Cerro Gordo County Iowa Genealogy
Part of the IaGenWeb Project

History of Owen Township
  Cerro Gordo County
  Contributed by John McLaughlin
 

  History of Franklin & Cerro Gordo Counties, Iowa
  History of Iowa 1883

  Biographies:

  Alonzo Willson
  Abiel Pierce
  C.W. Wicks
  Chicago Willson
  Brazil Updike
  Rial Barney
  Jesse Hill
  Malcolm C. Andrews
  A.H. Quackenbush
  Judson Quackenbush
  Garret S. Armitage
  W.A. Wells
  Neil Fullerton
  E.W. Jacobs
  Asher M. Stevens
  H.P. Meloy
    

  Owen Township

  Early Settlement

  Alonzo Willson, of New England, came in 1855 and settled on
the northeast quarter of section 6, where he remained until 1878, 
when he moved to Mason City.
  Abiel Peirce, of Massachusetts, a second cousin of President
Pierce, came to the township and entered land on the northwest
quarter of section 5.  He improved this place and remained thereon 
until 1869, at which time he sold to Jesse Hill, and moved to
Iroquois Co., Ill., where was still living in 1883.
  C.W. Wicks, a native of Massachusetts, came to Owen township in
1855, and entered the southwest quarter of section 5.  He was frozen 
to death in December of that year.
  In 1856 a man named Willson, known by all of the pioneers as
Chicago Willson, in distinction from Alonzzo or Yankee Willson, who
came about the same time, came from Chicago and settled on section
3, where he died a few years later.  His widow lived in Mason City
in 1883.  
  Brazil Updike settled in 1858-9 on the northwest quarter of
section 12, which he improved and lived upon for some years, but now 
lives at Shobe's Grove, Cerro Gordo county.
  But little settlement was effected in the township during the
years of the war.  Among the settlers coming prior to 1876 were 
Rial Barney, Jesse Hill, M.C. Andrews, Judson Quackenbush, G.S.
Armitage, W.A. Wells, Neil Fullerton, E.W. Jacobs, A.M. Stephens
and H.P. Meloy.
  Rial Barney was born in the town of Grafton, N.H., June 8, 1831.  
When but two years old he moved to Lowell, Mass., remaining there
two years, thence to Maine and spent two years.  From there he moved
to Manchester, N.H., where he remained until he was seventeen years
old and then removed to Illinois.  In January, 1853, he was married
to Elizabeth Prickett, a native of England.  He bought a farm in McHenry
county, and resided there till 1866, then moved to section 34, of 
Portland township.  He remained there until 1882, when he built a 
frame house in Owen township on the southeast quarter of section 3,
on land that he had previously purchased.   In June of that year he
moved to this place.  Mr. and Mrs. Barney are the parents of eight
children - Belle, Henrietta, Frank, Warren, Clyde, Katie, Delton and 
Clarence. 
  
