HISTORY OF PLEASANTON - written by Emma Mark(s)

TOO MANY TO LIST

Posted By: Nancee Seifert (email)
Date: 6/16/2014 at 10:03:10

HISTORY OF PLEASANTON by Emma Marks - Part 1

Note: I don't know the year this was written.

HISTORY OF PLEASANTON
written by Emma Marks
(Given to me to copy by Mrs. Roscoe Hamilton)
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Pleasanton, Iowa is situated in Hamilton township Decatur County. The Iowa
Missouri state line forms the southern boundary of the town, the township
and the county.

The town is located on what was once rolling prairie. Today in the
northeast part of town one can see twenty or thirty miles distant. On the
outskirts in other parts of the town beautiful views are to be had for miles

distant especially to the south and southwest. Unless hidden by forest
equally good views could be had in early times.

Pleasanton is the fourth oldest town in the county, Leon, Decatur, Garden
Grove being older. The Population has always been small and it is today the
smallest incorporated village of the county.

General farming and stock raising are and always have been the principal
industry of the surrounding community. The town is a trading point for the
people engaged in these two industries and owes its existence to them.

By the end of the year 1855 the town, then called Pleasant Plains, might
have boasted a dozen houses, shacks, one room log, story and a half logs and

some two or three room frames.

Opposite "the square" on the north side about half way between pleasant and
main stood two one room log houses. In these G.M. Hinkle and a Mr. Nealey
kept a general merchandise store. On the same block but facing Main street
was the Howard Wilson blacksmith shop.

Hinkle had been in business since 1851.

Near the blacksmith shop stood the residence of William Snook who had come
in 1851. Back of Snooks dwelling was a well he had dug. It is still in use
and pumps well. This well, if not the oldest, is one of the two oldest in
the town. The other being on what is now the Clampitt garage lots back of
where in 1855 stood the home of John D. Mills. Other early wells were the
Snooks well and the Waldrip well.

On the next block, just north of Snooks was the one room house of Dr. David
Macy. Dr. Macy arrived that year (1855). He is usually referred to as
Pleasantons first physician and probably was after the town was platted but
settlers coming in 1854 remember being directed to a Dr. Burns whom they
found very ill and unable to answer calls. It is believed that Dr. Burns
died in the autumn of 1859. He was a member of the Cainsville Burns family
and is probably buried in Cainsville.

On the south side of the square in the southwest corner of what is now the I
N. Painter house south of the M.S.U. County telephone office was a small
frame shack which one William Wilson kept a small stock of groceries.
(Wilson is supposed to have come in 1854). The entire contents of his store
would probably not have sold for $100.

Incidentally, Wilson set out the old maple trees west of the Painter lot.
These trees were set out not later than the Civil War, probably much earlier

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To be continued - part 2.