Chapter XXII
Naught remains today of the
little village of Ragtown in Benton Township.
Only tradition handed down from father to son and from mother to
daughter relates the times and the hopes that centered there. Two and a half miles sw. of Russell, it
started in the mid 1850’s when the “salt of the earth” came from the east with
oxen and wagons into the fertile and virgin frontier to make new homes on land
at $1.25 an acre. Wild was the land,
which required heavy oxen and 30” breaking plows to turn the unwilling prairie
grass sod. The town was laid out and
named for Amos Ragsdale,, a land promoter who came in 1852 and began entering
Land in Benton and Washington Townships.
He continued for several years while simultaneously selling parcels to
others coming in. Ragtown had hopes of
becoming an important town. Already,
there was a stage coach line making regular stops at St. John’s Tavern – a home
where travelers could get good food and a night of peaceful rest. This log tavern was finished inside with
walnut and Mr. And Mrs. Lloyd May have library table crafted from some of its 12”
planks.
The first industrial enterprises were a
sawmill, a well and the tavern on the May family farm; the grist mill, store
and were the absolute necessity of the pioneer – the blacksmith shop, which
were on the Ed Relph farm. Says
Longfellow:
“Since the birth of man
throughout all ages and nations Has the craft of the smith been held in repute
by the people,”
But Ragtown’s ambitions were not to be
realized. In 1852, John M. Forbes, a
railroad magnate of Boston said: “The willing hands and empty stomachs of
Europe and the rich ‘Dollar-an-Acre’ prairie of the west must be brought
together” – Palimpsest No. 1933. Five
years later came the railroad. Its
builders surveyed nearest the coal supply, established Russell and ignored
Ragtown. They had gone vastly into debt
at a cost of $34,000 a mile, exclusive of the cost of survey and
equipment. Then the Civil War intervened
and the end of the track remained at Ottumwa until 1866. When they started work, the laborers struck
for higher pay - $2 per day. Many years
later, “Uncle Henry Wallace” said that a hog that could not walk to market was
worthless – the railroad shortened his nose, his legs, did away with his
bristles and put a livelier kink in his tail.
Palimpsest Jan. 1952 page 30.
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In 1850 two covered wagons, drawn by 4
yoke of oxen, pulled out from Roseville, ILL., heading for Lucas County,
Iowa. One wagon bore Mr. And Mrs. John
Davis, their family and some cousins.
John Davis was born 3 days after Abraham Lincoln and when he was married,
he and his bride set up housekeeping the day Mr. Lincoln took office as
President, His granddaughter, Mrs. Mabel Linville has a photograph of him
showing a hairdo and beard that rivals some of today’s extreme masculine
hirsute styles. He was great grandfather
to Mrs. Chester (Cora) Shirer and she and Mrs. Linville have supplied much of
the information herein. Nelson Davis, a
son, was a Baptist minister ordained at Pella.
Another son, Isaac Newton Davis became a school teacher at a salary of
$25 a month, plus board and room and feed for his horse. He could play any wind instrument and he
organized the first band at Russell. He
also organized a Literary Society, taught singing lessons at night and gave
voice lessons, using a tuning fork as there were no organs or pianos. He was the father of Mrs. Mabel Linville,
artist and poet of Russell and Chariton.
Austin Davis, another son became the grandfather of Mrs. Zora Boozell of
Chariton.
In the second wagon was the Stephen
Threlkeld family complete with Grandmother Threlkeld. These two families were related by
marriage. The youngest in the party was
three years old, I.N. Threlkeld. It was
a long journey in the dead of winter.
There was, as yet, no bridge across the Mississippi. There had been a few days of warm weather and
the ice was melted in spots. It looked
dangerous. One visualizes the men as
they stood on the bank and considered the risk.
