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Kinyon Digital Library

History of Adair
County, Iowa,
and its People.  1915.

Volume 1.

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CHAPTER XXVI

LEE TOWNSHIP

TOPOGRAPHY

The land in Lee Township is rolling, consisting almost entirely of prairie.  The main waterways comprise three small creeks; the Nine Mile, Marvel and Battle.  These supply water for all practical purposes.  Nine Mile Creek rises in the southern half of section 19, Greenfield Township, and flows in a southeasterly course through sections 30, 29, 32, 33, 34, 35, Lee Township, and on to its main body of water.  Marvel Creek has its origin in section 17, Greenfield Township, passing southwest into section 21, Lee Township, thence northeast through sections 22, 15, 14, 13, and 12.  The beginning of Battle Creek is traced to sections 4, 9, 10, and also takes a northeasterly course through sections 11, 2, and 1.

EARLY SETTLEMENT

S. K. Mallory and his son, Eri, were the first to settle in the territory now known as Lee Township, coming in the fall of 1857.  They moved a log cabin from Grand River Township to section 26, where they took up their residence, this being the first dwelling house in the township.  Through some doubtful tactics the son succeeded in getting possession of his father's property before a year had passed and the latter, with his wife, removed to Greenfield.  Eri continued to farm the land for some time and later sold to a Mr. Marble.  After the removal of S. K. Mallory to Greenfield, he resided in rented property.  He grew very feeble and his wife was forced to make their living, a very meagre one, by her knitting.  Several years later, after his son had left the country, the old man attempted suicide on Sunday morning, by climbing upon the machine used for weaving and placing a stick across a hole in the ceiling which led to the loft above.  He tied a rope to the stick and also about his neck and swung from under the machine.  His wife came home from church in time to raise the alarm and neighbors cut the old man down and succeeded in reviving him.

The second to seek a permanent residence in the township was Samuel C. Vance, who came in the summer of 1859 and entered land upon section 16.  In the fall of this year he erected a house, which was the second structure in the township.  He afterwards moved to Summerset Township, this county.

As the permanent settlement did not commence for several years after those mentioned above, Thomas J. Shinn was probably the next settler, coming in September, 1868, and locating upon section 16.  He was a native of Fulton County, Ill.

S. E. Morris was also among the early residents of the township.

EARLY EVENTS

The first house in the township was a log cabin moved onto section 26 by S. K. Mallory and son, Eri.

The first death which occurred in the township was that of Mrs. L. C. Parker in 1866 at her home in section 16.

The first election occurred in November, 1880, at Lett's schoolhouse.

It is not positively known who was the first born in the township, but probably in the family of S. K. Mallory.

ORGANIZATION

Lee Township was organized in the fall of 1880.  It was formerly a part of Greenfield Township.  A petition was granted at the September meeting of the board of supervisors which took from Greenfield Township the following territory:  All the territory within the limits of the territory of Greenfield Township, outside of the incorporated Town of Greenfield.  Another change in the boundary of Greenfield and Lee townships took place by petition at the September meeting of the board of supervisors in 1881.  There was taken from Lee Township and added to Greenfield Township sections 8, 17, 19, 20, north half of section 7, all of section 18, except ten acres already a part of Greenfield Township.  After the organization of Lee Township was effected George C. Havens acted as first constable, and E. S. Chenoweth was the first clerk.
  

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