THE EARLY DAYS OF ROCK RAPIDS: DROUGHT, GRASSHOPPERS, SCHOOLS, RACE HORSES AND CHURCHES

Rock Rapids Main Street. Photo courtesy Grinnell College Libraries Collection.

The following text is excerpted from the book “History Reminiscence and Biography of Lyon County, Iowa.” Published under the auspices of the Pioneer Association of Lyon County by Geo. A. Ogle & Co. in 1905

In the month of June, 1869, D.C. Whitehead, of Webster County, an enterprising man, who became foremost in all that looked toward the future development of the county, proceeded to make explorations. On his route he was joined by Matthias Sweesy and Delos Towsley. On the 22d of June this party reached the rapids at the junction of the Rock and Kanaranzi rivers, and here stood enchanted by the sound of the waterfall, which for long ages had wasted its power and lavished its beauty upon the wilderness. At once filled with enthusiasm and high hopes of the future of the place, Mr. Whitehead here gave it the name of “Rock Rapids.”

The party soon selected homesteads, Mr. Whitehead nearly adjoining the present town plat, and Messrs. Sweesy and Towsley a short distance above, and then left to secure their families. Thus was commenced the thriving city of Rock Rapids and the settlement of Rock township.

In July, S. G. Martin and Justice Martin and family, settled a short distance above Rock Rapids, Mrs. Justice Martin being the first white woman to settle in Rock township and they were the only family residing in the township during the winter of 1869-70.

During 1870, many came to Lyon County, including H.T. Helgerson, in February, who took a homestead at Beloit; C. H. Moon, one adjoining the present plat of Rock Rapids and D.C. Whitehead moved there with his family, enduring great hardship and suffering from a terrible storm which came on at the time. Early in the spring came James H. and William Wagner, James I. Taylor and Robert Parks, who settled on Burr Oak creek; J. S. Smith, Christian Larson, Isaac Kester, John Monlux, Abraham J. Hamlin and William Hamlin, near Rock Rapids.

Drought struck Lyon, as well as all other counties in Iowa, in the summer of 1870, and farmers were greatly handicapped and not a little discouraged. The following winter was unusually open and mild and with the spring opening of 1871, northwestern Iowa, including Lyon county, received the largest immigration in all its history. This was induced by better railway facilities. Settlers crowded in and took all vacant government land left.

With the spring of 1872, commenced a new and brighter era for Lyon County and the great northwestern country. Railroads were here and more planned; the newspaper had been established at Rock Rapids — the Journal — schools were in operation; a large amount of land had been broken the year before and was ready to seed; the harvest had been bountiful and many noble men and women had been added to the community. Thus did a band of hardy brave-hearted pioneers, enduring the perils and privations of frontier life, lay the foundations of one of Iowa's goodly counties.

Stacking hay in the early days of Lyon County.

The settlement in Lyon county was practically at a dead stand-still from 1873 to 1883 —during the grasshopper years … The first appearance of grasshoppers in the county was June 27, 1873. Pioneer and promoter, D.C. Whitehead in the Review of August, 1874, remarked: “We have had double the grasshoppers this year that we did last and longer with us, too, yet we will scarcely feel their effects, for the reason that we have twenty acres of grain this season where we had one last. Of course croakers will damn this country, and men that have failed for lack of pluck, will say the country is a failure, on account of these infernal pests; but I don't think so, and my faith in Lyon county is so strong ill the merits of this, as an agricultural section, that I will cultivate five hundred acres next year, and if the grasshoppers want fifty acres of my crop I can better afford to give it than I call to ditch lowland in Illinois, or shake with the auge in Kansas. I am still a believer in Lyon county.”

The first school house (in Lyon County) was the one erected at Rock Rapids in 1871. The first school was taught by Mrs. D. C. Whitehead, at Rock Rapids, in the winter of 1870-71. Many stories are told of the manner of conducting the school affairs prior to and at this time. School house material had to be hauled by wagon either from Cherokee or Sioux City hence the enormous cost of building. Yet people wanted school houses for two reasons. First they wanted school. Second the public money was needed by the people, and if they sometimes borrowed the children from another district or another county in order to show a compliance with the requirements of the law, our criticisms should be sparingly offered, and due credit given for the ultimate object. Besides many farmers were without granaries and the school house was built sufficiently large to accommodate the school and the farmer at the same time. Prior to getting schoolhouses some who were the proud possessors of a two-roomed house rented one room, at a good price to the district to be used during the day as a school room, and as a sleeping room for the night.

The second iteration of the Lyon County Courthouse in Rock Rapids.

Rock Rapids Central High School. The second iteration of the Lyon County Courthouse in Rock Rapids.

Photo courtesy Grinnell College Libraries Collection.

Some peculiar methods (some call them crooked) were in vogue during these earlier years. Instances are well substantiated where school houses were built and paid for and then the house was hauled to another district and paid for again. And some houses were ordered moved and an order issued for its being moved and yet the next year the house was still unmoved. This made the records look bad so there was another order to move it back. Of course this was paid for, too. Many are the stories we hear of the management of school affairs in the 70's and 80’s.

The Lyon County Agricultural Society was formed and held a very successful county fair in the autumn of 1873 and continued to hold annual fairs several years; finally grounds were secured near the town of Rock Rapids and much interest was manifest, but soon there came a change — the sporting mind of younger men turned to the all absorbing topic of fast horses — the faster the better! And through this and other causes, the Agricultural Society went down and the horse shows and annual races have taken the place of a general farm exhibit.

In 1873, one Rev. Caleb M. Allen, a Presbyterian minister, came to Rock Rapids and regular preaching service was held in the Howell school-house. In the fall of the same year, 1873, the Dakota Mission Conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, which included northwest Iowa, made Rock Rapids a preaching appointment on Sheldon Circuit. J.B. Starkey was sent as pastor, whom made his home at Rock Rapids. The town then had perhaps 300 people and the congregation would number from twelve to twenty five.

The first church building in Lyon county was erected at Rock Rapids by this (Methodist Episcopal) society. On June 5, 1881, the new church was dedicated by Rev. John Hogarth Lozier, Presiding Elder of the Sioux City District. In 1895, this property was sold to the German Lutherans and in July, 1896, the Methodists dedicated a new church building, constructed of Sioux Falls granite, at a cost of $13,000.

Rock Rapids Methodist Episcopal Church.

In the year 1887, the Catholic church organized in Rock Rapids, under the direction of Rev. Riley. A church building costing $3000 was erected in 1889. And in 1902 a parsonage was built at a cost of $6000.

The Congregational church organized in Rock Rapids June 13, 1878 at a meeting held in the home of T. C. Thompson. Rev. Palmer was the first pastor. The church building was erected in 1884 at a cost of $6000 and in 1890 a parsonage was purchased for $1500.

(In 1905) Rock Rapids contains eight church buildings as follows: Congregational, Methodist Episcopal, Church of Christ, Catholic, Norwegian Lutheran, People's church and two German Lutheran.