Read About Gallant Joe

[transcribed by John V. McMillin II from the Vera McMains Essay

on page 40 of the 1976 publication …]

"THIS IS DAVIS COUNTY IOWA"

Stiles, or Stilesville, as it was called in the early days, so named for Stiles Carpenter of early County fame, was platted around 1840. Stiles is located in the south central part of Grove township.

In 1858 the population of Stiles was one hundred people, today, January 1975, thirty people live in this small village. Change has wrought its toll.

Around 1900 Stiles had three stores, a gristmill, a blacksmith shop and saw mill, both of these owned an operated by Mr. Nemitz and in later years by his son Omer. Two doctors, Dr. Dunlavy and Dr. Giles and each had their own drug store with rows of jars and bottles of pills and powder. Dr. Giles stayed until the late twenties when he moved to Bloomfield, Iowa. There were two Lodges, the I.O.O.F. no. 202 and Quitman no. 217 of the Masons. The hitching racks of the town, and they had a good many, were always filled on Saturdays, especially with the people bringing corn, wheat, etc. to be ground into meal and flour, and the eggs to be exchanged for groceries, calico or whatever. While around the pot-bellied stove problems were heard, digested, repeated, discussed and sometimes solved.

The first telephone switchboard in the vicinity was located at Stiles in Grandma Taylor’s home. Four farmers, C. B. Swartzendruver, J. C. Baughman, J. J. Miller and James Stookesberry were instrumental in bringing the line from Pulaski to Stiles.

The store on the west side of the north-south highway of Stiles is still in use and the owner-operator is Lloyd White, a grandson of Lloyd White an early resident of Stiles. Some of the owner-operators of this store through the years have been, Pearson Inskeep, S. L. Brunk, Jacob and William Gingrich, James Stookesberry, Joe Stookesberry, John Harl, Everett Francis, Charlie Miller, Harry Miller, George Gordy, Howard Spurgeon, Lowell French, Bonnie Daniel, Lloyd White and Leon Shook, and Lloyd White the present owner.

Mr. A. Wright was owner-operator of the store on the east side of the north-south highway, later owned and operated by John H. Collins; and others who operated stores in Stiles were Forrest Cruikshank, Guy Hendricks, Tom Pottorff, Arlie Wheaton, Robert Campbell, Chalmer McDowell, Verlin Altheide, and Clyde Swindler.

Some of the families, besides those above named, who have lived in the Stiles area through the years are: McDowell, Millsaps, Millers, Wrights, Collins, Kincart, Goodens, Taylors, Dunlavys, McFaddens, Gibsons, Frenchs, Altheides, Hardmans, Hulls, Martins, Lantzs, Speers, Kline, Davis, Sargent, Mrs. Mitchell (Faye Wright) Halstead who was born and raised in Stiles, is now making her home in Stiles.

The Christian Church was organized in August 1850, the first church was built about 1868 on land deeded to them by Andrew Collins. Fourth, fifth, and even sixth generations of individual families are still attending this church.

A new church was built in 1969-1970. Kramer Smith is the pastor. Names of pastors through the years of the church have been, Rev.’s Rice, Dunkelburger, Swan, Wilkinson, Henry Wright, S. B. Downing, G. L. Johnson, J. H. Painter, Dan Hastings, Ed Hastings, Sam Ross, S. K. Coates, T. H. Hedges, George Williams, Vern Stagner, Lloyd Ellis, Floyd Edwards, Lowell Colston, Hays McKinley, H. F. York, Frank Reeder, Quentin Johnson, Ronald Heine.

The Stiles Methodist Church was completed in 1872 after services were held for a few years in the Forshee Camp grounds and at the Center School house.

Pastors of this church were the Rev.’s Sinclair, John Wright, Barber, Dowd, Millice, Ireland, Moore, Wehn, E. J. Smith, L. L. Smith, U. S. Smith, John F. Wilkins, Robert Collins, and A. H. Collins. (The church disbanded in the 20’s and 30’s.)

Some of the ministers beginning their ministry form this church were Robert Collins, Wm. H. Doyle, Sam Knupp, A. H. Collins, John Frame Gibson and W. H. Wilson.

John H. Collins supervised the music in the Methodist Church and conducted singing classes in the community. The churches contributed much in a constructive way to the religious, educational, and social life of the community along with the Stiles school.

The Stiles School was first located where the Stiles cemetery is today. It was a log school house and in 1870 it moved to its present location. It was the scene of much activity, what with its lyceums, ciphering matches, spellings, debates, box and pie suppers. The community furnished great talent for these and a great many went on to be teachers and preachers.

The Stiles school house today is used as a Community Club meeting place and for township elections.

By Vera McMains

Page 174 of the above publication has the following entry:

"DR. JAMES DUNLAVY was born on February 4, 1844, in Decatur County, Indiana. He moved to Davis County as the age of four years and received his early schooling here. He attended Keokuk Medical College. He served with Co. D, 3^rd Iowa Cavalry for two years. He began the practice of medicine in Stiles, Iowa, in 1870 and continued there until his death.

He was a member of the Des Moines Valley Medical Society. Dr. Dunlavy married in 1870 Letitia C. Von Achen and they had four children."

Page 175 of the above publication has the following entry:

"DR. GRANT GILES was born in Rutland County, Ohio, on May 1, 1868, son of John S. and Nancy Grimes Giles. He first graduated from the pharmacy school at Valpariso, Indiana, and subsequently attended Keokuk Medical College where he received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1898.

He came to Davis County following his graduation and practiced at Stiles. In 1917 he moved to Bloomfield and continued his practice until his death November 26, 1938. During his lifetime Dr. Giles was an active member of the Davis County Medical Society and the Iowa Medical Society. Dr Giles married Eva Collins of Stiles on November 14, 1898, and they had one son, Eugene, a pharmacist."

Page 282 of the above publication has the following entry:

Stiles School Teachers - Grove Township

George Sowers, Mattie Brown, John Rogers, Stella Rader, Belle Utt, John Kline, James Murphy, Bert Carroll, Elva Lister, Ida Proctor Craig, Jessie Allen, Emma Nemitz Wimp, Christine Lerffler, Edith Allen, Ivy French Stookesberry, Glen Van Horn, Vera Stookesberry McMains, Verlin Altheide, Eva White Vanderlinden, Margaret Harl Parks, Loretta Howard Wallman, Helen Graves Aeschliman, Naomi White Shook, James White, Edith Briggs Evans, Anna Selix, Velda Fine, Waunetta White Harris, Curtis Clyman, Guy Hendricks (several terms), Mary Rupe Nemitz (several terms), Helen Foster McMains, Howard Surgeon, Pauline Owsley Bish, Mary Botts Kinnamon, Mabel Richardson Bish, Neva Fry Howarth, Vera Gordy Collins, Keith Stevig, Mary Prevo. Names not in order and married names added where known.

[JVM Note: a photo of the Stiles School accompanies the above Teachers List information on Page 282. The photo is circa 1940’s]

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