FLOYD COUNTY GENEALOGY

 

Township Information

 

Source: Mainly from 1882 HISTORY OF FLOYD COUNTY, by Interstate Publishing Co.

CEDAR TWP. - The name was taken from the Little Cedar River that runs through the central part of the township.   First settlers were J.C. Townsend, Elbert Howard, and S. M. Howard, who came in the spring of 1854. Other settlers following them were, W. B. Howard, Uncle Sam Howard, Levi Hoisington and his brothers, Phineas and William; Elisha and David Crawford, Samuel Clay, Isaac Naden, Mother Bennett and her family, Mother Walling and her family, William Schermerhorn and A.C. Williams.

FLOYD TWP. - was one of the original four townships. The boundary lines are more irregular than any other township in the county. The first white settlers were John Clark and ___ Sherman who came as trappers and adventurers in 1851. In 1852, C.P. Burroughs and H.M. Brown arrived, as well as Jefferson C. Muchler, Oliver Hubbard, Samuel Nims, Moses Chapman and Smith Hyler. A little settlement on the north part of the township was called Watertown. On the other (east) side of the Cedar River, Wm. Gilman opened the first store in the township. In 1855 the villiage of Floyd was laid out and also Gilmantown. The town of Floyd is the only one remaining.

NILES TWP. - Formed 6 March 1858 , by S.B. Starr, acting Judge. The township was named after Niles, Michigan. J.M. Pitcher entered the first land in the township in 1853. J.B. Dawley, Joseph Beckwith, and E.K. Ash were first settlers. Emily J. Beck with was the first child born in the township on May 13, 1855. Parents Joseph and Lucinda Wood Beckwith.

PLEASANT GROVE TWP. - Organized as a township in 1867. The name origin was believed to be from the noun grove as long before it the names Hecard's Grove and Ripley's Grove were associated with it. Washington Young was one of the early settlers, along with Joseph Ripley, Christopher Clark, and Henry M. Smith.

RIVERTON TWP. - Early settlers in this township were the Parishes, Warburtons, Wilcoxes, Clarks, Dyases, Ripleys, Gibsons and Perrys. Joel Parish and the Warburtons arrived in 1852. Several mills were located in this township; Carr's Mills, erected in 1867 by Geo. Carr and James Hopkins, was a steam saw-mill.Ripley's steam saw-mill was built by Sanford Ripley. Sorgum mills were Scofield's Sorgum Mill and one owned by W.H. Cheney was run by his son.

ROCKFORD TWP. - Named from the village of Rockford which was started a year before the township was erected. John Grace built a small cabin in August, 1851, Jacob Beelar made a claim, but soon after moved to Union twp. Mr. Brannon, Fleming DeWitt and sons, B.F. Adams, Ambrose Baker, and A.L. Carman were among the early settlers. The only current town in this twp. is Rockford.

ROCK GROVE TWP. - Named after the huge boulder in the public park at Nora Springs, and the numerous large sections of timber. The Shell Rock River runs through 3 miles of this township. The first white man to make claim was William D. Gray. Soon after came Dan Whitesell (1853), who broke the first ground and planted the first corn in the twp. Anthony Overacker, William Workman, Edson Gaylord, Rev. John Knouse, Joseph Henry, Abram G. Shroll, John Gates, John R. Adams, and William Dean, followed soon after. The only town now present is Nora Springs.

RUDD TWP. - Set off from Rock Grove and Floyd townships in 1870. Named after the village of Rudd, which is presently the only town in this township. Early settlers in the area were John B. Hemphill, William Dean, John Fox, and Loomis Colson, who arrived in 1853.

SCOTT TWP. - Detached from Union twp. in June 1861. An assessor's list for 1866, gives the following persons; Wm. O. Crumb, Egbert Davis, N.P. Inman, Samuel Kinney, N.J. Lee, E.E. Mott, Job Randall, Daniel Shook, C.A. Crumb, Absalom Gleason, Joseph Daniels, J. Kelsey, Hiram Losee, Milton Rowland, Isaac Sharp and I.H. Tree. Scott was the name of a postoffice established about 1877, in the center of the township. There are no towns in Scott township.

ST. CHARLES TWP. - Ambose Story was the first settler within the bounds of St. Charles Township, and also the county. He located about 3 miles south of Charles City, in 1850, and did the first breaking in the county. Joseph Kelly was the second to come, locating in 1851, at the point where Charles City now stands. St. Charles was first set off as a township Sept. 4, 1854, by John M. Hunt, County Judge. It was then one of the four townships comprising Floyd County. The first election for township officers was held April, 1855, which resulted as follows: Trustees, John Blunt, John Kellogg, R.W. Humphrey; clerk, Milo Gilbert; Justices of the Peace, Joshua Jackson and Alanson Lambert; Assessor, Sanford Harwood.

ULSTER TWP. - This township was organized in the year 1858, being the south half of township 96 north, of range 17 west, and the north half of township 95 north, of range 17 west. The name Ulster was embodied in the petition to the county judge requesting the township to be organized and to bear the name Ulster, it being the name of a county in New York State, from which many of the first settlers of this township emigrated. It has an area of forty-two square miles, or 26, 880 acres, the assessed valuation of which is $160,000. (Figures from 1882) John Ball was the first settler in this township, followed by brothers Daniel and Peter Beaver about January 1854. The same year came Josiah M. Rogers, Wm. M. Crocker, Wm. Welch, Henry Sprague and Barney Corby. The first settlements were mainly on Flood Creek. There are no towns at present (2008) in Ulster twp.

UNION TWP. - Union Township settlements were among the oldest in Floyd County. Jacob Beelar, a native of East Tennessee, built the first log cabin in the vicinity around 1850, he called the area Beeler's Grove. In 1851, nine members of his family arrived, including parents. Soon followed Mr. Baltimore and Mr. Inman in 1852. In 1855 came Ralph Horr, John Gates, and William Ackley. That same year one Corey erected a double log shanty and established the first store, with a stock of goods sufficient to meet the frugal needs of the settlers. Although there were several at one time, Marble Rock is now (2008) the only town in Union Township.

Note:
Between 1855 and 1859 to present, many alterations were made to the original four townships. There are now 14 townships in Floyd County as Cedar and St. Charles were both divided into East and West townships of the same name.

Submitted to Floyd IaGenWeb by Bonnie Stickney, b.stickney@gmail.com

 


 

Last update: Sept. 17, 2008, Bonnie Stickney

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