USA > Iowa > Clinton County > Wolfe's history of Clinton County, Iowa, Volume 1 > Part 27
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mills granted them half the mill privileges and other demands which he thought exorbitant, but other authority is to the effect that the road had no intention of passing through the village.
TORONTO.
George W. Thorne was the first to locate at Toronto, and built a saw- mill there in 1844, a grist-mill in 1846, and in 1850 started a store. These mills were the only ones in the country for miles around, and Toronto, so named because Mr. Thorn had been formerly a resident of Toronto, Canada, became the business and social center of the surrounding country. The town was platted July 5, 1853, by Mr. Thorn, on a part of the southwest quarter of section 17, towriship 82, range I. Jesse Stine, later an attorney of Wheat- land, was a partner of Mr. Thorn's from 1854 to 1865, and during that time they sold forty thousand dollars to fifty thousand dollars worth of goods per year.
George W. Thorn sold his famous mill to John Heller about 1868, who about ten years later sold to David O. Kidd, for thirty years its proprietor. Mr. Kidd sold to F. H. Pieper & Company, who had been its owner but a short time when it was destroyed by fire, April 19, 1909, and this old land- mark removed from the eyes of men. Two men, Messrs. Thorn and Kidd, had each operated the mill long enough to acquire much of reputation as its proprietor.
Cortright Brothers were merchants at Toronto from 1854 to 1869, and then sold to Hoskin & Dickinson, who failed in two years. B. A. E. Davidson opened a store in 1856, ran about three years, and failed. In 1867 Hugh Forbes established a store. which E. P. Simmons later bought. In about 1893 Ed Hart, Sr., bought out Simmons, remained in business for about two years and then turned it over to his son and son-in-law, and this store is now carried on by his sons. The first hotel was established by Mr. Jenks in 1853.
There is one church, the Catholic, at which everyone is made free to worship. No doctor is at present located at Toronto, but Doctors Cook and Miller were formerly residents.
The Farmers Cooperative Creamery, established in 1900, has since done a very prosperous business and has been a great advantage to the surrounding country.
The first postmaster was Jesse Stine. He has been succeeded by George W. Thorn, Sr., George W. Thorn, Jr., Ed. P. Simmons, George W. Thorn, Jr., Ed Hart, Jr., G. W. Mowry, and M. B. Hart, the present incumbent.
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The Eastern Stars and some insurance lodges are represented.
The business interests of 1910 are represented as follows: Agricultural implements, coal, F. H. Pieper; general dealers and coal, Hart & Hart; grain, B. C. Horstmann ; lumber, J. O. Devitt ; stock dealers, O. C. Mowry, Herman Endorf; livery, John Miller, Conrad Endorf; Excelsior Hotel, Mrs. Jacobs; Farmers' Cooperative Creamery, Herbert Morey, president, Ed Hart, Jr., secretary.
Toronto was incorporated as a town in May, 1909. The officers elected then, who are still serving, were: Mayor, O. C. Mowry; treasurer, J. O. De- vitt; clerk, D. O. Kidd; assessor, M. B. Hart; marshal, August Willard; council, Al Conway, N. J. Edwards, M. G. Yale, William Hunter and F. H. Pieper.
A town building of cement blocks, sixteen by thirty-two, has just been completed, with a jail in connection, probably the most secure in the county. The streets are macadamized, and the town is proud of River View park, which has an opera house and dance hall in connection. The town has never grown very fast, and has not more than a hundred inhabitants, but lately a wave of building activity has struck it, along with most Clinton county towns.
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CHAPTER XXIII.
BERLIN TOWNSHIP,
Berlin was formerly included in the township of Olive, and was sepa- rated and erected into a new township in February, 1856. The first election was held the first Monday in April, 1856, in Spark's school house.
The township comprises congressional township 82 north, range 2 east, and is bounded on the north by Brookfield township, west by Liberty town- ship. south by the townships of Olive and Orange, and east by Welton. The eastern portion of the township is high prairie land, very fertile, while the lower southwestern portion has some wet lands. The northeastern portions contiguous to Brookfield and Welton townships were covered sparsely with groves. Many large county ditches in the low lands in the southwest drained, at a comparatively early time, many swamps and reclaimed their rich soil.
