USA > Iowa > Pocahontas County > The pioneer history of Pocahontas County, Iowa, from the time of its earliest settlement to the present time > Part 75
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lives at Laurens where he is engaged In 1881 his family moved to Pome- as a mason and plasterer. William, roy, where Cassandra, his wife, re- his brother, a carpenter, about 1881 mained until 1892, and then went to married Eunice Pierce and lives at the home of her son, James, at Ober- Laurens. Lourinda, the eldest daugh- lin, Ohio. His family consisted of ter of Mrs. Johnson, lives in New four children, one of whom died in York state, and Lillias, her sister, in childhood.
Jones county, Iowa.
James Waugh, after taking a thor-
Walker Thomas (b. 1820), owner ough course in instrumental music, in and occupant of a farm of 80 acres on 1891 married Lenora Mershon, of Des section 28, from 1870 until the time of Moines, and located at Oberlin, Ohio, his death in 1889, was a native of Eng- where he has since been engaged as land, where in 1840 he married Eliza- an instructor in music. Evalina mar-
558
PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.
ried Foster E. Blackinton, for a num- the old settlers of this township, both ber of years an implement dealer at of whom are still living, is a good il- Pomeroy, but now a resident of Og- lustration. den, Utah. William R., a carpenter,
married Martha Hank, and lives at Barrett made their first purchases of Platteville, Wisconsin.
When Patrick Murphy and John land in this county in September 1869, they undertook to walk the entire diš- tance from Fort Dodge to Colfax
Zieman William, and his two sons, Rudolph (b. 1844) and Amandus (b. 1851) in 1869 located three homesteads township. When they came to Purga- of 80 acres each on section 20. They tory slough, which is now dry nearly were all natives of Germany and the all the year, the water was then about two brothers worked several years on sixty rods wide. An Irishman, who the track of the I. C. railroad. Their had found employment on the rail- mother died soon after they came to road agreed to ferry them safely across it on a raft made of a few fence boards. When they got about the middle of it the raft sunk to the bottom with all on board, and they realized;what it was
Pocahontas county and William, their father, in 1895. Amandus in 1885 sold his homestead and bought another farm on the same section which he im proved and occupied until 1898, when to be unceremoniously ducked in a he sold it and moved to Murray coun- slough (Purgatory). In order to get ty, Minn. Rudolf after some years sold them out of it the Irishman helped his homestead to his sister, Mrs. Lu- Barrett to get on the top of a musk- zetta Valentine, and they continued rat mound and left him there while to live on it until 1900, when they he took Murphy to the other side. He moved to Matlock, Minn.
then returned to the rescue of Barrett,
Sod Shanties. Sod shanties were who, in his lonely situation in the built or occupied in Colfax township meantime, had endured all sorts of from 1869 to 1873 by the following dire forebodings, not so much because early settlers: Fred C. Smith, Fred he was helplessly surrounded by so Jentz, John A. Johnson, Gust H. much water, but because of the omin- Johnson, John Soder, Peter Gustafson, ous movements that he occasionally Charles P. Peterson, Swan P. Mun- detected as taking place underneath son, August Prange, Henry A. Nel- him among the musky proprietors of son, John A. Nelson, John Russell the frail house, the top of which he and Mrs. Julia A. Johnson.
was occupying as a place of refuge.
IN PURGATORY.
COUNTY OFFICERS.
Colfax township has furnished the
Unpleasant experiences that come unexpectedly and are not attended following county officers:
with any serious consequences often SUPERVISORS-Ray C. Brownell 1873- become the occasion of considerable 75; Charles G. Perkins '84; Alexander merriment when the story of them is Peterson '91-97; S. W. Mckinney 1901. told. Of this fact the following inci- RECORDERS-Jason H. Lowrey 1878; dent in the early experience of two of Geo. Wallace '79-80.
RESIDENCE OF S. H. KERR, ROLFE.
RESIDENCE OF DUNCAN FERGUSON, ROLFE.
N. A. LIND'S SHORTHORNS, 1903; BEAVER CREEK FARM, DES MOINES TOWNSHIP.
-
XVII.
DES MOINES TOWNSHIP.
