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HISTORY  OF 

BUTLER  COUNTY 

IOWA 


A  Record  of  Settlement,  Organization,  Progress 
and  Achievement 


By   IRVING  H.  HART 


VOLUME  I 


ILLUSTRATED 


' »  ,» >  J  -» « 1 


CHICAGO 

THE  S.  J.  CLARKE  PUBLISHING  COMPANY 
1914 

y 


CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  1 
DESCRIPTIVE 

LOCATION  BOUNDARIES  —  SURFACE  —  DRAINAGE  TIMBER  

PRAIRIES — FRUIT    AND   CROPS WILD    LIFE — POPULATION  ...  9 

CHAPTER  II 
GEOLOGICAL 

PRIMARY      PERIOD — TROPICAL      IOWA — SECONDARY      PERIOD THE 

GLACIAL     EPOCH TERTIARY     PERIOD DRIFT     DEPOSITS — THE 

WISCONSIN    DRIFTS — THE    lOWAN    DRIFTS GLACIAL    BOWLD- 
ERS  "pilot    rock" AGENCIES    OF    SOIL    FORMATION — THE 

SOIL    OF    BUTLER    COUNTY     17 

CHAPTER  III 

HISTORICAL— IOWA  TO  THE  ADMISSION  OF  THE 

STATE 

PRE-HISTORIC  PERIOD  ;  FIRST  INHABITANTS  OF  IOWA — THE  MOUND 
BUILDERS — THE  AMERICAN  INDIANS.  HISTORIC  PERIOD;  DIS- 
COVERY— EXPLORATION    AND    COLONIZATION THE    STRUGGLE 

FOR  NORTH  AMERICA THE  FRENCH  IN  THE  MISSISSIPPI  VAL- 
LEY  MARQUETTE    AND    .TOLIET — LA    SALLE    IN    LOUISIANA 

TREATY    OF    1763 LOUISIANA    UNDER    SPANISH    RULE — CON- 
QUEST OF  THE  NORTHWEST  TERRITORY — NAPOLEON  AND  THE 

SECRET  TREATY  OF  ST.  ILDEFONSO THE  LOUISIANA  PURCHASE 

— GOVERNMENT    OF   THE    NEW    TERRITORY MISSOURI    TERRI- 
TORY  MICHIGAN  TERRITORY WISCONSIN  TERRITORY — IOWA 

TERRITORY — ADMISSION  AS  A  STATE 23 

3 


4  CONTENTS 

CHAPTEE  IV 
HISTOIIIOAL— STATE  AND  COUNTY 

FIRST  SETTLEMENT — JULIEN  DUBUQUE — TREATIES  OF  PURCHASE 
AND  CESSION "THE  NEUTRAL  STRIP " — FIRST  PRICE  OF  BUT- 
LER COUNTY  LAND^THE  BLACK  HAWK  PURCHASE THE  FIRST 

COUNTIES;  DUBUQUE  AND  DES  MOINES — BUCHANAN  AND  FAY- 
ETTE COUNTIES — BUTLER  COUNTY  ;  NAME,  ORGANIZATION  AND 
FIRST   ELECTION    35 

CHAPTER  V    , 
EARLY  DAYS 

■  I,      -   ,         ; 

THE  HUNTER^S  PARADISE — EARLY  SETTLEMENTS  IN  TIMBER  LANDS 
THE  PIONEER  LARDER — GOING  TO  MHX — DANGERS  AND  PRI- 
VATIONS— COMPENSATIONS     41 

CHAPTER  VI 
EARLY  SETTLEMENT  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

carpenter's    GROVE COON    GROVE — THK     HICKS    AND    WAMSLBY 

FAMILIES — OTHER   EARLY   SETTLERS — FIRST   LAND   ENTRIES 

THE  INDIANS  IN  BUTLER  COUNTY — INDIAN  SCARE  OF  1854 

'  '        GENERAL  IT]':MS 53 

CHAPTER  VII 
COUNTY  GOVERNMENT 

THE  COUNTY  COURT — FIRST  TlilAL — FIRST  PLATTED  TOWN — FIRST 

COURT  HOUSE — EARLY  ELECTIONS GO\^RNMENT  BY  A  BOARD 

OF  SUPERVISORS — OTHER  COUNTY  OFFICERS — LISTS  OF  COUNTY 
OFFICIALS    69 

CHAPTER  VIII 
LOCATION  OE  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

THE  FIRST  COUNTY  SEAT  CLARKSVILLK  1853  TO  1860 — AGITATION 
FOR    REMOVAL — GEORGETOWN,     I:TjECTION    OF    1858 — BITTLER 

CENTER,  ELECTIONS  OF  1859  AND  1860 SECOND  COUNTY  SEAT 

BUTLER  CENTER  1860  TO  1881 — FT'RTHER  AGITATION THIRD 

COUNTY  SEAT  ALLISON  1881 83 


CONTENTS  5 

CHAPTER  IX 
REPRESENTATION— STATE  AND  NATIONAL 

CONGRESSIONAL  REPRESENTATION — STATE  OFFICERS  FROM  BUTLER 

COUNTY — REPRESENTATION  IN  THE  GENERAL  ASSEMBLY ....       93 

CHAPTER  X 
THE  JUDICIARY  AND  THE  BAR 

THE  DISTRICT  COURT — COUNTY  COURT — THE  CIRCUIT  COURT — THE 

BAR 99 

CHAPTER  XI 

MEDICAL  PROFESSION    113 

CHAPTER  XII 

THE  PRESS 123 

CHAPTER  XIII 
EDUCATIONAL 

FORMS  OF  ORGANIZATION — RECENT  SCHOOL  LEGISLATION — THE 
SCHOOL  FUND  COMMISSIONER — COUNTY  SUPERINTENDENT — 
EDUCATIONAL  STATISTICS — PROMINENT  EDUCATORS 131 

CHAPTER  XIV 
AGRICULTURE  AND  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETIES 

THIRTY  YEARS  AGO IOWA's  PRIMACY  IN  AGRICULTURE CLIMATE 

— METEOROLOGY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY — CROP  PRODUCTION  AND 

OTHER     STATISTICS AGRICULTURAL     SOCIETIES OAK      GLEN 

FARM     141 

CHAPTER  XV 

BUTLER  COUNTY  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAR 157 


6  CONTENTS 

CHAPTER  XVI 

EEMINISCENT     195 

CHAPTER  XVII 

TOWNSHIP  ORGANIZATION 205 

CHAPTER  XVIII 

ALBION  TOWNSHIP — TOWN  OF  PARKER8BURG 209 

CHAPTER  XIX 

BEAVER  TOWNSHIP — TOWNS  OF  BUTl.Kl;  HAi'lDS,   WiLLOFGHBY  AND 

NEW  HARTFORD 237 

CHAPTER  XX 

BENNEZETTE  TOWNSHIP — VILLAGE  OF  AREDALE 253 

CHAPTER  XXI 

BUTLER  TOWNSHIP — TOWN   OF   CLARKSVILLE 263 

CHAPTER  XXII 

COLDWATER  TOWNSHIP — TOWX  OF  GREENE 283 

CHAPTER  XX III 

DAYTON^  FREMONT  AND  JACKSON  TOWNSHIPS 305 

CHAPTER  XXIV 

JEFFERSON  TOWNSHIP — TOWNS  OF  BI^TLER  CENTER  AND  COSTER  .  .    319 

CHAPTER  XXV 

MADISON  TOWNSHIP VHjLAGE  OF  KESLEY 331 


CONTENTS  7 

CHAPTER  XXVI 

MONEOE  TOWNSHIP — TOWN  OF   APLINGTON 341 

CHAPTER  XXVII 

PITTSFOBD    TOWNSHIP — TOWN    OF    DUMONT 355 

CHAPTER  XXVIII 

RIPLEY  AND  WASHINGTON   TOAVNSHIPS 375 

CHAPTER  XXIX 

SHELL  ROCK   TOWNSHIP — TOWN    OF  SHELL   ROCK 389 

CHAPTER  XXX 

WEST  POINT  TOWNSHIP — TOWN  OF  BRISTOW 409 

CHAPTER  XXXI 

ALLISON,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 423 


r 


a    The  new  Y'; 
PUBLIC  IIP^ 


History  of  Butler  County 


CHAPTER  I 
DESCRIPTIVE 

LOCATION  AND  BOUNDAEIES 

Butler  county  is  situated  a  little  to  the  east  of  the  north  cen- 
tral portion  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  in  the  third  tier  of  comities 
south  of  the  Minnesota  line  and  the  fourth  tier  west  of  the  Mis- 
sissippi river.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by  Floyd  county,  on 
the  east  by  Bremer  and  Blackhawk  counties,  on  the  south  by 
Grundy  county,  and  on  the  west  by  Franklin  county.  Cerro 
Gordo,  Chickasaw  and  Hardin  counties  corner  with  Butler  county 
on  the  northwest,  northeast  and  southwest,  respectively.  The 
county  is  an  exact  square,  twenty-four  miles  on  a  side,  containing 
sixteen  congressional  townships,  making  its  area  576  square  miles. 

SURFACE 

The  surface  of  the  county  is  a  rolling  plain,  broken  by  few 
conspicuous  topographic  forms.  No  detailed  geological  survey 
of  the  county  has  ever  been  made  but  from  the  data  at  hand  it 
would  appear  that  the  highest  point  in  the  county  is  on  the  divide 
between  the  Shell  Rock  and  West  Fork  valleys,  probably  the 
point  of  the  location  of  the  present  coimty  courthouse  in  Allison. 
The  lowest  point  is  in  the  extreme  southeastern  corner  of  the 
county  where  the  Beaver  creek  crosses  the  county  line  into  Black- 
hawk.  The  measure  of  range  of  elevation  between  these  points 
does  not  exceed  250  feet,  the  altitude  of  Allison,  as  determined 
from  the  railway  surveys,  being  1,044  feet  above  the  sea  level  and 
that  of  New  Hartford,  in  the  Beaver  valley  in  the  southeastern 
portion  of  the  county,  being  895  feet.    In  general  the  surface  of 


10  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  county  slupes  tu  the  suutli  and  east,  followiug  the  direction 
of  the  streams. 

DRAINAGE 

The  county  is  chiefly  drained  by  three  streams,  the  Shell  Rock 
river,  the  west  fork  of  the  Cedar,  and  Beaver  creek.  A  small 
portion  of  the  extreme  northeastern  part  of  the  county  is  drained 
by  a  series  of  streamlets  flowing  into  the  Cedar. 

The  ISheU  Rock  river  has  its  source  iu  Silver  lake  in  Worth 
county  and  flows  southeastward  through  Cerro  Gordo  and  Floyd 
counties,  entering  Butler  county  at  a  point  a  short  distance  north- 
west of  Greene.  It  flows  diagonally  S(»utheast  through  Coldwater, 
Dayton,  Jackson,  Butler  and  Shell  Rock  townships,  and  thence 
through  Bremer  county  to  its  junction  with  the  Cedar  in  the  north- 
western part  of  Blackhawk.  Its  valley  is  broad,  with  gently 
sloping  hills  rising  on  either  side.  Practically  all  of  the  valley 
is  capable  of  cultivation  and  forms  one  of  the  most  fertile  farm- 
ing districts  of  the  county.  The  width  of  the  stream  proper  aver- 
ages several  hundred  feet  and  its  volume  is  sufficient  to  supply 
much  more  power  than  is  now  utilized.  It  is  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  streams  in  the  state,  its  crystal  clear  waters  flowing 
over  sand  and  limestone  and  winding  placidl.v  through  groves  of 
stately  natural  timber  to  join  with  the  classic  Cedar,  which  it 
rivals  iu  all  save  romantic  interest. 

The  west  fork  of  the  Cedar,  or  "The  West  Fork,"  as  it  is 
commonly  called,  rises  in  Cerro  Gordo  and  Franklin  counties, 
being  formed  by  the  confluence  of  Dathmann's  creek,  Mayne's 
creek,  Kilson's  creek  and  a  number  of  other  small  streams.  It 
flows  in  a  southeasterly  direction  through  the  county  and  fur- 
nishes an  outflow  for  the  surface  water  of  the  western  and  south 
central  townships.  Its  bed  is  of  a  much  more  muddy  natiu-e  than 
that  of  the  Shell  Rock  and  its  flow  more  sluggish.  Its  broad  flood 
plain  was  in  an  early  day  so  frequently  overflowed  as  to  be  prac- 
tically impassable  at  certain  seasons  of  the  year. 

Beavei-  creek  flows  almost  due  east  through  the  soiithern  tier 
of  townships  and  empties  into  the  Cedar  river  some  distance 
above  Cedar  Falls.  Its  volume  of  watei'  is  not  so  large  as  that 
of  the  streams  mentioned  above  but  it  is  sufficient  to  furnish  some 
water-power  were  its  power  made  availalile.  Like  the  other 
streams  it  has  a  much  broader  valley  than  its  size  would  appar- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  11 

ently  justify.  Ou  the  northern  edge  of  this  valley  in  the  eastern 
part  of  its  course  rises  Beaver  ridge,  a  wooded  bluff  which 
extends  westward  for  six  or  seven  miles  through  Beaver  and 
Albion  townships.  The  eastern  portion  of  the  divide  between  the 
Beaver  and  the  West  Fork  furnishes  the  most  rugged  section  of 
the  eoimty,  the  region  being  one  of  sharply  alternating  ridges  and 
ravines.  Largely  for  this  reason  tliis  section  differs  materially 
both  in  the  character  of  its  soil  and  of  its  people  from  the  rest 
of  the  county. 

THE   PRAIEIES 

Butler  county  lies  in  the  heart  of  the  prairie  region  of  the 
state,  although  a  portion  of  its  area  has  always  been  covered  with 
natural  timber ;  but  sixty  years  ago  by  far  the  greater  part  of  its 
extent  was  open  rolling  prairie.  It  is  difficult  for  one  to  realize 
now  when  on  every  hand  the  ^^.ew  is  broken  by  stately  groves  and 
fruitful  orchards  around  practically  every  farm  home  that  then 
over  most  of  the  county  the  eye  could  sweep  from  horizon  to 
horizon  without  sight  of  a  tree,  except  in  the  valleys  of  the  prin- 
cipal streams  and  their  larger  tributaries.  The  Shell  Rock,  the 
West  Fork  and  the  Beaver  wound  their  courses  through  tracts 
of  forest  land  that  in  some  places  compared  well  with  the  best 
virgin  timber  of  the  eastern  states.  Occasionally  small  groves 
were  found  on  the  prairies  away  from  the  water  courses. 

TIMBER 

The  principal  varieties  of  trees  found  in  the  early  forests  were 
hickories,  walnut,  oaks,  maples,  ash,  elms,  basswood,  cottonwood, 
willow  and  others  of  less  importance.  Some  red  cedar  trees  were 
to  be  foimd  when  the  first  settlers  came  to  the  county  but  these 
as  well  as  the  best  si:)ecimens  of  oak  and  walnut  were  cut  and 
utilized  for  lumber  almost  before  the  prairie  sections  were  settled. 
That  the  forest  growth  did  not  extend  farther  up  the  streams 
and  outward  across  the  prairies  was  due  to  no  lack  of  fertility 
of  the  prairie  soil  or  of  adaptability  for  the  growth  of  trees  as 
subsequent  experience  has  demonstrated  was  rather  due  prin- 
cipally to  the  immense  prairie  fires  which  swept  every  year  over 
the  plains.  As  settlement  extended  outward  upon  the  prairies 
most  of  the  cajuses  of  fire  were  removed  and  in  many  instances 


12  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  forest  growth  began  to  extend  faither  up  the  streams  and 
back  to  the  uplands. 

When  the  people  learned  that  the  prairie  soil  was  as  valuable 
for  agi-icultural  purposes  as  that  of  the  forest  regions  and  the 
settlements  began  to  extend  out  upon  the  prairies,  there  arose  a 
need  for  the  protection  of  the  new  homes  from  the  severity  of 
the  hot  and  cold  winds  of  summer  and  winter.  Since  the  need 
was  innnediate  and  the  softwood  trees  were  cheap,  easily  obtained 
and  productive  of  early  results,  the  first  plantings  of  artificial 
timber  were  largely  made  uj)  of  such  species  as  cottonwood,  soft 
maple,  box  elder  and  willow.  As  the  county  grew  older  and  more 
wealthy,  better  homes  were  built  surrounded  by  slower-growing 
and  longer-lived  trees.  So  today  we  find  the  farm  homes  sur- 
roimded  by  groves  of  evergi^een  of  various  kinds  with  elms  and 
hard  maple  and  other  hardy  trees  that  in  themselves  bespeak  a 
thought  for  the  welfare  of  the  future.  Many  of  these  artificial 
groves  are  of  relatively  large  size  and  point  the  way  by  which 
the  threatened  timber  famine  due  to  the  depletion  of  our  natural 
forests  may  be  avoided.  Honey  locust,  ash,  black  walnut,  catalpa, 
and  European  larch  are  being  grown  for  posts  and  lumber  and 
wherever  reasonable  care  has  been  given  them  they  have  given 
good  results.  One  of  the  most  remarkable  of  these  artificial 
groves  is  that  on  the  Iowa  <]entral  Stock  Farm  in  West  Point 
townsliip.  Here  between  twenty  and  thirty  acres  were  planted 
to  selected  hardy  varieties  of  trees  some  forty  years  ago  and  today 
they  form  what  has  been  termed  by  an  expert  from  the  State 
Agricultural  College  at  Ames  as  "probably  the  most  remarkable 
growth  of  artificial  timber  in  the  state." 

FRUITS  AND  CROPS 

While  somewhat  north  of  the  fruit  belt,  nearly  every  farm  has 
an  orchard  and  there  are  a  number  of  successful  fruit  raisers  in 
the  county.  Apples,  cherries,  phuns,  and  grapes  are  grown  in 
abundance  and  the  smaller  fruits,  strawberries,  currants,  raspber- 
ries and  blackberries  are  staple  products  of  the  farais.  The  soil, 
the  quality  of  which  is  discussed  in  detail  in  a  later  chapter,  is 
unsurjiassed  in  fertility.  Butler  comity  has  never  known  a  gen- 
uine crop  failure.  Com  is  king  of  the  farm  crops,  but  it  is  ably 
seconded  by  the  crops  of  small  grains,  all  of  which  may  be  grown 
with  profit  on  this  rich  soil.     In  an  early  day  much  wheat  was 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  13 

growu.  The  experience  of  that  day,  however,  was  that  other 
crops  coukl  be  growu  with  equal  profit  and  less  draiu  upou  the 
natural  richness  of  the  soil,  so  today  comparatively  little  of  this 
cereal  is  raised  in  the  count}'.  Oats  rank  next  to  corn  as  the 
most  important  crop  with  barley,  rye,  wheat  and  buckwheat  fol- 
lowing in  order.  The  forage  crops,  clover,  timoth_y,  and  wild 
hay  rank  next  in  importance  and  value.  A  diversity  of 
vegetables  is  produced  on  farms  and  in  gardens,  potatoes  being 
practically  the  only  vegetable  produced  in  quantities  sufficient  to 
supply  more  than  the  local  markets.  In  general  it  may  be  stated 
that  in  all  farm  and  garden  products  that  are  raised  in  any  sec- 
tion having  similar  clunatic  and  geologic  conditions,  Butler  county 
stands  with  the  first  in  quantity  of  yield  and  quality  and  diversity 
of  products. 

WILD  LIFE 

Before  the  coming  of  the  white  man,  the  prairies  and  woods 
of  Butler  county  were  the  homes  of  many  forms  of  wild  life. 
Deer,  elk  and  buffalo  grazed  over  the  grassy  hills  and  along  the 
margins  of  the  streams.  The  rifles  of  the  pioneer  hunters  had 
driven  most  of  these  from  their  native  range  to  the  westwai'd 
before  the  first  settlements  were  made  here;  but  for  many  years 
thereafter  the  county  w^as  a  hunter's  paradise.  In  season,  count- 
less coveys  of  quail  and  prairie  chickens  were  found  on  the 
prairies  and  along  the  water  courses  wild  geese  and  ducks 
abounded.  The  former  have  almost  disappeared,  although  in  the 
last  few  years  under  the  protection  of  the  new  game  laws  a  few 
quail  and  prairie  chickens  are  seen  where  thousands  once  were 
to  be  found.  AVith  the  advance  of  ci\dlization,  too,  the  prairie 
wolf,  once  ul)iquitous,  has  disai)peared,  being  seen  now  only  at 
rare  intervals  and  in  widely  scattered  localities.  Today  there  is 
little  or  nothing  left  to  remind  one  of  the  wild  life  that  surrounded 
the  pioneer  settlers  of  these  virgin  acres. 

I'OPTTLATIOX 

In  common  with  other  essentially  rural  sections  of  the  state, 
Butler  county  has  made  no  growi;h  in  population  in  the  last  decade. 
On  the  contrary  the  census  figures  show  a  slight  loss.  In  tliis 
the  county  does  not  stand  alone.     All  over  the  Central  West  tlie 


14  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

rural  communities  have  suffered  a  loss  in  population.  It  is  only 
the  cities  that  have  gained.  Butler  county  has  no  towns  of  over 
1,200  people  and  so  has  not  shared  in  the  general  urban 
increase.  Of  the  17,119  persons  reported  as  residing  within  the 
county  limits  by  the  census  of  1910,  5,990,  or  less  than  35  per  cent, 
are  reported  as  living  in  incorporated  towns  or  villages.  There 
are  nine  of  these  towns  and  villages,  ranging  in  size  from  Greene 
with  1,150  i^eojjle  to  Bristow  with  291.  Of  the  ninety-nine  coim- 
ties  of  the  state  Butler  ranks  hfty-fifth  in  population. 

Below  are  appended  tables  of  the  population  of  the  county  as 
shown  by  successive  state  and  national  censuses  since  its  or2:an- 
ization  and  of  the  towns  and  villages  since  1885. 

POPULATION  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY,  1852-1910 

1852  73  1875  11,734 

1854  420  1880  14.293 

1856  2,141  1885  14.523 

I860  3.724  1890  15,463 

1863  4,142  1895  16,966 

1865  5.006  1900  17,955 

1867  6.542  1905  17.636 

1870  9,951  1910  17,119 

POPULATION  OF  TOWNS  AND  VILLAGES  IN   BUTLER  COUNTY,   1870-1910 

Town           1870  1875  1880  1885  1890  1895  1900  1905  1910 

Allison  336   ...   436  463  503  495 

Aplington  379   427   503  427  441  448 

Bristow  198  218   257   355  317  348  291 

Butler  Center 152   ...   149  

Clarksville  699   818  ...   735   830  849  957  895 

Dumont 433  562  550 

Greene  711  780   845  1,168  1,192  1,224  1,150 

New  Hartford 244  277   ...   452  570  574  482 

Parkersbnrg  652  796   760   999  1,164  1,114  938 

Shell  Rock 719  780   733   828  839  848  741 

POPULATION  OP  TOWNSHIPS,   1890-1910 

1910 
Albion  township,  inchiding  part  of  Parkerslnirg  town..    1.433 

Beaver  towiLship.  including  New  Hartford  town 1.223 

Bennezette    township 681 

Butler  township,  including  part  of  Clarksville  town...    1,471 


1900 

1890 

1,689 

1,440 

1,349 

1,074 

6S9 

580 

1,527 

761 

HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  15 

Coldwater    township,    including    Greene    town 1,836       1,967       1,608 

Dayton    township 633 

Fremont    township 757 

Jackson  township,  including  parts  of  Allison  and  Clarks- 

ville     towns 781 

Jefferson     township 642 

Madison    township 755 

Monroe  township,  including  Aplington  town  and  part  of 

Parkersburg    town 1,363 

Pittsford   township,   including  Dumont   town   and   part 

of   Bristow    town 1,286 

Ripley   township 602 

Shell  Rock  township,  including  Shell  Rock  town 1,461       1,547       1.482 

Washington    township 756          925          735 

West  Point  township,   including   parts   of   Allison    and 

Bristow    towns 1,439       1,506       1,033 


641 

667 

757 

778 

811 

704 

657 

642 

679 

604 

1,388 

1,088 

1,202 

782 

621 

493 

Total   17,119     17,955     15,463 


CHAPTER  II 

GEOLOGICAL 

We  are  indebted  to  geologists  aud  their  detailed  study  of  the 
remains  of  the  past  ages  for  onr  knowledge  of  the  periods  that 
preceded  history.  These  scientists  tell  ns  and  the  unimpeachable 
geologic  records  sustain  their  statements  that  for  ages  what  is  now 
Iowa  and  the  greater  part  of  the  Mississippi  Valley  lay  beneath 
the  waters  of  the  sea.  During  this  period  by  a  process  incom- 
prehensibly slow  the  sedimentary  strata  of  Iowa  were  formed. 
Gradually  the  sea  receded  to  the  southward  until  the  whole  sur- 
face of  the  state  was  exposed.  Later,  forests  and  other  forms  of 
vegetation  came  to  cover  the  land  surface.  Before,  however,  Iowa 
was  raised  permanently  above  the  surface  of  the  waters,  another 
long  period  passed  during  which  the  greater  portion  of  the  state 
was  again  sunk  beneath  the  level  of  the  sea.  Finall,v  some 
unknown  change  of  the  surface  of  the  earth  took  place  as  a  result 
of  which  Iowa  was  finally  elevated  to  a  level  above  that  of  the 
ocean. 

TROPICAL  IOWA 

From  this  time  on  for  uncounted  centuries,  the  climate  of  this 
section  of  North  America  was  tropical.  Tropical  trees  such  as 
the  cypress,  magnolia,  cinnamon,  fig  and  i^alm  flourished  here  and 
tropical  animals  were  found  in  the  forests  and  swamps."  "Iowa 
and  all  the  adjacent  regions  far  north  and  westward  reveled  in 
the  luxuriance  of  a  tropical  climate.  The  air  was  balmy  and 
laden  with  the  odors  of  flowers  and  fruits.  The  1)right  summer 
days  seemed  never  ending.  A  listless  languor  sent  the  birds  and 
beasts  into  the  shade  at  midday.  Tropical  vegetation  grew  spon- 
taneously; brilliant  foliage  and  flowers,  luxuriant  ferns  and  cling- 
ing vines  mingled  with  the  forests  and  open  vistas  in  landscapes 
of  surpassing  beauty. 

*B.  F.  Cue:   History  of  Iowa. 

17 


18  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

THE  GLACIAL  PERIOD 

"But  iu  the  course  of  time  a  cliauge  was  perceptible.  The 
intense  heat  of  the  long  smmuer  days  was  tempered  by  refreshing 
breezes  and  the  nights  became  delightfully  cool.  The  winters  were 
slowly  growing  colder.  Snow  storms  came  and  piercing  winds 
swept  over  plain  and  forest.  Tropical  plants  were  stricken  with 
early  frosts ;  ice  formed  in  lakes  and  streams  where  it  had  never 
before  appeared.  The  more  hardy  animals  sought  the  shelter  of 
wooded  ravines  and  deep  gorges.  Snow  fell  to  unusual  depths; 
year  after  year  it  came  earlier,  and  winter  continued  later.  The 
earth  became  frozen  to  great  depths;  fniit  and  trees  disappeared. 
As  the  snow  piled  higher  each  succeeding  year,  and  the  sunnners 
were  too  short  and  cold  to  melt  it,  all  animal  life  perished.  The 
pressure  of  mountains  of  snow  and  the  percolating  rains  con- 
verted the  mass  into  a  solid  sheet  of  glacial  ice  that  not  only 
covered  nearly  all  of  Iowa,  V)ut  reached  out  over  the  northern 
half  of  North  America. 

"The  ice  sheet  of  this  period  had  its  southern  margin  south  of 
the  latitude  of  St.  Louis.  The  ice  was  slowly  moving  outward 
from  the  center  of  accumulation,  grinding  over  the  underhdng 
rocks  and  crushing  them  to  the  finest  powder.  Fragments  of 
enoiTnous  size  wea'e  frequently  caught  in  the  lower  portion  of  the 
flowing  ice  and  carried  forward  bodily,  grinding  the  rock  strata 
into  rock  flour,  and  being  themselves  planed  and  grooved  on  the 
lower  surface.  All  boulders  of  crystalline  rock  which  we  find 
strewn  over  the  state  were  carried  from  their  native  ledges  in 
British  America  by  these  ice  sheets  during  this  period." 

*  "Glaciers  and  glacial  action  have  contributed  iu  a  very  large 
degree  to  the  making  of  our  magnificent  state.  What  Iowa  would 
have  been  had  it  never  suffered  from  the  effects  of  the  ponderous 
ice  sheets  that  successively  ovcrflowerl  its  sin'fac<\  is  illustrated 
in  the  driftless  area  of  northeastern  Towa.  Before  the  glacial 
drift  was  deposited,  the  surface  of  Iowa  was  carA-ed  into  an  intri- 
cate system  of  hills  and  valleys.  There  were  narrow  gorges 
hundreds  of  feet  in  depth  and  there  were  rugged,  rocky  cliffs  and 
isolated  buttes  corresponding  in  height  with  the  depth  of  the 
valleys. 

"In  such  a  region  a  quarter  section  of  level  land  would  bo  a 
curiosity.     This  is  a  fair  sample  of  what  Iowa  would  have  been 

•Condensed  from  Samuel  Calvin:  Geology  of  Iowa. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  19 

had  it  not  been  planed  down  by  the  leveling  effect  of  the  glaciers. 
Soils  of  uniform  excellence  would  have  been  impossible.  The 
soils  of  Iowa  have  a  value  equal  to  that  of  all  the  silver  and  gold 
mines  in  the  world  combined.  And  for  this  rich  heritage  of  soils 
we  are  indebted  to  the  great  rivers  of  ice  that  overflowed  Iowa 
from  the  north  and  northwest.  The  materials  which  they  depos- 
ited are  in  places  hundreds  of  feet  in  depth.  They  are  not 
oxydized  or  leached,  but  retain  the  carbonates  and  other  soluble 
constituents  that  contribute  so  largely  to  the  growth  of  plants. 
The  physical  condition  of  the  materials  is  ideal,  rendering  the 
soil  porous,  facilitating  the  distribution  of  moisture,  and  offering 
unmatched  opportunities  for  the  emplo\anent  of  im]3roved 
machinery  iu  all  of  the  processes  connected  with  civilization." 

In  all,  four  great  ice  sheets,  each  making  a  corresponding 
deposit  of  glacial  drift,  invaded  Iowa  at  different  times.  These 
sheets  did  not  come  from  exactly  the  same  direction  and  there  is 
some  difference  in  the  character  of  the  material  which  they 
brought.  The  first  and  the  greatest  of  these  ice  sheets  that  pushed 
their  way  into  Iowa  from  the  frozen  I'egions  of  the  north  is  known 
as  the  Kansan  Ice  Sheet,  from  the  fact  that  it  extended  as  far 
south  and  west  as  the  present  State  of  Kansas.  This  sheet  cov- 
ered the  whole  surface  of  Iowa  except  the  extreme  northeastern 
corner,  which,  as  was  said  above,  was  never  affected  by  glacial 
action.  The  drift  deposited  by  this  glacier  is  now  hidden  from 
view,  covered  deep  below  the  surface  of  the  later  drift  deposits. 


DEn-'T  AREAS 

The  other  three  areas  of  glacial  drift  are  kno-wai  as  the  Illi- 
noisan,  the  Wisconsin  and  the  lowan  drifts.  The  Illinoisan  which 
covered  a  small  portion  of  the  southeastern  part  of  the  state  and 
the  Wisconsin  wliich  covered  the  part  of  the  state  from  Osceola 
to  Winnebago  coimties  on  the  north  and  south  to  Polk  county, 
had  no  direct  effect  upon  the  soil  condition  in  Butler  county. 
The  lowan  glacial  ice  sheet,  however,  was  the  direct  agent  of  the 
formation  of  the  soil  in  this  section  of  the  state.  Roughly  speak- 
ing the  area  of  this  lowan  glacial  drift  covered  a  territory  from 
Worth  county  south  to  Marshall,  east  to  Linn  and  north  to  Howard 
county,  including  all  the  territory  within  these  boundaries.  But- 
ler countv  lies  entirelv  within  this  drift  area. 


20  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

It  is  estimated  tliat  fi'inn  une  hundred  thousand  to  vnv  liuu- 
dred  and  se\'ent\'  thousand  years  have  ehipsed  since  this  in\asiun 
of  Iowa  by  the  glaciers.  Subsequently  another  climatic  change 
came  slowly  and  the  ice  began  to  melt.  When  the  ice  of  this  last 
great  glacial  sheet  which  may  have  been  ten  thousand  feet  in 
thickness  melted  away,  there  was  left  upon  the  surface  of  the 
earth  an  accimiulation  of  rock  flour,  sand,  gravel  and  boidders 
from  two  hundred  to  live  hundred  feet  thick.  The  surface  of  this 
mass  was  not  smooth  to  Ix'gin  with.  There  was  no  natural  drain- 
age. The  sediment  of  the  turbid  waters  foimed  from  the  melting 
ice  was  deposited  in  layers  of  yellow  clay.  Gradually  as  time 
passed  the  lower  jjlaces  were  filled  up  b,y  deposits  of  this  sediment 
and  by  wa.shing  from  the  higher  levels  and  streams  l)egan  to  carve 
their  channels  over  the  surface  of  the  drift.  AVith  the  establish- 
ment of  natural  drainage  lines  the  .surface  assumed  the  most 
favorable  condition  for  agricultural  operations. 

This  condition  has  been  reached  in  the  region  covered  by  the 
lowan  drift  but  in  the  area  of  the  Wisconsin  drift  to  the  west  of 
us  the  earlier  stage  of  development  is  still  evident.  Hero  the 
land  surface  is  practically  in  the  same  condition  in  wliich  it  was 
left  after  the  enormous  mass  of  ice  melted  away,  except,  of  course, 
that  it  is  now  covered  with  vegetation.  A  few  large  streams,  such 
as  the  Des  Moines,  flow  across  it  but  for  the  most  part  they  have 
not  had  time  to  extend  their  tributaries  very  far  back  from  their 
main  channels.  Xearly  tlic  whole  territory  is  as  yet  a  monotonous 
stretch  of  prairie,  dotted  with  luidrained  ponds,  sloughs  and 
lakes.  In  consequence  of  this  absence  of  a  natural  system  of 
drainage,  the  surface  is  frequently  so  marshy  and  waterlogged 
that  agriculture  can  be  carried  on  only  at  a  great  disad\antage 
and  with  frequent  loss  in  seasons  of  hea^■y  rainfall.  The  chief 
jjroblem  of  this  region  is  to  secui'e  adequate  di'ainage. 

The  area  of  the  lowan  drift  in  which  Butler  county  is  located 
shows  a  marked  contrast  to  the  above  conditions.  This  glacier 
invaded  the  state  before  the  Wisconsin  and  its  de])osit  is  there- 
fore older.  Its  drift  area  has  entered  well  upon  the  second  stage 
of  development  indicated  above.  Natural  drainage  lines  have 
been  developed  for  the  most  part.  The  excess  of  rainfall  and 
surface  water  has,  therefore,  much  greater  opportunity  of  flow- 
ing away  of  its  own  accord.  This  in  itself  constitutes  the  chief 
advantage  which  this  area  enjoys  over  that  of  the  Wisconsin 
glacier  to  the  west. 


> 


o 


n. 

y. 


H 
? 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  21 

Another  contrast  is  to  be  noted  in  the  character  and  size  of 
the  boulders,  the  presence  of  which  in  great  numbers  is  noticeable 
in  both  areas.  The  granite  boulders  of  the  Wisconsin  area  are 
much  smaller  than  those  of  the  lowan  area  and  are  iu  many 
instances  apparently  as  fresh  as  when  first  broken  from  their 
parent  ledges  by  the  slowly  moving  ice  cap.  The  most  obvious 
characteristic  of  the  lowan  area  is  the  enormous  size  of  the  boul- 
ders which  it  contains  and  their  greater  age  as  evidenced  by  the 
decay  of  their  surface.  Although  conspicuous  on  account  of  their 
imposing  dimensions,  these  boulders  are  rarely  so  numerous  as  to 
constitute  an  interference  to  agriculture. 

"pilot  rock" 

The  illustration  here  given  shows  one  of  these  typical  boulders 
found  in  Butler  county.  "POot  Rock"  stands  on  the  farm  of 
W.  P.  Miller  in  section  22  of  West  Point  township.  Although 
now  so  surroimded  by  gi'owths  of  artificial  timber  as  to  be  hidden 
from  view  except  at  close  quarters,  in  an  early  day  it  formed  one 
of  the  most  conspicuous  landmarks  upon  the  treeless,  trackless 
]U'airie.  This  boulder  is  one  of  the  largest  in  the  state,  measuring 
thirty-eight  feet  in  length,  twenty-six  in  width  and  twelve  feet  in 
height  above  the  ground.  How  much  of  it  is  buried  beneath  the 
surface  is  unknown.  It  is  composed  of  a  very  hard  gray  granite 
similar  in  quality  to  many  of  the  boulders  of  the  surroimding 
territory  and  plainly  coming  originally  from  the  same  parent 
ledge  in  the  far  away  northland. 

AGENCIES  OF  SOIL  FORMATION 

Over  this  thick  layer  of  glacial  deposit  there  has  been  spread 
through  the  process  of  the  centuries  that  have  elapsed  since  the 
far  off  glacial  age  a  mantle  of  the  most  fertile  soil  in  the  world. 
JNIany  agencies  have  contributed  to  this  result. 

^'  "The  chief  agents  concerned  in  modifying  the  surface 
throughout  most  of  Iowa  since  the  disappearance  of  the  lat- 
est glaciers  have  been  organic,  although  the  physical  and 
chemical  influences  of  air  and  water  have  not  been  with- 
out marked  effect.  The  growth  and  decay  of  a  long  series 
of  generations  of  plants  have  contributed  certain  organic 
constituents  to  the  soil.     Earth  worms  l)ring  up  fine  material 

*  Calvin:  ricologv  of  Iowa. 


22  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

from  considerable  depths  and  place  it  in  position  to  be 
spread  out  upon  the  surface.  The  pocket  gopher  has  done 
much  to  furnish  a  surface  layer  of  loose,  mellow,  easily  cultivated 
and  highly  productive  soil.  They  drag  leaves  and  any  manage- 
able portion  of  plants  into  their  burrows  and  much  of  the  material 
so  taken  down  into  the  ground  decays  and  enriches  the  ground 
to  the  depth  of  several  inches.  Like  the  earth  worm,  the  gopher 
for  century  after  century  has  been  bringing  up  to  the  surface 
fine  material  to  the  amount  of  several  tons  annually  to  the  acre 
avoiding  necessarily  the  j)ebbles  and  coarser  constituents.  The 
burrows  collapse,  the  undermined  boulders  and  large  fragments 
sink  downwards,  winds  and  rains  spread  out  the  gopher  lulls  and 
worm  castings,  and  the  next  year  and  the  next  the  process  is 
repeated ;  and  so  it  has  been  for  all  the  years  making  up  the  cen- 
turies since  the  close  of  the  glacial  epoch.  Organic  agents  in 
the  form  of  plants  and  burrowing  animals  have  worked  unremit- 
tingly through  many  centuries  and  accomplished  a  work  of 
incalculable  value  in  pulverizing,  mellowing  and  enriching  the 
superficial  stratum  and  bringing  it  to  the  ideal  condition  in  which 
it  was  foimd  by  the  explorers  and  pioneers  from  whose  advent 
dates  the  historical  period  of  oui-  matchless  Iowa." 

SOIL  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  soil  of  Butler  county  is  typical  of  this  region.  Deep 
borings  have  shown  the  presence  of  sedimentary  lime  rock  under- 
lying the  later  deposits.  There  are  in  places  traces  of  coal 
deposits  but  neither  in  quantity  nor  quality  sufficient  to  justify 
development.  Upon  this  undei^lying  stratmn  rests  a  thick  deposit 
of  glacial  till  consisting  of  blue  and  yellow  clay,  sand,  gravel  and 
boulders.  Above  this  on  the  surface  is  the  mantle  of  humus,  the 
soil  which  fui-nishes  the  elements  of  plant  food  and  makes  this: 
the  most  desirable  farming  section  in  the  state. 


CHAPTER  III 

HISTORICAL— IOWA  TO  THE  ADMISSION  OF  THE 

STATE 

FIRST  INHABITANTS 

The  first  evidences  of  the  presence  of  man  upon  this  portion 
of  the  earth's  surface  are  found  iu  the  geologic  remains  from  the 
period  immediately  succeeding  the  final  disappearance  of  the 
glaciers.  The  discovery  of  arrow  heads  in  undisturbed  beds  of 
loess  and  of  skulls  of  horses  and  other  animals  used  for  food  with 
their  skulls  cimshed  as  with  a  stone  ax  or  other  similar  weapon 
together  with  the  presence  of  stone  axes  in  the  same  deposit  with 
the  skulls  all  indicate  the  existence  of  man  at  this  period. 

No  well  authenticated  instance  of  the  discovery  of  human 
remains  dating  back  to  this  early  prehistoric  period  is  known  in 
Butler  county,  but  in  Floyd  county  to  the  north  and  Chickasaw 
county  to  the  northeast,  human  skulls  have  been  discovered  that 
indicate  that  the  first  inhabitants  of  this  section  were  "low-browed, 
brute-like,  small-bodied  beings  who  were  but  a  grade  above  the 
lower  animals."  These  skulls  resemble  those  of  the  gorilla,  hav- 
ing thick  ridges  over  the  eyes  and  an  almost  total  absence  of 
forehead,  indicating  a  low  degi-ee  of  intelligence.  It  is  not  at  all 
improbable  that  if  a  thorough  investigation  were  to  be  under- 
taken under  the  direction  of  competent  archaeologists  similar 
remains  might  be  discovered  in  this  county. 

THE  MOUND  BTJILDEBS 

Later  in  the  prehistoric  age,  Iowa  and  the  upper  Mississippi 
valley  were  peopled  by  a  race  whom  for  lack  of  a  better  name 
we  call  "The  Mound  Builders."  Of  these  strange,  unknown 
people  who  possessed  this  land  we  now  call  ours.  One  in  his  "His- 
tory of  Iowa"  says: 

23 


24  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

"Stone  and  copper  hnplemeuts  foiuid  indicate  tliat  tliey  had 
made  progress  in  the  scale  of  intelligence.  Whether  they  eulti- 
A^ated  the  soil,  erected  comfortable  dwellings  and  built  towns  is 
not  known ;  but  that  they  made  cloth  is  proven  by  samples  found 
in  the  mounds ;  strangely  preserved  through  the  innumerable  ages 
that  have  elapsed.  The  numbers,  color,  habits,  customs  and 
forms  of  gOA'ernment  of  these  people,  as  well  as  the  manner  in 
which  their  mounds  were  constructed,  the  purpose  for  which  these 
enduring  earthworks  of  various  forms  were  nsed,  and  a  thousand 
interesting  details  of  these  inhabitants  of  Iowa  mnst  forever 
remain  unknown.  Whence  they  came,  how  long  they  possessed 
the  land,  from  what  cause  they  were  exterminated,  are  problems 
that  will  never  cease  to  have  an  absorbing  interest  to  succeeding 
races  and  generations." 

Evidences  of  the  work  of  these  people  are  numerous  along  the 
Mississippi  in  Iowa  and  are  not  unknown  in  this  section  of  the 
state.  Prom  these  evidences  the  conclusion  is  inevitable  that 
their  civilization  was  well  advanced,  that  they  existed  in  gTeat 
numbers  and  that  they  possessed  the  land  for  many  thousands  of 
years.  In  the  end  thej^  were  assailed  by  a  new  race  of  warlike 
invaders  coming  ujiou  them  from  the  north  and  west,  before 
whom  after  generations  of  conflict  the,y  retreated  gradually  to 
the  southward.  It  is  possible  that  the  last  remnants  of  this  once 
mighty  people  sought  refuge  from  the  onsets  of  their  resistless 
foe  in  the  almost  inaccessible  cliffs  of  the  Southwest  where  today 
we  find  the  villages  of  the  "Cliff  Dwellers."  It  is  probable  that 
the  conquerors  of  the  "Mound  Builders"  were  the  ancestors  of 
the  American  Indians  whom  the  first  European  discoverers  found 
in  imdisputed  jjossession  of  the  continent. 

DISCOVERY 

With  the  discovery  of  America  by  Columbus  there  begins  the 
period  of  authentic  history.  On  the  basis  of  the  Columbi;s  dis- 
covery and  the  subsequent  discoveries  and  expl(^rations  of  a  score 
of  adventurers  under  the  flag  of  Castile  and  Ai'ragon,  Sjiain  laid 
claim  to  all  the  vast  North  American  continent  from  the  Gulf  of 
Mexico  to  the  Arctic  regions.  Basing  her  claims  upon  the  fact 
that  the  Cabots  were  the  first  Europeans  actually  to  sight  the 
mainland  of  North  America  and  upon  the  establishment  of  per- 
manent settlements  along  the  Atlantic  coast,  England  annoimced 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  25 

her  title  to  the  continent  from  ocean  to  ocean.  At  the  same  time 
France  through  the  voyages  of  Cartier  and  his  successors  and  the 
settlements  in  the  St.  Lawrence  valley  laid  similar  ambitious 
claim  to  these  lands  and  all  those  that  lay  to  the  south  and  west 
of  them.  So  were  sown  the  seeds  of  a  worldwide  struggle  that 
was  to  terminate  only  after  centuries  of  warfare  with  the  prac- 
tical annihilation  of  one  and  the  elimination  of  another  of  the 
three  great  nations  that  coveted  the  possession  and  control  of  this 
new  world. 

EXPLORATION 

At  first  England  and  Spain  contented  themselves  with  a  mere 
skirting  of  the  fringes  of  the  continent.  True,  for  the  latter 
nation,  De  Soto  and  Coronado  penetrated  the  heart  of  the  con- 
tinent from  opposite  directions  and  displayed  to  the  view  of  the 
white  man  regions  before  existing  but  in  the  fervid  imaginings 
of  dreams.  They  sought,  however,  as  all  Spaniards  did,  not  to 
build  the  foundations  of  a  new  nation  in  the  wilderness  and  to 
make  it  strong  by  the  development  of  its  natural  resources,  but 
to  exploit  the  country  for  their  own  selfish  ends,  to  find  the  fabled 
"Land  of  Eldorado"  where  lay  the  "seven  cities  of  Cibola"  whose 
walls  were  built  of  precious  stones  and  whose  streets  were  paved 
with  gold  and  silver.  Failing  utterly  in  this  hope,  finding  only 
disappointment,  disaster,  and  death  as  recompense  for  all  their 
toil  and  hardships,  the  Spaniards  abandoned  the  great  Central 
valley  and  made  no  serious  attempt  to  assert  their  rights  to  its 
possession  which  these  explorations  gave  them. 

COLONIZATION 

England  builded  better  than  she  knew  in  laying  the  founda- 
tions of  her  future  greatness  in  America.  Her  pioneers  in  the 
new  world  were  home  builders.  For  nearly  two  centuries  after 
their  first  settlement  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  the  English  in  Amer- 
ica were  content  to  make  firm  their  hold  upon  the  little  strip  of 
the  continent  that  lay  between  the  Appalachian  highland  and 
the  sea.  This  made  sure,  eventually  by  a  process  of  natural 
expansion,  their  descendants  pushed  across  the  low  mountain  bar- 
rier and  down  into  the  great  valley.  But  England  was  never  to 
hold  in  fee  simple  the  title  to  the  lands  of  North  America  lying 


26  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

west  of  the  Mississippi  river;  for  before  this  irresistible  west- 
ward movement  had  more  than  well  begun,  England's  American, 
colonies  had  been  lost  to  her  forever  and  it  remained  for  the 
United  States,  England's  rebellious  offspring,  to  make  sure  her 
place  among  the  sisterhood  of  nations  by  the  annexation  of  this 
vast  region  in  which  we  live  today. 

THE  FRENCH  IN  THE  MISSISSIPPI  VALLEY 

But  this  is  anticiiDating  the  actual  progress  of  history.  It 
remained  for  France  actually  to  explore  and  settle  the  Mississippi 
valley.  Under  the  French  flag  missionary  and  trader  advanced 
hand  in  hand.  Beginning  in  the  St.  Lawrence  valley  a  chain  of 
trading  posts  and  mission  stations  was  founded,  extending  west- 
ward around  the  Great  Lakes  and  finally  reaching  the  center  of 
the  continent.  As  early  as  1634,  Nicolet,  a  French  explorer, 
traversed  the  northern  portion  of  the  United  States  lying  just 
to  the  west  of  Lake  Sujierioi-.  Thirty-five  years  later,  Allouez, 
a  French  missionary,  reaching  the  same  region  previously 
explored  by  Nicolet,  heard  from  the  Indians  of  the  existence  of 
a  miglity  inland  river  floT^dng  southward  between  boundless  and 
beautiful  meadows.  The  Indians  called  it  "Mis-sis-se-pe,"  "The 
River  of  the  Meadows." 

In  1670,  Father  Dablon  wrote  of  this  river : 

"These  people  (the  Illinois  Indians)  were  the  first  to  come 
to  Green  Bay  to  trade  with  the  French.  They  are  settled  in  the 
midst  of  a  beautiful  coimtry  away  to  the  southwest  toward  a 
great  river  named  Mis-sis-se-pi.  It  takes  its  rise  far  in  the  north, 
flowing  toward  the  south,  discharging  its  waters  into  the  sea. 
All  of  the  vast  country  through  which  it  flows  is  of  prairie  with- 
out trees." 

MARQUETTE   AND   JOLIET 

From  the  earliest  discovery  of  the  new  world,  men  of  all 
nations  had  been  searching  for  a  passage  through  the  continent 
to  the  western  ocean.  Nerved  by  a  new  hope  roused  by  the  news 
of  this  mighty  body  of  water  flowing  southward  to  the  sea,  Mar- 
quette, a  missionary,  accompanied  by  Joliet,  an  explorer  and 
trader,  set  out  early  in  the  year  1673  to  explore  this  stream. 
From  Green  Bay  the  voyagers  paddled  up  the  Fox  river,  por- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  27 

taged  across  to  the  Wisconsin  and  then  floated  down  this  stream 
to  its  junction  with  tlie  Mississippi. 

*"It  was  on  the  17th  day  of  June,  1673,  that  Marquette  and 
Joliet  looked  out  upon  the  bold  bluffs  of  the  western  shore  a  few 
miles  below  where  McGregor  now  stands.  They  were  the  first 
white  men  who  ever  saw  Iowa.  Pushing  out  into  the  current 
they  beheld  a  wild  and  beautiful  landscape.  On  the  Wisconsin 
side  was  a  level  prairie  shore  stretching  northward  for  many 
miles  covered  with  tall  grass  waving  in  the  June  breeze.  East- 
ward were  the  bluffs  which  in  prehistoric  times  had  been  washed 
by  a  torrent  of  which  the  Mississippi  of  modern  days  is  but  a 
little  remnant.  Westward  coming  down  to  the  water's  edge  were 
lofty,  wooded,  rocky  hills  and  deep  gorges  fringed  with  rich 
foliage  and  flowers.  Once  out  upon  the  waters  of  the  greatest 
river  of  the  continent  they  felt  the  inspiration  of  a  great  dis- 
covery. 

"Marquette  and  Joliet  were  charmed  with  the  beauty  of  the 
country,  the  fertile  prairies  with  theii'  mantles  of  luxuriant  grass 
and  wild  flowers  stretching  away  westward;  the  fish  and  game 
most  plentiful,  and  their  friendly  reception  by  the  Indians.  This 
was  Iowa,  as  it  was  first  seen  by  white  men,  and  no  more  enchant- 
ing land  ever  met  the  gaze  of  explorers." 

The  explorers  continued  their  voyage  southward  until  they 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Arkansas  river,  a  distance  of  more  than 
eleven  hundred  miles.  There  they  encountered  Indians  with 
whose  dialect  they  were  unfamiliar  and  who  were  far  more  hostile 
than  any  with  whom  they  had  come  in  contact  before.  Fearing 
that  the  little  party  might  be  overwhelmed  by  their  foes  and  all 
the  results  of  their  journey  lost  to  the  world,  they  turned  back 
and  after  weary  weeks  of  rowing  against  the  current  finally 
reached  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois.  This  stream,  the  Indians  told 
them,  would  give  them  a  shorter  and  easier  route  to  the  lakes 
than  the  one  by  which  they  had  come;  so,  passing  up  this  river 
nearly  to  its  source,  they  crossed  to  the  headwaters  of  the  Chicago 
river  and  thence  to  Lake  Michigan  and  their  starting  point. 

Although  this  discovery  of  the  great  river  and  the  exploration 
of  its  upper  valley  received  little  attention  in  Europe  at  the  time, 
it  led  directly  to  the  expeditions  of  La  Salle  in  the  next  ten  years 
and  so  constitutes  the  most  valid  basis  of  the  claim  which  France 
set  forward  to  all  the  Mississippi  valley. 

*  Gue:  History  of  Iowa. 


28  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

LA  SALLE  AND  LOUISLVNA 

Robert  Clievalier  cle  La  8alle,  tlie  most  famous  of  the  explorers 
of  the  Mississippi  valley,  inspired  by  the  achievements  of  Mar- 
quette and  Joliet,  made  several  unsuccessful  efforts  to  complete 
the  exploration  of  the  great  river.  On  one  of  these  expeditions, 
Father  Hennepin  with  seven  attendants  ascended  the  Mississippi 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Illinois  to  the  falls  of  St.  Anthony  where 
Minneapolis  now  stands.  They  completed  the  exploration  of  the 
eastern  border  of  Iowa.  In  the  account  which  La  Salle  wrote  of 
this  Hennepin  expedition  occurs  the  first  mention  of  the  Iowa 
Indians  from  whom  our  state  takes  its  name. 

Later  in  1682,  La  Salle  was  finally  successful  in  his  hope  to 
explore  the  Mississippi  river  to  its  mouth,  where  he  took  formal 
possession  of  all  the  regions  drained  by  its  waters  in  the  name  of 
his  royal  master,  Louis  XIV.  Thenceforth  all  this  I'egion  was 
called  Louisiana  in  honor  of  the  king.  Eventually  the  establish- 
ment of  the  English  claim  to  the  territory  east  of  the  Mississippi 
restricted  the  name  Louisiana  to  the  lands  lying  to  the  west  of 
the  great  river. 

I,()['ISTAXA    rXDKP.   SI'AXISH   RI'LE 

Spain  still  asserted  a  claim  to  the  territory  now  called  Louis- 
iana and  its  definite  ownership  was  not  finally  settled  until  the 
close  of  the  French  and  Indian  war  in  1763.  In  1762  a  prelimi- 
nary treaty  between  France,  England  and  Spain  was  sigiied  at 
Fontainbleau  by  which  it  was  agreed  that  the  boundary  between 
the  provinces  of  England  and  Prance  slK^dd  l)e  irrevocably  fixed 
by  the  Mississippi  river.  By  this  treaty  Iowa  was  definitely 
placed  in  the  possession  of  France  and  all  rights  of  claimants 
through  charters  and  gi'ants  made  by  English  kings  m  the  pre- 
vioTis  centuries  were  terminated.  The  Treaty  of  Paris  which  was 
signed  in  176.3  confirmed  the  l)0undaries  agreed  upon  in  the 
preliminary  treaty.  By  this  act  ostonsil)ly,  S})ain  was  to  be  defi- 
nitely and  finally  excluded  from  the  Mississippi  valley.  How 
ever,  at  approximately  the  same  time  that  these  negotiations  were 
in  progress,  by  a  secret  treaty  between  France  and  Spain  all  the 
French  possessions  lying  west  of  the  Mississippi  river,  including 
Iowa,  were  ceded  to  Spain.    Formal  possession  of  this  vast  region 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  29 

was  not  taken  by  Spain  until  seven  years  later.  From  1769  to 
IISUU  Louisiana  was  administered  as  a  Spanish  province. 

Up  to  tlie  time  of  this  secret  cession  to  (Spain  no  permanent 
settlements  had  been  made  by  white  men  within  the  limits  of 
Iowa.  F^ur  traders,  hunters,  trappers  and  missionaries  had 
ascended  its  streams,  built  temporary  cabins  on  the  river  banks, 
dwelt  for  a  time  amidst  its  beaiitiful  gToves,  and  departed,  leav- 
ing no  record  or  trace  of  their  sojourn  other  than  the  naming  of 
the  principal  rivers  and  prominent  landmarks,  some  of  which 
names  remain  to  the  present  day.  During  the  earlier  part  of  the 
period  of  Spanish  possession,  the  same  conditions  prevailed.  The 
fur  trade  with  the  Indians  remained  practically  the  only  industry 
of  this  region  and  its  continuance  and  increasing  importance 
stood  in  the  way  of  the  development  of  the  rich  agricultural  and 
mineral  resources  which  were  later  to  constitute  Iowa's  basis  of 
permanent  prosperity. 

A  strong  rivalry  grew  up  between  the  English  and  the  French 
over  this  fur  trade  mth  the  Indians  and  this  rivalry  became  one 
of  the  chief  causes  of  what  is  known  as  the  F^'rench  and  Indian 
war.  Another  result  of  this  rivalry  was  the  establishment  of  a 
trading  post  on  the  w^est  bank  of  the  Mississippi  a  few  miles 
below  the  mouth  of  the  Missouri  which  in  later  years  was  to  become 
one  of  the  foremost  cities  of  the  new  world,  the  city  of  St.  Louis. 

CONQrEST  OF  NORTHW^EST  TERRITORY 

For  Americans,  after  1763  interest  shifts  from  the  great 
struggle  of  France  and  England  for  world-wide  supremacy  to 
the  lesser  but  far  more  significant  struggle  of  our  forefathers  for 
their  rights  as  Englishmen  in  the  new  world.  To  the  outcome  of 
this  war  for  independence,  Iowa  vnth  all  the  sisterhood  of  states, 
owes  its  very  existence ;  liut  one  incident  of  the  war  bears,  perhaps,^ 
more  directly  ui:»on  the  development  of  Iowa  tlian  any  other  event 
of  the  period.  This  was  the  conquest  of  the  N^orthwest  Territory 
by  George  Rogers  Clark. 

Tlie  story  of  this  magnificent  achievement  need  not  be  retold 
here,  but  to  it  and  to  the  man  who  made  it,  the  United  States 
owes  its  immediate  possession  of  all  the  territory  lying  east  of 
the  Mississippi  and  north  of  the  Ohio  and  probably  its  ultimate 
success  in  maintaining  its  existence  as  a  free  nation  in  the  second 
war  for  independence  from  1812  to  1815.     At  the  close  of  the  War 


80  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

of  the  Revolution  in  1783,  by  virtue  of  the  actual  military  occu- 
pation of  this  territory,  England  was  forced  to  recognize  the 
claims  of  the  United  States  and  ceded  all  her  possessions  east 
of  the  Mississijjpi  river  frum  its  sources  to  the  thirty-tirst  par- 
allel of  latitude  to  the  new  republic.  Thus  was  the  western  bound- 
ary of  the  United  States  extended  to  the  Father  of  Waters  and  the 
eventual  acquisition  of  the  territory  lying  still  farther  to  the 
westward  rendered  inevitable. 

The  period  of  the  Spanish  government  of  Louisiana  from  1769 
to  1800  was  one  of  stagnation  rather  than  development.  The  only 
European  inhabitants  of  the  territory  were  of  French  origin  and 
they  resisted  persistently  the  attempts  of  the  Spanish  governors 
to  enforce  the  use  of  Spanish  laws  and  language.  Even  after  the 
close  of  the  Revolution,  Spain  still  held  possession  of  the  terri- 
tory on  both  sides  of  the  Mississippi  as  far  north  as  the  thirty-first 
parallel.  This  enabled  her  to  control  the  navigation  of  the  river. 
As  the  only  commercial  outlet  for  the  products  of  the  Mississippi 
valley,  its  free  navigation  was  a  matter  of  vital  importance  to  the 
settlers  farther  up  the  river.  This  question  was  one  of  the  rocks 
upon  which  the  infant  republic  so  nearly  went  to  wreck  and  ruin 
in  those  critical  years  following  the  cessation  of  hostilities.  The 
apparent  timidity  of  the  riovernment  of  the  United  States  and 
the  constant  intrigues  of  the  Spaniards  led  finally  to  suggestions 
of  secession  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  the  upper  valley.  In 
the  end  wiser  councils  prevailed  and  after  years  of  fruitless  nego- 
tiation a  treaty  was  concluded  with  Spain  whereby  the  free  navd.- 
gation  of  the  river  was  guaranteed  to  the  citizens  of  the  United 
States. 

;  NAPOLEON  AND  THE  TREATY  OF  ST.  ILDEFONSO 

The  days  of  Spanish  supremacy  in  Louisiana,  however,  were 
rapidly  drawing  to  a  close.  Weakened  by  internal  dissensions 
and  foreign  wars,  disgraced  by  the  profligacy  of  the  queen  and 
the  imbecility  of  the  king,  the  once  proud  Spanish  monarchy  was 
tottering  to  its  fall.  France,  meanwhile,  had  emerged  from  the 
shadow  of  the  great  revolution  and  under  the  guiding  genius  of 
"fTapoleon  was  again  the  dominant  world  power.  His  boimdless 
ambition  looked  forward  to  the  reestablishment  of  the  lost  colo- 
nial empire  of  France  in  the  new  world.  As  a  first  step  in  the 
realization  of  this  project,  he  compelled  the  weak  king  of  Spain 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  31 

by  a  secret  treaty  agreed  to  at  St.  Iklefonso  in  1800  to  recede 
Louisiana  to  i'rance  upon  the  fulfilment  of  certain  considera- 
tions to  be  performed  by  the  French  Republic.  This  agreement 
was  publicly  ratihed  in  the  following  year  by  the  treaty  of  Mad- 
rid and  Louisiana  became  for  the  second  time  the  possession  of 
France. 

THE  LOUISIANA   PURCHASE 

Before  adequate  provision  could  be  made  by  Napoleon  for 
the  occupation  and  defense  of  his  new  possessions  in  North 
America,  he  was  confronted  by  the  armed  strength  of  Europe 
in  another  great  struggle  for  supremacy.  In  order  to  save  Lou- 
isiana from  falling  into  the  hands  of  the  English  and  at  the  same 
time  to  insure  the  neutrality  of  the  United  States  and  make  it  a 
formidable  rival  of  England  in  the  new  world,  Napoleon  opened 
confidential  negotiations  with  the  American  minister  to  France 
looking  toward  the  transfer  of  the  sovereignty  over  this  territory. 
On  the  30th  of  April,  1803,  a  treaty  of  purchase  was  concluded 
between  the  representatives  of  the  United  States  and  of  Napo- 
leon, whereby  for  a  consideration  of  $15,000,000,  France  relin- 
quished all  her  claims  to  territory  lying  west  of  the  Mississippi 
and  north  of  the  Spanish  possessions.  Out  of  this  vast  domain, 
an  empire  in  extent,  embracing  a  greater  area  than  all  of  the 
United  States  at  that  time  east  of  the  Mississippi  river,  fourteen 
states  of  the  ITnion  today  have  been  carved  either  wholly  or  in 
part.    And  the  proi:dest  of  these  is  our  own  State  of  Iowa. 

"Our  new  possessions  proved  to  be  of  greater  value  than  all 
the  territory  conquered  and  held  by  Napoleon  during  his  brilliant 
and  unscrupulous  wars  of  conquest  in  Europe  and  Africa.  No 
such  acquisition  of  valuable  territory  was  ever  before  made 
peaceably  by  any  nation  in  the  world's  history.  The  industrial, 
commercial,  political  and  geographical  importance  of  this  region 
were  colossal  and  inestimable.  It  rounded  out  our  territorial 
possessions,  opened  up  an  inland  water  route  to  the  sea,  and  at 
one  step  lifted  the  young  republic  into  rank  and  power  with  the 
first  nations  of  the  earth." 

GOVERNMENT  OF  THE  TERRITORT 

The  first  act  of  Congress  providing  for  the  government  of  the 
territory  acquired  in  this  manner  was  approved  Oct.  31,  1803, 


32  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

and  provided  that  all  military,  civil  and  judicial  powers  should 
be  "vested  in  such  persons  and  exercised  in  such  manner  as  the 
President  of  the  United  States  shall  direct."  This  v^as  followed 
in  1804  by  an  act  dividing  the  territory  into  the  Territory  of 
Orleans  and  the  District  of  Louisiana,  the  thirty-third  parallel 
being  the  boundary  line  between  these  diAasions.  The  J3istrict 
of  Louisiana  was  temporarily  placed  under  the  control  of  the 
Governor  and  the  judges  of  Indiana  teriitory,  wMch  then  com- 
prised all  of  the  present  states  of  Indiana,  Illinois,  Wisconsin, 
and  a  part  of  Minnesota.  In  1805,  Congress  established  a  sepa- 
rate territorial  form  of  government  for  tliis  district,  executive 
and  judicial  powers  being  vested  in  a  Governor  and  three  judges 
to  be  appointed  by  the  President. 

MISSOUKI  TEKEITORY 

Coincident  with  the  admission  of  Orleans  territory  as  the 
State  of  Louisiana  in  1812,  the  name  of  the  Territory  of  Louisiana 
was  changed  to  Missouri  territory  and  an  additional  department 
of  government  was  established.  This  department  comprised  a 
territorial  Legislature  of  two  houses,  a  Council  of  nine  members 
appointed  by  the  President  for  terms  of  five  years,  and  a  House 
of  Representatives  with  one  representative  for  every  500 
free  white  male  inhabitants  to  be  elected  for  terms  of  two  years 
by  the  suffrage  of  all  free  white  male  taxpaying  citizens.  The 
power  of  absolute  veto  was  vested  in  the  Governor.  Later,  in 
1816,  Congress  conceded  to  the  citizens  of  the  territory  the  right 
to  elect  the  members  of  the  Council.  At  the  same  time  the  area 
of  the  territory  was  reduced  by  the  formation  of  Arkansas  terri- 
tory. Throughout  this  and  the  following  period,  the  capital  of 
Missouri  territory  was  St.  Louis. 

MICHIGAN  TERRITORY 

In  1821  by  the  terms  of  the  famous  Missouri  Compromise, 
Missouri  was  admitted  as  a  state  with  substantially  its  present 
boundaries.  The  remaining  portion  of  the  former  territory  of 
the  same  name  was  sparsely  settled  and  for  this  reason  and  pos- 
sibly because  public  attention  was  so  concentrated  upon  the  prob- 
lem of  the  extension  of  slavery,  now  for  the  first  time  become  a 
serious  political  question,  no  further  provision  was  made  for  the 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  33 

goverumeBt  of  the  lands  lying  north  of  ^iissouri.  It  continued, 
to  be  called  Missomi  territory  but  had  no  dehnite  form  of  govern- 
ment vmtil  1834  when  the  portion  lying  between  the  Mississippi 
and  Missouri  rivers  as  far  north  as  the  British  possessions  in 
Canada  was  joined  to  Alichigan  territory. 

WISCONSIN    TERRITOKY 

With  this  act,  the  separate  history  of  Iowa  under  its  present 
name  may  be  considered  to  have  begun,  as  from  this  time  on  the 
new  district  over  which  the  authority  of  Michigan  had  been 
extended  was  known  as  the  Iowa  district.  Events  moved  rapidly 
now  toward  the  final  formation  of  the  state.  In  1836,  Wisconsin 
territory  was  set  off  from  Michigan  as  a  preliminary  to  the  ad- 
mission of  the  latter  as  a  state  and  the  Iowa  district  became  a 
part  of  the  new  territory.  Two  years  later  by  an  act  of  Congress 
approved  June  12,  1838,  Wisconsin  territory  was  di\dded  and 
the  portion  west  of  the  Mississippi  was  given  a  separate  terri- 
torial form  of  government  under  the  name  of  Iowa  territory. 
This  in  turn  led  in  1846  to  the  admission  of  Iowa  as  a  state. 

The  act  of  Congress  creating  the  Territory  of  Wisconsin  in 
1836  is  significant  in  that  it  pro^dded  that  the  members  of  the 
legislative  Coimcil  and  the  House  of  Representatives  should  be 
elected  by  popular  vote,  all  free  white  male  citizens  having  the 
right  of  suffrage  without  regard  to  property  qualifications. 

"Thus  for  the  first  time  was  the  prerequisite  of  taxpaying 
omitted  from  the  qualifications  of  voters  in  this  territory.  Hence 
also  the  first  time  the  i^eople  of  this  territory  elected  their  law- 
makers a  property  qualification  to  vote  was  not  required.  In  no 
part  of  the  country  east  of  the  western  line  of  the  State  of  Iowa, 
except  in  Iowa  and  Minnesota,  has  it  been  true  that  the  people 
have  always  exercised  the  right  of  siiffrage  without  the  prepay- 
ment of  some  sort  of  tax." 

IOWA   TERRITORY 

The  first  session  of  the  Legislature  of  Wisconsin  territory 
was  held  at  Belmont.  Wisconsin,  in  the  winter  of  1836.  This 
assembly  selected  Madison  as  the  permanent  capital  of  the  terri- 
tory but  voted  to  meet  for  its  next  session  at  Burlington,  Iowa, 
until  the  new  capital  city  should  be  ready  to  accommodate  them. 
Burlington  continued  to  be  the  capital  of  Iowa  territory  after 


34  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

its  creation  by  act  of  Congress  in  1838  until  the  removal  of  the 
seat  of  government  to  Iowa  City  in  1841.  The  present  capital, 
Des  Moines,  was  selected  by  a  commission  appointed  in  accord- 
ance with  an  act  passed  in  1854.  The  final  relocation  of  the 
capitol  was  completed  in  December,  1857,  when  the  last  load  of 
material,  "drawn  by  oxen  upon  a  bobsled  through  wind,  rain  and 
snow"  arrived  at  the  new  capitol  in  Ues  Moines. 

ADMISSION   OF   IOWA   AS   A   STATE 

The  Second  Territorial  Legislature  which  met  in  1840,  passed 
an  act  submitting  to  the  people  the  question  of  the  calling  of  a 
convention  to  form  a  constitution  preliminary  to  the  admission 
of  the  state.  The  proposition  was  defeated  at  the  polls.  A  simi- 
lar act  passed  by  the  Fourth  Territorial  Legislature  was  also 
voted  down.  The  Sixth  Legislature  passed  an  act  to  this  effect 
which  was  ratified  by  the  people  and  the  first  constitutional  con- 
vention in  Iowa  met  in  1844  and  prepared  a  constitution  which 
fixed  the  boundaries  of  the  proposed  state  so  as  to  include  a  large 
part  of  the  present  State  of  Minnesota.  Congress  in  its  enabling 
act  of  1845  relating  to  the  adnussion  of  Iowa  changed  these  bound- 
aries b.y  cutting  off  considerable  portions  on  the  north  and  west. 
Largely  because  of  the  action  of  Congress  in  this  regard,  this 
constitution  was  rejected  by  the  people  in  the  election  which  fol- 
lowed. After  another  imsuccessful  attempt  to  secure  the  pas- 
sage of  this  constitution  with  the  boundaries  as  they  came  from 
the  convention,  the  matter  was  dropped  luitil  the  meeting  of  the 
Eighth  Legislature.  This  assembly  passed  an  act  calling  for  a 
convention  which  was  carried  by  the  people.  The  convention 
met  in  1846  and  prepared  a  constitution  which  determined  the 
present  boundaries  of  Iowa.  This  constitution  was  ado})ted  by 
a  vote  of  9,492  for  and  9.036  against.  In  December,  1846,  the 
act  of  Congress  admitting  Iowa  into  the  Union  was  approved  by 
the  President.  An  election  had  been  held  in  October  for  state 
officers  and  members  of  the  Legislature.  The  First  General 
Assembly  of  Iowa  met  at  Iowa  City  in  November,  1 846.  and,  after 
providing  for  the  inauguration  of  the  new  state  government, 
passed  in  January.  1847.  an  act  accepting  the  proposition  of  Con- 
gi'ess  foi-  the  admission  of  Iowa.  ThiTs  was  completed  the  final 
step  by  which  Iowa  became  a  member  of  the  sisterhood  of  states 
of  the  American  Union. 


CHAPTER  IV 
HISTORICAI^STATE  AND  COUNTY 

FIKST    SETTLEMENT 

The  various  changes  of  sovereignty  and  forms  of  government 
that  have  been  enimierated  in  the  previous  chapter  are  significant 
as  matters  of  history  only.  Previous  to  1832  there  were  no  per- 
manent white  settlements  within  the  present  limits  of  Iowa.  A 
few  white  men  had  settled  at  widely  separated  points  and  had 
dwelt  there  among  the  Indians.  The  first  of  these  and  the  man 
to  whom  is  accorded  the  honor  of  being  the  first  white  settler 
in  the  state  was  Julien  Dubuque,  an  educated  and  accomplished 
French-Canadian,  who  settled  at  a  point  near  the  site  of  the  city 
which  now  bears  his  name.  Dubuque,  having  heard  that  lead  had 
been  discovered  along  the  upper  Mississippi  came  west  for  the 
purpose  of  developing  this  natural  resource  if  possible.  Gaining 
the  confidence  of  the  Fox  Indians  who  occupied  what  is  now  the 
northeastern  portion  of  Iowa,  he  persuaded  them  to  gi-ant  to 
him  the  exclusive  privilege  of  lead  mining  on  a  considerable  tract 
of  land  along  the  west  bank  of  the  Mississippi.  This  grant  is 
dated  Sept.  22,  1788. 

JULIEN  DTJBITQTJE 

Dubuque  brought  a  sufficient  number  of  assistants  from 
Canada  to  enable  him  to  develop  the  mines  which  he  had  dis- 
covered. He  erected  a  smelter,  built  houses  for  his  men  and 
opened  a  trading  store  for  the  exchange  of  goods  and  trinkets  for 
furs  from  the  Indians.  He  soon  became  the  most  influential 
trader  in  the  upper  valley,  making  semi-annual  trips  to  St.  Louis 
with  his  boat  loads  of  ore,  furs  and  hides.  The  right  of  Dubuque 
to  the  land  granted  him  by  the  Indians  as  well  as  his  right  to 
trade  with  them  was  confirmed  by  the  Spanish  government  in 

35 


36  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

1796.  Uiubuque  aud  Ms  little  colony  continued  to  occupy  these 
lands  and  to  carry  on  his  industries  until  the  death  of  the  founder 
in  1810.  Shortly  thereafter  trouble  broke  out  between  the  white 
successors  of  Dubuque  and  the  Indians  as  a  result  of  which  the 
whites  were  expelled  from  the  territory  and  the  Indians  reas- 
sumed  possession.  They  erased  every  vestige  of  civilization  on 
the  site  of  the  former  settlement  and  revoked  or  denied  the  grant. 
Tliis  became  the  cause  of  one  of  the  most  famous  of  the  early 
cases  of  Litigation  in  Iowa.  Claimants  and  heirs  of  the  Dubuque 
interests  attempted  through  the  United  States  courts  to  regain 
possession  of  the  lost  mines.  In  the  end,  however,  the  courts 
held  that  both  the  Indian  and  Spanish  grants  to  Dubuque  had 
been  in  the  nature  of  leases  and  that  no  permanent  title  to  the 
land  involved  could  arise  therefrom. 

TREATIES  OF  PUECHASE  AND  CESSION 

From  the  death  of  Dubuque  to  the  close  of  the  Black  Hawk 
war,  no  white  settlements  were  attempted  in  Iowa.  The  period 
is  marked  by  the  conclusion  of  a  number  of  treaties  with  the 
Indian  inhabitants  of  Iowa  by  which  they  were  gradually 
induced  to  relinquish  their  claims  to  the  lands  which  from  time 
immemorial  they  and  their  ancestors  had  held  as  their  own.  The 
first  of  these  treaties  was  concluded  between  Gen.  William  Henry 
Harrison  and  representatives  of  the  Sac  and  Fox  Indians  whereby 
these  tribes  agreed  to  cede  all  their  lands  cast  of  the  Mississippi 
to  the  U2iited  States.  The  United  States  in  turn  agreed  not  to 
molest  the  Indians  in  their  enjoyment  of  their  remaining  terri- 
toi'v  nor  to  allow  anyone  else  to  do  so.  In  strict  violation  of  the 
terms  of  this  treaty,  in  1<808  a  fort  was  built  on  the  west  side  of 
the  Mississippi  which  was  named  Fort  Madison  and  stood  near 
the  present  site  of  the  city  of  the  same  name.  In  the  War  of  1812 
the  Sacs  and  Foxes  took  sides  with  the  British  and  compelled  tlie 
garrison  of  Fort  Madison  to  abandon  and  destroy  it. 

At  the  close  of  the  War  of  181.5,  treaties  of  peace  and  amity 
were  concluded  with  these  tribes  and  others  occupying  Iowa  ter- 
ritory. In  1824  another  treaty  was  concluded  with  the  Sac  and 
Fox  tribes  by  which  the  Indian  title  to  all  lands  in  Missouri  and 
in  what  was  known  as  the  "Half-breed  Tract"  in  soiitheasteni 
Iowa  was  extinguished.  A  year  later  Commissioners  Clark  and 
Cass  secured  an  agreement  between  the  Sioux  tribes  on  the  one 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  37 

hand  aud  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  on  the  other  whereb}'  the  lauds 
in  Iowa  were  divided  between  them,  the  Sioux  agreeing  to 
remain  to  the  north  and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  to  the  south  of  an 
imaginary  line  dividing  the  state  from  east  to  west.  A  portion 
■of  this  line  passed  through  Franklin,  Cerro  Gordo  and  Floyd 
counties,  just  a  little  above  the  northwest  corner  of  Butler 
coimty. 

"the  neutral  strip" 

This  line,  however,  failed  to  restrain  the  hostile  tendencies 
of  the  warring  tribes  and  in  1830,  the  Sioux  ceded  a  strip  of  land 
twenty  miles  in  width  extending  from  the  Mississippi  to  the  Des 
Moines  river  and  adjoining  the  treaty  line  of  1825  on  the  north. 
At  the  same  time  a  similar  cession  of  a  strip  of  land  of  the  same 
width  and  lengih  adjoining  the  treaty  line  on  the  south  was  made 
by  the  Sacs  and  Foxes.  These  two  cessions  comprised  what  was 
thereafter  known  as  the  "Neutral  Strip."  By  this  act  the  title 
to  the  greater  part  of  what  is  now  Butler  county  passed  to  the 
United  States.  The  southern  boundary  of  the  "Neutral  Strip" 
passes  through  Butler  county  from  east  to  west,  entering  on  the 
east  a  little  below  the  northeast  corner  of  Shell  Rock  township 
and  emerging  on  the  west  a  little  south  of  the  northwest  corner 
of  Washington  township. 

FIRST   PRICE   OF   BUTLER    COUNTY   LAND 

In  the  same  treat.y,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  gave  to  the  United 
States  a  large  tract  of  land  lying  in  the  western  part  of  the  pres- 
ent state.  The  consideration  paid  to  the  Sioux  and  the  Sac  and 
Fox  Indians  for  this  vast  cession  of  territory  was  $284,1.32.  It 
is  difficult  to  determine  the  exact  extent  of  territory  affected  by 
this  transfer  but  it  contained  approximately  twenty  thousand 
square  miles.  The  first  recorded  purchase  price  of  Butler  county 
land  may  therefore  be  considered  to  have  been  only  slightly  in 
excess  of  two  cents  an  acre.  ' 

THE    BLACK   HAWK    PURCHASES 

The  defeat  of  the  Indians  under  the  noted  chieftain,  Black 
Hawk,  in  the  war  called  bv  his  name  resulted  in  the  cession  in 


38  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

1832  of  a  tract  about  fifty  miles  iu  width  extending  along  the 
western  side  of  the  Mississippi  from  the  "Neutral  Strip"  to 
Missouri.  This  was  supplemented  in  1836  by  the  "Second  Pur- 
chase" to  the  west  of  this  tract.  These  two  purchases  opened 
the  eastern  part  of  state  to  settlement.  Immigration  spi'ead  rap- 
idly over  the  territoi'v  thus  acquired.  The  Indians  attempted 
for  a  time  to  retain  their  hold  upon  what  was  left  of  their  original 
territory  in  Iowa.  As  always  it  was  a  forlorn  hoi3e,  but  it  was 
not  until  1842  that  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  ceded  to  the  United  States 
all  their  remaining  lands  east  of  the  Missouri.  This  cession 
included  the  southern  portion  of  Butler  county  not  covered  by  the 
"Neutral  Strip."  The  purchase  price  of  this  land  was  approxi- 
mately ten  cents  an  acre. 

The  remaining  rights  to  land  in  the  state  were  secured  when  in 
1846  the  Winnebagos,  who  by  previous  agreement  had  been  set- 
tled upon  that  portion  of  the  "Neutral  Strip"  to  the  east  of  the 
Shell  Rock  river  in  its  course  through  Floyd  and  Butler  comities, 
ceded  their  interest  in  the  "Neutral  Strip"  and  when  finally  the 
Sioux  in  1851  gave  title  to  the  land  which  they  still  claimed  in  the 
northern  portion  of  the  state. 

THE   FIRST   COUNTIES 

The  rapid  increase  of  population  iu  the  new  lands  acquired  as 
a  result  of  the  Black  Hawk  war  necessitated  some  provision  for 
the  establishment  of  local  governments.  To  meet  this  need,  in 
1834  the  Sixth  Legislative  Assembly  of  the  Territory  of  Michigan, 
of  which,  as  has  been  explained  above,  Iowa  was  then  a  part, 
divided  the  Iowa  district  into  two  counties  by  rimning  a  line  due 
west  from  the  lower  end  of  Rock  Island.  The  coimty  to  the  north 
of  this  line  was  named  Dubuque  county  and  that  south  Des  Moines 
county. 

BUCHANAN   AND  FAYETTE  COUNTIES 

In  1837  during  the  second  session  of  the  First  Territorial 
Legislative  Assembl,y  of  Wisconsin,  an  act  was  passed  dividing 
Dubuque  county  into  thirteen  counties,  eight  of  which  were  then 
given  the  same  boundaries  as  now.  The  territory  now  comprised 
within  the  limits  of  Butler  county  was  by  this  act  divided  between 
Fayette  and  Buchanan  counties.    Buchanan  county  under  this  act 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  39 

contained  all  of  the  original  portion  of  Dubuque  county  lying 
directly  west  of  Delaware  county  and  extending  to  tlie  Missouri 
river.  This  included  what  is  now  the  southern  tier  of  townships 
of  Butler  county.  Fayette  county,  as  originally  established,  was 
the  largest  county  in  the  United  States.  It  extended  west  from 
Clayton  county  to  the  extreme  limits  of  the  territory  and  north 
from  Buchanan  county  to  the  British  possessions,  comprising 
within  its  boundaries  most  of  what  was  afterward  divided  into 
twenty-eight  counties  of  Iowa,  all  of  the  State  of  Minnesota  west 
of  the  Mississippi  river  and  all  of  the  Dakotas  east  of  the  Mis- 
souri and  White  Earth  rivers.  It  covered  an  area  of  14(.),000 
square  miles,  nearly  three  times  the  size  of  the  State  of  Iowa. 

The  boimdaries  of  Fayette  county  were  later  reduced  within 
the  limits  of  the  State  of  Iowa  but  no  further  changes  in  form  or 
organization  were  effected  until  1851  when,  during  the  session  of 
the  Third  General  Assembly  of  Iowa,  forty-nine  new  counties 
were  established.  Among  the  fortj-nine  were  Butler  comity  and 
all  of  the  counties  surrounding  it  except  Blackhawk  which  had 
been  previouslv  established  bv  act  of  the  Territorial  Legislature 
in  1843. 

BUTLER  COUNTY 

For  some  time  after  the  date  of  the  legislative  act  creating  the 
county  of  Butler,  the  term  remained  a  mere  geographical  expres- 
sion. The  name  Butler  had  no  local  significance  but  was  selected 
by  the  legislative  committee  which  prepared  the  bill  providing  for 
the  organization  of  the  foi'ty-nine  counties  mentioned  above.  The 
Mexican  Avar  had  closed  but  two  years  before  this  session  of  the 
Legislature  and  the  names  of  its  battlefields  and  military  officers 
were  fresh  in  the  memories  of  the  people.  Of  ovu"  neighboring 
coun+ioo.  TT.oTrlin  was  named  for  Colonel  Hardin  of  Illinois,  who 
was  killed  in  battle  in  the  Mexican  war,  and  Cerro  Gordo  for  one 
of  the  famous  battles  fought  by  General  Scott  on  his  victorious 
march  from  Vera  Ciaiz  to  the  Mexican  capital.  Butler  county  was 
named  in  honor  of  Maj.-Gen.  William  O.  Butler,  another  military 
hero  of  the  Mexican  war.  General  Butler  eonnnanded  a  division 
of  the  volunteer  army  in  this  war  and  achieved  sufficient  promi- 
nence to  receive  the  nomination  for  the  vice-presidency  on  the 
democratic  ticket  in  the  campaign  of  1848.  He  has  no  other  con- 
nection with  the  county's  history  and  it  is  doubtful  whether  lie 


40  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

was  ever  even  aware  of  the  honor  that  was  in  this  way  conferred 
upon  him  bv  the  Legislature  of  Iowa. 

The  act  of  1851  pro^aded  temporarily  for  the  attachment  of 
Butler  county  to  Buchanan  county  for  judicial  purposes.  By  1853 
a  sufficient  number  of  settlements  had  been  made  in  the  county  to 
warrant  an  attempt  to  organize  a  local  government.  Aceordingij'^, 
Judge  Roszell,  of  Buchanan  county,  in  May,  1853,  appointed  a 
commission  to  locate  a  county  seat  for  Butler  county.  Acting 
upon  the  instructions  of  the  court  the  three  gentlemen  comprising 
this  commission  finally  fixed  upon  a  site  in  what  is  now  Clarks- 
ville.     This  occurred  about  the  14th  or  15th  of  May,  1853. 

In  August,  1853,  Judge  Roszell  ordered  an  election  to  be  held 
in  Butler  county  for  the  choice  of  officers  to  provide  for  the  organ- 
ization of  the  local  government  of  the  county.  No  records  of  this 
election  have  been  preserved,  but  it  is  known  that  George  W. 
Poisall  was  elected  county  judge.  None  of  the  comity  officers 
chosen  at  this  election  qualified.  This  first  attempt  to  ijrovide  for 
the  organization  of  the  comity,  therefore,  failed  and  the  matter 
was  for  the  time  being  abandoned. 

Following  this  failure  to  organize  a  separate  county  govern- 
ment, in  the  same  year,  1853,  Butler  county  was  detached  from 
Buchanan  county  and  attached  to  Blackhawk  county  for  judicial 
purposes.  In  August,  1854,  a  second  election  for  the  choice  of 
county  officers  was  held  under  orders  issued  by  Judge  Knapp 
of  Blackhawk  county.  As  a  result  of  this  election,  a  full  list  of 
coimty  officers  was  chosen,  all  of  whom  qualified  except  the  comity 
attorney.  This  office  was  filled  by  appointment  and  on  the  2d  of 
October,  1854,  the  permanent  organization  of  the  county  govern- 
ment was  effected  and  the  separate  coiporate  existence  of  Butler 
county  became  an  accomplished  fact. 


CHAPTER  V 
EARLY  DAYS 

Before  passing  on  to  a  more  or  less  detailed  consideration  of 
the  development  of  the  comity,  it  may  not  be  out  of  place  to  pause 
for  a  backward  glance  upon  the  conditions  that  surrounded  the 
early  settlers  of  this  and  the  other  counties  of  Iowa  in  the  log  cabin 
days.  Here  and  there  among  us  still  there  lingers  a  gray  haired 
man  or  woman  whose  memory  fondly  turns  back  upon  these  days 
of  long  ago.  We  cannot  hope  to  reconstruct  for  the  young  people 
of  today  the  life  of  these  early  times  with  any  degree  of  the  vivid- 
ness that  it  has  in  the  minds  of  these  pioneers,  but  if  we  can  in 
some  measure  indicate  something  of  the  toil  and  hardship,  some- 
thing of  the  courage  and  determination  that  made  it  possible  for 
Butler  county  to  become  what  it  is  today  we  shall  be  content.  And 
in  so  doing  we  shall  hope  to  surround  the  lives  of  these  honored 
representatives  of  a  rapidly  departing  generation  with  a  halo  of 
love  and  respect  and  to  make  their  journey  down  the  sunset  slopes 
of  life  a  pleasant  and  a  happy  one. 

The  early  settlements  in  Butler  county  were  largely  made  up 
of  men  and  women  whose  wealth  consisted  chiefly  of  youth,  health, 
industrious  habits  and  a  determination  to  better  their  condition 
in  life.  They  came  from  the  eastern  states,  from  the  states  of 
the  Central  West,  from  England,  from  Ireland,  from  Germany. 
They  had  little  or  nothing  in  common  except  the  common  experi- 
ence of  having  to  struggle  to  accumulate  anything  of  a  surplus  over 
bare  subsistence  and  the  earnest  desire  to  leave  to  their  children 
something  other  than  an  inheritance  of  the  habit  of  industry. 
They  saw  in  these  unsettled  Iowa  prairies  the  possibilities  of  a 
great  futm'e.  They  were  not  deceived  as  to  the  price  that  they 
must  pay  to  achieve  this  great  ideal.  They  knew  that  it  meant 
the  severing  of  all  the  ties  of  kindred  and  association,  that  it  meant 
stern  privation,  sla^ash  toil  and  long  slow  waiting  for  the  coming 
in  later  years  of  the  advantages  that  their  children  were  some  day 

Vol.  I— a 

41 


42  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

to  enjoy.  But  taking  all  this  iuto  account,  tliey  came  here,  aud 
amid  hardship,  sickuess  and  often  absolute  want,  they  spent  the 
best  years  of  their  lives  in  the  building  of  a  new  civilization. 

The  young  people  of  today  can  know  little  and  appreciate  less 
the  slow  progress  of  evolution  that  has  transformed  the  bleak 
prairies  of  sixty  years  ago  into  the  beautiful  fauns  of  unsurpassed 
fertility,  adorned  with  shady  groves,  fi'uitful  orchards,  modern 
homes,  and  magnificent  barns  and  outbuildings  equipped  with 
every  modern  labor-saving  device,  that  surrounds  us  on  ever_y  side 
today.  Thej^  cannot  realize  that  our  modern  system  of  transpor- 
tation of  persons,  commodities  and  news  by  a  network  of  railroads 
aud  telegraph  lines,  rural  telephones  and  rural  mail  delivery  has 
so  recently  displaced  the  emigrant  wagon  drawn  b}'  oxen,  the  stage 
coach  and  the  weekly  horse-back  mail  carrier ;  that  our  towns  aud 
cities  and  thriving  villages  with  their  modern  homes,  imposing 
busmess  blocks,  factories,  banks,  churches  and  schoolhouses  have 
within  the  memory  of  the  older  citizens  disjilaced  the  Indian  wig- 
wam and  the  pioneer  log  cabin  and  sod  house. 

A  hunter's  paradise 

When  the  first  settlers  came  into  Butler  comity,  tlie_y  found  a 
land  which  was  a  veritable  hunter's  paradise.  Buffalo,  deer  and 
elk  were  j)lentiful.  With  these  there  were  bear,  lynx,  foxes,  wild- 
cats, groimd  hogs,  weasels,  raccoons,  otter,  beaver,  muskrats,  par- 
tridges, wild  turkeys,  Avild  geese  and  inunerous  other  wild  beast? 
and  fowls.  So  plentiful  was  this  wild  game  that  the  earliest  pio- 
neers had  no  difficulty  whatever  in  ol)taining  a  fail'  share  of  their 
subsistence  with  their  trusty  rifles.  From  1851  to  1856,  hunting 
was  the  main  employment  of  many  of  the  earliest  settlers. 

In  the  northei'u  part  of  the  county  the  Golieen  brothers,  E.  E. 
and  James,  and  one  "Tobe"  Miller  were  famous  as  successful 
hunters,  E.  R.  Goheen  having  the  record  of  shooting  twelve  deer 
and  one  buffalo  in  one  day.  At  one  time  he  made  a  contract  to 
furnish  deer  for  what  the  hides  were  worth,  as  he  could  shoot  them 
standing  on  his  door  steps.  In  the  winter  of  1853-54,  the  Goheen 
brothers  came  upon  a  large  buffalo  near  the  present  site  of  the 
Dunkard  church  in  Greene,  and  shot  it  so  as  to  cripple  it.  It  was 
storming  at  the  time,  however,  and  the  crippled  lieast  managed  to 
escape.  The  next  morning  it  was  captured  and  killed  l)y  a  man 
named  Winchell,  of  Marble  Rock. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  43 

Up  iiutil  the  winter  of  1856-57,  buffalo,  deer  and  elk  were  found 
in  large  niunbers  in  the  county,  especially  in  the  western  part 
ai'ouud  what  is  now  Bristow,  then  called  Boylan's  Grove.  So  far 
as  meat  was  concerned,  the  settlers  fared  siunptuously  every  day. 
In  the  winter  of  1856-57,  snow  fell  in  unusual  quantity  until  it  lay 
three  feet  deep  on  the  level.  Alternate  thawing  and  freeziug 
caused  a  crust  of  ice  to  form  over  the  top  of  the  snow  strong 
enough  to  bear  up  the  weight  of  a  man.  It  was  not,  however,  suffi- 
ciently strong  to  support  the  weight  of  the  deer  and  elk.  These, 
as  they  endeavored  to  run,  would  break  through  the  crust  and, 
floimdering  in  the  soft  mass  beneath,  become  so  impeded  in  their 
progress  as  to  fall  an  easy  prey  to  their  pursuers,  whether  hunters,, 
dogs  or  wolves.  As  a  consequence  nearly  all  the  deer  and  elk  were 
destroyed  that  winter.  By  actual  count,  at  what  was  known  as 
Jamison's  grove,  within  the  space  of  two  miles  up  and  down  the 
West  Fork,  thii-ty-two  deer  were  killed  during  this  season.  The 
elk  on  account  of  their  greater  weight  were  even  more  handi- 
capped. Many  were  killed  with  axes  and  hatchets  without  the 
aid  of  dog  or  gim.  A  similar  slaughter  of  these  animals  took  place 
in  other  parts  of  the  northern  section  of  the  state.  After  that 
month,  few  deer  and  no  elk  were  ever  again  seen  in  Butler  county. 
Wolves,  said  always  to  be  plentiful  where  deer  are,  are  also  said 
to  have  been  less  numerous  after  this  extennination  of  the  deer 
and  elk.  This  reduction  in  the  number  of  wolves,  though,  may 
be  more  readily  ascribed,  perhaps,  to  the  activities  of  two  men, 
Jacob  Yost  and  Joseph  Riddle,  who  for  several  seasons  poisoned 
large  mmibers  of  them  by  the  use  of  strychnine.  Prairie  wolves, 
however,  continued  to  be  sufficiently  lunnerous  to  constitute  a 
positive  nuisance  for  thirty  years  afterward.  At  the  present  time,, 
although  not  unknown,  they  are  uncommon.  A  few^  instances  of 
the  presence  of  gray  timber  wolves  are  recorded  by  the  pioneers.. 
One  of  the  last  appearances  of  one  of  these  fierce  brutes  occurred 
within  the  memory  t>f  the  writer,  then  a  very  small  boy,  about 
the  winter  of  1884-5,  in  the  grove  on  the  Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm 
in  West  Point  township.  This  wolf,  after  a  fierce  battle  with  two 
large  dogs,  was  routed  hy  a  farm  hand  armed  with  a  pitch  fork  and 
made  his  escape  toward  the  West  Fork  woods. 

So  before  the  forces  of  Nature  and  the  progress  of  civilization,, 
aided  by  the  deadly  rifles  of  the  hunters  and  the  snares  of  the- 
trappers,  the  wild  life  of  these  woods  and  plains  rapidly,  but  most 
reluctantly,  retreated.    The  resounding  echoes  of  the  woodman's 


44  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

ax  and  the  carpenter's  hammer  and  mallet  and  the  crack  of  the 
pioneer's  ox  whip  succeeded  the  crack  of  the  hunter's  rifle.  An 
age-long  era  in  the  history  of  this  land  ended  and  a  new  era  of 
progress  and  civilization  began  when  the  fii'st  lofty  walnut,  hick- 
ory and  oak  trees  were  f  eUed  to  be  converted  into  cabins  and  barns 
and  fences  for  the  new  homes  of  the  pioneers  and  their  families. 

SETTLEMENTS   IN   TIMBER   LANDS 

This  necessity  for  utilizing  the  standing  timber  for  the  con- 
struction of  the  first  homes  of  the  pioneers  accounts  in  part  for 
the  fact  that  the  first  settlements  in  Butler  county  and  in  all  the 
western  prairie  country  were  made  along  the  timbered  streams. 
A  careful  examination  of  the  earliest  records  of  the  original 
entries  of  land  in  Butler  county  reveals  the  fact  that  the  first  lands 
selected  for  homesteads  were  uniformly  covered  wholly  or  in  part 
by  timber.  Another  consideration  which  influenced  this  choice 
was  the  necessity  of  locating  the  home  near  an  unfading  supply 
of  good  water,  which  as  a  matter  of  course  could  only  be  found 
in  a  spring  or  ruiming  stream,  ahnost  all  of  which  were  siu'- 
rounded  or  bordered  by  timber. 

In  conmion,  however,  with  the  ideas  of  their  generation,  the 
earliest  settlers  considered  the  soil  of  the  timbered  lands  of  a 
quality  superior  to  that  of  the  timberless  prairies  and  so  they 
laboriously  cut  the  trees  and  cleared  the  stumps  from  their  claims, 
leaving  ofter  untouched  by  the  plow  the  vast  areas  of  open  prairie 
land,  ahnost  within  a  stone's  throw,  land  which  we  know  today 
to  be  of  far  greater  fertility  than  any  of  the  lighter  sandy  soils  of 
the  river  valleys. 

THE  PIONEER  LARDER 

The  woods,  too,  contained  thickets  of  wild  plums,  tangled  clus- 
ters of  wild  grape  vines,  hazel  brush,  hickory  nut  and  walnut 
trees,  choke  cherry  trees,  wild  currants  and  gooseberry  bushes,  all 
of  which  added  to  the  sometimes  monotonously  meager  contents 
of  the  pioneer  larder.  These,  with  the  wild  game,  most  of  which 
was  found  more  plentifully  in  the  woods  and  along  the  streams, 
formed  the  staple  articles  of  subsistence,  until  the  time  when  the 
first  crops  of  sod  corn,  beans  and  potatoes  could  be  raised.  The 
com  thus  raised  was  often  crushed  in  home-made  wooden  mortars 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  45 

and  so  prepared  to  make  the  meal  from  which  corn  bread  was 
baked. 

In  winter  time  the  supplies  sometimes  ran  low  and  the  family- 
diet  was  meager  and  monotonous  indeed.  As  one  of  the  pioneers 
teUsit: 

"One  winter  night  our  supply  of  meat,  upon  which  we  had 
largely  depended  for  subsistence  till  spring,  was  stolen  from  the 
little  leau-to  shack  where  we  kept  it.  Wild  game  had  ceased  to 
be  plentiful  and  my  father  was  compelled  to  take  the  long  journey 
to  market  to  replenish  our  supply  of  provisions.  We  were  fortu- 
nate enough  to  have  a  cow  and  a  fair  amoimt  of  corn  meal.  Father 
was  delayed  by  stoi-ms  and  bad  roads  and  was  gone  for  several 
weeks.  Until  his  return  it  was  mush  and  milk  for  breakfast,  mush 
and  milk  for  dinner,  and  mush  and  milk  for  supper  every  day  for 
six  days  in  the  week  except  Sunday — and  then  we  had  milk  and 
mush." 

GOING   TO    MILL 

After  a  year  or  two  some  wheat  began  to  be  raised  and  a  very 
few  families  were  able  to  enjoy  the  luxury  of  flour  and  wheat 
bread.  Not  many  enjoyed  this  privilege,  though,  and  those  who 
did  had  to  pay  a  high  price  in  labor  for  it.  At  first  the  nearest 
flom-  mills  were  at  Cedar  Rapids  and  Independence.  The  trip 
could  be  made  with  a  four-horse  team  in  a  week  when  the  weather 
and  other  circumstances  were  favorable. 

Van  E.  Butler,  in  an  article  published  some  years  ago  in  the 
Clarksville  Star,  said:  "This  history  would  be  incomplete  with- 
out reference  to  the  first  settlers,  who  dared  the  trials  and  hard- 
ships of  pioneer  life,  when  they  were  obliged  to  haul  their  supplies 
from  Dubuque  or  Iowa  City.  The  nearest  grist  mill  was  at  Inde- 
pendence or  Quasqueton,  when  a  barrel  of  salt  was  Avorth  $9,  a 
bushel  of  corn  $1.50,  and  a  pound  of  bacon  25  cents.  Our  people 
were  then  compelled  to  accept  what  they  could  get  from  the  mill 
owners  and  post  agents,  who  supplied  us  with  the  necessities  of 
life,  and  it  was  frequently  very  light  returns,  as  was  the  case  on 
one  occasion,  when  Phillip  J.  Ebersold,  of  Da^'ton,  in  company 
with  Charley  Angell,  of  the  same  town,  came  home  with  the  grist 
of  twenty  bushels  of  wheat — consisting  of  only  three  sacks  of 
flour,  and  Charley  remarked,  jocosely, 'You're  lucky  they  didn't 
chase  you  clear  home  for  the  empty  sacks.'  " 


46  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Later  a  mill  was  bmlt  at  Cedar  Falls  and  it  is  stated  that  wlaeu 
it  was  possible  to  secure  flour  so  near  at  home  the  settlers  were 
''a  happy  people."  The  Cedar  Falls  mill,  at  first,  was  provided 
Avith  machiuerj'  merely  for  grinding  the  wheat,  the  bolting  or 
separating  the  bran  from  the  flour,  having  to  be  done  at  home  by 
hand. 

In  1856,  the  first  mill  in  Butler  county  was  erected  at  Clarks- 
ville.  The  stones  for  this  mill  were  brought  from  St.  Louis,  the 
balance  of  the  machinery  being  obtained  at  Rock  Island.  After 
several  changes  of  ownership  this  mill  passed  into  the  hands  of 
Thomas  Shafer,  grandfather  of  the  jDrcsent  sheriff  of  Butler 
county,  T.  J.  Shafer,  hy  whom  it  was  owned  and  managed  for 
manj^  years,  and  then  it  passed  into  (^ther  hands.  The  comple- 
tion of  this  mill  marks  another  important  step  in  the  progress  of 
the  frontier  coimnunit.y  toward  modern  civilization.  Thereafter 
some,  at  least,  of  the  i-aw  materials  ])roduced  on  the  farms  could 
be  transformed  into  the  finished  product  without  dependence 
upon  outside  agencies. 

DANGERS    AND    PRIVATIONS 

Toil  had  no  terrors  foi'  these  pioneers;  all  were  of  necessity 
workers.  The  very  conditions  of  their  life  eliminated  the  unfit. 
The  women,  too,  were  constant  toilers.  In  addition  to  the  house- 
work that  is  the  common  lot  of  woman,  they  had  to  spin  and 
weave  and  cut  and  make  the  fannly  clothing.  They  were  artisans 
and  manufacturers  as  well ;  and  often  they  were  the  only  teach- 
ers of  the  children. 

There  were  other  dangers  and  privations  than  those  already 
mentioned.  The  narratives  of  the  lives  of  the  early  settler  make 
frequent  mention  of  sickness.  Death  from  disease  all  too  soon 
made  necessary  the  founding  of  cities  for  the  dead  alongside  of 
the  dwellings  of  the  li\ing.  The  prevailing  form  of  sickness  was 
"fever  and  ague,"  a  malarial  fever  caused,  doubtless,  by  the 
decaying  Acgetation  and  the  lack  of  adequate  natural  drainage. 
Several  severe  epidemics  of  tyi:)hoid  fever  also  are  recorded. 
When  sickness  came,  neighborly  help  and  kindness  had  to  supply 
the  place  of  the  skilled  medical  aid  and  the  scientific  nursing  of 
modern  times.  The  nearest  physician  was  usually  too  far  away 
to  be  of  assistance  except  in  cases  of  severe  and  prolonged  illness. 
When  death  came,  as  it  often  did,  and  cast  its  dark  shadow  over 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  47 

the  stricken  home,  willing  hands  and  warm  hearts  ministered  to 
the  bereaved  family  and  tenderly  performed  the  last  sad  offices 
for  the  dead.  A  rude  box,  hastily  constructed  by  a  frontier  car- 
penter, formed  the  casket,  which  was  borne  by  neighbors  to  a 
lonely  grave.  "Often  there  was  no  minister,  no  music,  no  flowers. 
No  carved  monument  told  the  name  of  the  dead ;  the  sturdy  oak 
or  lofty  elm  cast  a  grateful  shadow  over  the  grassy  mound  that 
alone  marked  the  last  resting  place  of  the  departed  pioneer." 

The  winters  during  this  pioneer  period  were,  most  of  them, 
very  severe,  much  more  so  than  the  winters  of  the  present  day. 
Although  in  part,  no  doubt,  this  impression  arises  from  the  better 
means  we  have  today  of  combating  the  cold  through  better  houses 
and  better  heating  facilities,  still  it  remains  unquestioned  that  a 
certain  degree  of  climatic  change  has  gradually  taken  place  to 
make  our  winters  less  severe  and  the  amount  of  snow  fall  much 
less  plentiful. 

BLIZZARDS 

Then  hardly  a  winter  passed  without  its  blizzard.  This  dan- 
ger no  Inunan  foresight  could  guard  against.  The  roads  of  those 
days  were  mere  trails  winding  over  an  otherwise  trackless  prairie. 
The  first  fall  of  snow  obliterated  every  trace  of  the  road.  And 
yet  journeys  to  the  nearest  trading  place,  for  supplies,  or  to  the 
tunber  for  fuel  had  often  to  be  made  by  one  man  alone.  Many 
such  a  man  perished  a  victim  of  the  blizzard  in  the  early  years 
of  the  settling  of  the  prairies.  They  came  without  warning,  an 
ever-increasing  northwest  wind  driving  particles  of  flint-like 
snow  resistlessly  before  it.  The  temperature  fell  rapidly  to  a 
point  many  degrees  below  zero.  With  the  sun  obscured  and  a 
changing  wind,  with  no  landmarks  to  guide  him,  God  pity  the 
hapless  man  at  the  mercy  of  the  pitiless  storm! 

One  of  the  best  accoimts  of  a  blizzard  in  the  early  histoi-y  of 
Butler  county  is  given  below  from  the  pen  of  Dr.  John  Scoby,  a 
pioneer  physician  of  Shell  Rock : 

"On  the  14th  of  January,  1856,  early  in  the  morning,  I  started 
as  usual  to  visit  a  number  of  patients  up  the  river,  some  fifteen 
miles  away.  The  northwest  wind  was  blowing  vei*y  hard  and 
cold  and  the  snow  flying.  My  first  call  to  be  made  was  at  Mr. 
Martin's,  cast  of  Turkey  grove,  five  miles  away  and  two  miles 
east  from  the  Clarksville  road.     "NTo  track  was  to  be  seen  after 


48  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

leaving  the  main  I'oad.  Fanny  plunged  ahead  until  we  came  to 
the  slough,  some  twenty  rods  from  the  house.  She  could  go  no 
farther.  I  tightened  the  reins  and  covered  her  with  blanket  and 
robe.  I  wallowed  across  the  slough,  found  the  house  and  pre- 
scribed for  the  patients.  Mr.  Martin  asked  me  to  step  with  him 
to  his  yard,  where  I  think  I  saw  six  dead  hogs,  which  had  chilled 
and  were  frozen  by  coming  out  of  their  pen  to  eat  corn.  He 
showed  me  a  pair  of  oxen  that  were  chilled  badly  in  their  stall. 
The  wind  was  veering  and  the  air  full  of  snow.  I  could  not  see 
six  feet  in  any  direction.  I  crossed  the  slough.  My  sleigh  was 
not  there.  I  traveled,  as  I  supposed,  up  the  slough,  doAvn  the 
slough,  up  and  down  a  number  of  times,  the  snow  up  to  my  waist. 
Fanny  was  not  to  be  foimd.  T  stopped,  kicked  the  snow  away 
and  stamped  my  cold  feet.  Where  was  Martin's  house"?  I  could 
not  see  it — in  what  direction  I  did  not  knoAV.  My  hopes  were 
gone.  A  cold  snow-drift  would  be  my  winter  tomb ;  the  prowling, 
hungiy  wolves  would  feed  upon  my  physical  foi'm.  Good-bye  to 
my  family  and  friends.  I  straightened  up  and  tried  to  look 
around.    Naught  could  I  see  but  flying  snow. 

"Oh!  for  one  glimpse  of  beacon  light  for  me  to  steer. 
To  cheer  me  in  my  last,  my  hopeless  fear. 

"In  those  eternal  moments  of  dark  despair,  had  I  owned  this 
globe  and  the  revolving  worlds  in  the  solar  system,  I  would  gladly 
have  given  them  all  for  the  privilege  of  stepping  into  my  sleigh 
behind  Fanny. 

"In  those  moments  of  intense  thought  that  seemed  to  embrace 
an. eternity  of  time,  all  the  acts,  thoughts  and  deeds  of  my  past 
life — of  three  score  years — ^were  presented  to  my  mind.  My 
thoughts  did  not  peer  into  the  future ;  I  saw  but  the  past  and  the 
present.  A  thought  came;  I  woidd  start  for  Martin's  though  I 
perished  in  the  attempt.  As  I  was  lifting  my  foot  to  take  the 
first  step,  Fanny  whinnied  not  more  than  one  rod  from  where 
I  was  standing.  It  was  a  melodious  sound  that  burst  upon  my 
ear  through  the  whirling  snow-flakes.  My  flagging  energy 
revived ;  I  skipped  to  the  sleigh,  helped  Fanny  turn  it  round,  and 
I  stepped  in.  Fanny  would  soon  reach  the  Olarksville  road  in 
the  timber.  I  was  now  monarch  of  all  I  could  see;  there  were 
none  to  dispute  my  right  but  old  Boreas.  He  may  rage  with  all 
his  power  in  his  hydrophobic  whirls,  and  drive  his  snow  minions 
into  fits  of  desperation,  but  Fanny  and  I  will  win  the  race  with- 
out my  giving  a  world  or  a  dime.    The  road  being  foimd,  I  passed 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  49 

up  tlie  river  to  Clarksville,  and  went  several  miles  above,  making 
frequent  calls  to  see  the  sick.  In  the  evening  I  returned  safely 
home;  I  enjoyed  a  quiet  rest  and  started  on  another  pilgrimage 
the  next  morning    .     .     .  " 

PRAIRIE   FIRES 

Another  danger  that  was  encoimtered  by  the  first  settlers  in 
the  coimty  was  from  the  annual  prairie  fires.  From  midsummer 
on  until  snow  fall  there  was  constant  danger  from  this  source. 
The  heat  of  the  August  sun  and  the  early  frosts  of  fall  would  kill 
the  prairie  gTass  and  make  it  as  dry  as  timber.  Many  of  the 
recent  settlers,  imaware  of  their  danger,  neglected  to  take  proper 
precautions  for  the  protection  of  their  buildings  and  stacks,  and 
even  of  their  families.  The  \AT.ser  and  older  settlers  were  accus- 
tomed to  plow  a  few  fiu-rows  around  their  homesteads  as  a  fire 
break  but  even  these  often  failed  to  stem  the  tide  of  destruction. 
There  is  not  an  inhabitant  of  this  county  of  more  than  thirty 
years'  residence  who  cannot  recall  with  greater  or  less  vividness 
the  picturesque  but  awful  grandeur  of  the  approach  of  a  prairie 
fire  at  night.  These  fires  were  often  caused  by  thoughtless  emi-' 
gi'ants  who  carelessly  left  smouldering  camp  fires  to  be  fanned 
into  flame  by  a  rising  wind,  and  sometimes  such  carelessness  was 
paid  for  by  serious  loss  and  even  death. 

The  worst  of  these  fires  swept  over  the  southern  tier  of  town- 
ships in  the  fall  of  1856,  as  a  result  of  which  a  little  daughter  of 
Jacob  Codner  was  burned  to  death.  This  fire  started  somewhere 
on  the  prairies  of  Grundy  county.  The  hurricane  of  fire,  driven 
by  an  ever-increasing  wind,  swept  northward  with  the  speed  of 
a  race  horse,  reaping  a  swath  of  destruction  miles  in  width. 
Escape  for  man  or  beast  would  have  been  impossible  if  back  fires 
had  not  been  started  in  time  to  meet  the  advancing  tornado  of 
resistless  heat  that  could  be  stayed  only  by  a  counter  fire.  It  was 
literally  fighting  fire  with  fire.  Houses,  barns,  stacks,  fences, 
bridges  and  much  stock  were  destroyed  and  the  groimd  left  a 
blackened,  blistering  waste  of  desolation.  The  fire  burned  into 
the  timber  around  Parkersburg  and  killed  a  large  part  of  it. 
Mr.  Curtis,  who  kept  the  ferry  across  the  Beaver  just  north  of 
Parkersburg,  had  a  hard  fight  for  his  life  against  it.  It  jumped 
the  Beaver  and  swept  on  to  the  north,  leaped  the  West  Fork 
south  of  Butler  Center,  where  a  man  named  Samuel  Gillard  was 


50  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

nearly  burned  to  death.  It  then  passed  on  and  finally  Imrned 
itself  out  somewhere  in  the  comparatively  uninhabited  timber  to 
the  northwest  of  Butler  county. 

COMPEXSATIONS 

There  were  compensations,  however,,  for  the  privations  and 
endless  toil  of  the  pioneers.  Hospitality  was  nowhere  more  gen- 
eral or  more  genuine  than  among  the  early  settlers.  Enter- 
tainment of  newcomers  was  generally  free  and  cordial.  The 
one-room  cabin  was  never  too  full  to  furnish  shelter  and  food  for 
the  traveler.  Neighborhood  corn-huskings  ending  with  a  dance 
for  the  elders  and  a  frolic  for  the  youngsters  gathered  the  settlers 
for  miles  around.  Shooting  matches,  with  turkeys  for  prizes, 
were  often  held,  and  many  a  rifle  that  had  winged  its  message  of 
death  to  far  larger  and  wilder  game  won  for  its  owner  these 
humbler  prizes  of  his  skill. 

CAMl'   MEETINGS 

The  religious  fervor  of  the  pioneer  found  expression  in  camp- 
meetings  held  in  some  grove  by  the  Shell  Rock  by  the  light  of 
blazing  log  fires,  where  young  and  old  assembled  to  listen  to  the 
rude  but  ferAid  eloquence  of  frontier  preachers,  sermons  livid 
with  hell-fire  and  brimstone  and  filled  with  endless  wrath  and 
eternal  damnation  for  the  unregenerate  sinner.     One  of  these 
early  preachers  possessed  such  a  degree  of  diamatic  intensity  and 
hypnotic  power  of  suggestion  that  he  is  said  actually  to  have  been 
able  to  open  for  his  hearers  the  very  gates  of  hell  and  as  he  meta- 
phorically cast  sinner  after  sinner  into  the  fire  that  dieth  not,  his 
auditors  would  be  roused  almost  to  a  frenzy  of  awe  and  terror 
until  shrieks  and  groans  would  fairly  drown  the  preacher's  voice. 
But  all  this  suited  the  sturdy  pioneers.    The  sugar-coated  religion 
of  today  would  have  seemed  insipid  enough  to  their  more  hard- 
ened emotional  natures.    Many  a  man  and  woman  quiet  and  retir- 
ing in  daily  life,  lifted  a  voice  eloquent  in  prayer  and  exhortation 
at  these  meetings,  and  old  and  young  alike  joined  in  singing  the 
grand  old  h\anns  with  a  fervor  that  roused  enthusiasm  to  the  high- 
est pitch  and  made  the  woods  ring,  and  the  hills  and  valleys  echo 
and  re-echo  to  a  sound  that  must  have  struck  with  strange  dis- 
sonance upon  these  sentinels  of  Nature  after  all  the  silence  of 
the  centuries. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  51 

In  the  annual  Poui'th  of  July  celebration,  opportunity  was 
I'oxukI  for  the  expression  of  the  patriotism  that  was  rampant  in 
the  breasts  of  these  truest  of  Americans.  Poor,  indeed,  was  the 
community  that  could  not  raise  its  Liberty  pole  on  the  birthday 
of  the  country's  freedom  and  listen  to  some  rising  young  politi- 
cian as  he  twisted  the  British  lion's  tail  and  recounted  the  glories 
and  wonders  of  the  new  democracy  of  the  western  world. 

So  out  of  this  warp  and  woof  of  variable  conditions  of  life,  with 
toil  and  hardship  and  privation,  bvit  withal  with  hospitality,  and 
good  felloAvship  and  a  genuine  joy  in  living  was  spun  the  might}^ 
fabric  of  our  civilization  today.  Life  was  lived  then  more  in  the 
open.  There  Avas  little  of  pretense  and  less  of  foolish  pride.  To 
most  of  us  today,  it  would  seem  crude  and  raw  in  the  extreme. 
But  underneath  it  all  there  ran  the  cm'rent  of  true  manhood  and 
womanhood,  of  courage  in  the  face  of  danger,  and  determination  in 
the  face  of  misfortune  that  alone  made  it  possible  for  these  pio- 
neers to  build  so  broadly  and  so  sm'ely  the  foundations  of  civiliza- 
tion upon  which  w^e  of  a  later  generation  have  often  unknowing 
builded.  Theirs  be  the  honor  and  the  glory.  Let  every  man  and 
woman  of  today  stand  uncovered  before  the  memorial  of  venera- 
tion and  regard  which  we  have  built  in  our  hearts  in  their  honor. 


CHAPTER  VI 
EAELY  SETTLEMENT  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

cakpentee's  grove 

Of  the  earliest  settlement  of  Butler  comity  a  former  historian 
says:  "There  are  differences  of  opinion  as  to  who  was  the  first 
to  make  permanent  settlement  in  the  comity,  and  it  is  a  hard 
matter  to  settle  conclusively,  as  there  is  no  one  now  living,  who 
can  be  interviewed,  who  positively  knows.  It  can  only  be  given  as 
tradition  hands  it  down. 

"Late  in  the  fall  of  1850,  two  himter  brothers,  Harrison  and 
Volney  Carpenter,  and  D.  C.  Finch,  wended  their  way  up  the  val- 
ley of  the  Shell  Rock  in  quest  of  game.  They  had  come  from  Linn 
coimty,  where  they  had  also  stopped  for  a  time.  It  was  a  magnifi- 
cent comitry,  and  game  of  all  descriptions  abounded.  Upon  arriv- 
ing at  the  point  on  the  river  where  the  village  of  Shell  Rock 
now  rests,  they  determined  to  make  that  spot  a  temporary  home, 
while  they  scoured  the  country  for  game.  A  little  log  cabin  was 
accordingly  erected,  in  which  they  took  up  their  abode,  and  foi' 
about  one  year  made  this  a  sort  of  a  'huntsman's  rendezvous,' 
when  Volney,  who  was  a  married  man,  moved  his  family  there. 
The  whereabouts  of  any  of  the  party  at  present,  or  whether  they 
are  yet  alive,  we  are  imable  to  state.  The  grove  afterward  took 
the  name  of  Carpenter's  Grove." 

This  statement  of  the  earliest  settlement  is  commonly  accepted 
as  correct  and  is  so  given  in  Cue's  History  of  Iowa,  and  in  official 
publications  of  the  state  in  regard  to  Butler  county.  There  is 
little  doubt,  however,  that  there  were  many  other  pioneers  whose 
names  have  never  been  recorded.  They  were  nomads,  and  after 
sojourning  a  little  while  along  the  streams  and  in  the  groves  of 
Butler  coimty,  they  took  their  departure,  leaving  no  record  or 
memory  of  their  settlement. 

53 


54  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

COON  GKOVE 

The  Carpenters  do  not  seem  to  have  remained  long  in  their  iiew^ 
home  in  Butler  comity,  for  no  other  account  of  them  is  to  be 
found  and  their  subsequent  history  is  imknown.  The  honor  of 
being  the  first  pei-manent  settler  is  ascribed  to  Joseph  Hicks, 
who  in  December,  1850,  came  from  Rock  county,  Wisconsin,  and 
located  a  claim  near  the  present  site  of  Clarksville.  His  log  cabin 
was  built  in  a  grove  which  stood  on  the  site  of  the  gravel  pits  west 
of  Clarksville. 

This  cabin  became  the  nucleus  of  a  settlement  here  and  for  a 
tune  gave  promise  of  becoming  a  town.  The  grove  in  which  this 
cabin  was  situated  was  for  some  unknown  reason  called  Coon's 
grove,  and  the  open  country  to  the  west  was  called  the  "Coon 
Prairie  country."  Here  in  Coon's  grove  in  1853  was  established 
the  first  postoffice  in  Butler  county,  with  Abner  G.  Clark  as 
the  first  postmaster. 

With  the  Hicks  famil.v  came  Robert  T.  Cruwell,  later  the 
first  sheriff  of  Butler  county.  Crowell,  however,  returned  for 
the  time  being  to  his  old  home  in  Wisconsin.  Two  years  later  he 
came  to  Butler  count.y  again  and  settled  upon  a  claim  near  Hicks. 
Until  the  spring  of  1851  the  Hicks  family  were  alone  in  their  enjoy- 
ment of  the  new  land,  their  nearest  neighbor  in  the  -valley  being 
the  family  of  James  Ne^\•(■ll.  who  had  settled  on  the  Cedar,  in 
Black  Hawk  county,  aliout  thirty  miles  to  the  southeast,  near  the 
junction  of  the  West  Fork  and  the  Cedar.  During  the  winter  of 
1850-51,  Hicks  was  obliged  to  carry  his  provisions  overland  on 
his  back  from  Cedar  Falls,  then  the  nearest  trading  point.  These 
were  sui:)plemented  by  what  he  could  secure  in  the  Avay  of  game 
and  fish,  l)y  hunting,  trapping  and  fishing.  In  these  latter  enter- 
prises he  is  said  to  hiwe  been  ably  assisted  by  his  good  Avife, — a 
typical  pioneer  woman,  who  could  handle  a  rifle  as  well  and  shoot 
as  straight  as  any  man. 

In  the  spring  of  1851,  Henry  J.  Hicks,  father  of  Joseph,  came 
from  Rock  county,  Wisconsin,  and  erected  the  first  blacksmith 
shop  in  the  county  near  the  home  of  his  son.  Here  was  forged  the 
first  iron  in  the  Shell  Rock  valley.  Henry  J.  Hicks  entered  claims 
on  sections  12  and  13,  in  Jackson  township,  on  Jmie  21,  1851,  his 
claim  being  the  fourth  to  be  entered  in  Butler  county,  and  prob- 
ably the  first  to  be  entered  by  an  owner  actually  in  occupation  of 
the  premises.    Henry  Hicks  died  in  the  winter  of  1854  and  was 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  55 

biu'ied  on  his  home  place.  His  remains  later  were  removed  to 
Lynwood  cemeterj-,  near  Clarksville.  Another  son,  John  B.  Hicks, 
came  with  the  father  from  Wisconsin  and  settled  on  a  claim  in 
Jackson  township.  One  of  his  daughters,  Ida  Hicks,  married 
Henry  Wamsley. 

This  spring  of  1851  was  marked  by  the  arrival  of  the  Wamsley 
brothers,  ]Malon  B.  and  William  S.,  who  came  from  Ohio  and  set- 
tled a  short  distance  northwest  of  where  Clarksiille  now  stands. 
M.  B.  Wamsley  settled  on  a  claim  in  section  1,  Jackson  township, 
previously  taken  up  by  his  brother,  John  Wamsley.  Mr.  Wamsley 
commenced  to  build  a  log  cabin,  broke  a  piece  of  land  and  during 
this  first  year  raised  a  crop  of  corn,  beans  and  potatoes,  sufficient 
for  the  family  use.  The  family,  consisting  of  himself,  his  wife 
and  two  children,  in  common  with  the  other  early  settlers,  suifered 
from  ague.  They  were  of  true  pioneer  stuff,  however,  and  stayed 
b\'  their  claim,  steadily  improving  it,  and  within  a  few  years  the 
log  cabin  was  replaced  by  a  substantial  dwelling  which  remained 
the  family  home  for  a  nmnber  of  year's.  Mr.  Wamsley 's  health 
failed  him  about  the  year  1870  and  he  retired  from  active  farming, 
later  removing  to  the  town  of  Clarksville.  With  this  community 
he  was  identified  from  that  time  until  his  death.  He  was  one  of 
the  incorporators  of  the  Butler  County  Bank,  and  was  its  presi- 
dent for  ten  years.  Mr.  Wamsley  was  the  first  justice  of  the  peace 
in  Butler  county,  having  been  appointed  to  this  office  in  the  fall 
of  1853  by  the  county  judge  of  Black  Hawk  county,  to  which  But- 
ler was  then  for  judicial  purposes  attached.  He  died  Sept.  9, 
1887. 

William  S.  Wamsley  was  a  younger  brother  of  M.  B.  Wamsley. 
mentioned  above,  both  being  natives  of  Adams  county,  Ohio. 
Thrown  upon  his  own  resources  at  an  early  age,  he  worked  fen-  a 
time  at  farming  and  sul)sequently  entered  the  employ  of  the  owner 
of  a  steam  sawmill,  with  whom  he  remained  until  he  was  twenty 
years  of  age.  At  that  time,  with  his  brother,  M.  B.,  he  purchased 
a  half  interest  in  the  mill  1)ut  as  this  did  not  prove  entirely  a  suc- 
cess, in  1850,  accompanied  by  a  younger  brother,  John  N.,  he 
boarded  the  steamboat  at  Cincinnati  and  started  out  in  search  of 
a  new  home  somewhere  in  the  boimdless  West.  They  traveled  by 
steamer  down  the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  to  Dubuque,  from 
which  point  they  set  out  on  foot  to  explore  the  country  to  the  west- 
ward. After  some  rather  futile  wanderings  in  search  of  a  satis- 
factory location,  they  came  upon  Henry  Moore,  son  of  Aaron 


56  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Moore,  better  known  as  "Uncle  Aaron,"  an  early  settler  of  the 
Shell  Rock  valley.  Mr.  Moore  was  looking  for  some  one  to  help 
him  take  a  drove  of  cattle  up  into  Bremer  comity.  As  he  was 
enthusiastic  in  his  praise  of  this  section  of  the  country,  the  Wams- 
leys  agreed  to  accompany  him.  Arriving  in  Bremer  county,  they 
assisted  in  the  building  of  the  first  cal)in  in  the  vicinity  of  AVaverly. 
Here  they  heard  glowing  reports  of  the  fertility  and  wonderful 
opportunities  of  the  land  to  the  westward,  on  what  was  known  as 
"Coon  Prairie.''  They  started  out  on  horseback  and  after  a  few 
hours'  ride  reached  a  point  on  the  Shell  Rock  river.  They  found 
the  country  fully  equal  to  the  reports  and  at  once  concluded  to 
settle  there. 

For  some  reason  the  'Wamsle_ys  did  not  take  an}-  definite  steps 
at  that  time  toward  taking  up  claims.  M.  B.  Wamsley,  the  older 
brother,  remained  in  the  employ  of  "Uncle"  Aaron  Moore,  while 
W.  S.  Wamsley  returned  to  Ohio,  where  on  the  20th  of  February, 
18-51,  he  was  married  to  Ann  Eliza  Richards.  In  March,  1851,  Mr. 
Wamsley  and  his  bride,  accompanied  by  his  half  brother,  Martin 
Van  Buren  Wamsley,  started  overland  by  team  for  Iowa.  They 
were  met  at  Muscatine  hy  Malon  B.  Wamsley  and  his  family,  who 
had  come  down  the  river  by  steamboat.  Ferrying  across  the  Mis- 
sissippi, the  families  journeyed  northward  together,  arriving  at 
Aaron  Moore 's  about  the  20th  of  April.  On  the  26th  of  that  month, 
W.  S.  Wamsle}^  located  a  claim  on  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
12,  in  Jackson  township.  The  definite  entry  of  this  claim  was 
not  made  until  the  1st  of  September,  1851,  as  shown  by  the  records 
of  the  general  land  office  at  Dubuque.  The  Wamsley  brothers  had 
but  one  team  of  horses  and  one  wagon  together,  which  they  had 
br(  lught  from  Ohio.  They  each  possessed  a  cow  and  a  pig  and  a  few 
chickens,  and  these  with  a  few  household  goods  comprised  their 
entire  personal  propertv. 

The  purchase  of  eighty  acres  of  land  apiece,  at  $1.25  an  acre, 
took  the  balance  of  their  cash,  so  with  all  their  worldly  resources 
invested  hi  the  possibilities  of  this  new  land,  they  began  their 
lives  on  their  pioneer  farms  in  the  spring  of  1851.  This  season  of 
1851  proved  to  be  an  exceptionally  wet  one.  It  was  often  very 
difficult,  and  sometimes  impossible,  to  get  to  market.  In  June 
W.  S.  Wamsley  started  for  Muscatine.  When  he  arrived  at  Marion, 
in  Linn  comity,  the  constant  rain  had  rendered  the  streams  so 
nearly  impassable  that  he  decided  to  tiu'n  back.  Piu-chasing  a 
few  goods,  he  commenced  his  homew^ard  journey.    The  streams 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  57 

were  so  swollen  that  he  was  compelled  to  fasten  the  wagon  box 
to  the  running  gear  to  keep  it  from  floating  away,  while  crossing 
the  streams.  In  order  to  cross  the  Cedar  river  he  had  to  take  his 
wagon  apart  and  transfer  it  ovei',  piece  by  piece,  in  boats  and  swim 
the  horses  to  the  opposite  shore.  They  experienced  all  the  hard- 
ships and  privations  that  were  the  common  lot  of  the  pioneers  but 
after  weathering  through  this  first  and  hardest  test  of  their  perse- 
verance, they  found  life  considerably  easier.  Within  a  few  years 
the  fruits  of  their  toil  began  to  return  to  them  in  increasing  abun- 
dance, and  Mr.  Wamsley  became  one  of  the  most  substantial  citi- 
zens and  owners  of  improved  land  in  Butler  county.  With  his 
brother  he  was  the  founder  of  the  Butler  County  Bank,  and  served 
for  a  uiuuber  of  ,years  as  one  of  its  directors.  Mr.  Wamsley  died 
October  19,  1905*. 

OTHER  EARLY  SETTLERS 

The  fall  of  this  year  1851  saw  several  additions  to  the  little 
group  of  settlers  in  this  section  of  the  county.  Among  these  were 
Jeremiah  Perrin,  an  Englishman,  who  with  his  wife  had  emigrated 
to  the  United  States  in  1845  and  settled  in  Pennsylvania.  In  1851 
he  started  for  the  western  country,  traveling  by  steamboat  down 
the  Ohio  and  up  the  Mississippi  to  Muscatine.  He  had  planned 
to  purchase  land  but  suffering  from  a  temporary  illness,  he  decided 
instead  to  rent  a  farm  in  the  neighborhood  of  Muscatine,  where 
he  remained  through  one  season.  During  the  sinnmer  he  made 
the  acquaintance  of  two  gentlemen  named  Taylor  and  Ensley, 
who  had  come  from  Indiana  and  were  planning  to  go  on  farther 
west  in  search  of  land.  These  gentlemen  had  only  an  ox  team. 
Mr.  Perrin  had  a  good  wagon  and  a  team  of  horses  and  he  pro- 
posed to  them  that  if  they  would  bear  their  share  of  expense  he 
would  take  his  team  and  drive  them  through.  This  agreement 
was  made  and  the  three  men  started  out.  After  some  journeying, 
they  finally  selected  a  site  in  what  is  now  Butler  township  for  their 
future  homes.  Perrin  and  Taylor  returned  to  Muscatine  and 
brought  their  families  back  with  them,  settling  in  their  new  homes 
on  the  16th  day  of  September,  1851.  Ensley  brought  his  family 
about  six  weeks  later.  They  all  erected  cabins  on  their  claims  and 
prepared  for  the  coming  winter.  Mr.  Perrin 's  farm  was  located 
about  a  mile  east  of  Clarksville,  on  section  17.  Here  later  he  built 
a  home,  which  at  that  time  was  probably  the  finest  house  in  Butler 


58  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

county.  Mr.  Perriii  proved  to  be  a  veiy  successful  farmer  and  suc- 
ceeded in  aeciunulating  a  considerable  pi'0i:>erty  in  farm  lands  and 
business  blocks.  Mr.  Perriu  died  in  1908.  Morrison  A.  Taylor  died 
on  the  30th  of  December,  1856.  Andrew  E.  Ensley  sold  his  Butler 
county  land  within  a  few  .years  after  his  settlement  here  and  his 
subsequent  history  is  unknown. 

These  gentlemen  named  above,  so  far  as  is  generally  known, 
were  the  earliest  permanent  settlers  of  Butler  county.  In  the 
years  inmiediately  following,  a  constantly  increasing  number  of 
emigrants  came  in  and  took  up  claims  and  bi;ilt  homes  in  the  Shell 
Rock  valley.  The  limit  of  this  work  forbids  going  more  into 
details  of  these  settlers  luit  they  each  and  all  did  their  part  in  the 
founding  of  a  new  civilization  and  the  Ijuilding  up  of  a  new  com- 
munity in  this  previousl.y  uninhabited  countr3^  More  detailed 
mention  of  some  of  these  will  be  made  in  connection  with  the 
separate  histories  of  the  townships. 

FIRST    LAXD   ENTRIES 

At  the  time  of  the  earliest  land  entries  in  Butler  county  there 
were  two  land  offices  in  the  state — one  at  T)nbu(|ue,  and  one  at 
Des  Moines.  The  di^dding  line  between  the  territory  covered  by 
these  two  offices  was  the  line  running  between  ranges  3(i  and  17, 
thus  dividing  Butler  county  equally  north  and  south.  The  first 
settlements  in  the  county  were  all  made  in  the  eastern  half,  and 
as  a  consequence,  the  first  entries  of  land  were  all  filed  in  the 
Dubuque  land  office.  It  was  not  until  1853,  as  will  lie  indicated 
elsewhere,  that  the  first  entry  of  land  was  made  in  the  western 
half  of  the  county  through  the  Des  Moines  land  office. 

The  honor  of  being  the  first  man  to  enter  a  piece  of  land  in 
Butler  county  belongs  to  an  Irishman  named  John  Heery. 
This  constituted  160  acres  located  on  sections  18  and  19, 
in  Butler  township,  and  a  similar  amount  of  land  on  sec- 
tions 13  and  24,  in  Jackson  township.  Both  these  entries  were 
made  on  the  same  day — Nov.  22,  1850.  The  laud  entered 
in  Butler  townshiii  lies  just  in  the  bend  of  the  Shell  Rock  river, 
adjoining  Clarksville  on  the  southwest.  Mr.  Heery  was  at  that 
time  a  resident  of  Milton,  Wisconsin.  He  first  heard  of  this 
land  from  James  Newell,  who  had  been  trapi)ing  along  the  Shell 
Rock  river.  On  Monday  morning,  Nov.  11,  1850.  ^Nfr.  Heery 
left  his  home  in  Wisconsin  for  the  purpose  of  locating  and  enter- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  59 

ing  a  claim  in  tlie  Shell  Eock  valley.  He  assured  liis  wife  before 
his  departure  that  he  would  return  within  two  weeks.  He  made 
the  trip  the  entire  distance  on  foot.  On  reaching  the  Shell  liock 
valley  he  was  successful  in  finding  the  identical  piece  of  land 
which  had  been  described  to  him  by  Newell.  On  this  he  staked 
out  his  claim  and  on  his  homeward  journey  went  by  way  of 
Dubuque,  where  he  made  the  entry  in  the  land  office,  on  the  22nd 
of  November.  He  reached  home  on  the  evening  of  the  second 
Saturday  following  the  departure,  having  traversed  on  foot 
approximately  four  hundred  miles.  In  the  spring  of  1852  Mr. 
Heery  brought  his  family  to  their  new  home. 

The  second  entry  of  land  in  Butler  county  was  made  on  Dee. 
21,  1850,  l)y  George  Kittle,  who  secured  by  land  warrant 
the  northeast  quarter  of  section  31,  in  Beaver  township.  There 
is  no  record  of  the  actual  settlement  upon  this  claim  by  Mr.  Kittle. 
He  was  a  resident  of  Carroll  county,  Illinois.  In  1851  he  quit- 
claimed this  quarter  section  to  one  Jacob  Kittle,  of  the  same 
county  in  Illinois,  for  the  consideration  of  $150.  Jacol)  Kittle 
remained  in  possession  of  the  premises  mitil  the  30th  of  April, 
1857,  when  by  warranty  deed  it  was  transferred  to  Nicolas  Puter- 
baugh  for  .'}<800.  It  would  appear  therefore  that  the  Kittles  were 
uever  actual  settlers  of  the  county. 

The  third  entry  of  land  was  made  by  Jesse  Morgan,  on  the 
10th  of  April,  1851,  who  entered  forty  acres  in  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  36,  of  what  is  now  Beaver  township.  No  fur- 
ther mention  of  Mr.  Morgan  occurs  in  the  records  of  the  early 
history  of  the  county  and  we  take  it  for  granted  that  this  entry 
also  was  made  merely  for  speculative  purposes  rather  than  for 
those  of  actual  settlement. 

The  fourth  entry  by  Henry  J.  Hicks  has  been  referred  to 
above  as  having  been  made  on  the  24th  of  June,  1851 — 
160  acres  in  sections  12  and  13,  Jackson  township.  These  claims 
included  the  land  now  occupied  by  the  gravel  pits  west  of  Clarks- 
ville  extending  thence  westward  across  the  river,  including  120 
acres  in  section  13  and  forty  acres  in  section  12. 

A  munber  of  other  entries  were  made  during  the  year  1851, 
in  Butler,  Beaver,  Shell  Rock  and  Dayton  townships,  Avhich  will 
be  noted  in  connection  with  the  individual  histories  of  these  sec- 
tions. Most  of  these  claims  were  paid  foi-  Ijy  soldiers'  land 
warrants. 


60  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

During  the  first  two  or  three  years  after  the  actual  settlement 
of  Butler  county  began,  the  settlers  gradually  pushed  up  the 
valleys  of  the  Shell  Rock  and  the  Beaver,  locating  their  claims 
along  these  waters.  For  reasons  already  indicated,  these  tim- 
bered sections  of  the  country  were  considered  superior  to  the 
prairie  lands.  Later  adventurous  pioneers  began  to  push  out 
across  the  prairies,  and  by  1852  a  few  log  cabins  had  already 
been  erected  in  the  western  portion  of  the  county.  For  the  actual 
date  of  these  settlements  we  are  dependent  more  or  less  upon 
tradition.  The  first  officially  recorded  date  in  the  history  of  the 
western  section  of  the  county  is  that  of  the  entry  by  William  H. 
Jamison,  who  on  the  11th  of  August,  1853,  entered  120  acres  in 
section  18,  and  160  acres  in  section  20,  of  what  is  now  Pittsford 
township.  This  entry  was  made  in  the  land  office  at  Bes  Moines, 
being  the  first  original  entry  of  land  in  the  western  half  of  the 
county,  the  dividing  line  between  Dubuque  and  Des  Moines  dis- 
tricts being,  as  has  been  stated  above,  on  the  line  between  ranges 
16  and  17.  As  Mr.  Jamison  was  one  of  the  earliest  and  most 
prominent  settlers  in  this  section  of  the  county,  more  detailed 
mention  of  him  will  be  deferred  until  the  treatment  of  Pittsford 
township. 

From  1854  on,  the  county  filled  up  rapidly  in  all  its  parts, 
and  by  the  close  of  1856.  life  had  lost  much  of  its  pioneer  char- 
acter and  had  begrm  to  assume  the  aspects  of  life  in  the  more 
thickly  settled  portions  of  the  United  States. 

THE  INDIANS  IN  BITTLEE  COUNTY 

So  far  as  is  known,  Butler  county  was  never  the  site  of  any 
peiinanent  Indian  villages.  It  had  been,  however,  from  time 
immemorial  a  hunting  ground  for  the  various  tribes  that  occu- 
pied this  territory  before  the  coming  of  the  white  man.  Mention 
has  already  been  made  of  the  series  of  treaties  by  which  grad- 
ually the  Indians  were  led  to  dispose  of  their  right  and  title  to 
this  land  and  relinquish  its  possession.  The  three  tribes  of  Indians 
whose  claim  to  this  territory  was  recognized  by  the  United  States 
in  these  treaties  were  the  Sioux,  the  Sacs  and  Foxes,  and  the 
Winnebagoes.  The  cession  of  the  ""NTeutral  Strip"  by  the  Sioux 
and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  in  1830  marks  the  relinquishment  of 
title  to  what  is  now  the  greater  part  of  Butler  countv  on  the 
part  of  these  two  tribes.    The  remaining  portion,  not  including 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  61 

the  "Neutral  Strip"  was  secured  by  treaty  with  the  Sacs  and 
Foxes  in  1842. 

The  Winnebagoes  had  entered  into  a  treaty  of  peace  and  amity 
with  the  United  States  in  1816,  following  the  conclusion  of  the 
War  of  1812.  In  1832  they  joined  Black  Hawk  in  his  war  against 
the  United  States  and  at  its  termination,  as  a  punishment  for 
their  breach  of  faith  they  were  required  to  give  up  their  lands  in 
Wisconsin  in  exchange  for  a  tract  in  Iowa  included  in  the  por- 
tion of  the  "Neutral  Strip"  east  of  the  Shell  Rock  and  Cedar 
rivers.  This  territory  they  occupied  until  1846,  when  they  were 
induced  to  cede  their  Iowa  lands  for  a  tract  in  Minnesota,  to  which 
they  soon  after  removed.  They  were  induced  to  make  this  change 
largely  because  of  the  fact  that  wMle  occupying  the  "Neiitral 
Strip"  they  found  themselves  constituting  a  sort  of  buffer 
between  the  Sioux  on  the  north  and  the  Sacs  and  Foxes  on  the 
south.  For  many  years,  however,  parties  of  them  returned  to 
hunt  and  trap  along  their  favorite  Iowa  rivers  until  most  of  the 
game  had  disappeared. 

