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GENEALOGY COLLECTICM

ALLEN COUNTY PUBLIC LIBRARY

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HISTORICA

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REMIKISCENCES

OF

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA.

BY J. H. FQY/ERS.

DES MOINES:

IOWA PRINTI>:G COMPANY.

1894.

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15v55854

Bcbication,

RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED TO THE OLD SETTLERS, WUu WADED SLOUGHS, SWAM STREAMS, BREASTED THE STORMS OF WINTER, LIVED ON CORN MEAL, AND GREETED ALL COMERS WITH GENUINE HOS- PITALITY. BY THE AUTHOR.

{preface.

^fl^^^HE pages following do not pretend Hrg!;;^ to reach the dignity of history, bat

f-iP^*^ only ?o rehearsal of e\*ent3 that were X^* of interest at the time, and which are \ now recalled w-ith the zest that tinie

^ brings to events long past. In some raeasnre, they show the way new settlers meet the loneliness of a new country, and how, out of hardship, they extracted recrea- tion, and how crude character is developed and made to play a ptirt in crystallizing a forming civilization. They recall some of the notable actors that took part in the open- ing up of the county, and in reducing a wild, wet and unattractive wilderness, to comfort- able homes and productive fields. To the writer they recall xperiences that are revived with interest, repeated with pleas- ure, and recorded with pride.

•ff&wa.

j|^f^j|IIE territor}^ embraced within the jM.® pi'Gsent state of Iowa, is but a fraction ^A^ of the vast domain oric^inallj" discov- fe ered by French Jesuit missionaries dur- T ing their frequent early incursions into the wilds of the Xorthwest, and taken possession of and annexed as French terri- tory by right of discovery.

In the year 1763, after almost a hundred years of peaceful possession, France ceded to the Spaniards all of her possessions lying beyond the Mississippi river, and this vast rich territory remained under the manage- ment of Spanish authorities until the begin- ning of the present century when it again came into the pos-session of France.

In 1S03 the treaty known as the "Louisi- ana Purchase" was consummated, whereby France, in consideration of $15,000,000 relin- quished all her rights and title to the terri- tory beyond the Mississippi river west to an indefinite boundary.

0 HIbTOKlCAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

0\ the 31st of October, 1S03, congress passed an act providing that all military, judicial and civil powers exercised in gov- erning this new acquisition should be "vested in such persons and exercised in such man- ner as the president of the United States shall direct."

A year later (1S04) the territory was divided, that part lying south of the o3d parallel becoming the Territory of Orleans, and that portion north of said line the District of Louisiana. The executive government of the latter division was placed under the con- trol of General AVilliam Henry Harrison, then governor of Indiana, and the judiciary under the direction of the judges of Indiana Territory.

In 1805 congress again made an important change. On the 4th day of July of that year this district became the Territory of Louisi- ana, with executive and judicial powers vested in a governor and three judges, to be appointed bj^the president, with the consent of the senate.

December 7, 1S12, the territor}^ again underwent a great change, on that day becoming the Territory of ^lissouri, with the addition of an important factor in its

CHICKA<A\V COUNTY, IOWA. V

government, tliat of a legislative depart- ment, con^iisting of a council and house of representatives, the Intter composed of one representative for every tive hundred free white male inhabitants, to be elected every two years by the votes of free white male tax-paying citizens- The council consisting of nine members, was to be chosen by the president of the United States (with the approval of the Senate) from citizens resi- dents of the territory, for an ofiicial term of five years. Vetoing power, absolute, wvis vested in the governor.

Congress, however, on the 29th da}' of April, 1S16, enlarged the power of the people, granting, among other concessions, the right of popular vote to select council.

March 4. 1S21, congress passed an act defining the boundaries of Missouri, and it was admitted as a state- This division lefl all that vast expanse of territory of vvhicf the present states of Iowa, Wisconsin ana Minnesota are a part, again directly under the jurisdiction of congress, in which condi- tion it seems to have remained until the middle of 1834, when it was attached to the Territory of Michigan.

Only as a matter of history, however, had

10 niSTOKICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

these f]^ieat changes affected in the least what i.>s now known as Iowa, for it was not until the year ISo-i*. the year previous to annexation to Michigan, that white people maaifesteJ any special interest in its settle- ment.

The Territory of Wisconsin was organized on the 3d day of Jul}', lSo6, carrying with it the two counties of Demoine and Dubuque.

The relationship thus existing between the counties of Wisconsin under one terri- torial government, of the people v^est of the Mississippi river, terminated July 3, 1S3S, with the organization of the general govern- ment, of the people west of the Mississippi river, into a separate territory to be known by the name of IOWA.

President Van Buren appointed Robert Lucas, of Ohio, Governor, and William B. Conway, of Pennsylvania, Territorial Secre- tary.

The seventh Territorial Assembly passed an act providing for the holding of a consti- tutional con\ention, and designated April (^, ]J^4(>, as the date for the election of delegates. This conventi(3n convened at Iowa City on May 4th of same year, and adjourned May 19th, after formulating a constitution which

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 11

was afterwards ratified and adopted b}' the people at au election held August o, 1S4G, by the small majority of four hundred and fifty- six votes.

Under this constitution the State of Iowa was admitted as tlie twenty-ninth State of the Federal Union, on the 2'Sth day of Decem- ber, 1S46, and the first State election held on the 26th day of October, 1S46, so as to be ready to assume Statehood on Congre3S pass- ing an enabling act.

12 HISTORICAL AND KEMINISCENCES OF

6bichasa\v County* .

Chickasaw county was first created as a political sub-uivision of the State of Iowh, in 1S51, by Chapter 0, of the Acts of the Third General Assembly, Sectiouoo of which reads as follows: '"That the followirif^ shall be the boimdaiios of a new count}', which shall be called Chickasaw, to-wit: Beginning at the northwest corner of township 97, range 10; thence west to the northwest corner of township 97, range 14; thence south to the southwest corner of township 94, range 14; thence east to the southwest corner of town- ship 94, range 10; thence to the place of beginning." which act was approved on the 15th day of January, A. D. 1S51.

By Chapter 120 of the xVcts of the Fourth General Assemby the boundaries of Cliicka- saw county were changed as follows:

" Sec. 1. Be it enacted hj the General Assernhlij of the State of loina. That the north hall" of town- ship 97, of rmi2'cs number 11, 12, 13 and 11, fol- lowinir the line of tlie United States iub-division

CniCnA<AW COUNTY, IOWA. 13

thereof shall be. and the same are hereby, detached from Chickasaw county, and attached to Howard."

B^^ the Acts of the Fourth Geueral Assem- bly, Chapter 12, approved January 12th. 1S53, Chickasaw county was "attached to Fayette county for election, revenue and judicial purposes."

By Section 1 of this Act "the counties of :Mitchelh Howard, Floyd, Worth and Fi-ank- lin were attached to the county of Chicka- saw."

OEGANIZATIOX OF CHICKASAW COUNTY.

A PETITION having been presented to the

county judge of Fayette county, asking that

the county of Chickasaw be organized, the

judge issued his w*arrant on the 31st day of

June, 1S53, as follows:

State of Iowa, } Fayetie County, f

John Bird — Sir: By virtue of power vested in me by the Code of Iowa I have this day appointed you oroanizing sheriff for the orjraniza- tion of Chickasaw county. You are hereby required to post up at least five written notices in said county, that on the first Monday iu Au<]:u3t tiitre will be an election held at the house of E. A.

14 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

Haskell iu the towu of Bradford, for the purpose of organizino; said county and electing county offi- cers, as follows, to-wit: County juds^e, district clerk, recorder and treasurer, school fund commis- sioner, prosecutino^ attorney, sheriff, coroner, and county surveyor; and also one justice of the peace, three township trustees and town clerk, and make due returns to me of the same at my office in West Union. The above mentioned notices to be posted up at least ten days prior to the election. Thomas Woodle, County Judge. June 30, 1853.

In pursuance of this commission an attempt was made to organize the county in August, IS-jC, and officers were elected, but not in accordance \/ith the wishes of the organising sheriff, and as the easiest way to prevent the opposition getting control of the county no return was made, and as a consequence no power was given to those elected to pe»^form the functions of their office.

Acting under the same authority the organizing sheriff called an election on the ord day of April, lS5-i, at which election the following officers wer'^ elected: James L}^on, county judge; S. ^. Goddard, county clerk: John Campbell, treasurerand recorder; D. A. Babcock. prosecuting attorney; And}'

CUICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 15

Sample, sleriff. The on]y record showiug date of election is the bond of John Camp- hell as treasurer and recorder, signed b}' G-. R. Rowley and James L. Frazee as bonds- men (this was preserved from the wood box), and filed in county judge's office April 12, 1S")4. On the hack of the commission is '• Notice to organizing sheriff, filed December 31, 1S54, in the office of county judge of Chickasaw county, J. Lyon, county judge-" Legend says that S. C. Goddard resigned as county clerk and J. A. J. Bird was appointed to fill the vacancy. The earliest record we find of J. A. J. Bird acting as county clerk is upon the commissioner's report for the locating of the county seat^ which reads as follows: "Filed iu the office of the clerk of the county court August 14, A. D., 1S54, J. A. J. Bird, clerk."

TOWNSHIPS.

At the organization the whole county constituted but one precinct, and was known as Bradford.

In the County Juige's record is the fol- lowing entry:

"At the March term of the county court, the 1S55,

16 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCKS OF

Ordered that the cuunty of Chickasaw constitute five election townships.

1st. Township 9-J-li and 13, to be called Brad- ford district.

2d. Township 95, Ran^e 14 and 13, to be called Chickasaw district.

3d. Township OG, ilan^re 14 and 13 to be called the Brink district.

4th. Township 90}-97, Range 11 and 1-2 to be called the Obispo district.

oth. Township 94 and 95, Range 11 and 12 to be called Yankee c'istrict.*'

At a special session of the county court, held July 26, 1S55, it was "Ordered that the Brink district be attached to Chickasaw for election purposes."

At the ]\Iarch term, 1S56 "Application was made by petition to organize township 96^ range 14, and asking for the name of Deer- field to be given the same, which was granted, and south half 1)7, range 14 added thereto."

''Township 94, range 14 (should have been 13) was ordered organized and called Rich- land."

"Application was made to organize 96 and south half 97, ran.;e 13, which was granted." JNo name given on the record, but should have been Washington.

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 17

June terai of Record, says: ''It appearing to this court that the township of Washincr- ton failed to effect a legal organization in accordance with the order of this court made at the March term thereof A. D. 1S56, there- fore the said township of Washington is attached to Deerlield township for township and county purposes." The real olJense was that the vote of this town, if allowed, would have removed the county seat from Bradford to Xew Hampton.

February term ]S57, "Town 95, range 13 was ordered to be organized under the name of Dayton.''

April term, 1S57, " Township 95, range 12 was ordered organized under name of New Hampton.'' Also, township 96, range 13, and south half of township 97, range 13 under the name of Washington ; township 91, range 11 and 12, under name of Fred- ericksburg; the west half of township 91, range 12 was attached to Richland; town- ship 95, range 11 under name of Stapleton.

March term 1S5S, township 96, range 12, and south half of township 97, range 12 was ordered organized under the name of Jack- sonville.

Township 96, range 11 and south half of 2

IS HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

township 97, rau;^e 11 was ordered organized under the name of Utica.

In 1S59, township 94. range 12 was ordered organized under the name of Dresden.

Subsequent!}' the east tier of sections of Dresden were detached and attached to Fred- ericksburg but were afterwards returned with the exception of the southeast quarter of section 12 and the northeast quarter of section 13. The northeast of the southeast and the southeast of the northeast of section 12 have been detached from Dayton and attached to Xew Hampton.

Thus it will be observed that we have lost as townships' names the euphonious ones of Obispo, Brink and Yankee.

CHICKASAW COUNTY, lOVTA. 19

CHICKASAW COUNTY IX lSo5.

BRINK	OBISPO
CHICKASAW	YANKEE
BRADFORD

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20 HISTORICAL A>-D KEMINISCEN'CES OF

CHICKASAW COUNTY IN 1S56.

K	o < >	OBISPO
CHICKASAW	YANKEE
IBIiADFORD 1	RICHLAND

CniCKASAVv' COUNTY, IOWA.

21

CHICKASAW COUKTr IN 1857.

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t4	z	OBISPO
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		N E W	1
CIIIUKASAW	DAYTON	MAM PTON	STAPLETON
BRADFORD	RICHLAND	FREDERICKSBURG

22 HISTOKICAL AND KEMIMSCENCES OF

CHICKASAW COUNTY IN 1858.

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OHTCKASAW	DAYTON	HAMPTON	STAPLETON 1
IJRADFORD	RICHLAND	FREDERICKSBURG

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA.

23

CHICKASAW cor XT Y IX 1S04.

	Z o z X <	> Z X < •-5	<
CHICKASAW	DAYTON	NEW HAMPTON	STAPLETON
BRADFORD	RICHLAND	DRESDEN	FREDERICKS- UURG

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2-1 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

XAMES.

Prior to the settlement of the County, it was occupied by a Tribe of Inrlians bearing the name of Chickasaw — in early document.s it was Chickesaw — and their chief was named Bradford. The County and the Town of Chickasaw were named after this Indian Tribe, and the Township of Bradford after its chief.

The Town of Brink was named after a man by the name of Brink, who built the "Brink House'" about two miles northeast of the present City of New Hampton, on the banks of the east Wapsie.

Obispo was named by "Yankee Smith," for his patron Saint, St. Obispo.

The Town of Yankee was suggested by Fred Padden, he declaring that it was set- tled by a set of "d Yankees-"

Deerfield was named by J, A. Sawin, and the name was suggested by the vast herds of deer seen grazing on her prairies.

The name of Richland was selected at its first election by ballot.

Malachi Havelick suggested Milan, J. I).

CHICKASAW COUNTY. IOWA. 25

Hawes Medina, and F. D. Hall Richland, remarking that the fertilitj' of it.s soil would thus be expressed iu its name. A motion was made to ballot for a name, and when the ballots were counted, it was found that the name of Eichland had the most ballots, and that name was adopted.

Washington was named in honor of the Father of Our Countiy, bj^ S. W. Byers.

Dayton was named by E. R. Gillett to commemorate the name of the man who run for vice-president with Fremont, Gillett hav- ing been his ardent supporter.

New. Hampton was named by Osgood Gowen in hono"' of his old home, he having come from Xew Hampton, Xew Hampshire.

Fredericksburg was named after Fred Padden, who was one of its first settlers.

Stapleton was named after Thomas G. Staples, he being her first settler.

Jacksonville was named by J. H. Dickens in honor of his old home, he having emi- grated from Jacksonville. Hlinois.

Utica was named by Hugh Johnston, after his old home in Venango County, Pennsyl- vania.

Dresden, having become settled with a large per cent of Germans, they desired to

2G EISTOKICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

commemorate a spot of their father Lmd, aud Damed the township Dresden.

The villages of Bradford, Chickasaw, Fred- ericksburg and Xew Hampton, take their names from the townships in which located.

Xashiia received its present name from E. P. Greele\\ in honor of his old home in Xew Hampshire. It was at first called Bridge- port, aud when Andy Sample and Dea. "Woodbridge became its proprietors, Sample liad it changed to AYoodbridge- AVhen Greeley became its principal proprietor he gave it its present name.

North was prefixed to "Washington, for the reason there was so manj' postofhces in the State by the name of AVashington, that the department refused to grant another.

Lawler was named after John Lawler, of Prairie Da Chien, he being the active agent representing the railroad company when the town was laid out,

Ionia is a second thought, it being first named Dover, but as the department refused to grant another postotiice by that name it was changed to Ionia, but v.-ho suggested that name is not certain. Its first name was given to it by Mr. Hammond in honor of his former home.

jniCKASAVv- COUNTY, IOWA.

27

Bastett was named after one of the firm of Bassett & Hunting, an extensive wheat buying firm along the line of the railroad, they both living in McGregor.

COUNTY SEAT.

At the organization of the County there was but one Precinct and that was Bradford and per force of that fact it became the County Seat.

Section Five of Chapter Twelve of the Laws of the Fourth General Assembly pro- vided

"That a majority of the citizens of any County, after becoming or2:anized, may petition the district judge in whose judicial district the same is situated, during vacation of the General Assembly, whose duty it shall be to appoint tliree Commissioners from three different adjoinincf Counties, who shall proceed to locate the County Seat of such Ct^nnry according to the provisions of this act."

Under the authority here conferred a pef tion was presented to Ju'lge Wilson, who was at that time district judge of the Second Judicial Districtof Iowa, of which Chickasaw County was a part.

