James Daniels, who came to the county as a soldier in 1856 and who was stationed at Fort Atkinson, settled in Frankville Township in 1851 in section 31.

A. Rosa came to Clayton County, Iowa, in 1847, and in March 1850 selected lands in section 31, hewed timber for a log house which he built and moved into the same year.

George M Anderson (Linnevold), who at one time wrote a history of Frankville Township, stated that Rosa acquired a farm of 1000 acres. At one time it was a notable sight to see his three reapers and a company of harvest hands following him in his wheat fields of over a "section on one part."

William Birdsell settled in section 28 in 1851 and raised a family of nine boys, four of whom saw service in the War of the Rebellion. William Beard moved his family in July 1851 from Indiana and spent the first winter in a cabin on section 23, in which his 3rd son Hammond was born.

Mr. Beard was the builder and operator of the first creamery in Winneshiek County which, according to historian Anderson, "raised the grade of their homemade butter worth 5 cents per pound to the best creamery butter worth 16 to 20 cents per pound."

Recorded, as the first Norwegian to settle in the township was Knudt Tollefson in section 30. Knudt Godmundson settled in the same neighborhood while other early settlers were: J.B. Schenck on section 5 in 1851, Moses Hostetter, J. Callendar, Christopher Anderson Estrem, Wm. Padden, Jacob Duff, Walter Rathburn, J.T. Atkins, John and James McKay, Joel Pagin, Philip Husted, Isaac Birdsell, Erick 0. Bakke and others.

The village of Frankville acquired its name from Francis Teabout who arrived in 1851. He was noted for his wealth, energy and perseverance. Frankville's early success is credited to the fact than an early decision was made to locate the state road through the village for the benefit of immigrants seeking homes in Northern Iowa and southern Minnesota.

Frankville's growth was at the expense of Moneek, two miles to the South with many residents moving up to Frankville to be on the new government road. Philip Lathrop built a three-story hotel in 1854 known as the Lathrop House. It was destroyed by fire early in 1858.

Frankville's father, Frank Teabout, built a Presbyterian Church in 1852 and gave it to his denomination. In 1854 Mr. Teabout built a sawmill costing $1500 which was sold to a Mr. Cutler and in 1856 Mr. Teabout built a large steam gristmill as a cost of $10,000. The machinery from this mill was later transferred to the Spring Water mill on Canoe Creek in Canoe Township.

Frankville's future faded fast when the Milwaukee and St. Paul railroad was built to the south through Castalia. A two story stone school now houses a museum owned and operated by the Bloomfield and Frankville Historical Society and the Winneshiek County Historical Society.

The oldest recorded burial place in Frankville Township is the Pagin Cemetery located in section 11 just across the road from the Andrew Sorum farm. It is recorded that Mr. Beard gave land for this burial grounds and that many of the burials there were as a result of deaths from immigrants who traveled along the nearby highway, the cemetery itself was not dedicated until July 4, 1852.

In the village of Frankville a cemetery which came from land owned by Francis Teabout was set aside November 5. 1856. It is known as the Frankville Community Cemetery.

A third cemetery in Frankville Township is known as the Greenwood or Centennial cemetery located in section 31, which is north of Castalia. This was set aside as a cemetery in March of 1878 on land bought from Phineas Banning.

Please, contact the county coordinator to submit additions or corrections.

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