Hail to the hardy pioneers! The men that cleared the forests, And built log cabins rude; The wives that shared the hardships Of toil and solitude; Founders of institutions, Upholders of the right; Reformers brave, and leaders From darkness into light. Hail to the hardy pioneers!
SURFACE FEATURES, TIMBER, ETC. only a few settlers, at least for some time to come. There are a few marshes in the northwest corner of the township. If there was more timber it would be excellent for agri- culture. "
es Moines township was named after the river that flows south- easterly through the eastern part of it.
The following notes made by the government surveyors in 1854 are suggestive of the erroneous notion that prevailed in their minds in regard to the value of treeless prairies:
The belt of timber along the west branch of the Des Moines river in this township was very much larger than any found elsewhere in this county, and the timber was superior in size and quality. Many of the larger trees in 1860 were utilized in the erection
"Des Moines township is principally of the first court house, the first prairie; its surface is generally rolling bridge over the Des Moines river and and the soil is mostly first-rate. There numerous other structures built about is some timber on the west branch of that time. The logs were sawed at the Des Moines river, which enters the saw mill of W. H. Hait, which the township on section 3 and leaves was located near old Rolfe and was it on section 36. There is sufficient the only one ever set in this county. timber in this township to warrant The value of this timber for fuel
560
PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.
and building purposes to the settlers went into effect Jan. 1, 1863, which who came before the arrival of the was a national holiday and the land railroad may not be too highly esti- offices were not opened. One claim mated. One section of it, commonly and so far as known only one claim called the "Cabbage Lot, " was owned was filed that day. This was done by by a non-resident, and for many years Dr. Daniel Freeman at the land office the settlers traveled long distances at Brownsville, Neb., for a homestead and got all they wanted for nothing, five miles west of Beatrice on Cub save the labor of cutting and hauling Creek, Gage county. Meeting the it. The annual supply of fuel for the clerk of the land office a little before old court house was 25 cords and dur- midnight of the day previous he pre- ing its existence about 400 cords were vailed on him to go to the office and used in it. at 12:05 on the morning of Jan. 1, 1863, to
The history of this township ante- secured the first homestead, dates that of all the others in the which he had previously acquired a county except that the early settle- squatter's right. by building a log ment of Lizard township precedes it cabin, stable, a little fence and plow- about one year. The stream of immi- ing about 20 acres of the land.
gration moving westward from Fort The drift of settlers to the public Dodge passed up Lizard creek to the lands that commenced at the close of southeast part of the county in 1856, the civil war and continued during and up the Des Moines river to the the remaining years of the 19th cen- northeast part of it in 1857. The tury greatly surpassed that of any early settlers of this township taking previous period in our national his- the lead at the time of the county's tory, and has never been equaled in organization in 1859, secured most of the history of the world. Hundreds the public offices and the next year of thousands of claims have been lo- the public buildings of the county. cated, millions upon millions of acres The pre-eminence thus gained by this of the public lands have been taken extreme corner of the county was by homeseekers, and states and terri- maintained for a period of seventeen tories have been created out of the years, or until 1876, when the public public domain-all in half the lifetime records and offices were moved to Cen- of one man.
ter township. For an account of the
Those that secured homesteads in early settlement of this township the Des Moines township were Beriah reader is referred to page 169.
PRE-EMPTORS AND HOMESTEADERS.
Cooper and his two sons, Henry and Thomas, Roswell Drown, Richard Chatfield, Wm. Clason, Robert Loth-
The first settlers in this township were pre-emptors* who secured their ian and his two sons, John W. and claims under the act of congress ap- Wm. Lothian, Roderick Harris, Chas. proved Sept. 4, 1841. Among the J. Campbell, Benjamin L. Inman and number of these were the families of David Bishop, his brother-in-law.
A. H. Malcolm, Guernsey Smith, Rob- ert Struthers, Wm. Struthers, Wm.
SUCCESSION OF OFFICERS.
Des Moines township was organized Jarvis, Henry Jarvis, Samuel N. Har- at the home of Henry Jarvis, section ris, David Slosson, Orlando Slosson, 24, on March 15, 1859, the same day John Strait, James Smith, John A. the organization of the county was James, James Edelman, Perry (Julia effected. No record was made of the A.) Nowlen and Daniel W. Hunt.
