USA > Iowa > Mahaska County > The history of Mahaska County, Iowa, containing a history of the county, its cities, towns, &c., a biographical directory of its citizens, war record of its volunteers in the late rebellion, general and local statistics > Part 62
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Fremont Christian Church .-- This church was organized abont 1870, and a honse of worship erected in 1872. At its organization by Rev. G. T. Johnson, it consisted of only 14 members, but grew very rapidly, and in 18 months after the founding, the congregation were able to erect a neat frame structure at a cost of near $2,000. At one time the membership reached 110, but recent removals and other causes have reduced this num- ber to about 30. Rev. Johnson preached for the people about two years; since which time they have had no settled pastor. Rev. Geo. Carpenter of Oskaloosa supplied the church for some time. There has been a Sunday- school connected with the church most of the time since 1870, at present superintended by Ira Barr. The present elders are Ira Barr, Robt. Alexan- der, and James Tidball.
Fremont Baptist Church .-- This is quite a prominent organization, and has a good church building. We did not succeed in securing its history.
MUCHAKINOCK.
This is a mining village without a corporation, and is the name applied to miners' settlement, stretching two or three miles along the Muchakin- ock creek, between Beacon and Givin, including several hundred inhabit- ants. The first mine of much importance opened here was what is now
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known as Mine No. 2, which began to be worked in 1870 or 1871. A switch was laid up the creek from Givin station in 1872, and since that time has been the growth of the town and the great development of the mines. The miners are generally quiet and industrious, and there is not much drinking, although the town has a saloon. There has been but one acci- dent at the mines, in which, by a fall of slate from the roof, in 1877, a miner, a Welchman, John E. Richards by name, was killed.
The only general store in Muchakinock is kept by Little, Kelly & Co. Their sales amount to $50,000 per year, with stock invested amounting to near $9,000. There is also a drug store in the place.
The land in this vicinity is worth abont one hundred dollars per acre, on account of the coal which underlies it. The land along Muchakinock is not very valuable for farming.
The only church at this point is the Welch Congregational Church, in which, for some time past, until recently, services were held every Sabbath by Rev. Jones, of Beacon.
The church was organized some time previous to 1870. The house of worship, a frame building, was built about 1874. The other ministers who have preached here are D. L. Davies and D. R. Lewis.
Muchakinock is remarkable mainly as headquarters of the
CONSOLIDATION COAL COMPANY.
The Consolidation Coal Co. was incorporated on January 12, 1875, and has a capital stock of $500,000. The company, however, has really a his- tory antecedent to its incorporation. H. W. McNeill, Esq., is the leading spirit of the company, and properly its founder. He became interested in the mines at Muchakinock, where the headquarters of the company are now located, in 1873, in connection with what is known as the Iowa Central Coal Co. That corporation absorbed the Hardin and Mahaska Coal com- pany, and subsequently the Southern Coal Co., with seven hundred acres of land in Muchakinock valley. These were organized into the Consolidation Coal Co., including the Black Diamond works, south of the Des Moines river. The Consolidation Coal Co., in 1877, bought ont the Mahaska County Coal Co., giving them the largest mines and interests in the coun- ty. Besides these, the company is interested in lead mines, near Dubuque, Iowa, silver mines in Colorado, and gold in the Black Hills. The present coal acreage owned by the company is 1,600 acres, costing about one hun- dred dollars per acre. The capacity of the mines in Mahaska county is two thousand tons per day. The mines include one shaft and six drifts; one drift worked by machinery for drawing out the coal; the remainder by mules. The Muchakinock vein is about six feet, and is worked by three drifts within one-fourth mile of the intersection of the Harrison and Des Moines township lines with a branch of Muchakinock creek. The Mahaska County mine, about one and one-half miles southwest from Beacon, is worked by shaft. Vein, eight feet. Black Diamond mines are worked by two drifts-three feet veins, located in Monroe county. The number of men on the pay-roll of the company in Mahaska county, is near four hun- dred. The company's plan of wages is to pay the men one-half of the gross receipts of the corporation, and this is divided among their employes in proportion to their work. The present profits to the miners is a frac- tion over three cents per bushel. The company are highly satisfied with
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
the working of this plan, and have never had any trouble from strikes. The coal mined is of excellent quality, and a trial of its strength shows the average train mileage on western roads nsing the company's coal, to be forty miles per ton of coal, and the evaporative power to be five pounds of water to one of coal. The number of cars actually mined in 1876, was 13,000. In 1877, 11,500 cars. A switch from the Central road is laid up the creek from Givin station to the Muchakinock mines, and has been in operation since 1873. The first president of the company was C. C. Gilman, formerly of the Central Railroad; then Senator Clark, of Iowa City. His successor and the present incumbent is J. K. Graves, of Dubuque. H. W. McNeill has been superintendent, and his brother, W. A. McNeill, has been secretary of the company since its organization. The board of direc- tors is composed of the following gentlemen :
J. K. Graves, of Dubuque; E Clark, of Iowa City; R. E. Finkbine, of Des Moines; H. W. McNeill, of Muchakinock; W. A. McNeill, of Mucha- kinock; Tom Height, of Coalfield; E. J. Evans, of Beacon.
The company's coal is shipped largely to Northern Iowa and Minnesota railroads, and most of it reaches three hundred miles from the place of mining.
MUCHAKINOCK COKE COMPANY.
The Muchakinock Coke Co. was organized in 1877, with a capital stock of $50,000. The capacity of the works is four car loads per week. The company mannfactures a good article of coke, which they sell in competi- tion with Anthracite coal, for fancy fuel. The directors of the company are: H. W. and W. A. McNeill, of Muchakinock, and John W. Gilman, of Mason City. H. W. McNeill is president, and W. A. McNeill is secre- tary and treasurer.
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TOWNSHIPS.
CEDAR.
THIS township is No. 74 north, of range 14 west, 5th principal Meridian, and was surveyed by Geo. Wilson, Deputy Surveyor in employ of the U. S. Government, in November, 1844. Township lines were run by Alvin Burt in the fall of 1843. It is almost exclusively prairie land, gently roll- ing, a little wet in low parts. The soil is of the very best quality, dark, deep black, and light to work. It has some timber in the northeast corner near Skunk river, and some sinall groves in cedar. There are very few springs. The township is divided into rather small farms, most of them containing a quarter-section or less, but they are well improved, and pre- sent the appearance of a fine agricultural country. Cedar creek crosses the southwestern part of the township in a sontheasterly direction. Almost the entire township is under cultivation, and not more than 200 acres of prairie is now unbroken. Considerable attention has been given to stock raising in Cedar, and in former years it has had the reputation of leading the county in this respect. The best timber in the township is burr oak and white oak. There are no saw mills. Land is worth from $30 to $40 per acre.
Cedar township was settled as early as any other part of the county, some settlers having come here in the spring of 1843. Of those now living, how- ever, none, perhaps, can show an earlier record than Samuel McFall, Sr., who came here with his family in the spring of 1844 and settled on section No. 11, where he now resides in a house which he built shortly after his settlement, and which is now probably the oldest building standing in the township. On his place was built the first school house where the ideas of Cedar began to shoot. The building was erected in 1846, and was after the . backwoods fashion. Greased paper windows, clay chimney outside, pun- cheon floor and desks-such was the furniture our fathers used when they were boys. This was a subscription school, of which the first teacher was Joseph McFall, a nephew of Samnel McFall, above mentioned.
'The Methodists appear to have captured Cedar township even more thor- oughly than other parts of Mahaska county, and, they have been " holding the fort" ever since. There are three M. E. churches within the bounda- ries of the township, of which the pastors are the ministers in charge of what is now known as Cedar Circuit. The circuit under which this locality has been assigned has suffered frequent changes in names and boundaries. At one time known as Eddyville Circuit, again as Oskaloosa Circuit, more recently, and for some time previous to 1873 known as Fremont Circuit, and since that date as Cedar Circuit. The present minister in charge is
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
Rev. Geo. Nulton, of Fremont, who preaches at the five churches within the bounds of the circuit, viz: Fremont M. E. Church, Concert M. E. Church, Cedar M. E. Chapel, Fairview Church and Greenwood Church, these last two being in Harrison township. So far as we have been able to learn we give the names of the ministers in charge in about the order in which they labored, viz: Rev. Thos. Kirkpatrick, Rev. Wright, Rev. Jen- nison, Rev. New, Rev. J. Q. Hammond, Rev. Strange Brooks, Rev. J. Joy, Rev. Win. Paston, Rev. Geo. Clammer, Rev. Jos. Paul, Rev. Carl, Rev. Thos. Paul, Rev. Abner Orr; 1863, Rev. G. H. Clark; 1864, Rev. E John- son; 1865, Rev. J. H. Lucas; 1866 and 1867, Rev. J. G. Thompson; 1868, R. S. Robinson ; 1869 and 1870, Rev. B. F. Shain and Rev. J. W. Robinson; 1871, Rev. W. I. Miller; 1872, Rev. J. S. King; 1873 Rev. J. M. Mann and Rev. H. F. Pugh; 1874, Rev. M. Lee; 1875-6, Rev. C. W. Shepherd; 1877-8, Rev. Geo. Nulton. G. B. McFall has been steward of this circuit since 1855, with the exception of a single year.
