FAIRVIEW TOWNSHIP.

The chapters below are from the 1914 book, Past and Present of O'Brien and Osceola Counties of Iowa and contain histories of the towns and townships of the county.

This township was set off from Horton township in 1874. It was so named on account of the fair and beautiful view it presented before the white man defaced the unbroken beauty of its gently undulating surface with plow and trail and homesteaders' shack. In 1870 it was a rich pastoral scene of unblemished beauty, covered with sweet prairie grass, thickly bedecked with the wild rose, prairie pink, gorgeous wild lilies and yellow golden rod. It appeared as if nature did its utmost to create a magnificent flower garden. Even the common resin weed that bordered each slough or run, made as fine a display as the most carefully cultivated bed of golden glow. This section of the country was so attractive in appearance that a few sections were gobbled up by speculators before the homesteaders arrived.

The names of the actual early settlers as nearly as can now be remembered or ascertained are as follows: On section 8 were Charles A. Foot, Alonzo Smith and S. A. Dove. Mr. Dove was later on the board of county supervisors for several terms and made a good officer. He now lives in Los Angeles, California. On section 10 were John Stewart, Egbert F. Wheeler and J. S. Davison. Mr. Davison later was elected to the office of clerk of courts, in which capacity he served several terms with credit. He is now practising law in Long Pine, Nebraska. On section 20 located H. D. Persons and J. W. Flint, the latter soon moving to Sibley where he worked at the mason's trade and died in an early day. J. L. Flint and Scott Case were transients in this section. On section 22 were two prominent men. Thomas Jackson later sold his farm and moved to southwestern Missouri where he prospered and died a few years ago. Charles Ambright soon moved to Sibley and was leader of the first Sibley band. He is now living at Columbus Junction and is reported by his son-in-law, J. Fred Mattert, as well and happy. Section 28 was settled by J. L. Pfaff, who is now living in Nebraska. He visited in Sibley last year and seemed hale and hearty. N. R. Cloud, another early settler of section 28, married Clara Wyllys, of Wilson township, and twenty-two years ago sold and moved to the state of Washington where he now lives. He and his wife visited in and about Sibley in 1913. Benjamin F. Webster, a veteran of the Civil War, was also a settler on section 28 and is still living on his original claim. He is the only homesteader in this township who bears this distinction. Although seventy-six years of age, he is hale and hearty and enjoying life. He is loved and respected by his neighbors and by all who know him. Section 30 was taken by Thomas. Lightfoot, who proved to be a transient George Hamilton also located on this section and became one of the foremost and best known farmers in the county. He was not only a good farmer but a noted stock raiser. He built up the most extensive herds of Polled Angus cattle in northwestern Iowa. He died in 1911. Another of our prominent citizens, William Mowthorp, settled, lived long and died on section 30. He was many years on the board of supervisors and was always alert for the best interest of the county. He was frequently mentioned as a candidate for state representative. On section 32 was Henry Clafflin, who only remained about long enough to prove up and sell out. Q. E. Cleveland remained through all the hard times and some time after, but finally sold out and returned to Pennsylvania. His oldest son still lives in the county and resides in Ocheyedan where he has been serving as justice of the peace for many years.

Very few of these old settlers are now alive. They were a fine lot of people with not one black sheep in the lot. They and those that followed them have changed Fairview township from a fair open prairie to a well-cultivated tract with good graded roads and substantial improvements.

Among the farmers who came later are Wilson Forbes and Frank Palmer. They came here poor, worked for others and later worked land on shares. Each now has a well-improved farm of three hundred and twenty acres. Cattle and hogs are their specialty. In very recent years L. J. Phillips came to this township and bought the farm of three hundred and twenty acres left by William Mowthorp when he died. Mr. Philips is a man of affairs and is so well thought of that he was elected recently to represent his part of the county on the board of supervisors. C. and F. Snyder are thrifty men who own a fine farm on section 33.

The northeastern portion of this township was unsettled for a number of years. It was held by speculators and the railroad company, which, while the school section, number 16, made a vast meadow on which large quantities of hay were cut annually, and shipped to the big markets. All that part of the township was known then as the hay ranch. A little later it was used as a herding ground on which large herds of cattle were pastured each summer. It is now, however, all cut up into well-cultivated farms.

The first officers, as near as can be learned, were as follows: Trustees— Thomas Lightfoot, J. W. Flint and J. F. Pfaff; clerk—W. S. Blake; justice of the peace—George Hamilton and J. S. Davison; constable—F. M. Cleveland; assessor—C. A. Foot. The present township officers are as follows: A. T. Winterfield, R. M. Riggs and Herman Umland, trustees; G. G. Brodrick, clerk; A. W. Burley, constable; R. J. Robertson, justice of the peace; William Dietz, assessor. The township has five public schools. The present board of school directors are L. J. Hagerty, Charles Gibson, Ed Fuller, G. G. Brodrick and L. J. Philips, with R. J. Robertson as clerk of the board.

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