INDIAN  BATTLE   IN  BENNEZETTE 

The  early  settlers  in  the  northern  part  of  Butler  county  have 
left  rather  a  fragmentary  record  of  a  battle  between  the  Winne- 
bagoes and  the  Sioux,  which  occurred  in  the  northern  part  of 
Bennezette  township.  The  location  of  this  battlefield  is  given  as 
on  section  5,  about  where  Coldwater  creek  enters  the  township 
from  the  north.  The  battle  seems  to  have  been  the  concluding 
one  of  a  campaign  that  had  begun  between  the  tribes  sometime 
previous  and  somewhere  to  the  northward  of  Butler  county.  The 
Winnebagoes  in  retreat  took  their  stand  here  and  are  said  to  have 
thrown  up  earthworks  and  fortified  themselves  as  best  they  could. 
The  Sioux  greatly  outmunbered  their  opponents  and  attacking 
them  from  behind  their  fortification,  brought  on  a  terrific  con- 
flict. The  Winnebagoes  are  reported  to  have  been  overwhelm- 
ingly defeated.  The  date  of  this  battle  is  given  as  1853  but  this 
is  probably  a  mistake,  as  after  1846  there  were  rarely  any  large 
bands  of  warriors  of  either  of  these  nations  in  this  territoiy. 
Early  settlers  in  Bennezette  township  used  to  visit  the  scene  of 
the  battle  and  find  there  many  Indian  relics,  such  as  knives, 
broken  guns,  arrow  heads  and  Indian  jewelry. 


62  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  Winuebagoes  amiually  made  a  journey  through  the  west- 
ern part  of  the  county  on  their  way  from  Clear  Lake,  in  Gerro 
Gordo  county,  to  a  camping  gr()un(l  in  the  vicinity  of  James 
Newell's  on  tlie  Gedar.  Their  route  led  them  through  Jamison's 
and  Boylan's  groves,  thence  down  the  West  Fork,  to  its  junc- 
tion with  the  Gedar.  Occasionally  parties  of  Sioux  traversed  the 
same  route.  These  annual  incursions  continued  for  some  years 
after  the  county  began  to  be  settled.  When  finally  the  game 
became  scarce,  these  Indians  were  rarely  seen.  For  years  after- 
ward, however,  little  groups  of  Musquakie  Indians  from  the  Tama 
reservation  were  accustomed  to  traverse  the  county,  begging  their 
way  from  house  to  house.  These  Indians  were  semi-civilized  and 
constituted  a  nuisance  rather  than  a  menace.  Occasionally  com- 
ing upon  some  outlying  farm  house  where  only  women  and  chil- 
dren were  at  home,  they  were  the  cause  of  some  fright,  but  these 
fears  were  usually  groundless.  No  instances  of  unusual  outrage 
are  recorded  against  these  Indians. 

INDIAN   SCARE   OF    1854 

In  January  of  1854,  a  desperado,  Henry  Lott,  who  had  some 
trouble  with  a  band  of  Sioux  Indians,  treacherously  lured  a  Sioux 
chief  away  from  his  home  and  killed  him  from  ambush.  That 
night  with  more  than  savage  cruelty  and  deceit,  Lott  butchered 
the  Indian  women  and  children  belonging  to  the  family  of  this 
chief.  A  brother  of  the  murdered  chief,  with  another  band  of 
Sioux,  discovered  the  dead  and  mangled  bodies  a  few  days  later 
and  learning  from  some  children  who  had  escaped  the  massacre, 
the  identity  of  the  murderer  determined  ujDon  revenge.  This 
was  the  beginning  of  the  troubles  between  the  Iowa  settlers  and 
the  Sioux  Indians,  which  eventually  culminated  in  the  Spirit 
Lake  massacre.  The  story  of  this  tragic  event  forms  one  of  the 
most  remarkable  series  of  incidents  in  the  history  of  this  or  any 
other  western  state.  It  is  not,  however,  distinctly  germane  to 
the  history  of  Butler  county.  It  is  indicative,  however,  of  the 
fact  that  this  possibility  of  an  invasion  by  hostile  Indians  was 
ever  present  in  the  minds  of  these  early  settlers.  It  is  easy  now 
to  minimize  its  danger  and  to  laugh  at  the  sometimes  rather 
ludicrous  incidents  that  grew  out  of  the  fears  which  these  pioneers 
sometimes  entertained.    But  a  studv  of  such  events  as  those  occur- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  63 

ring  at  Spirit  Lake  will  justify  in  the  minds  of  any  fair-minded 
person  the  presence  of  such  fear. 

W.  L.  Pahnei',  in  a  "History  of  Clarksville, "  gives  a  graphic 
description  of  the  Indian  scare  of  1854  in  Butler  county: 

"Id  the  spring  or  early  part  of  the  summer  of  1854,  the  nerves 
of  the  Avhole  population  of  North-central  Iowa  were  set  into  a 
terrible  flutter  by  the  announcement,  heralded  throughout  the 
country,  that  the  noble  'red  men'  were  greatl}-  incensed  by  the 
appearance  of  nmuerovis  pale  faces  within  their,  to  them,  legiti- 
mate territory,  and  that  they  proposed  to  massacre,  at  one  fell 
swoop,  every  man,  woman  and  child.  Had  the  shock  of  an  earth- 
quake, or  the  coming  of  a  second  deluge  been  announced,  with  as 
much  probable  certainty,  the  panic  could  not  have  been  more  suc- 
cessful, and  for  days  and  nights,  the  most  timid  might  have  been 
seen  rapidly  running  toward  the  south.  In  some  instances  every- 
thing was  left  in  the  rear  except  sufficient  to  sustain  life  until  a 
'heavier  settlement'  could  be  reached.  But  all  did  not  act  thus. 
The  bugle  was  somided,  the  standard  unfurled,  and  courageous 
volunteers  rallied  to  its  support. 

"Colonel  Abner  Eads,  at  that  time  superintendent  of  public 
instruction  for  the  state,  happened  to  be  in  Cedar  Falls.  Having 
been  an  officer  in  the  army,  during  the  war  Avith  Mexico,  he  was 
irmnediately  elected  impromptu  commander-in-chief  of  all  the 
forces  that  were  about  to  engage  in  the  prolonged  and  bloody  cam- 
paign, and  promptly  set  himself  about  organizing,  drilling  and 
reviewing  two  companies  of  volunteer  'dragoons.'  During  the 
t»rganizatiou,  M.  M.  Trumbull,  who  was  a  sergeant  of  artillery  in 
the  Mexican  war,  and  avIio  had  distinguished  himself  in  the  battles 
of  Palo  Alto,  Monterey,  Chapultepec,  etc.,  was  honored  by  the 
Colonel  with  the  position  of  adjutant-general  and  chief-of-staff. 
Ed.  Brown  was  captain  of  the  company  from  Black  Hawk  and 
Jeriy  Farris  of  that  from  Bremer.  So  soon  as  the  roads  and 
weather  would  permit,  'Brigadier'  Eads  headed  his  noble  column 
and  boldly  striick  out  for  the  frontier.  When  the  colmnn  had 
reached  Clarksville,  its  ranks  were  considerably  swollen  by  the 
gradual  'falling-in'  of  strong-hearted  recruits  from  the  wayside. 
At  Clarksville  it  halted  for  supper,  a  night's  rest  and  a  council  of 
war,  after  a  forced  march  of  twenty-five  miles.  The  refreshments 
were  generously  furnished  by  the  remaining  citizens  who  were  so 
extremely  patriotic  that  they  would  not  'take  a  cent';  but  when 
the  troops  proceeded  the  next  day,  found  they  had  been  eaten  out 


64  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

of  'house  and  home.'  The  decision  at  the  council  of  war  no  man 
knew,  save  those  in  authority,  but  were  compelled  to  '  guess '  from 
the  proceedings  which  followed.  A  small  detachment  of  '  regulars ' 
was  left  with  the  citizens,  under  orders  to  erect  a  fort — on  the 
hill  where  Mr.  Baughman's  residence  now  is — and  not  delay  a 
moment  until  its  completion.  The  noble  little  garrison  went  man- 
fully to  work,  detailed  two-thirds  of  theiix  number  for  picket  duty, 
while  the  rest  began  sinking  trenches  and  throwing  up  breast 
works,  never  stopping  a  moment  except  to  eat,  di'ink  and  sleep. 
Dm'ing  the  progress  of  this  work,  the  main  colimin  had  proceeded 
as  far  northwest  as  Clear  Lake,  and  frightened  a  few  whites  and 
a  niunber  of  Winnebagoes  almost  out  of  their  wits,  who  thought 
them  red-skins.  All  the  excitement  was  caused  by  the  murder  of 
a  'skinaway'  and  the  scalping  of  an  old  'squaw'  belonging  to  the 
Winnebago  tribe,  by  a  marauding  band  of  Sioux.  The  troops 
bivouacked  for  the  night,  and  many  were  the  disappointed  heroes 
who  would  be  compelled  to  return  the  next  day  bearing  the  sad 
tale  to  their  friends  that  the  Indian  war  was  a  myth,  and  that  they 
were  not  permitted,  by  kind  Providence,  to  wholly  exterminate 
the  very  name  of  'Injun'  from  the  face  of  the  earth,  by  pouring 
out  their  life's  blood  in  defense  of  their  homes  and  firesides.  Dur- 
ing the  home  march  of  the  veterans  they  were  not  so  careful  of 
their  powder  as  on  their  northern  trip,  and  occasionally  amused 
themselves  by  discharging  a  shot  at  some  wayside  object,  the 
reports  of  which  'panicized'  the  remaining  settlers,  who  flew  to  the 
protection  of  Fort  Eads,  at  Clarksville.  Adjutant-General  and 
Chief-of-Staff  TrimibuU,  when  the  troops  went  into  camp  for  the 
night,  strolled  aw^ay  in  search  of  the  Shell  Rock  river  for  the  piu'- 
pose  of  bathing.  While  enjoying  the  refreshing  bath,  he  chanced 
to  observe  a  woman,  near  the  bank  opposite,  washing  clothes.  An 
idea  struck  him.  lie  would  rush  wildly  iuto  camp  and  report  tliat 
Indians,  thousands  of  them,  were  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  river 
and  were  preparing  an  attack.  The  disclosure  had  the  desired 
effect.  'Boots  and  saddles'  was  immediately  sounded  and  the  bold 
soldiers  were  off  in  a  trice ;  not  toward  the  enemy,  but  each  upon 
his  own  hook,  bound  to  receive  shelter  behind  the  protecting  walls 
of  the  little  fortification.  When  the  headlong  retreat  of  the  troops, 
who  had  all  been  'cut  to  pieces,'  was  known  at  the  fort  by  the  arri- 
val of  the  better  mov;nted  dragoons — the  only  ones  who  escaped 
with  their  'har' — the  scenes  in  the  fort  could  not  have  been  better 
imagined  than  described;  for  there  were  assembled  the  women 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  65 

and  children !  Brave  hearts  ahnost  ceased  to  perform  theii'  proper 
functions !  Timid  women  wrung  their  hands  and  fainted,  wliile  the 
children  wept  at  beholding  the  fearful  carnage !  Quietude  was  at 
length  restored;  a  hearty  laugh  indulged  in;  the  war  ended,  and  all 
returned  to  their  peaceful  homes.  Thus  closed  the  Indian  massa- 
cre of  1854." 

GENERAL    ITEMS 

The  vital  statistics  of  the  county  in  the  early  days,  were,  as  is 
not  uncommon,  more  or  less  incomplete.  It  is  commonly  accepted 
that  the  first  birth  in  the  county  was  that  of  a  son  of  Jeremiah 
and  Elizabeth  Perrin,  who  was  born  in  March,  1852,  on  the  Perrin 
farm  east  of  what  is  now  Clarksville.  The  child  was  named  Wil- 
liam and  died  about  six  months  later. 

The  first  death  recorded  in  the  comity  occurred  in  the  fall  of 
1851,  when  a  man  named  Joseph  Kirker,  about  forty  years  of  age, 
died  at  the  house  of  William  S.  Wamsley. 

The  first  marriage  license  recorded  in  the  county  authorized 
Greenberry  Luck  and  Susan  Williams  to  be  joined  in  the  holy 
bonds  of  matrimony.  Tliis  is  dated  Nov.  1,  1854.  This  mar- 
riage license  is  the  first  to  be  given  on  the  books  of  the  clerk's 
office,  although  two  others  bear  earlier  dates.  These  are  Daniel 
W.  Kinsley  and  Mary  Farlow,  dated  Sept.  10,  1854,  and 
Samuel  E.  Taylor  and  Julia  E.  Armstrong,  on  the  26th  of  SeiDteni- 
ber,  1854.  Both  these  marriages  are  recorded  as  having  been  cele- 
brated by  a  justice  of  the  peace,  Alfred  M.  Elam.  The  marriage  of 
Greenberry  Luck  and  Susan  Williams  took  place  at  Clarksville  on 
the  same  day  that  the  license  was  issued.  This  marriage  was  cele- 
brated by  Rev.  W.  P.  Holbrook,  a  pioneer  preacher  of  this  section. 
The  bride  was  the  daughter  of  one  Comfort  Williams,  who  had 
come  from  Cedar  Rapids  in  the  smmner  of  1854  and  settled  in 
Pittsford  township.  Mr.  Luck  was  also  from  Cedar  Rapids  and 
doubtless  had  been  acquainted  with  the  family  before  his  arrival 
in  the  county.  On  the  day  of  the  wedding,  Mr.  Williams,  the 
father  of  the  bride,  and  a  woman  who  had  been  living  with  him, 
doubtless  considering  the  opportunity  a  favorable  one,  also  pro- 
cured a  marriage  license  and  were  joined  in  matrimony  the  same 
day  and  by  the  same  preacher.  Williams  and  his  wife  soon  after- 
ward removed  to  Cedar  Palls  and  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Luck  settled  in 
Beaver  township,  where  they  resided  for  a  number  of  years. 


66  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  first  foreigner  to  be  acbnittecl  to  full  American  citizeuship, 
in  this  county  was  William  dough,  a  native  of  England,  who  on 
the  6th  of  October,  1857,  received  his  tinal  papers  of  naturaliza- 
tion. Mr.  Crough  was  a  resident  of  Butler  county  from  1854, 
settling  first  on  a  farm  in  Dayton  township  and  later  on  section 
4,  West  Point  township.  He  is  the  father  of  Thomas  A.  and 
Joseph  J.  Gougii,  at  the  present  time  well  known  and  prominent 
citizens  of  the  central  part  of  the  county. 

The  tirst  school  in  the  county  was  taught  by  Miss  Malinda 
Searles,  in  a  little  log  cabin  in  Clarksville,  in  1855. 

The  first  recorded  transfer  of  land  in  Butler  county  was  filed 
for  record  on  Dec.  13,  1853,  and  is  of  a  warranty  deed  issued 
by  John  F.  Ballier,  of  Philadelphia,  Pennsylvania,  by  his  attor- 
ney, William  J.  Barney,  to  Alfred  M.  Elam,  of  Butler  county, 
Iowa.  It  is  of  date  Oct.  21,  1851.  By  this  deed  Mr.  Elam 
came  into  possession  of  eighty  acres,  situated  in  section  28  of  what 
is  now  Butler  township.  The  consideration  of  this  purchase  was 
$200.  This  is  the  first  warranty  deed  recorded  but  not  the  first 
instrument,  the  power  of  attorney  from  John  F.  Ballier  to  Wil- 
liam J.  Barney,  under  which  the  latter  uegotiated  the  transfer 
referred  to  above,  having  been  given  on  the  lOtli  day  of  Septem- 
ber, 1851.  This  power  of  attorney  was  filed  for  record  the  same 
day  as  the  warranty  deed  referred  to  above. 

Several  instruments  bear  earlier  dates  of  filing  than  these  two, 
the  earliest  of  these  being  a  deed  from  Barnett  Grandon  and 
wife,  of  Butler  county,  to  Nathan  Olmstead,  of  De  Kail)  c(iuuty, 
Illinois,  whereby  forty  acres  in  section  30,  Beaver  towoiship,  were 
transferred  for  the  consideration  of  $150.  This  instrument  is 
dated  Sept.  10,  1853,  and  filed  for  record  Sept.  21,  1853. 

The  first  transfer  of  jii-operty  liy  will  in  the  coixnty  is  that 
by  which  William  Goheen,  of  Clinton  county,  Iowa,  gives  and 
devises  to  his  two  sous,  James  Wilson  and  Edward  Rufus  Goheen, 
his  land  in  section  19,  of  Dayton  townshii).  This  bequest  is  made 
with  the  following  peculiar  proviso,  "provided  they  stay  me  until 
my  death."     It  is  concluded  as  follows: 

"Signed,  published  and  declared  by  the  said  William  Goheen 
as  and  for  his  will  in  presents  of  us,  who  at  his  request  have  signed 
as  witnesses  to  the  same. 

"Test. 

"Delana  McCain 
"Frederick  Hobbert. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  67 

"In  testimony  whereof  I  have  hereunto  set  my  hand 
and  seal  this  20th  day  of  February,  1852. 

"WUUam  Goheen." 

The  date  of  tiling  of  this  instrimient  is  Nov.  10,  1853. 

These  records  were  transcribed  from  the  files  in  the  office  of 
the  coimty  recorder  of  Black  Hawk  county,  to  which  at  this  time 
Butler  county  was  joined  for  judicial  purposes. 

The  first  mortgage  for  land  in  Butler  county  was  made  on 
the  11th  day  of  October,  1854,  by  Jolm  W.  Sperring,  of  Oswego 
county.  New  York,  to  Reuben  T.  Davis,  of  Delaware  county,  Iowa, 
whereby  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter  of  sec- 
tion 10,  in  township  90  north,  range  15  west,  was  mortgaged  for 
the  consideration  of  $432.  This  instrument  bears  the  earliest 
date  of  any  mortgage  recorded  on  the  records  of  Butler  county, 
but  is  preceded  on  the  books  by  several  instruments  bearing  later 
dates.  For  this  reason  it  has  escaped  the  notice  of  previous 
writers. 

The  oldest  living  women  in  point  of  residence  in  the  county 
at  the  date  of  writing  this  history  are  Mrs.  M.  M.  Molsberry  and 
Mrs.  W.  H.  Moore,  of  Clarksville.  Mrs.  Molsberry  was  Sabra 
Jane  Wamsley,  a  daughter  of  Malon  B.  Wamsley,  who  came  to 
the  county  with  her  parents  and  settled  near  Clarksville  in  1851. 
She  has  from  that  time  to  date  been  continuously  a  resident  of 
the  county — a  period  of  sixty-three  years. 

Mrs.  W.  H.  Moore,  Mary  Ann  Perrin,  was  born  in  Pennsyl- 
vania in  1847,  and  came  to  Bixtler  county  with  her  parents,  Jere- 
miah and  Elizabeth  Perrin,  in  the  fall  of  1851.  Since  coming  to 
Iowa  with  her  parents,  Mrs.  Moore  has  continuously  resided  in 
Butler  county,  except  during  the  second  year  of  her  marriage, 
when  they  returned  for  a  time  to  New  York.  About  a  year  later 
thoy  came  again  to  Iowa  and  settled  on  a  farm  in  Butler  town- 
shij:),  on  which  they  lived  for  many  years.  Mrs.  Moore  has  been 
for  more  than  six  decades  a  witness  of  the  growth  aud  dcvclo])- 
incut  of  the  county  and  state. 

Henry  Wamsley,  oldest  son  of  Malon  B.  Wamsley,  was  an 
infant,  only  a  few  months  of  age,  when  his  parents  first  settled 
in  Butler  county,  in  the  fall  of  1851.  Since  that  date  he  has  been 
(continuously  a  resident  of  the  county  and  enjoys  at  the  present 
time  the  distinction  of  the  longest  period  of  residence  within  the 
county  limits  of  any  man  who  is  today  living. 


CHAPTER  VII 
COUNTY  GOVERNMENT 

THE  COUNTY  COUKT 

As  has  been  stated  in  a  previous  chapter,  the  permanent  organ- 
ization of  comity  government  in  Butler  county  was  finally  effected 
on  Oct.  2,  1854.  At  that  time  the  local  government  of  coun- 
ties in  Iowa  was  vested  in  a  "county  court,"  which  consisted  of 
county  judge,  county  clerk  and  sheriff.  In  the  first  county  elec- 
tion held  in  August,  1854,  John  Palmer  was  elected  county  judge, 
William  E.  Burton,  clerk  of  the  court,  and  R.  T.  Crowell,  sheriff. 
The  other  officials  elected  at  that  time  were:  A.  Gr.  Clark,  treas- 
urer and  recorder ;  and  James  Griffith,  school  fund  commissioner. 
The  first  term  of  the  new  county  court  was  held  in  October,  1854, 
in  Clarksville,  then  the  county  seat.  The  little  log  hut  in  which 
Mr.  Clark  sold  groceries,  was  used  as  the  first  courthouse.  The 
first  entry  in  the  records  of  this  court  is  dated  Oct.  2,  1854, 
and  is  as  follows: 

"Ordered  that  the  following  taxes  be  and  are  hereby  levied: 
For  state  purposes,  one  and  one- fourth  mills  on  the  dollar;  for 
county  purposes,  five  mills  on  the  dollar ;  for  school  purposes,  one 
mill  on  the  dollar ;  for  road  purposes,  one  mill  on  the  dollar ;  poll 
for  county  purposes,  50  cents;  poll  for  road  purposes,  $1.00. 

"  (Signed)     John  Palmer, 

"County  Judge." 

The  first  case  tried  before  Judge  Palmer  was  in  connection 
with  an  application  for  writ  of  injunction  made  by  Solomon  W. 
Ingham  against  Daniel  D.  Myers,  of  Shell  Rock,  restraining  him 
from  selling  a  piece  of  land  in  section  2,  Shell  Rock  township. 
Having  filed  his  petition  and  given  bond  in  the  sum  of  $100,  the 
writ  was  issued  and  placed  in  the  hands  of  Sheriff  Crowell  for 
service.  This  took  place  on  Oct.  12  and  13,  1854,  and  on  the 
19th  the  plaintiff  was  notified  that  on  Jan.  1,  1855,  a  motion 

^60 


70 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


would  be  made  to  dissolve  the  iujunction.     After  further  confer- 
ence between  the  parties  this  matter  was  deferred  until  early  in 
Februarj^  1855.     On  the  date  agreed  upon  the  case  was  called  up 
by  the  court,  Attorneys  M.  M.  Trumljull  and  A.  Van  Dorn  appear- 
ing for  Mr.  Myers  and  Mr.  Ingham,  respectively.     The  motion 
to  dissolve  the  injunction  was  sustained  by  the  judge  on  the 
ground  that  the  writ  was  not  issued  by  a  properly  qualified  offi- 
cer.    Mr.  Myers,  by  his  attorney,  moved  to  assess  damages  against 
the  defendant  in  the  amoimt  of  $100.     This  motion  was  over- 
ruled because  no  damages  had  been  proven.     A  motion  to  allow 
evidence  to  prove  damages  w^as  sustained.     A  jury  of  six  was  sum- 
moned, composed  of  T.  T.  Rawson,  J.  Y.  Hicks,  J).  C.  Hilton,  M. 
B.  Wamsley,  James  Ford  and  R.  W.  Butler.     After  the  exam- 
ination of  a  number  of  witnesses  the  jury  lirought  in  the  follow- 
ing verdict:     "We,  the  undersigned  jurors,  do  agree  that  the 
said  Solomon  W.  Ingham  pay  to  the  said  Daniel  I).  Myers  the 
sum  of  25  cents,  with  costs."     The  costs  were  $5.90.     Defendant 
gave  notice  of  an  appeal  to  the  district  court,  but  so  far  as  the 
county  court  was  concerned  this  first  law  suit  ended  here. 

The  third  entry  records  the  platting  of  the  village  of  Clarks- 
ville.     It  is  given  Ijelow  in  its  entirety: 

"State  of  Iowa,     ) 

'-  ss 
Butler  County.  ( 

"On  this  day,  to-wit,  October  27th,  A.  D.,  1854,  the  plat  of  the 
village  of  Clarksville,  with  the  acknowledgments  of  Thomas 
Clark,  Elizabeth  Clark,  Jeremiah  Clark,  Maria  Clark,  D.  C.  Hil- 
ton, Seth  Hilton,  Elizabeth  Hilton,  Dan  Mather  and  Roxana 
Mather,  proprietors  of  the  land  upon  which  the  above  mentioned 
village  is  situated;  that  the  same  is  with  their  free  consent  and 
in  accordance  with  their  desire.  And  the  court  l)eing  satisfied 
that  the  requirements  of  tlie  law  have  been  complied  with,  it  is 
therefore  ordered  that  the  same  be  placed  on  the  records  of  But- 
ler county,  as  the  law  requires. 

"John  Palmer, 
"County  Judge." 

Thus  Clarksville  has  the  honor  of  being  the  oldest  town  in 
Butler  county.  At  this  same  session  of  the  court,  H.  F.  L.  Bur- 
ton was  appointed  clerk  of  the  court  and  M.  M.  Trumbidl,  deputy 
treasurer  and  recorder.  Harlan  Baird,  who  had  l^een  elected 
prosecuting  attorney  in  the  August  election,  having  failed  to 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  71 

qualify  according  to  law,  Aaron  Van  Doru  was  appointed  to  till 
the  vacancy  and  thereafter  served  the  county  in  this  capacity. 

The  first  criminal  case  in  the  history  of  the  county  to  be  tried 
by  the  county  court  came  up  before  a  special  term  of  court  held 
Dec.  9,  1854.    It  was  entitled 

"The  State  of  Iowa 

vs. 
William  Gasterline." 

The  entry  on  the  minute  book  is  as  follows: 

"Now,  to-wit,  December  9,  1854,  comes  Rufus  L.  Hardy,  first 
being  sworn,  deposeth  and  saith  on  his  oath  that  one  William 
Gasterline  did  threaten  to  beat,  wound  and  murder  the  said  Rufus 
L.  Hardy,  and  further  says  that  in  consequence  of  said  threats 
he,  the  said  Hardy's  life  is  in  danger  from  the  said  Gasterline 
and  files  an  information  to  the  above  import,  subscribed  and 
sworn  to  as  the  law  directs  and  producing  Stephen  L.  Hardy  as 
a  witness  verifying  the  above  statement.  A  warrant  issued 
directed  to  any  sheriff  or  constable  in  the  said  county  command- 
ing him  to  arrest  and  bring  before  the  county  court  the  said 
Gasterline  to  answer  according  to  law. 

"Warrant  returned  served  by  arresting  and  bringing  the  said 
Gasterline  into  court.  When  the  court  proceeded  to  try  the  case 
and  upt>n  hearing  all  the  evidence  in  the  case  it  is  hereby  ordered 
by  the  court  that  the  said  defendant  be  held  to  bail  in  the  sum 
of  $100  to  keep  the  peace  and  to  answer  at  the  next  term  of  the 
district  court  of  Butler  county,  in  the  state  of  Iowa. 

"John  Palmer, 
"County  Judge." 

"Bill  of  Costs. 

"Sheriff's  fees 55  cents 

Witness     "     R.  L.  Hardv 50  " 

"     S.  L.  Hardy 50  " 

"     Lucretia  Hardy  50  " 

"     James  Mann  50  " 

"     Mrs.  Gasterline    50  " 

"     Daniel  Clark  50    " 

The  further  trial  of  this  case  is  given  in  connection  with  the 
history  of  the  district  court  of  Butler  coimty. 

On  the  29th  of  March,  1855,  George  W.  and  Elizabeth  Adair 
presented  to  the  court  the  plat  of  the  town  of  Shell  Rock.     This 


72  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

being  in  proper  form,  it  was  ordered  recorded  by  the  county 
judge. 

In  April,  1855,  the  second  election  was  held,  as  a  result  of 
which  Aaron  Van  Dorn  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney ;  W.  H. 
Bishop,  sheriff;  and  W.  R.  Jamison  and  Thomas  Clark,  justices 
of  the  peace.  Appended  to  this  chapter  will  be  found  a  complete 
list  of  county  officers  from  the  beginning,  it  being  deemed  unnec- 
essary to  devote  more  space  to  the  consideration  of  the  first 
elections. 

THE   FIRST   COURTHOUSE 

In  an  entry  on  the  court  records,  dated  June  4,  1855,  the  first 
steps  toward  providing  a  courthouse  for  Butler  county  are  given. 
It  is  ordered  "that  sealed  proposals  (be  received)  for  building  a 
courthouse  on  the  courthouse  square,  in  the  village  of  Clarks- 
ville,  of  the  dimensions  as  follows:  40x40  feet,  two  stories  high, 
the  first  to  be  9  feet  and  the  second  9^2  feet  in  height,  to  be  made 
of  good  and  durable  material,  either  of  wood  or  brick." 

Nothing  seems  to  have  come  of  this  effort  to  provide  a  home 
for  the  county  officers,  as  on  the  22d  of  April,  1856,  the  follow- 
ing record  is  f  oimd : 

"In  the  Matter  of  Pubhc  Buildings. 

"Whereas,  great  inconvenience  is  experienced  by  the  county 
officers  and  other  citizens  in  consequence  of  the  want  of  room  and 
accommodations  for  holding  court  and  for  the  transaction  of 
other  i>ublic  business,  and  whereas  the  coimty  seat  is  entirely 
destitute  of  public  buildings  or  of  any  other  place  in  which  the 
business  of  the  county  can  be  conveniently  done  or  the  public 
records  safely  and  properly  preserved,  it  is  ordered  by  the  county 
court  of  Butler  county  that  advertisements  be  forthwith  issued 
for  sealed  proposals  for  erecting  a  court  house  at  Clarksville,  the 
county  seat  of  said  coimt.v.  Said  court  house  to  be  40  feet  by 
60  feet,  two  stories  high,  be  of  brick  of  good  material  and  to  be 
enclosed  by  the  1st  of  November,  A.  D.,  1856.  Said  proposals  to 
be  received  imtill  the  first  Monday  of  Jime  next  (1856).  It  is 
further  ordered  that  a  i^lan  and  specifications  be  procured  and 
filed  in  the  judge's  office  for  reference. 

"A.  Van  Dorn, 

"County  Judge." 

On  Nov.  .3,  1856,  the  court  ordered  that  on  account  of 
insufficient  means,  want  of  time  and  material  to  complete  or 


THE  i\E\V  YORK 
IPUBLIC  Li^^RARY 


TILDE N   rcj 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  73 

enclose  it  for  protection  against  the  weather,  further  progress 
of  building  the  courthouse  be  postponed  until  the  spring  of  1857. 
This  building  was  erected  in  the  following  year,  and  was  used  as 
a  courthouse  so  long  as  Clarksville  remained  the  county  seat,  and 
thereafter  as  a  schoolhouse.  It  was  finally  torn  down  in  1903  to 
make  room  for  the  present  commodious  public  school  building. 
From  the  first  there  was  agitation  for  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  from  Clarksville.  It  was  recognized  that  while  for  the 
time  being  Clarksville  was  the  center  of  population,  its  distance 
from  the  geographical  center  of  the  county  would  eventually  ren- 
der it  an  unsatisfactory  location  for  the  county  seat.  The  first 
petition  looking  toward  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  from 
Clarksville  was  presented  to  the  county  court  in  June,  1856.  It 
was  eventually  overruled  by  the  judge. 

EARLY  ELECTIONS 

On  the  first  Monday  of  April,  1857,  a  special  election  was 
ordered  to  take  place  to  fill  a  number  of  vacancies,  which  for  one 
reason  and  another  had  occurred  in  the  offices  of  drainage  com- 
nussioner,  county  clerk,  surveyor  and  coroner. 

At  this  same  election  a  proposition  for  ratifying  the  courthouse 
loan  was  carried  by  a  vote  of  301  to  165.  At  this  same  election  the 
question  of  borrowing  $20,000  on  five-year  bonds  for  the  purpose 
of  bifilding  a  number  of  bridges  in  the  county  was  carried  by  a 
majority  of  180.  Eleven  bridges  were  provided  for  by  this  propo- 
sition— one  at  Shell  Rock,  two  near  Clarksville,  one  at  New  Hart- 
ford, and  the  others  in  various  other  parts  of  the  county. 

Another  special  election  was  called  for  the  12th  day  of  Septem- 
ber, 1857,  for  the  purpose  of  determining  whether  or  not  the  county 
should  subscribe  for  $200,000  worth  of  stock,  in  bonds,  payable  in 
twenty  years,  iti  the  Chicago,  Iowa  &  Nebraska  Railroad,  with  the 
proviso  that  the  company  should  build  its  Cedar  Valley  branch 
through  the  county  within  one  mile  of  Clarksville  and  Shell  Rock. 
This  proposition  carried  by  a  vote  of  244  to  187.  This  railroad  was 
never  constructed.  The  Burlington,  Cedar  Rapids  &  Northern, 
however,  fourteen  years  later  constinicted  a  line  though  the  Shell 
Rock  valley  and  gave  to  the  county  its  first  railroad  service. 

In  this  same  special  election,  D.  W.  Miller  was  elected  county 
judge  by  a  majority  of  fifty-four  votes  over  Alonzo  Converse,  the 
latter  having  made  his  campaign  chiefly  upon  the  removal  of  the 


74  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

county  seat  from  Clarksville.  The  result  of  this  election  was  con- 
tested by  Air.  Converse,  and  although  it  appears  from  the  record 
that  Mr.  Miller  on  the  29th  of  September,  1857,  presented  his  bond 
and  was  duly  qualified  for  the  office  of  county  judge,  it  appears 
from  subsequent  entry  on  October  5,  1857,  that  after  a  hearing 
before  Judge  J.  D.  Thompson,  Miller  was  ordered  to  deliver  the 
office  and  the  books  pertaining  thereto  to-Converse.  At  the  Novem- 
ber term  of  court  this  year  Alonzo  Converse  was  present  and  pre- 
sided as  coimty  judge. 

I 

THE  BOAED  OF  SUPERVISORS 

The  Eighth  General  Assembh-  of  Iowa  in  1859  passed  an  act 
by  which  the  county  goverimient  thereafter  was  to  be  vested  in 
a  body  termed  the  board  of  supervisors.  By  this  act  the  old  county 
court  was  abolished  and  a  new  body,  consistiug  of  one  supervisor 
for  each  civil  township,  was  vested  with  nearly  all  the  authority 
formerly  held  by  the  county  court.  On  the  7th  day  of  January, 
1861,  the  first  meeting  of  the  new  board  of  supervisors  chosen  in 
accordance  with  this  act  was  held  at  Butler  Center,  now  become 
the  seat  of  county  guvernment.  This  board,  the  membership  of 
which  is  given  below,  eff'ected  an  organization  by  the  choice  of 
Peter  Coyle,  of  Madison  township,  as  temporary  chairman ;  James 
W.  Davis  as  clerk;  and  Messrs.  Alilo  Hard,  of  Beaver  township,  W. 
R.  Jamison,  of  Pittsford,  and  Thomas  Haggarty,  of  Daylon,  as 
conmiittee  on  credentials.  The  members  then  proceeded  to  draw 
lots  to  determine  whether  their  terms  should  be  one  or  two  terms 
in  length,  according  to  law.  As  a  result  Messrs.  Wilson,  of  Shell 
Rock,  Haggarty,  Stoner,  Aldrich,  Coyle,  Long,  Jamison  and  Taylor 
drew  two-year  terms,  and  the  remaining  mem])ers  of  the  board 
one  year. 

At  this  first  session  of  the  board  A.  J.  Thompkins  presented 
himself  for  admission  as  supervisor  from  Butler  township.  After 
an  examination  of  his  credentials,  the  committee  appointed  for 
this  purpose  reported  unfavorably.  Mr.  C.  A.  Bannon  Avas  seated 
as  supervisor  from  this  township.  James  W.  Davis,  who  was 
chosen  clerk  of  the  board  of  supervisors  at  this  first  session, 
remained  in  this  office  throughout  the  entire  period,  during  which 
the  county  government  was  in  the  hands  of  a  board  of  sixteen 
supervisors.  A  complete  list  of  the  various  members  of  this  board 
from  1861  to  1870,  with  the  chairman  for  each  year,  is  given  below. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  75 

MEMBERS  OF  THE  BOAKD  OF  SUPERVISORS 

1861 — Madison,  Peter  Coyle,  chairman;  Albion,  S.  H.  Taylor; 
Beaver,  Milo  Hard;  Bennezette,  Milton  Wilson;  Butler,  C.  A. 
Bannou;  Coldwater,  Moses  Aldrich;  Dayton,  Thomas  Haggarty; 
Jackson,  Jonathan  Gilbert;  Jefferson,  0.  Rice;  Monroe,  Wells  A. 
Curtis;  Pittsford,  W.  R.  Jamison;  Ripley,  George  W.  Stoner;  Shell 
Rock,  James  Wilson;  Washington,  W.  H.  Long;  West  Point,  Julius 
Hoffman ;  Fremont,  S.  Bonwell. 

1862 — Madison,  Peter  Coyle,  chairman;  Albion,  S.  H.  Taylor; 
Beaver,  Milo  Hard;  Bennezette,  Milton  Wilson;  Coldwater,  Moses 
Aldrich;  Dayton,  Thomas  Haggarty;  Jackson,  Jonathan  Gilbert; 
Pittsford,  W.  R.  Jamison;  Washington,  W.  H.  Long;  West  Point, 
Julius  Hoffman;  Fremont,  S.  Bonwell;  Butler,  James  R.  Fletcher; 
Shell  Rock,  James  Wilson;  Jefferson,  W.  A.  Lathrop;  Monroe,  J. 
J.  Criswell;  Ripley,  George  W.  Stone. 

1863 — Madison,  Peter  Coyle,  chairman;  Fremont,  S.  Bonwell; 
Jefferson,  W.  A.  Lathrop;  Monroe,  J.  J.  Criswell;  Beaver,  Milo 
Hard;  Jackson,  J.  Gilbert;  West  Point,  J.  Hoffman;  Bennezette, 
Milton  Wilson;  Coldwater,  William  J.  Nettleton;  Pittsford,  John 
M.  Nichols;  Ripley,  John  C.  Hites;  Shell  Rock,  M.  Hollenbeck; 
Washington,  H.  A.  Tucker;  Dayton,  C.  Forney;  Butler,  J.  R. 
Fletcher,  resigned,  A.  J.  Thompkins  to  fill  vacancy;  Albion,  S.  H. 
Taylor. 

1864 — Monroe,  J.  J.  Criswell,  chairman;  Albion,  S.  H.  Taylor; 
Coldwater,  William  J.  Nettleton;  Pittsford,  John  M.  Nichols;, 
Ripley,  John  C.  Hites;  Madison,  Peter  Coyle;  Washington,  H.  A. 
Tucker;  Dayton,  C.  Forney;  Bennezette,  I.  Chamberlin;  West 
Point,  Johnson  Lawyer;  Beaver,  William  Rosebrough;  Jefferson,, 
E.  B.  Allen;  Shell  Rock,  Thomas  G.  Copeland;  Jackson,  M.  B.. 
Wamsley;  Fremont,  S.  J.  Boorom;  Butler,  H.  F.  L.  Burton. 

1865 — Butler,  H.  F.  L.  Burton,  chairman,  resigned;  Madison,. 
Peter  Coyle,  chairman;  Dayton,  Thomas  Haggarty;  Fremont,  S.  J. 
Boorom;  Monroe,  J.  J.  Criswell;  Jackson,  M.  B.  Wamsley;  West 
Point,  J.  Lawyer;  Bennezette,  I.  Chamberlin;  Coldwater,  Joseph 
Miller;  Pittsford,  James  Harlan;  Shell  Rock,  W.  S.  Wilson, 
resigned,  J.  G.  Scoby  to  fill  vacancy;  Jefferson,  E.  B.  Allen, 
resigned,  W.  A.  Lathrop  to  fill  vacancy;  Riplej^  J.  B.  Bullis; 
Washington,  R.  R.  Parriott;  Albion,  R.  W.  Shaw;  Beaver,  James. 
Collar;  Butler,  E.  Fowle  to  fill  vacancy. 


76  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

1866 — Madison,  Peter  Coyle,  cliairmau;  Freniout,  S.  J.  Boorom; 
West  Point,  J.  Lawyer;  Jackson,  M.  B.  Wamsley;  Butler,  Edwin 
Fowle;  Shell  Rock,  J.  G.  Scoby;  Beaver,  James  Collar;  Albion, 
R.  W.  Shaw;  Coldwater,  Joseph  Miller;  Pittsford,  James  Harlan; 
Ripley,  James  Bullis;  Washington,  R.  R.  Parriott;  Dayton, 
Thomas  Haggarty;  Monroe,  J.  J.  Criswell;  Jefferson,  Stephen 
Morse;  Benuezette,  Oliver  Evans. 

1867 — Butler,  Edwin  Fowle,  chairman;  Fremont,  S.  J.  Boorom; 
Bennezette,  0.  Evans;  West  Point,  J.  Lawyer;  Jackson,  M.  B. 
Wamsley;  Shell  Rock,  J.  G.  Scoby;  Jefferson,  S.  Morse;  Dayton, 
J.  V.  Boggs;  Coldwater,  James  Griffith;  Pittsford,  S.  B.  Dumont; 
Ripley,  Henry  Trotter;  Madison,  T.  W.  Smith;  Washington,  M.  F. 
Whitney;  Monroe,  Isaac  Hall;  Beaver,  A.  Converse;  Albion,  W.  H. 
Hersey. 

1868 — Pittsford,  S.  B.  Dimiont,  chairman;  Dayton,  J.  V.  Boggs; 
Bennezette,  O.  Evans;  Jackson,  M.  B.  Wamsley;  Monroe,  J.  J. 
Criswell;  Coldwater,  James  Griffith;  Ripley,  H.  Trotter;  Madison, 
T.  W.  Smith:  Albion,  W.  H.  Hersey;  Fremont,  S.  Bonwell;  West 
Point,  B.  F.  Garrett;  Butler,  J.  Lyle;  Beaver,  Amos  Nettleton; 
Shell  Rock,  J.  Preston;  Jefferson,  J.  Palmer,  removed,  George 
Murphy,  ad  interim,  James  McEachron  to  fill  vacancy ;  Washing- 
ton, M.  P.  Whitney. 

1869 — Pittsford,  S.  B.  Dimiont,  chairman;  IVemont,  S.  Bon- 
well; West  Point,  B.  F.  Garrett;  Jackson,  M.  B.  Wamsley;  Ripley, 
H.  Trotter;  Monroe,  J.  J.  Criswell;  Madison,  T.  W.  Smith;  Beaver, 
A.  Converse ;  Jefferson,  James  McEachron;  Albion,  W.  H.  Hersey; 
Bennezette,  0.  Evans;  Butler,  J.  M.  Lyle;  Dayton,  J.  F.  Newhard; 
Coldwater,  J.  M.  Miller;  Shell  Rock,  E.  L.  Thorp;  Washington, 
William  Kenefick. 

1870 — Pittsford,  S.  B.  Dimiont,  chairman;  Jefferson,  James 
McEachron;  Jackson,  M.  B.  Wamsley;  Albion,  W.  H.  Hersey; 
Madison,  T.  W.  Smith;  Beaver,  A.  Converse;  Ripley,  H.  Trotter; 
West  Pomt,  B.  P.  Garrett;  Dayton,  J.  F.  Newhard;  Coldwater, 
James  Griffith;  Washington,  William  Kenefick;  Fremont,  E.  P. 
Day;  Monroe,  Isaac  Hall;  Butler,  J.  R,  Jones;  Shell  Rock,  J. 
Preston;  Bennezette,  W.  A.  Keister. 

The  last  meeting  of  the  board  of  supervisors  represented  by  a 
member  from  each  township  was  held  in  the  fall  of  1870.  Under 
the  new  law,  still  in  force,  the  members  of  the  board  convened  on 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  77 

the  2d  clay  of  January,  1871.  The  members  of  this  governing  body 
from  that  time  up  to  the  present  follow : 

1871 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chainnan;  M.  B.  Wamsley,  H.  C. 
Brown. 

1872 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chairman;  H.  C.  Brown,  S.  Bon- 
well. 

1873 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chairman;  H.  C.  Brown,  S.  Bon- 
well. 

1874 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chairman;  H.  C.  Brown,  S.  Bon- 
well. 

1875 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chairman;  H.  C.  Brown,  N.  H. 
Larkin. 

1876— Alexander  Chrystie,  chairman;  N.  H.  Larkin,  G.  Hazlet. 

1877 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chairman;  N.  H.  Larkin,  C  Hazlet. 

1878 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chairman ;  G.  Hazlet,  A.  N.  Leet. 

1879 — Alexander  Chrystie,  chainnan;  A.  N.  Leet,  Milton 
Wilson. 

1880 — A.  N.  Leet,  chaiiinan;  M.  Wilson,  J.  J.  Burnham. 

1881 — A.  N.  Leet,  chairman;  M.  Wilson,  J.  J.  Burnham. 

1882 — A.  N.  Leet,  chairman;  J.  J.  Bm-nham,  C.  L.  Jones. 

1883 — A.  IST.  Leet,  chairman;  C.  L.  Jones,  J.  M.  Groat. 

1884— C.  L.  Jones,  chairman;  J.  M.  Groat,  J.  H.  Hickle. 

1885 — J.  M.  Groat,  chairman;  C.  L.  Jones,  J.  H.  Hickle. 

1886 — J.  H.  Hickle,  chairman;  C.  L.  Jones,  J.  M.  Groat. 

1887 — J.  W.  Eay,  chairman;  J.  H.  Hickle,  C.  L.  Jones. 

1888— J.  W.  Eay,  chairman;  J.  H.  Hickle,  P.  E.  Newberry. 

1889— J.  H.  Hickle,  chairman;  F.  E.  Newberry,  J.  W.  Ray. 

1890— J.  W.  Ray,  chairman;  F.  E.  Newberry,  J.  W.  Temple. 

1891— J.  W.  Ray,  chairman;  J.  W.  Temple,  Milton  Wilson. 

1892 — J.  W.  Temple,  chairman;  Milton  Wilson,  J.  W.  Ray. 

1893 — J.  W.  Ray,  chainnan;  Milton  Wilson,  B.  Leavens. 

1894 — J.  W.  Ray,  chainnan;  B.  Leavens,  Norman  Long. 

1895 — B.  Leavens,  chairman ;  Norman  Long,  Stanley  Conn. 

1896 — Norman  Long,  chairman;  Stanley  Conn,  B.  Leavens. 

1897 — B.  Leavens,  chairman ;  Stanley  Conn,  John  Wade. 

1898 — John  Wade,  chairman;  B.  Leavens,  Stanley  Conn. 

1899 — John  Wade,  chairman;  Stanley  Conn,  B.  Leavens. 

1900 — Stanley  Conn,  chairman ;  B.  Leavens,  John  F.  Wade. 

1901 — John  Wade,  chairman;  B.  Leavens,  Stanley  Conn. 

1902— J.  F.  Wade,  chairman;  Stanley  Conn,  John  F.  Mott. 

1903 — Stanley  Conn,  chairman;  J.  F.  Mott,  James  McTaggart. 


78  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

1904 — J.  F.  Mott,  chaiiiiiau;  James  McTaggart,  William 
Dawson. 

1905 — James  McTaggart,  chaii-man;  William  Dawson,  J.  F. 
Mott. 

A  bill  had  been  passed  by  the  Legislature  providing  for  biennial 
elections,  so  that  those  holding  olfice  wluose  terms  would  otherwise 
have  expired  by  law  held  over  until  their  successors  were  elected 
in  the  fall  of  1906  and  qualified  for  office  in  January,  1907.  Auto- 
matically the  terms  of  all  county  officials  expired  and  their  suc- 
cessors Avere  elected  as  follows,  the  tenure  of  office  beijig  two 
years: 

1907-08 — For  term  of  three  _years,  E.  Lehman  and  William 
Dawson;  for  term  of  two  years,  James  McTaggart. 

1909-10 — James  McTaggart,  William  Dawson,  E.  Lelunan. 

1911-12 — R.  H.  Waugh,  William  Dawson,  James  McTaggart. 

In  the  June  meeting  of  the  board  of  supervisors  of  1890  the 
board  voted  to  divide  the  county  into  three  supervisor  districts. 
Thereafter  members  of  the  county  board  were  elected  from  these 
districts  instead  of  from  the  county  at  large  as  before.  This  sys- 
tem of  election  has  been  continued  to  the  present  time.  The  first 
supervisor  district  comprises  the  townships  of  Dayton,  Fremont, 
Butler,  Jackson  and  Shell  Rock.  The  second  district  contains 
the  townships  of  Coldwater,  Bennezette,  West  Point,  Pitts- 
ford  and  Madison.  The  third  contains  Jefi^erson,  Ripley,  Beaver, 
Albion,  Monroe  and  Washington  toAMiships.  Since  the  adoption  of 
this  plan  the  following  have  served  as  supervisor  from  the  first 
district:  J.  W.  Temple,  B.  Leavens.  J.  F.  Mott,  E.  Lehman  and 
R.  H.  Waugh;  second  district,  M.  Wilson,  Norman  Long,  John 
Wade,  James  McTaggart;  third  district,  J.  W.  Ray,  Stanley  Conn 
and  William  Dawson. 

OTHER  COUNTY  OFFICERS 

As  has  been  stated  above,  the  official  list  of  the  county  at  the 
time  of  its  organization  comprised  the  offices  of  comity  judge, 
treasurer  and  recorder,  county  clerk,  sheriff",  prosecuting  attorney, 
school  fimd  commissioner,  county  surveyor,  drainage  commissioner 
and  coroner.  The  county  judge,  clerk  and  sheriff  c(.)nstituted  the 
county  court.  This  body  had  entire  control  of  the  affairs  of  the 
cotmty  and  in  addition  to  holding  other  powers  and  duties,  exer- 
cised all  those  belonging  at  present  to  the  board  of  supervisors. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  79 

111  1861  C.  A.  Bannon  was  elected  county  judge  to  succeed 
Alonzo  Converse.  Mr.  Bannon  before  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  office  enlisted  in  the  Thirty-second  Infantry,  thus  vacating  his 
office.  A  special  election  was  called  to  fill  the  vacancy  and  J.  R. 
Fletcher,  at  that  time  supervisor  from  Butler  township,  was  chosen 
to  fill  the  vacancy.  Mr.  Fletcher  had  been  one  of  the  most  ardent 
partisans  of  Clarksville  in  the  county  seat  controversy,  and  pos- 
sibly for  this  reason  neglected,  or  declined,  to  remove  the  books 
and  papers  belonging  to  this  office  to  the  county  seat  at  Butler 
Center.  At  the  June  session  of  the  board  of  supervisors  in  1863, 
a  resolution  was  offered  ordering  the  clerk  to  notify  Fletcher  to 
bring  his  books  and  papers  pertaining  to  the  office  to  Butler 
Center,  and  to  forthwith  hold  the  office  there  in  accordance  with 
the  law.  On  failure  to  do  so,  the  clerk  was  instructed  to  proceed 
against  said  Fletcher,  according  to  the  law.  This  resolution  was 
adopted  by  a  vote  of  fourteen  to  one.  The  compliance  with  this 
resolution  completed  the  removal  of  the  county  offices  to  Butler 
Center. 

As  has  been  indicated  elsewhere,  the  functions  of  the  county 
court  were  superseded  by  a  board  of  supervisors,  one  from  each 
township  in  the  county,  in  1861.  Thereafter  the  county  judge 
continued  to  exercise  jurisdiction  over  probate  matters  until  the 
office  was  abolished  about  1870.  By  the  terms  of  the  law  making 
this  change,  coimty  judges  in  office  became  ex-offieio  county 
auditor.  A.  J.  Thompkins,  who  had  been  elected  to  the  office  of 
county  judge  in  1865,  and  reelected  in  1867,  thus  became  the  first 
county  auditor.  This  office  is  the  most  important  in  character  and 
most  diversified  in  functions  of  any  of  the  county  offices. 

The  offices  of  treasurer  and  recorder  were  joined  during  the 
early  period  of  the  county's  history  and  the  duties  appertaining 
to  these  offices  were  exercised  by  the  same  officer  from  1854  to 
1864.  In  the  latter  year  the  two  offices  were  separated  and  there- 
after were  held  by  different  individuals.  John  Palmer,  elected  in 
186.3,  was  the  last  to  hold  the  two  offices  together.  He  was  retained 
under  the  law  of  1864  as  county  treasm-er,  while  J.  H.  Hale  Avas 
elected  the  first  county  recorder.  In  1910  Grace  E.  Dreher  was 
elected  county  recorder,  being  the  first  woman  in  the  history  of 
the  county  to  be  elected  to  this  office — the  only  one  except  that  of 
county  superintendent  which  under  the  present  law  may  be  held 
bv  a  woman. 


80  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  office  of  clerk  of  the  courts  had  existed  without  essential 
change  from  the  date  of  the  organization  of  the  county.  W.  E. 
Burton  was  the  first  county  clerk.  From  January  1,  1859,  to  Jan- 
uary 1,  1873,  seven  consecutive  official  terms,  James  W.  Davis 
performed  the  duties  of  this  office.  This  term  of  official  service 
is  the  longest  in  the  history  of  the  covmty. 

The  office  of  sheriff  was  first  held  by  Robert  T.  Crowell,  who 
came  to  the  county  with  the  family  of  Joseph  Hicks,  the  first 
permanent  settlers,  in  1850. 

The  first  prosecuting  attorney  was  Aaron  Van  Dorn,  who  was 
appointed  to  the  office  by  Judge  John  Palmer.  He  filed  his  bond 
and  qualified  on  January  2, 1855.  In  the  April  election  of  this  year 
Mr.  Van  Dorn  was  elected  prosecuting  attorney  and  continued  in 
office  mitil  October  of  the  same  year,  when  he  became  county  judge. 
George  McClellan  succeeded  him  in  the  office  of  prosecuting 
attorney.  McClellan  resigned  before  the  expiration  of  his  term 
of  office  and  the  vacanc}^  was  filled  by  the  appointment  of  John 
Palmer,  former  county  judge.  He  held  office  mitil  1856,  when  C. 
A.  Bannon  was  elected  to  the  position.  The  law  at  that  time  pro- 
vided that  in  case  of  the  absence  of  any  incumbent  for  a  period  of 
six  months,  the  office  should  be  declared  vacant  and  a  new  elec- 
tion held  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Mr.  Bannon  during  his  term  of  office 
left  the  county  and  it  was  understood  that  he  did  not  contemplate 
returning.  Therefore  a  special  election  was  called  to  select  a  suc- 
cessor. W.  E.  Jamison  was  elected  by  a  large  majority,  but  before 
he  qualified  Mr.  Bannon  returned  and  Mr.  Jamison  withdrew, 
leaving  the  office  to  the  former  incumlient.  Before  the  expiration 
of  the  term  for  Avhich  Mr.  Bannon  had  been  elected,  the  office  was 
abolished  by  laAv.  The  functions  of  this  office  were  thereafter 
largely  performed  by  the  district  attorney.  The  present  office  of 
comity  attorney  was  created  in  accordance  with  an  act  of  the 
General  Assembly  in  1886.  The  first  county  attorney  under  the 
present  law  was  Prank  Lingenfelder. 

The  office  of  county  treasurer  was  created  in  1857  to  take  the 
place  of  township  assessor.  W.  R.  Cotton  was  the  first  and  only 
ofiicer  elected  to  this  position.  Before  the  expiration  of  his  term 
the  office  was  abolished  and  the  system  reverted  to  the  former  one 
of  assessment  by  township  officers.  The  office  of  coimty  surveyor 
was  abolished  by  act  of  the  Thirty-fifth  General  Assembly  and 
that   of   county   engineer   created   in   its   place.     This   office   is 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  81 

appointive  by  the  board  of  supervisors.    The  first  county  engineer 
of  Butler  county  is  the  present  incvimbent,  Frank  W.  Cave. 

The  first  woman  to  hold  a  county  office  in  Butler  county  was 
Miss  Emma  Miner,  who,  ui  1892,  was  appointed  county  recorder 
to  fill  a  vacancy  caused  by  the  death  of  her  brother,  Marion  W. 
Miner. 

LIST  OF  COUNTY  OFFICIALS  FEOM   1854  TO  1914 

County  Judge — 1854,  John  Palmer;  1855,  Aaron  Van  Dorn; 
1857,  Alonzo  Converse;  1861,  C.  A.  Bannon;  1862,  J.  R.  Fletcher; 
1863,  Ancel  Durand;  1865,  A.  J.  Thompkins. 

Auditor — The  first  county  auditor  as  appears  by  the  records 
was  A.  J.  Thompkins,  who  was  elected  as  a  republican  to  the  office 
in  1869.  The  names  of  his  successors  follow :  1871,  R.  L.  Chase ; 
1877,  J.  McElvain;  1879,  James  W.  Spencer;  1884,  George  O.  Van 
Vleck;  1888,  Edgar  J.  Davis;  1893,  George  W.  Conn;  1899,  W.  A. 
Reynolds ;  1903,  Henry  W.  Seitz ;  1907,  T.  M.  Early ;  1911,  Eugene 
Owen. 

Clerk  of  Courts— 1854,  W.  E.  Burton;  1856,  Mahlon  Crozier, 
resigned,  John  Leslie  (to  fill  vacancy)  ;  1857,  James  E.  Walker; 
1859,  James  W.  Davis;  1873,  William  Burdick;  1879.  C.  H.  Ilgen- 
fritz;  1883,  W.  S.  Montgomery;  1887,  John  Barlow;  1891,  Ernest 
W.  Virden;  1895,  William  C.  Thompson,  Jr.;  1899,  M.  L.  Palmer; 
1903,  E.  J.  Davis;  1907,  J.  W.  Thompson;  1911,  George  R.  Dennis. 

Treasurer— 1854,  A.  G.  Clark;  1855,  D.  C.  Hilton;  1859,  J.  H. 
Hale;  18&3,  John  Palmer;  1867,  J.  P.  Wright;  1871,  W.  C.  Thomp- 
son; 1875,  E.  Thomas;  1879,  John  W.  Ray;  1885,  Samuel  Thomas; 
1889,  W.  E.  Hyde;  1893,  Frank  P.  Bolton;  1897,  Levi  Baker;  1899, 
W.  J.  Burbank;  1903,  Mason  F.  Green;  ]907,  H.  P.  Wild;  1911, 
James  A.  Barlow. 

Recorder— 1854,  A.  G.  Clark;  1855,  D.  C.  Hilton;  1859,  J.  H. 
Hale;  1869,  Geoi-ge  M.  Craig;  1873,  Elwood  Wilson;  1879,  W.  W. 
Pattee;  1883,  W.  M.  Himter;  1887,  L.  J.  Rogers;  1891,  Marion  W. 
Miner;  1892,  M.  J.  Kelley;  1893,  Albert  N.  Bonwell;  1897,  E.  V. 
Franke;  1901,  J.  H.  Hunt;  1905,  W.  R.  Stanley;  1911,  Grace  E. 
Dreher. 

Sherife— 1854,  R.  T.  Crowell;  1855,  W.  H.  Bishop;  1859,  James 
Loverich;  1861,  W.  H.  Bishop;  1863,  M.  Hollenbock;  1867,  L.  L. 
Smith ;  1871,  J.  R.  Jones ;  1877,  M.  B.  Speedy ;  1879,  Gilbert  Hazlet ; 
1884,  Lorenzo  Bartlett  (to  fill  vacancy)  C.  S.  Root;  1886,  Lorenzo 


82  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Bartlett;  1888,  T.  M.  Early;  1892,  Thomas  Walsh;  1896,  T.  M. 
Early;  1898,  M.  S.  Cline;  1902,  A.  W.  Johnson;  1907,  F.  H.  Hill; 
1911,  Thomas  J.  Shafer. 

Surveyor — 1855,  T.  T.  Rawson  (resigned),  George  McClellan 
(to  fill  vacancy);  1857,  J.  Ellis;  1859,  Judd  Bradley;  1861,  G. 
McClellan;  1863,  A.  F.  Townsend;  1865,  M.  D.  L.  Niece;  1867,  0.  W. 
Mcintosh;  1871,  M.  D.  L.  Niece;  1873,  J.  G.  Rockwell;  1881,  O.  W. 
Mcintosh;  1884,  J.  G.  Rockwell;  1885,  A.  L.  Stannard;  1888,  F.  F. 
Voeltz;  1892,  Ed  Madigan;  1893.  F.  F.  Voeltz;  1894,  Edward  V. 
Franke;  1898,  Ward  M.  Jones;  1901,  John  E.  Crossaut;  1907,  F. 
F.  Voeltz. 

Prosecuting  Attorney— 1855,  A.  Van  Dorn;  1855,  G.  McClellan; 
1856,  C.  A.  Bannon  (removed),  John  Palmer  (to  fill  vacancy) ;  1858, 
W.  R.  Jamison;  1858,  C.  A.  Bannon. 

District  Attorney— 1858,  Milo  McGlathery;  1864,  John  E. 
Burke;  1868, 1.  W.  Card;  1872,  L.  S.  Butler;  1876,  J.  B.  Cleland. 

County  Attorney— 1887,  Frank  Lingenf elder;  1891,  Willis  A. 
Lathrop;  1893,  John  W.  Arbuckle;  1897,  George  A.  Melntyre;  1901, 
C.  G.  Burling;  1905,  W.  F.  Evans;  1907,  Robert  F.  Camp:  1911, 
J.  B.  Gregory  (resigned),  W.  S.  Montgomery  (to  fill  vacancy); 
1913,  Montgomery  (resigned),  G.  C.  Burling  (to  fill  vacancy). 

Coroner— 1855,  D.  W.  Kensley;  1856,  Orson  Rice;  1857,  J.  V. 
Boggs;  1859,  J.  A.  Barker;  1863,  E.  W.  Metzgar;  1865,  George 
]Murphy;  1867,  E.  W.  Metzgar;  1869,  T.  G.  Copeland;  1873,  E.  W. 
Metzgar;  1875,  C.  W.  Murray;  1877,  H.  J.  Playter;  1881,  W.  M. 
Foote;  1884,  Thomas  M.  Early;  1886,  N.  H.  Larkin;  1892,  L.  Bart- 
lett; 1893,  0.  W.  Rowley;  1895,  A.  N.  Leet;  1896,  Dr.  T.  D.  Askew; 
1898,  Dr.  V.  C.  Birney;  1907,  Dr.  W.  E.  Patterson;  1909,  Dr.  Paul 
R.  Burroughs;  1911,  Walter  Burroughs. 


CHAPTER  VIII 

THE  LOCATION  OF  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

As  has  already  been  indicated,  tlie  earliest  settlements  in  the 
-county  were  all  in  the  eastern  and  extreme  southeastern  portions 
of  the  county.  As  a  natural  consequence,  when  the  location  for 
the  first  county  seat  was  chosen,  it  was  fixed  on  the  present  site 
of  Clarksville,  then  the  center  of  the  most  numerous  settlement  in 
the  comity. 

THE  COUNTY  SEAT   AT   CLAEKSVILLE 

The  location  of  this  first  county  seat  was  fixed  by  a  commission 
of  three  men — John  P.  Barrick  and  William  Payne,  of  Bremer 
county,  and  D.  C.  Overman,  of  Black  Hawk  county — acting  under 
instructions  issued  by  Judge  O.  H.  P.  Roszell,  of  Buchanan  county, 
to  which  judicial  district  Butler  county  belonged  at  that  time. 
These  gentlemen  met  by  appointment  at  Barrick 's  Ford,  in  Bremer 
county,  and  journeyed  westward  on  horseback  until  they  reached 
the  Shell  Rock  river  in  the  vicinity  of  the  settlement  made  by  the 
Wamsleys  and  others  who  have  been  mentioned.  There  seemed 
to  be  little  question  at  the  time  that  this  location  was  most  desir- 
able for  the  comity  seat  but  there  was  considerable  rivalry  among 
the  individual  settlers  to  have  the  exact  location  fixed  where  it 
would  be  most  advantageous  to  them  and  enhance  the  value  of 
their  holdings.  Influenced  by  the  persuasive  powers  of  Jeremiah 
and  Thomas  Clark  and  W.  S.  Wamsley,  whose  claims  Avere  situated 
about  a  mile  north  of  the  present  location  of  Clarksville,  the  com- 
missioners had  about  determined  U>  fix  the  seat  of  justice  on  the 
lands  of  these  gentlemen,  when  they  were  called  ixpon  to  stay  the 
])roceedings  until  the  rival  claims  of  Messrs.  G.  W.  Poisal  and 
Seth  Hilton,  Sr.,  might  be  presented. 

Just  what  argimients  were  broi;ght  to  bear  upon  the  com- 
missioners is  unknown,  but  judging  from  the  result  they  must 

83 


84  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

have  been  potent  ones,  for  after  only  a  comparatively  brief  con- 
sideration of  the  new  claims  the  commissioners  turned  their  backs 
upon  the  location  first  detennined  upon  and  selected  a  site  on 
the  claim  of  D.  C.  Hilton  as  the  spot  Avhere  the  future  courthouse 
should  be  built.  This  spot  was  marked  by  an  oak  stake,  which 
was  driven  into  the  ground  on  section  18,  Butler  township,  on  the 
spot  where  the  Clarksville  schoolhouse  now  stands.  A  compro- 
mise was  arranged  between  the  Hiltons  and  the  Clarks,  whereby 
the  latter  were  given  a  half  interest  in  forty  acres  later  platted 
as  the  town  of  Clarksville.  Reference  to  the  copy  of  the  record 
filed  with  the  county  court  with  the  plat  of  this  village,  Avhich  is 
given  in  fidl  above,  will  show  the  names  of  all  the  owners  of  this 
town  site. 

The  date  of  this  first  official  proceeding  in  Butler  county  is 
pretty  generally  fixed  by  a  receipt  signed  l»y  Commissioners  John 
P.  Barrick,  D.  C.  Overman  and  William  W.  Payne,  at  Barrick's 
Ford,  on  May  6,  1853,  acknowledging  the  receipt  from  Thomas 
Clark  of  the  sum  of  $24  to  cover  their  necessary  expenses.  George 
W.  Poisal  was  produced  as  a  witness  to  the  payment  of  this  sum 
by  Clark  and  the  latter  was  reimbursed  for  his  expenditure  b}^ 
a  county  warrant  for  the  sum  oi  $24,  issued  January  4,  1855. 

THE   FIEST   COUBTHOITSE 

In  1856  the  construction  of  the  new  courthouse  was  begim  but 
was  not  completed  until  the  spring  of  1858,  when  the  first  court 
was  held  within  its  walls  and  the  county  offices  moved  into  it. 
This  building  Avas  of  brick,  40x60  feet  in  dimensions,  two  stories 
high  and  cost  about  $20,000.  After  the  removal  of  the  county  seat 
from  Clarksville  the  Innlding  was  sold  to  the  school  district  for 
$2,800,  and  was  remodeled  and  used  as  a  schoolhouse  initil  the  con- 
struction of  the  present  building. 

AGITATION  FOE  REMOVAL 

Even  before  the  courthouse  was  finished  the  question  of  the 
removal  of  the  comity  seat  ])egan  to  be  agitated.  Other  towns 
were  springing  up  in  various  parts  of  the  comity  and  each  one  was 
ambitious  to  become  the  county  capital.  Mutual  jealousy,  a  desire 
to  increase  the  value  of  their  town  property  and  a  natural  love 
of  controversv,  which  seems  more  or  less  inherent  in  American 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  85 

natiu'e,  kept  the  agitation  going  and  for  years  excitement  was  at  a 
Mgh  pitcli  in  relation  to  this  question.  When  it  became  evident 
that  no  town  already  platted  and  settled  would  probably  have  a 
better  chance  to  secm-e  the  county  seat  than  Clarksville,  the  point 
was  raised  and  kept  before  the  people  that  it  was  highly  desirable 
that  the  county  seat  should  be  located  near  the  geographical  center 
of  the  county. 

GEORGETOWN 

In  order  to  meet  these  conditions,  a  town  was  finally  platted 
and  recorded,  embracing  forty  acres  in  the  exact  geographical 
center  of  the  coimty,  at  the  four  corners  of  Jefferson,  Jackson, 
West  Point  and  Ripley  townships.  This  paper  town  was  called 
Georgetown,  and  on  paper  it  made  the  best  appearance  of  any 
town  ill  the  county.  The  plat  was  exceptionally  well  drawn  and 
the  location  unquestionably  favorable  but  the  prospective  eoimty 
capital  had  not  a  building  nor  a  sign  of  habitation.  It  existed 
solely  in  the  imagination  of  its  projectors. 

A  petition  to  bring  the  question  of  relocation  of  the  county  seat 
at  Georgetown  was  drawn  up  and  extensively  signed.  This  peti- 
tion was  presented  to  Judge  Alonzo  Converse,  who  granted 
the  request  and  ordered  the  question  submitted  to  the  voters  of  the 
county  at  the  April  election  in  1858.  After  an  active  campaign  the 
matter  was  decided  in  favor  of  leaving  the  county  seat  at  Clarks- 
ville by  the  narrow  majority  of  327  to  320.  As  all  the  hopes  for 
the  future  Georgetown  had  rested  upon  the  successful  termination 
of  this  campaign,  its  prospects  received  a  death  blow  by  this  result. 
No  further  effort  was  made  to  establish  a  town  on  this  location. 
It  remains  therefore  merely  a  geographical  expression. 

BUTLER  CENTER 

The  friends  of  removal,  however,  would  not  acknowledge 
defeat.  Having  failed  in  their  attempt  to  relocate  the  comity  seat 
at  Georgetown  they  fixed  upon  Butler  Center,  a  village  situated 
about  two  miles  south  of  the  geogi'aphical  center  of  the  coimty, 
which  already  had  quite  a  few  residents  and  several  places  of 
business.  Another  petition  was  circulated  which  secured  over 
four  hundred  signers,  requesting  that  the  matter  be  submitted 
again  to  the  people  to  determine  whether  the  county  seat  should 


86  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

be  moved  to  Butler  Center  or  to  remain  at  Clarksville.  The  peti- 
tion was  granted,  and  tlie  question  submitted  to  vote  on  the  ith  of 
April,  1859.  As  a  result  of  this  vote  Butler  Center  received  357 
votes  and  Clarksville  336 — a  uiajorit)'  of  21  for  the  former.  The 
following  entry  on  the  records  of  the  coimty  coui't  imder  date  of 
April  11,  1859,  is  self  explanatory : 

"Be  it  remembered  that  on  this  11th  day  of  April,  A.  D.,  1859,, 
the  returns  from  the  election  from  all  the  townships  having  been 
received,  the  County  Judge  calling  to  his  assistance  George 
McClellau  and  John  M.  Nicholas,  two  justices  of  the  peace  of 
Butler  coimty,  proceeded  to  canvass  the  said  returns  of  the  vote 
cast  upon  the  question  of  the  coimty  seat  on  the  1th  day  of  April, 

1859,  between  Clarksville,  the  existing  coimty  seat,  and  Butler 
Center,  and  it  appearing  that  a  majority  of  all  the  votes  cast  were 
in  favor  of  Butler  Center,  the  point  designated  in  the  petition 
asking  for  a  vote  upon  the  question;  therefore,  in  accordance  with 
the  provisions  of  chapter  46  of  the  Acts  of  the  Fifth  General 
Assembly  of  the  State  of  Iowa,  Butler  Center  is  hereby  declared  to 
be  the  county  seat  of  Butler  county,  Iowa." 

The  joy  of  the  people  of  Butler  Center  and  of  the  friends  of 
removal  in  general  and  the  enemies  of  Clarksville  in  particular 
was  unbounded  at  this  successful  tennination  of  their  efforts. 
However,  their  celebration  was  temporarily  interfered  with  by  a 
writ  of  injunction,  which  was  sued  out  by  the  people  of  ClarksviUe 
for  the  purpose  of  staying  the  removal  until  certain  legal  objec- 
tions which  they  had  to  present  could  be  formally  heard  and 
passed  upon. 

In  July  following  the  district  com-t  declared  this  election  void 
because  of  certain  ii-regularities  in  its  conduct.  The  joy  of  the 
people  of  Butler  Center  was  changed  to  wrath,  and  the  people  of 
Clarksville  on  their  part  availed  themselves  of  the  opportunity 
for  what  appeared  to  the  others  to  be  a  most  unseemly  exhibition 
of  joy. 

REMOVAL  TO  BUTLER  CENTER 

Another  petition  was  circulated  early  in  1860  and  presented 
to  the  board  of  supervisors  asking  that  the  matter  again  be  sub- 
mitted to  vote.    The  petition  was  granted  and  the  2d  day  of  April, 

1860,  fixed  for  the  election.  When  the  votes  cast  at  this  election 
w-ere  canvassed  it  was  declared  that  the  result  showed  a  majority 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  87 

of  over  eighty  votes  in  favor  of  Butler  Center  over  Clarksville. 
This  time  Butler  Center's  jollification  was  not  unwarranted.  They 
did  not  aUow  any  time  to  pass.  On  the  next  day  after  the  canvass 
of  the  votes,  April  5, 18(JU,  the  books,  documents  and  county  records 
were  removed  to  Butler  Center. 

The  courthouse  in  Butler  Center  was  a  frame  structure  20x36 
feet  in  dimensions  and  two  stories  high.  The  upper  story,  which 
contained  the  court  room,  was  reached  by  an  outside  wooden  stair- 
way. The  lower  story  was  divided  into  three  offices  which  were 
occupied  by  the  county  treasurer,  county  recorder  and  the  clerk 
of  the  courts.  This  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  about  $2,000, 
and  with  about  two  acres  of  ground  surrounding  it,  was  donated  to 
the  count.y  by  Andrew  Mullarky,  of  Cedar  Falls,  who  owned  a 
large  amount  of  land  in  the  vicinity  of  Butler  Center,  and  who 
perhaps  was  more  influential  than  any  other  man  in  securing  the 
removal  of  the  coimty  seat  from  Clarksville. 

FUKTHER  AGITATION 

In  January,  1861,  a  petition  signed  by  D.  W.  Miller  and  some 
four  hundred  others  was  presented  to  the  board  of  supervisors 
asking  that  the  matter  of  changing  the  county  seat  from  Butler 
Center  to  Clarksville  be  resvibmitted  to  the  people.  A  committee 
was  appointed  by  the  board  to  investigate  the  matter,  which 
reported  adversely.  One  member  of  the  conmiittee  offered  a 
minority  report  in  favor  of  the  petition.  The  report  of  the  com- 
mittee was  sul)mitted  to  the  board  of  supervisors  and  it  was 
decided  that  the  petition  should  be  denied. 

The  record  of  the  first  session  of  the  board  of  supervisors  in 
1862  indicates  that  C.  A.  Bannon  appeared  before  the  board  as 
attorney  of  certain  petitioners  who  again  requested  a  vote  on  the 
matter  of  relocation.  The  petition  was  signed  by  440  voters. 
Forty-two  names  were  stricken  from  this  list  by  a  committee  of 
the  board  of  supervisors  appointed  to  investigate  it.  The  peti- 
tion was  followed  by  a  remonstrance  signed  by  about  the  same 
number  of  citizens  objecting  to  any  further  agitation  of  the  ques- 
tion. 

The  relative  equality  of  the  number  of  names  on  this  petition 
and  remonstrance  indicates  that  there  was  much  dissatisfaction 
with  Butler  Center  as  the  county  seat.  This  was  due  of  coiirse  in 
part  merely  to  the  natural  jealousy  of  Clarksville,  but  also  to  the 


88  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

difficulty  wliicli  the  citizens  of  tlie  coimty  experienced  in  reacliing 
Butler  Center  in  the  late  winter  and  early  spring  months.  As 
was  common  in  those  early  days  there  were  no  adequate  high- 
ways. The  country  surrounding  Butler  Center  to  the  east  and 
south  was  practically  impassable  by  teams  during  wet  seasons. 
The  residents  of  the  county  of  those  days  recount  many  unpleas- 
ant experiences  which  they  and  others  had  in  their  efforts  to 
reach  the  county  capital.  Sometimes  in  the  early  spring  the 
West  Fork  south  of  Butler  Center  was  several  miles  in  width 
and  could  only  be  crossed  by  means  of  boats. 

The  committee  referred  to  above,  in  whose  hands  this  matter 
was  placed,  reported  their  investigations  to  the  board  without 
any  recommendation.  The  board  then  listened  to  the  arguments 
of  attorneys  on  both  sides,  after  which  James  R.  Fletcher,  super- 
visor from  Butler  townshij),  offered  a  lengihy  resolution  setting 
forth  the  fact  that  the  petition  had  been  signed  by  one-half  of 
the  legal  voters  of  the  county  as  shown  by  the  census  of  1859, 
and  ordering  that  the  matter  be  submitted  to  a  vote  in  the  April 
election  of  1862.  To  this  resolution  W.  A.  Lathroj),  supervisor 
from  Jefferson  townshij),  in  which  Butler  Center  was  situated, 
offered  an  amendment  as  follows:  "To  strike  out  all  of  Mr. 
Fletcher's  resolution  after  the  word  'Resolved'  and  insert  'that 
the  facts  as  set  forth  by  the  committee  on  the  county  seat  do  not 
show  that  the  petitioners  are  entitled  to  a  vote.'  Therefore  the 
prayer  be  not  allowed."  This  amendment  was  carried  by  a  vote 
of  ten  to  six.  An  attempt  to  rescind  this  action  on  the  follow- 
ing day  w^as  defeated  by  a  majority  of  six. 

The  board  of  supervisors  for  1863  was  again  called  upon  to 
pass  upon  the  matter  of  removal  by  a  petition  to  relocate  the 
county  seat  at  Shell  Rock.  As  before,  this  petition  was  followed 
by  a  remonstrance.  The  whole  question  was  deferred  by  the 
board  until  the  September  session,  when  it  was  taken  up  and  the 
petition  refused.  Thereafter,  there  were  a  number  of  abortive 
attempts  to  secure  the  resubmission  of  the  county  seat  question, 
but  Butler  Center  remained  in  possession  of  the  county  seat  of 
justice  for  about  twenty  years. 

In  the  meantime  two  railroads  had  penetrated  the  county, — 
the  Burlington,  Cedar  Rapids  &  Northern,  passing  through  the 
towns  of  Shell  Rock,  Clarksville  and  Greene  along  the  Shell  Rock 
valley,  and  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City,  throiigh  the  southern  tier 
of  townships.     The  distance  of  Butler  Center  from  a  railway 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  89 

came  therefore  to  be  a  new  and  persistent  cause  of  dissatisfaction 
in  its  retention  of  the  county  capital.  Late  in  the  '70s  a  new 
railroad  was  surveyed  through  the  center  of  the  county  from 
east  to  west,  called  at  first  the  Iowa  &  Pacific.  For  reasons  which 
will  be  noted  elsewhere  Butler  Center  failed  to  take  advantage 
of  the  opportimity  to  secure  this  railroad.  In  the  end  it  was 
surve3^ed  west  from  Clarksville,  leaving  Butler  Center  four  or 
five,  miles  from  its  nearest  point.  A  new  town  on  this  line  of 
railroad  was  platted  as  near  to  the  geographical  center  of  the 
count.y  as  Butler  Center  and  the  people  of  the  county  realized 
that  very  soon  the  county  seat  question  would  come  wip  again  for 
decision. 

ALLISOX 

In  anticipation  of  this  movement  and  with  the  hope  of  pre- 
venting it,  the  people  of  Bristow,  in  the  summer  of  1880,  pub- 
lished a  notice  and  circulated  a  petition  for  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat  to  that  place.  The  new  town  of  Allison,  however, 
also  came  into  the  field  with  a  petition  and  a  fight  was  on.  The 
campaign  was  a  hot  one.  Newspaper  articles,  stump  speeches 
and  mass  meetings  in  the  schoolhouses  were  characterized  by 
extreme  bitterness  of  feeling.  In  the  end,  however,  the  Allison 
petition  secured  a  majority  of  the  signers.  The  board  of  super- 
visors acted  favorably  upon  this  petition  and  at  the  November 
election  in  1880  the  question  of  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to 
Allison  was  carried  by  a  majority  of  265  votes,  Allison  receiving 
1,529  and  Butler  Center,  1,264. 

In  connection  with  the  submission  of  this  question  to  the  peo- 
ple of  the  county,  the  Allison  Town  Company,  represented  by 
John  R.  Waller,  of  Dubuque,  filed  a  bond  in  the  sum  of  $25,000 
with  the  county  auditor,  guaranteeing  in  consideration  of  the 
removal  of  the  county  seat  from  Butler  Center  to  Allison, 
the  building  of  the  courthouse  adequate  in  size  to  accommodate  the 
business  of  the  county  and  furnished  in  an  appropriate  manner. 
"With  this  there  was  also  to  be  made  a  cession  of  ten  aci'es  of 
laud  to  belong  to  the  county  so  long  as  it  shoidd  continue  to  be 
used  for  county  purposes. 

REMOVAL   TO   AIXIROX 

When  in  January,  1881.  the  board  of  supervisors  ordered  the 
county  records  removed  to  Allison,  there  was  no  building  ready 


90  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

for  their  accommodation.  The  county  clerk,  recorder  and  sheriff 
found  quarters  in  the  upper  story  of  a  building  owned  by  A.  M. 
McLeod.  The  auditor  and  treasurer  were  acconunodated  tempo- 
rarily in  the  drug  store  then  owned  by  Dr.  Riggs,  and  later  occu- 
pied by  S.  W.  Burroughs,  on  the  east  side  of  Main  street.  As  soon 
as  possible  a  small  office  building,  which  had  been  occupied  by  the 
coimty  officers  at  Butler  Center  was  moved  over  and  these  officers 
took  up  their  quarters  in  this. 

THE  COURTHOUSE 

The  Allison  Town  Company,  which  was  largely  financed  by 
H.  L.  Stout,  owner  of  the  Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm,  a  Dubuqx;e 
lumbeiTnan  and  capitalist,  was  ready  to  fulfill  to  the  letter  its 
agi'eement  with  the  people  of  the  coimty  regarding  the  erection 
of  the  courthouse  but  it  became  evident  that  public  opinion 
favored  the  expenditure  of  a  larger  sum  than  had  been  agreed 
upon  in  the  preliminary  negotiations.  In  the  end  a  compromise 
was  effected  between  the  supervisors  and  the  Allison  Town  Com- 
pany, by  which  the  latter  agreed  to  deposit  to  the  credit  of  the 
coimty  the  sum  of  $7,000  in  cash  to  be  used  in  the  erection  of  the 
courthouse,  the  county  agreeing  to  furnish  a  sum  one-third  as 
great  in  addition  thereto. 

In  the  spring  of  1881  the  contract  for  the  construction  of  the 
courthouse  was  let  to  L.  D.  Harvey,  of  Clarksville,  for  the  sum 
of  $10,680.  The  building  was  completed  and  ready  for  occupancy 
by  October,  1881.  For  the  time,  the  building  was  distinctly  a 
creditable  one.  It  was  built  with  wooden  frame,  with  brick 
veneer,  50x55  feet  in  dimensions,  two  stories  in  height. 

In  1903  an  addition  to  the  courthouse  equal  in  height  to  the 
main  building  and  20x51  feet  in  dimensions  was  constructed  on 
the  north,  the  contract  price  being  $5,000.  This  addition  furnishes 
space  for  the  heating  plant,  fnel  rooms  and  jail  in  the  basement. 
The  first  floor  contains  vaults  for  the  clerk's  office  and  the  audi- 
tor's office  and  toilet  rooms.  On  the  second  floor  in  the  addition 
are  located  the  grand  and  petit  jury  rooms  and  a  retiring  room 
for  the  district  judge.  For  lack  of  other  quarters,  the  petit  jury 
room  has  in  recent  years  been  given  over  to  the  office  of  the  county 
superintendent  of  schools.  This  location  is  an  inconvenient  one 
for  many  reasons  and  eventiaally  doubtless  it  will  be  found  neces- 
sary for  other  arrangements  to  be  made. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  91 

The  county  jail  in  the  basement  of  the  courthouse  has  been 
condemned  by  a  number  of  grand  juries  and  is  unfit  for  use  as 
the  habitation  even  of  suspected  criminals.  In  the  election  of 
1912  the  proposition  to  build  a  separate  jail  and  sheriif's  resi- 
dence was  defeated  at  the  polls  by  a  small  majority.  Such  a 
building,  however,  is  a  crying  necessity  and  the  people  of  the 
county  will  sooner  or  later  come  to  see  it. 

The  present  courthouse  stands  at  the  head  of  Main  street 
on  the  crest  of  a  rise  of  land  which  is  said  to  be  the  highest  point 
in  Butler  county.  This  situation  gives  it  an  imposing  appear- 
ance as  the  laud  slopes  gently  away  from  it  in  every  direction. 
It  is  surrounded  by  ample  grounds,  beautifully  parked  and 
planted  to  a  variety  of  well  chosen  shade  and  ornamental  trees. 
On  either  side  of  the  main  entrance  stand  two  cannon,  a  gift  to 
the  county  from  the  United  States  Government  through  the  cour- 
tesy of  Col.  D.  B.  Henderson  at  the  request  of  his  friend,  I.  M. 
Fisher.  Visitors  to  Allison  frequently  comment  iipon  the  court- 
house square  as  constituting  the  finest  county  property  in  the 
state. 

Since  the  location  of  the  county  seat  at  Allison  no  serious 
attempt  has  been  made  to  resubmit  the  question  of  removal.  It 
is  not  probable  that  it  will  ever  again  be  raised.  For  some  years 
Allison  had  to  struggle  against  a  certain  amount  of  jealousy  and 
hard  feeling  which  had  been  engendered  by  its  choice  as  the 
county  capital.  Gradually,  however,  this  feeing  has  been  allayed 
and  today  the  people  of  Butler  county  are  coming  increasingly 
to  take  pride  in  their  county  seat  and  to  desire  to  assist  it  in  main- 
taining a  position  of  equality  with  the  county  seats  of  surroimd- 
ing  counties. 


CHAPTER  IX 
REPRESENTATION  STATE  AND  NATIONAL 

CONGRESSIONAL  EEPEESENTATION 

At  the  time  of  its  organization,  Butler  county  was  a  part  of 
the  Second  Congressional  District  and  was  represented  in  Con- 
gi'ess  by  John  B.  Cook,  of  Davenport.  Mr.  Cook  served  one  term 
in  the  Thirty-third  Congress,  from  1853-55.  He  was  elected  to 
Congress  as  a  whig  but  before  he  took  his  seat  the  whig  party 
had  practically  disappeared.  Thereafter  he  affiliated  with  the 
democratic  party.  In  the  Thirty-first  Congress,  1855-57,  the 
Second  District  was  represented  by  James  P.  Thorington,  of  Dav- 
enport, a  republican.  The  Representative  in  the  Thirty-fifth 
Congress  was  Timothy  Davis,  of  Dubuque,  elected  by  the  Amer- 
ican party.  William  R.  Vandever,  of  Dubuque,  represented  the 
district  in  the  Thirty-sixth  and  Thirty-seventh  Congi-esses,  from 
1859  to  1863.  While  serving  his  second  term  the  Civil  war  broke 
out.  Representative  Vandever  abandoned  his  seat,  returned  to 
the  state,  and  raised  a  regiment  of  infantry,  of  which  he  was 
made  colonel.  He  was  later  promoted  to  brigadier-genernl  and 
at  the  close  of  the  war  brevetted  major-general. 

In  accordance  with  the  new  apportionment  for  the  sessions  of 
1860,  loAva  was  assigned  six  representatives  in  Congress.  The 
state  was  accordingly  redistricted,  Butler  cf)iuity  becoming  a  part 
of  the  Sixth  District.  The  first  representative  of  this  new  district 
was  Asaliel  W.  Huljbard,  of  Sioux  City.  Mr.  Hubbard  served 
through  the  Thirty-eighth,  Thirty-ninth  and  Fortieth  Congresses, 
from  1863  to  1869.  Charles  Pomeroy,  of  Port  Dodge,  was  elected 
to  the  Forty-first  Congress  from  the  Sixth  District.  Pomeroy 
was  the  first  farmer  to  hold  this  office,  his  predecessors,  all  of 
them,  having  been  members  of  the  legal  profession.  The  repre- 
sentative in  the  Forty-second  Congress  was  Jackson  Orr,  of  Mon- 
tana, Iowa. 

93 


94  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  apportioiimeut  fono\Ying  the  census  of  1870  increased  the 
Iowa  representation  to  nine.  Butler  county  thereafter  became  a 
part  of  the  Fourth  Congressional  District,  being  represented  in 
the  Forty-third  and  Forty-fourth  Congresses  by  Henry  O.  Pratt, 
of  Charles  City.  His  successor  was  Nathaniel  C.  Deering,  of 
Osage,  who  served  for  three  terms,  from  1877  to  1883. 

In  1882  the  state  was  again  redistricted  and  Butler  county  be- 
came one  of  the  counties  forming  the  famous  Third,  or  "Monkey 
Wrench"  District.  Hon.  David  B.  Henderson,  of  Dubuque,  was 
elected  to  the  Forty-eighth  Congress  from  this  district  and  ser^-ed 
it  contiuuousl)'  in  this  capacity  in  all  the  sessions  of  Congress  from 
the  Forty-eighth  to  the  Fifty-seventh,  inclusive.  Colonel  Hender- 
son, or  "Dave,"  as  he  was  better  known  to  most  of  his  constitu- 
ents, counted  a  multitude  of  personal  friends  in  Butler  county. 
He  was  a  frequent  visitor  to  the  county,  usually  making  his  head- 
quarters on  the  Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm.  Colonel  Henderson 
possessed  that  rare  quality  of  being  able  to  remember  faces  and 
names.  He  never  forgot  a  friend  and  rarely  failed  to  be  alile  to 
call  by  name  any  man  whom  he  had  met.  This  quality,  together 
with  his  whole  souled,  genial  natm'e,  made  him  a  personal  friend 
of  his  constituents.  They  all  rejoiced  with  him  in  the  honor  that 
came  to  him  when  he  was  chosen  speaker  of  the  National  House  of 
Representatives.  His  voluntary  retirement  from  the  office  in  1903, 
at  the  conclusion  of  his  ninth  term,  was  deeply  regretted  by  his 
loyal  Butler  county  friends.  Colonel  Henderson  was  succeeded  in 
the  Fifty-eighth  Congress  by  Benjamin  P.  Birdsall,  of  Clarion,  who 
served  three  terms,  until  1909,  when  Charles  E.  Pickett,  of  Water- 
loo, succeeded  him.  Mr.  Pickett  served  through  the  Sixty-first 
and  Sixty-second  Congresses  but  was  defeated  for  re-election  in 
the  campaign  of  1912,  by  Morris  Connolly,  of  Dubuque.  Mr.  Con- 
nolly is  the  first  democrat  to  represent  Butler  county  in  Congress 
since  the  days  of  John  P.  Cook,  in  1855. 

Of  the  United  States  Senators  w^ho  have  represented  lown 
in  Congress  since  its  admission  as  a  state,  Butler  county  always 
had  a  particidarly  warm  place  in  its  heart  for  Senator  William  B. 
Allison.  Mr.  Allison  was  a  personal  friend  of  H.  L.  Stout  and  the 
other  gentlemen  who  formed  the  Allison  Town  Site  Company,  and 
the  Butler  county  seat  was  named  in  his  honor.  He  was  a  frequent 
visitor  at  the  farm  owned  by  his  friend,  Mr.  Stout,  and  on  a  ninn- 
ber  of  occasions  appeared  in  public  addresses  before  the  people 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  95 

of  the  comity,  the  last  of  these  being  ou  the  occasion  of  the  dedica- 
tion of  the  new  Butler  county  fair  grounds  at  Allison  in  1887. 

Senators  Gear,  Dolliver,  Cummins  and  Kenyon  have  all  at  vari- 
ous times  made  public  addresses  in  the  county  but  for  none  of 
them  have  the  people  of  the  county  had  the  personal  feeling  that 
they  had  for  Senator  Allison.  It  is  gratifying  to  note  that  Butler 
county  loyally  supported  the  aged  Senator  in  his  last  campaign 
for  the  nomination  to  the  senatorship  in  1908. 

STATE  OFFICERS  FROM  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Butler  county  takes  pride  in  the  fact  of  having  furnished  one 
Governor  to  the  State  of  Iowa.  The  Hon.  Frank  D.  Jackson,  four- 
teenth Governor  of  Iowa,  was  born  at  Arcade,  Wyoming  county. 
New  York,  January  26, 1854.  In  1867  he  came  with  his  parents  to 
Jesup,  in  Buchanan  county,  Iowa,  where  he  attended  the  public 
schools.  He  also  attended  the  State  Agricultural  College,  after- 
ward entering  the  law  department  of  the  State  University,  where 
he  graduated  in  1874.  He  removed  to  Butler  county  in  1880,  set- 
tling at  Greene,  where  he  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  was 
chosen  secretary  of  the  State  Senate  in  the  winter  of  1882  and  was 
reelected  in  1884.  At  the  Republican  State  Convention  of  1884 
he  was  nominated  for  Secretary  of  State  and  elected,  serving  by 
successive  elections  for  three  terms.  In  1893  he  was  nominated  by 
the  Republican  State  Convention  for  Governor.  For  four  years 
the  democratic  party  had  secured  the  chief  executive  in  the  elec- 
tion of  Governor  Boies.  The  campaign  was  conducted  mth  great 
vigor  on  both  sides  and  resulted  in  the  election  of  Frank  D.  Jack- 
son by  a  plurality  of  more  than  thirty-two  thousand.  Governor 
Jackson  served  but  one  tenn,  declining  to  be  a  candidate  for  reelec- 
tion. 

Captain  W.  V.  Lucas,  auditor  of  the  State  of  loAva  from  1881 
to  1883,  was  for  a  munber  of  years  a  resident  of  Butler  county  and 
at  one  time  editor  of  the  Shell  Rock  News.  His  deputy,  Ruf us  L. 
Chase,  was  a  citizen  of  Butler  county,  having  served  several  terms 
as  coimty  auditor. 

John  F.  Wade,  of  Butler  coimty,  was  a  member  of  the  State 
Board  of  Control  from  1909  to  the  date  of  his  death  in  1913.  He 
is  noticed  more  fully  elsewhere. 


96  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

REPRESENTATION   IN   THE   GENERAL   ASSEMBLY 

Butler  county  was  first  represented  in  the  Fifth  General  As- 
sembly of  Iowa,  which  convened  at  Iowa  City  on  December  4, 1854. 
As  a  state  senatorial  district,  it  was  associated  with  l)ul)uque, 
Delaware,  Buchanan,  Blackhawk,  Grundy,  Bremer,  Clayton, 
Fayette,  Allamakee,  Winneshiek,  Howard.  Mitchell,  Floyd  and 
Chickasaw  counties  and  was  represented  in  the  Senate  by  William 
W.  Hamilton,  Maturin  L.  F'isher  and  John  J.  Shields.  Senator 
Fisher  was  chosen  president  of  the  Senate  during  this  session.  In 
the  House  of  Representatives,  Butler  comity  was  represented  by 
Jacob  W.  Eogers,  of  West  Union,  whose  district  included  Fay- 
ette, Chickasaw,  Butler,  Bremer,  Blackhawk,  Grundy,  Franklin, 
Cerro  Gordo,  Floyd,  Howard,  Mitchell  and  Worth  counties, 
forming  the  Third  Representative  District. 

In  the  Sixth  and  Seventh  Assemblies  Butler  county  Avas  dis- 
tricted in  the  Thirty-third  Senatorial  District,  with  Fayette, 
Bremer,  Franklin,  Grundy,  Hardin,  Wright,  Wel)ster,  Boone, 
Story,  Greene  and  Hmnboldt  comities.  This  district  was  repre- 
sented in  the  Senate  by  Aaron  Brown,  of  Fayette  county.  The 
Forty-eighth  Representative  District,  comprising  Bremer.  Chick- 
asaw, Butler,  Floyd,  Cerro  Gordo,  Hancock,  Kossuth  and  Grundy 
counties,  sent  E.  R.  Gillett  as  their  representative.  His  postoffice 
address  and  home  county  are  both  unknown. 

With  a  number  of  other  counties.  Butler  was  represented  in 
the  Third  Constitutional  Convention  of  1857  liy  Sheldon  G.  Win- 
chester. 

The  first  citizen  of  Butler  county  to  lie  honored  with  election 
to  the  House  of  Representatives  was  Matthew  M.  Trumbull,  who 
in  the  Seventh  Assemlily  represented  the  Twelfth  District,  com- 
prising Mitchell,  Floyd  and  Butler  counties.  He  was  elected  by 
the  narrow  majority  of  six  (»ver  his  democratic  opponent,  J.  C. 
Bishop,  the  vote  standing  172  to  166. 

Alfred  L.  Brown,  of  Cedar  Falls,  represented  Butler  county  in 
the  Senate  during  the  eighth  and  ninth  sessions  of  the  General 
Assembly,  his  district  consisting  of  the  counties  of  Grundy,  Black- 
hawk, Butler  and  Franklin  for  the  first  two  years,  and  the  same 
counties  with  the  exception  of  Grundy  in  the  last  two.  Chauncey 
Gillett,  of  Franklin  county,  was  a  member  of  the  House  of  Repre- 
sentatives in  the  Eighth  Assembly,  being  elected  by  the  voters  of 
Franklin,  Wright,  Butler  and  Grundy  counties. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  97 

Aloiizo  Converse,  \\h(>  lias  already  been  mentioned  in  connec- 
tion with  the  office  of  comity  judge,  was  elected  to  the  House  of 
Representatives  for  the  Ninth  Assembly  from  the  Fifty-fifth  Dis- 
trict, including  Butler,  Grundy  and  Franklin  comities.  Mr.  Con- 
verse served  only  one  term  in  the  House  of  Representatives,  being 
succeeded  by  W.  A.  Lathrop,  Avho  is  largel}'  identified  with  the 
early  county  history  and  receives  detailed  mention  elsewhere. 
In  the  Senate  of  this  session,  the  county  was  represented  by  C.  F. 
Clarkson,  of  Grundy  Center,  Hardin,  Franklin  and  Blackhawk 
counties  being  associated  with  Butler  in  the  Thirty-nmth  Sena- 
torial District. 

James  B.  Powers  of  Cedar  Falls,  represented  Blackhawk  and 
Butler  counties  in  the  Senate  of  the  Eleventh  General  Assembly 
and  Lorenzo  D.  Tracy,  of  New  Hartford,  Butler  and  Grundy 
counties  in  the  House. 

^Marcus  Tuttle,  of  Cerro  Gordo  county,  Avas  elected  to  the  Sen- 
ate for  Franklin,  Butler,  Grmidy  and  Cerro  Gordo  counties  in 
1868,  serving  through  the  session  of  the  Twelfth  Assembly.  James 
A.  Guthrie,  of  New  Hartford,  was  State  Re]oresentative  from  But- 
ler and  Grundy  counties  in  this  session. 

Of  the  Thirteenth  Assembly,  R.  B.  Clark  is  said  to  have  been 
elected  Senator,  although  the  records  of  the  state  as  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  General  Assembly  do  not  include  his  name.  His  death 
occurred  some  time  after  the  election  and  it  is  probable  that  he 
never  qualified  for  the  office.  Emmons  Johnson,  of  Bremer  county, 
was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  S.  B.  Dumont,  of  Pittsford  town- 
ship, was  elected  Representative  for  this  session  of  the  assembly 
and  served  two  terms  in  the  office,  in  one  of  which  he  represented 
both  Butler  and  Grundy  counties.  Beginning  with  the  sessions 
of  the  Fourteenth  General  Assembly  in  1872  Butler  county  con- 
stituted a  separate  representative  district. 

Alonzo  Converse,  of  New  Hartford,  was  chosen  Senator  from 
the  Forty-third  District,  including  the  counties  of  Floyd,  Butler 
and  Mitchell  at  this  time  and  served  until  1876.  The  list  of  mem- 
bers of  the  Senate  and  House  of  Representatives  from  this  date 
to  the  present  time  is  given  below: 

Senators:— Arad  Hitchcock,  1876-78;  W.  W.  Blaekman,  1878- 
80;  W.  P.  Gaylord.  1880-82;  Ahnn  M.  Wlialey,  1882-88;  L.  S. 
Hauchett.  1888-92:  R.  S.  Smith,  1892-94;  George  M.  Craig,  1894- 
1904:  .Tohn  F.  Wade,  1904-08;  Charles  Gates,  1908-12;  F.  P.  Hage- 
mann,  1912 — 


98  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

All  these  since  1882,  with  the  exception  of  L.  S.  Hanchett  and 
F.  P.  Hagemann,  have  been  residents  of  Butler  county  and  have 
represented  the  Senatorial  district  comprised  of  Butler  and 
Bremer  counties.  They  are  mentioned  more  at  length  in  connec- 
tion with  the  history  of  their  particular  localities  in  the  comity. 

From  1874  to  date  the  members  of  the  House  of  Representa- 
tives from  Butler  covmty  have  been  as  follows: 

Charles  A.  L.  Rosze'll,  1870-76;  John  Pahner,  1876-78;  A.  M. 
Whaley,  1878-82;  H.  C.  Brown,  1882-86;  Elwood  Wilson,  1886-90; 
S.  W.  Soesbe,  1890-92;  C.  T.  Coonley,  1892-96;  W.  G.  Ladd,  1896- 
1900;  M.  F.  Edwards,  1900-02;  Stanley  Conn,  1902-08;  John  A. 
Cousins,  1908-12;  W.  I.  Atkinson,  1912— 


CHAPTER  X 
THE  JUDICIARY  AND  THE  BAR 

THE  DISTRICT   COURT 

Several  years  after  the  organization  of  Butler  county,  the 
Thirteenth  Judicial  District,  consisting  of  the  counties  of  Butler, 
Franklin,  Crundy,  Hamilton,  Hardin,  Marshall,  Story  and 
Wright,  was  created  in  March,  1857.  Judge  James  D.  Thompson 
of  Hardin  county  was  elected  district  judge  of  this  district  in 
April,  1857,  and  held  the  first  term  of  district  court  in  Butler 
county,  in  October  of  the  same  year,  at  the  Gront  schoolhouse  in 
Clarksville.  Previous  to  this  the  only  court  that  had  held  ses- 
sions in  the  county  was  the  old  county  court.  The  district  court 
at  this  time  had  approximately  the  same  jurisdiction  and  organ- 
ization as  at  present.  James  E.  Walker  was  clerk  of  the  courts 
and  W.  H.  Bishop  sheriff  in  the  first  session.  The  first  grand 
jury  consisted  of  John  T.  Newhard,  foreman,  J.  M.  Vincent, 
bailiff,  William  Hoisington,  John  Braden,  James  Wood,  L.  D. 
Owen,  G.  T.  Root,  John  Palmer,  James  Bywater,  James  McKin- 
ney,  John  Boggs,  L.  A.  Orvis,  Judd  Bradley,  Peter  Riley,  M.  B. 
Wamsley  and  A.  J.  Lewellen.  This  gi'and  jury  met  on  a  little 
knoll  later  occupied  by  the  residence  of  S.  M.  Townsend  in  Clarks- 
ville, and  organized  in  the  open  air.  Their  later  sessions,  how- 
ever, were  held  in  a  room  which  was  furnished  them.  The  first 
petit  jury  consisted  of  A.  Van  Dorn,  foreman;  G.  AV.  Stoner, 
bailiff";  Felix  Landis,  Christian  Forney,  John  M.  Hart,  Charles 
Ensign,  Aaron  Hardman,  George  Harlan,  Samuel  McCrery,  John 
Lash,  James  Blake,  J.  H.  Smith,  William  Burress.  Charles 
Lusted,  A.  Glenn  and  Jacob  Shaffer.  Enough  men  could  not  be 
obtained  for  this  jury,  so  the  grand  jury  was  ordered  to  be  in 
attendance  on  this  term  of  court.  At  this  session,  on  motion  of 
M.  M.  Trnmbull,  James  R.  Fletcher,  C.  J.  Bannon,  W.  R.  Jami- 
son, John  Palmer,  Orson  Rice  and  George  A.  Richmond  were 
admitted  to  practice  as  attorneys. 

99 


100  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  lirst  case  to  come  before  the  court  was  that  of  the  iState 
of  Iowa  vs.  William  Gasterline,  iii  which  the  defeudaiit  was  ac- 
cused of  threateniug  to  kill  some  one.  He  had  been  i^reviously 
tried  in  the  county  court  and  had  been  bound  over  to  the  district 
court.  Before  the  matter  w^as  submitted  to  the  jury  the  charge 
was  withdrawn  and  the  case  was  dismissed. 

The  second  district  judge  to  hold  court  in  Butler  county  was 
Samuel  Murdock,  a  judge  of  the  Tenth  Judicial  District,  who  pre- 
sided over  the  June  term  in  1858. 

The  next  district  judge  whose  name  appears  in  the  records 
is  Elias  H.  Williams.  As  Judge  Williams  was  a  resident  of  Clay- 
ton coimty  and  is  given  in  the  register  of  the  judiciary  of  the  state 
as  judge  of  the  Tenth  District,  it  would  appear  that  Butler  county 
had  been  made  a  part  of  this  district.  Judge  Williams  presided 
over  the  district  for  two  full  terms,  from  1859  to  1866.  The  name 
of  James  W.  Davis  appears  as  clerk  of  the  courts  for  the  first 
tenii  imder  Judge  Williams. 

William  B.  Fairfield,  of  Charles  City,  in  Tloyd  county,  was 
the  next  district  judge  to  hold  court  in  Butler  county,  his  term 
extending  from  1865  to  1870,  when  he  resigned.  During  his  term 
of  office,  Butler  county  was  a  part  of  the  Twelfth  Judicial  District. 
He  was  succeeded  on  the  district  bench  by  George  W.  Ruddick, 
of  Waverly,  Bremer  coxmty,  who  held  his  first  term  of  court  in 
the  county  in  1871.  Judge  Ruddick  remained  upon  the  district 
bench  for  more  than  twenty  years,  his  term  of  service  ending 
in  1892. 

Among  the  amusing  incidents  connected  with  the  records  of 
the  district  court  is  found  one  relating  to  the  prosecution  of 
Joseph  and  William  J.  Good,  which  came  in  May,  1878,  before 
Judge  Ruddick.  This  ease  had  been  postponed  and  deferred 
again  and  again  luitil  the  costs  to  the  county  had  amounted  to 
rather  an  alarming  figure  and  exhausted  the  patience  of  l^oth 
attorneys  and  court.  Finally,  the  defendants  managed  to  eseajie 
and  left  the  county.  When  this  was  made  known.  Judge  Ruddick 
ordered  the  case  dismissed,  with  the  following  oi'der  which 
appears  on  the  record:  "Satisfactory  evidence  appealing  that 
the  defendants  have  left  the  county,  it  is  ordered  on  motion  of  the 
district  attorney  that  this  case  be  dismissed  for  fear  they  may  be 
brought  back  or  may  voluntarily  return." 

After  1887,  an  additional  judge  was  assigned  to  the  Twelfth 
District.    John  B.  Cleland,  of  Mitchell  covmty,  served  one  year. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  loi 

1887-8,  as  Judge  Ruddick's  associate.  Mr.  Clelaud  was  succeeded 
in  1888  b}^  Judge  John  C.  Sherwiu,  of  Cerro  Gordo  county,  who 
remained  upon  the  district  bench  for  eleven  years.  At  the  con- 
chision  of  this  period  he  was  elected  to  the  supreme  court  of 
Iowa,  where  he  remained  until  1913. 

Judge  Ruddick  was  succeeded  by  Porter  W.  Burr,  of  Floyd 
county,  1893-6.  At  the  conclusion  of  this  period  Jefferson  F. 
Clyde,  of  Mitchell  county,  succeeded  him,  whose  term  of  service 
covering  fifteen  years,  ending  in  1912,  is  exceeded  in  length  only 
by  that  of  Judge  Ruddick.  Judge  Sherwin,  on  his  elevation  to 
the  supreme  bench,  was  succeeded  by  Clifford  P.  Smith,  of  Cerro 
Gordo  county,  who  resigned  in  1908,  to  accept  a  position  of 
importance  in  the  Christian  Science  church  at  Boston.  His  suc- 
cessor was  Joseph  J.  Clark,  of  Cerro  Gordo  county,  who  is  still 
on  the  district  bench. 

In  1898,  a  third  judge  was  added  to  this  district  and  Charles 
H.  Kelly,  of  Floyd  county,  was  elected  to  the  position.  Judge 
Kelly  is  still  on  the  bench.  In  1912  Butler  coimty  was  honored  by 
the  election  of  one  of  its  foremost  citizens,  Millard  F.  Edwards, 
of  Parkersburg,  to  the  judicial  position  previously  occupied  by 
Judge  Clyde.  Judge  Edwards  is  the  first  citizen  of  Butler  county 
to  occupy  a  position  on  the  bench  of  this  district.  A  detailed 
sketch  of  his  life  is  given  in  the  second  volume  of  this  work. 

THE    COrXTY    COURT 

At  the  time  of  the  first  organization  of  Butler  county  all 
legal  matters  were  in  the  hands  of  the  county  court,  consisting  of 
the  comity  judge,  the  prosecuting  attorney,  clerk  of  the  courts 
and  the  sheriff.  The  jurisdiction  of  this  court  was  complete. 
In  addition,  many  of  the  powers  now  vested  in  the  board  of 
supervisors,  were  exercised  by  the  county  judge.  He  had  juris- 
diction in  all  probate  matters,  issued  marriage  licenses  and 
attended  to  the  financial  affairs  of  the  county  except  in  the  dis- 
])osal  of  the  school  fund,  the  supervision  of  which  was  in  the 
hands  of  an  officer  called  school  fund  commissioner.  The  first 
county  judge  elected  was  George  W.  Poisal,  who,  however,  failed 
to  qualify,  as  noted  previously.  The  first  judge  who  qualified 
was  John  Palmer,  who  assumed  the  duties  of  this  office  in  1854. 
Some  account  of  the  records  of  Judge  Palmer's  first  court  has 
already  been  given.    The  judge  was  a  native  of  Ohio  and  for  his 


102  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

time,  possessed  au  education  somewhat  above  the  average.  He 
was  a  niillwi'ight  by  trade,  lu  character,  while  not  distinctively 
aggressive,  he  was  iirni  in  his  attitude  and  handled  the  manifold 
duties  and  responsibilities  of  this  office  in  a  manner  to  meet  with 
general  approval.  He  served  for  one  term  and  was  succeeded 
by  Aaron  Van  Dorn,  a  lawj^er  of  considerable  ability. 

The  third  election  resulted  in  a  controversy  which  caused 
considerable  feeling.  Alonzo  Converse  and  Cxeorge  W.  Poisal 
were  the  opposing  candidates  in  the  August  election  of  1857,  the 
former  receiving  a  majority  of  eight  votes.  Under  the  law  as 
in  force  at  that  tune,  it  was  provided  that  in  case  the  judge 
elected  did  not  qualify  within  twenty  days  after  the  election,  the 
office  was  vacant.  It  appears  that  Mr.  Converse  did  not  qualify 
within  the  twenty  day  limit,  the  last  day  coming  on  Sunday.  On 
the  following  Monday  he  arrived  but  Judge  Van  Dorn  refused 
to  allow  him  to  quahfy  and  issued  a  call  for  a  special  election  to 
fill  the  vacancy.  In  this  election,  D.  W.  Miller  received  a  ma- 
jority of  51  over  Converse.  Mr.  Converse  contested  this  elec- 
tion and  carried  his  case  to  the  district  court,  where  it  was  tried 
before  Hon.  J.  I).  Thompson,  wIk*  decided  the  contest  in  favor 
of  Mr.  Converse.  The  office  and  all  papers  and  books  pertaining 
thereto  were  turned  over  to  him  and  he  assinned  control  of  the 
position.  Judge  Converse  ser^-ed  two  teiins  as  county  judge,  until 
1861.  He  occupied  the  office  throughout  the  trying  period  already 
referred  to,  during  which  the  county  seat  was  removed  from 
Clarksville  to  Butler  Center.  It  was  inevitable  that  he  would  in 
his  capacity  as  chief  executive  and  judicial  officer  of  the  county 
incur  much  enmity,  no  matter  what  position  he  took  upon  this 
mueli  mooted  question.  However,  he  came  through  it  with  honor 
and  left  the  bench  with  the  respect  of  even  most  of  his  antago- 
nists. 

C.  A.  Bannon  succeeded  to  the  office  of  county  judge  in  1861 
and  served  for  two  years.  During  his  term  a  new  system  of 
county  government,  through  a  board  of  sixteen  supervisors,  was 
instituted,  thus  greatly  reducing  the  importance  and  the  work 
of  the  office.  The  county  judge,  however,  retained  within  his 
jiirisdiction  probate  matters  and  the  issuance  of  marriage 
licenses.  The  immediate  successor  in  this  office  was  J.  R.  Fletcher, 
1863-5.  He  was  succeeded  by  Ancel  Durand,  who  served  for  one 
term,  when  A.  J.  Thompkins  was  elected.  During  Judge  Thomp- 
kins'  second  term  in  office  the  circuit  court  was  established,  which 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  103 

took  control  of  all  probate  matters,  while  the  issuance  of  mar- 
riage licenses  was  placed  in  the  hands  of  the  clerk  of  the  courts. 
The  duties  of  the  office  of  county  judge  having  thus  devolved 
upon  other  officials,  the  county  judge  was  made  ex-officio  county 
auditor,  a  detailed  account  of  which  office  is  given  in  connection 
with  the  account  of  the  county  government. 

THE   CIRCUIT   COUET 

On  the  first  Monday  in  January,  1869,  Butler  county  became 
a  part  of  the  Twelfth  Judicial  Circuit,  embracing  the  counties  of 
Butler,  Bremer,  Mitchell,  Worth,  Cerro  Gordo  and  Hancock,  with 
boundaries  identical  with  those  of  the  Twelfth  Judicial  District. 
The  first  circuit  judge  was  George  W.  Ruddick,  of  Waverly,  who 
served  from  1869  until  1870.  He  was  then,  as  noted  above,  elected 
district  judge. 

The  second  circuit  judge  was  Robert  G.  Reiniger,  of  Floyd 
county,  who  served  in  this  capacity  for  fourteen  years.  He  was 
succeeded  by  John  B.  Cleland,  of  Mitchell  county,  who  served  one 
year  until  the  circuit  court  was  abolished  by  act  of  the  General 
Assembly.  Thereafter  the  duties  and  functions  of  this  court  were 
performed  by  the  district  court,  an  additional  judge  having  been 
provided  this  court  in  order  to  take  care  of  the  added  duties. 

THE  BAK 

Perhaps  no  body  of  men,  not  excepting  the  clergy,  may  exer- 
cise a  greater  influence  for  good  in  a  community  than  those  who 
follow  the  profession  of  the  law,  and  it  must  be  admitted  that  to 
no  other  body,  not  even  to  the  so-called  criminal  classes,  are  com- 
mitted greater  possibilities  for  an  influence  for  evil.  Wliat  that 
influence  shall  be  depends  upon  the  character  of  the  men  who  con- 
stitute the  bar  of  the  commimity — not  merely  on  their  ability  or 
learning  but  on  their  character.  If  the  standard  of  morality 
among  the  members  of  the  bar  is  high,  the  whole  community  learns 
to  look  at  questions  of  right  and  wrong  from  a  higher  plane.  If 
the  bar,  consciously  or  unconsciously,  adopts  a  low  standard  of 
morality,  it  almost  inevitably  contaminates  the  conscience  of  the 
community.  And  this  is  true  not  only  in  the  practice  of  the  pro- 
fession itself,  not  only  because  of  the  influence  of  members  of  the 
bar  as  men  rather  than  lawyers,  but  in  the  effects  upon  other  pro- 


104  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

fessioiis  and  occupations  to  which  the  bar  acts  as  a  feeder.    The 
members  of  the  Legislature  are  recruited  largely  from  the  legal 
profession.    LLiw  can  legislation,  designed  solely  for  the  welfare  of 
the  public,  be  expected  from  one  whose  honor  as  a  lawyer  has  not 
been  above  suspicion"?    And  since  lawyers,  outside  of  the  Legis- 
lature, have  a  great  influence  in  shaping  the  law,  how  can  the  peo- 
ple expect  that  influence  to  be  exerted  in  their  behalf  when  the 
bar  itself  is  unworthy'?    Still  more  does  the  character  of  the  bar 
affect  the  judiciary,  which  is  supplied  from  its  ranks.    It  is  not 
always,  perhaps  not  generally,  the  case  that  memljers  of  the  bench 
are  chosen  from  those  lawyers  who  have  attained  the  highest  rank 
in  their  profession.    If  a  judge  be  industrious  and  honest  but  not 
of  great  ability,  or  if  he  be  able  and  iKjnest,  though  lacking  indus- 
try, the  rights  of  the  litigants  are  not  likely  to  suffer  seriously  at 
his  hands.     But  there  have  been  instances  where  judicial  office 
was  bestowed  solely  as  a  reward  for  political  service;  and  while  it 
is  sometimes  realized  that  one  who  has  been  a  strenuous  and  not 
too  scrupulous  politician  up  to  the  moment  of  his  elevation  to  the 
bench,  has  thereafter  forgotten  that  there  was  such  a  trade  as 
politics  and  has  administered  justice  without  fear  or  favor,  the 
experiment  is  a  dangerous  one.    No  one  need  be  surprised  if  in 
such  a  case  the  old  maxim  holds  true:   "He  Avho  buys  the  office 
of  judge,  must  of  necessity  sell  justice."    Let  our  judges  be  men 
who  are  subject  to  other  influences  than  those  of  the  facts  sub- 
mitted to  them  and  the  law  applicable  to  those  facts,  let  them  lack 
that  independence  which  is  an  imperative  requisite  to  one  who 
holds  the  scales  of  justice,  let  a  well  founded  suspicion  arise  that 
their  decisions  are  dictated  by  something  outside  of  their  own 
minds  and  consciences,  and  the  confidence  of  the  people  in  the 
maintenance  of  their  rights  through  the  agency  of  the  courts  is 
destroyed. 

It  has  been  the  good  fortune  of  the  county  of  Butler  that  the 
members  of  the  bar  here  have  been,  for  the  most  part,  men  of  high 
character  as  well  as  of  ability  and  learning,  so  that  its  bar  has 
won  a  high  and  honorable  reputation  throughout  the  rest  of  the 
state,  and  because  of  the  high  character  of  the  bar  it  has  followed 
that  those  of  its  members  who  have  been  elevated  to  the  bench 
have  enjoyed  the  confidence  and  respect  of  the  public  and  have 
been  honored  not  only  in  their  own  locality  but  in  many  cases, 
throughout  the  state  and  in  other  states. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  105 

Yet  the  preparation  of  a  history  of  the  bar,  so  far  at  least  as 
that  part  of  it  which  lies  back  of  one's  own  generation  is  con- 
cerned, is  attended  with  considerable  difficulty.  Probably  few 
men  who  in  their  time  play  important  parts  in  the  community  or 
even  in  the  state  or  nation,  leave  so  transient  a  reputation  as  law- 
yers do.  A  writer  on  this  subject  who  took  for  his  text, ' ' The  Law- 
yers of  Fifty  Years  Ago,"  said:  "lu  thinking  over  the  names  of 
these  distinguished  men  of  whom  I  have  been  speaking,  the 
thought  has  come  to  me  how  evanescent  and  limited  is  the  law- 
yer's reputation,  both  in  time  and  space.  I  doubt  very  much  if  a 
lawyer,  whatever  his  standing,  is  much  known  to  the  profession 
outside  of  his  own  state."  Those  who  attain  high  rank  in  the  pro- 
fession must  realize  that  with  rare  exceptions,  their  names  are 
"writ  in  water."  One  may  turn  over  the  leaves  of  old  reports 
and  find  repeated  again  and  again  as  counsel  in  different  cases  the 
name  of  some  lawyer  who  must  have  been  in  his  time  a  power  in 
the  courts,  only  to  wonder  if  he  has  ever  seen  that  name  outside 
of  the  covers  of  the  dusty  reports  in  which  it  appears.  Hamilton, 
in  the  conventions,  in  the  Federalist  and  in  the  treasury,  and  Web- 
ster, in  the  senate  and  in  public  orations,  have  perpetuated  and 
increased  the  fame  of  Lawyers  Hamilton  and  Webster;  but  were 
it  not  for  their  services  outside  the  strict  limits  of  their  profession, 
one  might  come  upon  their  names  at  this  date  with  much  the  same 
lack  of  recognition  as  that  with  which  one  finds  in  a  reported  case 
the  names  of  some  counsel,  great  perhaps  in  his  own  time,  but 
long  since  forgotten. 

And  there  is  another  difficulty  in  preparing  such  a  history  as 
this,  brief,  and  therefore  necessarily  limited  to  a  few  names,  and 
that  is  that  some  may  be  omitted  who  are  quite  as  worthy  of  men- 
tion as  those  whose  names  appear.  It  is  not  often  that  any  one 
man  stands  as  a  lawyer  head  and  shoulders  above  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  profession;  and  the  same  may  be  said  of  any  half  dozen 
men.  In  many  cases  the  most  careful  measurement  would  fail  to 
disclose  a  difference  of  more  than  a  fraction  of  an  inch,  if  any. 
Lives  of  eminent  men  who  have  at  some  period  been  practicing 

■  lawyers,  have  contained  the  assertion  that  while  they  were  en- 

■  gaged  in  the  practice  of  their  profession  they  were  the  "leaders 
'  of  the  bar."  biit  there  is  almost  always  room  for  doubt  as  to 

whether  the  title  is  not  a  brevet  bestowed  by  the  biographer  alone. 
Therefore  the  mention  in  this  article  of  certain  lawyers  must  not 
be  taken  as  any  disparagement  of  those  who  are  not  mentioned, 

Vol.  1—7 


106  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

and  finally,  it  is  to  be  obserA^ed  that  this  article,  so  far  as  the  bar 
is  concerned,  will  treat  not  onh'  of  those  who  are  past  and  gone, 
but  Avill  make  mention  of  some  of  those  now  in  the  flesh. 

The  first  person  to  settle  in  Butler  comity  and  take  up  the 
practice  of  law,  was  MatthcAv  ]\I.  Trunilndl,  a  man  of  great  ability 
and  acumen.  He  was  a  native  of  England.  When  a  young  man 
he  crossed  the  sea,  set  out  westward  np'on  touching  American  soil 
and  chose  Linn  county,  Iowa,  as  an  abiding  place.  While  here  he 
read  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1852.  Two  years  later 
found  him  located  at  Clarksville,  Avhere  he  hung  out  his  modest 
shingle,  which  notified  the  people  of  the  pioneer  town  that  a  law- 
yer had  settled  among  them.  Mr.  Trumbull  was  a  man  of  educa- 
tion, well  fortified  Avith  the  princij^les  and  })ractice  of  the  law  and 
ambitious  to  win  a  foremost  place  at  the  bar.  It  is  needless  to 
say  his  aspirations  Avere  in  a  great  measure  gratified;  and  during 
the  years  of  his  residence  here  he  AA'as  the  foremost  laAvyer  in  this 
section  of  loAva.  When  the  CiA'il  Avar  broke  out  Mr.  Trumbull 
offered  his  serA'ices  to  his  coimtrv,  which  Avere  accepted  and  he 
Avent  to  the  front  as  captain  of  Company  I,  Third  Iowa  Infantry; 
he  was  mustered  out  Avith  the  brcA^et  of  brigadier-general.  LeaA^- 
ing  the  service  General  Trumbull  returned  to  Iowa  and  located 
at  Waterloo,  where  he  resumed  the  practice  and  held  a  high  place 
at  that  bar.  He  then  spent  a  fcAV  years  at  Dul)U(iue,  where  his 
splendid  intellect  and  legal  learning  had  a  AA'ider  and  more  lucrative 
range  for  their  employment.  Still  a  greater  an<l  more  concen- 
trated practice  aAvaited  hun  in  the  wonderful  metropolis  of  the 
West,  Chicago,  and  to  that  city  he  took  his  Avay  and  Avith  him  a 
splendid  lil)rary,  where  he  soon  gained  re(X)gnition  at  that  noted 
bar.  General  Trmnbull  had  the  distinction  of  being  the  first  per- 
son returned  to  the  Iowa  Legislature  from  Butler  county. 

Capt.  C.  A.  L.  Roszell,  who  engaged  in  the  practice  of  laAV  at 
Clarksville  about  1858,  came  to  Clarksville  from  Independence, 
loAva.  A  native  of  New  Y^ork,  he  Avas  gradviated  from  the  colle- 
giate and  laAv  departments  of  Harvard  College.  He  Avas  captain 
of  Company  G,  Thirty-second  loAva  Vohmteer  Infantry,  in  the 
Civil  Avar  from  1862  to  the  close  of  the  Avar.  He  Avas  a  brilliant 
scholar  and  soldier.  During  his  lifetime  he  Avas  considered  the 
dean  of  the  bar  of  northern  loAva.  His  public  addresses  and  argu- 
ments to  courts  and  juries  Avere  models  of  scholarly  \'ersatility 
and  of  forensic  eloquence.  He  died  at  his  home  in  Clai-ksville 
about  ten  years  ago,  at  the  close  of  a  successfiil  and  honoralile 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  107 

career.    He  devoted  the  whole  of  his  tmie  to  the  practice  of  law. 

J.  E.  Fletcher  came  to  Clarksville,  Iowa,  in  the  year  1856.  He 
was  a  native  of  the  state  of  Pennsylvania.  He  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  and  supplemented  his  wcn'k  at  an  early  day  bj' 
public  surveying.  Mr.  Fletcher  was  well  educated  and  was  a  man 
of  fine  attainments.  He  did  not  give  the  whole  of  his  time  to  the 
practice  of  law  but  during  many  years  of  his  life  paid  much  atten- 
tion to  his  farming  interests.  He  was  an  honored  member  of  the 
l)ar  during  his  lifetime  and  practiced  his  profession  successfully. 
At  the  time  of  his  death  he  was  the  oldest  living  member  of  the 
earlier  members  of  the  bar  of  Butler  county.  He  died  at  his  home 
in  Clarksville  in  the  year  1913. 

John  Palmer,  an  early  resident  of  Clarksville,  was  also  one  of 
the  pioneer  members  of  the  bar  of  this  county,  although  not  ac- 
tively engaged  in  the  practice  of  his  profession.  He  was  county 
treasurer  during  one  or  more  temis.  He  left  this  comity  about 
1884,  going  to  Minnesota,  where  he  established  his  home  and 
where  he  died.  His  was  an  honored  career  and  successful  in  that 
he  merited  and  received  the  high  esteem  of  all  who  knew  him. 

J.  R.  Jamison,  now  deceased,  was  one  of  the  pioneer  residents 
of  the  comity  and  a  member  of  the  bar.  He  did  not  maintain  an 
office  in  auv  town  of  the  county  but  had  his  home  on  his  farm  at 
Jamison's  Grove,  west  of  Bristow,  where  he  lived  for  a  great 
many  years  and  where  he  died.  Mr.  Jamison  was  not  active  in  the 
practice  of  his  profession  but  gave  much  of  his  time  for  the  benefit 
of  his  neighbors,  who  called  upon  him  for  counsel  and  advice,  and 
handled  many  of  their  disputes  in  the  justice  courts,  and  occasion- 
ally appeared  in  ti'ial  cases  in  the  district  court  and  circuit  courta 
of  the  county.    He  lived  a  useful  and  active  life. 

Judge  Alonzo  Converse,  an  early  pioneer  resident  of  Beaver 
township,  was  also  a  member  of  this  bar  and  at  one  time  county 
judge.  Judge  Converse  was  a  finely  educated  man  and  was  well 
versed  in  the  literature  of  law  although  not  active  in  its  practice. 
He,  like  Mr.  Jamison,  gave  much  of  his  time  and  efforts  for  the 
benefit  of  his  neighbors  who  called  upon  him  for  advice  and  coun- 
sel. He  removed  from  this  county  many  years  ago,  going  to  South 
Dakota,  where  his  life  closed  after  a  very  successful  career. 

M.  T.  Johnson,  Mike  Downey,  John  Beemer  and  W.  H.  Bur- 
dick  were  pioneer  residents  of  Parkersburg  and  members  of  the 
bar  of  this  county  prior  to  1883.  Hon.  O.  B.  Courtriglit,  now  of 
Waterloo,  succeeded  the  last  of  the  gentlemen  above  named.    Mr. 


108  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Courtright  after  a  successful  career  as  a  lawyer  in  this  county, 
removed  to  Waterloo,  Iowa,  ten  or  twelve  years  ago,  where  he 
has  since  continued  in  the  active  practice  of  his  profession.  He 
is  a  lawyer  of  high  standing  and  merits  the  reputation  which  he 
has  earned  by  his  earnest  efforts  and  honorable  fidelity  to  his  pro- 
fession, the  public  and  his  clients.  At  the  time  Mr.  Courtright 
left  this  coimty  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Courtright  & 
Arbuckle.  The  other  member  of  the  firm  is  also  a  resident  of 
Waterloo,  Iowa,  at  the  present  time.  Mr.'Ai'buckle  was  admitted 
to  the  practice  of  the  law  in  this  state  about  the  year  1889  and 
has  continued  in  the  profession  up  to  the  present  time.  Mr. 
Arbuckle  left  this  county  a  few  years  ago  and  continued  his  con- 
nection with  the  firm  of  Courtright  &  Arbuckle  of  Waterloo. 
He  is  a  brilliant  attorney  and  Ms  success  has  been  all  that  an 
attorney  can  desire.  He  is  now  comiected  with  several  of  the 
banks  of  Waterloo  as  stockholder  and  officer  and  has'  a  large 
clientage  among  the  business  men  of  Waterloo. 

George  M.  Craig,  J.  W.  Davis  and  Willis  A.  Lathrop  were 
among  the  pioneer  residents  and  lawyers  of  old  Butler  Center 
and  later  of  Allison.  Of  the  three,  George  Craig  is  the  only 
one  living.  Mr.  Craig  came  to  this  county  about  the  year  1866 
and  was  soon  thereafter  elected  county  recorder.  After  his  term 
of  office  closed  he  engaged  in  the  abstract  business  until  he  retired 
from  business  one  year  ago  and  removed  from  tlus  county  to 
Califoimia,  where  he  hopes  to  end  his  days.  Mr.  Craig  was  suc- 
cessful as  a  lawyer  in  every  sense  of  the  word,  his  career  honest 
and  honorable.  He  represented  this  senatorial  district  in  the 
State  Legislature  for  two  successive  terms.  His  work  in  the 
Legislature  was  of  a  high  order.  Every  position  of  public  trust 
committed  to  him  was  honored  bv  him. 

J.  W.  Davis  was  a  pioneer  resident  of  the  county  and  was 
clerk  of  the  courts  of  the  county  for  over  sixteen  years.  He  was 
not  active  in  the  practice  of  law.  His  legal  learning  was  exten- 
sive and  he  was  qualified  in  every  way  to  discharge  the  duties  of 
a  successful  lawyer.  Pages  might  be  written  recounting  the  good 
deeds  done  by  Mr.  Davis  during  his  lifetime.  He  is  well  remem- 
bered by  all  of  the  older  citizens  of  the  county  and  his  memory 
is  revered  by  them.  Many  of  his  relatives  and  descendants  are 
still  living  in  the  community  or  near-by  towns. 

Willis  A.  Lathrop  was  a  friend  and  neighbor  of  Mr.  Davis 
and  Mr.  Craig  during  their  long  residence  in  old  Butler  Center 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  109 

and  Allison.  Mr.  Lathrop  was  one  of  the  pioneer  lawyers  of  the 
county.  His  general  education  was  broad.  He  filled  the  office  of 
county  superintendent  of  schools  of  this  county  successfully. 
For  many  years  he  was  active  in  the  practice  of  law,  held  the 
office  of  county  attorney  and  by  his  brethren  of  the  bar  was  known 
to  be  a  lawyer  of  good  attainments,  honorable  and  always  faithful 
to  his  clients.  His  word  was  as  good  as  law  among  his  brethren. 
He  died  at  Allison  some  years  ago  at  the  close  of  a  long  and  suc- 
cessful life. 

John  W.  Gilger  was  one  of  the  early  lawyers  engaging  in  the 
business  at  the  comparatively  new  town  of  Greene  in  this  county. 
After  practicing  law  at  Greene  for  a  few  years  Mr.  Gilger 
removed  to  Hampton,  where  he  remained  a  while  and  from  there 
went  to  Minneapolis,  Minnesota,  where  he  is  still  engaged  in 
practice.  Mr.  Gilger  was  a  soldier  in  the  Civil  war.  He  is  now 
hale  and  hearty  and  gives  but  little  evidence  of  the  hardships 
he  endured  during  that  struggle.  He  was  in  the  cavalry  service 
and  relates  that  at  one  time  he  was  on  picket  duty  and  riding  a 
mule.  The  mule  got  scared  and  instead  of  having  sense  enough 
to  retreat,  went  the  other  way  and  not  only  carried  Mr.  Gilger 
through  the  rebel  lines  without  accident  but  got  through  himself. 
Mr.  Gilger  says  that  was  the  only  time  he  knew  a  "reb"  shot  at 
him.  He  knew  that  time.  Mr.  Gilger  is  a  man  of  fine  legal  attain- 
ments and  was  successful  in  the  practice  of  his  profession  from 
the  beginning.  Since  moving  to  Minneapolis  he  has  had  among 
his  clientage  many  of  the  largest  firms  and  corporations  of  the 
city.  At  one  time  he  was  a  member  of  the  firm  of  Gilger  &  Har- 
rison, Judge  Harrison,  his  partner,  having  formerly  been  a  mem- 
ber of  the  firm  of  Starr,  Patterson  &  Harrison,  of  Charles  City, 
Iowa.  While  it  is  no  longer  necessary  for  Mr.  Gilger  to  work  to 
live,  still  he  loves  his  profession  and  can  be  found  at  his  office 
regidarly  every  day. 

S.  W.  and  E.  W.  Soesbe,  brothers,  were  also  pioneer  lawyers 
and  bankers  of  Greene.  They  are  both  now  deceased,  the  death 
of  S.  W.  preceding  that  of  his  brother  E.  W.  They  were  men 
of  good  character,  energy  and  ability  and  did  much  to  build  up 
the  town  of  Greene,  and  many  of  the  improvements  now  seen  are 
due  to  the  efforts  of  these  two  men.  Soon  after  engaging  in  the 
practice  of  law  they  engaged  in  the  banking  business,  which 
necessarily  required  much  of  their  time  and  prevented  them  from 
taking  an  active  part  in  the  practice  of  law.     They  were,  how- 


no  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

ever,  recognized  as  good  lawyers,  liouorable  iu  every  particular, 
and  respected  members  of  the  bar.  S.  W.  tSoesbe  was  a  member 
of  the  (State  Legislature  from  this  county  and  was  an  honored 
member  of  that  body. 

So  far  as  known,  C.  R.  Failing  was  the  first  lawyer  to  locate 
in  Greene  and  after  a  few  months'  residence  there  he  removed 
from  the  new  town. 

F^'rank  Lingenfelder,  now  a  i^ractieing  attorney  of  Charles 
City,  Iowa,  engaged  in  the  jjractice  of  law  at  Greene  al)()ut  the 
year  1883,  having  come  from  Allison  to  Greene.  Mr.  Lingen- 
felder was  one  of  a  family  of  lawyers  and  has  demonstrated  by 
his  ability  and  successful  work  as  a  lawyer  that  he  was  not  the 
runt  of  the  family.  He  continued  in  the  practice  of  his  profes- 
sion at  Greene  initil  the  year  1893.  Dui'ing  the  last  year  he  was 
a  memljer  of  the  firm  of  Lingenfelder  &  Hartness.  Mr.  Lingen- 
felder is  regarded  as  one  of  the  strongest  niem])ers  of  the  bar  in 
this  district  and  his  practice  has  been  characterized  by  ability, 
honesty  and  the  faithful  discharge  of  e\'ery  trust  committed  to 
him.  He  is  the  father  of  one  of  the  present  district  court  report- 
ers of  this  district,  Walter  L.  Lingenfelder. 

Frank  D.  Jackson  came  to  Greene  from  Independence,  Iowa, 
ab<  »ut  the  year  1878  and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  con- 
tinued in  active  practice  imtil  elected  secretary  of  state  of  the 
State  of  Iowa,  which  office  he  held  for  three  successive  terms  and 
later  filled  the  oftice  of  Governoi'  of  the  State  of  Iowa.  Frank  D. 
Jackson's  life  is  as  an  open  book  to  the  people  of  the  State  of 
Iowa  and  nothing  can  be  said  here  which  will  add  t<i  the  informa- 
tion the  ])ul)lic  generally  possess.  In  his  home  town  in  Greene 
he  Avas  held  in  the  highest  esteem  by  those  who  knew  him  l^est. 
He  was  faithful  to  his  friends,  a  good  neighbor  and  loA'ed  l)y  all 
who  knew  him. 

A.  I.  Smith  was  in  partnership  with  George  Craig  in  Allison, 
in  the  law  and  abstract  business  for  a  immber  of  years,  and  after 
leaving  Allison  went  to  Kansas  City,  where  he  resmned  the  prac- 
tice of  his  profession.  His  career  there  as  a  lawyer  has  been 
highly  suecessfid. 

Charles  A.  Bannon  was  educated  in  Pennsylvania  and 
admitted  to  practice  law,  at  Bedford,  a  town  in  the  Keystone 
state.  He  came  to  Butler  county  with  J.  R.  Fletcher,  in  1856, 
and  they  formed  a  partnershii3  and  opened  a  law  office  at  Clarks- 
ville.     Mr.  Bannon  was  of  Irish  extraction  and  was  not  lacking 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  ill 

in  the  wit  always  attributed  to  sons  of  the  Emerald  isle.  He  was 
also  a  good  lawyer  and  "with  the  gift  of  gab,"  he  made  a  most 
interesting  and  delightful  orator,  especially  when  on  the  hustings. 
When  the  Civil  war  came  on  to  distract  the  country,  young  Ban- 
non  enlisted  in  Company  (I,  Thirty-second  Iowa  Infantry,  of 
which  C.  A.  L.  Roszell  was  captain,  and  was  coimnissioned  first 
lieutenant.  He  served  until  the  close  of  hostilities,  came  back 
to  Clarksville  with  health  shattered  and  in  a  short  while  answered 
the  last  rally  call.  Thus  was  cut  short  the  life  of  one  who  woidd 
ha\X'  made  a  high  place  for  himself  among  men,  had  not  death 
overtaken  him  almost  at  the  beginning  of  his  career. 

Orson  Rice  was  not,  per  se,  a  lawyer  while  a  resident  of  But- 
ler county,  but  he  i^racticed  at  this  bar,  with  more  or  less  success. 
He  was,  in  a  way,  what  is  termed  "a  character";  but  effrontery 
and  determinatit)u  won  him  a  fair  measure  of  success  as  a  "law- 
yer" and  hence,  when  the  bar  of  Butler  county  is  upon  the  tapis, 
no  one  who  is  familiar  with  its  history  fails  to  mention  Orson 
Rice.  Thei'efore,  his  name  wall  be  handed  down  to  the  next  his- 
torian, in  these  pages,  and  to  that  end  it  ma}'  be  well  to  state  that 
Orson  Rice  came  to  Butler  county  from  Illinois,  in  1854,  when 
about  twenty-eight  years  of  age  and  located  at  Clarksville.  If  he 
had  any  schooling  at  all  his  manner  of  speech  failed  to  indicate  it. 
He  was  very  illiterate,  but  notwithstanding  this  handicap  he  suc- 
ceeded in  being  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1857  and  engaged  in  the 
practice  of  law  and  attracted  to  himself  a  no  inconsiderable  clien- 
tele. Many  are  the  laughable  stories  told  of  blunders  in  his  plead- 
ings and  the  haphazard  manner  in  which  he  examined  a  witness. 
Situations  often  arose  in  court  that  were  embarrassing  to  him- 
self, the  court  and  his  fellow  members  of  the  bar;  more  often 
they  were  hilariously  amusing  to  the  latter.  But  these  things 
made  no  difference  to  Rice.  He  continued  his  course  serenely, 
at  times  morosely  and  desperately,  and  in  the  end,  he  was  to  be 
found  at  Spirit  Lake,  where  he  located  in  1865,  enjoying  a  good 
practice,  after  having  served  the  county  as  district  attorney.  His 
further  ambition,  to  reach  the  circuit  judgeship,  seemed  to  be 
beyond  the  range  of  his  abilities,  but  not  his  yearnings.  lie 
sought  the  office,  and  to  give  him  his  dues  it  should  ))e  said  he 
came  very  near  being  elevated  to  the  position. 

John  E.  Burke  was  one  of  the  early  lawyers  of  this  county 
and  secured  a  good  practice  for  the  times.  He  removed  to  Chi- 
cago many  j^ears  ago  and  became  a  promiment  law^^er  of  that 


112  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

city.    Before  moving  away,  liowever,  he  served  a  term  as  prose- 
cuting attorney  for  this  judicial  district. 

George  A.  Eichmond  was  a  well  educated  young  man,  who 
came  west  from  Pennsylvania  in  1854,  and  located  at  Butler 
Center.  He  first  turned  his  activities  toward  speculating  in  land, 
in  the  meantime  acquiring  a  smattering  of  the  law.  His  prac- 
tice never  reached  a  wide  extent.  He  enlisted  for  the  Civil  war, 
served  gallantly  in  the  army  and  when  the  internecine  struggle 
between  the  states  was  settled  by  the  arbitrament  of  arms,  Rich- 
mond returned  to  his  native  state. 

D.  J.  Marts  also  located  in  Greene  in  the  seventies,  coming  from 
Pennsylvania.  He  first  located  on  a  farm  and  taught  school.  His 
admission  to  the  bar  followed,  but  he  had  little  practical  knowl- 
edge of  law  and,  as  a  consequence,  reaped  but  a  scant  reward 
from  the  practice.  John  Jamison  also  practiced  law  at  Greene. 
He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Butler  Center  and  after  a  year's 
stay  at  Greene  he  located  in  Shell  Rock,  from  whence  he  removed 
to  Belmond  and  secured  a  good  practice. 

William  M.  Foote  practiced,  law  at  this  bar  for  a  numl)er  of 
years.  He  was  admitted  to  the  bar  at  Greenville  in  1858  and  came 
to  Butler  county  in  1871,  establishing  an  office  at  Greene.  Being 
elected  justice  of  the  peace  in  1872,  most  of  his  time  was  taken  up 
with  official  duties. 

