Randall, Iowa - founded in 1881
By Martin E. Nass
Transcribed for the IAGenWeb Project by Janelle Martin, with permission of Martin "Ed" Nass.
Randall Hotel on a Sunday Afternoon
The Randall post office actually preceded the town of Randall by 18 years.
The post office was established on April 15, 1863 at the Lars Henderson
(sometimes spelled Henryson) farm. This post office was named for the then
postmaster general of the United States. Mr. Henderson served as the postmaster.
Since Scott Township was not favored with a railroad or any towns, the mail
was delivered by horseback rider or by stage coach. Nels Torreson was the
carrier of the Star Route that carried the mail to all people in the four
townships of Scott, Lyon, Lincoln, and Ellsworth. Mr. A. Cooper, who lived
along the route that Torreson traveled, wrote to Henderson to ask if his
mail could not be dropped off as Torreson passed his farm. Henderson got
permission from the postal service provided that Cooper would erect a box
on a post along the trail so that Torreson could deposit the mail without
dismounting from his horse, or from the stage coach if he travelled that
way. It is thought that this might have been the first instance of Rural
Free Delivery, if not in the United States then perhaps in Iowa.
[ Since this writing which was based on information given by Mrs. Albert
Holt, great-granddaughter of Lars Henryson, I have received more information
passed along to me by Steve Sheldahl, who is a great-great-grandson
of Lars Henryson in which he states several errors. I include his
information here in the next paragraph. ]
The application for the Randall Post Office was submitted by Isaiah Biggs,
who lived in Section 24, Range 24, Township 86 and dated April 14, 1863.
This post office was on Star Route 11042. This route ran from
Newton to Lakin's Grove and the carrier was William Duncan. The Randall
Post Office was located approximately 6 miles north of Story City and 6 miles
south of Lakin's Grove and was east of the Skunk River. This new post
office served approximately 50 families. The appointment was signed
by I. F. Burr. This office was operated by Biggs until November 23,
1864, when it was transferred to Henry L. Henderson. The office was
maintained by Henderson (a son of Lars Henryson) until June 16, 1890 when
it was transferred to William N. Maakestad. Mr. Sheldahl disputes the
suggestion by Mrs.Albert Holt about the reference to Rural Free Delivery.
Whether that event officially happened might be questionable, but might
have occurred unofficially as an attempt to provide assistance to Mr. A.
Cooper, who was handicapped due to an accident at the time. It is of
further interest that when Jewell was laid out, Mrs. Laura Cooper, the wife
of the handicapped man, was appointed postmaster on December 27, 1880.
Thus the reader needs to be advised to be aware of the two different accounts
given by relatives of Lars Henryson. However, Mr. Sheldahl provided copies
from the post office to support the names of the postmasters and the times
of service. No evidence to support or deny the mention of the RFD was
supplied and probably never will be.
The Randall post office shows on the Adreas Atlas of 1875 along the stage
coach line from Eldora to Webster City. Another stage coach route was shown
on an 1863 route from Nevada to Johnston's Grove, Sheffield, and Story City,
all in Story County, before it continues to Randall, Lakin's Grove and Skunk
Grove. (Skunk Grove was later renamed Rose Grove.)
On Jan. 1, 1878 the first train came to Randall along a narrow-gauge roadbed
of the Des Moines and Minneapolis Railroad. It was such an important event
that the church services were dismissed so that the people could watch the
train arrive. The rails continued north only to Callanan before the railrway
company went bankrupt. A large depot was constructed in Sec. 26-86-24, which
was a mile west of the Henderson farm. The town was named Randall by the
railroad officials. At first the mail was carried from the depot to the Henderson
farm, until Mikah (Micah) Henderson built the first hardware store and moved
the postoffice into it in 1889. The original town plat shows only six blocks.
They were bounded on the west by the railroad tracks, which ran at an angle
along First Street. Des Moines Street and Public Street ran directly north-south.
Three east-west streets were named North, Main, and Alley. The depot was
located at the west end of Main Street.
The first school was built in Scott Township by Lars Henderson. It was the
only school between Nevada and Webster City. It was called the Sheldahl School
because Mr. Sheldahl donated the land. Rev. P. A. Rasmussen, their pastor
who they had in Illinois, came twice a year to hold services in the Rasmus
Tungesvig barn in Story City, the Ole T. Heglund home six miles south of
Story City, and in the Sheldahl school house in Scott township. The Riverside
Band held its rehearsals in the school. When the school was abandoned, it
was moved to Randall.
Another claim to fame centers around George Christianson of Randall. He served
on the state legislature from 1902 to 1906. During the 1904 term, he introduced
a bill to license automobiles. This bill passed and as a token of his help
with the legislation, he was given the first license plate issued, which
was number 1.
The population of Randall in 1990 was 191.
|
