USA > Iowa > Clinton County > Wolfe's history of Clinton County, Iowa, Volume 1 > Part 28
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The schools have always been up to the standard in this township and the buildings and teachers of the best character. Of the schools and churches. see elsewhere in this work. There are no towns or villages within Hampshire township, owing to its proximity to the twin cities of Clinton and Lyon.
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CHAPTER XXVIII.
SPRING VALLEY TOWNSHIP.
This is the last township formed in Clinton county, it having been set off from what was originally called Lyons township, taking in all of the former township, aside from that within the corporate limits of the city of Lyons. This act of the board of supervisors bears date June 10, 1882. Its boundaries are given in the proceedings of the board in the chapter on County Government in this volume, hence will not appear in this connection. The township comprises about eleven sections of land and is north and west from the old city of Lyons, and has the Mississippi river for its eastern border, while to the north is Elk River township; to the west is Hampshire town- ship, with Lyons city for its southern boundary.
Of its early settlement, of course the reader will observe that this part of Clinton county was settled many years and decades prior to the organiza- tion of this township, hence has already been included in the early settlement of the townships from which it was taken. In many ways this is an excellent township, though somewhat cut up by the meanderings of the Mississippi, which forms its eastern line. There are, however, many valuable farms within its borders. It is traversed from north to south by the Milwaukee and Northwestern railway systems, but has no towns, depending upon Lyons and Clinton largely for market places.
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CHAPTER XXIX.
LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.
This is the next to the youngest civil township in Clinton county. It was organized, or rather erected, by an act of the board of county supervisors, December 16, 1870, and by them defined as follows: "Commencing at the east corner of section 36, township 82, ranges 6 and 7, thence two hundred and forty rods in section 1, township 81, thence west eighty rods in same sec- tion, thence south eighty rods, thence west eighty rods to the center of sec- tion 1, township 81, thence south on the quarter section line through sections 12 and 13 to intersection of Camanche township on the north. All the terri- tory being and laying west of the course above stated, to be erected into a township to be known as 'Lincoln.'"
This township contains about sixteen sections of land west of the city of Clinton, and is bounded on the north by Hampshire and Spring Valley, on the east by Clinton, south by Camanche and on the west by Center townships. Its several small streams, including Mill creek, flow to the southeast and finally empty into the Mississippi river. It was taken from Clinton and was before that in Lyons township. Its early history has been largely covered by that of other townships of which at one time it was a part. It was doubtless named after the lamented President who had been assassinated only six years before it was organized. Its first annual election was held in the autumn of 1871.
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CHAPTER XXX.
CAMANCHE TOWNSHIP.
This is one of the original civil sub-divisions of Clinton county, and for- merly embraced the larger part of Eden township. It is situated on the Mis- sissippi river, in the extreme southeastern part of the county, with Scott county for its southern border. It has had numerous changes in its boundary lines and extent of its domain, since its organization. As defined in April, 1841, by the county commissioners, it was one of the six townships in Clinton county. Its lines were then described as follows: "Commencing on the Mississippi river, on the south line of the second tier of sections in fractional township 81, range 7 east; thence in a direct west course until it arrives at the southeast corner of section 9, in range 4 east; thence south to the Wau- besepinicon river; thence to the Mississippi river, being the south line and the Mississippi river being the east line." This township began at the head of Beaver island and extended due west to where the city of De Witt now stands, and south of the Wapsipinicon, which also formed the county line. It then included present Camanche, part of Clinton and Lincoln and nearly all of Eden township, as well as a portion of De Witt township. As now (1910) constituted, this is one of the small townships in the county.
EARLY SETTLERS. ·
Those whose names should be recorded in local annals as pioneer settlers in this portion of Clinton county, as well as of the county itself, may be named these: Charles Bovard, Joseph Wilcoxen, Robert Welch, William D. Follett, Mr. Peoples, Aleck Dunn, John Dunn, Daniel Davidson, John Mathews, Samuel Lanning, Richard Crawshaw, Thomas Hudson, John Strahn, John Rempke (a hermit who lived near what was styled Rempke's Mill), Frank Ketchum, John Brophy, Robert C. Bourne, William Watts (Black Bill), and Aunt Hanna, Friend Russell's, Herman Shafto and a few more.
Really, the history of this township is almost identical with that of the village or town of Camanche. hence will not be repeated in this connection. It vies with other parts of Clinton county for its excellent agricultural re-
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sources, and is the scene of numerous happy farm homes and many a well tilled field.
