Mills County, Iowa

Ingraham Township History

Source: The Illustrated Historical Atlas of Mills and Fremont Counties, Iowa 1910.

The Mormon Arrival

The year 1845 found the country contained within the limits of Ingraham Township entirely unoccupied. The Indians, the former possessors had been removed, and the white man had not entered into his heritage. The next year brought in a flood of colonists. The Mormons, fifty thousand strong, driven from Nauvoo, had set out, ill equipped and scantily provided, to make their way over unknown trails to the then unexplored shores of the Great Salt Lake. The journey across Southern Iowa, then entirely unsettled, and devoid of roads and bridges, was so full of hardships, and left such a trail of newly filled graves, as to appall even this band of enthusiasts. On reaching the banks of the Missouri, it was judged advisable to halt here for a year or so, and make more adequate preparation for the stupenduous journey yet before them. One company made such a settlement on the east bank of Silver Creek, at a place known as the Rock Ford crossing, some three to four miles south of where Silver City now stands. Most of this party gathered into a town, named Cutler, after their leader.

This town of log cabins extended for a mile up and down the creek; contained besides the dwellings a meeting house, stores, carpenter and blacksmith shops, etc. The company built a mill on the banks of Prairie Creek a mile southeast of Silver City. A 'sash saw" driven by the water of Prairie Creek furnished some lumber for the needs of the colonists. But the most urgent need of the settlers was food, and all set to work to clear patches of land and plant the seed. Shunning the prairie land as sterile, the settlers with much labor made their plantations in the belt of timber that lined the east side of Silver Creek. Part of this colony was within the limits of Ingraham, and this was the first white settlement. A good crop rewarded the labors of the settlers, and lifted them from the condition of semi-starvation that had been their lot for so long. Remaining to harvest a second crop; the Mormons again resumed their journey. At the end of three or four years all save a few moved on, and these few had decided to remain here and make their homes in Iowa. By this time the advance guard of "Gentile" homeseekers had began to arrive. These purchased the claims and improvements of the departing Mormons. The log cabins of the defunct town of Cutler served for homes for most of the newcomers for years. Instead of gathering into a village like their predecessors the last arrivals spread out over the unoccupied lands. But they too generally shunned the open prairie in selecting their homes, shelter and an abundance of fuel, and accessability in water being considered all important. So it was that those who had the first choice of all the land, usually made the poorest selection from an agricultural point of view.

Ingraham Township, consisting so largely of prairie land, as a consequence attracted but few settlers, and those located along the valley of Silver Creek. The result was that the township developed very slowly, much more so than other parts of the county where the soil was much poorer. Less than a score of families scattered along the creek constituted the sole population of the township after two decades had elapsed. The prospect for the future was not bright, although it was now known that the prairie lands were very fertile, the problem of fencing was yet to be solved, and building material of any sort was scarce and high in price. The lack of any railroad, or other adequate means of transportation made the reward of the farmer for his labor very scanty. Council Bluffs was the chief trading point and thither resorted the settler to exchange his products for the supplies he was compelled to have, and as might be supposed the prices he was forced to accept were quite low. Live stock found their way to market "on the hoof" those days. For years a long trail of bones marked the spot where one unlucky man had attempted to drive a large herd of hogs to "The Bluffs" on a hot summer's day. Two or three school houses meagerly supplied the educational wants of the township, and furnished a gathering place for religious services and political meetings.

The constant passing of the great caravans of "Prairie Schooners," conveying the westward bound emigrants, furnished the chief sensation of the settlement, causing many a settler, discouraged with the slow gains and unpromising outlook, to sell his possessions and to join the never ending procession. The outbreak of the civil war caused others who wished to avoid being entangled in the strife to seek new homes across the plains of Nebraska, and the Mountains of Colorado.

Township Beginnings

This was the condition of the township by the year 1863, when eighteen men constituted the voting population. But with the close of the war and the resumption of the building of railroads across the state a new era began. With the certainty that not only one but numerous railroads would soon traverse southwest Iowa, settlers poured in, lands hitherto of little value became in demand, and improvements were inaugrated in every direction. No longer confining themselves to the valley of Silver Creek, the settlers spread over every part of the township. And soon every acre of tillable land was reduced to cultivation, good houses and farm buildings were erected in every direction and the whole surface of the country was transformed. A large number of emigrants from Germany and England set an example for well kept farms and good husbandry. Less than a decade had witnessed this change from the straggling frontier settlement to a prosperous farming community covering the whole township. But although more than one railroad was near the township none had been built within her borders. For years it was anticipated that sooner or later a railroad would be constructed up the valley of Silver Creek in the general direction of Council Bluffs. But not until the year 1879 was work actually begun on the road that was to influence the township so vitally.

H.H. Huffaker secured from the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railway Company the location of a station on his farm. The town of Silver City, Iowa began its existence in the spring of 1879. A.U. Crosby, W.G. Moore and Nathan Brookhouser were the first merchants beginning business in 1879. The post office was established in 1880 with A.U. Crosby as postmaster.

The Fires

Silver City has had three disastrous fires. The first occurred in 1882, sweeping everything on east North Main street except Hintz Hotel and L.W. Russel & Co. general merchandise. The second in 1891 when the whole of east North Main street was consumed. The third in 1892 when west Main was all burned down except two buildings. At the present time substantial brick buildings fill the places of those destroyed.

