Colfax Township, Dallas County, Iowa
Encyclopedia
Colfax Township is a township
in Dallas County
, Iowa
, United States
. As of the 2000 census
, its population was 403.
, it contains one cemetery, Panther Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery.
The streams of East Branch Panther Creek and West Branch Panther Creek run through this township.
, which at an earlier date was known as the "Panora Speedway". Sometime before 1900 a group of farmers formed a board and sold shares to build Panther Store on the northwest corner of the intersection (Today:Highway 44 and J Avenue), known as the Panther Co-operative Association. It was operated by Isarel Bever and it handled all kinds of commodities.
On the northeast corner of the intersection (within Washington Township) a blacksmith shop was built. On the southwest corner, Will Bazor built a 'tin shop' to construct and repair windmills.
About 1934 John and Mart Sheaffer bought up all of the Co-operative association and became full owners of Panther Store. Rooms above the store, served as living quarters for the manger. The store became a popular place for farmers to congregate. On Saturday afternoons and on rainy days, the hitching racks filed up with teams as folks came for supplies. They bought groceries, dry goods, shoes, tobacco, kerosene, men's overalls and shirts, mittens, canned goods, shucking pegs, ammunition, and candy. Panther served as a produce store, buying poultry, eggs, cream, and butter. They took orders for buggy's, wagons, a variety of farm machinery, fencing materials, and furniture. These orders were shipped to Dallas Center and then hauled out by teams. When cars and trucks came more into use, they were used, instead of horse drawn wagons to bring supplies from Des Moines. Motorized travel made it necessary to install a gasoline pump.
For a short while, a post office resided inside Panther store, where mail was held until picked up. Neighbors would sometimes fetch it for those nearby. Robert Bentall recalls having a regular pigeon-holed rack where he would hold mail for friends to pick up at his house.
Many good times were enjoyed by the men of the community as this (Panther Store) turned out to be quite a recreational center for them as they enjoyed ball games, wrestling, boxing and pulling square holds.
As an important gathering place, the blacksmith shop kept busy with shoing horses, building hayrack and buggy wheels, and fixing just about anything that broke. This business was much appreciated by the farmers from the surrounding area.
The country store burned down in 1932. Then as roads improved, the population began traveling to the nearby towns of Adel and Redfield to obtain their much needed supplies. By 1958 the community was nearly gone, with only the grain elevator as a remider. Today, even that landmark has disappeared.
Civil township
A civil township is a widely used unit of local government in the United States, subordinate to, and geographic divisions of, a county. Specific responsibilities and the degree of autonomy vary based on each state. Civil townships are distinct from survey townships, but in states that have both,...
in Dallas County
Dallas County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 66,135 in the county, with a population density of . There were 27,260 housing units, of which 25,240 were occupied.-2000 census:...
, Iowa
Iowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. As of the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
, its population was 403.
Geography
Colfax Township covers an area of 36.64 square miles (94.9 km²) and contains no incorporated settlements. According to the USGSUnited States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
, it contains one cemetery, Panther Creek Church of the Brethren Cemetery.
The streams of East Branch Panther Creek and West Branch Panther Creek run through this township.
Panther Store
Along the north, Colfax Township borders Washington Township and the line running between the two follows Iowa Highway 44Iowa Highway 44
Iowa Highway 44 is an east–west highway in the central and west-central portions of the state. It runs parallel to Interstate 80, which runs to the north for most of its route. Iowa 44 begins at its junction with U.S. Highway 30 four miles northeast of Logan. It ends at an interchange...
, which at an earlier date was known as the "Panora Speedway". Sometime before 1900 a group of farmers formed a board and sold shares to build Panther Store on the northwest corner of the intersection (Today:Highway 44 and J Avenue), known as the Panther Co-operative Association. It was operated by Isarel Bever and it handled all kinds of commodities.
On the northeast corner of the intersection (within Washington Township) a blacksmith shop was built. On the southwest corner, Will Bazor built a 'tin shop' to construct and repair windmills.
For a short while, a post office resided inside Panther store, where mail was held until picked up. Neighbors would sometimes fetch it for those nearby. Robert Bentall recalls having a regular pigeon-holed rack where he would hold mail for friends to pick up at his house.
Many good times were enjoyed by the men of the community as this (Panther Store) turned out to be quite a recreational center for them as they enjoyed ball games, wrestling, boxing and pulling square holds.
Kennedy Station
In 1879 the railroad was constructed through Colfax Township of Dallas County, Iowa. Kennedy Station, named from Francis A. Kennedy who owned the land, became a thriving and prosperous community. Its livelihood centered around the train depot. With no other close-by businesses, a small community sprang up, including a small post office, the depot, a grain elevator, a lumberyard, a stockyard, a blacksmith, and three residences. The population soon grew to nineteen.As an important gathering place, the blacksmith shop kept busy with shoing horses, building hayrack and buggy wheels, and fixing just about anything that broke. This business was much appreciated by the farmers from the surrounding area.
The country store burned down in 1932. Then as roads improved, the population began traveling to the nearby towns of Adel and Redfield to obtain their much needed supplies. By 1958 the community was nearly gone, with only the grain elevator as a remider. Today, even that landmark has disappeared.