That portion of Jasper County described as congressional township 81, range 20 west, is known as Independence Civil Township. It is bounded on the north by Marshall County; on the east by Malaka Township; on the south by Sherman and a part of Poweshiek Townships; on the west by Clear Creek Township. It contains thirty-six sections of mixed timber and prairie land; is well watered by numerous small streams and larger creeks, all flowing southward, emptying into the waters of the Skunk River. The town of Baxter, a station on the Great Western Railroad, is situated at the exact center of the township, and was long before railroad days known as Baxter post office.

Independence Township was organized in March 1858, by the county judge then in office. This was one of the later townships set off from the original precincts of Jasper County.

The population of the township in 1905, according to state reports, had reached nine hundred and twenty-nine.

In 1878 the value of personal property was fixed at $52,909, of which sum were included 619 head of workhorses; 20 mules; 1,473 head of cattle.

In 1878 the total amount of taxable property, personal and real, in Independence Township was placed at $241,443, and the tax on the same was turned into the county treasury to the amount of $4,5 I 7. See present valuation list elsewhere for all the townships within the county.

A TERRIBLE REAPER ACCIDENT

Among the terrible accidents of this township may be recalled that of 1874, when Alfred Butler, son of a widow Butler, of this township, was killed by a reaper. The team he was driving became frightened at a terrific clap of thunder and started to run, throwing the boy from his seat in such a manner that his body fell in front of the cutting bar of the reaper, by which part of the machine his right foot was severed and his left leg amputated at the groin, the parts above being so mangled and torn that death ended his sufferings in a few minutes, and before the men at work binding could reach him.

THE TOWN OF BAXTER

What was originally styled "Baxter Post office," on section 22, of Independence Township, has come to be a thriving town of about five hundred and fifty population. It is situated on the Great Western Railroad and draws trade from a large farming settlement, it now being the most businesslike place in the northern part of Jasper County. It had in 1877 come to be a small hamlet in which were to be seen a post office, a physician, a public hall in which public meetings, church services, etc., were held, and near at hand was a good frame school building.

Baxter has made its great growth since the building of the railroad, first styled the "Diagonal," then the "Maple Leaf" route and now the Chicago Great Western system. This railroad reached this place in 1883, since which date the town has made much growth.

The town was platted October 24, 1883, by David W. and Amy Smith. It is within Independence Township and is a part of section 24. It was incorporated in 1894, and the 1911 municipal officers are as follows: H. Hazlett, mayor; Carl C. Webb, clerk; Charles Burdick, treasurer; H. H. Maggard, marshal; councilmen, J. S. Booth, W. T. Thorp, George Diehl, O. E. Cunningham, A. C. Rose.

The mayors of Baxter have been as follows: J. D. Richards, 1894; G. W. Thompson, 1896; J. F. Klise, 1897-1899, inclusive; W. T. Thorp, 1900 to 1904; C. C. Graham. 1904-05; H. Hazlett, 1906 to the present date, having served well and faith fully for the last six years.

The question of providing some adequate water works for Baxter comes up at the special election this season. It is designed (if the people so elect) to issue bonds in the sum of ten thousand dollars.

In 1904 the town erected a city building of cement blocks at a cost of one thousand six hundred dollars and in connection with this building a gasoline gas plant was added, costing the sum of four thousand five hundred dollars. The bonds run ten years.

THE POSTOFFICE HISTORY

This office was established at an early date in the town's history and among those who have been postmasters are the following: S. B. Higgins, Milo T. Burnett, J. F. Klise, George T. Hager, F. L. Phipps, D. R. Mann, Mrs. J. N. Mann, Carl C. Webb, who was appointed July 1, 1906.

A twenty-six-mile rural route was established a few years since. The receipts of this office in 1910 amounted to about one thousand seven hundred and twenty-nine dollars.

1911 BUSINESS DIRECTORY

In the fall of 1910 the following were the chief business and professional factors of the town of Baxter:

Banking - State Savings Bank and People's State Bank
Baxter Dairy Company
Baxter Roller Mills - Hager & Noah
Baxter Telephone Company (incorporated)
Blacksmiths - G. S. Tipton, H. D. Wilson
Baxter Mercantile Company
Harness Shop - C. C. Commack & Company
Implements - Baxter Implement Company
Newspaper - The New Era
Pool Room - C. S. Bishop
Cigar Maker - August Gouch
Clothing - H. E. Gould & Company
Coal - Denniston & Partridge and S. E. Squires
Dentist - W. R. Crawford
Drugs - Downs Drug Company and C. M. Forney
Furniture - Buckley & Noah
General Dealers - Miller & Klemme
Hardware - Buckley & Noah, Hastie Hardware Company
Hotels - The Commercial, by G. A. Small, a dollar hotel by Mrs. Margaret Cool
Live Stock - F. W. Scharmann, J. M. Vansice, Smith & Wiley
Meat Market - Duncan McKenzie
Millinery - Mrs. H. H. Maggard
Photographs - J. L. Butler
Physicians - Drs. H. W. Canfield, C. C. Graham and Paul Koeper
Planing Mills - O. O. Tipton
Poultry and Eggs - Thomas Canfield
Real Estate Dealer - C. C. Webb
Insurance - C. C. Webb
Shoemaker - James Trussel
Postal Telegraph & Cable Company
Klise's Opera House
Jewelry-G. H. Pease
For the Lodge and Church history of Baxter see special chapters.

VILLAGE OF IRA

This is one of the smallest villages in the county, and yet much business is transacted here. It was platted as a station point on the Great Western Railroad about 1883-4 and now has a population of about one hundred and fifty. It had, in the spring of 1911, a Christian and Methodist Episcopal Church; a Modern Woodman of America Camp of thirty members and the Yeomen also had a lodge at this place, organized about 1890. Both meet in the hall on the second floor of the Ira Building Association's building.

The business interests at Ira are now:

Lumber - The Ira Lumber Company, L. F. Richards, manager
Grain - Rippey & Hanson
General Dealers - G. A. Rumbaugh, A. H. Campbell
Hardware - C. C. Barbee
Blacksmiths - F. I. Inglis
Barber - L. I. Harding
Bank - Farmers Savings Bank
Postmaster - A. W. Jeffries
Harness shop - W. W. Mead
Restaurant - C. L. Palmer
Stock dealer - Trammel & Jeffries
Railway agent - W. M. Barber
Implements - F. I. Inglis, Hurst Hotel

A post office was established at Ira in 1883 and is now situated on lot No.9, block 5.

A rural free delivery route was established here April 1, 1903. The amount of business transacted here in 1910 was five hundred and twelve dollars and thirteen cents. Two mails are sent and received here daily at this time. It is a fourth-class post office. The postmasters who have served here have been in the following order: Salem Jeffries, W. J. Crawford, H. A. Jeffries, W. J. Crawford, H. A. Jeffries, H. R. Lorimor, A. W. Jeffries.