The unquiet grave of Maggie Corbett, revisited

If this story seems familiar that may be because I've told it here at The Lucas Countyan before. It is as close as I can come to a "ghost story," appropriate for telling on Halloween in a place never considered haunted --- even by people who believe in such things.

It is a grim story, however --- involving body snatchers, a privileged medical student who escaped without consequences and, of course, Maggie Corbett --- the poor woman whose body was desecrated. So here it is again:

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Halloween is upon us, time to gather around a fire and tell stories of odd occurrences, frightful happenings and horror. In Lucas County, these tales rarely involve the supernatural --- ghosts and goblins and things that otherwise go bump in the night --- because we are not a superstitious people. Superstition is not necessary. Here, truth at times has been so hideous that embroidery is not required.

This is one of those stories, so be warned --- if you have a weak stomach or a sensitive disposition, do not read it.

I shared it first during October of 2009. Since then, details of the dark rumors about the case that floated around Chariton at the time --- but were not reported locally --- have become evident. These have been incorporated here.

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The old road south from Chariton 130 years ago --- on Sunday night, Oct. 30, 1887 --- passed alongside the cemetery, following the route of today’s State Highway 14. But then it was narrow and dirt, cut deeply into a draw leading down into the river valley. The cemetery itself was surrounded by a thick hedge of osage orange, grown large and unkempt in the years after its planting in the 1860s, blocking any view from the road.

Behind the hedge that night, not far from the road, the fresh grave of a 37-year-old woman was disturbed by as many as three men and the body it contained removed, dragged across the grass, pulled through the hedge where hair caught and was pulled from the scalp, then thrown into a horse-drawn wagon and driven hurriedly away.

At the foot of cemetery hill, the old road turned sharply west, then angled southwest across the wooded bottom to a narrow bridge. Here the body was broken, trussed and jammed into a small wooden crate.

Soon, a buggy approached, the driver jumped down, tethered the nervous horse, placed an envelope containing cash at a predesignated spot, loaded the crate into the buggy and then drove away --- or so the driver would later claim.

You can still follow that buggy’s route and there’s still a bridge there, although now approachable on foot only.

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It was now late Sunday night or early Monday, October 31st. At that time, it was possible to board a train at the depot in Chariton with baggage or freight and travel on a C.B.&Q. spur line long vanished through Oakley and Lacona, Milo and Indianola, to Des Moines. The purchaser of that mutilated body paid the freight fee and saw it loaded into a baggage car, then boarded a passenger car himself for the trip from his hometown to the city where he was studying medicine.

On Tuesday, Nov. 1, The Des Moines Leader reported what happened next:

In coming up on his train yesterday morning, Baggageman McBeth, running between Chariton and Des Moines, noticed a peculiar and very offensive odor in and about his car, after leaving Chariton. The tenacity with which this nameless smell clung to the car finally awakened his suspicion that some decaying animal matter must have been placed among the baggage, and he at once went on a tour of investigation among the sundry trunks and boxes piled around the car. His attention was finally diverted to a box occupying one end of the car, and placing his nose close to the lid he located at once the source of the disagreeable odor. Calling the conductor and brakeman to his assistance, McBeth knocked off a portion of the lid, and in an instant his eyes were greeted by a sight the most revolting to be imagined. Resting against the inside corner was the head of a woman, her half opened eyes staring at him in all the ghastliness of death. As the awful vision dawned upon their sight each of the spectators involuntarily uttered a cry of horror and shrank back startled and dismayed.

The lid was nailed down and an investigation inaugurated to discover the owner of this revolting baggage for it had been shipped as such as was shown by the check attached. The conductor took the check and passed through the entire train asking the passengers individually if any of them held the duplicate check. No one responded and the train came on to Des Moines, where it arrived at 4:45 yesterday morning.

Freight Agent Duchar was called up and the matter laid before him. He in turn notified the officers, and two policemen were detailed to wait around the depot and arrest any person who might call for the box. No one claimed this singular baggage, and at 3 o’clock p.m. Coroner Griffith was summoned to take charge of it. The box was then opened. It was 22 inches in length, 16 inches deep, and 16 inches wide. Crowded into this narrow space, and lying diagonally across its greatest length was the body of a woman, evidently well advanced in years. Her lower limbs were broken and the lower halves forced upward until the feet laid almost upon the breast. The hair, a mixture of black and gray, had been shorn from the head, while the hands were crossed over the abdomen.

McBeath knew he had received the box at Chariton, but, of course, could form no idea as to the identify of the owner. It was at first supposed to be the body of a girl named Katie Dunn, a waiter-girl who had been buried there Sunday, but the evident age of the corpse negatived this supposition. At the conclusion of the investigation Coroner Griffith ordered the remains sent to the Shack Bros. undertaking establishment for proper care and burial in the event of its identity remaining undiscovered, and it was removed to the rooms, corner Mulberry and Sixth.

In the meantime telegrams had been sent to Chariton asking for information. Marshal Cole, of that city upon receipt of those telegrams, repaired to the cemetery, and discovered that the grave of Mrs. Jesse Corbett, recently deceased, had been robbed and the body removed. He at once instituted active measures to ferret out the criminal, and soon obtained a clue. He discovered that a young medical student named Dr. John A. Gillespie, a resident of Chariton, but attending a Des Moines medical college, had been home on a visit Sunday. He further learned that Gillespie had hired a carriage of a Chariton liveryman on the same day, and finally traced Gillespie to the baggage room, where he had checked a box to Des Moines on Sunday night. He followed the numerous threads of evidence continually accumulating, and located Gillespie as a passenger on the train, where he was recognized by McBeth, who is well acquainted with him as is also the conductor.

Marshal Cole boarded the first train for Des Moines, and arrived at eight o’clock last evening, with a warrant for the arrest of Gillespie. Cole was taken to the undertaker’s where he immediately recognized the body as that of Mrs. Jess Corbett, who had died of typhoid fever about one week ago. Accompanied by Sheriff Palmer, the marshal went to the East Side where he found Gillespie in the offices of Dr. Lease. He was taken into custody, and being unable to give bonds owing to no justice of the peace being accessible, he was confined in jail. When seen by a reporter at the undertaking rooms of Shack Bros. last night, Gillespie was very much cast down and the picture of despair. He claims to have had nothing whatever to do with the affair. His presence at Chariton Sunday, he says, was occasioned by the illness of his mother, whom he went to see that day. The circumstantial evidence against him is very strong, but it is possible he can prove his innocence. Marshal Cole will take Gillespie and the remains back to Chariton this morning at 9 o’clock, the former for trial and the latter for interment.

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Back in Chariton, as the story of what had happened spread rapidly, outrage erupted and fears for the safety of Gillespie grew among authorities and the class of people to which Gillespie belonged --- merchants and lawyers, county and city officials and physicians.

Several remembered and some had participated 17 years before in the lynching of the man who shot and killed Sheriff Gaylord Lyman, Hiram Wilson, tossed from a courthouse window with a rope around his neck.

Gillespie's parents, James and Clarissa (Anderson) Gillespie, operated a general merchandise store on the square and moved in those circles; and John himself, among young men of the town who considered themselves to be its elite.

Maggie Corbett, on the other hand, was poor and Irish. Her family had arrived in Lucas County before 1870 as day laborers to build railroads and mine infrastructure and when she died, only Chariton’s black population ranked lower in the pecking order than the class of people, now rising in anger, to which she belonged. In 1880, her husband, Jesse, and been enumerated as a peddler of pumps. She left young children, now motherless.

