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Des Moines township was organized on March 15, 1859 at the home of Henry Jarvis. This is the same day the organization of the county was effected. The township was named after the river that flows in a southeastern direction through the eastern part of the township. Prior to the organization of the township, it was settled by "pre-emptors". A pre-emptor was "any one who was the head of a family, a widow or a single person over the age of twenty one years and a citizen of the United States (or had filed a declaration of intent) might locate on these unoccupied lands and file a claim with the register of the land office for that district for any number of acres not exceeding one hundred and sixty, if it was beyond the limits of any railway grant". The first step in doing this was to move to the land and begin improvements on it. The first settlers of Des Moines and Lizard Townships secured their homes under this law. The first "pre-emptors" of Des Moines township are noted as: Edelman, James Harris, Samuel N Hunt, Daniel W James, John A Jarvis, Henry - township trustee 1864, 1868, 1872-1873 The 1880 US census lists the Jarvis household as follows: Henry-age 48 born-England Occupation-Farmer Parents born-England Mary- age 41 born-England Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-England George-son age-20 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Anna-daughter age-18 born-Iowa Occupaton-At Home Nellie-daughter age-16 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Rose-daughter age-14 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home William-son age 12 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Minnie-daughter age-10 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Frank-son age-9 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Charles-son age-7 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home John-son age-5 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Bertie-son age-4 born-Iowa Occuaption-At Home Clara-daughter age-1M born-Iowa Occupcation-At Home Smith, Frank-Other age-27 born-Iowa Occupation-Employee-Farmer Father born-New York Mother born-Pennsylvania Jarvis, William - township trustee 1859-1865, 1867-1872, 1875-1877 The William Jarvis household at the time of the 1880 US census: William age-50 born-England Occupation-Farmer Parents born-England Sara-daughter(Wife) age-54 born-England Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-England Sarah-daughter age-11 born-Iowa Occupation-At School Father born-England Mother born-New York Haviland, Della-other age-21 born-Iowa Occupation-School Teacher Parents born-New York Sandy, James-other age-48 born-England Occupation-Farmer Parents born-England Malcom, A H Nowlan (Nowlen), Julia - wife of Perry Nowlen. See their story under Perry Nowlen, in the Early Settlers section father down the page. Slosson, Orlando - township trustee 1864 The 1880 census shows the family living in Powhatan township Orlando age-39 born-New York Occupation-Farmer Father born-Vermont Mother born-New York Hariet-wife age-25 born-Iowa Occupation-Keeping House Father born-Michigan Mother born-Indiana Hattie-daughter age-4 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Lois-daughter age-1 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Smith, Guernsey Smith, James Strait, John Struthers, Robert - township trustee 1859, 1861-1864, 1867-1871 The 1880 census lists their family as follows Robert age-50 born-Canada Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Scotland Susannah-wife age-51 born-Canada Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-Scotland William-son age-23 born-Illinois Occupation-Farmer Maggie-daughter age-17 born-Illinois Occupation-At Home Susan-daughter age-16 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Andrew-son age-14 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Grace-daughter age-12 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Robert A-son age-10 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Struthers, William The 1880 US census lists the household- William age-44 born-Canada Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Scotland Anna-wife age-45 born-Canada Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-Scotland John-son age-17 born-Iowa Occupation-at home William-son age-15 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Nellie-daughter age-13 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Lizzie-daughter age-11 born-Iowa Occupation-at home George-son age-5 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Leslie-son age-2 born-Iowa Occupation-at home The homestead act of May 20, 1862 went in to effect on January 1, 1863. Those who secured lands in Des Moines township by homesteading