of
Muscatine County Iowa
1911
| History of Muscatine County Iowa 1911 | |
Source: History of Muscatine County Iowa, Volume I, 1911, pages 236-239
PIKE TOWNSHIP. Pike township was organized in 1853. It comprises all of township 77, north of range 4 west, lying north and west of the Cedar river, and also all of township 77, north of range 3 west, lying north and west of the Cedar river. It is bounded on the north by Wapsinonoc and Goshen townships, on the east by the Cedar river, on the south by Orono township, and on the west by Johnson county. The land is mostly prairie and is watered by a drainage ditch, Wapsinonoc creek, which empties into the Cedar river, and Pike run. In the western part of the township are one or two other small streams. Through the township runs the Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern Railroad from south to north, which is crossed by a branch running from east to west at Nichols. The main line enters the township on section 32 and passes out at section 3. The branch enters the township on section 16 and running almost due west leaves it at section 18. On section 7 is a station on the branch known as Adams, while Nichols is located on the main line on sections 15 and 10.
John Nicola was an early settler in this township and has furnished the following data: "The first trustees elected in this township was Gamaliel Olds, John Rock and Mr. Odell. Olds was the first justice of the peace and Elijah Younkins the first township clerk. The Caruthers families, consisting of six boys and three girls came in 1836 and were the first settlers. They built the first log houses and took up the most of the land in sections 12, 13 and 14, township 77, 4 west. Samuel Nichols bought land of them in section 14, built a house in 1839 and with his family moved here from Ohio in 1840. There were two boys and three girls. The members of this family were: B. F. Nichols, the father of T. B. Nichols; Townsend, now of California; Elizabeth, mother of Mrs. R. C. Black; Margaret, mother of the Swickard family; and Mary, mother of Ida 0. Nash and M. W. Brockway. Up to 1848, the following had settled here: The Purington family; John Ridder Adams, father of Elias Adams; Andrew Stretch, who came from Urbana, Ohio, with his bride in 1844, and built a home near the town of Nichols; William Watkins, Winchester Coble, Thomas Newton, David Mills and John Criffield. A young physician by the name of Eaton came out and bought land but was soon taken sick and died. His was the first death in the township. His body was placed in a grave on the Gamaliel Olds' place. S. K. Rock died in 1848 and his was the first burial in what is now the Nichols cemetery.
"The first school was taught by David Purington, in 1850, in a room set apart in Jesse Purington's log house. The teacher was paid by the patrons according to the number of pupils furnished. The first schoolhouse was built in 1851 and was erected on the southwest quarter of section 14. It was a log affair. In Mr. Nicola's opinion Pike township furnished more men to put down the rebellion according to population than any other township in the state. Mr. Nicola also says that he became a member of the Samuel Nichols family in 1848 and claims to be the earliest resident still living in the township. All that were living in the township when he came have either moved away or passed to the great beyond."
On August 19, 1891, the Old Settlers' Reunion was held at Hechtner's Grove in this township, and on that occasion President Walton among other things had the following to say: "Early in the autumn of 1849 we commenced building the first frame structure in Pike township. It was a regular old fashioned affair, with forty pieces of square timber in it, most of them hewed, and all of them were oak. The comer posts were rabbeted. We don't build houses that way now. It was put up for Gamaliel Olds, who owned it until quite recently. This house was covered with plowed and dropped one-inch pine siding. As there were no planing mills in Iowa at that time, it had to be ripped, planed and grooved by hand. The grove we now occupy was known as a part of the old Caruthers farm. On the north where the Brook house now stands, Jesse and David Purington lived.
"The Frank boys lived farther up the creek; on the east and south, Major Reamer, Elias Adams, Abner Coble, William Saunders, the blacksmith, and one or two of the Caruthers. West of the creek were Samuel Nichols, John Rock, John Criffield, Gamaliel Olds and the Weston boys. Further down the prairie were the Watkins, the Stretches, the Younkins and the Brockways. These constituted the extent of the neighborhood which reached for nearly ten miles north and south.
