USA > Iowa > Washington County > The history of Washington 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, portraits of early settlers and prominent men > Part 69
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570
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
first cloth woven in the township was by the family of Robert Pringle. Clarissa Vance, now the wife of Dr. Yeoman, taught school in this town- ship at an early day. She received $1.50 per week for her services, and boarded around; she had at her first school 25 pupils; the school-house was located on the southwest corner of section 35. The present officers of the township are as follows:
Trustee -- R. McCarty. Clerk-M. C. Atkinson. Assessor-J. R. Alter. Justices of the Peace-Peter Whitmer and T. H. Smith.
A post-office by the name of Clay is located in this township on section 29. Brighton post-office is also accessible to all the southeast part of the township, and Valley post-office located at Paris, in Dutch Creek township, is easy of access to the people in the northwest part of the township.
CONGREGATIONALIST CHURCH.
The Congregationalist Church of Clay township was organized in July, 1842. M. B. Mills, Roswell S. Mills, John M. Waters, Margaret Waters, Samuel Cooper, Jane Cooper, and Margaret Edwards were the persons who first composed this organization. Marcellus Meacham, who is now dead, was for many years a deacon of the Church, and it was probably due to his exertion and liberality more than to any cause that the church gained such a sure foothold on the township. This Church has furnished two young men to the ministry of the Congregationalist Church, viz., Harlow Mills and Win. Woodmansee. N. A. Woodford and David Draper are at present deacons, and A. P. Meacham, clerk. Rev. Charles Burnham, F. A. Arm- strong, Bennett Roberts, Robert Hunter, J. R. Kennedy, T. H. Holmes, D. B. Ells, Harvey Robinson, James Barnett, and William Bradford have been pastors of this Church in times past. Rev. M. M. Thompson is at present the pastor.
Ever since the organization of the Church there has been a Sunday-school in connection with it, which has prospered and exerted a mighty moral force in the whole surrounding country. The church membership numbers eighty-one. The church building is a frame structure.
BLACK HAWK M. E. CHURCH.
This Church was organized at a very early day and is probably one of the oldest church organizations in the county. The first members of the organ- ization were as follows: Wm. Spencer and wife, R. Disberry and wife, Isaac Watson and wife, Mr. Casey and wife, Mr. Worthing and wife, Isaac Dillon, and Sarah Atwood. Rev. Mr. Ricker was the first pastor, and it was through his influence that the society was first formed.
In 1863 a location for a church building was selected on section 22, and the same year the building was erected. It is a frame edifice and cost about six hundred dollars. The present membership numbers about forty.
571
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
MARION TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the oldest settled townships in the county. The first set- tlement was made on Crooked creek by Milo Holcomb, who took a claim on section 31, and opened a store of general merchandise in 1837. In 1838 he built a saw-mill, bringing the machinery from St. Louis to Burlington by boat, and from there by wagon to Marion township. Mr. Holcomb was the first sheriff of the county. He died in 1842, and the mill, after chang- ing hands a number of times, became the property of W. A. Vandoren, after which it went by the name of Vandoren's Mill. Joseph Griffith came to the township in 1839, where he has since resided. In 1847 he and E. R. Barton built a shop and carried on the manufacture of beef and pork bar- rels, selling most of their work to Isaac H. Friend, of Brighton. In 1850, in company with E. R. Johnston, they built a steam saw-mill and operated it several years, after which the mill passed into the possession of William J. Williams, who attached machinery for carding wool. Mr. Williams sold the mill to John Graham, of Washington, who still uses part of it in his woolen factory at the latter place.
Isaac Edwards came to Marion township from North Carolina in 1838, where he has since resided. When coming to this new country Mr. Edwards had no helpmate to share with him the hardships and privations of pioneer life, for he was a single man. A few years afterward he married Miss Annie Custar. The ceremony was performed by Squire Moore, at the house of John Epley. This was the first marriage which occurred in the town- ship. Mr. Edwards is the only voter now living who voted at the election held in the township during the fall of 1839.
The first physician who healed the sick of Marion township was Dr. Stone, of Washington.
Rev. Mr. Crill was the first minister who preached in that section of country.
The first school was taught in a house located on section 19, by John Reed, who received as compensation for the term of three months the sum of $2.50 per scholar. After completing this term of school and treating the pupils in order to escape a ducking in Crooked creek, he returned to Ohio. The first school-house was erected on section 30 by S. Van Wagener, for a dwelling house, and was afterward purchased by the Franklin district for the sum of $30.
