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.

WEST HOLMAN TOWNSHIP.

Section 1. Among those who came later after the hard times were about at an end we find, on section 1, Andrew Rahfeldt, who has succeeded with cattle and hogs principally, although he sells some grain each year. He raises Shorthorn cattle and Poland China hogs. He is a good farmer and successful business man and is doing well.

Section 2. Here was Girard Post and David Bushel, both transients. James K. Shaw entered a quarter section on this section. Mr. Shaw did a prosperous land business in Sibley several years. Finally he and his family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, where he now resides and is quite prosperous. A. H. Agar now owns and lives on the Shaw farm and is one of our most successful and enterprising farmers. Moses V. Beede entered the southwest quarter of this section and lived on his claim many years. He lived in Sibley for several years, and from there moved to Ellsworth, Iowa, where he died poor. He was most prosperous while living on the farm, but was discontented. He labored under the delusion that he was cut out for a business career. A. H. Baade owns and occupies the northeast quarter of this section and has a fine home. He came from Parkersburg, Iowa. He and his son Fred are prosperous and happy. Leroy Phillips located on this section, but remained only a short time. A. H. Baade came from Parkersburg. Iowa, where he had been working a large dairy farm, and bought his present farm at twenty-six dollars per acre and built a good house and barn. Now his land is worth one hundred and fifty dollars an acre, but is not for sale. His son, Fred, works with him and they are successful and contented. Bert Agar, after being here a few years, thought he could find some place that would suit him better, so he sold and looked around one season, but finding no place that looked as good to him he bought back at an advance, it is said, of two thousand dollars and has ever since been contented. He has put up a fine set of buildings and bought another eighty, so his home farm now consists of two hundred and forty acres. He is a successful corn raiser and cattle and hog feeder.

Section 4. Robert Stamm settled here and stuck to his claim until the time of his death, a few years ago. He was always' active in all farmers' meetings. B. A. Stamm later moved to Sibley, where he died recently. Orrin W. Towner and Bela Churchill were transients. W. H. Morrison, who started the first nursery in this county, located on this section. The grasshoppers were so hard on his young trees that he became discouraged and gradually worked out of the nursery business and moved to Sibley, where he conducted a jewelry store. He was for many years treasurer of the township. Later he moved to Kettle Falls, Washington, where he died. His widow still resides in Kettle Falls.

Section 5. W. L. Taylor came from Wisconsin with his brother. John Taylor. John became discontented, sold and moved to South Dakota, but W. L. remained and has succeeded to a marked degree. He is not only a thorough farmer but a good stock raiser. He believes in mixed farming and keeps cattle, hogs and sheep successfully. He worked hard and steadily and now has a fine farm. J. Moet is also on this section and is an excellent farmer. He always has something for the market at the proper time.

Section 6. On this section settled J. C. Irwin, Milton Irwin and Garrett Irwin, the latter being the only one of these Irwins left in the county. Here was Archel Tyler, long since, dead. Charles A. Sawyer, who was Sibley's first grain buyer and coal dealer, soon moved to California and was lost sight of. James Baily was doing well here, but thought he could better his condition and prospects by selling and buying east of the Ocheyedan, where land was cheaper and settlers not so thick and where he would have a better chance to raise cattle. He undertook to move in the early spring and was drowned while crossing the Ocheyedan river during a time of high water. The proverb about a contented mind might apply in this case.

Section 7. Dick Meyers, who bought on this section, made money and got ahead a little each year. A few years ago he went to Germany on a visit and died suddenly on his return trip and was buried at sea. His widow is conducting the farm and doing well.

Section 8. This section was entered by Preston Bushel, Albion C. Spanne, Newton Richards and Charles H. Call. These men left no footprints. O. J. Ackerman is a thrifty farmer and doing well. J. Frey owns land on sections 9 and 17, and is a prosperous farmer. He is one of the influential farmers of West Holman. He has a large family and is prosperous. He is always a good friend to have in time of need.

