USA > Iowa > Linn County > The history of Linn county, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &t., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics history of the Northwest etc > Part 76
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A lock-up was built in 1875, between Olive and Water streets.
The town has now an indebtedness of $300. No bonds have been issued.
A cornet band is maintained for the enjoyment of the citizens, consisting of nine instruments, under the charge of Prof. L. D. Porter.
BUSINESS INTERESTS.
In 1875, a double two-story brick business block, known as Union Hall, was erected-one-half by H. D. Newland, the remainder by a joint-stock com- pany. There are two excellent business rooms below and a large public hall above. In 1878, Jacob Thomas built a two-story brick building on the south-
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
west corner of State and Main streets, and in 1878, G. C. Bliss erected a simi- lar building opposite the Central House. Many other frame buildings will doubtless be soon replaced by brick.
For many years an old flour and carding mill stood in the southeastern part of town, and as it proved unprofitable it was removed to Jessup by Joseph Ketchlidge & Co., in January, 1870.
The Diamond Mills, operating both by steam and water, is an old, reliable mill of the vicinity.
The Linn County Bank was organized in December, 1872, with J. A. Kuck, of New York, President, and George W. Kuck, Cashier. They transact a general banking and brokerage business, and have ample means for the require- ments of the trade.
Dr. J. F. Wilson & Co., druggists, have for many years been engaged in the manufacture and sale of patent medicines-the Iowa Liniment, Iowa Pain Remedy, Cholera Remedy, Lung Syrup and Vegetable Anti-Bilious Pills. They keep from five to seven sale wagons constantly on the road, and have established a large and reliable trade.
Wilson, Keagle & Co. are manufacturing and now selling a patent of the first-named member of the firm, called the Indestructible Wharf and Fishing Lamp, which receives the highest recommendations from fishing, boating and show parties.
The present business interests of Center Point embrace the following : Gen- eral stores, 7; hardware, 2; drug stores, 2; groceries, 2; milliners, 3; restau- rants, 2; billiard and beer saloons, 3; art galleries, 2; furniture, 2; shoe- makers, 2; blacksmiths, 3; wagonmakers, 3; meat markets, 2; cooper, 1; car- penters, 3; harness maker, 1. There are also two lawyers-W. F. Fitzgerald and H. W. Printy; and three physicians-L. S. Davis, J. S. Winans, F. M. Yost.
WESTERN. (College Township.)
The earliest settlers in the vicinity of Western were those who located at Hoosier Grove, five miles east, in 1838, and who are referred to in the sketch of Ely.
Wm. H. Henderson settled on the site of Shueyville, Johnson County, one mile south, at an early day, and sold to the Shueys.
Two prominent settlers located five and six miles west: Nicholas Winter- stein, now of Cedar Rapids, and Benjamin Swisher, who yet resides there.
In 1848, Adam Perry, the oldest settler of Western, came to Shueyville. At that time James Howard and family lived north of Shueyville. Mr. Perry lived one year at Shueyville, then went to Hoosier Grove, and in 1854 settled on his present farm, including the north portion of the town site of Western. He moved to a cabin, on the site of his present residence, which had been erected by Lewis Wise. He purchased his farm from Mr. Wise, Hugh D. Downey, of Iowa City, and of other non-residents. Mr. Perry came from Virginia to Stark County, Illinois, in 1836. He is now 74 years of age, though yet actively engaged in business.
Wyatt A. Wherry had married a daughter of James Howard and settled, in 1849, on the remainder of the town site. He afterward moved to Oregon.
Those constituted the only residents there, when. in 1856, Jacob Shuey, Sr., purchased 120 acres from Mr. Wherry and donated it to Western College.
