|
Transcribed
by Ann Selvig, from:
Allerton, Iowa Centennial,
EARLY
HISTORY
OF ALLERTON
Allerton became a town because of the
railroad, as did many other small towns in Wayne
County, Allerton being one of the younger towns.
The railroads were going across Iowa in the
latter 1850’s.
When the Chicago and South Western
Construction Company completed the railroad here in
1870, it was decided that a depot should be built
about this distance northeast of Lineville,
approximately 12 – 14 miles by rail. The
Chicago-South Western Railway Company purchased 160
acres of land here, recorded in Apr. 1871, and laid
out plat
for the original town of Allerton. (This
record appears in the abstract of Mr. and Mrs.
Howard Boyce along with a partial plat like the
original Town of Allerton, showing their lot.)
Judge H. M. Aller, a railroad magnate of
Leavenworth, Kansas did not purchase an additional
160 acres of land here, as recorded in the Historial
Book of Iowa – there is no record of such a
transaction. However,
he
was Secretary of the Chicago-South Western Railway
Company. The
company sold shares of stock to a Milton Courtright,
one of the trustees of a company, that in turn sold
them to individuals.
(A copy of one of these original shares of
stock appears in the book. The
original copy belonged to Connie Casey’s
grandfather, H. L. Evans.)
Because a depot was to be built here, it was
decided to build a town and name it for Judge Aller
– first it was to be “Aller-town” but later changed
to Allerton.
The first train to reach Allerton on this new
line, arrived here March 29, 1871.
Early in 1871 John Howard built the first
house, 16’ x 24’, believed to have been where the L.
M. Leeper home is today. Peter Vote
erected the first store north of the railroad
tracks. Andrew
Hohner erected a bakery; Chambers Bros, a lumber
yard with Peter Martin as manager. I. H.
Meekins & Co. erected a building and put in the
first general stock of Merchandise; Elijah Ferrell,
the first grocery.
The first hotel was built just north of the
tracks by George McLean. Most
people called it the McLean Hotel. It later
became “Sherman House” and was owned by R. W.
Sherritt. Then
“Meekin’s Hotel,” Isaac H. Meekin, Prop.
A postoffice was established in 1871 with
Isaac Kersey serving as first postmaster.
By 1872, lots were selling fast and at the
highest prices.
The first school building built in 1869, was
located one half mile east of Rick’s Station, with
Mr. and Mrs. A. E. Shuster as the first teachers.
The population increased so fast this school became
overcrowded and by 1873, the children were sent to
the upper room of a building that stood on the
present site of the D-X Station. Teachers
here were Mr. R. B. Sigafoose and Miss Fay DeSilva. The first
permanent school building was erected in 1876.
In 1874 the town was incorporated with a
population of 394.
|