From "Past and Present of Winnishiek County, Iowa"

By Edwin C. Bailey

© 1913  S J Park Publishing Company, Chicago IL

Pages 257-258

CHAPTER XXIX

HIGHLAND TOWNSHIP

Nels Larson, a pioneer of Highland township, is the author of this sketch. Before Highland township was organized it was at first a part of Pleasant township and the west part of the township was commonly called "Pleasant prairie." In 1852 or 1853 (according to recollections) the first settlers began to come in and locate in the south part of the township. The first settlers were the Stoens, Brunsvold, Arnesons and Mikkel Solberg; and in the north and east part were located Peter Uldvikson, Paul Dagfinson, Bersie, Kjomme, Kroshus, Mikkel Walhus and some others. In the west part were Wennes, Halland, Luros, Svenung Bergan and Ole Johnson Svartebratten. The two latter soon sold out to Elihu Talbert and Thomas Painter. Shortly after that time the township was organized. It borders on the state line of Minnesota and contained only a little over thirty sections of land.

In those early days there was no mill nearer than Decorah and Freeport, about twenty miles distant. With ox teams it took one day to go and another to come back, besides waiting from one to three days at the mill to get the grist. Some time later a mill was .built on the Canoe river, known as Spring-water, about ten miles off; and still later a mill was built inside the township at what is now known as Highlandville. This mill was discontinued because the water power failed. The mill was owned by one Peter Olson, who died a short time ago. From the beginning and up in 1860, nearly all parts of the township were more or less settled. In the winter of 1857 there was a big snow on the ground from two to three feet deep. A rain on the top of that and cold weather made an ice crust about one inch thick, so that no teams could move without first crushing down the ice. Some people had their hay stacked out on the prairie where it was mowed, and the writer of these lines has seen men in snow shoes with a hand sled drawing their hay home, a distance of about two miles, on the top of that ice. Such were the pioneer days for the first settlers.

The first school in the township was taught by Addison Hoag in a private house belonging to N. N. Kjomme, but soon after a log schoolhouse was built on the four corners near the center of the township. The first teacher in that schoolhouse was Samuel Aikins, a well known resident from over the line in Minnesota. Another schoolhouse was shortly after built in the west part of the township, on section 7, by private subscriptions, and that schoolhouse was afterwards moved one mile south.

At the present time the township is well provided with schools, having six on a territory of twenty-six and one-half sections of land. A small part of the township belongs to Pleasant township for school matters.

During the War of the Rebellion the township furnished several soldiers as volunteers and some substitutes who were paid a liberal bounty by the residents to save the township from drafting.

There is no record old enough to show who were the first township officers but among some of the oldest officers were K. Tobiason, John Anderson Kroshus, Nels N. Kjomme, Aad Nordheim, F. M. Gunning, Ammon Arneson and some others.

There is only one town inside the township, the platted village of Highlandville. It has a population of a little over one hundred. It is a town without any railroad, and yet it is doing a lively business as a country town. Besides a postoffice there are three general stores, one blacksmith shop, one creamery, one doctor, two or three establishments for the sale of farm machinery, besides mechanics, and last, but not least, a new modern schoolhouse, built lately at a cost of about twenty-five hundred dollars. The building looks well and is an improvement to the town.

There is one Lutheran church inside the township and two creameries doing good business. The farmers of the township have made good progress and as a rule are well to do. Highland township had 808 residents in 1890; 829 in 1900, and 785 in 1910.