1
Flower I Philips JACKSON TOWNSHIP
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
Mr. Perry donated forty acres, and the remainder of Mr. Wherry's farm is now owned by H. A. Dilling. Mr. Wherry erected the first house on the town site in 1856, which now forms a portion of Mr. D. White's residence. Among the first buildings were those of Anson Ingham, now the residence of Stephen Workman; President Weaver's house, then a slab house, by Comstock ; next a house by Mr. Bollenbaugh ; then that of Mrs. Steward, then another house by W. A. Wherry, then a house by David Silvers, and a house on the site of the Western Hotel, by Alexander Stewart.
Mr. Bollenbaugh located there in April, 1856, and established a shoe shop and a small grocery.
He began the hotel business in 1860 in the Stewart - House, and has con- tinued as proprietor of the only hotel to the present time. He secured the first Post Office in 1857, under the name of Western College, and by which it is still called. After four years, Frederick Hill took charge of the office, then Mr. Nausdale, succeeded by W. H. Shuey, until his death, when the office was continued by Frederick Shuey, the present Postmaster.
Wyatt A. Wherry was the first Justice of the Peace.
Western was laid out July 3, 1856, on the south county line, being on the southeast quarter and east half of the east half of the southwest quarter of Sec- tion 34, Township 82, Range 7, by Solomon Weaver, Martin G. Miller, Wm. H. Shuey, Daniel Runkle and Jonathan Neidig, Trustees of Western College, by Adam Perry, Surveyor. An addition was made on the west, by W. A. Wherry.
The history of Western College embraces much of interest regarding the village. It will be found in another portion of this work.
In 1856, William Weed built the store room now occupied by the hardware store of J. G. Brown, and established there the first general store. President Weaver soon became a partner in the business.
In 1857, John Henderson, now of the Farmer's Life Insurance Co., of Cedar Rapids, established a second store in Western. He sold to James Perry. John Todd located there the first blacksmith shop.
Joseph Wickard purchased Mr. Weed's store, then Perry & Shrader suc- ceeded him.
William H. Shuey operated the first regular grocery. He sold to David White, who has recently sold to J. W. Bumgardner.
The first physician was Dr. Crouse, followed by Dr. W. B. Wagner, now of Blairstown. Dr. Miller was also among the early physicians. Prof. J. C. Shrader, now Professor in the Medical Department of the University at Iowa City, first began practice at Western. The present physicians are Dr. J. C. Stansbury, who has practiced there for about fifteen years, and Dr. Favour, who located in 1877.
School was first held as a primary department of the College, at which there was an attendance of twenty during the first year. A district school was then organized and held in a small dwelling now standing vacant in the western part of town. School was held there until 1861, when the present two-story brick building, about 24x40 feet in size, was constructed west of the business part of town. There are two rooms, now taught by Stephen I. Harrison and Miss Sadie Bowman.
In 1873 and 1874 a plan culminated for the erection of a steam flour- ing mill by a joint-stock company. Mr. P. D. Smith came to Western, and by his efforts, principally, a three and one half story solidly built frame mill was constructed, having three runs of stone and costing about $14,000. Mr. P.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
D. Smith and son J. C. Smith became the millers until the Fall of 1877, when the former died and the latter continued as miller. Adam, Perry and James Speck have recently purchased the mill and are operating it.
The religious views of the United Brethren in Christ denomination are entertained by a majority of the citizens, since the College is an institution of that sect. As soon as the College was organized, a United Brethren Society was formed and preaching held in the College chapel by the various Presidents and other ministers. As the chapel answers all required purposes, a church building has never been erected, though a new and commodious chapel will soon be erected in connection with the College. Rev. M. S. Drury, who has been a liberal patron of the College, is the present regular pastor, though there are twelve pastors of that denomination living in Western.
About 1864, a Methodist Episcopal society was organized by the energetic efforts of D. W. Henderson and others. A frame church building was soon after built on Main street, and occupied regularly by that denomination for sev- eral years ; but more recently a portion of its members have removed, and the congregation has become unable to support a pastor. The church is not used except occasionally by pastors of various denominations.
