This township was organized March 4, 1856, and was
named in honor of Robert R. Read, an early and much
respected pioneer of the county, whose sketch is
given in the chapter of "Illustrious Dead."
He held various offices at different times, and
earned the high regard of his fellow citizens. It is
situated in range 4 west, and of its twenty-seven
sections twenty-four lie in township 93 north, while
two whole and two half sections lie in the next tier
south. There is both wood and meadow land, and the
soil is considered very good. It is watered by
several small creeks,a tributary to Turkey River. The
people of this township are entirely agricultural,
and there is but one village, Clayton Center. The
soil is well cultivated, and the population is
industrious.
The first settler within the limits of Read
Township (then a part of Garnavillo) was Joel Post,
who settled on or near section 9, in the spring of
1838. After him came Elias Misner, who settled on
section 22, then sold out and went to Texas. Then
came Mrs. Mary Uriell, with her three sons, Patrick,
Michael and John, locating on sections 27 and 34, in
the spring of 1839. Both of Michael's brothers and
their mother have since died. A sketch of Michael's
life is given elsewhere in this chapter. Other early
settlers were Martin Brassell, Constantine Gallagher,
Alexander Falkner, Patrick Rogers, Eugene Rogers and
Asaph Griswell. The southern part of the township was
settled mostly with Irish, and the northern part with
Germans and Americans.
Michael Uriell was born in
Ireland, Sept. 25, 1816. His parents, John and Mary
(Gleason) Uriell, were both natives of Ireland. In
that country Mr. Uriell died. Mrs. Uriell soon after,
in 1838, emigrated to America with her three sons, of
whom Patrick was the oldest. Michael the subject of
this sketch, was second, being twenty-two, and John
was the youngest. Patrick was married before
emigrating, but Michael and John were single. All of
the boys had passed their early life on a farm, and
had few educational advantages. They possessed,
however, the qualities most essential to success,
frugality, health, strength, energy and indomitable
perseverance, and so were well fitted for the task of
making for themselves a home and acquiring a
competence in this new country. That they succeeded
the citizens of Clayton County of Read Township
cheerfully attest.
Mrs. Uriell and her sons landed at New Orleans,
whence they proceeded to St. Louis. Remaining there a
few months they again journeyed north, arriving at
McGregor, Nov. 1, 1838. They first went to
Farmersburg, and then in the spring, to what was
subsequently made Read Township, but was then a part
of Garnavillo. Joel Post was the only one who came
before them. Mrs. Uriell, and Patrick and John have
all served their allotted time, and are numbered with
that throng fast swelling with the departed spirit of
Clayton's early settlers.
Michael settled on the northwest quarter of
section 29, and has lived there ever since, with the
exception of the first five years after making his
claim. He was appointed by J. E. Fletcher, Indian
Agent, to act between the Government and the
Winnebago Indians, which duty he discharged for the
term above mentioned, and then settled permanently at
home.
Mr. Uriell has never sought office, indeed has
rather avoided what his fellow citizens would fain
almost thrust upon him. He was the second Justice of
the Peace in his township, and filled that office for
two years. At the succeeding election, Mr. Uriell
relates, he wrote ballots against himself all day,
and escaped election by two votes. He served as
Supervisor four years under the law directing that
there be one from each township, or twenty-two for
the county, and since the plan of three supervisors
was adopted, he has served six years. The only
offices he has ever coveted are those of School
Director and Road Commissioner, for he is deeply
interested in having good roads and good schools.
He was married Nov. 6, 1849, at Dubuque, to
Catherine Sullivan, of Dubuque, who was also of Irish
descent. They have had seven children, and buried
six. Frank is the only one who survives.
Mr. Uriell is a man of liberal views and high
principles, and has won the enduring regard of the
citizens of Clayton County, of all sects and of all
parties. He is at the present time President of the
Old Settlers' association, in which he has always
taken an active part.
On the retirement of Mr. Uriell from the Board of
Supervisors, the North Iowa Times paid him the
following merited compliment: "In the retirement
of Hon. M. Uriell, the county loses the services of a
valuable and honest servant; one who has faithfully
discharged the duties devoling upon him with a
zealous and earnest desire to benefit those for whom
he was laboring. We believe we are but expressing the
feelings of the people over the county when we say
that in the retirement of Michael Uriell, Clayton
County has parted with an honest, faithful, upright
servant."
The Uriell brothers started a large breaking team
and broke the first farm in Read Township, which was
then about equally divided between Garnavillo and
Boardman.
"In those days," writes Michael Uriell,
"business moved slow. There was not a blacksmith
shop in the county, and I used to go to Prairie du
Chien to get my plow fixed, and to Catfish Mill,
Dubuque, to buy a little flour.
"In these early days Rev. David Lowry was
agent of the Government for the Indians on the
'Neutral Ground', as it was then called, authorized
to open up a large farm for the Indians and teach
them the arts of husbandry. This drew the attention
of men and teams to that place, among whom was your
humble servant. I staid there during a part of three
administrations, those of D. Lowry, James McGregor
and J. E. Fletcher, the latter of whom finally led
the Indians on to the Crow Wing River, far up into
Minnesota.
"All the grain raised before the construction
of the Elkader Mill was very little profit to those
who raised it, there being no machines to harvest it
and no market for it when threshed. The wheat we
raised in 1840 remained in the stock-yard for four
years, and could not be sold in this county for
twenty-five cents a bushel; but the erection of the
Elkader Mill by Thompson, Sage & Davis, gave a
new impetus to farming, and from that date Clayton
County began to prosper; the people had bread to eat
and a market for their surplus grain. No men ever had
more power over the inhabitants of a new country than
they had, and no men ever exercised it so leniently.
"The people, after a time, came in here to
settle very fast, but we were all quiet until Judge
Price organized us into a little body-politic of our
own. The town was organized just in time to take part
in the county-seat contest that first sent the county
seat to Elkader. At this election, held at the house
of John Barrett, the men who voted were in earnest.
Every man had a reason of his own, and as there was
no liquor to be had, it was pleasant to hear the
arguments pro and con. Victory, however, turned in
favor of Elkader by two votes, and in all subsequent
elections since that time. Read has stood by Elkader.
The first election held in Read was at the house
of John Barrett, Apr. 7, 1856.
The first religious services were conducted in
various private houses, by Father Joseph Cretin, in
1841-1842. He came occasionally to the settlements at
first from Prairie du Chien, and then from Dubuque.
He was afterward the first Bishop of St. Paul. The
first church was built some time after at Clayton
Center by the Lutheran denomination.
The first school-house was built of logs July 2,
1850, and the first school was taught by James
O'Kief. There are at present five school-houses, and
the school property is valued at $3,500.
The first mill was the celebrated "dry
mill." Elisha Boardman selected a site for a
mill on a creek which seemed to promise ample power,
and engaging men to build the mill, he left for
Canada at attend to some personal affairs. Not long
after his absence the creek became dry. The men,
however, went on and erected the mill according to
instructions, and in the spring freshet they managed
to saw one or two logs. The water went down again,
and in this predicament the mill was found by Mr.
Boardman on his return. The cause of the water's
mysterious disappearance lay in the presence of a
sink a half mile up the creek where the water goes
into the ground, not reappearing until three miles
lower down.
No attempts have been made since to establish
either mill or factory in the township by
water-power, and this "dry mill" has gone
to decay. The creek on which it was built is the only
one suitable for mill purposes in Read.
