USA > Iowa > Warren County > The history of Warren 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 &c > Part 63
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Under the head of " Early Townships" we have given the first division of townships ever made in the county. The sparseness of the settlement did not call for a greater number of townships for several years. It must be borne in mind that at that time about the only object of township divisions was to make the voting places sufficiently numerous for the con- venience of the electors. There was no township government then as now -all was in the hands of the county judge. But, as the population steadily increased, new voting places were demanded, and accordingly new town- ships were created from time to time. It would be an interesting portion of county history to trace the formation and subsequent changes in each township, and we have endeavored to do so as fully as possible. In regard to some of the townships no record whatever is now to be found, but we have traced the history of each township as far as possible. As we have seen, the first townships were laid out by the county commissioners. The subsequent ones were laid out by the county judge, as shown by the fol- lowing official orders.
The townships were next re-organized January 3, 1875 when the follow- ing entry is made in the records of the County Judge's office:
The court, for the better defining of the boundaries of the townships of said county, does establish the following boundaries to the several townships, to-wit:
Richland township, the boundaries of which are to include that portion of township seventy- seven, ranges 22 and 23, as lies south of the Des Moines and east of Middle river.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
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Allen township to embrace that portion of township 77, ranges 22 and 23, as lies west of Middle river.
Greenfield township to include the Congressional township 77, range 24, west.
Linn township will embrace township 77, range 25, and that portion of township 76, ranges 24 and 25, as lies west of Middle river.
Jefferson township will embrace township 75, range 25, and then commence at the north- east corner of said township, thence east, two miles, thence north to Middle river, thence up Middle river to county line, thence south to the northwest corner of township 75, range 25.
Washington township will include township 74, ranges 24 and 25, township 75, range '24, which are attached and made a part. The original will be bounded by beginning at the northeast corner of township 76, range 23, thence west to Middle river, thence up Middle river to the section line between eight and nine, thence south to South river, to range line, between 23 and 24, thence south one mile, thence east to Otter creek, thence down Otter creek to the mouth, thence down South river to the range line, thence north on the range [line] to place of beginning.
Union township will embrace township 76, range 22, except sections 30 and 31.
Otter township will include township 75, ranges 22 and 23, except that portion which is attached to Washington.
Whitebreast township will embrace that portion of the county known as township 74, range 22.
Liberty township will include township 74, range 23.
The townships were again re-organized in March 21, 1856, as follows:
Washington township embraces township 76, range 23 and 24, and sections 4, 5 and 6 of township 75, range 23, west, and also beginning at the southeast corner of section 33, thence north to Middle river, thence up Middle river to the township line, between townships 76 and 77.
Richland township embraces all of township 77, range 22, that lies on the south side of the Des Moines river, and all that portion of township 77, range 23, which lies on the east side of Middle river, and east of the section line between sections 27 and 28, 33 and 34.
Allen township embraces all that portion of township 76, range 23, that lies on the north side of Middle river.
Greenfield township, all that portion of township 76 and 77, of range 24, that lies on the north side of Middle river.
Linn township embraces all that portion of townships 76 and 77, north of range 25, that lies on the northwest side of Middle river.
Jefferson township embraces that portion of townships 75 and 76, north of range 25 that lies on the south side of Middle river.
Union township embraces township 76, range 22.
Otter township embraces township 75, range 23, except sections 4, 5 and 6.
Whitebreast township embraces township 74, range 22.
Liberty township embraces township 74, range 23.
White Oak township embraces township 75, range 24.
Virginia township embraces township 74, range 25.
Squaw township embraces township 74, range 24.
Belmont township embraces township 75, range 22.
The township boundaries were fixed on the 6th day of December, 1858, as they now stand, with a few insignificant exceptions. They are as below given:
WHITEBREAST TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Whitebreast township shall be as follows: Beginning at the south- east corner of the county, the same being the southeast corner of township 74, north of range 22, thence running north to the northeast corner of said township, thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence south to the southwest corner of said township, thence east to the place of beginning.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
The following shall be the boundaries of Liberty township, to-wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of the township, the same being the southeast corner of township 74, north of range 23, thence north to the northeast corner of said township 74, range 23, thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence south to the southwest corner of said town- ship, thence east to place of beginning.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
SQUAW TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Squaw township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of Liberty township and at the southeast corner of township 74, north of range 24, thence north to the northeast corner of township 74, range 23, thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence south to the southwest corner of said township, thence east to the place of beginning.
VIRGINIA TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Virginia township shall be as follows: Beginning at the southwest corner of Squaw township, and at the southeast corner of township 74, north of range 25, thence north to the northeast corner of said township, thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence south to the southwest corner of said township, thence east to the place of beginning.
