Sperry Township, 92 north, range 6 west, lies just
north of Cass Township, in the western tier of
townships. It contains both woodland and prairie, and
is watered by the Volga River, with its tributaries.
In 1842 John Paddelford, of Delaware County,
visited the bottoms of the Volga River, and staked
out his first claim. There were with him his brother
Leveret and John Nagle. The latter had already staked
out his claim on what is now known as the Gordon
farm. There were but two other white men in the
neighborhood - Joseph Hewitt, an Indian trader, whom
the Indians called "Kunckershucker," and
Asa Parks. Mr. Paddelford, after making his first
claim here, returned for a time to his home in
Delaware County. He came back again in 1845, built a
house and commenced breaking near where he now lives.
He brought with him 160 hogs, which he turned out in
the spring to get their living in the timber, and the
following fall all he could find of them were
twenty-three, which made him feel like a poor man. He
is satisfied that most of these swine did not die a
natural death, and he is also satisfied that the
Indians did not steal them, leaving one to infer that
the hogs had been killed by wild animals, or that
they had taken Horace Greeley's advice and "gone
West."
The first white child born in Sperry was Jane, the
daughter of Asa Parks, afterward the wife of Thomas
Boots, of Elkader. She died in Elkader in 1879. Elder
Henry Gifford built the first house on Volga bottom,
and his two children were the first interments in the
graveyard near Volga City.
In the spring of 1847 James Lowe, his wife Betty
and his children moved from Dane County, Wis., to the
farm where he lived until his death, Dec. 3, 1878,
bringing with him his cattle, sheep and household
goods. Mrs. Lowe died Aug. 14, 1877. A few weeks
later F.G. Cummings and family came and settled on
section 8, where Frank Davis, his son-in-law, now
lives.
At that time the other white persons living in the
neighborhood who have not been named were Messrs.
Chilson, Taylor, Nichols, Silvers and William Boots.
In talking with some of these old settlers of
their recollections of the early settlement of this
township, they first speak of the Winnebago Indians,
who occupied a reservation forty-five miles wide,
lying north of the north line of Sperry Township. The
reservation extended westward forty-four miles from
the Mississippi. The Indians were required to remain
within these limits, but it seems that they sometimes
got over the line. Mr. Lowe has seen a line of Indian
camps, or wigwams, commencing where Mr. Pardee's shop
in Volga City afterward stood, and continuing up that
side of the river for perhaps half a mile; and at
another time there were about 400 Indians camped on
the bottom, between where Mr. Paddelford now lives
and the Volga River. They came for the purpose of
hunting and fishing. The Indians are spoken of as
being honest, generous in their dealings with he
whites, and always peaceable, except when they were
full of whisky - an item of civilization introduced
by the whites. At such times the squaws would gather
up all the knives, guns and other implements that
were lying around loose, and hide them, to prevent
accidents. It is said that somewhere near the Volga a
white man was killed by some drunken Indians, and the
same season, as Mr. Lowe and his wife were getting
ready one evening to go to the house of William Boots
to hear a man preach, two Indians, partially drunk,
came to his house with a small keg, which they wanted
filled with "whis," and in payment they
offered a dollar. Mr. Lowe tried to tell them that he
had none, but they would not take "no" for
an answer, and still insisted on having some. As Mrs.
Lowe and the children, not without reason, appeared
to be somewhat afraid of them, Mr. Lowe put on his
hat, and coaxing the Indians to follow him, went some
distance from the house and laid down in the grass.
The Indians did the same, and so they remained till
about ten o'clock, when the Indians got up, shook
hands with Mr. Lowe and went away. If Mrs. Lowe then
showed any fear of the Indians, she got over it
quickly, as the following will show: One day, when
Mr. Lowe was away from home, the family heard a
disturbance among the sheep. Mrs. Lowe went to see
what was the matter, and there stood two Indians,
whose dogs were chasing the sheep. She told them to
call off their dogs, but they only laughed at her and
then encouraged the dogs to further mischief. The
case was becoming serious. Her children's winter
clothing depended on those sheep, and her patience
soon gave way. She grasped a hoop-pole lying near
her, and went for those Indians as only an infuriated
woman can do. She whipped the red-skins, drove off
the dogs, and went home triumphant.
The Indians were not stingy in their dealings with
the white people. Mr. Nagle used to tell that while
the Indians occupied their reservation, some friends
visiting at this house wished to go and see them. Mr.
Nagle took with him as a present about half a sack of
flour, which he handed to a chief, who handed it to a
squaw, with some directions in the Indian language.
When Mr. Nagle went back to his wagon, he found the
sac half-full of maple sugar. The Indians were
removed from their reservation by the Government
about 1849.
In 1842, buffalo were killed near where
Taylorsville now stands, and elks were plentiful at
that time, and later, as many as forty having been
seen sometimes in one drove. Mr. Paddelford says that
while sitting on his horse he has counted as many as
sixty deer at one time. There were also bears,
panthers, lynxes and wolves in abundance; the wolves
were of three kinds, black, gray and prairie wolves.
The first school taught in this district, which
then included all of Sperry and Cox Creek Townships,
was in a house belonging to F.G. Cummings. The lady
teacher received $5 per month. The following winter a
male teacher, Noel Harrow, was engaged, who received
$10 per month. The first school-house in the township
was built of logs, and was located between where Mr.
