HISTORY: Adaza, Greene County, Iowa ************************************************************************ USGENWEB ARCHIVES PROJECT NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. http://www.usgwarchives.net/ ************************************************************************ The USGenWeb Archives provide genealogical and historical data to the general public without fee or charge of any kind. It is intended that this material not be used in a commercial manner. All submissions become part of the permanent collection. Submitted by Deb December 2002 Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ________________________________________________________ NOTE: For more information on Greene County, Iowa Please visit the Greene County, IAGenWeb page at http://iagenweb.org/greene/ ________________________________________________________ This is from the book "Past and Present of Greene County, Iowa" by E. B. Stillman, 1907 ADAZA. The picturesque village of Adaza has a history unique it itself. It is here, not as a result of a plan thought out in the mind of its founders, but like Topsy of old, it just "growed." Upon the completion of the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific Railway to Lohrville, in 1881, that company put in a stub track at Cottonwood for the purpose of accommodating farmers who desired to have a close market for their grain, and the McFarlin, Regur, Bowen Company built a small office, where, in season, Walter Reynolds was sent from Churdan to buy grain. Never was there any idea of building a town, and the railroad company would not recognize the place sufficiently to give a waiting room or establish a station. Tradition says that the name was changed from "Cottonwood" to the name of "Adaza" by an expression credited to Captain Albert Head, on whose land the town is located. It is said that lat in the year 1882 the captain visited the place, and, stepping off the narrow gauge train and peering around at the crowd of curiosity seekers stationed along the track, he exclaimed, "Isn't it a daisy?" The name would not dismiss itself from the public mind, and soon it was known by the name of Adaza switch. On March 31, 1894, a miss came to gladden the home of Mr. and Mrs. Frank Andre -- the first birth in the town. The baby was named Adaza, and received a substantial gift from Captain Head. It was not until 1892 that any mercantile business was located here. In that year C. V. Olmstead erected a good-sized building and put in an up-to-date stock of general merchandise. During this year also a postoffice was established, with Mr. Olmstead as postmaster. In 1894 W. H. Rhegness, of Britt, Iowa, succeeded Mr. Olmstead in business and is still located in the same quarters. In 1896 H. C. Pearl came to this place from Farlin for the purpose of buying grain for W. M. Kearney & Co., of Linden. Through his influence Mr. Kearney was induced to build a grain elevator, the first in the town. In 1898 Mr. Kearney disposed of his grain business to Pease Bros., of Des Moines, who were at that time buying a line of elevators. At this time Mr. Pearl built an elevator across that highway from the Pease Bros. establishment, intending to embark in the business for himself, but the inducements offered by the McFarlin Company were too good for him to resist, and his elevator was sold to them on completion, and he was employed by the Pease Bros. Elevators of large capacity are now operated by Neola Elevator Company and Wright & McWhinney, and the station is credited with shipping an average of a car of grain daily the year around. Upon removal of Mr. Pearl to Adaza, the railroad company established a telegraph office in his grain office, he having been railroad agent at Farlin, but no station records were kept until the following year. It was with great difficulty that the company was induced to build a suitable depot, but the matter was agitated continually and in 1899 the present well arranged and roomy depot was built, and Mr. Pearl installed as agent, still retaining the grain business. He continues in the former capacity at this time. In 1892 through the solicitations of C. H. Freeman, of Minneapolis, the farmers of the vicinity raised subscription and equipped a creamery plant costing $5,250 aside from the lots. The company, under management of M. M. Reading as secretary, transacted a splendid business, but owing to the dishonorable settlement by the construction company, which was made evident after the farmers had supposed they were undisputed owners of the plant, disheartened many. The matter was carried from court to court at expense of the stockholders and finally decided in favor of the construction company by the supreme court. This, coupled with the stringent money market that followed and the fact that several shipments of butter were consigned to an insolvent firm at New York, was too much