JACKSON TOWNSHIP.
The following shall be the boundaries of Jackson township, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of Virginia township, the same being the southwest corner of township 75, north of range 25, thence north to the northwest corner of said township, thence east to the northeast corner of said township, thence south to the southeast corner of said town- ship, thence west to the place of beginning.
WHITE OAK TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of White Oak township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of township 75, north of range 24 west, thence north to the northwest corner of said township, thence east to the northeast corner of said township, thence south to the southeast corner of said township, thence east to the place of beginning.
OTTER TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Otter township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the southeast corner of township 75, north of range 23, thence west to the northwest corner of said town- ship, thence south to the southwest corner of said township, thence east to the southeast corner of said township, thence north to the place of beginning.
BELMONT TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Belmont township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the north- east corner of township 75, north of range 22, thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence south to the southwest corner of said township, thence east to the southeast corner of said township, thence north to the place of beginning.
UNION TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Union township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the south- west corner of township 76, north of range 22, thence north to the northeast corner of said township, thence west to the northwest corner of the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 4, in township 76, range 22, thence south to the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 4 in said township, thence west to the northwest corner of sec- tion 9 in said township thence south to the southwest corner of said section 9, thence west to the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 18 in said township, thence south to the southwest corner of the southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 31 in said township, thence east to the place of beginning.
JEFFERSON TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Jefferson township shall beas follows, to-wit: Beginning at the southeast corner of township 76, north of range 25, thence north to the northeast corner of said township. thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence south to the southwest corner of said township, thence east to the place of beginning.
LINN TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Linn township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of township 77, range 25. thence east to the southeast corner of said township, thence north to the northeast corner of said township, thence west to the northwest corner of said township, thence south to the place of beginning.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
GREENFIELD TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Greenfield township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of township 77, north of range 24, thence south to the middle of Middle river, thence down the middle of the channel of said Middle river to where the same crosses the range line between ranges 23 and 24, thence north to the county line, thence west to the place of beginning.
ALLEN TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Allen township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest cor- ner of township 77, north of range 23, thence south to Middle river, thence down Middle river to where it crosses the range line dividing ranges 22 and 23, thence north on the range line to the county line, thence west to the place of beginning.
RICHLAND TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of said township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest cor- ner of township 77, north of range 22, thence down the Des Moines river to where the line di- viding Polk and Warren counties from Marion crosses said river, thence south to the south- east corner of township 77, north of range 22, thence west to the southwest corner of the southwest quarter of section 33 in township 77, range 22, thence west to the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 33 in township 77, range 22, thence north to the north- west corner of the northeast quarter of said section, thence west to the southeast corner of the southeast quarter of section 29 in said township, thence north to the northwest corner of the northeast quarter of section 29, thence west to the southwest corner of section 20, thence north to the northwest corner of section 20 in said township, thence west to the nortwest corner of section 19 in said township, thence north to the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section 13 in township 77, range 23, thence west to the middle of Middle river, thence down the main channel of said Middle river to where it crosses the range line divid- ing ranges 22 and 23, and from thence north on said range line to the place of beginning.
PALMYRA TOWNSHIP.
The boundaries of Palmyra township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the southwest corner of section 10, township 76, north of range 23, thence east to the southeast corner of section 8 in township 76, north of range 22, thence north to the northeast corner of said section 8, thence east to the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 4 in said township, thence north to the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of section 33 in township 77, north of range 22, thence west to the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of sec- tion 29 in said township, thence north to the northeast corner of the northwest quarter of said section 29, thence west to the southwest corner of section 20 in said township, thence north to the north west corner of said section 20, thence west to the range line dividing ranges 22 and 23, thence north to the southeast corner of the northeast quarter of section 13 in said township 77, north of range 23, thence west to Middle river, thence down Middle river to where it crosses the section line dividing sections 21 and 22 in township 77, range 23, thence south to the place of beginning.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP,
The boundaries of Washington township shall be as follows, to-wit: Beginning at the south- west corner of township 76, range 24, thence east to the southwest corner of the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 31 in township 76, range 22, thence north to the north west corner to the northeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 18, township 76, range 22, thence west to the southwest corner of section 10, township 76, range 23, thence north on the section line to Middle river, thence up the middle of the main channel of said Middle river to where it crosses the range line dividing ranges 24 and 25, thence south to the place of beginning.
ALTERATIONS IN BOUNDARY OF WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
On the seventh day of November, 1860, the following appears on the record: On petition of the residents of section six and the west half of section five, township 75, north, and range 23 west, were changed from the civil township of Otter to that of Washington town- ship.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
RICHLAND.
