Rush County

First settlements: Pioneer township, 1870, by William Basham and P. C. Dixon; Banner township, 1873, A. Reiner; Center township, 1871, J. S. Templeton; La Crosse township, 1876, D. A. Stubbs and S. M. Taylor; Brookdale township, 1871, James Correll and Joseph Shawbrown; Alexander township, 1872, J. C. Young and A. Harvey. - No church buildings have been erected as yet, the school houses being used for religious worship. - First school houses: Pioneer township, 1875, by district No. 4; Banner township, 1878, district No. 14; Center township, 1875, district No. 1; La Crosse township, 1877, district No. 8; Brookdale township, 1876, district No. 5; Alexander township, 1875, district No. 6. - First business established: Center township, 1874, grocery, by John H. Hubbard; Pioneer township, 1876, grocery and dry goods, George H. Green; La Crosse township, 1877, grocery and dry goods, Joseph & Parker. - First marriages: Pioneer township, Adolph Aschoff and Dora Gein, December 25, 1872; Center township, George W. Cooley and Sarah F. Butler, April, 1876; La Crosse township, O. C. Prescott and M. Burge, February, 1878; Brookdale township, J. H. Garner and Phebe J. Graves, February, 1873; Alexander township, Martin Sage and Flora Clapsattle, February, 1876. - First birth in the county: Samuel Alpha Templeton, December 27, 1871, son of J. S. Templeton and wife. - First post offices: Pioneer township, Economy, 1871, N. S. Gilbert, postmaster - served by military couriers, abandoned July, 1872; Banner township, Ryan, 1878, Mrs. Sally P. Galbreath, postmistress; Center township, Rush Centre, 1874, J. H. Hubbard, postmaster; La Crosse township, La Crosse, 1877, E. F. Brown, postmaster; Brookdale township, Brookdale, 1875, W. C. Fisher, postmaster; Alexander township, Alexander, 1875, A. Harvey, postmaster. - The County is settled mainly by emigrants from New York, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Illinois, Iowa, Tennessee and Missouri. William Basham was the first white settler in the county, fall of 1870; the first family was that of J. S. Templeton, who settled near the present site of Walnut City, August 1, 1871. The early settlers depended mainly on buffalo hunting for a livelihood. - The first frame house in the county was built by F. E. Garner, the present county clerk. - The first sermon was preached by Rev. A. Hartman, of the M. E. church, on the third Sabbath of May, 1873, and the first Sabbath school was organized on the succeeding Sabbath. The first church organization was effected in June, 1873, at the house of P. C. Dixon, Rev. A. Hartman, pastor. The Congregation society is now supplied with a pastor.

Rush county was organized in 1874.

Population in 1875, 451; in 1878, 2,794; increase in three years, 2,343. Rural population 2,515; city or town population, 279; per cent. of rural to city or town population, 90.

Face of the Country. - Bottom land, 20 per cent.; upland, 80 per cent.; forest (Government survey), 1 per cent.; prairie, 99 per cent. Average width of bottoms, one mile; general surface of the country, gently undulating.

Timber. - The statistics from this county are meager, and do not show the relative area of timber and prairie land, but the former is very small. Not much attention has yet been given to the cultivation of artificial timber; such as has been planted is very young, but looks well, and no doubt is expressed as to the adaptability of the county to forest growth.

Principal Streams. - Walnut creek flows through the south half of the county, from west to east; its main tributaries are Sand creek on the north, and Otter creek on the south. Big Timber creek traverses the northern tier of townships, from west to east.

Coal. - It is reported that a vein of coal, two feet thick, of good quality, has been discovered, and worked on a small scale for local purposes, with a prospect of more important discoveries.

Building Stone, etc. - Plenty of lime and sandstone in all parts of the county. Gypsum and pottery clay said to exist in small quantities

Railroads. - No railroads have been constructed in the county.

Agricultural Statistics. - Acres in the county, 460,800; taxable acres, 73,954; under cultivation, 14,818.50; cultivated to taxable acres, 20.04 per cent.; increase of cultivated acres during the year, 8,244.75.

Value of Garden Produce, Poultry and Eggs Sold during the Year. - Garden produce, $111.50; poultry and eggs, $79.

Old Corn on Hand. - Old corn on hand March 1st, 1878, 4,871 bushels, or an average of 8 bushels to each family.

Dairy Products. - Cheese manufactured in 1875, 40 lbs.; in 1878, - lbs. decrease, 40 lbs. Butter manufactured in 1875, 4,076 lbs.; in 1878, 13,742 lbs.; increase, 9,648 lbs.

Increase in three years, 741 - per cent.
Average increase per annum, 247 - per cent.

RANK of Rush County in the Crops below, as to Acreage, and in Cultivated Acreage for the years mentioned in the foregoing table.

Farm Animals. - Number of horses, in 1877, 373; in 1878, 835; increase, 462. Mules and asses, in 1877, 49; in 1878, 129; increase, 80. Milch cows in 1877, 387; in 1878, 592; increase, 205. Other cattle, in 1877, 977; in 1878, 1,259; increase, 282. Sheep, in 1877, 10; in 1878, 11; increase, 1. Swine, in 1877, 228; in 1878, 585; increase, 357.

Sheep Killed by Dogs - None reported.

Wool. - Clip of 1877, none reported.

Value of Animals Slaughtered. - Value of animals slaughtered and sold for slaughter during the year, $2,617.37.

Horticulture. - Number of acres nurseries, -. Number of trees in bearing: apple, 20; pear, 68; peach, 170; plum, -; cherry, -. Number of trees not in bearing: apple, 1,196; pear, 102; peach, 3,829; plum, 416; cherry, 125.

Herd Law. - The herd law has been in force since April 1, 1875, and public sentiment emphatically sustains it. It generally retards fencing and hedge growing, and stimulates grain raising. Its friends claim that it protects the agricultural interests, while its opponents urge that it drives stock (taxable property) from the county into the unorganized counties.

Fences. - None reported.

Apiaculture - Bees, none reported.

Value of Agricultural Implements - Amount invested in agricultural implements, $11,162.

Manufactures. - None reported.

Valuation and Indebtedness. - Assessed valuation of personal property, $46,669; total assessed valuation of all property, $188,720.25; true valuation of all property, $314,533.75. Total indebtedness of county, township, city and school districts, $16,376.79; per cent. of indebtedness to assessed valuation, .09 -.

Newspaper History. - The Walnut Valley Standard was the first paper printed in the county. W. P. Tomlinson was the editor and proprietor, and the first issue appeared in December, 1874. In the spring of 1877, it was removed to La Crosse, and a short time thereafter, to Ellis, Ellis county. It was, and is, a Republican paper.

The Rush County Progress was first issued in June, 1877, at Rush Center, by R. H. Mitchell. After a few months it was removed to La Crosse, and was recently discontinued.

The Blade, Republican, established at Walnut City, July 19, 1878, Gun & Stumbaugh, editors and proprietors. It is still published.

Schools. - Number of organized districts, 22; school population, 1,303; average salary of teachers, per month, males, $29.00; females, $21.00. School houses built during 1878, 5; frame, 2; stone, 3. Total number of school houses, 10; log 2; frame, 4; stone, 4. Value of all school property, $7,128. No shade trees about school grounds.

Churches. - Baptist: organizations, 1; membership, 48. Congregational: organizations, 3; membership, 32. Lutheran: membership, 50. Methodist Episcopal: organizations, 6; membership, 120. Roman Catholic: organizations, 2; membership, 400; church edifices, 1; value of church property, $400.

* Hampton and Union townships have been organized since census was taken. ** The county was organized in 1874. No report for that year.