15 May 2011 Extended Forecast

Poweshiek County History (Townships) at the bottom of page.


Weather Headlines:
Cool overnite tonight - may see some Frost in Lower areas.
Dry most of the week with Temps reaching the Low 70's by mid-week.
Breezy with Showers/Isolated Storms next weekend.


Today and Mon 15th/16th:  Breezy - Decreasing Clouds - High Temps Low 60's - Temp Monday Morn 36 (May see Frost Mon Morn).

Tues thru Thurs 17th-19th:  Dry - Windy Thurs - Temps 65-70.

Fri and Sat 20th/21st:  Windy/Isolated TStorms - Temps Low 70's.

Sun thru Tues 22nd-24th:  Rain Sunday/Monday - Dry Tuesday - Temps Low 60's.

Wed and Thurs 25th/26th:  Isolated TStorms - Temps near 80.

Fri and Sat 27th/28th:  Much Cooler/Dry/Breezy.

Sun thru Tues 29th-31st:  Dry - Warming Trend.

 Poweshiek County History

POWESHIEK COUNTY was created on the 17th of February, 1843, and named for a chief of the Sac Indians. The name signified " Roused Bear." This county is in the fifth tier west of the Mississippi River, in the fourth north of the Missouri State line, is twenty-four miles square and contains five hundred eighty-two square miles.

Richard B. Ogden was the first white settler, taking a claim in Union township in the spring of 1843.  Daniel and Joseph W. Satchell and Richard Cheeseman settled near him the same year.

In 1844 Mahlon Woodward, Thomas Rigdon and others arrived. William English settled on Mill Creek in 1845 where he built the first sawmill in the county. Martin Snyder, in 1846, took a claim adjoining the land upon which Montezuma stands. Henry  Zook settled in a grove on Bear Creek in 1845 and in 1846 John J. Talbott with his wife, seven sons and six daughters came from Ohio, locating in a grove which took the name of the family and which was near where Brooklyn stands. Talbott entered the first tract of land in the county in 1851 and became the first postmaster. The survey of public lands was completed in 1847.

The first school was taught in the winter of 1847-8 by Stephen Moore in a log cabin in Union township. In 1847 the first mail route was established from Iowa City to Fort Des Moines, running through Poweshiek County, over which the mail was carried on horseback.

The county was organized in April, 1848, by the election of the following officers: Richard B. Ogden, Martin Snyder and Jacob Yeager, commissioners; Stephen Moore, clerk; Isaac GK Wilson, treasurer, and William English, sheriff.

The county-seat was located at Montezuma where land was entered by the county and platted for the town. Lots were sold to raise money to build a court-house. William H. Barnes erected the first building at the new county-seat in 1848. Isaac G. Wilson built a log hotel the same year and in June, 1850, the first store was opened by Gideon Wilson. In 1856 John Casady established the first newspaper, the Montezuma Republican.

In March, 1854, J. B. Grinnell, Dr. Thomas Holyoke, Rev. Homer Hamlin and Henry M. Hamilton from the States of New York and Massachusetts laid out a town for the purpose of planting a colony and founding a college.  The town was named Grinnell for the projector of the enterprise. During the year several buildings were erected; a store was opened by Anor Scott, a hotel was started by George Chambers and a small building erected for school and church purposes. Grinnell college was founded in 1855.

Brooklyn was platted by Robert Manatt in April, 1855, and the first house built the same year by Robert Shimer.

Malcom was laid out in 1866 by Abel Kimball and Z. P. Wigton. The Rock Island Railroad was built through the towns of Grinnell and Brooklyn in 1863.

Gue, Benjamin F., History of Iowa from the Earliest Times to the Beginning of the Twentieth, New York, 1903 [Transcribed by: Candi H. 2008]

 

Poweshiek has 16 Townships.  In the coming days, I will present each Township along with a bit of history behind it.  Below is a map of Pow County with each Township represented.  Click on it to enlarge.

 

Before I get in to each Township, I'll provide some information today about the Township System and how it was organized in the beginning.  It's long read, but interesting....... 

 

THE TOWNSHIP SYSTEM

The County Judge system for the management of county finances expired January 1st, 1851, and was succeeded by a Board of Supervision consisting of thirteen members, one from each township. The first session was held January 7th, 1861.

In the election of this first Board the law provided that each township should elect one Supervisor and that half of the number of Supervisors should hold the office for one year and the rest for two years. The question as to who should hold for one year and who for two years was to be decided by lot. The Board at its first session also elected from their own number a chairman, who should serve for one year.

This miniature legislature had charge of county affairs during the critical period of the county's history, and while the management was in the main satisfactory, the body proved to be too cumbersome, and while, theoretically, the various sections of the county were represented in the Board, practically, it was usually the case that one man of more than the average intelligence and force of character controlled the entire Board; and if he chose to engage in some little job he had the less hesitancy in so doing from the fact that there were twelve others with whom he could share the responsibility. After an experiment of ten years the township system was legislated out of existence and in its stead was introduced the present system of three Supervisors, which is virtually the same as the first Board of County Commissioners. Thus after experimenting for years, first with a Board of one, then with a Board of thirteen, we have got back to the original plan. Who will not say that legislation does not repeat itself and that political minds at least move in circles. The plan of a Board of three is doubtless the best which could be devised. While it does not leave the management of affairs in the hands of a single individual, it still leaves the matter with a Board which can transact business with expedition, and this body is of sufficient dignity and standing to secure as members men of intelligence and ability. It has come to be generally admitted that the best men in the county ought to be selected for this office.


The first session of the Board began January 8, 1871, The members first elected to this office were D. Vanderver, C. G. Carmichaol and A. J. Wood. The Board organized by electing A. J. Wood chairman, and the County Judge became ex officio clerk of the Board. During the time that the administration of county affairs has been in charge of this Board the affairs of the county have, in the main, been economically and intelligently administered. During this period many bridges, some of which are of great value, have been erected, and the population, and consequently the business, of the county has grown immensely. More business is now transacted at each quarterly meeting of the Board than was originally transacted by the County Judge during his entire term.

ORGANIZATION OF TOWNSHIPS

From the records now in existence the exact date of the organization of the first townships cannot he determined. This much is known, however, that the county was originally subdivided into three townships, and this arrangement continued till 1852. According to this first arrangement the townships were named Sugar Creek, Jackson, and Bear Creek. Sugar Creek township included the entire portion of the present townships of Sugar Creek, Washington, Grinnell and Chester, and the west half of Union, Pleasant, Malcom and Sheridan. Jackson comprised the present township of Jackson, Deep River, the south part of Lincoln and Scott, the southeast quarter of Pleasant, and a strip from the east side of Union, one mile wide. Bear Creek township comprised the remainder of the county.

Info Provided by the Iowa Genealogy Trails.