Among the early settlers may be mentioned Thomas Flathers, Michael Hughes and his sons Richard and Michael L., Joseph Russell, Matthias Hoff- man, Charles Sherwood. W. Hiersche, Rudolph Hiersche. G. M. Gohlman, for many years the largest landholder. Mr. Correll and his sons Daniel and Abraham, James R. Risley, John Hyde and Governor Nowels. Berlin has been represented on the board of supervisors by Messrs. Flathers and Hyde, by Mr. Flathers as county surveyor, Mr. Sherwood was many years drainage commissioner. when that office was of great importance, Daniel Correll. the one-armed veteran, was county recorder, and other of her citizens have served the county faithfully.
There has never been a village of any size in the township. For many years there was a postoffice at Bliedorn. and this was a rural trading center. The trade of the township was formerly given to Maquoketa and De Witt, but now Grand Mound and Lost Nation get a large percentage of it.
This township was among the later settled ones, and is now held in com- paratively small farms, though there are a good many large landholders. The population bears a large admixture of German and Irish elements, with a fair proportion of those of American descent.
Although not possessing a town, the inhabitants of the township have not lacked for church and school facilities, and especially in the latter are well cared for.
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CHAPTER XXIV.
WELTON TOWNSHIP.
The township of Welton comprises nearly all of township 82 north, range 3 east, the eastern half of sections 24 and 25 and sections 34, 35 and 36 being included in De Witt township. It is bounded on the north by Bloomfield township, west by Berlin township, south by Orange and De Witt townships, and east by De Witt and Washington townships. The township was organ- ized in March, 1858, and the first election held in the Walrod school house, the first Monday in April, 1858. With the exception of Lincoln and Spring Valley, organized many years later, this was the last township organized, and its territory was taken from Bloomfield and De Witt townships. In topog- raphy the township is intermediate between the almost level lands of Eden and the more steeply rolling regions to the north and west. The soil is fertile and well suited to corn.
One of the earliest settlers of the township was a negro, name unknown, who settled on a small stream tributary to Silver creek long enough to give to it the name Nigger creek, which it has since borne.
Silver creek runs southeasterly through the central portion of the town- ship and was skirted by some timber in early days. The northwestern part of the township was of the sort known as barrens, oak-openings of scattered timber; there was a piece of timber known from the first settler there as Wright's Grove. The remainder of the township was rolling prairie when settled, but has, as is true in all the prairie regions of Clinton county, now many trees growing about the houses and along farm lines, etc., set by the earlier settlers, so that now the traveler cannot distinguish the original prairie country from the country east of the Mississippi, once wooded, but later cleared for farming purposes. In fact, in many regions, the prairie settler's spade has planted many more trees, today thriving and vigorous, than the eastern settler's axe left standing on his farm.
Among the earlier settlers were Erastus Wright, Washington Wright. who settled Wright's Grove, David Cass, John Walrod, N. N., John, and Michael Walrod. his sons, Abram Walrod second, and Charles Wickwire.
In 1850 an Englishman named Shepherd came to this county as the agent of a colony of English artisans, to locate their lands for them. He liked
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the region of this township and located a large tract. When the colony arrived, they commenced to build a village about one and a half miles north of the present station, which they called Welton. Each member had forty acres of land and two town lots. A number of buildings were erected in- cluding a hotel, shops, stores and dwellings. For a time the village flourished. But the men were all trained to mechanical employments, were tailors, book- binders, painters, etc., did not especially well understand farming, and did not find the farmer's life attractive, so scattered over the country, return- ing to their trades. Christopher Buck was the only one of the original col- ony remaining in the vicinity in 1879. A Mr. Skinner, a furrier, moved to Clinton and still lives and plies his trade there. The town was a postoffice on the old stage road, and among the postmasters were J. F. Johnson, and Doctor Wright, a veterinary surgeon. Among early residents of the original Welton were the Sellers, Wrights, Johnsons and Candills. Perhaps the town would have grown after the original settlers left, had the railroad not passed so far to the southward. As it is, it has entirely disappeared, leaving but a memory in the minds of the older residents, and the name borne by the town- ship and two present villages, as a monument to the designs of its founders.
The Seventh-Day Baptists settled in the community and organized a church in 1855. The village of North Welton, about half a mile northwest of the station at Welton, is peopled by their sect. For the history of their church and community, see the account in the chapter on religious history, written by Deacon J. O. Babcock. They have proved themselves very worthy citizens of the county.
