History of Howard County, Iowa

Excerpts from the "The History of Iowa", by Benjamin F. Gue. Copyright 1903
Transcribed by Sue Soden .

Copyright © 1998 by Sue Soden.

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HOWARD COUNTY, IOWA
1816 created and later became Missouri Territory
1851 recreated
1855 organized
COUNTY SEAT: Cresco
PARENT COUNTIES: Fayette & Chickasaw

Howard County lies in the third tier of the Mississippi River and its
northern boundary is the Minnesota line. It was originally a part of
Fayette and as first established in 1851 contained but twelve townships. In
1855, however, the north half of townships ninety-seven, ranges eleven to
fourteen were detached from Chickasaw and added to Howard, giving it an
area of four hundred seventy-six square miles. The county was named for
General T.A. Howard of Indiana.

The first white man who built a cabin within the limits of this county was
Hiram Johnson who in December 1851, settled at Oregon Grove on the Turkey
River. In 1854 several families came to Oregon Grove among whom were S.M.
Cole, H.S. Shuttleworth, George Scofield, Thomas Lewis and C.M. Munson.
This grove is about two miles south of the town of Cresco. Soon after the
beginning of this settlement several families located near Cresco. Among
them were C.S. Thurber, M.L. Shook, James Siddall, M.G. Goss and others. In
1855 other families settled on the Little Wapsipinicon.

The county was organized in 1855, electing the following officers: James G.
Upton, judge; Edmund Gillette, clerk; William Woodward, recorder and
treasurer; John Harlow, sheriff, and M.V. Burdick, prosecuting attorney.
Vernon Springs was the first county-seat and there the first mill was built
on the Turkey River by George Sprague in 1853. Mr. Miller opened the first
store the following year. Harriet Cole taught the first school in a log
cabin at Oregon Grove in 1854. The land upon which Cresco stands was
entered in 1853 by one Mr. Barber who built a log cabin in the woods which
was purchased by Martin L. Shook in 1854 and was known as Shook's Grove. In
1866 it was owned by Augustus Beadle, W.M. Strong and B.H. Edgarton who
laid out the town of Cresco. Judge Samuel Murdock held the first court in
the county at Howard Center in 1857.

In February, 1858, a weekly newspaper was established at New Oregon named
the Howard County Sentinel with J.H. Field as editor. The Milwaukee
Railroad runs through the northeast part of the county passing through the
towns of Cresco and Lime Springs.

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USGENWEB NOTICE:  These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in
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representative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb
archivist with proof of this consent.
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