THE PRESS.
Rev. S. Weaver and W. H. Shuey, as editors and proprietors, issued the Western College Advocate, a monthly magazine, in July, 1856. After one year its publication was continued by the Board of Trustees until 1859, when a press was purchased and the semi-monthly Western College Reporter ap- peared in quarto form ; with several changes of form and frequency of issue, it continued until 1874, when it was discontinued.
In the following year, W. I. Beatty, a young man at that time a student of the college, became interested in the subject, and, with Mr. Ralph Shatto as publisher, and Mr. Beatty as editor, the Western Gazette was issued. In less than a year the paper passed to the entire control of Mr. Shatto, and has been continued by him as the Western Light. It is a seven-column weekly folio.
BUSINESS INTERESTS.
The early business of Western has been referred to. At present, there two general stores, one hardware, one drug store, one blacksmith and one wagon shop, two groceries, one clothing and dry goods, one hotel, one mill, two shoe shops, one printing office, one carpenter shop and one barber.
MUNICIPAL.
June 1, 1867, a petition was circulated praying for an election to decide upon the propriety of incorporating Western, and received thirty-two signers. Accordingly, an election was held, and October 28, 1867, their petition was granted. Officers were elected. The first recorded meeting of the Council was held February 12, 1868 : Mayor, W. B. Wagner; Recorder, Wm. Lang- ham ; Trustees, D. D. Weiner, A. C. Gilmore, J. E. Rider, R. Davis and D. Manning ; Treasurer, A. C. Gilmore ; Marshal, D. F. Palmer.
No buildings have been erected by the incorporated town, but careful atten- tion has been given to the sidewalks and other improvements. No bonds have been issued, and no debt overhangs the city.
The present officers are : Mayor, J. G. Brown; Recorder, R. Shatto; Trustees, A. Perry, Lewis Bookwalter, T. Harrison, J. G. Snyder. S. Ander- son ; Treasurer, J. G. Snyder ; Marshal, Joseph Kaufman.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
BERTRAM.
(Bertram Township.)
Among the earliest settlers in this vicinity now residing there, are James and John Hunter, 1838; Perry and Everett Oxley, Thomas W. Campbell, 1838 ; Jacob Lebo, 1838; Albert, Henry and Israel Mitchell, at Westport ;. Peter D. Harmon came soon after.
The village was an outgrowth of the railroad. When the railroad was pro- spected through that locality, in 1856, the site of Bertram was a wheat field, with but one house on the site-an old log one, which is still standing at the corner of Third and Angle streets, and which was built by - Manier, but was then empty.
Angle & Ely operated a saw-mill one-half mile northeast, and in the Fall of 1856 they purchased the 150 acres of Mr. Manier, and in January sold one- fourth of this to Hon. George Greene and John Weare and one-half to the Iowa & Nebraska Land Company.
April 1, 1857, R. W. Knowles came to the site of Bertram as the agent of the proprietors of the town.
Ashbel Hale built a storehouse, in September, 1857, near the southwest corner of Bertram and Ely streets ; but as he died, no store was opened there until the next Spring, when C. B. Cook and Nelson Reed opened a store. The proprietors of the town furnished lumber and lots on time.
April 19, 1858, Bertram was laid out on the southeast quarter of Section 34, Township 83 north, Range 6, with depot grounds 912x250 feet in size.
In the Fall of 1857, Hubbard Randall built the house standing on Second, between Angle and Ely streets, 24x24 feet in size, for a hotel. Mr. H. A. Berry now operates the only hotel that has since been in Bertram. Soon after, houses were erected by Dr. Patterson, the first physician, on Bertram street, between Bever and Ely ; by James Berry, which is still standing at the corner of Bertram and Bever streets ; by S. P. Lyons, opposite ; by James Hunter, 1858; a blacksmith shop, by James E. Knapp.
