Vol. 1 of the 1914
CHAPTER XXIV
COFFIN'S
Coffin's
During the year 1840 immigration to the
In 1841 quite a number of additions were made to
the settlement in this county. Among those
who came this year were Charles Osborn, Hiram Minkler, Henry Baker,
Horace Tubbs and others.
Henry Baker, as has been stated, settled here in
1841, locating on section 22. At the time there were but four families in the
township. His wife was Elizabeth W. Coffin,
whom he married in 1840. She was a daughter of Judge Clement Coffin. The
young couple arrived in the early part of June and purchased eighty acres of Government land in Coffin's Grove township, where
they built a temporary log cabin 12 by 12 feet. There were at the time
but two families besides themselves within the limits of the township. Deer,
elk and bear were frequently seen. Mr. Baker killed quite a number of deer and
one bear and for the first few years was seldom without venison for table use.
The Winnebago Indians were stationed north of him
and frequently passed through the neighborhood on hunting expeditions, camping
within thirty or forty rods of his house
for four or five days at a time. They always evinced a. friendly
disposition and with the exception of begging food or some trifling trinket
never molested him. In the fall of
1841 he erected a story and a hall-hewed log house 16 by 20 feet in dimensions,
which he occupied for a number of
years. In 1845 he purchased 200 acres of land and in like manner continued to
purchase until he at one time owned over seven hundred acres. In 1856 he
erected a handsome brick residence and a large frame barn a few years before
that time.
Aaron Sullivan, an Ohioan, made a permanent
settlement in this township in 1844, on
section 28. This became one of the fine farms of the county and was the home of the Sullivans for many years.
Oscar Wellman left the old home in the State of
New York in 1852 and in the fall of that year located on a farm of 320
acres in section 31, Coffin's Grove Township. In 1856 he built a large
frame house, hauling the lumber from Dubuque—a
distance of fifty-five miles, which consumed four days' steady travel to
make the trip there and return. The following year he put up one of the first
large frame barns in the county. For a number of years he kept what might be
called a wayside inn. Here the old-time stage coaches in their overland route
from Dubuque westward would stop for refreshments or put up for the night, and
many were the times when the house was crowded with travelers and the haymows
were resorted to for shelter and rest. At one time during a driving wind and
rain storm the roads became impassable when the Wellmans furnished food and
shelter for forty teams and eight men, women and children. One of Mr. Wellman's principal occupations on his
farm was raising horses and cattle, in which he made a marked success.
William Cook settled on section 11 in 1853. He
was one of the influential men of the
township, and being held in high esteem, was elected to local offices by his neighbors.
Charles P. Tripp, by energy and good judgment,
was successful in gaining a foothold in
Coffin's Grove Township and became quite influential as one of its prosperous
and leading citizens. He settled here in 1853 and in 1862 enlisted in Company
F, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry.
Frank K. Smith took up his residence in
Delaware County in 1853, and this became his permanent home. He drove through
in a two-horse wagon from Ohio to Iowa and located on a tract of land
consisting of 120 acres in Coffin's Grove
Township. He built a log house of the regulation dimensions arid at once entered
upon the pioneer life of the then far West.
Harvey Minkler was
a native of New York. After living in Ohio a while he immigrated to Iowa in
May, 1853, and settled on a farm on section 29, Coffin's Grove Township. Mr.
Minkler was one of the first trustees of Coffin's Grove Township and at the
time there were but fifteen votes here, five of which were cast by members of his family. He was a member of
Company F, Twenty-seventh Iowa Infantry.
Alexander G. Alcock settled near the
present Town of Masonville in 1854, coming from the State of Illinois. His
first habitation for himself and family was built by driving poplar poles in
the ground and then weaving willows in around the poles. The roof was of hay
and for many years this house was called
Willowdale.
D. N. Davis came from the State of New York to
Delaware County in 1854 and settled in this township, where he lived for many
years on section 30. Edwin Davis, a native of Connecticut, arrived in the township
in 1854 and settled on section 28. That year he erected a log house. By
industry and thrift he brought his farm to a high state of cultivation, became
an extensive dealer in and raiser of fine stock and was looked up to by his
neighbors as one of their leading citizens.