The first murder in the county was committed in this township in 1848.
During the exciting times concerning slavery a very exciting kidnaping case occurred in Marion township. During the year 1845 Ezra C. Clemons brought to the county a negro boy by the name of Henry Hanna. In some kind of a business transaction the boy came into the possession of Claudius L. Hendricks, of Marion township. Owing to some suspicious maneuvres the impression went abroad that Hendricks contemplated taking the boy to Missouri and selling him into slavery. Hendricks informed some of his neighbors of an intended visit to Nauvoo to see the Mormons, and this was thought to be a pretext to get off without exciting further the suspicions of his vigilant neighbors. The people becoming all the more certain that Hendricks intended to sell the boy a scheine was concocted to rescue him the day prior to the time Hendricks had signified his intention of going to Nauvoo. A man by the name of Yockey and a United Presbyterian min- ister by the name of Vincent, procured a buggy and drove to the house of
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Hendricks. Learning that Mr. Hendricks was not at home they took the negro boy into their buggy and left him in the care of old Father Houston, who lived about two miles from Hendricks. Sometime during the night a son-in-law of Houston, by the name of Ritchey, took the boy to the house of his father near Winfield, in Henry county. In one way and another the boy was kept concealed till the next term of the district court, when free- papers were procured for him, and he was then allowed to go where he pleased.
Marion township has from the first comprised the same amount of terri- tory, it being the whole of congressional township 74, range 7, with the ex- ception of a small portion north of Crooked creek, and in addition to this a strip one mile and a-half wide in township 74, range 8. The population of the township in 1875, according to the census of that year, was 1,082. There are no independent school districts in the township. The civil township comprises one township district, which is subdivided into eight subdis- tricts. There are eight road districts, and there was levied last year a road tax of five mills on the dollar for the improvement of the public highways, from which tax there was realized the sum of $1,437.92. The present civil officers of the township are as follows:
Trustees-Joseph Scranton, J. D. Custer, and William G. Gamman. Clerk-E. R. Oxley. Assessor-Benjamin Eicher. Constables-E. R. Oxley and Alvin Faister.
Justices of the Peace-Henry McMillan and D. Neiswanger.
METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Eureka was organized in September, 1849. A frame church building was erected in 1858 at a cost of $850. The church has a membership of seventy.
BAPTIST CHURCH.
This Church was organized in April, 1856. A frame church building was erected during the summer of 1870 at a cost of $1,700. The present membership numbers thirty-three.
THE MENNONITE CHURCH.
This Church was organized in 1856. A frame church edifice was erected in 1868 at a cost of $1,700. Services are conducted in the German language, the same style of dress and same ritualistic modes observed as were orig- inally imported from Europe. The present membership is about sixty.
PLEASANT HILL CHURCH.
Have not been able to learn where this Church was first organized. The congregation has a commodious frame church building which cost $2,000. The present membership numbers seventy-five and the pastor is Rev. C. P. Evans.
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573
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
THE TOWN OF EUREKA.
Eureka was laid out in April, 1857, by Jacob Z. Bowman. It is located on the northwest quarter of section 18, township 74, range 7. It has never aspired to become a town of great dimensions but has been a trading point of some importance. It has postal facilities and is surrounded by a beau- tiful and fertile section of country. In early days there was a post-office located on Crooked creek, near the east part of the township, called Mar- cellus, this office however has long since been discontinued. Marion town- ship is somewhat broken and does not present as fine an aspect as other portions of the county, nevertheless among its farmers may be found some of the most enterprising and thrifty in the State. Among others may be mentioned the name of E. C. Noble, who resides on section 36, and owns a farm of 725 acres. He was born in Litchfield, Connecticut, and his prem- ises give unmistakable evidence of New England thrift. He is engaged very extensively in stock raising; he keeps pace with the onward march of events, ships his own stock to the eastern markets and seems well satisfied with the returns.
OREGON TOWNSHIP.
