Zearing, Iowa, was founded on October 17, 1881. Zearing was incorporated on February 6, 1883.
The first election in the unincorporated town of Zearing, Iowa, was enlivened by the arguments over the eligibility of voters. Zearing was a new town. People were moving in at a rapid rate. Some of them insisted on voting as soon as they moved in.
The results of the first election:
Mayor—Asa M. WilliamsAssessor—Dr. F. S. NewtonRecorder—Joseph M. IngramCouncilmen—W. H. Brooks, Chester A. Burgess, George Patton, William F. Lewis, John C. Burkhart, Nathaniel R. Clift
The Zearing Register of March 9, 1883, reported that there was considerable interest in the campaign for the first election in the incorporated town of Zearing. It stated that a caucus had been held in Patton & Johnson's store. However, some residents had not been satisfied and another caucus was held in Mike's saloon.
Every effort was used by each party to carry the election. However, the saloon party beat themselves. The assault on Charles Ingram caused the defeat of the saloon ticket.
The Zearing Register on March 9, 1883, reported that on the preceding Sunday evening at about four o'clock, the citizens of Zearing were startled by the news that a man had been assaulted in the depot. The injured man proved to be Charles Ingram, a pleasant, good natured, young man of seventeen years. Charles had been clerking in the store of his brother, Joseph M. Ingram.
A group of local citizens, unable to obtain liquor in Zearing, had hired the local section boss to take them to St. Anthony. They paid for the trip by giving the section boss his wages in liquor.
After returning to Zearing, the section boss asked Charles Ingram to open the Ingram store for him. Charles refused. The section boss followed Charles to the depot. Arriving at the depot the enraged man grabbed a stove poker and hit Charles across the left side of his face and head. It was a severe injury.
A. Deyo LeFevre, a new arrival in the community, seized the section boss and kept him under control until the constable, Cyrus P. Bean, arrived. Cyrus and Hiram O. Norton guarded the prisoner until he could be brought before Justice William A. Bowman. The prisoner took a change of venue to Justice James M. Price. He was bound over to the county court for trial.