One of the first school teachers in the township was Mrs. Keziah

McDowell, who taught in a private house. The first school building was

erected in 1855 on the place where the Elm Grove school now stands. The

first teacher who taught in a school building was a Mr. Eckerman, who

boarded around. The families who had children attending school at that

time were the McKinnons, the Listebargers, and the Hodges.

The first reaping machine in this part of the county was purchased by

William Ure at Chicago in the summer of 1847, and was a hand-raking

machine. Mr. Ure drove with an ox team to Chicago and returned with a

machine in time for cutting the grain that summer. After he got started

all the neighbors helped and the machine was run night and day until

the season was over and the grain harvested.

The Scotch families were United Presbyterians, and for many years

attended church in Cedar Rapids. In May, 1858, the Presbyterian church

was organized and established in Scotch Grove. The fiftieth anniversary

of the establishment of this church was celebrated in 1908, and the

paper read by Miss Jennie G. Mitchell, daughter of James Mitchell, now

residing in Cedar Rapids, gives a full history of the church and of

many of the old settlers of this county, and is herewith inserted in

full:

"THE ORIGIN OF FAIRFAX U. P. CHURCH

"The first settlers in this part of Linn county, Iowa, were

Robert and Jane Ure, who, with a family of grown children,

came here in the spring or summer of 1841. The children were

John, Margaret, James, William, Jane, Robert, Walter, and

David. The family had emigrated from Scotland in 1838 and

spent the intervening years near Springfield, Ohio. But land

was high in the old settlements and they came 'west' where

they could enter government land, settling, or at first

camping, on the same ground where this church is built. Log

houses were soon erected and some land entered and a few

years later a brick house was built, the first in this part

of the country. The brick was made by the boys and the

entire house erected without the assistance of any expert,

the lime being hauled all the way from Muscatine. The Ure

family did not leave their religion in the Auld Kirk in the

Homeland, but during all their travels, whether they tarried

or camped for only the night, the morning and evening

sacrifice of family prayer was offered; and on Sabbath at

noon the family were gathered and God's word read, followed

by praise and prayer. Thus they kept God's holy day and

worshiped in their own home until preaching could be

obtained, and by searching the records of the First United

Presbyterian church of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, we find that on

the 9th day of September, 1850, a meeting was held and a

petition forwarded to the Associate Presbytery of Iowa,

asking for a supply of preaching, and in 1851 the

congregation in Cedar Rapids was organized, the Ure family

uniting with them.

[Illustration: THE "OLD SCHOOL" COGGON]

[Illustration: SOUTH SIDE MAIN STREET, COGGON]

"The cheap land and plenty of timber attracted others, and

in the early fifties the McKinnon family came from Scotland

and settled in Linn county near Scotch Grove. In 1852 Samuel

and Sarah Hall, with their large family, settled at Sisley's

Grove, and in 1854 James Cleghorn, Sr., with his two

children and John and Agnes Anderson. James Cleghorn and

Agnes Anderson were brother and sister. James Cleghorn, Jr.,

is still living near where they located and built their

first home. Robert Brownlie and family now reside where the

Anderson home was built. This same year (1854) Joseph and

Margaret Humphrey and family came and settled south of

Prairie Creek, and in the spring of 1855, James and John

Mitchell with their wives and families, and later Walter

Mitchell and John and Jane McGregor with their families of

sons and daughters, and a few years later Moses Mitchell,

all finding homes in and around Scotch Grove.

"The Ure family, thus re-inforced, soon after began an

effort to secure preaching at Scotch Grove. But who first

proposed asking for preaching, or where the meeting was

held, is not on record and can not be recalled, but a minute

on the records of the Cedar Rapids church, dated May 25,

1856, reads thus: 'The people of Scotch Grove presented a

petition and were granted one-fourth of the pastor's time.'

But by whom this petition was presented is not recorded.

Another record reads: 'At a meeting of the United

Presbyterian church of Kingston, held on Tuesday afternoon

at four o'clock, July 6, 1858, the following paper was

adopted: Action of the United Presbyterian congregation of

Kingston in relation to the organization of a church at

Scotch Grove, Linn County, Iowa. _Resolved_: that we approve

of the organization with the understanding that they

continue in connection with us as the same pastoral charge

until otherwise ordered by the Presbytery.' But the name of

the Presbytery is not mentioned. It is supposed that Joseph

Humphrey carried the petition to Presbytery. The

organization was granted and on the 12th day of August,

1858, a meeting was held in the home of James and Mary Ure,

a sermon preached and the congregation organized by Rev.

Hugh Sturgeon. There were fifteen charter members, and the

name given the congregation was 'Fairfax.' The names of all

present can not be recalled, but we remember that John

Beatty, who later with his family came to the neighborhood,

brought Mr. Sturgeon and was present at this meeting. Three

elders were elected, Joseph Humphrey, Alexander Johnson and

James Mitchell. James Mitchell did not accept the office and

at a later meeting James Ure was elected and with the other

two, ordained and installed. Thus organized and equipped

they began the work with high hopes and willing hands, if

not much ready money. There being no public building which

could be used for religious meetings, they were held in

homes, most of the time in the home of Miss Margaret Ure.

Rev. Sturgeon did not long remain and others came. Revs.

Douthett, A. J. Allen, Sawhill, Fulton, and others. Doctor

Roberts of the Covenanter faith preached a few times. One

occasion is remembered when he was to preach in the home of

Mr. Wadsworth, where Mr. and Mrs. William Russell now live.

Heavy rains had fallen during the week and Prairie creek was

over its banks, with the bridge either washed away or

overflowed. Several families lived on the other side who

must attend the service on the Sabbath, no thought of the

high water being an excuse for staying at home. They wished

to attend and were needed to assist with the singing. The

names of three families are remembered: Dixon, Junk, and

Humphrey. Among other plans some one suggested building a

raft, whom we do not remember, but superintended by Andrew

Mitchell the work was begun, and finished Saturday

afternoon. Sabbath afternoon the families came in their

wagons as far as the creek, where they were met by neighbors

on this side, ferried across by Andrew Mitchell, and

conveyed to the home of Mr. Wadsworth. After the service

they were brought back to the place of crossing and again

ferried over, all in a quiet way becoming the day and

occasion. Thus obstacles were met and overcome with the

persistent determination of people who retained some of the

spirit of their invincible John Knox. But a school house was

erected in the early sixties, known as the James Ure school

house, and religious meetings were held here. If possible,

preaching, if not, Sabbath school and prayer meeting until

their first pastor, Rev. J. T. Torrence, came among them.

"Shall we ask: Did the work prosper? How well, vines

transplanted from the Scotch Grove church in Nebraska,

Kansas, Colorado, Idaho and far-off California will testify.

"Is it possible to over-estimate the courage and

perseverance of our fathers and mothers, who began the work

in this new country under the great difficulties and

privations, and whose faith, as well as strength of arm, has

made possible the privileges we, their children, enjoy? We

trust we shall not forget, but to succeeding generations

tell the heroism of the daily strife and the earnestness and

value of the twice daily prayer, 'All honor to the builders

of this Church.'

'The world may sound no trumpets--ring no bells,

The book of life the shining record tells.'

"THE CHARTER MEMBERS

"Fifty years is a longer time than the memory of most of

those living runs. The span of life is not always, in fact

not usually, lengthened to include events so wide apart in

space of time.

"Fifty years ago, the great Civil war had not been fought,

and it was the hopes of those who held the welfare of their

country nearest to their hearts that such a calamity might

be averted. Fifty years ago, the memory of those two great

national characters, Webster and Clay, whose eloquence and

zeal postponed that great contest a decade, was fresh to the

little band that bound themselves together here at Scotch

Grove that they might have the privileges of a church home.

"In May of 1858, the United Presbyterian church was formed

by the union of the Associate Presbyterians and Associate

Reform Presbyterian churches. In the fall of that same year,

fifteen devoted Christian citizens organized the new

congregation and called it the United Presbyterian Church of

Fairfax, Iowa.

"It is interesting to note that while these fifteen early

pioneers were planning for the organization, Abraham Lincoln

was debating with Douglas the merits of the Dred Scott

decision.

"These fifteen charter members were:

"Samuel Hall and wife, Sarah Hall.

"Joseph Humphrey and wife, Margaret Humphrey.

"Alexander Johnson and wife, Janet McKinnon Johnson.

"James Mitchell and wife, Margaret McArthur Mitchell.

"John Mitchell and wife, Margaret Mitchell.

"William McKinnon and wife, Janet McKinnon.

"James Ure and wife, Mary Ure, and

"Miss Margaret Ure.

"Associated with these fifteen charter members in word and

work were John McGregor and wife, Jane Robertson McGregor,

who later became members of the new organization.

"Of these persons, there are three still living--Mr. and

Mrs. James Ure, who live at Denver, Colorado, and Mr. James

Mitchell, who lives at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. [Mr. and Mrs. Ure

are now deceased, 1910].

"James and Margaret Ure were among the very earliest

settlers in this community. They, with their parents, had

come to Iowa in 1841, five years before the territory was

admitted to statehood. Both were born in Scotland and came

to America in 1838, settling near Springfield, Ohio, where

they lived till they came west. In 1857 James Ure was

married to Mary Kerr. She was born in March, 1835, in

Mercer, Pennsylvania, where she spent her early childhood,

later removing with her parents to Dubuque, Iowa. They began

housekeeping on their farm just east of the grove, where

they lived till April, 1892, when they moved to Denver,

Colorado.

"In September, 1879, Mr. Ure asked for his certificate of

admission, which was granted. He was one of the ruling

elders elected at the time of the organization.

"Margaret Ure was born in Scotland in 1821. After coming to

Scotch Grove she resided on the Ure homestead, now owned by

Jas. Rogers. She was a woman of great abilities and was

always liberal in giving of her time and means to the work

of the church. The church building was not erected for some

years after the organization of the congregation and her

home was always open for the holding of services during this

time. The pulpit furniture now in use was a gift of hers.

She removed to Cedar Rapids in 1884, where she died. She was

buried in the Fairfax cemetery.

"James Mitchell, one of the three surviving charter members,

and who now resides at Cedar Rapids, Iowa, was born March 3,

1821, in Buchlyvie, Stirlingshire, Scotland. He came to

America in 1851 and settled in New York state. July 8, 1853,

he was married to Margaret McArthur and in July, 1855, came

to Linn county, Iowa. Mrs. Mitchell was born June 8, 1823,

and died June 20, 1904, at the age of 81 years and 12 days.

"At the time Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell came west, in 1855, the

railroad ran no farther west than to Rock Island. At this

point they, in company with Margaret and William Ure, were

compelled to cross the Mississippi river on the ice. It was

here that they received their first initiation into the life

of hardship and peril that fell to the life of the early

pioneer. While crossing the river, the wheels of their dray

began to cut through the ice. There was danger of the ice

giving way and all being drowned, but by means of levers and

props they were able to reach the Iowa shore in safety.

"When Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell reached Scotch Grove, they took

for their home a small log house some five or six rods

southwest from the present church building, and with the

munificent sum of ten dollars with which to furnish their

home, started to carve out their career in the new country.

With Mrs. Mitchell there was little thought of what her

spring hat would be like, or what she should serve when it

came her turn to give a Kensington to the ladies of the

community. It would probably be some days before any money

would find its way into the family purse, and those ten

dollars must be guarded with jealous care. True, potatoes

could be had, and Mr. Ure and his family had proven that the

potato could be used as the sole article of diet for at

least three months.

