CHAPTER XXI.
GROVE TOWNSHIP.
EARLY SETTLEMENT.
As has already been mentioned in the pioneer history of the county prior to 1870, the honor of being the first white men to make a permanent settlement within the borders of what is now Grove township belongs to Robert D. McGeehon, Morris Hoblit and George Shannon. They were all single men from Illinois. Mr. McGeehon was a farmer and a blacksmith, Mr. Shannon a blacksmith and Mr. Hoblit a medical student, but they all started from Logan county, Ill., crossed the State of Missouri (from Hannibal to St. Joe) by team, and then took a turn north into southwestern Iowa, camping on the way and looking leisurely and thoroughly for a location. Coming into Cass county on the 12th of June, 1852, they spent some further time before selecting their claims near Turkey Grove.
As soon as Mr. McGeehon had located his claim, he set about the erection of a home on it, which was the first house in Grove township, and, with the assistance of his companions, and Adam Vinnage, John Brannen, George Reeves, Jesse Marshall and his two sons, the structure was built and raised by the middle of August. It stood upon section 14, was eighteen by twenty-four feet in dimensions, one and a half stories high and built of hewn logs. The floor was made of split puncheons and the door was of black walnut, the latter being brought from Glenwood, Mills county, sixty miles to the southwest. The structure also had a twelve-light window, and was altogether quite an elaborate affair for the times and the place. But Mr. McGeehon had good reasons for these preparations; in the following month he also put up ten acres of hay, and then returned to Bloomington, Ill., and married Mary J. Hoblit, the sister of his friend and companion. The young couple immediately returned to Iowa, but spent a short time at Indiantown that Mr. McGeehon might give their home its finishing touches. They occupied it the following winter; thus did one of the most prosperous, honored and best known of Cass county pioneers establish himself in this community, and it is a pleasure to know that he is still in the enjoyment of the good things of this world, which he has so fairly earned.
Mr. Shannon afterward went to Iranistan, where he was its first blacksmith, and Morris became "Dr." Hoblit, and a successful practitioner of Grove City.
Soon after Mr. McGeehon settled on section 14, in July, 1852, Jesse Marshall, a rough, eccentric backwoodsman took up a claim on section 27, about two and a half miles away. He died as the result of a drunken debauch in January, 1854.
Albert and A. M. Wakefield, unrelated, became settlers in 1853. Albert Wakefield was a Maine school teacher who had come West, and after teaching a few years in Iowa bought 600 acres of land in sections 13 and 24, which he sold to twenty-five persons, and a couple of years afterward built a saw-mill on Turkey creek. He had an interest in the business for ten years, and then, after teaching in Missouri and Kansas, returned to Cass county and purchased the site of Grove City, which had been deserted. There he established a fine farm, an extensive orchard and a productive vineyard, his homestead covering about eighty acres. Mr. Wakefield was a leading public character, serving as county clerk and county surveyor, for several terms, and as township treasurer for fourteen consecutive terms.
John R. Kirk was born in Pennsylvania, but received his education in Indiana, and when nineteen years of age settled on a farm in Logan county, Ill. Two years later, in 1851, he married Milicent Hoblit, a sister of Morris Hoblit, representatives of one of the most prominent families of that section of the State. In 1854 Mr. and Mrs. Kirk located upon section 14, near where Mr. McGeehon had settled two years before, there being at that time only fifteen or twenty houses in the county. In their log cabin the first school in Grove township was taught by Mary Curry, of Ashland, Ohio. Eventually Mr. Kirk became one of the largest farmers in the county, owning 550 acres of land, two fine orchards and a vineyard. He also engaged quite extensively in stock-raising. Besides being well known for this large share of prosperity, he was very prominent for the earnestness and effectiveness of his owrk in the Methodist church.