were: Bishop, David (brother-in-law of Benjamin L Inman) Campbell, Charles J Information from the 1880 US Census Charles age-52 born-New York Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Scotland Christine-wife age-36 born-Scotland Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-Scotland George-son age-15 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Joseph-son age-12 born-Iowa Occupation-at home William-son age-7 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Not Named-daughter age-10M born-Iowa Occupation-at home Chatfield, Richard Clason, William Cooper, Beriah - (1807-1873) was born in Vermont, the son of Thomas E Cooper. The family moved to New York state, and Beriah married Joanna Vaughn (1812-1883). Beriah and Joanna had six children: Elizabeth - who married John Barker. They moved to California and had 7 children Hiram - lived in Clayton county. Henry - see bio, below Thomas - see bio, below Lois - who married Robert Lowrey. They live with Lois's brother Thomas on their fathers homestead. Caroline - married A H Hancher. (see bio) Cooper, Henry (son of Beriah)- township trustee 1870-1871. He was born in New York on September 18, 1837. He moved to the township in May 1861. He married Mary M Drown (b. 1840) a daughter of Roswell Drown of Ogle County, Illinois. He located his homestead of 160 acres in section 6. Mary died in 1891 and in 1897 he married Clara Grant, the daughter of James and Harriet (nee Nichols) Grant. They had six children, but 4 died in childhood. The two who lived are Helen B Cooper, who married David Rud in 1889. They lived in Dow City. Son Orrin Alburtis (b 12-3-1875) is on the farm. The 1880 census lists the household as follows: Henry age-41 born-New York Occupation-Farmer Parents born-New York Mary age-38 born-New York Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-New Hampshire Roswell-son age-13 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Nellie-daughter age-11 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Ed-son age-9 born-Iowa Occupation-At home May-daughter age-8 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Albert-son age-4 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Cooper, Thomas (son of Beriah) - township trustee 1880-1884, 1895-1897. He was born in New York in 1844. He secured his homestead of 160 acres on section 6. From the 1880 US Census: Thomas age-37 born-New York Occupation-Farmer Parents born-New York Joanna-Mother age-66 born-New York Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-New York Lowry, Lois-sister age-38 born-New York Occupation-Keeping house Metcalf, Carlie-niece age-17 born-Iowa Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-New York Drown, Roswell 1880 US Census: Roswell age-69 born-New York Occupation-Farmer Father born-New York Mother born-Vermont Diana age-60 born-Vermont Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-Vermont Harris, Roderick Inman, Benjamin (brother-in-law of David Bishop)- township trustee 1872-1878 Here is information from the 1880 US Census: B L age-45 born-Pennsylvania Occupation-Farmer Father born-Connecticut Mother born-New York Nancy age-44 born-Pennsylvania Occupation-Keeping house Father born-Connecticut Mother born-Vermont Clara-daughter age-18 born-Wisconsin Occupation-At home Saloma-daughter age-15 born-Pennsylvania Occupation-At home Capitola-daughter age-13 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Winifred-daughter age-11 born-Iowa Occupation-At home John-son age-9 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Lyman-son age-8 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Llelleyn-son age-5 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Lothian, John W (son of Robert) Lothian, Robert - township trustee 1878-1879 Lothian, William (son of Robert) The 1880 US Census list the family as follows: William age-28 born-Canada Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Scotland Sarah age-20 born-Indiana Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-Indiana William-son age-2 born-Iowa Occupation-At home John-son age-11 months born-Iowa Occupation-At home Bickell, Mary-Other age-51 Born-Indiana Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-Indiana Lothian, Robert (son of Robert) From the 1880 US Census: Robt age-32 born-Scotland Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Scotland Kate age-31 born-Indiana Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-Indiana Clarence-son age-6 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Janet-daughter age-11 months born-Iowa Occupation-At home Robert-Father age-60 born-Scotland Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Scotland Janet-Mother age-60 born-Scotland Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-Scotland Powers, Nancy-Other