"In 1898 they removed to Cedar Rapids, where four years ago

Mrs. Mitchell died. She was buried at Fairfax cemetery. Mr.

Mitchell is now eighty-seven years of age. He was elected to

the office of ruling elder in December, 1879, which he

filled till the time he removed to Cedar Rapids. July 8,

1903, Mr. and Mrs. Mitchell celebrated their golden wedding.

"John Mitchell came to America in 1853. Margaret McGregor

Mitchell was born in Sterlingshire, Scotland, September 8,

1831. In 1852 she came to America with her parents, settling

in New York state. The following year she was married to

Mr. John Mitchell and in 1855 came to Scotch Grove. Here

they settled in a small log house near the present church

lot. Robert Ure, father of James and Margaret Ure, had,

during the time of the gold excitement in California, built

three of these houses, the first being erected without the

use of a nail.

"Mr. Mitchell entered forty acres of land west of where the

Conley school house now stands. After the school house was

built, preaching services and Sabbath school were held

there, and Mr. Mitchell was one of the most active in

lending help and maintaining the services. He died January

17, 1896, at Norway; she February 3, 1892. Both were buried

in the Fairfax cemetery.

"Alexander Johnson was born in Pennsylvania, his father

coming to America from Ireland. On coming to Iowa he lived

at Cedar Rapids for a time, where he teamed. Here he lost

his first wife and was later married to Janet McKinnon, who

was born in Bo'ness, Scotland, and came to America in 1845.

"Mrs. Johnson owned some land at Que's Grove, now known as

Quam's Grove. This she bought from the government. Mr.

Johnson had money with which to build a house and they thus

moved on the land, where they lived till the time of his

death.

"Mr. Johnson was elected to the office of ruling elder when

the congregation was organized, and was at all times an

active and persistent worker in the church. He had become

attached to his early church home and was reluctant to

leave. It may seem strange, but yet it is true, that the

place where a person spends the best years of his life,

where he has toiled and labored to make a home, becomes in

old age, after he is compelled to lay down his labors, the

spot that is dearest to him. He had seen the community grow

and develop, and as it had grown, his hopes had opened.

"Some time prior to his death, the members of his family

wanted to remove to Washington, Iowa. He could not entertain

the thought of leaving his old home community, whose growth

and development had meant so much to him, and in a

conversation with a member of the congregation remarked that

he had said, 'If they take me away from here, it will be in

my coffin, but now I have given my consent to go.'

"He was not permitted to make the change. During the latter

part of his life he was confined to his bed. He died at

Norway, having reached the age of eighty-four years. Mrs.

Johnson died three years ago at Washington, Iowa.

"Joseph Humphrey was born in New York state, January 19,

1816, and when quite young his parents removed to Butler

county, Pennsylvania. In 1836 he was married to Margaret

Gill. She was born May 30, 1818, in Butler county,

Pennsylvania. They came to Iowa May 5, 1855, and settled

near Norway.

"In the church he occupied the highest office to which a

private member can be called by the voice of the

congregation, that of ruling elder, being chosen elder at

the organization of the congregation. He had a high sense of

the responsibility of his office, viewing it as one of

divine authority. It was his study, as a steward of God, to

fulfill its duties and maintain its authority. He was

punctual and regular in attendance at all the meetings of

the congregation and gave largely of his means and time in

forwarding its interests. He believed that the minister was

worthy of his hire, and rather than neglect this duty he

would let his boys go barefooted to church. He died December

5, 1871, at the age of fifty-six years. Mrs. Humphrey died

May 22, 1900, eight days before her eighty-second birthday.

Both were buried in Fairfax cemetery.

"Samuel Hall was born March 29, 1806, in Westmoreland

county, Pennsylvania. His wife, Sarah Jobe Hall, was born

October 8, 1808, in Lancaster county, Pennsylvania. In April

of 1851 they came to Cedar Rapids, Iowa, and entered land

just west of that place, where they lived till their removal

to Cedar Rapids in 1883. Mrs. Hall died March 10, 1886, and

Mr. Hall on the 13th, three days later. Both were buried in

the same grave in Sisley Grove cemetery. They were one of

the four couples mentioned here, who celebrated their golden

wedding.

[Illustration: SCENE ON THE CEDAR AT CEDAR RAPIDS]

[Illustration: BIRDSEYE VIEW LOOKING EAST, CEDAR RAPIDS]

[Illustration: CEDAR RIVER DAM, CEDAR RAPIDS]

"Mr. and Mrs. William McKinnon were born in Scotland and

were married before coming to America. They came to Scotch

Grove at an early date, about 1852. For a time they lived

with David McKinnon, east of the grove, and later moving to

their new home north of Norway. Moved to the western part of

the state and there died.

"During the early days of the new congregation, Mr. McKinnon

rendered valuable services as leader in the singing. His

clear and distinct voice could be heard and followed with

ease by the body of the congregation.

"Mr. and Mrs. John McGregor were both born in Scotland, he

May 11, 1801, in Callander, she August 13, 1806, in Bo'ness.

They came to America in 1852, settling in New York, and in

1857 came to Iowa where they settled on a farm west of the

grove. Mr. McGregor was active in the work of the church and

especially in the raising of funds for the new church

building. Both were loyal supporters of the church, and were

among those who kept their membership in the congregation

till the time of their death.

"The same vessel that brought them to America brought Mr.

Jas. Mitchell. It was a sailing vessel and required six

weeks to cross the ocean. This past summer their

great-granddaughters made the voyage in the Lusitania in

less than five days.

"In 1877 they celebrated their golden wedding at their home,

the same home they chose when first coming to Scotch Grove.

Mr. McGregor died November 8, 1894, at the age of

ninety-three years, the greatest age reached by any of the

early members. August 13, 1880, Mrs. McGregor died, being

just seventy-four years old. Both were buried in the Fairfax

cemetery.

"Conditions then and now are quite different. Railroads were

not yet built into the community. At one time the produce

had to be hauled to Davenport and Muscatine. It took a week

to make the trip and when one got back home, little was left

to encourage another trip. There were no roads in many

places, and the oxen, which were often used in those days,

frequently left the wagon stuck in some slough. Before

railroads were built into Cedar Rapids, a steamboat came up

the river from the Mississippi, bringing groceries and

dry-goods and carrying the produce back. No money could be

had for the grain and stock. One must take in exchange for

them groceries and dry-goods. The panic of 1857 had not yet

spent its force. Such were the conditions surrounding the

early pioneers when the congregation was organized.

"These members were not only pioneers in carving out homes

in a new country, but they were pioneers of the faith.

Religious services, Sabbath school and prayer meetings were

held at Conley school house, at Norway, and at Livermore

school house, besides those held at the church. They

cherished the hope and faith in the divine which they had

brought with them to the new country, and were persistent in

offering to all who might come, the advantages of the

sanctuary.

"The early pioneers are always men of firm faith, sturdy and

strong in their beliefs, set in their opinions. It is not to

be wondered at, that when the question of where to erect the

new church building arose, there were differences of

opinion. Some wanted it located at Brownlie's corner, some

at Conley's school house and some just west of the present

site. It was at such times that William Ure stepped into the

threatened breach and by his calm counsel brought unity to

the opposing opinions. Although not a member of the Fairfax

congregation Mr. Ure rendered services as valuable as any of

its members in giving financial aid and in other ways.

"Of these fifteen charter members, Mr. and Mrs. James

Mitchell, James and Margaret Ure, William McKinnon and John

Mitchell were all born and lived during their childhood in

the same community in Scotland. They were all baptized by

the Rev. Mr. Russell, and they attended the same church and

school. In coming west to the new country they chose out a

beautiful spot, fertile and productive. During the fifty

years, within the memory of one of the charter members, land

that was bought from the government for $1.25 per acre has

been sold for $150 per acre.

"Four of these couples, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Mitchell, Mr. and

Mrs. Samuel Hall, Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Ure, and Mr. and Mrs.

John McGregor, have celebrated their golden weddings. Of

these early pioneers of Scotch Grove, one has passed the age

of ninety years, six have passed the age of eighty years,

and but two died before reaching the age of seventy, a

beautiful commentary upon their rugged and sturdy character

and habits."

BOULDER TOWNSHIP

Boulder township is located in the northern part of the county and

despite its name is one of the most fertile and productive portions of

the county. The surface is generally rolling, dotted in an early day

with excellent groves of native timber. Buffalo creek in the days

before windmills were in common use was a much prized stream which was

used by farmers near and far, for the use of their stock. William

Wagner is supposed to have made the first settlement in 1850. He was

shortly followed by William McQueen and Silas Edington. Later came the

following named persons: John Wagner, Will Ward, H. B. Brown, Frank

Cooly, J. Wilds, J. Barnhardt and Ben Harrison. In the early fifties

came an itinerant Methodist minister, John Bell, and organized a small

congregation, services being held in a school house near the present

site of Prairieburg. The John McQueen grist mill which began operation

about 1854 on Buffalo creek, a mile southwest of Prairieburg, was a

noted mill in its day and was largely patronized by the early settlers.

The town of Prairieburg was named by Henry Ward, the first postmaster.

The first house was a log structure built by Joe Barnhardt in 1853. N.

Parsons erected the second house and Henry Wayne the third, which was a

store building where he opened a store. In 1856, Will Wagner started a

shoe shop, and other buildings, such as hotels and blacksmith shops

came later. The recent advent of the railroad has boomed the town and

the price of land has increased greatly. A number of the early settlers

and their descendants are still land owners in this township,

Coquillette, Whitney, Paul, O'Rourke, Carpenter, Walker, McQueen,

Burke, Rundle, Pillard, Nelson, Lacy, Leonard, Le Clerc, Smith,

Cushman, Hill, Soesbe, Garvis, Drexler, Tear, Considine, Matsel, and

other well known families.

CLINTON TOWNSHIP

Clinton township, with a population of 1,000 people, located in the

western tier of townships, has a rich, productive soil and has been

farmed continuously for sixty years and the soil shows no sign of

deterioration. The farmers residing in Clinton township have well

improved farms, good roads and a number of fine school houses and

churches. For many years the road known as the Toledo road, as well as

the Marengo road, were the two chief thoroughfares for travelers, gold

seekers, and others, and consequently it was early well advertised.

Among some of the early settlers in this township may be mentioned John

Conley, Hiram Usher, Joe Brown, Dyer Usher, George Buchanan, Reese and

the Langhams, and scores of others who came here in the '40s.

James Yuill, Henry Maurer, John Fox, Whiteneck, Sisley, Kuhn, Wieneke,

Lederman, O'Connell, the Miller family, Misners, Scotts, Swetts, Hall,

Snell, and many others of the early settlers came here in an early day,

building up the community. They have long since passed away leaving

their children and grandchildren large tracts of productive land.

Sisley Grove was at a very early time a place where all the settlers,

as well as travellers, congregated. The grove at that time was much

larger than it is at present, and many of the farmers adjoining owned

small tracts of land in this grove where they cut rails and fence posts

for their farms during the winter.

Here is also located a cemetery where many of the old settlers are

buried, and at an early day a church was built at which the early

pioneers congregated once a week to hear the word of God preached. In

the absence of any regular preacher frequently the pioneer farmers

preached to the congregations. This church was abandoned some years ago

and the congregation has since worshiped at Fairview, a few miles

further east.

