Thayer

 

     J. F. Bishop who came to the count in 1853 preempted the land where Thayer is situated in 1855.  The town is located on the C. B. and Q. Railroad on section 14, Jones Township, two miles from the east line of the county.  It is on a gentle slope, rising from the valley of Four Mile Creek. The site was selected as a railroad station by D. N. Smith in June, 1867, but was not laid out until October, 1868.  James H. Reed erected the first house in October, 1868. John Daley and John McGowan came about this time and purchased lots of C.E. Perkins, who represented the railroad interests.  In 1869 the remaining lots in the town site were purchased by L. A. Willard, A. Downing, E. W. Clark and O. B. Gibson all of Boone, Iowa. James Brogan was also among the first residents.

     At the time the town was located a post office, called “Alaska” was near by. This was moved to Thayer in 1869 and has since been an established office. A. A. Northup is the present postmaster (in 1908). Two rural mail routes in charge of Seeley Brothers, carriers, supply the farmers in the vicinity with daily mail.

     Early merchants of the place were Gibson and Clark, Barnum & Raymond, LaFavre and Atkinson, James Griffin, R. H. Atkinson and George Gay. The first hotel was run by J. C. Lucas.  The first physician, locating in 1870 was A. J. Guthrie. He afterwards died at Afton. James Evans, J. F. Patchin and M. B. Coltrain also practiced here. The present resident physician is W. A. Wright, who located here several years ago.

     Thayer was incorporated in the year 1894.  The first mayor was F. Hendricks; first recorder Louis Gibson, councilmen, Jackson, Glynn, Olinger, Burd, Gibson and Bolinger. The present officers are J. A. parsons, mayor; C. H. Landers, recorder; councilmen, C. McCauley, C. O. Booth, H. Hall, Bert Stoner, O. S. Seeley and Fred Neisimier; treasurer, Fred Seeley. Present population is two hundred.

     The first child born in Thayer was Charles M. Daly.

     Thayer has an independent school district two miles square, with graded school, a well equipped and convenient school building in charge of competent teachers. One thousand two hundred and twenty-two dollars and twenty-eight cents for school purposes were collected from the district in 1907.  The town has two churches, the Christian and Methodist denominations, each have good frame buildings and maintain regular services of worship.  The nearby cemetery has a very suitable location southwest of the town on high, dry, ground, here many of the early settlers are buried.

            Mercantile interests and industrial enterprises are well represented. A number of retired farmers have their residence here. The town has the benefit of four telephone lines and a telegraph station.

            Railroad traffic from July 1, 1906 to July 1, 1907 was as follows: Tickets sold, two thousand six hundred and eighty-one dollars and eighty-one cents.  Car loads received; lumber two cars, coal one, salt two, immigrants outfit two, horses one, cattle four, sheep two, flour six, freight receipts two thousand two hundred and thirty six dollars and fourteen cents, cars forwarded, corn five, oats eleven, cattle twenty-two, hog thirty-four, immigrants outfit six, hay seventeen, scrape iron one, fence posts one, freight charges four thousand and ninety-five dollars and forty cents.

            The merchants of Thayer have a good patronage and her people have many of the comforts and conveniences of a larger town. The Masonic and I.O.O.F. orders are represented here.

            In 1870 the C.B. & Q. opened up a gravel pit west and adjoining Thayer, which has been operated at intervals ever since. It is said to afford the best gravel between the two rivers. The Burlington reservoir or lake just west of town makes quite a resort for both young and old for miles around.  Fishing is always good and in the spring and fall there is abundance of duck and other game.

 

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