PLEASANT TOWNSHIP

No. 79, range 15, west This township is of regular size, bounded on the north by Malcom, east by Scott, south by Jackson and Union, and west by Washington. The land is generally level and all arable. It has good railroad facilities, and its position in the county gives it a great advantage over many of its sister townships.

The Grinnell and Montezuma Railroad runs diagonally northwest and southeast across the township. The county seat, Montezuma, is only a mile and a half from its southern border, and the thrifty little town of Malcom is only a mile from its northern border. It enjoys the privileges of good schools, a depot, church and post-office near the center, at Ewart. The North Fork of English River flows from west to east through the center of the township, but the broken land which so often follows the creeks is vastly wanting here.

Its population, from the census of 1880, was 706, placing it next to Chester, which is the least in the county; less even than Union, which has 709, and whose area is not so much by twelve square miles. At the last general election in 1879 there were 158 votes polled, but as the population is rapidly increasing, the poll of 1880 will show an increased vote.

This is a young township, and much of the land which now produces the largest crops was formerly thought too level, and otherwise unfitted for the best efforts of farmers. There are, it is true, occasional years when the weather is too wet for a portion of the land, but if the crops of corn which were grown in the year 1880 are anything like a fair estimate, we should be compelled to pronounce it the corn township of Poweshiek county. One man gathered eighty-four bushels of corn from one acre. No township in the county has less waste land than this, not even Chester, which is considered by some to be the best of the sixteen. There is only one small natural grove in Pleasant, while in Chester there are two. There is but one advantage that Chester possesses over Pleasant; namely, that of having the land a little more rolling, whereas, in Pleasant considerable of it, especially about Ewart, is very flat.

The township is furnished with eight good school-houses. The school-houses here, as often elsewhere, were built largely with money raised by taxing the lands of non-residents and speculators. For this cause we often see neat little school-houses well furnished and kept, without another building in sight. Many of the districts have a school-house which, in appearance and furniture, far surpasses any private residence in the neighborhood. But this is not the case in Pleasant, for some of the farmers have erected elegant homes, and made the surroundings beautiful. The land is all occupied, but the farms, as a general thing, are too large. The Ewart Bros, own over two thousand acres, which, however, is not in a single farm. With the natural capabilities of the soil, and its advantageous geographical position, it is destined to become, perhaps, the very foremost in population, wealth and desirability in the county.

The citizens are considerably in the advance of the average intelligence and enterprise.

Ewart, Malcom and Montezuma are the shipping points. In the summer of 1868, there occurred a singular freak of lightning. A young man by the name of John Amos, had recently purchased a good span of horses, and as he saw a storm approaching, he unhitched from the plow and took them into the barn. No sooner had he tied them in the stall than a shaft of lightning knocked him down and killed both horses.

EWART.

This live town is situated on the line of the Grinnell and Montezuma Railroad. Its business men are an enterprising, go-a-head class, and the amount of grain, hogs and cattle handled at this point will compare favorably with that of larger places. The town was laid out by the Ewart Bros., from whom it took its name in December, 1875. The first building, which was a residence, was erected in 1875, by L. H. Harris. The first store building was put up by A. B. Wood3 in the spring of 1876. The same season several other Buildings were erected, among which was the grain warehouse.

The business interests of the town are at present represented by A. B. Woods, who keeps a well selected stock of general merchandise. Mr. Woods is also postmaster, station agent and deals extensively in grain. G. T. Burns keeps pegging away, and by working close to the last, always keeps the pedestrians supplied with a good article in the boot and shoe line.

B. N. Warren, the village vulcan, came to Ewart in the spring of 1878. He does all kinds of general repairing, and being a thorough workman, commands a large patronage, and is identified among the best men of the town.

Dr. W. B. Cotton, physician and surgeon, located in Ewart in the spring of 1830. He has a large practice, and is one of the most successful practitioners in the county.

The United Presbyterian Church, erected in the summer of 1880, is a neat and imposing church edifice that is a credit to the town.

Voters meet on election day at Ewart and there exercise the right of suffrage. At the present time the political sentiment is largely Republican, though last fall there was a majority of twenty-five given the Greenback ticket.

THE UNITED PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH OF EWART.

The organization of this church was effected Sept. 4, 1876, with John McDill, Mrs. Nancy Donnan, James Donnan, Wm. Hamilton and wife, John Hamilton and wife, Mary A. Donnan, Delia J. Donnan, and Margaret Rutherford as original members. The first services were held in the depot, then in the school-house. At the Daily school-house it was proposed to ordain the elder, but it was not until December 29, 1876, that James Donnan was duly ordained as elder. Rev. Shearer, of Oskaloosa, conducted the services while meetings were held in the Daily school-house. The first communion service was held December 30, 1876. On April 10, 1880, Robert G. Cutts was also elected elder. Although tho society has met with many difficulties and is a small congregation, not numbering over thirty-two members, it has erected, during the summer of 1880, a neat frame church 30x46, the cost of which is $1,000. Rev. John Gilmore, of Oskaloosa, is the present pastor. The church is now in a flourishing condition, and with such untiring zeal as the United Presbyterians manifest it would be needless to expect otherwise.

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