Here, also, was located Kuhn's blacksmith shop and hotel. Kuhn was a

queer old fellow, who not only was an expert blacksmith but the only

one for miles who was competent to shoe oxen, and consequently during

the winter months he was a very busy man. Kuhn not only was a good

horseshoer and blacksmith, but he was a dentist as well and pulled

teeth when blacksmithing was slack. At one time he pulled a tooth for

an old settler with an instrument used in those days and as it was

pretty severe he gave a drink of whiskey to stop the pain. After the

fellow fully recovered his senses the tooth ached as before and the

patient learned that the dentist had pulled the wrong tooth and so

informed the blacksmith, to which the blacksmith replied, "That will be

easy to remedy, just take another drink and we will go at it again, and

you will not be out very much as my charges are only ten cents a

tooth." Old Mr. Kuhn seemed to know the wants of the community, for he

kept a barrel of whiskey in his blacksmith shop and sold the stuff at

thirty cents a gallon, and served free drinks to anyone on paying his

bill. The hotel was not a modern kind of a house, but was generally

full, as travellers in those days were plentiful. The old man also sold

feed to travellers and consequently he generally got a little something

out of every traveller who passed by Sisley Grove.

The grove was named in honor of the first settler who owned most of the

land, on which the grove is situated. During the early '50s and '60s

Clinton township produced more wheat, it is said, than any other

township in the county, all of which was hauled to Cedar Rapids.

BUFFALO TOWNSHIP

Buffalo township was first settled by George C. Perkins, who came here

in 1839 and made a claim which he occupied thereafter during his

lifetime. In the early days it was well wooded and consequently much of

this land was sold in small strips to adjoining farmers.

GRANT TOWNSHIP AND WALKER

For the following interesting sketch of the early settlement of

northwestern Linn county we are under obligations to Justin Barry,

editor of the Walker _News_.

Grant township, forming the northwest corner of Linn county, was

organized in 1872 as the result of a struggle over the levying of a tax

in aid of the construction of a railroad. The B., C. R. & N., since

incorporated into the Rock Island system, had projected a line from

Cedar Rapids north toward the Minnesota line. Washington township, then

embracing much more territory than at present, had voted a five per

cent tax in aid of the road. Those living in the northern portion of

the township rebelled, and in an effort to escape the tax petitioned

for a division of the territory and the formation of a new township.

They succeeded in the latter effort and the new township was designated

Grant, in honor of General Grant, who was then president. However, the

people did not escape the tax, and some of those who most vigorously

opposed it later embarked in business in the new town of Walker, which

sprung up with the coming of the railroad, and thus their defeat became

in fact the foundation for modest fortunes, which came from the large

territory and the equally large profits of pioneer business days.

As the earlier settlers sought out the timbered sections regardless of

the quality of the land, what is now Grant township, comprised as it is

almost wholly of prairie, was one of the last portions of the county to

be developed. Some few settlers came early, but progress generally was

slow. A family named Norris was the first to settle within its

territory, being already located along what is now its southern border

when John K. Speake and family came in 1840. The Norrises have since

disappeared and no one seems to know whither they went. James Buforde

Speake is now the oldest living settler in the township, and though

past eighty years of age he continues to operate the farm in section 19

on which his father filed when the family arrived here from Illinois in

1840.

Other settlers came at long intervals, but for many years after the

arrival of the first it was predicted with great assurance that the

northern portion of the township never would be settled but would

always remain a wilderness. And yet this valley, including the present

town site of Walker, lying north of what in the early days was called

Wright's Grove, now Fox's Grove, must have presented an attractive

picture and one of rare beauty in its wild state, viewed from the

surrounding hills, a little creek winding its way through the center,

flanked all about by great rolling ridges and fringed on either bank

with willows, with here and there a giant oak towering above all else.

William Davis settled in the southwest portion of the township in 1841,

and on his farm in about 1850 or a little earlier was laid out the

first cemetery in the township. It is still in use for that purpose and

many of the monuments erected in the early days bear quaint

inscriptions. Mr. Davis died in 1866, leaving a large estate to his

sons, Hezekiah and Edward, who carried on extensive farm operations.

The former kept a pack of hounds and for many years scoured the country

for miles around in search of wolves. The Davises later met with

reverses and left the county years ago shorn of a large share of the

princely estate, which once had embraced many hundreds of acres of land

in Benton and Linn counties.

E. D. Hazeltine, who died only a few weeks ago at his home in Center

Point, was another early settler in the southern portion of the

township, and he was long active in all its interests. He served for

some time in the early days as a county commissioner. During the '50s

numerous pioneer families arrived, including those of Thomas Fee, W. C.

Ring, C. G. and Benjamin Gitchell, W. S. Bliss, Chorydon Gilchrist,

Christian Iehl, and others.

Following the close of the Civil war development was more rapid, a

number of soldiers fresh from the service joining the pioneers in their

work of subduing the wilderness. In 1873 when the railroad arrived

settlement had reached the northern border of the township, where James

A. North, Walker Purviance, William Moses and others were located. The

building of the railroad brought the establishment of a new town on

section 4, which was called Walker, in honor of W. W. Walker, then

chief engineer and afterward superintendent and receiver of the road.

James K. Hotchkin built the first business building, opening a general

store, and he was also appointed as the first postmaster. The second

business building was erected by Theo. Hamblin, present mayor of the

town, who engaged in the grocery business. O. C. Barnes built a hotel

on the site now occupied by the Walker _News_ office, and Fred Hoffman

erected the store building now occupied by S. Liddle. The first

residence was built by C. G. Gitchell, who leased his farm in section

21 and engaged in the lumber and grain business in partnership with

Fred Hoffman, and Mrs. Gitchell was the first woman resident of the

town. Messrs. Gitchell and Hoffman prospered greatly in business,

amassing modest fortunes, and both remained for many years among the

leaders in business affairs. Mr. Gitchell later represented his county

for two terms in the lower house of the General Assembly of Iowa.

[Illustration: QUAKER OATS PLANT, CEDAR RAPIDS]

[Illustration: STREET RAILWAY STATION AT BEVER PARK, CEDAR RAPIDS]

The town grew steadily and at once became an important market point,

tapping a wide territory of rich farming country, and for many years it

has been recognized as the best shipping point on the Decorah division

of the Rock Island, barring only one or two of the larger cities. The

farmers soon turned their attention largely to dairying, and in the

town now is one of the finest creamery plants in the state, "Walker"

butter having gained a wide fame in the city markets.

Municipal affairs have been wisely and economically administered ever

since the incorporation of the town in 1891, when the following were

chosen as the first officers: Mayor, W. A. Jones; councilmen, C. G.

Gitchell, J. P. Bross, H. J. Nietert, J. N. Keys, Theo. Hamblin and P.

L. Hutchins; recorder, O. C. Swartz; treasurer, M. B. Dodge; assessor,

E. R. Wheeler; marshal, J. M. Peyton. Walker now has a pretty park

embracing about two blocks of ground, a complete municipal water-works

system affording fire protection to all portions of the town, and a

well equipped fire department. The water-works system has just been

re-enforced by the sinking of a second deep well, affording an

inexhaustible supply of water, and the installation of a second pumping

equipment.

The town's graded school system has reached a high standard of

efficiency, and its graduates rank well as teachers and as students in

higher institutions. The school has four departments, all of them

crowded to their full capacity, the enrollment including many tuition

scholars. Several thousand dollars have already been set aside as the

foundation of a fund for the erection of a new brick school building,

which will be a necessity within a few years.

The town is well supplied with churches, having four protestant and one

Catholic society. In the order of their organization they are:

Methodist Episcopal, Free Methodist, Catholic, Presbyterian, Christian.

The first church organized in the town was in 1874 by the Wesleyan

Methodist, but that denomination has since passed from the field.

That the town and surrounding country are prosperous and rapidly

growing in wealth is shown by the fact that Walker now boasts of two

strong banks having resources reaching a half a million dollars, and

with deposits steadily increasing. Its business men are enterprising

and progressive.

Regularly laid out, its streets lined with shade trees, bordering

permanent walks and well kept lawns, the town presents a pretty

appearance, and town officials and citizens seem to vie with each other

in their efforts to maintain its reputation as being one of the

prettiest towns in the county.

MAINE TOWNSHIP

We are indebted to a loyal citizen of the county for the following

historical sketch of one of the finest districts in the county--Maine

township. Dr. Ward Woodbridge has treated sympathetically the early

days in and around Central City. He long has lived there, has been a

potent factor in the development of his community, and knows whereof he

speaks.

Maine township geographically is located in the northeast

corner of Linn county, being in the second row of townships

from both the north and east.

Its shape is an irregular triangle, containing forty-seven

square miles, making it one-third larger than the average

township. This is due to an early arrangement whereby a

portion of Buffalo township became a part of Maine. The

Wapsie river divides Buffalo township nearly in the middle.

In its early history the larger number of people resided

south of the river, as there were no bridges in those days,

and the river held a high stage of water, making it

difficult to cross. These people finally asked to be

attached to Maine township for administrative purposes, and

all that portion of Buffalo on the south side of the river

was made a part of Maine, and has never been restored.

The Wapsie river runs along the northeastern border of

Maine, and is the dividing line between it and Buffalo.

Along the river, and from one to three miles in width on

either side, the land is somewhat hilly, sandy, and has been

heavily timbered. When the more level country is reached it

becomes a gently undulating plain, rich black loam and very

productive.

As we turn in retrospect, seeing its growth and development,

we can see the work of the hardy and determined pioneers on

every hand. It was they who blazed the way. It was they who

built this Appian way of progress. It was their devotion and

privation, patiently endured, that have caused not two, but

myriads of blades of grass to grow where hitherto the one

blade was trampled under foot by the roving Indian and

buffalo, and although their forms have vanished and their

voices are stilled, and the hands roughened by honest toil

lie quiet, yet their work lives after them. They left that

imprint on both descendants and administration which makes

of the Maine township citizenship today a sturdy,

hard-headed class, whose public opinion always crystallizes

on the side of righteousness, of truth and justice. Its

people never have to apologize for their course.

Probably the first white settler was John Jenkins, who came

in 1838 and settled on the farm adjoining Central City known

as the Ormus Clark farm. In 1839 Joseph Clark bought the

farm of Jenkins, he being a son-in-law of Clark. It lies to

the southwest of Central City, and a portion of it lies

within the corporation. It is now owned by C. C. Crane.

In the winters of 1838-1840 a few trappers wintered along

the banks of the Wapsie, but the names of no permanent

settlers are recorded.

In the spring of 1840 two young men, natives of Maine,

landed in Maine township. They had left their state two

years before and stopped at Peoria, Illinois, working there

through the summer, and going south in the winter where they

worked in the cotton yards of New Orleans. Returning from

New Orleans in the spring of 1840 they bought three yoke of

cattle, a big prairie plow, and what other necessaries they

needed, and headed for the Mississippi river. Crossing it

they drove on and on until arriving one evening at the place

known as "Jordan's Grove" they camped for the night. The

next morning they cooked breakfast, and while one of them

went out to gather up the cattle, the other took his

bearings, and when the cattle were brought up he had the

plow out of the wagon. On inquiry from his partner as to

what he was about he said, "This looks good to me. Hitch

onto the plow." These two young men were L. D. Jordan and Ed

McKinney. They broke enough to hold their claims, went to

Dubuque and filed on them, returned, built cabins, went back

to Maine and married sisters, returned and made homes, and

Mr. Jordan lived his whole life on the spot where he

unloaded the plow, dying there in 1890. McKinney moved from

the neighborhood some years before his death. They both

lived to be old men.

