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         VILLAGE OF LETTSVILLE. One of the prettiest town sites in the county of Louisa is that of Lettsville, situated on a sightly eminence which overlooks as fine a body of farming land as there is in the State. The community is noted for the sobriety, industry and stability of its citizens. Lettsville is on the line of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad, thirteen miles west of Muscatine, and seven miles east of Columbus Junction. It was laid out in October, 1855, by Joseph A. and Cyrena Green, who gave to the prospective village the name of Ononwa. The railroad station still retains that name, while the name of the town was changed to Lettsville a number of years ago. The post-office bears the name of Letts, in honor of N. M. Letts, who is one of the largest property owners in Louisa County. The post-office name was changed to avoid the frequent mistakes made by the mail service in carrying mail intended for Ononwa to Onawa, a town in the western part of Iowa.

The village of Lettsville came into existence with the completion of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad through this section of country. When it was laid out there was but one house on the town plat, the Benedict House, afterward used as a storeroom by J. A. McDaniels. In September, 1856, W. K. Trabue build a house, and put in a . . .

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. . . stock of goods. In October and November of the same year, the building now known as the Ononwa House was built by Messrs. Green and Stone, and in May following it was finished, and occupied by Seth C. Curtis as a hotel. In April, 1857, A. Harrison built the first dwelling. During the summer following the town flourished and several new houses were built. In the fall of 1857 Lemp & Sells put in a stock of goods in the room now occupied by the Lettsville Co-operative Store, with S. C. Harvey as manager. In the same year S. H. Caldwell started the first blacksmith-shop.

W. K. Trabue was the first Station Agent and Postmaster; S. C. Harvey succeeded him as Station agent, and served until 1868. A. L. Bayard was the first physician, and commenced to practice here in 1857. In 1863 S. C. Harvey bought the Green & Stone building at a bankrupt sale, for $450; prior to this time Lemp & Sells had removed their stock of goods to Muscatine, and S. C. Harvey soon after purchased the property, put in a stock of goods, and continued in business successfully until 1873.

The first school was held in the summer of 1858, in a private house, and was taught by Miss Loretta House. In 1860 a school building 28x30 feet was erected. At the time of the erection of the building Benjamin Furnas was School Director. Each school district in the township had one Director, and all together constituted a Township Board. The village has now a good two-story brick building with three departments. It is heated by a hot-air furnace, and the ventilation of the building is good. The school is well graded and numbers about 120 pupils.

The first religious services were held in Lettsville shortly after the village was laid out. There are at present two denominations represented here, the Methodist Episcopal and the United Brethren in Christ.

The Methodist Episcopal Church was organized by some who had formerly been members of the church at Grand View Village. Mr. Curtis was prime mover in the organization of the new society, and was the first Class-Leader. Prayer-meetings were first held at the school-house, and the organization of the church was first effected by Rev. Michael See. In 1867, under the pastorate of Rev. F. Wells, the church building was erected at a cost of something over $3,000. It is 35x50 feet in dimensions, and is a good frame structure. The dedicatory sermon was preached by the pastor, Rev. F. Wells. The succession of pastors have been Revs. Poston, Gastner, Friend, Cairns, Waters, Bevan, Hahn, Hall, King and U. B. Smith. Special revivals have been held from time to time, one of the most interesting being that following the erection of the church, when thirty-five members were added. Each succeeding winter has witnessed a revival, and the church has grown from a small beginning to a large body. A parsonage has been erected at a cost of $1,200.

The United Brethren in Christ, now under the pastorate of Rev. Richard Collier, is in a very flourishing condition. The church building was commenced in 1884, under the pastorate of Rev. B. F. Rhinehart, and finished during the summer of 1885, under the pastorate of its present pastor. It was dedicated in August, 1885, by Rev. T. D. Adams. The church membership at that time was but twenty-four. A spiritual awakening followed, and the church now numbers fifty-eight members. The church is in a good working condition, with a good choir and Sunday-school, the latter being under the superintendency of Arthur Weaver. The society also owns a good parsonage.

The society is represented in Lettsville by the Masons, United Workmen, Grand Army of the Republic and the Women’s Christian Temperance Union.

