Jasper Co. IAGenWeb
Past and Present of Jasper Co.

CHAPTER XXXIII
PALO ALTO TOWNSHIP

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


Palo Alto township is immediately south of Newton city and township, west of Buena Vista and Elk Creek, north of Elk Creek and Fairview Townships and to the east of the Fairview and Sherman Townships. It is of irregular shape owing to its domain taking the territory to the northeast of South Skunk River in its southwestern part. Its territory comprises parts of congressional townships 78 and 79, in range 19 west. It contains about thirty-five sections of land and is eight miles from north to south and five miles wide from east to west in the main part of its territory, following the meanderings of Skunk River in the southwest.

It is largely a prairie section, aside from the large body of timber found growing three miles or so to the south of Newton, known as Hixon's Grove, and that growing along the valley of the Skunk River.

The Newton & Marion Railroad runs through this township from north to south, with siding station points at various points and at Reasoner.

The earliest entries of government land were made as follows: William Hanshaw, on the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 4, November 29, 1847; Thomas Rees, the southeast quarter of the southeast quarter of section 15, January 3, 1848.

Palo Alto Township had a population of one thousand ninety-six in 1905, according to the state census.

The township was organized in the spring of 1857 by the county judge. His order for the formation of a new township reads as follows: "Commencing at the quarter section stake on the east side of section 12, township 79, range 19 west; thence west on the line through the center of the section to the quarter section stake on the west side of section 12, township 79, range 20 west; thence south on the section line to the southwest corner of section 36, said township and range; thence east to the township line to the northwest corner of section 4, township 78, range 19; thence south to the southwest corner of said section; thence east to the southeast corner of section 1, same township and range; then north with the range line to the place of beginning."

The above was the original territory of Palo Alto Township which was named for the Mexican name, which had been made famous by the war with Mexico about the elate of the formation of this subdivision of Jasper County.

THE BEGINNINGS IN PALO ALTO

Thomas Rees and family were the first to establish for themselves a home in what is now known as Palo Alto Township. Mr. Rees located on section 22, township 79, range 19 west, in November 1848. Not until four years had passed-long ones too-did they enjoy the society of a neighbor nearer than four miles distant. Months at a time Mrs. Rees never saw the face and form of a woman, except the dusky Indian women. They were on good terms with the Indians and frequently the latter were entertained and even allowed to sleep in the house in bad weather and enjoy the huge fireplace and crackling fire, always at a bright glow.

In the summer of 1852 Shelby Baker came in and located; later still came a man named Finwick. Joshua Guessford, Jacob and George Elmanty, E. B. Sloan, Wesley Watkins, and Wakefield Trotter came in 1854 to increase the little settlement in the wilds of the township. In 1856 came David D. Prior, Joel Guessford, Stephen Guessford, Allen T. Drake, James Early, Riley Ashley and LeRoy Livingston. In 1860 the township had a population of not far from five hundred.

The first wedding was over the marriage of Henry Adamson and Mary Jane Baker, February 10, 1853. The shoes worn by the bride were borrowed from Mrs. Rees (shoes were scarce articles then in this township).

The first birth in the township is supposed to have been a daughter born to Thomas and Mary A. Rees, March 25, 1849.

The first death recorded was an infant son of the same family, July 26, 1854.

School No. 1 in the township was taught as a subscription school, in 1857. Hattie Bain was the teacher. The first public school was taught in the Wild Cat schoolhouse by Miss Eliza Henderson in the summer of 1858.

The first religious service was held by Rev. Thomas Merrill and Rev. Ami Shaffer, who conducted services at the schoolhouse last mentioned.

Palo Alto Township sent forth twenty soldiers to the front during the days of the Civil War, a good record of patriotism.

INTERESTING PARAGRAPHS

National Independence Day was celebrated in this township July 4, 1874, at or near the Presbyterian Church in the native grove. An oration was listened to by Hon. John Meyer and responses to toasts by Capt. M. W. Atwood, Samuel Reasoner, William Brown, Rev. E. S. McMichael, Miss S. E. Hill and W. A. Livingston.

By reference to the records of the county, made in 1878, it will be discovered that the total amount of personal taxes paid from this township in 1878 (for the previous year's taxes) was $69,193, including the items of 710 head of horses, 44 mules and 1,556 head of taxable cattle.

The total of personal and realty property taxes was $6,II2, on a valuation of $318,467 in the township. Compare this with a table found in the chapter on County Government and see how the township has advanced financially.

Quite a portion of this township is underlaid with paying quantities of an excellent coal, which is being mined, to a good profit to its owners. The chapter on the topography and natural features of the county will speak more at length of these mining interests.

THE TOWN OF REASONER

Reasoner is a small village on the Newton & Marion Railroad in the southern part of Palo Alto Township, twelve miles due south of Newton. It takes its name from several large landowners by that name in that immediate vicinity. Its plat was surveyed in the summer of 1877.

James Allen had constructed a building there before the town site stakes had been set. A dozen buildings sprung up as if by magic and two grain elevators, one by Arnold & Johnson and one by Mr. Adamson. Two general stores were at once opened up for trade and the station agent, James Allen, was the first to serve as postmaster. This place is in the heart of the coal district of Jasper County, yet surrounded by a rich agricultural country.

PRESENT BUSINESS INTERESTS

In the month of April, 191 I, the following persons carried on their respective business in Reasoner:

General Dealers - Hinshaw & Saunders, J. W. Edwards and F. J. Coffee
Meat Market and Lunch Room - B. R. Cardon
Hardware Dealer - Frank B. Ross
Farm Implements - Reasoner Implement Company
Drugs - C. B. Walsh
Lumber and Grain - Denniston & Partridge
Elevator, Poultry and Hogs - E. Bean
Blacksmith - J. M. Carnahan
Barber - Will Wasson
Boarding House - Mrs. Andrew French
Stock Dealers - Coker & Warring
Justice of the Peace - Charles Saunders
Reasoner Savings Bank
Reasoner Mutual Telephone Company

The town has one of the finest mineral water flowing wells in the county, it gushing out near the center of the business part of the place.

The religious element is cared for by the Methodist Episcopal Church, which denomination has a good frame building.

POSTOFFICE HISTORY

An office was established here about 1879. In February 1904, it was made a rural route station. The present carrier is J. E. Sipe.

Outside of the money order business, the receipts of the office in 1910 was six hundred and sixty-five dollars and eighty-five cents. There were during the same period sent out sixty-two pieces of registered mail matter. Two mails are received each way daily, north and south.

The following is a complete list of postmasters at Reasoner: James Allen, J. F. Wheeler, Will Caldwell, J. W. Edwards, 1894-97; James I. Wilson, 1897-1907; (Miss) Mary J. Wilson, 1907-07; (Miss) Fern Bean, 1908 and the present postmistress.

Transcribed by Ernie Braida in July 2003