This is a Message Board Post that is gatewayed to this mailing list. Surnames: Blinn, Rich, Scott, Butrick, Wattles, Harding, Foster, Campbell, Von Steve, Orchard, McLaughlin, Todd, Bangs, Havens, McVey, Pruce, Atkins, Chambers, Cokrins, Wood, Emerson, Harde, Smith, Ellot, Mereness, Bean, Stalford, Esley, Gute, McNaught, Waldron Hay Classification: Biography Message Board URL: http://boards.ancestry.com/mbexec/msg/rw/Gk.2ADI/1340 Message Board Post: The "History of Glidden" has been handed down through the Blinn family. Unfortunately, we don't know who wrote it or the date. Perhaps some of the surnames listed will be of help to someone. History of Glidden Before Glidden was founded, this place was all swamp. Where C.E. Rich now lives was a swamp. A stream ran down where main street is now. In winter, men would go to where the M.E. church is now and catch muskrats. Dave Scott was the first settler around here. The second was Enos Butrick. He was the first permanent settler. Carroll County was named after Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Virginia, who signed the Declaration of Independence. In 1885, the nearest mill was at Jefferson and people had to go to Omaha or Des Moines to trade. In 1868 there were two houses, a store, and a boxcar in Glidden. That year the streets of Glidden were laid out. The first post office was built in 1868. The first post master was A.B. Wattles. Then came in order: F.M. Harding, Wm. E. Foster, T. Rich, J.M. Campbell, W.M. Von Steve, Wm. Orchard, J.C. Scott, C.E. Rich and W.L. McLaughlin has charge of it now. We think we have cold weather. However, it is nothing according to olden times. On Monday, March 13, 1870 a party of men from Hillsdale started to Carroll. There were three sleigh and four men in each. There were no houses or fences between Hillsdale and Carroll. It was a fair morning like early spring. They got to Carroll all right, but while they were there it started snowing. It was snowing quite hard when the party Sam Todd was in started back. They had a terrible time. Finally they went up a hill and ran into a pile of niggerheads or stones. Then they knew where they were and got back all right. Another sleigh full got home but the others did not get there. They got up a searching party and found the sleigh turned upside down. Under it, they found two frozen men. The horses were nearly frozen. They found the other two who had left the sleigh in hopes of walking home. In 1870 the population of Glidden was 177. In two years on October 14, Glidden was incorporated. Glidden was named after John Glidden who was a director of the railroad that was being put through Glidden. The first building was the depot. Mr. Bangs was the first railway agent. The first mayor was J.O. Havens. His son was the first white baby born in Glidden. At the first council meeting each saloon was taxed $4 per month. There were two saloons in town. About 1868 wheat sold for $2.50 per bushel. You could buy a sewing machine for $285. In the spring of 1873 no person had a dollar in his pocket. At one service the collection was less than one dollar. If you borrowed a dollar the interest would be 3 cents a month. In 1880 the population of Glidden was 584. In 1928 it was 887. On December 24, 1882, there was a bad storm. A fire started in McVey’s drug store, Henry Pruce’s saloon and billiard hall, also used as a meat market; Atkins’ place; Cokrin’s real estate office; Waldron’s jewelry store, Chambers’ hardware store and the Masonic Lodge. It was a $35,000 loss. The first church was the Presbyterian, a little wooden building used by people of all denominations. Then in 1887 the M.E. church was built. It was about the size of a country school. Then the Church of God was built and was finally abandoned. The next was the Lutheran church. The first ministers were: Rev. Wood, a Methodist; Rev. Emerson, a Lutheran; Rev. Harde, a Methodist; Rev. Smith, a Presbyterian and Rev., Ellot, a Methodist. The first school was two stories high. It cost $2200. It had two rooms in it. It stood on the place where Eugene Mereness now lives. His mother was a teacher there. Mr. Bean was a teacher there. Mr. Stalford bought this building and used it for a bank. The second school was built in 1878 where the park is now, costing $5,000. It was three stories high. In 1890 Mr. Esley financed what is now called the Old High School. It was then called the American Normal and Commercial College. With the college they had a boarding house. Later the town took it over for a high school. In 1887 there were 8 big brick buildings in Glidden. There were five men from Glidden in the Civil War. Mr. Hood is the only one now living. Two men from here were in the Spanish American war; eighteen men were in the World war. The livery barn used to extend from where it is now down to the corner including Gute’s garage. It contained from 50 to 60 head of horses. The McNaught Counter Factory, once largest in the world, was where the telephone exchange is now. The first phone exchange was back of Waldron’s jewelry store. Glidden As It Is Now Glidden is now a town of about 900 people. It has a nice large consolidated school built in 1921 which cost $200,000. It has a fine creamery which was built in 1928. Glidden is especially noted for the monument of Merle Hay who was the first American soldier to die in the World War. He resided in Glidden.