Their attitude must have reflected that of the courageous Queen Esther
when she said, “I go and if I perish, I perish.” They sent one wagon across at a time and they
didn’t perish. The Threlkelds settled
east of Chariton in a 3-room log cabin with a fireplace. Years later reminiscing, he wrote in his
memoirs (loaned to this writer by Earl Threlkeld), that the log cabin lasted 80
years and was lived in my members of the family all that time. He expressed his regret that it was not
preserved to have a place in Chariton “as an old landmark in memory of the
Pioneers of Lucas County” – as on the Museum grounds.
The sons of I. N. Threlkeld were the late
J.D. Threlkeld, prominent attorney whose sons are Lee, Earl, J.D, and Jerry,
all of Chariton. Hermann, father of
Kenneth Threlkeld of Central Savings and Loan.
Inez Threlkeld and Alice Williamson Hooper, both of Chariton are
descendants of Stephen Threlkeld, also a descendant of Moses Threlkeld. Stephen was only four years old when he came
with his parents in 1856. The covered
wagon and crossing the river on the ice was a vivid memory throughout his
life. They had been advised to walk some
distance from the wagon as the ice was “doubtful”. His mother clutched the hands of him and his
six-year old sister and carried the baby brother in her other arm.
William and John May came in 1853. John was blessed with eight grandchildren –
all deceased except Lloyd May of Russell and Mrs. Belle May Bradley of
Burlington. Two sons became doctors –
J.V. May who located in Marnette, Wis., and G.A., an eye, ear, nose and throat
specialist who for a time, practiced in the same office in Des Moines with Dr.
C. M. Werts, son of J. Jackson Werts another early pioneer of Ragtown. Their father, James May, was a teacher in the
Ragtown school and he was the second teacher in Russell using the new
Presbyterian church before there was a school building, the first teacher was
Julia Scott who became the mother of the late Ward Carpenter, lifetime resident
of Lucas County.
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According to American Heritage, Vol. 10
No. 5, Aug. 1959, there was a time when one Northern soldier died every eleven
minutes. Thomas however, survived and at
the end of hostilities, was honorably discharged. Descendants of this pioneer family who have
been long time residents of the county are:
Tarvin and his sister, Mrs. Belle Rasmus, Arthur, Lester and Guy; Milo
and Earl and the late Elmer, Walter and A.B. Gookin. Sons of A.B. Bookin are Brisbin and Burton
who grew up here. Burton is now president
of the Heinz Company.
John Relph came with his family in
1854. He was 19. When the war broke out he enlisted in Co. H 6th
Iowa Inf. He was taken sick at Shiloh
and was moved to Jefferson Barracks where he was honorably discharged. He had two sons, William and Ed, whose
descendants live in Lucas County today.
Walter tells of the draught of 1933 when man and beast suffered for
water. Father and boys set out to sink a
well. They worked all afternoon trying
different spots. Supper time came. Weary and discouraged the boys wanted to quit
and go home but the father knowing that success comes only to those who never
recognize defeat said: “Boys, one more try.”
Once again they moved their equ8ipment, applied the manpower and SWOOSH,
a gusher high as their head! One thinks
of the Israelites during the wilderness wanderings when the Almighty, through
his servant Moses, provided water from the stone.
John L. Clowser came to Iowa
with his family in 1855 at age 12. His
father died the next year leaving a wife with seven children. When President Lincoln called for more
soldiers, John enlisted in Co. F 36th Iowa Inf. And received his
baptism of fire at Yazoo City, Miss.
After several engagements he was taken prisoner and spent 10 months in
prison at Tyler, Tex., where the diet was mainly parched corn. At the close of the war, he was honorably
discharged and returned to his farm. He
married Mary King who, at the age of 15 had come with her family in 1853. They crossed the river at Burlington and she
and her sister walked with the wagon from there to Benton Township. She lived to be 98. NO PIGEON LIVERED PERSONS AMONG THOSE
PIONEERS. That let me tell you! Mr. and Mrs. Clowser, became the parents of
Harry Clowser, a veteran of the Spanish-American war and of Jessie who married
William McClure. Their family numbered
nine, four of whom live in Lucas County today:
Mrs. Blair (Hazel) Wood, Mrs. Alva (Helen) Wood, of the Belinda
Community, Mrs. Cuma Ruddell and Mrs. Lawrence Critchfield both of Chariton.
