History of Linn County Iowa Part 57

After years of quiet and peaceful pursuits the mutterings of civil war began to be heard. The lowering clouds portending the storm made the heart of many a pioneer mother beat with anxiety as she felt that if it came she must lay a son on the altar.

Finally when the storm burst on the community Maine towns.h.i.+p was not backward in sending its quota of men, something like twenty of its best sons enlisting in the Twentieth Iowa, and others in the Sixteenth, the Twenty-fourth, and other scattered regiments.

With improved market facilities and the high prices of war times the farmers rapidly acc.u.mulated a competence.

The war over, the soldiers returned to peaceful pursuits, the young men of other states began to hunt up locations, and many of them found their way to Maine towns.h.i.+p.

Farms were rapidly opened up after 1865, and it was not many years until all the open prairie was turned, fenced, put to crops, homes built, and the whole face of the towns.h.i.+p changed to a busy, peaceful, and prosperous scene.

In its early days there was little chance or opportunity for religious gatherings. It was difficult to find ministers to conduct funerals, and church services were a long way apart, both in meeting places and appointment.

In 1854 a Methodist cla.s.s was established at Central City, then called Clarksford. In 1856 the Jordan's Grove Baptist church was organized, and in 1858 the Congregational church at Central City was established.

In 1855 the village of Waubeek was laid out, and for many years was a fine trading point. Its stores, together with its mill, did a fine business. It has one of the finest store buildings in Linn county.

In 1856 the village of Central City was surveyed, and the same year the dam was built across the river where it now stands.

In 1887 the Illinois Central railroad built a line from Manchester to Cedar Rapids, running it through Central City.

This little city, exactly half way between Manchester and Cedar Rapids, at once began to grow as soon as it was certain the railroad would be built.

This road was a great boon to the north part of Linn county, as before that Marion was its nearest market, and many had to haul their produce twenty miles to reach it.

Central City now has six hundred people. It has fourteen business houses, three churches, a solid bank, a fine school doing full twelve-grade work.

The post office is third cla.s.s, with four rural routes. It is the distributing point for freight for all the surrounding country, with large hog, cattle, hay, and grain buying facilities. It has two lumber yards, and from 1,200 to 2,000 tons of coal are s.h.i.+pped in here every year.

The village of Waubeek has no railroad and has made no advance for the past twenty years. It has four stores, post office, creamery, two churches, good schools, and fine stone quarries.

It is not necessary to enlarge on this history. It is doubtless a repet.i.tion of the history of many other towns.h.i.+ps, but we, its citizens, have a local pride in its beauty, its bounty, its prosperity, its boundless hospitality. No finer cattle, hogs, horses, sheep, and poultry can be found on the face of the earth than are raised in Maine towns.h.i.+p. The physical, moral, social, intellectual, and financial condition of the people is on a high plane, and shows a steady growth and development through all the years since the first settlement. Its people have laid aside the miserly habits made necessary by their early struggles, and there is literally nothing too good for them to have and enjoy. This prosperity is shown by the fine modern homes being built, or remodeled from the older ones, all over the towns.h.i.+p, with every modern convenience in the way of plumbing and heating, and furnished in the latest and best way. Commodious barns and outbuildings, tiling of wet places, and building of woven wire fences mark the advances of farm work, making every acre available for cultivation.

The bounteous crops, the high prices of all farm produce, the solid improvements being made, the phenomenal price of land--and it is still soaring--all mark a prosperous, happy, and contented people, loyal, honest, industrious, hospitable, ready always to entertain the stranger within the gates. Farm life no longer carries with it the dreary isolation and monotony of early pioneer life. The work is done with modern machinery. Telephones extend to every home in the towns.h.i.+p. Rural delivery takes the mail each morning to their doors, and the latest literature is found on their library tables. They are in touch with every phase of life.

The women no longer spin and weave, and then sew and knit, but buy ready made the best that is manufactured.

