Pioneers of Marion County by Wm. M. Donnel, 1872

Part II, Chapter XXIX

Pleasant Grove Township - Its Geography and Early History - Early Settlers - Denem Halsey -
Yoest Spalti - First Prairie Broken - First Orchard Planted - John P. Glenn -
First Religious Society of the Christian Denomination and Others - First Birth - G. Logan -
William F. Jordan - Claim Contest - The First Mercantile Transaction - First Schools - Pleasantville

This is a middle western township, and consists simply of township 76, range 21, except sections 5 and 6, and the north half of sections 1, 2, 3 and 4, as described in the history of Swan. It is bounded on the north by Swan, on the east by Union and Knoxville, on the south by Franklin, and on the west by Warren county.

Pleasant Grove is mostly prairie, though there is an abundance of timber margining the streams, the principal one of which is Coal creek, running through the southern and western parts of the township. Butcher creek and other small streams head in the same township.

Coal abounds on all these streams, but more abundantly on Coal creek. One vein on the Cartwright farm measures about four feet in thickness, and one more recently opened on land belonging to Y. Spalti, about three and one-half.

This township was surveyed in ‘46 and ‘47 by John Bull and Jesse Williams, and was declared a township by order of the county commissioners, in January, 1847, including township 75, range 21, now Franklin, and called Pleasant Grove by suggestion of the people living in and about the beautiful grove near Pleasantville. The place of holding elections was appointed to be at the house of Wm. Glenn.

There is no preserved record of the first three elections, and we are dependent upon the memory of old settlers for the dates and incidents connected with this part of the history. The first election ever held within the limits of this township was a precinct election, as it occurred previous to its organization, April, ‘46. There was, however, no voting done on this occasion, there being only enough present to fill the board. The next came off in August of the same year, under some shade trees near the house of Wm. Glenn. On which occasion John P. Glenn, Wm. Glenn, and Wm. Young presided as judges, and Jesse W. Glenn and Robert Logan as clerks. About fifty votes were cast, by which John P. Glenn was chosen a justice and Thos. Hailey constable. Other officers not remembered.

At this election a well-known office-seeker, running for sheriff in opposition to George Gillaspy, made his appearance, and was so abusive in his denunciation of his opponent, that John P. Glenn, by virtue of his prospect of being elected justice, ordered the prospective constable to arrest the offender. The latter respected the authority and retired.

The first township election came off at the house of Wm. Glenn, Aug., ‘47. No particulars remembered, and only one incident may be worth relating, and this may show with what care the records were kept: After the election was over, and the votes were being counted by tally, by the light of a grease lamp, James Glenn, one of the clerks, accidentally threw the lamp over on his tally sheet, ruining it completely.

The names of those who settled in this township at the earliest dates are as follows:

Denem Halsey, in ‘45; Lewis Reynolds, Trainor Reynolds, John P. Glenn, Wm. S. Glenn, two Samuel Glenns, Daniel Vansel, Larken Young, Pleasant Prater, Wm. Young, G. B. Miller, David Shonkwiler, Samuel Tibbett, Gilmore Robert and Harrison Logan, and Yase Spalti, in ‘46; Wm. F. Miles and Wesley Jordan and Daniel Davidson, in ‘47.

The first person mentioned in the above list, came into the country previous to its vacation by the Indians, and lived alone in a small cabin near the present site of Pleasantville. He was a person of tall frame, dressed principally in buckskin, and occupied himself mostly in hunting and keeping bees. He died many years ago from disease supposed to have been contracted by exposure.

The sad fate of Pleasant Prater is well remembered by many old settlers and others. He moved to Adams county many years ago, and there, during the late war, joined the 4th Infantry. Having returned sometime after on furlough, he got into trouble with a neighbor named Carns, about some hogs, and one day Carns waylaid and shot him as he was on his way to Fontanelle. Carns was arrested and imprisoned, after which a mob broke into the prison, took him out, hung him to a tree, and then shot him to pieces.

Yoest Spalti - well remembered by old settlers as “Dutch Joe” - was a native of Switzerland, from which country he, with two brothers, Henry and Joachim, came to Iowa in ‘45 and settled temporarily four miles west of Ottumwas, in August. Here they remained till spring, and wintered in a shelter of their own construction, partly dug in the earth, and, for want of means, or opportunity to earn it, subsisted upon a very limited variety and amount of fare. They were frequently asked to work, but not being able to reply in a language comprehensive to any American, except nix verstay, they were not employed for some time, when they were luckily accosted by a German, and got work.

Yoest came up in the spring of ‘46 and settled at what was known as Lynn Grove, where his brother Henry now lives. Here he lived a bachelor till he started to California in the spring of ‘50, and died on the way. Some mystery connected with his death seemed to indicate that he was foully dealt with.

Henry and Joachim followed him to this township some years later, and are now among the most wealthy men in the county.

Lewis Reynolds broke the first prairie in the township, on his claim a little south of Pleasantville, on land now owned by Abram Erle, in May, ‘46. He, W. F. Jordan, and G. Logan planted orchards in ‘49. The trees then planted by Mr. Reynolds are mostly still living; those of the others having been destroyed by gophers.

