By Miss Dorothy Steffens (Mrs. Clarence Lindsey) [1897 – 1984]
The ECHO - A brief history of Rowan and vicinity - 1934
Iowa Civil Township at one time was originally a part of Pleasant Township. It is south of Pleasant Township bounded on the east by Franklin County, on the south by Blaine Township and on the west by Grant Township. Every part of the Township is well adapted to agriculture which is the chief industry of the people. In 1875 the whole Township possessed only 288 people. In 1850 Iowa Township had not a white settler within its borders. Roving bands of Indians hunted and fished along the Iowa River, chased buffalo and elk over the present site of Rowan. It was in 1883 that Rowan the only town in Iowa Township was started. The first settlement in the Township was made along the Iowa River, The pioneer buildings generally erected in the groves.
The first white man to settle in this fertile Township was Adam Ford. Ford was of a migratory disposition. He owned at several times different claims along the Iowa River. He would locate, build a cabin and then when civilization overtook him would sell out for a mere song and move further on. So it was when he came to "Horse Grove". He built a cabin, tarried for a while and offered his cabin for sale, his offer being accepted by Robert Rowen who with Edwin Ballou had just arrived from Cedar County. This was in 1855 and a wild country it was, with buffalo herds and horns strewn all over the prairie and marking the passing away of the American Bison. Others had filed claims in 1854 but were frightened away by the reports of Indian invasions which never did materialize. The only thing they left was a poor old horse which sought shelter and later died in the timber of the Township. It is thought that from this incident the name "Horse Grove" was derived.
Later, in the spring of 1857 Robert Rowen, Ballou and Horace Riley were followed by Robert Duffy Sr. and James Riley, brother of Horace. Rowen, Ballou and Duffy built homes in the groves and their places became well known as excellent places to stop for 20 years after. The Rowen house still stands in the section known as "Horse Grove". It was in the autumn of 1857 that A. D. and Mortimer Hiams in company of their father N. N. Hiams arrived. They were carpenters and opened the era of frame building in this part of the country. Hurd and McNeal had built a sawmill hiring Edwin Ballou as their Sawyer. It was he who sawed the lumber for the first schoolhouse. The Hiams erected houses for Robert Rowen and George Bingham in the grove and a Miss Wheeler, later Mrs. Hill, at Ontario, 4 miles north of the grove, at which time was platted a town, near the Jim Brooks place, whose inhabitants once hoped to make the county Seat of Wright County.
Miss Cornelia Eastman, later Mrs. Hancock of Clarion, was the first teacher in Iowa Township, teaching in the schoolhouse building built by the Hiams brothers in 1857. Here it was that R. R. Will and Mary Duffy, Joe H. Rowen and George Ballou attended school. Later O. E. Ballou, Lizzie and Emma Rowen, Stella Diltz (Mrs. Walter Bingham) and Delia Riley, daughter of Horace Riley, now Mrs. Jay Mc Kinstry and others also attended school. O. E. Ballou, son of Edwin, was the first white child born in the Township. He was also the first station agent at Rowan, holding this position until his retirement except for bout a five-year period.
The first death was that of a young man named John Meeker. There were three burial grounds in the early days. One on the Robert Duffy place (now the Frank Drury place), one on the old school grounds, near the H. H. Barker place, and one on a little knoll on the south side of the C. G. W. railroad track on the Rowen place. In 1860 all the bodies were disinterred and placed in our present cemetery west of Rowan.
A post office was established in 1856 at "Horse Grove", under the name of Fryburg, and Dr. Hurd, one of the first settlers was postmaster. Later there was another post office by the name of Lena, established on the Joel Kent place. Luther Loomis was the first stage driver and carried mail twice a week between Alden and Garner. At Fryburg there was a store and post office combined for many years, but no town proper until the building of the old Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad and the laying out of Rowan in 1883.The house in which the old Fryburg post office was located was in the old George Diltz house, north of Rowen brothers, now owned by L. W. Stevenson.
