USA > Iowa > Clinton County > Wolfe's history of Clinton County, Iowa, Volume 1 > Part 26
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HORSE THIEVES.
During the years 1859-60-just prior to the Civil war-a Horse Thief Protection Society was formed in this township to protect settlers from the depredations of horse thieves. Russell Perham was its president, Stephen Lockwood, vice-president, and Dr. Henry Shepherd, treasurer. Riders were appointed by couples with authority to draw upon the treasurer for any amount of money necessary to pursue horse thieves. It was a well organized and highly successful organization. James Walrod had horses stolen and this society followed the thieves to a hundred miles beyond the Missouri, crossing at Council Bluffs, and captured the thieves and secured the horses. The thieves were tried and severely punished according to law.
DELMAR.
Delmar, the only town in Bloomfield, is built upon the original lands of S. S. Norton, E. P. Sparks, W. T. Willey and Amos Hurst. It was sur- veyed and platted by Ben C. Rich in October, 1871, who had the plat re- corded in February, 1872, before which time there were several houses erected. There were originally thirty-nine blocks, comprising over six hun- dred and fifty lots in the town, but the number was reduced to twenty-five. The public road running north and south between sections 9 and 12, 15 and 16, was the main street. The Davenport & St. Paul, now a part of the Chi- cago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system, and the Midland, now a part of the Chicago & Northwestern, completed their grades and tracks into the town within a few days of each other and began running their trains the same day, December 1, 1870. Tradition has it that the place was named on this occasion by the Midland conductor, taking the first letters of the names of six ladies on the train, and combining them to make the word Delmar. It
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is also claimed that the railroad authorities named the station to continue the alphabetical order of those on the line, Almont, Bryant and Charlotte. The postoffice, kept by S. S. Norton before the railroad came through, had been previously called Brookfield, the name of the original township. The Daven- port railroad had established their location for a station on E. C. Hinckley's land, half a mile south of town, but the managers of the Midland put in a plug sidetrack and left a superannuated Northwestern car for a depot and named the infant town. The Sabula, Ackland & Dakota track was laid across Main street October 10, 1871, at which point the depot and sidetracks were located. It was doubtful if the other roads would have made a town where Delmar now stands at all if the Sabula, Ackland & Dakota had crossed elsewhere, and Delmar owes its existence more to the efforts of S. S. Norton in securing the crossing of the road at this point than to any other cause. In 1872 was when the town really began its growth. Previously, the business had been limited to light shipments of cattle and hogs, and the principal retail trade had been the thriving one of several saloons that had supplied wet groceries to the thirsty construction gangs. In 1872 building and improve- ment was brisk. The independent school district was organized in 1874.
Mr. Hurst was the first merchant and Hurst Brothers kept store in the house in which the Dotys were residing in 1910. Patrick Waters shortly after started a grocery store, and Andrew Ashton and Mr. Becker were early merchants. Ashton built the store where Kindig now keeps in 1872, and the store where F. P. Goodjohn is located was built about the same time. T. H. Canty located in Delmar in 1871, and has been in business longer than any other man now located there. Bryant & Trout, early merchants, were succeeded by the Farmers' Store, operated by Saddler, Burgess & Riggs, and these were succeeded by F. P. Goodjohn. The City Hotel was built early by Captain Butterworth, but the oldest house in town is that now occupied by Mr. Tompkins and owned by F. L. Sunderlin, the old stone Willey house. The first physician to permanently locate was Doctor Miller, who later re- moved and was succeeded by Doctors Deeds and Sloan.
S. S. Norton received his commission as postmaster in 1871, and has been followed by Ed. Eyer, by Mr. Eyer's father, by William McGonigal. W. W. Willey, T. H. Canty, and J. W. Donnelly, present incumbent. The office was raised to the third-class on January 1, 1910. The first rural route from Delmar was established in November, 1905, extends for twenty-six miles in Clinton and Jackson counties, and is carried by E. R. Bollinger. The second and third, of the same length, were established in October, 1907. The second extends into Jackson county, and is carried by O. E. Brown; the third is confined to Clinton county, C. H. Bloom, carrier.
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Dr. M. C. Osborne practiced here and died, Drs. O. E. Deeds and M. G. Sloan, J. B. Mclaughlin and E. G. Leffler practiced here for some time. E. T. Taubman, now of Aberdeen, South Dakota, was for some years a practicing lawyer at Delmar, and for a time the firm of Rich & Ruth was located here. Mr. Rich is now in Kansas, Mr. Ruth died in Delmar.
