The Oskaloosa herald., 1905-06-15

nbnhsy ilWnes tn same IA me
msRMMlsAlisn III lsnwNNhleh eUnnly shA
laat three lwNnsblps went wllh n.
and Pleasant uFuys wna UfwaNlrnd N
January. 1850. leaving tlnlnA the ur.
ilnafy siAed township runtalnlne
shltty.sls square mites ana known AZ
township No W north ~ fanNn iB
west ~ llN k,h Principal Meridian
Thu township lines wpfe run W A.
vim nurt In July, ists, mud the Reo.
.lnn lines Nv stllep g. Carpenter 10
October. isif Thn North skunk fiy.
er runs ,ilaeunaily across thn township
from the northwest. Except IN the
southern sections lhp country u
somewhat broken and was originally
covered with timber There are, how.
eyer. very few farms that are not
rich and productive The very fiut
settlers were John Morrison, Jacob
Kllnker and Jesse Moore. Among
those who came n little later were
Jno. and James widows. Nathan
Brown, Jacob Daiby and Isaac ".
Griffith near the county line, and
further south were the Bradshaws.
John Graham, Robert Telford, John
Dearborn, David, James and Reucen
KiBer, Daniel Rodgers,John McMaines,
Benz. Groves, Anderson James, Fred
weimer and others.
The books OF original entry among
the county records show that the first
lands purchased from the government
In this township were the following:
October 0, 1S48, by Simeon Johnson,
part OF Sec. i. Same date, by II.
y. Ogden, part OF Sec. 4. October
~, by Joshua Gorsuch, part OF Sec.
II. Same date, Robert Telford pur.
chased Section IL. The first school
was taught by Mrs. Fry, on Section
II, and the next at Union Mills. This
village was laid out by Jacob Wei.
mer in 1S49, and called Middletown,
on account of its being about half
way between Montezuma and oska'
loosa. Later the village took the
name OF the mills which were built
by Mr.. Welmer and G. Brolllar. Sew
erai stores sprung up and nourished
on account Of the patronage at the
mills. At one time there was card.
ing mill and chair factory attached
TO the mills. A postoffice was estab'
Ilshed in 1855. The old mill and the
village are things Of the past. TheI
abundant timber lands were inviting
for wild game in the early years.
Mrs. David Kiser recalls many pleas.
ant memorIes Of the log cabin days.
One afternoon while sitting at her
cabin window she saw herd Of deer
pass quietly by and cut into the
range. Like most Of the pioneers the
good lady resOlutely cllngs 10 the old
home place where herself and her
husband spent their happlest days and
from which the family have gone out
10 found homes Of their own. We are
told that some where back In the late
forties three young men lost their
lives during n food in the river, and
these were among the first who were
buried in fhe beautiful cemetery
grounds near Union Mills.
Some thirty years ago James
stiles Chew and others we're
instrumental IN purchasing Beth
y. Grove, located on Sec
tion II, and having II decided TO the
". 70. church forever for camp meet
ing purposes. a chapel has been
erected on the ground and the place
serves as an inviting gathering place
for the neighbOrhOOd. Since its Dur'
chase the community has changed,
and but few members Of that church
remain, but the terms of the deed are
unaItcrablc and as long as there IN
someone 10 see that the tax IN paid,
II must remain the property OF the
church who first accepted It. There
rs a good NJ. E. church on Section 20,
known M the Fairylcw church. The
neat frame church standing on the
eminence al Union Mills belongs 10
the Christian church. An Organiza-
tIon Of this church wag formed hero
back in the sixties by N. E. Cory.
Union township has 225 fafms
whose value is 1921 ,404, with Dcrzonal
property valued at $54,Sl9. Its po7.
ulatiOn is 1900
.sn1Nu,fn attu acu0nt RIIRNQ