In 1840 the Heaton family came, and P. A. and Will Heaton

still live in Central City, together with two or three of

the women of the family.

In October, 1844, Chandler Jordan arrived at his brother's

place. He remained all night, and in the morning got on a

horse and rode north through the grove to the brow of the

hill overlooking the Wapsie valley.

It was beautiful Indian summer. All was purple, yellow, and

gold, and the blue-joint grass stood as high as the back of

his horse all the way down the valley. He gazed fascinated,

rode slowly down the valley of a small creek that meandered

from its source in the grove, to the river. In a level place

on the bank of the creek he stopped, staked out a claim,

returned, went to Dubuque and filed on it, came back and

began improvements.

He broke the ground and raised crops, and in the spring of

1847 built a cabin on the spot where he first dismounted,

and married Sarah D. Waterhouse in June. They went at once

to the cabin and began housekeeping. Later they built more

commodious quarters, and in 1860 erected the brick house in

which they both died in 1909.

Harvey Powell came in 1844 also, and entered a fine tract of

land on the ridge west of Central City, where he lived to a

good old age.

In 1846 N. C. Gillilan came; Jennings Crawford in 1854, and

the Haas family in the early fifties.

About this time settlers began coming in so rapidly that

honorable mention can not be made of all of them, even if

they could be traced. It can readily be seen that the

earliest settlers coming from the state of Maine gave the

name to the township. They were a sturdy lot of pioneers,

determined to win success from their surroundings. They knew

no such word as fail or can't. They knew no surcease from

labor, but toiled on without murmur or complaint.

Markets were a long way off, Dubuque and Muscatine being the

principal places where they sold their produce. It took four

days to take a load to Dubuque and bring one back. They

never made the trip with empty wagons. There were no

bridges. The roads ran across the virgin prairie, and often,

when sloughs were bad, they had to take off part of the

load, drive through a bad place, unload what they had hauled

over and return for the rest, thus delaying their journey.

Finally the Northwestern road came to Cedar Rapids in 1859,

and later a road to Marion and Springville, bringing, as

they felt, markets to their very doors.

They turned the virgin soil, sowed, reaped, mowed, and

garnered the fruits of their labor year after year, early

and late alike, working with the primitive tools of that day

when most of the work was done by main strength instead of

machinery. They formed from necessity those habits of saving

every thing which, with many, later resulted in an abundance

for the rainy day. These early privations, sturdy devotion

to the work, with a fidelity well worth emulation has

brought its rewards in one of the richest agricultural

regions on earth.

They saw the steady advancement of material things as a

reward for their patient toil. They established schools and

churches, overcoming as rapidly as possible the drawbacks

and inconveniences of pioneer life.

They made the way of the transgressor a hard one, and when

law breakers and horse thieves escaped through some sharp

practice, they took the law in their own hands and rid the

country for all time of the horse thief and general law

breaker, thereby putting a premium on honesty.

The villages of Waubeek and Central City were established in

the usual way. Blacksmith shops, stores, and post offices

being a necessity, they were established on the banks of the

Wapsie river, Central City on the north side of the river

just at the north line of the township, and Waubeek five

miles southeast on the south bank of the river.

Some dams were built across the river at both places and saw

mills established to saw lumber for the pioneer houses to

displace the log cabin. These were followed by grist mills

to make flour for the settlers, and for many years the mills

at both places were run at their full capacity. Gradually

wheat was abandoned as a product, and the people were able

to buy a better grade of flour than the home mills could

make. They were allowed to run down and were neglected until

finally the mill at Waubeek was allowed to fall in the

river. The last vestige of its site is gone.

The mill at Central City has run until lately, grinding the

feed for the farmers, but it, too, has quit, the wheel is

still, and the busy scenes about its doors are but memories

of its great convenience and usefulness to those it served

so well.

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 township

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 accumulated 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 township.

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 township

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 class 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 class, 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 shipped 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 repetition of the history of many other

townships, 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 township. 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 township, 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 township. 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 fashions, 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

township, of which we are all proud to be residents and

citizens.

JACKSON TOWNSHIP

Jackson township is in the north tier of townships. It is bounded on

the north by Buchanan county, on the east by Boulder township, on the

south by Maine and on the west by Spring Grove townships. 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 township. The township is largely settled by Americans whose

ancestors located on these verdant prairies in the forties and fifties.

The township 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 township 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, township 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, township 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 passing 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 township. 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 township. 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

township is not excelled by any other community in the state.

LINN TOWNSHIP

Linn township, 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 township, 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 township was on the so-called Anamosa-Iowa City

road, as well as on the Marion-Muscatine road, two of the early

highways.

The township 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 township 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, Lacock, Stewart, Goudy, Boxwell, Kearns,

Ballard, Travis, and other well known early families are still owners

of valuable farms within the confines of the old township borders.

OTTER CREEK TOWNSHIP

Otter Creek township, 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 township, 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 township, 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 Shingle 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 township 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 postmastership 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

friendships 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 hardships in pioneer life.

Otter Creek township 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 township and some of the

early ministers in this denomination were Rev. Borchart, Rev. Maerz,

Rev. Gerhart, Rev. Mayne, Rev. Brecher.

COLLEGE TOWNSHIP

College township is situated in the southern tier of townships 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 townships. College township is well watered and well drained by

several water courses, the principal 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 shipped daily over this

line to Cedar Rapids; since the construction of this line land in

College township 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 township 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 TOWNSHIP

BY A. W. FISHER

Spring Grove township is situated in the northern tier of townships in

Linn county. It is bordered on the north by Newton township, 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

township in section six, and extending in a southeasterly direction to

section twenty-four on the east side of the township, 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 township were connected with the

settlements in the neighboring townships, 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 township in what is called West Prairie, and the third settlement

was in the western part of the township. 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.

Game was abundant in those days and this helped the pioneer during the

long cold winters. Large herds of deer were often seen along the timber

near the river and on the prairies. Wolves were too plentiful to suit

the settler as they prowled around his cabin during the night and

carried off poultry whenever the chance offered. Panthers were rarely

seen but were too numerous for the more timid in those days. Often

cattle and hogs were missing and their loss was attributed to the work

of the panther. The early settlers of Spring Grove township did not

escape the discomforts of the average pioneer. Their houses were, at

the best, rudely constructed of logs, and the stoves used in those days

were very poor. Many of the old settlers have informed me that their

coffee, when they were lucky enough to secure it, was often frozen

after being placed on the breakfast table.

The first settlement was on the north side of the Wapsipinicon river

around two springs. One of them was in a grove in Newton township,

Buchanan county, and the other one a short distance southeast in a

grove in our township. To distinguish them the early pioneers called

them the Upper and Lower Spring Grove. The name of Spring Grove then

came in general use for the entire settlement and was adopted by our

settlers as the name of their township.

[Illustration: A VIEW OF CEDAR RAPIDS FROM THE ISLAND]

[Illustration: RAILROAD YARDS AT CEDAR RAPIDS]

The first settler in Spring Grove township was Leonard Austin, who with

his family settled in section one of our township in the spring of

1845, and erected the first building from rough unhewn logs taken from

the timber surrounding his building site. Mr. Austin was followed by A.

J. Ward, who with his family settled near Mr. Austin during the fall of

that year. Two years later, in 1847, Josiah Walton and Rev. Wm.

Phillips settled as near neighbors to these hardy pioneers. These were

soon followed by the Reeces, Holmans, Longs, McPikes, Peytons, Carsons,

Whisenands, McKees, Fays, and Waltons, who settled in the northern part

of our township and in the southern part of Newton township in Buchanan

county, and who are remembered as the early pioneers.

The early settlers of the southeastern part of the township were the

Bices, Andersons, Saxtons, Leathermans, Plummers, Swaims, Frank Dorr,

E. B. Fisher, Bumgardners, Benedicts, McBurneys, Nutting, Carpenters,

and Jordans. These settlers formed part of a settlement that extended

into Jackson township. They located there during the early part of the

'50s. About the same time the western part of the township south of the

Wapsipinicon river was settled. Those early settlers were Edwin

Jeffreys, A. G. Kibbe, Elmer and J. E. Atwood, father and son, Chas.

Cook and sons, Edwin, Enos, George, and Charles, and George Parkhurst.

All these early pioneers took an active part in helping to develop the

new country.

In regard to religious worship the people of Spring Grove may be

likened to the Puritans of the early colonial period, as among the

earliest settlers came Rev. Wm. Phillips, a minister of the gospel who

at first conducted meetings in his own home, and later became a

"circuit rider," holding meetings every Sunday either in some private

house or in a school house. The Christian organization that is now at

Troy Mills was organized by Henry Holman during the summer of 1853 in

John W. McKee's house near what is now Troy Mills. Mr. Holman preached

the first sermon and continued as pastor until the organization was

strong enough to secure a minister to take charge of the work. Isaac

Holman, now a resident of Troy Mills, and a son of Henry Holman, was

the first superintendent of the Sunday school organized in the

township. Rev. N. A. McConnell, of Marion, was one of the ablest

ministers of the early period, and would face the worst storms of the

season in order to keep his appointment. The people living in the

southeastern part of the township at first held services in private

houses until the West Prairie school house was erected, where for

several years they had a place for worship. They now have a splendid

church near the West Prairie school house.

The first justice of the peace of Spring Grove township was John

Plummer, but the best known justices of the peace of the early times

were Elmer Atwood, Josiah Walton, and Wm. Bleakley. While the people of

those days were not free from strife among themselves, yet they were

obliged to band together to free themselves from a worse evil--the

horse thief. The people finally with the help of the neighboring

settlers took the law in their own hands and dealt summary justice to

the offenders. One of these thieves was followed by a posse to his camp

on the Buffalo creek in Buchanan county, and on his refusal to

surrender he was shot to death. This put a stop to the stealing.

In politics the people of Spring Grove always took an active part, and

for a long time claimed to be the banner republican precinct of the

state. During the Civil war the republicans of West Prairie erected a

flag pole on the bare prairie near where now stands the West Prairie

church and raised the Stars and Stripes aloft and kept the flag there

until long after the war closed. At one election during the Civil war

not a democratic vote was cast. It was said that there were a few

democrats in the township but they chose to stay at home rather than

stand the jeers that were sure to assail them if they voted.

Troy Mills, the only village in the township, was founded in 1853, when

a dam was built across the river at that place and a saw mill built.

This mill continued to run about ten years when the present mill was

erected. The mill did a flourishing business grinding all kinds of

grain, but of late years has only been used as a grist mill. Jordon

Long brought the first stock of goods to Troy Mills, amounting to ten

dollars. Meeting with success in selling these, he turned all his

attention to carrying on a general store which he conducted for more

than forty years. Dr. John Dix and E. C. Downs started the first drug

store in the town but soon sold out. E. N. Beach, one of the best known

men in the northern part of Linn county, came to Troy Mills at an early

day and started a drug store and has conducted the same to the present

time. Dr. E. Wilson was the only doctor in our township for several

years and enjoyed a lucrative practice. The first blacksmith shop was

started by Elmer and John E. Atwood in 1854, who conducted the same for

nearly thirty years.