Triangular Lodge No. 245, A. F. & A. M. worked under dispensation for nine months, and then received a charter bearing date June 2, 1869. Its first officers were William Calder, W. M.; W. Furnas, S. W.; Peter Knott, J. W.; R. F. Newell, Sec.; Jacob House, Treas.; H. S. Griffin, S. D.; M. Diller, J. D.; M. Reeder, Tyler. The lodge is in a most flourishing condition, with thirty-seven members. Meetings are held each Wednesday evening on or before the full moon, in their own hall, which they erected in 1875, at a cost of $2,000, including furnishings. The lodge owns a lot in Lettsville Cemetery for the purpose of burying any brother who may die among them a stranger. The wives of . . .

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. . . the members of the lodge have mostly taken the Eastern Star degree.

The Ancient Order of United Workmen is represented in this village by a lodge organized in 1877, with ten charter members. They now number twenty-one, and meet once each month in Shellabarger’s Hall. One of the members of this lodge has died, John Low, and his heirs received the full benefit.

The S. Caldwell Post No. 360, G. A. R., was instituted Sept. 4, 1884, with eleven charter members. It has now twenty-one members, and its regular stated meetings are held the first and third Saturday evenings of each month, in Shellabarger’s Hall. The officers in the fall of 1888 were J. D. Richard, Com.; John Geiger, S. V. C.; J. B. Coutan, J. V. C.; T. S. Meeker, Surg.; O. H. P. Linn, Chap.; C. F. Miller, Q. M.; Ira Hendrix, O. D.; F. L. Brown, O. G.; A. B. Riggs, Q. M. S.; G. W. Reichley, Adjt. Since its organization they have lost by death one member, W. C. Hall. The post was named after the first soldier killed from this community.

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union, of Lettsville, was organized in June, 1887, with seven members. There has been a gradual growth, though some members have moved away and a few have taken membership with the Y. The first officers of the union were Mrs. Johnson, Pres.; Miss Della Neal, Sec.; Mrs. Linn, Treas. In May, 1888, Mrs. Johnson resigned, and Mrs. Dobbin was then elected President. The union now has a membership of fifteen.

The Young Women’s Christian Temperance Union was organized in March, 1888, with seven members. Its first officers were Miss J. Derby, Pres.; Miss Maggie Harrison, Sec.; Miss Idle, Treas. The union is in good condition with increased membership, and holds meetings each week. Its present officers are Miss Jennie Derby, Pres.; Belle Dobbin, Vice Pres.; Della Neal, Sec.; Iowa Idle, Treas.

The post-office was established at this place in the fall of 1857, on the completion of the railroad to this point. The office was kept in the depot building, and the first Postmaster was W. K. Trabue. He was succeeded by Dr. A. L. Bayard, who removed the office to a small building on Main street. Dr. Thompson succeeded Dr. Bayard, and removed the office to his office near by. It was again moved back to the office of Dr. Bayard, and from there to the drug-store on the corner of Main and Chestnut streets. N. W. Mountain succeeded Dr. Thompson, and was in turn succeeded by O. H. P. Linn. Following Linn came E. F. Hall. The present incumbent is D. W. Paine. A money order department was established here during the administration of N. W. Mountain.

Lettsville was incorporated in 1867, and its first Mayor was Isaac Shellabarger, who still resides in the village. Lettsville is quite a prosperous village, and contains two general stores, a furniture store, drug-store, harness-shop, restaurant, hotel, and other lines of business.

The Letts Co-operative Store of Letts, Louisa Co., Iowa, is owned and operated by a stock company, which was organized in 1878 for a term of twenty years, and with a capital stock of $5,000. The present officers are: President, H. Lieberknecht; Secretary, Thomas Newell; Manager and Treasurer, William M. McCormick. The following-named gentlemen compose the Board of Trustees: John Geiger, George Gipple and Enoch Taylor. This company carries an average stock valued at $10,000, which includes all general merchandise. The semi-annual report for the six months ending Sept. 1, 1888, shows assets amounting to $15, 191.23, and a balance above liabilities of $10,004.43, showing that the business has been conducted on strict business principles, and is in a prosperous condition. It is an outgrowth of a grange store which was started about 1874, under the grange system.