Decatur County Historical Society Newsletter

Volume Number 2 Issue Number 2 May/June 2007

Decatur County Museum

The Museum will be open from 1-5 on Friday, May 25th, from 9-1 on Saturday, May 26^th, and from 1-5 on Monday, May 28^th (Memorial Day). Summer hours will be Tuesdays and Fridays from 1-5. If there are more volunteers, the hours in June will be extended.

The Museum is located in the 100 block of North Main in Leon, Iowa.

For viewing appointments, please contact Bob Bixby at (641) 446-3297.

Museum News

Recent donations to the Museum are:

A generous cash donation from Ms. Lucille Carter of Seal Beach, CA, along with two framed pictures of the late U.S. Congressman, Stephen Carter. One picture is of their beautiful home in Leon and the other is of the carter family taken in their home with documentation containing the story of the Carter Dream House.

In memory of Clara Hollinger Massey, the family has given the Museum a very generous gift. Thank You.

Garden Grove Tidbits

An excerpt from the "History of Decatur County" written in 1915 by Prof. J.M. Howell and Herman C. Smith.

“Newspapers published in 1869 have this to say of Garden Grove: This is a handsome village, located in the township of the same name, in the northeast part of the county, and on the road from Chariton to Leon. It is on a fine, rolling prairie, adjacent to a splendid grove of timber, on the Weldon Fork of Grand River. It was first settled by the Mormons in the spring of 1848, but the town plat was not recorded until the last year [1868]. The land was sold off in parcels by metes and bounds. Many of the early settlers remained until 1851. The place now contains two general stores, one drug store, two hotels, one harness shop, two blacksmith shops, one wagon shop, one flouring mill, and four physicians. There are flourishing lodges of Masons and Odd Fellows here.

Among the early and actual settlers in this town were Enos Davis, O.N. Kellogg, William Davis, Amasa J. Davis, and probably a few others. Prior to 1856 there also came to this town the following: S.F. Baker, C.R. Lampman, Ben Wooley, G.W. Piper, Hiram Chase, Edward Dawes, R.D. Kellogg, D. Stearn, A.B. Stearn, J.R. Carey, Hugh Brown, J.H. Woodbury, Thomas Chamberlin, Nathaniel Shaw. Dan Bowen, Sylvanus Arnold, J.D. Burns, S. Metier, Hiram Chase, Thomas Lilliard, John Vail, S.P. McNeil, Robert McBroom. A number of these brought their families.

Important Dates and Facts:

Railroad established 1871

First School – winter of 1848-1849

Garden Grove Normal School 1881

Incorporated 1879

Page 2

Presbyterian Church est. July 9, 1856

Methodist Episcopal Church built 1868

Newspapers were: The Garden Grove Bulletin [1854-1869], The Garden Grove Enterprise [1869-1873], The Garden Grove Express [1875-1881].

Notes:

William Davis is said to have bought the entire Mormon claim for $400. The Mormons also sold 400 head of sheep to the settlers at an average price of 45 cents per head.

About 200 Pottawatomie Indians encamped on the creek west of Young’s farm in the winter of 1851-1852.

The nearest settlement to Garden Grove was at Didge’s Point, now in Appanoose County, forty miles away.

In the winter of 1848-1849, the nearest post office was at Princeton, Mo., forty miles distant.

Garden Grove Normal College

Jim McClung of Garden Grove

Donations

Donations to the Decatur County Historical Society and Museum may be sent to:

Great Western Bank

c/o Chet Redman

111 N Main
Leon, Iowa 50144
Checks may be made out to: The Decatur County Museum.

Decatur County Research

For more help with your Decatur County, Iowa research:

Decatur County, Iowa

IAGenWeb Website

Stacey McDowell Dietiker

Website Coordinator

Mailing List Administrator

To join the Decatur County, Iowa Email Discussion List (Mailing List) go to the website above and scroll down. Click on the words “Decatur County Mailing List” and send an email with only the word SUBSCRIBE in the body of the email.