LINCOLN TOWNSHIP

This township is situated on the Iowa county line, and is considered one of the best in the county. It was one of the very last to be organized. For a long time its northern half belonged to Warren and southern half belonged to Deep River, but it was organized with its present boundaries in the year 1863. North English River flows east through the center of the township. The township has good roads, and there is considerable honest pride of the citizens in their well kept farms. The church and burying ground are near the center, and although they have no railroad or post-office within their borders, yet tho people possess many advantages far in advance of many older settled townships. The peaceful, intelligent and industrious farmers are prosperous and happy. Here is a class of citizens that appreciate education and the advantages of schools, and they have spared no pains to accomplish this. There is very little waste land, and many of the farmers have become independent in circumstances. The population, according to the census of 1880, was 889 and there were 147 votes east at the last general election. The principal railroad market is Brooklyn, though some from the east side find it more convenient at Victor.

The first general election was held on second Tuesday of October, 1863, at a private house on section 28. Geo. Forby was chairman and G. L. Bramer J. H. Forby and Wm. Welch judges of election, D. J. Wherry and J. H Wherry were clerks of election.

The township officers elected were as follows:

G. L. Bramer, J. H. Forby, Wm. Welch, trustees; J. H. Forby, assessor; D. J. Wherry, clerk.

Settlements began as early as 1854.

Milo Morgan came into the township in the year 1853, and broke prairie in section 36, and in the spring of 1854, moved from Lee county, Illinois, and made permanent settlement

J. B. Robertson came from Ohio, and in the year 1854, settled on section 23.   He now lives near Iowa City.

J. B. Forby, formerly from Albany, New York, came in the spring of 1855.

G. L. Bramer, formerly from New York State, came and settled on section 9, in September, 1855.

James Barker came from Ohio in October, 1855, and took a farm from section 35.

James Hillman came in the spring of 1855, and bought a farm in section 35, and has since lived there. He came from Illinois, but formerly lived in New York State.

Mr. Harkelrode is said to have built the first house in the township. He built it of logs, probably as early as 1850, on section 21.

Chas. Phillips came in the spring of 1856, from New York.

The marriage of Milo Morgan to Susan Robinson in the winter of 1856, was the first.

The death of John Morrison was the first in the township. It occurred December 31,1858.

The first public religious services were conducted by the Rev. John Miles, a Baptist minister from Deep River, in school-house No. 1.

M. E. CHURCH

It is situated on the line between Warren and Lincoln, on the northeast corner of section 4. Most of the present membership is from Warren township. The church was organized in No. 7 school-house in Warren in the year 1873. Among those who formed the organization were J. T. Ports, S. B. Wheeler, John R Wheeler and wife, Josiah Bimson. The conference has always sent earnest men, and this Zion is prosperous. The present membership is 50, many of the prominent farmers finding here their spiritual home. The present imposing church edifice was built in 1879, at a cost of $1,650, and dedicated on the 26th day of October, 1879. The church will seat about 200.

The sabbath-school meets every sabbath with an average of 50. Mr. Thomas G. Wheeler is Superintendent and W. F. Wiley, Secretary.

NORTH ENGLISH UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CONGREGATION.

By request, the Rev. Alexander Pattison secured by personal solicitation a petition to the Des Moines Presbytery in August, 1865, by which body the community was then supplied with preaching, and the church was organized in the Green school-house, Dec. 1, 1866, by Rev. J. K. Black, with the following membership: George E. Sanders and Maria (his wife), James E. Sanders, George E. Sanders (deceased May 20, 1869), David J. Wherry and Martha (his wife), John II. Wherry and Margaret (his wife), Obadiah Wherry and Nancy (his wife), Joseph R. Wherry and Maria (his wife, deceased July 29, 1870), and Mary J. Sanders. The following ruling elders were elected: Geo. E. Sanders (formerly a ruling elder in Richmond, Ohio), and David J. Wherry. Mr. Sanders was installed December 14, 1866, and Mr. Wherry was ordained and installed July 9,1867, by Rev. Joseph McKee. The first sacrament of the Lord's Supper was celebrated December 10, 1866, and the congregation continued to be supplied until April, 1872, when Rev. John A. Burns was called and ordained and installed pastor November 8, 1872. He served for four years at a salary of seven hundred dollars per year, and was succeeded by the present pastor, Rev. James B. Gowdy, who was installed July 6, 1880. During the lapse of time between the resignation of tho first and the installation of the second pastor, the church was again supplied by the Des Moines Presbytery. In the summer of 1872 the congregation built their present house of worship at a cost of $3,250. The dedicatory sermon was preached by Dr. Young, then a member of the faculty of Monmouth (Illinois.) Theological Seminary. At that time provision was made for the indebtedness of the church, which has since been entirely discharged, and the church is free of all encumbrance. This church has enjoyed unusual prosperity; has now a membership of seventy-five communicants, and is remarkable for never having passed a sabbath during its existence without appointment for service. In the yard of this church is the first regular cemetery of the township, which was platted on May 20, 1869. The first burial being that of the remains of Geo. E. Sanders, Jr., on the same day.

SCHOOLS.

The first school-house was built on section 4, in the year 1859, at a cost of $250, and Miss Emma Chapman, the present wife of Leander Cardell, of Malcom, was the first teacher. She " boarded 'round," had about fifteen dollars per month, and about fifteen scholars.

There are nine schools, and all taught in an approved manner. The present teachers are:   No. 1, W. H. Davidson; No. 2, Maggie McKinne; No. 3, J. O. Smith; No. 4, Kate Meyers; No. 5, Lottie Stodard; No. 6, Emma Bramer; No. 7, Mary L. Schultz; No. 8, Celia Bigler; No. 9, Zitilla M. Talbott,

INCIDENTS.

Henry Shrader, a boy about twelve years of age, who then lived on section 25, was riding a horse, in the fall of 1872, when he and his horse were instantly killed by lightning.

Daniel Coan, a young man of nineteen, was shot dead by Thomas McCabe at No. 3 school-house, in February, 1870. McCabe was about fifty years of age.

Mrs. John Morrison's barn and granary was burned in the spring of 1859. The fire was communicated to a hay-stack, and thence to the barn, from a wild fire on the prairie. Mrs. Morrison's husband died the previous autumn, and now who was called to sustain the loss of a portion of the property which was her only support.

William Shrader's stable and two valuable horses were destroyed by fire in 1874.

J. E. Hillman, a boy of nineteen, hung himself with a log-chain to the limb of a tree on the prairie, just east of his father's house, on section 35, August 5, 1876.

Owen Cannon, a lunatic, killed his mother with a club in 1879.

Mr. J. C. Morgan, who now resides on section 36, while a lad of thirteen, one day in the month of September, 1855, stood near the workmen as they were building James Hillman's house, on section 35, and counted sixtyfive deer running over the prairie.

The present officers of the township are:

Trustees—J. II. Atherton,John Kirker, John Wenger.

Justices of Peace—Ira B.Crane, G. W. Miller.

Constable—J. W. Thompson.

Assessor—Geo. L. Bramer.

Clerk—J. C. Morgan.

THE LOYAL ORANGE LODGE OF LINCOLN TOWNSHIP.

This lodge was organized in the year 1876, in the Dublin school-house, with the following charter members: Daniel Swain, Thomas Johnson, John Hill, Joseph Johnson, William Mayne, Jno. Ferguson, Simon Ferguson. They meet once a month. There is now a membership of about forty.

Source: The History Of Poweshiek County Iowa 1880
Transcribed and Contributed to Genealogy Trails by Barbara Ziegenmeyer