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

Part II, Chapter XXI

Knoxville Township Continued - Conrad Walters - First Church Organization - First Preaching -
Sleepy Hearer - First School Teacher - Knoxville - First Steam Saw Mill -
A Scene in the Early History of Knoxville City - John Shearer - A Pioneer School -
A Critical Situation - Another - Tyler Overton

Much respected, and still well remembered among early settlers, was the late Conrad Walters, whose name is also on record in another place as a member of the first Board of Commissioners for the county. Mr. Walters was a native of Pennsylvania, where he was born in 1794, form which State he came to Ohio in 1814, and learned the art of printing in Wilmington, Clinton county. After various removals he finally came to Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, in 1839 and from there to this county in October, 1844, and settled six miles south-east of Knoxville. Here he remained till a few years previous to his death, at which time, July 28, 1870, he resided in the city of Knoxville. His age was 77 years.

The first religious society that was organized in this township, was by Rev. Mr. Neur, of the M. E. Church, in 1844 or 1845, and the first regular house of worship was erected in Knoxville City, in 1850 or 1851, during the pastoral charge of Rev. A. W. Johnson, of the same denomination. Rev. Mr. Neur is remembered as among the first, (if not quite the first) minister that broke the bread of life in the then wilderness of Knoxville township. An anecdote is related of him in connection with one of his first discourses here. Having become acquainted with a young man named Willis, who was at work for John Conrey, and who was also a member of his church, Mr. Neur sent an appointment by him to preach at Mr. Conrey’s cabin, on a certain night. When the time came the congregation consisted of Mr. Conrey, his wife and five children and Brother Willis. During the sermon the latter, perhaps overcome by fatigue, fell asleep and soon began to manifest his condition by some loud snoring. Observing this the preacher raised his voice a key higher, but in a kindly tone, said, “wake up, Brother Willis, I’ll soon be through.” This roused the sleeper, and the preacher went on with his sermon as though nothing out of the way had happened.

The first day school taught in this township, was by F. Monahan, in 1846, in what is now the north-west quarter of the city of Knoxville. School averaged twenty-five scholars. Mr. Monahan was a native of Ohio, from which State he immigrated to this State in 1844, and to this county in 1846, and settled on White Breast creek.

The history of the city of Knoxville, it being the county seat, has already been related in connection with the general history of the county, and we scarcely need transcend the limits of this work by noting its progress and present wealth. Suffice it to say that it is a place of average proportion and population for an inland city; and, being situated in a healthy locality, and in the midst of a rich agricultural and mineral region, its advantages are inferior to few other inland towns, and will soon be made superior to may by the addition of one or two important railroad connections. Knoxville is now supplied with several kinds of manufacturing establishments, a lumber yard, numerous churches, two newspapers and a large city school, all of which attest the enterprise, moral status and intelligence of the people.

In contrast with the above we note one or two incidents that may be well remembered by many citizens:

In the fall of 1854, Geo. Calvin and Ira Curtis purchased a six horse power steam engine, in Washington county, brought it to Knoxville and put up the first circular saw mill in what is now the south side of town. When the mill got into operation it proved to be quite a curiosity to the people, crowds of whom came to see it work. Now all the modern improvements that have been attached to this powerful agent for the operation of almost every kind of machinery, scarcely calls forth the wonder of an individual.

In 1850, a Mr. Henry kept a hotel near the northwest corner of the square, and during a session of the district court, the small house was crowded. One night a peddler came to lodge there, and for want of room took up his lodging in the barroom, which place was presided over by on Eph Henby. During the night two persons named Walters and Dunham, feeling funny with liquor, pulled the peddler out of his cot by the legs, and dragged him into the kitchen. In this operation the prostrate but struggling itinerant merchant kicked one of his assailants in the breast, which was the signal for fight. The uproar now became so intense that every lodger in the house was roused, and the fighting propensity of a large pugilistic individual, named Kaufman, was stirred up. He coolly got up, dressed himself and went down stairs, declaring his intention to put a stop tot he fuss or whip somebody. Finding Dunham he went about his mission at once and gave that disturber a good thrashing. At this moment Henby, the barkeeper, anxious to restore order, but afraid of getting into the muss, thrust his head down the stairway and called out a command to keep the peace. As a reward for this unlucky interference, Walters hurled a boot at Henby, that struck him in the face with such violence as to cause blood to flow pretty freely. For this breach of good manners, Kaufman, the peacemaker, deemed it his duty to thrash Walters also, by which peace was finally restored. Early next morning the parties atoned for their fun by going to a justice’s office and paying a fine. Such scenes are now remembered as things of the past.

As this chapter would be a short one, if ended here, we may venture to add a few miscellaneous items that may not be wholly without interest to some who remembers them.

