Jasper Co. IAGenWeb
Past and Present of Jasper Co.

CHAPTER XXVI
DES MOINES TOWNSHIP

Past and Present of Jasper County Iowa
B.F. Bowden & Company, Indianapolis, IN, 1912


Des Moines is the extreme southwestern township of Jasper County. It is composed of township 78, range 21 west, and a part of range 22 of the same township. It is eight miles from east to west and six from north to south. The "correction line" runs on the north line of this township, hence there occurs a set-off, or jog, the townships to the north being set over to the west one mile on account of this correction line. The southern portion of this subdivision of Jasper County is quite well supplied with native timber, of excellent varieties. Numerous little streams course through the domain, making it one of rare beauty and fertility. To its east lies Fairview Township; to its south is Marion County; to its west is Polk County; and on its north are Washington and Mound Prairie Townships, Jasper County.

In 1905 its population was one thousand and eighty. For an account of its schools and churches, the reader is referred to the general chapters on these topics.

Of the organization of this township it should be stated that it was among the original townships set off in Jasper County and has a history dating back to May 1846, when the county was organized into precincts. It was described by the record as comprising "a precinct laid off in the southwest corner of the county, to be called Des Moines, said precinct to contain all the territory west of the Indian boundary line, and all south of the territorial road leading from Oskaloosa to Fort Des Moines, within said Jasper County."

Among the first to enter government land in this township were: Nathan Brown, in the east half of the southwest quarter of section 26, on September 26, 1848; George Anderson, on the west half of the northwest quarter of section 30, on the same date.

The school fund apportionment for 1851 was thirteen dollars and twenty-seven cents for Des Moines Township.

In 1852, at the presidential election, this township cast seventeen votes for Gen. Winfield Scott and fifteen for Franklin Pierce for President of the United States.

In April 1855, at an election over the vexed question of selling or not selling intoxicating liquors in Jasper County, the vote stood in this township, twenty for and thirty against the measure of prohibition.

The records show that in 1878 the personal property in Des Moines Township amounted to $85,609, including such articles as 865 horses, 133 mules and asses, and 1,933 head of cattle.

In 1877 the books show that this township had a total of $408,647 in all kinds of property, and on this paid taxes into the treasury to the amount of $6,268.13.

TOWNS AND VILLAGES

In this township are the towns of Prairie City and Vandalia. The former is situated on the northern borderline and is a station point on the first railroad in Jasper County, the old Des Moines Valley Line, now owned and operated by the great Rock Island system. It was written of this enterprising town as early as 1877 that it was one of the best of its size in all Iowa and that Iowa towns were the best of any between the two great oceans. It was at first named Elliott, but changed in 1856 to Prairie City. The first settlement was effected here in the autumn of 1851 by William Means, soon followed by James H. Elliott in 1852, and he in turn succeeded by Anderson Boyd in 1853. The first building was erected by the owner of the plant and it was used as a blacksmith shop. William Robertson built the first dwelling and the pioneer store was a small building removed from Monroe on a wagon by Benjamin Adams, this being done before the town had been surveyed. George W. Bailey opened the next store. A schoolhouse was built in the summer of 1856, but the first school taught in this township was by Isaac Hershman in a small building owned by James H. Elliott, this being in 1855. It stood until 1877, when it was torn down from its original site, which was lot No. 6, block No. 10, of Prairie City.

The first preaching here was by a Methodist preacher in the fall of 1853. The first deaths were children of Anderson Boyd, who died of scarlet fever in the fall of 1854.

Prairie City grew rapidly from 1865 on for several years. The Des Moines Valley Railroad reached this point in 1866 and then came a genuine healthy boom. By 1878 its population had reached about nine hundred, which is probably in excess of its present population by a hundred or more. In 1878 it reported to a local historian that it possessed two good banks, a large flouring mill, two grain elevators, and the usual number of shops and stores.

Its location, geographically and topographically, make it one desirable to live in, as it stands on almost level table-lands separating the Des Moines from the Skunk Rivers.

To give the reader a faint glimpse of what this town was in public enterprise and spirit in 1860, it may be well to describe the Fourth of July celebration of that year. It was celebrated in splendid style, by a procession forming on the public square at ten o'clock in the morning, officered by Isaiah Coombs, George Fugard, James F. Parker, Fletcher Minshall, J. H. Elliott and R. H. McConnell, headed by the Newton Brass Band. A. F. McConnell read the Declaration of Independence and addresses were made by H. S. Winslow, Judge Phillips, of Des Moines, Thomas S. Osborn, of Chicago, and Rev. Caleb Bundy. Six hundred people sat at dinner around a table heavily loaded with all that was palatable, the length of the improvised table being four hundred feet.

A later Independence Day celebration was of not so pleasing a character. It was that of 1869, when several young men were saluting by the firing of an anvil when some one mentioned the fact that the town afforded another anvil, which was brought forward, burst with the first shot or discharge. It proved to be a cast iron one, hence not safe. The bursting of this anvil instantly killed a Mr. Anderson, of Prairie City, a man sixty years old; also Mr. Rockbold, of Vandalia, besides severely wounding several others in the crowd of bystanders.

Prairie City was incorporated and its first council met October 14, 1868, when Sidney Williams was mayor. In March 1869, the work of sidewalk building engaged the attention of the people and the council. In July, the same year, a town jail or calaboose was erected for the unruly ones who chanced to be within the town's gates. The mayors from then on included D. M. Bartlett, 1869; C. Smith, in 1875; D. G. Winchell, 1876; E. R. Ward, in 1877; A. H. Brous, 1881-83; L. A. Williams, 1883-85; G. J. Comman, 1885-89; M. Feathers, 1889-91; I. W. Shriver, 1891-95; C. M. Baird, 1895-97; F. J. Cowman, 1897-99; C. M. Baird, 1899-1901; George K. Scott, 1901-03; D. H. Gill, 1903-07; C. M. Baird, 1907-10; J. W. Hayes, 1910-12.