When the day's work is done they come to town in their automobiles, the women gowned in the latest fas.h.i.+ons, to enjoy an evening of social pleasure, engage in club work, society work, lodge work, and church work. The village of Waubeek has a ladies' improvement club, and they have built over a mile of fine cement sidewalk.

As one rides over the great state of Iowa and sees its flocks and herds, its fine homes, cities, towns, and villages, the bounteous crops, and notes the intelligence and contentment of its people, we are led with the red men of virgin days to exclaim "E-A-WAH," the beautiful land, and no fairer spot can be found in its broad domain than Maine towns.h.i.+p, of which we are all proud to be residents and citizens.

JACKSON TOWNs.h.i.+P

Jackson towns.h.i.+p is in the north tier of towns.h.i.+ps. It is bounded on the north by Buchanan county, on the east by Boulder towns.h.i.+p, on the south by Maine and on the west by Spring Grove towns.h.i.+ps. It is well watered by the Wapsie river as well as by Buffalo creek, both of which streams traverse parts of the ground called for political purposes Jackson towns.h.i.+p. The towns.h.i.+p is largely settled by Americans whose ancestors located on these verdant prairies in the forties and fifties.

The towns.h.i.+p is supposed to have been named by David Sutton, in honor of his patron saint Andrew Jackson. James Lytle came from Indiana and took up a claim here in 1841. He brought his wife who was a daughter of David Sutton, who located here in January, 1843, with a wife and nine children. The first white child born in the towns.h.i.+p was Frances, a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Lytle. Sam W. Justice came in 1845 and erected a house on ground where now is the town of Paris, which was staked out on the south bank of the Wapsie river on what is now sections 19 and 20, towns.h.i.+p 86, range 6. Sam Chamberlain opened the first store and established quite a trade, which later was shared by Rob. C. Powell, who erected a more complete store building and provided more pretentious quarters where he was besides store keeper the first postmaster. Dan McCrellis and Anos Bond located on lands on which this embryo town was started. Dave Long also saw fit to stop here in search of a home as early as 1848.

Miss Pethenia Gray taught the first school about a half a mile west of Paris in 1850. The first religious services were conducted by Rev.

Little at the home of Sam Justin. Jas. Nugent settled in section 12 in the northeastern part of the county in 1847 at what for many years was known as Nugent's Grove. Mr. Nugent was for many years justice, school director, towns.h.i.+p trustee, and held other offices. He was a leader of the republican party for many years and well known over the county. He died a number of years ago, the widow pa.s.sing away at an advanced age in the fall of 1910. S. D. Mills settled here with his family in 1853, followed the following spring by F. M. Philips who came from Illinois, but returned again and permanently located in the county three years later. The years from 1854-1857 were the most active in the matter of land purchase in this towns.h.i.+p. In 1854 came Wm. Henderson of Scotch descent from Canada with his family and located on lands a little to the west of the present town of Coggon. A large number of the descendants of this family are still large property owners and respected and enterprising citizens of this towns.h.i.+p. E. L. Ware, Henry Thorp, G. C. Edgerly and many others purchased lands and settled here during these years. John Bruce in 1858 during the hard times had the courage to erect a stone grist mill on Buffalo creek at the present site of Coggon and this property later came into the possession of Amos Green who operated the mill till 1876, when he erected a frame structure. This mill was much appreciated by the settlers and it was a busy place for many years. Up till the time of the Illinois Central railway extension in 1887, the place was known as Green's Mill, later called Nugent, after the postoffice, and then named Coggon. The first store at Green's Mill was run by John Bruce, who ran this in connection with his mill. The advent of railroads brought up the price of lands, markets were offered for grain and rents at once advanced and since that time the growth has been steady and healthful till Jackson towns.h.i.+p is not excelled by any other community in the state.

LINN TOWNs.h.i.+P

Linn towns.h.i.+p, in the southeastern part of the county, on account of its location was early settled by L. M. Kepler of Indiana, and G. A.

Yeisley of Pennsylvania, who came here as early as 1837. By 1840 a large number had located in the towns.h.i.+p, such as J. C. Goudy, Dan McCall, Isaac Kyle and Oliver Clark who had emigrated from Ohio, Benj.

