Chapter XX
The settlement of Holman Township east and west
outside of Sibley began in 1871. The township is twelve miles
east and west, by six miles north and south. The township was
named after Supervisor Holman, of Woodbury County. Goewey
Township and Horton were also named after members of Woodbury
County's Board of Supervisors at the time that Board started
Osceola County into existence.
The only settler in the township near the neighborhood of Sibley
was Frank Stiles, and west of Stiles was J. H. Winspear, who had
a small house near where C.F. Benson's residence now is. Just
north of Sibley L.C. Chamberlain had a homestead, and near him
Ed. Shufelt, now of Canton, South Dakota, had a pre-emption. Mr.
Chamberlain lived there about twenty years, and now is in San
Francisco, California. Near these D. Busbee, M.V. Beebe and J.K.
Shaw were located, while west of these were Robert Stamm and John
O'Neill. Garrett Irwin and James Bailey were in the same
neighborhood. A mile west of Chamberlain's were E. Morrison, John
Beaumont and D.L. Riley, while still further were Daniel Call,
Charles Call and N. Richards and Busbee. On the section directly
west of Sibley, where is now the fine stock farm of H.L. Emmert,
were Henry L. Baker, W.W. Cram, Myron Churchill and Thomas
Parland. On the first section south of town were R.O. Manson,
Geo. W. Bean, A. M. Culver and his son, Andrew. West of these
were G.F. Nixon, A.W. Mitchell and Pat Larkin, and stil further
west were John Coughlin, C.M. Bailey and Edward Lindsey. Near
this section were located William Proper, William and Joseph
Anderson, Rev. Mr. Aldrich and Thomas Jackson. East of these was
the Robinson section, John L., F.M. and Ed., and near these were
the Rice brothers, Martin and Hughes, also Doc Ward. South of the
Culvers was W. Belcher and near him David Chambers and sons. West
of these was David Johns, Peter Wagner, Thomas Thompson, and near
them John Welcher, S.F. Thompson and C.B. Hann.
Of these old settlers mentioned, Winspear went to Colorado;
Stiles and Shufelt are in Dakota; M.V. Beebe is in Ellsworth,
Minnesota; J.K. Shaw is in Salt Lake City; W.H. Morrison is in
Kettle Falls; John O'Neill and James Bailey have died; D.L. Riley
is in Iowa Falls; H.L. Baker is in Indiana; Myron Churchill is in
Pipestone, Minnesota; W.W. Cramm is in Nebraska; Edward Lindsey
is dead, and his two sons, Harvey and Henry, have farms in this
county; C.M. Bailey is in the Auditor's office at Des Moines;
F.M. Robinson is at Atlanta, Georgia, and Pat Larkin is in
Kansas.
Of the pioneers mentioned, but few remain on their claims. Robert
Stamm continues to live on his claim, and A.W. Mitchell and John
Coughlin are on the same original claims; David Jones, John
Chamberlain and R.O. Manson also live on the land originally
taken. East of Sibley, Dr. J.M. Jenkins and his brother John
filed; near them, John I. Halstead and his son, Al Halstead, and
also Rev. John Webb. A mile north of these was located J.F.
Glover, F.F. White, E.A. White and S.A. Wright, and east of, C.F.
Krueger and sons. Near these last mentioned, were Chauncey H.
Bull, John E. Johnson and John E. Sclecht. West of Bull was James
Bowles, E.C. Jenkins, Howey Walters and Mr. Loharty. In the same
neighborhood were the parties heretofore mentioned on Section 8.
On Section 14 were Wallace Rea, O.C. Staplin, John Roberts and
C.A. Kirkpatrick. On Section 22 were J.S. Reynolds, Frank Coe and
S.H. Westcott. On Section 24, H.G. Doolittle and John McDonald;
near there was the Mandeville section-H.N. and his sons William
and Charles. On Section 28 were John H. Miller, W.J. Miller, G.H.
