CHAPTER XXXII FRANKLIN TOWNSHIP (CONT'D)

EARLY SETTLEMENT.

The first to make a settlement was Jesse Eller, who, early in the spring of 154, took up a claim on section 18, and commenced to open up a farm. He broke forty or fifty acres, and put up a round log house. He lived on this place until about 1874, when he removed o Mills county, and from thence to Pottawattamie county, where he died, June 18, 1884. He was born in Wilkes county, North Carolina, and was of German extraction, although he was reared in Indiana. He was quite a hunter and trapper during the winter, but when spring had come, the gun was laid by, and the implements of husbandry were taken hold of with a will, and in a few years he had a good farm opened on the northeast corner of Turkey Grove. During the civil war, times were very hard, money scarce, and the comforts of life very high. Mr. Eller made more money than any other man in the vicinity, trapping and hunting mink, otter, wolves and other fur animals. A good mink skin was worth from three to five dollars, and other furs in proportion. About the same time came Tipton Marion, who located on section 19, in or near a part of Turkey Grove, where he built him a cabin. He came from the vicinity of Fairfield, Iowa. He continued to live here for about two years, when he removed to Nebraska. In the fall of 1854, Peter Kanawyer, settled in Franklin township on the northwest quarter of section 3, where he opened up a farm. He resided here until in 1862, when he emigrated to that far away land of gold, California, where he is still living. Zadoe Stewart entered land on a portion of section 9, in the fall of 1854, at what is called "Middle Turkey Grove," where he built a cabin, and in the spring and summer of 1855, broke a little piece of ground and put in a crop. He had a family of one son and four or five daughters unmarried, all the latter being young ladies, except the youngest. He was a native of Indiana, and remained here until 1865, when he sold out and removed to Fremont county, this State, where he died. John Eller, a son of David Eller and a brother of Jesse, came to this vicinity in March, 1855, and pre-empted a farm on section 20, where he now lives. He is the descendent of Peter Eller, a Hessian soldier, who came to this county during the Revolutionary War, in the service of Great Britain, and who soon left that service and settled in North Carolina. John was born in Indiana, where his had removed some years before, in 1832, and moved with his parents in 1837, to Jefferson county, Iowa. He came to this county and remained until 1857, when he returned to Jefferson county, where he enlisted, in 1862, In Company H, Thirtieth Iowa Infantry, and served with that regiment until the close of the war. He was at the siege of Vicksburg, battle of Jackson, Mississippi, siege of Atlanta, and was with Sherman in his march to the sea. After the war, he returned to Jefferson county, where he remained until September, 1866, when he returned to his farm in this township. His wife was a Mary Jane Parnell, who was born in Wayne county, North Carolina, in 1834. On the 4th of May, 1855, R. L. and W. W. Jameson, and D. D. Morris came to Franklin township and located upon the west half on Section 7, entering government land. D. D. Morris lived here until 1868, when removed to the vicinity of Grove City, where he is still residing. R. L. Jameson remained on his farm until his decease in 1873; his family still occupy the homestead. W. W. Jameson is still a resident of the township, and still resides upon the land that he first entered on coming to the county. W. W. Jameson located upon his present farm in section 7, May 4, 1855. He came west in company with his brother, R. L. Jameson, and D. D. Morris. They all settled on the west half of section 7, entering their land from the Government. Mr. Morris lived where he first settled until 1868. He now lives at Grove City, Atlantic township. R. L. Jameson resided here until his decease in 1873. W. W. Jameson and his brother were born in Ohio. The former was born in the city of Columbus in 1826, and removed with his parents when a child, to Marion county. When he was seven years old the family removed to Allen county of the same State where they lived twenty years. In 1853 the family all removed to Polk county, Iowa. The family at that time consisted of the parents, John and Sarah A. Jameson, and seven children, six sons and one daughter. In 1854, the parents moved to Dallas county where they lived until their decease. The mother died in April 1867, and the father in 1882, at the advanced age of eighty-two years. One son, James II., now owns and occupies the homestead in Dallas county. Two of the sons, Reed and Edward, enlisted in Company H, Thirty-ninth Iowa Infantry, in 1862. The former was taken prisoner at Corinth, Mississippi, and imprisoned at Belle Island, where he died November 14, 1864. The latter served out his time and now lives with his brother, W. W. A brother-in-law of Mr. Jameson, John Combs, enlisted in the same company at the same time and died at Corinth, in the spring of 1863. W. W. Jameson removed from Polk county to Dallas county, in November 1853, coming here from the latter county at the time above mentioned. He was married in Allen county, Ohio, to Deborah Watt, a native of that county, born September 20, 1827. Her parents were Samuel L. and Olive Watt. The latter died when Mrs. Jameson was twelve years old. Her father again married and removed to Sac county in this State where he died. Mr. Jameson has nine children, all living---Alonzo C., John L., Alice J., wife of Silas Martin; Sarah A., wife of Edwin Burke; Adelaide, wife of D. D. Hunt; Samuel L., James W., Robert R. and Olive. All