CITY OF CAMANCHE.
Around this little town, though chartered as a "city," there clusters no little of interesting history. It is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi river, in sections 27, 33 and 34, of township 81, range 6 east. It lies high above the river, upon a charming natural building site. The water front of the old original place, where the bend in the majestic river is sharpest, is indeed one of rare beauty for the location of a town. The origin of Ca- manche was owing to the fact that, in 1836, Dr. George Peck was attracted to the "Black Hawk" country and for a time made his home with pioneer Elijah Buell, in what is now North Clinton, formerly Lyons. He was at- tracted to the fine situation of what he soon choose to name Camanche, which place he platted. In the winter of 1836-37 he walked to Chicago, where he offered his city lots for sale. He was far-seeing and liberal in that he offered to donate a lot to any mechanic who might locate in his newly platted city. One lawyer slipped in as a mechanic and received a deed for a lot, he claim- ing to be a shoemaker, but so well pleased was the townsite proprietor at the shrewdness of the limb of the law that he allowed him a ten-dollar re- tainer fee and let him remain in possession of the town lot.
Evidently Doctor Peck had great visions of the future greatness of his townsite, for the record shows that in his original platting there were no less than twenty ranges of lots of twenty blocks each, making a total of three thousand two hundred town lots. The streets were at right angles and wisely made one hundred feet in width. Of course the government land was not yet in market, and all he could do was to issue a quitclaim deed, subject to the government's approval.
In February, 1837, Franklin K. Peck, a son of the proprietor of Ca- manche, and a hired man made their appearance on the scene and at once · erected a log house from timber cut on the island nearby. It was a hewed structure, about eighteen by twenty feet in size, the first building of the place. It served as Clinton county's first hotel and there many of the home and land seekers were housed and fed. Soon afterwards it was sold to a Chicago man named Martin Dunning, who started a store in the building and thus became merchant number one in Camanche.
Pending the government sale of lands in 1845, the many lot owners de- cided to pool their interests by making up a purse by shares to furnish means with which to pay the government price. The pool was represented by E. M.
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Osborn as agent and at the sale he bought about three hundred acres. That year, 1845, the town was re-surveyed by August Brion, a French surveyor, who, in the absence of a surveyor's chain, used a wild grape vine. While the place was platted on a large scale, it did not thrive much, in fact went into decay until about 1851, when things began to brighten. Up to this time all the buildings, including the three-story building, were erected of logs and poles, some being clapboarded, with timber rived out, and roofed with the old- time "shake." From 1851 to 1856 may be considered the golden era for Camanche in many ways. There was a larger volume of trade at this point during this period than at any place in Clinton county. Grain and pork were hauled to Camanche from long distances, and even the people in the vicinity of Maquoketa found this the best trading place. . Among the other branches of business carried on at the Camanche of the fifties were a dozen or more dry goods stores. Among the number thus engaged may be recalled Bur- roughs, Prettyman & Pearsall and McIlvaine, Happer & Company. Two spacious hotels did a flourishing business at furnishing accommodations not only for the residents, who were not married many of them, but for the trav- eling public, made up largely of land speculators. These pioneer hotels were kept by Wilson Mudgett and Millard & Boyington. The hotels also ran livery barns in connection, and it is related how one of the proprietors of the last named hotel took his pay from a deadbeat who had remained a long time and then said he had no means with which to pay, by taking him out in the yard and severely whipping him, instead of taking the "check" the stranger had tendered him.
In 1851, the hobby of the city of Camanche was the much-talked-of Camanche & Council Bluffs railroad, the same to be an extension of the famous "Dixon Air Line" route. Lyons also wanted a hand in the great enterprise and Fulton likewise sought her share, too, hence the war was a merry and spirited one. The amount wanted to secure the road at Camanche was two hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Of this amount one hundred and fifty thousand dollars was subscribed. Men went wild over the scheme and even signed away all they possessed, believing that with a railroad they could soon reap great wealth. One very large land owner, P. P. Mudgett, had his pen in hand to sign one hundred thousand dollars to the railroad project, when his brother prevailed on him not to do so rash a thing.
Among the leading spirits in this enterprise were Gilbert Buckingham, of Albany, Illinois; John McIlvaine, Samuel Happer, of the same place, and, in Camanche, Horace Anthony, Dr. Ireland, Martin Dunning and T. C. Dyer.
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CROSSING THE MISSISSIPPI.