  Jesse Hill, an early settler in Owen township, is a blacksmith by 
trade and has interspersed the labors of a farmer with those pertaining
to that calling, and has made both a success.  He was born Dec. 21, 1827, 
in Licking Co., Ohio. He obtained a fair education and developed in
manly strength on the farm until eighteen years of age, when he
entered upon his apprenticeship for his trade, at which he served
three years.  After spending two years as a journeyman, he opened a 
shop in Hancock county. He operated there two years and in 1851 bought 
land in Clayton Co., Iowa, where he settled as a pioneer and spent a 
year improving his property.  he then engaged in blacksmithing in 
Garnavillo, the county seat.  In 1855 he decided to go to Minnesota 
and accordingly made a claim of government land in Kyota township, 
Olmstead county.  He was a pioneer there, and with his characteristic
energy pushed the improvements on the place he bought and built a log
house.  In 1855, associated with his brother, he bought a saw-mill
which they managed five years.  he sold out and went to Marion,
Minn., where he worked at his trade one and a half years.  In 1865
he again bought land in Frankville, Winneshiek Co., Iowa, on which
he lived four years and in 1869 came to Cerro Gordo county.  He
purchased land on section 5, of Owen township, where he now resides.
His farm includes 440 acres.  In 1849 he was married to Sophia A.
Barnum of Hancock Co., Ohio.  Mary M., Frank, Simon, Willie and
James are the names of Mr. Hill's children.
  Malcom C. Andrews came to Cerro Gordo county in 1869, and bought 
the northeast quarter of section 5, Owen township.  Here he erected 
a comfortable frame house, improved his land and made this his home 
until his death, which occurred July 24, 1877, leaving his wife and 
eight children.  he was born in Middletown, Conn., May 15, 1830.  When 
he was quite young his parents located in McHenry Co., Ill., where he 
grew up on the farm, receiving a common school education. He
was there married in 1855 to Phoebe D. Bailey, born in Cambridgeshire, 
England.  They lived on his father's farm in McHenry Co., Ill., 
until 1861, when they moved to southern Illinois, bought a farm in 
Shelby county and spent the summer there, but in the fall of the same 
year sold out and returned to McHenry county, where he remained until 1863, 
when he came to Iowa.  Upon arriving here he rented a farm in Delaware 
county on which he lived until he came to his home in Owen township in 
1869, and on which his widow still lives.  His children are  - George W.,
James B., Walter S., Richard J., Andrew J., Nellie A., Frank, John R.,
Harriet A., (died in Illinois, aged two years and eight months), Cora E.,
died in infancy.
  A.H. Quackenbush was born in Orange Co., N.Y., Jan. 4, 1813.  He moved 
to Chemung county in 1818, at the age of fifteen  he was married to Catharine 
Edmister, Nov. 22, 1838.  They moved to Columbia Co., Wis., in 1856, from
there to Cerro Gordo Co., Iowa, in 1869, where he died, Sept. 22, 1880.
They raised eight children - Mary, Charles, Arvilla, Nancy, Judson,
John, Ann and Byron.  His widow now lives in Rockford, Iowa.
  Judson Quackenbush, son of Amos Quackenbush, is a farmer on the southwest
quarter of section 2, where he is pleasantly situated on a finely improved
and well-stocked farm.  The buildings on the place are in every way suitable 
to the necessities and comfort of an Iowa agriculturist.  Mr. Quackenbush 
was married Oct. 30, 1873, to Ermina Watkins, of Floyd Co., Iowa.
They have two children - Bertha and Robert.  Charles Quackenbush is a coal 
and lumber dealer at Rockford.  Byron is a land-holder in Owen township,
but is spending some time in Dakota.
  Garret S. Armitage, trustee of Owen township, is a farmer by vocation,
and is a pioneer settler of the township where he resides.  He was born
in Hoosick, Rensselaer Co., N.Y., and was there brought up a farmer, 
and obtained a fair education at the district schools.  He was there
married to Mary Randall, of Berlin.  Three years after marriage he settled 
in Wisconsin, where he was a pioneer of Dodge county.  he bought a farm
ion Hustisford township, improved the land and built a house.  He resided
there fifteen years, when he sold and located in Hampden, Columbia county.
Five years later, in 1867, he came to Iowa and rented a farm near Osage
until 1869, when he came to Cerro Gordo county and spent the summer of that
year in the Owen House at the grove.  That fall he moved on to his farm,
which he purchased in 1868, in Owen township, on section 9.  He made
first-class improvements from the beginning.  He has a comfortable house
and granary and temporary outbuildings, and a large number of shade and 
fruit trees.  He has added to his real estate at times, by purchase, until 
he owned 440 acres of land.  Mrs. Armitage died Feb. 23, 1859.  Mr.
Armitage was married again, Jan. 23, 1861, to Polly Wells, a native of 
the province of Ontario, Canada.  The family includes two children.
  W.A. Wells, one of the oldest settlers of Owen township, located on 
section 20, in 1871.  he is engaged in a dairy, raises stock and herds
cattle.  He was born in Canada, Sept. 7, 1834, and when eight years of 
age, his parents moved to Dodge Co., Wis., and were there among the early 
settlers.  W.A. remained there until 1865, when he came to Iowa, settling 
first at Osage, where he lived six years, then removing to his present home.  
He was married in 1860 to Mary E. Burgess, of New York, by whom he has had 
six children - Hattie, Amy, Diadama, Clara, Cora, Martha and Robert E., an 
adopted son.  Hattie was born and died in September, 1862.
  Neil Fullerton, son of James and Janet (Muschie) Fullerton, was born in
Inverness, province of Quebec, Canada, Dec. 10, 1831.  His parents, natives 
of Scotland, settled at that place years previous to his birth.  When
he was fourteen years old his mother died and two years after he went to 
Coos Co., H.H., and was bound out to a farmer to serve until he was twenty-one 
years of age.  He redeemed his obligation and received $100 as had been
stipulated, when he returned to Canada.  A year later he went to Hillsboro 
Co., H.H., and engaged in farming one summer, and the following winter worked 
as a lumberman.  In the spring of 1856 he bought a team and engaged in supplying 
milk in the city of Manchester.  In April, 1857, he was married to Mary Kerr, who 
was also a native of Inverness.  About that date he bought a farm in the town
of Bedford.  The next year he sold the milk route and devoted his attention and 
energies to farming, remaining thus employed until 1863, when he sold his farm 
and bought government timber land in Canada. he took possession of his purchase, 
made a "bee," and in one day the logs were cut for a house, 16 X 18 feet, and 
the house built.  he cleared forty-five acres of the primeval forest and 
remained a resident until 1871.  In that year he settled in Cerro Gordo Co., 
Iowa.  Until 1876 he rented land in Portland township, when he purchased the 
southeast quarter of section 25, in Owen township.  Since that date he has rebuilt
the house, erected a barn and made valuable improvements on the land.  Mr.
Fullerton has occupied a number of offices of trust, and is a member of the board 
of trustees.  In 1867 himself and wife joined the Presbyterian Church, and are now 
communicants of the Congregational Church, at Rockford, there being no society
of the denomination to which they originally belonged in the vicinity.  They
have nine children - John K., James E., Charles A., Peter G., Neil A., Robert, 
Angus M., Henry J. and Nettie.

