History of

Montgomery County, Iowa

New 111 Page Book

Early days in Montgomery County, IA, are recalled through colorful tales and factual data in this 111 page illustrated booklet, an excerpt from the hard-to-find book: "A History of the County of Montgomery from the Earliest Days to 1906" by W.W. Merritt, Sr., published by the Express Publishing Company of Red Oak, Iowa in 1906.

This NEW 8.5" x 11"spiral bound booklet is printed on 60# paper with the three color front cover protected with a vinyl sheet. The new title is

 Montgomery County, Iowa, USA

is one of over 400 booklets we have reproduced, all preserving the writings of early historians.

Communities currently listed for this area by the National Association of Counties include: Coburg, Elliott, Grant, Red Oak (County Seat), Stanton, and Villisca.

Among the topics discussed are: the origin of the county; Indian tribes including the Pottawattamies; county courthouses; the election between Frankfort and Red Oak to select the county seat; early officials, attorneys, and doctors; the Agricultural Society and the County Fair; Schools; the Methodist Episcopal Church of Red Oak, the Methodist Episcopal Church of Grant, and other churches; Jacon B. Packard, eccentric with an unusual home; three prominent citizens: Alfred Hebard, Justus Clark, R.M.G. Patterson; the Union League of America and the Knights of the Golden Circle; the Civil War, including the Southern Border Brigade - 4th Battalion; history of the city of Red Oak, including disastrous fires, the fire department, city water works, public utilities, street railway, paving, business and society, banks, hotels, industries, the Art Calendar industry, schools, societies, newspapers; other towns, including Villisca, Elliott, Stanton, Wales, and Milford; Obsolete towns, including Frankfort, Flora and Arlington; senators and representatives; a visit from President McKinley; the Old Settlers Organization; Long-lived residents, including Mrs. Thomas Wheeler whose life touched three centuries; early experiences, such as the story of Big Foot Theodore Whitney and a narrative of a dead horse worth $2.00; and other bits of history and trivia.

The author of the book, W.W. Merritt Sr., was the father of Darwin R. Merritt, one of two officers killed in the explosion of the Battleship Maine, which led to the Spanish American War. Besides telling the story of his son's death, Merritt devotes considerable space to the actions of Company M of Red Oak and Company B of Villisca, part of the Third Regiment, Iowa National Guard. The sketch follows the company as they prepare for war, go to camp at San Francisco, journey across the Pacific to Honolulu and then to Minila. It covers guard duty, campaigning in the tropics, their homeward journey, and deaths in camp. A roster of the two companies is included.

Although there is no biography section, the booklet is filled with the names of early Montgomery county residents.