The first religions organization formed in the township was the begin- ning of the Concert M. E. Church in the spring of 1844, in the house of Samuel Barbee, near where the present building now stands. The first members were Samnel McFall, his wife, and daughter Sarah (now Mrs. Howells), Solomon Barbee and wife, Homer Stone and wife, and the mother of Solomon Barbee. The minister at the organization was Rev. Kirkpatrick. This church had no house of worship till 1856, when the present brick structure was built at a cost of $1,700. The trustees at the time of building were Jos. Paul, David Mills, John Zaring, Gideon McFall, M. Kinsman, David Beck, F. W. Lindsley, Thos. Paul and James Wright. The church was dedicated January 3, 1858, by Rev. Cowles, of Oskaloosa. At present the furch numbers about seventy members, being the largest in the circuit. A prosperons Sabbath-school is held in the church building, superintended by Wm. L. Crandall. The trustees for 1878 are John Zar- ing, D. T. Mills, Samnel McFall, Sr.
Cedar Chapel, on section 18, as above mentioned, is a part of Cedar Cir- cuit. The congregation numbers fifty-seven persons. Sabbath-school is in good condition, with A. D. Coleman as superintendent. The trustees are A. D. Coleman, R. W. Moore, Win. Fox, E. Brubaker, - Steele.
The first camp meeting in Cedar township was held in the grove of Samnel McFall, by Rev. J. Q. Hammond, assisted by others, in 1850.
Probably the first marriage in Cedar township was that of Joel Hunter and Mahuldah Barbee. The ceremony was performed by Rev. Kirkpat- rick at the residence of the bride's parents, and a grand wedding dinner followed. This was in the autumn of 1844.
Wm. Morrow was the first justice of the peace.
The present township officers are:
Trustees-R. S. McCarl, Samuel McClane, G. B. McFall.
Cierk-I. W. Moody.
Justices-Geo. Lentz, F. M. Byram.
Constables-S. T. McFall, Chas. Randolph.
Assessor-N. W. Foster.
At the time of the grange movement Cedar township had an organiza- tion numbering about sixty members, but this has since disbanded, and at present there is no society of agricultural or political nature in the town- ship.
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
Beside Fremont there are two other post-offices in Cedar township, Con- cert and Cedar.
Concert was made a post-office in 1876. L. Bryan is the postmaster.
Cedar became a post-office in 1873. The first postmaster was R. W. Moore, succeeded by J. N. Endicott, the present incumbent. Mr. Endi- cott also keeps a general store.
The impromptu manner in which sites were selected and dwellings be- gun in the pioneer days is illustrated by an incident related of a settler who staked out a claim a few liundred rods north of Fremont. He went out into the timber with a double yoke of oxen, cut a log, hitched to it and drove onto his claim without having chosen a location for the proposed cabin. He then drove oxen, dragging a log after them, all over his place, and to- ward night declared his choice of site by unhitching his team and leaving the log in position for, not corner-stone, but-we will call it a back-log.
A panther was seen on the place of Samuel McFall in the cabin days, and its human-like cries are still remembered by some of the old settlers. The recollection is now more pleasant than the dread of the animal in the days of its prowling.
Cedar township pioneers went fifty-five miles to mill, and a five days' journey was necessary to complete the trip. In such times wheat bread was a luxury.
HARRISON.
This township is one of the southern tier in Mahaska county. It was laid out as a township by Alvin and Win. A. Burt, in June and August, 1843. It is designated on the records as township 74, north of range 15, west of 5th principal meridian. The section lines were run by Geo. Wilson, Deputy Surveyor, in employ of United States Government, in November and December, 1844. The soil of Harrison township is of most excellent quality, mostly prairie. It contained but little timber at time of settle- ment, and that of poor quality. The prairie is rolling. and well adapted to farming purposes. The northeastern portion is rather flat.
