History of Lewis Township, 1907
LEWIS TOWNSHIP. The earliest history
of Lewis Township is identical with that of Kane,
the latter for many years having included the former,
and also Garner Township.
In 1875, Kane was subdivided, bringing the three
to their present shape. The present boundary is north
by city of Council Bluffs and Garner Township, east
by Keg Creek Township, south by Mills County, and
west by the Missouri River. It is the largest township
in the county. The east half is high rolling prairie
and breaking into steep bluffs from two hundred to
two hundred and fifty feet high, where they meet the
Missouri bottom and flat from there until it meets
that stream. There is no richer land on earth. Even
those steep bluffs are rich coil and will endure drought
as well as the bottom lands, and they are well adapted
to raising fruit, and especially grapes.
Some thirty years ago, the river took a notion to
make a change in its course and proceeded to remove
two or three farms to help fill the Gulf of Mexico,
and in doing so unwittingly created a beautiful lake
four miles south of Council Bluffs. This did not receive
much notice for quite a number of years, when it was
discovered that on the south side there was a sandy
beach that for bathing purposes could not be excelled
short of the sea shore. Mr. E. H. ODEL was one, if
not the first, to make this discovery and steps were
immediately taken to utilize it. Home-made boats were
first constructed and temporary bath houses sprung
up like mushrooms.
At first people flocked down in buggies, buses, carryalls
and horseback. The next season a large pavilion was
built on the north side and a track built and dummy
trains put on, trees set out and steam launches put
on the lake to take passengers to and from the beach.
Each season the business increased, until at this
writing it has become one of the most popular pleasure
resorts away from the sea coasts. Elegant electric
cars run every five minutes, a town has been built,
boat, base ball and golf clubs formed, and in fact
it has become a baby Coney Island, and on a pleasant
Sunday, ten thousand is no unusual attendance.
This township is named in honor of three LEWIS brothers
that settled here in an early day. The St. Joseph
Railroad passes through this township going south,
and the Wabash going southeast, leaving it on section
25 and passing the southwestern corner of Keg Creek
township, enters Mills County. Although it is generally
thought Lewis has but two railroads, it has in fact
five, as the Rock Island, Milwaukee and Great Western
in making the curve to enter the city pass through
a few rods of it, but only enough to swear by.
The township officers are: F. G. KNOWLES, F. W. BECK
and H. C. JENKINS, trustees; Peter RIEF and Wm. STEELE,
justices of the peace; H. A. ELLERBECK, assessor,
G. C. PLUMER, clerk and Julius SCHULTZ, constables.
There are two churches, St. Paul's Evangelical on
the southeast corner of section 26, and another at
Dumfries station on the Wabash. According to the state
census of 1905, there were four hundred and seventeen
of school age in the township, with ample school room.
The pay of teachers is, for first grade, $40, second
grade, $35 per month. The board of education is as
follows: H. A. ELLERBECK, president; W. C. VANPELT,
secretary and Joseph NANSEL, treasurer.
Although Lake Manawa has become a very popular resort,
it has exacted a pretty heavy toll in human life.
In 1892, three young men were drowned by being swamped
while crossing in a storm, and later the same year,
a young man went down the toboggan slide into deep
water and drowned before he could be rescued. Three
men were drowned in April 1904, a young women in 1905,
and six in 1906, by the breaking down of a wharf on
the south side during a rush.
The close proximity to the city naturally brings
all the trade of the township to that center. The
most prominent feature of this township is the State
School for the Deaf, of which more will be said later
on.
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