So as a precaution, the noon train returning Gillespie to Chariton on Tuesday was stopped at Indianola Junction, about three miles west, and he was taken to the county jail from there by carriage.

Maggie’s body arrived at the depot by train, was removed to the undertaking establishment of Bradrick & Son, identified by her family and then reinterred.

The county grand jury happened to be in session when Gillespie was returned to Chariton and so it began to consider his case immediately and continued its investigation into Thursday when he was indicted on a charge of grave robbing and bond was set at $2,000, then a considerable amount.

His bond, according to The Chariton Democrat of Nov. 3, “was promptly furnished by men good for twenty times the amount. And had his bond been fixed at twenty times $2,000 it would have been just as promptly furnished.”

Gillespie, for his part, maintained silence. His family and friends, however, retained Chariton’s leading lawyers, Theodore M. Stuart and the firm of Mitchell and Penick, to represent him. The county attorney, Col. O.A. Bartholomew, would prosecute.

The Democrat, in concluding its Nov. 3 report, opined that when all was said and done “it will appear that Dr. Gillespie wanted a corpse and was willing to pay for it; other parties wanted a little money and were willing to furnish the corpse.”

The Chariton Herald, in its Nov. 3 report, noted that “all kinds of rumors, some that seem almost unnatural, are afloat concerning this crime, a crime that most people shudder to think of, and are loath to excuse in others even in the interests of science.”

Among those rumors, reported elsewhere but not in the Chariton newspapers, was that John Gillespie had met Jesse Corbett, husband of the deceased, at the Depot Hotel when he arrived in town from Des Moines Friday night and that the two men had shared a room there overnight, paid for by Gillespie.

Corbett and Gillespie also reportedly were seen together after dark on Sunday evening.

In addition, the wife of the Chariton Cemetery sexton reportedly had seen three men near Maggie's grave that Sunday evening, too, but could not identify any of them.

In addition, the crate in which Maggie's corpse had been shipped to Des Moines had been taken "from the premises" of Dr. John A. McKlveen, one of Chariton's most highly respected physicians who also was affiliated with a Des Moines medical college.

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The case against Gillespie came to trial before a jury in the old brick courthouse during early January of 1888.

During it, according to a Democrat report of Jan. 12, Gillespie --- who had at first denied any involvement --- changed his tune. He testified that he had “received an anonymous letter proposing, for a certain consideration, to furnish him a corpse, on Sunday night, at the bridge south of the city. He took a team, went there, desposited his money in a designated place, took the box, and returned to Des Moines.”

“The evidence,” according to the Democrat, “failed to show any guilty participation of the doctor in the actual fact of the grave robbery. Under the law he was perhaps guilty of an offense for purchasing the body. But that was not the crime for which he was indicted and under the instruction of the court he was very properly acquitted.”

Ah, those technicalities.

Others who may have been implicated in robbing the grave never were identified or formally charged, but media outside Chariton speculated that rumors involving Maggie's husband, Jesse, and even Dr. McKlveen may have dissipated the anger against Gillespie.

The grave robbers were never identified, and while Gillespie may have been telling the truth, it also is quite possible he was a liar, that at most he participated in the desecration of Maggie Corbett himself or, at the least, commissioned men whose names he knew full well to do it for him.

He completed his medical education, practiced for five years at Coin, Iowa, then moved west to Fresno, California, where he established another practice before his trail faded into obscurity.

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Maggie’s grave, just inside the main cemetery gate and some distance to the south, is peaceful now, overlooking passing traffic on Highway 14 and the wooded hills beyond.

This account is based primarily upon reports found in The Chariton Democrat of Nov. 3, 1887, and Jan. 12, 1888, and The Chariton Herald, also of Nov. 3, 1887. Additional reports in The Des Moines Leader, The Davenport Democrat-Gazette and the Burlington Hawk Eye also were consulted.

Sorry, but the ball is in our court ....

Well, I've run out of time to fritter away this morning --- so will launch Sunday with this from today's social media feeds.

The phrasing makes me uneasy, suggesting that the big guy in the sky is going to step in and help me out here. But prayer is nothing more (or less) than a call to action, personally sometimes and collectively at others.

So the ball is in my court --- and yours.

October 1904: Deadly cabbage snakes in Chariton

Fake news is much in the news these days as midterm elections near. But back in 1904 as October advanced, Lucas Countyans --- or at least some of them --- were transfixed by the threat of poisonous cabbage snakes. So much so that some dumped a winter's supply of kraut --- just to be on the safe side.

The whole thing began with a story headlined "Poison Worms in Cabbage," published in The Chariton Patriot of Oct. 6:

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Quite a scare and not a little curiosity prevails in this part of the country, occasioned by the finding of worms in heads of cabbage. The worms are from nine to eighteen inches in length and are said to be very poisonous and that death results in a few hours after eating of cabbage in which they have been cooked.

W. O. Benway brought to the Patriot office on Tuesday one of these worms in a bottle. It is nine inches long, a little larger than a horsehair,  pink in color and closely resembles a tiny fishworm. Under a magnifying glass its head is closely akin to a snake.

Mr. Benway tells us that when the worm is placed in cold water it shows fight and when taken out of the  bottle in which it has lived for five weeks without food  or  drink it becomes almost rigid and after a time coils up like a snake. Various ideas have been advanced in regard to it, some saying it is a  gordius or hairworm, and perfectly harmless, while others say it is rank poison.

Nevertheless it has caused quite a degree of excitement and many lovers of cabbage will not accept cabbage as a gift. Here is a chance for some scientifically inclined  person to make an experiment. Mr. Benway's specimen may be seen at the Patriot office. Mrs. Isaac Downard and Mrs. Tull are also in possession of these worms which they found in cabbage.

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During the week that followed, more than 200 concerned citizens passed through The Patriot offices to view the potentially deadly critter, as reported in The Patriot of Oct. 13 under the headline, "Crowds See Cabbage Worm."

The story of the cabbage worm given in last week's issue of the Patriot and the statement that the worm was on exhibition in this office has attracted over 200 people into our sanctum up to date. The opinions in regard to it have been numerous and varied. Some are strongly of the opinion that it is rank poison; others, like Thomas, are doubtful;  some do not give an opinion of any kind. Two or three have poo-poohed at the idea of its being poison yet were not willing to support their belief by eating the worm so that all might have  proof positive. However, out of the crowds who have called,  only two or three continue to eat cabbage, and some have stated that they threw all their sauerkraut away. We have sent the specimen to the experiment station at Ames, and will probably be able to give our readers some definite information with regard to it next week.

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By the time the Oct. 20 Patriot was published, the report was back from H. E. Summers, state entomologist, whose conclusion was summarized in the headline, "Cabbage Worm Is Harmless." Here's the report:

The cabbage worm, so called, is not at all dangerous, at least that is what H. E. Summers, state entomologist, says and he ought to know. So deep was the interest of the people in this diminutive snake, and its possibilities for harm, that the Patriot sent the worm to the state entomologist and requested authoritative information concerning it. In reply we received this morning the following communication:

Office of the State Entomologist, Ames, Iowa

Nematode Worms in Cabbage

This  circular is issued in response to numerous inquiries regarding so-called "cabbage snakes," which have been received at this office recently. Sensational stories have been published in newspapers of deaths caused by eating cabbage containing these worms. We are unable to obtain any well authenticated information of injury from this source.