Perry and John Q. Miller; east were Hiram Burt, Michael
Clapsaddle, H.S. Brown and J. Budworth; near by, Jack Kettle, Wm.
Horton, H.L. Clapsaddle, W.H. Philips and J.B. Jenny. The Jenkins
people have all moved away. The Halsteads moved to Nebraska, the
White boys returned to Wisconsin, S.A. Wright to Nebraska, and
Mr. Loharty perished in a blizzard. C.M. Brooks lives in Cedar
Rapids and Hiram Austin in Kansas.
Thus the early settlers of Holman Township have scattered, except
what few remain, and some have died. Those who left got
discouraged and disheartened with the disadvantages which every
new country has, and returned to their former homes, or sought
other fields. The land of these early settlers is now occupied by
other and later comes, who will reap the harvest, which, with the
absent settlers failed to materialize.
Among the present settlers, some of whom may through inadvertence
be omitted, are Geo. N. Argubright, P.C. Alexander, Gens
Anderson, Geo. Alberns, Horace Ackerson, Dirk Albers, Charles
Andrews, Charles Thomas, William Brechel, C.F. Blackmore, J.W.
Bechet, Frank Burton, A.L. Baxter, Will Chase, P.A. Cajacob-Mr.
Cajacob is a member of the Board of Supervisors-J.W. Campbell,
who bought the fine Philips farm, Geo. Cooper, M.J. Chambers,
David Chambers, D.J. Chambers, Aaron Cox, H.L. Clapsaddle, J.J.
Conway, G. DeBries, William Drahe, William Dix, J.L. Dufree, C.N.
Flower, G.W. Flower, D.R. Flower, John Gerver, J.T. Greenfield.
This last named gentleman is a pioneer who has a large farm. J.H.
Gallagher also lives in this township, who is a find
stockbreeder; also J.H. Gee, John Gache and Jonathan Gross. There
are also A. Hunter, John Hess, Nick Hess, J.H. Karem, Claus
Hoffman, George Heritage, Mahlon Harvey, E.A. Hunter, Matt
Hillers, P. Henry, Peter Johannes, D.D. Jenkins, J.G. Johnson,
J.B. Jenney, Joseph Kappes, F.L. Kruger, W.H. Ketchem, A.
Klossen, William Kastor, Theodore Ling, C.F. Ling, Thomas Larson,
J.S. Martin, R.F. Maloney, D. Myer and J. Miller, whose wife is
one of the big turkey raisers of the county, Peter Nelson, Dan
O'Neill, John McCone, John Pfeffer, Peter Philbern, L.S.
Patterson, Thomas Pell. This last named gentleman is a
Congregational clergyman, who has been pastor of a church in the
county and last winter preached in Florida. There are also
Charles Parker, P. Redmond, N. M. Reynolds, Joseph Roth, John
Redmond, B.A. Stamm, who is also a pioneer, Henry Shroeder, Will
Shroeder, John Schulte, Robert Smith, who was also a pioneer,
Martin Schmidt, G.L. Smith, Peter Shaw, James Stevens, James
Thomas, Robert Taylor, J.F. Taylor, W.L. Taylor, G.B. VanNorman,
David Whitney, John Wagner, who is a large farmer, John E.
Wagner, T.M. Wagner. These names do not include all the residents
of Holman Township, but such as could be ascertained by
observation and inquiry. They have taken the even numbered
sections of the government land, and the railroad land, being the
odd numbered, and following the little settlements and small
improvements of the pioneer, they have made Holman Township one
of the finest agricultural districts in the country.
The farmers of this township, as well as all other townships,
have, in less than a quarter of a century, built highways, made
substantial homes, built schoolhouses, and today this township,
that in the sixties rated at $1.25 per acre and in the seventies
rated at $2.50 to $5 an acre, has advanced to be worth from $25
to $50 an acre. Industrial development is marvelous. The
Nineteenth Century advancement is wonderful to contemplate, but
right here at our doors, before our very eyes, has been a
transformation as remarkable as can be noted in any department of
industry in the wide field of this great republic.