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because of transportation and expense each district kept
its own building instead of having a centrally located
one. District No. 3, near Elliott, was taken into the
Elliott Consolidated district at that time. In 1945
because of fewer children and scarcity of teachers some
schools were closed and with better roads and
transportation children are now taken by busses to
nearby towns. In 1953 District No. 9 will be the only
one of the original school districts having school.
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Pilot Grove Church
Much of any community life centers around the church and
the first record of religious meetings i that of a
circuit rider. A. P. Gilmore, who held meetings at the
original Pilot Grove school house. In 1870 Mr.
Yockey located on a farm near the center of the
township and organized the Pilot Grove Center Methodist
Church. The first meetings were held in the schoolhouse
with Mr. Yockey, Martha Yockey, Thomas Pettit, George A.
Pettit, and Rachel Pettit as members. In 1881
there were 65 members. In 1886 pledges were given to
start the construction of a church which was dedicated
the summer of 1887. The stone for the foundation
was hauled by team from Red Oak. The original church
consisted of the central part of the building as it
stands today and the aisle was so narrow that at
funerals the casket had to be lifted over the pews to be
carried. Between May 1893 and June 1894 the part to the
south was built and in 1922 two Sunday school rooms and
a basement were added. The first Ladies Aid Society was
organized in 1887 and continued to operate until 1904
when it was reorganized. The first records of Sunday
school is dated January 1893, before that the Ladies Aid
served as a place for Bible study. The first person
buried in the Pilot Grave Cemetery was Mrs. John King.
Today, although many rural churches have disbanded, it
is a thriving church and extensive improvements were
made during the past year.
In 1878 the
United Presbyterian Church of Pilot Grove was organized.
This church was built on Section 35 in District No. 7
and cost $1,200. The original members were John Askey
and family, J. Y. Martin and family, Isaac Barr and
family, and J. A. Deming and wife. This church disbanded
several years ago.
It is hard to
realize the changes that have taken place since those
early days. The population increased until 1880 when it
reached its peak of 880 people, but by 1950 it had
decreased to 489. Practically all farming is done by
machinery. Electricity has made it possible to have
modern conveniences in the home eliminating much of the
hard laborthat the early settlers had to endure.
With good roads, many of which are graveled,
automobiles, radio and television, Pilot Grove is an
up-to-date and thriving community.
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Pilot Grove
Ladies Aid,
1923 |
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Red Oak River
Ferry
In 1864 David Cook
obtained a license for $5.00 to operate a ferry across
the river at Red Oak until a passable bridge could be
built. A two horse team and wagon was charged 50 cents
and a man on foot 10 cents.
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Early Political Parties
In 1854 there
were the following political parties: "The Know Nothin"
party, the "Silver Grays," the "Seward Whigs," the
"Hunkers" and the "Barn Burners." The Democratic party
this year met its first defeat.
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The name Tarkio, for which Tarkio
Creek is named, is believed to have been an Indian name
for wild turkey, but no good authority was found for it.
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District No. 1, Botts School,
Pilot Grove
1893
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