By treaty with the Indians in 1843, two-thirds of Jasper county was opened to settlement, with settlers coming rapidly. Many sturdy, progressive families settled in or near timber areas using the trees for fuel and building material. This part of the county was known as "Hammer's Grove" and most of them were of the Quaker Faith. Prominent families were the Hinshaws, Hammers, Hackneys, Jones, and the Center Friends Church soon became a reality and has remained a vigorous country church through the years.

A store, post office and blacksmith shop were located in the area. An atlas of 1875 shows the fine brick house owned by Mr. and Mrs. Edward Hagen, located southeast of Kellogg in Section 19 of Kellogg Township. It was built prior to the Civil War by Captain Elisha Hammer, from bricks hauled overland by oxen team from Iowa City. The walls are about sixteen inches thick. There is a tradition that the house has a secret chamber and it was a station of the "underground railroad". The Hagens have not found the secret room, but there were two outside stairways into the basement - this would facilitate the entrance and leaving of guests on their way to the "Free Canada" so many years ago. The home has a circular stairway and fine wood moulding which include walnut baseboards. The joists are of native oak and the home is of solid construction.

This native oak may have been sawed by the lumber mill on the North Skunk River, owned and operated by Henry and Seth Hammer, two brothers of Captain Elisha Hammer. The saw mill was powered by the water of the river, and was located close to the location of the saw mill now owned by the Moore's. At that early day, the stream ran nearby the foot of the hill before being dragged and straightened. Henry and Seth Hammer sawed the lumber for the first Center Friends Meetinghouse (church) built in 1855, and some of that lumber is in the present day church structure. Captain Elisha Hammer who built the Brick House was born April 28, 1828, in Jefferson County, Tennessee, the son of the Rev. Elisha Hammer and wife Rachel. He came to Jasper County with his parents in 1846. They were the first settlers northeast of Newton and it soon became known as "Hammer's Grove". Rev. Elisha Hammer was a Friends (Quaker) minister, a farmer and miller in Tennessee. He founded the first Friends meeting in Jasper County Iowa which was held in his log cabin. Captain Elisha Hammer was married to Lydia Mills, January 5, 1853 in Jasper County Iowa. He was a civil engineer and surveyed the land for Newton and adjacent parts of the county. He taught the first school in Newton. He was Treasurer of the County in 1858. In March of 1862, he organized Company "G", 7th Iowa Calvary and was commissioned Captain on June 16, 1863. The Company served in Nebraska and Kansas and he was honorably discharged on July 17, 1865. After he came home he moved to Oswego, Kansas, then back to Des Moines, Iowa. His death came in 1907 at the Iowa Soldier's Home in Marshalltown. He was buried beside his first wife, Lydia in the Center Friends Cemetery, not far from his beautiful brick home. (His second wife was a Taylor).

Charles Starrett lived north of the Janeway School and joined the Murphy Band. There he met Mabel Squires and they were married. Together they joined the Buena Vista Grange which was several miles from home via horse and buggy. Due to this fact and the daytime meetings, the couple couldn't go often. They talked with some Amboy people of the good times they had when they did attend and the folks in the neighborhood thought it would be a good idea to start a grange in their own area. Ralph Moore and Mabel and Charlie Starrett started signing people up and before they knew it they had 94 charter members of the Amboy Grange! For the first three years, the meetings were held in the schoolhouse and some of the larger homes. Then the group purchased the former Congregational Church in Kellogg and moved it to its present location, on land donated by Hans P. Anderson. The first meeting in this new Grange home was held February 14, 1916. The organizational meeting was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. George Moore, with R.A. Wilson presiding. First officers of the Amboy Grange were Luther Watts, George Moore and Pearl Starrett. The total cost of the building, moving, furnace, stove and piano was $1631.63. The first lights were gasoline lanterns.

The 1st and 2nd degree teams were organized in 1916. The ladies thought they would enjoy having an embroidery club and thus the H & M Club was organized.

Out of Amboy Grange, several members have gained prominence. Mrs. Cliff Ratcliff was State Chaplain for four years. Loren Murphy, F.L. Hummel and Charles P. Starrett served as State Masters. Two members, Charles Starrett and Gail Rusk have served in the State Legislature.

Kellogg Historical Society - Vol.III - 1983