Pioneers of Marion County by Wm. M. Donnel, 1872

Chapter XIV

Iowa Central University - Marion County Agricultural Society - County Poor House

Among the public institutions that have been established in Marion county within the past few years, as evidence of her prosperity and enterprise, the three important ones mentioned above may be deemed worthy of special notice. And we regret our inability, owing to the lack of sufficient information, to give a more detailed history of them.

In the spring or summer of 1853, a society was organized by the Baptist Church, at Pella, looking to the establishment and endowment of a school there, to be called the Iowa Central University. The following are the names of the officers:

Faculty

Rev. Elihu Gunn, Rev. E. H. Scharff, Prof. A. N. Currier, Miss S. J. Stoddard, Miss Marse.

Directors

President, E. Gunn; Vice President, E. M. Scarff; Treasurer, Henry P. Scholte.

Besides these there were about thirty trustees chosen. From thier address, delivered at the fourth annual meeting, we quote the reasons set forth for the location of this institution at Pella:

“The denomination, wherever its will has been expressed upon the subject, has always demanded a central location. Another location, provisionally made, was almost universally rejected in the state convention, and mainly on the ground that it was sectional in its location. And with the best reason. When almost all the other denominational schools were located on or near the line of the Mississippi river, why should we not take possession of the magnificent field left open to us in the central part of the State?

“Pella is situated within thirty miles of the geographical centre of the State, in the immediate vicinity of the Des Moines river - the great channel of inland communication, and the centre of the commerce and manufactures of the State for all time; near, also, to the point where several of the great railroad lines which intersect the State are to converge, and in the very heart of the great coal field of the State, the richest, perhaps, in the world, and in one of the most beautiful and healthy portions of this or any other country.

“Combining all these advantages, it is yet far enough removed form any great centre of trade and commerce to have all the advantages of quiet country location. Of the advantages of a country over a city location for a college, one of the most respected of the living fathers of our denomination, and one of the most experienced in such matters, in a recent production on the subject, wrote as follows:

“Instead of farmers and ohter persons from the villages or country sending thier sons to a great commercial city, into the vortex of commercial speculation, political excitement, fashion, frivolity and dissipation in every form, those families who desire, to preserve their sons from the contamination of city intercourse will send them to a college situated in a rural village.”

“Such a village is Pella; quiet and retired, it is yet populous enough to secure all the advantages of good society, and near enough to the great thoroughfares of travel to be at all times easy of access. It is also noted for the quiet and orderly habits of its people, as well as for their moral and religious character. To such a place parents can send their children with every assurance that their habits and morals will be safe.”

Large endowments were secured; and, in 1856, a beautiful and commodious brick building was erected in the south-west part of the city, on ground donated for the purpose by Rev. Henry P. Scholte. It was, however, not completed till some time in 1857, and was first opened for the reception of pupils on the 1st of September of that year.

The building stands in the center of a beautiful park. The dimensions are 50 by 60 feet, three stories high, with a basement besides; contains fourteen rooms, including a large chapel, a library and a museum, and is capable of comfortably accommodating three hundred pupils. Its entire cost was between $15,000 and $18,000.

In 1857, the report of the trustees announced the reception of an endowment of $50,000, in scholarships of $100 each, and the prospect of another large endowment soon to follow. The school has been well patronized with attendance and donations, and is in a flourishing condition.

In 1856 the agricultural interests of the county seemed to demand an organized plan for its encouragement, and to facilitate the dissemination of such intelligence as might be useful in the various departments of the business. The only one calculated to effect the end desired, was to organize a society, appoint a time and place for a general meeting of the farmers, and award premiums for the best samples of live stock, grain, fruits, &c.

So the Marion County Agricultural Society was organized during the year above mentioned, and the first fair was held on the public square in Knoxville, in October. Only a few animals were exhibited, and, consequently, but few premiums were awarded. For the want of any other room for the purpose, the old court room was used as a floral hall.

The next exhibition, in Sept. of the year following, was held on the common a little west of town, where tables were set in the open air for the display of vegetables, small mechanical and artistic products.

These means of exhibition being totally inadequate to the increasing wants of the society, a joint stock company was formed in 1858, who purchased a beautiful plat of ground one mile north of town, and put it in sufficient repair for the use of the society that autumn.

Eight acres of the ground belonged to Drury Overton, and two to Thomas Clark, and were described as the north-east quarter of the north-east quarter of the north-east quarter of section (1) one, town (75) seventy-five, range (20) twenty.

The ground is beautiful and gently inclined southward, in a natural grove well shaded, enclosed by a high board fence, provided with a commodious hall, pens and stalls for the use of stock, and a good well of water.

The first fair was held in it in 1858. In June, 1870, it was deeded to the society. The fair in September of this year was well attended, and the finance of the society reported to be in a good condition.

During the last few years, previous to the robbery, the treasury was constantly subjected to heavy drafts upon the poor fund. From some cause or other the number of paupers seemed to have increased, and the expense of their support began to be looked upon as burdensomely heavy, particularly in the case of those who were invalids under the care of physicians. Some retrenchment in this department was deemed advisable, even at a considerable cost to start with.

Though it was known that many of those who were cared for at public expense, were worthy subjects thereof, it was yet supposed that not a few would prefer to make some effort to earn their own support than submit to the humiliating condition of becoming inmates of a poor house.

So, in 1865, a movement was made by the board of supervisors, looking toward the purchase of a farm and the erection of a house to become the home of such helpless persons in the county as were otherwise homeless and friendless. A committee was appointed to select a location and contract for its purchase, and in due time reported in favor of the west half of the north-west quarter, and the north-east quarter of the north-west quarter of section 14; and the west half of the south-west quarter of the north-west quarter of section 10, 120 acres, all in town 75, range 20, belonging to Elisha Elliot, and situated about two and a half mile south-west of the city of Knoxville. Cost $1,200.

The purchase of this land was made on the 15th of Dec., 1865; and in the spring and summer following, the whole of it was fenced and forty acres broke, part of it planted in corn and wheat, all at a cost of about $800.

The contract for building the house was let to the lowest bidder, and was awarded to Jacob Richards, in July, 1866, at $4,450. It is a large three story frame building, the basement story being fitted for a kitchen. The second and third are each traversed by a hall between tow rows of rooms. Stables and other out buildings were added to the place some time after.

The contracts for overseer and physician were awarded to John Robinson and Dr. Wetherell, under whose care the county poor were comfortably provided for in their new home.

The experiment proved quite a success. The number of paupers were greatly reduced, and the support of the remainder so systematize as to make it much less expensive.

Transcribed by Mary E. Boyer, 11/06, reformatted by Al Hibbard 12 Oct 2013.