wards was called Hinkle's Grove. William Eads was quite prominent in the early days of the county and put forth every effort to establish the county seat at Eads' Grove. He accomplished his aim but his triumph lasted only a short time and the fruits of victory were wrested from him.

B. T. Lonsberry entered land in the vicinity of Eads' Grove in 1839, on April 4, and on the 12th Eleazer Frentress entered land there, which was long occupied by the family. Frentress also entered land at Hinkle's Grove. This same year Robert B. Hutson, John Clark and Michael H. Hingst settled near Eads' Grove,

Daniel Brown, said to have been the first blacksmith in the county, located at Eads' Grove in 1840. Among others who sought homes here in the year just named were Robert Gamble and William Evans.

In 1841 Alexander Brown and Morris Reed settled near Eads' Grove.

D. H. Thornburg was a settler here when there was not a dozen families in the whole county. He came in 1841 from Ohio and settled in Honey Creek Township.

R. N. Steele was a native of New York, where he married Elizabeth A. Alger in 1837. With his wife he arrived in Delaware County in 1843 and settled on section 1, Honey Creek Township, on a farm consisting of 200 acres, which he brought to a high state of cultivation. This was his home for many years. His son, Hiram E. Steele, was a veteran of the war of the rebellion.

Derastus J. and O. E. Noble came with their parents from the State of New York in 1845 and located on section 1, in this township.

One of the early settlers in Honey Creek Township was H. B. Alger. He was a native of New York and emigrated to the West in 1845, locating that year on section 1, Honey Creek Township.

George W. Martin and James Martin, with their parents, left the Buckeye state in 1845 and after many days in traveling they reached Delaware County, where they settled on section 26, in Honey Creek Township. The Martins were among the leading and most prosperous farmers of this section.

George H. Bliss removed from the State of Illinois to Iowa in 1849 and settled on a farm consisting of forty-seven acres, in section 33, Honey Creek Township. John Bliss came with his parents at the same time.

Orin S. Boggess, a native of New York, immigrated to Illinois and in 1850 arrived in Honey Creek Township, probably settling on section 28, where his widow and two children resided for some time.

J. H. Clark came to Delaware County in 1853, where he married Esther A. Howland in 1865.

Selden F. Bush also came in the '50s. He was a native of Herkimer County, New York, and settled on section 4 in 1853, where he lived many years and improved a fine farm.

Lewis G. Clute came to Iowa from the State of New York in September, 1853, and first rented land in Honey Creek Township. He was married in 1859 and in 1862 bought a farm.

James H. Barr located on section 6 in 1855. William Barr and family settled here in 1856.

George W. Belknap, son of Joseph Belknap, was born in Edgewood, Honey Creek Township, in 1855, married Mary Worley in 1874, and located in Milo Township.

William Parker settled in Honey Creek Township in 1855. He entered land on section 20, which he improved and made his home for a number of years. In 1858 Mr. Parker married Lucretia T. Larrabee.

Wallace Johnson, with his family, settled in this township in 1856, coming from the State of New York.

J. E. Eldridge settled on a farm in section 6, in June, 1856. He married Augusta Fitzsimmons in 1857. Mr. Eldridge was a veteran of the Civil war.

J. J. Eaton came with his parents to this township and settled on section 13. He enlisted in the Civil war and was honorably discharged in 1864. became a very good citizen.

N. R. Nichols, an early settler, left his home in the East for the prairies of Iowa and located on section 18, in this township, in 1857. Mr. Nichols died. in 1864.

John M. Coolidge was born in Honey Creek Township, March 5, 1857. He was the eldest son of Zena E. Coolidge, one of the oldest settlers of this township and one who took a lively interest in all that pertains to the improvement of the county in which he lives.

John F. Graham was born in Nova Scotia. He immigrated to this county in 1858 and settled on section 17. Mr. Graham became one of the prominent farmers of his community and served as a member of the board of supervisors.

Truman R. McKee was one of the quasi pioneers of Delaware County, having settled in this township in 1859, selecting a tract of land on section 20, where he improved a farm of 120 acres. Mr. McKee was a veteran of the Civil war and a noted drummer.