23 HISTOJUCAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

There i? no record showing who was appointed except tl.'e report of the Commis- sioners. w]ii,ch was filed in the office of the Clerk of the District Court August 14, A. D. 1S54, the filing on the back being "J- A. J. Bird, Clerk,'' and signed by William Mc- Clintock, of Fayette County, and John B. Onstine, of Winneshiek County. The third man not signing his name is lost in oblivion. The following is the report of the commis- sioners:

To the IIo7ioi'dble County Judge of Chickasaio County^ Iowa:

The undersifrned. Commissioners appointed by the judge of the Second Judicial District of the state of Iowa, to locate and establish the County Seat of said County of Chickasaw, respectfully report that having had the same under considera- tion, they have selected the town of Bradford in the county and state aforesaid, as the point at which said County Seat is hereby located and estab- hshed.

Wm. McClintock, John B. Onstine, Commissioners.

At the February term of the County Court, 1856, a petition of J- C. H. Miller and two hundred and twent3^-four others was pre-

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 29

sented, prayini^ '* tliat at the next April elec- tion to be holden thereafter in >aid county, a vote shall be taken between Bradford, the existing County Seat of said County, and New Hampton, for the County Seat."'

The prayer of the petitioners was granted, and in accordance therewith an election was held, and New Hampton received two hun- dred and thirteen votes and Bradford two hundred and six votes.

When the vote was canvassed the town- ship of Washington was thrown out, and this left a tie, giving each place two hun- dred and three votes, and as it took a major- ity to move the Count}" Seat, the canvassing board decided in favor of Bradford.

On the sixth day of June, 1S56. an informa- tion was hied by Osgood Gowen, in the ofhce of the Clerk of the District Court, asking for a writ of mandamus, and in accordance with the prayer, a writ was issued against the board of canvassers the same day. On the day following, two members of the board — W. E. Andrews, vrho was e.r-officio County Judge, and John Bird, -Justice of the Peace, filed a response, which is given in full, as it contains nearly all the history of the case, and is, moreover, a unique specimen of that

80 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

legal explicitness which is supposed to be attained oaly through technical verbiage.

State of Iowa, [ In the District Court of CnicKASAW County. ) said County.

To the June Term thereof, A. D. 1856.

In tl]e matter of the information of Os<^ood Gowen for Jlandamus against the board of can- vassers of Chickasaw County aforesaid, in the mat- ter of an election between Bradford and Xew Hampton, for the establishment of the County Seat of said County,

" And the said W. E. Andrews and John Bird, canvassers of election in said information, men- tioned, come, and answering, say that they admit that at the Februajy term of tlie County Court, of said County of Chickasaw, A. D. 1856, a petition was presented to said County Court, by J. C H. Miller and two hundred and twenty-four citizens, as alleged in said information, upon which said petition an order v/as n^ade by eaid County Court that the questicu of a relocation of yaid County Seat of Chickasaw County be submitted to a vote of the legal voters of said County in the year 18.56; and that, in pursuance of said order Bubmittinor the question of a relocation of said County Seat to a vote of the legal voters of said County at the April election A. D. 1856, said ques- tion was submitted and voted on at said election. And your respondents further answering, say sev- erally and respectively, that in the returns cf said

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 31

electiou and' according to the same, it did appear that the town of New lianipton had received the number of two hundred and thirteen votes for the County Seat of said County, and that the town of Brfidford received two ])undred and six votes for the County Seat of said County as appeared on the face of the papers purporting to be said returns of the said election. And 3-our respondents aver, and they so answer, that all the returns so made to the County Judcje of said Count}' of Chickasaw at the election so held in and for said County, were then and there to- wit: At Bradford in said County, duly examined and canvassed as the law directs, by said hoard of canvassers; and that after such examina- tion and canvass as aforesaid it was found that the said election returns at the election held as afore- said for the purposes aforesaid, were duly and properly made in compliance with law, with the exception of the Township of "Washington in said Count)-; and after duly examining and canvassing the returns of said electiou so held as aforesaid, for the purpose aforesaid for all the townships and precincts in said county, it was found that returns of the votes for the said Township of Washington were insufficient, irregular and of no effect, and utterly null and void in law, and so said respon- dents, answering as aforesaid, aver that said votes of the Town of Washington, given at said election, having been found aiid decided by said board of canvassers, and were then and there v/ithin the time aforesaid duly and legally rejected by said

6Z niSTOKICAL AND rvE:JINISCI-:XCES OF

board of cauvassers, after a legal canvass of the said votes and returns, then and there held for insuffieienc}', irregnlarity and nullity, and for no other reason.

"And yonr respondents, further answerino;, say that after said returns of all said to^vnships and precincts of the said county of Chickasaw was so can- vassed as aforesaid, and the returns of the votes of the said township of Washington were so rejected as aforesaid, the state of the canvass was as follows, to- wit: Bradford received two hundred and three votes; and of the votes so rejected after said c?.n- vass as aforesaid, ten votes were cast for New Hampton and three votes for Bradford; and that your respondents there made out and signed a statement of the canvass aforesaid, specifying the said number of votes cast for the respective places aforesaid, which remains of record in ihe office of the County Judge 6f said county, by reference to which will more fully appear. Aud your respond- ents, further answering, deny that they have done ought in the premises aforesaid; they have acted fairly, honestly and in good faith, as they b,elieved, and still believe, in strict accordance with law and their duties as canvassers as aforesaid. And your respondents having fully answered herein, beg to be discharged. "W. E. Andrews,

John Bird."'

It was claimed by the relators that the board of canvassers having found the returns

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA.

33

from Wasbiiigtou Township irregular, were in duty bound to return them to the town- ship officei's for correction, and to stay the canvass until the returns were corrected and returned, and then complete the canvass. A change of venue from the County was applied for, and the case fell between the courts, it being claimed that the proper fees were not paid for a transcript, and the decis- ion of the canvassers remained and the County Seat remained at Bradford.

The reason given for the change not being completed, seems strange at this late day, for it belongs to the applicants for the change of venue to pay this fee, and a failure on their part left the case pending in this County. It was more than a hint that the relator plowed with the Bradford heifer.

The throwing out of the returns from . Washington Township not only defeated the removal of the County Seat to New Hamp- ton, but changed the election of every County Officer in the county. The public mind was in a high state of excitement, and local party feeling run high.

A public meeting was called to meet at the Brink House — a well known hotel on the banks of the east Wapsie, about one and

84 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

one-half miles northeast of Xew Hampton — the objects and proceedings of which will more fully appear by a perusal of the rejtort of one of the board of canvassers, and which ^Yas issued as a hand bill.

INDIGNATION MEETING.

Pursuant to notice the citizens of central, western and the northern parts of Chickasaw County, assembled at the Brink House on AYednesday, April 23, ISofi, and organized by calling Hon. J. C. H. "Miller to the chair and electing E. R. Gillett, Esq., secretary.

The chairman stated the objects of the meeting in a few words:

"It seems,'' he said, ''that we are called together to deliberate upon the ways and means, whereby the people — the majority of the people — claiming to be republicans, shall be heard, and the 'elective franchise' vindi- cated." On motion, a report (minority) from G. R. Rowley, one of the county l.ioard of canvassers, was read and ordered to be printed in the Dubuque Tribune. On motion, a committee of three was appointed to pro- cure counsel. Osgood Gowen, T. A. Jacobs and David Edwards were appointed said committee. Mr. Cutler introduced the fol-

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 35

lowin.^ resolution, which was unanimously adopted.

JResolved, That the proceedings of this meetiiLS:, and the report of Mr. Rov/ley (together with 200 circulars struck off) bo pubKshcd in the Dubuque Trihun-e. On motion the meetinoj adjourned sine die. E. R. GiLLETTK, J. C. H. Miller,

Secretory. Chf^irimn.

A MINOEITY EEPOKT. ILOt ?^^o54

To the Electors of Cldckasam Cou7ity, loica:

As one of the canvassers of the election held in Chickasaw County on April 7th, I deem it mj'duty in justice to you, to inform 3'ou of the number of votes cast at the time for the different County Officers, and also for County Seat. They are as follows:

Whole number of votes cast for Count}' Judge was 426.

Mr. Miller received of these votes 215

Mr. Bailey received of these votes 210

Leaving a majority in Miller's favor of . . . . 5 Whole number of votes cast for County Clerk was 423.

Mr. Jacobs received of these votes 216

Mr. Webster received of these votes 207

Leaving a majority in Jacobs" favor of.

86 niSTOiaCAL AND KEMINISCEXCES OF

Wliole number of votes cast for Count}' Sur- veyor was 423.

Mr. Webster received of these votes 190

Mr. Billings received of these votes 183

Leavin<> a majorit}' in "Webster's favor of . . 13 Whole number of votes cast for School Fund Commissioner, 412.

Mr. Tucker received of these votes 219

Mr. Wright received of these votes 206

Leaving a majority in Tucker's favor of . . . G Whole number cast for County Seat was 420.

New Hampton, or Geographical Center, received of these votes 213

Bradford received of these votes 206

Leaving Xew Hampton, or Center, a major- ity of 7

The Hon. W. E. Andrews, then acting as Judge, John Bird, Esq., and myself, constituted the board. We differed on the validity of the returns from the Washington Precinct. (The reasons assigned by the canvassers for the throwing out of Wasiiington Precinct, was this: all the board of election in that Precinct did not sign the returns, and hence this ousting business. Washington is a new Precinct, having only organized at the last election, and rhev had not the Code to guide them.) But tliere being two to one they overruled me, and threw out those returns, after having them down on the clerk's tall/ [ist, which, if not destroyed, can yet be seen in the

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 37

office; thej' were crossed off, and the remaining; precincts counted, which chani:ced the result of the election. If, fellow citizens, this was the first time that Bradford and her hirelings had polluted tlie sanctit}-- of the ballot box, we mio;ht overlook it. It is no lonjjer aijo than last August that we elected this same J. C. H. ]^.Iiller as our County Judge by over Htty majority. Then the Hon. Judge Lyous and E. A. Haskell, Esq., perverted the will of the majority of the votes of the County by throwing out a precinct with over sixt}- votes to obtain their ends, without anj' just cause, as I reril}' believe, and so the Court decided, before whom the honor- able Judge was taken, and it saw tit to bind him over to answer for fraud and corruption in chang- ing tlie result of the election.

But what do we now see i The same prosecu- ting attorne\', who took such an active part against the Hon. Judge L^'ons, and had him bound over, now is called upon to act as judge and canvasser. How much does he lack of perverting the will of the people ? Has he not also taken advantage of ignorance or oversight, and changed the result of the election, when it was in his power to have avoided it ? "O, consistenc}' thou art a jewel.''

Fellow citizens, the day of our freedom and independence has sfoue by in this far-famed county of Chickasaw; the will of the majority has to suc- cumb to a meager minority. The democratic will, "the greatest good to the greatest number,'' is perverted, and its glorious precepts trampled on

33 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

with impiniit}'. Afrain, the American principles, "The majority shall rule,''' is cast aside, and a new plank is instituted, thus "The minority shall rule in Chickasaw county henceforth and forever."

Fellow citizens, was ever so palpable gross fraud perpetrated as this ? Were ever inconsistencies so glaring as those of our Bradford neighbors? We may boast of our love of libertv. and expatiate with owlish gravity upon the wrongs of Kansas, but I tell you the home rutnans in this county tower in brutal atrocity and unmitigated villany above the Kansas-Missouri brigands. We may talk of ."going to Kansas to defend the ballot-bos from a Missouri mob; but we know little of our duty when we thus talk and act; we little think the same thing is transpiring in our very midst; the ballot-box is wrested from us— the palludium of our liberties assaulted — the voice of the majority slighted — the rights of the people taken away.

Fellow citizens, how long shall we be slaves to the minority in this land of liberty, "this land of the free and home of the brave?" If our voice is not to be heard and heeded at the ballot-box, what security have we for our lives and our property? Are they not in jeopardy? Are they not in the hands of those that could barter them awa}' for a "mess of pottageT' What! the minority rule? If the minority continue to rule how long before we are burdened with taxes. How long before we are called upon to build county buildings at Bradford? The minority rules and we must submit! Shall we

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 39

let this wrong pass unnoticed and unrebuked? Is there an\- assurance that there will not be a repeti- tion of the same offense next year' and the next? and so on for a series of 3'ears^ In the language of Patrick Henry, "shall we gain strength by inaction and irresolution? shall we lay supinely on our backs, and hug the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies have bound us hand and foot?" Answer these questions, fellow citizens, upon the altars of your hearts. Answer them with' an eye single to the welfare, happiness and pros-perity of this beautiful county.

As your canvasser, fellow citizens, I have laid the subject before you for your consideration. Hoping that you will take notice of such facts as I have submitted to you.

I am, respectfully, your humble servant.

G. R Rowley.

Finding that they were thwarted at the ballot-bos, and having elected E. R. Gillett as Representative who was favorable to a change of the County Seat, an act was passed by the General Assembly appointing a Com- mission to relocate the County Seat, and by Chapter two hundred and thirty-six. of the Laws of the Sixth General Assembly it was provided, *'That D. B, Wallen, of Bremer county. H. B. Hoyt and C. A. Newcomb, of Fayette county, be, and they are hereby

40 HISTORICAL AND RP:MINISCENCE5 OF

appointed Coimiiisi^ioners to relocate the Seat of Justice of Cliiickasaw County, on the first Monday of March, 1S57. or within two months thereafter, as a majority of them may agree in the pursuance of their duties under the provisions of this act."

Under this appointment D. P. Wallen and H. B. Hoyt met and relocated the County Seat at New Hampton. The entry in the County Judge's Record says: The Commis- sioners appointed by the Act of the Legisla- ture to relocate the County Seat of Chicka- saw county, report in favor of the Geographi- cal Center, or Xew Hampton.

There was a general desire of the south part of the County that there should be an effort to take the County Seat from Xew Hampton at the next election. But one town could be voted for at one election, and there were three aspirants for the place, Fredericksburg, Forest City and Bradford. Many were the councils, and protracted the discussion as to how they should settle upon a place, for to even hope for success there must be harmony. At a final interview it was agreed that a representative of each tovrn should together visit every voter in the southern tier of Townships, taking their

CniCKASAVv' COUXTT. IOWA. 41

first and second choice of place-, and when so taken, they were to add the first and sec- ond choice together, and the town having the largest sum was to be the town to be voted for. This looked fair on its face, but it was soon found that the middle town had greatly the advantage- When this dawned upon the outside towns it v;as too late to join and make common cause, for Forest City had foreseen this and had crowded the canvass so that nothing could be done and Forest City was successful.

Up to this time, one of the principal actors in representingr the interests of Bradford, was John Bird. Of medium stature, dark complexion, and compact build, he was the early local politician and manager that con- trolled the interests of Bradford. To be a Bradford man was to evoke his interest at once. As a wire-puller, he stood head and shoulders above his compeers, and freely used all that came to hand for his purposes, and even the shrewd Case and the cautions Howard, were more than once used to poke his chestnuts from the fire. Subsequently the other fellow poked the chestnuts, much to his sorrow. The trouble with him was that he did not grow as fast as his surround-

42 HISTORICAL A^'D REMIMSCEXCES OF

ings. and when the County Seat h^ft Brad- ford, Bird lost his prominence, and never regained it. Among the leaders that came to the front as managers of the changed interests of the south, was Hiram Bailey, who, so long as Forest City had interests, IDulled the ropes that changed the scenes.

A petition was presented to the County Judge, asking that the question of the removal of the County Seat from New Hampton to Forest City and the praj'er of the petitioners was granted and the question was submitted to a vote of the electors of the county, on the fifth day of April, 1S5S. ^Vheu the vote was canvassed, the vote of Washington township was thrown out and not counted, for the reason that there was no accompanying poll list. It was found that the Deerfield poli-book had been tam- pered with, and the aggregate of the vote for County Seat, had been changed from fifty-three to forty-three, although the accompanying tally sheet showed the num- ber of fifty-three, and by counting only the forty-three, it left ten of the aggregate of the vote cast, unaccounted for. As >oon as the vote on the County Seat question was can- vassed, and without waiting to complete the

CHICKASAW COUNTY; IOWA. 43

balance of the canvass, declaration was made that the Couut\^ Seat was at Forest City, and the canvassing board was adjourned to meet there at 2 o'clock that afternoon. Within a few minutes the books, furniture and papers of the county offices were in transit for the newly declared County Seat.

On the 3d day of June, 1S58, an informa- tion was filed in the clerk's ofiice, asking for a writ of mandamus compelling the board of canvassers to count the votes that had been cast, including those of Washington and the ten in Deerfield. A special term of the District Court was called to meet in August to hear the case. At the August term an alternative writ was issued, and after hearing, a peremptory writ issued as prayed, and respondents ai^pealed.