Mr. And Mrs. Jackson Werts came from Ohio
and purchased 240 acres of land in Benton Township. They had thirteen children, ten of whom
survived the ravages of childhood diseases of that era and their descendants
live in the community today. One of the
traditions in the family was that Mrs. Werts told her daughters-in-law that she
did not care how her children looked when they were grown, but they had to look
pretty while they were with her. Records
of Mr. Werts’ life describe him as a man of unswerving honesty and devotion to
principle. He put into daily use all
that he professed to believe. He was an
elder in the Presbyterian church at Russell for more than 25 years. His precepts were the same as so many of the
early settlers who set the tone for the whole community and are known and
recognized to this day.
Albert S. Beals came from New York in 1896
and brought a large farm near Ragtown.
He operated a dairy and had the reputation of making the best cheese to
be found anywhere. People brought their
milk to be made into the large golden “drums” of concentrated protein. The famous Beals cheese was sold in stores
round about and was shipped to the Chicago market. It was shown at county fairs where it
consistently took first prizes. Mr. and
Mrs. Beals were the parents of the Rev. Archie Beals, widely known man of God,
minister alike to the “churched” and the “unchurched.” No night was too dark or foggy, no day too
hot or cold, no road too long from to answer a call for aid and comfort. It is said by many that no man ever had a
wider influence in the county than did the beloved “Archie Beals.”
“A man he was to all the country
dear.
And in his duty prompt at every
call—
He watched and wept, he prayed
and felt for all”
--Goldsmith
A.S. Beals built a house in 1885, which
for that day was noteworthy. Finished in
walnut and Georgia pine and with a walnut circular staircase, it must have been
then as now, a pleasure to observe and contemplate. As one ascends the stair and looks out over
the far-flung landscape through the curving window panes, one admires the
handiwork of that long gone day. The farm
is now owned and occupied by Mr. And Mrs. Dale Johnson, son-in-law and daughter
of Mr. And Mrs. Lloyd May.
Probably the most famous house of that log
cabin era was the first frame house, a stone’s throw from where the Beals house
was later built. People came for miles
around to see “that frame house” - built by Selden King, grandfather of Frawd
King Heywood who grew up and was married there.
The house has been well preserved and is still attractive. Other names in the honored list of the “Pioneer
Who’s Who” are Sam Taylor, grandfather of Kenneth LaFavre, Mr. And Mrs. Ira
Willits, grandparents of Richard Willits and Mrs. Atlee (Florence)Windsor, Mr.
and Mrs. Will Morris, grandfather of Mrs. Fred Thompson and the D.H. Roland
family.
The early settlers lost no time in setting
out orchards of apples, peaches, pears and grapes. It was during this decade that John Mason got
his patent on the screw top glass fruit jar – a leap forward for thrifty
housewives. Prior to that time, canning
was done in tin cans with sealing wax.
Fruit trees grew and yielded abundantly.
Unknown were the plant diseases and pests of today. The earth and air of this region were pure
and undefiled, but there were rattlesnakes and wolf packs.
Jacob Becker and F. Graham Holmes and his
wife Elizabeth had come to Benton Township.
Ragtown needed a school house.
There had been school and church services held in homes. Mr. Holmes did much in promoting and helping
with the building of the school house.
This was in 1861 or 1862. It was
named Bethel No. 3 but later known as Ragtown school. It rendered community triple service – a
school, a church and a community center.
The population of Ragtown is not available but the highest enrollment in
school was 46. They had desks for 44,
often three in a seat or on a side bench.
The purchase of a broom, chalk and two dippers in 1887 cost $1.05 (no
tax). The price of coal was 14 cents a
bushel. Cost of having the school house
cleaned was $1.00.