There are three church edifices, belonging to the Catholic, Methodist and Presbyterian denominations, and the Danish Lutherans worship in the Presby- terian church. (See Church history.)
The medical fraternity is at present represented in the town by Drs. E. S. McCord and E. C. McMeel, and G. W. Wilson, D. D. S., has an office here.
The Masons and Eastern Stars and some insurance orders are repre- sented by lodges.
The library of the New Century Club, instituted in 1908, consisting of about seven hundred well selected volumes, kept in the bank building, in charge of Hazel L. Goodjohn, has been productive of much pleasure and profit to the inhabitants of Delmar.
In October, 1872, Gen. Dan McCoy, from Thompson, Illinois, started the Delmar Journal, at first having the paper printed elsewhere. In February, 1874. the paper having been consolidated with the Preston Clipper, the office was removed to Delmar, and McCoy remained in charge until January, 1875, when F. R. Bennett took control and ran the paper until the office was des- troyed in the big fire of 1878. Previous to the fire, Mr. McCoy had started the Delmar Independent. This was later burned out and for a time the Rev. Burnett conducted a paper. F. L. Sunderlin has operated the Delmar Journal in connection with a paper at Maquoketa since 1885 or '86, excepting for a short period during which time Mr. Reiger was in charge.
INCORPORATION.
Delmar was incorporated as a town by an election held June 10, 1876. The first meeting of the council was held August 3, 1876, and the first officers were Truman Clark, mayor; Fletcher Wilson, recorder; Charles W. Peirsen, marshal; council, M. W. Tipple, S. S. Norton, S. R. Gold, T. H. Canty, Adam Kehn. M. W. Tipple was elected treasurer at the first meeting of the council. Mr. Clark's successors in the office of mayor, as far as the incom- plete records show, have been C. S. Westover, W. S. Derby, L. W. Parker, I. G. Parker, W. H. Jackson, B. Spencer, C. B. Esty, J. N. Dodd, C. C. Davis, W. R. Barrick, H. W. Flenniken, H. L. Steen, G. W. Wilson, E. G. Franklin and T. E. Canty.
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The town possesses a waterworks, installed in 1906, using the tower sys- tem, has had acetylene lights ten years, has macadam streets and cement side- walks. A stone town hall has been built twelve years and serves as a fire station for the volunteer fire company. A jail was built when the town was incorporated.
The present officers are, T. E. Canty, mayor; C. P. Goodjohn, clerk : T. H. Canty, treasurer ; G. W. Wilson, assessor; F. Hill, marshal; council, A. W. Harrington, J. C. Spencer, J. A. Fitzpatrick, A. E. Jorgensen, W. W. Willey.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Agricultural implements, Davis & Means; Peoples Savings Bank (see Banking chapter) ; general dealers, T. H. Canty & Son, F. P. Goodjohn; furniture, F. George; hardware, E. M. Cassin; insurance, J. B. Rossiter, M. Murray; groceries and crockery, E. Donnelly; groceries and shoes, Allen Kindig; Commercial hotel, Fred Salisbury; garage, Delmar Auto Supply Co .; grain and stock dealers, Davis & Means, F. Oakes; lumber and coal, E. G. Franklin; meat market, John Crowley; feed mill, William Finch; drugs, E. C. McMeel, M. D .; cream stations, Delmar Produce Company, Gurler-Barth Company ; creamery, John Newman Company; livery, William McGinn; Del- mar Vulcanizing Company, Clarence Sackrider, proprietor; Delmar Tele- phone Company ; jeweler, John Bahr; Delmar Produce Company.
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The establishment most worthy of mention especially in Delmar is the Delmare Produce Company, C. P. Goodjohn, manager. This company, be- sides purchasing eggs, poultry, milk and butter, operates the only milk-feeding plant for chickens in the county. In a large building special coops are pre- pared to hold about ten thousand chickens and they are fed in these for seventeen days upon a prepared milk food and fattened before killing. The establishment has been successful, and employs thirty or thirty-five people, and buys chickens from over a wide range of territory.
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CHAPTER XX.
BROOKFIELD TOWNSHIP.
