Anamosa - A Reminiscence 1838 - 1988

industrial life-styles; the conservatism and backwardlooking
proclivities of the generation reigning the farms
during the early stages of the technological revolution
in farming; and the same corrosive processes which
have vitiated phases of American life other than
farming (e.g., the railroads) since WWII.
Whatever the reasons, though, there can be no doubt
that the abandonment of farming by the modern
Fairview Peets marks the rapid closing-out of a life-style
which the family pioneers of the 18th and 19th
centuries intended to be a permanent legacy.
Cass Township Beginnings
§Z-.
‘‘ O.‘
"ti. ' "
Alvin P. and Maria Condit , residents of
Cass
Township, Jones County. I854. and two of the
founders of Cass Congregational Church in 1 855.
The flrst settler in Cass Township, north of Anamosa,
according to the early historians. was Edward Sams.
who settled in the center of the county in 1844. Other
settlers were: Elisha Dodge, Solomon Thomas, George
Hall. Alex Crawford. A.P. Condit and Robert Condit.
Linus and David Osborne. Oliver Doyle, John Wallace,
Silas and Stephen Sams. Milo C. Thompson, August
Hale, Allen Fairbanks, Charles Atwood.
John M. Odgen, John Preston. Ezra and John
Ketcham, Dexter and Harrison Cunningham. Edwin
Alderman. George Noyes, Timothy Flaherty, James
ll
rib-r;'~¢_?:‘.l*l1"i*“7'
John and Hanah Condit Ogden
John M. Ogden, with his wife Hannah Ogden, and
their children, George D.. Alvin C.. Mary E.. and Jennie.
came to Cass township in 1856. They came by covered
wagon from Delaware County, Ohio. The 500-mile trip
took approximately three weeks. They settled on the
farm east of what is now the Galen Brainard farm.
The Ogdens were among the organizers of the Cass
Congregational Church.
John Ogden was bom in 1818 in Franklin County.
Ohio. His wife, Hannah, was born in 1825 in New
Jersey, the oldest of 10 children born to Alvin P. and
Maria Condit. The Condits were also early settlers of
104
Helmer, Robert Frisbee. Carso Crane, Edward Fay,
Orrin Harvey. August Stickle. Patrick Perryman,
Presley Hanna and Frank Brainard.
In 1846 the flrst school house was established. This
was the West Cass School.
Gideon H. Ford built the flrst saw mill in 1848, at
Fremont. The first blacksmith was E. Bonstell.
At one time a creamery. owned and operated by
David Stewart and David Chadwick. was located at
Cass township.
The Cass Congregational Church was built on land
donated by Robert B. Condit in 1860. (The history of
the church may be found in another section.)
Two miles north of the center was a Methodist
Church known as the Hickory Grove Church. The
members died, or moved away, and the church
building was sold.
At one time B.L. Maison had plans for a large
community at Fremont in the southwest corner of the
township. Fremont had a mill, a blacksmith shop and
mercantile business.
Nicholas Dahlem, last owner of the mill. came from
Germany to Dubuque, in 1868. buying the mill in 1876.
The mill had two runs of stone with a grinding capacity
of 160 bushels every 24 hours.
In later years there was nothing left of Fremont but
the bridge, which was a favorite spot for picnics and
various Sunday school outings. Bogus Cave was also of
particular interest. At one time counterfeit money was
coined there, and it was great sport to search for leftover
mementos.
According to the 1938 Eureka. just a rod from the
cave’s entrance was a hole known as Rattlesnake den.
with the lower edges worn smooth by the sliding of
snakes who made the hole their winter home. It was
said that an elderly lady, Mrs. Cassa Sams. one spring
morning, clubbed nearly 200 of these reptiles. These
she boiled for the oil that was used to cure deafness.
The paper reported that the oil sold for high prices.
especially in the southern states.
Some of the families who settled Cass township have
descendants still living in the area. Following are
family histories of some of these early pioneers.
Cass township.
Jennie died at age 6.
John and Hannah's oldest son. George, moved west
to Kansas. Mary attended local schools and worked at
Independence and Webster, before returning to
Anamosa in 1881.
Alvin married Sarah Ketchum. who had come into
Cass township in 1867 with her parents Ezra and
Phoebe Ketchum. Sarah's brothers were George R.. and
Louis B.
Alvin and Sarah settled on the farm which is now
owned by Garret Moenk. They had one son. Allison