The long, slender, white worms usually found near the heart of the cabbage are not new, but have been well known to students of this group of animals for a long time past. As they are quite common in cabbages it is entirely unlikely that if if they were injurious the fact would not have been discovered long ago and the exact cause of the injury studied. It seems most probable, therefore, that some accidental sickness has been wrongly attributed to the presence of these worms because no other cause could be found. It is a matter of universal experience that when a sensational account of this kind is published in the newspapers. numerous other cases crop out within a few days, originating with people whose imagination is somewhat stronger than their regard for truth.

H.E. Summers

State Entomologist

Overlands on parade at the Blue Grass Auto Station

I came across the published version of a familiar image --- from the Lucas County Historical Society collection --- while scrolling through Herald-Patriots from October of 1913 earlier this week. It's rare to find a photo in Chariton newspapers from that date. It was expensive and complicated to have a photo taken, then send it away to have an engraving made. So portraits show up now and then; more informal shots like this, infrequently.

There's no story with the published image on Oct. 2; just a caption that reads, "A Group of Overland Autos sold, parked and photographed by the Blue Grass Auto Station." I'm assuming that this was a promotional event of some sort for the Auto Station --- a frequent advertiser in both The Herald-Patriot and The Leader.

The original image is stamped "McCarthy Studio, Chariton, Iowa" and isn't in that great of condition --- it wasn't fixed properly to begin with so has faded. But considering the fact it's been around for more than a century, it's not doing that bad.

The Blue Grass Auto Station, housed in the two-story building on the immediate right in the photograph, was formed during March of 1912 when Frank and Forrest Youtsey and Bert Vaughn purchased an automobile sales and service operation from the Schreiber family, whose original carriage manufacturing plant is to the north, on the corner, across the street south of First Methodist Episcopal Church.

At the time of the purchase, the firm sold Chalmers, Overland and Buck automobiles although other brands were added as time passed. The company remained in business until about 1918.

It was named Blue Grass Auto Station because North Main Street was on the route of the Blue Grass Road, a route developed during 1912 to promote travel through southern Iowa. The map here of the Blue Grass route through Chariton is taken from a 1912 guide book.

And here's a copy of the Blue Grass Auto Station advertisement that was published inside The Herald-Patriot of October 2, 1913.

Meeting David D. Waynick face to face

One of the frustrations of dealing with pioneers is the fact that quite often we have no idea of what they looked like --- other than the assumption that some characteristics are carried forward in the size, shape and demeanor of their descendants.

Lucas County pioneer David D. Waynick, however, left his image behind in full public view by commissioning two years before his death at age 56 in 1883 a portrait published in the 1881 Lucas County history.

I've paired it here with images of his tombstone, located in the namesake family cemetery, Waynick, located just southwest of Chariton. So we can see how David wished to be remembered on the one hand and how is family wished him to be remembered on the other.

Here's a link to a post that provides a general outline of the Waynick family, "The senior Waynicks: Peter and Susannah," including David.

The tombstone also marks the grave of David's wife, Martha Elizabeth (1839-1884), who outlived him by only a year and is buried by his side. He was Lucas County's first assessor and the proprietor of a dry goods store. In all, David and Martha had 11 children, four of whom died young. All of their surviving children moved west.

Here's his obituary, as published in The Democrat-Leader of July 4, 1883, under the headline, "An Old Settler Gone."

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On Friday evening, June 29th, one of the oldest settlers of the county, Mr. D. D. Waynick, died. He was born in Guilford county, North Carolina, on March 13th, 1827, and in 1849 he came to this county and entered the land on which he lived and died. A few weeks ago, while superintending the making of some repairs upon his residence, he fell from a step ladder, fracturing several ribs and sustaining other severe injuries. At first his friends did not regard his injuries in a serious light, but as the days wore away and he failed to improve, anxiety followed, and then despair. Pneumonia set in and completed the work.

Mr. Waynick was a man well known in the county, and universally respected by his acquaintances. He was a man of strong convictions, and never feared to express them. This trait of character, while it antagonized some men, seldom failed to produce conviction of his sincerity, and respect for his motives. As a business man he was straightforward, as a churchman he was zealous, as a neighbor he was kind and obliging, as a citizen he was useful, while his friendships were always of the strongest nature.

In all the walks of life he was active and energetic. This was particularly true in his relations to the order of Odd Fellows, to which he was devotedly attached. He was the first man initiated into that order in Chariton, and in all the years that have intervened since that time, he has lost no opportunity to work in the interest of the order he so much admired.

In his death, as is true with every good man, the community has suffered a great loss. He will be missed in the daily walks of business life, in the church, the Sunday school and the lodge, but particularly in the social circle and the home, where he was esteemed for his uniform kindness.

His funeral services were held on the lawn in front of his late residence, on Sunday afternoon, and was one of the largest, if not the largest procession ever seen in the county. He was buried in the Waynick cemetery south west of the city.

Another substantial dose of Lutheran history

I wrote Monday under the headline "Lutherans, chicken dinners & fowl play" about the fate of fat chickens purloined before they could be processed to feed preachers who were gathered in Chariton for a church conference that preceded dedication of the new Swedish Lutheran Church building on Oct. 4, 1903.

What I didn't do was transcribe the far longer article in The Chariton Herald of Oct. 8 about the dedication itself.

Then I noticed this outstanding photo of the church in the Lucas County Historical Society collection and decided to pair it with that article to provide another substantial dose of Lucas County Lutheran hustory.

The photo was taken by Lloyd Moore, but like most of his images in the collection is not dated. My best guess is ca. 1969, when the congregation celebrated its centennial.

Whatever the case, here's the text of the story as published under the headline, "Lutherans Dedicate."

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Last Sunday was another red letter day in the interesting history of the Swedish Evangelical Lutheran church of this city, when that beautiful building was formally dedicated. In 1869, the society was organized by Rev. J. Teleen, now a doctor of divinity residing at Rock Island, Illinois. On that day the Swedish speaking people in the community met in the old Baptist church that stood on south Main street, just north of Armory avenue.

Those living in this vicinity at the present time who were present at that time are J. F. Ekfelt, Mrs. Mary J. Holmes, Mrs. Alfred Johnson, P. J. Lindquist, O. Olson, J. Frederic Johnson's family, the Lauger family, Sutherland, Charley Brown of Derby and family, his son-in-law, A.G. Johnson, also of Derby, Tull, of Derby, Erlandson family, C. Rhamgren, Tapper family, Carl Larson family. Several families have taken up a residence elsewhere since then, among whom are the Swangrens, Rockford, Ill.; John Rydlund and sister, Kearney, Nebraska; Andrew Anderson and Andrew Peterson, Sioux City; Jacob and S. G. Olson and families, of Stanton; P. E. Anderson and Victor Munson families of Red Oak.

After their organization, the congregation held meetings regularly, whether a pastor was present or not, and for several months their meetings were held in the old brick courthouse, and students from Augustana College were given charge of the congregation when without a pastor.

The first regular pastor was Rev. M. Frykman, who served the people from 1875 for five consecutive years. In this time the old church was built and dedicated, and it was a mutual pleasure to the congregation and Rev. Frykman that it was possible for him to be present at the dedicatory service of the new church last Sunday and have a part therein. The students who have ministered to these people are J. C. B. Osterholm, J. A. Eckstrom, John Johnston and C. E. Benson. The ordained pastors are Rev. A. J. Ostlin, who served from 1882-84; P. A. Edquist, 1886-88; G. A. Swanburg, 1891-99. Other ministers who have had part in the early history of the church are Revs. Olson of Mt. Pleasant and Halland of Stanton.

