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WRIGHT COUNTY.
The meeting for the organization of Wright County was held in the log cabin of S. B. Hewitt, on the Boone River. The election was held in August, 1855, and the first officers
elected were; David Dean, County Judge; C. H. Martin, Clerk of District Court
Anson Brassfield, Treasurer and Recorder; S. Crapper, Sheriff; S. B. Hewitt,
Jr., County Surveyor; William Davis, Coroner; and N. B. Paine, Attorney.
When the county judge system was
abolished, the county came under the government of a board of supervisors,
who held their first meeting in January, 1861.
The county has eleven organized
townships. Originally it contained but eight. Previous to the present
organization it was attached to Webster County, which also comprised what is now Hamilton and Humboldt. The county
contains five hundred and twenty-six square miles. The soil is of the
richest, and is in all respects well adapted to farming and stock raising. It
is well watered with numerous creeks, streams, and lakes. The pasture fields
of this county, with their nutritious grass in abundance, and streams of ever
living water, their sheltering hills and beautiful valleys, fully equal those
of any other section. The Boone River flows southerly along the extreme west
line of the county, and the Iowa along the eastern edge. The banks of these streams are covered with
groves of timber, which, being protected, are larger in extent than when the
county was first settled. Along these streams are lands of the first quality.
In the center of the county from north to south is one grand and beautiful
panorama of prairie, with farm houses dotting its surface, and cattle in
large herds feeding upon its luxuriant grasses; while a number of beautiful
lakes add grandeur and loveliness to the picture.
Lake Gertrude, of late years called Twin
Lake, is located in the northern central part of the county. It is about two
miles long by half a mile wide, and near to it on the south is a smaller
lake. A few miles further south are Cornelia and Elm Lakes, possessed of considerable beauty. The first was so named in honor
of Miss Cornelia Eastman, of Clarion, and the latter derived its name from a
stately elm on its southeast border. This lake is in Clarion Township, its waters are very clear, and it is a place of considerable resort
for pleasure parties
Wall Lake is the largest in the county, and is some three miles long by two
miles wide. It was so called from a wall of earth and large boulders which
surrounded it, but more especially so on the northwest sides. This lake is
located out on the prairie about equi-distant from both rivers, where such
boulders are to be found. A great deal of wonder has been expressed whether
the wall was a work of art, or of nature; but we venture to presume that it
was formed by the ice freezing fast to boulders on the bottom of the lake,
and in the Spring the winds dashed the ice on the shores, leaving the
boulders as the ice melted. The process must have been slow, but thousands of
years would accomplish much. On the south bank of this lake is a beautiful
grove, and the lake has sand and gravel beaches. It is quite a resort for
parties in search of recreation, who find excellent boating, gunning and
fishing. This series of lakes constitutes a prominent feature in the scenery
and beauty of this country, and adds greatly to its attractiveness to
settlers.
As yet this county has no railroads; but
the Iowa Pacific, being already graded on the
route indicated on the map of the county, will doubtless soon be in running.
EARLY ITEMS.
The pioneer settler of this
county, Major W. Brassfield, settled on the Boone in 1854. In the following
year he built a saw mill and grist mill, which were the first erected in that
section. During the year 1854 several other settlers located in different
parts of the county, and during the following year many families came in to
the county, and it has since then rapidly settled.
The first merchant in the county was John Melrose, Esq., who built a store in
1856, in the village then called Liberty. Previous to this date the settlers were
obliged to go a long distance for supplies, sometimes sixty or seventy miles.
The first marriage celebrated in Wright County was that of Alexander Usher
and Lucy Ann Brassfield, who were married by Judge Dean, on the 27th
of December, 1855.
The first school house was built of logs, 12x14, in Troy Township, in which the first religious services were also held.
The first newspaper was started at Liberty in 1861, by G. D. Ingersoll, and was
called the Wright
County Free Press,
but lived only a short
time. In January, 1868, Mrs. Mary Reed edited and published the Wright County Register for about one year in the same village.
No difficulties ever occurred with the Indians, but at the time of the
massacre at Spirit Lake the settlers were filled with alarm.
Many fled, but a portion of the men in northern parts of the county organized
themselves into a military company, with Doctor Cutter as Captain. A mud fort
was hastily constructed on the west side of the river at Belmond, overlooking
the river. For better security, the women were all gathered into one log
cabin, while the men remained in the fort and established regular military
discipline. Pickets were established and sentinels posted, but no enemy came.
After several days scouts reported all the settlers as having fled to Webster City. The cause of all danger having passed, the people returned to their
homes.
The number of acres in the county is 358,328, of which the census of 1875
reported in cultivation 28,957, or about every thirteenth acre, --thus
showing a vast field for new settlers.
There are in the county 57 school houses, and the cost of maintaining schools
was, for 1874, $16,750. The education is advancing in this county is evident
from the number of new school houses being constructed.
COUNTY OFFICERS.
JOHN L .MORSE, Auditor
J. H. ROWEN, Treasurer.
L. P. DAVIS, Clerk of Court
ED. HARTSOCK, Recorder
T. GARTH, Superintendent.
A. R. NELSON, Sheriff.
M. H. AUSTIN, Surveyor.
C. PACKARD, Coroner.
SUPERVISORS.
D. N. INMAN, Chairman, Dry Lake.
ADRIAN ELDER, Belmond.
N. B. PAYNE, Eagle Grove.
CLARION.
