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Oxford
Mirror Special Historical Edition, March 24, 1904
It
seldom occurs that an exact record is preserved of the early history
of any community. Could we but roll back the dark curtain of the
years and scan the records of the acts of men, the writing of
history would be less d______ (daunting?).
As
it is we _____d (depend?) on the memory of older residents and
upon the traditions handed down to us. In no case has one been
found who kept a written account of memoranda of the events of
the early days, hence some of the statements here may be incorrect.
When parties differ in their recollection of events, especially
as to dates, we accept that which seems best supported.
Oxford
township occupies the south-eastern corner of Jones county. As
it is traversed almost diagonally by the Wapsipinicon river, much
of the bottom land, as it is called, seemed too wet to attract
the earliest settlers of the county. This same bottom land has
since been developed into the best of agricultural and stock raising
farms.
There
were many settlements in the county prior to 1848, but none in
this township. In that year or the one preceding John Bryan, of
Ohio, visited his brother, Joe Bryan, near Anamosa, and became
so impressed with the possibilities of the new country that he
determined to settle therein, and induced his father-in-law, L.
Walston, and his family, his brother-in-law, Samuel Coon, and
family, to join his own family in the building of a home in the
"far west". They came through from Illinois with ox
teams to Joe Bryan's. After a visit with the brother they sought
a location for themselves to the southeast.
As
their wagons, drawn by ox teams, halted on the knoll just west
of the present L. Zeller residence and the occupants looked out
upon the undulating hills to the north, the long level strip of
level land to the west and south, cut in twain by the silvery
waters of the Wapsipinicon, whose distant course was marked by
the ever present trees along its banks they decided that this
land, which till then knew no white man's habitation, should be
their own, the site of their future home, where they might establish
for themselves and their children a community of industrious and
law-abiding citizens.
The
women and children were assisted from the wagons and the sturdy
Ohio woodsmen soon had a kitchen built, rail pen fashion, with
grass for roofing. The wagons served for sleeping apartments through
the summer. By the time King Winter came, with his freezing blasts,
three log cabins, snug and warm, clapboard roofed and built without
a nail, bade him defiance. Each was 18 X 18 feet, with a door
and a window at the south, a window at the east and perhaps one
at the north. These were only half windows, containing six panes
of glass. The fire-place occupied an honored place on the west.
Parlor, dining rooms , kitchen, laundry and bedrooms all combined.
Here they ate, drank and slept; the mother cooked the food, kept
house, carded the wool and spun the yarn, while grandfather Walston
wove the cloth. Later they were able to get their _ _ lls (rolls?)
from Maquoketa or Canton and sometimes exchanged the wool for
cloth.
Grandfather
Walston occupied the cabin that stood near the present John Wosoba
residence. Mr. Coon the one on the machine ship site, and Mr.
Bryan the one on the knoll. In times of high water skiffs landed
at his barn, where the Exchange Bank now stands. Another cabin
was built further up the creek, on the east side, opposite the
Leffingwell farm house. As the owner had no wife Agusta Monroe
(Mrs. Holton) was induced to open a school in it, the first school
in the township. She was taken sick and a sister, Libbie, too
young to teach lawfully, was allowed to finish the term. Later
Mr. Samuel Coon built a frame school house northeast of the Leffingwell
farm house. Its foundation stones may still be seen on the east
railroad bank. Mary Ann Turkle was the first teacher in that building.
Mr.
Bryan did the first plowing on the north side of the river with
a seven-yoke ox team. They raised corn and wheat and stock. The
corn was fed, the wheat taken to Toronto to be ground and the
hogs killed and dressed, taken by ox carts to Davenport, where
they were glad to get two cents per pound in trade. Cattle were
too serviceable to be killed. Beef was almost unknown, but venison
and wild game took its place, and fish were plentiful.
They
knew no neighbors except the wild deer bounding over the flower
dotted prairie or slacking its thirst in the limpid waters of
the nearby streams, or the occasional pack of wolves upon its
track, or the wandering red man who crossed the white man's path,
or entered his home in a friendly way.