Town Establishments

Silver City State Bank was organized in 1883 with C.G. Greenwood as president and W.B. Oaks as cashier. L.W. Huffaker has been Justice of the Peace of Ingraham Township continually for thirty two years. The first church build in the town was of the Baptist denomination in 1880 with Rev. Coffee as pastor. The M. E. church was built in 1885 with Rev. O'Fling as pastor. Silver City has twenty one business houses including one newspaper, two churches, a five roomed brick school building with a faculty of five. Twelve grades are taught. The fraternal organizations represented are the Masonic, IOOF., M.W. of A. The township has a cemetery of six acres kept in splendid condition by the Ladies' Cemetery Association. The town has four miles of four-foot cement walk.

  • Early settlers to Lyons-Rawles Township during the 1840's and 1850's included:
    • George Bosworth
    • J.S. Coburn
    • C.G. Greenwood
    • T. Hargett
    • Lew Hettinger
    • H.H. Huffaker
    • L.W. Huffaker
    • M.E. Huffaker
    • W. Mains
    • K.P. Mass
    • R. A. Moore
    • W.G. Moore
    • W. B. Oaks
    • F.R. Pettit
    • A.P. Reeve
    • J.J. Taylor
    • C.A. Roomel
    • S.G. Sidener

SILVER CITY

Source: History of Mills County, 1881

This active infant city is situated in the western part of Ingraham township, near Silver Creek, on the Wabash, St. Louis & Pacific railway. It is ten miles from Glenwood, the county seat. It commands a rich and established farm trade. The railroad communications are excellent, giving it speedy access to one of the greatest markets in the west. The first store was built by A.W. CrosbyW.G. Moore, and the third, a general merchandise store, by S.M. Wiatt, all completed in the summer of 1879, and before the town was laid out.

The railroad company on whose line the place is situated, laid the town out in the fall of 1879. The plat embraces some seventy acres. A pleasant and commodious school-house was built at a cost of two thousand five hundred dollars. The building stands in a very pleasant location and will seat some two hundred pupils. The usual kinds of business are here found, all in the hands of men who are not only energetic, but enthusiastic in their labors for their chosen home. The town is feeling their influence, and the result is proving how well they have labored. The Silver City elevator is owned by Edwin Moore. It is an entirely new structure, completed in December, 1880, at a cost of nearly five thousand dollars. It possesses all the appliances of a well-regulated modern elevator, and has a storage capacity of some twenty-five thousand bushels. The company or firm of which Mr. Moore is a member operates a number of elevators in different towns in southwestern Iowa, and the extent of their business may be readily inferred therefrom.

Ghost Towns of Ingraham Township

WARD

Source: Ghost Towns of Mills County Iowa, 1975 by Allen Wortman, used with permission. 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 of 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 Burgoin (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 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 cedar and some 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 passsengers. 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 ofHurlbert Benton about 1880."

"In 1884 Mr. Benton sold the homestead to Frank H. Plumer and in 1941 it passed to Arthur Burgoin 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 was corn picking time when the barn burned. 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 the 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 listened 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 was 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 busket of water in at 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 as 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 landowner. 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."

  • Abandoned Post Offices, Ingrahamp Township
    • Ingraham, James Goodman, Est. 25 Apr 1854; discontinued 6 Oct 1859; location not known
    • Stage Coach Inn, George Goff, Est. 22 Apr 1867; discontinued 30 Jun 1868; on site of later town of Silver City


INGRAHAM TOWNSHIP CHURCHES

First Baptist Church Organized 1876. Original members included: George W. Sidner and Harriet (Lathrop) Sidener, Sidney Sidner and Esther (Guthrie) Sidener, C. D. Hawley and Harriet (Campbell) Hawley, Rachel (Sidener) Smawley, M. A. Dupree, Silas Morse and Betsey (Hallam) Morse, Rufus Bevier and Alice (Hawley) Bevier, Julia Skanks, M. A. Chambers, Mrs. H. A. Hanley, Phoebe Simpson, J. M. Moffitt, Mrs. Cynthia (Moffitt) Allison, Mrs. Sarilda (Sidener) Wolverton.

Methodist Church Organized 1881 in Silver City. Early members, families of Robert Plumb, John Parker, A. H. Crosby, G. N. Mandigo, Benjamin Weidner, Ben Martin, Adam Markel, J. C. Christy, James Frazier and John Frazier, J. P. Fall, O. W. Chapman, Mrs. W. G. Moore, Mrs. Dorothy Campbell and Mrs. Mary Sidener.

  • Ingraham Township Schools
    • Excelsior - SW corner, Section 4
    • Ingraham Center - middle of west line, Section 13
    • Mt. Vernon - NE corner, Section 10
    • Osborn Valley - NW corner, Section 33
    • Pleasant Hill - SE corner, Section 27
    • Prairie Creek - middle of west line, Section 21
    • Prairie Valley - NE corner, Section 36
    • Silver City - in town of Silver City
    • Silver Creek - NW corner, Section 7
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Page updated on March 2, 2019 by Karyn Techau