Martin & Zelda Capehart Genealogy Website

Leslie F. Wainwright's description of the town of Tilton

"This map shows Tilton, Iowa in the 1920's as I remember it as a child. I was born June 1915 on a farm one mile west of Tilton, Iowa.

North Western Railroad Station. Tracks goes north through Deep River and South to What Cheer. Mr. Kruse (not sure of the spelling) ran the train station and his wife ran the general store and post office (Building F).

Residence home. This was the Railroad Maintenance House. Mr. Hornback lived here. He had a hand powered maintenance rail cart he would use to inspect the railroad.

Stock holding pens for cattle and sheep for loading onto the train.

Methodist Episcopal Church. The grass parking lot was on the East side of the church. There was nothing on the West side of the church. In the late 1890's both of my grandfathers were trustees of this church. As I recall the minister of this church had three churches he was in charge of, and lived in Thornburg. As a child my parents and I attended this church.

Vacant building. I believed this was at one time the hardware store owned by my grandfather, Edward Wainwright.

General store and Post Office. The general store was in the rear of the building and the post office was in the front. This was run by Mrs. Kruse (not sure of the spelling) who was the wife of the train station manager. As I recall Mrs. Kruse was also the superintendent of the church Sunday School.

Another general store. As I recall this store was not open all the years I went to school at Tilton.

Telephone Exchange and a residence. The telephone exchange was located in the front room of this residence. It was about the size of a small desk. My father, Fred Wainwright, was responsible for maintaining it.

Residence home

Residence home. The rural mail carrier named Melvin Dicks lived here. I recall that many times after Melvin delivered the mail in the morning, he would work for my father all afternoon on the Wainwright farm.

Residence home. I believe Mr. Butcher (not sure of spelling) lived here.

Residence home

Residence home. This is a farm house and land owned by Ed Flint. His land was North and East of his home. Ed had several smaller buildings just north of his farm home.

Residence home

One room country school house. The school was used to teach kindergarten through eight grade. I attended this school kindergarten through my seventh grade and then transferred to rural school #8. This would have been from 1921-1928. The school house had desks for about 20 students total for all grades. There was a coal burning heater with a coal bin outside. Two outhouses were located up the hill just north of the school house.

Residence home

Dirt road. In the 1920's this road went north about five miles to a group of about four houses known as Dresden. Today this is state highway 21 going north passing about a mile from Deep River and South through What Cheer.

Dirt road. This is the county line. Poweshiek County on the North and Keokuk County on the South. The road went West to Gibson and Barns City, and East to nowhere.

Weed patch

Fences"

The information on this website has been compiled from many sources. We have tried to document and verify all information as much as possible and will continue to do so. If you find an error or have additional information please contact us.

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Tilton, IA in the 1920's

Map of Tilton drawn by Leslie F. Wainwright on August 2007

Thank you Leslie Wainright, for drawing the map and writing the description for us and thank you, Roger Wainwright for sharing it with us. (Roger is Leslie's son)

Background by Zelda: Photo of Tilton Methodist Episcopal Church 2005

Creations by Zelda

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Photo courtesy of Nadine Steinke

The Tilton Train Depot

Excerpts from "History of The Town of Tilton, Iowa" by Dale L. Moore

"The town of Tilton is located, in Deep River Township, on the south border of Poweshiek County. It is in the exact center of the south border of Deep River township, on the Poweshiek and Keokuk County line.

I don't know what year it became a town. Somewhere in the later 1800's I suppose, The business places were many. There was four grocery stores, one hardware store, one barber shop, one lumber yard, one grain elevator, two blacksmith shops, a Methodist Church, a school house (District #8), a telephone office. Later, as one store building after another burned down, which was three, there was only one left at that time. The elevator also burned and was never replaced. Also a cafe at one time.

The owners of the grocery stores were Wal Armstrong, Ed Flint, Lou Capehart. Some I don't recall. ........

The Chicago North Western Railroad was built in 1884, from Belle Plaine then south to Buxton and other coal fields that the railroad owned. They put the railroad more to haul their own caol, but did run freight and passenger trains. A good many coal trains ran per day and night. Also one freight train each way, each day and a passenger train each way each day.

About 1930 or there-about, the coal was more or less mined out. Due to the depresison,

etc., they cut down on the number of days they had freight service. They also cut passenger service as there wasn't much mail and very few passengers. Eventually they just run the freight two times a week and you could ride it.

During the peak years, the elevator bought and shipped several rail cars of grain. After the elevator burned, my father, John Moore, Jr. bought grain, for Barnes of Barnes City, and shipped it to Chicago.

There was lots of livestock shipped out of Tilton to Chicago, Illinois. It being the fastest route to Chicago, much of the Gibson area drove their livestock to Tilton stockyards, to be shipped to Chicago. Then as trucks began to appear in the 30's, they took over the shipping industry and railroads began to abandon their trunk lines.

The railroad gave up the use of telegraph, so, also the depot agent, Frank Kruse. After that they used a caretaker to look after freight shipments. Finally they gave up service and dismantled the road. The depot was sold and torn down for the lumber."

Note: Grocery store owner, Lou Capehart was my great uncle, Lewis Capehart

Tilton, Iowa plat map by Dale L. Moore

Property owned by my great aunt, Mary Elizabeth Capehart (wife of Lewis Capehart)

Tilton, Iowa town map by Dale L. Moore

The complete "History of The Town of Tilton, Iowa" as remembered and recalled by Dale L. Moore, native of Tilton, Deep River Township, Poweshiek County, Iowa, written 1988-9 can be found at http://www.steinkes.org/mediagallery/album.php?aid=16&page=1

The following information courtesy of Nadine Steinke

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Martin & Zelda Capehart Genealogy Website

~~ Tilton, Iowa Continued ~~