From the 1882 and 1907 Pottawattamie County Histories
Washington township was organized as a civil township from the territory comprising Congressional Township 75, Range 41, on the petition of C. W. Brown and others. It is situated east of Council Bluffs, and, among other points, includes the old stage station of Pleasant Taylor, on Silver Creek, on the old route of the Western Stage Company from Des Moines to Council Bluffs.
Elected to office on October 11, 1870, were P. B. Mathews, James Taylor and B. M. Weak, trustees; J. B. Mathews, clerk; and B. M. Weak and W. L. W. Wasson, justices of the Peace.
Later officials were J. K. Annis, Jackson Lewis and R. E. Williams, trustees; O. W. Pearce, justice of the peace; Jesse Craven, constable; and F. A. Turner, assessor.
In 1907, the officers consisted of the following: C. W. Forrestall, N. Sucksdorf and Jackson Lewis, trustees; F. W. Pierce, clerk; W. F. Lyman and Zeph Thomas, justices of the peace; and assessor, Harry Holst.
FIRST EVENTS
- Settlers: Pleasant Taylor, Jerome Turner, Charles Turner, James A. Taylor, F. A. Burke, T. B. Mathews, J. B. Mathews, and A. F. Carter.
- School: 1859 near Taylor station at Silver Creek
- Teachers: Miss Piles in 1859 and Ellen Wood second; and in 1864,
May Burke was the first teacher, and Belle Burke the second - Birth: 1858: Alice Turner
- Death: 1865: Lucinda Nolands
- Marriage: 1859: James Taylor to Maria Piles
- Mill: 1856: build by Pleasant Taylor
- Church: 1861: Methodist Protestant Church. Also meeting in the
early days were: Methodist Episcopal and a Presbyterian society — neither had a building in 1882.