The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-05-18
aasa

was nAmtu lhI Nllilhm lstlknNnnt
who. with John w. Carver. were the
projectors OF the new village, and at
that time lesses OF the Keokuk &
Dos Moines railroad, running through
tho place. u has never had n lnrge
growth, but furnishes a good mar
ket and trading point for the veal.
thy community surrounding Il.
Black oak has 1913 farms, whose
lands are valued at S276,143. with
personal property valued at s63,913,
and a population Of 1900 persons.
Cedar.
The township lines Of Cedar town.
ship were run by Alvin Burt In the
fall of 1S43. It is mostly prairie.
There is some timber In the north
eastern part of the township and al
so along Cedar creek, which crosses
the southwest corner Of the town.
| ship, flowing to the southeast. When
the writer first saw this part Of the
county, in 1866, it was an unbroken
prairie, with scattered settlements.
In crossing from Skunk river to Ed
dyville we travelled eight miles with
out passing a dwelling. 1t took
many years for the settlers to learn
that the rich prairie farms held the
wealth OF the land.
] Samuel McFall settled on Section
IL in 1874 and built the first school
house in 1876, where his nephew,
Joseph McFall taught a subscription
school, the first in the township.
In the spring OF. 1874 religious
meetings were held in the house OF
Samuel Barbee, near where the Con.
cert NJ. r. church was afterwards
built in 1856 at a cost Of 81, 200.
This church has been the center OF
active christian work for more than
a. half century. The. anne of the
church officers at the time the
building was erected we're Joseph
Paul, David Mills, John Earring,
Gideon McFall, NJ. Klnsman, David
Beck, F. w. Lindsey, Thos. Paul
and Jas. Wright. The church was
dedicated January 3, 1858, by Rev.
Cowles of Oskaloosa.
William Morrow was the first jus,
tice OF the peace in the township.
! George Lentz, J. @. White, Christian
wild, Nicholas Allender, Joseph and
Smith Aldridge, G. B. McFall and
their families were among the old
settlers. In 1855 Wright & Winnett
built and operated a quite extensive
steam Touring mill on the farm known
as the John Pugh place, northwest OF
Fremont. John d. Cochran now has
the frame built into a barn. About
ten years later the machinery Of the
mill was sold and removed to Wis
cousin.
Cedar, located on the c., b. & Q.
road, in the west part of the township,
is a growing village with good ship
ping facilities. II has a number OF
fine homes.
Cedar township has 247 farms with
lands valued at $254,651, and personal
property valued at $67,41i, and a popu.
lation OF 1900 persons.
Fremont.
Fremont is one Of the oldest vii.
lagos In the county. II was laid out
by VIM. Morrow in 1S48, and named
in honor Of John G. Fremont, who
with a party of explorers on their way
westward in the late ~forties, had camp
ed for a time at McEwen's Springs, a
mile north OF Fremont. General FIRE.
mont afterward became the first can
didate of the republican party for
president. Mr.. Morrow built the first
dwelling house and store building and
opened a stock Of general merchan-
dise. It's p~ostofice was established
in 1S4S with it's founder as postmaster.
Before the days of railroads Fremont
was quite an important town, being
located on the divide" which was
then a well known and much Travelled
highway for overland emigration as
well as teaming and staging from the
river. In the ffties and early sixties
J. II. White operated a quite extensive
saw mill in Fremont which contribut-
ed much TO the building up OF that
part OF the county. Elisha Vance
owned a large tan yard. In those
years merchants with general stocks
we're John @. White, Chas. Adams, Sol.
ONION Way, Lee G. Cochran and Thorn.
as Rankin. Simon Felsenthal ran an
exclusive clothing store, and Peter
Shopper was the druggist OF the place.
Nicholas Allender, John b. Raines,
Phillip Akermah and James hodson
were the blacksmitbs. The latter add
ed to his popularity as a workman by
making COW bells for the neighbor-
hood. Fifty years ago the village
blacksmith wal looked to for a thous-
and things which are 10Y turned out
by machinery.
Jonathan Buzzard. Jacob Brown,
George Lentz and Edwin Allen were
wagon makers, and the two cabinet
makers were Jacob Goehring and
Christian We'll COINS were all made
from native walnut lumber, because
Of its durability. and seldom kept in
otook aa now Int made 10 order, Ac-