The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1908-12-10


tornado that devastated the town in
1864. 1t never was rebuilt, being a
more advanced step than the commun-
ity could support at that early time.
There were no church buildings
erected before the war. The nj. e. peo-
pie began one, but it went no farther
than the erection of part of frame,
which was neglected and destroyed in
the excitement attending the opening
of the war. There was Methodist
organization which struggled along,
and religious services were held in the
school buildings by Isaac waldrup,
John Mark, Elijah Crawford and Doctor
Gleudenning. The l.. d. S. people
effected an organization in 1859, aud
preaching services were maintained by
George Morey, A. w. Moffett, and Eben-
ezer Robinson. Their usual place of
meeting was at a school house on the
farm of A. W. Moifet, but services were
occasionally held at other places.
The men carried their arms to the
place of meeting and wore moccasins,
or, more often, where the weather per-
mitted, came barefoot. Those from a
distance came in OK wagons.
The legal fraternity was represented
bS Gideon p. Walker, w. S. Warnock,
and James Alfrey. Walker was reared
and educated in New York where he
read law and was admitted to the bar.
On reaching his majority he located in
the southern states, remaining there for
several years, teaching school and prac-
ticing law. He came to Hamilton in the
spring of 1919 and on the organization
OF the township in 1850, he was chosen
one OF the two first clerks. w. S. War
mock was native Of Ohio, in which
state he studied law and was admitted
to the bar. He came to Pleasanton late
in 1883, where he taught school, kept
postofiice and practiced his profession.
In 1872 he moved to Davis City and in
1878 was elected to represent the dis
trict in the Seventeenth General
Assembly of the Iowa Legislature.
James Alfrey, clerk, storekeeper,
school teacher, and county superintend-
ent, read some law and practiced in JUS
tice of the peace courts, but present in
formation does not Indicate whether he
was ever admitted to the bar or not.
When the post office was moved from
Allen Scott's place to Pleasanton in 1858
the old name, Nine Eagles, was retained
for several years. Early postmasters
were Isaac Waldrup and W. S. Warnock;
some say the one was the first, some
say the other.
In the eastern part of the township
Robert Booth settled on farm of sever
al hundred acres in 1854. He had mill
and also store and was the first post
master of the Spring Valley office. The
little hamlet that sprang up about his
place of business was variously known
as Boothtown or Eldorado. This was on
the east sideof Little River, Almost
opposite on the west side of the little
stream settled Austin Cowles with his
two sons, D. G. and H. A. On little hill
not far from the river they built one Of
the first farm frame houses in the town
ship, and on the river itself they put up
water power saw mill to which was
afterwards added grinding facilities.
Before regular school was established
in the neig hborhood, the children used
to gather at their home of an evening to
be instructed in the rudiments OF read
ing and writing. Wesley Cowles an
other son, had blacksmith shop in
Boothtown.
James M. Dale was another of the
early Little River pioneers. He bought
out Jefferson Ditnick, who was named
one of the judges of the township at it's
organization in 1850. Mr.. Dale had
three brothers. Fleming. Ambrose Dud-
ley and Meredith, who all settled in the
same neighborhood and raised consider
able families that exercised important
influence in the development Of the
community. OF this it is proposed to
write at greater length in another in
stallment of this history.
James Gammill, who arrived in the
same neighborhood in 1854, also raised a
large family of worth and intelligence.
Besides these there were the Laney,
Dunlavey, Sharp, Williams, Rutherford,
Robertson, Newcomer, Mcdowell,
Bayles, and Budd families. T. J. Graves
came in 1859, and kept a blacksmith
shop in Eldorado.
Some distance farther down the river
John Clark established himself in 1855
His biography, as published in the De-
catur County Historical Record, gives
the following account of him: "Mr.
Clark entered and purchased in Morgan
and Hamilton townships about 1000
acres Of land, one-half of which was
heavily timbered, much of the timber
being Of large size and of excellent
quality. Here he Immediately erected
saw mill for the purpose of manufac-
turing this timber into lumber. A
small log cabin was already on the place
which his family occupied until he
could manufacture lumber with which
to build moro commodious residence
He purchased his mill machinery at
Keokuk and hauled it from that place
with OK teams. In 1857 Mr.. Clark added
two sets of burrs to his mill property
and also carding combining
in the same building saving, grist mill.
ing, wool dressing. In 1859 he added
spinning machinery and looms, manu-.
featuring all kinds of woollen clothes.
During the war of the rebellion the de-
mand for his goods increased to such
an extent that ten or twelve looms were
kept busy. During that period this firm
handled no less than $4,000 pounds OF
wool annually. 1t proved successful
enterprise, and the greater part of the
abundant wealth of j. Clark & Sons was
acquired in the manner above mentioned
Their goods were source of large rev.
enue to the government. Their surplus
funds were turned over to the govern