Glimpses of Douglas Township

Page 6 

 
     

Aaron and Nancy Patterson

Came to Douglas Twp. by cover wagon in 1854

 

     Douglas Township is the northeast corner of the vast prairie land of , Iowa, through which flows the West Nodaway River. Here the pioneer found water, here he found timberland for his cabin, here were plum thickets where his stock ---- shelter from the winter blizzards, here were wild fruit trees and nuts in abundance, here was prairie grass waving as far out as the eye could see, wild flowers to satisfying the heart's longing for beauty.  By March 1, 1853 cattle could be seen coming over the brow of the hill with a man on horseback driving them, then the top of a covered wagon slowly into view with a woman driving the team of horses. On they went zigzagging to avoid the brush, breaking the first crooked trail into the territory now known as Douglas Township, Montgomery County, Iowa and came into camp under the big elm trees on the banks of Sixteen Mile Creek now rightly named West Nodaway River.

                                                             

   Wm. and Ann Stipe and their three daughters were among the first to settle in . Wm. Stipe filed on land on both the north and south sides of  the Nodaway River.  He established his homestead on the south side. The land purchased from the government cost him $1.25 an acre.

 

    Digging into the records we find that the first deed in conveying land was record in April 1854, Wm. and Ann Stipe to Allan S. Donoho.

 

    The first marriage license was issued to Samuel McNeely and Miss Martha Elizabeth Donoho, January 20, 1855. Miss Donoho was the daughter of Allan Donoho.     

 

    In March 1855 the first Methodist Church in Montgomery County was organized, and at the time the circuit took in all of and all of Cass, except a small strip along the east side.  There were four preaching places --Milford (now Grant), Edna Grove (now Reno), Newland Grove and Lewis.

 

    J. W. Patterson, a resident of Douglas Township, was the first Montgomery County Treasurer.  It is believed that Mr. Hannaway was elected but did not serve, and Mr. Patterson was appointed October 14, 1853.  He was the first Worshipful Master of Villisca and Red Oak Masonic Lodge.

 

   O. S. Donoho, son of Thomas Donoho, was the first white male child born in Douglas Township September 28, 1855 and Sarah Patterson the first white female, October 4, 1855.

 

    Wm. T. Reid, a local preacher, his wife Elizabeth, and four children, Catherine, Elizabeth, William and Thomas came in May 1856.

 

   "Uncle Billie" known by that endearing name from the first, settled near a small creek (now (1953) the John Yeske farm). He preached for the Milford class when the circuit rider could not reach there because of the swollen streams or blizzards.  He was the first County Superintendent of Schools in .     

 

    The first log school house was built in 1855 by Wm. Stipe on the site where the Carl Tidgren residence is now located, but it seems no that records were kept earlier than 1865.

 

Samuel M. Smith came in 1856. He operated a saw mill and built and operated the Milford Mill which supplied it's products to many distant points by wagon.

   Milford (now Grant) was laid out in 1854 and the plat was purchased by  S. M. Smith in 1859.  The first frame house was built in 1857 by Thomas Donoho.

 

M. E. Church, Grant, Iowa

 

   
 

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