USA > Illinois > Mercer County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 116
USA > Illinois > Henderson County > History of Mercer and Henderson Counties : together with biographical matter, statistics, etc > Part 116
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95 | Part 96 | Part 97 | Part 98 | Part 99 | Part 100 | Part 101 | Part 102 | Part 103 | Part 104 | Part 105 | Part 106 | Part 107 | Part 108 | Part 109 | Part 110 | Part 111 | Part 112 | Part 113 | Part 114 | Part 115 | Part 116 | Part 117 | Part 118 | Part 119 | Part 120 | Part 121 | Part 122 | Part 123 | Part 124 | Part 125 | Part 126 | Part 127 | Part 128 | Part 129 | Part 130 | Part 131 | Part 132 | Part 133 | Part 134 | Part 135
THOMAS ANDREW HOWARD was born in Lewis county, Missouri, July 27, 1841. His father, Thomas Howard, was born in Hardin county, Kentucky, May 16, 1807. His grandfather, Thomas Howard, was a native of Scotland. His mother, Martha Jane Ashbangh, was born July 29, 1811. She was the daughter of Joseph Ashbaugh, a native of Germany, and a potter by trade, who emigrated to this country and settled in Nelson county, Kentucky. Our subject grew to manhood at Monticello, Missouri, and received a common school edu- cation. After attaining his majority he drove stage for two years, and. in 1866 he came to Henderson county, stopping near Raritan. He married Louisa Morton, of Canton, Missouri. She was a native of Ohio, and the daughter of Gilky and Sarah (Slater) Morton. They have eight children, seven of whom are living: Leonidas B., born September 6, 1868 ; Claudius E., born September 25, 1869 ; Corrie Leonore, born December 3, 1871 ; Thomas M., born July 21, 1873 ; Charles W., born October 14, 1875 ; Maurice and Marion, twins, born
1209
HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.
September 1, 1878 ; Joseph Cyrus, born June 22, 1881. Marion died November 1, 1879. Mr. Howard is now clerk of the school board of his district.
John Pence, the father of the subject of our sketch, was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, January 12, 1803. He was raised as a farmer and mechanic, and educated in the common schools. March 4, 1829, he married Miss Hannah Pence. In 1838 he removed to Illinois, landing at Shokokon June 2, and moved into a log cabin on Sec. 11, T. S, R. 6. They were the parents of six children : Robert, Philip, Susan Ann, Harriet, Louisa and Anna Belle. Mr. Pence died April 12, 1860 ; Mrs. Pence died March 22, 1861. ROBERT PENCE grew to manhood among the pioneers of the county, and was married December 11, 1862, to Miss Anna Howard, daughter of Thomas and Betty Howard. She was born in England, and while yet a mere child her parents came to America and settled in New York. They emi- grated to Henderson county in 1856, where she was met and won by Robert Pence. They have ten children : James Robert, born January 25, 1864 ; Thomas Lee, born March 10, 1865 ; Estella May, born March 1, 1867; Philip Edward, born December 28, 1869; Charles Henry, born December 18, 1871; Harriet Ann, born November 13, 1873 ; Martha Jane, born August 16, 1875 ; Orville Foster, born August 4, 1877; Olive Blanche, born June 11, 1879; Harry Franklin, born Jannary 25, 1882. Mr. Pence now resides on the old homestead.
CHARLES SPARROW was born in Oxfordshire, England, in 1828. He is the son of William Sparrow. His mother's maiden name was Porter. His father was a native of Suffolk. In 1842 the young Charles came to America, first stopping at Burlington, Iowa, where, on December 17, 1846, he was married to Mary Foster Darbyshire, by birth an Englishwoman, having been born to John and Jane Darby- shire, in London. They became the parents of seven children, six of whom are yet living, the other dying quite young : Lutetia, now the wife of John F. King, Shenandoah, Iowa, was born April 28, 1848; Sarah E., now the wife of Samuel Leek, of Grenola, Kansas, born July 10, 1850; William S., who married Miss Ida Sweigert, born October 28, 1852; Martha Ann, born May 27, 1858; Albert C., born May 6, 1862 ; and Edward T., born February 28, 1864, yet remain at home with their father. Mrs. Sparrow died July 11, 1877. Mr. Sparrow came to this country with nothing, but he now owns a well improved farm of 420 acres in T. 8, R. 6.
