The town was laid out in 1848 by Andrew Bottorf. A re-survey was later made as of 1854, and done by J. McArthur for Dr. S. M. Brice and J. R. Grubb.
Most of the buildings in the town date from the time of the second plat, when the place began to thrive in earnest. Dr. Brice ran a store which was later sold to A. A. Adams. In 1855 Dr. J. P. Wilson opened a drug store. L. Hollenbeck also opened a general store in 1854. J. M. Bartleson, W. S. Bliss, and John Carr were also early settlers, Carr and Bartleson running a store for many years.
The locality in and around Center Point, then, is one of the first settled in the county. The early settlers were enterprising and the newcomers were made welcome. No doubt the close proximity to the river and the abundance of timber in this locality made the place inviting to the new settlers who needed above everything else timber for use in building and for fuel. The railroad which the people had expected many years did not get into town till in 1873, and was continued the following spring. For the purpose of securing this railroad Washington township voted $16,000, being about a five per cent tax.
In Washington township lived and died many years ago John Osborn, a revolutionary soldier, who is buried in Center Point cemetery.
[CHAPTER XXXIV]
Lisbon and the United Brethren Church
In narrating the history of Linn county mention must be made of that body of devoted men and women who early laid the foundations of the United Brethren church in this portion of what sixty years ago was the far west. The members of this christian body have had an important and conspicuous part in the history of our county. Their leaders have not only been men of piety, but they have also been men of ability, builders of commonwealths. Their work has been of a permanent character, and the descendants of these pioneer people are today doing grandly the work so nobly begun seventy years ago.
We cannot do better here than to quote largely from the Historical Souvenir of the Church of the United Brethren in Christ at Lisbon, Iowa, 1836-1904, by Rev. Cyrus J. Kephart, published in 1904 by the Lisbon Herald: