Mills County, Iowa

Glenwood Township History

CITY OF GLENWOOD

The city of Glenwood is beautifully located among charming vales and glens, surrounded with an abundance of native forests that lend both protection and artistic effect. Nature here has done her best. Stretching away in the distance the valley of Keg Creek, may be seen from most of the prominent points in the city, while over and far beyond it rises hill after hill lending a roughness to the landscape that accords well with the city's general surroundings. It is but a few miles to the westward of the geographical center of the county. Six miles away the Missouri may be seen in the west, an occasional glimpse of which lends a charm to the view in that direction. Mostly on the hill-side and in the glens, the city may best be seen and its beauty appreciated from the southern aspect, across the valley of the stream.

The site of the town seemed attractive to some of the Mormons who had located at Rushville in 1846, and when about to change their residence, they fixed upon this beautiful spot. In the spring of 1848, they first came to the site of the present city of Glenwood, and located Coonville, a village so-called from Libeus T. Coon. He came with William Britain, Silas Hilman, Ira Hilman, G. N. Clark, J. Everett and many others who afterwards became prominent in the early history of the city.

These men were not the first to note the beautiful scenery and recognize the opportunities the site presented. Long ages before an older race had here lived and carried on the occupations of their primitive civilization. It is an instructive fact that Glenwood is on the site of an old town, once covered by the habitations of that mysterious race called the mound-builders, and the remains of which are even yet to be found in almost any part of the city.

The first house was built in the summer of 1848, on the northeast corner of the town site. The next house was completed a few days after the erection of the first one, and is still standing in the town - a log cabin. In this building was the first school ever opened in Glenwood and was taught by D. H. Solomon, afterwards, and still a prominent attorney in the county.

J. W. Coolidge moved to Coonville from beyond Keg Creek, where he had built the first mill in the county, in 1848 or 1849, and opened a store, the first in the place, in which he carried a general stock of merchandise. Mr. Coolidge lived for many years, an honored and respected citizen of the town. He was the first postmaster, and held that position for many years. His son William, was the first white child born in Glenwood, in December, 1849.

The name of Glenwood was given to Coonville by an act of the general assembly approved January 12, 1853. The first mayor was J. A. Donelan, and the recorder was C. G. Hayes.

Map of early Glenwood
Source: History of Mills County, 1881.

GLENWOOD PUBLIC LIBRARY

Glenwood Public Library opened on February 4, 1907 on North Vine Street. There was music, eloquence and social good cheer at the opening of the beautiful Carnegie Library in Glenwood last night. Preceding the formal program the State Institution orchestra rendered several very pleasing selections, then with Mrs. J. L. Bellatti acting as master of ceremonies various speeches of acceptance were given and its formative years reviewed.

Mrs. W. F. Hill, the president of the Woman's Club, told of the struggles that led up to the completion of the building. She said that ever since the founding of the Club 13 years ago the abiding purpose of the organization was to give Glenwood a free public library. Now that this had been accomplished, their purpose would be turned to some other worthy object. In behalf of the Women's Club Mrs. Hill then turned over to the City the books and magazines which they had succeeded in collecting during the past 11 years. Mayor W. M. Plimpton on behalf of the city, accepted the generous gift, and he was followed by speeches by General John Y. Stone and Judge W. R. Green. This public library for Glenwood is the direct result of the plans and endeavors of the Glenwood Woman's Club, and a detailed sketch of its growth would be a take of devotion to a purpose by these generous minded and public spirited women. They started the library and opened it to the public about eleven years ago, and since then have made its support and care a part of their regular annual club work.

In 1903 it was suggested that Andrew Carnegie, the wealthy steel mill man of Pennsylvania, might be induced to give us a library building, and upon this suggestion, Dr. F. M. Powell, superintendent of the State Institution, wrote to Mr. Carnegie. Mr. Carnegie's gift to the city was $7,000 for a building, for which Glenwood was to raise $700 yearly for support.

A library board was appointed with Mrs. Bellatti, president; Mrs. E. S. Bogart, vice president; Mrs. W. F. Hill, Sec.' and H. A. French, Treas.; H. S. Fleming, Dr. J. M. Donelan, J. E. Wickman, C. T. Genung and O. H. Marsh.

The actual supervision of the building operations was placed in the hands of a committee of three - Dr. J. M. Donelan, H. S. Fleming, and C. T. Genung, and their watchfulness is reflected in the excellence of the completed building which now houses the Glenwood Library.

Dr. Donelan was a stalwart supporter of the library - cheering and encouraging the ladies when obstacles seemed unsurmountable, assuring them of its final success, giving them confidence in their own strength when they themselves were inclined to doubt it, and lending his time, his efforts, and his influence when needed to further the library movement. There were times even up to the moment of beginning the actual work, when some of the professed friends of the library were tempted to yield to the opposition and let things go by default. Dr. Donelan was not one of these. He was persistent, tactful and ever confident.

