MUSCATINE COUNTY IOWA

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        In 1847, William Lundy came to Muscatine County. The town of Atalissa stands on the eighty acres of land which he owned and is situated in the northeastern part of the township on Section II, on the line of the Chicago Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The land was surveyed by Peter Houtz and the town plat filed for record by Mr. Lundy and John P. Cook, who later became a partner in the ownership with William Lundy, January 31, 1856.

       While mining in California, Captain Lundy was living near a small mining village called Atalissa. The village was named for an Indian princess of one of the tribes. Being pleased with the name, he adopted it for the town. At that time he remarked that the first female child born on the premises and named Atalissa would be presented with a corner lot. Miss Atalissa Davis was the fortunate one to receive this lot. Atalissa was one of the best watering places for the railroad between Davenport and Des Moines. An immense spring twenty-five to thirty feet in diameter, situated in the northwest corner of the town, furnished all the water for the railroad tank. William Lundy donated this spring to the Railroad Company. A post office was established in the town in 1856. N. C. Swank served as the first postmaster. He also erected the first building in which he conducted a store.

       Among the earliest settlers in Goshen Township, who came during the years 1837-1842, James Thompson, Mr. Boggs, Thomas Odell, William G. Holmes, John McIntosh, Samuel Fletcher, Elias Overman and James V. Smith.

       The Atalissa Savings Bank occupied a modern brick building on Main Street. The bank was capitalized at $12,000.00 and had a surplus of $6,000.00. Its deposits aggregated at $125,000.00. The bank was organized in 1902. The Officers of the bank at that time were: President George W. Black, Vice-president J. Ervin Evans, Cashier S.H. Archibald, Assistant cashier John G. VanHorn. The directors were: R. W. Hinkhouse, C.C. Croxen, J. Ervin Evans, Henry Schmidt, John G. Klein, C. G. Brown and G. W. Black.

       Atalissa had three churches, Presbyterian, Christian and German Lutheran. The Presbyterians first, held meetings in the depot building in April 1857. Rev. Charles F. Beach was the pastor. He organized a society with the following charter members: William Kelley, J. D. Guild and wife, J. M. Guild and wife, Samuel Croxen and Mrs. Margaret Rilchey. A church was built the same year and its first pastor was Rev. Dudley.

       Elder J. C. Hay, there being thirty-six charter members organized the Christian Church in June 1870. The first church was built in September 1871.

       As early as 1857, the Methodists were organized into a society but met with indifferent success. Services were abandoned and new organizations were made at various times.

       Atalissa had a splendid high school for the four-year course and a grammar school. In the spring of 1911, the contract was let for a new high school building to cost $8,000.00.

       The records of Ionic Lodge, No. 12, A. F. & A. M., were burned but a duplicate charter was issued June 7, 1866. The first officers, under this charter, were T. L. Ady, William Lundy-S. W. and James McIntosh-J. W.

       Rose of Sharon Lodge No. 101, I. O. G. T. was organized May 2, 1876. The first officers were William Lundy, W. C. T., Eunice Cornwell, W. V. T., C. F. Aiken, Secretary, Linnie Harris, financial secretary, O. Cornwell, P., Lot Porter, Chaplain, J. S. Rowe, marshal, Eliza Rowe, I. G., Walter Waters, sentinel, Zephy Wright, Assistant secretary, Fanny Neff, deputy marshal, Susan Parker, R. H. S., Josephine H. Clark, L. H. S.

       The Atalissa Temperance Reform Club was organized in May 1876, with John Wilshire, as president, V. R. Rowe as secretary and Samuel Desbro as treasurer.

       Atalissa was quite a business center and was noted for its shipments of livestock. About fifty…

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… cars of grain, eight acres of hay and considerable fruit and other products were shipped each year. From this point, $12,000.00 to $15,000.00 worth cream was also shipped each year. The town had two general stores, a drug store, meat shop, good hotel, grain elevator, blacksmith shop and cement factory, good churches, a high school and a grammar school.

       On the thirty-first day of January 1856, William Lundy and John P. Cook owned and laid out the town of Atalissa as indicated on the plat. They reserved on account of and for the sole use of the Mississippi and Missouri Railroad Company the use of the sharing on the track, hereon platted and the right to convey the water thereof under-ground across said plat to their depot ground. It is hereby acknowledged that the disposition of the land shown by this map is with their free consent and in accordance with their desire.

       William Doolun, Notary Public, signed this statement in the State of Iowa, Scott County, Iowa.

       The requirements of the law having been complied with in lying out and acknowledging this, that it is ordered and directed that the said plat acknowledgement and memorandum are recorded according to law. Witnessed by Geo. Moeasen, County Judge in the State of Iowa, Muscatine County on the fourteenth day of January 1856.

Description of Goshen Township Platt Map as drawn up January 31, 1856 that gives the railroad the right of way to the land and use of Atalissa’s water.