Rowan is situated in section 34 Township 92, range 23 west and is a station point on the Great Western and Rock Island Railroads. It is just east of the Iowa River where the Rowen family settled at an early date. A post office was established first, and a petition sent to Washington for a post office asked that it be called "Rowen" but on account of a post office in Iowa named Bowen, the Department changed the "e" to and "a" and named the office Rowan, Fryburg and Lena were discontinued. The first post office in combination with a store was in what is known as the Lon Hoke house in the northwest part of town with L. C. Dalrymple appointed Postmaster in 1884; Fred Smalley in 1886; D. R. Pierce in 1887; Wm Wesenberg in 1887; A. D. Hiams in 1890 and so on down the line, each storekeeper inheriting the post office from the man from whom he bought the store. The old Burlington, Cedar Rapids and Northern Railroad built through Rowan in 1884-5 and is now C. RI and P. In 1902 the old Dubuque and Dakota RR was extended from Hampton thru Rowan to Clarion and is now a branch of the Chicago Great Western system. The first business in Rowan was that of R. R. Duffy, son of Robert Duffy. He was manager of the grain and coal business for the firm of Finch and Hayward. Fred Smalley opened the first general store and built the first house which is now the hotel building. A Mr. Fairchild was the first blacksmith and built the house just east of the [...?] John Pritchett, now owned by Ray Azeltine.
Rowan was incorporated in 1901 and was legally counted as a corporation (incorporated town) in Iowa by Court February 25, 1902. The first officers were J. D. Pritchett - Mayor; C. L. Bingham and J. B. Mc Kinstry were councilmen and R. R. Duffy Clerk.
There are two churches in the town namely the Methodist and the Congregational; just when they were organized has not been recorded but both denominations held meetings in the early days in the homes and in the school buildings at Horse Grove and later a Rowan before the churches were built. In 1890 both Methodists and Congregationalists built large roomy frame buildings. The Congregational Church with added improvements still stands, but the Methodist Church burned to the ground March 23, 1914 and was replaced the same year by a brick structure that stands at the site. The first School building in Rowan was the one built in 1857 at "Horse Grove" by the Hiams Brothers, it was moved from there to town where it was used not only for school but for elections and all religious and school activities. In 1893 a two-room frame school building was erected on the lot of the Congregational parsonage and the old "horse Grove" school was sold to the Good Templers Lodge and later they in turn sold it to J. D. Pritchett who remodeled it into a dwelling house which is now owned and occupied by Leonard Ryder. The new building was used as a Township school and as the Township increased in population it became too small to house all the pupils, so another small building was brought in from the John Burt District and used for the Primary Department. In 1908 Luther M. Howell was the first Superintendent hired there. It had then made into an Independent District. The small building was then bought by Chub Munson and is now a part of the house on the Munson farm, northeast of Rowan. The school building then remained with a few improvements until 19114 when the new consolidated school was built in the northwest part of town.
There have been several fires in the business district of the town. The first occurred in 1889 when the store owned by J. B. Mc Kinstry and A. B. Hiams burned to the ground. Later in January 1904 occurred the most destructive fire; five business houses on the north side of the street from the old bank building east were entirely destroyed. Only two of the old original buildings remain in the business district. One is the old hotel building, the other the harness shop owned and operated by J. A. Whitten.
Among the early pioneers who first settled here and endured the hardships of pioneer life and also watched the progress of civilization are Robert Rowen, Edwin Ballou, Robert Duffy, A. D. Hiams, George Bingham, C. C. Emerson and Joel Kent. A brief biography of each of these worthy men who played such an important part of the building of this town and community will follow. The influence of these pioneer families may still be felt. It is they who have endured the hardships of those days when the history of "Horse Grove" and of Rowan were in the making. Their names are known and respected throughout the surrounding community and adjoining towns.
Robert Rowen, wife Elizabeth and their family located in "Horse Grove" in 1855. They lived in a small log cabin on their claim just west of Rowan. Two or three years later they built the house which still stands as one of the old landmarks on the same site where it was erected. Both Mr. and Mrs. Rowen were of Irish descent having migrated to the town of Thompsonville, Conn. Shortly before the birth of their son John E. Rowen in 1837. In 1852 they came to Cedar County and in 1855 to Wright County, The widow and one son, Charles J. Rowen, son of John Rowen still live on the original homestead. John E. Rowan was the first person married in the Township. Robert Rowen's family consists of 5 children, namely - John E., Joe, Robert, William and one daughter. The Rowen families are well known in and around Rowan and are some of the most highly respected living there.
Edwin Ballou was born in Ohio in 1832 and was one of the first settlers in the Township. Coming here from Cedar County in 1855. He settled on the farm west of Rowan known as the Ed Ballou farm and the house, which he built, still stands. He purchased 160 acres of land at $1.25 per acre, receiving his deed from President Franklin Pierce. The nearest PO was at Eldora. Mr. Ballou was married to Emily Kent in 1853 and their family consisted of - George, Oval, Viola, Carrie, Nathan, Emily, Laura, Edwin, Flora and Frank. Mr. Ballou married secondly to Mrs. Hattie Hoag in 1888. Their family consisted of only one daughter, Eva who was married in 1908 to Carl Hadley and died March 10, 1910. The Ballou's took an active part in all social, political and religious activities and though their older ones have passed away they are held in high esteem in the memories of the people.
