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Chapter XXXIII
Palo
Alto Township
Pg. 342
Location and Area - Earliest Land Entries
- Organization
The Beginnings - First Events - Interesting Paragraphs
Township of Reasnor - Present Business Interests -
Postoffice History
Palo Alto township is
immediately south of Newton city and township, west of Buena
Vista and Elk Creek, north of Elk Creek and Fairview
townships and to the east of Fairview and Sherman townships.
It is of irregular shape owing to its domain taking the
territory to the northeast to South Skunk river in its
southwestern part. its territory to the northeast of
South Skunk river in its southwestern part. Its
territory comprises parts of congressional townships 78 and
79, in range 19 west. It contains about thirty-five
sections of land and is eight miles from north to south and
five miles wide from east to west in the main part of its
territory, following the meanderings of Skunk river in the
southwest.
It is largely a prairie section, aside from the large
body of timber found growing three miles or so to the south
of Newton, known as Hixon's Grove, and that growing along
the valley of Skunk river.
The Newton & Marion railroad runs through this township
from north to south, with siding station points at various
points and a Reasoner.
The earliest entries of government land were made as
follows: William Henshaw, on the northwest
quarter of the northeast quarter of Section 4, Nov. 29,
1847; Thomas Rees, the southeast quarter of the
southeast quarter of section 15, Jan. 3, 1848.
Palo Alto township had a population of one thousand
ninety-six in 1905. His order for the formation of a
new township reads as follows: "Commencing at the
quarter section stake on the east side of section 12,
township 79, range 19 west; thence west on the line through
the center of the section to the quarter section stake on
the west side of section 12, township 79, range 20 west;
thence south one the section line to the southwest corner of
section 36, said township and range; thence east to the
township line to the northwest corner of section 4, township
78, range 19; thence south to the southwest corner of said
section; thence east to the southeast corner of section 1,
same township and range; then north with the range line to
the place of beginning."
The above was the original territory to Palo Alto
township which was named for the Mexican name, which had
been made famous by the war with Mexico about the date of
the formation of this sub-division of Jasper county.
THE BEGINNINGS IN PALO ALTO.
Thomas Rees
and family were the first to establish for themselves a home
in what is now known as Palo alto township. Mr.
Rees located on section 22, township 79, range 19 west,
in Nov., 1848. Not until four years had passed - long
ones too - did they enjoy the society of a neighbor nearer
than four miles distant. Months at a time Mrs. Rees
never saw the face and form of a woman, except the dusky
Indian women. They were on good terms with the Indians
and frequently the latter were entertained and even allowed
to sleep in the house in bad weather and enjoy the huge
fireplace and crackling fire, always at a bright glow.
In the summer of 1852 Shelby Baker came in and
located; later still came a man named Finwick.
Joshua Guessford, Jacob and George Elmanty, E. B. Sloan,
Wesley Watkins, and Wakefield Trotter came in
1854 to increase the little settlement in the wilds of the
township. In 1856 came David D. Prior, Joel
Guessford, Stephen Guessford, Allen T. Drake, James Early,
Riley Ashley and LeRoy Livingston. In 1860
the township had a population of not far from five hundred.
The first wedding was over the marriage of Henry
Adamson and Mary Jane Baker, Feb. 10, 1853. The
shoes worn by the bride were borrowed from Mrs. Rees
(shoes were scarce articles then in this township).
The first birth in the township is supposed to have
been a daughter born to Thomas and Mary A. Rees, Mar.
25, 1849.
The first death recorded was an infant son of the same
family, July 26, 1854.
School No. 1 in the township was taught as a
subscription school, in 1857. Hattie Bain was
the teacher. The first public school was taught in the
Wild Cat school house by Miss Eliza Henderson in the
summer of 1858.
The first religious service was held by Rev. Thomas
Merrill and Rev. Ami Shaffer, who conducted
services at the school house last mentioned.
Palo Alto township sent forth twenty soldiers to the
front during the days of the Civil war, a good record of
patriotism.
INTERESTING PARAGRAPHS.
National
Independence Day was celebrated in this township July 4,
1874, at or near the Presbyterian church in the native
grove. An oration was listened to by Hon. John
Meyer, and responses to toasts by Capt. M. W. Atwood,
Samuel Reasoner, William Brown, Rev. E. S. McMichael,
Miss S. E. Hill and W. A. Livingston.
By reference to the
records of the county, made in 1878, it will be discovered
(for the previous year's taxes) was $69,193, including the
items of 710 head of horses, 44 mules and 1,556 head of
taxable cattle.
The total of personal and realty property taxes was
$6,112, on the valuation of $318,467 in the township.
Compare this with a table found in the chapter on County
Government and see how the township has advanced
financially.
Quite a portion of this township is underlaid with
paying quantities of an excellent coal which is being mined
to a good profit to its owners. The chapter on the
topography and natural features of the county will speak
more at length of these mining interests.
THE TOWN OF REASONER.
Reasoner is a small
village on the Newton & Marion railroad in the southern part
of Palo Alto township, twelve miles due south of Newton.
It takes its name from several large land-owners by that
name in that immediate vicinity. Its plat was surveyed
in the summer of 1877.
James Allen had constructed a building there
before the town site stakes had been set. A dozen
buildings sprung up as if by magic and two grain elevators,
one by Arnold & Johnson and one by Mr. Adamson.
Two general stores were at once opened up for trade and the
station agent, James Allen, was the first to serve as
postmaster. This place is in the heart of the coal
district of Jasper county, yet surrounded by a rich
agricultural country.
PRESENT BUSINESS INTERESTS
In the month of
April, 1911, the following persons carried on their
respective business in Reasoner:
General Dealers - Hinshaw & Saunders, J. W. Edwards,
and F. J. Coffee.
Meat Market and Lunch Room - B. R. Cardon
Hardware Dealer - Frank B. Ross
Farm Implements - Reasoner Implement Company
Drugs - C. B. Walsh
Lumber and Grain - Denniston & Partridge
Elevator, Poultry and Hogs - E. Bean
Blacksmith - J. M. Carnahan
Barber - Will Wasson
Boarding House - Mrs. Andrew French
Stock Dealers - Coker & Warring
Justice of the Peace - Charles Saunders
Reasoner Savings Bank
Reasoner Mutual Telephone Company.
The town has one of the finest mineral water flowing
wells in the county, its gushing out near the center of the
business part of the place.
The religious element is cared for by the Methodist
Episcopal church, which denomination has a good frame
building.
POSTOFFICE HISTORY.
An office was
established here about 1879. In February, 1904, it was
made a rural route station. The present carrier is
J. E. Sipe.
Outside of the money order
business, the receipts of the office in 1910 was six hundred
and sixty-five dollars and eighty-five cents. There
were during the same period sent out sixty-two pieces of
registered mail matter. Two mails were received each
way daily, north and south.
The following is a complete list of postmasters at
Reasoner: James Allen, J. F. Wheeler, will
Caldwell, J. W. Edwards, 1804-97; James I. Wilson,
1897-1907; (Miss) Mary J. Wilson, 1907-07; (Miss)
Fern Bean, 1908 and the present postmistress.
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