JOHN W. CLUFF, Dallas City, born in Lexington, Kentucky, April 1, 1813, and with his parents soon after removed to Pike county, Ohio. His parents were Reuben and Catherine Cluff. He was reared on a
1210
HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
farm and received very little education. January 23, 1836, he wedded Miss Anna Jarman, daughter of James Jarman, of Pike county, Ohio. In 1843 he removed to Peoria county, Illinois, and from there to Hen- derson county in 1852, settling in T. S, R. 6, near where he now lives. He is the father of eight children, three daughters and five sons: Reuben, Isaac, Catherine, James P., Mary W., John T., Charles W. and Nancy B. James remains at home with his father and eases him down the declivity of closing life.
LEE W. SHAW, of Dallas City, was born in Honey Creek township, Henderson county, May 20, 1846. He is the son of Jackson W. and Abagail Shaw. He grew up among the pioneers on a farm and received a common school education. He enlisted April 11, 1865, in the 83d Ill. Vols., but was soon after transferred to Co. G of the 61st Illinois, and commissioned as a corporal, and was honorably discharged during the same year. Married January 26, 1868, to Euphemia J. Babcock, daughter of Samuel B. and Nancy (Logan) Babcock, who were early settlers in the vicinity where Mr. Shaw now lives, by whom he has five children : Elmina S., born October 25, 1869 ; James Jackson, March 15, 1872 ; Ada Leora (deceased), October 27, 1874 ; Lula Etta, June 5, 1877; Iva Odella, May 6, 1880. Mr. Shaw has always engaged in farming. He is a republican in politics.
SAMUEL SIMMONS, of Dallas City, was born near Marysville, Ken- tucky, April 10, 1820. His father's name was Samuel and that of his mother Elizabeth, who came to Illinois and settled near Nauvoo in 1836. Mr. Simmonds spent his youth on a farm and received such an education as the common schools of the day afforded. He was mar- ried to Miss Sarah Logan December 15, 1842, by whom he had three children : Elizabeth A., born September 22, 1843 ; Mary T., April 28, 1845, and Margaret V., August 14, 1847. Was married a second time to Miss Mary Ann Green, daughter of William and Mary A. Green, May 22, 1852, by whom he had eight children : Levina J., born No- vember 10, 1853 ; Richard H., February 3, 1856; Alice P., March 17, 1858 ; Martha D., January 30, 1860; Samuel A., December 16, 1861 ; Florence Jane, June 7, 1866 ; Capitola D., February 16, 1869 ; Esther Rose, January 20, 1874 ; Alonzo W., June 22, 1871 ; Melinda, July 4, 1872. Mr. Simmonds was a captain in the 78th Ill. Vols., and served through the war. He is now engaged in farming.
ROBERT W. CRANE, one of the pioneers of the county, and especially of Honey Creek precinct, was born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, November 1, 1818. He is the son of Michael and Anna Pherits Crane. With his parents he came from Pennsylvania to Henderson county in 1835, landing here June 2. Robert was reared on a farm
1211
HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.
and received a common school education. He experienced all the hardships incident to pioneer life. All the improvement on the farm which his father bought was an unchinked log house. November 1, 1851, he married Mrs. Sarah Dougherty, daughter of Thomas and Jane Bassett, who lived near Shokokon. They are the parents of seven children, four of whom are boys and three are girls : William I., born August 9, 1858; Harry G., born December 12, 1859; Robert Lee, born February 12, 1862, died July 7, 1863; Frederic C., born October 20, 1863 ; Anna P., born March 9, 1866; Patience G. and Mercy C., twins, born September 15, 1869. Patience G. died July 26, 1870, and Mercy C. died August 4 of the same year. Mr. Crane is a member of Dallas City Lodge of Masons, No. 235, of which he was the first charter member. He is a member of Chapter 111, Dallas City. He now owns and lives on the old homestead.
