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         THE TOWN OF COLUMBUS CITY was first located about one-fourth of a mile east of the present town site, and was laid out in 1840, but was soon abandoned, presumably on account of a defective title. The present town was laid out by Edward F. Wilson in 1841, on the northeast quarter of section 36, township 75 north, of range 5 west, surveyed by John Gilliland. The location is about one mile southeast of the present town of Columbus Junction, the corporation of each joining the other. The first sale of lots was held July 4, 1841. Among the first merchants was Mr. Myler, who started a store in 1842. The first physicians were Dr. J. M. Robertson, Dr. John Bell and Dr. Skillman. The first iron and stove store was opened by Col. W. W. Garner in 1851, and from that time to the present he has been closely identified with the best interests of the town. The first drug-store was opened by Clark & Colton. The first Postmaster was P. Gore, the father of Mrs. B. G. Neal and Mrs. Judge Allen. The first tailor was H. S. Denham. The first Masonic funeral was that of E. G. Jones, in 1857, the ceremonies being performed by Wapello Lodge.

Columbus City was incorporated as a town in 1871; Andrew Gamble, J. Myler, A. Fulton, George D. Harrison and H. P. May were appointed Commissioners to call an election. The first election was held on Saturday, May 27, 1871, and the following-named persons were elected to serve until March, 1872: Mayor, Abram Fulton; Recorder, Wesley W. Garner; Councilmen, H. P. May, G. L. Thomas, J. N. Smith, J. Myler and Daniel Morgan.

The first school in the present town limits was held in the winter of 1843-44, by Dr. John Cleaves, in a brick building owned by Wesley W. Garner. The building is now used by the Seceders as a house of worship. On the 14th of November, 1846, the voters of School District No. 3, comprising Columbus City and adjacent territory, met at the storeroom of H. S. Denham for the purpose of permanently organizing the district, and to vote on the question of erecting a school building. The vote was taken to levy a tax, and grant power to the Directors to contract for the erection of a brick building, 20x30 feet. Twenty-five votes were cast in the affirmative, and one in the negative. On the 21st of February, 1847, in accordance with the vote of the district, the Directors let the contract for the erection of a building on lot 3, block 5, for the sum of $300. The building was ready for use Oct. 1, 1847, and the first school taught therein was during the following winter, by William J. R. Flack. In the winter of 1848-49 Allen W. Pease taught the term, and was succeeded in turn during the succeeding four winters by J. Highfield, Mr. Bigsby, I. N. Chandler and Thomas L. Baird. In the summer of 1853 Miss Sarah Twiggs taught a term of school, and in the summer of 1854 James R. Atchison taught a term. In the summer of 1855, Miss Mary Wiley taught school in the Christian Church, and in the summer following Miss Mary Wear, of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, occupied the same place. In the winter of 1855-56 A. S. Fulton taught in the school building. In October, 1856, the Directors met and condemned the school building, and rented the second story of H. S. Denham’s store building, and also the Christian Church.

On the 25th of March, 1856, the Directors issued a call to the voters of the school district to meet at the Christian church on the 5th of April, 1856, to consider the propriety of levying a tax to erect a new school building. They decided to build, and requested the board, who would be elected May 5, 1856, to issue proposals for the erection of a brick building 30x50 feet, two stories high, and locate the same directly north of the old building. They further ordered that the old school building be occupied for school purposes for three months, from May 26, 1856. The new Board of Directors selected Horace Belkridge, Sr., as instructor.

In compliance with an order issued on the 6th of September, 1856, by the Directors, proposals to build were made, and on the 21st of the same month the contract was let to George B. Harrison, of Columbus City, and Smith McCarter, of Springfield, Ohio, for $2,975. The building after its completion and acceptance by the Board of Directors, was found defective in the roof, and repairs were required to be made from time to time. On the 3d of July, 1871, a contract was let to make general . . .

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… repairs on the building and build a cupola. After the completion of this work, including the painting of the brick work, the house remained in use until June 5, 1878, when proposals were received for building an addition on the north side, 30x60 feet, two stories high. The contract was let for $2,330. The building is yet in use by the district.

