Galland, a small village on the Mississippi River in Montrose Twp., was first known as Nashville. It is here that Dr. Isaac Galland located in 1829 and opened a Trading House. This was before the white man moved into the area, it was populated by the Indians. Galland is where the first white child was born, within the territory embraced by what would later be Lee County. She was Eleanor Galland. The first teacher was Barryman Jennings, for his teachers pay he was allowed to study Dr. Galland's medical books. He also received free room and board. Also living here was James Brierly, the first Representative of Lee County. Samuel Brierly, Isaac Campbell, W.P. Smith and Abe Galland were also among the first settlers. The village of Nashville was laid out July 29, 1841.

The first school was 10x12 made of logs and mudded to keep out the weather. The roof was clapboard, weighted down with cross poles. The floor of the school was puncheon or split logs. Directly opposite of the door was a fireplace made of packed clay. On each side of the building a section of logs were left out. These open places, windows, were covered with oiled paper to let in the light. The furniture was split log seats. Under the windows were stout wooden pins, driven into holes. This provided support for a wide board, smoothed on the top, to serve as a writing desk. The student had to stand to do there work or furnish their own stools. The first term of school lasted through October, November and December of 1830. The first students were Washington Galland and James W. Campbell. Others attending later, were Tolliver Dedman, James Dedman, Thomsa Brierly, David Campbell and Eliza Galland. The ages of the children ranged from six to sixteen.

After being used as a school for a number of years, the building was converted into a kitchen for use by a pioneer family. Still later it was used to shelter livestock until it was eventually used for firewood. Today an even smaller building stands in Galland as a replica of the First School in Iowa.

Berryman Jennings went on to become a merchant in Burlington, Iowa. In 1847 he left for Oregon where he became a very well to do man. He served in the Oregon State Legislature. His second marriage, in 1857, took place in the home of the Governor. Washington Galland went on to become a lawyer, a member of the State Legislature and a captain in the army. James W. Campbell became a pilot on the river and later was in the trade of buying and selling grain.

Galland went on to become a trading point of some importance for a number of years. A Post Office was established in 1884 and continued until 1913.

Biography of Isaac Galland
From the "History of Medicine in Iowa"

Isaac Galland Dr. Isaac Galland with his family settled on the west shore of the Mississippi in 1829 at a point called At-Wip-E-Tuck afterwards known as Nashville. Dr. Galland hoped to build a city here but Keokuk became too strong a competitor. It was here that the first white child was born (in Iowa) Eleanor Galland in 1830 and where the first school was held, taught by Gerryman Jennings. In 1836 Dr. Galland established the second newspaper published in Iowa called the "Western Adventurer". Two years later the paper was sold to James G. Edwards and the name changed to "Madison Patriot". Dr. Galland then moved to Fort Madison. While at Montrose, Dr. Galland wrote a book descriptive of Iowa published in Gue's history of Iowa, Vol. I, page 153. Dr. Galland was born in 1790 while his parents were on the way from Virginia to Marietta, Ohio. After he was of age he studied at Fulton County, Illinois, where afterward he began practice. In 1827 he moved to Lee County, Iowa, where he practiced at different times as well as in Hancock County, Illinois, where he lived a while just across the river from Montrose. It was said of him that he was a brilliant physician and that he was especially successful in the treatment of cholera which in his day often visited his field of practice, and in the prevention of the epidemic. Far and wide over a large field in almost every cabin he placed a chest or box about a foot cubic on which in red letters was printed the legion 'Dr. Isaac Galland's family medicines'. The box contained the usual and ordinary remedies ordinarily used by the doctors in those days, but were very helpful when physicians and drugs were scarce. The main time of his services as a physician in and about Montrose and Nashville, now Galland, a few miles below Montrose, was from 1833-39. He did not practice all the time but was employed in many pursuits. Among them was, while he lived across the river in Illinois, his activity as a Mormon Elder, and the Prophet Joseph Smith's private secretary. When Smith lost prestige and his glory waned in Nauvoo, Dr. Galland left the church. He was one of the organizers of the New York company that promoted some land scheme near Nauvoo, also wrote a history of Iowa, made a map of Iowa and in 1840 wrote a book 'The Iowa Emigrant' now almost extinct but for which a large price is paid when it can be obtained. He was a patron of schools and under his influence the first school in Lee county was taught, and its teacher, fuel and a room were all provided for by this indefatigable worker. He and Dr. Samuel C. Muir of Keokuk were great friends and worked together in all that pertained to their professional interests. Between them they laid out the City of Keokuk and maned most of its principal streets. He was present at the first meeting of Keokuk physicians for the purpose of organizing a medical society in Lee Co., Sept. 1850. Not much is to be obtained of his early medical life. He was much esteemed by his patients as an able man. He died in 1858 and was buried in Fort Madison. [Note: Extracted from the full text.]

Contributed by Don Wagner of Montrose