Kimball Hollow

ALGORS, ALLEN, AMOS, BARTLETT, BRAASE, BRAIN, BULIS, CANFIELD, COE, COLEMAN, COLLINS, COOK, CRANE, DALTON, DARLING, DAVIS, DAY, DEWOLF, DUNN, DUNNE, EGGERS, EMERSON, FARR, FITZGERALD, GOTSHALL

Posted By: Kelli Wilslef (email)
Date: 11/10/2010 at 16:00:59

Maquoketa Community Press
February 21, 1967

Early History of Miles Area Traced

(This is the final story in a four-part series of articles about Kimball Hollow, Iowa Township, Jackson County, Iowa, written by Mrs. Garnett Eggers.)

Owing to the scarcity, or perhaps almost a total lack of the great essentials in pioneer settlements—wood and water—the country a few miles west of the Kimball, was almost the last to be settled in Jackson County. It was not until 1850, that we find any record of a settlement where Miles in now located. During that year E. S. Hatheway entered a quarter section of land, a part of which is now included in the corporate limits of Miles.

In 181, O. H. Legg and Eli Dention entered land in the immediate vicinity, and the following year 1852, James Miles came and was soon followed by his brother Justin. The two brothers – entering most of the land. The nearest neighbors being folks at Mt. Algors, and Kimball Hollow. It is said that the stagecoach as a thing of great curiosity, and one time when Mr. Miles conversed with some redskins, he learned the true interpretation of the word “IOWA” - - As the Indians considered “This is the Place” for its beauty and rolling hills and prairie, was a sight to behold.

Like all other pioneer neighborhoods, it had to have a mane. Many were bestowed in it; some were “Wolves Hollow”, South Prairie and Buttermilk Hollow, Miles Corner and Shoe Fly. Vast numbers of wolves and deer roamed over the areas.

In January of 1855, Iowa Township was detached from Union Township at the request of a petition of residents and its first election was held at Sterling in April of 1855. Union Township having become the first precinct on April 2, 1838.

In 1849, Nelson Lathrop Kimball married Miss Hannah A. Stallcop. They became the parents of six children. Three passed away and the others were: Edward, who later became an ordained minister, but did not follow in his Uncle Nathaniel’s footsteps, for he never preached; Albert, and Mrs. Alice Jacobs. Their home was north of George and Sarah’s. Ed, as a young man led the lead horses while turning over some virgin prairie to be sued for fields

On March 28, 1849, Lucius Tyler Kimball was united in marriage to Catherine Elizabeth Canfield, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. James Canfield of Canada Hollow.

The Rev. George Larkin performed the ceremony. In 1849, the Gold Rush was making a call to all seekers of great wealth, so Lucius Kimball responded by going there to seek his fourteen. Tipton, Iowa was said to be a station of the great highway to the Gold Fields of California, and the seeing of 40 to 50 white canvas covered wagons preparing for the trip west was not uncommon.

Lucius returned no richer than the experience of seeing western country. Catherine’s life too was rich with traveling experiences, for she came here when she was only seven years old. Her family had lived in Michigan, and had moved to Canada, but finding the climate and government of Canada not congenial to their liking, decided to move to Iowa. She had said that there were only four cabins at the present site of Sabula when they came here in 1837, and a board shanty for a boarding house.

Crossing the Mississippi River with horses and a family of seven children on one flat boat was her first big experience. It was an old fashioned scow boat and she had never seen such a thing before and was mighty happy when they landed at the village of Charlestown. A friend of the family from Canada had arrived here the week before, and he had the folks of Sabula met them and extended hospitality full force.

She was eleven years old when she united with the Church, and that same year, she started to keep a journal of happenings. They were the parents of five children, Arden, Catherine, Minnie, Ella and Elmer. They lived south of Sarah and George. The adventurous life of Arden Kimball is indeed a book in itself.

Nathaniel followed the road to matrimony and married Miss Eliza Elnora Coe at Dubuque on January 9, 1851. They were blessed with six children, one of whom died in infancy. They were Edsel, George F., Florence, L. H. Kimball and Owen.

Their home was south of Lucius and Elizabeth and the house was west of the creek whereas the others were east.

Nathaniel Austin Kimball served on the County board Administration in 1869, along with J. Hilsinger, J. A. Tritz, J. M. Fitzgerald, J. P. Manders, J. Dunn, J. H. Spray and W. A. Warren. In 1875, he again served his country along with four other men, Myron Collins, acting chairman, James Dunne, D. T. Farr, and George H. Trumball. Again in 1877, he served on the five man board; others were James Dunne, chairman, D. T. Farr. A. Reiling and W. C. Morden.

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Wagons, carriages, plows, etc. were manufactured in a work-manlike manner by Bullis and Cawthorne. A. J. Neil was also a blacksmith and a wagon maker. Other doctors were W.R. Pittman and Dr. Campbell; the later pulled a tooth of Catherine Bartlett for 50 cents but gave the money back because she had been such a good patient. There was a sewing machine dealer, and dressmaking and Millinery were conducted by Mag McCullen and Co., and Mrs. Meteva and daughters. There were three or four carpenters, two meat markets, a pump dealer, a peddler, a saloon that N. G. Lange had, which is still used to this day. There was a brick and stone mason. Plasterers and a Curb stone broker, a lumber yard and a milk peddler.

