Li ( T Hi Y Franklin County History Iowa
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LI ( T HI Y FRANKLIN COUNTY HISTORY IOWA Compiled by workers of tho '~fri turs 1 Progrf.lm of the Work Proj(;cts Administrt.ltion in tho Stc;.to of Iow:.l SponsoTud by tho county lJupw rintundcnt of Schools Il'rrm k lin Co un. ty .. '" >oj. .. '" '" .. "''' ~ , " ~ ... " '" '" " " "" . " ..... ,,~ ~' .," "'",'" c '" ~ '" ~ "'" !;I;: ...... ~ .... ., ,~ iii .. <1> .... Covor Design Tho Maysvillo Schoolhous8, built in 1868,is sti 11 standing in 1941, its sturdy construction 'lnd clean lines un omblcm of the pionE)Qr idoill ron int-:;.in0d through thG 1e:,: rs. An account vii 11 be found on pego 27. 1941 Federal Works Agency John M. Carrilody, Ad):;1inistra tor Work Projects Administration Howard IIunter, Commiss1oner Florence Kerr, Ass1stant Co~issioner George J. Keller, State Adm1nistrator 337204 FOREWORD Today when Democracy and Freedom have bocome doubly precious to the American people, it is important to look back upon the foundations which have made possible our horitage. The roots of our vmy of lite are sunk deep in our soil. Planted by the pioneers who first broke the earth and fought to wrest a living fr~n the prairie, and cultivated by succeeding generations, our American life has flowered to its present perfection. A study of this glorious growth is essential to the making of @Dod citizenship. By learning to understaBd the problems of the builders of a county and a community, the student of today can find the faith and inspiration with which to face the trials of modern lifo. With this thought in mind, pleasuro is taken in pre senting a new History of Franklin County, which bas been caret ully prepar cd by the Iowa wri t er s ' Program of the Work Proj~cts Administration. Its pages cnrry the read er through the detailed development of the county and its people from the colorful days of Indian occupn tion down to 1941. Events and dates hove been selected wi th dis- crimination and with all possible D.ccuro.cy to achieve 0. well-balanced whole. This history is presentod as an educational contribution to the making of gOod Americans. /,.,.. .................. <.~ .... 0¥~{:,YL~jkk / / /. County superint~rt~nt of Schools, Franklin County CONTENTS INTRODUCTION 1 EARLIEST PRAIRIE SCENES 2 n~DIANS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY 4 EARLY SETTL~"RS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY 9 THE ORGA1'IZATION OF FRANKLIN COUNTY ' 15 nE."VELOPMENT AND THE CIVIL WAR 20 RAILROADS IN FRANKLIN COUNTY 25 BEEn t S LA.ICE 28 HAMPTON - THE COUNTY SEAT 38 SHEFFIELD, CHAPIN AND GENEVA 52 OTHER TOWNS OF FRANKLIN COUNTY 61 THE DIAMOND JUBILEE 71 1941 I N T ROD U C T ION Behind the simple words on four bronze plaques lies hidden the story of the restless-hearted who dared to leave the old paths and travel the buffalo and Indian trails to the unknown prairie lands across the Mississippi. In Franklin County, the earliest comers reached to the end of their trails in Reeve Township and there began another outpost on the fringe of civilization - a cabin, a school, a post office - the nucleus of an organized comnru.ni ty. The cabins and the log schoolhouses, the marks of their effort, are gone, but the granite boulders thnt mark the sites are witnesses that fine results came from their toil. The.; story of their lives begins the unrolling of Franklin County's history. Much of their work "If1aS near Maysville, sou th of Hampton in Reeve Township, and there the :&~ranklin County D. A. R. have placed monument s cornmemora ting them.. One reads, "Site of' the ]'irst School House in Franklin County. Built in 1855. First Burial Ground in County .. " An othor tellD us of our county's first building: "F:irnt cubin in Franklin County, Built by Roevc, Mayne and Phelps in l852:t A third bears record of' rapid fr()ntiBring progre ss: "Franklin County Pioneers 1852, James B. He~,ve, Adaline Roove; County Judge, Captain of Company H.32nd IOVl1fi." And the fourth records the first hard ... w()n industry: "Maysville, 1856-1890. One Rod North Stood E. L. Clock's store In '.IVhich the !t'irst Post Office in Franklin County was Establish(:ld 1856, Discon tinued 1890. Maysville Had a School House, Hotel, 2 Black smith Shops, 2 Stores and a steam Savvmill. Population about 150. Ma.ysville Post Masters: S. C. Brazelton, J. Dayton, B. B. Morris, J. Dunn, E. H. Sparling, A. H. Birdgeman, A. H. Bro'Wll, G. H. Mitcholl, W. C. Boyles, E. L. Clock, J. H. stev enson, E. White, H. Wheeler, G. W. Wilton, S. Chrysler, J. H. Clock." The substance of their dreams lives on in the splendid schoolhouses and canfortable homes of Franklin County. No distance was too far for these people to travel to build the law and prder and justice t~at laid the ground for the future they saw The simple words on tho four obscure bronze plaques tell of the dreams they realized, and set the story of our county in motion. 