Other  early  lawyers  worthy  of  mention  follow,  namely :  L.  A. 
Orris,  admitted  to  the  Butler  county  bar  in  1858 ;  C.  M.  Greene, 
who  came  to  Greene  in  1881  and  began  the  practice ;  R.  D.  Prescott, 
at  Shell  Rock  in  the  seventies;  Colonel  Woods,  in  the  pioneer  days 
at  Butler  Center,  a  town  long  since  extinct;  J.  H.  Boomer  and  Bur- 
rell,  who  at  one  time  practiced  at  Shell  Rock ;  D.  W.  Mason,  who 
also  practiced  law  in  Butler  county  and  was  its  first  superintend- 
ent of  schools;  W.  S.  Montgomery,  who  located  at  Clarksville  in 
1880.  and  early  acquired  a  large  practice  and  held  offices  of  trust 
in  the  connty,  now  living  in  Allison;  J.  F.  Ellsworth,  who  located 
at  Bristow  in  1875  and  removed  to  Dakota  in  1881 ;  Oscar  H.  Scott, 
Allison;  N.  T.  Johnson,  W.  P.  Robertson,  Sawyer  Haswell,  B.  L. 
Richards,  at  one  time  in  the  practice  at  Parkersburg.  Here  fol- 
lows a  list  of  names  of  the  members  of  the  bar  now  practicing  in 
Butler  comity:  P.  V<iogd,  A]ilington;  W.  C.  Shepard,  Allison;  0. 
F.  Missman,  Allison;  W.  S.  Montgomery,  Allison;  C.  G.  Burling, 
Clarksville;  M.  Hartness,  Greene;  C.  M.  Greene.  Greene;  R.  R. 
Williamson,  Parkersburg;  W.  T.  Evans,  Parkersburg;  George 
A.  Mclntvre,  Shell  Rock ;  L.  G.  Arthurholt,  Shell  Rock. 


CHAPTER  XI 
THE  MEDICAL  PROFESSION 

The  pioneers  of  the  healing  art  in  Butler  comity  were  the 
guardians  of  a  widely  dispersed  population.  Aside  from  their 
professional  duties,  they  contributed  their  full  share  to  the  ma- 
terial development  of  a  newly  opened  country.  Some  were  men  of 
culture,  who  had  gained  their  medical  education  in  college. 
Others  were  of  limited  educational  attainments,  whose  profes- 
sional knowledge  had  been  acquired  in  the  offices  of  established 
practitioners  of  more  or  less  ability  in  the  sections  from  which 
they  emigrated.  Of  either  class  almost  without  exception,  they 
were  practical  men  of  great  force  of  character,  who  gave  cheerful 
and  efficacious  assistance  to  the  suffering,  daily  journeying  on 
horseback  scores  of  miles,  over  a  country  almost  destitute  of 
roads,  and  encountering  swollen  unbridged  streams,  without 
waterproof  garments  or  other  now  common  protection  against  the 
elements.  Out  of  necessity  the  pioneer  physician  developed  rare 
quickness  of  perception  and  self-reliance.  A  specialist  was  then 
tmknown,  and  the  physician  was  called  upon  to  treat  everj'  phase 
of  bodily  ailment,  serving  as  physician,  surgeon,  oculist  and  den- 
tist. His  books  were  few  and  there  were  no  practitioners  of  more 
ability  than  himself  with  whom  he  might  consult.  His  medicines 
were  simple  and  carried  on  his  person,  and  every  preparation  of 
pill  or  solution  was  the  work  of  his  own  hands. 

During  the  siunmer  and  autumn  of  1854  cases  of  bilious  re- 
mitting fever  occurred,  which  readily  }aelded  to  treatment.  The 
winter  following  several  cases  of  bilious  pnemnonia  demanded 
prompt  attendance  and  special  vigilance  in  the  observance  of 
changes  indicative  of  greater  danger.  These  were  the  diseases  and 
the  principal  ones  which  called  for  medical  help  up  to  the  year  1859. 
Since  that  year,  or  from  that  period,  the  summer  and  autumnal 
fevers  have  ceased  to  be  epidemical  and  pneumonia  has  become  less 

113 


114  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

frequent.  It  may  be  well  to  mention  here  that  the  fevers  of  1859 
after  the  third  and  fourth  da}'  assumed  a  typhoid  character,  the 
remission  hardly  observable,  and  the  nervous  depression  occa- 
sioning great  anxiety. 

It  was  proliably  Dr.  Ensh  of  Philadelphia, — a  great  name  up 
to  about  1825 — who  said  the  lancet  was  a  "sheet  anchor"  in  all 
imflanmiatory  diseases,  so  it  might  have  been  said  of  quinine, 
as  used  in  remittent  and  intermittent  fevers,  in  both  the  Missis- 
sippi and  Missouri  valleys  from  1830  up  to  1850.  During  that 
jDcriod  120,000  scpiare  miles  west  of  the  Mississippi  and  north  of 
St.  Louis  became  populated  and  all  of  it  was  more  or  less  malari- 
ous. In  some  of  these  years  the  demand  for  quinine  was  so  great 
that  the  supply  in  the  American  market  became  exhausted. 
"Sappington's  pills"  were  indirectly  the  power  which  worked 
steamboats  up  the  river  from  1835  to  1813.  They  were  veril}^  the 
"sheet  anchor,"  not  only  aboard  boats  but  in  many  households. 
Dr.  Sappington  was  a  regular  allopathic  physician  of  considerable 
ability,  residing  up  the  Missouri  river,  who  thought  it  would  be  a 
benefaction  to  the  new  civilization  of  the  west  to  prepare  quinine 
ready  to  be  taken  in  the  form  of  pills.  Boxes  of  his  pills  contained 
four  dozen  each  and  the  pellets  two  grains  each.  The  direction  on 
the  box  was  to  take  from  two  to  twenty  as  the  urgency  of  the  case 
seemed  to  require,  without  reference  to  the  stage  of  the  paroxysm. 

In  the  early  days  the  doctor  had  a  "hard  road  to  travel"  in 
Butler  county.  Everything  was  in  a  primitive  stage.  There  were 
no  roads,  bridges,  or  other  means  of  travel  than  by  "foot  or  horse- 
back." He  made  his  own  pills,  or  pellets,  compounded  needed 
nostrums  and  when  in  doubt  in  a  critical  case,  had  only  his  own  na- 
tive wit  and  ability  to  consult.  Drug  stores  were  unknown  in  the 
region,  hence  drugs  and  surgical  instrmnents  and  appliances  were 
scarce,  and  only  to  be  obtained  by  a  long  and  tedious  journey  to 
"the  city,"  wherever  that  may  have  happened  to  be.  The  settle- 
ments were  scattering  and  far  apart,  but  no  matter  the  distance, 
let  the  weather  be  ever  so  inclement  or  the  going  so  bad,  the 
pioneer  doctor  strapped  his  saddlebags  to  his  "critter"  and 
mounting  the  faithful  brute,  took  the  trail  and  kept  it  to  his  jour- 
ney's end,  M'hich  often  would  be  a  lone  log  cabin,  tenanted  by  a 
settler  without  a  dollar  in  the  world. 

The  pioneer  physician  was  indeed  a  martyr  to  his  profession 
and  ambition.  He  was  in  every  way,  save  and  except  a  moiety 
of  skill  and  unbounded  faith  and  determination,  poorly  equipped 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  115 

for  his  work;  but  lie  managed  to  meet  the  demands  upon  his  abili- 
ties and  energies  and  was  generally  loved  and  venerated  for  his 
many  personal  (pialities  as  a  ministering  angel,  a  neighbor  and 
a  man. 

Th(^  charlatan  was  not  wanting  in  the  community,  even  in  the 
days  of  its  incubation.  There  were  quacks  and  herb  doctors,  who 
plied  their  trade  to  a  greater  or  less  extent  and,  as  a  matter  of  fact, 
the  first  to  take  up  the  practice  of  the  healing  art  in  the  eommim- 
ity  were  not  "regular"  practitioners;  that  is  to  say,  they  were  not 
qualified  as  graduates  of  a  medical  institution  to  diagnose  a  case 
or  prescribe  medicine.  However,  there  were  persons  of  the  latter 
<'haracter  who  attended  the  sick  and  ailing,  who  will  long  be  re- 
membered for  the  good  they  accomplished. 

To  illustrate  and  accentuate  what  already  has  been  said  of  the 
hai'dshi})s  and  dangers  which  were  the  hourly  menace  of  the  pio- 
neer physician,  the  following  excerpts  from  a  reminiscent  sketch, 
written  by  Dr.  John  Scob}',  of  Shell  Rock,  for  the  History  of  But- 
ler county,  published  in  1883,  are  reproduced.  The  worthy  phy- 
sician relates : 

"By  the  solicitation  of  friends  and  former  acquaintances  I 
visited  Shell  Rock  in  the  spring  of  1856.  The  village  then  num- 
bered from  fifteen  to  twenty  families.  There  were  two  clergymen 
and  a  justice  of  the  peace.  There  was  one  small  dry-goods  store, 
one  sawmill,  and  a  flouring  mill  being  erected.  I  viewed  the  Shell 
Eock  river  at  this  place,  and  thought  then,  as  I  do  now,  that  it 
was  the  finest  stream  of  pure  water  I  had  ever  seen.  Its  hydraulic 
power  at  this  point  Avas  sufficient  to  drive  a  great  amount  of 
machinery.  Its  waters  Avere  stored  with  vast  numbers  of  fine 
fish;  its  lianks  crowned  with  fine  timber,  and  frequently  skirted 
with  A\aving  groves  of  small  timber.  After  viewing  the  local  ad- 
vantages here,  I  harnessed  my  trusty  mare,  Fanny,  and  started 
southwest  to  take  a  "\-iew  of  the  prairie.  Fanny  ferried  me  over 
the  Shell  Rock,  there  being  no  bridge.  It  was  the  last  of  May ;  the 
undulating  plains  were  dressed  in  Nature's  gay  attire  of  living 
green.  There  were  but  few,  if  any,  laid-out  or  worked  roads  or 
bridges  in  the  county.  I  traveled  on,  as  best  I  could,  avoiding  the 
sloughs,  which  were  very  miry.  Log  cabins  were  occasionally  to 
be  seen ;  but  the  most  of  these  rich  alluvial  i)rairies  were  then  per- 
forming their  diurnal  and  revolutionary  movements,  without  a 
human  inhabitant. 


116  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

"After  meaudermg  over  tlie  country,  visiting  the  different 
localities,  where  villages  were  being  started,  I  returned  to 
Shell  Eoek  and  located  here  as  a  physician.  I  purchased  several 
town  lots,  which,  like  most  of  the  other  lots,  were  in  their  wild 
condition,  covered  with  hazel  bushes,  limbs  of  trees,  decaying 
logs  and  mudholes.  The  next  summer  I  erected  my  present  cot- 
tage house,  which  is  enclosed  with  two-inch  plank  spiked  into 
sills  eight  inches  square.  This  cottage  stands  the  test  of  moving 
time,  with  but  few  signs  of  decay.  Within  a  few  years  I  built 
on  my  lots  two  more  dwelling  houses,  Avhich  have  been  occupied 
by  families  for  several  years.  In  the  meantime  I  purchased  fifty 
acres  of  land  lying  contiguous  to  the  town  plat,  which  has  been 
cleared  of  its  timber  and  underbrush,  and  for  years  has  yielded 
splendid  harvests  of  wheat  and  corn. 

"My  family  arrived  here  from  Ohio  in  September,  1856.  They 
had  never  seen  wild  uncultivated  prairies  before.  Why  wow- 
they  brought  to  such  an  awful  looking  place'?  There  was  nut  a 
well  worked  street.  The  town  was  full  of  stumps,  logs,  bushes, 
underbrush  and  mudholes.  The  schoolhouse  was  but  a  rude  ]og 
shanty,  and  the  meeting  house  but  little  better.  Soon  they  dis- 
covered squads  of  Indians  rand^ling  up  and  down  the  river.  Their 
fears  were  excited.  The  torch  fire,  the  war  club,  the  hatchet  and 
the  scalping  knife  woidd  be  raised.  They  would  return  to  friends 
in  Ohio.  They  would  not  stay  here  to  be  murdered  by  Indians, 
or  to  be  torn  to  pieces  by  \vild  beasts.  This  prairie  country  was 
only  fitted  for  Indians,  bears,  wolves  and  ferocious  wild  lieasts. 
The  Indians  ^vere  peaceable  and  friendly,  and  our  family  fears 
subsided  into  friendly  donations. 

"During  the  first  summer  and  fall  my  medical  indes  extended 
over  a  large  part  of  this  county  and  into  the  adjoining  counties. 
My  long  rides  vrere  fatiguing.  Chills  and  fever  were  frequent, 
and  most  of  the  cabins  were  increasing  their  family  munbers. 
In  the  month  of  November  a  dangerous  type  of  typhoid  fever 
began  to  rage,  Avhich  proved  fatal  in  some  localities,  and  continued 
its  ravages  during  the  winter.    .    .    . 

"Here  in  Shell  Rock  liow  changed  are  the  rides  and  labors  of 
practicing  physicians.  There  has  long  been  three  or  four  prac- 
ticing physicians  located  here,  all  of  whom  do  not  travel  over 
more  territory  in  their  medical  rides  than  one  did  between  the 
years  1820  and  1830,  when  there  was  not  a  good  road  or  a  safe 
bridge  in  the  covmty.    Now  the}^  can  dance  their  spring  buggies 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  117 

or  sleighs  over  smooth  roads  by  day  or  night.  No  sloughs  in  which 
to  mire;  no  wolves  to  growl;  no  prairie  fires  to  dread  or  to  flee 
from;  no  deep  rivers  to  wade  through  in  the  darkness  of  the  night; 
no  drifted  sloughs  on  the  lonely,  wild  prairie,  to  wallow  through 
in  the  depth  of  winter.  In  this  incorporated  town,  for  the  last 
ten  years,  there  has  been  but  few  if  any  thistle  or  thorn  beds,  or 
wiry  brush  beds  filled  with  wild,  stinging  nettles  and  burdock 
burrs  to  tear  the  clothes  and  scratch  and  bleed  the  doctor's  hands, 
and  no  filthy  mudholes  in  which  to  soil  his  boots  and  pants.  He 
winds  his  way  by  night  or  day  over  w^ell  graded  streets  and  well 
finished  sidewalks,  calling,  as  required,  at  fine  brick,  stone  or 
wood  residences,  without  opening  a  log  cabin  door." 

The  first  physician  to  locate  in  Butler  county  was  James  E. 
Walker,  who  selected  Clarksville  as  a  place  of  residence  in  the 
year  1854.  He  was  well  versed  in  the  theory  and  practice  of  his 
profession  and  endeared  himself  to  the  settlers  of  the  early  days 
by  his  warmth  of  heart  and  the  skill  displayed  in  combating  the 
ailments  that  came  under  his  observation  and  ministrations.  In 
1857.  Dr.  Walker  was  elected  clerk  of  the  courts,  serving  one  term. 
A  few  years  later  he  returned  to  Maine,  his  native  home.  Other 
early  physicians  at  Clarksville,  the  first  toAvn  in  the  county,  were 
Drs.  Jeremiah  Wilcox  and  J.  F.  Logan.  Later  physicians  were 
Drs.  A.  F.  Tichenor,  D.  S.  Byers,  M.  C.  Camp  and  H.  W.  Dicken- 
son. 

Dr.  John  Scoby,  who  is  quoted  at  length  in  the  beginning  of 
this  chapter,  was  the  pioneer  physician  of  Shell  Rock,  locating 
there  in  May,  1856.  He  was  bom  in  New  Hampshire,  received 
academic  training  and  attended  lectures  and  clinics  at  Dartmouth 
Medical  College  in  the  year  1824,  graduating  as  a  physician  and 
surgeon  in  1826.  For  some  years  Dr.  Scoby  was  in  the  practice 
in  eastern  cities  and  spent  tAventy  years  in  his  profession  at  Jack- 
son, Ohio.  He  came  to  Shell  Rock  in  1856  and  of  his  early  experi- 
ences in  Butler  county  mention  has  already  been  made.  An  ex- 
cellent physician  and  skilled  surgeon  were  the  professional  attri- 
butes of  Dr.  Scoby,  who  continued  in  the  practice  at  Shell  Rock 
until  1875,  and  then  retired  upon  well  earned  laurels  and  a  com- 
petency. 

Dr.  M.  I.  Powers  came  to  Parkersburg  in  1867  and  was  the 
first  physician  to  locate  there.  He  was  not  only  an  able  and  con- 
scientious practitionoi-  but  also  progressive  and  enterprising.  He 
at  once  became  one  of  the  leaders  in  building  up  Parkersburg  and 


118  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

his  name  is  frequently  mentioned  in  the  histor}-  of  that  splendid 
little  city. 

Dr.  A.  0.  Strout,  a  native  of  Portland,  ^Nlaine,  found  his  way 
to  Chicago  in  18G7  and  there  taught  school  five  years;  in  the  mean- 
time he  read  medicine  and  graduated  from  the  Chicago  JNIedical 
College  with  the  class  of  1875.  Dr.  fStrout  located  in  Parkersburg 
in  1879  and  soon  was  recognized  as  a  leader  in  his  pi-ofession. 

In  speaking  of  the  early  physicians  at  Parkerslnn-g  the  names 
of  Drs.  E.  B.  Ensign  and  John  Wyatt-are  deserving  of  a  place 
here.    They  were  of  the  homeopathic  school. 

Dr.  E.  Leroy  Tiu'ner  began  the  practice  of  medicine  at  Bristow 
in  1874.  He  came  with  his  father  from  Illinois  to  Shell  Eock  in 
1856,  read  medicine  in  the  office  of  Dr.  Boys,  at  Waverly,  and 
graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College,  Chicago,  in  1871.  Dr. 
Turner  then  practiced  at  Shell  Rock  a  short  time  and  finally  lo- 
cated at  Biistow,  succeeding  Dr.  Charles  McCormack.  He  built 
up  a  lucrative  practice  and  Ix'came  a  leading  citizen  of  the  little 
town. 

Dr.  H.  S.  Strickland  preceded  ])r.  Turner  at  Bristow  in  point 
of  time.  Botli  he  and  Dr.  McCormack  remained  in  the  village 
some  years  and  then  left  for  other  scenes  of  professional  acti^'ity. 

Dr.  Jacol)  Krebbs  located  in  Bristow  in  1881.  He  spent  a  year 
at  Notre  Dame  University,  read  medicine,  graduated  from  the 
medical  department  of  the  Iowa  State  University  and  located  in 
the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Geneva,  Illinois.  Upon  the  re- 
moval of  Dr.  Strickland  he  succeeded  to  that  physician's  practice. 

In  the  year  1871  Dr.  Nichols  opened  an  office  at  Greene  and 
was  the  first  person  to  take  up  the  practice  of  medicine  in  the 
place.    He  was  of  the  old  school  of  medics  and  secured  a  reinuner-' 
ative  practice.    However,  he  finally  removed  to  Rockford. 

Dr.  V.  C.  Birney  settled  at  Greene  in  1872.  His  father  w  as  a 
i:>hysician,  who  gave  the  lad  good  schooling  and  then  sent  him  to 
Rush  Medical  College,  and  the  College  of  Physicians  and  Sur- 
geons, Keokuk.     He  graduated  from  the  latter  institute  in  1873. 

Dr.  C.  C.  Huckins  came  to  Greene  in  1873  and  opened  an  office.  . 
He  w^as  a  native  of  Maine;  served  in  the  Civil  war;  attended  lec- 
tures at  the  Maine  Medical  School;  and  the  College  of  Physicians 
and  Surgeons.    He  came  west  thoroughly  equipped  for  the  prac- 
tice and  made  a  success  of  his  undertaking  at  Greene. 

Miss  H.  D.  Cramer  came  to  Greene  from  Wisconsin  in  thr 
seventies  and  opened  an  office  as  a  regular,  practicing  physician. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  ii'J 

She  met  with  a  fail-  measiu-e  of  success  iii  her  chosen  profession. 
She  removed  to  Mason  City  and  there  resiuned  her  practice. 

Dr.  William  Young  was  in  the  practice  at  Greene  but  a  short 
time  when  death  called  him  in  1878.  He  was  a  graduate  and  had 
the  ability  to  win  a  place  among  his  fellows,  but  the  fates  decided 
against  him. 

A.  K.  Johnson  was  a  homeopathic  physician  who  located  in 
Greene  in  1880.  Doctor  Johnson  graduated  from  Hahnemann 
Medical  College  in  1878.  Another  early  physician  here  was  Dr. 
John  Nevins,  who  enjoyed  a  measurably  good  practice. 

Dr.  D.  M.  Wick  located  at  New  Hartford  in  1875.  He  attended 
public  schools  of  Illinois,  Mount  Morris  Seminary  and  Cornell  Col- 
lege, Iowa.  One  year  was  spent  in  the  medical  department  of  Ann 
Arbor  University  and  two  years  at  the  Chicago  Medical  College, 
from  which  he  graduated  with  the  class  of  1871.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Iowa  State  Medical  Association  and  a  charter  member 
of  the  Butler  County  Medical  Society. 

Dr.  William  H.  H.  Hagey  became  prominent  in  business  and 
social  circles  of  New  Hartford  in  the  early  days.  He  was  a  Penn- 
sylvanian  by  birth ;  gained  a  conunon  school  education  in  Illinois ; 
sei'ved  his  cmmtry  in  the  Civil  war;  graduated  from  Rush  Medical 
College  in  1868;  practiced  for  a  while  in  WTiiteside  county,  Illi- 
nois and  Chicago,  and  in  July.  1881,  came  to  New  Hartford,  where 
he  built  u})  a  large  and  remunerative  practice. 

Dr.  E.  L.  Thorp  first  saw  the  light  of  day  at  Bedford,  Mass., 
in  1836 ;  removed  with  his  parents  to  Kenosha  and  there  attended 
the  ])Tiblic  schools  and  afterwards  entered  Beloit  College.  He 
studied  medicine  and  attended  lectures  and  clinics  at  Rush  ]Medi- 
cal  College ;  began  the  practice  of  his  profession  at  Shell  Rock  in 
1865 ;  took  a  post-graduate  course  at  Eclectic  Medical  College  of 
Cincinnati ;  became  prominent  as  a  physician  and  siirgeon  and 
together  with  his  practice  maintained  a  drug  store  twelve  years 
at  Shell  Rock. 

Dr.  E.  H.  Dudley  came  to  Shell  Rock  in  the  formative  days 
of  that  lively  trading  point  and  opened  an  office.  He  was  well 
pre]3ared  for  the  vocation  chosen,  having  secured  a  classical  edu- 
cation at  Evansville  Seminary  in  Wisconsin  from  which  he  gradu- 
ated in  1868.  At  the  age  of  sixteen,  he  was  a  Union  soldier  in  a 
Wisconsin  regiment,  graduated  from  Rush  Medical  College  in  the 
winter  of  1873-4,  and  spent  a  few  months  in  the  practice  at  Broad- 
licad.  Wis.    He  came  to  Shell  Rock  in  1875  and  became  an  efficient 


120  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

and  successful  physician.  Doctor  Dudley  was  a  member  of  the 
State  and  Butler  County  Medical  Societies  and  in  1880,  was 
appointed  United  States  medical  examiner  for  pensions. 

Another  physician  who  located  at  Shell  Rock  in  the  '70s  was 
Dr.  W.  H.  Smith,  who  was  born  at  Sheboygan,  Wis.,  in  1851.  He 
was  well  educated,  attended  Wayland  Academy,  at  Beaver  Dam, 
Wis.,  studied  medicine  in  Milwaukee  and  graduated  from  Rush 
Medical  College  in  1878.  He  practiced  medicine  at  Sheboygan  a 
few  months  and  then  located  at  Shell  Rock.  Doctor  Smith  was  a 
member  of  the  State  and  Butler  County  Medical  Societies.  Dr. 
E.  E.  Sill  established  an  office  and  practiced  here  as  a  "homeo- 
path" in  1881  and  secured  a  large  clientele. 

Dr.  E.  L.  Blaclanore  was  one  of  the  pioneer  physicians  at 
Aplington.  He  was  well  fortified  for  his  professional  duties,  hav- 
ing attended  a  course  of  lectures  at  the  St.  Louis  Medical  College, 
of  which  he  is  a  graduate.  In  1868  the  doctor  located  at  Butler 
Center,  from  which  place  he  removed  to  Aplington  in  1873.  Doctor 
Blackmore  was  one  of  the  prosperous  and  influential  citizens  of 
this  place  and  at  one  time  was  owner  of  the  Aplington  Mills. 

THE  BITTLEE  COTJNTT  MEDICAL  ASSOCIATION 

The  Butler  County  Medical  Association  was  organized  April 
2,  1878,  with  the  following  members :  F.  H.  Boucher,  H.  L.  Isher- 
wood,  Clarksville;  J.  H.  Brower,  Butler  Center;  E.  H.  Dudley, 
Shell  Rock;  M.  I.  Powers,  Parkersburg;  I.  R.  Spooner,  D.  M. 
Wick,  New  Hartford ;  E.  Leroy  Turner,  Bristow. 

The  first  officers  were  I.  R.  Spooner,  president ;  E.  L.  Turner, 
vice  president ;  F.  H.  Boucher,  secretary ;  H.  L.  Isherwood,  treas- 
urer; M.  I.  Powers,  J.  H.  Brower,  E.  H.  Dudley,  censors. 

The  object  of  the  society  is  based  on  and  is  in  conjunction  with 
the  tenets  of  the  Iowa  State  Medical  Association.  No  one  not  a 
graduate  of  an  accredited  medical  college  is  eligible  to  member- 
ship. The  first  meeting  was  held  at  Butler  Center  and  interest  in 
the  society  has  been  maintained  up  to  the  present  time,  although 
called  meetings  in  some  of  the  years  were  few  and  far  between. 

The  present  officers  of  the  society  are:  P.  R.  Burroughs,  of 
Allison,  president:  J.  L.  Scripture,  Clarksville,  secretary  and 
treasurer. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  121 

NAMES   OF   PAST   AND  PRESENT   BUTLER   COUNTY   PHYSICIANS 

The  Twenty-first  General  Assembly,  which  met  in  1886,  passed 
a  law  requiring  all  pei'sons  desiring  to  practice  medicine  in  any 
county  of  the  state  to  have  his  certificate  recorded  in  the  office  of 
the  county  recorder.  Since  the  passage  of  this  law,  the  following 
physicians  who  have  since  removed  from  the  county  have  regis- 
tered their  certificates  with  the  Butler  county  recorder : 

Allison,  T.  B.  Askew,  S.  E.  Burroughs,  Jerome  Burbank,  P.  R. 
Burroughs,  E.  A.  Hazlet,  James  S.  Riggs,  D.  N.  Reeve,  Norman 
M.  Smith,  Willis  J.  Vaupell. 

Aplington,  E.  L.  Blackmore,  Harriet  N.  Blackmore,  John  W. 
Cunningham,  Thomas  A.  Hobson,  John  A.  Rolfs,  Charles  W. 
Vroom. 

Aredale,  E.  J.  Thierman,  H.  J.  Wickman. 

Bristow,  G.  W.  Appleby,  E.  H.  Best,  H.  E.  Day,  A.  J.  Hob- 
son,  A.  E.  Rodgers,  R.  E.  Robinson. 

Clarksville,  D.  S.  Byers,  J.  N.  Clemmer,  W.  P.  Gannon,  T.  D. 
Haner,  W.  H.  William,  J.  P.  Logan,  W.  E.  Patterson,  H.  C. 
Smith,  J.  L.  Scripture,  C.  C.  Smith. 

Dumont,  W.  E.  Day,  M.  St.  Peter. 

Greene,  W.  R.  Arthur,  Varillas  Birney,  L.  S.  Boyce,  A.  H. 
Bruce,  V.  C.  Birney,  A.  E.  Cainey,  M.  B.  Call,  H.  M.  De  War, 
C.  C.  Huckins,  John  Nevins. 

New  Hartford,  C.  W.  Childs,  John  G.  Evans,  E.  T.  Jaynes, 
A.  E.  Kauffman,  I.  M.  McBride,  D.  H.  Pelletier,  Duncan  Reed, 
C.  P.  Soper,  D.  M.  Wick. 

Parkersburg,  E.  I.  Bradley,  J.  J.  Fisher,  H.  C.  Hunter,  Leo- 
pold Louis,  M.  A.  Marty,  Hugh  Mullarky,  Jr.,  W.  E.  Noble,  M.  I. 
Powers,  W.  W.  Parker,  A.  O.  Strout. 

Shell  Rock,  J.  F.  Auner.  E.  H.  Dudley,  Bruce  Ensley,  J.  R.  W. 
Kirton,  F.  N.  Mead.  W.  H.  Smith,  E.  L.  Sheldon,  E.  L.  Thorp- 

In  addition,  the  following  have  practiced  for  brief  intervals 
in  the  county : 

0.  P.  Thompson,  Allison ;  T.  A.  Dumont,  Dumont :  E.  A.  Can- 
tonwine,  Parkersburg:  W.  C.  Lathrop,  Clarksville;  M.  A.  Taylor, 
Clarksville ;  D.  W.  Battin,  Shell  Rock ; Classen,  Shell  Rock. 

The  addresses  given  above  are  those  where  the  physicians  were 
located  at  the  time  of  the  first  registration  of  their  certificates  in 
Butler  county.  Since  that  time  in  the  case  of  several  their  loca- 
tions have  changed  and  they  are  practicing  at  the  present  time  in 
other  towns  of  the  county. 


CHAPTER  XII 

^THE  BUTLER  COUNTY  PRESS 

The  press  of  a  community  reflects  the  tone,  character  and  sen- 
timent of  its  people.  It  is  justly  considered  among  the  most 
important  institutions  of  every  city,  town  and  village.  The  peo- 
ple regard  their  particular  newspaper  as  of  peculiar  value,  nut 
merely  on  account  of  the  facts  already  alluded  to,  but  because  the 
paper  is  the  repository  wherein  is  stored  fact  and  events,  the 
deeds  and  the  sayings  that  go  to  make  uj)  the  local  history.  One 
by  one  these  things  are  gathered  and  placed  in  type ;  one  by  one 
the  papers  are  issued;  one  by  one  these  papers  are  gathered 
together  and  bound,  and  another  volume  of  local,  general  and 
individual  history  is  laid  away,  imperishable.  The  volumes  thus 
collected  are  the  sources  of  research  for  the  historian  and  are  often 
referred  to  by  the  editor  himself.  The  local  i^ress,  as  a  rule, 
reflects  the  business  enterprise  of  a  place,  and  judging  from  this 
standard,  the  enterprise  of  the  citizens  of  Butler  county  is  indeed 
commendable.  Its  papers  are  well  filled  though  not  overcrowded, 
with  advertisements  of  home  merchants  and  of  its  business  affairs. 
No  paper  can  exist  without  these  advertisements  and  no  connnu- 
nity  can  flourish  as  it  shoiild  that  does  not  use  the  advertising  col- 
umns of  its  local  papers. 

THE   rARKEESBUBG  ECLIPSE 

One  of  the  brightest  and  newsiest  papers  published  in  the 
county  is  the  Eclipse,  for  many  years  past  under  the  able  man- 
agement of  E.  E.  Schrack.  The  paper  was  established  August 
30,  1872,  by  C.  B.  Auyer  and  S.  T.  Edwards.  It  originally  was 
an  eight-column  folio,  all  home  print ;  it  is  now  issued  in  the  form 
of  a  six-column  quarto.  In  September,  1874,  the  names  of  Erank 
L.  Bodge  and  E.  E.  Savage  appeared  as  editors  and  proprietors, 
and  in  January,  1877,  Frank  L.  Bodge  was  in  full  control  and 

128 


124  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

presided  over  the  destinies  of  the  Eclipse  until  1880,  when  he 
admitted  into  partnership  his  brother,  Ered  A.  Dodge.  The  paper 
was  sold  to  E.  E.  Schrack  and  E.  A.  Wright,  in  August,  1887, 
and  the  publication  was  continued  under  the  firm  name  of  Schrack 
&  Wright  until  May,  1888,  when  the  partnersliip  was  dissolved, 
E.  A.  Wright  retiring  and  E.  E.  Schrack  retaining  possession. 
Mr.  Schrack  still  has  control  of  the  Eclipse  and  has  a  very  compe- 
tent assistant  in  his  wife,  who  is  a  state  official  of  the  Woman's 
Relief  Corps.  ■"  , 

BUTLER   COU^^TY   PRESS 

The  Press  long  has  been  one  of  the  representative  newspapers 
of  northern  Iowa  and  is  today  under  the  capable  editorial  con- 
trol of  George  B.  Tracey.  The  paper  was  founded  in  Aug-ust, 
1873,  by  H.  C.  Hammond,  the  first  issue  appearing  as  a  six-column 
folio  with  "patent  insides."  Mr.  Hammond  remained  but  a  short 
time  in  the  editorial  chair  and  was  succeeded  in  1874  by  Editor 
Failing,  who  was  followed  by  'Squire  Soesbe.  In  .Tidy,  1874,  J.  R. 
Wagner  and  W.  W.  Riner  became  the  owners  and  remained  in 
possession  until  May,  1880,  at  which  time  Wagner  retired  from 
the  firm  and  was  succeeded  by  George  E.  De  Lavan.  This  arrange- 
ment was  terminated  in  July,  1S80,  by  the  withdrawal  of  Mr.  Riner 
from  the  editorial  yoke.  Mr.  De  Lavan  was  the  editor  until  1891, 
when  he  sold  to  Charles  E.  Clonkey.  Later  Mr.  Clonkey  leased 
the  plant  to  Frank  Lingenfelder.  The  lease  expired  March  31, 
1893,  and  then  came  the  Booton  brothers.  From  1896  to  June  5, 
1903,  W.  L.  Booton  was  sole  pi'oprietor.  Charles  E.  Cook  was  in 
control  from  June,  1903,  until  October,  1903,  when  the  paper  was 
sold  to  F.  N.  Eldridge.  The  latter  retired  in  July,  1904,  in  favor 
of  F.  H.  Camp,  who  was  its  editor  the  following  seven  years. 
Camp  sold  to  Benjamin  Boardman  in  June,  1911,  and  that  gentle- 
man sold  the  plant — the  best  equipped  in  Butler  county — to  the 
.present  o-woier,  George  B.  Tracey,  in  February,  1914.  The  same 
month  Mr.  Boardman  was  elected  coimty  superintendent  of 
schools  to  fill  a  vacancy. 

THE  ALLISIO?:  TRIBUNE 

The  Allison  Tribune  was  established  by  the  Dodge  brothers, 
Frank  L.  and  Fred  A.,  in  December,  1880.    At  that  time  Allison 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  125 

had  been  determined  on  as  the  county  seat,  and  desirmg  to  be 
first  in  the  field  at  this  place,  a  lot  was  secui-ed  by  the  Dodge  boys 
upon  which  they  erected  a  "print  shop."  In  May,  1881,  the 
plant  was  running  and  on  the  16th  of  June  following  the  first  issue 
of  the  Tribime  was  printed.  The  paper  has  had  many  propri- 
etors. Their  names  follow :  Dodge  Brothers,  E.  E.  Schrack,  C.  S. 
Linn,  E.  W.  Wright,  Amos  Ingalls,  L.  R.  Lynn,  Mitchell  & 
Mitchell,  M.  D.  Morgan,  E.  W.  Booton,  Shepard  &  Gregory,  H. 
Falken,  W.  J.  Hunt. 

THE  CLAKKSVILLE  STAR 

Going  back  to  the  real  beginning  of  the  Clarksville  Star  sev- 
eral other  papers,  of  which  the  Star  is  the  outgrowth,  must  be 
mentioned.  First  and  foremost  comes  the  Butler  County  Jeffer- 
sonian,  the  second  newspaper  established  in  Butler  county  and 
of  which  the  Clarksville  Star  is  in  a  direct  line,  the  only  living 
heir.  The  Jeffersonian  was  founded  in  1860,  by  William  Had- 
dock and  in  about  four  months  thereafter,  Martin  Bailey  was  the 
editor  and  publisher.  He  changed  the  name  in  1862  to  the  Stars 
and  Stripes,  and  under  that  patriotic  title  the  paper  was  ably 
edited  and  published  untU  1865.  In  the  month  of  August  of  the 
last  mentioned  year,  McCormack  &  Francis  purchased  the  mate- 
rial and  again  the  name  of  the  paper  was  discarded.  This  time  it 
came  out  as  the  Butler  County  Argus  and  continued  to  be  pub- 
lished as  the  Argus  six  months,  when  Judge  John  Palmer  pur- 
chased the  property  and  adopted  the  fierce  and  cutting  title  of  The 
Stiletto  for  the  much  named  sheet.  Judge  Palmer  sold  The  Stiletto* 
to  his  son,  William  Palmer,  in  the  spring  of  1866,  who  moved  the 
plant  and  place  of  publication  to  Shell  Rock.  In  the  following 
fall  the  paper  was  again  issued  at  Clarksville  having  been  con- 
solidated with  the  Clarksville  Gazette,  which  had  been  founded 
in  1866,  by  Van  E.  Butler,  who  formed  a  partnership  with  William 
Palmer,  when  the  merger  was  made  and  the  firm  name  of  pub- 
lishers became  Butler  &  Palmer.  Under  this  management  the 
paper  was  named  the  Star  of  the  West  and  so  continued  imtil 
1868,  when  Frank  Case  became  the  owner  and  changed  the  name 
to  the  Clarksville  Star,  which,  happily,  for  the  future  historian 
remains  to  this  day  at  the  top  of  the  newsy  little  publication's 
first  page.  James  O.  Stewart  was  in  the  editorial  chair  by  the 
year  1872,  and  each  week  gave  the  people  of  Butler  county  all  the 


126  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

local  news  of  importance  imtil  the  uiontli  of  June,  1882,  when  he 
sold  his  interests  in  the  Star  to  L.  O.  Hull.  The  last  named  ran 
the  paper  several  years  and  had  for  his  successors  Ed  Madigan 
and  Will  Morrison,  who  sold  the  property  to  W.  L.  and  E.  W. 
Booton  in  1893.  Madigan  recovered  possession  within  the  year. 
He  was  the  publisher  mitil  1909.  In  November  of  the  year  just 
mentioned,  Jolm  M.  Ramsey,  the  i^resent  proprietor  and  editor, 
who  had  been  foreman  of  the  ol!iee  twenty  years,  bought  the  paper 
and  changed  it  from  a  six-column  quarto  to  a  seven-column 
quarto. 

THE   SHELL   ROCK   NEWS 

The  paper  with  the  above  name  in  this  caption,  was  estab- 
lished in  August,  1872,  by  J.  H.  Boomer  &  Co.,  and  made  its  first 
appearance  on  the  twenty-third  day  of  the  month.  The  founders 
within  four  weeks'  time  sold  out  to  F.  M.  Barnard  &  Co.,  who 
continued  the  publication  until  March  5,  3873.  That  year  the 
partnership  dissolved  and  Silas  White  and  Frank  Hall,  under  the 
firm  name  of  White  &  Hall,  took  possession.  Hall  retired  in 
August,  1874,  and  alone  White  continued  as  editor  and  proprietor 
until  Jan.  5,  1875,  -  when  he  sold  a  half  interest  to  O.  B. 
Courtright.  The  partnership  firm  of  White  &  Courtright  sold 
out  to  Dr.  E.  A.  Kittel  Feb.  19,  1875,  and  in  a  short  time  Haz- 
let  &  Thorp  were  the  proprietors.  They  changed  the  name  to 
the  Shell  Rock  News,  published  the  paper  until  Nov.  2, 
1876,  and  then  turned  it  over  to  Oieorge  E.  Farrar.  The  new 
owner,  Mr.  Farrar,  was  editor  and  manager  of  the  News  until  the 
6th  of  Se]  itember,  1877,  when  he  disposed  of  his  interests  therein 
to  E.  E.  Savage.  The  next  known  proprietor  of  the  News  was 
J.  P.  Reed,  who  came  into  possession  at  sheriff's  sale  in  Septem- 
ber, 1878.  Mr.  Reed  retained  control  a  luunlier  of  years  and  then 
came  G.  A.  Mclntyre,  who  moved  the  plant  into  a  handsome  new 
two-story  brick  home.  Mr.  Mclntyre,  who  is  one  of  the  older  mem- 
bers of  the  Butler  comity  bar  and  present  mayor  of  Shell  Rock, 
ably  edited  and  managed  the  News  until  1900  when,  in  the  month 
of  December  of  that  year  F.  L.  Witt  became  the  owner  and  editor, 
having  associated  wath  him  his  son,  C.  E.  Witt,  who  assumed  com- 
plete management  of  the  office  in  1906;  in  February,  1910,  he  ac- 
quired possession  of  the  plant  by  purchase. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  127 

THE  IOWA  RECORDER 

The  Recorder  is  issued  in  the  interests  of  the  democracy  and 
its  owners.  It  is  the  only  partisan  paper  in  the  county  with  demo- 
cratic leanings  and  was  established  by  John  Passage  and  Anaos 
Ingalls,  at  Greene,  Aug.  12,  1884.  In  1887  a  change  took  place 
in  the  ownership.  That  year  Mr.  Passage  retired  and  Mr.  Ingalls 
remained  in  sole  possession  and  editorship.  The  concern  was 
reorganized  in  1904,  and  formed  into  a  corporation,  taking  the 
name  and  title  of  the  Recorder  Printing  Company.  Mr.  Ingalls 
retained  an  interest  in  the  property,  and  by  the  change  J.  Knox 
HaU  became  manager  and  editor,  retaining  the  place  one  year. 
Then  came  Fred  Flack,  who  remained  about  four  months  and 
three  or  four  others  succeeded  hmi.  But,  in  1908,  Mr.  Ingalls 
returned  and  forming  a  partnership  with  A.  B.  Mahnke,  the 
Recorder  has  prospered  and  increased  its  clientele  and  influence 
with  the  passing  of  the  years,  by  united  efforts  and  a  firm  deter- 
mination to  win  in  a  field  occupied  only  by  itself. 

APLIXGTOX   XEWS 

The  Aplington  News  is  a  six-column  quarto,  four  pages  home 
print  and  has  a  good  circulation  throughout  the  county.  The 
paper  was  founded  in  1891,  by  one  Keenan,  who  sold  to  J.  M. 
George.  Mr.  George  held  down  the  editorial  chair  about  three 
years  and  then  gave  way  to  F.  M.  Coggshall.  About  the  year  1897, 
0.  A.  and  Dick  Voogd  bought  the  paper  and  since  1901  O.  A. 
Voogd  has  been  sole  proprietor  and  editor.  The  News  is  well 
edited  and  printed  in  a  workmanlike  manner.  When  first  issued 
it  was  a  seven-column  folio;  since  1909  it  has  been  a  six-column 
quarto,  patent  inside. 

XEW  HAKTFORO  REVIEW 

The  first  issue  of  the  New  Hartford  Review  appeared  June  22, 
1896.  The  editor  and  owner  was  E.  W.  Booton,  who  brought  the 
plant  from  Monroe.  In  the  latter  part  of  1901,  the  paper  was 
sold  to  Hamilton  Brothers,  of  Waterloo.  The  new  firm  was  in 
possession  about  six  months  when  the  property  was  purchased  by 
J.  W.  Hartinger.  Six  months  later  E.  W.  Booton  assumed  con- 
trol and  remained  in   editorial  charge  until   September,   1906. 


128  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Frank  Kaley  purchased  the  Review  iu  the  last  mentioued  year 
and  has  now  practically  a  new  plant,  which  tui-ns  out  a  nicely 
printed  and  carefully  edited  newspaper. 

THE  DUMONT  JOURNAL 

As  far  as  data  indicate,  the  Vidette  was  the  first  paper  pub- 
lished at  Dumont.  After  a  short  and  precarious  existence  it  col- 
lapsed in  the  year  19U5,  and  iu  1907,  H.  Z.  Babcock  founded  the 
Journal.  He  issued  a  five-column  quarto,  patent  inside.  The 
next  owner  of  the  Journal  was  G.  A.  Griswold,  who  changed  the 
size  of  the  paper  to  a  six-column  quarto,  four  pages  home  i^rint. 
Succeeding  owners  were:  Prank  Gates  and  L.  O.  Brewer.  The 
latter  took  possession  May  15, 1910. 

BUTLEE  COUNTY  TIMES 

The  Times  is  published  at  Bristow  and  was  established  as  the 
Enterprise,  the  plant  of  wliicli  was  Itrdiight  fioni  Readlyu,  Bremer 
county,  in  1903,  by  E.  F.  Ready.  As  the  Enterprise  the  paper  was 
issued  for  a  time  and  its  name  was  changed  to  the  Butler  County 
Times.  In  course  of  time  S.  L.  Rherman  had  the  paper,  but  unable 
to  pay  for  it,  he  relinquished  all  control  in  favor  of  Mrs.  E.  P. 
Ready,  who,  in  June,  1906,  sold  the  property  to  the  present  owner, 
J.  B.  Williams.    Mr.  Williams  is  receiving  gratifying  patronage. 

PAPERS    THAT    HA^T.    BEEN    AND    ARE    NOT 

The  first  newspaper  published  in  Butler  county,  was  the  But- 
ler Transcript,  established  at  Clarks\dlle  in  1858  by  Palmer  & 
James,  the  senior  member  of  the  firm.  Judge  John  Palmer, 
being  a  man  of  aifairs  and  a  practicing  attorney  the  while.  The 
innovation  was  most  too  soon  to  be  properly  supjDorted  b.v  the 
few  settlers  in  the  community  and  this  necessitated  the  suspension 
of  the  publication,  in  1860,  and  removal  of  the  material  to  Win- 
terset,  the  capital  city  of  Madison  comity.  The  Parkersbiirg 
Times  was  a  venture  into  the  local  newspaper  world,  by  W.  L. 
Palmer  in  1870,  which  had  "rough  sledding"  from  the  start.  Its 
downfall  was  inevitable,  but  this  calamity  (  ?)  did  not  occur  until 
several  venturesome  aspirants  for  the  immortal  shoes  of  Horace 
Greeley  tried  their  hand  at  editorial  work  and  collapsed.     Tn 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  129 

1871,  C.  G.  Bundy  took  over  tlie  property,  and  early  in  1872,  gave 
up  in  despair  of  success  at  Parkersburg.  He  moved  the  plant  to 
Maud\dlle,  a  name  given  the  Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm,  and  before 
the  expiration  of  the  year  1873,  the  sheet  faded  from  sight,  never 
more  to  be  seen  of  man.  The  New  Hartford  Bugle  was  only  heard 
during  part  of  the  year  1873  and  the  Butler  County  Standard, 
established  by  J.  B.  Adams  in  1876,  at  Greene,  lived  precariously 
about  four  years  and  was  then  moved  to  Rockford,  Iowa.  Bris- 
tow  had  a  paper  in  1878,  known  as  the  Bristow  Dial.  A  Mr.  Mor- 
gan was  the  founder.  He  sold  to  J.  0.  Stewart.  In  1880  the 
plant  was  taken  to  Sumner,  in  Bremer  county. 


CHAPTER  Xm 

EDUCATIONAL 

In  matters  of  education,  Butler  county  ranks  as  one  of  the 
most  progressive  coimties  of  the  state.  The  school  laws  of  Iowa 
have  imdergone  so  many  changes  that  it  would  be  impossible  here 
to  go  into  details  regarding  the  various  foi-ms  of  government  and 
organization  wliich  have  characterized  the  educational  history  of 
Butler  and  the  other  counties  of  the  state.  Originally  the  schools 
of  the  county  were  organized  upon  the  township  district  basis. 
The  electors  of  each  township  met  in  annual  meeting  in  March 
of  each  year  to  determine  the  amount  of  tax  levy  for  school  pur- 
poses, elect  the  members  of  the  school  board  and  transact  such 
other  business  as  might  properly  come  before  them.  The  district 
townships  were  divided  into  sub-districts  of  such  number  and  size 
as  seemed  best  to  serve  the  interests  of  the  people.  A  more  or 
less  detailed  account  of  these  district  township  organizations  is 
given  in  connection  with  the  separate  history  of  the  townships. 

FORMS  OF  ORGANIZATION" 

Later  provision  was  made  by  the  State  Legislature  for  the 
organization  of  rural  independent  districts.  It  was  left  to  the 
discretion  of  the  electors  as  to  which  of  the  forms  of  organization 
for  the  rural  schools  they  should  adopt. 

THE    DISTRICT    TOWNSHIP 

The  two  systems  are  markedly  different  and  each  possesses 
its  advantages  and  disadvantages.  Under  the  district  township 
organization  all  of  the  sub-districts  are  a  part  of  the  whole  and 
the  business  affairs  of  the  entire  district  are  managed  by  one 
board  of  directors  made  up  of  a  sub-director  elected  from  each 
district.     No  one  sub-district  may  levy  a  tax  for  any  purpose, 

131 


132  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

either  that  of  buiklmg  a  sehoolhouse  or  increasing  the  compensa- 
tion of  its  teachers,  without  the  consent  of  the  wliole  townsliip.  In 
some  instances  this  form  has  operated  to  prevent  progressive  rural 
communities  from  doing  for  theii*  school  what  they  wish.  However, 
in  a  business  way,  it  is  possible  through  the  township  organ- 
ization to  manage  affaii's  much  more  expeditiously  and  economic- 
ally than  is  possible  under  the  independent  district  organization. 
The  trend  of  the  times  educationally  appears  to  be  toward  this 
form  of  organization.  In  the  last  session  of  the  Legislature,  a  bill 
making  the  township  the  sole  unit  of  rural  school  organization 
was  defeated  by  a  small  majority.  It  is  not  miprobable  that  some 
such  action  will  eventually  become  a  statutory  provision  in  this 
state. 

THE    RURAL    INDEPENDENT    DISTRICT 

In  the  independent  district  organization,  each  district  man- 
ages its  own  affairs  through  a  board  of  three  directors  wdio  are 
chosen  at  the  annual  election  in  March.  Each  independent  dis- 
trict is  a  corporate  body,  with  the  same  powders  within  its  limits  as 
are  exercised  by  the  board  of  dii'ectors  of  the  district  township. 
At  present  five  of  the  sixteen  townships  of  Butler  county  are 
organized  on  the  independent  district  basis.  These  are  Fremont, 
Butler,  Shell  Rock,  Ripley  and  West  Point. 

The  remaining  eleven  civil  townships  are  organized  as  town- 
ship school  districts.  The  boundaries  of  the  school  districts  do 
not  in  every  instance  coincide  with  those  of  the  civil  township. 
The  school  township  of  Jackson,  for  example,  has  attached  to  it 
portions  of  Butler  and  Jefferson  townships  for  school  purposes. 

TOWN   INDEPENDENT  DISTRICTS 

In  addition  to  these  two  forms  of  rural  school  districts  there 
exist  in  the  county  also  ten  town  or  village  independent  districts. 
This  form  of  district  may  be  organized  under  the  law  upon  the 
written  petition  of  any  ten  voters  of  a  city,  town  or  village  of  over 
one  hundred  residents,  pro-vdded  a  majority  of  the  electors  resid- 
ing within  the  boimdaries  of  the  district  vote  in  favor  of  the 
proposition.  It  is  not  necessary  that  the  village  be  actually  incor- 
porated under  the  laws  of  the  states  in  order  to  secure  the  benefits 
of  this  form  of  organization.    Township  and  county  lines  need  not 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  133 

be  considered  in  forming  such  districts.     The  school  affairs  of 
these  districts  are  in  the  hands  of  a  board  of  five  directors. 


RECENT  LEGISLATION 

An  attempt  was  made  by  the  last  Legislature  to  abolish  the 
office  of  treasurer  of  all  school  corporations  and  place  the  handling 
of  school  funds  with  the  county-  treasurer.  This  attempt  was 
imsuccessful.  Plowever,  it  was  provided  by  law  that  the  school 
treasurer  must  serve  without  compensation  and  that  all  monies 
belonging  to  school  districts  coming  into  his  hands  must  be  de- 
posited in  an  approved  bank  and  draw  interest.  This  enactment 
of  the  Legislature  has  proved  somewhat  unpopular  and  it  is  prob- 
able that  it  will  be  still  further  amended  in  the  coming  Legisla- 
ture. The  proposal  to  place  the  handling  of  all  the  school  funds 
of  all  the  districts,  both  town  and  rural,  in  the  hands  of  the  county 
treasurer,  while  it  has  met  with  considerable  opposition  so  far, 
would  seem  a  very  reasonable  one.  There  is  little  question  but 
that  some  such  solution  of  the  present  unsatisfactory  and  unbusi- 
nesslike methods  of  handling  these  funds  will  eventually  be  made. 

Iowa  has  for  a  number  of  years  had  a  compulsory  school  law 
upon  its  statute  books.  By  the  terms  of  this  law  the  attendance 
of  all  children  between  the  ages  of  seven  and  sixteen  years  is 
required  for  a  minimum  of  twenty-four  consecutive  weeks  in 
each  school  year.  Children  between  the  ages  of  fourteen  and  six- 
teen who  are  regularly  employed  ma}'  be  excused  from  compul- 
sory school  attendance.  The  enforcement  of  this  law  is  provided 
for  by  penalties,  to  be  attached  on  the  failure  of  school  directors 
to  enforce  it,  and  by  fines  for  each  offense  to  be  assessed  against 
the  parent  or  g\iardian  of  the  child  whose  non-attendance  is 
charged. 

The  purchase  of  library  books  by  the  rural  districts  is  also 
made  compulsory;  not  less  than  five  cents  for  each  person  of 
school  age  in  the  district  being  required  to  be  appropriated  each 
year  by  each  district  for  the  purchase  of  library  books. 

Another  school  law  of  general  application  and  widespread 
influence  is  that  of  a  recent  Legislature,  providing  for  free  high 
school  tuition  for  pupils  of  the  rural  districts.  By  the  terms 
of  this  law,  the  pupils  who  have  passed  the  eighth  grade  exam- 
inations, under  the  direction  of  the  county  superintendent,  and 
have  received  a  certificate  of  proficiency  in  the  connnon  branches, 


134  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

may  be  atlniitted  to  any  approved  liigli  school  iu  tlie  state  that 
will  receive  them,  and  have  their  tuition  paid  by  the  districts 
of  their  residence.  While  this  law  has  resulted  iu  some  instances 
to  a  certain  extent  in  a  sort  of  double  taxation,  there  is  little  or 
no  question  but  that  its  results  are  wholly  good.  Sooner  or  later 
it  is  to  be  hoped  that  provision  for  liigli  school  education  may  be 
made  by  the  rural  districts  themselves  and  that  the  boys  and 
girls  of  the  farmers  of  Butler  and  the  other  counties  of  Iowa  may 
not  have  to  leave  their  homes  in  order  to  secure  an  education  that 
is  their  right  and  their  desire. 

THE    SCHOOL    FUND    CUMIMlSSlOXEK 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  coimty  the  laws  of  the 
state  provided  for  the  acbninistratiou  of  the  school  funds  by 
an  officer  known  as  the  school  fund  commissioner.  As  the  title 
indicates,  this  officer  had  jurisdiction  only  over  the  school  funds. 
He  had  no  authority  or  connection  with  the  administration  of  the 
schools,  either  in  matters  of  discipline  or  instrviction.  These 
school  fimds  were  deri^'cd  in  addition  to  the  sums  raised  by  the 
tax  levy  in  the  various  school  districts  from  the  sale  of  school 
lands  (for  which  purpose  section  16  -of  each  township  was  set 
aside  by  the  state)  and  from  all  estates  escheating  to  the  state 
as  a  residt  of  the  lack  of  heirs.  The  school  fund  commissioner 
had  authority  to  loan  the  funds  under  liis  control  to  private  par- 
ties, on  good  security,  at  a  reasonable  rate  of  interest.  As  a  mat- 
ter of  fact,  the  records  show  that  in  an  early  day  most  of  the 
money  that  was  borrowed  on  fann  mortgages  came  from  these 
funds. 

James  Griffith,  of  Coldwater  township,  was  the  tirst  school 
fund  commissioner  in  Butler  coimty.  He  was  elected  in  the  fall 
of  1854.  His  administration  of  the  funds  was  eminently  con- 
servative and  efficient.  The  first  mortgage  loan  recorded  on  the 
books  of  the  county  was  made  by  him.  This  indenture  was  made 
on  the  8th  of  January,  1855,  between  Robert  T.  Crowell  and 
Lucretia  Crowell,  his  wife,  and  James  Griffith,  school  fund  com- 
missioner. In  consideration  of  $298.14,  a  mortgage  on  the  south- 
east quarter  of  the  northeast  quarter,  and  the  northeast  quarter 
of  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  18,  92-15,  was  given  as  the 
security  for  the  loan.  This  mortgage  was  released  on  the  22nd 
day  of  April,  1857. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  135 

On  the  same  day  and  date  a  similar  indenture  records  the 
mortgage  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  the  northwest  quarter  of 
section  36,  and  the  southwest  quarter  of  the  southwest  quarter 
of  section  25,  in  township  93,  range  16,  for  a  loan  of  $300,  made 
by  James  Griffith  to  William  and  Susan  Gough.  The  interest 
rate  named  in  these  instruments  is  ten  per  cent  per  annum. 

James  Griffith  was  succeeded  as  school  fund  commissioner 
by  John  H.  Morton  in  1856.  Before  the  expiration  of  Mr.  Mor- 
ton's term,  the  duties  connected  with  this  office  were  by  law 
placed  in  the  hands  of  the  county  judge,  and  the  office  of  school 
fund  commissioner  abolished.  Under  this  law  the  county  court 
had  supervision  of  the  school  funds  and  so  continued  until  the 
adoption  of  the  system  of  coiinty  government  by  a  board  of  super- 
visors in  whose  hands  the  disposition  and  management  of  the 
school  funds  have  remained  to  the  present  time. 

THE  COUXTY  SUPERINTENDENT 

The  funds  set  aside  for  the  maintenance  of  normal  institutes 
for  the  instruction  of  teachers  were  later  placed  under  the  super- 
vision of  the  county  superintendent  of  schools.  This  office  of 
county  superintendent  of  schools  was  created  by  an  act  of  the 
Legislature  in  1858.  D.  W.  Mason  was  the  first  incumbent  of 
this  office,  elected  in  the  spring  of  1858.  A  complete  list  of  the 
county  superintendents  is  given  at  the  close  of  this  chapter. 

Butler  county  has  been  peculiarly  fortunate  in  the  character 
of  the  men  and  women  who  have  so  ably  filled  this  office,  a  number 
of  them  haA'ing,  subsequent  to  their  occupation  of  this  office,  filled 
positions  of  responsibility  and  importance  elsewhere. 

Ida  F.  Leydig,  who  was  elected  to  this  office  in  the  election  of 
1900,  was  the  first  woman  to  be  elected  to  this  office  by  the  voters 
of  Butler  county. 

From  the  creation  of  the  office  imtil  1914,  the  election  of  county 
superintendents  was  made  in  the  same  manner  as  the  other  offices 
were  filled.  N'ominations  for  the  office  were  made  by  the  political 
parties  in  conventions  or  later  by  the  primary  system.  In  some 
places  this  resulted  in  making  the  office  of  county  superintend- 
ent a  mere  political  plaything,  and  at  times  unworthy  and  incom- 
petent persons  were,  as  a  result  of  the  exigencies  of  j^olitics,  chosen 
to  this  position.  This,  however,  was  never  true  in  Butler  county. 
Although  in  form  a  political  office,  practically  it  was  non-partisan. 


136  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  Tliirty-tiftli  General  Assembly  changed  entirely  the  man- 
ner of  choice  of  the  county  superintendent,  providing  for  the 
election  of  this  officer  by  a  convention  consisting  of  the  presidents 
of  the  district  townships  and  town  independent  districts,  and  one 
representative  of  each  township  divided  into  rural  independent 
districts.  This  law  went  into  effect  July  1,  1913.  The  first  regu- 
lar meeting  of  this  convention  was  provided  for  April,  1915. 
However,  the  resignation  of  Irving  H..Hart,  in  February,  1914, 
led  to  the  calling  of  this  convention  in  special  session,  at  which 
time  the  present  incumbent  of  the  office,  Mr.  Benjamin  Board- 
man,  was  chosen. 

NORMAL   INSTITUTES 

Normal  institutes,  to  be  held  annually  by  the  county  super- 
intendents of  each  county  in  Iowa,  were  provided  for  by  act  of 
the  General  Assembly  in  1873.  The  object  of  these  institutes 
was  at  first  in  part  to  provide  an  opportunity  for  review  in  the 
branches  required  for  examination  for  certificates,  and  in  part 
to  present  to  the  teachers  of  the  county  such  improved  methods 
of  teaching  and  opportunities  for  self-improvement  as  would 
serve  to  make  them  more  efficient  teachers.  The  expenses  inci- 
dent to  holding  these  institutes  were  to  be  provided  from  what 
was  known  as  the  institute  fund,  consisting  of  an  appropriation 
of  $50  fi'om  the  state,  the  $1.00  examination  fee  paid  by  each 
candidate  for  a  teacher's  certificate,  and  the  enrollment  fee  of 
$1.00  paid  by  each  member  of  the  institute.  This  fund  was  under 
the  exclusive  control  of  the  county  superintendent,  subject  to  the 
supervision  of  the  state  superintendent  of  public  instruction. 

In  1906,  a  law  providing  for  uniform  coimty  certificates  in 
the  State  of  Iowa  was  passed  by  the  Legislature  and  thereafter 
the  matter  of  certification  of  teachers  was  taken  out  of  the  hands 
of  the  county  superintendents  and  placed  with  a  board  known 
as  the  board  of  educational  examiners.  The  examination  fee 
was  from  this  date  divided  equally  between  the  state  and  the 
county.  A  provision  was  also  made  for  the  payment  of  a  regis- 
tration fee  to  validate  the  imiform  county  certificates  as  licenses 
to  teach  in  a  particular  coTmty.  These  re.gistration  foes  were  also 
paid  into  the  institute  fund.  At  a  subsequent  legislative  session, 
the  institute  enrollment  fee  was  abolished,  thus  materially  reduc- 
ing the  eountv  institute  fimds. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  137 

Among  the  many  school  laws  passed  by  the  Thirty-fifth  Gen- 
eral Assembly  was  one  which  decidedly  changed  the  system  of 
maintenance  and  control  of  the  normal  institute.  Beginning  July 
1,  1914,  normal  institutes  are  to  be  held  when  schools  are  gener- 
aUy  in  session.  The  registration  fee  for  certificates  is  to  be 
abolished  and  the  institute  fund  recompensed  for  the  loss  by  an 
appropriation  of  not  less  than  one  hundred  and  fifty  dollars  from 
the  general  coimty  fund.  Attendance  at  these  institutes  is  made 
practically  compulsory.  The  teachers  in  actual  service  are  to 
receive  full  pay  while  in  attendance.  Absence  is  to  be  excused 
only  for  physical  disability  or  other  valid  reasons.  The  success 
of  this  plan  is  as  yet  a  matter  to  be  determined  by  experience. 

The  first  institute  held  in  Butler  county  was  in  August,  1874, 
imder  the  superintendency  of  John  W.  Stewart.  These  early 
institutes  were  usually  held  either  at  Shell  Rock  or  Clarksville. 
Since  the  removal  of  the  county  seat  to  Allison,  practically  all 
of  the  institutes  have  been  held  here  vsdth  possibly  three  excep- 
tions, when  Clarksville  was  the  location  of  the  institute.  The  last 
of  these  occasions  was  during  the  summer  of  1912,  when  the  con- 
struction of  a  new  school  building  at  Allison  left  the  town  with- 
out a  satisfactory  place  for  holding  the  institute. 

STATISTICS  OF  EDUCATION  IN  BUTLER  COUNTY 

From  the  last  annual  report  of  the  county  superintendent  the 
following  items  are  taken : 

Number  of  town  and  village  districts 10 

Number  of  school  townships 11 

Number  of  rural  independent  districts.  . .         39 

Number  of  sub-districts 96 

Number  of  teachers  employed 296 

Average  number  of  months  taught 87 

Average  compensation  per  month — males.  .$     67.46 
Average  compensation  per  month — females  $     47.80 
Niimber  of  persons  of  school  age — males.  .   2,662 
Number  of  persons  of  school  age — females.  2,570 

Total  enrollment   4,506 

Average  daily  attendance 3,263 

Average  cost  of  tuition  per  pnpil $      2.83 

Number  of  schoolhouses 148 

Total  valuation  of  schoolhouses $195,690.00 


Tol.  1— » 


138  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Total  amount  paid  teacliers — males.... $  llj-iSS.iS 
Total  amount  paid  teachers — females .  .  $  70,413.42 

UNIFORM  TEXT-BOOKS 

A  number  of  years  ago  the  Iowa  Legislature  authorized  the 
electors  of  the  coimties  to  adopt  uniform  series  of  text-books  for 
use  in  the  rural  schools.  Butler  county  was  among  the  first  of 
the  Iowa  counties  to  adopt  this  system,  which  it  has  adhered  to 
ever  since.  The  adoptions  occur  at  intervals  of  five  years,  the 
last  one  having  been  made  in  January,  1911.  This  system  has  a 
distinct  advantage  for  the  patrons  and  taxpayers,  inasmuch  as  it 
provides  for  securing  the  text-books  used,  at  a  special  price,  and 
makes  it  possible  for  children  to  pass  from  one  school  to  another 
in  rurals  districts  vsdthout  the  necessity  of  a  change  of  texts. 

GUAhKI)   AXI)    HIGH    SCHOOLS 

There  are  ten  graded  schools  in  Butler  county,  four  of  which 
maintain  accredited  four-year  high  schools.  These  are  Clarks- 
vllle,  Greene,  Parkersburg  and  Shell  Rock.  The  Shell  Rock  high 
school  in  addition  has  been  designated  as  a  normal  training  high 
school  under  the  law  passed  by  the  Thirty-fourth  General  Assem- 
bly. Four-year  courses  apjiroved  by  the  department  of  public 
instruction  are  also  maintained  in  the  Allison  and  Aplingtou 
high  schools.  Dimiont  has  a  three-year  high  school  course, 
approved  in  like  manner.  New  Hartford  and  Bristow  also  main- 
tain three-year  high-school  courses.  Kesley  maintains  a  graded 
school,  with  two  teachers.    They  have  no  high  scIk  m  )1  department. 

PROMINENT  EDUCATORS 

Among  the  prominent  educators  who  have  been  at  one  time 
and  another  identified  with  the  schools  of  Butler  county,  may  be 
mentioned  E.  C.  Bellows,  who  served  as  county  superintendent 
from  1885  to  1889.  Mr.  Bellows  later  removed  to  the  Pacific 
coast  and  was  appointed  consul  general  of  the  United  States  in 
Japan. 

George  H.  Betts  served  as  principal  of  schools  in  the  towns 
of  Bristow,  Clarksville  and  Allison.  Later  he  entered  Cornell 
College  at  Mount  Yernon,  Towa.  and  after  his  .graduation  from 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  139 

this  institution,  was  given  a  position  on  its  faculty.  He  is  now 
head  of  the  department  of  education  of  his  alma  mater  and  is 
widely  and  favorably  known  as  an  author  of  educational  works. 
His  book,  "The  Mind  and  Its  Education,"  is  a  standard  text  in 
elementary  psychology.  Professor  Betts  occupies  a  foremost 
place  among  the  educational  thinkers  and  writers  of  the  present 
day.  He  is  a  native  of  Butler  county,  having  been  born  and 
raised  in  Shell  Rock  township. 

W.  F.  Barr,  dean  of  the  College  of  Liberal  Arts  of  Drake  Uni- 
versity, at  Des  Moines,  is  a  former  superintendent  of  schools  in 
Greene  and  Parkersburg.  No  man  in  educational  circles  in  Iowa 
is  more  widely  and  favorably  known  than  Professor  Barr.  But- 
ler county  is  proud  to  recall  his  connection  with  her  educational 
interests. 

Prank  E.  Howard,  former  county  superintendent  of  schools, 
is  at  present  at  the  head  of  the  department  of  education  in  the 
Idaho  State  Normal,  at  Albion. 

Professor  C.  L.  Pullerton  of  the  department  of  music  in  the 
State  Teachers  College  at  Cedar  Falls  is  another  former  super- 
intendent of  schools  in  Parkersburg  whose  present  prominence 
in  the  educational  world  reflects  credit  upon  his  connection  with 
Butler  county. 

These  are  but  a  few  of  the  more  prominent  men  in  an  edu- 
cational way  who  have  been  connected  with  the  schools  of  Butler 
county.  Space  would  not  allow  us  to  mention  the  large  number- 
of  prominent  men  and  women  who  have  gone  out  from  Butler- 
county's  rural  schools  to  positions  of  leadership  and  efficiency,, 
both  in  the  educational  world  and  in  other  avenues  of  life. 

Butler  county  has  reason  to  be  proud  of  the  record  made  by 
her  sons  and  daughters  and  of  the  efficient  work  which  has  been 
done  by  the  schools  of  the  county  in  training  and  educating  these' 
boys  and  girls  to  become  men  and  women  of  power  and  ability. 
However,  progress  is  the  law  of  life,  and  while  present  conditions 
in  no  way  justify  an  unduly  critical  attitude  toward  school  con- 
ditions in  the  county,  yet  a  careful  and  comparative  study  of  the 
schools  and  the  other  activities  of  the  county  justify  one  in  ex- 
pressing a  doubt  as  to  whether  in  all  instances  the  schools  have 
kept  pace  with  progress  in  other  lines.  With  all  just  pride  in  the 
records  of  the  past,  the  people  of  Butler  county  should  look  for- 
ward with  full  faith  to  a  future  of  magnificent  achievement  for 


140  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

her  schools,  keeping  ever  in  miud  as  their  motto  the  slogan  "Bet- 
ter Schools  for  Butler  County." 

SCHOOL   FUND   COMMISSIONER 

1854,  James  Griffith;  1856,  John  H.  Morton. 

COUNTY  SUPEEINTENDENT  OF  SCHOOLS 

In  the  year  1858  the  office  of  school  fund  commissioner  was 
abolished  and  that  of  county  superintendent  of  schools  was  cre- 
ated. The  names  of  the  incumbents  of  the  office  just  named  ap- 
pear below: 

1858,  D.  W.  Mason;  1859, 1.  R.  Dean,  resigned,  M.  D.  L.  Niece 
(to  fiU  vacancy) ;  1861,  R.  Merrill;  1865,  W.  H.  Gue;  1867,  W.  A. 
Lathrop;  1871,  J.  W.  Stewart;  1881,  John  D.  Anderson;  1885,  E. 
C.  Bellows;  1889,  George  F.  Wood;  1893,  Frank  E.  Howard;  1897, 
H.  B.  Aikin;  1901,  Ida  F.  Leydig;  1907,  Mary  A.  Paint;  1913,  Irv- 
ing H.  Hart,  resigned;  1914,  BenjaminBoardman  (to  fill  vacancy). 


CHAPTER  XIV 

AGRICULTURE  AND  AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETIES 

The  following  quotation  from  a  former  historian  of  Butler 
county  gives  in  a  very  satisfactory  manner  the  summary  of  the 
agricultural  conditions  up  to  that  time : 

THIRTY    YEAES    AGO 

"Butler  county  is  acknowledged  as  being  among  the  best  and 
most  prosperous  agricultural  counties  in  Iowa.  Its  people  are 
awake  and  keep  step  with  the  progressive  march  of  the  times  in 
all  that  pertains  to  a  civilization  of  happiness,  industry  and  cul- 
ture. Its  future  possibilities  may  be  set  high  among  the  cluster 
of  its  hundred  sisters,  a  star  of  pride  to  the  noble  state.  The  early 
pioneers  did  not  come  loaded  with  wealth,  and  in  fact  few  had 
more  than  enough  to  barely  get  settled  upon  their  lands,  but  they 
came  with  that  which  in  those  days  was  equal  to  it — training  in 
agricultural  pursuits,  brawny  hands  that  were  able  and  not 
ashamed  to  do  hard  work,  and  in  connection  with  industrious 
habits,  the  energy  and  determination  to  win  success.  The  coun- 
try was  new,  and  there  was  no  alternative  but  that  success  must 
be  wrought  from  the  soil,  which  was  their  only  wealth  and  their 
only  hope.  And,  in  spite  of  all  the  obstacles  and  inconveniences 
to  be  encoimtered,  success  has  attended  their  efforts,  and  the 
transformation  from  the  primitive  to  the  present  comfortable  con- 
dition of  things  was  accomplished.  Nor  is  the  end  yet  reached, 
but  the  county  still  has  a  mine  of  agricultural  wealth  yet  undevel- 
oped, which,  as  years  roll  on,  will  grow  more  and  more  valuable, 
and  when  years  of  cultivated  maturity  shall  dawn  to  transform 
the  yet  imsubdued  prairie  to  waving  fields  of  growing  grain,  But- 
ler county  will  occupy  a  place  among  the  foremost  ranks  of  Iowa 's 
banner  counties. 

141 


142  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

•'Early  in  the  development  of  this  country,  wheat  was  the 
main  product,  and  for  a  niunber  of  years  excellent  crops  were 
raised  with  scarcely  a  failure.  At  the  present  time  it  has  partially 
given  up  its  former  place  to  other  cereals,  while  the  farmers  find 
many  other  avenues  in  which  to  devote  their  time  and  energies. 
The  general  theory,  or  it  might  be  more  properly  said,  it  is  known 
in  a  general  way,  that  the  wheat  belt  has  been  traveling  westward 
ever  since  it  was  first  started  at  Plymouth,  Massachusetts,  when 
the  Pilgrim  fathers  landed  there  over  twolumdred  and  sixty  years 
ago.  At  first  it  moved  on  its  westward  march,  not  in  a  very  rapid 
way,  until  fifty  years  ago  the  valley  of  the  Genesee,  in  New  York, 
was  the  great  wheat  raising  region.  But  when  Michigan,  Illinois 
and  Iowa  were  opened  up  for  cultivation,  the  wheat-growing  cen- 
ter began  its  kangaroo  jumps  toward  the  setting  smi,  and  Iowa 
was  for  years  its  resting  place,  but  how  long  it  will  be  before  its 
now^  receding  line  will  pass  clear  beyond  the  confines  of  Iowa  and 
land  in  Dakota  and  Nebraska,  time  alone  can  determine.  The 
gradual  increase  in  stock-raising  has  placed  corn  in  the  front  rank 
at  present.  Flax  of  late  years  has  been  raised  quite  extensively. 
Rye,  barley  and  all  the  cereals  common  to  this  latitude  do  well,  and 
vegetables  and  small  fruits  grow  abundantly  where  well  culti- 
vated. It  was  formerly  taught  that  apples  could  not  be  success- 
fully raised  here,  but  the  county  now  has  many  fine  and  thrifty 
orchards  which  have  proven  the  matter  quite  to  the  contrary  and 
have  punctured  this  fallacy.  About  one-half  of  the  area  of  the 
county  is  under  a  good  state  of  cultivation." 

The  quotation  above  is  interesting  for  the  purposes  of  com- 
parison, and  in  connection  with  the  comparative  statistics  given 
below  will  furnish  striking  evidence  of  the  progress  of  Biitler 
count}^  in  an  agricultural  way  in  the  years  that  have  lapsed  since 
the  publication  of  the  work  from  which  this  quotation  was  taken. 

iowa's  primacy  in  agriculture 

Iowa  easily  holds  a  foremost  place  among  the  agi'icultural 
states.  Statistics  of  its  soil  products  and  the  live-stock  industry 
justify  this  claim  and  a  careful  study  of  climatic  records  and  the 
vast  resources  of  soil  fertility  will  reveal  the  cause  of  this  primacy 
in  agriculture.  Its  location  within  the  greatest  corn  producing 
area  in  this  country,  or  in  the  world,  is  especially  favorable.  In 
fact  it  may  be  claimed  without  exaggeration  that  Iowa  consti- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  143 

tutes  tlie  most  productive  section  of  the  famous  corn  belt  area  and 
the  statistical  records  will  sustain  this  claim.  The  distinctive 
feature  of  the  state  is  the  fact  that  about  95  per  cent  of  its  area 
may  be  made  to  ])roduce  something  of  value. 

In  crop  production  the  prime  factors  are  the  fertility  of  soil 
and  a  congenial  climate,  and  the  latter  is  the  chief  feature.  There 
are  millions  of  acres  in  this  country  comparatively  worthless, 
although  containing  abundant  supplies  of  fertility,  the  one  thing 
lacking  being  a  favorable  climate.  The  lack  of  moisture  in  the 
gi-owing  season  or  the  prevalence  of  low  temperature  or  frequent 
occurrences  of  frosts  render  the  possession  of  the  most  fertile 
soil  of  little  or  no  use. 

THE   CLIMATE   OF   IOWA 

Situated  near  the  geographical  center  of  the  United  States, 
too  far  inland  to  be  affected  by  the  ocean  winds,  the  climate  of 
Iowa  is  strictly  continental  in  type.  This  naturally  involves  a 
wide  range  of  temperature,  winters  of  considerable  severity  and 
summers  of  almost  tropical  heat  and  a  larger  percentage  of  sun- 
shine than  may  be  found  in  regions  nearer  the  coast.  What  is 
true  of  Iowa  as  a  whole  is  true  of  Butler  county  in  partioidar, 
there  being  comparatively  little  variation  in  clmiatic  and  soil 
conditions  and  productivity  in  the  various  sections  of  the  state. 
Howevei-,  the  absence  of  great  variations  in  altitude,  the  gen- 
erally level  character  of  the  country  in  Butler  county,  the  fa(?t 
that  its  river  valleys  have  in  the  process  of  the  ages  reached  a 
stage  which  is  known  as  that  of  maturity,  that  its  swamp  lands 
which  doubtless  formerly  existed  in  vast  areas  have  been  drained 
largely  by  natural  causes,  although  in  part  by  the  agency  of  man 
in  recent  years,  all  have  resulted  in  reducing  the  amount  of  waste 
land  in  Butler  county  to  a  minimum,  and  entitle  it  to  a  place  in 
possibility  as  a  leader  in  crop  production  in  the  State  of  Iowa. 

METEOROLOGY 

There  has  never  been  a  permanent  meteorological  station  in 
Butlei^  county.  However,  for  about  fifteen  years,  beginning  with 
1<S97.  a  station  was  maintained  at  Greene,  under  the  control  of 
J.  Ij.  Cole,  who  made  regular  annual  reports  to  the  Iowa  Weather 
and  Crop  Service  Bureau.    A  summary  of  these  reports  indicates 


144  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

a  total  average  annual  precipitation  of  about  29  inches  of  rain- 
fall. This  is  very  close  to  the  average  for  the  north  central  dis- 
trict. The  mean  annual  temperature  for  the  same  period  is  about 
47  degrees  above  zero.  The  highest  recorded  temperature  is  111 
degrees  above  zero,  and  the  lowest,  29  degrees  below.  From  an 
agricultural  point  of  view  the  most  important  feature  of  the 
climate  of  Iowa  and  Butler  county  is  the  fact  that  its  maximum 
rainfall  comes  in  the  crop  season  from  April  to  8epteml)er.  inclu- 
sive. The  monthly  averages  of  precipitation  show  that  the  aver- 
age winter  precipitation  is  less  than  2  inches.  In  the  four  most 
critical  crop  months,  from  the  1st  of  Ma}^  to  the  1st  of  Septem- 
ber, more  than  50  per  cent  of  the  bidk  of  the  precipitation  is 
received.    In  the  balance  of  the  year  the  climate  is  relatively  dry. 

Naturally  there  are  great  variations  in  the  amount  of  rain- 
fall from  year  to  year  but  an  actual  stud}^  of  the  statistics  will 
prove  that  there  is  no  just  basis  for  the  claim  that  great  changes 
are  taking  place  in  the  amount  of  rainfall.  In  Butler  county  this 
variation  ranges  from  about  9  inches  in  the  four  crop-growing 
months  to  29  inches  as  a  maximum,  the  average  being  in  the  neigh- 
borhood of  15  inches. 

Killing  frosts  rarely  occur  at  so  late  a  date  in  the  spring  as 
to  be  destructive  to  crops.  Occasionally  the  earliest  killing  frost 
in  autumn,  as  the  farmers  say,  "catches"  the  late  corn,  but  this 
is  not  frequent. 

CROP  PRODUCTION' 

Corn  is  the  chief  product  of  Butler  county  farmers,  the  total 
number  of  bushels  raised  in  191o  being  3,744,000.  The  average 
yield  per  acre  in  this  yeai'  was  36  bushels.  The  state  average  was 
34.9  bushels.  Of  the  ninety-nine  counties  in  Iowa,  Butler  ranked 
forty-first  in  the  total  niunber  of  bushels  produced,  and  forty- 
seventh  in  the  average  yield  per  acre.  Iowa  leads  the  world  in 
corn  production,  not  because  it  grows  more  bushels  per  acre  but 
because  it  possesses  the  largest  area  of  fann  land  adapted  to  the 
production  of  this  great  cereal. 

The  hay  crop  which  ranks  second  in  the  state  is  relatively  less 
important  in  Bi;tler  county,  if  we  are  to  leave  out  the  considera- 
tion of  the  acreage  of  farm  lands  devoted  to  pasturage.  The  pro- 
duction of  hay  in  the  county  in  1913  was  40,500  tons  of  tame  hay 
and  14,700  tons  of  wild  hav. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  145 

The  oat  crop  fills  a  very  important  place  in  the  agriculture  of 
the  county,  the  total  production  in  1913  having  been  2,465,000 
bushels,  an  average  of  29  bushels  per  acre.  In  the  total  produc- 
tion Iowa  ranks  eighteenth  among  the  counties  of  the  state  but  in 
the  average  production  per  acre  it  ranks  ninetieth.  Evidently  too 
many  Butler  county  farmers  consider  the  oat  crop  as  merely  a 
convenient  means  of  resting  the  land  between  the  years  when 
they  can  raise  corn  thereon.  The  state  average  for  1913  in  the 
bushels  of  oats  per  acre  was  34.2. 

OTHEK  STATISTICS 

The  agricultural  statistics  show  that  in  1860  there  were  379 
farms  in  Butler  county.  This  number  increased  steadily  to  1905, 
when  there  were  2,209.  In  1912  the  number  had  decreased  to 
1,976.  Since  1880  the  number  of  acres  in  farms  in  Butler  county 
has  increased  from  290,728  to  334,769. 

The  following  taken  from  the  crop  and  farm  statistics  for  1912 
indicate  accurately  the  present  productiveness  of  Butler  county 
soil :  Total  number  of  farms,  1,976 ;  total  acreage  in  farms,  334,769. 

Total  Acreage  Total  Yield 

Corn   105,458        Bushels   4,915,284 

Oats   83,339              "         3,060,996 

Spring  wheat  601              "         10,398 

Winter  Wheat  881              "         14,969 

Barley   1,532             "         41,495 

Rye  3,095             "         57,089 

Tame  hay   22,457        Tons 25,385 

Wild  hav 11,042          "       11,842 

Alfalfa  ' 14           "      28 

Potatoes l-,483        Bushels   149,945 

In  pasture    90,404  Ap]iles  total  }aeld  7,303  bushels 

In  orchards    499i/j 

Total  number  silos ....  81 

STATISTICS    OF   LBTE   STOCK 

Total  number  horses,  15,015 ;  mules.  271 ;  hogs,  88,987 ;  cattle, 
44.368;  sheep,  1,693;  poimds  of  wool  clipped,  21,043;  poiiltry, 
383,319;  total  dozen  eggs,  1,108,343,  est. 


146  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

AGRICULTURAL  SOCIETIES 

THE  BUTLER  COUNTY  FAIR 

The  first  definite  agricultural  association  in  tlie  county  was 
laiown  as  the  Butler  County  Agricultural  Society  which  held  its 
first  meeting  at  Butler  Center,  on  March  15,  1866.  Previous  to 
this  date,  the  society  had  existed  under  a  system  of  annual  mem- 
berships. Fairs  had  been  held  at  different  points  in  the  county 
for  a  number  of  years  previous  but  under  this  system  the  grounds 
were  but  temporarily  fitted  up,  the  interest  of  the  members  but 
temporary  and  there  could  be  no  permanent  basis  for  success. 

There  is  some  question  as  to  where  the  first  fair  in  Butler 
county  was  held.  An  early  historian  says:  "The  first  fair  held 
in  Butler  county  was  held  at  Willoughby  village  about  1856  or 
1857.  It  was  a  small  affair  but  a  good  time  was  had.  The  village 
at  which  the  fair  was  held  has  long  since  been  counted  a  thing 
of  the  past."  Thomas  Hunt,  of  Clarksville,  at  the  date  of  the 
present  wi'iting  perhaps  the  oldest  citizen  of  the  county  both  in 
years  and  in  point  of  residence,  says:  "To  the  best  of  my  knowl- 
edge the  first  fair  in  Butler  county  was  held  at  Clarksville  in 
1856.  Another  fair  was  held  here  in  1857.  Thereafter  fairs  were 
held  at  Butler  Center,  Willoughby,  New  Hartford  and  Shell 
Rock,  approximately  in  this  order.  Later  the  fairs  came  to  be 
held  regularly  at  Shell  Rock."  Martin  Bailey,  the  first  secre- 
tary of  the  permanent  organization  says  in  his  report  to  the 
Auditor  of  State  in  1866:  "Fairs  have  been  held  at  different 
times  in  the  county  for  the  last  seven  years,  no  one  place  having 
it  for  two  successive  years." 

At  the  meeting  at  Butler  Center  referred  to  above,  plans  for 
organization  on  a  more  permanent  basis  were  discussed  and 
it  was  finally  decided  to  appoint  a  committee  to  secure  as  many 
as  fifty  life  members,  who  would  agree  to  subscribe  the  sum  of 
$]0  to  the  association.  This  committee  consisted  of  James  W. 
Davis,  Martin  Bailey,  J.  H.  Hale  and  John  Palmer.  This  com- 
mittee also  was  to  prepare  articles  of  incorporation. 

On  the  2nd  of  Jime  another  meeting  was  held  at  the  court- 
house in  Butler  Center,  at  which  time  it  was  rejiorted  that  fifty 
subscribers  for  life  membership  had  been  secured.  Articles  of 
incorporation  were  reported  and  adopted.  The  names  of  the 
incorporators  were  as  follows:  A.  Converse,  M.  Hollenbeck,  J. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  147 

il.  Hale,  James  Collar,  W,  A.  Latlirop,  E.  Landpliier,  J.  A.  Wood, 
B.  Leavens,  M.  Bailey,  S.  Rice,  J.  G.  Scoby,  J.  Bishop,  E.  W. 
Metzger,  J.  H.  Carter,  E.  Town,  P.  Leavens,  J.  Palmer,  J.  P. 
Wright,  R.  R.  Parriott,  C.  B.  Simons,  W.  Adair  and  O.  S.  New- 
■comb. 

The  name  chosen  for  the  association  was  the  Butler  County 
Agricultural  and  Horticultural  Society.  The  location  of  fairs 
to  be  held  by  the  society  was  fixed  at  Shell  Rock.  Tlie  incorpora- 
tion was  for  a  period  of  twenty  years.  According  to  the 
terms  and  articles  of  incorporation,  the  business  and  object  of 
"the  society  was  to  hold  fairs  and  offer  suitable  premiums  for 
the  encouragement  of  agricultural,  horticultural  and  mechanical 
pursuits,  and  the  improvements  of  the  stock  and  productions  of 
the  county. 

Thirteen  directors  were  provided  for  the  first  board  con- 
sisting of  the  following  named  persons:  A.  Converse,  R.  R. 
Parriott,  J.  P.  Wright,  John  Hiekle,  J.  H.  Hale,  M.  Ilollenbeck, 
James  Collar,  C.  B.  Simons,  James  Wood,  Charles  Ensign,  M. 
Bailey,  B.  Leavens  and  J.  H.  Carter.  These  articles  of  incorpora- 
tion were  filed  for  record  June  2,  1866. 

The  first  officers  chosen  were:  James  Collar,  president;  C.  B. 
Simons,  vice  president;  S.  Rice,  treasurer;  and  M.  Bailey,  secre- 
tary. Ln  consideration  of  publishing  done  for  the  society  William 
M.  Palmer,  editor  of  The  Stiletto,  was  elected  to  membership  in 
the  association.  At  this  first  meeting  of  the  permanent  organiza- 
tion thirty-foiu'  members  paid  $10  each  to  the  association.  The 
dates  of  the  fair  were  fixed  for  Oct.  2  and  3, 1866. 

During  this  year  a  committee  of  the  board  of  directors  pre- 
pared and  adopted  a  set  of  by-laws  to  govern  the  society  and  pur- 
chased a  site  for  the  fair  grounds  of  James  W.  McCague  for  the 
sum  of  $200.  This  site  stood  west  of  the  present  town  of  Shell 
Rock. 

The  sum  of  $600  was  appropriated  for  fencing  the  fair  grounds. 

At  the  close  of  this  first  year  the  secretary,  Martin  Bailey, 
made  a  report  to  the  Secretary  of  State,  from  which  we  quote 
the  following:  "The  premium  list  was  published  in  our  county 
paper.  The  Stiletto  on  August  2d.  The  fair,  held  on  October  2d 
and  3d,  was  a  decided  success.  The  list  of  horses  entered  was  ex- 
tensive and  embraced  several  excellent  stallions  of  different 
breeds  from  the  ponderous  Samson  to  the  stylish  Black  Hawk. 
There  were  several  fine  thoroughbred  Durham  cattle,  a  few  very 


148  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

good  sheep  and  several  choice  blooded  swine  upon  exhil)iti(in. 
The  display  of  farm  products  was  not  very  extensive,  Init  grass 
seed,  wheat,  oats,  etc.,  Avere  represented.     Garden  vegetables 
were  fine  and  there  were  two  entries  of  apples  that  weve  credit- 
able." 

The  report  of  the  treasurer  on  this  first  year  is  as  follows: 
"Receipts:  Fimds  of  the  old  society,  $50;  membership,  $460; 
entrance  fees,  $91.55;  gate  fees,  $215j  total,  $816.55.  Disburse- 
ments: Fences  and  buildings,  $522.50;' printing  and  stationery, 
$58.75 ;  expenses  of  fair,  $54.35 ;  total,  $635.55 ;  balance,  $181.  In- 
debtedness: Premiums,  $191.50;  Due  on  grounds,  $200,  showing 
an  excess  of  indebtedness  over  the  balance  on  hand  of  $210. 

In  the  annual  meeting  in  Juno,  1867,  the  premiums  awarded  in 
1866  were  ordered  paid  in  full.  The  receipts  of  the  fair  held  in 
1868  were  not  sufficient  to  pay  the  i^remiums,  expenses  and  other 
indebtedness,  the  Aveather  having  been  extremely  unfavorable. 
A  tax  of  $2  was  therefore  levied  upon  each  life  mem])er  at  a  special 
meeting  held  on  September  24th. 

The  Clarksville  baiid  was  hired  for  the  fair  in  1870. 

At  a  special  meeting  lield  Jan.  28,  1871,  the  question  of  sell- 
ing a  right  of  way  through  the  fair  grounds  to  the  Burlington, 
Cedar  Rapids  &  Minnesota  railway  was  discussed.  It  was  agreed 
to  adjourn  to  meet  later  to  decide  this  question.  At  a  meeting 
held  the  last  of  April  this  railroad  was  given  the  right  of  way 
through  the  groimds.  Inasmuch  as  this  would  result  in  rendering 
the  grounds  unfit  for  use  for  fair  purposes  an  arrangement  was 
made  with  Sylvester  Rice  to  lease  a  tract  of  land  belonging  to  hun 
and  lying  immediately  south  of  the  former  site  for  the  purpose  of 
holding  the  succeeding  fairs.  Mr.  Rice  gave  this  lease  free  of 
charge  on  condition  that  he  be  allowed  to  pasture^  the  lands  at 
times  when  the  fair  was  not  being  held. 

At  the  regular  annual  meeting  in  1871  the  old  fair  grounds 
site  was  sold  to  Sylvester  Rice  outright  and  twenty  acres  south 
of  the  former  site  were  leased  from  ]iin\  for  twenty  years. 

As  early  as  1867  a  substantial  premium  was  offered  1)y  the 
society  for  the  best  artificial  grove  planted  and  cultivated  under 
conditions  set  foi'th  in  the  premium  list.  In  1872  a  committee  of 
the  board  of  directors  was  appointed  to  investigate  the  condition 
of  groves  planted  in  accordance  with  the  requirements.  There  is, 
however,  no  record  of  a  report  by  this  committee  until  the  annual 
meeting  of  1874,  at  which  time  on  recommendation  of  a  committee 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  149 

the  premium  for  the  best  artificial  grove  planted  and  cultivated 
under  the  premiiun  ofiev  of  1867  was  awarded  to  Amos  Ressler, 
of  Shell  Rock  township.  The  grove  for  which  this  premium  was 
awarded  consisted  largely  of  soft  maple,  with  some  black  ash  and 
white  elm  trees.  The  trees  were  said  to  average  twelve  feet  in 
height  and  to  be  in  excellent  condition.  There  are  records  also 
of  premimn  awards  for  the  best  acre  of  wheat,  the  best  acre  of 
oats  and  the  best  half  acre  of  potatoes,  showing  clearly  that  the 
society  was  endeavoring  to  the  best  of  its  ability  to  carry  out  the 
aim  and  object  of  its  organization — improvement  of  farm  crops 
and  production  in  Butler  county. 

At  the  annual  meeting  in  1877  the  president  reported  that  the 
grounds  had  been  removed  without  expense,  to  a  new  site  north- 
east of  Shell  Rock,  on  what  was  known  as  the  WilKams  place. 
This  is  the  location  of  the  present  race  track  southeast  of  the 
Great  Western  depot. 

The  original  term  of  incorporation  for  twenty  years  expii'ed 
in  1886.  In  preparation  for  reorganization,  a  meeting  was  called 
in  August,  1885,  at  which  general  plans  for  reorganization  were 
discussed.  On  Oct.  17,  1885,  it  was  voted  to  renew  the  articles  of 
incorporation  for  twenty  years  and  new  articles  of  incorporation 
were  adopted. 

The  question  of  reorganization,  however,  was  not  yet  settled. 
The  location  of  Shell  Rock  at  the  extreme  eastern  side  of  the 
coimty  was  unsatisfactory  to  a  large  majority  of  the  people  of 
the  county.  So  much  dissatisfaction  with  the  location  had  been 
expressed  that  even  the  people  of  Shell  Rock  reached  a  point 
where  they  were  willing  to  consider  a  relocation  of  the  site  of  the 
annual  eount}^  fair.  In  the  meantime,  as  will  be  noticed  later,  an 
agricultural  organization  had  been  formed  at  Clarksville  which 
had  been  holding  annual  fairs  for  a  number  of  years. 

The  question  of  reorganization  and  relocation  was  discussed  at 
a  number  of  adjourned  meetings  in  the  early  part  of  1886.  Fin- 
ally at  a  meeting  held  in  Shell  Rock  in  May,  J.  R.  Jones,  Jeremiah 
Perrin  and  Cyrus  Doty,  representing  the  Clarksville  Agricultural 
Association,  appeared  and  pi'oposed  to  consolidate  the  two  socie- 
ties and  to  provide  for  annual  fairs  to  be  held  in  alternate  years 
at  Clarksville  and  Shell  Rock.  This  proposition  was  first  voted 
upon  at  a  meeting  in  August,  1886,  with  the  result  that  thirty- 
four  votes  were  cast  in  the  affirmative  and  thirty-two  in  the 
negative.    Inasmuch,  however,  as  this  consolidation  involved  an 


150  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

amendment  to  the  constitution  and  required  a  two-third  vote  of 
the  members  present,  it  was  declared  lost. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  October,  the  proposition  of  the  Clarksville 
Society  was  agam  presented  and  again  lost  on  the  lack  of  a  two- 
third  vote,  the  vote  this  time  being  forty-one  for  to  twenty-six 
against.  At  the  same  meeting  the  proposition  to  secure  the 
removal  of  the  fair  to  Allison  was  presented  and  was  defeated  for 
the  same  reason  by  a  vote  of  twentj^-one  to  seventeen,  the  Clarks- 
ville members  of  the  association  not  voting. 

It  became  evident,  however,  that  it  would  be  impossible  to  con- 
tinue the  location  of  the  fail's  at  Shell  Rock  and  it  was  equally 
evident  that  the  Clarksville  location  would  not  be  any  more  satis- 
factory to  the  majority  of  the  members.  As  a  result,  on  the  30th  of 
October,  1886,  at  a  meeting  of  the  stockholders,  article  1  of  the 
constitution  was  amended  by  substituting  the  name  "Allison"  for 
"Shell  Rock"  as  the  place  of  holding  the  fairs,  the  vote  being  sixty- 
five  to  nine — a  decisive  majority.  It  was  voted  to  tear  down  the 
buildings  on  the  Shell  Rock  fair  grounds  and  pile  the  lumber  pre- 
paratory to  moving  it  to  Allison. 

A  committee  consisting  of  Jeremiah  Perriu,  S.  Rice,  R.  Stanley, 
L.  J.  Rogers,  I.  M.  Fisher.  G.  M.  Craig,  J.  W.  Wright,  James  Collar, 
S.  M.  Baldwin.  S.  B.  Dumoiit  and  N.  0.  Olmstead  was  appointed 
to  secure  a  new  location  near  Allison.  This  conmiittee  secm'ed 
twenty-three  acres  of  ground,  partly  within  and  partly  out  of  the 
corporate  limits  of  the  town  of  Allis(in.  the  land  being  purchased 
from  H.  L.  Stout  and  the  Allison  Town  Company,  for  a  considera- 
tion of  something  over  one  thousand  dollars. 

The  annual  meeting  of  1887  was  held  in  the  court  room  at 
Allison.  At  that  time  the  by-laws  were  amended  so  as  to  have  one 
director  from  each  township  and  the  date  of  the  annual  meeting 
changed  fi'om  the  first  Saturday  in  June  to  the  first  Wednesday 
after  the  first  Monday  in  January.  The  first  board  of  directors 
representing  the  sixteen  townships  was:  N.  H.  Larkin,  Fremont? 
Levi  Baker,  Dayton;  Samuel  McRoberts,  Coldwater;  M.  Wilson, 
Bennezette;  W."  R.  Nichols,  Pittsford;  J.  H.  Neal,  West  Point; 
Cyrus  Doty,  Jackson;  J.  Perrin,  Butler;  G.  W.  Adair,  Shell  Rock; 
S.  M.  Baldwin.  Jefferson;  F.  A.  Randolph,  Ripley ;  W.  Watson,  Sr,, 
Madison;  J.  J.  Burnhani,  Washington;  Joseph  Linn,  Monroe; 
James  Collar,  Beaver. 

The  first  fair  at  Allison  was  held  in  the  fall  of  1887,  by  which 
time  a  half  mile  track  had  been  laid  out  and  graded  and  a  covered 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  151 

amphitheatre  and  floral  hall  completed,  and  barns  for  the  accom- 
modation of  horses  and  cattle  constructed  from  the  material  hauled 
from  the  old  site  at  Shell  Rock.  Senator  William  B.  Allison  was 
present  on  the  dedication  of  the  new  grounds  and  delivered  an 
address. 

In  1895  the  system  of  electing  one  director  from  each  township 
in  the  coimty  was  abandoned  and  thereafter  seven  directors  were 
chosen.  As  a  rule  these  have  been  chosen,  two  from  each  super- 
visor district  in  the  county  and  one  elector  at  large.  Before  this 
date  several  of  the  townships  had  ceased  to  have  reiDresentatives 
upon  the  board  of  directors,  especially  Fremont  township,  which  is 
territoriallj^  contiguous  to  Nashua,  where  the  Big  Four  fair  is 
annually  held;  and  Washington  township,  which  is  nearer  to  the 
Hardin  county  fair. 

In  June,  1895,  a  special  meeting  for  the  board  of  directors  Avas 
held  to  arrange  for  repairing  buildings  on  the  fair  grounds,  which 
had  been  wrecked  by  a  wind  storm.  It  was  found  necessary  to 
reconstruct  the  stalls,  the  amphitheatre  and  the  floral  hall,  and 
an  assessment  v;pon  the  stockholders  was  made  to  cover  the  cost 
of  repairs. 

The  changing  character  of  the  fair  begins  to  be  shown  from 
the  records  as  early  as  1896.  At  that  titne  apparently  it  had  ceased 
to  be  so  largely  agricultural  and  horticultural  as  it  was  an  amuse- 
ment proposition.  At  the  annual  meeting  in  1896  provision  was 
made  for  bicycle  races,  football  games  and  a  balloon  ascension. 
The  total  amomit  appropriated  for  amusements  at  that  time, 
however,  did  not  exceed  $200.  The  comparison  with  the  amount 
paid  for  amusement  purposes  in  recent  fairs  is  a  striking  one.  In 
1899  the  amount  appropriated  for  amusements  was  $250.  In  1900 
an  appropriation  was  made  for  building  a  hog  house  on  the  fair 
grounds.  In  1901  the  weather  was  so  unfavorable  the  fair  was  held 
for  only  one  day.  In  1902  so  rapidly  had  the  character  of  the  fair 
changed  that  Ave  find  record  to  the  effect  that  the  committee  on 
amusements  was  to  be  limited  to  the  expenditure  of  $1,000. 

The  second  period  of  incorporation  having  expired  in  1906,  the 
articles  were  revised  and  the  corporation  renewed  for  another 
twenty-year  period.  Important  changes  in  the  articles  were  made 
at  that  time. 

In  1907  the  date  of  the  annual  meeting  was  changed  to  the 
second  Saturday  in  October.  In  July,  1907,  at  a  special  meeting 
of  the  organization  it  was  announced  that  the  board  of  super- 


152  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

visors  of  Butler  comity  liad  iii  aecordauee  with  the  provision  of 
section  1660  in  the  code  of  1897,  appropriated  the  sum  of  $1,000 
for  the  use  of  the  society.  This  appropriation  was  exjieuded  and 
the  money  used  for  building  a  new  stock  pavilion,  the  construc- 
tion of  which  was  awarded  to  F.  F.  Jimkins.  The  final  cost  of  this 
building  was  $1,310.  At  the  same  time  provision  was  made  for  the 
construction  of  a  new  tight  board  fence  along  the  main  road  on 
the  west  side  of  the  fair  grounds  and  for  the  sale  of  advertising 
space  thereon.  '  • 

The  progress  of  the  times  is  indicated  by  the  fact  that  in  the 
fail"  of  1907,  provision  was  made  for  automobile  races.  At  the 
fair  this  year.  Gov.  Albert  B.  Cuimnins  was  present  and  addressed 
the  people.  In  1910  provision  was  made  for  holding  a  corn- 
growing  and  corn- judging  contest  for  the  boys  and  girls  of  But- 
ler county.  Great  interest  was  aroused  in  this  contest  in  this  and 
the  succeeding  year,  large  prizes  being  offered  and  a  number  of 
contestants  competing.  Sen.  Jonathan  P.  Dolliver  was  present 
at  the  fair  in  1911,  only  a  few  months  before  his  death. 

The  fair  has  now  maintained  a  continuous  existence  as  a  cor- 
poration for  nearly  a  half  century.  Its  maintenance  has  always 
been  at  the  cost  of  a  continued  struggle.  Mention  has  been 
made  of  the  changing  character  of  the  fair  in  more  recent  years. 
While  this  is  somewhat  perhaps  to  be  regretted,  it  is  api^arently 
unavoidable  that  the  chief  features  of  the  fair  should  be  of  the 
amusement  nature;  yet  it  is  difficult  for  a  fair  located  near  a 
small  town  to  compete  as  an  amusement  proposition  with  the 
larger  fairs  and  parks  of  nearby  cities.  Means  of  transporta- 
tion in  these  days  when  automobiles  are  so  generally  owned  are 
so  well  adajDted  for  covering  long  distances  that  the  directors  of 
the  Butler  County  Fair  Association  are  confronted  by  an  eternal 
problem  of  securing  the  attendance,  upon  which  the  siiccess  of 
the  fair  in  a  financial  way  must  always  depend. 

A  list  of  the  presidents  and  secretaries  of  the  association  from 
the  beginning  to  the  present  time  follows : 

Presidents— James  Collar,  1866-7.3 ;  M.  Bailey,  1873-75 ;  Rich- 
ard Hughes,  1875-78 ;  James  Collar,  1878-80 ;  J.  H.  Carter.  1881- 
85;  M.  Bailey,  1885-86;  J.  H.  Carter,  1886-93;  A.  O.  Strout, 
1893-94;  J.  H.  Carter,  1894-95;  G.  M.  Craig.  1895-97;  H.  C. 
Brown,  1897-1901;  K.  S.  Green,  1901-02;  A.  F.  Yarcho,  1902-04; 
John  Coster,  1904-12;  Frank  Fishel,  1912-13;  John  Coster,  1913 
to  date. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  153 

Secretaries— M.  Bailey,  1866-70 ;  J.  W.  Davis,  1870-71 ;  O.  W 
Mcintosh,  1871-72;  J.  O.  Stewart,  1872-75;  J.  W.  Davis,  1875-76 
M.  Bailey,  1877-79;  R.  Hughes,  1879-85;  E.  Wilson,  1885-86;  W 
J.  Hunt,  1886-87;  G.  M.  Craig,  1887-88;  C.  W.  Levis,  1888-90 
H.  F.  Wnd,  1890-91;  R.  Gonzales,  1891-92;  H.  F.  Wild,  1892-93; 
S.  E.  Burroughs,  1893-96;  G.  Hazlet,  1896-97;  L.  J.  Rogers,  1897- 
1901;  R.  Gonzales,  1901-02;  Garfield  Merner,  1902-03,  resigned, 
S.  E.  Burroaighs  appointed;  H.  ¥.  Wild,  1903-04,  resigned,  Paul 
R.  Burroughs  appointed;  J.  W.  Ray,  1904-05;  L.  J.  Rogers, 
1905-06 ;  J.  V.  Gregory,  1906-07 ;  M.  B.  Speedy,  1907-08 ;  N.  W. 
Scovel,  1908;  W.  C.  Shepard,  1908-12;  0.  F.  Missman,  1912-13; 
W.  C.  Shepard,  1913. 

CLARKSVILLE  AGRICULTURAL  ASSOCIATION 

The  Clarksville  Agricultural  Association  was  organized  in 
1875,  and  during  the  same  year  the  fair  grounds  were  purchased 
of  John  Hicks  and  others,  containing  twenty-five  acres.  The 
incorporators  were  as  follows:  E.  A.  Glenn,  G.  R.  Peet,  Ike  E. 
Lucas,  L.  Bartlett,  George  Barber,  S.  McRoberts,  Jr.,  David 
Crosby,  Benjamin  Crosby,  J.  R.  Fletcher  and  J.  0.  Stewart. 
The  first  officers  were :  Samuel  McRoberts,  Sr.,  president ;  Ike 
E.  Lucas,  secretary;  Cyrus  Doty,  treasurer;  J.  R.  Jones,  James 
R.  Fletcher,  E.  A.  Glenn,  Lorenzo  Bartlett  and  George  R.  Peet, 
directors. 

The  first  fair  was  held  in  October,  1876,  and  proved  a  splendid 
success. 

This  association  continued  to  hold  annual  fairs  for  some  years 
on  its  fair  grounds  situated  just  west  of  the  Rock  Island  tracks. 
Later  the  annual  fairs  were  abandoned  for  some  time.  Of  recent 
years  an  annual  summer  fiesta  has  been  held  on  the  association 
groimds  with  considerable  degree  of  success. 

THE  FARMERS  INSTITUTE 

The  Butler  County  Farmers  Institute  was  first  organized 
about  fifteen  years  ago  and  has  held  annual  meetings  since  that 
time  at  different  places  in  the  county.  The  first  officers  of  the 
Farmers  Institute  were  George  Adair,  Shell  Rock,  president ;  John 
Ressler.  Shell  Rock,  secretary.  The  institutes  have  resulted  in 
great  benefit  to  the  farmers  and  townspeople  in  Butler  county. 


154 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


The  movement  is  one  of  increasing  tuiportance  and  is  securing 
the  substantial  support  of  the  more  progressive  citizens  of  the 
county. 

OAK  GLEN  FAEM 

At  the  Iowa  State  Fair  in  1913,  Mrs.  Fannie  Klinck,  of  Clarks- 
ville,  was  awarded  first  premium  for  exhibit  from  a  farm  of  forty 
acres  or  less.  This  farm,  known  as  the  Oak  Glen  Farm,  is  sit- 
uated about  two  and  a  half  miles  north  of  Clarksville.  A  photo- 
graph of  this  exhibit  is  given  in  connection  with  this  article. 

ASSESSED    VALUATION    OF    REAL    AND    PERSONAL    PROPERTY    FOR    TAX- 
ABLE PURPOSES,   1913 


'■'       ^  '        Number 
'  of 

acres 

Fremont   23,451 

Dayton    23,100 

Coldwater  22,460 

Bennezette    22,204 

Pittsford  21,904 

West  Point 21,788 

Jackson   22,232 

Butler   22,624 

Shell  Rock  22,140 

Jefferson  23,019 

Ripley   22.691 

Madison 23,193 

Washington   22,923 

Monroe    22,366 

Albion   22,471 

Beaver  21,725 

Greene  66 

Dumont  878 

Bristow   425 

Allison  583 

Clarksville    376 

Shell  Rock  868 


Value 

Actual 

Taxable 

as  equal- 

value 

value 

ized  by 

real 

personal 

state 

property 

property 

$  1,627,464 

$  1,597,204 

$    399,301 

1,522,076 

1,385,240 

346,310 

1,558,576 

1,438,852 

359,703 

1,535,652 

1,623,076 

405,769 

1,457,312 

1,318,292 

329,573 

1,508,408 

1,403,364 

350,841 

1,449,492 

1,345,028 

336,257 

1,652,616 

1,477,516 

369,379 

1,533,828 

1,428,572 

357,143 

1,414,076 

1,322,684 

330,671 

1,387,684 

1,266,880 

316,720 

1,424.128 

1,383,496 

345,874 

1,603,692 

1,479,588 

369,897 

1,449,996 

1,288,956 

322,239 

1,516,212 

1,390,080 

347,520 

1,368,620 

1,303,748 

325,937 

590,640 

877,472 

219.36S 

227,488 

323,632 

80,908 

112,813 

172.948 

43.237 

242,158 

349,648 

87.412 

392.478 

526.376 

131.594 

330,476 

435,544 

108.886 

IXDIVIDCAL  FARM   COLLECTION   EAI8ED   AND   EXHIBITED   BY 
FANNIE  M.  KLINCK,  CLAEK8VILLE 

Won   first    premium    in   80-acre   class   and   grand   champion    sweepstake   over   nil    classes   at 
Iowa  State  Fair,  Des  Moines,  1913 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  155 

Aplington   203,277           289,540  72,385 

Parkersburg    474,595           773,960  193,490 

New  Hartford  ....          97           158,320           262,692  65,673 


Total    363,084    $26,742,077     $26,464,388    $6,511,287 


CHAPTER  XV 

BUTLER  COUNTY  IN  THE  CIVIL  WAK 

When  the  war  between  the  states  began  in  1861,  Butler  county 
was  yet  in  its  infancy.  Hardly  ten  years  had  elapsed  since  the 
first  permanent  settlement  within  the  borders  of  the  county.  The 
increase  of  the  population  in  these  ten  years  had  been  relatively 
very  rapid.  The  census  of  1860  showed  the  presence  of  3,724 
people  in  the  county.  Of  these  it  may  be  ascribed  that  not  more 
than  one-fifth  were  men  of  military  age.  The  exact  number  of 
soldiers  enlisted  from  Butler  county  cannot  be  definitely  given. 
There  were  293  volunteer  enlistments  during  the  years  1861  and 
1862.  During  the  entire  period  of  the  war  there  were  some  five 
hundred  and  four  enlistments  and  reenlistments.  These  figures 
would  indicate  that  practically  all  the  able  bodied  male  citizens  of 
Butler  county  who  were  not  exempt  from  military  service  at  one 
time  or  another  answered  the  call  of  their  country  and  served  in 
its  armies  in  the  war  for  the  preservation  of  the  Union. 

The  story  of  the  Ci\al  war,  its  causes,  events  and  results  need 
not  be  retold  here.  If  we  could,  we  would  recreate  that  period 
for  the  benefit  of  the  present  generation,  to  most  of  whom  those 
bitter  days  of  warfare  are  but  an  abstraction.  Such  an  achicA^e- 
ment  is  beyond  our  power.  We  must  therefore  be  satisfied  with 
a  brief  statement  of  the  part  which  Butler  county  played  in  thc' 
war  and  a  brief  summary  of  some  of  the  services  rendered  the 
common  country  by  citizens  of  Butler  county,  and  supplement 
this  by  as  complete  a  list  as  is  possible  to  secure  of  the  volunteer 
soldiers  who  enlisted  from  Butler  county.  These  lists  will  of 
necessity  be  inaccurate  and  incomplete.  For  years  the  adjutant 
general's  office  has  been  engaged  in  the  revision  and  correction 
of  the  records  of  the  soldiers  of  the  War  of  the  Rebellion.  How- 
ever, imavoidable  errors  and  omissions  have  been  made.  The 
records  here  given  are  as  complete  and  as  accurate  as  the  time- 
and  material  at  our  disposal  will  allow. 

157 


158  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

BOUNTIES  AND  SOLDIERS'  RELIEF 

The  lirst  official  reference  to  the  Civil  war  occurs  in  the  min- 
utes of  the  board  of  supervisors  at  a  special  session  in  April,  18G2. 
At  this  meeting,  W.  A.  Lathi-op  offered  a  resolution  granting  a 
bounty  of  $20  "to  all  volunteers  under  the  call  for  300,000  men, 
which  shall  be  accepted  and  mustered  into  the  service  of  the 
United  States,  upon  sufficient  evidence  being  lodged  with  the 
clerk."  This  resolution  was  laid  over  till  the  September  term. 
In  September,  Supervisor  Lathrop  again  moved  the  adoption  of 
this  resolution. 

As  a  substitute  for  this  resolution,  W.  R.  Jamison  offered  the 
following:  "Whereas,  large  numbers  of  our  fellow  citizens  of 
this  county  have  most  probably  volunteered  their  service  in 
defense  of  the  Constitution  and  the  Union  in  order  to  ciiush  this 
most  unholy  rebellion,  and  whereas,  the  time  for  recruiting  for 
the  volunteer  service  has  now,  for  the  present  at  least,  expired, 
and  whereas,  some  of  the  families  of  those  persons  who  have  vol- 
unteered and  who  are  in  the  actual  military  service  of  the  United 
States  and  whose  families  still  continue  to  reside  in  tliis  coimty, 
may  be  in  destitute  circumstances,  therefore,  be  it  resolved  that 
we  hereby  pledge  the  faith  of  the  county  that  those  families  left 
in  destitute  circumstances  by  the  enlistment  of  the  heads  thereof, 
shall  be  looked  after  and  properly  cared  for  by  the  county  dur- 
ing their  absence.  That  the  supervisors  from  the  several  town- 
ships act  as  a  relief  committee,  each  f(U'  the  township  he  represents, 
which  service  shall  be  performed  gratuitously  by  said  committee, 
and  we  reconunend  to  each  member  of  said  committee  that  they 
look  well  to  the  interests  of  the  county  and  yet  be  faithful  in 
attending  to  the  necessities  of  those  left  behind  by  the  brave  men 
who  have  so  nobly  gone  forth  to  fight  the  battles  of  their  country 
in  defense  of  the  Union." 

Supervisor  J.  R.  Fletcher  offered  an  amendment  to  the  reso- 
lution of  W.  A.  Lathrop,  "offering  a  boimty  of  $25  to  each  single 
man  and  $50  to  each  married  man  who  had  volunteered  from 
Butler  county  since  the  call  for  300,000  men." 

After  several  attempts  further  to  amend  or  substitute  these 
resolutions,  the  board  by  a  vote  of  six  to  eight  defeated  both  the 
resolution  of  W.  R.  Jamison  and  the  substitute  of  W.  A.  Tjathrop. 

A  committee  consisting  of  Supervisors  Fletcher,  Lathrop,  M. 
"Wilson,  Hoffman  and  Criswell,  was  appointed  to  report  a  resolu- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  159 

tioB  providing  ways  and  means  to  support  the  families  of  volun- 
teers in  accordance  with  Chapter  38  of  the  Acts  of  the  Extra 
Session  of  the  Iowa  Legislature  of  May,  1862.  This  committee 
reported  that  in  order  to  carry  out  the  true  spirit  and  intent  of 
this  act  of  the  Legislature,  each  township  supervisor  "be  espe- 
cially charged  that  families  of  all  volunteers  that  have  gone,  or 
may  go,  from  his  township,  be  supplied  with  necessary  food,  cloth- 
ing and  fuel  and  to  this  end  that  they  be  empowered  to  have  the 
clerk  draw  orders  on  the  county  treasury  from  time  to  time  as 
they  shall  judge  that  causes  may  demand  immediate  relief,  and 
in  all  cases  to  report  at  the  succeeding  meeting  of  the  board." 
In  accordance  with  this  resolution,  from  time  to  time  relief  was 
furnished  to  the  families  of  volunteers,  as  is  shown  by  the  records 
of  the  board. 

At  the  first  regular  meeting  of  the  board  in  1864,  Supervisor 
Allen  of  Jefferson  township,  offered  a  resolution  providing  that 
a  bounty  of  $100  be  paid  to  each  volunteer  that  had  gone  from 
Butler  county  under  all  the  calls  for  volunteers  made  by  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States,  or  who  might  go  under  such  calls,  the 
same  bounty  to  be  paid  to  the  families  of  those  who  have  been 
killed  or  died  of  disease  in  the  sei'vice.  Provision  was  made  for 
a  separate  fund  for  the  pa\Tnent  of  these  sums  to  be  known  as 
the  Volunteer  Bounty  Fund,  to  be  raised  by  a  levy  upon  the  taxable 
property  of  the  county.  Persons  who  had  deserted  the  service 
(if  the  LTnited  States  were  not  to  be  entitled  to  the  benefits  of 
this  resolution.  After  full  discussion  and  debate  this  resolution 
was  adopted  by  a  yea  and  nay  vote,  eleven  members  voting  yea 
and  four  nay. 

Tliis  resolution  was  later  restricted  at  the  June  meeting  by 
providing  that  bounties  paid  under  it  should  be  so  construed  as 
not  to  include  commissioned  officers  or  any  A^olunteers  dishonor- 
ably discharged  from  the  service.  Further,  only  those  soldiers 
who  had  volunteered  for  a  term  of  three  years,  or  during  the  war, 
were  to  receive  the  benefit  of  this  bounty.  An  attempt  to  provide 
a  bounty  of  $100  for  veterans  who  reenlisted  was  defeated. 

In  January,  1865,  those  volunteers  who  had  enlisted  under  the 
call  for  one  hundred  days'  service  were  made  eligible  to  receive 
the  $50  bounty  from  the  county.  At  the  same  session  Supervisor 
Allen  proposed  raising  the  boimty  to  be  paid  to  three-year  volun- 
teers to  $300.  This  resolution  was  referred  to  a  committee  and 
reported  back  with  the  recommendation  that  the  amount  be  raised 


160  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

to  $500.  The  committee's  report  .was  adopted  by  a  vote  of  uiiie 
to  seven.  A  bounty  of  $100  was  unanimously  voted  in  favor  of  all 
who  had  reenlisted  in  the  service  of  the  United  States  as  veteran 
vokmteers. 

This  summary  of  the  official  actions  of  the  board  of  supervisors 
in  relation  to  issuing  bounties  to  volunteer  soldiers  of  the  county 
speaks  for  itself  and  indicates  more  plainly  than  could  be  shown 
in  any  other  way  how  nobly  Butler  count}-  did  its  part  in  sup- 
porting the  families  of  the  volunteers  alid  in  compensating  the 
individual  soldiers  who  had  offered  their  lives  in  defense  of  the 
country.  Under  these  various  bounty  acts  something  over  forty 
thousand  dollars  was  appropriated  by  the  count}^  In  addition  to 
this,  a  smn  of  approximately  thirteen  thousand  dollars  was  paid 
for  the  relief  of  the  families  of  absent  and  deceased  soldiers. 

FIRST  IOWA  INFANTRY 

The  first  hostile  shot  was  fired  from  a  Confederate  battery  upon 
Fort  Svimter  in  Charleston  harbor,  on  the  morning  of  April  12, 
1861.  Three  days  later.  President  Lincoln  issued  his  first  procla- 
mation calling  for  75,000  men  for  the  suppression  of  armed  rebel- 
lion against  the  Government  of  the  United  States.  In  response 
to  this  call  the  first  regiment  of  Iowa  Vokmteers  went  forth  as 
the  vanguard  of  the  mighty  host  that  followed  from  the  state  under 
subsequent  calls  of  the  President.  This  regiment  was  made  up 
of  the  organized  military  companies  of  the  state,  which  had 
already  offered  their  services  to  Governor  Kirkwood.  The  ten 
companies  which  comprised  this  regiment  were  rendezvoused  at 
Keokuk,  in  May,  1861,  where  they  were  soon  afterward  mustered 
into  the  service  of  the  ITnited  States.  The  companies  comprising 
this  regiment  were  all  from  the  eastern  and  central  portions  of 
the  state,  then  nnicli  more  thickly  settled.  The  lack  of  means  of 
transportation  and  eonmuuiication,  as  well  as  the  limited  nmiiber 
of  men  needed  to  complete  the  Iowa  quota  prevented  the  organiza- 
tion of  an_v  companies  in  this  section  of  the  state,  and  equally  the 
enlistment  of  any  nimiber  of  men  from  this  section.  So  far  as  is 
known,  Butler  county  was.  represented  in  this  first  regiment  by 
one  man  only — George  C.  Miller,  of  Clarksville,  who  enlisted  in 
Company  K  on  the  24th  of  April,  1861.  He  later  reenlisted  in 
Company  B  of  the  Twentieth  Infantry.  To  George  C.  Miller, 
therefore,  is  due  the  honor  of  being  the  first  volunteer  soldier  from 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  161 

Butler  county.  The  first  regiment  was  enlisted  for  a  term  of  three 
months.  During  that  short  time  its  service  was  utilized  to  the 
utmost.  On  the  13th  of  June  the  regiment  left  Keokuk,  was  trans- 
ported down  the  river  by  boat  to  Hannibal,  Mo.,  thence  by  rail 
to  Macon,  Mo.,  and  from  this  point  marched  across  country  to' 
Boouville — a  distance  of  fifty-eight  miles.  This  march  is  an  extra- 
ordinary one  for  men  fresh  from  civil  life  and  not  inured  to  the 
hardships  of  military  service.  At  Boonville,  the  reghnent  joined 
General  Lyon's  command  on  the  21st  of  June,  where  it  remained 
until  July  13th.  On  the  10th  of  August,  General  Lyon  gave  up  his 
life  on  the  battlefield  at  Sprmgfield,  or  Wilson's  Creek.  The 
First  Iowa  Infantry  rendered  important  service  on  this  occasion. 
Inmiediately  thereafter  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis, 
where  it  was  mustered  out  on  the  21st  of  August.  Practically  all 
of  the  members  of  this  regiment  reenlisted  for  three  years  under 
subsequent  call. 

SECOND  IOWA  INFANTEY 

In  the  Second  Iowa  Infantry,  the  first  regiment  mustered  into 
the  service  of  the  United  States  under  call  for  three  years,  were, 
so  far  as  is  known,  no  representatives  from  Butler  county.  Most 
of  the  men  from  this  regiment  came  from  the  southeastern  part  of 
the  state. 

SECOND  VETERAN  INFANTRY 

The  Second  Veteran  Infantry,  which  was  formed  at  the  con- 
clusion of  the  term  of  service  of  the  former  regiment,  however, 
had  several  representatives  from  Butler  county.  As  these  volun- 
teers had  all  of  them  a  record  of  previous  service  in  other  regi- 
ments, their  names  will  be  f  oxmd  in  eonuection  with  the  history  of 
those  regiments. 

THIRD  IOWA  INFANTRY 

Most  of  the  companies  comprising  the  second  and  third  regi- 
ments of  Iowa  Infantry  were  formed  and  had  responded  to  the 
first  call  of  President  Lincoln  for  volunteers,  but  as  only  one  regi- 
ment from  Iowa  could  be  accepted  imder  that  call,  these  com- 
]»aiiies  were  compelled  to  wait  during  the  brief  time  before  the 


162  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

second  call  was  issued.  On  the  ITtli  of  May,  1861,  Groveruor  Kirk- 
wood  received  telegraphic  commuiiicatioii  iiiforiiiiug  hini  that  two 
more  regtnieuts  of  volunteers  were  required  from  this  state.  He 
immediately  ordered  the  ten  companies,  designated  as  the  second 
regunent,  to  rendezvous  at  Keokidv  on  the  25th  of  May,  and  the 
companies  in  the  third  regiment  at  the  same  point  on  the  3d  of 
June.  So  promptly  were  these  orders  ol^eyed  that  there  was  but 
little  difference  in  the  dates  when  they  assembled  at  Keokuk.  On 
the  10th  of  June  the  members  of  the  Third  Iowa  Infantry  were 
mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States. 

Butler  county  was  represented  in  this  regiment  by  a  company 
under  command  of  Capt.  Matthew  M.  Trumbull.  This  company 
was  mustered  into  service  as  Company  I.  On  the  27th  of  June, 
seventeen  days  after  the  last  company  was  mustered  into  service, 
the  regiment  was  conveyed  by  steamer  to  Hannibal,  Mo.,  whence 
it  was  transported  by  rail  to  Utica,  Mo.,  where  it  went  into  camp. 
Here  the  regiment  suffered  much  from  sickness  and  up  to  the  time 
when  it  first  encountered  the  enemy  in  battle,  its  greatest  loss  had 
been  by  deaths  from  disease  and  the  discharge  of  men  who  proved 
physically  incapacitated  to  stand  the  hardships  and  exposure  inci- 
dent to  a  soldier's  life. 

The  most  important  of  tlie  expeditions  undertaken  during  the 
smimier  of  1861  Avas  that  against  Kirksville.  In  comparison  with 
later  engagements  of  the  war  these  were  mere  skirmishes  but 
they  served  to  satisfy  the  desire  of  these  ardent  young  soldiers  to 
meet  the  enemy  in  a  general  engagement.  Lieutenant-Colonel 
Scott,  who  commanded  the  detachment  consisting  of  about  five 
hundred  of  the  Third  Iowa,  which  marched  u])on  Kirksville,  in 
his  report  of  the  battle  states  that  he  came  upon  the  enemy's 
pickets  at  2  A.  M.  on  the  morning  of  the  17th  of  July.  Aljout  three 
o'clock  in  the  afternoon  he  discovered  the  enemy  in  force,  con- 
cealed upon  both  sides  of  the  road.  The  enemy  opened  a  heavy 
fire  which  drove  back  Union  skirmishers  and  in  the  attack  which 
followed  the  Federal  artillery  suffered  so  heavily  that  their  only 
piece — a  brass  six-pounder — was  left  without  sufficient  force  to 
man  it.  Some  of  the  gunners  abandoned  the  positif)n  and  could 
not  be  rallied.  The  enemy  kept  up  a  heavy  fire  and  as  the  artillery 
was  useless  and  many  of  the  officers  and  men  disabled,  it  was 
deemed  advisable  to  fall  liack,  which  was  done  slo\\ly.  and  the  six- 
pounder  was  brought  off  l)y  hand,  through  the  gallantry  of  Captain 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  163 

Trumbull  and  other  officers  and  men  of  the  Third  Iowa  after  it  had 
been  entirely  abandoned  by  the  artillerists. 

The  heaviest  loss  was  sustained  by  Company  I,  which  lost  four 
killed  and  twenty  womided — one-fourth  of  the  total  loss.  This 
company  was  the  one  referred  to  above  as  having  been  very  largely 
recruited  from  Butler  county,  which  was  commanded  by  Captain 
Trmnbull,  who  was  mentioned  for  gallantry  in  the  report  of  the 
battle.  Lieut.  John  P.  Knight,  fii'st  lieutenant  of  this  company, 
although  not  a  resident  of  Butler  county,  was  wounded  three  times 
but  refused  to  retire  from  the  field,  and  remained  with  his  men 
until  the  close  of  the  engagement. 

That  this  battle  ended  in  defeat  does  not  detract  from  the 
bravery  of  its  officers  and  men.  They  were  greatly  outnumbered 
and  it  is  greatly  to  the  credit  of  the  commander  and  the  best 
possible  evidence  of  the  coolness  and  corn-age  of  the  men  that  the 
regiment  was  able  to  extricate  itself  from  its  perilous  position  and 
retire  from  the  field  in  good  order.  A  few  days  after  this  battle 
this  detachment  of  the  Third  Iowa  rejoined  General  Stiu-gis  at 
Kansas  City.  Here  the  Third  Iowa  was  again  reunited  but  on 
account  of  the  large  number  of  men  on  the  sick  list  it  was  deemed 
best  to  give  it  a  change  of  location  and  an  opportunity  to  rest  and 
recrmt.  It  was  therefore  ordered  to  Quincy,  111.,  where  it  went  into 
camp  and  enjoyed  a  season  of  rest.  In  November,  1861,  the  regi- 
ment was  transported  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  and  went  into  quarters 
at  Benton  Barracks.  From  here  it  was  sent  to  guard  the  line  of 
the  Northern  Missouri  Bailroad,  where  it  remained  luitil  the  3d 
of  March,  1862,  much  to  the  regret  of  its  officers  and  men  who 
chafed  from  the  lack  of  opportunity  to  take  part  in  the  campaign 
which  General  Grant  had  waged  against  Forts  Henry  and  Donel- 
sou.  The  regiment  was  ordered  to  Cairo,  111.,  from  which  point 
it  proceeded  up  the  Ohio  and  Tennessee  and  joined  General  Grant's 
army  at  Pittsburg  Landing  on  the  17th  of  March,  1862.  Here 
the  regiment  was  assigned  to  the  first  brigade  of  the  fourth  divi- 
sion of  the  Army  of  the  Tenuessee,  under  command  of  Gen.  S.  A. 
Hurlbut.  The  brigade  was  commanded  by  Colonel  Williams  of 
the  Third  Iowa,  while  Maj.  W.  ]\I.  Stone  was  in  command  of  the 
regiment  in  the  absence  of  Lieut(uiant-Colonel  Scott,  who  was  sick. 

On  the  morning  of  April  6,  1862,  the  great  battle  of  Shiloh  was 
begim.  The  Third  Iowa,  with  the  other  troops  of  its  brigade  and 
division,  moved  rapidly  to  the  front  and  was  soon  engaged  with 
the  enemv.    Colonel  "Williams  had  his  horse  shot  from  under  him 


164  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

early  iu  battle  and  was  entirely  disabled  for  further  duty.  Late 
in  the  afternoon,  Major  Stone,  the  regimental  commander,  had  Ms 
horse  shot  from  under  him  and  was  stunned  by  the  fall.  Capt. 
M.  M.  Trumbull,  commander  of  the  Butler  county  companj*,  then 
took  command  of  the  regiment,  which  had  become  sei)arated  from 
its  brigade.  Upon  reaching  its  own  camp  ground,  the  regiment 
again  faced  the  enemy  but  found  itself  in  the  desperate  situation  of 
being  nearh'  surrounded.  It  again  retired,  fighting  its  way  through 
its  own  camp  in  which  many  of  its  men  were  killed  and  wounded, 
one  of  the  latter  being  the  gallant  Captain  Trmnbull.  The  casual- 
ties among  the  officers  was  so  great  that  only  seven  lieutenants 
remained  upon  duty,  First  Lieut.  G.  W.  Crosley  being  the  rank- 
ing officer  in  connnand  of  the  regiment,  which  continued  to  fight 
its  way  to  the  rear  until  about  5.30  in  the  evening  it  formed  on  the 
right  of  the  Thirteenth  Iowa  in  the  line  of  last  resistance.  After 
dark  the  regiment  rejoined  its  brigade  and  on  the  morning  of 
the  7th  again  went  into  action  and  fought  until  the  close  of  tlie 
battle  that  da}'. 

The  next  day  the  dead  were  collected  from  the  field  where  they 
had  fallen  and  were  buried  near  the  regimental  camp  with  the 
honors  of  war.  Among  these  martyrs  in  the  cause  of  liberty  was 
Stephen  De  Witt,  a  resident  of  Clarksville,  a  private  of  Company 
I,  who  was  killed  on  the  battlefield  on  the  afternoon  of  April  6th. 
He  is  biu'ied  in  the  Shiloh  National  Cemetery  at  Pittsburg  Land- 
ing. Capt.  M.  M.  Trumbull,  though  still  suffering  from  his  wound, 
took  command  of  the  regiment  shortly  after  the  battle  and  wrote 
the  official  report,  including  a  list  of  the  wounded  and  missing. 
In  sunmiary  it  is  as  follows:  "Killed,  2.3;  wounded,  134;  cap- 
tured by  the  enemy,  30;  total,  187  out  of  560  engaged.  Of  the 
captured,  nearly  all  Avere  wounded.  Sixteen  of  the  wounded  who 
were  not  captured  died  of  their  womids  in  the  hospital,  inci-easing 
the  death  list  of  the  total  to  39.  The  total  loss  was  one-third 
of  the  mnnber  engaged." 

Captain  Trumbull  in  his  report  says:  "The  regiment  went  into 
battle  on  the  second  day  under  the  connnand  of  First  Lieut,  (i.  W. 
Crosley,  of  Company  E,  and  as  I  am  well  assured,  nobly  main- 
tained the  honor  of  the  flag.  Should  I  designate  meritorious 
officers  I  shoidd  have  to  name  nearly  every  officer  in  the  regiment. 
I  think,  however,  none  will  feel  envious  if  I  especially  mention 
Tjieutenant  Crosley.  I  desire  to  call  the  attention  of  the  general 
commanding  the  division  to  the  gallantry  and  good  conduct  of 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  165 

Sei'gt.  James  F.  Lakin,  of  Company  F,  who  carried  the  colors  on 
the  first  clay,  and  of  Corp.  Anderson  Edwards,  of  Company  I,  who 
carried  the  colors  on  the  second  day  of  the  battle." 

Anderson  Edwards  was  a  resident  of  Clarksville  and  had 
eiilisted  on  May  20,  ]861.  He  was  slightly  wounded  in  the  first 
day's  battle,  bnt  as  indicated  aboA'e,  acted  as  color  sergeant  in 
the  second  day's  fight.  He  was  later  promoted  fourth  sergeant  in 
July.  1863.  At  the  expiration  of  his  term  of  service  he  reenlisted 
in  the  Third  Veteran  Infantry,  and  still  later  in  the  Second  and 
Third  Veteran  Infantry  Consolidated.  He  was  promoted  second 
lieutenant  Jan.  6,  1865,  and  mustered  out  July  12th  at  Louis- 
ville, Ky. 

Of  the  part  of  the  division  to  which  the  Third  Iowa  belonged, 
played  in  this  battle,  Gen.  Stephen  A.  Hurlbut  says  in  his  order, 
thanking  the  survivors  for  their  good  conduct  during  the  battle: 
"Let  this  division  remember  that  for  five  hours  on  Sunday  it 
held  under  the  most  terrific  fire,  the  key  point  of  the  left  of  the 
army  and  only  fell  back  when  flanked  by  overwhelming  masses 
of  the  enemy,  pressing  through  points  abandoned  by  our  supports. 
Let  them  remember  that  when  they  fell  back  it  was  in  good  order 
and  that  the  last  line  of  resistance  in  the  rear  of  the  heavy  guns 
was  formed  by  this  division.  Let  them  remember  that  on  the 
morning  of  Monday,  -without  food  and  without  sleep,  they  were 
ordei'ed  forward  to  reinforce  the  right  and  that  wherever  either 
brigade  of  this  division  appeared  upon  the  field,  they  were  in  time 
to  support  broken  flanks  and  hold  the  line.  Keep  these  facts 
before  your  memories  to  hand  down  to  your  children  when  we 
conquer  a  peace  and  let  it  be  the  chief  pride  of  every  man  of  this 
conmiand,  as  it  is  of  your  general,  that  he  was  at  Shiloh  with  the 
fighting  fourth  division." 

More  space  has  been  given  to  the  account  of  this  battle  than 
wiU  be  possible  to  be  devoted  to  other  engagements  of  the  Civil 
war.  This  has  been  done,  however,  not  only  because  the  battle  of 
Shiloh  was  one  of  the  most  important  of  the  wdiole  Civil  war,  but 
chiefly  because  of  the  glorious  part  which  was  played  in  it  by  the 
men  of  Company  I.  who  came  from  Butler  county. 

Following  the  battle  of  Shiloh  the  regiment  performed  its 
share  of  the  service  in  the  advance  upon  Corinth  and  was  later 
quartered  at  Memphis.  In  the  fall  of  1862,  with  the  other  regi- 
ments of  the  fourth  division,  it  entered  upon  another  long  and 
arduous  campaign.     A  munber  of  battles  were  fought,  in  which 


166  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  Third  Infantry  bore  a  most  conspicuous  part.  During  this 
time  the  regmient  was  under  command  of  the  brave  and  intrepid 
Captain  Trrmibull.  In  the  battle  at  the  bridge  over  the  Hatchie 
river,  the  regiment  crossed  the  bridge  under  heav}^  fire,  formed 
in  line  of  battle  under  the  fire  of  the  enemy  and  charged  up  a 
steep  hill  and  drove  the  enemy  from  a  strong  position  on  its  crest. 
In  this  battle  Lieut.  John  G.  Scoby,  of  Shell  Rock,  who  had  been 
promoted  from  first  sergeant,  received  s^iecial  mention  for  bravery 
and  efficiency.  Corji.  Anderson  Edwards  again  bravely  bore  the 
colors  of  the  regiment  and  seemed  gifted  with  a  charmed  life, 
receiving  special  mention. 

In  October,  1862,  Capt.  M.  M.  Trumbull  was  promoted  to  lieu- 
tenant colonel.  He  served  in  this  position  only  until  November 
20th,  when  he  resigned  to  accept  promotion  as  colonel  of  the  Ninth 
Cavalry.  During  the  winter  of  1863  the  regiment  remained  sta- 
tioned at  Moscow,  Tenn.  In  the  following  year  they  took  part  in 
the  Vicksburg  campaign,  following  the  surrender  of  Vicksburg 
were  ordered  to  Jackson,  Miss.,  and  took  a  most  important  part  in 
the  siege  of  that  city. 

Here  the  Third  Infantry  suffered  a  most  disastrous  loss.  It 
is  the  saddest  chapter  in  the  history  of  the  regiment,  which  may 
be  well  compared  with  the  charge  of  the  Light  Brigade  which 
Tennyson  has  immortalized  in  verse.  Like  the  soldiers  of  the 
noble  sixteen  hundred  at  Balaklava,  they  knew  "that  some  one 
had  blundered,"  but  "theirs  not  to  reason  why;  theirs  but  to  do 
or  die."  The  regiment  went  into  this  battle  with  223  enlisted 
men.  Of  this  number  it  lost  114 — fifty  per  cent  of  the  number 
engaged.  No  official  investigation  was  ever  made.  The  division 
commander,  J.  G.  Lauman,  gave  the  command  for  its  disastrous 
charge  as  it  was  received  by  him  from  the  corps  connnander,  Maj.- 
Geu.  E.  O.  C.  Ord.  The  men  of  the  brigade  had  implicit  faith  in 
General  Lauman  and  believed  he  gave  the  order  as  it  was  given 
him.  On  the  evening  of  that  fatal  day,  only  a  little  more  than  a 
full  company  of  effective  men  answered  the  roll  call.  The  regi- 
ment now  retui-ned  to  Vicksbm'g,  whence  it  was  ordered  to 
Natchez,  Miss.,  where  it  remained  until  early  in  December.  It  was 
then  reorganized  as  the  Third  Iowa  Veteran  Infantry. 

A  list  of  the  officers  and  men  of  this  regiment  who  eidisted 
from  Butler  county  follows : 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  167 

FIELD  AND  STAFF  OFFICERS 

Lieutenant  Colonel 
Matthew  M.  Trumbull,  Clarksville 

Quartermaster  Sergeant 
Edward  H.  Mix,  Shell  Rock 

COMPANY  I 

Captain 
Matthew  M.  Trumbull,  Clarksville 

First  Lieutenant 
John  G.  Scoby,  Shell  Rock 

Sergeants 

Anderson  Edwards,  Clarksville;  E.  H.  Mix,  Shell  Rock 

Isaac  M.  Henderson,  Shell  Rock 

Corporals 

John  Booram,  Butler  County;  William  Burdick,  Clarksville 

James  Buel,  ClarksviUe;  Charles  E.  Turner,  Shell  Rock 

Privates 

Bishop,  Alfred  H.,  Clarksville  Merrifield,  Willis  H.,  Clarksville 

Clousky,  Joseph  S.,  Clarksville  Mix,  Thomas  M.,  Clarksville 

Colton,  or  Cotton,  Charles  M.,  Myers,  Campbell,  Shell  Rock 

Shell  Rock  Parks,  G.  W.,  Shell  Rock 

Cotton,  Gaylord  M.,  Shell  Rock  Pauly,  Charles,  Clarksville 

Crosby,  Spencer  S.,  Shell  Rock  Robinson,  Albert,  Clarksville 

DeWitt,  Stephen,  Clarksville  Trobridge,  Samuel,  Clarksville 

Filkins,  William,  Willoughby  Warner,  Asa  H.,  Clarksville 

Forney,  Abraham,  Clarksville  Warner,  William  E.,  Clarksville 

Gitchell,  William,  Clarksville  Wilcox,  Alfred  M.,  Shell  Rock 

Gilbert,  T.  G.,  Clarksville  Wilcox,  Jesse  B.,  Shell  Rock 

McElvaney,  J.  R.,  Butler  Center  Wilcox,  John,  Shell  Rock 

Martin,  Henry,  Clarksville  Winship,  James  W.,  Shell  Rock 

SEVENTH  IOWA  VOLUNTEER  INFANTRY 

There  appear  to  have  been  no  enlistments  in  the  Fourth,  Fifth 
or  Sixth  Iowa  Infantry  Regiments  from  Butler  county.     The 


168  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Seventh  Infantiy,  however,  had  one  company,  B,  in  which  a 
number  of  Shell  Rock  boys  enlisted.  This  regiment  assembled  at 
Burlington  and  was  mustered  into  service  of  the  United  States 
between  July  23  and  August  2,  1861.  Col.  Jacob  G.  Lauman,  who 
has  been  mentioned  in  connection  Avith  the  history  of  the  third 
regiment  above,  was  its  first  colonel.  Company  B,  in  which  the 
Butler  county  soldiers  enlisted,  was  largely  recruited  in  Chick- 
asaw county.  Its  officers  were:  Captahi,  Gideon  Gardner,  Nev.' 
Hampton;  fii-st  lieutenant,  Robert  G.  Reinigar,  Charles  City;  and 
second  lieutenant,  George  W.  S.  Dodge,  Bradford. 

Four  days  after  the  last  company  had  been  mustered,  the  regi- 
ment was  ordered  to  St.  Louis.  After  remaining  in  Jefferson 
Barracks  for  a  short  time  they  went  to  Pilot  Knob  and  thence  to 
Ironton,  where  it  remained  in  quarters  about  two  weeks.  About 
the  first  of  September  it  began  its  first  campaign.  On  November 
6th  the  regiment,  with  others  under  the  command  of  Gen.  U.  S. 
Grant,  took  part  in  the  battle  of  Belmont.  In  this  engagement 
the  Confederate  troojjs  were  driven  from  their  camp.  Later,  hav- 
ing been  reinforced,  they  returned  and  attacking  the  Union  troops, 
subjected  them  to  a  heavy  fire  which  forced  them  to  retire.  Dur- 
ing this  retreat  Lieutenant  Dodge,  of  Company  B,  was  killed. 