No old settler in Knoxville township is better remembered than John Shearer. He first came to Liberty in ‘46, where he remained only about three months, then moved to his present locality, a little east of Knoxville city.

Mr. Shearer shook with the ague during most of the first year of his pioneer life; was unable to labor, but by teaching school and trading in claims, he was enabled to live and save enough to buy the eighty acres of land he now lives on. Mr. Shearer’s school teaching was the real pioneer kind. He was employed by subscription, two dollars per scholar for three months, and “boarded round.” The school house was a little cabin originally built and used as a stable, by John R. Welch. It was supplied with a bark floor, but was neither chunked nor daubed. Rabbits were numerous in the surrounding brush, and so tame that some of them would frequently come into the house during school hours, to the great amusement of the twelve young ideas Mr. S. was trying to teach how to shoot. Once scholars and teacher took a half holiday, and employed the time in ferreting out and capturing a weasel that had taken a homestead about the timbers of the old cabin. At times, when the weather was warm, and there was no excitement to keep the scholars awake, some of the younger ones would stretch themselves on the narrow benches and go to sleep. Occasionally one would fall off, which circumstance would keep the others awake for a time.

The teacher was also a good hunter and employed much of his leisure time hunting for the benefit of his subscribers. During one short expedition he secured venison enough to last them two weeks.

Just previous to the flood of 1851, Nelson Butcher built a corn mill on a small tributary of White Breast, which was resorted to from quite a distance, and the grain accumulated so rapidly that there was not enough room for it in the small mill house, and the proprietor had to stow away at least a hundred bushels of it in his cabin near by. One night the flood came so rapidly that there was no time time to save the corn, nor even any of the household property, and the family could only think of saving themselves. Escape to the uplands was impossible, and they had to climb to the loft. This was almost floorless, only two or three narrow boards being laid across the joists. On these Mr. and Mrs. Butcher, their five children, and Mr. Shearer, who happened to be there, perched themselves as best they could and passed the remainder of the night in a painful state of apprehension for their safety, as they listened to the roar of the rising flood and felt the frail building tremble. But for one providential circumstance they would have in all probability found a watery grave. A great log came down and lodged in such a position just above the cabin as to protect it from a large amount of heavy drift-wood that must otherwise have swept it from its foundation. When the welcome daylight dawned, the besieged could more fully realize their perilous situation and be thankful for the preservation of their lives and for the relief that came by friendly neighbors. As may be supposed the corn was totally ruined. In those days corn was not so plentiful but that a small amount was deemed worth raising. In this connection we may relate an anecdote of one Billy Williams, who got himself into an embarrassing situation in consequence of his efforts to prevent a bushel of the valuable grain from going to waste. A wagon load of it had passed near his house and by some means a quantity of it was dropped along the road. Billy happened along soon afterwards and thought he had better gather it up for his own use than let it quite go to loss. But not having any basket or bag to put it in, he was for a moment uncertain how he should manage it. But presently an original idea came to his aid. He could make a bag of his pants. Being in an unfrequented place, he had no expectation of being discovered in the execution of this new idea, so he took off his pants, tied the lower ends of the legs and stuffed them as full as they would button with the ears of corn. Now being ready to bear away his prize, he looked up the road and saw two women coming toward him. They were evidently coming to his house. Mortified as he was, he shouldered his load and rushed for a haystack that stood within calling distance of his dwelling. Here he took shelter, and as no time was to be lost, he called energetically for Jemima, his wife.

“What do you want?” queried the latter, a little surprised if not alarmed at the earnestness of his tone.

“Bring my other pants,” came the answer.

“Your other pants!” returned the puzzled Jemima. “What you want with ‘em out there?”

“Bring ‘em along, and be quick about it!” cried the impatient Billy.

Of course she flew to obey the command, fearing that Billy might somehow be in a bad fix, but was happy to find his case no worse than it was. Billy got dressed as soon as he could and went to the house, hoping he had escaped the notice of the visitors, who were now there. But somehow the joke soon got abroad without the aid of Billy or his wife either.

Tyler Overton, who still resides where he originally settled, in the southern part of the township, arrived there on the 28th of May, 1843, in company with Henry Miller, each carrying a load of provisions on their backs from the Welch settlement north of the river. After making claims they put up a bark shanty in the nearest timber where they batched it for three weeks, making rails, making occasional trips to the settlement for provisions that he had employed some of the settlers there to bring up in wagons.

In the spring following Mr. O. went to Henry county, where he purchased sixty apple trees, brought them up, and began an orchard on his claim, which was, perhaps, the first one planted in the township. Only about a dozen of these pioneer trees are yet living.

Population of Knoxville township by the U. S. census of 1870:

Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4609
Foreign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 141
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4750

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