The railroad was completed in June, 1859; and the blacksmith shop moved for a depot by the agent, R. W. Knowles, who was also appointed Postmaster in 1860. Mr. Knowles still resides in Bertram, as its Postmaster.
In 1859, James E. White & Sons (John R. and William) built the flouring- mill near the site of the saw-mill, a three-story frame building, which was pur- chased before it was completed by Jeremiah Daniels, who fitted it with good machinery, and has operated it to the present time. He has experienced con- siderable difficulty by the dam washing out.
A depot was built in 1860, which burned down about 1872, and was re- placed by the present one. Samuel Daniels, now County Auditor, succeeded as Station Agent; and, after various changes, Mr. John W. Robinson has now had charge for many years.
The next store was by S. W. Campbell, about 1863. Franklin Allen suc- ceeded him. H. A. Berry succeeded Cook & Reed. Then came Fetter & Mann with a store, now George W. Fetter, with a saloon. A blacksmith shop, afterward a grocery, was kept by Joseph Cox, then William Clymer. Then the saloon of Jake Camean, which is now in existence.
A brick district school house was built in 1856, three-quarters of a mile northwest, which was used by the town pupils until about 1868, when a frame
584
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
school house was built in town. This is now taught by Miss Kate Wilson, of Mount Vernon, with about forty pupils.
Spear T. Harmon succeeded in the store of H. A. Berry for three years. The second blacksmith was William Davidson, then William Thorp, now Otto Nack.
The first religious services were held by Hubbard Randall, of the Free Will Baptist denomination, which has since had occasional Pastors. The society was organized about 1873, by Elder Amos Davis, followed by Dr. Walter Crew. ยท Services are held in the Independent Methodist Church.
The Methodist society have an independent organization at Bertram. It was first organized under the Marion circuit. They have a good church build- ing and an interesting society.
ELY. (Putnam Township.)
The village of Ely is a new one, which sprung up at the old settlement at Hoosier Grove on the occasion of the advent of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad.
This is one of the earliest settled points in the county. Six or more per- sons are believed to have located in the vicinity in 1838. Elisha Cox and Isham Holler settled on the Bassitt farm-the former where the farm house now stands, and the latter on the creek. John Holler located on the town site, and lived where Andrew Fahrmeister now resides. One mile west, Isaac Cox, and one and a half miles west, Joseph Cox, settled. Abner Cox located on the Frank Lawrence farm. Albert Blaylock settled near there soon after. Octo- ber 4, 1843, Christopher V. Fahrmeister, now deceased, with his sons, settled one and a half miles south, in Johnson County. Some of the sons have occu- pied the original farm to the present time.
John Holler, who was killed by his son, sold the town site to Alexander Gilmore, who transferred it to William Harris, a Quaker, from whom it was purchased, in 1867, by Andrew Fahrmeister. The latter sold sixty acres to the railroad company.
Ely was laid out June 5, 1872, by T. M. Johnson, Surveyor, on parts of Sections 30 and 31, Township 82 north, Range 6, under the proprietorship of John F. Ely.
The first building was erected before the town was laid off, and before the railroad had been completed, by William S. Cooper, on the southwest corner of Dows and Main streets. Here Mr. Cooper opened a general store, which was sold to John Hoffman, and afterward to Joseph Woitishek, the present propri- etor. The next buildings were, the depot, a warehouse by Andrew Fahrmeister, then a store building by Jerry Smith, occupied by the store of Smith & Healy. Next, a saloon was opened by J. C. Dolezal; then a drug and hardware store by Thomas Bassitt, occupied by J. L. Hurd.
A number of good dwellings followed, and gave Ely the appearance of an active village. James G. Smith next established a grocery store. The drug and hardware stock was divided, James Moorhead taking the former and adding to it groceries, while John Lorene continues the hardware business.