A ferry crossing was provided over the Mississippi in 1840, between Camanche and Albany, by David and Samuel Mitchell, under a license granted in Whiteside county, Illinois, bearing date of September 8, 1840. The same was also allowed on this side of the river by the county commis- sioners at the July, 1841, session. It was operated by horse power until 1850, when a steam ferry was purchased at Galena, Illinois. Later a much larger, more complete ferry-boat was provided by Messrs. Mitchell. This ferry-boat was operated until the great tornado of 1860, when it was totally destroyed. Then up to about 1876 only a skiff-ferry was obtained, until finally, about that date, a horse ferry was put into commission. The old ferry was the true gateway from the east to the far west, and thousands of the early settlers of central Iowa crossed the raging surface of the old Father of Waters at this point. Had one of the early-day railroad schemes been carried out, there would have been a bridge spanning the Mississippi at Camanche, and it would today have been the prosperous city seen in the san- guine dreams of the proprietor, Doctor Peck. As it was, other capitalists representing the Chicago, Iowa & Nebraska Railroad Company, got con- trol and the road was built, crossing at Clinton, where the bridge was finally constructed, and is now the double-tracked highway west to the Missouri and on to the far-away Pacific coast, via the Union Pacific railroad, completed in 1869.
To secure the Great Western railroad, the citizens of Camanche left no stone unturned. The vote for fifty thousand dollars in aid was carried by one hundred and twenty-five against nothing. This is indeed significant, for usually there are croakers in every community, but not so in loyal Camanche, where all pulled as one man. Had the road been constructed it would have cost every man, woman and child in Camanche four hundred dollars.
CAMANCHE AS THE COUNTY SEAT.
When, in 1840, Clinton county was organized, Camanche was designated as the county seat, and for a time nearly all the important business of this county was transacted there. This included commercial, judicial and political. But other localities grew jealous and in 1841 the county seat was changed to Vanderburg, now De Witt. It was then that Camanche commenced to see its finish as a place of much importance on the map of Iowa. Then, in 1860, came that terrible tornado which swept over the place, almost obliterating it
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from the face of the earth. (See a detailed account of it in the Miscellaneous chapter of this work.)
FIRST EVENTS AT CAMANCHE.
The first school taught at this place was in hired rooms in a private house and it was taught some time by various teachers. About 1838 was the date of the pioneer school taught by Anna Eliza Thomas, who later became the wife of Horace Root, who emigrated to Oregon. Mrs. Jane Mobbs, her sister, also taught later. Succeeding them, came Mrs. Sarah Root, Hannah Marks (Mrs. Robert Hogle, of Lyons). These were subscription schools.
The first newspaper at Camanche was the Camanche Chief, established in 1854 by Nates & Knapp. (See Press chapter for further newspapers.)
Rev. O. Emmerson, a pioneer home missionary, held religious services at Camanche at private houses. His home was at De Witt. A Methodist circuit rider, Rev. Barton H. Cartwright, of Jackson county, was among the early pioneers who proclaimed the doctrines of his church faith. See Re- ligious chapter for later ministers and denominations.
INCORPORATION HISTORY.
The city of Camanche was incorporated by act of the Iowa Legislature, January 28, 1857, having a special charter. It was signed by Governor Grimes and Samuel McFarland, speaker of the House, W. W. Hamilton, president of the Senate, and Elijah Sells, secretary of state. This charter was adopted by the people in March, 1857. The following were the first city officials : Dr. A. B. Ireland, mayor ; O. A. Anthony and Isaac Hess, aldermen, first ward; E. M. Ward and A. N. Lettig, second ward; S. Hyman was the recorder, Samuel Doolittle, treasurer, Robert Miller, marshal, and S. F. Dil- lon, assessor. The first meeting of the city council was held April 22, 1857. The following have served as mayors of Camanche: 1857, A. B. Ireland; 1858, Thomas W. J. Long; 1859, A. B. Ireland; 1860, William Botsford; 1861-2, S. F. Dillon; 1863, S. Hyman; 1864, George B. Young; 1865, E. G. Butcher ; 1866. H. W. Smith; 1867-8, E. G. Butcher; 1869-70, A. T. An- thony ; 1871-5, William R. Hart; 1876, S. Hyman ; 1877, J. H. Smith; 1878, J. B. Hoadley ; 1879, John Hart: 1880, A. P. Barker; 1881, L. R. Heilman; 1882, George Miller; 1883-4, W. H. Hoyt; 1885-92, C. N. Pierce; 1893, C. C. Judd; 1894-95, Henry Schlottman; 1896, J. H. Smith; 1897-98, C. C. Judd; 1899-1900, Homer Hunt : 1901-02, F. Horn ; 1903-04, C. B. Roman; 1905.