CHARLES VAUGHN was born in Monmouthshire, Great Britain, November 26, 1833. He commenced life as a farm laborer at the age of nine years, at a consideration wholly incommensurate with the ser- vices given. He emigrated to America with his parents in 1849. His father died the same year, and was buried at Sharonville, Warren county, Ohio. In Ohio he worked as a farm laborer. Not liking the situation he came to Henderson county in 1851, landing August 26, where he has ever since lived. He received some education in private schools in Europe and finished in Illinois. Mr. Vaughn, March 18, 1858, married Miss Novella Bethany Bonham, a daughter of Thomas M. and Sarah Bethany, of Mount Vernon, Ohio. They are the parents of nine children, five of whom are living and four are dead : Estella Jane, born February 13, 1859; Rozella C., born October 27, 1860, died January 30, 1863; Beverly Charles, born May 4, 1862; James Ulysses, born November 7, 1864, died March 10, 1866; La Fayette B., born August 15, 1866, died September 3, 1867 ; Thomas Earnest, born January 7, 1868; Sarah Novella, born December 20, 1869; William Claude, born October 28, 1871; Florella M., born August 7, 1874, died October 2, the same year. Mr. Vaughn is a straight republican. He has been deputy assessor of the county for the last fifteen years. He is a member of Carman Lodge of Masons, No. 732. His mother, during her widowhood, was kindly and ten- derly cared for. She died March 8, 1870.
BEET MOORE is an Englishman by birth, having been born in Northamptonshire about 1826. His father was Samuel and his mother Sarah (Beach) Moore. His grandfather was John Moore. His mater- nal grandparents were George and Mary Beach. His parents came to America in 1830, stopped at Deerfield Corners, New York, from where
1212
HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
they soon moved to the Black river country. From there they went to Michigan, where the father and mother lived and died, the father in 1864, the mother two years earlier. Mr. Moore came to Henderson county in March, 1853, settling in T. S. R. 6. He was married in 1859 to Mrs. Amelia Crane, a daughter of John and Temperance Curts. His wife died December 28, 1876. In 1860 lie was in the Rocky Moun- tains engaged in mining and logging, and has since spent a year at Chippewa Falls. His home is on Sec. 2, T. 8, R. 6.
JOHN KEMP, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in North Carolina, April 15, 1793. He emigrated to Kentucky, where soon after he married Miss Nancy Fort. In 1832 he moved to Warren county, Illinois, and from there, in 1834, to what is now Henderson, settling near Sagetown, where Norman, our subject, was born, January 8, 1837. He grew to manhood on his father's farm, receiving a common school education. July 16, 1857, he married Miss Mary E. Shanks, daughter of George W. and Amelia (Gittings) Shanks. She was born in Union county, Kentucky, September 25, 1840. They are the parents of eleven children, nine of whom are living: George, born May 18, 1858; Jessie, born January 18, 1860; John, born January 6, 1862; Minnie, born February 6, 1864; Charles F., born April 18, 1866, died December 31, same year; Martha E., born December 20, 1867; Orrin S., born June 20, 1871; Addie, born May 15, 1873, died July 1, 1874; Mercy E., born July 15, 1875; L. M., born December 2, 1877 ; Flora Alda, born June 2, 1880. Mr. Kemp is a democrat in politics. His farms are in Sec. 1, T. S, R. 6, and Sec. 36, T. 9, R. 6.
RISDON HENRY KIRBY was born in Henderson county, Illinois, April 10, 1843. His grandfather, Henry Kirby, was born on the east shore of Maryland ; his grandmother's name was Jane Kirby. His father was born in Maryland and removed with his father, Henry Kirby, to Butler county, Ohio, in 1827, and from there to Henderson county in 1837. He was one of the pioneer farmers of the county. He subse- quently married Sarah Quinshaw. Risdon H. grew to manhood on his father's farm and received a common school education. He was married December 31, 1865, to Miss Abertina Parker, daughter of Stephen and Elizabeth Parker, of Cuyahoga county, Ohio. Mr. Kirby is a member of Dallas City lodge of Masons, No. 235. In politics he is a democrat, and was the nominee of his party for county commis- sioner in 1881, and came near being elected over his opponent, who is one of the first men in the county, thus showing his popularity, the county being strongly republican. . He has since qualified as a justice of the peace at the solicitation of his friends. He owns a splendid farm in Sec. 34, T. 8, R. 6, and is well-to-do.
