THE FARMERS STATE BANK

One of the strong and influential financial institutions of Delaware County is the Farmers State Bank. It was incorporated February 22, 1906, by H. M. Johnson, S. P. Thorpe, W. T. Kehoe, L. Schnitzger, H. B. Schneir, Ed Hucker, R. J. McNeil, W. S. Johnson, D. H. C. Johnston. The capitalization was $25,000, and the first officers selected were: H. M. Johnson, president; S. P. Thorpe, vice president; A. W. McDonald, cashier. The bank began doing business in the Bernhard Building, a one-story frame, still standing on Main Street. In 1908, a handsome home was completed for the bank and occupied in May of that year.

At a regular meeting of the directors, in January, 1910, W. S. Johnson succeeded to the presidency, and at the same time S. M. Hucker followed S. P. Thorpe as vice president. John Turnis took the latter office in 1913.

The official list now appears as follows: W. S. Johnson, president; John Turnis, vice president; A. W. McDonald, cashier. Directors: R. J. McNeil, Ralph Milroy, W. S. Johnson, A. W. McDonald, James F. Delay, James Kehoe, John Turnis, J. W. Milroy, Frank King. Capital, $25,000; surplus, $7,000; deposits, $115,000.

FRATERNAL ORGANIZATIONS

Rising Sun Lodge, A. F. & A. M., No. 187, was organized at Worthington, January 8, 1866. The lodge was removed to Hopkinton in 1874 and reinstituted with the following named officers: A. B. Wheeler, W. M.; T. N. Williamson, S. W.; C. Cook, J. W.; H. N. Hendee, secretary; C. P. McCarty, S. D.; I. G. Quackenbush, J. D.; Aaron Richardson, tyler; J. T. Davis, treasurer. The members in 1868 were H. W. Raymond, R. B. Dando, F. Coates, J. B. Bailey, D. M. Hazard, F. M. Nultimeyer, R. B. Lockwood, E. H. Bush, A. White, Henry Murphy, Simon Boyer, Samuel Pitman, William Stearwalt, J. F. Jackson, John Gould, James Campbell, B. F. Alberty, John Lyd, I. G. Quackenbush, Adam Lasher, Ebenezer Fletcher, E. Turner, J. K. Shiffler, Bedford Lockwood, Henry Arnold, A. B. Wheeless, Thomas Wood, T. M. Williamson, Eli Ruddlesden, Evan Lyd, George McDonald, William Neville, William Carpenter and others. The membership now is seventy-eight.

Sunbeam Chapter, Order Eastern Star, was organized March 2, 1905, with the following charter members and officers: W. M., Mrs. C. E. Reeve; W. P., W. S. Beels; A. M., Mrs. R. G. Crawford; secretary, Miss Emma Richardson; treasurer, Mrs. J. S. McConnell; conductress, Mrs. T. B. Tibbitts; assistant conductress, Mrs. J. J. Kirkwood; Adah, Miss Alice Crawford; Ruth, Mrs. L. F. Cummings; Esther, Mrs. P. R. Wheeless; Martha, Mrs. J. D. Morgan; Electa, Mrs. F. E. Williamson; warder, Mrs. J. S. Deshaw; sentinel, G. H. Deshaw; chaplain, Mrs. A. B. Wheeless; marshal, Mrs. W. A. Place; organist, Mrs. Bollman. Other charter members were: Mesdames A. Richardson, M. C. Merriam, C. Guthaus, Harry Wilson, W. A. Lang, J. Baker, Nichols, Ola Snyder, John Lawson, C. C. Hoag, J. C. Matthews, Mr. and Mrs. T. B. Armstrong and Mr. and Mrs. John Hilsenbeck.

Sunset Lodge, No. 525. Independent Order Odd Fellows, was organized October 21, 1892, with the following named charter members: Parley Gavitt,

Jacob Platt, Lewis Wheeler, S. P. Carter, Dr. S. F. Bentley, T. S. Dewald. They were also the first officials. The membership of the lodge now is thirtyeight.

Amon Lodge, No. 115, Daughters of Rebekah, was organized in September, 1902. The lodge now has a membership of about sixty.

VILLAGE OF SAND SPRING

Sand Spring is one of the primitive towns of Delaware County that cut some figure in its day as a trading point, but with the passing of time and events and the control of man, its prestige long since has taken wings and but little is left of the place to speak of. Be that as it may, however, the village was laid out by Surveyor George Welch in January, 1858, for the owners, T. H. Bowen and L. H. Langworthy. Mr. Bowen had located a large tract of land here and in the vicinity and in 1856 the Southwestern (Milwaukee) Railroad Company had made this point a station on its line and built a depot.

The first building in Sand Spring, a log cabin, was put up by Asa C. Bowen in 1852 and he was one of the first to locate in this vicinity.

In the year 1858 an important event occurred, in the arrival of a number of families belonging to the "Exodus Colony," formed in Massachusetts. They were preceded by Reverend Bolles, who was delegated by the association to arrange for the reception of the families in their prairie settlement. Mr. Bolles was pleased with the Sand Spring country and purchased of the Bowens 1,000 acres of land, in which was included a forty acre tract, which had already been surveyed into lots. This was called the "Colony" Addition to Sand Spring. Here Reverend Bolles erected a large frame house, containing sixteen rooms, as a temporary gathering place or home for members of the association and was called the "Colony House." But few, however, of the many families expected left their eastern homes for the West. Those who did brave the many unknown perils of the homeseeker were the Olmsteads, L. A. Hubbard, Otis Battles, A. J. Douglas, William McCausland, with families, and a Mr. Pease.