The homestead act of May 20, 1862, some very suggestive data we infer *See Pages 236 and 237.
trustees elected at this time, but from that those who served in this capacity
561
DES MOINES TOWNSHIP.
in 1859 were Wm. Jarvis, Perry Now-
TRUSTEES-Robert Struthers 1859, '61-64, '67-71; Wm. Jarvis ,59-65, '67- 72, '75-77; Perry Nowlen '59-60, '80-82; Oscar Slosson '60, '66-69; Isaac N. Bel- knap '62-63; Henry Jarvis '64, '68, '72 - 73; Orlando Slosson '64; Jeremiah Young, Henry Thomas '65-66; Henry Cooper, E. C. Brown, Geo. Vannatta '70-71; B. L.Inman '72-78; J. A. Heald '73-74; W. H. Hait '73-77, '94-99; Thos. Baker '75-76; Alfred Hewlett, Robert B. Lothian, Ora Harvey' 78-79; J. J. Bruce, Claus Johnson '79-81; Thomas Cooper '80-84, '95-97; Peter Williams '82-84; John W. Broadwell '83-85, '87- 95; Peter Jensen '85-94; Ed Hammond '85-86; Henry Ham '86-93; P. H. Sher- man '96-98; Geo. F. Smith '98-1900; W. S. Butler '99-1901; I. F. Fisher, Clarence Jensen and Litteny Webb.
CLERKS-W. H. Hait 1859-63, '78-79, '84-90; Fred A. Metcalf '64-65; W. S. Fegles '66-74; John W. Farmer '75-76; B. L. Inman '77-82; A. H. Lorimer '80- 81; Claus Johnson '83; S. J. Ritchey '91-1900; A. J. Struthers.
JUSTICES-Robert Struthers 1859-93; W. H. Hait '59-71, '79-80, '91-93; A. H. Lorimer '72-74, '82-85; Owen Bromley '74-75; S. N. Harris '77; R. Mather '81; R. B. Fish '85-86; Henry Cooper '87-90; I. C. Thatcher '94; S. J. Ritchey, M. Lathrop '95; J. Warford, Wm. Mc- Aneny '99; I. F. Fisher '97-99; L. How- ell, W. S. Dean '98-1900; Peter Jensen, W. Hansell and A. W. Ralph.
ASSESSORS-W. H. Hait 1859; Oscar len and Robert Struthers, Robert Slosson, Henry Jarvis '61-63; Fred A. Struthers and S. N. Harris were elect- Metcalf, Robert Struthers '65, '68, '77- ed justices and W. H. Hait clerk. 80, 84-92; W. H. Metcalf '66; Lot Fish- Soon afterward W. H. Hait was ap- er, B. L. Inman '69, '71, '76; D. J. pointed assessor for the county, and Bishop '70; Owen Bromley '72-73; R. later a justice in place of S. N. Harris. S. Frost '81-83; J. J. Ruff '93-96; J. The records of the trustees of Des Hollenbeck '97-1900; H. Miller.
Moines township from the time of or- available for reference. The succes- sion of officers for this period has been gleaned, with a great deal of labor, from incidental references to them in the various county records. It is worthy of note that during a ganization in 1859 to 1874 are no longer period of seven years, 1887-93, the af- fairs of this township were managed by the same persons as trustees, John W. Broadwell, Peter Jensen and Henry Ham. W. H. Hait served eigh- teen years as a justice, and Robert The succession was as follows: Struthers fifteen as assessor and about thirty-five as a justice. These long terms of service are very creditable to the incumbents and suggest an era of good feeling.
On May 23, 1881, a special election was held at old Rolfe to vote aid to the Des Moines & Fort Dodge R. R. Of the 58 votes cast, 50 were for, and 8 against the proposed aid.
SCHOOL OFFICERS.
Des Moines township, embracing the northern half of the county, was organized for school purposes in the spring of 1861.