In  his  official  report,  Gen.  U.  S.  Grant  says:  "The  Seventh 
Iowa  behaved  with  great  gallantry  and  suffered  more  severely 
than  any  other  of  the  troops."  Of  the  total  loss  sustained  by  the 
two  brigades  in  battle,  the  Seventh  Iowa  sustained  nearly  one- 
half.  Of  this  battle  another  writer  has  said:  "It  seems  almost 
incredible  that  these  untrained  troops  fighting  their  first  battle 
and  led  by  regimental  and  company  officers,  without  military 
training  or  experience,  should  have  acquitted  themselves  when 
imder  fire  for  the  first  time  as  well  as  in  any  of  the  subsequent 
battles  in  which  they  were  engaged  and  in  all  of  which  they  nobly 
maintained  the  honor  of  the  state  which  sent  them  into  the  field." 

Another  notable  featiu"e  of  the  battle  of  Belmont  was  the  fact 
that  it  was  the  fii'st  in  which  General  Grant  had  command  of  the 
Union  troops  and  his  first  opportunity  to  demonstrate  his  fitness 
and  capacity  to  conunand.  After  this  battle  the  regiment  was 
sent  to  Benton  Barracks  near  St.  Louis,  where  it  enjoyed  a  brief 
season  of  rest  and  made  up  some  of  its  losses  b}'  recruiting.  On 
the  30th  of  Jaimary,  1862,  the  regiment  left  St.  Louis  t(»  join  the 
army  under  General  Grant  and  took  part  in  the  capture  of  Forts 
Henry  and  Donelson.     The  Second  Iowa  was  given  the  post  of 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  169 

honor  in  leading  the  final  charge  on  Fort  Donelson  but  was 
gallantly  supported  by  the  Seventh  Regiment.  The  loss  of  the  regi- 
ment in  this  battle  was  not  as  severe  as  in  many  other  engage- 
ments, owing  to  this  fact.  The  regiment  took  part  in  the  battle 
of  Shiloh  and  in  the  advance  upon  Corinth,  bearing  its  full  share 
of  duties,  dangers  and  hardships.  On  the  3d  and  4th  of  October 
the  Confederate  force  made  a  desperate  attempt  to  recapture 
Corinth.  In  this  battle  the  Seventh  Iowa  Regiment  took  a  promi- 
nent part.  Company  B  was  in  the  thick  of  the  fight.  Captam 
Reinigar,  who  had  been  promoted  from  lieutenant  on  Sept.  1, 
1862,  on  the  resignation  of  Captain  Gardner,  was  mentioned  in 
the  report  of  the  battle  made  by  Colonel  Rice,  who  was  in  com- 
mand of  the  regiment  in  this  engagement.  More  than  one-third 
of  the  regiment  were  killed  or  womided  in  this  battle.  So  many 
of  the  officers  and  men  had  been  killed  or  had  died  of  disease, 
the  total  loss  to  Oct.  4,  1862,  being  422  officers  and  men,  that  an 
order  was  issued  withdrawing  the  regiment  for  the  time  being 
from  active  service  mitil  the  spring  of  1863.  The  regiment  saw 
some  active  service  during  this  year  and  finally  went  into  winter 
quarters  at  Pulaski,  Tenn.,  November,  1863.  In  December,  thi-ee- 
foui'ths  of  the  men  reenlisted  and  were  given  a  furlough  of  thirty 
days,  furnished  transportation  to  Keokuk,  Iowa,  and  from  that 
place  to  their  respective  homes.  In  February,  the  regiment  was 
reassembled,  together  with  a  large  munber  of  recruits.  During 
this  year  they  took  part  in  Sherman's  campaign  against  Atlanta, 
Ga.,  and  later  in  the  famous  march  to  the  sea.  From  Savannah 
they  marched  northward  with  Sherman's  troops  to  Washington 
and  on  the  24th  day  of  May,  1865,  the  Seventh  Iowa  Infantry 
wheeled  into  its  place  in  the  line  of  the  grand  army  that  marched 
down  that  broad  avenue  of  the  nation's  capital  and  passed  in 
review  for  the  last  time.  Its  days  of  fighting  were  over.  It  was 
later  sent  to  Louisville,  Ky.,  where  on  the  12th  day  of  July,  1865, 
it  was  mustered  out  of  service. 

Butler  county  members  of  this  regiment  were  as  follows : 

COMPANY  B 

Sergeant 
William  L.  Palmer,  Shell  Rock 

Corporal 
John  Adair,  Shell  Rock 


170  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Privates 

Campbell,  James,  Shell  Rock  Myers,  Joseph  R.,  Shell  Rock 

Cotton,  Theodore  L.,  Shell  Rock  Porter,  Abel  U.,  Shell  Rock 

Dunham,  Alfred  G.,  Shell  Rock  Senior,  Charles  V.,  Shell  Rock 

Mason,  William  H.,  Shell  Rock  Wilson,  Alvin  M.,  Shell  Rock 

EIGHTH  IOWA  INFANTRY 

The  Eighth  Iowa  was  organized  in  accordance  with  a  procla- 
mation of  the  President,  dated  July  23,  1861.  The  companies 
assembled  at  Davenport,  where  they  were  mustered  into  the  ser- 
vice of  the  United  States  by  Sept.  4,  1861.  The  regiment 
experienced  some  desultory  campaigning  in  the  earlier  part  of 
its  term  of  service,  operating  in  Missouri  and  Kansas.  In  March, 
1862,  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  St.  Louis  and  from  there  con- 
veyed by  boat  to  Pittsburg  Landing,  Tenn.  On  its  arrival 
there  it  was  assigned  to  the  Third  Brigade  of  the  Second  Division 
of  the  Ai'my  of  the  Tennessee.  Under  command  of  Brig.-Gen. 
W.  H.  L.  Wallace  in  this  great  battle,  the  Eighth  Iowa  rendered 
conspicuous  and  important  service  and  suffered  a  correspond- 
ingly great  loss. 

Col.  J.  L.  Greddes,  of  Vinton,  Benton  county,  was  in  eonunand 
of  the  regiment  in  this  battle.  After  a  desperate  and  terrific  con- 
flict, during  which  the  fire  of  the  enemy's  artillery  was  concen- 
trated upon  this  regiment,  the  Eighth  Iowa  with  other  regiments 
of  the  division,  was  forced  to  retire.  About  6  p.  m.  of  the  first 
day  the  major  portion  of  this  regiment  was  captured.  There 
were  six  regiments  in  the  biigade.  Of  the  total  loss  in  this  battle 
the  Eighth  Iowa  lost  493. 

Of  its  action  on  this  occasion  the  following  quotation  speaks: 
"The  truth  of  history  demands  that  the  credit  of  saving  the  day 
for  the  Union  army  at  Shiloh  be  given  its  gallant  regiments,  three 
of  them  from  Iowa,  who  stood  their  gi'ound  without  hope  of  rein- 
forcement and  with  the  full  knowledge  that  it  was  only  a  question 
of  time  when  they  would  be  comj^letely  surrounded  by  overwhelm- 
ing numbers  and  compelled  to  surrender.  To  concede  this  honor 
is  no  discredit  to  the  gallant  men  who,  profiting  by  the  delay 
thus  afforded,  rallied  behind  the  concentrated  Union  artillery  and 
hurled  death  and  destruction  upon  the  advancing  columns  of  the 
enemy  and  at  last  turned  what  seemed  certain  defeat  into  vic- 
tory." 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  171 

Almost  the  entiie  number  of  tlie  Eighth  iowa  Infantry  who 
had  escaped  being  killed,  were  captured  and  entered  upon  a  long 
and  weary  term  of  imprisonment,  during  wliich  many  of  them 
died.  The  surviving  prisoners  were  paroled  on  the  18th  of  Octo- 
ber and  exchanged  on  the  lUth  of  November,  1862.  During  the 
winter  of  1862-3  the  regiment  was  reorganized  at  St.  Louis  and 
assigned  to  the  Fifteenth  Army  Corps  commanded  by  Gen.  W.  T. 
Sherman.  They  participated  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign  and  in 
the  campaign  against  General  Johnston  around  Jackson,  Miss. 

Of  this  period  of  regimental  operations  Colonel  Geddes  says 
in  his  official  report:  "From  the  2d  of  May  to  the  25th  of  July 
we  marched  without  tents  or  transportation  over  three  hundred 
miles,  engaged  the  enemy  at  Vicksburg,  twice  at  Jackson  and  at 
Brandon,  and  though  during  the  operations  of  this  ever  memora- 
ble campaigTi,  both  officers  and  men  of  the  regiment  suffered  much 
exposure  and  hardship-  of  a  very  trying  character,  they  endured 
it  all  without  a  murmur  and  with  a  fortitude  which  elicited  the 
unreserved  commendations  of  the  commanding  general." 

Following  this  campaign,  the  division  to  which  the  Eighth 
Iowa  belonged  was  engaged  in  guarding  a  line  of  railroad  until 
January,  1864.  The  term  of  service  having  expired,  about  three- 
foiirths  of  the  men  reenlisted  as  veterans.  In  February,  1864, 
the  regiment  participated  in  the  Meridian  campaign.  Thereafter 
the  regiment  was  divided,  the  veterans  being  permitted  to  go  home 
on  furlough  and  the  non-veterans  taking  part  in  the  Red  River 
campaign.  Later  the  regiment  was  reorganized  as  the  Eighth 
Veteran  Volunteers.  The  remainder  of  its  ser^^dce  was  doing  gar- 
rison and  giiard  duty  at  different  points  in  the  south.  The  regi- 
ment was  finally  mustered  out,  April  20,  1866,  having  served  a 
little  over  four  years  and  eight  months.  It  was  the  last  Iowa 
regiment  to  be  mustered  out  of  the  service.  Most  of  the  Butler 
coimty  members  of  this  regiment  enlisted  in  the  latter  years  of 
the  war.  A  number  of  them  were  transferred  from  companies 
in  the  Thirty-second,  in  which  they  had  previously  enlisted.  Fol- 
lowing are  the  names  of  the  Butler  county  soldiers  who  were 
members  of  this  regiment: 


Thomas,      Butler 


COMPANY  B 

Bonwoll,     Shadrach, 

Butler    Cnstlow. 

county. 

county, 

172  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

COMPANY  C 

Albright,  Elias     D.,      Butler     Jones,  Heury  O.,  Shell  Rock. 

coTintv.  Mix,  William  N.,  Shell  Rock. 

Campbell,  James    E.,     Butler     Olmstead,  O.  P.,  New  Hartford. 

county.  Peek,  Josiah,  New  Hartford. 

Copeland,  George     R.,     Shell     Williams,    William    H.,    Shell 

Rock.  R'^ck- 

COMPANY  D 

Dobbins,    George    W.,    Butler     Goodhue,     James     M.,     Butler 

county.  county. 

COMPANY  E 

Needham,  Edward  E.,  Butler  county. 

COMPANY  G 

Bishop,  Harvey  A.,  Olarksville.  Muffley,  William,  Butler  coimty. 

Lenhart,    Washington,    Butler  Murray,  Daniel,  Butler  county. 

county.  Whitted,     Lewis     J.,     Butler 

Maynard,  Curtis,  Butler  county.  county. 
Miller,      James      M.,      Butler 

county. 

COMPANY  H 

Beecher,  Albert  R.,  New  Hartford.     ■ 

COMPANY  I 

Bpurquin,  Louis,  New  Hartford. 

COMPANY  K 

Beebe,  Eli  H.,  Butler  county. 

NINTH  INFANTRY 

A  few  Butler  county  volunteers  enlisted  in  the  Ninth  Regi- 
ment Iowa  Infantry.     They  are  as  follows: 

COMPANY  D 

Manwarin,  Emery,  Butler  county. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  173 

COMPANY  E 

Hanstad  or  Hemstad,  Herman,  Butler  Center. 

COMPANY  G 

Larue,  Francis,  Butler  county.     M.yers,  John  M.,  Shell  Rock. 
Leverich,  Willard,  Shell  Rock. 

COMPANY  I 

Considine,  Patrick,  Butler  Gen-     Innian,  Frank  E.,  Butler  Cen- 
ter ter 

Inman,  Chester  W.,  Butler  Cen-     Porcupile,    James    H.,    Butler 
ter  Center 

Inman,  Daniel  W..  Butler  Cen- 
ter 
So  far  as  is  known  there  were  no  Butler  county  soldiers  in 

the  Tenth  and  Eleventh  Regiments  of  Infantry. 

TWELFTH   INFANTRY 

One  company  of  the  Twelfth  Infantry,  Company  E,  was  raised 
by  William  Haddock,  of  Waterloo,  who  recruited  a  number  of 
members  for  this  company  in  and  around  Butler  Center.  This 
regiment  was  mustered  into  the  United  States  service  at  Dubuque, 
between  October  17th  and  November  25th,  1861.  Three  days  after 
the  last  company  was  mustered,  the  regiment  left  Dubuque  and 
proceeded  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.  It  was  then  ordered  to  proceed  to 
Cairo,  111.,  where  it  was  placed  imder  the  orders  of  General  Grant. 
It  took  part  in  the  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donelson  campaign,  in 
which  on  the  15th  of  February  it  suffered  its  greatest  loss. 

In  his  official  report  Col.  J.  J.  Wood  says:  "Every  commis- 
sioned officer  of  the  regiment  performed  Ms  duty  without  flinch- 
ing. The  same  may  be  said  of  the  non-commissioned  officers  and 
privates,  with  a  few  exceptions." 

In  the  battle  of  Shiloh  this  regiment  formed  a  part  of  the 
division  of  Gen.  W.  H.  L.  Wallace,  the  division  composed  of  the 
Second,  Seventh,  Twelfth  and  Fourteenth  Regiments  of  Iowa 
Infantry,  which  was  destined  to  save  the  day  for  the  ITnion 
army  on  Sunday,  April  6.  1862.  In  the  report  of  this  battle  par- 
ticular mention  is  made  of  Captain  Haddock  as  having  performed 
well  his  part.  The  colonel  says:  "Non-commissioned  officers 
and  men  stood  bravely  up  to  their  work  and  never  did  men  behave 


174  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

better.  At  the  close  of  this  tirst  clay's  fight  the  regunent  had 
lost  many  officers  by  being  either  killed  or  wounded,  the  com- 
mand devolving  on  a  captain.  The  enemy  so  closely  surroimded 
the  regiment  that  to  have  held  out  longer  would  have  been  to 
suffer  complete  annihilation.  It  was  therefore  compelled  to  sur- 
render. It  is  no  disparagement  to  any  of  the  other  regiments 
who  participated  in  this  extreme  battle  to  say  that  the  service 
rendered  by  the  brigade,  to  which  the  Twelfth  belonged,  which 
included  also  the  Eighth  and  Fourteenth  Iowa,  which  stemmed 
the  tide  of  battle  at  the  front,  with  the  victorious  enemy  on  both 
flanks  pushing  the  remainder  of  General  Grant's  army  to  its  last 
line  of  resistance,  was  of  transcendent  importance  in  deciding 
the  fortune  of  that  first  day's  battle." 

Afterward  the  remnants  of  the  brigade  were  consolidated  into 
an  organization  known  as  the  Union  Brigade.  The  Twelfth 
Iowa  had  an  aggi'egate  of  only  seventy-five  men — three  commis- 
sioned officers  and  seventy-two  men — when  it  was  assigned  to  the 
Union  Brigade.  This  detachment  of  the  Twelfth  was  under  com- 
mand of  Lieut.  David  B.  Henderson,  who  rendered  important 
service  during  the  advance  upon  and  siege  of  Corinth.  Among 
the  wounded  were  D.  B.  Henderson,  who  lost  his  left  leg. 
Lieutenant  Henderson  was  later  promoted  colonel  of  another 
infantry  regiment  and  subsequent  to  the  Civil  war  served  the 
people  of  the  third  congressional  district  of  Iowa  as  its  represen- 
tative in  Congi'ess. 

About  half  of  the  regiment  who  had  been  captured  at  Shiloh 
were  paroled  and  sent  to  St.  Louis,  Mo.,  to  await  the  exchange. 
The  rest  remained  in  prison  during  the  summer  and  fall.  Many 
died  in  prison  and  many  were  incapacitated  for  further  service. 
They  were  finally  sent  to  Libby  prison,  in  Richmond,  Va.,  and 
finally  paroled  on  the  20th  of  November,  1862.  Among  the  soldiers 
of  the  Twelfth  who  were  confined  in  Libby  prison  was  G.  Hazlet, 
a  member  of  Company  C,  from  Fayette  county,  who,  subsequent 
to  the  Civil  war,  was'  for  nearly  forty  years  a  resident  of  Butler 
county. 

In  the  winter  of  1862-3  the  regiment  was  reorganized  and  in 
the  following  year  took  part  in  the  Vicksburg  campaign  and  later 
still  in  the  Red  River  campaign.  In  1864  the  regiment  took 
part  in  the  campaign  against  the  Confederate  General  Price  in 
Arkansas  and  in  the  latter  part  of  that  year  it  repeated  its  splen- 
did fighting  record  in  the  battle  of  Nashville.     In  the  spring  of 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  175 

1865  it  took  part  in  the  operations  against  Mobile.  During  the 
remainder  of  that  year  it  did  garrison  duty  in  the  south  and  was 
not  mustered  out  of  the  service  of  the  United  States  until  the 
20th  of  January,  1866,  at  Memphis,  Tenn.  Butler  county  soldiers 
in  this  regiment  were  as  follows : 

COMPANY  E 

Sergeants 

Jeremiah      Margretz,      Butler    Harvey  Smith,  Jr.,  Willoughby 
Center 

C.  V.  Surf  us,  Boylan's  Grove 

Corporals 
E.  R.  Bird,  Butler  Center;  J.  C.  Stewart,  Butler  Center 

Privates 

Ahrens,  John,  Boylan's  Grove  Hoisiug-ton,      Hiram,      Butler 

Beckwith,  William  H.,  Butler  Center 

Center  Hoisington,  John,  Butler  Cen- 

Bird,  R.  L.,  Butler  Center  ter 

Bird,  W.  O.,  Shell  Rock  Hubbard,  George,  Butler  Cen- 

Boylan,       Thomas,       Boylan's        \^^ 

n  Johnson,  Charles,  Biitler  Cen- 

Grove  , 

ter 
Carter,  John  B..  Clarksville  ^^^^^^^  ^.^^^^^^  -g^^^^^^.  (.^^^^^^. 

Davis,  Samuel,  Shell  Rock  ^j^,^^.^^  Alexander,  Shell  Rock 

DeMoss,        James,        Boylan's  Pomoroy,    William   L.,    Butler 

^rove  county 

DeMoss,      Thomas,      Boylan's  Spears,  William,  Butler  county 

Grrove  Strong,  Nelson,  Boylan's  Grove 

Early,  T.  M.,  Boylan's  Grove  Williams,  Philo,  Butler  county 

COMPANY  K 

De  Witt,  Reuben  A.,  Shell  Rock 

FOTTETEENTH   IOWA   INFANTRY 

The  organization  of  the  Fourteenth  Iowa  Infantry  was  attended 
by  circumstances  which  were  somewhat  peculiar.    Three  of  the 


176  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

ten  cx^mpanies  assigned  to  it  by  Goveriior  Kivkwood. — Companies 
A,  B  and  C — Avere  ordered  to  go  into  qnarters  at  Iowa  City  on 
dates  ranging  from  the  1st  to  the  7th  of  Octol)er,  1861,  and  they 
were  there  mustered  into  the  service  of  tlie  United  States  hj  the 
25th  of  October.  Seven  companies,  D  to  K,  inchisive,  were 
ordered  into  cjnarters  at  Davenport  and  were  nmstered  into  the 
service  by  the  6th  of  November,  1861.  By  order  of  the  Avar  depart- 
ment, Companies  A,  B  and  C  were  traiisferred  to  the  Forty-first 
Regiment  of  Iowa  Infantry  and  sent  to  Fort  Randall,  Dakota 
territory,  to  operate  against  the  Indians.  To  fill  the  vacancy  thns 
occasioned  three  new  companies  were  organized,  which  were  later 
known  as  A,  B  and  C.  The  new  Companies  A  and  B  did  not  join 
the  regiment  nntil  the  end  of  its  first  year's  service  and  the  new 
Company  C  did  not  become  a  part  of  the  regiment  nntil  Jnue, 

1863.  The  original  Company  A  of  the  Fonrteenth  contained  a 
number  of  Butler  county  recruits.  They  are  commonly  given  as 
members  of  the  Forty-first  Infantry,  to  which  these  companies 
were  transferred.  HoAvever,  as  their  first  enlistment  A\as  in  the 
Fourteenth,  their  names  are  given  below  in  connection  Avith  this 
regiment.  The  neAv  Company  C  Avas  recruited  in  this  section  of 
the  state,  and  as  Avill  be  noted  in  the  list  beloAv,  contained  a  large 
number  of  Butler  county  soldiers. 

At  first  the  serAdce  of  the  Fourteenth  Infantry  refers  t(  >  that 
of  Companies  D  to  K,  inclusive.  The  regiment  comprising  these 
companies  took  part  in  the  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donelson  cam- 
paign, formed  a  part  of  the  division  of  Gen.  W.  H.  L.  Wallace  at 
Shiloh,  and  Avere  with  the  other  regiment  of  the  division  Avhen  it 
sui'rendered  as  prisoners  of  Avar  the  evening  after  the  first  day's 
fight.  The  total  loss  of  the  seven  companies  engaged  in  the  battle 
of  Shiloh  Avere  273  killed,  Avounded  and  captured.  It  can  justly 
be  claimed  by  its  heroic  commander.  Colonel  ShaAv,  that  no  more 
efficient  and  important  service  Avas  performed  by  Union  troops 
than  upon  that  heroic  battlefield.  The  survivors  of  the  regiment 
AA'ere  consolidated  into  the  Union  Brigade,  Avhich  they  served  Avith 
credit  until  the  regiment  Avas  exchanged  and  reorganized. 

The  service  of  the  reorganized  regiment  Avas  in  connection 
Avith  General  Bank's  Red  river  campaign.    On  the  lOtli  of  March, 

1864,  the  regiment  left  Vicksljurg  for  the  mouth  of  the  Red  river. 
The  capture  of  Fort  DeRussey  Avas  a  brilliant  and  remarkable 
military  exploit.  Special  mention  is  made  in  the  report  of  the 
conduct  of  the  Fourteenth  loAva  Avhich  led  the  advance  in  attack 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  177 

upon  this  fort.  From  F^ort  DeRussey  the  brigade  proceeded  to 
Alexandria  and  thence  it  proceeded  to  Pleasant  Hill,  La.  Of  the 
total  loss  of  753  sustained  in  the  battle  of  Pleasant  Hill  by  the 
five  brigades  which  took  part  in  the  engagement,  the  brigade  com- 
manded by  Colonel  Shaw  of  the  Fourteenth  Iowa,  lost  484. 

After  returning  to  Vicksburg  the  regiment  enjoyed  a  brief 
rest,  then  moved  up  the  river  where  it  took  an  important  part  in 
the  expedition,  participating  in  the  battles  of  Tupelo  and  Town 
Creek,  Miss.  Its  subsequent  service  was  largely  by  detachments 
but  in  every  instance  the  service  was  performed  with  honor.  In 
November,  1864,  the  regiment  was  conveyed  to  Davenport,  Iowa, 
where  it  was  mustered  out.  A  number  of  reenlisted  men  and 
recruits  fomied  what  was  known  as  the  Residuary  Battalion  of 
the  Fourteenth  Iowa,  but  before  it  could  be  sent  to  the  front  its 
service  was  no  longer  required  for  active  duty. 

It  has  been  said  of  this  regiment:  "The  record  of  service  of 
the  Fourteenth  Regiment  of  Iowa  Volunteers  is  one  of  the  best. 
Its  survivors  can  justly  claim  that  during  the  long  years  in  which 
they  marched  and  fought  and  suffered,  they  never  wavered  in 
their  devotion  to  their  Grovernmeut  and  its  flag.  Their  children 
and  children's  children  may  well  be  proud  of  the  legacy  of  heroism 
they  have  inherited.  The  writer  extends  a  soldier's  greeting  to 
the  survivors  of  the  old  Fourteenth  Iowa  and  on  behalf  of  the 
state  which  has  made  provision  for  the  preservation  of  this  record 
extends  greeting  to  the  families  and  relatives  of  those  whose 
memory  they  cherish  and  honor  and  who  will  ever  be  commended 
as  an  example  and  inspiration  to  all  loyal  and  liberty  loving  people 
of  the  state." 

A  list  of  soldiers  in  the  Fourteenth  follows : 

COMPANY  A 

Sergeant 
E.  C.  Bristol,  New  Hartford 

Privates 

Barker,  Albert  C,  Swanton  McClane,  Campbell,  New  Hart- 

Dailey,  Anthony,  Butler  county  ford 

Gilbert,  James  M.,  Clarksville  Mann.  Isaac  B.,  New  Hartford 
Leffler,  Godfrej^,  Parkersburg 


178  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

8inith,  Benjamin  F.,  Boylan's     Smith,  Orrin  C,  Boylan's  Grove 

f^rove  Wemple,  Philip,  Parkersburg 

Smith,  Isaac  A.,  Willoughby 

This  company  was  later  transferred  to  the  Forty-first  Infantry. 

COMPANY  C 

First  Lieutenant 
John  Braden,  Butler  Center 

Second  Lieutenant 
William  Stoughton,  Shell  Rock 

Sergeants 

Henry  Beckwith,  Shell  Rock;  A.  A.  Cook,  Butler  Center 
Valentine  Spaur,  Clarksville 

Corporals 

Miles  Chitester,  Butler  county       Thomas  L.  Cotton,  Shell  Rock 
Henry    P.     Considine,    Butler    Frank  E.  Inman,  Butler  Center 

county  John  H.  Margretz,  Butler 

D.  B.  Henderson.  Butler  county        Center 

Thomas  C.  Wetsel,  Butler  county 

Privates 

Bird,  Eli,  Butler  Center  Halstad,    William    R.,    Butler 

Boylan,  Cornelius,  Clarksville  county 

Boylan,  William  H.,  West  Point  McAllester,    Asahel    P.,    Shell 

Butger,  George,  Butler  comity  Rock 

Couch,  Manderville,  Butler  Myers,  Uriah,  Butler  county 

county  Stuart,  Charles,  Butler  county 

Cummins,  John  R.,  Butler  Wetsel,  James  T.,  Butler  county 

coimty  Winchell,  Lyford  H.,  Shell  Rock 
Dawson,  Martin,  Butler  covmty 

FIFTEENTH   IOWA   INFANTEY 
COMPANY  H 

Allen,  David  C,  Union  Ridge  Park,  John  M.,  Boylan's  Grove 

Allen,  James  W.,  Union  Ridge  Webster,    Wlieeler   R.,    ITnion 

Bartholomew,    Ezra,    Boylan's  Ridge 
Grove 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  179 


EIGHTEENTH   IOWA   INFANTRY 
COMPANY  H 


Corporal 
E.  B.  Brown 


TWENTY-FIRST    IOWA    INFANTRY 
COMPANY  A 

Sergeants 
Daniel  Haine,  Aaron  Moss 

Corporal 
Ransom  H.  Gile 

Privates 

Hall,  William  Moss,  Jacob 

Hart,  Francis  Sturtz,  Jacob 

Inman,  Walter 

THIRTY-SECOND  INFANTRY 

Two  fnll  companies  of  the  Thirty-second  Infantry  were 
recrnited  in  Bntler  county.  These  were  Companies  E  and  G,  cap- 
tained by  John  R.  Jones,  of  Shell  Rock,  and  C.  A.  L.  Roszell,  of 
Clarksville.  The  companies  comprisine,-  this  regiment  were 
recruited  in  the  summer  and  early  fall  of  1862.  They  rendezA'oused 
at  Dubi;que,  where  on  the  6th  of  October  they  were  mustered  into 
the  service  of  the  United  States.  John  Scott,  of  Story  county, 
was  colonel  and  E.  H.  Mix.  of  Shell  Rock,  lieutenant  colonel. 

In  November,  1862,  the  regiment  left  for  St.  Louis,  where  they 
remained  a  few  days,  when  six  companies  under  Colonel  Scott 
proceeded  to  New  Madrid,  Mo.,  and  the  remaining  four  com- 
panies under  Maj.  G.  A.  Eberhart,  of  Blackhawk  county,  went 
down  the  river  to  Cape  Girardeau.  This  separation  of  the  regi- 
ment continued  until  the  spring  of  1864  and  was  the  prolific 
cause  of  anno3^anee  and  extra  labor.  Of  the  Butler  county  com- 
panies, E  remained  with  the  detachment  under  Colonel  Scott 
and  G  with  that  of  Major  Eberhart. 

In  the  spring  of  186r5  Major  Eberhart 's  detachment  operated 
against  the  Confedei-ate  General  IMannaduke  in  and  around  Cape 


180  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Girardeau.  Here  on  the  24th  of  April  they  were  with  the  other 
trooj^s,  comprising  General  McNeil's  commandinvested  by  a  force 
of  10,000  Confederate  troops  under  Marniaduke.  A  flag  of  t''v;ce 
with  a  demand  for  unconditional  surrender  was  sent  to  the  Union 
conmiander  and  he  was  given  thirty  minutes  for  decision.  General 
McNeil  sent  back  a  flat  refusal  in  one  minute  and  requested  a 
credit  of  twenty-nine  minutes  from  the  Confederate  general.  The 
attack,  however,  did  not  commence  until  the  morning  of  the  26th, 
when  reinforcements  under  General  ^^an•dever  ran  down  the  river, 
forcing  the  Confederates  to  retire. 

In  July  the  detachment  was  joined  to  the  Reserve  Brigade  of 
the  First  Cavalry  Division,  Department  of  ^Missouri,  and  partici- 
pated in  the  memorable  march  which  terminated  in  the  capture 
of  Little  Rock,  Ark.  In  August  they  took  ])art  in  the  expedition 
up  the  White  river,  marching  and  fighting  through  scorching  heat, 
marching  over  parched  ground  with  the  air  at  times  filled  \^'itll 
flying  dust.  Reaching  a  stagnant  lake,  called  Dead  Man's  lake, 
the  men  plunged  into  it  and  draidc  greedily  of  the  filthy  water, 
although  it  was  covered  with  a  green  scmn. 

Hard  marching,  bad  water  and  the  intense  heat  of  suninier 
caused  a  great  amount  of  sickness.  When  they  reached  Duval's 
Bluff,  a  small  side-wheeled  steamer  came  up  the  river  and  took  on 
board  a  load  of  sick  and  wounded  men.  "Not  a  spot  on  that  boat 
from  the  border  deck  to  the  hurricane  deck  Init  was  covered  with 
a  sick  man.  Sick  men  were  piled  away  on  that  hurricane  deck 
in  the  broiling  sun,  wherever  a  man  <'onld  be  laid.  Is  it  any 
wonder  that  on  that  run  of  about  four  hours,  twenty-six  men  died 
on  that  boat — one  of  them  a  corporal  of  Compan\'  G — James  H. 
Carter." 

The  rest  of  the  month  was  spent  in  marching  tluMugh  the 
bvu-ning  heat  and  torrential  rain.  The  command  had  little  or  no 
rations  except  such  as  they  managed  to  forage  from  tlic  surround- 
ing country.  No  sanitary  or  sutler  supplies  reached  them  and 
much  of  the  ordinary  soldier's  fare  was  unfit  for  use.  As  one  of 
the  soldiers  expressed  it,  "Much  of  the  hard  tack  had  too  much 
life." 

Later  the  detachment  was  sent  to  Little  Rock,  where  it  was 
relieved  for  a  time  except  of  the  care  of  its  own  sick.  A  number  of 
the  men  died  there.  Yet  Little  Rock  proved  to  be  a  very  healthy 
place,  and  while  there  the  company,  considering  its  reduced  con- 
dition, improved  very  rapidly.     This  Arkansas  expedition  was 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  181 

one  of  the  most  destructive  of  life  of  any  campaign  in  tlie  war. 
General  McPlierson,  medical  director,  afterwards  said  at  Vicks- 
burg  that  the  sending  of  the  four  companies  through  on  that 
campaign  to  keep  up  with  the  cavalry  was  a  burning  shame,  one 
of  the  outrages  of  the  war. 

They  remained  at  Little  Rock  imtil  the  middle  of  October  and 
then  removed  to  Benton,  twenty-five  miles  distant.  They  then 
returned  to  Little  Rock,  where  they  remained  until  January,  1864, 
when  they  were  ordered  to  report  to  Brig.-Gen.  A.  J.  Smith,  at 
Vicksburg. 

In  the  meantime,  the  six  companies  under  Colonel  Scott  had 
proceeded  from  N'ew  Madrid  to  Fort  Pillow,  where  they  remained 
on  garrison  duty  for  nearly  six  months.  The  command  embarked 
for  Columbus,  Ky.,  went  into  camp  and  there  the  regimental 
headquarters  remained  for  seven  months.  Colonel  Scott  being  com- 
mander of  the  post  most  of  the  time.  In  Jul_y  this  portion  of  the 
regiment  was  divided  into  detachments,  Companj^  E  being  placed 
at  Fort  Quimby,  not  far  from  Columbus.  The  other  companies 
located  at  scattering  points  in  the  vicinity.  From  this  on  until 
January,  1864,  the  history  of  most  of  these  detachments  is  devoid 
of  particular  interest.  In  January,  1864,  the  six  companies  again 
assembled  and  embarked  for  Vicksburg.  Later  they  were  assigned 
to  the  second  brigade,  having  seen  practically  no  active  service 
and  none  whatever  as  a  command. 

It  is  probable  there  was  not  a  smgle  organization  in  the  whole 
army  under  Major-General  Sherman  that  welcomed  the  oppor- 
timity  of  active  service  as  gladly  as  did  these  companies  of  the 
Thirty-second.  On  their  return  from  Vicksburg  they  found  Major 
Eberhart  and  his  four  companies,  and  the  whole  regiment  was 
joined,  the  first  tune  since  the  1st  of  November,  1862. 

Shortly  thereafter  the  regiment  was  ordered  to  the  Depart- 
ment of  the  Gulf  and  took  part  in  the  disastrous  Red  river 
campaign.  In  this  campaign  the  Thirty-second  suffered  more 
severely  perhaps  than  any  of  the  other  regiments.  It  formed  a  part 
of  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith's  command,  which  left  Vicksburg  on  March  9th, 
on  transports,  accompanied  by  gun  boats.  At  the  mouth  of  the  Red 
river  this  fleet  was  joined  by  Admiral  Porter  with  a  large  fleet, 
including  several  ironclads.  The  fleet  disembarked  from  the  trans- 
ports at  Semmesport  and  immediately  commenced  the  march  on 
Fort  BeRuRsey.    In  the  assault  the  Thirty-second  was  on  the  right 


182  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

and  it  was  the  meu  on  the  right  who  took  the  fort,  as  the  Con- 
federate prisoners  afterwards  said. 

From  Fort  DeRussey  they  embarked  for  Alexandria,  at  which 
point  General  Smith  formed  a  junction  with  the  column  that  had 
marched  vip  from  New  Orleans.  On  the  7th  of  April  it  took  part 
in  the  battle  of  Pleasant  Hill,  where  the  brigade  to  which  it 
belonged,  commanded  by  Colonel  Shaw,  belonging  to  the  Four- 
teenth Iowa,  stood  the  brunt  of  the  fight,  being  longer  in  battle 
and  fighting  longer  than  any  other  in^the  hardest  of  the  contest, 
the  last  to  leave  the  field,  and  losing  three  times  as  many  officers 
and  meu  as  any  brigade  engaged. 

In  his  report  of  the  battle,  Gen.  A.  J.  Smith  says:  "Of  Colonel 
Scott,  Thirty-second  Iowa,  it  is  sufficient  to  say  that  he  showed 
himself  worthy  to  command  the  Thirty-second  Iowa  Infantry — a 
regiment  which,  after  having  been  entirely  surroimded  and  cut 
off  from  the  rest  of  the  command,  with  nearly  one-half  its  nimibcr 
killed  or  wounded,  among  them  many  of  the  best  and  prominent 
officers,  forced  its  way  through  the  enemy's  lines  and  was  again 
in  line,  ready  and  anxious  to  meet  the  foe,  in  less  than  thirty 
minutes."  No  regimeut  ever  fought  with  a  sublimer  coiu-age 
than  did  the  Thirty-second  on  the  battlefield  of  Pleasant  Hill.  Its 
heroism  and  sacrifices  were  worthy  of  a  better  fate  than  a  retreat 
from  the  scene  of  its  splendid  daring  and  glory. 

In  this  engagement  the  regimeut  suffered  the  loss  of  its  lieu- 
tenant colonel,  E.  H.  Mix,  a  Butler  county  soldier,  and  many  other 
officers  and  men  were  either  killed  or  wounded.  In  all  210  officers 
and  men  were  reported  killed,  wounded  and  missing  after  this 
battle. 

As  mentioned  above,  in  connection  with  the  history  of  the 
Fourteenth  Iowa,  Colonel  Shaw's  brigade,  including  the  Thirty- 
second,  covered  the  retreat  of  the  army  to  Grand  'Ecore.  Of  the 
rear  guard  action  at  Bayou  de  Glaize,  Colonel  Shaw  says:  "To 
Colonel  Gilbert,  of  the  Twenty-seventh  Iowa,  Major  Eberhart  of 
the  Thirty-second  Iowa,  Captain  Crane  of  the  Fourteenth  Iowa, 
and  their  commands,  is  due  the  safety  of  the  army.  Had  they 
failed  to  move  in  the  position  assigned  them  with  less  celerity  or 
failed  to  hold  it  after  taking  it,  our  left  in  the  rear  would  have 
been  overwhelmed  and  never  could  have  saved  us,  not  even  the 
fighting  qualities  of  the  Sixteenth  Corps." 

On  the  ]Oth  of  June  the  regiment  reached  Memphis,  from 
which  point  it  marched   with   General   Smith's   forces   on   the 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  183 

Tupelo  campaign.  Returning  to  Mempliis,  it  joined  in  the  Oxford 
expedition  and  tlien  took  part  in  the  pursuit  of  General  Price 
thi'ough  Missouri.  This  was  a  campaign  of  severe  marching  but 
not  of  battle.  The  regiment  marched  at  least  six  hundred  and 
fifty  miles,  averaging  twenty  miles  a  day  across  the  state  and  back 
again.  After  halting  a  few  days  at  St.  Louis,  it  marched  to 
Cairo,  where  it  arrived  November  27th.  From  here  it  was  moved 
to  Nashville,  where  it  took  part  in  the  battle  brought  on  by  Gen- 
eral Hood  on  December  15th  and  16th.  In  this  engagement  the 
Thirty-second  was  warmly  engaged  and  won  credit  for  daring 
and  efficient  behavior.  It  captured  five  gims  and  many  prisoners 
and  lost  about  twenty-five  killed  and  wounded.  This  closed  the 
campaign  for  1864. 

In  1865,  after  doing  some  garrison  duty,  it  took  part  in  its 
last  campaign  under  the  command  of  Gen.  E.  R.  S.  Canby  against 
Mobile.  After  the  fall  of  Mobile  it  remained  for  some  time  in 
Alabama  and  was  finally  moved  to  Clinton,  Iowa,  where  it  was 
mustered  out  August  24,  1865.  Following  is  a  list  of  the  Butler 
county  members  of  this  famous  regiment: 

Lieutenant  Colonel 
E.  H.  Mix 

COMPANY  B 

Privates 

Falsom,  Jacob  G.  McDonald,  Archibald 

Needham,  Edward  E. 

COMPANY  c 

Gilbert,  MiUs  B. 

COMPANY   D 

Bourquin,  Louis 

COMPANY  E 

Captain 
John  R.  Jones 


184 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COU.\'l  V 


Marsliall  Kelley 
Samuel  German 
Edward  A.  Gleim 


William  M.  Martin 
Wesley  H.  Long 
Robert  Stanley 
Robert  Inman 


William  H.  Burham 


Ackerman,  Lawrence 
Asijrey,  Joseph 
Albright,  Elias  D 
Broqiie,  Mordecai  B. 
Blackman,  Anson 
Blass,  John  W. 
Blackman,  E.  W. 
Bolton,  George 
Brookman,  Albert  H. 
Burgess,  Eli  S. 
Brannic,  Francis 
Billhimer,  Henry 
Kimmel,  Bacheus  F. 
Ketchem,  William  H. 
Leverieh,  James  P. 
T/angdon.  John  B. 
T;Owis,  Charles 


First  Lieutenant 
Alonzo  Converse 

Second  Lieutenant 
John  F.  Wright 

Sergeants 

William  H.  Guy 
Ovid  .Hare 
Samuel  E.  Hayden 

Corporals 

Alexander  March 
Clark  Speedy 
Albert  O.  Royce 
Jacob  Hinkle 

Musicians 

John  Burham 

Wagoner 
Nathan  Ohustead 

Privates 

Lewis,  Wilbert  L. 
March,  William 
Mead,  Rollins  P. 
Mix,  William  N. 
Mix,  Charles  E. 
Newcomb,  Orlando  S. 
Needham,  Edward  E. 
Copelaud,  George  R. 
Conner,  John  N. 
Codner,  Oliver 
Codner,  George  G. 
Churchill,  James  N. 
Collins,  Henry  C. 
Clayton,  Dow 
Dunning,  Abram 
Dunuiug,  William  H. 
Dodge,  Mordecai 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


185 


Dickisou,  John 
Ede,  Richard  T. 
Ferris,  Theodore  H. 
Foster,  Francis  G. 
Flood,  William 
Griffith,  John  W. 
Hartmau,  Matthew 
Henderson,  David  M. 
Hedrick,  Moses 
Hannant,  Robert 
Howard,  James  N. 
Hall,  Calvin 
Hites,  Elijah 
Houck,  Thomas 
Hinkle,  Jacob 
High,  Isaac 
Hongh,  Nehemiah  R. 
Jones,  Nathan 
Jones,  Henry  O. 
Knight,  Hinkley 
Kunniel,  George  W. 
Needham,  Perrin  O. 
Olmstead,  Robert  L. 
Orvis,  Franklin  E. 
Olmstead,  Wallace  W. 
Olmstead,  Theodore 


Olmstead,  Oren  P. 
Putnam,  Fletcher  C. 
Plummer,  Daniel  C. 
Parriott,  Jasper 
Peck,  Josiah 
Q nimby,  John 
Quinn,  James  W. 
Roberts,  Benjamin 
Rockwell,  Myron 
Royce,  Amos  O. 
Smnner,  John  C. 
Sperry,  James  N. 
Sowash,  George 
tStockdale,  William 
Sperry,  John 
Smith,  James 
Thomas,  Henry 
Turner,  Jesse 
Whitney,  Samuel  B. 
Williams,  William  H. 
Wilson,  Ezra  S. 
Wilcox,  Austin 
Wheeler,  Solomon 
Waters,  Julius  A. 
Williams,  George  H. 
Zelmer,  George  E. 


COMPANY  F 


Champlin,  William  R.  Pierce,  Moses 

Yaw,  Marcellus 


COMPANY  G 

Captain 
Charles  A.  L.  Roszell 


First  Lieutenant 
Charles  A.  Bannon 


Vol.  1—12 


186 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


Second  Lieutenant 
Daniel  Haine 

Sergeant 
William  Poisal 


John  McCain 
Daniel  W.  Kinsley 
Emanuel  Surfus 


Corporals 

Roselie  Kane 
Uriali  Farlow 
George  H.  Burton 
James  Butler 


Musician 
Archison  Wilson 


Anderson,  Benjamin 
Allen,  Sylvester 
Allen,  William  V. 
Allen,  George  L. 
Bishoj:),  Harvey  A. 
Boon,  Sylvester  M. 
Boon,  Warren 
Boon,  Sidney  W. 
Boon,  James  H. 
Burton,  George  H. 
Bisliop.  William  G. 
Boggs,  Albert 
Babcoek,  Joseph 
Brooks.  Henry 
Beetles.  David 
Clawson.  Phineas 
Gavo.  William  R. 
Garter,  James  H. 
Gline,  Michael 
Gosson.  Wilbur  G. 
Clark,  Mortimer  O. 


Wagoner 
J.  Rush  Brown 

Privates 

Clark,  Daniel  N. 
Doty,  Aaron 
Harter,  Aaron  M. 
Hardman,  James  L. 
Kane,  Roselie 
Keller.  Richard 
Leuhart,  John 
Martin.  John 
Maffit,  Apollos  W. 
Miller,  Francis  M. 
Miller,  Elias 
Miller.  James  M. 
Muffler.  William 
McGlellan,  George 
Miller,  George  G. 
Modlin,  Isaac  N. 
Phillipi,  Jehu 
Phillipi.  James  M. 
Poisal.  George  C. 
Poisal,  Hiram 
Phillips,  Joel 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


187 


Smitli,  Heury 
Straum,  Jabez 
Stui'tz,  Soloiiiou 
Stui'tz,  iVJicliael 
Davis,  Natliauiel  W. 
Dockstader,  Josiali 
Ellis,  Andrew 
Forney,  Jolm  C. 
F'arlow,  George 
Farlow,  Leauder 
Goodliue,  James  M. 
Goodhue,  S.  Newell 


Graver,  Setli  H. 
Harrison,  DeWitt  0. 
Sturtz,  Adam 
Straum,  Mcliolas 
ISwim,  Jolm  D. 
Slieffer,  James  M. 
Thomas,  Charles  N. 
Upps,  John 
Warner,  Daniel  D. 
Wamsley,  Martin  V. 
Whitted,  Oliver  P. 
Whitter,  Baltzer 


COMPANY  H 

Sergeant 
James  H.  Hall 


Beecher,  Albert  R. 
Considine,  Peter 


Privates 

Hesse,  Stephen 
Robinson,  Solomon 
Yost,  Josiah  W. 


THIRTY-EIGHTH    INFANTRY 
COMPANY   B 

Musician 
Cassius  P.  Inman 

FORTY-FIRST   INFANTRY 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  Butler  county  enlistments  in 
this  regiment,  in  connection  with  the  history  of  Company  A 
of  the  Fourteenth  Iowa  Infantry.  In  addition  to  the  names  given 
there,  one,  that  of  Adam  C.  Pattee,  a  private,  is  given  in  connec- 
tion with  the  Forty-first. 


FORTY -FOURTH   INFANTRY 


In  the  Forty-fourth  Infantry,  a  regiment  of  one  hundred  day 
men  which  was  mustered  into  the  service  of  the  United  States  at 
Davenport,  June  1,  1864,  with  Stephen  H.  Henderson  as  colonel, 


188 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


Company  E  was  recruited  in  Butler  county  and  consisted  largely 
of  Butler  county  men.  It  was  captained  by  H.  F.  L.  Burton,  of 
Clarksville.     A  list  of  its  members  is  given  below: 


Hiram  W.  Babcock 
Edward  Nutting 


Amos  G.  Waters 
William  Farlow 
Eliplialet  W.  Ensign 


Henry  F.  Blakenship 


Ackerson.  Joseph 
Alexander,  Frank  E. 
Colver,  Walter  J. 
Dobbins,  George  P. 
Edson,  William 
Failsom,  Lewis  L. 
Fague,  Calvin  J. 
Goodluxe,  James  M. 
Guthrie,  Thomas  E. 
Gilmore,  Samuel 
Hilton,  Seth 
Harmon,  Charles  R. 
Hopkins,  Harvey  H. 
Hunt.  Hiram  T. 
Kenison,  George 


COMPANY   E 

Captain 
H.  F.  L.  Burton 

Sergeants 

Orin  F.  Shaw 
George  A.  Mead 

Corporals 

John  C.  Jerome 
Milo  E.  Mather 
Ezra  Winship 
Willet  A.  Willis 

Musicians 

George  Adair 

Wagoner 
John  L.  Eddy 

Privates 


Kenison,  Solvin  S. 
Low,   Walter  W. 
Maxwell,  John  E. 
Mather,  Milo  E. 
Mills,  Adrian  D. 
Orvis,  Fletcher  L. 
Overacker,  Ransom  P. 
Parthemer,  Arthur  A. 
Porter,  George  L. 
Spawn,  Marion 
Smith,  Oliver  J. 
Scribner,  John  W. 
Sturdevant.  Harvey  B. 
Tibbies.  James 
Voltz,  Ferdinand 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


189 


Wright,  Eugene  A. 
Wieser,  Andrew 
Wheeler,  John 


Walter,  John  W. 
WiUett,  Aaron  B. 
Wilcox,  Jacob 


FORTY -SEVENTH  INFANTRY 
COMPANY  E 

Corporal 
Leonidas  L.  Lush 

THIRD  BATTERY 


In  August,  1861,  the  Third  Battery,  more  generally  known 
as  the  Dubuque  Battery,  was  organized  in  the  city  of  Dubuque, 
with  Capt.  M.  M.  Hayden  in  command.  The  command  distin- 
guished itself  at  Pea  Ridge.  Afterward  its  principal  battle  was 
at  Helena,  where  it  won  high  praise.  It  was  subsequently  in  the 
Arkansas  campaign.  Enlistments  from  Butler  coimty  were  as 
follows : 


Seymour  Brookman 


Corporals 

Harvey  Quinn 


Joseph  Waters 


Zni-  H.  Graves 


Musicians 

Orvell  O.  WUliams 

Artificers 

William  H.  Bisbee 


Privates 


Baker,  John  jST. 
Brooksland.  Albert 
Brown,  Andrew  H. 
Clark,  William  H.  H. 
Daniels,  Samuel  A. 
Davis,  William  W. 
Dawson.  William 
Dockstader,  L.  F. 
Folsom,  Daniel 


Hyde,  Charles  B. 
Hall,  Lewis  G. 
Kelly,  John  F. 
Martin.  Charles  S. 
Maxwell,  George  W. 
Owens,  John  D, 
Owens,  Ludlow  D. 
Owens,  Chaimcey  F. 
Overacker,  Henry  D. 


190  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Richardson,  William  H.  Wells,  Sidney  H. 

Wright,  Samuel  J.  Yoetim,  Christopher 

Veterans 

Sergeants 
Charles  S.  Martin  Hilaud  H.  Weaver 

Corporals 
Nathan  W.  Aplington  William  H.  Main 

Bugler 
Joseph  H.  Waters 

Privates 

Brooksland,  Albert  Hall,  Lewis  G. 

Bisbee,  William  H.  Owen,  John  D. 

Folsom,  Daniel  ■  ■       Quinn.  Harvey 

"dead  on  the  field  of  fame" 

The  following  list  includes  so  far  as  possible  all  soldiers  from 
Butler  county  who  gave  up  their  lives  for  their  country  on  the 
battlefields,  in  prison  pens,  in  hospitals,  or  in  their  homes,  as  a 
result  of  wounds  or  disease  contracted  in  service.  Words  are 
empty  things  when  l)y  their  use  it  is  attempted  to  olfer  such 
heroes  their  just  meed  of  praise  and  honor.  It  should  be  enough 
here  to  emblazon  their  names  upon  the  roll  of  honor  and  to  say  of 
them  all  they  are  "dead  on  the  field  of  fame." 

Mix,  Lieutenant  Colonel  Edward  H..  killed  in  battle,  April  9, 
1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana. 

Braden,  Lieutenant  John,  died  of  womids  at  Rolla,  Missouri, 
October  31,  1864. 

Ahrens,  John,  died  at  Macon,  Georgia,  September  25,  1862. 

Allen,  Sylvester  E.,  died  September  26,  1863,  at  Brownsvill(\ 
Arkansas. 

Blackman,  Anson,  died  March  3,  1865,  at  Nashville,  Tennessee,' 

Boylan,  Cornelii;s.  died  in  Andersonville  prison,  September 
21, 1864. 

Burgess,  Eli  S..  died  March  7,  1863,  at  Fort  Pillow,  Tennessee, 

Bird,  William  O.,  died  at  Macon,  Georgia,  September  29,  1862,  | 

Booram,  John,  died  June  29,  1862,  at  Corinth,  ^Mississippi. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  191 

Blass,  John  W.,  killed  iu  battle,  April  9,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
Louisiana. 

Burton,  George  H.,  killed  April  9,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
Louisiana. 

Boon,  Sylvester  M.,  died  January  3,  1863,  at  Cape  Girardeau, 
JVIissouri. 

Boon,  James  H.,  died  September  26,  1863,  at  Little  Rock, 
Arkansas. 

Babcock,  Joseph,  died  June  5, 1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana. 

Brooksland,  Albert,  died  September  5,  1865,  at  Port  Smith. 

Champlain,  William  R.,  died  May  21,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
Louisiana,  of  wounds. 

Clawson,  Phineas,  died  June  5,  1864,  at  Memphis,  Tennessee. 

Considine,  Peter,  died  at  Keokuk,  December  5, 1862,  of  typhoid 
fever. 

Cook,  H.  D.,  died  at  Butler  Center  while  home  on  furlough, 
January  12,  1864. 

Cummins  John  R.  died  of  wounds  received  in  action  at  Pilot 
Knob,  Missouri,  October  25,  1864. 

Cotton,  Charles  M.,  died  in  hospital. 

DeWitt  Stephen,  killed  April  6,  1862,  at  Shiloh,  Tennessee,  in 
battle. 

Dodge,  Mordeeai,  died  March  5,  1864,  at  Cohmibus,  Kentucky. 

Daniels,  Alfred,  died  March  2,  1864,  at  Benton  Barracks,  Mis- 
souri. 

DeMoss,  James,  died  October  10,  1862,  at  Corinth,  Mississippi, 
of  wounds. 

Davis,  William  W.,  killed  July  14,  1863. 

Dockstader,  Leonard  T.,  died  August  24,  1865,  at  Little  Rock, 
Arkansas. 

Ferris,  Theodore  H.,  died  April  26,  1863,  at  Fort  Pillow,  Ten- 
nessee. 

Farlow,  Uriah,  died  July  1,  1864,  at  Cedar  Falls. 

Hoisington,  Hiram,  died  in  prison  at  Atlanta,  Georgia,  June 
30,  1862. 

Hodgson,  Samuel,  died  May  7,  1865,  at  St.  Louis,  Missouri. 

Hopkins,  Harvev  W.,  died  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  September 
19,  1864. 

Halstead,  William  R.,  died  July  8,  1864,  at  Memphis,  Ten- 
nessee. 

Henderson,  David  M.,  died  March  12,  1865,  at  Davenport. 


192  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Hites,  Elijah,  killed  April  9,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana. 

Hough,  Nehemiah  R.,  died  June  4,  1864,  at  Vicksburg,  Missis- 
sippi. 

Hesse,  Stephen,  died  February  9,  1863,  at  Fort  Pillow ,  Ten- 
nessee. 

Hubbai'd,  George,  died  at  Butler  Center,  May  12,  1862. 

Trnnan,  Cassius,  died  September  13,  1863,  at  New  Orleans, 
Louisiana. 

Tnman,  Frank  E.,  died  at  Memphis,  Tennessee,  June  24,  1864. 

Johnson,  Charles,  died  of  woimds  received  in  battle  of  Shiloh, 
AprH  21, 1862. 

Kelley,  Marshall,  died  at  New  Madrid,  December  21,  1862. 

Kimmel,  George  W.,  died  March  8,  1863,  at  Fort  Pillow,  Ten- 
nessee. 

Kimmel,  Zacheus  F.,  died  April  5,  1863,  at  Fort  Pillow,  Ten- 
nessee. 

Leverich,  Willard,  killed  March  7,  1862,  at  Pea  Ridge. 

Long,    Wesley    H.,    died   April   27,    1864,   at    New    Orleans, 
Louisiana. 

Lewis,  Charles,  died  September  16, 1864,  at  Tyler,  Texas,  while 
prisoner  of  war. 

Lewis,  Wilbert  L.,  killed  April  9,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  in 
battle. 

Mason,  George,  died  at  St.  Louis,  January  25,  1862. 

Martin,  Henry,  killed  June  23, 1863,  at  Vicksburg,  Mississippi. 

Mix,  Thomas  M.,  killed  September  17,  1861,  at  Blue  Mills,  Mis- 
soui'i. 

Myers,  John  M.,  killed  March  7, 1862,  at  Pea  Ridge,  Arkansas, 
in  action. 

Myers,  Joseph  R..  killed  in  battle  of  Corinth,  Mississippi, 
October,  1862. 

Myers,  Philip  B.,  died  of  wounds  received  at  Atlanta,  Georgia, 
August  1,  1864. 

McCain,  John,  died  September  12,  1863,  at  Brownsville,  Ar- 
kansas. 

Miller,  Elias  G.,  died  December  12,  1863,  at  Benton,  Arkansas. 

Miller,  Francis  M.,  died  January  20,  1863,  at  Cape  Girardeau, 
Missouri. 

Nutting,  Edmond,  died  at  Memphis,  June  29,  1864. 

Ohnstead,  Robert  L.,  died  April  20,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
Louisiana,  of  wounds. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  mi 

Parks,  George,  died  of  wounds  received  at  Matamora,  Ten- 
nessee, October  18, 1862. 

Parriott,  Jasper,  killed  April  9,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
Louisiana. 

Phillipi,  Jehu,  killed  April  9, 1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana. 

Paul}',  Charles,  died  of  typhoid  fever,  Huntsville,  Missouri, 
February  16,  1862. 

Pierce  Moses,  died  July  14,  1864,  at  Cairo,  Illinois. 

Spears,  William,  died  of  chronic  diarrhoea,  November  10,  1864, 
at  Sedalia,  Missouri. 

Surfus,  Emanuel,  died  at  Camp  Franklin,  November  6,  1862. 

Shefter,  James  M.,  died  July  8,  1864,  at  Memphis,  Tennessee. 

Smith,  Isaac  A.,  died  March  10,  1865,  at  Spirit  Lake. 

Stockdale  William,  died  March  4, 1864,  at  Momid  City,  Illinois. 

Smith,  James,  died  July  24,  1863,  at  Columbus,  Kentiicky. 

Sperry,  James  TJ.,  died  February  8,  1864,  at  Vicksburg,  Mis- 
sissippi. 

Swim,  John  B.,  killed  April  9, 1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana. 

Sturtz,  Solomon,  died  June  6,  1864,  at  Vicksburg,  Mississippi. 

Sturtz,  Michael,  died  November  3,  1864,  at  Little  Rock,  Ar- 
kansas. 

Stvirtz,  Adam,  died  May  22,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill,  Louisiana. 

Sturdevant,  Harvey  B.,  died  August  30,  1864,  at  Keokuk. 

Thomas,  Henry,  died  March  4, 1863,  at  Fort  Pillow,  Tennessee. 

Winchell,  Lyford,  died  at  Shell  Rock,  Butler  county,  Iowa, 
November  12,  1863. 

Wilson  Ezra  S.,  died  May  19,  1863,  at  Fort  Pillow,  Tennessee. 

Waters,  Julius  A.,  killed  April  9,  1864,  at  Pleasant  Hill, 
Louisiana. 

Wamsley,  Martin  V.,  died  June  26, 1864,  at  Tyler,  Texas,  while 
prisoner  of  war. 


CHAPTER  XVI 

REMINISCENT 

A  very  few  settlers  of  the  fifties  are  now  living  in  Butler 
county ;  most  of  them  have  gone  to  their  final  rest.  To  meet  the 
men  and.  women  who  came  here  when  the  land  was  given  over  to 
wild  beasts  and  scarcely  less  wild  red  men,  and  hear  them  by  word 
of  mouth  describe  the  new  country  and  detail  their  varied  and 
remarkable  experiences,  is  an  event  out  of  the  usual  course  and 
one  that  never  fails  of  interest  to  the  historian.  Of  the  sraall  rem- 
nant of  this  band  of  hardy  pioneers  still  remaining  are  Thomas 
Hunt  and  wife,  of  Clarksville,  H.  C.  Brown,  of  Dumont,  who  came 
in  1867,  and  Mrs.  Charlotte  E.  Levis  and  her  sister,  Miss  Caroline 
Monroe,  now  living  in  Allison.  These  men  and  women  were  here 
when  Butler  county  was  in  its  infancy  and  have  lived  to  witness 
the  metamorphosis  of  the  wild  prairies  into  highly  cultivated 
fields  of  grain,  dotted  hither  and  yon  with  beautiful  residences 
and  spacious  outbuildings.  They  have  lived  to  see  busy  little 
villages  and  towns  grow  up  as  if  by  magic,  and  the  building  of 
the  first  railroad  in  the  county  comes  within  the  period  of  their 
residence  here.  They  have  told  a  part  of  the  great  story  of  the 
birth  and  growth  of  Butler  county  and  the  details  are  submitted 
to  the  reader  of  this  volume. 

THOMAS  hunt's  REMEMBRANCES 

I  came  to  Butler  county  from  my  old  home  in  Trumbull  coimty, 
Ohio,  in  1854,  locating  on  a  quartei-  section  of  land  in  section  32, 
Butler  townshi]),  which  I  had  entered.  I  boarded  with  the  Far- 
low  family,  which  liad  located  on  section  17,  and  two  years  after 
my  arrival  I  led  to  tlic  altar  Nancy,  the  daughter  of  Abner  arid 
Nancy  Farlow,  with  whom  I  had  made  my  home.  I  at  once  built 
a  one-story  frame  house  on  my  quarter  section  and  began  hoiise- 
keeping  with  my  bride,  who  is  still  at  my  side. 

195 


196  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  Farlows  arrived  in  Butler  tuwnsliip  soou  after  I  came  and 
begau  tlieir  prairie  life  in  a  cabin  already  built  on  the  land,  whicli 
they  purchased  of  John  Bay.    In  this  log  house  we  were  married. 

When  I  located  in  the  township  already  established  in  their 
humble  and  primitive  homes  were  Alfred  Elam  and  family,  who 
came  from  Indiana  in  1853.  Also  Harlan  Beard  an  old  time  friend 
from  Kentucky  and  unmarried;  he  rose  to  the  rank  of  colonel  in 
the  Civil  war.  There  were  also  Malon  and  William  Wamsley, 
of  Ohio,  Samuel  McCreery,  Walker  Bishop  and  John  Modlin  from 
Indiana.  About  this  time  also  located  in  the  toAvnship  Thomas 
Clark,  Jeremiah  Clark,  Seth  Hilton,  Peter  Spoor,  John  Arm- 
strong, John  Hicks  and  G.  W.  Poisal,  all  of  whom  had  families. 
My  brother,  H.  D.  Hunt,  also  came  in  1853  and  I  very  much 
desired  to  come  with  him,  but  I  didn't  have  enough  money.  When 
my  brother  returned  to  Ohio  and  then  back  to  Iowa  in  1854,  I 
came  with  him.  I  should  say  here,  however,  that  Morrison,  Wil- 
liam and  Roby  Taylor  and  Clement  Burton  Avere  in  the  township 
and  located  as  early  as  1852. 

There  were  only  a  few  settlers  Avho  located  in  Butler  tow-nship 
in  1855  and  many  of  those  who  were  here  left  through  fear  of 
the  Indians. 

John  Heery,  whom  I  knew  well,  entered  the  first  land  in  But- 
ler township.  This  was  a  cjuarter  section  on  the  edge  of  Clarks- 
ville  and  was  taken  up  by  Heer}^  in  1852.  John  Heery  was  a  native 
of  Ireland  and  on  coming  to  the  United  States  first  located  in  Wis- 
consin. He  subsequently  found  himself  in  Dubuque,  from  which 
place  he  A\alked  to  this  locality,  carrying  provisions  on  his  ))ack. 
He  first  stopped  at  Newells,  wdio  gave  him  so  glowing  a  descrip- 
tion of  the  country  that  he  staked  out  a  claim  and  a  year  there- 
after, upon  going  to  the  land  office  at  Dubuque,  he  found  his  pat- 
ent already  made  out  for  him.  On  this  land  he  built  a  log  cabin 
and  lived  there  four  or  five  j-ears.  He  then  put  up  a  more  preten- 
tious residence,  which  was  his  home  until  he  passed  away  twenty 
or  twenty-five  years  ago.  Two  sons  still  live  on  the  old  home- 
stead; John,  the  eldest  son,  is  a  resident  of  Clarksville. 

The  Indian  scare  is  treated  in  a  rather  facetious  manner  by 
Mr.  Hunt.  Of  that  widespread  alarm,  which  culminated  as  a 
frontier  will  o'  the  wisp,  he  says: 

I  was  working  in  Shell  Rock  at  the  time  of  the  Indian  scare 
in  1854.  One  evening  my  friend,  Henry  Sweitzer,  and  myself 
were  spending  the  time  with  a  couple  of  village  belles,  when  a 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  197 

man  came  to  the  door  of  the  room  in  which  we  were  sitting  and 
caused  a  fearful  coimnotion  among  the  women,  by  exclaiming  that 
the  Indians  had  broken  out  at  Clear  Lake,  were  torturing  and 
butcherinji  every  pale  face  they  could  find  and  were  coming  our 
way  thirsting  for  more  scalps.  At  the  time  there  were  three  trap- 
pers at  Clear  Lake  with  families  and  they  sent  in  a  cry  for  help. 
Sweitzer  and  I  vokmteered  our  services  with  some  eighteen  or 
twenty  otliers.  Bullets  were  moulded  and  with  our  squirrel  rifles 
we  marched  as  far  as  Nora  Junction,  where  we  found  an  old  trap- 
per, Dan  Whetsel,  in  his  cabin.  Here  we  stayed  all  night,  most 
of  which  was  passed  in  dancing.  The  next  day  the  band  of  Indian 
slayers  reached  Clear  Lake.  Here  the  motley  band  was  aug- 
mented l)y  the  arrival  of  men  from  Clarksville,  Shell  Rock  and 
along  the  road.  Superintendent  of  Schools  Eads  was  made  colonel 
of  the  Indian  fighters,  M.  M.  Trumbull,  captain,  and  I  was  given 
the  responsible  duties  of  sergeant.  The  day  was  July  4th.  Eads 
made  a  speech  and  the  men  fired  the  national  salute.  There  being 
plenty  of  whisky  in  the  crowd,  some  of  the  men  got  drunk  and 
fired  indiscriminately  into  the  crowd.    They  had  to  be  squelched. 

The  night  of  July  -Itli,  guards  were  placed  where  most  needed. 
Along  toward  morning  a  terrible  thunder  storm  came  on  and  the 
lightning  was  extremely  ^dvid.  This  wakened  everybody,  and 
when  the  lightning  flashed  particularly  brilliant,  many  imagined 
they  could  distinguish  the  "red  devils"  skidking  behind  trees  and 
bushes.  This  made  us  all  vigilant  and  kept  us  on  the  alert  until 
morning.  But  daylight  showed  no  sign  of  the  expected  savages 
and  after  we  had  taken  a  swim  in  the  lake  the  troops  were  marched 
to  Clarksville,  and  upon  our  arrival,  we  found  the  men  of  the  vil- 
lage busily  and  frantically  engaged  in  building  a  fort.  They 
wanted  mv'self  and  others  to  assist  but  I  told  them  I  was  a  warrior, 
and  that  warriors  did  not  work. 

The  fort  was  never  flnished.  It  stood  on  the  second  block  east 
of  Main  street  and  A\-as  made  of  logs.  At  this  time  there  were 
only  two  or  three  families  in  Clarksville.  One  of  them  belonged 
to  G.  W.  Poisal.  who  lived  in  a  log  cabin  covered  with  sod.  How- 
ever, the  great  Indian  scare,  while  it  resulted  from  a  canard,  has 
lived  all  these  years  in  the  history  of  Butler  and  other  counties, 
and  no  detailed  story  of  the  county  is  considered  complete  without 
some  mention  of  the  incident.  Knowing  the  present  historian  will 
not  neglect  his  duty  in  this  regard,  it  is  superfluous  for  me  to 
continue  anv  farther. 


198  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

CHARLOTTE  E.  LEVIS  AND  SISTER,  CAROLINE  MONROE 

The  Monroe  sisters  were  both  little  girls  when  their  parents 
came  to  Bntler  county.  Since  the  year  1883,  they  have  been  resi- 
dents of  tlie  county  seat  and  the  pioneer  milliners  of  that  place. 
Both  are  now  advanced  in  years,  but  their  memories  of  the  early 
days  of  this  western  country  are  clear  and  vi\id,  fortunately  for 
the  presciit  aiid  coming  generations  wh«>  will  have  been  edified 
and  benefited  by  the  preservation  of  their  story  in  this  volume. 
At  times  in  the  interview  graciously  accorded  the  writer  hy  them, 
fii'st  one  and  then  the  other  of  these  intelligent  and  charming 
ladies,  was  the  relator.  Hence,  as  a  convenient  mode  of  transi^os- 
iug  their  recital  of  events  to  these  pages,  the  personal  pronoun  in 
the  first  person  will  be  observed  in  these  remembrances. 

My  father,  George  W.  Monroe,  was  a  native  of  the  State  of 
New  York.  He  was  a  manufacturer  of  woolen  cloth  and  having 
confined  himself  too  closely  to  his  business  affairs,  his  health  gave 
way.  An  outdoor  life  was  prescnibed  for  him.  He  at  once  got 
the  Western  fever.  Getting  together  household  goods  and  other 
necessaries,  ^\■hi(•ll  were  packed  in  a  big  wagon  and  with  a  load  of 
woolen  cloth  in  another  wagon,  father  with  his  family  and  chattels 
headed  for  Rock  Island,  Illinois.  But  one  night  while  on  our  way 
to  what  was  to  us  an  unknown  country,  inhal)ited  by  nnu'derous 
Indians  and  wild  beasts,  we  fell  in  with  a  traveler,  who  in  the 
midst  of  his  conversation  told  father  he  had  relatives  in  Butler 
county,  Iowa,  who  had  entered  land  there.  His  descri])tion  of  the 
country  A\-as  a  glowing  one  and  this  decided  my  father  to  go  to  this 
fertile  spot  and  Imild  him  a  prairie  home.  He  knew  nothing 
about  farming,  l)nt  he  was  willing  and  eager  to  try  his  hand  at 
that  noble  industry.  So  we  reached  Willoughliy.  The  night  was 
dark  and  the  prairie  grass  having  lieen  burned  intensified  the 
impenetralde  1)lackness  of  the  sky.  There  was  no  road,  no  timl)er, 
nothing  l)ut  the  open  prairie  like  a  vast  inland  sea,  and  on  its 
unknown  sm-face  we  began  to  realize  that  we  were  lost.  There 
in  the  darkness  of  the  night  we  wandered  around  on  the  prairie 
and  at  last,  Avhen  almost  ready  to  despair  of  relief  from  our  quan- 
dery,  we  noticed  sparks  of  fire  flying  ahead  of  us.  These  became 
our  beacon  liglit,  and  following  them,  we  were  led  to  a  cabin. 
Hearing  our  "halloo"  the  door  of  the  cabin  was  opened  and  the 
hospitable  host,  who  proved  to  be  Dan  Peterson,  took  us  in  and 
gave  us  every  comfort  his  humble  home  afforded.     This  pioneer 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  199 

family  we  soon  learned  was  composed  of  seven  persons :  the  hus- 
band and  wife  and  five  children.  The  structure  in  which  they 
lived  was  built  of  logs.  It  was  11x14  feet  in  dimensions.  The 
absence  of  a  floor  was  at  once  noticeable.  The  door  and  roof  were 
made  of  "shakes."  In  this  diminutive  habitation,  the  Peterson 
family  of  seven,  and  the  Monroe  family  of  five,  twelve  human 
beings  in  all,  dwelt  together  in  mutual  helpfulness  and  hannony 
five  long  wrecks.  In  the  meanwhile,  father  went  to  Dubuque  to  file 
his  claim  and  under  his  instructions  Peterson  and  Nathan  Linn 
cut  out  logs  for  our  cabin  and  laid  them.  While  they  Avere  doing 
this,  upon  his  retm-n  from  Dubuque,  father  went  to  Cedar  Falls 
and  brought  back  a  stove  which  he  set  up  in  the  unfinished  cabin, 
on  which  he  melted  frozen  earth  to  make  plaster  with  which  to 
close  up  the  interstices  between  the  logs.  Before  the  cabin  was 
finished,  we  moved  into  it,  late  in  November.  This  Avas  quite  a 
change  from  our  eastern  home — a  three-story  brick  house. 

The  nearest  strip  of  timber  was  three  miles  from  our  home  in 
Monroe  township,  and  on  this  we  depended  for  firewood.  From 
the  sawmill  twelve  miles  distant,  father  hauled  lumber,  made 
from  logs  he  had  cut,  with  which  he  laid  a  floor  in  our  home.  In 
this  respect  we  were  ahead  of  our  neighbors,  for  ours  was  the 
only  family  in  the  township  having  a  floor  in  the  house. 

I  well  remember  that  there  was  an  abundance  of  wild  fruit 
near  the  present  village  of  Kesley,  particidarly  plmns,  grapes, 
(.-rabapples  and  berries.  The  locality  was  known  in  early  days  as 
Bear  Grove,  or  Island  Grove,  and  aboimded  with  these  primitive 
luxuries  of  the  table.  Soon  after  we  had  become  established  in 
oui'  cabin  home,  father  plowed  a  furrow  around  his  claim,  and  in 
the  following  spring  traded  his  horses  for  five  yoke  of  oxen,  with 
which  he  broke  forty  acres  of  the  prairie,  which  jdelded  a  good 
crop  of  sod  corn,  potatoes,  and  the  finest  watermelons  I  think  I 
ever  ate.  About  this  time  two  Hopley  families  located  in  the 
settlement.  The  Petersons  and  Linns  sold  their  claims  to  one 
Criswell  and  "Doc"  Loveland,  and  moved  away.  Loveland 
remained  a  short  time  and  then  removed  to  Janesville,  in  Bremer 
county. 

The  first  school  we  girls  attended  in  Monroe  township  was 
taught  by  Thomas  Conn  in  the  bedroom  of  his  home,  which  stood 
on  the  southeast  qnarter  of  section  I.  As  pupils  he  had  four  of 
the  Criswell  children — Robert,  -Tames,  Nettie  and  John;  Louise 
Perry  and  brother,  Caroline  Monroe,  Stanley  Conn,  a  grandson 


20(1  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

of  the  teacher.  The  next  summer  a  schoolhouse  was  built  on  the 
section  west  of  us  and  the  building  was  boarded  up  and  down. 
Loose  boards  were  laid  on  the  roof  and  on  the  floor  at  the  rear  of 
the  room,  for  the  teacher's  table  and  chair.  Rough  hewn  boards 
were  used  for  benches  and  there  was  a  standing  desk  made  by 
fastening  a  board  on  posts.  There  were  no  doors  or  windows 
and  when  it  rained  I  tell  you  we  caught  it!  Any  old  book  was 
used  and  we  were  taught  readin',  'ritin'  and  'rithmetic. 

The  winter  of  1857  was  a  very  sevi're  one  and  there  was  more 
or  less  suffering,  both  by  man  and  beast.  The  snow  drifted  as 
high  as  a  horse's  back  and  on  the  level  the  snow  froze  over  and 
formed  a  crust,  thick  and  strong  enough  to  l)ear  the  stock.  How- 
ever, deer  would  break  through  in  places  and  become  helpless. 
While  in  this  condition  they  were  easy  prey  to  the  severe  cold 
and  the  settler  who  came  upon  them,  so  that  they  were  almost 
exterminated  before  the  weather  moderated. 

The  first  sermon  preached  to  the  settlers  in  this  neighborhood 
was  delivered  at  the  home  of  Joe  Embody  by  Preacher  Brown, 
an  exhorter,  who  lived  at  the  time  at  Horse  Neck,  later  known 
as  New  Albion. 

Tt  was  in  the  month  of  October,  1855,  that  we  arrived  in  Butler 
county,  and  located  on  a  claim  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section 
1.  In  this  humble  home  the  family  lived  for  five  years  and  then 
we  moved  to  Ripley  township  and  made  our  home  there  for 
another  five  years,  having  traded  the  quarter  section  in  Monroe 
township  for  a  tract  of  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  in  Ripley. 
Father  built  a  log  house  on  this  latter  place,  which  borders  on  the 
West  Fork  and  later  he  erected  a  comfortable  frame  house.  In 
1865  we  again  packed  up  our  chattels  and  set  out  for  Illinois, 
retaining  the  Ripley  township  farm,  however.  After  a  short 
stay  in  the  "Sucker"  state,  father  decided  to  return  to  Butler 
county.  This  time  he  located  on  a  fann  in  Jackson  township,  one 
and  one-half  miles  southeast  of  Allison,  where  Thomas  Curtis 
now  lives.  We  remained  there  imtil  1883,  when  we  became  resi- 
dents of  Allison. 

The  Monroe  family  besides  my  parents  consisted  of  two  girls, 
Caroline  and  Charlotte,  both  little  lassies  in  short  dresses  at  the 
time  of  our  arrival  here,  and  a  boy,  (reorge  W.,  Jr.,  who  died  when 
quite  young.  While  we  lived  in  Monroe  township  our  nearest 
postofifice  was  Cedar  Falls,  twenty-five  miles  away;  and  it  was 
here  we  got  our  groceries,  for  part  of  which  we  bartered  butter 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  201 

and  eggs.  For  the  butter  we  were  paid  3  cents  a  pound,  and 
in  return  got  salt  that  cost  us  5  cents  a  pound.  At  the  time  of 
our  settlement  here  there  were  only  three  other  families  in  the 
township — Joe  Embody 's,  Nathan  Linn's  and  Dan  Peterson's. 

The  only  family  we  found  in  Ripley  township  at  the  time 
of  our  location  there  were  the  James  Hunters,  Joe  Embodys, 
who  had  moved  from  Monroe,  and  George  McConnell,  an  old  bach- 
elor. Two  miles  up  the  river  was  Daniel  Considine ;  John  Moore- 
head  lived  one  and  one-half  miles  northwest.  The  place  where  we 
bunt  our  cabin  in  Ripley  had  been  an  Indian  camping  ground  for 
fifty  years  and  at  the  time  wigwams  were  still  standing  on  the 
farm.  Here  my  brother  gathered  many  stone  uteusUs  and  weapons 
of  the  aborigines.  Of  a  morning  we  often  saw  deer  running  across 
the  prairies  and  many  a  time  they  would  come  close  to  our  cabin 
door. 

As  I  have  before  said,  we  moved  to  Allison  in  1883,  at  which 
time  there  Avere  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  inhabitants.  George 
Martin's  livery  stable,  the  first  in  Allison,  had  been  built;  he 
retired  from  the  business  several  years  ago  in  favor  of  his  son, 
Bert,  who  is  running  the  business  at  the  original  barn,  the  first 
building  erected  in  Allison.  The  first  Allison  House  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  present  Arnold  store  building  and  was  destroyed  by 
fire  a  few  years  ago.  The  first  landlord  of  the  hostelry  was 
Charles  Coi*win.  The  structure  was  a  three-story  frame.  James 
Winsett's  hardware  store  was  in  the  building  now  occupied  by 
Hill's  clothing  establishment.  The  first  grocer  was  Fletcher 
Moore.  His  place  of  business  was  in  a  building  that  stood  on  the 
site  of  the  sash  factory.  Mike  Weire's  blacksmith  shop  was  in 
operation  at  the  time  and  is  still  under  the  management  of  that 
pioneer  artisan  at  the  old  stand.  A  man  by  the  name  of  Bishop 
had  a  furniture  store,  and  our  millinery  shop  was  in  the  building 
now  occupied  by  Walt  Dickman.  The  building  stood  on  the  site 
of  Missman's  law  and  abstract  offices.  C.  W.  Williams  catered 
to  the  general  trade ;  Dr.  Riggs  was  the  druggist  and  was  estab- 
lished in  a  building  he  had  erected,  now  the  home  of  the  Racket 
store.  Next  door  was  Turner  Birkbeck's  building  in  which  he 
had  a  store.  Levi  Baker  had  a  restaurant  in  Mawby's  store  room. 
In  a  building  erected  by  Dr.  Burl)ank  was  a  drug  store  and  Har- 
bert  &  Anderson's  dry- goods  emporium.  The  present  postoffice 
building  was  first  occupied  by  the  Ray  Bank  and  then  by  the  Citi- 
zens Bank.    North  of  this  was  Anna  Myer's  millinery  store  and 


202  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

adjoining  was  Combellick's  meat  market.  Aside  the  track  tlie 
town  site  company  put  up  an  elevator  and  not  far  away  was  Bar- 
low's lumberyard.  The  barber  shop  building  was  occupied  by  a 
saloon.  In  1883  Frank  Dodge  was  editor  of  the  Tribune.  The 
plant  was  in  the  second  story  of  a  building,  the  first  floor  of  which 
was  occupied  by  George  Stockwell's  general  store.  This  house 
stood  on  the  corner  south  of  the  telephone  exchange.  Next  to  this 
was  W.  A.  Lathrop's  law  office,  which,  was  on  the  gToxmd  floor. 
His  family  was  installed  in  the  second  story. 

HENRY  C.  BROWN 

Henry  C.  Brown  has  lived  at  Dumont  since  the  year  1867  and 
has  seen  Pittsford  township  grow  from  a  sparsely  settled  com- 
munity to  one  now  generously  peopled  and  containing  many 
farms  not  to  be  surpassed  by  any  other  section  of  northern  Iowa. 
Mr.  Brown  is  a  man  of  education  and  discernment.  Well  informed 
in  local  affairs  he  takes  a  great  intei-est  in  the  history  of  Biitler 
county  and  while  this  work  was  in  preparation  ver.y  kindly  con- 
sented to  contribute  his  recollections  of  the  salient  events  which 
have  come  under  his  notice  since  residing  here.    He  sa3"s : 

I  came  to  Iowa  from  New  Hampshire  in  the  year  1856,  shortly 
after  my  discharge  from  the  army,  and  first  stopped  at  Waterloo, 
where  I  remained  about  three  weeks  and  while  there  I  ran  across 
a  man  by  the  name  of  Burr,  who  had  a  farm  in  Pittsford  town- 
ship, on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  27,  and  about  three- 
fourths  of  a  mile  east  of  Dmnont.  F'rom  his  descriptions  of  this 
part  of  the  country  I  was  induced  to  come  here  and  on  the  13tli 
day  of  March,  3867,  I  arrived  with  my  family. 

I  found  liviug  in  Pittsford  township  in  1867  William  P.  Jami- 
son, on  section  29;  just  west  of  him,  on  section  30,  was  James  J. 
Harlan,  and  Nathan  Harlan,  with  their  widowed  mother  and  her 
daughter,  now  Mrs.  Samuel  De  Armoun,  who  has  been  a  widow 
many  years  and  is  now  in  the  eighty-fifth  year  of  her  age.  James 
Woods  lived  a  little  west.  John  Jamison,  a  son  of  William  P. 
Jamison,  lived  on  section  29;  east  of  Dumont  were  W.  R.  Nichols 
and  J.  M.  Nichols,  on  section  26 ;  and  just  south  of  them,  on  sec- 
tion 35,  were  Elias  Friek  and  family;  all  settled  near  the  timl)e]". 

From  Frick's,  as  we  came  a  little  east  of  north,  we  reached 
S.  W.  Ferris'  place,  but  he  had  not  built  at  that  time;  near  him 
was  0.  C.  Smith 's.    Arriving  at  what  was  one  time  known  as  ' '  Pill- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  203 

town",  there  was  one  Linebaeli,  wliu  had  located  there;  just  west 
of  hkn  was  James  Boyh\n ;  west  of  Boylan  lived  a  man  whose  place 
I  purchased,  but  his  name  has  escaped  me.  North  of  this  land 
lived  Silas  Needham  and  a  little  northwest  of  him  lived  his 
brother,  C.  B.  Needham.  On  the  township  line,  but  in  Pittsford, 
there  was  a  Titus  family,  who  lived  in  a  little  log  house. 

About  Boylan 's  grove  was  quite  a  settlement.  Just  at  the 
outskirts  of  the  grove  on  the  northwest,  was  a  Civil  war  veteran, 
Bennie  Anderson.  From  thence  north  was  Alexander  Cline,  on 
section  1 ;  between  this  section  and  Bristow,  lived  Joseph  Merrill, 
on  section  13 ;  and  west  of  him  was  James  McKinney,  also  on  sec- 
tion 13 ;  his  daughter  became  Mrs.  Joseph  Merrill. 

A  little  south  of  McKinney 's  on  section  13,  James  Logan 
located  with  his  family.  Where  Bristow  now  stands  and  south  of 
Merrill's,  on  section  13,  lived  George  Trindle.  EiDhraim  McKin- 
ney settled  on  section  14;  also  one  Parmenter. 

When  I  came  into  Pittsford  township  the  Boylans  lived  around 
the  grove  of  their  name ;  the  Jamisons  had  been  residents  sixteen 
years;  Dr.  Tiehenor  lived  at  "Pillto^vn"  and  probably  was 
responsible  for  the  name;  James  Boylan  lived  on  section  23;  on 
the  west  side  of  the  road,  going  farther  west  to  Boylan 's  grove, 
Levi  Hewitt  was  to  be  found.  H.  A.  Early,  father  of  "Mace" 
Early,  of  Allison,  lived  close  to  Hewitt  in  the  grove ;  on  section  12 
resided  a  w^dow  named  Mrs.  Rush,  the  mother  of  J.  M.  Nichols. 
The  okl  lady  practiced  medicine  and  was  quite  noted  for  her 
cures  ani(»ng  the  settlers  of  her  day. 

South  of  Eai-ly's  and  Hewitt's  was  the  home  of  W.  R.  Nichols, 
a  brother  of  J.  M.  Nichols;  on  section  35  T.  M.  Early,  a  son  of  H. 
A.  Early,  made  his  residence. 

In  the  days  soon  after  the  war,  or  i-athei",  when  I  came,  the 
county  was  still  young  and  the  settlers  were  all  "hard  up."  Pub- 
lic improvements  had  been  abated  during  the  years  of  rebellion 
and  traveling  was  not  only  tedious,  but  at  times  dangerous.  There 
were  no  bridges  and  when  the  streams  were  swollen  by  rains  or- 
quick  thaws  I  often  had  to  get  out  of  my  wagon  and  get  things 
across  the  West  Fork  as  best  I  could.  Frick  had  a  little  1)oat, 
which  often  was  brought  into  play  when  transporting  our  things, 
over  the  stream  to  our  team  and  wagon  on  the  other  side.  At  one^ 
time  the  Methodists  were  holding  quarterly  meeting.  The  pastor- 
supplying  the  pulpit  at  Dumont  lived  at  Aplington  and  stayed 
at  my  house.     That  night  came  a  big  thaw,  which  caused  the,- 


204  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

streams  to  fill  and  overflow  tlieir  banks.  The  bottoms  were  cov- 
ered with  water.  Suddenly,  the  weather  changed  to  bitter  cold 
and  it  began  to  freeze.  The  Reverend  Hall  and  Elder  Lee  started 
for  home  behind  a  pair  of  colts,  which,  breaking  through  the  ice, 
became  immanageable.  Fearing  for  their  lives  and  safety  of  the 
horses,  the  good  men  of  the  church  were  reluctantly  persuaded  by 
the  situation  to  get  out  into  the  water,  and  make  back  to  the 
cheery  home  of  their  host.  Upon  entering  my  sitting  room  the 
men  jDresented  a  sorry  appearance  and  were  almost  frozen.  I  at 
once  supplied  Elder  Lee  with  dry  clothes,  but  the  clergyman  would 
have  none  of  them,  preferring  to  sit  by  the  hot  stove  and  let  them 
dry  on  his  body.  The  Dumonts  came  over  to  my  house  before 
the  night  was  over,  and  it  seems  the  minister  and  the  elder  vied 
with  each  other  to  see  who  could  best  tell  the  story  of  their  mishap 
to  my  callers. 

There  was  no  village  or  town  in  Butler  county  in  1867,  the 
year  of  my  arrival.  S.  B.  Dumont  lived  on  the  hill  at  the  end  of 
the  street  going  north,  and  had  been  there  about  three  or  four 
years.  His  son,  Dr.  T.  A.  Dumont,  now  a  druggist  in  Dumont, 
was  then  fourteen  years  of  age.  When  the  town  was  incorporated 
I  think  there  were  about  two  hundred  inhabitants.  I  lived  on 
section  27,  just  east  of  town,  sixteen  years,  and  then  moved  on 
section  29,  inside  the  corporation  limits.  The  founder  of  the  town, 
S.  B.  Dumont,  has  been  gone  to  his  reward  a  number  of  years; 
Ms  good  wife  preceded  him  to  the  grave  some  five  or  six  years. 


CHAPTER  XVII 
TOWNSHIP  ORGANIZATION 

After  the  organizatiou  of  the  county  no  steps  were  immedi- 
atel.y  taken  for  its  division  into  townships.  As  the  number  of 
settlers  in  various  parts  of  the  county  increased  it  became  evi- 
dent that  some  further  provision  must  be  made  for  local  sub- 
division of  government.  Accordingly,  on  Feb.  6,  1855,  County 
Judge  John  Palmer  made  the  following  division  of  the  county 
into  four  townships: 

''The  township  of  Butler,  to  consist  of  congressional  town- 
ships 92  and  93,  range  15,  and  township  92  and  the  east  half  of  93, 
range  16;  the  township  of  Coldwater,  of  congressional  township 
93,  range  17,  and  the  east  half  of  township  93,  range  16 ;  the  town- 
ship of  Ripley,  to  consist  of  congressional  townships  90,  91  and 
92,  range  17,  and  townships  90,  91,  92  and  93,  range  18 ;  the  town- 
ship of  Beaver,  to  consist  of  congressional  townships  90  and  91, 
range  15,  and  townships  90  and  91,  range  16." 

By  this  division  the  four  townships  comprised  territory  now 
organized  as  follows : 

Butler  township  then  included  all  of  Fi-emont,  Butler  and 
Jackson  townships,  and  the  east  half  of  Dayton.  Coldwater 
included  in  addition  to  its  present  area,  the  west  half  of  Dayton. 
Ripley  township  consisted  of  what  are  now  the  townships  of 
Bennezette,  Pittsford,  Madison,  Washingion,  Monroe,  Ripley 
and  West  Point.  Beaver  township  included  Jefferson,  Shell  Rock 
and  Albion,  in  addition  to  what  is  now  known  as  Beaver  town- 
ship. 

On  the  15th  of  February  of  the  same  year  Lyman  Norton  was 
authorized  by  warrant  to  organize  the  township  of  Beaver.  On 
February  26th,  W.  R.  Jamison  was  appointed  to  organize  Ri])ley 
township,  and  Aaron  Hardman,  Coldwater  township. 

On  the  3d  of  March,  1856,  the  second  division  of  the  county 
into  townships  was  made.     By  order  of  the  county  court  seven 

205 


206  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

tuwusliips  were  uow  formed  as  follows :  Butler  township,  with  the 
same  boundaries  as  before;  Coldwater  township  to  constitute  its 
present  limits  with  the  addition  of  what  is  now  Bennezette  town- 
ship and  the  west  half  of  Dayton  township ;  West  Point  township 
to  include  with  its  present  limits  that  of  Pittsford  as  well ;  Riple)' 
townshiij  was  reduced  to  inclnde  only  its  present  limits  and  what 
is  now  Madison  township.  Shell  Rock  township  was  formed  and 
included  Shell  Rock  and  Jefferson.  Beaver  township  was  cut  in 
half  and  the  to'UTishij)  of  Monroe  formed  of  the  two  cont2,ressional 
townshi])s  on  the  west,  now  Monroe  and  Washingion. 

Thei'c  is  no  record  of  the  persons  appointed  to  organize  these 
new  townships.  The  names  of  the  township  officers  elected  at  the 
first  election  held  within  the  new  limits  prescribed  liy  this  order 
of  the  county  court  are  given  so  far  as  they  are  al^le  to  be  fomid 
in  connection  with  the  separate  histories  of  the  townships. 

At  the  Mai-ch  term  of  the  county  court  in  1857,  A.  Van  Dorn, 
county  .iudge.  on  the  i)etition  of  George  A.  Richmond  and  other 
citizens  of  Shell  Rock  township,  ordered  that  congressional  town- 
ship 91  north,  range  16  west,  be  separated  from  Shell  Rock  town- 
ship and  oi'ganized  as  a  judicial  township  under  the  name  of  Jef- 
ferson. George  A.  Richmond  was  commissioned  to  organize  this 
township.  At  the  same  time  on  petition  of  Nathan  Olmstead  and 
other  citizens  of  Beaver  township,  this  township  was  divided  and 
the  township  of  Albion  formed  from  its  western  half.  Alonzo 
Olmstead  was  authorized  to  organize  the  judicial  township. 

Bennezette  township  was  se})arat('d  from  Goldwatei'  and  given 
a  separate  organization  in  accordance  with  an  order  of  the  county 
court,  dated  ]\Iarch  14,  1858.  At  this  time  a  warrant  was  issued 
to  Samuel  Ovei-furf  to  call  the  first  election  in  this  township  to  be 
held  on  Monday,  April  5,  1858,  at  the  dwelling  house  of  Samuel 
Overturf. 

On  the  lltli  of  Mareh.  18,58,  Judge  Comerse  authorized  the 
organization  of  the  township  of  Jackson,  consisting  of  congres- 
sional township  92  noi'th,  range  16  west.  A  warrant  was  issued 
to  E.  D.  Mai-quand  directing  him  to  call  the  first  election  in  the 
township,  Ai)ril  5,  1858,  at  the  dwelling  house  of  John  H.  Van 
Dyke. 

The  organization  of  Pittsford  township  was  ordered  Ijy  the 
coimty  court  on  March  13.  1858,  with  its  present  boundaries.  A. 
C.  Needham  was  directed  by  warrant  to  call  an  election  in  the 
township  for  the  5th  of  April,  1858,  at  the  home  of  Silas  T.  Need- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  207 

liam,  at  whicli  time  the  official  orgauization  of  the  township  was  to 
be  completed.  By  this  act  West  Poiut  was  reduced  to  its  present 
limits  and  John  Lash  was  ordered  to  call  an  election  on  the  same 
date  as  above  for  the  final  organization  of  the  township  in  its  pres- 
ent form. 

On  the  5th  day  of  September,  1859,  the  township  of  Fremont 
was  organized  by  the  county  court  of  Butler  county,  comprising 
congressional  township  93  north,  range  15  west.  This  towoiship 
had  hitherto  been  attached  to  Butler.  A  warrant  was  issxied  to 
William  R.  Phillips  to  call  the  first  election  to  be  held  at  his  house 
on  the  11th  of  October. 

No  further  change  was  made  in  the  township  organization  until 
the  September  term  of  the  county  court  in  1860.  On  the  3d  day 
of  September,  1860,  W.  H.  Long  presented  a  petition  asking  that 
congressional  township  No.  90  north,  range  18  west,  be  organized 
into  a  township  for  civil  purposes.  It  was  therefore  ordered  by 
the  couuty  court  that  this  township  be  organized  under  the  name 
of  Washington,  and  William  H.  Long  was  directed  to  call  the 
first  election  in  this  township  on  Tuesday,  the  6th  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1860,  at  the  home  of  R.  R.  Parriott,  for  the  purpose  of  electing 
said  county  and  township  officers.  On  the  same  day  C.  Forney 
presented  a  petition  asking  that  the  township  of  Dayton  be  organ- 
ized with  its  present  boundaries.  C  Forney  was  directed  by  the 
coimty  court  to  call  the  first  election  on  Nov.  6,  1860,  at  the 
house  of  Richard  Challew. 

Madison  township  at  the  same  time  was  set  off  from  Ripley 
on  petition  of  Peter  Coyle  and  others  and  a  warrant  was  issued 
to  the  said  Coyle  to  call  the  first  election  in  the  township,  Novem- 
ber 1st,  at  the  house  of  Jacob  Yost.  This  completed  the  final 
organization  of  Butler  county  into  sixteen  townships  with  the 
present  boundaries. 


CHAPTER  XVIII 
ALBION  TOWNSHIP  AND  PARKERSBURO 

The  civil  township  of  Albion  coincides  in  its  limits  with  the 
congressional  township  numbered  90  north  and  range  16  west  of 
the  fifth  principal  meridian.  It  is  in  the  southern  tier  of  town- 
ships of  the  county  contiguous  to  Grundy  county  on  the  south, 
Monroe  township  on  the  west,  Jefferson  on  the  north  and  Beaver 
on  the  east. 

The  major  portion  of  the  township  is  drained  by  Beaver  creek 
which  flows  through  it  from  west  to  east,  traversing  the  south 
central  portion.  The  west  fork  of  the  Cedar  passes  through  a 
portion  of  section  1  near  the  northeast  corner  of  the  townsliip. 
In  an  earlj^  day  the  Beaver  was  bordered  b.y  a  belt  of  natural  tim- 
ber of  considerable  width.  Some  of  this  still  remains  but  the 
major  portion  was  burned  out  and  killed  by  a  prairie  fire,  which 
has  been  mentioned  in  an  earlier  chapter. 

The  surface  is  somewhat  more  irregular  and  broken  than  that 
of  the  townships  in  the  central  part  of  the  county  and  in  some 
parts  the  soil  has  a  larger  proportion  of  sand  in  its  make-up. 
However,  the  entire  township  is  so  constituted  as  to  be  capable 
of  intensive  cultivation.  All  the  staple  cereal  crops  are  success- 
fully raised  here,  and  dairying  and  the  raising  of  both  cattle  and 
hogs  and  all  the  other  incidental  products  of  the  farms  are  carried 
on  with  success  and  profit. 

Two  lines  of  railroad  traverse  the  southern  and  southwestern 
portions  of  the  township,  the  Illinois  Central  passing  through  it 
from  west  to  east,  and  the  Northwestern  entering  from  the  south 
in  section  33  and  turning  westward  through  Parkersburg. 

The  Hawkeye  Highway,  a  dragged  i-oad  across  Iowa  from 
Dubuque  to  Sioux  City  passes  through  the  township,  entei'ing 
along  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central  from  the  east  and  following 
this  line  of  road  to  the  section  line  between  sections  27  and  34. 
From  tliis  point  on.  it  follows  the  section  lines  until  it  reaches 

209 


210  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  limits  of  Parkersburg.  Tliis  highway  is  in  charge  of  a  com- 
missioner Ivuowu  as  the  Hawlveye  Highway  Conmiissiouer  and 
owes  its  origin  to  the  enthusiastic  efforts  of  W.  F.  Parrott  of  the 
Waterloo  Reporter,  to  secure  a  satisfactory  automobile  road 
through  the  state  from  east  to  west  in  northern  Iowa. 

The  railroad  crossing  at  the  point  where  the  Hawkeye  High- 
way crosses  the  line  of  the  Northwestern,  about  a  half  mile  west 
of  the  Sinclair  school,  has  achieved  an  unenviable  notoiiety,  from 
the  fact  that  within  the  limit  of  about  six  weeks  in  the  suimner  of 
1913,  thi-ee  persons  were  killed  on  this  crossing.  These  deaths 
may  in  part,  at  least,  be  attributable  to  the  fact  that  the  approach 
of  a  railway  train  from  the  south  is  concealed  by  a  cut  and  by 
cornfields  on  either  side  of  the  track.  It  is  to  be  hoped  that  such 
tragic  events  as  those  occurring  here  in  1913  may  not  be  further 
necessary  to  call  the  attention  of  the  people  and  the  legislators 
to  the  necessity  of  providing  ample  means  for  safeguarding  the 
lives  of  people  who  traverse  our  country  highways. 

EARLY   SETTLEMENT 

The  earliest  settlers  in  Albion  township  pushed  up  along  the 
valley  of  the  Beaver,  hence  the  date  of  its  first  settlement  is  later 
by  several  years  than  that  of  Beaver  township  to  the  east.  In 
common  with  other  sections  of  the  county,  there  were  a  nnmber 
of  transient  or  nomadic  inhabitants  in  the  period,  which,  for  the 
purposes  of  this  history,  may  be  termed  pre-historic— earlier 
than  1850.  No  record  has  been  or  need  be  made  of  the  sojourns 
of  these  persons,  as  they  affected  in  no  way  whatsoever  the  sub- 
sequent histor}^  of  the  township  or  county. 

The  first  man  to  locate  in  Allnon  township  vnth  the  intention 
of  making  it  his  permanent  home,  was  one  Walter  Clayton,  who 
in  the  spring  of  1853  staked  out  a  claim  on  the  southeast  quarter 
of  section  30,  just  east  of  the  corporate  limits  of  what  is  now  the 
town  of  Parkersburg.  Cla>i:on  came  from  Wisconsin,  driving 
through  with  an  ox  team.  After  about  three  weeks  travel  he 
reached  Butler  county  and  finding  a  location  to  his  liking,  pro- 
ceeded to  erect  a  log  cabin  thereon.  Here  he  lived  alone  for  six 
months,  his  family  having  remained  behind  him  in  Wisconsin. 
Not  understanding  the  law  governing  the  formal  entry  of  land 
claims,  he  failed  to  comply  with  its  provisions.  In  the  mean- 
time, a  man  in  Cedar  Falls,  named  Thomas  Mullarky,  made  for- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  211 

inal  entry  of  this  land  in  the  Government  land  office  and  notified 
Clayton  that  he  would  be  compelled  to  surrender  possession  of 
the  premises.  He  paid  Clayton  $150  for  his  cabin  and  the  other 
improvements  which  he  had  made  on  the  claim,  and  in  April, 
1854,  Clayton  moved  on  to  the  west  and  located  in  Monroe  town- 
ship, where  also  he  was  the  first  settler.  He  will  be  noted  in  con- 
nection with  the  history  of  that  township. 

In  the  fall  of  1853  Pireell  8.  Turner  and  his  son  Abel  settled  in 
Albion  township,  locating  a  claim  on  section  14.  It  is  learned 
from  the  records  of  the  land  office  that  the  elder  Turner  at  least 
had  made  an  earlier  visit  to  this  locality,  for  on  the  22d  of  March, 
1853,  he  made  the  first  formal  entry  of  land  in  Albion  township, 
the  entry  being  for  a  claim  in  section  14,  upon  which  they  located 
in  the  fall  following.  Pireell  C.  Turner  was  a  native  of  England. 
He  lived  here  with  his  son  for  a  time  and  was  later  killed  by  the 
cars  while  on  his  way  to  Ohio,  the  place  of  his  former  residence. 
Abel  Turner,  the  son,  continued  his  residence  on  the  farm  where 
they  had  located,  for  a  number  of  years.  Portions  of  this  claim 
are  still  in  possession  of  the  family. 

The  second  entry  of  land  in  the  township  was  made  by  J.  J. 
Bieknell,  on  April  27,  1853,  and  was  also  on  section  14.  The  third 
entry  by  George  Greene,  on  Jidy  1, 1853,  was  for  land  on  section  24. 

The  fourth  entry  in  the  township  was  made  July  6,  1853,  by 
TT.  S.  Peck,  in  section  25. 

On  the  6th  of  October,  1853,  W.  J.  Barney,  a  Dubuque  cap- 
italist, Avhose  name  appears  very  frequently  in  the  early  records 
of  land  entries  in  Butler  county,  made  the  fifth  entry — two  claims 
on  sections  30  and  14. 

The  claim  of  Thomas  Mullarky  to  the  land  upon  which  Walter 
Clayton  had  settled,  as  referred  to  above,  was  recorded  on  the 
12th  of  November,  1853. 

It  would  appear  that  the  entries  made  by  Turner  and  Bieknell 
in  section  14  were  the  first  original  entries  of  land  in  any  of  the 
older  settled  townships  to  be  made  away  from  the  timber  or  a 
stream  of  I'unning  water.  Whether  or  not  these  men  were  farther 
sighted  than  many  of  their  contemporaries  and  saw  the  magnifi- 
cent possibilities  of  the  future  in  this  open  prairie  countrj^,  or 
whether  this  was  mci'cly  an  incidental  circumstance,  must  forever 
remain  unknown. 

Although  this  relatively  large  number  of  land  entries  was 
made  in  1853,  there  were  no  further  settlements  in  the  township 


212  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

that  year;  1854  saw  the  arrival  of  a  number  of  settlers.  In  the 
spring  of  this  year  Wilniont  Wilbur,  the  third  settler  in  the  town- 
ship, arrived  from  Canada  and  settled  ui)()n  the  old  Clayton  place 
on  section  30,  apparently  a  peculiarly  attractive  location.  He 
made  no  attempt  to  contest  the  prior  rights  of  MuUarky  to  this 
land  but  lived  here  about  six  months  and  then  left  for  St.  Louis. 
Some  time  later  while  his  wife  was  on  her  way  to  St.  Louis  to  join 
him,  she  heard  in  some  way  that  her  husband  had  been  murdered, 
whereupon  she  became  insane  and  conunittecl  suicide  by  jumping 
from  the  car  window. 

In  Jurie,  1854,  George  Younker,  W.  F.  Younker  and  Jacob 
Kemmerer  took  up  claims  in  Albion  township.  The  Youidcers 
were  brothers  and  were  natives  of  Pennsylvania.  Mrs.  George 
Yomiker  was  a  daughter  of  Henry  B.  Wemplc,  who  also  located  in 
the  township  in  1854.  Mr.  Wemple  settled  on  section  28.  Jacob 
Kenmierer's  first  home  in  the  township  was  on  section  3.3 — land 
which  still  remains  in  possession  of  the  family. 

Richaixl  Daniels,  Pascal  P.  Parker,  Sanmel  Cramer,  Michael 
Niece,  Orlin  Royee,  Jacob  Hall,  Charles  W.  McEwen,  Joseph  Cod- 
ner,  August  Coon,  Isaac  Waters  and  Jacoli  Prown  were  among 
the  pioneers  of  1854  in  Albion  township.  P.  P.  Parker  is  the 
pioneer  for  Avliom  the  town  of  Parkersbiu'g  was  named.  Joseph 
Codner  located  on  section  27,  bringing  his  family  from  Wisconsin, 
with  an  ox  team.  Later  several  other  members  of  the  Codner 
family  settled  in  the  same  neighborhood,  \vliere  some  members  of 
the  family  still  reside.  Among  these  was  H.  P.  Codner,  whose  son 
Walter  is  at  present  a  prominent  resident  of  Allison. 

Most  of  the  settlers  mentioned  al)ove  located  in  the  southern 
part  of  the  township.  Jacob  Brown  was  the  first  settler  in  the 
northern  part  of  Albion.  He  came  from  Illinois  with  his  family 
and  purchased  over  one  thousand  acres  lying  in  Beaver  and  Albion 
townships.  Mr.  Brown  was  a  Methodist  preacher  and  after  liv- 
ing on  his  original  holdings  for  about  a  year  he  sold  a  i>art  of  it  to 
Elder  Bicknell,  a  Baptist  preacher. 

Henry  Owen  is  another  pioneer  settler  of  the  northern  part  of 
the  township,  locating  on  section  8.  L.  J).  Owen,  an  uncle  of  Henry 
Owen,  came  to  the  township  at  the  same  time  and  settled  on  an 
adjoining  farm. 

Moses  J.  Conn  came  from  Canada  in  1855  with  his  family  and 
located  in  the  northern  part  of  the  township.    He  later  moved  to 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  218 

Monroe  township,  with  the  history  of  which  his  family  has  been 
connected  from  the  earliest  days  to  the  present  time. 

Nathaniel  Chesley,  John  Parker,  Marshall  Kelley,  Asa  Over- 
acker,  E.  W.  Babcock,  Mrs.  Anna  Jaqms,  Solomon  Lashbrook, 
William  Waters,  Peter  Riley,  Lorenzo  Perry,  Adam  Leffler, 
Edward  Dawson  and  Elijah  Brown  are  remembered  as  among  the 
settlers  of  1855  and  1856.  Edward  Dawson  was  the  father  of 
William  and  E.  A.  Dawson,  the  former  of  whom  has  in  recent  years 
been  supervisor  of  the  county  from  the  southern  district,  and  the 
latter  a  leading  attorney  in  Waverly. 

Another  prominent  settler  in  the  townshij)  in  1856  was  Daniel 
Downey,  who  purchased  his  first  land  of  Edward  Dawson  in  sec- 
tion 9,  Albion  township.  He  eventually  became  one  of  the  largest 
landowners  in  the  township.  His  son  Daniel  is  at  the  present  time 
a  prominent  landowner  and  capitalist,  with  large  interests  in 
various  parts  of  the  county. 

Fi'om  1855  on  settlement  iti  the  township  was  very  rapid,  the 
record  of  entries  and  transfers  of  land  within  the  limits  of  Albion 
in  these  and  the  succeeding  years  being  too  numerous  to  make 
it  possible  to  make  any  detailed  mention  of  the  various  settlers 
who  located  here  at  that  time.  In  recent  years  large  numbers  of 
famihes  of  German  nationality  have  settled  upon  farms  in  the 
township,  especially  in  the  northwestern  portion.  At  the  present 
time  C.  A.  Wolf,  of  Parkersburg,  is  probably  the  largest  landowner 
in  the  township.  Among  the  prominent  residents  of  the  town- 
ship in  later  years  may  be  mentioned  LTarm  and  Okke  Van  Hauen, 
L.  P.  Hersey,  the  Reints  and  DeVries  families,  the  Taimiiens  and 
the  Leerhoffs. 

OFFICIAL   ORGANIZATION 

By  the  order  of  the  county  court,  Feb.  5,  1855,  which  first 
divided  Butler  county  into  civil  townships,  the  territory  now  com- 
prised Avithin  the  limits  of  Albion  township  was  made  a  part  of 
Beaver,  which  then  consisted  of  four  congressional  townships.  In 
1856  this  township  was  divided,  Beaver  thereafter  being  restricted 
to  the  southern  half,  or  the  two  congressional  townships,  numbered 
15  and  16  west  and  90  north.  On  March  2,  1857,  Albion  was 
organized  with  its  present  boundaries.  P.  P.  Parker  was  author- 
ized to  call  the  first  election  which  was  held  at  the  house  of  Stephen 
Morse,  a  little  over  one  mile  east  of  the  present  site  of  Parkers- 


214  HISTORY  OF  BITLER  COUNTY 

biu'g.  The  first  officers  elected  Avere:  Stephen  Morse  and  Jesse 
Owen,  justices  of  the  peace;  J.  L.  Kennnerer,  E.  H.  Babcock  and 
Asa  Overaeker,  trustees;  P.  P.  Parker,  clerk;  Joseph  Codner.  con- 
stable; Abel  Turner,  assessor. 

proctor's  pond 

This  small  body  of  water,  situated  in  Beaver  township,  is  with- 
out especial  historic  interest  other  than  the  occasion  Avhich  gave 
it  its  name. 

The  people  of  Albion  township  were  a  union  loving,  law- 
abiding  class,  yet  in  1864  there  were  a  few  who  preferred  the 
success  of  rebel  arms  and  were  outspoken  in  their  denunciation 
of  "Lincoln  hirelings."  A  nimiber  of  these  "brave  boys  in  blue" 
chanced  to  be  at  home  on  a  fui'loiigh — and  these  expressions  of 
dislike  towards  the  Union  cause  came  to  their  ears.  They  soon 
traced  out  the  source,  and  repairing  to  a  wheat  lield,  found  Jonas 
Proctor,  the  man  they  had  business  with,  and  demanded  at  once 
that  he  "hurrah  for  Lincoln  and  the  Union."  He  positively 
refused,  whereupon  he  was  taken  and  given  free  transportation 
on  a  rail  to  this  pond  near  New  Hartford.  On  the  way,  a  man 
by  the  name  of  Smith,  of  like  tendency,  was  persuaded  to  join 
the  interesting  procession.  Upon  arriving  at  the  water.  Smith 
not  desiring  a  bath,  shouted  lustily  for  the  Union.  Proctor,  how- 
ever, remained  sullen  and  silent,  and  was  ducked.  Still  refusing 
to  comply,  the  ducking  was  continued  until  he  was  unable  to 
express  himself  otherwise  than  by  grunts,  which  he  did,  indicat- 
ing also  by  motion  of  the  hand  his  willingness.  After  thus 
expressing  himself  he  was  released.  This  body  of  water  has  been 
known  from  that  day  to  this  as  "Proctor's  Pond." 

GENERAL  ITEMS 

The  first  mail  route  through  the  township  was  established  in 
1855.  Mail  was  carried  on  horseback  from  Cedar  Falls  to  Iowa 
Falls  and  Fort  Dodge  until  1857,  when  a  stage  line  under  the  con- 
trol of  Fink  &  Walker  was  established.  P.  P.  Parker's  house  was 
a  regular  stopping  place  on  this  stage  route  and  remained  such 
until  the  construction  of  the  line  of  railroad. 

The  first  birth  in  the  township  occurred  in  August,  1854,  when 
twin  babies  christened  Alonzo  and  Melissa  were  born  to  Augustus 
and  Catherine  Coon. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  215 

The  first  marriage  of  residents  of  Albion  township  took  place 
on  the  7th  of  January,  1856,  the  contracting  parties  bemg  P.  P. 
Parker  and  Miss  Martha  McEwen.  The  cerenionj-  ^Yas  performed 
by  the  Rev.  Samuel  Wright  at  the  home  of  Adna  Thomas,  in 
Beaver  townshii^. 

The  first  marriage  within  the  limits  of  the  township  joined 
Abel  Turner  and  Harriet  Waters  in  the  bonds  of  matrimony. 
This  marriage  was  celebrated  at  the  home  of  William  S.  Waters 
bv  the  Rev.  John  Conuell  in  1857. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Wil- 
mont  Wilbur,  in  July,  1854. 

The  first  religious  services  in  the  township  were  held  by  Rev. 
Mr.  Burleigh  at  the  home  of  W.  F.  Younker,  in  December,  1854. 


EDUCATIONAL 


The  first  school  in  Albion  township  was  taught  by  John  Bick- 
nell  in  the  winter  of  1855-56,  in  a  log  schoolhouse  at  New  Albion. 
The  building  in  which  this  school  was  held  was  the  first  erected 
for  school  purposes  in  the  township.  It  had  been  constructed  in 
the  fall  of  1855.  In  the  summer  of  1856  the  first  frame  school- 
house  was  erected  in  district  No.  1.  For  school  purposes,  Albion 
is  organized  as  a  district  township,  there  being  at  present  eight 
sub-districts. 

No.  1  is  knoM^i  as  the  Sinclair  school  and  the  building  stands 
at  the  southeast  corner  of  section  28,  a  little  over  a  quarter  of  a 
mile  south  of  the  railroad  station  at  Sinclair.  Miss  Clarice  Savage, 
a  teacher  in  this  school,  was  killed  by  a  Northwestern  railway 
train  at  the  crossing  west  of  the  schoolhouse  on  Sept.  12, 1913. 

District  No.  2,  the  New  Albion  school,  has  its  schoolhouse  on 
the  township  line  at  the  northeast  corner  of  section  4.  For  school 
purposes  section  34,  in  Jefferson  township,  and  the  eastern  half  of 
section  33,  south  of  the  West  Fork,  are  included  within  the  New 
Albion  district. 

The  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  3  is  located  midway  on  the 
western  side  of  section  8.    It  is  known  as  the  Fleschner  school. 

No.  4  is  less  than  a  mile  east  of  the  corporate  limits  of  Par- 
kersburg  on  the  Hawkeye  Highway. 

The  DeGroote  schoolhouse,  in  sub-district  No.  5,  is  located  on 
the  western  side  of  section  24. 


216  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Sclioolhouse  No.  6  is  tlie  center  school  of  the  township,  located 
a  quarter  of  a  mile  from  the  southeastern  corner  of  section  16. 

Swantou  school  No.  7  stands  on  the  eastern  side  of  section  11. 

School  No.  8  is  in  the  extreme  southeastern  portion  of  the 
township  on  the  Grmidy  county  line.  Considerable  difficulty  was 
experienced  for  some  years  in  regard  to  the  collection  of  tuition 
from  Grundy  comity  pupils  who  attended  this  school.  Recently 
this  has  been  adjusted  satisfactorily.  J'here  are  usually  a  larger 
number  of  Grmidy  county  pupils  than  those  from  Albion  township 
in  attendance  here. 

POPULATION 

1860,  .339;  1863,  419;  1865,  465;  1867,  615;  1869,  769;  1870, 
1,039;  1873,  961;  1875,  1,014;  1880,  1,349;  1890,  1,440;  1900,  1,689; 
1910,  1,433. 

NEW  ALBION 

A  village  by  the  name  of  New  Albion  was  platted  about  1856. 
It  was  situated  in  the  north  central  portion  of  the  township,  lying 
partly  in  sections  3  and  4,  Albion,  and  33  and  34,  of  Jefferson. 
The  parties  interested  in  the  project  were  Jacob  Brown,  Clifford 
Dawson,  N.  Chesley,  John  Barker,  Dr.  Wright  and  others.  At 
one  time  it  had  a  number  of  residences,  with  a  sawmill,  store, 
postoffice  and  other  business  enterprises.  The  postoffice  was 
established  as  early  as  1857,  when  Mrs.  Lorenzo  Perry  returned 
from  Cedar  Falls  with  the  official  documents  establishing  a  post- 
office  at  New  Albion  under  the  name  of  Swanton,  and  a  commis- 
sion for  Jacob  Brown  as  postmaster.  This  office  was  continued 
until  the  establishment  of  the  rural  mail  routes  in  this  section  of 
the  county.     A  complete  list  of  the  postmasters  is  not  available. 

VILLAGE  OF  PARKERSBUEG 

Parkersburg  lies  in  the  Beaver  valley  and  is  located  on  sec- 
tion 30,  in  Albion  township,  and  section  25,  in  Monroe.  The 
greater  portion,  however,  lies  in  Albion  township  and  the  cor- 
poration is  mainly  treated  as  properly  belonging  to  the  latter. 
The  town  is  one  of  the  most  importai^t  and  enterprising  trading 
points  in  Butler  county  and  its  growth  is  steady  and  substantial. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  217 

The  site  upou  wliicli  Parkersburg  stands,  while  in  its  prim- 
itive state,  was  covered  with  a  heavy  growth  of  brush,  that  was 
almost  impenetrable  to  man  or  beast,  and  this  condition  led  the 
pioneers  of  the  locality  to  call  it  "the  brush  bed  of  the  Beaver." 
But  these  impedimenta  soon  disappeared,  after  the  surveyors  had 
laid  out  a  town  upon  the  laud  and  platted  it.  This  land  was  pur- 
chased from  the  United  States  by  a  speculator  in  1854,  who  gave 
it  no  further  attention  other  than  to  dispose  of  the  property  in 
1857  to  John  Conn-ell  and  his  son,  William  H.  Gonnell,  who 
erected  a  small  cabin  a  short  distance  south  of  the  future  village. 

In  making  its  prelimiuarj^  survey  in  the  early  '60s,  the 
Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  Railroad  Company  had  overlooked  the 
importance  of  the  coming  town  of  Parkersburg  and  while  New 
Hartford  and  Aplingtou  had  been  considered,  the  line  was  so  iim 
to  those  points  as  to  leave  Parkersburg  "out  in  the  cold."  But 
the  builders  of  the  road  changed  their  plans,  to  the  lasting  ben- 
efit of  Parkersburg;  made  of  it  a  station  and,  in  1866,  together 
with  Augaistus  S.  Smith,  caused  two  hiuidred  and  forty  acres  to. 
be  surveyed  and  platted  by  one  of  their  engineers,  and  named  the 
place  Parkersburg  in  honor  of  P.  P.  Parker,  an  early  settler  of 
the  locality.  The  plat  was  filed  for  record  February  5,  1866,  by 
Piatt  Smith,  vice  president  of  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  Rail- 
road Company;  Louis  Boisot,  its  secretary,  and  Augustus  S. 
Smith,  into  whose  hands  the  land  had  been  diverted. 

Before  the  year  1865  had  closed  the  railroad  was  operating 
its  trains  through  the  new  town  and  had  completed  a  depot. 
Thomas  Williams  had  erected  a  house  by  that  time,  opened  it  as 
a  tavern  and  named  the  hostelry  the  Williams  House.  The  Wil- 
liams House  later  became  known  as  the  Commercial,  which  had 
many  landlords. 

Benjamin  Needham  built  the  first  store  building  and  was  the 
first  merchant  in  Parkersburg.  In  the  summer  of  1865  he  put 
up  near  the  depot  a  large  frame  building,  30x40  feet,  in  which 
he  placed  a  stock  of  general  merchandise  and  served  his  patrons 
until  the  time  of  his  death.  For  many  years  after  the  building 
was  used  as  a  tenement  house. 

One  R.  T.  Jackson,  late  in  1865  or  early  in  the  following  year, 
put  up  a  store  building  in  the  place,  a  frame  structure,  two  stories 
in  height,  with  ground  dimensions  of  20x30  feet.  In  this  build- 
ing Jackson  placed  a  stock  of  general  merchandise,  but  before 
the  building  was  finished  he  began  selling  goods  temporarily  in 


218  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  Williams  House.  About  the  time  Jackson  got  his  store  run- 
ning N.  T.  Manley  &  Son  put  up  a  building  on  Depot  street  and 
installed  the  most  complete  line  of  general  merchandise  attempted 
up  to  that  period.  The  building  was  j-ears  after  moved  to  Main 
street. 

The  depot  was  completed  in  1865  and  Joseph  Demmick  occu- 
pied an  office  here  as  agent  for  the  railroad  company.  He  was 
commissioned  postmaster  and,  erecting  a  little  building  across  the 
track  from  the  depot,  he  put  in  a  small  stock  of  goods,  kept  a 
meat  market,  sold  paints  and  several  other  things;  at  the  same 
time  he  bought  grain  and  attended  to  his  duties  as  postmaster 
and  railroad  agent.  The  reader  of  the  present  day  might  imagine 
that  Demmick  had  a  pretty  strenuous  time  of  it.  But  in  the 
'60s  the  population  of  the  county  was  small,  Parkersburg  was  in 
her  swaddling  clothes,  mail  was  received  at  infrequent  intervals, 
money  was  scarce;  the  Civil  war  was  on  and  the  country  new. 
The  present  agent  or  postmaster  of  Parkersburg  has  more  duties 
to  perform  in  one  day  than  Mr.  Demmick,  with  his  multifarious 
lines  of  business,  had  in  a  week.  In  the  grain  trade  B.  V.  White 
was  a  close  second  to  Demmick. 

Jacob  Young  and  Frank  Shaffer  put  up  the  second  hotel  l)uild- 
ing  here,  a  structure  28x30  feet.  Mr.  Stone  opened  the  building  as 
the  Eagle  Hotel  and  continued  as  the  landlord  for  many  years, 
giving  great  satisfaction  to  his  guests.  Jacob  Young  erected  a 
small  building  near  the  hotel  soon  after,  where  he  kept  a  res- 
taurant and  saloon.  In  1868,  Edward  Bigalow  bought  the  Inuld- 
ing  and  moved  it  on  to  Depot  street. 

Jonathan  Goodale,  who  located  in  Parkersburg  in  1868,  put 
up  a  store  building  in  the  spring  of  1869  and  became  one  of  the 
local  merchants.  Some  time  afterwards  he  built  a  home  adjoin- 
ing the  store  and  both  his  properties  were  destroyed  by  fire  in 
1878,  by  which  he  sustained  a  loss  of  $10,000.  Mr.  Goodale  was 
not  discouraged,  but  rebuilt  store  and  residence.  He  became  one 
of  the  prosperous,  sul)stantial  and  influential  citizens  of  the 
place. 

The  first  lumberyard  in  Parkersburg  was  started  in  1869  by 
Charles  Charnock  and  M.  Howenstein.  Retiring  soon  after,  Mr. 
Howenstein  and  Dr.  M.  I.  Powers  opened  a  drug  store.  Char- 
nock sold  the  lumberyard  to  E.  W.  Babcock  in  1880,  who  sold  to 
John  Voogd  about  a  year  later. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  219 

The  tirst  liardware  store  was  established  iu  1866  by  James 
Parker,  who  put  up  a  frame  buildiug  for  the  purpose  ou  Depot 
street.  Mr.  Parker  had  as  a  business  associate  in  this  enterprise 
Melvin  Dees. 

The  firm  of  J.  Kennedy  &  Ohnstead  established  a  hardware 
and  shoe  business  here  in  the  late  '60s  and  sold  their  interests  to 
Joseph  Kellogg.  The  latter  disposed  of  the  stock  to  the  firm  of 
Parris  Brothers  in  1875 ;  George  and  Fred  Parris  had  located  in 
Parkersburg  in  1872  and  engaged  in  the  grocery  trade.  In  1881 
they  sold  the  grocery  to  Samuel  Norris.  Henry  Parris,  another 
brother,  located  on  a  farm  in  Monroe  township  in  1875. 

The  hardware  firm  of  Mott  &  Foote  was  formed  in  1878.  C. 
L.  Mott  located  in  the  town  in  1869  and  S.  A.  I'oote  came  in  1877, 
taking  up  the  live  stock  business  as  a  vocation. 

Charles  Gleason  opened  the  first  shoe  store,  in  1865,  and  was 
the  town's  first  cobbler.  He  began  operations  in  a  little  build- 
ing near  the  Commercial  House.  From  there  he  moved  to  Main 
street  and  continued  in  the  trade  until  1876,  when  he  sold  out  to 
Henry  Perry.  W.  IS".  Perry  was  the  next  shoe  dealer.  He  became 
prominent  in  this  line  of  business  and  for  years  had  one  of  the 
largest  establishments  in  the  place.  Henry  Ballhousen  was  also 
early  in  the  field  with  a  shoe  store,  connnenciug  lousiness  in  1877. 

Henry  Franke  was  Parkersburg 's  first  harness  maker,  opening 
a  shop  in  1867,  with  Val.  Lahr  as  an  employe.  In  1868  the  latter 
started  a  shop  in  competition  with  Franke. 

The  Babcock  furniture  store  was  the  first  in  Parkersburg,  Imt 
was  not  a  success.  The  successor  to  this  was  the  store  of  A.  S. 
Burnham,  who  began  selling  furniture  in  1868.  Another  general 
mercantile  establishment  was  started  by  Clark  Mott  in  1870. 

The  first  lilacksmith  shop  in  the  town  was  opened  by  Charles 
Dunham  in  the  '60s  and  ran  about  two  years,  when  Dunham 
removed  to  Illinois.  His  immediate  successor  was  named  Rollo. 
He  soon  left. 

A  stationery  store  was  opened  iu  1869  l)y  a  Mr.  Benedict,  which 
lasted  but  a  short  time.  Then  W.  W.  (^artner  opened  a  stock  of 
confectionery  in  the  store  room. 

William  Wallace,  in  1869,  had  a  meat  market  in  a  building  he 
erected  for  the  purpose.  He  finally  sold  the  market  to  Martin 
Gartner. 

Charles  Re\Tiolds  was  the  first  person  to  engage  in  the  livery 
business,  opening  a  stable  near  the  Eagle  House  in  1867.     ]\Iax- 


220  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

well  &  Downs  was  the  next  and  both  concerns  were  in  existence 
but  a  short  while.  The  most  successfnl  of  the  early  liverymen 
was  J.  T.  Burt,  who  opened  a  large  stable  in  1869.  Otis  Baker 
bought  Frank  Shaver's  livery  stable  in  1870  and  became  suc- 
cessful. 

John  Beemer  came  to  Parkersluirg  from  Floyd  county  in  1868 
and  engaged  in  the  practice  of  law.  He  remained  a  member  of 
the  Butler  county  bar  until  his  death,  which  occurred  in  1878. 

Of  the  medical  profession  Dr.  M.  I.  Powers  was  the  first  to 
establish  an  office  here.  Other  early  practitioners  were  Drs. 
Strout,  Parker  and  Ensign. 

R.  G.  Renken  and  Fritz  Tammen,  imder  the  firm  name  of 
Renken  &  Tammen,  established  a  general  store  here  in  1878.  In 
1882  the  members  of  the  firm  erected  one  of  the  leading  brick 
business  hoiLses  on  INIaiu  street  and  lioth  were  men  of  fine  )iusi- 
ness  sagacity  and  rectitude. 

John  D.  Cramer,  a  native  of  Canada,  located  on  section  33, 
Albion  township,  in  1869,  where  he  kept  a  hotel  for  some  time, 
lie  moved  into  Parkersburg  in  1867  and  opened  the  first  meat 
market  in  the  town. 

In  1879  E.  Hiller  erected  the  Parkersburg  Mills  on  the  liank 
of  the  Beaver  river,  where  good  water  power  was  secured.  The 
}>uilding's  gi'ound  dimensions  are  50x60  feet;  it  was  originally 
equip]-)ed  with  one  set  of  rollers  and  three  rmi  of  stone,  giving  a 
capacity  of  seventy-five  barrels  per  day.  The  mill  is  still  in 
operation,  grinding  meal  and  feed  for  the  farmers  and  dealers. 

INCORPORATED  TOWN  OF  PARKERSBFRG 

By  the  year  1874  Parkersburg  had  become  one  of  the  leading 
trading  points  in  Butler  county  and  her  citizens  were  anxious  to 
have  a  separate  government  from  the  township.  To  further  this 
desire  preliminary  steps  were  taken,  a  petition  was  signed  by  a 
large  list  of  the  electors,  which  was  presented  to  the  district  court 
and  in  the  year  1874  Parkersburg  was  granted  a  charter  as  an 
incorporated  town. 

Soon  after  the  tovm  received  aiithority  to  act  as  a  munici]iality 
an  election  was  held  and  the  follo^dng  officers  were  the  choice  of 
a  majority  of  the  voters:  Mayor,  C.  S.  Lobdell;  recorder,  M.  T. 
Johnson ;  treasurer,  J.  F.  Parker ;  marshal,  W.  I.  McLean ;  street 
commissioner,  D.  "W.  Sclioolcraft:  trustees,  N".  T.  Manley,  Joseph 


METHODIST   EPISCOrAL  CHURCH   AND   PARSONAGE,  PARKERSBUEG 


SCENE   ON   MAIN   STREET,   PARKERSBUEG 


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HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  221 

Jvellogg,  Jurgen  Renken  and  F.  L.  Dodge.  From  that  time  until 
the  present,  the  following  named  persons  have  filled  the  offices  of 
mayor  and  clerk : 

Mayors— C.  S.  Lobdell,  1874-7;  N.  T.  Johnson,  1877-80;  C.  S. 
Lobdell,  1880-1;  William  H.  Burdick,  1881-2;  C.  S.  Lobdell, 
1882-9;  W.  H.  Owens,  1889-92;  J.  W.  Arbuckle,  1892-1;  M.  F. 
Edwards,  1894-7;  W.  H.  Owens,  1897-8;  M.  F.  Edwards,  1898- 
1900;  Robert  F.  Camp,  1900-02;  C.  J.  Fitzpatrick,  1902-03;  F. 

F.  Voeltz,  appointed  to  fill  vacancy  by  reason  of  resignation  of 
Fitzpatrick;  F.  F.  Voeltz,  1903-08;  R.  S.  Blair,  1908-14. 

Clerks— N.  T.  Johnson,  1874-7;  F.  H.  Rix,  1877-8;  M.  J.  Dow- 
ney, 1878-80;  Wilke  A.  Smith,  1880-1;  A.  N.  Ferris,  1881-2;  R. 

G.  Renken,  1882-90;  M.  F.  Edwards,  1890-94;  J.  W.  Arbuckle, 
1894-7;  S.  C.  Mangans,  1897-8;  C.  F.  Franke,  1898-1900;  S.  R. 
Bird,  1900-01;  J.  G.  Irwin,  1901-02;  W.  T.  Evans,  1902-14. 

i 

CITY   HALL 

Prior  to  the  year  1913  the  mayor  and  city  council  held  official 
meetings  in  various  places.  But  in  the  year  named  a  handsome 
one-story,  vitrified  brick  building  was  erected  on  the  main  street, 
at  a  cost  of  $5,000,  on  a  lot  which  cost  the  town  $633.  The  interior 
arrangements  make  the  city  hall  convenient  for  the  council,  vot- 
ing booths  and  apparatus  of  the  fire  department. 

POLICE  AND  riEE   DEPAETMENT 

The  character  and  proclivities  of  Parkersburg's  own  people 
are  of  that  excellence  as  not  to  require  espionage  or  regulation 
by  the  jDolice  department.  The  tramp,  burglar,  sneak  thief  and 
housebreaker  are  given  little  countenance  here,  and  one  police  offi- 
cer— the  city  marshal — can  very  well  look  after  and  maintain  the 
peace  and  quietude  of  the  town.  Ro,  little,  if  an;\rthing,  is  to  be 
said  of  the  police  department,  which  is  a  one-man  bureau  of  the 
city's  government.  The  marshal's  duties  are  to  police  the  streets 
during  the  later  hours  of  the  day  and  patrol  the  business  district 
up  to  midnight. 

Since  the  establishment  of  waterworks  the  citizens  rest  com- 
paratively fearless  of  conflagrations.  Fire  plugs  are  within  con- 
venient distances  of  the  business  and  residence  districts.  A 
volunteer  fire  company  has  a  supply  of  apparatus,  consisting  of 


222  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

1,200  feet  of  hose,  a  hose  cart,  hose  wag'on,  and  a  hook  and  ladde 
wagon,  and  with  every  able-bodied  man  ready  to  respond  to  ai 
emergency  call,  the  town's  property  is  comparatively  safe. 

WATERWORKS  SYSTEM 

Since  the  year  1894  Parkersburg  and  her  citizens  have  enjoyed 
the  blessings  of  a  good  and  efficient  waterworks  system.  In  the 
year  mentioned  the  question  of  bnilding  waterworks  and  issuingi 
$6,500  in  bonds  was  submitted  to  a  vote  of  the  citij^ens  at  a  spe- 
cial election.  The  approval  of  a  large  majority  of  the  voters  in 
the  undertaking  was  made  manifest  when  the  poll  was  counted; 
in  the  autumn  of  that  year  the  improvement  was  completed  and 
in  operation.  A  sufficient  supply  of  pure  water  is  obtained  from  i 
a  well  80  feet  in  depth  and  6  inches  in  diameter.  The  water  is 
pumped  into  a  tank  twenty- four  feet  in  height,  having  a  capacity 
of  40,000  gallons.  The  tank  rests  upon  a  steel  tower  sixty  feet 
in  height,  which  assures  ample  pressure  for  ordinary  purposes. 
A  power  house  and  two  and  one-half  miles  of  mains  add  to  the 
cost  of  the  improvement,  the  total  amount  of  which  was  about 
ten  thousand  dollars. 

SEWERAGE    SYSTEM 

A  sewerage  system  was  inaugurated  in  the  year  1908.  The 
main  drains  are  laid  with  vitrified  pipe,  18-inch,  12-inch  and 
8-inch  ill  diameter.  Something  over  three  miles  of  mains  and 
laterals  have  been  laid  and  the  refuse  finds  an  outlet  at  Beaver 
creek.  Up  to  the  year  1914  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars  had 
been  spent  on  this  work. 

ELECTRIC  LIGHTS 

Parkersburg  is  the  best  lighted  town  in  Butler  county,  hav- 
ing during  the  holidays  of  1913-14  installed  a  series  of  five- globe 
electroliers,  fourteen  in  number.  This  system  illuminates  the 
business  district  so  that  it  is  as  light  as  day.  The  lamps  were 
placed  and  paid  for  by  the  merchants.  Electric  light  and  power 
are  furnished  by  the  Parkersburg  Electric  Light  &  Power  Com- 
pany, composed  of  local  capitalists,  who  built  n  plant  in  1898,  at 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  223 

a  cost  of  $10,000.     Tlie  chief  promoter  of  the  industry  was  W. 
S.  Meade.     Continuous  service  is  furnished. 

POSTOFFICE 

A  postoffice  was  established  here  in  August,  1855,  and  P.  P. 
Parker,  after  whom  the  to^^^2  was  named,  was  placed  in  charge 
by  the  Washington  authorities.  Mr.  Parker  distributed  the  mail 
from  his  residence  on  section  13,  which  at  first  was  not  an  onerous 
task,  as  he  received  scarcely  a  dozen  letters  a  week,  which  came 
to  him  by  carrier  on  horseback  by  way  of  Cedar  Palls  and  Fort 
Dodge.  Mr.  Parker  was  the  postmaster  until  some  time  during 
the  Civil  war,  when  he  resigned,  and  was  succeeded  by  Stephen 
Morse,  who  removed  the  office  to  his  log  cabin,  one-half  mile  east 
of  the  Parker  residence.  This  was  inconvenient  for  those  living 
in  Parkersburg  and  rather  than  move  into  town,  Mr.  Morse 
resigned  his  jiosition.  Thomas  Russell  was  then  appointed  and 
failed  to  improve  matters  when  he  established  the  office  at  his 
home  a  half  mile  still  farther  east.  P.  P.  Parker  again  took  the 
office  to  ease  the  situation.  After  a  few  years  liis  son,  James 
Parker,  received  the  appointment  and  kei)t  his  office  in  the  Beaver 
Valley  Bank  building  until  1883.  The  names  of  his  successors 
follow:  W.  J.  Baker,  O.  B.  Courtright,  John  Knapp,  John  Bird 
and  the  present  incmnbent,  E.  E.  Schrack. 

PUBLIC   LIBRARY 

In  1904  C.  C.  Wolf,  one  of  Parkersburg 's  wealthy,  influential 
and  generous-hearted  citizens,  donated  a  large  sum  of  money 
toward  a  fund  for  the  building  of  a  new  Methodist  Episcopal 
church  edifice.  To  this  beneficence  he  added  the  sum  of  $2,000, 
the  same  to  be  applied  to  a  library  fund,  on  condition  that  the 
library  be  pennanently  established  in  rooms  to  be  specially 
arranged  for  its  reception  in  the  proposed  church  building.  The 
wishes  of  Mr.  Wolf  were  fully  carried  out  in  the  premises  and 
when  the  magnificent  house  of  worship  was  planned,  the  north 
half  of  the  ground  floor  was  set  apart  for  the  library.  Here 
spacious  rooms,  shelves  and  other  appurtenances  were  prepared 
and  when  the  building  was  finished  the  library,  now  containing 
some  three  thousand  volumes,  was  installed  by  the  Parkersburg 
Library  Association,  organized  in  !N'ovember,  1905.     The  library 


224  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

is  under  the  supervision  and  management  of  a  board  of  trustees, 
consisting  of  nine  members  selected  by  the  citizens  of  the  town. 
Mrs.  Luhi  Slight  is  the  librarian.  The  institution  is  supported 
by  popular  siibscriptions  and  is  open  two  days  in  the  week.  The 
headquarters  of  the  library  cost  nothing  for  rent;  heat  and  light 
are  furnished  by  the  church  authorities  at  a  nominal  price. 

FINANCIAL 

The  first  effort  at  banking  in  Parkersburg  was  by  the  firm 
of  Gibbs  Brothers,  who  opened  a  private  bank  in  1868.  In  1869 
the  interests  of  the  Gibbs  Brothers  were  turned  over  to  J.  B.  and 
M.  I.  Powers,  who  did  a  general  banking  business  until  1873,  when 
Aaron  Wolf  and  sons  became  their  associates.  In  1892  Aaron 
Wolf,  C.  C.  Wolf  and  others  incorporated  the  institution  under 
the  state  banking  laws,  assuming  the  name  of  the  State  Exchange 
Bank.  The  capital  stock  was  $50,000  and  surplus  $50,000.  Aaron 
Wolf  was  the  first  president;  S.  A.  Poote,  vice  president;  C.  C. 
Wolf,  cashier.  In  1899  Aaron  Wolf  died  and  by  reason  thereof 
S.  A.  Poote  succeeded  to  tlie  presidency.  Several  years  later, 
upon  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Poote,  his  jilace  was  filled  by  the 
election  of  R.  G.  Renken.  The  present  officials  are:  President, 
R.  G.  Renken ;  vice  president,  George  Prey ;  cashier.  C.  0.  Wolf. 
Several  years  ago  the  capital  was  increased  to  $100,000.  The  last 
official  report  showed  deposits  amounting  to  $400,000. 

The  home  of  the  State  Exchange  Bank  was  first  in  a  little 
frame  building  that  stood  on  the  site  of  a  one-story  brick  build- 
ing that  took  its  place,  and  where  the  bank  continued  in  business 
mitil  1895.  Since  then  this  building  has  been  in  use  by  the  post- 
office  department.  In  the  year  last  mentioned  a  new  bank  build- 
ing was  erected  on  the  opiDosite  side  of  the  street  from  the  old 
one.  The  structure  is  built  of  brown  stone  and  brick  and  cost 
$15,000.  As  being  worthy  of  note  the  statement  may  be  here 
added  that  C.  0.  Wolf  has  been  cashier  of  this  bank  for  forty 
years.  He  is  one  of  the  substantial  and  most  generous  citizens 
of  this  splendid  little  city. 

Citizens  of  Parkersburg  refer  to  their  banks  with  consider- 
able pride,  for  they  are  upon  a  sound  basis  and  hold  the  full  con- 
fidence of  the  people.  The  Beaver  Valley  Bank  is  especially 
strong  in  the  sterling  character  of  its  officials,  its  resources  and 
the  confidence  of  a  host  of  friends  and  patrons.     It  was  organized 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  225 

in  1882,  with  a  paid-up  capital  of  $50,000.  B.  B.  Richards,  of 
Dubuque,  was  the  first  president,  and  James  F.  Parker,  cashier. 
The  bank  was  the  outgrowth  of  a  private  bank,  started  by  Rich- 
ards &  Parker  in  1877. 

In  December,  1892,  upon  the  resignation  of  James  F.  Parker, 
S.  S.  Striker  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Striker  remained 
two  years  and  then  made  way  for  John  A^oogd,  who  retained  the 
position  until  Jan.  10,  1899,  when  he  was  succeeded  by  H.  W. 
Wilhelms.  Upon  the  latter 's  elevation  to  the  presidency  in  1907 
T.  R.  Tammen  became  cashier. 

B.  B.  Richards  continued  in  the  office  of  president  from  the 
establishment  of  the  bank  until  1899.  From  that  year  until  Jan- 
uary, 1907,  H.  J.  Merlien  held  the  responsible  position.  From 
the  latter  date  to  the  present  time  H.  W.  Wilhelms  has  been  chief 
executive  officer  of  the  bank. 

The  parent  bank  of  Parker  &  Richards  was  kept  in  a  small 
frame  building  that  stood  on  the  site  of  the  handsome  new  Tem- 
ple building  and  was  destroyed  by  fire  about  1904.  After  the 
fire  the  present  home  of  the  bank,  a  large,  two-story  brick  build- 
ing, was  erected  on  one  of  the  most  prominent  corners  of  the 
business  center.  Capital,  $50,000 ;  surplus  and  undivided  profits, 
$67,504;  deposits,  $524,204. 

