Ia., and built the first building in the town for a store and dwelling, on lots eight and nine, Ninth street. He was afterwards burned out there, and moved to his present place of business on Third avenue and Eighth streets. Mr. R. carries a large and complete stock of merchandise.

L. Shell, lumber dealer, was born in Wis. in 1838; removed to Worthington, Minn., in 1872; thence to Sibley in the spring of 1873, and engaged in his present business, dealing in all kinds of builders' supplies and grain. He enlisted in Aug., 1862, in Co. K. 23rd Wis. Vol., and on account of wounds received at the battle of Vicksburg, May 22nd, 1863, was discharged in Dec., of the same year.

H. Walters, proprietor of the Pioneer House, was born in N. Y. in 1826; came to Iowa in 1856, and settled in Chickasaw county; removed to Osceola county in 1871, and entered a homestead on section 10, township 79, range 41. He engaged in the hotel business in 1874, it being the first hotel in Sibley. He enlisted in 1863 in the 4th Ia. Cav., and served until the close of the war; was wounded at Memphis, Tenn., by being thrown from his horse while on duty.

C. D. & T. O. Wilbern, dealers in general merchandise, came to Cherokee county, Ia., in 1868 and engaged in farming; removed to Sibley in 1873 and engaged in their present business. They were burned out in November of the same year, started again, and have continued ever since. T. O. enlisted in 1864 in Co. C., 153rd Ill. Vol., and was discharged in 1865.

S. A. Wright, deputy treasurer, was born in N. Y. in 1842. He enlisted in 1862 in Co. C, 112th N. Y. Inft. In 1868 he came to Iowa and engaged in the mercantile business; came to Sibley in 1872, and followed various business pursuits, until 1874, when he was elected county treasurer, which office he held until 1876, when he was succeeded by Mr. Hungerford.

PLYMOUTH COUNTY.

The thriving and fertile county of Plymouth is on the western . boundary of the State, in the third tier from the north line. Its average length east and west is about thirty-five miles, and its width north and south twenty-four miles. It contains an area of about 840 square miles, or 537,000 acres. The principal streams are Floyd River, West Fork of Little Sioux River, West Branch of Floyd River, and Broken Kettle, Perry and Willow Creeks. Floyd River, the largest stream, crosses the county diagonally from northeast to southwest. It has many important tributaries, affording fine stock water and drainage to a large portion of the county. It also affords some water-power for mills. The West Fork of Little Sioux River crosses the southeast corner, draining and watering two or three townships. The entire county has a thorough system of natural drainage through small streams which course their way through all parts of it. The streams are clear, and never fail to furnish a supply of living water, as most of them are supplied by springs. There are no swamps or marshes.

The general character of the surface is rolling prairie, with some broken land in the western part of the county. The soil is the productive bluff deposit peculiar to the western part of the state. The valleys along the streams are not excelled in fertility of soil, and are adapted to all kinds of grain and vegetable crops. The uplands are not so well adapted to corn as the valleys, but produce fine crops of wheat and oats. The valleys of Big Sioux and Floyd Rivers present splendid belts of rich farming lands. The county is well adapted to grazing purposes, as there is a never-failing supply of pure, living water for stock, with an abundance of excellent pasturage.

The supply of native timber is quite limited, the principal groves being along the Big Sioux River, and a few small groves on Floyd and the West Fork of Little Sioux, Some of the early settlers have fine groves of planted trees, which will soon attain sufficient growth to furnish fuel for their owners. Some stone has been quarried in this county, but it is of little use as a building material. Some of it is burned into a fair article of lime. Material for brick is obtained in sufficient quantity.