This township is bounded on the north by the Des Moines river, on the east by Marion county, on the south by Union and Palmyra townships and on the west by Palmyra and Allen. It is drained by Middle river, Butcher creek and South river; being one of the best drained sections in the county. It was originally, in its organization, a part of Polk county, being situated on the " strip."
This is one of the first settled townships in the county, and much of its history is included in the general portion of this work, and in that of Hart- ford.
Newton Guthrie, A. Freel, George Leslie and others, were the first to settle in the township in 1847 and 1848, and entered land in this last named year, so soon as it was put upon the market.
The first school-honse was built on section 16, in 1847, by the neighbors clubbing together, and Newton Guthrie was among the early teachers.
The first Sabbath-school was organized at Hartford in 1849, with Daniel Smith as superintendent.
MOB AND ANTI-MOB. .
There was considerable excitement in this township in 1849, occasioned by what was known as the "mob" and "anti-mob" division among the peo- ple. In that year, William Carsner, who was living in the edge of Marion county, was charged with having stolen horses in Illinois, and had been confined in the jail at Quincy, but had escaped or been released, and re- moved to this settlement. On the day of the April election of 1849, a com- pany was formed to capture Carsner, who mounted a swift mare, swam the stream, and reached Des Moines, thus eluding his pursuers. The existence of this company produced a division in the community, and those ranging themselves on the same side were called the mob party, and their oppo- nents, the anti-mob party. The anti-mob party had no intention of protecting Carsner, but it was more to protect themselves and innocent persons from unlawful search which had been instituted on the part of the mob element. The division, however, continued for many years, and aside from numerous fights on what was known as the " Bloody Forty", now owned by Thomas Pendry, the matter drifted into politics, as such questions generally do in a new settlement; but the differences are long since forgotten, as most of the actors in the drama have either left the county, or are dead.
MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCES.
There seems to be something in communities, at times, which impels its citizens to the same course of action. Thus we sometimes see an epidemic of crimes of various degrees. We do not find any of these in Warren county but we have found that one township has furnished three cases of mysterious disapearance, while no other section of the county, so far as we have been able to discover, gives so much as even a single case. These are located in Richland township.
Benjamin Phillips came from Indiana in the fall of 1845, and was still a resident in 1851. In the latter year he suddenly disappeared. He was working in the timber, splitting rails, when he got into some sort of diffi- culty with Andrew Shetterley, so he fired away with his maul and knocked
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Shetterley down. The latter cried out that he was killed, and Phillips thought, evidently, that it was time for him to leave the country. Shet- terley's experiences were amusing considered in the light of his ultimate recovery. He was carried home and it was supposed, for many days, that he would certainly die. Every once in a while he would call his friends to his side and in the most earnest as well as the most agonizing terms, re- mark: "Oh, God ! friends, don't I die hard; did you ever see anybody suffer as I do?" It was, however, only a few days until he was perfectly well. Phillips had given a power of attorney for the sale of his property to a man named Hinton, and soon after the foriner's disappearance, he be- gan to sell the most desirable of his land, except forty acres of indifferent quality, which he gave to Phillips' family. There were also rumors in the neighborhood, many years after, that Hinton had shot Phillips, in the woods, north of Hartford. Hinton soon sold out his property and went west, with the great Oregon emigration, and died many years ago. Phil- lips was never heard of for a certainty, and it is one of the mysteries which humanity is not able to solve.
Boston I. Taylor was one of the oldest settlers of the county, coming here from Ohio, in 1848 or 1849. He was an industrious, hard-working, exemplary citizen, an elder in the Presbyterian church, and considered one of the best citizens in that settlement. No one suspected that he was otherwise until the fall of 1865, when having become enamoured of a widow named Elizabeth Bundron, formerly a Miss Moore, and conceived the strange idea of going away with her and her family. His attachment to the woman began in charity, he taking provisions to her cottage on his farm. But it finally grew into a criminal intimacy, the result of which could only be hid by flight. So he began the work of building himself a boat, off in the woods, on the banks of the Des Moines, and told his fam- ily, on Friday, that he was going to Des Moines and that he would not re- turn until the following Tuesday. So on Friday night he transported all of Mrs. Bundron's furniture, with some provisions, to his boat, with a wheelbarrow, and during the night, he, with the woman and her two chil- dren, launched ont into the river. He was seen .in Red Rock, on his way down, having stopped there for supplies, and nothing more was ever seen or even heard of him until the summer or fall of 1878. It was supposed that he had long since died, but last year the woman's daughter wrote back to Hartford inquiring for the whereabouts of some of their relatives, and a correspondence was opened with the postmaster at that place, and it was ascertained that the old man had died only a short time before. From the correspondence it appeared that they had gone directly to Spring Hill, Pike county, Missouri, and had settled down to work, and where he was consid- ered as being an honest but poor man. He had taken only a small amount of money with him, and this was probably soon spent. He had raised one child by this woman, and had lived there for nearly thirteen years, in utter ignorance of his own family in Warren county. He passed by his full name the same as here, but his wife and five children here were never able to find any trace of him. It is another of those inexplicable actions, and no one has ever been able to construct a plausible theory why he should thus act.