At the time of the filing of the information for a writ of manda)nus an information was filed asking for a writ of certiorari. At the special session of the district court these papers were lost and leave was granted to file new ones at the next term of the court.

The mandiimus case v/as reversed by the supreme court as being an improper remedy, so far as the count of Deerfield was con- cerned, but that it was a proper remedy to

44 IIISTOKICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

force the counting of the vote of Washing- ton, notwithstanding the poll list was lack- ing.

On the 12th day of April. 1859, an applica- tion was made to the district judge for an injunction rc3ti;iining the county officers "from holding their offices at any other place than at New Hampton, and one was issued.

At the next term of court the injunction was made perpetual.

Thus was the wrong righted and New Hampton again received her ov\'u.

There has been talk of trying to take the county seat from New Hampton, and at one time there waj an attempt to secure an elec- tion to tliat end, but the remonstrants so far outnumbered the petitioners that even a completion of their official count was pre- vented, by the petitioners withdrawing their petition.

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5G nisToracAL and reminiscences of SCHOOL FUND COMMISSIONER.

At the organization of the county John Bird was elected, but no record was made of his election.

The records in the office show that he acted continuously until October 20, 1856, at "which time he made a contract with J. A. J- Bird for the sale of Northwest quarter of the Northwest quarter of section Sixteen, Township Ninety-four North of Kanp^e Four- teen West of the Fifth Principal Meridian. "- William F. Wright was elected at the spring election of 1S56, but no record made of the same. We find that he was acting on the olst of Jul}', 1S5G. when he received a school fund mortga.^e which was executed on that day to him as School Fund Com- missioner. It would be impossible, and probably unwise, to reconcile the acting of two School Fund Commissioners at the same time.

In 1S5S, at the April election, C. A. Orvis received 470 votes for the office of School Fund Commissioner, and R. Baldwin 275. As the office was abolished Orvis never acted.

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64

HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

The following shows the yearly levy, in mills, of the State, County. County School, Insane, Bridge. County Poor, County Poor House, and County Bond Taxes, as levied from year to year:

lSo5 1850. ISoT.

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CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 65

IReminiscence.

About 2 o'clock of the morning of the lOtb day of 'Mn.y, 1S57, tbo whistle sounded and the steamboat swung iu toward ''McGregor's Landinj:^," and supposing that the shore bad been reached I stepped over the edge of the boat and found myself in water. 1 was pulled on shore and thus found a helping hand on my return to Iowa. Went to the hotel and wrung out my clothes, and at the time of the starting of the stage at 3 o'clock, was enjoying a steam bath, but embarked on the stage for West Union, where I arrived in the evening, cold, hungry, and a little depressed. Went to my room earh^ and proceeded to open up my wet clothes and hang them around the room to dry. Had just got to bed when I was dis- turbed by a rap on the door and, opening it, found that there was another guest who was expected to lodge with me. On looking in and observing the appearance of things ho declined to come in and share my room V7ith me, and as he left I heard him remark, "thatd — d fool has got his washing out.'^ 5

66 HISTORICAL AXD REMINISCENCES OF

Starting the next morniug on foot, for the ample reason that 1 had no money with which to pay stage fare, iit the hollow west of town, found a team stuck in the slough with a load of potatoes and stopped to give the men a lift, but as the stage came along and the passengers and driver refused to stop, conchided to pass on and let tliem help themselves. Passed the stage at the '• Ver- mont House" and did not see it again until it reached Frederick.^ burg. My directions as to the road were: "Pass Potters at the county line, follow the wagon trail leaving the twin trees to tlie right, and the first set- tlement vili be the town.''

My entrance into Chickasaw was on the nth day of May, 1S57. I arrived in Fred- ericksburg some time in the afternoon, just as it began to rain.

As I came up to the old log hotel Webster Pease greeted me and asked if I had seen the stage I told him that I passed it at the "Vermont House." v;here it had stopped for dinner, as I judged from appearances. Thus Webster Pease was the first man to speak to me in the county. He v/as acting as hotel clerk, the house being kept by Lorenzo Carter.

As I passed into the house I was greeted

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9J -I

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. C7

by E. W. Davis, who was then acting as County Surveyor- For the first time, tlirough his kindness, instructions were given me about Townships, Eanges, Sections, and the subdivisions of sections, and other things pertaining to the United States survey. Among those present were Abner Pease and Charles E. Zwick, and soon Fred Padden came in and I was introduced to him. and he was repiesented to be the leading spirit of the place. He presented the prospective growth of the town with such a breezy con- fidence, and so giovring was the prospect, that I felt that fortune had smiled upon me in leading me to a place where my fortune was so fully assured.

As it rained all the balance of the day I was obliged to stay all night. As I desired to see all that was going on I was escorted to an upper room where was the only faro table I have ever seen in the county. As I had walked from "West Union, for the reason that I had no money with which to pay stage fare, I did not make much display bucking the tiger. On the morning of the twelfth I started for Forest City, a prospective town located on sections twelve and thirteen, township ninety-four, range thirteen, being

or

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6S HISTORICAL AND RJ:.MINISCKNCES OF

in what is now Richland township, and one mile west of the present Williamstovru postofiice.

The first settlement on the road west of Fredericksburg was that of A. Y. Allen, who kept hotel in a log house, situated on the northeast corner of section 13-D4-12, he hav- ing a large straw-covered building for a horse barn. Opposite and further west was the log house of Vinal Thaj^ei', about twenty rods from the road.

A little west of Vinal Thayers I called where a log shanty was being erected, nnd on accosting the workman, found it was E. W. Proctor, whom I had knowm in Ohio. Thus E. AV. Proctor was the rirst acquaint- ance I met in the county. On the south- west corner of section seven was the log house of William W. Pike. Walking through the mud another mile, I came to the "city," v.diere I found Hiram Bailey and wife, and a number of acquaintances that I had known in Ohio.

Here I took another lesson in western hopes and prospects, and learned how for- tunate I bad been in escaping Fredericks- burg, and coming to so magnificent a place as Forest City was bound to be. Fredericks-

8>.

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. C9

burg was well euoiigli as an outlying town, but was too far ro one side to ever amount to much, or to become a leading town in the county.

Forest City was in the center of the county, east and west, and would always be on the main stage and railroad route, and there would never be any trouble from the inhos- pitable and bleak prairies of the north part of the county. My presence in the city was soon known, and its denizens came to call upon me, and among the number was William B. Grant, to whom I was introduced, and who was reported as being the moving element of the place, and engaged at that time in the erection of a saw mill, to which was to be added a grist mill in due time.

If Fred Padden was breezy. Grant had a towering confidence that left no doubt, at least in his own mind, of his ability, and while the leading spirit of the "Burg" was well enough in his place, yet he would never do to look after the interest of such a place as Forest City was bound to be. Both of these old pioneers have been canonized by having the post-offices of their respective towns named after their given names, althou;*h ^Yiliiamstown has been moved one

'Oi

<<J HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

mile east of the old cite of Forest City. In many things there was a strikinc:^ likeness in the career of these old pioneers; both relying upon borrowed capital with which to carry on their work; both erecting sawmills; and while both did much to develop the country, both met disappointment in not realizing the full fruition of their hopes.

To be sure there has been a family com- pensation, for their respective brothers, '•'Low'' and '• Preck," have both been pros- pered and have each an abundance of this world's goods, thus again exemplifying that "one shall sow and another reap.''

As I came through Fredericksburg, the ones that impressed me as being the leading spirits, were Fred Padden, Charles E. Zwick, D. B. Hanan and Lorenzo Carter. Padden showed symptoais of Celtic origin, active, aggressive and ready for the main chance. Carter was more phlegmatic, and appeared to be ready to enter into a deal with any one who appeared to present good fallow ground for his speculative plow.

Charles E. Zwick was a slim, light haired, light complexioned, cadaverous and nervous appearing person, showing nervous zeal in whatever he engaged, and was subsequently

CHICKASAW COU>'TY, IOWA. 71

appointed Deputy Sheriff under Padden and ou Paddoirs resiguatiou was appointed by the County Judge to fill the vacancy. He became a strong partizan, during the county seat fight, for the "south," and proved to have a woudertu] memory, where there was an official act to be done in its interest, but where, in his judgment, delay was favorable, his memory was not so acute.

D. B. Hanan was, to all appearance, a representative of the ''boys,'' and was inter- ested in a bowling gallery and its accom- paniment, talked horse and gun and played the fiddle-

The residents of Forest City were Hiram Bailey and wife, William B. Grant and wife, Joseph George, wife and two sons, Dr. Sam- uel B. Carpenter, who was living with his fifth wife and had come west to grow up with the country, Prescott Grant, Ftichard Elliott, Zelotes Bailey, Turner S. (commonly called ''Tip ") Bailey, Amy Bailey and Henry H. Bailey.

Zelotes, Turner S. and Amy were minor wards of Hiram Bailey, he having been appointed guardian of his deceased brother's children.

Soon after my arrival I found an intense

JV

72 HISTORICAL AXD REMIXISCEXCES OF

■ excitement, caused by a prospective meet- ing of a Legislative committee wliich was to locate the County Seat- There was great activity in circulating petitions to be used in influencing this committee, and it was with much regret that I could not sign, for I had not been in the county sixty days.

At Forest City, Dr. Carpenter and Hiram Bailey were living in unfinished frame houses, and the others were living in log shanties with shed roofs made with split shakes and in some instances these were covered with sod to make them warmer. Grant was building a frame house in town and Josepu George was building one half mile north.

Zelotes and "Tip"' Bailey had burned a kiln of brick the fall before, being the first brick made in the county, and I went to work building a brick hen-house for Hiram Bailey, which was the first l)rick building erected in the county. I also built a chim- ney for Joseph George on his new house. As the town existed only on paper, I went to work, after finishing my brick work, survey- ing the town, accordmg to the plat they had adopted. As it then stood it was covered with hazel brush, with the exception of the

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 73

slough that run just south of the saw mill,

and this was full of water.

On the Sunday following my arrival, I

attended a Sunday School at the log house

of Malachi llavelick, one mile north of town.

This was followed l)y a temperance meeting,

and among the speakers were Judge Bailej',

Hiram Bailey, E. K. Gillett and M. llaverlick,

and Mrs. E. li. Gillett read an essay, and here

I made my first speech in the county. The

singing was enthusiastic and did credit to the

old song:

"Thrice welcome friends, and here we meet in friend- ship's circle bright, "Where nothing mars the pleasure sweet or dims the radiant light."

My next oratorical effort was made when the steam whistle sounded for the first time at the saw mill. This was looked upon as an event, and but the herald of the locomo- tive that would soon go screaming through and past the town. It was a good time to let the eagle soar and we let him fly. It was for a long time a disputed point as to which could be heard the farthest, the steam whistle, or Judge Bailey.

Judge Bailey was a character that could only exist in a new country, and could be developed and ln*ought out nowhere else.

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/•i HISTORICAL A^TD KEMINISCENCES OF

Born in a new and timbered country, of poor parents, liis earh- life Vv'as spent at work and without the benciit of i^chool3. At his majority he could hardly write his name, and the county records show that he never devel- oped the art of chirography to any great extent.

Reared in a rural and sparsely settled country, surrounded by a class of religion- ists that related their experience with more fervor than thought, his imagination was developed in volume and spirit character- istic of uncultured force. Of large square build, with a small, compact and round head — given to being bald — with an uncommonly large and projecting nose, and a stentorian voice, he sounded forth his convictions and experiences, and exhorted the unrepentant to flee from the wrath to come in tones that 'would put to shame the "]\[ad Bull of Bashan," and shook up Stones's Corners and Joppa, where he u<ed to live, like an earth- quake. Of coarse this "'Divine Afriatus" could not be enduring, and when relaxed his active mind sought other outlets, and, in his gropings, he became a firm believer in phre- nology, as taught by Fowler, aod turned his attention to '• bumpology,"' as he called it.

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. /D

About this time he fell in with a work ou the theory of creation, known as " The Vestiges of Creation," and his lively imai:;- ination found new inspiration, and his intel- lect an inspiring thought, as he fancied he saw the creation of new worlds and systems, and saw evolved from the fiery mass of immensity the tangible forms of spheres and systems as developed under the author's theory. Hungering as he was for knowledge, absorbed as he was in the sublimity of the supposed discovery, pauperized by the want and knowledge of the use of words, and yet desiring to tind expression and give vent to the sublime truths that he believed to be burning in his soul, he acquired an extrava- gant and hyperbolic enunciation, not always strictly accurate or scientific, but always forcible, if force comes from volume and manner. Without the experience or educa- tion to take up work systematicc*.lly, and without preparation, he entered upon the duties of County Judge, who at that time was not inappropriately called "County King," for he had charge of everything in the county, includir.g roads, bridges, poor, county buildings^ and the levy of all taxes, except local school taxes, and the disburse- ment of all funds.

ri7 .YTVT'Tf'

9 i>fIoch9Ci a«8

7G HISTORICAL AND KEMINESCENOES OF

Cod tiding to a fault, he was in the hands of his friends. George W. Reed had been elected OoLinty Clerk, and being wholly un- qualilied to conduct the office, V. D. Bos- worth was appointed Deputy Clerk and did the business, and he proved himself wise beyond his years, and absolutely refused to draw or file a paper that in bis judgment was not authorized by law and demanded for the public good, and the Judge yielded in most cases, and where he did not, the files show that the documents are in some other handwriting. In all premeditated cases the counsel of his brother Hiram was generally asked and asaally followed with safety, unless over])Oweriug personal motives biased his judgment.

His character can be summed up in this: He was a man of uncommon physical energy, with little experience or forethought; willing to reward his friends and not adverse to hitting his enemies; easily persuaded and moving at once from the impulse; without the experience or acumen of a debater, but v.-ith the force of a pugilist; enamored with his own voice and power as a speaker, yet lacking the culture and tact to use this power to a purpose, he swept over the county

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 77

like a prairie tire, not leaving many ashes or doing: much harm.

The first of June I took a trip to»New Hamptoii, to see the town that was desfined to be a successful rival of Forest City. One mile north of Forest City was the loo; house of Judge Bailey and a little further alon? and on tbe opposite side of the road, was the log house of Malachi Haverlick. One mile further north was the log house of James Upham. When I reached his place I found him breaking, and as he had but one leg, he was using the plow handles for one and hopping along behind the breaking plow. The next settlement on the road and the only one before reaching !New Hampton, was three miles south of town, where Wesley Sway zee lived in a log house on the west and John Johnson, a Xor- wegian, on the enst, also in a log house, of the town line road. To reach this settlement from Upham's, it was necessary to make a detour westward, via the groves, for the sloughs and high grass prevented a more direct route.

Oq my arrival in Xew Hampton, I found the population to consist of Harrison Gur- ley, wife and sou, Homer Hamlin, wife and

7S IIISTOPvICAL AND IJEMIXISCENCES OF

three children, Gideon Gardner and wife, David Edwards, v/ife and two children, E. T. Runion, wife and two children, 0. Carpenter and wife, and E. W. Parker.

Gurley had a .store in a log house and lived in the back part, this being the first store building in New Hampton, having been erected by James Jared and sold 'by him to Osgood Gowen, and was used for post-ofUce, and the only place of public resort in the town, but he was building his old store building that has stood for the last third of a century on the southeast corner of Main street and Locust avenue. E. T. Kunion had a pen of poplar poles, without cover, in which he had a bellows and anvil, and called it a blacksmith's shop. David Edwards was living in a frame house, the studding of which were flattened poplar poles, and it was sided with basswood boards and then filled in between the poles with prairie mud. There were seven houses and shanties in the town.

I remained until about two o'clock in the afternoon, and so well pleased was I with the town that I invested every cent I had in the world, before leaving, that is to say, I paid twenty-five cents to David Edwards for

/80q

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 79

my dinner. I walked back to Forest City that night, and the next day went to laying brick on the sawmill arch and chimney.

Soon after this 1 attended my first wed- ding in the county; the contracting parties were Eichai-d Elliott and Amy Bailc}'. I had the honor of being first man. and Lizzy Smith, subsequently Mrs. F. D. Bosworth, was bridesmaid. The bride was fourteen years old. an orphan, and not very well sup- plied with this world's goods. Tradition was still clung to that white was the only suita- ble color for a bride, and this was met by the bride borrowing a dress of regulation color, if not in form, of Mrs. Dr. Carpenter. It appeared to be in what has since been called Mother Hubbard style, but was adapted to the occasion by encircling the waist with a ribbon, borrowed from the same source. Her feet were encased in a pair of stockings borrowed of "Tiney,'' and shoes from Dr. Carpenter. Judge Bailey per- formed the ceremony, and in an exceedingly short time I had the pleasure of saluting the new made wife.