1213
HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.
JOSEPH KIRBY was born on the eastern shore of Maryland June S, 1822. He was the son of Henry and Jane Kirby, who moved to Butler county, Ohio, about 1827, and came from there to Henderson county in 1837. Mr. Kirby died in 1848, and Mrs. Kirby ten years later. Joseph was married October 15, 1841, to Miss Jane Swymelar, daughter of Andrew and Jane Swymelar. She was born in Chester county, Pennsylvania, February 14, 1822. Her parents came to Han- cock county, Illinois, in 1840, where she and Joseph met and were married. The marriage took place at Nauvoo, while yet the Mormons were reveling in the height of their prosperity. They are the parents . of five children : Mary Jane, the eldest, born October 8, 1845, and died the 22d of the following month ; William Hinckley, born November 23, 1845; Josephus, born December 23, 1848 ; Minerva, born August 28, 1856 ; Andrew, born March S. 1858. Mr. Kirby died June 28, 1878, and is buried in Terre Haute cemetery. The children all live at or near home.
GEORGE CARTWRIGHT was born in Staffordshire county, England, March 6, 1823. Ilis parents, George and Sarah Cartwright, were farmers, but his father subsequently went to coal mining, at which he did a considerable business, working a great number of men. George, Jr., while quite young, was apprenticed to a manufacturer of queens- ware, but disliking the business he never followed it after his appren- ticeship ended. He came to America in 1842, landing at New Orleans. From there he went to Missouri, where for a time he worked on a farm. From here he drifted through Iowa and into Illinois, when in 1847, '48 and '49 he drove a stage from Burlington, Iowa, to Spring- field, Illinois. In 1848 he settled in MeDonough county, where, on April 24 of the subsequent year, he married Miss Mary E. Woodside, who was born August 3, 1822, in Virginia, and with her parents, John G. and Jane Woodside, came to MeDonough county, Illinois, in 1833. Mr. Woodside was afterward quite prominent in local polities. Mr. and Mrs. Cartwright are the parents of seven children, five of whom are living and two are dead : Sarah Jane, born November 13, 1850 ; Virginia E., born January 24, 1852; John, born August 28, 1853, died September 18, 1853 ; Ann Eliza, born May 7, 1855 ; William Edgar, born July 25, 1857 ; Frederic H., born December 15, 1858, died October 27, 1859 ; and Elmer E., born February 11, 1861. Prior to the war Mr. Cartwright was a democrat, but on the issues of 1860 he voted for Abraham Lincoln. He has been a justice of the peace.
ROBERT CROWNOVER, born in Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, Octo- ber 16, 1817. ITis parents were James and Elizabeth (Knox) Crownover. His grandfather, Robert Crownover, who married Nancy Kelsey
1214
HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
Cutter, with several of his brothers emigrated from New Jersey to Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, prior to the revolution, and in the deadly contests which ensued between the Indians and whites in that section, all the brothers except Robert were slain. The subject of this sketch grew to manhood on a farm, and received a common school education. In 1834 he emigrated to Michigan, and spent eight years in the counties of Calhoun and St. Joe. From here, in 1842, he removed to Henderson county, and settled near Shokokon, where he remained for two years, when he came to his present place of residence on Sec. 22, T. S, R. 6. January 23, 1851, he was married to Temperance Curts, daughter of John and Temperance Curts, who came to Henderson county from what is now Clinton county, Pennsylvania, then Lycoming. They are the parents of nine children : James H., born September 25, 1851; Elizabeth, January 27, 1853 ; John, October 21, 1855; Robert and Temperance, March 14, 1858; Alice, January 29, 1860; Mary, January 12, 1863; William, November 7, 1865; Mary Kelsey, January 2, 1870. Mr. and Mrs. Crownover are mem- bers of the Methodist Episcopal church. Mr. Crownover was well acquainted with the Mormon prophets Joseph Smith and Brigham Young during the days of their dwelling at Nauvoo, his father, who lived near where Robert now lives, having often entertained them at his residence.