The  First  National  Bank  was  organized  in  1910  by  C.  F. 
Franlce,  E.  V.  Franke,  G.  N.  Clark,  Sander  Ludeman  and  others, 
with  a  capital  of  $50,000,  and  is  the  outgrowth  of  the  Farmers 
&  Merchants  State  Bank,  established  and  incorporated  by  H.  J. 
Merlien,  G.  Ludeman,  A.  K.  Smith,  Mrs.  H.  J.  Merlien  and  others. 
The  i^irst  National's  initial  officers  were:  Sander  Ludeman, 
president ;  C.  F.  Franke,  vice  president ;  H.  E.  W.  Kaiser,  cashier. 
Kaiser  resigned  in  October,  1912,  and  was  succeeded  by  R.  A. 
Ludeman.  The  bank  is  doing  business  on  the  main  street  of  the 
town  in  a  brick  building  and  recently  increased  its  capital  stock. 
The  last  statement  showed  the  following  figures:  Capital,  $60,- 
000 ;  surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $4,300 ;  deposits,  $90,000. 

THE  SCHOOLS 

Parkersburg  became  an  independent  school  district  in  the 
spring  of  387L  M.  I.  Powers  was  selected  as  president  of  the 
school  board,  R.  L.  Chase,  secretary,  and  William  Howenstein, 
treasurer.     The  other  members  of  the  board  were  J.  Goodale,  W. 


226  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

A.  Alleu  and  L.  D.  Davis,  lu  1872  the  question  of  expending 
$2,500  was  voted  upon  favorably  and  a  frame  building  24x24  feet 
and  tvpo  stories  in  height  was  erected  on  the  south  side.  Pupils 
increasing  made  the  addition  of  a  wing  necessary  in  the  year  1878. 
This  building  disappeared  in  flames  in  1893  and  in  the  following 
year  a  modern,  three-story  brick  structure,  costing  $16,000,  arose 
under  the  hands  of  skilful  workmen,  and  is  a  structure  convenient 
in  arrangement  and  imposing  in  appearance.  It  contains  nine 
or  ten  rooms,  including  the  superintendent's  office  and  high  school 
assembly  room,  and  has  a  corps  of  eight  instructors,  including 
the  city  superintendent. 

CATHOLIC  CHURCH 

In  the  early  days  of  Albion  township  there  were  quite  a  num- 
ber of  families  whose  religious  tenets  were  those  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  church.  To  them  were  first  offered  the  sacrament  of  the 
mass,  at  the  pioneer  homes  of  Daniel  Downey  and  James  Ken- 
nedy in  1861,  and  at  other  places  in  the  future  jiarivsh.  Father 
John  Shields  was  the  first  priest  to  minister  to  this  people;  in 
fact,  he  traveled  hundreds  of  miles  in  those  early  days  laboring 
for  his  church  and  its  members.  He  remained  about  six  years 
and  then  gave  way  to  Father  T.  F.  Gunn,  whose  pastorate  cov- 
ered a  period  of  f(UU'  years.  Following  him  was  Rev.  Peter 
O'Dowd.  Father  Mahoney  came  next  and  was  followed  by  Father 
Lynch  who.  while  living  in  the  old  priest's  house,  built  the  present 
residence,  in  1897,  which  stands  on  the  hill  near  the  church. 
Father  Molloy  was  next  to  be  placed  in  charge  and  stayed  two 
years.  His  successor  was  Father  Baxter,  whose  administration 
covered  a  ]>eriod  of  two  years.  The  next  pastor.  Father  Quinn, 
was  here  six  years.  The  present  priest  is  Father  O.  Leary,  who 
took  charge  late  in  1913  shortly  after  his  arrival  from  his  native 
country,  Ireland.     The  church  edifice  was  built  in  1874. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

The  history  of  the  Methodist  church  of  Parkersburg  was  pre- 
pared for  the  dedication  exercises  of  the  new  church  edifice  and 
published,  together  with  a  description  of  the  beautiful  building, 
in  the  Eclipse.  The  article  cannot  in  any  way  be  improved  upon, 
hence  it  is  reproduced  here  verhatim  et  literatim: 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  227 

The  pioneer  Methodist  preacher  foimd  his  way  occasionally 
to  the  scattered  neighborhood  of  what  is  now  the  city  of  Parkers- 
burg  as  early  as  the  year  1851  or  1852,  preaching  in  the  log  cabin 
of  a  Methodist  family,  the  first  of  which  we  now  have  record  being 
held  in  the  log  house,  the  dimensions  of  which  were  14x16  feet, 
belonging  to  W.  F.  Younker,  who  resided  four  miles  east  and 
one  mile  south  of  Parkersburg. 

The  first  services  were  conducted  by  Rev.  Elijah  Kendall  in 
in  the  fall  of  1854.  The  Methodist  class  was  organized,  consist- 
ing of  the  following  persons :  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  J.  Kemmerer,  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  Richard  Daniels,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  W.  F.  Younker  and 
Michael  Niece. 

The  Methodist  Simday  school  was  soon  after  organized.  About 
a  year  later,  in  the  fall  of  1855,  J.  L.  Kemmerer,  having  built  a 
log  house  somewhat  larger  than  that  owned  by  Mr.  Younker,  the 
preaching  service  and  Sabbath  school  was  carried  on  at  his  place, 
where  thej^  were  continued  imtil  the  schoolhouse  was  erected 
near  by. 

According  to  the  Beaver  valley  circuit  record,  Rev.  John  Cou- 
nell  seems  to  have  been  one  of  the  first  regular  preachers  on  the 
charge.  In  the  winter  of  1855  and  1856,  Father  Connell,  as  he 
was  familiarly  called,  held  a  revival  meeting  in  the  home  of  Rich- 
ard Daniels,  which  proved  to  be  a  gi'eat  blessing.  Rev.  George 
Murphy,  a  local  preacher  who  lived  at  Swanton,  often  preached 
in  various  homes  and  sehoolliouses  in  that  early  day.  In  1857 
Richard  Daniels  was  ordained  as  a  local  deacon  in  the  Methodist 
church  and  from  that  time  imtil  near  the  close  of  his  life  fre- 
quently preached  the  gospel.  Rev.  John  Dawson  is  remembered 
as  one  of  the  pioneer  local  preachers  in  Beaver  valley  circuit. 

For  some  years  this  was  a  three  weeks  circuit  and  extended 
from  West  Union,  Fayette  county,  to  Hampton  and  Maysville, 
Fi'ankliu  county.  This  was  the  beginning  of  the  work  of  God 
among-  the  people  called  Methodists,  and  many  a  season  of  rejoic- 
ing can  he  remembered  by  the  few  still  living,  who  attended  those 
early  services. 

THE  EARLY  PASTORS 

According  to  the  quarterly  conference  record  found  at  New 
Hartford,  recorded  by  C.  Spieer,  recording  steward  for  several 
years,  the  regularly  appointed  pastors  of  Beaver  valley  circuit  in 


228  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

their  order  are:  Rev.  J.  Counell,  who  served  two  years,  then 
Rev.  William  Sibley,  followed  by  Rev.  B.  F.  Taylor,  who  served 
one  year;  Rev.  George  Mnrphy,  one  year.  In  the  fall  of  1862 
came  Elijah  Kendall  and  during  the  fall  of  the  following  year 
the  name  of  the  circuit  was  changed  to  the  New  Hartford  circuit 
and  the  territory  was  enlarged  to  include  the  coimtry  about  Par- 
kersburg.  Elijah  Kendall  was  continued  as  preacher  in  charge 
for  another  year.  In  1864  Rev.  William  Fawcett  came  on  the 
charge  and  remained  two  years.  Then. came  Rev.  J.  G.  Wilkin- 
son. 

CHANGE  IK  CIECUIT 

About  this  time,  Oct.  13,  1866,  it  was  planned  to  have  the  New 
Hartford  circuit  include  Parkersburg  as  one  of  the  regular  preach- 
ing places.  They  had  Methodist  preaching  once  in  four  weeks. 
This  plan  was  contimied  in  the  Illinois  Central  railroad  depot 
and  in  the  schoolhouse  until  tlie  church  was  built  in  1870.  Rev. 
J.  G.  Wilkinson  was  pastor  one  year. 

CHUBCH  IS  IXCORrOEATED 

On  the  3d  day  of  December,  1866,  articles  of  incorporation  of 
the  First  Methodist  Episcopal  church  of  Parkersburg,  Iowa,  were 
didy  made,  and  the  following  persons  were  elected  as  first  trustees: 
of  the  society :  J.  L.  Johnson,  J.  Dimmick,  Cyrus  Spicer,  Josej^h 
Hopley  and  J.  L.  Kemmerer.  At  this  time  there  were  eight 
appointments  on  the  New  Hartford  circuit  with  preaching  by 
the  regular  pastor  only  once  in  four  weeks,  but  the  local  preacher  . 
often  preached  in  these  various  places. 

According  to  official  records,  the  first  quarterly  conference  of 
the  Methodist  Episcopal  church  ever  held  in  Parkersburg.  was  on 
June  8,  1868.  Rev.  E.  Smith  acted  as  chairman  of  the  meeting. 
At  that  time  Rev.  E.  Skiimer,  of  Waterloo,  was  then  presiding 
elder  of  the  Cedar  Falls  district. 

In  the  fall  of  1868  Rev.  W.  A.  Glassner  was  appointed  to  the 
charge,  and  the  county  history  records  show  that  in  March,  1869, 
he  organized  the  Methodist  Episcopal  class  of  Parkersburg,  with 
the  following  members:  J.  L.  Johnson,  James  Gillard,  D.  Jay, 
Cyrus  Spicer,  O.  O.  Spicer,  E.  B.  Lamb,  R.  Daniels,  C.  Kemmerer, 
B.  Bentley,  F.  C.  Burdick,  Jesse  Owens,  J.  Goodale  and  others. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  229 

The  first  officers  were  F.  G.  Burdick,  James  Gillarcl,  J.  L.  John- 
son, C.  Spicer  and  J.  Goodale. 

At  the  annual  conference  of  the  fall  of  1869,  which  was  held 
at  Independence,  Parkersburg  and  Aplington  were  constituted  a 
separate  charge,  with  Buck  Grove  and  Daniels  schoolhouse 
appointments.  Rev.  J.  A.  Kerr  was  appointed  as  pastor.  At  the 
beginning  of  the  year  the  membership  of  the  circuit  numbered 
eighty-four. 

FIRST  CHURCH  BUILT 

The  first  Methodist  Episcopal  church  was  built  in  Parkers- 
burg during  the  summer  of  1870  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  It  was  a 
good  substantial  frame  building  56  feet  in  length  and  36  feet  wide. 
Tlie  Methodist  Sunday  school  was  organized  in  the  summer  of 
1870  with  J.  Goodale  as  superintendent. 

FULL  LIST   OF   PASTORS 

The  pastors  who  served  the  Parkersburg  charge  from  the  tmie 
of  liuilding  the  first  church  until  the  present  in  regular  succession 
are :  J.  A.  Kerr,  one  year ;  J.  N".  Platte,  one  year ;  W.  J.  Mitchell, 
one  year;  H.  S.  Bargelt,  one  year;  George  Elliott,  one  year;  S. 
Sherrin,  one  year ;  A.  H.  Sproul,  one  year ;  J.  G.  Wilkinson,  two 
years ;  J.  M.  Hedger,  two  years ;  W.  F.  Barclay,  two  years ;  G.  W. 
Ballon,  one  year;  J.  S.  Mclntyre,  two  years;  H.  B.  Long,  two 
years;  W.  H.  Doner,  three  years;  J.  H.  Hoskin,  one  year;  J.  G. 
Eberhart.  one  year;  Walter  Piper,  three  years;  W.  M.  Lemen, 
four  years;  S.  R.  Ferguson,  three  years;  IST.  F.  N"orton,  three 
years";  E.  G.  Hunt,  1906-11;  Dr.  A."  M.  Mcintosh,  1911  to  the 
l^resent  time. 

During  these  thirty-five  years  since  the  erection  of  the  first 
church  building,  the  Methodist  society  has  had  a  reasonable  degree 
of  prosperity.  In  1871  Parkersburg  was  made  a  station  with 
only  one  out  appointment  at  Daniels'  schoolhouse,  since  which 
time  tliei-e  has  been  regular  preaching  morning  and  evening. 
After  two  years  the  Aplington  appointment  was  again  added  to 
the  charge  as  an  afternoon  appointment  and  continued  in  this 
way  until  1899,  when  it  was  dropped.  Since  that  time  Parkers- 
burg has  been  a  single  station.  In  1875  a  small  frame  parsonage 
was  built  at  a  cost  of  about  four  hundred  dollars,  which  with 
improvements  continued  to  be  the  pastor's  home  until  1894. 


230  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

EEECT  OTHER  BUILDINGS 

While  Rev.  W.  M.  Lemen  was  pastor  tlie  old  parsonage  was 
sold  and  a  new  one  built  at  a  cost  of  about  two  thousand  dollars. 
The  church  building  was  repaired  and  remodeled  from  time  to 
time,  but  although  it  was  made  of  good  material  and  very  well 
built,  the  society  felt  the  need  of  a  new  churcli.  During  the  pas- 
to]-ate  of  W.  S.  Piper,  from  1896  to  1899,  an  effort  was  made 
toward  the  erection  of  a  new  church.  It  failed  because  of  the 
lack  of  funds.  Mr.  and  Mrs.  C.  C.  Wolf  in  1901  realized  that 
Parkersburg  was  greatly  in  need  of  a  new  Methodist  church,  as 
well  as  a  public  library.  They  were  especially  friendly  to  the 
Methodist  church  from  the  fact  that  Mr.  Wolf  was  the  son  of  a 
Methodist  preacher.  Accordingly,  Mr.  Wolf  made  the  following 
proposition  to  the  pastor  and  congregation: 

AVOLF's  MITNIFICENT  OFFER 

"We,  C.  C.  Wolf  and  Mary  Wolf,  agree  to  pay  to  the  ^Sleth- 
odist  Episcctpal  church  of  Parkersburg,  Iowa,  through  its  trustees 
the  sum  of  $8,500  when  the  citizens  of  Iowa  shall  have  subscribed 
and  paid  to  the  said  trustees  a  like  amomit  for  the  purpose  of 
building  a  church  and  library  as  herein  set  forth,  and  further 
conditioned  that  no  mortgage  or  encumbrance  of  any  kind  shall 
ever  be  placed  on  said  property,  and  when  site  is  selected  and 
deed  given,  the  said  deed  is  to  contain  the  said  mortgage  and 
encumbrance  clause  named  above. 

"(Signed)     C.  C.  Wolf  and  Mary  Wolf." 

REV.  N.  F.  Norton's  ooon  work 

Rev.  S.  R.  Ferguson  met  with  some  eue(-)uragement,  but  on 
account  of  ill  health  and  for  other  reasons  the  project  was  aban- 
doned. In  the  fall  of  1902  Rev.  N.  F.  Norton  was  appointed  to 
the  Parkersbui'g  charge  with  the  expectation  on  the  part  of  the 
presiding  elder  and  conference  that  a  new  church  would  be  built. 
Soon  after  the  ai-ri^-al  of  the  new  preacher  a  new  church  l^uilding 
was  talked  by  some  of  the  members,  but  for  several  months  the 
pastor  said  but  little.  It  was  felt  by  all,  however,  that  something 
must  be  done  soon.  The  old  church  was  cold  and  leaked  liadly.  It 
was  evident  that  the  old  building  must  be  repaired  at  considerable 
cost  or  a  new  one  erected. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  231 

Upon  consultation  with  Mr.  Wolf  it  was  learned  that  his  propo- 
sition held  good  for  another  j^ear.  In  March,  1903,  a  meeting  of 
the  trustees  was  called  at  the  parsonage  and  by  unanimous  vote 
it  was  decided  to  accept  the  generous  offer  made  by  Mr.  and  Mrs. 
Wolf.  A  committee  composed  of  the  pastor,  J.  Knipe,  and  M. 
F.  Edwards  was  appointed  to  secure  the  necessary  subscriptions 
on  the  part  of  the  church.  The  work  was  commenced  at  once, 
although  the  weather  Avas  inclement  and  the  roads  muddy.  At 
the  end  of  two  months  it  was  found  that  the  amoimt  subscribed 
exceeded  $8,500,  and  steps  were  taken  at  once  to  secure  plans  and 
specifications  for  the  bidlding,  including  $2,000  for  books  and 
reading  matter  for  the  Library. 

PLANS  ARE  SELECTED 

Several  architects  submitted  plans  and  finally  the  ones  pre- 
sented by  J.  H.  Prescott,  of  Marshalltown,  Iowa,  met  with  the 
approval  of  the  building  committee,  consisting  of  Jacob  Knipe, 
S.  A.  Foote,  C.  C.  Wolf,  M.  F.  Edwards  and  the  pastor,  N.  F. 
Norton. 

A  notice  for  bids  was  published  and  on  the  23d  of  September, 
1903,  the  contract  was  awarded  to  ( Uiarles  W.  Skemp  &  Son, 
of  Dubuque,  to  construct  the  building  for  $12,720.  The  work  of 
excavation  was  commenced  in  October,  1903.  About  the  15th  of 
that  month  workmen  began  tearing  down  the  old  temple,  much 
to  the  sorrow  of  the  many  Avho  had  long  Avorshipped  there. 

The  foundation  walls  of  the  new  church  were  laid  during  the 
fall  of  1903  and  in  March,  1904,  Avnrk  was  resumed  and  the  build- 
ing nearly  completed  December  14th  of  that  year.  About  this 
time  the  building  committee  were  informed  that  the  church  Avas 
to  have  a  fine  pipe  organ  and  in  January,  1905,  this  Avas  put  in 
place.  The  cost  of  the  building,  including  the  furniture,  is  about 
twenty-three  thousand  dollars,  and  about  two  thousand  dollars 
was  expended  for  books  for  the  free  public  library  connected  with 
the  church.  This  makes  a  complete  cost  in  round  figures  of 
$25,000.  Thousands  of  people  attended  the  dedicatory  services 
which  took  place  April  16,  1905. 

DESCRIPTIOX   OF   BTTILDING 

The  church  building  is  a  fine  modern,  up-to-date  temple  and 
probably  is  not  excelled  in  beauty  or  convenience  in  this  section 


2:12  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

of  the  state.  The  outside  dimensions  are  68x93  feet.  The  first 
floor  contains  a  library,  consisting  of  one  large  reading  room 
and  two  private  reading  rooms,  with  stack  room  for  books  back 
of  the  library  office.  The  first  floor  also  has  large  prayer  meet- 
ing rooms,  ladies'  parlor,  dining  room,  kitchen,  boiler  and  coal 
rooms.  The  second  floor  has  an  auditorium,  lecture  or  Sunday 
school  room,  several  class  rooms,  hallways,  choir  and  organ  rooms, 
pastor's  study  and  a  gallery.  The  seating  ca]iacity  in  sight  of 
the  pulpit  is  about  seven  hundred.  Music  is  furnished  from  a 
fine  pipe  organ  worth  $2,500,  which  was  donated  to  the  church. 

Nearly  all  the  floors  above  are  of  white  maple  with  white  pine 
in  the  library.  The  frescoing  decorations  are  very  fine  and  were 
made  by  j\Ir.  Peters,  of  Chicago.  The  art  glass  was  furnished  by 
Giles  &  Company,  of  Minneapolis,  and  cannot  be  surpassed  in 
beauty.  One  needs  to  see  this  beautiful  building  to  fully  realize 
its  grandeur. 

CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH 

The  Congregational  clnu'ch  of  Parkersburg  was  organized  in 
1869  by  Rev.  I.  N.  Williams.  Its  first  religious  services  were 
held  at  the  depot  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad,  and  subsequently 
in  the  old  schoolhouse.  In  1870  the  present  church  edifice  was 
erected  at  cost  of  $3,.500.  The  building  has  since  been  remodeled. 
The  church  was  organized  by  Rev.  I.  N".  Williams,  ^vho  became 
the  temporary  pastor. 

The  first  regidar  pastor,  Rev.  R.  S.  D.  Boynton,  accepted  a 
call  April  25, 1870.  The  following  ministers  successively  accepted 
calls  to  the  pastorate:  H.  H.  Robins,  H.  M.  Amsden,  Alexander 
Parker,  G.  W.  Dorsey,  John  Gray,  H.  M.  Slv,  J.  P.  Richards, 
W.  B.  Sanford,  .1.  P.  Clyde,  C.  A.  Chambers,  "j.  J.  Jones.  A.  S. 
Hock,  W.  P.  Begg,  W.  B.  Pardun,  and  Rev.  J.  W.  Bounell,  the 
present  pastor,  accepted  a  call  November  1,  1911. 

The  first  officers  of  the  church  were :  Deacons,  Edwin  Fisher, 
Ensign  Baker;  trustees,  N.  T.  Manly,  J.  Beemer.  E.  Fisher,  C.  K. 
Tanner,  R.  R.  Horr;  clerk,  N.  T.  Manly. 

The  church  is  free  from  debt  and  in  a  prosperous  condition. 
The  membership  is  fifty;  Sunday  school  attendance,  fifty. 

BAPTIST  CHURCH 

The  Ba])tist  people  of  this  community  organized  a  church  on 
the  27th  of  October,  1870,  with  the  following  members :    A.  Prigry 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  233 

and  Avife,  M.  S.  Miller  and  wife,  Samuel  Conu  and  wife,  James 
Hall  and  wife,  John  Hall,  H.  Twining,  George  M.  Cooper  and 
wife,  Ruth  Cooper,  Mrs.  S.  Lynn,  Mary  Coryell,  W.  L.  Laurence. 
The  first  pastor  was  Rev.  T.  H.  Hudson,  who  remained  one  year, 
I  and  was  succeeded  by  Revs.  E.  P.  Baker,  C.  Spragg,  F.  H.  Judsou, 
'  A.  E.  Simons,  J.  B.  Edmonson  and  others.  Services  were  first 
held  in  the  Congregational  church,  in  a  hall  near  the  depot  and 
schoolhouse.  Then  Union  hall  was  used  until  the  completion  of 
the  church  building  in  October,  1880.  A  Smiday  school  was 
organized  in  1870  and  for  a  number  of  years  the  church  pros- 
pered, but  for  the  past  several  years  the  society  has  not  been  in 
evidence  and  has  practically  ceased  to  exist. 

GERMAN  BAPTIST  CHURCH 

On  the  27th  day  of  April,  1895,  John  Muntinga  and  wife,  John 
Arends  and  wife,  John  A.  Smith  and  wife,  Kort  Smith  and  wife, 
William  Reichenburg  and  wife,  Ibling  Ibliugs  and  wife,  Mrs.  0. 
Voogd,  Okke  Van  Hauen  and  wife,  Mr.  Vosburg,  M.  G.  Brungers, 
Pete  DeNene  and  wife,  and  Junke  Polderboer  and  wife  met  at 
one  of  their  homes  and  organized  the  German  Baptist  church. 
Unfortunately  the  name  of  the  first  minister  could  not  be  obtained 
for  this  article.  Meetings  were  first  held  at  the  schoolhouse  and 
finally,  in  1901,  a  church  building  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000. 
About  two  years  later  a  parsonage  was  built,  costing  $2,000.  The 
names  of  pastors  since  and  including  1901  follow:  Reverend 
Johnson,  1901 ;  Reverend  Engelman,  1901-03 ;  Rev.  Jacob  Pf effer, 
1903-07;  Rev.  John  Miller,  1907-11;  Rev.  G.  R.  May  hack,  1911-13. 
The  church  now  has  a  membership  of  fifty-seven,  but  at  present 
it  is  without  a  pastor. 

CHRISTIAN  REFORMED  CHURCH 

^^nong  the  Germans  a  Christian  Reformed  church  was 
organized  April  6, 1891,  with  fourteen  families,  among  whom  were 
Fritz  Tammeu,  Geert  Orends,  Haite  Roelfs  and  Harm  Sap.  The 
members  of  this  society  first  met  in  their  homes  and  for  some 
time  held  services  in  the  Methodist  church.  In  1892  a  house  of 
worship  was  erected  and  in  the  following  year  a  parsonage  close 
by.  Both  buildings  are  substantial  frame  structures.  The  mem- 
bership had  increased  to  thirty-six  families  by  the  month  of 


234  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

February,  1914.  Pastors  who  have  served  this  charge:  Rev. 
H.  Portgeter,  October,  1892  to  May,  1896;  Rev.  H.  C.  Bgote,  candi- 
date, June,  1896  tu  March,  1897;  J.  Plesseher,  July,  1897  to  May, 
1912;  Rev.  H.  Ahins,  November,  1913. 

FRATERNAL  ORDERS 

The  Masonic  Lodge  began  its  fii'st  worlv  under  a  dispensation 
from  the  Grand  Lodge,  May  26,  1868,  and  during  the  year  Harley 
Day  was  worshiped  master.  June  2,  lB69,  Compass  Lodge,  No. 
239,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  received  its  charter,  and  at  the  first  meeting 
the  permanent  organization  was  compk'ted,  and  Hark^y  Day  was 
chosen  worthy  master;  M.  I.  Powers,  senior  warden;  G.  W.  East- 
man, junior  warden.  There  were  eight  other  charter  members. 
The  lodge  is  now  one  of  ihe  best  in  the  county  and  in  November, 
1913,  moved  into  beautiful  quarters,  specially  arranged  and  pre- 
pared, in  the  pretentious  new  Tem})le  building.  The  lodge  has 
a  membership  of  sixty. 

Compass  Chapter,  No.  159,  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star,  was 
organized  Oct.  3,  1894.  There  are  now  sixty  members.  Those 
whose  names  appear  on  the  charter  are:  Lillie  Scherling,  C. 
May,  Rose  Archer,  Hattie  Byerly,  N.  G.  Baker,  Clara  Courtright, 
S.  Foote,  Jennie  G.  Heartl,  C.  Howenstein,  May  Morgan,  Sarah 
Meade,  M.  Parker,  Essie  Parker,  Carrie  Porcupile,  Julia  Striker, 
Wealthy  Strout,  M.  Smith  and  Brothers,  A.  0.  Strout,  Charles 
Archer,  C.  B.  Byerly,  O.  B.  Courtright,  George  Meade,  James  Ray 
and  John  Scherling. 

JOHN  BRADEN  POST,  NO.  242,  G.   A.  R. 

John  Braden  Post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  was 
organized  at  Parkersburg,  November  28, 1894,  and  at  one  time  had 
a  large  membership.  Death  has  menaced  the  old  veterans  of  the 
Civil  war  and  decimated  their  ranks  yearly,  until  now  they  are 
becoming  conspicuous  by  their  inability,  in  many  places  to  muster 
a  quorum  at  their  meetings.  Many  of  the  posts  throughout  the 
United  States  have  gone  out  of  existence  and  yearly  charters  are 
being  surrendered  by  reason  of  diminishing  numbers  in  member- 
ship. This  is  the  condition  of  Braden  Post.  No  longer  do  the  old 
soldiers  here  meet  in  regular  muster.  There  are  not  enough  of 
them  to  make  it  interesting  and  those  who  remain  are  daily  and 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  235 

hoiu-ly  being  renmided  of  Time 's  passing  and  the  results  of  hard- 
ships endiu'ed  while  in  the  service  of  their  country.  Names  of  the 
charter  members  are  here  given:  J.  M.  Groat,  Phil  Wemple,  F, 
M.  Perkins,  N.  Goodale,  Alex  Christie,  E.  Wood,  L.  Stevens,  S.  W. 
Shipman,  L.  E.  Crosby,  Thomas  Hauck,  J.  M.  Kennedy,  H.  W. 
Babcock,  E.  A.  Gihnan,  W.  W.  Parker,  I.  W.  Camp,  G.  W.  Bill- 
ings, W.  H.  Coggins,  P.  S.  Bass,  W.  N.  Hund,  G.  G.  Codner,  G.  L. 
Barnard,  John  ELnapp,  Joseph  Burroughs,  G.  W.  Archer,  Oscar 
Lawrence,  J.  H.  Porcupile,  Thomas  Wendby,  F.  F.  Voeltz, 

John  Braden  Eelief  Corps,  G.  A.  R.,  No.  14,  w^as  organized 
December  2, 1884,  with  the  following  charter  members :  Phoebe  A. 
Wade,  Leila  Ow^en,  Emma  Younker,  Hattie  Byerly,  Barbara  Kem- 
merer,  Nora  Kjiapp,  Nellie  Parker,  Lena  Kennedy,  Josephine 
Barnes,  Matilda  Charles,  Mary  Franke,  Carrie  Porcupile,  Wealthy 
A.  Strout,  Nellie  Wood,  Maggie  Wilson,  Mary  Truesdale,  Melissa 
E.  Lawrence,  Sarah  Perkins,  Annie  M.  Filer  and  Mercy  Bass. 

Lodge  of  Yeomen,  Beaver  Homestead,  No.  214,  was  organized 
October  25,  1899,  with  forty-one  charter  members. 


CHAPTER   XIX 

BEAVER  TOWNSHIP,  BUTLER  RAPIDS,  WILLOUGHBY 
AND  NEW  HARTFORD 

BEAVER  TOWNSHIP 

Beaver  township  is  located  at  the  southeastern  corner  of  the 
county.  It  is  bounded  on  the  east  by  Blackhawk  county,  on  the 
south  by  Grundy,  on  the  west  and  north  by  Albion  and  Shell 
Rock  townships. 

Its  surface  is  considerably  more  uneven  than  that  of  most 
of  the  other  townships  of  the  county,  due  to  the  fact  in  part,  at 
least,  that  it  is  traversed  by  two  streams — the  West  Fork  and 
the  Beaver  creek — both  of  which  have  bj^  the  time  they  reach 
the  borders  of  this  township  attained  respectable  size.  The  West 
Fork  traverses  the  northern  portion  of  the  township,  entering  on 
the  western  side  of  section  6  and  flowing  eastward  to  the  point 
where  it  passes  into  Blackhawk  coimty  on  the  eastern  side  of 
section  12.  Its  valley  is  a  broad,  alluvial  plain,  with  sandy  loam. 
In  the  spring  of  the  year  this  portion  of  the  township  is  subject 
to  frequent  overflows,  making  it  difficult  to  cross  the  West  Fork 
valley.  The  Beaver  creek  flows  through  the  southern  portion  of 
the  township  from  east  to  west,  paralleling  in  its  main  course 
that  of  the  West  Fork  to  the  northward.  This  stream  received  its 
name  from  the  fact  that  in  early  days  its  waters  were  the  home 
of  large  niunbers  of  beavers. 

The  timbered  area  of  Beaver  township  probably  exceeds  that 
of  any  other  township  in  the  county,  both  streams  being  bordered 
by  tracts  of  standing  timber,  and  in  addition  there  being  a  large 
grove  known  as  Beaver  grove,  which  extends  from  section  28 
westward  into  Albion  township.  This  grove  follows  in  the  main 
the  rise  of  land  known  as  Beaver  ridge,  which  rises  more  or  less 
abruptly  on  the  northern  side  of  the  Beaver  valley  and  stretches 
in  a  westerly  direction  for  three  or  four  miles.    The  land  to  the 

287 


238  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

north  and  east  of  Beaver  ridge  is  extremely  hilly.  Practically  all 
of  it,  however,  is  at  the  preesnt  time  either  under  actual  cultiva- 
tion or  being  utilized  for  grazing  purposes. 

The  Illinois  Central  Raih-oad  crosses  the  township  from  east 
to  west,  its  entire  coiirse  being  within  less  than  a  mile  of  the 
southern  line  of  the  township.  The  "Hawkeye  Highway,"  an 
interstate  automobile  road,  passes  through  the  township,  entering 
from  Grrundy  county  on  the  south  side  of  section  35  and  passing 
thi'ough  New  Hartford  and  thence  along  the  line  of  the  Illi- 
nois Central  Railroad  west  to  Parkersbui*g.  The  territory  north 
of  the  West  Fork  is  largely  tributary  to  Shell  Rock  in  a  conmier- 
cial  and  industrial  way.  The  rest  of  the  township  is  served  as  a 
market  center  by  the  town  of  New  Hartford,  which  is  the  only 
town  or  village  within  its  limits. 

EARLY   SETTLEMENT 

The  earliest  settlements  in  Beaver  township  antedate  by 
several  years  those  in  any  other  township  of  the  county  except 
Shell  Rock  and  Butler.  As  in  the  case  of  the  latter  townships, 
hunters  and  trappers  at  a  very  early  date  pushed  up  along  the 
creek  from  the  Cedar  valley  and  established  themselves  tem})o- 
rarily  at  points  along  its  banks.  Its  proximity  to  the  settlements 
established  at  an  earlier  date  in  Blackhawk  county  account  for 
the  fact  that  as  early  as  1851  permanent  settlement  of  this  section 
of  the  county  began. 

In  1850,  on  December  21st,  George  Kittle  made  an  entry  on 
a  claim  in  section  31,  of  Beaver  township,  in  the  general  land 
office  at  Dubuque.  In  point  of  time  this  is  second  only  to  the 
entry  made  by  John  Heery  in  November  of  the  same  year.  It 
ranks  therefore  as  the  second  entry  of  land  in  Butler  county. 

The  third  man  in  the  county  to  make  a  Government  entry  also 
located  his  claim  in  Beaver  township.  This  was  Jesse  Morgan, 
who  on  April  10,  3851,  recorded  his  location  of  a  claim  on  section 
36.  Neither  Kittle  nor  Morgan,  however,  appear  to  have  located 
permanently  within  the  township  limits. 

The  honor  of  being  the  first  permanent  settler  in  Beaver  town- 
ship is  by  common  consent  ascribed  to  Barnett  Grandon.  Mr. 
Grandon  came  to  Butler  county  from  Linn  county  in  the  fall  of 
1851.  He  settled  on  a  farm  in  section  30,  which  remained  in 
possession  of  his  family  about  forty  years.     His  entry  of  this 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  239 

land  was  made  on  the  4th  of  October,  1851,  and  was  the  third  to 
be  made  in  Beaver  township. 

On  the  19th  of  December,  1851,  Adna  Thomas  recorded  a  claim 
on  section  29.  In  the  spring  of  1852,  C'linton  Thomas  came  and 
also  settled  on  section  29.  Adna  Thomas  made  a  permanent  settle- 
ment on  his  claim  in  the  fall  of  1852. 

In  1853,  Nicholas  Hartgraves,  who  is  mentioned  as  a  pioneer 
settler  of  Madison  township,  located  on  section  30,  where  he 
remained  for  several  j^ears. 

Rev.  Nathan  Olmstead  was  another  settler  in  the  year  1853. 
Mr.  Olmstead  came  from  DeKalb  county.  111.,  and  settled  on  sec- 
tion 18,  Beaver  township,  in  1853.  He  had  acted  as  a  local  preacher 
of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  clnu'ch  before  leaving  Illinois  and 
had  also  been  ordained  a  deacon.  In  1858  he  was  ordained  an 
elder.  He  preached  the  first  sermon  in  Beaver  township  on  the 
Sunday  following  his  arrival,  and  soon  afterward  organized  a 
church. 

The  year  1854  saw  the  arrival  of  a  number  of  men  who  were 
thenceforward  leaders  in  the  activities  of  the  township.  Among 
these  were  S.  Hazleton,  Aaron  Olmstead,  Peter  Rude  and  J.  F. 
Bolton.  Other  settlers  came  in  rapidly,  among  them  the  follow- 
ing: James  Collar,  George  E.  Pitch,  Charles  Knight,  John  Hart- 
graves,  Titus  Ensign,  Charles  Ensign,  Sanuiel  Fetters,  T.  G. 
Copeland,  C.  R.  Harmon,  E.  S.  Maxwell,  Baldwin  D.  Lewis,  Jacob 
M.  Knight,  L.  L.  Smith,  Nelson  H.  Whipple,  S.  S.  Conrtright 
and  August  Critzman. 

Among  other  early  settlers  were  Alonzo  Converse,  Patrick 
Flinn,  Daniel  Martin,  David  Twohig,  Michael  Rude,  H.  T.  Mor- 
ris, William  Rosebrough,  L.  B.  Corwin,  Peter  Gunnison,  Cassell 
Churchill,  C.  S.  Root,  J.  B.  Hare,  Ash  Cornwall,  Lorin  Cornwall, 
H.  H.  Weaver,  Nelson  Dowd,  George  Daniels,  Robert  Stanley 
and  James  Williams. 

GENERAL    ITEMS 

The  first  marriage  ceremony  performed  in  the  townshiji  was 
between  William  Dodd  and  a  Miss  Dowd,  which  occurred  in  1857. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  the  wife  of  Joseph  Casto,  in  1856. 

The  first  postmaster  was  S.  B.  Ensign,  the  office  being  located 
on  the  present  site  of  New  Hartford.  Shortly  thereafter  another 
post  office  was  established  at  Taylor's  Hill,  in  Grimdy  county. 


240  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

about  a  mile  and  a  quarter  south,  and  for  a  time  the  New  Hart- 
ford postoffiee  was  discontinued  and  its  citizens  Avere  compelled 
to  go  to  Taylor's  Hill  for  their  mail,  or  provide  for  its  transporta- 
tion from  Cedar.  Falls  by  private  conveyance. 

The  first  religious  services  were  held  at  the  house  of  Adna 
Thomas,  Ma.y  29,  1859,  by  Nathan  Olmstead.  An  organization 
of  the  Protestant  Methodist  church  was  effected  at  this  time,  the 
first  members  being  Jacob  Brown,  Mrs.  Adna  Thomas  and 
Alonzo  Olmstead.  ►Services  were  continued  at  the  house  of  ^fr. 
Thomas  until  the  establishment  of  a  chiireh  of  the  same  denom- 
ination at  New  Hartford,  when  this  organization  was  merged 
wuth  the  New  Hartford  church. 

The  first  manufacturing  plant  in  Bearer  towship  was  ])Ut  up 
in  1855  by  a  man  named  ]\Iarsliu.  This  mill  occupied  a  site  on 
section  29.  It  was  finally  torn  down.  The  second  saAvmill  was 
erected  by  the  Ensign  brothers  on  section  28.  A  steam  sawmill 
was  erected  in  an  early  day  on  section  30,  by  Alonzo  Norris.  An- 
other steam  sawmill  was  erected  on  section  29  by  James  Williams. 
It  was  moved  a  nmnber  of  times  to  different  points  in  the  town- 
ship and  finally  was  trans] )orted  to  Webster  City. 

OFFICIAL   ORGANIZATION 

The  term  Beaver  townshij)  at  first  inchuk'd  within  its  limits 
what  are  now  Shell  Rock,  Jefferson,  Albion  and  Beaver  town- 
ships. At  the  first  election  held  in  April,  1855,  Lyman  Norton 
was  appointed  judge.  At  this  election  John  H.  Smith  and  M. 
Hollenbeck  were  chosen  justices  of  the  peace;  Marshall  Kelley 
and  Asa  Chance,  constables;  George  Dewey,  assessor. 

In  MaiX'h,  1856,  the  upper  half  (»f  Axhat  constituted  Beaver 
township  was  organized  as  Shell  Rock  township  and  thereafter 
Beaver  included  the  present  townslii])  of  Albion  within  its  limits 
until  the  5tli  of  October,  1857,  when  it  was  again  sul)dividi'd  and 
Albion  and  Beaver  townships  both  given  their  present  limits. 
The  first  election  in  the  township  with  its  present  boundaries 
was  held  iii  the  village  of  Willoughby.  At  this  election  Charles 
Ensign,  James  B.  Hare  and  Lewis  Hannnond  were  chosen 
trustees;  Alonzo  Converse,  clei'k. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  241 

POPULATION    OF    THE    TOWNSHIP 

1856,  430;  1860,  546:  1863,  606;  1865,  754;  1867,  868;  1869,  934; 
1870, 1084 ; 1873,  989 ; 1875,  101 7 ; 1880,  975 ; 1890,  1074 ; 1900, 1349 ; 
1910, 1223. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  in  the  summer  of 
1855  in  a  log  house  belonging  to  Baldwin  Lewis,  on  section  38. 
The  teacher  AA'as  Miss  America  Taylor. 

The  second  school  was  taught  by  Charles  Ensign  in  NeA\-  Hart- 
ford, in  the  winter  of  1856-7. 

The  first  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  New  Hartford  and  used 
for  both  school  and  church  purposes.   Its  erection  occurred  in  1859. 

At  Y)resent  the  school  affairs  are  in  the  hands  of  nine  directors, 
one  elected  from  each  sub-district.  Sub-districts  Nos.  6  and  10 
include  most  of  the  territory  north  of  tlie  West  Fork  and  east  of 
the  central  part  of  section  4.  Sub-districts  Nos.  4  and  9  include 
the  territory  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  township.  District 
No.  7  includes  the  major  portion  of  the  Beaver  Grove  territory. 
It  is  the  largest  school  in  attendance  in  the  township.  District  No. 
2  is  known  as  the  Grady  district.  Sub-district  No.  3  is  the  largest 
in  extent,  containing  nearly  six  sections.  The  schoolhouse  stands 
on  section  15.  District  No.  5,  the  "Corwin  district,"  consists  of 
five  sections  in  the  extreme  southeastern  portion  of  the  town- 
ship, and  No.  8  the  southwestern  portion.  The  independent  dis- 
trict of  New  Hartford  occupies  a  central  position  on  the  south 
side  of  the  township.  A  project  is  being  agitated  looking  toward 
the  consolidation  of  the  districts  whose  territor}'  lies  between  the 
rivers.  It  is  probable  that  such  action  will  be  taken  at  an  early 
date,  as  the  conditions  for  the  establishment  of  such  a  district 
seem  unusually  favorable. 

BUTLER    RAPIDS 

On  April  7,  1858,  a  plat  of  the  town  called  Butler  Rapids  was 
filed  with  the  county  judge,  A.  Converse,  and  placed  upon  rec^ord. 
This  projected  town  was  located  on  what  is  now  called  Jerusa- 
lem Hill  situated  in  section  7,  Beaver  township,  just  east  of  the 
West  Fork.     The  land  is  now  known  as  the  Bolton  place.     The 


242  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

land  on  which  Butler  Rapids  stood  was  entered  by  Thomas  Mars- 
lin  and  transferred  by  him  to  Moses  Chapman,  or  Chapin,  of 
Blaekhawk  county,  by  whom  Butler  Rapids  was  platted.  A 
dam  was  constructed  across  the  West  Pork  just  west  of  the  town 
site  and  a  sawmill  built  on  the  western  bank.  This  town  was 
first  known  as  New  Jerusalem.  It  made  a  very  promising  be- 
ginning and  at  one  time  contained  a  store  and  a  numlier  of  resi- 
dences. The  establishment  of  Willoughby,  alxiut  a  half  mile  west 
across  the  river,  sapped  the  vitality  of  Butler  Rapids  and  eventu- 
ally lirought  about  its  extinction.  The  greater  part  of  its  popu- 
lation removed  to  Willoughby  or  elsewhere,  its  houses  were  torn 
down  or  moved  away,  or  left  to  rot  on  their  sites.  Twenty-five 
years  ago,  as  the  writer  is  informed  by  an  old  resident  of  the 
comity,  nothing  remained  to  mark  the  site  of  Butler  Rapids  but 
the  empty  cellar  excavations  garnished  by  an  assortment  of  old 
tin  cans  to  mark  the  site  of  this  village.  At  this  time  cottonwood 
trees  eighteen  and  twenty  inches  in  thickness  were  growing  from 
the  cellars,  showing  that  the  decay  of  the  town  dated  back  a 
niamber  of  years.  The  very  fact  of  its  existence  has  lieen  for- 
gotten or  is  unknown  to  the  vast  majority  of  the  citizens  of  But- 
ler county. 

WILLOUGHBY 

The  village  of  Willoughby  was  laid  out  in  the  spring  of  1855. 
Its  plat  occupied  the  southwest  quartei'  of  the  northwest  quarter 
of  section  9.  This  plat  was  recorded  on  the  minute  book  of  the 
county  court,  Septemlx'r  9,  1856.  The  proprietors  were  two  men 
named  Cameron  and  McClure. 

The  first  house  in  Willoughby  was  built  by  Cameron  and 
McClure  in  1855  and  was  occupied  as  a  dwelling  by  G.  W.  Daniels. 
This  building  stood  until  1862.  when  it  was  torn  down. 

In  the  fall  of  1855  a  store  was  opened  in  Willoughby  by  Corn- 
well  Brothers,  who  carried  a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  They 
remained  here  until  1864,  when  they  sold  the  stoelc  of  goods  to  a 
man  in  Clear  Lake,  who  moved  it  to  that  place.  The  building  was 
divided  and  part  of  it  sold  to  O.  W.  Mcintosh,  who  used  it  for  a 
hotel,  and  the  remainder  to  B.  Haskins,  who  occupied  it  for  some 
time  as  a  residence.  This  portion  was  afterward  burned.  Corn- 
well  Bi'others  also  started  a  blacksmith  sho])  here  in  1856. 

The  first  school  in  Willougiil)y  was  taught  by  Miss  Hannah 
Ensign  in  the  winter  of  1857-8  at  the  residence  of  Mr.  King.    The 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  243 

first  school  building  was  erected  in  1861  and  continued  to  be  used 
for  about  a  quarter  of  a  century. 

In  the  fall  of  1870  an  organization  of  the  Methodist  church 
was  effected.    Two  years  later  this  church  was  disbanded. 

In  the  summer  of  1856  a  hotel  was  built  by  the  Cornwell  Broth- 
ers, which  continued  under  their  control  until  1860,  when  it  passed 
into  the  hands  of  J.  B.  Gordon.  Subseqnent  to  this  date  it  was 
managed  in  turn  by  Robert  Ohnstead,  O.  W.  Mcintosh  and  H.  D. 
Burnett.  The  latter  gentleman  continued  its  management  until 
1872,  when  it  was  finally  closed.  This  hotel  was  a  regular  stopping 
place  on  the  route  from  Cedar  Falls  to  Algona  and  enjoyed  a  lib- 
eral patronage  in  the  years  before  the  railroads  penetrated  the 
county. 

A  postofl&ce  at  Willoughby  was  established  in  1855.  The  list 
of  postmasters  include  the  names  G.  W.  Daniels,  A.  Cornwell, 
B.  Haskins,  O.  D.  Ohnstead.  R.  Stanley,  George  Burnett,  David 
Diltz,  Samuel  Fetters  and  H.  D.  Burnett.  In  its  later  years  the 
office  received  mail  twice  a  week  from  Butler  Center.  It  was  dis- 
continued some  years  before  the  establishment  of  the  rural  mail 
routes. 

There  is  one  honse  still  standing  on  the  Willoughby  town  site, 
a  portion  of  a  store  building,  which  was  the  last  place  of  business 
here.  A  schoolhouse  also  stands  on  the  village  site  but  it  is  now  a 
sub-district  schoolhouse.  It  is  called  the  Willoughby  schoolhouse, 
thus  perpetuating  the  name  of  the  town  that  once  stood  here. 

NEW   HAETFORD 

The  village  of  New  Hartford  is  located  on  section  33.  Beaver 
township.  Beaver  creek  wends  its  sinuous  way  on  the  north.  The 
country  surrounding  this  bustling  little  town  is  peopled  by  well- 
to-do,  energetic  farmers,  who  have  become  prosperous,  by  cultivat- 
ing some  of  the  most  fertile  land  in  the  state  and  contributing  to 
the  world's  production  of  live  stock  no  inconsiderable  portion. 
The  town  has  witnessed  a  steady  and  substantial  growth  and  holds 
a  place  of  prominence  in  the  coimty. 

The  land  upon  which  New  Hartford  is  so  pleasantly  located 
was  preempted  by  a  Mr.  Chapman,  in  the  spring  of  1854,  and  in 
the  early  autumn  of  the  year  he  built  a  log  cabin  on  a  spot  now 
within  the  corporate  limits.  Titus  Ensign  and  S.  B.  Ensign  came 
on  from  the  state  of  New  York  and  upon  looking  over  the  imme- 


244  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

diate  couutry,  were  greatly  im]3ressecl  with  the  beauty  of  the  land- 
scape, fertility  of  soil  and  healthful  climate.  They  made  arrange- 
ments to  build  a  mill  here,  and  before  returning  to  their  eastern 
home  bought  the  east  half  of  section  33  and  received  permission 
from  Chairman  to  make  entry  of  their  purchase,  which  gave  them 
precedence  and  ultimate  title  t<»  that  part  of  Chapman's  claim. 
In  January,  1855,  the  Ensigns  returned  to  Butler  comity,  and  in 
conformit,y  with  their  previous  plans,  built  a  mill  on  the  bank 
of  BeaA'er  creek ;  near  the  present  school  building  they  also  put 
up  a  log  house  for  a  habitation.  That  same  summer  Titus  Ensign 
caused  the  land  on  section  33  to  be  surveyed  into  town  lots,  com- 
posing twelve  blocks  including  a  ])ublic  square,  and  on  the  4th  day 
of  June,  1856,  the  plat  of  N'ew  Hartford  was  tiled  for  record. 

The  Ensigns  built  the  first  house  in  the  village  of  New  Hart- 
ford in  the  autumn  of  1855.  This  was  a  log  cabin,  already  men- 
tioned.' It  was  occupied  hy  the  pioneers  as  a  l)achelors'  hall  until 
early  in  the  following  year,  when  Titus  Ensign  lirought  his  family 
from  Waverly  and  installed  the  members  thereof  in  their  new 
prairie  home.  The  followdng  spring  S.  B.  Ensign  erected  a  resi- 
dence on  lots  1  and  3,  block  11.    G.  W.  Ensign  came  with  Titus  and 

5.  B.  Ensign  and  in  the  s]U'ing  of  1857  put  up  a  building  on  block 

6.  Here  he  installed  machinery  and  ran  a  shingle  mill  five  or  six 
years.  The  building  was  then  moved  to  lot  8,. block  12,  and  con- 
A^rted  into  a  stable  for  Dr.  W.  H.  H.  Hagey. 

R.  Shaw  arrived  in  the  village  in  1857  and  built  a  house  on  lots 
2  and  4,  block  11.  About  the  same  time,  E.  L.  Shaw  built  on  lots 
2  and  4,  block  10;  E.  M.  Shaw  on  lots  6  and  8,  block  10;  Xelson 
Childs  on  lots  5  and  7,  block  8;  Dr.  Joseph  Casto  on  lots  2  and  4, 
block  8.  E.  M.  Shaw  also  put  up  a  blacksmith  shop  on  lot  7,  block 
11.  E.  O.  Stevens  bought  the  S.  B.  Ensign  house  and  moved  into 
it.  Shortly  after  William  Jones  occupied  the  propei'ty.  Early 
in  the  fall  he  erected  a  building,  in  which  he  conducted  a  saloon 
for  a  while. 

The  first  store  in  Xew  Hartfoi'd  was  estalilished  in  August, 
1856,  by  Martin  Bailey,  who  came  from  Cedar  Falls  and  had  a  new 
building  ready  for  occupancy  at  the  time  above  mentioned.  ^Ir. 
Bailey  and  family  were  prominent  in  business  and  social  circles 
of  the  place  until  1860,  when  they  removed  to  a  farm  near  Butler 
Center. 

D.  IST.  Root  and  Elijah  Root,  of  Xew  York  state,  located  here  in 
1856.    They  purchased  the  west  half  of  the  northeast  quarter  of 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  245 

section  33  of  Solomon  Lashbrook,  which  was  surveyed  and  platted 
as  Root's  addition  to  New  Hartford.  Having  purchased  the  build- 
ing erected  by  E.  L.  Shaw,  on  lots  2  and  4,  block  10,  D.  N.  Root 
enlarged  and  arranged  the  stiuicture  suitably  to  a  hotel,  and  he 
conducted  the  first  "stopj)iug  j^lace"  for  travelers  in  the  township. 

The  advent  of  the  Root  brothers  proved  a  great  benefit  to  the 
town.  They  were  energetic,  enterprising  citizens.  After  giving 
the  town  an  addition  in  territory,  D.  N.  Root  spent  some  time  in 
the  east,  where  he  disposed  of  a  considerable  number  of  lots,  and 
it  is  presumed,  directed  some  innnigration  to  this  locality. 

E.  Bourquin,  of  Dubuque,  located  in  New  Hartford  in  August, 
1860.  and  ojoened  a  general  store.  He  was  the  only  merchant  in 
the  place  at  that  time,  Martin  Bailey,  the  pioneer  storekeeper, 
having  closed  his  business  in  the  sj)ring  and  taken  up  farming. 
Bourquin  became  the  first  permanent  merchant  in  New  Hartford, 
although  he  almost  lost  the  distinction  by  selling  his  store  to  a 
Mr.  Welsh  in  1861.  But  the  new  man  became  dissatisfied  and  in 
the  fall  of  the  year  Bourquin  was  again  back  of  the  counter,  sell- 
ing goods  at  the  old  stand.  He  became  one  of  the  most  prominent 
business  men  in  the  southern  part  of  Butler  county  and  the  splen- 
did Bourquin  brick  business  building,  on  the  main  thoroughfare, 
is  a  monument  to  Ms  industry  and  thrift.  He  was  the  local  post- 
master for  a  period  of  eighteen  years. 

Several  attempts  have  been  made  to  jiermanently  establish  the 
liquor  traffic  at  this  place,  but  the  sentiment  of  the  community 
was  not,  collectively,  sufficiently  strong  to  encourage  the  traffic. 
H.  S.  Burch  was  rudely  awakened  from  his  dream  of  an  easy  life 
as  a  saloon  man,  when  he  was  disturbed  by  a  deputy  sheriff  in 
1857.  He  destroyed  his  stock  of  liquor  and  left  the  town.  So  did 
M.  J.  Coon,  who  was  an  ostensible  guest  of  the  Root  hotel  in  1859. 
He  was  discovered  "boot  legging"  and  his  arrest  followed.  Had 
he  been  left  to  the  frenzied  citizens,  most  likely  his  career  would 
have  been  prematurely  brought  to  an  abrupt  ending.  He  was  prac- 
tically run  out  of  town.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  New  Hartford 
is  still  a  "dr}'"  town. 

A  creamery  was  started  in  New  Hartford  in  1877,  by  a  stock 
company.  In  the  spring  of  1880  Eugene  Bourquin  purchased  the 
propertj^ 

A  gi'ain  elevator  was  built  on  the  line  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  in  1876,  and  was  managed  by  the  grain  dealers,  J.  Paul- 
ger  &  Son.    Pre\dous  to  this  the  grain  firm  of  Root  &  Beckwith 


246  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

had  erected  a  grain  warehouse  and  after  running  it  about  six 
years,  sold  out  the  business  to  Eugene  Bourquin.  Eventually  it 
drifted  into  the  hands  of  E.  Paulger  &  Son. 

The  Wick  Brothers'  firm  established  the  first  dinig  store  at  New 
Hartford  in  the  fall  of  1880 ;  the  lumber  firm  and  hardware  busi- 
ness of  J.  Paulger  &  Son  were  established  in  1882 ;  and  J.  R.  Fi- 
field's  furniture  store  was  first  opened  in  1873.  Early  in  the  '60s. 
L.  L.  Smith  became  proprietor  and  landlord  of  the  Exchange  Hotel 
and  in  January,  1868,  was  inducted  into  the  office  of  sheriff. 

THE  POSTOFFICE 

The  first  postoffice  established  here  was  named  Beaver  Grove,, 
in  1855.  S.  B.  Ensign  was  appointed  postmaster.  About  this  time 
an  office  was  established  at  Taylor's  Hill,  a  little  over  a  mile  south 
of  the  callage  and  in  view  of  this  fact,  supplies  were  discon- 
tinued and  the  Beaver  Gi'ovo  (office  was  practically  abandoned  by 
the  authorities.  Mail  was  then  brought  to  the  office  from  Cedar 
Falls  by  private  conveyance. 

The  New  Hartford  office  was  established  in  1858.  Dr.  Joseph 
Casto  was  the  first  comnnssioned  postmaster,  but  the  office  was 
left  in  charge  of  a  deputy,  D.  N.  Root,  who  kept  the  office  at  his 
hotel.  This  was  made  a  money  order  office  August  15,  1881.  The 
first  money  order  was  issued  to  David  Diltz,  and  the  one  cashed 
had  been  issued  in  favor  of  Dr.  William  H.  H.  Hagey.  The  names 
of  postmasters  succeeding  Dr.  Casto  are  here  given :  C.  H.  Cham- 
berlin.  Dr.  J.  A.  Guthrie,  J.  P.  Wood,  E.  Bom-quin,  J.  S.  McEl- 
wain,  Thomas  Houlihan,  H.  G.  King,  Lee  Caulfield,  H.  G.  King 
and  Clarence  Sprague. 

NEW   HARTFORD   INCORPORATED 

The  town  of  New  Hartford  was  incorporated  and  became  a 
separate  organization  from  the  township  in  1884.  An  election 
was  held  and  officials  elected,  but  the  minute  book  of  the  recorder 
is  missing  and  no  detailed  account  can  be  given  by  the  writer  of 
the  early  proceedings  of  the  town  trustees.  It  is  known,  how- 
ever, that  John  Paulger  was  mayor  in  1884,  and  M.  J.  Pierce, 
recorder.  The  names  of  successors  to  these  offices  follow:  Mayor 
— L.  L.  Smith,  1891-2;  F.  W.  Paulger,  1892-5;  J.  W.  Phumner, 
1895-6;  G.  M.  Bronson,   1896-9;  L.  L.  Smith,   1899-1904;  L.  E. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  247 

Bourquin,  1904-12;  E.  H.  Will,  1912-13;  by  appointment  to  fill 
vacancy,  Dr.  J.  G.  Evans,  February,  1913-14.  Clerks— M.  J. 
Pierce,  1884-99;  Charles  L.  Booton,  1899-1904;  N.  P.  Elwell,  19U4- 
12;  C  R.  Harmon,  1912-14. 

WATERWORKS  SYSTEM 

The  little  city  of  New  Hartford  owns  a  system  of  waterworks 
that  meets  all  the  requirements  of  her  citizens.  The  water  is  of 
a  splendid  qualit_y,  there  is  plenty  of  it  and  the  pressure  through 
the  mains  is  amply  sufficient  to  throw  a  stream  of  water  over  any 
bviilding  in  the  town.  The  question  of  building  waterworks  and 
issuing  $3,000  in  bonds,  was  submitted  to  the  decision  of  the  elect- 
orate and  was  most  favorably  passed  upon  by  that  ruling  body  in 
1896.  In  the  same  year  the  works  were  built  and  completed. 
Driven  wells  furnish  an  almost  inexhaustible  supply  of  water, 
which  is  pumped  into  a  tank  elevated  on  a  steel  tower  80  feet  in 
height.    This  reservoir  has  a  capacity  of  about  40,000  gallons. 

ELECTRIC  LIGHTS 

In  the  fall  of  the  year  1913  Ray  Dodd  and  Ceorge  Courtright, 
two  energetic  and  progressive  citizens,  built  a  small  electric  light 
plant,  more  as  an  experiment  and  for  their  own  convenience  than 
as  a  business  venture.  They  builded  better  than  they  knew  and 
as  a  consequence  are  receiving  numerous  applications  for  service. 
Several  of  the  business  hovises  and  residences  are  using  the  elec- 
tric lights  and  it  is  now  anticipated  that  the  plant  will  be  enlarged 
in  the  spring  of  1914. 

NEW  HARTFORD  STATE  BANK 

About  the  year  1889,  Eugene  Bourquin,  F.  W.  Paulger,  E.  C. 
Bellows,  J.  A.  Cousins  and  A.  E.  Bourquin  organized  a  private 
banking  company,  taking  the  name  of  the  New  Hartford  Bank, 
and  began  business  in  a  brick  biiilding  which  they  had  previously 
erected  for  the  purpose.  In  1900  the  bank  was  incor])orated  as 
the  New  Hartford  State  Bank,  with  a  capital  of  $35,000,  by  the 
original  owners.  The  first  officers  of  the  State  Bank  were :  Eugene 
Bourqiiin,  president:  J.  A.  Cousins,  vice  president;  P.  W.  Paul- 
ger, cashier.    P.  W.  Paulger  resigned  his  position  in  1906  and  L. 


248  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

E.  Bour(|uiii  assimied  tlu'  duties  of  the  offiee  left  ^•aeallt;  at  the 
same  time  A.  F.  Perriu  was  elected  vice  president.  Eugene  Bour- 
quin  died  in  1908.  This  brought  about  other  eliauges.  A.  F.  Per- 
rin  became  president  and  August  Critzmau,  vice  president.  L.  E. 
Bourquin  left  the  offiee  of  cashier  vacant  in  1911  and  K.  L.  Farns- 
Avorth  since  then  has  filled  the  position  A'ery  acceptably.  The 
bank's  last  official  statement  shows  the  following:  Capital,  $35,- 
000;  undivided  profits,  $17,500;  deposits,  $187,500. 

In  1911  F.  B.  Miller,  Roger  Leavitt  and  H.  S.  Ciilky  incorpo- 
rated the  Farmers '  Savings  Bank,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000. 
The  ofiicers  were:  F.  B.  Miller,  president;  R.  E.  Wick,  vice  presi- 
dent; G.  M.  Bronson,  vice  president;  R.  A.  Gage,  cashier.  The 
institution  ran  along  for  two  years  with  indifferent  success  and 
little  encouragement  for  its  CQutinuance,  so  that  in  the  fall  of 
1913,  all  the  stock  was  secured  by  the  New  Hartford  State  Bank 
and  the  two  banks  combined  are  much  stronger  and  give  more 
efficient  service  than  two  could  render  in  a  town  the  size  of  New 
Hartford,  whose  population  is  now  al)out  500. 

THE  SCHOOLS 

Charles  Ensign,  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers  at  New  Hartford, 
taught  the  first  school  in  the  place.  This  was  held  at  his  home 
in  January,  1857.  Being  unable  to  finish  the  term  plaimed,  Mr. 
Ensign  turned  over  his  pupils  to  ^Nlrs.  Sarah  Dean,  who  taught 
the  little  class  of  boys  and  girls  at  her  hunil:)le  home. 

Before  the  close  of  the  year  1857  a  modest  schoolhouse  was 
erected  and  answered  all  purposes  measurably  well  until  1867, 
when  a  two-story  frame  structure  Avas  built,  to  meet  the  increas- 
ing demands  for  more  room.  Later,  a  one-story  frame  school- 
house  was  built,  to  accommodate  children  in  the  first  four  grades. 
The  larger  building  remained  in  use  until  1897,  when  it  was 
moved  on  to  another  lot  and  recently  converted  into  an  automo- 
bile garage.  On  the  old  site  a  modern  two-story  brick  school 
building  was  erected  the  same  year,  at  a  cost  of  $4,000.  In  this 
latter  building  are  four  teachers ;  in  the  little  frame,  two  instruct- 
ors are  employed. 

RELIGIOUS 

The  first  religious  service  held  in  New  Hartford  was  by  Rev. 
Nathan  Olmstead  and  Harvev  Smith,  at  the  home  of  Charles  En- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  249 

sign,  who  at  tlie  time  had  also  converted  his  home  into  a  school- 
house.  The  settlers  who  at  this  time  formed  a  class,  were  of  the 
Protestant  Methodist  faith  and  chose  for  their  class  leader  Nel- 
son Childs.  The  class  was  a  small  one,  composed  of  E.  M.  and 
Robert  Shaw,  with  their  wives,  Nelson  Childs  and  wife  and 
Charles  Ensign  and  wife.  The  societ}-  existed  until  1870,  but 
never  erected  a  house  of  \vorshii>. 

BAPTIST   CHUKCH 

The  Baptist  church  was  organized  in  1857  and  among  the  names 
of  the  first  members  the  following  are  remembered:  Joseph  Col- 
lins and  wdfe,  E.  H.  Collins  and  wife,  Eber  Dunham,  Lois  Dun- 
ham, Josejih  Casto,  Norman  Devoe,  S.  B.  Ensign  and  wife,  Lewis 
Hammond  and  wife  and  Daniel  Pickett.  The  first  minister  was 
Rev.  I.  R.  Dean. 

In  May,  1857,  the  Sunday  school  was  established  in  the  school 
room  at  the  home  of  Charles  Ensign  and  the  premier  school  teacher 
was  chosen  superintendent.  A  church  building  was  erected  in 
1866,  at  a  cost  of  $5,500,  and  was  the  most  pretentious  building 
belonging  to  any  chui'ch  society  in  Butler  county.  It  stood  the 
Baptist  people  in  good  stead  for  many  years,  but  eventually  be- 
came inadequate  and  was  superseded  in  the  year  1903,  b}'  a  hand- 
some buff  pressed  brick  structure,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $8,000. 
The  society  is  prosperous,  has  one  hundred  members'  and  an  aver- 
age attendance  at  the  Sunday  school.  The  names  of  all  the  pastors 
follow:    Revs.  I.  R.  Dean,  Gibbs,  A.  Orcutt,  William  Wood,  E. 

C.  O.  Grout,  D.  P.  Maryatt,  Rev.  Cox,  Judson,  H.  D.  Weaver,  L. 

D.  Lamldn,  William  M."  Simmons,  William  C.  Pratt,  1882-5 ;  Ar- 
thur F.  Howell,  1887-91;  W.  E.  Adams,  1894-7;  C.  W.  Heady, 
1897-1904;  J.  F.  Wood,  1904-06;  C.  H.  H.  Moore,  1907-09;  Harry 
A.  Essex,  1909-14. 

METHODIST   EPISCOPAL   CHURCH 

There  being  deemed  a  sufficient  number  of  the  ]\rethodist  faith 
to  associate  themselves  formally  into  a  class,  an  organization  was 
effected  in  1857,  by  E.  S.  Maxwell,  as  class  leader,  and  his  wife, 
Robert  Shaw  and  wife,  and  a  Mr.  Childs  and  wife.  Meetings  were 
held  every  two  weeks  in  an  old  log  schoolhousc,  but  the  first  ser- 
mon heard  in  the  towTi  was  delivered  by  an  itinerant  preacher. 


250  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

at  the  home  of  Charles  Ensign  in  1856.  In  1871  a  neat  and  com- 
modious church  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $3,0U0  and  in 
1907-8  the  building  was  remodeled  to  comply  with  present  day 
demands.  The  lirst  regular  pastor  was  Rev.  Taylor  and  those 
who  have  followed  him  are  herein  mentioned,  namely:  Revs. 
George  Murphy,  Glassner,  Ward,  McCee,  Burgett,  McKim,  Mc- 
Gee,  W.  Ward  Smith,  J.  R.  Cameron,  1885-87;  E.  R.  Leamen, 
1887-89 ;  B.  H.  Flemming,  1889-90 ;  Horace  Foote,  1890-93 ;  W.  N. 
Brown,  1893-95;  W.  E.  Ross,  1895-98;  J.  D.  Perry,  1898-1900; 
J.  H.  Hayward,  1900-02 ;  Stuart  C.  Bretnafl,  1903-05 ;  Jesse  Smith, 
1905-06;  P.  X.  Miller,  1906-07;  H.  W.  Halter,  three  months;  E.  E. 
Clements,  1908-09;  Thomas  Maxwell,  1909-10;  Henry  Allshouse, 
1910-11;  J.  C.  Davis,  1911-12;  W.  A.  Faris,  1912-14. 

The  membership  now  numbers  one  hundred  and  thirteen. 

KOMAN  CATHOLIC  MISSION 

For  some  time  previous  to  the  year  1897  the  ordinance  of  mass 
was  formally  observed  in  New  Hartford,  by  visiting  priests  in 
a  non-sectarian  building.  But  in  the  year  mentioned  Father 
Lynch  built  a  church  edifice  for  the  mission  established  here  and 
since  that  time  this  people  have  been  attended  by  clergjanen  of  the 
church  resident  at  Parkersburg.  Father  O.  Leary  is  the  present 
pastor ;  a  young  man  but  lately  arrived  from  Ireland. 

FRATERNAL  ORDERS 

The  fraternal  bodies  established  in  New  Hartford  have  af- 
forded the  good  people  an  outlet  for  their  surplus  energies  and 
afforded  a  means  of  whiling  away  many  pleasant  and  profitable 
hours  of  an  evening.  Oswegatehie  Lodge,  No.  20,  I.  O.  O.  F.  was 
the  first  one  organized,  coming  into  existence  October  23,  1884. 
The  woman's  auxiliary.  Banquet  Lodge,  No.  343,  Daughters  of 
Rebekah,  was  organized  October  23,  1896. 

Beaver  Lodge,  No.  472,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized  June  2, 
1886,  by  F.  B.  Bolton,  August  Critzman  and  L.  L.  Smith.  The 
membership  now  nmnbers  ninety-three. 

New  Hartford  Camp,  No.  838,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
was  organized  February  16,  1889,  with  eleven  members.  Robin- 
son Camp,  No.  3786,  Royal  Neighbors,  was  organized  some  years 
later,  with  twenty-four  charter  members. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  251 

Some  time  in  the  '80s  the  veterans  of  New  Hartford  and 
vicinity  organized  a  post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  but 
owing  to  the  rapid  passing  away  of  their  comrades  the  surviving 
members  have  become  too  few  in  numbers  to  give  them  any  fur- 
ther interest  in  holding  stated  meetings.  The  Woman's  Relief 
Corps,  No.  228,  organized  February  18,  1891,  still  keeps  up  its 
organization  and  regular  meetings. 


CHAPTER  XX 
BENNEZETTE  TOWNSHIP  AND  VILLAGE  OF  AREDALE 

The  township  of  Beuuezette  occupies  a  position  in  the  north- 
western corner  of  the  eonnty.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north  by 
Floyd  county,  on  the  west  by  Franklin  county  and  corners  on 
the  northwest  with  Cerro  Gordo  county.  According  to  the  con- 
gressional survey  it  is  township  93  north,  range  18  west  of  the 
fifth  principal  meridian.  The  land  in  general  is  more  level  than 
in  many  other  sections  of  the  county.  There  are  fewer  marked 
elevations  of  land  and  less  natural  drainage.  As  a  result,  the  soil 
is  a  rich  black  loam.  Originally  a  considerable  portion  of  the 
township  was  so  lacking  in  facilities  for  natural  drainage  as  at 
times  to  be  too  wet  for  cultivation.  Of  recent  years  the  establish- 
ment of  several  drainage  districts  and  the  construction  of  a 
nimiber  of  large  drainage  ditches,  together  with  the  tiling  of 
the  land  by  indi^-idual  owners,  has  rendered  this  one  of  the  most 
fertile  and  productive  portions  of  Butler  countj\ 

Coldwater  creek  enters  the  to^ATiship  from  the  north  in  sec- 
tion 5  and  flows  eastward  through  the  northei'u  tier  of  sections. 
The  extreme  southwest  portion  is  drained  by  the  North  Branch 
of  the  West  Fork,  and  another  small  stream  has  its  origin  in  the 
south  central  portion  of  tlie  township.  None  of  these  streams  are 
of  any  size  and  during  the  dry  seasons  they  practically  cease  to. 
flow. 

For  a  number  of  years  after  the  organization  of  the  township 
it  had  no  town  within  its  borders.  In  1900,  however,  the  con- 
struction of  the  line  of  the  Northwestern  Railroad  through  the 
western  portion  of  the  township  led  to  the  establishment  of  the 
town  of  Aredale,  an  unincorporated  village,  situated  at  the  center 
of  sections  29,  30,  31  and  32.  Dougherty,  a  village  in  Cerro  Gordo> 
county,  is  the  trading  point  for  farmers  of  the  northwestern  por- 
tion of  the  township,  and  Greene  for  those  of  the  northeastern 
section.    The  southeastern  portion  is  served  as  a  trading  point  by 

253 


254  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  town  of  Bristow.  The  township  is  now  thickly  settled  by  a 
progressive  class  of  farmers  whose  industry  and  energy  are  sec- 
ond to  none  in  the  state.  The  township  takes  its  name  from  the 
town  of  Benuezette,  Pennsylvania,  the  native  home  of  William 
P.  Woodworth  and  Samuel  Overturf,  who  were  pioneers  here. 

EAKLY  SETTLEMENT 

In  conmion  with  other  western  townships  of  the  county  the 
early  settlement  in  Bennezette  did  not  take  place  until  several 
years  following  the  settlement  of  the  eastern  townships  of  the 
comity.  The  first  settler  is  said  to  have  been  William  A.  Keister, 
who  in  1854  settled  on  a  claim  in  section  1.  In  the  following  year 
John  J.  Chase  came  from  Waverly  and  located  a  claim  on  section 
4.  He  is  said  to  have  remained  here  but  a  short  time.  The  names 
of  these  two  settlers  are  the  only  ones  recorded  for  the  years  1854 
and  1855. 

The  records  of  the  land  office  showing  the  original  entries  of 
land  in  this  township  reveal  the  fact  that  the  first  entry  of  land 
was  made  by  one  David  Miller,  on  April  17,  1854,  in  section  12. 
On  January  15,  1855,  the  second  entry  was  made  by  J.  S.  Easly, 
in  section  2.  The  third  entry  was  made  by  W.  H.  Ennis,  on  sec- 
tion 1,  on  June  28, 1855.  As  the  names  of  none  of  these  gentlemen 
appear  in  the  lists  of  early  settlers,  it  may  be  concluded  that  these 
claims  were  simply  taken  up  to  be  sold  later. 

In  1856  William  Kingery,  a  native  of  Indiana,  purchased  the 
claim  which  had  been  taken  up  by  W.  A.  Keister,  in  section  1,  and 
lived  upon  it  until  1865,  when  he  moved  to  section  13,  in  Cold- 
water  township.  About  the  same  time,  two  other  settlers  named 
Hamlin  and  Murphy  located  in  the  to'wnship.  Hamlin  came  from 
Ohio  and  took  up  a  claim  on  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  30, 
where  he  lived  until  1863.  He  then  removed  to  Butler  Center 
and  his  later  history  is  unknown.  Murpli}'  was  from  New  York 
and  settled  on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  1.  He  later  re- 
moved to  Osage. 

One  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  settlers  was  ]\Iilton 
Wilson,  who  was  born  in  New  York,  in  1826.  With  his  family  he 
came  west  in  the  spring  of  1857,  taking  passage  from  Buffalo  to 
Milwaukee  by  boat.  Prom  the  latter  point  they  traveled  over- 
land to  Butler  comity  and  located  a  claim  on  section  15,  Benne- 
zette township.    Mr.  Wilson  was  prominently  identified  with  the 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  255 

history  of  the  county  from  the  time  of  his  arrival.  He  was  one 
of  the  county  supervisors,  elected  first  under  the  old  system, 
representing  Bennezette  township  on  the  county  board  in  the 
years  1859  and  1860.  He  was  later  a  member  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  under  the  present  law,  serving  during  the  years  1879, 
1880,  1881,  1891,  1892  and  1893.  At  the  time  Mr.  Wilson  raised 
his  first  crop  of  wheat,  Cedar  Rapids  was  the  nearest  market — ■ 
one  hundred  and  ten  miles  distant.  To  this  town  Mr.  Wilson 
hauled  his  first  crop  and  received  for  it  the  sum  of  sixty  cents  a 
bushel. 

The  year  1857  saw  a  large  increase  in  the  number  of  settlers 
in  the  township.  Among  these  were  Ira  A.  and  Cyrus  D.  Cham- 
berlin,  brothers,  who  came  from  Vermont  and  located  claims  in 
section  3i ;  Oliver  Evans,  who  settled  on  the  southwest  quarter  of 
section  17;  W.  P.  Woodworth  and  Samuel  Overturf,  later  resi- 
dents of  Pittsf ord  township,  settled  in  section  35 ;  Orrin  C.  Smith 
and  John  A.  Smith,  natives  of  Michigan,  who  settled  in  sections 
27  and  34;  George  O'Brien  and  three  McKinney  brothers,  Philip, 
John  and  Michael,  John  and  Patrick  Kelly,  John  P.  Mills,  James 
S.  Morris,  Augaistus  Clukey,  Peter  Galipo,  Warren  Caswell  and 
a  man  named  Ward.  This  so  far  as  is  known  is  a  complete  list 
of  the  settlers  in  the  township  for  1857. 

In  the  years  immediately  following  1857  the  number  of  settlers 
is  so  great  as  to  render  a  detailed  list  almost  impossible.  Among 
the  later  settlers  without  regard  to  the  date  of  their  settlement 
may  be  mentioned  Benjamin  H.  Barnett,  William  Lovell,  Francis 
and  John  Maxwell,  John  E.  Downing,  Adam  Kvle  and  Michael 
Wade. 

The  Maxwells  purchased  land  in  sections  3,  10  and  11,  together 
owning  something  over  one  thousand  acres  in  this  section  of  the 
township.  They  are  survived  by  several  sons  and  daughters  who 
are  still  residents  of  the  township  and  cormty. 

John  E.  Downing  located  on  section  26  and  later  became  the 
owner  of  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  25.  The  family  is  still 
re]U'esented  in  the  coimty,  the  present  members  of  the  family 
being  located  principally  in  Coldwater  township. 

John  H.  Kyle,  the  present  treasurer  of  the  school  township  of 
Bennezette,  is  a  sou  of  Adam  Kyle,  mentioned  above. 

No  family  in  the  history  of  the  county  has  been  more  promi- 
nently identified  with  affairs  state  and  national  than  that  of  Mich- 
ael Wade.     Detailed  mention  of  his  son.  John  F.,  is  given  below. 


256  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Another  sou,  Martin  J.  Wade,  was  born  in  Burlington,  Vt.,  Octo- 
ber 20,  1861.  He  came  to  Iowa  with  bis  father  and  settled  in 
Bennezette  township  in  1871,  the  family  home  being  located  on 
section  7.  He  received  liis  education  in  the  rural  schools  of  Butler 
county,  St.  Joseph's  College  in  Dubuque  and  the  Iowa  State  Uni- 
versity. He  studied  law  and  was  admitted  to  the  bar  in  1886. 
From  the  first  he  was  eminently  successful  as  a  practitioner  and 
his  knowledge  of  the  law  led  to  his  selection  in  1892  as  professor 
of  the  law  department  of  the  State  University.  In  1889  he  was 
elected  president  of  the  State  Bar  Association.  From  1893  until 
1902  Mr.  Wade  presided  as  judge  over  the  courts  of  the  eighth 
judicial  district.  In  the  latter  year  he  was  elected  Representative 
in  Congress  for  the  second  district  on  the  democratic  ticket.  Since 
the  expiration  of  this  term  he  has  been  a  member  of  the  demo- 
cratic national  committee  and  has  been  one  of  the  most  prominent 
leaders  in  the  coimcils  of  this  party.  He  has  been  mentioned  a 
number  of  times  as  a  possible  candidate  for  national  honors. 

John  F.  Wade  served  the  county  as  a  member  of  the  board  of 
supervisors  from  1897  to  1903.  He  was  state  senator  from  the 
district  including  Butler  and  Bremer  counties,  during  the  ses- 
sions of  the  Thirtieth,  Thirty-first  and  Thirty-second  Ceneral 
Assemblies.  In  October,  1909,  he  was  appointed  to  a  position  on 
the  Board  of  Control  of  State  Institutions,  which  he  lield  to  the 
date  of  his  death,  in  1913.  Mr.  Wade  was  a  democrat  in  ])olitics 
and  no  testimony  to  the  degree  of  trust  which  he  possessed  in  the 
minds  of  the  citizens  of  Butler  county  is  more  convincing  than  the 
fact  that  although  different  in  political  faith  from  the  great  major- 
ity of  the  voters  of  Butler  county,  he  was  so  long  and  so  signally 
honored  with  ])ositions  at  their  gift. 

F.DUCATTOXAL 

Bennezette  township  is  organized  as  a  district  township  for 
school  purposes  and  maintains  nine  schools. 

The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  in  the  northeast  part  of  section 
1,  in  1861.  Mrs.  Mary  A.  Briggs  taught  the  first  term  of  school 
in  the  township,  in  a  frame  building  built  for  this  purpose.  The 
wages  were  $14  a  month  and  she  was  to  board  herself. 

In  1873,  a  second  schoolhouse  to  take  the  place  of  this  one  was 
erected  on  section  11.  Later  the  present  school  building,  situated 
in  the  southeast  quarter  of  section  2,  was  built. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  257 

In  1864,  a  second  school  district  was  set  off  for  No.  2  and  a 
schoolhouse  erected  on  section  9.  In  1882  this  schoolhouse  was 
sold  at  auction,  and  for  a  time  the  district  was  without  a  building. 
At  the  present  time  a  schoolhouse  is  located  in  section  4. 

Miss  Eliza  J.  Logan,  who  taught  in  district  No.  2  during  the 
winter  of  1864-5,  was  one  of  the  first  teachers,  if  not  the  first 
teacher,  in  this  district. 

District  No.  3  was  set  off  in  1872  and  a  school  building  was 
located  in  the  southeast  corner  of  section  6.  The  first  teacher  was 
Ai'villa  Niece. 

District  No.  4  was  formed  soon  after  but  was  for  a  time  with- 
out a  schoolhouse.  The  children  of  this  district  are  now  accom- 
modated in  a  building  located  on  the  northeast  corner  of  section 
19. 

The  Center  school,  district  No.  5,  erected  its  first  building  in 
1882  in  the  northeast  part  of  section  21.  Dave  McKinney  was  the 
fir.st  teacher. 

The  first  schoolhouse  iu  district  No.  6,  erected  in  1874,  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  section  23,  was  destroyed  by  the  tornado  of 
1878.  The  building  was  inunediately  replaced  and  still  stands 
upon  the  same  location.  Miss  Annie  Ward  was  the  first  teacher 
in  this  district. 

Miss  Florence  White  taught  the  first  school  in  district  No.  7, 
in  a  schoolhouse  erected  in  1882,  on  section  35.  Later  the  site  of 
this  schoolhouse  was  moved  to  the  northwest  corner  of  section  36. 

In  1863  a  schoolhouse  for  what  is  now^  district  No.  8  was  located 
on  section  34.  The  first  school  in  this  building  was  taught  by 
Addle  B.  Fay.  This  was  used  until  1882,  when  it  was  abandoned. 
For  some  years  pupils  attended  school  in  other  districts.  Later, 
however,  the  present  building  in  section  34  was  erected. 

In  1868  a  school  building  for  district  No.  9  was  located  on 
section  32.  In  1873  the  building  was  moved  to  section  29.  The 
first  school  in  this  district,  however,  was  taught  in  the  house  of 
Sylvanus  Hamlin,  in  1862,  by  a  Mrs.  Mary  Smith.  The  school- 
house  iu  district  No.  9  continued  to  serve  the  pupils  of  the  town 
of  Aredale.  Soon  thereafter  the  number  of  pupils  became  too 
large  to  be  afconnnodated  in  any  one  building.  Tempoi'arv  quar- 
ters were  secured  for  a  part  of  the  ehiJdren  in  a  room  over  the  bank 
and  an  additional  teacher  seci;red  for  the  instruction  of  these  chil- 
dren comprising  the  primar}'  department. 


258  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

In  1911  tlie  township  voted  to  raise  the  sum  of  $5,000,  through 
two  annual  tax  levies  to  be  used  for  the  construction  of  a  modern 
schoolhouse  for  the  children  of  Aredale.  At  the  tune  of  the  pres- 
ent writing  the  plans  and  specifications  for  this  building  have 
been  agreed  upon  and  advertisements  for  bids  for  its  construction 
have  been  made.  Within  the  course  of  less  than  a  year  it  is  prob- 
able that  Aredale  Avill  be  the  possessor  of  a  modern  school  ])uild- 
ing,  adequate  for  the  needs  of  the  comnnniity  for  some  years  to 
come.  This  action  on  the  part  of  the  people  of  Bennezette  town- 
ship is  indicative  of  their  progressive  spirit  in  educational  affairs. 

POSTOFFICES 

Inasmuch  as  the  township  was  situated  so  far  from  any  mar- 
ket point  in  the  days  before  free  rural  mail  delivery,  it  was  neces- 
sary in  order  to  accommodate  thi'  people  of  this  section  of  the 
county  that  several  local  postoffices  be  established  for  their  benefit. 
The  first  of  these  was  moved  from  Franklin  county  to  the  house 
of  John  H.  Lockwood,  on  section  6,  about  1875.  Mail  arrived  here 
twice  each  week  from  Sheffield,  in  Franklin  county,  and  Marble 
Eock,  in  Floyd  county.  This  office  remained  in  existence  for  a 
number  of  years. 

Another  postoffice  was  established  in  April,  1878,  at  Wilson's 
Grove,  on  section  15.  Milton  Wilson  was  the  postmaster  and 
received  mail  here  once  a  week  from  Greene  during  the  first  year, 
and  after  that,  twice  a  week  from  Sheffield.  This  office  was  dis- 
continued in  the  fall  of  1880.  The  postoffice  at  Aredale  was  estab- 
lished in  1901,  and  is  at  present  the  only  postoffice  in  the  town- 
ship. Rural  mail  routes  from  Aredale,  Dougherty,  Bristow  and 
Greene  now  acconmiodate  the  people  of  this  township. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

The  first  division  of  the  county  into  townships  came  in  Fel)- 
ruarj^,  1855.  Bennezette  w^as  then  made  a  part  of  the  township 
of  Ripley.  On  the  3d  of  March,  1856,  another  division  occurred 
by  which  Bennezette  was  made  a  part  of  Coldwater.  It  was 
finally  set  off  from  Coldwatei'  and  given  separate  organization 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1858,  Samuel  Overturf  being  authorized 
to  call  the  first  election.     This  gentleman  has  been  mentioned 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  259 

above  as  having  named  the  tovpnship  for  his  own  home  town  in 
Elk  county,  Pennsylvania. 

The  first  election  held  under  the  orders  of  Judge  Converse 
was  held  at  Samuel  Overturf's  house  on  the  5th  day  of  April, 
1858.  The  following  officers  were  elected :  Wilham  P.  Woodworth, 
clerk ;  Ira  A.  Chamberlin,  Milton  Wilson,  Samuel  Overturf ,  trus- 
tees; Cyrus  D.  Chamberlin,  road  supervisor;  Thomas  Overturf 
and  Orrin  C.  Smith,  constables.  The  first  assessor  was  William 
A.  Keister,  elected  in  October,  1858. 

The  records  of  the  township  in  the  early  days  are  relatively 
unimportant.  It  may  be  interesting  to  note,  however,  the  atti- 
tude of  the  people  of  Bennezette  township  on  the  removal  of  the 
county  seat,  which  has  been  treated  elsewhere.  In  the  elec- 
tion of  April  5,  1858,  for  the  removal  from  Clarksville  to  George- 
town, twelve  votes  were  east,  all  in  favor  of  the  removal.  At 
the  election  April  4,  1859,  for  the  removal  from  Clarksville  to 
Butler  Center,  thirteen  votes  were  cast,  twelve  for  removal  and 
one  against.  On  the  2d  day  of  November,  1880,  when  the  ques- 
tion of  removal  of  the  county  seat  from  Butler  Center  to  Allison 
came  up,  of  the  seventy-eight  ballots  cast,  seventy-two  were  for 
Allison  and  six  for  Butler  Center. 

The  population  of  the  township  as  shoAvn  by  the  various  cen- 
sus reports,  state  and  national,  is  as  follows:  1860,  54;  1863,  72; 
1865,  61;  1867,  110;  1869,  156;  1870,  206;  1873,  220;  1875,  302; 
1880,  527;  1890,  580;  1900,  689;  1905,  708;  1910,  681. 

GENERAL  ITEMS 

The  first  birth  known  to  have  occurred  in  Bennezette  town- 
ship was  that  of  a  daughter  of  William  A.  and  Mary  Keister, 
named  Loui.sa,  born  December  29,  1855. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  township  was  that  of  John  Bartlett 
Moffat  and  Adelia  Mufley,  which  occurred  in  1859,  at  the  home 
of  the  bride's  parents.  Elder  Philip  Moss,  of  Coldwater  town- 
ship, was  the  officiating  clergyman. 

The  first  deaths  occurred  in  the  fall  of  1857,  when  a  son  and 
daughter  of  William  Kingery  died  and  were  buried  in  the  Ger- 
man cemetery  in  Coldwater  township.  Elder  Philip  Moss  offici- 
ated at  the  funeral. 

The  first  religious  services  in  Bennezette  township  were  held 
by  the  same  Rev.  Philip  Moss,  in  1858,  in  the  home  of  William 


260 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


Kiiigery,  on  section  1.  Rev.  Mr.  Moss  was  of  the  (Jernuin  Baptist 
or  Dunkard  churcli.  He  is  mentioned  more  at  length  in  connec- 
tion with  the  liistory  of  Coldwater  township. 

The  first  Sunday  school  in  the  township  was  organized  in  the 
schoolhouse  ui  district  No.  1,  in  1868,  with  WilHam  Keister  as  the 
superintendent. 

VILLAGE   OF   AREDALE 

The  village  of  Aredale  is  located  on  sections  29  and  32,  in  the 
southwest  part  of  Bennezette  township,  and  is  a  station  on  the 
Chicago  &  Northwestern  railroad.  It  was  laid  out  and  platted  by 
the  Iowa  &  Minnesota  Town  Site  Company,  of  Mason  City,  Iowa, 
in  1900,  and  the  plat  was  recorded  June  28,  1900,  by  W.  E.  Brice' 
president.  In  the  few  years  of  its  existence  the  village  has  grown 
until  it  now  has  a  population  of  about  150.  There  is  a  township 
schoolhouse,  in  which  is  employed  one  teacher.  To  take  care  of 
the. overflow  of  school  children  a  I'oom  is  occupied  over  the  Aredale 
Savings  Bank,  by  an  instructor  and  her  pupils.  The  business 
interests  consist  of  general  stores,  shops,  a  grain  elevator  and 
bank. 

The  Aredale  Savings  Bank  was  organized  in  1901.  with  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  C.  EI.  xMcNider,  president;  W.  J.  Christians,  vice 
president;  H.  J.  Ehlers,  cashier.  The  present  officers  are:  R.  L. 
Miller,  president ;  ^^^  J.  Christians,  cashier ;  E.  R.  Worley.  assist- 
ant cashier.  Capital,  $10,000;  surplus  and  undivided  profits, 
$4,700;  deposits,  $141,718. 

GKACE    ENAXOKLICAL    CHURCH 

In  1899  before  the  town  of  Aredale  was  started  or  even  tlie  C. 
N.  W.  Railroad  had  gone  through  this  section  of  the  ecMuitrv,  Rev. 
B.  R.  Wiener  and  Rev.  L.  E.  Smith  of  the  Evangelical  Church 
began  to  ])reacli  in  a  schoolhouse  wliicli  u(iw  stands  on  the  edge 
of  the  towm  of  Aredale.  Their  efforts  were  crowned  with  success 
and  in  1901  a  connnodious  modern  churcli  was  erected  and  dedi- 
cated to  the  woi'sliip  of  God  free  from  del)t. 

Rev.  J.  H.  Engel  and  Rev.  C.  F.  Hillman  in  turn  serv<'d  this 
field  in  connection  with  Dumont  until  1910,  wdien  Aredale  was 
made  a  separate  mission  and  Rev.  J.  V.  Knoll  was  appointed  as 
pastor.     The  project  of  building  a  parsonage  was  taken  u])  that 


I.  gg  ^■■*' 


GEACE  EVANGELICAL  CHURCH,  AREDALE 


MAIX  STREET,  AREDALE 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  261 

year  and  the  next  year  witnessed  the  completion  of  a  fine  modern 
building  which  is  a  credit  to  the  congregation  and  comml^nit3^ 

In  1912  Rev.  O.  M.  Yaggy  was  appointed  as  pastor  and  during 
his  pastorate  the  church  has  continued  to  enjoy  continued  pros- 
perity under  the  signal  blessing  of  God.  The  communicants  now 
number  eighty-one  with  a  live  Sunday  school  wliich  has  an  enroll- 
ment of  175.  During  the  past  year  many  new  methods  and  some 
modern  equipment  have  been  introduced  putting  the  church  and 
Sunday  school  work  on  a  par  with  that  of  nnieh  larger  towns. 

The  most  important  achievement  of  the  past  year,  however,  is 
the  action  of  the  official  board  in  putting  the  field  on  a  self-sup- 
porting basis,  a  step  which  reflect;^  great  credit  on  the  progressive 
spirit  and  loyalty  of  the  congregation. 


CHAPTER  XXI 
BUTLER  TOWNSHIP  AND  TOWN  OF  CLARKSVILLE 

BUTLER  TOWNSHIP 

Butler  township  coincides  with  the  geograpliical  limits  of 
township  92  north,  range  15  west  of  the  fifth  principal  meridian. 
It  is  on  the  eastern  side  of  the  county  and  contains  23,040  acres, 
the  greater  part  of  which  is  tillable  farm  land.  The  Shell  Rock 
river  flows  through  this  township,  entering  about  the  middle  of 
the  western  side  and  merging  into  Shell  Rock  township  near  the 
line  between  sections  34  and  35.  The  land  bordering  the  river  is 
more  or  less  heavily  timbered  and  some  of  it  is  too  rough  to  be 
utilized  for  farming  purposes.  However,  there  is  practically  no 
waste  land  within  the  township.  Two  lines  of  railroad  parallel 
the  course  of  the  river,  the  Chicago  Great  Western  traversing  the 
territory  to  the  northeast,  and  the  Cedar  Rapids  &  Minnesota 
division  of  the  Rock  Island,  that  to  the  southwest  of  the  river 
valley.  There  are  two  bridges  across  the  Shell  Rock  in  the  town- 
ship— a  wagon  bridge  and  railway  bridge  for  the  Rock  Island, 
both  south  of  Clarksville.  Except  in  the  river  -^'alley,  the  surface 
is  rolling  and  well  adapted  to  all  purposes  of  farming.  The  soil 
is  for  the  most  part  a  black  loam,  with  clay  sub-soil.  Along  the 
river  the  soil  is  lighter  and  in  places  rather  sandy.  The  farms 
are  occupied  for  the  most  part  by  actual  owners.  The  homes  and 
farm  buildings  are  modern,  well  kept  and  convenient.  The  popu- 
lation according  to  the  census  of  1910,  including  Clarksville,  was 
1,471.  Many  nationalities  are  represented  in  the  population  of  this 
township.  There  are,  however,  perhaps  fewer  persons  of  foreign 
birth  than  in  any  other  township  in  the  county,  with  the  possible 
exception  of  Shell  Rock. 

As  has  been  noted  earlier  in  this  work,  this  section  of  the 
county  was  the  site  of  the  first  settlements.  The  Hicks  and  the 
Wamsley  families,  who  have  been  mentioned  as  the  earliest  set- 

263 


264  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

tiers,  however,  located  their  first  homes  just  across  the  towuship 
line  in  what  is  now  Jackson  township,  although  they  were  identi- 
fied from  the  beginning  with  the  history  of  the  town  of  Clarks- 
ville  and  Butler  township  in  general. 

Jeremiah  Perrin,  Morrison  A.  Tajdor  and  E.  Ensley  were 
probably  the  first  permanent  settlers  of  the  towuship.  These 
gentlemen  settled  on  land  located  in  sections  16  and  17,  of  Butler 
towushijD,  during  the  summer  of  1851. 

Seth  Hilton,  Sr.,  first  came  to  Butler  towuship  in  December, 
1851,  from  his  home  in  southern  Illinois,-  where  he  had  also  been 
a  j)ioneer  settler.  He  erected  a  small  log  ea1)iu  on  a  spot  about 
fifty  rods  southwest  of  the  Rock  Island  depot,  in  which  he  moved 
his  family  in  March,  1852.  In  the  following  year  he  built  another 
cabin  on  what  afterwards  became  the  town  site  of  Clarksville. 
It  is  said  that  he  never  saw  a  locomotive  or  train  of  cars  nutil  the 
first  train  along  the  line  of  the  Burlington,  Cedar  Rapids  &  North- 
ern, now  the  Rock  Island,  was  run  across  his  farm.  In  his  later 
years  he  was  a  resident  of  Jackson  township,  surviving  and  con- 
tinuing his  activities  as  a  farmer  until  lie  had  passed  his  eightietli 
milestone.    He  died  many  years  ago. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  John  Heery,  wlio  has  beeii  mentioned 
before  as  haA'ing  made  the  first  entry  of  land  in  Butler  county, 
brought  his  family  and  located  upon  the  claim  which  he  had  taken 
in  November.  1850.  He  died  some  twenty  or  twenty-five  years 
ago.  Two  of  his  sons  still  reside  ou  the  home  farm  near  Clarks- 
ville, while  the  oldest  son,  John,  lives  in  Clarksville. 

Alfred  Elam,  Hiram  Beard,  John  Armstrong  and  C.  N.  Bur- 
ton are  also  named  among  the  settlers  who  located  on  farms  in  the 
western  part  of  Butler  towuship  in  the  years  before  1852.  Alfred 
Elam  was  one  of  the  earliest  justices  of  the  peace  in  the  township 
and  is  remembered  as  having  celebrated  the  first  marriage  cere- 
monies in  the  county.  Hiram  Beard  was  a  veteran  of  the  Mexi- 
can war.  His  claim  afterward  formed  a  part  of  the  Mix  estate. 
John  Annstrong  settled  on  section  29  and  C.  N.  Burton  on  section 
8.  The  exact  dates  of  these  settlements  are  imknown.  It  is  diffi- 
cult to  establish  definitely  the  time  when  these  various  early  set- 
tlers became  finally  identified  with  Butler  township. 

As  has  been  noted  before,  most  of  the  early  claims  in  this 
county  were  entered  for  speculatiAT  purposes  by  men  who  ]iad  no 
intention  of  settling  upon  them.  The  date  of  filing  upon  these 
claims  was  often  several  vears  later  than  the  actual  location  of 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  265 

the  claim,  and  in  many  instances,  even  where  these  claims  were 
purchased  by  actual  settlers,  the  transfer  was  not  recorded  for 
some  years  thereafter. 

The  second  claim  to  be  taken  in  Butler  township  was  entered 
by  W.  H.  Knapj),  on  September  1,  1851,  and  consisted  of  one  hun- 
di'ed  and  sixty  acres  of  land  in  sections  8  and  17.  On  the  same 
date  W.  M.  Fulton  entered  a  claim  to  a  similar  amount  of  land  in 
sections  17  and  20,  and  A.  C.  Gale  made  an  entry  on  section  21. 
J.  F.  Ballier,  on  October  21,  1851,  entered  claims  on  sections  21 
and  28. 

On  July  5,  1852.  George  W.  Poisal,  with  his  wife  and  four 
children,  Thomas  Clark  and  family,  Jeremiah  Clark  and  family, 
and  Mrs.  Cynthia  Clark  and  family,  arrived  in  Butler  township. 
They  all  came  from  the  same  i^art  of  Indiana.  Mr.  Poisal  and  the 
Clarks  entered  land  in  section  18,  erected  log  cabins  and  com- 
menced their  pioneer  life.  As  the  supply  of  provisions  which 
they  brought  with  them  was  insufficient  to  carry  them  through 
the  rest  of  the  season,  Mr.  Poisal,  in  August,  drove  overland  to 
the  vicinity  of  Cedar  Rapids  and  purchased  a  load  of  corn, 
paying  25  cents  a  bushel.  On  his  way  home  he  busied  hmiself 
shelling  the  corn  and  when  he  arrived  at  Cedar  Falls  he  had  it 
ground.  This  with  a  crop  of  potatoes,  which  they  succeeded  in 
raising,  and  game  and  fish,  which  they  were  able  to  secure  during 
the  winter,  supplied  them  with  the  necessary  food.  Mr.  Poisal 
later  sold  this  first  claim  to  Daniel  Mather  and  purchased  the  north- 
east quarter  of  section  18,  which  in  1855  he  laid  out  as  an  addi- 
tion to  the  village  of  Clarksville.  Here  he  resided  until  the  date 
of  his  death.  He  always  occupied  a  high  place  in  the  esteem  of 
his  friends  and  associates  and  was  honored  with  election  to  the 
office  of  coimty  judge  of  Butler  county  in  the  first  election  held. 
He  did  not  qualify  for  the  office  for  the  reason  that  he  would  have 
had  to  go  to  Independence  to  do  so  and  he  considered  the  distance 
too  gi'eat  for  this  purpose.  He  continued  throughout  his  active 
life  to  take  a  prominent  part  in  local  affairs.  His  wife  was  a  sister 
of  Thomas  and  Jeremiah  Clark,  for  whom  the  town  of  Clarksville 
was  named. 

Thomas  and  Jeremiah  Clark  were  among  the  original  owners 
of  the  town  site  of  Clarksville  and  after  its  formal  platting,  the 
entry  of  which  was  made  on  the  records  of  the  county  on  October 
27,  1854.  they  were  honored  by  the  naming  of  the  "^-illage  for  them. 
Abner  G.  Clark,  who  had  been  appointed  postmaster  at  Coon's 


266  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Grove,  just  west  of  Clarksville,  in  1853,  was  the  first  mercliaut  of 
the  new  town.    He  was  a  brother  of  Thomas  and  Jeremiah  Clark. 

Daniel  Mather,  another  of  the  original  proprietors  of  the  land 
upon  which  Clarksville  is  situated,  arrived  in  Butler  county  in 
October,  1854,  and  purchased  the  land  in  section  18,  which  had 
been  owned  by  G.  W.  Poisal.  Mr.  Mather  was  a  carpenter  by 
trade  and  later  was  the  contractor  for  the  wood  work  in  the  new 
courthouse.  Mr.  Mather  left  a  family  of  several  children,  of 
whom  Charles  is  still  a  resident  of  the  county.  A  daughter,  Mary, 
later  married  Captain  C.  A.  Roszell,  and' is  still  living  in  Clarks- 
ville. 

D.  C.  Hilton,  the  other  of  the  proprietors  of  the  town  site  men- 
tioned in  the  record,  was  a  son  of  Seth  Hilton.  He  was  afterward 
one  of  the  first  treasurers  of  Butler  county. 

During  1854-55  settlers  came  in  rapid  succession.  The  limits 
of  this  work  make  it  impossible  to  give  detailed  mention  of  all 
these  but  among  those  who  are  remembered  as  belonging  to  this 
group  of  settlers  are :  O.  A.  Strong,  John  H.  Morton,  John  Palmer, 
David  Blakely,  Aaron  Van  Dorn,  J.  J.  Eichar,  T.  T.  Rawson,  M. 
M.  Trmnbull,  William  Brandon,  R.  Hardy,  Abner  Farlow,  J.  M. 
Vincent,  R.  W.  Butler,  W.  E.  Burton,  John  Ray  and  R.  T. 
Crowell.  Of  these  Aaron  Van  Doru  is  noted  in  connection  with 
the  county  officers,  having  been  elected  county  judge  in  1855.  M. 
^I.  Trumbull  is  mentioned  at  length  in  connection  with  the  chapter 
on  the  history  of  Butler  county  in  the  Civil  war.  William  Bran- 
don is  said  to  have  been  a  genuine  backwoodsman,  "reared  on  the 
rifle,  ax,  deer  and  'bar's'  meat." 

Henry  Atkinson  settled  at  Clarksville  in  1855,  entering  the 
employ  first  of  Daniel  Mather  and  later  R.  T.  Crowell.  He  is 
noticed  at  lengih  in  the  biographical  chapter  of  this  work,  as  are 
also  John  Hifklc,  W.  A.  Ridcn.  Tliomas  Hmit  and  W.  H.  Moore. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

The  first  election  in  Butler  township  was  held  in  a  log  cabin 
owned  by  George  W.  Poisal,  situated  on  the  corner  where  the 
Butler  Covmty  Bank  now  stands.  The  first  township  officers 
elected  were :  trustee,  Jeremiah  Perrin ;  justice  of  the  peace,  Alfred 
Elam.  At  this  time  Butler  township  was  practically  coextensive 
in  its  boundaries  with  the  county,  no  definite  sul)-division  of  the 
townships  in  the  county  having  been  made.    In  1855  County  Judge 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  267 

Juhu  Palmer  divided  the  county  into  four  townships  and  set  the 
limits  and  bounds  of  Butler  township  as  consisting  of  congres- 
sional townships  92  and  93,  range  15,  and  township  92  and  east 
half  of  93,  range  16.  Butler  township  by  this  act  comprised  the 
territory  later  forming  Fremont,  Butler,  Jackson  and  the  east 
half  of  Dayton  township.  This  territory  remained  a  part  of  But- 
ler township  until  1858,  Jackson  township  having  ttrst  been  set 
off  on  the  11th  of  March,  and  the  others  soon  after  that  date.  The 
first  constable  whose  name  is  found  on  the  records  is  Joseph  V. 
Hicks,  and  the  first  township  clerk,  Benjamin  H.  Shafer. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  school  in  the  township  and  in  the  county  was  taught 
in  a  little  log  cabin  in  Clarksville,  in  1855,  by  Miss  Malinda  Searles. 

As  the  township  became  more  thickly  populated  provision  was 
made  for  the  education  of  the  children  by  the  organization  of  the 
district  township  of  Butler.  No  records  are  available  showing 
the  date  of  the  establishment  of  the  diiferent  schools.  However, 
by  1865  the  township  was  divided  into  seven  sub-districts. 

Provision  was  made  at  the  annual  meeting  for  electors  of  the 
district  township  of  Butler  in  1860  for  the  sale  of  the  schoolhouse 
in  sub-district  No.  4,  now  the  Lowell  district,  to  the  highest  bidder 
and  the  lioard  of  directors  were  empowered  to  dispose  of  the  prop- 
erty within  six  months  from  date.  This  motion  was  later  rescinded 
and  it  was  voted  to  repair  the  schoolhouse  in  this  district. 

In  the  meeting  of  1867  it  was  voted  to  build  a  schoolhouse  in 
sub-district  No.  3,  now  the  Riden  district.  It  was  voted  to  hold 
eight  months'  school  in  the  entire  township — four  months'  sum- 
mer term  and  four  months'  winter  term. 

Provision  was  made  in  1869  for  building  a  schoolhouse  in  dis- 
trict No.  7,  now"  known  as  the  Shell  Rock  Valley  district. 

In  1870  an  aj)propriation  was  made  foi"  the  erection  of  a  school- 
house  in  district  No.  5,  directly  north  of  Clarksville.  This  eon- 
tract  was  let  to  J.  R.  Jones,  and  specifications  are  given  in  full  in 
the  records  of  the  district  township.  This  was  built  of  stone 
22x28  feet  in  dimensions,  walls  one  foot  thick  and  nine  feet  high 
between  floor  and  ceiling,  with  six  windows  and  one  door.  Black- 
board 10  feet  long,  extending  from  the  top  of  the  windows  to  a 
point  three  feet  from  the  floor,  to  be  placed  in  one  end.  It  was  to 
be  seated  wdth  walnut  double  seats  and  desks  securelv  fastened  to 


268  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

tlie  floor.  Tlie  seats  were  to  have  two  coats  of  ochre  colored  paint. 
These  specifications  are  carefully  drawn  and  indicate  the  electors 
of  Butler  township  at  that  time  desired  to  give  their  children  the 
benefits  of  the  best  j^ossible  instruction.  This  building,  if  con- 
structed according  to  specifications,  would  form  a  better  school- 
house  structure  than  many  in  which  the  children  of  Butler  county 
are  still  in  attendance. 

The  school  building  in  district  No.  2,  now  the  Union  district, 
south  of  Clarksville,  was  first  provided  for  at  the  annual  meeting 
in  March,  1870.  This,  however,  was  not  built  immediately,  as  at 
the  November  meeting  of  1871  a  committee  "  was  appointed  to 
locate  a  site  for  this  building  and  erect  a  building  on  said  site. 
Henry  Atldnson  and  W.  J.  Gregg  were  apjiointed  as  a  committee. 
In  the  end  it  was  found  necessary  to  resort  to  condemnation  pro- 
ceedings in  order  to  secure  the  site  for  this  school.  The  records 
contain  the  formal  notice  of  condemnation  and  assessment  dam- 
age at  $15  as  compensation  for  the  acre  of  land  taken  for  this  pur- 
pose. Provision  made  at  this  meeting  for  repairs  and  repainting 
in  districts  No.  4  and  No.  6  indicate  that  the  Ijuildings  in  these  dis- 
tricts had  been  in  use  for  some  time.  The  contract  for  the  build- 
ing of  the  schoolliouse  in  sub-district  No.  2  was  let  to  W.  S.  Smith, 
who  is  still  a  resident  of  the  district  and  has  served  as  its  secre- 
tary for  a  number  of  years. 

Another  entry  of  interest  in  these  early  records  is  as  follows : 
"On  motion,  the  books  recommended  by  the  county  convention  for 
general  use  in  the  district  schools  were  adopted  towit :  Independ- 
ent Series  Readers  and  Speller,  Monteith  and  McNally  Geog- 
raphy, Ray's  Arithmetic,  Burt's  Grammar,  Swinton's  U.  S. 
History." 

Among  the  names  of  teachers  in  these  schools  of  the  township 
of  the  early  days  appear  those  of  H.  F.  L.  Burton,  I.  E.  Lucas, 
Eliza  Fasset,  W.  H.  Moore,  Thomas  F.  Heery  and  S.  E.  Bement. 

The  change  of  the  boundaries  of  the  sub-districts  of  the  town- 
ship was  made  November  16,  1872,  by  which  the  Ijoundaries  of  the 
independent  district  of  Clarksville  were  determined  as  at  present 
and  a  section  and  a  half  of  land  lying  directly  noi'th  of  this  was 
set  over  for  school  purposes  into  Jackson  township,  to  which  it  has 
been  attached  ever  since.  The  boiuidaries  of  the  other  districts 
were  at  this  time  fixed  as  at  present  with  the  exception  of  the 
districts  on  the  east  side  of  the  tow^nship  at  that  time  divided 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  269 

between  sub-districts  Nos.  6  and  7  instead  of  in  three  districts  as 
at  present. 

These  sub-districts  were  divided  and  a  new  district,  No.  9, 
created  in  1873.  A  contract  for  building  a  schoolhouse  was  let 
in  the  same  year.  The  schoolhouse  site  in  district  No.  7  was 
moved  to  its  jjreseut  locatiou  at  the  same  time. 

The  school  buildings  in  this  township  so  far  as  the  records 
show,  were  erected  at  a  uniform  cost  of  $700. 

At  a  meeting  held  in  the  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  8,  now  the 
Central  school,  on  September  21.  1874,  the  affairs  of  the  district 
township  were  closed  up,  the  funds  of  the  district  distributed  and 
school  property  equalized  and  divided  so  far  as  possible  among 
the  eight  independent  districts,  which  had  been  formed  in  accord- 
ance with  the  vote  of  the  people  of  the  township  at  a  previous 
election.  Having  transacted  this  business  the  board  adjourned 
sine  die  and  the  district  township  of  Butler  ceased  be  a  corporate 
body. 

The  independent  districts  formed  at  this  time  had  substan- 
tially the  same  boundaries  and  names  as  at  present  with  the 
exception  of  No.  7,  which  is  now  called  Shell  Rock  Valley  school 
and  was  then  called  the  Leavens  district.  Since  this  date  new 
school  buildings  have  been  constructed  in  prairie  Valley  district 
and  the  school  site  has  been  changed  and  a  new  building  con- 
structed in  Burr  Oak  district.  The  other  Iniildings  remain  suli- 
stantially  as  they  were  at  that  time,  among  the  few  remaining 
relics  of  the  departed  generation. 

In  the  list  of  officers  of  the  district  township  of  Butler  there 
are  a  number  of  names  frequently  met  with  in  the  history  of 
Butler  county.  Among  the  presidents  may  be  noted  Jeremiah 
Perrin,  J.  R.  Jones,  W.  A.  Riden;  among  the  secretaries,  Asa 
Lowe,  W.  E.  Burton  and  Henry  Atkinson.  Thomas  Hunt  served 
as  treasurer  throughout  the  greater  part  of  this  period. 

POPULATION 

18.56.  722;  1860,  963;  1863,  996;  1865,  871;  1867,  941;  1869, 
1.274;  1870,  1,329;  1873,  1,387;  1875,  1,506;  1880,  1,532;  1890. 
1,496;  1900,  1,-527;  1910,  1,471. 

TOWX  OF  CLARKSVILLE 

As  before  related,  Thomas  and  Jeremiah  Clark,  with  others, 
were  the  original  owners  of  the  land  upon  which  Clarksville  now 


270  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

stands.  That  portit)U  of  the  hiiid  uu  sectiuu  18  selected  for  the 
town  site  was  survej^ed  and  phitted  in  the  mouth  of  August,  1853, 
and  soon  tliereafter  additions  were  laid  out,  one  on  the  east  by 
Daniel  Mather  and  one  on  the  south  by  Seth  Hilton.  All  in  all, 
the  plat  consisted  of  seventeen  blocks.  As  originalh'  laid  out  and 
with  the  additions  it  was  filed  for  record  with  the  county  recorder. 

Clarks'V'ille  is  the  premier  town  of  Butler  county  and  the 
only  one  in  the  township.  As  a  trading  point  it  i)robably 
has  no  superior  in  the  bailiwick,  being  set  down  upon  a 
beautiful  prairie,  witli  a  scope  of  farnr  lands  encircling  it  for 
iiuuiy  miles,  all  di'awn  u]iou  by  the  )»usy  and  enterprising  mer- 
chants, who  make  the  place  a  Aantage  point  for  their  business 
activities.  Two  railroads  add  vei'v  nmch  to  the  natui'al  advan- 
tages of  Clarksville,  giving  the  surrounding  farms  a  ready  market 
for  their  large  contributions  of  cereals  and  live  stock,  and  the 
merchants  access  to  the  great  marts  of  the  world,  thus  enabling 
them  to  procure  merchandise  readily  and  at  a  mininnmi  cost  for 
transportation.  It  is  needless  to  add  that  these  two  lines  of  rail- 
i-oad,  one  belonging  to  the  great  Rock  Island  system  and  the  other 
a  trunk  line  known  as  the  Chicago  Great  Western,  afford  quite 
satisfactory  accoimnodations  to  the  traveling  pul)lic,  to  which 
Clarksville  contributes  no  insignificant  shai'e. 

To  Seth  Hilton,  one  of  the  original  owners  of  the  town  of 
Clarksville,  is  given  the  di.stinetion  of  being  the  first  person  to 
start  things  moving  in  the  eml)ryo  town.  He  it  was  who  built  the 
first  structure,  a  log  affair,  and  it  is  presumed  the  first  house  was 
])nt  up  in  18oP),  although  no  record  is  extant  giving  authority  for 
the  statement. 

On  the  site  of  the  Ti-emont  House  Abner  Clark  erected  a  build- 
ing in  ISoo,  in  which  he  placed  a  stock  of  general  merchandise. 
Here  Al)ner  Clark,  the  first  merchant  of  Clarksville,  held  forth  in 
Imrter  and  trade  the  next  two  years,  and  then  sold  his  stock  of 
goods  to  John  Palmer,  who  removed  his  purchase  into  another 
l)uilding  on  the  Avest  side  of  the  courthouse  square,  where  the 
second  store  opened  its  doors  under  the  management  and  proprie- 
torshi])  of  Palmer  &  Moneton.  The  Clark  store  Iniilding  was 
converted  by  the  propi'ietor  into  a  hotel  and  for  some  years  gaxe 
shelter  and  liodily  comfort  to  many  a  traveler.  Then  one  "Billy" 
Brandon  was  "mine  host,"  and  was  followed  by  his  son,  Henry, 
who,  in  the  year  1874,  tore  down  the  old  structure  and  in  its  stead 
erected  the  present  Tremont  House,  a  square  frame  building. 


MAIN  STRP:p:T   L()OKIX(i    XOKTII,  CLARKSVILLK 


MAIN  STREET,  LOOKING  SOUTH,  CLARKSVJLLE 


TV  :■ 


p^^u'c 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  271 

almost,  if  not  quite,  ready  for  the  scrap  pile.  lu  this  building 
Henry  Brandon  remained  as  landlord  one  year  and  at  its  expira- 
tion turned  it  over  to  a  renter,  one  Ravenscroft,  who  finally  pur- 
chased the  property  and  rented  it  to  a  Mr.  Younger.  But  why 
give  in  detail  the  various  managers  of  this  old  hostelry?  Let  it 
suffice  to  say  that  the  building  has  stood  still,  while  the  town  has 
been  making  steady,  onward  strides,  so  that  a  more  modern  cara- 
vansary is  justly  due  a  trading  point  ha^-ing  the  size  and  impor- 
tance of  Clarksville. 

The  third  lousiness  house  in  Clarksville  was  that  of  the  firm  of 
Eichar  &  Dollison,  located  on  Main  street.  This  firm  was  in  exist- 
ence about  six  years  and  then  disposed  of  its  stock  of  goods  in  the 
lump.  In  the  building  vacated  by  Eichar  &  Dollison  the  firm  of 
Davis  &  Gi'iffiu  opened  the  first  hardware  store  in  the  town. 

Tlie  first  blacksmith  was  John  Hardy,  who  opened  a  shoji  in  a 
log  house,  which  stood  on  the  corner  formerly  occupied  by  the  old 
Peet  House  and  now  the  site  of  the  handsome  Auditorium  build- 
ing. Mr.  Hard}^,  being  of  an  enterprising  turn  of  mind,  also  kept 
a  hotel  on  the  same  lot. 

Clarksville  has  the  distinction  of  being  the  home  of  the  first 
newspaper  established  in  Butler  county.  This  happy  consumma- 
tion took  place  in  1858  and  the  paper  was  named  the  Butler 
Transcript  by  its  foimders,  Messrs.  Palmer  &  James. 

On  the  corner  opposite  Hardy's  blacksmith  shop  J.  Gilbert 
opened  a  drug  store  in  1858  in  a  one-story  frame  building.  He 
remained  in  the  trade  a  long  term  of  years. 

The  first  physician  to  locate  in  Clarksville  was  Jeremiah  Clark, 
coming  to  the  place  in  1853.  He  was  followed  in  1854  by  Dr. 
James  E.  Walker. 

One  of  the  most  energetic  and  progressive  business  men  of  the 
early  days  was  Henry  Newman.  He  came  here  in  1856,  opened 
a  very  pretentious  general  store  and  remained  in  the  business 
many  years.  He  also  dealt  extensively  as  a  cattle  buyer  and  before 
removing  to  the  state  of  Oregon  built  several  houses  in  the  town. 
His  removal  was  considered  a  serious  public  loss. 

James  Hazlet  was  another  settler  in  Clarksville  of  an  early 
day.  who  for  a  number  of  years  ran  a  large  grocery  establishment. 
He  subsequently  took  iip  his  residence  in  Boone. 

The  Central  House  was  a  landmark  in  Clarksville  for  many 
years.  The  building  superseded  the  Peet  House,  already  men- 
tioned, and  was  presided  over  by  Ceorge  "Riley  Peet.  who  came 


272  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

here  iu  1856,  purchased  the  Peet  House  aud  eventually  tme  it 
down  and  erected  the  Central  House.  jMi'.  Peet  became  a  leading 
man  iu  the  conmiuuity  and  was  the  popular  landlord  of  the  Cen- 
tral until  1879,  when  he  met  an  untimely  death  in  a  railroad  acci- 
dent. 

John  Bartlett  started  the  tirst  lumberyard  here  iu  1870  and 
conducted  the  business  three  years,  when  he  sold  his  stock  to 
Samuel  McRoberts  aud  C.  H.  Il^enfritz.  The  enterprise  was  con- 
tinued two  years  luider  the  firm  name  of  McRoberts  &  Company, 
when  McRoberts  withdrew  and  A.  J.  Ilgenfritz  became  a  member 
of  the  firm,  which  took  the  title  of  Ilgenfritz  Brothers. 

Among  other  early  business  men  of  Clarksville  may  be  men- 
tioned Charles  Bulcken,  who  started  a  creamery  iu  1881 ;  Henry 
Ilgenfritz,  furniture,  in  the  '60s ;  T.  E.  and  J.  E.  Kephart,  black- 
smiths, 1875;  John  Hartness,  carpenter,  1857;  M.  B.  "Wamsley, 
live  stock,  1878 ;  Jeremiah  Perrin,  capitalist,  settled  near  Clarks- 
ville in  section  17,  in  1851 ;  M.  M.  Trumbull,  attorney  at  law.  early 
in  the  '50s;  W.  A.  Riden,  blacksmith.  1855;  C.  G.  Schellinger, 
hardware,  1868;  Wamsley  &  Hortou,  merchants,  1877;  Jerome 
Shadbolt,  carpenter,  1855;  J.  M.  Houston,  grocer,  1861:  Elias 
Walter,  mason,  1853. 

rOSTOFFICE 

The  Clarksville  postoffice  was  established  in  1853  aud  was 
kept  by  A.  G.  Clark,  the  first  postmaster,  in  a  small  log  cabin 
that  stood  just  south  of  the  public  square.  At  that  time  mail  was 
received  irregularly  from  Clear  Lake  by  carrier,  who  made  his 
trips  back  aud  forth  by  horseback.  The  second  postmaster  was 
A.  J.  Lewellen,  who  gave  way  to  J.  R.  Fletcher.  His  successor 
was  A.  J.  Thompkins ;  then  came  C.  W.  AYheelock,  Webster  Bart- 
lett, and  in  1872,  Mrs.  C.  M.  Mitchell,  widow  of  Wellington 
Mitchell,  who  lost  his  life  while  serving  his  country  iu  the  Civil 
war.  She  continued  in  the  position  under  several  administra- 
tions. The  present  incuml)ent  is  Ed  ^ladigan,  a  former  editor 
and  propriett)r  of  the  Clarksville  Star. 

SCHOOLS 

Clarksville  always  has  had  good  schools  and  today  the  Clarks- 
ville school  building  is  one  of  the  finest  and  most  commodious  in 


HIGH  SCHOOL,  CLAEKSVILLE 


.   ":  Nl-.'  YORK 

ryiili:  LIBRARY 


-D.-rl     .-     njMOAriONS 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  273 

the  coimty.  Miss  Malinda  ISearles  taught  the  tirst  school  iu  the 
town,  begiuning  her  duties  iii  tlie  spring  of  1855  in  a  little  log 
cabin.  Her  immediate  successor  was  Miss  Jane  Clark.  The  log 
house  was  used  for  school  purposes  four  or  five  years  and  then 
abandoned  for  a  more  modern  and  convenient  building,  which  was 
constructed  of  concrete  and  stood  noi'tli  of  the  Dubuque  &  Dakota 
(Chicago  Great  Western)  railroad  track.  When  the  county  seat 
was  taken  from  Clarksville  the  courthouse  was  prepared  for 
pupils  and  teachers  and  used  as  a  school  building  until  the  present 
handsome  structure  was  built  on  the  spot,  which  confidentl}'  had 
been  exxiected  would  always  be  the  site  of  the  county's  capitol. 
But  the  old  courthouse  was  torn  down  in  1903  and  in  its  place  a 
modern  brick  building  was  erected  at  a  cost  of  $12,500. 

Since  the  opening  of  the  l)ig  farms  in  the  northwest  section  of 
this  great  country  and  the  establishment  of  innnense  elevators  and 
flouring  mills  in  the  cities  contiguous  thereto,  the  mills  of  the 
Middle  West  gradually  have  been  going  into,  to  use  the  expres- 
sion of  Grover  Cleveland,  innocuous  desuetude.  Untold  numbers 
of  them  are  standing  idle,  their  machinery  rusted  and  worthless, 
and  their  foundations  and  walls  decaying.  But  in  the  pioneer 
days  a  local  mill  was  a  stern  necessity.  The  settler  was  in  abso- 
lute need  of  corn  and  flour  for  the  household  and  it  was  the  rule 
to  set  up  a  mill  of  some  description  in  a  new  community  as  soon 
as  possible.  This  condition  and  consununation  obtained  in  Clarks- 
ville as  early  as  1856.  It  was  in  that  year  that  J.  J.  Eichar  and 
George  Dollison,  pioneer  merchants  heretofore  mentioned,  formed 
a  copartnership  with  C.  A.  Strong  mider  the  firm  name  of  Eichar, 
Dollison  &  Strong,  and  erected  what  was  long  known  as  the 
Clarksville  Mill,  the  first  industrial  concern  of  its  kind  in  Butler 
county.  The  mill  was  built  for  three  nm  of  stone,  which  wei'e 
rim  by  water  power.  The  building,  a  frame  42x32  feet  and  three 
stories  in  height  excluding  the  basement,  stood  on  the  east  bank 
of  the  Shell  Rock  river,  in  section  19. 

CLARKSVILLE  INCORPORATED 

The  village  of  Clarksville  continued  to  grow  slowly,  but  in  a 
measure,  satisfactorily,  to  all  concerned,  and  upon  the  approach 
of  the  year  1875  had  approximately  seven  hundred  in  popidation. 
In  1874  the  long  nurtured  hope  of  her  citizens  reached  a  gracious 
fruition,  when  the  district  court  acted  favorably  upon  a  petition 


274  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

for  incorporation  and  on  the  21st  day  of  September,  ISTl,  the  first 
municipal  election  was  held,  which  completed  tlie  organization  of 
Clarksville  as  an  incorporated  t(»wu.  The  offices  filled  at  this 
initial  election  and  names  of  incumbents  follow:  Mayor,  John 
Palmer;  clerk,  E.  A.  Glenn;  trustees,  S.  M.  Townsend,  H.  Ilgen- 
fritz,  H.  F.  L.  Burton,  T.  Shafer  and  Edwin  Fowle.  The  coun- 
cil met  in  the  private  office  of  Mayor  Palmer  and  qualified,  with 
the  exception  of  E.  A.  Glenn,  who  had  declined  to  accept  the  office 
of  recorder.  Thereupon  the  council  appointed  H.  F.  L.  Burton 
recorder  pro  tem.  Hiram  Newman  was  appointed  marshal,  but 
failing  to  qualify,  E.  F.  Duncan  was  chosen  for  the  position. 

TOWX  HALL 

The  building  erected  here  for  town  purposes  is  not  an  iuipos- 
ing  affair  and  it  is  highly  probable  that  not  many  years  will  be 
permitted  to  pass  before  a  modern  city  hall  takes  its  place.  Pos- 
sibly three  decades  ago  the  town  hall  was  built,  a  two-story  frame, 
and  this  has  been  the  meeting  place  of  the  council.  The  ground 
floor  has  been  devoted  to  the  fire  department  and  its  apparatus. 

WATERWORKS  SYSTEM 

In  1896  the  question  of  constructing  a  system  of  waterworks 
and  issuing  $7,000  in  bonds  to  cover  the  cost  of  the  proposed 
improvement  was  sulmiitted  to  a  vote  of  the  citizens,  and  was  car- 
ried by  a  substantial  majority.  Before  the  exi)iration  of  the  year 
the  work  of  drilling  wells,  erecting  a  tower  and  tank  and  laying 
mains  was  completed,  the  outlay  overreaching  the  bond  issue  only 
by  $500.  Since  then  probably  $20,000  additional  has  been 
expended,  in  the  extension  of  mains,  building  of  a  steel  tower  and 
tank  and  repairs.  Power  for  pumping  is  furnished  by  the  elec- 
tric light  plant.  Clarksville  is  now  blessed  with  a  good  supply  of 
pure  water  and  the  citizens  feel  comparatively  safe  from  any 
serious  conflagrations. 

ELECTRIC  LIGHT   AND  POWER   RLAXT 

The  town  of  Clarksville  does  not  owm  or  control  the  lighting 
plant  established  there.  This  is  a  private  concern,  built  in  1895 
bv  William  Buchholz  and  later  sold  to  H.  S.  Boutin.     Tn  the 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  275 

3'ear  1913  the  utility  went  iuto  the  hands  of  local  capitalists,  chief 
among  whom  is  A.  D.  Van  Meter.  The  industrj'  gives  a  fair 
measure  of  satisfaction,  although  the  service  is  not  continuous. 

FINANCIAL 

The  oldest  hnaneial  institution  in  Clarksville  is  the  Butler 
County  State  Bank  which,  from  its  inception,  has  had  the  confi- 
dence and  support  of  the  communit.v  and  contiguous  country  to  the 
present  time.  The  bank  was  started  in  1871  as  a  private  concern 
by  M.  B.  Wamsley,  Jeremiah  Perrin,  James  Butler,  A.  Slimmer, 
N.  B.  Ridgeway  and  Samuel  McRoberts  as  principal  stock- 
holders, having  a  capital  of  $50,000.  The  first  officials  were: 
Malon  B.  Wamsley,  president;  Jeremiah  Perrin,  vice  president; 
Louis  Slimmer,  cashier.  This  new  departure  in  Clarksville 's 
make-ui?  began  l)usiness  under  the  name  of  the  Butler  County 
Bank  and  so  contiinied  until  1881,  when  Louis  and  A.  Slimmer 
secured  full  control  of  the  stock  and  for  a  number  of  years  the 
Butler  County  Bank  of  Louis  Slinnner  &  Company  was  the  depos- 
itory for  funds  of  the  community.  In  1891  a  building  was  erected 
on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Poisal  streets,  which  was  the  home  of 
the  bank  nntil  1882,  when  the  present  headquarters,  a  two-story 
brick,  was  erected  and  occupied  on  the  corner  of  Main  and  Supe- 
rior streets.  On  the  first  day  of  November.  1909,  under  a  charter 
secured  according  to  the  Iowa  banking  laws,  this  financial  concern 
was  reorganized  and  took  the  name  and  title  of  the  Butler  County 
State  Bank,  being  capitalized  at  $40,000.  The  incorporators  were 
Louis  Slimmer,  Bascom  Wamsle_y,  C.  G.  Burling,  W.  F.  Ray,  O. 
C.  Perrin,  A.  L.  Aslier,  C.  H.  Ilgenfritz,  A.  J.  Ilgenfritz,  Fred 
Seitz  and  others.  First  officials:  Louis  Slimmer,  i^resident;  C. 
H.  Ilgenfritz,  vice  president;  O.  C  Perrin,  vice  president;  Fred 
Seitz,  cashier;  W.  L.  Asher,  assistant  cashier.  Directors:  Louis 
Slimmer,  C.  H.  Ilgenfritz,  B.  Wamsley,  Fred  Seitz,  C.  G.  Bur- 
ling, W.  L.  Asher,  W.  F.  Ray,  O.  C.  Perrin.  The  last  report,  at 
the  close  of  business  on  January  28,  1914,  shows  a  capital  stock  of 
$40,000;  undivided  profits,  $3,324;  deposits,  $395,834. 

Believing  Clarksville  a  good  point  for  a  second  bank,  J.  H. 
Hickle,  George  A.  Stewart  and  others  incorporated  the  State  Sav- 
ings Bank  July  6,  1908,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $25,000.  A  one- 
story  brick  building  was  erected  the  same  year,  in  which  the  bank 
is  now  conducting  its  affairs.     The  first  officials  were:     J.  H. 


276  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Hickle,  president;  F.  H.  Brockmaini,  vice  president;  Cieorge  A.. 
Stewart,  cashier.  Mr.  Hickle  retired  I'l'oni  the  presidency  in  Jan- 
uary, 191i,  and  to  till  the  vacancy  F.  H.  Brockmann  was  elected 
by  the  directorate.  In  December,  1912,  by  reason  of  Mr.  Stew- 
art's retirement,  William  M.  Roberts  was  elected  cashier.  Cap- 
ital, $25,000 ;  deposits,  $50,000. 

METHODIST  I'.riSCOI'AL  CHIKCH 

In  the  same  year  that  Butler  county  became  an  integral  part 
of  the  state  as  a  separate  organization,  or  in  other  words,  in  1853,. 
Thomas  Clark  and  wife,  George  Poisal  and  wife  and  Jeremiah 
Clark  and  wife  assembled  in  the  comfortable  home  of  Thomas 
Clark  and  formed  a  Methodist  Episcopal  society.  Before  this 
diminutive  gathering  of  the  faithful,  Reverend  Ingham  preached 
the  tirst  sermon  in  the  town  of  Clarksville.  Thereafter  services 
were  held  at  the  homes  of  members  and  the  organization  grew 
apace.  With  j^rosperity  and  strength  in  membership  came  the 
need  and  desire  for  a  suitable  house  of  worship,  so  in  the  year 
1864  a  church  editice  was  erected,  a  frame  24x48  feet,  at  a  cost 
of  $2,000.  In  connection  with  the  society  a  Sunday  school  was 
organized  soon  after  the  church  was  established,  which  has  grown 
to  no  little  importance  with  the  passage  of  time.  The  attendance 
has  now  reached  an  average  of  seventy,  while  the  membership  of 
the  church  is  160. 

Recognizing  the  need  of  a  more  modern  and  ('oiiiuiodi(tus  build- 
ing, the  board  of  trustees  caused  to  be  built  in  1905  a  new  house 
of  worship.  This  is  a  frame  structure  and  was  dedicated  Decem- 
ber 17.  1905.  On  the  lot  adjoining  the  church  stands  the  parson- 
age. The  names  of  pastors  serving  this  charge  is  hereto 
appended : 

Reverends  Ross,  Ingham,  Gough,  Burleigh,  Holbrook,  Swear- 
ingen,  Henderson,  Thompson,  Larkiu.  Waterbury  Smith,  ^b^ore, 
Gould,  Sherman,  Murphy,  We])ster,  Smedley,  Littler,  W.  W. 
Smith,  Wolf.  Shumaker,  McKee,  John  W.  Handier,  1883-84;  A. 
S.  Cochran.  1884-87;  J.  R.  Cameron,  1887-89;  E.  R.  Leamon,  1889- 
90;  J.  K.  Shifter,  1890-91;  T.  O.  Kent,  1891-93;  B.  C.  Barnes, 
1893-95;  Daniel  Sheffer,  1895-97;  W.  N.  Brown,  1897-99;  E.  B. 
Downs,  1899-1900;  F.  T.  Heatly,  1900-02;  T.  A.  Trimble,  1902-05; 
H.  H.  Barton,  1905-07;  W.  E.  Ross,  1907-12;  A.  W.  Smith,  1912—. 


Christian  Chureli 


Presbyterian   Clnirfh 


Metliodist  Episcopal  Churt-li  German  Lutheran   Church 

CHURCHES  OF  CLAKKS\-ILLE 


Ir  !,  -,      '■■ 


THE  NEV;  ':\,.-    : 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  277 

Reverend  Smith  also  preaches  every  Sunday  afternoon  at  the 
Methodist  church  at  Packard,  where  there  is  but  a  small  member- 
ship, although  they  own  a  church  building. 

PRESBYTERIAN    CHURCH 

The  Presbyterian  church  of  Clarksville  was  organized  at  the 
home  of  David  Blakely,  who  was  the  first  pastor,  in  September, 
1854,  the  initial  members  being  Samuel  McCreery  and  wife,  Mrs. 
Emily  A.  Strong  and  Da^dd  Blakely  and  wife.  Soon  thereafter 
additions  were  made  to  the  society  in  the  persons  of  William 
Pringle  and  wife,  John  M.  Moulton  and  wife,  James  Ford,  Matilda 
Hilton,  W.  H.  Van  Dyke,  John  Stevenson  and  Samuel  McRob- 
erts.  Services  were  held  in  the  schoolhouse  until  1867,  when 
under  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  George  Graham,  a  house  of 
worship  was  erected.  The  building  was  a  frame,  28x44 
feet,  had  a  seating  capacity  of  160  and  cost  $2,500.  The 
same  year  witnessed  the  establishment  of  a  Sunday  school. 
Reverend  Graham's  pastorate  here  was  a  remarkable  one,  extend- 
ing throughout  a  period  of  thirty-three  years.  Honored  by  years 
of  faithful  service  and  the  love  and  veneration  of  his  people,  this 
noble  character  was  called  to  his  final  reward  October  28, 1900,  and 
five  years  later  the  partner  of  his  joys  and  sorrows  followed  him. 
The  Graham  children  are  still  residents  of  Clarksville  and  mem- 
bers of  the  church,  which  has  prospered  with  the  years  and  now 
has  a  handsome  house  of  worship,  which  took  the  j^lace  of  the 
old  one  in  1911.  The  new  temple  was  dedicated  July  28,  1912. 
The  cost  was  $9,000.  The  manse  was  built  in  1903,  at  a  cost  of 
$2,000.  Present  membership,  130;  attendance  at  Sunday  school, 
sixty-fiA^e.  Successors  to  Reverend  Graham  in  the  pulpit :  James 
T.  Wiley,  several  years;  Charles  Ticknor,  two  years;  E.  O.  Tick- 
nor.  a  brother  of  the  former  pastor,  four  or  five  years;  H.  W. 
Fi-ench,  eleven  months;  the  present  incumbent,  W.  H.  Sinclair, 
since  1907. 

CHRISTIAN   CHURCH 

The  Christian  church  of  Clarksville,  organized  in  the  late  '80s, 
is  an  outgrowth  of  the  church  established  at  Antioch  on  the  5th 
day  of  July,  1857.  At  the  time  of  the  organization  of  the  society 
at  Antioch  William  Barnard.  P.  Barnard,  James  Hodgson,  Eliza- 
beth  Hodgson.   Hannah   P.   Davis.   Clement   X.   Burton,   T.   A. 


278  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Taylor,  ISarah  Taylor,  Mary  Kinsley  and  Mary  P.  Burton 
became  members.  Many  of  these  people  moved  to  town. 
To  these  names  were  added  during  the  first  year  the 
following:  -lohn  Kimmins,  Cynthia  Ivimmins,  Francis  Pro- 
basco,  Malinda  Hodgson,  Christopher  Billhuuer,  Barbara  Bill- 
himer,  Mary  Barnard,  Lydia  G.  Barnard,  Alex  March, 
Charles  S.  Martin,  Samuel  March,  Abram  March,  Eliza 
March,  Thomas  Houck,  Elizabeth  Houck.  Sarah  P.  March,  Rachel 
Burton,  James  M.  Burton,  Esther  A.  Taylor,  John  F^arlow,  Eliza- 
beth Brown,  Mary  H.  Brown,  James  R.  Taylor,  George  H.  Bur- 
ton, Alfred  Brown,  William  R.  Taylor,  Nancy  M.  Taylor,  Mary 
Rothrock.  The  organizing  minister  was  T.  R.  Hansberry.  who 
remained  in  charge  one  year.  F^or  some  time  following  the  church 
was  su2)plied  and  among  those  who  occupied  this  pidpit  may  be 
mentioned  John  Kane,  N.  E.  Corey  and  N.  A.  McGonnell.  J.  W. 
Moore  came  in  1865  as  the  regular  pastor  and  remained  four  and 
one-half  years.  Then  IT.  H.  Watson  accei)ted  a  call  and  worked 
in  his  field  until  1870;  during  this  time  he  also  attended  the 
churches  at  Shell  Rock,  Coldwater  and  Pinchford.  The  year 
1870  found  J.  W.  Moore  again  presiding  over  this  charge.  This 
time  his  pastorate  extended  up  to  1881,  with  the  exception  of  one 
year  sjient  in  the  cause  in  Linn  county.  Diuing  the  interval 
Doctor  Hunt  had  charge.  A  church  building  in  Clarksville 
became  necessary  in  the  course  of  time,  so  many  of  the  members 
having  moved  to  town,  and  in  1889  the  present  house  of  worship 
was  comideted  and  occupied.  Since  then  the  building  has  mider- 
gone  alteration  and  to  the  west  end  of  it  an  additional  room  has 
been  attaclied.  In  this  Iniilding  Rev.  George  Devol  was  the  first 
to  preach  as  resident  pastor.  The  names  of  his  success(n's  fol- 
low: Reverends  Hodkinson,  Piatt,  Rich,  Rama,  Johnson.  Adams, 
Hollett.  Nieols,  America  Sea  (now  Mrs.  Holzsclndi )  and  the  pres- 
ent minister,  T.  H.  Smithers,  who  came  in  the  fall  (d"  3913.  All 
these  clerg_saiien  have  administered  to  large  congregations  at  this 
place.  At  one  time  the  church  was  one  of  the  strongest  in  the 
coiuity,  having  at  times  from  four  Imndred  to  five  hundred  mem- 
bers. Even  now  the  membership  is  in  the  neighborhood  of  three 
hundred. 

UNITED  BRETHREN 

The  United  Brethren  church  was  organized  at  Clarksville  in 
1887  by  H.  M.  Galer,  Mrs.  William  Warner  and  others,  and  was 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  279 

the  outgrowth  of  a  society  formed  in  the  couutry,  wliich  held  serv- 
ices in  the  Excelsior  schoolhouse,  six  miles  north  of  Clarksville. 
Some  time  after  the  church  was  organized  here  the  society  bought 
the  old  Christian  Union  church,  a  frame  building,  where  the  mem- 
bers, now  numbering  twenty-six,  have  since  attended  services. 
Rev.  H.  M.  Galer  w^as  the  first  pastor  and  ended  his  ministra- 
tion in  one  year.  The  names  of  his  successors  follow :  Reverends 
Branson,  one  year ;  Job  Baskerville,  one  year ;  A.  King,  two  years. 
The  first  year  of  Reverend  King's  ministrations  is  notable  from 
the  fact  that  during  a  series  of  revival  meetings  held  in  the 
church,  forty-seven  members  were  added  to  the  rolls.  M.  A. 
Moffett  followed  Reverend  King  as  pastor,  who  remained  two 
years.  Then  came  Reverends  Benson,  one  year;  S.  T.  Beatty, 
one  year;  S.  E.  Long,  one  year;  Blackburn,  one  year;  W.  M. 
Bundy,  two  years;  W.  M.  Stice,  two  years;  Rev.  Mrs.  Talbott, 
six  months;  Rev.  Mrs.  Nudigate;  Varse,  six  mouths;  Jennings, 
one  year;  F.  J.  Zike,  one  and  one-half  years;  W.  M.  Hutchins; 
and  A.  F.  Polk,  in  the  fall  of  1913. 

GERMAN  LUTHERAN  CHURCH 

The  data  necessary  to  prepare  a  sketch  of  the  Lutheran 
church  could  not  be  secured  in  time  for  preparation  for  this  work. 
However,  it  is  known  that  the  members  are  of  the  best  citizens  in 
Clarksville  and  some  years  ago  erected  a  handsome  house  of  wor- 
ship. At  this  tune  there  is  no  regular  pastor  and  the  spiritual 
needs  are  being  ministered  to  by  a  clergyman  of  the  faith  from 
Waverly. 

LYNWOOD  CEMETERY 

A  beautiful  burial  spot  is  that  of  Lynwood  cemetery,  situate 
just  over  the  line  in  Jackson  township.  The  lots  and  drives  are 
laid  out  on  a  plan  consistent  with  uniformity  and  the  grounds  are 
kept  up  in  a  manner  satisfactoiy  to  the  community  at  large.  This 
sacred,  silent  city  was  dedicated  for  cemetery  purposes  according 
to  an  ordinance  made  and  provided  by  the  town  council,  which  is 
recorded  in  its  archives.  The  first  body  to  be  interred  here  was 
that  of  Daniel,  a  son  of  Dr.  A.  F.  Tichnor,  April  3,  1878.  Ljoi- 
wood  cemetery  covers  a  space  of  forty-three  acres  and  was  pur- 
chased of  Louis  Slimmer  for  the  nominal  sum  of  $L000. 