DEFUNCT TOWN OF YORK

In the year 1851 George W. Stewart, who had settled on section 9 in 1855, laid out a town on part of his land and named the "future great" York. On the site was a house which he had built the year of his arrival, and in this modest structure he lived and opened a small general store in 1855. In December of that year, a postoffice was established and Mr. Stewart was placed in charge. He also entertained travelers who desired accommodations. At one time the place contained three or four mercantile concerns and the hope was entertained that York one day would grow to larger proportions, but the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad came to Edgewood and blasted the hopes of all here, and the Town of York is now but a memory. In 1873 a schoolhouse was built near the edge of town, but in 1875 the postoffice was discontinued. To the south of York, on section 33, is Thorpe, a station on the Chicago Great Western.

EDGEWOOD

The greater part of this town lies in Clayton County. The place got its origin from the settlements made here and in the vicinity by people who came from the far eastern states. Among these were Lorenzo Mulliken and Daniel

B. Noble, natives of the State of New York. They located in the edge of Turkey timber, on section 1, in the spring of 1842. In a short while they had for neighbors Henry W. Lyon and family, who moved to Eads' Grove the following spring.

Nelson Steele and family came in the fall of 1843 and in 1844, Samuel Mulliken, father of Lorenzo, and his family became a part of the colony.

By this time the locality became known as the "Yankee Settlement. Elder N. W. Bixby and wife arrived in 1846. He was a clergyman of the Freewill Baptist Church and both the Bixbys held religious services in the homes of the pioneers. It is said Mrs. Ruby Bixby could preach more interestingly and strenuously than her husband and was much "smarter." R. J. Bixby, now one of the most prominent citizens of Edgewood, was a son of these excellent pioneers.

The first house erected in the future village was put up by Joseph S. Belknap in the spring of 1849. In this building he kept a store and also made his residence. He was the founder of "Yankee Settlement," or Edgewood. At the time there was only one settler near the place on the Clayton County sideJohn Gibson, who arrived in 1846.

The "Yankee Settlement" postoffice was established on section 1, January 12, 1848, and Bohan Noble was the postmaster.

In 1852, Mr. Belknap opened his store, the first in the village. He also kept tavern. Mr. Belknap built several houses in 1853 and 1854, and in one of them, which was on the Clayton County side, he opened a store and moved. there in 1854, previously selling his interests in Delaware County to Harrison Gifford.

A Congregational Church was organized and a building erected in 1854. The first pastor was Rev. H. N. Gates.. Rev. A. Graves came to this charge in 1857 and was followed, in 1862, by Rev. L. P. Matthews. Within a few years no regular pastor was engaged and the church was attended by a minister from Manchester.

The first schoolhouse was built in 1855. The first hotel was kept by Joseph Belknap.

The name was changed from "Yankee Settlement" to Edgewood when the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad Company made the place a station on its line. Its depot is on the Clayton County side, also the postoffice, churches, most of the business houses and schoolhouse. On the Delaware side there are 260 people; on the Clayton side, 2,300 people.

CHAPTER XXXII

DELAWARE TOWNSHIP

Township 89, range 5, attained its political status January 6, 1851, and was named Delaware. It was ordered by the Commissioners' Court at the time that the place of holding elections in the township "Shall be at Delaware Center (near where Quaker Mill now stands).”

This township lies in the second tier and is bounded on the north by Honey Creek, south by Milo, east by Oneida, and west by Coffin's Grove. The Maquoketa River enters its borders on the northwest, and flows through the county's capital city. Here Prairie Creek joins the Maquoketa after traversing a small territory in the western part of the township. Honey Creek, with its principal tributary, Lindsay Creek, drains the northern part and joins the Maquoketa above Manchester. So it is plain to be seen that this region is well watered and drained, making for good pasture and fertile land. There is considerable sand, but the broad swales or low lands are generally free from sand and are covered with a rich black loam.

Delaware Township, of course, had her first settlers, but they did not appear as early as in some other localities in the county. Be that as it may, land was entered and improved here while Iowa stood in the Union only as a territory and the county had not been as yet organized.