 E.W. Jacobs, a prominent citizen of Owen township, was born in Springfield,
Ohio, Aug. 11, 1846.  When he was four years of age his parents removed to
Columbus, where he lived until he was fifteen, when they moved to Mt. Carroll,
Carroll co., Ill., where his parents are still living.  In 1858 he went to
California, prospecting, exploring the Pacific coast from Lower California
to the British possessions.  After an absence of eight years, he returned to 
Mt. Carroll, staying until 1870, when he came to Cerro Gordo county
and engaged in burning lime at Mason City, putting up the first patent lime
kiln in that city.  He continued in the business about three years, when
he came to his present home on section 5, where he is extensively engaged
in dairy farming, also in raising cattle, sheep and hogs.  In 1881 he erected
on of the largest barns in the county, having a stone basement and all
conveniences.  He married in 1866 to Mary Sheldon, of Illinois, who died
in 1870, leaving one daughter - Lulu.  He married, a second time, Maria L. Bradley,
Nov. 26, 1871, by whom he has four children - Ray G., Mabel C., Guy G. and Ethel 
Gertrude.  Mr. Jacobs has been active and prominent in town affairs, is the present
assessor and justice of the peace, and is a worthy citizen.

  Asher M. Stevens, township clerk, was born in Wayne Co., Penn., July 21, 1835.
He is the son of Silas and Julia (Kellogg) Stevens.  His parents settled in
McHenry Co., Ill., when he was eleven years old; and there he spent his youth
and fitted for the duties of life.  He was married in McHenry county, in 1857,
to Johanna Chesley.  The year following he was engaged in farming, and in 1858
went to Pike's Peak.  There he engaged in mining until the fall of 1860, when
he pushed his way to Mexico and passed the winter in the same occupation.  He
returned to Pike's Peak in the spring of 1862.   He returned to Illinois in
the fall and resumed his former occupation.  In 1867 he came to Cerro Gordo
county and located at Owens's Grove and lived in the Owen House eighteen months.
He rented land in Portland township until 1874, when he purchased land on section 
4, of Owen township, where he had made valuable improvements and built his house.
Mrs. Stevens was born in New Hampshire, Aug. 26, 1842, and died April 10, 1876,
leaving seven children - Charles, Marcus, Clara, Katie, Herbert, Silas L. and 
Dollie.
  H.P. Meloy is one of the most energetic and reliable of the citizens of Owen
township.  He had had double the experiences of most early settlers, having made
several changes in his location during a period of less than twenty-five years.
He was born in Otsego Co., N.Y., Feb. 22, 1839.  His parents went to Wisconsin
when he was five years old and settled in Rock county, where they were among the 
pioneers.  Mr. Meloy was married Aug. 25, 1859, to Clarinda Keech, a native of 
that county.  In 1860 he located in Mitchell Co., Iowa, and bought wild land near
West Mitchell.  McGregor was the market and nearest point for supplies, and
from there, a distance of 115 miles.  Mr. Meloy drew the lumber for his home, 
and there took his wheat to market.  A trip consumed seven days.  He remained
on the place but tow and a half years, returning to Rock Co., Wis., and two
years later he settled at Charles City, Iowa.  He stayed there two years
and removed to Floyd county, buying wild land near Rockford.  He made the usual
improvements and built a house.  He sold again in 1876, and became the owner
of a farm on section 2, Owen township, in Cerro Gordo county, where he has
since pursued his chosen calling.  In 1882 he built his present neat and 
commodious residence.  Lyman B. and Bertha L. are the two children of Mr. and 
Mrs. Meloy.