There was at that time, one John Morgan
who wanted to teach school. He was
uneducated but had an excellent mind and native ability. He put a patch over one eye and persuaded the
examining board to give him an oral examination. He passed, became a good teacher and finally
became a superintendent of Lucas County schools. Alice Evans, sister of Hetzer Evans also
taught at Ragtown, then became a 25-year missionary to India under the auspices
of the M.E. Church.
For many years there was a regular Ragtown
news column in the Chariton Herald-Patriot and the Russell Tribune. During the late 1920s and the early 1930s it
was written by Mrs. Howard (Alta Johnson) Threlkeld. Her successor was Mrs. George Werts who
continued until 1948. During 1947 Mrs.
Robert (Erville) Pettinger, under the nom de plume, “Polly Donovan” wrote a
regular column titled, “Home on the Range”.
It was a short, sparkling piece written in homespun style about the
simple day-to-day happenings within a family on the farm. Mrs. Pettinger is the daughter of Roy Threlkheld
and the late Mrs. Threlkeld.
The recent school consolidation brought
the demise of the century old school house, the welcome sound of its bell, the
voices of its children. Before the
hammer fell, some of its former pupils, now grown and filled with memories,
gathered to hear the bell ring for the last time and to reminisce about the old
days, coasting down the long hill, the games, programs and the Literary Society
that flourished for a time.
The Ragtown community has always been
blessed with people of talent. In any
reminiscing, the conversation turns to the play “Deacon Dubbs of Sorghum Center
of West Virginny, By Heck”. Lloyd May
was the hero and Chester Shirer the villain.
It was the most popular play ever staged in the community and was
repeated at Confidence and Russell High School with standing room only. Proceeds were given to the Russell American
Legion to start the fund for their Legion Home.
Mr. Lloyd May, who has given invaluable
assistance in this work, accompanied Mrs. Blair Wood and the writer to the last
resting place where we read the history and heartaches of many who sacrificed
their old homes and came so far to build a new civilization on the frontier and
plant their standards of morality, righteousness and manhood on the generations
that were to follow. This beautiful spot
was donated by John Davis, who also gave the land for the school house. He was the grandfather of Mrs. Mabel
Lineville and the great grandfather of Mrs. Chester (Cora) Shirer.
There stands the Davis obelisk with its
record of names and dates. We stroll
about. We linger at the lonely grave of
Elizabeth, wife of Moses Threlkeld who was the grandmother in one of the early
wagons. One thinks of her heartache in
leaving their home where her husband was buried. She must have had the mind of Ruth, the
Moabitess, who said, “Where thou goest, I will go; where thou lodgest, I will
lodge, where thou diest, I will die and there will I be buried.” She lived to be 93.
O.W. Beals, uncle of Archie Beals has this
epitaph: “To live in the hearts we leave behind, is not to die.” As one reads the home-written epitaphs, the
heart reaches out and feels at once their anguish and their sustaining faith in
the life after death. The Albert Millers
lost a 9-year old daughter:
“Dear Angie’s chair is vacant now
Her welcome voice we hear no more
Around the Great White Throne,
she lives
With other loved ones gone
before.”
Here lie Mr. and Mrs. Paris White with
their five children who died of tuberculosis – ranging in ages from infancy to
17 years. Here lie the Whittens, one of
the earliest families and again as so oft repeated – two graves of the very
young. Noah Threlkeld another of the 14
children born to Moses Threlkeld has this tribute:
“Around his dying bed, His
weeping friends did stand
Until his gentle spirit fled, To
Canann’s happy land”.
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Only three trees and the far western view
grace this gentle spot. Several stones
are broken and stacked. Many are
leaning. These among whom we have
lingered came with plodding oxen and wagons.
They built well. They envisioned
a community of the highest moral standards and the community has justified
their dreams. We look skyward. A jet pierces the blue.. men walk on the
moon.. reach for the planets.. and..
the stars.
Pages 90-98
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