Section 9. C. N. and G. W. Flower are prosperous farmers on this section. They do not strive for leadership, but are at their job every day in the year and are making money. R. Fruhling bought the old Captain Riley place and handled it successfully until land was pretty well up in price, when he sold and moved to Sibley, where he engaged in the stock business. He is now with Frank Kennedy, and they are the principal stock buyers and shippers in Sibley, doing a safe and profitable business.

Section 10. Here was Elbridge Morrison, who died in Sibley recently. Jacob C. Miller did not remain long. John Beaumont was an Englishman and quite active in getting out among his neighbors. He was the first secretary of the school board of Holman township and a loyal supporter of the gang of get-rich-quick fellows. This gang rewarded its supporters. While Beaumont was secretary of the school board a new school house was to be built in the Beaumont district and it was proposed to give him the old school house, which would make a very good addition to his homestead shack. A resolution was passed granting Beaumont an advance of twenty-five dollars in salary, and at the same meeting another resolution was passed and recorded to accept the Beaumont offer of twenty-five dollars for the old school building. That building is still a part of the house on the Beaumont farm. Here was the claim of Captain D. L. Riley, who was for many years a lumber merchant in Sibley and one of the board of supervisors. Osceola county owes much to Captain Riley for being redeemed from the gang and the business of the county placed on an honest and economical basis. William E. Rose left no mark.

Section 11. A. W. Garberson came from Wall Lake, Iowa, and bought section 11 and has made extensive improvements on it. He secured it at a bargain and now it is very valuable. He rents the farm- and has a fine residence in Sibley, where he lives.

Section 12. William A. Laughrey was hardly known. Here was Edward Shufelt, who got big prices for painting school houses and other public buildings for the gang. He died in Canton, South Dakota, recently. Leonard Chamberlain held his claim as long as he could as a homestead and then surrendered his certificate and re-entered it as a tree claim under the timber culture act. He thus kept it off the tax list about fifteen years. The principal mark he left is the fine grove on the "Ash Hill'' or Person farm, one-half mile north of Sibley. Mr. Chamberlain died in California. John D. Blake, Warren B. Lathrop and Frank Stiles were other settlers. The Stiles eighty was bought by Captain R. J. Chase, platted into lots and blocks and called Chase's addition to Sibley. These lots were all sold and now constitute quite a portion of the town. Stiles was one of the gang. He was the first sheriff and his wife the first county superintendent of schools. Both were found dead in a hotel in North Dakota a few months ago. They were asphyxiated. The southwest quarter of section 12 was always considered as the claim of J. H. Winspear, who was the head and furnished the brains of the grafter gang. In fact, he was the only one of the gang who left the county with any money. Winspear built the house on this quarter. This house was later sold to Ted Baker, a mason, who moved it to its present location and it is now a part of the Rustin residence. The quarter was entered by John D. Blake and Warren B. Lathrop, who transferred it to Shuck and Deland. Shuck was one of the early lumber merchants of Sibley and got into all kinds of financial difficulties. The consideration was one hundred and twenty-seven dollars for each eighty. It is now worth about twice that amount per acre. Lance Policy now owns and resides on the east eighty. John D. Blake and Warren B. Lathrop were either dummies or straw men. People who were here all through those early days knew of no such men. The Winspear residence and the Stiles residence were just across the railroad track from one another. Lance Polly now occupies one location and W. J. Miller the other. David Littlechild boarded with Stiles and worked more or less for Winspear, planting trees and otherwise improving the place. Winspear always called it his claim. It is looked upon as one of the "ways that are dark and- tricks that are vain" and hard to understand. Another remarkable circumstance about it is that it should be sold so cheap. But Winspear was at the end of his rope in this county and thought best to get away quickly. While Winspear furnished the brains, "Old Stiles," as he was called, supplied the gall in abundant quantities. May their souls rest in peace.

Section 13. E. N. Person bought the old Chamberlain claim, the northwest quarter of this section, and engaged in the dairy business until he worked off the indebtedness on his farm. He then quit his dairy business, but continued to keep cows and hogs until he accumulated enough to buy a comfortable home in Sibley. His son having married, he retired last year and left the management of the farm to the young man.

