D-Y-T <strong>September</strong> <strong>2009</strong>
D-Y-T <strong>September</strong> <strong>2009</strong> This month we look at German Township. This is an excerpt taken from Chapter XXXIII of the History of <strong>Kossuth</strong> <strong>County</strong> published in 1913 and written by Benjamin F. Reed: GERMAN TOWNSHIP German township never had any larger territory than 98-27, its present size, although that territory belonged in turn to Algona, Collar and Wesley townships, and one-fourth of it to Buffalo before it became a township of its present name. While the territory belonged to Algona in <strong>September</strong>, 1870, it was made a part of Collar, which contained 103 sections. Then in June, 1872, the board made it a part of Wesley, which extended up range 27 to Minnesota. Then in June, 1879, the board made the north half and the southwest quarter of 98-27 a part of Ramsey, leaving the southeast quarter to remain with Wesley. When Buffalo was created in <strong>September</strong>, 1884, this southeast fourth went to that township. It remained with Buffalo until German was set off in <strong>September</strong> 1887, to comprise 98-27. Thus Ramsey lost three-fourths of this territory and Buffalo the other fourth. Case Wiltse has the credit for having been the first settler on the soil of German, though at the time it belonged to Algona township. He came in the spring of 1871 and selected for his homestead the extreme southwest quarter section in the township on 31. He had Joseph Cunningham and J.P. Gray break up twenty acres for him at once, and then returned to Black Hawk county where he had left his family. During the following fall he arrived with this family, but having no house in which to live, staid that winter in the sod cabin with the Hartshorn family, a short distance south of his claim. The next year he built the first frame house ever erected in the township. Wiltse was an outspoken advocate for the cause of temperance, freedom of the slaves and republican principles. He was the first justice of the peace and held the position for several years. It was at the Wiltse home where the first birth occurred. That event happened March 1, 1874, when the daughter Effie was born. Soon after the Wiltse family located others made their appearance, some staying and others going away about as soon as they came. Bernard Meyer was among the earliest to arrive. He settled his family on the northwest quarter of 32 and was one of the best known of any in the township at that period and for years afterward. He was influential in politics after a few years, and was a frequent delegate to the county conventions. Others who came about the time that Meyer did were E. Dressman, who selected his home on the southeast quarter of 30; and B. Amelsberg on the east half of the northeast quarter of 33. About that time there came also William Smith on the northwest quarter of 10; T.H. Albers on the southwest quarter of 1; H.A. Wagner on the northeast quarter of 34; John Isebrands, on the west half of the northeast quarter of 33; and J.E. Ukena on the southwest quarter of 17. B.H. Meyer and Peter Johnston on 21, Soren Mortenson on 22, Hejko and Onno Bruns on 27, H.U. Boekelmann and Anton Pankuk on 28, B.S. Pankuk on 26, Dierk Spier on 17, John Rippentrop on 33, and W.W. Clements on 9 were among those who located during the early ‘80s. Many of the old settlers have passed on before and others have removed from the township whose sons remain and are prospering. Among the latter may be cited Henry and Benjamin Meyer on 21, S. Pankuk on 20, G.D. Welhousen on the northeast quarter of 20, and his brother William on the old home place on the southwest quarter of the southeast quarter of
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