John P. Glenn was born in Pendleton county, N. C., September 1, 1793; moved from thence to Jackson county, Tenn., thence to Crawford county, Ind., thence to Sangamon county, Ill., from thence to Jefferson county, Iowa, in ‘38, and from thence to this county in the spring of ‘45,and settled in Polk, near Eagle Rock, where he remained one season, and raised a crop on a claim belonging to F. M. Clifton. In the spring following he moved to and made a claim on what is now section 27, Pleasant Grove, where he remained till the day of his death, September 16, 1868, aged 75 years and 17 days. Mrs. Glenn survived him 15 months, and died December 5, 1869, aged 75 years and 25 days.

Mr. Glenn was for many years a minister of the gospel, of the Christian denomination; and in connection with Isaac Metcalf, an elder and local preacher of the same order, organized societies in various parts of the township, in ‘48. He also preached and organized churches in Warren and Polk counties, at an early date. James Gill also organized churches of the same order, in the township, in ‘48-9. Wm. Knite, a brother-in-law to Samuel Tibbett, a preacher of the M. E. Church, preached at Mr. T.’s and organized a church there at an early date. The first building erected for religious services, was in Pleasantville, in ‘52, under the pastoral change of James Woods. The building now belongs to the Methodists.

The first birth in the township was that of Jonathan, son of Samuel and Elizabeth Glenn, June, ‘46. They now live in Clark county.

Gilmore Logan is now the oldest settler still living in the township. He first moved from Indiana to Wapello county, and from thence to this place, arriving on the 20th of February, ‘46.

William F. Jordan was born in Kentucky, in 1795, and moved to Illinois when that State was yet a territory. From there he moved to where Pleasantville now is, arriving there on the 16th October, ‘47, and purchased a claim of Wm. S. Glenn, on which was only a small cabin. On this claim the town of Pleasant was afterwards located, and the cabin above mentioned still stands in the northwest corner.

Previous to its coming into possession of the Jordans, this claim was the subject of arbitration and legal contest, in which the notorious Spurlock had a hand. At this time it was claimed by the three Gillmans, father and two sons, on the one hand, and by William S. Glenn on the other; and the opposing parties agreed to settle the matter by arbitration. Spurlock, who was a justice of the peace in Wapello county, happened to be here on some kind of business, and was employed by the Gillmans to conduct their case, they agreeing to give him a portion of the contested property, as compensation for his services, provided he should succeed in securing it to them. But, after the contest had terminated in favor of the Gillmans, Spurlock refused to accept the part of the claim offered him, being of comparatively little value, and returned to his home in Wapello. There he was followed by the Gillmans some time after, of whom he purchased the entire claim for a horse and $30. The property now being forfeited to both the Gillmans and Spurlock by their absence, Glenn “jumped” it, and held it till he sold it to W. F. Jordan, who afterwards made a portion of it the town plat of Pleasantville.

Mr. Jordan’s two sons, Miles and Wesley, who are still residents of Pleasantville, opened a small mercantile establishment on the part of the claim now occupied by the town. A little anecdote relating to their first business experience, may be worth telling. They began on a capital of $150, by first investing it in a load of dry hides. These they took to Churchville, (now Alexander,) Mo., expecting a handsome profit, and intending to invest the proceeds in a stock of goods. But, on reaching the place and attempting to make the trade, they found that their want of experience in the business would prove disastrous to their expectations. In purchasing the hides they had innocently included horns and tails, and now they discovered that these appendages were not in the market, and must come off before the hides were weighed. Accordingly a man was set to work with a big knife, and in a short time the village swine were in possession of a large share of the profits of this important trade. It was, indeed, the most grievous loss of all their business experience, but one that would now be scarcely felt.

Daniel Shea taught the first school, in the spring of 1847, in a small log cabin built by G. Logan, about one mile west of where Pleasantville now is. Term, three months; 20 scholars at $2.00 per head. Miles Jordan taught the next in the winter of ‘47 and ‘48.

The town of Pleasantville was surveyed by Stanford Doud, Aug. 1, ‘49, on the south-west quarter of the north-west quarter of section 15, and then owned by W. F. Jordan. Wesley Jordan built the first house, a frame, that is now occupied as a dwelling. He also kept the first post office in connection with the store. The first hotel was kept by Wm. H. H. Alley.

The location of Pleasantville would naturally suggest the name, being a beautiful, open prairie, adjoining a large, well-timbered grove that extends up the tributaries of Coal creek. Its location is also healthy; and the prospect of a railroad gives vitality to business, and promises much for the future prosperity of the place. Two fine church buildings have just been erected in Pleasantville, by the Methodist and Christian denominations.

A town called Weston, was laid out on the north-half of section 35, township 76, range 21, Oct. 8th and 9th, ‘56. Proprietors, P. W. and G. F. Pitman. Surveyor, Jesse H. Kent. The place never improved.

Population of Pleasant Grove by the United States census of 1870:

Natives . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1415
Foreign . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
Total . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1445

Transcribed by Mary E. Boyer, 12/06, reformatted by Al Hibbard 12 Oct 2013.