dissatisfied company and the plant was sold to Andrew Wood Company of Rockwell City. Cheap transportation rates for cream is an important factor in weakening the country creamery business and no one seems disposed to operate in face of these conditions. J. H. Roberts was the first man to embark in the blacksmith business. He has passed to his reward and has been followed by William Barker, M. L. Poore, Frank Roberts, Nick Rodius, W. H. Holmes and "Doc" Brewer. The first man to venture in the hotel business was J. C. Marble who put up a commendable building for a small town and since then, 1901, has enjoyed a liberal patronage. Some year ago C. J. Martin and L. C. Cory, of Churdan, erected a bank building and established the Farmers Bank, with Mr. Cory as cashier. During the time Mr. Cory had charge of the bank a prosperous and satisfactory business was maintained, but he suddenly died and the administrators of his estate thought it wise to close up the business. The following persons have been engaged in the mercantile business: C. V. Olmstead, W. H. Rhegness, G. A. Secord, B. F. Sutherland, W. H. Dudley, F. O. Gillette, L. R. Fitz. The grain buyers have been: C. V. Olmstead, Nathan Ellsworth, H. C. Pearl, Frank Andre, R. H. Thomas. Those at present representing the business of the town, are: W. H. Rhegness, general merchandise; L. R. Fitz, hardware and implements; J. C. Marble, hotel and restaurant; Frank Andre, grain, postmaster and stationery; A. H. Brewer, blacksmith; H. C. Pearl, station agent; R. H. Thomas, grain; J. A. Pulley is carrier on the one rural mail route from this place. The village is under township organization (Highland), but the matter of incorporating is being agitated in order to secure improvement of streets and sidewalks. Being peopled with law abiding citizens the town has felt little need of the guardian care of officers of the law. A CYCLONE AND ITS WORK. On the evening of May 1, 1902, a destructive cyclone passed about two miles north of the village. It struck the earth near the line of the Chicago, Milwaukee and St. Paul Railway about one and one-half miles north of the town, completely demolishing the large barn on the farm of Charles Weimer, occupied by Ray Minor, removing the house from the foundation, breaking the windows and filling the interior with mud it had gathered from the sloughs and plowed ground over which it traveled. Crossing the highway to the northeast it did great damage to the residence on the farm of West Brothers, occupied by V. Tremper. The house remained on the foundation but shingles were removed from the roof as by a delicate hand, winders were caved in and house filled with mud. Not another building was left standing on the premises. Turning to a direction more northeasterly the home of H. H. Minor lay in its path. The family were in the house preparing to go to the cave for safety. The scene beggars description! Not a board was left standing on the premises. Little trace of the house was found. Roy, a boy of about twelve years, was lifted high into the air and carefully let down, escaping without the slightest injury. He scrambled through the darkness to the home of a neighbor and by use of lanterns a search was made for the remaining members of the family. The parents were found near where the house stood, both having sustained such injuries that it was necessary for them to be carried to the home of L. R. Fitz where willing hands ministered to their needs. Two boys, Oscar and Harold, were found under the edge of the manger in front of the horses, in a semi-consious state. The upright posts of the manger were left standing, being set deep in the ground and horses found in their places but all the barn was missing. How the family got out of the house alive, when it was so literally torn to kindling wood is beyond conjecture. Leaving the Minor farm the storm traveled still northeast taking the school house just east of the Minor premises, and scattering it as dust for a mile or more. The only other cluster of buildings struck was the farm buildings on the Miller land occupied by William Hoyle. The house was overturned and damages beyond repair. The family of Mr. Hoyle had warning of the approaching storm and had taken refuge in a cave. Great consternation was caused by this visitation, partially due to the fact that the scene of its destruction was lass than forty miles from Pomeroy, where only a few years previous a cyclone had made of the town a ruin that was simply appalling, and as a result of which nearly three score people lost their lives. THE CHURCH OF CHRIST. The Adaza Church of Christ is the outgrowth of a Young Peoples Society of Christian Endeavor, organized at the schoolhouse by Harry C. Pearl, who came hither from Farlin during the summer of 1896. Not long after the organization of the young people's society Brother L. E. Huntley, pastor of the church at