"Ye pioneers, it is to you The debt of gratitude is due; Ye builded wiser than ye knew The broad foundation On which our superstructure stands. Your strong right arms and willing hands Your earnest efforts, still command Our veneration." -Pierre
Iowa, as a state, was in its infancy when the first known pioneer established his home in Warren Township.
According to statistics recorded in the Iowa Atlas of 1875, the first settler was A.B. Griffith, farmer, who came from Wayne County, Ohio in 1853 and settled on section 22. In 1854 Thomas J. Sowers, farmer from Fountain County, Indiana, settled on section 28- and it was 1860 before the third settler, Patrick McCain, farmer and J.P., from Ireland, settled on section 14. Following in closer succession were William Hill, farmer from Randolph County, Indiana, section 23-1862, William M. Hardin, farmer from Champaign County, Illinois, section 34-1865 and William F. Lewis, farmer and teacher from Knox County, Ohio, section 14-1865. In 1868 three more farmers settled in Warren Township namely John A. Boston, Butler County, Pennsylvania, section 33, Eugene Grace, Bradford County Pennsylvania, section 21 and C.E. Graves, Canada East-section 12. It wasn't until 1871 another settler found his way to establish himself in Warren Township, namely Charles Menzel, farmer from Prussia, who lived on section 25. By 1875 they increased their number when John Adams, farmer from Cheshire County, New Hampshire, came to section 14 and Matthew Smith, farmer from Ireland, chose section 34.
T. Thatcher is shown as having settled on section 24, but no date is recorded nor is any home pictured.
Although more complete reports will be given elsewhere, it is interesting to note there were three school houses in Warren Township by 1875, one in section 33 and one in 36 and one in section 12. Three of the first thirteen settlers had not built homes as of 1875, namely C.E. Graves, John Adams and the afore mentioned T.Thatcher.
Unofficial reports state that Warren Township had its share of swamp land and older residents relate incidents which would tend to verify this. However the 1875 map of Warren Township shows no swamp land, no timber-land, no coal, no lime kiln, no roads, no railroads, no bluffs, and only a small portion of creeks in very south central part of the township.
There were no cemeteries or churches pictured in Warren Township at this time. Church services were held in the school houses by itinerant pastors and laymen. Quaker services were held in a schoolhouse 2 miles north-west of town with William Lewis conducting the service. Another school south-west of town held Presbyterian services.
I found this record interesting and thought you might enjoy reading these bits of information. As of 1874, Warren Township had 12 plum trees yielding a total of one bushel, 32 cherry trees yielding one bushel. There were no peach trees, but there were 712 nonbearing trees.
There were 75 horses of all ages recorded and five were listed as being sold for export. There were no mules on record. There were 75 milk cows yielding 3116 pounds of butter. 115 cattle as of 1874 with 15 listed as being slaughtered, or sold for slaughter-128 hogs with 118 sold for slaughter. There were no sheep. There were 36 dogs.
The value from products of the farm in 1874 was $7,972.00, garden products $115.00, orchard $1.00, animals sold for slaughter, or exports 1894, and products of the dairy $777.00.
Judging by the statistics of population for January 1, 1875, the early settlers of Warren Township were family men for there were 73 males and 59 females recorded. Of these 132 residents, 39 were Iowa born, 56 were born in the United States. but not in Iowa, 37 were born in foreign countries, 56 of these had foreign parents and 3 had foreign fathers only. There were 19 registered voters, 11 of these were United States born; one from Ireland, one from Germany, six from Norway. There were nine not naturalized at this time. Sixteen were in Militia, eight were five years old and under six, 29 were six years old, under 16 there were 12, 16 years old and under 21. One female was illiterate. Seven births were recorded in 1874 along with two deaths.
There were 1107 acres of improved land, 1048 acres of unimproved land, 1560 rods of fence, 814 acres in cultivation, 430 acres of spring wheat, yielding 4879 bushels. There were 33 acres of Indian corn yielding 8645 bushels, no rye, 87 acres of oats yielding 1929 bushels, no barley, six acres of buckwheat, yielded 48 bushels, one acre of sorghum from which they got 32 gallons of syrup.
Records state no acres of bluegrass, no tame grass, no hay. There were seven acres of potatoes from which they harvested 310 bushels, nine bushels of sweet potatoes, no onions, 48 bushels of beets, no turnips, 20 bushels of peas and beans, no natural timber, but nine acres of planted timber, 690 rods of hedge. No apples, or pear trees recorded in Warren Township.
Because Warren Township was more or less prairie ground, herding cattle was one of its industries. Large herds were brought here from Jasper and Jones counties south and east of Warren Township. Nevada was the nearest "shopping area" and it was there the early settlers went for mail and groceries. As there were no roads it was necessary to pick their way across sloughs to their destination twelve miles away.
The town of McCallsburg was first settled in 1868 and had a population of 75.
Time marches on and by now there was a more limited amount of range for the stock so each man had to keep his stock on his own land. Land was cheap, selling from $4.00 to $6.00 per acre.