In the first arrangement of precincts this township was called Long Creek precinct. When the civil townships were formed in January, 1844, Long Creek precinct became a part of Crawford township. In the winter of 1847, township 75, range 6, was detached from Crawford township and was organized into a separate township called Oregon. J. L. L. Terry, one of the early settlers of the county, who at this time resided within the bounds of the proposed new township, was the leading citizen of that region, and with him originated the name. He had been contemplating a trip to Oregon with a view of locating there; so when he was asked to. christen the new municipality he complied by suggesting the name Oregon which was accordingly adopted. The first election of township officers occurred the following spring and resulted in the choice of the following:
Trustees-Samuel Stevens, John Marsden and one other.
Clerk-William Marsden.
Assessor-J. L. L. Terry.
The first election was held at the residence of Thomas Colthurst, where- the first official meetings of the township board were held. Mr. Terry was- the first justice of the peace and held the office for two years.
Under the first act of the territorial legislature constituting the county of Slaughter, Oregon township was near the center of the county and it. was here that the seat of justice was located and called Astoria. In a pre- ceeding chapter a somewhat full, and somewhat authentic account has been given of the early settlements in this neighborhood and the first courts. held at Astoria.
This township was fortunate in being the first in the county to secure railroad communication, and its developement since that time, 1858, has been rapid.
There are in the township nine road districts, and for their improvement there was levied last year a tax of three mills on the dollar. The taxable property of the township amounted last year to to the sum of $342,331.
574
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
The present township officers are as follows:
Trustees-J. C. Wilcox, A. Anderson, and J. W. Sands. Clerk-J. P. Mckenzie. Assessor-J. W. Stickley.
Justice of the Peace-J. P. Mckenzie, and W. H. Livingston.
Constables-J. Harding, and L. L. Hough.
ASTORIA.
This town was laid out in 1837, by Hill, Randolph & Hughes; these men expected to make quite a speculation out of their town, and erected a double log cabin which they called the county court-house: however there is no evidence that it was ever used for that purpose. Sometime afterward a man by the name of Potts located in Astoria and opened up a store of general merchandise; a post-office was also located there and named Potts- ville. After the county-seat was removed to Washington, Potts left, and the post-office was removed to the house of David Goble, Sr., where. it re- mained for a number of years. The prospects of Astoria for becoming a great metrepolis vanished upon the selection of another seat of justice and the town site fell back to be simply an ordinary claim which fell into the possession of J. L. L. Terry.
AINSWORTH.
This town was laid out in October, 1858, by D. H. Ainsworth, in whose honor the town was named. It is situated on the east half of the northeast quarter of section 21, township 75, range 6. A gentleman writ- ing of Ainsworth in the year 1864, just six years after the town was first located, says:
"Ainsworth is the name of the first station on the railroad east of Wash- ington. It contains a good grain house, two stores, a steam grist mill, and several mechanics' shops. Although it is but a small town now, it is sit- uated in a good neighborhood, and having railroad facilities may in the future rank next to Washington in importance."
During the sixteen years which have elapsed since that prophecy was recorded, Ainsworth has grown considerable, but does not yet rank next to Washington in importance. During that time, however, it has enjoyed a career of uninterrupted prosperity and still has a prosperous future opening out before it.
One of the most commendable and praiseworthy institutions of the town is the graded public school. The school consists of three departments and is taught in a commodious brick building, erected for that special purpose in 1879, at a cost of $5,000. The following report of the condition of the school during the month of January, 1880, was as follows:
Days taught 18
Total enrollment. 141
Average enrollment. 137.4
Days' attendance. 2416.5 Days' absence. 58
Average daily attendance 134.13
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Average daily absence
3.27
Cases of tardiness
8
Per cent of attendance.
97.51
Per cent of punctuality 99.81
Visitors.
40
Per cent of regularity in principal's room.
99
Miss Cummings' room
98.7
Mrs. Maxwell's room.
98.3
The members of the school board are as follows: A. Anderson, presi- dent; J. P. Mckenzie, secretary; W. H. Livington, treasurer; George Hun- ter and Dr. J. C. Boice.
The town of Ainsworth constitutes an independent school district.
CHURCHES.
The United Brethren Church was organized in the year 1860. The orig- inal members were John Stone, Sarah Stone, Isaac Hazen, Rebecca Hazen, Elizabeth Stewart, Francis Parson, Lucinda Parson, Edward Stone, Oliver Bennett, C. H. Bower, and many others, about sixty in all. A frame church edifice was erected in 1864 at a cost of $900, which was dedicated the same year by Bishop Markwood. The present membership numbers about seventy.
