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

Part II, Chapter XXIV

Liberty Township continued - First Grain Mills - First Post Office - First School taught -
First Sub-district Organized - A Claim Difficulty - Hamilton - “Juke’s Ruin” -
Whisky and Water - Marysville - Marysville Miner - Dixonville - Flight of the Goods

In 1845 Benjamin Spillman, living in the southwestern part of the township, contrived and erected a temporary hand mill for grinding corn. It consisted of a couple of native rocks dressed to a suitable size and smoothness, placed one upon the other in the ordinary way, and so fastened that the open one could be turned by a crank, with one hand, while with the other the operator could feed it, throwing in a few grains at each revolution. It had the capacity of grinding five or six bushels of corn per day, and was patronized by quite a number of customers, each of whom was his own miller. Sometimes several would be waiting, each for his turn, even when that consisted of only a few messes.

When Haymakers and others began to supply the demand for breadstuff, such temporary make-shifts as the one just described, were laid away as superannuated machinery, as water mills in their turn were thrown into disuse by the introduction of steam power.

The first post office established in this township was called Elm Grove, a place still known by that name, and now owned and occupied by Jesse Bussy. The precise date of its establishment we have not been able to ascertain, but it must have been some time in ‘45 or ‘46. James Rousseau was post master.

The first school was taught by David Maymaker, in the winter of ‘46 and ‘47, in a claim pen owned by Lyman M. Haymaker, near their mill.

The first organized school district was what is now No. 7. A hewed log house was built for school purposes, and a young man named Turk first occupied it as a teacher. The house is now occupied as a dwelling by a family named Gregg.

As in all parts of the county, claim difficulties were not uncommon, one instance of which we may record. A man named Baker came into the neighborhood of where Hamilton now is, and entered some land legally claimed by Jacob Hendricks. As it happened, there was a quantity of rails on the land just entered, belonging to Hendricks. One night these rails were all moved and piled up on the opposite side of the line. At this time Baker was absent, but his return was looked for with much interest by Jacob and his friends; and when he came they paid him their respects en masse, and induced him to deed the land to Jacob without any needless delay.

The village of Hamilton, occupying the south-west quarter of the north-west quarter of section 35, was laid out by Stanford Doud, surveyor, assisted by Jacob Hendricks and another individual whose name is not remembered, as chain carriers, June 1st and 2d, 1849. Proprietors, Jacob Hendricks, Isaac Willsey, Andrew McGruder, John Stilwell, H. H. Mitchell, and Martin Neel. After the town was platted into six blocks the proprietors drew cuts for the choice of lots.

The first house was built during the following winter, by Nathaniel Linn. It was a double log cabin, and the foundation was laid three feet above ground on the compact snow that bore up the entire structure, till the first thaw softened the underpinning and gradually let it down to earth.

The first post office was kept by Isaac Willsey. Present incumbent Theodore West. Mails daily.

The first goods were sold by Linn and Smith, consisting principally of groceries, including a good stock of drinkables.

The first hotel was kept by Henry Edwards, in a hewed log house, since burned. The present village hotel is kept by R. R. Parker, who also owns a fine farm adjoining.

The place now contains five mercantile business houses, one church (M. E.), one Odd Fellow’s Lodge, established in 1855, with now $1,000 in its treasury.

Hamilton was so named from Hamilton county, Ohio, most of the settlers having came from that State. But for some time after the town came into being it was known only by the singular and romantic name of Jake’s Ruin. How it came to be so named may not appear so romantic as the name itself might indicate. During the surveying of the town, the surveyors got drunk, and Jake Hendricks became so unsteady that in the performance of his duty, as chain carrier, he had to go partly on all fours, holding to the long grass to maintain his equilibrium. Being one of the proprietors of the town, and also the original owner of the land on which it was located, he became reckless in the expenditure of time and money in the indulgence of his propensity for dissipation. Mrs. Hendricks was greatly distressed at this downward career of her husband, and one day, having visitors, she took occasion to acquaint them of her great trouble, bitterly declaring that the town would be Jake’s ruin. The words seemed so suggestive that it was thereafter so called and so known at a distance. Even strangers coming from a distance were wont to inquire the way or the distance to Jake’s Ruin. On one occasion a stranger approaching the place, met Mrs. H. in the neighborhood and quite innocently asked her how far it was to Jake’s Ruin. It was not till after the reason had been explained to him that he could account for the shockingly uncivil answer the lady had given him.

The early history of Hamilton was not propitious of its early prosperity. Whisky was a fashionable drink, and more convenient than water. Singular as it may seem, good water could not be reached short of 75 or 80 feet of digging, whereas now a plentiful supply can be obtained at one-third that depth, and all the old wells are inexhaustible.

Marysville is situated on the south-west quarter of the south-east quarter of section 29, on the north side of South Cedar, in the beautiful vale that margins this stream. It was laid out by James Rousseau, Feb. 11, ‘57, on land then owned by Joseph Brobst and Josiah Brobst, the former owning the west side and the latter the east side of what is now the main street of the village. The surveying was done by James Rousseau; John B. Ely and Jacob Stambach, chain carriers. The place was so named from the number of Marys belonging to the Brobst family, not less than five of them being in possession of that honored name. The first house was built by Jonathan Wilder. It was a frame building, and still stands. The second was by Jacob Stambach, and is now known as the old tavern stand. Andrew Kerr sold the first goods. Peter Klein was first P. M., and the post office was then called Ely. His successor was J. B. Ely. Present incumbent, Gartner.

For some years Marysville remained in a partially dormant condition, but since the discovery of vast quantities of coal lands in its neighborhood, and a railroad company organized on the basis of these lands, the place has had an upward tendency in the way of enterprise, and is now rapidly building up. The most prominent building in the place is a large woolen factory, by Welch & Co., erected last spring, ‘72. There is also a weekly newspaper published here, called the “Marysville Miner,” by David C. Ely, and to its descriptions of the country, advertisements, and stirring appeals, much of the prosperity of the town may be attributed.

The “Miner” was first issued Feb. 7, ‘71, by a company, with J. W. Rangsdale as editor from a press brought from Albia, Monroe county. In his salutatory the editor said, “As to politics, we are personally Republican, but this paper shall be independent, out-spoken, and ever ready to condemn that which we deem to be wrong, even though it be in high places. As to making fair promises, we will not. We can only say to our readers that we will TRY to do our duty, and that we expect them to do the same.” With the next issue of the paper D. C. Ely took editorial charge of it, and has so continued since. In his bow to the public he says: “As stated in the salutatory, this paper shall be neutral in politics, and devoted to the best interests of this section, by giving information in regard to our natural advantages over our sister towns.”

In ‘56 Mr. D. B. Dixon caused to be surveyed on land owned by him, and now owned by Abram Pack, about two miles north of Hamilton, a town that he called Dixonville. To this place he brought and erected a store house that had been used for this purpose in Monroe county, and stored it with goods. but, unfortunately for the proprietor, the goods soon after fell under execution, and a sheriff was sent to levy upon them. It was late in the evening when the officer arrived, and he concluded to postpone the execution of his official duty till next morning. But, on going to the store next morning, he found the shelves empty. the goods, apparently apprehensive of falling under the ban of legal authority, had taken their flight during the night. Soon after this Mr. Dixon abandoned his town and it never prospered.

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

Native . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1499
Foreign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1532

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