JOHN PAUL was born in Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, Decem- ber 15, 1815. He is the son of Joseph and Sarah Paul, and is of Holland Dutch descent. His father was a miller, and young John worked at this business during his boyhood. In 1828 the family moved to Mahoning county, Ohio. He was married January 4, 1838, to Hannah, daughter of Basil and Rachel Perry, and immediately settled in Columbiana county, Ohio. From here, in 1844, he came to Hen- derson county and settled on Sec. 34, T. S, R. 6. He is the father of five children, all boys : James, born July 28, 1840; Eli, born March 6, 1843, died September 27, 1846 ; Joseph L., born March 9, 1846 ; Basil Henry, born September 5, 1848; Thomas Morgan, born Febru- ary 4, 1851. Mr. Paul has followed farming since his marriage. Basil Henry was married November 27, 1878, to Miss Nancy J. Logan, daughter of Judge John Logan. They are the parents of two children : Missie Ann, born June 5, 1873 ; Myra M., born November 2, 1876.
The grandfather of the present sketch suffered the hardships of the revolution. His father was also in the latter part of the struggle for independence, and saw service in the war of 1812. His maternal grandfather was in the revolution and fonght at Brandywine, where he
1215
HONEY CREEK TOWNSHIP.
was severely injured. WILLIAM, the son of Joseph and Jane Archi- bald Curry, was born in Harrison county, Ohio, November 21, 1819. His parents were of Scotch-Irish descent. He grew to manhood on a farm, and married Rebecca Close, daughter of Benjamin and Elizabeth Close, of Lorain county, Ohio, April 19, 1844, by whom he had two children : Marion F., born December 27, 1846, and Rebecca, born May 1, 1848. Mrs. Curry died May 11 of the same year. He was married a second time, to Naney L. Wright, daughter of Jonathan, a native of Ohio, and Mary Wright, a native of Virginia. She was buried in Lorain county, Ohio, May 31, 1827. They are the parents of three children : Eugene, born February 25, 1856, and died April 19, 1856, in Cedar county, Iowa, where he was buried ; Clayton, born December 28, 1859, died the 25th of March following, and was buried in lot seventeen of Logan's cemetery. Henderson county ; Mary K., born September 23, 1865, in Henderson county. Mr. and Mrs. Curry are both members of the Methodist Episcopal church.
JASPER LOGAN, son of George W. and Melinda Logan, was born in Fayette county, Indiana, October 8, 1846. Mr. Logan's grandfather was an early settler in this county. His mother, whose maiden name was Martin, is a cousin of the Hon. James N. Tyner, of Indiana. Jasper, with his parents, came to Henderson county in 1853, was reared on a farm and educated in the common schools. He graduated at Bryant & Stratton's Commercial College, Burlington, Iowa, April 10, 1868. He enlisted in the 83d reg. Ill. Vols., April 11, 1865, and was soon afterward transferred to Co. G of the 61st, and was mustered out September 8, 1868. He taught one term of school in 1868. April 14, 1870, he married Elizabeth Angeline, daughter of Hon. William Scott, of Dallas City, Illinois. They are the parents of four children, all boys : Lemuel Edgar, born February 20, 1872 ; Clement Eddison, born August 31, 1874; Royal Claude, born August 24, 1877 ; Clinton Henry, born October 21, 1880. Mr. Logan is now a farmer and owns a farm in T. 8, R. 6.
JOHN COOPER, Lomax, Illinois, was born in Monastrevan, county Kildare, Ireland, July 28, 1805. He was educated in his native town, and remained there until fifteen years of age, when he moved from there to Dublin and learned the cabinet-making trade. He was mar- ried June 6, 1828, to Eliza Deane, of Dublin, and they had fifteen children, of whom but five are now living : John, William, Thomas G., Eliza and Washington L. After working at his trade for seven years altogether, he received an appointment on the Grand Canal as captain of a passenger canal boat plying between Dublin and Balinsloe, serv- ing in that capacity for twenty-five years. He then resigned and
1216
HISTORY OF MERCER AND HENDERSON COUNTIES.
accepted a collectorship for the company at Tullamore, Kings county, and served as collector eight months, and then resigned and came to America, landing at New Orleans December 10, 1848. From there he came to Burlington, Iowa, and engaged in the mercantile business for eighteen months, and from there he removed to Henderson county and engaged in his present occupation of farming. He is a member of Dallas City Lodge, No. 235, of A. F. and A. M. In religion he was brought up in the belief of the Episcopal church.
