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Shelby County |
Home 1889 History Index |
Biographical History of Shelby and Audubon Counties
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Harlan, the county seat of Shelby County, is situated principally on section 18, township 79, range 38, near the geographical center of the county. It was named in honor of one of Iowa's early and quite distinguished United States Senators, James Harlan. The original plat, however, was located on section 7, of the same township and range -- a mile from the present business center. Their first platting was executed by Adam and May Tuttle, and filed for record August 9, 1858. It was on low bottom land near the meanderings of the Nishnebotna River, and only flourished a short time, owing mainly to the fact that the land was not suitable. The next platting was what is known as "Long's Addition." This was laid out and platted by James M. Long, JUly 15, 1859, and now constitutes the greater part of Harlan. However, in the course of a few years, what is known as "Wyland's Addition" and "McDonald's Addition" were laid out and now form part of the place. BEAUTY OF ITS LOCATION.Iowa contains many pretty towns, but very few present to the eye a more charming natural landscape than the flourishing town of Harlan, environed as it is by a beautiful and rolling farming country, with here and there a good-sized grove of native timber -- just sufficient to break the monotony of an otherwise prairie country. It matters not whether one views the town from one of the elevated tracts of land on either hand -- whether standing on the bluff looking east, catching now and then a glimpse of that picturesque and extremely crooked stream, the Nishnebotna River, the meanderings of which at some seasons of the year look like a silver cord, broken in two, here and there, or whether one views it from an incoming train, from the south -- the scene is one calculated to attract one to the place. In midsummer the vast fields of waving grain and corn, with the verdure of the forest trees, both natural and those planted by the hardy-handed pioneer, lend an enticing beauty which nature unassisted could not produce. Then you should pause a while at Harlan and watch the busy mart, thronged with hundreds of farmers' teams which have come in with various products, and soon to return with the goods for which they have made an exchange. As one approaches the town from any given direction he isw at once pleased and impressed at the sight of the numerous church spires pointing heavenward, as well as the excellent high-school building, with its dome towering high above and over all. These bespeak the culture and social refinement of the populace, in tones unmistakable. "God made the country -- man the city," and to the lover of nature no more beautiful location can be found than Harlan, which at this date -- 1888 -- is three decades old and has a population of 2,000 in round numbers. The first building erected was a small shanty, put up and lived in by Isaac Plum, while he was providing better quarters. He had first located at Simoda, across the river, and when he saw that Harlan was to be the county seat, he made an arrangement with Messrs. Long & Ault, proprietors of the latter place, to remove his effects to their village site. Peter Barnett kept the first boarding-house in Harlan, in 1858. In the fall of 1858, William B. Newton built a house in which was kept the first tavern. The first real hotel built in Harlan was that erected by J. M. Long in 1871; he operated it a short time when it fell into other hands. It was called "The Harlan Hotel." The first harness-maker was Aaron Bergstresser, who located soon after the close of the rebellion. William A. Gray, who succeeded Harvey & Woodruff as general dealers, carried the first line of hardware, hollow-ware and stoves, beginning in 1860. The first druggist was Dr. Frost, who came soon after the village was platted. Dr. Richard M. Smith, who came from Newton, Iowa, was the next in the drug trade. The pioneer shoemaker was George M. Couffer. The first furniture was handled by a man named McClaren, who located in 1868. Prior to that date people were compelled to go to Council Bluffs for even a common wooden-bottom chair, or provide one of a home make, which was stronger than it was easy or elegant, but style did not reign supreme in those earlier days! A building at Simoda, belonging to Isaac Plumb, was partly up and on a foundation properly made, but Harlan people wanted the new frame house to go up in their place, so a road was cut out through trees and bushes along the river, and the building removed by five teams. The work on this building