This is the county seat, and situated in
the geographical center of the county. Up to 1865, Liberty was the county seat, and, upon its
location at Clarion, the county purchased one hundred and twenty acres of
land as a new site. The following year, 1866, a court house was erected, and
very soon other buildings, were constructed until a handsome village has
grown up, with hotels, newspapers, bank, schools, church, and business
houses.
The Wright County Monitor
was established here in 1869,
by W. Smith, and is now published by Messrs. Gates and Hathaway.
The Township of Clarion was organized in 1868, and is the
central township of the county, and was made from portions of Iowa, Liberty and Eagle Grove Townships.
The population of Clarion Village is about 100, and of the township 261, and voters 65. This is from
the census of 1875, as are also those of other localities mentioned.
BELMOND.
This is the largest village in the county, and situated on either side of the
Iowa River in the northern part of the county. It
was laid out in the Summer of 1857, by A. Dumond, E. Rogers, and J. Elder. It originally bore the
name of Crown
Point.
The first house put up in the village was built by Dr. L. H. Cutter, in 1856.
In the same year he also built a flouring mill and a saw mill, which were
carried off by a flood, and replaced the next year by a steam mill, which was
afterwards removed to Kansas. In 1856, a school house was built, and numerous private residences,
and the village has constantly increased in size and business. There are
three churches, Methodist, Congregational, and Catholic; one bank, two
hotels, mill, and the usual complement of stores and shops. The Belmond Herald is published every week by J. H. Brayton, and has reached its fourth
volume. The first settlers in Belmond Township were three families, who came here in 1854, but owing to fear of the
Indians they did not remain. The next year A. Dumond, T. Oliver, and Dr. L.
H. Cutter became permanent settlers. They built a log cabin in which no less
than twenty-one persons lived all through the Summer. At that time the
prairie was covered with game, and as many as forty elk have been seen at one
time feeding on the prairie. The population of Belmond Village is about 300; the township, 398; voters, 90.
WALL
LAKE. ---This township derives its name from
the beautiful lake heretofore described. It was originally part of Vernon Township, but in 1868 it was formed into a separate township. The first
settler here was E. P. Purcell, who, in 1856, settled on the southeast border
of the lake, and was said to be the only settler there for five or six years.
But of late years it has rapidly filled, and new settlers are fast occupying
the fertile prairies. Waterman post office is in the southwest corner of the
township. Population, 229; voters 45.
WOOLSTOCK. —This was organized into a township in
1868, and was formerly the east half of Troy. Eagle Creek and White Fox Creek run
through this township. All along the banks of Eagle Creek, as far north as G.
Perry’s fine farm, are groves of timber. The first settlers came here in
1858, and were G. Perry, J. Boring, and R. Brewer. Woolstock post office is
on the southern border of the county. Population, 216; voters, 45.
PLEASANT.
—This township is in the extreme
northeast corner of the county, bounded on the west by the Iowa River. The first settlers were Wm. Gray, H.
Luick, and Anthony Overacker, who came in July, 1855. On the 13th
of that month they planted several acres of corn, which yielded a good crop
and ripened well, there being no frost that year until the 29th of
November. It is right named, and is a pleasant township with several groves
and streams which empty into the Iowa. Population, 446; voters, 94.
IOWA—Is the next township south of Belmond;
the Iowa River passes through the center, and on its
banks are numerous groves of timber. Fryeburg post office is in the center of
the township, but the early settlers found the post office at Eldora, forty
miles distant, and quite often went to Davenport for groceries. It contains some
excellent farms and fine groves. Population, 288; voters, 71.
VERNON. —In the most southeastern part of the
county is Vernon Township, which originally included Wall Lake. The Iowa
River runs along the
eastern border, and the banks are covered with good timber. The soil is
classed with the best in the county. According to the State geologist, this
township contains “fifty acres of fine peat, from six to eight feet deep.”
Otisville and Dry Lake are post offices. Vernon has a
population of 237; voters, 16.
TROY. —The first settler in this township was
William Striker, who, in 1854, located in Bach Grove. During the next year
several others settled. Provisions were hauled seventy miles, and this
continued until about 1859. Bach Grove covered three thousand acres of
timber, and black walnut, elm, and oak grew to large size. A post office is
established at Bach Grove. Population, 406; voters, 85.
EAGLE
GROVE. —This is one of the western
tier of townships, and the Boone River, with its valuable groves of timber,
passes through the western edge. The first settler here was William Davis,
who only remained about a year. Afterwards W. B. Taine and others built a log
cabin on the Boone, and in this the meeting to organize the county was first
held. This party brought with them four large wagon-loads of provisions from Davenport, a distance of nearly three hundred
miles. The nearest post office was then thirty miles. Eagle Grove post office
was once an Indian village of five hundred wigwams. Population, 279; with 51
voters.
LIBERTY. —Here the first settlement in the
county is supposed to have been made by W. Brassfield. The Boone River passes along the western border, and Otter Creek empties into the
Boone near the original Village
of Liberty, which was laid out in 1855 by H. B.
Martin. Among the early settlers where John Melrose, W. Nees, Barnes, Doty;
and others. Goldfield post office is in the south edge of the township.
Population, 306, voters, 83.
BOONE. —This is the northwest township of the
county. The first settler here was C. H. Martin, who settled on the banks of
the Boone in 1855. This is the largest township of the county. The Boone River here, as elsewhere, is lined by groves of timber, while the eastern
part is an unbroken prairie for ten miles. By the census of 1875 it was a
population of 178; voters, 30.
Transcribed and Submitted by Pat
Wahl.
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