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Souvenir
History of Pella, Iowa [1847-1922] N Among the Hollanders who came to Pella in the year 1855, few if any took a more prominent part or proved of greater value in the work of building up this community, than did H. Neyenesch. He was born in the Netherlands on the 25th day of October, 1823. He enjoyed excellent educational advantages in his youth and for some years was an instructor in his native country. He was one of the first teachers Pella had and filled an important place in the educational life of the community. He taught here for some fifteen years, part of the time in Central University and also in the public schools. In 1870 he became the editor of the Weekblad and later added the Pella Blade, published in the English language. For a time he also published a religious paper known as the Christian Herald. He continued in the publishing business for about thirty-one years and his papers did much to encourage the development of the community. He was intimately identified with public affairs and held the position of city recorder for eleven years and was elected as mayor in 1874. He held his office for five terms and was justice of the peace for eleven years. Was born in Holland on the 8th of August, 1839, where he received his education. In 1857 he crossed the ocean with his parents and settled in Buffalo, New York, and engaged in the nursery business. He came to Pella in 1860 and clerk for G. Dingemans about two years after which he held a position with Snow & Huber for twelve years. Later he had a grocery store on the west side, about where the Weekblad office now stands. He was a member of the first Pella band. After conducting the store here for many years he moved with his family to Winterset, Iowa. Was born in Diedam, Province of Gelderland, Holland, March 6, 1830. In 1854 he came to Pella with his parents and after a year in town the family moved to the farm. He lived in Pella until the beginning of the Civil war, when he took up his residence in Keokuk, then one of the leading cities of Iowa. Here he followed his chosen profession of landscape and portrait artist. Later he came back to Pella and engaged in the same line of work. In 1873 he was united in marriage to Miss Gertrude Kramer. He was an artist of unusual ability and in addition to doing art work he taught a number of pupils. He was a man of earnest religious convictions and blameless life. He died in Pella on the 1st day of April, 1901. Was born in Diedam, the Netherlands, on the 6th day of October, 1833, and came to Pella with his parents in 1854. He remained on the farm with his parents for ten years, after which he entered the law office of P. H. Bousquet, where he served as bookkeeper and notary public and carried on an extensive insurance business. He was an earnest Christian and one of the early members of the Second Reformed Church. He took an active part in the upbuilding of this congregation, serving for many years as a member of the Consistory, and taking a leading part in the Sunday School. Hundreds of our people will remember him best as the organist of the church, as he served for many years in this capacity. His death, which occurred on the 7th day of February, 1920, was mourned by the entire community. The youngest of the four Nollen brothers who came to Pella in 1854. He was born in the family home in Diedam, Holland, on the 7th day of December, 1842, and settled on the farm, where he continued to live until a short time ago, when he made his home with his children, Mr. and Mrs. B. H. Ver Meer. Mr. Nollen lived on the same farm about three miles west of Pella for 68 years. He was eminently successful in his chosen work, being known as one of Marion county’s progressive farmers and stock raisers. Like his brothers, he is a man of deep religious conviction and has always stood for those things that made for the best moral interests of the community. Wellington Nossaman was born in Monroe county, Virginia, April 12, 1817, and removed with his parents to Pike county, Kentucky, when two years of age. He was raised on a farm and attended the common schools. In his sixteenth year he removed to Indianapolis, Ind., remaining their nine years, and in 1842 came to Iowa, settling in Jefferson county. Resided there one year and on the 17th of March, 1842, he married Miss Sarah Welsh, a native of North Carolina, born February 26, 1825. On the first of May, 1843, he came to Lake Prairie township and took up a claim on the Des Moines river, three miles south of Pella, built a log cabin (which to Mr. Nossaman’s knowledge was the second in the county), and broke a piece of ground. He built the first horse mill for grinding corn in the county, and in partnership with his father-in-law, Wm. Welsh, started the first pottery in 1845. Started a horse sawmill in September, 1845. He was elected the first coroner, and by virtue of his office acted as the first sheriff of Marion county. Bought an interest in Joseph Porter’s first sawmill in Pella, and in 1851 he opened the Franklin House in Pella, running it for four years. He commenced the mercantile business at the same time and was thus employed for ten years. Next started the first perpetual lime kiln in Iowa and made lime for several years. He furnished, free, all the lime for Central University, and in money and materials contributed over one thousand dollars to the building of that institution. This was in a day when one thousand dollars was a small fortune. In 1875 he built the Nossaman Hotel, north of the old depot, which he operated until the fall of 1880, when he rented it to his son-in-law, Jacob Todd. Mr. and Mrs. Todd were members of the Baptist church of Pella, and were among those who founded it. Wellington Nossaman – page 19 Estimated upon the basis of material results two of the most valuable men in the early history were Wm. Welch and his son-in-law, Wellington Nossaman. They operated the first sawmill in Lake Prairie township and probably the first in the county. Also the first, or one of the very first, mills for grinding corn. As both lumber and foodstuff were commodities that were essential above all others, these industries filled an important place in the life of the community. Mr. Welch was a potter by trade and ran the first pottery in this part of Iowa. People came from all over central Iowa to buy crockery, which was of more importance then than in our time – especially jugs, which have apparently seen their day of greatest usefulness.
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