The present pastor, Rev. J.P. Borg, began his ministerial duties the last day of March, 1900, and for three and one half years has served his congregation most acceptably and faithfully, and today the handsome and substantial edifice at the corner of 8th street and Roland avenue stands as a monument to his labors.

Last May, the 4th day, the corner stone laying thereof took place, the ceremony proper conducted by the president of the Iowa Conference, Rev. A. Norrbom, of Swedesburg. It was also his pleasure to have charge of the solemn and impressive dedicatory service just five months later.

The first part of the program last Sunday afternoon was in English, and Rev. Theodore Seashore, of Essex, delivered a splendid sermon based on a text taken from the 5th chapter of First Thessalonians. Special music was a duet by Rev. Hanson and Miss Lindquist, and a duet by the Westling sisters. Rev. Borg stated the amount of indebtedness to the congregation, asking for free will offerings to liquidate the same. After the subscriptions had been taken, the remaining amount was provided for by a liberal loan from one of the building committee, and the dedicatory service was then given into the hands of the president of the conference, Rev. A. Norrbom, who preached a scholarly sermon from the first part of the 84th Psalm, at the conclusion of which the choir sang this psalm. There were present at this service 23 visiting ministers, who assisted. Of former  pastors, three were present, viz. Revs. Frykman, Swanburg and Benson.

The work of erecting the church was done by the day, superintended by Charles W. Johnson, and the excellent plans were made by Rev. Borg and the superintendent, assisted by the other members of the building committee, Messrs. C. W. Slattengren, A. Arvidson, Swan and Peter Nelson, Frank Peterson, John Larson, J.A. Carlson, Gus Clawson, J. E. Anderson, P. J. Lindquist and Andrew Swanson.

The fresco work was let by contract and awarded to Louis Syberkrop & Sons, of Creston, who planned the beautiful interior decorations. The handsome large windows were gifts. The east one was a donation from the Dorcas society,  the west from the Concordia society and the south from the Luther League. The thirty beautiful choir chairs were a much appreciated gift from Messrs. Charles Ekfelt, of Ottumwa, and Fred Ekfelt, of St. Louis. These chairs were manufactured in the Mound City chair factory at St. Louis,  of which Mr. Fred Ekfelt is the president and principal stockholder. These donors are the sons of our townspeople, Mr. and Mrs. J. F. Ekfelt, and were confirmed in the old church building and yet retain a very warm feeling for the church of their boyhood days.

The basement is finished nicely and furnished complete with kitchen and dining furniture, the gifts of the Dorcas and Concordia societies. The basement is also arranged so that school may be conducted there during vacation for the benefit of those who wish their children to receive instruction in the Swedish language.

All the plans from start to finish have been laid and carried out by those having charge of the same, and the result is that when the building committee turned over their work to the congregation it was satisfactory in every respect.

During conference and on dedication day, the ladies of the church residing in the country, near the city, provided and prepared the excellent dinners served each noon in the basement to the conference and visitors from a distance. Thus the work of entertaining for the town people was minimized and all were enabled thereby to attend the conference and dedicatory services. The visiting ministers were very much pleased with Rev. Borg's pastorate, and complimented him and his enterprising congregation upon the success of all their undertakings in the various departments of the church work. The present congregation is to be congratulated on having one of the handsomest church edifices in southern Iowa. It is at once a source of gratification to themselves and an ornament to the architecture of our city.

Just go vote!

Here's a cartoon that seems appropriate as election day approaches --- created by Mike Lukovich for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

These are disconcerting times as the seeds of fascism that flourished in Germany and among its allies before and during World War II have sprouted and flourished among 21st century U.S. Republicans --- based on lies then, based upon lies now.

Then and now, indifference is the best friend of fanaticism. So vote, darn it.

Lutherans, chicken dinners & fowl play

Sunday, Oct. 4, 1903, was a big day for Chariton Lutherans --- dedication during an afternoon service of the congregation's new building at the intersection Roland Avenue and North 8th Street.

During the preceding week, Wednesday through Sunday, more than 30 pastors of the Iowa Conference of Swedish American Lutherans had gathered in the new building for their fall conference.

As a result, there had been many extra mouths to feed and chicken dinners were standard fare for visiting preachers in those days.

The Peter Johnson family, hosts to some of the visiting pastors, had planned ahead, arranging to have plenty of fat young chickens on hand and awaiting slaughter. Then disaster struck, as reported as follows in The Chariton Herald of Oct. 8 under the headline, "No Chickens for the Preachers."

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Some of the preachers attending the Swedish Lutheran conference last week were at the home of Peter Johnson, in northwest Chariton. Mr. Johnson also had about two dozen fat young chickens in his pen, with the expectation of converting them into the ministry in due time.

On last Saturday night, some thieves stole his chickens, thus bringing grief not only to the heart of Mr. Johnson but to the preachers as well. The chickens may possibly have connived with the thieves to be stolen, cackle-lating that if they were abducted and sold to someone else, their chance of remaining alive would be much better than if they stayed around where the preachers were.

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There was no follow-up report to tell us what the Johnsons served their guests in lieu of.

John Shelby Spong on a Sunday morning ....

I miss the late John Shelby Spong, among the most liberal thinkers within the Episcopal Church and retired bishop of Newark, who died at 90 during 2021.

So here are a couple of Spong quotes for a Sunday morning in troubled times that illustrate his perspective.

First of all, "God is not a Christian, God is not a Jew, or a Muslim, or a Hindu, or a Buddhist. All of those are human systems which human beings have created to try to help us walk into the mystery of God. I honor my tradition, I walk through my tradition, but I don't think my tradition defines God. I think it only points me to God."

And then this: "I do not think of God theistically, that is, as a being, supernatural in power, who dwells beyond the limits of my world. I rather experience God as the source of life willing me to live fully, the source of love calling me to love wastefully and to borrow a phrase from the theologian, Paul Tillich, as the Ground of being, calling me to be all that I can be."

Have a thoughtful Sunday!

When trains had the right of way on the Cinder Path

Hikers and bikers have the right of way these days on the Cinder Path --- a 13-mile recreational trail that connects Chariton and Humeston, passing through Derby as it follows the the former path of what began during 1872 as the Southern Branch of the C.B. & Q. Railroad. 

Passengers who boarded a southbound at the depot in Chariton back in the day would have ended up in St. Joseph, Missouri, unless their destination was any among dozens of smaller towns between.

This image of a train on that line --- somewhere between Chariton and Derby --- dates from 1910 and is taken from a postcard donated recently by Miriam Hibbs to the Lucas County Historical Society. The card, dated Aug. 13, 1910, was addressed to her father, Albert Westling, and was signed by Oscar Gustafson.

Albert was a 38-year veteran of the U.S. Postal Service --- working as a railway mail clerk on trains like this one.

The Southern Branch became largely redundant as time passed and in 1974, what then was the Burlington Northern agreed to sell the right of way through Lucas and into Wayne counties as the first "Rails to Trails" experiment in the state.

How about an inspirational report for a change?

I was inspired rather than discouraged this morning after finding a positive report, albeit in the form of an obituary, in this morning's Washington Post. 

These are the days of headlines about Lizz Truss, Vladimir Putin, and the craziness of U.S. politics as election day draws nearer. Where are the stories of those who might inspire us on the way forward, not divert us backward or sideways into some form of chaos?

This story is about Daniel Smith, identified as "one of the last children of enslaved Americans," who died recently at the age of 90.

And it recounts a long life lived under remarkable circumstances in the service of others. Here's the link.

