of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 248-249
ORONO TOWNSHIP. Orono township was organized March 8, 1858, and is located in the extreme southwestern part of the county. It comprises all of township 76, north of range 4 West, lying West of the Cedar river and is bounded on the north by Pike township, on the east by the Cedar river, and on the south and west by Louisa COunty. The Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad passes through the township from SOuth to north, having on its line two stations--Port Allen and Conesville, while the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad enters the township at section 19, and passing east, leaves the township at the northeast corner of section 24. UpOn entering the township, this road crosses the Burlington about a half mile south of Conesville.
Port Allen was laid out and platted by Cyril Carpenter, November 18, 1871, on section 31, in the southeast corner of the township. Here a depot Was built and a store opened, the proprietors of the latter being W. H. Crocker & Company. The village never acquired any importance Worthy of mention.
CONESVILLE. Conesville is a thriving town situated in about the central part of Orono township on the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railway, and is in the center of the most prominent watermelon and sweet potato producing section of the state. The town got its name from Beebe S. Cone, an extensive landowner of many years ago. Cone settled here in the early days and purchased land to the extent of several thousand acres. This village is considered an important one, from the products it sends out to the markets in the way of watermelons and sweet potatoes. At this place is located a good graded school and two churches, the Grace Reformed and the Methodist Episcopal. There are also tWo fraternal orders.
CONESVILLE METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH. In 1900 Rev. C. E. Fitzsimmons, pastor of the Conesville Methodist church, started the movement for obtaining subscriptions for a new building for his congregation, which was carried to a successful completion. The work of construction was commenced in the spring of 1901 and the cornerstone was laid August 27th of the same year. January 12, 1902, the church was dedicated, the service being conducted by Rev. Manley S. Hard, D. D., of Philadelphia, assisted by the pastor and Rev. Shriver of the Reformed church. The cost of the building Was $3,000.
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