WELTON.
When the Davenport & St. Paul railway was built they located a station near the Seventh-Day Baptist settlement and called it Welton. The present town of Welton has grown up about the station. Probably William Lambert- son was the first merchant to locate here, and at about the same time George Wallace, of De Witt, set up a store. He was succeeded by Irons & Perrine, for many years in business, and they by Haney Brothers.
Doctor Rogers was the first doctor to locate; others who succeeded him were C. C. Lambert, of Low Moor, W. C. Post, of Maquoketa, and J. J. Knepper. Dr. J. D. Watson is located at Welton now.
Frank Thornton, of Thornton & Coffey, and Toedt Brothers have been for some years identified with the town, Mr. Thornton being one of the earlier merchants. Capt. N. G. Clement was one of the earliest postmasters. The postoffice was established about the same time as the station, and probably
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Demis Perrine was the first postmaster at the present office. He was suc- ceeded by Frank Thornton, Pat Donegan, I. W. Knight, Jerry Donegan, J. G. Walrod and Maud Knight, the present incumbent. A rural free delivery route, twenty-five miles long, in Clinton county, was established in 1904. I. J. Cooper is the carrier.
The town was incorporated in March, 1908. J. C. Wulf has been mayor since that time. The other officers at present are W. M. Wulf, clerk; Charles Toedt, assessor ; J. C. Cornwall, treasurer ; council, Theodore Schneden, John Coffey, Louis Toedt, Bert A. Jenkins and Dr. J. D. Watson. The town has cement walks and crossings and improved streets. In the last few years a spirit of building has possessed its inhabitants and several brick business houses and good dwellings have been erected. The Methodists have had a congre- gation and church for many years, and the Catholics are erecting a handsome edifice. Probably there are not over one hundred persons in the village of Welton, aside from North Welton, but the atmosphere is that of progress.
Welton was platted shortly after the establishment of the station, in the northwest quarter of the southeast quarter of section 15, township 82, range 3, by Nicholas N. and Polly B. Walrod, March 28, 1871.
BUSINESS DIRECTORY, 1910.
Agricultural implements, W. M. Toedt; agricultural implements and hardware, Dickman & Ohlerich; general dealers, Toedt Brothers, Thornton & Coffey ; hotel and dance hall, M. Stephenson; hotel, Mrs. Mary McMahon; grain and coal, G. A. Rands; lumber and coal, J. C. Wulf; stock dealers, M. J. Hughes, W. M. Wulf; meat market, W. M. Wulf; harness shop, Frank T. Arrington; Welton Mutual Telephone Company; branch of John Newmann Creamery, F. G. Irons, manager; Hansen Cold Storage Company, station ; Farmers & Merchants Bank (see banking chapter).
Welton township has a population at this time composed mostly of per- sons of German and Irish descent, the Irish living more in the eastern part, the Germans in the west and southwest.
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CHAPTER XXV.
WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP.
Washington township, named for the "Father of his Country," comprises one of the central sub-divisions of Clinton county. It is bounded on the north by Waterford township; on the east by Eden and Center townships; on the south by De Witt township and on the west by Welton and De Witt. It is the north half and the southeast quarter and sections 21 and 28 of township 82, range 4, and the north half of sections 1, 2 and 3, in township 81, range 4.
It dates its organization from March 15, 1856, the first election being held at the house of Joel King in April of the year named. At that time it contained a full congressional township, but later a portion was allotted to De Witt township. Though the original timber district of this township, the land is somewhat broken. The timber had mostly been used for fencing and fuel by 1878. On such lands the owners have grubbed out and cleared up many fine, but small farms. The prairie portion of Washington is some- what rolling, but all good for farm purposes. The Germans have taken a large per cent of this township. The Irish people commenced to come in about 1850. A Catholic church was erected and a large colony came to settle here, as it seemed about all the available land that could be had at that time at government prices.
EARLY SETTLERS.
