100 remained, and the old Congregational Church was purchased, which served as
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
a place of worship until the present edifice was erected. The first class organ- ized. as mentioned before, in 1851, consisted of ten persons. The first church record having been lost or destroyed, the historian is under obligations to Mr. D. Cunningham for the names, which are as follows: Oliver Lockwood and Rebecca, his wife ; Mr. Sedlers : C. L. D. Crockwell and Mary, his wife; Mary Bass ; D. Cunningham and Sarah, his wife, and Mr. Vail and wife. From this beginning, the Church has grown, through many very severe trials, to its pres- ent proportions, having a membership at this time, August, 1879, of 230, with a large and prosperous Sabbath school.
The following are the names of the Pastors who have ministered to the spiritual wants of the society : Revs. Mr. Vail, Harvey Taylor, A. B. Kendig, A. Carey, G. H. Jamison. Otis Daggett. George Larkins, Isaac Soule, A. Bronson, F. C. Wolfe, A. Hill. A. H. Ames, U. Eberhart, Bishop Isbell. E. D. Rosa, E. W. Jeffries, S. H. Henderson, Wm. Fawcett, Wm. Lease, J. B. Casebeer, S. H. Church. John Bowman and J. M. Leonard, the present Pastor.
Protestant Methodist .- This Church seceded from the Methodist Episcopal Church at Anamosa in 1865, in consequence of a dispute in regard to the site of the new M. E. Church and other things. among them a feeling brought on by the war. Seven members, who were the leaders in the organization, bought the oMl M. E. Church building, and in it they worshiped. These members were Noah Hutchins, James L. Brown, Jolin S. Belknap, Burrill Huggins, Joseph Moore. Samuel Brunskill and L. Belknap. They continued to hold services, although never incorporated as a society, until about the 1st of September, 1871, when they disbanded. The ministers who preached during their continuance were James Abbott and W. C. Beardsley.
Catholic Church .- When this western country was all a vast mission of the Catholic Church, occasional meetings were held wherever the priests could gather their congregations. We have no records of services of this denom- ination at Anamosa prior to 1857, at which time a mission station was established with this town as its head, the station at that time embracing a very large circuit, as the following towns were all included in the work : Anamosa, Castle Grove, Langworthy, Wyoming, Monticello. Fairview, Cass, Madison and the Buffalo Creek country. Meetings were held in the old Court House until the first church of this denomination was completed here in 1861. It was dedicated with considerable ceremony by Bishop Smith, assisted by sev- eral of the clergy. This church is a very neat, red-brick structure, and when dedicated was entirely paid for. It was built in the following manner : A num- ber of the members of the Church got together, dug the foundation, and after this work was completed, quarried the stone, and, with their own teams, hauled it and laid it in position. nos hiring any help. The lime was contributed, and all the money used was $100, donated by Mr. P. Flannery, who was at that time in the army and died there. This money was used to buy brick.
The church continued to be in the mission until 1865, when Father MeLaughlin was first stationed here as the settled priest, and regular services have since that time been held in Anamosa. The circuit now comprises only this town and the Buffalo Creek country.
At the time the first service was held here in 1857, the congregation num- bered less than fifty persons, including the following, with their families : Jolin Flemming. Thomas Holt, Thomas English, J. Murphy, J. Connery, John Haves, M. Doyle and James Spellman.
In 1874. this congregation built another church, having found the old struet- ure too small for their needs. This new church is near the obl one, and is quite
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
an imposing structure, being 90x46 feet, and built of the limestone found in this vicinity. The cost was $10.000.
The following priests have ministered to this congregation, commencing with the mission station in 1857 : Rev. Fathers Slatery, O'Conner, Gellestry. Cun- ningham, MeLaughlin, Cannon, Shields, Lowery and Father Maher, the pres- ent incumbent, who has been with this people for ten years.
The Church is now entirely out of debt, and the congregation is large and influential. Among the members are some of the best citizens of the town and country.