Yet another case of this kind occurred in Richland township. James Talbott, who had lived many years in the township, was one of the first
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
settlers in what is now Palmyra township. He had been a farmer, and later a merchant, and was a prominent man, and was considered a reliable one, having been a member of the board of supervisors when that body was composed of one member for each township. He had been trustee, especi- ally in administering upon the estates of many persons. In September, 1877, he took the mail back from Hartford to Carlisle, leaving a note for his family saying, "I am going to Colfax for my health." He was seen after this in Des Moines on the same day, since which time not a trace has been heard of him. He took about $1,000 or $1,500 with him, having just drawn quite an amount from the First National Bank of Indianola. There are no conjectures abont him which have any particular reason for exis- tence, and it bids fair to go down as another insoluble mystery.
It seems rather remarkable that all these should have occurred in one township, but such is the case.
Richland is an excellent township, and with the new railroad facilities which it has just secured by the Des Moines branch of the Chicago, Bur- lington & Quincy Railway, will be given a direct ontlet for its immense productions.
The present officers of the township are as follows:
Justices-N. Corzatt, J. W. Ray; Constables-H. S. Badgley, H. S. Whetzell; Trustees-L. P. Creighton, N. Guthrie, M. G. Shook; Clerk- J. R. Taylor; Assessor-J. McCollam.
ALLEN TOWNSHIP.
This is another of the "Strip " townships, and the oldest settlement in the county, with the exception of Parmelee's Mill, which is in Palmyra.
We have treated the history of this township very fully in the body of this work, and hence shall give it little space here.
It was named in honor of Captain Allen, the commander of the fort at Des Moines.
It has but one church outside the limits of Carlisle, and that is the Scotch Ridge United Presbyterian, in the extreme western part of the township. It was organized in 1853, with Win. Runciman and wife, John Wood.and wife, Wm. Vance and wife, John McElroy and wife, Wm. Hastie and Andrew Hastie as its original inembers.
The church, a comfortable frame, was built in 1857. It has had as pastors, Rev. Thomas Dysart, who was ordained in 1863, and remained until 1867, and Rev. Joseph Boyd, who was ordained in 1869, and remained until 1877. The church has always been under the Des Moines Presbytery.
The number of members at present is about eighty-five, which increases gradually and surely.
There is in connection with the church a very flourishing Sabbath-school, with an average attendance of eighty-five pupils. Present superintendent, John Wood. The faithfulness of the teachers upon their various classes is worthy of note here. No data accessible of its organization, but some- where about twenty years ago, with Wm. Runciman first superintendent.
Allen township is a very fertile one, and contains much land which is not surpassed in the county. A portion of it is drained by North river, and the south part by Middle river.
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HISTORY OF WARREN COUNTY.
Its present officers are as follows :
Justices-J. F. Stivers, J. E. McClintic; Constables-J. M. Farley, A. M. West; Trustees-J. W. Patterson, P. Reed, J. Wood; Clerk-A. B. Mahan; Assessor-M. V. Kail.
GREENFIELD.
This township lies principally upon the county line between Warren and Polk, on the north, to Middle river, although a small portion of the township lies south of Middle river.
John Rufe and Noah Reeves were the first settlers, in 1845, on North river, followed by L. F. Bedwell, in 1846.
The first marriage was in 1847, that of Daniel Howard to Miss Johnston, Samuel Crow officiating.
Rev. C. B. Jones, who is still a resident of the township, preached the first sermon.
The first bridge was built across North river in 1850.
The first school-house was built in 1851, and in the same year E. Per- kins built the first water-power saw-mill.
The township is drained by North and Middle rivers, and by Middle branch in its northern part.
Its growth was rapid and sure, and it has generally been considered an excellent township. . Quite important coal mines have been opened on the farm of George Dillard, on North river, and this promises to be quite an important industry in the township in years to come, when the population is greater.
The following are the officers of the township:
Justices-J. W. Newell, C. K. Allen; Constables-John W. Pugh, S. Patterson; Trustees-J. R. Ashworth, I. C. Wright, E. J. Yount; Clerk- Robert Ashworth; Assessor-D. W. Yount.
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