But
cold, cruel death found them even here. A little son (Marion Clay)
of Mr. Walston's died in 1850. A black walnut log was secured
and made into boards for sides, lid and ends of the coffin. A
wagon end gate served for the bottom. There being no minister
within a day's ride, the child was interred on the bank of the
creek, in what is now C. D. Tucker's back yard, without religious
service other thank a prayer by a member of the family. This was
the first death in the township. A son of Joe Bryan, who came
from the Buffalo creek settlement, was the first buried in the
present cemetery, or rather partly buried in it, for the east
line runs over the grave. The people sometimes built what they
called "Shanghi rail fences" , that is, rail fences
set on blocks to save splitting rails. Lifting these logs caused
the lad's death.
Mr.
Levin Walston's land was entered August 4, 1849. In 1850 two Englishmen,
Mr. Rathbone, a ship carpenter, and Mr. Waite, entered land in
the northwest part of the township. Mr. Rathbone walked to Iowa
City to secure the papers. Then he hauled dressed lumber from
Davenport and heavier lumber from a saw mill up the river and
built a frame house with two rooms for his wife, who came in '51
alone from Manchester, England, by way of New Orleans. Some accident
to the ship's machinery kept her on the ocean two months. She
secured passage on a river boat to Davenport, only to have the
ice close the river at Memphis for three months. Mr. Rathbone
met her at Davenport in the spring and she completed her journey
by ox team. Two years later the home -- parlor and kitchen --
was moved from what is now the old Shimerda farm to the present
Will Quirk farm by two yoke of oxen. Mrs. Rathbone preparing meals
on the way.
Mrs.
Waite also joined her husband in 1851on what is now the Frank
Shimerda farm. She is the only survivor of the people of that
time. She says she does not know how people from the milder climate
of England ever lived through the change and hardships of those
early days, but the did, and were well and happy, except for the
ague.
Fruit
was more plentiful here than in many new settlements. Fine wild
plums, strawberries and blackberries were to be had for the picking.
The gardens were as good as they cared to make them. The ground,
new and fertile, yielded large returns. Money was the scarce article,
and money they must have to pay their taxes.
Mr.
Waite and son, John, _late treasurer of the county, took two loads
of dressed pork to Davenport. John was just big enough to sit
on the wagon and hold the reins. His load sold early for $1.75
a hundred in script or orders on a certain firm in the city but
it took the whole day to find a buyer who would pay in gold. At
last a Jew offered $1.25 a hundred in gold for the second load.
(Oh, ye shades of thee beef trust!)
They
didn't buy straw hats those days but cut the straw and let the
mothers braid it and sew it into hats for them.
The
first religious service was undoubtedly the little Sunday school
service in the Bryan cabin when Ellen Walston (Mrs. Keith) gathered
the children around her and taught them from the New Testament.
Later Wm. Garrison, Rev. Seeley Simpson (M.E.), Rev. A. Bronson
(M.E.), and A.E. Aldrich (Baptist) held services first in the
cabin and then in the frame school house.
When
they went to church the team would be hitched up, the women would
sit on the boards across the wagon box and the men stand up. A
stop would be made at every house until the standing room was
all taken.
The
first wedding took place in the John Bryan cabin in 1852 when
Wm. N. Walston and Sarah Waite were united for life. They are
now living in Wyoming when not visiting some one of their twelve
living children or thirty-seven grandchildren.
The
first white child born in Oxford township was Emily Coon (Mrs.
Waite Brenemen).
Fifty
years ago there were but six families and one bachelor in the
township, Miles Carter, single, having bought out Win Bowers in
the southeast part of the township and opened up one of the largest
farms in the county, since owned by J.R. and J. E. Carter; and
a Mr. Strong, who settled on the south side of the river. There
was also at one time, no one seems to know just when, a German
called Overracker, who lived four miles directly south of Wyoming.