J.G. Whitford and Mrs. J.F. Campbell now live. The
logs were cut and hauled by Messrs. Cummings, Nagle
and Paddelford, who made no charge to the district
for the time and material used. At that time there
was no County Superintendent to either grant or
refuse certificates to applicants, but the three
directors were the Board of Examiners, who were to
judge of the qualifications of the applicant. There
are now eight schools in the township, besides the
graded school in Volga City.
The first election held in this precinct was in
the spring of 1847, at the house of Palmer Newton,
near Brush Creek, and west of Taylorsville. The
precinct embraced the present townships of Sperry,
Cox Creek and Cass, and the country west as far as
the town of Fayette, in Fayette County, and at the
first election there were about twenty-five votes
polled. After the election was over, the trustees
drew cuts to decide which of them should take the
election returns to Guttenberg. It fell to the lot of
Mr. Paddelford to go, and he made the round trip on
foot. The rives and creeks being swollen, on account
of the recent heavy rains, made the trip anything but
a pleasant one. At an election held at Volga City, in
the spring of 1855, Squire Morley presided, and
exercised great caution lest some unqualified persons
should vote. He rather overdid the thing, however,
when he asked Frank Marsh if he was a "natural
born citizen!" When Marsh replied that he
supposed he was born as naturally as other folks
were, the objection was withdrawn and the ballot was
accepted.
The first blacksmith shop in Sperry Township was
in the southwest part, and owned by Frank Crosby.
The first grist-mill was built in Volga City, by
Alvah Bevins. In 1876 Ensign & Marble built the
"Centennial" grist-mill on section 29,
which continues in operation.
The Star Creamery was built on section 36, by W.A.
Simmons, in 1879.
At the time the first settlements were made in
this township, the nearest postoffices were Prairie
du Chien and Dubuque.
James Lowe organized the first Sunday-school in
this township, and had charge of it till the first
Methodist class was formed, in 1849, by Rev. J.L.
Kelly. The class consisted of seven persons - John
Nagle, Leader; Mrs. Nagle, R. Nichols and wife,
Rachel A. Nichols, afterward Mrs. J.H. Welch, and Mr.
Taylor and wife.
A Free-Will Baptist society was formed at the
house of F.G. Cummings, in 1848, by Elder Bixby.
There were at first seven members - F.G. Cummings and
wife, James Lowe and wife, F. Crosby, Samuel
Garrotson and Mrs. Rogers. Two other persons were
baptized and admitted to membership the following
Sabbath.
The first public celebration of Independence day
in this township was held in Volga City, July 4,
1855, and was a grand success. At least none found
fault with the excellent dinner that was provided on
that day. Wm. Gould was orator of the day, and W.A.
Penfield was reader of the Declaration of
Independance. When it was time to commence the
exercises they discovered that they had neglected to
provide a chaplain. After some trouble, a brother was
found who consented to come on the stand and pray
provided they would give him his dinner, to which
they agreed. A celebration was also held here in
1862, with Hon. B.T. Hunt as orator. The other
speakers were Mr. Chesley, Rev. A. Clark, Rev. R.
Norton and Rev. J.G. Whitford, who on that occasion
referred touchingly to the death of his son James, in
the army. The war had at that time commenced, and a
number of young men from this township had already
enlisted. Some had also fallen before the enemy. The
money received by the ladies of the sanitary society
for dinner, ice-cream, etc., which they provided, was
given for the benefit of the sick and disabled
soldiers. The people tried to be cheerful, but the
general feeling seemed to be that sorrow was treading
on the heels of joy. One of the toasts on that
occasion was "The ladies of Volga City Sanitary
Society. God bless them for the great interest they
manifest in the cause of the sick and wounded
soldiers." This toast was responded to by three
cheers from the assembled multitude, with an
earnestness rarely equaled.
The greater part of two companies for support of
the Union cause were enlisted in Sperry Township.
The first Justices of Peace in the township were
Moses Hewett and F.G. Cummings. The present
incumbents are S. Hawthorne, W.H.Horton and S.R.
Graham.
Some of the early and permanent settlers deserve
particular mention. Among the men who have labored to
build up Volga City, Henry White is conspicuous.
Coming in 1860, he has been prominent in nearly every
enterprise of magnitude since. He is the proprietor
of an addition to Volga City and of the Merchant
Mill, and was Postmaster from 1861 to 1875. He served
several terms as Supervisor, and one in the State
Legislature.
Captain Alvah Bevins, who came in 1854, was
prominently identified with the township. He settled
on the farm now owned by Daniel Green. He bought Mr.
Gould's saw-mill, and built the grist-mill as stated
above. He also built the first bridge across the
Volga in Sperry Township. He was chosen Captain of
Company E, Ninth Infantry, and was killed in the
brave discharge of his duties at Pea Ridge.
Lieutenant D.C. Baker was a son-in-law of Captain
Bevins, and enlisted at the same time. He was
promoted Captain and served two years. Soon after the
war he removed to Ottawa, Ill., and he is now at
Grinnell, Iowa.
S. Pardee, one of the few surviving old settlers,
came to this place in June, 1851. He has been a
prominent worker and a public-spirited man. He has
held the office of Township Trustee oftener than any
other man in the township.
Jas.F. Campbell was another early settler and
prominent man. He held various township offices, and
served the citizens most acceptably. He died on the
farm on which he first settled, March 20, 1882.
F.G. Cummings and Jason Butler, old settlers, died
a number of years since. John Nagle, one of the first
settlers, sold his farm, and removed to Hardin
County, Iowa.