The life and times of Dr. John A. McKlveen

I happened upon this outstanding portrait of Chariton's Dr. John Alexander and Mary (Milthorpe) McKlveen the other day at Ancestry.com. Posted to a family history file by Craig Swan, it must have been taken not long after Dr. McKlveen married Miss Milthorpe during 1899.

His first wife, Katherine, had died in 1882 so Mary, some 27 years her husband's junior, was his second. Dr. McKlveen was one of Chariton's leading physicians during the late 19th and early 20th centuries as well as a major stockholder in the McKlveen & Eikenberry lumber and grain business. The family home was located a block south of the southwest corner of the square on what now is a vacant lot just across the street east of the American Legion hall.

So I thought I'd pair the portrait with an image of Dr. McKlveen's tombstone in the Chariton Cemetery and look up his obituary, not included in his "Find a Grave" entry. Mary McKlveen outlived her husband by more than 30 years, passing during 1951. Here is his obituary as published in The Herald-Patriot of July 20, 1916.

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With genuine sorrow The Herald-Patriot this week chronicles the loss of one of our oldest and best known citizens, Dr. J.A. McKlveen, who passed away at his residence on the corner of Main street and Linden avenue, on Sunday morning, July 16, 1916, at 6 o'clock, at the age of 80 years, 7 months and 18 days, after an extended illness with cardiac asthma and a complication of troubles. Although it was known that his condition was serious yet he had been able to be about until a few days before the end came and the news of his demise was a great shock to his relatives and friends.

Largely attended funeral services were held at the First Baptist church on Tuesday afternoon at 4 o'clock, conducted by Rev. Herbert J. Bryce, assisted by Rev. Theodore H. Aszman, of the First Presbyterian church. A eulogy of the deceased was read by Hon. R.A. Hasselquist, of this city, who  paid a glowing and merited tribute to the life and character of the one who had come to the end of his earthly career. The floral offerings were profuse and beautiful, and were tender messages of regard and sympathy. At the close of the ceremonies the remains were laid to rest in the Chariton cemetery.

John Andrew McKlveen, son of Henry and Catherine Lohr McKlveen, was born in Westmoreland county,  Pennsylvania, on November 28, 1835, and was of Scotch-Irish ancestry. He was educated in the public schools  of his native county and at Sewickley Academy. In early manhood he engaged in teaching and afterward studied medicine. He took his first course of lectures in 1860 in Cincinnati, Ohio, and engaged in the practice of his profession for two years in Pleasant Unity, Pa. He continued his lectures in Bennett Medical college of Chicago, receiving his degree from that institution in 1872.

He was entirely self dependent from the age of 15, paying his own way through college. He came to Iowa  in 1865 where he spent some time in search of a satisfactory location, finally choosing Chariton, where he practiced continually for 50 years, until within a few months of his death. He was the oldest physician of this city in years of continuous practice. He was railway surgeon for the C.B. & Q. railroad company for 24 years, holding said position at the time of his death. He was president of the Board of Examining Surgeons for Pensions during Harrison's administration, and also served as president of the Iowa State Eclectic Medical society for three terms. He was appointed a member of the Iowa State Board of Health by Gov. Shaw for a period of seven years, serving as president of that body a part of the time. In 1901, he was sent as a delegate from the State Board of Health to London, England, to attend the British Congress of Tuberculosis. He also served as senator from this district in the 32nd general assembly. He was also prominent in local affairs, being vice-president of the State Savings Bank and a director in the Lucas County National Bank since its organization. In connection with his other business interests, Dr. McKlveen was senior member of the lumber firms of McKlveen & Eikenberry at Chariton, Russell and Cambria.

On November 10th, 1868, in Freeport, Pennsylvania, Dr. McKlveen was united in marriage to Miss Catharine M. Kennedy, whose acquaintance he formed while she was teaching in this county. To this union three children were born, Henry Bennett, Mary Elizabeth and Jessie, now Mrs. Hugh H. Craig, of Riverside California. The two former, with the mother, passed away a number of years ago.

On the 30th of October, 1899, he was united in marriage with Miss Mary Genevieve Milthorpe, who with the daughter and  two granddaughters, Margaret McKlveen, of Leon, and Katharine Craig, of Riverside, California, survives him. He also leaves three brothers, Samuel McKlveen, of this city,  and Rev. Wm. McKlveen and Cramer McKlveen, of Pennsylvania. To all these sorrowing ones the deepest sympathy of  this community will be extended.

In the death of Dr. McKlveen Chariton has suffered a distinct loss.. He was considered one of the first citizens of the county and everything that tended to promote the welfare of the community received his approval and cooperation. His fidelity to duty and his promptness and loyal in discharging every obligation that came to him won for him almost unlimited confidence and gained for him the respect of all with whom he was brought into contact. He will be greatly missed, not only in the home circle but in public life and in the many homes throughout the county where for years he ministered in times of sickness.

Solomon Cook: War of 1812 veteran buried at Bethel

Among other things, I keep track of War of 1812 veterans buried in Lucas County ---  more than a dozen have been located so far. All were quite old when they arrived so their history tends to be a little sketchy --- unless family members had the good sense to ask questions and write things down or I can find pension files.

So I was gratified the other day when while writing a post entitled "Sarah Wirt (1786-1871): Just passing through Russell," to happen upon another veteran buried here --- Solomon Cook, a permanent resident of Bethel Cemetery in Cedar Township. And I was lucky enough to be able to find his pension file, some 50 documents that contain a good deal of information.

Sarah, of Edina, Missouri, was visiting in the home of her nephew, James F. Cook, in Russell when she became fatally ill during September of 1871. She had made the trip to Lucas County from Missouri for a reunion with her older brother, Solomon Cook, who had arrived in Russell from Mercer County, Pennsylvania, earlier in 1871 with his wife, Mary, to live with their son, James, and his family.

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Solomon was born January 8, 1790, in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, but moved with his family to Mercer County, located north of Pittsburgh midway on the road to Lake Erie with Ohio as its western border.

He was 22 and single when the War of 1812 broke out and, according to his pension file, served four enlistments during the next two years. All of his service was with companies of the Pennsylvania State Militia commanded by Capt. John Junkin or Capt. Epaphroditus Cossitt.

He first volunteered at Mercer during June of 1812 and served a month, then re-enlisted on the 2nd of October and served until April or May of 1813 when he was honorably discharged at Fort Meigs in Ohio. During August of 1813, he enlisted again at Mercer and served at Erie until mid-September, when he was discharged. During December of 1813 he enlisted again, this time serving at Erie until February of 1814.

According to Solomon, his unit was in rendezvous at Pittsburgh during the summer of 1812 before being sent to build Fort Meigs in Ohio. He seems never to have been engaged in combat --- his company was sent in as reinforcements at one point, but the fighting was over by the time it arrived. And he also was assigned to help build a second fort in Ohio.

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After the war, when he was 40, Solomon married Mary Biggs, some 15 years younger, on the 12th of February, 1830, in Beaver County,  Pennsylvania. They settled down on a farm in Mercer County where they raised a family of seven children. Mary was a widow when they married --- her application for a widow's pension filed after Solomon's death states that her first husband, James Biggs, drowned in the Allegheny river. So we don't know her maiden name.

By 1871, Solomon was 80 years old and it was decided that he and Mary would relocate to Iowa, where their son, James, had established a home at Russell and a daughter also was living nearby, near Melrose. 

Solomon and Mary continued to live at Russell until his death on Dec. 29, 1877, age 87. There was no cemetery at Russell at the time, so he was buried at Bethel, a couple of miles northeast of town.