Crude as this may now seem, this couple have raised a family that are now occupy- ing positions of confidence and trust, and

so nibTORICAL AND KEMINI^CENCES OF

the Diother is au liouored and benevolent woman, carrying a blessing with her where- ever she is known. 1 am old fashioned enough to prefer seeing youn.G' people start at the end of the ladder that these young jieople did, and go up, than see them mount the upper round and go the other way.

As soon as the report of the commis- sioners was announced, locating the County Seat at New Hampton, means were taken to submit the question to a vote of the county, to bring it to some point in the south part of the county.' Bradford, Forest City and Fredericksburg wanted it.

It was absolutely essential that the south part of the county lie united, to give even a semblance of success. Much canvassing was had to devise some means by which there should be harmony as to the town selected. Hiram Bailey proposed a plan that was adopted. A committee of one from each of the southern townships, who were to go together and canvass the votes and have each one designate his first and second choice for places to be voted for, and when the canvass was completed they were to add the, first and second choice for each place, and the one havin:^ the largest number,

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. SI

when thus added, slioiild be the place to be voted for.

The committee appointed were John Bird of Bradford, Hiram Bailey of Richland and Fred Padden of Fredericksburg. There were but three townships then, as Dresden had not been formed- To make the thing safe for Forest City, the other townships were canvassed first. This was so thatthej' could divide their second choice so as not to have either of the other towns secure the largest number. Forest City was selected, and then came the securing of petitioners to call an election, and as the lists of choice for Forest City had been kept with that in view, it was but little labor to prepare them so thej^ could perform this second duty. As Judge Bailey was to pass upon their sufficiency, there was no fear but that they would be accepted, and notice was published that a petition would be presented at tlie March term of the county court-

I attended the spring term of the District Court, it beinj? held in Bradford. As I passed west to the Wapsie, I came to the log house of Rev. S. M. Prentice, a baptist minister who used to preach over on Crane Creek and at Fredericksburg. Crossing the river was

03fcBW 81 (

S2 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

the log hotel of David Tingley, who had built his house on the bank of the river and had raised it high enough, as he supposed, to keep the water out of his house, but this season ho was obliged to raise his threshold two inches to keep out the floods. In the grove west of Tingley's was the log house of David McDouald, it being the onlj- house until Two Mile Creek was reached, where Truman Merritt had made the first perma- nent settlement in the county. No other settlenaents intervened between Merritt's and Bradford.

At this time G. W. Howard, A. G. Case and F. D. ilall were members of the bar and the only local practitioners. G- W. Howard was Treasurer and Recorder of the county, and did very little at the law. He was cool,' reticent, and a self-contained mortal, and no one knew but little about him. With all his gravit}^, he was possessed of a grim humor, and while he had no special personal following, he was held in respect by every- body who met him, either in a financial, political or social capacity. His character may be illustrated by a little incident. He had been boarding for months with a lady, having a suite of rooms of his own. With-

81 i

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CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 83

out notice, he failed to appear at his meals? and his whereabouts was unknown for months.

Returning to hi.s rooms, he went to his breakfast the next morning and walking in he took his seat at tlie table just as though he had been a coufinuous boarder, and no w^ord from him betrayed the fact that he had been absent- After J. H. Powers resigned his seat in the State Senate, to enter the army, he was elected to fill the unexpired term. He was subsequently appointed Major of the twent3'-seventh regi- ment of Iowa Infantry Volunteers and made a brave and cool othcer.

F- D. Hall had been elected Prosecuting Attorne}^ and was a young man of close and discriminating mind, when legal points were placed before him, but he lacked the gift to raise and grasp them of his own volition, as original propositions, either as main or aux- iliary supports of a case- Added to this, he was weighted with a sensitive embarrass- ment that overwhelmed him, mentally and physically, which left him stranded, when he should have been possessed of his every faculty and power.

Thus lacking the vsry element so much

84 HISTORICAL AND KEMINISCEXCES OF

needed for success in a new country, "brass," he soon dropped out of practice and took up the work of an^ agriculturist and 1ms remained an honest, influential and respected citizen.

A. G. Case was a j'oung raan who had received a classical education, and thus started with an adwiiitage over his com- peers, all of whom had graduated from the "Poor Man's College,*' the common schools.

He had studied law under the most favor- able circumstances, yet, with all these advantages, his appearance was decidedly vernal, aud his practice circumscribed. How- ever, beneath this schoolboy appeai-ance there slumbered a force as yet unknown and unfelt, that was to develop the man and show that he possessed legal acumen seldom equaled, and that he had a classifying power that could make all ends subserve his pur- pose, and had not the enticements of a busi- ness life taken him from the profession, he would have stood the peer of the foremost.

This same marked power has not forsaken him in the business world, and he has become president of two National banks and is burdened with the care of his accu- mulations-

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Think not that these were the only ones that a new comer had to meet, for there was the ''traveling bar," consistiu.!? of 'Wil- liam McClintock, Elijah Odell,T^rilo McG lath- er}', L. L. Ainsworth, S. S. Ains worth, S. B. Zeigler and J. O.Crosby, who came from the eastern counties and carried free lances, ever ready to enter the lists, either singly or in a body^ as chance presented itself.

It was something more than a surmise that most of them had formed a syndicate to crush out all local lawyers who proposed to attend to their own cases without calling in their aid.

Having studied law in Dayton, Ohio, and having attended the Law School at Cincin- nati, I had an exalted idea of the dignity ot courts, and wdien I entered the District Court of Chickasaw County for the first time and saw the presiding Judge sitting beside a table w^ith his chair tilted back and his heels resting on the top of the table, while he was whittling a pine stick with all the enthusiasm of a yankee boy, and emit- ting vast flood? of tobacco saliva from his mouth, I felt that my ideal was not realized.

It was at this term of court that I was admitted to the Chiokasaw County Bar, and

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had mj^ first case in tlie county. It was an appeal case, my client being James Upham; L. L. Ains worth was opposing counsel, and it was found that in the court below, both par- ties had forgotten one and one-half bushels of potatoes that my client had received from the other part}-, and that they were worth eighty cents per bushel, making a judgment against my client of one dollar and twenty cents. My client declared that this was right, and that if either of them had thought of the potatoes, he would have paid for them. Thus in my first case a righteous judgment was given.

At this term of court. F. D. Bosworth was acting clerk, George W. Reed, who had been elected clerk, being wholly incompetent. Bosworth was a young man who had received a common school education, living with his father and attending school at Buttcn-nut Ridge, near Tifnn, Ohio, and on reaching his majority, came west to grotv np with the country. After arriving here he taught school and ^plit rails, and showed that he had the spirit of success in him. As Deputy Clerk, all the business of the office fell upon him, and he entered the office with little knowledge of men, but with the vigor of

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youth and a sterling integrit}*. The fact s:oon became apparent that the whole of the county business hud fallen into his hand??, and that in fact he was the arbiter of the county, as he found appeal for direction by the County Judf]^e.

This was a misfortune to him, for he first found it out, then felt it, and then acted it, and it took long years of stern schooling and frequent disappointments, to eradicate the manner thus acquired. His brusqueness was only seeming, for no kinder or move consid- erate heart ever received a place in human breast than was his. With an unimpeacha- ble integrity, a stainless character and a loving nature, he was esteemed and beloved by all who intimately knew him. Had he studied and known more of men, his public life would have been more of a success.

As a home and family man he had few peers.

On my first visit to Bradford I met, aside from the lawyers, Andy Sample, A. W. Bill- ings, George A. Bronson, L. Corey, Leonard Kingsley, E. A. Haskel, Levi Hubbel, D. A. Babcock, J. A. Bird, John Bird, "Stick'' Dodge, Captain W. \V. Foster, Deacon E. W. Woodbridge, Judge DePuy and Judge Andrews.

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These were the representative element of the place, and expressed great faith in the future of the town. As to its location, it seemed that nature had exhausted herself to make a beautiful place for the town, and on paper it presented the appearance of a metropolis with its additions and depots.

Physically W.W. Foster was the moststrik- ing figure, and a bearing that made a marked man of him. Six feet three inches tall, straight as an arrow, full and robust physique, high forehead and white flowing locks, he was a true type of a physical man. In phys- ical contrast was E. A. Haskel, five feet six inches' high, small and eSeminate, when standing by the side of Captain Foster the contrast was striking in the extreme. A. W. Billings was of square build, medium height, a blonde, and had the appearance of being a good liver and having it reasonably well moistened, was a rollicking, good natured fellow, and appeared to be one of the boys. Kingsley was the reverse of Billings, being dark complexioned, and bearing none of the marks of being one of the boys, but a peep behind the scenes would show that ho was known to them and able to carry his part. Corey was a nervous, active man, and full of

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CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. S9

plans, which, if successfallj^ carried out, would have made all prosperous and himself a moneyed man. Like many another castle builder, his schemes failet] to profitably materialize, and the empty buildings that absorbed his substance long stood as monu- ments of his impracticability and along their halls echoed his lost hopes.

None could meet the men of that day without recalling the pleasant smile, affable word and greeting of Deacon Woodbridge. While not one of the boys, he w^as on good terms with them, being entirely void of any sanctimonious bearing, and was greeted by all as a social, good natured and genial com- panion. I learned to like him for his kind- ness and friendship in after years. After the removal of the county seat to New Hampton there was little business, and as I had married and had a family to support, found that I must supplement my profes- sional fees.

After closing my business in court, T went to work on a job I had in hand. The Prose- cuting Attorney desiring to leave, the court appointed me to supply his place before the Grand Jury. The Sheriff failing to find me^ went to Deacon Gardner to make inquiry.

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Deacon Gardner was foreman of the Grand Juiy, and he told the Slieritr that I was prob- ably digging a well for Garley. Deacon \7oodbridge was a member of the Grand Jury, and when he heard the remark, he asked, ''Does he dig wells?" He was assured by Deacon Gardner that I did every- thing I could find to do, when not employed v/ith professional work. To this Deacon Woodbridge remarked, '-Can't kill him, can't kill him. I will g:o home and tell the boys it's no use, they can't kill him,'' and from that hour he was my warm personal friend, and many a dollar his intluence put in my pocket. His memory is still green, and I cherish it lovingl}- and gratefully.

George A. Bronson was the proprietor of the "Bronson House," and if he was to have judgment passeil upon him in modern slang phrase, he would be called "cranky. '' If tie liked a man, no place was too good for him, and no labor too great to make him com- fortable, but if he took an aversion to him, such guest would be the last served or looked after, and if there was complaint it would not call forth soft and soothing words, but a deluge of expletives, he not always bearing in mind the third commandment, although at heart he was a kindly man.

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"Stick" Dodge was a marked character, being deformed, not more than four feet high, mostly body, with little stumps of fin- gers, and the keeper of a saloon that he run under tlie euphonious name of "Pig's Eye." His saloori was headquarters of all the fast men and boys, and the earnings of many a day's work found a place in bis till, and many a pocket book was lighter when it left than when it entered his place of business, although it was reported that he never allowed a game of chance to be played unless limited. This was not so much from princi- ple, as for self protection, for if there was no limit, there \vas chance for exhaustion on a single bet, and in that event there would be but one treat, thus reducing his patronage, or relying on trust.

Had 1 come directly from home surround- ings, I should have been taken by surprise, but as I had spent a year in Texas, 1 was prepared to expect departures from my early training, and 1 met it philosophically, hoping that the time would come when there would be a change more in accordance with the decalogue- In recalling the votaries of the "Pig's Eye," I think of none who have filled places of honor and trust, but many who have ended in povertv and shame-

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D. A. Bcibcock was a genial and popular youuor man, and when the war of the rebel- lion broke out, showed his patriotism by entering the great army of volunteers as soon as he could disguise his misfortune by securing a glass eye, so as to give him the appearance of being eligible. A good fighter, a faithful comrade and true hearted man, his example might have been an inspiration and his life a success.

When inspired by his surroundings, there would flash from him glints of oratory that would thrill and amaze, but they only showed what might have been, had he not been weighted by an indolence that was the bane of his life. Xor was this indolence confined to his mental action, but it run through every fiber of his being, until from utter inanition his mental power was dwarfed, material prosperity destroyed, moral pre- ceptions weakened, until, without ambition, without money, home or friends he was buried by charity beneath Carolina's sunny skies.. He had held a position on the Capitol police, until a change of administration took it from him, and at the time of his death he was looking after an interest he had in some mining property in South Carolina.

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At this term of court A. E. Bigelow was Sheriff, havini? been elected as the successor of Andy Sample, who had been elevated to that position at the organization of the county. There were many suits pending against Andy Sample, and in serving the processes of court, the new Sheriff had levied upon and persisted in retaining property claimed by Sample, and many were the threats made against the man who had the temerity to come in contact with the terror- izing force of Sample and his friends. Bige- low was small of stature, close knit and wiry; and as he had been a ''49er" who had been overland to California, and had the experience and schooling incident to the gold fields in their early days, was silent and unrelenting in his performance of duty, they took counsel of prudence, and there were no overt acts of violence as had been threat- ened.

Subsequently A. E. Bigelow was elected Treasurer and Kecorder of the county. At the expiration of his term of otTice, he started the Chickasaw County Bank, and run the same until it was merged with the Bank of Nevv' Hampton, the consolidated banks becoming the First >sational Bank of New

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Hampton. Mr. Bigelow has been Director or President of this bank since its organiza- tion, and has proved himself a successful business man. There has been some droll experiences in his dealings with some of the old pioneers that would disturb the equa- nimit}' of most men.

There was a little hotel kept in Chicka- saw, and, being a guest, desiring supper and breakfast, have been requested to advance the amount of my bill so that they might purchase supplies at the grocer^'- with which to supply the table. When Bigelow left his farm and moved to town he bought out this hotel, and with the anxiety of a parting host, the former landlord took him aside and in an anxious manner made the parting request that the new landlord should not allow the hotel to lose its standing and repu- tation while in his hands.

Andy Sample was a character of note in those days, and was connected with every move that had for its object the advance- ment of Bradford's interests. Without an education, he was possessed of groat execu- tive ability and a spirit of adventure and audacity that, counting results, amply com- pensated for lack of education.

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Xot. being particularly tvammelecl with couscieutiou^; scruples, he was a terror to his opponents and a power for his friends, in a new country. His test of a man's grit was peculiar to himself. At the first term of court that L. L. Ainsworth attended in the county, there had been an action for assault and battery commenced against Sample, in which G.AV. Howard had been acting for the prosecution, and the threats of the accused against him were dire and numerous, and Howard instructed his client to employ iVinsworth. On the trial, Ainsworth was severe in his remarks on the defendant, and secured his conviction. This kind of fear- lessness pleased Sample, and he went over to the old store building where court was being held, and called Ainsworth out and told him that he wanted to see him bock of the building. It looked rather ominous, and having heard about his threats against How- ard, he began to suspect that his time had come. When they had retired behind the building Sample asked him if his name was Ainsworth. It was no time to dodge, and Ainsworth said that was his name. At this Sample said: '"My name is Sample, Andy Sample, and you will find mj^ name on the

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docket in here and in Floyd countj', and wherever 3'ou lind my name on the docket I want you to write your name opposite to it as my attorney. Do you hear?"

Thus l)egan the loog continued relation of client and attorney that onh' ended when Simple left the county. In speaking of it» Sample said: "When I heard that little crooked nosed cuss going for me, I made up my mind to have him."' Sample, after he was elected to the office of Sheriff, made the first arrest in the county. A hog buyer had been up the Cedar, and as he advanced down the valley, his drove increased faster than his purchases were made. Complaint was made to Hank Johnson, who had just been elected the first Justice of the Peace of the county, and turning to Sample, said: "Sher- iff, arrest that man at once for stealing bogs.*' Armed with this command, Sample started at once, and in due time presented the person of the offender before the Justice.

Here the court found itself in a dilemma, for it had no Code, and had never seen a trial. Rising to the occasion and assuming an attitude of dignity, and in his most impressive manner, he prepared to act in the case. Saluting the prisoner, he com-

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 97

manded: "Stand ii[>, sir; take off your hat, sir; hold up your right hand, sir;" and theu be proceeded to adniiuister the followini^ oath; "You solernuly swear by the upliftcil band of Almighty God that you didn't intend to steal those hogs as you ^hope to be damned." The prisoner assented by bowing his head and received the parting words of the court: "Well, you can go this time, but turn the hogs loose and don't steal any more." Thus ended the first trial in the county.