He was one of those natural pi0neers who take another move to
the west as fast as civilization overtakes him. The last heard
of him he was in Oregon.
From
this small beginning the township grew gradually, until now it
is the equal in population of any, except those containing the
largest cities, in the county.
Among
the early settlers were Wm. Thurston, '53; Dan Iseman and Joseph
Pavelka '54, J.T. Wherry, Wancel Eleck (Jilek) and Shadrack Hammond,
'55; T. D. Prosser and M. Schwab '56; all farmers. Among other
substantial farmers of the 50's were Geo. Hall, N.R. Hagar, Wm.
DuBoise, Andrew Hans and Johnathan Pulley.
In
1857 Milo and G. W. Lathrop and A. Courtright built the flour
mill near Muscle Shell ford and Court right & Lathrop opened
a store. In 1859 L. D. Carlton and W. P. Langan, both blacksmiths,
located there. Dr. Coon was one of the earliest, if not the earliest
physician in the township. Dr. Battin and Morris Hall located
about 1875. As soon as the Northwestern railroad was put through
Lowden a post office was opened in the store, the village being
known as Oxford Mills.
A
Mr. Baldwin, still living near Wyoming, acted as mail carrier
and stage driver between Lowden and Wyoming.
Religious
services were held in the old red school house until Rev. Beardsley
succeeded in building the M.E. church in 1875.
The
first bridge--a wooden one--was built in 1865 at the ford.
Thus
it will be seen that Oxford Mills is much the older town; Oxford
Junction was not thought of until the Davenport & St. Paul
and Sabula & Ackley railroads were put through here in 1871.
Residents
suddenly woke up to the possibility of a town on this side of
the river. P. Ottsen was appointed postmaster, and built an office
at the corner of Fourth and Broadway. Geo. Crouch, editor and
founder of THE OXFORD MIRROR, succeeded him in 1879.
John
Fay and Frank Miller had a lumber yard at an early date. A man
by the name of Erd was the first to open a general store. In the
spring of 1874 A. Stratilek opened a general store. Mr. Goldman
was the first grain dealer. Mr. Grey built the first hotel now
A. Stratilek's residence and business house, known as the Lindsey
House, and Byron McClure kept the Oxford Hotel.
In
1873 the town consisted of about 100 inhabitants, a lumber yard,
a post-office, a hotel and two general stores, shoe shop, blacksmith
shop, one church edifice--the Lutheran--and one saloon. In 1878
Dr. Henak located here as the first resident physician; he also
conducted a drug store. P.B. English, a remembered character,
came to the rescue of those about to lose "their soles."
In
1879 came the boom, the C., M. & St. P. division shops and
offices were located here, employing about 300 men. Property jumped
sky high. The Blakely addition was added to the northwest of the
town in 1880; the Carter and Flanigan to the north and east in
1884.
A
scourge of diptheria swept the town in the fall of 1888; 42 from
the school roll were fatally smitten with the dread disease. On
Feb. 5, 1889, the business houses of I__ (Ira?) R. and J. E. Carter
and Beckon & Zigler, together with the offices and contents
of THE OXFORD MIRROR and Lawyer miles were destroyed by fire;
also the city records.
The
first really great blow to the town was the removal of the shops
in 1890.
The
fire of April 11, 1898, destroyed in two hours all the business
houses and dwellings on Broadway west of Fifth street, entailing
a loss of over $100,000.
Steps
were immediately taken for a system of water works that would
afford efficient fire protection. It was something of an undertaking
for a town of this size, but the people were a unit (only six
dissenting votes) in its support. Excellent plans were secured
and the work practically put under the direction of Rev. J. K.
Bloom, to whose enthusiastic and untiring efforts, so wisely directed,
we owe much of the success of the plant which for quality and
quantity suited to our needs is second to none.
The
Oxford Junction of thirty years ago compared with the Oxford Junction
of today finds at present a lively, energetic little city, with
resources and ability to greatly increase in business enterprises,
wealth and population.