St. Mark's Church .- August 14, 1859, the Eighth Sunday after Trinity, a parish was organized in Anamosa, Jones County, Iowa, under the name of St. Mark's. by the Rev. Walter F. Lloyd.
On Wednesday, March 15, 1860, after Morning Prayer and sermon, the corner-stone of St. Mark's Church was laid by Rev. Walter F. Lloyd.
July 20. 1860, Friday. St. Mark's Church was opened for Divine service. Rev. W. F. Lloyd read Prayers. Bishop Lee preached, administered the sacred rite of Confirmation and the Sacrament of the Holy Communion.
The following Vestrymen were elected at the organization : C. W. Laing, E. H. Sherman, A. H. Peaslee, J. S. Dimmitt, E. Blakeslce, Bedford Fisher, William R. Locke, Matt. Parrott and John J. Welsh.
The following Rectors have served the interests of the Church : Revs. W. F. Lloyd, John H. Eddy, Hale Townsend, Ezra Isaacs, William Campbell, Robert Trewartha and the present Rector-Rev. J. I. Corbyn.
Presbyterian Church .- The First Presbyterian Church of Anamosa was organized September 20, A. D. 1868, by a Committee of the Presbytery of Dubuque, appointed for that purpose, consisting of Rev. James McKean and Rev. J. L. Wilson and Ruling Elder S. F. Glenn. Those uniting in the organi- zation were as follows: John McKean, Nancy A. MeKean, Mrs. Pamelia Yule and her two daughters, Arvilla Yule and A. Yule, Mrs. J. H. Fisher and Mrs. D. C. Tice. John McKean was duly elected Ruling Eller of the Church, and installed according to the usages of the Presbyterian Church. The meeting was held in the Baptist Church edifice. Rev. Jerome Allen was present and, by request, preached in the morning: Rev. J. L. Wil- son in the evening. Rev. Jerome Allen supplied the Church temporarily with preaching during the fall and following winter. The first regular stated sup- ply was Rev. Bloomfield Wall, a laborious and faithful minister, who remained with the Clinch for one year from August 1, 1869. During this year, the Church grew considerably in numbers, worshiping in what was then the court- room, where is now (1879) Miller's photograph-rooms.
Rev. Mr. Wall being removed at the close of the first year to the southern portion of the State. the Church was left vacant and remained so until 1871, when the Church secured, in connection with the then Presbyterian Church of Wayne, the labors of Rev. J. Nesbitt Wilson for the three successive years. After this time, up to the spring of 1878, the Church, although now left desti- tute of stated preaching, was supplied about once a month by Rev. H. L. Stanley, the able and accomplished Pastor at Wlicatland, Iowa. During these years, the times were hard. emigration was against the Church, several of the most efficient members removing, and death thinned the ranks by the loss of several of the most pious and devoted members-the beloved Mrs. Ditto, Mrs. Pamelia Yule and the accomplished Capt. F. C. McKean being of the number. Notwithstanding seemingly discouraging circumstances. the members seemed generally to cling with more tenacity to the faith so true to Christ and
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HISTORY OF JONES COUNTY.
the principles of representative republican church government, embraced in its order, as distinguished from absolute democracy on the one hand and the rule of a hierarchy on the other.
A Sabbath school has always existed in connection with the Church from the first pastorate of Rev. Mr. Wall, and weekly prayer-meetings upheld.
In the spring of 1878, having no house of worship, on invitation of the citizens of Strawberry Hill, the place of worship was removed to Strawberry Hill Schoolhouse, where services were held until the completion of the church building, November 17, 1878.
As a preparatory step to the erection of a church building. on May 5, 1878, Articles of Incorporation were adopted in due legal form. under the name and style of " The First Presbyterian Church of Anamosa." They were signed and acknowledged by the following persons : Wilham T. Shaw, Joseph Wood. John McKean, Albert Higby, B. F. Smith, Abraham, Everett and Eugene Carr.
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