This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Classification: Query Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/an/Gk.2ADI/1341 Message Board Post: I translated the following description of Roselle, Halbur and Roselle Township from Der Carroll Demokrat, a German-language newspaper published in Carroll, Iowa, between about 1874 and 1920. It was originally published in a special 25th Anniversary Edition of the paper on Friday, 20 September 1899. I have not changed any place or name spellings. The information in brackets and the footnotes in parentheses are my own explanations. I am not a professional translator and would be interested to know of any typos or corrections. It reads as follows: Roselle, Halbur and Roselle Township Roselle Township, the Town of Roselle and Inhabitants Situated on the southern border of Carroll Township (1) lies beautiful Roselle Township. For the most part, its inhabitants come either from Westphalia (2) or from the fabled region of the Rhine River. Only a few come from Oldenburg, Bavaria, or other parts of Germany. On the whole, the residents of this township are hospitable, honest citizens who make it a point to preserve their beautiful native language, as well as the simple and unpretentious customs of the old fatherland. If one were to travel through the township from one end to the other and become acquainted with all the residents, or were to visit the centrally located little town of Roselle on a Sunday when residents from the entire township attend church and do their shopping in the busy summertime, then one would not think himself to be in the Hawkeye State, but rather in some friendly little village in Germany, because very seldom does one hear an English word. Only German is spoken here, and the children! , who mainly attend the school taught by the Franciscan Sisters and receive a good solid instruction in English, nevertheless follow the example of their parents and converse in the German dialect. Hardly anywhere in Carroll County can there be found a township, or even a town or small village, where the dear German mother tongue is as cherished and nurtured as in the Township of Roselle or the small town of the same name. And just as the residents practice these wonderful virtues and deserve universal respect therefore, so also have they remained Germans in their hearts and in their interactions, and it appears that among some here a word or a handshake is as good as a contract. Indeed, as we look farther around the township we notice an especially agreeable situation: the farms display comfort and prosperity. Fine homes in the loveliest designs, prettily painted, adorn the farms, and when one enters such a home, one is amazed at the fine furnishings. But also the bar! ns, the large stables, and the grain silos indicate that the residents are prosperous and looked after with special care by the One who reigns over us. The cornfields shine in their rich foliage, the stalks bend their head from the weight of their loads, and the pastures offer rich feed for the grazing cows, which in return gratefully fill the milk pails with tasty milk. It is indeed one of the richest and most prosperous townships in Carroll County, which naturally indicates a good and fertile land that in 1870 sold for $1.25 an acre but today [1899] has climbed to $40.00 or $50.00. And now by way of a short historical introduction, Roselle was organized as an independent township in 1870. According to the accounts of old settlers, it originally had only seven eligible voters, namely: Horsey, Fleck, Clark, Horn, James, Raport and Hill. Because the latter lived in a dale only a quarter mile from the present town, the town became known by his name, namely, Hillsdale. It is often claimed that Hill lies buried on his farm. This opinion, however, appears to be erroneous. According to more precise information, only a grandson of Hill and a person named Fleck are buried there. The United States Postal Service, at that time the only connection between the Eastern, Western and Southern states, ran from Boone across Carroll County to Crawford County, and had established its route through Roselle Township with a station at the place of Mr. Hill where a small post office was erected. Later, when the main line of the Northwestern Railway was run through Carroll, the small station was abandoned and letters and mail had to be picked up in Carroll, seven miles away. In 1875, Roselle obtained an overland postal service, and the name Hillsdale was changed to Roselle because another place with the same name already existed in Mills County, Iowa. The name Hillsdale, however, has remained the commonly used name up to the present, although it is not officially used. Mr. John Kennebeck became the first postmaster of Roselle, and after Mr. Kennebeck and Mr. Buchheit laid out the town, the former purchased the first lot and built the first house in town. Roselle Township is a firm Democratic stronghold, and its residents are strongly opposed to class legislation, the usurpation of parental rights, the spreading Nativist movement, and restriction on the choice of beverages. (3) On important issues, there are between 200 and 250 votes, of which at most 5 to 15 are Republican. Also, the residents adhere to Roman Catholic beliefs and are practicing Catholics. Only four or five families in Roselle Township follow Evangelical Lutheran beliefs, but they are all honest German-Americans who are proud of their adoptive fatherland and have chosen the Protectress Columbia as a bride, but who also recall a good mother on the other side of the ocean with love and respect. In 1882, Roselle Township obtained the throughway of the Southwestern Railroad, a branch line of the Northwestern Railroad, which cuts southeast through the county from Carroll through Manning with its terminus at Kirkman in Shelby County. In the western part of Roselle Township, Halbur Station was established where later an industrious town was settled which is described below. We now present a short overview of the town of Roselle. Despite the fact that the town still finds itself in an almost primitive condition, a lively commerce is already carried on there. The total population is over 100. The Rose Valley Creamery which is located there daily separates between 12,000 and 18,000 pounds of milk into butter, there are two stores dealing in general merchandise which are patronized by the entire township, there is one dealer in agricultural implements and machines, one blacksmith, one wagon maker, and several very skilled craftsmen. Also in the friendly little town of Roselle, there is an old and highly respected artist, Mr. Mossmann, a student of the Antwerp Painting Academy, who has established his home and enjoys a contemplative life here. In several churches, works can