HARRISON 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 is indeed a beautiful township of land, not only fair to behold but possessed of a soil of inexhaustible richness. It is drained by the Ocheyedan river and its tributaries and its gently rolling surface makes an ideal agricultural district. The railroad company secured all the odd numbered sections, as elsewhere, but owing to its great distance from any railroad the homesteaders did not find it so early, a fact which gave the speculators time to buy it all up at government prices. This township had no homesteaders and, consequently, was settled later than any other portion of the county. However, most of the settlers that came here had a little money and, coming when the grasshopper scourge was a thing of the past, made good improvements and prospered from the very start.

The Mennonites, noted principally for their peculiar religious beliefs, settled in this township in the eighties. They were an industrious, thrifty, and economical people and prospered and grew rich on the fertile soil. Among these colonists, principally from Ontario and Pennsylvania, were Jesse S. Bauman (a minister of that faith), Elias Bauman, Henry Gregory, Jacob S. Bubacher, Elias Gengerich, Davin M. Slaupper, David t Weaver, Peter Lehman, Emanuel Bubacher, Sidney Gengerich, and a few others. They believe that the New Testament is the only rule of faith, that there is no original sin, that infants should not be baptized and that Christians ought not to take oaths, hold office or render military service. Menno Simons was the founder of their faith. The main interest of the sect lies not so much in dogma as in discipline. They are not allowed to marry beyond the brotherhood. They abstain from all worldly vanities and refuse all civic duties. They refuse to take an oath or use the sword. When they are used as witnesses in court instead of administering the usual oath the following formula is used with them: "You solemnly affirm that the evidence you shall give will be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth, under the pains and penalties of the law of perjury?" These people are distinguished for simplicity and indifference to the greater world, while at the same time, industry and concentration have made them generally well-to-do. Their religion has varied but little in the course of centuries. The following incident illustrates the strictness of their discipline: Jesse S. Bauman, a leader among the Harrison township Mennonites, has a very large set of farm buildings and he installed an electric plant and lighted his buildings with electricity. He also put a telephone into his house. For this he was called before the church to show cause why. he should not be excommunicated. While he had a hard fight on his hands, it cannot be learned that he was turned out.

This township has no railroad, but about twenty-five years ago there was a town platted on section 8 and called Lexington and a postoffice was established by the name of May City. Rufus H. Townsend, who was the first merchant in Harris, moved his stock of goods to this new town of Lexington, or May City, as it is commonly called, and conducted a general store and acted as postmaster for twenty years. He sold out last year and moved to northern Wisconsin, having sometime before purchased a dairy farm there. Mr. Townsend and his wife were in quite poor health about the time they moved to May City, but they regained their health completely in Wisconsin. They attribute this remarkable and fortunate change to Christian Science.

Among other settlers who came to Harrison township in the eighties were Frederick Mayor, Theobold Henning, F. Henry Newkirk, John Settler, Hermon Eden, William Eden, George A. Sauer, William D. Sauer and Henry Small. Mr. Small was county supervisor several years. On section 20 are David Wilson and John Byers, both thrifty farmers. Mr. Byers had a peculiar experience with his buildings. He bought what was called the Jeffries farm, on which was a large double house and a whole village of barns. Lightning first struck and fired one of the barns and from this others caught fire. All the barns and the granary were burned, leaving only the house. About two years later a cyclone dipped down and blew away his house and barns, leaving only a corncrib standing. Mr. Byers was fortunate in having insurance and drew from the insurance companies six thousand dollars in about two years. It is needless to say Mr. Byers favors adequate insurance.

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