Only a few of the old settlers remain who helped to transform the wilds

into what it is today. Those now living here, who came in the early

'50s, are David Reece, Isaac Holman, John E. Attwood, Mrs. Edwin

Jeffries, Isaac Bice, Enos and Charles Cook. The others have either

moved away or passed into that great beyond from which no traveler

returns.

WASHINGTON TOWNSHIP

Washington township was early settled, for it is stated on good

authority that Bartimus McGonigle settled near what later became Center

Point in 1839. Some of the early settlers were Dr. S. M. Brice, John

Osborn, Tom Lockhart, W. A. Thomas, James Down, Sam Stewart, E. B.

Spencer, Alex Nevin, D. S. Way, Milt Squires, Will Cress, Jacob Thomas,

Robert Osborn, Jonathan Dennison, Alex Thomas, Jas. Chambers. These

came as early as 1842, a number coming in in 1839 and 1840. The

following came before 1846: Thos. Fee, Isaac Berry, J. L. Benham, Levi

Martin, L. Hollenbeck.

The town was laid out in 1848 by Andrew Bottorf. A re-survey was later

made as of 1854, and done by J. McArthur for Dr. S. M. Brice and J. R.

Grubb.

Most of the buildings in the town date from the time of the second

plat, when the place began to thrive in earnest. Dr. Brice ran a store

which was later sold to A. A. Adams. In 1855 Dr. J. P. Wilson opened a

drug store. L. Hollenbeck also opened a general store in 1854. J. M.

Bartleson, W. S. Bliss, and John Carr were also early settlers, Carr

and Bartleson running a store for many years.

The locality in and around Center Point, then, is one of the first

settled in the county. The early settlers were enterprising and the

newcomers were made welcome. No doubt the close proximity to the river

and the abundance of timber in this locality made the place inviting to

the new settlers who needed above everything else timber for use in

building and for fuel. The railroad which the people had expected many

years did not get into town till in 1873, and was continued the

following spring. For the purpose of securing this railroad Washington

township voted $16,000, being about a five per cent tax.

In Washington township lived and died many years ago John Osborn, a

revolutionary soldier, who is buried in Center Point cemetery.

CHAPTER XXXIV

_Lisbon and the United Brethren Church_

In narrating the history of Linn county mention must be made of that

body of devoted men and women who early laid the foundations of the

United Brethren church in this portion of what sixty years ago was the

far west. The members of this christian body have had an important and

conspicuous part in the history of our county. Their leaders have not

only been men of piety, but they have also been men of ability,

builders of commonwealths. Their work has been of a permanent

character, and the descendants of these pioneer people are today doing

grandly the work so nobly begun seventy years ago.

We cannot do better here than to quote largely from the _Historical

Souvenir of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ at Lisbon,

Iowa, 1836-1904_, by Rev. Cyrus J. Kephart, published in 1904 by the

Lisbon _Herald_:

THE BEGINNING OF THE CHURCH IN IOWA

The work of the United Brethren in Christ in Iowa began, as far as

known, with the labors of Rev. Christian Troup, a member of the Wabash

Conference, who came to Iowa as a missionary in 1836,[N] and settled

upon what is now a part of the site of Mount Vernon. He afterwards

traded his 160 acre claim for a yoke of oxen, and settled near the

Cedar river, on what is now known as the Horn farm. Here he passed

through all the privations of a frontier life. His daughter, Mrs. Pate,

states that for a considerable time he and his family ground the corn

for their bread on an old-fashioned coffee mill nailed to the side of a

tree.

Rev. Troup's field as a missionary extended from the city of Dubuque to

Henry county. His preaching places were wherever he could find an

opportunity to speak to the people. Thus he sowed the seed that

afterward ripened into many an active Christian life.

One of his appointments was near Ivanhoe, in a log house of only two

rooms. Here standing in the low doorway he would speak first to those

gathered in one room, then stooping, for he was a tall man, he would

pass his head into the other room and speak to those there.

He died in 1850 and was buried in the cemetery that then occupied the

lot where the house of Mrs. Mary Hoover now stands in Lisbon. When the

cemetery was changed his remains were removed to the present Lisbon

cemetery.

In 1838 Rev. John Burns, a local preacher, settled in Lee county, and

began preaching at various points. Rev. Christian Troup and he seem to

have been the pioneers of the United Brethren in Christ in Iowa.

The first society was organized at the home of "Father" Edington,

probably somewhere in Henry county, in October, 1841. This, however,

was several years after Christian Troup began his work in the community

in which Lisbon now stands.

The first United Brethren quarterly conference west of the Mississippi

was held at the home of Mr. Gibson near the present site of Lisbon, May

10, 1842. It was attended by Christian Troup, F. R. S. Byrd, Ira B.

Ryan, Lewis Hoffman, "Father" Edington, and others. Ira B. Ryan was

licensed to preach, and Christian Troup was chosen presiding elder.

Another similar meeting was held in Henry county on September 10th of

the same year. Considerable annual conference business was transacted

at this meeting.

A third meeting of the same character was held, probably in the

southern part of the state in March, 1843, there being present a

presiding elder of the Wabash Conference, of the territory of which

Iowa at that time was a part. At this meeting there were reported

thirteen organized societies, with one hundred and ninety-four members

in Iowa.

The first annual conference of the United Brethren in Iowa, and the

first west of the Mississippi, convened at Columbus City, May 19, 1844,

Bishop Henry Kumler, Jr., presiding. It was called the Iowa Branch of

the Wabash Conference.

The next annual conference convened at the home of Wm. Thompson, in

Louisa county, August 14, 1845, Bishop John Russell, presiding. At this

session the Iowa conference was formally organized.

Other early conferences were held as follows:

At Columbus City, August 31, 1846, Bishop J. J. Glossbrenner,

presiding.

At the home of Wm. Thompson, Louisa county, August 24, 1847, Bishop Wm.

Hanby, presiding.

At the home of John Shively, Henry county, September 1, 1848, Bishop

Wm. Hanby, presiding.

At the Hershey school house near Lisbon, August 23, 1849, Bishop David

Edwards, presiding.

During these years the preachers in charge of the territory including

Lisbon were:

1843-44 John Peters.

1844-45 Christian Troup.

1845-47 J. W. Sterling.

1847-48 Luther McVay.

1848-49 Luther McVay, with John DeMoss, assistant.

Writing of the Iowa conference of 1845, Bishop Russell said: "Myself

and wife left the state of Maryland in a carriage for Iowa. A tedious

journey indeed. All went well until we got between the two

rivers--Mississippi and Iowa. In the high prairie grass our trail ran

out, and of course we were lost. How to get on the right course was the

trouble.

"I went before, parting the grass, which was much higher than myself.

After I had gone a certain distance, I put my hat on my cane to guide

my wife to the spot. Thus I continued for some time till we got right

again."

THE UNITED BRETHREN AT LISBON

Our life and work at Lisbon date back to the faithful labors of Rev.

Christian Troup, who began preaching in this vicinity as early as 1836.

Hence the church at Lisbon had its beginning with the very beginning of

our church in Iowa.

The work here grew slowly, however, for several years, Bro. Troup often

advising his converts to join other churches on account of the weakness

of the United Brethren in Iowa.

In 1847 Rev. Christian Hershey led quite a large colony, chiefly his

own relatives, from Pennsylvania to Iowa, and settled in Yankee Grove,

the section of country surrounding where Lisbon now stands.

This colony, being largely composed of United Brethren, made quite an

addition to the United Brethren forces of this vicinity.

In August of the same year Rev. Luther McVay was appointed to the

Yankee Grove circuit. During the summer of 1848 he held a camp-meeting

on the knoll now occupied by the Washington school building of Lisbon,

with good results. He then organized "the United Brethren class in the

Pennsylvania Settlement of Linn county, Iowa," with a charter

membership of about forty, as nearly as can be determined from the

original class book. About twelve names were afterward added, the year

closing with a membership of 52. The effecting of an organization was

strongly opposed by many of the older persons who took an active part

in the camp-meeting; not because of opposition to the church, but

feeling that it was not right to formally organize and put the names on

a class book.

Of these charter members, two are yet members of the church, Mr.

Michael Blessing, and Mrs. Nancy Neidig.

On August 23, 1849, the Iowa annual conference was held here. Lisbon

had just been platted, and homes were scarce. To meet the difficulty

occasioned by the coming of so many ministers, a camp-meeting was

planned; tents were built on the camp ground, and the conference was

held in connection with the camp-meeting. There were a number of

conversions, and at the close of the camp-meeting twenty-five persons

were baptized in the Cedar river near Ivanhoe, by Rev. Josiah Lindsey.

Rev. Christian Hershey and Rev. D. Wenrich were received into the

conference at this session upon their transfers. Rev. John De Moss,

assistant pastor of Yankee Grove circuit, reported $26.55 received as

salary and presents for the year.

The Lisbon class proper, at first called North Yankee Grove class, was

organized September 5, 1850, by Rev. S. W. Kern, pastor. The original

record shows 36 members of this class, many of whom belonged to the

"United Brethren Class in the Pennsylvania Settlement in Linn county,

Iowa," and several were new members. That there existed some difficulty

in connection with the work at this place at that time is manifest from

the following from Rev. D. Wenrich in an article in the _Telescope_

relative to the conference session of 1850: "On account of a peculiar

state of things on Yankee Grove circuit it was asked that a good

disciplinarian be appointed to the charge. The selection of Rev. S. W.

Kern and the adjustment of the difficulty proved the wisdom of the

choice." Just what the difficulty was, whether it was among members of

the church of a personal character, or whether it was something in

connection with the administration of the affairs of the church, there

is no record to show.

The annual conference of 1852 chose Lisbon as the place of meeting for

the next annual session. Rev. Christian Hershey, who had been in an

important sense the father of the Lisbon church, looked forward to its

coming with great expectations. When the time arrived for making

necessary local preparation, he joined most heartily in the work. After

cleaning the church and putting everything in readiness, he proposed to

a friend who was with him to go into the church and offer prayer for

the conference. He was in great joy. But on August 3d, the day before

the assembling of conference, very suddenly the death angel called, and

Father Hershey passed away. His death cast a gloom over the entire

session. Rev. George Miller was chosen to preach the funeral sermon.

The conference in a body marched before his corpse to the church and to

the grave. His remains were buried in the cemetery beside the church

and afterwards were removed to the present Lisbon cemetery, where they

now rest.

The growth of the church following the year 1849 was quite rapid. But

it is impossible to determine what the total membership has been, on

account of the mutilation of the early records. So far as we can learn

the number of persons received between 1840 and 1870 was fully five

hundred. Since 1870 the accessions have been quite numerous. A number

of very successful revivals have been held. From 1870 to the present

time, as nearly as can be determined, the number of accessions has

been about 790, thus showing a membership of nearly 1,300 since the

organization of the church in 1849.

The Lisbon charge has been favored with a number of most excellent

pastors. So far as the records show, the largest increase of membership

was during the pastorate of Rev. William Cunningham. During his service

of eighteen months there were eighty-four additions to the church.

Among those who have assisted largely to the development and growth of

the church, the following seem to deserve special mention: Christian

Hershey, Michael Hoover, Sr., D. Runkle, John Neidig, Jacob Kettering,

A. A. Sweet, Samuel Long, John Eby, Lawrence Easterly, J. E. Kurtz, D.

Dorwart, Henry Meyers, John Ringer, Sr., Elias Hahn, D. Buck, John

Turner, George Graul, D. G. Zeigenfus, Thomas Runkle, C. H. Neidig,

Abram Runkle, Adam Runkle, Amos Runkle, W. S. Furnas, Elizabeth Perry,

Nancy Neidig, Sr., Mother Bressler, Anna Bitzer and Elizabeth N.