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A. J. Nichols; 1906-07-08, C. B. Roman; 1909, L. O. Beans; 1910, H. L. Steele.
The officers of the city at this date, August, 1910, are: Mayor, H. L. Steele; recorder, C. C. Judd; treasurer, E. G. Cady; marshal, Mathew Cole- man : aldermen-first ward, G. Goddard, Otto Lucke; second ward, Charles Huganin, James Platt; third ward, Edward Bodie, Earl Kirk. The city uses the same small council room it has occupied for the last twenty years.
It will be observed that no city officers were elected in 1861. The disas- trous tornado and the worst storm of the opening years of the great civil war so depleted the ranks of the male citizens that the old mayor held over by common consent.
WHARFMASTER.
In the days of prosperous steamboating, the office of wharfmaster was one of no little importance, hence the names of some are here subjoined : I. Stoutenburg, 1858; T. C. Dyer, 1859; William Botsford, 1860; E. G. Butcher, 1861 ; O. A. Anthony, 1863; Asa Perkins, 1864; William Buck, 1865; J. H. Mudgett, 1866; M. Romahn, 1867; John Brenkman, 1868; M. Romahn, 1869; P. G. Monroe, 1870; W. W. Skiff, 1871; same in 1872; Peter Kruse, 1873-75; A. J. Romahn, 1876; J. B. Wiley, 1877; P. G. Mon- roe, 1878; S. Hyman, 1879.
EARLY BUSINESS INTERESTS OF CAMANCHE.
Camanche's earliest business factor was Martin Dunning, of the Chicago firm of Dunning & Martin. Mr. Dunning came to Camanche in 1836, haul- ing his stock of general merchandise in wagons. This firm continued in trade several years and erected the first grist mill in Clinton county, which mill was but a short distance above the town site. It was propelled by the waters of Mill creek. Later this pioneer merchant, Mr. Dunning, engaged in the bank- ing business and died at Camanche in 1875.
Charles Darrow also commenced merchandising at this point in 1836, and was succeeded by the well-known firm of McIlvaine, Harper & Company.
Joseph W. Waldorf was another pioneer merchant of the place. In 1858 he erected a large brick block, a portion of which stood a quarter of a century as a memento of his enterprise as well as a monument to the terrible tornado of 1860, the building being badly demolished by that fierce windstorm.
The hotel keepers included David Loy and John Smith; E. M. Osborn carried on the cabinet business and Doctor Manning was the family doctor of the place.
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Coming down to 1878, it is learned from an old historical record, that the following, with some others, were engaged in business at Camanche: W. R. Anthony & Company, saw mills and lumber dealers; V. R. Benham & Com- pany, general dealers; Thomas Cutter, stoves and tinware; Chamberlain & Carpenter, hardware and groceries; J. H. Gosch, general dealer; L. R. Heila- man, farm implements; S. Hyman, grain dealer; Charles Judd, dealer in pumps; A. F. Ketchum, fruit grower; T. W. J. Long, lawyer; Peter Muhs, druggist; Frank Rice, of the Phoenix Flouring Mills; H. W. Smith, attor- ney ; A. R. Strangham, of the New Haven House.
THE PRESENT BUSINESS INTERESTS.
In August, 1910, the following handled the business interests at Ca- manche: Physician, Dr. A. Chenoweth ; general dealers, E. G. Cady; grocery and hardware, C. L. Pierce & Son; dry goods, Mrs. A. Hogg; Joseph H. Mc- Kenrich, meat market; William Hammon, flouring mills; C. L. Pierce, drug- gist; C. C. Judd, pumps and windmills; button factory by Hans Holmes; Charles Roman, cement block works.
It was expected that Camanche would receive a new lease of business life by securing the Iowa & Illinois electric railroad a few years ago, when that company surveyed the line through the place, but later developments proved that they were not to be included on the line which runs between Clinton and Davenport.
The Clinton people erected a handsome club house here, a few years ago, but later it was converted into a sanitarium and now is used for dwelling purposes.
The lodges of Camanche are the Masons and Woodmen, other orders having gone down with the passing years of the town's history. The churches are the Methodist and Baptist denominations (see Religious History chapter).