still be seen which were created by his hand. Following the customs of the Old Germans, who as everyone knows camp out on bearskins along the Rhine, it is generally custom! ary for “one more drink” before one takes his leave, and for a hearty, cool drink, two good springs bubble up. (4) Of course, the center point of the little town is the Catholic Church, a cross-shaped building, the interior of which is splendidly decorated. The friendly reader will find in another place [in this paper] a picture of the beautiful church and a special copper engraving showing its interior. Since the early 1870’s religious services were held intermittently in Roselle and Holy Mass was conducted in a school. The Reverend Father Heimbucher from Mt. Carmel came to Roselle, when time and circumstances permitted, to bring the comforts of religion. The church was built in 1875, and was later enlarged through the addition of a transept. Later, when Father Heimbucher was transferred from Mt. Carmel, the Reverend Father Kempker came from Mt. Carmel to hold religious services for the Catholics of Roselle. When the parish in Carroll received a new priest in the person of the Reverend Father Pape, this eager young priest came to Roselle every Sunday. In 1877, the Revere! nd Bishop sent the first resident priest, the Reverend Father Theodor Wegmann, at which time the parish built a rectory. In 1887, the Reverend Father U. [Ulrich] Frey was called to Roselle, and a year later, through the efforts of the Reverend Father, the parish was able to build itself a beautiful brick schoolhouse valued at $10,000, which the Franciscan Sisters managed and which was attended by an average of 125 to 150 schoolchildren. In the course of time, two more parishes split off from Roselle, namely the Catholic parish in Templeton in 1883, and the Catholic parish in Willey in 1886. Nonetheless, the parish in Roselle still remains one of the strongest parishes in the county. The Reverend Father Frey, who has been pastor of the Catholic parish in Roselle since 1887, has earned the respect of all Catholics. He is an enthusiastic pastor who, like a true champion of Christ, faithfully carries on in the position entrusted to him by God and the Reverend Bishop and cares for the spiritual well-being of those in his care. This fact is widely acknowledged, and was recognized in those festive days of celebration of 26 December 1896 when the Reverend Father celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his priesthood. There were happy days of festivals, and young and old went out of their way to pay their respects and offer their good wishes to this celebrant in priestly robes. Halbur Halbur is located on the northwestern corner of section 18, Roselle Township, on the southern slope of a hill. It was founded in 1881 when the Southwestern Railroad had just opened for business. Chas. Walterscheid, Anton Hoelker, Gerhard Berks, D. Joyce, Merchant & McLagen, Neumeier, Jos. Halter, Fritz Franzwa, Louis Friedmann, John Tegels Sr., John Tegels Jr., and A. Muller were the first to build businesses and homes. Charles Walterscheid has the honor of being the only one of the original business people who still operates a business here. He now carries on a significant trade in produce, farm implements and general merchandise. Joseph Koenig and Peter Sondgeroth are employed in assisting him in this business and have shown themselves to be faithful employees. D. Joyce started a lumber and hardware business which was handed over to his son, W.T. Joyce, a few years ago. It is managed by Gerhard Berks. Anton Hoelker established a general merchandise business and ran it until last summer when he traded it for land to Peter Eischeid, who has run it since then, assisted by Caspar Hoelker. Caspar, a brother of Anton Hoelker, has been active in this business since it was started. Neumeier’s saloon business is now owned by George Rolfes, who always takes care to serve his customers in a friendly manner, and one can get a good drink from him at any time. The saloon business of John Tegels Jr. has gone into possession of Peter Schmitz, who has made it a popular business. Walter & Rutter [possibly spelled Nutter] now own the produce business founded by Merchant & McLagen. Due to the honest treatment of their customers, they enjoy a great popularity. Wilhelm Fassbinder was employed to assist in their considerable business. T! he first blacksmith shop was set up by Fritz Franzwa. Michael Reck runs the blacksmith business now. He has expanded it considerably and has made many improvements to the works. He performs all the business in his trade to the full satisfaction of his customers. Gerhard Berks traded the furniture business he founded for land. It is now owned by Anton Hoelker, who has converted the building into a fine residence. J. F. Schmitz now owns the former Louis Friedmann property. He lives in the building which was converted into a residence. In a building constructed later, his son J. W. Schmitz, runs an enterprising harness shop. The house that Fritz Franzwa built on a hill is now owned by Frank Stufe and is occupied by Wilhelm Fassbinder. Peter Sondgeroth owns the former Muller property and resides in the building which was converted into a house. The property of John Tegels, Sr. is now owned by Anton Horn. He is employed as a worker on the railroad. Last year, J. R. ! Berks built a beautiful residence in the western part of town. Last a utumn, he was offered an important position in the lumber business owned by W. T. Joyce. He declined the offer, however. A few years ago, the Hoelker Brothers set up a creamery here, which has proven beneficial to the farmers. Because of it, the livestock in the area has improved and increased. Joseph Pauli is employed as section foreman. Wilhelm Langenfeld is our stationmaster. It is a rarity that one encounters a German in these areas of railroad employment. Our school has enjoyed a strong attendance since the beginning. Miss Tillie Zerwas is employed as the teacher. She has gained the affection of all the children. The theater production, which she directed and the children acted in, was a complete success. Notes: (1) Carroll Township later changed its name to Maple River Township. It is just northwest of Carroll. Roselle Township is just southwest of Carroll. (2) The article refers to Westphalians by the term “Sons of the Red Earth,” an old German nickname for Westphalians. (3) The Nativist movement was essentially an anti-immigrant movement and political philosophy of the late 1800’s and early 1900’s. The reference to restrictions on the choice of beverages probably refers to the anti-alcohol, or “Temperance” movement of the same time period. (4) I’m fairly certain that when the article says “two good springs bubble up” this is a joke referring to saloons or taverns.