280  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

PUBLIC  LIBRARY 

The  library  now  patronized  by  the  people  of  Clarksville  came 
into  existence  in  a  small  way  many  years  ago  and  was  taken  over 
by  the  Library  Association  of  Clarksville,  organized  in  1877. 
The  first  officials  were:  President,  J.  R.  Jones;  vice  president, 
Mrs.  C.  M.  Mitchell;  secretary,  J.  P.  Reed;  financial  secretary, 
Mrs.  E.  A.  Glenn;  treasurer.  Hettie  Laus.  At  first  the  books 
were  only  accessible  to  members,  who  paid  a  certain  initiation 
fee  and  annual  dues.  The  institution  is  ix)W  conducted  on  a  more 
liberal  basis  and  maintains  a  large  collection  of  standard  and 
popular  books.  The  patronage  is  gratifyingly  large,  which  means 
that  the  people  of  Clarksville  have  inclinations  for  litei-ary 
pabulum  that  must  be  liberally  served. 

FRATKHX AL  ( )I^DKRS 

Butler  Lodge,  No.  94,  A.  F.  &  A.  M..  was  organized  June  3, 
1857,  and  is  the  oldest  association  of  men  in  the  county.  The 
lodge  has  held  together  all  these  years  and  its  history  woidd  make 
interesting  reading  if  given  in  detail,  as  many  of  the  prominent 
men  of  Clarksville  have  been  initiated  into  the  mysteries  of  its 
tenets  and  work.  Names  of  the  chartei-  memljers  and  first  offi- 
cials follow:  A.  J.  Lewellen,  W.  M.;  Thomas  Clark,  R.  W. ; 
Robert  T.  Criswell,  J.  W. ;  J.  F.  Newhard,  Treas. ;  John  Palmer, 
Sec. ;  G.  W.  Poisal,  S.  D. :  J.  R.  Taylor.  J.  J). ;  A.  Brown,  steward ; 
A.  G.  Clark,  tyler. 

In  the  history  of  Butler  county  published  in  1883  mention  is 
made  of  an  Order  of  the  Eastern  Star  having  been  organized 
December  27,  1873.  and  gave  the  following  initial  officers: 
John  Pahuer,  W.  P.;  Mrs.  Sue  R.  Caswell.  W.  M. ;  Mrs. 
E.  C.  Nev^nan,  A.  M. ;  Mrs.  Margaret  S.  Butler,  treasurer ; 
Mrs.  M.  E.  Burton,  secretary;  Mrs.  M.  S.  (flenn  conductress; 
Mrs.  A.  B.  Jones,  associate  conductress;  Mrs.  L.  E.  Roberts, 
warden;  E.  A.  Glenn,  sentinel;  Mrs.  Anna  A.  Ilgenfritz, 
Adah;  Mrs.  M.  J.  Burress,  Ruth;  Mrs.  True  J.  Neal,  Esther; 
Mrs.  Estha  Baker,  Martha;  Mrs.  Charlotte  T.  Baker,  Electa. 
However,  on  the  lodge  room  walls  hangs  a  chartei',  which 
indicates  that  the  chapter  must  have  lapsed  at  a  certain 
period  and  was  compelled  to  secure  a  new  charter  in  order 
to  revive  its  activities.    The  new  lodge  is  Clarksville  Chapter,  No. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  281 

144,  and  was  organized  October  3,  1894,  by  Mrs.  H.  Newman,  Mrs. 
Nellie  Shaw,  Mrs.  Hattie  Copeland,  F.  J.  Carr,  Mrs.  G.  W. 
DeGraw,  Lydia  A.  Hickle,  J.  P.  Martin,  Rosa  Rhoades,  L.  Schel- 
linger,  E.  E.  Tennyson,  Ada  B.  Warren ;  Messrs.  A.  Newman,  H. 
E.  Copeland,  Clark  Carr,  G.  W.  DeGraw,  Thomas  J.  Hickle,  J. 
P.  Martin,  G.  G.  Schellinger,  J.  W.  Shaw,  William  Tennyson, 
Fred  W.  Warren. 

Clarksville  Lodge,  No.  351,  Independent  Order  of  Odd  Fellow- 
ship, was  organized  October  19,  1876,  and  is  one  of  the  strongest 
fraternal  bodies  in  Butler  county.  The  charter  members  were: 
J.  P.  Reed,  Thomas  Hunt,  Charles  Fitch,  Dan  McDonald,  Albert 
Burtch,  Peter  Poisal  and  John  Palmer.  The  first  officers  were: 
Charles  Fitch,  N.  G. ;  Thomas  Hunt,  V.  G. ;  J.  P.  Reed,  P.  S. ; 
Albert  Burtch,  secretary;  John  Palmer,  treasurer;  Peter  Poisal, 
warden ;  Dan  McDonald,  conductoi'.  The  lodge  is  prosperous  and 
has  a  membership  of  eighty.  An  auxiliary  code,  the  Daughters 
of  Rebekah,  was  organized  in  February,  1914,  with  thirty  charter 
members. 

Clarksville  Camp,  No.  1976,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
was  organized  May  8,  1893,  and  at  one  time  was  one  of  the  largest 
and  most  progressive  fraternal  bodies  in  Butler  county.  But 
dissensions  have  arisen,  mainly  caused  by  the  policy  of  the  grand 
lodge,  and  at  this  time  the  Modern  Woodmen  of  America  stand 
upon  uncertain  gi'ound  as  an  organization.  Names  of  the  char- 
ter members  follow:  Hugh  A.  Boyd,  George  H.  Clark,  Charles 
S.  Ford,  R.  Poisal,  Byron  L.  Poisal,  Charles  E.  Phillips,  Willis 
E.  Riden,  William  C.  Smith,  Allen  G.  Smith,  Cyrus  S.  Vance. 

Some  time  in  the  '80s  a  post  of  the  Grand  Army  of  the  Repub- 
lic was  organized  in  Clarksville,  with  a  healthy  list  of  members. 
But  death  has  thinned  the  ranks  of  the  Civil  war  veterans  until 
they  now  can  barely  muster  a  corporal's  guard.  Their  number 
has  dwindled  away  to  that  extent,  that  for  some  years  past  the 
post  has  ceased  to  meet  as  a  body.  The  Woman's  Relief  Corps, 
however,  meets  regularly  at  stated  intervals  in  the  lodge  room  of 
the  Masons,  and  its  members  are  quite  active  in  looking  after  the 
interests  of  the  surviving  members  of  the  post. 


CHAPTER  XXII 
COLD  WATER  TOWNSHIP  AND  TOWN  OF  GREENE 

COLDWATER  TOWNSHIP 

Coldwater  township  is  in  the  northern  tier  of  townships  in 
Butler  connty,  bordering  on  Floyd  county  on  the  north.  It  is 
township  93  north,  range  17  west,  under  the  congressional  survey. 

It  is  drained  by  Coldwater  creek,  which  flows  through  the 
township  from  west  to  east,  and  by  the  Shell  Rock  river,  which 
crosses  the  extreme  northeastern  corner.  Both  Coldwater  creek 
and  Shell  Rock  river  are  bordered  by  timber  and  there  are  sev- 
eral other  natural  groves  within  the  limits  of  the  township. 

Outcroppings  of  lime  rock  in  the  northern  and  eastern  parts 
of  the  township  give  the  soil  a  somewhat  different  character  from 
that  of  other  sections  of  the  county.  There  is,  however,  prac- 
tically no  waste  land  within  its  limits.  Its  farms  are  in  a  high 
state  of  cultivation  and  its  production  of  crops  is  second  to  none. 

From  a  scenic  point  of  view  the  portion  of  the  Shell  Rock 
valley,  which  is  included  within  the  limits  of  Coldwater  and  Day- 
ton townships,  is  the  most  strikingly  beautiful  of  any  portion  of 
the  county.  The  river  is  in  some  places  bordered  by  ledges  of 
rock  and  hr.iavily  wooded  bluffs,  giving  to  -it  a  natural  beauty 
that  is  unknown  at  other  portions  of  its  course  where  it 
flows  through  comparatively  level  prairie  country.  In  the  west- 
ern part  of  Coldwater  township  there  is  a  range  of  hills,  the 
highest  point  of  which  is  called  Mount  Nebo.  This  rises  rather 
abruptly  abov(!  the  surroimding  country  and  although  not  the 
highest  point  in  the  county,  is  the  most  striking  elevation  of  land 
within  its  bor-lers.  Tradition  tells  of  the  existence  of  a  cave 
underneath  Mount  Nebo,  of  which  a  local  Avriter  has  given  a 
rather  circumstantial  description.  The  attempt  to  explore  this 
cave  is  said  to  have  been  made  in  1875.  The  account  is  as  fol- 
lows: 

283 


284  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

"This  cave  lias  beeu  known  for  several  years,  and  there  are 
some  legends  connected  with  it.  One  is  that  it  was  once  used  as 
a  place  of  habitation ;  another  is  that  a  mysterious  well  of  great 
depth  exists  somewhere  within  its  bounds.  A  few  days  ago  a 
party  went  down  to  explore  it,  but  all  backed  out  but  J.  Dexter 
and  Mr.  Barker,  whose  curiosity  Avas  greater  than  their  cajution. 
The  place  of  entrance  was  small,  but  they  soon  found  rooms  in 
which  they  could  stand  erect,  and  some  from  eight  to  twelve  feet 
high.  Passages  from  one  room  to  another  were  usually  small, 
some  so  small  that  the  explorers  found  dltticulty  in  passing  from 
one  to  another.  After  visiting  numerous  rooms  in  search  of  the 
well  and  proceeding  three  or  four  hundred  feet  from  the  entrance, 
they  returned  without  finding  it.  In  several  places  thei-e  were 
supporting  pillars,  and  along  the  walls  resemblances  to  stalac- 
tites. The  limits  were  not  reached,  and  there  is  still  room  for 
adventurers  to  gratify  their  curiosity." 

The  only  line  of  railroad  penetrating  Coldwater  township  is 
the  Rock  Island,  which  jiasses  through  the  city  of  Greene,  run- 
ning almost  exactly  diagonally  through  section  1  from  southeast 
to  northwest.  The  southern  portion  of  the  township  is  reached 
by  rural  mail  routes  from  Bristow  and  Allison.  For  the  rest  of 
the  township  Greene  is  the  only  market  and  commercial  outlet. 

■  EARLY   SETTLEMENT  ! 

For  the  accounts  of  the  earliest  settlements  made  in  Coldwater 
township  the  historian  is  almost  wholly  dependent  upon  pure 
tradition.  It  is  said  that  in  the  fall  of  1852  two  brothers-in-law 
named  Lacon,  or  Laken,  and  Bennett  settled  on  the  banks  of 
Coldwater  creek,  on  section  13.  Like  many  other  nomadic  pion- 
eers, these  men  remained  in  this  location  for  only  a  year  or  so. 
All  of  them  sold  their  claims  to  John  Hardman  and  J.  H.  Miller 
and  moved  on  to  regions  unlcnown. 

In  the  spring  of  1852  John  Fox  and  his  bi'other-in-law,  Lum 
Coleston,  located  with  their  families  in  the  vicinity  of  section  12. 
These  claims  were  later  sold  to  John  M.  Hart  and  John  Y.  Boggs. 
John  M.  Hart  was  the  first  permanent  settler  of  the  townhip. 
locating  on  a  farm  in  section  11,  in  1853.  On  July  1st,  1854,  Mr. 
Hart  made  the  first  entry  of  land  in  the  township.  On  the  same 
day  John  Y.  Boggs  made  an  entry  of  land  adjoining  the  farm  of 
Mr.  Hart  which  he  held  until  Januarv,  1856.  when  he  sold  it  for 


SCENE  ON  THE  SHELL  EOCK  EIVEE,  GEEENE 


THE  NEW   ■:>"'■ 
PUBLIC  LIPSAk 


L 


ASTOFt,   LEUOX 
TILDEN    FOUNDATIONS 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  285 

what  was  then  the  remarkable  price  of  $16  an  acre.  Mr.  Boggs 
purchased  a  farm  in  Dayton  towusliip,  upon  which  he  resided 
for  a  number  of  years. 

James  Griffith  came  to  this  section  of  tlie  county  in  1852,  set- 
tling on  claims  in  section  13,  Coldwater,  and  18,  of  Dayton.  His 
cabin,  however,  was  built  just  across  the  township  line  in  Dayton 
township,  so  he  missed  by  a  few  rods  the  privilege  of  being 
accounted  the  first  permanent  settler  of  Coldwater  township.  Mr. 
Griffith  was  the  first  county  school  fund  commissioner.  His  son, 
W.  A.  Griffith,  was  a  well  known  newspaper  man  in  the  earl}^  his- 
tory of  the  county.  The  latter  has  given  the  following  account 
of  the  Indian  scare  of  1854  in  this  section  of  the  county: 

INDIAN  SCAEE  OF  1854 

"One  stormy  night  in  the  month  of  June,  1854,  when  the  rain 
was  pouring  in  torrents  and  the  thunder  shaking  the  very  earth, 
James  Griffith,  in  Coldwater  township,  was  aroused  by  a  cry  of 
distress,  warning  himself  and  family  to  flee  for  their  lives,  as  the 
cruel  Sioux  were  rushing  on  toward  him,  massacreing  and  scalp- 
ing his  neighbors  as  they  advanced.  William  Choate,  his  inform- 
ant, told  him  that  he  had  no  time  to  lose  or  his  scalp,  with  those  of 
his  family,  would  soon  be  dangling  from  the  belt  of  the  savage 
warrior.  Mr.  Griffith,  having  no  team  by  which  to  save  his  fam- 
ily, concluded  to  take  them  to  the  cabin  of  John  H.  Miller,  who, 
being  absent  from  home  that  night,  had  left  his  folks  in  Mr.  Grif- 
fith's charge.  On  getting  to  Mrs.  Miller's  he  found  his  neighbors 
all  gathered  there,  preparatory  to  fleeing  the  country:  but  Mr. 
Griffith,  having  two  families  on  his  hands,  persuaded  them  to  halt, 
and  there  those  ])rave  men  decided  to  face  death,  defend  their 
wives  and  little  ones,  and  sell  their  lives  as  dearly  as  possible. 

"They  stood  guard  all  night,  hourly  expecting  to  hear  the 
hideous  yells  of  the  unmerciful  demons  and  the  breaking  in  upon 
them,  until  at  length,  after  a  night  of  deathly  terror,  the  welcome 
dawn  appeared,  when,  still  as  the  silent  grave,  the  men  gathered 
their  loved  ones,  ready  to  flee  a  country  where  every  bush 
apjDeared  to  hide  a  lurking  enemy,  to  a  place  of  safety.  John 
M.  Hart,  John  V.  Boggs  and  James  Griffith  decided  to  stand 
their  ground  and  not  run,  but  their  neighbors  told  them  if  they 
wanted  to  expose  themselves  to  certain  death,  they  did  not,  and 
the  greater  part  of  the  residents  of  Coldwater  left — some  of  them 


286  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

uever  stopping  this  side  of  the  Mississippi  line,  and  some  of  them, 
I  fear,  are  running  yet,  for  they  never  came  back.  In  the  morn- 
ing Joliu  H.  Miller,  having  returned  home  in  the  meantime,  and 
James  (iriffith  determined  to  risk  their  lives,  ascertain  the  dan- 
ger and  see  to  what  extent  tlie  savages  liad  devastated  the  country. 
They  went  up  the  river  as  far  as  'Beelar's  grove' — now  Marble 
Rock — and  found  the  citizens  still  in  bed,  unconscious  of  their 
danger ;  so  they  came  back  home  and  went  down  the  river  as  far 
as  'Coon's  grove' — now  the  village  of  Clarksville — for  the  pur- 
pose of  organizing  a  band  for  self-protection,  and  just  as  they 
were  about  to  return  home  M.  M.  Trumbull,  now  Colonel  Trum- 
bull, of  Dubuque,  arrived  from  the  frontier,  greatly  excited,  and 
on  being  interrogated  about  the  locality  of  the  Indians  he  could 
not  tell  the  exact  locality,  but  that  they  were  not  far  off.  Some 
one  asked,  'Are  they  at  Rock  grove?'  His  reply  was,  'Nearer 
than  that.'  'At  Beelar's  grove?'  'Nearer  than  that!'  'At  Cold- 
water?'  And  his  reply  was,  'Gentlemen,  I  was  on  an  Indian 
trail  and  saw  their  fires  this  side  of  there!'  Horror!  Think  of 
our  Coldwater  friends!  What  agony  arose  in  their  breasts,  to 
think  that  their  homes  were  destroyed  and  all  they  held  near  and 
dear  cruelly  butchered  or  carried  away  captive.  They  accord- 
ingly mounted  their  horses  and  ran  them  home.  Wlieu  north  of 
Flood  creek  they  discovered  the  fires  and  marched  straight  to 
them;  they  proved  to  have  been  buiit  by  Mrs.  Levi  Burress  and 
girls,  who  were  washing  on  the  banks  of  the  Shell  Rock  river. 
They  then  came  home  and  found  everybody  alive  and  well,  wliich 
greatly  relieved  our  heroes. 

"The  basis  of  the  scare  proved  to  be  that  a  couple  of  Sioux 
and  Winnebago  Indians  had  got  into  a  quarrel,  which  terminated 
in  one  of  them  being  sent  to  the  'happy  hunting  grounds.'  and 
the  whites  had  no  part  whatever  in  the  fight.  Such  was  the  great 
Indian  scare  of  1854." 

OTHER  EARLY  SETTLERS 

John  H.  Miller  and  Aaron  Hardman.  with  their  families,  set- 
tled in  the  township  in  1853.  Mr.  Miller's  death  in  1856  was  one 
of  the  first  in  the  township.  William  Choate,  who  is  mentioned 
in  the  account  of  the  Indian  scare  above,  and  David  W.  Miller 
were  also  settlers  in  the  township  about  this  time.  Elias  G.  Mil- 
ler was  another  pioneer  of  this  period.  His  name  is  mentioned 
among  the  soldier  martyrs  of  the  rebellion. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  287 

Solomon  Sturtz  and  Rev.  Pliilip  Moss  came  in  the  year  1855. 
The  latter  was  a  Baptist  minister.  A  son  of  his,  Capt.  Aaron 
Moss,  is  noticed  ia  the  biographical  volume  of  this  work. 

Felix  Landis  came  with  his  family  in  1856  and  located  on  sec- 
tion 14.  Following  this  date  the  land  began  to  be  taken  up  very 
rapidly.  It  is  impossible  to  give  in  detail  the  names  of  all  these 
settlers,  but  among  the  pioneers  who  helped  settle  this  township 
and  to  whose  efforts  is  due  its  pi-esent  position  may  be  mentioned 
the  following:  Joseph  Miller,  Samuel  McRoberts,  Emanuel 
Leidig,  William  Hesalroad  and  E.  S.  Tracy. 

ELM  SPRINGS 

The  first  town  platted  in  the  township  was  laid  out,  surveyed 
and  recorded  just  south  of  the  present  location  of  Greene.  T.  T. 
Rawson  was  the  owner  of  this  town  site  and  it  was  called  Elm 
Springs.  A  postoffice  was  established  there  under  that  name,  at 
which  point  the  residents  of  this  section  of  the  county  received 
their  mail  imtil  its  location  was  changed  to  Greene. 

OFFICIAI.   ORGANIZATION' 

The  township  takes  its  name  from  Coldwater  creek  which 
Hows  through  it.  It  was  one  of  the  four  original  townships  into 
which  the  county  was  di^dded  in  1855,  comprising  at  that  time  in 
addition  to  its  present  area  the  west  half  of  Dayton.  A  warrant 
was  issued  on  the  15th  of  February  to  Aaron  Hardmau  to  effect 
the  organization  of  Goldwater  townt^hip.  Tlie  early  official  rec- 
ords of  the  township  have  been  lost  but  it  is  fairly  well  estab- 
lished that  at  the  first  election  held  in  April,  1855,  at  the  house 
of  John  V.  Boggs,  on  section  12,  the  following  officers  were 
elected:  James  Griffith,  justice  of  the  peace;  A.  Hardman  and 
H.  P.  Balm,  constables.  Charles  Wood  was  elected  assessor  but 
did  not  qualify.  Coldwater  township  assumed  its  present  limits 
in  1858  when  Dayton  tovmship  was  organized  on  the  east. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  records  of  the  school  township  of  Coldwater  are  more 
complete  than  those  of  many  of  the  other  townships  of  the  county, 
so  that  it  is  possible  to  give  somewhat  in  detail  the  educational 


288  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

history  of  the  township.  Originally  the  township  consisted  of  u 
single  school  district.  About  1854,  through  the  influence  of 
James  Griffith,  the  township  was  divided  into  two  school  districts, 
No.  1  comi^rising  the  eastei'n  half  of  Coldwater  and  a  portion  of 
Dayton,  and  No.  2,  the  western  half  of  Coldwater.  The  first 
sehoolhouse  was  erected  in  district  No.  1  on  section  13,  and  built 
of  logs  by  the  patrons  of  the  district.  The  first  school  in  the  town- 
ship was  taught  in  this  building  "as  soon  as  it  would  hold  water," 
by  Edward  Goheen.  The  attendance  was  about  six.  This  log 
sehoolhouse  stood  near  the  site  of  the  present  sehoolhouse  in  said 
district  No.  1.  It  was  used  for  school  purposes  until  the  summer 
of  1865,  when  a  frame  building,  22x30  feet,  Avas  erected  at  a  cost 
of  $700. 

In  1855  a  log  house  was  built  for  school  j^urposes  on  section  8 
to  accommodate  the  pupils  of  district  No.  2.  The  first  school  here 
was  taught  by  Joseph  Miller.  In  1868  this  was  dispensed  with 
and  a  frame  building  erected  to  take  its  place. 

In  1866  a  third  district  Avas  created  in  the  southeastern  ])art 
of  the  township.  About  the  same  tune  district  No.  4,  including 
within  its  limits  the  town  of  Greene,  was  set  ofL"  and  a  log  school- 
house  built.  In  1871  a  frame  building,  erected  at  a  cost  of  $800, 
took  the  place  of  this  log  sehoolhouse.  and  this  continued  to  be 
used  until  1873,  when  the  independent  school  district  of  Greene 
was  organized.  The  first  teacher  in  district  No.  3  was  Miss  Mary 
Clark,  and  in  district  No.  4,  Rudolph  Landis. 

District  No.  5  was  established  in  1870  and  a  selioolhouse  erected 
on  the  southeast  corner  of  section  3.  This  building  continued  to 
be  used  for  school  purposes  until  the  erection  of  the  present  school- 
house  which  stands  across  the  road  from  its  former  site.  Miss 
Kate  Ornhert  taught  the  first  school  here. 

District  No.  6  Avas  set  oft'  in  1874  and  a  sehoolhouse  built  near 
the  corner  of  section  22.  Miss  Ella  Clark  was  the  first  teacher. 
The  district  now  known  as  Mount  Nebo  district  was  first  set  off 
in  1877.  A  sehoolhouse  was  erected  in  1878  at  a  cost  of  $600. 
John  Wilson  was  the  first  teacher  at  this  school,  with  an  attend- 
ance of  nine  scholars. 

In  1880  district  No.  7  was  established.  A  sehoolhouse  was 
built  at  the  northeast  corner  of  section  33,  in  which  Miss  Sarah 
Williams  taiught  the  first  school. 

Since  that  date  two  additional  districts  haA^e  been  set  off  and 
schoolhouses  erected.     The  school  building  which  stands  at  the 


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HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  289 

southwest  corner  of  section  29  is  located  in  one  of  tliese.  The 
other  is  what  is  known  as  (Jlark  scliool,  in  section  23.  The  dis- 
tricts have  also  been  renumbered  from  1  to  9,  inclusive. 

Coldwater  township  now  has  thi'ee  comparatively  modern 
rui-al  school  buildings  and  there  is  httle  doubt  but  that  in  the 
course  of  a  very  few  years  all  of  the  older  buildings  will  be 
replaced  by  more  modern  structures.  The  interests  of  the  chil- 
dren in  this  township  are  well  looked  after  by  an  efficient  board 
of  directors.  The  township  is  accounted  one  of  the  most  pro- 
gressive of  the  county  in  all  matters  relating  to  the  efficiency  and 
welfare  of  the  schools. 

GENERAL  ITEMS 

The  first  recorded  birth  in  Coldwater  township  was  that  of 
Margaret  Hardman,  a  daughter  of  Mr.  and  Mrs.  John  Hardman. 
This  birth  occurred  in  1854. 

The  first  wedding  in  the  township  was  that  of  Frances  J. 
Griffith  to  Martin  Van  Buren  Wamsley.  This  was  performed 
by  Coimty  Judge  Van  Dorn  on  the  4th  of  September,  1856,  at 
the  residence  of  the  bride 's  parents.  Mr.  Wamsley  died  in  prison 
at  Tyler,  Texas,  in  1864.  Mrs.  Wamsley  later  married  Clark 
Carr,  of  Jackson  township. 

The  first  death  in  the  township  was  that  of  John  Hardman, 
Jr.,  who  died  of  apoplexy  in  1853,  at  the  age  of  thirty  years. 

POPULATION 

1856,  165;  1860,  264;  1863,  225;  1865,  240;  1867,  333;  1869, 
376;  1870,  461;  1873,  796;  1875,  980;  1880,  1,325;  1890,  1,508; 
1900,  1,967;  1910,  1,836. 

VI1.LAGE  OF  GREENE 

The  present  town  of  Greene  stands  upon  land  which  was  pur- 
chased in  the  summer  of  1854  by  John  W.  Miller,  Avho  died  two 
years  thereafter.  After  securing  the  property.  Miller  put  up  a 
small  log  cabin,  near  a  group  of  springs,  which  gushed  out  from 
the  bases  of  elm  trees.  The  diminutive  habitation  was  thrown 
open  to  the  traveler  and  "mine  host"  gave  to  the  hostelry  the 
name  of  "Home  for  Travelers."     This  was  the  first  hotel  in 


290  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

(jrreeue.  The  pioneer  was  appoiutecl  postmaster  of  an  ot!ice  estab- 
lished under  the  name  of  "Elm  Springs,"  the  original  name  of 
Clarks\dlle,  and  served  the  small  community  until  his  death, 
which  occurred  in  1856,  both  as  postmaster  and  liotel  keeper. 
Soon  after  Miller's  death  his  land  passed  into  the  possession  of 
Benjamin  and  J.  E.  Eikenberry,  upon  which  Benjamin  Eiken- 
berry  erected  a  farm  house  on  the  site  of  which  was  ei'ected  some 
years  later  the  Ball  hardware  building.  In  the  latter  part  of 
1871,  when  the  Burlington,  Cedar  Rapids  &  Minnesota  Railroad 
was  completed  throiigh  Greene,  the  proper  authorities  of  the  road 
purchased  the  interests  of  the  Eikenberrys  in  one  hundred  and 
sixty  acres  of  this  land,  which  was  laid  out  and  jjlatted  into  town 
lots  by  the  railroad  officials.  The  new  trading  point,  in  honor  of 
Judge  George  Greene,  of  Duliuque.  president  of  the  road,  was 
named  Greene,  and  in  September,  J 871,  the  plat  of  Greene  was 
tiled  with  the  recorder  of  the  county  for  preservation.  The  rail- 
road comj)any  also  secured  a  large  tract  of  land  on  the  west  side  of 
the  river,  anticipating  that  some  day  the  town  would  grow  in  that 
direction. 

G.  L.  Mills  purchased  of  the  company  the  first  lot  sold  in  the 
embrj^o  town  and  O.  D.  Barnum  secured  the  second  one.  On  the 
22d  day  of  September,  1871,  G.  L.  Mills  commenced  excavating 
a  cellar,  preparatory  to  erecting  a  business  house.  The  first  build- 
ing, however,  that  st<  lod  on  the  town  site  and  was  used  for  mercan- 
tile purposes,  was  a  frame  structure,  which  was  moved  from  near 
district  No.  1  schoolhouse  in  Lower  grove.  This  was  fitted  up 
with  shelves  and  countei'S  and  converted  into  a  general  store  by 
the  firm  of  Moss  &  Sturtz.  Before  all  preliminaries  had  been 
completed  by  Moss  &  Sturtz,  however,  the  firm  of  Thomas  Broth- 
ers had  gotten  on  display  to  patrons  a  stock  of  hardware,  installed 
in  an  unfinished  Imilding,  so  that  as  a  matter  of  fact  the  Thomas 
Brothers  may  be  considered  to  have  been  the  first  merchants  in 
Greene.  The  reader  will  have  noticed  that  the  distinction  is 
finely  drawn,  as  the  interval  between  the  opening  of  the  two  stores 
was  a  very  short  one. 

The  first  store  building  erected  for  the  purpose  and  finished 
was  that  of  G.  L.  Mills,  and  shortly  after  the  two  initial  stores 
had  opened  their  doors,  in  fact,  in  the  same  month,  a  combined 
grocery  and  drug  store  was  established  here  by  the  firm  of  Trim- 
ble &  Spaulding.  Also,  on  the  first  of  the  last  month  mentioned, 
a  stock  of  groceries  and  dry  goods  was  shipped  from  Waterloo  to 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  291 

Oreene  for  the  McClure  Brothers  aucl  in  a  week  thereafter  this 
concern  had  its  doors  open  to  the  public  and  was  selling  goods 
over  its  counters.  So,  as  a  matter  of  fact,  the  month  after  the 
town  had  been  platted,  Greene  was  amply  supplied  with  business 
establishments,  when  one  considers  that  there  were  not  fifty  souls 
in  the  place. 

The  lumber  for  a  grain  elevator  was  hauled  from  Clarksville 
and  on  the  ground  before  the  completion  of  the  railroad,  and  as 
soon  as  the  railroad  was  running  trains,  G.  T.  Sampson  had  the 
elevator  ready  for  grain.  While  waiting  for  the  warehouse,  the 
firm  of  Barnum  &  Case  had  bought  considerable  grain  and  stored 
it  in  a  barn  jDnrchased  of  J.  E.  Eikenberry  and  were  the  first  to 
engage  in  the  traffic. 

The  first  woman  resident  of  Grreene  was  the  wife  of  A.  H. 
Bell.  The  latter  bought  the  Eikenberry  residence  from  the  rail- 
road and  Mrs.  Bell  converted  it  into  a  boarding  house. 

The  first  lumberyard  was  established  here  by  F.  W.  Smith  in 
1871  and  that  same  year  a  wagon  bridge  was  built  over  the  Shell 
Rock  river.  This  was  a  much  needed  improvement  and  was  paid 
for  by  the  county  appropriating  $5,000.  The  railroad  contrib- 
uted an  additional  $1,000  and  the  citizens  $1,000. 

The  Gault  House  was  the  successor  to  the  "Travelers  Home" 
and  was  ready  for  its  guests  about  the  time  trains  were  running 
through  the  place.  The  doors  of  this  hostelry  were  first  opened 
by  Bradle}'  &  Farrell.  Later  the  name  was  changed  to  the 
DeGra^v  Hotel,  which  finally  terminated  its  existence  by  going 
up  in  flames.  At  present  Greene  has  two  hotel  buildings — the 
Commercial,  a  substantial  frame,  and  the  Kessler.  To  monop- 
olize the  traffic  the  proprietor  of  the  Kessler  secured  the  Com- 
mercial property  and  closed  its  doors,  so  that  the  traveling  public 
is  compelled  to  patronize  the  former,  willy  nilly. 

Shortly  after  traffic  on  the  railroad  had  commenced  a  branch 
of  a  bank  at  Cedar  Falls,  known  as  the  Bank  of  Greene,  was  estab- 
lislied  and  continued  in  operation  until  1875,  when  its  doors  were 
sunnnarily  closed  and  the  institution  went  into  liquidation.  The 
cashier,  J.  L.  Spaulding,  left  for  parts  unknown. 

The  opening  of  a  harness  shop  by  J.  H.  Cooksey  is  reckoned 
by  the  coming  of  the  railroad;  also  a  grocery  and  fruit  store  by 
the  Baughman  brothers;  a  blacksmith  shop  by  one  Gould;  a  boot 
and  shoe  store  by  John  Reed ;  and  a  saloon  by  a  man  named  Rob- 
erts.    The  character  of  the  settlers  not  being  libations  or  ribald, 


292  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COLATY 

soon  clisgi;sted  the  ruin  seller,  and  in  a  few  sliurt  weeks  Greene 
was  purged  of  its  infection  and  Roberts  sought  a  more  congenial 
sphere  for  his  chosen  vocation. 

No  town  in  Butler  county  grew  so  rapidly  from  the  beginning 
as  did  Greene.  The  town  hardl}'  had  been  platted  before  material 
was  on  the  ground  for  buildings  and  within  thirty  days  after  the 
town  site  was  platted  there  were  four  business  concerns  selling 
goods  to  the  farmers  of  the  surrounding  country,  which  has  no 
superior,  from  an  agricultural  viewpoint,  in  the  state  of  Iowa. 
And  Greene  continued  to  advance  in  '"its  building  operations, 
increase  of  mercantile  establishments  and  population,  until,  in 
1873,  two  years  after  its  birth,  the  Butler  County  Press,  estab- 
lished at  Greene  in  the  month  of  Augaist  of  that  year,  was  led  to 
publish  the  following  interesting  facts:  In  1873  Greene  has  a 
population  of  500,  one  church,  a  good  schdolhouse,  one  drug  store, 
one  shoe  store,  one  planing  mill,  one  wagon  factory,  four  dry 
goods  and  grocery  stores,  two  harness  shops,  two  hotels,  two  mil- 
linery stores,  two  banks,  two  agricultuial  warehouses,  two  black- 
smith shops,  three  grain  warehouses,  two  lumberyards,  two  saloons 
and  one  restaurant,  a  town  library.  The  Press  apparently  was 
well  patronized  in  1874,-  as  the  following  advertisers  indicate: 
Physicians,  C.  C.  Huckins,  V.  C.  Birney  and  W.  H.  Nichols;  A. 
Hardman,  draAanan ;  R.  P.  Graupner,  barber ;  John  Collins,  boots 
and  shoes ;  J.  L.  Cole,  druggist ;  Charles  Northfoss,  door  and  sash 
manufacturer;  C.  H.  Bauglunan,  arcliitect;  E.  Wilson,  county 
recorder ;  Tlieodore  Coley,  blacksmith ;  Henry  Feyereiseu, 
Dubuque  Hotel;  Mrs.  M.  Ball,  millinery;  AVilliam  M.  Foote, 
lawyer;  J.  W.  Gilger,  lawyer;  George  W.  Long,  New  Hotel;  A. 
Bradley,  (Jault  House;  vS.  W.  Soesbe,  real  estate;  J.  M.  Wegand, 
jjainter;  E.  W.  Soesbe,  machines;  S.  T.  Hotchkiss,  general  mer- 
chandise; Morris  Ball,  hardware;  Bank  of  Greene,  J.  L.  S])auld- 
ing,  cashier;  Barnum,  Case  &  Compan}-,  lumber;  Young  &  Pope, 
furniture ;  A.  W.  Collins,  architect ;  W.  R.  McClure,  general  mer- 
chandise; J.  Pennock,  boots  and  shoes;  S.  Thomas  &  Company, 
hardware;  L.  A.  Boiler  &  Brother,  jewelrv;  N.  W.  Thomas  & 
Company,  agricultural  warehouse ;  Johnston  &  Hill,  wagon  and 
carriage  works;  Trimble  &  Stranahan,  drugs;  D.  E.  Shook, 
machinery;  C.  Snyder,  harness;  F.  D.  Mabee,  restaiirant;  Trim- 
ble &  Barney,  livery;  Charles  V.  McClure,  land  office;  E.  Jordan, 
real  estate;  George  L.  Mills,  general  merchandise;  T.  F.  Heery, 
lumber;  F.  M.  Root  &  Company,  general  merchandise. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  293 

POSTOFFICE 

The  settlers  of  Coldwater  towusliip  secured  a  distributing  and 
Teceiving  point  for  their  mail  in  the  year  1855,  which  was  called 
Elm  Springs  postoffice  and  John  Miller,  who  kept  the  office  at 
his  residence,  just  south  of  the  town  which  was  later  named 
Grreeue,  was  appointed  postmaster,  and  retained  the  position  until 
in  the  '60s,  when  Samuel  Earnest  was  made  his  successor;  the 
office  was  then  moved  to  Mr.  Earnest's  home,  which  stood  south 
of  the  old  roundhouse.  There  have  been  several  worthy  citizens 
incumbents  of  this  office,  but  their  names  are  not  readj^  to  hand. 
However,  W.  A.  McClure  is  the  present  Federal  official  and  the 
postoffice  is  in  commodious  rooms  on  Main  street. 

THE  WAXATAH  MILL 

In  the  autuimi  of  1874  the  frame  of  the  mill  which  stood  on 
the  east  bank  of  the  Shell  Rock  river  at  the  entrance  to  the  bridge 
was  raised  and  in  1875  the  structure  was  completed  by  the  owner, 
E.  Ililler,  and  the  machinery  started.  The  original  l:)uilding  was 
40x50  feet  with  an  office  20x20.  With  the  stone  basement  it  was 
two  stories  in  height.  The  mill  was  equipped  with  four  run  of 
stone  and  had  a  grinding  capacity  of  100  barrels  a  day.  The 
cost  was  $18,000.  By  repeated  disasters,  occasioned  by  continued 
wasliing  aAvay  of  the  dam,  Mr.  Hiller  lost  the  property.  George 
W.  Bellinger,  of  Ripon,  Wisconsin,  was  the  next  owner.  The 
dam  was  reinforced  and  the  Bellingers — P.  N".  and  Burt — sons 
of  the  purchaser,  managed  the  industry  for  many  years  and  up 
to  the  time  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  In  1884  the  property  came 
into  the  hands  of  the  Greene  Water  Power  &  Mill  Company, 
composed  of  John  Earnest,  S.  W.  Soesbe,  Henry  Feyereisen,  Br. 
J.  Xevins,  R.  Miner  and  others,  who  built  the  present  mill.  About 
1890  the  Greene  Manufacturing  Company  became  the  owners  and 
operated  the  mill  until  1908,  when  it  passed  into  the  hands  of  the 
prcsfut  ()'w^^ers,  the  Greene  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company. 

TOWX   OF   GREE^TE   IXCORPORATED 

The  town  of  Greene  was  incorporated  in  1879  and  had  a  pop- 
ulation at  the  time  of  700.  The  district  court  had  gi-anted  articles 
of  incorporation  on  a  generously  signed  petition  of  the  citizens, 


294  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

and  soon  thereafter  au  election  was  held,  at  which  the  following- 
mnnicipal  officers  were  chosen:  Mayor,  C.  T.  Lamson;  trnstees, 
J.  L.  Cole,  S.  W.  Soesbe,  G.  L.  Mills,  Henry  Peyereisen,  W.  II. 
Rupert,  R.  Miner.  On  the  20th  of  September,  and  immediately 
following  the  election,  the  officials  met  in  their  tirst  regular  ses- 
sion and  qualified  under  oath  administered  b}-  Justice  Riuer. 
Ul^on  completion  of  the  council's  organization,  on  motion,  O.  D. 
Barnum  was  appointed  recorder ;  C.  Crocker,  marshal  and  street 
commissioner.  G.  L.  Mills  acted  as  clerk  and  took  the  minutes 
of  the  proceedings.  At  the  second  meeting  of  council,  William 
Soesbe  was  selected  as  treasui'er  and  C.  AV.  Gilger,  solicitor. 

At  a  meeting  of  council  held  in  October,  1879,  The  Butler 
County  Press  volunteered  to  publish  the  proceedings  of  the  coun- 
cil free  of  charge  and  all  ordinances  at  fifty  cents  per  square  inch. 
The  offer  was  accepted,  in  the  same  month  Councilmen  Riner, 
Mills  and  Peyereisen  comprised  a  committee  which  built  the  city 
"lockup."  The  building  was  a  frame  and  had  two  cells.  A  front 
room  was  used  as  the  council  chamber.  This  sufficed  for  a  while 
and  then  another  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  present  city  hall. 

A   DIMINUTIVE   FERRY 

It  may  not  be  generally  known  that  Greene  at  one  time  main- 
tained a  ferry,  for  the  convenience  of  the  citizens  who  desired 
to  cross  from  one  bank  of  the  usually  placid  Shell  Rock  river  to 
the  other,  while  the  bridge  was  in  course  of  erection  across  that 
stream.  It  is  true,  however,  that  a  committee  of  council  was 
api^ointed  Januarj'  8,  1880,  composed  of  Mayor  C.  T.  Lamson, 
and  Councilmen  Mills  and  Rupert,  to  build  a  ferry  boat,  to  be 
used  in  crossing  the  river,  and  while  the  records  are  not  explicit 
on  the  point,  it  is  to  be  jDresumed  that  the  ferry  was  built  and 
operated  during  the  emergency  period  herein  mentioned.  These 
improvements  all  took  place  under  the  administration  of  Mayor 
C.  T.  Lamson.  The  names  of  his  successors  in  the  office  of 
chief  executive,  and  that  of  the  clerks  follow  in  their  (U'der: 
Mayors— A^  C.  Birney,  H.  H.  Barnett.  C.  T.  Lamson,  C.  AY. 
Soesbe,  Andrew  Glodery,  Charles  Gates,  A.  Glodery,  Oliver 
McGee,  L.  K.  Reid,  Ldwin  Morrill,  AY.  H.  Buchholz,  Edwin  Alor- 
rill,  Paul  Deveraux,  AYilliam  P.  N(.lteriek.  H.  H.  Barnett,  E.  AY. 
Parno,  John  Hessalroad;  clerks — O.  C.  Barnum,  C.  AY.  Lyford, 
M.  Hartness,  Dan  Carney,  C.  E.  Mabee,  R.  L.  Doore,  P.  L.  Stober. 
LeRov  Niles. 


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WW     a 


HIGH  SCHOOL,  GREENE 


BIRD'S-EYE  VIEW  OF  GREEXE 


■-ridi 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  295 

THE  SCHOOLS 

The  schools  at  Greene  were  identitied  and  set  apart  in  1866 
as  comprising  district  No.  4,  but  in  1873  the  territory  was  reor- 
ganized as  an  independent  district.  Prior  to  this,  however,  the 
district  had  two  frame  schoolhouses,  which  acconunodated  the  one 
himdred  and  fifty  pupils.  But  the  number  of  children  of  school 
age  increased  quite  rapidly  and  by  1877  outgrew  the  capacities  of 
the  buildings.  Hence,  in  the  year  just  mentioned,  a  large  frame 
structure  was  erected  on  the  hill  overlooking  the  town  and  on  the 
site  of  the  present  high  school  building.  This  was  of  frame, 
veneered  with  brick,  two  stories  in  height  and  cost  $6,000,  and 
continued  in  use  until  1896,  when  it  was  destroyed  by  fire.  A  new 
and  more  modern  structure  immediately  took  its  place.  It  is  of 
brick  material,  contains  six  rooms  and  an  assembly  room,  the 
latter  having  a  capacity  of  one  hundred  pupils.  The  grades  nmn- 
ber  twelve,  with  a  high  school  having  an  accredited  rating.  This 
school  is  presided  over  by  six  teachers,  exclusive  of  the  city  super- 
intendent, and  all  concerned  are  now  provided  with  most  of  the 
conveniences  to  be  found  in  the  schools  of  modern  times.  The 
building  and  equipment  cost  about  $15,000  when  first  erected. 
In  1911  an  addition  to  the  building  brought  the  cost  up  to  $20,000. 
On  the  west  side  of  the  town  is  another  school  building,  a  brick- 
veneered  frame,  having  four  rooms  and  erected  at  a  cost  of  prob- 
ably $8,000.  There  are  four  teachers  who  preside  over  the 
elementary  educational  destinies  of  the  children  in  that  locality. 

GREENE  LIBRARY 

Early  in  February,  1873,  when  Greene  was  still  in  short 
dresses,  so  to  speak,  a  library  association  was  formed  by  certain 
of  the  village's  progressive  men  and  women.  The  name  and  title 
of  the  organization  is  the  "Library  Association  of  Greene,  But- 
ler County,  Iowa,"  and  by  means  of  contributions  of  books  and 
receipts  from  entertainments  a  sum  was  gathered  which  formed 
a  fund  for  the  purchase  of  books,  which  became  the  nucleus  of 
the  present  library.  Further,  through  the  lieneficence  of  Judge 
George  Greene,  an  endowment  fund  of  $1,200  was  seoui-ed  for  the 
purchase  of  books,  the  interest  from  the  fund  only  being  avail- 
able for  that  purpose.  As  the  years  have  gone  by  the  association 
has  kept  its  course  in  a  conservative  manner  and  today  has  a 


:^!»6  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

valuable  and  splendid  collection  of  books  which  now  numbers 
about  2,500  volumes,  500  vohmies  of  which  were  selected  for 
juvenile  readers  and  their  jjossible  edification.  The  first  president 
of  the  association  was  C.  T.  Lamson,  and  C.  S.  Stranahan  assumed 
the  duties  of  secretary.  The  personnel  of  the  present  official  list 
follows:  President,  Benjamin  Boardman;  vice  president,  Mrs. 
F.  D.  Mabee;  treasurer,  O.  C.  Perrin;  secretary,  F.  L.  Stober; 
librarian.  Miss  Marion  Hodgdou. 

For  years  the  library's  headquarters  were  first  in  one  law 
office  and  then  in  another.  But  when  the  new  city  hall  was  com- 
pleted and  occupied  pressure  was  brought  to  bear  upon  the 
council  and  that  body  was  prevailed  upon  to  give  the  library  a 
permanent  home.  Hence,  since  1910,  the  library  has  been  com- 
fortably and  convenienth'  located  on  the  second  floor  of  the  citv 
hall. 

THE   CITY    HALL 

While  comparisons  are  more  or  less  obnoxious,  still  it  will  not 
be  going  too  far  to  say  that  Greene  has  the  best  and  most  pre- 
tentious municipal  building  in  Butler  county.  This  utility  was 
made  possible  by  an  appropriation  of  council  in  1910  and  before 
the  year  had  expired  a  handsome  two -story  brick  structure  was 
built  on  Second  street,  at  a  cost  of  $3,600.  The  first  floor  is  de- 
voted to  the  fire  department  and  apparatus :  also  the  rear  part  of 
it  contains  the  steel  cages  of  the  city  bastile.  The  upper  floor  is 
given  over  to  the  council,  mayor,  city  clerk  and  library. 

WATERWORKS 

Peeling  the  need  of  a  sufficient  supply  of  water  for  pu1>lie  and 
domestic  uses,  a  movement  gained  headway  in  1900,  for  the  estab- 
lishment of  a  system  of  municipal  waterworks.  The  question  of 
building  waterworks  and  issuing  $9,500  in  bonds  for  their  con- 
struction, was  submitted  to  the  electorate  of  (rreene  on  the  23d 
of  July,  1900,  and  was  carried  by  a  generous  majority.  Work 
was  at  once  commenced  on  the  construction  of  the  improvement. 
One  well,  five  feet  in  diameter  and  twenty-five  feet  in  depth,  was 
drilled  and  an  excellent  quality  of  aqna  ptira  obtained.  Mains 
were  laid  throughout  the  main  thoroughfares  and  a  steel  tower. 
upon  which  rests  a  wooden  tank  with  a  capacity  of  50.000  gal- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  297 

Ions,  was  erected,  and  today  Greene  has  a  splendid  waterworks 
system,  obtained  at  an  original  cost  of  $12,000.  By  an  arrange- 
ment with  the  electric  light  company,  power  for  pimiping  the 
water  was  secured. 

SEWERAGE    SYSTEM 

No  town  of  the  importance  and  size  of  Greene  can  consider 
itself  safe,  from  a  sanitary  standpoint,  and  have  a  completed 
system  of  waterworks  without  sewerage.  This  proposition  has 
been  realized  as  being  the  only  tenable  one  in  the  premises,  by 
the  leading  minds  of  the  place  and  at  this  writing  preliminary 
proceedings  of  the  town  council  have  reached  a  stage  which  make 
it  a  certainty  that  in  the  spring  of  the  present  year  a  system  of 
sewerage  wUl  be  inaugurated. 

POLICE   AND   FIRE   DEPARTMENTS 

There  are  no  saloons  in  Butler  county,  consequently  no  nui- 
sance of  the  kind  has  an  abiding  place  in  Greene.  This  prefatory 
remark  serves  to  bolster  the  assertion  that  the  people  of  this  place 
are  quiet  and  orderly  in  their  daily  walks  and  have  but  little  use 
for  a  police  force.  The  office  of  marshal  is  a  creation  of  law, 
however,  and  the  authorities  following  the  mandates  of  the  law, 
at  regular  intervals  make  provisions  for  the  selection  of  a  compe- 
tent and  eligible  man  to  fill  the  position.  Practically,  he  is  a 
mere  figurehead  and  his  duties  chiefly  consist  in  parading  the 
streets  and  drawing  a  monthly  salary.  The  fire  department  is  of 
the  volunteer  order.  But  when  an  alarm  of  fire  shatters  the  nor- 
mal placidity  of  the  citizens  every  one  becomes  a  member  of  the 
department  and,  if  possible,  will  be  found  at  the  scene  of  con- 
flagration, doing  a  neighborly  turn,  by  working  valiantly  and  oft- 
times  furiously,  in  subdv;ing  and  annihilating  the  fiery  foe.  The 
city  is  well  equipped  with  1,500  feet  of  hose,  two  hose  carts,  a 
hook  and  ladder  wagon  and  twenty-one  fire  hydrants. 

LIGHTING  SYSTEM 

The  lighting  system  in  Greene  belongs  to  a  private  corpora- 
tion, known  as  the  Greene  Electric  Light  &  Power  Company, 
whose  officers  are:     President.  W.  H.  Buchholz;  vice  president, 


298  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

M.  Blumer;  secretary,  R.  Miner;  treasurer,  F.  L.  Stober.  The 
company  was  incorporated  July  1,  1906,  and  has  two  separate 
plants,  one  on  the  west  side,  the  motive  power  of  which  is  steam, 
and  the  other  on  the  east  side,  which  is  run  by  water  power.  The 
first  named  plant  was  built  by  Charles  Callender.  Eventually, 
he  sold  the  property  to  his  father,  John  Callender,  and  T.  B. 
Bowman,  both  deceased.  The  latter  had  disposed  of  their  inter- 
ests in  the  utility  to  F.  J.  Fift'ner,  who  sold  out  to  the  present 
proprietors.  This  plant  is  used  only  in  cases  of  emergency.  The 
East  Side  plant  was  started  in  1909.  by  the  Greene  Electric  Light 
&  Power  Company,  who  also  own  the  mill  property  and  dam. 
South  of  and  adjoining  the  mill  the  power  house,  constructed  of 
concrete,  was  biiilt,  and  equipped  with  machinery  to  serve  a  direct 
current  to  its  patrons. 

FINANCIAL 

The  early  histoi'y  of  banking  in  (rreene  probably  should  remain 
untold,  as  the  end  of  the  first  institution  of  the  kind  established 
here,  was  in  the  nature  of  a  disaster.  The  Bank  of  Greene,  a 
branch  of  a  Cedar  Falls  concern,  opened  its  doors  for  business 
in  the  latter  part  of  1871  or  early  in  1872.  But  in  1875  the  bank 
collapsed ;  the  cashier,  J.  L.  Spaulding,  left  under  a  cloud. 

The  First  State  Bank  was  organized  December  15,  1887,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $50,000.  This  institution  is  the  outgrowth  of 
the  Shell  Rock  AT'alley  Bank,  which  began  business  the  20th  day 
of  January,  1875,  with  a  capital  stock  of  $50,000.  The  promoters 
of  the  enterprise  were  N.  B.  Ridgeway,  A.  Slimmer,  Joe  Rosen- 
baum,  M.  B.  Wamsley  and  Jeremiah  Perrin.  A  reorganization 
took  place  December  11,  1883,  and  under  a  charter  secured  under 
the  national  banking  act  the  institution  continued  operations  as 
the  First  National  Bank,  capitalized  at  $55,000.  A.  Slimmer, 
C.  H.  Wilcox,  Jeremiah  Perrin,  Andrew  Glodery,  Lewis  Porthun, 
Samuel  McRoberts,  Sr.  and  IST.  B.  Ridgeway  were  the  incorpora- 
tors. The  management  continued  imder  the  Federal  jurisdiction 
three  years  and  on  November  8,  188(i,  reorgauized  as  the  State 
Bank,  reducing  the  capital  stock  to  $50,000.  December  15,  1887, 
the  name  and  title  were  changed  to  the  First  State  Bank,  having 
for  its  list  of  officials  the  following  named  persons:  President. 
Jeremiah  Perrin;  vice  president,  A.  Glodery;  cashier,  M.  Hart- 
ness.    In  January,  1892,  upon  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Hartuess. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  299 

O.  C.  Perrin  was  elected  to  fill  the  vacancy,  and  retained  the 
position  until  January  13,  1903.  From  that  time  to  the  present 
the  followiug  officers  have  served  the  bank :  O.  0.  Perrin,  presi- 
dent; M.  J.  Perrin,  vice  president;  F.  L.  Stober,  cashier;  D.  H. 
Ellis  and  G.  K.  Watterson,  assistants.  The  home  of  the  bank 
is  in  a  two-story  brick  building,  which  it  erected  in  1887.  Capi- 
tal, $50,000;  surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $100,000;  deposits, 
$514,000. 

There  is  no  record  of  any  other  bank  in  Greene  until  1883, 
when  E.  W.  Soesbe,  S,  W.  Soesbe  and  J.  B.  Shepardson  started 
a  private  banking  house.  In  1892,  S.  W.  Soesbe  died,  but  the 
business  continued  on  under  the  direction  of  E.  W.  Soesbe  and 
J.  B.  Shepardson  until  1903.  In  the  year  last  named,  E.  W. 
Soesbe,  J.  B.  Shepardson,  C.  H.  Williams,  W.  W.  Thorpe  and 
Edwin  Morrill  incorporated  the  Merchants  National  Bank,  with 
a  capital  stock  of  $50,000.  The  board  of  directors  elected  the  fol- 
lowing officers:  President,  E.  W.  Soesbe;  vice  president,  J.  B. 
Shepardson ;  cashier,  C.  W.  Soesbe.  In  1904,  E.  W.  Soesbe  passed 
away  and  J.  B.  Shepardson  was  elected  his  successor  to  the  presi- 
dency. For  two  years  Edwin  Morrill  filled  the  office  of  vice 
jjresident  and  retired  in  1908,  C.  W.  Soesbe  succeeding  him.  D. 
H.  Ellis  followed  Soesbe  in  the  cashier's  office  and  remained  in 
the  position  two  years,  when  he  was  followed  by  B.  N.  Mead.  Mr. 
Mead  served  in  this  capacity  two  yea]-s  and  then  gave  way  to  the 
present  cashier,  G.  A.  Carney.  The  home  of  the  bank  was  built 
by  the  Soesbes  in  1883.  Capital,  $50,000;  surplus,  $10,000; 
deposits  $225,000. 

THE   THEATRE 

The  town  of  Greene  has  a  theatre  building  that  is  certainly 
no  discredit  to  the  community.  The  structure  was  erected  on 
Traer  street  in  1913  by  Frank  Phillips,  of  Clarksville,  at  a  cost 
of  $8,500.  The  front  shows  an  arched  entresol  and  the  interior 
has  a  stage  and  opera  chairs  elevated  from  front  to  rear  of  the 
room.  Tlie  place  is  given  over  to  the  ''Movies,"  or  picture  shows, 
which  are  selected  and  conducted  upon  a  high  moral  plane.  The 
town  also  has  an  opera  house,  Avhere  a  good  class  of  traveling 
thespians  often  display  their  talents  to  admiring  audiences. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL   CHITRCH 

Rev.  S.  W.  Ingham,  in  the  early  territorial  days  of  Iowa,  was 
a  Methodist  circuit  rider  and  while  traversing  his  district  of 


300  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

sometliiiig  near  four  liimdred  miles,  he  arl■i^"ed  uu  iiorseback  at 
the  home  of  James  (iriffith,  in  Coldwater  township,  ou  tlie  ISth 
day  of  Jime,  1853.  He  stopped  over-uight  at  the  hospitable 
cabiu  home  and  for  breakfast  the  next  morning  he  feasted  on 
deliciously  cooked  venison,  corn  cakes  and  coffee.  The  informa- 
tion that  he  was  a  clergyman  gladdened  the  hearts  of  his  hosts 
and  immediately  they  called  in  a  few  neighbors  and  to  them  the 
man  of  God  preached  the  (iospel,  which  was  the  first  sermon  ever 
heard  in  Coldwater  township.  The  visit  of  Rev.  Ingham  and  his 
sermon  was  an  incentive  to  liis  auditors  to  form  a  Methodist 
class  and  this  might  be  considered  the  nucleus  of  the  Methodist 
church  in  Greene.  In  1854,  Rev.  William  Gough  was  a  preacher 
on  this  circuit.  He  was  followed  in  1855  by  Rev.  William  P.  Hol- 
brook  and  meetings  were  held  at  irregular  periods  in  the  homes 
of  the  settlers  and  in  schoolhouses  until  in  the  spring  of  1872, 
when  Rev.  Phili]:)  W.  Gould  formally  organized  "the  Class  of 
Greene"  with  the  following  named  members:  James  Griffith  and 
wife,  Mrs.  Ella  Soesbe.  Mrs.  Mary  Spaulding  and  Mrs.  Court- 
right  and  daughter.  J.  H.  Cooksey,  class  leader ;  James  Griffith, 
steward.  The  year  succeeding  Rev.  Z.  R.  Ward  was  in  charge. 
Rev.  James  H.  Gilruth  ministered  to  the  spiritual  needs  com- 
mencing his  labors  in  1874.  Since  then  men  of  worth  and  soimd 
intellect  have  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  the  early  pastors.  Their 
names  follow:  Revs.  Enoch  Holland.  1875-6-7:  George  B.  Shoe- 
maker. 1878-9;  David  E.  Skinner,  who  soon  resigned  on  account 
of  ill  health  and  was  succeeded  by  John  A.  Brown,  who  was  fol- 
lowed by  B.  A.  Wright.  T.  M.  Anderson.  W.  A.  Gibbons.  P.  J. 
Leonard,  T.  E.  Taylor.  C.  R.  Alderson,  R.  D.  Black.  George  E. 
Shearer,  C.  S.  Cole".  F.  Bindenberger,  B.  W.  Soper,  R.  H.  Puckett 
and  L.  S.  Lockard,  now  in  charge. 

The  Methodists  built  a  church  in  1877.  which  cost  them  $3,000. 
It  was  dedicated  by  a  son  of  the  circuit  rider.  Rev.  S.  W.  Ingham, 
twenty-four  years  after  his  father  preached  to  a  small  gathering 
of  pioneers  in  the  humble  cabin  home  of  James  Griffith.  In  1897 
a  wing  was  added  to  each  side  of  the  church  and  with  interior 
decorations  the  sum  of  $1,500  was  expended  to  cover  the  cost  of 
improvements.  Interior  decorations  in  1912  cost  $1,000.  A  Sun- 
day school  was  established  in  1877.  with  forty  members;  the 
attendance  has  grown  to  two  hundred.  The  membership  of  the 
church  is  two  hundred  and  ten. 


lATIIKRAN  CHURCH.  GREENE 


BRETHEEN  CHURCH.  GREENE 


1\  V 


I'--  1.''.   LENOX 

.iJNDATIONS 


r "tKF  new  rrio; 
IPUBLIC  US'' 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  301 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

Rev.  Richard  Morrill  organized  the  Presbyterian  church  in 
June,  1863,  at  the  Hart  schoolhouse  on  section  13.  The  charter 
members  were  Solomon  Sturtz,  Rebecca  Sturtz,  Henry  McNabb, 
John  Sturtz,  Emanuel  Leidig,  Susan  Sturtz,  Elizabeth  Sturtz, 
Anna  E.  McNabb,  Rebecca  Leidig,  Sarah  C.  Sturtz  and  John  Mc- 
Nabb. The  society  reorganized  in  1872,  as  the  First  Presbyterian 
Church  of  Greene,  through  the  offices  of  a  committee  from  Water- 
loo, consisting  of  Revs.  George  Graham  and  W.  R.  Smith ;  Elders 
A.  D.  Barnum  and  Seman  Armstrong.  The  charter  members 
were  Henry  McNabb,  Solomon  Sturtz,  Mrs.  Rebecca  Earnest, 
Mrs.  Sarah  C.  Hart,  Mrs.  Ellen  Paulsey,  Emanuel  Leidig,  Mrs. 
Rebecca  Leidig,  Mrs.  Jennie  Bentley.  The  organization  took  place 
at  the  Moore  schoolhouse  and  the  first  pastor  was  Rev.  George 
Graham,  of  Clarksville,  who  presided  at  Greene  alternate  Sun- 
days for  five  years.  His  successors  follow:  Revs.  David  James, 
September,  1877 — September,  1878;  C.  Gaston,  intervals  from 
November.  1878— May,  1881;  W.  H.  McKee,  May,  1881— Janu- 
ary. 1882;  E.  J.  Marshall,  May,  1882— August,  1882;  J.  P.  Curtis, 
February,  1883— February,  1886;  D.  A.  Murray,  May,  1887— 
September,  1887;  N.  C.  Green,  March,  1888— February,  1890; 
Charles  H.  Wissner.  May,  1890— November.  1890 ;  Rev.  McClade, 
April,  1891— April,  1892;  U.  G.  Schell,  May,  1892— October,  1892; 
J.  M.  Smith,  January,  1893— February,  1895;  J.  S.  Phillips,  May, 
1895— February,  1897;  P.  S.  Davies.  March,  1897— March,  1898; 
S.  D.  McFadden,  May.  1898— October,  1904;  R.  S.  Weinland, 
October,  1904— April.  1906;  W.  E.  Fisher,  August,  1906— May, 
1913;  John  W.  Chase,  from  June  20,  1913,  as  stated  supply,  and 
installed  as  pastor  October  30,  1913. 

The  present  membership  of  the  church  is  one  hundred  and 
thirty-four. 

A  note  of  sadness  entered  the  history  of  this  church  when,  in 
the  month  of  August,  1882,  the  pastor.  Rev.  E.  J.  Marshall,  lost 
his  life  in  the  Shell  Rock  river,  while  bathing.  He  was  a  young 
Englishman  and  only  had  been  in  this  country  a  year.  His  death 
caused  a  gloom  to  settle  over  the  whole  community  and  was  greatly 
deplored  by  his  parishioners. 

CHURCH  OF  THE  BRETHREN 

Elder  Philip  Moss  with  his  family  arrived  in  Coldwater  town- 
ship from  Indiana  in  October,  1855,  and  located  on  a  claim  near 


302  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

tiie  present  town  of  Greene.  He  began  preaching  at  liis  home  and 
the  homes  of  his  neighbors.  As  soon  as  schoolhoiise  No.  1  was 
completed  services  were  held  there  and  in  June,  1857,  a  formal 
organization  of  the  Brethren  church  was  effected,  with  mem- 
bers whose  names  follow :  John  Hartman  and  wife,  Jacob  Keprogle 
and  wife,  Felix  Landis  and  wife,  Benjamin  Eikenberry  and  wife, 
Jacob  Harter  and  wife  and  a  few  others.  Rev.  Philip  Moss  was 
the  pastor  about  five  years.  He  was  called  to  Ms  final  reward 
and  his  successor.  Rev.  John  H.  FillmorCj  filled  the  pulpit  for  a 
period  of  three  years.  Others  in  charge  were,  namely:  Revs. 
John  F.  Eikenberry,  who  at  times  was  assisted  by  Revs.  Ben- 
jamin Ellis,  John  E.  Eikenberry,  Humphrey  Tallhehu,  N.  Trapp, 
E.  Moore  and  J.  B.  Shank.  In  the  regular  pastorate  Harvey 
Eikenberry  followed  J.  F.  Eilienberry.  Next  came  William  H. 
Hood,  whose  assistant  ministers  were  W.  H.  Pyle  and  Edward 
Eikenberry.  Hood's  successor  is  the  present  pastor.  Rev.  J.  F. 
Butler.  The  membership  of  the  church  is  one  hundred  and  eight ; 
attendance  at  the  Suudav  school  averages  one  hundred  and  fortv. 
A  house  of  worship  was  built  by  this  church  in  1873,  costing 
$4,000,  and  at  the  time  was  the  finest  building  of  its  kind  in  Butler 
county.  It  is  built  of  stone  and  the  ground  dimensions  are  40x60 
feet. 

UNITED  BEETHREN  IN   CHRIST 

This  denomination  effected  an  organization  in  Coldwater 
township  in  the  year  1859,  Revs.  John  Buckmaster  and  Israel 
Shafer  assisting.  The  first  services  were  held  at  the  home  of 
Widow  Hall  and  the  first  pastor  was  Rev.  James  Murjihy,  who 
has  had  a  number  of  successors. 

ST.  Mary's  catholic  church 

The  members  of  the  Roman  Catholic  faith  living  in  and  near 
Greene  attended  mass,  held  by  Father  Flavin,  early  in  the  begin- 
ning of  the  town,  in  a  church  south  of  the  place,  which  had  been 
erected  before  Greene  came  into  existence.  Father  Coyle  and 
others  also  preached  to  this  congregation.  The  first  resident 
pastor  was  Father  S.  McNulty,  who  was  offered  two  lots  for  build- 
ing purposes,  by  Judge  George  Greene,  president  of  the  local 
railroad.    But  the  offer  was  not  accepted.    After  the  town  began 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  303 

to  grow,  Father  McNulty's  flock  luet  for  a  tiuie  at  Feyereiseu's 
hall  and  soon  they  had  a  small  church  building  of  theii'  own.  This 
was  succeeded  by  a  large  and  more  conunodious  structure,  which 
is  now  in  use.  Rev.  Father  J.  L.  Kirby  was  the  second  pastor. 
He  was  succeeded  by  Father  Patrick  Smith  and  in  1898,  the  pres- 
ent resident  priest.  Father  James  Sheehy,  was  placed  in  charge 
of  the  parish.  The  church  has  grown  vastly  in  strength  and  pros- 
perity, having  at  the  present  time  a  membership  of  four  hundred 
and  property  valued  at  $25,000.  This  consists  of  a  substantial 
frame  church  building,  a  priest's  residence  and  a  magnificent 
two-story  school  building  trimmed  with  stone,  which  cost  $12,000. 
This  henceforth  will  be  known  as  St.  Mary's  Academy  and  will 
be  in  charge  of  Franciscan  Sisters,  whose  residence  is  opposite 
the  academy. 

FKATERNAL  ORDERS 

The  Masonic  lodge  at  Greene  has  one  of  the  finest  and  best 
equipped  temples  in  northern  Iowa,  in  a  new  building  the  upper 
story  of  which  belongs  to  the  organization.  This  body  is  strong 
in  numbers  and  has  a  treasure  chest  well  filled.  Alpha  Lodge,  No. 
326,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.  was  organized  June  5,  1873.  The  charter  mem- 
bers were  E.  S.  Thomas,  G.  L.  Mills,  C  S.  Stranahan,  E.  S.  Case, 
W.  H.  Nichols,  E.  Jordan,  F.  D.  Mabee,  Frank  Beals,  Charles 
Klobe,  S.  T.  Hotchkiss,  C.  C.  Huckins,  W.  H.  Smith,  A.  Glodery, 
Hugh  Johnson.  First  officers :  E.  S.  Thomas,  W.  M. ;  G.  L.  Mills, 
S.  W.;  C.  S.  Stranahan,  J.  W.;  W.  H.  Smith,  Treas.;  C.  C.  Huck- 
ins, Sec. ;  E.  S.  Case,  S.  D. ;  W.  H.  Nichols,  J.  T>. ;  Hugh  Johnson, 
Tyler. 

May  Day  Chapter,  No.  287.  Order  Eastern  Star,  an  auxiliary 
of  the  Masonic  lodge,  was  organized  on  the  24th  day  of  October, 
1900.  with  twenty-six  charter  members.  The  chapter  is  mainly 
composed  of  the  wives  and  sisters  of  the  main  bod}'. 

Elm  Springs  Lodge,  No.  318,  L  0.  0.  F.,  was  organized  Octo- 
ber 21,  1875,  and  now  has  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  fif- 
teen. The  lodge  is  in  good  condition  financially  and  joined  the 
Masons  and  Knights  of  Pythias  in  building  a  handsome  hall, 
where  the  three  lodges  meet.  This  hall  is  also  the  headquarters 
for  other  fraternal  bodies. 

There  is  also  an  auxiliary  body,  Greene  Lodge,  No.  381,  Daugh- 
ters of  Rebekah,  which  was  established  October  22,  1897. 


304  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Butler  Lodge,  JSTo.  155,  Kuights  of  Pythias,  was  established 
October  7,  1885,  by  C.  H.  Wilcox,  J.  W.  Osier,  Louis  Hushburg, 
C.  M.  Greene,  Charles  W.  Lyford,  G.  E.  Delavan,  F.  B.  Cheney, 
J.  Nevins,  O.  D.  Barnuna,  John  Montgomery,  G.  W.  Burbank,  G. 
W.  Wilson,  S.  A.  Van  Sann,  J.  E.  Miller,  A.  M.  Trent,  Joseph  T. 
Stokely,  Fred  MorriU,  C.  A.  Witzel,  E.  J.  Moyer,  F.  W.  Huckins, 
H.  W.  Johnson,  Will  D.  Grace,  W.  H.  Morrill,  G.  C.  Thomas. 
The  lodge  has  a  membership  of  one  hundred  and  sixty. 

The  Pythian  Sisters,  Charlton  Temple,  No.  146,  was  organized 
October  9,  1902,  by  Allie  Greene,  Elsie  Doore,  Floy  McRoberts, 
Emma  Baker,  Jennie  M.  Baker,  Lulu  Shaffer,  Louise  Yates,  And 
Rosburg  and  Carrie  Carney.  They  meet  in  Knights  of  Pvthias 
hall. 

GRAND   ARMY   OF   THE   REPUBLIC 

Greene  Post,  No.  22,  G.  A.  R.,  organized  November  18,  1898, 
with  the  following  charter  members:  Ed  Morrill,  W.  W.  West, 
Jacob  Hoffman,  F.  G.  Etter,  C.  B.  Weston,  W.  H.  Rupert,  J. 
Blanden,  J.  J.  Winterbum,  W.  J.  CroxTse,  Levi  Sheets,  James 
Mettler.  W.  H.  Fleak,  C.  Crabtree,  James  Beardorf.  D.  R.  Free- 
man, Albert  Boggs,  J.  Adams,  W.  A.  Keister,  A.  E.  Austin,  Rich- 
ard H.  Brooks. 

The  Modem  Woodmen  of  America  and  their  auxiliary,  the 
Royal  Neighbors,  have  lodges  here. 


CHAPTER  XXIII 
DAYTON  TOWNSHIP 

Dayton  townsMp  is  bordered  on  the  north  by  Floyd  county, 
on  the  west  by  Coldwater,  on  the  south  by  Jackson  and  on  the 
east  by  Fremont  township.  Its  surface  is  broken  by  three  streams 
— the  Shell  Rock  river,  which  traverses  it  from  northwest  to  south- 
east; Coldwater  creek,  which  flows  diagonally  through  sections 
19,  20  and  29  to  its  junction  with  the  Shell  Rock ;  and  Flood  creek, 
which  flows  south  through  sections  2,  3,  11,  14,  23,  26  and  27.  The 
Minnesota  branch  of  the  Chieauo,  Rock  Island  &  Pacific  railroad 
passes  through  the  township,  with  a  railway  station  at  Packard, 
althoiigh  the  settlement  there  consists  of  but  little  more  than  a 
few  houses.  The  land  along  the  streams  is  more  or  less  hea^dly 
timbered  but  in  general  the  character  of  the  surface  of  the  town- 
ship is  such  as  to  render  it  particularly  adaptable  for  the  purposes 
of  agriculture. 

The  first  settler  in  Dayton  township  of  whom  any  record  is 
left,  was  William  Goheen,  who  on  November  8,  1851,  entered  one 
hundred  and  twenty  acres  of  land  on  section  19.     In  the  spring  of 

1852,  Mr.  Goheen  settled  here  with  his  family.  On  his  claim  he 
built  a  hewn  log  house,  where  with  his  family  he  lived  until  June, 

1853.  His  death  on  this  date  was  the  first  in  the  township.  He 
was  buried  on  the  banks  of  Coldwater  creek  in  section  19.  Later 
his  body  was  removed  to  the  Hardman  cemetery.  A  copy  of  the 
will  by  which  his  holdings  in  the  township  were  disposed  of  to 
his  sons  has  been  given  in  an  earlier  chapter.  These  sons,  E.  R. 
and  J.  W.  Goheen,  are  also  mentioned  somewhat  in  detail  in  con- 
nection with  the  early  history  of  the  county.  They  were  hunters 
and  do  not  seem  to  have  remained  in  the  county  for  many  years 
after  the  death  of  their  father. 

James  Griffith,  who  has  been  treated  at  length  in  the  history 
of  Coldwater  township,  settled  on  section  18,  Dayton  township, 
in  1852.  He  remained  here  only  a  short  time  before  taking  up 
his  abode  in  the  township  to  the  west. 

R.  W.  Bntler  was  another  early  settler  in  this  township. 

305 


^06  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Levi  Burress  came  in  1852.  He  built  a  cabiu  on  section  27, 
on  the  west  bank  of  the  Shell  Rock  river.  Mr.  Burress  came  from 
Kentucky  and  his  cabin  was  always  open  to  the  traveler  and 
became  a  stopping  place  for  many  of  the  emigrants  on  their  way 
to  new  homes  in  the  county.  Mr.  Butler  achieved  considerable 
fame  as  a  hunter  and  was  numbered  by  his  contemporaries  as  a 
man  of  imposing  presence  and  of  hearty  good  will.  He  died  on 
his  home  farm  in  the  fall  of  1882. 

Other  cai'Iy  settlers  were  James  Blake,  Philip  J.  Ebersold, 
William  Gough,  Hugh  Thomas,  Delano  McCain  and  others. 

John  F.  Eikenberry,  jDioneer  preacher  of  the  Baptist  church, 
located  here  and  is  remembered  as  one  of  the  early  ministers  of 
the  gospel  in  this  section  of  the  county. 

Tobias  Miller,  an  associate  of  the  Goheen  brothers  in  their 
hunting  operations,  located  in  June,  1853,  on  section  20. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

The  territory  now  comprising  Dayton  township  was  originally 
divided  equally  between  Butlei'  and  Coldwater  townships.  It  was 
finally  given  separate  organization  in  September,  1860.  An  elec- 
tion was  ordered  November  6,  1860,  at  the  house  of  Richard 
Chellew.  The  first  township  officers  were:  Hugh  Thomas  and 
Levi  Burress,  justices  of  the  peace;  Richard  Chellew,  Reuben 
Strohecker,  constables;  Thomas  Haggarty,  supervisor;  John  F. 
Eikenberry,  clerk;  Phineas  Clawson,  assessor;  John  V.  Boggs, 
Philip  J.  Ebersold  and  Lemuel  Carter,  trustees. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  early  records  of  the  district  township  of  Dayton  are 
apparently  lost.  It  has  retained  this  form  of  organization  to  the 
present  time.  There  are  now  ten  sub-districts  in  the  township 
and  its  schools  are  maintained  in  a  manner  in  keeping  with  the 
prosperity  of  the  communities  which  they  serve. 

A  proposition  for  the  consolidation  of  the  schools  of  the  town- 
ship and  the  establishment  of  the  consolidated  school  at  Packard 
was  defeated  by  the  electors  in  a  school  election  held  a  few  years 
ago.  Inasmuch,  however,  as  the  tovsmship  has  no  town  within  its 
limits,  it  would  seem  probable  that  Avithin  a  comparatively  few 
years  such  a  step  would  ultimately  be  taken.    There  are  a  large 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  307 

number  of  progi-essive  school  patrons  of  the  township  who  favor 
some  action  of  this  kind.  In  the  meantime,  however,  they  are 
in  favor  of  supporting-  the  schools  as  they  are  and  of  raising 
them  to  the  highest  possible  degree  of  efficiency. 

The  schools  of  the  township  are  at  present  presided  over  by  an 
exceptionally  capable  and  earnest  body  of  rural  teachers.  The 
board  of  directors  is  a  representative  body  of  the  best  citizens  of 
the  township.  The  affairs  of  the  school  may  be  left  in  their  hands 
without  fear  that  they  will  do  anything  but  the  best  for  the  inter- 
ests entrusted  to  them. 

THE   farmers'   club 

The  Clarksville  Star,  in  its  issue  of  the  20th  of  May,  1875,  con- 
tains the  following  remarks  from  the  pen  of  Van  E.  Butler : 

"Among  the  odui^ational  institutions  of  Dayton  township  is 
the  'Farmers'  Club,'  which  was  organized  in  1864,  the  object  being 
to  increase  the  interest  in  agriculture,  horticulture  and  floricul- 
ture. How  nuich  influcneo  it  has  exerted  withm  a  period  of  ten 
years  is  seen  l)y  the  superior  thrift,  the  intelligence,  improved 
stjde  of  fai-ming,  and  the  general  neatness  of  the  homesteads  of  its 
members.  Mutual  intercourse  and  interchange  of  ideas  on  farm- 
ing and  other  topics  have  kept  its  members  posted  on  the  issues 
of  the  day;  and  if  a  stranger  should  step  in  when  the  club  is  in 
session  he  would  no  doubt  conclude  that  the  farmers  kept  their 
best  stock  at  home  and  sent  the  poorer  material  to  the  Senate  or 
Legislature,  on  the  same  principle  that  they  select  their  best  seeds 
for  propagation  and  send  the  inferior  article  to  market." 

POPULATION 

1863,  239;  1865,  213;  1867,  275;  1869,  339;  1870,  383;  1873,  425; 
1875,  513;  1880,  636;  1890,  667;  1900,  641;  1910,  633. 

FREMONT  TOWNSHIP 

Fremont  township  lies  in  the  extreme  northeastern  comer  of 
Butler  county,  bordered  on  the  east  by  Bremer  county,  on  the 
north  by  Floyd  county  and  cornering  with  Chickasaw  county  on 
the  northeast.  On  the  south  and  west  lie  Butler  and  Dayton  town- 
ships.    The  surface  is  a  gently  undulating  plain,  broken  by  no 


308  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

marked  variations  uf  contour.  Tlicre  are  no  streams  of  any  size 
within  the  township  limits.  It  is  the  only  township  of  the  comity 
wliich  has  a  road  on  every  section  line.  Every  point  of  the  town- 
ship is  thus  accessible  and  every  foot  of  its  soil  is  today  in  a  high 
state  of  cultivation. 

The  character  of  the  soil  is  somewhat  different  from  that  in 
the  central  portions  of  the  county  by  being  somewhat  lighter, 
rather  a  sandy,  than  a  clayey  loam.  Portions  of  the  township  are 
underlain  by  limestone  which  renders  .  it  peculiarly  adaptable 
to  the  raising  of  cereal  crops.  The  center  of  the  township  is 
traversed  by  a  broad  and  shallow  valley,  known  as  Pleasant  val- 
ley, which  slopes  to  the  southeastAvard  toward  Cedar  river. 

The  township  has  no  towns  and  no  railroads.  It  is  served  for 
market  and  other  conmiercial  purposes  by  the  towns  of  Nashua, 
in  Chickasaw,  Plainfield,  in  Bremer  county,  and  Clarksville,  in 
Butler  county.  The  farms  are  in  a  high  state  of  cultivation  and 
the  farm  homes  and  buildings  evidence  the  prosperity  and  energy 
of  their  owners. 

The  only  natural  timber  in  the  township  is  a  tract  in  the 
extreme  northwestern  portion,  about  five  acres  in  extent,  but 
the  farm  homes  are  so  universally  surrounded  by  large  groves  of 
artificial  tindx'r  as  to  give  it  the  ai)pearance  almost  of  a  timbered 
country. 

No  farming  section  of  the  state  may  be  considered  superior 
in  its  genei'al  features  to  Fremont  township  For  the  purposes  of 
diversified  agriculture.  The  traveler  through  this  township  is 
impiessed  witli  the  large  number  of  silos,  which  have  been  built 
in  recent  years  on  the  farms.  No  better  evidence  may  be  given 
than  this  of  the  progressive  character  of  the  residents  of  the 
township. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT 

Fremont  townsliip  was  one  of  the  later  regions  of  the  county 
tf)  be  settled.  As  has  been  suggested,  elsewhere,  the  first  settlers 
all  located  as  near  the  streams  as  possible,  and  inasmuch  as  Fre- 
mont towmship  has  no  running  water  and  comparatively  few 
natural  springs,  it  was  not  imtil  the  locations  which  were  then 
considered  more  favorable  had  practically  all  been  occupied  that 
the  attention  of  the  early  settlers  of  the  county  was  turned  to  the 
fertile  acres  of  this  township.     The  first  settlements  within  its 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  309 

limits  may  be  considered  as  extensions  of  tlie  settlements  previ- 
ously made  aroimd  Nashua,  Plainfield  and  Clarksville.  The  first 
entries  of  land  in  Fremont  township  were  made  in  1854,  and  for 
the  most  part  were  made  merely  for  commercial  purposes. 

In  June,  1854,  William  Pringle,  George  Foster  and  W.  J. 
Barney  made  entries  of  land  in  sections  31  and  32.  Elwood  Mod- 
lin  and  Jacob  Schaffer  also  made  entries  of  land  in  this  year. 
All  these  entries  were  made  in  the  southeast  corner  of  the 
township. 

The  first  actual  settler  in  the  township  is  believed  to  have 
been  McCarty  Bement,  who  came  here  in  1855  and  located  upon  a 
farm  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township.  In  the  same  year  Shad- 
rach  Bonwell,  Samuel  Lenhart,  James  Trobaugh  and  Jackson  J. 
Cross  settled  in  the  township. 

The  year  following  this,  Nelson  Bement,  a  brother  of  McCai-ty 
Bement,  the  first  settler  mentioned  above,  James  G.  Temple  and 
Robert  Renfrew  came.  William  Gilmore,  William  R.  Phillips 
and  John  Saddler  are  also  mentioned  as  among  the  early  settlers. 

J.  J.  Cross  came  to  Butler  coimty  from  Kane  county,  Illinois, 
in  1855,  and  in  August  of  the  same  year  settled  upon  one  hundred 
and  sixty  acres  in  section  1.  Frederick  W.  Cross,  a  sketch  of 
whom  is  given  in  the  biographical  volume  of  this  work,  is  a  son 
of  J.  J.  Cross. 

On  the  27th  of  September,  1855,  S.  Bonwell  and  family  took 
up  their  sojourn  on  a  farm  on  section  19.  In  an  early  history  of 
Butler  county  Mr.  Bonwell  relates  a  typical  incident  of  pioneer 
life  to  illustrate  some  of  the  hardships  which  some  of  the  early 
settlers  of  this  county  had  to  undergo.  On  the  6th  day  of  Janu- 
ary, 1856,  he,  with  his  family,  attended  the  funeral  of  Eliza  J. 
Newhard,  at  ClarksviUe.  The  weather  was  cold  and  the  ground 
frozen  so  hard  that  the  grave  could  hardly  be  dug.  It  was  there- 
fore almost  dark  before  the  sei'Adces  were  over,  and  Mr.  Bonwell 
prepared  to  start  homeward.  When  he  arrived  at  Mr.  Lenhart 's, 
a  storm  was  raging  furiously  and  the  folks  tried  to  persuade  him 
to  remain  all  night ;  but  Mr.  Bonwell  thought  it  his  duty  to  return 
and  attend  to  his  stock.  It  was  only  a  half  mile  to  his  hoine  but 
there  beiiig  no  road,  he  missed  his  house,  and  soon  found  that 
he  was  lost  on  the  prairie.  To  remain  all  night  would  be  death. 
He  therefore  turned  his  team  about  so  as  to  dinft  with  the  wind, 
which  was  blowing  from  the  northwest,  and  concluded  that  in 
this  wav  he  would  reach  the  timber  east  of  Clarksville,  which  he 


310  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

succeeded  in  doing  just  as  the  storm  passed  over.  After  driving 
a  short  distance  farther  he  found  himself  at  tlie  cabin  of  Daniel 
Kinsley,  vphere  he  remained  aU  night  with  his  family,  and  in  the 
morning  again  set  out  for  home.  After  leaving  Mr.  Lenhart's 
the  previous  evening  and  finding  that  he  had  lost  his  course,  he 
called  for  aid,  which  was  heard  by  the  neighbors  and  they  replied 
by  tiring  guns,  etc. ;  but  the  wind  was  blowing  such  a  gale  that 
their  answers  could  not  be  heard.  The  next  morning  the  neigh- 
bors assembled,  and  not  finding  him  at  home,  started  in  search, 
following  his  track  over  the  entire  circuit,  and  were  glad  to  find 
upon  arriving  at  Mr.  Kinsley's  that  all  were  still  alive,  as  they 
thought  they  certainly  had  perished,  or,  as  one  old  fellow  of  the 
]3arty  remarked,  "They  have  evidently  struck  one  of  the  sink- 
holes on  the  prairie  and  all  went  to  h —  together." 

Among  other  comparatively  early  settlers  of  Fremont  town- 
ship were  John  M.  Wamsley,  who,  as  already  stated,  came  first 
to  Iowa  with  his  brother  W.  S.  Wamsley  and  lived  with  Aaron 
Moore  until  1853.  Mr.  Wamsley  settled  in  Fremont  township  in 
1865.  The  best  evidence  that  the  settlements  of  Fremont  town- 
ship were  the  outgrowths  of  previous  settlements  in  the  county 
is  found  in  the  fact  that  in  a  number  of  instances  among  the 
Fremont  pioneers  are  numbered  members  of  the  second  genel'a- 
tion  of  Butler  county  families.  Of  these  Charles  N.  Thomas, 
Alexander  Forney  and  Frank  L.  Wamsley  may  be  mentioned. 
Charles  N.  Thomas  was  a  son  of  Hugh  Thomas,  a  pioneer  settler 
of  Dayton  township.  Charles  Thomas  settled  in  Fremont  in  1869. 
Alexander  Forney,  a  son  of  Christian  H.  Forney,  is  another  pio- 
neer settler  of  Dayton  tovsmship.  Aftei'  serving  through  the  Civil 
war  Mr.  Forney  mai'ried  a  daughter  of  James  Blake  and  settled 
on  a  fami  on  section  16,  Fremont  township. 

The  southern  and  central  parts  of  the  township  have  in  more 
recent  years  been  largely  settled  by  people  of  German  parentage. 
A  Lutheran  church,  situated  on  the  southeastern  corner  of  sec- 
tion 28,  is  the  center  of  the  I'eligious  life  of  this  community. 
Among  the  prominent  German  families  of  this  district  may  be 
mentioned  the  Wedekings,  the  Buschings  and  the  Buchholtzs. 

The  choice  of  the  name  of  the  townshi]3  was  suggested  by  Wil- 
liam R.  Phillips,  in  honor  of  Gen.  John  C.  Fremont,  who  was  in 
1856  the  first  candidate  of  the  republican  party  for  the  presi- 
dency. A  local  writer  in  the  Clarksville  Star  of  1875  said :  "Fre- 
mont, free  speech  and  free  press,  was  what  one  would  hear  in  the 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  311 

days  of  1856,  when  Horace  Greeley,  Charles  Sumner  and  others 
were  rolling  the  great  stoue  that  was  eventually  to  crush  out 
African  slavery  in  the  American  states.  So  it  was  given  to  this 
territory  of  thirty-six  square  miles. ' ' 

OFFICIAL   ORGANIZATION 

Originally  Fremont  township  was  a  part  of  Butler.  In  1858 
it  was  given  a  separate  organization.  The  first  election  was  held 
October  11,  1859,  at  the  house  of  William  R.  Phillips,  which  was 
then  in  process  of  erection.  On  the  day  of  the  election  when  the 
voters  came  to  cast  their  ballots  they  found  that  Phillips  had  no 
part  of  his  house  completed  except  the  cellar.  The  ballot  box 
was  accordingly  lowered  into  the  cellar  and  the  voters  dropped 
their  ballots  into  it  from  above.  This  first  election  was  held  with 
no  roof  over  their  heads  except  the  blue  canopy  of  Heaven.  The 
day,  however,  was  a  pleasant  one  and  everything  passed  off 
quietly.  The  record  of  the  officers  chosen  at  this  election  has 
been  lost  even  to  memory,  except  for  the  fact  that  J.  J.  Cross 
was  chosen  township  clerk.  Sixteen  votes  were  cast,  the  names 
of  the  voters  being  as  follows:  James  G.  Temple,  John  Boorom, 
James  Trobaugh,  William  Pringle,  M.  Bennett,  Robert  Slaight, 
John  H.  Vosler,  D.  W.  Tunsley,  S.  Bonwell,  S.  Lenhart,  Henry 
Lenhart,  John  Lenhart,  G.  W.  Ellis,  Nelson  Bement,  S.  J.  Boorom 
and  J.  J.  Cross. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  school  in  Fremont  township  was  taught  b.y  Miss 
Lucy  Ballard  at  the  home  of  James  G.  Temple. 

The  first  schoolhouse  was  built  at  the  northeast  corner  of  sec- 
tion 11,  where  the  Cedar  schoolhouse  now  stands. 

The  township  at  present  is  divided  into  nine  independent  dis- 
tricts, each  containing  exactly  four  sections. 

District  No.  1.  known  as  the  Cedar  district,  is  at  the  northeast 
corner  of  the  township. 

District  No.  2,  Excelsior  district,  lies  just  to  the  south  of  this. 
A  portion  of  the  Plainfield  independent  district  in  Bremer  county 
extends  over  into  the  eastern  part  of  section  24,  thus  somewhat 
reducing  the  size  of  Excelsior  district. 


312  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  Pleasant  Prairie  district,  No.  4,  comprises  sections  29, 
30,  31  and  32  in  the  extreme  southwestern  portion  of  the  township. 

No.  5,  Pleasant  Valley  Center  is  the  central  district  of  the 
township. 

No.  6,  Beaver  creek,  occupies  a  position  on  the  north  central 
portion  of  the  township. 

The  Pleasant  Valley  district,  No.  7,  includes  sections  27,  28, 
33  and  34,  in  the  south  central  portion  of  the  township.  The 
schoolhouse  stands  just  adjoining  the  site  of  the  German  Lutheran 
church  and  cemetery.  '  . 

No.  8,  the  Pleasant  Grove  district,  is  in  the  northwestern  part 
of  the  township. 

No.  9,  Harmony  school,  is  in  the  central  western  portion.  The 
schoolhouse  in  each  of  these  districts  stands  at  the  exact  geograph- 
ical center  of  the  district. 

POPULATION 

1860,  90;  1863.  108;  1865,  164:  1867,  250;  1869.  379:  1870,  655; 
1873.  650;  1875.  723;  1880,  791;  1890,  778;  1900,  757;  1910,  757. 

JACKSON  TOWNSHIP 

Jackson  township  is  surrounded  l)y  the  townships  of  Dayton. 
Butler,  .Teft'erson  and  West  Point  on  the  north,  east,  south  and 
west  respectively.  Its  surface  is  foi'  the  most  part  a  gently  undu- 
lating prairie,  varied  in  the  extreme  northeastern  part  b_v  the 
presence  of  the  valley  of  the  Shell  Rock  river,  Avhich  crosses  the 
township  from  northwest  to  southeast.  Originally  there  was 
practically  no  natural  timber  in  the  township  except  that  along 
this  stream.  Although  the  rest  of  the  township  has  no  running 
streams  its  natural  drainage  was  sufficient  to  prevent  the  pres- 
ence of  any  waste  land.  Dry  Run  which  crosses  the  township 
from  east  to  west  about  midway,  serves  to  drain  off  the  surplus 
storm  water  and  empties  into  Shell  Rock  river  a  little  southwest 
of  ClarksA'ille.  At  certain  seasons  of  the  year  this  stream  has  a 
constant  flow  but  in  mid-summer  it  is  almost  always  dry. 

The  township  is  traversed  from  east  to  west  by  the  main  line 
of  the  Chicago  Great  Western  railroad  and  in  the  extreme  north- 
eastern portion,  by  the  Rock  Island.  It  has  no  town  within  its 
limits,  although  both  Clarksville  and  Allisou  include  a  portion 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  313 

of  the  township  witliiii  their  ))ouii(Uiries.  These  two  towns  fur- 
nish the  trading  points  for  the  entire  township.  The  soil  is  of  a 
quality  second  to  none  in  fertility  and  productiveness  and  the 
farms  are  at  the  present  time  in  the  hands  of  a  progressive  class 
of  agriculturists  who  utilize  the  natural  fertility  of  the  soil  to  its 
fullest  extent. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT 

As  has  been  indicated  in  connection  with  the  history  of  Butler 
township,  the  first  permanent  settlements  within  the  limits  of 
Butler  county  were  made  near  the  east  bank  of  the  Shell  Rock 
river,  within  the  borders  of  what  was  later  set  off  as  Jackson 
township.  These  settlements  and  the  early  settlers  were  so 
cl()sely  identified  with  the  early  history  of  Biitler  township  as  to 
have  been  named  in  the  se])arate  history  of  that  township,  many 
of  them  at  a  comparatively  early  day  having  actually  moved  either 
to  the  village  of  Clarksville  or  to  farms  in  Butler  township. 
However,  as  they  belong  properly  to  the  history  of  Jackson  town- 
ship, a  repetition  of  some  names  may  be  pardoned. 

The  first  actual  settler  in  the  township  was  Joseph  B.  Hicks, 
who  located  a  claim  on  section  12,  in  the  spring  of  1850.  He  was 
followed  soon  after  by  his  father,  Henry  J.  Hicks,  and  his  brother 
John.  Joseph  Hicks  remained  a  resident  of  the  township  imtil 
1867,  when  he  went  to  Kansas,  remaining  there  a  few  years  and 
then  returned  to  his  former  home  in  Butler  county.  Later  still 
he  moved  to  Kansas  and  took  up  his  permanent  abode  there. 

His  father,  Henry  J.  Hicks,  made  the  second  entry  of  land  in 
this  township  as  shown  l)y  the  records  of  the  Dubuque  land  office. 
The  date  of  this  entry  is  Jime  24,  1851,  and  the  land  thus 
entered  was  located  in  sections  12  and  13. 

This  entry  is  preceded  in  date  by  one  made  b}^  John  Heery, 
who  at  tlie  same  time  that  he  entered  land,  which  has  been  pre- 
viously mentioned  in  Butler  township,  also  made  an  entry  of 
claims  in  sections  13  and  24  of  Jackson.  This  is  dated  November 
22,  1850,  the  earliest  date  of  land  entry  in  Butler  county.  John 
Heery,  however,  was  never  a  resident  of  Jackson  township  so  far 
as  is  known. 

The  next  settlers  after  the  Hicks  family  were  the  Wamsleys — 
Malon  B.  and  W.  S. — a  full  account  of  whose  settlement  is  found 
in  the  history  of  Butler  township. 


314  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  third  entry  of  land  in  Jackson  township  was  made  in 
the  name  of  Melissa  J.  Wamsley  on  September  6, 1851,  on  section  1, 
and  on  the  same  date  a  claim  in  section  12  was  entered  by  W.  S. 
Wamsley. 

Martin  Van  Buren  Wamsley  was  also  an  early  settler  of  Jack- 
son township,  and  made  a  claim  on  section  12  in  1851,  which  was 
not  entered  at  the  land  office,  however,  until  several  years  later. 
"Van"  Wamsle.y,  as  he  was  generally  known,  first  came  to  the 
count}'  with  his  brother,  W.  S.,  but  remained  here  only  a  short 
time.  Several  years  afterward  he  return'ed,  and  in  1857  married 
Miss  Frances  Griffith,  daughter  of  James  Griffith,  a  pioneer  settler 
of  Coldwater  township.  In  1861  he  enlisted  in  the  Thirty-second 
Iowa,  was  wounded  at  Pleasant  Hill,  captured  and  imprisoned 
at  Tyler,  Texas,  where  he  died. 

In  the  year  1852  Seth  Hilton  and  John  Baughman  came  from 
Illinois  and  located  on  section  13,  just  west  of  the  town  of  Clarks- 
ville.  Hilton  has  been  mentioned  in  connection  with  the  history 
of  Clarksville  as  having  built  the  first  log  house  on  the  present 
site  of  the  town. 

John  Stephenson,  John  Boyd  and  Ed  Marquand  arrived  in 
the  year  1853,  all  of  them  coming  from  the  state  of  Ohio. 
Stephenson  and  Boyd,  his  son-in-law,  settled  on  section  36,  and 
Marquand  on  section  25. 

Other  settlers  of  this  earh^  period  in  the  township  were  Elisha 
Doty,  John  Klinetob,  Eli  Bel)ee,  J(  ihn  H.  Van  Dyke,  Henry  New- 
man, George  Allen,  A.  E.  Ensley,  Richard  Keller,  George  Flark- 
ness  and  John  Bonwell. 

Among  other  early  settlers  without  regard  to  the  date  of 
settlement  were  Benjamin  Priest,  S.  W.  Cheever,  Clark  Carr,  E. 
E.  Mott,  C.  P.  Klinetol),  William  Tennyson,  Gyrus  Doty,  J.  B. 
Hickman  and  A.  C.  Wilcox. 

Benjamin  Priest  was  one  of  the  first  to  build  a  home  in  the 
western  part  of  the  toAvnship,  where  he  at  one  time  owned  about 
six  hundred  acres  of  land. 

S.  W.  Cheever  was  the  father  of  Frank  M.  Cheever,  at  the 
present  time  president  of  the  district  township  of  Jackson. 
Frank  Cheever  still  lives  on  the  home  place  on  the  southwest 
quarter  of  section  8. 

John  Mott,  for  a  numlier  of  years  a  member  of  the  county 
board  of  supervisors,  is  a  son  of  E.  E.  Mott,  mentioned  above. 

C.  W.  Klinetob,  for  more  than  twenty  years  secretary  of  school 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  315 

township  of  Jackson,  is  a  son  of  G.  P.  Klinetob,  and  has  resided 
in  tlie  township  since  1866.  Cyrus  Doty,  a  son  of  Elisha  Doty, 
settled  on  the  southwest  qviarter  of  section  11  in  Jackson  town- 
ship in  1860.  BQs  natural  qualities  of  leadership  and  his  long  life 
in  the  county  have  given  him  a  prominence  that  is  recognized 
by  all  his  associates.  A  full  accoimt  of  his  life  is  given  in  the 
l)iographical  volume  of  this  work. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

Jackson  township  was  at  first  organized  as  a  part  of  the  town- 
ship of  Butler  and  so  continued  xmtil  given  separate  organization 
on  the  4th  of  March,  1858.  E.  D.  Marguand  was  commissioned 
to  call  the  first  election  for  the  organization  of  the  township, 
which  election  was  held  at  the  house  of  John  H.  Van  Dyke, 
on  the  5th  of  April,  1858.  The  first  officers  elected  were:  John 
Klinetob,  John  H.  Van  Dyke  and  John  Stephenson,  trustees; 
John  Boyd,  clerk;  Josiah  Stephenson  and  Henry  Newman,  con- 
stables; Samuel  Lister,  supervisor  of  roads;  John  Klinetob,  asses- 
sor; E.  D.  Marquand  and  John  Klinetob,  justices  of  the  peace. 

On  the  22d  day  of  March,  1858,  the  county  court  made  an 
alteration  in  the  boundaries  of  Jackson  township  by  attaching 
that  part  of  congressional  township  northeast  of  the  Shell  Rock 
river  to  Butler  township.  This  is  the  portion  of  the  township  to 
which  reference  was  made  above  as  havmg  been  the  site  of  the 
earliest  settlement  and  belonged  by  nature  to  Butler  township. 
At  a  later  date,  June  4,  1861,  the  boundaries  of  Jackson  town- 
ship W'Cre  again  rectified  to  include  the  full  limits  of  the  con- 
gressional township. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  records  of  the  district  township  of  Jackson  are  very 
incomplete.  Detailed  information  regarding  the  educational  his- 
tory of  the  township  therefore  cannot  be  given.  It  is  known  that 
the  first  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  a  log  house,  located  on 
section  1,  with  U.  G.  Lawrence  as  the  first  teacher.  After  serv- 
ing its  purpose  for  a  number  of  years  this  structure  was  torn 
down  and  the  materials  from  which  it  had  been  built  were  cut 
up  in  fire  wood. 


316  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  tirst  frame  schoolliuuse  iu  the  township  was  built  in 
1855  on  section  14.  George  MeClellan  was  the  first  teacher.  This 
stood  on  the  site  of  the  present  Doty  schoolhouse. 

The  second  frame  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  liuilt  in 
1855  on  section  25,  near  where  the  Wilcox  school  now  stands.  It 
was  afterwards  sold  and  the  present  building  erected  in  its 
place. 

As  the  township  became  more  and  more  thickly  settled,  new 
school  districts  were  created  and  new  schoolhouses  built.  There 
are  at  present  eleven  school  buildings  within  the  limits  of  the 
township:  No.  1,  knoA\n  as  the  Woodward  school,  situated  in 
the  southeast  quarter  of  section  23;  No.  2,  the  Wilcox  school,  on 
the  southwest  cpiarter  of  section  25. 

No.  3  has  been  for  the  last  few  years  unoccupied.  It  stands 
just  east  of  the  Rock  Island  railroad  tracks  near  the  township 
line  between  Jackson  and  Butler,  on  section  12.  All  of  section 
6  and  the  north  half  of  section  7.  Butler  township,  were  for  school 
purposes  set  over  into  Jackson  and  form  a  part  of  this  sub-dis- 
trict. However,  the  proxnnity  of  the  town  of  ClarksA'ille,  with 
its  superior  school  facilities,  has  iu  recent  years  led  to  the  send- 
ing of  the  children  of  this  district  to  school  in  Clarksville  and  the 
payment  of  their  tuition  by  the  township  of  Jackson. 

School  No.  4  is  situated  in  section  22;  No.  5,  known  as  the 
Dry  Run  school,  is  located  on  the  east  side  of  section  18;  No. 
6  is  in  section  3;  No.  7,  formerly  called  the  Priest  school,  is  at  the 
northeast  corner  of  section  7;  No.  8,  the  Doty  school,  is  on  the 
main  road  from  Clarksville  to  Allison,  in  the  north  part  of  sec- 
tion 14;  No.  9.  the  Poor  Fann  school,  is  located  about  a  quarter 
of  a  mile  south  of  the  county  farm,  on  section  34;  No.  10,  the 
Curtis  school,  is  located  on  the  southwest  corner  of  section  29. 

At  a  comparatively  recent  date  a  new  sub-district,  No.  11, 
was  set  off  near  the  center  of  the  township  and  a  schoolhouse 
built  across  the  road  from  the  Cheever  farm.  This  school  is 
known  as  the  Cheever  school  and  its  building  is  the  most  modern 
and  commodions  of  the  rural  schools  of  Jackson  township. 

Most  of  the  schoolhouses  of  the  township  have  at  present  been 
standing  on  their  sites  for  a  number  of  years.  It  is  recognized 
that  within  a  comparatiA^ely  short  time  some  further  provision 
for  the  housing  of  the  school  children  of  the  township  must  be 
made.    Whatever  provision  is  made  for  this  purpose  will  doubt- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  317 

less  be  made  after  due  eousideratiou  and  iu  accordance  with  the 
needs  and  rights  of  the  children. 

GENERAL   ITEMS 

The  fii'st  marriage  in  the  to^^■nsllip  is  said  to  have  been  that 
of  John  Rains  and  Elizabeth  Allen. 

The  first  birth  was  a  son  born  to  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Malon  B. 
Wamsley,  July  30,  1852. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  a  man  named  Joseph  Kirker,  who 
died  at  the  house  of  W.  S.  Wamsley,  in  the  fall  of  1851.  He  was 
buried  on  section  12,  without  services  of  any  character. 

The  first  religious  service  was  held  in  the  cabin  of  Malon  B. 
Wamsley,  in  the  fall  of  1851,  by  Eev.  S.  W.  Ingham,  of  the  Metho- 
dist Episcopal  Church.  In  1852  a  Baptist  clergyman  held  serv- 
ices in  the  eabm  of  Seth  Hilton.  No  religious  organizations  are 
known  to  have  existed  in  the  eavlj  history  of  the  township. 

POPULATION 

1860,  78:  1863,  184;  1865,  240;  1867,  330;  1869,  435;  1870,  569; 
1873,  566;  1875,  594;  1880,  746;  1890,  704;  1900,  811;  1910,  781. 

COUNTY    FAEM 

The  minute  book  of  the  board  of  supervisors  during  the  period' 
of  the  Civil  war  contains  frequent  reference  to  provision  for  the 
care  of  such  persons  as  had  by  reasf)ii  of  poverty  or  other  cause 
become  county  charges.  Bids  Avere  regularly  received  for  the 
board  and  keep  of  these  persons.  In  other  words,  the  system  of 
fanning  out  the  poor  was  followed. 

This  system  of  care  for  the  indigent  and  unfortunate  citizens 
of  the  county  continued  until  1876,  when  provision  was  made 
for  the  establishment  of  a  county  home  for  these  dependents. 
The  northeast  quarter  of  section  34,  in  Jackson  township,  was 
purchased  by  the  c()unt_y  and  plans  laid  for  the  erection  of  suit- 
able buildings. 

Sealed  proposals  for  the  erection  of  a  county  poor  house  were 
received  until  June  29,  1876,  in  the  office  of  county  auditor.  The 
contract  was  let  to  Wilkinson  &  Harvey  for  the  sum  of  $4,000, 
and  the  building  was  completed  the  1st  of  June,  1877.    The  main 


318  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY. 

building  was  28xJ:4  feet  and  the  wing  28x32,  two  stories  high. 
This  house  was  opened  to  the  poor  on  February  15,  1877,  at  wliich 
time  one  person  appeared  to  make  this  his  home.  There  were 
some  forty  county  charges  at  this  time  but  the  remainder  pre- 
ferred evidently  to  care  for  themselves. 

The  number  of  occupants  of  the  county  home  has  varied  at 
different  periods.  At  present  there  is  an  average  of  about  twenty- 
one. 

This  county  building  was  burned  in  the  winter  of  1891-2.  A 
contract  for  rebuilding  was  let  to  Vincent  Franke,  on  April  18, 
1892,  for  the  sum  of  $3,900.  A  number  of  improvements  in  the 
fann  buildings  and  equipment  have  been  made  in  receut  years 
and  it  may  today  well  be  considered  a  model  farm.  The  farm 
has  been  so  managed  under  the  care  of  capable,  efficient  stewards 
as  to  be  self-supporting  and  yield  a  margin  of  income  over  the 
cost  of  maintenance. 

The  first  superintendent  of  the  county  fann  was  Joseph  Sco- 
field.  In  January,  1914,  Mr.  Lafe  Belden,  who  for  a  number  of 
years  had  l^een  managing  the  county  fai-m  offered  his  resigna- 
tion and  the  present  incumbent,  Mr.  J.  C.  Hammond  was  chosen 
to  the  position. 


CHAPTER  XXIV 

JEFFERSON  TOWNSHIP,  BUTLER  CENTER  AND 

COSTER 

Township  91  north,  range  16  west,  in  Butler  county  is  known 
as  the  township  of  Jefferson.  It  is  purely  a  rural  township, 
having  no  town  either  wholly  or  in  part  within  its  borders.  It 
is  traversed  by  no  lines  of  railroad  and  in  this  respect  occupies 
a  position  similar  to  those  of  Fremont  and  Ripley  townships  in 
the  coimty.  Its  territory  is  tributary  commercially  to  fonr  of 
the  towns  of  the  county,  Shell  Rock  on  the  east,  Clarksville  on 
the  northeast,  Allison  on  the  northwest,  and  Parkersburg  on  the 
south. 

Of  its  topography  no  better  account  may  be  given  than  the 
one  below  from  the  pen  of  Van  E.  Butler,  a  former  newspaper 
man  of  the  county : 

"This  townshij)  corners  with  the  center  of  the  county.  The 
land  is  rolling,  sloping  as  a  whole  to  the  south  and  east.  Only 
one  stream  of  importance  passes  through  it — the  West  Pork — 
entering  on  section  36.  All  the  timber  in  this  township  lies  along 
the  stream,  and  this  is  not  of  much  importance,  except  the  many 
artificial  groves  that  have  sprung  up  about  the  pleasant  farm 
houses  that  dot  the  uplands  and  valleys.  Twenty  years  ago  the 
major  portion  of  Jefferson  township  was  a  splendid  specimen  of 
Iowa  sloughs.  Then  a  man  would  hardly  have  dared  to  cross  it 
without  first  making  his  last  will  and  testament  and  bidding  a 
kind  adieu  to  his  family.  How  the  first  settlers  ever  conceived 
the  idea  of  founding  a  city,  and  the  manner  of  construction  of 
the  primitive  abodes,  will  come  to  light  when,  like  Herculaneum 
and  Pompeii,  future  generations  will  exhume  from  their  deep 
sepulchre  all  the  evidence  necessary  to  a  correct  conclusion.  But 
what  we  looked  upon  as  an  almost  irredeemable  portion  of  the 
eountv  has  become  one  of  the  most  productive.  It  takes  a  longer 
time  to  subdue  the  rich,  dark,  loam  soil,  but  it  makes  returns  for 

319 


320  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  extra  labor.  Mxich  of  the  land  is  now  under  subjection,  and 
the  Iowa  slough  sends  its  thousands  of  bushels  of  cereals  to  the 
market  towns.  No  trouble  is  now  experienced  in  traversing  any 
portion  of  it.  The  township  is  well  adapted  to  stock-raising,  yet 
the  rich,  dark  loam,  when  once  subdued,  is  equal  to  any  locality 
in  the  county  in  the  production  of  cereals." 

OFFICIAL   OEGANIZATION 

When  Butler  county  was  first  divided  i«to  townships,  the  four 
congressional  townships  in  the  southeastern  part  of  the  county — 
Shell  Rock,  Jefferson,  Albion  and  Beaver — were  organized  as 
one  civil  township  under  the  name  of  Beaver.  In  March,  1856, 
this  civil  township  was  divided  in  lialf  by  the  organization 
of  Shell  Rock  township,  which  then  included  the  present  limits 
of  Shell  Rock  and  Jefferson.  On  the  2d  of  March,  38.57,  Shell 
Rock  township  as  it  then  existed,  was  divided  and  the  two  town- 
ships of  Shell  Rock  and  Jefferson  were  given  their  present  limits. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT 

; 

Jefferson  township  had  been  settled  from  the  east  following 
the  settlement  of  Shell  Rock  township.  No  land  in  the  township 
was  entered  before  1853.  In  that  year  Hugh  Midlarky,  of  Cedar 
Falls,  made  a  claun  on  section  19,  on  the  5th  oi  October.  The 
Mullarkys  were  among  the  pioneer  settlers  in  Blackhawk  county. 
Andrew  Mullarky  having  opened  a  store  in  his  log  cabin,  known 
as  the  Black  Hawk  store,  in  1851.  This  was  the  first  store  in 
Blackhawk  comity  and  was  the  beginning  of  the  settlement  of 
the  town  of  Cedar  Falls.  Hugh  IMullarky  was  a  brother  of  this 
Andrew  Midlarky.  As  will  be  noted  in  the  course  of  the  history 
of  this  toMaiship,  the  members  of  this  family  occupied  a  prom- 
inent place  in  its  early  history  and  down  through  its  formative 
pei'iod. 

On  the  30th  of  November,  1853,  five  entries  of  land  in  Jeffer- 
son township  were  made.  These  were  made  by  the  following 
persons:  Frederic  Feddeke,  sections  32  and  35;  Frederick  and 
Louis  Kothe,  section  33;  Au.gust  Meyer,  section  34;  and  William 
Pewestorf.  Several  of  these  men  later  became  prominent  set- 
tlers and  farmers  in  the  township.     Of  others  nothing  is  known 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  321 

but  the  fact  of  tlie  eutry  of  land  referred  to  and  its  subsequent 
transfer  by  sale  to  other  parties. 

John  H.  Nagle  and  Frederic  Berlin  entered  land  in  sections 
35  and  36  on  December  9,  1853.  It  will  be  noted  by  reference  to 
the  map  that  all  of  these  claims  above  were  situated  in  reasonably 
close  proximity  to  the  West  Fork  river.  The  land  to  the  north 
of  the  river  in  the  township  was  at  that  time  considered  too  wet 
to  be  available  for  agricultural  purposes. 

Dr.  John  Scoby,  the  pioneer  physician  of  Shell  Rock,  in  a 
reminiscent  article  covering  the  early  days  of  his  practice  in  But- 
ler county,  gives  several  vivid  descriptions  of  jDrairie  scenery, 
which  are  directly  applicable  and  which  probably  referred  in  part 
at  least  to  Jefferson  township.  He  says  in  part :  ' '  The  undulat- 
ing plains  were  dressed  in  Nature's  gay  attire  of  living  green. 
There  were  but  few,  if  an}^  laid  out  or  worked  roads  or  bridges 
in  this  county.  I  traveled  as  best  I  could,  avoiding  the  sloughs 
which  were  very  mii'y.  Log  cabins  were  occasionally  to  be  seen, 
generally  near  to  the  groves  or  timber  land,  where  a  few  acres 
were  plowed  and  a  few  domestic  animals  to  be  seen.  But  the 
most  of  those  rich  alluvial  prairies  were  then  performing  their 
diui'nal  and  revolutionar}^  movements  without  a  human  inhab- 
itant. 

'*For  seven  years  my  profession  called  me  over  these  wild 
l)rairies,  frequently  in  midnight  darkness.  Often  the  dwellings 
were  miles  apart,  with  naught  but  a  dim  trail  to  follow.  Some- 
times I  was  sloughed  down  and  the  wolves  howling  not  far  distant 
and  the  rattlesnakes  hissing.  During  these  seven  years  the  march 
of  impi'ovement  in  this  county  was  slow.  The  wild  prairie  eA'erv 
season  produced  a  vast  amount  of  grass  which  was  interspersed 
with  several  species  of  gay  roses,  pinks  and  violets  which  crowded 
their  footholds  among  the  roots  of  the  high  grass  and  waved  their 
shining  flowered  plumes  on  the  zephyr's  breeze  to  the  passer-by, 
filling  the  air  with  sweet  perfiune  and  arresting  the  monotony  of 
loneliness." 

It  was  some  years  after  the  beginning  of  the  settlement  of  the 
township  before  the  value  of  the  open  prairie  lands  was  realized 
and  before  settlement  began  to  be  made  in  the  northern  and  cen- 
tral sections  of  the  township.  The  first  settler  in  the  township 
was  H.  C  Dawson,  who  in  the  fall  of  1854  located  on  section  33. 
About  the  same  time  James  D.  Taylor  settled  on  section  31.  Daw- 
son later  mover!  to  Marshalltown  :  Tavlor  liA-erl  on  hi"^  farm  until 


322  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  outbreak  of  the  war,  when,  being  strongly  opposed  to  the  war 
and  suspicious  of  the  ultimate  redemption  of  the  pajjer  currency 
of  the  period,  he  sold  his  property,  converted  his  possessions  so 
far  as  possible  into  gold,  and  moved  to  Illinois.  Nothing  further 
is  known  of  him. 

In  October,  1854,  William  Hays  settled  on  section  36.  He 
was  accompanied  by  his  wife  and  four  children,  Nathan  Olmstead 
and  family,  Marshall  Kelley  and  family,  James  Hair  aud  family, 
Myron  Hair  and  Gilbert  Knights.  This  party,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  Knights,  who  joined  them  at  Cedar  Falls,  all  came  from 
Illinois,  principally  from  La  Salle  county.  All  of  them  located 
in  Butler  county. 

In  1855  Wilham  Mason,  A.  J.  Case,  Robert  Armstrong,  Samuel 
Williams  and  a  Mr.  Whitehead  ail  settled  in  the  township.  Wil- 
liam Mason  located  on  section  28,  where  he  remained  six  years, 
finally  removing  to  Charles  City.  A.  J.  Case  settled  on  section 
30  near  the  river  and  Whitehead  near  the  location  of  the  pro- 
jected town  of  New  Albion,  on  the  townsliip  line  between  Albion 
and  Jefferson.  New  Albion  was  located  on  sections  33  and  34  of 
Jelferson,  and  3  and  4  of  Albion.  The  town  plat  was  located 
chiefly  in  the  latter  township  and  will  be  mentioned  at  length  in 
connection  with  the  history  of  Albion. 

The  year  1856  saw  a  large  increase  in  the  number  of  settlers. 
It  is  probable  that  the  list  of  these  is  incomplete.  However,  all 
names  are  given  of  whom  mention  has  been  foimd  in  connection 
with  the  settlement  at  this  time.  Joe  Santee,  afterward  a  resi- 
dent of  Ripley  township,  settled  in  Jefferson  in  1856.  He  assisted 
in  building  the  first  schoolhouse  in  Butler  Center.  O.  S.  Levis, 
H.  H.  Marsh,  Hugh  Mullarky,  H.  H.  Margretz  and  a  Mr.  Pen- 
nock  were  included  in  the  settlers  of  this  year,  biit  as  they  were 
later  residents  of  the  village  of  Butler  Center,  they  will  be  noted 
in  connection  with  the  sketch  of  that  community. 

John  Braden  located  in  the  spring  of  1856  on  a  farm  near 
Butler  Center.  He  was  one  of  the  soldier  martyrs  of  Butler 
coimty  in  the  Civil  war.  His  body  was  brought  back  and  buried 
in  the  grove  west  of  the  house  on  the  farm  where  he  had  lived. 

P.  E.  Bunson,  one  of  the  best  known  of  the  early  settlers,  came 
to  the  pounty  February  7,  1856,  and  took  up  one  hundred  and 
sixty  a  pros  of  land  in  section  29. 

Among  the  settlers  of  a  later  date  other  than  those  in  Butler 
Center  were  James  Hall,  D.  A.  McGregor,  Frederick  Toll.  John 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  323 

Coster,  Thomas  Thompson,  jST.  C.  Thompson  and  Xoble  C.  Thomp- 
son; the  last  three  named  natives  of  Ireland,  all  settled  in  the 
township  at  various  dates  from  1855  to  1863.  Others  were  Albert 
Cook,  Henry  Trotter  and  James  Trotter,  his  son;  S.  M.  Baldwin, 
M.  B.  Speedy  and  William  Van  Vlaek. 

GENERAL  ITEMS 

The  first  house  on  the  road  between  Butler  Center  and  Shell 
Rock  was  erected  in  1856  on  section  14  by  Henry  Trotter.  In 
1857  the  only  settlers  between  Butler  Center  and  Shell  Rock  were 
N.  A.  Thompson  and  Henry  Trotter. 

The  first  marriage  celebrated  in  the  township  was  that  of 
Noble  A.  Thompson  to  Christina  McGregor.  The  ceremony  was 
performed  by  Justice  M.  Bailey,  and  the  couple  settled  on  sec- 
tion 13. 

The  first  township  officers  in  Jefferson  were :  Hugh  Mullarky 
and  Albert  Cook,  trustees;  H.  A.  Shaw,  clerk;  H.  H.  Margretz, 
justice  of  the  peace. 

In  the  biographical  volume  of  this  work  will  be  found  the 
sketches  of  a  number  of  these  men  and  others  who  were  identified 
with  the  history  of  Jefferson  tovmship  in  later  days. 

EDUCATIONAL 

For  school  purposes  Jefferson  township  was  at  an  early  date 
organized  on  the  district  township  basis,  divided  into  seven  sub- 
districts.  No.  1.  known  as  the  South  Butler  Center  school,  is  sit- 
uated in  the  southeastern  corner  of  section  18.  No.  2,  the  Wilson 
school,  is  in  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  22.  The  Hall  school. 
No.  3,  is  on  land  belonging  to  Charles  Hall  on  the  east  side  of 
section  26. 

School  No.  4  stands  on  the  tovmship  line  near  the  southeast 
quarter  of  section  31.  The  school  population  has  in  recent  years 
been  so  small  that  this  school  has  been  closed  and  the  few  pupils 
in  the  district  have  been  accommodated  in  the  schools  of  Albion 
and  Monroe  townships.  It  is  the  only  school  in  the  township 
south  of  the  river. 

School  No.  5,  the  McCregor  school,  is  located  in  section  11; 
No.  6.  in  section  9 :  and  No.  7,  the  North  Butler  Center  school,  in 
section  6.     The  school  affairs  of  the  township  are  in  the  hands  of 


324  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

a  board  consisting  of  a  body  of  progressive  citizens,  and  the  schools 
rank  witli  the  best  in  the  county. 

POPULATION 

1860,  241;  1863,  262;  1865,  339;  1867,  454;  1869,  516;  1870^ 
613;  1873,  629;  1875,  677;  1880,  774;  1890,  642;  1900,  657;  1910, 
642. 

BUTLEK  CENTER 

A  person  driving  across  country  at  the  present  time  from  Alli- 
son to  Parkersbiu'g  will  note  some  live  or  six  mUes  south  of  Allison 
a  number  of  rather  abrupt  turns  in  the  road,  and  the  fact  that 
there  are  an  unusually  large  number  of  fai'm  homes  rather  close 
together  along  the  road.  A  little  closer  observation  would  reveal 
the  presence  of  several  squares  grown  up  to  weeds  and  rank  grass, 
in  the  midst  of  which  perhaps  might  be  seen  a  few  rotting  tim- 
bers and  a  stone  or  two  that  might  once  have  formed  part  of  a 
foundation  of  a  house.  Not  far  away  you  might  discern  a  little 
cemeter^y.  These  facts  would  probably  suggest  to  even  the  casual 
passer-by  that  this  was  once  the  site  of  a  village.  This  is  all  that 
remains  today  to  mark  the  site  of  Butler  Center,  at  one  time  the 
county  seat  of  Butler  county  and  one  of  its  most  progressive  and 
]iromising  communities. 

Iicferencc  has  l)eeii  made  elsewhere  to  the  fact  that  there  was 
considerable  dissatisfaction,  after  the  county  began  to  be  settled 
in  the  central  and  western  portions,  with  the  location  of  the 
county  seat  so  far  to  the  east  of  the  topographical  center  of  the 
county.  In  another  chapter  the  various  ]ihases  of  the  county  seat 
struggle  are  traced  in  detail.  Mention  is  made  there  of  the 
attempt  to  secure  the  location  of  the  county  seat  at  Georgetown, 
a  town  platted  in  the  exact  topographical  center  of  the  county  at 
the  junction  of  Jefferson,  RiY)ley,  West  Point  and  Jaclvson  town- 
ships. Although  the  attempt  reached  the  point  of  being  su])mitted 
to  the  voters  of  the  county,  the  result  struck  a  death  blow  to  the 
hopes  of  the  Georgetown  supporters.  Clarksville  was  reindorsed 
as  the  location  of  the  county  seat  by  a  substantial  majority. 

Previous  to  the  initiative  of  the  Georgetown  project,  AndrcAv 
Mullarky  and  Colonel  Thomas  platted  a  town  located  in  the  north 
half  of  section  18,  of  Jefferson  township,  just  two  miles  south  of 
the  proposed  location  of  Georgetown.     This  plat  was  made  in 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  325 

the  year  1855.  It  was  recorded  on  the  niiiuite  book  of  the  county 
court,  June  20,  1856. 

In  an  election  called  for  the  purpose,  on  April  4,  1859,  to 
determine  the  questio)i  of  the  relocation  of  the  county  seat  at 
Butler  Center  instead  of  Clarksville,  the  former  village  secured 
a  majority  of  twenty  one.  Before  the  actual  transfer  of  the 
county  seat  could  be  effected,  however,  the  people  of  Clarksville 
secured  an  injunction  preventing  the  removal  of  the  county  seat 
until  certain  irregularities  in  the  election  might  be  passed  upon 
by  the  district  court.  In  July  following  this  court  adjudged  the 
election  void  and  on  April  4,  1860,  another  election  on  the  same 
question  resulted  in  a  victory  fur  Butler  Center  by  a  majority 
of  eighty  votes.  Butler  Center  was  thereupon  declared  to  be  the 
official  <M)unty  seat  of  Butler  county,  and  all  the  county  offices 
and  officers  as  soon  as  practicable  were  moved  to  the  new  town 
and  took  up  quarters  in  a  frame  building,  which,  with  the  two 
acres  of  land  surrounding  it,  was  donated  to  the  county  for  this 
piu-pose  by  Mr.  Mullarky. 

As  noted  elsewhere,  the  county  judge  failed  to  make  the 
removal  of  his  office  and  the  records  pertaining  thereto  as  soon 
as  was  deemed  fitting  by  the  board  of  supervisors.  He  was  there- 
upon ordered  to  make  the  move  at  the  earliest  possible  date.  His 
compliance  with  this  order  completed  the  removal  of  the  county 
seat  from  Clarksville  to  Butler  Center. 

An  early  county  historian  says:  "Attracted  by  the  probable 
permanency  of  the  county  seat,  and  the  flattering  prospects  for  the 
future,  lawyers,  doctors,  editors,  dentists,  representatives  of  the 
difterent  professions,  exponents  of  A-arious  religious  creeds,  and 
other  necessary  elements  of  civilization,  came  together  and 
foi-med  a  settlement  and  it  seemed  for  a  time  that  Butler  Cen- 
ter was  certainlv  destined  t(»  become  the  'future  great'  of  Butler 
county,  but  now  (1883)  how  changed.  The  deserted  streets, 
empty  houses,  vacant  lots,  dilapidated  fences,  signs  of  dissolution 
and  decay,  present  themselves  on  every  hand,  speaking  of  things 
that  were,  suggesting  things  that  'might  have  l)een.'  "  Today,  as 
suggested  above,  few  even  of  these  signs  of  its  departed  greatness 
remain. 

For  more  than  twenty  years,  from  1860  to  1881,  Butler  Center 
remained  the  seat  of  justice  of  Butler  county. 

The  first  store  in  Butler  Center  was  built  by  0.  S.  Levis,  who 
on  the  4th  of  July,  1856,  opened  his  doors  to  the  public,  presenting 


326  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

for  their  approval  a  stock  of  general  merchandise.  Mr.  Levis 
managed  liis  business  alone  for  a  few  years  and  then  took  in  a 
partner,  Dan  Mason,  to  whom  he  afterward  sold. 

In  1857  Thomas  Bird  arri\-ed,  built  a  store  and  opened  ui)  a 
stock  of  general  merchandise. 

The  first  hotel  in  Butler  Center  was  Imilt  by  H.  H.  Margretz 
in  1856.  Mv.  Margretz  conducted  this  hotel  until  the  date  of 
his  enlistment  in  the  army.  He  was  killed  in  battle,  and  the 
building  in  which  his  hotel  had  been  conducted  was  later  torn 
down. 

The  second  hotel  was  ])uilt  by  George  A.  Richmond  and  was 
first  used  as  a  residence.  Mr.  Richmond  was  the  first  lawyer  in 
the  town  of  Butler  Center.  He  arrived  in  1857  and  purchased  a 
half  interest  in  the  town  site.  He  was  for  a  number  of  years  an 
influential  citizen  of  the  town  and  county.  He  later  removed  to 
Dubuque. 

The  third  hotel  was  built  by  F.  Digman,  who  first  settled  in 
the  town  in  1857.  He  purchased  a  building  from  Joe  Santee  and 
opened  a  shoe  shop.  To  this  he  afterwards  made  additions  and 
put  in  a  general  assortment  of  dry  goods  and  groceries.  The 
hotel  which  he  built  later,  a  substantial,  two-story  frame  struc- 
ture, Avas  conducted  for  the  accommodation  of  the  general  pub- 
lic mitil  the  county  seat  was  moved  to  Allison,  when  the  build- 
ing was  moved  with  it.  It  still  stands  on  Main  street  in  Allison 
and  was  until  the  erection  of  the  present  fine  hostelry  used  as 
a  hotel,  under  the  name  of  the  Digman  House.  Mr.  Digman  died 
in  Butler  Center  in  1879  and  thereafter  the  hotel  was  conducted 
both  in  Butler  Center  and  later  in  Allison  by  his  worthy  wife. 

The  first  jtracticing  physician  in  Butler  Center  was  Doctor 
Shaw,  who  arrived  in  1857. 

Joe  Santee  and  Enoch  George  were  carpenters  and  builders 
who  were  located  in  the  town. 

The  first  dentist  was  H.  H.  Marsh,  who  arrived  in  1856,  his 
residence  being  the  third  built  in  the  place.  Mr.  Marsh  later 
removed  to  Cedar  Palls. 

The  first  house  was  built  b.y  Joe  Santee,  the  second  by  a  Mr. 
Pennock. 

Hugh  Mullarky,  who  has  been  mentioned  in  connection  with 
the  township  history  as  one  of  the  pioneer  settlers,  located  in 
Butler  Center  in  January,  1855.  The  Mul larky s  were  the  first 
owners  of  the  town  site. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  327 

Thomas  Thompson  came  to  Butler  Center  in  1857,  opening  a 
shoemaker's  shop.  One  of  his  daughters  became  Mrs.  Henry 
Trotter,  and  another  Mrs.  James  Trotter.  Noble  A.  Thompson, 
mentioned  elsewhere,  was  a  son  of  Thomas  Thompson. 

Orson  Rice  was  the  first  lawyer  to  locate  in  Butler  Center.  He 
is  mentioned  at  some  length  in  connection  with  the  history  of 
the  bar. 

Julius  Hale,  later  county  treasurer,  also  located  in  Butler 
Center  early  in  its  history. 

After  the  establislunent  of  the  county  seat  at  Butler  Center 
there  was  naturally  a  large  increase  in  the  population,  a  num- 
ber of  county  officers  and  professional  men  settling  there.  Most 
of  these  were  identified  with  other  sections  of  the  comity  and 
receive  detailed  mention  in  connection  with  these  localities. 

In  its  palmy  days  Butler  Center  had  several  saloons.  Before 
the  removal  of  the  coimty  seat,  however,  the  township  and  the 
town  abolished  the  saloon  and  none  has  been  opened  there  since 
that  time. 

The  first  blacksmith  in  the  town  was  one  William  Wright. 

The  Butler  Center  steam  sawmill  was  erected  by  Charles 
Stewart  in  1856.  Andrew  Mullarky  was  the  proprietor.  The  mill 
was  managed  for  a  number  of  years  by  Mr.  Stewart,  who  later 
sold  it  to  some  jDarties  who  moved  the  machinery  to  Cerro  Gordo 
county.  The  building  was  later  used  by  Sam  Williams  for  a 
stable  and  eventually  sold  for  taxes,  I.  W.  Camp  being  the  pur- 
chaser. 

POSTOFFICE 

Butler  Center  postoffice  was  established  in  1856,  mail  being 
received  by  carrier  from  Cedar  Falls,  once  each  week.  The  first 
postmaster  was  H.  H.  Margretz.  He  was  followed  in  order  by 
Hugh  Mullarky,  W.  A.  Lathrop,  J.  Fl.  Playter  and  H.  N.  Walker, 
who  continued  in  office  until  Butler  Center  ceased  to  have  a  post- 
office.  Mr.  Walker  purchased  the  stock  of  goods  owned  by  H. 
C.  Playter  in  1871  and  was  appointed  postmaster  in  the  same 
year.  He  continued  to  conduct  his  store  for  some  years  after  the 
county  seat  was  moved  to  Allison.  Later  his  family  moved  to 
Dubuque,  where  they  still  live. 


-328  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

CHURCH  ORGANIZATIONS 

Religious  services  by  niiinsters  (if  different  denominations 
were  held  in  Butler  C^enter  from  the  l)e.i>'inning.  Among  these 
Rev.  Richard  Merrill,  who  is  mentioned  elsewhere,  was  an  active 
and  earnest  worker.  Mr.  Merrill  served  for  some  time  as  county 
superintendent  of  schools  during  the  period  while  Butler  Center 
was  the  county  seat.  He  is  more  nearly  identilied,  however,  with 
the  history  of  Pittsford  township. 

About  1864  the  first  organized  Sabbath  sch(»ol  was  established 
in  Butler  Center.  The  first  superintendent  was  (ieorge  M.  Craig. 
This  Sabl)ath  school  continued  for  several  years  after  the  town 
had  begun  to  decay. 

The  first  church  organized  was  that  of  the  Presbyterian 
denomination  and  was  formed  in  1873  by  the  Rev.  William  Smith. 
The  first  members  of  this  church  were  James  Barlow  and  wife, 
James  Hunter  and  wife,  W.  C.  Thompson  and  wife,  ^[rs.  I).  J. 
Merrill,  Miss  Ennna  Thompkins,  James  Robbins  and  wife,  Dun- 
can McGregor  and  wife  and  Duncan  Stewart  and  wife.  In  1875 
Rev.  John  Conrley  succeeded  to  the  pastorate.  The  society  never 
had  a  church  Imilding,  meetings  being  held  in  the  court  room. 
At  the  period  of  its  largest  membership  the  number  of  members 
\Aas  aljout  twenty -five. 

The  Methodist  society  held  meetings  in  Butler  Center  at  inter- 
vals for  a  number  of  years  before  thev  secured  a  regular  appoint- 
ment. Later  a  regular  resident  pastor  was  assigned  to  Butler 
Center  and  additional  services  were  also  held  at  Hopley  school- 
house.  The  records  of  the  Methodist  society  in  Butler  Center  are 
not  obtainaWe  at  the  present  time  but  among  the  resident  pastors 
may  be  mentioned  Reverends  Faucett,  Cooley,  Robinson  and 
Rowan.  Presiding  Elder  Ingham  also  is  mentioned  among  the 
Butler  Center  pastors  of  the  Methodist  church. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  school  in  Butler  Center  was  taught  by  Alzina 
Waters  in  the  Levis  building.  Later  Martha  Meee  taught  in  the 
house  built  by  Enoch  Ceorge,  who  boarded  round  among  his 
patrons.  After  Butler  Center  became  the  county  seat  a  two-story 
frame  school  building  was  erected  with  two  rooms.  The  average 
enrollment  in  this  school  during  the  period  of  the  town's  pros- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  329 

perity  was  about  sixty.  This  schoolhouse  was  one  of  the  last 
buildings  to  be  demolished  in  Butler  Center.  It  was  finally  torn 
down  and  removed  from  its  site  a  few  years  ago. 

GENERAL  ITEMS 

The  fii'st  sermon  was  delivered  in  Butler  Center  by  Nathan 
Ohnstead  in  the  sawmiU  in  1856. 

The  first  birth  was  a  son  to  Martin  Bailey. 

The  first  death  was  a  daughter  of  Charles  Stewart,  who  died 
and  was  buried  in  the  cemetery  a  mile  east  of  town  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1857.  This  was  the  first  interment  in  the  Butler  Center 
cemetery. 

COSTER 

For  a  nmnber  of  years  mail  was  regularly  received  at  Coster, 
where  Isaac  Hall  conducted  a  store  in  connection  with  his  resi- 
dence. Mr.  Hall  was  postmaster.  This  office  was  abolished  on 
the  establishment  of  the  rural  mail  routes.  Coster  at  the  present 
time  has  a  creamery  and  general  store  conducted  by  0.  F.  Cour- 
bat.  There  are  also  two  church  buildings  in  the  vicinity,  one 
belonging  to  the  Methodist  denomination  and  the  other  to  the 
German  EvangeKcal.  The  latter  is  situated  a  little  over  a  mile 
north. 


Vol.  1—21 


CHAPTER  XXV 
MADISON  TOWNSHIP  AND  VILLAGE  OF  KESLEY 

Madison  is  oue  of  the  four  townships  forming  the  western  tier 
of  Butler  county.  It  is  bordered  by  Franklin  county  on  the  west 
and  by  Pittsf  ord,  Ripley  and  Washington  townships  on  the  north, 
east  and  south,  respectively.  The  West  Fork  passes  through  the 
extreme  northeastern  portion  of  the  township.  Mayne's  creek 
flows  through  its  central  portion  from  west  to  east. 

The  soil  in  the  valleys  of  these  streams  and  for  some  distance 
on  either  side  has  a  tendency  to  be  sandy.  The  surface  of  the 
rest  of  the  township  is  a  rolling  plain,  with  a  rich,  dark,  loamy  soil, 
which  is  especially  adapted  to  the  raising  of  the  cereal  crops  that 
make  this  section  of  Iowa  one  of  the  richest  agricultural  regions 
of  the  world. 

The  only  extensive  timbered  tract  in  the  townshij)  is  what  is 
known  as  Bear  grove,  which  has  been  referred  to  in  an  earlier 
chapter.  This  grove  covered  originally  a  tract  of  land  about  two 
miles  in  length  from  east  to  west  and  a  mile  in  width  from  north 
to  south.  It  is  situated  chiefly  in  sections  26  and  27  and  portions 
of  34  and  35  north  of  the  creek,  which  drains  the  southern  por- 
tion of  the  township. 

Kesley  is  the  only  village  within  the  limits  of  the  township. 
Until  1900,  when  the  line  of  the  Northwestern  Railroad  was  con- 
structed through  the  eastern  portion  of  the  township,  it  had  been 
entirely  without  railroad  facilities.  Kesley  forms  the  market 
point  for  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  township.  Dumont  on 
the  noi'th,  Ackley  on  the  southwest,  and  Austinville  also  consti- 
tute commercial  outlets  for  the  products  of  the  township. 

EARLY  SETTLEMENT 

The  settlement  of  Madison  towushi]i  began  in  1854.  The  first 
entry  of  land  was  made  by  Adam  H.  Sarber  on  October  2,  1854^ 

3.31 


332  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

consisting  of  claims  in  sections  1  and  2.  On  October  27tli  James 
M.  Caldwell  and  Thomas  Nash  entered  a  claim  on  section  26. 
These  were  the  only  entries  of  land  made  in  1854. 

In  this  same  year  occurred  the  earliest  settlements  in  Madison 
township,  which  was  made,  according  to  the  best  information 
obtainable,  by  Nicholas  Hartgraves,  a  native  of  North  Carolina, 
who  came  to  Iowa  from  Indiana  in  1844.  His  settlement  in  But- 
ler county  dates  from  1852,  when  he  located  at  Beaver  grove. 
Two  years  later  he  pushed  his  way  farther  westward  and  settled 
on  section  17,  of  what  is  now  Madison  township.  In  the  follow- 
ing year  his  brother,  Noah  Hartgraves,  arrived  in  Madison  and 
located  a  claim  on  section  18.  These  claims  were  not  entered  in 
the  government  land  office  mitil  some  time  later. 

Several  other  pioneer  settlers  located  in  the  township  in  1855. 
Among  them  were  Ephraim  Hizenton  and  his  son  William,  from 
Illinois.  They  located  on  sections  14  and  15.  The  son  died  in 
1858  of  hydrophobia.  The  father  did  not  prove  up  on  his  claim. 
He  lived  on  his  son's  place  for  a  few  years  and  then  moved  out  of 
the  township  after  his  son's  death. 

William  Mason  and  Fred  Moffatt.  natives  of  England,  settled 
in  the  township  in  the  same  year.  Abijah  Stacy,  a  native  of 
Indiana,  located  here  in  the  spring  of  1855.  He  died  in  the  fol- 
lowing November,  his  death  lieing  the  first  recorded  in  the  town- 
.ship. 

In  1856  James  WiU^ierson,  an  Englishman,  settled  upon  a  farm 
in  section  16.  He  remained  here  for  about  two  years  and  then 
moved  to  Hancock  county. 

Jacob  Yost  first  settled  in  Madison  township  in  1857,  his  claim 
being  located  on  section  16.  He  lived  here  for  a  few  years  and 
then  moved  across  the  line  into  Ripley  township,  with  the  history 
of  which  township  he  and  his  family  were  prominently  identified. 

Peter  Coyle,  for  a  number  of  years  a  member  of  the  board  of 
snper\asors  from  Madison  township  and  its  chairman  for  the 
most  of  the  period  of  his  service,  settled  in  the  township  in  1858, 
coming  from  Illinois.  He  was  accompanied  by  Thomas  Gral- 
lagher  and  wife.  Mrs.  Gallagher  was  a  daughter  of  Mr.  Coyle. 
They  made  the  journey  from  Illinois  with  ox  teams,  taking  about 
two  weeks  for  the  trip.  Peter  Coyle  lived  on  a  farm  in  section 
10  imtil  1875,  when  he  moved  to  Ackley.  His  repeated  election 
as  supervisor  from  the  township  and  the  honor  conferred  upon 
Mm  by  his  choice  as  chairman  of  the  board  indicate  better  than 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  333 

any  mere  words  of  praise  could  do  the  character  and  ability  of 
the  man.  His  son,  Edward  Coyle,  succeeded  him  in  the  manage- 
ment of  the  home  place. 

Elisha  Scott  is  also  mentioned  as  a  settler  of  the  township  at 
an  early  date.  Detailed  information  regarding  the  date  or  loca- 
tion of  his  settlement  is  lacking. 

The  distance  of  Madison  township  in  early  days  from  market 
prevented  its  rapid  settlement.  In  the  years  immediately  pre- 
ceding the  Civil  war,  and  during  its  progress,  few  additions  were 
made  to  the  list  of  settlers.  After  the  war  the  township  tilled  up 
rapidly. 

Among  the  settlers  subsequent  to  the  Civil  war  were  Amos  E. 
Hartson,  Samuel  B.  Gordon,  Solomon  Harvey  and  Walcott  Wat- 
son. The  Watsons  are  among  the  most  prominent  citizens  of  the 
township  and  are  still  identified  with  its  progress  and  develop- 
ment. 

Kesley  Green,  for  a  number  of  years  the  largest  land  owner  in 
the  township,  settled  here  in  1865.  The  village  of  Kesley  was 
platted  on  his  land  and  is  named  for  him. 

Thomas  Faint,  a  native  of  England,  settled  in  Bear  grove  in 
the  early  '70s.  Mr.  Faint's  family  of  four  daughters  and  three 
sons  were  all  raised  in  the  township.  The  daughters  have  all 
been  prominent  in  educational  work  in  this  and  other  parts  of  the 
state,  Mary  A.  Faint  having  served  two  terms  as  county  superin- 
tendent of  schools. 

The  settlement  of  the  township  was  finally  completed  very 
largely  by  people  of  the  German  nationality,  who  came  in  the 
late  '70s  and  early  '80s  and  took  up  by  purchase  unoccupied  land 
in  the  western  and  southern  part.  Among  these  may  be  men- 
tioned Charles  Borneman,  John  Rewerts,  Arend  and  J.  S.  Essman, 
Paul  J.  Gerdes.  The  Ludermann,  Baumgartner,  Rademacher 
and  Stock  families  also  are  nmnbered  in  this  list. 