of the family are living in this township except Alice, who lives Benton township. Daniel Bryan made a settlement during the summer of 1855, on a portion of section 19. He was a native of Pennsylvania, but came to Iowa from Ohio. He was a good mechanic and carpenter and worked in all parts of the county. He had a large family by his first wife, which he raised to years of maturity. He enlisted in Company I, Twenty-third Iowa Infantry, in 1862, but was discharged before his term of service had expired, on account of disability. He returned to this township and took up the business of life. Some years ago he had the misfortune to lose his wife, and in due time was united in marriage with Eliza Wilson, of Edna township. In 1880 or 1881, he lost all his property, and left this county, going to Kansas. From there he came back to this State, locating in Woodbury county, where he died in 1882. Joseph Turner came to Cass county in 1855, and entered a quarter section of land in Pymosa township, and in the spring of 1858, settled down upon it and began some improvements. In 1862, he exchanged this land for a farm in Franklin township, on Section 3, which he still owns. Mr. Turner is the present mayor of Wiota, and is noticed at length in that connection. Charles Jackson, in the fall of 1855, made a settlement upon section 7, and erected a log cabin. In the summer of 1856, he broke up some land and commenced making some improvements, but in August of that year, he sold his claim to Frederick Stoodt, and removed to Fremont county. He came this State from Indiana. William Judd settled upon section 18, during the year 1855, where his widow now resides. He was a native of North Carolina, but came here from Jefferson county, Iowa. He died, here, in April, 1881. D. D. Morris settled in Franklin township in the spring of 1855, and remained there till 1874 when removed to his present location on section 11, Atlantic township. George Magee, made a settlement upon section 18, in 1856. He was born in county Donegal, Ireland, March 10, 1822, where he lived until he was eighteen years old, when he emigrated to America. He located, at first, in the city of Philadelphia, where he worked for the Government, making shoes for the troops, then in Mexico. He came here, as above, and purchased a farm of a man by the name of Marshall, on section 18, which had a small cabin erected upon it, that was but sixteen feet square, and in this he moved and lived until 1863 when he erected a better residence. He spent the year 1861 and 2, in the mountains, in mining. He died at the homestead in this township on the 9th of June, 1881. He followed this trade of shoemaker somewhat after coming here, and was the first in the township in that line. His widow still resides upon the old place. She was formerly Ann Magee, and was also a native of the "emerald Isle." She has three children---George W., Mary Jane and Rebecca E. In the spring of 1856, a man by the name of Miles settled upon section 17. He came here from Illinois. In January, 1857, his wife fell and dislocated her hip, but they thought at the time it was simply a bad sprain, and did nothing for it. But as it continued to grow worse and worse, a physician was called in. In its then swollen condition he found it impossible to do anything to relieve the woman's suffering, or attempt a cure, and the following May, she died from the effects of the fall, and her body was buried on the place. Her husband remained but a little time, when he returned to Illinois, and his present whereabouts are unknown. At the same time Miles came, William Hedges made a settlement on section 17. He, also, came from Illinois. He opened up a farm and made some improvements, and remained here about two years when he removed to Clark's Grove, Atlantic township. In the spring of 1863, he sold out and removed to the State of Missouri. Frederick Stoodt, one of the old settlers of this township, came here in the summer of 1856, and on the 24th of August, of that year, purchased the claim of Charles Jackson, on the southeast quarter of section 7, where he is still living. Mr. Stoodt is a native of Germany, and was born on the 1st of October, 1813. He came to the United States in June, 1847, and located in Richland county, Ohio. From there he removed to Allen county, in the same Sate, and from the latter to Cass county, and settled as above. In 1863, Mr. Stoodt and his family went to Colorado, and engaged in mining and were quite successful. Returned to the farm in 1865. His wife was Mary Koheiser, who was born in the same town in Germany as her husband, on the 1st of February, 1821. They have three sons, all residents of the township. Frank Nordman, settled upon section 18, on the 26th of August, 1856 where he resided until 1859. He is now a resident of the township. Frank Nordman lives just outside the village limits of Wiota, on the north, where he owns a farm of one hundred and twenty acres. He is one of the pioneers of Cass county, and among the earliest settlers of Franklin township, where he located, August 26, 1856. At that time he bought forty acres of land from William Judd on section 17, on to which he moved with his family; he fenced and improved this land and carried on the business of blacksmithing. In the fall of 1856, he built the first blacksmith shop erected in the township. He resided on this place and worked at his trade until 1859, when he went to Colorado and removed his family to that Territory where he engaged in blacksmithing until 1866, when he returned to Cass county and bought the farm where he now lives. Mr. Nordman was born in Prussia, April 26, 1827, and came to the United States in 1851, locating first at New Orleans, then went to St. Louis, and