Formation
Sheridan
Township was established
in June of 1870 and contains the village of Meriden. It is situated
south of Liberty, east of Cherokee, north of Rock and east from Amherst
townships. Sheridan Township was formerly a part of Cherokee Township,
but sub-divided and named by act of Board of Supervisors, June 9, 1870.
As now constituted it comprises all of congressional township 92-41.
Early Settlers
The earliest settler
was Henry Roddis in May of 1869. He was followed later in 1869 by
Chris. Walters, Ed McCullough, D.J. Hayes, Henry Olney, Lyman Pierce
and son Charles, Samuel Russell, William Peck, Rodney Robie, "Mike"
Slinger, Henry Austin, William Bowers, Charles Boyd, John Pitts, Martin
and John O'Boyles, D.J. Gates. These men came in 1870: John Courier,
Andrew Brown, Frank Gillett, Calvin and Henry Bushnell, Bartley
Sweeney. In 1871, Henry Asman established a homestead.
First Events
Settler: Henry Roddis
House: built of sod in 1869 by Roddis; was replaced shortly thereafter by a lumber home
Death: wife of William Bowers, reportedly of homesickness, in 1870
Birth: Ezra Edmond Roddis, born October 19, 1869
School: taught by Artemus Walters, at the home of William Peck, in the winter of 1869-70
Religious
services: at the Brown school-house, reportedly built from lumber
stolen from the railroad because none could be procured.
Fatal accident: June 1881 Mrs. William Wrought and a hired man working for Samuel Russell were killed by lightning.
Churches
A Roman Catholic church was built and is shared by Rock and Sheridan townships
Destruction of Maryhill Catholic Church, August 2006
City of Meriden
Was
first known as Hazzard and was platted by John J. Blair in December of
1870. The citizens did not like Blair and had the town renamed. It was
inforporated in 1882.
First Events
Business: a "wet" grocery by Smith & Griffin in 1869.
School: taught by Mrs. Carrie Peabody and was held over Smith & Griffith's grocery store in 1873.
True grocery store: F.K. Prescott, who purchased the groceries from Smith and Griffin for $80 and commenced business in 1871
Grain-buyer: F.K. Prescott built the first elevator in 1873. It was destroyed by fire in 1879.
Lumber dealer: F.K. Prescott
Hotel: built by Hiram Reynolds. The second hotel, The Meriden, was built by A.H. Albee in 1882.
Hardware: N.C. Buswell in 1876
Furniture: C. Boles in 1881
Farm machinery dealers: Dull & Fuller in 1885
Drug store: opened by Dr. J. B. Ingels in 1879
Steam burr flouring mill: 1878
Harness shop: P.H. Weitz, 1884
Shoemaker: E.F. Christianson
Blacksmith: Patrick Tobin in 1874
Milliner: Mrs. C.R. White
Newspaper: The Ledger in 1882 by D. S. Ring. It was followed by the Meriden Journal by Henry L. Listenberger.
Bank: Cherokee County Bank, 1886 by Hills & Striker
Churches
Methodist, organized in 1880 and church built in 1882
Presbyterian, organized in 1886 and church built in 1885
Christian, organized early and church built in 1888
Cemeteries
Mary Hill Cemetery
Meriden Cemetery
Geographical
Sheridan Township covers an area of 36.37 square miles (94.2 km2) and contains
two incorporated settlements: Cleghorn and Meriden.
Sheridan Twp - WikiPedia
SOURCES:
The township history was excerpted from Biographical History of
Cherokee County. W. S. Dunbar & Co., 1889. The township map is from
Plat Book of Cherokee County, Iowa, W.W. Hixon & Co.,
Rockford, IL., 1930
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