The population of Clinton town- ship, not as at first organized, but as embracing only township 92-31, during the sixties was as follows: In 1859 to 61, 6; in 1862, 10; in 1864, 17; in 1866, 24, and in 1867, 42. Owing to the fact there were so few children in the township and some of these were able to attend school at old Rolfe, the Clinton township school district was not organized till the spring of 1869. Previous to this date it continued to to be included in the Des Moines dis- trict and was represented in that school board.
'The school records of this township previous to 1870 are no longer availa- ble for reference. The data during this period has been supplied by inci- dental references in the county records
562
PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.
and by the recollections of those who Farmer, Mattie A. Wilson, Hattie E. were unconsciously making history at Barnes, Mrs. Rebecca W. MacVey, that time. The succession of school Mrs. Mary A. Umbarger, O. W. Strong, officers has been as follows:
Orrin Keeler, L. Keeler, J. J. Jolliffe,
PRESIDENTS OF THE BOARD-Ora O. I. Strong, Ellen Porter, W. E. Esk- Harvey 1860-62; John A. James '63; ridge, Hattie Drown, S. A. Smith, Robert Struthers '64-71, '78-81; Wm. Owen Bromley, Martha E. Rowley, D. McEwen '72-75; J. J. Bruce '76-77; Phoebe C. Hewlett, Delilah Hamble, Mrs. Sarah P. Farmer, L. M. Harris, Maggie J. Lind, Anna B. Campbell, Sarah Slosson, Kate Mattern, Carrie Haviland and Fannie Barnes.
Claus Johnson '82; A. E. Dickey, Per- ry Nowlen '84-85; Lot Fisher, Henry Ham 87, '96-98; R. B. Fish, Thomas Rogers, R. H. Gifford '90-91; J. J. Ruff '92-94; W. N. McAneny, J. A Budolf- son '99-1900.
SECRETARIES-Roderick Harris 1860- 65; W. S. Fegles '66-74; J. W. Farmer '75-77; J. J. Bruce , 78-80; Geo. W. Hor- ton, B. L. Inman, Claus Johnson '83. 88; Wm. E. Struthers '89-1901.
TREASURERS-Wm. H. Hait 1860-63, '83-88; Fred A. Metcalf '64-65; Mat- thew Tilley '66; Wm. Jarvis '67-82; Claus Johnson '89-1901.
The board of directors in 1900 con- A. H. Malcolm, Co. A 11th Penn. Cav. sisted of nine members who repre- Henry Cooper, 11th 66 sented the districts in the following Oscar Slosson, 66 11th 66 order: J. A. Murray, G. J. Peck, J. Hiram Evans, 11th 66 A. Budolfson, Niels Truelson, I. F. These, the first to enlist were Fisher, S. J. Ritchey, O. Clapsaddle, sworn in at Fort Dodge Sept. 2, 1861. Thomas H. Fisher and Geo. F. Smith.
Others that followed in 1862 were:
James Hood. 11th Penn. Cav.
Andrew Mills. 11th
11th 66
Wm. H. Sherman, Delaware Infantry
Others that followed later were:
Wm, S. Fegles .... 4th Iowa Infantry
Cavalry .
Infantry
EARLY TEACHERS.
The district of old Rolfe, which was the first one organized in the north- John Gaylor. east part of the county, was called Highland, and this name occurs fre- Richard Barnes. quently in the early county records. The first school in this district was taught in 1860 by Miss Helen M. Har- Chas. W. Jarvis .. 4th vey in the home of W. H. Hait. In Henry Tilley ..... 4th 1861 a brick school house was built Dennis Quigley .. 24th near the court house and she taught Thomas Quigley .27th . school in it that and the next two years, Whole number, 14. when she was succeeded by Mrs. Agnes -
DES MOINES VOLUNTEERS.