Runkle. The list could be greatly enlarged with perfect truthfulness.

But these are among the number who seem to have stood out with special

prominence in the work of the church.

We would make special mention of Rev. S. E. Long, Rev. A. B. Statton,

and Rev. M. S. Runkle, who were raised as members of our church and

have gone into the ministry of the gospel.

Also Mrs. G. K. Little, daughter of Bro. J. Bittinger, whose sweet

voice and loving life are living epistles for Christ, greatly assisting

in the evangelistic work of her husband, Rev. G. K. Little, who for

years was a faithful member here.

Rev. I. L. Buchwalter and his devoted wife, who have made Lisbon their

home since he retired from the active ministry, have been active and

liberal in their devotion to the interests and work of the church.

CHURCH BUILDINGS

In 1850 Rev. Christian Hershey built in Lisbon, chiefly at his own

expense, the First United Brethren church west of the Mississippi

river. This church, which still stands just north of Mrs. Mary Hoover's

residence, was soon outgrown. In 1855 it was sold, and the proceeds

were used in building the second church on the site occupied by the

present edifice. This building served the church for twenty-six years.

During the pastorate of Rev. T. D. Adams and the early part of the

first pastorate of Rev. I. K. Statton, the need of a more modern church

became apparent. At the session of the quarterly conference on April 7,

1880, the first official steps were taken toward the erection of a new

building. During the following summer the old church was torn down, and

the present structure begun. It was completed at a cost of $9,200.00,

and on January 23, 1881, was dedicated by Bishop Milton Wright. Great

credit is due to the ever earnest and faithful labors of the pastor,

Dr. I. K. Statton.

During the building of the new church, the congregation was favored in

being granted the use of the Methodist Episcopal church for all its

services.

PARSONAGES

The church during its history has owned three parsonages. The present

building is an elegant frame structure of eight rooms, furnished with

furnace, electric light, and city water. It was purchased during the

summer of 1903 for $2,400, the old one being sold for $1,000.

THE SUNDAY SCHOOL

The Sunday school was organized early in the history of the Lisbon

church, probably in the spring of 1853. It was first conducted as a

union school, and so continued for a number of years, its development

into a United Brethren school being the result chiefly of the

organization of other schools in town.

At the first it was divided into male and female departments, with five

male and seven female classes; among them were one female and two male

spelling classes, and one female infant class. Among the first scholars

were Henry C. Kurtz, and Solomon Kettering, who are yet living. The

record of 1854 shows three infant classes, one male and two female. In

the male class were two of our present members, Henry C. Meyers, and

Jacob E. Meyers, with their father Henry Meyers as teacher.

The first secretary's record that is preserved begins with July, 1857.

The enrollment was 121, the attendance 118. The superintendent was A.

A. Sweet. May 27, 1860, is named as "the first day of the

administration of B. [Benjamin] Hoover as superintendent, to which

office he was elected last night." Other evidence states that Adam

Runkle had served as superintendent, one year before this election.

Following this the record shows nothing as to who was superintendent

till April 2, 1865, when it states, "Had our annual election last

evening for officers. Adam Runkle was re-elected superintendent, D.

Dorwart, secretary, D. Buck, librarian." I. Scoles is the first

secretary named, his election occurring May 2, 1858. The next named

following him is J. E. Kurtz, who served a number of years, his term of

office terminating with the election of D. Dorwart as above noted.

The enrollment did not increase rapidly, owing in part no doubt to the

organizing of other schools. On January 1, 1860, it was 144; on January

6, 1861, 145, with 140 in attendance.

The record from 1857 to 1865 is rendered quite interesting by the

recital of current events of the town and community. A few are here

quoted:

July 26, 1857. "A stranger bathing last Sabbath in the Cedar

river was drowned. Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy."

December 15, 1857. "Officers and teachers agreed to have a

teachers' meeting monthly."

April 11, 1859. "The Lutheran church organized a Sunday

school in the old church today."

July 9, 1859. "The school was opened at eight o'clock on

account of the Methodist quarterly meeting in this house at

nine o'clock."

November 6, 1859. "Small attendance on account of wedding in

town, Mr. Joel Ringer and Miss Barbara Kurtz."

July 29, 1860. "Bishop Glossbrenner was here yesterday, and

went to Western."

September 9, 1860. "We hear for the first time two bells

ringing in town."

October 28, 1860. "Mrs. Easterly married to David Zeigenfus."

November 11, 1860. "Old Abe elected."

September 21, 1861. "Yesterday great military demonstration;

young men leaving for the army."

November 1, 1863. "Yesterday all the liquor destroyed by the

sheriff."

November 29, 1863. "No school in consequence of the

Evangelical dedication."

January 16, 1865. "Large school, as both schools are united."

"Both schools" seems to refer to our own and a Sunday school

conducted for a short time by the Presbyterians. Enrollment

129; attendance 166.

April 16, 1865. "Our church was draped in memory of the death

of our late President, Abraham Lincoln."

May 7, 1865. "The Missionary Board met with us. Bishops

Edwards, Markwood, and Kumler, and Revs. S. VonNeida and J.

W. Shuey were present."

Reference is frequently made to deaths that occurred in town. The

burial of several soldiers is noted. The secretaries of later years

recorded but little of such general events. The record of June 6,

1880, says: "On account of tearing down the church, school met in M. E.

church at 2:00 p. m." On May 26, 1878, I. K. Statton, Mrs. T. D. Adams,

J. Bittinger, Amos Runkle and wife and Miss Sue Fletcher were appointed

delegates to the township and the county conventions.

The superintendents have been A. A. Sweet, Benjamin Hoover, Adam

Runkle, J. Bittinger, W. H. Runkle, J. S. Smith, U. D. Runkle, and the

present incumbent, Amos K. Runkle, who has served the school

continuously for sixteen years, and has just been reelected.

The Woman's Missionary Association of the United Brethren church of

Lisbon, was organized October 27, 1878, with the direction and

assistance of Mrs. A. L. Billheimer. Mrs. T. D. Adams was appointed

temporary secretary. The following officers were elected: Mrs. Mary

Shaler, president; Mrs. A. K. Runkle, vice president; Mrs. Addie Eby,

secretary; Mrs. Lizzie A. Runkle, treasurer; solicitors: Mrs. E. N.

Runkle, Mrs. Holderman, Mrs. Nancy Neidig, Miss Maggie Houser, Mrs.

Katie Kurtz.

The first regular meeting was held at the parsonage and was opened by

devotional exercises by Mrs. Charlotte Davis (wife of Rev. Wm. Davis).

LISBON CAMP-MEETING

The earliest camp-meeting of our church in this vicinity, as far as can

be learned, was held in 1848 on the site of the present school

building. It was followed by the second in 1849, and a third in 1852.

Similar meetings were held at various times and places for several

years.

At a quarterly conference held July 7, 1879, a camp-meeting committee

was appointed, consisting of Rev. T. D. Adams, and brothers J.

Bittinger, D. Runkle, C. H. Neidig, A. E. Kurtz, A. K. Runkle, George

Rupert, Sr., and J. S. Smith. The committee organized on July 11,

electing Rev. T. D. Adams, president, and Rev. I. K. Statton,

secretary. A plot of ground of about twenty-five acres, lying one and

one-fourth miles southeast of Lisbon was purchased, and a camp-meeting

planned to begin on August 26 following. At this time the temporary

organization was succeeded by a permanent one, with Rev. T. D. Adams,

president, and J. Bittinger, secretary. On September 3d, the grounds

were dedicated by Bishop Milton Wright, Rev. T. D. Adams, Pastor, Rev.

I. K. Statton, presiding elder, and a number of other ministers

assisting.

The ground was a nicely wooded tract, with two good springs, and was

fitted up with a number of neat cottages, a boarding house, chapel,

speakers' stand, and seats, and was enclosed with a substantial fence.

Among the prominent men who at different times took part in the

meetings were, Bishops Weaver, Kephart, Hott, Mills, and Wright,

President W. M. Beardshear, and Dr. J. W. Etter. Interesting meetings

were held each summer up to and including 1893. Some hindrance at

length arose, and at the annual meeting held on August 27, 1894, the

association voted to sell the grounds and disorganize.

LIST OF PASTORS, YANKEE GROVE CIRCUIT AND LISBON STATION

1843-44 John Peters

1843-44 Christian Troup

1845-57 J. W. Sterling

1847-49 Luther McVay

1848-49 Luther McVay

John DeMoss, Asst.

1849-50 J. S. Brown

1850-52 S. W. Kern

1855-56 J. B. Wells

1856-58 Martin Bowman

1858-59 George Miller

1859-60 Jonathan Wynn

1860-61 John Goodin

1861-62 A. Shessler

1862-63 Martin Bowman

1863-65 John Curts

1870-74 Wm. Davis

1874-75 S. Sutton

1875-76 Wm. Davis

1876-79 T. D. Adams

1879-83 I. K. Statton

1883-85 Wm Cunningham

1885-88 R. E. Williams

1888-92 C. K. Westfall

[Illustration: FATHER FLYNN, CEDAR RAPIDS]

1852-53 F. R. S. Byrd

1853-54 Jacob Newman

1854-55 Daniel Runkle

Jacob Miller, Asst.

1865-66 John Manning

1866-67 John Curts

1867-68 T. Brashear

1868-70 H. B. Potter

1892-95 V. A. Carlton

1895-99 I. K. Statton

1899-03 W. I. Beatty

1903 C. J. Kephart

SESSIONS OF IOWA CONFERENCE HELD AT LISBON

1849 Bishop David Edwards, presiding

1853 Bishop L. Davis, presiding

1856 Bishop L. Davis, presiding

1862 Bishop J. Markwood, presiding

1865 Bishop J. Markwood, presiding

1867 Rev. D. K. Flickinger, presiding

in place of Bishop Markwood, absent

1869 Bishop J. Dickinson, presiding

1872 Bishop J. Dickinson, presiding

1878 Bishop M. Wright, presiding

1883 Bishop J. Wright, presiding

1888 Bishop J. Dickinson, presiding

1892 Bishop J. Dickisnon, presiding

1899 Bishop N. Castle, presiding

CHAPTER XXXV

_County and District Politics_

It has been stated that the first election in the county was held at

Westport in 1838 when thirty-two votes were cast in the county. This is

said to have been the most quiet election on record. Gradually the

people located claims, as more lands were thrown open to settlement,

and politics began to cut a figure at an early date. While many of the

settlers came from the south, a majority, however, came from Ohio, from

the middle states, and from New England. Thus it would appear that the

population of Iowa was a part of the free state movement which had

peopled the central states. The foreign population did not come to Iowa

until the early '50s, when the Germans, Scandinavians, Scotch, and

Irish came in large numbers to take up the cheap lands which were

offered to the settlers.

The early settlers were for the most part democrats, with a sprinkling

of whigs and abolitionists. Some of these voted for Taylor for

president in 1844, nearly all of whom supported Fremont later.

