History of Silver Creek Township, 1907

  This township was first settled by Mormons who were a part of the great exodus from Nauvoo. They made claims and, after staying one year, nearly all sold out to Gentiles who came after them. The first man to open a stage station between Wheeler's Grove and Council Bluffs was a Mr. Gardner, and this was the only one between the two points. He soon sold out to a Mr. Moore and moved on with the Mormons to Salt Lake. In 1854, John Bratton bought out Mr. Moore, and for three years longer, there was a stage route through here, though a post office that had been kept here was discontinued when Mr. Moore removed from this point. The first settler that came with the intention of staying was Pleasant Taylor, but when the stage route was changed, he followed it and established a station farther north on the same stream that has been known ever since as Taylor Station. John Bratton was the second permanent settler, a native of Pennsylvania but came here from Ohio. He finally went to Silver City in Mills County. The first schoolhouse was at this station, it being a log cabin with a turf roof, and the first teacher was Miss Maggie Weirich of Council Bluffs. This was in 1857. In 1861 a frame schoolhouse was erected, and also a church. In 1860, a Protestant Methodist church was organized with seven members, without a regular pastor. Jason Parker was the first Justice of the Peace. The first marriage was between George E. Smith and Mrs. Clarrissa Wheeling. The first child born in the township was a son to Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Wells. Mrs. Bratton attended the birth of the child. She followed the profession of midwife for all that section of the country for years, and her husband was a preacher. The first death of an adult was that of Mrs. Margaret Piles in August 1857. An infant of hers died in July of the same year, and both were buried near the station. During the Pike's Peak excitement, the station was a lively point; from 60 to 70 teams would pass through daily. In 1856, five hundred Mormon emigrants passed through on the stage road with hand carts, not a single horse in the entire outfit. They seemed to feel happy and not to realize the terrible journey before them. In 1878, W.H. Hartman of Glenwood, Mills County, organized a branch of the Christian Church at the Pontius Schoolhouse. Among its current day institutions are the Treynor Savings Bank, two general stores, one furniture and implement house, one drug store, one livery barn, and two saloons. Mayor, Ferdinand Schoening; clerk, T.P. Carter; marshal, Fred Schrede, with six aldermen. Trustees, Perry Kearney, Julius Strohbehn, and J.G. Moss; clerk, F.W. Ouren; justices of the peace, Jurgen Jensen and Henry Parker; constables, none; assessor, C.E. Springer. School Directors: Pleasant Valley - President, F.M. Smith; secretary, Perry Kearney; treasurer, W.A. Allensworth. Sucksdorf - President, F.H. Schultz; secretary, P.N. Sucksdorf; treasurer, Jurgen Heesch. Silver Center - President, George A. Stevens; secretary; Herman Schnepel; treasurer, August Dammrow. Lone Star - President, John Trede; secretary, John Clark; treasurer, G.W. Kauke. Valley - President, James T. Fox; secretary, I.H. Stevens; treasurer, J.G. Moss. Living Springs - President, A.T. Rains; secretary, F.W. Ouren; treasurer, Henry Anderson.