After vSample was elected Sheriff of the county, he was sent to Iowa City, the then capital of the State, to lobby and look after the interests of Bradford before the Legisla- ture. After his arrival, the lobby soon learned his business, and that his legislative experience was limited, and prepared to practice upon his credulity. At this time much was made of the organization of the lobby, it going through all the forms of the House of Representatives.

After its organization, with "Old Timber" (J. W. Woods) as Speaker, he holding that position by prescription, having held it since the State was organized, Samj>le wa,s intro- duced, and one of the wags gave him a good T

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send-off, and recommended liiui to the kind consideration of the ITouse. Supposing, as he did, that it was the real House of Repre- sentatives, he commenced to open up his subject, and was soon encountering a cross- fire of questions for which he was not pre- pared- After standing it as long as he could, he turned upon his tormentors, and assum- ing a tragic and threatening attitude, said: "Which, I am the High Sheriff of the North- west, and if you insult me I will cut your damned hearts out.'"

Thinking that perhaps they had caught a Tartar, they induced him to let some other person present liis claims, and referred his matters to a committee-

At the first meeting of court at Bradford, when any business was done, the Grand Jury being called, the officer whose duty it was to examine them as to qualifica- tion, was directed by the Court to pro- ceed. Taking the Code and turning to the section which says that they must be citi- zens of the United States, of the State and county; that they must be endowed with their faculties, such as hearing and sight, and must be of good moral character, he proceeded lo ask the questions seriatim.

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Havincr asked as to citizenship, he proceeded uith ''Can you all hear?" '"03113^011 all see?" and receiving affirmative answers, he pro- ceeded, "Are you all of ^ood nioi'al char- acter?'' At this, Andy Sample, who was a member of the panel, turned to the Judge, and with a look that no other person could give, and twisting his mouth, said: ''Judge, that is a d — d tough one;" then assuming a dignified look, exclaimed: "Yes, but that is the first time I ever heard anybody swear to it." The roar of laughter that followed indi- cated that the spectators saw the point.

One of the historic characters of that day was Judge Lyons, who had been elected the first Judge of the county.

At the time of his election, he was living on Crane Creek, eking out a precarious living at farming, supplementing it by trapping. He had formerly lived in Bradford, and was selected as the Bradford candidate for that reason, they believing that through his old acquaintances he could be brought to attach himself to their interests. He was a man of no education or public experience, and had no special fitness for the place, not only lack- ing in education, but in nearly all the requis- ites necessary for an executive officer, except

100 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

honesty. Of medium lioight, sandy hair, florid complexion, deeply freckled, ungainl}- gait, he wa^ probably the last man in the county that a stranger would have selected for any official position. When once in office, he showed his constituents that ho meant to be honest, and while his sympathies were with the party that elected him, he would not knowinji^ly, be used as a tool of any faction. Pie left the office carrying with him a respect for his honest intentions, although many thought he had been misled into certain official acts, notably the throwing out of the returns from North Washington township and refusing to count them, that was in and of themselves, wrong. He left the office carrying with him a respect for his honest intentions, under most trying circumstances, when few men of his experience would have stood as firm.

After the close of his official career, he worked at his trade, that of carpenter, and helped to frame the old court house at New Hampton. The munificent salary of two hundred and fifty dollars a year had not left him in opulence.

In an early day the road from Bradford to West Union, was around by the Bordwell

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ford, on section twent3'-nine, in Dayton town- ship, thence past D. A. Jackson's, two miles west of New Hampton, past the Brink House two miles northeast of New Hampton, ford- ing Plumb Creek at the old Indian trail on section three township 95-12. via Tom Staples and the Vermont House to West Union. The Baileys had started a town one mile north of where Forest City was located and named it Milan.

D. A. Babcock and E. A. Haskel, of Brad- ford, were appointed a committee to go over the route and report as to the practicability of running a road on a direct line from Brad- ford to West Union, and they reported such a route feasible and acainst makim^ a deflec- tion northward to Milan. On hearing this, the Baileys threw up their Milan scheme and started a new town which they called Forest City, and on the proposed new road. When Judge Bailey was in ofhce, he made heavy appropriations out of the county fund to grade the flats and sloughs and bridge the Wapsie and other streams on this line. Between Forest City and the Wapsie was one of the most impassable sloughs in the County, travelers being obliged to go far to the north to pass it. The contract for its grad-

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iiig and bridgin<:^ Avas given to Brouson, of Bradford, and there was much talk of get- tinf][ ont an injunction to restrain the Judge from thus using the public funds. AVhen Judge Doi-e, who was elected as a northern man, came in, he made like appropriations for brid^^iug and grading between New Hampton and Chickasaw and in Deerfield township. Under Bailey no county money was expended on roads and In'idges in the north part of the county. There had long been a road known as the "Old ^lilitary Road,*' running from Ft. Atkinson westward through the north part of the county via Jacksonville, Petiybone and Osage west- ward, which was an outlet for the western counties.

There was a town platted in Xorth Wash- ington township, on the south half of section thirty-three, township ninety-seven, by a man by the name of J. T. Donovan, and was named by him St. Peters. He prepared a map of the State, showing this town with two railroads running through it, and plac- ing a coffee mill and miniature house, which was thirty inches by forty inches and three stories high, upon the town site, marking one "Grist Mill'' and the other "Hotel/' he

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represented one as beiuga grist mill in good running order, and the other as a commodi- ous hotel, lie secured lithographs of the public buildings of St. Peters of Minnesota, and these figured as public buildings on the margin of his map.

Lots were sold to eastern parties, under these representations, and the whole plat finally closed out under a lottery scheme, every ticket drawing a prize. Many a victim came to look after and inquire about his purchases, and the mails were loaded with inquiries as to the value of these lots. I recall one man who was a tailor from Phil- adelphia, who came in person to look after his purchase, who would not take our rep- resentations as to the lots, but decided to go up and see for himself. On his return he had the coffee mill, saying. '*! have got that. d — d old mill that fooled me." Having secured a tax title of this land, and as the plat did not meet with the requirement^ of the law and never was dedicated, I bought the land of Donovan and became the owner of the city. Donovan told me that he made seven thousand dollars out of this steal.

Hasting.-5 and Podunck were two other towns started for the sale of lots, but the

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preparations were not so elaliorate, and they failed to find as many victims as did St. Peters. Among the victims of the Hastings plat was Ernest Werner, who gave two hun- dred dollars for a lot and was never able to find it.

After I had set the boilers for the steam saw mill, bnilt a small brick outbuilding for Hiram liailey, and built a chimney for Joseph George, I opened up my first office in the county. I had received my library from Ohio, consisting of Blackstone's Commenta- ries, Greenleaf on Evidence, Adams' Equity, and Gould and Stephen on pleading. I secured the Session Laws and Code of Iowa. My office furniture consisted of a dry goods box, which served as a table and book case, two chairs, and a wooden candlestick of my own make.

The first partisan convention held in the county was in Jacksonville, in June, 1857, w^hen the Republican party was organized. Gideon Gardner, F. D. Bosworth and mj^self rode over from New Hampton with David Edwards. At this meeting W. E. Beach was elected chairman and J. H. Powers secre- tary. An executive committee was formed of one from each township, and Hazard

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Green of Jacksonville, was chosen chairman of this central coiuniittee. This was m}' first visit to Jacksonville, and I met as her prin- cipal citizens W. E. Beach. Ilazaid Green, J. H. Dickens. Charles E'itch, Allen Vaughn, J. P. North, J. Cole. H. H. Brakeman, M. L. Palmer and Frank Graver.

Hazard Green was Jacksonville's first set- tler, in the village, and was keeping a hotel in a log house, and being on the Old Military Road from Ft. Atkinson to Osage, was full of customers. He was an ardent Baptist and preached sometimes. He was a man of sterliug integrity, and although of limited educational accomplishments, his influence among the nev; settlers was second to none. Of medium height, dark complexion, and a full face adorned with a large mouth that spread across his face when he smiled, and accustomed to the privations and hardships of a new country, he was a true type of a successful pioneer. Like most men who have kept to the front as settlements moved westward, he had received local political honors, and he always pointed out the prac- ticability of any measure that he was advo- cating by declaring, "That's the way we did in Illinois when I was a member of the Board of Supervisors."

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W. E Beach was living in a shell of a frame house, and was an enthusiast as to tho future of the town. He had a lithographed pi ah of the town of Jacksonville, Illinois, after which they had patterned, and he pointed out wheie churches, school houses, and other public buildings were to be located, and the probable route of the railroad that would pass through from east to west. As I subsequently became acquainted with him, I found him well informed, genial, when in good humor, irascible under small provoca- tion, and a perfect pattern of honesty, as was fully shown during his two terms as Treas- urer and Recorder of the county. He had been a member of the House of Representa- tives in the State from which he came, and was well informed as to passing political events. Anyone familiar with his besetting weakness could tell at once when he had been annoyed, and if they took counsel of prudence, they let him alone at such times. This petulance, under slight provocation, was the bane of his life, and he often sat in sackcloth and ashes, as he recalled and regretted what he had said to others. Unwill- ing to do, or even think, a wrong to others, we learned to overlook tliis weakness, and meas- ure him for his true worth.

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J. Ji. Dickens had come from Jackson- ville, Illinois, and 'the town of Jacksonville was platted and named after that town. Dickens was a Methodist minister and had considerable of the gift of eloquence, and com- menced gathering a congregation, to which he preached a part of the time. He was by nature a disputant, and to battle for his creed was to him meat and drink, and sel- dom a visitor left him without first having received a printed sermon that had been prepared by him. with the assurance that if it was read with care, he would be con- vinced. Receiving a copy, I perused it with some care, and found it divided into para- graphs, each paragraph culminating in a declaration that the point made could not be doubted. I am led to speak of this, as it is a pretty good index of his character.

Charles Fitch was a good-natured, over- grown boy, and was not calculated to make a very large mark in the world, but he was a very good school teacher, teaching the town school, and received the honor of being elected County Surveyor. J. Cole was the 6on-in-lav/ of J. H. Dickens, also taught school, and was the echo of his father-in- law.

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Julius p. North was a 5^oung unmarried man, a tiuiier by trade, and divided his time between his business and looking after his interests with her who subsequently became his estimable wife.

At this convention speeches were made by W. E. Beach, Gideon Gardner, Hazard Greeu and J. H. Powers. In the remarks of Mr. Gardner, allusions were made that were destined to figure in the following election,

Jacksonville was a prospective aspirant for the county seat, and the Rev. J. H. Dickens was the principal manager of her interests, and there was more than a sus- picion as to his loyalty to New Hampton. In fact, it was a pretty loud rumor that he was figuring with the Bradford interest. In his speech Mr. Gardner remarked that "there might be the lying spirit of an Achan present, desiring to hide some of the spoils in his own tent." This allusion was so pointed that it was plain who was meant, and it was answered by the reverend gentle- man with much spirit, and had it not been for the intercession of mutual friends, there might have been another fallen Achan, or an immolated deacon.

At the fall election these remarks were

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used with mueli effect against what were known as the Xew Hampton candidates, and F. D. Bosworth. ^vlio was the candidate for the Bradford side, received a heavy vote in Jacksonville, without which his opponent, Wesley Swazee, would have been elected.

About this time I attended my first funeral in the county. It was the daughter of Vinal Thayer, who lived two miles east of Forest City, on the north side of the road, in a log house about twenty rods north of the road. The deceased was a very fleshy woman. There was no lumber out of which to make the coffin, except some poplar boards that had been sawed out of poles, and were not edged. Richard Elliott and myself went to work making the coffin. We set up posts and then sided it up like the siding of a house, and made a pitched roof for a cover. After it was done we attempted to stain it with logwood, but the dye uniting with the sap, turned it a bright yellow. This did not seem to be in character, and we took wood coal and rubbed it over, and thus modified its color. After it was thus colored we were furnished a piece of beeswax by ^Irs. George, and we rubbed it over with that for varnish. The necessities of the hour were thus met.

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During the summer of 1S57, the roads were almost impiissable. A stage route was established from West Union to Bradford. It was one of the old Walker Mud Wagons, with canvas sides and top, drawn by four horses, which were driven by ''Sandy." It was years before 1 knew that his name was Honney well, and he is now living in Dresden township on the road that was the stage route. He is now a prosperous farmer and likes to review the exploits of early days. The roads became so bad that they were obliged to build a drag large enough to take on the stage and Allen hitched on his break- ing team of eight yoke of oxen and drew it across the Wapsie flats to Tingleys.

Bradford was the center of the southern faction, and the north having no town in which to meet and organize, was forced to canvass among individuals, as to the course to pursue. The north finally concentrated on J. C. H. Miller, who lived on Crane Creek, in what is now Jacksonville, as their leader and standard bearer- He had already run as the candidate against Judge Lyon, and would have received the certificate of elec- tion if Washington township had not been thrown out bv the canvassers, for some

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claimed informality. DePu}' was run as the Bradford candidate, as it wa^ proposed not to elect another to the ollice of County Judge, unless it was first known the extent of reliance that could be put upon his official acts, in their interests.

He was a farmer and there were no antag- onisms that would tend to weaken his candi- dacy. He had a common school education, and was a strong partisan of Bradford. When weighted \\ith his official oath, he found that the free imaginings of the parti- san must be curtailed under the oljligation, and after carrying the honors for a few months, he resigned on the 7th day of April, 1S56. Many were the surmises as to the cause of his so soon leaving the office, but from subsequent events it finally became the settled opinion that he was prompted b}'" his former supporters, who felt that he had not come up to their expectations in carry- ing out their plans.

In April, 1S57, after the commissioners had located the county seat at Xew Hamp- ton and the Clerk and Judge had their offices there and M. B. Taylor, as Deputy Treasurer and Recorder, came over from Bradford and did some business for the Treasurer and

moil

112 HISTORICAL AND PvEMINISCENCES OP

Bccovder, but Howard liimsolf remained iu Bradfoid the balance of his term of ofRce, and kept the Treasurer's books.

I came to Xew Hampton the day the county olllces came, and opened an office in the back room of Giirley's Store- I remained until the nevviy elected officers took posses- sion, and Bosworth having been elected Treasurer and Recorder, resigned hisi^osition as Deputy Clerk and I was appointed in his place. I remained to fill that position for one year, tlie county offices being, for the first part of the year, in the front room of David Edward's house. At this time, the County Clerk was ex-officio clerk of the County Court, and as such, had charge of matters under Judge Bailey's administration. The Judge would come up from his home once a month and ask what there was to do, and would sign all the records that had been prepared by the clerk, and proceed to sign all kinds of blanks, so that whatever was required might be made out over his signa- ture, and would sign a lot of blank legal paper so that anything wanted that was not covered by the blanks signed, might be made out on this paper. After signing warrants in blank sufficient to run the countv for

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another month, his work was done. This was the manner th.e office was run while Bosworth acted as Clerk, and as T look hack, it seems a loose way of doini; husiness, and while we couhl not say ''I am a bigger man than Old Grant." we could say that we were " bigger men than the County Judge." This method of doing business seems like tempta- tion, when viewed in the light of modern experience, but you must recollect that there were not so many American financiers in Canada then, nor was the highway to that countr}' worn smooth by being traveled by men who could not vrithstand temptntiou.

It has been with much self complacency that I have recalled these acts of confidence fiud trust of my most active and persistent opposers, and these acknowledgments of my personal integrity have done much to draw the sting and buffer the blows of my opposers, and what would have otherwise have been annoying and painful, has only elicited a smile.

When the records were removed to Nevv- Hampton, the county officers and myself boarded with Harvey S. Hill, he having pur- chased the old log house of Gideon Gardner that stood on the back of the l^t where tlie

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114 HISTOIUCAI. AND nKiriNlSCENCES OF

Babcoclc building now stands, and opened it as a hotel.

At this time Xe^v Hampton was about as desolate a town as could be found. There was not travel enough to mark a trail where the roads ought to be, and they resorted to the expedient of hiring Zalmuna Morton to take his breaking team and draw a log where the wheels ought to run, so as to give it the appearance of being a traveled road.

During the summer Hill sold out to Dan Shook, and he commenced to build the old frame hotel which was burned in ISSl. Shook only erected the central portion of the hotel proper and the kitchen. He was succeeded by Don A. Jackson, who sold to W. D. Gardner, Mr. Gardner added the west main portion of two stories, and afterwards sold to John Dixon, who built upon the east side, moved the kitchen to the rear of the Gardner addition, and extended the main part to the rear.