W.  S.  Austin,  of  the  family  of  Austins,  prominently  connected 
with  the  early  history  of  Washingion  township,  purchased  land 
in  section  10,  Madison  township,  in  recent  years,  where  he  now 
conducts  the  Oak  Glen  Stock  Farm. 

James  P.  Bannon  is  a  native  son  of  Madison  township,  his 
father,  James  Bannon,  having  settled  upon'the  farm  where  James 
P.  now  lives,  in  1866. 

George  Lupkes  and  G.  D.  R.  Kramer  are  also  large  landown- 
ers in  the  township  at  the  present  time. 


■■m  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

Madison  township  was  originally  a  part  of  the  township  of 
Ripley,  being  so  organized  February  5,  1855.  It  continued  to  con- 
stitute a  i^art  of  the  civil, township  of  Ripley  through  the  series  of 
changes  that  took  place  in  the  towTiship  organization  down  to  Sep- 
tember 3,  I860,  when  1)y  order  of  the  county  court  it  was  given  a 
separate  organization.  The  name  Madison  was  proposed  by  Peter 
Coyle  and  was  ratified  b\^  a  meeting  of  the  board  of  supervisors. 

The  first  election  was  held  at  the  house  of  Jacob  Yost  on  sec- 
tion 16.  The  following  officers  wei'c  chosen:  Dr.  (xcorge  Sprague, 
Peter  Coyle,  trustees ;  Peter  Coyle,  justice  of  the  peace ;  and  Peter 
Coyle,  assessor.  Jacob  Y''ost  was  elected  to  some  office  Init  exactly 
what  it  was  is  not  recorded. 

Madison  township  is  the  only  township  in  the  county  which 
-has  a  town  hall,  in  which  its  elections  and  official  meetings  of  the 
l)oard  and  other  official  liusiness  ai'e  carried  on.  Its  town  hall  is 
located  on  the  sclidolliousc  grounds  in  sub-district  No.  5,  at  the 
geographical  center  of  tlie  township,  on  the  northwest  corner  of 
section  22. 

I 

GENERAL   ITI'-MS 

The  first  birth  in  Madison  township  occurred  ]\Iarch  1,  1855, 
when  a  son,  Marvin,  was  born  to  Nicholas  and  Sophia  Hartgraves. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  Abijah  Stacy  in  Novem])er,  1855. 
TI(>  was  bui-ied  withoiit  any  funeral  service. 

The  first  marriage  ceremony  in  the  township  after  its  separate 
organization  was  celebrated  at  the  house  of  Peter  Coyle,  at  which 
time  Elisha  Scott  and  Miss  Sallie  Taylor  were  united  in  marriage. 
It  is  said  that  the  wedding  had  been  arranged  and  dinner  pre- 
pared, guests  ariived  and  everything  in  order  for  a  good  time. 
When  the  hour  for  the  ceremony  arrived,  however,  the  bride  did 
not  put  in  an  appearance.  The  guests  who  were  present,  together 
with  the  minister,  ])roceeded  to  make  way  with  the  feast  which 
had  been  provided  and  the  party  then  dispersed.  It  later  devel- 
oped that  the  sister  of  the  bride,  who  was  oj^posed  to  the  marriage, 
had  persuaded  her  not  to  go  to  the  wedding.  One  of  the  friends 
of  the  contracting  parties  visited  the  Inide  and  succeeded  in  get- 
ting her  to  change  her  mind  again.  The  next  afternoon,  with  the 
prospective  bridegroom,  she  proceeded  to  Justice  Coyle 's,  where 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  335 

a  eeremouy  was  finally  perfoimed.  Mrs.  Scott  was  drowned  nine 
years  later  in  West  Fork,  while  attempting  to  cross  it  at  the  time 
of  high  water.  Her  husband  was  with  her,  but  escaped.  This 
was  undoubtedly  the  first  marriage  ceremony  performed  in  Madi- 
son township.  The  records  of  the  office  of  county  clerk,  however, 
record  an  earlier  marriage  between  residents  of  this  township 
when  it  was  a  part  of  Ripley.  The  contracting  parties  were 
Jacob  Yost  and  Evaline  Scott.  The  date  of  this  marriage  was 
February  28,  1857. 

The  first  religious  services  of  the  township  were  held  at  the 
house  of  Peter  Ooyle,  and  presided  over  by  a  Catholic  clergyman, 
Father  Shields,  of  Waverly.  A  child,  John  Cunningham,  was 
baptized  at  this  time. 

The  Methodists  held  services  in  the  township  as  early  as  1867 
in  the  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  4.  A  Rev.  Mr.  Williams,  of 
Ackley,  was  the  first  clergyman  of  this  denomination  to  hold 
service  in  the  township.  So  far  as  is  known,  no  definite  organiza- 
tion was  eifected. 

The  first  blacksmith  shop  was  started  in  a  building  which  had 
formerly  Ijcen  used  as  a  schoolhouse.  Albert  Sehmitz  purchased 
this  building  and  moved  it  and  started  a  blacksmith  shop  which 
he  conducted  for  about  a  year.    Later  he  moved  to  Dumont. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  erected  in  1860  on 
section  14.  This  was  used  for  school  purposes  until  1870,  when 
it  was  moved  away.  In  1872  a  board  shanty  was  erected  and  used 
for  several  terms  for  school  purposes  and  its  place  was  taken  by 
a  schoolhovise  binlt  in  1873  in  the  southeast  corner  of  section  13. 
This  district  was  then  known  as  No.  1.  A  Miss  Carpenter  was 
the  first  teacher  in  the  township. 

A  second  sub-district  was  organized  in  1868.  Helen  Slaid  was 
one  of  the  first  teachers  in  this  district. 

The  second  schoolhouse  in  the  township  was  erected  in  the 
southeast  part  of  the  township  in  the  early  '60s.  In  1881  this 
building  was  sold  to  T\.  S.  Creen  and  was  thereafter  used  by  him 
as  a  tenant  house.  Its  place  was  taken  by  a  school  building  erected 
on  section  26,  in  1881. 

In  1875  another  district  was  created.  A  schoolhouse  was 
erected  on  section  8.  in  1876.  for  the  pupils  of  this  district.    Mary 


336  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Jolinson,  Alice  Hiirlej'  and  George  Palmer  were  among  the  iirst 
teachers  in  this  schoolhouse. 

The  third  schoolhouse  erected  in  the  township  was  con- 
structed in  1865  on  section  16.  In  1868  this  building  was  moved 
to  the  southwest  corner  of  section  17 — its  present  location — and 
a  new  building  was  erected  on  the  southeast  corner  of  section  16. 
The  latter  school  site  was  changed  at  a  later  date  to  the  northwest 
corner  of  section  22. 

Thomas  W.  Smith  was  the  first  teacher  in  the  Clutterville 
schoolhouse.  In  1870  a  frame  schoolhouse  was  erected  on  sec- 
tion 32.    Thomas  Butler  was  one  of  the  first  teachers. 

Since  that  date  three  additional  schoolhouses  have  l)een 
erected  in  the  township,  which  now  has  nine  school  bTuldings 
within  its  limits. 

When  the  Northwestern  Railroad  was  constructed  through  the 
township  it  was  surveyed  through  the  schoolhouse  site  in  school 
district  No.  1,  necessitating  its  remo^-al.  Considerable  difficulty 
was  experienced  in  securing  a  satisfactory  site  for  this  school 
building  and  some  litigation  resulted.  In  the  end  the  schoolhc)use 
was  located  about  a  mile  north  of  its  first  site.  In  recent  years 
the  population  of  this  sub-district  has  been  so  small  that  no 
school  has  been  held  there.  The  district  still  <)\\'ns  tlic  former 
schoolhouse  site. 

The  schoolhouse  in  sul)-district  No.  2,  known  as  the  Eisen- 
trager  school,  stands  on  the  northwest  corner  of  section  10,  just 
two  miles  south  of  Dmiiont.  Borneman  school,  in  district  No.  3, 
is  located  in  the  southeastern  corner  of  section  6.  Sii))-districts 
Nos.  4  and  5  are  known  as  the  West  and  East  Clutterville  schools 
respectively.  No.  5  is  the  central  school  of  the  township.  Sub- 
district  No!  6  is  located  about  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  Kesley. 
The  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  7  stands  in  Bear  groAc  and  is 
known  as  the  Bear  ({rove  school.  Schoolhouse  No.  8  is  in  the 
northeastern  corner  of  section  33  and  that  in  No.  9  in  the  south- 
western corner  of  section  29. 

POSTOFFICE 

The  first  ijostofficc  established  in  the  townshi])  was  called  the 
Island  Grove  postoffice  and  was  located  at  the  residence  of  Dr. 
George  Sprague,  on  section  35.  This  postoffice  was  continued 
from  1858  until  1868.    It  was  on  the  mail  route  between  Cedar 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  337 

Falls  aud  Hampton  first  and  later  on  the  route  from  Aplington. 
A  postoffice  was  also  located  at  Clutterville  near  the  southwest- 
em  corner  of  section  17  at  an  early  date.  The  exact  dates  of  its 
establishment  and  discontinuance  as  w^ell  as  the  names  of  the 
postmasters  are  unknown  at  present. 

POPULATION 

1863,  66;  1865,  55;  1867,  157;  1869,  211;  1870,  293;  1873,  386; 
1875,  401;  1880,  475;  1890,  604;  1900,  679;  1910,  755. 

TOWN    OF    KESLEY 

In  the  '50s  a  stock  company  was  formed  in  Ohio,  known  as 
the  Ohio  Stock  Breeding  Association,  the  members  of  the  associ- 
ation being  John  K.  Oreen,  of  Cincinnati;  R.  W.  Musgrave  and 
Luther  A.  Hall,  of  Tiffin  city;  Doctor  Sprague  and  others. 
Through  Doctor  Sprague,  the  originator  of  the  plan,  the  company 
pm'chased  some  six  thousand  acres  of  land,  mostly  in  Madison 
and  Ripley  townships.  Doctor  Sprague  was  made  the  manager 
of  the  farm  and  came  to  Butler  county  about  1858,  bringing  a 
splendid  herd  of  shorthorn  cattle  with  him.  He  located  on  sec- 
tion 35,  in  Madison  township,  and  commenced  the  construction 
of  buildings  for  the  acconnuodation  of  the  stock  and  a  house  for 
the  men  connected  with  the  enterprise.  For  various  reasons  the 
attempt  was  unsuccessful. 

After  several  years  Doctor  Sprague  gave  up  the  struggle,  the 
company  was  dissolved  aud  the  land  divided  among  the  stock- 
holders. Doctor  Sprague  obtained  some  of  the  land,  which 
remained  in  possession  of  his  family  for  a  good  many  years.  John 
K.  Green  secured  the  largest  part  of  the  real-estate  holdings — 
some  three  thousand  seven  hundred  acres. 

Subsequent  to  this  thne  Doctor  Sprague  Avent  to  Des  Moines 
and  started  the  Iowa  Homestead,  a  fann  journal  of  wide  reputa- 
tion and  success,  Avhich  he  continued  with  the  help  of  his  sons 
for  a  number  of  years. 

Kesley  S.  Green,  a  son  of  John  K.  Green,  came  to  Madison 
township  in  1865  to  take  charge  of  his  father's  land  there.  From 
that  time  to  the  present  he  has  been  the  largest  landowner  in 
that  section  of  the  country.  Of  late  years  he  has  retired  from 
active  participation  in  business  affairs  and  his  son,  John  K.  Green, 
has  taken  his  ])lace. 


3:58  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Wlieu  in  1900  the  line  of  the  Northwestern  Railroad  was  pro- 
jected through  this  section  of  the  county,  a  plat  of  land  was 
secured  by  the  Iowa  &  Minnesota  Town  Site  Company,  upon 
which  a  town  was  platted  and  named  Kesley  for  Mr.  Green. 
Although  still  unincorporated,  the  village  at  present  is  an 
important  trading  center  for  the  farmers  of  this  section  of  Butler 
county. 

The  plat  of  the  town  of  Kesley  was  filed  for  record  on  June 
15, 1900,  by  AV.  E.  Brice,  representing  the  Iowa  &  Minnesota  Town 
Site  Company.  This  was  just  before  the*  completion  of  the  line 
of  railroad  which  was  then  l)eing  built  from  Belle  Plaine,  Iowa, 
to  Fox  Lake,  Miiuiesota.  The  name  of  the  railway  line  during 
contsruction  was  the  Iowa,  Minnesota  &  Northwestern.  The  pro- 
moters were  the  same  men  who  were  interested  in  the  Town  Site 
Company.  This  railroad  was  later  sold  to  the  Chicago  &  North- 
western Kailway  Company. 

Before  the  town  was  organized  a  postoffice  had  been  main- 
tained for  a  immber  of  years  at  Hitesville,  several  miles  to  the 
east.  After  the  town  of  Kesley  came  into  l)eing  this  \\'as  dis- 
continued and  a  postoffice  was  established  at  Kesley.  The  post- 
masters here  have  been  as  follows:  John  Bode,  Henry  Tie  Vries 
and  John  Wessels. 

Soon  aftt'r  the  platting  of  the  town  an  auction  was  held  by  the 
Town  Site  Company,  at  which  a  sale  of  lots  in  Kesley  was  made. 
The  opening  of  a  lumberyard  ))y  Reints  &  De  Buhr,  who  later 
organized  the  Bank  of  Kesley,  marked  the  beginning  of  the  actual 
transaction  of  business  in  Kesley.  Bode  Brothers  of  Austinville, 
and  F.  Traisman  of  Aplington,  immediately  opened  general  stores 
and  the  Northern  Grain  Company  and  the  Nye-Schneider- 
Powler  Company  built  elevators  along  the  right  of  way.  H.  E. 
Perry,  of  Swanton,  opened  a  blacksmith  shop;  Bode  Brothers,  of 
Parkersburg,  a  drug  store,  and  Lndeman  and  De  Vries  a  hard- 
ware and  furniture  store.  J.  H.  Brandenburg  built  a  two-story 
brick  hotel,  Avhich  he  operated  for  some  time.  A  creamery  had 
been  in  operation  about  a  half  mile  north  of  the  site  of  Kesley 
for  some  time  previous  to  its  founding.  This  may  now  be  con- 
sidered one  of  the  industries  of  the  town  of  Kesley.  Mr.  H.  Pat- 
terson succeeded  James  P.  Johnston  in  the  creamery  business 
here. 

Kesley  now  has  about  one  hundred  and  twenty  inhabitants,  has 
two  general  stores,  drug  store,  a  hardware  and  furniture  store,  an 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  :«9 

iinploniont  cstablislimeiit,  lumberyard,  l^ank,  two  elevators,  meat 
market,  hotel,  barber  shop  and  pool  hall,  harness  shop,  milk  depot 
and  two  blacksmith  shops. 

An  independent  school  district  was  formed  by  Kesley  and  the 
immediate  contignons  territorj^  some  years  ago.  There  are  at 
present  two  departments  in  the  school,  with  an  attendance  of 
a])out  forty  children.  The  school  building  is  a  substantial  two- 
.story  frame  structure. 

CHTTRCH   ORGANIZATIONS 

The  Gennan  Baptists  organized  a  church  here  through  G.  C. 
Engelmann.    This  society  was  later  disbanded. 

The  ^lonroe  Eeformed  Church  was  organized  June  14,  1885, 
with  a  membership  of  thirty-four  families,  and  built  a  neat  church 
liuilding  which  is  used  by  this  organization.  This  church  is 
located  three  miles  south  and  a  half  mile  east  of  Kesley.  The 
first  pastor  called  to  the  charge  was  Rev.  Fr.  Sehaefer,  who  after 
a  service  covering  twenty-three  years  abandoned  his  work  here, 
August  2,  1908.  Since  Novem))er,  1909,  Rev.  E.  K.  Russmann  has 
had  charge  and  the  congregation  no\\-  numbers  seventy-three 
families. 

This  denomination  has  a  church  building  in  Kesley,  in  which 
regular  services  are  held.  A  Union  Christian  Endeavor  Society 
also  holds  its  meetings  here. 

FINANCIAL 

The  Bank  of  Kesle}^  is  managed  Ijy  Herman  N.  Reints,  cashier, 
and  is  owned  by  Reints  &  De  Buhr,  of  Aplingion.  Its  capital 
stock  is  $20,000;  siu-plus,  $7,500.  Its  location  in  an  excellent 
farming  and  dairying  comitry  makes  this  financial  institution  an 
im])ortant  one,  as  the  community  which  it  represents  in  a  finan- 
cial way  enjoys  a  splendid  trade  from  the  surrounding  territory 
and  has  come  to  be  one  of  the  most  important  shipping  points  for 
hogs  and  poultry  in  the  county. 


CHAPTER  XXVI 
MONROE  TOWNSHIP  AND  TOWN  OF  APLINGTON 

Monroe  township  lies  in  the  southern  tier  of  the  townships  of 
Butler  county,  just  west  of  Albion.  It  is  bounded  on  the  north 
by  Ripley,  on  the  west  b.y  Washington,  and  on  the  south  by  Grundy 
county.  In  its  general  characteristics  it  is  very  similar  to  the 
townships  to  the  west  and  east.  It  is  drained  by  the  same  stream, 
Beaver  creek,  and  several  minor  branches.  The  surface  in  gen- 
eral is  rolling  with  a  rich,  loamy  soil  wliich  is  highly  productive. 

There  is  comparatively  little  natural  timber  and  this  is  chiefly 
along  the  Beaver.  At  an  early  date  the  water  power  of  this  stream 
was  sufficient  to  be  utilized  for  manufactui'ing  purposes.  Of 
recent  years,  however,  the  flow  of  the  stream  has  been  so  reduced 
and  the  cost  of  steam  jDower  has  become  so  essentially  cheaper 
and  more  satisfactory  as  to  render  the  use  of  this  stream  for  com- 
mercial purposes  needless.  The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  furnishes 
the  only  means  of  transportation  of  persons  and  commodities  of 
the  townshij:). 

The  town  of  Aplington  is  situated  wholly  within  the  limits  of 
the  township  and  a  portion  of  Parkersburg  also.  These  two 
towns  are  the  central  trading  points,  tirade  extending  well  beyond 
the  limits  of  the  township  in  every  direction.  The  Hawkeye 
Higliway.  wliich  lias  been  mentioned  previovisly,  connects  Parkers- 
burg and  Aplington,  furnishing  a  satisfactory  route  for  automo- 
biles and  other  wheeled  vehicles. 

In  an  early  day  wheat  was  the  principal  product  of  this 
township,  the  yield  often  reaching  forty  bushels  per  acre. 
This  wheat  was  principally  marketed  at  Cedar  Falls,  at  that  time 
the  nearest  milling  point.  Comparatively  little  wheat  is  raised 
at  the  present  time,  corn,  oats  and  hay  constituting  the  chief 
crops.  The  township  is  particularly  adapted  to  dairying  and  the 
growing  of  beef  cattle  and  hogs.  The  farms  are  well  improved 
and  many  of  them  are  occupied  and  farmed  by  their  owners — a 

:U1 


342  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

conditiuu  wliicli  operates  tu  maiutaiu  tlie  natural  fertility  of  the 
soil  aud  develop  its  resources  to  the  fullest  extent. 

The  central  portion  of  the  township  was  formerly  considered, 
too  wet  to  be  of  value  for  farming  purposes.  The  undoubted 
change  in  climatic  conditions  as  well  as  the  introduction  of  tile 
draining  and  a  greater  absorption  of  moisture  by  the  tilled  lands, 
all  have  resulted  in  removing  to  a  large  extent  this  condition. 
At  present  there  is  jjractically  no  waste  land  in  Monroe  township. 

EAKLY   SETTLIOIKXT  * 

Walter  Clayton,  who  has  l)een  mentioned  as  the  first  settler 
in  Albion  township,  also  has  the  honor  of  being  enrolled  as  the 
pioneer  of  Monroe.  j\fr.  Clayton  was  a  native  of  New  York,  com- 
ing to  All)i()u  township  from  Wisconsin.  The  claim  wliich  he  took 
up  there  was,  to  use  the  language  of  the  period,  "jumped"  by 
Thomas  Mullarky  of  Cedar  Falls,  owing  to  Mr.  Clayton's  ig-nor- 
ance  of  or  neglect  to  comply  with  the  jjrovisions  governing  the 
formal  entry  of  land  in  the  western  states. 

In  April,  1854,  Mr.  Clayton  moved  west  across  the  Albion  line 
and  located  a  new  home  on  sections  21  aud  28,  Monroe  township, 
about  a  mile  east  of  where  Aplington  now  stands.  Here  he 
erected  a  log  house  in  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  28,  cover- 
ing the  roof  with  shakes.  These  shakes  were  made  from  hewn 
oak  timbers,  abo^lt  sixteen  inches  long,  from  wdiicli  shakes,  in 
form  somewhat  similar  to  the  modern  shingle,  were  split  with  a 
tool  designed  for  this  purpose.  They  were  very  frequently  used 
in  the  construction  of  buildings  in  pioneer  days.  The  floor  was 
laid  with  Ijasswood  boards  hewn  from  the  native  logs. 

In  this  cabin  the  first  wliite  child  in  Monroe  township  was  born. 
It  was  also  the  first  hotel  in  this  part  of  the  county.  It  was  called 
the  Half -Way  House,  being  so  named  because  of  its  location  mid- 
way between  Cedar  .Falls  and  Iowa  Falls.  A  basswood  l)oard, 
with  the  name  Half -Way  House  written  iipou  it  mth  red  chalk 
was  nailed  to  a  stake  in  front  of  the  house.  It  is  said  that  often 
as  many  as  twenty  travelers  were  accommodated  in  the  one  room 
of  this  little  shanty,  where  on  account  of  the  low  ceiling  the  guests 
were  obliged  to  kneel  while  dressing. 

In  1856  he  built  another  log  house  with  two  rooms  on  the 
ground  floor  and  two  above.  The  same  year  a  stage  route  was 
established  past  his  hotel  and  this  became  a  regular  station  on  the 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  343 

route.  It  was  known  thereafter  as  Elk  Horn  Tavern,  from  an 
elk  horn  which  he  had  procured  and  suspended  OA'er  the  approach 
at  the  entrance.  This  tavern  was  in  continuous  use  until  after 
the  railway  Avas  constructed  through  the  township. 

Clayton  made  considerable  money  in  the  management  of  this 
hotel.  In  1868  he  built  a  large  frame  house  where  he  lived  until 
his  death  in  1870. 

It  is  said  that  the  money  which  he  received  for  the  imj^rove- 
ments  on  his  Albion  township  claim,  amoimting  to  about  one 
hundred  and  fifty  dollars,  he  entrusted  to  the  care  of  a  young 
man  to  take  to  Des  j\loines  to  secure  the  entry  to  his  new  claim 
in  Monroe  township.  The  man,  however,  ran  away  with  the 
money.  Mr.  .Clayton  then  managed  to  save  up  the  sum  of  $353 
by  keeping  travelers  and  this  was  stolen  from  him.  He  still  per- 
severed, however,  and  in  the  end  achieved  a  high  degree  of  pros- 
perity. 

No  entries  of  land  in  Monroe  township  were  made  until  1854. 
The  first  of  these  is  dated  July  29,  1851,  when  J.  V.  Hogaboom 
entered  a  claim  on  section  19.  L.  L.  Pease  the  same  year  entered 
a  claim  on  section  23,  and  on  the  11th  of  October  Walter  Clayton, 
mentioned  above,  entered  his  claim  on  section  21.  During  this 
year  of  1854  claims  were  also  entered  by  P.  M.  Casady  and  R.  L. 
Tidrick,  on  sections  19  and  29,  respectively. 

The  year  1854  is  marked  by  the  addition  of  Solomon  Cinna- 
mon to  the  settlers  of  Monroe  township.  Cinnamon  took  a  claim 
on  section  36  but  lived  there  only  a  few  years  and  later  removed 
to  Nebraska.  J.  M.  Caldwell  and  Thomas  Nash  also  belonged  to 
the  list  of  settlers  in  the  township  this  year.  Mr.  Caldwell  was  a 
native  of  Georgia.  He  came  to  Iowa  from  Illinois  in  September, 
1854,  and  located  a  claim  in  section  30,  Monroe  to-uTashiji.  Thomas 
Nash  took  up  portions  of  sections  19,  29  and  30. 

In  October  Messrs.  Caldwell  and  Nash  returned  to  Illinois, 
disposed  of  their  real  estate  there,  bought  stock  and  in  1855 
returned  to  Butler  county  with  their  families.  With  them  came 
quite  a  colony  of  pioneers,  among  them  Anthony  Howard  and  his 
son  Robert,  J.  G.  and  George  W.  Caldwell,  Silas  Beebe  and 
Jonathan  Geo.  The  party  made  the  journey  with  three  horses 
and  five  ox  teams.  The  trip  took  about  sixteen  days.  These  all 
settled  in  Monroe  and  Washing-ton  townships. 

The  number  of  pioneer  settlers  was  largely  increased  in  the 
year   1855.     Among  the  first  of  these  was  Nathan   Linn.     He 


344  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

located  first  at  what  was  then  called  Carpenter's  grove,  in  Shell 
Rock  townsliij),  in  the  fall  of  1854,  where  he  spent  the  winter. 
The  following  spring  he  pushed  his  way  westward  into  Ripley 
township,  whence,  after  a  brief  sojourn,  he  came  to  Monroe,  locat- 
ing on  section  2.  In  1879  he  sold  his  farm  in  Monroe  townsliip 
and  removed  to  Jefferson  township,  where  he  resided  for  a  num- 
ber of  years.  Daniel  Peterson,  like  Nathan  Linn  a  native  of 
Maryland,  located  a  short  time  afterward  on  section  1. 

Peter  McMahon,  who  settled  in  the  township  this  year,  came 
from  Pennsylvania.  From  Chicago  they  came  overland  by  team. 
When  they  reached  the  vicinity  of  Butler  Center  they  endeavored 
to  find  a  place  where  they  could  be  accommodated  over  night. 
They  were  at  first  unable  to  find  a  place  to  staj'  .until  they  by 
chance  heard  that  Nathan  Linn,  at  that  time  hardly  settled  in  the 
township,  sometimes  kept  travelers.  Puslnng  on  from  Butler 
Center  they  arrived  at  Linn's  claim,  where  they  found  the  family 
living  in  a  little  log  house  without  a  floor.  In  the  absence  of  a 
door,  a  blanlcet  was  hung  to  keep  out  the  wolves.  Here  they  were 
heartily  welcomed.  Mr.  McMahon  located  a  claim  on  section  4, 
and  rented  a  cn]>in  in  Butler  Center  where  his  family  lived  until 
he  was  able  to  complete  a  cabin  on  his  own  farm.  Among  other 
arrivals  about  this  time  were  Lycurgus  Hazen.  R.  R.  H(n'r,  Wells 
A.  Curtis,  Joseph  Embody,  M.  S.  Wrightman  and  James  Gillard. 

This  year  also  is  marked  by  the  settlement  of  Thomas  Conn 
and  his  three  sons,  Joseph,  Moses  and  Samuel,  together  with 
Joseph,  William  and  Alexander  Hopley.  Thomas  Conn  located 
a  claim  on  the  southwest  quarter  of  section  1,  which  he  later  sold 
to  his  son  Joseph.  Samuel  located  on  section  ]2  and  Joseph  and 
William  HojJey  on  sections  2  and  3.  Moses  Conn  is  mentioned 
in  connection  with  the  history  of  Albion  townslnp. 

Among  the  settlers  in  the  township  in  185(5  were  Benjamin 
Inman,  Samuel  Gillard  and  J.  H.  Kerns.  In  the  years  subse- 
quent to  the  Civil  war  the  township  was  rapidly  settled.  As  is 
the  case  with  most  of  the  other  townships  of  the  coimty,  Monroe 
township  in  the  early  '80s  became  the  home  of  large  numbers  of 
German  emigrants  who  themselves  and  their  children  today  are 
foimd  among  the  leading  citizens  of  their  commimities. 

GE^TERAL  ITEMS 

The  first  birth  in  the  township  was  Winfield  Scott  Clayton,  a 
son  of  Walter  and  Rachel  Clavton,  who  was  born  June  10,  1855. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  345 

The  first  mariiage  was  that  of  Richard  Parriott  aucl  Lilly  M. 
Caldwell,  who  on  the  10th  day  of  July,  1856,  plighted  their  faith. 
The  bridegroom  was  later  killed  iii  the  l)attle  of  Miirfreesboro  iu 
1863. 

Two  deaths  occurred  on  the  14th  of  October,  1859 — Catherine, 
the  wife  of  Samuel  Bisbee,  aged  twenty-two ;  and  Sarah,  the  wife 
of  Anthony  Howard,  aged  seventy-two.  They  were  both  buried 
on  the  same  day  in  Aplington  cemetery. 

OFFICIAL  OEGANIZATIOIs" 

Monroe  township  was  at  first  a  portion  of  the  township  of 
Ripley,  being  so  assigned  by  order  of  the  county  court,  February 
5,  1855.  On  March  3.  1856,  Monroe  township  was  organized  of 
the  two  congressional  townships,  now  Monroe  and  Washington. 
Washing-ton  township  was  separated  from  Monroe  on  the  3d  of 
September,  1860,  since  which  date  both  townships  have  had  their 
present  boundaries.  The  township  name  was  suggested  by  J.  M. 
Caldwell,  whose  middle  initial  stands  for  ^Monroe.  Whether  he 
had  his  own  name  or  that  of  the  president  of  the  United  States 
is  unknown. 

The  first  election  in  the  township  was  held  at  the  home  of  J. 
M.  Caldwell  in  April,  1856.  At  this  election  an  oyster  can  was 
used  for  a  ballot  box,  and  the  following  officers  were  elected: 
Thomas  Nash  and  J.  M.  Caldwell,  trustees ;  Jonathan  Gree,  clerk ; 
L.  P.  Hazen,  assessor;  Daniel  Peterson,  constable;  and  Joseph 
Embody,  justice  of  the  peace. 

EDUCATIONAL 

Monroe  is  one  of  the  eleven  townships  of  Butler  count}'  enjoy- 
ing township  district  organization  for  school  purposes.  It  was 
so  organized  from  the  beginning  in  1856. 

The  first  school  was  held  during  the  winter  of  1856-7  in  a  log 
shanty  belonging  to  J.  M.  Caldwell,  on  section  19,  with  L.  P. 
Hazen  as  teacher. 

The  second  school,  held  in  the  following  winter  at  the  resi- 
dence of  Walter  Clayton,  w^as  taught  by  Morris  F.  Whitney. 

In  1859  there  were  two  schoolhonses  erected,  one  in  Pari-iott's 
grove  on  section  30,  and  the  other  in  tlie  eastern  part  of  the  vil- 
lage of  Aplington.  The  latter  was  not  completed  until  about 
1861.     W.  C.  Carrisdii  was  the  first  teacher  here. 


346  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

By  1883  the  township  had  been  divided  into  six  sub-districts. 
The  first  school  in  district  No.  1  was  taught  in  Joseph  Conn's 
house  on  section  1,  Thomas  Conn  being  the  teacher.  A  school- 
house  was  erected  aliout  1863  on  section  2.  In  1865  a  schoolhouse 
was  erected  at  the  northwest  corner  of  section  15,  at  what  was 
then  known  as  sub-district  No.  2.  This  schoolhouse  stood  on  the 
present  station  of  Eleanor.  A  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  1872 
in  the  western  part  of  section  8  for  district  No.  3.  About  1872  a 
schoolhouse  w^as  erected  near  the  southwest  corner  of  section  27. 
School  was  first  held  in  this  part  of  the  township  in  section  34. 
The  first  school  in  the  southeastern  portion  of  the  township  was 
taught  l)y  Wells  A.  Curtis  at  his  house  on  section  25,  in  the  winter! 
of  1858-9.  The  following  winter  the  school  was  taught  at  M.  S. 
Wrightnian's  house  ])y  George  Russell.  In  1861  a  schoolhouse 
was  located  in  the  northeastern  part  of  section  26,  where  M.  F. 
Whitney  taught  the  first  school. 

At  the  present  time  the  townshij)  is  divided  into  seven  sub- 
districts.  In  educational  matters  the  township  is  one  of  the  most 
progressive  and  enlightened  in  Butler  county.  They  have  adopted 
a  definite  plan  of  relniilding  their  rural  schoolhouses,  construct- 
ing one  each  year,  beginning  in  1911.  In  this  year  a  new-  building- 
was  erected  in  sub-district  No.  1.  In  1912  a  new  school  building  was 
erected  on  the  southwest  corner  of  section  5  for  sub-district  No. 
3.  This  building  is  the  first  rural  school  in  Butler  county  to  be 
furnished  with  a  basement  and  a  furnace  for  heating  purposes. 

In  1913  a  school  building  was  erected  in  district  No.  7,  a  mile 
and  a  half  east  of  A])lington,  wduch  in  all  respects  is  the  finest 
rural  school  building  in  the  county.  A  new  site  for  the  school  was 
purchased  at  the  southeast  corner  of  section  28.  Tlie  Ituilding  is 
heated  by  a  basement  furnace,  is  unilaterally  lighted  and  has  an 
adeqiuite  system  of  ventilation.  It  is  seated  with  the  best  desks 
obtainable,  is  provided  with  slate  blackboards  and  has  practically 
every  essential  of  modern  schoolhoiise  construction.  The  cost 
of  this  building  was  in  the  neighborhood  of  $2,100.  It  is  planned 
to  continue  the  r('l)uilding  of  the  schools  of  the  townshi]i  in  the 
futiu-e,  one  being  constructed  each  year.  If  this  plan  is  adhered 
to,  within  a  com])ai'atively  short  time  Monroe  township  will  be 
equipped  with  a  set  of  rural  school  buildings  that  wall  be  second 
to  none  in  the  state  of  Iowa. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  347 

EARLY  RELIGIOUS  SERVICES 

The  early  religions  services  were  held  in  a  building  put  up 
for  a  stable.  The  quarterly  meetings  were  held  in  Mr.  Cald- 
well's barn.  The  first,  or  one  of  the  first  sermons  ever  delivered 
in  the  neighborhood  is  a  reminder  of  the  old  dissenters  who  posted 
theii"  sentinels  among  the  rocks.  The  good  women  of  the  neigh- 
borhood, having  long  been  denied  the  privilege  of  hearing  the 
-Nvord  of  (iod,  proposed  to  their  husl)ands  to  have  a  sermon  from 
some  source.  The  religious  enthusiasm  of  the  men  had  been  over- 
come by  a  pressing  necessity  for  active  physical  labor.  A  min- 
ister to  perform  regular  service  every  Sab])ath  could  not  be 
supported,  consequently  a  discourse  from  a  minister  from  Hardin 
county,  who  could  come  no  other  time  than  through  the  week, 
was  agreed  upon.  Mr.  Parriott  mounted  a  horse  and  hied  him- 
self oif  for  Rev.  Mr.  Crippin.  The  signal  for  his  return  on  the 
following  day  was  to  be  a  Idast  from  the  dinner  horn  of  Mrs.  Par- 
riott's,  in  order  to  call  in  the  hands,  busy  at  work  in  the  fields. 
The  sound  of  the  horn  on  the  following  afternoon  apprised  the 
settlers  that  their  messenger  had  appeared  in  sight.  Oxen  and 
horses  were  turned  to  graze  and  rest,  while  the  barefooted,  ragged 
and  dusty  yeomanry  assembled  to  hear  the  word  of  the  Holy  One 
expounded.  Such  a  luxury  could  not  often  be  indulged  in,  conse- 
quently the  more  appreciated.  It  is  merely  a  single  instance 
among  thousands  of  a  similar  character  which  occur  in  the  first 
settlement  of  a  country. 

POPULATION 

1856,  135;  1860,  20.3;  1863,  151;  1865,  190;  1867,  407;  1869,  516; 
1870,  64-1;  1873.  645;  1875,  692;  1880,  891;  1890,  1,088;  1900,  1,388; 
1910, 1,362. 

APLINGTON 

In  the  summer  of  1857  the  A'illage  of  Aplington  was  laid  out 
and  platted  by  the  proprietors,  Thomas  Nash,  R.  R.  Parriott, 
Zenas  Aplington  and  Theodore  A.  Wilson,  on  section  29.  At  the 
time  one  house  stood  on  the  tract  of  land,  which  had  been  erected 
and  occupied  by  Charles  Savage,  a  New  Euglander,  a  settler  of 
short  duration.    The  town  was  incorporated  in  the  '80s  and  has 


348  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 


grown  to  ho  a  lively  and  thriving  trading  point  of  five  hundred 
people.  No  better  soil  or  liner  farms  lie  out  of  doors  than  those 
contributing  to  the  wealth  of  this  eoinmunity  and  with  the  Iowa 
division  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad  good  transportation  facili- 
ties appreciably  add  to  the  desirability  of  Aplington  as  a  place  for 
business  actiA'ity  and  easy  comnninication  with  the  outside  world. 
The  town  Avas  named  by  its  promoters  in  honor  of  one  of  their 
numljer,  Zenas  Aplington,  a  resident  «tf  Illinois,  who  never  lived 
liere.  He  owned  part  of  the  land,  however,  and  t(K>k  a  li\ely  inter- 
est in  the  town's  welfare  until  his  death*  which  occurred  while 
serving  his  country  in  the  AVar  of  the  Rebellion. 

The  first  building  erected  in  Aplington  was  built  by  Zenas 
Aplington  in  1856.  He  also  furnished  a  stock  of  general  mer- 
chandise. Till'  building  stood  on  the  south  side  of  Parriott  street, 
and  the  first  Aplington  merchant,  George  W.  Hunter,  sold  goods 
over  the  counters  here  al)out  one  year  for  Mr.  Aplington.  He 
A\as  su(-ceeded  by  Chester  8tilson,  who  ran  the  store  eighteen 
months;  then  it  closed  its  doors.  However,  in  18G-1,  Isaac  Hall 
opened  a  general  store  in  this  building.  He  sold  his  stock  to  C. 
S.  Price,  who  a  year  later  closed  out  at  auction. 

The  father  of  Charles  Savage  was  an  early  settler  in  this  part 
of  the  county  and  set  uj)  a  blacksmith  forge  in  a  roofless  sod  house. 
This  was  the  first  smithy  in  the  southern  part  of  Butler  county. 
William  Bisbee  came  here  in  1857  and  opened  a  blacksmith  shop 
for  Zenas  Ajilington  and  managed  it  one  year  for  that  enterpris- 
ing non-resident.  He  then  engaged  in  the  trade  for  himself  and 
continued  therein  for  many  years. 

Mrs.  Rachel  Quimi  built  and  presided  over  the  first  hotel  in 
j858.  E.  Y.  Royce  bought  the  pro])erty  in  ISfifi  and  sold  it  to 
Edward  Bourns  in  1867,  who  continued  tlie  hotel  a  few  years. 
The  building  was  then  piu'chased  by  Henry  Kei'us  and  used  as  a 
residence.  The  present  hotel  is  an  old  frame  structure  showing 
the  weai-  and  tear  of  the  elements.  Yet  the  traveler  is  well  taken 
care  of  and  gi\H'n  a  good,  generous  meal  l)y  the  proprietor. 

The  first  grain  elevator  in  Aplington  was  built  by  Alonzo 
McKey,  at  the  time  of  the  coming  of  the  Illinois  Central  Railroad 
in  1865.  Among  the  several  managers  was  C.  M.  Mead.  The 
next  was  built  hy  the  firm  of  Wright  Brothers  and  run  l)y  the 
firm  until  1877.  Several  persons  have  been  in  charge  of  the  busi- 
ness since  then.  The  third  elevator  was  built  l)y  S.  L.  Kemmerer 
in  1872.    He  sold  the  i-ropei'ty  to  A.  M.  Whaley  in  1876.    In  1879, 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  349 

a  fourth  elevator  was  built.  The  hrm  of  Chrystie  ik  Prince,  pro- 
prietors, disposed  of  their  interests  to  Mr.  Willis. 

Aplington  was  early  noted  for  its  mills  and  creamery.  Edward 
Hiller  would  have  built  a  mill  in  the  '60s,  but  being  miable  to 
secure  on  reasonable  terms  the  right  of  way  for  a  tail  race,  he 
gave  up  the  project.  However,  John  Matthews  &  Son,  of  Jack- 
sou  county  formed  a  stock  company,  with  a  capital  of  $14,000,  in 
187:^.  A  mill  was  Innlt,  but  before  its  completion  certam  of  the 
stockholders  refused  to  meet  their  obligations  on  stock  issued 
them,  which  retarded  the  industry  for  a  while.  The  Matthews 
linally  turned  over  their  interests  to  William  Dobbins  and  the 
latter  disposed  of  a  controlling  amount  of  the  stock  to  A.  L. 
Morris  &  Son,  who  had  the  mill  running  in  September,  1877. 
After  this  the  mill  had  several  owners. 

Spring  Hill  Creamery  began  operations  in  the  spring  of  1881, 
on  section  20.  The  proprietors  at  that  time,  Markley  &  Dodswell 
gave  employment  to  a  numl)er  of  men  and  consumed  vast  quanti- 
ties of  milk,  which  were  deli^^ered  from  the  surrounding  farms. 
One  of  the  largest  and  most  lucrative  industries  of  this  section 
of  the  county  is  dairying. 

I'OSTOFFICE 

The  Aplington  postoffice  was  established  in  1858  and  the  first 
postmaster  was  Chester  Stilson,  who  kept  the  office  at  his  store. 
Harvey  Quinn  was  the  next  appointee.  He  removed  the  office 
to  his  hotel  and  while  in  the  army  his  sister,  Maria  Quinn,  distrib- 
uted the  mail.  Others  who  have  held  the  position  of  postmaster 
here  are:  Alexander  Chrystie,  E.  A.  Oilman,  C.  J.  Fitzpatrick, 
A.  M.  Whaley,  C.  (i.  Whaley,  Dick  Voogd. 

Charles  S.  Prince  located  in  Aplington  in  1865,  where  he 
engaged  in  mercantile  pursuits  of  a  varied  nature. 

Mention  has  been  made  of  the  building  of  the  Illinois  Central 
Railroad  through  Aplington  in  1865;  it  also  should  be  added  that 
a  depot  was  not  built  until  two  years  later.  In  the  meantime  A. 
^fcKey,  agent  for  the  railroad  company,  maintained  an  office  in 
his  store  room. 

A.  McKey,  the  first  station  agent,  came  to  Aplington  in  1865. 
He  not  only  opened  a  general  store,  but  also  erected  a  warehouse 
and  bought  grain. 


350  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Alexander  Clnystie  was  early  iu  the  field  of  business  at  this 
point.  In  1868  he  opened  a  general  store,  his  stock  consisting  of 
groceries,  dry  goods,  l)oots,  shoes,  etc.  Mr.  Chrystie  became  one 
of  the  prosperous  and  influential  men  of  the  place. 

The  firm  of  Lynd  &  Wright  started  a  general  mercantile  busi- 
ness in  1868,  having  for  headquarters  a  Ijuilding  on  Parriott 
street.  In  1869  these  busy  men  built  a  business  house  on  Tenth 
street  where  they  installed  a  stock  of  goods,  which  was  sold  out 
in  a  lump  within  a  year  and  moved  away. 

Doctor  Whitfield  opened  the  first  drug  store  in  1868.  Within 
a  few  months  thereafter  he  sold  out  to  Charles  Prince  and  formed 
a  partnership  with  Doctor  Waterbury,  which  lasted  but  a  short 
tune.  Lynd  &  Wright  were  the  next  proprietors  of  the  stock  of 
goods,  then  A.  M.  Whaley  got  hold  of  it  and  in  1873  disposed  of  his 
bargain  to  L.  M.  Swan. 

In  J 869  A.  S.  Burnham  entered  the  furniture  trade  and  at 
the  expiration  of  a  year's  time  took  into  partnership  his  brother, 
J.  J.  Burnham. 

A  wagon  shop  was  established  in  Aplington  in  1877,  by  George 
Lefever;  Joseph  Kellogg  had  a  hardware  store  in  1875;  E.  Y. 
Roj^ce  opened  a  real-estate  agency  in  1868.  Arcnds  &  Rans,  hard- 
ware, 1878;  H.  Reints  &  Company,  groceries,  1880;  Dreyer 
Brothers  opened  up  a  grain  and  kmiber  business. 

APLINGTON  INCORPORATED 

Aplmgton  long  has  been  an  incorporated  town,  l)ut  the  exact 
date  of  its  separation  from  the  township  was  not  obtainable  for 
this  article.  After  diligent  search  among  the  records  in  the  court- 
house nothing  was  found  pertaining  to  the  court  proceedings  nec- 
essary and  antecedent  to  incorporation.  Further,  the  early 
minute  books  of  the  recorder  of  Aplington  are  missing,  so  that, 
with  these  handicaps  a  connected  history  of  the  municipality  is 
not  possible  at  this  time.  However,  the  town  held  its  initial  elec- 
tion, the  officials  were  properly  indiicted  into  office  and  the  busi- 
ness of  Aplington  as  an  incorporated  town  has  gone  steadily 
onward  wdthout  any  sei'ious  interruptions.  It  is  true  the  central 
part  of  the  town  was  practically  wiped  out  by  fire  in  1891.  But 
the  community  surviA'cd  the  heavy  loss  entailed  and  the  business 
pai't  was  rebuilt  in  a  move  substantial  and  expensive  maimer  than 
ever.    As  a  matter  of  fact,  the  ])usiness  hoiises  of  Aplington  rank 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  351 

Avell  with  other  Butler  comity  towDs  and  as  a  tradhig  point  there 
is  none  better,  when  size  and  facilities  are  considered.  The 
community  is  one  of  the  wealthiest  in  the  county  as  the  highly 
improved  farms  and  town  residences  plainly  attest. 

MUNICIPAL  ELECTBIC  LIGHT  PLANT 

Aplington  stands  well  forward  in  the  ranks  of  incorporated 
towns  of  its  class,  and  is  gradually  acquiring  the  utilities  found 
in  her  larger  competitors.  On  the  26th  day  of  July,  1913,  the 
question  of  l)uilding  an  electric  light  plant  and  issuing  $7,000  in 
])onds  for  the  purpose  was  presented  to  the  electorate  at  a  special 
election,  and  was  carried  by  a  very  generous  majority  of  all  the 
votes  cast;  in  fact,  the  local  sentiment  Avas  almost  unanimous  for 
the  improvement.  By  the  end  of  the  year,  this  useful  and  con- 
venient utility  was  completed.  A  cement  power  house  was 
erected,  in  which  were  installed  a  kerosene  engine  and  large  alter- 
nating-current djaiamos.  The  merchants  erected  ten  five-globe 
electroliers  and  now  the  business  houses  and  many  of  the  resi- 
dences are  supi)]i('d  with  the  modern  and  mysterious  lights  pro- 
duced by  electricity.  This  plant  also  supplies  the  current  for 
the  public  and  private  lights  at  Austinville,  about  five  milfes  west 
of  Aplington,  in  Washington  township,  a  village  named  in  honor 
of  ITenry  Austin,  a  pioneer  of  Butler  county.  Henry  Austin  and 
his  ])rother  located  in  AVashington  township  in  1867,  where  from 
time  to  time  they  purchased  tracts  of  land,  until  their  holdings 
amounted  to  two  thousand  acres.  Henry,  while  driving  his  auto- 
mol)ilc  on  the  22d  day  of  February,  1912,  sustained  injuries  which 
caused  his  death.  William  is  now  retired  and  makes  his  home 
with  a  daughter,  Mrs.  Dick  Voogd.  He  is  now  in  his  sixty-eighth 
vear. 


FINANCIAL  INSTITUTIONS 

The  forerunner  of  the  Exchange  Bank  was  a  private  bank- 
ing concern,  established  by  A.  M.  Whaley  in  187S.  This  pioneer 
merchant  was  one  of  Aplington 's  busy  and  energetic  town  build- 
ers, engaging  in  several  lines  of  industry,  notably  a  flax  elevator, 
which  he  often  filled  to  its  capacity  of  seven  thousand  bushels. 
In  1896,  Mr.  Whaley  sold  his  bank  to  ¥.  H.  Eeints  and  H.  J. 
r)e  Buhr,  Avho  still  conduct  the  business  and  have  a  large  clien- 


352  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

tele.  Ill  1902,  they  opened  a  bank  in  Kesle}-  and  placed  Herman 
N.  Reiiits,  a  son  of  N.  H.  Reints,  in  cliarge.  The  tirin  of  Reints  & 
De  Buhr  also  maintain  lumberyards  at  Aplington  and  Kesley 
and  the  homes  of  both  banks  are  substantial  brick  structures  of 
modern  designs.  The  Aplington  building  Avas  erected  by  Mr. 
Reints  in  1900  and  the  Kesley  building  in  1909. 

The  Farmers  Savings  Bank  was  organized  mider  the  laws  of 
Iowa  in  1906.  The  incorporators  were  Fred  Weiss,  A.  Ontges,  J. 
Jerdens,  John  Spieker,  0.  Prmius,  H.  H.  Dreyer  and  William 
Klingenborg.  Capital  stock,  $15,000.  First  officials:  A.  Ontges, 
president;  C.  Primus,  vice  itresideiit;  Dick  Spieker,  cashier.  The 
latter  resigned  his  position  in  1909  and  was  succeeded  by  Albert 
Dreyer.  The  last  statement  of  the  l)ank  shows  the  capital  is 
$15,000;  surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $7,500;  deposits,  $125,000. 
The  bank's  home  is  in  the  east  half  of  a  large  modern  brick  build- 
ing recently  purchased,  which  was  erected  for  P.  Arends'  hard- 
ware store. 

CHUECHES  THAT  HAVE  BEEN 

The  oldest  church  building  in  Aplington  belonged  to  the  Meth- 
odist society,  the  first  religious  organization  to  be  established  in 
the  town.  The  forerunner  of  this  society  was  a  series  of  meet- 
ings held  at  the  home  of  R.  R.  Parriott  in  1855  by  Reverend  Mr. 
Crippin,  a  circuit  rider.  Later  meetings  were  held  at  the  home 
of  Thomas  Nash  on  section  30.  The  society  was  formally  organ- 
ized at  the  Parriott  home  and  in  1860  the  schoolhouse  at  Apling- 
ton was  secured  for  holding  regulai'  services.  Father  John  Connell 
presiding.  In  1870  a  church  building  was  erected  on  lots  donated 
by  E.  Y.  Royce  and  dedicated  by  Elder  Kendig,  December  18, 1870. 
Reverend  Piatt  was  the  first  regular  pastor.  For  many  years  this 
congregation  held  together,  but  in  later  years  the  German  element 
became  predominant  in  the  community,  acquiring  the  land  and 
establishing  churches  of  their  own.  As  the  Germans  increased 
those  of  American  birth  decreased,  the  latter  giving  way  to  the 
newcomers  and  removing  to  other  parts  of  the  coimtry.  This 
militated  against  the  Methodist  organization  to  the  extent  that  it 
was  finally  disbanded  and  the  church  property  was  sold. 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

The  settlers  affiliating  with  the  Presbyterian  church  effected 
an  organization  at  Aplington  July  25,  1869,  and  held  their  first 


ni.T'ONS 


V^i'     . 

V- 

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NEW    GERMAN    BAPTIST    CHURCH,    AI'LIXOTOX 


TILK   FACTORY,  ArLINGTON 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  353 

meetings  at  the  schoolhuuse  aud  the  Methodist  church.  Rev.  R. 
Boag  was  the  organizing  minister  and  the  first  members  were: 
G-eorge  B.  Smith,  Eliza  Smith,  Lydia  F.  Smith,  Margaret  Stock- 
dale,  James  Stockdale,  James  S.  Montgomery,  Jane  Montgomery, 
Mrs.  T.  Johnson,  Mrs.  Rachel  Quinn,  Alfred  Burnham,  Joseph 
Montgomery,  Alexander  McMullen. 

In  1889  the  church  edifice  was  erected  and  on  the  last  Sabbath 
day  in  December  of  tliat  year  the  dedicatory  exercises  and  sermon 
were  discussed  by  a  large  assemblage  of  members  and  visitors. 
The  parsonage  was  built  during  the  administration  of  Reverend 
Beebe  and  since  the  beginning  the  church  has  prospered  and  now 
has  a  membership  of  sixty.    Names  of  its  pastors  are  given  below : 

Miles  Smith,  J.  W.  Van  Emman,  C.  H.  Gravenstein,  W.  A. 
McMinn,  Q.  M.  Tourtellot,  David  P.  Williams,  George  Earhart, 
Wilson  Ardale,  L.  M.  Beebe,  T.  N.  Buchanan,  Elmer  Ankerman, 
H.  W.  Stillman,  S.  F.  Rederus,  George  Ballinger  and  T.  N. 
Buchanan. 

GERMAN  BAPTIST  CHURCH 

The  membership  of  the  Baptist  faith  of  Geraian  nationality 
organized  the  German  Baptist  church  at  tlie  schoolhouse  in  dis- 
trict No.  3,  Washington  township,  in  1874,  under  the  guidance  of 
Elder  Schroeder.  In  a  little  while  the  society  began  attending 
the  church  at  Pleasant  valley,  but  in  the  year  1881,  or  thereabouts, 
a  church  building  was  erected  in  Apling-ton  by  the  society,  which 
prospered  and  grew  so  rapidly  that  in  1904  a  larger  building 
became  necessary.  To  this  end  a  handsome  structure  was  built 
in  the  last  mentioned  year  at  a  cost  of  $7,000,  which  was  destroyed 
by  fire  in  1912.  This  was  replaced  by  a  larger  and  handsomer 
edifice  which  cost  $9,000. 

The  first  members  of  the  local  German  Baptist  church  were 
H.  Dreyer,  Sr.,  and  family,  Henry  Dallman,  David  Meyer,  Lidtert 
Luberts,  Garbrand  Roos,  Amos  Beckhoff,  Herman  Reints,  O. 
Althoff,  J.  Muntinga  and  several  others.  Rev.  J.  Engelmann  was 
the  first  pastor.  He  was  succeeded  by  William  Paul,  C.  Tietge, 
William  Pheift'er,  Louis  Wiesle  and  the  present  pastor,  Detmar 
Koester.     The  membership  is  one  hundred  and  seventy. 

THE  GERMAN  REFORMED  CHURCH 

The  Reformed  church  was  organized  at  Aplington  April  23, 
1908,  with  the  following  charter  members:     Mr.  and  Mrs.  K. 


354  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Erouwer,  Mr.  and  Mis.  A.  Beiigeii,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Haan,  Mrs. 
H.  O.  Muller,  0.  Grouinga,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  T.  Busemann,  Miss  R. 
Busemaun,  Mrs.  R.  Busemann,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  H.  Ebens,  Jacob 
Busemann,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  J.  Gersema,  C.  M.  Janssen,  Miss  P. 
Jansseu,  J.  Tjabrings,  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Klingenborg,  Ecko  Mennen, 
Mrs.  E.  Mennen,  Rieke  Busemann,  Mrs.  R.  Busemann,  Mrs.  A. 
Jurgeua. 

The  first  services  were  held  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
and  in  October,  1910,  this  society  bought  the  property  and  placed 
some  needed  improvements.  There  has  bt?en  but  one  pastor,  Rev. 
G.  Zindler,  who  is  still  attending  to  the  spiritual  needs  of  a  pros- 
perous and  worthy  congregation. 


CHAPTER  XXVII 
PITTSFORD  TOWNSHIP  AND  TOWN  OF  DUMONT 

Pittsford  township  consists  of  wliat  is  known  as  township  92 
north,  range  18  west.  It  is  situated  in  the  west  central  part  of 
the  county,  being  bordered  on  the  west  by  Franklin  county.  Its 
surface  is  rolling  prairie,  varied  by  the  presence  of  the  valleys 
of  several  streams,  most  of  which  are  bordered  by  some  natural 
timber.  The  valleys  of  these  streams  are  none  of  them  of  great 
width  but  are  of  sufficient  depth  to  render  the  surface  of  some 
portions  of  the  township  rather  irregular.  The  main  branch  of 
the  West  Fork  traverses  the  townshij:)  from  northwest  to  south- 
east, entering  on  the  west  near  the  line  between  sections  17  and 
18  and  flowing  out  into  Madison  township  near  the  southern  end 
of  the  line  joining  sections  34  and  35.  Boylau's  creek  flows 
through  the  township  from  north  to  south,  principally  in  the 
eastern  part  of  the  township.  This  stream  west  of  Bristow  is 
bordered  by  lime  stone  bluffs  wliieh  were  formerly  quarried  and 
the  stone  burned  for  lime  in  several  kilns  which  have  now  been 
abandoned. 

Two  lines  of  railroad  pass  through  the  township — the  Chicago 
Great  Western  and  the  Minnesota  division  of  the  Northwestern. 
These  roads  cross  at  Dumont,  which  is  the  most  important  trad- 
ing point  of  the  township.  Bristow  is  situated  on  the  Ijorder 
between  Pittsford  and  West  Point  townships. 

The  farm  land  of  the  township  is  all  in  a  high  state  of  cultiA'a- 
tion.  The  farms  for  the  most  part  are  occupied  by  resident  land- 
owners and  the  improvements  are  such  as  to  make  this  township 
rank  as  one  of  the  best  farming  regions  of  the  state. 

EARLY  SETTLEMEXTS 

The  township  was  first  settled  in  the  fall  of  1852  when  the 
families  of  John  Boylan  and  James  M.  Parks  came  from  Bureau 
county,  Illinois,  and  settled  on  portions  of  sections  13  and  24. 

355 


356  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  next  settler  was  Samuel  Moots,  who  came  with  his  family 
aud  settled  iu  the  eastern  part  of  the  township,  some  time  in  the 
winter  of  1852-3. 

No  entries  of  government  land  were  made  at  this  time  in  the 
township,  as  the  land  here  was  under  the  control  of  the  Des  Moines 
land  office  and  most  of  the  settlers  had  come  from  the  eastern 
states  and  considered  a  journe}'  to  Des  Moines  too  difficult  to 
make  at  that  time,  instead,  most  of  them  took  up  what  was 
called  "settlers'  claims,"  which  were  made  generally  by  laying 
the  foundation  for  a  cabin,  constructed  of  four  logs,  with  some- 
times an  addition  of  the  claimant's  name  cut  in  a  tree.  A  num- 
ber of  such  claims  were  made  soon  after  the  arrival  of  Boylau 
aud  Parks  but  they  were  made  b}^  men  who  were  merely  tran- 
sients and  who  made  no  later  attempt  to  render  the  basis  of  their 
claims  permanent  by  entry  in  the  government  land  office. 

Reference  has  been  made  elsewhere  to  the  large  nnml^er  of 
buffalo,  deer  and  elk  that  were  foimd  iu  the  township  at  the  time 
of  this  first  settlement  and  also  to  the  conditions  which  led  to  the 
practical  extermination  of  wild  game. 

These  three  families — the  Boylans,  Parks  and  Moots — were 
all  of  them  interrelated  by  marriage,  James  M.  Parks  ])eing  mar- 
ried to  Eliza  Boylan,  a  sister  of  John  Boylan,  and  a  daughter  of 
Sanuiel  Moots  having  married  James  W.  Boylan.  Another  of 
the  Boylan  family,  Isaac,  came  with  his  family  and  settled  in  the 
townsliip  in  the  summer  of  1853.  This  family  was  prominently 
identihed  with  the  history  of  the  eastern  portion  of  this  townshi]) 
throughout  the  early  period  and  a  number  of  descendants  are  still 
residing  in  the  township.  The  first  settlement  to  be  given  a  name 
was  Boylan 's  Grove,  later  known  by  the  uneuphonious  name  of 
Pilltown,  situated  in  the  center  of  sections  14  and  23,  about  a  mile 
and  a  half  west  of  Bristow.  A  sehoolhouse  and  cemetery  still 
mark  the  site  of  this  village. 

W.  R.  Jamison  and  family  came  to  the  township  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1853,  seeking  a  location  for  a  home.  They  came  fii'st  to 
Bojdan's  grove,  a  tract  of  timber  land  containing  at  that  time 
about  a  thousand  acres.  Mr.  Jamison  was  anxious  to  secure  some 
of  this  timber  land  and  knew  that  inasmuch  as  no  legal  entries 
of  laud  had  been  made  he  was  privileged  to  select  any  site  which 
he  chose.  However,  he  recognized  the  fact  that  the  settlers 
already  on  the  ground  would  consider  it  a  decided  intrusion  if 
he  should  fail  to  recognize  the  validity  of  their  settlers'  claims. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  'iST 

Beiug  auxious  to  avoid  auy  trouble  with  his  future  neighbors, 
Mr.  Jamison  took  Mr.  Bojdan's  advice,  and  under  his  guidance 
set  out  to  look  at  a  grove  of  timber  near  by.  This  grove,  which 
was  later  known  as  Jamison's  grove,  was  situated  in  sections  19 
and  20.  Being  satisfied  with  the  location  and  the  quality  of  the 
laud  which  he  found.  INIr.  Jamison  selected  three  hundred  and 
twenty  aeios.  (nic  liuudred  and  twenty  in  section  19,  and  two  hun- 
dred acj-es  in  section  20.  On  the  11th  day  of  August,  1853,  Mr. 
Jamison  made  entry  of  this  half  section  of  land  in  the  land  office 
at  Des  ^[oines,  Iowa,  thus  making  the  first  original  entry  of  land 
in  the  towushi}),  and  so  far  as  the  records  show,  the  first  in  the 
western  half  of  the  county. 

To  this  new  home  JNfr.  Jamison  l)rouglit  his  family  in  vSeptem- 
her,  1853,  bringing  them  from  Buchanan  county,  where  they  had 
l)een  living.  Mr.  Jamison  brought  into  the  township  the  first 
sjian  of  horses  and  covered  carriage  that  was  known  in  the  town- 
ship. He  also  lirought  with  him  a  fine  herd  of  Berkshire  hogs. 
The  other  early  settlers  were  rather  inclined  to  ridicule  him  for 
taking  the  troul^le  to  bring  hogs  into  this  new  country  on  the 
ground  that  meat  was  so  much  more  easily  procured  from  the 
wild  game,  A\hii-li  was  still  plentiful.  However,  during  the  win- 
ter of  1853-4  the  deer  and  elk  began  to  be  less  numerous  than 
they  had  been  and  it  Avas  not  long  before  the  wisdom  of  Mr. 
Jamison,  in  providing  a  somewhat  more  stable  supplj^  of  meat  for 
the  future,  became  very  evident.  This  first  year  Mr.  Jamison 
sold  his  carriage  and  traded  his  span  of  horses  for  several  yoke 
of  oxen  and  in  the  following  spring  he  ])roke  the  first  prairie  sod 
for  a  crop. 

The  other  settlers  folhtwed  Mr.  Jamison's  example  in  making 
lu'oper  entry  of  their  land.  On  May  2,  1854,  Alexander  Frazer, 
John  Boylan,  H.  A.  Early  and  Seth  Strong  are  recorded  as  having 
made  entries  on  claims  which  they  had  previously  taken  up,  and 
on  the  11th  day  of  May,  1854,  James  and  Ephraim  McKinney 
^Iso  entered  land  in  this  township.  These  constitiite  the  first  land 
entries  as  shown  by  the  records  of  the  general  land  office. 

Other  settlers  who  located  in  the  township  in  1854  were  the 
Rev.  Richard  Merrill  and  his  brother,  Joseph;  James  Woods, 
two  Germans  by  the  name  of  Kniphals  and  Peterson,  Comfort 
"Williams,  James  W.,  William  H.  and  Asa  Boylan  and  Thomas 
Bumont. 


358  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Rev.  Richard  llerrill,  a  Pirslntei'iaii  minister,  preached  the 
first  sermon  in  the  township  at  tlie  house  of  John  Boylan. 

A  (Jernian,  Kniphals,  was  tho  first  lih^cksnnth  in  the  town- 
shi|).  Comfort  Williams  has  heen  mentioned  in  connection  with 
one  of  the  earliest  marriage  ceremonies  celebrated  in  the  county. 
The  marriage  of  his  daughter  to  Oreenbury  Luck  is  the  first  in 
oi'der  recorded  on  the  records  of  the  county  court,  although  two 
other  marriage  licenses  bear  earlier  dates  than  this. 

At  the  time  of  the  Indian  scare,  in  the  summer  of  1854,  the 
panic  caused  by  fear  of  an  Indian  outbreak  reached  the  settlers 
of  this  township,  and  all  of  them,  except  the  families  of  W.  R. 
Jamison  and  James  Wood,  fled  for  refug(^  to  Janesville,  in  Bremer 
county,  where  a  fort  was  erected  for  the  protection  of  the  settlers. 
When  it  was  learned  that  there  was  no  cause  for  alarm,  the  refu- 
gees gradually  returned  to  their  homes.  They  were  delayed, 
howevei',  for  some  days  fr(»m  the  fact  that  the  water  in  Shell  Rock 
river  had  risen  to  such  a  height  that  it  could  not  be  forded.  As 
there  were  no  bridges  in  this  section  of  the  countrv  at  that  time, 
these  people  had  to  wait  until  the  waters  liad  subsided  sufficiently 
to  enable  them  to  cross  the  stream  and  retui-n  to  their  abandoned 
homes. 

With  these  settlers,  as  they  returned  to  the  township,  came 
Orson  Rice,  who  made  several  entries  of  land  in  the  township,  on 
one  of  which  he  built  a  cabin  and  lived  for  a  short  time  before 
going  to  Clarksville  and  taking  up  the  profession  of  law.  Mr. 
Rice  was  a  native  of  Ohio.  He  was  very  illitei'ate  and  at  the 
Time  he  commenced  to  practice  had  abs(dutely  no  knowledge 
whatsoever  of  the  law.  He  depended  entii-ely  upon  his  energy 
and  a  rude  sort  of  elocpience,  which  consisted  (diiefly  of  verl)osity. 
It  is  said  that  his  nnu'dering  of  "the  King's  English,"  his  utter 
disregard  of  the  rules  of  grannnar  and  his  total  ignorance  of  the 
correct  forms  of  speech  often  made  him  a  laughing  stock.  How- 
ever, in  spite  of  these  handicaps,  he  remained  in  the  county  as  a 
practicing  lawyei'  for  ten  or  twelve  years,  later  removing  to 
Spirit  Lake,  where  he  practiced  his  profession,  served  one  term 
as  district  attorney  and  came  very  near  being  selected  as  district 
judge.  A  number  of  rather  laughable  incidents  connected  with 
Mr.  Rice  are  told  by  those  who  were  couvei'sant  with  his  actions 
before  the  early  comity  courts. 

The  McKinney  brothers  came  to  the  county  from  Indiana. 
They  were  natives  of  the  state  of  Ohio.     They  located  land  in 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  359 

sections  11,  13  and  14,  some  of  which  still  remains  in  possession 
of  the  family.  The  family  is  of  Irish  descent.  The  grandfathei- 
of  the  brothers  is  said  to  have  assisted  in  bnilding  the  first  house 
where  Cincinnati,  Ohio,  now  stands.  He  was  a  soldier  in  the  War 
of  1812. 

The  Boylans  and  De  Mosses  were  related  by  marriage  and 
all  of  them  settled  ui  the  vicinity  of  Boylan's  Grove. 

Henry  A.  Early  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  who  located  on  land 
near  where  the  village  of  Bristow  now  stands.  A  son,  T.  M.  Early, 
who  came  to  the  county  at  that  time,  has  served  as  county  sheriff 
and  county  auditor  and  is  still  a  resident  of  the  county,  now  liv- 
ing in  the  town  of  Allison. 

Other  settlers  who  came  in  the  latter  part  of  1854  and  early 
part  of  1855  are  David  Rush,  Thomas  Jackson,  a  Mr.  Calkins,  and 
Hiram  Brotherton.  In  1855  George  W.  Parker  and  family,  Les- 
ter and  Abisha  Wickham,  Charles  L.  Kleever,  John  M.  Nichols, 
B.  C.  Needham,  John  Harlan,  Sr.,  and  S.  R.  De  Armoun  are 
given  as  among  those  who  settled  in  the  township.  Among  the 
more  prominent  settlers  who  came  in  1855  were  Ancel  Durand 
and  M.  D.  L.  Niece.  Both  of  these  gentlenuni  held  comity  offices, 
Mr.  Durand  having  been  elected  to  the  office  of  county  .judge,  and 
Mr.  Niece  that  of  comity  superintendent  and  county  surveyor. 

Other  settlers  who  came  in  dui-ing  an  early  day  were  Silas 
Needham,  Henry  Ahrens,  James  Logan,  Albert  Austin,  S.  W. 
Ferris,  Samuel  Overturf  and  William  P.  Woodworth,  mentioned 
in  connection  with  Bennezette  township;  S.  B.  Dumont,  H.  C. 
Brown  and  Philip  Pfaltzgraff.  These  latter  three  gentlemen  ai-e 
noted  more  at  length  in  comiection  with  the  history  of  Dumont. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

Pittsford  township  was  a  part  of  Ripley  according  to  the  first 
division  of  the  county  into  townships  made  hy  Judge  Palmer  in 
February,  1855.  W.  R.  Jamison  was  appointed  to  call  an  election 
to  organize  Ripley  township.  This  was  done  in  April  of  that  year, 
the  election  lieing  held  at  the  house  of  Henry  A.  Early.  In  J 858 
the  township  was  finally  given  a  separate  organization  of  the  name 
of  Pittsford  by  order  of  Judge  Converse,  the  name  being  sug- 
gested liy  Azariah  Needham  and  other  Venuonters,  in  commem- 
oration of  a  town  of  the  same  name  in  their  native  state.  A 
complete  list  of  the  townshi]-*  officei's  chosen  at  this  election  is 


.%()  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

not  available  at  tlie  present  time  but  it  is  known  that  Henry  R. 
Early  and  W.  R.  Jamison  were  the  first  justices  of  the  peace  of 
this  township,  and  Isaac  Boylan,  eonstal»le. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  schools  in  Pittsford  to^^■nship  were  provided  for  by 
the  formation  of  two  sub-districts,  made  through  the  provision  of 
the  school  fund  commissioner  of  Butler  and  Franklin  counties,  and 
consisting  of  the  east  half  of  Pittsford  to^\nsliip  and  the  west  half 
of  West  Point  township,  called  sub-district  No.  1;  and  the  east 
half  of  Ingham  townshi})  in  Franklin  county,  and  the  west  half 
of  Pittsford  townshi})  in  Butler  county,  called  sub-district  No. 
2.  Log  schoolliousos  were  erected  in  these  sub-districts  in  the 
spring  of  18n6.  Martha  J.  Niece  was  the  first  teacher  in  No.  1 
and  ]\Ielissa  M.  Overturf  in  district  No.  2.  Tlie  exact  locatiou  of 
these  schoolhouses  is  at  present  unknoAvn. 

After  the  organization  of  the  townshi})  several  sul)-districts 
were  formed  in  accordance  with  the  changing  needs  of  the  peo- 
ple, and  in  September,  1866,  P.  0.  Needham  and  W.  R.  Jamison 
Avere  ap})ointed  a  committee  to  report  a  jdat  and  ]ilan  for  redis- 
tricting  the  township,  which  they  did,  and  the  boai'd  immediately 
confiimed  and  adopted  the  report.  By  this  report  they  divided 
the  township  into  ti\-c  sul)-districts.  This  form  of  organization 
remained  in  effect  with  only  one  change  for  approximately  twenty 
years.  One  change  made  Avas  the  formation  of  a  sub-district 
knoAvn  as  No.  6,  out  of  territory  formerly  attached  to  No.  2.  Li 
March  of  1875  the  board  voted  to  form  two  new  sub-districts,  to 
be  known  as  Nos.  7  and  8;  No.  8  to  l)e  formed  from  sub-districts  2, 
3  and  5,  and  No.  7  from  terrifoiy  taken  from  1,  2,  4  and  6  . 

W.  R.  Jamison  filed  formal  protest  against  this  action  of  the 
board  with  the  county  snjjerintendent,  John  \V.  Stewart,  Avho, 
after  due  consideration,  made  his  decision  reversing  the  action 
of  the  board.  This  decision  of  the  comity  superintendent  Avas 
based  in  part  upon  the  fact  that  the  formation  of  these  ncAV  sub- 
districts  would  leave  certain  of  the  older  districts  without  a  suffi- 
cient school  population  to  maintain  a  good  school.  In  part,  also, 
his  decision  was  l)ased  upon  the  facts  contained  in  the  following 
quotation  from  the  record  of  appeal: 

"Tile  e\'idence  also  shows  that  a  considerable  portii>n  of  the 
lands  in  said  sub-districts  are  what  is  known  as  wet  lands,  and  for 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  361 

that  reason  eaiiuut  bccuiue  veiy  densely  populated.  But  it  is 
claimed  by  the  appellees  that  there  is  a  town  platted  on  section 
28,  within  the  boundaries  of  said  sub-district  No.  7  on  the  line 
of  the  Iowa  Pacific  Railroad,  which  road  is  now  graded  and  ready 
for  the  ties  and  iron,  and  for  tliat  reason  said  sub-district  should 
Ite  formed.  But  as  the  building  up  of  said  town  depends  on  the 
completion  of  said  railroad  and  as  a  number  of  the  pupils,  taken 
to  fonn  the  fifteen  2)upils  in  said  district  No.  7,  can  as  Avell  be,  if 
not  better,  acconunodated  in  the  su))-districts  from  which  they 
were  taken,  we  are  forced  to  the  conclusion  that  the  board  erred 
in  forming  said  sub-district  No.  7  at  the  jiresent  time.  It  is  exceed- 
ingly mipleasant  for  us  to  set  aside  the  action  of  the  board,  but 
in  this  case  the  law  requires  it  to  be  done.  Therefore,  the  decision 
of  the  board  in  changing  the  su])-district  ))oiuidaries  and  in  forni- 
iijg  sub-districts  Nos.  7  and  8  in  the  district  township  of  Pittsford 
is  hereby  reversed.  Dated  March  23,  1875.  John  W.  Stewart, 
County  Superintendent. ' ' 

A  furthei-  notation  on  the  case  is  as  follows:  "The  above  case 
was  taken  on  ajipcal  to  the  state  superintendent,  who  affirmed  the 
decision." 

The  latter  l)asis  of  this  decision,  that  of  the  probability  that 
there  would  never  be  a  very  dense  popiilation  on  the  "wet  lands" 
of  these  ])roposed  sub-districts,  is  rather  interesting  at  the  present 
time,  as  these  lands  referred  to  now  form  some  of  the  best  farming 
land  in  the  township.  At  a  later  date  the  change  contemplated 
by  this  action  of  the  board  was  actuallj^  made  and  the  town- 
shi])  was  redistricted  in  nine  school  districts,  district  No.  1  having 
a  school  house  located  near  the  southeast  corner  of  section  1;  No. 
2  in  section  9;  No.  3  in  section  5;  No.  4  in  section  20;  No.  5  in  sec- 
tion 16;  No.  G  in  section  14;  No.  7  in  section  26;  No.  8,  now  the 
independent  district  of  Duniont ;  and  No.  9  on  section  31. 

EARLY  POSTOFFICES 

At  the  time  of  the  first  settlement  of  Pittsford  township  most 
of  the  settlers  received  their  mail  in  Janesville,  in  Bremer  county. 
Later,  as  the  settlers  had  more  lousiness  at  Cedar  Palls  than  at 
Janesville,  most  of  them  had  their  mail  sent  to  Cedar  Falls,  wdiich 
was  about  thirty-five  or  thirty-six  miles  distant.  Even  after  the 
establishment  of  a  postoffice  at  Coon's  Grove,  later  Clarksville, 
the  settlers  at  Pittsford  township  continued  to  receive  their  mail 


362  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

from  Cedar  Falls,  as  the  mail  at  Clarksville  was  only  received  once 
a  week,  when  received  at  all — and  there  were  two  streams  to  cross 
ill  order  to  get  there — a  coiisideratiou  which  was  decidedly  dis- 
advantageous in  those  days  of  no  bridges  and  no  roads. 

About  1856,  through  the  influence  of  George  A.  Richmond,  of 
Butler  Center,  who  had  some  influence  vsdth  the  postoflice  depart- 
ment at  Washingion,  Heni'y  A.  Early  was  appointed  the  flrst 
postmaster  in  Pittsford  township.  Mr.  Early  resided,  as  has 
already  been  stated,  in  the  extreme  eastern  part  of  the  township 
near  Bristow,  which  was  then  called  West  Point.  As  there  was 
already  one  postoflice  in  the  state  called  West  Point,  W.  R.  Jami- 
son suggested  that  the  new  postoffice  be  called  Boylan's  Grove. 
This  was  agreed  to  and  Mr.  Early  acted  as  postmaster  here  for 
some  time.  Later  the  location  of  this  postoffice  was  changed  to 
Bristow. 

Shortly  after  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Early  as  postmaster  in 
the  eastern  part  of  the  townshi]),  Isaac  Stover,  a  resident  of  the 
eastern  edge  of  Franklin  county,  applied  through  the  same  George 
A.  Richmond  to  the  postoffice  department  and  succeeded  in  secur- 
ing the  establishment  of  a  postoffice  at  a  town  named  Union  Ridge. 
Tins  was  located  about  four  miles  northwest  of  Uumont.  The 
Union  Ridge  postoffice  was  not  located  on  any  mail  route,  so  the 
postmaster  was  obliged  to  carry  the  mail  himself,  sometimes  on 
foot,  and  other  times  the  patrons  of  the  office  would  hire  some 
one  to  carry  the  mail  once  a  week.  The  LTnion  Ridge  office  was 
supplied  from  the  village  of  Geneva,  in  Franklin  county. 

A  few  years  later  Mr.  Stover  informed  the  postoffice  depart- 
ment that  he  desired  to  remove  to  some  other  i^lace  and  requested 
the  appointment  of  another  postmaster.  He  was  directed  to 
inform  the  patrons  of  the  office  to  select  a  postmaster  by  ballot. 
An  election  was  called  and  held  at  the  house  of  Mr.  Stover.  There 
were  two  candidates,  James  Hai'lan  and  W.  R.  Jamison.  The 
contest  was  quite  an  exciting  one  and  would  haA^e  resulted  in  a 
tie  had  it  not  been  that  Mrs.  Stover  decided  the  matter  by  casting 
a  ballot  for  Mr.  Jamison,  who  was  declared  duly  elected  post- 
master at  Union  Ridge.  This  may  be  considered  the  first  instance 
of  woman's  suffrage  in  Butler  county.  Mr.  Jamison  held  the 
position  of  postmaster  at  Union  Ridge  for  some  time,  carrying 
the  mail,  or  having  it  done,  at  his  own  expense.  Later  Samuel 
Jamison,  Isaac  Stover  and  James  Harlan  were  in  turn  postmas- 
ters at  Union  Ridge.    James  Harlan  was  appointed  in  1862  and 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  363 

held  the  office  until  1868.  At  that  time  a  regular  mail  route  had 
beeu  established  and  mail  was  delivered  at  Union  Ridge  twice 
each  week. 

In  1868  a  general  store  was  established  by  J.  H.  Playter  at 
Jamison's  Grove,  in  section  20.  Mr.  Harlan  resigned  the  post- 
mastership  and  secured  the  appointment  of  Mr.  Playter,  who  held 
the  office  until  about  1870.  Ross  Jamison  was  then  appointed 
postmaster  and  held  the  position  until  April  28,  1875,  when  he 
was  succeeded  by  W.  R.  Jamison,  who  served  his  second  term  as 
postmaster  imtil  some  time  in  1877,  when  he  resigned  in  favor  of 
James  Harlan.  There  were  other  aspirants  for  the  office,  how- 
ever, and  A.  L.  Bickford  was  appointed  postmaster  and  removed 
the  postoffice  to  the  town  of  Dumont,  about  four  miles  to  the 
southeast  of  Union  Ridge. 

The  population  of  the  township,  as  shown  by  the  records  of 
the  census,  is  as  follows:  1860,  246;  1863,  272;  1865,  341;  1867, 
349;  1869,  385;  1870,  512;  1873,  479;  1875,  528;  1880,  730;  1890, 
782;  1900,  1,202;  1905,  1,183;  1910,  1,286. 

GENEEAL   ITEMS 

Hannah  Boylan,  a  daughtei-  of  Isaac  Boylan,  was  the  first 
child  born  in  Pittsford  township.  This  birth  occurred  in  the  fall 
of  1853. 

The  first  death  was  that  of  a  man  by  the  name  of  Calkins. 

The  first  sermon  in  the  township  was  preached  by  Rev.  Rich- 
ard Merrill,  a  Presbyterian  minister. 

VILLAGE  OF  DUMONT 

In  the  southern  part  of  Pittsford  township,  on  section  28,  a 
village  was  laid  out  and  platted  in  1879  for  Samuel  Beekman 
Dumont,  a  prosperous  business  man  of  Dubuque  who  had  with 
his  family  come  here  in  1864.  The  land  originally  had  been 
entered  by  a  man  named  Young,  in  1856,  but  no  effort  had  been 
made  to  improve  it.  Mr.  Dumont,  upon  taking  up  his  residence 
on  the  property  at  once  began  putting  the  soil  in  order  for  plant- 
ing and  employed  his  time  and  that  of  his  son,  T.  A.  Dumont,  in 
farming  until  1879,  when  he  engaged  in  handling  lumber  in  the 
town  which  he  had  established. 


364  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  plat  of  Duinoiit  contamed  eightj^  acres  of  land,  lying  upon 
a  beautiful  knoll,  between  the  West  Fork  of  the  Cedar  river  and 
a  tributary.  The  outlying  country,  blessed  with  soil  of  the  high- 
est fertility,  presaged  a  flattering  future  for  the  new  trading 
point  which,  in  a  measure,  has  l)een  realized  by  its  pioneer  citi- 
zens. The  new  city  was  named  iii  honor  of  its  founder,  Samuel 
B.  Dumont,  who  became  its  leading  citizen,  always  to  be  remem- 
bered as  a  man  of  the  utmost  lirobity  and  of  sterling  virtues. 

Shortlj'  after  his  arrival  on  section  2^3,  Mr.  Dumont  built  a 
pretentious  residence  on  a  spot  which  now  faces  the  northern 
terminus  of  the  town's  main  thoroughfare  and  here  he  passed  a 
life  of  activity  and  enterprise.  About  the  year  1899,  all  that 
remained  of  the  foTuider  of  Dumont  was  taken  to  the  local  burial 
groimd  for  interment.  Some  six  or  eight  years  later  his  wife's 
body  was  laid  in  a  grave  beside  him. 

It  was  in  the  year  1879  that  the  Dubuque  &  Dakota  Railroad, 
now  the  Chicago  Great  Western,  reached  the  town  site  of  Dumont, 
and  no  little  credit  must  be  given  Mr.  Dumont  for  making  this 
happy  consiunmation  possible.  He  also  was  first  in  the  local  field 
as  a  business  man,  Ijuilding  that  fall  an  elevator  and  making  the 
initial  move  in  buying  and  storing  grain.  This  first  elevator  was 
sold  to  A.  A.  Robertson,  of  Iowa  Falls,  in  1882,  who  managed  its 
affairs  for  many  years  and  then  handed  the  property  down  to 
•several  successors. 

Samuel  B.  Dumont,  it  seems,  was  determined  that  his  infant 
town  should  grow  and  secure  a  place  on  the  map,  even  though  it 
became  necessary  that  he  should  engage  in  a  multifarious  line  of 
industries.  To  further  his  purpose,  he  also  secured  a  stock  of 
lumber  and  in  the  fall  of  1879  sold  one  hundred  carloads  of  the 
material  to  his  neighbors,  who  were  constantly  accumulating  in 
numbers. 

At  the  close  of  the  year  that  brought  Dumont  into  existence 
the  village  consisted  of  a  group  of  thirteen  buildings,  the  founder 
having  furnished  a  major  portion  of  the  means  and  material  for 
their  construction.  Among  them  was  one  in  which  a  stock  of 
drugs  Avas  installed  by  yoimg  Dumont,  now  Dr.  T.  A.  Dumont,  a 
practicing  physician  of  the  place. 

In  the  late  fall  of  1879  or  early  in  the  year  following,  the  firm 
of  Smith  Brothei's  opened  the  first  store  with  a  stock  of  general 
merchandise. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  :!65 

The  earliest  hardware  establishment  was  opened  for  business 
by  Samuel  B.  Dumont,  in  a  building  erected  by  Martin  Griffith. 

S.  McMannes  built  a  small  store  room  in  the  fall  of  1879,  and 
here  O.  A.  Chambers  had  the  hrst  grocery  in  Dumont.  That  same 
autumn  Mr.  Chambers  put  up  for  himself  and  family  a  dwelling 
house.    Later,  he  removed  to  his  farm  in  Franklin  county. 

Others  who  were  active  in  town  building  in  the  fall  of  1879 
were  William  Schulenborg,  a  carpenter;  John  Ryan,  J.  Kruse, 
A.  N.  Arnold  and  James  Stewart,  all  of  whom  erected  residences 
for  themselves. 

One  Nicholas  Huss  put  up  a  building  for  saloon  purposes, 
and  A.  L.  Bickford,  son-in-law  of  S.  B.  Dumont.  erected  a  house 
to  be  used  as  a  store. 

The  year  1880  was  a  notable  one  for  the  growing  town,  the 
advance  being  very  gratifying  to  all  concerned.  In  the  early 
spring,  William  Franeher  moved  to  the  place  from  Waterloo  an 
elevator  and  presided  over  its  destinies  several  years.  S.  Mc- 
Mannes opened  a  furniture  store.  S.  B.  Dumont  erected  the  first 
brick  building,  two  stories  in  height  and  having  a  frontage  on 
the  main  street  of  eighty  feet.  This  he  arranged  for  a  hotel  and 
public  hall  and  it  is  still  known  and  designated  as  the  Dumont 
block.  All  during  the  year  carpenters  and  masons  were  busy 
and  the  establishment  of  another  important  trading  point  in  But- 
ler county  was  assured. 

By  the  year  1882  there  were  permanently  engaged  in  business 
the  following :  Patterson  &  Cole ;  Dr.  T.  A.  Dumont,  drugs ;  Smith 
Brothers,  general  merchandise;  S.  B.  Dumont,  hunber;  S.  Mc- 
Mannes, furniture ;  W.  T.  Scott,  meat  market ;  A.  A.  Robertson, 
grain  and  live  stock;  D.  W.  Williamson  and  Philip  Pfaltzgraff, 
hardware;  I.  M.  Nichols,  farm  implements;  A.  L.  Bickford,  live 
stock ;  D.  Richmond,  shoes ;  Moses  Barnes  and  S.  E.  Allen,  black- 
smiths; Charles  Coryell,  livery;  Robert  Schmitz,  collection  agent 
and  justice  of  the  peace;  M.  S.  Needham,  hotel;  Nicholas  Huss 
and  William  Schulenborg,  saloons. 

The  first  lawyer  to  locate  in  Dumont  was  W.  R.  Jamison, 
but  when  he  came  to  the  town  the  records  do  not  show.  That  is 
not  the  case  of  the  first  physician,  T.  A.  Dumont.  for  he  made 
his  entry  M'ith  his  father,  foimder  of  Dumont.  in  1864.  ;iud  was 
then  a  lad  of  fourteen  years. 


366  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  first  birth  to  occur  in  Dumont  was  that  of  a  child,  of  which 
Nick  Huss,  the  saloon  keeper,  was  the  father.  This  addition  to 
the  population  was  in  the  year  1880. 

The  first  death  in  the  village  took  place  January  3,  1880.  On 
the  day  mentioned,  Mrs.  Sarah  F.  Townsend  passed  away,  at  the 
age  of  eighty-nine  years. 

DITMOXT  INCORPORATED 

While  the  onward  move  of  Dumont  was  not  in  any  way  rapid 
or  sensational,  the  growth  was  steady  and  substantial,  so  that  by 
the  year  1891  the  population  was  estimated  to  have  reached  350. 
Then  it  was  that  certain  of  the  leading  citizens  determined  on  a 
movement  to  separate  the  village  from  the  township  organization 
and  to  further  the  new  departure  circulated  a  petition,  to  be  pre- 
sented to  the  district  court,  asking  for  articles  of  incorporation 
of  the  town  of  Dumont.  The  petition  was  quite  generously  signed 
and  in  the  year  1896  the  prayer  of  the  petitioners  was  granted. 
An  election  for  municipal  officers  thereupon  was  held  and  John 
Barlow  chosen  by  the  electors  as  the  first  mayor,  and  Richard 
Pecht,  clerk.  However,  doubts  soon  arose  as  to  the  legality  of 
the  incorporation  of  the  town  and  in  order  to  avoid  uncertainty 
and  troublous  litigation  the  matter  was  taken  to  the  State  Legis- 
lature, which  august  tribunal  passed  the  following  act: 

Chapter  187.  H.  F.  227. — An  Act  to  legalize  the  incorpora- 
tion of  the  Town  of  Dumont,  Butler  County,  Iowa;  the  election 
of  its  officers  and  all  acts  done,  and  Ordinances  passed,  by  the 
Council  of  said  Town,  from  March  27,  1896,  to  January  1st.  1898. 

Whereas,  Doubts  have  arisen  as  to  the  legality  of  the  incor- 
poration of  the  Town  of  Dumont,  Butler  County,  Iowa,  the  elec- 
tion of  its  officers  and  the  Ordinances  passed  by  the  said  Council 
of  said  Town;  therefore 

Be  it  enacted  by  the  (reneral  Assembly  of  the  State  of  Iowa : 

Section  1. — Valid  and  binding. — That  the  incorporation  of 
the  Town  of  Dumont,  Butler  Coimty,  Iowa;  the  election  of  its 
officers,  and  all  official  acts  done,  and  Ordinances  passed  by  the 
coTuicil  of  said  Town  up  to  Jamiary  1st,  1898,  are  hereby  legalized, 
and  are  hei'eby  declared  to  be  valid  and  binding,  the  same  as 
though  the  law  had  in  all  respects  been  strictly  complied  with  in 
the  incorporation  of  said  Town,  and  in  the  election  of  its  officers ; 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  367 

provided  that  nothing  in  this  act  shall  in  any  manner  affect  pend- 
ing litigation. 

Sec.  2. — In  effect. — This  act,  being  deemed  of  immediate 
importance,  shall  be  in  force  and  take  effect  from  and  after  its 
publication  in  the  Iowa  State  Register,  and  the  Butler  County 
Tribune,  newspapers  published  respectively  at  DesMoines,  and 
Allison,  Iowa,  without  expense  to  the  state. 

Approved  March  19,  1898. 

I  hereby  certify  that  the  foregoing  act  was  published  in  the 
Iowa  State  Register  March  22,  1898,  and  the  Butler  County 
Tribune  March  24,  1898. 

Gr.  L.  DOBSON, 

Secretary  of  State. 

Unfortunately,  for  the  town  of  Duniont  and  the  continuity  of 
its  corporate  history,  the  ordinances  which  the  above  legislative 
measure  purported  to  legalize,  w^ere  destroyed  by  fire  in  1901, 
together  with  the  first  minute  book  recoi-ding  the  official  acts  of 
the  council  and  the  several  elections  held  up  to  that  period  of  time. 
However,  a  list  of  the  mayors  and  clerks  since  the  year  1901  is 
available  and  is  as  follows : 

1901-02,  mayor,  C.  R.  Martin;  clerk,  A.  L.  Gillett;  1902-03, 
mayor,  M.  St.  Peter;  clerk,  D.  Pecht;  1903-04,  mayor,  M.  St.  Peter; 
clerk,  D.  Pecht;  1904-05,  mayor,  D.  W.  Williamson;  clerk,  D. 
Pecht:  1905-06,  mayor,  C.  R.  Martin;  clerk.  F.  J.  McGreevy; 
1906-07,  mayor,  H.'z.  Babcock;  clerk,  F.  J.  McGreevy;  1908-09, 
mayor,  F.  P.  Finn;  clerk.  W.  E.  Thomas;  1910-11,  mayor,  Fred 
Linde;  clerk,  J.  A.  Barlow;  1912-13,  mayor,  Fred  Linde;  clerk,  J. 
A.  Barlow. 

The  town  of  Dumont  does  not,  as  yet,  own  what  is  usually 
r-alled  a  city  hall.  It  has,  however,  a  good  waterworks  building 
Avhere  the  cmmcil  holds  its  meetings.  The  fire  department  is  of 
the  volunteer  order  and  practically  every  able-bodied  man  in  the 
place  is  a  member  and  as  a  rule  there  is  no  shirking  of  duty  when 
an  emergency  call  is  sounded.  One  police  officer,  termed  the  city 
marshal,  is  sufficient,  for  the  people  are  of  an  orderly  class  and 
law-abiding. 

WATERWORKS  SYSTEM 

Recognizing  the  virtues  of  pure  water  and  plenty  of  it,  from 
a  standpoint  of  sanitation  and  convenience,  the  council  made  pro- 


368  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

visions  for  a  special  election,  which  was  held  October  12,  1911, 
when  the  electors  decided,  by  a  large  majority,  that  a  system  of 
waterworks  should  be  bnilt.  To  meet  the  cost  of  the  improve- 
ment the  legislative  l)ody  was  also  granted  authority  t(t  issue 
bonds  in  the  sum  of  $7,000.  To  be  more  exact  the  vote  for  water- 
works was  147;  against,  25.  Before  the  year  expired  the  citizens 
of  Dumont  were  being  served  with  a  splendid  quality  of  water, 
pmnped  from  a  group  of  six  wcdls  having  an  average  dei)th  of 
twenty-two  feet.  These  wells  have  six-inch  casings  and  are  prac- 
tically inexhaustible.  The  watei'  is  conveyi^d  to  two  underground 
tanks,  whence  it  is  forced  through  the  mains  ))y  an  aii'  pressure 
system.  The  pmnping  station  is  constructed  of  cement  blocks  and 
here  is  installed  a  double-stroke  Union  pimip.  The  suction  pipe 
is  4  inches;  discharge  pipe,  3  inches  in  diameter.  Two  tanks  as 
reservoirs  liaA'e  been  constructed,  each  8  feet  in  diameter  and  36 
feet  in  length.  One  is  used  for  domestic  pin-jioses  and  the  other  in 
cases  of  emergency.  Their  condiinc'd  capacity  is  22,000  gallons; 
7,000  feet  of  4-incli  street  mains,  13  doiible  fire  hydrants,  complete 
the  system.  The  domestic  pressure  is  60  poiuids ;  fire  pressure,  80 
pounds.  It  might  be  wvU  to  state  in  this  connection  that  a  very 
disastrous  fire  overtook  Dumont  in  1901,  which  wiped  out  almost 
every  liusiness  house  in  the  ])lace.  The  fire  started  in  a  livery 
stable  in  the  night  time  and  liy  morning  the  main  street  was  a  scene 
of  ruins  and  confusion.  Nothing  daunted,  every  man  who  had  lost 
his  business  place  and  stock  of  goods — grocer}'  man,  hai-dware. 
dry-goods  merchant,  druggist,  Imnber  dealer,  banker  and  others^ 
began  at  once  removing  del)ris  left  by  the  confiagration  and  it 
was  but  a  short  time  until  Dumont  arose,  phoenix-like,  from  its 
ashes  and  presented  a  newer  and  thrice  ))etter  town  than  before. 
The  loss  by  the  fire  was  probalily  >j^60,()()():  more  than  that  amount 
of  money  was  expended  in  new  buildings  alone.  Today  Dumont 
is  a  well  set  up  little  trading  point,  with  a  whole  ])lock  of  new  and 
modern  brick  biiildings  and  several  frame  Inisiness  houses  that 
have  some  claim  to  [)retentiousness.  Transportation  facilities  are 
excellent,  as  there  are  two  lines  of  railroad,  the  Chicago  (Ireat 
Western  and  the  Chicago  &  Ncn-thwestern. 

The  hotel,  or  Dumont  ])uilding,  esca])ed  the  ravages  of  the 
big  fire.  Its  south  room  on  the  ground  fioor  was  remodeled  in 
February,  1914,  and  became  the  home  of  the  Farmers  Trust  & 
Savings  Bank,  but  recently  oi-ganized. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  369 

THE  SCHOOLS 

The  school  binldinj>',  a  frame  affaii',  was  built  early  in  the  his- 
tory of  Diimoiit  and  within  its  walls  many  chikliTn  have  been 
taught  l)y  able  and  ponsciontious  insti'uetors.  In  IDOo  the  build- 
ing Avas  enlarged  hy  the  addition  of  a  high  school  room  and  another 
room,  which  necessitated  the  employment  of  two  additional  teach- 
ers, making  the  corps  munber  six.  The  structure  was  also  remod- 
eled and  the  entire  improvement  brought  the  expense  accoimt  up 
to  the  sum  of  $7,000. 

FINANCIAL 

,The  farming  disti'ict  contributing  to  the  business  activity  and 
prosperit}"  of  Duniont  is  not  surpassed  by  any  in  Butler  count_v, 
and  the  bank  reports  support  this  statement.  The  State  Bank  of 
Dumont  was  established  in  1896  as  a  private  institution,  by  John 
Barlow  and  Ion  Atkinson,  and  dui'ing  a  period  of  five  years  gained 
the  confidence  and  support  of  a  large  and  widely  distriliuted 
clientele.  Aboiit  the  year  1901,  Mr.  Barlow  secured  the  Atkinson 
interest  and  alone  managed  the  business  until  1905,  when  E.  O. 
and  D.  C.  Slaid  entered  the  fii'm  as  associate  partners.  In  the  year 
1908  John  Barlow,  E.  0.  Hlaid,  A.  Austin,  A.  E.  Hartson,  H.  C. 
Brown  and  W.  W.  iVhrens  incorporated  the  State  Bank  of  Du- 
mont, with  a  capital  stock  of  $30,000.  A  board  of  directors  was 
selected  and  that  body  elected  the  following  officers  of  the  bank: 
President,  E.  O.  Slaid;  vice  president,  A.  E.  Hartson;  cashier, 
John  Barlow.  The  directors  were:  W.  W.  Ahrens,  E.  O.  Slaid,  A. 
Austin,  A.  E.  Hartson  and  H.  G.  Brown. 

In  1901  Mr.  Barlow  erected  a  handsome  two-story  l)rick  home 
for  the  bank,  on  the  main  street,  joining  six  others,  who  all  con- 
formed to  plans  drawn  for  a  continuous  row  or  block  of  buildings 
having  the  same  design,  to  take  the  place  of  the  business  houses 
destroyed  by  the  big  fire.  In  this  Ijuilding  the  bank  has  its  count- 
ing rooms,  modern  vault,  safes  and  other  appointments  demanded 
by  patrons  of  the  present  day.  The  original  cai)ital  of  $30,000  is 
still  maintained,  and  in  its  last  statement,  called  for  by  the  state 
bankmg  laws,  deposits  to  the  amount  of  $293,983  were  reported. 

The  Farmers  Trust  &  Savings  Bank  is  a  new  financial  con- 
cern that  has  yet  to  prove  its  worth  and  the  necessity  of  its  being 
in  the  field  of  loeal  finanee.     This  establishment  was  organized 


370  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

January  15,  1914,  and  capitalized  at  $20,000.  The  incorporators 
are  O.  J.  Irwin,  of  Omaha,  and  Dr.  J.  W.  Cuiniingham,  of  Dumont. 
Charles  Bornenian.  a  well  known  farmer  and  large  landowner  of 
the  vicinity,  is  the  president ;  Dr.  J.  W.  Cunningham,  vice  presi- 
dent; 0.  J.  Irwin,  cashier;  Fred  Armburst,  assistant  cashier.  The 
])ank  commenced  business  in  March,  1914,  in  a  room  specially 
fitted  and  arranged  for  its  purposes  in  the  Dumont  building,  now 
owned  by  a  member  of  the  concern,  and  started  out  into  the  finan- 
cial wt»rld  under  very  favorable  auspices., 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

The  first  services  of  the  Methodist  society  of  this  place  were 
held  in  a  little  schoolhouse  by  "the  Willows,"  back  of  the  German 
Evangelical  church,  by  Rev.  Siu'oul,  in  the  winter  of  1871-2.  This 
minister  Avas  employed  by  Sauuiel  B.  Dumont  and  J.  N.  McMan- 
nes  on  their  own  motion,  who  ]iaid  him  $50  for  his  services.  The 
first  pastor  sent  by  the  conference  to  this  charge  was  Rev.  W.  A. 
Pottle.  At  one  time  this  appointment  and  Allison  were  yoked 
together  and  Rev.  F.  E.  Day  presided  over  its  spiritual  needs  and 
desires.  Prior  to  the  erection  of  the  church  building,  about  the 
year  1892,  Rev.  James  A.  Clulow,  then  pastor,  called  the  congre- 
gation together  for  services  in  the  German  Evangelical  Associa- 
tion church.  At  this  time  the  appointment  consisted  of  fovu' 
societies — Union  Ridge,  Hansell,  Four  Mile  Grove  and  Dumont. 
The  parsonage  was  at  Hansell,  but  becoming  unfit  as  a  habitation, 
the  residence  of  the  pastor  was  changed  to  Dumont,  where  a  com- 
fortable rectory  Avas  built  in  the  fall  of  1898,  at  a  cost  of  $1,200. 
and  paid  for  l)y  sTibscriptions  of  members  residing  in  the  various 
places  mentioned.  As  has  been  stated,  the  church  edifice  Avas 
built  during  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  CIuIoav,  a  frame  structure  cost- 
ing $8,000.  The  plans  for  the  building  were  designed  by  Mrs. 
Cai'oline  F.  Dumont  and  her  son.  Dr.  T.  A.  Dumont,  and  the  site 
Avas  a  gift  from  the  Minnesota  Loan  &  Debenture  Company, 
Charles  Nichols,  ]u-esident;  Roliert  Wriglit,  secretary.  There 
were  then  forty  members;  now  the  membership  has  reached  one 
hundred  and  forty.  In  the  Simday  school  an  aA^erage  attendance 
of  seventy-fiA'e  is  rej^orted.  A  list  of  pastors  of  this  church 
follows : 

Revs.  J.  R.  A.  Hauuer,  October,  1883-October,  1884;  S.  M. 
Davis,  October,  1884-October,  1885;  William  E.  Ross,  October, 


EVANGELICAL  CHUECH,  DUMONT 


PUBLIC  SCHOOL,  DUMONT 


■ivAKY 


I' "OX 


jPu.. 


UJjf°-''    -'^: 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  371 

1885-October,  1886;  Edward  Lee,  October,  1886-October,  1887; 
Horace  Foote,  October,  1887-October,  1890;  James  Clulow,  Octo- 
ber, 1890-Oetober,  1892;  O.  W.  Weeks,  October,  1892-October, 
1893;  W.  W.  Robinson,  October,  1893-October,  1895;  R.  M.  Acker- 
man,  October,  1895-October,  1897;  J.  G.  S.  Meyers,  October,  1897- 
December,  1898;  F.  T.  Heatly,  January,  1899-October,  1900;  E.  B. 
Downs,  October,  1900- June,  1901;  W.  C.  Keeler,  June,  1901-Octo- 
ber,  1903;  W.  F.  Albright,  October,  1903-October,  1901;  M.  A. 
Goodell,  October,  1904-October,  1906;  W.  N.  Chafeee,  October, 
1906-October,  1908;  W.  A.  Gibbons,  October,  1908-October,  1911; 
J.  B.  Metcalf,  Octobei-,  1911-October,  1913;  M.  L.  Hill,  October, 
1913- 

EVANGELICAL    ASSOCIATION    CHURCH 

The  history  of  this  church  is  reproduced  from  a  sketch  appear- 
ing in  the  report  of  the  Iowa  Conference,  April  7,  1910 : 

In  the  early  '70s  several  of  our  members,  H.  Ahrens,  J.  J. 
Bamngartner  and  others,  settled  in  the  neighborhood  of  Dumont. 
Brother  H.  Kleinsorgii  commenced  to  preach  at  the  home  of  the 
first  named  in  1876.  but  soon  transferred  the  appointment  to  a 
schoolhouse  south  of  town.  In  1878  Brother  Kleinsorgn  organized 
a  class.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  F.  Berner,  whom  Rev.  O.  Ball 
succeeded.  In  1882  this  class  was  added  to  Hampton  circuit.  Then 
came  Rev.  W.  Kolb,  who  was  followed  by  Rev.  L.  Scheurer,  who 
conmaenced  his  labors  at  Dumont  in  1884.  A  revival  resulted  in 
more  than  twenty  conversions,  among  which  were  many  of  the 
chm-eh's  present  leaders.  This  established  the  north  class,  and 
in  1886  Rev.  V.  Griese  found  it  possible  to  build  a  spacious  house 
of  worship  and  consolidate  the  two  classes.  The  following  clergy- 
men continued  the  work:  Revs.  H.  Butz,  H.  Sassman,  P.  Benz,  L. 
F.  Smith,  H.  Schmidt,  G.  P.  Cawelti,  J.  H.  Engel,  C.  Hillman,  and 
in  1911,  the  present  pastor  took  charge.  The  church  is  in  a  very 
prosperous  condition,  both  physically  and  spiritually.  A  mem- 
bership of  one  hundred  and  twenty  communicants  composes  its 
present  strength  in  numbers  and  an  average  attendance  of  sixty 
in  the  Sunday  school  is  the  gratifying  report.  The  church  build- 
ing, a  frame  structure,  cost  $2.500 ;  the  parsonage,  $2,000. 

UNITED   BRETHREN   IN    CHRIST 

In  the  year  1893  John  Boots,  Lyman  Hall,  J.  H.  Marken,  Will- 
iam Titus  and  W.  R.  Straight,  gathered  together  and  organized 


•572  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

the  Church  of  the  United  Brethren  in  Christ  and  had  f«»r  their 
first  pastor  Rev.  A.  King.  Tlic  first  meetings  were  held  in  the 
Evangelical  church. 

In  the  fall  of  1895 — on  September  7th — the  board  of  trustees 
met  and  let  the  contract  to  William  Schuleuburg  for  the  construc- 
tion of  a  church  building,  which  was  finished  late  in  the  year 
and  dedicated  January  13,  1869,  at  a  cost  of  $3,000.  The  par- 
sonage was  built  in  1900,  the  outlay  being  $1,-100.  The  church 
society  is  in  good  shape  financially  and-  in  point  of  membership, 
having  on  its  rolls  at  the  present  time  eighty  names.  Attendance 
at  the  Sunday  school  will  average  sixty.  The  pastors  who  have 
served  this  church  follow^  by  name:  Revs.  A.  King,  W.  Fawcett, 
W.  P.  Taylor,  William  Stice,  W.  A.  Snuth,  Sweezy,  D.  F. 
Dickensheets,  M.  L.  Tiljbetts,  G.  W.  Emerson,  Eugene  Richard- 
son, Harper  Krieser,  I.  E.  Hartman,  H.  S.  Cooper,  Ernest  L. 
Shaffer. 

ST.  FRANCIS  CHURCH 

St.  Francis  Catholic  church  was  binlt  during  the  pastorate  of 
Father  Kelley,  then  stationed  at  Parkersburg,  and  had  for  its 
earliest  conmumicants  the  Bauuons,  Doyles,  Augstmaus  and 
others,  whose  names  are  not  obtainable  at  this  time.  For  many 
years  prior  to  the  erection  of  the  church  building  in  1890.  the 
people  here  were  attended  from  Ackley,  mass  being  said  at  inter- 
vals in  the  prairie  homes  of  stanch  defenders  of  the  faith,  many 
of  whom  hailed  from  Canada,  some  from  the  banks  of  the  Rhine, 
and  others  from  the  land  of  destiny,  the  beautiful  green  isle  of 
the  sea,  "aidd  Erin."  Two  of  the  most  worthy  members  have 
passed  to  a  well  merited  reward — James  Bannon  and  Joseph 
Augstman.  The  names  of  the  priests  from  Ackley  who  came 
here  to  hold  mass  were  Revs.  Fathers  O.  Poud,  Murphy  (deceased). 
Burns,  McCormack  and  Meagher.  For  some  time  past  the  church 
has  been  served  by  pastors  from  Hampton;  for  the  past  six  years 
by  Father  J.  C.  Wieneke,  or  his  assistant,  Frederick  W.  Mc- 
Kinley. 

THE   DtTTCH   REFORMED   CHURCH 

There  is  quite  a  sprinkling  of  the  natives  of  Holland  and  of 
what  is  known  as  "platt  Deutsch"  in  Pumont  and  vicinity  and 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  ;573 

tliey  deteriniiied  to  have  a  cliurcli  of  their  own.  To  this  end  the 
Dutch  Reformed  church  was  organized  in  1912  and  the  society 
now  has  a  membership  of  thirty-five.  A  fine  piece  of  property 
was  secured,  including  a  residence,  which  is  now  the  pastor's 
home.  On  a  lot  to  the  rear  of  the  parsonage  and  facing  the  south, 
a  fine  church  building  was  immediately  erected  and  dedicated  in 
1913. 

I 

FRATERNAL   ORDERS 

Dumont  Lodge,  No.  52,  I.  O.  O.  F.,  was  organized  in  1885,  and 
now  has  a  membership  of  seventy-five.  The  lodge  has  a  taste- 
fully furnished  hall  and  appropriate  paraphernalia.  An  auxiliary 
body,  the  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  organized  October  18,  1893,  tak- 
ing the  name  of  Columbus  Lodge,  ISTo.  178. 

West  Fork  Camp,  Modern  Woodmen  of  America,  No.  1416, 
was  established  some  3^ears  ago,  with  the  following  named  char- 
ter members:  W.  H.  Bannon,  Len  Baudy,  John  Hogan,  Herbert 
J.  Homer,  William  Jamison,  J.  D.  Leroy,  Norman  Long,  M.  H. 
Perry,  George  B.  Sutton,  Moses  St.  Peter,  Jr. 

A  lodge  of  Mystic  Workers  of  the  World  was  organized  at 
Dumont  September  2,  1903.  It  is  known  as  Dumont  Lodge,  No. 
551. 

The  Fraternal  Bankers  Reserve  Society  came  into  existence 
at  this  place  as  a  local  lodge,  December  21,  1901. 


CHAPTER  XXVIII 
RIPLEY  TOWNSHIP 

The  township  of  Ripley  is  one  of  the  four  central  townships 
of  Butler  county,  situated  south  of  West  Point.  It  is  bounded 
on  the  east  by  Jefferson,  south  by  Albion,  on  the  west  by  Madison 
township.  The  township  is  divided  almost  equally  from  east  to 
west  by  the  West  Fork  river,  which  enters  in  section  7  and  flows 
in  a  southeasterly  direction  across  the  township,  emerging  on  the 
east  side  of  section  24  and  then  doubling  back  and  reentering  the 
township  and  emerging  again  near  the  northeastern  corner  of 
section  25.  This  portion  of  the  West  Fork  is  bordered  by  a  belt 
of  natui'al  timber,  varying  in  width  from  a  few  rods  to  a  mile 
or  more.  The  valley  is  bordered  on  the  north  side  by  steep  bluffs. 
On  the  south  side,  however,  the  banks  of  the  stream  are  compara- 
tively low  and  there  is  some  land  which  is  still  liable  to  annual 
immdation.  The  two  branches  of  the  West  Fork  also  flow  through 
the  townshiY-);  Mayne's  creek  flows  into  the  West  Fork  almost 
in  the  center  of  section  7  and  Kilson's  creek  in  section  23.  The 
land  is  sandy  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  river  but  the  rest  of  the 
township  has  the  same  rich  alluvial  soil  that  is  characteristic  of 
the  best  farming  land  of  this  section  of  the  state. 

The  township  is  without  any  town  or  village.  Allison,  Bris- 
tow,  Kesley  and  Parkersburg  are  the  market  points  which  serve 
the  interests  of  the  people  of  the  township.  Rural  mail  routes 
from  these  points  reach  practically  every  farm  home. 

Thirty  years  ago  a  considerable  portion  of  farming  land  of 
the  township  was  held  by  non-resident  owners  and  remained  in 
its  wild  state  without  any  improvements  whatsoever.  At  the 
present  time,  however,  practically  all  of  the  land  is  farmed  by 
resident  owners.  The  township  plat  shows  a  number  of  these 
lands  of  relatively  small  acreage  along  the  West  Fork,  especially 
in  sections  23  and  24. 

375 


376  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

EARLY   SETTLEMENTS 

Tlie  first  laud  entry  in  Ripley  township  was  made  by  Hugh 
Mullarky,  October  13,  1853.  He  made  entries  to  sections  23 
and  24  adjacent  to  his  holdings  in  Jefferson  township,  already 
mentioned.  The  second  entry  on  the  records  of  the  government 
land  office  of  Ripley  t(»wnship  indicate  that  on  May  12,  1854, 
Richard  Merrill  entered  land  in  sections  15,  23  and  24.  D.  H. 
McCormack,  June  26,  1854,  also  made  an  entry  of  land  in  section 
15.  All  these  entries  were  witliin  the 'timbered  area.  Other 
entries  in  1854  were  made  by  Samuel  Harsh,  May  13;  George  Mc- 
Connell,  October  2;  Henry  Gray,  J.  C.  and  F.  G.  Walker,  Novem- 
ber 3 ;  and  James  Hunter,  November  21.  These  entries  likewise 
were  located  in  close  proximity  to  the  river. 

The  honor  of  the  first  settlement  in  the  township  belongs  to 
George  McConnell,  who  in  the  May  ])re^•ious  to  the  entry  men- 
tioned above  staked  out  a  claim  on  section  15.  After  living  on  his 
claim  for  some  years  he  removed  temporarily  from  the  county 
but  returned  later.  He  died  in  1862  or  1863  at  the  home  of  Nathan 
Linn,  in  Monroe  township.  The  land  which  he  entered  was  later 
a  part  of  the  Henrj^  C.  Mead  estate.  Mr.  McConnell  was  unmar- 
ried and  was  known  among  his  associates  as  the  "old  bach."  His 
house  was  a  sort  of  wayside  inn,  as  it  always  furnished  shelter 
for  the  traveler  or  the  land  seeker. 

James  Hunter,  whose  name  is  mentioned  in  the  land  entries 
above,  was  the  second  settler  in  the  township,  coming  in  Novem- 
ber, 1854.  He  spent  the  first  winter  with  Mr.  jMcConnell.  In  the 
following  spring  he  took  up  his  residence  upon  the  land  which  he 
had  previously  entered. 

J.  C.  and  Christian  Hites  settled  in  the  township  in  July,  1855, 
J.  C.  Hites  making  a  claim  on  section  20,  and  Christian  on  sec- 
tion 28.  These  brothers  were  the  fomiders  of  families  that  are 
still  residents  of  Ripley  to\Aaiship  and  have  occuined  a  prominent 
place  in  its  history  and  develoiDment.  Other  farms  were  chiefly 
located  in  the  southwestern  portion  of  the  township  around  what 
afterwards  came  to  be  known  as  Hitesville. 

Nathan  Linn  preceded  the  Hites  by  a  short  time  and  was 
the  third  settler  in  the  township.  He  located  on  section  14  but 
later  removed  to  Monroe  township  and  still  later  to  Jefferson 
township. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  377 

Andrew  Hesse  came  iu  August,  1855,  and  settled  on  section 
20.  About  the  same  time  Michael  Considine  with  his  family 
came  from  Nova  Scotia  and  settled  in  section  9.  In  the  same 
year  a  Mr.  Ulery  came  from  Illinois  and  settled  in  the  township. 
George  W.  Stoner  also  settled  in  the  township  in  1855. 

Among  the  settlers  of  1855  were  John  G.  Moorehead,  who 
settled  on  section  4,  and  George  Monroe,  Sr.  About  the  same 
time  Mr.  Elmore  sent  a  brother-in-law,  Mr.  Fortner,  to  develop 
a  tract  of  land  in  the  township.  Fortner  was  the  pioneer  manu- 
facturer of  the  township,  engaged  in  the  production  of  a  limited 
amount  of  Imiburger  cheese.  The  factory  did  not  prove  to  be 
wholly  successful,  whether  due  to  the  inferior  strength  of  the 
product  or  not  is  unknown.  However,  Fortner  proved  to  be  a 
financier  of  some  ability,  as  he  sold  his  brother-in-law's  team  and 
pocketing  the  proceeds,  departed  for  the  far  west. 

In  the  follomng  years  the  township  settled  up  with  compara- 
tive rapidity.  Daniel  Haynes,  Edwin  Kincaid,  Henry  Trotter, 
Joseph  L.  Santee,  Jacob  Yost  and  J.  S.  Margretz  may  be  men- 
tioned as  among  the  later  settlers  who  by  their  ability  and  influ- 
ence helped  the  township  to  take  its  place  among  the  corporate 
sub-divisions  of  Butler  county. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

As  originally  constituted,  Ripley  township  was  organized  on 
the  5th  of  February,  1855,  and  included  what  is  now  comprised 
in  Madison,  Monroe,  Washington,  West  Point,  Pittsford  and  Ben- 
nezette  townships — almost  one-half  of  the  county.  In  March, 
1856,  .these  limits  were  restricted  by  the  formation  from  this  ter- 
ritory of  the  townships  of  West  Point  and  Monroe.  At  the  same 
time  Bennezette  township  was  added  to  Coldwater.  Ripley  there- 
after included  only  what  is  now  Madison  township  in  addition  to 
its  ovm  present  limits.  Madison  was  given  separate  organiza- 
tion in  September,  1860,  thus  reducing  the  civil  township  of  Rip- 
ley to  the  limits  of  the  congressional  township  numbered  91  north, 
range  17  west  of  the  fifth  principal  meridian. 

A  complete  list  of  the  first  township  officers  cannot  be  given. 
In  the  April  election  of  1855,  John  Lash  was  elected  clerk; 
Isaac  Boylan,  constable;  and  H.  A.  Early,  justice  of  the  peace. 
These  men  were  all  of  them  residents  of  the  portion  of  the  then 
township  in  the  neighborhood  of  Boylan's  grove. 


378  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Of  the  township  with  its  present  limits  John  Hites  was  the 
tirst  clerk.  The  first  election  was  held  in  a  sod  house  owned  and 
built  by  Moffatt  and  Mason,  two  factory  men  from  New  York.  It 
is  said  that  at  the  time  of  this  election  there  were  not  enough 
settlers  to  till  all  the  offices  and  one  man  was  required  to  bear 
the  honors  of  two  or  three. 

HITESVILLE 

In  1871  a  postofiice  was  established  at  Hitesville,  with  J.  S. 
Margretz  as  the  first  postmaster,  the  office  being  located  at  his 
house  on  section  19.  This  office  was  served  by  a  mail  carrier  on 
the  route  from  Aplington  to  Bristow.  Later  the  route  was 
changed  to  run  from  Aplingion  to  Hitesville.  This  office  was 
later  superseded  by  the  office  at  Kesley. 

GENERAL  ITEMS 

The  first  birth  in  the  township  was  that  of  a  son,  Allen,  to  Mr. 
and  Mrs.  James  Hunter,  on  the  2d  of  August,  1856. 

The  first  death  was  a  child  of  Samuel  Kimmel,  in  the  fall  of 
1855.  The  burial  took  place  in  a  cemetery  located  on  the  north- 
west corner  of  the  northeast  quarter  of  section  29,  being  the  first 
interment  in  this  cemetery. 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  Richard  Davenport  and  Miss 
Susanna  Kimmel  at  the  home  of  the  bride 's  parents,  the  ceremony 
being  performed  bv  Justice  J.  J.  Criswell.  The  marriage  took 
place  in  the  fall  of  1859. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  by  Miss  Susanna 
Kimmel,  in  the  summer  of  1858,  in  a  building  erected  for  the  pur- 
pose on  section  20.  The  second  school  taught  in  the  following 
summer  by  i\Iiss  Charlotte  Levis  was  in  a  building  located  on  sec- 
tion 15.  James  Hunter  donated  an  acre  of  land  for  this  school 
site. 

After  the  township  became  more  thickly  settled  it  was  organ- 
ized as  a  district  township  and  divided  into  seven  sub-districts. 
At  that  time  district  No.  1  included  six  sections,  Nos.  1,  2,  11  and 
12,  and  13  and  14,  with  schoolhouse  in  the  eastern  part  of  section 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  379 

11 ;  district  No.  2,  composed  of  sections  3,  4,  9  and  10,  15  and  16, 
with  its  school  building  on  the  north  side  of  section  10;  district 
No.  3  consisted  of  section  5  and  a  portion  of  sections  6,  7  and  8, 
north  of  the  river;  No.  4  comprised  sections  29,  30,  31  and  32  and 
the  south  half  of  sections  19  and  20;  No.  5  comprised  six  sections, 
Nos.  21,  22,  27,  28,  33  and  34.  The  schoolhouse  is  located  on  sec- 
tion 28.  No.  6  contained  sections  23,  24,  25  and  26,  35  and  36,  with 
its  schoolhouse  on  section  36;  district  No.  7  embraced  those  por- 
tions of  sections  7  and  8  south  of  the  river  and  sections  17  and  18, 
and  the  north  half  of  sections  19  and  20. 

This  form  of  organization  was  retained  for  some  years.  In 
1874  the  system  was  changed  and  the  township  was  divided  into 
independent  districts,  with  the  same  boundaries  as  those  pre- 
scribed for  the  sub-districts  above,  except  that  district  No.  3  was 
made  to  include  all  of  sections  7  and  8.  District  No.  1  was  there- 
after known  as  the  McEachron  district;  No.  2,  Fairview;  No.  3, 
Fort  Sumpter ;  No.  4,  Melrose ;  No.  5,  Glendale ;  No.  6,  Excelsior ; 
No.  7,  Spring  Garden. 

In  1911  a  new  district  in  the  center  of  the  township  comprised 
of  sections  15,  16,  21  and  22,  known  as  the  Mead  independent  dis- 
trict, was  formed,  and  a  new  schoolhouse  erected  on  the  south  side 
of  section  15.  The  McEachron,  Excelsior  and  Fairview  districts 
all  have  erected  new  school  buildings  within  the  past  few  years. 

POPULATION 

1856,  86;  1860,  151;  1863,  121;  1865,  148;  1867,  200;  1869,  255; 
1870,  299;  1873,  376;  1875;  377;  1880,  453;  1890,  493;  1900,  621; 
1910,  602. 

WASHINGTON  TOWNSHIP 

The  township  of  Washington  occupies  a  position  at  the  ex- 
treme southwestern  corner  of  the  county.  Its  general  character- 
istics are  different  in  no  essential  respects  from  the  neighboring 
townships  in  Butler  county,  its  surface  being  rolling  prairie, 
broken  in  the  southern  part  by  the  valley  of  Beaver  creek.  The 
northern  branch  of  Beaver  creek  flows  through  the  central  portion 
of  the  township,  entering  into  the  main  stream  near  the  east  line 
of  section  23.  The  Beaver  in  its  course  through  this  township  has 
a  considerablv  smaller  flow  than  in  its  course  further  to  the  east. 


380  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Except  in  extremely  dry  weather,  however,  its  flow  is  constant. 
It  is  bordered  b}^  timber,  much  of  which  has  been  cut  away.  In 
the  eastern  part  of  the  township  there  is  a  large  natural  grove, 
w^hich  originally  covered  an  extent  of  approximately  one  thou- 
sand acres.  Another  grove  in  the  southeastern  part  of  sections 
31  and  32  is  called  Island  grove. 

There  are  a  luunber  of  natural  springs  in  the  toAvnship,  the 
largest  of  these,  known  as  Big  Spring,  in  an  early  day  being  a 
favorite  camping  groiuid  for  emigrants  in  their  way  westward. 

The  settlement  of  Washington  township,  although  it  began  at 
a  date  approxunately  as  early  as  that  of  other  townships  similarly 
located  in  the  county,  progressed  very  slowly  until  some  years 
after  the  war.  This  is  explained  chiefly  by  the  fact  that  nuich  of 
the  land  was  taken  up  by  speculators  and  was  not  put  upon  the 
market  until  a  coni2)aratively  late  date. 

The  real  development  of  the  township  did  not  begin  until  after 
1870.  For  fifteen  years  thereafter  much  of  the  land  of  the  town- 
slii])  remained  wild,  ;ml)roken  prairie.  Today,  however,  the  land 
is  all  occupied  by  farmers  and  nmch  of  it  is  fai"med  by  residents. 

Tlic  (juality  of  the  soil  is  second  to  none  in  the  county  and  the 
products  of  the  farms  are  equal  both  in  quality  and  in  quantity 
to  those  of  other  farms  in  this  garden  spot  of  the  great  agricul- 
tural west.  A  study  of  the  list  of  landowners  in  Washington 
township  reveals  the  fact  that  by  far  the  greater  part  of  the  farans 
of  this  to\Anship  are  owned  by  Germans.  This  to  any  one  who  is 
familiar  Avith  the  histoi-y  of  rural  comnumities  which  have  been 
settled  liy  the  German  people,  indicates  without  necessity  of 
further  conunent,  that  the  land  is  being  cultivated  intensively  and 
rapidly  Iteiug  Itrought  to  the  highest  degree  of  ^iroductiveness. 
Land  values  in  Washington  t<twnsliip  reach  practically  the  highest 
limit  received  for  farming  land  in  Butler  county.  Rental  prices, 
too,  are  higher  here  than  in  most  other  sections  of  the  county. 
These  facts  also  indicate  the  progressive  character  of  the  farnnng 
population  in  this  section. 

The  Illinois  Central  Railroad  traA'ei'ses  the  township  from  east 
to  west  in  its  southern  portion,  having  been  constructed  in  1865. 
For  a  quarter  of  a  century  thereafter,  however,  there  was  neither 
store,  postoffice  or  railway  station  within  the  limits  of  the  town- 
ship. Since  then  a  railway  station  and  postoffice  have  been  estab- 
lished at  ^VustiuAille,  which  now  is  the  only  village  within  the 
toAvnship  limits.    Kesley  to  the  northeast,  Aplington  to  the  south- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  381 

east  and  Ackley  to  the  southwest,  form  the  trading  points  for  the 
farmers  of  Washington  township. 

EAELY  SETTLEMENT 

The  fu'st  settlement  in  Washington  township  was  made  in  the 
spring  of  1853  by  E.  M.  and  E.  Purcell,  two  brothers,  who  made 
a  business  of  keeping  just  ahead  of  the  line  of  settlement  and 
selecting  the  most  valuable  claims  in  the  new  territory.  When  the 
pioneers  in  search  of  peiinanent  homes  reached  them,  they  would 
sell  these  clauns  at  a  good  figure  and  move  on  again  to  repeat  the 
venture  in  other  localities  farther  west.  B.  E.  Purcell  located  a 
claim  on  section  24  and  his  brother  Ellery  on  section  25.  The 
latter  erected  a  log  house  and  broke  about  eight  acres  of  prairie 
sod,  on  which  he  raised  a  first  crop  of  corn.  This  was  in  the  year 
1853  and  may  be  taken  as  the  beginning  of  the  agricultural  devel- 
opment of  Washington  township. 

In  the  spring  of  1851  R.  R.  Parriott  located  in  the  township 
and  purchased  Ellery  Purcell 's  land  in  section  25.  Mr.  Parriott 's 
first  visit  to  the  township  must  have  been  not  later  than  the  fall 
of  1853,  as  on  the  2d  of  January,  1851,  he  made  entry  in  the  gen- 
eral land  office  of  two  claims  in  Washington  township,  located  on 
sections  11  and  32.  Reuben  Purcell  made  the  second  entry  on  the 
22d  of  April,  1851.  The  early  history  of  Washington  township 
would  )>e  like  Handet  with  Hamlet  left  out,  if  an  attempt  were 
to  be  made  to  Avrite  it  without  mention  of  R.  R.  Parriott. 

Mr.  Parriott  was  a  native  of  Virginia  and  came  to  Washington 
township  from  Stephenson  county,  Illinois.  He  returned  in  June, 
1851,  to  Illinois,  and  on  the  4th  of  July  started  back  for  his  new 
home,  accompanied  by  his  family.  They  came  overland  with 
seven  yoke  of  oxen,  three  horses,  three  wagons  and  a  carriage,  and' 
wei'c  one  month  on  the  way. 

On  his  arrival  he  found  that  the  log  house  previously  built  by 
Elleiy  Purcell  was  too  small  to  accoimnodate  his  family,  which 
nimibered  thirteen.  He  therefore  erected  another  log  house  16x24 
feet,  with  a  lean-to  12x24  feet  in  dimensions.  This  was  the  first 
house  in  the  township  to  be  used  as  a  hotel.  After  the  establish- 
ment of  the  stage  line  from  Cedar  Palls  to  Fort  Dodge,  the  Par- 
riott house  became  a  regular  stopping  place  for  the  stage. 

Mr.  Parriott  was  the  first  postmaster  in  this  part  of  the  coimty.. 
He  was  the  owner  of  the  present  site  of  the  city  of  Ackley  in 


382  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Hardiii  cuuiily  aud  conveyed  to  the  Dubuque  &  Sioux  City  Rail- 
road Company  oue-lialf  of  tlie  town  site,  or  every  alternate  town 
lot.  The  company  conveyed  their  interest  in  turn  to  William  J. 
Ackley,  of  Waterloo,  from  whom  the  town  derived  its  name. 

Mr.  Parriott  w^as  at  one  time  the  owner  of  more  than  twenty- 
live  hundred  acres  of  land  in  this  part  of  the  county.  He  gave  the 
Dubuque  &  iSioux  City  railroad  a  right  of  wa}^  through  his  tract 
of  land  and  worked  for  its  establishment.  He  was  also  liberal  in 
contributing  to  the  Illinois  Central  Company,  which  constructed  a 
line  north  of  Ackley  through  Hampton  about  this  time.  Of  his 
family  of  nine  sons  and  two  daughters,  six  sons  served  their  coun- 
try in  the  Union  army  during  the  Civil  war.  Two  of  these  were 
killed  in  battle.  Mr.  Parriott  lived  on  his  land  here  imtil  his  death 
ill  1871. 

On  the  same  date  as  the  entry  of  laud  by  Mr.  Parriott,  Sarah 
E.  Craw  entered  a  elaun  on  the  same  section,  24,  and  on  July  29, 
1854,  Lewis  Craw  entered  a  claim  on  section  25.  ' '  Doc ' '  Craw,  as 
he  Avas  generally  called,  sold  the  improvements  on  his  claim  in 
185.J  to  Robert  Howard,  one  of  the  company  of  settlers  who  came 
from  Hardin  county  to  Iowa  in  company  with  J.  M.  Caldwell,  of 
Monroe  township.  Land  was  also  entered  in  1854  by  Nathan 
Pussy  on  October  2d,  in  section  24,  and  J.  M.  Caldwell,  who  is 
noticed  at  length  in  connection  with  the  history  of  Monroe  town- 
ship, in  section  22.  These  were  all  of  the  land  entries  in  the  town- 
ship in  the  year  1854. 

In  1855  William  Stockdale  built  a  log  house,  which  he  had 
taken  up  on  section  2:>.  In  1862  he  enlisted  in  the  army  and  died 
in  the  ser^-ice.  His  remains  were  brought  liack  and  buried  in 
Aplington  cemetery.  His  father,  Charles  Stockdale,  came  to  the 
township  in  1856  and  made  his  home  with  his  son  William  until 
the  tune  of  his  death,  which  occurred  in  December,  1859.  Several 
other  children  were  at  various  times  residents  of  the  township. 

Jonathan  (iee,  one  of  the  early  township  officers  of  Monroe 
township,  when  it  included  AVashington  within  its  limits,  came 
also  in  the  spring  of  1855  from  Henderson  county,  Illinois,  with 
a  C()m]>any,  most  of  whom  settled  in  Monroe  townshi]i.  He  located 
on  sections  23  and  24  and  erected  a  log  hoTise  and  made  other  im- 
provements. A  year  or  so  later  he  sold  his  claim  and  returned  to 
Illinois. 

Morris  F.  Whitney  was  another  settler  of  1855.  He  has  been 
mentioned  as  an  early  school  teacher  in  the  old  township  of  Mon- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  383 

roe.    His  fanii  was  on  section  24.    He  divided  his  time  between 
teaching  and  farming. 

Wesley  H.  Long,  a  native  of  Ohio,  settled  on  section  23.  He 
was  the  man  to  whom  was  entrusted  the  organization  of  the  town- 
ship when  Washington  was  given  a  separate  corporate  existence. 
Long  later  enlisted  in  the  volunteer  army  and  died  in  the  service 
in  New  Orleans,  Louisiana,  in  April,  1864.  Previous  to  the  date 
of  his  enlistment  he  had  served  as  a  member  of  the  board  of  super- 
visors of  Washington  township. 

James  Gray  in  1856  came  from  Illinois  and  purchased  the  farm 
of  Jonathan  Gee.  Mrs.  Rachel  Quinn  settled  in  the  township  in 
1856.  Her  husband,  John  Quinn,  died  of  cholera  while  on  his  way 
to  California  during  the  gold  fever  of  1850.  He  was  buried  on  the 
plains.  Ln  1856  Mrs.  Quinn  took  her  family  of  ten  children  and 
started  west  to  seek  a  new  home,  purchasing  land  in  Washington 
township,  where  she  lived  until  1858,  when  she  moved  to  Apling- 
ton  and  built  the  first  hotel. 

Alfred  Munson,  a  southerner,  came  to  Washington  township 
in  1858  and  boarded  for  a  time  with  R.  R.  Parriott.  He  purchased 
a  large  tract  of  land  in  the  western  part  of  the  township  and  built 
a  house  on  section  31.  When  the  war  broke  out  he  returned  to 
his  old  home  and  enlisted  in  the  southern  army.  He  never 
returned  for  residence  to  Washington  township.  This  is  the  only 
record  known  at  present  of  an  enlistment  from  Butler  coimty  in 
the  army  of  the  Confederate  states. 

This  practically  completes  the  list  of  settlers  in  the  township 
before  the  close  of  the  Civil  war.  Among  the  representative  set- 
tlers in  the  years  immediately  succeeding  the  war  may  be  men- 
tioned Patrick  Kenefick,  Henry  and  William  Austin  and  Hugh 
G.  Seal! on. 

Patrick  Kenefick  settled  in  the  township  in  1868,  coming  from 
Wisconsin.  His  home  was  on  section  19,  where  in  1869  he  built 
a  house.  Mr.  Kenefick  was  supervisor  from  Washington  town- 
ship during  the  latter  period  of  the  county  government  by  a  board 
of  sixteen  supervisors. 

The  Austin  brothers,  Henry  and  William,  were  natives  of  Eng- 
land. They  emigrated  to  America  with  their  parents  when  very 
young  and  settled  in  Michigan.  Later  they  moved  to  Wisconsin. 
In  1868  they  came  to  Iowa  and  purchased  land  in  Washington 
township.  Henry  Austin  located  on  section  21.  In  the  spring  of 
1869  he  broke  ninety  acres  of  land  and  planted  his  first  crop.    His 


384  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

brother  Williaui  located  on  sections  21  and  22.  Henry  Austin  was 
killed  in  1912  in  an  automobile  accident  in  Waterloo.  William  is 
still  a  resident  of  Washington  township.  A  nmnber  of  children 
of  the  two  families  are  resident  landowners  of  Butler  count3\  As 
a  family,  the  Austins  unquestionably  rank  among  the  most  exten- 
sive landowners  in  Butler  country.  The  town  of  Austinville  is 
named  for  these  brothers. 

Hugh  C.  Scallou  was  born  in  the  Province  of  Quebec,  Canada, 
came'  to  the  United  States  in  1855  with  his  parents,  and  settled 
in  Wisconsin.  Here  he  made  his  home  until  1869,  when  he  came 
to  Washington  township  and  settled  on  section  20. 

Other  settlers  in  the  period  following  the  Civil  war,  without 
regard  to  the  date  of  settlement,  were:  Elisha  Tobey,  Thomas 
Clark,  James  Keenan,  Daniel  Beninga,  J.  Winne,  Patrick  Parker, 
J.  J.  Burnham,  Samuel  Croot,  E.  Wiechman,  P.  De  Vries,  Frank 
Parker,  M.  D.  Eustis.  Lafayette  Le  Valley,  Harrison  Combs  and 
Robert  Martin. 

GENERAL    ITEMS 

Proliably  the  first  V)irth  in  the  township  was  that  of  Geneva, 
a  daughter  of  Anthony  and  Melinda  Parriott,  May  19,  1857. 

The  first  marriage  in  the  township  was  Anthony  J.  Parriott 
and  Melinda  Spangler,  August  7, 1856. 

The  first  death  in  the  township  Avas  in  1853,  when  an  infant 
child  of  Ellerv  Pnrcell  died  and  was  buried  on  his  farm. 

The  first  religious  services  in  the  township  were  held  at  the 
hotel  of  R.  R.  Parriott,  in  the  winter  of  1854-5,  Elder  Crippin,  of 
Hardin  county,  being  the  presiding  clergyman. 

A  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  was  organized  in  1855  by  Elder 
Stewart,  of  Hazel  Green,  Hardin  county.  Robert  Howard  was 
class  leader.  They  afterward  held  meetings  in  Anthony  Howard's 
log  stable.    Later  this  organization  was  moved  to  Aplingtou. 

The  first  postoffice  established  in  the  township  was  called  Al- 
goiKjuin.  R.  R.  Parriott  was  appointed  postmaster  here  in  1855. 
The  office  was  kept  at  his  hotel  mitil  1857,  when  it  was  moved  to 
Aplington.  In  recent  year's  an  office  was  established  at  Austin- 
ville, now  the  only  postoffice  in  the  township.  The  residents  of 
the  township  are  now  served  by  rural  routes  from  Ackley  and 
Aplington  in  addition  to  Austinville. 

The  first  blacksmith  shop  in  the  township  was  opened  by  a  man 
bv  the  name  of  Shaw  from  Waterloo,  in  1857.    R.  R.  Parriott  fui-- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  385 

iiislied  biiii  the  logs  with  which  to  build  a  shop  and  he  erected  it  on 
the  northwestern  part  of  section  25.  Mr.  ShaM'  did  not  long- 
remain.  After  his  departure  the  building  was  used  for  school  pur- 
poses. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION" 

Washington  township  was  originally  part  of  the  civil  township 
of  Ripley  according  to  the  organization  of  the  county  into  town- 
ships in  1855.  In  1857  the  county  court  redistricted  the  county 
into  townshii:)s,  making  Washington  township  a  part  of  the  civil 
township  of  Monroe.  The  records  of  the  county  court  during  the 
September  term  of  1860  contain  the  following  entry  which  is  self- 
explanatory: 

"Septembers,  1860. 

"Now  on  this  3d  day  of  September,  1860,  W.  H.  Long  pre- 
sented a  petition  asking  that  congressional  township  No.  90  N.,  of 
range  18  W^est,  be  organized  into  a  township  for  civil  purposes. 
It  is  therefore  ordered  by  the  court  that  Washington  township 
be  and  hereby  is  organized  and  bounded  as  follows,  to-wit:  By 
congressional  lines  of  township  90  North,  range  18  West  of  the 
fifth  principal  meridian,  in  Butler  coimty,  Iowa,  and  a  warrant 
issued  permitting  Wm.  LI.  Long  to  call  the  first  election  in  said 
townshi})  on  Tuesday,  the  6th  day  of  November,  A.  D.,  1860,  to 
be  holden  at  the  house  of  R.  R.  Parriott  in  said  township  for  the 
jiurpose  of  electing  the  county  and  several  township  officers  to 
1)6  chosen  at  the  election  in  1860. 
"Attest. 

"A.  Converse,  County  Judge 
James  W.  Davis,  County  Clerk." 

Among  the  first  officers  elected  at  this  election  were  Robert 
Howard,  justice  of  the  peace,  and  Silas  Beebe.  constable. 

EDUCATIONAL 

The  first  school  in  the  township  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Chiches- 
ter, at  Morris  Whitney's  house,  in  the  summer  of  1857.  It  Avas 
a  select  school-  In  the  winter  of  1857-8  school  was  kept  in 
Anthony  Parriott 's  log  stable.  S.  B.  Decker  was  the  teacher. 
After  the  departure  of  a  blacksmith  named  Shaw,  who  is  men- 
tioned above,  the  building  which  he  used  for  a  shop  was  used  for 
school  purposes,  and  Saujucl  Burke  and  August  Arnold,  of  Iowa 


386  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Falls,  were  among  the  first  teachers  iu  it.  The  first  schoolhouse 
erected  in  the  township  was  built  in  1863  at  the  northwest  corner 
of  section  25.  David  Washburn  was  the  first  teacher  in  this 
schoolhouse. 

in  1868  a  board  shanty  was  erected  on  section  7,  which  was 
used  for  school  purposes  until  1873.  This  stood  on  section  4  in 
what  is  now  sub-district  No.  2.  The  first  school  in  the  southwest- 
ern portion  of  the  township  was  held  in  a  private  house  on  section 
31.  In  1869  a  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  tlie  same  section.  Mary 
McGill  was  the  first  teacher  in  this  schoolhouse.  In  this  same 
year  the  citizens  of  the  northeastern  part  of  the  township  built  a 
small  board  shanty  on  the  line  of  sections  11  and  12,  where  Miss 
Martha  Clark  taught  the  first  term  of  school.  In  1870  a  school  was 
organized  in  AVilliam  Kenefick's  granary,  with  his  daughter  Nellie 
as  the  first  teacher. 

A  schoolhouse  was  erected  on  section  19,  in  1872,  with  Miss 
Cynthia  Bird  as  the  first  teacher.  In  1876  a  schoolhouse  was 
erected  on  section  27,  wdth  Miss  Enmia  Wright  as  the  first 
instructor.  In  1878  a  board  shanty  was  erected  on  the  hill  just 
south  of  the  present  location  of  the  schoolhouse  in  district  No. 
2.  Miss  Aima  Ford  was  the  first  teacher.  A  schoolhouse  was 
erected  on  section  36  in  1880,  with  Bertha  Brace  as  the  first 
instructor. 

At  the  present  time  the  township  is  organized  into  nine  sub- 
districts,  nmnbered  consecutively  from  the  northeastern  part. 
The  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  1  stands  in  the  northwestern  cor- 
ner of  section  11.  No.  2  is  sunilarly  located  in  section  9,  and  No.  3 
in  section  7.  The  residents  of  the  western  and  central  portions 
of  the  township  are  accommodated  b,y  school  No.  4,  situated  on 
the  south  line  of  section  19,  and  No.  5  at  the  southwestern  corner 
of  section  15.  Schoolhouse  No.  6  is  at  the  southwest  corner  of  sec- 
tion 13;  No.  1,  the  northwest  eornei'  of  section  36. 

The  school  in  siili-district  No.  8  is  known  as  Austinville  school 
and  stands  a  half  mile  south  of  the  station.  This  building  is  the 
same  one  that  was  erected  in  1876  and  has  outlived  its  usefiilness. 
There  is  considerable  agitation  toward  the  establishment  of  a 
township  high  school  at  Austinville.  Certainly  some  more  satis- 
factory and  adequate  provision  must  be  made  for  the  accommo- 
dation of  the  school  children  of  Austinville  and  vicinity. 

