HISTORY: Townships, 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 HARDIN TOWNSHIP. The above-named township was surveyed during the winter of 1852-'53, by Samuel T. Caldwell, and the area thus described divided into sections. It was named after Mr. Hardin, who was one of the earliest settlers of the county, locating on the creek bearing his name. It borders on Grant township on the north and the north line of Jefferson marks its south boundary line, in part. In the character of its soil and in general desirable topography it ranks as one of the best townships in the county. its nearness to the county-seat has been an argument against the formation of a village within its borders, all roads leading to Jefferson. In the early days, these highways were not first class, a fact easily proved by a host of witnesses, but graveled roads have put a new front on the matter of travel and moving the products of the farms. The population is entirely agricultural—farmers of the well-to-do class. Schools are well maintained, there being the usual nine districts in the county. It has given to the cause of county government four members of the board of supervisors: George M. Elliott, William Allinson, Levi Stockwell and Thomas Calvert, all deceased except the last named. Politically, it has been evenly divided, with an inclining late years to a republican majority. Two sunday schools are maintained in the township, but only one church called MT. HOREB M.E. CHURCH.— This was organized in 1876, by Rev. J.A. Stevens, with a membership of twelve. The first official board was A.B. Eicher, George Bowley and William Bussey, all of whom are now residents of Jefferson. A neat and commodious church was erected in the summer of 1881, on a gentle elevation called Mt. Horeb, four miles due north of Jefferson, and was dedicated on the 11th of September, 1881, by the pastor, Rev. J. A. Stevens. Its cost was $1,250. Soon after a series of horsesheds were built, to the special credit of the worshippers. During the quarter of a century since its erection, the church building has been kept in excellent repair. The pastors since its organization have been: Rev. J.A. Stevens, C.W. Posten, A. G. Foreman, J.W. Eckles, L.W. Archer, Joshua Juster, Horace Foote, C. Anderson, A. Ostrander, C. Fawcett, F. Dunn, J.F. Hunter, R.W. Tennant, William Cox, L.K. Billingsley, J.A. King, A.M. Elliott, H. Koontz, D.J. McKay and J. Nichol, who is the present pastor in charge. The membership is forty. An excellent Sunday school is and has been maintained during the entire history of the church. The organization has suffered serious loss in its membership by death and removals. Value of church property, about $1,500. GRANT TOWNSHIP. This township was named after General U. S. Grant, as a mark of honor and respect to one of the greatest soldiers the world has ever known. It is nearly bisected by the Raccoon river, which runs diagonally through it from northwest to southeast. Quite a large per cent of its territory is bluffy and broken, the contribution made to the river, and in addition the site of the city of Jefferson was captured from Grant—Grant usually did the capturing—so that in the matter of prairie acreage, it possesses less than any other township in the county. Its area is thickly populated, however, and the river bottom farms are great crop producers. The chief early day industry of the township was the Jefferson Roller Mills, and it was a large factor in enhancing the prosperity of Jefferson, as it brought patrons here whose homes were fifty miles distant, with their big loads of grain to be ground for family use. Under the ownership of Harrington, Moorhouse & Milligan, for nearly a score of years, this mill had a tremendous traffic. There is no village in the township, owing to its close relations with the county seat but there are two rural churches: "The Centennial" Methodist Episcopal, built in the early 80's, and "The 20th Century" Presbyterian, which was born about 1900. They are both offshoots of the Jefferson churches whose denominational names they wear. Since the era of good roads, it is more difficult to keep up the organizations, as the temptation is strong to worship in the city churches. One of the leading thoroughfares out of Jefferson is called the Panora road, which is graveled well toward the southern limits of the county. The schools of the township are well maintained, but the attendance is small. Grant has more water courses than any other township in the county, taking size into account. FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP. At first thought it would be fair to presume that this township was named after the great statesman, philosopher, scientist and printer, Benjamin Franklin. Not so, however, but rather after a family by that name who were among the earliest settlers in the county, the parents of F. M. Franklin, a long-time business man of this city, and J. B. Franklin, who spent nearly his entire life in the township that bore his name. In the early settlement of the county, and, in fact, up to within the past few years, there was a considerable extent of low, wet land in the township, most of which has been reclaimed by drainage, so it now boasts of having some of the choicest farms in the corn belt. The "Milwaukee" railway runs pretty nearly through the center of the town from north to south, and the southern border of the township is within three miles of the main east and west line of the "Milwaukee" railway. It contains a small village, Cooper, of which mention is elsewhere made. Only one rural church within its borders, St. Mary's Catholic, southeast of Cooper. GREENBRIER TOWNSHIP. This six miles square of land lies west of Franklin township; is considered good territory, and the farmers are prosperous. No attempt has been made to start a town within its