On the north line of Clinton county, and second from the western border, is Brookfield township. Its early history is closely allied with that of Bloom- field township, a history of which has been given, hence the reader will do well to read both township histories. When this township was first organized it embraced what is now Bloomfield, Berlin and Welton townships, and there were but six voters in all this large scope of country. In 1855 Bloomfield was taken from original Brookfield. As now constituted, Brookfield is south of Jackson county, west from Bloomfield township, north of Berlin township and east of Sharon township. For what can be learned of the first settlers, see history of Bloomfield township. It may, however, be added that it was mostly settled by native-born Americans, or Yankees, with a few Germans. The old families are keeping possession of the farms and many still reside upon them. The oldest living settler (in 1910), E. L. Cook, received his lands from the hands of the government and still lives there with his son. The township has many of the best farms within Clinton county.
The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul railroad traverses the north central portion of the township and has a station point at Elwood, of which a brief history will follow. Of the schools and churches of Brookfield township the reader is referred to general chapters in this volume where each are treated in common with other townships in the county.
ELWOOD.
The town began with the year 1871, when the Sabula, Ackley & Dakota railroad was laid out. It was platted by Kinsey Elwood and Barnabas Clark and their wives, on the southwest quarter of section 16, township 83, range 2, and on the northwest quarter of the northwest quarter of section 21, town- ship 83, range 2, on November 26, 1873, and was named for Mr. Elwood. The business part of the town was several years located on the south of the railroad track, but the buildings have been since moved to the higher ground on the north side. George W. Wilson was the first merchant, starting a store before the rails were laid, and this building has since been moved to the north
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of the track and is now occupied by the Elwood Savings Bank. Luke Wil- son, a brother of George, and Samuel H. Clark were the next to locate in business here. Among other merchants who have carried on business in Elwood are Squires & Elwood, J. B. Van Court, George Moran, Hiner & Leinbaugh, Tom Edleman, Noble Ryther, Busch, Kriete & Lewis, and H. P. Hicks. Druggists have been Doctors Flowers, J. T. Wilbur, N. L. Barnes, Anthony Demomma and J. A. Hiner. Claus Ruus, engaged as the first dealer in lumber and coal, has been prominently identified with the growth of the town and a leader among the people. Doc Israel Olney, the first blacksmith, built the first house in the town.
An industry which greatly helped Elwood was the creamery, operated there for many years, one of the larger creameries of the county, established by Clark & Beard.
The postoffice was established in 1872 with Noble Ryther as postmaster and he has been succeeded by Mrs. Noble Ryther, S. H. Clark, W. S. Hill and J. O. Wade. The office is fourth-class and is the starting-point of one rural route, twenty-two miles long, in Clinton county, established in 1907, of which Harry P. Hicks is the carrier.
Dr. H. M. Mckenzie located in Elwood in 1874, and is the only physician in the town at present.
There is one church, the Methodist. (See Religious history.) The Odd Fellows and Rebekahs have lodges here.
The population is about one hundred and fifteen. There have been no attempts at incorporation. In 1890 two store buildings on the north side of the street. the postoffice and one residence were destroyed by fire, the loss amounting to twenty-five thousand dollars.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Elwood Savings Bank (see Banking chapter) ; general merchants, El- wood Mercantile Company, succeeded H. P. Hicks, F. W. Busch, succeeded Busch, Kriete & Lewis; drugs, H. M. Mckenzie, M. D .: City Hotel, Miss Fannie Hagge; grain, James H. Phelps; lumber and coal, E. G. Franklin: stock, John Galloway, T. M. Collipriest; Elwood Telephone Company ; Elwood Auto Company, operates garage.
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CHAPTER XXI.
SHARON TOWNSHIP.
. Sharon is the northwestern township of the county and consists of con- gressional township 83 north, range I east, and is bounded on the north by Jackson county, west by Jones county, south by Liberty township, and east by Brookfield township. The township was organized in April, 1851, at which time it was ordered that this territory "be cut off from all or any townships. to which it may have been attached," an order somewhat misleading as it had never been anywhere attached. The first election was held at the house of Luther Teeple. Sharon township was slowly settled, probably from the fact that on account of the lack of streams, there was no timber save once in a while an oak opening. The land in the south and east is fine farming land, but in the northwest is somewhat broken and rough. The country was over- grown with tall prairie grass, and even after the settlers came was for many years the home of deer and wolves.