  Organic

  The eastern one-third of Cerro Gordo county was organized into a township
in 1854, and called Owen in honor of Anson C. Owen, one of the original settlers
in the county.  At an election held at A.J. Glover's, April 7, 1856, A.J.
Glover, Adam Kramer and George Bence were the judges, and Charles W. Tenney, 
clerk.  The following is a list of the voters at that election:  Ira Williams,
Daniel Reed, Robert Campbell, C.W. Tenney, Herman M. Redington, A.J. Glover,
J.M. Malsberry, H.G. Gregory, Judson Ford, John Morgan, Oliver Ford, George
W. Clymer, John Clymer, Adam Kramer, Joseph Gregory, Richard Monis,
Elijah Wiltfong, Hiram Smothers, David Smothers, Chauncy Lugard, Enoch
Wiltfong, Henry Day, Charles Bootan, W.M Redington, George Frederick, Malam
Brown, George S. Burrel.
  At this election Adam Kramer and Horace Gregory were elected trustees;
Charles W. Tenney and George S. Bunce, justices of the peace; A.J. Glover, 
clerk; Jasper Gregory and Henry Day, constables; Charles W. Tenney, assessor.
  The first Presidential election in which the people of this township 
took part was that of 1856.  There were thirty-five votes cast - thirty-two
for the Republican electors and three for the democratic electors.
  
  Constitutional Amendment

  At an election held June 27, 1882, to vote for or against the proposed
amendment, which was to prohibit the sale or manufacture of spirituous liquors
within the State of Iowa, the vote stood as follows:  Forty-eight votes
for and twenty-seven against the amendment.  At this election the question of
voting a tax for the purpose of building a courthouse, was also submitted
to the people with the following result: Nine votes for and fifty-nine
against taxation.  At the general election held at the Center School House, 
Nov. 7, 1882, the following officers were elected: Neal Fullerton, Robert Gray and
G.S. Armitage, trustees; A.M. Stevens, clerk; E.W. Jacobs, assessor; C.A.
O'Harran and Hugh Coyle, constables; Charles Squirer and Robert O'Harran, 
justices of the peace.  The above justices of the peace failing to qualify,
E.W. Jacobs and Wheelock Mowry were appointed.

  First Birth and Marriage

  The first child born in the township was Charles, a son of Abiel and
Mary Pierce, born March 3, 1857.  He is a teacher in the public schools
in Iroquois Co., Ill.
  The first marriage was Frank Shonys, to Alice J. Willson, Feb. 10, 1867.
They now live in Rice Co., Kan.

  Schools

  In 1883 there were nine sub-districts in Owen township, eight of which are 
supplied with school buildings.  In district No. 1, the first school house was 
erected in 1868, on section 12.  It was a stone building which served the
district until 1873.  Belle Barney was the first teacher in this house.
religious service have been held in this school house from time to time.
  In district No. 2 a building was erected in 1874, on the northwest quarter 
of section 9, at a cost of $125.  Miss Bowe taught the first term of school in 
this building.  In 1879 this house was removed to section 13, and the present
house was built on the southwest quarter of section 3, at a cost of $600.
Emily Trevett was the first teacher.
  The first school house built in Owen township was erected in 1857; it was a
stone house, two stories high, costing $2,200.  There was a belfry on this 
building in which was placed a Troy Bell, costing $250.  This was hauled
from Dubuque by ox teams.  This buildings was used for church service
as well as school purposes, and it was for this reason that the building
was provided with a bell.  This house was used as a school house until 1873,
when it was purchased by Alonzo Willson, who converted it into a granary.
There are many hallowed associations connected with this building, which is
dear to the hearts of all the old settlers; and could its decaying walls 
speak, they would tell of many a happy incident connected with pioneer
life.  In 1873 another school house took the place of the old stone
school house,  This new building cost $600.  It was located on the southeast 
quarter of section 6.  Katie McClement taught the first school in this
building.
  In district No. 4 a school house was built in 1875, at a cost of $450.
It stood on the southwest quarter of section 20.  George Curtis
taught the first school.
  The first school in district No. 5 was taught by Janet McClain in her
father's house, on section 15.  The first school house was built in 1870,
on the northeast quarter of section 16.  Kate Belle was the first teacher.
In 1876 this building was removed to section 22.  Religious services
have been held in this house from time to time.
  In district No. 6 the first school was taught by Alma Harroun, in the
winter of 1879-80.  It was held in a building removed from district No. 2.
The first building erected in the district was in 1881, located on section
14.  Julia Sawyer was the first to teach.  In 1882 a union Sabbath school
was formed at this house.  Robert Gray was chosen superintendent of the
school, which lasted only about ten months.
  John Byrne taught the first school in district No. 7, in Neal Fullerton's
granary on the southeast quarter of section 25.  There was two terms of 
school taught in this building and two in John Cahill's house.  The school
house was built on 1878 on the northwest quarter of section 36.  Lynford 
Getts and Sarah Garing were the first teachers in this building.
  District No. 8 had no school house in 1883.
  In 1882 a school house was built in district No. 9, on section 32.  
Mary Wood was the first teacher.

  Cemetery

  The Owen Grove Cemetery was laid out in 1875, on the northeast quarter
of the northwest quarter of section 5.