In the summer of 1854 Clayton Marion bought a claim of Jesse Marshall on section 34, where he built a cabin and made some improvements. After living there for over a year he sold his farm and removed to section 24, where he resided until the gold excitement took so many from the county, when he joined the rush to Colorado. He was much respected, and both he and his wife died in that State.
About this time William, John and Joseph Scofield owned the land whereon the city of Atlantic now stands, and raised a crop of corn from its site. Afterward they removed to a location near Walnut, Pottawattamie county.
And mention of the site of Atlantic is a reminder that in 1853 R. D. McGeehon and Morris Hoblit broke ten acres of ground in the northwest quarter of section 8--a tract which is now well covered by the city.
Among the settlers of 1854, the only one who became well known in the township was George Conrad. He was a Pennsylvania German and a natural trader. He was a young man of twenty-five when he located near the site of Grove City, and in 1860, a number of years after it was platted, he opened the first regular store in the embryo city with a capital of $35. His counter was a walnut slab, and his first sale a paper of saleratus, for which he received fifteen cents. During the year his stock slowly increased, and in later years he added dry goods and notions to his grocery stock. In 1868, at the founding of Atlantic, he removed to that city, where he entered the dry goods business. In this he achieved a competency, and retired from business to look after his large property interests. He is still an honored resident of the place, interested equally in the present and the past.
Peter Kanawyer settled on section 1, in the spring of 1854, but after about a year removed to Franklin township and eventually to California. In February, 1857, Mr. Kanawyer was appointed a commissioner, to locate the first county road in Cass. Albert Wakefield and forty-four others presented the petition to the County Court asking for the appointment of such commissioner to view and locate a county road, commencing at or near the northeast corner of section 3, townshp 73, range 35, and running to or near the half mile post on the north side of section 2, township 77, range 35. Mr. Kanawyer was quite prominent in county relieft work during the Civil War.
Henry Michaels came in the summer of 1855, afterward occupied the Kanawyer farm, but finally went to Nebraska.
David A. Barnett, who was also a settler of that year, entered land in various portions of the present township, where he lived until his death in 1867. He was a man of high character and was honored with many local offices. In 1865 he represented the old township of Turkey Grove on the County Board. His son, J. S. Barnett, was also a popular and prominent man, and served as sheriff in 1869-70.
Jeremiah Balding, Charles McGee and Philip Berg all came in 1855, the last named residing for many years on section 12. Although Mr. Balding entered land on sections 2 and 10, he resided in Grove City; but after his death, in 1876, his widow lived on one of his farms in the latter section. Much of the twenty-one years during which he held property in Grove township Mr. Balding spent in Illinois and California, passing the first two, and the last four years in Cass county. Mr. McGee settled on the site of Grove City about the time it was being platted, but remained there only two years, removing then into Franklin township and afterward to Kansas.
Lewis Beason settled on section 21, in the spring of 1856, first renting land of J. R. Kirk. After two years he removed to Grant township, and later to Benton--with whose history he is most prominently identified.
Other settlers of '56 are William H. Strater, on section 12, who died on his farm there in April, 1880; Frederick Both, who settled at Grove City and later lived in Lewis; Casper Schoen, the well known live-stock breeder, and Philip Humerick, also a leading farmer and stock raiser.
Mr. Schoen's farm, 160 acres of which he deeded to his son Fred, was considered one of the best in the county. In 1882 he removed his homestead to section 28. During his active years Mr. Schoen had some of the finest stock in this section of the State, comprising blooded cattle, Poland China hogs, Cotswold sheep and Norman horses.
Philip Humerick continued to maintain his homestead on section 12, his farm, in the later years, consisting of 170 acres, which he had brought from wild land to a high state of cultivation. He engaged both in general farming and stock raising.
Other settlers of 1856, or half a century ago, were William Humerick, on section 11, and Thomas B. Morrow, on section 18.
"Compendium and History of Cass County, Iowa." Chicago: Henry and Taylor & Co., 1906, pg. 220-223.Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, July, 2018.