The first shoe-shop was that of Joseph Jonas. Frank Naibert has since established in that business. The first and only harness shop is that of Wes- ley Swacha.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
A lumber yard was established by Fahrmeister & Woitishek, sold to J. W. Emerson, thence to John Janko.
An agricultural implement store was first operated by J. G. Smith, who sold to J. E. Dolezal. The first and only livery stable is that of L. M. Healy, who also established the first hotel about 1873.
The first blacksmith shop was established by Anton Horak. More recently, Joseph Stepanek has engaged in that trade. The first and only cabinet shop of the village is that of Hanus & Sons.
E. H. Brumbaugh first located as a physician. He was followed by N. F. Terry, who has given place to the present physician, Dr. G. W. Stansberry. The first Station Agent was J. L. Devault, who was succeeded by the present agent, W. J. Henry. The post office has passed successively through the charge of S. A. Stream, N. Brumbaugh, G. W. Davault and James Moorman, the present officer.
A second grain warehouse was erected by an Eastern company ; was operated by B. Orcutt, J. W. Emerson, and then purchased by Farhmeister & Woitishek. There are four saloons. The town has been settled by Bohe- mians to the extent of more than one-half the population, which is about two hundred and fifty.
The first school house in this vicinity was erected in 1850. It was a little cabin, made of lynn poles, and school was first taught there by Israel Clark. Another, one-quarter of a mile east of town, afterward known as the Ely school house, was built in the Fall of 1854, and first taught by R. Rowe. This was moved nearer to the town plat when the latter was laid off. A new frame school house of one room was built in Ely in the Fall of 1876, where school was first taught by Isaac Heller, who was afterward drowned in the Cedar River. Al. Weaver taught the next Winter.
Israel Clark was probably the first one to preach in this neighborhood. No religious society was organized until after the town was laid out. In the Win- ter of 1871-2, a Methodist class was formed, and a church building, 28x36 feet in size, moved into town from three miles east, where it was erected in 1859. The Pastors, successively, were Revs. W. T. Moore, J. H. Hoskyn, S. A. Goodsell, and the present Pastor, Rev. W. H. Miller. The church has a mem- bership of about fifty, and a Sabbath school is regularly held at the church.
A Presbyterian organization was effected two or three years since, though they have as yet had a regular Pastor-Rev. Mr. King, of Vinton-only during one year, 1877. They occupy the Methodist Church.
There is a Bohemian church two miles west.
PALO. (Fayette Township.)
To Joseph Strawn is due the honor of first crossing Cedar River to locate in Fayette Township. He located three and one-half miles northwest of the site of Palo, in March, 1839, and was joined on the following day by Thomas Lewis, who settled five miles north of the same site. Mr. Strawn still resides on the old farm.
Dyer, Hiram and Henry Usher, with their father, settled soon after, two miles southeast.
John Hollenbeck was the first settler in the immediate vicinity of the village site. The exact date of his location could not be ascertained. He
586
HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
was a prominent man of that locality until his death, in 1877. He lived adjoining the town on the east, and made an addition to the town plat on the north.
John Cue, now living one mile north of town, settled there soon after Mr. Hollenbeck came, and is probably the oldest settler in the vicinity.
George C. McKorkle came in 1845, then a young man, and lived with his stepfather, Mr. Hollenbeck. His brother, B. McKorkle, came about the same time, and both still reside near town.
P. B. Yates and family located in March, 1846, three miles southeast, on the opposite side of Cedar River. He came over in 1850, and settled adjoin- ing the village site on the southeast. Mrs. Yates and her sons now live in the village.
Among other early settlers in the vicinity were John Mills, one-half mile south- west, who died about 1870; Peter McVey, one mile northwest, who died within a few years ; William Wheeler adjoined him on the east, but afterward moved further West ; Samuel and W. J. Whiting, three-quarters of a mile south ; Na- thaniel Chipman settled one and a quarter miles west about 1848, where he has since died; James McArthur and Joseph McNannis, who still reside on their farms, about one mile south ; Stephen Morris bought land of Andrew Hol- lenbeck, in the Fall of 1854, adjoining Mr. Cue's farm on the south, where he died two years later. These are but a few of those who had settled in the vicin- ity before the town was laid off.
