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AN HISTORIC ACCOUNT OF THE EARLY SETTLE MENT, ORGANIZATION, AND SUBSEQUENT DEVELOPMENT OF THE COUN TY BY TOWNSHIPS. Interesting Reminiscences, Adventures, Amusing Incidents, and the Hardships Connected with the County’s History from 1856 to 1891, Including the “Home stead” and “Grasshopper” Days. By W.L. CLARK. CHAPTER XXVIII. JOHNSON TOWNSHIP. Present Domain— When Constituted— Water Ways—A Farming Section—Population— First Actual Settlers--First Events— Schools of 1890— Religious —Post- offices “Perished in the Prairie Fire.” Johnson was taken from Plymouth and Sioux townships by an act of the super visors dated June 8,1870. It is bounded on the north by Preston township, on the east by Washington township, on the south by Liberty, and on the west by Westfield. The streams which supply Johnson town ship with water and given thorough nat ural drainage, are the Broken Kettle creek in the northwest corner, and Bull Run creek in the southwest portion. It is pure ly an agriculture district, with no towns or villages within its borders. The soil’s richness is equal to any in the whole do main of Plymouth county. The population. In 1884 was 500, of which about 300 were American born, and the balance about equally divided between the Canadians and Germans. The late census reports not bene com pleted, the nearest figures that we can give concerning the present population is that the total population of Johnson and Westfield township is 1112. The real es tate assessed valuation of Johnson town ship is $170,000. FIRST ACTUAL SETTLERS. In otder countries it is no easy matter to delve back into the dim past and es tablish the facts concerning the first set tlers, but here in Plymouth county, many still survive, who saw and helped to erect the pioneer buildings, and by this class it is stated that the settlement of Johnson township was effected, at first, by a num ber of homesteaders, among whom the earliest ones were: John P. Hoffmann on section thirty-six, he still resides on the land originally claimed. Theodore Hoffmann came at the same time. Aug ust. Hauswald homesteaded a part of sec tion twenty-six. Andrew Wilson came from Jackson county, Iowa, in the spring of 1871 and homesteaded the northeast quarter of section twenty-two, where he still remains—a well-to-do farmer. The earliest settlers came in 1868-69, Thomas Stanton came from Jackson county, Iowa, and homesteaded the south half of the northwest quarter of section twenty-two, where he still lives. In 1870, U.S. Rowley homesteaded the south half of the southwest quarter of section thirty-two. He still resides there. Charles Keanage homesteaded the west half of the northwest quarter of section thirty-two, still occupies the place and is a prosperous farmer. Wallace Fuller came from eastern Iowa and in the Spring of 1871 homesteaded the southeast quarter of section eight. In a great and sweeping prairie fire, about 1880, his wife was burned to death. He married again, and is now a large farmer of this township. Isaac N. Jeffers was a homesteader about the same date, who claimed a por tion of section four. He came here from Glack Hawk county, Iowa, and is still an honored resident of Johnson township. Veter and Donald Meiiinon came to the fall and took homesteads on section two. Later on they bought farms on sec tions one and three, where they still re side. Richard Goldie, new editor of the “Sun” at LeMars, homesteaded on the northeart quarter of section twelve, in 1870-71. He proved up and remained there until a few years ago. When he entered the journal istic field, August McGuinis claimed the east half of the northwest quarter of section twelve in LST. the is still a resident of its original homestead. C.F. Wendt was a settler of 1872, on section twelve. Where he still remains, William Bornsthein setttled on the north half of the northeast quarter of section twenty-six, in the fidi of 1870. he stil remains on the place. Christian Jasper homesteaded the southeast quarter of section fourteen, in the autumn of 1870. He is still an honor ed resident of this township. Chris Miller homesteaded on the north west quarter of section fourteen, and still remains a resident. BH. Michael located a homestead in the fall of 1871, on the northeast of sec tion twenty-four. About the same time came in Henry Beckeberg, claiming the south half of the northeast quarter of section twenty-four he is now a large land owner in Johnson and Washington townships. Richard Faull homesteaded land on the south half of the southwest quarter of section twenty-four. August Muecke, in the fall of 1870, homesteaded the northeast quarter of sec tion fourteen, where he still lives. Another early settler and homesteader was Aaron Archer, who, in the fall of 1 °70, took land on section thirty-two. He was driven out of the county by grass hoppers, and now lives at Emporia, Kas. Moses Archer came in at the same time and claimed a part of section thirty. He was also compelled to leave the county during the plague years, and is now a resident of another part of Town. John Arndt, now living at LeMars, homesteaded on section thirty-four about 1869. A Scotchman named Shaw was an early homesteader in the north part of the township. After proving up his claim he sold and removed to point farther west. Julius Goecky homesteaded on section four, in 1870, and removed soon after he proved up his claim, about 1875. These, with a few more, made up the first settlement of the township. But few others sought homes here until after the country had escaped the grasshopper ravages of 1874 to 1877, years long to be remembered by the early pioneers and homesteaders of Plymouth county. SCHOOLS, _ The first school was taught very early in the history of the township, probably about the winter of 1871-72. Two school houses were provided about that date, one on section thirty-four and the other on section thirty-two, and then one very soon on section fourteen. According to the report of the county superintendent of public schools, Johnson township has six sub-districts, each pro vided with a suitable frame school bild ing. Much attention has been paid to securing good and fully competent teachers, and as a consequence the educa tional standing is most excellent at the present time. RELIGIOUS: The religious element seems to have predominated quite largely in Johnson township. At present we find four de nominations represented with active so cieties, viz: The United