History of Knox Township and Avoca, 1907

  The Avoca Delta, a republican weekly, was established by THOMAS LEDWICK and C.V. GARDNER, the first number appearing January 1, 1870. One side was printed in Chicago and the other at the office of the Harlan Herald at Harlan, Iowa. August 1, 1870, it became the property of J.C. ADAMS. The Avoca Herald, a democratic weekly, was established by A.P. CRAMER in August 1880. The society of the V.A.S. was organized on the 24th of May, 1880, with 10 charter members. The first were O.B. NELSON, rector; CHARLES UHDEN, vice rector; DR. F.K. DABNEY, scribe; H.B. CROFTS, speculator and REV. GEORGE D. WRIGHT, questor. In Nov 1880 a German musical society was formed with a membership of 20 persons called the Avoca Mannerchoir. Mayor DEIDRICH was president, CHARLES UHDEN secretary, and H. HEBBELM, treasurer. The Avoca brewery was established by JACOB KAMPF in 1874. The leading merchants up to 1882 carry general stocks were: B. DEIDRICH, O.B. NELSON, CHARLES UHDEN, and H. STEVENS. Drugs, P. WEIS and MAXWELL & TRUE; agricultural implement dealers, HART AND CO., T.O. MERIDITH, and W.H. VAN BRUNT; lumber, AINSWORTH & WATERMAN and SEIFERT & WEIS; hardware, H.C. NORTON, and harness, WILSON. In 1870 the Rock Island Railroad Co. built a large hotel and dining hall at their station, managed by JOHN JONES, formerly of the Pacific House in Council Bluffs. Current Mayor is JOHN FLETCHER; city attorney, A.L. PRESTON; clerk, NELS C. NELSON; alderman, CHARLES D. SCHMIDT, ALBERT MEITZEN, CHARLES ECKHART, WM. NEUMANN, JOHN H. JENKS, and JOHN MARXEN. The Knox Township board consists of H.P. LASSEN, president; H.V. ROCK, secretary; and MARTIN PLAHN, treasurer. Township officers are: trustees, HENRY WEIS, HUGH PRITCHARD and JAMES WILSON; clerk, J.B. GRIMSON; justice of the peace THEODORE ROHLFS; constables, JAS. TROBAUGH and RICKLIFF PLAHN; assessor, L.C. WARD.