limits, and it divides its trade with Jefferson and Bagley. Only one church has been erected in Greenbrier, the Methodist Episcopal structure, located in the exact center of the township. This was built about twelve years ago and has maintained regular services and a good Sunday school. The future historian may make a different report. Greenbrier creek passes through the township diagonally, a drainage basin for quite a large section of country. Greenbrier township has one farmer who is able to make a unique claim in that it can be made by no other land owner in the county, and that is, he holds his title direct from the government. He entered the land and still lives on it—Nathan Harrymount. WILLOW TOWNSHIP. This township has never been much in evidence, save as being peopled with a frugal, industrious, law-abiding class of citizens. It boasts of no village, and there is not a church within its limits, for, with Scranton on the north and Bayard and Coon rapids within easy reach on the south, its needs as regards merchandise and worship are all met. There was originally much wet land in Willow, but it has been well redeemed through drainage. They have Rooseveltian families in this township. A few years ago a stranger was traversing one of the roads at dusk. Coveting a place to stay all night, he selected a moderate-sized house on the supposition that as there was no commotion about the premises, the parents just about constituted the family circle. Of course, he could stay; that's Willow township hospitality. On being ushered into the "inner circle" he found a father, mother, eleven children and a grandmother. Not a bad prairie outfit. A terrible accident befel a Mr. Alexander Duff and daughter some ten years ago which cost the lives of both. He was returning from town in a cutter, and as a storm was raging when he crossed the railway track, he failed to see the approaching train until too late to escape. The occupants of the sleigh and the horses were instantly killed. JACKSON TOWNSHIP. Was named after Andrew Jackson, the great democratic president, who was noted for his fixed principles and bluff methods, and the rugged, hilly conditions in the north end of the township—the valley of the 'Coon river—is in harmony with the character of its illustrious namesake. in the early days the Wrights, the Morlans, the Cloptons, the Flecks, and a small host of other pioneers settled along the river, either in the valley or on the uplands, and the living men and women who thus occupied these choice locations are still in possession of the same, The venerable Isaac Clopton has occupied his farm, three miles west of Jefferson, for more than fifty years, and has been pretty nearly an every-day resident all that time. Ervin Wright can tell a similar story, with a few years cut off at the rear end. two mill sites were discovered in the 70's upon which flouring mills were erected, to the great convenience of the farmers, who had been obliged to go to Panora with their grists, and at an earlier period to Des Moines. These were Fleck's mills, near the extreme north line of the township, and the Eureka mill, a scant two miles due west of Jefferson, on the main Scranton road. When the raising of wheat as a general agricultural commodity was abandoned by the farmer, the profit and the glory of these mills departed, and now there is scarcely a ripple in the waters of the 'Coon to mark the place where the breadstuffs were prepared. They went out of commission in the late 80's, and the buildings were torn down and converted to other uses, and the machinery went into the scrap heap. It is said that a bitter feud arose among the people of Jackson township when the country was quite new that no social influence was able to allay. Even relatives "let each other violently alone," so intense was the feeling. A man in the neighborhood by the name of Shoemaker, who lived with Benjamin Howover, was of the opinion that something might be done in a religious way to cure the ill-feeling. He talked the matter over and it was decided to hold a meeting at the Clopton school house, to which the entire settlement was urged to come, especially the heads of families. The community was largely Baptist, so it was arranged that Erwin King was to drive out with Rev. Heagle, then pastor of the Jefferson Baptist church. A full house greeted the man who brought a message of forgiveness founded on grace and love. He gave them some plain talk and appealed to their Christian professions, to which they were doing personal violence by their every-day ill will. It was seed on good ground and a "melting" time was had, tears were shed, confessions were made, numberless old snags of bitterness cast out and a real love feast enjoyed. The result was a series of meetings which grew in attendance and interest until the school house would not hold the attendants, and they were continued at Jefferson, followed by a great revival. A number of converts were baptized in the 'Coon river in January, and the winter of 1875 is said to have been one of the coldest on record. In this connection it is fitting to say that there are two churches in the township, Highland Church of Christ, at the north end, which has been built for thirty years, with Rev. Ervin Wright preaching every two weeks, and Bethlehem Church of Christ, erected in 1900. It is located two miles south of the center of the town, on the open prairie, Rev. D.S. Thompson, pastor. It cost $1,250. The membership is about thirty. A good Sunday school is maintained, with Orley Smith as superintendent. Agriculturally speaking, Jackson township has a great many good farms and many progressive farmers. KENDRICK TOWNSHIP. This tract of somewhat broken, uneven land lies north of Scranton, and, like Grant township, is cut in twain obliquely by the 'Coon river, which reduces its available