The only special industry found now at Camanche is the pearl button, or clam-shell industry, which at certain seasons is quite brisk. At one time the chief industry was the lumber mills, that of W. R. Anthony alone em- ploying upwards of two hundred workmen. This plant was destroyed by fire in 1893.
There was, before prohibition days in Iowa, a large distillery at Ca- manche. So it may be said that the town has been thwarted in almost every attempt at getting on in the business world-first the early-day railroad fail- ures; then the tornado; then the result of Civil War; then fires, and state laws working against her interests, etc.
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POSTOFFICE HISTORY.
Camanche is still a fourth class office, with one rural delivery route running to the surrounding country, a twenty-five mile route, established in 1902. This office has been presided over by the following, with possibly a few other persons, about war days, and whose names cannot now be ob- tained : Oscar Anthony, Ed. Butcher, G. Van Devere, George Young, many years postmaster; Cynthia Miller, 1883; Fred Horne appointed in 1903 and Mrs. Kate Miller since 1903 to the present date.
BURGLARS AT CAMANCHE.
Camanche has not escaped the excitement occasioned by law-breakers. In 1847, Dunning & Monroe's store was unlawfully entered and after the thieves took what plunder they fancied, they left a note stating as follows : "The balance of these goods are marked so high that we cannot dispose of them without a ruinous sacrifice and fear it will break us up."
Then after Mr. Dunning had engaged in the banking business, and on the night of August 9, 1866, his dwelling house was broken into and with masked faces the bold robbers bound each inmate and took Mr. Dunning to his bank building, where, under threat of death, they compelled him to unlock his safe and witness the taking of about nine thousand dollars, which amount was never recovered, notwithstanding months of search was made for the burglars.
A way-station in this township, on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific railway, is known as Shafton. It is of little commercial importance.
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CHAPTER XXXI.
EDEN TOWNSHIP.
What is now known as Eden civil township was at first included in Camanche precinct, but in 1856 was organized as a separate subdivision of Clinton county. In many ways this is one of the finest sections in all this excellent county. It is less than a congressional township in its area and in- cludes portions of townships 80 north, range 5 east, and 81 north, ranges 4 and 5 east, but its principal area is in township 81 north, range 5 east.
It is situated south of Center township; west of Lincoln and Camanche townships; to the south is the county line between Clinton and Scott counties, while on its western borders are Washington and De Witt townships. The Chicago & Northwestern railway wends its way through the south part of the township, on its course from east to west, with good station points at both Low Moor and Malone. It is a well watered and highly productive township, perhaps more truly fertile than the Eden mentioned in the Scrip- tures. Besides the Wapsipinicon, that washes the south tiers of sections. it has Brophy creek. Much attention has been paid for thirty years to the raising of stock and there are today many of the finest farm homes in Iowa to be seen in this goodly township.
PIONEER SETTLERS.
To have been a pioneer in such a township in Iowa as is Eden today, was indeed no small honor. Among the band who endured the disadvantages of that early day may be recalled such men as James D. Bourne, Robert C. Bourne. John and Thomas Brophy (from whom the beautiful creek was named), William Sheldon, J. D. and William A. Davidson, who first entered the Cherrywood farm; Jonathan Waterbury, of section 4, township 80, range 5 east; William Simpson, who settled on the farm later known as the Payne place : William TenEyck, John Maxson, a surveyor, who located on the place later owned by R. J. Dannatt; William Cope and several others whose names have gone from memory.
It was in 1851 that the English settlers came into Eden township in good- ly numbers. Among these were Samuel Dannatt, and sons Benjamin, Thomas
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and Humphrey, George Hardy, George Hill, and son Thomas; also George Pearson and his sons Henry and George. A little later came Thomas B. Dannatt, John B. Dannatt and C. B. Dannatt, John Tate and sons William, Thomas and Charles, William Canty and George Houston; William Richard- son, and sons William, Thomas and Amos. These nearly all came from the village of Killingholme, Lincolnshire, England, bringing capital with them. They purchased the original claimholders' interests and engaged in scientific and highly successful agricultural pursuits. The farms they developed had fine houses, barns and broad, well-tilled farm lands-models of the county.
The first school building in the township was a log structure raised in 1849, and stood upon the farm of Peter Hill in the Union district, which comprised about the entire township. By 1878 the township was supplied with Iowa's regulation number of schools, nine.
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