Marion Township - Towns Histories
Last updated 04 March 2021
Coppock
The town of Coppock was named after William Coppock and is the smallest incorporated town in Washington County. At one time there were two railroads going through Coppock. They were the Galesburg and the Burlington.
One of the forgotten pleasure parks of the nineties was Trite's Park, owned by George Davis Trite, and located on his farm near Coppock on the Skunk River. Mr. Trite equipped the park with tables and benches for picnickers, and supplied planks from his sawmill nearby for a dance platform. A sand bar on the river was convenient for swimming, fishing, and boat riding. A steam boat would come up the river and give rides.
Since the park was located at the fifty two mile post from Burlington, the Burlington railway furnished a day coach to carry passengers for the many celebrations held in the park. The celebrators would be unloaded from the train in the morning, their special coach would be left on the side track placed there for that purpose, and when the train made its return trip in the evening, the passengers would board the coach which was then hooked to the train and be on their way home. Moonlight skating parties were one of the winter activities.
One of the first large milling industries in this part of the state was the Coppock Mills, located ten miles south of Washington, on the Skunk River. It was erected in 1859-50 by John Bigham, contractor and builder, and owned by John Coppock, Sr. and Thomas Tucker, in partnership. A large saw mill was built just across the river from the grain mill, and both were run by power furnished by the dam which was made across the river at this point. In 1894, E. C. Caulkins bought the grain mill and moved it to Wayland, where it was used as a feed mill.
Source: WCGS Fall/Winter 2005 newsletter and Atlas of Keokuk and Washington Counties, Iowa (1971). This page was prepared and posted by Norma Jennings Dec 2012
Crooked Creek
In Work
Eureka
Eureka was laid out in April 1857, by Jacob Z Bowman. It was located on the northwest quarter of section 18, township 74, range 7. It never aspired to become a town of great dimensions but was a trading point of some importance in the early years.
The Methodist Episcopal Church of Eureka was organized in September of 1849, and a frame building erected in 1858. The Baptists had an organization at Eureka, which effected in 1856. A frame building was erected at that place by that denomination in 1870. The Abraham Snider family from Preston County, West Virginia, (still Virginia at that time) moved to Marion Township around 1857 shortly before or after his youngest son Abraham, Jr. was born. His son Joseph Snider, b. 1841was sixteen years old. A few years later, Joseph Snider built a nice residence across the road from the Eureka Church.
In 1880, it was written that Eureka has postal facilities and is surrounded by a beautiful and fertile section of country. In the early days there was a post office located on Crooked Creek, near the east part of the Township, called Marcellus. this office however has long since been discontinued.
Source: WCGS Fall/Winter 2005 newsletter and Atlas of Keokuk and Washington Counties, Iowa (1971). This page was prepared and posted by Norma Jennings Dec 2012
Juan
In work.
Lake
In work.
Marcellus
In work.
Noble
In 1882, shortly after the advent of the narrow gauge railroad the little town of Noble in Marion Township was started. The land was acquired from Ed Noble, for whom the town was named. Mr. Noble had two half-sections of land nearby, and his home was just east of this land.
The first store was built by the late John Wittmer. It was located just across the road from the beginning of the town he purchased the entire strip of land from Mr. Noble, built a store and home combined. David Miller who had a store north of Center Chapel was forced to change locations because of the fact, the railroad right of way happened to go through his location. Mr. Noble bought the Miller building and moved it to Noble, where it was used for a harness shop by Jud Sanford. Noble at one time had two grain elevators, one run by Will Noble and one by John Wittmer.
John Wittmer and David Miller were the two original buyers of lots in Noble. Mr. Noble built two houses exactly alike, one of which is still standing. The other was destroyed by fire.
Joel Turney, who had a wagon shop at Trenton, tried to buy a suitable lot, chose Fairfield instead Dell Troutman was the first railway agent in Noble. A man whose name was Van Trump had the first blacksmith shop. A post office was established there, and in 1887 there was a merchandise store, blacksmith shop and grain elevator.
Where the town of Noble stands, the community was then known as Dodds neighborhood.
Source: WCGS Fall/Winter 2005 newsletter and Atlas of Keokuk and Washington Counties, Iowa (1971). This page was prepared and posted by Norma Jennings Dec 2012
Washington Co. Home
Or hit back arrow to return to previous page