The first settlements were probably made along the Maquoketa stage road by H. V. Cook in the eastern part, and Luther Teeple farther west. Teeple's was a stopping place in early days. There is some question as to whether the first settlement in the southern part was made by a German named Balm, to the north of Lost Nation, or a countryman of his named Long, who settled to the south. Among other early settlers are David Smith, Henry and Platt Armstrong, George and Arthur Lillie, J. B. Current, John Wilcox, James H. Porter, the Gruvers, the Fraziers, the Batchelders, Jacob Burwell, George C. Read, D. D. Comstock, the Sandersons, and others.
In the vicinity of the present town of Lost Nation there were four or five houses erected in close proximity, near the solitary clump of oak timber in that neighborhood, in early days. These were occupied by the Wades, Stutesmans, Longs, Nodles and Armstrongs.
A large number of Swedenborgians located in the northwestern part of the township among the earlier settlers, and were under the spiritual guidance of Prof. Stephen Wood. Their settlement has been broken up and scarcely any of their members are left. In the northeast many German Dunkards settled, and for a time made themselves marked by their peculiar customs, but nearly all of them moved away, or were converted from their beliefs. Many Germans are taking up the old farms now.
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In earlier days the postoffice of the township was at a place four miles or so north of the present town of Lost Nation, a village known as Smithstown or Burgess postoffice. With the coming of the railroad and the establishment of the station at Lost Nation, the village of Smithstown gradually dwindled away.
LOST NATION.
There seems to be no means of absolutely ascertaining the origin of the name Lost Nation. Many and various theories to account for it are set forth by the residents, some of which will here be given. It is certain that the region about the present town was called Lost Nation long before the estab- lishment of the station, also that the locality was not known as such by the very earliest settlers.
One version, not very widely credited, has it that a tribe of Indians starved and froze to death here in early times. Many people give credence to the story that a German named Balm was looking for some relatives here in the times when the prairie was unbroken and covered with grass high as a horse, and when asked where he was going, said that he was looking for the "lost nation." H. V. Cook is said to have come over into this locality to buy stock from this same Balm when he settled here, to have searched for him one day and a part of the next before locating his cabin, and thus to have called it "lost nation." Again it is related that some hunters from Brook- field township looking over the western prairie from an eminence noted the little settlement of a few houses under the clump of oaks before mentioned. and said to his companions that there was a small nation down there. Reply was made that it must be a lost nation. This is a more satisfying theory than some of the others. It is also said that a hunting party was lost here, re- mained for some time, and named their camp "Lost Man Camp." Others state that the name was given because of the wild and somewhat inaccessible character of the region. Perhaps none of these theories is correct.
The station established by the Sabula, Ackley & Dakota in 1871 was named Lost Nation because the surrounding country had been long so called. Some years ago there was agitation among the people of the town to have the name changed, but this was firmly opposed by the older settlers, they rightly urging that, aside from the associations to them connected with the name, it was better to have a name which expressed a meaning, even though somewhat romantic, than one of the colorless names borne by the majority of American towns. And it seemed to them that the possession of such a name was a valuable asset to the town.
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Lost Nation was platted July 11, 1872, on section 26, township 83, range I, by Jacob E. Long and wife. The town has grown up about the station, has been a stock and grain shipping center for the township, and has grown to be a thriving town of about six hundred people.
The oldest house in the town is that in which Silas Scott and Ernest Ritterberg now live, built by Abe Gish. The first merchants were Lord & Dutt and L. M. David. D. D. Comstock was the proprietor of a store at Smithstown, and moved the building to Lost Nation.
Doctor Henderson, living at Smithstown, first administered to the medi- cal needs of the inhabitants. Doctor Boyd was the first resident physician, Doctors Wilbur, Miller and Brobst practiced in the town. Tom H. Milner, now a prominent lawyer of Belle Plaine, began practice here.
There are four churches in the town, the Catholic, Lutheran, Methodist and Reformed, for which see the chapter on Religious history. The Masons, Odd Fellows, Eastern Stars, and some insurance orders are represented. For the past three years the postoffice has been in the third class. Those who have held the office of postmaster are Guy Van Camp, J. N. Wood, F. M. Frazier, C. W. Comstock, Henry Dobling and R. M. Willard. There are two rural routes, one in Clinton county, twenty-five miles long, carried by A. M. Lillis, and one in Clinton and Jackson counties, twenty-nine miles long, carried by E. L. Yost.