The Ainsworth United Presbyterian Church was organized April 25, 1864. The organization was originally composed of forty-two members, who had previously been connected with the United Presbyterian Churches . at Washington, Crawfordsville, and Columbus Junction. Of these forty- two members some twenty-two are still connected with the organization, the rest having either moved away or deceased. During the year 1865 the congregation began the erection of a church building which was completed the following year and was dedicated by Rev. Dr. Doig. This build- ing was a frame structure and cost $2,000. In 1873 this building was sold and a new one erected at a cost of $3,500, which was dedicated by Rev. N. H. Brown the same year and who is the present pastor. There are at present connected with this church organization about one hundred and seventy members.
CEMETERY.
The first cemetery in Oregon township was on section 28. It is now the property of James Long and is used for a cornfield. The first person buried in it was a child of an emigrant party who were passing through the country. There were about thirty persons buried in this cemetery and but few of the graves were marked. This burying ground was abandoned many years ago, and a new cemetery established a few miles further east, at what is known as the "Old Camp Ground." The first person buried here was a child of Mr. A. Jeffrey, in 1844. This cemetery is kept in a good state of improvement, and is the only burying place for a large section of country.
576
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
MASONIC.
Orient Lodge, No. 365, A. F. & A. M., was organized December 9, 1875. D. Mickey, A. Anderson, B. Parkman, D. McSweney, L. L. Hough, R. G. Matthews, J. W. Stickley, J. H. Hull, John Getzer, M. Van Wincle, J. G. Adams, R. G. Gauds, R. D. Jones, and D. Thompson were the charter members. D. McSweny was the first W. M .; R. G. Matthews, S. W .; L. L. Hough, J. W .; A. Anderson, treasurer; R. D. Jones, secretary.
The present officers are as follows: W. M., R. G. Matthews; S. W., J. H. Hull; J. W., George Hunter; treasurer, J. G. Adams; secretary, C. O. Anderson. The order numbers thirty-six members. They have for a lodge room the hall in the third story of the Wickham House block.
CRAWFORD TOWNSHIP.
This was the part of the county first settled, the claim of Adam Ritchey, the first settlement of the county, having been located here. This town- ship, doubtless, took its name from the town of Crawfordsville, for we find that it was first called Crawfordsville precinct. The name Crawford origi- nated with a family of that name which settled in the neighborhood of Crawfordsville at an early day. The Crawfords brought with them con- siderable money and entered a great deal of land, and they afterward became chiefly instrumental in the improvement of the land, and in the development of the country. Mrs. Eliza Moorhead, who now resides in the township, is probably the oldest resi- dent of the township, with the exception, perhaps, of the Neals, who came at an early day. She is the widow of Matthew Moorhead to whom she was married in 1836, and with whom she removed from Illinois to the claim where she now resides in 1837. Adam Ritchey was the first justice of the peace in Crawford township, he having received his commis- sion from the Governor of Wisconsin Territory in 1836. The first mar- riage in the township and in the county was solemnized by Mr. Ritchey in September, 1837, the persons being John Hulick and Nancy Goble who re- sided in the Long creek settlement, in what is now Oregon township. The first quarterly meeting of the Methodist Episcopal Church in the county was held at the house of Mr. Moorhead in the winter of 1837 and 1838. The only minister was Joseph Kirkpatrick and the presiding elder was Henry Somers. The first man who sold goods in the county was Josiah Smart, an Indian trader, whose place of business was on section 31. For many years the Moorhead's kept a hotel on their claim, which lay on either side of the military road, and was for many years the only one in the county. Crawford township was probably organized prior to 1844, although no offi- cial action authorizing the organization of township was taken by the board of county commissioners prior to the year 1844.
ยท
The population of Crawford township in 1875, according to the census of that year, was 1,241. The present township officers are as follows:
Trustee-Isaac Allen. Clerk-Henderson Manners. Assessor -- W. K. Wooley.
Justices of the peace-J. H. Stewart and S. C. Perry.