A  new  school  building  has  been  erected  in  sub-district  No.  9 
known  as  the  Island  Grove  school,  which  stands  almost  exactly 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  387 

in  the  middle  of  section  32,  at  the  southern  edge  of  Island  grove. 
The  building,  although  small,  is  neat  and  satisfactorily  serves  the 
interests  of  the  community  to  wliich  it  belongs.  There  is  also  a 
movement  on  foot  looking  seriously  toward  the  consolidation  of 
the  schools  of  Washington  township.  Its  situation  as  a  purely 
rural  township,  with  the  larger  towns  of  Ackley  and  Aplington 
on  either  side  and  at  some  distance,  renders  it  peculiarly  adapted 
for  such  a  step.  The  friends  of  educational  progress  in  the  county 
will  watch  with  interest  the  further  development  of  this  move- 
ment. 

POPULATION 

1863,  67;  1865,  134;  1867,  146;  1869,  296;  1870,  402;  1873,  456; 
1875,  486;  1880,  765;  1890,  735;  1900,  925;  1910,  756. 


CHAPTER  XXIX 
TOWNSHIP  AND  TOWN  OF  SHELL  ROCK 

Shell  Rock  was  the  scene  of  the  earliest  known  settlements 
in  the  township.  Here,  as  has  been  earlier  recounted,  about  1850 
or  1851,  a  temporary  settlement  was  made  by  Harrison  and  Volney 
Carpenter  and  I).  C.  Finch.  These  men  were  hunters  and  trappers 
and  made  their  first  sojourn  in  a  log  cabin  which  they  erected  near 
the  banks  of  the  Shell  Rock  on  the  present  site  of  the  town  of 
Shell  Rock.  Later  Volney  Carpenter,  who  was  a  married  man, 
brought  his  family  to  his  new  home  and  staked  out  a  claim  on 
section  1  of  this  township.  This  claim  was  later  sold  to  Alexander 
Glenn,  by  whom  the  original  entry  was  made  in  1852. 

The  township  constitutes  No.  91  north,  range  15  west.  It  is 
for  the  most  part  rolling  prairie  land  but  is  traversed  in  the 
extreme  northeastern  part  by  tlio  Shell  Rock  river,  which  follows 
a  winding  course  from  northwest  to  southeast  through  sections  2, 
11,  12  and  13.  The  central  portion  of  the  township  is  drained  by  a 
creek  kno'wn  as  Drj^  Run,  Avhich  empties  into  the  West  Fork  just 
a  little  below  the  southern  line  of  the  township.  In  the  northeast- 
ern poi'tion  of  the  toAvuship  and  the  strip  along  Dr}^  Run  in  sec- 
tions 32  and  33,  it  is  covered  with  natural  timber.  The  rest  of  the 
township,  however,  was  originally  open  prairie  land.  The  Chicago 
Great  Western  &  Rock  Island  railroads  traverse  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  township. 

Originally  the  greater  yjart  of  the  faiins  of  the  township  were 
occupied  by  the  owners.  Of  recent  years,  however,  many  of  these 
have  retired  from  their  faniis  and  moved  to  town,  and  as  a  result 
at  the  present  time  there  is  a  large  portion  of  land  which  is  being 
farmed  by  renters.  For  this  reason  perhaps  there  are  fewer 
modern  fann  homes  in  Shell  Rock  township  than  in  some  of  the 
other  townships  where  there  is  a  larger  portion  of  fann  owners 
living  upon  their  own  land.  There  are,  however,  a  large  number 
of  beautifid  farm  homes  in  this  township,  some  of  which  are  now 

;J89 


390  .    HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

occupied  by  a  third  generation.  The  soil  of  the  township  away 
from  the  river  bottoms  is  a  rich  loam  and  produces  crops  of  all 
the  staple  cereals  that  are  surpassed  by  no  section  of  this  dis- 
tinctly agricultui'al  county. 

EARLY    SETTLEMENT 

The  lirst  entry  of  laud  in  Shell  Rock  township  was  made  by 
Michael  Curry,  on  October  18,  1851,  in  section  2.  The  other 
earliest  entries  in  order  of  date  were 'Willoughby  Flanagan, 
December  1,  1851,  section  11;  Letitia  Wilkins,  December  1,  1851, 
section  12;  Jonathan  Hook  and  John  Reynolds,  January  26,  1852, 
in  section  2. 

Other  entries  in  1852  were  made  by  Frederick  E.  Bissell,  Alex- 
ander Glenn,  Joseph  Thornsbrue,  Henry  P.  Moore,  George  C. 
Moon,  Asbury  Leverich  and  W.  J.  Barney. 

Among  the  early  settlers  of  this  township  was  Aaron  Moore, 
known  to  all  his  friends  and  neighbors  as  "Uncle  Aaron."  It 
does  not  appear  that  Aaron  Moore  obtained  any  land  by  original 
entry  nor  has  it  been  possible  to  establish  definitely  the  date 
of  his  settlement  in  the  township.  There  is  little  doubt,  however, 
that  he  is  to  be  numbered  among  the  earliest  actual  settlers,  as  he 
is  mentioned  incidentally  in  connection  with  the  accounts  of  a 
mnnber  of  the  pioneers,  some  of  whom  came  to  the  county  because 
of  his  glowing  descriptions  of  the  fertility  of  its  soil  and  many 
of  whom  made  his  home  their  first  stopping  place.  Among  these 
may  be  mentioned  the  Wamsley  brothers,  who  were  pioneer  set- 
tlers of  Butler  and  Jackson  townships.  Aaron  Moore  early 
became,  by  the  purchase  of  the  claims  of  other  settlers,  one  of 
the  largest  landowners  in  the  county.  He  was  a  resident  of  the 
township  for  a  number  of  years  and  died  in  the  late  '70s.  Before 
pa&sing  away,  Mr.  Moore  disposed  of  most  of  his  property  by 
distribution  among  liis  heirs. 

Alexander  Glenn  became  a  resident  of  the  township  in  1852. 
He,  too,  purchased  a  considerable  amoimt  of  land  in  the  north- 
eastern part  of  the  township.  Another  settler  during  this  period 
was  Daniel  Myers,  who  in  1852  purchased  Harrison  Carpenter's 
claim  on  section  1.  Myers  remained  a  resident  of  the  towniship 
for  a  number  of  years.  He  is  mentioned  in  connection  with  the 
first  lawsuit  in  Butler  county,  a  writ  of  injunction  having  been 
issued  against  him  by  one  Solomon  W.  Ingham,  restraining  him 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  391 

from  selling  a  portion  of  Ms  holdings  in  section  2,  Shell  Rock 
township.  A  full  account  of  this  is  given  in  connection  with  the 
county  court. 

In  the  spring  of  1853  George  W.  Adair,  founder  of  the  town 
of  Shell  Rock,  and  one  of  the  most  prominent  of  the  early  citi- 
zens of  the  coimty,  purchased  Alexander  Glenn's  forty  acres  in 
section  1],  through  which  the  rivers  runs  diagonally.  This  tract  of 
laud  at  that  time  was  heavily  timbered.  As  soon  as  possible,  Mr. 
Adair  brought  his  family  to  his  new  home,  moving  into  their  log 
cabin  on  the  east  side  of  the  river  the  1st  day  of  June,  1853,  thus 
becoming  the  lirst  peiinanent  settlers  of  the  town  site  of  Shell 
Rock.  Here,  soon  after,  Mr.  Adair  began  the  erection  of  a  saw- 
mill and  in  1854  he  laid  out  the  village  of  Shell  Rock  upon  the 
land  which  he  had  purchased.  This  town  plat  was  not  filed  for 
record  until  the  29th  of  March,  1855.  In  the  entry  on  the  minute 
book  of  the  county  court,  George  W.  Adair  and  Elizabeth  Adair, 
his  wife,  are  given  as  the  sole  owners  of  the  town  site.  Mr.  Adair 
was  one  of  those  pioneers  who  clearly  foresaw  the  magnificent 
possibilities  of  the  future  and  he  labored  to  lay  the  foundations 
broadly  and  deeply  for  a  community  which  would  be  an  honor  to 
him  and  to  the  state  and  county.  In  this  he  was  successful.  He 
lived  to  see  the  town  of  Shell  Rock  thoroughly  established  as  one 
of  the  leading  communities  of  the  county.  He  died  on  the  4th  day 
of  September,  1879,  leaving  a  large  family  of  children,  of  whom 
George  Adair  is  noted  at  length  in  the  biograpMcal  volume  of 
this  work. 

In  the  fall  of  1853  Heman  D.  Hunt  came  to  Shell  Rock  and 
commenced  working  in  the  Adair  sawmill.  Later  Mr.  Hunt  pur- 
chased several  hundred  acres  of  land  in  Butler  township,  upon 
which  he  lived  imtil  his  death  in  1912.  Several  of  Mr.  Hunt's 
children  have  been  prominent  citizens  of  the  county,  William  J. 
being  at  present  editor  of  the  Butler  County  Tribime  at  Allison ; 
John  H.,  former  county  recorder  and  postmaster  at  Allison;  and 
Charles,  a  resident  of  Clarksville. 

About  the  same  time  with  other  settlers  there  arrived  Messrs. 
Walters,  Hawker,  Compton,  Dewey  and  Smith,  and  two  brothers, 
Cliarles  and  Henry  Sweitzer.  In  1854  Hiram  Ross,  who  is  still 
a  resident  of  Shell  Rock,  came  and  began  work  in  the  planing 
mill.  In  1855  the  Newcomb  brothers  came.  All  these  gentlemen 
settled  in  and  around  Shell  Rock.  During  the  same  years  the 
country  to  the  west  and  south  gradually  filled  up.     Among  the 


■m  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

pioneers  in  this  part  of  the  township  were  Michael  Holleubeck, 
D.  White,  R.  L.  Town,  D.  Shannon,  T.  Marslin  and  Lyman  iSTor- 
ton.  Shannon  became  converted  to  Mormonism  through  the 
efforts  of  a  Mormon  preacher  wlio  stopped  for  some  time  at  his 
house.  He  proposed  to  buikl  a  Moimon  tabernacle  in  the  coimty 
but  before  his  plans  were  completed  his  wife  eloped  with  the 
preacher  to  Salt  Lake  City  and  it  is  supposed  that  he  was  awak- 
ened rather  rudely  from  his  delusion. 

Among  the  representative  settlers  of  the  township  without 
particular  regard  to  the  order  of  their  s'ettlement,  the  following 
may  be  mentioned:  Amos  Ressler,  who  came  to  Butler  county  in 
1856,  first  working  in  the  steam  mill  at  Butler  Center  and  later 
purchasing  a  farm  in  Shell  Rock  township,  ujDon  which  he  lived 
for  a  number  of  years;  Sylvester  Rice,  who  was  for  many  years 
a  resident  of  Shell  Rock,  coming  to  this  place  from  Waverly,  in 
the  spring  of  18G1 ;  L.  W.  Howard,  who  settled  on  a  farm  in  sec- 
tion 14.  Shell  Rock  township  in  1865,  and  who  was  the  father  of 
Frank  E.  Howard,  former  county  superintendent  of  schools  of 
Butler  county,  and  Samuel  W.  Howard,  now  a  resident  fanner 
of  the  township.    Mr.  Howard  died  at  an  advanced  age  in  1912. 

John  Bowen  located  in  the  township  in  1866.  Col.  Huston 
Green  settled  in  the  township  in  1873.  Washington  Tharp  came 
to  Iowa  in  1853,  locating  first  in  Bremer  county.  After  serving 
with  honor  as  a  member  of  the  Eighth  Iowa  Cavalry  in  the  Civil 
war,  he  settled  in  the  fall  of  1866  on  a  farm  in  section  13,  Shell 
Rock  township.  John  Christy  became  a  resident  of  Butler  county, 
settling  on  section  7,  in  Shell  Rock  township,  in  1868.  John  H. 
Mead,  in  May,  1870,  came  to  Butler  county,  first  settliug  on  sec- 
tion ]8  and  later  moving  to  section  8.  Several  of  his  children 
are  still  residents  of  the  county. 

Among  other  later  residents  of  the  township  may  be  men- 
tioned A.  P.  Dilger,  W.  H.  Dryer,  W.  R.  and  G.  E.  Stanley, 
Judson  Lake,  J.  F.  Auner,  F.  B.  Miner,  G.  P.  Soash  and  J.  W. 
Wheat. 

OFFICIAL  ORGANIZATION 

When  the  county  was  first  divided  into  townships  Shell  Rock 
township  was  included  in  the  township  of  Beaver,  which  was 
then  made  up  of  the  four  congressional  tovmships  in  the  south- 
eastern quarter  of  the  county.    In  March,  1856,  Shell  Rock  town- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  393 

ship  was  set  off  from  Beaver  and  made  to  include  together  with 
its  present  limits  the  township  of  Jefferson  as  well.  In  March, 
1857,  Jefferson  township  was  given  a  separate  organization  and 
set  off  from  Shell  Rock.  Thereafter  the  township  had  the  same 
limits  as  at  present. 

THE   MILLS 

In  the  simamer  of  1853,  George  W.  Adair  erected  a  sawmill 
and  built  the  first  dam  at  Shell  Rock.  Hiram  Ross  was  his  mill- 
wright. The  sawmill  was  kept  busy  by  the  settlers  for  many 
years  and  served  its  purposes  faithfully  and  well  until  the  year 
1878,  when  it  was  torn  down,  being  unfit  for  further  use.  The 
dam  was  partially  washed  out  by  a  freshet  in  1855,  when  a  new 
and  better  dam  took  its  place,  built  by  George  W.  and  William 
Adair. 

George  W.  Adair  erected  the  first  grist  mill,  on  the  west  side 
of  the  river,  in  1856,  and  had  it  running  early  in  1857.  This 
became  known  as  the  Shell  Rock  mill  and  is  still  in  operation, 
although  it  has  long  since  ceased  to  make  flour,  only  corn  meal 
and  ground  feed  for  cattle  now  being  the  pi'oduct.  This  struc- 
ture was  built  at  a  cost  of  $10,000.  Its  original  dimensions  were 
30x40  feet,  and  three  stories  in  height.  The  property  was  trans- 
ferred to  John  F.  Wright  in  1857  through  purchase  and  shortly 
thereafter  Mr.  Wright  sold  a  one-third  interest  to  the  Overman 
brothers;  another  one-third  was  bought  by  Sheldon  Fox.  Sev- 
eral changes  later  took  place  in  the  ownership  of  the  mill,  Mr. 
Wright  always  retaining  his  interest  until  1891,  when  W.  F. 
Brown,  the  present  owner  and  a  nephew  of  Wright,  came  into 
full  possession. 

The  Rockland,  or  east  side  mill,  was  built  by  George  W.  Adair 
and  Emanuel  Metzger  in  the  winter  of  1867-8,  at  a  cost  of  $18,000. 
This  originally  was  a  two-run  mill,  four  stories  in  height  and 
propelled  by  water  power.  The  property  was  sold  to  Robert 
McDonald  in  1872  and  in  1879  Haynes  brothers  were  the  owners. 
In  1903,  W.  F.  Brown  bought  the  mill  of  T.  W.  Mclnroy  and  is 
now  running  both  industrial  concerns,  being  steadily  and  profit- 
ably employed  grinding  feed  for  the  farmers  living  within  a  wide 
and  contiguotis  territory. 


394  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

EDUCATIONAL 

In  conmion  with  other  townships  of  the  county,  the  schools 
of  Shell  Rock  township  were  originally  organized  as  sub-districts 
of  the  school  township.  There  were  in  the  beginning  eight  of 
these  sub-districts,  corresponding  in  general  in  their  boundaries 
to  the  present  sub-divisions.  As  the  town  of  Shell  Rock  devel- 
oped, it  was  set  off  as  an  independent  district,  maintaining  for 
a  number  of  years  two  schools — one  on  either  side  of  the  river. 
The  rest  of  the  township  continued  the  sub-district  organization 
until  late  in  the  '70s,  when  by  vote  of  the  electors  the  sub-district 
plan  was  abandoned  and  an  independent  district  form  of  organ- 
ization adopted.  There  are  at  present  seven  independent  dis- 
tricts in  the  township — Norton's  Corners,  Dryer,  Salem,  Central 
Valley,  Excelsior,  Prairie  Mound  and  Christy.  For  the  most 
part  the  school  buildings  in  these  districts  are  somewhat  above 
the  average  in  character  and  equipment.  Probably  the  best  of 
the  rural  school  buildings  is  that  in  the  Dryer  school  district. 
The  Norton's  Corners  school  has  the  largest  enrollment  of  any 
school  in  the  township  and  has  for  a  number  of  years  been  in 
the  hands  of  exceptionally  well  equipped  and  well  trained  teach- 
ers. There  is  considerable  agitation  toward  the  erection  of  a  new 
building  to  accommodate  the  children  of  this  disti-iet  and  donlit- 
less  within  a  comparatively  short  time  this  step  will  be  taken 
and  the  Norton's  Corners  district  will  be  eqiiipped  with  a  school 
building  which  will  correspond  in  its  appointments  with  the  excel- 
lence of  the  school  in  other  ways. 

The  patrons  and  taxpayers  of  the  schools  in  Shell  Rock  town- 
ship have  never  been  niggardly  in  their  expenditures  for  school 
purposes.  As  a  result  they  have  a  corps  of  teachers  whose  ability 
and  efficiency  is  of  a  high  degree.  The  records  of  the  school  town- 
ship of  Shell  Rock  have  disappeared  and  the  limits  of  this  work 
do  not  allow  us  to  go  into  detail  as  t(j  the  history  of  the  individual 
districts.  There  is  no  doubt  that  if  the  people  of  this  township 
continue  to  maintain  their  schools  upon  the  same  })]ane  that 
they  have  in  the  past  and  to  show  the  same  progressive  spii'it  in 
dealing  with  the  problems  that  have  confronted  them,  the  future 
of  the  schools  in  this  township  will  assuredly  be  a  brilliant  one. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  395 

POPULATION 

1856,  373;  1860,  438;  1863,  523;  1865,  626;  1867,  952;  1869, 
1,063;  1870,  1,142;  1873,  1,358;  1875,  1,408;  1880,  1,524;  1890, 
1,482;  1900,  1,547;  1910,  1,461. 

TOWN    OF   SHELL   ROCK 

The  laud  oiigiually  platted  for  the  town  of  Shell  Rock  con- 
sisted of  forty  acres,  which  was  purchased  of  Alexander  Glenn 
by  George  W.  Adair  iu  the  spring  of  1853.  Early  iu  the  year  1855 
Adair  caused  the  land  to  be  platted  into  town  lots,  which  made 
up  twelve  blocks.  The  plat  was  filed  in  the  recorder's  office  and 
reads  as  follows,  to- wit: 

"March  29,  A.  D.,  1855. 

"On  this  day  George  W.  Adair  and  Elizabeth  Adair  presented 
the  plat  of  the  town  of  Shell  Rock,  in  the  county  of  Butler,  situ- 
ated on  the  northwest  quarter  of  section  11,  in  township  91,  range 
15,  west  of  the  fifth  principal  meridian,  and  having  acknowledged 
the  same  as  required  by  law,  it  was  ordered  that  the  whole  be 
recorded  as  the  law  directs. 

"John  Palmer,  County  Judge." 

When  George  W.  Adair  set  up  his  little  log  cabin  on  the 
"Forty"  now  comprising  the  principal  part  of  the  town  of  Shell 
Kock,  the  land  was  covered  by  an  almost  impenetrable  growth  of 
timber  and  underbrush.  But  the  irrepressible  pioneer  and  home- 
seeker  with  axe  and  torch  made  all  this  disappear  in  a  compara- 
tively short  space  of  time  and  as  the  years  passed  rapidly  by, 
where  once  stood  the  giant  oak,  a  settler's  residence  or  merchant's 
store  building  took  its  place,  and  gave  evidence  of  the  march  of 
civilization,  that  was  inevitable  in  a  country  magnificently 
endowed  with  fertile  soil,  abundauco  of  clear,  i-unuiug  water  and 
other  resources,  the  gift  of  kind  Nature,  ready  for  the  many  seek- 
ing them. 

The  first  settlers  in  this  beautiful  locality  were  Harrison  and 
Volney  Carpenter,  as  already  mentioned.  They  came  in  1851. 
The  following  year  Alexander  Glenn  appeared,  also  Daniel  Myers. 
George  W.  Adair,  founder  of  the  town  of  Shell  Rock,  arrived  in 
the  settlement  in  the  spring  of  1853.  Not  long  thereafter  came 
the  Newcombs,  the  Sweitzers,  Cram,  Eastman,  Hitchcock,  Hiram 
Ross,  John  Leveridge  and  John  L.  Stewart.    The  latter  was  an 


396  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Illiiioisan  by  birth  and  removed  with  his  parents  to  Iowa  in  1839, 
tinally  locating  in  Jolmson  coimty.  Mr.  Stewart  remained  here 
until  1848,  when  he  removed  to  Linn  county.  The  year  1853  foimd 
him  in  Shell  Rock,  working  in  the  Adair  sawnnll,  where  he  con- 
tinued employed  until  1870.  In  the  latter  year  Mr.  Stewart 
opened  a  wagon  shop,  in  Avhich  his  activities  continued  for  many 
years. 

0.  L.  Eastman,  above  referred  to,  was  born  in  the  State  of  New 
York  and  moved  with  his  parents  to  Will  county,  Illinois,  in  1838, 
where  he  became  apprenticed  to  a  blacksmith.  In  October,  1855, 
he  removed  to  Cedar  Palls,  Iowa,  and  in  the  spring  of  1856  to 
Shell  Rock.  Here  Mr.  Eastman  as  soon  as  possible  took  up  the 
tools  of  his  trade  and  probably  opened  the  first  blacksmith  shop 
in  the  ambitious  and  growing  little  town.  In  1867  he  added  a 
stock  of  farm  implements  to  his  growing  business  and  became  one 
of  the  prosperous  and  influential  men  of  the  community. 

The  lirst  hotel  erected  in  Shell  Rock  was  put  up  by  a  man 
named  R.  I).  Cram,  who  not  only  entertained  the  traveler,  but  also 
kept  a  stock  of  merchandise.  He  should,  therefore,  be  considered 
as  the  first  merchant  in  Shell  Rock. 

It  is  highly  probable  that  0.  S.  Newcomb  Avas  the  next  settler 
who  elected  to  go  into  business  at  Shell  Rock.  He  in  an  early  day 
had  on  display  a  stock  of  goods  in  a  building  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river  which  he  erected  in  October,  1855.  Mr.  Newcomb  con- 
ducted a  general  store  in  this  Iniilding  until  the  spring  of  1859, 
when  he  removed  to  the  west  side  of  the  river  and  opened  a  general 
store  in  a  log  schoolhouse.  In  the  fall  of  the  same  year  he  moved 
into  more  conmiodious  quarters  and  had  for  a  partner  T.  G.  Cope- 
land  until  1860,  when  J.  H.  Carter  purchased  the  Copeland  inter 
ests  and  the  business  was  then  and  for  many  years  afterward 
conducted  under  the  firm  name  of  Newcomb  &  Carter. 

EAELY    EVENTS 

CJeorge  W.  Adair  built  the  first  house — a  log  cabin — the  first 
dam  and  the  first  mill  in  Shell  Rock.  Elias  Walter  erected  the 
first  frame  liuilding  in  the  town. 

R.  D.  Cram  was  Shell  Rock's  first  merchant,  opening  a  general 
store  in  the  fall  of  1855.  Prank  Walter,  son  of  Elias  Walter,  was 
the  first  white  child  born  in  Shell  Rock.  The  event  took  place  in 
January,  1855. 


PORTION  OF  MAIN  STREET,  SHELL  ROCK 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  397 

The  first  marriage  was  that  of  Elias  Walter  and  Miss  Rachel 
Billheimer. 

John  L.  Stewart  was  the  first  wagon  maker.  He  opened  a  shop 
in  1854. 

tFolm  S.  iiobbins  located  in  Shell  Rock  in  the  fall  of  1854  and 
opened  the  first  blacksmith  shop.  He  sold  out  to  George  Hawker 
in  1855.  The  latter  died  in  1863.  T.  G.  Copeland  is  given  credit 
for  being  Shell  Rock's  premier  shoemaker.  He  commenced  work 
at  his  trade  in  Newcomb  &  Copeland 's  store  in  1859,  remaining 
one  year.  ]\lr.  Copeland  then  removed  to  Willoughby,  a  hamlet  in 
Butler  county. 

L.  F.  Bristow  established  the  first  furniture  store  in  Shell  Rock 
and  the  first  drug  store  was  opened  by  Dr.  E.  L.  Thorp.  The  first 
hardware  store  in  Shell  Rock  was  opened  by  Philip  Bender.  Mr. 
Bender  remained  here  two  years  and  then  removed  to  Cedar  Falls. 

The  growing  town  was  without  a  photograph  gallery  until  1875, 
when  Henry  Apfel  set  up  a  gallery  here  and  established  a  good 
business.  He  became  an  important  personage  in  the  town's  list  of 
citizens. 

0.  L.  Eastman,  one  of  the  early  blacksmiths,  established  an 
agricultural  implement  concern  in  1867.  A  harness  shop  was 
opened  here  in  1868  by  T.  S.  Walter.  Fairfield  &  Phillips  opened 
a  lumber  yard  in  1871,  and  the  same  year  erected  an  elevator,  with 
a  capacity  of  10,000  bushels  of  grain.  In  1872  J.  P.  Bement  went 
into  the  market  and  bought  grain.  W.  E.  Eastman  ojDened  a  boot 
and  shoe  shop  in  1872  and  soon  became  one  of  the  leading  mer- 
chants of  the  town.  D.  J.  Gould  commenced  making  and  repair- 
ing shoes  in  a  little  shop  in  September,  1874.  That  same  year  J.  R. 
Clawson  entered  the  hardware  trade  and  his  business  soon  grew 
to  large  dimensions.  A  drug  store  was  opened  in  1875  by  E.  H. 
Dudley  and  A.  G.  Sheaker  under  the  firm  name  of  Dudley  & 
Sheaker.  In  1876  J.  H.  Carson  opened  a  general  store  and  event- 
ually became  one  of  the  town 's  leading  merchants.  C.  W.  Bishop 's 
jewelry  store  came  into  existence  in  1876,  and  in  the  spring  of 
1878  Mrs.  H.  Apfel  opened  a  millinery  store.  J.  H.  Paley's  boot 
and  shoe  store  was  opened  in  1878,  and  in  1880  J.  E.  Patten  began 
making  harness  for  the  trade.  That  same  year  Graham  and  Jero- 
laman  formed  a  partnership  and  began  buying  live  stock.  In  1881 
E.  J.  Young's  furniture  store  was  opened,  also  J.  B.  Kelsey's 
grocery  store.    The  following  year  J.  M.  Longfellow  had  a  hard- 


398  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

ware  store  here  and  Graham  &  Jones  a  general  merchandise  estab- 
lishment, also  W.  F.  Stoddard. 

The  Hawkeye  Creamery  was  built  and  began  operations  in  the 
winter  of  1878  l:)y  W.  W.  Murray  and  Charles  Austin,  under  the 
firm  name  of  Murray  &  Austin.  In  July,  1881,  Austin  retired 
from  the  firm  Imt  came  back  in  November  of  the  same  year,  hav- 
ing secured  W.  W.  Murray's  interests  therein.  In  April,  1882, 
Samuel  Kennedy  purchased  a  half  interest  and  the  firm  became 
Austin  &  Keimedy.  This  creamery  was  run  for  many  years,  then 
came  a  new  one  in  its  place,  which  was  built  in  1896  by  a  stock 
company,  of  which  George  Adair  is  president,  Robert  Hmiter  vice 
president,  Ed  Holland,  secretary,  and  Fraidv  Rice,  treasurer.  The 
capital  stock  is  $3,000.  This  concern  manufactures  butter  alone 
and  during  the  year  ending  December  21,  1913,  4,017,478  pounds 
of  milk,  and  10,000  pounds  of  cream  were  received.  The  concern 
is  on  a  paying  basis  and  absorbs  the  dairy  products  of  the  farmers 
of  a  territory  comprising  several  miles. 

Shell  Rock  has  had  several  hotels.  The  first  was  built  hy  R. 
D.  Cram  in  the  spring  of  1856  and  conducted  by  him  in  connec- 
tion with  his  store.  The  property  later  went  into  the  hands  of 
W.  R.  Cotton,  who  called  the  hostelry  the  Butler  House.  George 
W.  Adair  opened  the  second  hotel  in  1867  and  named  it  the  Shell 
Rock  House.  He  was  the  host  to  many  travelers  for  about  thir- 
teen years,  when  health  failing  hun,  he  went  to  Kansas,  Avhere  he 
died  in  the  early  '80s. 

The  Central  House  was  erected  in  1878  by  Boomer  Brothers 
&  J.  W.  Phillips.  Phillips  finally  became  sole  owner,  and  sold 
to  John  Speaker.    The  latter  was  the  landlord  for  many  years. 

The  Wabeek,  a  low  two-story  brick,  standing  on  a  prominent 
corner  of  Main  street  on  the  east  side,  has  gained  considerable 
favorable  notoriet}'  in  the  past  two  years  through  its  excellent 
cuisine  and  luxui'ious  l>eds.  The  landlord  is  a  Swiss,  John  TTohl 
by  name. 

Shell  Rdck  as  early  as  1855  had  its  lawyer  in  the  person  of 
Orson  Rice,  who  remained  about  five  years.  Soon  after  his 
departirre  came  William  Norville,  and  since  his  advent  there  have 
been  intermittently  lawyers  who  have  located  in  the  town.  For 
a  number  of  years  past  George  A.  Mclntyre  has  been  a  member 
of  the  Butler  county  Imr  located  here.  Mr.  Mclntyre  is  the  pres- 
ent chief  executive  of  Shell  Rock. 


THK   WABEEK,  SHELL  ROCK 


PUBLIC  SCmOOL,  SHELL  KOCK 


r;ARY 


lf  ••cx 

. ,  ;■.  r.ATiONS, 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  399 

Dr.  Jolui  Seoby  is  the  first  person  mentioned  in  the  History  of 
Butler  County,  published  in  1883,  as  having  located  in  Shell  Rock. 
According  to  that  publication  he  came  in  May,  1856,  and  practiced 
here  until  1875,  when  he  retired  from  all  business  activities.  He 
has  had  a  number  of  successors  in  the  field  of  medicine. 

THE  SCHOOLS 

The  town  of  Shell  Rock  has  always  had  good  schools.  The 
first  was  taught  by  Mrs.  Nancy  McAllister,  in  a  room  at  the  home 
of  Ebenezer  Walter,  in  the  summer  of  1855.  The  children  to 
receive  instruction  afterwards  assembled  in  the  Methodist  church, 
where  Ozro  R.  Newcomb  taught  them  the  elements  of  an  educa- 
tion. In  1899  a  new  and  modern  school  building  of  brick  and 
stone  material  was  erected,  at  a  cost  of  $15,000.  The  structure 
is  three  stories  and  basement,  and  has  every  appointment  to  be 
found  in  a  modern  building  of  this  character.  The  high  school  and 
grammar  rooms  are  on  the  third  floor.  On  the  fourth  are  the 
laboratory,  domestic  science  and  manual  training  rooms.  On  the 
second  floor  are  located  the  primary  and  intermediate  depart- 
ments and  on  the  first,  the  primary  department  and  toilet  rooms. 

POSTOFFICE 

A  postoffice  was  established  in  the  town  of  Shell  Rock  in  the 

summer  of  1855,  with  George  Hawker  as  the  first  appointee  by  the 

Government  as  postmaster.    He  kept  the  offic(>  in  a  building  later 

owned  and  occupied  by  J.  W.  Stewart  as  a  residence.    At  that  time 

mail  matter  was  not  receiAcd  regularly;  probably  at  first  about 

every  two  weeks,  then  weekly,  and  later  semi-weekly,  and  when 

the  railroad  began  operations  mail  came  daily.    The  first  mail  was 

brought  overland  by  carrier,  who  made  his  trips  on  horseback 

from  Janesville.    Afterwards  it  was  received  at  Cedar  Falls  and 

brought  overland  to  Shell  Rock.    Postage  stamps  were  then  not 

in  vogue  and  the  recipients  of  letters  were  compelled  to  pay  as 

high  as  twenty-five  cents  in  advance  before  letters  were  placed 

in  their  hands.    0.  S.  Newcomb  was  appointed  postmaster  in  1856 

and  some  of  his  successors  follow  by  name:    John  Smith,  James 

Leverich,  William  C.  Cotton,  J.  H.  Carter,  William  Mullen,  James 

Leverich.  E.  L.  Thorp,  A.  G.  Stouebreaker.  James  W.  Stewart, 

James  Jerolaman,  L.  E.  Sherwood.    Following  the  death  of  Mr. 


400  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Sherwood,  his  widow,  Mrs.  Belle  Sherwood  was  appointed.  She 
was  succeeded  by  the  present  incumbent,  Frauk  L.  Witt.  This 
office  began  to  issue  money  orders  July  2,  1877.  The  first  order 
was  drawu  July  2,  1877,  for  Dr.  E.  H.  Dudley  and  the  iirst  order 
paid  was  to  Minerva  Welhuau. 


SHELL  ROCK  IS  INCORPORATED 

The  municipality  of  Shell  Rock  became  separate  from  the 
towusliip  of  like  name  and  was  incorporated  as  a  town  under  the 
special  laws  of  Iowa  of  1873.  The  first  election  under  the  new 
dispensation  was  held  in  1875,  when  the  following  officers  were 
elected:  Mayor,  Ephraim  Town;  recorder,  R.  D.  Prescott;  treas- 
urer, J.  W.  Phillips;  trustees,  R.  McDonald,  J.  G.  Rockwell,  C. 
Sweitzer,  Orville  Jones  and  A.  G.  Stonebreaker.  As  this  manu- 
script is  being  prepared  for  the  press,  the  intelligence  has  reached 
the  writer  of  the  death  of  Mr.  Town,  the  first  chief  executive  of 
Shell  Rock.  His  death  occm-red  February  2,  1911.  A  complete 
sketch  of  this  old  pioneer  will  be  found  in  the  second  volume  of 
this  work.  In  1880,  five  years  after  Shell  Rock  was  incorporated, 
the  census  for  that  decade  gave  the  population  as  719.  The  census 
of  1910,  thirty  years  later,  shows  Imt  a  small  growth.  The  figures 
for  that  year  are  741.  However,  the  community  has  progressed 
in  other  respects  to  a  most  gratifying  degree.  The  character  of 
the  buildings  has  changed  for  the  better,  many  beautiful  resi- 
dences have  sprung  up  here  and  there  in  different  sections  of  the 
town.  Brick  business  structures  have  taken  the  place  of  primi- 
tive frame  affairs.  Steel  biidges  now  sjian  the  streams  wliere 
formerly  old  wooden  structures  crossed  them.  The  main  business 
thoroughfares  have  been  vastly  improved  and  several  miles  of 
cement  sidewalks  have  taken  the  place  of  the  old  l)oard  walks. 
A  beautiful  city  hall  adorns  the  main  street  and  adds  very  nmch 
to  the  convenience  of  the  city's  legislators  and  officials.  It  also 
adds  largely  to  the  safety  of  public  records.  A  good  hotel  enter- 
tains and  provides  for  the  comfort  of  the  traveling  public,  and  a 
handsome  modern  brick  school  building  adorns  the  east  side  of 
the  town.  All  in  all,  Shell  Rock  takes  a  place  in  the  front  rank 
of  Butler's  many  little  mimicipalities. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  401 

CITY    HALL 

Shell  Rock's  city  bmlding  is  a  two-story  structure,  built  of 
concrete  blocks,  and  was  erected  in  the  fall  of  1910.  The  first 
floor  is  devoted  to  offices  for  the  mayor  and  as  a  council  chamber, 
also  for  the  use  of  the  fire  department.  The  second  story  was 
paid  for  and  is  owned  by  the  Masonic  lodge.  This  building  stands 
on  the  main  street  of  the  town  and  is  an  important  addition  to 
the  general  make-up  of  that  thoroughfare. 

Shell  Rock  has  a  municipal  system  of  waterworks,  which  was 
built  in  the  smnmer  of  1898.  The  question  of  issuing  $5,000  in 
bonds  for  the  purpose  of  building  waterworks  was  presented  to 
the  voters  of  the  town  in  1908  and  was  carried  by  a  generous 
majority.  The  water  is  secured  from  the  Shell  Rock  river  and  is 
pumped  into  a  tank  which  stands  upon  a  steel  tower,  100  feet  in 
height.  This  tank  has  a  capacity  of  50,000  gallons  of  water.  The 
pumps  are  operated  by  power  secured  from  the  electric  light  com- 
pany, and  the  water  flows  through  about  one  and  one-half  miles 
of  mains,  and  is  used  only  for  emergency  purposes.  None  of  it 
goes  into  the  homes  of  the  residents  for  domestic  uses.  The  plant, 
however,  cannot  be  surpassed  by  any  other  of  similar  size  in  the 
State  of  Iowa  and  answers  its  purposes  to  the  utmost  satisfaction 
of  all.    The  cost  was  about  eight  thousand  dollars. 

SEWEEAGE 

There  is  also  a  system  of  sewerage  in  this  well  put  up  little 
trading  community  consisting  of  eight-inch  and  six-inch  sewer 
pipes.  The  oiatlet  is  below  the  intake  of  the  waterworks,  or  in 
other  words,  below  the  dam.  The  sewers  were  built  about  the 
same  time  as  the  waterworks  and  make  for  complete  sanitation 
in  the  territory  drained. 

ELECTRIC  LIGHTS 

An  electric  light  plant  was  built  here  in  1901  by  W.  C.  Wilson, 
and  in  1902  the  utility  was  in  complete  operation.  The  power 
house  was  built  on  the  site  of  the  old  woolen  mill  at  the  rear  of 
the  west  side  mill.  This  improvement  with  the  water  rights 
cost  about  fifteen  thousand  dollars.  Mr.  Wilson  operated  the 
plant  for  some  time  and  then  sold  it  to  William  Toll  and  Ray 


402  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

Betts  in  1910.  The  firm  of  Toll  &  Betts  disposed  of  the  property 
to  Uri  and  W.  W.  Richards,  March  1,  1912.  Uri  Richards,  father 
of  W.  W.  Richards,  died  in  the  fall  of  1913.  Smee  then  W.  W. 
Richards  has  been  in  charge  of  the  utility  and  is  giving  his  patrons 
good  service,  which,  by  the  way,  is  not  continuous. 

FINANCIAL   CONCERNS 

Shell  Rock  has  two  strong  banks,  which  are  conservative  in 
their  methods  and  give  to  the  patrons  ample  security  of  their 
funds.  The  Shell  Rock  Banking  Company  is  the  oldest  institu- 
tion of  its  kind  in  the  town.  It  was  cstal)lished  in  1888  by  F.  M. 
Mansfield,  J.  H.  Carter  and  O.  S.  Newcomb,  Avith  a  capital  of 
$15,000.  Jim  Carter  was  also  one  of  the  initial  meml:)ers  of  the 
concern  and  first  filled  the  position  of  assistant  cashier.  This 
concern  does  a  general  banking  business  and  now  is  capitalized 
at  $25,000.  Its  president  is  Jim  Carter;  cashier,  R.  S.  Stoddard; 
assistant  cashiers,  Carl  Hunnnel  and  Carl  Mansfield.  The  three 
senior  members  of  this  bank  have  died  since  it  was  first  organ- 
ized, and  0.  S.  Newcomb  retired  as  an  official.  The  present  owners 
are  Jim  Carter,  ]\Irs.  Carrie  Mansfield,  Mrs.  Kate  J.  Carter  and 
R.  S.  Stoddard. 

The  Fai'mers  State  Bank  was  organized  in  1907,  capitalized 
at  $25,000.  The  promoters  of  the  enterprise  were  J.  A.  Graham, 
0.  L.  Mead,  A.  F.  Yarcho,  and  J.  B.  Kelsey.  The  first  officials 
Avere:  J.  A.  Graham,  president;  J.  H.  Hutehins,  vice  president; 
M.  F.  Green,  cashier.  Mr.  Hutehins  died  in  the  winter  of  1912-13 
and  was  succeeded  in  the  vice  presidency  by  0.  L.  Mead.  In  1909 
Mr.  Green  resigned  as  first  cashier  and  was  succeeded  by  F.  C. 
Harmon.  In  the  winter  of  1909  the  bank  erected  its  present  home 
— a  two-story  brick  structure.  It  does  a  general  commercial  bank- 
ing business  and  is  strong  in  the  confidence  of  its  patrons.  The 
p.-'pital  stock  is  $25,000:  deposits.  $105,000. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

As  soon  as  three  or  four  families  could  be  gathered  together 
at  Shell  Rock,  religious  meetings  were  held  at  the  homes  of  the 
settlers.  The  first  services  were  administered  at  the  home  of  G. 
W.  Adair,  in  the  fall  of  1854,  by  Reverend  Mr.  Biirley.  A  sec- 
ond religious  meeting  was  attended  by  the  pioneers  of  this  local- 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  403 

ity  at  the  home  of  Hiram  Ross  iu  1855.  Reverend  Mr.  Burley 
delivered  an  interesting  discourse  on  this  occasion. 

The  Methodists  organized  the  first  religious  society  in  Butler 
county,  filing  articles  of  incorporation  June  26,  1855.  This  society 
held  its  first  meeting  at  the  home  of  Hiram  Ross  in  1855,  and  in 
February  of  that  year  Reverend  Burley  conducted  a  series  of 
revival  meetings,  assisted  by  Reverends  Kendall  and  Abram 
Myers,  which  resulted  in  the  society  acquiring  thirty  more  mem- 
bers. A  church  building  was  erected  in  1856  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river  on  the  site  of  the  present  structure.  Meetings  were 
held  by  the  people  of  this  faith  as  a  class  until  1871,  when  the 
society  was  reorganized. 

Rev.  J.  W.  Gould,  who  came  in  1869  and  remained  two  years, 
was  the  first  regular  pastor.  He  was  succeeded  in  1871  by  Rev. 
L.  S.  Cooley,  whose  term  of  service  covered  two  yeai's.  His  suc- 
cessors in  the  pastorate  were:  Revs.  Evigene  Sherman,  one  year; 
Timothy  Anderson,  six  months;  A.  Critchfield,  one  year;  W.  S. 
Skinner,  two  years;  S.  Knickerbocker,  one  year;  G.  L.  Garrison, 
two  years;  S.  Sharon;  J.  O.  Dobson,  1883-85;  C.  H.  Taylor,  1885- 
89;  J.  H.  Davis,  1889-92;  G.  H.  Brindell,  1892-95;  W.  H.  Slinger- 
land,  1895-98;  Daniel  Sheffer,  1898-99;  Walter  Piper,  1899-1904; 
D.  S.  Stabler  and  J.  E.  Johnson,  1904-06 ;  George  B.  Shoemaker, 
1906-10;  John  Dawson,  1910-13;  and  Thomas  Carson,  the  present 
pastor,  who  took  charge  in  1913. 

The  old  church  building  was  destroyed  by  fire  in  June,  1898. 
Immediately  thereafter  work  on  a  new  edifice  was  begun,  and  the 
same  was  dedicated  in  the  following  November  by  Rev.  J.  C. 
Magee,  presiding  elder,  assisted  by  the  pastor  of  the  church.  Rev. 
Daniel  Sheffer.  The  church  binlding  is  valued  at  $10,000.  The 
present  membership  is  three  hundred  and  seventy-five,  while  the 
enrollment  in  the  Sunday  school  is  three  himdred  and  fifty. 

BAPTIST  CHUECH 

I 

The  Baptist  Church  was  organized  in  Shell  Rock,  January  18, 
1864,  by  Rev.  Samuel  Sill,  assisted  by  Rev.  William  Wood.  The 
first  members  were  Mary  E.  Sill,  Menzo  Best,  Emily  1j.  Best, 
Roxy  Couch,  Minerva  Couch,  James  Chaffin,  Deborah  Chaffin,  J. 
W.  Whittaker,  Nancy  Whittaker,  Serepta  Copeland  and  Fannie 
Helason.  The  first  regular  pastor  of  the  local  Baptist  church 
was  Rev.  Samuel  Sill  and  services  were  first  held  in  the  stone 


404  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

building  ou  Main  street,  now  the  property  of  O.  L.  Eastman,  by 
Rev.  I.  R.  Dean,  who  was  the  second  county  superintendent  of 
schools  for  Butler  county.  Mi*.  Dean  came  from  Kalamazoo, 
Michigan,  and  went  from  here  to  Pike's  Peak,  and  while  on  liis 
way  back  lost  his  life.  The  successor  to  Reverend  Sill  as  regular 
pastor  was  Dr.  J.  Hall,  founder  of  the  Kalamazoo  Baptist  Col- 
lege, and  afterwards  president  of  Granville  (Ohio)  College. 

After  the  society  had  been  fully  organized  and  during  the  win- 
ter of  1868-9,  very  interesting  and  enthusiastic  revival  meetings 
were  held,  which  meant  forty-two  additions  to  the  church  enroll- 
ment. The  lots  upon  which  the  church  stands  and  most  of  the 
labor  for  its  construction  were  secured  l)y  the  Ladies'  Mite  Societ}% 
in  the  numerous  ways  they  had  of  obtaining  money  for  church 
purposes.  A  church  edifice  was  built  at  a  cost  of  $5,500,  a  frame 
structure,  35x60  feet  in  dimensions.  The  present  membership  of 
the  church  is  one  hundred  and  thirteen,  with  an  enrollment  in  the 
Sunday  school  of  one  hundred. 

Those  who  have  served  in  the  pastorate  from  1882  to  the  pres- 
ent time  are  as  follows: 

Revs.  J.  J.  Mclntire,  November,  1882— May,  1884;  J.  B. 
Edmonson,  April,  1884 — February,  1886;  A.  Whitman,  December, 
1886— November,  1889;  D.  L.  Clouse,  November,  1890— July,  1892; 
C.  H.  Hands,  July,  1892— July,  1893 ;  N.  E.  Chapman,  December, 
1893— March,  1895;  J.  G.  Johnson,  June,  1895— October,  1897; 
0.  P.  Sonner,  October,  ]  897— October,  1898;  Fletcher  E.  Fludson, 
December,  1898 — May,  1903;  George  Frederick  Reinking,  July, 
1903— September,  1904;  C.  H.  H.  Moore,  December,  1904— Sep- 
tember, 1905;  Russell  D.  Robertson,  December,  1905 — December, 
1906;  A.  B.  Bush,  September,  1907— June,  1910;  N.  H.  Daily, 
September,  1910,  until  his  death,  November  22,  1912;  D.  E.  Kil- 
loren,  August,  1913. 

CONGREGATIONAL  CHUKCH 

The  Congregational  Society  was  organized  in  the  spring  of 
1892  and  before  the  close  of  the  year  a  good  substantial  frame 
church  building  had  been  erected  and  dedicated.  Among  the 
first  members  of  this  society  are  remembered  H.  K.  Porter  and 
wife  and  W.  H.  Dryer,  Charles  Austin  and  wife,  S.  J.  Gould  and 
wife  and  Mrs.  F.  W.  Remington.  In  all  there  were  about  forty 
charter  members.     At  first  services  were  held  in  the  opera  house 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  405 

and  the  first  pastor  was  Rev.  J.  D.  Wells,  who  remained  three 
years.  It  was  Reverend  Wells  who  planned  and  assisted  largely 
in  building  the  house  of  worship.  The  Congregational  church 
now  has  about  sixty  conununicauts  and  a  good  attendance  in  the 
Sunday  school.     The  present  pastor  is  Rev.  P.  H.  Fisk. 

ST.  Mary's  catholic  church 

In  the  territories  contigiious  to  the  town  of  Shell  Rock  there 
has  been  for  many  years  qaiite  a  sprinkling  of  people  of  the  Roman 
Catholic  faith.  In  1891,  through  the  instrumentality  of  F'ather 
Coyle,  a  church  was  established  here  and  a  building  erected  for 
the  convenience  of  its  members.  Among  those  who  first  assisted 
in  the  formation  of  St.  Mary's  parish  were  Mr.  and  Mrs.  James 
Heery,  the  John  Driunms,  Michael  McCormiclvS,  Patrick  Drumms, 
Peter  Heery,  John  Heery,  Albert  Heerys,  Dennis  Hollands,  Wil- 
liam Leary,  Martin  Gleason,  Thomas  McCarty,  Joseph  Walker, 
William  Rafferty,  Patrick  McNamara,  Nicholas  Pray,  John 
Flynn,  Joseph  Cantwell  and  Dennis  Evans. 

Father  Shields  held  the  first  mass  in  the  home  of  Michael 
McComiick,  and  for  some  time  thereafter  the  meml^ers  were 
unable  to  secure  the  services  of  a  priest  but  about  once  a  year. 
This  was  during  and  immediately  after  the  Civil  war.  Then  came 
Father  Flavin,  who  held  mass  at  the  homes  of  his  parishioners 
mitil  1891,  when  a  priest  was  supplied  regularly  from  Waverly. 
Since  1891  the  following  priests  have  attended  this  church: 
Fathers  Murphy,  Seanlon,  McMahon,  Smith,  Ryan,  O'Farrell, 
Comerford,  Murphy,  Coyle,  O'Reilly,  Sullivan,  McCauley,  Gil- 
christ, Grady,  Doherty,  Fitzpatrick,  Mulligan  and  Dennis  Lun- 
don.  Services  are  held  here  about  once  a  month  and  there  are 
about  twenty-three  families  in  the  parish. 

YOUNG  MEN^S  CHRISTIAN  ASSOCIATION 

In  January,  1914,  a  Yoiing  Men's  Christian  Association  was 
organized  at  Shell  Rock  by  Vernon  Neal  and  Earl  Johnson.  The 
new  society  has  secured  rooms  in  the  old  News  block  and  later 
on  will  complete  its  organization  by  the  election  of  officers. 


406  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

GRAND   ABMY    OF    THE    REPUBLIC 

Shell  Rock  Post,  No.  262,  Grand  Army  of  the  Republic,  was 
orgauized  at  Shell  Rock  in  1883,  with  twenty-eight  charter  mem- 
bers. The  old  veterans  held  meetings  for  some  years  but,  by  rea- 
son of  death  in  the  rank  and  file,  removals  and  other  causes  the 
membership  dwindled  away  until  scarcely  a  corporal's  guard 
could  be  gathered  together.  This  led  to  the  disintegration  of  the 
society  and  about  twenty  years  ago  regular  meetings  were  dis- 
continued. The  first  officers  of  the  society  were:  J.  F.  Wright, 
commander;  E.  M.  Dudley,  vice  commander;  J.  \V.  Walter,  Jr., 
V.  C;  W.  W.  Murray,  Surg.;  B.  Pierce,  Chap.;  L.  H.  Meade,  Q. 
M.;  W.  J.  Re,  Officer  of  the  Day;  George  Adair,  Officer  of  the 
Guard;  J.  R.  Gibson,  Serg.  Maj.;  J.  A.  Morrison,  Q.  M.  S.;  L.  T. 
Bristol,  Adjt. 

MASONIC 

Escallop  Lodge,  No.  261,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized  April 
22,  1869.  The  first  officers  were:  Asa  Lowe,  W.  M.;  Julius 
Preston,  S.  W^;  G.  G.  Hawley,  J.  W.;  E.  W.  Metzger,  Treas.;  J. 
G.  Scoby,  Sec;  0.  S.  Eastman,  S.  D.;  Charles  Hitchcock,  J.  D.; 
Alonzo  Coastes,  Tyler.  This  is  one  of  the  strong  lodges  of  the 
town  and  has  a  good  working  membership.  Its  hall  is  nicely 
located  and  well  appointed  and  the  paraphernalia  is  quite  an 
expensive  one. 

ODD  FELLOWS 

Shell  Rock  Lodge,  No.  270,  I.  0.  0.  P.,  was  organized  January 
26,  1874,  with  the  following  officers:  F.  Mason,  N.  G.;  R.  D. 
Preseott,  V.  G.;  L.  F.  Bristol,  Sec;  J.  D.  Powers,  Treas.;  J.  Mul- 
len, 0.  G. ;  J.  H.  Meade,  I.  G.  This  lodge  is  also  in  good  condition 
as  to  its  finances  and  membership. 

KNIGHTS  OF  PYTHIAS 

Lnperial  Lodge,  No.  283,  Knights  of  Pythias,  was  organized 
August  13,  1891,  with  the  following  charter  members:  F.  O.  New^- 
comb,  William  Ross,  William  H.  iVIcGregor,  George  E.  Tabor, 
Will  F.  Brown,  Jim  Carter,  F.  M.  Mansfield,  E.  L.  Jones,  H.  E. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  407 

Fuurtiier,  0.  C.  Miner,  all  of  whom  were  the  first  officials:  T.  L. 
AMlliauis,  E.  J.  Moyer,  George  A.  Melutyre,  I.  W.  Morris,  E.  E. 
Thurp,  W.  H.  Smith,  (Jeorge  E,  Hauimonds,  Wilham  H.  Jeuks, 
T.  S.  DeWitt,  W.  C.  Thompson,  J.  H.  Carter,  Phil  Pray,  George  E. 
Meade,  J.  W.  Wheat,  V.  L.  Olney,  Robert  Richardson. 

Harmony  Temple,  No.  3U,  Pythian  Sisters,  was  organized 
Angust  10,  1893.  The  first  officials  were:  Carrie  Mansfield,  Hat- 
tie  Tabor,  Ella  Smith,  Sadie  Nelson,  Parthena  Hammonds,  Lil- 
lian Carson,  Kate  Jenks,  Mary  Bement,  Kate  J.  Carter,  and  in 
addition  to  these,  other  charter  members  were:  Minnie  Jones, 
Minnie  Wilcox,  Celesta  Carson,  Julia  Cam,  Lillian  Wheat,  Nettie 
Meade,  Enmia  Miner,  Baldwin  Cain,  C.  M.  Carson,  J.  H.  Carter, 
W.  E.  Brown,  W.  H.  Jenks,  George  W.  Jones,  C.  P.  Bement, 
George  Hammonds,  E.  D.  Wilcox,  Jim  Carter,  F.  M.  Mansfield, 
George  Meade,  William  Wheat,  W.  H.  McGregor,  W.  H.  Smith, 
W.  L.  Nelson. 

MODERN    WOODMEN    OF   AMERICA 

White  Oak  Camp,  No.  2118,  ^Modern  Woodmen  of  America, 
was  organized  July  28,  1894,  with  the  following  charter  members: 
Robert  S.  Connor,  Mayrand  R.  Farr,  Abb  Medders,  Pat  McCoy, 
Francis  K.  McCague,  John  H.  Poorman,  Emil  Sebastian,  William 
A.  Willis,  De  Witt  C.  Fyler,  Wilhelm  Vosburg,  William  C.  Wil- 
son, Charles  Winchell. 


CHAPTER  XXX 
WEST  POINT  TOWNSHIP  AND  BRISTOW 

West  Point  township  is  one  of  the  four  central  townships  of 
the  county  and  contains  the  present  covuity  seat.  From  an  agri- 
cultural point  of  view,  it  is  one  of  the  most  desirable  portions  of 
the  county,  there  being  no  marked  differences  in  the  elevation  of 
land.  Its  surface  is  rolluag  and  there  is  practically  not  a  foot  of 
soil  that  is  not  available  for  cultivation.  A  small  stream  known 
as  Kilson's  creek,  rises  just  a  little  north  of  the  center  of  the 
township  and  flows  south  into  the  West  Fork.  Another  small 
creek  rises  in  section  23  and  drains  the  extreme  southeastern  part 
of  the  township. 

Near  the  southern  line  of  section  36  in  this  township  along  the 
l)anks  of  this  creek  there  are  several  mineral  springs,  situated  in 
a  sort  of  peat  bog.  The  water  of  these  springs  has  been  analyzed 
and  is  said  by  experts  to  be  of  a  quality  equal  to  that  of  the  famous 
Colfax  springs.  The  land  on  which  these  springs  is  located  was 
formerly  a  pai't  of  tlie  Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm  and  at  one  time 
the  Messrs.  Stout,  of  Dubuque,  owners  of  this  farm,  seriously  con- 
sidered the  advisability  of  developing  the  resources  of  these  min- 
eral springs.  Nothing,  however,  came  of  that  project.  These 
sju'lngs  were  discovered  by  accident  through  the  miring  down  of 
a  horse,  ridden  by  an  employe  of  the  stock  farm.  Later  these 
springs  were  boxed  in  and  the  water  was  piped  to  several  large 
tanks,  which  were  used  for  watering  cattle  in  the  pasture  in  which 
they  were  located.  Since  that  time  no  further  effort  has  been 
made  to  utilize  the  water  of  these  springs  and  at  the  present 
time  nothing  remains  to  mark  their  location,  except  the  rotted 
tanks  and  enclosures  of  the  springs.  They  are  easily  located, 
liowever,  by  the  sulphurate  deposits  which  are  found  in  the 
stream  near  at  hand.  It  is  possible  that  at  some  time  advantage 
will  be  taken  of  the  presence  of  these  mineral  springs. 

Vril.  I— 2G 

409 


410  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  soil  of  West  Point  township  is  a  rich  black  loam,  with  a 
clay  sub-soil.  Originally  there  was  no  native  tim1)er  within  the 
limits  of  the  township.  At  present,  however,  the  township  is 
dotted  with  artificial  groves  in  such  numbers  and  profusion  as  to 
make  it  appear  ahiu)st  like  a  naturally  timbered  country.  Refer- 
ence has  already  l>een  made  to  the  grove  of  artificial  timber  on 
the  Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm.  There  is  also  a  fine  artificial  grove 
known  as  Walnut  grove  on  sections  21  and  22. 

A  person  traveling  through  West  Point  township  will  be 
impressed  by  the  large  number  of  magnificent  farm  homes,  evi- 
dencing better  than  anything  else  could  the  excellent  quality  of 
the  soil  of  this  section  of  the  county.  The  towns  of  Allison  and 
Bristow  are  both  situated  partly  within  the  lunits  of  this  town- 
ship. They  are  connected  by  the  Chicago  Great  Western  rail- 
road, which  fiu'nishes  a  commercial  outlet  for  the  products  of  the 
township.  The  western  side  of  the  township  approaches  within  a 
short  distance  of  what  was  formerly  known  as  Boylan's  gi'ove. 
This  was,  as  has  already  been  stated,  the  location  of  the  first 
settlement  in  this  part  of  the  county.  As  a  result,  the  earliest  set- 
tlement of  West  Point  township  commenced  in  this  district  in 
the  western  part. 

EARLY   SETTLEMENT 

The  first  entry  of  land  in  the  township  was  made  by  H.  P. 
Early,  on  May  2,  1854.  Other  early  entries  were  as  follows: 
Samuel  Moots*  August  21,  1854;  W.  W.  Willingham,  August  21, 
1854;  W.  H.  SarbeT  and  Adam  H.  Sarber,  October  2,  1854;  and 
Elizabeth  Rush,  November  1,  1854.  All  these  entries  were  made 
in  sections  18  and  19. 

Philip  Miller  and  George  Lash  were  the  earliest  settlers  of 
West  Point  township.  They  were  brothers-in-law  and  came  to 
the  county  in  the  fall  of  1854.  Mr.  Miller  preempted  eighty  acres 
of  land  on  section  20.  He  is  the  father  of  W.  P.  Miller,  at  present 
a  resident  of  Allison,  and  owner  of  the  Pilot  Rock  Stock  Farm,  in 
section  22. 

Samuel  Moots  fii-st  located  on  section  19.  Later  he  became 
a  resident  of  Pittsfoi'd  township.  John  Lash,  William  and  Adam 
Sarber,  mentioned  above,  and  Setli  Strong  were  among  the  set- 
tlers in  the  township  in  the  year  1854. 

In  1855  Lewis  Kilson  and  John  Hewitt  located  in  the  town- 
ship.   Mr.  Kilson  Avas  a  native  of  Norway  and  came  to  America  in 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  4ii 

1838,  landing  in  New  York  city  on  the  tirst  day  of  September. 
He  came  west  by  way  of  the  Hudson  river  to  Albany,  Erie  canal 
to  Buffalo  and  by  boat  across  Lake  Erie  to  Cleveland,  by  the  Ohio 
canal  to  Portsmouth,  and  on  the  Ohio  river  thence  to  Cincinnati 
on  a  tlatboat.  From  Cincinnati  he  went  after  some  months  to 
Quincy,  Illinois,  by  water  and  settled  in  Adams  county,  Hlinois, 
where  he  remained  for  about  twelve  years.  After  a  short  resi- 
dence in  Wisconsin,  he  returned  to  Illinois  and  in  1855  came  to 
Butler  county.  He  entered  two  hundred  and  forty  acres  of  land 
in  West  Point  township,  upon  which  he  lived  to  the  time  of  his 
death.  Several  children,  among  them  Frank  S.  and  Charles  G., 
are  still  residents  of  the  county. 

John  Hewitt  settled  on  section  19.  He  had  several  children 
and  was  related  by  marriage  with  the  Moots,  Boylan  and  Early 
families,  all  of  them  early  settlers. 

In  1856  Charles  V.  Surf  us  came  to  the  township  from  Indiana. 
He  first  settled  on  section  18  and  later  removed  to  section  30,  on 
a  farm  which  still  remains  in  possession  of  the  family. 

Among  other  early  settlers  were  Eobert  Smith,  WiUiam 
Gough,  George  Trindle,  Hiram  Bell,  Charles  Thompson  and 
Joseph  N.  Neal. 

William  Gough  first  settled  on  a  farm  in  Dayton  township 
in  1853.  Later  he  removed  to  a  farm  on  section  4,  in  West  Point 
township.  Mr.  Gough  was  a  native  of  England  and  was  well 
known  as  an  early  preacher  of  the  Methodist  Episcopal  Church. 
Two  sons,  Joseph  J.  and  Thomas  A.,  are  still  residents  of  the 
township  and  are  noted  at  length  in  the  biographical  volume. 

Hiram  Bell  is  the  father  of  Walter  S.,  John  A.  and  George  H. 
Bell,  all  of  them  still  residents  of  the  township. 

Charles  Thompsf)n,  a  native  of  England,  was  for  several  years 
the  superintendent  of  the  Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm.  Later  he 
purchased  a  fann  on  section  33,  where  he  resided  to  the  time  of 
his  death.  His  sons.  Charles  H.  and  R.  E.,  are  at  present  residents 
of  Allison.  Another  son.  Will,  resides  on  a  farm  in  the  town- 
sMp. 

Joseph  N.  Neal  was  at  one  time  the  owner  of  over  one  thou- 
sand acres  of  land  situated  on  and  near  section  16. 

TOWNSHIP  OEGANIZATION 

West  Point  township  was  originally  a  part  of  Ripley,  which  at 
the  time  of  its  formation  included  the  greater  part  of  the  western 


412  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

half  of  the  coimty.  Iii  1856  West  Point  township  was  organized 
including  at  first  the  present  boundary  of  Pittsford  township.  In 
1858  Pittsford  was  given  separate  organization  and  West  Point 
assumed  its  present  limits.  John  Lash  was  duly  authorized  to 
call  an  election  in  West  Point  township,  as  now  bounded,  on  the 
5th  day  of  April,  1858.  The  name  of  Seth  Strong  appears  as 
judge  of  election  at  this  time.  John  Hewitt  was  elected  township 
clerk,  C.  L.  Jones,  constable,  and  Seth  Strong,  justice  of  the 
peace. 

« 

,  ■  GENERAL   ITEMS 

The  first  birth  recorded  in  the  township  was  that  of  Orrin 
Lash,  son  of  George  and  Mary  Lash,  born  in  November,  1855. 

The  first  marriage  occurred  in  January,  1856,  bet^\'een  Seth 
Strong  and  Miss  Mary  Cannon.  Justice  of  the  Peace  W.  R.  Jami- 
son officiated  on  this  occasion.  The  death  of  Mrs.  Strong  was  the 
first  recorded  in  the  township. 

The  first  hotel  was  kept  by  John  Lash,  in  a  log  house  built  by 
him  in  1854.    This  was  near  the  present  site  of  Bristow. 

IOWA  CENTRAL  STOCK  FARM 

This  stock  farm,  which  at  one  time  comprised  more  than  two 
thousand  acres  of  land  and  was  one  of  the  best  known  farms  in 
the  state,  was  originally  owned  by  R.  A.  Babbage,  of  Dubuque. 
It  included  all  of  sections  35  and  36,  West  Point  township,  and 
section  1,  Ripley,  and  portions  of  a  munber  of  adjoining  sections. 
This  land  was  purchased  originally  as  a  matter  of  speculation  by 
Mr.  Babbage,  who  sent  Charles  Thompson  out  to  open  it  up  and 
put  the  land  on  the  market.  Later  Mr.  Babbage  decided  to  make 
a  stock  farm  of  it. 

Mr.  Thompson  remained  as  superintendent  of  the  farm  until 
]871,  when  he  was  STiceeeded  by  Ira  Stimson.  About  this  time 
a  A'illage  called  iMaudville,  in  honor  of  a  daughter  of  ^Nlr.  Babbage, 
was  platted  on  sections  35  and  36.  A  store  and  blacksmith  shop 
were  built  here  and  sold  to  M.  B.  Hendricks,  of  Butler  Center, 
who  commenced  building  on  it  but  never  finished.  The  build- 
ing was  later  removed  to  Butler  Center  and  finally  to  Allison.  A 
newspaper,  the  Maudville  Times,  was  published  here  for  about 
a  year,  having  been  moved  to  this  location  from  Parkersburg, 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  413 

where  it  was  conducted  under  the  name  of  the  Butler  County 
Times. 

Later  Mr.  Babbage  failed  in  business  and  the  Iowa  Central 
Stock  Farm  passed  into  the  hands  of  H.  L.  Stout,  a  Dubuque 
capitalist  and  lumberman.  Mr.  Stout,  in  January,  1875,  secured 
the  services  of  Irving  M.  Fisher  as  superintendent.  Mr.  Fisher 
remained  as  superintendent  of  this  farm  until  it  was  finaUy  sold 
in  1891,  at  which  time  he  pvirchased  the  half  section,  upon  which 
most  of  the  farm  Iniildings  were  located.  Mr.  Fisher  is  still  resid- 
ing upon  this  farm. 

Dm-ing  the  period  of  the  ownership  of  the  farm  by  H.  L.  Stout 
and  his  son  Frank  D.,  who  was  associated  with  his  father  in  busi- 
ness, the  farm  became  famous  as  the  home  of  the  fuiest  strains  of 
blooded  stock.  It  has  sometimes  been  termed  the  "Lexington  of 
the  Northwest,"  for  upon  this  farm  there  were  developed  a  num- 
ber of  famous  trotting  horses  that  were  known  throughout  the 
country. 

For  many  years  before  the  establishment  of  the  town  of 
Allison  this  farm  furnished  a  market  for  much  of  the  grain  that 
was  raised  by  surrounding  farmers.  One  of  the  most  interesting 
features  of  the  farm  was  a  deer  park,  consisting  of  a  nmnber  of 
acres  of  artificial  woodland,  in  which  a  nmnber  of  deer  were  kept. 
This  was  for  a  number  of  years  a  favorite  resort  for  sightseeing 
])arties  and  picnics.  This  herd  of  deer  was  sold  after  the  disposal 
of  the  farm  to  Austm  Corbin,  a  New  York  banker,  and  by  him 
transported  to  his  preserve  in  Vermont. 

EDUCATION 

Originally  the  western  half  of  West  Point  township  was  united 
with  the  eastern  half  of  Pittsford  tow^nship  in  a  single  school 
district.  The  schoolhouse  was  located  in  Boylan's  grove.  There 
were  at  that  time  no  settlers  in  the  eastern  part  of  the  township 
and  no  necessity  of  providing  school  facilities.  Later  when  the 
township  was  given  separate  organization  the  whole  township 
constituted  a  school  district.  The  first  school  in  the  township 
was  taught  during  the  winter  of  1859-60  at  the  house  of  Thomas 
Hewitt,  by  Miss  Mary  A.  Rich,  with  an  attendance  of  about  fif- 
teen scholars.  The  schoolhouse  at  that  time  stood  about  a  mile 
east  of  what  is  now  Bristow. 


414  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  tirst  divisiuii  of  the  township  was  made  ou  September  16, 
1867,  when  it  was  resolved  by  the  board  to  divide  the  township 
east  and  west  into  three  equal  parts,  making  them  two  miles  wide 
and  the  whole  length  of  the  township  and  mmibering  them  in 
order  from  north  to  south.  During  the  succeeding  winter,  how- 
ever, oidy  one  school  was  maintained — that  in  district  No.  2  in 
the  building  already  in  use  for  that  purpose.  The  proposition  to 
ai)pi()priate  $8(JU  for  Iniilding  a  schoolhouse  in  district  No.  3  was 
defeated  by  the  lioard  in  .March,  1868.  ly  May,  1868,  the  first 
term  of  school  in  district  No.  1  was  held,  with  M.  A.  Park  as 
teacher.  The  sum  of  $16  a  month  was  paid  for  teacher's  service. 
This  school  was  held  in  a  rented  room  for  the  purpose. 

In  ]March,  1869,  the  electors  voted  at  the  annual  meeting  to  tax 
the  township  for  the  purpose  of  building  a  schoolhouse  in  district 
No.  1.  A  schoolhouse  for  district  No.  3  had  previously  been  pro- 
vided by  action  of  the  board  in  September,  1868.  The  contract  was 
let  to  Isaac  Boylan  and  the  building  was  constructed  on  one- 
fourth  (if  an  acre  secured  from  C.  L.  Jones,  on  section  30.  The 
first  school  in  this  district  was  taught  in  January,  1869,  by  Ed  P. 
Jones.  In  February,  1869,  sub-district  No.  3  was  divided  and  a 
new  district  known  as  su])-distriet  No.  4  was  formed  from  sections 
25,  26,  27,  34,  35  and  36.  This  action  was  taken  in  accordance 
with  a  petition  signed  by  Charles  Thompson  and  others.  The 
first  school  in  this  sub-district  No.  4  was  taught  by  Richard  Gon- 
zales, in  the  winter  of  1870-71. 

In  September,  1869,  a  site  for  a  schoolhouse  in  sub-district 
No.  1  was  obtained  from  Robert  Smith  on  section  7.  At  the  same 
time  sub-district  No.  2  was  divided  and  a  new  sub-disti'ict,  No.  5, 
fornled  of  the  eight  sections  of  the  eastern  end  of  the  former  dis- 
trict. The  annual  meeting,  however,  in  the  spring  of  1870, 
defeated  the  proposition  to  build  a  schoolhouse  in  sub-district  No. 

5.  They,  however,  approj^riated  the  sum  of  $600  for  erecting  a 
schoolhouse  in  district  No.  4,  previously  formed. 

In  Ai^ril.  1870,  a  contract  for  erecting  a  schoolhouse  in  dis- 
trict No.  1  was  let  to  Ancel  Durand  for  the  sum  of  $530.  This 
building  was  completed  and  accepted  August  22,  1870. 

In  September.  1870.  sub-district  No.  1  was  di\dded  by  setting, 
off  the  four  sections  on  the  west  to  be  known  as  No.  1  and  the 
balance- — eight  sections — forming  a  new  sub-district  known  as  No. 

6.  The  first  school  in  district  No.  6  was  opened  on  the  24th  of 
April.  1871,  with  Carrie  A.  GoTigh  as  teacher. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  415 

The  records  of  the  annual  meetings  would  seem  to  indicate 
that  the  electors  were  loath  to  tax  themselves  for  school  building 
purposes.  As  a  result  no  school  was  held  in  sub-district  No.  5 
until  November,  1872,  when  H.  R.  Burtch  was  employed  as 
teacher.  District  No.  4,  being  without  a  school  building,  was 
without  a  session  of  school  from  July,  1871,  to  December,  1874. 

On  September  16,  1872,  a  new  sub-district  known  as  No.  7  was 
formed  between  districts  Nos.  3  and  4,  consisting  of  four  sections. 
The  first  school  in  this  district  was  taught  by  Susie  Trindle,  in  the 
winter  of  1874-5. 

On  September  21,  1874,  the  four  sections  of  the  eastern  end  of 
sub-district  No.  5 — sections  13,  14,  23  and  24 — were  set  oft'  and 
numbered  as  sub-district  No.  8.  The  first  teacher  in  district  No.  8 
was  Frank  A.  Turner. 

A  final  sub-division  of  the  township  into  nine  districts,  each 
consisting  of  four  townships,  was  made  on  the  20th  of  September, 
1875.  At  that  time  the  sub-districts  were  renumbered  in  order, 
beginning  with  No.  1  in  the  northwestern  part  of  the  township, 
and  numbering  south.  According  to  this  former  district  No.  7 
became  No.  4 ;  No.  4  became  No.  9 ;  and  a  new  district  formed  of 
sections  1  and  2,  and  11  and  12,  was  numbered  7.  The  name  of 
the  first  teacher  in  the  new  sub-district  No.  7  is  not  given.  The 
organization  of  the  township  into  independent  sub-districts  was 
continued  until  1877,  when  by  vote  of  the  electors  of  the  township 
the  sub-district  system  was  abandoned  and  nine  independent  dis- 
tricts, with  the  same  boundaries  as  the  sub-districts,  were  formed 
under  the  following  names:  District  No.  1,  Pleasant  View:  No. 
2,  Bristow;  No.  3,  Pleasant  Grove;  No.  4,  Pleasant  Valley;  No. 
5,  Wahmt  Grove;  No.  6,  Brushy  Mound;  No.  7,  German;  No.  8, 
Richland;  No.  9,  Maudville. 

Tlie  last  entries  in  the  record  book  of  the  secretary  of  the 
district  township  were  made  on  the  17th  of  February,  1877,  at 
which  time  he  reported  the  final  distribution  of  the  fimds  of  the 
school  township  among  the  independent  districts  into  which  it 
had  been  divided. 

At  a  later  date  the  Bristow  district  was  expanded  to  include 
a  portion  of  Pittsford  township.  After  the  establishment  of  the 
town  of  Allison,  the  Maudville  district  was  incorporated  in  the 
independent  district  of  Allison.  The  other  independent  districts 
of  the  township  remained  without  change  in  their  boundaries  to 
the  present  time. 


416  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

POPULATION 

1856,  230;  1860,  111;  1863,  131;  1865,  155;  1867,  155;  1869, 
235;  1870,  320;  1873,  437;  1875,  516;  1880,  800;  1890,  1,033;  1900, 
1,506;  1910,  1,439. 

BRISTOW 

A  tract  of  land  contaiuiiig  teu  acres  was  laid  out  aud  platted 
in  1855  by  Henry  Early  and  George  Lash. '  The  name  chosen  for 
the  coming  village  was  West  Point.  The  name  was  subsequently 
changed  to  Bristow. 

Bristow  is  located  on  the  south  part  of  section  18  and  the 
north  part  of  section  19.  The  town  is  very  pleasantly  situated, 
being  in  the  midst  of  a  fertile  farming  section  and  has  two  rail- 
roads, the  Chicago  Great  Western  and  the  Chicago  &  Northwest- 
ern. The  population  is  550,  about  sixty  of  whom  live  in  that  part 
(small)  of  the  town  lying  in  Pittsford  township. 

Julius  Huffman  erected  a  small  frame  and  log  building  in  the 
new  town  in  the  year  1860,  in  which  he  placed  a  small  stock  of 
genei'al  merchandise.  He  was  Bristow 's  pioneer  merchant.  Mr. 
Huffman,  after  a  two  years'  experience,  concluded  the  place  was 
too  slow  in  a  business  way,  which  led  him  to  pack  up  his  chattels 
and  move  to  Cedar  Falls. 

James  Butler  was  the  successor  to  Julius  Huft'man  in  the 
business  activities  of  Bristow,  embarking  in  the  sale  of  groceries, 
dry  goods  and  other  necessaries  which  he  displayed  in  a  small 
residence  building  purchased  in  1866.  He  also  remained  but  a 
short  time,  selling  his  stock  of  goods  to  H.  J.  Playter  in  June, 
1868.  Playter  conducted  the  store  until  1871  and  then  removed 
to  Butler  Center,  at  one  time  the  county  seat,  a  town  planned  and 
platted  for  a  metropolis,  but  now  extinct.  After  his  hopes  failed 
of  fruition  at  Butler  Center  and  at  Aplington,  Mr.  Playter 
returned  to  Bristow  in  1875  and  again  engaged  in  business.  But 
the  fates  seemed  to  be  antagonistic,  for  in  1877  he  made  a  final  deal 
which  terminated  for  all  time  his  business  career  at  this  point. 
Eventually,  H.  J.  Playter  became  station  agent  for  the  Dubuque 
&  Dakota  (now  Chicago  Great  Western)  railroad,  and  continued 
as  such  several  years. 

The  firm  of  Colvin  &  Arnold  opened  a  general  store  in  1872. 
Mr.  Colvin  withdrew  his  interests  in  the  venture  in  1874  and 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  417 

started  a  similar  establishment  for  himself.  He  sold  out  in  1880 
and  removed  to  Plainlield,  in  Bremer  comity.  His  former  part- 
ner became  associated  with  L.  L.  Hatch  and  the  hrm  of  Ai'nold 
&  Hatch  soon  acquired  a  large  and  remunerative  trade  from  the 
surrounding  country,  which  was  then  becoming  quite  thickly  set- 
tled. 

Hoboys  Brothers  was  the  name  of  a  general  merchandising 
tlrm  which  began  business  in  1878,  but  could  not  make  arrange- 
ments with  its  creditors.  The  stock  of  goods  was  placed  in  the 
hands  of  an  assignee  and  sold  to  satisfy  a  moiety  of  debts 
incurred. 

E.  M.  Havens  opened  a  store  with  a  variegated  stock  of  goods 
and  made  a  success  of  the  undertaking.  He  remained  in  busi- 
ness many  years  and  became  an  important  factor  in  the  affairs 
of  Bristow;  so  did  H.  A.  Wheeler,  in  1882.  He  was  for  a  long 
while  engaged  here  as  a  general  merchant  and  attained  a  fair 
degree  of  success  in  the  business. 

The  first  persons  to  engage  in  the  manufacture  and  sale  of 
harness  comprised  the  firm  of  Kot-liei'  &  Lichty.  The  business 
was  started  in  1878,  when  Mr.  Lichty  retired  and  Mr.  Holz  took 
his  place  as  a  member  of  the  firm ;  another  harness  and  saddlery 
concern  about  this  time  was  that  of  Hoffman  &  Laster,  which 
came  from  Waverly  and  remained  two  years;  then  the  firm  of 
Hultz  &  Connelly  was  formed  in  1880,  which  carried  on  a  harness 
shop  until  C.  L.  Jones  superseded  Hultz,  when  the  firm  name  was 
changed  to  Jones  &  Connelly. 

The  hardware  firm  of  Kocher  &  Kocher,  father  and  son,  came 
into  existence  in  1879:  D.  F.  Ellsworth  opened  a  drug  store  in 
1880 ;  a  Mr.  Hepner  opened  the  first  blacksmith  shop  and  remained 
until  1865,  being  followed  by  Barnett  Neal,  who  remained  one 
year ;  one  Wagoner  was  here  a  short  time ;  then  came  James  Con- 
nelly from  Canada  in  1869,  who  plyed  his  forge  until  1882,  when 
he  sold  his  shop  to  G.  G.  Coonley,  who  had  been  kept  busy  in 
another  shop  since  1876;  Henry  Underkafer  opened  a  shop  in 
1879.     The  two  last  named  artisans  became  permanent  fixtures. 

W.  P.  Smith  was  the  pioneer  lumber  dealer  here.  He  sold 
his  stock  of  lumber  to  the  firm  of  Dubois  &  Kenison  in  the  fall 
of  1881.     Horace  A.  Wheeler  was  a  general  merchant  of  1882. 

The  "Farmers  Home"  was  opened  in  the  fall  of  1863  and  the 
host,  George  Trindle.  entertained  the  traveler  until  1870,  selling 


418  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

his  property  that  year  to  Joseph  Merrill  aud  removing  to  a  build- 
iBg  on  section  31. 

John  Weeks  opened  a  tavern  in  1865,  in  a  log  building  erected 
by  George  Lash  in  1856.  Weeks  disposed  of  the  property  to  F. 
A.  Jones  in  1869,  who  catered  to  his  patrons  until  1878.  In  the 
latter  year  Jones  put  up  a  better  and  more  commodious  building, 
which  took  the  name  of  the  Jones  House.  The  hostelry  was 
rented  to  E.  A.  Newberry,  who  was  its  landlord  for  many  years. 

The  Eagle  House  was  built  and  opened  by  E.  J.  Stoddard  in 
the  autumn  of  1878.  In  1880  William  Befsnider  became  pro- 
prietor. Stoddard  took  back  the  hotel  in  1880  and  in  1882  closed 
its  doors  to  the  public. 

BEISTOW   INCOEPORATED 

The  district  court  issued  an  order  on  the  16th  day  of  Novem- 
ber, 1881,  appointing  and  directing  a  commission  composed  of 
H.  J.  Playter,  S.  B.  Wyrick,  R.  B.  Lockwood,  James  Connelly 
and  L.  L.  Hatch,  to  call  an  election  in  which  the  voters  of  the 
village  of  Bristow  should  decide  by  their  ballots  the  question  of 
incorporation.  Pursuant  to  instructions  the  commissioner  called 
the  election  for  December  15,  1881,  at  which  time  a  majority  of 
the  local  electorate  cast  their  ballots  for  the  innovation.  On  the 
10th  day  of  January  the  first  regular  municipal  election  was  held 
for  the  selection  of  officers  of  the  new  legal  government  and  the 
choice  of  the  voters  fell  upon  the  following  named  persons:  T. 
E.  Newberry,  mayor ;  W.  P.  Early,  recorder ;  J.  N.  Kocher,  treas- 
urer; S.  KenisoB.  mai'shal ;  John  Boston,  street  commissioner; 
William  Arnold,  J.  W.  Kocher,  James  Connelly.  A.  W.  Hitch- 
cock and  S.  Gibson,  trustees.  It  is  said  a  tie  developed  in  the 
vote  for  mayor,  the  contestants  being  Mr.  Newberry  and  Mr. 
Durand.  The  unusual  problem  was  solved  by  a  mutual  agree- 
ment between  the  interested  persons  in  the  following  manner: 
An  unknown  number  of  apples  was  placed  in  a  box  and,  as  decided 
upon,  the  last  apple  remaining  and  taken  therefrom  settled  the 
matter;  so  it  may  be  said  that  an  apple  decided  the  election  of 
Bristow's  first  chief  executive. 

Wlion  B^isto^Y  was  incorporated  it  had  a  population  of  200 
and  in  1910  the  number  of  inhabitants  was  given  in  the  census 
returns  as  291 .  These  figures  show  a  slow  and  not  very  important 
or  encouraging  growth.    The  reason  for  this  condition  may  justly 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  411) 

be  ascribed  to  its  contiguity  to  Dumont  on  the  west  and  AlKson 
on  the  east,  both  of  which  are  but  a  few  miles  away;  however, 
Bristow  is  a  busy  little  trading  point,  has  a  number  of  well  built 
business  houses,  churches,  a  school  building  and  many  fine  resi- 
dences. But  it  has  not  reached  the  stage,  in  the  estimation  of 
the  leading  citizens,  that  demands  a  town  hall,  waterworks,  sewer- 
age, electric  lights  and  paving.  These  utilities  will  come  in  time, 
it  is  anticipated  by  those  optimisticall}^  inclined,  and  an  effort  is 
now  in  a  formative  state,  to  secure  an  electric  current  from  Hamp- 
ton for  an  electric  light  system. 

THE  SCHOOLS 

Bristow  was  included  in  the  territory  comprising  West  Point 
township  when  the  system  of  school  districts  was  adopted.  But 
in  Jime,  1876,  it  became  an  independent  district,  which  took  in 
four  sections  of  land — ^17, 18,  19,  20.  To  this  were  annexed  in  the 
winter  of  1881-2  section  13  and  the  northeast  quarter  of  section 
24,  in  Pittsford  township.  A  small  frame  school  building  was 
erected  on  section  19  in  West  Point  township,  on  land  owned  by 
P.  E.  Newberry  and  on  section  14  in  Pittsford.  Here  the  chil- 
dren of  the  town  and  vicinity  received  instruction  for  some  years; 
the  school  on  section  19  was  al>andoned  about  six  years  ago. 

In  1880,  a  two-story  frame  schoolhouse  was  erected  in  Bristow, 
containing  four  rooms,  at  a  cost  of  $2,200.  The  first  teacher  was 
O.  H.  Scott;  his  assistant  was  Mrs.  Ella  Gibson.  For  some  years 
past  this  school  has  given  employment  to  five  instructors,  a  princi- 
pal, an  assistant  principal  and  three  grade  teachers.  But  the 
building  itself  has  become  inadequate,  insanitary  and  inconveni- 
ent. This  condition  Avas  realized  by  many  of  the  advocates  for  a 
new  structure,  and  by  their  eiforts  they  caused  a  special  elec- 
tion to  be  called  in  the  year  1913,  for  the  puipose  of  submitting 
the  question  of  building  a  new  schoolhouse,  and  issuing  bonds  in 
the  sum  of  $15,000  for  the  purpose.  Unfortunately  for  the 
project,  the  iimovation  failed  by  the  narrow  majority  against  it 
of  four  votes.  The  project  will  again  be  brought  to  the  attention 
of  the  electoi'ate  in  March,  1914. 

THE   POSTOFFICE 

The  first  postoflfice  established  in  this  vicinity  was  located  on 
section  24,  Pittsfcn-d  township  and  named  Boylan's  Orove.     H. 


420  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

A.  Early  was  the  lii'st  appointee  of  the  office  and  received  his 
coiimiission  about  1856.  In  a  few  years  the  office  was  moved 
to  West  Point,  uow  Bristow,  and  Julius  Hoffman  was  placed  in 
charge.  He  was  succeeded  by  G.  L.  Jones,  October  10,  1862,  and 
A.  Durand  followed  as  postmaster  iii  1862,  when  the  office  was 
removed  back  into  Pittsford  township  and  there  remained  until 
the  appointment  of  James  Butler,  when  the  office  again  became 
a  part  of  West  Point.  Mr.  Butler  was  the  postmaster  until  1868, 
in  which  year  he  was  succeeded  by  H.  J.  Playter.  The  last  named 
was  in  office  but  a  few  months,  when  J.  C.  Underwood  was 
appointed  and  took  charge  of  the  mails.  In  1876  the  name  of  the 
office  was  changed  from  West  Point  to  Bristow.  Before  Ms  death, 
which  occurred  in  1912,  C.  L.  Jones  was  the  postmaster  at  Bris- 
tow about  twenty  successive  years.  A  daughter,  Miss  Anna 
Jones,  has  been  the  incmnbent  since  then. 

THE    CITIZENS    STATE   BANK 

By  a  glance  at  the  deposit  of  the  Citizens  State  Bank,  the 
reader  will  appreciate  the  fact  that  this  financial  concern  is  one 
of  no  little  importance  to  the  comnumity  and  that  it  flourishes  by 
reason  of  a  grounded  confidence  of  a  large  list  of  patrons  in  its 
integrity  and  stanchne'ss.  This  bauk  was  organized  under  the 
laws  of  Iowa,  ^Vpri]  11, 1907,  and  was  the  outgrowth  of  the  private 
Ijanking  house  of  J.  W.  Ray  and  H.  A.  Foote,  established  in  1897. 
The  present  bank  was  capitalized  at  $25,000  and  had  for  its 
first  officers  J.  W.  Pay,  president;  W.  F.  Ray,  vice  president;  and 
H.  A.  Foote,  cashier.  Mr.  Foote  died  in  the  year  1908  and  since 
then  J.  F.  Jungking  has  been  cashier.  The  present  staff  of  officers 
is  composed  of  W.  F.  Ray,  president;  F.  T.  AVells,  vice  presi- 
dent; F.  J.  Ray,  vice  president;  J.  F.  Jungking,  cashier.  Capital, 
$25,000;  deposits,  $180,000.  The  bank's  home  is  a  fine  two-story 
brick  building,  erected  in  1903. 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

A  Methodist  Episcopal  Society  was  organized  at  Bristow  in 
the  summer  of  1855,  by  Rev.  Swearingen,  of  Clai'ks^dlle,  who 
came  into  the  neighborhood  for  the  occasion,  and  remained  as 
the  pastor  imtil  1857.  Among  the  first  members  were  John  Lash 
and  wife,  P.  Miller  and  wife  and  Mrs.  George  Lash.    A  church 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  421 

l)iiildiug  was  soon  erected  and  a  parsonage,  where  Rev.  Alva 
Freeman,  who  came  in  1857,  was  the  first  pastor  to  reside.  This 
church  continued  on  with  resident  pastors  at  micertahi  intervals, 
but  for  mam^  years  past  the  church  was  attended  from  Allison. 
Since  1913  the  pastor  at  Dumont  has  been  in  charge  of  the  Bris- 
tow  church,  which  now  has  a  membershiji  of  probably  sixty  souls. 
The  church  was  erected  in  the  summer  of  1896,  at  a  cost  of  $2,500, 
and  dedicated  free  of  debt  July  12,  1896. 

The  United  Brethren  Church  has  been  established  at  Bristow 
for  many  years  and  the  writei-  was  promised  the  necessary  data 
rclatint^'  to  its  history,  which  has  failed  to  materialize.  Conse- 
(pif^ntly  all  that  can  hv  said  of  it  in  this  work  already  has  been 
said. 

PRESBYTERIAN  CHURCH 

The  Presljyterians  at  one  time  had  a  strong  organization  at 
this  place.  The  church  was  established  at  Jamison's  Grove,  Octo- 
ber 31,  1857,  taking  the  name  of  the  Pisgah  Church.  On  this 
occasion  Rev.  Williston  Jones  officiated.  The  names  of  the  origi- 
nal members  follow :  Samuel  Armstrong  and  wife,  John  A.  Staley 
and  wife,  Mrs.  Susannah  Harlan,  Henry  Meyer,  wife  and  two 
sons,  Henry  and  Frederick;  Mrs.  Brotherton,  Mrs.  Hannah 
Moore,  Mrs.  Isabella  Jamison  and  Mrs.  Diantha  Wickham.  In 
June,  1872,  the  Pisgah  and  Butler  Center  churches  consolidated 
and  were  incorporated  as  the  Pisgah  Presbyterian  Church.  The 
following  year  a  house  of  worship  was  erected,  42x60  feet,  at  a 
cost  of  $2,400,  for  which  the  people  of  Bristow  donated  a  bell. 
About  this  time  there  were  seventy  members,  but  in  the  '80s  the 
number  had  dwindled  to  one-half  and  eventually  the  members 
became  so  few  that  regular  meetings  ceased.  For  years  past  there 
has  been  no  resident  minister. 

EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

The  Episcopal  Church  established  a  society  of  that  faith  in 
Bristow  a  number  of  years  ago,  and  l)uilt  a  tastefully  designed 
and  comf(n'table  little  chamber,  where  the  members  held  regular 
services  under  the  ministration  of  a  resident  pastor.  But  his 
people  were  so  weakened  in  numbers  that  many  years  ago  the 
church  was  abandoned  and  the  building  converted  into  a  hall  for 
the  variotis  frntei'nal  lodges  of  the  town. 


422  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

FRATERNAL  ORDERS 

Garfield  Lodge,  No.  436,  I.  0.  0.  F.,  was  organized  November 
17,  1881,  with  the  following  charter  members:  Peter  Ebling, 
Jacob  Krebbs,  C.  H.  Wilbur,  C.  W.  Smith,  John  C.  Kline.  First 
officials:  Peter  Ebling,  N.  G.;  C.  H.  Wilbm-,  V.  G.;  J.  Krebbs, 
recording  secretary;  W.  R.  Nichols,  treasurer;  T.  M.  Early^ 
permanent  secretary. 

Snowball  Lodge,  No.  299,  Daughters  of  Rebekah,  was  organ- 
ized in  Octol)er,  1895,  with  the  following  charter  members:  Frank 
S.  Kilson,  Francis  E.  Newberry,  Charles  T.  Coonley,  William 
Arnold,  D.  C.  Graham,  John  W.  Koeher,  M.  H.  Barnes,  A.  E. 
Barnes,  George  G.  Smith,  Sarah  Kilson,  Sophia  Newberry,  Emma 
F.  Coonley,  Sarah  E.  Arnold,  Bertha  J.  Graham,  Ida  Koeher,  Eva 
R.  Barnes,  Cornelia  B.  Barnes  and  Alfred  Meese. 

Vulcan  Lodge,  No.  198,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  organized  Jime 
4, 1889,  with  fifteen  charter  members.  A.  F.  Hobson  was  inducted 
into  the  office  of  W.  M.;  C.  C.  Shattuck,  S.  W.;  and  C.  L.  Jones, 
J.W. 

Bristow  Camp,  No.  825,  "SI.  W.  A.,  was  organized  February 
4,  1889,  with  the  following  members:  D.  M.  Anderson,  George  L. 
Arnold,  E.  H.  Best,  Henry  C.  Bentroth,  0.  J.  Early,  D.  C.  Graham, 
E.  L.  Hewitt,  T.  J.  Hart,  C.  G.  Kilson,  William  McAdoo,  F.  K. 
Spaidding,  N.  W.  True,  Amos  Vogt.  The  lodge  meets  in  the  old 
Episcopal  church. 


CHAPTER  XXXI 
ALLISON,  THE  COUNTY  SEAT 

The  town  of  Allison,  the  present  county  seat  of  Butler  county, 
is  situated  on  the  east  half  of  section  25  of  West  Point  township, 
aliout  one  and  one-half  miles  north  of  the  geographical  center  of 
the  county.  The  plat  was  drawn  with  the  idea  of  providing  for 
the  location  of  the  county  seat  here,  hence  it  centers  around  a 
Court  House  Square  ten  acres  in  extent  with  broad  streets  lead- 
ing out  from  this  center  in  all  directions.  The  growth  of  the  town 
has  been  chiefly  to  the  west  and  south.  It  comprises  at  the  pres- 
ent time  an  area  of  approximately  fifty  city  blocks  north  of  the 
railroad,  most  of  which  are  improved  by  the  construction  of  sub- 
stantial residences  and  business  buildings.  The  principal  busi- 
ness street  extends  from  the  railway  station  to  the  Court  House 
Square  a  distance  of  five  blocks  which  are  bordered  on  either  side 
by  buildings  occupied  by  the  various  firms  engaged  in  commerce 
and  trade  in  the  town.  These  comprise  at  the  date  of  present 
Avriting  one  bank,  one  hotel,  two  restaurants,  three  general  stores, 
two  drug  stores,  two  hardware  stoi'cs,  two  millinery  establish- 
ments, one  furniture  store,  one  meat  market,  one  clothing  store, 
one  photograph  gallery,  two  harness  and  shoe  repairing  shops, 
two  blacksmith  shops,  one  livery  stable,  one  printing  office,  two 
barber  shops  and  pool  halls  combined,  one  sash  and  door  factory, 
one  steel  evener  factory,  two  lumber  yards,  two  elevators,  one 
cooperative  creamery,  and  several  other  buildings  used  for  tele- 
phone, law  and  abstract,  physician's  and  dentist's  offices.  There 
are  two  automobile  garages  and  one  auto  livery. 

Allison  lies  in  the  heart  of  one  of  the  best  and  most  prosperous 
fanning  sections  of  this  rich  agricultural  county.  Its  prosperity  is 
based  upon  the  most  stable  of  foundations,  that  of  the  necessity 
of  the  surrounding  community  for  an  outlet  for  their  surplus 
products  and  a  trading  place  where  they  may  obtain  the  neces- 
sities and  luxuries  of  life.    Land  values  in  country  and  town  show 

423 


424  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

a  steady  increase  that  bespeaks  a  continuance  of  the  present 
l^rosperous  conditions. 

EARLY    HISTORY 

This  town  is  the  youngest  incorporated  town  in  the  county, 
having  been  laid  out  and  platted  on  the  land  belonging  to  the 
Iowa  Central  Stock  Farm  in  1879.  Previous  to  this  time,  this 
farm  had  passed  from  the  hands  of  its  first  owner,  Mr.  R.  A.  Bab- 
bage.  into  those  of  Mr.  H.  L.  Stout  of  the  Ivnapp,  Stout  Lumber 
(Company  of  Dubuque.  As  early  as  1875  a  line  of  railroad,  first 
known  as  the  Iowa  &  Pacific  railroad,  had  been  surveyed 
through  the  county  from  east  to  west  passing  through  the  present 
site  of  Allison.  Before  this  in  1871  on  the  11th  of  February,  West 
Point  township  had  by  a  majority  of  nine  votes  refused  to  vote  a 
special  tax  for  the  benefit  of  this  road.  The  road  was,  however, 
actually  graded  before  the  project  was  abandoned.  H.  L.  Stout 
was  one  of  the  backers  of  this  project  and  was  active  in  securing 
the  reorganization  of  the  company  for  the  construction  of  this  line 
of  road  under  the  name  of  the  Dubuque  &  Dakota. 

In  1877,  the  rails  were  laid  as  far  as  Shell  Rock.  Later  con- 
struction was  completed  to  Clarksville.  In  the  spring  of  1879  a 
special  election  was  held  in  West  Point  township  and  a  five  mill 
tax  was  voted  for  the  aid  of  the  new  railroad  on  condition  that 
the  road  be  completed  through  the  township  by  the  following 
fall.  The  company  fully  lived  up  to  its  agreement  and  the  first 
train  of  cars  was  nni  into  AUison  on  July  4,  1879,  and  into 
Bi'istow  on  July  12. 

On  April  llth,  1879,  Messrs.  F.  D.  Stout,  John  R.  Waller,  and 
Mr.  Knowlton  of  Dubuque  surveyed  the  town  plat  of  Allison. 
On  August  19th.  Hany  Daggett,  the  first  station  agent  arrived 
and  took  charge  of  the  interests  of  the  railroad  and  the  traveling 
and  shipping  public  at  this  point.  In  the  fall  of  this  same  year, 
a  three-story  frame  hotel  was  coni]iloted  b}-  the  town  company, 
the  members  of  which  were  John  R.  Waller,  Gen.  C  H.  Booth, 
R.  B.  Graves.  Frank  D.  Stout  and  James  Stout,  all  of  Dubuque. 
The  hotel  building  was  constructed  by  M.  M.  Flick  of  Dubuque 
in  accordance  with  plans  and  specifications  prepared  by  F.  D. 
Hyde  of  the  same  city.  Its  size  was  originally  32x36  feet,  three 
stories  high  and  cost  approximately  five  thousand  dollars.  On 
the  2nd  day  of  January,  1880,  the  new  hostelry  opened  its  doors 


The  Hotel 
Main  Street,  looking  north 


Scene  on  JIain  Street 


A  Resilience  Street 
SCENES   IN   ALLISON 


;  th: 
iPUBLIC 


j  «.STOf<,    LENO.X 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  425 

tu  the  public  by  Manager  C.  W.  Corwiu.  lu  August,  1881,  an 
addition  32x50  feet  in  extent  and  three  stories  high  was  con- 
structed, thus  more  tlian  doubling  the  capacity  of  the  building. 
At  the  same  time  a  kitr-hen  20x28  one  and  one-half  stories  high 
was  built  on  the  rear.  The  total  cost  of  the  building  and  equip- 
ment was  in  excess  of  thirteen  thousand  dollars.  When  com- 
pleted it  gave  Allison  the  most  commodious  and  best  equij)ped 
liotel  between  Dubuque  and  the  western  tenninus  of  this  line  of 
railroad.  This  building  stood  and  under  various  managements 
continued  to  serve  the  traveling  public  until  the  winter  of  1909- 
10  when  it  was  burned  to  the  ground.  At  the  time,  this  disaster 
was  considered  as  ahnost  a  death  blow  to  the  prospects  of  the 
town.  Later,  however,  through  the  enterprise  of  the  Ray 
brothei's,  W.  F.  and  F.  J.,  the  present  magnificent  structure  was 
erected  for  hotel  purposes,  niodei'nly  equipped  throughout  and 
again  Allison  enjoyed  the  distinction  of  possessing  the  finest  hotel 
on  the  line  of  the  (Ireat  Western  railroad  l)et\veen  Dubuque  and 
Fort  Dodge. 

The  town  comi)auy  also  erected  an  elevator  in  1879  which  com- 
menced operations  in  January,  1880,  under  the  management  of 
Cieorge  Woodward,  who  came  for  the  purpose  from  Minnesota. 

The  first  settler  in  the  new  town  was  (leorge  E.  Martin,  who 
had  been  living  on  a  farm  in  the  vicinity.  In  Septemljer,  1879. 
he  moved  his  family  into  a  house  which  he  had  built  on  the  new 
town  site  and  opened  a  livery  business  whicdi  he  continued  to 
carry  on  until  his  retirement  in  favor  of  his  son,  A.  T.  Martin, 
some  years  ago.  Mr.  Martin  is  still  a  resident  of  Allison,  serv- 
ing at  the  present  time  as  deputy  sheriff. 

The  second  settler  was  Charles  Waters  who  opened  the  first 
hunber  yard  and  erected  a  number  of  the  first  buildings  in  the 
town. 

Frank  Elliott,  J.  J.  Cleaver  and  L.  E.  Lincoln,  respectively  a 
mason,  a  painter  and  a  carpenter  and  builder  were  the  other 
arrivals  in  the  town  during  the  remaining  months  of  1879. 

In  1880  the  settlement  continued  with  a  reasonable  degree 
of  rapidity.  C.  B.  Bishop,  J.  K.  Winsett,  Michael  Wieres,  Louis 
Pharo,  James  Gillan  and  Sweeley  being  among  the  settlers  at 
this  time. 

As  noted  fully  elsewhere  in  the  fall  of  1880  by  decisive  vote  of 
the  people  of  the  county  the  county  seat  was  located  here.  This 
naturally  was  the  cause  of  a  marked  business  boom  and  eventu- 

Vol.  1—27 


426  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

ally  resulted  in  the  practical  mo^'ement  of  all  tlie  poi^ulation  aud 
the  most  of  the  bviildings  from  Butler  Center,  the  former  county 
seat,  to  Allison.  Among  those  Avho  came  here  from  Butler  Center 
were  C  M.  Craig,  W.  A.  Lathrop,  James  W.  Davis,  John  Barlow 
and  Mrs.  F.  Digman.  George  M.  Dopking  came  from  Shell  Rock 
to  Allison  in  1880  to  engage  in  the  livery  Imsiness  Avith  George 
E.  Martin.  He  is  still  a  resident  of  the  town  although  for  several 
yeai's  the  state  of  his  health  has  been  such  that  he  has  not  been 
able  to  engage  actively  in  affairs. 

Fletcher  Moore  opened  the  iirst  mercafitile  establishment  in 
Allison  in  January,  1880.  J.  K.  Winsett,  J.  A.  Riggs  &  Company, 
C.  J).  Williams  and  Bii'kbeck  Brothers  were  other  pioneer  mer- 
chants. Dr.  J.  S.  Riggs  was  the  iirst  physician  here.  He  later  sold 
his  interest  in  tlie  drug  store  conducted  by  his  brother  John  A. 
Riggs  to  Dr.  S.  E.  Burroughs,  whose  period  of  active  practice  in 
this  connnunity  closed  only  a  few  months  ago  Avith  his  removal  to 
Holland,  Iowa.  Dr.  Jerome  Burbank  Avas  the  second  ijhysician  to 
locate  in  the  village  and  opened  the  second  drug  store  on  the  cor- 
ner where  the  Allison  Furniture  Company  is  now  located. 

The  first  blacksmith  in  the  town,  Michael  Wieres,  is  still  at 
Avork  with  forge  and  auAdl.  Of  recent  years  he  has  been  chiefly 
engaged  in  the  manufacture  of  the  Wieres  Steel  Safety  Evener, 
an  article  of  his  own  invention  and  patenting.  A  stock  comjjany 
composed  of  Allison  citizens  are  associated  with  Mr.  Wieres  in 
this  enterprise. 

In  the  fall  of  1881,  the  Digman  Hotel  was  moved  from  its 
former  location  in  Butler  Center  to  Allison  and  was  relocated 
on  its  present  site  of  Main  street.  For  many  years  it  continued 
to  be  used  for  hotel  purposes,  ceasing  to  serve  the  public  in  this 
capacity  only  after  the  opening  of  the  Xew  Hotel  Allison  in  Feb- 
ruary, 1912. 

IXCORI'OliATroX    AXl)  OKFICTAL  RKCORDS 

The  toAvn  of  Allison  was  incorporated  in  1881,  the  first  elec- 
tion being  held  on  August  13,  1881,  when  the  following  officers 
were  elected  to  manage  the  affairs  of  the  community:  W.  A. 
Lathrop,  mayor;  George  A.  Mclntyre,  recorder,  and  W.  W.  Pat- 
tee,  George  E.  Woodward,  Louis  Pharo,  J.  K.  Winsett,  G.  M. 
Craig,  and  D.  K.  Harbert,  trustees.  Fifty-seven  A'otes  were  cast 
in  this  first  election.     W.  A.  Lathrop  received  forty-nine  A'otes 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  427 

aud  I.  E.  Lucas  eight  votes  for  mayor.  George  A.  Mclntyre 
received  au  unanimous  vote  for  the  office  of  recorder.  Twenty- 
one  candidates  received  from  one  to  forty-four  votes  for  trustee. 
G.  M.  Craig  receiving  the  highest  number. 

I.  E.  Lucas  was  appointed  the  first  town  treasurer,  S.  S.  Bur- 
roughs, street  eonunissioner,  and  James  W.  Davis,  assessor. 

The  first  case  in  the  mayor's  court  was  that  of  John  Huss,  who 
was  fined  the  siun  of  $10  on  January  2,  1882,  for  violating  the 
ordinance  on  saloon  licenses  by  keeping  his  saloon  open  and  sell- 
ing beer  on  Sunday. 

The  first  telephone  line  into  Allison  was  constructed  by  the 
Iowa  and  Minnesota  Telephone  Company  in  accordance  with  per- 
mission from  the  town  council  in  June,  1882. 

The  matter  of  fire  protection  engaged  the  attention  of  the 
mayor  and  council  from  an  early  date.  In  the  summer  of  1883 
three  wells  were  dug  on  Main  street  for  the  purposes  of  supply- 
ing water  for  fire  protection.  In  May,  1884,  a  hand  fire  engine 
was  iDurchased  together  with  400  feet  of  fire  hose  at  an  agreed 
cost  of  $900.  At  a  meeting  of  the  volunteer  fire  company  this 
engine  was  named  "W.  B.  Allison"  and  the  hose  cart  "Mam- 
brino  Boy." 

In  May,  1884,  Dr.  S.  E.  Burroughs  was  appointed  the  first 
health  physician. 

Plans  and  specifications  for  an  engine  house  were  drawn  up 
in  the  summer  of  1884,  and  the  contract  for  its  construction  let 
to  L.  E.  Lincoln  for  the  smn  of  $439.  The  building  was  erected 
on  a  lot  leased  free  of  charge  by  M.  Wieres  for  ten  years  just  west 
of  his  shoj).  The  building  was  completed  and  accepted  on  Sep- 
tember 1.  The  first  fire  alarm  was  a  piece  of  railroad  iron  which 
was  used  as  a  gong.    M.  Wieres  was  the  first  fire  chief. 

In  April,  1885,  the  present  Allison  cemetery  site  was  purchased 
from  E.  W.  Kester  for  $325  cash  and  other  considerations. 

The  town  possessed  at  its  outset  no  adequate  highways  leading 
out  into  the  surrounding  country.  On  June  1,  1885,  H.  L.  Stout 
deeded  to  the  town  a  highway  leading  south  from  Main  street 
to  the  southern  line  of  section  25.  In  the  following  year  the  road 
leading  west  from  the  courthouse  square  was  secured  from  the 
town  company,  and  Elm  street  was  extended  north  to  the  north 
line  of  the  section.  This  gave  the  town  its  present  excellent  sys- 
tem of  highway  avenues  of  tran.sportation. 


i28  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

The  minutes  of  tlie  meeting  of  the  council  on  December  6, 
1886,  contain  resolutions  of  respect  in  memory  of  the  life  and 
services  of  James  W.  Davis.  Mr.  Davis  has  been  noticed  at  length 
in  connection  with  the  history  of  the  county  which  he  served  long 
and  faithfully  in  various  capacities.  His  death  was  felt  as  a  j)er- 
sonal  loss  to  every  citizen  of  the  town  with  which  his  later  years 
had  been  identified. 

AVATIHWOHKS 

The  question  of  a  city  water  system  began  to  be  agitated  as 
early  as  1887.  No  definite  steps  were  taken  to  secure  such  a  sys- 
tem, however,  until  December  5,  1898,  when  a  petition  signed  by 
ninety-eight  citizens  was  presented  to  the  council  calling  for  a 
special  election  to  decide  the  question  of  issuing  waterworks 
bonds.  This  election  was  held  on  January  9,  1899,  and  resulted 
in  seventy-one  votes  for  and  five  votes  against  the  issuance  of 
these  bonds.  In  February  an  agreement  was  arranged  with  the 
county  board  of  supervisors  whereby  they  were  to  allow  the  pump- 
ing station  to  be  located  on  the  courthouse  scjuare,  were  to  sink 
the  well  and  pay  the  cost  of  the  pump  from  the  coimty  funds  on 
condition  of  being  allowed  the  use  of  the  water  in  and  around 
the  courthouse.  The  contract  for  the  construction  of  the  system 
of  waterworks  was  let  to  Fremont  Tui'uer  for  the  sum  of  $3,911.50. 
Michael  Wiercs  was  the  first  superintendent  of  the  waterworks. 

The  work  was  comiDleted  with  dispatch,  accepted  and  put  into 
operation  at  once.  It  was  found,  however,  that  a  mistake  had 
been  made  in  the  quality  of  mains  used.  After  an  infinite  amount 
of  tinkering  and  repairing  and  troul)le  of  various  sorts  a  contract 
for  the  laying  of  new  mains  was  made  with  the  National  Con- 
struction Company  of  South  Bend,  Indiana.  This  contract  was 
ratified  by  the  voters  in  a  special  election  in  April,  1904,  when  by 
a  vote  of  sixty-four  to  fcnir.  bonds  in  the  sum  of  $2,500  were  voted 
to  be  issued  by  the  town  for  this  purpose. 

Since  that  date  the  well  has  been  redrilled  and  at  present  the 
system  is  giving  satisfactory  service  both  for  purposes  of  ordi- 
nary use  and  fire  protection. 

STKEET   LIGHTIXO 

The  first  provision  for  lighting  the  streets  of  Allison  was  made 
by  the  purchase  and  erection  of  a  number  of  kerosene  lamps  on 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  429 

posts  in  1891.  In  1896  lifteeu  gasoline  street  lamps  were  pur- 
chased from  Albert  Lea,  Minnesota.  These  failed  to  give  satis- 
factory service  and,  after  several  other  experiments,  the  present 
lights  were  installed.  They  in  turn  are  about  to  give  way  to  a 
modern  system  of  municipal  electric  lighting,  the  installation  of 
which  will  place  Allison  on  a  jjar  with  any  town  of  its  size  in  the 
state  in  the  matter  of  conveniences. 

In  1892  a  lot  was  purchased  on  Main  street  and  the  engine 
house  moved  to  its  present  location.  At  the  same  time  the  con- 
tract for  the  ei'ecticm  of  a  calaboose  was  let  to  L.  E.  Lincoln. 

In  the  spring  of  1900  the  community  suffered  the  loss  of  one 
of  its  most  prominent  citizens  in  the  person  of  W.  A.  Lathrop. 
Mr.  Lathrop  was  one  of  the  first  citizens  to  move  to  Allison  from 
Butler  Center,  was  its  first  mayor  and  continued  to  occupy  this 
office  with  honor  for  a  number  of  years.  The  town  council  hon- 
ored itself  and  the  community  which  they  represented  by  causing 
resolutions  of  resjDect  to  be  entered  on  their  minutes  in  conunemo- 
ration  of  the  services  which  Mr.  Lathrop  had  rendered  this  town 
and  the  surrounding  community. 

Permanent  cement  sidewalks  were  ]n'ovided  for  by  act  of  the 
council  in  1901.  Since  that  date  practically  every  foot  of  side- 
walk in  the  town  has  been  reconstructed  on  a  permanent  basis. 
Today  these  sidewalks  form  one  of  the  chief  evidences  of  tlic  pro- 
gressive spirit  of  this  conmmnity. 

In  ]904  Ct.  Hazlet,  who  was  then  serving  as  mayor,  resigned  his 
office.  The  town  council  filled  the  vacancy  by  the  choice  of  S.  W. 
Burroughs  to  the  position.  At  the  same  time  they  filled  several 
vacancies  existing  in  the  comicil  itself.  It  having  appeared  that 
the  action  of  the  council  was  somewhat  iri-egular  and  in  excess  of 
its  powers,  action  was  brought  in  the  district  court  for  the  removal 
of  the  officers  so  appointed.  By  decision  of  the  court  in  the  May 
term  of  1905  these  offices  were  declared  vacant  and  N.  W.  Scovel 
was  appointed  mayor  in  the  place  of  Mr.  Burroughs.  Some  little 
feeling  was  engendered  over  the  occurrence  at  the  time,  but  it 
soon  died  away. 

At  different  times  projects  looking  toward  the  construction  of 
a  north  and  south  railroad  through  Allison  have  been  put  foi'wai'd. 
Most  of  them  have  never  progressed  l)eyond  the  stage  of  discus- 
sion. In  December,  1903,  though,  a  franchise  w^as  granted  to  a 
corporation  known  as  the  Marshalltown  Street  and  Intern rbau 
Railway  Company  for  the  construetion  of  its  lines  tlii'imgli  this 


i'so  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

town.  The  road  was  uot  coustructecl,  however.  It  is  altogether 
probable  that  such  a  line  of  road  will  eventually  be  constructed 
through  this  section.  It  would  undoubtedly  greatly  facilitate  the 
means  of  reaching  Allison  at  present  rather  inconvenient  for 
many  residents  of  the  outlying  parts  of  the  county. 

Allison  has  no  public  system  of  sewers.  However,  the  con- 
struction of  several  private  lines  with  the  privilege  of  allowing 
other  ijroperty  owners  to  make  connections  therewith  has  pro- 
vided so  far  for  the  needs  of  the  conmmnity  in  this  line.  There 
are  a  number  of  these  private  lines  now  in  operation. 

MATKIUAL  (iHOWTU 

Allison  has  witnessed  a  remarkable  growth  iu  a  material  way 
in  the  last  five  years.  In  this  time  two  tires  destroyed  the  Alli- 
son House,  a  three-story  frame  l)iulding,  built  by  the  town  com- 
pany for  hotel  purjDoses  in  1879,  and  the  west  side  elevator.-  On 
the  sites  of  these  buildings  new  structiu-es  have  ])een  erected,  the 
new  elevator  amjaly  tilling  the  place  actually  and  commercially 
occupied  by  its  predecessor,  and  that  of  the  old  hotel  having  been 
taken  by  the  commodious  two-story  double  brick  block  erected  by 
Arnold  Brothers  to  house  their  large  stock  of  general  merchan- 
dise. In  addition  to  these  there  have  recently  been  built  a  new 
modern  schoolliouse,  costing  $15,000;  a  new  hotel  building, 
erected  at  a  cost  of  approximately  ten  thousand  dollars;  a  sash 
and  door  factory;  a  brick  drug  store,  and  a  new  church  l^uilding 
for  the  German  Lutheran  denomination.  These  with  a  large 
number  of  private  residences,  ranging  in  cost  from  fifteen  hun- 
dred to  twenty-five  thousand  dollars,  aggregate  an  amount  of 
investment  in  pei'manent  improvements  that  in  i)roportion  to 
the  actual  value  of  real  estate  in  the  town  is  a  remarkable  and 
most  convincing  evidence  of  the  firm  basis  of  prosperity  under- 
lying the  business  of  this  community. 

The  list  of  the  mayors  of  Allison  from  1881  to  date  is  as  fol- 
lows: W.  A.  Lathrop,"  1881-1886;  G.  M.  Craig,  1886-1890;  W.  A. 
Lathrop,  1890-1895;  W.  F.  Ray,  1895-1899,  i-esigned;  G.  M.  Craig, 
to  fill  vacancy ;  G .  M.  Craig,  1900-1904 ;  G.  Hazlet.  1904,  resigned ; 
S.  W.  Burroughs,  to  fill  vacancy,  removed  by  order  of  district 
court;  N.  W.  Scovel,  to  fill  vacancy,  1905-1906;  W.  C.  Shepard, 
1906-1908,  resigned;  N.  W.  Scovel,' to  fill  vacancy,  1908-1910;  E. 
C.  Trager,  1930-1912;  Z.  Elliott,  1912,  resigned:  O.  F.  Missmau, 
to  fill  vacancy,  1912-. 


Methodist  Episcopal  Church 
New  Public  School 


OM    I'ulilic   School 
High  School 


A  CHURCH  AND  GROCP  OF   St'HOOLS  OF  Al.LTSOX 


LENOX 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  431 

EDUCATIONAL 

When  Allisou  was  incorporated  the  nearest  school  was  that 
in  the  Maudville  district  of  West  Point  townsliij)  with  a  school 
building  located  about  one  mile  southwest  of  the  corporate  limits 
of  the  town.  Here  the  children  of  the  town  were  accommodated 
for  several  years  until  the  growth  in  population  made  it  neces- 
sary to  make  some  more  convenient  provision  for  their  educa- 
tion. Accordingly  in  1883,  what  was  then  a  commodious  brick 
veneered  building  two  stories  in  height,  was  erected  in  the  western 
part  of  town,  which  continued  to  be  used  for  school  purposes 
until  1912. 

At  first  only  two  departments  were  maintained,  the  upper 
story  being  left  unfinished.  Later  a  third  department  was  estab- 
lished and  the  upper  floor  fitted  up  for  school  purposes.  The  edu- 
cational ideals  of  the  commimity  grew  with  its  growth  and  while 
the  increase  in  population  was  inconsiderable,  new  and  better 
facilities  for  the  training  of  the  children  were  constantly  added. 
A  high  school  department  was  organized  with  an  assistant,  and 
later  a  new  grade  room  pro^dded  by  partitioning  off  a  portion  of 
the  high  school  assembly  room. 

With  these  rather  inconvenient  conditions  the  school  was  car- 
ried on  for  a  number  of  years  imtil  in  1912  the  people  of  the  dis- 
trict by  a  decisive  vote  decided  to  tear  down  the  old  structure  and 
erect  a  modern  building  in  its  place.  The  contract  was  let  to  E. 
Burbridge.  who  removed  the  old  building  and  built  the  present 
one  in  the  summer  and  fall  of  1932.  During  the  period  of  con- 
struction, school  was  held  in  the  old  Digman  House  and  in  the 
Congregational  church. 

The  new  building  was  first  occupied  and  used  for  school  pur- 
poses immediately  after  Thanksgiving  in  1912.  The  structiire  is 
two  stories  in  height  with  a  full  basement.  It  is  constructed  of 
brick  with  slate  roof.  The  basement  contains  manual  training 
and  domestic  science  rooms,  together  with  furnace  and  fuel  rooms 
and  toilets.  The  first  floor  contains  three  grade  I'ooms  and  the 
upper  floor  one  grade  room,  high  school  assembly  room,  I'cvita- 
tion  room,  library  and  superintendent's  office.  The  Imilding  ij« 
unilaterally  lighted,  is  heated  by  steam  and  ventilated  ])y  the 
gravity  system.  It  is  unquestionably  the  finest  building  erected 
for  school  purposes  to  date  in  Butler  county. 


432  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

METHODIST  EPISCOPAL  CHURCH 

The  Methodists  of  Allison  and  Aicinit}'  met  at  McCleod's  Hall 
on  the  15th  of  August,  1880,  and  organized  a  class  under  the  lead- 
ership of  Rev.  Lallan  Winsett.  The  meuibers  at  this  time  were 
D.  Bruce,  Flora  Bruce,  F.  Moore,  C.  B.  Bishop,  Hattie  Bishop, 
Catherine  McCleod,  Christian  McWilliams  and  Mary  Cleaver. 
For  some  time  services  were  held  at  JNIcCleod's  Hall  by  Reverend 
Mr.  Winsett,  who  was  followed  after  a  period  of  three  months  by 
Rev.  W.  H.  Records.  The  latter  remained  orte  year.  Then  came 
Rev.  J.  M.  Hedes.  During  tlu>  administration  of  Reverend  Mr. 
Hedes  in  1881  the  pi'csent  church  building  was  erected  by  the 
people  of  the  community  without  regard  to  church  affiliation  at 
a  cost  of  $2,200. 

At  a  later  date  the  l)ui]ding  was  remodeled  and  an  addition 
built  on  the  south  to  furnish  an  extra  room  for  the  Sunday  school. 
The  Methodist  Sunday  school  was  the  first  organization  of  this 
character  in  the  town,  having  been  established  in  May,  1880.  with 
C.  B.  Bishop  as  superintendent. 

The  church  building  was  originally  dedicated  on  INfay  14.  1882, 
Rev.  L.  I).  Parscms  officiating. 

A  complete  list  of  the  early  pastors  of  this  church  is  not  avail- 
able for  publication.  Since  1890  the  following  have  served  this 
church  in  the  capacity  of  pastor:  J.  M.  Hartley,  W.  Ward  Smith, 
L.  D.  Stubbs,  C.  A.  Peddicord,  J.  W.  Bacheller,  Edward  A.  Lang, 
C.  A.  Thompson,  J.  A.  Bearing,  J.  T).  Perry,  Will  A.  Piper,  A.  A. 
Hallett,  C.  R.  Disney,  E.  H.  Free. 

CHTTUCH  OF  THE  IjMMACI'EATK  f'OXCEl'TIOX 

The  clmrcli  with  the  al).ovc  name  was  established  in  Allison  in 
June,  1884,  Father  Bernard  Coyle  officiating  at  the  first  ordinance 
of  mass,  which  was  celebrated  in  the  dining  room  of  the  Digman 
House.  Services  continued  to  be  held  until  the  year  1891  and 
were  attended  l)y  the  Digman,  Mullarky,  McManus,  Doyle,  McGee, 
Marlow,  Wieres,  Pranke,  Hyde,  Huss  and  Lee  families. 

The  first  resident  priest  was  Father  Shields,  who  came  in  1891. 
LTnder  his  administration  the  church  edifice  was  built.  The  dedi- 
cation took  place  December  8.  1891,  Dean  McGrath  delivering  the 
address.  Mass  was  held  for  the  first  time  in  this  building  by 
Father  Lewis  Kirbv  of  Greene,  now  of  Sioux  City.     About  this 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  433 

period  of  its  existence  the  church  had  a  membership  of  about 
thirty  families.  Through  removals,  deaths  and  other  unforeseen 
causes,  this  number  has  dwindled  to  about  fifteen  families. 

Father  Shields  remained  here  about  one  year  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  Father  James  Ryan,  whose  pastorate  covered  a  period 
of  eight  years,  during  which  time  the  parsonage  was  built.  This 
house  was  sold  by  Father  Ryan  against  the  protests  of  some  of 
his  parishoners,  which  caused  some  ill  feeling  to  arise.  Father 
Ryan  retired  from  the  service  of  this  parish  and  took  up  the  work 
at  Hampton,  from  which  place  the  church  has  been  supj)lied  since 
1902.  The  present  priest  at  Hani])ton,  Father  J.  C.  Wieneke, 
holds  mass  in  the  Allison  church  every  alternate  Sunday. 

CONGREGATIONAL  CHURCH 

In  the  spring  of  1884,  Rev.  A.  D.  Keinzer,  pastor  of  the  Con- 
gregational church  at  Hampton,  was  invited  to  spend  a  Sabbath 
here  and  occupy  the  pulpit  of  the  Methodist  church,  as  their  minis- 
ter did  not  have  services  every  Sabbath.  Reverend  Mr.  Keinzer 
accepted  the  invitation  and  pi-eached  the  first  sermon  deliv- 
ered in  Allison  by  a  Congregational  minister  on  April  24,  1884. 
In  the  summer  of  1885,  Rev.  T.  O.  Douglass,  state  home  mis- 
sionary, sent  Mr.  W.  H.  Dmnm,  a  student  in  Yale  Theological 
Seminary,  to  preach  for  the  suuuner  here  and  at  Parkersburg. 
Mr.  Dunmi's  first  sermon  was  on  June  7  and  his  farewell  on 
AugTist  30,  1885. 

After  this  there  were  no  more  Congregational  services  held 
here  until  the  fall  of  1886  when  Rev.  John  Gray  came  to  take 
charge  of  the  church  at  Parkersburg  and  arranged  to  preach  at 
Allison  once  every  four  weeks.  He  urged  the  organization  of  a 
church  and  on  July  21,  1887,  Rev.  T.  O.  Douglass  and  other  pas- 
tors of  neighboring  towns  joined  with  the  few  Congregationalists 
in  a  council  for  the  organization  of  the  church.  Seventeen  per- 
sons were  enrolled  on  the  list  of  ehai'ter  members. 

The  Methodists  deciding  that  they  desired  to  use  their  build- 
ing every  Sabbath,  the  Congregational  Society  found  it  necessary 
to  find  another  place  for  their  meetings.  A  hall  was  rented  over 
the  Dodge  building,  which  was  thenceforward  used  as  a  meeting 
place  for  Sunday  school  and  preaching  services.  A  church  choir 
was  organized  with  W.  A.  Lathrop  as  leader  and  Mrs.  Ethel  A. 
Levis  as  organist. 


4:^4  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

lu  various  ways,  by  managing  an  eating  tent  at  the  county 
fair  and  by  holding  an  old  fashioned  "Deestrict  Skule"  money  was 
raised  to  purchase  an  organ  and  provide  the  begiiming  of  a  fund 
for  a  church  building.  The  gentlemen  of  the  Allison  Town  Com- 
pany donated  a  desirable  lot  for  the  site  of  the  church  on  Main 
street.  By  the  spring  of  1889  enough  had  l)een  raised  and  pledged 
to  justify  the  building  of  a  church  edifice.  The  men  of  the  society 
hauled  the  stone  for  the  foundation  and  the  contracts  for  mason 
work  and  carpentry  were  let  to  Messrs.  Frank  Elliott  and  Vince 
Franke. 

On  December  8,  1889,  dedicatory  services  were  held  by  Kev. 
T.  0.  Douglass.  At  the  same  time  the  load  of  indebtedness  rest- 
ing upon  the  organization  was  largely  lifted  through  the  munifi- 
cence of  certain  of  its  members  who  pledged  large  sxuns  for  the 
payment  of  the  cost  of  construction  still  unpaid. 

Later  it  was  decided  to  pur(?hase  the  lots  adjoining  the  church 
propert}"  on  the  south  and  erect  a  parsonage  thereon.  The  lots 
were  purchased  through  the  instrumentalit.y  and  partly  with  the 
assistance  of  I.  M.  Fisher.  The  present  parsonage  was  built 
in  1900  at  a  cost  of  something  oAer  one  thousand  dollars.  The 
several  pastors  who  have  occupied  this  charge  are:  Revs.  John 
Gray,  C.  H.  Calhoun,  J.  S.  Norris,  AV.  B.  Sandford,  H.  C.  Brown, 
W.  G.  Little,  W.  D.  King,  F.  A.  Slyfield,  V.  B.  Hill,  W.  H.  Hotze, 
W.  H.  Walcott,  and  W.  U.  Parks.  The  last  named  has  served  the 
congregation  as  pastor  since  1909  in  a  manner  so  entirely  accept- 
able to  the  people  that  in  1912  they  extended  him  an  indefinite 
call. 

In  1911-12  the  church  was  raised  and  a  1)asement  constructed 
beneath  it  to  furnish  rooms  for  Sunday  school  and  other  purposes. 
These  improvements  in  all  aggregated  an  expense  of  about  two 
thousand  dollars. 

ST.    .TACOBl'S   LUTHERAX    CHURCH    AT    ALLISOX 

St.  Jacobus  Lutheran  congregation  was  organized  in  1892. 
The  organizing  pastor  was  C.  Weltner  of  Vilmar,  who  has 
since  served  this  church.  The  first  members  were:  Chr.  Hilmer, 
Paul  De  Bower,  L.  Hunmiel,  H.  Pleis,  John  Buerkle,  John  Drnege- 
mueller.  For  over  twenty  years  the  congregation  held  their  serv- 
ices every  two  weeks  in  the  Methodist  Episcopal  church.  In  the 
summer  of  1913,  the  congregation  built  their  own  chui-ch — a  fine 


ST.  JACOBI'S  LfTHERAX  CHriirH,  ALLISON 


iP^BUC 


■'^^^<AHY 


?     ^      A.5T0R,   LE^oX 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  4:35 

frame  building  on  the  main  street.  The  dimensions  are  34x60x16 
with  a  steeple  12x12x86  and  a  basement  for  a  heating  plant.  In 
the  steeple  is  a  well-sounding  bell.  The  interior  of  the  church 
is  furnished  with  a  Gothic  altar,  pulpit,  reed  organ  and  very  com- 
fortable pews.  The  value  of  the  church  is  about  $6,000.  The 
congregation  at  present  munbers  twenty-three  members  or  ninety- 
seven  souls. 

ST.  JUHX'S  LLTKEKAX   CHURCH  AT  VILMAK 

The  St.  John's  Lutheran  congregation  was  organized  in  1876. 
The  organizing  pastor  was  the  Rev.  H.  Schlutz,  an  old  mission- 
ary-pioneer of  Iowa.  The  names  of  the  first  members  were:  H. 
Maass,  William  Martzahn,  William  Heuer,  Pr.  Kramer,  Fr. 
Debner,  Fr.  Edeker,  Fr.  Kroemer,  H.  Voigts,  William  Kam- 
meyer,  Fr.  Nichaus,  H.  Vahlsing,  H.  Reinking,  William  Folkers, 
D.  Kramer,  G.  Harms,  William  Koellmann,  H.  Busse.  During 
the  first  six  years  the  services  were  held  in  a  district  schoolhouse. 
In  the  smnmer  of  1883,  the  congregation  bought  five  acres  of  laud 
and  built  their  first  church  and  parsonage  on  it,  both  frame  build- 
ings— the  church  30x48x18  with  a  small  steeple  upon  it,  and  the 
parsonage  16x24x14  and  16x20x10.  At  the  same  time  the  con- 
gregation resolved  to  call  a  pastor,  and  when  Rev.  H.  Schlutz, 
the  organizing  pastor  refused  the  call,  they  sent  it  to  C.  Weltner, 
a  yoimg  pastor  at  Glenville,  Minnesota,  who  accepted  it.  On  the 
third  Sunday  of  Advent,  1883,  he  was  installed  in  the  congrega- 
tion of  Vilmar  and  has  since  worked  in  their  midst.  The  new 
pastoi-,  when  he  entered  into  his  duties,  recognized  immediately 
that  a  good  parochial  school  was  a  necessity  for  his  growing  con- 
gregation. So  he  taught,  beside  his  pastoral  duties,  about  forty 
children  for  nine  years,  five  days  weekly,  from  fall  to  Easter, 
in  a  small  schoolroom  16x20x10 — a  task  that  later  was  an 
impossibility.  Consequently  the  congregation  erected  in  1892,  a 
new  schoolhouse  20x36x16 — again  a  step  in  the  right  direction, 
for  a  good  parochial  school  is  the  nursery  of  an  active  congrega- 
tional life.  Ten  years  later,  when  the  church  was  too  small,  the 
congi-egation  enlarged  their  original  church  edifice  with  an  addi- 
tion of  30x48,  an  apsis  of  12x30  and  a  steeple  of  10x10x86.  In  the 
steeple  was  placed  a  bell,  weighing  2,000  pounds.  The  interior 
of  the  church  was  furnished  with  a  Gothic  altar,  pulpit  and  pipe 


436  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

organ.  In  1906,  the  parsonage  was  enlarged  and  the  latest  im- 
provement is  a  roomy  basement  under  the  church  for  a  heating 
plant. 

Besides  the  church  property  the  congregation  owns  two  ceme- 
teries. The  whole  property  of  the  congregation  represents  a  value 
of  $14,000.  At  ijresent  the  congregation  of  Vihnar  numbers  one 
hundred  eighteen  members  and  six  himdred  souls. 

FRATERNAL   BODIES 

Opal  Lodge,  No.  417,  A.  F.  &  A.  M.,  was  instituted  under  dis- 
pensation September  ],  18S1.  Tlie  charter  members  comprised 
H.  Fannun,  James  Scofield,  A.  I.  Snnth,  A.  (i.  Fellows,  I.  E. 
Lucas,  J.  W.  Spencer,  (!.  M.  Craig,  together  with  the  following 
officers:  W.  W.  Pattee,  W.  M.;  E.  S.  Thomas,  S.  W.;  J.  W.  Ray, 
J.  W. ;  C.  H.  Ilgenf  ritz,  treasurer ;  J.  M.  Daggett,  secretary ;  Levi 
Baker,  S.  D. ;  J.  W.  Davis,  J.  D. ;  G.  M.  Dopkiug,  tyler. 

At  the  first  regular  meeting  held  October  6,  1881,  the  follow- 
ing became  members:  J.  K.  Winsett,  J.  S.  Riggs,  George  "A. 
Mclntyre,  John  A.  Riggs,  <i.  E.  P^-ankliu,  W.  A.  Lathrop,  Frank 
Baker,  C.  W.  Levis  and  E.  Burnliani.  In  June,  188l>,  the 
lodge  received  its  (diarter  and  the  memliers  were  called  together 
by  A.  I.  Smith  who  was  appointed  by  the  Grand  Lodge  D.  G.  M. 
July  (i,  1882.  This  meeting  completed  the  organization  and  the 
following  named  officers  were  elected:  W.  W.  Pattee,  W.  M.;  E. 
S.  Thomas,  S.  W.;  J.  W.  Ray,  J.  W. ;  C.  H.  Ilgenfritz,  tieasurer; 
J.  M.  Daggett,  secretary ;  L.  Baker,  S.  D. ;  J.  A.  Riggs.  J.  D. ; 
J.  K.  Winsett  and  C.  W.  Levis,  stew^ards;  Frank  Baker,  tyler. 

This  lodge  has  had  a  ("(tutinuous  existence  from  that  date  to 
the  present.  Its  lodge  I'oom  is  still  in  the  Lathrop  l)uilding  where 
its  meetings  are  held  at  regular  intervals. 

LIKFTEXAXT  HRAUKX  POST.  XO.  356,  (!.  A.  R. 

A  i^ost  of  the  (Jrand  Army  of  the  Ke[)ublic  was  organized  in 
Allison  in  the  late  '80s  and  was  named  in  honor  of  Lieut.  John 
Braden.  The  post  has  kept  up  its  organization  and  its  member- 
ship in  the  state  department  to  the  present  time  although  in 
recent  years  so  many  of  the  members  have  answered  to  the  last 
roll  call  as  finally  to  make  it  impossible  to  muster  a  sufficient 
uum})er  at  the  post  headquarters  to  enable  them  to  hold  regular 


ST.  .TOHX'S   LrTHKKAX   (■Hri;(  II.   V1L.\I.\1; 


T^i-:  !sE'''  V^'"^v 


S  4STOR..    LfNC« 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  437 

meetings.  No  regular  meetings  have  been  held  for  a  number  of 
years  past.  The  present  nieuibership  is  about  ten.  The  com- 
mander is  Greorge  M.  Dopking;  adjutant,  L.  J.  Rogers. 

VALLEY  KING  CAMP,  NO.  2419,  M.  W.  A. 

The  only  other  active  fraternal  organization  in  Allison  is  that 
of  the  Modern  Woodmen.  This  organization  was  first  formed  in 
June,  1894,  and  has  since  that  date  maintained  a  continuous 
existence. 

The  present  of&eers  are:  Geo.  A.  Bfuerkle,  V.  C. ;  F.  J.  Ray, 
secretary. 

FINANCIAL  INSTITUTIONS 

The  first  bank  in  Allison  was  a  private  concern,  organized  by 
X.  B.  Ridgeway,  Jeremiah  Perrin  and  A.  Slimmer,  in  1881.  Isaac 
E.  Lucas  Avas  the  first  cashier,  and  continued  in  this  position  until 
the  spring  of  1882.  At  that  time  W.  A.  Lathrop  and  John  W. 
Ray,  whose  term  as  county  treasurer  had  just  expired,  became 
associated  with  the  institution.  The  firm  name  was  changed  to 
Lathrop,  Perrin  &  Company.  R.  E.  Lucas  retired  as  cashier  and 
J.  W.  Ray  took  up  the  duties  of  that  position.  The  Bank  of 
Allison,  when  it  first  started  in  business,  was  cajntalized  at 
$15,000.  Under  the  change  last  mentioned  the  capitalization  was 
$25,00(1. 

This  partnership  continued  until  the  death  of  N.  B.  Ridge- 
way, at  which  time  his  interests  were  acquired  from  the  estate  by 
the  surviving  partner.  A  few  years  later  W.  A.  Lathrop  Avith- 
drew  from  the  firm  and  started  a  private  bank  in  the  building 
now  occupied  by  Lincoln's  liarl)er  shop.  Later  the  home  of  the 
bank  was  removed  to  the  Iniilding  now  occupied  by  the  postoffice. 
This  was  in  1892.  Associat(^d  with  Mr.  Lathrop  were  S.  X.  Good- 
hue, George  W.  Wild  and  1.  M.  Fisher,  who  assmned  the  name  of 
the  Citizens  Bank  for  the  institution,  and  the  firm  name  of 
Lathro]),  Goodhue  &  Company.  This  concern  continued  in  opera- 
tion about  three  years,  when  it  was  sold  to  the  Ray  Banking 
Company.  It  should  here  be  mentioned  that  during  the  exist- 
ence of  the  Citizens  Bank  Herman  F.  Wild  was  its  cashier. 

After  the  retirement  of  ^Ir.  Latlu-oj)  from  the  Bank  of  Allison, 
the  firm  name  became  Slimmer.   Perrin  &  Company.     J.  W.   Ray 


438  HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY 

I'emaiiied  as  cashier  and  aetive  manager  until  new  arrangements 
became  necessarj-  b}'  the  dissolution  of  the  partnership,  when 
the  finn  name  was  changed  to  that  of  J.  W.  Ray  &  Sons.  This 
partnership  continued  initil  the  year  1901,  when  the  members  of 
the  firm  incorporated  as  the  State  Bank  of  Allison,  with  a  paid-up 
capital  of  $50,000  and  a  surplus  of  $10,000.  The  first  officijils 
were:  J.  W.  Ray,  president;  W.  F.  Ray,  vice  president;  F.  J.  Ray, 
cashier;  H.  F.  Wild,  assistant  cashier.  Upon  the  death  of  J.  \V. 
Ray,  on  September  7,  1907,  W.  F.  Ray  was  elected  his  successor 
as  president;  II.  F.  Wild,  vice  president;  antl  F.  J.  Ray,  cashier. 
This  is  the  present  personnel  of  the  official  staff,  with  the  excep- 
tion of  the  addition  to  it  of  Ernest  Speedy,  who  was  appointed 
assistant  cashier  in  November,  1912.  The  capital  stock  is  $50,000; 
surplus  and  undivided  profits,  $12,0()n;  deposits  as  shown  by  the 
last  statement,  $450,000. 

When  the  parent  bank  first  began  doing  business  m  Allison 
it  made  its  home  in  a  little  frame  liTiilding,  afterwards  used  by 
the  Citizens  l^ank,  and  now  occupied  liy  the  ])ostoffice.  From 
this  building  the  liank  moved  into  another  little  frame  structure, 
which  stands  immediately  north  of  the  New  Allison  Hotel.  This 
was  the  home  of  the  institution  until  1892,  when  the  present 
bank  building,  a  two-story  brick  structure,  was  built  and  occu- 
pied. 

The  Farmers  Savings  Bank  was  organized  in  1902,  with  a 
paid-up  capital  of  $25,000.  It  had  for  its  first  officials:  N.  B. 
Baldwin,  president;  J.  C.  Carter,  vice  president;  L.  E.  Bourquin, 
cashier;  A.  L.  Peterson,  assistant  cashier.  The  latter  retired  in 
1904,  and  was  succeeded  by  H.  Folken.  Mr.  Baldwin  was  super- 
seded in  the  smnmer  of  1904  in  the  presidency  by  J.  C.  Carter,  at 
which  time  W.  R.  Jamison  was  elected  vice  president.  Mr.  Bour- 
quin continued  as  cashier  until  the  spring  of  1906,  when  H. 
Folken  assumed  the  duties  of  that  i)Osition  and  Edward  Marlow 
became  his  assistant.  Marlow  was  succeeded  by  Ernest  Speedy 
in  1907.  In  October,  1912,  the  stockholders  voted  in  favor  of 
going  into  voluntary  liquidation.  The  assets  of  the  bank,  includ- 
ing a  modern,  two-story,  brick  building,  were  taken  over  by  the 
State  Bank  of  Allison.  Subsequently,  the  building  was  sold  to 
Leo  A.  Spengler,  who  now  occupies  the  business  room  as  a  drug 
store. 


HISTORY  OF  BUTLER  COUNTY  439 

POSTOFFICE 

The  i^ostoffice  was  established  here  in  the  winter  of  1879-80, 
and  was  kept  at  the  depot.  J.  M.  Daggett,  father  of  the  station 
agent,  Harry  Daggett,  was  the  postmaster.  The  office  was 
I'emoved  to  the  Williams  building,  diagonally  opposite  to  Bur- 
bank's  corner  building,  in  May,  1881.  On  the  1st  of  NoA^ember, 
of  that  year,  E.  S.  Thomas  was  ap]3ointed  to  preside  over  the  office 
and  removed  it  into  the  old  office  of  the  clerk  of  the  court. 

With  the  advent  of  a  democratic  administration,  in  1885,  S. 
W.  Burroughs  was  aj^pointed  postmaster  and  the  office  moved  to 
his  drug  store  on  the  east  side  of  Main  street.  Mr.  Burroughs  also 
served  as  postmaster  during  Cleveland's  second  term.  W.  J.  Bur- 
bank  was  postmaster  during  the  Harrison  administration.  At 
the  conclusion  of  S.  W.  Burroughs'  second  term  of  office,  G.  Haz- 
let  succeeded  him.  His  successors  in  order  are:  L.  J.  Rogers,  J. 
H.  Hunt  and  the  present  incmnbent,  Andrew  MuUarky,  who  was 
appointed  by  President  Woodrow  Wilson,  and  is  the  second  demo- 
crat to  hold  this  office  in  Allison.  Since  the  appointment  of  L.  J. 
Rogers  the  postoffice  has  been  located  in  the  old  bank  building  on 
the  east  side  of  Main  street. 


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