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John Harrison Establishes Town of
Birmingham |
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Birmingham was laid out in June, 1839 by
John Harrison. The first charter was dated June 1, 1856.
The first settler in the town was a man named Berry, although Dr. I.
N. Norris passed over the land, where the city now stands, when that
plat was all grass-grown.
The first hotel was kept by James Steel;
Mr. Berry was the first blacksmith, William Miller the first
physician, H. C. Clinton the fisst [sic] lawyer, and Jacob Lawton the
first postmaster. The first child to be born was a daughter of
Dr. Norris, and the first death was a child of Titus Moss.
Dr. Norris taught the first school in
Birmingham in 1838 and '39. The first school was in a log hut,
but a frame schoolhouse was built later. In 1872 the residents
erected a public schoolhouse and [fo]ur teachers were employed.
[A publ]ic Academy named the "Birmingham Collegiate
Institute" was built in 1857 in charge of the Rev. Mr. McArthur,
a United Presbyterian. This institution was very successful.
The first minister was Rev. Joel
Arrington, a Methodist, who preached in the old log schoolhouse in
1838. The society of Methodists was organized in 1839 and they
used the old log schoolhouse as their church until a frame church was
built in 1857 or '58. The Rev. Solomon Coles organized the
Presbyterian society in 1839. They held their first meeting in a
baron [sic - barn?] but built a church in 1850 and a new one in 1854.
The United Presbyterians organized in 1839 and built a church in 1848.
Their first pastor was Rev. Mr. Vincent. Rev. Mr. Douty
organized the Free Methodist society in 1874 and the members built a
church.
In 1878 the town of Birmingham was next in
importance to Bonaparte as a manufacturing town in the county. A
plow and wagon factory was operated by Shott and Hope. It was
established in 1866. A woolen factory was built in 1856 by D. C.
Cramer and Company but did not start operating until 1861. It
operated for about ten years successfully. Gwin & Bott
erected a saw and grist mill in 1850.
Birmingham had a tannery in 1868 which was
operated by James Glanden, Joseph Porter, "Tanner" Ross and
John Park. This business ran one year then was converted into a
pork packing house by Benjamin Smith, who operated it two seasons then
moved it to Keokuk.
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| Source: clippings from
scrapbook located in the Van Buren Co. Genealogical Society Library,
Keosauqua, IA
Contributed by Volunteer Transcriber Paul French |