Reverend Bolles was an earnest, eloquent preacher, a good man, who fulfilled the duties imposed upon him in purchasing the "Colony" land and making arrangements for the "Exodists." That the primary scheme of colonizing Massachusetts families on Delaware County land was a failure was no fault of his. This worthy clergyman preached the first sermon in Sand Spring in 1858, at a frame building erected for a hotel. Other sermons by him were delivered in the homes of the people. That summer a large meeting was held by him at the home of Charles Crocker. About this time Reverends Whitmore, of the Methodist persuasion, and James Kay, Baptist, preached to people in and around Sand Spring.

A school was opened here in the summer of 1858 by Miss Lucy Battles, daughter of Otis Battles. Later, in 1868, a commodious and substantial school building was erected. E. P. Couser was principal of the graded school.

The Methodists had organized a society and, in 1865, erected a house of worship. A similar building was put up by the Baptists in 1868.

The Southwestern, now under the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul System, failed to reach Sand Spring in the fall of 1858. This was irksome to those who

had contributed to the building of the road, as they needed and greatly desired railroad communication with the outer world. The spring of 1859 came and still the rails were three miles distant. This led the farmers and business men, and even their women folks, to pitch in and help the track layers finish their work into the village. It is said that Mrs. Asa C. Bowen, Mrs. Karst and other helpful pioneer matrons, assisted in carrying and placing the ties.

When the Davenport & St. Paul (Milwaukee) Railroad reached Hopkinton a mortal blow was given the growth and aspirations of Sand Spring. The township had voted a tax of 5 per cent to assist in building the road. The payment of this tax was successfully resisted by the taxpayers of Sand Spring by way of an injunction, which was made perpetual by the Supreme Court of the state.

The postoffice at Sand Spring was established in 1858, and T. H. Bowen was commissioned postmaster on the 19th day of June, 1858. The names of his successors follow: William Cline, April 16, 1860; E. H. Sellers, January 30, 1861; Robert Elliott, April 25, 1863; Orson Henry, December 17, 1863; S. R. Tuttle, May 18, 1870; G. H. Brown, October 20, 1874; Leonard Loffelholz, April 13, 1886; G. H. Brown, May 9, 1889; O. J. McGinnis, June 30, 1893; Adam Reichart, October 2, 1895; F. E. Wood, Jr., July 30, 1897; S. D. Garlinghouse, March 2, 1903; William J. Gelvin, December 14, 1906; Alexander Blair, March 23, 1909.

For a number of years the manufacture of brooms was an important industry at this place, T. H. and Asa C. Bowen, of Hopkinton, giving it an impetus that put the innovation on a substantial footing. Broom making meant raising of the raw product, all of which increased the revenues of those directly interested.

The Wilson dam and sawmill were built soon after the village was founded and supplied lumber to many of the settlers for their homes and outbuildings. This property was totally destroyed by the flood of 1865.

CHAPTER XXI

RICHLAND TOWNSHIP

This is township 90, range 6, and was created January 6, 1851, taking at the same time the name of Richland. The voting place was the house of Stephen R. Reynolds.

Richland is in the northwest corner of the county, having on its western and northern boundaries Buchanan and Clayton counties respectively. Coffin's Grove Township is on the south and Honey Creek Township on the east. When first settled large tracts of timber were to be found here. Much of this has been cleared and good farms developed. North and northeast of what is known as the "Devils Backbone" the surface is rather hilly, so that the country is better adapted to orchard, timber, vineyards, or small fruit culture. However, Rich-. land is fairly well settled and her people are prosperous.

The Maquoketa River enters the county in Richland Township and flows nearly southeast, finally leaving the county in South Fork Township. Above Forestville the valley for some distance is a rock-walled gorge and this appearance obtains two or three miles below that village. The affluents of this stream afford plenty of water for stock and good drainage for the land.

William Turner and his father (name not known) were the first to settle in Richland, choosing for a location a tract of land in the east half of section 22, on the east bank of the Maquoketa River. They built a sawmill in 1847 and in the year last mentioned Stephen R. Reynolds became a settler here. Mr. Reynolds had the honor of giving the township its present name.

Hiram D. Wood located and made preparations for a new home, on section 26, in 1848. In the spring of 1847, being then nineteen years of age, he enlisted in a cavalry company and served until the end of the Mexican war in 1848. After his discharge he came to Delaware County and located his land warrant upon the land where he resided so many years. Mr. Wood was one of the prominent citizens of this community, held a number of local offices and served as county surveyor. He was the father of a number of children, sketches of whom will be found in the second volume of this work.

C. R. Davis settled on a farm in section 5, in 1850. Forty acres of his land contained excellent limestone, which Mr. Davis converted into the commercial product, having at one time three kilns in operation.

Henry W. Graves came with his parents to Delaware County in 1851, first settling in Colony Township. Later they took up their residence in Richland Township. Mr. Graves married Nancy Cuppett in 1866, and in 1867 settled on section 24.

Franklin Emerson, a native of New York, located in Dubuque in the '40s. In October, 1852, he came with his family to this township and settled on a farm. He had previously served as sheriff of Clayton County.