LISCOMB. Liscomb Township was organized in 1870, and the first settlers in the township were Isaac Myers, Lednard Dinsel, J. B. Ralls, S. Bowman and J. H. Hauser. They settled there as early as 1850-51. In 1854, there was comparatively little settlement made in Liscomb, then Iowa Township. Mr. Samuel Beeson came to this part of the county and purchased five eighties and one forty, two and one-half miles north and a little east of Albion. He had moved his family to Cedar County in the Fall of 1854, and, leaving them there, had come on and purchased the above-mentioned land. He then returned to his family, wintered there, and moved on his claim in June, 1855. There were only fourteen persons living then in this Congressional township, and among them were John Dixson, Terry Gowing, Thomas Pike and Jesse Binford.

Archie Allison came from Ohio and settled in Iowa Township, not long after. Mr. Beeson, John Bennett and Clinton Gifford came soon afterward. Mr. Beeson, in speaking of the condition of the county, said, " It was all wild prairie, with no settlement excepting along the timber near the Iowa River, where there were some few settlers. In May and June, 1854, the land was nearly all entered for about six miles east of the Iowa."

Henry M. Beeson came to the county in 1853, and entered a half section two miles northeast of Albion. He moved on it in the Spring of 1855, and broke forty acres. He was stricken with typhoid fever, and died in November, 1855. His wife and little ones were left by themselves. His wife died in November of the following year. His children were cafed for by Mr. Samuel Beeson.

The settlers went to Albion and Iowa City for their supplies, and to Iowa Falls to mill.

A school house was built near Mr. Beeson's house in 1856, and the children were sent there to school from long distances. As a mark of improvement the present farmers have over the old pioneers, we will quote Mr. Beeson's remark in regard to it: " Heavy ox teams did all our breaking and heavy work. We did 'not for a moment suppose that horses could be used in breaking prairie." Mr. Beeson, in speaking of some of the incidents connected with the early settlement of the county, related the following: " When I moved to this county in 1855, carpenters being very scarce, I secured some lumber from Dr. Bush's saw-mill, and built me a small shanty. I could not get the carpenters to come and build my house until late in the Fall. The weather had not set in bad yet, but the nights were very cold. While the carpenters were at work on the house, they began to run out of lumbar, and I took the north side of my shanty out and gave them the lumber to use. This was in November. During the night, after taking the side of my shanty down, a terrible snow storm came on. - I arose and covered the sleeping over with comforts and shawls and everything that would keep off the snow, and then crawled in myself. In the morning, the snow ceased falling. I carried the snow out that had fallen on the coverlets, thus preparing a place on which to spread our breakfast. The carpenters went to work and completed the house shortly after dark, and we moved in. Byron drove the carpenters to Albion that night."
In 1857, Mr. Beeson hauled 112£ bushels of wheat to Marengo, a distance sixty miles, making three trips, in all 360 miles, and received for his wheat $40.50.

The first reaper brought into this section of country was owned by John Hauser and Jacob Crouse. They cut Mr. Beeson's grain in the Fall of 1856. Levi Ulery brought the first thresher into the county the same year. During the years 1857-8, a great many people settled hereabouts, but by far the greater partion came directly after the war.

The town of Liscomb was laid out in 1869, after the building of the Central Road of Iowa. It was laid out by J. W. Tripp, who has been greatly interested in the growth and prosperity of the place. The town was named for H. P. Liscomb, an officer of the road, and it was a name that pleased all. The post office was located in 1869. J. D. Loucke was the first Postmaster. Loucke Brothers erected the first store in Liscomb. It was a small grocery store and stood on State street near the livery stable. A large number of buildings were erected about the same time, though the larger number went up in 1870. There were in business in Liscomb during the latter named year W. Martin (formerly of Carroll Co., 111.), dry goods and groceries; D. A. Armstrong, grocery; Confield Brothers, grocery; Meyer Brothers, grocery; Moore & Mosher, drugs: Adams K. Drown, hardware; Hall & Brother, dry goods and groceries. The first blacksmith was Phelix Hombel. Dr. Johnson was the pioneer physician.

The business is now represented by one grocery store, two confectionery stores, three general stores, one hardware store, two millinery shops, two blacksmith shops, one drug store. A barb wire fence manufactory is in operation, and is the property of Barber & Hopkins. They are operating on a small scale with the intention of enlarging their business. J. C. Bosworth & Co. are operating a steam elevator.