Later on, during the spring of 1878, James F. Cook and his family moved from Russell to New Sharon in Mahaska County.  Mary was just beginning the process of applying for a widow's pension when she died there, age 72, on the 6th of June 1878.

Her remains were interred at Friends Cemetery, New Sharon, but James ordered identical tombstones for his parents --- the stone at her grave in Mahaska County identifying Mary as the wife of Solomon Cook; and the stone at his grave in Lucas County's Bethel identifying him as the husband of M. B. Cook.

The queen and Chuck Grassley

Needless to say, I've never voted for Iowa's senior U.S. senator, Chuck Grassley, nor do I intend to this year. But I'd say he has, at the age of 89, a good chance of re-election --- despite the results of a recent poll that showed him holding the narrowest margin of his long career.

Here's a link to The Washington Post's report on that: "2022 politics come to Chuck Grassley’s now-shaky reelection bid." His opponent this year is Democrat Mike Franken, a retired U.S. Navy admiral.

Iowans tend to hold on to their incumbent senators --- whether we like them or not. And I'm not quite sure why that is. Grassley has had a long career of notable mediocrity, having built a modest reputation as a public funds watchdog --- as long as it suited him --- and for driving himself in an old car to each and every one of Iowa's 99 counties to visit annually with the homefolks.

I couldn't help but notice, during recent last rites for Britain's Queen Elizabeth II, a couple of similarities. Mr. Grassley apparently has convinced himself that he, too, must serve until removed by the hand of death. But who is the Prince (or Princess) of Wales to Chuck's queen?

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As usual, a lot of political advertising has arrived in my mailbox this year --- and gone directly to recycling. Does anyone actually read this stuff?

And then there are all of those political advertisements plunked into some of my favorite YouTube streaming experiences. I have yet to see a positive ad from a candidate of any party; something highlighting what he or she actually would try to accomplish if elected.

Instead, each is about why the other is unqualified to serve. 

And so it goes in another election year.

Political puffery and an over-the-top Chariton rally

The state of Maine's James G. Blaine (1830-1893), at left, a Republican, was among the most widely known U.S. politicians of the 1870s and 1880s --- U.S. representative, U.S. senator, two-term secretary of state and presidential hopeful.

Today, as politics tend to play out, he's more of a footnote, remembered most often perhaps because he was walking in Washington, D.C., with President James A. Garfield when the latter was struck by an assassin's bullet on July 2, 1881 (Garfield died weeks later, on Sept. 19).

Blaine had been hoping to bag for himself the Republican presidential nomination that eventually went to Garfield in 1880 --- and that campaign was the reason for his visit to Chariton on Oct. 13, 1879.

And Blaine certainly had a fan in the unidentified reporter who produced the following report --- under a four-decker headline --- for The Chariton Patriot of Oct. 15. Blaine's visit, according to the headline writer, had given Lucas Countyans an opportunity to hear Blaine's "matchless political eloquence and feel his marvelous magnetism." 

Here's the text of this somewhat over the top report:

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The crowning event in the history of our city was the great political meeting addressed by Senator Blaine on Monday last. It is not our purpose to give an inflated account of the numbers present, of the preparations made, of the generous welcome extended, or of any of the features of the great occasion, but simply to give such a representation of the facts as will impress every one present as being free from spread eagle enthusiasm. 

The reception committee met Mr. Blaine at Indianola and accompanied him to Chariton. When the train reached the depot, the immense crowd appeared to get the first glimpse of the man, whose name and fame has not only made for him a shrine in the heart of every member of the grandest political party known in the history of the world, but secured for him  the respect and admiration of every liberal minded citizen in the land. 

Mr. Blaine, accompanied by the committee and escorted by a mounted guard, was driven from the depot through the city. The decorations and the mottoes which hung before him on the route greatly pleased the distinguished visitor. He promptly testified his appreciation by expressing great admiration for the taste and beauty of the display, and the more than hearty welcome so cordially extended. He further evidenced his agreeable disappointment, by admitting that the line between Iowa and Missouri was not an imaginary one, as he had thought, but a great barrier which had protected the Southern counties against the contaminating influences of our Democratic neighbor.

He was saluted at the depot on his arrival and on the route through the city by the brass bands stationed at regular intervals. The great multitude maintained a respectful attitude and so distributed itself along the route as to avoid crowding or preventing anyone from seeing, full and fair, the noble face of a "man who has the grandest combination of heart, conscience and brain beneath the flag."

Mr. Blaine and the committee were handsomely entertained by Mr. and Mrs. Bates, at the Bates House. The dining room was handsomely decorated with evergreens and words of welcome. 

After dinner Mr. Blaine was driven to the grounds near the depot where arrangements had been made for the speaking. When the people began concentrating around the stand, the magnitude of the gathering dawned upon all. Seats had been prepared for 5,000 people; they were completely filled and all so tightly wedged in as to accommodate 6,000. This number was determined by actual measurement. All who saw the masses from the stand agree in saying that many more stood up than sat down, so when we say that 13,000 listened to the speech we are within the limits of an exact statement. Thousands could not hear a word, and left after viewing the greatest assemblage ever witnessed by them. the public square at the time of the speaking was alive with people. Many had come out of curiosity, and only desired to see the Henry Clay of modern times. Their views perhaps were not in accord with his, and they were not particularly anxious to hear him demolish their political faith. The number in the city who did not hear the speech is estimated by calculating and conservative persons as 7,000. This estimate makes in round numbers, 20,000 people. The correspondent of the Chicago Tribune, who accompanied Mr. Blaine at his other meetings, estimated the gathering at 25,000, and Mr. Blaine said that the meeting was the largest he had addressed anywhere this year.

The grandstand was tastefully decorated with flags, mottoes and evergreens. A large number of gray haired soldiers of Republicanism took seats thereon, and the remaining seats were filled with prominent guests, and when the grand central figure arose to speak, there was a scene which will live long in the memories of all who  were present. At about half past 2 o'clock Hon. J.S. Runnells, Chairman State Central Committee, presented the Senator in brief and appropriate terms. He was greeted with an outburst of enthusiasm which only his lifted hands could constrain. There stood the man of all men, whom  they loved and desired to honor, his signal alone could hush the thousands of voices welling up from swelling hearts which desired to cheer a "man who snatched the mark of hypocrisy from the hideous face of rebellion; the man who, like an intellectual athlete, stood in the arena of debate and challenged all comers; and who, up to the present moment, is a total stranger to defeat.

"A man who, like an armed warrior, like a plumed knight, marched down the halls of congress and threw his shining lance full and fair against the brazen forehead of every defamer of his country and maligner of his honor."

The speech was one of peculiar power and eloquence, one that made every Republican supremely happy, one that caused greenbacker and Democrat, to feel very uncomfortable notwithstanding that every word was pleasantly addressed, and free from bitterness.

At the end of the  speech the greatest enthusiasm prevailed.  There did not appear to be a person in all that great throng, who would not have esteemed it a distinguished honor to shake the great man's hand and bid him God speed through many long years of usefulness in the future.

As soon as the Senator could get through the surging crowd, he was driven to the new Depot Hotel, where he received the generous hospitality of Mr. and Mrs. Wormley. He was serenaded about train time by a number of bands, and made a brief acknowledgment. He left on the night express for Chicago and will speak next in Wisconsin.

Gay Bishops and imaginary devils ....

I watched a few minutes of livestream from Hartford yesterday --- where Jeffrey W. Mello (above) was being installed as the 16th bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Connecticut.