"The school districts were constructing a log schoolhouse, the first in the township. We helped to finish it off. As soon as it was completed, we organized a 'debating' school, the older members of the community taking part. It became popular, visitors coming from all around the country. The schoolhouse was used for holding religious meetings, at least once in two weeks. Among the number of itinerant preachers that appeared was Hon. James Harlan."
NICHOLS. The town of Nichols is located on section 15, Pike township, and was so named by Benjamin F. Nichols in honor of his father, Samuel Nichols, who subscribed liberally for stock of the Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad Company, and donated to the company the right of way through his land, the company to erect a depot at this point of ground which he also donated. The first building erected in the town was in 1871, by Dr. S. H. Smith, the same being used for a drug store and a dwelling. When the Muscatine & Western Railroad was finished to this point in 1873, the company laid out an addition to the town, calling it Railroad Addition. In 1875 a second addition was made by T. Nichols. A postoffice was established in October, 1870, and Benjamin F. Nichols acted as the first postmaster, filling the position for a number of years.
Today Nichols has a population of about 400. It has three churches, Methodist Protestant, Christian and Catholic.
The Methodist Protestant church was organized in 1875, with the following charter members: William Vantuyl and wife, Miss Jennie Worden, Arnold Bliss and wife and Amos Ames and wife. A church was built in 1875 under the direction of William Vantuyl, who was a large contributor to the enterprise. The first pastor was J. A. Bolton. In 1909 improvements to the church to the value of $5,000 were made.
The Christian church was organized in the winter of 1873-4, and a house of worship was erected in the latter year. Previous to that time the people worshipped in schoolhouses, the services being conducted by Rev. John Powell of Columbus City. The first regular pastor was Rev. J. H. Painter.
The Catholic church was built in 1874 and Rev. Father Nicholas Dugan was its first pastor. Today they have a modern church building valued at $20,000.
Nichols Grove, No. 7, of the United Ancient Order of Druids was instituted July 24, 1876, and received its charter, June 12, 1877, with the following as charter members: William Schelpaper, L. Kern, F. Hager, J. Eisman, A. Schmidt, William Ditrich, William Loeb, H. F. Clausen, William Bauer and C. Weisfulg. The first officers were. J. Eisman, E. E.; H. F. Clausen, U. E.; William Schelpaper, Treas.; F. Hager, Sec.
Two branches of the Rock Island system run into the town--the Muscatine Western and the old Burlington, Cedar Rapids & Northern.
The Nichols Savings Bank is capitalized at $12,000 and has a surplus and profits of $8,000. Deposits aggregate $150,000. John Hooley of Iowa City is president; John Nicola, vice president; L. B. Smith, cashier. The directors are: T. B. Nichols, F. H. Elder, Henry Brugman, J. G. Kirchner, W. S. Baker, of Sioux Falls, South Dakota, John Hooley and John Nicola.
The Opera House was built by the Nicholas Hall Association and has a capacity of 650. The postoffice and telephone exchange are on the first floor. The town hall was built in 1897 and is a two-story brick structure, containing a room for meetings of the common council and a city jail with two cages, which are very rarely occupied.
A feature of the industries of Nichols is that of buying and shipping furs, controlled by F. M. Mapes. The shipments amount to about $20,000 a year.
Foley Brothers and Brugman Brothers operate two large elevators, each of which has a bin capacity of 15,000 bushels. Nichols is a good grain market. Also its shipments of cattle and hogs are of no inconsiderable importance.
This pretty little village takes a great pride in its unique barber shop, the walls of which are hand painted, showing beautiful landscape scenery and portraits. The artist who did the work was F. Malo Lobdell, of Davenport, a cousin of the proprietor, G. A. Griggs.
Nicholas also had a band of fifteen pieces, of which Al Quinby is the director. The members are: B. A. Kirchner, E. P. Ward, Polly Cone, Frank Hummel, G. A. Griggs, Harry Shannon, J. S. Fulmer, Fred Lobdell, C. P. Reynolds, Ward Reynolds, B. H. Black, Tom Carney, John Kirchner and Will Cone.
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