Liscomb was incorporated in 1873. The Mayors, in regular order, have been : 1873-4, N. H. Fields; 1874-5, Henry Green ; 1875-6, E. D. Whittaker; 1876-7, Samuel Beeson; 1877-8, J. C. Meyers. J. C. Willits has been Recorder ever since the city was incorporated.

Liscomb Lodge, No. 242 I. 0. O. F. was established June 12, 1872, with six charter members, as follows: J. C. Meyer, J. C. Hass, J. B. Meyers, Mosley Confield, Jobel Hass. First officers : J. Meyers, N. G.; J. C. Hass, V. G. ; J. B. Meyers, Secretary ; J. L. Hass, Treasurer. Present officers : S. C. Hobson. N. G.; T. J. Meyers, V. G.; J. C. Willets, Secretary; H. C. All-good, Treasurer. Membership, 42.

S. A. Emory established a banking house in Liscomb, October 5, 1875, but it was subsequently sold to W. Martin, and is now known as the banking house of W. Martin. Important among the other interests of Liscomb are those of N. H. Field and Mr. Herrick as stock raisers, both dealing extensively in hogs. The first school taught in Liscomb was taught by J. L. Ralls. This was soon after the town was begun. This school lasted three months, when a building was erected in the south part of Liscomb, at a cost of $2,000. The average attendance is sixty- The officers of the School Board are : N. H. Fields. President; H. 0. Allgood, Secretary; W. Martin. Treasurer. The Board of Directors are : N. H. Field, I. Meyers, J. P. Fuose, E. D. Whittaker, James Baylor, T. W. Potter. Superintendent of Schools. Mr. Thompson. Miss 'Emma Van Slack and A. W. Hill. Assistants.

Disciple Church in Liscomb.—In 1876, the Disciples in and about Liscomb concluded to build a meeting house. This was accordingly done, although they still had their membership with the old Bethel Church some three miles in the country. After the house was built they organized with a membership of about fifty. Elder (J. II. Laughlin, one of the Professors in Oskaloosa College, was their preacher at this time, and he continued his monthly visits for some time after. In December 1877, the Church secured the assistance of Elder F. Walden to hold a protracted meeting, which lasted four weeks. There were twenty-five added to the Church as the result of this meeting. Soon after Elder Walden commenced preaching regularly for the Church, and continues up to the present to preach there one-half his time. In December, 1877, another protracted meeting was held by their present Pastor, and fifty-one were added to the Church. The present membership is about one hundred and fifty. H. H. Wilson, A. H. McMahon and G. L. Nichols are the Elders, and D. T. Parnell and G. W. Calhoun are the Deacons.

The Methodist Episcopal society was organized during 1870-71, Mr. Liscomb donating $1,000 toward building a church. A church edifice was erected and services conducted for some time, but the society has died out.

Company K, of the Third Regiment Iowa N. G., was organized August 12. 1877, with fifty three members. The officers were R. H. Stevenson, Captain ; J. B. Meyre, First Lieutenant; James T. Jackson, Second Lieutenant. The Company drilled under this organization for nine months, when they were detached, and placed in the First Regiment Iowa N. G. The letter of the Company was changed to F, and upon the organization of the First Battalion of the Iowa N. G., they were made Company A of the First Battalion. There are now forty-two men in the Company. Officers : J. B. Myers, Captain ; J. C. Myers, First Lieutenant; Y. A. Gripp, Second Lieutenant. Capt. Stevenson was promoted to the rank Major on Gen. Miles T. Sherman's staff, Second Brigade, and Assistant Inspector General, Second Brigade. The Company is provided with an armory and forty-two stand of arms

In 1875, The Farmers' Union Railroad Company was organized in Liscomb, for the purpose of building a narrow-gauge railroad to the Mississippi River from Liscomb. The officers of the Company at that time were, J. N. Tripp, President; William Battin, Vice President; F. A. Soule, Secretary; I. A. Emory, Treasurer. Directors—William Goodrich, S. Beeman, J. C. Conrad, George Elliot.

The company laid ten miles of wooden track, and graded twenty miles of roadway. They purchased an engine and ten cars in Cincinnati, and run the road six months when it fell into litigation.

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