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Pioneers of Marion County Summit Township Summit Township Histories - Page 243 Chapter XVIII. Summit - Geography and History - Name of First Settlers - James Price - The Wilsons and Others - A Conflict with Indians - A Veteran Coffee Mill - A "Settlers Rights" Difficulty - First P. O. - First Sunday School - Day School - Otley This township is technically known as town. 77, range 19, and is bounded on the north by Jasper county, on the east by Lake Prairie, on the south by Polk, and on the west by Red Rock. The larger portion of it, consisting of the north and east, is prairie, being the dividing ridge between the Des Moines and Skunk, commonly known as the "Divide." The largest body of timber is in the southeast quarter of the township. There are no large streams in this township. The numerous small creeks take their rise on the "divide," and flow each way into the Des Moines and Skunk. The coal fields of Summit are quite extensive. The principal ones now worked are along a small stream in sections 21 and 28, about a mile south of Otley. The first mine was discovered and opened by John A. Scott, in 1849; and this was the only one that was worked for several years. The next opening was made by Wm. Fisher, some time in '61 or '62, since which time numerous openings have been made in this locality by Fisher, Durose, Price, Barnes, and others. The veins of coal average from four to seven feet in thickness, and is of a good quality. Much of that mined by Mr. Durose has been shipped at Otley for Des Moines and other localities west. Summit was originally a part of Red Rock, till April 6th, 1854, when, in response to a petition of numerous citizens, it Summit Township Histories - Page 244 was declared by the county judge a separate township. The name first proposed and filed in the court record was Harrison; but Summit being the choice of a number of settlers from Summit county, Ohio, it was so named. The first election was held soon after the township was organized, at the house of Jacob C. Brown, and the following are the names of the officers elected: John Ribble and A. F. McConnell, justices of the peace; Geo. Reynolds, I. N. Crum, and Ira Kelsey, trustees; Abram B. Scott, clerk; Ira Kelsey, assessor; and A. Donnel and P. P. Harp, constables. Some changes were
effected in the civil geography of this township, which, though they
were the result of partizan wire working, and occurred at a comparatively
recent date, we shall take the liberty of sketching briefly. In 1862,
in response to a petition of a portion of its citizens, the township
was enlarged by the addition of that portion of Polk (town. 76, range
19) lying north of the river. This change not being agreeable to the
Republicans of the township, they petitioned the board of supervisors
to have the above Soon after this the Democrats again petitioned for the attachment of the disputed territory, which act was received by the opposite party as an acknowledgment that it was not a part of the township at the time of the election. The petition was granted, and White Breast was now indisputably a part of Summit Township Histories - Page 245 Summit; and so it remained till 1867, when the board was again asked to return it to Polk, where it still belongs. Prominent among those who settled in the township at the earliest date, are James Price, the Wilsons, David and Allen Tice, and Andrew Metz. Among those who came later, were, Joseph S. West, the Harps, I. N. Crum, James Dueese, S. S. Roberts, Alex. B. Donnel, and Allen Lanehead. Most of these are still residents of the township. Others who took claims at a very early date, but did not become permanent settlers, will be incidently mentioned as we proceed. Most of the first settlers located in and along the edge of the timber, and it was not till '45 that the divide began to be permanently occupied. Summit Township Histories - Page 246 Besides the nine acres he broke for himself, Mr. Price broke some for two or three of his neighbors, among whom were Samuel Martin, David Fritz, and Wm. Adams, who made claims in what is now section twenty, but remained in the settlement a short time. The unfortunate career of Sam Martin may still be remembered by most of the old settlers. Having stolen a horse at Council Bluffs, he returned to Red Rock, was followed there, arrested and lynched by whipping; after which he descended the river in a canoe belonging to A. B. Donnel, and is now supposed to be in Idaho. Humphrey Blakeway also came up with Mr. Price, and made a claim of land now owned