C. M. AVebster settled on the northeast quarter of section four, township ninety-five, range thirteen, now Dayton township, and wanting to have a place to receive his mails, made applicatinn for a postothce, and one was given him under the name of Beaver

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City, and he was appoiDted postmaster. When tJiere was a postoflice located at Xew llau'jpton, there was no further need of an office at Beavor City, as no mail came to the office except to the postmaster and that through the Xew Hampton ofiice, and he had to carr}- it himself, and it was just as easy to get the mail when directed to that office, as to take it home and be obliged to make reports to "Washington. I was informed that the office was to be discontinued, and I requested that in place of discontinuing it, that he appoint Hugh Johnston of Obispo, his Deputy, and then resign in his favor. This was done and the office was removed fourteen miles to Johnston's residence, and the northeast part of the county supplied with a postoffice, without the knowledge of the Postoffice Department at Washington. In time another man wanted to be post- master and a petition was sent in asking the establishment of a postoffice in Utica town- ship, a new township formed out of a part of Obispo, and the prayer of the petition was granted and the postoffice named Zillo. This left a superfluous postoffice, and I again put Beaver City postoffice on its travels, by hav- ing T. Ct. Staples appointed Deputy. In time

110 HISTORICAL AND REMIXI^CENCKS OF

there was a desire to have a postoffice in ^tapleton township b}* the name of the town, and this being secured, my peripatetic post- office had no new fields to enter, so it died. Kev. ('. Yi. Webster was a Methodist min- ister, and delivered the first sermon preached in Xew Hampton. The following letter which appeared in the Xew Hampton Courier Jannary 23d, 1S()7. explains itself:

In these times it may be iuterestiuo^ to some, to know the pioneer eti'orts to cstabHsh Christian priv- ileges in Xew Hampton. In August, 1S55, I first came into Chickasaw county, stopping with J. D. Colt who had built one Iialf mile north of the pres- ent village of Xew Hampton.

David Edwards had preceded me about two weeks with his family, and had a small plank hoase up and partly enclosed a little east of the present tavern. A Air. Jarrard was also putting up a log house for entertainment in the new plat of Xew Hampton. By consultation it wa^ agreed that we would have preaching services. We held them in the room of Da%'id Edwards — one end being sup- phcd with blankets for siding. I came with my family in October following. We missed religious privileges, and although I ministered occasionally, yet we felt the necessity of an organization. I sought out the Rev. Wm. Holbrook who lived at St- Charles, and had charge of all these regions. He

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 117

came and orirariizeJ a class at New Hampton, hold ing services at the tavern. Such was the beginnins; of an orojanization which has always had a being. Some of the first members still reside here.

C. ]\[. Webster.

The hotel ^pokeu of here was the lof^ one, subsequent!}^ kept b}' Harvey !S. Hill and Dan Shook.

Among the things that surprised me in my Iowa experience, were the bi-eaking teams, with plows carrying beams sixteen feet long, eight inches square, at theii larg- est places, and drawn by eight and ten yoke of oxen. The farrow turned was fron> twenty-eight to thirtj^-two inches wide and the forward end of the plow beam rested on a pair of "trucks" the wheel running in the furrow being a little the largest, the beam being raised and lowered with a lever, the rear end of which was set and held in place by a pin running through the lever and two uprights at the rear end of the beam. The thickness of the furrow could be controlled ))y this lever, and it varied from two inches, on smooth prairie, to such depth as the conformation or character of the ground demanded.

In approaching a grove of small timber,

lis niSTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

110 lialt was made, but the lead. oxen, whicli were geuerally selected as being esi'Ccially adapted to this service, would stride the young growth and bend them down, and if too large they would be lopped with an ax, the plow would be let down so as to cut deeper, and under the whip, every ox would settle himself for a pull and I have seen poplar trees four inches in diameter go down like grass. Of course only very small oajcs could undergo this treatment, for they have a very firm and hard tap root and it was necessary to grub them before breaking. Hazel brush that was high enough to hide the team from view, was not considered an obstruction, and was rolled under as readily as prairie grass. These great breakers have gone, having served their da}", and only exist in the memory, but it would gladden my eyes to again see these great teams turn- ing over the virgin soil.

The hotel accommodations ot those days were not very commodious and no one could fully appreciate the old saying thy.t "an omnibus would always hold one more," until after being a guest in a new country hotel-

Generally the upper story — mostly a half- story— was all in one room and this was

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 119

called the "School Section," takiusj its name from its Hgnrative resemblance to the gov- ernment school section, which was number sixteen, these rooms being supposed to eon- tain sixteen beds.

The capacity of a hotel was just begun to be taxed when the beds were full, for there was still the floor and tables, and I have known boards to be laid on the stove to make beds on. Neither was the extraordi- nary capacity of a house confined to a hotel, for David Edwards of New Hampton, with a family of sixteen, wintered in a house four- teen feet by sixteen feet and one story high, and extended hospitality to many a trav- eler. This house was only sided up and was unplastered, and one of the cViildren froze a finger while in bed. Mr. ShofBer had a house in Richland township, eight feet by ten feet, and the table had to be put outside before they could make up their bed. This was a palace compared to some of the places in which some of the early settlers were forced to stay. This kind of life was much harder on the women than on men, and the remark of a close observer that "a new country was hell on women and oxen," w^as literally true. Most emigrants spent their

120 III>TOKICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

first years in Iowa at the a^e^e when the wife must reasonably expect to put on the cares of the maternal relation^ and these women, havin.i? left home and friends, and without any of the auxiliaries of civilization to aid them in their hour of trial, but with an accumulation of cares and responsibilities, grew prematurely old, as a natural sequence of such demands upon their vitality and strength. The sacrifice- that these vv'omen have made, the lives that have been expended, the hearts that have bled, none can tell, but there is much of woman's life that has entered into and l)ecome a part of these homes that are now being enjoyed l)y their children and grand children, and their mem- ories should be kept green, and if living, their clecliuing years made peaceful and happy.

Unknown in public life, unrecorded in pub- lic records, yet women have been the heart and soul of our development and growth.

Antedating the railroad, there was a heavy freighting business along the old military road running via Ft. Atkinson and Jackson- ville, thus on westward via Pettybones and Osage into the western counties.

Teamsters usually went in gangs for

CllICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 121

mutual lielp and couipany, and nearly' every house on the route kept travelers. Of course these teamsters became acquainted with the peculiarities of every stopping place.

On one of these trips, a new teamster had joined them, and the snow was deep and the drifts heavy, and it was late when they reached their rendezvous for the night. When they had taken care of and fed their horses they went to the house to partake of a bountiful supper that the good woman of the house had prepared. When seated at the table and the matron had poured the coffee, she commenced to ask each one if he would have milk in his coffee. This question was answered in the negative by all the old teamsters, but when it came to the uew man he responded, "If you please." At this she brought t'ortli the maternal fount and dextrously commenced to deposit the lacteal fluid into his coffee. Seeing this, he hastilj'- exclaimed, '"Nu. no, no; it sours on m\" stomach." He ever after went by the sobri- quet of "Sour Stomach."

The first convention for the nomination of county officers, that I attended, was in the fall of 1S57. The convention was held in INew Hampton in the lower story of Gurley's untinished store building •

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The light was between the north and the south. The first struggle was on the basis of representation. If the basis was on the vote cast at the preceding election, as was contended b\' the south, then the south would he in the majorit}', hut if the vote was to be an additional one for each township, as claimed by the north, then the north would be three in the majority. Bradford was on hand, and just at the hour of organ- ization nominated one of their number as chairman and at once declared him elected. Then came the question of township repre- sentation, and when the roll was called, the presiding officer ruled that none of the rep- resentatives from tovv'nships could vote, and wdien this ruling was appealed from, he made the same ruling on the right to vote on the appeal. Of course that left the south mas- ters of the situation. At this the northern delegates withdrew, and going to a lumber pile that had been drawn to erect a house for Deacon Gardner, it being the house now just south of the Court House square, the}" organized by electing Edwin Cudworth chairman. The southern wing nominated Lorenzo Bailey, County Judge, F. 1). Bos- worth, Piecorder and Treasurer, Fred Padden,

CHICKASAW COUNTYr IOWA. 123

Sheriff, and C ]M. "Webster. Surveyor. The northern wing nominated J. G. H. Miller, Count}' Judfre, ATe.sley Swaze}', Treasurer and Recorder, A. E. Bigelow, Sheriff, and Henry Shaffer for Surveyor. Owing to the treachery of Jacksonville the southern candidates were elected. This was undoubt- edly due to the figuring of the Rev. J. H. Dickens to bring out Jacksonville as a rival for the county seat. The Bradford men used the argument that if it was to go north, it ought to go to a place that was dry enough to allow of the building of a town, and as New Hampton was so wet that it would be impossible to build anywhere only on a little knoll, it ought to go to Jacksonville, and thus practiced upon the credulity of its voters, while to the south they held that as but one town could run at an election, Jack- sonville could be most easily beaten, beside it would divide the north. Thus it will be seen that political taffy had an early growth in the county, and sometimes I have the feeling that it become deeply rooted and has not been entirely eradicated yet-

Edwin Cudworth, who was elected chair- man of what was known as the "Board Pile Convention," was a man of rotund appear-

124 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

aui^e, and upon wlioni ofilcial honors bad not been lavishly bestowed, although he had often intimated that the county could not do better than to elect him.

Eeared in Vermont, retaining the proverb- ial Yankee twang in exaggeration, jovial and credulous, he was an ingredient that could illy be spared in a new country, and was a perfect specimen of Dicken's Mark Tapley. The pranks that were played upon him, and the tax upon his credulit}' only need to be recalled, to bring a blossoming smile upon the faces of the "Old Chickasaw Boys."

In the winter of 1S57 there was much gathering of logs at the sawmills, and it was more a question of team and ability to do the work, than title to domain, that meas- ured ones supply at the mill, and owners of timber lots became somewhat exercised as to their rights, as against trespassers. There was an oak tree noted for its size, growing upon the land of Dr. Sam Carpenter, Jr., and W. W. Birdseil and Thompson Baile}* decided to appropriate it. It was over four and one- half feet in diameter, and it took them over half a day to i^repare it for loading. "W^hen they rolled it upon their sled, it broke the

CHICaAS\W county. IOWA. 125

slecl to pieces. Not to be baffled, they wen^ to Smith's and secured another sled and after nnudi kibor, hmded it at the saw mill. They had met Ili)-am Bailey on their way to the mill, and he liavino; Carpenter's tim- ber in charge, took the back track and found where the los: came from. Just as they were finishing unloading the log, Bailey rode up and asked the boys where the log came from and who it l^elonged to. 'Fney took in the situation and both declared that they did not know, that they had liauled it in so they could say that they had delivered the largest log ever delivered at the mill. He told them that it came off of Car- penters land, when they proposed to have it sawed and give the lumber to Rev, N. Pi. George, a Baptist minister, who was a brother-in-law of Bailey, and was then build- ing a house. Seeing that it wjis to be used for a righteous purpose, and from entirely disinterested motives, Bailey consented and the lumber was delivered to the Rev. and went into his house, it making about two thousand feet of boards. I afterwards bought the house and moved it north of New Hampton, where it is now used as a farm house. This house was moved seven

126 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

and oue-half miles in one day, using twent}"- four yoke of oxen. I bou;:rlit a house that had been built for tlie father of Hij-ain Baile}', which vras located on the Wapise flats, sixteen feet by twenty, with twelve feet posts, and sided with oak siding, and moved the same to Xew Hampton, and it was my home for fourteen years. It was in this house that I received Governors and United States Senators, and embarrassed my 5"oung wife by necesitating her to cook in the only room in the house, and in the presence of our guests. This house was also moved seven and one-half miles in one da}*.

There were many stories about adventures in stealing timber in those early days. There

was a Mr. H. W. livin"^ in Chickasaw,

who had a fine piece of timber, and the boys laid plans to secure a part of it.

Going to the owner, in confidence they told him that the\' knew where they could get some fine log-^, but as they had no team, they could not avail themselves of their knowledge. They proposed to cut the logs and help him load, if he would draw to the halves. He readily assented, and they took him around through the brush so that he did not know his whereabouts, and for two

I.

CniCKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 127

days he hauled logs- On Sunday he thought he would go out and look after his own tim- ber, when to his surprise he found that he had been stealing off his own land.

The Bradford interests had secured A. J. Felt to start a paper, and the northern inter- ests had secured Isaac AYatson to start one in Jacksonville. Felt was a young man who had learned his trade while with, and had been connected with the XorfJt loica Tunes, a paper published l)y Colonel Richardson, at McGregors Landing. Wlien I first saw Felt, he was a slim dandy looking 3'oung man. and was wearing a circular cloak jauntily thrown over his shoulders, and would to-day impress one as being a " dude." He was a democrat in politics, but started a neutral paper under the name of The Cedar l^alleij Xeics, but it bore a tinge of the politics of its editor. He proved to be a journalist of superior ability in catching the popular ear, and although surrounded with little out of which to make a newspaper, in its modern sense, he added to his scant material, a vivacity and wit that challenged interest, and his paper was much sought after. He had a wonderful precep- tion of passing events, and a full apprecia- tion of the ludicrous, and a new country was

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iiidigenous of circiirastances tbaf. gave free scope to his facile pen, and no number of his paper was without some example of his power in this line.

While at times he trenched upon doubtful ground as to the proprieties, j^et we over- looked these indescretions, and looked with interest for each issue. His ability to write was supplimented with a readiness as a speaker, to respond at short notice, and in a vein that captivated and made enjoyable^ although some of his conclusious did not follow as a sequence from his premises. With a sparsely settled country, and with fH population largely engaged in making mew homes and fighting the wolf from the door, there was little chance to make a newspaper self-supporting, and as soon as the gratuity that induced the embarkation of the enterprise was exhausted, it began to feel the blighting influence of an empty exchequer, and in a few months was sold to other parties, and Felt went into mercantile business, where he was found at the breaking out of the w^ar of the rebellion. Having been a Douglas Demo- crat, he espoused the Union side and was among the first to enter the service as a vol-

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CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 129

unteer, and was mustered iuto the service as private iu Company B, 7th Iowa Infantry. He was taken prisoner at the battle of Bel- mont, and remained, with others, incarcer- ated in Southern prisons for several months, and when exchanged was a pitiable object, being scai'cel}' more than skin and bones.

Having passed through the alembic of rebel hate, the rectifying process had dis- tilled all Democracy out of him, and he has ever since been a Republican. He subse- quently started a paper at West Union, sold out and again entered the office of the Xorth Iowa Times, where he remained but a short time before he again embarked in another newspaper enterprise, and started the "'Bough Notes" at Decorah. He remained here but a short time when he, returned to Chickasaw county and started the XasJiua Post. Thi^ lie edited for some time, when he sold out to J. F. Grawe and bought an interest in the Waterloo Courier, which he edited until he emigrated to Kansas, where he is now (1S92) Lieutenant-Governor of the State and editor of a paper. He made a "full success as an editor, but while in Iowa he never attained to orficial trust and con- fidence, although a frequent aspirant, and

9

130 HISTORICAL AND KEMINISCEXCE3 OF

this was largely due to a want of coiifidenco in bis sincerity, and because of bis faithless- ness to individuals. ^lany an ajpirant for preferment who had trusted bis cause in his keeping found, to his dismay, that he had been betrayed to his opponent, and bit- ter were his imprecations as he drank of the dregs of disappointment-

Isaac Watson was a square built, middle aged man, and canie to Iowa from Missouri, where he had been engaged in editincj a paper. He was a reserved, quiet gentleman, with the natural instinjts of a newspaper man, and while he lacked the vivacity of Felt, he published a paper that the most fas- tidious could not object to introduce into his family.

The same causes that'drove'felt out of the News, drove Watson out of the Cltickasaw County Bepuhlican. He returned to Missouri in a few months, where, at the breaking out of the Rebellion he espoused the Union side, and was killed by bushwhackers. Strong in his convictions, as was shown by his being a Republican in Missouri before the war, he took aggressive ground in favor of a united countr}', and was sacrificed upon her altar.

At the starling of the two papers there

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CHICKASAW COUiXTY, IOWA. 131

was cousiderable rivalry as to which shouhi i>sue lirst, and it becoming known that the Pit'imblican expected to start on the second AVednesday of May, the Xeu-s quietly decided to issue the Tuesday before, and thus become the first paper in the county. Learning this, through 'M. B. Taylor, who was then a Dep- uty in the Treasurer and Recorder s office, and whose home was in Bradford, I started about 0 o'clock p. m. and waike>l to Jackson- ville and gave them notice, and then walked back again, arriving in time to take break- fast, without anyone suspecting that I had been absent. A^ a result of my visit the Republiccoi was issued on the first Wednes- day of May. 1S5S, and thus became the first newspaper in the county.

