A History Of Douds, Iowa

DOUD, TOBIAS, MERRILL, MORROW, MCCLURE, CARSON, SADLER, HUSTON, DUFFIELD

Posted By: Gloria Dodds (email)
Date: 10/31/2002 at 01:29:42

Page One Hundred Six The Keosauqua Republican Thursday, August 15, 1935 80 year Anniversary 1855-1935

A History Of Douds, Iowa

Grandson of Founder Writes Story of Douds
By A. L. Doud, Jr.

Douds is officially known as the village or unincorporated town of Doud's Station. The official name is the same as that given by the
officials of the Keokuk and Des Moines railway when they established the site as a shipping point. Most of those who formed the railroad
company had been associated in the Demoine Navigation Company which, believing the Des Moines
river to be navigable, failed, after discovering the channel was not deep enough for steamboats. The railroad officials took the name from the owners of land on the east and west side of the old territorial road running from Fairfield, Iowa, to Memphis, Mo. These owners were two brothers, Eliab Doud and David Doud, Jr., both of whom came to Iowa territory from Ohio in 1843.
With usage and the establishment of the postoffice, the official name has been shortened by dropping the word "Station" and the apostrophe.
The date upon which the plat of the town was officially filed was December 12, 1866. The main street of the town corresponds with the old territorial road, mentioned above, and all other streets run parallel or right angles to it. As was customary in those days, the town was not laid out due north and south but at right angles to the Des Moines river, making the streets run 25 degrees west of south. The lots on the west side of the territorial road, or Main Street, were laid out on land belonging to Eliab Doud.
Both of these founders of the town were interested in public service. Eliab Doud served as State Senator for one term from this district and David Doud served as State Representative. That they were interested in temperance is evidenced by the fact that when either of these men sold a lot the deed contained a condition that no saloon or other place for selling or in any way disposing of intoxicating liquors for drinking shall be established on any of the lots and in case of a breach of that conveant the title should revert to the grantors, with the right of the offender to remove all buildings and other improvements made on the lots within a reasonable time after the breach.
The only living children of Eliab Doud are his son, A. L. Doud of Douds, and his daughter, Mrs. Melissa Harwood of Keosauqua. There are no living children of David Doud.
Doctor James Crawford was the first resident of the town, moving from the inland town of Business Corners which is located about a mile and a half northeast of Douds a mile and a half northeast of Douds. He has no surviving children but his daughter will be remembered as the wife of Doctor T. G. McClure, a well known physician in this community and the county up until the time of his death.
The first merchant in the new town was Wilson S. Parker and his store was located where the Farmers and Traders Savings Bank is now doing business. Parker first went into partnership with Edwin Manning of Keosauqua and later sold his interest to his partner.
The first blacksmith shop was started by W.M. Martin on the same location as now occupied by S.A. Barker's general store. This blacksmith shop remained in existance up until the time of ownership by John Walker, a native of England, who sold the location and moved his shop to the block immediately east.
Another early settler was Michael B. Tobias and his wife, Sarah, whose son, Valentine, operated a sawmill and machine shop and later went into the implement business.
The first church was established by the Baptists and one of the early pastors was a Rev. Worrester who ran a showcase business in Ottumwa and voluntairly came to preach without pay. Later, there was established on the farm of David Doud, adjoining west boundary of the town, a small tract for the erection of a union church. The building was erected by popular subscription and is in use today. This church society was incorporated with the idea that when the building was not in use by the Methodist Episcopal church then it could be used by any other denomination. Three of the trustees of the church are members of the Methodist denomination and two of them non-members of that church. Another pastor of an early day was Rev. Benjamin Shane, father of former Senator Frank Shane of Eldon.
The church in Douds is not an old one when it is known that the Methodist church at Mt. Moriah was founded in 1847 and the Zion Lutheran church three miles northeast of Douds was established about the same time.
The first bank to be established in the town was in 1902 when a group of capitalists from Ottumwa joined with local citizens and formed the Douds-Leando Savings Bank. The first president of this bank was the late J.H. Merrill of Ottumwa and the first cashier was E.O. Hendrick now in Livingston, Idaho.
The first school was established in 1868 in the log house vacated by Eliab Doud and the first teacher was Mary A. Doud (Ferris). the eldest daughter of Eliab.
Some of the other early settlers and their businesses were William Fink and Thomas P. Doud, son of David, who operated a general store, the ownership of which latter came to J. M. Morrow, formerly a State Representative from this county. Another early store was started in 1871 by Houston and Duffield.
Originally the town did not extend farther than between the Des Moines river and the railroad tracks now operated by the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroad. After the flood of 1903 Dr. T.G. McClure opened some lots north of the tracks and east of the territorial road. Later, another addition was platted by W.A. Carson and C.G. Sadler and the last addition to the town was by O.L. Morrow.
There was no bridge joining the town with Leando on the opposite side of the Des Moines river until 1897 when the piers were set and the bridge completed in 1898. The crossing, prior to that time, was made by ferry which was last operated by John Gardner.
The first coal mine was opened by Alexander Findlay, Sr., and really started the mining operations which continue in this vicinity at the present time as one of the principal commercial businesses. The town was a coaling station for the railroad until about 1910. Eliab Doud opened a small mine on his farm adjoining town and furnished coal to the steamboats which sometime went as far as Eddyville during the high water season of the spring and fall.
Of course no navigation of the river was practicable although attempts to revive such projects have been recurring at various times. Within recent years, the limestone deposits adjoining the town have been developed and the only quarry at which the mining method is used, in southeastern Iowa, is locaated about a mile down the river from Douds.
This constitutes the brief history of early days of Douds and necessarily omits items of human interest especially applying to the period of the Civil war and the time immediately following. On December 12, 1936 the town will celebrate its seventieth anniversary.