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.

WILSON TOWNSHIP.

This township was settled at the same time as the rest of the western half of the county by the same thrifty class of people. Several remained but a short time, but many of them remained and became prominent in company affairs.

Section 8 was taken by Joseph F. Fairfax, James C. Warrington, R. S. Eakin and John Colvin. All were transients except Mr. Eakin, who later moved to section 28, where he now owns a four-hundred-acre farm, making him one of the wealthy men of the county. He now lives in Sibley and his son lives on the farm.

Section 10 was settled by H. C. Morey, who later moved to Sibley and engaged in the carpenter business and is now a rural mail carrier. Alfred A. Allen and Charles L. V. Berg were transients. William P. Rhodes soon moved into Sibley and was for many years an efficient street commissioner. He finally moved to the state of Washington, where he died several years ago.

Section 12 was taken by Sylvester Johnson and L. J. Dawley, neither of whom remained very long. Dawley stayed a few years.

Section 14. Here we find William P. Rhodes again. He had a homestead and a tree claim. He put in a few years of his time in cultivating the trees on his tree claim after he moved to Sibley. Reuben Clark remained several years and finally returned to Illinois. William Yahn remained on his claim through the grasshopper times and several years later. Finally he moved to Bigelow, Minnesota, and operated a threshing machine several years. He died many years ago. Emanuel Nix was a transient.

Section 18 was taken by E. A. Frazier, William R. Rood, J. K. Shaw, C. H. Smith and William Boyer. Mr. Shaw now lives in Bigelow, Minnesota. Frazier and Rood were "flitters." Smith and Boyer are both reported dead.

Section 20. Aldon B. Willy; DeForrest D. Bennett, who now lives in southern California; H. R. Fenton and Benjamin F. Tabler both died quite a number of years ago.

Section 22. William N. Bon, Will Thomas, J. G. Miller, Elizabeth Thomas and John H. A. Thomas. The Thomases and Millers later moved to Sibley. Will Thomas was clerk of the district court several terms. He was one of the prime movers in the organization of the Osceola County Farmers Mutual Fire and Lightning Association, which has been in successful operation many years. Mr. Thomas has been the secretary of this association since its organization, and much of its marked success is due to his able and careful management. John Thomas learned the drug business with his brother-in-law, W. R. Lawrence, a druggist of Sibley, and later moved to Nebraska, where he still lives.

Section 24. Daniel J. Gates, Samuel J. Bowor, Isaac Sprecher and Samuel Schultz. These were all good and well-known men but did not remain long enough to reap the benefit they ought to have received by reason of their struggles through the worst of the hard times.

Section 26. William N. Bull soon moved to Sibley and later back east to his old home, where he died a few years ago. William P. Hawhurst spent most of his time in Sibley, where he was editor of the Gazette many years and later clerk of courts several terms. He was a careful and painstaking man. He died a few years ago. William N. Lee is now living in Sibley. John Klampe died many years ago. Elizabeth Davies is still alive.

Section 28. William J. Delworth, Randall Kinnie, Charles W. Fenton and William F. Herbert. Mr. Herbert, at last report, lived in the state of Washington. Robert S. Eakin is now a business man in Sibley,

Section 30. Ishmael Gardner's place of abode is unknown. Charles W. Wyllys was for many years on the board of supervisors and was an able and painstaking officer. Some years ago he moved to the state of Washington, where he died of heart failure in 1905. His daughter visited in Sibley during the fall of 1913. William H. Cooper moved to Sibley and died many years ago. The history of Sophia Oleson and Gust Swanson is unknown. Daniel S. Shell, who was the first liveryman of Sibley, according to last reports, is living in Portland, Oregon.

Section 32. George F. Towner, Oscar Dunton, Thomas J. Cutshall, Sanborn J. Crum, Carlos P. Reynolds and Aaron H. Clark. Soon after the grafting of the first board of supervisors Mr. Dunton was elected to the board and served several terms with ability and honor. He did much to reduce the practice of the board to a useful and economical basis. Mr. Reynolds also served on the board with credit and honor. He is now living in comfort on an eighty-acre farm joining Sibley, for which he has refused two hundred and fifty dollars an acre. He is at present one of the Holman township trustees.

Section 34. Dewitt C. Blacker, John Field, Jacob Schuck, John Cronk and Alien Cloud. So far as known all these first settlers of this section are dead.

Section 36. Charles A. Kirkpatrick, Samuel J. Lyons, Henrich Moeller and August Jarr are all supposed to be dead.

Among the later farmers who came into this township is Joseph Raine, who bought the two-hundred-and-forty-acre farm of C. P. Reynolds. He first came into this county and rented a farm in Viola township and, after saving a little money, bought the Reynolds farm, largely on time, paying thirty-three dollars and thirty-three and one-third cents per acre. It was quite generally believed he would lose his meagre savings in a few years. But he kept up his interest and gradually paid off the principal until he was entirely out of debt. Now he owns a fine farm and is one of the independent farmers of Osceola county. His is a fair example of the possibilities of farming .in this county. Industry, economy and thrift have been the secret of his success.

Herman Hack bought and .settled in this township about 1894 and proved to be an excellent farmer. He entered into general farming extensively and was making money when he was accidentally killed on the railroad crossing where the railroad crosses the Iowa and Minnesota state line. He was driving his automobile and it is a mystery to his family and friends how a bright, alert man as he was could get trapped as he did. This crossing is in a level, open country where both highway and railroad are visible for a long distance. His widow and family remain on the farm and manage it. Mr. Hach served on the board of supervisors several years and was nominated on the Democratic ticket for state representative, and although he ran ahead of his ticket, he was defeated at the polls by a small majority. Dirk G. Gronewald bought on section 18 in 1901 and is one of Wilson's progressive farmers -and is making good. George Attig bought on section 30 in 1902 and has one of the finest improved farms in the county, with extensive modern buildings. B. C. Hark bought on section 19 in 1895 and prospered so well that a few years ago he retired with a competence and is now living in Sibley and taking life easy in his comfortable home.

H. Horstmann came in 1895 and settled on section 27 and has a fine half section of land. When he took this farm in hand it had been poorly farmed for several years and was in poor condition. However, Mr. Horstmann and his family took hold in earnest and in a few years demonstrated what good cultivation will accomplish on Osceola county land. Of late years he and his family have made their home in Sibley.

Nearly all the first settlers of Wilson township were Americans and many of them were veterans of the Civil War. Owing to the wise management of its leading men, Thomas, Reynolds, Dunton, Eakin and others. Wilson township finances have always been in good shape, and in the early clay its taxes were generally the lowest in the county.

This township has a German church located on section 30. The township supports six public schools. The present trustees are William B. Widman, D. G. Gronewald and C. A. Kepka, with Joseph Raine as clerk and William Kepka as assessor.

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