History, Webster County, Iowa...Part of Iowa Genealogy Trails

County History

Webster County Naming and Territory History

Yell County was created by act of the General Assembly in 1851 and embraced all of the present territory of Webster except the north tier of congressional townships. It was named for the second Governor of Arkansas, Colonel Archibald Yell, who was killed at the Battle of Buena Vista in the Mexican War.
The county had never been organized up to 1853, when by act of the Legislature it was incorporated with the new county of Webster.
This county was formed by uniting the former county of Webster, which had first been named Risley,
[Risley was created in 1851 and embraced the territory now consisting of Hamilton County] with Yell County, making thirty-two congressional townships, to which the name of Webster was given. By this act the county of Yell ceased to exist.

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

Webster County History
BY
D.L. 'CHING' WILLIAMS
(Delmege Lincoln Williams)
1969

Iowa passed to the U.S.A. with the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. In 1838 it was made into a Territory, and in 1846 into a State.

In 1848 the Government started surveying the land north and west of the Des Moines River. They found it to be comparatively unexplored, and inhabited largely by Buffalo, Elk, Deer, and Sioux Indians. Among the few white settlers in this part of the state was the notorious horse thief, and outlaw Henry Lott who lived at the mouth of the Boone River only a few miles from what is now Lehigh.

Webster County was organized as a county in 1853 with the county seat at Homer (now just a church and deserted store). There were about 250 persons in the county, most of them around Homer, and the Des Moines-Boone River forks. The Troops abandoned Fort Dodge that year to another post in Minnesota. There were only three (3) people left there, but settlers began arriving from neighboring states, and as far away as the New England states. Major William Williams founded the town of Fort Dodge and was its first Postmaster, and Mayor.

In June of 1856 Buchanan was laid out and recorded as Town site. Later the name was changed to Hesperian and still later around 1866(?) to Burnside, in honor of the Civil War General Amos E. Burnside. That same year West Dayton, and Border Plains were also founded. Belleville was laid out in 1857 and several townships were organized.

The first settlement of what is now Lehigh was made in 1855 when two men named Reid and Wright erected a steam saw mill because of the heavy timber and nearness to the "River of the Sioux" which is what the Des Moines River was called at that time. Logs were cut into lumber and floated to Boonsborough, and Des Moines. Residents referred to their little hamlet as "Slab Town" because of the huge piles of log trimmings called "slabs", also there were many shelters constructed of them. In 1858 Oliver Tyson purchased the saw mill and town site, and the settlement became known as "Tyson's Mill". He added a General store and built the Morning Star flour mill a few feet south of where the Lehigh Power house now stands. It's at the north end of the "Race Track".

Later coal was discovered and this attracted miners from the nearby, and distant states. The superior quality of the clay here was recognized and soon a 'pug' mill was built and "mud" bricks were manufactured. In the fall of 1875 Tyson sold out to Messrs. Bond and Post and Mr. Tyson became a financier and promoter. Eventually he and his son Norman H. Tyson built three buildings along the West Side of Main Street. The names N.H. Tyson still stands out clearly on the buildings.

The village of Lackawanna was plotted in July 1876 by the Crooked Creek R.R., and Coal Co. It was located on the East bank of the river. The village on the West Side of the river was now called "Vesper". Coal miners from Pennsylvania were responsible for the name "Lehigh". Impressed by the beautiful scenery, which reminded them of the Lehigh Valley of their home state, the miners proposed that Vesper and Lackawanna unite under the name "Lehigh" and become an incorporated town. This was done in 1885. The new town started to boom. There were several coal mines in operation. A brick factory was built Henry Corey just East of the present Roy West home. Beautiful face bricks were manufactured and shipped to distant markets. This brick can be seen in the Tyson buildings previously mentioned and in other business buildings in Lehigh, and in the 'Castle" on the East hill. Other towns close by used the brick in their buildings. James Campbell built a tile factory where the town's sewage disposal lagoon is now located, a few hundred feet west and North of the Des Moines River and Crooked Creek junction. Later on three more tile and sewer pipe factories were built. A silica sandpit was opened on the east hill. The beautiful white sand was shipped away for use in the manufacture of glass, but the deposit of sand soon became exhausted. However, the coal mines, clay pits and the clay manufacturing plants helped boost the town to a population of approx. 1800 people. The coal miners for many years had a reputation of Baseball Players. The Lehigh Lightfeet team was known all over the state. At one time they traveled to Dubuque where they met and defeated the Chicago Cubs, under the famous Cap Ason. A cigar was named for the team, and was manufactured for years by their first baseman, Doc Williams. One of the cigar boxes can be seen today at the Williams Grocery store. Also a display there is the Summer Township docket. A record book started in 1880.