In 1875, the electors voted a tax of eight mills on the dollar for the purpose of building a new schoolhouse. The building was begun after the annual board meeting in 1876, and the school was completed in the fall of that year, with E. B. Brain, being contractor. It cost $3750.00. The other old schoolhouse was sold at public auction in March, 1877, to F. M. Miles, for $102 dollars, and he changed it over to a barn. (You can still see it standing in the barnyard on the Krabbenhoft farm, south of road that leads to Preston.)

Centennial Lodge, No. 349 Independent Order of Odd Fellows was organized July 25, 1875.

Miles, Lodge, No. 45, Ancient Order United Workmen was organized January 27, 1876.

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In January 1878, the Women’s Christian Temperance Union secured the services of Messrs. Hofstettler and Rowell to hold a series of temperance meetings, for one week and the result was the organization of the Miles Temperance Reform Club, with a membership of 98 singers at the first evening.

Miles was at one time the home of the strongest temperance organization in Jackson County. The officers elected were; H. J. Davis, pres; L.P. Truesdell, vice pres; F. A. Hanover, sec; Geo. F. Green, treas; M. S. Allen, J. S. Davis and Geo. F. Green, executive committee. A total of six hundred and eighty-nine personas signed the pledge and the club was well sustained and active in its work. Union Hall was rented and used exclusively by the club. A reading room was open at all times.

The Juvenile Temperance society was organized in 1873, and maintained its organization for a number of years- - even longer than the first group did!

In 1871, the Teeds Grove Missionary Society was formed. It met monthly, and still is an active organization. This group welcomes both men and women. At one time there were 52 members, in 1877, having started out with 14 charter members. At the time of the large membership, there were 11 single men members, and 14 single ladies. Marshall Kock’s father was a paid up member from its beginning until his death in 1916. When the organization had its golden anniversary, Mrs. Ed Kimball gave an interesting account of society’s fifty years. Mrs. Catherine Bartlett gave a reading that had been given when the society had had it 25th reunion. Both Mrs. Kimball and Mrs. Bartlett were charter members.

The First Congressional church was organized in August 15, 1879.

The First Methodist Episcopal church, formerly a part of the Sabula circuit, later became part of the Vernon Prairie Circuit in 1870. On November 4, 1874, it was incorporated in Miles, and built their Church in 1875, at a cost of $4,000.

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Even though these people suffered physical and perhaps mental anguish in their early years here, they lived a full and happy life. Most all of them lived to an advanced age. Mrs. Cook of Chicago lived to be over 93 years, and Mrs. DeWolf was past 80 when she passed away.

Sarah and George celebrated their golden wedding on April 12, 1889. For a while they lived in Miles, the house east of the Presbyterian Church. Several years after their anniversary, Geo. passed away on Jan. 12, 1894. Grandma Green, as she had been known for years, then made her home with her daughter. Mrs. R. E. Walker, until her death on March 1st, 1901 at the age of 101 years, 6 months, and 16 days.

Nelson and Hannah were married 44 years and in Oct. of 1892, she was called to rest. He went to live with a son, Edward on the home place. He died in 1901, on Feb. 27th at the age of 84 years, and 5 months. Nelson won the struggles of pioneer life and he won the respect and esteem of all who knew him. He had lived a good Christian life.

Lucius and Catherine observed their golden wedding on March 28, the year 1899. They were given tribute on their anniversary day by Mr. George Griswold who was then serving as the Pres. of the Pioneer Association of Clinton and Jackson Counties.

A while before their golden anniversary they left the farm in the care of their son, Arden. They purchased land closer to Miles, 80 acres, (known then as the Heberlings place) the place now occupied by Harry Jargo. Later they moved into Miles, (the house just south of Alvin Frahm) and in this house they celebrated their golden anniversary. Again they moved, this time to the house now occupied by Virtus Kock, and again they moved, to the little house lived in by Beryl Menneke. Arden lived with his mother in this house, after his father died. After his mother’s death, Arden moved his belongings to Sabula and lived there until his death. Catherine stayed a short while with her daughter, Mrs. C. Z. Bartlett until her death on Dec. 21, 1918. She was 87 years of age.

Nathanial lost his wife in 1901; he then made his home with his daughter, Mrs. David Kock at Ida Grove, Iowa. His death occurred on March 19, 1909 at the advanced age of 83 years, 6 months, and 29 days.

All the Kimballs and Greens are buried in the Miles Cemetery; the land was donated for a cemetery by James Miles, when his beloved wife died. She was the first to be laid to rest there.

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And so it was the Honorable George F. Green and his brother’s-in-law who dared to forge their way into a new wilderness in order to find greater opportunities and with their courage and strength helped to shape a fair portion of this land of ours, and they leave to this day their name……Kimball…… Kimball Hollow is here to stay.

Jackson Documents maintained by Nettie Mae Lucas.
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