Des Moines township did her full share to put down the rebellion by furnishing alone more volunteers than was required of the entire county, ac- cording to its population. This fact has always been a just source of pride to the citizens of the township. The list includes all that entered the army of the civil war from this county, and is as follows:
In the fall of 1860 there were only Kinney, sister of Fred E. Metcalf. nine votes cast in Des Moines town- Wm. D. McEwen taught it three win- ship and 28 in the county. In 1862 ter terms, from Jan. 1, 1866, to the the population of the county was 122 spring of 1868. Of the other teachers and the whole number of votes cast that taught in this township during was 24. There were then three town- the 70s the names of the following have ships in the county and the fourteen been preserved: Jane Hammond, Ann volunteers furnished by Des Moines E. Slosson, Jane Hargrave, J. W. township alone was just one half
563
DES MOINES TOWNSHIP.
the whole number of votes cast 13 east of the Des Moines river until in the county at that time. It is only 1878, when he moved to Holt Co., Neb. when these facts are recalled that one He was clerk of Des Moines township is able to rightly estimate the patriot- nine years, 1866-74, and secretary of ic spirit developed in Des Moines the school board from 1867-74.
township during the civil war. Each . Dennis Quigley married before en- man had caught the patriot spark; listing and after his return engaged old man and stripling, priest and in farming in Des Moines township. clerk.
The absence of so large a portion of the able bodied men of the township completely checked the work of im-
He is now living near Mallard in Palo Alto county.
OLD ROLFE, THE FIRST COUNTY SEAT.
The site of old Rolfe, the first coun- provement and their families being ty seat, was on the northeast corner left on the extreme frontier, at a great of the SW} of section 26, Des Moines distance from all sources of supplies, township, which was entered by Wm. experienced a recurring series of trials E. Clark and soon afterward conveyed and privations in summer and of se- to John M. Stockdale of Fort Dodge, vere exposures in winter.
his brother-in-law. The knoll at this
For an account of the 11th Penn. place is a very pretty one and the Cavalry, to which seven of them be- highest in that locality.
longed, the reader is referred to page 215.
, The first name suggested for this place was Highland or Highland City, Richard Barnes was killed at Pe- and the use of this name prevailed during the year 1860, when the court
tersburg.
Andrew Mills was wounded and cap- house was built and the first session tured at the time of the Wilson Raid, of the court was held in it. In January near Richmond, the object of which 1861, Stockdale employed Egbert Bagg was to prevent the enemy from receiv- of Fort Dodge to survey and plat the ing further supplies on the south side town around the court house. At the or Weldon railroad. He was impris- request of W. H. Hait and with the oned at Andersonville from June 1864 approval of the people the name of to March 1865, and died soon after the town platted was called Milton, his exchange. after the town in New York from
Of the survivors A. H. Malcolm, which Mr. Hait had come. The pub- Henry Cooper, Henry Tilley, Oscar lic records show that the use of this Slosson, Wm. S. Fegles, Dennis and name prevailed as late as Jan. 2, 1866, Thomas Quigley returned to this (p. 217) but when application was made county.
for a postoffice by that name the re-
Wm. H. Sherman located in Dela- quest was refused on account of the ware, John Gaylor in Kansas and previous establishment of an office by Charles W. Jarvis just across the that name in Van Buren county. In line in Humboldt county. Hiram the fall of 1862 the name of Rolfe, Evans located in Montana, married who married Pocahontas, was adopted and died there.
at the suggestion of Charles Crozat Converse, who in May that year pur-
Wm. S. Fegles previous to his en- listment, married Elizabeth Harris chased several thousand acres of land and theirs' was the first wedding in in this county, principally in Des Pocahontas county. He had learned Moines township, resided in it that to set type and while in the army he and the next year and by appointment was often detailed for that purpose. served as county judge from June 2, He owned and occupied all of section 1862 to Oct. 19, 1863. This name, by
564
PIONEER HISTORY OF POCAHONTAS COUNTY, IOWA.
reason of its brevity and historic in- terest, received popular approval and
PALMY DAYS.
The palmy days of old Rolfe began was supposed to be a permanent fix- with the erection of the court house ture, but in 1882 when the railroads and the establishment of the saw mill crossed each other at a point four in 1860, and continued until the re- miles southwest of it, a fatality sim- moval of the county records in 1876. ilar to that which in 1876 robbed the The brick school house built in 1861, township of the county seat ruthless- the residence of W. H. Hait, one block ly robbed the town of its pretty, ro- east of the court house site, the old mantic name and left it to be called store building of McEwen & Bruce by another new one-Parvin.
and a few clumps of trees are now the
No letter however ever came to Par- only reminders of those historic times. vin. This accumulation of vicissi- During that period in addition to tudes was too much. 'Too many the county officers the business inter- ests of the place were represented by
changes will kill any town. This last one proved to be the "last straw that two general stores, two blacksmith broke the camel's back." After it shops, a hotel, a printing and a post- Rolfe, the pioneer town of Pocahontas office, a resident physician and clergy- county, was dead.