Farlin, began conducting services at the schoolhouse and in the following summer held a short tent meeting in the school yard. In 1897 Rev. Huntley effected a temporary organization and continued to minister to the congregation, driving eleven miles to the field, through all the discomforts of winter travel, to the close of the year 1898. The organization was pastorless for nearly two years, when Rev. Frank Parish came to take up the work, and on the 11th of February, 1901, a church was organized with twenty-nine members under the most inspiring auspices. He rendered splendid service in raising funds for building a church, but it was given to brother W. B. Golden, who commenced his labors in September, 1901, to superintend the building of the edifice, 36x40 in size, seated with opera chairs, heated by furnace, completed at a cost of $3,500. The structure was dedicated January 19, 1902, amid great rejoicing, it being the first building for general meeting purposes in the village. Byron E. Youtz succeeded W. B. Golden as a successful minister, and was followed by J. L. Wilkinson, who served from 1904 to the present summer. A vigorous bible school is regularly maintained. This school was superintended in its early days by Mrs. H. H. Minor, who was so severely injured in the cyclone of May 1, 1902, which passed about two miles north of Adaza, that her life was despaired of for many weeks. Her health was finally restored, and she is still the leader in Sunday school work. A "Beream" class, with H. C. Pearl as teacher, has been in successful service for nearly a year and the Endeavor Society is conducting religious services for the church when no minister is present. The officers of the church at present are: Elders, W. D. Simons, H. E. Secrist, and H. C. Pearl; deacons, Homer Canady, Herman Collins, Z. L. Kinyon, Ralph Baldridge and Floyd Safety; clerk, Miss Eva Corl; treasurer, H. C. Pearl; trustees, H. H. Minor, W. H. Kinyon and H. C. Pearl. The present membership is one hundred and four. THE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. The first services of this organization were held in the home of Thomas Pulley, by Rev. Will Lacon in the fall of 1869, continuing at intervals of four weeks throughout the winter. In the spring of 1870 the first revival was held in the home of James Shannon, by Rev. Doran, of Boone, assisted by Mrs. Powers, of near Scranton, and in which great interest was manifest. In the summer of 1870 what was known as the Riggle schoolhouse was built (since known as Vernon), and meetings were then held there, and a class organized. The charter members were Thomas Pulley and wife, James Shannon and wife, M. P. McCrady and wife, I. W. Riggle and wife and others, the record of which has not been preserved. These moved steadily onward under the leadership of John Carney, Rev. Colter, David and Edward Carney, Rev. Chase of the United Brethren Church, and Rev. Snyder, whose home was at Fort Dodge, and who came overland from there to Scranton and preached at the schoolhouse on his return home. The first regular pastor sent out by the Des Moines Conference to this point was Joshua Jester, of Paton, who has been succeeded by Horace Foote, Charles Anderson, Leonard Archer, William Faucett, Rev. Ostrander, Frank Dunn, Robert Tenant, J. F. Hunter, William Cox, E. O. Douglass, Victor West, G. E. Reeder, and Charles Zimmerli, the present pastor. In the spring of 1902 the erection of the house of worship begun under pastorate of E. O. Douglas, which was completed and dedicated March 22, 1903, by W. T. Smith, of Ames, presiding elder of the Ames district. This structure was destroyed by fire of unknown origin on the night of January 6, 1907. A subscription paper was circulated for funds to add to the amount received from the insurance company to rebuild, and on the 21st of June the cornerstone was laid for the rebuilding of the church, which is nearing completion at this time. The society maintained a Sabbath school which was organized at Vernon schoolhouse in the spring of 1880 under leadership of Charles Mintern and wife, now dead, who made great sacrifices for the cause. They were succeeded in the superintendency by F. M. Trimble, James Pulley, Albert Coon, Minnie Nesbit, Thomas Green, Carrie Nesbit and Simon Gower. After the class moved to Adaza the Sunday school superintendents have been Mrs. E. E. Wherry, Mrs. Calvin Stream, George Earhardt, Mrs. J. H. Bortz, James Baldridge, who was in the office when the church was burned. The church officers are: Class leader, Thomas Green; trustees, Robert Nesbit, Lewis Rossow, J. H. Bortz, Thomas Green and Frank Andre; stewards, J. H. Balridge, Mrs. Frank Lindsey, Mrs. Mae Rossow, and Albert Hoyle. The new building is built of cement blocks, with small lecture room, and vestibule. It has a basement the entire size of church which will be fitted for furnace room and kitchen.