Hoover, Alex Torrance, Jas. Varner, who had come from Pennsylvania; Chancy Neal, Geo. House, William Perkins and others from the eastern states. Sam Ellison had come from Ireland, and J. W. Walton from England. The descendants of many of these early settlers are still residents of the county, the owners of large farms, and of much personal property.

It was not until 1852-1857 that settlers came in any large numbers from the eastern states. Then nearly all the vacant lands which had not gotten into the hands of speculators were for the most part taken up and improved. Linn towns.h.i.+p was on the so-called Anamosa-Iowa City road, as well as on the Marion-Muscatine road, two of the early highways.

The towns.h.i.+p cannot boast of any towns with the exception of Paralta, which is only a junction point of the Milwaukee system. The residents trade at Mt. Vernon and Lisbon.

In this towns.h.i.+p can be found many descendants of the early settlers and even a few of the original pioneers. The Yeisley, Needles, Clark, Neal, Bussenbark, Ink, Leigh, Filloon, Ellison, Beechley, Chamberlain, Stinger, Paul, Remington, Lac.o.c.k, Stewart, Goudy, Boxwell, Kearns, Ballard, Travis, and other well known early families are still owners of valuable farms within the confines of the old towns.h.i.+p borders.

OTTER CREEK TOWNs.h.i.+P

Otter Creek towns.h.i.+p, containing thirty-six sections, situated nearly in the center of Linn county, has been considered one of the best farming communities in Iowa for years. The soil is excellent and there has always been plenty of water in the streams for cattle, which also affords good drainage for tilling purposes. During the last ten years nearly every acre of unproductive land has been reclaimed by a thorough system of drainage, so that now Otter Creek land sells at the top notch.

The first settler was William Chamberlain, who located in what later became Monroe towns.h.i.+p, in 1838. He is the father of the famous Chamberlain family who have made a fortune out of the patent medicine business in Des Moines. The children of William and Rachel Chamberlain were Davis and Lowell, and four daughters named Mrs. Mary Snyder, Mrs.

Laura Weeks, Mrs. Lucy A. Taylor, and Isanna L. Chamberlain.

Other early settlers might be mentioned as follows: John Cochran, George Cochran, Alexander Nevin, James Hemphill, William Ward, Nate Reynolds, who came in the early '40s. Caleb Hendrix came, it is thought, in 1838. Of him, it is said by John Lanning, that old Caleb used to say that he made a claim and spread his tent on what became Cedar Rapids, but that a lot of bloodthirsty and ferocious Indians camped on the other side of the river and by their acts and grimaces and the noise they made Caleb sized up the situation that this was a case where it would be better to be a live coward than a dead hero and he pulled up stakes and removed further north, going to a number of places before he settled in Otter Creek towns.h.i.+p, where he finally decided to make his home. Mr. Hendrix married a daughter of James Hemphill in 1845 and for many years was a pillar in the Methodist church and an enthusiastic Sunday school worker.

Among other early settlers might be mentioned Perry Oliphant and his wife Susanna, as well as his sons Silas, Edward, John, William, and Henry, and his daughters Lizzie, Mary, and Rillar. These came in 1839 or 1840. Another of the old, well respected families who came here in the early '40s was the Neighbors. John Nevins erected the first saw mill in 1845 near what later became the village of Lafayette. This mill was later owned by John Yambert, James Greene, and A. Brenaman, still later it came into the possession of Fred Notebohn, who added a grist mill, and when the water gave out it was run by steam.

Other of the old settlers were James Wallace, Alfred Thomas, William and Samuel Fleming, the Mounces, Seversons, Pences, Fishels, Browns, Fees, Jackmans, Taylors, Chesmores, Hollenbecks, Andrews, Martins, Metcalfs, and many others.

One of the first stores kept was in the fall of 1847 when Morris Neighbor opened a small place in what was known as s.h.i.+ngle Town. This name, it is said, came about for the reason that clapboards were made in this vicinity.