Finding that Watson would be unable to coutinue the publication of the BepnhUcan, on the ISth day of December, 1S57, the "Chickasaw County Republican Association" was formed, and the following amoant of stock was subscribed: F. D. Bosworth, 810; D. A. Babcock, 810; J. l\. Posters, 810; W. E. Beach 810; J. Cole, 8200 (turning in forty .icres of land to make the payment); H. H. lirakeman, 8^-0; G. W. Howard, 810; J. P. North, 830; Little k, Wood, 850; A. Vaughn,

132 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

S20, and Cruver. §20. Hazard Greeu was elected PresidcDt of the Association, and J. H. Powei-s Secretary. Walter E. Beach was chosen editor, to be assisted by whoever would be willing to contribute under his censorship. Earl, one of Beach's boys, about thirteen years old, had learned to set type, and by walking over and working the press at night we issued the paper for several months, but the burden was too heavy, and the paper died. .

In the meantime the history of the Xe^t'5 was similar. Felt sold to a man by the name of Bushuell, and he, realizing that time alone would exhaust his resources, gave notice of its early demise, and a joint stock company was formed. The stockholders and sub- scribers of this association were: D. A. Bib- cock. $30; Ft. C Horton, §30; G. AV. Howard §30; B. E. DePuy, §20; A. W. Billings, $3o'; AV. W. Foster, §10; Thomas Pooler, §30; Luthan Morgan, §10; L. L. Morse, §30, and A. E. Bigelow, §10. D. A. Babcock was selected as editor, and in a short time he was joined by G. M. Pieynolds, a veteran editor from Pennsylvania. This arrangement ran for a time, and then it died.

Soon after entering upon my duties as

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. loo

Count}' Clerk, and wliile the office was held in the northeast room of David Edwards' house, about 4 o'clock in the afternoon, a couple rode up on horseback, with blankets and blind bridles. The woman dismounted prompth', and, giving the reins to the man. run into the office and asked if the Clerk was present who made marriage licenses. On being answered in the affirmative, she said: "That man out there wants to get one, and as he is very bashful I thought I would mention it before he came in." As sug- f^ested, when the young man came in I opened the way and commenced to fill out a marriage license. The woman remarked that they had got stuck in a slough, but left their wagon where it was, fearing that if they stayed to get it out they would be too late to get a license that night. As I came to the age of the parties, he gave his age a? twenty-three. Turning to the woman, she promptly gave her name, and in place of giv- ing her age, shook her head and looked implor- ingly. AYith a gallant impulse, I remarked. "all rijrht, twenty-two," and left the blank unfilled. While the man was unhitching the horses, she leaned over the table and in a stage whisper, said, "thirty-five," and I filled

134 HISTORICAL AND KEMIMSCEXCES OF

up the blank and delivered it to her. This couple wanted that I should marry them, but not having the authorit3\ I directed them to Judge Bailey, who lived on the road by which they must return. By the time they had returned to their wagon and extracted it from the slough, it was late, and in the darkness they missed the road, and about 9 o'clock in the evening they brought up at the house of Malichi Havelick. Hallooing, Havelick came to the door, and they asked if they could stay all night. An inquiry was made as to their number, and being informed that there were but two, Havelick remarked they might if they were husband and wife, for he had but one spare bed. To this remark the woman quickly responded, "we are not, but have got a license and want to be." With true western hospitality, and with a heart yearning for the v.elfare of humanit}-, he told them to come in and he would have them fixed. While supper was being prepared, Judge Bailey was sent for, but further disappoint- ment awaited the fair couple, and on hear- ing the news that the Jud-e had gone to McGregor that morning, the poor disap- pointed woman burst into tears and amid

CRICKASAV>' COUNTY. IOWA. 135

lieartbrokeii sobs, declai-ed that she did not want to sit up all ni.2:ht. This was another stroni,^ appeal, and a man with Malachi's sympathies could not but be touched, and he immediately dispatched a boy for F. D. Hall, who was Prosecuting Attorney and ex-officio County Judge in his absence. Coming with haste, without any idea of this urgent call^ he found to hi- dismay that he was expected to pertorm the marriage ceremony. The host arranged tho couple side by side, and demanded that the otMccr proceed with the ceremony. As he was young, bashful, and had never acted in that capacity, and cling- ing to court forms, he began, ''You solemnly swear" — At this point he was overhauled b}^ Havelick au'l told to marry them and not to swear them. The task was done, the ceremony c )mpleted, the goal reached and the two made one- Hall went to the house of Judge Baile\' to spend the rest of tho night, and the newly married couple were sent up the ladder into the loft of tho log- house to spend the remainder of the event- ful night. The next morning while the host was commencing to l)uild a fire, he was much surprised to see two feet plant them- selves on the top round of the ladder.

13() HISTORICAL AND REMINISCKNCES OF

Sbortlj' the bride of the iii;^^ht before stood by his side and with an anxious and dis- turbed look asked if the marriage of the niglit before was legal On being asked why she asked that question, she replied that they did not take hold of hands- She vras assured that it did not make any differfince, and that it was just as legal as though they had. She di(^ not appear quite satisfied, and added, '* I don't feel like a married woman." The irreverant and peculiar reply of Haverlick would not appear well in print.

At another time a couple came in from the south and desired a marriage license, which was issued to them. This couple also desired that I marry them. I informed them that T had no authority, but as I was going their wa}^ I would conduct them to Judge Bailey, who would marry them.

When about a mile north of where the Judge lived, u-e found him loading hay. The wind was blowing and his hat had blown off, and his shirt collar and rist-bauds were unfastened. So far as ventilation was con- cerned, he appeared to be a success- As we came up, I accosted him and he responded with "Hov/- are you, Powers?'' To this I responded and then added, "these young

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jniCKASAW COrNTY, IOWA. lo?

people have a little business with you." "AVant to get married, don't they?" To this I responded that they did. *'Is it all right, Powers?" I answered that I had issued a marriage license to them. At no time had the Judge stopped work, and as he placed another fork of hay and commenced tread- ing it down, he swung around and asked them if they wanted to get married. Tliey nodded an affirmative, and, vrithout stop- ping his work, the Judge said, ''All right, drive on, you are husband and wife: Powers, make out the papers.*' I obeyed orders.

The winter of 1S57-S was cold and stormy, and the snow was very deep, and as the coun- try was sparselj'" settled and New Hampton off any regular through route, there was but little to change the monotony, and it was quite a relief to have some one come in on business. The county offices had been moved from the front room of David Edwards' house as soon as the room could be finished, into the front upper room over Gur- ley's store. There was an unplastered room at the head of the stairs, through which they parsed to enter the county office, and Pow- ers and Piosworth put in a bed and Taylor made his on the office table.

. 13S ni>ToniCAL and reminiscences of /

/ As there was no break from the stair entrance into this room, these sleeping apart- ments were a little chilly, and as Taylor slept by the fire, it was bis duty to get up in the morning and build a fire, and when the room was warm call those outside, when : they would shake the snow off their clothing • and run in and dress by the fire. The out- siders did not escape practical jokes, for one very cold morning when there was a regular blizzard, Taylor dressed, and without mak- ing^ a fire slipped out and went to the hotel, calling the outsiders as he went through, aimounciug that breakfast was ready. With a rush, Bosworth jumped barefooted into the snow, and gathering his clothing and shak- \ ing it, rushed into the ofiice expecting to \ find a v\-arm fire to dress by. Jt may not \ have been very warm, but Bosworth was, \ and it sounded sulphurous. We boarded \ with Dan Shook, and during the v.inter there was a snow blockade, and our land- lord run out of all kinds of provision but sauerkraut and buckwheat, and for weeks these were our diet three times a day. As we were each paying four dollars a week for table board, layior calculated that a good sized cabbage head would biing shook about

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adollar. A traveler coniiiig aloii'j. our land- Jord boiiglit a can of oysters, and by cutting in pieces of trype th.it ho got of Haslam, we had a great feast. During this blockade we were without mail for si?: weeks, and then hrred a Norwegian who lived three miles south of town, by the name of John Johnson, to go to Waucoma on his snow" shoes and bring the mail. His snow shoes were ten feet long and about four inches wide and turned up a little at the front end, and slip- ping his toes under a strap about the middle, he slid them on the surface of the snow. He carried a hce for an alpine stick, which he could strike into the crust and retard his motion if he found himself going down hill too fast. He was gone three days, and we looked over the prairie with anxiety, and were much relieved when he put in an appearance. When we first commenced boarding with Shook he lived in a log house, situated where Briggs' drug store now is, he having bought out Harvey S. Hill, who had kept it for a hotel. This Hill was a character in his day, and by reason of his notoriety as a talker and "blower," he was called "Gabriel." and claimed the right to blow his trumpet. He was something of a sport, and

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his running horse, '*Topsy," was just fast enough to make it interesting, but not profitable.

"Xot being able to hire a horse nn'- trips about the countrj' were made on foot, and I have walked from Xew Hampton to Brad- ford, fifteen miles, attended a lawsuit, and thsn walked back again, without any din- ner, for the reason that I had an empty exchequer. Having a suit to attend before Esq. Chison, who lived nineteen miles from New Hampton, in the north part of Obispo, I walked over, attended the suit, and walked back as far as Jacksonville, where I stopped at the house of W. E. Beach. He asked me if I had been to supper, and I told him that I had had neither dinner or supper. He told his boy Frank to get out the hand-mill and grind some meal, and sent Earl to build a fire, and to hurry up. as I was hungry. In due course of time there was prepared a kettle of mush, and I was served with mush and milk in a ten quart tin pan. Mrs. Beach was much embarrassed that she had no more to serve her guest, but of all the meals I have ever eaten, none ever tasted better than that pan of mush and milk. It was hospitably given, thankfully received and

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remembered with gratiiiule. After supper I walked to New Hampton, where I arrived about ten o'clock. It was pretty close times in those days, and I have seen the time when I could buy a load of wood for fifty cents, yet was obliged to carry wood on my back, f]-om the timber, three-quarters of a mile, because I could not raise the funds to pay for a load.

M. C. Roby lived in a building about three- quarters of a mile northeast of Xew Hamp- ton, was not possessed with many of this world's goods, but he had a large family of children and during the winter of 1S57-S he found that it was bard work to keep the wolf from the door.

At one time he found himself without a mouthful to eat in his house, and he started out to find something. When night came be did not come, and the little ones were cry- ing for something to eat. The house was cold and the mother decided to put them to bed to keep them warm, but they cried for food, and the mother had to whip them to make them go to bed.

In the meantime, Roby had secured half a bushe-l of corn, and taking it to David Edwards' "Little Giant" mill, and hitching

142 HISTORICAL AXD liEMINISCEXCES OF

Oil an old stapf. he led him around until the corn was srronnd. and then taken on his back and carried home. AYhen lie got home they made mush and the children called up and made happy with a good ineal. Jxohj used to say that he could hardly keep the tears back when lie went to take up his little girl and found the tears still standing on her face where she had cried herself to sleep because she was hungry. Of course we that were holding ofncial positions v.'ere not without the means to live, for v/e received for the first half of the term at the rate of two hundred and fifty dollars a year, and for the last half three hundred and fifty dollars. I think it was never known how the raise in the salaries came to be made- At this time the salaries were based on population of the county, and the salaries were so small, and the Judge thought that the population had increased enough to raise the salaries at least one hundred dollars, 'appointed M. B. Taylor to make an enumeration, and he reported that he found five more than enough. This report was very gratefully received by the officers, and they never ques- tioned the legality of the nevv' census. Few men at this time were able to wear an over-

CniCKA?AW COTNTY, IOWA. 143

coat, and it was two years before I was able to own one, but vrore a shawl instead.

A favorite device was to pin a bag over the shoulders, and I recall how, day after day, Tim Donavan. Sr.. used to wear one, as he drove his yoke of stags from his place to the Middle "Wapsie, for wood, and that amid all this hardship and labor he was always cheery, and greeted all with a pleasant woi'd. Of keen perception, frugal and industrious, he attained an opulence and raised a family to fill places of honor and trust. He was a true type of the American Irishman, adopt- ing in spirit, as well as in name, the country'' to which he had sworn allegiance, and left an inheritance for his children, not only of material substance, but above all the right idea of manhood.

On taking a trip to Chickasaw in the sum- mer of 1857, when coming to the Middle ^Vapsie, I saw a rndo building covered with ha}-, with smoke emitting from it, which indicated that it was occupied, and as I was thirsty, concluded to call and get a drink. This was my first call on Barney Tieruey, wiio was just starting his new^ home, and the contrast between his hay shanty, amid a wilderness of grass, and his spacious and well

14i HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

fuvnisheel bouse, immense liarns and well cul- tivated fields of to-day show what industry, economy and perseverance will accomplish. The town of Chickasaw was started with a desire to devehjp the water power, and to build up a rival town to Bradford. John W. Taylor, of Dubuque — Tucker being the local active agent in pushing the enterprise — was its backer. After it had figured quite extensively on paper, a gentleman started to pay it a visit, and reaching the town site. uo town appeared to materialize. Seeing a boy, he asked where Chickasaw was, and was informed that ''the store is in that log house, but Tucker is down at the mill."'' On arriving at Chickasaw one of the most striking things that I found was the firm of xVlbertson, Waite A: Baldwin. AU^ertson was six feet two inches in height, Baldwin six feet three inchesr and Waite six feet seven inches. If Tucker's legs had been as long in proportion as his back, he w^ould have outmeasured them all. On ramarking as to the size of Waite's hand, '"Piro.'' Whitmore declared that "it was as big as the hand of Provi- dence." In those days Chickasaw was a little "loud," and Sunday was a great day for sport.

CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. 145

At the organization of Obispo township, J. J. Rutherford was elected one of the Justices of the Peace. Soon after his election, a 3'oung German couple came to him and wanted a divorce. Xot questioning their right or his jurisdiction, he proceeded to make out the papers. When the papers were about read}" to si^u, the husband and wife held a conference, and as a result, told the Justice that thej' had looked the matter over, and as it was coming on winter, if divorced to take etfect then, they would have to keep two Ores, and desired the loapers made out to take effect in tlie spring. The papers were changed as requested, and the parties left contented. It took bub little to give this Justice jurisdiction. Meeting his neighbor, John Clason, he told him that he was going to sue him next Frida}', as he had been told to collect an account against him. Clason remarked, "I nave paid that account and will be on hand when sued." Without further notice, on the Frida}'' following the Justice entered judgment against Clason for the full amount of the claim. Aflier au injunction had been served on him and the Constable who held the execution, the Jus- tice said that Clason ought to have attended

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to it, for he told him he was goiiipf to sue him. He also threatened to issue papers and impeach the County Judge for issuing an injunction to restrain the collection of a judgment of his rendering, and for interfer- ing with his court.

At the fall election of 1S57 I attend my first election in Chickasaw county, although I had attended one in Allamakee county before, and as I lived in Xew Hampton, voted in that township. Election was held in the log house of Josephus Straw, five mile? from the town. This was the last election held away from the village. Bos- worth and I walked down, and as Bosworth was running for Treasurer and Recorder, stayed to see how the election went, and found that Bosworth received two votes, his own and mine. This was as expected.

The fall term, IS-jT, court was held in Gur- ley's unfinished store building, seats being improvised of rough boards laying on timbers and the Judge was elevated upon the work bench. He had a stand furnished by Gurley for a desk. I was acting as Clerk and used one end of the work bench for a table. Judge Samuel Murdock [)resided and made a political speech in the evening.

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ri. Pi. liouiej' was elected a Justice of the Peace at the organization of Chickasaw township, and was a marked character in his day, and was only exceeded in rotundity, in the township, except by his neighbor Cud- worth. With a limited education, large frame and full abdomen, easy going and good natured, and smoking a corn cob pipe with an air of dignity, he was a typical specimen of a new country squire. With a full sen^e of the dignity of his position, reckless of technicalities and precedcmt, ignoring legal rules and untrammeled by the law of evi- dence, in coming to conclusions he appealed to his innate feeling of justice and common sense, and results were generally right, and was looked upon as one of the reliable men of the county. Too easy going and careful of over exertion to accumulate a fortune, he was happy with his large family of boys, and was satisfied with very plain fare, but when his country called for volunteers to defend lier integrity, he was rich in material, and gave the largest number of any family in the county, sending five.

While a trial was in progress before him, a couple presented themselves to be married. 'Ihe Justice was nothing loth, but there

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14S HISTORICAL AND KKMINI.'=CP:NCKS OF

were unseen difficulties, but they were finally overcome b}* his Honor keeping his back to the wall as he slid into position, thus keeping from view th.e catastrophe that had befallen the rear of his pants.