age-16 born-Iowa Occupation-Housekeeping Father born-Ireland Mother born-Iowa Early Residents The following are early residents found among lists of township officers. It is not noted exactly when they arrived or on what section they resided. Baker, Thomas - township trustee 1875-1876 From the 1880 US Census: Thomas age-55 born-England Occuation-Farmer Parents born-England Mary-wife age-33 born-Iowa Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-England Hariet-daughter age-5 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Lulu-daugther age-3 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Watson-son age-10 monts born-Iowa Occupation-at home Mathers, James-other age-21 born-Iowa Occupation-Farmer Parents born-England Belknap, Isaac N - township trustee 1862-1863 Broadwall, John W - township trustee 1883-1885, 1887-1895 Bromley, Owen - township assessor 1872-1873; township clerk 1874-1875 Brown, E C - township trustee 1870-1871 From the 1880 US Census: E C age-59 born-New York Occupation-Laborer Parents born-New York Caroline age-58 born-New York Occupation-Keeping house Father born-Rhode Island Mother born-New York Charles-son age-18 born-Wisconsin Occuation-At home Harrison, R - other age-22 born-Wisconsin Occupation-Telegraph Operator Father born-New York Mother born-Wisconsin Chiquet, William-other age-19 born-Minnesota Occupation-Printer Father born-Switzerland Mother born-Sweden Bruce, J J - township trustee 1879-1881 From the 1880 US Census James age-38 born-New York Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Ireland Mary age-28 born-Canada Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-England Willie-son age-11 born-Iowa Occupation-At school Marion-son age-9 born-Iowa Occupation-At school George-son age-7 born-Iowa Occupation-At school Robert-son age-5 born-Iowa Occupation-At school James-son age-2 born-Iowa Occupation-At home John-son age-6 months born-Iowa Occupation-At home Converse, Charles Crozat - purchased several thousand acres in 1862. Was county judge from 6-2-1862 through 10-19-1863. Farmer, John W - township clerk 1875-1876 Fisher, Lot - township assessor 1869. Noted as living in the township from 1864-1895. He is a native of Somersetshire, England. While in England he married Sara Peters in 1856 and soon afterward moved to Dubuque County, Iowa. Lot and Sara had eight children, seven of which lived. Mary Ann - who, in 1877 married Niels A Lind. Susanna - who married Thomas Rogers in 1879. They had three children-Mabel, Rose and LuLu Viola. Thomas - born in Iowa 1861, married Cora Harris and has 160 acres in Des Moines township. They have three children-Earl, Lee and Ray John - born 1866, married Emma Cline in 1894. The moved to Palo Alto county and owned 120 acres. They had two children - Susanna and John Walton. Henrietta - who married Harry Seaman in 1893. The live in Humboldt county and have one child, Leonard. Rosalina - a milliner was living at home Lottie - who graduated from Rolfe in 1898 and was a teacher, also at home The 1880 US Census lists them as follows: Lot age-45 born-England Occupation-Farmer Parents born-England Sarah age-47 born-England Occpuation-Keeping House Parents born-England Mary-daughter age-23 born-Iowa Occupation-At Home Thomas-son age-19 born-Iowa Occupation-Farmer John-son age-13 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Rosalind-daughter age-10 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Henrietta-daughter age-7 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Lottie-daughter age-1 born-Iowa Occupation-at home Luff, Edmund-other age-20 born-England Occupation-Farmer Parents born-England Frost, R S - township assessor 1881-1883 Hait, W H - township clerk 1859-1863, 1878-1879, 1894-1900. Township trustee 1873-1877, 1894-1899 Harris, S N - township clerk 1877 Harvey, Lawrence - township trustee 1878-1879 Heald, J A - 1873-1874 From the 1880 US Census: John A age-60 born-Vermont Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Vermont Aurilla age-60 born-New York Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-Vermont Garlick, Heman-other age-22 born-Wisconsin Occupation-farmer Parents born-Wisconsin Harp, Lucie-daughter age-35 born-New York Occupation-Keeping House Harp, Elma-grand daughter age-10 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Harp, Lizzie-grand daughter age-6 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Harp, Arthur-grand son age-1 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Hewlett, Alfred - township trustee 1878-1879 From the 1880 US Census: Alfred age-63 born-England Occupation-Farmer Parents born-England Christine-wife age-40 born-England Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-England James-son age-14 born-Iowa Occupation-At home John-son age-13 born-Iowa