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The town bearing the above name, situated in Brighton township, on the C. R. I. & P. R. R., was laid out in the summer of 1875. The site ont he north side of the railroad track is owned by the Marne Town Company, composed of A. Langfeldt, Paul Wiese, C. Hanneman, E. Geisler, and H. Buch. The company bought the land on which they started the town (160 acres) of Thomas Meredith. The owners of the town named it, and there is no other town in the United States bearing that name.

Julius Langfeldt opened the first general store July 20, 1875.

The Marne House was opened June 1st, 1875 by H. Simonson. It is now kept by T. T. Williams.

October, 1875, Henry Buch opened a hardware store.

October 15th, a drug store was started by Mr. West, which is now conducted by H. Scribner.

In November, 1875, A. Cook started a blacksmith shop.

Fred Fulfs is the town's shoe-maker.

Hair & Odiorne, started a lumber yard in January, 1876. J. W. Maddy is their popular manager.

Edwin Wheeler started his grocery store July 1, 1876.

John Findley began buying grain, July 15, 1875.

The railroad depot was opened for business August 1, 1875. Railroad agent, J. H. Garland.

The post office was established September 1, 1875. Dr. John Piper is the postmaster.

The town at present, contains about forty houses.

Thomas Meredith, the present season surveyed and platted an Addition to Marne, lying on the south side of the railroad track, which Addition he is rapidly and energetically building up. On that side Dr. John Pipher & Co. have opened a drug and grocery store. Mr. Scribner's drug store is also there. Meredith's hall and other good buildings are also on that side.

Mr. Meredith made a large number of brick during the past season in his part of the town.

The other business men of the place are as follows: A. Von Egert, physician and druggist; A. Kock, blacksmith; Fred Hartwig, P. Jachimson, Wm. Lansing, Geo. Lansing, carpenters; Geo. Schlothfeldt, billiard hall; F. Voss, saloon; H. Simonson, butcher; John McEachem, grain buyer; Lansing & Bro., wagon makers.

The town has a public hall and school room on the North side of the track.


From the History of Cass County, Iowa Together With Brief Mention of Old Settlers by Lafe Young, Atlantic, Iowa: Telegraph Steam Printing House, 1877, pp. 109-110. Transcribed for Cass County by Cheryl Siebrass, July, 2013.