IOWA HISTORY PROJECT

GAZETTEER OF IOWA,

ARRANGED BY COUNTIES ALPHABETICALLY,

Given an Account Of Their

LOCATION, BOUNDARY, SURFACE, SOIL, TIMBER, MINERAL RESOURCES,

STREAMS AND RAILWAYS, TOGETHER WITH THE EARLY SETTLEMENTS

ORGANIZATION AND ITEMS OF EARLY HISTORY, AND THE

PRESENT POPULATION, MANUFACTURES, TRADE AND

GENERAL BUSINESS STATISTICS OF THE CITIES,

TOWNS AND VILLAGES.

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Adair County.

     Adair County is situated in the south-western part of Iowa being the third county east of the Missouri River, and the third north of the State of Missouri. It is bounded on the north by Guthrie, on the east by Madison, on the south by Union and Adams, and on the west by Cass. The Grand Divide, or the high land dividing the waters of the Missouri from the waters of the Mississippi, passes through the eastern portion of the county. The land is undulating, and mostly rolling prairie. The proportion of prairie to timber is about as twenty-five to one.

      TIMBER..-- The timber is well distributed throughout the county, covering most of the bottom lands. There are three large bodies, one on the east by Madison, on the south by Union and Adams, and on the west by Cass. The Grand Divide, or the high land dividing the waters of the Missouri from the waters of the Mississippi, passes through the eastern portion of the county. The land is undulating, and mostly rolling prairie. The proportion of prairie to timber is about as twenty-five to one.

      SOIL..-- The soil is chiefly black loam, containing a sprinkling of sand from two and a half to four feet in thickness, and resting on a bed of clay. It produces in abundance corn, wheat and all kinds of vegetables that grow in this latitude. Plums, crab apples and grapes grow spontaneously, in great abundance, and of an excellent quality.  Young orchards of the different fruits are looking finely, and this promises to be a good fruit-growing county.

      COAL, BUILDING STONE, ETC..-- No coal has as yet been discovered, but in several places coal slate is found on the surface near the streams. Limestone is found in abundance on the banks of Middle River. Good brick clay in small quantities is found in different localities.

      STREAMS, MILLS, ETC..-- Middle River, running in a southeasterly direction, enters the county near the centre of the northern boundary, and passes out near the centre of the eastern boundary. Grand River, rising in the northern part, runs in a southeasterly direction and passes out near the southeast corner of the county. The two branches of the Middle Nodaway River rise in the northwest part and running south, unite near the southwest corner of the county. The two branches of the Middle Nodaway River rise in the northwest part and running south, unite near the southwest corner of the county. These with many smaller streams and fine durable springs make this one of the best watered counties in the State.

      There is some good water power on the streams, but at present there are only one water and two steam saw mills in the county.

       As the farmers have to a considerable degree turned their attention to wool raising, and as the country is well adapted to this purpose, a woolen factory is much needed at present, and would in the future also be a very profitable investment.

       The county is divided into eleven townships, viz: Grand Rover, Greenfield, Grove, Harrison, Jackson, Jefferson, Lincoln, Richland, Summerset, Walnut, Washington.

        RAILROADS..-- The Mississippi and Missouri River Railroad, and the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad upon their approach to the Missouri River, if they do not pass through this county will approach, the former very near to the north, and the latter very near to the south line, and in a few years it will have the advantages and benefits arising from a competition between the two roads. 

McDonald and Alfred Jones, settled in different parts of the county, and commercial improvements. As they all located in the timber, and were in a manner isolated,  the early settlements progressed slowly. The first white child, Margaret Johnson, was born in 1850, and the first death was that of a child of John Gibson, in the same year. During the years 1855 and 1856, the land was nearly all entered by capitalists, and has been held by them for speculation, thus retarding the improvement of the county, but heavy taxes have induced many of them to place their lands in market, and good locations can now be obtained at from three to five dollars per acre.

       The county has an agricultural society which has been in operation for years.

        FONTANELLE, the county seat, is located a little southwest of the centre of the county, and is finely laid out on a beautiful prairie.

        It contains some fine public buildings, and has a population of about two hundred. The Methodists, Christians and Congregationalists, all have societies organized, but are as yet without church edifices. There is one newspaper, published weekly by James C. Gibbs. Fontanelle Lodge, No. 138, A. F. & A. M.,  which has been in operation seven years, holds its meetings on Saturday evenings previous to the full moon.

        ARBOR HILL is a post office in Harrison township, 18 miles northeast of Fontanelle, on the State road from DesMoines to Council Bluffs. It receives six miles per week. The soil of the surrounding country is rich and well adapted to the production of wheat and other small grains. Population of township 180.

       There are also the villages and post offices of Adair, Greenford, Hebron and Holiday. 

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Adams County.

      Is situated in the third tier of counties from the Missouri River, and the second north of the State line. It is bounded on the north by Cass and Adair, on the east by Union, on the south by Taylor, and on the west by Montgomery.

        Its prairies are high and rolling, and watered by the Nodaway, One Hundred and Two and Little Platte Rivers, and their tributaries, which are skirted with good timber. The soil is rich and fertile, and like the adjoining counties is especially adapted to stock raising. Coal is found in large quantities on the Middle Nodaway, and will supply the future wants of the surrounding country.

       The county was settled in 1851, by Messrs. Walter Bowman and Toar from Nodaway Co., Mo., and the first election was held in April, 1853, when the county was organized. The proposed line of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad passes through the county.

       QUINCY, the county seat, is situated in the central western portion of the county, two miles east of the Middle Nodaway River, on high prairie, with a heavy body of timber on the west. It contains four general stores, one grocery, one drug store, one agricultural implement dealer and two flour mills. Population about 275.

      SIMPSON is situated on the banks of the East Nodaway, six miles south of Quincy, contains a Methodist Church, a Lodge of I. O. G. T., and one general store. The township consists of prairie interspersed with fine groves of oak, hickory, walnut and maple. Population of village 100.

      CARL is in the northeastern part of the county, ten miles from Quincy. It has one Methodist Church. Population of the township 120.

      NEVINSVILLE is a post office in the north-eastern corner of the county, 18 miles from Quincy. There are in addition the post offices of Mt. Etna, Mt. Washington and Queen City.