Early History of Marshall County

Transcribed by Dawn Minard from the 1871 History of Marshall County, Iowa
(not in it's entirety)

Marshall County is divided into eighteen civil townships. Vienna, Liscomb, Bangor, Liberty, Minerva, Marietta, Iowa, Taylor,
Marshall, Marion, LeGrand, Timber Creek, Washington, State Center, Eden, Logan, Jefferson, and Green Castle.

Settlement of the County
It is generally conceded that the first white settler in the county was Joseph C. Davidson, who made claim in the summer of 1847.
He choose a location in the present township of LeGrand, on land now known as the M. I. Willitts farm. Davidson was married and was
the father of a family. His wife came with him and shared the privations of pioneer life, if either of them really comprehended what privation meant.
Davidson was a nomadic fellow, who illustrates well the current story of the man who wanted “elbow room,” and moved farther west whenever
a “neighbor” approached within several miles. Neither he nor his family remain in the state, all having gone as far as Oregon at last reports.
This man’s name has been written “Davison”, but the official papers at Iowa City Land Office spell it Davidson, which method we deem proper,
and therefore adopt it. The first poll list also shows his name to have been Joseph C. Davidson. There is a monopoly of human enjoyed by this
pioneer family. Not only was he the first settler, but his wife was the 1st white woman in the county, and in all human probability was also the
first white woman to give birth to a white child in this locality.

Davidson was a trapper, and associated with a man named William Pilgrim. The county for many miles about here formed the stamping grounds of these
two men, and they were through the valley of Iowa many times before the settlement of Davidson in 1847.

The actual settlement of the county began in 1848. The following entries in the southern half of the county in 1848,
was found among papers in the Auditor’s office.

List of land entered in the south ½ of Marshall county from January 1, 1848 to December 31, 1848.
Joseph M. Ferguson - SW1/4 of the SE1/4 section 25 Township 83 Range 18 40 Acres
Joseph Cooper - SE1/4 Section 26 Township 83 Range 18 160 Acres
Joseph M. Ferguson - NE1/4 of the NE1/4 section 36 Township 83 Range 18 40 Acres
Auditor’s Office, Iowa, Iowa City February 12, 1849 South half Marshall County

Entries made at Dubuque, Iowa in the north half of Marshall County
Elkhanah P. Bush - SE1/4 Section 34-85-19 160 Acres
Jesse Amos - NW1/4 Section 25-85-19 160 Acres
Entries made June 23rd and July 11th, respectively

Of these four men, the first two, Ferguson and Cooper were Kentuckians by birth, but more recently from Indiana.
They first settled near Newton, Jasper County, but left there after about a year’s residence, and proceeded to
Marshall County to take up residence on claims made a month prior to that time. They brought with them a party
consisting of William C. Smith, William Springer and others. The original exploring party in March 1848 consisted
of Joseph Cooper, D.E. Cooper, Dr. E. B. Bush, John Campbell and J. M. Ferguson.

Several other men made claims to their land in 1848 in the Northern half of Marshall County.
In March 1848, Philip Ballard, Shelton Gear and Alexander Gear, settled on the Iowa River, in what is Iowa Township.
Shortly afterwards, William and John Ballard came and settled near the others. The same spring, Washington Asher
settled on land now the farm of Thomas Swearengen, near Albion.
And James Miller located in what in now Liscomb Township. John Duke and Thomas Gordon settled in the vicinity of
William Ballard, in the fall of 1848 William C. Smith, joined the party with which he came to Marshall County, and in
the Summer of 1848, located on the middle branch of Timber Creek.

The year 1849 witnessed very decided increase in population of the county. There were four entries of land in the Dubuque District,
or northern half of the county, but these did not represent the influx of settlers.

