[IAGenWeb
 Pocahontas County, IA
USGenWeb Project
[USGenWeb


Washington Township

Washington (later Cummins) Township was established September 5, 1876. Part of the territory which was later included in Sherman Township was attached to Washington Township until April 5, 1880. Three streams of water flow through the county, the largest being Lizard Creek.

Prior to becoming Washington Township, the land first from part of Des Moines township, from the time of county organization until September 3, 1866, when it became part of Powhatan township, then called Nunda township.

On August 13, 1858, the first land sales in the township were made to non-residents of the township. Much of the township was sold this way. There were no homesteaders and no sod houses were built in the township. In July, 1867 the unsold portions of the odd-numbered sections were given as a grant to the McGregor and Sioux City Railroad Company.

In 1869 a large land sale of 2,200 acres in the region of section 32 was made by James C Strong, a resident of Dubuque County. He purchased the land for $4.00 an acre for himself and the following:

James C Strong purchased these lands from a resident of Parkersburg, John E Owens, who was also a bridgebuilder for Butler County. Ownens was paid for his bridge building by the State giving him these lands.

The first settlers of the township, arriving in 1870 were James C Strong, his brother-in-law Jason N Russell and Jonathon L Clark. Strong and Russell settled in Sherman township, and Russell was in Washinton township. Strong and Russell assisted Clark in building the first house in the township, and all three of them lived in it the first season. As soon as the house was ready, Mrs Clark and their three children arrived in the township by train. Neighbors were miles away, and the nearest towns where they could purchase goods were Fonda and Sioux Rapids, twenty miles from them.

A little later in 1871 M D Herrington and family located in section 4 in the northern part of the township. Harvey Russell moved to his brother Jason N Russells farm also in 1871. Also that year James C Strong built the second house in the township and planted the first grove. His wife and four children joined him soon afterward.

The only family to arrive in 1872 was that of Morah F Russell, who, with his wife located in section 4. Morah married Jemima Mather, a daughter of Benjamin Mather.

During the spring of 1873 Philip Hambel, wife, son and daughter located in section 33. It is noted that Philip's daughter Maggie Hambel had become the wife of Jason N Russell. (Ed note: Jason Russell is noted as being a brother-in-law to James Strong. It is not noted when his wife died.) Philip was born 1832, the son of Anthony and Elizabeth (McPeek) Hambel. He was born in Hamilton County, Indiana. His father was born in Virginia and his mother in New Jersey. In 1854 he married Amanda Jane Burus. Father Anthony Hambel was a soldier in the war of 1812. Philip served in the civil war in company A, 5th Indiana Calvary from 1862 until its close in 1865. He improved his farm over the years until 1901 when he moved to Havelock. In 1902 he moved to Long Beach, California. Philip and Amanda had three children: Margaret Elizabeth, born 12-18-1872 in Dubuque County, was married to Jason N Russell. Delilah was a teacher and married Alexander McEwen. Son William Franklin Hambel was a carpenter. He married Lulu C Blake in 1883 and located on a farm in section 33, moving to Havelock in 1892. William and Lulu had four children: Earl, Philip W, Medora Vashti and Amanda Eleanor.

During the period between late 1873 and 1878 there was only one new family which moved into the township. That being the family of Benjamin Mather who located in section 30 in 1875. This time period was also known as the "grasshopper period" and made for very hard times for pioneers on the frontier.

In 1879 J A Saddler moved into section 9. In 1880 J W Logan moved in section 13 and D C (David C) Williams into section 31.

It is later noted that David C Williams purchased his land in January, 1881. It futher states that besides section 13, he owned all of section 19. His total land owned was 1280 acres. David lived on section 19 and his son Frank Williams on section 13. David C Williams married Sarah M Chapman in 1869, who died at age 57 on June 17, 1887. David died in 1889. Sarah M Williams was first married to D B Chapman in 1847 and they lived in Monmouth, Illinois. In 1849 the removed to Arkansas. About 1859 the Chapmans moved back to Illinois. D B and Sarah M had a daughter, Mary L Chapman. D B Chapman died at Eau Clare, Wisconsin in 1864. Sarah and David C lived in Cedar Falls after they were married.
Mary L Chapman later became a very prominent school teacher. In 1886 she married Professor Albert C Page who was then principal of the Waterloo High School.

In 1880 the following newcomers were registered to vote in the township:

Here is an abstract of the 1880 census which includes all the residents I could find from those listed above.

In 1881 the Toledo and Northwestern Railroad began surveying through Washington township and brought new residents to the township. People noted as arriving in 1881 were:

In 1882 the Toledo and Northwestern Railroad began running and the town of Havelock was founded in section 35 of Washington township. New residents who arrived in 1882 were:

The family of Thomas and Charlotte Gill, besides the children listed above, also consisted of:

  • Miller, J B
  • Miller, M D
  • Nolan (Nowlan), David
    David Nowlan (Nolan), besides being an MD was postmaster at Havelock. He was born in 1842 to Michael and Florence Nowlan. He had nine brothers. He lived on his parents farm in Toulon, Stark County, Illinois until the age of 19 when he enlisted in Company B, 37th Illinois Infanty. He spent three years and three months in the civil war. In 1867 he married Mary C Smead who was born in 1849, the daughter of Alonzo Smead, M.D. of Fon du Lac, Wisconsin. In 1873 he lived in Pomeroy, Calhoun County and in 1875 Jasper County where he took a course in medicine, taught by his brother-in-law DR C C Smead. In 1876 he received his medical diploma and set up an office in Rensnor, Jasper County. He moved to the new town of Havelock in June, 1882 where he set up a sucessful business. David and Mary had two children: Brete Cassius who was born in 1878. He graduated from Havelock high school in 1894, and then taught at the school for five terms. In 1900 he graduated from the Electrical Engineering Department of the Iowa State Agricultural College. He later removed to Fargo, North Dakota. Edward R, was born in 1881. He graduated from Havelock High School in 1898. He also studied Electrical engineering at Iowa State and later removed to Denver, Colorado.
  • Parks, M B
  • Potter, John Calvin - was born in New York in 1855. He is the son of Reverend W A Potter who later served for 15 years as the pastor of the Baptist Church in Monticello, Wisoncin. Prior to living in Wisconsin the Potter family also lived in Ohio. In 1880 John C Potter married Lucy C Marshall and they farmed near Albany, Wisconsin. They moved to a farm in section 3, Washtington Township in 1882. They were the first occupants of this land. In 1887 John C and wife moved to Havelock, where he and Samuel H Gill joined and established the Citizens Bank. John Calvin and Lucy Potter had six children-LaVerne, who was born in Wisconsin, Winifred, Pearl, Lona, John C and Marshall, who were all born in Pocahontas County.

    Rev W A Potter (d. 1880) was married to Harriet (nee Capon) Potter (d. 1894), and their other children were: Elmer who lived in Monticello, Wisconsin. John C Potter, who lived in Havelock. Juliette Potter, who married Ross Dennis who was a painter in Rolfe. Cora Potter, who married W S Cox of Havelock. Frank A Potter who works in the grain business in Rolfe. William A Potter who is the deputy sheriff of Pocahontas County and lives in Havelock.

  • Spurrier, H E
  • Talbot, Charles

    More people arrived during the period of 1883 until 1885. Some of those were:

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    Information transcribed, compiled and arranged by Tim Meyer, copyright 2003 - 2004