of Menard and Mason Counties
By T.G. Onstott
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CHAPTER XXXIV Page 321 Mason City township is bounded on the north by Allen's Grove and Pennsylvania township, on the east by Logan county, on the south by Salt Creek, on the west by Salt Creek township. It is the best body of land in any township in Mason county, being all tillable high prairie. It was surveyed in 1823; at that time there was not a person living within its bounds, and nothing was heard save the yell of the Indian or the howl of the wolf from the time when the memory of man runneth not to the contrary. Along the belt on Salt Creek was the camping ground of the red man. Mason City township was covered with a luxuriant growth of blue stem grass, and the prairie fires every fall swept over its whole territory, leaving a black dismal spectacle. No person who never saw these prairie fires can imagine the grandeur of the scene. Imagine a wall of fire fifty feet in height and as wide as the eye can extend coming toward you at the rate of twenty miles an hour; all the wild animals and birds fleeing for life before it; the heavens lighted up with an unearthly glare and the roar of the flames drowning out every noise. Sometimes the flames would jump a hundred feet in advance, and set the grass on fire ahead. These fires gained strength as they burned and a current of air would give them a new impetus, and they never stopped until they had burned out for want of something to consume. We have seen these fires burn from Lease's Grove to Quiver, a distance of fifteen miles. Mason City was a great shipping point, but the Illinois Central, running from Havana to Champaign, with Easton and Teheran on the west and New Holland on the east, cut off a big slice of her grain receipts, and Mason City is not what it used to be, yet it is a nice clean town, and may well be styled the Gem of the Prairie. The first settlement in the township was made by Isaac Engle in 1830 on the Donovan place, at the northeast side of Swing's Grove. In the same year John Powell built a round log house on the west side, now owned an occupied by C.L. Stone. This was succeeded by a hewn log house built by Austin Melton. Here Melton lived till 1849 and kept a ferry across Salt Creek, and for him Melton's Ford was named. He then moved to Mackinaw, then to Walker's Grove, where he died in 1877. Melton's place was taken by John Alkers, who built a frame house. Isaac Engle who settled on the Donovan place, sold to Michael and Abraham Swing and moved to Fulton county. The Swing brothers were both unmarried at the time, and by a trade, Michael became the sole owner of the land which up to 1840 had been held in partnership. Mr. Swing was a surveyor and also taught school in addition to his other business in 1851 and '52. He taught school at Big Grove, riding six miles each way, and received for his service one dollar per day. In the year of 1840 Ephraim Brooner built a round log house on what is now the Cease and Hubly place, about a quarter of a mile west of the old Beebe place, now owned by John Appleman. Mr. Brooner died in 1841, and his widow married Rezin Virgin, one of the pioneers of Salt Creek township, as will appear farther on. In 1840 the tide of emigration set in and Robert Melton and D.S. Swing, of Swing's Grove and Stiles, and Homer Peck, of Prairie Creek, settled in the township that year. D.S. Swing, since 1860, has been a resident of Mason City and improved the land now occupied by C.L. Stone. A beautiful cemetery in Swing's Grove was set apart by them and has had a steady growth, till it now numbers its inhabitants by the hundreds. Other grave yards were located in the neighborhood, but after the Swing Cemetery was established they were discontinued. Stiles and Homer Peck made a settlement on Prairie Creek near where New Holland now stands. The dwelling houses in the early days, of which we will give a description, were eighteen by twenty, made of round logs, notched at the corners so as to make the logs fit as closely as possible and give as much strength as possible. Chimneys were constructed of split sticks and clay, which were always at the west end of the house, so that the west winds would be better resisted. These houses always had a kitchen, sitting-room, parlor and bed-room, but all in one. At meal time, it was all kitchen. On rainy days when all the neighbors came there to relate their exploits, how many deer and turkeys they had killed, it was the sitting-room. On Sunday when the young men all dressed up in their jeans, and the young ladies in their best tow dresses, it was all parlor. At night is was all bed-room. The crevices between the logs afforded ample ventilation. An accident is recorded where a family went off one Sunday and the cattle came around the house, and with their long tongues licked out the bed clothing and, in fact, everything out of the house, so when the family returned they found everything gone. The houses were covered with clapboards, held to their places by rib poles underneath and weight poles on top. The floors were made of puncheons four inches in thickness and six feet along the sides, and they were hewn so they fit nicely and kept the foot from going down between the puncheons. There has been a number of tragedies in Mason City. In the fall of 1864, Frank M. Jones, who had come from Virginia a few years before, and who was very outspoken in his views, had incurred the hostility of some who were of the opposite belief, and this soon ripened into a crisis. Jones was at that time teaching school a short distance from town. Learning that a man from Salt Creek, named Moses Thompson, had been in town several days to settle a grudge that had been sprung on election day, about a week before, armed himself with a double barrel shot gun. In the evening after school was dismissed, he proceeded to town where he saw Thompson on the south side of a saloon, which was kept in a building a short distance from the