The workmanship on the building was done entirely by Glenwood firms with William S. Doan doing the carpenter work, Thos. H. Hall the brick work, the painting by Frank Deerwester, with the stone being furnished by the Glenwood Granite Works, furnace by Daniel Bros., plumbing by Brower Bros., electrical fixtures by the Glenwood Electric Light Company and Mr. L. S. Robinson donated a large clock.

The efforts of the Glenwood Woman's club has served the community well. This building is but a small result of their efforts - the intangible reward is in the better lives that have found culture in the library shelves.

Source: Mills County Tribune, Feb 5, 1907, copied by Beverly Boileau

IOWA INSTITUTE FOR FEEBLE MINDED CHILDREN


Postcard contributed by Ryan Roenfeld
During the Civil war of 1861-1865, measures were taken to care for the children of those brave men who fell in defense of their country's flag. The act which was passed that established the Soldiers' Orphans' Home at Glenwood was dated 1866 and fifteen acres of ground on which the building was erected was a donation to the State by Mills County as an inducement for the location of the western branch at Glenwood.

In March 1876 it is noted, the soldiers' orphans were to be removed from all the other institutions to one in Davenport, Iowa. Two days after, the following entitled act was passed by the Sixteenth General Assembly providing for the organization and support of an asylum at Glenwood in Mills County, for feeble minded children. Some of the purposes are as follows: To care for, support, train and instruct feeble minded children. There shall be received into the asylum, weak-minded children, between the age of seven and eighteen years, whose admission may be applied for as follows: By the father or mother, or by either of them, if the other be dead or adjudged to be insane or by a guardian appointed or by the board of supervisors of the county in which such child resides For the support of said institution there is hereby appropriated the sum of ten dollars per month for each child therein. In cases where the parents or guardian are able to do so, they are to support the child, or children.

Source: The History of Mills County, 1881

Some years ago, the school became known as the Glenwood State Hospital-School, and through its programs of service to the retarded individual, his family, and his community, is able to return many people to their communities as productive members of Society.

Source: The History of Mills County, 1985, p. 42.

ABANDONED POST OFFICES, GLENWOOD TWP.

Name: Coonville
Postmaster: Libeus T. Coons
Comments: Est. 10 Feb 1851; renamed Glenwood, 24 Feb 1853


GLENWOOD BIOGRAPHIES, 1881


GLENWOOD CHURCHES

  • Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints - Official organization 1848. There were 105 members.
  • Church of the Nazarene - Organized 1928, small church built on the corner, 401 South Hazel.
  • First Baptist Church of Glenwood - Organized 1863.
  • First Christian Church, Disciples of Christ - Organized about 1857.
  • First Congregational - United Church of Christ, Organized in 1856 by Rev. John Todd. Early members: David Briggs and Katherine Briggs, William Hopkins and Ruth Hopkins, Clara Bosbyshell, Elizabeth Bannon and Cornelia Williams.
  • Grace United Methodist Church - Organized 1853. In 1856 a modest church was built on North Walnut.
  • Hillsdale United Methodist Church - Organized 1860
  • Our Lady of Holy Rosary Parish - Organized 1955
  • Pilgrim Holiness Wesleyan Church - The Pilgrim Holiness and the Wesleyan Methodist churches merged and then called the Wesleyan Church. Elder Eisenhower, an uncle of President Dwight D. Eisenhower was a frequent and popular speaker in the Glenwood Church.
  • St. John's Episcopal Church - First service 1881. First trustees: Messers. Sprague, Anderson, Swinnerton, Hickox, Gilley, Kempton, Skillicorn and King.
  • Seventh-Day Adventist Church - Organized in 1898. Originally they met in the Burr Oak Schoolhouse. Charter members: M.I. Pearce family, William Doyle family and the Al Hayne family. Later a church was built on East Third Street between Chestnut and Linn.
  • Trinity Lutheran Church, Missouri Synod - Organized 1944. Charter members: A.J. Brandt, Carl Bush, Julius Bush, R.B. Strand and Fred Thieschafer.

GLENWOOD SCHOOLS

  • East School - Also named East Ward School
  • Goheen - Middle on line between Sections 26 and 25
  • Plainview - NW corner of Section 8
  • Tipton - W part of the school district until 1906
  • West Hill School and Grade - Site of present West Elementary School
  • Williams - Middle of the E line of Section 27
  • West Ward School - in Glenwood
The first school, in Coonville, in 1851 was located on Locust Street, between Coolidge and Sharp. Glenwood Street Map, 1910

In 1961, the Glenwood Community School District came into existence. Rural schools that became part of the Glenwood District, some being in the areas of Pacific Junction, Silver City and Mineola, included the following:

  • Silver, Hawthorne
  • West Liberty #2
  • Letal
  • Evernham
  • Sand Hollow
  • Gowen
  • West Liberty #1
  • West Liberty #3
  • Gowen #1
  • Gowen #3
  • Oak Bluff #1
  • Little Brick
  • Gowen #2
  • Old Pacific City
  • Williams
Source: The Illustrated Atlas of Mills and Freemont Counties, 1910 and History of Mills County, 1885
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Page updated on May 9, 2015 by Karyn Techau