Among the hardy pioneers who first set foot on this soil for the express purpose of making for themselves comfortable homes, were: Elias Stallcup. Jerry Dingwell, John Smith, O. W. Denham, whose place is now the seat of the county poor farm, Washington Stallcup. George Benton. John Brogan. Christopher McGinn, Thomas O'Toole, John Cavanaugh, H. M. White, Bur- rell Bassett and John Southers, who came in 1851, when they found the country covered with Indian wigwams, on section II, where Southers located. Old Campo, a half-breed French-Indian, spent the winter with them and in 1852 went to California with Bassett. Other settlers were Thomas Wilson. Joseph Stone, George Farrell, Barney Flannery, John Lawler, Patrick Lawler, Daniel Lawler, Michael Trimble, James Harkins, the Burkes, the Cassadys and Patrick Shannon.
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The farms are not so large, but as well cultivated as in any part of the county. From an old history it is learned that in 1878 there were no paupers within this township and all were prosperous and contented with their lot. The Catholic church predominated there and in 1875 Father McCormic was instrumental in forming what was known as St. Patrick's Total-Abstinence Temperance Society, at Center Grove. At first they used the church, but later erected a large hall in which they met. The number who took the pledge was about one hundred. They owned a fine, large circulating library and all in all they were greatly blessed by this temperance wave.
Washington township was mostly settled up with thrifty farmers whose sons and daughters today in many cases are reaping the harvest from the good seed sown in the sixties and seventies. There are no towns or villages within this township, but they are to be found on almost every hand around them. It is a township of schools and churches and a contented populace, including many of our best citizens.
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CHAPTER XXVI.
CENTER TOWNSHIP.
Center township comprises township 82 north, range 5 east, and sections I to 6 and II and 12 in township 81 north, range 5 east. It is bounded on the north by Deep Creek township, west by Washington and De Witt town- ships, south by Eden and Camanche townships, and east by Lincoln and Hampshire townships.
Center township was organized in March, 1852, and the first election was held in April, at the house of Jacob Lepper. It then included all of Washing- ton and a part of what is now De Witt. Subsequently its boundaries were modified more than once, the last change being made in 1856, when Washing- ton was organized. Its surface is gradually rolling, with steeper slopes in the north, and most gentle in the neighborhood of Elvira. Although ad- mirably supplied with water for agriculture and pasturing, there are no large streams in the township. Originally it was fairly well timbered, and there were many deer until 1856.
The gentle slopes and great fertility of the soil caused this township to be settled fairly early by an industrious and thrifty class of settlers, and it was long considered the garden township of the county and certainly is cov- ered with farms hard to surpass in Iowa for beauty of location and fertility.
Several claims were located before 1850. In 1851 Adam Kelly, well known for years in the county, settled near Elvira. At that time there was only one house, the Bohart place, between there and Camanche, and only one resident on the road to Lyons, Daniel Earhart. Henry Winters, W. E. Leffingwell, N. S. Warren and Jacob Lepper were living toward the north- west, in or near Center Grove, the point near which the first settlements were made. Lewis Buckhead lived where Sam Kelly afterwards resided, and held a very large claim, which was soon divided. Shortly afterward the Thiessens, Ahrens, Kinkaids, Kellogs, Ingwersens, Travers and Rices came in. J. C. Rice, born in 1817, now ninety-three, living at Elvira, is probably the oldest resident of the township and one of the oldest settlers living, having come to Iowa in 1849, and settled near Elvira in the early fifties. At that time there were many immigrants passing through the region, and taverns for im- migrants were kept by Henry Winters and Jake Lepper. These two men
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were rivals, and the latter fixed a sign at the cross roads stating that the best stopping place was on the northern road at his house, displaying an ad- vertising genius uncommon in those days.
From 1852 to 1857 were the years in which Center received the greater number of immigrants, most of them substantial citizens, who developed the naturally rich country. The southern portion was settled by American, English, Irish and Germans, and their descendants live there today in about the same proportions; the northern portion has from the first been strongly German. The richest and best farms are found in the south and southeast. The settlers of Center did not undergo many hardships as they were near markets.
The palmy and prosperous days of Center were those of the Calico rail- road. Work on that enterprise was active through the township where much grading was done and the traces of the cuts are yet to be seen. It is said that five hundred men were camped in the neighborhood of Elvira, Jacob Lepper's brick tavern, the first on the stage road, saw prosperity, the Suffolk postoffice, the first established, was crowded with mail, Elvira was laid out, the plat covering one hundred and sixty acres, the station located, and prepa- rations made for the growth of a city. But operations ceased suddenly, and a good monument and fitting to the enterprise is a cut, the marks of which are now visible, which was started into a hill, but ceased before a third of the way through. There were then probably more people in the township than at any time since, for besides the transient workers on the grading, the groves were settled by persons who took up small claims of from ten to thirty acres, and these were soon bought up by the more well-to-do immigrants and made into large farms. So that though the township is vastly more rich than ever, its population was probably greatest soon after settlement.