Charles Miller W1/2 NE1/4 & E1/2 of NW1/4 of Section 14, Township 85, Range 14 June 15th 1849
William W. Love - land in Section 3 & 4, Township 84, Range 20 - November 2nd, 1849
Hiram Tyner - land in Section 10, Township 84, Range 20 --- November 2nd, 1849
Richard Lindsay - land in Sections 23 & 26, Township 85, Range 20 - November 2nd, 1849
Thomas S. Brown – SE1/4 of Section 13, Township 84 , Range 18 - November 1st, 1849

The southern part of the county was the favorite section at the time, probably because of the halt made by Ferguson and Cooper the previous year.

List of land entered in Marshall County from January 1, 1849 to December 31, 1849.
ELIAS HILSABECK --- S1/2 SE1/4 & S1/2 SWFR 1/4---SECTION 6-82-17 166.52 acres
WILLIAM DAVIDSON - - N1/2 SE1/4 & S1/2 NE1/4----------Section 11-83-17 160 acres
SAMUEL BOWMAN E1/2 SE1/4 & SW1/4 SE1/4-----------Section 11-83-17 120 Acres
SAMUEL BOWMAN - - SE1/4 NE1/4------------------------------ SECTION 23-83-18 40 ACRES
JOSEPH COOPER - - SE1/4 SW1/4 ----------------------------- SECTION 26-83-18 40 ACRES
DAVID EDWARD COOPER –SE1/4 NE1/4 & N1/2 SE1/4---SECTION 35-83-18 120 ACRES
DAVID EDWARD COOPER –NW1/4 SW1/4 ----------------------SECTION 36-83-18 40 ACRES
JAMES GREEN ALLEN - - E1/2 SE1/4 - - - - - - - - - - - - -- SECTION 8-82-20 80 ACRES
JAMES GREEN ALLEN - - W1/2 SW1/4 - - - - - - - - - - - - -- SECTION 9-82-20 80 ACRES
Auditor’s Office, Iowa, Iowa City March 15, 1850 Marshall County

It has been stated that William Davidson followed his brother and located here shortly after the original pioneer did.
He may have done so, but he did not enter the land upon which he squatted, to use a western phase until November 3, 1849.

The region south of the settlements in LeGrand, by the Davidsons’, and in timber Creek the Fergusons’ and Coopers, were the
only ones for a radius of miles. John Campbell located north of Timber Creek, on a stream now know as Linn Creek.
He joined William Asher in erecting a rude dam across the latter stream, and also putting up a corn cracker. The mill thus attempted
was exceedingly crude and was carried away shortly thereafter the erection by sudden rising in the creek.
The site was abandoned as a water power, and in 1849 William Asher and Carpenter Gear put up a saw and grist mill
on Timber Creek, in LeGrand Township, on the site of the Rock Valley Mills. The mill was completed in 1851, and was
the in the Iowa Valley west of Iowa City.
Asher moved to Hardin County some time later.

The first poll list and from memory of those who still survive, the following list of settlers in the county prior to 1850 is prepared.
It is probable that others located as squatters, but no record of them is obtainable. These names are given not as a complete list,
but as one which approximates a correct statement.

Joseph C. Davidson
Joseph M. Ferguson
Joseph Cooper
Elkhanah B. Bush
Jesse Amos
William T. Sherman
William J. Asher John F. Campbell
David E. Cooper
William C. Smith
William Ballard
Washington Asher
John T. Duke
John Ballard
John Coy
William Coddington
William Peterman
Isaac Asher
James Asher
Joshua Kemp
Carpenter Gear
Moses Lacey
Philip Ballard
G.W. Halley
Thomas Pearson
Shelton Gear
A.J. Smith
William E. Alexander
Samuel Davidson
Blakely Brush
Alvin Adkins
James Miller
Zeno B. Freeman
Samuel Bowman William Ralls
John B. Hobbs
Terry Gowing
William McCormick
Green Ralls
Marion Clifton
George Stanley
Riley Majors
Arthur Robinson
John Arney
John Hauser
Ayers Elesberry
Jacob Hauser
John J. Ferguson
John Smith
Elias Hilsabeck
James G. Allen
Thomas S. Brown
Hiram Tyner
Richard Lindsay
William W. Love
John Braddy
Charles Miller
William Davidson
Lewis Ketchum
Joseph Long
Alexander Bowles
Mr. Dean
Isaac Myers
Thomas Gordon
George W. Voris

The first marriage was issued by David E. Cooper, then Clerk of District Court and bears the date in filing
(but not dated in certificate) November 15, 1849.