Installation of an Episcopal bishop generally is not big news (Iowa Episcopalians installed Betsey Monnot as bishop earlier this year with little fuss). 

But in the case of the Rev. Mr. Mello --- he comes to his new diocese with a husband, Paul --- and is the sixth gay bishop elected during recent years within what officially is the U.S. branch of the worldwide Anglican communion.

So part of the news yesterday afternoon was the fact that Bishop Mello's installation seemed to arouse hardly any interest at all outside the circle of those involved or directly affected --- and they all seemed pleased.

Similar lack of interest certainly was not evident back in 2003 when V. Gene Robinson was consecrated as bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New Hampshire. The Rev. Mr. Robinson was advised, because of death threats, to wear body armor under his vestments.

And quite a few thousand disaffected Episcopalians marched away after that to align themselves with new groups where they would be safe from LGBTQ+ folks, as well as uppity women, in positions of authority.

In the years since, however, Mary Glasspool was elected suffragan bishop of Los Angeles in 2009, Thomas J. Brown was consecrated bishop of the Diocese of Maine in 2019, Bonnie A. Perry was installed as bishop of Michigan in 2020, and Deon K. Johnson was installed as bishop of the Diocese of Missouri during 2020, too.

So the times are a changing, or so it appears. Many years ago, in a different life, I used to attend Sunday afternoon services now and then with friends at one or another of the two LGBTQ+ congregations in Des Moines that flourished at the time --- and run into refugees from Chariton.

Those congregations are no longer active in large part because mainline denominations have opened their doors and --- even in Chariton --- there are safe places for gay people who wish to remain within the church to worship.

So the news within the Episcopal and some other denominations has been good for LGBTQ+ folks --- but elsewhere, many self-described Christians cling to the old philosophy that in order to flourish a devil is needed. And when casting about for ways to personify that imaginary threat, preachers still alight on LGBTQ+ folks and their allies.

Sarah Wirt (1786-1871): Just passing through Russell

I happened upon Sarah Wirt's 1871 obituary in northwest Missouri's Edina Sentinel the other day and it caught my attention because she died in Russell, then a growing village in just its fifth year after founding. Sarah had traveled to Russell and the home of her nephew, James F. Cook, for a visit with his father (and her brother), Solomon Cook, recently moved to Iowa from Pennsylvania to make his home with his son.

While there, and after a good visit, Sarah took sick and on Sept. 15, 1871, died. She had made her home at Edina, Missouri, for some years and so her remains were sent east to Burlington via the Burlington & Missouri River Railroad, then south along the Mississippi to Edina where they were buried in the Linville Cemetery, a grave later marked with the substantial stone above, on the 19th. Noted that the dates on the tombstone do not conform to the dates on the stone.

James F. Cook and his family did not remain long in Iowa so it's unlikely that Sarah has descendants here, but her brother Solomon Cook, a war of 1812 veteran who died in 1877, and his wife, Mary (1806-1878), did. There was no cemetery at Russell when their deaths occurred, so both are buried at Bethel, nearby in Cedar Township.

Here's Sarah's obituary from The Sentinel of Oct. 12, 1871 --- nothing other than place of death about Russell, but a nicely written account that incorporates a good deal of pioneer history:

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Died at Russell, Lucas county, Iowa, at the residence of her nephew, James F. Cook, Esq., on the 15th of September, 1871, Mrs. Sarah S. Wirt, the mother of our townsman Col. S.M. Wirt --- aged 84 years, 1 month and 15 days.

The ripe old age of the deceased woman makes it excusable in saying a few words in regard to her history. She was born in the city of Trenton, N.J., August the 1st, 1786. In 1799 her father, Mr. John A. Cook, removed to the then far West and located in Pittsburg, Pa. --- then Fort Pitt, one of the frontier military posts along the line of the great West. West of the Allegheny river and north of the Ohio was then the home of the red man. What is  now the great Birmingham of America was then a military station with a few hundred inhabitants settled around the protecting care of the fort.  At that time all supplies came from the East. And the only mode of transportation open between the East and West was by the pack horse; turnpike roads, steamboats, canals, and railroads were unknown.

In 1807 she was married in the town of Mercer, Pa., to her husband, John Wirt. Her husband died near Burlington, Iowa, in 1852. She made a profession of religion and joined the Presbyterian church in 1811 and remained in connection with that church until 1837, when her family all  removed from Pennsylvania to Burlington, Wisconsin Territory, now Iowa, then, there being no Presbyterian church convenient, she united with the Methodist Episcopal church and remained in connection with it until her death. For more than 60 years was she a daughter and humble follower of Jesus --- she claimed everyone as a brother or a sister in the church, who showed forth their love of Jesus by adhering to the divine precepts.

In 1854, her daughter removed to Minnesota, and she went there with her and her husband, and remained in that then territory until 1857. Since which time she has made her home with her son, Dr. S.M. Wirt, in this place.

Last spring, her brother, Solomon Cook, moved from Mercer, Pa., to Lucas county, Iowa. She had not seen any of her brothers or sisters for about 20 years, and she had this summer a strong desire to visit her family. With the expectation of a visit from another brother at the same place, who lives in the northern part of Iowa. She made the visit about the 15th of August, and appeared to enjoy it finely. Her brother and herself appeared to live over their youth again, in calling to mind the early days about Pittsburg. She had about completed the term allotted for her visit, when on the night of September 12 she was taken sick, and without pain or apparently active disease she gradually weakened until Friday the 15th, she sank in death, as one goes to sleep, without a struggle or a spasm. Her remains were brought here for interment, and she was buried in the Linville Cemetery on the 19th of September 1871.

An exemplary Lucas County farm --- of 1877

Iowa news this week has included a Monday dispatch from the northwest, where 55.56 acres of prime Plymouth County farmland sold at auction for a state record: $26,250 per acre.

When Lucas County, down here in the south, opened for Euro-American settlement back in the late 1840s that amount would have bought you 21,000 acres at the going rate (from the government) of $1.25 per acre. Quite a change.

At about the time I found the Plymouth County report, I happened upon the following advertisement for a 170-acre Pleasant Township farm in Lucas County, published several times in both The Chariton Patriot and The Chariton Leader during October of 1877.

The length and detail of the advertisement is kind of rare for that day and age, so I found its description of what seems to have been an almost ideal farm interesting.

I don't know who William C. Garrett was, nor do I know exactly where the farm was --- other than the information that North Cedar Creek passed through a corner of it. I wish I knew how much it sold for, but there were no follow-up reports.

Mr. Garrett pops up several times in news reports from Pleasant Township during the early 1870s, but nothing more is heard of him after 1877, so it seems likely that he packed up his family and moved elsewhere. I can't link him to either the Columbia Garretts of the 19th century or the Belinda Garretts of the 20th.

Here's the advertisement, commencing with the headline, "A Valuable Farm at Public Sale."

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Will be sold at Public Sale, on the premises,  situated in Pleasant township, Lucas county, on Wednesday, the 31st day of October, the valuable farm of Wm. C. Garrett, containing one hundred and seventy acres of land; ten acres of which is valuable timber and coal, the vein being three and a half feet thick; the remainder being excellent farm land, eighty (80) acres first bottom land, balance rolling, with good rock quarry on same. One hundred acres being under good cultivation and all under good fence and well watered, two springs on said farm, and the stream North Cedar passing through one corner. 