elevator, and heard his threats against him. He then passed through Swing's store and fired upon him, mortally wounding him, so he died the next day. Jones then leisurely walked away and was never captured or brought to trial. It is reported that he went to Missouri, and was afterwards himself shot and killed. The next was the tragic death of Dr. Chamlin in the spring of 1871, at the hands of Zoph Case. The fracas grew out of a contest of title to a quarter section of land adjoining town of the southeast. One night Case moved his house on one forty acres and occupied it that same night, claiming title from Tunison Case, which brought about an ejectment suit. In plowing in the spring of 1871, Chamlin ordered his men to plow across Case's yard in the forenoon. This Case would not allow them to do. The matter was reported Chamlin at noon, and when they went out to work in the afternoon, he took a shot gun and bade his plowmen to follow him, which they did. He had proceeded but a short distance in advance of the teams toward Case's premises when he reached the disputed line. Case, who was watching him from his door, took up his gun and fired upon him, killing him instantly. Case surrendered and after a continuous drag in the courts was finally cleared. In the spring of 1837, Charles H. Linticum, who was a farmer near Prairie Creek, committed a deadly assault upon Joseph Copperthwait, a farmer, they having met in town. The tragedy occurred in J.D. Haws' harness shop. The assault was made with a revolver, Linticum shooting three times, the last shot taking effect in the side, glancing off on a rib. Great excitement prevailed and lynching was talked of, but the injured party proved to be not dangerously wounded. Linticum engaged Colonel Ingersol and, after dragging through several courts, the indictment was quashed. The land of which Mason City stands was entered in 1849 by William Maloney, who improved and settled on a forty-acre tract adjoining the corporation line on the northwest. He built a cabin thereon. He protected his crop from stock by making a sod fence around it. These fences were very common in pioneer days. They were made by a ditch three feet deep and three feet wide at the top and one foot at the bottom. The sod was carefully cut off in squares and built up back from the ditch three feet high, and the dirt from the ditch thrown back of the sod. This made a fence that kept most of the cattle out of the crop. George Staut, before the railroad was located, bought Maloney out, with a view of locating a station there. Straut was a member of the board of directors and had influence with the company. The original plat of the town contained two hundred and forty acres, three-fourths of a mile from north to south and one-half mile from east to west. The survey was made in September, 1857, by E.G. Hunt and J.M. Sweney. There has been a number of additions made to the original town from time to time, till Mason City now spreads over a large territory. These additions were offered for sale and found buyers. There was a public sale of lots in September, which continued for several days. There were a large number of buyers, the number of people exceeding one thousands persons at times. The people were surprised at a town so far from any place. Notwithstanding, lots sold for from seventy-five dollars to three hundred dollars, according to location. The first building in the town was a blacksmith shop, put up by David Dare in the east part of town. The next was a frame building put up by Henry Keefer for mercantile purposes. A.A. Cargill was appointed postmaster by James Buchanan. In the upper story Miss Rhoda Allen taught the first public school. The first newspaper was established by J.M. Haughy. The first religious service was held by Rev. Holtsclaw. The second store was that of C. Horne. The Presbyterian Church was organized in 1858, in the upper story of the building erected by Joseph Elliott. The third store was that of Abram and S.D. Swing. The first hotel was a small frame, built by William Hibbard, on a lot donated by Mr. Straut. It was dedicated with a dance. Up to 1860 all the merchandise, all lumber and every other commodity was hauled from Pekin, Havana and Forest City, which was a profitable business for teamsters. The first wedding of resident parties was Sheridan Enlass and Miss Emma Hibbard. The ceremony was performed by Selah Wheaton. The first child born in town was Charles M. Keifer in December, 1857. There was a great Fourth of July celebration held in Mason City in 1858. Every man, woman and child went to celebrate, and it was a complete success. At an early hour the people were all astir and long processions of teams came from every direction, and by 10 a.m. an immense crowd had gathered from all directions. A platform was erected and R.A. Hurt read the Declaration of Independence and Hon. William Walker, a prominent lawyer of Havana, delivered an oration, after which all repaired to the tables, which were loaded with goodies with which the country abounded. The Fourth of July witnessed the advent of the first locomotive. This was hailed with great delight and wound up with a free fight between the railroad hands and the Mason City town bloods. The completion of the railroad set the whole county wild, and all the mechanics had all they could do to finish houses fast enough for the people to live in. This was at the close of the war and money was a great deal more plentiful then than now. All kinds of produce that the farmers had to sell brought a good price. Improved and unimproved lots commanded a high price, and for a few years the growth of Mason City was the wonder and admiration of surrounding towns. In the winter of 1868 and '69 a City Charter was procured and the little town in the prairie began to assume city airs. An election was ordered and held to vote upon incorporating under the general Incorporating Act, which was carried by a large majority.
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