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MASONVILLE
Masonville is one of the thrifty little villages of Delaware
County. It is located on the southwest corner of the township, on
section 31 and was laid out July 22, 1858, by Francis Daniels and
the Iowa Land Company. Mr. Daniels owned the quarter section on
which the village was built and as an inducement to the land
company to locate a station here, he offered to donate one-third
of the tract of land to the company, which was accepted and a
depot was built thereon. Eight years later another depot building
took the place of the old one, which was converted into a
carpenter shop.
Oscar Wellman, who came West from New York in 1852, built the
first house in Masonville in 1854, in which he kept hotel. He
also had a stable for the public and for the accommodation of the
stage line that passed through here at that time. Masonville has
a population of about three hundred. It is surrounded by one of
the richest grain and grass belts in this section of the state
and is a station on the Omaha branch of the Illinois Central
Railroad. It has three general stores, a lumberyard, two
implement houses, two elevators, a farmers' cooperative creamery,
three churches, a savings bank and a public school. The Catholics
and Methodists both have good substantial buildings. Ebenezer
Lodge, No. 587, Order of Odd Fellows, has headquarters in a frame
building of its own. There is a commodious two-story frame school
building, where the classes
are graded. The enrollment for 1913 was seventy-five pupils.
This is a good shipping point, from which are transported
large quantities of grain, hay, creamery products, poultry and
eggs, hogs and cattle.
The Farmers Savings Bank was organized in 1905 by Daniel Fagan,
M. Lillis and F. S. Griffin. It was capitalized at $10,000
and began business in a
rented building belonging to Mrs. O'Hagan. Recently the concern
erected a new brick
structure, which it now occupies. President, Daniel Fagan;
cashier, M. Lillis.
Ebenezer Lodge, No. 587. I. O. O. F., was organized August 3,
1893, under a dispensation. In October of that year a charter was
granted to the following members: F. H. Parkhurst, F. S. Harris,
C. E. Durston, Thomas Rose, George Harwood and about fifteen
others. The first officials were: F. H. Parkhurst, N. G.; George
Harwood, V. G.; C. E. Durston, secretary; Thomas Rose,
treasurer; F. S. Harris, financial secretary. The lodge held its
first meetings in what is now Preston's warehouse. The membership
is about forty-eight.
North Star Chapter, No. 260, Daughters of Rebekah, was organized
in October, 1895. The charter members were: E. H. and Ella
Blanchard, C. H. and Kate Blanchard, Lewis and Winnie Huyck, F.
H. and Ada Parkhurst, J. W. and Melissa Preston, F. S. and
Augusta Harris, W. A. and Etta Dover, W. P. and Leola Seward, S.
J. Kelly, T. E. Smith, Maria Smith, Thomas and L. L. Rose, John
and Anna Rose and Frank Kenyon.
The post office was established here February 8, 1860, with H. H.
Tubbs in charge. The names of his successors follow: William A. Crowther, June 1, 1861; A. J. Pease, May 17, 1864; Lucius
Kinsman, March 4, 1870; Reuben Norton, August 1, 1872; William E.
Lawrence, December 23, 1878; S. W. Quick, October 13, 1882; John
Latimer, January 2, 1885; Thomas Gordon, October 30, 1885;
Charles O'Hagan, December 13, 1888; James W. Turley, August 23,
1893; Charles O'Hagan, July 29, 1897; Josephine O'Hagan,
February 17, 1905; Mamie I. O'Hagan, June 20, 1913. |