The improvements consist of a new two story frame dwelling 20 x 22 feet, three rooms  on the first floor, and two rooms  on second floor; a kitchen is attached, 14 x 16 feet, one story and a half,  with a good  stone cellar underneath, and a well  of good water and pump therein close by. There  is on the  premises a new frame barn,  30 x 26 feet. which will hold 40 tons of hay, a good underground stable, room for 20 head of stock. There is an apple  orchard of 210 trees of choice fruit, also cherry trees, plum trees, pear trees and other small fruit.

This property is pleasantly located in a good neighborhood, convenient to stores, mills, schools and places of worship. It is an excellent grazing farm and desirable in every respect.

Terms: $800 to be paid or secured on day of  sale, balance on one, two or three years' time, secured by farm. Sale to commence at one o'clock on said day. For further information call on subscriber, residing on said farm. W.C. Garrett

The scandalous affairs of a pioneer preacher

This peculiar little tale of a preacher gone astray --- with an uncle of mine making a guest appearance --- begins with an item published by Moses Folsom, then-editor of The Chariton Patriot, in his edition of October 7, 1874. The approach was odd: Report in detail upon the scandal without naming the parties involved. Here's the result:

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"SCANDAL --- Sensation and crime seems to be the order of the day. We regret to narrate the story that follows but as a chronicler of events the Patriot must give its readers the correct version of whatever may be the common property of the public, thereby setting straight perverted or perhaps injurious hearsay statements. But what we have to say now is this: Two years ago, a minister, whose name we suppress for the sake of his family, entered the house of a neighbor and sought by violent means to gratify a base and unholy passion upon the person of the wife who was alone and unprotected in her house.

"The husband returned shortly after and hearing the story of wrong doing was at first impelled to take his revolver and settle the matter at once, but was finally persuaded out of taking the law into his own hands by the sorrow and agony displayed by the minister's wife, who happened to drop in neighbor-like, in time to hear the story of her husband's attempt at crime. The affair however was amicably hushed up and friendly relations again established between the two families. 

"Two weeks ago the lady made the preacher's wife a visit at this place and was aroused  one morning by someone trying to pull down the bed clothes. A glance revealed the preacher at her bedside and fearing another assault upon her person, demanded in a loud voice that he leave the room.  He urged her to be quiet, he had only stepped in to apologize for his bad conduct of two years before which, of course, was decidedly thin in view of the fact that the affair had been smoothed over, her presence in his house being sufficient evidence. This second attempt was too much and the husband proposed to prosecute the offender. 

"The matter was before the vestry of the church on Monday night and the resignation of the pastor asked for and given and the aggrieved husband agreed to drop the matter if the minister would leave this section, which he has promised to do."

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The accused preacher was not content, however, to allow The Patriot's reporting to go unchallenged and marched off to the offices of the competing Chariton Leader, edited by Dan Baker, who published this item in his edition of October 10:

"The Patriot of this week dishes up a lot of scandal affecting W. N. Colegrove of this city and Mrs. Fogg of Russell. Mr. Colegrove requests us to publish the facts concerning the matter, but the statement is too long and we have not the space for it this week. The circumstance is an unfortunate one for all concerned, but in these latter days of refined depravity we must confess that we see nothing either surprising or extraordinary about it; no matter how true the different statements, nor what the position of the parties.  Let him that is without sin cast the first stone. Prepare your dornicks (stones)."

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The Patriot belatedly identified the accused preacher, too, in its Oct. 14 edition as follows: "The Rev. Wm. N. Colegrove, the gentleman mentioned last week as being charged with an attempt at a serious crime, desires us to say that he committed no criminal offense, that he does not intend leaving here and that he invites an investigation before the courts."

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My uncle, Dempsey Etheredge, enters this story somewhat unexpectedly at this point via a brief report in the police news of The Leader's Oct. 17 edition: "On the 12th ult., one Dempsey Etheredge, of Russell, was arrested upon the information of Rev. W. N. Colegrove for proposing at gunpoint a speedy funeral in this vicinity, with said Colegrove as the corpse. Esq. Brown, before whom the case was pending, advised the enraged Etheredge to give a bond to keep the peace or go to jail. Dempsey gave it, and retired, cursing law and justice that prevented him from shooting a preacher."

I have no idea why Uncle Dempsey was enraged here --- unless it had something to do with his wife, Aunt Sarah, who had been involved in an interesting escapade herself before their marriage two years earlier.

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The Rev. Mr. Colegrove (upper left; photographed in old age), then age 36 and rector of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, was a Civil War veteran and an Episcopal deacon, ordained during 1869 by Bishop Lee at Christ Church in Burlington.

Born during 1838 near Elmira, New York, he had arrived in Lucas County prior to his 1860 marriage here to Susan Eliza McCann with his parents, Col. Nelson and Roxanna Fulkerson Colegrove, and brother, Miner.

He probably was a nephew of William and Elizabeth (Evans) Fulkerson, who opened up what I still refer to as the Kells place, southeast of Russell, during pioneer days. The Fulkersons and, presumably, the Colegroves were instrumental in founding Russell's first (but short-lived) church, St. Michael's Episcopal. 

Following their marriage, William and Susan Colegrove farmed in Washington Township, where Russell sprouted in 1867, both before and after the war --- until he decided to join the ranks of the clergy.

From June 1, 1869, and for some time thereafter, Colegrove was assigned as missionary in the southern half of the Episcopal Diocese of Iowa’s Western Convocation District, serving parishioners at St. Michael's as well as scattered Episcopalians in Osceola, Creston, Garden Grove, Corydon and Centerville. He lived with his family in the Episcopal rectory in Russell, reportedly the first two-story house built in that community.

The Rev. Mr. Colegrove was assigned as rector of St. Andrew's in Chariton during early 1874, moving with his family from Russell in April and completing by September, just before the scandal erupted, a new home in the west part of town. By this time, the couple had four children in tow.

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There were no further reports regarding the status of the Rev. Mr. Colegrove or his alleged philandering so the situation must have been resolved again without involving the courts. Family misfortune was compounded, however, on Jan. 21, 1875, when a daughter, Jennie, died at age 6 of the croup.

And then during April, the other shoe dropped --- as reported as follows in the court news column of The Leader of April 17, 1875:

"State vs. Rev. W. N. Colegrove, for assault with intent to commit rape on miss Sadie Scott; indicted at this term; plea of not guilty and continued. Defendant being held under $500 bonds."

There were no reports in the Chariton newspapers regarding this case until November of 1875, when both The Leader and The Patriot reported that the Rev. Mr. Colegrove had been granted a change of venue to Wayne County.

What happened there, we don't know. But the case seems to have been resolved without penalty.

Dan Baker dropped the following item into his edition of Jan. 13, 1876, without further comment: "From the Havana (New York) Journal we read an interesting account of a pleasant Christmas gathering at the home of Mr. Noble Cleveland, a near relative of Esquire Fulkerson, of this place. We notice that Rev. W.N. Colegrove, formerly of Chariton, who is now back in New York preparing to make it his home, was also there, and that the occasion was one of unusual pleasure and enjoyment, many of the friends and relatives present not having seen each other for years."

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Colegrove family members made new lives for themselves after that in New York, although William seems to have given up his ministry. He remained a licensed deacon in Iowa until June 22, 1881, when the license was withdrawn because he had “abandoned the communion of the (Episcopal) church.” 

His profession is listed variously in New York census records as upholsterer, carpenter and grocer. He was 77 when he died at Elmira on Jan. 19, 1915. Susan had preceded him in death during April of 1913, age 74. They are buried in Elmira's Woodlawn Cemetery.

What became of the women he was accused of assaulting I do not know.