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In the Spring of
1842, two young men, Lorenzo Mulliken and Daniel
B. Noble, from "York State" or "Yankee Land," settled in
the edge of the Turkey timber, in the northeastern part of
Township 90 - 5 (Honey Creek), on Section 1. Soon
after their arrival, Henry W. Lyon and his family
settled near them. Lyon appears as a taxpayer
in the first assessment roll, in September, 1842. He
did not remain long. Becoming alarmed after the murder
of T. Garden, in February, 1843, he removed to Eads'
Grove in the Spring of that year, and the year following
went to Missouri.
In the Fall of 1843, Nelson Steele and family
located near Noble and Mulliken; and in 1844, Lorenzo's
father, Samuel Mulliken, and his family arrived.
[pg. 557]
About this time, the new settlement in this part of the
county began to be called "Yankee Settlement," from the fact
that the settlers were all from Yankee Land, to distinguish
it from other Turkey settlements. The name was not
confined to any single section, and the Yankee Settlement
extended into 90—4 (Elk), and into Clayton County.
In 1846, Elder N. W. Bixby and his wife, Ruby,
from Williamstown, Vt., located in the Yankee Settlement.
Elder Bixby was the first Free-Will Baptist
minister who settled in Delaware County. His wife,
also, occupied the pulpit,
"and," says Mrs. Bailey, "was considered the
smarter preacher of the two."
January 12, 1848, the " Yankee Settlement " post office
was established, on Section 1, 90—5, and Bohan
Noble appointed Postmaster; and in May following,
Joseph S. Belknap, from Barre, Vt., located on the
northeast quarter of
Section 2, 90—5, about a mile west of the post office, and
founded the town of " Yankee Settlement," now called
Edgewood. At that time, there was but one settler in
that vicinity, on the Clayton side, John Gibson,
who settled there about 1846.
In the Spring of 1849, Mr. Belknap built
the first house on the site of the future village. This
house was afterward used for hotel purposes. In 1852,
Mr. Belknap built and opened the first store,
and erected several other buildings in 1853-4. In 1854, he
built another store, on the Clayton side, removing thither,
selling his claim on this side-to Harrison Gifford.
A Congregational Church was erected in 1854, in which
Rev. H. N. Gates first officiated as Pastor,
succeeded about 1857, by Rev. A. Graves. Rev. L. P.
Mathews occupied the pulpit in 1862. No regular
services are held in this house now. Rev. Mr.
Amsden, of Manchester, and others, preach there
occasionally.
The school house was built in 1855—6. The first hotel
was kept by Joseph S. Belknap, about 1852.
When the Davenport & St. Paul Railroad was built to and
through the little town, which is mainly in Clayton County,
the name was changed to Edgewood, and that part of the town
lying in Delaware was surveyed and platted about
There are now on the Delaware side, in Edgewood, a
hotel, kept by Robert Fairweather ; a store,
kept by H. F. Beyer; a school house and a church.
The main portion of the town is in Clayton County,
where are the railroad station, post office, several stores,
Methodist Church and a fine frame school house.
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