Chapter 6, pages 35-40
Listed in a 1932 copy of Annals of Iowa which published the names of ghost towns for each county in Iowa, was the name of Ward with the brief notation: “former name for Silver City.” Evidently this name lasted but a very short time and Silver City, which was platted in 1879 by a Mr. Justice, was given its name by Mrs. H. H. Huffaker before it had a post office, according to The History of Silver City, published in 1954 by the Auxiliary to Gordon May Post No. 439 of the American Legion. But Ward did have a post office, established April 22, 1867, with George Goff as postmaster, and discontinued June 30, 1868.
The name Ward came from Edward Ward who built one of the country’s early-day stage coach hostelries on a farm a mile northeast of the Silver City site on a stage coach road from Council Bluffs to Des Moines. Maude Plumer (Mrs. James Arthur) Burgoin has given us an interesting history of the Inn and land which follows:
“The earliest date on record of the property now known as the Plumer Inn is 1853. At this time a log cabin and barn were built north of the present site at the edge of the woods. Three years later, in 1856, Edward Ward purchased the farm and built the tavern which is much the same today as it when it was erected. The huge white farm house, over 100 years old, rests on hand hewn beams, some of them thirty-six feet in length. The lumber for the house was hauled from Des Moines, Iowa, using teams and wagons for the long trip.
“The house had eleven rooms with two long halls the length of the building. There is an elaborate system of brass call bells and the room numbers on the doors still remain to remind visitors of the structure’s original function. Above the tavern keeper’s bed hung a group of cords leading to each room on the second floor. It was very convenient to rise up in bed and call guests by pulling a cord, strictly modern in that early day. The tavern was the community center for the vicinity.
“Mr. Ward planted an avenue of cedars from the front of the house to the road. A double row of maples inside a fancy, white picket fence framed the blue grass lawn. White arch ways connected the fences at the gates. Most of the cedars and some of the maples are still standing. Some of the original shrubbery is in evidence, the honey suckle that stood beside the smoke house, the lilacs along the walk and also spirea. The landscaping provided the tavern with a beautiful setting.
“Edward Ward built the tavern to accommodate the Western Stage Coach Company’s passengers. The route of the stages was from Kanesville (Council Bluffs) to Des Moines. Daily the stage coach would whirl up to the portico and discharge its passengers while the grooms took the horses to the barn. Edward sold the farm to Henry Betts, who continued to operate the tavern until it passed into the hands of Hurlbert Benton in 1880.
“In 1884 Mr. Benton sold the homestead to Frank H. Plumer and in 1941 it passed to Arthur and Maude Plumer Burgoin. It has been in the Plumer family eighty-seven years. The stages have long since ceased to roll up to the door. The trail they followed some sixty years ago is still in evidence. When I was a girl it was great sport to scrape the frost off the windows so we could see a team and lumberwagon pass on the old trail. It was just east of the Tavern and continued southeast over the hill.
“The House is the only original building. Seventy-eight years ago a newspaper came out with big, bold headlines saying the world was coming to an end on a certain date. That startling statement was made very often. On one particular night, my parents were awakened by the reflection of flames on the wall. We were all frightened and thought the prediction was coming true, but when father looked out the window he could see the huge old red barn, built the same year as the tavern, was burning. The barn, 120 feet wide and 80 feet long, was constructed on a sand rock foundation. The building was a combination granary, hay barn, horse barn and cattle shed. The roof extended over the sides very low, covering the sheds. It housed seventeen horses at the time. Four corn shuckers were employed. The men rushed to the barn with knives and cut the halter ropes of the horses. As the last horse, Old Bay Mollie, left the barn, burning timbers fell on her back. The severe burns left patches of white hair on the bay for the rest of her life. The silver mounted harness with beautifully decorated bridles were lost in the fire. In the granary the millet had popped. The horses ran up the road two miles to the neighbors, then returned and attempted to go into the fire. They had to be restrained with whips.
“The old chicken house brings back memories. Having leghorn chickens which roosted in the trees, we would have to gather them in for the winter, either the coldest day or in a blizzard. We never expected to get an egg through the winter but in the spring milk glass eggs were placed in nests to get the hens started laying.
“Gone is the acre apple orchard and vineyard which was located east of the house. The trees produced such an abundance of fruit that much went to waste. At least fifty bushels of apples would be stored in the cellar for winter use along with a wagon load of potatoes. An evening chore was to fill a gallon crock with polished apples which were to be eaten while we sat around the stove and listed to tall tales. The entertainment was always enlivened by a newcomer. The apples and potatoes were covered with hay to keep out the frost. In severe weather a lighted lantern hung in the cellar. On the shelves were wild plum butter, wild crab apple preserves, wooden barrels of sauerkraut, vinegar in kegs and pickles in brine, to list a few.
“Gone is the old ash hopper which stood south of the house and the brick walks that had to be salted to keep down the weeds. Ash hoppers were constructed after various patterns. Basically, they took the form of a trough on legs, one end being lower than the other, with a screen or slotted device at the lower end to keep the ashes from washing out. Wood ashes were placed in the hopper. Occasionally some member of the family would pour a bucket of water in the upper end, allowing it to leach down through the ashes into a wooden bucket placed under the lower end. In this manner every pioneer family made its own lye, a necessary ingredient in the formula for making soap.
“The dinner bell, mounted on a hand-hewn square post, was a high as the house. Rounds through the post formed a ladder. The bell was used to call the men from the fields at noon time or in cases of emergency.
“Henry Betts sold an acre of the original tavern property to the Government for $35.00 for a school site. When it was no longer needed for a schoolyard, it was to return to the land owner for $35.00. With the passing of the country schools, the acre had gone back to the land owner. Very often the children would have frosted fingers and cheeks when they reached the school house. The dinner pails would have to be lined up under the stove to thaw out the lunches.
“The stage coach trail past the Ward-Betts-Plumer Tavern was followed as early as 1851. The road north and south past the school was established in 1889 and opened later. The present road going east and west past the property was established in 1875.”