The location of the villa.ue of New Hamp- ton was owing to its being the geographical center of the county and not for any natu- ral advantages it possessed. It received its name at the hands of a Xevr Hampshire man, Osgood Gowen, who thus commemorated his native town amid the hills of the old <.rranite State by giving its name to this prospective town. There had been a town of fonr blocks laid out in the northwest corner of the south- west quarter of section seven, in township ninety-five, range twelve, and named Chick- asaw Center, but the plat had never been recorded. In the summer of 1S5G Messrs. Gideon Gardner, Harrison Gurle}^ and Homer Hamlin became interested in mucii of the land that constitutes the original plat of New Hampton, and kite in the fall moved to their new homes. Guriey returne-l to Grinnell for a .stock of goods that he had ordered from the east before his purchase in New Hampton, and moved tliera to Green- wood, where he spent thf' winter, as there

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was no place that could be had in New Hampton until spring. ^Ivs. Gurley moved into the northeast room of David Edwai-ds' house with her little boy. "Willie," and taught school in the same room during the winter. The school room vras unfinished, and as cheerless as the imagination could well picture, with its walls of prairie mud filled in between the flattened poles that served as studding. Severed from husband and friends, upon the wild, bleak prairie, sorrowing the loss of an only daughter that lay sleeping near her old home in Connecti- cut, this faithful woman took up her task, and with sore heart and tearful eyes, began a lifework of self denial that has endeared her to all who have known her.

Early in the history of Xew Hampton there was a feeling that its foundations should be laid with a firm trust in God, and this strong religious feeling was exemplified in the starting of a Sabbath school and in the holding of devotional meetings. The first sermon was preached by C.^I. Webster, a Methodist, and the second by Wm. L. Coleman, a Congregationalist. Both were preached in the log house built by Jared, iuid which subsequently became the "Old

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Log Hotel.'" These gatherini: families were all professed Christians, aiul felt the need of organized work for the Master.

The New Hampton of 1S56-7 was not the New Hampton of to-day. Where now are business blocks, churches, school houses, the homes of fond parents and joyous children, then the wild prairie grass waved in its luxuriant beauty, trailed by the wild deer and prowling wolf, and the hiding place of the prairie hen. The formative work went on. Sabbath schools, devotional meetings, and an occasional sermon b\' a traveling preacher, until early in lS5S,when there was felt the pressing need of some organization that should bring a regular ministration of the gospel, and voice their aspirations for a higher life. A meeting. was called, and on the Sth day of Februaiy met in the school house, being the log house that had l)een used by Gurley as a store and postoffice, at which it was resolved:

To take the preliminary steps to orrranize a Christian chnrch that shall embrace all evangelical Christians.

Under said resolution a committee of seven was appointed, consisting of Gideon Gardner, David Edwards, D. Calkins, Caleb Arnold,

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Walter E. Beach, Dr. A\'i]son aud J. H. Powers, to report a Basi^;, Articles of Faith and Covenant. W. E. Beach lived in Jack- sonville and Dr. Wilson in Eichland, and neither of them ever met with the com- mittee. Of the remainder of the committee, Gideon Gardner was a Congref^ationalist, David Edwai'ds a United Brethren, Denizen Calkins a Free Will Baptist, and J. H. Powers had never been a member of any church, though raised a Presbyterian.

Report of committee made on the 13th of February, and report approved and adopted. On Sunday morning, the 14th of February, 1S5S, the citizens met in the old log school house. The Rev. J. C. Strong, who was then pastor of the Bradford Congregational church, v/as present to aid in the services, and a church was organized with Gideon Gardner, ZS'aomi Gardner, Harrison Gurley, Isabella Gurley, James D. Colt, Amelia Colt, Jason Morton and Julius H. Powers as mem- bers. At the April meeting following, Mr. and Mrs. Olney were admitted as members of the church bv profession. Februar}^ 6rh, ISoO, C. 0. Oase^^Mrs. Mary Case, Miss Chri.:i- tina Morton, Mrs. Hannah ^Morton. John L. Vauauken, Mrs. Catherine Vauauken, Mrs.

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152 HISTOIUCAL AND KEMIXISCENCES OF

Emma Vaiianken, G. A. Hamilton and ]ilrs. Piuth Ilajiiiltou joined.

At tlie organization of tlie church the following i-esolution< were adopted:

Whereas, In the laiiijuage of John Wesley, slavery is the sum of all villainies; and,

Whereas, It is a notorioas fact that not only individual Christians, but churches, do tolerate it; therefore,

R&iol:>.ed, That we will not feiujwship any per- son who advocates the system of Ameiican slavery.

Besolvcd^ That we will not fellowship any indi- vidual that traffics in, or makes use of, except for mechanical, medicinal or sacramental purposes, any spirituous or alcoholic liquors.

In the summer of 1S62 the church called their first ref^ular pastor in the person of Eev. Thomas N. Skinner. Mr. Skinner took charge of the church July 5th, 1S62, and remained prstor two years. While he was pastor he preached every alternate Sunday at Xew Hampton and Fayette. In the spring of 1SG3 he commenced to agitate the build- ing of a house of worship, and being rein- forced by a return from the army of a number of members, the work was begun, and w^itb untiring zeal he worked early and late to accomplish the end. Preaching twice

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eveiy Sabbath, riding forty miles every week between his charges, lie always wori^ed from one to three days on the church building each week, and was a true type of western energy, and gave $50 out of his limited sal- ary, besides his labor. During his pastorate he preached in the lower story of the new school house, and as the church building was not dedicated before he left, he never preached in it until his return on a visit, when he occupied the pulpit. Thus one soweth and another reapeth.

The next pastor called by the church was the Rev. Harvey Adams, who commenced his labors on the first day of December. ISGG, and closed his services with the church December 27th, 1S70. Mr. Adams was one of the "Audover Band," who came to the Territory of Iowa in 1843. This baud, although not political, did much to give trend to public sentiment against the domi- nating influence of the southern emigration tiuit came pouring into the Territory, and largely owing to their intiuence and anti- slavery sentiment, was there a party of freedom formed, which came into power by the election of James W. Grimes as Gov- ernor.

154 HISTOIIICAL AND KEMINI5CENCES OF

In the spring of 1S5S I was appointed to survey the Swamp Lands of the county so as to prepare the evidence to present to the United States under the grant of swamp lands to the State, the same having been transferred by the Legislature to the county. Taking Zelotes Bailey, E. M. Aiken and 0.0. Popleton with me, we proceeded to make the survey. While running on the east side of the county, in Stapleton township, we came to the houses of Thomas Staples, C. A. Orvis and E. D. Filer, a kind of aristo- cratic settlement of good, comfortable frame houses, quite in contrast v.ith most western homes. I found Staples a live Yankee, who had come west for business, and with energy enough for a whole tov/uship. This was the rock on which he split, allowing his energy to run away with his judgment. If he was doing well with one threshing machine, he would at once bu}^ another. This was a type of the man, and old settlers recall how he run a farm with a large stock of cattle, threshing machines, and a hotel, and divers other kinds of business, and as a result he proved a better disburser than gatherer, and failed to make a financial success. Filer and Orvis were not in the habit of looldnar

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at life as a field callincj for great iDhysical exertion, and when the prospect of beiu.i^ called into official positions appeared to depart, their agricultural zeal departed also, and they moved to greener pastures. North of Staples we came to Michael Burns, a fuli- souled, jolly, hospitable Irishman, and who subsequently became amcmber of the Board of Supervisors, and held the office of Justice of the Peace so long, -and so supreme was his contempt of precedent and the opinions of higher courts, that his court became known as "Burns' Supreme Court,"' and while his legal attainments were not burden- some, he had a faculty of remembering his friends.

As we passed north into township ninety- six we came bo the little log house of John S. Lee. Lee was trying to make a home, and having invested his money in land, was relying upon what he could raise for living and incidental expenses. It was a struggle that required grit and persever- ance. At this time postage to the east was ten cents for a letter, and so straightened was he for funds that a letter laid in his house, after it was written, for six weeks, he being unable to send it for want of money,

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and only succeeded when a neighbor scut a dime to town with him for tobacco, and he got trusted for the tobacco and used the mone}' to send the letter. It was by such hardships as this, together with a rigid economy added to industiy and persever- ance, that he now has his elegant home, stately barns and productive acres, and has been able to give each of bis children, as they left the paternal roof, a good farm and that aid that does so much towards making a successful start in life. When I see the inheritance of industry they received from their parents, crowned with success, I am led to exclaim that their worldly goods are not the richest of their inheritance.

Between Lee's and Jacksonville were Xoel Gates on the east bank of Little Turkey, A. M. Snider and Hugh Johnston on the hill west of Little Turkey, "Win. Everingham in the timber, and Dan Kirby on the east Ijank of Crane Creek. Sylvester Reiley was living on section seven, Terance Commerford on section five, Owen Galigan on section eight, and Amos J. Smith on the southeast corner of section six, in township ninety-six, range eleven.

There was a Catholic church on the north-

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west corner of section eight, it being the first place of worship erected in the connty. A.J.Smith lived about forty rods northwest from the church, and was everywhere known as "Yankee Smith," and was a very strong Catholic and appeared to have the care of tlie church building. I had my attention specially called to this church and its bury- ing ground, from the circumstance that <? Catliolic family living in Bradford, one of their children dying, and there being no other consecrated ground in the county, they took the child on a sheet which was attached to two poles, like a stretcher, and carried the same the whole twenty-seven miles on foot. It took them two days to go, and a liitle less to return. As they laid the dead body on the ground while they rested, it was as pathetic a scene as I had overseen. I must say that outside of that church T have ne^-er seen such devotion to the traditions <">( the church, I have been in hopes that some one who was present at the building of this first church would give a history and a full record of its birth and death registers, together with its marriage record, for noth- ing would throw a clearer light upon the Ciuiy lii.story of that part of the county than would such a record.

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15S HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

North, iu township ninety-seven, were the Clasou brothers, Georjj^e Arnold and W. C. Mitchell. Mitchell became an aspirant for legislative honors, and ran as the Demo- cratic candidate in 1S59, the district consist- ing of Chickasaw and Bremer counties, and was defeated by G. W. Ruddick, of Bremer county. His majoritj' over Ruddick in Bremer county was one hundred and twenty- five, but the truth that "A prophet is not without honor, save in his own country,'' was again exemplified, and he was defeated by the vote of his own county.

George B. Arnold I had known in Ohio. When I knew him in Ohio, he was the son of opulent parents, dressed in broadcloth and kid gloves. When I found him in Obispo he was living in a little log house, teaching school, and had the ajjpearance of having come west to grow up with the country. In fact, it appeared as though Iowa winters and practical life had taken all the "dude" out of him. He gave me a heart}' welcome, and has ever remained one of Chickasaw county's reliable men.

Passing over from Little Turkey to Crane Creek, in township ninety-seven, range twelve, we came to the log house of Samuel

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CHICKASAW COUNTY. IOWA. 159

Shaff. wlio was keeping? a little store of Lnocoiies. Passiug down the Creek into township ninety-six, to a settlement' that was known as "Up the Creek," we found J. C. II. Miller. John and H. H. Shaffer, the three Palmer brothers, and Langdon. On approaching the log house of H. H. Shaffer, tl.'O sound of niusic was heard, and on stand- ing at the open door we saw Mrs. Shaffer j'laying on the violin, holding the instru- ment in her lap with the neck upwards near the shoulder. The novelty of the thing, added to the sweetness of the music, was "uly equaled by the surprise of the per- i >rmor when she found that she had an audience. Her husband was elected County Surveyor, and gathered a large property which he left to his wife and sui"viviug •'hihireu,

Al)ove this settlement stayed John Badg- i''y, using one part of a log building for his home and stabling his oxen in the other I'-.irt. He had shielded his cattle from the nn-lement weather by chinking between the i"*'"^. although the gables were unclosed, V'Ul ho was not so particular as to himself, Hud the wind blew through between the iiuohiuked logs so that his dog which sought

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160 HISTORICAL AND REMINISCENCES OF

shelter under his bed was frozen to death. This same Badgley appeared to be impervious to exposure. He was crossing Crane Creek during high water when the ice Vv-as running, and he was upset into the water and floated down stream until he caught hold of a bush. The Inish was not large enough to sustain him so that he could crawl out, but would hold his head and shoulders out of the water. He gave the alarm in lusty tones, and the neighbors gathered on the bank of the stream. There was no boat with which to rescue him, but they caulked a wagon box, and launching it above with a rope attached, floated it, after repeated trials, to within his reach, he having been in the water more than an hour. He was taken into the house and clothing wrapped around him, but he declared he would not remain, and on inquir}' it was found that his uneasi- ness was caused by remembering that his money was in his coat, and feaiing that it would be lost, he had taken off his coat and hung it on a bush. It was recovered next morning.

In North "Washington we found S. W. Byers, James Rumbaugh, Jonas Rice, J. H. Vantassel and two or three others. Byers

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vra:v engaged iu burning a kiln of brick and was running several lines of business, including a store. He had invented a brick machine that he represented was to revo- lutionize the brick making business, and expatiated upon the advantages of North Washington as a place for a town. It seemed to me then, and time has not changed the impression, that in his enthusiasm he was lia- ble to undertake more than he could accom- plish. Jonas Rice was the castle builder of the place, and could talk up a line of business so as to convince himself that want of success was an impossibility, but in prac- tice his plani never materialized, and his life has been a chase after the unattainable. Vantassel was the more practical, and his quiet, persistent business habits have made him one of the successes of the county.

During the spring of 1S5S partisanship run high, owing to the pendency of the county seat question, and pervaded all lines of action, and the contending forces, as to north and south, were as much a part of every suit in court, as were the facts in the case.

Among the early suits that brought in contact the contending forces, was a case of

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162 niSTOKICAL AXD REMINISCENCES OF

replevin, the writ liaviiig been issued by C. Arnold, a Justice of the Peace at New Hamp- ton, the writ beinf? in the hands of B. E. ]\Iorton, a Constable of New Hampton, for service. He served the same bv criviusr notice to Carter and taking possession of a yoke of cattle, and had started for home, when he was overtaken by a large company of Carter's friends, and the cattle forcibly taken from him. To give color to this pro- ceeding, a counter replevin was at once sued out before J. Q. A Quackinbush, a Justice of the Peace of Fredericksburg, against the New Hampton constable. This trial pro- ceeded before Quackinbush, in the meantime the cattle disappeared. During the second day of this trial, the Constable prolonging the trial while his men were out looking for the cattle, an altercation occurred in the court room between Ozro Hill and Charles Snow. A fight ensued, and Hill got Snow *'in chancery,"' and the blood was spattering the bystanders, when Case, a one-legged man, jumped up in high glee, and as he brought his wooden leg down with a thud, yelled "Give him h — 11." In a few minutes the position of the combatants was changed and the other fellow was ''in chancery;"'

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CHICKASAW COUNTY, IOWA. IGo

then came the same cheerful words from the same part}', and the gleeful jumping was resumed. Outsiders interfered, aud among the number was D. B. Hanan.

In the melee Hanan was struck by one of the parties and was taken out bleeding. Under the directions of the court, there was an information filed against each of the par- ties to the assault, charging them with assault and battery, and the cases taken up for trial at once, the court holding that criminal business took precedence over civil cases. On the trial, Hanau was employed for the defense, and was put on the stand as a witness for the state. As he sat giving his testimony, and wiping the blood from his wounds, he became facetious and playful, and testified that he did not think they intended to hit him, but that it was a little fun the boys were having, and that vvas all. As he came off the stand he turned to the accused and remarked. "I will defend you now, buG as true as there is a God in Israel, I will get even with you for this." On the second night after the trial began, the Xe\\- Hampton Constable learned that the oxen had been run into the edge of Bremer county, beyond his jurisdiction, but nothing daunted,

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1G4 JIISTOKICAL AND KEMINISCENCES OF

he took a basket of corn, sayiug, "There is uo Law against oxen following a man,'" and they followed him across the county line, when he immediately took possession of them, and before morning he had them secreted in North Washington, beyond the reach of the Fredeiicksburg forces.

A little after noon the following day, a boy came and reported the cattle gone. At this Carter ordered the suit stopped, and it was dismissed.

The two Justices of the Peace in Freder- icksburg, were J. Q. A. Quaekiubush and 0. H. P. Searles. Quackinbush was a very pre- cise and dignified man, never allowing him- self to be inveigled into any hilarity, and his position as Justice of the Peace intensified this dignity.

Searles was as different as well could be, and was a rollicking, joyous boy among the boys, as full of anecdote as an egg of meat, and a veritable Munchausen. The mythical stories he told, of which he was the hero, were many and amusing. As a sample of one