Around the turn of the century Negroes were shipped into replace the striking coal miners. Homes and camps were established for them where the Dickey factory and clay pits are now located, and the place was called "Coon Town". Old timers still occasionally refer to that part of town by that name. After the strike was settled, the Negroes were withdrawn from the community.

Two railroads have served the town. The Crooked Creek Company put the first railroad into Lehigh in the late 1870's. Because the tracks were only three feet apart it was called a narrow gauge line. It ran from the village of Judd to Lehigh. Coal was hauled from Lehigh to the trestle at Judd where it was dumped into standard size railroad cars of the Illinois Central Railroad. The Fort Dodge, Des Moines and Southern Railway Company bought Crooked Creek in 1916 and electrified it in 1917. It started hauling passengers in 1917 but discontinued that in 1928. However it hauled freight and express until 1960. The "Interurban" was a familiar sight in Lehigh valley with its load of sewer pipe both large and small. While in operation, in addition to bringing in freight of all descriptions, it hauled out coal, clay, sewer pipe, and tile, and cooperated with the Lehigh Livestock Association by maintaining a stockyard where cattle and hogs were kept while awaiting shipment to Eastern markets. The yards were located just south of the tracks on the East bank of the river where the railroad bridge crossed, at the town end of the "Race Track". The railroad laid tracks to all the clay plants, the grain elevator, and the lumbar yard. It enjoyed a big business until the last few years of its existence. The Mason City and Fort Dodge Railway came to Lehigh in 1887. In 1906 it was sold to the Chicago Great Western Company. They claimed at one time that on the run from Lehigh to Fort Dodge they carried more tonnage per mile of track than any railroad in the county. They pulled their tracks in 1932.

By 1910 most of the wooden sidewalks had been replaced with brick or concrete. In 1912 the town issued $15,000 in bonds for the purpose of erecting a combined waterworks and electric light system. The following year it was found necessary to issue $5,000 additional bonds to complete the project.

In 1923 under our only woman mayor, Nora Daniels, we sold $4,500 in bonds for grading the streets, $3000 for other improvements, and $4,500 for paving the main street. In 1962 $37,000 in bonds were issued for the purpose of building a post office and town hall. In 1967 bonds amounting to $45,000 were sold to enlarge our sanitary sewer system and to construct a treatment lagoon. The pipe (main sewer line) was laid down the railroad bed of the old Interurban.

In 1960 the school merged with Burnside, and Harcourt was effected. This gives us an up-to-date school system of which we can be proud. In 1967 and 1968 the Lehigh Valley cooperative Telephone Company operations were expanded, underground cables were laid, and a modern telephone building completed.

The Great Depression on the early 1930's hit Lehigh as it did the rest of the U.S. There was very little work for our laborers, farm prices hit bottom, and merchants had a difficult time holding on to their businesses. A cooperative Creamery was established in Lehigh in the Old Theater building where silent movies were shown and then talkies were shown just before it was made into the Creamery. The building was on the north end of Main Street at the bottom of the "School Hill". In the late 30's there was a faucet extended thru the wall on the west side of the building around the corner from Main Street, and ice cold Buttermilk, and a tin cup was hung there for anyone who cared to have a drink. (mbe.It was the northwest side, the school hill side) After the Depression things got back to normal, and Lehigh has progressed much the same as have other small Midwest towns.

Lehigh has been plagued by river floods which have cost its residents many thousands of dollars, but fortunately we've never had a lost of life. A flood in 1898 swept away the RR Bridge north of town. In 1912, 1947, and 1954 merchants were badly hit, and many of our citizens were forced to abandon their homes March 29, 1960 was one of the most exciting days in Lehigh's history. An Army Helicopter dispatched by the Governor to survey the ice
jams was forced down in the river. The pilot and co-pilot miraculously escaped death after a perilous three (3) mile journey down the river on a cake of ice. Shortly after they leaped to safety, the Helicopter was ground to bits. Lehigh received nationwide radio and television coverage, and the town was jammed with sightseers. In April 1965 Fort Dodge experienced it's worst floods in history, but Lehigh built dikes that saved the town from serious harm. The temporary dike was behind the west bank stores was made permanent the following summer, and the merchants deeded that portion of their property to the town. So far over a hundred years Lehigh with it's four (4) churches has lain nestled in the valley with scenery so unique that it has drawn artists from near and far to capture it's beauty on canvas. All who visit here are impressed by the warm and friendly atmosphere that prevails in the community, and remember with pleasure the town of LEHIGH.