John Carr, having married Neighbor's sister, also lived here for some time. The postoffice for Otter Creek towns.h.i.+p was moved around among the old settlers from time to time and was kept, of course, in the farm houses. William Hunt seems to have been the first postmaster. The office was afterwards removed and the postmasters.h.i.+p held by Perry Oliphant, and later again removed, with Richard Lanning in charge.

During the Civil war the postoffice was conducted by Yambert, Polley, and Moller. It was around the postoffice and country store that politics were discussed and news of the neighborhood commented upon, and it was also here that the pioneer settlers became acquainted and friends.h.i.+ps were formed which continued through life. For this reason, no doubt, the country postoffice and the country store did much in an early day to lessen the hards.h.i.+ps in pioneer life.

Otter Creek towns.h.i.+p was early visited by itinerary ministers, and as early as 1853 a Christian church was organized. William Kalb, John Yambert, and others being some of the first evangelical preachers in this part of the county. One of the first county meetings of this church was held at the home of George Cochran as early as 1859. The Evangelical church was later organized in this towns.h.i.+p and some of the early ministers in this denomination were Rev. Borchart, Rev. Maerz, Rev. Gerhart, Rev. Mayne, Rev. Brecher.

COLLEGE TOWNs.h.i.+P

College towns.h.i.+p is situated in the southern tier of towns.h.i.+ps in the county, the southern boundary being the county line between Johnson and Linn counties, while on the east and west respectively are Fairfax and Putnam towns.h.i.+ps. College towns.h.i.+p is well watered and well drained by several water courses, the princ.i.p.al ones being the Cedar river, Hoosier creek, and Prairie creek. It contains no towns of any size but most of its traffic is now conducted by the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City electric line running from Cedar Rapids to Iowa City. Much of the cream, milk and other products of the farm are s.h.i.+pped daily over this line to Cedar Rapids; since the construction of this line land in College towns.h.i.+p has gone up in price and the beautiful farm houses, magnificent and well tilled fields speak well for the population of this part of the county.

Some of the old settlers of College towns.h.i.+p are the following: Isaac Smith, Phillip Smith, Dr. J. H. Smith, James Smith, and others of the Smith family who came here in the early '50s. During the next few years came John Lagore, Joseph Custer, Jacob Inbody, the Garnett family, Thomas Philipson, Horn, Henry Rogers, Fritz family, James Snyder, W. F.

Minor, Joshua Minor, Sam Minor, the Bakers, and many others.

One of the first Baptist churches was erected at Rogers Grove, and a large number of the early settlers in this community belonged to that denomination.

SPRING GROVE TOWNs.h.i.+P

BY A. W. FISHER

Spring Grove towns.h.i.+p is situated in the northern tier of towns.h.i.+ps in Linn county. It is bordered on the north by Newton towns.h.i.+p, Buchanan county, on the east by Jackson, on the south by Otter Creek, and on the west by Grant. The land is generally an undulating prairie excepting a strip about two miles wide beginning at the northwest corner of the towns.h.i.+p in section six, and extending in a southeasterly direction to section twenty-four on the east side of the towns.h.i.+p, through which the Wapsipinicon river flows. The land near the river on both sides is not only hilly, but consists of a light sandy soil, and was almost covered with a heavy growth of timber in the early pioneer days. Back from the river about one mile the land is prairie and has a deep black loam.

The early settlements of Spring Grove towns.h.i.+p were connected with the settlements in the neighboring towns.h.i.+ps, and divided themselves into three groups. The first one was on the north side of the Wapsipinicon river, while another settlement was made in the southeastern part of the towns.h.i.+p in what is called West Prairie, and the third settlement was in the western part of the towns.h.i.+p. The earliest settlers located along the Wapsipinicon river where the soil is of a poorer quality than it was on the open prairie. The reason for their choice was to secure timber for their buildings and for fuel. In a few cases the settlers were grouped around springs that furnished them with water.