The Denison review. [volume] (Denison, Iowa) 1867-current, 1919-05-14
AN OLD-TMER
IS REMINISCENT
Eugene Wiley, Who Taught the Last
Term of School in Patrick Burke
School House, Writes Review
HELPED TO SURVEY IN JACKSON
Always Glad to See the Old Review,
and Reads About Old Settlers
With Much Interest

The Review is in receipt of the fol-
lowing letter from Eugene Wiley, who
lived in Crawford county more than
thirty years ago, but who now resides
at Grand Island, Neb. Mr. Wiley will
be remembered by our older settlers
as having been one of Crawford's
early day school teachers, and who
married daughter of Thomas -Doty,
now deceased Mr.. Wiley evidently
read Ben Jordan's letter that was pub
lished some time ago, as he recalls his
acquaintanceship. Z.
Grand Island, Neb., May II, 1919
To The Denfson Review,
Denison, Iowa.
Through the courtesy of my old
friend, George Gum, of Wall Lake.
I am in a position to share the SEN
timent expressedG by Mr.. Jordan. /
think I knew Ben away back in the
days when care rested much lighter
on his mind than l presume it does
now. l am always glad to get hold of
a copy Of the old Review. When I
! first read it over forty years ago, ].
Fred Meyers was its editor. 1 do not
remember finer editorials than those
written by Mr. Meyers.
l, was interested in the progress of
Denison and it's. farms and farmers,
many of whom i know I notice agri-
culture seems to assums more intens-
i've methods, which must naturally fol-
low such high priced land.
Aladdin had nothing on the Iowa
farmer who bought his land thirty
years ago, paid for it, improved it and
held it to the present time.
Many man has been touched by
the wanderlust, sold his land, moved
to other states to better his fortune
and returned to find that fairer for
tune than he had ever dreamed of had
accrued to the man who purchased his
land
know Crawford county pretty well,
Especially Jackson township. Years
|ago carried chains for Morris Nc
Henry and helped, run some of the
lines in Jackson and I had to move,
too. # anyone remembers the old
surveyor they know the grass did not
grow under his feet when he was run
ming lines. And when locating dis
.puted corner and told you to dig just
there and you'd find a broken beer
bottle or brick bat and dug and found
it just as he said, you'd think he was
a wonderful man and he was and
good one, too. 4r uT~t.s,a 4
| often wonder how many remem-
Der the old brick school house at jack
son center. In the spring of 1877 !,
was chauffer on an OK wagon for Jas.
Isbell and hauled most of the material
used in that building. The materials
were taken from two brick school
houses built early in Crawford's his.
tory by a man named Vaughn. One
was near the Jim Maynard home on
the old Trinke farm, the other was on
the old kerrigan farm. Both were In
wrong locations to meet the needs of
growing population. The timber in
those houses was native and the
wainscoating was native black walnut
James and Dantford Isbell had the con-
tract of moving the old house and us
ing the material in the center school
house. Another such brick school
building was located three miles south I
of the .Denison cemetery on the Pat
rick Burk farm. The writer had the
privilege of holding the last term of
school taught in that old school house
just thirty years ago this summer. The 5
old house was condemned and sold at
auction and purchased by Mr.. Burk
and used in the construction Of fine
homo that supplanted the old log
house. E
~ Respectfully, 4, 4.
..' ""' p. e, WILEY.