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Audubon County |
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CHAPTER XVIII.TOWNS AND VILLAGES. (CONT'D)From History of Audubon Co., Iowa (1915)
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GRAY.Among the early business men in 1881 were: Mr. Motter, general store, who sold to William R. Johnson the same year; Mr. Reeves, hardware, who sold to Stotts & Myers the same year; George Eby, liveryman; George Farmer, meat market; Mr. Smith, boarding house; Doctor Warner, physician. Other settlers the same year were: A. G. Forsbeck, Charles McLaughlin and George McLaughlin. In 1882 Stotts & Gifford started a general store; David DeGood, blacksmith; L. C. Whipple, hotel; Dr. Frank Hinsdale, physician; Green Bay Lumber Co., with O. B. Francisco, manager, succeeded by Mr. Wakefield, he by P. C. Moeller and he by Henry Mohr; Charles Stuart & Son, grain and lumber dealers, with W. H. Kellogg, manager, succeeded by W. H. Stowell in 1883; Audas Brothers and Railey Brothers, merchants in 1885; B. and H. W. Lebeck, general store; Lancelot & Rees started a general store in 1886. Fred C. Hepp started the blacksmith and hardware business in 1886; Welty & Crow, hardware, in 1888. Other old settlers were A. F. Aikman, Frank P. Rees, Seth Gifford, Thomas J. Spilker, Dr. A. L. Brooks, Samuel T. Thompson, Horace Shelley, Dr. Lawrence A. Beers. The first postmaster was Willis P. Stotts, 1882. Other postmasters have been: Mr. Jones, Walter J. Audas, William J. Lancelot, Fred C. Hepp, A. F. Greenwalt, C. Eugene Mertz, Elmer Audas, B. A. Swart and Clarence Shingledecker. In 1888 one of the country school houses was moved into town. The present independent district of Gray embraces the west one-half of sections 6 and 7; the northwest one-quarter of section 18, Cameron township; all of section 1; east one-half of sections 2 and 11; all of section 12; north one-half of section 13, and northeast one-quarter of section 14 in Lincoln township. A new school house was erected in 1901 at the cost of two thousand five hundred dollars. The school is graded and employs three teachers; sixty-eight pupils are enrolled in 1915. These have been teachers: Etta Barrich, principal; Anna Bovaird, primary; Aeta Crow, principal; Lillian Ott, primary; Nora O'Leary, principal; Miss DeMotte and Alta Crow, primary; Will H. Lancelot, principal; Mrs. J. A. Crow and Mabel Swaney, primary; William Meek, principal; Mabel Swaney, primary; William Cunningham, principal; Mabel Swaney, primary; Charles Ford, principal; Emerson Shelley, intermediate; Mollie Barger, primary; K. G. Lancelot, principal; Emerson Shelley, Arden Shelley, Howard Kittell, intermediates; Mollie Barger and Ella Denton, primaries; Belle Lancelot, principal; Grace Swaney, intermediate; Ella Denton, primary. These have also been teachers: Ella Forsbeck, Bessie Bunker, Maude Carpenter, Blanche Shaffer, May Delaney, Anna O'Leary, Matilda Jensen, Frank White, Will Hammond, Lucille Snyder, Raba McVey, A. J. Albin, Lillian Halford, C. R. Wiseman, Mildred Bowen, Bessie Ross, Emma Wickwire and perhaps others. The town was incorporated in 1897 and embraced all of section 12, Lincoln township. The following named gentlemen have held the office of mayor of the town: Walter J. Audas, William J. Lancelot, C. Eugene Mertz, Frank J. Rogers, Fred C. Hepp, Harry A. Bates, A. G. McMullen, A. G. Forsbeck. OFFICIAL AND BUSINESS DIRECTORY.Clergyman--J. A. Mitchell; railroad agent--Thomas J. Spilker; bank--Farmers Savings Bank, Ed. C. Rice, cashier; hotel--Mrs. Garber; drug store--Elmer Audas; restaurant--Frank J. Rogers; general store--James A. Rutherford; hardware--L. Groteluschen Company; harnessmaker--D. C. Ross; garage--John Shaw; blacksmiths--Fred C. Hepp, Link O'Connell; liveryman--L. L. Farrell; barber--Guy E. Farrell; stock-buyer--D. O. Corner; grain--Opdyke Grain Company, Austin L. Linn, manager; Trans-Miss. Grain Company, D. J. Sweeney, manager; Green Bay Lumber Co., Frank Murphy, manager; carpenter--John Markley; painter and paperhanger--B. A. Swart; drayman--Chris. Jensen. |