Robert and Nancy Rowan Duffy came to Wright County with their family in the spring of 1857 and located on their farm, now known as the Frank Drury place. They erected a log house which still stands. Their family consisted of James, Fannie (Mrs. Horace Riley), William, Robert R., and Mary Jane (Mrs. D. H. Pepper. The Duffy's came of sturdy pioneer stock and took an active part in the early Township affairs. Two sons R. R. and William spent their lives in and around Rowan. R. R. Duffy was postmaster for a number of years. He was married to Addie Emerson in 1876 and she is still living in the home of her daughter Mrs. Walter Whitten. Mr. Duffy passed away in 1926 Mr. William Duffy lives on a farm near Rowan and his son Wm A. Duffy with his wife (Nettie Walker Duffy) and their family still live on the old farm, the Sr. William having spent his last years with them. The Duffy families are well known and highly respected by the people of Rowan.
A. D. Hiams was born in New York in 1837 and came to Wright County with his family in 1857. He first engaged in the carpentry trade. He and his brother Mortimer erected the first frame building in and around "Horse Grove". Later he was engaged in the mercantile business and for years owned the only store here. In 1898 he built the Rowan Roller Mills which later he traded for real estate. He had a farm south of Rowan and his son B. A. Hiams and family still live on the old homestead. Mr. Hiams word was his bond and he was liked and respected by all. He married Susan Church and to this union seven children were born, namely Kate and Ray (both deceased), Burt, Susie, (Mrs. Ben Farnslow), Mabel (Mrs. A. E. Emerson), May (Mrs. Chassell) and Carrie (Mrs. Hammond). This fine family was all known here where they were reared, respected by all.
George Bingham, one of the earliest settlers, came to Wright County in 1857 where he purchased 160 acres of land in Iowa Township northwest of Rowan at $1.25 per acre. Their homestead is now the property of Peter Hanson. The first house was a rather crude affair made of such material as was accessible in the early days. He married Caroline Wehren and to this union six children were born, Lorenzo (deceased), Clarence Bingham of Rowan and Susan, Emily, the oldest daughter also deceased. Mr. Bingham was a man of strong character, hardworking and patient, painstaking and honest, as the day is long. By careful investment he amassed a large fortune. He died in 1902 mourned by the entire community.
C. C. Emerson was born in 1835 and in company with his wife Mary Ann Wehren Bingham whom he had married came here in 1863. He settled on the old Emerson homestead east of Rowan, now owned by A. E. Emerson and tenanted by Ross Echelberger. The first house was of logs like many other pioneer homes, later a frame house, still standing, was built. There were seven children in Uncle Charlie's family, Addie (Mrs. R. R. Duffy), Ed who married Kate Hiams and is the father of Mrs. Ethel Emerson Box, Elsie wife of J. W. Allen, Arthur (deceased), Archie, William and Albert (deceased). This family is well known in Rowan and the memory of Mr. And Mrs. Emerson still lives in many a heart, for their many kindnesses and understanding characters which made them loved by all. Arthur Emerson was the first rural mail carrier from Rowan until his health failed. Albert Emerson took an active part in the life of the town and community. He was not only a farmer but was in the mercantile business for many years.
Joel Kent was born in Virginia. He and his family first located in Cedar County, Iowa in 1852. Then in 1862 they moved to Wright County purchasing the farm one mile north of Rowan known as the Kent farm, Edgar Mantle present tenant. Joel Kent married Mary A. Pierce and to this union seven children were born, Emily, James, Joseph, John, William, Flora (Mrs. L. D. Yoeman) the mother of Mrs. B. A. Hiams and Laura the last two being twins. Mr. and Mrs. Kent were hard working people known and respected by the first pioneers and remembered by many. Mrs. Flora Yoeman has spent her entire life here and has made many lasting friendships throughout her lifetime. She now lives with her daughter Mrs. Allie Hiams.
(This history of Rowan is as nearly correct as the sources of information would allow. If there are any errors I hope you will think of the difficulties the writer had in securing the accurate data on each point presented. The sources of information may be attributed to the History of
Wright County, by Judge B. P. Birdsall, old Rowan records and from the old settlers themselves.) By Miss Dorothy Steffens (Mrs. Clarence Lindsey)