The certificate reads as follows:

State of Iowa}
Marshall County}
Almarion Gear, being duly sworn, deposeth and says that Nancy Ballard is over 18 years of age, and that she is a
resident of county aforesaid, and her parents have given their consent to her marriage, and further sayth not. Almarion Gear
Sworn and subscribed to before me. D. E. Cooper, Clerk of Courts, M.C., Iowa

The lady was the daughter of Philip Ballard, and the marriage solemnized by A. J. smith, first Justice of the Peace for
the township of Jefferson. The groom was the son of Carpenter Gear. The occasion of the wedding is reported by those who
participated in the festivities as one of the notable events of pioneer times.

The organization of the county took place in the summer and fall of 1849 .

The first post office was located in Section 34, Township 83 North, Range 18 West, in the present township of Timber Creek.
William C. Smith was appointed Postmaster by Hon. Nathan K. Hall, Postmaster General.

The first death which occurred in the county, was that of an infant child of William C. Smith. The date is June 1850.
The second death was that of an infant child of William Powers. The first adult death was that of Hosea Dean,
who died February 1851. The second adult death was that of Mrs. Joseph Cooper. Mr. Dean lived three miles from Marshalltown
on the west side of Asher Creek. Mrs. Cooper lived on Timber Creek.

The first religious services were conducted by Rev. Mr. Bagley, of the Christian denomination, in the Fall of 1848.
Mr. William C. Smith is a regularly-ordained minister of the same sect, and preached on Timber Creek, where Mr. Bagley
had held services, in 1849. Rev. J. F. Hestwood was the first Methodist Episcopal clergyman in the county. He preached in Timber Creek in 1850.

The first school was taught by William C. Smith, in the log house erected on Timber Creek, by Joseph Cooper.
The school consisted of some twelve or fifteen pupils, and was taught during the years 1849-1850.

The first store was opened at LeGrand, by James Allman, in 1850. The second store was owned by William Dishon, at Marietta.

Under general law which provided for the Organizing Sheriff by the District Judge, and authorized the said Sheriff to conduct
the work of organizing the county, Joseph M. Ferguson was duly appointed Organizing Sheriff in the summer of 1849.
The records of organization are very imperfect. But few of the papers can be found. The timely research now made among
the scattered archives and the interviews had with the remaining pioneers fortunately rescue from oblivion the important events of those early days.

The townships of Minerva Creek and Jefferson were created by Sheriff Ferguson, and an election ordered for the 6th day of August, 1849.
The poll list are in existence, and from them it is learned who were in the county at that time and qualified to vote.

In the northern precinct of Minerva Creek, there were seventeen votes cast, by the following persons:
William Ballard, Washington Asher, John T. Duke, John Ballard, john Coy, William Coddington, William Peterman, Isaac Asher, James Asher,
Jesse Amos, Joshua Kemp, carpenter gear, Moses Lacy, Philip Ballard, G. W. Halley, Thomas Pearson, Shelton Gear.

The polls for Jefferson Township were located at the house of Joseph Cooper. The judges of Election were: Joseph Cooper, William J. Asher
and David E. Cooper. William C. Smith and J.M. Ferguson acted as clerks.

There were eleven votes cast, and by the following names persons: William C. Smith, J.M. Ferguson, D.E. Cooper, A.J. Smith, Wm E. Alexander,
Samuel Davidson, Blakely Brush, Joseph C. Davidson, Joseph Cooper, Wm. J. Asher, Alvin Adkins.

The returns from Minerva Creek Township are endorsed, in handwriting of Mr. Ferguson: Incorrect, but filed August 15, 1849.
J.M. Ferguson. “Organizing Sheriff”



Transcribed by Dawn Minard from the 1871 History of Marshall County, Iowa