Brethren, Presbyterian, German, Methodist, and Ro man Catholic. The former two each have church edifices, the Catholics have built two, but their last one was ‘blown down some years since, and never rebuilt. ‘The United Brethren Church was form ed in February,1874, as the result of the labors of pater W. one ormerly: ‘of : tt cit : main the following: James Stinton and wife, Joseph Stinton and wife, Abner Andrus, Mrs. Wilson, Hannah Stinton, Lousia Bristow, Lucy Bradly, Mrs Kan age. Of the remainder some have “fallen out by the way,” some removed, and oth ers gone to reap the reward of the faith ful. _ A church was erected in 1883, at cost of $1,200. It is thirty-two by forty feet, seats about 800, and is located on the northwest quarter of the northwest quar ter of section thirty-three.. The German Methodist Episcopal Church of Johnson township is the ear liest of this sect in Plymouth county. It was formed by a few devoted German families in 1872. It now has a member ship of twenty-five. They now hold services in the school house, being attend ed by the pastor at LeMars, but are talk ing of building a chapel. A good Sabbath school is maintained, which meets at the Kasper school-house, on section fourteen. The Presbyterian church of this town ship is situated in the extreme noutheast corner of section one. The Society was formed in 1869. It is known as the First Presbyterian church of = Plymouth county,” and is truly what its name signi fies, the first in the county. At present there are but twelve members. A build ing was erected about 1878, thirty by forty five feet. Its cost can not be got at, as it was built by volunteer labor, no money be ing paid for the work. The building was first started by a pioneer named James, who was a mason and helped lay the brick work. He was a Presbyterian clergyman and a zealous worker. At present Rev. D. W. @als, of LeMars preaches once in two weeks. POST OFFICES. Johnson township has at present two post offices. Adaville, established in 1889, near the United Brethren church building in the southwest part of the township, there is also a store at this point, kept by Mr. Scott. Crathorne post office is located in section twelve, it was established about 1885, with Richard Geldie as postmaster. It is now presided over by Mr. Russell, who also operates a small general store at this point. A PATAL PRAIRIE FIRE. [The facts concerning this terrible death have been gleaned from newspaper files and from the lips of early settlers as well.] Among the heart rending and revolting calamities which it becomes the duty of a historian to record in this county, is the terrible death of the wife of one of the present residents of Johnson township— Mrs. Wallace Fuller. The sad event took face on Broken Kettle creek, the first week in April, 1879, and has always been looked upon as the most appalling catas trophe ever having happened in Plymouth county. The homestead where Mr. Ful ler then lived was twelve miles west of LeMars, and there had grown up a goodly settlement along the valley in which he lived, but there were a few full sections of wild land, covered with a rank growth of prairie grass adjoining this ill fated pot, which were set on fire and became unmamageable. There came up about noon, and threatened Mr. Fuller’s stable, (made chiefly of straw and hay, as all Western Stibies were at that date.) Mr. Fuller, who was working in the field near by, saw the danger, and repaired to the stable to release the horses, while his wife went to tnother stable for the purpose of releasing some more stock. The angry wind-fanned flames swept to the door of the stable to which the poor, unfortunate woman had so bravely gone in defense of the dumb brutes. She made a dash through the Hames, which then totally en veloped the stable, but in so doing, her clothes caught fire. Before going far, she fell to the ground, where she was shortly observed by her husband, who frantically sped to her rescue. While the seething, hissing James roared around him, he tried t tear the clothing from off his wife's body. ‘The sad story must terminate by slying death secon ended the woman's suf ferings, and the homesteader’s wife, midst the turmoil of a new, wild prairie life, was laid away to rest from her cares and labors, damented by all who knew her Besides the loss of his dear companion, Mr. Fuller also sustained the loss of four lorses, ten hogs, thirteen head of cattle, a thousand bushels of wheat, 150 bushels of flax and a large amount of corn. In the meantime the flames had leaped to the farm house, and that also was rapidly con sumed, together with its contents. INCIDENTS OF HARDSHIPS. To one acquainted with Charles Kanngo and his estimable family who now resides in Johnson township, such who have every thing so home-like and comfortable about them, the contrast is indeed great when one remembers that this family, who had only been in the United States a short time and could not talk or understand our language, but little, came to this wild west in November, 1869, from Winona, Minne sota. The winter of 1869-70 the family existed within a sod shanty the walls of which Mrs. Kanage with her own hands plastered with mud and whitewashed, while her good husband was at work by the day cutting cord wood on the Missouri river bottoms in Dakota for means upon which to subsist. During the time they lived in this sad hovel a fearful snow storm swept over the country. The sad house was located in a small valley or “drain” and during the first night of the storm the raving was filled completely full and the good pioneer family covered over by a dozen feet of solid snow, and re mained so for three long days and nights before the storm ceased ,sufficient to shov el a way out toward the outer world. Many are the hardships and narrow escapes related by Mr. and Mrs. Kanago, who have finally come to possess a good home, yet those perilous years of storms, dreuths and grasshoppers have left their furrows on their brows and made them prematurely old. Dozens of similar cases might be mentioned but this regarding Mr. Chas. Kanago’s family will suffice to show the reader that all was not sunshine in Plymouth county back in the “seven ties.”
Newspaper Details
Le Mars Semi Weekly Sentinel
Le Mars, Iowa, US
Fri, Jul 24, 1891
Page 2
Full Page
Clipped by
Anonymous
LU 25 May 2026
Other Publications Near Le Mars, Iowa
Atlas of Plymouth county Iowa
Farm Directory Survey in Plymouth County
Standard Historical Atlas of Plymouth county Iowa
Logan Herald Observer
Le Mars Globe Post
