HIGHLAND

According to the Union County History, by George A.  Ide, 1908, Philo Clark and Justice Clark began planning for the new town of Highland in the fall of 1855. The plat of the town was recorded March 3, 1856 by Philo and Martha Clark.  James Lamb of Des Moines County set up a steam powered sawmill about a mile east of the new town. Its purpose was to make lumber for the new town. In 1856 Oliver Westover built the first frame house in Highland. During the summer of 1856, several houses were built, two general stores,  blacksmith shop, hotel and the  post office was established.  By the fall of 1856 there was 21 houses and the number of buildings in Highland surpassed that of Afton.   At that time Highland petitioned the county supervisors to become the new county seat.  An election was held in April 1857, and after an Afton business man started the rumor that the railroad was coming through Afton, Afton retained the county seat honor by 15 votes. The people of Highland were so discouraged that no further building took place and many left the new town taking their buildings with them. In only a few years, nothing was left of the town of Highland.