Lynn Grove Township is one of the original precincts of Jasper County, organized by the commissioners in 1846. It is situated in the extreme southeastern corner of the county is bounded on the east by Poweshiek County, on the south by Mahaska County, on the west by Elk Creek Township, Jasper County, and on its north by Richland Township. It comprises, as now constituted, all of congressional township 78, range 17 west. The northeastern portion is quite rough and originally heavily timbered, while the balance of its territory is fine, rich prairie land, the cultivation of which has made it among the richest sections within Jasper County. The enterprising town of Lynnville is the only place within this township, a history of which will follow the general history of the township. This township originally included much more territory than at present.

The schools and churches are mentioned under their respective headings, in the general chapters of this volume.

At the general election in 1852 this township gave the following votes for the presidential candidates: For Gen. Winfield Scott, eighteen; for Franklin Pierce, twelve. Scott carried Jasper County, but was not elected.

In 1855 when the prohibition question first came up for solution in Jasper County, the voters of this township gave thirty-one votes for prohibition as against thirty-four votes against it. The measure carried in the county by thirty-five majority, and saloons then had to pay a license in order to sell intoxicating liquors.

That this township was in a prosperous condition in 1878 it only need be said that the county records show that there was at that date $76,580 worth of personal property, including the following items: 747 horses, 210 mules and asses and 2,011 cattle of a taxable age. The previous year the record is that this township paid into the county treasury the sum of 5,304.19, as the taxes on a total valuation of all property of $257,505.

The population of the township, according to the reports compiled by authority of the state, in 1905 was eight hundred and eighty-three.

The first pioneers in this goodly township were original land entry men - men who sought out this section of the famous Iowa country in which to build for themselves homes. Among the earlier land entries the following named are now recalled after consulting the records of the county and the land office books: John R. Sparks, the west half of the northwest of section 10, December 4, 1846; William M. Stallings; Walter Turner, Jr., the east half of the southeast of section 36, November 18, 1847; Moses Starr, the northwest of section 35, April 27, 1848.

In 1857 the record shows that Lynn Grove was still in possession of all territory within congressional townships 78 and 79, range 17 west.

Richland Township was cut off in 1860, since which date Lynn Grove has been as now seen on the maps, an even township of land.

Some time in the fall of 1846 a sawmill was constructed and started in this township by A. T. Sparks. It was on the North Skunk River, and by the end of harvest time, in 1848, he had a good flouring mill in operation. This was a superior milling plant to that hitherto put up with by the pioneers, who had much trouble to obtain good flour at the illy-built makeshifts of mills in this section of Iowa. It was greatly prized by the people of the entire county, saving as it did three days drive to Oskaloosa over very uncertain streams and poor highways.

Concerning the hardships of settlers here, the reader is referred to the general early settlement chapter in this volume.

In March 1851, the record shows that the apportionment front the school fund for this township amounted to forty-two dollars and sixty-one cents. This looks small to the residents of the school district in this year of the world.

ANOTHER EARLY SETTLEMENT ACCOUNT

Among the various historical writings of Joseph Arnold of this township the writer has gleaned the following facts: In the spring of 1844, Wesley Stallings, his son William, and David Campbell came to Lynn Grove to establish homes. They came with ox teams. But prior to these pioneers had come five men and taken claims and two had cabins built on them by these men. But all alone in the green glad solitude of the far west, these men tired of the country, believing that not in their life time would this country ever be settled up, hence they hunted and doubtless found greener pastures more to their liking.

On the arrival of the Campbells and Stallings they took the two claims on which had been the cabins referred to above. They broke out twenty acres of the virgin sod and when their plow became too dull to do further work in the sod they went seventy-five miles to have the sharpening done and paid for the work in breaking. While on this trip they chanced to meet W. T. Mayfield and wife, Nancy, with a family of six children. They begged them to locate in this section of Iowa and this they did in the month of August following. The Stallings returned and sowed some turnip seed and made many other improvements on their claims, then returned to their old home in Illinois. When Mr. Stallings returned he had his wife and five children and one dollar and seventy-five cents in cash.

In the spring of 1845, David Campbell and family returned on April 19. It is quite certain that these constituted all that were in Lynn Grove in 1844.

John H. Sparks and wife with eight children arrived in 1845, during the month of March. He possessed twenty-five dollars and a team of horses, two yoke of oxen and two yoke of steers. They located on section 10 and he lived and died on that claim. He used to relate that the Indians were so thick that they stuck out from under the bed frequently, but that he never had any trouble with them, but was more troubled with wild animals than with Indians. Mr. Sparks died August 17, 1886, and his good wife passed away in June of the same year and they were buried in the Odd Fellows cemetery near Old Settler's Park.

Mathew T. Mathews came in company with Mr. Sparks. He had a wife and five children at the time. They commenced housekeeping in a log cabin without doors or windows.