The first settlements by whites in the county were made in the Summer of 1856, and were in the valleys of Big Sioux and Floyd Rivers. The following persons that year located in the valley of Big Sioux River: J. B. Pinckney, David Mills, Isaac T. Martin, Bratton Vidito, J. McGill, John Hipkins, James Dormichy and a

Mr. Guilliams. The settlement on Big Sioux River was commenced by Martin, Vidito, McGill and Hipkins, the last named having a family. They erected two houses, one for Hipkins and his family, and the other for the young men. In July they laid out a town, calling it Westfield. This was the first town laid out in the county, and its proprietors regarded it as the future metropolis of the Big Sioux Valley.

In 1856, A. C. Sheets, James B. Curry, E. S. Hungerford, Corydon Hall and Joel Phillips located in the valley of the Floyd River. The county was organized October 12th, 1858, by William VanO'Linda as organizing sheriff. The election was held at the house of John Hipkins, on the Big Sioux River, and at the house of A. C. Sheets, on Floyd River. The following persons were elected county officers: William Van O'Linda, County Judge; Isaac T. Martin, Treasurer and Recorder; A. C. Sheets, Clerk of the District Court; David Mills, Sheriff; and A. E. Rea, County Superintendent of Schools. The same Fall a township election was held at Westfield, on the Big Sioux, when Isaac T. Martin was elected Township Clerk. There were sixteen votes cast at this election. The county judge held his office on Floyd River, in the middle of the eastern part of the county, while the treasurer and sheriff held theirs in the Big Sioux Valley.

The first place recognized as the county seat was called Melbourne, and was more a scattered settlement than a village, in the Floyd Valley. Here the business of the county court was transacted, and here the first district court was held by Judge A. W. 3 Hubbard. Here also the first religious meetings were held by the German Methodists, and the first school taught by William Van O'Linda. Westfield, the rival of Melbourne for the honors of the county seat, was abandoned in the Spring of 1860, on account of large selections or entries of land made in that vicinity by halfbreed Indians, which greatly retarded the settlement. The entries of land were made with half-breed script.

LE MARS.

Throughout all of Western Iowa the name of "Le Mars" is indissolubly connected with the idea of thrift, prosperity and enterprise. It is a growing little city, a prosperous one, and a pleasant one in which to live, as witness the unanimous opinion of all who have had occasion for knowledge in the premises. By a vote of 476 to 111, at a general election of 1872, Le Mars was made the county seat of Plymouth County. Its location is at the junction of the Illinois Central and the Sioux City & St. Paul Railroads, twenty-five miles northeast of Sioux City. The land upon which the city is located, originally belonged to Jerry Ladd, B. F. Betsworth and Mr. Marion. The location of the town-site was accomplished in the summer of 1869. The facts in connection with the

selection of a name for the future city, are thus narrated: "Soon after its location the place was visited by John I. Blair and other railroad officers, accompanied by a party of ladies. Upon the latter Mr. Blair conferred the privilege of selecting a name for the prospective city. The initial letters of the Christian names of the ladies were combined so as to form the name Le Mars, and it was agreed that this should be the name of the new town."

The first business firm established in Le Mars was that of Blodgett & Foster, who were very closely followed by J. W. Young, John Gordon, Orson Bennett and C. H. Bennett. The first newspaper in the county, the Le Mars Sentinel, was started by J. C. Buchanan February 3d, 1871. Le Mars is surrounded by an extensive farming region, and is a shipping point of unusual impor

tance.

The City Council of Le Mars for 1881, was composed of the following gentlemen: George E. Pew, Frank Miller, Arthur Brown, P. F. Dalton, John Perkee, A. Aldrich. C. P. Woodward was the Mayor; G. W. Argo, City Solicitor.

Ail branches of business are largely represented, and in no locality in Western Iowa will there be found greater inducements in the way of pecuniary, domestic or educational attractions than in the growing little city of Le Mars. An unusually creditable showing of Le Mars' business and professional interests appears in the addenda of a biographical nature which are hereunto appended.