Columbus City is well supplied with churches, being represented by the Christian, Methodist Episcopal, United Brethren in Christ, United Presbyterian, Baptist and Associate Churches.

The Church of Christ, or Christian Church, dates its organization from 1840, the first meeting being held at the house of Barstow Williams, two miles east of Columbus City. The congregation met at the houses of its members for some years. The first house of worship was erected in 1852, at a cost of $500, and was dedicated some time during the following year. This house was used until 1868, when a larger and better house was erected, at a cost of $3,000. Its dimensions are 40x60 feet, and it has a seating capacity of 400. Among those who have served the church as pastor are Arthur Miller, Smiley Bonham, Moses Warren, Joshua Swallow, Jonas Hartzel, Samuel Lowe, Joseph Lowe, Freeman Walden, J. K. Cornell, John Errett, L. C. Wilson, Simpson Ely, J. H. Painter, L. B. Ames, J. Mad. Williams, E. W. Miller and L. C. Wilson. The first sermon preached by Elder Ross was in a log cabin. While preaching an Indian passed by, and seeing him gesticulating and hearing him speak in a loud tone of voice, thought he was intoxicated. Coming into the house he demanded “fire water.” All that the people could say or do would not convince him the preacher was not drunk, so they had to put him out by force. At present the church is in good working condition, with a membership of seventy-five. At present writing L. C. Wilson is pastor of the church. The Sunday-school, under the superintendency of Mrs. Jennie Smith, with Miss Ella Overhold as Assistant Superintendent, is also in a flourishing condition.

The organization of the Methodist Episcopal Church of Columbus City dates back to the Territorial days of Iowa, in 1840. The circuit rider of the Methodist Church made this a regular point for preaching, and a class was duly organized. The first building erected for church purposes, the present structure was built in 1866, and dedicated Sunday, Oct. 28, 1866. The estimated cost of the building was $3,000. The church is in fine working order.

The United Brethren in Christ also dates its organization to the Territorial days of Iowa, the present congregation being organized in 1841. The first annual conference of this church held west of the Mississippi River was at the house of H. S. Denham, in Columbus City, on the 24th day of May, 1844. The building now occupied by the congregation was erected in 1870, and dedicated at a conference of the church on Sunday, September 10 of that year. The building is 40x60 feet, and was erected at a cost of $2,800.

The Associate Presbyterian Church erected the first house of worship in Columbus City in 1851. They held it for a number of years in an unfinished condition, and in 1857 disposed of it to the Reform Presbyterian Church. In course of time it reverted back to the original owners, who removed the old building, and in 1886 erected the present house of worship. The church at this point was organized in the spring of 1844, by Rev. William Smith, of Crawfordsville. It has a present membership of twenty-five.

The United Presbyterian Church of Columbus City was organized in the fall of 1844 by Rev. William Smith. The first meetings were held in the old town and the present church edifice was erected in 1858, at a cost of about $3,000. It is a frame structure 45x60 feet in size. The first pastor was Rev. George Vincent, now a prominent man in the church. Rev. Alex Storey served the church as pastor for twenty-three years. He now resides in Washington, and is editor of the Washington Gazette. In 1858 there was a division of the church, a large majority forming a union with the Associate Reform Church, and taking the name of the United Presbyterian Church. A few of the members of the original organization refused to go into the union and yet retain the old name, a history of which is already given.

The Baptist Church of this place was organized on the 16th day of November, 1850. In 1861 and 1862 the subject of a house of worship was agitated, . . .

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. . . a subscription of 1,200 was raised, and the building completed and occupied in June, 1862. In 1871 the church divided, a portion of its membership withdrawing and organizing a separate church at Louisa Center. The present membership is thirty-one, and its Sunday-school has an average attendance of thirty.

The Congregational Church of Columbus City was organized in 1857, and in 1858 purchased a house of worship of the Associate Presbyterian Church. The organization continued for but five years, when it disbanded.

The Masons, Odd Fellows, and the Grand Army of the Republic are represented in this place.

