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| Garfield is
the third name by which this portion of our county
is known. On September 6, 1870 the county
board passed an order for the establishment of a
new civil township, to be called Stanton after
Secretary of War Stanton, and the first election
was ordered to be held at the town Hawthorn. The
very next day, however, they reconsidered this new
township matter, and set the its territory back
into Lincoln and West Townships. Again on January
5, 1871, the present boundaries of Garfield
Township were fixed as a separate township to be
known by the name Walnut.
The first township election was held at
the school house near W. J. Taylors. The first trustees were George Traver,
Isaac Cook and Ormond Runnels. E. L. Cook was the
first clerk and J. M. Taylor, was the first |
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assessor. Just when the name of the
township was changed from Walnut to Garfield cannot be established.
B.F.
Runnels told that Stephen Glanden settled on Section 33 about 1851, and
that Mrs. Glenden undoubtedly did the first
weaving within the territory, and they lived
there nearly ten years before
there were any other settlers
in this township. In 1870 B. F.
Runnels came to , settling
at Hawthorn, and he and his family
had much to do with the building up of
Hawthorn. He kept the first post
Office, receiving and sending two mail
sacks a week.
The Methodist Episcopal
church of Walnut township, school district
No. 1, was organized in 1876. This church
is still an active church and is served by the Red Oak circuit.
Those who
reminisce of early days of Garfield township tell us that Hawthorne
was in those days quite a town; there were two elevators, a blacksmith
shop, lumber yard, depot, boarding house, a livery stable, a saloon,
two stores, a church and quite a number of residences. At this time,
there is a school house, the church, elevator and seven homes in
Hawthorne.
Another
landmark in Garfield township is McPherson,
which is located approximately one-half mile
north of Hawthorne. This was
originally called Hebron on the railroad
maps, but was changed to the name of
McPherson in honor of Judge Smith McPherson. This
can be called a village, as there is a store, a house and an
elevator composing this town.
At
the present time, E. F. King is the oldest resident of Garfield
township, having celebrated his 91st birthday on May 14, 1953.
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EARLY LAWSUIT
Among
the novelties of early lawsuits in the early years of the county
judicial history, occurs one entitled H. H. Campbell vs. John A.
Smith, April 25, 1865. The case was called by Squire Hewitt,
but the parties did not appear, and the court adjudged that the
plaintiff should pay the costs, amounting to $3.55. Campbell had
sued Smith for $20 due him for work he had done. Just below
the docket record of the case the Squire had made the entry:
"Plaintiff notifies the court that he has got his money from
the defendant; that he, the plaintiff, made the defendant; pay him
by threatening to whip him if he did not pay the debt to him then
and there."
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On December 27, 1910 at 2:30 o'clock the town of Grant
ceased to be an island town, and with the driving of the silver
spike by Pre. Rattenborg of the Atlantic Northern and Southern
Railway, Grant became connected by steel rails
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with the city of Villisca on the south, and the city of Atlantic on
the north. Sciola and Lyman (Cass county) were also served by the
railroad.
Due
to the advent of the automobile "Aunt Nora and Sue" as the
railroad was fondly called, could not compete with the new mode of
transportation. In a few short years it folded, and another
chapter of history was ended.
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