by John Ribble, in sections 27 and 34. The same was also claimed by David Ray, who had built a house on it to hold it. In consequence of this some trouble arose between the claimants, that was finally settled by Ray buying the claim of Blakeway. Another temporary settler, named Wm. Hodge, overtook Mr. P. on the way up, and made a claim on land now owned by S. S. Roberts, section 28, and another on section 17. Hodge remained in the country but a short time. He was afraid of Indians, and a contact with them was the cause of his speedy departure from the country. Being in company with Jonathan Donnel on a bee-hunting expedition, they were visited by a party of Indians, who, seeing some barrels they (the hunters) had in the wagon to put honey in, supposed they contained whisky, and began to beg for some of it. On being refused they took hold of Mr. D. in a rough though friendly manner, intending to over-persuade him to comply with their wish. This, to Hodge, looked like fight, and he took up an ax to defend his companion; seeing which the Indians drew their knives and made a rush at him, whereupon he fled, to the great Summit Township Histories - Page 247 amusement of the savages, and never returned to see how his companion fared alone in their hands. Summit Township Histories - Page 250 A somewhat amusing instance of claim jumping may be related here. Just previous to the event related above, Andrew Donnel had made a claim and hauled some logs to the ground preparatory to the erection of a house thereon. But, after a few days absence on some other business, he returned to the place and found, to his astonishment, and, we presume, somewhat to his grief, that the house was already built and occupied by Mr. John A. Scott, who still owns and occupies the land. Mr. D. preferring not to disturb the intruder, made another claim in the neighborhood, which proved to be far superior to the first in value. The first postoffice in Summit township was called "Divide," and John A. Scott was commissioned P. M. in '47. But, as Mr. S. did not serve, the office was immediately discontinued, and he carried the mail to Red Rock for several years. At first, not having any regular mail bag, he took the small amount of matter directed to that place tied up in a handkerchief. In the summer of '57 a post office was established on section 16, called Newark, Wm. H. Anderson P. M. Some years after this it was shifted into the hands of various persons, and finally got settled at Otley, where its name was changed to that of the village, Geo. M. Hammond, P. M. I. N. Crum is the present incumbent. Daily mails. The first day school was taught by Abram B. Scott, in the southern part of the township. --- Watson, better remembered as the "the one-armed Watson," afterwards taught in a small cabin on the divide. In the same cabin the first Sunday School was organized and conducted by Andrew Donnel and others, in the summer of '49, and preaching was had there on irregular occasions. In the latter part of September, '67, Columbus Long, John F. Baldwin, and G. W. Johnson, employed J. B. Caruthers, county surveyor, to survey a town on land owned by them, on Summit Township Histories - Page 251 sections 15* and 22, being on the Des Moines Valley Railroad, at a station previously located by Col. Otley, engineer of this road, and called it Otley, in honor of that gentleman. The first goods sold were by I. N. Crum, who still continues in the business there, and is also P. M. There are now five stores in the place, three good church buildings, and a proportionate number of dwellings and shops. Being situated on the railroad it is necessarily a point of considerable shipping by farmers and merchants south of the river. Population of Summit by the U. S. census of '70: Native - 1,262 ------ Index of names mentioned in Summit Township Histories section Adams, Wm. - Summit
Township page 246 Baldwin, J. F. -
Summit Township page 251 Caruthers, J. B.
- Summit Township page 250 Donnel, A. - Summit
Township page 244 Fisher, Wm. - Summit
Township page 243 Hamilton, John B.
- Summit Township page 244 Johnson, G. W. - Summit Township page 250 Kelsey, Ira - Summit Township page 244 Lanehead, Allen
- Summit Township page 245 McConnell, A. F. - Summit Township page 244 Mangrum, S. S. -
Summit Township page 251 Otley, Col. - Summit Township page 251 Price - Summit Township
page 243 Ray, David - Summit
Township page 246 Scott, Abram B.
- Summit Township page 244, 250 Tice, Allen - Summit
Township page 245 Watson - Summit
Township page 250
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