J. W. Swan, the first treasurer of Jasper County, located here in 1845. He made many a coffin for the people who died in an early day in his section of this county.

FIRST EVENTS

It is always of more or less interest to know the first happenings in the settlement of any given portion of a county, hence the following:

The first township election was held when all was primitive. The ballot box consisted of a tin cup with a spelling book for its cover. In the evening the ballots were counted out fair and square and the number was fourteen and Jabez Starr was elected justice of the peace.

The first couple married was Alexander Davis and Mercy Shoemaker, in the winter of 1848-9. The next was Jesse Hammer and Margaret Sparks.

The first death was that of the ten-year-old daughter of Wesley Stallings.

The first sermon in the township was preached by John Cameron.

LYNNV1LLE

This sprightly town is located on section 11 of Lynn Grove Township, and was laid out by John and Mary Arnold in 1856. There is perhaps no section of Jasper County more replete with early day history, in many ways, than this vicinity. The first claims to land in what afterwards became Lynn Grove Township were those made by Wesley Stallings and "Tandy"' Mayfield, who came in the spring or summer of 1844. In the fall of the same year occurred the first birth in the neighborhood, the same being the second in Jasper County. This was in the family of Mr. Mayfield, and the child was named Napoleon B.

John R. Sparks and several others whose names are not recalled by the old settlers now settled in the Grove during 1845. The first death of that year was a daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Shillings, aged about eleven years. Mrs. William Sparks passed from the scenes of this life in 1846.

In the autumn of 1845 Mr. Sparks began the construction of a sawmill and completed it the following year. This was doubtless the first saw mill in Jasper County, hence it had all it could possibly do as the pioneer settlers must needs have lumber with which to aid in building. Mr. Sparks also began his gristmill in 1847 and completed it himself, only aided by Mr. Richards. It commenced grinding in the fall of 1848. This was the first flouring mill completed in Jasper County. It was operated many years by its builder, but in the seventies passed into the hands of F. & J. Arnold.

A schoolhouse was built in the autumn of 1848 and a school taught by a young teacher named Foster. The following spring a Sabbath school was started by Miss Lizzie Springer as its superintendent.

Probably the first camp meeting in Jasper County was held by the Methodist Protestant denomination either in 1850 or 1851.

Lynnville is situated on the right bank of the North Skunk River, which here is a very rapidly flowing stream. In 1878 the town had a population of about five hundred souls. It is situated also about four miles to the west of Searsboro, on the Iowa Central Railway line.

A creditable local newspaper was founded at Lynnville in 1876 by B. F. Arnold, who later removed to Kellogg.

Lynnville was incorporated in 1875 for the purpose of controlling the liquor traffic, which the common law did not well regulate. The first council met September 28, 1875, and was composed as follows: O. C. Meredith, mayor; W. W. Dryden, recorder; Z. F. Gause, Joel Hyatt, B. F. Arnold, G. R. White, I. J. White, trustees; Joel Hyatt, treasurer; J. B. Naylor, solicitor; D. C. Edwards, marshal; Taylor Brown, street commissioner.

Ordinance No. 1 was for prohibiting the sale of liquor in the corporation. In 1876 a pound was established and much attention was given to the building of suitable sidewalks.

The following include the list of mayors in Lynnville since its incorporation: O. C. Meredith, then in their order came Miles Tahash, Joseph Arnold, R. T. English (two terms), L. H. Bufkin, G. B. McCoy, E. W. Jay, E. B. Macy, C. W. Wildman, the present mayor. The 1911 officers are: Mayor, C. W. Wildman; clerk, E. M. Cary; treasurer, C. F. Briggs; council, S. R. Allee, M. H. Gause, C. H. Newby, A. T. Gifford, W. A. Cunningham.

As the churches, schools and lodges have been made topics in chapters by themselves, for all the towns of the county, no reference is here made of them. This is also true of the interesting subject of the old slave time "Underground Railroad," which had a station here. See general chapters.

The population of Lynnville as shown by the state census reports for 1905 was four hundred and sixty-two.

BUSINESS INTERESTS IN 1911

At this date the business of Lynnville is carried on successfully by the following persons:

General dealers - J. H. Gause & Company, Briggs Brothers, Rich Rivers
Hardware - Ollie Ladd, F. W. Royden
Harness shop - Lynnville Harness Company
Meats - W. F. Zimmerman, V. A. Johnson
Milliners - Flora Noah, Gause & Garner
Furniture - A. T. Gifford
Li very - John Thompson
Hotel - Mrs. T. A. Thompson
Photographs - Edith Burnham
Roller Mills - Fred Wagman, manager
Farm Implements - Gertsma & Renaud, G. B. McCoy
Lumber - Macy Brothers
Grain and Stock - Macy Brothers
Brick and Tile - C. H. Newby
Cement Bloch - H. C. Macy
Newspapers -The Lynnville Star, C. W. Wildman
Builders and Contractors - J. C. Trease and S. R. Allee & Son
Blacksmith - J. Noah