Section 14. Henry L. Baker was a brother-in-law of Captain R. J. Chase. Baker was Sibley's first milkman, but sold to H. L. Emmert before land became very valuable. Thomas Parland, a cranky old Englishman, also sold early to Mr. Emmert. W. W. Crum was a brother-in-law of Parland and many years a prominent citizen here. Mr. Cram is now living in Sioux City. His son, Frank Cram, lives in Sibley and for many years has been the county bridge builder. Myron Churchill also had a claim here and in a few years sold to Mr. Emmert and moved to Sibley, engaging in the grocery business. Later he moved to Kettle Falls, Washington, where he now resides. H. L. Emmert secured possession of all this section and converted it into a model stock farm. He sold it recently at a good price. H. L. Emmert, Sibley's first banker, bought, piece by piece, all of section 14. The people who entered section 14 owed him and he reluctantly bought their farms to save himself from prospective loss. He made a model farm of it and recently sold it at about one hundred and thirty-five dollars per acre. He did not buy it as a money making proposition, but to save himself.

Section 15. George DeVries, Henry Reinsma and W. J. Johnson are all prosperous farmers on this section and all have fine improvements. Ed. Rahfeldt came some ten or twelve years ago and built a large feed barn in Sibley, where fanners can drive in and have a warm, dry place for their teams while in town, for ten cents. The barn was a success, but as Mr. Rahfeldt had a growing family, he traded his barn for a quarter section on section 16, owned by Daniel Fox, who was getting too old to conduct farming operations. Mr. Rahfeldt is now a prosperous farmer.

Section 16. J. C. Fox bought two hundred and forty acres on section 16 about twenty years ago at twenty-two dollars an acre. He and his children have worked the farm successfully and his land.is now worth one hundred and twenty-five dollars an acre. James A. Park also bought two hundred and forty acres about the same time and at the same price. He fenced and put up a full set of farm buildings. He has recently rented the farm and bought and moved to a nicely improved five-acre tract near Sibley. He would not sell his farm for one hundred and twenty-five dollars an acre.

Section 18. Here was Miles A. Hamlin, who was a soldier in the Civil War, and drew a small -pension. He built a house on his claim and put the land in cultivation, then borrowed two thousand dollars on the farm and retired to Sibley. Being a single man he boarded at the hotel. When his loan became due he increased the mortgage and used the cash he received to eke out his pension for a living. The third and last loan was for four thousand dollars. When that cash was all gone he sold the farm and lived for a time in the Old Soldiers' Home, at Hot Springs, South Dakota, and later moved to California, where he is now living. That was his way of making his claim support him. When he dies there will be no estate to settle. Thomas S. Brennon and John Brennon were never actual settlers here, but lived in Sioux City, where John Brennon edited a Roman Catholic paper. He will also be remembered as an eloquent and patriotic speaker. David Whitney still resides on his original claim. He bought more land and is now quite wealthy.

Section 19. A. Klaasson bought a quarter of section 19 and made money. In 1913 he bought a good home in Sibley and retired.

Section 20. P. Herron has a half section farm on section 20 and has been getting rich. He owns another good farm in Minnesota. John Cough-lin settled on this section. He was always quite poor while he lived here, but reared a large family and finally got enough together to make a first payment on a larger farm in Clark county, South Dakota, at just the right time and has since prospered. He is now in comfortable circumstances. Edward Lindsey was always very poor. He was one of the homesteaders who had to have help. One winter he and his family camped in the court room of the court house at the county's expense. He died long ago. F. M. Palmer left early. C. M. Bailey soon moved into Sibley and was the village blacksmith many years. Later he secured an appointment under the state auditor, who was one.of his old army comrades, and moved to Des Moines, where he died several years ago.

