Early Days

    As early as 1852 the Mormons made surveys and set stakes for a town in what is now Grant township. Their idea was to take possession of this western Iowa area, with Kanesville (now Council Bluffs) as their apostolic city.  But there was division among them on the polygamy question and finally the polygamists or Brighamites followed their leader to Salt Lake City, while the Josephites or anti-polygamists remained in Pottawattamie and Mills counties.  The stakes that were set for the Mormon town in Grant township were still visible in 1857 and the Mormon creek which runs through the County Farm books its name from this event.

   But it was on Jan. 8, 1868 that a township was formed in Montgomery County from the territory then constituting Red Oak township and was named Grant.  Its first election was ordered to be held at a schoolhouse near the residence of Robert Davis in Section 19.  The first member of the County Board from Grant Township was J. H. Bowen, who took the seat Jan. 4, 1869.

   Coburg is the only town in Grant Township, and in 1881 it was the only station in the county, except Red Oak, on the Nebraska branch of the Burlington and Missouri River railroad, now the C. B. and Q. railroad. This branch was completed and opened for traffic in July, 1870.  For many years Coburg was an important shipping center for the area.  It was laid out as a plat by D. N. Smith, Justus Clark and the B. and M. Railroad Company. Its founders had hopes of its becoming a city as all the Southwest Quarter of Section 30 was platted. When lots did not sell in large numbers, the plat was reduced to its present size. E. Kretchmer was its first postmaster in 1871, and he was succeeded by A. M. Lull in 1879.  It is told that Mr. Newcomer built the first store in Coburg.

The first church organization in the township was the Good Hope Methodist Protestant church organized in October, 1859 by Rev. J. M. Young.  It was probably located in the vicinity of the present town of Coburg.    The Coburg Methodist Episcopal church was organized February 19, 1880.  The church was built in August 1880 at a cost of $1,675. The board of trustees was E. Kretchmer, J. H. Brooks, W. S. Hoar, J. Beeson, George A. B. Brooks and S. Q. Aleshire.    The Binns Chapel (Methodist) was built about 1880 at Binns Grove, Page county, and later moved into Grant township. It was later torn down and the material used in the construction of a Methodist parsonage in Stanton.

School houses were often used for church services and Sunday schools. There are now no churches in Grant township.

Coburg Stockyards -- 1900 Cattle belonged to Adam Bellis and John Duckshier

    According to Wm. Cozad's recollection, the first school house was moved from Red Oak to Section 5 in 1863.  But it seems that Miss Mary Etta Barker had taught a school still earlier in a log house belonging to Robert Davis in Section 19 for $13.00 a month. Formerly there were nine un-graded schools, but at the present time the only schools open are the consolidated school at Coburg and Mt. Pleasant. Some of the buildings still stand, but most have been used for other purposes.

   The only cemetery in the township is the Hewitt Cemetery in the northeast quarter of the northeast quarter of section 5. It was a plot given for the purpose from the land of Joseph Meredith Hewitt, an early day Justice of the Peace and county supervisor. He and his wife and several of his family are buried there.

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    The town of Stanton had its first electric lights on March 30, 1911.

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Provision for the Needy

   On June 7, 1875 the board of supervisors passed a resolution to submit a proposition to buy a "poor farm" at a cost not to exceed $5000. On the ensuing October election the proposition was voted upon with the result of 770 votes for and 594 against. On January 3, 1876 the board ordered the county auditor to advertise for sealed bids to furnish the county with a suitable piece of land. After due consideration the board decided to purchase from Miriam and H. C. French the S1/2 NW1/4 and NW1/4 SW1/4 of Section 4 for $4,000.00, and of Andrew Binns the N7/8 of NE1/4 SW1/4 of Section 4 Township 71, Range 38. It was ordered that the county proceed at once to erect a building suitable for a "poor house" on the farm. The cost was to be $2,695. The structure was to be 35x45 feet in size and 20 feet high, a cellar 7 feet deep was to run the full length of the house. Dr. R. D. Sperry was appointed the first physician and surgeon of the farm at $95.00 per year. The first steward was W. F. Gleason. He served until March 1878 and was succeeded by C. E. Patterson at a salary of $600.00 a year. Samuel Ewing of West township, one of the board of supervisors, was appointed superintendent.

   About the first of December 1880 the Board of Supervisors commenced the erection of a building for the care of the incurable insane of the county at a coast of $1,100.00. The structure was 28x28 and one story high. In January 1899 a contract was let to enlarge the house at a cost of $4,950.00.