Thus in Brown township Ed Crow, Horace Brown, and the Butlers were

democrats, while the Plummers, Yocums, Hamptons, Stanleys, and Dewees

families were originally whigs, who joined the republican party in

1856. In Franklin township the members of the United Brethren church in

and around Lisbon, and the Methodists around Mount Vernon were stanch

abolitionists, joining the republican party when that was formed.

Around Bertram a large number affiliated with the democratic party,

which was true of the settlers in and around Center Point. In the

northern part of the county, James Nugent, A. C. Coquillette, Joe

Whitney, Peter Henderson, and many others were republicans, or joined

the party later. In Maine township the Jordan families were divided in

politics, some belonging to one party, others to another. These men

were a sturdy lot of pioneers and did much in a political and financial

way to build up the county.

In Rapids township and Cedar Rapids, many of the old settlers were

democrats, such as N. B. Brown, D. M. McIntosh, the Bryan boys, E. R.

Derby, William Harper, the Weares, J. J. Snouffer, Hart brothers, and

many others. Judge Greene was one of the most prominent democrats who

joined the republican ranks in the Greeley campaign. The Weares joined

the republican party during the Civil war period. Some of the prominent

republicans of an early day were E. N. Bates, the Carrolls, Elys,

Leaches, Higleys, J. S. and T. Z. Cook, Isaac Cook, Dr. S. D.

Carpenter, Dr. E. L. Mansfield, Gabriel Carpenter.

In Marion township, which was then and for many years afterwards the

political center of the county, the whigs, who later became

republicans, were such men as N. M. Hubbard, R. D. Stephens, Joseph

Young, William Cook, William G. Thompson, James E. Bromwell, William

Smythe, Robert Smythe, Robert Holmes, the Herveys, and the Daniels

family.

Among the democrats were such prominent men as Colonel I. M. Preston,

S. H. Tryon, S. W. Durham, H. W. Gray, Dr. T. S. Bardwell, T. J.

McKean, J. C. Barry, James Green, L. M. Strong, C. T. Williams, and

James Brown.

During the territorial days Robert Lucas was a democrat, while John

Chambers was a whig, succeeded by James Clarke, another democrat.

During these early territorial days Linn county cut very little figure

in the affairs of the newly organized territory, as the river counties

had most of the settlers and otherwise controlled political affairs in

general. In the first assembly which met at Burlington, November 11,

1838, this county was represented by Charles Whittelsy in the council,

and by Robert G. Roberts in the house. The district then was composed

of Cedar, Johnson, Jones, and Linn counties.

The second assembly met at the same place November 4, 1839, this

district being represented in the council by Charles Whittelsy, and by

George H. Walworth in the house. The district this year was composed of

Cedar, Jones, and Linn counties.

The third assembly convened at Burlington November 2, 1840, and now,

for the first time, Linn county was represented in the council by a

resident of the county, in the person of George Greene. In the house

sat George H. Walworth and H. Van Antwerp.

The fourth assembly convened at the newly selected capital at Iowa

City, and in the council or upper house sat again George Greene, and in

the house were Thomas Higginson and Thomas Denson.

In the fifth assembly sat J. P. Cook in the council and George H.

Walworth and J. C. Barry in the house, the latter being a resident of

Linn county.

In the sixth assembly sat J. P. Cook in the council, George H. Walworth

and Robert Smythe in the house, Smythe being a resident of the county.

For many years he was a prominent politician in Iowa, and sat in the

lower and upper houses for many years.

In the seventh assembly, which convened at Iowa City in May, 1845, sat

William Abbe in the council, and Joe K. Snyder and John Taylor in the

house. William Abbe was the first actual settler in the county and one

of the best known persons in eastern Iowa in early days. Mr. Abbe also

sat in the assembly which met at Iowa City in December, 1845.

Linn county was also represented by able men in the constitutional

conventions, and no doubt the members from this county did much in the

adoption of our constitution. In the first constitutional convention

which convened October 7, 1844, there sat as members from this county

the following persons: T. J. McKean, L. M. Strong, and S. W. Durham,

all democrats. This convention numbered fifty-three democrats and

seventeen whigs. In the second constitutional convention, which met at

the seat of government May 4, 1856, Linn and Benton counties were

represented by Socrates H. Tryon, of Marion. In this convention, which

was smaller than the first, the party vote stood twenty democrats and

ten whigs.

In the third constitutional convention, which met January 19, 1857,

there sat H. W. Gray, of Marion, as a member of the convention, and

Ellsworth N. Bates, of Cedar Rapids, as assistant secretary, a young

man of brilliant parts.

The first governor of the newly made state, Ansel Briggs, was a

democrat, as was Stephen Hempstead, his successor. James W. Grimes, who

had located at Burlington in 1836, was nominated for the office of

governor at the whig convention in 1854, and made a memorable canvass.

His well known anti-slavery views rendered him acceptable to all who

were opposed to the extension of that institution. While many

conservative whigs agreed with the democrats on the slavery issue,

still all classes who favored free soil united in the support of

Grimes, who was favorably known and had been a member of the

legislature, and who had made a favorable impression upon the new

settlers who had come into the state to find homes. Grimes was elected,

and this was the first defeat of the democrats since Iowa was organized

as a territory.

In January, 1856, Governor Grimes wrote the call for the convention,

which met at Iowa City on February 22d, which founded the republican

party. In this convention there sat a number of Linn county persons who

later became noted men in the party, and well known in the state.

The first presidential vote in Iowa was in the election in 1848, when

Cass, the regular democratic nominee, received 12,083 votes, Taylor,

whig, 11,084 votes, and Martin Van Buren, free soil democrat, 1,126

votes. In the election of 1852, which was quite exciting all over the

country, and not least in Iowa, the popular votes for president were as

follows: Franklin Pierce, democrat, 17,763, Winfield Scott, whig,

15,856, John P. Hale, free democracy, 1,704 votes. This vote would

indicate that the democratic party still held the balance of power in

the state, but the change in old party lines was apparent.

During the years up to 1856, a large number of pioneers had come into

the state from Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, and Michigan, as well as

from the New England states, and bitter party feeling ran high. Many of

the party leaders took the stump, and speeches were made in nearly all

these settlements. Newspapers were established and an active campaign

brought about. Politics was the topic of conversation at the country

store, at the grist-mill, and at the country postoffices, and everyone

felt that a change along party lines would be apparent. The vote in

Iowa for president in 1856 was: John C. Fremont, republican, 43,954,

James Buchanan, democrat, 36,170, Millard Fillmore, American party,

9,180. James W. Grimes, the candidate for governor on the Fremont

ticket, was re-elected.

In this campaign the question of slavery was the main issue, and on

this ground the newly organized republican party carried the day in

Iowa. Iowa from this time was lost to the democrats, and they were

unable to regain the lost ground by attempting to get away from the

slavery issue. During the summer and fall of 1860 the campaign

surpassed even the excitable campaign of four years previous. At the

fall election Lincoln received 70,409 votes, S. A. Douglas, democrat,

55,111 votes, John Bell, 17,763 votes. J. C. Breckenridge, the regular

democratic nominee, who aimed to carry slavery into the territory at

any cost, received in this state only 1,048. The Douglas wing of the

party "aimed to throw the responsibility of the slavery question upon

the supreme court or upon the territories, or anywhere else, except

upon the democratic party." Douglas had many admirers in this county,

and he visited, in this campaign, Marion and Cedar Rapids, where people

flocked to hear him, many of whom admired him, but there were few who

could support his visionary schemes and many who doubted the outcome of

his dubious platform. This year the republican state ticket received on

an average a plurality of 13,670 votes. In this election the state had

become one of the solid republican states, and has so continued. In the

state campaign of 1861 S. J. Kirkwood carried the state in an exciting

campaign over William H. Merritt, the regular democratic nominee. Mr.

Merritt had become a resident of this county, and hence received a

large vote in his old home. Kirkwood had won over A. C. Dodge by a

majority of 3,000 two years before, and was a popular candidate, a man

of many strong traits of character. The Civil war was on and the people

felt that they must sustain the policies of the party in power, and

hence, perhaps, the popularity of the prospective candidates cut but

little figure.

During one of these campaigns as Perry Oxley and Ambrose Harlan were

seated discussing politics at the county seat one day, Harlan in his

wrath accused Oxley of being a traitor to the government. This was too

much for the irate Kentucky-born democrat, and he knocked Harlan down

with a savage blow aimed at the fellow's head. There was a trial for

assault and battery, to which Oxley pleaded guilty, and later Harlan

brought an action for damages in the district court, which damages were

paid pro-rata by the democrats over the county. Col. I. M. Preston

defended Oxley and the outcome of the verdict in fact made the issues

for the next campaign.

At commencement exercises at Mt. Vernon a general free-for-all fight

occurred on account of some girls wearing copperhead pins. This matter

also came into the courts, and county politics at least changed

conditions, as party feelings ran high, and perhaps the ultimate

motives of party politics were lost sight of, in these hand to hand

contests waged near at home.

[Illustration: PUBLIC AND COMMERCIAL BUILDINGS IN CEDAR RAPIDS, 1910

St. Luke's Hospital

Security Savings Bank

Mercy Hospital

Interior Library

Masonic Temple

Masonic Library and Annex

Second Avenue Bridge

High School

Public Library]

During the early days Joel Leverich was a prominent political character

in Linn county. He was called the "Bogus Coon," as it was claimed that

he belonged to a gang of counterfeiters. However true that may he, no

one knows, as he called himself a fellow who could make counterfeit

money which would pass muster even in the land office. Leverich was a

bright and intelligent person and wielded a great deal of influence as

a sort of ward heeler before wards were organized in an early day, and

it was frequently stated "that as Joel Leverich went, so went the

county." Joel was not perhaps as interested in the political views of

the candidates as he was in getting pay for his services and in having

a promise of a pull with the officers if elected.

Bill Brody also wielded more or less influence in an early day in the

county, and sometimes lined up with one party and sometimes with

another. It was generally true, that if Leverich and his followers were

all on one side, Brody and his companions would generally be opposed,

and it was very seldom that both gangs were enlisted to work for the

same political party in any one campaign.

At one time just preceding a county election, members of the two gangs

met at the Joshua Glover saloon in Marion. All had been drinking, and

it was not long until the street was full of people, there being

fifteen to twenty on a side all engaged in a general free-for-all

fight. No one tried to interfere, and blood flowed freely. While Bill

Brody was the leader and perhaps the most active, his chum and

follower, Barry Way, was the most powerful fighter, and is said to have

cleaned out the entire gang and won the day. His political party was in

power for a day at least.

While there was much disorder, and trouble arose on account of lack of

enforcement of law and order, it would be apparent that if men were

elected to office by the assistance and help of men of this type it was

not surprising to hear that officials could not, or would not always

carry out the provisions of the law. Ambrose Harlan, well known in an

early day as a person who had nerve and considerable fight in him, came

out as a candidate for sheriff on a platform all his own, claiming that

"he would catch horse thieves, and would even serve a warrant on Bill

Brody himself, leader of the notorious gang," referred to in these

pages.

Harlan became an imaginary hero in the eyes of the people, and was

elected by a large majority. For a long time after he had assumed the

duties of his office there did not seem to be anything doing in his

particular line. In fact the sheriff's office was the most deserted

place at the county seat. It resembled a summer resort in winter time,

and Harlan was about to resign for want of anything to do, for if there

was anything Harlan loved it was a fight to a finish or a wordy contest

with a political opponent. As sheriff there was nothing to do in either

line, for people seemed for once to mind their own business.