577
HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
Crawford township has always been very unfortunate in its efforts to secure railroad communication with the outside world. When the question of issuing county bonds for assisting the building of the Mississippi and Mis- souri railroad was first agitated the people of this township voted and la- bored for the adoption of the measure. The road was finally built, and they were left out in the cold. They also favored the issuing of bonds in aid of the Ft. Wayne and Platte Valley Air Line railroad, part of which bonds were issued, but the road was not built. They subsequently encour- aged other roads, all of which either failed altogether or were built else- where. Finally they subscribed heavily to aid in building the Burlington and Northwestern road, and then voted a heavy tax, being lead to believe that if the tax were voted the subscription would not be collected; the tax was voted, and then they found that the subscription also would be collected. The railroad was built but in securing it the contributions of many citizens will amout to ten per cent of all they are worth. When the burden of these subscriptions and taxes is once lifted the road will doubtless prove to be a very important factor in the problem of the development of that region. Since the completion of the road to Washington the people of the township have direct communication with one of the best markets in the country. /
CRAWFORDSVILLE.
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This town is situated on section 15. It was laid out at an early day and at one time was very prosperous, its prospects having been flat- tering to the extent of becoming the third, if not the second town in the county. It lay on one of the leading territorial roads projected in early times, and it was surrounded by as fine an agricultural country as there was in the county. Several railroads also were projected through the town. However, these important thoroughfares which were to make the town unmade it, as they eventually ran around the town and built up rival towns which drew trade away from this one. The prospects of the town are now better than they have been for the past twenty years. An impor- tant line of railway has at last been secured and is in operation; business is reviving and real estate is increasing rapidly in price. The town now has a population of about three hundred and steps have recently been taken to incorporate. Among the leading business houses and chief branches of industry we mention the following:
Drugs, J. H. Stewart; dry goods and groceries, Schwache & Long, N. Lease; groceries and crockery, A. Jackson; Manners Bros., dry goods, who also have the post-office; W. R. Christy deals in hardware and agricultural implements; C. Harper is the harness maker; Wm. H. Riley deals in boots and shoes; the blacksmiths are, Smylie & Son, Wm. Myers, Caldwell & Lemon; wagon maker, Wm. Manners; meat-market, J. H. Miller; hotels, John D. R. Titus and A. Jackson; . physicians, H. C. Hull, F. L. Bennett, W. H. McCain; milliners, S. A. Crawford and Mrs. M. M. Bennett; carpen- ters, J. W. Harper and James Ross; lumber yard, N. Lease; grain-dealers, Crawford & Son.
UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
The U. P. Church of Crawfordsville was organized in the spring of 1846. Isaac Crawford, James Crawford, John Maxwell, Walter Maxwell, James
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HISTORY OF WASHINGTON COUNTY.
McCulley, W. M. Strain, Wm. Wooley, Andrew Mckay, John Lyons, John Ferguson, T. Ferguson, were the men who were chiefly instrumental in establishing the Church. The present church building was erected in 1866, at a cost of $7,000. The present membership of the Church is- 187. The Church at last accounts was without a pastor. It is an out- growth of the first Church of this denomination in the State, and at one time had over 300 members.
PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH.
This Church was organized in August, 1850. The original members were as follows: Patrick Young, Mrs. Jenny Young, Maria Prather, El- nor Prather, Albert M. Fisher, Agnes Fisher, David Young and Margret. Young. In 1854 a church building was erected at an expense of $1,800. There are now about ninety persons connected with the organization, and the Church is in a harmonious and prosperous condition.
CONGREGATIONALIST CHURCH.
The Congregationalist Church of Crawfordsville was organized in April, 1842, by Rev. Charles Burnham. Among others the following constituted the first organization: John Neal and wife, Sylvester Smith and wife, James Woodworth, Joseph Neal, T. M. Neal and Elijah Smith. Sylvester Smith and Joseph Neal were the first deacons. A frame church building was erected in 1852 which was not dedicated till December, 1853. There are about sixty members of this church at present. The Congregational- ist Church, five miles south of Crawfordsville, is an outgrowth of the Crawfordsville Church. This Church was organized in October, 1854.
DUTCH CREEK TOWNSHIP.
At the meeting of the board of county commissioners in 1840, the pre- cinct of Dutch Creek was formed and its boundaries defined as follows: " All north of Skunk river, west of Indian creek and south of township line 75 and 76." In the sub-division of the county into civil townships, Jannary 1844, Dutch Creek township was defined to be "township 75, range 9, and sections from 19 to 36 of township 76 range 9." In October following the township was changed so as to extend from Skunk river to the center of what is now Seventy-six township. The boundaries were again altered when the new township of Seventy-six was formed. In 1875 the township contained according to the census of that year, a popu- lation of 1,185.
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