acreage for tillage materially. The bluffs are well wooded and when cleared make good pasturages. In the beginning of things, the bottom lands abounded in fine timber, black walnut being a plentiful commodity. Having no idea of the commercial value of the product in later years, of course it was destroyed. On either side of the river are some of the finest farms in the county and many of the most prosperous farmers. This section was accounted splendid trapping territory a third of a century ago, and even since that date the revenue from fur-bearing animals has been quite large. A mill was one of the great benefits to the pioneer folk, but a guide would now be needed to discover the old site. Patent flour and the raising of poor wheat pushed the mill into the long list of the "has beens." Three churches exist in a useful way in the township, the Baptist on the east side of the river and the Friends and The United Brethren churches, over west. There is not a trace of a business center in the township, not even a store. the trade of the people goes to Scranton, Farlin, Churdan and Jefferson, and they are a well-to-do, contented community. The Chicago & Northwestern Railway passes through the southwest corner of the township. KENDRICK BAPTIST CHURCH was organized January 2, 1877, with the following charter members: Dr. and Mrs. J.P. Miller, Mr. and Mrs. R.J. Nighswonger, Mr. and Mrs. D.B. Anderson, S.M. Groves and G.W. Short. It is located on the east side of 'Coon river. The church building was erected in the year 1889, and was dedicated with impressive ceremonies the first Sunday of January, 1890. The number of members at present is sixty-four. The following have served as pastors of this church: Revs. A. Shimel, O.W. Catlin, J. Carter, L. Lovelace, Rev. Brown, Rev. Thomas, Rev. Gallagher, Rev. Staring, W.H. Sturtevant, S.C. Enos, M.H. Sayre, E.M. Rex, C.W. Heady. A wide-awake Sunday school is maintained by the church. S.C. Grove is the clerk. CEDAR TOWNSHIP. This township occupies the extreme northwestern section of Greene county, and is one of a quartette of townships not invaded by railways, the others being Dawson, Greenbrier and Willow. Two railways, the Chicago Great Western and the Milwaukee almost touch the limits of Cedar and nearby towns afford good markets, so it has no commercial center of its own. 'Coon River, by a seemingly unnecessary bend, touches the southern part, but it is chiefly drained by Cedar creek, which comes in from Calhoun county and is a tributary of the 'Coon. Only one church in the township, the Catholic, which has a large congregation and is one of the strong churches in the county. The cemetery connected with the church is probably the largest rural burial ground in the county. "Cedar" has quite an acreage of wet land that is being slowly reclaimed, and is a good farming township. Many of the farms are unusually large, Joseph and Thomas Toyne owning and cultivating about 1,200 acres each. The Gowers, Mackeys and Careys have large possessions. Like most of the townships of Greene county Cedar has nothing startling to put on record of historical significance. It is a region of comfortable homes and prosperous inmates. DAWSON TOWNSHIP. This important grand division in the Greene county domain is one of the newer townships and was named after Dawson, an early settler and prominent citizen. It is one of the north tier of townships, lying between Paton township on the east and Highland on the west; has railroads on three sides, all outside of its boundaries. Having no village of its own, the trade of its people goes to Jefferson, Paton, Churdan and Farhamville, a town just over the line in Calhoun county. "Dawson" originally had more than its just proportion of wet land, and the early day roads were of the bottomless sort during the spring and fall season, but drainage has lifted the farms out of the mud and made travel a pleasure. Some large families have been raised in this township. One man with twelve children was explaining how himself and flock "made ends meet" all right by saying that himself, wife and all the children were contributors to the general good—they worked. The Benjamin of the group, a bright three-year-old, said: "Yes, sir; I tan pit up chips." History points out that such a spirit as that compels success. One of the fine characters Dawson sheltered for many years was Dr. E.S. Woody, a loyal disciple of the Friends church, and he was broad enough to be everybody's friend. He was a great worker in the Sabbath school realm and for years was the president of the County S.S. Association. He was a "sunshine" man, who carried the fruits of his religion in his face and his presence in a sick room was better than medicine. There is only one church in the township and that deserves special mention. In the spring of 1879 the first family of Friends settled in the vicinity, Clayton and Phebe Brown and four children. In August, 1880, Rev. William Roberts, his wife, Elizabeth, with two married sons and their wives and three minor children came from Richmond, Indiana, and settled in the township. A schoolhouse was erected that year, and the second Sabbath after its completion the first Friends' meeting was held within its walls, the first of the denomination ever held in the county. Services have been regularly maintained ever since. other families of the same faith came in, and in 1882 the sect was strong enough to establish a monthly meeting. In the middle 80's a handsome church building was erected and large congregations were gathered under the ministrations of Rev. William Roberts, who was the pastor for years. One feature of the church edifice worthy of note was the infant room as an annex, where the babies were made at home, so the mothers could attend the services. Mrs. Sisson, who has been pastor for some time, resigned this fall.