1 :E..nRLIEST PRh.IRIE SOE1aS If In the land of the Ojibways) In the pleasant land and peaceful, Sin~ the mysteries of M0ndamin Sing the blessings of the cornfields." When the prairie was ne", and untouched, }!'ran:-clin County was a land of ~roves and these seemed to the settler the greatest possible treasure, for groves of hardwood and soft wood trees were what they needed to build the first cabins und to kindle the first fires. Hayne's Grove lims the larpest. It was filled with oak, basswooa, black 'walnut, honey-locust, softma,?le, elm, box elder, cottonwood, and hickory. It was na.ned for John Hayne, the first settler to reach Franklin County, and covered more than six square miles. Since that time many of the trees have been cut down but timber land in 1941 still looked like a forest, on either side of the graveled road along the hills near Hamp ton. Other forestations were Otis Grove on the Iowa River, Van Horn's Grove in the oentral part of the county, Tharp's Grove, Shobe t s near whioh Sheffield \ITas founded, and Bailey's in the north portion, all from. 800 to 1,200 acres each. Smaller gr()ves were Towhea.d and Blalce's Grove, Four l:ilo, liighland, Hartgraves' and ~'I.l1en' s Grove. The groves were not destr()yed, and the one at Beed's Like was replanted in 1939 to beoome as beautiful a.s the original gr()ves of native timber. The principal streams of Franklin County are the Iowa River, passing through 13 sections in the south"I/estern por tion, Beaver Creek, La.yne's Oreek, Harte-raves' Creek formed of Square, Spring, Otter, and Buffalo creel~s, and the iiest Fork of the Cedar. The West Fork of the Cedar enters Frantlin County six or seven m.iles west of its northeast corner and runs south east, leaving the county at the northeast corner. Bailey's Creek and l:ayne's Creek empty into it and the Beaver Creek empties into the Cedar. l;ow that we know the streams and groves of our County let us pretend that we are wandering over this land as it was when the first settlers saw it. There are no towns, roads, bridges, or fences H not even one cdbin or farm house. 2 Herds of elk and buffalo feed along the ~uiet strear,ls, vvi Id roses bloom and nru.skrats work ill the sloue,hs. Let us pre tend that it is early Ll.Orning in summer - perhaps 1530. The sky brightens until it is flaming like a majestic bonfire, wi th red and golden light. Down in the slough the whip cups of the Canadian anerlone are tangled with the green and shin ing stems of the blue spiderwort and wild iris. EveI"J grass blade flashes wi th dew. There is nothing on the lonely prairie but waving Eiles of grass and dark groves of trees in the distance. Suddenly a band of Indians rides into view over a distant slope. Each Indian carr ies a knife and spear, for they are hunting elk. They ride in a great circle and gradually close in upon game. 'Jhen the elk are exhausted and confused the Indian riders lean d01J\7Jl and cut the ir throats without leaving the backs of their hard ridden ponies. How there is blood on the prairie and the grass is trarn.pled Gown. Here the Ind ian sauaws vlill sk in the game and malee camp. Here they will build fires an d feast for davs unt il the !:lea t is gone. A white man visiting the camp would find the smell of the bloody skins and the decaying bones intolerable. But the Indians do not mind. They are happy a s long as there is plenty to eat. ~fhen the rae a t is €lone they go without eatj.ng until another hunting party is ready to go out. For fuel they find buffalo chips, rosin weeds Or wood.. After eating, stuffing and then starving, for three or four days or a week, they move on. But the smell of old buffalo and elk hides is still bad. Even the white men's horse would shy away frorll it. Fall comes and the prairie is clean ae;ain. The Indians h:lve fnoved e l1stward toward the lIississippi River to fish and hunt. The ,rair1e8 are now a ,misty purp Ie 'wi th the ripe blueste:m. Here and there are the high gold heads of yellow rosinweed sunflovl1ers and golden rod.