Harrison township has no town, save a part of Muchakinock. However, a corner of Eddyville juts over from Wapello county. Coal is plenty in Harrison, and easily worked. The township is watered by Loss, Kennebec, and other creeks. This township has many large stock dealers, and some of the finest horses in the county. Here is the pottery and fire clay men- tioned in the introduction of this work. In Harrison was built the first white man's honse ever in the county, as has been elsewhere mentioned. So many settlers came into Harrison May 1, 1843, that personal mention would be tiresome. The early history was uneventful. The settlers went to Bonaparte or Farmington to mill, sent their children to subscription schools in log shanties, attended class-meeting on the frontier, sowed and reaped as in other parts of the county. Harrison is one of the few town- ships organized in 184+ with its present boundaries. At first elections were held at the house of Samuel Tilbets.
In this township is located Fairview M. E. Church, which was organized at quite an early day, and formerly called the Rhinehart society. It met in " Rhinehart's school-house " for a number of years.
They now have an excellent church building, erected about 1872, at a cost of near $2,000. The membership of the society is fifty-nine. It has
n
JAMES MC CULLOUCH
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
been a part of Eddyville, Oskaloosa, Fremont and Cedar eireuits in sue- cession. The present minister is Rev. Geo. Nulton, who lives at Fre- mont, and preaches here each alternate Sabbath. Connected with the church is an excellent Sabbath-school, superintended by Mr. Riggs.
The present township officers of Harrison are:
Justice of the Peace-Robert Moore.
Trustees-John Steele, V. Brubaker, D. D. Miller.
Clerk-A. D. Coleman.
Assessor-Robert Moore.
Constable-A. Baker.
Road Supervisors-1st District, R. W. Dye; 2d, Joseph Barber; 3d, C. C. Palmer; 4th, Thos. Ewing; 5th, A. L. Hoopes; 6th, H. H. Gearhart; 7th, A. D. Coleman; Sth, J. A. Stephenson; 9th, J. W. Thomas.
In a sketch of Harrison township it would be proper to place on record an account of one of the most terrible disasters which ever occurred in the coal fields of Central Iowa. On the farm of William G. Briggs was a coal shaft, about one hundred and fifty yards from the house. The shaft was thirty-two feet deep and abont eight feet square, in which considerable water had gathered, and which had been used for watering stoek, the water being drawn out by a bucket raised by horse power. On the morning of August 12, 1871, about 7:30 o'clock, two sons of Win. G. Briggs, Mahlon, aged eighteen, and Charlie, aged ten years, went ont to this shaft to water the stoek. While they were there a neighbor's boy named Jimmie Cow- den came along, in search of some lost hogs, and was assisting them, when the bucket failing to fill, Charlie Briggs, the younger boy, was sent down to fill it by dipping, the water being very low in the shaft. He had been there but a moment when he notified his brother that he was suffocating. Mahlon immediately went down to his rescue, put his brother in the bucket, got in himself, and called to the boy to draw them up, which, with the aid of the horse, he at onee did. But when the bucket almost reached the top, young Cowden noticed Mahlon let go and fall to the bottom. Charlie was raised ont safely, though insensible. The boy Cowden then ealled to Wm. G. Briggs, who was near the house, and who immediately ran to the shaft and down the ladder, probably not thinking of damps, but under the impression that Mahlon was drowning. Soon seeing his mis- take he started out again, but before reaching the top lost his hold and fell to the bottom of the pit. Seeing him fall, young Cowden started for the field for help. On the way he met Anna Briggs, daughter of Wm. Briggs, about fourteen years of age, running over from the house, and told her not to go into the shaft. He then ran across the fields over half a mile to where some men were threshing, and gave the alarm. While he was gone, however, the girl went down and met the fate of the rest. The threshers all ran to the pit. Mr. W. G. Briggs' brother George was the first to reach the mouth of the pit, and immediately descending the ladder, was overcome. Edward Grier, an Irishman, who had been working on the farm for four years, arrived with the crowd, and started to go down. The crowd tried to dissuade him, but could not. They then wished to tie a rope around him, but he would not wait. He went down to his fate. Grappling irons were procured as soon as possible and the bodies raised, but of course not till after death had ensued. Thus briefly we sketch from the Herald report an account of one of the most heart-rending eatastro- phies the Iowa historian has been called upon to record. Five persons,
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
substantially of a single family, stricken in the prime of life, in a single half hour.
DES MOINES.
This is known in surveys as township 74, north of range 16, west of the fifth principal meridian. The township lines were surveyed by Wm. A. Burt, August, 1843, and section lines by William Dewey, January, 1845. The southwestern portion of the township is cut off from the main part by the Des Moines river. This township contains a large body of first rate land. The bottoms of the Des Moines are generally wide and have a con- siderable growth of walnut and cottonwood timber. At the time of the survey of this township it was remarked by the surveyor that the white oak timber here was the finest he had seen in the Territory. Limestone is frequent along the river.