The late Judge Joel Bailey declared upon occasion it was his opinion that Robert B. Hutson, who settled near Eads' Grove in 1840, was located on section 2. His son, Matthew D., was born here in 1845, and growing to manhood, became a veteran of the Civil war.

William R., Adin, John and Leverett Paddleford, with their mother and three sisters, settled near the mouth of Honey Creek, about two miles northwest of Manchester, in Delaware Township, in 1840. Delotia, one of the girls, married John Nagle, an early settler. Leverett Paddleford, and sister, Sarah, died many years ago and lie buried near Jones' woolen mills.

Joel Pike took up land in the township, near Hutsons' in 1840.

Among the first settlers of Delaware Township and Delaware County was Albert Raymond and Matilda, his wife, who came to the township in June, 1849. They took up farming and became highly respected citizens of their community.

On June 7, 1850, George, Henry and John Acers, with their families, arrived in Delaware County and made their first stop at Eads' Grove, in Honey Creek Township. Before the expiration of June, George made a selection of a farm, which happened to be the site of Delaware County's future seat of government. Here the family resided until the fall of 1852, when, desiring to get nearer the timber, George removed with his possessions to section 17, Delaware Township. Upon this place he erected a primitive dwelling house and at once.

began felling the timber and by "grubbing," burning brush and breaking the stump land, in a few months had his "eighty" in the initial stages of a cultivated farm. By industry and good judgment this worthy pioneer thrived and became one of the stanch pillars of the community. His helpmate, who bravely stood by him in his struggles for supremacy over many difficulties, was the daughter of Jesse D. and Hannah Scott, both early venturers into this new country, coming here in 1853. John Acers settled on land which became the townsite of Acersville, or Delaware Center. He removed to Texas a number of years ago. Henry spent a long and active life in Manchester before going to his final reward.

D. S. Potter married Laura A. Brayton in New York, his native state, and in the fall of 1851 settled in this township on section 25.

Albert Thompson was one of the pioneers of Delaware Township. He was born in New York in 1822 and moved to Michigan with his parents in 1837, where he married Margaret Darah. In the spring of 1852 they came to this county and settled on section 8. Mr. Thompson had a large family of girls, two of whom, Mrs. Fred Manson and Mrs. Will Jones, now reside at Manchester. John Kaltenbach immigrated to the United States from Germany with his wife in 1834. They removed to Wisconsin from Iowa in 1852, and in the spring of that year settled in this township on section 3, where Mr. Kaltenbach built a sawmill. This he reconstructed in 1864 as a grist mill. A son-in-law, John Welterlin, born in France, joined him in 1854 and became a member of the family.

Thomas Hetherington settled here in 1853. Amos and Asher, twin sons, were born in 1856.

Henry L. Edmonds settled on section 26, in this township, in August, 1853. Stephen J. Edmonds immigrated to this county in 1854 and settled on section 22.

Rufus Dickinson was one of the pioneers of Delaware County, locating in this township on section 12, in May, 1853. He began the improvement of his farm in 1854.

Theophilus Crosby, a native of Massachusetts, immigrated from Ohio to Iowa in 1853 and in October that year settled in this township at Eads' Grove. In 1869 Mr. Crosby located on section 32, where he planted a nursery on what he called Pleasant Hill Farm.

James H. Covey was an early settler, coming from New York in 1854. He settled on a farm and improved it.

Hassel Munson left his native State of New York in the spring of 1854 and settled in this township. In 1859 he married Carrie Eaton, and in 1865 settled on section 8.

John H. Taber, a native of Pennsylvania, visited this township in 1854 and settled here on December 10th of that year. In the summer of 1857 he located on section 16.

Watson Childs, born in LeRoy, Jefferson County, New York, came to Iowa in 1855. In 1859 he married Prusilla Sheldon. In 1863 they located in Delaware Township. Mr. Childs was a man of good judgment as shown in his selection of a farm considered one of the best in the township. He was a member of Jones Mill Grange, a successful farmer, always attended farmers' con