Among the pioneers of Coffin's Grove
Township was James Towner, who came from
New York with his family and located here in the spring of 1855.
Patrick Trumblee left the State of
Massachusetts in the year 1855 and in September settled in Coffin's Grove
Township, where he was successful as a farmer
and held a high place in the estimation of his neighbors.
Isaac McGee was
born in Canada, immigrated to the United States and settled
in this county in 1855, locating on section 23. He was an extensive farmer and
a prosperous one. John McGee left Canada in 1854 and selected a tract of land for his future
activities on section 23. He became prosperous and was a good citizen of the community.
James G. Johnston was a Pennsylvanian by birth.
He found his way to Delaware County in 1858
and settled in Coffin's Grove Township, where a few months later he located on section 32, which for
many years was his home.
The marriage register in the office of
the Commissioners' Court was commenced in
1844, and the first marriage that year was that of Joel Bailey and Miss Arabella
Coffin, the interesting ceremony occurring on the 24th of April. At the time
Joel Bailey was thirty years of age and his bride, a daughter of Judge Clement Coffin, was eighteen. G. D. Dillon,
justice of the peace, consummated the marriage ceremony. The wedding
took place at the home of the bride in this
township.
Log schoolhouses were early built in districts
1, 2, 3 and 5. The one in District No. 1 was
built in 1854. This was at Coffin’s Grove.
MASONVILLE
Masonville is one of the thrifty little villages
of Delaware County. It is located on the southwest corner of the township, on
section 31 and was laid out July 22, 1858, by Francis Daniels and the Iowa Land
Company. Mr. Daniels owned the quarter section on which the village was built
and as an inducement to the land company to locate a station here, he offered
to donate one-third of the tract of land to the company, which was accepted and
a depot was built thereon. Eight years later another depot building took the
place of the old one, which was converted into a carpenter shop.
Oscar Wellman, who came West from New York in
1852, built the first house in Masonville in 1854, in which he kept hotel. He
also had a stable for the public and for the accommodation of the stage line
that passed through here at that time. Masonville has a population of about
three hundred. It is surrounded by one of the richest grain and grass belts in
this section of the state and is a station on the Omaha branch of the Illinois
Central Railroad. It has three general stores, a lumberyard, two implement
houses, two elevators, a farmers' cooperative creamery, three churches, a
savings bank and a public school. The Catholics and Methodists both have good
substantial buildings. Ebenezer Lodge, No. 587, Order of Odd Fellows, has
headquarters in a frame building of its own. There is a commodious two-story
frame school building, where the classes are
graded. The enrollment for 1913 was seventy-five pupils. This is a good
shipping point, from which are transported large quantities of grain, hay,
creamery products, poultry and eggs, hogs and cattle.
The Farmers Savings Bank was organized in 1905
by Daniel Fagan, M. Lillis and F. S. Griffin. It was capitalized at $10,000
and began business in a rented building
belonging to Mrs. O'Hagan. Recently the concern erected a new brick structure, which it now occupies.
President, Daniel Fagan; cashier, M.
Lillis.
Ebenezer Lodge, No. 587. I. O. O. F., was
organized August 3, 1893, under a dispensation. In October of that year a
charter was granted to the following members: F. H. Parkhurst, F. S. Harris, C.
E. Durston, Thomas Rose, George Harwood and about fifteen others. The first
officials were: F. H. Parkhurst, N. G.; George Harwood, V. G.; C. E. Durston,
secretary; Thomas Rose, treasurer; F. S. Harris, financial secretary. The
lodge held its first meetings in what is now Preston's warehouse. The
membership is about forty-eight.
North Star Chapter, No. 260, Daughters of
Rebekah, was organized in October, 1895. The charter members were: E. H. and
Ella Blanchard, C. H. and Kate Blanchard, Lewis and Winnie Huyck, F. H. and Ada
Parkhurst, J. W. and Melissa Preston, F. S. and Augusta Harris, W. A. and Etta
Dover, W. P. and Leola Seward, S. J. Kelly, T. E. Smith, Maria Smith, Thomas
and L. L. Rose, John and Anna Rose and Frank Kenyon.
The postoffice was established here
Becky
Teubner, Contributor
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