One thing remarkable is the peacefulness of the township, there scarcely ever being a lawsuit, and during the past forty years less than half of the men elected to the offices of justice of the peace and constable have qualified, as there was no need of their services.
ELVIRA.
Elvira had its beginnings in Calico days. Probably the first man to en- gage in business there was one Croft, who kept a saloon and lodging house for the convenience of the laborers.
The town was platted October 30, 1854, on section 34, township 82, by the county surveyor, Amos Mathews. The original plat contained one hun-
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dred and sixty acres, but has been vacated until the present platted portion consists of but twelve acres. The town is not incorporated, and at present contains about forty inhabitants. The name of Elvira was given by W. H. Gibbs, the owner of the site, when the town was platted, in honor of his wife. The earliest stores were those of Hinman and Allen, the latter kept by one Huntington, and they did a very brisk trade with the newcoming settlers about the years 1855 to 1857. Elvira sent her share of soldiers to the war, and it was singular that several of the Elvira men were killed in their first battle, thus early bringing mourning to the little village.
Judge Cotton and R. A. Lyons succeeded in having a postoffice estab- lished at Elvira in 1865. The first postmaster was Jesse Travers, who was succeeded by Nathan E. Brooks, he by the Rev. B. F. Hill, who kept it a short time; he by August Hansen, B. R. Bohart, and Ed Rederer, who was in charge when the postoffice was removed in 1907, and the mail supplied by rural routes. These men, excepting Rev. Hill, were merchants in the village, and the last three were tavern keepers. Elvira had a large region tributary to it and before the days of rural free delivery handled a large amount of mail for a rural postoffice, more than many of the railroad towns.
There are two churches in Elvira, the United Presbyterian, whose present building was erected in 1872, and the Lutheran, erected in 1865. (For these see chapter on religious history.)
The Elvira cemetery, in charge of Harry Rodefer, contains three acres. It is a union cemetery, used by the people of both churches, and is one of the neatest and best kept in the county, containing several fine monuments.
The following are the present business interests : General store and hotel, John B. Ashpole; general store and meat market, Fred Birkill; stock buyer, Will Seamer; doctor, A. K. Gifford. A central station of the De Witt Tele- phone Company is in charge of M. J. Myers. Jerry Otto is the present black- smith.
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CHAPTER XXVII.
HAMPSHIRE TOWNSHIP.
Hampshire township was organized February 20, 1857, the first election being held at the Hess school house the first Monday in April, 1857. Its ter- ritory was somewhat changed by the formation of the more recently formed township of Spring Valley. Originally, it comprised congressional township 82 north, range 6 east, except the south half of the southern tier of sections, which were included in Clinton and Lincoln townships.
The township was largely settled by the German and Irish people, who did not seek large estates, but preferred smaller tracts and then worked what they had with greater profit. Many of the earliest settlers in Clinton county, went over this strip of land, not counting it good, as the timber was scarce, and they went on farther to the west; but they were in error, for the beautiful prairie lands in this township have proven the most productive and valuable in the county. In 1875 there was left only about two thousand seven hundred acres of unimproved land within Hampshire township and that was soon taken up.
Among those who should be known in history as "first settlers" were Robert Horner, Charles Finch, J. J. Determan, Henry Determan, John Hamilton, B. Mclaughlin, Mr. Lillie, G. W. Creveling, George Pearce, E. Albright, Albert Hammond, Asa Hammond, Mr. Blessington and four sons, the Mannings, Mr. Bouck, the Keelers, Mr. Ryder, the Diercks, Nicholas :Shwartz, the Stuedemans, George and Chester Baker, James Dolan, Martin Dolan, James Rogan and Mr. Kessler.
With the failure of the old-time "Calico" proposed railway, their town- ship lost its last chance for a railroad, but such highways were constructed up and down the country, with station points at Lyons and Clinton, hence markets were near by.
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