SOUTH HENDERSON TOWNSHIP.
Township 10, range 5, was laid out by the government in 1816. This township, the most centrally located, does not contain the largest population, though almost a full township. It does not have so much tillable land as others, but it has contained and does contain more and larger industries than any other in the county. The population in 1860 was 489 ; in 1870, 1438 ; in 1880, 1135, showing a decrease in the last decade of 303. The area in acres is 22,735. The township surface corners on the Father of Waters, the bluffs of which extend through the township from north to south. They cut the north line one and one-fourth miles from the east line on the north, and the south line, three and one-half miles from the same line. These monuments of the "Ice Periods " of the north, in connection with the main Hender- son creek and its confluent, South Henderson, flowing westwardly through the northern part, produce a diversified surface. These bluff's are gradually ascending, nowhere precipitous, extending at times into long, sharp ridges diametrically to their length, again culminating into high mounds or conical peaks, presenting a beautiful scenery, and from which may be seen a large scope of country and several towns and cities, some of which are on the Iowa side. Sometimes they are bold and even romantic and quite lofty. One of the highest, probably, in the township is north of Mr. F. Galbaitli's house, on section 22.
There is another very beautiful one just southeast of Gladstone, of conical shape and almost as high. Some of these bluff's afford some excellent building stone and stone for lime. The surface of the land east of the bluffs, and bordering on them, is very undulating ; west of them is the second bottom, which is quite flat, but drainable ; between the first and second bottom is what is called the sand ridge, which is somewhat rolling. The first bottom is very low, flat land, and is over- flowed at times by the Mississippi.
1217
SOUTHI HENDERSON TOWNSHIP.
The timber in this township is not principally confined to the streams, as in some other townships. The castern half of T. 10, R. 5, is largely composed of either timber or timber land, with the exception of two whole sections in the northeastern part and five in the south and southeastern portion. Large oaks, scattered here and there, cov- ered the bluffs when first seen by the settlers. The oaks were so distributed that prairie grass grew all over the bluffs. Most of the young timber of the bluffs and elsewhere has grown up since the second set of settlers settled here. This young timber, which is, or most of which is, large enough to make good wood, is quite thick in places where it has not been cut for wood or rails. Some of the most valuable kinds of wood are black walnut, white oak and hard maple, sometimes called sugar-maple.
This township, situated as it is, contains about all the varieties of soils of the county, such as the black loam, the light, the sandy, and the sand soil. It does not have as much good tillable land as some other townships adjacent to it, though there is some as good land found in T. 10, R. 5, as in any other county or state. There is a strip of bot- tom land in the western part of the township, about two miles wide, mostly in the northern part and the bluffs, that cannot be called waste land, as most of the bottom not tilled or occupied by the several lakes are utilized by pasturing them.
These bottom lands, or swamp lands as some may call them, if they could be drained and diked against the overflow of the Mississippi, would make excellent farm lands.
The soil at the foot of the bluff's is the best soil in cultivation. It is of a deep black mold, slightly sandy, and is best adapted to raising Indian corn. The soil on the prairies is of a black loam and will pro- duce all kinds of grains. The soil of the timber-land is much lighter, but is often better adapted to wheat, oats and fruits.
MILLS.
Grist-mills were quite scarce and steam-mills unknown. What few mills there were were run by water-power. The first grist-mill and saw-mill in the precinct was built on South Henderson creek, two and a half miles east of Gladstone, by Mr. Shell Ward, to whom belongs the honor of building the first mill in the precinct and the second one in the county. It was built about 1848, on Sec. 2. It was three stories high besides the perline story, 36×50 feet, with three run of French burrs in complete operation, calculated for one run or more, with all the machinery necessary for doing country and merchant work in the best manner; also, a saw-mill, with good cutting capacity. Both mills,
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.