Chapter X
In May 1871, W. H. Gates arrived in Osceola County from
Buchanan County. He started with O. Dunton and T. J. Cutshall,
Dunton and Gates having teams and outfit of their own, while
Cutshall was sort of a passenger with them. Gates filed on the
southeast quarter of Section 26, Township 100, Range 42, and
Dunton and Cutshall on the south half of Section 32, Township
100, Range 41. They built, to start on, a sod house on Dunton's
claim, and made that their headquarters. Mr. Gates returned soon
after for his family, and brought them out in the fall of 1871,
and lived in the Dunton sod house during the winter of 1871 and
1872, and in the spring of 1872 he built a small house on his own
claim, which is still there, and Mr. Gates still owns the land.
At present he is a County Recorder. In the fall of 1871, after
Mr. Gates had become settled with his family, he met Mr. Glover
for the first time. Glover ventured over to the Gates household
bringing a tin pail, bearing all the marks of a siege in
batching. He modestly and timidly inquired if he could get some
milk, which was generously supplied him, and John was treated so
hospitably he ventured another request, doubtfully asking Mrs.
Gates if he could get a piece of pork rind to grease his griddle
for pancakes, and the request was accompanied with a skillful
gesture of the hand, following the movement usually made in
greasing a skillet for that purpose. Glover was surprised with a
nice piece of pork from a barrel which Gates had brought with
him, and the ex-Representative went home in a feeling of supreme
delight. Mr. Gates was very much afflicted that winter with acute
rheumatism, and no physician within forty miles. After laying
helpless for almost a month he got about again.
Cutshall alternated for several years between his claim and
cobbling shoes at Sibley. He now lives at Omaha, Nebraska. Dunton
a few years ago went to Dundee, Illinois where he now lives.
During the season of 1871 deer and elk were plenty in Osceola
County, and they who were hunters and good marksmen had plenty of
it. The next season, of 1872, the incoming railroad and influx of
settlers drove them westward, in the same direction civilization
pushes the Indians-toward the setting sun.
This Township, in which Mr. Gates settled, as will be seen
elsewhere, was first named Fenton and afterwards Viola. But few
of the 1871 and 1872 settlers are left in the Township. In 1871
John Stamm and Robert Stamm came to the County, driving through
with teams from Jefferson County, Iowa. John settled on the
southwest quarter of Section 34, Viola, and Robert on the
northeast quarter of Section 4, Holman. We will now continue as
to Viola Township. John Stamm is still a resident of the County,
and was elected Sheriff in 1891. Frank Vanamburg settled in 1871
on the southeast quarter of Section 34. The same year Theodore
Stage took a part of Section 30. Mr. Stage now lives at Little
Rock. Also in 1871, John Smith and his mother took the northwest
quarter of Section 20, he taking one and his mother the other
eighty. On this same section C.C. Collerson also settled in 1871.
H. W. Tinkhum settled the same year on a part of the northwest
quarter of Section 26. Mr. Tinkhum is now at Baraboo, Wisconsin.
The remaining part of the northeast quarter of Section 26 was
taken by Eleazar Headley in the spring of 1872. He is now in
Indiana. On this same Section 26, J. S. Patterson in 1871 took
the northwest quarter. He came from Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, and
still lives on the same piece of land. On the southwest quarter
of Section 26, J. W. Blair settled in 1871. He still owns the same
piece and resides in Kansas. J. W. Nimms filed on the northeast
quarter of Section 34 in 1871. On the northwest quarter of the
same section, J. T. Barclay settled in 1872, and put up the usual
shanty. He sold the land afterwards to W. E. Ripley, and Mr.
Barclay resides in Sibley. Also in the spring of 1872, H. Jordon
settled on the southeast quarter of section 28. Mr. Jordon was
afterwards a lawyer in Sibley, and died in -------. The remainder
of Section 28 was taken by George Carew, the northeast quarter;
D. B. Wood the northwest quarter; and Mr. Willie, the southwest
quarter. Mr. Carew still lives in Sibley, and his claim is now
owned by Jacob Brooks. Mr. Wood now lives in Springfield,
Missouri.
The northwest quarter of Section 32 was taken by James Dalton in
1871. He now lives in Buchanan County, Iowa, and Mr. Shapley owns
the claim. George S. Downend, in the spring of 1872, filed on the
northeast quarter of Section 32, and still lives on the land,
with good improvements. Mr. Downend was from New York, was in the
war, and went on crutches.
Patrick Piesley came to the county in 1871, and took the
southeast quarter of Section 32. He returned to his former home
in Wisconsin, and was married there July 3, 1873, and still lives
in Osceola County on the same piece of land. The southwest
quarter of this same section was taken by Abraham Shapley in the
spring of 1870. Mr. Shapley drove through by team from Clayton
County, and along with him was N.D. Bowles and John Gray. He put
up a comfortable home, hauling his lumber from Worthington. Mr.