LYNNVILLE POSTOFFICE

In 1901 Joseph Arnold wrote concerning this post office as follows: "At this writing Lynnville is supplied with a branch of the Iowa Central Railroad running from New Sharon to Newton. It affords ample means of transportation, and the mail car attached to the passenger train drops off its mail on time, This is a wonderful contrast with the one-horse carrier in the person of Mr. Eli Wolf, who in the year 1848, and on into the fifties, made a weekly trip, or a 'try' weekly trip it should be said, for when the roads were impassable he abandoned it days at a time. John R. Sparks was appointed postmaster when the office was first established. He kept it in a small building near where the hotel later stood. In a short time it was inconvenient for him to attend to the office and a returned Mexican soldier, Sabin Stanwood, was appointed in his place. He lived a mile and a half west of Lynnville. In 1853 Joseph Arnold was appointed postmaster by President Franklin Pierce. The desk turned over to him was of black walnut, three feet long and fifteen inches wide and about eight inches deep. This, with a roll of paper, comprised the furniture, and was carried by me from Stanwood's house to Lynnville under my arm. It set up the post office in the claim in which I lived, which was located on what is now lot 1; block 3."

The postmasters have served in about the following order: Joseph Arnold, Mattie Cloud, William Dryden, Joseph McConnell, Jacob Kitch, Marietta Dryden, Ollie Mathews, Marietta Dryden, Charles W. Wildman.

In 1903 a rural route was extended out from Lynnville over a line twenty-nine miles in length; T. A. Thompson has been the driver four years. The receipts of this office are about one thousand dollars a year. The number of mails sent out each week is fifteen and eighteen are received.

VILLAGE OF SULLY

This excellent town is situated on section 8 of Lynn Grove Township, on the line of the Iowa Central Railroad from Newton to New Sharon, four miles west of Lynnville, and in 1900 had a population of one hundred and fifty and a good bank, lumber yard, large general store, a newspaper and an implement house. At present it has the following:

Bank of Sully
Hotels -The Sully House, by Mrs. Rosa Hammer, and the house conducted near the railroad by Mrs. A. J. Quinn
General Stores - C. E. Haan, Boat & Verdencamp
Drugs - C. V. Shipman
Restaurant - R. Burnham
Harness Work - Holdsworth & Company
Livery - Eldridge Brothers
Hardware - Vangenderen & Luberden, who are also blacksmiths, Holdsworth & Company
Lumber - D. S. Jardema
Grain - Emmet Awtry
Contractors - N. J. Edwards, Henry Willets
Garage - H. Welle
Dressmaker - Mrs. Everett Eldridge, Miss Neva Edmundson
Barber - Lee Perry
Butcher - E. Austin
Railroad Agent - H. B. Lane
Physicians - Drs. O. O. Carpenter, J. C. Smith

Sully was incorporated as a town late in the nineties and the following have served as mayors in the order here named: H. Welle, Robert Willets, C. Burnham, W. H. Holdsworth, S. G. Sherman.

The 1911 town officials are: Mayor, S. G. Shennan; J. G. Huigen, treasurer; D. S Sjaardema, clerk; councilmen, Henry Welle, A. C. Boat, E. Awtry, J. P. Brunner, Peter Lubberden.

In the month of April 1911, at the spring election, the matter of voting on the question of providing water and fire protection was up, and resulted in the casting of sixty-two votes. There were forty-five cast for voting and selling bonds to the amount of eight thousand five hundred dollars and seventeen voted against the enterprise. At this election the ladies who were entitled to a vote cast forty-four votes, of which all were favorable but seven. The bonds will be floated and the work of construction begun this season. The tower for the tank will be one hundred and eight feet high and the tank will hold thirty thousand gallons. Gasoline engines will be installed to pump with. This movement upon the part of the enterprising people of Sully will never be regretted.

The post office was established here in the nineties and the following have served as the postmasters: Lew Mather, C. Phelps, T. H. Thomson, L. H. Sherman, appointed 1890; L. M. Doani, 1893; Cornelius Boat, 1897; Henry DeWit, 1899; John Varenkamp, 1903, and still in office.

A rural free delivery was extended from this point in February 1903, and is twenty-six miles in length. The first carrier was R. E. White and the present one is E. S. Haines. It was made a money order point in August 1902. The receipts of this post office (outside of money-order business) in 1910 was eight hundred and seventy-seven dollars and eight cents.

The churches at Sully in the spring of 1911 are Congregational, "Christian Holland Dutch," Methodist Protestant and Dutch Reformed.

The churches and lodges are mentioned in their respective chapters in the general chapters of this volume.