Occupation-At home George-son age-11 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Jensen, Peter - a native of Denmark came to this country in 1869 with his neighbor Claus Johnson (below). Together they leased to farm of Perry Nowlen for a year. Peter married in 1870 and leased another farm. He had four children-Anna, Mary, Clarence and Peter. Johnson, Claus - township trustee 1879-1881. He was born in Denmark in 1847. On February 19, 1877 he married Claudina C Lind of Powhatan. They had six children: Andrew W, who was a jeweler at Spencer, IA; Fred J, Claus C, Christina and Albert L. The 1880 US Census: Claus age-32 born-Denmark Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Denmark Christina age-22 born-Denmark Occupation-Keeping house Parents born-Denmark Emma-daughter age-3 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Andew-son age-1 born-Iowa Occupation-At home Lorimer, A H - township clerk 1880-1881 Mather, R - township clerk 1881 Metcalf, Fred A - township clerk 1864-1865 Nowlen, Perry - township trustee 1859-1860, 1880-1882 Their household as abstracted from the 1880 US census Perry age-56 born-New York Occupation-Farmer Parents born-New York Julia age-60 born-New York Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-New York Charles-son age-21 born-Iowa Occupation-Farmer Lowry, Mary-other age-20 born-Iowa Occupation-Keeping House Parents born-Ireland Bartley, Samuel-other age-24 born-Illinois Occupation-Farmer Parents born-Ireland Thomas, Henry - township trustee 1865-1866 Vannatta, George - 1870-1871 Williams, Peter - township trustee 1882-1884 Young, Jeremiah - township trustee 1865-1866 The following men living in Des Moines township volunteered for the civil war in 1861- Cooper, Henry - survived the war and returned to Pocahontas county Evans, Hiram (not sure when he arrived-first mention of him)- moved to Montana where he married and later died Malcolm, A H - survived the warand returned to Pocahontas county Slosson, Oscar (possibly related to Orlando Slosson? First reference to him)- survived the war. Township trustee 1860, 1866-1869 The following men living in Des Moines township volunteered for the civil war in 1862- Barnes, Richard - killed at Petersburg Gaylor, John - moved to Kansas after the war Hood, James Mills, Andrew - was wounded and captured during the Wilson Raid. He was imprisoned at Andersonville from June 1864 to March 1865, dying a short time later. Sherman, William H - moved to Delaware after the war Other men who volunteered later in the war were - Fegles, William S - survived the war and returned to Pocahontas county. Prior to joining the war he married Elizabeth Harris and theirs was the first wedding in Pocahontas county. He owned all of section 13 east of the Des Moines river until 1878. He then moved to Holt Co Nebraska. He was clerk of Des Moines township for nine years and secretary of the school board for seven. Jarvis, Charles W - moved to Humboldt county Iowa Tilley, Henry - survived the war and returned to Pocahontas county Quigley, Dennis - survived the war and returned to Pocahontas county. He had married before enlisting and returned to farming after the war. He later removed to Mallard in Palo Alto county. Quigley, Thomas - survived the war and returned to Pocahontas county As a note, in 1862 the population of Pocahontas County was 122. There were only three townships in the county at that time and Des Moines furnished 14 volunteers. This has been a source of pride for the county. First County Seat The first county seat of Pocahontas county was in Old Rolfe, which was in the north east corner of the south west quarter of section 26, Des Moines township. Old Rolfe was originally called Highland and/or Highland City, at least during the year 1860. That is the year the first court house was built and court was held in it. In January 1861 a survey to plat the area around the courthouse was begun by Egbert Bagg, who lived in Fort Dodge. Once the area around the courthouse was platted, W H Hair, with the approval of the people, asked that the name of the town be changed from Highland to Milton, after the town from which Mr Hait had arrived from. However, when the applied for a post office with the name Milton they were refused as the name was already in use in Van Buren county. The name was changed to Rolfe in 1862, and the name Milton was still being used as late as 1866. The name of the town was changed yet again in 1882 when the railroads were being built and crossed each other at a point four miles southwest of the city. The town of Highland/Milton/Rolfe was then changed to Parvin. These name changes were just too much and the Pocahontas county pioneer town ceased to exist. Home Information transcribed, compiled and arranged by Tim Meyer, copyright 2003 - 2004 |