Shapley had a blacksmith shop, and like the rest, had a hard time
at the start. After he had got through June of that year, he had
just three nickels left; but he had other capital, consisting of
grit, of muscle, and ambition. Mr. Shapley still lives on the
same place, has fine improvements, owns a section of land in the
county, and this year will establish his residence in Sibley, and
take life easy.
Asa Vanblorcon settled on the east half of the west half of
Section 30, in 1872, and is still living in the same place. On
this same section, Mr. Knowlton took the southeast quarter in
1871. Mr. Shapley now owns the land. The northeast quarter of
Section 30 was taken in 1872 by Henry Graham, who has since died.
On a part of Section 20 Mr. Samuel Smith filed and settled in
1872. He put up first a sod house, and now has a fine residence
and is still living on the place.
John Pann also filed on a part of Section 20 in 1872, and sold
the land this year (1892). On the east half of the northeast
quarter of Section 20, Edwin Smith filed in 1872. Mr. Smith still
holds the land, and is engaged in the hardware business at Little
Rock.
In 1872, A. B. Graves filed on the southeast quarter of Section
18, and has since died. A part of the northeast quarter of
Section 18 was taken in 1872 by A. Averhill, who now lives in
LeMars, but who still owns the land. Sidney Beckwith and Mr.
Barnard took the northwest quarter of Section 18 in 1872, which
quarter is now owned by Mr. Beckwith, and upon which he still
resides. He has other land around, since purchased. The south
half of the southwest quarter of Section 18 was taken by Mr.
Beeman in 1871. Mr. Beeman perished in the February 1872
blizzard. He was hauling logs and was lost in the storm.
David Averhill and Obid Averhill took the south half of Section 8
in 1872. David died about two years ago and Obid moved from the
county.
On the west half of the southwest quarter of Section 10, William
Rubow filed in 1872. He still owns the land, but lives in
Missouri. On this section also, Eugene and Charles Bennett
settled in 1872. Charles returned to Illinois a few years after,
and Eugene still lives in the county on the same land and is a
prosperous farmer. On Section 22 M.D. Hadsell took the northeast
quarter, John Hart the southeast quarter, J.P. Hawxshurst the
southwest quarter, and C.C. Hadsell and John Joseph the northwest
quarter. These all filed in 1872. The Hadsell's are in Nebraska,
Josephs in Kansas and J.P. Hawxshurst resides in Sibley. Peter
Shaw and Charles Shaw came in 1872, and filed between them on the
northeast quarter of Section 14. Prof. J. F. Ranson filed in 1872.
He left the county some years ago, and lives in Florence, Kansas.
Also, in 1871, C.C. Ogan filed on the southeast quarter of
Section 14. He died since in California. On the southwest quarter
of Section 14, John H. Douglass filed. This gentleman is
elsewhere mentioned.
The Scribner family among themselves took Section 12 in 1872, and
have since moved away.
On Section 24, N.J. Wetmore filed on a part of the southeast
quarter, Merritt Winchester on the southwest quarter, G. W.
Ketchem on the northwest quarter, all in 1872. Mr. Wetmore is in
DeKalb County, Illinois, Mr. Winchester in Des Moines, and Mr.
Ketchem went to Sioux City; he is now preaching on the Pacific
Coast. Levi Shell settled on the southeast quarter of Section 36
in 1872. Mr. Shell has been here ever since, and is now in the
lumber trade in Sibley. Joseph Ferrin, C.F. Torrey and Rev. Jones
also filed in 1872 on other parts of the same section. These
parties who filed on Section 36, except Mr. Shell, have been away
from the County several years. These settlers in Viola who are
still here have weathered the disagreeable hardships of the first
years of pioneer life, and are now comfortable and well off. Mr.
John Stamm's first wife died in the county in 1885. Viola is a
thrifty township, and one of the most prosperous in the County.
Among its leading farmers, in addition to those already
mentioned, are the following named gentlemen: A. Ackerman, B.
Ackerman, W. M. Achenbach, C. Barnum, R. Black, S. M. Bullington,
T. Boyenga, C. Bauman, W. Beckman, H. Branidt, W. Christian, J. W.
Councill, Henry Douglass, S.R. Dunwoody, W. Downs, D. Dexter, E.
Fisher, Geo. Gates, H. Hancuch, H. Hatterman, L. Hoffman, J.
Hollenback, E. D. Hollenbach, H. Hall, H. M. Heindres, H. Houke,
John Iverson, G. C. Iverson, B. Koolman, I. Kimball, W. Kuhn, P.
Keer, F. E. Kennedy, A. Kiser, C. Kreager, A. Lusk, H. Luterman.
J. M. Likes, H. Likes, J. Mont, D. H. Morse, S. Newman, T. P.
Norman, N. Olson, J. Peters, B. Robert, J.C. Schroder, W.F.
Smith, H. Temmenna, T. W. Tarbell, John Tann, S.S. Thatcher, H.
Vietmeyer, C. Vink, W. J Wohleater, A. A. Wyant, T. Wyant, R.
Wyant, T. P. Waldran, Fred Witt, J. H. Harbets, J. Harbets, W.
Harbets.