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Metz, Andrew Mikesell, John H. Miller Moore, Elias Mudget, John McDermit, Wm. Nossaman, Wellington Nossaman, Levi Price, James Prunty, Elias Parsons, S. P. Porter, Joseph Peter, Samuel Poever, J. B. Reay, David Robert, S. S. Raynor, James O. Rome Scott, John Stanley, Wilson Stevenson, S. Tuttle, Thomas Tice, David Tice, Allen Welch, William Welch, John Warren, James L. Dr. Watts, Richard R. Walters, Conrad Whaley, John R. Wilson, John Scott Wilson, Fremont Worth, David B. Walker, John Williams, William Yearns, Mordichia
The Awtrys, Ilers, Coakly, Roman, Binkley and others settled north of Pella in the vicinity of the Skunk river. John J. Mudgett lived northwest of Pella, and Jacob C. Brown about due west, across the line of Summit township. The first farm owned and occupied by Mr. Brown was later well known as the H. Y. Viersen farm. John Scott, James Price, Andrew Donnell, John Scott Wilson, Fremont Wilson Roberts and others also lived west of Pella, across the line of Summit township.
East of Pella, in Black Oak and Richland townships, across the Mahaska county line, lived Dr. J. L. Warren, the Millers and the Howards. The pioneers of American birth who were more closely connected with the Holland colonists, and whose service in the early days was invaluable to them, were the Nossamans, the Hamiltons, the Welchs, I. C. Curtis, Green T. Clark, etc.
Van Stigt's history, in the Holland language, speaks of these families in terms of the highest esteem, giving them credit for receiving the Hollanders with open-armed hospitality, and of vieing with each other in rendering help and advice that made the first years of sojourn in a strange land much easier for our fathers. There are also many letters on record, written by the Rev. Henry Scholte, which acknowledge a deep sense of indebtedness, and a warm appreciation of the great service rendered to them by these men. Pella was fortunate and owes much of her later development to the fact that a number of these families remained as long as their lives were spared, and many of their descendants are among our prominent citizens today.
Estimated upon the basis of material results two of the most valuable men in the early history were Wm. Welch and his son-in-law, Wellington Nossaman. They operated the first sawmill in Lake Prairie township and probably the first in the county. Also the first, or one of the very first, mills for grinding corn. As both lumber and foodstuff were commodities that were essential above all others, these industries filled an important place in the life of the community. Mr. Welch was a potter by trade and ran the first pottery in this part of Iowa. People came from all over central Iowa to buy crockery, which was of more importance then than in our time-especially jugs, which have apparently seen their day of greatest usefulness.