to the great central markets of Des Moines for the ready marketing of all kinds of produce without suffering any of the inconveniences of being too near a great city. In the third place it has a railroad passing through the center, with depot, side track and all the facilities for shipping stock to the Chicago markets. This railroad has done much to assist in the development of the county, and in the building of a second road during the past year stock raisers and shippers have the advantage of the low rates which are alone brought about by competition. In the fourth place the township is most favorably situated with regard to the surface of the land, there beno bluffs, swamps or gorges occasioning much waste land. Owing to the desirability of the land there was a great competition for claims in early days, and here was the claim concerning which arose the Flemming and Perkins dispute. Flemming is said to have been the son of a minister, and of course had some support from among the members of the church of his faith, while Perkins had some friends who said that Flemming was in the wrong because he claimed more than three hundred and twenty acres. The particulars of this difficulty are fully narrated elsewhere.

AVON.

Avon station and the original town of Avon must not be confounded. The latter was first laid out in August, 1855, and is situated about a mile northwest of the station. It is located on the southeast quarter of section twentynine, township seventy-eight, range twenty-three, and was laid out by Charles Keeney. Prior to the building of the railroad the town of Avon was quite a trading point, and was in a very flourishing condition. The building of the railroad and the establishment of a station so near by, and yet far enough off to be another place, had the effect to injure, to some extent, the growth of the town. However, Avon to-day is a very beautiful country village, and has a future. In early days this town of Avon was the center of educational and religious influence for that whole section of country, and to a certain extent still remains so. The first school house in Allen township was built in Avon during the year 1856, or at least so the oldest settlers aver, although it would seem strange that no school-houses were built prior to that time; J. P. Deaton and S. G. Munn were the contractors, and the building cost four hundred and twenty-five dollars.

U. B. CHURCH.

This church was organized in 1856. Jacob Krysher, Elizabeth Krysher Levi and Margaret Krysher, J. D. and Elizabeth Mills, David and Sophia Maubeck, John and Catharine Bender and Benjamin Maubeck and wife were the original members. A church edifice was erected in 1862 at a cost of twelve hundred dollars, which was dedicated the following year by Bishop Markwood. The membership at present numbers about thirty.

The first election in this township occurred April 5, 1853, at which time the following officers were elected:

Trustees J. P. Deaton, John Watts, James S. Mills.

Clerk-Henry O.McBroom.

Assessor-Chas. B. Flemming.

The first meetings of the board were held at the house of J. D. McGlothlen.

The last real estate valuation returned amounted to the sum of one hundred and twenty-four thousand six hundred and thirty-eight dollars; that of personalty was forty-two thousand five hundred and sixty.

The present township officers are:

Justice of the Peace-A. S. Rice.

Trustees A. Warnock, A. Perley, W. J. Baker.

Clerk-J. R. Warnock.

Assessor-F. D. Kenworthy.

CAMP TOWNSHIP.

When the county was first subdivided into election precincts the southeastern part of the county formed a precinct which was called Camp, and the place of voting was at the house of Thomas Mitchell. When the county was subdivided into civil townships the year following, it was ordered that Camp township consist of congressional township number seventy-eight, range twenty-two, number seventy-nine, range twenty-two, and so much of number seventy-seven, range twenty-two as lay northeast of the Des Moines river. The place designated for holding elections was at the house of Patrick Kelley. Camp township subsequently lost nearly half of its territory upon the organization of Beaver township, after which it was left with substantially the same territory as it now is composed of, viz: Township seventyeight, range twenty-two, and that part of number seventy-seven, range twenty-two which lies north of the river.

The township was named after the creek which rises in the northern part of the township, as originally constituted, and flows southward through nearly the entire extent of the township.

This is a densly settled township with a general distribution of timber and rolling prairie.

Patrick Kelley, whose house was designated as the place for holding the first election after the organization of the township, came in 1848. The Garrets came in 1850, and there were so many of them that the region where they settled was called the Garret neighborhood, which name it still retains. Wm. Sweeney settled in the township in 1849 or 1850; and about the same time some families by the name of Plummer settled there. James Steward, George M. Steward and Elijah Canfield were among the first, and came in 1846. In 1847 J. M. Montgomery, Rev. Mr. Russell, David Johnson, Mr. Woodward, Montgomery McCall, Abel Fouts, Joseph Langdon, L. M. Burke, Mr. Robinson and Miss Lavina Hendricks settled in this favored region. Mr. Fouts was one of the most influential citizens of the township during the early times; he was elected member of the Board of County Commissioners, and was likewise civil magistrate for the bailiwick où or Camp. He officiated at the celebration of the first wedding in that neigh orhood, the parties being Mr. Woodward and Miss Hendricks. The marriage ceremony was performed at the residence of Mr. James Stewart. During the year 1847 J. B. Hempstead, Creth Renfrow and a man by the name of Flemming, came to the township. James N. Stewart was elected to the office of justice of the peace in 1847, and continued to hold that of fice for a number of years.

