History of Carson Township, 1907

  CARSON TOWNSHIP: The early history of Carson Township is identical with that of Macedonia of which it was a part. The egg from which both the township and town was hatched was Loshe's Mill. With the opening up of the branch roads from Hastings and Avoca, both township and town rapidly gained importance. The township is small, having but twenty-four sections, twelve of which were detached from Macedonia and as many from Belknap. Both are named in honor of a prominent railroad official. The township is of the same quality that obtains all along the Botna Valley, than which the world has no better. The farmers are largely engaged in stock raising and becoming wealthy, while the town is assuming the dignity of a city, although it has been twice tried by fire.

The town was incorporated in 1881 and the first mayor was W. W. Gardner, and the first council consisted of the following persons: Dr. F. S. Thomas, Wm. H. Graff, A. J. Anderson, Isaac Culberson, James Ellis, and S. P. Hardenbrook. The present city government is as follows: Mayor, E. T. Osler; marshal, J. C. Bradley; recorder, Frank Galloway; city council, F. A. Bigalow, W. M. Holtze, W. D. Landon, E. W. Rowe and Wm. B. Bodyfeldt.

The city has five churches, Methodist, Christian, Presbyterian, Catholic and Latter Day Saints. It also has a graded school with principal and five teachers, three general stores carrying heavy stocks, two of hardware and furniture, one lumber yard, two drug stores, two livery stables, one flouring mill, part of which is the old Loshe to which an addition has been made and steam power applied thereby furnishing power for the electric light plant in addition to the manufacture of flour. It also furnishes power for the water service in the business part of the city. It has also two barber shops, four physicians, two lawyers, one machine shop, one blacksmith shop employing a number of hands, a printing office with weekly newspaper, the Carson Critic, with F. G. Week editor and publisher; State Savings Bank, J. R. Chaloupka, cashier and manaer.

The fraternal orders are represented by one Masonic lodge, with Eastern Star, one of Modern Woodmen, with Royal Neighbors.

During 1889, the town was visited by a destructive fire that swept the entire north side of Main Street, and again in 1894 a second made a clean sweep of the south side, which was followed by rebuilding with brick as had already been done on the north side. The people here have been to great pains and expense in constructing good cement walks that add much to the appearance and to the comfort of the public.

In addition to the railroads, the wagon roads of this part of the county are in splendid condition, the road drag being much in evidence. On coming here after years of absence, one misses the kindly faces of the old pioneers, both fathers and mothers, but their work is done. They have opened up one of the most lovely spots on earth and are now resting in a pretty little city of granite and marble on a lovely spot overlooking the Botna Valley, about a mile from town.

The township officers are as follows: Trustees, Claus Hartz, C. H. Coyl, and A. F. Stone; clerk, F. G. Weeks; assessor, T. W. Dungan; justices of the peace, D. McMillan and Z. F. Linville; constables, A. A. Faley and Thos. Brack.

According to the state census of 1905 there were in Carson Township exclusive of city, one hundred ninety one persons of school age, of which ninety-two were males and ninety-nine females. In the town of Carson, there were one hundred and eighty one of which eighty were males and one hundred and one females.

The school board consists of J. H. Galloway, president; C. Hartz, secretary, and P. F. Schoening, treasurer. Pay of teachers, $40 and $35 for first and second grades respectively.