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SEC. 2, PAGE 12As a reminiscence of (hat terrible winter of 1B5C-7, it is frequently Luld that all of the provisions for this I it I lc settlement had to be brought from Mason City, on hand sleds. The crust which farmed upon the surface of the deep snow, was strong enough to bear up the weight of a man, but was not firm enough to allow a team to travel over it.educational.During the summer oi I860, a school was taught by Phoebe Dennis, from Lime Creek, Cerro Gordo county, in n small frame bulding erected 011 tlie southwest quarter of the southwest quarter of section 30. This building was little better than a shanty, having been erected by the directors of Lite district as a temporary makeshift. Owing to the sparse settlement of this portion of the county at that time, but five children were in attendance, being all lhat were of the regulation school age.The first school in which the Norwegian language was taught was opened in the summer of 1673, in a small Log house, on the farm of Ole O, Brunsvold. Betsy Rcsla. of Northwood. taught the young Scandinavians their molher-tongue. About twelve scholars wcie in attendance.RELIGIOUS.The firsl religious services in the township were held at the school house in district No. 8, during the sum me r of lBf.7. The Rev. James Williams, who was at that lime stationed at Clear Lake, Cerro Gordo countj', preached the sermon and conducted the services. This meeting was the initiation oi a regular foi l nightly serviec. A class was formed and a Sunday school instituted, and the oigaTib.ation of a society consummated. This slate of things continued for about five years, when owing to the removal of the members, services were discontinued and the congregation that remained disbanded.During the fall oT 1371, the Scandinavian clement began to turn thcii aiti-nlioii to the building up of a Church Suviely of their own faith. The initial servires were held at the house of A. Halvorsen, on section 32, by the Rev. T. A. Tor-geson, so well-known throughout the county, as foremost in all good works among his country-men.CEMETERIES.The cemetery of the Lutheran Society was bought by K. Paulson Troni j. C. Calhoun in the fall of 137-1. The grounds contain about two acres, and the price paid was $50 for the lot. Mr. Paulson, on receiving title, deeded it to the Lutheran Society. It is located on the southeast quarter of the northwest quarter of section 2G, The first to be Interred in this cemetery was Carl Johan, a son of G. K. Daley, who was buried therein July 2a, 3875.The Evangelical Lutherans have a ccmelcry on the southeast quarter of section 15.POSTOFFICES.Fertile postoffice was established in 18G8, and William Rhodes appointed postmaster. The office was kept at.his dwelling, at this time. Mail was received but once a week from Mason City, by way of Rock postoffice in Cerro Gordo county. This office remained only about one year, when it was discontinued arid this neighborhood was without a postoffice for about another year, when the office was re-established and Ole Ouverson was appointed as postmaster. ‘ Mr. Ouverson kept thc mails and distributed them from his store. He held the office until January, 187r, when he was succeeded by Andrew Grove.Nordland postoffice was established in the spring of 1870, at the house of Simon I-nrson, on section 8; that gentleman being appointed postmaster. Mails were brought by himself and neighbors from Fertile postoffice, as occasion served, until October, 1879, when a mail route was established from Bristol to Fertile, by way of this office, which afforded Lhc proper facilities for getting their mails. Mr. Larson continued in charge of this office until January, 1090, when L. W. Belstad was appointed in his stead. The office was then removed lo the dwelling house of Ole W. Belstad, a brother of Ihe postmaster, on section 7. ITcre It rerunined until lhc followingILLUSTRATED HISTORICAL ATUOctober, when Air. Dels I ad resigned Llic office and A sic K. Rank was appointed in Ids place. Mr. Rank then removed the office lo his residence 011 section 2.RAILWAY MATTERS.On the 21st day of January, 1SS0, a petition was received by thc board of township trustees, signed by a