"Behold I go the way of all mankind; I've done the work by changeless fate assigned. -
I've been a city, but now my finished towers-
Oh, that the Trojan had not touched these shores." -Virgil.
man. The store of McEwen & Bruce was established in the spring of 1870 and Geo. W. Horton became their suc- cessor in 1876. The other store was established by Andrew G. Lorimer, also in 1870, and E. C. Brown became his successor in 1874. The hotel was
The plat of the town contained built by Albert Davy in 1872. The eight blocks east and west and seven first smith shop was established by north and south. On the second Wm. Matson in 1867, and he was suc- avenue from the east side, called Des ceeded by Thomas B. Nixon in 1874. Moines, there was a square embracing The other shop was established by the avenue and half the adjoining Peter Williams.
blocks on the east and west sides of it vation. " This he gave and granted
Peter Williams was a native of Den- that was called the "Stockdale Reser- mark, where he learned his trade. He was remarkable for his ingenuity in to Pocahontas county to be used as a repairing broken machinery. He died site for the court house and other several years ago and his son, Niels H. public buildings, but with the proviso Williams, is proprietor of one of the that if the county seat should be leading shops at Rolfe. He enjoys changed the grant should be void.
the reputation of being an expert in
On May 20, 1862, Mrs. Leida Lewis, shoeing horses.
Andrew H. Lorimer was a sea far-
wife of C. C. Converse, purchased 26 of the 56 blocks of this town for $263, ing man in the early part of his life. and on Feb. 8, 1864, sold them to Je. During the period of the civil war he mima Thallon of New York City for was on a merchant vessel carrying $300. Later W. H. Hait became own- lime and cement to the dry Tortugas er of the entire site, with the excep- that was captured by the rebel barge, Alabama. The vessel and cargo were tion of the school house grounds, and also of the land owned by Stockdale burned and the crew were taken pris- around it; and it is all now, though
oners. He was first mate on the ves. once an Indian burying ground, (p. sel and spent several months in cap- 132) a part of his large farm.
tivity. After the war he located at
1
565
DES MOINES TOWNSHIP.
old Rolfe and in 1874 bought and moved to the farm of E. C. Brown on section 34. He served as a justice of H. Hait '65; Wm. D. McEwen '67-72. the peace of Des Moines township 1872-76 and as clerk '80-81.
TREASURER AND RECORDER-W. H. Hait '59-60.
TREASURER-Wm. H. Hait '66-69, Wm. D. McEwen '74-83, '86-87.
RECORDER-Robert Struthers '65 66;
SHERIFF-Oscar Slosson '50, '68-71; The first religious services were held IIenry Jarvis '60-63, '65-67.
SUPERINTENDENT-Perry Nowlen '39; Oscar F. Avery '60; W. H. Hait '61; Fred E. Metcalf '64-65; Wm. D. McEwen '66-67.
SURVEYOR-Guernsey Smith Robert Struthers 60-69.
'59
COUNTY SUPERVISORS-David Slos- son elected, Perry Nowlen served '61; Isaac N. Belknap, David Slosson '63- 67, '70, '7 -- 79; David J. Bishop '6' - 9; John A. Heald '71; R. B. Fish '72-73; Claus Johnson '98-1900.
POST MASTERS.
The list of post masters at old Rolfe was as follows:
W. H. Hait. .1862 to March 29, 1867
E. C. Brown. '67 " Sept. 30, 1869 Wm. D. McEwen '69 " Jau. 1, 1877
James J. Bruce '77
March 1, 1879 Geo. W. Horton '79 " March 31, 1882
DES MOINES FAMILIES IN 1880.
Humpty Dumpty, a correspondent of the Times in 1880, gavea list of the families residing in the township in the following interesting paragraph:
"Let it Hale as long as we have plenty of Wood to burn, Hlams to fry.
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