Columbus City Lodge No. 107, A. F. & A. M. was instituted under a dispensation of the Grand Lodge of Iowa, on the 24th day of February, 1857, with W. D. Trebilcock, W. M.; J. F. Reimer, S. W.; and William G. Allen, J. W. Meetings were first held in a hall over the store of Harrison & Barrett. A charter was granted the lodge June 2, 1858, and was signed by John F. Sanford, G. M., and by T. S. Parvin, G. S. The lodge continued to meet in that hall for several years, and then transferred its meetings to the second story of the property of Clark & Colton. Later it was removed to the third story of a brick building erected by Harrison & Barrett, where it remained until 1876, when, Columbus Junction having grown to important proportions, it was removed to that place, its meetings being held in a hall over Easton & Brown’s store, where it has remained. The lodge has continued to work harmoniously and uninterruptedly to this date, with a present membership of fifty-three. The present officers of the lodge are: W. A. Colton, W. M.; W. H. Colton, S. W.; E. R. Lacey, J. W.; W. A. Carr, Treas.; S. H. Blair, Sec. The following named have served as Masters of the lodge for the terms specified: W. D. Trebilcock, the first Master, served from the time of the institution of the lodge until the fall of 1859, when he was succeeded by Dr. W. A. Colton, who served as Master pro tem until the June election, 1860, when he was elected to the office, and served until June, 1864, when he declined a re-election, and was succeeded by John F. Reimer, who served until June, 1865, when Dr. Colton was again elected, and served until June, 1867, when he removed to Des Moines. Dr. W. S. Robinson was elected, and served until June, 1869, when he retired, and William Bellwood was chosen Master. He filled the chair until June, 1871, and was succeeded by S. K. Helmick, and he in turn by C. S. Phillips, in June, 1873. William M. Endsley followed in June, 1875. Dr. W. A. Colton having returned to Columbus Junction in June, 1877, was chosen to succeed Mr. Endsley, and has been re-elected at each succeeding annual meeting to this date, covering a period of eleven successive terms, and making eighteen years in all in which he has presided as Master of Columbus City Lodge. In addition to that service in his old lodge, he serves as Master of Pioneer Lodge No. 2, of Des Moines, making twenty years of service as Master. Dr. Colton, by his earnest and never wavering devotion to the welfare of the order, has won the warmest regard and highest respect of his brethren, and is justly looked up to as the father of the lodge, and an honored leader in the order.

Columbus City Lodge No. 246, I. O. O. F., was instituted Aug. 23, 1872. Its first officers were Daniel McMichael, N. G.; G. W. Breneman, V. G.; W. F. Hall, Sec.; L. G. Baldwin, Treas. The lodge for some years had a very prosperous existence, having at one time a membership of eighty, but on account of the building up of Columbus Junction, and the removal of many of its members to that place, it now numbers but sixteen, but these are all active, being devoted to the principles of the order. The officers in the fall of 1888 were John Spaith, N. G.; William Bretz, V. G.; Milan Brownson, Sec.; George Smith, Treas.

Joel Neal Post No. 129, G. A. R., was instituted Feb. 13, 1853, with twenty-five charter members. It was organized in a hall in Harrison’s block, and continued to meet there until March, 1886, when it was removed to its present quarters over Asa Merrill’s store. The first officers were Thomas G. Allen, Com.; S. H. McCoy, S. V. C. The officers for 1888 were James H. Duncan, P. C.; S. H. McCoy, S. V. C.; John Will, J. V. C.; W. J. Crammond, Adj.; Asa Merrill, Q. M.; A. H. Cunningham, Surg.; John Welch, Chap.; James M. Bell, O. D.; M. Brownson, O. G.; J. F. Bowman, S. M.; M. A. Kelly, Q. M. S.

When the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Rail- . . .

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. . . road was built, leaving Columbus City one and one-half miles to the south of it, many said it would die, and old Clifton would be the town, and when the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern was built, leaving the town one and half miles west of it, they were sure it would die. But it did not. Clifton is gone, absorbed by Columbus Junction, but Columbus City still stands, a monument to the early pioneer days.