Section 22. George F. Nixon died in Sibley last year, aged ninety-three years. Edward Carnes was section boss on the railroad and, being a good, intelligent and temperate man, was raised to roadmaster. He died in Worthington, Minnesota, several years ago. A. W. Mitchell was Sibley's first furniture dealer and undertaker. He sold his business to the Waltun Brothers and was one of the rural mail carriers several years. He died recently and his widow and two of his daughters still live in Sibley. Thomas Heck left no tracks. Patrick Larkin was a railroad section boss. William Gache (Gacke) bought one hundred and sixty acres on section 22 about eight years ago, soon paid for it, then bought another eighty acres on the same section, soon paid for that, last year purchased still another eighty just across the road from his first quarter at one hundred and thirty-five dollars per acre and is now paying for that. His experience shows what a good farmer who has a good working family can do with land in this country.

Section 23. C. L. Strickler came here about twenty-five years ago and purchased the north half of section 23. He fenced, planted a grove and put on a set of farm buildings and, being a successful general farmer, made money. He since bought eighty acres on section 22, so now has four hundred acres of fine improved land. His buildings are one mile from Sibley. He has refused one hundred and fifty dollars an acre for his farm and thinks it is worth one hundred and seventy-five dollars an acre. Being out of debt and having money out at interest he has recently rented his land and retired to Sibley. He is still an active man and is president of the Farmers Elevator Company and takes much interest in its management. John Karpen, a mason by trade, made enough money to make a first payment, and bought the south half of section 23 about twenty-five years ago. Some years ago his wife died, but having a daughter old enough to keep house, he and his boys continued on the farm. Last year he sold eighty acres to William Gache (Gacke) for one hundred and thirty-five dollars an acre. This amounted to more than the three hundred and twenty acres originally cost him. He has two hundred and forty acres with the improvements and stock and is out of debt.

Section 24. Here was A. M. Culver, the first treasurer of this county. He died in the Soldiers' Home a few years ago. Andrew Culver, a son of A. M. Culver, lives in Sibley and is a carpenter and builder, and while not wealthy, is in comfortable circumstances. George W. Bean, a son-in-law of A. M. Culver, died in Sibley about ten years ago. Rodney O. Manson, who, about twelve years ago, staked his fortunes on eight hundred acres of land in Bottineau county, North Dakota, land, won out and is now quite wealthy, living at his ease in southern California. He still owns his original claim here.

Section 26. Here was Marlin H. Hughes, a former saloon keeper, who entered this land as a gambling proposition in the hope of selling at a good profit. Lorenzo S. McCremly was a transient. Justice R. Rice left at an early date. Frederick L. Ward professed to be a doctor.

Section 28. John L. Robinson, who located on this section, built the first house in Sibley. He died in Sibley at the advanced age of ninety-eight years. Frank M. Robinson, the first auditor of Osceola county, was a son of John L. Robinson, but could not be controlled by the grafters. He was a capable and honest official. L. J. Robinson and Julia A. Palmer completed the occupancy of this section. F. Hinders is a successful farmer of this section.

Section 29. A. Hessebrook settled on section 29 and is a good farmer as well as a successful beeman. He had about seventy swarms in 1910, when all the bees in the county died and his went with the rest. 1910 was such a poor honey season the bees did not have supplies enough to carry them through. J. Gronewall is another good German farmer on section 29.

Section 30. Thomas Jackson, who settled here later, sold his claim and bought cheaper land in the eastern and more sparsely settled part of the county. Later he sold again and moved to southwestern Missouri, where he died recently. Smith Aldrich and Carrie A. Bailey, of whom very little was known, entered claims on this section. Jacob Sperts located here permanently. He was one of the German settlers, most of whom located in Oilman township. C. B. Kent also located here, but left early.

Section 31. Tom Larson came here poor and by hard work, good judgment and economy is now well off and still not an old man. He made it all by farming during the last twenty years.

Section 32. David Littlechild filed on an eighty on this section, built a shanty and broke forty acres. He put in two crops which promised well until the grasshoppers came and harvested both crops. Being discouraged he relinquished his claim to John Melcher for a consideration of two hundred dollars and a yoke of oxen valued at one hundred dollars. Mr. Melcher spent many happy and prosperous years on this land and finally retired to Ashton, where he died last year, at an advanced age, loved and respected by all who knew him. The other homesteaders on this section were Urich B. Keniston. Samuel S. Smith and Samuel S. Thompson. These last three settlers made little impression.