At last, one morning a warrant was brought to the sheriff to be served

on Brody, who had been charged with grand larceny of a team of horses.

Harlan's moment had come, and he prided himself on the fact that he

would lodge Brody in jail before the next sun set. A few inquiries were

made, and Brody was located in the Way cabin, some five or six miles

east of Vinton. At Vinton Harlan organized a posse and started early

next morning to catch the culprit before he would leave for the day.

They surrounded the cabin, Harlan fearing that the fellows had already

escaped, but he ascertained that the smoke issuing from the cabin was

only an indication that Mrs. Way was getting breakfast ready. He found

Bill Brody and his chum Barry Way in bed. He was not long in making his

errand known, and Brody replied. "Do you want me naked or will you give

me time to put on my duds?" To which Harlan replied that as it was

still early and he had all day, he would wait till the fellows dressed.

The men took considerable time in arranging their morning toilet,

saying to one another that it might be a long time before they would

get back, and that the trial court could do nothing without their

presence, so there was no hurry. Harlan sat on a home-made rickety

chair in one corner of the room, with a gun in his left hand and a

hickory stick in the other, watching the two culprits, and recalling

the old refrain, "Weep no mo' me lady," as he watched the poor mother

Way walking about the room with tears in her eyes, wondering what her

wayward son had been up to this time. Harlan kept special watch on Way,

who was the athlete, not fearing Brody, who was a small person. As

Harlan looked out at the tiny window to detect a certain noise he

heard, Brody, nimble as a cat, was at his side in an instant. He wrung

the hickory sapling out of the sheriff's hands and struck him a savage

blow on the head so that the Linn county official was "dead to the

world" for at least thirty minutes. The crowd outside were in hiding

near a straw stack, and when they saw the two desperadoes come out of

the cabin alone without any sheriff following, they took to their

horses and rode away as fast as they could, never looking around till

the town of Vinton was in sight.

When the sheriff realized what had happened, he was invited to

breakfast by Mrs. Way, who said it might be a long time before her

boarders would return. The sheriff would not accept the invitation, but

asked instead for bandages for his head.

Harlan was asked on his return to the county seat, minus his prisoner,

"Why didn't you take Bill when you had him?" Harlan replied, "How could

I, when I had a gun in one hand and a hickory stick in the other, which

he took away and rapped me over the head with, and when I came to my

senses he wasn't there."

It was needless to say, that at the next election no one cared to enter

the race on a strictly horse thief catching platform.

One of the most remarkable political contests ever waged in the county

was that of N. M. Hubbard and William Smythe for congress in 1868.

Hubbard had been a sort of political dictator since the organization of

the republican party. He had held the office of county judge for a

short time, and had been appointed attorney for the Northwestern

railway, and for this reason was a powerful factor in financial as well

as in political circles. Hubbard was quarrelsome, impertinent, and

out-spoken, and used to say, that he "loved a nigger more than he did a

democrat." In his aspirations for office he was backed by many friends

and admirers, such as the Weares, Elys, Carrolls, and Higleys in Cedar

Rapids, and by most of the prominent Marion men, such as the Herveys,

the Daniels families, Captain Rathbun, Major Thompson, and Bob Holmes.

The people of Marion were bitter against Hubbard, especially R. D.

Stephens, who had been Hubbard's partner for some time, which

partnership ended in a row, the last formal dissolution of the

partnership being to the effect that Hubbard said to Stephens that "he

would not attend his funeral," to which the partner replied, "neither

will I attend yours or ever darken your threshhold in any capacity."

Stephens by this time was a financial factor in the county and had many

friends. It was thought that he should make the run against Hubbard,

who had removed to Cedar Rapids, but the leaders of this faction of the

party thought that a candidate must be selected who had been in the

war, and thus the opponents of Hubbard selected William Smythe, who was

a brother-in-law of Stephens, as the logical candidate to make the

race. Smythe was an Irishman who had been an officer in the Civil war;

was an eminent lawyer, a most affable gentleman, who had made a

reputation for himself as a conservative and safe political leader.

In this canvass Smythe was also backed by Robert Smythe, an older

brother, who had been in the legislature, and was favorably known

throughout the county. Stephens was the financial backer and the

organizer of the Smythe faction. He was far-sighted, wielded

considerable political and social influence, and used his money freely

in this campaign to get even with Hubbard, if for no other reason. In

this fight Stephens enlisted the service of a number of prominent

democrats who were unfriendly to Hubbard. Everyone expected that

Hubbard would win hands down, and carry Cedar Rapids and many of the

county precincts. Smythe enlisted in his cause such men as Colonel

Preston, Dr. Thos. Bardwell, J. H. Preston, S. W. Durham, James Brown,

and many other democrats who were on the inside of this movement to

dethrone the republican county boss. Smythe carried Marion township

much to the surprise of the local leaders who had thought up to that

time that everything was cocked and primed for Hubbard.

The county went about half and half; both parties, of course, had

expected a small majority. When the officers were selected and a

contest came up to a show of hands, the convention stood a tie. The old

court house was filled to overflowing, and many wordy contests took

place outside as well as inside of the old dingy court room.

The afternoon passed and neither side got ahead. Stephens was the

active leader on the floor of the convention and knew more about

parliamentary rules than anyone else. Still there were others in the

convention on the Hubbard side who were no novices at the business of

packing a convention.

An agreement had been made that the winner should select his own

delegates, and it was conceded that whoever carried the county would

carry the district. Neither faction dared to adjourn, and so the fight

was kept up on motions of one kind and another with voting now and then

to ascertain if the members had changed. They all "stood pat," and it

has since been suggested that this must have been the first time the

word standpatter was used in a political sense.

In the evening Dr. Thomas S. Bardwell moved about in the convention

hall shaking hands with his professional brethren and others. He

invited a stanch supporter of Hubbard from up the county, and a

professional brother, into his postoffice and into a back room where he

lived. They got into conversation and Bardwell knew that the man wanted

a little for his stomach's sake, for he had traveled a long ways that

morning and had had nothing to eat all day. Bardwell fully agreed with

the country doctor that the air of a dingy court room was bad for the

lungs, and that a life of that kind would certainly ruin the health of

any man, however strong he might otherwise he. The country doctor took

one and then another drink from the city man's private supply, and the

Marion man was not one of the kind that refused even to take a drink

with his country friend. The conversation moved much easier and more

pleasant after the first few drinks, and Bardwell, to show that he was

a good fellow, brought out a variety of liquor, such as would have made

the mouth of a true Kentuckian smack in anticipation. It was not long

till the country practitioner forgot all about the convention and was

"dead to the world." He was placed in the doctor's bed, the doors

locked, and Bardwell hurried back to the court house, sending a note to

Stephens to the effect that he must put the vote at once. Stephens did

not know whether Bardwell was putting up a scheme on him or not, but he

was about at the end with his objections and thought he would try just

another vote and risk everything on a democrat's advice. Stephens

withdrew his motion then pending and called for a vote by ballot. The

Hubbard faction was glad of this opportunity, and as there were no

objections the seesaw affair of balloting once more began.

When the votes were counted it was found that the Hubbard faction was

one short. They counted and re-counted, and made the air blue with dire

threats, wondering who had sold out, but no "Judas" could be found.

Finally it was discovered that the country delegate aforesaid was

missing. It was thought that he had gone home or had been called away

on professional business, but such was not the case. The aforesaid

country delegate was not made aware of the real condition of things

till the next morning when he awoke in the back room of the doctor's

office wondering how he had gotten such fine quarters without any

assistance from either side, as far as he knew.

The convention went wild over Smythe's victory and the city of Marion,

regardless of party, was caught in this wave of enthusiasm, and the

only topic of conversation for a long time afterwards was "how William

Smythe won the fight."

The newspaper which gave the best write-up of this political contest,

and the paper which did more for Smythe than any other political organ

in the county, was the _Linn County Signal_, edited by a nephew of S.

W. Durham, by the name of Williams. The editorial writers, however,

were such men as Dr. Thos. Bardwell, James Brown, S. W. Durham, Colonel

I. M. Preston, and Judge J. H. Preston, who was just then beginning to

learn the inside workings of politics. A tramp printer by the name of

Tompkins came along some time before the convention occurred, out of

money and out of work, and was employed on the paper. Tompkins looked

and acted like a fool, but was in fact a genius. He could write better

than the best of them, and knew shorthand as well. He reported the

proceedings of this unique convention, and it is stated by all,

regardless of party affiliations, that this write-up was the best of

any political write-up of any convention before or since.

After Smythe had been duly nominated for congress, the democrats of

Linn county refused to support the republican candidate any longer, as

they were only acting in the capacity of beating Hubbard. William E.

Leffingwell, of Clinton, one of the silver-tongued orators of the west

and an eminent man in many ways, was selected as the standard bearer of

the democratic party to oppose Smythe. As Hubbard and his friends

knifed Smythe on account of the action taken by Smythe's followers in

the county convention, there was hope that a democrat might be elected.

The county democrats challenged Smythe to a joint debate, hoping that

he would refuse to debate with a person much his superior. But Smythe

accepted the challenge and it was decided that there should be three

joint debates in the county, at Center Point, Marion, and Cedar Rapids.

The first joint debate was to be held at Center Point--a democratic

stronghold--and Smythe and his followers drove over from Marion in

large numbers, for they wanted to protect their candidate in case any

trouble should arise. Leffingwell and his party also started from

Marion, made up of the most influential democrats in Cedar Rapids and

Marion. Dr. Bardwell, one of the leaders of the democracy, and who had

laid out the Hubbard supporter at the time of the convention, sat in

the back seat of the buggy with Leffingwell and carried the same kind

of wet goods along on this evening and for the same purpose that the

candidate should take something for his stomach's sake. This time

Bardwell was in earnest and really wanted to instill into the candidate

a little of the spirit which would brace him up to a greater effort. He

did not figure that Leffingwell's only fault was his love for the

bottle. When they arrived at Center Point more liquor was added, and

when Leffingwell sat in the stuffy room listening to Smythe's opening

arguments half an hour, the liquor took effect, and he became so drunk

that he could hardly stand up, and made a rambling sort of a speech as

only one under the influence of liquor could make. Smythe replied to

the rambling remarks of his opponent in a most masterly way and in such

a telling manner that even the democrats got disgusted with their own

candidate, and the Marion contingent felt that hanging would have been

too good for Doc Bardwell.

This first meeting ended the joint debates with Leffingwell. Later in

the fall the democrats secured another debater from southern Iowa in

the person of Martin Van Buren Bennett, a rabid partisan and a fiery

orator, who, perhaps, surpassed Smythe in oratory, but who failed to

make any special gains for his party as he was an outsider who dwelt on

past history and did not confine himself to present conditions.

[Illustration: BIRDSEYE VIEW OF CEDAR RAPIDS IN 1868]

The friends of Smythe were very active among the democrats within the

county to obtain their support, knowing that a large number of

republicans would bolt the ticket. It was told that a fellow democrat

went to old man Hickey in College township, an old Irishman and a

stanch democrat, wanting him to vote for Smythe on the strength that he

was born in Ireland. Hickey replied, "What! ask me to vote for an

Orangeman, let me tell ye, when an Irishman steals a pig he gives half

of it to the priest; when an Orangeman steals a pig he takes the whole

d--thing and gives the priest nathing. No, I'll vote for no Orangeman

for any office, I tell ye."