was commenced April 14, 1858, and was removed and nearly finished before May the same year. Just at this time Harlan began to have a genuine pioneer boom -- the sound of the hammer and saw was heard on every hand; lumber was in great demand; also workmen. The above named building was finally finished off and sold to a firm who sold the first goods in the place; it was composed of Dr. Ault, A. L. Harvey and L. W. Woodruff, later known as Harvey & Woodruff. This store was located on block 5 of the original plat of Harlan. The years 1858-'59 were busy years at Harlan; among the buildings erected were, after those just named, David H. Randall's, Peter Barnett's, S. A. Sidner's and J. J. Tuck's. Barnett sold a fine yoke of oxen, and with the money purchased his lumber, cut at the new saw-mill. The fist blacksmith who stood by an anvil in Harlan was a young man whose name is long since forgotten by the early settlers. He worked, later in the town's history, with D. H. Randall, who came from Clinton County, Iowa, and operated a shop some time. Men named Babb and Johnson were early blacksmiths. The first meat that was sold in retail was was peddled out at Harlan once a week by Abraham Kniss, who weighed with the old style steelyards, and it is said never allowed the beam to go too high in dealing out his meat, having an eye evidently to business! The first regular meat shop was started by John Stanley in 1871; he is still in the business, holding a large patronage. The earliest to engage in millinery business was Mrs. J. W. Sharp, in 1873. The first Fourth of July celebration was held in Harlan in 1858, and the first liberty pole erected that Independence day, on the high ground upon which H. C. Holcomb's residence now stands, which was away out of the business part of Harlan. The orator was Stephen King, of Harrison County. A dance was held in the evening, at which there was much sport and innocent amusement. The first religious service on the town plat of Harlan was conducted by Judge Tarkington, the county judge, who was also a Methodist preacher. The first denomination to build a church edifice was the Baptist society, who built in 1871, the same serving that people until their present fine church building was presented to them in 1886 by James M. Long, original proprietor of the town proper. The livery business was first represented by George D. Ross, in 1873. A copy of the first newspaper published at Harlan in 1859, spoken of in the Press chapter, has advertisements of L. G. Tubbs, general dealer; William Gay & Co., general dealers and produce and commission; also a card appeared of A. M. Kime & Co., carpenters and builders. Another peculiar pioneer trader in general merchandise was one "Mr." Bates, who ran a general store for one season, having about the premises several clerks, who, together with the community, had all those months been thinking "he" was a man, when lo! and behold, a Council Bluffs physician was called to attend her in serious sickness, the fact was revealed that "he" was of the truly feminine gender. Upon the disclosure of this the general store of Bates & Co. soon became a thing of curiosity in the past. This peculiar person made frequent trips with the sheriff and other county officials to Council Bluffs and other places, but they never once thought they were bedfellows with other than a man; but such was the case! The first to embark in the jewelry business at Harlan was a man named Gidden, who, about 1870, was sent here to open a branch concern for a dealer at Atlantic named A. D. Hill. Prior to 1867 the people of Harlan had to go without photographs, or else make a long journey to Council Bluffs; but in the fall of that year an artist named Gander opened a studio, such as it was, in the upper story of the old court-house. P. B. Hunt was among the earliest lumber dealers, going into business soon after the railroad came. The first elevator was built in August, 1879, by J. S. Murray. It had a capacity of 10,000 bushels. This was destroyed by fire in February, 1882, and rebuilt in June the same year. Cananan & Bechtel built an elevator also in 1879, having a 10,000-bushel capacity as those above named. J. M. Mosby erected the third grain elevator in 1882, with the same capacity as those above named. M. J. Murray erected a warehouse of 5,000-bushel capacity in 1886. Those handling grain at Harlan in the fall of 1888 were M. J. Murray, J. F. Platt & Co., Lockwood & Brother. |
| Previous <=== Continue Reading ===> Next Transcribed by Cheryl Siebrass, August, 2015 from "Biographical History of Shelby and Audubon Counties", Chicago: W. S. Dunbar & Co., 1889, pg. 260-263. |
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