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HISTORY OF DRESDEN' TOWNSHIP.By C. W. Lamka.Tlie township of Dresden comprises the territory in the congressional township 94. north, range 12. west.It was organizcci as a township in 1859. such order being issued hy the March term of court of that year.Subsequently the east tier of sections was detached and added to the township of Fredericksburg, hut has since been restored, except the southeast quarter of section 12. and the northeast quarter of section 13, which still remain a part of the latter and on which a portion of the town of Fredericksburg is now situated.There is no data from which to gather any of the first settlers names from oblivion. The population isWapsipinicon, familiarly called “X.ittle Wapsie”, which crosses the northeast corner of section 1, entering from New Hampton township and winding its way into Fredericksburg township, where it makes a short turn and enters section 12 of Dresden, (lowing in a southwesterly course across the township.The only industrial establishment located in the township was a cheese factory established by John Kohhoff in May, 1878. A few years later it was converted into a creamery. It was located in thenorthwest corner of section 7, one mile north ofWilliams town. Its business terminated about 1903, but the building still stands.A ?■!. John’s German Lutheran Evangelical church was built in 1891 in the southeast corner of the southwest quarter of section 30. A year later, in 1892, it was destroyed by a cyclone. It was rebuilt in thesame year and is a thriving place of worship today.A school house was built beside the church by the congregation in 1907, in which parochial school is held for training children of the Lutheran denomination.In 1881 there were eight school houses. School is in session in each of these buildings today. During the same year, thirteen different teachers were employed in these otic room schools at an average wage ot $23.00. These wages have doubled or more up to the present time.We have witnessed how the township has developed from vast prairie and waste laud in 1850 to one of the most valuable agricultural sections of the State. Land was then held at SL00 per acre and prices now range from $125 to $175 per acre.Modern methods of agriculture, modern machinery. telephone lines, rural routes, and automobiles have made farm life a luxury and a pleasure.Agriculturists on whom the life of the nation depends, need no longer feel their life a drugery of which they would gladly free themselves if circumstances permitted: but rather one of freedom and independence unknown to city people.BRADFORD TOWN’S HI I*.By J. M. Heai.d.The township of Bradford got its name from Bradford, chief of the tribe of Chickasaw Indians, from which tribe the county was named. He was a widely known character in this section of Iowa, during the early history previous to 1860. Early settlers still living remember him well. Ex-post mas ter F. F.. Fritclier of Nashua, when a small boy, often sat in the okl chief’s lap. and listened to his stories.Traders and trappers drifted in along the Cedar river as early as 1850. but the first settlers came a year or two later. Some of the first settlers were men who got their land from the government on land warrants issued to them- as soldiers of the Mexican war. They got the first choice and chose locations along the river, on the “second bottom land” the best land in the state of Iowa. About the first white man of record was a trader. Peter Schemp; but the settlers began to crowd such men out, about 1853. One of the first of these was Truman Merritt, and his daughter, Elvira Merritt was the first white child born in Bradford township and Chickasaw' county.The town of Bradford was th; first place of importance in the early history of the township, and the most important place west of McGregor for a number of years, and the old Bronson House, the first big hotel in this part of the slate was the center of many exciting times. Bradford was the county seat of the county until 1857. when it was removed to New Hampton. In the early history* of the county there was but one voting precinct, and that was Bradford. The first election of record was held on the 3d of April, 1854, when county officers were elected, nearly all of whom were Bradford township men. James Lyon was elected county judge. S. C- Goddard, county clerk; John Campbell, treasurer and recorder; D. A. Babcock prosecuting at--.rwl An^,- '.iT O r*
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