A
careful perusal of the following pages pertaining to the business
men of this vicinity will convince anyone that Oxford Junction
is so peopled that it will succeed in keeping abreast of the best
of the times. (the remainder of the issue can be viewed at Wregie
Memorial Library, Oxford Jct., IA)
Oxford Jct. Recent History (1938)
L.L.
"Mac" McCreight moved to Oxford Jct. from Cedar Rapids
in 1938. Along with his wife Martha and four children (Roger,
Barbara, Ed, and Sharon) he operated a Clover Farm grocery store
on the south side of west Broadway. Mac also drove school bus,
prepared and maintained an ice skating rink, organized the first
O.J. Easter Egg Hunt donating the grand prize (a live rabbit won
by Judy Hodgden), and otherwise served his community. The park
on the south side of east Broadway is named for Mr. & Mrs.
McCreight, both now deceased.
In
1953 when the Oxford Mirror stopped publication, Mac began printing
"McCreight Grocery's Oxford Booster" posting local news
items and announcements as well as store advertising. The one
page newspaper was later called "Mac's Booster" and
survives today with that name, published by Coon's Corner, the
oldest grocery store in Oxford Jct. I imagine Mac bent over his
typewriter after a long day at his other duties, working on his
little paper. Now people interested in O.J. can read it anywhere
in the world on the internet (Wregie Library's website). One person
can make a difference, and Mac did.
Apparently
Mac was interested in history because 20 years after coming to
O.J., he printed a special edition which is reproduced here as
many of our readers will remember and enjoy the observations.
[typist's notes in brackets]
MCCREIGHT
GROCERY'S OXFORD BOOSTER DATED TUESDAY JULY 15, 1958 -- OXFORD
JUNCTION, IA.
RECOLLECTIONS OF TWENTY YEARS AGO
July
18, 1938 -- Gabe [Bees] had just opened the Tavern across the
street, Mohr Bros. bought the Snopek Meat Market; Geo. Nowachek
was their butcher; Louie Hodoval was running the drug store; Rex
Huffman ran the root beer just east of the drug store; Fleckenstein
had just purchased the Chocolate Shop; Antone Peckosh had just
come from Chicago and opened an Electrical Appliance and wiring
business in the Mills.
In
August that year Otto Koranda purchased the DX Station [now town
hall]; Glen Bright was running the Shell Station where Emile ["Desperate"]
Koranda now is [unless he means Emile Pavlista who ran a Shell
Station east of Koranda's]; George Volk was still known as the
Baker and did a big business in his little store on the south
side of the street; John Buresh was running the Hardware store;
Harold Long the Mueller Feed Store; Verner Nordstrom was cashier
at the bank; Chick Berner was manager at Petersens [poultry house];
John Peckosh had a Men's Clothing Store where Culver is; Fred
Fifield was the Barber in the West Barber Shop; Lee Stowers in
the East Shop; Otto ["Buck"] Stratilek was running the
general store [now Coon's Corner] with the help of Monk Coon,
Arnold Sobotka, and Viola Lasack.
Geo.
Williams was running the Williams Tavern; Mr. And Mrs. Fred Fritz
the Theater; Ed. Lasack and O'Hara the Liquor Store; Fred Buresh
the Chev. Garage and Fred was Fire Chief with that old Model T
Ford and Chemical outfit. The school was using the Shedek Store
building [the Opera House??] for a gym; Otto Shedek had a beauty
parlor next door and also had a barber shop in the same building;
Lenfeld ran the tavern; Frank Peckosh was Postmaster and Ladislav
Peckosh was clerk; John Siler had the garage; and Frank Kolarik
was shoeing horses at the Blacksmith Shop; The Ball Team sponsored
a two-day Corn Carnival in August that year and how it did rain
-- met Ray Sobotka then, he was in charge of Concessions and we
had a Clover Farm Booth with Miss Clover Farm.
