Fun Facts
December 1, 1900, a murder occurred in Squaw Creek Township. John Hossack, a farmer and a Township Trustee, was murdered in his sleep. Although this case had a suspect who was taken to trial twice, the case was never officially solved and it remains a cold case to this day. The Hossacks' farm was located near 90th Avenue and Union Street.
More information regarding this case can be found at John Hossack Homicide, Cold Cases in Medora, Iowa.
Susan Glaspell was the journalist who covered the story for the Des Moines Daily News (Reprints of articles published in the Des Moines Daily News, December 3, 1900 to April 19, 1901). Excerpts and additional information can be found at: NY Daily News article. She later used the events of this case for her classic short story, "A Jury of Her Peers" and the famous one-act play Trifles, which toned down the murder by making it a strangulation instead of an axe killing. A summary of the play can be found at: Trifles Study Guide.
The book "Midnight Assassin: A Murder in America’s Heartland" (Bur Oak Book), published by the University of Iowa Press in August 2007, was written by Patricia L. Bryan and Thomas Wolf who researched the Hossack case for almost a decade combing through legal records, newspaper accounts, government documents and unpublished memoirs — before depicting the murder and trials.
The Jefferson Highway is a North-South US border to border historical highway. The Jefferson Highway was originally envisioned in 1916 as part of a national corridor for car and freight travel as the auto age developed and before the Interstate system was initiated. In Iowa the byway runs between Northwood and Lamoni along Highway 69 taking you north-south through our Township. However, if you feel adventurous, you can follow the jog off Highway 69 and it will take you right past Indian Valley Cemetery. For a detailed history of the Jefferson Highway you can visit Iowa Department of Transportation History of the Jefferson Highway. If you'd like to plan a trip on the Jefferson Highway and determine what sights to see in the various towns along the way, visit Travel Iowa - Jefferson Highway. To learn more about the Jefferson Highway Association, visit Jefferson Highway Association.
The years 2020 and 2021...Throughout the course of six months, Squaw Creek Township resident Sam Lawyer worked on his Eagle Scout Project removing and replacing the broken and tired flagpoles at Smith, Mt. Tabor, and Indian Valley cemeteries. The beautiful new flagpoles stand twenty-five feet tall and measure five inches in diameter at the base. Thanks to solar lights installed by the scouts at the top of the poles, new four by six foot flags fly proudly day and night at each cemetery.
Sam was aided in the project by fellow scouts Braden Andrew, Zachary Coppick, Kolter Good, Korey Kirkpatrick, and Micah Warrington under the supervision of Troop Committee member Darin Kirkpatrick, Scoutmaster Rich Keller, and Assistant Scoutmaster Pat Thornburgh. Sam and his crew endured cold, rainy late November Days as well as cold, rainy spring days to get the project done. They usually started around 1pm on a Saturday or Sunday and sometimes ended well into the evening hours.
On May 16th, 2021, the Township hosted a gathering at Mt. Tabor Cemetery to which all members of surrounding communities, families of buried loved ones, and anyone else interested in our cemeteries were invited to attend. Sam Lawyer and the scouts were recognized for their contribution and the New Virginia Fire Department brought its newest fire truck and the ambulance for display.
On August 24, 2021, Sam Lawyer became an Eagle Scout for the project mentioned above and a plaque has been placed on each flag pole. CONGRATULATIONS SAM LAWYER!!