Some time before that event, John Hollenbeck had kept a tavern and post office in his house, now known as the old tavern stand ; and his son Andrew had established a store opposite the town, which was operated by his brother David.
John G. Cole lived in Cedar Rapids about ten years ; then, in 1854, went to Mr. Hollenbeck's neighborhood, purchased a farm of Mr. Pierce, and lived south of the creek.
June 10, 1854, Mr. Cole had the village site surveyed by John McArthur, on the northeast quarter of Section 29, Township 84 north, Range 8.
Mr. Hollenbeck made an addition in December, 1857, on the north.
The first building was a shanty, erected in 1854, by Charles Perry, but was soon torn down.
In the following Spring, John McCray erected the first log cabin, on the site of the saw-mill, where he lived for one and a half years, when he was killed by the caving of a well which he was digging. The cabin was afterward torn down.
In the same Spring, and about the same time, John Stratford built the second log house, on Lot 1, Block 8, which is still standing as a wagon shop. Mr. Stratford established a boot and shoe business, which he continued for twenty years, having given up the bench for the past three years.
The store building of Andrew Hollenbeck passed into the ownership of William Greene in 1855, and the business was discontinued for a brief period, being re-established by Fleek & McAfee, in 1856, who sold to N. F. Miller.
The first blacksmith shop was operated by P. B. Yates, east of town, who was succeeded by his son Ezekiel, in 1851. Thomas J. McConaly established the next blacksmith shop, soon after the town was formed, and has continued hammering to the present time. Another shop has been established by James Lawson. Norman Root has made boots and shoes there for the past twenty years. A. Roider's shop is more recent. David Johnson has done carpenter work there since 1856.
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HISTORY OF LINN COUNTY.
After two years' business, Fleek & McAfee sold to Rev. Solomon R. Weaver, afterward President of Western College, who moved the store to the third build- ing from Yates' store, on Vinton street, which was built by James Hays, sold to John Hollenbeck, and rented. Lucian, a son of Solomon Weaver, operated the store. The village store then passed successively into the charge of Joseph Morris, W. W. Murray, Mr. Wilkinson, C. W. Yates and P. A. Yates & Bro., who are now its proprietors. Until 1876, this was the only general store of the village. At that time another was established by Oyer & Nelson, who sold out and were followed by J. Y. Stier, in 1876, who has also closed his store. Though there have been several pettifoggers, Allen S. Hurtt opened the first regular law office in 1877.
That highly esteemed citizen, John Hollenbeck, during his life, filled the position of Postmaster from its establishment until his death in 1877, with the exception of a few years, when N. F. Miller kept the office in his store. During the later years the office was deputized, and the present Postmaster, Joseph Barnhill, has attended to it for four years, in connection with the grocery business.
The first drug store was that of Dr. J. Strickleppe. It is now operated by John Holman.
The railroad was built just southwest of the village, in 1869-70, and James Spaulding made first station agent, followed by V. C. Hemmenway, S. W. Fuller, and the present agent, Thomas Clifford, who has also the express office.
The first school was held in the Winter of 1854-5, three-quarters of a mile south, at Joseph McManus' house, by Ellison D. Marsh. The first school in town was by J. F. Wishard, in 1856, in the house built by Charles Morris and afterward burned down. The next school was in H. M. Campbell's house, by Mr. Crew, then by Mr. Miller; and in 1858, a one-story brick building, 28x30 feet in size, was erected. This was used until a new school house was erected, since when it has been used as a dwelling. The present school house, a two- story frame building, with two rooms, was erected in 1871. John S. Willard first taught in it, while Miss Rosetta Sargent is the present teacher. Two teachers are employed in Winter.
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