number of thc legal voters and freeholders of thc township, asking lhat body lo call a special election to vote on the question of extending aid tc the Iowa Central Northern Railway Company, in constructing a road from some point on and connecting with the above railroad near Mason City, and which railroad was to run through Fertile Imvnsliip. If was proposed to levy and colled a five per cent tax: on I he taxable properly of lhc township for iliis purpose.The trustees granted thc prayer of the* petitioners and ordered the election. This was held in January, 1860, at thc Platls school house, and some ninety-five ballyLs cast, fort3* in favor of lhc tax and fifty-five against it. Thus the scheme fell to the ground.FERTILE,Fertile was plat led in 1877, plat filed Aug. 21st. Thomas Einsluy was the owner of thc towiuute.It is one of thc oldest and most substantial towns in Worth County, dating from lhc advent of thc arrival of W111. Rhodes, 011 August Glh,1BS6, who erected ilic first house, 1-LxlS feeL in size, wiLli a Dutch fireplace at one end. His first venlure was iu a saw mill, which he constructed and operated. In ISfiS this was supplemented with a grist mill. The next to arrive and settle hereabouts were Wm. K. Faukcll and E. S. Win-ans, in 1857. lhc first child born here was John Fenton Rhodes, December j, lSGl. The first marriage was M. O. Blackmore and Louise Fan-kell, which occurred July 2, 1SGS. The first death was a da ugh I ut of Luther Place, during I lie winter of 1830-7. Thc village was platted during the year 1877, and the plat thereof filed fur record August Cist of thc same yc.ir. Tfic first storewas opened in 1372 by Ole Ouverson in a small frame building. In 187-1, K. Paulson was admitted as a partner. Jn 1875 this business was transferred lo Messrs. Giove Kirk, the post-office being combined with it, with A. A. Grove as postmaster. Guilder K. Daley started thc first blacksmith and wagon shop in 1370. Halvcr Ouverson was next in this line in 1875. Di. J.R- Jones was thc first physician, arriving in 187 0, and I11 1S7H he put in the firsl drug slore. The past twenty years has wrought many changes iai •fertile, and the future holds out even more for it. Situated as it is in one of thc best farming and siock-raising sections of the country, traversed by Beaver a ad Lime rivers, affording excellent irrigation mid pnsinragu, and manned by a coterie of merchants of lhc do or die character, whose aggressivncss mate well with llieir progressive-ness, and the new enterprises which are continually springing up and maturing, it is destined in the near future to eclipse all its former records of progress and prosperity. With its Mill, Brick Tile Works, Feat Plant, Co-Operative Lumber Yard, Co-Operative Creamery strong financial institution, three general merchandise s lores, hardware store, drug store, luniture score, iwo blacksmith shops, hotel, barber and shoe shops, splendid school and church buildings, it stands out lire-eminently—a. beacon light: throwing its rays in every direction—and attracting trade beyond its territory. The town was incorpoitcd April 17th 1D0H, and the following officers installed: Mayor, 1£. M, Lang; Councilmen, A. A.Eltlion, P. J. Ouverson, J. A. Johnson, J. A. Ellef-son, O. H. Rholl; Clerk, C. Eikcubcrry; Trcas- furer, J. F. Rhodes; Assessor, G. A. Rye. JfIrBRISTOL TOWNSHIP. asThe township of Bristol lies in the extreme vwestern part of thc comity and comprises all of ccongressional township 09 north, range 22 west, cof the fifLli principal meridian, and is bounded nby Silver Lake, Brookfield and Fertile townships vand Winnebago county, respectively, on the Jlnorth, cast, south and west, ft is well watered dby several streams, prominent among which is 5W man's creek, which flows out of the east end hof Rice lake, which lies partly on sections 18, L19 and 20, in I be northwest quarter of section
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Standard Historical Atlas of Worth County Iowa
Northwood, Iowa, US
Wed, Jan 01, 1913
Page 42
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USA 30 Mar 2022
Other Publications Near Northwood, Iowa
Standard Historical Atlas of Worth County Iowa
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