Section 34. Here was George Mathewson, who left early. Nels Thompson later conducted a farm implement business in Sibley and finally moved to South Dakota. Thomas Thompson remained through the hard times, but finally sold and moved on west before getting the benefit of the later advance in the price of land.

David Johns, or "Shorty" Jones, as he was commonly called, died in Ashton a few years ago. R. Zensen was one of the settlers here whose building spot was on the bank of the Otter creek. He was a permanent settler and a good and valuable citizen. Ole Thompson located here, but did not remain long.

Section 36, Jessie W. Kern filed here, but soon moved away. C. N. Sawver was the first grain buyer in Sibley. The last known of him he was in California. David Chambers died in Sibley a few years ago. Abe Miller did not remain long. On this section there were two such peculiar men that they should receive a little more than passing notice, William R. Belcher and J. B. Jenney. Belcher was a big, tall man and a trapper by profession. Nothing was wasted with him. He saved the pelts for sale and ate the flesh. When the settlers began to thicken around him he sold out and moved on west. He had several cows and used them as other people used oxen. He broke prairie with a cow team and drove them to town —in fact, he used them for general team work. When he sold out he hitched a yoke of cows to his covered wagon, started for the Black Hills and was drowned while trying to cross the Jim river in South Dakota. J. B. Jenney bought Belcher's farm. Mr. Jenney first located on section 32 in East Holman on eighty acres, but relinquished it to Edson Harvey, a brother of Mahlon Harvey. Edson Harvey relinquished to Mr.Phillips, who entered it as a tree claim,, and the trees he planted to comply with the timber culture act now constitute the fine big grove of heavy timber on the Janes farm. The growing timber in that grove will supply the farm with fuel and posts for all time. Mr. Jenney, who bought the Belcher claim, was a well educated, Christian gentleman. He came from a dairy county in the state of New York and farmed here the same as he had learned in his old home and for a time prospered fairly well, but misfortune seemed to be on his trail. He had four children, all girls. His first misfortune was the death of one of his children by diphtheria. Then his wife, who was a hard working woman, had to go to the insane asylum, where she soon committed suicide. He then tried to continue on the farm with a housekeeper, but finding that unsatisfactory, he sold the farm and moved to Hull, Sioux county, to give his girls the advantages of an education in Hull Academy. One of the girls proved to be bright in her studies and graduated with honors. The other preferred to stay at home and keep house. About this time Mr. Jenney became obsessed with the idea that he ought to be a land agent and chose Sioux Falls as a favorable point of operation. They were in Sioux Falls only a short time when the obsession of the land business evaporated. He then engaged in potato and truck raising, from which he made a precarious living for a time. During this latter experience the family made the acquaintance of a wealthy widow who had a large house and extensive grounds, and arrangement was made for the family to move in, Mr. Jenney to care for the grounds. In the meantime the educated daughter, Lilly, married a young man, who was a carpenter by trade but of not a very robust constitution. Eventually this wealthy widow, who had another home in Florida, concluded to move to the latter place and make that her permanent home. She induced the young married couple to go with her for company with the hope that it might prove beneficial to both the young people in the way of improved health. Soon after this a longing took possession of Mr. Jenney to go back to New York and visit old scenes and his brother, and, perhaps, make that his permanent home. On their way to New York he and Belle, the other daughter, visited old friends in Sibley. At that time it was plain that the peculiarities of Mr. Jenney had increased. A few weeks in New York demonstrated there was no opening for them there and as they had a little money left, they moved to Florida, where the other young people were. The son-in-law commenced a small house for them, but before it was completed he died. From a letter received from one of the girls to a Sibley friend recently it was learned that Lilly is postmistress and a notary public in the little town where they are located and Belle took care of the father, who passed away March 10, 1914, at LaBelle, Florida. There was tragedy in the lives of both men, who were early settlers on the northwest quarter of 36.

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