Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1907-10-09
Early Times in Richland Township.

Strawberry Point today:
Fifty-one years ago last June,
when but boy six years of age,
crossed the Father Of Waters to its
Western shore and commenced my
life work in this great trans issis.
sippi region. We came from New
York state, travelling from Buffalo
TO Chicago on q steamboat, and from
Chicago to Delaware county in what
was then called prairie schooner.
My father and his little family
made their first stop in Richland
township, at the home of J. B. Ives,
on Section %. At that time there
were no railroads in Delaware coun-
ty, but on December 10th of the
next year, 1857, the Dubuque and
Sioux City railroad ran its first train
into Earlville, then called Noting
ham, and that place remained the
western terminus of the line for
about two years.
Our first Iowa home was a log cab
in on the outer edge of the little
settlement that clustered about the
Campton postoffice. To the South
and West of where we lived, tree
Hess, uninhabited prairie stretched
away as far as the eye could see.
The race of red men had already
disappeared, leaving only few
stone arrow heads and their name
upon the county's principal river to
evidence a prior occupation. From
the bosom Of these rolling prairies
l have seen groves of trees stand up,
and farm, and railroads, and towns
leap forth, and SO change the face Of
nature that if the Indian lover could
return from his Happy Hunting
Ground, he would be unable to rec
ognize the land in which he wooed
and won his dusky maiden.
! As near as I can learn. the history
of Richland township commenced
January 9th, 1851. On that date
the County commissioners establish
ed its boundaries and gave it its
| name. But there were some settlers
, in township 80, North Of range 6,
West of the 9Th P. NJ, prior to 1851.
In lS47 William Turner built a
saw-mill on the Maquoketa where
: Forestville was afterwards located,
and ] think Mr.. Turner was the first
settler in the township. In early
times there was road established
from Turner's Mill to Cofiins Grove
8 and in March, 1852, the County
: Court located road from Forest.
Q vile, by way of Acersville to Delhi,
but l think Lightning Street" was
the best known highway in the
township for many years. This
thoroughfare commenced at George
n Hawley's place in Section 20 and
| extended westward to Wards Cor.
n ners, now the thriving town of La
mont in Buchanan county. Along
a this street in the early ffties wer;
s the homes Of George Hawley, w. B
Smith, E. S. Cowles. Mark and AL
den Whitney, John Tickner, Hiram
> Bond, Beeley Ward, and probably
others whose names I do not nov
: recall. And on the prairie to the
Southwark of this notable thorough
fare were the homes Of the Kenyon
Smith, Hadley, Carr, Schultz, ant
n Preussner families. To the North
{, ward lived the ROSES, the Sheldonl
q the Densmores, the Davises ant
II others, and taken as whole the,
were tolerant, energetic and law
abing community.
u S. R. Reynolds was one of the frs
/ settlers in the township, and hi
e home was the first voting place il
u the township. II. D. Wood settle
l. on Section 26 in l84S. Mr.. Turne
opened the first store in the towr
" ship in 1850 at Forestville,s and th
- first postoffice in the township wa
established at that place in 1856
+ with VIM. Turner as postmaster.
q At the first election in the towr
# ship in 1852, VIM. Turner and S. T
i Reynolds were elected justices of th
n peace; John Lee, William Smith
il and George Hart, trustees; Andre,
" L. Ginger, clerk; and A. L. Ginge
and George Hart, constables.
- In 1852 Daniel Leonard bougt
= Turner's Mill and claim, and con
menced to boom the town. Ths
& year the first tavern in the towr
- ship was built at Forestville. An
~ :" the next year Mr.. Leonard built
: g grist-mill near the saw-mill, and 70
~ number of years thereafter Fores
- - vile was one of the thriving town
20 Of the county.
Well can remember the terribl
winter of l857-l858. 1hes snow wa
H. deep and covered with thick cruz
r Of ice. That was the winter whe
8. the deer and elk we're exterminate
e. in Iowa. The sharp hoofs of the an
IN mails cut through the crust, whic
III was strong enough to hold up tt
~ hunters and their dogs. Under sue
10 conditions the unfortunate ANNA
OF were helpless. And that was tt
oP winter when Mr.. Schultz and b
On son were frozen to death The
n were visiting at the Preussner hon
ne mile east Of their own place, an
90 the day was SO mild that the be
nj did not even have his coat with hin
ne Toward evening the storm con
th menced and they started home, b,
lost their way and persisted befol
the searching parties found then
It's The father put his coat on the be
'st and tried to save the boys life
Va the expense OF his own, but witho
lss avail.
I'd M. O. Walkers stage line fro
Ike Dubuque to St. Paul changed
49, Fo,tarn {arp,;p,,c IN nuorov1llo