from thence to Cass county, Illinois, and from there to Cass county, Iowa, where he was married February 22d, to Catherine Stoodt, a native of Germany, who came to this country when six years old. They are the parents of three children'''Mary Samantha, a teacher in the public schools at Wiota; George Colorado, now farming his father's farm; and Eureka Isabella, wife of Charles McDermott, of Benton township. P. N. Finch made a settlement on section 2, in October, 1856, and is still a resident of the township. P. M. Finch, one of the early settlers of Cass county, located where he now lives, in October, 1856. He was born in Erie county, New York, September 15, 1815. When he was nine years of age he removed with his parents to Michigan where his father, Joel Finch, resided until his decease. The subject of this sketch was married in Michigan, to Martha Pelton, a native of Connecticut, and removed to Iowa, in 1856. They have two children---Mary and Josiah. Mr. Finch's farm is located on section 2. R. Finch, like most of the pioneers of this county, has by steady industry, amassed an easy competency and is enjoying the proud consciousness of having always done his duty. John Seaman, and his son, Frederick August, came to Franklin township, in 1857. Mr. Seaman, the elder, was a native of Germany who had emigrated to the "Land of the Free" in 1853. He had located near Watertown, Wisconsin, on his arrival, but removed to Cass county as stated above. He pre-empted the farm now owned by J. Pollock, on section 20, where he lived unto the day of his death, which occurred in March, 1867. Frederick A. his son, was born in Germany, in 1843, and was fourteen years old when he came here. During the war he enlisted in Company I, Twenty-third Iowa Infantry, and served three years. After his term of service had expired he returned to this county, and now lives on section 20. Wilson Prall came to Franklin township in 1857, where he improved a farm, and remained till 1865, when he removed to Atlantic township, where he now resides. Cary Antrim located here about the year 1856, and remained about two years, when he removed to Fremont county, where he probably now resides. In 1857, Fabius Robbins located upon section 8. He came to Cass county from Ohio, and remained here until 1864 or 5, when he left, suddenly, going to southern Kansas. The farm he opened is now the property of A. C. and J. L. Jameson. John W. Humerick, senior, made a settlement on section 30, in September, 1858. He was born Prussia, in 1810, and came to the United States in 1845, settling at Columbus, Ohio. From thence he removed to Allen county in the same State, and from there to this place. He put up a log cabin and commenced making improvements. He was a man of excellent constitution and robust health and a hard worker, and soon the place began to assume a homelike appearance. He and his family lived in the cabin that he built until 1872, when he built the fine substantial frame residence where his widow now lives. He was married in Germany and was the father of six children, three of whom are living---Elizabeth, Julia and John W., Jr. Mr. Humerick died, quite suddenly, on the 27th of February, 1873. W. W. Richmond settled upon section 9, during the year 1858, where he lived until 1868. He removed to Missouri at that date, and is living there now. In 1859, Harley Soper and family settled in Franklin township. They afterwards removed to Atlantic township. Robert Turner made a settlement in Franklin township, on section 3, in January, 1860, where he resided until March, 1861, when he died. He was an Englishman by birth and came to this country in 1842. His son, James R. resides upon the old homestead. Mrs. Robert Turner died in January, 1878. James R. Turner is among the most prominent and solid men of the county, and is looked up to by his friends and neighbors as a man of sterling integrity and untarnished honor. It is just such men that make a county what it is, and these annals of the county's history would be incomplete without a short mention of so prominent and influential a citizen as Mr. Turner. J. R. Turner was born in Derbyshire, England, April 1, 1838. At the age of four years he came with his parents to the United States. He was married to Eliza J. Russell, a native of Ontario, Canada. They have five children---Nellie May, Robert Roy, Charles F., Jesse J. and William. Mr. Turner's farm contains one hundred and forty-three and one-half acres. William W. McClure made a settlement on section 4, in 1860. William W. McClure resides on section 4, where he settled in 1860, purchasing a fine farm on this section. Upon this place, at that time, was a log house, and ten acres broken. Mr. McClure now has a rich farm with good improvements. He was born in Ohio, in 1833, and remained there until 1859. In that year he started for Pike's Peak, but turned back on learning that the reports of finding gold had proved false, and went to Guthrie county, Iowa. In the spring of 1860 he came to Cass county. In 1863 he again started for Pike's Peak, and after arriving there remained one year. He married to Jennie MaCaferty, who was born in Ohio, in 1833. Mr. and Mrs. McClure have four children---Allison, Mary, Willie and Charlie. Alva and Elva (twins) died at the respective ages of eleven and thirteen.

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Transcribed by Deb Lightcap-Wagner, January, 2014 from:"History of Cass County, Together with Sketches of Its Towns, Villages and Townships, Educational, Civil, Military and Political History: Portraits of Prominent Persons, and Biographies of Old Settlers and Reporesentative Citizens", published in 1884, Springfield, Ill: Continental Historical Co., pp. 789-794.