Among the important industries of Le Mars, may be mentioned the pork packing establishment of Roberts, Frost & Heaphy. The building, which is located in the northeastern part of the city, was erected in the latter part of 1881. It is a frame building, 20x60 feet in dimensions, and has a capacity of disposing of three hundred hogs per day. This building was erected at a cost of nearly $4,000. It is fitted up with the most approved apparatus, and is doing a thriving business.

Le Mars is also supplied with two large flouring mills. The mill owned by Burns, Treat & Co., was erected in the spring of 1876, is 36x80 feet in dimensions, three and a half stories high, with a basement. It was fitted up with good machinery, had a run of eight buhrs, and a capacity of one hundred barrels of flour per day. This building was remodeled in 1881, and refitted with the most modern improvements, having all the latest patterns of purifiers and smut-machines. It now has a run of six buhrs and ten rollers, with a capacity of two hundred barrels of flour per day. This mill ranks with the great Minneapolis flouring mills in regard to quality of patent and fancy flour, graham flour, and all kinds of feed, and their flour may be found in New York, Boston and Chicago. The City Mills, operated by Gehlen Bros.. were erected in 1870, by Peter Gehlen, at a cost of $50,000. This mill is a fine frame building, 50x100 feet, with four run of buhrs, and has a capacity

of fifty barrels per day. It has all the modern improvements, and is turning out a first-class quality of flour. One hundred and fifty thousand bushels of wheat are handled by this mill each year.

CHURCHES, SCHOOLS AND SOCIETIES.

Congregational Society. This Society was organized in 1870, under the supervision of M. R. Amsden and John Blodgett. The first minister was Rev. R. M. Sawyer, who was succeeded by Rev. D. D. Frost, and he by Rev. A. E. Arnold, the present pastor. The Society built a church in 1873, which is 24 by 60 feet in dimensions and cost $2,500. The Deacons at the present writing are, J. H. Springer, A. W. Gilbert and John Blodgett.

First German Evangelical Church.-Organized in 1878 by Rev. J. Heinsuieller, who officiated as the first pastor. Following him, was Rev. V. Griese. The following named persons participated in the organization: George Brendtstaedter, A. Kehrberg, Mr. Schaeffer, Mr. Mueller. This society held services in the Court House previous to the building of the church, which was erected in 1881. It is a frame building, 20 by 40 feet, will seat from 300 to 400 people, and cost $1,800. The church was dedicated December 25th, 1873. The members of this society now number about twentyfive. It has in connection a Sabbath School numbering thirty pupils, with J. G. Koenig as Superintendent. The present Trustees are, L. S. Staebler, G. M. Smith, Jacob Merryman, Albert Kehrberg, J. G. Koenig. Rev. F. Loehle is the present pastor.

German Methodist Episcopal Society-Organized in October, 1873, by Rev. E. W. Henke, who was the first pastor. The succeeding pastors were: Revs. John Hank, S. Koener, C. Stellner, A. Biebichaiser, T. H. Wellimeyer, the latter being the present pastor. They have a large Sunday School in connection with the church, Prof. Wernli acting as Superintendent. The church building was formerly used as a public school building, was purchased by this society in 1875, and fitted for church purposes, the basement being used as a parsonage. In 1880 the building was enlarged, and is now 24 by 52 feet in dimensions. The total cost of this building was $2,450. The present Trustees are: Prof. J. Wernli, A. Trader, D. W. Held, H. Kluckhohn, F. Remer. The church membership is about 110 persons, and there is a large attendance upon the Sabbath School.

Parish of Grace Episcopal Society. The first steps towards forming this Parish, were taken in the year 1872. A Mission was then constituted by Bishop Lee, then Bishop of Iowa. In 1873 Rev. R. Trewartha accepted a call to the Mission. In the following year the Mission was incorporated into the Diocese as a Parish. Some success was at first met with, and a small building was purchased and used as a church. After a time, however, Mr. Trewartha left, and the Parish fell out of the Diocesan records. In 1881, Rev. H. P. Marriett-Dodington, M. A., of Trinity Col