A nine-thousand-dollar water works plant was voted in 1904 and it is now doing service. The present city clerk is Frank C. Turner, who is capable for his duties.

The lodges and churches of this place will be treated in their respective chapters elsewhere in this work.

The post office history of this place begins with its establishment in about 1855. It is now situated on the north side of the square. The first rural route was established from this point in July 1902, and there are now two routes leading to the surrounding country. The amount of business transacted during the year 1910 at this post office was three hundred and fifty dollars. Five mails are received here daily. On the night of April 21, 1909, the safe of this post office was blown open by two burglars, and stamps, etc., to the amount of eight hundred dollars and postal funds to the amount of about one hundred and seventy-five dollars was taken out. No clue has ever been obtained to the robbery.

The following have served as postmasters at Prairie City: James Elliott, J. Irely, John Butters, Caleb Bundy, D. M. Bartlett, Dennis Winchell, John Lyons, A. H. Brous, T. J. Cowman, John Selby, W. H. Price, Jacob Mummert and the present incumbent, T. W. Nixon.

The town is provided with a handsome park, a full square, in which are now growing a large number of artificial trees, which, with the bandstand in the center, makes an attractive place.

The Knights of Pythias, Independent Order of Odd Fellows and Masons have lodges-see chapter on Lodges in this volume.

The churches here represented are the Christian, Methodist Episcopal, Congregational, Christian Reformed (Dutch).

BUSINESS DIRECTORY IN 1911

Banking -The First National and the State Bank
Prairie City Milling Company -Peter Wagman, miller
Dowden Manufacturing Co. - Makers of end gates and potato diggers
Prairie City Grain and Live Stock Company - George Vanderz, manager
General Dealers - F. J. Christie, George Cross, ____ Illias
Hardware Dealers - Little & Gill Company, Jenks & Son
Drugs - N. D. Riddle, J. F. Freeman
Harness - E. C. Wilson
Restaurant - E. K. Ballogh, A. A. Jones
Hotels -The Main and the Feathers
Furniture - W. A. Thomas
Novelty Store - M. Feathers
Postmaster - T. W. Nixon
Millinery - Carrie White
Meats - Verhaalen & Verdught
Railroad Agent - Frank Joy
Blacksmiths - Randall & Son, Renfro & Bowen
Dentist - Dr. D. M. Hemminger
Billiard Hall - F. E. Davis
Auctioneer - Col. John T. Graham
Shoes and Clothing - D. Kramer & Co.
Barbers - Walter Hugen, Alex Ray
Newspaper - The Prairie City News
General Insurance - Frank L. Woodard
Stationery - Leonard May
Books and Confectionary - H. C. Cowman
Livery - William Dutley
Lumber - McKleven & Co.
Physicians - Drs. J. F. Hary, W. B. Chase, W. D. McConnaughey
Attorneys - A. A. Arnold, A. H. Brous
Opera House - The Union Hall, W. S. Parker, proprietor

VANDALIA VILLAGE

Vandalia was laid out in 1851. John Q. Deakin and family were the life of early Vandalia. The first store in the place was opened by Henry Shearer, Mr. Deakin's father-in-law.

A schoolhouse was provided in 1856, and by a few years more the place had outgrown the most sanguine expectations of its founder. In 1861 it was a better town than Monroe and kept on holding its enterprise until 1865, when it had a population of about five hundred. There were four general stores, two mills, two hotels, three blacksmith shops, two wagon shops and a good plow factory. Before that date had been formed both a Christian and Presbyterian Church Society.

The Des Moines Valley Road had planned to take in this village on its southeastern route, but finding that they could legally avail themselves of every other section of valuable land, even if they did go in a very crooked and extended course through the domain of the state, they decided to go farther out and leave Vandalia out in the rural district in which she had been so long located. It was the old Des Moines Navigation Company back of the building of this railroad, and its litigation was the thorn in the side of every Congress until finally adjusted, about 1885. Many of the original settlers all along the river, as far north as Fort Dodge, lost all they had put on their lands in way of twenty years improvements.

EARLY DAYS IN THE VILLAGE

At Vandalia, the first claim was taken by John Q. Deakin, in 1845, while Iowa was yet a territory. He removed from Henry County, Iowa, in the following year, and not long after his settlement, he was joined by his wife's parents, Henry Shearer and wife, and George Anderson and wife.

During his first year's sojourn, Mr. Deakin believed he had located in Polk County, and he cast his vote in that county in the fall of 1846. He also served as a grand juryman from Polk County.

The first birth in the village was that of a child of Mr. and Mrs. Anderson in the fall of 1849.

The first death was that of a child of Mr. and Mrs. Deakin, which occurred in 1848.

The first schoolhouse was erected in 1850, but a school had been taught by George Reese, the previous winter. The patrons of this first school were inclusive of these: Elias Prunty, Abner Ray, George Anderson, Alexander Black and J. Q. Deakin.

In 1848 Mr. Deakin built a sawmill on Camp creek, near the west line of the county. He cut large quantities of native lumber and patrons to his mill came for many miles distant with logs. Two years later he commenced the building of a flouring mill and carding machine, where Vandalia now stands. In digging a well for his carding factory, he struck a vein of soft coal about twenty feet below the surface. It was found to be four feet thick, and was used for heating his buildings during the winter.

With the construction of the old Des Moines Valley Railroad, the present Rock Island route, Vandalia began to go down, it being an inland town. Today many know not of its former history. Its present business is confined to a general store conducted by John Cavatt.

Transcribed by Ernie Braida in July 2003