In 1871, when the town began, Henry Clay Ford established a newspaper, the Lost Nation Chief, which continued for a short time. This paper was revived by H. L. Barter in the last of the eighties, and operated for a few years. The Lost Nation Chronicle has been edited at Lost Nation by R. M. Gable since 1896. The mechanical work of printing is done in the office of the Oxford Mirror, at Oxford Junction, but all the other work on the paper is done in Lost Nation. At a meeting of the Iowa Editorial Association it was found that Sharon township supported its local paper better than any township in the state, there being a larger number of subscribers in propor- tion to the number of inhabitants.
INCORPORATION.
Lost Nation was incorporated as a town in 1904. The following have served as mayors : L. Rutenbeck, Dr. W. F. Shelley, M. E. Laush, Fred Dan- iels, L. Ahrens, and E. T. Housh, the present incumbent. The present officers are E. T. Housh, mayor; C. W. Comstock, treasurer; A. L. Cook, clerk; M. E. Laush, assessor; Charles Kramer, marshal; council, Fred Rutenbeck, W. F. Becker, Elmer Hoff, J. L. Gardner and L. Rutenbeck.
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Since the time of incorporation the town has owned a small town hall, with a jail in connection. It is one of the few towns of its size in this part of the state to be lighted by electric lights. "Light and power are furnished · by the Daniels & Dobling Electric Light Company, and many motors are in use in the town, and the citizens in general show their appreciation of the service of the company by patronizing them. There is an electric grain elevator in operation here, by which cars of grain can be emptied very swiftly.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY.
Below is given what is believed to be a correct list of the persons engaged in business and professions in Lost Nation in 1910:
Doctors, M. F. McNeel and W. E. Keith; dentist, V. M. Wolfe; agricul- tural implements and hardware, Hoff Brothers, D. Kammer & Son; First National Bank, Citizens Bank (see Banking chapter) ; general dealers, J. E. Gilroy, L. Rutenbeck, Haak & Schultz; drugs, P. B. Shelley; furniture and undertaking, L. Balster; insurance and real estate, W. C. Rutenbeck; City Hotel, James De Vine; grain, James H. Phelps; lumber and coal, R. E. Cressey ; Coal, D. Kammer & Son; stock dealers, A. H. Gish & Son, M. J. Burnett, Appleton & Schoff; stock shippers and feeders, Edleman Brothers; meat markets, O. L. Piersoll, William Rutenbeck; feed mill, Henry Dobling; millinery, H. A. Gardner; livery, James Hughes; creamery stations, Oxford and G. W. Simpson creameries ; jeweler, R. M. Gable; Lost Nation Telephone Company ; garage, T. W. Stevenson; wagonmaker, J. D. Jenkins; ice plant; Opera House; Lost Nation Chronicle, R. M. Gable.
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CHAPTER XXII.
LIBERTY TOWNSHIP.
Liberty township consists of congressional township 82 north, range I east, is bounded on the north by Sharon township, on the west by Cedar county, on the south by Spring Rock township, and on the east by Berlin town- ship. The township was organized at the October session of the board of commissioners in 1844, and the first election held at the house of R. Bagley.
This township was settled earlier than some of its neighbors, as early settlers located close to the water of the rivers and the timber near them and Toronto Mills was for some time the most pretentious town in the western portion of the county. At the same time settlers were slow in taking up the prairie lands in the township, and the last of the government lands in the county were entered about 1854 here. The Wapsipinicon runs southeasterly through the township, dividing it diagonally, and the territory about it is somewhat broken, and was originally timbered, while the prairie portions are broadly rolling.
Among the early settlers were the Cortrights, Robert Smith, who was the first justice of the peace, R. Bagley, Whipple and Barnes, Alanson Dicker- son Burgoyne, the Shoemakers, George W. Thorne, Jesse Stine, James Devitt, Rea, Priest, James McAndrew, the Kanes, P. Moore, John R. Wolfe, and others. John R. Wolfe was probably the first to locate on the prairie, away from the timber. The northeastern portion of the township was mostly settled by Irish, the southwestern by Germans. The soil is fertile and the farmers are prosperous. John R. Wolfe was for many years the largest landholder and the Wolfes have large holdings at present.
It is worthy of note that this was one of the few townships to escape the draft during the Civil war, having furnished its quota by volunteers.
The main line of the Milwaukee & St. Paul, now a part of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul system, was built through the township, entering its southern portion about midway, curving to the west, and leaving the town- ship about midway of the western boundary. This road was built in 1871. There is a tradition to the effect that the road, now the main line of the Northwestern, would have come through Toronto had the proprietor of the
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