A party of six white men came into this township April 26, 1843. This party was composed of Ephriam Munsell, Harry Brewer, - Scribner, Isaac De Witt, Harvey Case, and Phillip Schuyler. This party first camped on what was known as Stumbo Bottom. There were at that time Indian huts here and there all along the Muchakinock. These men put their axes in their knapsacks, without handles, so they could not be seen by the dra- goons, and when they wished to use them made handles with a butcher knife. On their way into the country they passed a burning wagon which had been set on fire by the dragoons for transgressing on forbidden ter- ritory.
When the party came to Muchakinock they were kindly treated by the Indians, who showed thein a fine spring of water and told them of the best places for farms. One night they camped in the hollow trunk of a fallen tree, large enough to stand erect in. A day later they encamped in the Indian huts, which they had deserted, on the Muchakinock. At that day the coal croppings could be seen but the settlers did not realize their value, nor was much of the coal land clainied for several years.
Among other settlers of an early day were John L. Hennis, Hollom Rice, - Anderson, and Daniel Downing, on Six-mile prairie; Colonel Rose and John Doosenberry, north of Muchakinock; south of Muchaki- nock the Benedicts (old bachelors) settled in 1843, and built a saw mill during the same year, and added a pair of corncrackers in 1844. This mill was quite a rude structure. The burrs were made of what is vulgarly called nigger-heads. The water wheel was that known as the Parker wheel. Settlers came there for grists from beyond Ft. Des Moines.
Holland Benedict and John Brown were first justices. The first elec- tion was held at the house of Col. Vance, Des Moines and Harrison then forming together a single precinct Des Moines became a separate town- ship in January, 1845, and Ephriam Munsell was elected first clerk. The place of holding the election was at the house of John Stumbo.
The first school was taught in six-mile bottom, probably in the winter of 1844, in a log cabin. This was a private school. The first school house was built by private enterprise, about 1848, and school taught by Adelaide Schuyler.
Game was quite plenty in Des Moines township at an early day. Mr. Munsell relates an incident somewhat remarkable of his early hunting, if hunting it might be called. He was, one winter day when the snow was quite
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HISTORY OF MAHASKA COUNTY.
deep on the ground, engaged tramping ont some wheat, when he heard, in the distance, the baying of some hounds. Looking across the country he could see a deer running and the dogs in full chase. The deer was running in a sort of trail, or beaten track. He jumped on a horse and intercepted its course, compelling it to turn into the deep snow. Following it a few rods he overtook it with the aid of the dogs and eut its throat with a jack knife. Prairie chickens were abundant and tame, and it was no uncommon thing to knock one over with a stone from the hand.
A few years since quite a sad accident happened in the township, which was as follows: A Mr. Clayworth was doing some work about an old well near his house, and accidentally dropping the bucket into the same, went down after it. Mrs. C., missing her husband, went in search of him and discovered him in the well helpless. She descended to his assistance and was likewise overcome with the damps. The children, four or five in num- ber, having clustered around the well, thinking something was wrong, gave the alarm to the neighbors. The oldest child was but nine years of years. Mrs. C. was still living when assistance arrived and was holding her hus- band's head out of the water, but died before she was taken out, her hus- band probably having been dead when she found him.
GIVIN STATION
Is a small town on the lines of the K. & D. M. and Central Roads, in the eastern part of this township, and is about six miles from Oskaloosa.
It was laid ont by Harry Brewer in 1870, and named in honor of John Givin, of Keokuk, then superintendent of the K. & D. M. Railroad. The first store was built in 1870, by Mr. Brewer, which is now kept by his son, G. W. Brewer.
It was made a station in 1871.
There was a post-office at this point previously to the town. The post- masters have been Hiram Ethridge, 1862-3; E. Munsell, 1864-5; Geo. W. Brewer, 1875-present incumbent.
The officers of Des Moines township are:
Trustees-D. W. Delashmutt, W. W. Sprague, Zebulon Hoff. Clerk-J. P. McCrea.
Assessor -- C. W. McFall.
Constable-T. S. Barton.
JEFFERSON.
This is known in United States surveys as township number 74, north of range 17, west of the 5th principal meridian, and was surveyed as a township and divided into sections, during the winter of 1844-5, by Wm. Dewey. It is cut off from the remainder of the county by the Des Moines river. The soil is good, fertile, and yields abundantly. It is well watered by Coal, Bluff, and other creeks. The A. K. & D. railroad in Marion county, runs within half a mile of the western boundary of this township, and convenient stations afford good railroad facilities.
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