Antone
Kula delivered milk morning and evening in the old Model A Ford;
Hunters were still running the store at the Mills; D. [Daniel]
J. Meade was running the Power Plant; O.A. Hunter was teacher
of the Mills School; and Dorothy Martin, now Mrs. Elmer Jansen
was the other teacher; Gene Kelley had the Rendering Plant; Dory
Cave sold his Tankage; and Leo Dorr was his truck driver.
Lala
was Superintendent of Schools, Rev. W. A. Wolgemuth was pastor
of the Lutheran Church and Father Jos. Gregor, the Sacred Heart
Church. Shortly after we arrived we attended one of those big
chicken dinners put on by the Sacred Heart church in the old gym
across the street -- the first thing they passed us was a huge
dish of Sauer Kraut with Caraway Seed -- first time I'd ever seen
that. Oxford still had a morning and night passenger [train] on
the Monticello to Davenport run; Neville Waite ran the truck line;
Jens Latare, Mrs. George Vacek, and Mrs. Joe Tyc Sr. were about
the first customers we can remember; Barbara Benhart [dau. of
Robert and Leona] used to come in to see us -- she was six weeks
old then; Mr. and Mrs. Fred Nowachek had a new daughter Rosalie
born the 18th I believe; Fred Lasack's sister was married that
summer and they hauled the happy couple through town in a carriage;
When we opened, we sold Bananas for a penny each; Dr. Davies sat
in his office above the Post Office [then on the north side of
west Broadway] and counted the bunches we unloaded those three
days; Louie Bisinger at the Drug Store sold Banana Splits for
10 cents; Dances were still being held at the old Bowery; Dr.
Breen used to bring his Pointer down to the store for a can of
Dog Food; and Dr. Cook was located in the house just south of
the ME [Methodist] Church.
The
Irish Church was still standing [northeast corner of town where
the black house is]; Oxford Junction did a terrific Sunday business
those days -- stores, taverns; and about everything; since that
time this dropped to a minimum -- although the over all volume
of business of the town has increased since then, the towns churches,
school, and community activities have progressed greatly; Charley
Allen had a restaurant in the Zeller Building; E. A. Grimwood
seemed to be the principal speaker in town and headed most of
the money drives on Main street.
That
winter there was a fire at the Henry Shimerda home (now Butlers).
The fire was burning in three different roof valleys near the
chimney and the firemen had to keep carrying that one large 2
½" hose around the house to reach the fire. The house
was saved -- I thought O.J. had a pretty good fire dept. There
was a corn crib back of what is now Benharts produce and also
a lot of big fat rats; We sold best grade pink salmon 2 tall cans
for 25 cents, Milk 9 cents a qt., and bread was 10 cents; smoked
picnics 19 cents a lb.; got our mail on Sunday mornings; Ben First
was in charge of the Coal Chute; Ed Clausen the Depot; and Oss
[Austin] Conwell was the Chief Butcher and Garden Plower.
Eileen
Kotlinek worked in the Mirror Office; Elsie Meade was our First
clerk; Don MacGregor peddled our hand bills and told us where
people lived; Dogs were allowed in town those days and we had
several good dog fights and not nearly as many rabbits; Antone
Blizek cam in each morning to read our paper and occasionally
buy a 10 cent ring of bologna.
Bernell
"Bud" Coon was making those "Heavenly Pies";
Mrs. Dubois got delivery from 4 stores and a meat market one afternoon
within 15 minutes; stores bought a lot of eggs those days before
the egg routes started out when the roads got good enough; Ray
Nowachek ran an Egg Route; later Ray Mizaur and also the Cream
Route; Ernie Wink used to make a special trip Saturday nights
to haul Cream; the town had no school band; no manual training;
no home ec.; no typing; no kindergarten; and some teachers had
three grades; we had no boy scout troop then or cub scouts; we
had no park, no summer playground or swimming program. Bingo was
a big sport -- or business; No, I wouldn't say those were the
"Good Old Days". Would you? Mac
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