It is said that in early days wolves and rattlesnakes were very numerous in this township, and it is related that one day when Mr. Čanfield's children were on their way to school they were met by a huge timber wolf

which had long been a terror to the community. The children made a hasty retreat and escaped, and a few days afterward Mr. Canfield succeeded in killing the noxious animal. The wolf was two and a half feet in height and of corresponding length and strength.

An important road passed through this part of the county during the first settlement of the country. It was called the Lower Des Moines trail, and led from Des Moines to Red Rock, the pioneer town, which for three years, from 1842 to 1845, was the extreme border town of civilization. As in other parts of the county, the ague was prevalent here when the county was yet new and the settlements were in their infancy. Though the victims of this scourge, many of the first settlers continued their work of improvement, putting in some telling blows between shakes.

Camp township is more than average in size, it containing some five sec. tions more than a congressional township. It is also above the average in point of wealth an population. According to the last valuation of personal property, the following were returned:

Camp township has had its share of towns, but owing to the peculiar location of all the railroads which have been built across that part of the county, the towns which have been laid out have not prospered.

LAFAYETTE.

This town was laid out by Charles Freel shortly after the first settlement of that part of the county. It was located on the north side of the Des Moines river, on sections 3 and 10, of township 77, range 22. It will be seen from this that it was near the south line of the county. It was a lively place in 1849 and 1850. Dr. Hull and numerous relatives arrived there at that time, and the town, for a time at least, was a place of great expectations. The approach of a steamboat on its way to Fort Des Moines was of no frequent occurrence, but when it did occur all Lafayette turned out to behold it. Lafayette is no more, but there are persons still living who well remember the place as it was in its years of prosperity and the sociability and hospitality of its people.

ADELPHI.

This is another extinct town. It was laid out in May, 1856, by Valerius Young. It was located on section 30, township 78, range 22. The term extinct should possibly not be applied to Adelphi, as it still has a location and a name on modern maps. The better way of expressing it would be to say that it is afflicted with premature old age, and has not accomplished nearly all the career which was marked out for it by its founders and builders.

SCHOOL-HOUSES AND CEMETERIES.

The Camp township cemetery is situated a little north of the center of the township, in the northwest part of section 15.

There are nine school-houses, situated as follows: South part of section 5; north part of section 10; southwest corner of section 1; south part of section 17; north part of section 22, near Mud Creek; near the center of section 23; southwest of Adelphi in section 29; southwest corner of section 34, and in southwest corner of section 36. These school-houses are of the modern style of architecture, are in a good state of repair, and have the best of modern furniture. They are all located on county roads and are situated with a view to the convenience of the school children.

Camp township is not very well supplied with church buildings, but this is no evidence that the people do not attend church. Public religious services are occasionally held in the school-houses, while many of the citizens of Camp township attend church at the neighboring villages.

BEAVER TOWNSHIP.

Beaver township continued to be a part of Camp township for a number of years, and its early history is a part of that of Camp township. When Beaver township was first organized it consisted of just one congressional township, and, therefore, was six miles square, and contained just thirty-six sections of land. In June, 1878, a strip two miles wide was taken off from the west side of the township, which became a part of the new township of Clay, and thereby left Beaver but four miles wide, by six long, and containing but twenty-four sections. This is the size of the township now. highest point of land in the county is in this township, and according to the railroad measurements it lies just half way between the Mississippi and Missouri rivers. The surface is rolling and well watered by Mud Creek and Camp Creek, both of which streams have their source in this locality.

The

According to the assessor's return last spring (1880) there was at that time in the township the following personality:

The first settlement made within the bounds of this township was by Thomas Mitchell in April, 1844. His original claim comprehended parts of sections 22, 23, 24, 25, and 26. William Duncan settled on section 28 during the year 1847. George Barlow took a claim in 1846.

The first marriage was that of Lewis Burke and Mrs. Maria Vice, on April 6, 1848. The ceremony was performed by Wm. A. Meacham, of Fort Des Moines.

In the month of September, 1847, was the first birth which occurred in the township; it was that of James Burk, son of John and Susan Burk.

The first death was that of a young man named Lathrop, who died in the spring of 1846. He was buried in the Spring Creek graveyard in Camp township.

The first regular practicing physician was Dr. J. E. Whartman, who came from Cedar county in 1858. He now resides in Colorado.

The first preaching in Beaver township, and probably the first in Polk county, outside of Des Moines, was at the residence of Thomas Mitchell, during the summer of 1844. The preacher was a traveling Methodist minister by the name of Pardo.

The first school-house erected within the bounds of Beaver township was built on section twenty-five. It was a log building, and was erected by Mr. Mitchell, without the assistance of any one else. Not only was the first school-house a private enterprise, but also was the first school, which was taught by Miss Lucia, now Mrs. William Hibbs, who was employed and paid by Mr. Mitchell; the compensation was two dollars per week.

This township is peculiarly well situated as regards the railroads thus far built. It is traversed by two railroads, the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific and the Keokuk & Des Moines. Nobleton is the station on the latter, and Mitchelville on the former thoroughfare. While these roads were under separate management the producers and shippers had the advantage of competing lines. These roads are now under one management.